Music can help Essay

While music has long been recognized as an effective form of therapy to provide an outlet for emotions, the notion of using song, sound frequencies and rhythm to treat physical ailments is a relatively new domain, says psychologist Daniel J. Levitin, PhD, who studies the neuroscience of music at McGill University in Montreal. A wealth of new studies is touting the benefits of music on mental and physical health. For example, in a meta-analysis of 400 studies, Levitin and his postgraduate research fellow, Mona Lisa Chanda, PhD, found that music improves the body’s immune system function and reduces stress. Listening to music was also found to be more effective than prescription drugs in reducing anxiety before surgery (Trends in Cognitive Sciences, April, 2013). â€Å"We’ve found compelling evidence that musical interventions can play a health-care role in settings ranging from operating rooms to family clinics,† says Levitin, author of the book â€Å"This is You r Brain on Music† (Plume/Penguin, 2007). The analysis also points to just how music influences health. The researchers found that listening to and playing music increase the body’s production of the antibody immunoglobulin A and natural killer cells — the cells that attack invading viruses and boost the immune system’s effectiveness. Music also reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol. â€Å"This is one reason why music is associated with relaxation,† Levitin says. One recent study on the link between music and stress found that music can help soothe pediatric emergency room patients (JAMA Pediatrics, July, 2013). In the trial with 42 children ages 3 to 11, University of Alberta researchers found that patients who listened to relaxing music while getting an IV inserted reported significantly less pain, and some demonstrated significantly less distress, compared with patients who did not listen to music. In addition, in the music-listening group, more than two-thirds of the health-care providers reported that the IVs were very easy to administer   compared with 38 percent of providers treating the group that did not listen to music. â€Å"There is growing scientific evidence showing that the brain responds to music in very specific ways,† says Lisa Hartling, PhD, professor of pediatrics at the University of Alberta and lead author of the study. â€Å"Playing music for kids during painful medical procedures is a simple intervention that can make a big difference.† adult patients, too. Researchers at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Singapore found that patients in palliative care who  took part in live music therapy sessions reported relief from persistent pain (Progress in Palliative Care, July, 2013). Music therapists worked closely with the patients to individually tailor the intervention, and patients took part in singing, instrument playing, lyric discussion and even song writing as they worked toward accepting an illness or weighed end-of-life issues. â€Å"Active music engagement allowed the patients to reconnect with the healthy parts of themselves, even in the face of a debilitating condition or disease-related suffering,† says music therapist Melanie Kwan, co-author of the study and president of the Association for Music Therapy, Singapore. â€Å"When their acute pain symptoms were relieved, patients were finally able to rest.†

Criticism of Homer’s “The Iliad” Essay

Homer’s Iliad would have been severely criticized by Socrates, as depicted by Plato in The Republic. Plato is critical of Greek literature and mythology and even went so far as to propose a system of censorship in the ideal city. Plato believed myths to be lies and thus the propagation of these lies should be halted in society. In The Republic he wrote, â€Å"Whenever they tell a tale that plays false with the true nature of gods and heroes†¦they are like painters whose portraits bear no resemblance to their models.† In this excerpt, Plato is saying that when literature â€Å"plays false with the true nature of gods and heroes†-which means depicts false information-it paints a false impression of reality. Therefore Plato proposed a system of censorship to prevent this false depiction of reality. This censorship was primarily focused on protecting the impressionable youth. Plato felt that early exposure to fictional accounts would dull a person’s ability to make accurate judgments regarding matters of fact and might encourage some people to emulate the worst behavior of the tragic heros. As a result, Plato was severely critical of Greek literature and mythology. In viewing The Iliad, Plato would criticize it for several reasons. For one, throughout the epic the Gods use humans as pawns to do their own bidding-the argument can even be made that the entire Trojan war was started and developed as a result of Godly affairs. The reason the Trojans and Greeks fought was because of Helen, who was taken from the Achaeans and given to the Trojans by Aphrodite. Then when Thetis beseeches Zeus to make the Greeks to lose, they do. So the entire epic is largely a game between the Gods with the humans as their pawns. To the impressionable youth of Greece whom read this epic, this is hardly a positive aspect of life. This could easily bring about in them a cynical view of life-therefore in this respect Plato would be heavily critical of the Iliad. In inspection of Homer’s epic The Iliad, Plato would undoubtedly find that too many loathsome acts are committed and thus it should be censored. He would point to Paris’ cowardice, to Agamemnon’s abuse of power, and to Helen’s unfaithfulness to Menelaus. He would point to Achilles’ blood-thirst, to his abandonment of the Greeks, and to his bouts of rage. But although Achilles committed all these shameful acts in The Iliad, an  implicit message in the epic is the eventual destruction brought about by unchecked rage. The Iliad begins with â€Å"Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilleus and its devastation.† We also know that Achilles is destined to die because of this rage. So although the various acts that Achilles commits are detestable, we can learn from his mistaken ways. In reading The Iliad, the Greek youth could see the effects of uncontrollable rage and learn the unfavorable fate destined to those who possess it. Theref ore Homer could defend his work by saying that not only shouldn’t The Iliad be censored because it could corrupt the youth, but if anything it should be championed for it teaches important lessons such as the results of unchecked rage. In defense of the Iliad, Homer might say that Plato fails to see past an equation between morally good characters and good literature. That is to say that Sokrates, or Plato who portrays him, erroneously believes that literature cannot be good if the characters it portrays are not morally good. But this is clearly not a fact-very often, in order to educate the youth and the population as a whole it is necessary to demonstrate the less than glorious aspects of life. An education based solely on the positive aspects of life fails to include the other facet of life-the immoral-which is fundamental to a well rounded education. In theory it might seem logical to censor literature which exposes people, places, or things contrary to what society believes should be emulated. Ostensibly, it makes sense to cover up cowardice, immorality, ignorance, corruption, etc. for these things might influence the youth negatively. But the truth is that we are all exposed to these things eventually. Therefore exposure to them beforehand in literature is especially important as it can be used as a tool to show that these immoral things are frowned upon. In addition, a well-rounded individual cannot be formed if he is only exposed to the positive side of life, for an entire other side exists-and being informed and aware of this other side is integral to an individual’s proper education. Naturally, Homer and Plato would see differently in respect to the effect The Iliad would have on its audience. Assuming the audience is the Greek youth, Plato would most likely believe it would corrupt their impressionable minds.  It would give them inaccurate ideas about how people should act and it would give them a taste of the horrors of war. Paris cowardly leaving the battlefield after losing to Menelaus, then going to his bedroom to make more love to Helen is not the way people in an ideal city should act. Neither is taking the daughter of a priest of Apollo and not returning her after a supplication by her father. Brutally murdering Hektor then dragging his body back to the Achaean camp, as Achilles did, is not the way people should act either. The youth of a nation, as Plato would agree, should not be educated in the ways in which people shouldn’t act but rather in the ways they should. Through a negative portrayal of the Gods and humans in general, the impressionab le minds of the youth would be forever corrupted and as such literature such as The Iliad should be censored. Homer on the other hand would say the opposite. He would argue that a well-rounded individual cannot be formed if he is only exposed to the positive side of life, for an entire other side exists-and being informed and aware of this other side is integral to an individual’s proper education. He could also defend his work by saying that not only shouldn’t The Iliad be censored because it could corrupt the youth, but if anything it should be championed for it teaches important lessons such as the results of unchecked rage (in Achilles). Censorship of literature that inaccurately depicts the correct way in which people should act was championed by Plato. As such, The Iliad by Homer would have been severely criticized as it depicted Gods and humans acting in ways contrary to those an ideal city would promote. On the other hand Homer would claim that sole exposure to the positive side of life makes for an incomplete education, and that through the reading of the epic, the erroneous ways of the characters can be learned from as ways in which not to act, and thus the Iliad should not only not be censored but if anything endorsed.

The Benefits of the Education are Depended on Size Classes Essay

The Benefits of the Education are Depended on Size Classes - Essay Example The more learning that is taken on within their stride, the better they become. This is a sign of learning something new everyday at a very little cost which is all the more welcome. It is a fact that small size classes are deemed as very healthy for the sake of any society in the world and there are no parallels as far as this understanding is reached upon. The society takes the benefits in such a situation and nearly everyone who is a part of it will benefit in one way or the other. When one focuses on how Japanese educational system works, one wonders if they follow the same pattern. On a closer look, there is research that supports the basis of large size classes within Japan which should speak what has been written earlier in terms of the disadvantages. Yet this is not true because Japanese are known to be more resilient in terms of their educational settings, which allows proper emphasis on education on the part of the students. The students are made to work in groups, which de dicates equal time and energies towards studies and thus no one feels left out of the related equation. It makes their tasks easier and the learning is immense under such scenarios (Tyre, 2011). As compared to Americans, Japanese are more focused and involve their own selves within education so that they can get the best results out of what they have studied for their long term success. In the end, it would be fair to state that both the STAR and SAGE studies have accounted for a number of benefits for the students from a global perspective. These benefits follow the dictum of providing health and happiness for the society as a whole. The students have taken on the advantages which is actually a good point if seen within the... This paper approves that the discussion centers on the aspect of the society, small size classes are able to support the poor students much better in terms of their socioeconomic living. It allows them to learn more and gain assistance from the educational domains because high costs of living are coming about with the passage of time. The more learning that is taken on within their stride, the better they become. This is a sign of learning something new everyday at a very little cost which is all the more welcome. It is a fact that small size classes are deemed as very healthy for the sake of any society in the world and there are no parallels as far as this understanding is reached upon. The society takes the benefits in such a situation and nearly everyone who is a part of it will benefit in one way or the other This essay makes a conclusion that it would be fair to state that both the STAR and SAGE studies have accounted for a number of benefits for the students from a global perspective. These benefits follow the dictum of providing health and happiness for the society as a whole. The students have taken on the advantages which is actually a good point if seen within the correct settings. Since the Japanese students are seen as helping one another, this point has become even stronger in terms of its collaboration debate. These are some of the more important details that have come about as far as knowing how size classes have affected the students in different parts of the world. What remains to be seen is which model is being followed to bring about prosperity in terms of education worldwide.

Catholic Social Teaching and the Interpretation of it by the Essay

Catholic Social Teaching and the Interpretation of it by the Liberation Theologians - Essay Example The social discrimination and inequality were harshly criticized by the church through its doctrines and Catholic Social teaching is considered as one of the major doctrines of the church on social concerns. Catholic Social Teaching is a term to denote the Catholic’s relationships between the state and the religion. Precisely speaking it is the teaching of the Church on many social justice issues which are there in the society. The teachings of the church have been taken by many organizations and so the church gives a vivid picture of its social teaching based on the true faith in the son of God. The present article tries to bring out the salient features of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and makes out the differences between the Catholic theology and Liberation theology in the CST. Catholic Social Teaching Catholic Social teaching is considered as the greatest gift of the Roman Catholic Church to the world. The concern of Church over the social justice is visible in the teach ing. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states that, â€Å"Catholic social teaching is based on and inseparable from our understanding of human life and human dignity. Every human being is created in the image of God and redeemed by Jesus Christ, and therefore is invaluable and worthy of respect as a member of the human family† (United States conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011). ... Pope in the letter stresses the concepts of equality and dignity in the social realm. He in a way stood for the common people who were working in many factories and land owners. He said in the letter as given in the article by Patrick Harrington as, â€Å"To defraud a man of the wage which is his due is to commit a grievously sinful act which cries out to heaven for vengeance† (Cooney, 2002, p.9). So by the term the Church wanted to involve state for upholding justice in the society thereby giving justice to workers in terms of wage and equality. The present Pope Benedict XVI through his Encyclical letter, ‘Caritas in Veritate’ (Charity in Truth) speaks a new dimension to the social teaching of the Catholicism. In the Encyclical Pope recalls â€Å"charity is the heart of Church’s social doctrine.† He added, â€Å"a Christianity of charity without truth would be more or less interchangeable with a pool of good sentiments, helpful for social cohesion, but of little relevance† (Catholic Social Teaching, n.d.). So the present Pope gives utmost importance to the truth in life and in social circles. He adds the gospel’s teachings to the social teaching which makes out more clarification to the doctrine. Principles of Catholic Social Teaching The Church has well established the principles of the social teaching through its different letters and books. The key principles, based on the teachings of Christ and the Apostles, proclaim the Christian beliefs intact. The Church in no way supports the ideologies of communism and capitalism with its social teaching. The atheistic aspect of communism is strongly objected by the church and on the other hand it does not support the individualistic aspects of capitalism. The church stands as

ABC Hospital Staff Allocation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

ABC Hospital Staff Allocation - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that at the start of every new year, hospital owners face a difficult challenge. This is the construction of a feasible timetable that satisfies patient and institutional needs. The difficulty of this challenge is to consider patient needs and satisfy them as much as possible. During the registration period, patients complete a registration form which includes any specific requirements or needs to be considere. Once the registration phase is completed, the hospital owner needs to separate patients with needs from the rest of the group and prioritize them during the hospital scheduling phase. The timetabling of the hospital can take a lot of time to construct considering the amount of patients enrolled. The owner’s aim is to satisfy the patient’s needs as much as possible. The resulting timetable, which was created manually with a piece of paper and a pen, may not satisfy all constraints as much as it could. More research was d one in order to find the most appropriate software and programming language that can handle constraints accordingly. Gathering knowledge from books on the subject and websites through internet searching helped gain an understanding of the constraint logic programming principles and methodologies. In order to get familiar with the software and the programming language the researched was mainly focused on its programming principles and capabilities. Constraint Logic Programming is based upon integrating Constraint Solving and Logic Programming. Combination of the two types of programming makes it both expressive and flexible and in some cases more efficient than other programming languages. After having attained knowledge and understanding of this type of programming, a program was constructed to satisfy the needs of the patients in order to create a hospital schedule for the hospital. Different approaches were tried in order to develop such an application and findings and results of this development are shown in the next pages. Appendix B contains the rest of the elements necessary to the

Currency Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Currency Management - Essay Example The foreign currency in the dollarization context serves as a medium of exchange, unit of account, and store of value (Honohan, 2007). Dollarization operates and functions within the geographical boundaries of the specific country that adopts it. Different countries can engage in dollarization and use the same foreign currency, but their decisions are independent and unrelated. On the other hand, monetary union defines a scenario where two or more countries come together and agree to share a common currency. This means that all countries bound to the union uses the agreed upon currency to carry out economic transactions. Dollarization and monetary unions exhibit both advantages and disadvantages. For a small country, dollarization may be used to enhance the economic performance. However, the success of dollarization in the country that adopts the foreign currency may result in disregarded domestic currency by having the foreign currency replace it. In the context of the global financial system, the strongest and most used foreign currency may dominate and outperform other currencies through overvaluation. The policy is, however, vital in nurturing economic relationships across the globe. On the other hand, monetary union improves the value of the chosen currency, making the countries bound to the union influential in terms of domestic and international economic transactions (Gerber, 2010). However, countries with poor economic performance can be dominated and â€Å"enslaved† by stronger countries in the

In what ways can terrorism be distinguished from other forms of Essay - 1

In what ways can terrorism be distinguished from other forms of violent conflict Can terrorism ever be justified - Essay Example context, it has been noticed that ‘an alternative public policy might target high-risk technologies (civilian airlines, nuclear reactors, etc.) as the source of vulnerability to terrorism, thereby protecting civil liberties by reducing or eliminating the use of such technologies’ (Jurgensen, 2004, 55). The above suggestions could possibly help towards the limitation of violent conflicts in countries worldwide; however this outcome could not be regarded as guaranteed; the appearance and the development of violent conflicts in states internationally cannot be eliminated; it could only be appropriately controlled ensuring that no case of risk for the public safety will occur – a target that can be characterized as quite challenging especially if taking into account the post-September 11th events. The expansion of terrorism worldwide cannot be doubted. Through the years, the measures taken by governments for the limitation of the phenomenon are proved to be inadequate. In accordance with Fleming (1998, 27) ‘an ever-increasing reality in the world today is the threat of terrorism; the significance of the threat cannot be overstated because terrorism transcends both geographic and demographic boundaries; no community or organization is immune from acts of terrorism’. Various other views have been stated in literature regarding the reasons for the appearance and the development of terrorism worldwide; it seems that terrorism is related with specific political options that are contradicted with the interests of particular groups of people – or in some cases with the interests of nations. It should be noticed that in practice terrorist attacks are divided into five major categories: ‘(1) biological, (2) chemical, (3) explosive, (4) incendiary, and (5) nuc lear; while most terroristic events involve one of these, the use of multiple types of terrorism against a target cannot be ruled out’ (Fleming, 1998, 27). The reference to these categories is made in

The wisdom of crowds, the way were working Essay

The wisdom of crowds, the way were working - Essay Example The wisdom of crowds, the way we’re working One of the key aspects that make Coca-Cola a market leader is that it allows the diversity of opinion. James argues that groups are remarkably intelligent based on the fact that each member of the group is given an opportunity to contribute. In its effort to ensure wide range of decisions, Coca-Cola initiated a strong feedback system where shareowners and the consumers can provide their own views regarding the management of the company the board. Additionally, the company has well established operating groups that ensure opinions and information from different people reach the company headquarters. Independence of the groups is another important aspect that ensures wise crowds. This means that there is no single individual who makes decision on behalf of the entire group. For example, Coca-Cola board of governors under the leadership of Muhtar Kent, ensures consultation with other heads of department especially during the launching of new products or when adopting a new technology. In this way, each of members of the team feels as part and parcel of the entire company. Decentralization is an additional aspect that results to wise crowds. For instance, to achieve the company objectives, Coca-Cola has allocated qualified marketers and engineers to oversee its bottling plants located in various countries. Through the collaboration of the various heads of departments, wise decisions are made and adequate information is obtained thus enhancing the profitability of the company.

MGT 501 Mgmt. and Org. Behavior Organizations as POLITICAL SYSTEMS - Essay

MGT 501 Mgmt. and Org. Behavior Organizations as POLITICAL SYSTEMS - systems of political activity, with patterns of competing interests, conflict and power - Essay Example how things have changed over the years and how an individual needs to act if he / she want to survive their job. Any kind of loose talk or gossip can prove to be very expensive for the individuals and hence a great deal of care needs to be taken. The two articles have in their own ways brought out the various points of how individuals can manage their position in the offices without getting into the bad books of either their colleagues or the bosses. The main difference of the two articles however is that Kennedy provides insights on how to effectively lead a team and more importantly how to manage teams in the current times. She explains how the leadership was different in earlier times and how people now prefer to be led than managed. This is clear from the statement in the article, ‘Old style management is out. Younger workers, especially, dont want to be managed. They want to follow someone who knows where he or she is going. They want to be taught, not directed. Labor shortages intensify when physician executives dont adapt their styles’ (Kennedy). Both the authors have presented very similar topics however have explained them in very different manners. Kennedy explains the politics and leadership in a manner which is more as a solution and advice to be good leaders in the current times, while Sun has given a clear cut explanation of the politics and ways to avoid them in a very diplomatic manner. This is clear from the statement made in the article, ‘Suppose your co-workers start complaining about the boss. If you join in, it makes you look disloyal to the boss’, he advices the individuals to reply as, ‘Come on, arent we exaggerating? [name of boss] really isnt THAT bad’ (Sun). Hence as seen it is clear that the two authors have in their own ways shown how to deal with politics in a company. Considering the topic of managing power in social relationships, it is important to note that this requires a high deal of

Postgraduate Education Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Postgraduate Education - Personal Statement Example This way I laid the foundation stone for my future career. My immediate future at university was admission to information management course. This step looks like a movement away from my plans. It is not the case! Information and management have become an integral part of any profession; even medical specialists are not excluded although they deal with their patients and are not involved in any other business. Therefore, the professionals dealing with business, accounts, finance and public are in real need of developing excellent skills in information and management. People, who have not received any formal education in a specific field, usually, can learn related skills through their daily experiences while being at work places. But strengthening of knowledge and enhancing understanding of any subject area demands living in an academic environment for quite some time. The importance of a good academic institution in the development of personality and guidance towards a specific direction can never be excluded. Prior to as well as during my university course work, I could find some opportunities to get working experience in my chosen field at the national and international levels. The work I have been involved in has strong associations what I have been learning at university and learnt at my schools. In fact, during these shorter periods of internship I could get orientation related to the practical work of my area of interest. I learnt about working environment of professional organizations, applied my knowledge and skills to carry out prescribed tasks and assessed my abilities to work in such environments. My stay at these organizations provided me a chance to practice what I had learnt in my class rooms; I analysed the information related to the clients using my statistical skills and based on these analyses suggested actions as appropriate as possible. I had a chance to improve my interpersonal communication skills, apply proper negotiation expertise, and develop proficiency in documentation and record keeping. The discussion sessions I had with my senior colleagues especially of the bank staff enriched my knowledge and improved my insight in the subject to a substantial level. In reality, It was a combined effect of taught courses, my short experience in various but related environments and encouraging feedback from my senior colleagues which boosted me up and compelled me to think for higher studies in finance (MA finance & investment), (MSc finance) (MSc accounting & Finance) (Msc investment), think for higher studies in economics and bankging (MSc int economics, banking). Moreover, I could also find an opportunity to talk and discuss with some of the alumni of school (name of the school) who liked the idea of applying to this business school (name of the school) and were optimistic about my admission to the programme (name of prog). Applying to a postgraduate degree course at your business school at the moment seems an appropriate decision. Based on my experience either at my academic institutions or at some professional organizations I reach to the conclusion that I must continue my studies in such a wonderful institution because I find myself to fulfil all the requirements of the course. At postgraduate level a combination of

History of Bareilly Essay Example for Free

History of Bareilly Essay The region has, also, acted as a mint for a major part of its history. From archaeological point of view the district of Bareilly is very rich. The extensive remains of Ahichhatra, the Capital town of Northern Panchala have been discovered near Ramnagar village of Aonla Tehsil in the district. It was during the first excavations at Ahichhatra (1940–44) that the painted grey ware, associated with the advent of the Aryans in Ganga Yamuna Valley, was recognised for the first time in the earliest levels of the site. Nearly five thousand coins belonging to periods earlier than that of Guptas have been yielded from Ahichhatra. It has also been one of the richest sites in India from the point of view of the total yield of terracotta. Some of the masterpieces of Indian terracotta art are from Ahichhatra. In fact the classification made of the terracotta human figurines from Ahichhatra on grounds of style and to some extent stratigraphy became a model for determining the stratigraphy of subsequent excavations at other sites in the Ganga Valley. On the basis of the existing material, the archaeology of the region helps us to get an idea of the cultural sequence from the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC up to the 11th c. AD. Some ancient mounds in the district have also been discovered by the Deptt. of Ancient History and culture, Rohilkhand University, at Tihar-Khera (Fatehganj West), Pachaumi, Rahtuia, Kadarganj and Sainthal. [2]

Study of Humanitarian Aid Agencies Service Delivery

Study of Humanitarian Aid Agencies Service Delivery CHRISTINA KHOURY Stuck in no mans land:people of nowhere are people of now here A study of humanitarian aid agencies service delivery to residents in Kara Tepe refugee camp in Lesvos. DR Disaster Relief EASO European Asylum Support Office EU European Union FMO Forced Migration Online HA Humanitarian Assistance HSA Humanitarian Support Agency IDPs Internally displaced persons IOM International Organisation for Migration IOs International Organisations IRC International Rescue Committee MSF Mà ©decins Sans Frontiers NGOs Non-Governmental Organisations RCRC International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement ROs Regional Organisations UN United Nations UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees   Ã‚   Since the twentieth century, the migration of refugees has been a significant and constant feature of the world order. There has been several factors causing its occurrence, including international wars, civil wars, the rise of fascism, decolonization, national liberation struggles and the creation of nation states (Bloch, 2002, p.1). During 1914-1918 World War I, millions of people were left homeless, fleeing their homelands to seek refuge, and the international community and governments responded by providing travel documents to those people who were the first refugees of the twentieth century (1951 UN Convention). However the flow of refugees did not stop there, but the numbers drastically increased after World War II (1939-1945), when millions were forced to resettle, be displaced or were deported (Guterres, 2011). While the refugee crisis is a phenomenon that has been around for many years, the ongoing conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan and other troubled countries have resulted in an unprecedented number of 65.3 million people around the world forcibly displaced from their homes. Among them are 21.3 million registered as refugees under UNHCR and UNWRA mandates, over half of whom are children (under 18 years old) (UNHCR, 2016a). Syrians make up, without a doubt, the largest refugee population in the world. The Syria conflict alone, known to be the biggest humanitarian and refugee crisis of our time (UN High Commissioner for Refugees in UNHCR, 2016b), has spawned 4.8 million refugees in neighbouring countries (predominantly Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan), hundreds of thousands in Europe and 6,6 million displaced inside Syria (Mercy Corps, 2016; UNHCR, March 2016). Figure 1: The increase of registered Syrian Refugees from almost zero in 2012 to 4.8 million in 2016 (source: UNHCR, 2016 Which UNHCR article? You need to specify) According to Amnesty Internationals assessment of October 2016, more than half of the worlds 21 million refugees are hosted in just ten low and middle-income countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.[1] Europe, however, hosts a share of 6% of the worlds refugee population (Check percentage of refugees in Europe in 2016, add source). In 2015, over a million refugees and migrants made it to Europe by sea, with a majority arriving via the Aegean Sea from Turkey into Greece (UNHCR, 2015). Responding to the massive influx of refugees, several international humanitarian aid agencies established themselves on the Greek Islands to meet the pressing needs of the novel refugee and migrant population. However, it has been widely debated whether these aid agencies are effective in their service delivery and whether they fulfill the tasks they have set out to do. Despite the allocation of millions of dollars of funds to guarantee a decent living standard for the refugees and migrants in the Greek camps, reports reveal dire conditions, with a lack of the most basic livelihoods, such as edible food, basic sanitation services and education (Strickland, 2016; ?). Deeply moved by the horrifying images of human suffering in these camps, I chose to travel to Greece to volunteer in Kara Tepe Camp in Lesvos in the summer of 2016 to i nvestigate the topic further. It is of great importance to examine the efficiency of these humanitarian aid agencies service delivery on the ground in order to build future humanitarian aid programs which adequately meet the needs of the vulnerable refugees and migrants in Lesvos. 1.1 Question and Motivation of Study This dissertation sets out to answer the following research questions: Primary question: To what extent are humanitarian service providing agencies operating in Kara Tepe camp managing to live up to their stated aims and guidelines? Secondary question: What are the obstacles to effective service delivery? This dissertation is a reflective research based on my time spent volunteering with a humanitarian aid organisation, Humanitarian Support Agency (HSA)[2], in a refugee camp in Lesvos, Greece over the course of summer from June to September 2016. However, the area of research of humanitarian assistance to refugees, sparked my interest already in 2011, when the flow of thousands of Syrian refugees began to Jordan, my home country, following Syrias descent into civil war. Jordan, a small yet strong Kingdom, surrounded by countries undergoing conflict, is a host of over 656,000 Syrian refugees (Amnesty International, 2016). Seeing the difficult suffering faced by the Syrian refugee population in my own region (Middle East) as well as in Europe strongly motivated me to gain a hands on experience of humanitarian aid work with refugees. Following, for my applied field experience[3], I chose to travel to Greece and join HSA as a volunteer in Kara Tepe camp in Lesvos; a refugee camp in the la rgest transit point in the East Mediterranean route, which is the first assistance site for refugees and migrants departing from Turkey to Europe (HSA, 2016). During my time volunteering in Kara Tepe, I had the opportunity to work closely with humanitarian aid agencies operating in the camp, gaining insights into their day-to-day provision of services to the residents. It also allowed me to speak to and get to know several of the camp residents refugees and migrants predominantly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq who often expressed their concerns and hardships of life in Kara Tepe. In this dissertation, I aim to draw on this experience to investigate the humanitarian aid agencies services to refugees and migrants in Kara Tepe camp. More specifically, by comparing these aid agencies stated aims and guidelines to the real situation of refugees and migrants on the ground, I wish to examine where the agencies are failing at fulfilling their promises in providing adequate assistance to the camp residents. Furthermore, I aim to identify some of the apparent obstacles hindering these agencies effective service delivery. I do not intend to generalise my results regarding humanitarian aid agencies service delivery in refugee camps as it would require a more comprehensive material than what my study is based upon. My ambition is rather to attempt to highlight the humanitarian aid situation in Kara Tepe and voice out the concerns and needs of the residents, drawing on their living situation in the refugee camp. This study will be structured into five chapters. In chapter 2, I will give an overview of the living conditions of refugees and migrants in Greek camps. Here, I will also provide a set of definitions of the key terms adopted in this dissertation. In chapter 3, I will give a review of the existing literature on the humanitarian aid system. In this section, I will outline the theoretical foundations used in this study, including the UNHCR, IRC, Save the Children and HSAs stated aims and guidelines in relation to the factors of water, sanitation, education, food and health care. In chapter 4, I will draw on my first-hand experience in Kara Tepe in order to spot the gaps between the stated aims and guidelines of the aid agencies and the real situation on the ground, based on the stories and interviews with the residents. Furthermore, the analysis will identify some of the apparent obstacles hindering these agencies effective service delivery. Finally, I will conclude by giving a summary of the main findings and their implications, and the possibility of suggesting further research on the topic. 1.2 Methodology Material The choice of method for this dissertation is a mixed study between an autoethnography approach which is a form of qualitative research[4], based on primary qualitative data collection, and a case study using Kara Tepe Camp as the case, in addition to secondary research on academic articles in relation to the humanitarian aid system, UN reports and newspaper articles on the topic. Moreover, I will look at the guidelines, aims and goals of three main agencies operating in camp, namely UNHCR, IRC and Save the Children. The material I have used for my analysis is predominantly based on material gathered through the interviews I have conducted with different refugees from the camp. For their safety and integrity, I have decided to keep their names anonymous and have given them pseudonyms/alias. These interviews that I have conducted are valuable and have provided me with the useful information and insights that are necessary to establish an adequate answer to the question. Moreover, the analysis is also based on my own lived experience through working in Kara Tepe camp. 1.3 Limitations of study When researching the above questions a few limitations had to be considered. First, due to time and space restrains, I had to limit my data collection to the period of my stay in Greece between June and September 2016. The humanitarian assistance keeps developing in camp so there may be new improved services that did not exist back then, which would have been valuable to include in my research. Second, it has to be taken into consideration that the refugees interviewed are in a vulnerable position; hence they may not be able to fully reveal all truths for a public audience, and this is why for some questions, unfortunately, the answers were either very broad or unclearly answered, due to the sensitivity of the matter. Third, there are several possible factors to take into consideration when researching humanitarian assistance provided to refugees living in camps. However, due to space and time restraints, I have chosen to focus on three key humanitarian aid agencies and their service s in Kara Tepe camp, namely UNHCR, IRC and Save the Children. To be called a refugee is the opposite of an insult; it is a badge of strength, courage, and victoryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Tennessee Office for Refugees) 2.1 Definitions of keywords In our current era, more than 65 million people worldwide are displaced by force as refugees, asylum seekers, or internally displaced persons. According to the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, to be recognized legitimately as a refugee, a person must be fleeing persecution on the basis of religion, race, political opinion, nationalityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. However, the present factors around displacement are complex and multi-layered which in turn makes the protection based on a strict definition of persecution increasingly problematic and very challenging to implement (Zetter, 2015). Between asylum seekers, refugees and economic migrants there is an overlap and this can cause confusion; therefore, it is very important to distinguish the difference between the terms, and which term applies on the people in the camps in Greece specifically in Kara Tepe Camp. Asylum seeker is: a person who has applied for asylum under the 1951 Refugee Convention on the Status of Refugees on the ground that if he is returned to his country of origin he has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political belief or membership of a particular social group. He remains an asylum seeker for so long as his application or an appeal against refusal of his application is pending (Mitchell, 2006). Principally, asylum seekers flee in fear of persecution because of the reasons stated in the definition, so they seek refuge in another country looking for safety, and until their asylum process is ongoing they are called asylum seekers, but once it is processed and the approval is given then they are given a refugee status. In the literature on refugees, there have been many definitions of the term, but I found the following by the UNHCR to be the most inclusive. A refugee is someone who: owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that countryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Article 1, UN Convention, 1951). They also added that the term refugee can be defined as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ people fleeing conflict or persecution. They are defined and protected in international law, and must not be expelled or returned to situations where their life and freedom are at risk (UNHCR, 2016). But according to migration watch UK, they define a refugee as an asylum seeker whose application has been successful, i.e. that person fleeing war and conflict as defined by the 1951 Refugee Convention. The difference between asylum seeker and a refugee is very difficult to state as they are very similar. Basically, an asylum seeker is someone who is seeking international protection and is waiting for his refugee status, but a refugee is someone who is recognised under the 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees to be eligible to be a refugee (Phillips, 2011, p.2). Last but not least, migrant, as defined by the UN Convention on the Rights of Migrants is a : person who is to be engaged, is engaged or has been engaged in a remunerated activity in a State of which he or she is not a national. Article 1.1 (a) states that migrants decision to move to these States is taken freely, because of personal convenience and without any external factor that might affect the decision (UNESCO, 2016).Thus, there has been a gap along the lines with the usage of the terminology, especially between the term refugee and asylum seeker. People who have crossed the Mediterranean by paying organised criminals (smugglers) to get them across the borders are known as irregular migrants, because they have not entered the EU legally (European Commission, 2016). Humanitarian aid system (add definition) Humanitarian aid system or humanitarian assistance is intended to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain human dignity during and after manmade crises and disasters caused by natural hazards as well as to prevent and strengthen preparedness for when such situations occur (Global Humanitarian Assistance, 2016). Humanitarian assistance should be administered by the four key humanitarian principles which are: humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence; these key principles are the fundamental principles of many NGOs including the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (RCRC) (Global Humanitarian Assistance, 2016). Therefore, in the immediate area of conflict, the main goal is preventing human causalities but at the same time assisting displaced people and making sure they have access to the basic needs of survival which are water, sanitation, food, shelter, and health care (Branczik, 2004). 2.2 International and legal framework/ Humanitarian assistance and relief efforts add more info Humanitarian assistance is and has always been an extremely political activity. It always influenced the political economy of the recipient countries, and is influenced by the political considerations of donor governments (Curtis, 2001, p.3). The effect of conflict on civilians can be directly or indirectly through the so called complex emergencies. The primary aim in any immediate area of conflict is preventing causalities and making sure that everyone has access to the basic rights for surviving, which are water sanitation, food, shelter, and health care. In addition, the priority is usually to assist displaced people and try to prevent the spread of conflict, support relief work and create a space for rehabilitation (Branczik, 2004). Complex humanitarian emergencies are defined by five collective characteristics: first, the deterioration or complete collapse of central government authority; second, ethnic or religious conflict leading to human abuse; third, episodic food insecurity that leads to mass starvation; fourth, macroeconomic collapse that involves unemployment and decrease in GDP per capita; last and the most important focal characteristic is having mass population movements of displaced people and refugees that have escaped a conflict or in search for a better life (Natsios, 1995, p.405). Natsios stated that there are three sets of institutional actors that respond to the above emergencies in a so called complex response system that evolved over the years. These institutional actors are NGOs, UN organisations and the International Red Cross movement (Natsios, 1995, p.406). These sets of actors were reckoned in the 1990s; however in the 20th century, the academics understanding and the literature on the main actors have widened, and have included more detailed actors. For example, according to Branczik (2004), there are four main actors that represent the humanitarian aid sector: International (IOs) and Regional Organisations (ROs); the most important actor in the provision of humanitarian aid is the UN. Unilateral assistance, as well as multilateral, i.e. the countries provide direct aid unilaterally through their own foreign-aid or part of their foreign policy. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), which play a key role in the provision of humanitarian aid, either directly or as being a UN partner. The Military and its main role is to make sure to create a safe environment where other agencies can operate from, they can also directly provide aid when necessary in cases where the IOs and NGOs are unable to perform or deal with security issues, and it can act as a managing body for the humanitarian relief process. It is important to stress that in order to have a successful humanitarian relief effort, effective leadership and coordination should be present to avoid conflicting activities and duplications of projects and so forth. The UN is the agency that acts as the coordinator in most cases (Branczik, 2004). In addition to the UN, there are other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that also respond to complex humanitarian emergencies and work together with the UN. The humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts (HA/DR) had faced a major challenge in terms of that the diverse information and knowledge are distributed and owned by different organisations, and are not efficiently organised and utilized during HA and DR operations (Zhang et. Al, 2002). Obstacle to the humanitarian aid agencies Moreover, there have been other factors that are defined as great challenges that have affected the performance of the humanitarian aid agencies, and two of those are efficiency and effectiveness. For example and according to Branczik (2004), if the assistance is needed in a conflict zone that is located in a poor area of infrastructure then it would be impossible and dangerous for the humanitarian agencies to deliver aid, this leads to some beneficiaries being neglected due to that (Branczik, 2004). Another important point is the increasing number of agencies operating on the ground, this causes the struggle to obtain accurate intelligence, and when it is difficult to obtain accurate intelligence, the unpredictability of humanitarian crises causes effective management and coordination within the agencies to become difficult, therefore, and in order to solve this difficulty, agencies should improve gathering and sharing the information by improving the management and coordination wit hin them (Branczik, 2004). Furthermore, political dilemmas play an important part in influencing the performance of humanitarian agencies. As Branczik (2004) and Stockton (2006) call it, humanitarian alibi, which refers to the fact that most humanitarian crises are caused by bad governance and the bad performance of the humanitarian agencies is also affected by deliberate acts by governments to frustrate humanitarian access to, and deny the existence of the people that are in need of protection. It is therefore defined as: the misuse of the humanitarian idea and humanitarian workers by governments eager to do as little as possible in economically unpromising regions (Branczik, 2004; Stockton, 2006). 2.3 Aims and guidelines of humanitarian aid agencies in Kara Tepe camp UNHCR Legal Framework The Universal Declaration of Human Rights that was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly was published in 1948 and is still used and relevant today as it was back then. The main reason for issuing it was to declare the rights and freedoms to which every human being is equally and inalienably entitled (UDHR, 1948, p. iii). UDHR is a promise to everyone and not country-specific or for a certain era or social group, it is a promise to all the economic, social, political, cultural and civic rights whatever colour, race, ethnicity they are, gender, whether they are disabled or not, citizens or migrants, and no matter what creed, age or sexual orientation (UDHR, 1948, p. v + vi). Abuse of Human Rights did not diminish when the UDHR was adopted, but at least more people have gained more freedom, and violations were not permitted. According to part 1 of article 14 of UDHR: 1. Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution, onwards the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees was adopted and entered into force on 22 April 1954, and is now called the centrepiece of international refugee protection, and its amendment the 1967 Protocol which removed all geographic limitations to include everyone and make it universal (UN Convention, 1951, p. 2). Refugees are considered part of the most vulnerable people in the world; and for that reason, the UN has issued the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol to help protect them (Guterres, 2011). The UNHCR works under the United Nations General Assembly and its goal is to seek international protection and permanent solutions for refugees. It was established in 1950 with a core mandate to protect the refugees. However, nowadays it is responsible for a slightly larger group that does not only include refugees but also asylum seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), stateless persons or migrants (UNHCR, 2014). Although the protection of refugees is the primarily the responsibility of States, however the main partner that works closely with the governments is the UNHCR and has been doing so throughout the past 50+ years (Jastram Achiron, 2001, p.5). UNHCR aims Specify here what these conventions say about humanitarian assistance to refugees. And specify what they should do in Greece/kara tepe (Provide legal advice, information about asylum processes, housing tents, medical care). IRC aims and guidelines in lesvos The IRC is the only international aid organization working on all fronts of the crisis. In Europe: The IRC was one of the first aid organizations to assist the thousands of refugees arriving each day on the Greek island, Lesbos. IRC aid workers continue to work around the clock in Greece and in Serbia to provide essential services, including clean water and sanitation, to families living in terrible conditions. And we are helping new arrivals navigate the confusing transit process and understand their legal rights. https://www.rescue.org/topic/refugee-crisis-europe-middle-east http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/policy_research/the_truth_about_asylum?gclid=CjwKEAiA4dPCBRCM4dqhlv2R1R8SJABom9pH4MUi49WtBBRwl558uk2TDFLSaBVM4B54KIi7rfFL0xoCr1bw_wcB Education is the most powerful tool for children, their families and communities in order to survive and recover from a crisis or a conflict; it enables people to drive their own health, safety and prosperity (IRC, 2016). According to the IRC goals that they have published, they state that poor access to education can affect peoples chance to improve their lives, which is why they provide children, youth and adults with educational opportunities which therefore keeps them safe and learn the skills they need to survive and succeed (IRC, 2016). Moreover, the IRCs main goals in regards to education are the following: Ensure that children aged 0 to 5 develop cognitive and social-emotional skills Ensure that school-aged children develop literacy, numeracy and social-emotional skills Ensure that youth and adults have high levels of livelihood, literacy, numeracy and social-emotional skills Ensure that children, youth and adults have regular access to safe and functional education services (IRC, 2016). Save the children aims and guidelines Save the childrens main priority in Greece and especially in Lesvos is to protect the children that are in refugee camps, and to ensure that most importantly they are physically safe and have enough food and good shelter. Apart from distributing the basics, they claim to have started providing items such as sanitary pads, soap, shampoo, toilet paper and simple food items such as crackers and tea (save the children, 2015). However, since their priority is protecting children, they have also met with national charities in Greece to identify child protection needs, and have worked on transporting the new arrivals to the island to different registration points, to make sure that families and unaccompanied children to do not have to walk 70km to register (save the children, 2015). Food Asylum Process Language Give me the money to pay a smuggler and Ill go back to Syria right now. There the death is quick. Here we are dying slowly. In this chapter, the theoretical foundations of humanitarian aid discussed above will be applied to the case of aid agencies operating in Kara Tepe camp. First I I will give a brief overview of the situation in Kara Tepe according to my own lived experience and reflection there during summer. Second, I will compare and contrast the agencies stated aims and guidelines to the real situation on the ground in Kara Tepe in order to clarify to what extent they manage to live up to their words. I will then underline some of the key obstacles currently hindering the organisations effective service delivery to the residents. Before arriving to Lesvos, I had no expectations of how the situation would be there. All I had in mind was the image often portrayed to us by the media about the refugee camps, which is one an image of violence and chaos, and I thought our task as volunteers would solely be to only distribute food and clothes as it was mentioned on the organisations website. However, when I arrived to the island, nothing was as I imagined it to be. In fact, Kara Tepe was a well-organised camp, and our job as HSA volunteers with HSA was to distribute food and clothes to families in camp, but it was done through a well thought out system. We had the meals delivered to the resident families door- to-door to their housing units in teams. The residents themselves were also part of the distribution teams, depending on what area they lived in as they were more familiar with the people of the camp than the volunteers residents. Moreover, we also distributed clothes by giving the residents tickets for monthly appointments. This system has indeed created a harmony in the camp, and a sense of belonging to a community. A very important factor that played a huge role for me while in Kara Tepe was the language. Arabic is my mother tongue, so it was easy for me to communicate with most of the refugees which had come to Lesvos from Syria and Iraq. Consequently, I therefore created a special bond with them and they turned to me to translate when misunderstandings or problems occurred in the camp. Being the only staff speaking their language, I felt that it became my duty to voice their feelings and opinions in everyday situations, being the only staff speaking their language, and I believe this was why I allocated a leading role in the team from the outset. My boss saw how the refugees turned to me for help as I could voice their concerns, and assigned me as a team leader shortly after I arrived. As I gained an understanding of the familys needs, my duties did not just involve the clothing distribution part, but also comprised on the task of improving the existing system to avoid stress and queues. This project was successful and it led the UNHCR to ask to publish our standard of procedures to the benefit of other organisations operating in the camp, and we got praised by the camp management for increasing the safety and dignity of the refugees residing in there which are referred to as residents of Kara Tepe. It is important to stress that the refugees living in camps are human beings just like everyone else. Fleeing wars and conflicts, being homeless, does not make them any different from anyone. They had normal lives in their home countries when the war forced them to leave everything and flee, and they are often well educated and skilled. Unfortunately, the way the refugees are forced to live in camps portray them in a very bad way, that everyone including myself had our own assumptions towards them due to the situation. It has been my privilege to have known and live among the refugees that I call my friends and family now for three months in Kara Tepe, and therefore I had to give this background of my time spent in camp as a tribute to

Biomechanical Differences: Male and Female Marathon Runner

Biomechanical Differences: Male and Female Marathon Runner More than by brain size or tool-making ability, the human species was set apart from its ancestors by the ability to jog mile after lung-stabbing mile with greater endurance than any other primate. The introductory quotation (Hotz, 2004) simply, yet vividly, expresses the results of a recent study completed by two American scientists, Dennis Bramble and Daniel Lieberman, and released in the journal Nature(2004). Bramble and Lieberman contend that the ability to run long distances was the driving force shaping the modern human anatomy.Hotz’s characterization of early humans as marathon men and women from the tips of their distinctively short toes and long Achilles tendons to the tops of their biomechanically balanced heads (emphasis added) sets the backdrop for this essay—an exploration of the biomechanical differences between male and female marathon runners. After a few additional historical comments, this essay opens with a presentation of anatomical differences between men and women with specific reference to running then continues with definitions and descriptions of the term marathon, as a form of organized running sport, and definitions for the term biomechanics in preparation for a discussion of how the field of biomechanics is applied to running. With this information as a foundation, the objective and scope will be articulated followed by presentation of previous methods and findings revealed from a search of the literature on the topic of biomechanical differences between male and female marathon runners and closely-related topics. These findings will be discussed and conclusions drawn. Finally, recommendations for further research will be presented. To return briefly to the research findings of Bramble, a paleontologist and biomechanics expert, and Lieberman, a physical anthropologist, to continue setting the backdrop for the essay, Bramble states: Running made us human, at least in an anatomical sense. We think running is one of the most transforming events in human history (Chui, 2004). Endurance running is an activity that is reserved for humans in the primate world and not common in other mammals with the exception of dogs, horses and a few others. Bramble and Lieberman contend that running permitted humans to scavenge and hunt for food over significant distances and that the high protein food they secured was instrumental in developing larger brains (Wilford, 2004). To facilitate running, humans developed several traits including large buttocks with strong muscles which connect the femur to the trunk of the body preventing the body from over-balancing with each step. In addition, humans have a lengthy arm-swinging stride and [l]ong ligaments and tendons—including the Achilles tendon—[which] serve as springs that store and release mechanical energy during running.(Hotz, 2004). Bramble’s reference to today’s running in the evolutionary context he and Lieberman established provides an appropriate introduction to the exploration of the biomechanical differences between male and female marathon runners (Wilford, 2004): Today, endurance running is primarily a form of exercise and recreation, but its roots may be as ancient as the origin of the human genus. The description of anatomical differences between men and women,which is focused on anatomical features that are involved in running,begins with a gender-neutral discussion to establish a foundation for the more gender-specific information. Rossi (2003) emphasizes the complexity of walking, a precursor torunning. He writes that half of the 650 muscles and tendons in thehuman body are involved in what most people consider to be the simpleact of walking. He suggests that, in the evolution of the human body,there were hundreds of adaptations that had to take place,adaptations that required repositioning of everything in the bodyover several million years. Rossi writes: The arms, no longer needed for branch swinging, became shorter, thelegs longer, the pelvis wider, the shoulders narrower, the neck longerand more slender, the spine changed from C-shape to S-shape. Majorchanges were required in the hip, knee and ankle joints. Hundreds ofmuscles, tendons, ligaments and joints gradually shifted in position,size and function. And of course, the new posture and gait requiredimportant changes in the size and position of all the organs of thechest and abdomen. Rossi suggests that some of these changes were extremely significantfrom a biomechanical perspective. For instance, he calls attention tothe blood pumping requirement of the upright human form: Daily in eachindividual, approximately 74,000 quarts of blood must travel through100,000 miles of blood vessels from the brain to the feet and legs in acircular pattern. Rossi emphasizes the human engineering challengethat was required to design a system that would counteract the effectsof gravity in moving blood vertically in this manner. Rossi’s commentsare particularly important in the context of the current discoursebecause they provide some insight into the current state of relevantanatomical features of today’s runners and how those features werederived. The anatomy of humans, unlike that of other living creatures,provides for speed and endurance. The unique characteristics related torunning include (Science in Africa, 2005, citing University of Utah Public Relations, 2004): †¢ Skull features. These features, which include sweating from the scalp and face, cool the blood. †¢ A balanced head. This shape of head with a relatively flat face,small teeth, and short snout moves the center of the mass backwardwhich helps to counter the effects of moving upward and downward duringrunning. †¢ A ligament running from the rear of the skill and neck downward tothe thoracic vertebrae. This feature serves as a shock absorber thataids the arms and shoulders in counterbalancing the head during runningactivity. †¢ Shoulders decoupled from the head and neck. This feature allowsrotation of the body while the head faces forward during running. †¢ A tall body. This feature, which includes a narrow trunk, waistand pelvis, provides for increased skin surface allowing for enhancedbody cooling and permits the upper and lower body segments to moveindependently. †¢ Short forearms. This feature permits the upper body to act as acounterbalance to the lower body during running activity while reducingthe muscle power required for maintaining flexed arms. †¢ Large vertebrae and disks. This feature permits the human back to accepted heavier loads when runners impact the ground. †¢ Large, strong connection between the pelvis and the spine. Thisfeature supports more stability and shock absorbing capacity duringrunning activity. †¢ Large buttocks. This feature, and the muscles that form it,stabilize the body during running activity. The connection of thesemuscles to the femur prevents the body from pitching forward. †¢ Long legs. This feature allows humans to take large strides duringrunning activity. The tendons and ligaments permit the legs to belighter and less muscular thereby requiring a smaller amount of energyto propel them while running. †¢ Large hip, knee, and ankle joint surface areas. These featuresprovide enhanced shock absorption by reducing the impact in any onespecific area. †¢ Arrangement of bones in the foot. This feature provides for a morerigid foot by creating a stable arch, allowing runners to push off in amore efficient manner and to use ligaments located on the bottom of thefeet as springs. †¢ Large heel bone, short toes, and a big toe. These features providefor enhanced shock absorption and increased capacity to push off duringrunning activity. With the running-related anatomical features applicable to allhumans as a foundation, the focus now turns to the differences inanatomical features between men and women, specifically those featuresthat are involved in running activity. Holschen (2004) writes that,until puberty, males and females are equal in terms of strength,aerobic power, heart size, and weight; they also have similar amountsof body fat. Starting at puberty, according to Holschen (2004), male and female sexhormones begin affecting bone and lean body mass, circulation, andmetabolism in different ways. A female typically has a wider pelvis,femoral anteversion (inward twisting of the femur), genu valgum (kneestouch but ankles are separated), and external tibial torsion (feet donot line up in a straight manner because of out-toeing from outwardrotation of the large calf bone). Center of gravity differences betweenmen and women are minimal, correlating more by body type and heightthan with gender. (Atwater, 1985, cited in Holschen, 2004). Whencompared with males, females typically have smaller bones accompaniedby smaller articular surfaces. They also have proportionately shorterlegs with resulting decreased potential force in certain maneuvers.(Holschen, 2004). At puberty, girls gain both fat and lean muscle mass due to theinfluence of female hormones; boys lose body fat and add muscle massdue to the influence of male hormones (Holschen, 2004). Women inadulthood have about ten percent more body fat than do their malecounterparts (Greydanus, D. and Patel, D., 2002, cited in Holschen,2004). The basal metabolic rate is approximately ten percent lower inwomen than in men. The presence of female hormones mandates that womenrely more on fat metabolism at any given exercise level when comparedto men. In addition, glycogen uptake, storage, and use are increased.(Holschen, 2004, citing Bonekat, H. W. et al., 1987; Dombovy, M. L. etal., 1987; Frankovich, R. J. and Lebrun, C. M., 2000; Nicklas, B. J. etal., 1989; Tarnopolsky, L. J., 1990) Cureton and associates (1988,cited in Holschen, 2004) attribute the differences in muscle strengthbetween men and woman to skeletal and cardiac muscular hypertrophy andmuscle mass percentage; they contend that muscle mass in men is fortypercent compared to twenty-three percent in women. Changes in body composition and circulatory capacity beginning atpuberty result in approximately twenty percent highercardio-respiratory capacity in men. Men also have comparatively higheroxygen-carrying capacity, larger heart and lung mass, a higher strokevolume, and higher maximal cardiac output which result in greatereffectiveness in aerobic and anaerobic activities, although trainingcan overcome the inherent differences (Williford, H. N. et al., 1993,cited in Holschen, 2004). The results of the current research point to fundamental anatomicaldifferences between men and woman, differences that largely begin toappear during puberty and which have some bearing on runningcapability. The term running can be defined as [moving] swiftly on foot sothat both feet leave the ground during each stride (American HeritageDictionary of the English Language, 2000). The research by Bramble andLieberman (2004, cited in Nature, 2004), which was presented earlier,seems to indicate that running has been part of human existence sinceits beginnings and, in fact, contributed significantly to developmentof human life today. Humans no longer require running for survival, atleast in their normal affairs; that is, typically, humans do not haveto run from danger or run in pursuit of animals to kill for food. Inmodern times, running has taken on a new form—competition foot racing.This competition racing can be against oneself to achieve one’s ownpersonal best or with others. Racing against others can take manyforms ranging from informal competitions between two young friendsracing against one another on a playground to very formal competitionssuch as those in the quadrennia l Olympics. The more formal runningcompetitions are typically classified by the length of the run: 100,200, 400, 800, 1500, 5000, and 10000 meters as well as marathons(Dollman, 2003). There are many terms that refer to specific forms of foot racing: run,dash, sprint, relay, meet, competitive trial of speed, footrace, andmarathon (Webster’s New World Thesaurus, 1997). Of these, the termsdash and sprint are typically used interchangeably to describe ashort, fast run or race (Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1988) or ashort, swift movement (Webster’s New World Thesaurus, 1997). Organizeddashes and sprints are commonly of 50 meters, 100 meters, 200 meters,50 yards, 100 yards, and 200 yards in length (Webster’s New WorldThesaurus, 1997). Marathons are a form of long-distance running, whichare on- and off-the-track competitions of more than 3000 meters (Hlus,1997). Specifically, a marathon is a footrace of 42 kilometers, 195meters (26 miles, 385 yards) run over an open course, or anylong-distance or endurance contest People who compete in marathons arecalled marathoners (Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1998).Physiologically, there is a fundamental difference between a sprint ordash and a marathon. According to Pritchard (1994), A sprinter canexert maximum force throughout the run, but this is not possible forlonger runs, where propulsive force must be reduced to match energyavailability. Historically, marathons are not new events. According to legend, thename marathon is derived from the Greek city, Marathon, to commemoratePheidippides’s run from that city to Athens to announce Greek victoryover the Persians. The marathon was introduced to the Olympics in 1896and today’s official distance was established in 1908. (Hlus, 1997; TheColumbia Encyclopedia, 2005) Today, in addition to marathon races inthe Olympics, many cities throughout the world serve as sites forannual or other periodic marathons (The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2005). A new form of marathon race has recently taken form—the ultramarathon,which is any organized footrace extending beyond the standard marathonrunning distance of 42 kilometers, 195 meters†¦[they] typically begin at 50 kilometers and extend to enormous distances (Blaikie, n. d.).Standard distances for ultramarathons are 50 and 100 kilometers and 50and 100 miles (Meyers, 2002) with the longest certified race being theSri Chinmoy, a 2092 kilometer race held annually in New York (Blaikie,n. d.). The research produced numerous and varied definitions for the termbiomechanics. The following are representative of the findings: †¢ The study of the mechanics of a living body, especially of theforces exerted by muscles and gravity on the skeletal structure. (TheAmerican Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 2000). †¢ [The] application of mechanical engineering principles andtechniques in the field of medicine and surgery, studying naturalstructures to improve those produced by humans (The HutchinsonEncyclopedia, 2003). †¢ [A] science examining the forces acting upon and within a biologicalstructure, and the effects produced by those forces (The University ofCalgary, n. d.). †¢ [T]he science that deals with forces and their effects, applied to biological systems (Freivalds, 2004). †¢ [T]he application of the principles and techniques of mechanics to the human body in motion (Snowden, 2001). †¢ Biomechanics is a specific field which evaluates the motion of aliving organism†¦and the actions of forces on that organism†¦acombination of several different areas of study [including] anatomy andphysiology, kinematics (the study of motion without regard to itscauses), kinesiology (the study of human movement) and kinetics (thestudy of forces acting on a system) (National Endurance SportsTrainers Association, 2005). In furnishing a definition for biomechanics, the Quintic ConsultancyLtd. (2005) provides some additional insight into the origin anddetails of the term, stating that the name is derived from the Greekbios meaning life and mekhaniki meaning mechanics, adding that theseindividual terms are combined to mean the mechanics of life forms.The biomechanics discipline includes research into various life formsincluding plants, insects, reptiles, birds, fish, humans, and others.Within the human specialty, topics include mechanics of bone, tooth,muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage, skin, prostheses, blood flow, airflow, eye movement, joint movement [and] whole body movement (TheQuintic Consultancy Ltd., 2005). Historically, according to Knudson (2003), the study of humanbiomechanics has alternated between emphasizing each of its twocomponents—the biological and the mechanical. Atwater (1980, cited inKnudson, 2003) claims that, during the first half of the twentiethcentury, scholars emphasized medicine and anatomy under the termkinesiology. The distinct field of biomechanics was born from the workof biomechanists in the 1960s and 1970s. From that point the fieldbegan to emphasize mechanics over biology. Today, the competing forcesto move the discipline either toward a biological emphasis or toward amechanical emphasis continue (Knudson, 2003). The field of biomechanics, already narrowed in a previous sectionfrom consideration of all life forms to only humans for the purpose ofthis essay, can be focused even further to a sub-field called sportsbiomechanics (The Quintic Consultancy Ltd., 2005): Sports biomechanics uses the scientific methods of mechanics tostudy the effects of various forces on the sports performer. It isconcerned, in particular, with the forces that act on the humanneuromusculoskeletal system, velocities, accelerations, torque,momentum, and inertia. It also considers aspects of the behavior ofsports implements, footwear and surfaces where these affect athleticperformance or injury prevention. Sports biomechanics can be divided upinto two sections: performance improvement [and] injury prevention. The Australian Sports Commission (n. d.) furnishes additionaldescriptive information on the application of biomechanics to sports,using a term the Commission calls applied sports biomechanics whichincorporates techniques from physics, human anatomy, mathematics,computing and engineering to analyse technique to prevent injury andimprove performance. The Commission’s division of sports biomechanicsinto two categories—performance improvement and injuryprevention—echoes the classifications offered by The QuinticConsultancy Ltd. Williams (2003) describes how biomechanics can help runnerperformance, specifically that of the marathoner. Leading into hisrecommendations, he describes how marathon runners use a simplebiomechanical strategy known as drafting off another runner whenrunning into the wind to reduce the adverse effects of air resistanceand reduce oxygen consumption for the latter part of the race. Hewrites: The goal of the sport biomechanist is to improve movement efficiency,mainly by maximizing propulsive forces and minimizing resistive forces,and thus provide the athlete with a mechanical edge. Using high-speedcinematography, the biomechanist can analyze a runner’s form and detectproblems in running form that may be inefficient, such as overstriding,and that may waste energy. Although most elite and experiencedmarathoners have developed efficient running styles, even a smallimprovement in running efficiency may make a significant differenceover the duration of a marathon. In addition to the strategy of drafting off another runner,Williams offers several other biomechanical strategies includingselecting the proper sportswear (i.e. uniform and shoes) and optimizingbody weight and composition. Thus far the topics of anatomical differences between men and womenwith specific reference to running; definitions and descriptions of theterms marathon (as an organized, competitive form of running) andbiomechanics; and the application of biomechanics to running have beenpresented and discussed. With this as a foundation, the focus of thediscourse now turns to the topic of biomechanical differences betweenmale and female marathon runners and closely-related topics. The objective of this portion of the essay will be to explore thebiomechanical differences between male and female marathon runnersthrough a review and analysis of selected literature on the topic andrelated issues. The scope of the literature review will include marathon running withspecific reference to available information on the differences betweenmales and females. Although running of shorter distances (e.g. sprintsand dashes) and longer distances (e.g. ultramarathons) as well as othersports activities are excluded from the specific scope of this essay,references will be made to these activities when they related tomarathon running. Performance improvement and injury prevention werementioned as the two primary areas addressed by applied sportsbiomechanics. Gender-specific issues in each of these areas will beexplored briefly as well. REVIEW OF EXISTING RESEARCH ON METHODS AND FINDINGS One researcher who has studied gender differences in enduranceperformance, including marathon running, is Stephen Seiler (1996) ofThe Institute for Sport, Agder College in Kristianstad, Norway. Hewrites: Some years ago it was proposed by some that women wouldactually perform better [than men] at ultra-endurance type activities.This theory has been disproved in the laboratory and in practice. Aslong as women are women, I don’t think they will surpass men, statesNorways perennial marathon winner Grete Waitz (quoted in Holden,2004). The anatomical differences between females and their malecounterparts, specifically those that affect running, were presented inthe introduction. Now an attempt will be made to show that the generalanatomical differences between men and women extend to biomechanicaldifferences that affect marathon running performance and injury. Holschen (2004) writes that [T]he female athlete remains less wellunderstood and less well studied compared with male athletes,especially in the areas of performance factors, repetitive stress, andacute injuries. She continues: Logical reasons for this include: (a)a limited two-generation span of the high-profile elite female; (b)fewer females involved in coaching, research, and sports medicine; and(c) limited areas of female youth sports historically (gymnastics,swimming, dance). The reality of Holschen’s findings proved to be truein the current research activity. There were remarkably few availablesources on the biomechanics involved in women’s marathon running. Mostof the research either applied to males or did not identify the gender.Results from a review of selected research literature will be presentedin this section beginning with gender-differentiated research resultson running performance. Following this, results of research into thetwo applied sports biomechan ics specialties will be presented with afocus on studies concerning footwear and injuries. Holden (2004) writes about performance in running with specialattention to female runners. She quotes physiologist Henrik Larsen ofthe Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre in explaining women’s marathonperformance vis-à  -vis men: Women had not developed long distance;that’s why the improvement is much greater on the marathon. Larsen,who seems to attribute the performance improvements of femalemarathoners to focused training instead of anatomic factors, claimsthat [w]e don’t see any higher oxidative capacity in women. Holdenalso offers comments by exercise physiologist Timothy Noakes of theUniversity of Cape Town, South Africa who agrees with Larsen’sassessment: A smaller body frame gives women an edge on endurance†¦butmen can run 10% faster even when the difference in body size iscontrolled for. Stephen Seiler (1996), who was quoted at the start of this sectionstating that the proposal that women could perform better inultra-endurance activities has been disproved, confirms that there aresome physiological differences between the sexes that impactperformance in females independent of age. He notes that there is aten percent difference in marathon times between men and women, addingthat this difference is the same across the distance runningperformance spectrum. He attributes this difference, not to adifference in training, but to physiological differences. He studiedmaximal oxygen consumption, the lactate threshold, and efficiency toanalyze the differences between men and women as these factors mightaffect long-distance running performance: †¢ Maximal Oxygen Consumption. There is a 43 percent differencebetween men and women with men possessing a VO2 max (oxygen-deliveringcapacity measure) of 3.5 liters per minute and women with a capacity of2.0 liters per minute. Seiler attributes this in part to male size; menare larger. But, even when size is factored in, male oxygen consumptioncapacity is still fifteen to twenty percent higher. Males have agreater capacity to deliver oxygen to their muscles and organs. †¢ The Lactate Threshold. This is the point at which lactic acidbegins to accumulate at higher than normal levels in the blood streamindicating an exercise intensity boundary at which the level ofintensity can be maintained over a long period and that which willresult in quick fatigue. Seiler does not believe that lactatethresholds are different for men and women as a percentage of their VO2max. †¢ Efficiency. After finding conflicting information comparing theefficiency of males and females—revealing that females are lessefficient, more efficient, or the same as males in terms ofefficiency—Seiler believes that differences in efficiency do notaccount for the differences in endurance performance. Seiler concludes with his determination that the ten percentperformance difference between men and women in endurance running canbe attributed to the first of the three physiological factors hestudied—maximal oxygen consumption. Another researcher who explored gender differences in athletics,and especially in endurance events, is Dollman (2003). Citing Shepard(2000), Dollman writes that there is consistent evidence, based onobservations, that males possess larger measures of the following(quoted): †¢ Heart volume, even when corrected for stature. †¢ Haematocrit, which gives males a 13 percent greater oxygen-carrying capacity than females. †¢ Plasma volume. †¢ Total muscle mass, which means that females perform the sameabsolute task at a higher percentage of maximum voluntary contraction,with concomitant vascular impedance limiting cardiac ejection and peakcardiac output. In addition, male skeletal muscles may have a higher succinatedehydrogenase (an integral membrane protein) concentration (Dollman,2003, citing Costill, et al., 1987). Males may produce bettermechanical efficiency during running (Dollman, 2003, citing Miura,1997) although this is arguable as it may be rooted in cultural origins(Dollman, 2003, citing Shepard, 2000). Now attention will turn briefly to a review of selected researchinto the two primary application areas addressed by applied sportsbiomechanics: running performance and injuries. Regarding performance,footwear will be discussed followed by a presentation of selectedfindings on research into injuries. Gender issues will be introduced. Lipsky (2001, citing Hennig, 2001) presented research findings ongender-specific requirements for athletic footwear designed forrunning. The research experiment involved fifteen women and seventeenmen of the same body weights, heights, and ages. Each subject wore thesame shoe size and each tested five types of shoes which included threestyles of men’s shoes and two styles for women. Using Kistler forceplatforms at a set velocity, ground force reactions, tibialacceleration, angular foot motion, and plantar pressures at eightstrategic locations on the foot were measured. According to Lipsky, theexperiment revealed that none of the variables demonstrated asignificant interaction among gender and footwear type meaning, Lipskycontends, that women had the same biomechanical dilemmas in men’sshoes as they did in their own footwear. Despite similarity in thetest subjects’ weight and other factors, men exhibited higher pressurerates in all regions of the foot. Men had sig nificantly higher heelloads, but less midfoot loads, indicating that the arches of women donot support the middle of their feet. According to Lipsky, theseresults support the conclusions that women have a stronger collapse ofthe longitudinal arch†¦during weight bearing and have an increasedtendency of pronation and the smaller amount of pressure to theground. The recommendation from this study is that women should selectrunning shoes that protect against overpronation. This, according toLipsky, will help prevent knee injuries. Bartold (2004) adds to the literature on the differences inrequirements for athletic shoes for men and women. He claims thatrunning footwear is largely designed and manufactured for malerunners, making little recognition that women have significant injuryissues compared to men. Although Bartold acknowledges that reasons forinjuries are not scientifically established, he indicates thatproposals have been made that known differences in structure maypredispose female athletes to differences in running mechanics, andthese differences may lead to specific injuries, continuing by statingthat [a]necdotally, we have excellent evidence [that] the particularbiomechanics of female athletes and the way they run predisposes themto specific injury patterns. With regard to injuries, Parfit (1994) compared running injuries ofmiddle distance runners and marathon runners, concluding that thelatter incur more injuries when compared to the former (approximatelyeighty-two percent for middle distance runners compared to ninety-sevenpercent for marathoners). Acknowledging validity questions due to smallrunner populations studied and lack of injury definitions, Parfit foundthat whilst marathon runners suffered from back problems and hipailments, middle distance runners were more susceptible to kneeproblems, stress fractures, and shin splints. Certain types of knee, shoulder and back injuries are more commonin females and can in part be attributed to differences in body shapeand biomechanics, reports Glasgow, Scotland’s Daily Record (2004).Taunton et al. (2002) found that there were significant differencesbetween running injuries incurred by men and women. According to thisstudy, knee injuries seemed to be the most common injury in both sexeswith men experiencing higher incidences of the following injuries (thefirst percentage shown in parenthesis is for men; the second forwomen): †¢ plantar fasciitis, an injury to the fascia connective tissue on the bottom of the foot (54%/46%); †¢ meniscal injury, a condition in the knee cartilage that acts ascushion between the thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia) (69%/31%); †¢ patellar tendinopathy, a rupture in the tendon that connects the kneecap to the tibia (57%/43%); †¢ Achilles tendinopathy, tendon pain or dysfunction in the muscle that connects the calf to the heel of the foot (58%/42%); †¢ gastrocnemius injury, a condition in the largest, most prominentmuscle in the calf which allows for extending the foot and bending theknee (70%/30%); †¢ adductor injury, a condition, such as a tear, in the muscle in the inner thigh (68%/32%); and †¢ osteoarthritis of the knee, a degenerative joint diseasecharacterized by breakdown of the articular cartilage in the joint(71%/29%). The study by Taunton et al. (2002) revealed that women experiencedhigher incidences of the following running injuries (the firstpercentage shown in parenthesis is for women; the second for men): †¢ PFPS, or patellofemoral pain syndrome, a pain behind the kneesometimes known as runner’s knee (62%/32%, does not add to 100%); †¢ ITBFS, or iliotibial band friction syndrome, a conditioncharacterized by injury to the thick band of fibrous tissue that runsdown the outside of the leg beginning at the hip and extending to theouter side of the shin bone just below the knee joint (62%/32%, doesnot ad

The Lust For Power: How Politics And Personal Relations Become One Essa

The Lust For Power: How Politics and Personal Relations Become One   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The stories of the Bible reveal a pattern of â€Å"ups and downs† for the nation of Israel. A period of prosperity, faithfulness and fearing God would almost always be followed by a period of destitution, lawlessness and idolatry. This recurring cycle can be linked to political authority, and the level of separation of political authority from other influences. The successful struggle for liberation under the leadership of Moses and the glorious conquest of Canaan under Joshua instilled a fresh breeze of hope and a renewed faith in God in the nation of Israel. Guided by God, the nation of Israel met with unprecedented success as they journeyed to the promised land. During this time, political authority among the Israelites rested in the hands of patriarchs, or prominent members within the tribes. These men were righteous figures of authority, chosen by God, to lead His people and to teach His ways. The success that swept over the Israelites was short-lived, however, and for the next two hundred years the people of Israel struggled against neighboring tribes. The new generation of Israelites â€Å"knew neither the Lord nor what he did for Israel† (Judges 2:10). They began to â€Å"do evil in the eyes of the Lord† by worshipping other gods and engaging in various sexual activities. To save His people from their enemies and from their â€Å"evil ways,† God â€Å"raised up† judges to rescue them (Judges 2:16). These so-called judges had the political authority vested in them to lead the people of Israel and to save them from their sins. They mobilized the people of Israel against invasions of the tribes all around them. At this time, the nation of Israel was nothing more than a loose confederation of twelve tribes. Israel had no central authority, which meant no unity, no organization and no power. During the period of the judges, there was no need for a central government, because the people of Israel were able to defend their tribal territories effectively against adjoining peoples. Whenever there was a threat from a neighboring tribe, God sent a judge to lead the Israelites against their enemies. As this era came to an end, however, the Israelites were faced with a much larger problem - the Philistines' military threat. As the Israelites were elimina... ... fighting for it. The judges were sent to lead the Israelites in times of need and emergency. Their leadership was only ephemeral, and thus not one of them were able to gain an exorbitant amount of political power. When the period of the monarchy was firmly in place, however, there was a system of succession of power. Even before the king muttered his last words, there were peopleeagerly waiting in line to take his place. And if that wasn't enough, people were plotting against the king in hopes of succeeding the throne, even his own sons. This feature of the period of the monarchy allowed for the mixing and intertwining of politics and personal relations. The use of women as symbols of power and dominance became abundant as kings challenged the prospective successors, and as prospective successors challenged the kings. Events took place that can be compared to episodes of TV soap operas or Melrose Place. Politics and personal relations became interrelated, and above all else, the underlying reason was power. As people began to lust for power, for wealth, and for recognition, the association of the two became imminent, and the separation of the two became impossible.

Hunger Of Memory Essay -- essays research papers

The theme of separation is an important development in the novels Hunger of Memory and How the Garcia Girls lost their Accent. The novels deal with separation differently. For Hunger of Memory by Richard Rodriguez, the separation allows Richard to move from the private world to the public world. Here, separation is a movement for a solution, which is citizenship. In How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accent by Julia Alvarez, the separation is an effect from Antojo. Richard Rodriguez immediately recognizes the separations in his early life. He considers the inside of his house to be private and the outside of his house to be public. His family and the Spanish language belong to his private society. It contains a feeling of intimacy and a sense of belonging. The los gringos, school and the English language are associated with the pubic society. Several other kinds of separation emerge from this separation of public and private society. There are separations of sound and word, female and male, and reason and affection. Richard believes it is natural to move from one separation into another. He needs to do this in order to move from the private to the public society. This movement is voluntary by Richard and forced by his parents. It is done to help Richard’s education. It will give him better opportunities in the United States. Speaking only English at home initiates the movement, instead of speaking Spanish. Ultimately, Richard can have a sense of belonging to the pu...

being there Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being There is the story of Chance, a simple gardener turned American media hero. He seems to know nothing but television and gardening. His thoughts and judgments are products of television and his gardening experience. Yet through his simple mild mannered ways he unintentionally becomes the center of America’s business news. The author of Being There, Jerzy Kosinski said â€Å"To read a novel is to practice for real life. Fiction doesn’t change anybody’s life, it merely hints at the different ways of looking at oneself, at others, and at society† Since Chance was not able to read, television shows were his novels. Television was his practice for real life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Television was like a mirror for Chance. Chance felt, â€Å"by changing the channel he could change himself† He was able to imagine himself to be people on television. I believe this is why Chance was able to put on the appearance he had even if it was unintentional. His appeal and gestures were all products of TV’s influence. With the help of the old man’s suit, Chance passed for a wealthy business man without even trying or knowing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Having no contact with the outside world growing up, television was Chance’s only hint of what society was like. By flipping through the channels, Chance noticed the different ways people would interact with each other. Television provided him with the hints of different ways of looking at people and society. ...