Kurds - A People Without A State Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

Kurds - A People Without A State Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers Kurds - A People Without a State Introduction Of all the ethnic groups in the world, the Kurds are one of the largest that has no state to call their own. According to historian William Westermann, "The Kurds can present a better claim to race purity...than any people which now inhabits Europe." (Bonner, p. 63, 1992) Over the past hundred years, the desire for an independent Kurdish state has created conflicts mainly with the Turkish and Iraqi populations in the areas where most of the Kurds live. This conflict has important geographical implications as well. The history of the Kurdish nation, the causes for these conflicts, and an analysis of the situation will be discussed in this paper. History of the Kurds The Kurds are a Sunni Muslim people living primarily in Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. The 25 million Kurds have a distinct culture that is not at all like their Turkish, Persian, and Arabic neighbors (Hitchens, p. 36, 1992). It is this cultural difference between the groups that automatically creates the potential for conflict. Of the 25 million Kurds, approximately 10 million live in Turkey, four million in Iraq, five million in Iran, and a million in Syria, with the rest scattered throughout the rest of the world (Bonner, p. 46, 1992). The Kurds also have had a long history of conflict with these other ethnic groups in the Middle East, which we will now look at. The history of Kurds in the area actually began during ancient times. However, the desire for a Kurdish homeland did not begin until the early 1900?s, around the time of World War I. In his Fourteen Points, President Woodrow Wilson promised the Kurds a sovereign state (Hitchens, p. 54, 1992). The formation of a Kurdish state was supposed to have been accomplished through the Treaty of Sevres in 1920 which said that the Kurds could have an independent state if they wanted one (Bonner, p. 46, 1992). With the formation of Turkey in 1923, Kemal Ataturk, the new Turkish President, threw out the treaty and denied the Kurds their own state. This was the beginning of the Turkish-Kurdish conflict. At about this same time, the Kurds attempted to establish a semi-independent state, and actually succeeded in forming the Kingdom of Kurdiez, which lasted from 1922-1924; later, in 1946, some of the Kurds established the Mahabad Republic, which lasted for only one year (Prince, p. 17, 1993). In 1924, Turkey even passed a law banning the use of the Kurdish language in public places. Another group of people to consider is the Kurds living in Iraq. Major conflict between the Kurds and Iraqis did not really begin until 1961, when a war broke out that lasted until 1970. Around this time, Saddam Hussein came to power in Iraq. In 1975, Hussein adopted a policy of eradicating the Kurds from his country. Over the next fifteen years, the Iraqi army bombed Kurdish villages, and poisoned the Kurds with cyanide and mustard gas (Hitchens, p. 46, 1992). It is estimated that during the 1980?s, Iraqis destroyed some 5000 Kurdish villages (Prince, p. 22, 1993). From this point, we move into the recent history and current state of these conflicts between the Kurds and the Turks, and the Kurds against the Iraqis. Causes for Conflict The reasons for these conflicts have great relevance to geography. The areas of geography relating to these specific conflicts are a historical claim to territory on the part of the Kurds, cultural geography, economic geography, and political geography. These four areas of geography can best explain the reasons for these Kurdish conflicts. First, the Kurds have a valid historical claim to territory. They have lived in the area for over 2000 years. For this reason, they desire the establishment of a Kurdish homeland. Iraqis and Turks, while living in the area for a long period of time, cannot make a historical claim to that same area. The conflict arises, however, because the area happens to lie within the borders of Iraq and Turkey. Even though the Kurds claim is valid, the Turks and Iraqis have chosen to ignore it and have tried to wipe out the Kurds. Second, and probably most important, is that this conflict involves cultural geography. The Kurds are ethnically and culturally

Discover the Windward and Leeward Islands

Discover the Windward and Leeward Islands The Windward Islands, the Leeward Islands, and the Leeward Antilles are part of the  Lesser Antilles  in the Caribbean Sea. These island groups include many of the most popular tourist destinations in the West Indies. This collection of islands is diverse in terrain and culture. Most are very small and the tiniest islands remain uninhabited. Among the major islands in this area, a number of them are independent countries while in some instances two islands may be governed as a single country. Quite a few remain as territories of larger countries like the United States, United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands. What Are the Windward Islands? The Windward Islands include the  southeastern islands of the Caribbean.  Theyre called the Windward Islands because they are exposed to the wind (windward) of the northeast trade winds (the northeasterlies) from the Atlantic Ocean. Within the Windward Islands is a chain that includes many of the smaller islands in this group. This is often called the Windward Chain and here they are listed from north to south. Dominica: The northernmost island,  the British government  held this territory until 1978 and considered it part of the Leeward Islands. It is now an independent country and most often thought to be in the Windward Islands.Martinique  (France)Saint Lucia  Saint Vincent and  The GrenadinesGrenada  Ã‚   Just a little farther to the east are the following islands. Barbados is more to the north, nearer  St. Lucia, while Trinidad and Tobago are to the south near the coast of Venezuela. BarbadosTrinidad and Tobago What Are the Leeward Islands? Between the islands of the Greater Antilles and those of the Windward Islands are the Leeward Islands. Mostly small islands, they are called the Leeward Islands because they are away from the wind (lee). The Virgin Islands Just off the coast of Puerto Rico are the Virgin Islands and this is the northernmost part of the Leeward Islands. The  northern set of islands are territories of the United Kingdom and the southern set are territories of the United States. Outside of the Bahamas and Jamaica, the Virgin Islands are among the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean.St. Croix is the largest of the Virgin Islands.Though considered part of the Lesser Antilles, from a purely geological standpoint, the Virgin Islands are actually part of the Greater Antilles. British Virgin Islands There are over 50 small islands in the British Virgin Islands territory, though only 15 are inhabited. The following are the largest islands. TortolaVirgin Gorda  AnegadaJost Van Dyke U.S. Virgin Islands Also made up of around 50 small islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands are a small unincorporated territory. These are the largest islands listed by size. St. CroixSt. ThomasSt. John   More Islands of the Leeward Islands As you might expect, there are many tiny islands in this area of the Caribbean and only the largest are inhabited.  Working south from the Virgin Islands, here are the rest of the Leeward Islands, many of which are territories of larger countries. Anguilla  (U.K.)Saint Maarten - the Netherlands controls the southern third of the island. The northern two-thirds are controlled by France and called  Saint Martin.Saint-Barthà ©lemy  (France)Saba  (the Netherlands)Sint Eustatius  (the Netherlands - in English Saint Eustatius)Saint Kitts and  NevisAntigua and Barbuda (Redonda  is an uninhabited dependent island.)Montserrat  (U.K.)Guadeloupe  (France) What Are the Leeward Antilles? To the west of the Windward Islands is a stretch of islands known as the Leeward Antilles. These are farther apart from each other than the islands of the other two groups. It  includes more of the  popular destination Caribbean islands and runs along the Venezuelan coast. From west to east, the major  islands of the Leeward Antilles include the following and, collectively, the first three are known as the ABC islands. Aruba (Netherlands)Curaà §ao  (Netherlands)Bonaire  (Netherlands)Isla de Margarita (Venezuela) Venezuela has a number of other islands within the Leeward Antilles. Many, like the Isla de Tortuga, are uninhabited.

My Idea of Country Developement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My Idea of Country Developement - Essay Example Handleman (10) explains that there is a close interrelationship between the social, political, economic indicators and economic dweveloepmnt. Developed countries have more democratic governments with higher literacy rates and higher life expectancy. On the contrary, Isbista (3) argues that under developed countries or the third world countries have their population insecure, poorly clothed, sick, and vulnerable to an early death in addition of having a low life expectancy. Largely, these are the indicators that differentiate developments. The quality of life in general is the best measure of development and as Handleman (24) further explains, observation of human rights is among the strong indicators that explain differences in levels of development among countries. There might be some slight variations in this taking the example of China. Though the country is considered as a highly developing country, some issues such as observance of human rights remain questionable. However, chin a’s development picked exponentially with separation of the state and society to a more free market, where market driven economy was more favorable. This was meant to increase the GDP for the country, which is instrumental in development. To reduce poverty in third world countries people go to more economic viable towns in search of employment to benefit economically (Isbista, 2). This leads to increased social crisis, where provision of amenities becomes hard to achieve. Isbista (31) further notes that the developed countries have over the time helped in establishing institutions of democracies in third world countries through provision of stimulants to social amenities or advocating for better governance. The process of rural- urban migration intensifies social amenities crisis in urban areas and this increase more poverty and crime. On the contrary mid level cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are more dynamic as since they represent the epitome of economic hub in China. W ith consistency in production activities, wealth is created in these towns, and wealth creation triggers more industrial and domestic platforms to develop in these hubs. Increased growth in domestic and industrial facilities increase wage levels of the population, and increased wage levels mean that people have to invest the extra income obtained. Isbista (24) explains that this increases the social amenities in these areas. Democracy is not therefore measured in governance only but in social amenities provision. Development brings about improved in social indicators with the government social policy helping in determining the share of the social policy. Development can be measured in the amount of resources being targeted at the social care sector compared to the per capital income (Handleman, 6). The per capita income in China was among the lowest in the world. 30 years later, China in 2008 became the third largest economy globally. The per capita income is important in defining t he ability of an economy to transform social indicators through employment, higher incomes, literacy, health care

Why are the Arabic language and calligraphy important in Islamic Essay

Why are the Arabic language and calligraphy important in Islamic civilization - Essay Example Nymikail further explains that a lively and growing language possesses features and characteristics that prove it to be flexible and dynamic, as well as sufficient with the present era’s needs. The remarkable as well as outright feature of a lively and growing language is the Calligraphy. A growing language uses calligraphy in recording the heritage and culture of the people dwelling within a given context, and in a given era. Peoples’ variable challenges as well as their long-lasting memories regarding their future are maintained. Arabic calligraphy can be described as a genuine Arab and Islamic art. It is the leading significant artifact of the legacy of Arabs, the pot within which all Arabic cultures, from earlier generations merge to realize a reliable and eternal heritage.   Forms of Arabic calligraphy differ since this calligraphy has traversed the terminal of the process of writing; therefore, loses an eternal potential regarding design and styles. Additionally, emerging amongst the outstanding characteristics of Islamic arts, composting the common factor for all Islam and Arabic arts, it can either be that they assumed shapes of mobile antiques or fixed buildings. The attribute was, also, featured in decorating mosques and in photographing; not a single Arab monument lacking Arabic calligraphy. Notably, there became a variance between the art of writing and the process of writing. The difference is evidenced, with the first variance being in the manner in which ideas are conveyed. The second variance regards the medium used in expressing emotions, sentiments and feelings. However, it is worth appreciating that the development of the Arabic calligraphy was has taken ages to emerge spiritual engineering through a writing tool as the appropriate means. It is irrefutable that calligraphy has a constant and fundamental role in human history, as it

Herd Behavior in Financial Market Essay Example for Free

Herd Behavior in Financial Market Essay Definition of herding On Friday 14 September 2007, when Northern Rock in the UK opened it branches, many customers wanted to withdraw their savings and à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 billion, about 5% of the total bank deposits were withdrawn that day. And on Monday 17 September, a similar situation happened in front of Northern Rock branches in the UK. Even though every customer does not have the same amount of information, they all decided to behave in the same way and some were following the others on the following days without any clear plan. People thought that they were going to lose their bank deposits and that type of bank customers behavior caused liquidity problem and made the situation even worse. However, none of the clients who kept their deposits lost due to the fact the British Government and the Bank of England would guarantee the safety of the deposits. How can we explain that kind of behavior? Originally Herding is a term meaning animal flocking behavior. And according to the definition of Wikipedia Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group (herd), maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place-or any combination of those. Apart from this bank run case, Herd behavior describes how individuals in a group can act together without planned direction. POSSIBLE EXPLICATION AND MECHANISM OF HERD BEHAVIOR Animals Herd Behavior According to evolutionary biologist W. D. Hamiltons theory animals are forming a group to reduce the danger of being hunted by predictors. As a unit, they are moving together to the same direction. Animals are behaving in the same way to minimize the risk on the behalf of self-protection. Maybe this kind of behavior sounds rational if the result is always optimistic but copying your neighbor can be the worst decision sometimes. When something goes wrong and someone leads the group to the wrong direction, the whole group is going to be in danger. Human Herd Behavior However, human herd behavior is much more complicated than animals one and several scholars tried to explain it. Friedrich Nietzsche referred it as herd morality and the herd instinct which explain the phenomena when a lot of people are behaving in the same way at the same time. And according to Thorstein Veblens theory, some people imitate the other people with higher status. Human beings are continuously competing with others in order to survive or surpass others, and they try to move faster in order to take advantage of the others. As the proverbs says the early bird catches the worm, they think the faster they make the decision or do whatever they can, the better it is. However, this does not always lead to success. Those decisions are based on the sources they have and the sources are Sanctions upon deviants dictators put their rivals in the prison (opposition is not allowed) Preference interactions some people are wearing Burberry coats just because the majority is wearing it while others prefer to wear coats with the colors they like Direct communication someone from your reference group or someone with credibility says that s/he likes certain products Observational influence you observe the consequences of others actions Based on such sources, people make decision whether to herd or disperse, but people are herding for different reasons and their behavior is classified into several models. Herding Models Payoff Externalities Models (also called Network Externalities) If more people are using facebook, it will attract more people to use facebook. In this case, people feel like they have to participate in the same situation so that they can have the same benefits. Information Cascade Models When you have a flood of information coming in, it is much more difficult to make a rational decision. Nowadays there are too many sources to consider and you can barely judge if information is true or false. In this kind of situation, people are getting irrational and they tend to make decision based on the decision of the majorities, and this situation is called information cascade which occurs when people observe the actions of others and then make the same choice that the others have made, independently of their own private information signals. They are seen in groups under immediate stress from external forces, such as herd behaviour. A cascade arises naturally when people usually see what others do but not what they know. Because it is usually sensible to do what other people are doing, even this can be against what the individual believes to be true. This behavior is independent from their own private information or opinion. Concept of information cascade is based on observational and social learning. People learn from their environment. Generally, people are oriented to avoid negative consequences of their decisions or behaviors. They wish to have positive results or effects. Thats why their behavior is related to social and observational learning. People subconsciously have the idea of It is more likely that I am wrong than that all those other people are wrong. Therefore, I will do as they do. Examples of Herding Behavior Bank runs: depositors running on banks when they observe other depositors doing so. More specifically, First; investors can observe in long run when others are running on banks. Second, forcing long-term projects to liquidate early possibly leads to shortfall of funds. From the payoff externalities models view, people are withdrawing their deposits because they feel like they are losing their money if they keep their money on the bank account. And from informational cascade models view, some people may think they are not going to lose their money on their bank account but they are following the others because they think they are not wise enough and others are withdrawing their money. In real case, Argentina experienced such a run in the last two days of November 2001, with total deposits in the banking system falling by more than 2 billion (US) dollars, or nearly 3 percent, on the second day of the run alone.1 Such runs were a common occurrence in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and have also occurred in recent times in several developing countries, including Brazil in 1990 and Ecuador in 1999. Asian crisis of 97-98, herding and speculation infection The Asian crisis of 1997-98 that led to a regional economic fall in East Asia can be traced to overexpansion and under-regulation. The center of the Asian crisis was Thailands careless macroeconomic management that featured a fraudulent financial sector. The Asian expansion of the crisis was a due to the existing global financial integration (and similar export dependencies), current account inequities and attached exchange rates all mixed with the damaging effect of speculation and herding spreading all over the region. Resulting structural reforms and adjustments in Thailand and other damaged Asian nations came from the International Monetary Fund. A major result was a balanced exchange rate regime now prevalent in much of East Asia. Facts: During 1995 a number of experts started to wonder if the countries of Southeast Asia might be vulnerable to a macroeconomic crisis do to the poor administration of its financial procedures and to the volatility of their related economies. The main indicator was the rise of very large current account deficits among several Asian countries. Closer examination also revealed that several of the countries had developed some financial weaknesses: heavy investment in highly speculative real estate ventures, financed by borrowing from badly informed foreign sources or by credit from non regulated domestic financial institutions. Its now known that during 1996 officials from the IMF and World Bank actually began warning the governments of Thailand, Malaysia, and other countries of the existing risks by their financial situation, and asked them to apply corrective policies. However, those governments rejected the warnings. On July 2 1997, after months of declaring that it would not happen, the government of Thailand abandoned its efforts to maintain a fixed exchange rate for its currency, the baht. The currency was quickly depreciated by more than 20 percent so within a few days most neighboring countries fell like Thailand. What forced Thailand to devalue its currency was the massive speculation against the baht, assumptions that over a few months had consumed most of what initially seemed as a large war of foreign exchange. And why were speculators betting against Thailand? Because they expected the baht to be devalued, of course. This kind of circular logic in which investors escape a currency because they expect it to be devalued, and much of the pressure on the currency comes precisely because of this investor shortage of confidence is the defining actor of a currency crisis and is known as Bank Run theory. In the context of a currency crisis, such behavior could mean that a wave of selling, whatever its initial cause, could be magnified through complete imitation and turn, into a rush out of the currency. Bank run in Thai currency devaluation can be viewed in two main behaviors. First; investors run when other investors are running the bank; a magnified opinion of a certain group starts to be spread in some others by just herding or imitation. Second, when banks that were investing in long-term projects were forced to liquidate early (because of the invertors running away), there was a potential lost of funds. Consequently, the last depositors to withdraw were left empty-handed (first-come, first-served limitation). BUBBLES Bubbles are sort of mass errors caused by the nature of herd. Even though there is a convincing evidence of bubbles, people are still overly convinced by their belief that market is efficient and rational. Therefore people are optimistic of their investment and they take part in the bubble. Some people may doubt the situation and find some evidence of bubbles but they still invest their capital in the market because others are doing it which is a sort of informational cascade. However, the bubble collapses and that sort of herding behavior makes the impact of the collapse much significant. The Dot-com Bubble The dot-com bubble (also referred to as the Internet bubble) was a speculative which had its climax on March 10, 2000, with the NASDAQ hitting up to 5132.52 but closing at 5048.62 in the same day. During the dot-com bubble period mostly the developed countries experienced the growth in the Internet sector and related fields. Companies such as Cisco Systems, Dell, Intel, and Microsoft were the dominant player of NASDAQ. And related to the Internet business a group of new Internet-based companies commonly referred to as dot-coms were founded. Just because of the fact that Companies had a name with an e- prefix to their name and a .com the stock price was going up. Investors were overly confident of their future profits due to the advancement of technology and individual speculation while they overlooked traditional stock market value until the bubble was collapsed. Conclusion As we can see massive herding behavior turned out to be a cause of crisis at the end, and herd behavior is seen as something very negative to the market. As we have seen bank runs, bubbles, and several forms of crises. However, we cannot prevent from herding because it is a sort of instinct and it is closely related to psychological factors. Partially, individuals can make profit of their herding behavior as they are following famous investors such as Warren Buffet but the fact is that no investor can really avoid bubbles and forecast the coming crises. What we have to remember is the financial market is a complex of rational and irrational behavior and we can barely categorize them before the disaster happens. We have to be prepared of the consequence the herd behavior and be rational when the irrationality happens. Works Cited BIKHCHANDANI, S., 1998, Learning from the behavior of others: conformity, fads, and informational cascades BIKHCHANDANI, S., D. HIRSHLEIFER and I. WELCH, 2001. Informational Cascades and Rational Herding: An Annotated Devenow, Andrea and Ivo Welch, 1996, Rational Herding in Financial Economics, European Economic Review 40, 603-615 Ennis, Huberto M. and Todd Keister, 2009, Bank Runs and Institutions: The Perils of Intervention. Hirshleifer, David and Teoh, Siew Hong, 2011, Herd Behavior and Cascading in Capital Markets: A Review and Synthesis, MPRA Paper No. 5186

I have been asked to investigate factors that affect the depreciation :: Economics

I have been asked to investigate factors that affect the depreciation of cars. I have been asked to investigate factors that affect the depreciation of cars. To do this I would ideally like to collect my own data about used cars. This would be called primary data. I would have collected data on the make, model, mileage, engine size, age, price and price when new of several hundred used cars. Unfortunately this would have taken a lot of time, but the advantage would have been that it would have been reliable data which I could trust, and I could have found out exactly the information that I wanted. It would have been impossible for me to do such a large survey, however, so I had to use secondary data that I got from the CCEA website. The advantage of this was that it was quick, cheap and easy, but I can't be sure of the accuracy of these results and I don't know if any bias was involved when it was being collected. I have also found that many of the results are incomplete. From the very start, I am sure that two of these results are wrong - a Renault Laguna which costs  £50,000, and a Renault Clio that increases in value. I have deleted these results straight away. Hypothesis 1 My first hypothesis is that cars depreciate more as they get older. I used the spreadsheet on the computer to test this hypothesis, but first I had to get the age and percentage depreciation for each car, neither of which are recorded in the table. Firstly, to get the age of the cars, I subtracted the year in which they were made from 2002, the year when the data was collected. I first created a new column on the spreadsheet and called it age. Then I typed into the first box under the title the formula for age- =2002-F2 where F2 is the column for the year the car was made. This filled the box with the age of the car. I then highlighted the box, right clicked and selected copy, before highlighting all the boxes below and selecting paste special, formula. This filled in the ages for all of the cars. Next, to get the percentage depreciation, I made another column and filled it with a more complicated formula- =(I2-H2)/I2*100 where I2 is the price when new and H2 is the price now. This filled the first box in the percentage depreciation column with the appropriate value, and I copied the formula into the other boxes as before. I then highlighted these two columns and copied them into chart 2. I have been asked to investigate factors that affect the depreciation :: Economics I have been asked to investigate factors that affect the depreciation of cars. I have been asked to investigate factors that affect the depreciation of cars. To do this I would ideally like to collect my own data about used cars. This would be called primary data. I would have collected data on the make, model, mileage, engine size, age, price and price when new of several hundred used cars. Unfortunately this would have taken a lot of time, but the advantage would have been that it would have been reliable data which I could trust, and I could have found out exactly the information that I wanted. It would have been impossible for me to do such a large survey, however, so I had to use secondary data that I got from the CCEA website. The advantage of this was that it was quick, cheap and easy, but I can't be sure of the accuracy of these results and I don't know if any bias was involved when it was being collected. I have also found that many of the results are incomplete. From the very start, I am sure that two of these results are wrong - a Renault Laguna which costs  £50,000, and a Renault Clio that increases in value. I have deleted these results straight away. Hypothesis 1 My first hypothesis is that cars depreciate more as they get older. I used the spreadsheet on the computer to test this hypothesis, but first I had to get the age and percentage depreciation for each car, neither of which are recorded in the table. Firstly, to get the age of the cars, I subtracted the year in which they were made from 2002, the year when the data was collected. I first created a new column on the spreadsheet and called it age. Then I typed into the first box under the title the formula for age- =2002-F2 where F2 is the column for the year the car was made. This filled the box with the age of the car. I then highlighted the box, right clicked and selected copy, before highlighting all the boxes below and selecting paste special, formula. This filled in the ages for all of the cars. Next, to get the percentage depreciation, I made another column and filled it with a more complicated formula- =(I2-H2)/I2*100 where I2 is the price when new and H2 is the price now. This filled the first box in the percentage depreciation column with the appropriate value, and I copied the formula into the other boxes as before. I then highlighted these two columns and copied them into chart 2.

On the Idle Hill, The Drum and Drummer Hodge Essay

Poets often write poems to express their ideas, opinions, emotions and experiences of life. Choose three poems you have studied to show how writers have been influenced by the events of war. War, in any shape or form, affects people in many different ways. Many people choose to express their feelings and experiences of war in poems. The three poems I have chosen all have different moods, structures and rhythms but their meanings are all the same – war is ruthless terrifying and pointless. The poem ‘On the Idle Hill’ is by A.E. Housman. Housman wrote the poem in 1896 and he was not writing about any particular war but just the horror of battle in general. Housman never partook in any war but heard about the terror of it from other people’s experiences. The first stanza portrays a peaceful, happy, warm scene. Words such as ‘summer’, ‘sleepy’ and ‘streams’ emphasise this. However, the ‘steady drummer’ cuts through this peaceful atmosphere. It is the sound of the army coming, looking for new recruits to go to war with them. The first stanza seems to be about the drum and how it calls people to war and tears them away from their homes. The line; ‘Drumming like a noise in dreams.’ makes the drum seem like a nightmare, something everyone dreads. In the second stanza, the tone is a lot sadder and darker. The phrases, ‘Far and near’ and ‘low and louder’ are suggesting that war is everywhere, and can be seen in different levels all over the world. Probably one of the most striking and powerful lines in the poem, ‘Dear to friends and food for powder’ is very shocking and adds a more personal theme to the poem, because the soldiers are now being seen as friends, fathers and real people instead of just toys in war. The ‘powder’ is gunpowder so the poet is hinting at the fact that the men are just food for the war. The war is made to sound like a real living thing; this is a good example of personification. The final line of stanza two, ‘Soldiers marching, all to die.’ is depressing and it emphasises the pointlessness and horror of war. Stanza three maintains the sad, depressing tone. There is more powerful and graphic imagery such as, ‘bleach the bones’, which is very sinister and shocking, and, ‘of comrades slain’. ‘Slain’ does not just mean killed, it means murdered and it outlines the brutality of war. Another graphic phrase is, ‘Lovely lads and dead and rotten’. These are contrasting images, and the writer is trying to put the idea across that innocent, good people can be killed in war for no reason. The final line of the stanza, ‘None that go return again.’ sums up A.E. Housman’s view on war – that it is just something which takes the lives of anyone who fights in it and has no point whatsoever. The rhyme in ‘On the Idle Hill’ is ‘abab’ and it keeps a slow, steady rhythm throughout the poem, giving a sad, melancholy tone to the poem. The form in which the writer has set out the poem, in four stanzas, is effective because each one talks about a different aspect of war. This poem shows A.E. Housman’s hatred of battle and how pointless and ruthless he thinks it is. War has obviously effected him deeply and we can see from his language throughout the poem that he feels very strongly about it. The poem ‘The Drum’ was written by John Scott, who was a Quaker. The significance of this is that according to Quaker beliefs, he was a pacifist and so was completely against war and violence. His poem concentrates on the famous recruitment drum which called people to was. He opens the poem directly by saying, ‘I hate that drum’s discordant sound,’. We immediately know what Scott’s feelings about war are – he hates it. Even the rhythm is drum-like, as seen in the repetition of the word ’round’. This has a hypnotic effect, just like the drum was to knew recruits. Scott is bitter about the drum and criticises its ability to hypnotise young men, as seen in the phrase, ‘To thoughtless youth it pleasure yields.’ The poet is saying that the drum almost takes advantage of the young men. The next two lines, ‘To sell their liberty for charms Of tawdry lace, and glittering arms.’ are suggesting that was takes your freedom for something material and worthless, the uniform and the weapons. The poet’s thoughts here are that was may seem exciting and a chance to be a hero but it is really taking your freedom and life. Scott uses the words ‘tawdry’, ‘charms’, and ‘glittering’ to create an image of honour and glory. In the following line, Scott makes the word ‘Ambition’ seem like a person – this is a good example of personification. He is stressing the fact that ‘Ambition’, or the war officers, only have to give one order to send you to your death. The final line of stanza one, ‘To march, and fight, and fall in foreign lands.’ is used by the poet to tell us that in war, you are always matching to die. Stanza two begins with the same two lines as stanza one, with the hypnotic repetition of the word ’round’. The poet now puts his personal feelings into the poem by saying ‘To me it speaks’. He uses powerful imagery, as seen in the words ‘ravaged’, ‘burning’ and ‘ruined’, to create a scene of destruction and death. Also, words such as ‘mangled’ and ‘dying’ provoke horror and terror in the reader’s mind. The following line, ‘And widow’s tears and orphan’s moans.’ is depressing and it shows the aftermath of war – the families ruined. The final two lines, ‘And all that Misery’s hand bestows, To fill the catalogue of human woes.’ are summing up Scott’s view on war, it is terrible, destructive, pointless and terrifying. Again, he uses personification and makes ‘Misery’ seem like a person. The form in which ‘The Drum’ is set out is quite effective – the first stanza is about the recruitment of men and the pointlessness of war and the second is about the aftermath and the death. The rhyming scheme ‘abab’ is used throughout the poem and it is drum-like in sound, which is very fitting to the subject of the poem. In summary, ‘The Drum’ shows John Scott’s hatred of war. Being a pacifist, he obviously did not fight in any wars but he knew enough about them to know of the destruction and death which came with them. He has written the poem to express his views on war and also to try and dissuade people from going to them. ‘Drummer Hodge’ was written by Thomas Hardy after he read about a local drummer boy who had been killed at war. He thought how sad it was that a young boy, who didn’t know the horror of war, should be buried in an alien landscape so far from home. The boy died in the Boer War (1899-1902), which took place in South Africa. The poem has a very pessimistic, sad tone. The first stanza is about how the young boy is buried. The phrases ‘they throw’ and ‘uncoffined’ suggest to us that no thought was put into his burial and he had no proper funeral. He wasn’t even given the luxury of a wooden box, he was just thrown into a hole. Hardy emphasises the fact that he is miles away from home with the phrase ‘foreign constellations.’ The reader feels sorry for the poor boy, buried away from everything familiar to him.

Explain the Sequence and Rate of Each Aspect of Development Essay

Holistic development: The first month Physical development The gross motor skills that the baby of 0-1 month old will develop is that the baby lies supine (on his or her back) and the fine motor skills will be the baby turns his or her head towards the light and stares at bright or shiny objects. Communication and language development Babies need to respond to sounds, especially familiar voices. And babies need to share language experiences and cooperate with others from birth onwards. From the start babies need other people. Intellectual development Babies explore through their senses and through their own activity and movement. Touch From the beginning babies feel pain. Sound Even a new born baby will turn to a sound. The baby might become still and listen to a low sound, or quicken his or her movements when he or she hears a high sound. Taste The baby likes sweet tastes, e. g. breast milk. Smell The baby turns to the smell of the breast. Sight The baby can focus on objects 20cm away. Emotional and social development A baby’s first smile in definite response to carer is usually around 3-6 weeks. Also the baby often imitates certain facial expressions. This is showing that the baby is starting to develop being able to respond to different things. Holistic development: from one to four months Physical development Some of the gross motor skills that the babies develop from four to eight weeks are: the baby can now turn from side to back, and can also lift its head briefly from the prone position. Some of the fine motor skills that the babies develop from four to eight weeks are; the baby turns its head towards the light and stares at bright or shiny objects. Some of the gross motor skills the baby develops form eight to twelve weeks are; when lying supine, the baby’s head is in a central position and it can also lift its head and chest off a bed in prone position, supported on forearms. Some of the fine motor skills the baby develops from eight to twelve weeks are; the baby moves his or her head to follow adult movements and the baby watches his or her hands and plays with his or her fingers. Communication and language development From four to eight weeks the baby recognises the carer and familiar objects, makes non-crying noises such as cooing and gargling and then moves on to often sucking or licking its lips when he or she hears the sound of food in preparation. From eight to twelve weeks the baby is still distressed by sudden loud noises and often sucks or licks its lips when he or she hears the sound of food in preparation. Intellectual development The baby recognises differing speech sounds and by three months the baby can even imitate low or high pitched sounds. Emotional and social development The baby will smile in response to an adult and the baby enjoys sucking. Then the baby shows enjoyment at caring routines such as bath time. Holistic development from four to six months Physical development Some of the gross motor skills; the baby is beginning to use a palmar grasp and can transfer objects from hand to hand. It is very interested in all activity and everything is taken to the mouth. Some of the fine motor skills; the baby now has good head control and is beginning to sit with support. It can roll over from back to side and is beginning to reach for objects. And when supine the baby plays with his or her own feet. Communication and language development The baby becomes more aware of others so he or she communicates more and more. As the baby listens, he or she imitates sounds he or she can her and reacts to the tone of someone’s voice. For example, the baby might become upset by an angry tone, or cheered by a happy tone. Intellectual development By four months the baby reaches for objects, which suggest they recognise and judge the distance in relation to the size of the object. The baby prefers complicated things to look at from five to six months and enjoys bright colours. The baby also knows that he or she has one mother. The baby is disturbed if he or she is shown several images of his or her mother at the same time. The baby realises that people are permanent before they realise that objects are. Emotional and social development The baby shows trust and security and has recognisable sleep patterns. Holistic development from six to nine months Some of the gross motor skills; the baby can roll from front to back. He or she may attempt to crawl but will often end up sliding backwards. Also the baby may grasp their feet and place them in his or her mouth. Some of the fine motor skills; the baby is very alert to people and objects. The baby is beginning to use a pincer grasp with thumb and finger, and can transfer toys from one hand to the other and looks for fallen objects. Communication and language development Babble becomes tuneful, like the lilt of the language the baby can hear. They become to understand words like ‘up’ and ‘down’, raising their arms to be lifted up and using appropriate gestures. The baby may also be able to repeat sounds. Intellectual development The baby understands signs, e. g. the bib means that food is coming. From eight to nine months the baby shows that he or she knows objects exist when they have gone out of sight, even under test conditions. This is called the concept of object constancy, or the object permanence test (Piaget). The baby is also fascinated by the way objects move. Emotional and social development The baby can manage to feed him- or herself using his or her fingers. They are now more wary of strangers, sometimes showing stranger fear. For example if a stranger comes close to the baby and it moves away towards another person, this shows that the baby is fearful of strangers and gains security from the person it moves to. Also the baby might show distress when his or her mother leaves. For example if the mother leaves the room and the baby starts crying, then this shows that the baby feels insecure when the mother is out of sight. Holistic development from nine to twelve months Physical development Gross motor skills; the baby will now be mobile- may be crawling, bear-walking, bottom shuffling or even walking. The baby can sit up on his or her own and lean forward to pick things up. Also the baby may crawl upstairs and onto low items of furniture and may even bounce in rhythm to music. Fine motor skills; the baby’s pincer grasp is now well developed and he or she can pick things up and pull them towards him or her. The baby can poke with one finger and will point to desired objects. They can also clasp hands and imitate adults’ actions. Communication and language development The baby can follow simple instructions e. g. kiss teddy. Word approximations appear e. g. ‘hee haw’ to indicate a donkey, or more typically ‘mumma’, ‘dadda’ and ‘bye-bye’ in English speaking contexts. Also the tuneful babble develops into ‘jargon’ and the baby makes his or her voice go up and down just as people do when they talk to each other. Intellectual development The baby is beginning to develop images. Memory develops and the baby and remember the past. The baby can anticipate the future. This give it some understanding of routine daily sequences, e. g. after a feed, changing, and a sleep with teddy. Also the baby imitates actions, sounds, gestures and moods after an event is finished, e. g. imitate a temper tantrum he or she saw a friend have the previous day, wave bye-bye remembering Grandma has gone to the shops. Emotional and social development The baby enjoys songs and action rhymes, still likes to be near to a familiar adult but will also play alone for long periods of time. Spiritual aspects of a baby’s development Even a tiny baby experiences a sense of self, and values people who are loved by them. Spiritually is about the developing sense of relationship with self, relating to others ethically, morally and humanly and a relationship with the universe. The baby can drink from a cup with help, and shows definite likes and dislikes at mealtimes and bedtimes. Also the baby will start to cooperate when being dressed and likes to look at him- or herself in a mirror (plastic safety mirror). Holistic development from one to two years Physical development Gross motor skills (15 months); the baby probably walks alone now, with feet wide apart and arms raised to maintain balance. He or she is likely to fall over and often sit down suddenly. The baby can also probably manage stairs and steps, but will need supervision. Gross motor skills (18 months); the child walks confidently and is able to stop without falling. The child can also kneel, squat, climb and carry things around with him or her. Fine motor skills (15months); the baby can build with a few bricks and arrange toys on the floor, can hold a crayon in palmar grasp and turns several pages of a book at once, and can also point to a desired object. Fine motor skills (18 months); the child can thread large beads, build a tower of several cubes and uses a pincer grasp to pick up small objects. Communication and language development The child begins to talk with words or sign language, and by 18 months, the child enjoys trying to sing as well as to listen to songs and rhymes. Action songs (e. g. ‘pat-a-cake’) are much loved. Intellectual development The child understands the names of objects and can follow simple instructions, the child also learns about other things through trial and error. Emotional and social development The child begins to have a longer memory and develops a sense of identity (I am me). Also the child expresses his or her needs in words and gestures and enjoys being able to walk, and is eager to try to get dressed – ‘Me do it! ’ Holistic development from two to three years Physical development Gross motor skills; the child is very mobile, can run safely and can climb up onto furniture. The child can walk up and downstairs, usually two feet to a step. The child then moves on to being able to jump from a low step, walk backwards and sideways and can stand and walk on his or her tiptoes and stand on one foot. In my workplace all of the children this age are able to do all of these things. But the girls are all more developed than the boys. For example, with have a boy that is three years of age, and a girl that’s the same. The girl is able to write her name, speak fluently, help other children who aren’t as well developed as her and she even tells me when someone is doing something wrong. Whereas the boy can hardly speak yet, and when he does no one can understand what he’s saying. Michael Gurian, a noted educator and author, has shown through research that â€Å"hard-wiring and socialized gender differences affect how boys and girls learn. † Simply put, male and female brains are equal but different. â€Å"Boys use the right hemisphere more, and girls the left,† (Gurian, M. 2007) Fine motor skills; the child can draw circles, lines and dots using preferred hand. The child can pick up tiny objects using a fine pincer grasp. The child then moves on to being able to build tall towers of bricks or blocks and can control a pencil using thumb and first two fingers (a dynamic tripod grasp).

Trinity Washington University Admissions Data

Trinity Washington University Admissions Data Trinity Washington University Description: Located on a wooded campus in northeastern Washington D.C., Trinity Washington University is a private university affiliated with the Catholic Church. Founded as a school for women in 1897, Trinity has gone through many changes in its long history. Today the undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences remains a womens college, but the university also has a coeducational School of Professional Studies for adults who wish to advance their careers, and a School of Education with several graduate programs for men and women. Trinity calls itself the most affordable private university in Washington, and the tuition is indeed much lower than many area schools including nearby Catholic University. In athletics, the Trinity Tigers compete in the NCAA Division III for seven womens sports. The schools enviable location is near many other colleges and universities. Admissions Data (2016): Trinity Washington University Acceptance Rate: 89%Trinity Washington University has test-optional admissionsTest Scores 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: - / -SAT Math: - / -SAT Writing: - / -SAT score comparison for D.C. collegesACT Composite: - / -ACT English: - / -ACT Math: - / -ACT score comparison for D.C. colleges Enrollment (2016): Total Enrollment: 2,068  (1,563  undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 3% Male / 97% Female69% Full-time Costs (2016  - 17): Tuition and Fees: $23,250Books: $1,040 (why so much?)Room and Board: $10,334Other Expenses: $2,140Total Cost: $36,764 Trinity Washington University Financial Aid (2015  - 16): Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 99%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 99%Loans: 74%Average Amount of AidGrants: $15,016Loans: $5,800 Academic Programs: Most Popular Majors:  Business Administration, Communication, Criminal Justice, Human Relations, Psychology Transfer, Graduation and Retention Rates: First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 66%Transfer Out Rate: 13%4-Year Graduation Rate: 12%6-Year Graduation Rate: 40% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs: Womens Sports:  Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like Trinity Washington University, You May Also Like These Schools: George Washington University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphMarymount University: Profile  Howard University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphDelaware State University: Profile  Virginia State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphNew York University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphNorfolk State University: Profile  Salisbury University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphCoppin State University: Profile  American University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBowie State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph Trinity Washington University Mission Statement: read the complete mission statement at  trinitydc.edu/mission/ Trinity is a comprehensive institution offering a broad range of educational programs that prepare students across the lifespan for the intellectual, ethical and spiritual dimensions of contemporary work, civic and family life.

Byzantine Civilization of the Middle Ages

Byzantine Civilization of the Middle Ages In the fifth century AD, the mighty Roman Empire fell to invading barbarians and complex internal pressures. The land that had been centrally governed for centuries disintegrated into numerous warring states. The safety and privileges enjoyed by some residents of the empire vanished to be replaced by a constant state of danger and uncertainty; others merely traded one set of daily terrors for another. Europe was plunged into what Renaissance scholars would label a dark age. Yet Byzantium remained. The Empire of Byzantium was the eastern portion of the Roman Empire, which was divided in 395 A.D. Its capital of Constantinople, located on a peninsula, was naturally secure from invasion on three sides, and its fourth side was fortified with a network of three walls that withstood direct attack for over a thousand years. Its stable economy provided a strong military and, together with an abundant food supply and advanced civil engineering, a high standard of living. Christianity was firmly entrenched in Byzantium, and literacy was more widespread there than in any other nation in the middle ages. Although the predominant language was Greek, Latin was also fairly common, and at one point all seventy-two of the worlds known languages were represented in Constantinople. Intellectual and artistic endeavors thrived. This is not to say that the Byzantine Empire was an oasis of peace in the desert of the perilous middle ages. On the contrary, its long history is marked by numerous wars and remarkable internal strife. Its official borders expanded and shrank several times as its rulers attempted to restore the empire to its former glory or fought off invaders (or occasionally attempted both simultaneously). The penal system was so harsh as to be viewed by western crusaders no strangers to mutilation and other extreme measures in their own systems of justice as exceedingly cruel. Nevertheless, Byzantium remained the most stable nation of the middle ages. Its central location between western Europe and Asia not only enriched its economy and its culture but allowed it to serve as a barrier against aggressive barbarians from both areas. Its rich historiographical tradition (strongly influenced by the church) preserved ancient knowledge upon which splendid art, architecture, literature and technological achievements were built. It is not an altogether unfounded assumption that the Renaissance could not have flourished were it not for the groundwork laid in Byzantium. The exploration of Byzantine civilization is undeniably significant in the study of medieval world history. To ignore it would be akin to studying the classical era without considering the cultural phenomenon of ancient Greece. Unfortunately, much (but thankfully not all) historical investigation into the middle ages has done just that. Historians and students often focused on the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the numerous changes in Europe without ever once glancing at Byzantium. It was often mistakenly believed that the Byzantine Empire was a static state that had little impact on the rest of the medieval world. Fortunately, this view is changing, and a great wealth of information concerning Byzantine Studies has recently been produced much of it available on the net. Selective Byzantine TimelineHighlights from the dynastic history of the Eastern Roman Empire. Byzantine Studies IndexA multilevel directory of useful sites about the people, places, art, architecture, religious history, military history and general history of the Eastern Roman Empire. Also includes maps and useful resources for the professional. Suggested ReadingUseful and informative books about the Eastern Roman Empire, from general histories to biographies, art, militaria, and other fascinating topics. The Forgotten Empire is copyright  © 1997 by Melissa Snell and licensed to About.com. Permission is granted to reproduce this article for personal or classroom use only, provided that the URL is included. For reprint permission, please contact Melissa Snell.

Hamlet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Hamlet - Essay Example relationship between siblings is often an indication of the general condition of love and cohesiveness in the family, which is desirable for harmonious living. Inasmuch as effective sibling relationship is encouraged in the family, there are special incidents where it has developed to incest, where siblings engage in sexual relations. Sometimes the father can have an incest relationship with his daughters and boys or the mother engages in an incest relationship with the sons and so forth (Sanni 143). Universally, incest relationship is often regarded as a taboo, yet a lot of arguments over this perspective have increasingly been emerging. This research explores the concept of incest and incestuous desire, examining at how it has become prevalent in the contemporary society. In facilitating this research, emphasis was placed in the quantitative methodologies, which included an examination of the journals and other research works that have been done on the same concept. This also included a number of books and published sources that have been authored on the evolving nature of human relationship. Additionally, some qualitative methods like interviewing were also done among respondents that have experienced this kind of relationships. Community social workers were also engaged in focus group discussions in trying to find out some of the perspectives that have been held by some people concerning this topic. The need for focus group discussion was thought as very effective in that it helped answer some of the crucial questions that many people have continued to hold on the prevalence e of this relationship, inasmuch as it has traditionally been regarded as a taboo. Resource persons, who included community and opinion leaders were also of great help towards understanding the community and cultural perspectives on incest. For a long time, the idea of incest and incestuous relationships has been understood from the traditional, modernist, as well as liner perspective.