Phonological and Writing Systems of English and Thai

In the second language and foreign language (FL) classroom literature, it has been claimed that several variables related to the interface between L1 and L2/ FL, i. e. psychological aspects, contribute to language learners’ perception and production of a foreign language. A study of these variables could have important implications for the teaching of foreign languages. More recently, the role of spoken and written L2 input (e. g. Bassetti, 2008; Moyer, 2009) has been studied in greater detail, and there is an abundance of such studies.In this chapter, the relevant literature will be illustrated and critiqued, with particular attention to the works on phonological systems and writing systems across languages and the interaction between the two systems. In addition, the influence of affective factors on the productive skills of Thai learners is reviewed. The first section of the chapter is a discussion of the relevant literature on the differences between phonological and writi ng systems across languages and the resulting language learner output, followed by a review of the framework to be used in this study.The final section is a review of the effects of the affective factors on the learners’ language achievement and language performance as well as on language learning. 1. The related literature The findings reported in the literature that the majority of Thai learners of English demonstrate a low degree of proficiency, especially in the productive skills (speaking and writing) reflect the fact that â€Å"English language pedagogy in Thailand †¦ is still in its infancy† (Wongsothorn, A. , Hiranburana, K. & Chinnawongs, S. 2002; Laopongharn & Sercombe, 2009, among others). As reported in the national survey (1999) conducted by the Office of Educational Testing of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (in Khamkhien, 2010), â€Å"high school sstudents’ productive skills were generally below 50 per cent, i. e. below average, leading to the recommendation in the report for immediate improvements of writing ability in all educational institutions in the country† (Wongsothorn et al. , 2002: 112). There are several factors that could prevent Thai learners of English from aining a sthrong command of productive skills in English. In terms of the phonological system, Yangklang (2006) investigated the improvement in pronunciation of English final [l] in 40 Thai sstudents in Matthayom Suksa 4 at Assumption Convent Lamnarai School who had used the Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) programme she was testing. The CAI in the study, as described by Yangklang: â€Å"contained drill and practice exercises. Drill and practice activities aimed to provide learners with adequate practices and also to review items that were new to learners.The goal of the drill and practice activities was to teach sstudents to pronounce words with final /-l/ accurately and automatically. † These practices and exercises were, therefore, provided by the computer programme as part of the post-lesson activities. The participants were divided into two groups according to their competence of pronunciation of English, one with good pronunciation and the other with poor ability. Prior to the experimental task, each participant had taken a placement test to classify their pronunciation competence.Subsequently, they all took three pronunciation post-tests every week for three weeks. It was found that both groups of sstudents improved their pronunciation significantly after they used the CAI programme. In general, both groups had positive reactions to the use of the CAI programme for improving their pronunciation. Obviously, the programme helped the participants improve their pronunciation, given that they had intensive training on pronunciation practice of specific English consonant sounds, and the post-test of pronouncing the sound was administered immediately after the programme training.As Graham (1997) and M acaro (2006), among others, have pointed out, effective language learning is about mastering communicative skills, i. e. speaking, writing, listening, and reading. This indicates that the more learners practise, the better their communicative performance in a language. In line with this, the results did not show anything unexpected. The point at issue, which I shall leave for future study, is how can accurate pronunciation, e. g. of the /l/ sound, be maintained after short-term, intensive training?In Yangklang’s findings, the English consonant sound /l/ which constitutes the coda, i. e. word-final ending in /l/, (see Figure 1 below) could be realised as [l], [n], and [w] by the participants. The participants with good pronunciation appeared to produce the [l], whilst the participants from the poorer group appeared to generate [n] and [w] instead of [l] or [? ]. The [n] was produced more frequently than [w] by these participants, however. Yangklang did not discuss why [n] and [w] constitute allophones of /l/.In the study, it was the poorer group who produced such allophones, and it was reported from interviews that the participants had not yet been exposed to an environment where English is used as a medium of communication. In the word list, part of the research instrument which consisted of pronunciation tests contained words like ‘ball’, ‘mile’, etc. which are English loanwords. I assume that there is some force of segmental alternation with regard to English loanwords.As /l/ is not available at coda position, the notion of final consonant phoneme alternation appears plausible. That is to say, [n] and [w] appear to be alternatives. Paradis (1996) in Kentowicz & Suchato (2006), claimed that the location of such segments in feature geometry and prosodic structure was relevant in dealing with segmental alternation in loanwords. Based on the data, /l/ and /n/ fall into the same natural class, in that both of them are sonorant con sonants, which can be represented by the feature matrices

Loss and grief Essay

INTRODUCTION Almost everyone in the world experiences an event which can be considered as a loss. It is the disappearance of something or someone important to an individual, grief is the natural response to the loss, people feel a range of emotions when they suffer a loss such as shock, panic, denial, anger and guilt. Death is one of the major events associated with loss but there are many others that occur which can also have a negative effect on someone’s life by impacting in various ways. A description of a range of losses which may trigger grief Any significant loss in our life can cause grief, and individuals can have a mixed range of feelings with regards to their loss. These losses include Infertility where the individual will experience emotions common to the death of a loved one, this type of loss can trigger many reactions such as depression, anger towards life in general or towards others that have children, shame, they feel they are less of a person as they are unable to have children, frustration, it can also result in the avoidance of social interactions (www.infertility.about.com). Divorce where the individual feels they have lost all hope and dreams for the future, fear of now having to cope alone, resentment towards the other person, guilt, they may also struggle with a lifestyle change which may also have a negative impact on social aspects of their life due to financial changes(www.divorcesupport.about.com). The loss of a job where the individual feels anger, jealousy of others who have a job, they may feel th ey have lost their identity and are useless. This can also cause the individual to suffer social exclusion (www.helpguide.org). There are many more that can trigger grief such as loss of a body function, rape, loss of a friendship, homelessness, role-redefinition. A description of two theoretical models of grief One model of grief I looked at was Kubler-Ross (1969) who initially developed the five stage model of grief, Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance and later added to more, Shock and Testing. The stages are set up in the following way –  Shock Stage – The first response in hearing the unpleasant news, the person may freeze and be unable to take in what is being said. Denial Stage – This is a defence mechanism it is the refusal to accept what has happened. Anger Stage – This is when the person will suffer feelings of rage and may look for someone to blame ‘Why me, It’s not fair’. Bargaining Stage – This sis the stage where a person will try to negotiate or compromise, ‘can we still be friends? ’, they may also pray try and bargain with a god they believe in. Depression Stage – Person might withdraw at this stage, they will feel sadness, regret, fear, when at this stage it shows the person is beginning to accept the situation. Testing Stage – This is where the individual looks for realistic solutions to the problem. Acceptance Stage – This is when the person begins to come to terms with the event and can f inally see a way forward. Another model that is similar to Kubler-Ross is Psychodynamic or ‘Griefwork’ model by Colin Murray Parkes. This model also breaks the grief process down into five stages: 1 Alarm 2 Searching 3 Mitigation 4 Anger and Guilt 5 Gaining a new identity Parkes idea was that when a loss occurs the individual affected will inevitable go through transitions in their lives. These transitions can be very challenging as people have a feeling of security from their own every day routines in their lives. Parkes described this as a person’s ‘assumptive world’ and this is created on how it has always been. An individual’s concept is that this is how it will always be, to think differently from this would create feelings of insecurity. A persons thoughts would have to change from what they normally take for granted in order to cope with what has changed. Parks explains that most life changing events ‘ psychosocial transitions’ are those that: Entail people to alter their belief about the world. Are lasting in their implications rather than temporary. Take place within a short time giving little opportunity for preparation. If these three factors are present during a changing event then Parks explains that the persons ‘assumptive world’ endures major change.(Hnc Social Care Open Learning Pack) A description of a range of agencies which can offer support to people experiencing loss and grief A range of agencies who can offer support to people experiencing loss and grief include the following: Statutory Agencies – The local housing department, Nhs, G.P, department of social security who can help deal with any financial issues arising from the situation and the social work department who can help by providing services such as homecare, occupational therapy and community care. There is also a large number of voluntary organisations available to support people experiencing loss or grief such as Age concern who help to come to terms with old age and improve later life for everyone, they offer advice and information regarding health and housing and opportunities for training.(Age Concern.org.uk) Cancer Link offers counselling and support programmes to help cancer patients cope with their illness and treatment(www.cancerlink.co.uk). Victim Support gives free confidential help to victims of crime. They offer emotional and practical support such as counselling, help to fill out form, getting medical treatment and rehousing(www.victimsupport.co.uk). Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland offers support after bereavement and also offers information , support and training services to those who are helping someone who has suffered a bereavmenet(www.crusebereavment.org.uk), and Ardgowan Hospice who offer  support, respite care and end of life care to people suffering canc er or other life limiting illness. They offer a wide range of services from counselling, spiritual and bereavement support for patients and their family to yoga, hypnotherapy and relaxation classes. A description of how you supported an individual experiencing loss and grief not associated with death I have supported a person in my work place that experienced loss and grief by using effective communication including being a good listener. The service user had been the victim of a sexual assault. When the incident initially happened the service user was in denial and told no one, but it was clear from their behaviour that something was wrong with them, they were frightened of being alone and wanted constant reassurance that I would not move from outside their room door. I sat with the service user reassuring them that I was here for them and trying to encourage them to open up to me. Eventually the service user made the disclosure and we discussed how it would be dealt with i.e. contacting police and relevant agencies. Throughout this ordeal the service user has encountered a range of emotions from shame, guilt, feeling of being dirty, scared, they felt they had lost control of their lives and lost trust in people. I helped the service user work through these issues by sitting wit h them and listening carefully and being able to empathise with them. They were able to explore all their thoughts and feelings without feeling they were being judged. I also encouraged them to write about what they were feeling and thinking at times when they found it difficult to talk about. Through time and patients they grew stronger and were able to face what had happened to them and find a way to look to the future. A description of the legal and other procedures to be followed in the event of a death in two care settings Procedures following death in a care home for the elderly At the time of death the person who discovers the deceased needs to record the time of death, who was present and any relevant details of devices used  or if cpr was given along with their details on the relevant paper work. The next step would be to inform the medical practitioner responsible for that person’s care, as verification needs to be completed by them or an appropriate qualified nurse before the body can be removed. The person verifying they death must be aware of local guidance regarding verifying death. Which will be in line with national guidance. Verification should take place as soon as possible. The verification details should be recorded on the appropriate paperwork. The person verifying the death is responsible for confirming identity of deceased. A name band with the deceased person’s name, D.O.B, address and nhs number should be attached to the deceased person. The death then needs to be reported to the coroner and the relatives of the deceased in formed, if the death is unexpected the police must be informed and the body cannot be moved. Procedures following death in a hospital When death occurs within a hospital if the deceased was a patient the charge nurse will contact the deceased’s family to inform them, if the deceased was not a patient the family will be informed and asked to identify the body. If clinicians are unsure about the cause of death a post mortem must take place by legal requirements to determine the cause of death. The deceased person’s relatives must provide proof to allow them to collect the person’s personal possessions. Staff must be made aware if the deceased person was an organ donor. The hospital will then liaise with the families chosen undertaker, obtain the death certificate and make arrangements for the next of kin to collect the certificate. The following procedures for both including legal are taken from the Scottish Executive Website – www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/social/waad-pp.asp A description of how attitudes and practices surrounding death have changed in Britain Attitudes and practices have changed considerably in Britain today. In the past death was an event that was witnessed by all who lived in the house, including children. Once the person had died they remained in the house where family members would prepare the body for burial, they body  would remain there until it was taken for burial. During this time normal daily life continued for the other members of the family. However this is now no longer the case as more people are now dying in hospital, this has therefore moved to the medical professions responsibility rather that the families. Funeral directors now remove and prepare the body and arrange all aspects of the funeral arrangements for the deceased’s family. Today’s attitudes to death are very different, Britain’s attitude to death is described by Katz and Siddell (1994) as a ‘death denying society’. Due to people now living longer and epidemics no longer killing thousands because of the ever increasing progress of the public health service death is often seen as a failure of the medical profession to keep someone alive.(open learning pack) A description of the rites and practices of two major religions Christianity – Christian belief is one of resurrection and the eternal life of the deceased person’s soul. A religious service takes place to celebrate that person’s life on earth and the new journey they have taken through death. These services usually include special readings, hymns and prayers only used for funerals. After the service the deceased is either buried or cremated, during this part of the tradition special prayers for the deceased are said. Mourners traditionally wear black clothing on this day and after the burial or cremation they gather together for food and drink. Hinduism – Following the death of an individual the family come together to prepare the body and will perform prayers. Hindus mostly cremate their dead as they believe this releases their spirit. The flames during the cremation are an important symbol as they represent the presence of the holy god Brahma the creator. White is considered the appropriate colour to wear and traditionally they will wear Indian garments. Prayers are said at the entrance to the crematorium, there may also be offerings of flowers and sweetmeats passed around. The chief mourner usually the eldest male represents the family and they will push the button to make the coffin disappear as well as lighting the funeral pyre. After the cremation the family will gather for prayers and food then begin a 13 day mourning  period.(www.ifishoulddie.co.uk) A description of the rites and practices of one new religious movement Jehovah’s Witness – Jehovah’s witness have no special rituals for those who are dying but will usually appreciate a visit from one of the elders of the faith. There are particular beliefs surrounding blood transfusions, Jehovah Witness’s regard blood transfusion as morally wrong and are therefor prohibited. Organ transplants are generally not permitted and they are not likelt to be willing or permitted to donate or receive an organ through which blood flows. They also do not celebrate events such as birthdays and Christmas.(funeralwise)(open learning pack) A description of two non-religious responses to death Humanist Funeral – This type of funeral is for people who are non-religious. The British Human Association formed in 1967. Their principles are not based on religion but on the principles of reason and respect of others. Humanist ceremonies acknowledge loss and celebrate the deceased’s life without any religious rituals. This type of service centres more on the person who has passed away, where the family will choose such things as music, poetry or write a personal tribute that is read out by family or friend. This type of funeral gives more opportunity for personal input from the deceased’s loved ones. The funeral can take place at a cemetery, crematorium and woodland burial ground. Normally a printed copy of the ceremony is given to mourners on arrival at the service, which can be kept as keep sake.(www.ifishoulddie.co.uk) New Age – This is a non religious belief which formed its foundations in Britain in the 1960’s. This was a reaction against what some people thought that Christianity had and Secular Humanism had failed in such as to provide them with guidance both spiritually and ethically. Unlike most formal religions it has no holy texts, central organisation, membership, formal clergy, dogma or creed. It is a network of believers and practitioners who share similar beliefs and practices which they can add to whichever religion  they follow. New age rituals focus on healing the mind,body,spirit or earth using methods such as reiki or rolfing, they believe these techniques help to heal the body ailments and bring spiritual awareness. Influenced by Asian tradition they often hold retreats or workshops with a spiritual teacher or guru. With regards to the New Age response to death for many followers, ecological funerals, commonly known as ‘green burials’, may be their pre ferred choice as a more environmentally friendly form of woodland burials, nature reserve burials or burials at home. (www.patheos.com), (open learning pack) CONCLUSION In conclusion some people associate grief and loss with only death but as can be seen from the beginning of this essay grief and loss are not exclusive to those who have experienced a death. There are many other forms of grief and loss that are equally intense for those experiencing other types of loss such as end of a relationship,rape and infertility to name a few. Although there are some common symptoms in response to loss and grief there is no universal predictable emotional path that every individual follows and the grief process is very personal and unique to every individual.There are many theories with regards to the grief process one of which is Kubler-Ross who believes that no matter what the loss, every individual goes through a certain process in order to deal with the loss .Individuals may feel they are alone when it comes to dealing with their grief but there are a wide range of statutory abd voluntary agencies available to help with the process and any financial issues individuals might face. When I had the opportunity to provide support to a service user who suffered a loss it gave me a closer insight in to how the individual feels and copes when supported in a positive way and the process they had to go through to overcome what happened to them.With regards to death we see that although care settings can have different procedures when dealing with a death the correct legal procedures are the same throughout and must be adhered to. We see that attitudes towards death have also changed, people are no longer accepting all the responsibility for dealing with the death of a loved one , preferring to allow undertakers to organise the arrangements and nowadays there is a mourning period . We also see that religions take different  approaches when it comes to a funeral service Christianity and Hinduisim each have their own tradittions with regards to the service and attire but the service is centered around the persons religion , whereas with a Humanist Funeral focuses on the deceased person and the life that they had. The grief process no matter what the loss is not pleasant it is only by dealing with the grief through help or mourning that we can move on. REFERENCES www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/social/waad-pp.asp www.infertility.about.com www.divorcesupport.about.com www.helpguide.org www.changingminds.org Social care open learning pack www.ifishoulddie.co.uk www.patheos.com www.funeralwise.com www.ageconcern.org.uk www.cancerlink.co.uk www.victimsupport.co.uk www.crusebereavment.org.uk www.ardgowan hospice.org.uk

Bill Clinton Profile Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bill Clinton Profile - Research Paper Example During his tenure, the unemployment rate reduced drastically, the country experienced the lowest inflation rate for over thirty years, the criminal rate dropped significantly in United States America, and the was also reduction on the welfare rolls(Michael and Hugh 26). For the period of his eight years presidency, the country experienced the highest ownership of homes in the country’s history. Bill Clinton also proposed the first ever balanced budget to get a budget superfluous. In celebrating the new millennium, Bill Clinton proposed a concrete national plan to cap racial discrimination in the United States. However, in his term in office, Clinton encountered some severe setbacks which affected his reputation. His superb reputation and outrageous economic prosperity was greatly tarnished by his personal characters in White house (Michael and Hugh 26). The impact of Bill Clinton presidency in the world peace making initiative as well as his effort of enhancing global economic progress has motivated me to go for Bill Clinton profile in this profile paper. The paper will unfold Bill Clinton profile from his young ages up to his highest leadership position in his life history Bill Clinton was born as William Jefferson Blythe on 19th august 1946 in Hope, Arkansas. His father died when he was at the age of three years in a severe road accident. At the age of four years, his mother married a second hand car dealer. At this early stage, Clinton portrayed his concern over religion and racial injustice in United States of America. Young Bill Clinton spent most of his times with his grandfather who taught him on the need for equality between the whites and blacks in USA. At his tender age, Bill Clinton also expressed extraordinary grave attitudes towards religion. In his homestead, Bill Clinton was the only person who was attending church services. His concern over racism and religion during his early ages represented Bill Clinton as a gifted person in the societ y. At his teenage age, Bill Clinton assumed the head of the family role. Bill’s step father was an alcoholic and in most cases he turned violent to his mother. Bill was furious of his father’s acts and in one situation he warned him against battering his mother. Clinton even went further in assisting his mother to divorce through requesting his mother’s attorney to report the abuse of his stepfather. In his high school education, Bill Clinton excelled as a saxophone player and as a student. At this time, he also considered to train as a professional musician. It is during his high school age that Bill Clinton met President John Kennedy in white house in 1960s. This encounter enabled Bill Clinton to enter into public service life. As a scholar, Bill portrayed astonishing performance in the course of his scholarly career. He attended Georgetown University and graduated in 1968. In his university life, Clinton attained the position as an assistant to Senator Fulbri ght William. Bill used this position to earn political experience from one of the most respected and senior politician in United States of America. Fulbright also encouraged Bill to apply for Rhodes scholarship. Bill complied with Fulbright advice and applied for the scholarship. As a result of his application, Clinton was elected as the 63 Rhodes scholars in the entire country. Being a Rhodes Scholar, Clinton studied for two years in Oxford University, England. After his study in Oxford Univers

Personal Assessment of Management Skills Assignment - 1

Personal Assessment of Management Skills - Assignment Example The areas that I scored the highest were in the motivation segment and the solving problems creatively. These two areas showed that I love coming up with solutions for a specific problem. I also love motivating others by giving them advice and counselling them when the need arises. Two areas that showed that I needed improvement were gaining power and influence and building effective team and teamwork. It is important that I learn how to positively influence other employees to lead them in an effective manner. I should develop better skills in building teamwork with my colleagues. This is because teamwork is a significant aspect for any organization. After noting down my personal scores, I also noted down the scores of my associates. These are people who know me well enough to be in a position to rate and assess my management skills. From the results, I was able to determine the areas that showed the greatest variance between my personal assessment and the assessment of my associates. The areas that showed the greatest variance are motivating others and empowering and delegating. There are reasons that can explain the great variance in these two areas. In motivating others, my associates may have considered the instances where despite my efforts, I may not effectively motivate others as they expected of me. In empowering and delegating, my associates could have also overlooked the small acts of motivation I make to people without necessarily having to talk about

Macroeconomic Analysis of the Indian Economy Assignment

Macroeconomic Analysis of the Indian Economy - Assignment Example 8). Gross domestic product Gross domestic product indicates an economy’s productivity and possible investment advantages from the economy. High gross domestic product shows positive prospects and increasing trend implies a growing economy with investment opportunities and high demand for utilities among its citizens (Dwivedi 2012, p. 55). India’s gross domestic product is relatively high; it has been estimated at about $ 1867 billion and its possible implications on the proposed investment can be explored from its trend. Trend in the country’s economic data for the past eight years identifies an increasing gross domestic product and this shows an increasing productivity level. The economy reported gross domestic product at about $ 834 billion in 2006, a value that increased to about $ 949 billion in the fiscal year ended in 2007, and $ 1238.6 billion in the fiscal year ended 2008. The economy’s gross domestic product recorded $ 1867.4 billion by the year. This trend identifies the economy’s growth potentials and it is therefore suitable for the proposed investment. The increasing trend also means availability of utilities and employment opportunities (Exim Bank 2013, p. 1). Service industry is the most active in the economy followed by the industrial sector. The service industry contributes more than half of the economy’s gross domestic product with the industrial and agricultural sector as the other major contributors. A review of the gross domestic product by sectors over the past eight years further identifies a decline in significance of the agricultural sector to the economy and an increase in significance of the service industry’s significance. Significance of the industrial sector has however been constant. The agricultural sector and its... This paper makes a conclusion that consumer price index is another significant indicator for evaluation. Consumers prices have been gaining stability over the past years and this further ascertain stability in money value. The country’s consumer index is however high and this communicates high living standards besides high ability to spend. Further, the high propensity to spend communicates high local demand for the investment should it be done in India. Foreign direct investment into the economy has been increasing and the trend identifies recognition of the country’s investment potentials by global investors. The macroeconomic indicators therefore identify positive investment prospects with the Indian economy because the indicators have been improving in the past years. The economy’s gross domestic product, exchange rate, current account balance, foreign direct investment, and consumer price index indicate increasing stability. In addition, the country’s political environment, accessibility to the global economy, and its investment oriented fiscal and monetary policies identify its suitability to the company’s proposed investment. Its inflation rate and the low unemployment rate, however, raise concerns of potential economic challenges. Poor technology may further challenge the investment, but technology can be imported. This report therefore recommends the Indian economy for the proposed investments because of the diverse economic advantages that outweighs the possible disadvantages.

Supply and Demand in Health Care Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Supply and Demand in Health Care - Term Paper Example As people get old, their physical bodies degenerate and people lose the beauty that they had when younger as they grow older. However, people do not like getting old and the fact that this shows on their faces and bodies makes it even worse. People yearn for the energy and beauty of the youth, hence their desire for plastic surgery to continue looking younger even in their old ages. Cosmetic surgery can be done on any part of the body, but the most common include the face, nose, lips, arms, abdomen, female breasts, forehead, and upper parts of the legs. These are usually enhanced in order to make them tighter for the limbs and face, fuller for the lips, smaller for the nose, bigger for breasts and firmer for the abdomen. All these procedures are conducted on people of different ages, races and sex as people try to conform to the modern definition of beauty and functionality, which has set standards for each part of the body. The results and consequences of such procedures are not nec essarily appreciated by every person. Many of the people that have undergone plastic surgery are celebrities like actors, actresses, musicians, socialites and other people in the media who have images to maintain. Many have gone the plastic surgery way in order to maintain their looks, hence their images, which act as one of their best selling assets. Modern methods of plastic surgery have been performed on people since the First World War when reconstructive surgery was performed on injured soldiers to restore their wounded bodies and resume functionality. However, the science of cosmetic surgery dates back several centuries before in 800 BC where it was first performed in India by Sushruta, who is referred to as the father of plastic surgery (Gullette, 2011). Despite its being around for period longer than many medical procedures or even drugs like penicillin, cosmetic surgery is one of the most expensive medical procedures in the world. One reason for their phenomenal cost includ es the fact that people are willing to pay anything to remain young because of the absence of a drug that reverse the aging process that has been discovered yet, hence plastic surgery being the closest people can get to doing this. Other reasons for the high costs include the fact that the surgery is not a necessity but could be deemed a luxury, the need for special equipment to perform it and the scarcity of plastic surgeons that are very good at their work. People travel for thousands of miles from their countries to travel to clinics that specialize in plastic surgery, if only to maintain young looks (Gullette, 2011). The costs of cosmetic surgery are so prohibitive that normal people cannot access the services. Many people, probably out of vanity, have accrued huge amounts of debt by borrowing in order to undergo plastic surgery. This does not make sense financially because the procedure is more of a luxury than a necessity. The costs of undergoing plastic surger

Wampum belt of the Native Americans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wampum belt of the Native Americans - Essay Example However, even if the objective of efficient and high quality health care is universal for these countries, all have developed different schemes in medical care services (Arah, et al., 2003). Table 1 compares the system of health care in these four countries in terms of the funding, framework, guidelines and assessment performance. This data will be very important in the comparisons to be dealt with in the succeeding pages. In Canada, the adapted system which started in the late 1950’s, has transformed from a public and territorial hospital insurance structure to a comprehensive, compulsory system as we know today (Lemieux, 1989). This system ensures that taxes benefit taxpayers through a universal medical program and that no one is denied of medical care. Since the medical control is run by the government and funded by the taxpayers, it is but necessary that more safeguards be put in place as claims of a rusting system develops (Arnett, 1996; Cihak, 2004; Hsieh, 2007). A Right to Health Care. Goodman discusses that Canadians lose the right to health care in a universal system basically because the number of patients increase tremendously in this kind of scheme. As a result, there are very few people that get treatment and services are delayed because of waitlists and queues. He also further indicated that based on the Frasier Institute, ten times more patients in Canada are waitlisted compared to that in New Zealand. Apparently, the population in Canada is around nine times more than New Zealand’s populace, in addition to several other factors which should have been considered such as number of hospitals and the nature of health care needed and the quality of services received. Leonard Peikoff (2006) expresses the American viewpoint of this myth. In his speech entitled â€Å"Health Care is Not a Right†, he articulates that the right of one man should never impose responsibility to another

Japanese Traditional Building Techniques Assignment

Japanese Traditional Building Techniques - Assignment Example Timber and clay are abundantly available in Japan; hence these are the main building materials used in Japanese house construction since the last several hundred years (Figure 1). The framework is constructed with timber, which is walled with the help of clay. By the late 1970s, this traditional method of building Japanese houses gradually decreased. This was mainly because the timber framework was replaced by the North American style panel construction, and the clay wall by timber or steel paneling. However, in some places in Japan such as Toyohashi, the traditional building technique is continued in the present day; though the number of clay-walled houses constructed is declining (Hideo 2003). Carpenters put sills on the concrete foundation, erect posts then using various joints they join the various posts with beams. The contemporary method is to use nails, reinforcing metals and brasses to give more earthquake resistance to the houses according to the Building Regulations. Accord ing to Hideo (2003), after the roof structure has been assembled, a ceremony of ridge raising termed Muneageshiki is performed, in collaboration with the client and the community. Carpenters prepare the frame sections at their workshop from cut timber, and assemble them at the building site. Plasterers set bamboo lath in frame spaces and apply clay to the lath. This Arakabe is generally applied before the onset of winter; and it takes one to two months to dry completely. This is followed by two more applications of clay.

How do media affect public opinion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

How do media affect public opinion - Essay Example So let’s take a look at a few concepts of affecting public opinion by media. The term "public opinion" (English public opinion) first was applied in the second half of XII century. English statesman Lord Salisbury used it for definition of moral support of the country for acts of parliament. Gradually the term became common. Public opinion represents a specific manifestation of mass consciousness, based on the estimates (verbal and nonverbal) of social processes and it characterizes the attitude of people to socially significant events and facts, actual problems of social life (Gorodyanenko, pp.308). According to the concept of total influence, public opinion is formed mostly under the considerable influence of mass media information, circulated by communicative channels. Such kind of information largely defines social values and forms stereotypes and cultural dominants in society. Propaganda motives can help form dominants in the society (Gorodyanenko, pp.325-326). Such appro ach to the media leads to the disjunction of society on masses and elite, and the masses is influenced by the elite, despite of being the largest part of it. Elite’s priority is the obtrusion of its standards and values. The elite is much more active object of the structure of society, it determines the value system, cultural and social objects, what helps the elite to subordinate the masses. The concept of the â€Å"mass society† leads us to the perception of necessary changes in the social values, because propagation of the simplified cultural dominants causes the reduction of the common cultural level (Gorodyanenko, pp.327-328). On the other side, there is a concept of limited effects. It’s main idea is that media is not the sufficient impact factor in forming of the public opinion; it is not able to provide the total changes of attitudes and beliefs of individuals and groups. The audience of the media varies on its views on life, and, accordingly, the obtain ed information. Distinct layers and individuals differ much and react differently on what they are told or what they see. But media can cause the unpredictable consequences of their affecting the public, because a man is not a passive recipient of information, but a generator of ideas based on the received information. Pursuant to the concept of limited effects, media is considered to be separated and independent of the authorities. It is a social institute and a spreader of the information, almost free of the external pressure, and its job is only to inform the public, but not to manipulate it. Personally I do not agree with that point of view, so let’s explore in details the mechanisms of TV’s influence, because today it is the most powerful media tool that affects people’s consciousness. Impact on adults Foremost, it’s a political impact. Electioneering makes a strong pressure on the public opinion. Hundreds of promises of political leaders repeated ma ny times gradually do their job because, in spite of his social status or financial situation, a man will always be an optimist. So he would rather vote for the person, who often appears on TV, takes part in different debates and embodies potential though ephemeral desired possibility of living. Also it is important to state that today there is a dominance of the TV-shows and their popularity increases continuously. However, the depicted image of reality in these shows does not always coincide

Driving Teachers Crazy Essay Example for Free

Driving Teachers Crazy Essay Teaching is not just earning a buck, its a snap. At the beginning of a new school year with high school sophomores, Mr. Finn is working at his desk wondering what the first period is going to be like. While waiting for the bell to ring, most students stand in clusters talking quietly but a few the knock- upstairs are rather loud and boisterous around the room causing a commotion with every group they pass. Not wanting to be overly negative on the first day, Mr. Finn says nothing. By the time the bell rings most of the class has become loud and boisterous. Although, teaching is a snap. Some students make it rather difficulty. When he realizes that his class is going to be immature, he will need to learn self-discipline. He remembers the classroom management suggestion he learned in college. Dont simile until Christmas and be tough on the first day. Therefore, he commands everyone to sit and get the class started. From the time of role call to the time Mr. Finn is passing out textbooks, and then thought the introductory lesson, several students are loud and sometimes obnoxious, others to the other side of the room are murmuring, swearing and dont forget the corners someone is snoring. He tells the students to be quieter, but they dont listen. By the end of the first period he wonders whether his going into teaching might have been a mistake. He wanted to teach and help young learn, but certainly lost he thinks, when you spend your whole day disciplining students rather than teaching them. As routine as it may sound, this is the experience that I go through everyday. Having twenty students a day that are as loud as action is never pleasant. By the time I get home I head to the fridge to get chocolate ice cream not just because I need it, but also because want it. Noise distracts other slow learners as well as teachers. It maybe that this student needs to be noticed and recognized. I have a friend who always shouts to be noticed, being loud seem to enhance her personality, and sometimes to appear tough. It is so irritating when you are reading and  someone shouts loudly keeping you off track. This student need to encouraged repeatedly, she requires redirection and always told to demonstrate mature behavior. Secondly, name-calling is also a common occurrence and very nefarious. It bothers me when a student calls someone a name just to be noticed or for attention. Although there are key problems that lead to this behavior there are key issues behind the scenes. One key major aspect is sexuality, a student may feel that he/she is an outcast or cannot make friends. He/she attracts attention from peers through name-calling. Some classmates are also amused by this behavior as long as its directed toward someone else. Sometimes, a student may have a need for food and drink, and may be covering this need by name-calling. A teacher has to recognize why the student is presenting this behavior in order to be of help. There are things that can be done by the student. A close relationship with someone may reduce this students need to call others names. Another irritating behavior is making fun of others weakness. People need to belong and respected no matter what their weakness, if this is taken advantage of they might be hurt or discouraged. Last year, I had a friend in my health class, he had a domestic problem and that his parents were divorced. Now that he lived with his mother who couldnt support him in any way, he thought he could the world it all belonged to him. This friend of mine was real dumb and ill tempered, even though you greeted he thought that he was being insulted. He also had problem with English since his home language is French sometimes he would pronounce words with an accent for example wit instead of with, other students thought that this was weird or even fun and they always made fun of him they even nick-named him wit. As time went by, he suddenly stopped talking. Early in the morning he could sit by the corner and sleep. There are students like my friend who have different weaknesses, it doesnt mean that they are different although they seem that way. A teacher can help these kids by getting a translator or after school tutoring. A teacher may all own the class to establish rules regarding this behavior. Our goal is to make making fun of others weaknesses socially unacceptable. School time dozing is another major problem in history of the classroom. In the middle of a discussion, a teacher unexpectedly stops speaking. Everyone stops speaking, nothing is heard except a faint sound from somewhere in the corner. Noise that sound like.snoring? Suddenly with a loud thwack! The teacher claps a book shut and the snoring culprit is jarred from his sleep, lifting his head up with blear- eyes all ashamed! You would think times have changed. Falling to sleep among todays teenagers is a common occurrence. Why do the sleep in class? An obvious reason is lack of sleep. IT bugs me when someone is snoring and I am studying or typing. I remember last yeast in my keyboarding class a boy who sat adjacent to me. He slept and snored real loud, that the ceiling could tremble. I could hardly contrite and since this was a keyboarding class that never cared much the rule was Do all you can but turn in work on time. The only possible cure to school time dozing is personating time fo r activities as well as schoolwork. I conclusion, being a teacher can be tiresome. No matter how routine the day, still teachers get away with it. Teaching is supposed to be a snap as you lock the door, driving by the countryside sing I t was horrible, but I managed. Although you spend all day disciplining instead of teaching them.

Living And Just Being Alive

Living And Just Being Alive Is there a difference between living and just being alive. And is it ever morally okay for a life to be ended. Physician Assisted Death can be broken down into two categories; Active Euthanasia and Passive Euthanasia. Active Euthanasia is defined as the active acceleration of a good death by use of drugs etc, whether by oneself or with the aid of a doctor. (Medterms) Passive Euthanasia is defined as a form of euthanasia in which medical treatment that will keep a dying patient alive for a time is withdrawn. (Medterms) Euthanasia is an ethical issue that has been in question for a long time. It is currently legal in some parts of the United Kingdom and in the United States it is only legal in Oregon. Moral philosopher James Rachels did many writings on his view of Active and Passive Euthanasia as well as writings on Moral Philosophy. This paper will view Rachels opinions and my response to what he thinks. In James Rachels writing, The End of a Life, he begins by telling the story of Hans Florian and his wife. Mrs. Florian has Alzheimers disease and slowly but surely her brain began to deteriorate and she began to lose control of her motor skills and other body functions. She got to the point where Mr. Florian needed to put her into a nursing home for her own safety. Mr. Florian shot her dead instead, to keep her from suffering any longer. James Rachels then goes on to play the devils advocate. Was it wrong for Mr. Florian to have killed his wife? (Rachels, The End of a Life) He was found not guilty legally, but still, was it immoral? He purposely killed an innocent human being and according to our moral traditions, that is always wrong. This traditions comes mostly from the Christian teachings. They believe that every human life is sacred because each one is in the image of god. So killing somebody, no matter how sick etc, is bad in the eye of God (Rachels, The End of a Life). Other t raditional views believe that sometime killing a human is justified, depending on whether or not the human is innocent. Capital punishment, for example, are sanctioned because the person who is being killed is not innocent (Rachels, The End of a Life). The most interesting of the traditions, according to Rachels, is the distinction between killing people or letting them die. On this view, even though killing innocent people is forbidden, sometimes, letting them die is allowed. James Rachels then offers an alternative view. There is a big difference between having a life and simply being alive (Rachels, The End of a Life). Being alive in the biological sense, is relatively unimportant. Ones life, by contrast is immensely important; it is the sum of ones aspirations, decisions, activities, projects, and human relationships. (Rachels, The End of a Life) From his moral point of view, it is the protection of the lives that is important and because most humans do have lives, killing them is wrong. Yet, some humans who are unfortunate, such as Mrs. Florian, are alive, but they dont have lives. This makes killing them a different matter, morally. If the life, in the biographical sense, is not being destroyed or adversely affected, the rule against killing offers no objection (Rachels, The End of a Life). In the case of Mrs. Florian, although she was still alive, her life was already over when her husband decided to shoot her. He didnt destroy her life, Alzheimers disease already did that. In which case, Hans Florian did not behave immorally. This alternative approach of Rachels sees being moral as a matter of doing what is best for somebody who will be affected by our actions rather than being a matter of faithfulness to rules or laws. If we should not kill, it should be because in killing somebody is it harming them. In another of rachels writings called Active and Passive Euthanasia, Rachel challenges the conventional doctrine that says Passive is sometimes permissible, but active is always forbidden. He puts up many arguments but the one he focuses most on is when he said that in many cases, active euthanasia is more human than passive euthanasia in many cases (Rachels). Rachel then focuses in deeply on his first point. What if there is a patient dying of a incurable disease and is in terrible pain. He is definitely going to die within a few days even if treatments continue, but he doesnt want to go on living because the pain is so unbearable. Suppose the doctor agrees to withhold the treatment like the conventional doctrine says he can. Yet, if he simply withholds treatment, it may take longer for this patient to die which would actually make him suffer more than if more direct actions were taken and he was given a lethal injection. His point being, that the process of being allowed to die can be very slow and painful compared to being given a lethal injection that is relatively quick and painless. I absolutely agree with James Rachels in every aspect. To start, when Rachel says that there is a difference between living and being a life, I believe that is absolutely right. One can be alive without actually living. If a teenager gets into a car accident and becomes brain dead from head trauma, no doubt he is alive, but never again will he get to experience the things normal kids should get to. Hell never get to go to prom, graduate high school, get married, have kids, he will be stuck in this vegetable like state, hell never actually live. Likewise, I also fully agree on his stance on whether or not it is ever morally okay to end a life. I believe that in certain cases, when you have a person that is terminally ill and has absolutely no chance of getting better even if care is continued, that person should have the right to end their lives. Or like in the case of Mrs. Florian or the brain-dead teenager, family should be able to make that decision as long as no harm will be done to the victim. Lastly, I believe in many cases, active euthanasia is much better than passive. If passive euthanasia is going to cause extreme pain, it would make much more sense to give them a lethal injection that will quickly and painlessly end their suffering. I believe no person in that state should have to suffer if there is a way to end it. In conclusion, there is a difference between being a live and just living, in certain cases it is morally okay to end a life and in many cases active euthanasia is more humane than passive euthanasia. James Rachels makes many good arguments to all aspects of these topics. Rachels, James. Active and Passive Euthanasia. QCC. N.P. 9 January 1975. Web. 17 April 2013. Rachels, James. The End of Life. James Rachels. N.P. 1986. Web. 17 April 2013.

The Progression of a Hunter :: Hunting Sports Nature Papers

The Progression of a Hunter It's three o'clock in the morning. I've been sleeping since eight p.m., and now my alarm clock is telling me that it's time to wake up. Most people are sleeping at this hour of the night, but I'm just now waking up to pack up my gear and head into the forest for the morning. Last night I packed my .30-06, tree stand, a small cooler full of food and a rucksack full of hunting equipment including deer scent, camouflage paint and a flashlight. I've been planning a hunt for two weeks, and the weekend has finally come. I get up from bed, shake off the cold of the morning and get ready to leave by four. It's five a.m. when I get to the dirt road winding into Ocala National Forest. I park my car in a clearing gather my gear and head into the forest with my eyes to the trees. By five-thirty I'm set up in a tree, my rifle is loaded and I'm quietly sipping hot coffee from my plastic thermos cup. I'm well concealed by tree limbs, and I have a clear shot at the ground below within my line of sight. My camouflage pants and jacket keep me hidden from the poor eyesight of the deer below, and my height above the ground keeps the smell of a human away from the sensitive noses of animals on the ground. Six a.m. and the sky is turning a light blue. The night's shade is dissipating slowly, and I can begin to see my surroundings a little better. A shot rings out from the west, and that signals nearby hunters. I hope they drove some game my way. Within a few minutes, there is rustling in the brush below me. A young buck is coming within range. He's a big one too; I can see about eight points from where I am. He is cautious and sniffs at the air and flicks out his tongue often. His coat is a light brown color like khaki. There are white markings along his flank, and he has a stubby little white fluff of fur for a tail. I disengage the safety on my rifle. The bolt is forward on the gun, and I know there's a round in the chamber. I steady myself. I turn ever so slightly to get a better angle.

Jacques-Louis David :: essays research papers fc

Caricature Paper Jacques-Louis David: Gouvernement Anglois (The English Government) Introduction:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As one can expect from the very nature of political and social revolutions, there were some very unhappy people during the French revolution. The question here is why the French citizens of this time so upset were and was their discontent so great that a revolution could be justified? Furthermore, who and what will be the ultimate vehicle to bring the necessary political, social and economic dreams to realization?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The French Revolution in began in 1789 and ended in 1799, this was a time in which democrats and republicans overthrew the absolute monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church was forced to make drastic changes (Doyle, 1999). The French Revolution ended an archaic social and political system established in France characterised by a feudal system under the control of a powerful absolute monarchy and the unquestioned power of the Catholic Church (Slevin, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Those unhappy citizens who overthrew the absolute monarchy and the church belonged to a group known the bourgeoisie. This group was defined under the â€Å"Popular Movement† was constituted by angry peasants and wage-earners that had come under the influence of the rational ideas of the Enlightenment (Slevin, 2003). The bourgeoisie of this time was justifiably angered by many societal afflictions such as: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unequal taxation between classes (some in the form of labor, known at that time as seigneurial taxes) (Doyle, 1999). †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Famine †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The irrational concepts of absolutism and powers of the church as a result of Enlightenment thought †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The power of a privileged clergy and nobility   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As you can see there were many reasons for the discontent of the French bourgeois at this time, not only were they unfairly taxed, but they had very little voice in the government that was allowing many of its citizens to starve to death; something had to be done.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Birth of a Revolution:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The theme of the French Revolution was Liberty, Equality and Fraternity and came as a result of Enlightenment rationale. The bourgeoisie of the time believed in the freedom of the individual and wanted to see the actualization of real democracy and laissez-faire economy in France (Slevin, 2003). One man, by the name of Jacques-Louis David was a strong believer in these liberal and humanistic values. David was a not only an artist, but a social reform visionary with the courage to stand up for what he believed in and the ability to bring about a change for all of those suffering under the iniquities of the pre-Revolutionary French Government.

Educating Rita Raises Serious Issues Essay -- Educating Rita Essays

'Educating Rita' Raises Serious Issues 'Educating Rita' was voted best comedy of the year when performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1980 and by 1983 it had risen to be the fourth most popular play on the British stage. Russell uses humour as a tool to engage and entertain his audience whilst at the same time dealing with serious topics. Without the humour, the play would be less accessible and would probably have reached a much more limited and elitist audience. The play is naturalistic with a fixed and simple staging, which firmly reflects the real world. The entire play is set in one study room in a red brick university. The room is Frank's environment - cluttered with books representing both the world of knowledge and the disordered state of Frank's mind and life. It is a far cry from the world to which Rita is used, but one to which she aspires in her quest to 'find herself'. By contrast Frank is disillusioned with his life as an academic and the audience quickly gathers the impression that Frank would escape from his world if only he could. This theme is handled hilariously from the opening of the play. Rita's bungled attempt to enter the room, fumbling with the door handle and cursing, is a metaphor for the apparent barriers between Rita's working class environment and the middle class, educated world that she is trying to break into. "The poor sod on the other side on the outside won't be able to get in. An' you won't be able to get out" (Act one, scene one) The mismatch between Rita's language and academic setting provides a great source of humour throughout the play. Rita's accent and dialect clearly sets her apart and so does the constant swearing and joking. At times however... ...ntually have to come to terms with their mediocrity. Although the play is hilarious the seriousness is never lost. The humour is mainly at a verbal level and slapstick situation comedy is avoided. The humour helps the author to bring out an essentially optimistic flavour despite all the tragedy. Rita completes her transition and ends the play as a well-rounded individual feeling herself to be in full control of her destiny. She has learned a key lesson on the way that she does not have to change her personality and be like other people to become more mature. As Rita rises, Frank falls as the drama unfolds. The play ends with his carrer at its lowest point after students complain about his drunkenness. However, even for Frank there is the hope of a new start and renewal with his sabbatical to Australia a country which for him symbolises new beginnings.

Examine the dramatic significance of the theme “fair is foul” in Macbeth Essay

There are many themes in â€Å"Macbeth†, not surprising given the play’s richness of character, language and events. These themes include goodness and evil, deceptive appearances and reality and the supernatural. They are all linked to the idea of â€Å"fair is foul†, as are the characters. I will now try to examine in more detail the dramatic significance of â€Å"fair is foul† in Shakespeare’s â€Å"Macbeth†. It is believed that the play was written with King James in mind. â€Å"Mabeth† was written sometime between 1603 and 1606, years during which King James (6th of Scotland and 1st of England) was on the throne. Many of James’ interests were included in the play, for example kingship, loyalty and most importantly his fascination with supernatural (he even wrote a book called Demonology, on the subject). The idea of the supernatural and witchcraft in particular are very important during the play. The witches also known as the â€Å"Weird Sisters†, Act 1 Scene 3 Line 34, represent evil and temptation in the play. In Shakespeare’s day there was widespread belief in the existence of witchcraft and demonology. People feared that witches attempted to corrupt God’s natural order, and thus in 1604 its practice became punishable by death. However they were still uncertain on the power of witches. This uncertainty can be seen in the play. We never know whether the witches have any real power or whether they can only persuade and suggest things to others. The Gunpowder plot seems to have been added to the play. It was an action taken to remove the king, very similar to Macbeth’s actions. Again it gives the idea of God’s natural order being destroyed. They believed that the king ruled by Divine Right i.e. they were God’s chosen one. Therefore killing him, to obtain unrightful kingship would definitely shatter the natural order. The fact that they are evil is shown in their final couplet. It is, as mentioned above, the three witches who chorus the line â€Å"fair is foul and foul is fair†. It can be translated as â€Å"good is bad and bad is good†, a slightly difficult phrase to understand. An important thing to note is that â€Å"Fair is foul†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is a paradox. That is a statement, which appears to contradict itself but can contain a truth. It is this line that sets the tone for the rest of the play; the way things appear may not be the way they really are! Their line however can also be used to describe themselves and their predictions. When they tell Macbeth his future it all sounds good, â€Å"†¦All hail Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter†. However it is these predictions that lead to his fatal actions and drastic downfall destruction. So really, these future visions aren’t good at all but bad. The witches never tell lies but because they speak in puzzling riddles, its possible that Macbeth hears what he wants to hear, by believing only the positive aspects. In Shakespeare’s â€Å"Macbeth†, the protagonist is lured to murder the King, Duncan, by witch’s predictions, his wife’s encouragement, and by his own ambition. He commits a trio of wicked murders in the course of the play. It is possible to forget that the character described as â€Å"†¦brave Macbeth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is the one later described as a â€Å"tyrant†. Macbeth’s character is also one that is linked to the idea of â€Å"fair is foul and foul is fair†. Prior to his encounter with the witches (Act 1, Scene 3) Macbeth is a hero, a loyal warrior in service of the legitimate, King of Scotland, Duncan. He is described as a noble valiant and fearless warrior and â€Å"Bellona’s bridegroom†, husband of the goddess of the war, worthy to be God of War. It appears that he has many positive characteristics but soon enough we find he has a fatal weakness†¦ambition. He was easily influenced by, witches prophecies and his wife’s persuasion, to follow the ambitions that he secretly desired to chase, â€Å"Thus thou must do’ if thou have it†, in other words he must do it (kill King Duncan) if he wants the crown. He allowed his ambitions to suppress his good qualities and the end of the play describes him as â€Å"a tyrant†, â€Å"a dwarfish thief†, and â€Å"hellhound†. Macbeth is obviously one of the clearest and simplest examples of the theme â€Å"fair is foul†. By this I mean he is a character who fits the idea, things that look good may turn out to be evil. However I don’t think it is fair to call him completely evil. He did after all have a conscience, which played a major part throughout the play. It was his conscience that held him back from drastic actions, but not enough to stop him from murders that in the end he carried out. Lady Macbeth is also a good example of the theme â€Å"fair is foul†. In the world of Shakespeare tragedies she has come to represent feminine treachery. Her ambition, foulness and rejection of female values, mark her as a heartless villain more monster than woman! â€Å"Come to my woman breasts and take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers† . Unlike Macbeth, it is easily noticed that she has an evil hunger for power from the start. â€Å"†¦chastice with the valour of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden crown†¦Ã¢â‚¬  just a section of her words from the first time we meet her (Act 1 Scene 5). However Shakespeare uses dramatic irony, in that the audience know she is evil but many characters fail to see this. Many are fooled by her deceptive acts. â€Å"Fair and noble hostess†, are the words Duncan used to describe Lady Macbeth, who turned out to be involved in his murder later that night. The audience get a taste of her hunger for power by her reaction to the letter from Mabeth, it is both powerful and dramatic. As soon as she has finished reading the letter (including details of the witches premonitions) she decides to make sure Macbeth will become King. She knows her husband is ambitious but also considers his lack of ruthlessness- â€Å"yet I do fear thy nature It is to full o’ th’ milk of human kindness†. She claims that ruthlessness o is â€Å"the illness† that Macbeth doesn’t have in him. She decides that to gain the throne Duncan must be killed. To her great delight, she hears that the King is coming that very night. She invites the spirits of evil to enter her body- † Come you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts! unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty†. Any thoughts of doubt that she has some good inside her are totally unquestionable, at this point. How can a woman want the very characteristics that make her a woman, i.e. love and care, to be taken away just so that she can complete a wicked murder? The language she uses from lines 32-47 (Act 1 Scene5), are very similar to those used in a spell or chant. She is calling spirits to take away and feelings she may have, and fill her with murderous thoughts, â€Å"Come u spirits†¦you murdering ministers†. The language used gives the effect of dark magic and incantations, symbolising Lady Macbeth as a witch. As said above the line â€Å"fair is foul† gives the impression of deceptive appearances and reality. Lady Macbeth, displays this idea very well, when she is fooling her guests. When King Duncan, arrives at the castle, he comments on how nice the atmosphere is, â€Å"the air Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself†. It was planned by Shakespeare to have an ironic effect, that King Duncan should say that, when taking into consideration Lady Macbeth’s words and plans from the previous scene. She is a great deceiver, falsely exchanging pleasant conversation, very successfully. It is also Lady Macbeth who advises her husband to put on a false appearance, â€Å"look like the innocent flower. But be the serpent under’t†. This was one of Shakespeare’s many metaphors. The flower resembles goodness and purity while the snake is a dark and evil creature. This also links in with the idea of reality vs. appearances. We are constantly reminded that things aren’t what they seem in the play. Shakespeare warns us not to be fooled by appearances, there are many examples of this during the play. One of the main examples is the floating dagger. Is it real or is it just a deceptive illusion luring Macbeth to do the unthinkable? There are other deceptive illusions during the course of the play, a main one being Banquo’s ghost. Macbeth believes the ghost, which hovers over Banqo’s empty chair, has gone to haunt him and accuse him of it’s murder. The witches say that the forest will comes to him, â€Å"Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him†. How is this possible? In reality no part of nature in form of lands and forests ever moves! Macbeth is also told â€Å"none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth†. Macbeth doesn’t know that Macduff wasn’t born normally, and so believes he cannot be harmed. We must doubt how reliable these premonitions really are! While Banquo doubted what the witches said and preceded to question them, Macbeth had near complete faith in them. I think he believed them, because deep inside that’s what he wants, and the premonitions give him hope of achieving an impossible target. The theme â€Å"fair is foul† is a paradox, although it appears to contradict itself it does contains a truth. This can be seen in the first act when the Thane of Cawdor is sentenced to death. Looking at the execution it would appear to be a foul act. However when considering the reason of execution, being disloyal to your King, it can also be seen as fair. This is very similar to what happens to Macbeth. His head was carried around the crowds, proving he had been killed. Yes, a very foul act but not completely unfair. After all this was a man who had committed many unforgivable crimes, and caused disorder all over a settled country. I think that for a line so confusing at first it appears to be the roots of the play! It is associated with nearly all the themes of the play, and all the characters especially Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Dog Saves Life Essay

I was very enthusiastic for my world adventure race and wanted to get in shape, therefore I decided to head out for a run. I took my dog, Tazz along who was my constant companion and was very energetic and playful. Moreover, the route I took was very rough and unstable, despite that I carried on with my run in the remote canyon. During my training run, fortuitously I slipped and plunged 60 feet on to the solid rock smashing my pelvis into pieces. I was dreadfully injured but still alive; it was an abominable pain and my next reaction was to get out of here, despite my broken pelvis I tried standing up but I failed. My legs couldn’t support my body and I was unable to walk, besides that I was separated from my dog which aggravated the situation. I was stranded alone in the barren wilderness and I was facing my worst nightmare. Furthermore, I started dragging myself inch by inch which was causing enormous pain and then suddenly my dog appeared and came to my rescue; I was no longer alone and that gave me a comfort. Since he came to me I knew there was a route out and so I followed him, over and above I was planning to get back to my truck however, the pain was augmenting. As the night arrived it was freezing cold and I struggled doing sit-ups to keep my body warm and prevent hypothermia; I was fighting for my life. I just had my dog that cuddled up next to me. The next morning I tried again to drag myself but I was unable to move any further because I had interior bleeding and I was in a critical situation. It was getting difficult to breathe as well as I was losing vision. Moreover, because of the appalling pain I started crying as well as losing hope that anyone would find me and then Tazz came over to me and saw my tears. I could see that he was also upset. Eventually my family members informed the police that I was not receiving the phone calls, therefore a search team mobilized and a local detective knew about my place where I often train, they came searching for me and found my truck. At that point I was dying and so I said to tazz that I’m hurt and he needs to find help; he turned around and took off which was very depressing because then I had to face death alone. Furthermore, tazz was seen by the search team as he found the way out of the canyon. Tazz ran towards them and starting barking thus, one of the officers followed him and eventually found me. I was thankful to God as my ordeal was over. They gave me water and the feeling of having gulps of water actually go down the throat was incredible. I was glad to be alive.

Counselor Ethics and Responsibilities Essay

In this paper I will discuss Counselor Ethics and Responsibilities; to include my own personal thoughts and values concerning abortion and extramarital affairs and how I would personally provide ethical counseling to a client’s struggling with abortion and or extramarital affair issues. Next I will discuss client’s right to autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice and fidelity in ethical counseling. Then I will cover the factors that must be considered in â€Å"duty to warn† and also â€Å"duty to protect† obligations as a counselor. Finally, I will discuss client record keeping; a client’s right to a professional standard of care, and counselor liability. Counselor Values: Abortion From my own personal experience and beliefs, abortion is wrong with few exceptions. My personal belief is that if a female is raped or there is danger to the mother abortion is acceptable to me. What I mean by acceptable is that it creates dissonance with my current operating beliefs of abortion being wrong to take the life of an unborn fetus. I have a 16 year old daughter whom was gang raped which resulted in a pregnancy not at the will or choice of my daughter. My belief says no abortion, but my rational side asks many questions like; is the mother ready to care for a child? Can she physically and monetarily care for a child? How will this affect her life in the long run? What about school? Are the any issues that might arise if the mother carries to full term? Am I ready in every fashion to become a grandparent? To me each answer was no and my daughter continued and had the abortion. Extramarital affairs In an article by Wagaman (2013), he point s out that Americans today are more tolerant to premature sex, divorce and gay relationships which was once considered taboo. He continues by saying â€Å"but there’s one exception: We condemn adultery like it is 1642.† (WAGAMAN, 2013) I follow suite and believe if you marry another person that is the one person you have devoted yourself to and should at any cost stick by their side no matter what and an extramarital affair is a deal breaker. I ask myself why I should punish my partner by going outside of the marriage seeking the puzzle piece that is missing, when my wife has already given me the key to her heart. In society today people have more control and freedom to explore premature sex and entering and leaving a relationship or marriage. But, with all this freedom and control there comes accountability and lying is the one vice most consider wrong. (WAGAMAN, 2013) Describe how you would counsel the client in each situation. In counseling a client in both cases of abortion and extramarital affairs I quote the ACA (2014) section A; A.1.a, Primary Responsibility, â€Å"The primary responsibility of counselors is to respect the dignity and promote the welfare of clients.† It is not uncommon for the counselor and client to have different values and beliefs at all. (2014 ACA Code of Ethics, 2014) First off, I will have to step back and look at my own personal area or areas of expertise. According to the NBCC Code of Ethics (2012), â€Å"NCCs (Nationally Certified Counselor’s) shall perform only those professional services for which they are qualified by education and supervised experience (NATIONAL BOARD FOR CERTIFIED COUNSELORS (NBCC), 2012) .† Addiction specialist shall seek out new/effective approaches which enhance their professional abilities such as; continuing education research and activities with professional in different disciplines. (The Association for Addiction Professionals, 2013) Some client’s many have already dealt with an abortion or affair and may be seemingly ok, but not in-line with my values. As the primary counselor in these cases it is my responsibility to avoid causing harm or imposing my values on to my client. As a counselor I must act accordingly to avoid harming my client or abate or remedy unavoidable or unforeseen harm. Counselors must be aware of their own values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors and avoid imposing them on their client. For example, if I’m opposed to both abortion and affairs these are  my own personal beliefs and not those of the client. My client may have had an affair and became pregnant by someone other than their partner and had an abortion to hide it from their significant other. So if I were to voice my values to my client this could cause harm to the counselor-client relationship where the client shuts down and it causes irreversible damage due to me imposing my own values on my client. According to the NBCC (2012), from the point of view of an addiction counselor, the professional counselor refrains from using methods which seems coercive like threats, negative labeling or any means which causes shame or humiliation. In the case of abortion or having an affair, either could provoke shame and humiliation in the client based on counselor vs client values. Clients Rights: Autonomy Incorporating autonomy in its simplest form is supporting the clients’ right to make their own decisions and addresses the concept of independence. In order to support a clients’ autonomy, this means not imposing goals, agendas or values on a client. As a counselor I must understand, embrace and work with the client’s experiences; culturally, socioeconomically, this is supported in counseling through person centered style of counseling and communication. (Ryan, 2011) Nonmaleficence Incorporating nonmaleficence is supported by the number one rule in counseling, the concept of causing no harm to others our clients. This practice is tied with a clients’ autonomy and their right to independence and making their own choices. Implementing this means living by the laws of your state and follow the ACA, NAADAC or NBCC codes of ethics. (Davis, 1996) Beneficence Beneficence is simply doing what is good for the client, this is the counselors’ responsibility to be proactive and contribute to the overall health and welfare of their client’s. This means doing treatment planning with the client and listening to the clients’ input in the planning process. (Ryan, 2011) Justice According to Kitchner (1984), Justice is not doing what is right for the  client, but treating equals equally and unequals unequally. This means identify such things as ethnic background, socioenomic background, race and numerous others. (Kitchner, 1984) Fidelity Incorporating fidelity is me being loyal to my client, because clients’ must must have faith and trust in their counselor in the therapeutic relationship in order for growth to occur. This means being faithful and meeting obligations and commitments and not leaving with of these unfulfilled. (Ryan, 2011) Discuss the informed consent process and how it protects client rights including: Informed consent is an on-going process throughout the counseling process; it lets the client know that first they have the freedom to engage in or decline entrance into a therapeutic relationship and gives them sufficient information concerning the theraputic process and the therapist. Informed consent is an obligation placed on the counselor, which is reviewed both written and orally explaining the rights and responsibilities of the counselor as well as the client. Therapists explain to their clients the nature of all services, goals, purposes, techniques, limits, procedures, benefits and potential risk of services; counselor credentials and qualifications, relevant experience and counseling approach. Counselor explain fee and billing arrangements including non-payment of fees. Clients also receive rights and limits of confidentiality, information concerning records, refusal of services and consequences of refusal. (Gerald Corey, 2104) Billing When creating costs for counseling services, the counselor should take consideration the client’s locality and financial status so that the normal fees do not create an undue hardship on the client. Counselor may assist clients in finding comparable and affordable services or adjust fees when legally permissible. Right to Privacy As a counselor, each and every client has a right to privacy whether a prospective or existing client. Therapists only request confidential information from clients when it is determined advantageous to the therapeutic process. Counselor protect the privacy of clients and only disclose information with consent to release information or with sound  legal/ethical confirmation. At the initiation and throughout the therapeutic process counselors inform clients of confidentiality limitations and identify situations situation in which confidentiality must be broken; such as when disclosure is required to protect clients or keep others from serious foreseeable harm or when legal requirements require release. HIPPA compliance and Compliance with credentialing board requirements for incorporating informed consent into practice As a professional counselor we are bound by HIPPA to provide documentation to potential clients how the practice and you will handle the release of confidential information. This document describes how mental/medical information about you may be disclosed and used and how the client may get access to this information. This document must have a compliance date on it and includes information pertaining to; treatment, health care operations, payment and other disclosures and uses without the clients consent. (Association, Meeting HIPAA Requirements, Notice of Privacy Practices and Client Rights Document, 2014) Responsibility to Warn and Protect Duty to warm and protect refers to the responsibility of the therapist or counselor to breach confidentiality if a client or other identifiable person or persons are in clear imminent danger. When duty to warn and protect come into play there must be clear evidence of imminent danger to the client or other persons, then the therapist/counselor must determine the seriousness of the threat and then must notify the person in danger and other persons in a position to protect that person from harm. The best possible example is the Tarasoff Act, which imposed inherent duty on therapist/counselors to warn potential victims of intended harm by a client, stating confidentiality ends where danger begins. The implications of the Tarasoff Act indicate that only notifying the police is not sufficient action to protect the therapist/counselor from a lawsuit if the client threatens to carry the threat out. (University, 2014) Client Record-Keeping/the counselor from liability A client’s right to a professional standard of care Documentation in a client’s record serves many purposes including; clinical/ administrative accountability, and documentation of the counselor’s  protection of the clients’ rights. This documentation also provides protection for counselors in helping them refute any and all allegations of incompetence or misconduct by the counselor. A counselors’ responsibility to protect the clients rights is normally documented in a series of forms signed by the client to include; informed/parental consent, fee agreements, treatment forms, treatment plans, signed client rights statement and treatment team staffing notes, and release of information protecting the client’s privacy with specific parameters. Finally, documentation in a client’s record can be used to protect and defend the therapist/counselor from unwarranted allegations of misconduct. A client record containing a thorough assessment, treatment plan, progress notes consistent with the plan, supervisory notes, billing for services rendered, and documented clients rights represent sound evidence of the counselor’s efforts to practice within their professional scope and standard of care. (University, 2014) In conclusion, the ethical responsibilities of a counselor are both broad and complex. This paper describes and discusses many of the aspect that are at the forefront of client/counselor relationship and protection of rights for both counselor and client. The knowledge required to become an ethical counselor comes with time and practice along with consulting colleges and primary supervision. Bibliography Association, A. C. (2014). 2014 ACA Code of Ethics. Alexandria: AMERICAN COUNSELING ASSOCIATION. Association, A. C. (2014). Meeting HIPAA Requirements, Notice of Privacy Practices and Client Rights Document. Alexandria: â€Å"Author†. COUNSELORS, N. B. (2012, June 8). NATIONAL BOARD FOR CERTIFIED COUNSELORS (NBCC). Retrieved from nbcc.org: http://www.nbcc.org/Assets/Ethics/NBCCCodeofEthics.pdf Davis, H. F.-M. (1996). Moral Principles. A Practitioner’s Guide to Ethical Decision Making, 2. Gerald Corey, C. C. (2104). Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions (9 ed.). (K. Mikel, Ed.) Stamford, CT, USA: Cengage Learning. Retrieved November 18, 2014 Kitchner, K. S. (1984). Intuition, critical evaluation and ethical principles: The foundation for ethical decisions in counseling psychology. Counseling Psychologist, 12(3), 43-55. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://www.counseling.org/docs/ethics/practitioners_guide.pdf?sfvrsn=2 NAADAC. (2013). The Association for Addiction Professionals. Retrieved from NAADAC.org: http://www.naadac.org/code-of-ethics#i Ryan, R. M. (2011). Motivation and Autonomy in Counseling. The Counseling Psychologist, 193-260. University, G. C. (2014, November 18). Lecture 4. Retrieved from gcu.edu: https://lc-grad2.gcu.edu/learningPlatform/user/users.html?operation=loggedIn#/learningPlatform/loudBooks/loudbooks.html?viewPage=current&operation=innerPage ¤tTopicname=Client Rights, Counselor Responsibilities, and Confidentiality&topicMaterialId=71 WAGAMAN, A. (2013, July 25). Americans grow increasingly intolerant of extramarital affairs. Star Tribune. Retrieved from startribune.com: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/relationship/216813271.html

MediaCorp’s “Police and Thief” Essay

1. Short summary of my understanding of the question and my thesis statement 2. State some obvious similarities and differences between the 2 case studies. 3. Dissect each case study with the following categories in mind: a. Narratives b. Genres c. Representation d. Ideology e. Scenes 4. Conclusion 5. Some other things to think about: a. Give concrete examples. b. Aspects of styles. These two shows are very Singaporean. By this I mean that they contain many elements which are unique to my country, elements which only within the paradigm of our society will resonate with local viewers. Homerun, an Asian remake of the internationally acclaimed Iranian movie Children of Heaven is a movie directed by Jack Neo, who is a local celebrity best known for his comedic prowess and the many comedy shows under his name. Police and Thief is a relatively new weekly half-hour sitcom shown on Channel 5 which has yet to set a foothold in the heart of local audiences. These locally produced shows use, essentially different techniques in many areas to present the story to us while making use of our experiences as Singaporeans to help us understand and appreciate the shows from their story/plot to the surprises and nuances contained within. I will proceed to show you how the techniques used are also more different than similar. A distinction between the two shows is the element of narration. Cause and effect is employed to effectively present the story or stories in the shows. It is not uncommon to find secondary stories in an episode of a situation comedy or sitcom. These are often inserted into the plot and often come together in conclusion at the end of the episode. In Police and Thief, the show starts off on this episode with Lee Tok Kong the main character of the show wanting to get under the blanket with his wife and due to common reasons of tiredness and falling asleep quickly, has his pleas ignored. This scene is related to how Tok Kong later reacts to the wiles of a less than archetypical femme fatale. There is another story inserted in between, which shows how the neighbour’s sons, Rudy and Rafi having an unspoken conflict over a common love interest. This plot development has no explicit and implicit impact on the main story mentioned earlier. It almost feels like tokenism has taken place, either to fill up the half hour of screen time or to give emphasis to the other characters in the sitcom. In Homerun, it is quickly established that poverty leads to a lack of options and hence with the losing of shoes early into the movie, we see the main ’cause’ in the show that explains later effects. The show revolves around how the main characters are thwarted at every attempt to obtain a new pair of shoes or retrieve the old pair. We do not see scenes that have no relation to any other. In fact the entire narration of Homerun is about a search for a cause-shoes. Both the shows have different range of stories. There is less suspense buildup in Police and Thief and this is probably due to restricted narration where both the audience and the characters in the show know the same information at relatively equal times. The only example of unrestricted narration in the recent episode was when Rudy cheated on his promise to his brother Rafi behind his back to get a chance to go out with the girl, Cecilia, they both like. Rafi only found it out in another scene when Cecilia whom similarly does not know of the conflict called their home. In this case, we know more than several characters in the show at a particular time. In Homerun, during the opening sequence of Chew Kiat Kun running errands for his family, it is quickly established that a rag-and-bone man had taken away the pair of shoes which Kiat Kun had put down. Kiat Kun has no idea how the shoes had mysteriously disappeared and hence his sister Seow Fang too. In this scene alone, a beautiful play on camera angle suffices to keep us in suspense till much later in the show. This seemingly passing top down close up scene of the gnarled hands removing the shoes helps to tug hard at our heart strings when we later realize the rag-and-bone man is blind. The above is a good example of how both restricted and unrestricted narration can be developed from one scene. We know who had taken away the shoes (unrestricted narration) but like the characters in the show we have no idea he was blind (restricted narration). These two shows belong to the 2 commonest genres in Singapore. Police and Thief can be classified as belonging to the â€Å"HDB† genre. In fact this plot of this particular sitcom revolves around the conflict faced by two men who live in close proximity. It has an appeal particular to local viewers who are able to appreciate the familiar settings. One example which we can relate to is the scene of Lily, Tok Kong’s wife who repeats a punch line in a scene where her face is framed in the center of our common older HDB window panes. It is common to see neighbours walking and talking from the same angle for those who have lived in HDB flats. Homerun is a social commentary and even as it is based in 1965, the year Singapore became independent, it reflects on socio-political situations which were prevalent during the time of filming i.e. the water issue between Malaysia and Singapore. Another genre which is mixed into both these shows is the coffee shop genre, featuring many scenes of meeting and interactions at local coffee shops. We see this in Police and Thief where Tok Kong was being interviewed by a lady near the beginning of the show and in Homerun, Kiat Kun helps out his teacher from school who is close to collapsing from shortness of breath at a roadside coffee shop. There is obvious stereotyping in Police and Thief. Tok Kong is your typical gangster or â€Å"Ah Beng† in colloquial terms. He has wild, pointy gelled hair and wears colourful clothing, even for sleeping attire (Opening scenes). His heavily accented Singapore Colloquial English (SCE) (â€Å"Don’t play with my heart†) and his love for techno music scream â€Å"Ah Beng†. He is put in direct contrast with his neighbour and antagonist in the show Sergeant Dollah who is a policeman. Dollah is characterized with short hair, very neat and righteous. These stereotypes alone set the premise for tension and conflict as neighbours. It is akin to Phua Chu Kang versus his sister-in-law Margaret. The stereotypes in Homerun broadly differentiate the rich and the poor. A simple comparison can be made between Beng Soon and Kiat Kun, friends of opposite ends of the economic spectrum whose relationship sours then mends in the course of the show. Beng Soon is cast in shirts, clean with well-gelled hair (in school) and stands at a good head taller than Kiat Kun. His friend however is almost always dirty, with smudges on his singlet and/or face. Even during a game of soccer, Beng Soon provides the soccer boots and he is the only one on the field with soccer socks. Tok Kong as the gangster also becomes an icon easily associated with local shows of similar genres. There is no obvious icon in Homerun. It uses a motif rather, to play out the story. There were multiple scenes of close ups of your ‘Bata’ white or dirty shoes (in the shops or in the background with Seow Fang’s face in the focus). Many scenes of tension started because of shoes e.g. the shoes slipping off and into a canal full of rushing water and even in the scene where Seow Fang’s teacher paces as the children are exercising). These scenes feature changes in music, close ups with dialogue in the background, all to draw attention to the motif in the show. During the scene at the well with the confrontation between the two groups of boys, we see wealth being equated with power, that Beng Soon who was the rich one could actually decide who got to use the well. This is perhaps the director’s ideology portraying the way Malaysia hordes over us in the water issue. The premise of Homerun revolved around three things: shoes, intelligence and power being associated with wealth. Jack Neo parodies the socio-political situation between Singapore and Malaysia using the three elements with shoes being the water, Singapore being the more intelligent country and power that Malaysia holds over us due to their superior water resource. The two shows end differently too. The end of the sitcom is close without answered questions while the cryptic ending of Homerun leaves us pondering what the director would have us think as we leave the cinema. There is no element of suspense left in Police and Thief to entice the audience to look out for the next episode, unlike a soap opera. Even as both shows make use of our experience to enhance our appreciation and understanding of the shows, they obviously use several different techniques and some similar ones to bring forth the essence of each individual story. These different methods highlight certain elements essential to the plot of the stories and ultimately help us to enjoy the shows as Singaporeans.

Business Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Law - Research Paper Example The best answer for this question is found in the Massachusetts Constitution, which states that all people must have equal dignity, and rights, which means that it does not allow development of second-class citizens. However, the Commonwealth and the Department of Public Health denies civil marriage of same-sex couples. Therefore, the ultimate aim of this context is to outline the case that was held at Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts concerning same-sex marriage (Kiritsy 12). The paper also argues and supports the majority opinion, which represents judicial activism. Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, Suffolk, November 18, 2003 On November 18 2003, there was a case filed by same-sex couples who alleged that they were deprived their rights to acquire a marriage license by the department and Commissioner of Public Health. The couple claimed that the department policy and observation refused to give them the marriage license, which was violation of several stipulations of State Constitution. The case was very complicated and to make judgment was a big dilemma (Vermont Public Radio 43). The superior court department had a cross-motion for judgment and eventually Thomas E. Connolly, J., summarized the case for Department but the plaintiffs appealed. The Supreme Court granted the requests of the parties for direct appellate evaluation and the ultimate opinion by Marshall, C.J, was that: The decree of marriage license were not vulnerable of interpretation therefore, same sex couples qualified to obtain marriage license As a matter of initial reaction, snagging of benefits, protections and compulsion of opposite sexes needed rational foundation and infringed state constitutional equal protection rights. The judgment by the Supreme Court was controversial in a way that some prominent people concurred with it while others differed. Greaney, J., was one of the few people who concurred with it while majority differed. For instance, Spina, J. disagreed with th e judgment and was joined by Cordy, JJ. Sosman also opposed it and was joined by Cordy and Spina while Cordy disputed against the issue of marriage in the case (Foderaro 161). Therefore, since the people who dissented with the judgment represented the judicial activism, it is clear that the activism were the majority in the case. In other words, majority of the people were against the issue of same-sex marriage licensing among them being the Commonwealth and Department of Public Health. In order to understand why majority of opinion represented judicial activism, it is important to understand the aspect of marriage. The Marriage Issue The decree of marriage licensing is both a public records and gatekeeping decree, which lays down minimum requirements for acquiring a marriage license and guides town and city clerks, the department of public health and the registrar to remain and maintain some crucial records of civil marriages. M.G.L.A. c. 207,  §Ã‚ § 19, 20. If the Department of Public Health and Commonwealth were against same-sex marriage and they are the same people who are issued with the qualifications of marriage license, then it means that the judgment was indeed wrong (Katie 111). The judgment was based on the Massachusetts constitution, which supports same-sex marriage, but it