Medieval Times Essays - Damascus, Damask, Linen, Chemise, Wool

Medieval Times What Was Clothing Like in the Middle Ages? In the Middle Ages the tailoring business developed and fashion as a concept was born. There wasn't much difference among the distinct social classes in the way the clothing were cut, the differences became evident mostly in the colours and materials. The country folk prepared their fabrics themselves and the nobility and the bourgeois had the possibility to buy their own imported fabrics. What Materials Were Used to Make the Clothing? The domestic wool was revised into cloths of different strengths -durable, felt and carded fabrics. The most expensive, the finest and the most colourful cloth was an extremely important merchandise imported for example from the Netherlands, England and Germany. Preparing the fabrics and the threads was a time-consuming and valuable craft. Fabric was extremely valuable despite whether or not it was homemade or imported. The medieval threads were spindled with a distaff (an early part of a spinning wheel). For one whole dress where the density of threads was 12 threads per centimetre you needed as much as 15 000 metres of finished thread; i.e. 30 kilometres of one-filament thread. The thread had to be tightly woven and very durable. The clothes were used all the way to the end -- the parts that were worn-out and broken were mended and patched. When the piece of clothing was totally worn-out, the good parts were used again. This might be a reason why the archeological findings are mostly church textiles. The looseness of the clothes was received by the using of gussets which were triangular inserts used to expand clothing. This way you could also save the valuable fabric. The colours were important to the contemporary people and by lifting the coating the colours of the underclothes and the lining could be shown. The working cloth of the country folk was a linen shirt. Long, dragging clothes were typical in the Middle Ages especially for the rich. Height was emphasised in clothes as well as in architecture. Buttons were first used in the 14th Century, however, they were more used in men's than in women's clothes. Armorial bearing shapes and mi-parti outfits (two different colour halves of clothing) were typical in the Middle Ages. What Did Women Wear? The quantity and quality of medieval woman's clothing depended mostly on status. Queens wore elaborate, exquisitely detailed gowns while peasants wore ill-fitting hand-me-downs. Noblewomen and the wives of wealthy merchants could afford more costly garments. A good example is Margherita Datini. A detailed list of Margherita's clothes from 1397 reveals what the average outfit would contain. The only undergarment consisted of a long dress, or shift. Since it had to be worn against the skin, this garment was usually made from a soft cotton or linen. This would be covered by a wool or fur petticoat during the winter months. Over the petticoat would be a long-sleeved gown. The surcoat covered the gown, but was sleeveless. The average wardrobe of the period contained very few gowns, but an assortment of surcoats made from various material. Margherita had a wide array to choose from; blue damask, taffeta, Oriental damask, and silk are only a few. Some of the surcoats had detachable sleeves, making the outfit versatile and adaptable to the seasons. Women also wore capes, cloaks, and shawls as wraps. They could be made from wool, fur, silk, or velvet. Some of these garments may have included hoods, but there were other types of headdresses. Margherita and other women wore wimples, which were cloths that covered the head, neck, and under the chin. The wimple was sometimes covered by a fur or cloth cap, or straw hat. Ladies wore shoes that were carved wooden bottoms with leather laces. Slippers might be made from silk, but were more often made of leather. The heel was shaped either from small blocks of wood, or from layers of leather. Other accessories included linen undersocks, long wool or silk hose, veils, purses, fans, and handkerchiefs. Lower classes of women had an extremely limited wardrobe. Most pieces were handed down through the family, or were the cast-offs from the lady of the manor. She may or may not have the linen undergarment, and the dress was usually made from as

Easy Way To Make Rainbow Fire

Easy Way To Make Rainbow Fire Its easy to turn an ordinary flame into a rainbow-colored flame. This flame was produced by burning ordinary gel fuel, which is sold for decorative clay fire pots. You can find the pots at just about any home store (e.g., Target, Home Depot, Wal-mart, Lowes). The gel burns at a fairly cool temperature, slowly enough that a small cup maintains a flame for hours. All you need to do to duplicate this effect is sprinkle boric acid onto the gel. You can find boric acid as a roach killer or disinfectant powder. Only a pinch of boric acid is needed. Eventually, the gel fuel will be consumed, leaving the boric acid behind. You dont need to add more chemical to the pot to maintain the color, but if you ever want to return to an ordinary flame youll need to rinse the boric acid away with water before the next use. How the Rainbow Effect Works Boric acid doesnt actually burn in the flame. Instead, the heat of combustion ionizes the salt, producing a characteristic green emission. The alcohol of the gel fuel burns blue, edging toward yellow and orange where the flame is cooler. When you put the alcohol-based flame together with the boric acid emission spectrum you get most of the colors of the rainbow. Other Colors Boric acid isnt the only salt that colors flames. You could experiment with copper salts (blue to green), strontium (red) or potassium salts (violet). Its best to use a single salt because mixing them together more often produces a yellow flame than a multicolored flame. This is because the brightest emission comes from sodium, which burns yellow and is an extremely common contaminant of many household chemicals.

Compare your mothers parenting style with your fathers Essay

Compare your mothers parenting style with your fathers - Essay Example When I am out of my home, I receive a call from her every half an hour in which she asks me where I am and what am I doing etc. Sometimes, it gets irritating because if I miss a call because of an uncharged battery or any other reason, she gets very upset until I attend her call. I know not many moms are that caring and protective about their children but mine is. One reason my mom is over-protective about me is perhaps that she tries to fill in the void created by dad’s lack of attention. My well-being, my health, my safety, and my happiness are her first priority, to ensure which, she generally maintains a bossy attitude. While my mom is on one extreme, my dad happens to be at the other end of the continuum. Dad has a permissive parenting style. Dad is very friendly but is always too immersed in work. He is a very successful businessman and to be that way, he has to spend a lot of time away from his family. I get to dine with dad only twice or thrice a week. Although he cannot give me a lot of time, yet I feel that deep inside, he remains concerned about my health, education, and well-being. When he is on holidays or on weekends, he takes us to some recreational spot to spend some quality time with the family. While my mom is always advising, dad lets me be the way I am or the way I like to be, probably to let me grow to my maximum capacity in the direction I like. He gives me money whenever I ask for it, and buys me anything I want anytime. My mom is bossy but my dad is very friendly. My mom has all the time to parent me but my dad has to fight real hard to find some time for me. My mom tries to buy me anything I need but my dad just gives me money to provide me with more freedom. Common things between dad and mom are that both are concerned about my education, health, well-being, and happiness. Probably if my dad gives me a little more attention and my mom gives me a little lesser attention, together their

Marketin Mix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Marketin Mix - Essay Example Referring to the process of evolving new products, it is closely associated with market development (Boone and Kurtz 2002). The concept of a product defines uniqueness nature and qualities of goods proposed to the market. Decisions in this area determine the products to be produced and stocked, as well as details concerning their appearance, form, size, package, quantities, timing of production, price lines, and anticipated market segments. Product combines the function of analyzing, classifying, and organizing information into commercially feasible new products, and the marketers function of assessing unsatisfied wants and needs and identifying profitable market opportunities. Usually this activity necessitates compromise among the engineering, production, marketing, and accounting departments. For instance, the high specifications stressed by engineering may push costs above market acceptance. Effective product development adopts a critical but positive posture. Management cannot be satisfied with current products, regardless of how good they are. Such an attitude and expression of expectations achieve an even better match of corporate offerings with consumer expectations (Lim and Rusetski 2006). The role of the sales force should be geared to company and marketing department objectives. The starting point of the sales program is company goals. Volume, profit, industry, territory, product, image, and rateof-return goals influence the direction and scope of sales activities. The practical range of sales alternatives for a company may vary from the companys own sales force, to the use of a variety of wholesalers including sales agents and manufacturers agents, to the elimination of salesmen by such techniques as mail order. Procedures for selecting salesmen vary from simple informal interviews to interviewing committees aided by batteries of psychological tests (Boone and Kurtz 2002). Price is accorded

The Opportunities and Challenges of Transforming Government Entities Literature review

The Opportunities and Challenges of Transforming Government Entities into Smart Organizations - Literature review Example The factor of sustainability is an essential component in these transformations to smart organizations as more focus is on the environment, social, financial and political sustainability. However, while undertaking an initiative to transform government entities into smart organizations there are diverse challenges which are observed that restricts the path to attain specific goals or to sustain service. These challenges are linked with various fields and are often the primary cause behind the failure of smart government initiatives. In this particular study, not only will the opportunities be highlighted which is associated with such transformation but it will even encompass the probable challenges that can be regarded as an area of concern for such government entities. Smart government initiative can be considered to be an agenda which is echoed by everybody in the present scenario due to various reasons. It is an initiative that is undertaken so as to apply information technology, communication and operation across a wide range of jurisdictions, processes, and domains, with only one purpose, that is to generate sustainable public value (Hevner & Chatterjee, 2010, pp. 27). The two factors which are common in any smart government initiative are flexibility and effectiveness. The success of any such initiative is major because of its alignment with mission, the effectiveness of service and operational efficiency which provides required flexibility in any particular situation. This study will outline the various approaches related to the smart government which is taking place in different countries along with Dubai. In the end, a conceptual model will be incorporated to determine the failure and success factors related to smart government. Further analysis conducted in this study will be based on the adopted conceptual framework.  

The Importance Of IHRM Management Essay

The Importance Of IHRM Management Essay Introduction Increasingly, companies are being wooed to expand into foreign lands and globalisation; a word so commonly hear nowadays till it seems to be a facet of modern business model. Some underlying reasons for companies to go global are technologies advancement, cost efficiency and trade specialisation. The above mentioned are just the tip of an iceberg as there are much more incentives which attract companies to globalize. However, as organisations reach outward for the market, many failed to recognise the importance of international human resource management (IHRM). Those organisations which hold little regard or no importance for IHRM often suffered setbacks and chain effect consequences. According to Stening et al (1997), while internationalisation of business has increased opportunities for organisations and staff, it has inevitability created a myriad of Human resource management (HRM) challenges related to multicultural workforce that is diverse. More then often, these challenges prove to be much complex and subtle in nature. In this essay, we will first look into the disparity between domestic and international HRM, the factors and elements that impetus the importance of IHRM and the knowledge and skill that are so relevant, yet scarce in our modern organisations structure. On top of that, we will be looking into the areas of problems and challenges that HR managers and the expatriates constantly faced. Disparity between Domestic and International HRM (IHRM) Many organisations often have a misconception when it comes to IHRM. They often think that they could simply applied domestic HRM policies overseas and attaining the same desire result back home. As a matter of fact, there is a vast difference between domestic HRM and IHRM, where the latter being much more complex and challenging. According to Stone(2008), domestic HRM is being defined as: HRM as practised within the geographical boundaries of one country. Its focus is the management of people in a single-country context While International HRM is being defined as: HRM as practised by multinational organisations. Its focus is the management of people in a multi-country context From Stones definitions, we can roughly tell the difference between domestic HRM and IHRM. Where domestic HRM is only practical in a single-country context, IHRM is applicable globally. Conceptualisation of International HRM policies Deriving from the basic of Human Resource Management (HRM), International HRM can be view as add on to the already existing HRM policies. Stone(2008), posed some valid questions with regard to developing international HRM policies. Some examples were: what kind of organisation are we looking at? Are we looking at a home country organisation, a multinational organisation or a truly global organisation? What are the organisations mission and vision? What is the organisation core business and how can the organisation be successful? And lastly, what type of culture is desired in the organisation. By answering Stone questions, HR managers can then conceptualise the basic foundation of the organisation, so as to set and streamline their HR policies to the organisation objectives. With that, we will be able to ensure that the organisation and their people are moving in the same direction. Challenges faced by International HRM Practising HRM in a different environment, culture and ethics background is sure challenging. Nevertheless, if IHRM is being executed appropriately, the reward reaped will contribute to the organisations growth indirectly. Some typical challenges that the HR managers faced are cross-cultural issues; training and development, remuneration package, performance appraisal and international staffing process. To fulfil these challenges, it is imperative that the HR managers are sensitive to the people and adaptable to the environment while their organisation establishes foothold globally. Cross-cultural issues Cross-cultural issues can turn disastrous if the HR managers are ignorant or refuse to spend efforts to understand the situations. Often so, this is the starting point where most misunderstanding and problems spawn. We will examine the few aspect of cross-cultural issues namely: communications, ethics and management style. Cross-cultural communications According to Stone(2008), cross-cultural communications occur when a person from one culture communicates with a person from another culture. Simple gestures, facial expressions and words can turn out to be very different in meaning, depending on the individual culture and priority they have for what and how things are being said or written. Stone went on further to break cross-cultural communications into two parts, high-context cultures and low-context cultures. Quoting from Stone(2008), high-context cultures can be defined as: Cultures where non-verbal communications (such as body language and gestures) and indirect language are use to transfer meaning And low-context cultures are being defined as: Cultures where verbal communications are explicit and direct. What is said is what is meant. High-context cultures can be commonly found in Asia countries where great importance is being placed in personal relationship like family relationship and friendships. It is crucial for HR managers to interpret the true meaning of what is being said over what the other party actually mean. Failure to do so will lead to unnecessary misunderstanding and confusion. Low-context cultures on the other hand are straight forward and simple. This culture is most prevalence in the western country where YES mean yes and NO simply mean no. HR managers should not beat around the bush when handling such situations. A direct and concise approach will lead to the progression of the matters on hand. Ethics Ethics can be explained as the ability to differentiate between right and wrong. It is a moral value instilled in one since young, and changes constantly due to environmental, religion influences and education level. What may seem right to you may be a big taboo to the others. As there are many grey areas where ethics is concern, extra sensitivity should always be bear in mind. This is especially so in situations where organisation do business in places where bribery and corruption are the key to business success or should organisation exploits the workers to their advantage when there is no worker union remains unanswered. HR managers should always refer back to the organisation values and direction so as to align their own judgment and ethics to the best of the organisation. Management style Management style can be greatly influence by the culture and the organisation structure. For example in Singapore Arm Forces (SAF), a military organisation; the management style has to be a top-down approach. When the commander has given a specific instruction, the rest will follow with no question asked and this management style is extremely critical especially during war time. Interestingly, this top-down approach or autocratic style is very common in Asia, mainly due to the respect and trust a subordinate has for their superiors, a clear display of cultural influence. Another management style which is a contrast to the top-down approach is the paternalistic style. This particular management style allows subordinates and their superiors to be on equal ground, allowing decision making to be distributed equally. This kind of management thrives in sectors where collative ideas are imperative to the success of the organisation. A good example will be the engineering or research sectors where there might be chances of a better idea coming from the subordinates instead. This kind of management style is widely practice in the western countries like United States, where children are taught to ask questions whenever they dont understand. Whichever management style to be apply will have to depend on the host country and their cultural background as well as the organisation core business. HR managers will have to be open minded and flexible as there is no one medicine that cure all illness. Training and development Training and development in foreign country can be a tricky issue. According to Stone(2008), diversity of the workforce, language and cultural differences will influence how the training and development program be structured. A very good example will be the language of the program to be conducted, should English or the host-country language be used? Are there any taboo topics which should be avoided? Which type of leaning style will attain the most desired result, instructional or facilitative style? These are the few areas of concerns that HR managers will tend to encounter frequently. As a general rule of thumb, new and innovative training and development can be good, but at the same time it should not deviate too much from the cultural norms. So as to ensure that the best end result can be achieve while not creating confusion and difficulties for the participants. Remuneration package National culture is an important consideration in strategic remuneration (Stone, 2008) Remuneration package will varies in different part of the world, depending heavily on the cultural environment of the host country. In places where seniority is valued, the remuneration style will be based on the rank and the number of years in service to the companies. Such remuneration style is prevalent in Asia countries and in organisation that adopt the hierarchy concept. A stark difference to this will be the meritocracy concept of remuneration package, where remuneration will be based on the individual achievement and contribution to the organisation. This style of remuneration is widely practice in the western country and in organisation where achievement and contribution can be quantified. Adopting the right remuneration package will not only spur employees to give their best but more importantly, it can retain the talents and boost the organisations reputation. Performance Appraisal Conventionally, performance appraisal was considered as a knotty problem in the HR function and internationalisation of organisation simply complicate this function further. Different cultures will have different appreciation for performance and it is virtually impossible to set a standard for performance. For example, to get a good performance appraisal in China, one will need to have good personal relationship with their superiors. (Lu et al, 1998) Knowing strong and influential people will also ensure a smooth work life. But this might not be the case in organisation where good performance simply mean high sales figure or other factors which can be quantified. Performance appraisal for expatriate is much more elaborated. The scarcity of resources available( eg. Poor infrastructure and communication) and the expatriate soft skill( eg. Adaptability and resourcefulness) must also be taken into account when doing their performance appraisal so as to establish a system of fairness to the expatriate. A reliable method to ensure that a professional and unbiased performance appraisal is being carried out is to have a set of guiding questions. These questions will act as a guide as to how a performance appraisal should be done. Stone(2008), listed a few questions which is fundamental to performance appraisal. Questions akin to definition of performance; what is the performance criteria; will the same criteria be use across all level of in the organisation and will the performance appraisal be assessed on a group or individual basis. International staffing process International staffing can also be term as international recruitment process. Organisations typically have three options of candidates namely the home country nationals, host country nationals and third country nationals. The home country nationals are the natural choice when it comes to international staffing as they are much well versed in the organisation goals, objectives and culture. Expatriate are constantly employed in global organisations. But what are the problems faced when employing expatriate? We can broadly classify the problems into expatriate selection and expatriate failure. Expatriate selection process Expatriate selection can be very complex in nature. Expatriate are constantly being expose to a spectrum of social and personal problems examples language barrier, culture differences and physical environment. If these are unanswered, it will ultimately lead to the failure of the expatriate. Organisation often perceive that a high flyer back home will do equally well in a foreign country, therefore emphasis is always on the expatriates work experience and capability rather than focusing on the expatriate ability to blend into the new environment. Stone (2008) did a survey from different HR managers all over the world. Stones survey was to determine the essential selection criteria on expatriate. Stones study revealed that different countries HR managers have different emphasis on the selection criteria, Stone went on further to suggested that this may be due to the different cultural values which the HR managers held. Stone concluded a list of desired selection criteria for expatriate and here are some of the criteria: effective communication; listening skill; stress tolerance; empathy; flexibility in dealing with foreign cultures; political skill and previous international experience. Expatriate failure Expatriate often fail due to their partner and their inability to adapt. (Stone, 2008) Adaptability seems to be the determinant factor for expatriate to make or break. Other factors include sub-standard performance, poor healthcare, safety implication and unattractive remuneration. (Insch et al, 2002) Such situations can be reduced if organisations have some pre-departure programs for their expatriates and families. Programs like cross cultural orientation where expatriate will gain knowledge of the cultural aspect of the host country so as to avoid cultural shock. Allowing the expatriates and their families to stay in the host country for about a month will enable the expatriates to adapt to the physical environment and slowly immense themselves into the countrys culture. To add on, providing a factual job scope and environment description to the expatriates will have them prepared mentally. All these will give the expatriates an expectation of the host country and avoid any unnecessary shock. Conclusion With the increasing of globalisation, international human resource management (IHRM) plays an important role in achieving the organisations goals. Organisations which recognise the importance of IHRM will definitely benefit than those who do not. They will be more ready to move their operations into another country and effectively manage their employees to achieve smooth operations of the organisations. As a HR manager, one has to be very sensitive and flexible to the cultural aspects. Besides that, having a good knowledge and positive attitude towards the host country will make the HR managers job less tedious. Organisations which rely heavily on expatriate must know the expatriate selection criteria well so as to send the best candidate out and reduce the chances of an expatriate failure. Comprehensive expatriate program must also be implemented in order to assist and prepare the expatriates for their long and scabrous journey. By preparing the expatriates adequately in terms of both physically and mentally will ensure that a pleasant job experience for the expatriate while maximising the expatriate capability and contributions to the organisation.

Chillingworth is the Greatest Sinner in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarl

Chillingworth is the Greatest Sinner in The Scarlet Letter The world of Puritan New England, like the world of today, was filled with many evil influences. Many people were able to withstand temptation, but some fell victim to the dark side. Such offences against God, in thought, word, deed, desire or neglect, are what we define as sin (Gerber 14). Â   In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, the reader is able to observe how one sin devastates three lives. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth are all guilty of succumbing to temptation, anger, and desire, causing all to fit the definition of a sinner. Yet, Chillingworth's iniquities raise him up above Hester and Dimmesdale on the level of diabolic acts. Â   From the very moment Chillingworth is introduced, he is deceitful towards the Puritan society. Chillingworth appears in the novel, seeming to know nothing of the scene at the scaffold. He asks of a townsperson: "...who is this woman? - and wherefore is she here to set up to public shame?" (Hawhtorne 67). Yet, we find in the next chapter that he indeed knows who Hester is, because Chillingworth is the lawful husband of her. He decieves the people of Boston to avoid the humiliation his wife brought upon him. In this respect, Chillingworth sins against the eight commandment, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour" (Gerber 26). Â   Now, one could state that Hester also sins against the eighth commandment. She never reveals the name of her daughter's father. And it is stated that one must always tell the truth. Yet, it also states that one must keep a secret whenever asked to do so, and not say anything to damage another's reputation (Gerber 27). So Hester, in fact, did not sin. She n... ...rth's crimes against the Lord are more malevolent than those committed by Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale. Chillingworth's quest for revenge and truth leads him down a path of sin, and in the Puritan perspective, down the path to Hell. Â   Â   Works Cited and Consulted: Â   Baym, Nina. Introduction. The Scarlet Letter. By Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York City: Penguin Books USA, Inc. 1986. Â   Gerber, John C. "Form and Content in The Scarlet Letter." The Scarlet Letter: A Norton Critical Edition. Eds. Seymour Gross, Sculley Bradley, Richmond Croom Beatty, and E. Hudson Long. New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1988. Â   Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Boston: Ticknor, 1850. 3 Nov. 1999 Â   Smiles, Samuel. ""The Scarlet Letter."" The Critical Temper. Ed. Martin Tucker. New York City: Frederick Ungar Publishing Company, 1962. 266. Â   Chillingworth is the Greatest Sinner in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarl Chillingworth is the Greatest Sinner in The Scarlet Letter The world of Puritan New England, like the world of today, was filled with many evil influences. Many people were able to withstand temptation, but some fell victim to the dark side. Such offences against God, in thought, word, deed, desire or neglect, are what we define as sin (Gerber 14). Â   In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, the reader is able to observe how one sin devastates three lives. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth are all guilty of succumbing to temptation, anger, and desire, causing all to fit the definition of a sinner. Yet, Chillingworth's iniquities raise him up above Hester and Dimmesdale on the level of diabolic acts. Â   From the very moment Chillingworth is introduced, he is deceitful towards the Puritan society. Chillingworth appears in the novel, seeming to know nothing of the scene at the scaffold. He asks of a townsperson: "...who is this woman? - and wherefore is she here to set up to public shame?" (Hawhtorne 67). Yet, we find in the next chapter that he indeed knows who Hester is, because Chillingworth is the lawful husband of her. He decieves the people of Boston to avoid the humiliation his wife brought upon him. In this respect, Chillingworth sins against the eight commandment, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour" (Gerber 26). Â   Now, one could state that Hester also sins against the eighth commandment. She never reveals the name of her daughter's father. And it is stated that one must always tell the truth. Yet, it also states that one must keep a secret whenever asked to do so, and not say anything to damage another's reputation (Gerber 27). So Hester, in fact, did not sin. She n... ...rth's crimes against the Lord are more malevolent than those committed by Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale. Chillingworth's quest for revenge and truth leads him down a path of sin, and in the Puritan perspective, down the path to Hell. Â   Â   Works Cited and Consulted: Â   Baym, Nina. Introduction. The Scarlet Letter. By Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York City: Penguin Books USA, Inc. 1986. Â   Gerber, John C. "Form and Content in The Scarlet Letter." The Scarlet Letter: A Norton Critical Edition. Eds. Seymour Gross, Sculley Bradley, Richmond Croom Beatty, and E. Hudson Long. New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1988. Â   Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Boston: Ticknor, 1850. 3 Nov. 1999 Â   Smiles, Samuel. ""The Scarlet Letter."" The Critical Temper. Ed. Martin Tucker. New York City: Frederick Ungar Publishing Company, 1962. 266. Â  

The function of setting in the presentation of Jane Austen’s main concerns in Emma

In Jane Austen's novel Emma, the function of setting is to demonstrate life as it would be in Highbury around the same time as Austen was writing the book (around 1815). The setting mostly refers to the period the is set in story as well as the place, which of course also bears much relevance. However, Jane Austen's main concern in the book was to convey social convention, an aspect of life which would have a major affect on the characters in the story as it did Jane herself, in context to the period it is set. Also the themes of marriage and wealth also tie in with social status in the book as it would be of importance in the early 18th century that it is set in. The character that to help all these themes together as well as Emma herself is Harriet. Not only is the power of status shown by Emma's control over Harriet,( not even by force but Harriet's freewill, as she admires and aspires to Emma)but she also takes the theme of marriage with Emma's mischievous behaviour as she tries to match make Harriet to suitors of seemingly higher class. Harriet also ties in with the education being a parlour boarder at Mrs Goddard's school. We are able to see a glimpse of what education is like as Jane Austen bring s in her description of Mrs Goddard the mistress of a school â€Å"not of seminary, or an establishment†¦but, a real, honest, old-fashioned boarding school†¦where girls may be sent out the way and scramble themselves in to a little education, without any danger of bringing back prodigies† We are shown the kind of education girls would have received at the time, a middle class education. Jane evokes a warm sense to the ides of school though the last line is a little shocking it brings in the real world, a world where contraception were not available and pre-marital sex was still a shameful act in the eyes of society. The â€Å"scramble† for education also shows the type of education the girls may receive. Not a full education but whatever the girls could grasp. In this way we can already see the kin d of education that society of the period were growing up with. However for Emma, a member of higher class this was different, as it is shown, she was educated by Miss Taylor as would all member s of upper class be tutored at home. Through out the novel there are marriage agreements and suitors made and discussions between characters of â€Å"equal marriage† this refers to marrying a person in the story of equal wealth and status. By the end of the novel it seems all characters seem to have found their equal in marriage, with Emma it is the gentlemanly Mr Knightly who if not just equal in status is equal by intellect as is evident through their many long conversations they hold, conversations on a level we never see Emma talk to Harriet with. Harriet also marries Mr Martin who after all turns out to be the right match for her. Though it would seem the message from the writer is that one should marry within ones own status, it is interesting to acknowledge the marriage at the beginning of the book. Miss Taylor, Emma's nanny therefore middle class, marries Mr Weston, of upper class, and there seems to be no evidence of criticism from the writer or characters of their marriage. In fact there are so many occ asions in the book where the couple are described well together and perfectly married it seems they are almost a role model to other married couples at the time. However though there is a happy ending, Jane Austen uses Emma, with her mischief and interfering nature to demonstrate the importance of social class and equal marriage within society at the time. As she takes Harriet and manipulates her feelings towards Mr Elton, the occurrences only reveal the nature of class to us. When Mr Elton realises Harriet has affection for him he is disgusted at the thought of it, even wise Mr Knightly comments on Mr Elton's views as Mr Elton said he would marry richly. This is revealed even further when he turns his attentions on Emma, the richest female in the story. His desire for Emma or rather Emma's money in turn disgusts her, and the feeling is evident and her â€Å"astonishment† shows how unequal she feels her self to him and how superior. An unequal marriage seems the most shocking of all things in the story, as it would in context. However after being rejected Harriet only turns her attentions higher to Mr Knightly, the richest man in Highbury; however the reader does not feel this is arrogance on the part of Miss Smith, believing that he may requite her feelings but the fault of Emma who builds up Harriet's vanity through the book. The importance of marrying for money seems far more important than marrying for love and it is only then when the idea of marrying for love enters Emma' head. The only reason it seems Mr Knightly could marry Harriet would be for love, for Harriet has nothing of possession to offer. Though this idea is introduced, marrying for love, two central characters Emma and Harriet marry into equal relationships, and though they do love their partners, it is the equality that is expressed so importantly. It is simply that Jane Austen has idealised their relationships with their love for their partners and equality both being present to the characters. The marriages contrast to the marriage of Mr Elton and Mrs Elton, as is commented by a character that in marry Mrs Elton, Mr Elton received twenty thousand pounds, an equal marriage but not one for affection to each other. In the novel Jane Austen only shows their judgemental characteristics and superficial attitudes, perhaps the example of a bad marriage, though equal in status? Though the term setting in fiction also applies to period, an important factor in this book the setting, in referral to place is also important. Highbury is a rural environment almost cut off from the world. This small town helps us understand the narrow mindedness of some characters, and also the reason of so little action. The central action to the story is conversation, the lack of action means that to keep the reader entertained Jane Austen had create something else to keep the readers interest. Through such detailed language and description we receive such vivid characters and receive a lot information from their speech and others speech about them. This also ties in with the period as presentation of a person would be very important and so what you say was also important, this is reproduced in Emma, as everything each character says reveals something about them. Also by setting the story in a remote rural area there can be more attention to new characters that enter the life of Emma. The conversation and excitement created by the awaited arrival of Frank Churchill creates a lot of excitement between characters in the book as it is not often visitors would come. Importance is added on this figure as he is a bachelor of Emma's age and so expectations of the reader and other characters are raised. Therefore in the setting of Emma, Jane Austen's main concern with period was to show the social convention of the time, the way it affected marriage and also the importance of marriage in the context of the story. Jane uses Emma and Emma's treatement and views of other characters to show the three main themes of money, status, and marriage within the 18th century period it was set.

Rethinking Special Education Due Process Essay

Rethinking Special Education Due Process Introduction   Summary of the proposal Rethinking the Special Education Due Process System is the first repot in AASA’s proposal. The report proposal objective is to address issues linked to the current statute on top of the projected developments. The proposal aims at sparking a sophisticated critical analysis about necessary changes that should be made to the special education dispute resolution system. The report project that changes to the new current special education system could significantly cut down several costs that are associated with the system. These are costly litigation that does not inevitably ensure significant educational gains for special education students. In addition AASA’s proposal safeguards the right for guardians to progress with proceedings against district and uphold other valuable disagreement resolution plans that are implemented in previous re-authorizations. This paper seeks to examine the probable effects of the proposal on the structure and function of IDEA (Retrieved from http://www.aasa.org).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   AASA feel that this is the appropriate time to reconsider how districts and parents decide upon disagreements over a student’s (IEP) individualized education program. The following are the recommendations that advocates and members of congress should rethink and discuss as indicated in the AASA proposal. AASA proposed addition of IEP to the list of options that a district might apply to solve disagreements with parents with a lawful IEP facilitator. The proposal uphold that mediation remain available to both parties for resolving IDEA disagreements only if IEP facilitation fail.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The proposal also propose that if the mediation failed, the parents and district can choose an independent special education consultant authorized by the state to review evidence of the child’s disability and advise the parties on how to develop an appropriate IEP. The proposal also holds that the consultant body chosen is given 21 days to carry out its duties effectively. Lastly, any party can file a lawsuit incase it is not satisfied with the consultant IEP ruling where model IEP would be considered as part of the record in any litigation. History of special education law   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1970, there were 20% of all U.S. students with disabilities in the public schools. The number had increased to 95% in 2010. This is a significant contribution from civil and education rights advocates who ensure that students with disabilities are enrolled in every school in the country. Federal education law was passed three decades ago where there was radical restructuring in America’s classrooms, though the increase in number of students educated in public schools were propelled by federal courts. The court declared that the constitution guaranteed disabled students right of being educated in public schools. Mills v. Board of Education and Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are examples of judicial rulings that supported the enrollment of students with disabilities in public schools (Retrieved from http://www.aasa.org).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1975, Congress, under sturdy demands from disability rights educators, advocates, and parents, passed the (EAHCA) Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The statute warranted an additional set of rights to kids categorized as handicapped. Parents were permitted to ask for special education evaluation for their child and retract approval or approval to special education. Parents were also permitted to ask for autonomous education appraisal at public expense, if they disputed with the school district’s exceptional education evaluation (Retrieved from http://www.aasa.org).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Today the due process requirements in the EAHCA are known as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, are similar to the provisions structured by the court in PARC. There are various reasons for raising questions regarding the present due process structure. The current special education is faced with a lot of disputes regarding the special education services. The districts are inconsistent with IDEA provisions and also the special education being provided is not appropriate to the disabled children (Retrieved from http://www.aasa.org). Negative and positive impacts of eliminating due process hearings on the current structure of IDEA.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cost is a critical factor which should be considered when determining whether to avoid a complaint or due process hearing. Eliminating the due process hearing will significantly cut down the cost of parent’s requests. The districts were willing to comply provided that the cost of the parent’s requests was lower. Survey revealed that more than 80% of school management considered costs when determining whether to comply with the parent’s request.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Emotional burden is another factor that school administrators take into account before they consider engaging in the due process hearing. Eliminating the due process off hearing will reduce the stress experienced by special education management, other linked services professionals and special education teachers. Research findings reveal that more 95% of the respondents categorized the stress as high or extremely high. Eliminating the due hearing will help to reduce the rapidly increasing stress of special educators. The researchers found that process hearing was likely to add to the hastily increasing stress of special educators. In deed, few superintendents linked the shortage of special-education-related service administrators, teachers and professionals to the stress associated with the risk of a due process hearing (Gersten & Dimino, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The positive impact of eliminating the due process of hearing is that it will reduce the cost related to the hearing process. The parent’s requests might be costly such that they incur unreasonable cost to the system. These are some of the aspects that should be eliminated from the current composition of IDEA. The other positive effect of eliminating the due hearing from the existing structure of IDEA is that they will cut down the stress linked to the due process of hearing. This might increase the number of special education teachers, professionals and administrators. Research findings revealed that more than 50% of special schools administrators requested transfers from district special education after being involved in subsequent litigation or a due process of hearing (Giangreco, 2010). Alternatives that special education leader might consider.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is an increasing trend of misuse of teacher assistants in most special education systems. The special education leaders might consider developing advanced plans of general and special service delivery in schools to address the issues linked to the questionable teacher assistant utilization. Teacher assistants are not used prudently in general special education classrooms thus as a special education leader it is vital to consider of an appropriate way of utilizing the teacher assistants to meet the need of the students. Teacher assistants are inadequately trained to instruct students with disabilities (Giangreco, 2010).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Resource reallocation is another alternative whereby there should be trade off between teacher assistants and additional special education teachers. Co-teaching is another alternative a special education leader might consider. Co-teaching is a system whereby a teacher and special educator work in the same classroom. Building the capacity of teachers is another alternative which will help to cut down overdependence on teacher assistants. The special education leader might consider employment of dual certified teachers who are certified in special and general education offers improved personnel aptitude for all students.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A peer support is another alternative that a special education leader might consider. Peer support strategies will provide a natural way of helping students with disabilities. The special education leader can also consider teaching self-determination skills as an alternative. Teaching self-determination will help students with disabilities to determine personal supports. The other alternative is improving working conditions for special educators and classroom teachers. The special education leader might explore the changes that are necessary to ensure there is an improvement in working conditions for teachers. In addition the special education leader might consider fading plans. If the students with disability get adequate help from the teacher assistants, a fading plan can be developed which will lead to greater student autonomous and extended innate supports (Giangreco, 2013). References Gersten, R., & Dimino, J. A. (2006). RTI (Response To Intervention): Rethinking Special Education For Students With Reading Difficulties (Yet Again). Reading Research Quarterly, 41(1), 99-108. Giangreco, M. F. (2010). Utilization of teacher assistants in inclusive schools: is it the kind of help that helping is all about? European Journal of Special Needs Education, 25(4), 341-345. Giangreco, M. F. (2013). Teacher Assistant Supports in Inclusive Schools: Research, Practices and Alternatives. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 37(02), 93-106. Rethinking Special Education Due Process. (n.d.). www.aasa.org. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http://www.aasa.org/uploadedFiles/Policy_and_Advocacy/Public_Policy_Resources/Special_Education/AASARethinkingSpecialEdDueProcess.pdf Source document

Robert Moses essays

Robert Moses essays I had no idea that Robert Moses had so much influence on so many people, and was surprised to find out that he is not as well known, as he should be. I asked ten people at my job and out of the ten only one person knew who Robert Moses was. The person that did know about him said that they heard of Robert Moses Park but didnt know any of his other accomplishments. After that short tally I didnt feel that bad not knowing who he was. Another thing that surprised me was when I was talking to one of my friends about this paper, he actually knew who Robert Moses was without me telling him. He then confessed that the only reason he knew about him was because he works on bridges. Honestly I think he wouldnt have know who he was if he wasnt working on bridges. Even though Robert Moses has a direct affect on a lot of people in New York City he really hasnt had that great of an impact on mine. The reasons I will go into, a little later on in the paper. So who really is Robert Moses? He is known to many as a masterbuilder and the power broker, which are two great terms to define a person such as himself. He is responsible for what New York City is today and with out his contributions New York City wouldnt be the same. Lets imagine no bridges in New York City, no parks, no beaches or no housing authorities it would be extremely hard to get by in New York City. Having to use main streets to travel around New York City would be a serious problem and would take forever. How would we get from one borough to another? If it werent for some of Robert Moses roadways that wouldnt be possible. Robert Moses is responsible for the Long Island Expressway, better yet know to everyone as the LIE. Which is the way many people suburbs get to work in New York City, one of them is my aunt. Other creations of Mr. Moses are the Meadowbrook State Parkway and the Wantagh State Parkway, which are known to almost all...

The Beatles Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Beatles Story - Essay Example The group gained more popularity in Britain in the 1960s due to their creativity. â€Å"Love Me Do,† which was their first single, became a hit in 1962 (The Beatles, 2000, p. 75). The group started gaining popularity internationally in 1964, when they ventured into the American music market. The year 1964 was their biggest year that saw them conquer America – the biggest record market. This is the year that America was mourning the death of President John F. Kennedy and the group appeared on the scene to end the mourning and to bring Americans excitement and fun (Everett, 1999, p. 44). After 1964, the group had become international stars and they made extensive tour across the world performing commercial concerts. Their most notable influential albums include Abbey Road, The Beatles, and Revolver. The Beatles eventually broke up in 1970 and each member successfully pursued their individual musical careers (The Beatles, 2000, p. 108). As far as their style of music was concerned, the group mainly focused on the rock and roll genre of music. According to Barrow (2005, p. 156), the Beatles revolutionized the style, attitude and sound of popular music, as well as enhanced the popularity of rock and roll music in Britain and the world at large. Even though their first style was based on classical rock and roll genre, the group expanded the genre’s stylistic frontiers in the 1960s. The group utilized other genres and often encompassed them in rock and roll genre. The variety of genres that they incorporated includes psychedelic, baroque pop, and folk-rock among others. It is important to note that the members had diverse approaches to their musical composition, which further enhanced the quality of their music, and this made them a favourite of music fans across the world (Womack, 2007, p. 79). Apparently, as Womack (2007)

Managing for Creativity and Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

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