Dark Tourism

1. 0 Introduction 1. 1 Key Objectives The aim of the report is to study dark tourism and discuss what are the issues generated by the evolution of this phenomenon. 1. 2 Scope The report includes a definition of dark tourism, the history, a description of its target markets with its marketing implications, the push and pull factors and the various impacts caused and the challenges faced. Lastly, conclusions will be drawn. 2. 0 Main Discussions 2. 1 Definition Dark tourism is demarcated as encompassing the visitation to any site allied with death, disaster and tragedy for commemoration, education or entertainment (Webber, 2007). . 2 History Dark tourism is not considered a new phenomenon as it can be referred back to the twelfth century (McCormick, 2004). As far as the Dark ages, pilgrims have started travelling to tombs. The increase in media has allowed events to be reported and repeated. With the increased improvements in technology, tourists and people can have an insight and be in troduced to dark tourism (Stone, 2006). 2. 3 Types of Dark Tourism Dark tourism is the act of travel and visitation to the sites, attractions and exhibitions which have real or recreated death, suffering or disaster in general. Many tourists have flocked to experience sites of past terror that offer grim and disturbing tragedies. However, dark tourism has become so broad that there are many sub-classifications to categorize it. 2. 4 Trends of Dark Tourism The main reason for visiting dark sites is because of the tourists' interest in the elements to witness executions and learn about the death of famous people and others, the demise and fall of empires, torment and suffering of sites from wars or gruesome murders. Tourists also visit the sites sometimes to feel the power of faith, with the inspiration that they can get hope from these deaths (Tarlow, 2005). 2. 5 Push and Pull Factors 2. 5. 1 Push Factors Some tourists prefer more daring, exciting and adventure while others with self development needs may look forward to learning about history behind the events that has happened, widening and exploring more parts of the world. Curiosity and novelty has enticed many tourists to visit dark sites. Also, some tourists travel to these sites to commemorate their family members. . 5. 2 Pull Factors Sites with historical and grim events such as the United States of America where the Pearl Harbor took place have enticed many visits from the tourists. The media has played a role in promoting the sites to the public. Movies were based on sites such the Cullen house in the movie Twilight has an upsurge in tourist visitation. 2. 6 Market Segments Four tourist classifications were identified and are as follo ws; the organized mass tourist, the individual mass tourist, the explorer and the drifter (Cohen, 2004). The generic and niche markets are two distinct types of tourists are who visit dark tourism sites. The niche market segments usually have a particular interest in exploring the conflict and are mostly young people who are individual travellers, part of a university group with an education interest and tourists with a need for self-development (Pearce, 2005). 2. 7 Marketing Implications Dark tourism sites’ marketing managers need to understand the nature of the dark tourism product and not promote dark tourism wrongly having reflective implications for society at large (Stone, 2005). Many tourists visiting dark sites have education as their key motivator. These sites can focus on its teaching aspects such as offering and promoting additional services such as lectures, seminars, or workshops can enhance the tourist’s experience on site. These sites can also de-market themselves to make it unattractive to cut down on the damage caused to the site. 2. 8 Impacts of Dark Tourism 2. 8. 1 Economic Impact Tourism can help bring in revenue to improve a country's economic growth through employment and opportunities (Simpson, Gossling, Scott, Hall, & Gladin, 2008). With the influx of tourists coming from around the world, tourist receipts will grow and directly contributes to the economies of many destinations. 2. 8. 2 Environmental Impact Environmental degradation is caused by different pollutions of air, water, noise and land. Solid waste and litters that tourist dispose has contributed largely to the global environment problem. The carbon emissions of air crafts and carbon footprints of tourists have also increased air and land pollution (Yale, 2004). The zoning of dark tourism sites can help curb problems of over development. However, it also means a sacrifice of an area for the entire site. 2. 8. 3 Socio-Cultural Impact The sustainability of tourists going to dark tourism sites have become an issue. Because commercialization erodes historical value, it is difficult to sustain the sites and maintain the memory from the past. Also, with tourists bringing their own culture into destinations and site, culture management becomes another impact. Tourist should have an obligation to observe codes of behavior and be aware of cultural norms in the destination they are visiting (Howie, 2003). 2. 9 Challenges No doubt many opportunities for the local communities will be created and this allows locals to have an improved life. Many locals can take this opportunity to show their handicrafts. However, these products will be commercialized and loses it authenticity after a period of time. Another challenge identified is that of the long-term damage caused by visitors. Inevitably the high number of visitors received by sites will have an impact in the long term. Therefore it is important to impose a visitor number management to control visitor arrivals to the sites (Yale, 2004). 3. 0 Conclusion Dark tourism has been defined as those visits to any sites associated with death, disaster and tragedy. It has been noted of the various factors why people decide to visit these particular sites. Because dark tourism is an umbrella for various kinds of tourism, there are issues involved and many ways to decrease the impacts caused. Dark tourism sites are highly susceptible to damage and the demand for dark tourism should be controlled via de-marketing tools. However, the issue of de-marketing to improve or lessen the tourist’s arrivals as such can still be debatable. 4. 0 References Cohen, E. (2004). Contemporary tourism: Diversity and change. Boston: Elsevier. Howie, F. (2003) Managing the Tourist Destination, London: Continuum Lennon, J. and Foley, M. (2004) Dark Tourism, London: Thomson McCormick, M. (2004) Ground Zero and the phenomena of dark tourism, Available from: http://www. pilotguides. com/destination_guide/north_america/new_york/ground_zero. php Pearce, P. L. (2005). Tourist behaviour: Themes and conceptual schemes. Clevedon: Channel View Publications. Stone, P. R. (2005) Dark Tourism – an old concept in a new world Tourism – Journal of the Tourism Society, The Tourism Society, Quarter IV, Issue 125, . 20 Stone, P. R. (2006) A dark tourism spectrum: Towards a typology of death and macabre related tourist sites, attractions and exhibitions TOURISM: An Interdisciplinary International Journal, Vol 54(2) p145-160. Tarlow P E (2005) ‘Dark Tourism – the appealing â€Å"dark† side of tourism and more’, in M Novelli (ed) Niche Tourism, Contemporary Issues Trends and Cases. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, p47-58. Webber, S. (2007, January 1). Dark Tourism. Retrieved on January 4, 2011, from City Paper: http://www. citypaper. ee/dark_tourism/ Yale, P. (2004) From Tourist Attractions to Heritage Tourism, 3rd ed. , Elm

Organization of the study Essay

The study will be organized into four chapters in accordance with the Action Research, as table 1 displays. TABLE 1 Organization of the study based on action research Action Research Steps Chapters 1 2 3 4 Planning/Conceptualization X Fact Finding X X X Evaluation X Chapter 1 has stated the problem and purpose, explained the importance of the study, and stated the method. Chapter 2 will survey the literature to identify and report behaviors required to effectively analyze the characteristics of the church leaders, church members and surrounding neighborhood. Chapter 3 will report the validated behaviors for the role of the church. Chapter 4 will review and summarized the study, offer appropriate conclusion and discuss recommendations for change and future study. A review of literature available regarding the Black church and the involvement of the church in the community reveals a pattern of strong involvement of the church in the community. African presence in the Bible shows a clear participation in the early Church as well as a respect for African involvement. The early history of the church, as well as its mid-20th century involvement in the civil rights movement, sets a precedent for community involvement in secular matters for the church of today. Modern involvement of the Black church in secular life and the wider community touches all aspects of secular life, including physical and mental health of its parishioners, youth advocacy and youth programs, economic development, community volunteering, and literacy. Additionally, more traditional areas of pastoral involvement, such as bereavement counseling, may have some overlap with secular counseling due to increasing involvement in secular mental health providers in life events previously handled in a primarily pastoral manner. BIBLICAL CONTEXT Blacks have a strong presence in the Bible, and there is no evidence of the modern idea of racial inferiority to other peoples in the writings. Both Old Testament and New Testament writings refer to Africans who were highly placed, and do not show any evidence of the discrimination or enslavement African Americans have faced. â€Å"When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt† (Hosea 11:1) The Queen of Sheba was a notable Biblical African; she was treated as an equal and given full honors as a head of state. â€Å"And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him all that was in her heart† (1 Kings 10:2) The genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew lists several African women – â€Å"And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;† (Matthew 1:5) – Rachab and Ruth were African women, as was Thamar. The gathering of Jews at Pentacost related in Acts included those of African origin. â€Å"Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of ibya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. † (Acts 2:9-2:11). Two of the teachers at Antioch were also African – â€Å"Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brough up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul† (Acts 13:1). Of these teachers, Simeon (called Niger, Latin for â€Å"the black†) and Lucius of Cyrene were African. The wealth of African presence and importance in the Bible makes it clear that the African American church has a strong Biblical precedent. HISTORICAL CONTEXT The African church was active and important in the history of the early church. The Synod of Hippo, held in 393 in Hippo Regius (corresponding to northern Algeria) was instrumental in forming Christianity as we know it today; that is where the first canon of the New Testament was approved. Several other synods were also held in Hippo Regius, as well as councils in Carthage and Alexandria (Hendrickson, 2002, 320). Egypt and Algeria were centers of Christian worship. Major historical events in Christianity, including the Reformation, spread Christianity further into Africa. When Africans were captured and sent to the New World as slaves, they brought with them a melange of religious practice, including Christianity, native religions and others. The black church in America was established during the 1700s, during which time many African Americans were still suffering under the yoke of slavery. The first uniquely black church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, was established by Richard Allen in 1816; membership in the new denomination exploded, reaching almost 6,000 members by 1820 and spreading to the south and west quickly (Simms, 2000, 101). The Black Methodist church immediately took on the characteristic role of the black church, fighting oppression and slavery, providing loans and business advice and other social services to their worshippers (Simms, 2000, 101). The church was instrumental in abolishing slavery; David Walker’s work â€Å"Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World†, published in 1829, which castigated the institution of slavery and used Scriptural quotation and traditional Christian morals to prove the immorality of slavery and the moral bankruptcy of the slave owners, provided a galvanizing force to the Abolitionist movement as well as encouragement to those still enslaved (Simms, 2000, 102). Simms relates the spread of the Black church throughout America to the exodus of Southern blacks at the start of World War I; given a sudden chance at employment and expansion, Southern blacks moved north into the industrial heartlands of Michigan, Illinois and Indiana as well as into the Northeast, and they brought their religion along with them. One notable congregation was the Abyssinian Baptist Church of Harlem, which provided political, social and economic support to its 14,000 members (2003, 102). Blum remarks on the position of the church in the Black community, â€Å"the Black church has been the enduring center and focal point of Black communities and the refuge from racism and poverty†¦ the church provided Blacks with a shelter, and indeed, was the most significant of all Black institutions (1993, 609)†. At the time the Black church differentiated from white denominations, slavery and oppression against Blacks was rife. The church’s establishment was a form of protest against the ruling white majority and a spiritual refuge from the larger world. Because the congregants of the Black church have never had the luxury of a coherent, secular social support structure, the church has taken on the role of social caregiver as well as spiritual caregiver. According to Gadzekpo (2001, 609), the church had from its inception a distinct, African-American culture, and was not an attempt to mimic the white church as is often assumed. â€Å"The major aspect of Black Christian belief was freedom†¦ for the African in America as a slave, it meant release from bondage; after emancipation, it meant education, employment and freedom of movement for the â€Å"Negro†, and for the past forty years it has meant social, political and economic justice for the African-American (2001, 609). † According to Gadzekpo, a call to God’s service was seen as a call to freedom; it is a basic tenet of the Black Christian church that God wants Black Christians to be free because they, too, are made in his own image. The involvement of the Black church in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s was notable, not only because church leaders precipitated a major change in the secular culture, but because it set a pattern of involvement of the church in secular matters, including political, social and health. Leonard Gadzekpo discusses the involvement of the Black church in the civil rights movement. He states: One may present the Black church as an institution that gives some direction to the aforementioned aspects of African-American life and influences them, particularly in American society at large. The core values of Black culture – such as freedom, justice, equality, an African heritage and racial parity in all aspects of human life – were inherent in the Christian ethos that gave birth to and nurtured the civil rights movement. (2001, 609). With the founding doctrine of the Black church being religious, political and physical freedom, the involvement of the church in the civil rights movement was inevitable. Likewise, involvement of the church in the political and social problems that African-Americans face today is inevitable. As Gadzekpo notes, †¦ the Black church, therefore, has reached the point in the last decade of the twentieth century in which searing demands are being made for a return to the tradition of self-help and agitation†¦ the development of new and creative approaches has become commonplace in the face of internal pressures involving changes within African-American society, external pressures involving prevalent and persistent racism, and the hostile environment in which the church exists. (2001, 610) The history and current position of the church within the Black community clearly indicate that there is a need for involvement of the church in secular matters as well as spiritual, and that the church, by providing this involvement, would be continuing the tradition of service which the church was founded in. However, as Simms notes, the church struggles with the bifurcation of the black community. More affluent blacks who have managed to escape the traditional economic and social confines of the African American experience have not remained within the church to continue to support its mission. The modern black church is a divided entity, rather than a united whole, which weakens its efforts and causes difficulty in determining its path (Simms, 2000, 105).

How to Write University of Wisconsin-Madison Essays 2017-18

The University of Wisconsin–Madison (the official state university of Wisconsin) is a public university that was founded in 1848, directly following Wisconsin’s acquisition of statehood. Wisconsin is well known not only for its excellent academics, but also for its hugely successful NCAA athletic teams. The 936-acre campus is located right next to downtown Madison, which is consistently ranked as one of the best college towns in the country. With nearly 5,000 unique courses and over 200 distinct majors, it’s no wonder that the University of Wisconsin–Madison attracted 32,887 applicants to the Class of 2016. The 52.6% acceptance rate necessitates strong supplemental essays, and we at are here to help you break them down step by step! Students can apply online, using either the Common Application or the University of Wisconsin Application System. Both application options require two supplemental pieces of writing: a short prompt and a long prompt. Below, you’ll find the two prompts along with our take on the best way to tackle the essays, as well as some tips on what you should (and shouldn’t) include in your supplements. This prompt shouldn’t be too difficult — with a limit of 100 words, you’re going to be writing no more than a few sentences. While you should use this short essay as an opportunity to elaborate on the activity that portrays you in the best light, make sure that the selected activity is actually â€Å"important to you.† If the extracurricular that you select appears impressive (think three-time section leader in your all-state band, or coordinator of a peer tutoring program that works with nearly one hundred kids), but you’re not able to articulate why it’s relevant to your life and your journey through high school, the admissions committee won’t be impressed. Don’t feel like the activity you write about needs to be one in which you held leadership; while leadership in the activity is of course looked highly upon, the genuine story you tell about its importance to you is key. Take this scenario: You were elected student body president as a junior and presided over all student council meetings. While you enjoyed the position, you’re planning on majoring in biology and not government. Last summer, you were one of the few interns at a local research hospital, where you helped discover a previously unknown bacterium. Even though you’ll likely put â€Å"student body president† as the first item on your activity list, you may want to write the short essay about your experience at the hospital, which led you to decide on a biology major. If you participated in any type of volunteer work, at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter, and feel that those experiences had a profound impact on you, you could write about the volunteer work. That being said, you don’t necessarily need to write about volunteer/community service activities! If you were the president of your high school’s school store, or the captain of your town’s travel soccer team, and that significantly defined your past few years, you can absolutely choose it as your activity. The key is just to make sure admissions officers get a more in-depth look at who you are through the lens of the activity. Whichever activity you choose, be sure that your writing is clear, concise, and effective. There’s no need for complex metaphors, nor overly intense descriptions. As long as it’s evident to the reader that your activity had a meaningful impact on your development as an individual, you’ve done your job! Submit your essay and we’ll get back to you with helpful edits. In the long essay prompt, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is looking for a modified version of the â€Å"why us† supplement. Even if Wisconsin isn’t your top choice, for the purposes of this essay, you should put yourself in the shoes of a student that’s wanted to attend Wisconsin for the past few years. If you have family ties to the university, or live in Wisconsin and have grown up rooting for the Badgers in sporting events, don’t hesitate to mention it! The admissions committee wants to see commitment and genuine interest in the school—they should instantly feel your passion for Wisconsin as they read through your essay. While the prompt appears to pose two questions: â€Å"Why Us?,† and â€Å"What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student?† you should be blending the two questions together throughout your supplement. Show your passion by mentioning specific courses, clubs, or programs that you are interested in. The university website will be your greatest resource for this — there’s a wealth of information available! Explain how your experiences throughout high school qualify you for admission to the University of Wisconsin. Articulate how those experiences demonstrate, in the words of the admissions website, â€Å"leadership, concern for others and the community, and achievement in the arts, athletics, and other areas.† Try to provide an example of each of those three areas (or, better yet, find an activity that combines multiple). Serving as the captain of a school athletic team demonstrates both leadership and athletic achievement while selling handmade crafts at charity auctions demonstrates concern for community and artistic achievement. Don’t try to make the entire essay just about these three facets of your personality, but do make sure that you adequately explain how your activities exemplify each character trait. Also, don’t be afraid to talk about experiences unrelated to your major: If you’re applying to the School of Education, you can absolutely bring up an organization in the School of Business that focuses on entrepreneurship, like the WAVE or WEB program, or a research opportunity, like the Grainger Institute in the School of Engineering — the more well-rounded your interests are at Wisconsin, the more likely you are to be accepted. The last, and optional, component of the prompt asks you to explain any â€Å"circumstance that could have had an impact on your academic performance and/or extracurricular involvement.† Be very careful with what you write here, and remember that it’s completely optional. If you choose not to include it, there’s really no harm done (and, if anything, it eliminates the possibility of writing something that could decrease your chances of admission). If there was a situation throughout high school that was thrust upon you (think family/personal medical emergency or moving schools), you can absolutely write about that, as it will help to establish sympathy with the reader. If you’ve had any experiences that could reflect negatively on you, including them in the essay may not be wise. Writing about depression, drug/alcohol use, or criminal activity could raise red flags and prevent you from being accepted. If you feel strongly about including one of these topics (or something similar), definitely reach out to a guidance counselor, teacher, or trusted adult to ensure that you’re crafting your message in the best possible way. We hope our analysis of the two supplemental essay prompts has helped you to fine-tune your plans for your Wisconsin-Madison application!

Employee relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

Employee relations - Essay Example It also helps in identifying and assessing the various levels of employment and help define the nature and scope of relationship between the employees and employers; the social and moral values upheld by the societies; and provide guidance with regard to approaching and addressing employee disputes and grievances within and across industries. The fact that laws and regulations governing employment are implemented as a reaction to the existing social and moral values as well as the existing social, cultural, political, economic, and technological circumstances existing within a given community, state or nation. The study of employee relations hence helps in understanding and exploring the concept in a comprehensive manner and provides an insight into the factors that shape our views towards employment, employee relations, and work in general. This essay aims to explore the concept of employee relations with regard to local, national and international contexts; and the factors that influence the existing norms and in the process provide a meaningful discussion regarding the historical origins, definitions, and theoretical perspectives aided by relevant case studies to help support and substantiate the claims made. The concept of employee relations was introduced as a replacement to the term industrial relations (CIPD, 2013). Industrial relations refer to the relationship between employers and employees within an industry. Employee relations on the other hand cover a broader spectrum of this relationship and include the relationship between employers and trade unions, other representatives of the employees, as well as officials (Armstrong, 2010). Rose (2008) defines employment relations as: "The study of the regulation of the employment relationship between employer and employee, both collectively and individually, and the determination of both substantive and procedural issues at industrial, organisational and workplace

External analysis of Logoplaste Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

External analysis of Logoplaste - Essay Example Logoplaste exists in a highly competitive market and faces stiff competition from Alpla-Werke, Amcor, Graham Packaging, and Plastipak. Amcor, an Australian packaging giant, is the largest player in the plastic manufacturing industry and packaging business. Alpla-Werke has a large market base in Europe and Latin America, which holds half of its manufacturing plants ((Alcacer and Leitao, 2013, 8). The company seeks to consolidate its place in the fast-growing Asian market. Graham packaging uses manufacturing processes and technologies to produce plastic containers from various resins. It has its presence in North America, Latin America, and Europe. Plastipak is an American company with several plants in America and Europe and has been a lead supplier for Pepsi. All the companies are great competitors and are currently competing for the Asian market. Logoplaste has a loyal customer base owing to its beneficial relationship with customers. Its main customers are fast-moving consumer goods such as Coca-Cola and P&G. Innovative packing attracts positive customer attention, and this is an important factor in the challenging retail market. Logoplaste are forced to expand internationally owing to the presence of their customers globally (Alcacer and Leitao, 2013, 3). They ventured into the Asia Pacific region, and started up a new production unit for P&G in Kuantan, Malaysia to produce packaging for domestic

Personal Interpretation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Interpretation - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that  the history of Hawaii gives us much information regarding the ancient heroes and heroines of the Land and their contributions in the land. However, the genealogy of these people also gives us more basic information regarding the history of these people and the milestones in their history. Kamulipo helped very much in accounting for the genealogy and Cosmology of these people. Proper analysis of the antiquities of the Hawaiian populace gives an account that their philosophies almost outdid the Western philosophies. Their religion reveals to be equally as useful as the Western Religion.  This essay declares that the Queen of Hawaii presents the same concerns. In the article, we come to realize the importance of open-mindedness. Through the works, we come to realize the milestones of the Hawaiian populace. We come to realize the significance of [personal identity towards success. The past may be a bleak but with the recognition of the concerns about a person’s origin; we realize that the future becomes very bright. The Hawaiian history seems to have been full of ups and downs that needed many souls searching before any decisions were made. The People recognized the importance of accepting and accommodating their norms in a way that promotes society cohesion.  The works did a very imperative work in giving the analysis of culture in people. The works clearly presents to us the significance of one’s culture and tradition.     

Tesco Personal Finance Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

Tesco Personal Finance - Case Study Example News Release, (2008), â€Å"Tesco takes full ownership of TPF and targets  £1 billion from retailing services†, Tesco plc, retrieved online, 4th April, 2009, from: http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/storage/intannounce.pdf 21 Stern, M., (2008), â€Å"Interview: Tescos FD, Andrew Higginson†, Financial Director retrieved online, 4th April, 2009, from: http://www.financialdirector.co.uk/financial-director/features/2229174/shelf-confidence-4297859 21 Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC: RBS Preferred Series "T" and RBS Preferred Series "Q", (No Date), Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearing House, retrieved online, 17 April 2008, from: http://securities.stanford.edu/1042/RBST_01/ 22 Tesco Personal Finance that was set up in 1997, as a joint venture between Tesco and the RBS. From a strategic perspective the TPF was established to draw on the Royal Bank of Scotland’s financial expertise while using the Group’s stores and online resources as a medium to recruit and cater financial services to the customers at low-cost. However, after a decade, the joint venture came to its termination with the Tesco gaining the full ownership of Tesco Personal Finance. On July 28, 2008, Tesco, the supermarket retail giant announced that it had come to an agreement with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to buy its 50% stake in the Tesco Personal Finance for a sum of  £950 million (News Release, 2008). This acquisition of Tesco over the 50% stake of RBS coming as a direct challenge for the high street financial institutions which currently are on the stormy side of the economic recession tide and presently are in-waiting for the bank charges decision by the High Court. The acquisition will help Tesco to make its expansion from financial services that revolved around an assortment of popular financial services and products to full-fledged retail banking

Functionalist and Intentionalist Explanations of the Rwanda and Essay

Functionalist and Intentionalist Explanations of the Rwanda and Holocaust Mass Murders - Essay Example The mass murder in Rwanda is a perfect example of the modern time genocide born of ethnic hatred. As compared to the Holocaust genocide, the events unfolding in Rwanda in 1994 gave birth to the systematic slaughter of more than eight hundred thousand Moderate Hutu and Tutsi. This aspect position the Rwandese massacre to being a massacre of the modern phenomenon, absorbed by rationalism, bureaucracy and technology. The massacre of the European Jews, commonly referred to by a majority of scholars as the Holocaust, on the other hand is among the genocides known to the greater percentage of the educated in the society. Between the years 1941 and 1945, European Jews ranging between five and xix million were systematically massacred by the Nazi regime (under the leadership of Adolf Hitler) in collaboration with its allies and other surrogates in the Nazi-occupied territories. Irrespective of the astonishing intensity and scale of the genocide, the prominence of the Holocaust in the recent couple of years has been far from being preordained. Having given a brief preamble of both the Rwandese and the Holocaust genocides, this paper therefore, gears towards availing an in-depth comparison between the two genocides. In addition, this paper also does evaluate both the functionalist and the intentionalists explanation of the two cases of mass murder based on the principal areas of focus such as uniqueness, precedent and generality in either case as drawn from different theoretical quarters. Comparison and Evaluation of the Holocaust and Rwanda Mass Murders When it comes to the definition of what genocide is, it somehow proves to be challenging. Nevertheless, massacres have over and again been repeated in different parts of the world. The most imperative thing to keep in remembrance is that a mass murder remains to be not only a controversial, but also a contested debate among politicians, historians, academics, fascists and nationalists. Irrespective of the noticeable differences in the context of a mass murder, neither of th e sides presents a different opinion or even repudiates the authenticity of the Rwanda and the Holocaust, nor is there sombre rejection over the principle that the Hutus and Adolf Hitler were responsible for the crimes they set off. In this event therefore, it is imperative finding a mechanism of gauging the reality beyond the Rwanda and the Holocaust massacres (Christopher 2004, p.34). As thus, there arise two schools of thought as regards to the historiography of these genocides. These schools of thought are the functionalist and the intentionalist explanations of the genocides. Intenionalist versus Functionalist Explanation of the two Mass Murders Over the past two or so decades, the most heated debate has been revolving around an erudite predisposition by and large referred to as intentionalist and an antagonistic functionalist explanation. Arguably, a great percentage of the interpretation and data so gathered on the Rwanda and the Holocaust massacres relate in one way or the o ther either in the functionalist or the intentionalist perspectives. To begin with the Holocaust genocide it is even derivable from the word itself, the intenionalists’ explanation lays more accents on the intention that the Nazis had; and from the kick off, it is undeniable that these Nazis had their minds made up to eliminate the European Jews in whichever manner, including carrying a mass slaughter on them. An approach of this kind puts emphasis on the figure of Adolf Hitler and his monomaniacal passion to do away with what he referred to as the Jewish cancer from Germany and Europe as a whole (Tom 2010, p.25). Adolf’s stance of facilitating an elimination of the European Jews is clearly evidenced by the statement he makes when addressing a journalist. He confidently declares that in the event that he assumes power, his first priority

Women's role in the African American Church Research Paper

Women's role in the African American Church - Research Paper Example However the Africans continued expressing their own religions and their own gods until slave and plantation life began to shut them off from their African origins. One can imagine there were religious gatherings of Africans at this time. There is evidence that when slaves were given Sundays off in New Orleans they would go to a place called Congo Square and with drums and dance, continue the religious celebrations they had in Africa. Black women held a status that was at the bottom of the wheel throughout American history. They were never given official recognition by the Church as preachers. Their lives were brutal were they continuously fell victim to rape and sexual exploitation from white males. Yet the early history of the African American church demonstrates how some black women received the ‘call’ to preach and how they showed an inner strength that persevered and accounted for the survival of many women and children. There were always free African Americans. Some of them had bought their freedom. These slaves learned to read and write. The free slaves were surrounded by different expressions of the white American culture. The whites were primarily Christians and they practiced their Christianity through various religions such as the Puritans, the Quakers, the Methodist, the Catholics, Episcopalians, and the Mennonites, among others. All these religions were based on one source, the bible. Slaves and free blacks begin to realize that by reading and learning the Bible, they could become Christians too and participate as Christians in the American economy. This is what some of them did. Some of the slaves read the Bible and argued that they had become converted to Christianity by getting baptized. White leaders begin to realize that if black people read the Bible, they would probably question white people's conduct of slavery on moral grounds and begin to threaten the entire institution of slavery. The white people soon past laws that not only disallowed black slaves to become Christian converts, but to make sure that black people could not escape their status as slaves. But white slaveowners also used the Bible to preach to slaves that it was right that they show obedience to their masters. During the 1770s, the Great Awakening occurred among white Christians. This was an evangelist movement where the white preachers, some of them like George Whitefield becoming famous, preached to large groups of people, exciting them with flashy oratory and songs and moving great numbers of people to convert and become Christians. Among those black people who could read, they interpreted several important themes from the Bible. Freedom became a real concept to them and these blacks began comparing themselves to the Israelites whose God eventually led them from Egyptian captivity. The Bible also served as a reading instrument for some of the slaves who were determined to learn to read. African Americans were well aware of Christianity as a religion and as slaves many of them begin to fuse some of their own religious symbols in Christianity. Blacks begin to have their own spiritual meetings in secret on the plantations and these were actually seedlings of the first black churches. Christian religion allowed them to see contradictions between the way they were treated and the way Christians professed to be. Early Churches A few plantation owners built churches for the slaves and had white preachers preach to them about obeying and being meek before the master. Masters who trusted their slaves allowed them to read and study the bible. Georgle Liele's master allowed him to be baptized

Mystic Monk Coffee SWOT Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mystic Monk Coffee SWOT Analysis - Case Study Example The vision of the company was declared to be: â€Å"acquiring a large parcel of land - a new Mount Carmel – and building a monastery with accommodations for 30 monks, a retreat center for lay visitors, a Gothic church, a convent for Carmelite nuns, and a hermitage† (Turnipseed 2011, 237). While this vision clearly defines the goal of the monastery for the next year or several years, it needs some improvement as it sounds more like a strategic plan than a vision statement. In order to achieve the above listed strategic objectives, the monastery needs to have an appropriate strategy and business model. At the present moment, the monastery does not have clearly identified strategy. Current business model is based on the sales of roasted coffee beans to Catholic visitors, wholesale shops, and churches. The monastery purchases fair trade Arabica beans at $2,99, roasts it, packages, and resells at $9,95 per 12-ounce bag. The sales are carried out mainly online, via the corporate website of the monastery. If customer purchase three coffee bags or more, they are granted free shipping service. Also, there exists a â€Å"coffee club†, whereas customers are offered to a monthly delivery of one to six bags of preselected coffee (Turnipseed 2011, 237). All these elements make up the current business model of the Wyoming Monastery Coffee business operations. Before recommending any improvements on the strategy and business model, it is necessary to analyze t he key internal strengths and weaknesses of the monastery and evaluate major threat and opportunities. The first initial strategic option was to consider Mystery Monk Coffee operations as a potential source for funding the project. For implementing this strategy it is necessary to produce a calculation of the monastery’s production capability.  

Physics, Roller Coasters Essay Example for Free

Physics, Roller Coasters Essay Roller coasters Additional notes: GPE = m x g x h KE = m x v? The main energy transfers that happen as a car travels along the track from the start of the ride to the end: [1]The rollercoaster car gains gravitational potential energy (GPE) as it travels to the top. Once over the top, the car gains speed as GPE is transferred to kinetic energy (KE). As it travels to the top of another loop, KE is transferred to GPE. Not all the energy is transferred to or from GPE – some is transferred to the surroundings as heat and sound. All moving objects have kinetic energy, KE. The kinetic energy an object has depends on the mass and speed. If the mass doubles, the KE doubles and if the speed doubles, the KE quadruples. Normally energy is lost through sound and heat (friction, air resistance). How the heights of the hills are designed to allow an empty car to reach the end of the ride: [2]The hills are designed so that it is low enough that the momentum of the car from the previous drop carries it up and over the hill. This is why the hills are usually lower towards the end of the ride, because the car has lost momentum due to friction and air resistance. Mainly the consecutive hill must be lower as it will not have enough energy because some of it is lost and sound and heat. Therefore, if the car was to reach the end of the ride, the height of the hills must be lower each consecutive time. How the energy transfers determine the heights of the hills: [4] After the roller coaster is drops from the first hill it does two things with its energy. First, it begins to transform that energy from one form to anotherfrom gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy and from kinetic energy to gravitational potential energy, back and forth. Second, it begins to transfer some of its energy to its environment, mostly in the form of heat and sound. Each time the roller coaster goes downhill, its gravitational potential energy decreases and its kinetic energy increases. Each time the roller coaster goes uphill, its kinetic energy decreases and its gravitational potential energy increases. But each transfer of energy isnt complete because some of the energy is lost to heat and sound. Because of this lost energy, the roller coaster cant return to its original height after coasting downhill. Thats why each successive hill must be lower than the previous hill. Eventually the roller coaster has lost so much of its original total energy that the ride must end. With so little total energy left, the roller coaster cant have much gravitational potential energy and must be much lower than the top of the first hill. This is why the hills must be a certain height, in order to transfer enough GPE into KE. Bibliography: [1] http://www. bbc. co. uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_ocr_gateway/forces/themeridesrev2. shtml [2] http://science. howstuffworks. com/engineering/structural/roller-coaster3. htm [3] http://www. coasterforce. com/coasters/technical-info/physics-of-a-coaster [4] http://library. thinkquest. org/26455/amuse/roller/roller01. shtml [5] Collins Additional Sciences B ISBN-13 978-0-00-741531-1 Colin Bell, 2011

Society and Culture Essay Example for Free

Society and Culture Essay A. Background of the Study Nowadays, Filipino teenagers tend to be liberated and patterned their lifestyle based on western culture. If this is all to be considered, the culture of being conservative from our ancestors will be gone. Premarital Sex is now treated by many as natural or normal. Mostly teenagers occur to this even outside marriage. They continue doing this because it does satisfy their sexual pleasures. They are not aware that what they are doing is a sin called fornication. Fornication means sexual immorality or voluntary sexual intercourse between two persons of the opposite sex, where one or both are unmarried. This study will attempt to analyze how open minded Far Eastern University students on Premarital Sex. It is hoped that the result of this study will help to determine the length of open mindedness of Far Eastern University students on Premarital Sex. B. Statement of the Problem This study was conducted to determine the length of open mindedness of Far Eastern University students, specifically, it sought answers to the following questions: 1. What is the profile of respondents in terms of: age and gender 2. Are Far Eastern University students are open minded about premarital sex? C. Significance of the Study For church, sociologists and other institutions who does not promoting premarital sex, this research study will help to determine the length of open mindedness of students on premarital sex. To the students, the students will help the researcher to give their opinions about the study, they will also benefit on recommendations made by the researchers to not engage on  premarital sex. Lastly, to the researcher, this information will serve as their guide to the future youth on determining the length of open mindedness of Far Eastern University students on premarital sex and recommendation to not engage on premarital sex. D. Scope and Delimitation This study focused on determining the length of open mindedness of Far Eastern University students on premarital sex and recommendation to not engage on premarital sex. There will be 100 respondents of Far Eastern University students. The study of factors why they engaged on premarital sex is beyond the scope of the study. E. Materials, Methods and Procedures This study employed the descriptive method in gathering information regarding â€Å"Are Far Eastern University students open minded about premarital sex†. It is employed internet research method. The subject of this study were drawn from 100 students of Far Eastern University. Data were gathered through survey questionnaire. The researcher chose the respondents through random sampling so that each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. The research instrument used in conducting this study was the questionnaire type with the instruction that can be easily understood by the respondent, this questionnaire was constructed for the purpose of knowing the length of open mindedness of Far Eastern University on premarital sex. The first draft of questionnaire was forwarded to the society and culture professor for corrections and suggestions. After the professor validated and enriched the questionnaires, the researchers prepare the final draft.

Role of Technology for English Language Learners

Role of Technology for English Language Learners Introduction The role of technology as an alternative tool for instruction of English foreign language learners increases as educators recognize its possibilities to create both independent and collaborative learning environments in which students can acquire, immerse and practice a new language (Butler-Pascoe, 1997). Through the use of the Internet, word processors, video games multimedia, and practice programs, students can engage in individualized instruction designed to meet their specific needs and participate in cooperative projects that will foster communication with peers in their classrooms and throughout the global community. This research focuses on the potential of video games as a powerful tool for foreign language instruction and acquisition. This is a very important topic for many reasons, the least of which is that so many people do not really understand this medium and regard it in the worst possible manner. What many outsiders of the video game culture do not understand is that video games can be an expressive and interesting medium that can easily compete with the best that other mediums have to offer, and, like any type of expressive medium before them, video games have gone through a harsh trial by those who are bigoted, uninformed and prejudiced against this medium. This paper provides a great opportunity to explain why computers and video games can take an important part in language learning, and why therein we have an extraordinary opportunity to educate, not only our children but the population at large through video games. Video games can provide the ability to shape events, environments and positions in a way which is not feasible through any other medium. According to Larson (1999) and Li (1999), â€Å"the transactional nature and the pedagogical relevance of some state-of-the-art videogame-based interactive technologies make videogames a viable vehicle for foreign language learning†. This thesis aims to reach the following objectives: to make the reader aware of new learning strategies and possibilities for all types of learners; to discover students views on the feasibility of videogames for language learning and instruction; to suggest a new range of activities that can be performed in a classroom using videogames. This thesis firstly discusses findings from various research studies, as well as current language teaching methodologies, in order to explain how video games can contribute to language acquisition by evaluating several video game genres and emphasizing that â€Å"virtual pet†, simulation and â€Å"RPG† (Role playing games) are beneficial for language acquisition. It also provides various sample activities that can be performed in the ESL classroom using video games in their own right. Secondly, the context and participants are presented as well as a research instrument, after which the data is analyzed and given an interpretation and finally pedagogical implications are presented. Chapter 1: Literature review This chapter firstly attempts to explain why videogames can be suitable for learning a language based on several studies that are described next. Secondly, it also outlines how videogames are slowly being incorporated into the field of education. Thirdly, it provides the readers with an overview on videogames and modding and finally how teachers can benefit their lessons from modding and how it can be used in the ESL/EFL classroom. 1. Videogames and Research Using video games to educate has long been a much thought-of goal, yet rarely an achieved one. Although video games may not yetbe able to educate users in a content area effectively, language learners may benefit from video games. Educational software developers have struggled to present a substantial amount of content and context without sacrificing the degree of control game players expect. Very little research has specifically targeted language acquisition through video games; however, various studies carried out over the years in several universities of the U.S, England and Sweden with students of different majors, as well as current language teaching methodologies support the use of video games to learn language. Interestingly, in one study Hulstijn Laufer (2001) found that language acquisition may hinge on the â€Å"level of involvementin a task†, and video game players are often quite immersed in game play, a trait that may enable them to acquire language, since video games often contain simultaneously presented aural and textual language. Another study done by Prensky (2006) suggests that â€Å"videogames allow learners to analyze and decode language at their own pace†. During game play learners may use one input channel to decode the other because videogame players have a great deal of controlover the game play (various in-game choices can be made, games can be paused, actions can be repeated, and conversations can sometimes be initiated at the players own beck and call. â€Å"Dornyei Clement (2001, p.399) claimed that â€Å"one of the main premises for using video games to educate has been to harness learners motivation†. Although, motivation is a crucial element in language learning, motivation alone does not guarantee the acquisition of a language. This was stated in another study performed by Prensky (2004) who found out that one of the most difficult things teachers had to do was to aim for a balance between video game interaction and learning its language which may result too strenuous for some players cognitive abilities. Nevertheless, Brett (2001) emphasizes in his research that the natural repetition which is presentin video games, such as the constant set-up of mini-battles in role-playing games and the frequent use of interactive menus in virtual pet and simulation games, allows a language learner to be continuously exposed to the target language and creates more opportunities for acquisition to occur as opposed to other media, such as movies or books, which often do not reuse the same vocabulary or grammar, making acquisition more difficult and slow-paced. Interestingly enough, the repetition in video games allows a language learner to use their own initiative to use known language (semantic context, vocabulary or grammar) to decode unknown elements through constant exposure. Furthermore, Crawford (2003, p.261) made a stunning discovery in his research when he stated that â€Å"a videogame provides players with a useful kinesthetic link to its language† resulting in players having to give a total physical response to actions prompted. Total Physical Response (TPR)activities are used in order to connect the language item whether, vocabulary or grammar, to a physical action, hopefully making thelanguage easier to grasp, which is quite similar in videogames where players perform on-screenactions that may serve to link the language they learn to their native language. 2. Video Games and Education Video games evoke different emotions in people. Some might perceive them as nothing more than a tool of entertainment, while others might consider them useless and tools of bad influence. Academics, such as Gee (2005, p.13), will say that â€Å"video games are a new form of interactive media worthy of academic multidisciplinary study† regardless of what videogames may be, it is a well-known fact that they are a distinct yet entertaining way for youngsters to spend their time. It comes as no surprise that many educators and teachers are trying to add video games to their lessons and curricula design both to catch and retain the attention of students, not to mention to enhance the course content and likability. Many business, medicine, and law schools in northern Europe are implementing video games such as Kristens Cookies, Dexter and Objection as part of their curricula, whilst other schools introduce more commercially known titles, for example Brain Age and Trauma Center to their science and math courses. According to Hoggs research (2006) carried out in some European universities, students motivation and therefore grades, have soared exponentially as opposed to slump since the implementation of video games in their curricula. Video games have become increasingly widespread in their use, both as a hobby and as an educational tool. ESL teachers should be no exception and be able to make use of this technology to help students in teaching grammar points as much as in developing students speaking ability. 3. Video Games and Modding For over twenty years there have been many attempts at designing educational software with all of them resulting in failure and thus a sense of hopelessness prevailed through much of the educational software community. Fortunately, the emergence of new models have made education and entertainment games stop competing with one another. If we look at todays entertainment video games, many will be nothing like the games prevalent in the late 90s when educators and game developers first teamed up in an attempt to insert artificial learning moments inside games. Back then, in-game worlds were relatively fixed and did not have much depth whatsoever, enabling the player only to play out the action of a pre-programmed story. Today, nonetheless, according to Hansson (2005) games are presumably more open-ended, with many of them encouraging players to take an active role in the construction of the game itself through the use of various mod tools. The term ‘mod means modification, in videogame terms ‘mod refers to a user made add-on to an already existing game. For example, one of 2007s best selling video games, â€Å"The Sims 2† does not determine any explicit goal or winning outcome. Rather, the game presents itself as an open-ended virtual doll house in which users play out and share stories with one another should they choose to. As a result of the enormous flexibility of this game, thousands of players created content add-ons or game modifications now available for free on the web. â€Å"Surprisingly enough, so far, little has been attempted by educators to use the extensive mod tools available for The Sims 2 to implement learning content in a way that naturally integrates with the in-game experience† (Goldfayn, 2006). However, mod tools provide full access to all the language data used in all the different international versions of a game. This allows curriculum designers to easily manipulate popular video games to create opportunities for foreign language learning. Johnson,( 2005, p.191) claims that for most educational disciplines, â€Å"the main rule when choosing a video game to be modded is that the closer the original contents of the game are to the educational discipline involved, the smoother the process will be†. Most people play video games nowadays and everyone seems to work on a computer, so learning a foreign language through video games can be as viable as learning it through traditional classroom instruction. For example, in order to make a game like â€Å"Civilization III† relevant to a history classroom, one simply needs to edit a few maps, scenarios and variables; while a game like The Sims 2 actually does have a distinct similarity between the contents of the game and the contents of an introductory language textbook (parts of the body, furnishing the house, finding a job/professions, emotions, etc), the fact that almost all games use language in one way or another allows a far wider range of games to be modded for usage in foreign language learning than other educational disciplines. 4. Modding in ESL There has been a recent increase in the number of game environments or engines that allow users to customize their gaming experiences by building and expanding game behavior. What is described here is the use of modifying, or modding, existing games as a means to learn English. A case of game modding in classroom settings is described to illustrate skills learned by students as a result of modding existing games, in this case the game which was modded is â€Å"The Sims 2†. Below are some examples of how you can mod a videogame to suit your needs as a teacher as well as your students. These are two sample activities that have been put into practice by teachers such as Mylene Catel, (http://www.mylenejcatel.com/)whohave put an enormous amount of effort into this. Simply by playing the modded version of the game (The Sims 2), students are gradually exposed to heavy amounts of reading practice in the foreign language. However, designing specific reading comprehension tasks helps the teacher assess learning better. Next, I describe an activity which can be performed using the previously mentioned game: Step 1. – Students write a description of their favorite imaginary landscape in the foreign language including any number of specific details (There is a pristine water creek, there are many leafy trees in which birds gather to chirp, There is a family having a picnic nestled under the trees , etc). Step 1.5. The teacher helps correct any mistakes in the students descriptions. Step 2. Students randomly exchange their descriptions with one another via the game. Step 3. Use the cheat mode to give students unlimited money. Step 4. Students avail themselves of a mod tool given by the teacher and create the landscape outlined in their description. Step 4.5. The teacher assesses how many of the specific details students correctly incorporated into their creations. Step 5. Students once again exchange their finished descriptions. Step 6. Students verbally describe to one another their creation. Students try to discern which landscape is the one they originally designed. Chapter 2: Methodology This research was conducted in order to determine whether playing videogames plays a significant role in the personal development and learning of a second language. It weighs the pros and cons of using this medium for learning and expresses what videogames are suitable for learning English and what videogames can enhance students reading, listening and speaking skills. I opted to obtain the view of language students from different schools. Specifically, students aged 18-25 from 2 schools within Xalapa were selected for this task, 10th semester students of the teaching area from the English B.A of the Universidad Veracruzana and advanced level students from Bristol Institute as informants from December 2007 to April 2008. Selected participants answered a questionnaire about the role of videogames in ESL/EFL learning. In order to determine whether videogames play an important role in learning English more efficiently, a total of 20 respondents were asked to participate, 10 of them were from the Universidad Veracruzana and the other 10 were Bristol students. Instrument. A questionnaire was administered to collect as much data as possible. The questionnaire consisted of 10 open-ended questions of which five questions had to do with the participants learning English through videogames and the other five questions had to do with the participants views on whether or not videogames have enhanced their learning and comprehension of a foreign language. To achieve pertinent information, certain inclusion criteria were imposed. The participants chosen had to be students who had been studying English for at least 4 years. This qualification ensured the participants understanding the nature of this questionnaire and its use for teaching English, making the questionnaire items easy for them to understand. My questionnaire which was administered to both populations was based on the following criteria: How much English and how well these students had learnt it by using videogames. The types of games they preferred in their learning process and how such games had helped acquiring their skills in English. Procedure. The administration of the questionnaire to the U.V student population was done when I was studying 10th semester of the English B.A. Therefore, the questionnaire was administered to my classmates at that time. However, to administer my questionnaire to the Bristol student population I had to ask for permission to the school principal, and after granting such, I was able to administer it, all in all both populations seemed to have no problems or questions at the time they answered it. Chapter 3: Results and Discussion In this chapter, I will present all data gathered from the questionnaire related to my research questions I administered to several students as well as charts representing the analysis of what was said in each question. The questions will be divided in two sections according to my research questions How do students learn English through videogames? What type of games do students play in their learning process and how they help? Analysis of questions 1, 2,3,4,5 of the questionnaire – refer to section one. 1. Is vocabulary, rather than syntax, more easily and consistently acquired from video games? Out of the 20 students who answered this question 16 students said that vocabulary was best learned through this medium while 4 thought that syntax was the one best acquired. From these answers it can be inferred that these students mostly learn vocabulary, and syntactical patterns from games. Nonetheless, the focus of what is to be learned will fall into what the students needs are. From my perspective students also benefit from learning pronunciation subconsciously because speech is present in most games. 2. What grammatical patterns or chunks of language do you usually learn from videogames? Out of the twenty students who answered this question, eleven answered that they usually learn phrasal verbs and idioms from videogames while the other nine students said they revise through videogames grammatical patterns such as reported speech and conditionals. From these answers it can be inferred that for these students videogames help best as an aid to learn phrasal verbs and fixed expressions while others use them as revising materials. 3. Do video games help language learners actually acquirelanguage, or do they serve more as a linguistic priming or practicing device? Out of the twenty students who answered this question twelve believed that videogames help language acquisition whereas the remaining eight believed they just serve as a practicing device From these answers it can be assumed that videogames can serve as both a learning tool and a practicing device for these students. However, as a teacher you should have in mind the reason why you will employ them. 4. Can language be acquired more effectively (more quickly and be retained longer) through video games than through other media? From twenty students who answered this question seventeen agreed on their learning being quicker, more effective and easier to retain through videogames. However, another three said videogames had no benefit for them. From these answers it can be assumed that for these students videogames are the perfect medium that can enable them to learn faster by learning the language subconsciously through something they might find entertaining because videogames lower their affective filter. 5. Do students retain lexical or syntactic language studied through video games longer than identical language studied through traditional classroom and self-study activities? Out of the 20 students who were asked this question, 14 answered that they thought retention was easier and lasted longer for them through videogames whilst other 6 claimed they benefitted more from traditional classroom instruction. From these answers it can be inferred that even though for these students retention is generally easier through videogames due to their interaction capabilities with players, how well students retain language patterns through either way will depend on what type of memory they possess. Analysis of questions 6, 7, 8,9,10 of the questionnaire – refer to section two 6. Which genres of games are the most useful for language learners? The answer to this question was a bit variant since out of the twenty students fourteen considered themselves to be advanced learners while six considered themselves to be upper-intermediate learners. Therefore the advanced students claimed that the most useful game genres for them were Role playing games (RPGs) and action/adventure games as they can employ various decoding strategies. While the remaining six said that in their view the most useful game genres were sports videogames because they can benefit from the repetition patterns present in these games From these answers it can be inferred that videogames can cater for every mood and personality and can certainly aid these students in their learning process. However, which game genre is most useful to them depends on their language level. Bristol students often resort to playing RPGs because of their language level while some teaching area students of the English B.A in the Universidad Veracruzana opted for sports games as their games of choice because they feel they benefit more from the language patterns present in such games. 7. Does the learners language level make a difference? Out of the 20 students who answered this question 19 believed that the language level of a learner made a difference in understanding while just 1 student believed that the level did not matter From these answers it can be assumed that the level of a learner will play a crucial part in taking full advantage of the videogame approach toward language learning. For example advanced students are always eager to play RPGs which are more complicated than other game genres while intermediate or basic students try to look for games in which actions can be describe more than once. 8. Do voice recognition games force native and non-native speakers to modify their pronunciation in unnatural ways? From twenty students who answered the question thirteen said that voice recognition games were a valuable tool to help their pronunciation subconsciously while the remaining seven said their pronunciation could only be improved through direct interaction with an English native environment which leads to demonstrate that these few students have a conservative way of thinking. From the answers of these students it can be inferred that voice recognition games are just as good as interacting within an English speaking environment since the pronunciation used in such games is usually done by native English speakers. 9. Do language learners benefit from having their actions described by a sports video game? All twenty students who answered this question said they did benefit from this approach because it was quite practical. From these answers it can be assumed that videogames can come as a new refreshing approach toward language instruction that students would really appreciate since both males and females showed much interest in sports videogames 10. How long would it take a learner to acquire a language through a video game rather than through classroom instruction or self-study textbook? All students had different views on this particular question. Eleven believed you could learn English through this medium in one year while another four believed you could learn it in six months time, two more students said in a few weeks and yet another three claimed the time you learn it was entirely up to the learner. From the answers given by these students it can be inferred that theres no agreement on a learning curve. According to these students how fast students learn the language depends on other factors such as motivation and what kind of learners they are. Conclusion: In these data most of these students claim that they can learn a language using videogame classroom instruction. According to them not only is it a refreshing new approach but it is also quite beneficial for vocabulary acquisition and the subconscious learning of pronunciation. However, a teacher should always keep in mind the objective as to why they will use videogames. Chapter 4: Pedagogical Implications In this chapter, I provide some examples of how videogames can be exploited to design many immersion activities for the ESL/EFL classroom. This chapter is organized into the following sections: RPGs, RPGs and the ESL classroom, elements of literature, debates on cultures, portfolios, character analysis, oral presentations, quizzes/tests and suggested games for classroom use. 1. Role Playing Games Not all video games can be considered classroom-safe. Many video games, while being visually stunning games in their own right, may either be too violent or too devoid of content to be used in an ESL classroom. There is, however, one genre of video games that is ideal for the ESL classroom: Role Playing Games (RPGs) (Goldfayn, 2006). Traditionally, role plays are associated with a person pretending to be someone else. This is exactly what a RPG is. In RPGs, players take control of a character and embark on chilling journeys similar to those told in Edgar Allan Poes horror novels or heart-pounding adventures like those told in Jules Verne stories. According to Din (2002) â€Å"students become exposed to long hours of in-game dialogue, as well as substantial amounts of written text† while being immersed in a quest, perhaps one to save a kingdom, slay a demon or vampire, or save the world. As players retrieve information by interacting with other characters, they advance through the game with the purpose of reaching a final goal and objective just like in any lesson plan. 2. RPGs in the ESL Classroom If there were to be any kind of video games in an ESL classroom, it would be RPGs. In a video game ESL classroom session, the students will play through the game. During this play time the students become exposed to English language dialogue with various accents, which undoubtedly helps students develop their aural skills. RPGs also help them develop their reading skills, as the game will not continue unless the players, in this case students, meet certain requirements which are communicated to them through either spoken communication or written dialogue. Truly, exposure to a language or text does not create bilingual students; it is just not enough. That is why the teacher should plan certain activities to encourage students to share the experiences they just had playing the game and some other complementary activities to reinforce what they learned in the game. 3. Elements of Literature (writing activity) Every story, just like every game, has an introduction, action development, a climax, descending action, and an ending. Many stories, just like many games, have flashbacks, foreshadowing, and personification. It is always advisable to give students a brief introduction regarding these elements, so that they may be familiar with them when they run into them while playing through a game. 4. – Cultural Debates (oral activity) The majority of RPGs have good stories, and all good stories have a setting. Before students get round to playing a game, the teacher should survey students knowledge of other cultures. Getting the students to start a debate on the similarities and differences in their culture or on different cultures in general is always a good way to start. You may begin the class by asking the students what they know about other cultures, a discussion on the Mayan culture, Feudal Japan or the American civil war usually get the students in a talkative and lively mood, as they can bring forth experiences they have had throughout their lives whether these be by watching movies, reading books or personal experiences. After the discussion, the teacher explains to students they are about to play a video game that has elements of different cultures in its world. The teacher should then provide a little information on the game and its characters, so that the students do not feel completely lost when they begin. 5. The Portfolios A portfolio is a collection of evidence that represents achievement and learning within a module/course or programme of study. The portfolio is a tool that can be used once a week, after playing the game. The student would have to write a short summary of what happened in the game as well as comment on the events from the game that they liked or disliked most. If students are at an advanced level they could be asked to comment on some of the more abstract concepts that appear in the game, such as love, friendship, and parenthood. Once the students have finished the game, they could be asked to write an entry regarding the elements of literature in the video game they played. Their writings would have to include short summaries of the events that happened in the game, so they would sort those events into the introduction, the rising action, the climax, the descending action, and the resolution of the game. Some games have open endings and require the players to fill in the gaps with t heir imagination. In case of such games, a good entry to ask the students for would be one in which they will have to account for what they think happened after the game ended. 6. Character Analysis (oral activity) Students can be asked to analyze their favorite character from the game. Starting with a drawing of the character, intermediate or beginner students could discuss how the character looks, speaks, and acts, while higher level students could discuss their characters behavior, thoughts, and purposes. The student should always say what their chosen characters stand for (for example, Alex from â€Å"Lunar: the Silver Star† for the â€Å"Playstation† could be seen as someone who represents friendship, love, and heroism). This would be a great opportunity to teach students to empathize by asking them questions like how would you have felt during this specific event in the game, had you been the character? 7. Oral Presentations Another course of action is having students make short oral presentations on characters, themes, or plot segments of the game. If there is enough time and resources, the whole class could put together a play about an event or events from the game. 8. Quizzes / Tests A quiz or a test about a video game would be conducted in the same way a quiz or test about a short story or novel would be done. Questions could range from reading comprehension (Example: Who does Tidus fight against at the end of Final Fantasy X?) to essay type questions (Example: In Final Fantasy X, do you think Tidus resents his father? Why / Why not?) 8. Suggested Games for Classroom Use The following list contains several classroom-safe video games that can be used to teach English. This compilation is best aimed at being used with students between the ages of eighteen and twenty five in mind. They have cartoon-like visuals, an excellent score, funny characters and interesting plots. Atelier Iris 2 (Sony Playstation 2): A RPG about an alchemist out to prove himself and make use of his awesome skills. Atelier Iris 2 focuses on two main characters whom you can assume at will. One character embarks on adventures in distant worlds, facing off against enemies via a turn-based battle system. The other character stays behind at home and creates items and weapons. Arc the Lad (Sony Playstation): The first game in the series that really redefined what a Strategy/RPG could be, introduces players to a magical world teetering on the edge of destruction. Only the young Arc possesses the power to stop the impending destruction, a

The Problem Of Domestic Violence :: Violence Against Women Essays

A problem has become known and to many, they feel that it's about time that the general public has taken notice. This problem has been a taboo for centuries and in the mid nineties it has chosen to let itself be known, the problem that I am talking about is domestic violence, it has ruined families, and demoralized the victims for years and now because of the "trial of the century" we finally are allowed to discuss it in detail, without fear of reprisal, now we get to familiarize ourselves with it and eventually after we get to know all about it we can, through treatment, get rid of it. In this paper, I will discuss problems with the so called epidemic of domestic violence. This entire paper will be about domestic violence, and because of that I feel it is important to note that "in most families men and women do not engage in physically abusive behavior" (The Brown U.), but because the media feels that it is their public duty to deceive us into believing that this problem is an "epidemic" (Domestic V.) we feel that, that is the case. Webster's dictionary defines epidemic as "a rapid spreading of a disease; to many people at the same time", this is not the case with domestic violence, one it didn't just happen overnight, it has just been popularized overnight, domestic violence has been going on from as far back as anyone can remember and probably farther than that, and two, this is not affecting many people at the same timem, because, as I've stated before, "in most families men and women do not engage in physically abusive behavior". If you as the reader gets anything out of this paper, it is important to me as the writer, that you find that, while domestic violence is a major problem for some families, it is by no means an epidemic. The major reason domestic violence has become so widespread over the last couple of years is because of the O. J. Simpson trial, as one person put it "the O. J. Simpson case would do for domestic violence what Anita Hill did for sexual harassment" (Domestic V.). The trial of the century brought a much needed attention to a issue that for too long was pushed to the back burner; domestic violence was a major issue in the case and it became evident, through the mass publicity of the case, that women weren't crying wolf all these years, because of "the murder of Nicole Brown ... the media would focus squarely on and

The Sitcom - Similarities between Ourselves and the Characters Essay

The Sitcom - Similarities between Ourselves and the Characters A sitcom, short for situation comedy, is a comic television series made up of episodes involving the same group of characters in a recurring situation. When watching a sitcom one sees characters deal with life in an unmethodical, irrational, but humorous style. The ability to bring laughter out of situations dates back to variety shows, but dedicating a whole program around a group of characters is fairly new considering the long history of comedy. By being situational, sitcoms tend to poke fun at or bring the irony out of certain issues in life, whether at home or in the workplace. Because many people encounter these problems everyday, designing comedy programs with characters who also deal with these problems is easy. Seeing these characters turn our problems into humor is sometimes uplifting. All of a sudden, the problem may not seem as serious. The types of problems that the characters deal with are what categorize a sitcom. Sitcoms like â€Å"Everybody Loves Raymond,† â€Å"All in the Family,† â€Å"My Wife and Kids,† â€Å"Happ...

Explain the way in which Duffy presents the strengths and limitations E

Explain the way in which Duffy presents the strengths and limitations of language in two poems. When drawing from both 'Warming Her Pearls' and 'Selling Manhattan' , it is evident that Carol Anne Duffy maintains a certain avant-garde approach to the vast array of possibilities that language presents. She acutely exposes the ambiguity that language holds in its meanings, presenting the reader with endless connotations to consider. Duffy also draws attention to its inability to fully express the extent of human emotions. Both of the above stated poems focus on societal and cultural stratification, with Duffy's use of language carefully designed to emphasise the distance between different social groups. 'Selling Manhattan' being a dramatic monologue, articulates the thoughts of the Dutch settler, Peter Minuit, who is reputed to have bought Manhattan from the North American Indians, for twenty-four dollars worth of glass beads, in 1626. A strong division and contrast exists when this is compared to the feelings of an indigenous North American Indian. Duffy uses language to demonstrate this contrast. In Minuit's glee, he states 'I got myself a bargain'. This heavily exhibits his rapacious attitude and his inability to consider the cost to others that his actions create. The value that he places on money is also shown. This is a key theme to the entire section, also entitled 'Selling Manhattan', with Duffy fiercely criticising the capitalist attitude to economics. Duffy's use of language with the words 'I ' and 'myself' in Minuit's stanza draws attention to just how self absorbed the Dutchman really is. When the reader is first introduced to the Indian a comparison is automatically made. The first line i... ...uses on intimate detail. It could also however be interpreted as being the result of an obscene and abnormal obsession. When considering that this poem is not based upon a modern society, holding modern values that are now far more accepting towards homosexuality, the ambiguity in the depth of this line creates a hindrance to any sympathy that a reader may feel. A reader may take on a similar attitude to that which is evident in the society that 'Warming Her Pearls' describes, perceiving an iniquitous abnormality. Additionally, as this possibility exists that her seeming love is in fact an obsession, the reader has no choice but to question their belief in her affections. The influence and energy of this poem is therefore abridged by this ambiguity, due to the lack of absolute meaning in language, as illustrated by the French philosopher, Jacques Derrida.

Language and Taboo Essay

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing this letter to complain about the episode 3 from the Season 13 of Modern Family where the small girl Lilly uses the f-word over and over again. This is unacceptable and inappropriate! I as a parent don’t want my child to hear the vulgar language on TV. TV programs have a special kind of effect on the children. This is so because they find the TV actors to be their role models. They want to wear the same clothes, act the same way and even talk the same way – basically live up to them. That’s why the script writers of the Modern Family need to be use appropriate word to express the ideas. I fully acknowledge that the f-word was used on purpose. If there is no other way to make the show funny, but to use inappropriate words, then I am sorry. But you need to keep in mind that the show is for the whole family to watch. I am so loud about this issue because a serious problem rose up in our family after watching the episode. Me and my family were all sitting in our living room and watching â€Å"Modern family†. When Lilly dropped the f-bomb, my younger son started laughing hard. As soon as the episode finished, he got up and stated: â€Å"What a f****ing good show it was. It was f****ing funny†. I was left speechless. Me and my wife had an hour long talk with him to explain how bad the f-word is and that he cannot use it in any circumstances. After listening for the hour-long harassment he turned to me and kindly asked â€Å"Dad, why can’t I use that bad word if Lilly can? † Dear reader, do you see where I am leading to? Lilly just showed him that using the word is completely okay and that it makes people lough out of it. Lilly’s dad laughed at each every time she pronounced the word. This is not right. That shouldn’t have been the reaction from her dad. This made my younger son Erik think that using the curse language is natural and funny. After watching the last episode yesterday, he got even more interested in watching the next episode. He is anxiously waiting for it because there is a chance of learning some new â€Å"nasty† words. On the other side, as You can assume, I will not stand still and will not allow him to watch the next episode because it is inappropriate for his age. Apparently, one family after another will realize the impact of the show on their children and will stop viewing it. I am sorry to say but You will be at a loss. According to a study by a university, â€Å"children exposed to profanity in the media think that such language is normal, which may reduce their inhibitions about using profanity themselves†. The study has shown that the children who are exposed to the vulgar language more often are more aggressive verbally and even physically. I as a parent don’t want my son to be caught by police because of assaulting someone on the road. Also, Erik can be beaten up by some elder boys if they hear him swearing at them. If anything of this kind happens, the responsibility lies on You! According to another research at the University of Bristol, â€Å"Swearing provokes a physical stress response which will increase the blood pressure level†. If my son starts using the f-word over and over, he might have high pressure and become a physically misbalanced person. None of the parents would like their son or daughter to have high pressure because of watching â€Å"Modern Family†. â€Å"Modern Family† is a show which should reduce the pressure by easing the life. The whole point of the show is to show how the modern family is different from past and make jokes about it. But making a small girl swear gives a complete opposite impression. Being a parent in this situation is a very tough job. It is very important to say the right thing at that moment. If a wrong message is given, then the child may go out of control. We never faced any problems of this kind with our elder son and so it is the first time we are having such a serious and vital conversation at home. For the future episodes please use appropriate language so that we could sit with the whole family and watch the series together again. We used to enjoy doing it. But now I am afraid that we can’t do it anymore due to the fear of inappropriate language. We managed to erase the f-word from the head of our young kid this time, but I am afraid the next time we won’t be able to do it anymore. So, we would plead you to revise your scripts and remove all the inappropriate vocabulary out of it. It is a show for all of us and lets not make fun of the swear words and stay away from them. They are not needed. There are many other ways to make people laugh and I am sure that your editors will be able to come up with some better ways to make people laugh.

Does FIFA Do Enough To Prevent Racism In Football

Racism; hatred or intolerance of another race or other races is unfortunately a very frequent occurrence around the world. Starting very early on, the belief that someone’s race is superior and has the right to rule others still takes place even to this day. Football, is a sport which should bring countries and races together to compete against each other. But this is not the case, the degree of Racism in football is simply unacceptable. From League 2 in England, to the FIFA World Cup it takes place on the pitch, in the stands and even on the internet.Many various organisations have attempted to prevent Racism in Football, including; Fà ©dà ©ration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) & Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). But are they doing enough? The most recent incident was on the 24th July 2013 where AC Milan left back Kevin Constant kicked the ball into the crowd and left the pitch after racist abuse was being chanted from the stands of the Sassuolo supporters while he was preparing to take a throw in. Constant's actions emulate those of Boateng’s where a similar scene occurred however the whole team walked off the pitch instead of the one player.While Boateng had plenty of support, it seemed that AC were much less supportive of Constant's decision to exit the pitch. The club said in a statement: â€Å"This was not a decision he should have taken upon himself to make. † After the situation had been reviewed by the FIGC (Italian Football Federation) Sassoulo were fined 30,000 euros for their fans actions, I fully support the decision to punish the club but aren’t others to blame for Constant’s decision to leave the pitch? Is this really going to stop the Racist remarks? The answer is absolutely not.FIGC’s solution did not directly affect the fans and therefore these scenes will undoubtedly keep occurring. Situations like this should be dealt with in the equitable way to abrogate Racism in foot ball and not just result in a careless fine. However this isn’t the worst part of the story. Constant was fined with 3,000 euros for is actions. This is an absolutely appalling decision, and could perhaps encourage supporters to carry on with racist remarks towards the players. Kevin Constant had every right to exit the pitch in the manor he did.On the other hand, FIFA -along with its employees and the football community- have showed that they’re currently unquestionably attempting to stop Racism in football and inside civilisation in general. FIFA has begun and presented events such as the FIFA Conference on Racism in Football, UN Anti-Racism Conference, and established its very first Anti-Discrimination Day on 7 July 2002. But this isn’t enough, FIFA have thought of many methods, but haven’t executed enough hands on tasks to cause any great effect. For example, the FIFA Disciplinary code was taken into place a few years ago.The code shows what happens i f the FIFA Statues -basic laws for world football- are violated. It applies to everyone involved in the football match being played but is everyone being caught out? Not everyone can be dealt with at one time, especially when multiple people join in Racist chants. Therefore I don’t see the Disciplinary Code as being an effective method to eliminate Racism from Football. UEFA work very closely with FARE (Football Against Racism In Europe) and give them a lot of aid in promotion, finance etc.I personally feel that have a much more effective method of preventing Racism. I feel this way because annually at 40 UEFA club competition matches, players are accompanied onto the field by children wearing Unite Against Racism T-shirts, while team captains wear matching armbands. I support this form of preventing racism because fans respect their club’s players and if they see the players supporting the fight against racism then they might think twice about shouting abuse at a play er with a different colour of skin. This method is also incredibly cheap and extremely effective.Considering the millions of pounds some of these respected organisations will have, purchasing t-shirts and armbands should not affect them financially in any way. There are multiple Racist incidents in Football and Kevin Constant’s wasn’t the worst. Standard Liege player Onyewu, stated that Anderlecht’s Jelle Van Damme called him a â€Å"dirty ape† under his breath during the first leg of a play off match. Onyewu alerted the white referee but no action was taken and he was ignored. Although this isn’t the worst of what happened on that match day.When Onyewu arrived at the stadium he was punched and shouted at by the opposition fans. These fans were unpunished and allowed to enter the stadium with nothing said. This is just one of many racist incidents in football which haven’t been dealt with correctly, the referee blatantly showed he was simply uninterested in Onyewu’s complaint. I believe that the referee should receive a long match ban and fine for his actions as he should have been one of the first to report the incident. As for the fans who physically attacked Onyewu, they deserved a permanent ban from going to any future matches.I personally feel that FIFA, FIGC, UEFA and all other major Football related organisations should work together to fight racism and not just focus on their own ways of preventing it. Every match should be promoting the act against racism, tickets, programmes and all forms of merchandise should have ‘Say No To Racism printed on them. Furthermore the punishments for violating the FIFA Disciplinary code should be stricter, fans should have a very long –or possibly life- ban from going to matches if caught and players, managers, match officials should be treated in the same manor along with a minimum fine of 40,000 pounds.

Experimental Psychology Research Paper Essay

The terms `counselling’ and `psychotherapy’ are often employed in a loosely interchangeable way, especially in Australia. Where distinctions are made, there has been little agreement on what each term should cover. This article examines several axes on which `counselling’ might potentially be distinguished from `psychotherapy’; the most promising basis for such a distinction seems to be whether or not the mode of work attempts to access the unconscious. On this basis, several modalities currently termed `therapy’ would in fact be classed as types of `counselling’, including those modalities of family therapy which aim to engage clients at the level of conscious behaviour change and restructuring. Consideration of how new professionals are trained lends support to a continuum, with short-term, problem-focused conscious-oriented approaches at one end, and longer-term, transference-focused, unconscious-oriented approaches at the other, the dividing line coming at the point where trainees learn the skill of `immediacy’. to feel uncomfortable making. My university offered two programs: a shorter Master of Education award in `Counselling’, and a longer Master of Arts award in Counselling Psychology, aiming to train `psychologists’ for clinical positions in Community Mental Health, where they would often be doing `psychotherapy’. Everyone seemed to know what the difference between `counselling’ and `psychotherapy’ was, although exactly what it consisted in was rarely addressed. An introductory course called `The Roles of Counsellor and Therapist’ set Impact and Change: A Study of Counseling Relationships (Kell and Mueller, 1966). The `counselling’ in this book seemed to have a lot to do with transference (though that term was not employed) and stressed the counsellor’s `use of the counsellor^client relationship’Ã ¶things that had rarely been mentioned in my Australian training in `counselling’. On the other hand, Family Therapy, my chosen specialty and enthusiasm back then, was `therapy’, despite the fact that most family therapists at the time rejected the whole idea of transference (for an exception, see Box, 1998), gave their clients straightforward behavioural homework and checked to see if they did it. How was this different from the `educational’ approaches in which my friends enrolled in the M.Ed. program were being trained? I did not fully sort out these things during my two years in the US. I returned in 1981 to an Australia still largely committed to `counselling’, only to see it adopt the term `therapy’ with remarkable speed over the next decade (the insistence of family therapists on calling themselves that, rather than `family counsellors’, no doubt being a contributing factor). Clearly, `psychotherapy’ is now regarded within the profession (and increasingly will be regarded outside it) as the more prestigious term: but what makes it so? A status distinction has arisen without any corresponding thinking-through of the content of that distinction.