Women during the Italian Risorgimento Research Paper

Women during the Italian Risorgimento - Research Paper Example However, as Schwegman suggests in the book titled, Amazons for Garibaldi: women warriors and the making of the hero of two worlds, the role of the women in the uprisings are rarely recognized (417). To demystify this perception, Scwegman offers us classical examples on how women participated in the war, starting with the Garibaldi’s first wife Anita and others who joined the Red Shirts (432). The women offered themselves to serve the Italians, despite many hurdles such as lack of support from the male populations. This paper examines ways in which the women population contributed to the Risorgimento, either by participating in the armed struggle or through indirect means. Before going into the main subject area, it will be pivotal to revisit some background information. Background Italian reunification, otherwise known as the Risorgimento, describes the period when the Italian embraced a sense of nationhood. The events that took place during the Risorgimento are inspired the F rench revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, which resulted to the colonization of some of the Italian provinces. While reunification took place in 1870, before then, most of the states were under either the Austrian or French rule. The first attempt to re-unify the states came in 1848, but it failed while second attempt took place in 1859. The Italian leaders relied heavily on the help of Napoleon III to drive out the Austrians in exchange of Nice and Savoy. The war between Piedmont and Austria broke out in 1859. The re-unification of Italy was impeded by many factors, including dominance of the Austrian forces, which ruled Lombardy and Venetia states. On the other hand, the French forces controlled the Southern Italian Kingdoms, and to defeat this powerful army, the Italian forces had to amass substantial foreign aid. Some of the key leaders who played an important role during the reunification include Victor Emmanuel, Cavour, Mazzini and Garibaldi. In addition, the Italians had to se ize the moment after the French forces were withdrawn during the Prussian war. In May 1860, a small army led by Garibaldi led a revolution, which led to the capture of the island of Sicily. The role of Garibaldi in the re-unification efforts through his small army of Red Shirts is highly recognized. The army, which was mainly composed of volunteers from Romagna, Lombardy, and Venetia, set sail in May 1960 for Sicily. After arrival of the Red Shirts, the army registered huge success within the first two months, although they were ill equipped. The re-unification for Italy would not recomplete without the re-capturing of the province of Venetia, which happened 1866 and thereafter the Papal States. This was made successful through the help of the Cavour, who encouraged riots and uprisings, thus giving the troops an opportunity to capture the Papal States. By the end of 1960, most of the states had been captured except Rome and Venetia, which at the time were heavily guarded by the Fren ch troops. The opportunity to recapture, these remaining areas presented itself in 1870 after the Franco-Prussian war broke out. In 1871, Rome became part of the large Italy and was made the capital city. The role of women in the army The role of women in Risorgimento is well captured in the documentary titled, three women of the Risorgimento, which was created and directed by Alessandra Ciotti. One of the figures that are highlighted in this moving documentary includes Antonietta De Pace, who is recognized as a founder of the Female Poetical Committee of Napoli. The organization helped the Garibaldi’s army in the mobilization of resources and actual execution of the military campaigners against the Austrians. Other key figures whose efforts are

Journal Article Summary and Application Essay Example for Free

Journal Article Summary and Application Essay This paper presents the summary of the article â€Å"Staff development and student learning: A synthesis of research on models of teaching† by Bruce Joyce, Beverly Showers and Carol Rolheiser-Bennett published in the Educational Leadership on October of 1987. The second half of the paper will discuss how the findings of this paper could be applied to real life situations. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that theoretical assumptions of the authors about staff development can actually be used to enhance curriculums that would result to increased student performance. Summary This article argues that staff development must be and can be used to develop school programs and curriculums that would result to increased student performance and better learning. The authors discussed that the recent developments in the field of staff development have been very useful in designing new educational programs for students because the findings of said research have provided educational leaders the guide to which staff development can enhance student learning, provided innovative ideas and programs for more student involvement and a wider application of the different learning models. The authors assumed that the theoretical models and program designs that could be adopted to effectively improve student performance would only work in as much as how effectively the staff has been developed and trained. Thus, for the authors, staff development should come first before any improvements or programs can be designed and developed. The most important aspect of the measure of student performance and improvement was the effect size. According to the authors, effect size is akin to the level of change or value that was supposed to have occurred due to an intervening process or variable. Effect size can be used to determine how much the improvement was relative to its original value, effect size is important because it could tell just how effective the intervention was in bringing about change. On the other hand, the authors also pointed out that high effect size is desired but often a small effect size for a large number of people is more desirable as it would bring about greater change. The authors also discussed the teaching models that have been found to have yielded promising results and those that have been applied successfully in some research studies. Social models of learning refers to group and cooperative learning against individual learning, it has been found that students who learn by cooperation and group work are more socially equipped, have better self-concept and positive attitudes to learning. The authors recommend that staff development on how to teach cooperative learning can actually lead to better academic performance. Information processing models make use of the learning process as the strategy to help students retain more information and learn more in a given period. The authors mentioned the use of advanced organizers and mnemonics, which both had been proven to increase student learning and output but this would require intensive training of teachers and a highly technical staff development program. The personal models refer to the use of person centered learning experiences; the authors said that synectics and nondirective learning would help students learn both academically and personally. However, some have argued that the personal models would likely have lesser academic impact because it focuses on the person. The behavioral models were taken from the work of Skinner and it makes use of the different behavioral methods such as programmed learning, conditioning, reinforcement and the like. Much research have actually found that behavioral methods are effective in increasing student performance and this have been the focus of many staff development programs. The authors also identified specific teaching methods that could be used to increase student performance across levels such as wait time and teacher expectation and student achievement. Wait time refers to the process of allowing students enough time to think about the teacher’s questions while teacher expectation says that there are differential treatments in the classroom. The authors conclude that designing staff development programs should make use of the most effective working models and strategies and that this should be the focus of administrators who wishes to see their schools improve. Application The article has pointed out several learning models that could be used effectively to enhance student learning and this could actually be applied to the design of staff development programs. The assumption here is that teachers could not teach what they do not have, and since these models are not the conventional models and traditional ones teachers have been trained to do, it is imperative that staff development be able to teach teachers the exact method and process for a more effective classroom experience. For example, a staff development program on using nondirective learning should start with an input on the theoretical and technical aspects of the model, and then a workshop on how to carry out classroom interaction within this model can be demonstrated to the teachers and then critiqued by the group and resource speaker. Then the second part of the training session would be to have the teachers design a lesson plan and demonstrate it to the group and a series of critiquing would also be done to help teachers see their weaknesses and strengths in using the model and then be able to make improvements. The experiential learning was used in this design as adult learners learn more effectively in this way. References Joyce Bruce, Showers, Beverly and Rolheiser-Bennett, Carol. â€Å"Staff Development and Student Learning: A Synthesis of Research on Models of Teaching. † Educational Leadership 45/2 (1987): 11-23.

Lush Company Structure

Lush Company Structure As an entrepreneurial venture, Lush company is acknowledged as the successful cosmetic retailer which is created by Mark and Mo Constantine in Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom under the name of Cosmetic House Limited in 1994 (Wikipedia, 2012). It was in 1995 that they adopted Lush as companys name due to the competition ran in the fledgling companys first handmade newsletter and catalogue. Nowadays, Lush company has almost over 820 stores in 50 countries all over the world (Lush Website, 2012). Product and service Lush companys products are: bath products, shower products, hair products, face and beauty products, body lotions and other products, perfume. But the innovation and highlights of the products in Lush company are: differentiation, communication, fresh ingredients, environmentally-friendly packing. Producers use the fresh fruits or vegetables to make different shaped products with different color for looking artisanal, which create the differentiation on the market. Besides, each producers name will be located on the products label for connecting the customer on the personal level and promoting the brand. Lush company also encourages the ethical value such as packing with the recycled materials (Marketline, 2008). According to the different types of innovation by Schumpeter (See Appendix1), Lush company belongs to type1 the introduction of a new or improved good or service (Paul Burns,2011). Service: Lush company not only provides the considerate service in the store but also providing the remade order for customer through the website. Consumers can also communicate with Lush through the publication of Lush Times (Lush Website, 2012). Business Model Stewart and Zhao (2000) define the model as a statement of how a firm will make money and sustain its profit stream over time. Therefore, the business model represents how the firm will be running. As Gary Hamel (2001) believes that there are four components of a business model, namely, core strategy (competition strategy), strategic resources( how a firm acquires and uses its internal and external resources), partnership network( suppliers, partners, other relationships), customer interface(how to interact with customers). For Lush Company, I the form below can illustrate its business model. Core strategy Business mission -We Believe (See appendix 2) Product Scope personal care products Basis for differentiation Use fresh ingredients and products are handmade Strategic resources Core competenciesunique style of retail, retain its original focus, we believeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Strategic assets- corporation culture, brand reputation, ethical beliefs Partnership network A private owned company with subsidiaries in global Customer interface Target customer- young adult women ages12-30, diverse customer due to divers products Fulfillment and support-natural ingredients and anti-animal testing trade Pricing structure- lower than the luxury brand like The Body Shop, higher than the products in the supermarkets. Target market A firms target market is the small number of group of individuals or business that it pursues or tries to appeal to in a certain time (Bruce R. and R. Duane Ireland, 2012).The primary target market of Lush focuses on the young adult women who ages 18-45, the urban adult women in highly populated cite, and the diverse market due to the diverse products. The second target market is the acquaintances of the primary target market (Kwilkison, 2012). Pricing strategy Price is the only component in the marketing mix that generates revenue, all other elements stand for costs( Kotler and Armstrong,2001). The most used methods to set the price of products for the entrepreneur are cost-based pricing and value-based pricing(Bruce R. and R. Duane Ireland, 2012). As Lush company uses the natural ingredients for handmade products, therefore, they price their products based on the costs rather than on what the market thinks it should receive. Compared with the local competitors and supermarkets, Lush products price a litter higher but less than the famous cosmetic company like Body Shop(Lush marketing project, 2012). Lush offers customers good value, most of their products varies from designing style and weight, which is also the value of products, therefore, Lush prices different item based on the ingredients and weight with high quality. Brand Management Branding contributes to the development of a company, a strong brand could become the powerful assets of a firm. As Bruce R. and R. Duane Ireland (2012) pointed that One of the keys to effective branding is to create a strong personality for a firm, designed to appeal to the chosen target market. Lush standardize its brand and stick to its value when globalize its market. Partners must use brand name Lush rather than translated local language like Chinese in Twian, Japanese in Japan((Schmitt, Pan and Tavassoli 1994; Tavassoli1999; Zhang and Schmitt, 2001). Concentrating on promoting brand value and emphasizing the beliefs of Lush, against animal testing, using fresh ingredients, making handmade products, protecting the planet, supporting communities and promoting happy people making happy soap (Marketline, 2008). Localization of subsidiaries on website, all the subsidiaries of Lush should share the common value with Lush but they can promote products with different methods for adapting to the local market(Ping-Kuan Lin, 2012). Route to market insource vs outsource Insource The insource of Lush can be understood as the internal competencies, mainly, the differentiation of products, the unique retail style. As those competencies could solidify the firms role in the external source and it lies at the heart of the business model (Applegate, 2001; Viscio and Pasternack, 1996). Minimum packagingusing recyclable and reusable materials as packaging, naked packing campaign(See appendix 3). Customizationinteracting with the customers through the publication of Lush Times. Ethical campaign replaces the advertising In August 21, 2008,Lush and Sea Shepherd launched Partnership Campaign to Protect Sharks(Wendy Evans,2009). Advertising by the smell and experience in store. Outsource Lush company encourages partners to invest in its firm and gives them exclusive rights to develop their brand, besides, they also embarked on single store franchising in some countries like France, Italy, Spain(Lush Website, 2012). E-strategy E-strategy is mainly shown form the firms website, the business models on the web that Lush used is the manufacturing model which uses the web to reach buyers directly and compressing the distribution channel. There are mainly three key parts on their web, purchasing part, customer-focus part, company propaganda part. Buyers purchase products through the categories on the web(See appendix4) Customer can reserve the limited products through section of Retro and find news of Lush on Lush Times(See appendix 5) Company information presented on the web intends to attract partners and connect the subsidiaries(See appendix 6) Funding As the firm grows, it requires a large amount of money to operate as the basis of serving the customers. In the beginning, Lush is private owned by Mark and Mo Constantine but with a small number of shares, with the expanding of the firm, Lush gradually relied on the funds of partners in the team, Andrew Gerrie one of the Lush partners said that Lush is funded by a team who started the business together with funds from a wealthy investor (Startups, 2002). Innovation of Lush It is important for the entrepreneur to have a good venture idea for running a business. Therefore innovation penetrates the whole process in the venture. Trott (2008) believes that innovation= theoretical conception + technical (or process) invention + commercial exploitation. For lush company, their business idea comes from the interests of Mark Constantine and Elizabeth Wire in beauty therapy, then they developed many recipes and sold them to other companies until 1976, they contracted with The Body Shop as one of their suppliers (Wikipedia,2012). For an entrepreneur, the innovation is not always a continuous process which will be influenced by the dramatic changes in the market, social, technology as well as the regulatory environments (Paul Burns, 2011). In order to keep innovative, in 2003, Lush company launched a new beauty brand and retail concept, B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful, there are only four shops of this brand located in UK, (Journal of MarketWatch, 2003). By keepi ng the small numbers of stores with a unique location, Lush could increase the desirability of products to customers and encourage the existing-consumers loyalty (Marketline, 2008). It is believed that in the future, Lush would emerge much more creative brand to satisfy the customers. Stick to the original focus In the intensive competition of the market, entrepreneurial ventures would come across the risk of takeover by the leader of the industrial, some of the firms will agree on takeover in order to make profits, for instance, Bees by Clorox, and The Body Shop by LOreal (Marketline, 2008). But, Lush still insist its independence and avoids any demands for takeover. Whats surprised me is that, as the best suppliers for The Body Shop, Mark and Mo Constantine didnt give into the compromise of Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop. If you were going to sell the leading ethical company in the world, there couldnt be a much worse choice than LOreal, (Mark Constantine quoted in Financial Times,2007). This comments showed that in order to retain their original focus, they will never accept takeover, and only the independent operation can facilitate the advancement of their brand. Recognizing and coping with risks It is believed that entrepreneurs are more intended to make decisions through the different using of information or employing heuristics and rules, depending on their instincts and intuition (e.g., Schwenk, 1986; Cooper et al., 1995; Forlani and Mullins, 2000). Therefore, it is important to recognize the risks of starting up the business. For Lush company, the previous years, the manager in the store have to forecasts the products demands for deciding the amounts of products, the lack of accurate predicting generated the risks of lost sales and lower customer services(Prophix, 2012). However, they uses the retro part of website to make sure the producing quantities of products based on the customers reservation, which greatly save the costs of sales to a great extent. Furthermore, since The Body Shop has been taken over, Lush has to consider its risks of being taken over by leader of cosmetic industry, while Mark Constantine considered forming a staff ownership scheme for its company, which can prevent the business takeover Lush to some extent (Marketline, 2008). Although it is agreed to make the staff become the stakeholders in the company, Mark Constantine does not approve to turn Lush into a public company due to his untrusting of shareholders decision-making capability. If a business goes public it has to consider its shareholders above all else. I realize the people you can trust most are your own staff, (The Guardian, 2007). It is a controversial issue that the staff may lack the ability to make a good business decisions. Learn from Mark Constantine- the successful entrepreneur As an entrepreneur, the personality plays an important role in growing the business, the second resource indicates five personality factors of an entrepreneur, namely extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability (Barrick etal., 1991). Constantine shows those traits through his success of Lush. Hiring strategy employ those who are passionate, enthusiastic, ethical. Never being frightened Mark Constantine once stated that I went through a period when I was a bit frightened of the business. People who have very corporate businesses are rather frightened of them. If youre frightened youre constantly putting in layers and fiddling about because you dont know what youre doing, (Kate Walters, 2010). Creativity Lush holds 38 patents and Mark is proud of his focus, the continual supervising of products makes the company less vulnerable to innovative competitors (Kate Walters, 2010). Specific makes the entrepreneurial venture success Sheth et al (2000)state: The fundamental precepts of marketing remain unchanged, but more attention must be given to specific areas, such as customization and one-to-one approaches, which indicates the entrepreneur should follow the structure of the business and concentrate on the specific issues. Indeed, Lushs intense focus on customization, innovation of products and dynamic methods of promoting bring benefits of growing its business and facilitate the victory of the market.

Relationship Between Stress and Physical Illness

Relationship Between Stress and Physical Illness Nadine Thompson Outline and evaluate research investigating the link between stress and physical illness. The presence of stress has been identified as an important attribute to psychological well-being. However, through a considerable quantity of research, Psychologists have suggested that psychological encounters are capable of altering various aspects of the immune response. Supporting this, Frese (1985) suggested that stress is frequently involved in 50-70% of all physical illness (McIlveen, Gross, 1996, p.171). Therefore, it will be deliberated that Seyle’s research led to the development of psychoimmunology; which is an area of study investigating the relationship between psychological factors and the immune system of the body. (Hayes, 2000, p.404) This essay will analyse and combine empirical knowledge referring to psychological stress and the human immune system while emphasising relevant psychological research and composing evaluative conclusions from the information provided. To begin with, one must be required to consider what is meant by the term â€Å"stress† and the significance this component has on an individual. As stated by Lazarus and Folkman (1984), the definition of stress is â€Å"a pattern of negative physiological states and psychological responses occurring in situations where people perceive threats to their well-being which they may be unable to meet.† (McIlveen, Gross, 1996, p.169) Subsequently, Lazarus and Folkman’s definition of stress is largely accepted by those active in the area of research in this field, thus admitting further research by psychologists to establish the psychological effects of stress. While considering this, the consequences of stress induced on the body must be investigated. The immune system is a mechanism designed to protect and defend the body against antigens such as viruses, bacteria, toxins, and parasites. (Cardwell, Flanagan, 2012, p.136) To guarantee maximum performance, this intricat e system is attained through the release of two types of lymphocytes; B cells and T cells. (Cardwell, Flanagan, 2012, p.136) Therefore, the purpose of the B cell is to produce antibodies which will destroy invading viruses, and the T cell assists the B cell in making antibodies, therefore, destroying invading cells which have initially survived an attack from the B cell. (Science Museum, 2014) As a result, when an individual is stressed it will leave them more susceptible to infection because the immune system is unable to eliminate antigens. Seyle (1956), who was predominantly interested in the body’s resistance to prolonged exposure in stressful situations, either through physical illness or psychological causes, identified the response to long-term stress through humans and animals. To do this he used a model known as the ‘General Adaptation Syndrome’. (Hayes, 2000, p.403) As a result of this, Seyle categorised three key stages of bodily reaction during stressful occurrences. The initial stage is the â€Å"alarm† stage which stimulates the body to release adrenaline, which is then followed by a state of â€Å"resistance†, where the body’s resources are used quicker than they are restored. Consequently, as the individual enters the final stage of â€Å"exhaustion† or also known as the â€Å"burnout† stage, the probability of developing a stress related illness significantly increases. (McIlveen, Gross, 1996, p.170) Although Seyle’s findings were based upon st ressors, internal and external sources of stress, (Lawton, Gross, Rolls, 2011, p.1115) produced in non-human animals, therefore making the results non-applicable to human beings, they were still exceedingly recognised to offer a useful approach for other psychologists in their research into the interpretation of the physiological responses to a stressor. Alternatively, Merson (2001) states that the three stages which the body reacts to, is a result of the presence of a stressor. Additionally, Merson suggested that the performance of the immune system remains at a regular level throughout the onset of stress. (Bartley, 2013, p.27) Consequently, if the stressor continues, then the immune system’s ability to perform reaches its maximum point. However, performance is at its lowest point if the stressor becomes chronic. In support of Merson’s theory, several psychological studies have emphasised the observation that short-term stress does not always decrease the functioning of the immune system, but can in fact sometimes enhance it. One of these studies, performed by Dhabhar and McEwen (1997, 2001), ascertained that the immune system is roused as a result of the â€Å"fight or flight† response. (ncbi, 2006) A term signifying an individual’s psychological innate energised response to an intimidating situation, t o either fight or run away, basically meaning an overall state of readiness. In an experiment exposing mice to mild stress over a two hour period, Dhabhar also revealed, that large distribution of immune cells was composed by three hormones released by the adrenal gland. These hormones were norepinephrine, epinephrine and cortocosterone. (Wood, 2012) Following this, he discovered a pattern of choreographed changes in blood levels within these three hormones, exemplifying how the immune cells from areas such as spleen and bone marrow were compelled to move to â€Å"front line† organs. Therefore suggesting that, short-term stressors can in fact boost the performance of the immune system. However, the psychological responses of a non-human animal cannot be used to explain human performance. Additionally, Evans et al. (1994) studied the activity of an antibody known as slgA, which helps prevent infection. (Cardwell, Flanagan, 2012, p.137) Evans et al. organised a talk to be given to students by other students, resulting in mild but acute stress. Although these students showed signs of an increase in slgA, they reduced during examination periods extending over several weeks Furthermore, Malarkey et al. (1994) proposed that marital arguments lead to weaker immune system functioning, following the study of 90 newly-wed couples. As a result, it was suggested that stress has two effects on the immune system; acute stress enhances it, whereas chronic stress reduces it. However, Kiecolt-Glaser et al (1984) carried out a natural experiment to examine the effects of long-term stressors and find out if there was a difference in the immune response of individuals in low and high stress conditions. It was predicted that immunosuppression, measured by the quantity of natural killer cell or T cell activity, would reduce when stress levels were increased. (Lawton, Gross, Rolls, 2011, p.120) Therefore, blood samples were taken from 75 volunteer first-year medical students, 26 females and 49 males, one month before their final exams and again on the first day of their exams, following two examinations. (Lawton, Gross, Rolls, 2011, p.120) These were presumed to be periods of low and high stress. The students were also provided with questionnaires, such as the Social Readjustment Rating Scale [SRRS] (docstoc, 2010) to assess any psychological symptoms which may have been present. As predicted, the findings emphasised that the blood samples taken after the exami nations, contained a declined number of T cells and the immune response was suppressed in participants who suffered from psychological variables. Consequently, Kiecolt-Glaser et al concluded that the examination stress alone did in fact weaken the functioning of the immune system as the participants had a reduced amount of natural killer cells. It had also become apparent that life events, depression, loneliness, and anxiety were all results of a weakened immune response and therefore can be contributed from stress. As a result, it is important to highlight that although Kielcolt-Glaser’s study is a natural experiment, and thus high in ecological validity, which is a term that refers to whether or not a study can generalise from reserved conduct in a laboratory to natural behaviour in the real world, (Hartas, 2010, p.77) it also lacks control over confounding variables, such as caffeine, nicotine, medication and so on as it’s carried out in natural surroundings. As a result, it cannot be guaranteed that stress led to the immune response as elements that were not controlled could be accountable.

Effects of Gender on Education Essay -- Gender Education Sexuality Med

Effects of Gender on Education This topic is also well discussed in many of the standard textbooks, but a bit unevenly and a bit oddly. Thus Haralambos and Holborn (1990), or Barnard and Burgess (1996) have good sections specifically on gender and educational achievement. However, rather strangely, the section on education is treated almost entirely as a sort of empirical matter and not linked very well to the other admirable sections on gender generally, or gender in the family or work sections. This is especially odd in the Bilton et al (1996) classic, written by a team that includes a prominent feminist (M Stanworth) and which has good sections on genderas an organising pespective in the theory and methodology chapters. So, one suggestion is to take the material specifically on gender in education, but to read up the topics more widely and generally in the other relevant chapters as well. As before, I'll try to show how this might be done via my own glosses and interests: Early work focused on female underachievement in the formal education system, which was (finally) considered to be as much of a 'dysfunctional' outcome as underachievement by working class kids ( see file on connections between educational policy and functionalist models of stratification). If the educational reforms of the period in Britain after World War 2 were designed to make sure the most talented kids got to the highest levels of achievement, we would expect as many girls as boys to hit those levels -- selective schools, sixth-form, examination success, university entrance or whatever. This was clearly not the case in the 1950s and 1960s. These gender differences began to be explained initially using the same sort of factors that had been used to explain working-class underachievement. 1. Early theories suggested that females were not as able or as intelligent as males, and there is still a lot of stuff around on relative brain sizes or supposedly innate cognitive limits. There are obvious objections to this view too, of course -- such as that the tests of intelligence are likely to be value-laden. Equally, there is a methodological problem, one which runs through all the work on gender that involves biological explanations - biological accounts are reductionist in that they try to reduce a number of complex social differences to one simple set of biological differ... ... Hutchinson Hammersley M (ed) (1986) Case Studies in Classroom Research, Milton Keynes: Open University Press Hammersley M and Woods P (eds) (1984) Life in School, Milton Keynes: Open University Press Haralambos M and Martin M (1990) Sociology: themes and perspectives, London: Collins Education Harris D (1987) Openness and Closure in Distance Education, Basingstoke: Falmer Press Kaplan A (1987) Rocking Around the Clock, London: Methuen Kinder M (1991) Playing with Power in Movies, TV and Video Games, Los Angeles: University of California Press McRobbie A and Nava A (eds) (1984) Gender and Generation, London: Macmillan Mulvey L (1982) 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema' in Bennett T et al (eds) Popular Television and Film, London: BFI in association with the Open University Press Sharpe S (1976) Just Like a Girl, Harmondsworth: Penguin Waites B et al (1981) Popular Culture: past and present, London: Croom Helm Whyld J (ed) (1983) Sexism in the Secondary Curriculum, London: Harper and Row Willis P (1977) Learning to Labour, Farnborough: Saxon House Woods P and Hammersley M (eds) Gender and Ethnicity in Schools : ethnographic accounts, London: Routledge

My Obsession :: Personal Narrative essay about myself

My Obsession I often wonder about myself: why does this obsession of mine drive me to such an extreme? Why does the right side of my brain surface in such a manner that even I can't understand? Is it out of boredom? Or is it overzealous creativity? What I'm talking about is decorating. Not just normal decorating (I do that well) but outrageous, full-blown theme decorating. Using vibrant colors, with a unique style, I express my whimsical personality. What makes this type of decorating so much fun is that the more outlandish and obscure it is, the more I am driven to take it to its fullest potential. I can't remember how it all started, but it seems to have taken on a life of its own. Perhaps the small lawn sculpture shaped like a cheery Santa triggered the avalanche under which I find myself today. Looking into his electric blue eyes I was put into a hypnotic frenzy. I soon realized this loveable, jolly fellow required companionship on my front lawn. On my next jaunt to the Christmas shop, I found the most adorable reindeer to join my Santa. But wait, I couldn't buy just one; Santa had 8 reindeer. Now they needed a sled to haul, and it had to be big enough for Santa and all of his packages. A beautiful holiday display was finally emerging in front of my house. What a shame that it was only visible during daylight hours. I needed to illuminate this Yuletide scene with lights, lots of lights! I found myself back at "Holiday Central" charging 3,000 of the brightest bulbs General Electric had to offer. I hung blue lights and white lights, chaser lights, and twinkling lights. There were so many lights my electric bill tripled during the month of December. I could have caused a power outage affecting houses and shops within a one-mile radius. This newborn obsession wasn't limited to the holiday season. It seemed to have spilled over like a waterfall into my backyard. A tropical paradise was materializing before my eyes. I fell in love with those tacky pink flamingos often sighted in trailer parks or senior communities. These long-legged birds shade themselves from the searing sun under a pair of plastic palm trees, and occasionally quench their thirst at the tiki bar.

Retributive Justice Essay

Retributive justice is a very pronounced element in Charles Dickens’ novel, Oliver Twist. Common knowledge to the experienced reader, Dickens was a man of sarcasm, who played on words and had a very straightforward, honest way of writing, unlike most of his characters’ personalities. Oliver Twist, who led a twisted lifestyle as a young boy, was influenced by various people: some good, some bad. Like karma, Dickens made sure to give the dishonest, viciously cruel characters what they truly deserved, which may have been just about the only honest thing to happen in their lives. Some of these characters who were treated the way they treated others, or who got what they deserved, were Mr. Bumble, Bill Sikes, Monks, as well as Fagin. Without retributive justice being a key element in Dickens’ novel, its classic success in the world of literacy would be virtually non-existent. One of the novel’s characters, who is most present at the beginning of the story, was a victim of one of Dickens’ swift acts of retributive justice. Mr. Bumble was a self-absorbed, arrogant beadle, who thought rather highly of himself. He was a member of the workhouse in which Oliver was born. He was also a member of a Christian church, who preached about the moralities of Christians, yet bluntly contradicted himself with the manner in which he treated his paupers. He was cruel, the complete opposite of understanding, and showed absolutely no signs of compassion towards the people under his care. Dickens used his great understanding and knowledge in the use of name symbolism in the beadle’s name, â€Å"bumble†, to say that he stings like a bumblebee. Bumblebees may seem cute and fluffy on the outside, but when they sting, they hurt, much like Mr. Bumble’s personality. Dickens demonstrates Mr. Bumbles’ cold-hearted, stinging personality when h e says: Oliver fell to his knees, and clasping his hands together, prayed that they would order  him back to the dark room- that they would starve him- beat him- kill him if they pleased- rather than send him away with the dreadful man. Read more:  Essay About Justice Denied is Justice Delayed â€Å"Well!† said Mr. Bumble, raising his hands and eyes with most impressive solemnity. â€Å"Well! of all the artful and designing orphans that ever I see, Oliver, you are one of the most bare-facedest†. (Dickens 46) He received Dickens’ generous retributive justice when he ran away with Mrs. Corney, the matron of the workhouse, where Oliver was born. Mrs. Corney was basically in charge of the workhouse and put Mr. Bumble in his place when he entered. He decided to try to order the ladies around after seeing them chatting amongst each other and Mrs. Corney wanted none of it. She quickly dismissed his, self-declared power, in front of all the workers. â€Å"I’ll tell you what, Mr. Bumble,† returned his lady. â€Å"We don’t want any of your interference. You’re a great deal too fond of poking your nose into things that don’t concern you, making everybody in the house laugh the moment your back is turned, and making yourself loo k like a fool every hour in the day. Be off; come!†. (Dickens 324) This is an example of one of Dickens’ acts of retributive justice because Mr. Bumble – who’s used to having the authority and power that came with him being a beadle – was quickly and painfully taken away of the power he thought he had gained, by marrying Mrs. Corney. Another example of Dickens’ mischievous acts of retributive justice occurs to Bill Sikes. Sikes considered himself a â€Å"professional† burglar, which wouldn’t be so bad if being a burglar could be considered anything positive. He was brought up in Fagin’s gang and trained by Fagin, himself. Sikes is Nancy’s so-called, â€Å"lover†. He treats this young woman with a rather odd combination of cruelty and envious affection. Sikes gets the real sense of Dickens’ capabilities in his use of retributive justice after he brutally murders Nancy. While trying to avoid an angry mob of people, who have recently discovered that his identity is a match to Nancy’s murderer, he then accidentally hangs himself. Not only does his name imply that Sikes is somewhat psychotic, but he proves this to the readers. While attempting to evade the angry mob, he decides to climb up through buildings, rather than away. He ties a rope to swing to another roof-top, but mistakenly and regretfully hangs himself. Staggering as if struck by lightning, he lost his balance and tumbled over the parapet. The noose was on his neck. It ran up with his weight, tight as a bow-string and swift as the arrow speeds. He  fell for five-and-thirty feet. There was a sudden jerk, a terrific convulsion of the limbs; and there he hung, with the open knife clenched in his stiffening hand. (Dickens 453) Dickens couldn’t have used retributive justice any better. He literally allowed Sikes through his clever writing abilities get treated the way he treated another person. Although, Sikes’ death was somewhat more brutal than Nancy’s he could have easily prevented his own death, had he not chosen to take his â€Å"lover’s† life. Dickens’ didn’t just give the readers two scenes with acts of nemesis. On the contrary, he gave the readers numerous ones, some less apparent, dramatic or damaging than others, yet still present. One example of the less apparent demonstrations of Dickens’ power with retributive justice happened to Monks, whose formal name is Edward Leeford. Monks, who happens to be Oliver Twist’s half-brother through their father’s side, was awarded part of Mr. Leeford’s estate after his passing. Oliver was rightfully entitled to a portion of the estate, but on the condition that the family name’s reputation hadn’t gone wrong. Monks, by concealing Oliver’s true identity, along with his plan to give the young boy a bad reputation, prevented Oliver from being awarded his fair share. When Mr. Brownlow approached Monks about the will, Monks denied everything Mr. Brownlow had mentioned and stated the following sentence: â€Å"’I have n o brother,’ replied Monks. You know I was an only child. Why do you talk to me of my brother? You know that as well as I’† (Dickens 434). In the end though, with the help of Mr. Brownlow, Dickens permits Oliver to be awarded his share of the estate, by forcing Monks to give Oliver his share. A final act of nemesis, or retributive justice on Dickens’ part, occurs when Fagin is hanged for his crimes against the children he trained to be pickpockets and thieves. Fagin, who was a criminal by career, bought and sold, even traded stolen goods that the young children he had trained, stole. Fagin even stated: â€Å"Ah†¦ They- they’re mine, Oliver; my little poverty. All I have to live upon, in my old age. The folks call me a miser. Only a miser, that’s all† (Dickens 90). When Fagin said this, Dickens’ made sure that it was obvious to the reader that he was being very sarcastic. Towards the ending of the book – even though he had rarely committed the  crimes himself – Fagin is awarded his piece of justice that backfired with his previous statement, when he is hanged behind bars. In conclusion, Dickens was probably one of the greatest authors of all classic literature; not only for his novels and other pieces of literature, but also for the various ways he easily incorporated literary components: pathetic fallacy, verbal irony and sensory appeal. More particularly, his use of nemesis and retributive justice in his works such as this novel, Oliver Twist, is what made him such a great writer. From Mr. Bumble to Fagin and all other characters in between, like Monks and Sikes, Charles Dickens didn’t hold back any of his talents. This let the readers truly get involved in the reading of this novel and also keeping them from wanting to put the book down, until they had absorbed every last word of his clever and humoristic abilities.