Hamlet Rosencrantz and Guildenstern :: Shakespeare Hamlet

Hamlet Rosencrantz and Guildenstern This procrastination cannot be due to an instinctive and fastidious repugnance to killing, for Hamlet kills Polonius, and Laertes, and in the end the King himself; and he dispatches Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their doom with true alacrity. Whence then does it come? The answer will be found by examining all these cases. And before them all, let us look at those two lines in 1.4. unhand me gentlemen, By heaven I'll make a ghost of him that lets me! It is one of the key points in the drawing of his character. When it comes to doing what he is determined to do, he will not hesitate to kill even his closest friend, for Horatio is one of the gentlemen whom he threatens sword in hand. Hamlet's spontaneous tendencies are therefore essentially individualistic; and, the point must be emphasized, not even death of others, if need be, will stand in his way. This the Hamlet whose behavior towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern we are now to study. They were his friends, and we know from his mother that he had much talked of them and that two men there are not living To whom he more adheres. The two young men receive from the King a commission which, whatever the King's secret intentions may be, is honorable. Hamlet, the King in fact tells them, is not what he was. The cause of the change "I cannot dream of." Therefore, I beg you so by your companies To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather So much as from occasion you may glean Whether aught to us unknown afflicts him thus That opened lies within our remedy. Guildenstern's words show that the two young men understand their work in an irreproachable way: Heaven make our presence and our practices Pleasant and helpful to him. They enter upon their new duties at a later stage in the same scene. Cordial and lighthearted, the meeting of the three young men leads to some fencing of wits on ambition; for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who know nothing about King Hamlet's murder, naturally assume that the trouble with Hamlet is frustrated ambition (and so in part it is): Hamlet, of course, parries, and as he tries to move off, his two companions, in strict obedience to their master, the King, say: "We'll wait upon you.

Essay --

This article by Shakoor et. al, (2011) is a longitudinal study of children’s theory of mind and adolescent involvement in bullying. Theory of mind (ToM) is a prediction of everyday behaviors based on a person’s mental state. Understanding of false beliefs is a Core ToM, which has usually developed by age 4. By age 7 more advanced skills develop including embedded mental states (‘what he thinks what she thinks’) and understanding that emotions can influence other people’s beliefs. Developing these skills are important for shaping healthy social interactions and can be important with decoding social cues as well as being able to adjust behaviors. Therefore, those that are delayed in developing ToM could be exposed to social interactions that are negative; because of this they may find it difficult to establish good relationships during their life (Shakoor et al., 2011, p. 254). The major research of this study was whether or not children who were involved in bullying during adolescence had poor ToM in childhood. The theory being tested was that poor childhood ToM can cause bullying during early adolescence. Bullying effects on average 27% of adolescents and children every year. This is a negative social experience that happens worldwide. Children who do not have good ToM are at a greater risk to become involved in bullying situations. This is because ToM skills support social interactions. Children with poor ToM do not have a good understanding of the emotions and intentions of other people. This puts at risk the children’s ability to perceive social signals that reveal nonreciprocal interactions, which puts the child at risk of being subjugated or victimized. Poor ToM can also affect children’s ability to be able to stand up for th... ...ying, they just took the word of the teachers and the mother. Also if the children hang out with kids at school who are bullies that would influence them to be bullies as well regardless of ToM. I found that the conclusion of the article made sense based on the data of the study. The conclusion stated what should be done to help prevent bullying and listed some training strategies to help improve children’s ToM. The authors named all the limitations that I can think of. The main one being that the study does not generalize to all children because the data only came from twins. For future research studies they can compare the data collected from the twins with data collected from children who are not twins. Also they can collect data on what type of bullying was taking place with each child whether it was relational or physical (Shakoor et al., 2011, p. 259 & 260).

“by the Waters of Babylon” vs Epic of Gilgamesh.

â€Å"By the waters of Babylon† Vs Epic of Gilgamesh. A lot of stories concerning religions and cultures have lot of similarities and differences, despite the fact that they are not from the same era of time. Humans used these stories and writings to express their culture and religious views. â€Å"By the Waters of Babylon† is very similar to the writings of the Mesopotamian writings in The Epic of Gilgamesh more specificlay â€Å"The story of the flood† and â€Å"The Return†.These similarities include many gods in both, a unique quality in the characters of both than can include â€Å"born to greatness†, people of both writings lead to their death themselves, John and Gilgamesh Come home with lessons. etc In most of all ancient influences, there are characters in the stories, who are born to some kind of greatness, or we can say, a special type of person.In â€Å"By the Waters of Babylon† when John and his father goes to the dead places, Joh n, explains that only priest can touch metal and are believed to have special powers that no other normal human being would have , â€Å"and then he who touches the metal must be a priest or the son of a priest† (Benet 75). This shows how is John born to greatness, being the son of a priest and can touch metal wherever he wants. The priests are believed to have special powers that no other normal human being would have.This compares to the Epic of Gilgamesh, when Author of Epic of Gilgamesh said â€Å"Two thirds they made him god and one third man† (Prologue). This shows how Gilgamesh was born to greatness by having 1/3 characteristics of man and 2/3 of god and this compares the born to greatness in both the writings . Some religions and cultures believe in one god; monotheistic religions, and others believe in many gods; polytheistic religions.In â€Å"By the Waters of Babylon† Benet’s main character, John, speaks of The Place of the Gods, â€Å"It is f orbidden to cross the great river and look upon the place that was the Place of the Gods –this is most strictly forbidden† (75). When speaking of gods house means multiple gods, this shows that the religion in which John follows is polytheistic and worships many gods. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh speaks of the names of the gods, means a lot of gods ,â€Å"There was Anu, lord of the firmament, their father, and warrior Enlil their counselor, Ninurta the helper, and Ennugi watcher over canals† (N.K. Sandars 25). This shows that the Mesopotamians and people from â€Å"By the Waters of Babylon† were both polytheistic and believed in multiple gods. Almost in all writings there are lessons or message that characters learns in the end ,the same thing happened in our story, where ,Gilgamesh and John both learned lessons in the end of their voyage or journey . In â€Å"By the waters of Babylon† when john returns from the Place of Gods ,â€Å"But they are men who build the city, not dos or demons. †John says â€Å"They are men . I remember a dead man’s face† (Benet 85).This shows how John came home with a message, about the ,City of the Gods, that it is really New York City, and the gods were actually humans, so they have nothing to fear. And on the other side, Gilgamesh also comes home with a lesson which is that immortality is not obtained by some flower or going on a journey but you can be in hearts of the tourists and explorers but making your name fame , which Gilgamesh does but making Uruk’s walls and being in the hearts of people forever. And so, with that it proves a lesson learned in both writings.

Amir character in the novel “The Kite Runner” Essay

The character of Amir goes through drastic changes as he moves from adolescence to adulthood. As a child Amir begins his life in Kabul, where his character is shaped through conflicts with his father and Hassan. Later, when he moves to America he leaves these conflicts behind and is able to create a stronger relationship with his father. However, when Amir is an adult he is called back to Afghanistan by an old friend to confront these earlier conflicts. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, observable changes can be seen in Amir’s character as he moves from Kabul, Fremont, and later back to Kabul. In the beginning of the novel one encounters a self-centered young boy, who lives a notably privileged life. He has a great friend, his father is wealthy, and he belongs to the upper social class in Afghanistan. However, a troubled relationship with his father deprives him of the affection he longs for, which he blames on himself. He believes Baba wishes he was more like him, and that Baba holds him responsible for killing his mother, who died during his birth. For example, when Baba tells Rahim Khan that, â€Å"If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of wife with my own eyes, I’d never believe he’s my son† (Hosseini 25). As a result Amir behaves jealously toward anyone receiving Baba’s affection, especially Hassan. This causes Amir to resent bringing Hassan around Baba, even if it’s just for a short time. This is evident when Amir states, â€Å"He asked me to fetch Hassan too, but I lied and told him Hassan had the runs. I wanted Baba all to myself† (Hosseini 14). Although they are best friends, Amir feels that Hassan is beneath him because he is his Hazara servant. For instance, after the rape of Hassan Amir tries to justify his actions by stating that, â€Å"He was just a hazara, wasn’t he?† (Hosseini 82). At the same time, Amir never learns to defend himself or anyone else because Hassan always did it for him. After Hassan’s rape Amir realizes this explaining, â€Å"I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me† (Hosseini 82). As Amir departs for America his character can be described as selfish and cowardly. When Baba and Amir arrive in Fremont his character changes considerably.  Amir adapts easier to life in America than Baba and no longer sees him as a legendary father but as a simple man. For example, when Baba becomes angry at a store clerk for asking to see his I.D. Amir is able to calm him down and defuse the situation. Amir explains to the store clerk that, â€Å"My father is still adjusting to life in America† (Hosseini 135). This new life helps Amir forget about Kabul and the sins he committed against Hassan. Amir reveals, â€Å"For me, America was a place to bury my memories† (Hosseini 129). In Fremont, Baba turns his attention to raising Amir, without the distractions of his business or Hassan to interfere with their new special connection. Amir has never been happier, not only from the new bond between him and Baba, but from his new wife as well. The marriage of Soraya and Amir can be seen as another substantial step in Amir’s maturity. Before the marriage Soraya told Amir about her struggle with her past relationship. Amir jealously announces after hearing this, â€Å"I envied her. Her secret was out â€Å"(Hosseini 174). When Soraya tells him this he envies the relief she must feel, which urges him to seek redemption with Hassan. Baba’s death can be seen as the final step in Amir’s journey of becoming a young adult because he understands that he will no longer be defined as Baba’s son. Amir realizes this when he says, â€Å"Baba wouldn’t show me the way anymore; I’d have to find it on my own† (Hosseini 188). Shortly after Baba’s death, his old friend Rahim Khan calls him to come back to Afghanistan to finally make amends. As Amir begins his journey back to Afghanistan, his character can be defined as empathic and loving. Once back in Kabul, Amir takes steps he would never have imagined, which truly define his character. On his venture back to Afghanistan he learns the truth about Hassan’s connection with Baba. After hearing this Amir feels robbed of the truth and is angry at how his own father could hold this back from him. Despite his feelings, Amir realizes he must not only pay for his betrayal of Hassan but for Baba’s betrayal of Ali too. Amir knows he must face his fears and he understands this when he reveals, â€Å"I remembered Baba saying that my problem was that someone had always done my fighting for me† (Hosseini 239). Following this he undertakes a personal mission to find Sohrab and finds the courage to stand up to the Taliban, nearly dying in the process. During his quest Amir comes face to face with the disturbing Assef  and fights him for Sorab, the ultimate sacrifice for his dead half-brother. While he is beaten he begins to laugh, which angers Assef even more. Amir explains that, â€Å"What was so funny was that, for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace† (Hosseini 303). After successfully bringing Sohrab back to California, Amir defends his Hazara nephew when General Taheri insults him. Over the dinner table Amir replies curtly, â€Å"you will never again refer to him as ‘Hazara Boy’ in my presence. He has a name and its Sohrab† (Hosseini 380). In the end, Amir finds himself flying a kite with Sohrab. As they fly the kite together the lifeless, empty look leaves Sohrab’s eyes and a half smile suddenly appears on his face. Amir exclaims, â€Å"The glassy vacant look in his eyes was gone. His face was a little flushed, his eyes suddenly alert† (Hosseini 389). Amir can now smile at his not so perfect past because he feels he has redeemed himself and his father. As the novel ends, Amir’s character can be characterized as selfless, brave, and compassionate. Amir’s character changes remarkably from when he is a young boy to a grown man. In Kabul, Amir’s character is damaged and he can be seen as a villain after incidents with Hassan. Once in Fremont, he is able to step away from these old sins and re-shape his character into a more loving one. Finally, when Amir returns to Kabul, he is able to seek redemption and become the perfect version of himself. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, noticeable changes can be seen in Amir’s character as he transitions from a young boy to a grown man between Kabul and Fremont.

Communication and professional relationships with children Essay

Understand the principles of developing positive relationships with children, young people and adults 1.1 Explain why effective communication is important in developing positive relationships with children, young people and adults Working with children requires you to build relationships with them, but also in ways that are professional. The quality of the relationship that you have with children, young people and adults has a huge effect on the way in which you can then work with them and encourage learning and behaviour. Positive relations with children and young people are important because when children and young people feel more comfortable in the relationships they have with you they can then separate themselves more from anxieties or trust that you will support them with these in order for them to learn more effectively and met their targets. They will also feel more confident in participating in school, learning activities and learn to become more independent physically and emotionally. 1.2 Explain the principles of relationship building with children, young people and adults The main principles of relationship building with children, young people and adults is to gain their confidence within you as well as them feeling more comfortable in your company. If children, young people and adults feel more comfortable with your company then they are likely to communicate more openly and effectively. In order to building positive relationships with all you need to consider the following key points: You are demonstrating effective clear communication ? Understanding and consideration ? Retain the information that they have disclosed to you ? Listening skills ? Maintain humour remaining professional at all times ? Respect 1.3 Explain how different social, professional and cultural contexts may affect relationships and the way people communicate. When you are looking at your relationship with your different client (age) groups you need to consider the following areas, the context that you speak and in which you work with individuals. You may need to adapt the way you communicate with one individual to others. I think that sometimes you do this without thinking at work and within my role I complete this automatically with the children I work with as well as my immediate colleagues. I can evidence this in the use of language that I would speak to a child to an adult. There would be a more formal language to colleagues / adults then there would to children and the vocabulary used may also be more in depth and less simplified. Within my organisation there is a certain set format of which we deliver communication and this is also set out in communicating outside of face to face contact such as telephone, emails and correspondence. There also needs to be a view to the way we communication to individuals that may have a different cultural. In communicating with all people there needs to be train of thought all the time considering how we are being portrayed and to make sure that a polite manner is delivered as well as comfortable and open body language, in all this considered then this would enable you to have effective relationships with all and in turn strength your working relationships with all and help deliver the role that you are required to complete more effectively. Understand how to communicate with children, young people and adults Understand the principles of developing positive relationships with children, young people and adults 2.1 Explain the skills needed to communicate with children and young people You will demonstrate through your working role a number of skills in order to communicate effectively with the children and young people you work with and more often enough you will complete these without realising. It is good practice to reflect back on your skills and make sure you are communicating correctly. When communicating with children, young people and adults you should always give them opportunities to speak. Some children, young people and adults may have confidence issues so it is important to work on this with the individual and make sure that you are showing them you value their views. Visual eye contact and actively listening is a good way of communicating and making the child, young person feel valued and you are interested in what they are saying. In completing this form of communicating with the individual this may help towards the growth of their confidence in communicating. Body language is also important in communicating and making yourself open can make you more approachable for children, young people and adults to want to speak to you or ask you for help. For example if you are sitting next to a child or young person rather than standing over them this can be more approachable as standing over them can be seen as intimidating. Reacting to what the individual is telling you even with a simple nod of the head can be enough for them to know you are listening and interested. Commenting on what they are saying or asking questions will again open more dialogue with the child, young person and adult. Children and young people will respond to how you communicate to them and they will learn from you, so you need to be aware of this as they will use these tools themselves hopefully in the situations they are in away from your support. 2.2 Explain how to adapt communication with children and young people for: a) the age of the child or young people Children of all different ages will need you to adapt your language accordingly for them to gain full understanding. For example younger children may need more reassurance so in order to make them feel less worried and more secure, you may use a lower tone in your voice or open body language. Physical contact is not to be encouraged as this would not be appropriate although in some situations this cannot be avoided, but you should always be mindful of your position in a teaching assistant role. An older child would possibly not require this much level of support so your communication may be more straight forward and to a high level of vocabulary. b) the context of the communication More often than enough you will be dealing with children in all manners of situations so you need to be mindful of this and adapt your verbal communication accordingly. If you are working in a class environment then you need to make sure that the child or young person is well supported, you are clear in your instruction of work task and less distraction the better so focus is maintained so you would need to discourage this from occurring. In situations I find myself in sometimes the sensory level of a classroom can be very high and the child I am supporting and cannot focus and work so I would remove them from the class situation and work with them back in the facility which is a quieter environment. Another form of communicating with a child or young person may be more social situation that may occur in break or lunch periods that you are supervising, but in these situations again you need to be mindful of how much information you share in your context. Children, young people and adults do like to get to know you as well as you them so you may find that they ask a personal question in communicating. These can be answers to a certain degree or humour is also a good strategy to use in this situation as again you need to be mindful of your role. Rather than shutting the conversation down you may want to change the discussion topic to something they like or may be doing in the holidays or after school. Another important factor is for you to never give out your personal contact details to a child or young person as you need to always follow the college / organisations procedures especially with regards to the Safeguarding policy. c) communication differences You should ensure care and sensitivity is taken with children and young people and time is taking especially in communicating with those that may have learning disabilities such as a stammer. When working with these children it is important not to finish off their sentences or insert wording as this may knock their confidence. Although you may think you are helping this could be seen as pressure and then may have a negative reaction of which the child may not wish to communicate anymore. Should a child or young person you find yourself working with have hearing impairment then it would be good practice to speak to them face to face so that they can see you and lip read if required. Sign language can also be used learnt from specialist training and for those who do not speak English as their first language you could be assisted with a translator. 2.3 Explain the main difference between communicating with adults and communicating with children and young people There are many similarities in communicating with adults and communicating with children and young people such as tone, context, body language, respect and listening. There will be a difference in what is discussed and you need to always be mindful or your position within your school and the relationship you have with these individuals. Should you be discussing work issues these may be confidential so you would need to follow these guidelines. However well you get on with anyone you work with or support as Teaching Assistant you will always need to remain professional. It is important to remember when working with children that you are setting an example so however you communicate with them they will take this on board and may use themselves. Physical contact with anyone you work with should not be encouraged and although this may not be avoided at times you should not offer this as a form of reassurance at any time. 2.4 Explain how to adapt communication to meet different communication needs of adults It is important that we are aware of needs of adults and particularly those that may have communication difficulties themselves. You may need to adapt the methods you use and again you may do this without realising, but you should always make sure that you reflect on these skills and if you need to support an adult in understanding ask them what is the best way to do so. Our school often sends out emails and written communication and if this was non readable for some careers, guardians then you could offer to speak to them regarding this information face to face or over the telephone. If for any reason there is a complex situation to communicate to an adult then again support should be given and perhaps another member of staff could be present to help set out the format of the discussion. When I had to communicate to parents at a student termly review I had to make sure that the appropriate professional language was used. I set out what I was going to say and made sure I used clear. I researched the information such as data regarding the childs grade that I had to feedback and made sure this was accurate to the parent. At the end of the meeting I confirmed everything I had said in a summary form and also asked the parent if they understood what we had discussed and asked them for feedback directly to myself. The feedback given was positive and I feel I met my goal. I did explain to them that if they were not happy with anything that had been discussed or my performance then they were welcome to speak to my line manager. It is important to give alternative in communicating and feedback as sometimes people may not feel they can address this with you direct so other pathways need to be put in place to show good practice. 2.5 Explain how to manage disagreements with children, young people and adults. I have found that when I have been in a situation where I have to disagree with the child, young person or adult the best way to manage this is to always remain calm and clear. The situation should be managed carefully and sensitively as well as recorded for future reference. If there is a problem raised then it is best to try and deal with this as sensitively as you can, but as quick as possible as the longer a problem can go on then this can escalate and cause more upset. In managing disagreements you always need to consider the following in order I believe to resolve them. Good communication as poor can lead to further misunderstanding, opposing expectations, difference values and opinions, external influences and lack of confidence so sometimes in this case children my result to physical actions in disagreement as they cannot verbalise what they want to say. A good format to use when dealing with disagreement could be put in place by your department which may consist of the following: ? Be approachable and demonstrate open body language ? Use appropriate language and speak clearly ? Listen to all ? Be sympathetic and supportive ? Do not interrupt or anticipate what the others may say ? Record detail should this be needed in the future Understand legislation, policies and procedures for confidentiality and sharing information, including data protection 3.1 Summarise the main points of legislation and procedures covering confidentiality, data protection and the disclosure of information. Within my role I have to make sure that I understand and follow the policies and procedures in place relating to confidentiality and data protection. This is very important considering I work with children and young adults. I have completed a number of training courses in order to gain further understanding of these policies and to meet the requirements set out within my job description. These being: Every Child Matters, Data Protection Act 1998, Safe Guarding and Health, Safety and Welfare. Within my previous role confidentiality and data protection again was very important so I believe I have a high understanding of this area. I use passwords on my computer to protect information as well as having a passwords to log into my account so others cannot access my data. Paper based files and records are locked away in the main office that my line manager allows us authorised access to should we require this. I am aware that out of date confidential paper-based records need to be shredded so these are not read or misplaced and seen by others as the records are sensitive to the individual. We are also asked to follow procedures relating to contacting children’s parents directly and again any contact would be authorised only by our line manager or head of the school. I also know and understand when and how to share information and what is accessible within my role and that which I am not allowed to be aware of as this is not my level of responsibility. In sharing information with others and if you are not sure you should always ask for permission whether this be relating to verbal information or photographs of children or adults permission is always required due to the legislation. 3.2 Explain the importance of reassuring children, young people and adults of the confidentiality of shared information and the limits of this. As mentioned above you may be sometimes in a position where you need to reassure others about the fact that information is confidential and you cannot share detail without consent or the parent or other professional. However if there was any risk to a child, young person or adult that would put them at harm then this can be placed on the school to disclose information in supporting the case. There also may be cases where details of the child, young person or adults records may need to be shared for example medical conditions, but again the school would follow a restricted policy in order to complete this so again reassure would be addressed to the individual that only those working with this person would have access to this information. Confidentiality is very important as this will enable positive working relationships and professionalism. 3.3 Justify the kinds of situations when confidentiality protocols must be breached If you find yourself in a situation where a child, young person or adult tells you something in secret it is important to make them aware that in your position you cannot keep a secret so would need to confidentially tell another member of staff, preferably your line manager. This is particularly the case in the importance of suspected child abuse where you must disclose the information you have been told as the young person could be at harm or risk if you did not breach this trust. You can of course reassure the individual that you have to tell another member of staff in order to support them due to the seriousness of the situation. I was sadly in a positive such as this and I advised the individual I could listen to what they were telling me, but I would have to tell my line manager in order to support further due to the seriousness of the situation of what they had told me. I also explained to them as I think it is important to be honest as they are being with you that as a Teaching Assistant my role is to support them but I cannot withhold details as again this will not help them and they need support. I also had to make a record of these written so that these could be recalled at a later stage. Written detail at the time is highly important as going back to what you have said or been told at a later stage and recalling this only by memory is not as effective as important detail could be missed again putting the child at risk. The situation was dealt with and steps where put in place and I was asked not to disclose information to other colleague as this may of affected the above of which I understood fully.

Formation and retention of nutrients Essay

The world is ridden with many resources that are often taken for granted. Some of these resources have to be dug up or mined, but many are spread out all over the land for the taking. One of these natural gifts that has found indispensable use in our society is peat. Peat is a combination of various things, mostly vegetable and plant matter that has decayed over millions of years. (Smith) The proper term for this process is carbonization, and while peat has yet to completely carbonize into coal, this can take thousands of years more. (Smith) Although peat is composed of many other vegetation decaying over the years, most of it is moss. (Smith) The decay of these materials occurs â€Å"mostly under anaerobic (oxygen-deficient) conditions†. (LMU) Peat in its raw form contains 96% water (LMU) and is harvested primarily for fuel and agricultural (fertilizer) purposes. (Smith) The process of peat decay causes the material to â€Å"store organic carbon which is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide or methane, greenhouse gasses that affect global climate. † (LMU) The gases released by peat as it decomposes are highly flammable. However, peat, in its natural form is totally harmless because it is â€Å"too wet to burn†. (LMU) In certain cases where the natural state of peat is disturbed it becomes vulnerable to fire, which is often the cause of forest fires or fires commonly occurring in wetlands. This can be very dangerous because burning peat can release smoke that contains aerosols and toxic gases, which can result to respiratory diseases and problems. (LMU) Peat is best harvested, obviously, after hundreds of thousands of years, or the time it takes for the materials to totally decompose. Peat bogs have a surface living layer that gets destroyed when mature peat, beneath the living layer is harvested. (LMU) Of the many uses of peat, fuel is the most common. In remote areas where there are no other resources, peat is used for energy production. (LMU) Peat is â€Å"shown to be an economical alternative to oil or coal-fired electric-power generating stations in some circumstances† (LMU) and it is also used to produce methanol. Peat can also be used as garden fertilizer as it is an efficient moisture retainer. Using it in gardens can promote the formation and retention of nutrients. Some companies also use peat as a raw material in producing biodegradable planters. (Smith) â€Å"Peat can also be used to make paper, pad livestock beds, or pack products for shipment. † (LMU) Peat is also a decorative implement in creating handicraft and artwork. Many handmade crafts and arts use peat as an aesthetically pleasing accent. Peat is an irreplaceable resource, if not for eternity, for this generation at least, because it will take hundreds of thousands of years in the future for other peat layers to form. However, peat is abundant nowadays in many countries all over the world, but the indiscriminate harvesting of this resource can lead to ecological imbalance and eventually, its irreversible depletion. Like any other natural resource, peat should be harvested reasonably to preserve existing peat bogs and ensure that plenty will be available for future generations to use. Like oil, which is a fossil fuel, peat has to be harvested with much discretion because once all of it is gone, we will all have to wait for hundreds of thousands of years to harvest it again – surely, none of us can live that long.

Analysis of Animosity and Sexism in Sporting Activities Involving Women

Analysis of Animosity and Sexism in Sporting Activities Involving Women Throughout this paper the issues of women, athletics, stereotyping and opportunities that are/are not available to females in the professional arena of athletics will be explored. Indeed, racism and sexism has traditionally (and continues to be a great extent) steeped in American society, as well as institutions. There have been a number of laws passed regarding this practice, i.e. Affirmative Action being the one more notable, as well as others. Nevertheless, from a legal, social, and political perspective, females are still stereotyped as the weaker sex, and inevitably this mentality continues to impact women in U.S. society, as well as capabilities within other aspects of society. It is my intention to address these variables both individually as well as intertwining units. Within the world of sports, or athletics, we have particularly seen evidence of this within the Olympics. The Olympics is the epitome of sports for all people, male, female, as well as color, and ethnicity from around the world. Title IX was supposed to change the world, and it has: the number of women participating in college sports has jumped up considerable since the law was enacted twenty-five years ago. But the world changes slowly. U.S.A. Today surveyed 303 Division I schools to see where Title IX has taken us in it twenty-five years and found that men still get most of the money. Taken together, the results are like a good new, bad news joke. The good news: the number of female athletes has increased 22% since 1992. The bad: for every one-dollar spent on woman s colleges sports three dollars is spent on men s. Female athletes get just 38% of the scholarship money, 27% of recruiting money and 25% of operating budgets. It is encouraging to see the increases for women but very di scouraging to see that they are not really sharing equally in the money. The money side of the ledger still gets the vast amount of the money, says Patty Viverito, Chairwoman of the NCAA s Committee on Women s Athletics. The newspaper took a detailed look at the issue in late 1995, when it stated numbers for 1994 of the 107 Division I-A school. Since then, the Equity In Athletics Disclosure Act, requires all colleges to report data on men and women s athletics. The Federal law took effect April 1, 1997. To ensure that A college is in compliance with Title IX, The Department of Education office for Civil Rights, uses a three-pronged test to decide. A school is in compliance if it passes a single prong. One prong asks its school to show a history of continuing expansion of women s athletics programs. Another asks if interest and abilities of women athletes have been met. The only measurable prong asks if the percentage of women athletes at a school is substantially proportional to the percentage of women in its undergraduate enrollment. Though the rules do not specify what constitutes substantially proportionality, some out of court settlements suggest coming within five percentage points might be enough. U.S.A. Today found that 28 of the 303 Division I-A schools, only 9% passed the proportionality test. That includes 9 of 108 schools in Division I-A, made up of big time football schools. That is the same number passed in 1995. (Brady and Witosky, p, o4C) Some critics have stated that Title IX has no powers of enforcement. Historically it has taken a lawsuit by female athletes to achieve corrective action. For example, the Black Women In Sports Foundation has received a $50,000 grant form Athletic Footwear Association to conduct a program that will introduce African American girls and women to golf and tennis, and to each other in ten U.S. cities. The program to begin soon will train black women in the elements of sports and mentoring techniques. Then the mentors will be matched with girls who are interested in learning sports. We want to create relationships that will continue as the adult and child learn the sport together, said Gina Sloane Green, President and Executive Director of the Foundation We are not trying to recruit adults who are experienced players. Instead, our adult mentors need only a strong interest in learning the game and a desire to make contributions to a young person s life. The chosen cities chosen for the prog ram are: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, and Washington D.C. The foundation hopes to involve between 100 and 150 mentors and children in each city during the first year. Local coordinators and instructors are being recruited who will conduct a series of clinics. They will be held first for the adults and then for the adults and children together. After that the mentor adult is responsible for registering the child in a local sports program and for providing transportation. We plan to arrange scholarships to local organizations and programs so that the children can continue to play and learn for as long as they want Green said. The Black Women In Sports Foundation was established in 1992 to increase opportunities for African American women in all levels of sports, from participation, to lifetime careers. In 1993, it produced a video, entitled, Amazing Grace, Black Women In Sports, that encourages young women to pursue career opportunities in sports. The Athletic Footwear Association sponsors the video. (Walter, p. A-8) In my opinion there has been an ongoing effort to advance women in sports. Much of this has to do with so-called Civil Rights, or giving U.S. citizens equal opportunities. Civil Rights, Affirmative Action etc., has been the tradition over the past 20 or 30 years, and fortunately for women in sports, it has served as a factor in advancing women in sports. Recently, Timer Incorporated announced that it would debut the first test issue of Sports Illustrated Women/Sports on April 21. The magazine, aimed at women 18-34, will be sent to 450,000 female Sports Illustrated subscribers as well as women selected form a Time Warner database, and 250,000 copies will be sent to newsstands for sale. The first issue will have more than 100 editorial pages and 70 advertising pages. The new magazine was to have publication twice in 1997 with completed frequencies in 1998. It has been said that grumpy old men had their way in the Olympics for generations. However when we look at Atlanta we can see a new leaf turning over. In the Atlanta games there was 36% more women competing then in any other previous Olympics. Most of the recognizable names on the American team were women. Jackie-Joyner-Kersee, Janet Evans, Mia Hamm, Shannon Miller, Gail Devers, Rebecca Lobo, etc. Two new Olympics sports have been added for women this year: soccer, and softball. For the first time U.S.A. basketball put women under professional contract for a year to train an Olympic team rather than gather college all stars at the last minute. In Track and Field, the 5,000 meter run has replaced its 3,000 for women and the triple jump has been added for women, to look more like the men s program. There has been progress, and partly for the right reasons, said Donna Deverona, twice an Olympian and twice gold medallist in swimming in the 1960 . This was a time when female sport champi ons were what she called unique pioneers. Deverona acknowledges that the growth of women team sports in the Olympics is a step in the right direction. She goes on to state The team is formerly the male sandbox, and women need to know that they can be team players, that they can be aggressive, sweat, and work together, and have strategies. Rebecca Lobo, former University of Connecticut basketball superstar, stated My own experience was that women only competed in sports like gymnastics, swimming and diving when I watched the Olympics. I think its wonderful for little girls now to see team sports on TV, too, because a lot more kids play team sports rather than individual sports. Mia Hamm, the world s finest female soccer player, states We tell people we are the U.S. National soccer team and we are going to World Championship s Tournament or something like that and it s Oh, that s nice , But now that we are able to attach the word Olympics to ourselves, they can identify with that. Joa n Benoit Samuleson, champion of the first ever women s Olympic marathon in 1984, states There weren t opportunity s for women in running then, and having three brothers and being very competitive, I did have the skiing. I was going to go that way By the time Samuleson won the marathon gold it was 2474 years after man first ran a marathon (a Greek messenger) and 88 years after a man won the marathon in the first modern Olympics. Samuleson goes on to state The longest race I ran in high school was 800 meters, because they thought that if women ran farther, it could cause bodily injury and they would be unable to bear children, she goes on to say We are making strides year after year and you know, Rome was not built in a day. Since the 14th century men have fought to keep women out of the Olympic games. It would not be until the 6th modern Olympics in 1920 in Antwerp that the United States allowed women to compete. Also, it was not until the last two decades, under the current International Olympic Committee and President Juan Antonio Samanach, that women s participation began to grow significantly. For the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the male to female ratio for athletes was 6 to 1, for the Atlanta games it was 3 to 1. We can see that we are moving in the right direction. The passage of Title IX in 1972, federal legislation that mandates full equality for women s intercollegiate sports, experiences and expectations for girls and women began to change dramatically. Recently female politicians in Germany called on the IOC to bar from the Olympics any nation attempting to forbid female participation, They stated that 35 countries had registered only male athletes for Atlanta. They called this female apartheid which is as damaging as racial apartheid that kept South Africa from participating in the Olympic games for more than 30 years. That protest was targeted at Middle East countries, whose Islamic Fundamentalist frown on female athletic participation because it necessitates what they feel is public immodesty. For instance showing their bare legs while participating in sports. Hassiba Boulermia is a prime example of such prejudice. She was an Algerian middle distant runner who was spat on and stoned while training in her country because of the perceived public immodesty. She kept training anyway and won the Barcelona Olympic 1500 meters and proceeded to shout Algeria ! at the TV cameras and carried the Algerian flag. Boulmerta was able to open a door for other young girls in her country. If the IOC were to boycott such countries from the Olympics other countries will not have a chance to open he door and see the light to let these young women compete. In the long run it would only hurt these women in Middle East countries instead of help them Nevertheless we can see that there are cultural, religious, political, and social imperatives which must be considered. However when it comes to the Olympics, a place of all sports for everyone, these universal imperatives are brought into question. All women should have an equal opportunity to compete. However we are gradually realizing that there is ongoing erosion of stereotypes and prejudices against in the women in the arena of what was traditionally a man s sport. It may take more time but we are definitely moving in the right direction.