Kosovo (how does it illustrate political and cultural globalization) Essay

Kosovo (how does it illustrate political and cultural globalization) - Essay Example Kosovo’s case has been forwarded to the international court; its ease of getting accepted as a separate legal entity will be dependent on this case result. This fight began when Serbs left the control of Kosovo after the intervention of NATO, during Kosovo war and handed it over to the United Nations; which has gradually forwarded the rule to Kosovo’s institutions (Belgrade, 2009). After getting power, Kosovo started working towards attaining status of a separate recognized state. The fight is still on between two different ethnic groups, Serbian and Kosovo’s over this issue. The battle between Serbs and Kosovo’s over the issue of independence has been taken forward to the United Nation’s international court of justice. The reason behind this issue has not been resolved yet because as it has been already stated that 90% of the population of Kosovo consists of Albanians while the rest belongs to the Serbian ethnicity; there exists conflict between Se rbs and Kosovo over the issue of not allowing Serbians living in the territory of Kosovo to participate in the government and having a right to express themselves.

The Great Gatsby Essay Example for Free

The Great Gatsby Essay Nick’s observation that Gatsby is more worthy than the other characters in The Great Gatsby is true. At first he is hesitant to take a stand or to judge those with whom he comes into contact however, he begins to find everything about New York disgusting. Daisy’s inability to think about anyone else but herself and her wealth tarnishes her actions making her worthless however Gatsby’s dreams and aspirations make him a much better person. The Wilsons careless and arrogant personalities makes them apart of the rotten crowd, inferior to Gatsby who takes into account others. In addition, Gatsby’s ability to be loyal and great is far more apathetic than Jordan’s carefree, dishonest approach to life. Despite Gatsby’s wealth, he is very different to the rambunctious, loud and superficial people who attend his parties. Therefore, it is evident that Nick’s view is predominantly valid and true. Daisy embodies a selfish and materialistic life whereas Gatsby has dreams and aspirations. Gatsby notes that Daisy’s voice is â€Å"full of money† which suggests she is like a physical object and can be attained. It also means that she does not represent a girl, but represents money. Fitzgerald intends to give an insight of the 1920’s and show how people were characterised by their social class and wealth. The term ‘selfish’ is used to describe how Daisy fulfils her own personal needs at the expense of others’. Daisy reveals her shallow obsession with materialism by crying over Gatsby’s shirts. As long as she owns â€Å"such beautiful shirts† it could be anyone she’s crying over. Gatsby’s willingness to make personal sacrifices for others elevates him to a greater level than Daisy. The phrase ‘materialistic’ is used to show that Fitzgerald has intended to lead the readers into thinking that Daisy is associated with light, purity and innocence. When Nick first meets Daisy and Jordan, he describes them â€Å"like silver idols, weighing down their own white dresses against the singing breeze of the fans† The phrase ‘silver idols’ expresses the beauty of the two wealthy girls. The ‘singing breeze of the fans’ symbolizes the carefree nature they both possessed. Gatsby’s dream is to win Daisy’s love, which he believed he could accomplish  however, Gatsby’s dream ‘died’. This reveals that it is evident that Daisy is selfish and materialistic, unlike Gatsby who works hard to reach his goals. The Wilsons are apart of the â€Å"rotten bunch† because they are arrogant and careless but Gatsby behaves in a selfless and passionate manner. The word ‘arrogant’ describes Myrtle because she acts with arrogance when Tom who is richer and more â€Å"elegant† than her husband and in a higher social class put her in her place. The shabby, crowded apartment in New York where Tom, Myrtle, Nick and a few others decide to have a party is cluttered with over-sized furniture. This reflects Myrtles working class status, her lack of refinement and materialism. It also symbolises the obstacle that Myrtle is faced when trying to reach Tom and the tangled web of deceit that is her affair with Tom. The word ‘caring’ describes Gatsby, as he is very careful about women. â€Å"He would never so much as look at a friends wife. This shows that he is not like everyone else and that he genuinely is a caring and compassionate character. Therefore, the Wilsons are apart of the â€Å"rotten crowd† and Gatsby is â€Å"worth the whole damn bunch put together† Compared to Jordan’s inability to be honest and caring, Nick refers to Gatsby as being loyal and great. Nicks refers to Jordan as being â€Å"incurably dishonest†. Fitzgerald uses the word ‘incurable’’ to suggest that it is ‘never ending’ or ‘perpetual’. Jordan is constantly lying throughout the novel. She lies about various things and even about ruining a borrowed car. While on a visit to the city with Nick, Daisy, Tom and Gatsby, Jordan is driving recklessly. When Nick confronts her about it she simply states, â€Å"they’ll keep out of my way† This shows just how careless Jordan is and how she assumes that the whole world revolves around her. The word ‘great’ is used by Fitzgerald to display what Nick thinks of him despite his flaws and to show that Gatsby really is worthy. Gatsby is ‘great’ because he takes initiative, is knowledgeable, works hard, is passionate, loyal and nice, has selfless actions and is romantic. Nick states â€Å"Gatsby turned out alright in the end†¦ it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This means that everything Gatsby did was pure. Everything he did and every move he made for all for the love of Daisy. The word ‘  alright’ implies that regardless of everything, he had a true heart and he went to extraordinary length to accomplish his dreams. Tom and the people with whom Gatsby associates with including Klipspringer and the party goers who took advantage of Gatsbys hospitality and then showing him no respect are the foul dust that preyed on him. Evidently, this shows that Gatsby had a true heart whereas Jordan carried on living a careless and dishonest life. Despite his wealth, Gatsby is very different to the superficial fakeness of his guests who attend his parties. He does not really mingle or mix with them. He tends to be distant and introspective rather than joining into the party. Gatsby is much more closed than his guests. Some of the rumours that are told about Gatsby are that â€Å"he once killed a man† that he â€Å"was a German spy in the war†, that he is involved in shady deals involving the smuggling of alcohol, and that he is a great hero of war. At Gatsby’s party, two of the girls were wearing yellow dresses and when Daisy attended Gatsby’s party, she was wearing a yellow dress. The colour yellow symbolizes the flaws that the main characters begin to show throughout the novel. Yellow also represents the corruptness, moral decay, death and the false richness of Gatsby’s parties. Also, when talking to Pammy, Daisy states â€Å"Did mother get powder on your yellowy hair?† This ‘yellowy’ hair also categorises into the flaws of the main characters. The term ‘fakeness’ and ‘superficial’ is used by Fitzgerald to convey how Gatsby’s guests were. So many people attended these parties from all social classes. You do not need to be ‘artificial’ or ‘false’. Consequently, it is clear that people who attended Gatsby’s parties were distinguishably different to him. In conclusion, Fitzgerald exposes readers to distinguish the differences between the ‘rotten crowd’ and ‘worthy’ and ‘great’ people. Despite Gatsby’s wealth and success coming from illegal and dishonest means this all becomes immaterial when we realise his dedication to his dream, his loyalty and his honesty. Thus, Gatsby is worth the whole damn bunch put together.

A sociological explanation of suicidal behaviour

A sociological explanation of suicidal behaviour The social facts surround us everywhere and affect our lives. To begin with, the social fact is a single, socially significant event or a set of homogeneous events that are typical for some areas of social life, or specific to certain social processes. The main attributes of the social facts are their independence, objective existence, and their coercive nature, i.e. an ability to exert the external pressure on the individual. It is a collective representation of the facts or a collective consciousness. The social facts are a course of actions, ways of thinking and feeling that exist outside the individual (i.e. objectively). These factors possess the normative coercive power in relation to him/her. Into the acknowledgement of the above stated information about social facts it is necessary to add that according to Faraganis (2000), by a social fact, Durkheim (as a person who defined the social fact in sociology) is referring to facts, concepts, expectations that come not from individ ual responses and preferences, but that come from the social community which socializes each of its members. Although we might embrace the normative community behavior and share its values, we are constrained by its very existence. The main purpose of this work is to reveal a sociological explanation about a social fact. Among different social facts, it is possible to emphasize the pathological social fact associated with the social problems, which is called suicide. The term suicide is related to the social fact because it is a single public event, typically for one or another sphere of real life. The suicide rate is one of the most important sociological exponents of the societys well-being. Global science has been already established that the act of suicide accumulated a number of the factors: social, economic, political, philosophical, psychological, and religious. The rate of suicide in Canada is historically similar to or slightly higher than in the USA. Around 3800 suicides occur in Canada each year. Suicide is a deliberate act of removal from life under the influence of acute traumatic situations in which life itself loses its meaning for humans. Suicidal can be called any external or internal activity, sent by a desire to take his/her own life. People who commit suicide usually suffer from a severe mental pain or are under stress and a sense of inability to cope with their problems. They often suffer from mental illness, especially major depression, and look ahead without any hope. Suicidal behavior is the suicidal activitys manifestation that includes the suicide attacks, attempts and manifestations. Thus, a situation when death is caused by people who may not be aware of their actions or control them, and as a result of a persons negligence are not related to suicide, but to the accidents. There are three main types of suicidal behavior: true suicide, demonstrative suicide and hidden suicide. The true suicide is never spontaneous, though sometimes it looks quite unexpected. Such a suicide is always preceded by depressed mood, depression, or just thinking about leaving this life. Sometimes, even the closest people do not notice this persons condition (especially if you frankly do not want it). It is obvious that in many cases true suicide is a result of prolonged depression. And any depression is characterized by a focus on past, not the future. The man on the verge of true suicide somehow appeals to the past, clinging to it, but cannot find the picture of own future. Therefore, the risk group for suicides includes teenagers and old people. The main part of the suicides is nothing but an attempt to engage in dialogue: only, of course, thats so unique and totally unsuitable for this method. Most suicides usually do not want to die, but they kill themselves only in order to reach out to someone, pay attention to their problems, to call for help. The psychiatrists often call this phenomenon demonstrative suicide. Researchers stated that propensity to demonstrative suicide sometimes seen as a specific way of manipulation. The hidden suicide is the destiny of those who understand that suicide is not the most dignified way to solve the problem, but nevertheless other way again cannot be found. These people do not choose an open withdrawal from life on their own, but they choose so-called due to suicidal behavior. For example, this is risky driving behaviors, exercises in extreme sports or dangerous business, and volunteer trips to hot spots, and even drug addiction. Among the major problems of modern Suicidology, the most relevant problems are the features of suicidal behavior associated with alcohol and drugs, the role of family and loneliness factors in the genesis of suicidal behavior and the problem of mental disease and suicide. In any suicide situation, there are usually two operating entities: the person who is thinking about suicide and his/her surroundings, or a specific person with whom he or she somehow tries to establish a dialogue. The increased suicide risk factors can be divided into extra-and intrapersonal. Extra personal suicide risk factors include: psychosis and borderline mental disorders; suicidal statements, repeated suicidal acts; post suicide; adolescence; extreme, especially so-called marginal living conditions; loss of prestige; conflict traumatic situation; drunkenness, drug use. Intrapersonal suicide risk factors can be identified: idiosyncrasies; reduced tolerance to emotional stress and frustrating factors; inadequa cy of communication systems; inadequate (overstated, understated or unstable) self-esteem; lack or loss of targets or values underlying the basis of life, etc. There are the features of suicide, which include: the desire to be alone is natural and normal for every person. But beware, when closed, the isolation become deep and long, when a person withdraws into himself, eschews the former friends and allies. Each of us is naughty from time to time. This condition can be caused by weather, well-being, fatigue, office or family problems, etc. But when a persons mood almost every day varies between the excitation and decay, there is cause for alarm. There are strong evidences that these emotional fluctuations are the harbingers of death. Depression is a deep emotional decline, which is showed in everyone differently. Some people become isolated, but at the same time, they disguise their feelings so well that it is impossible to notice the changes in their behavior. The only way in such cases is a direct and open conversation with a man. This is a proven fact that a lot of acts of suicide are caused by anger, rage, and cruelty to others. An abse nce or, conversely, abnormally increased appetite are closely linked to self-destruction thoughts and should always be considered to be a criterion for the potential hazards. In addition to the above-mentioned information, it is necessary to add that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ alcohol and drug use disorders have been found to be strongly related to suicide risk (Ilgen, et. al, 2011). People, who plan their suicide, hand out their own things to family, friends, or relatives. As experience shows, this sinister campaign is a direct forerunner of a coming disaster. In each case, it is recommended to have a serious and frank conversation with that person in order to clarify the intentions of potential suicides. The reasons for suicide are complex and numerous. The reasons can be sought in biological, genetic, psychological and social spheres of a person. Despite the fact that people usually commit suicide in extreme situations, such as divorce, loss of work or study, most experts suggest that it is rather a reason to commit suicide than its cause. Most people who kill themselves suffer from depression, which often goes undiagnosed and untreated. Since depression often underlies suicide, the study of the causes of depression can help scientists to understand the causes of suicide. About 90% of suicides occur in persons with a clinically diagnosable psychiatric disorder (Tondo, et. al., 2011). Despite the fact that some studies suggest that suicides of famous people can play an exemplary role model, especially among teenagers, this point of view is not fully proven. However, there is some evidence that the famous peoples suicides can be a powerful incentive to others suicides, especially among those in the range of 13 to 19 years. In addition, the causes of teen suicides are poverty, family relationships and with their peers, alcohol and drugs, unrequited love, experienced in childhood abuse, social isolation, mental disorders, including depression, schizophrenia, and so on. The number of suicides among young people has increased over the last decade. It is not superfluous to mention that early marriages do not save young people (aged 15-19) from the risk of suicide. This is primarily due to the fact that young marriages are more likely an attempt, not always successful, to solve some other, unrelated to marriage problems, for example, get rid of the unbearable situation i n family. Taking everything into account, it is possible to conclude that suicide is the result of the personalitys social psychological disadaptation in modern society. Psychological crises arise as a result of the intimate, family and personal, social and creative conflicts. In order to avoid the manifestation of suicidal behavior, it is necessary to provide people, especially teenagers with social support by including family, school, friends, etc. It is useful to carry out socio-psychological training issues, provide individual and group lessons to raise self-esteem, development of an adequate relationship to self, empathy, to increase self-control, replacement of significant others, to develop the motivation in order to achieve success. It can be based on the behavioral skills trainings.

Ayn Rand Essay -- essays research papers fc

This essay will discuss the life and works of Ayn Rand. The woman who would become Ayn Rand was born Alice Rosenbaum on February 2, 1905. (Branden, Barbara pg.3 1986). She was born during the eleventh year of Nicholas II's reign in Russia.(Baker pg.1 1987). Rand's birth was just before a revolution in Russia, however this revolution was put down by her first year.(Branden, Barbara pg.3 1986). The Rosenbaum's lived quite comfortably under the czar.(Baker pg.1 1987). Beneath their large apartment was Fronz Rosenbaum's chemist shop.(Branden, Barbara pg. 4 1986). Rand's father was a serious man whom she never knew very well.(Branden, Barbara pg.4 1986). Ayn's mother, Anna Rosenbaum, was the opposite of her father and was very sociable. (Branden, Barbara pg. 4-5 1986). As a child, Rand did not have a true sense of affection with her father. (Branden, Barbara pg.5 1986). However, she did develop a strong bond of love with him as she grew older. (Branden, Barbara pg. 4 1986). Ayn did not get along well with her mother. (Branden, Barbara pg.5 1986). Although the Rosenbaum family was traditionally Jewish, it is said that Rand really did not have a religious upbringing. (Baker pg.2 1987). As a result, she became atheist as a child after coming to the conclusion that believing in God is degrading to humans in the sense that man should live for no one else but himself. (Baker pg.3 1987). Rand discovered a passion for upbeat, lively music which she began collecting on records. (Branden, Barbara pg.8 1986). By the time she was five years of age, she had two little sisters, Natasha and Elena. (Branden, Barbara pg.7 1986). As a whole, Ayn's childhood was not a pleasant experience for her; in later years it proved to be an unhappy memory as well. (Branden, Barbara pg.34 1986). Ayn Rand received a good education and learned to read and write at age six. (Baker pg.2 1987). She found her classes boring and too easy. (Baker pg.2 1987). This led her to begin writing simple short stories and novels. (Baker pg.2 1987). Rand's inability to fit in socially at school and her boredom with the education she was receiving led her to become somewhat of a recluse with one exception: her passion for literature. (Branden, Barbara pg.11 1986). Literature seemed to absorb Ayn more than any other thing; it intrigued her and gave her much pleasure to read and soon, to write. (Branden, Barbara p... ...ssionate goal--to create her ideal world and her ideal man. And at the end of her life--despite the odds against her, despite the pain and the losses, despite the illness and anguish and death--it was done." (Branden, Barbara pg.404 1986). "It's a benevolent universe, and I love it, and any struggle was worth it. Struggle or unhappiness are so enormously unimportant. I don't regret a minute of my life." (Branden, Barbara pg.404 1986 [said by Ayn Rand]). Rand led an eventful and memorable life. She inspired many with her novels and her philosophy. The world has gained tremendous insights and knowledge from the philosophy and intriguing novels of Ayn Rand. Bibliography: Branden, Barbara The Passion of Ayn Rand 1986 Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc. New York, N.Y. Nathaniel, Branden Judgement Day: My Years with Ayn Rand 1989 Houghton Mifflin Company Boston, Massachusetts James T. Baker Ayn Rand 1987 G.K. Hall and Co. Boston, Massachusetts The Ayn Rand Column: A Collection of her Weekly Newspaper Articles Written for the Los Angeles Times. With additional, little-known essays by Ayn Rand 1971, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1991 Second Renaissance Books Oceanside, CA

Reflection On Taking The Elementary Education Program Essay

After taking EDUC 417 and completing level 1 of the elementary education program, I have definitely learned that children’s literature matters and is a necessity in the classroom. Children are never to young to be read to and never to old to stop being read to. Reading aloud to students at all ages, but especially to young and developing readers is an essential tool in order for children to become successful in school. Children’s literature is endless and I have truly learned about the diverse collection of books that are available for student’s to read. It is essential as a teacher to provide students with access to a diverse  collection of books because students’ can learn endlessly from different genres, reading levels, and cultural perspectives. It is key to provide a diverse source of literature in the classroom for students to be exposed to. When children are young readers, one of the most important jobs of the teacher is to help students not only learn to read but develop a love for reading. Not only is reading important in developing skills and succeeding in school, but it is valuable for other important reasons as well. Children’s literature is vital because it allows students to respond  to literature and appreciate their own culture, as well as others. It allows students to grow creatively and develops student’s personalities and social skills. It is crucial for students to learn about their culture as well as others, and literature is an amazing source for students to learn this. It is critical to find books that are unbiased and depict culture as an important piece of society. My eyes have opened after reading a large selection of books with different genres, reading levels, and cultural perspectives this semester. The more contact students have  with books, the better readers they become. Teachers can promote this by reading every day and providing children the opportunity for students to interact with books daily. Providing time for reading in the classroom and having conversations about reading helps children foster a love for reading. Children learn to read by reading, which is why literature matters and it is important to read and use in the classroom. 2. Three important learning’s from this semester are multicultural literature, reading logs, and genre sharing. Multicultural literature has been a key aspect of learning this semester. Before taking EDUC 417, I was unaware of the vast collection of books that represent diverse cultures. Through the books read in class and the two text sets I created, I have learned the significance of multicultural children’s literature and the value it can have on students. Through these books, children can learn to respect not only their own cultural groups, but also the cultural groups of others. Children’s books can be a mirror of their on lives or a window into the world around them. Multicultural literature helps students understand that despite the differences around us, all people share  common feelings and experiences. I have also learned the importance of choosing good multicultural books that represent specific cultures in realistic and unbiased ways. It is important for the books to challenge stereotypes and have a realistic glimpse of the lives of the culture portrayed in the book. Books that provide an accurate representation of diverse cultural groups allow students to learn to identify stereotypes and biases in their lives. Reading logs have been another important learning from this semester. The website, LibraryThing has been an amazing tool in creating my own reading  log. I have been able to create a list of all of the books I have read this semester with specific details like tags, reading level, genre, rating, and review. The reading log I created is a source I am able to look back on for years to come. Creating my own reading log has taught me organization and time management skills, but has also given me the opportunity to reflect on the books I have read. Since I am going to be a teacher with my own classroom, my reading log has helped me start creating a source in order to create a successful and beneficial classroom library  in the future. Being able to look back on the books I loved and didn’t like will help me create the best classroom library for my students. Genre sharing was the third learning from this semester that was significant to me. I believe this was very important because I learned a huge amount of information about different genres present in children’s literature. Before taking EDUC 417, I was unaware of the collection of genres present within children’s literature. From genre and book sharing this semester, I have learned about seven different genres and the key points, history, reader  connections, and evaluation criteria of each genre. This has been very beneficial because I have learned the importance of introducing students to all different genres and how to find books that represent each genre in the most successful way. 3. Three specific ways that I am committed to using children’s literature in my classroom are through a classroom library, reading aloud, and literature centers. All three of these ways I will use children’s literature in my classroom are critical to my teaching in different ways. A classroom library is essential and  critical to my teaching because it provides students with the opportunity to read daily. I will provide students with time to read daily and self-choice of books. My classroom library is critical to my teaching because it will expose students to books, reading, and help foster their love of reading. Reading aloud is another way I will commit to using children’s literature in my classroom. Reading aloud is such an essential tool in the classroom and exposes students to language, different text types, critical thinking, and books that students normally would not be able to read on their own. Children who are read aloud to usually become the best readers and eventually writers as well. Reading aloud will be critical to my teaching because I am able to read a huge variety of books with different genres and cultural perspectives. Reading aloud gives me the opportunity to expose my students to a vast diversity of books. If time allows it, I would love to read aloud to my students daily as a key way of commitment to using children’s literature in my classroom. Lastly, I will be committed to using children’s literature in my classroom through literature circles. There is an abundance of ways to read within the classroom and literature circles allow students to read in multiple different ways. Students can read independently, through shared reading, and guided reading. Literature circles also give the teacher the opportunity to split students up by reading level. During literature circles, teachers are able to work with students on a more personal level in order to help them grow as readers. Literature circles will be critical to my teaching because they provide a place for cooperative learning, social experiences, choice, structure, and differentiated instruction.

Dahalokely - Facts and Figures

Dahalokely - Facts and Figures Name: Dahalokely (Malagasy for small bandit); pronounced DAH-hah-LOW-keh-lee Habitat: Woodlands of Madagascar Historical Period: Mid-Late Cretaceous (90 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 12 feet long and 300-500 pounds Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Moderate size; bipedal posture; distinctively shaped vertebrae About Dahalokely Like many regions of the earth, the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar (off the eastern coast of Africa) harbors a huge gap in its fossil record, stretching all the way from the late Jurassic to the late Cretaceous periods. The importance of Dahalokely (which was announced to the world in 2013) is that this meat-eating dinosaur lived 90 million years ago, shaving about 20 million years off the far end of Madagascars almost 100-million-year fossil gap. (Its important to bear in mind that Madagascar wasnt always an island; a couple of million years after Dahalokely lived, this landmass split off from the Indian subcontinent, which itself had yet to collide with the underside of Eurasia.) What does the provenance of Dahalokely, combined with the history of Madagascar, tell us about the distribution of theropod dinosaurs in during late Cretaceous period? Since Dahalokely has been tentatively classified as a modestly sized abelisaura breed of meat-eating predator ultimately descended from the South American Abelisaurusthis may be a hint that it was ancestral to Indian and Madagascan theropods of the later Cretaceous, like Masiakasaurus and Rajasaurus. However, given the scarcity of Dahalokelys fossil remainsall we have for now is the partial skeleton of a subadult specimen, lacking the skullmore evidence will be needed to conclusively establish this link.