Was the Spanish-American War Truly as John Hay Said, a “Splendid Little War”

Was the Spanish-American war truly as John Hay said, a â€Å"splendid little war†? Why or why not? The Spanish-American war was for the American government the first step on the road to becoming a â€Å"global, police power†, for the Spanish it was the dissolution of Cuba and their empire, from said conclusion is it fair to name such a war a success, an aforementioned â€Å"splendid little war†? [1] This essay hopes to examine the limitations of Hay’s statement, the war was to irreversibly â€Å"shape relations between the United States and the rest of the globe for the coming century†, and it was the trigger that ultimately taught the U. S. the cost of World imperialism. It is impossible to label such a conflict as totally triumphant and simplistic, it was fraught with diplomatic complications, both domestic and colonial, as is written herewith. The situation in Cuba before American intervention had always been precarious; Cuban rebels had continually opposed Spanish rule throughout the 19th Century, such was the animosity between the Cubans and Spanish that it culminated in the erection of some of the first Spanish concentration camps (reconcentrado). Dubbed â€Å"Butcher Weyler† by the American press, Spanish general Valeriano Weyler sought to curtail the uprisings, thus causing numerous deaths and epidemics among the Cuban inhabitants. [2] This onslaught erupted both the Cuban population and the American press into a fierce frenzy; American readers experienced a â€Å"battle of gigantic proportions† between two rival newspapers, (New York Journal and New York World), â€Å"in which the sufferings of Cuba merely chanced to furnish some of the most convenient ammunition†. 3] With so much public attention, the Cuban crisis became a great exhibition of jubilation; there was much desire for intervention in the affair. Said exaltation was further prompted by the events of February 15th 1898, when the battleship USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor killing 266 American sailors. Demands for war with Spain were imminent and colossal, the â€Å"yellow journalism† and its fabrication of news intoxicated the †Å"whole Country with war fever†, slogans of â€Å"Remember the Maine! To Hell with Spain! † became very popular. 4] Theodore Roosevelt, assistant secretary of the navy, had always been of a militaristic nature, having commented that â€Å"This country needs a war†, and proclaiming President William McKinley as â€Å"white-livered† with â€Å"no more backbone than a chocolate eclair†, had proclaimed the disaster â€Å"an act of dirty treachery on the part of the Spaniards†. [5] The longing for war by the public and certain members of government following the atmosphere of hostility prompted, reluctantly, McKinley to declare war on Cuba. Having blockaded Cuba on April 22nd, Spain then subsequently declared war on April 24th. The Spanish-American war was initially a â€Å"splendid little war† as described by Hay; it was an â€Å"unbroken series of American victories† within only 10 weeks of combat. [6] The major campaign of the war occurred at San Juan Hill, where a unit of newly formed Rough Riders under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt along with two regiments of African American soldiers stormed a position atop Kettle Hill. So successful was the battle that Roosevelt â€Å"would rather have led that charge than served three terms in the U. S. Senate†, that he had been â€Å"revelling in victory and gore†. The combination of defeat at San Juan Hill and around the port of Santiago in which â€Å"474 Spanish were killed†¦while only one American was killed and one wounded† initiated the surrender of Santiago on July 17th, and the capitulation of Spain on July 26th 1898. [7] The Treaty of Paris of 1898, signed on December 10, 1898, ended hostilities between the Spanish and the U. S. The Treaty of Paris deemed that Cuba would become an autonomous country, and the U. S. acquired Puerto Rico and Guam with the understanding that Spain be paid twenty million dollars for the Philippines. The scandalist treaty was the subject of much debate in the US Senate during the winter of 1898-1899, which was finally resolved on February 6th, 1899 by a one-vote margin of 57 to 27 with only two Republicans opposed: George Frisbie Hoar of Massachusetts and Eugene Pryor Hale of Maine. How was it that the U. S. a traditionally isolationist nation, become involved in such conflict. Nationalist historians argue said involvement to have been directed in accordance with constitutional diplomacy and the democratic principle of projecting liberty and national spirit; in essence the American Dream. George Brown Tindall argues that the U. S. involvement in the war was initiated out of a â€Å"sense of outrage at another country’s imperialism†; It is true to say that until 1899 Spain had acquired substantial influence over the sugar industry, territory held equated more than the fifty millions that the U. S. held in Cuba. Tindall also argues the impact that public opinion and ferocity had on the declaration of war; â€Å"too much momentum and popular pressure†. Indeed said impact was so great that Tindall argues â€Å"the ultimate blame for war, if blame must be levied, belongs to the American people†. 8] Indeed â€Å"many†¦were heavily influenced by the view that western imperialism was justified by the (alleged) superiority of Anglo-Saxon and Nordic ‘races’†, that it was warranted for the U. S. to spread her idealism and the American Dream to other civilisations. [9] There was however more imperialistic interests that influen ced the coming of war, Revisionist historians proclaim the level of U. S. involvement corroborates with desire to defend its own interests that political expansion was in aid of guarantying economic control. Indeed McKinley favoured said intervention and the establishment of a government made up of the â€Å"wealthy Cuban planter class†, as he believed it could be controlled economically and â€Å"incorporated into the American Sphere†. [10] In the short-term the ‘prizes’ of victory over Spain were appealing, not least politically, for many economic advantages came with the acquisition of territory in Cuba and the Philippines. These incentives therefore substantiate Hay’s statement of the American-Spanish conflict as a said â€Å"splendid little war†, an easy and cost-effective method of amassing a greater economy and furthering the American dream. The overriding advantage for the U. S. was that it was a â€Å"little war†, it was also cheap, â€Å"its cost was relatively slight†, the fact that it took ten weeks and the lives of ‘only’ 5,462 U. S. soldiers (379 in actual combat) painted a popular picture of ease in what was the first U. S. campaign. [11] Politically the advantages came from the influence the U. S. gained through becoming a new major world power. With the precedent of waging and ultimately winning a foreign war, the U. S. had the potential of authority over future entanglements. Flushed with the easy victory over Spain, inflamed by the vision of a colonial empire, many were caught by the propaganda for a naval power†. [12] Roosevelt stressed â€Å"we must strive in good faith to play a great part in the world†, and by doing â€Å"the world’s work by bringing order out of chaos†¦from which the valor of our soldiers and sailors has driven the Spanish flag†. [13] Moreover the U. S. obligation â€Å"to take up the White Man’s burden† further exacerbated United States political intentions in the global theatre, indeed imperialists such as Senator Albert J. Beveridge and Henry Cabot Lodge, â€Å"stressed America’s moral obligation to extend the benefits of Anglo-Saxon civilization to a backward people†. [14] Indeed individuals such as McKinley commented on how â€Å"to educate the Filipinos and uplift and civilize and Christianize them as our fellowmen for whom Christ also died†. [15] Missionaries became increasingly involved in colonial affairs; they pursued the chance to convert the â€Å"little brown brother† to Christianity for the â€Å"sake of their souls†. [16] Economically the advantages of the war for the U. S. were of paramount importance, and were of major influence in the initial reasoning for a declaration of war. Cuba in the 19th century was the â€Å"sacred cow of American diplomacy†¦Cuba in American history has often been synonymous with sugar†¦which has the power of stirring more political devils in Washington than any other elixir†. Sugar was a major export of America and therefore Cuba became a major concern for economists in a time of unrest and conflict, a potential acquisition for the â€Å"the Sugar Trust†¦the most hated trust in America†. 17] Big Business also profited from the notion of expanding global markets, with the new access to China and its multitude of consumers, businesses such as the American Tobacco Company foresaw the new opportunity, naming the â€Å"Philippines (as) the key to the Far East†. [18] Indeed U. S. involvement in Cuba was startling; Frank M. Steinhart of the National City Bank of New York (NCB) became leading e conomic leader, and was therefore able to ascertain all of Cuba’s resources under the NCB with their 24 Cuban branches. One governmental individual commented no how â€Å"Cuba is no more independent than Long Island†. 19] Colonial empire really did suit the U. S. A. How then could such a â€Å"splendid little war† be so farcical, why were said consequences of war so detrimental to opinion concerning United States diplomacy? In essence there were three major complications, whose effects brought about severe limitations to Hay’s statement. In short imperialism and the desire for expansion of economy and territory contradicted with U. S. tradition of ‘isolationism’, and that the idea of a nation with democratic values holding colonial control was unpalatable by many people. The acquisition of territory far overseas put a great amount of strain upon U. S. administrative and defensive concerns, not least because of their practical distance, but also due to constitutional contradictions. It gave the potential for continental warfare between the Great Powers, and the reality of guerrilla warfare in unfamiliar civilisations. The empire also brought about a further internal conflict, with both governmental and influential individuals, which sparked off following the condemnation of U. S. imperial stature. The U. S. ad only recently acquired an empire of colonies, she was naive and inexperienced with the policing and protection of lands outside of direct U. S. jurisdiction. The activities of rebellious peoples soon exacerbated such concerns, initiating a period of guerrilla warfare, requiring a sharp adaptation of U. S. occupational forces to facilitate a war of counter-insurgency. February 1899 marked the beginning of open hostility and aggression towards the U. S. occupational forces by the Filipino insurgents. The U. S. now had to follow the precedent set by the British, that an empire was a mixed-bag of complications and benefits. Proclaiming the slogan â€Å"No hay derecho a vender un pueblo como se vende un saco de patatas† (â€Å"There is no right to sell a nation like a sack of potatoes†), Filipinos launched vicious attacks on the forces of Aguinaldo and Mabini to oppose the â€Å"new colonial masters†. [20] The U. S. soon discovered they were running a counterinsurgency every bit as brutal as anything that â€Å"Butcher Weyler† had done in Cuba. Regular army soldiers, many of them veterans of the U. S. Indian wars, undertook â€Å"marked severities† (as one termed it) against these new â€Å"Indians†. One U. S. rmy officer wrote: â€Å"We must have no scruples about exterminating this other race standing in the way of progress, if it is necessary†. Many questioned the point of attempting to hold such alien territory, when there were ongoing domestic problems, one newspaper editor commented that it was â€Å"a sinful extravagance to waste our civilizing inf luence upon the unappreciative Filipinos when it is so badly needed right here in Arkansas†. During July 1902, the U. S. declared the Philippine Insurrection over, 200,000 to 220,000 Filipinos had died, and of whom only 15,000 were actual combatants, which suggest that U. S. forces consciously made war on the enemy's entire society that the concept of total war occurred fifty years earlier than 1939. [21] Critics of expansionism were another annoyance for the U. S. government. Those in office found the idea of dependency incredibly taxing, that the foreign acquisitions would perpetuate existing domestic problems. Other member foresaw that the ruling of said overseas dependencies would contradict, even violate, the â€Å"premises of republican government and the values of classical liberalism†. Although he failed to fervor his stance on U. S. imperialism in the presidential election of 1900, William Jennings Bryan became a high profile contester of expansionism; as a result, the election did not provide a clear mandate for or against overseas empire. Opponents of the U. S. Empire even more fervent than Bryan established the Anti-Imperialist League in Boston to oppose the Philippine Insurrection and colonialism. Erving Winslow, Edward Atkinson, Moorfield Storey, William James, Andrew Carnegie, and former President Grover Cleveland added their voices to the anti-imperialist chorus. However due to their narrow upper-class and governmental social base, the â€Å"antis† were unable to generate much support for their arguments, indeed Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov Lenin described them as â€Å"the last of the Mohicans of bourgeois democracy†. [22] Despite the apparent failure to change U. S. foreign policy, the Anti-Imperialism League became a major concern of the government, not least because its foundation was made of some actual political personalities thus creating the rifts of viewpoint shown, but it also caused embarrassment in the face of public and international scrutiny into the affair and the consequences of it thereafter. Indeed such was the strain of the opposition that the government even suppressed the delivery of three anti-imperialism pamphlets to Manila written by, vice president of the Anti-Imperialism League, Edward Atkinson. Economists too were somewhat discouraged by the U. S. involvement in foreign relations, indeed the firm Gompers recognized the problematic nature of overseas economic development. These economists feared the possible conflict of competition regarding the expansion of existing U. S. monopolies and conglomerates, foreseeing their impact on foreign society in the pursuit and carving up of land, resources, and profit. Foreign competition was also of major concern, believing the â€Å"menace of cheap oriental labor† as detrimental to the U. S. proletariat. [23] The fabled China market and political engrossment of overseas markets meant the establishment of an â€Å"open door† in China and to the protection of the territorial integrity of China. This therefore threatened war, a political tool to be reluctantly used if other powers obstructed U. S. entry into China market, only war could sustain the policy. The rising sun of Japan and Tsarist Russia therefore threatened future U. S. non-entanglement. In conclusion it is inaccurate to deem the 1898 war and Philippine Insurrection as â€Å"splendid little† wars; in reality each was fraught with so many conflicting problems and consequences. To many individuals the concept of colonial expansion was exciting, not least as it perpetuated U. S. power and influence but many sought to gain economically, spiritually and personally from said imperialism. The cost of empire was of higher significance however, as its political costs were severely detrimental to the McKinley administration, its effects on physical practicalities of defense and economy damaging, and the diplomatic portrayal of the U. S. A embarrassing. Eighty years previously John Quincy Adams had predicted the outcome of U. S. involvement in global conflict, â€Å"no matter how righteous the initial cause†¦her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force†¦She might become dictatress of the World†. Hay was wrong, 1898 was never a â€Å"splendid little war†, never a war â€Å"on behalf of people other than its own†. [24] Bibliography B. Bailyn, The Great Republic: History of the American People Vol. II; Toronto, DC Heath Canada, 1998 J. L. Bates, The United States 1898-1928 – Progressivism and a Society in Transition; New York, McGraw-Hill Book Co. , 1976 H. Brogan, The Penguin History of the United States; London, Penguin, 2001 H. Underwood Faulkner, A History of American life Vol. XI – The Quest for Social Justice 1898-1914; New York, The Macmillan Co. , 1961 S. Foner, The Spanish Cuban American War and the Birth of American Imperialism 1895-1902. Vol. I; New York, 1972 L. B. Francisco, and J. Shepard Fast, Conspiracy for Empire – Big Business, Corruption and the Politics of Imperialism in America, 1876-1907; Quezon City, Philippines, Foundation for Nationalist Studies, 1985 E. Cobbs Hoffman, and J. Gjerde, Major Problems in American History. Vol. II Since 1865; Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2002 M. A. Jones, The Limits of Liberty – American history 1607-1980; Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1983 T. Mahan, Lessons of war with Spain; London, Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. , 1899 J. B. Moore, Four Phases of American Development; New York, Balt, 1912 C. S. Olcott, Life of McKinley – Vol. II; Boston, Houghton M ifflin Co. , 1916 J. R. Stromberg, The Spanish-American War: The Leap into Overseas Empire; U. S. A, The Future of Freedom Foundation, 1999 G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition; New York, W. W. Norton & Co. , 2004 ———————– [1] E. Cobbs Hoffman, and J. Gjerde, Major Problems in American History. Vol. II Since 1865, p. 98. [2] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition, p. 759 [3] Ibid [4] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition, p. 760 [5] Ibid [6] M. A. Jones, The Limits of Liberty – American history 1607-1980, p. 402 [7] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition, p. 764 [8] Ibid, pp. 759 and 762 [9] L. B. Francisco, and J. Shepard Fast, Conspiracy for Empire – Big Business, Corruption and the Politics of Imperialism in America, 1876-1907, p. 135 [10] Ibid, p. 141 [11] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition p. 764 [12] J. B. Moore, Four Phases of American Development, pp. 147-148 [13] E. Cobbs Hoffman, and J. Gjerde, Major Problems in American History. Vol. II Since 1865, p. 100 [14] M. A. Jones, The Limits of Liberty – American history 1607-1980, p. 403 [15] C. S. Olcott, Life of McKinley – Vol. II Boston, Houghton Mifflin co. 1916 [16] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition, p. 765 [17] L. B. Francisco, and J. Shepard Fast, Conspiracy for Empire – Big Business, Corruption and the Politics of Imperialism in America, 1876-1907, p. 33 [18] H. Underwood Faulkner, A History of American life Vol. XI – The Quest for Social Justice 1898-1914, p. 310 [19] H. Underwood Faulkner, A History of American life Vol. XI – The Quest for Social Justice 1898-1914, p. 313 [20] J. R. Stromberg, The Spanish-American War: The Leap into Overseas Empir e, p. 2 [21] Ibid [22] J. R. Stromberg, The Spanish-American War: The Leap into Overseas Empire, p. 2 [23] H. Underwood Faulkner, A History of American life Vol. XI – The Quest for Social Justice 1898-1914, p. 310 [24] E. Cobbs Hoffman, and J. Gjerde, Major Problems in American History. Vol. II Since 1865, p. 97

Lawrence’s Presentation of Elizabeth Bates in Odour of Chrysanthemums Essay

Odour of Chrysanthemums is a short story by D. H. Lawrence, written in the autumn of 1909. It is set in Nottinghamshire and tells the tale of a coal miner’s wife, a young mother, waiting for her abusive husband Walter to come home. She blames his drinking for his absence. It turns out he has been killed in a pit accident. The story describes the setting before the discovery of his death and the aftermath. The main character in the story is Elizabeth Bates, mother of two and wife to Walter, the coal miner. Elizabeth, the protagonist of the story, is first introduced by Lawrence in a descriptive tone. He describes her as being a tall woman of imperious mien, handsome, with definite black eyebrows. The fact he calls her handsome, a word usually used for describing men, shows that she may carry some male qualities, such as strength. Also, Elizabeth has smooth, black hair parted exactly. Along with her dark eyebrows, this darkness could show a stern side and her hair being parted exactly shows precision and order of which she may have in her life; a routine, a daily schedule. She closed and padlocked the door also, which shows her need for security. Lawrence writes about Elizabeth standing steadily for a few moments watching the miners as they passed along the railway shows that she is curious to know where her husband is. She calls her son, John, and when he replies and she cannot see him she looks piercingly through the dust. She is afraid that he is at the brook, which she had previously told him to avoid. When she sees him hiding before the raspberry canes, she was pleased and gently asked him to come inside. This shows that she is a responsible mother who looks out for her children’s safety and security. This is a major theme given off in Elizabeth’s character. On his way into the house, John tears the wisps of chrysanthemums and drops the petals in handfuls along the path. Elizabeth says ‘Don’t do that- it does look nasty’. Chrysanthemums are a symbol in the book and her saying this indicates that she does not like the flowers. However, she picks one herself and when they get home, instead of disposing of it; she tucks the little flower into her apron. Keeping the chrysanthemum shows that the flowers have meaning to Elizabeth; this also reflects the reason as to why she finds them â€Å"nasty†, indicating to the reader that they do not hold the most pleasant memories for her. After this first appearance of chrysanthemums, Elizabeth and her father begin suspecting her husband has gone drinking yet again. The reader also finds out the fate of Elizabeth’s husband, though it is through mere foreshadowing. â€Å"Her husband did not come home.† Elizabeth channels her husband through her son when she sees him struggling with a knife and a piece of wood. She saw herself in his silence and pertinacity and the father in her son’s indifference to all but himself. She then pieces together what Walter was doing and glances at the clock, which shows impatience and, again, curiosity. When she ventures out to strain the potatoes in the yard she again watches the men trooping home, fewer and fewer. You can tell she is getting more anxious on why her husband has not returned. We see Elizabeth’s temper when she finished her barely eaten meal rose up from the table with evident anger and exclaimed how scandalous it is for a man to not come home to his dinner and hints that he has gone to the pub while she waits. Walter seems to be a recognizable brand of â€Å"bad husband,† and Elizabeth, the put-upon wife and mother, seems to be a clear victim. Her frustration and harsh words about Walter seem fully justifiable. Elizabeth clearly sees herself as having wasted her life with Walter, missing out on a better life she could have had with someone else. However when she comes down from putting the children to bed Lawrence describes the room as empty, which could show that her life is in fact empty without her husband. Elizabeth is certain of disaster as the story leads on, which we see from the very start. The story reaches its climax when Walter’s mother turns up at Elizabeth’s house. We see juxtaposition between Elizabeth and the grandmother. The elder woman is described to be very troubled, weeping without wiping her eyes, the tears running however stopped by Elizabeth’s directness when she said ‘Is he dead?’ We also see the difference of the two when Lawrence describes Elizabeth as having her thoughts elsewhere. She thought about the economic difficulties his death could bring upon her, and if he was hurt she was thinking of how tiresome he would be to nurse. Lastly she considers the children. The fact she shows little emotion towards the fact that her husband may well be dead agrees with the ea rlier point of Elizabeth being a long-suffering wife who deserves sympathy. Her response to Walter’s death reveals that she is not as blameless for her unhappiness as she first appears. At first, Walter seems to be the clear cause of Elizabeth’s difficult life. When his death is finally reviled the old woman drops into a chair and starts to wail and weep (a typical response to such news) but Elizabeth tells her to hush and not to wake the children, appearing to not be affected. When they both heard the details of his horrific death the grandmother continues to wail and cry, and Elizabeth again tells her to be quiet and not to wake the children. This shows her maternal side, and is showing the grandmother that she is a good mother like she herself boasts about. Elizabeth’s dismal view of her fate changes once Walter’s corpse is brought home. As Elizabeth and her mother-in-law undress and wash Walter’s body, much like a parody of the two women attending to the body of Christ, Elizabeth confronts her role in the marriageâ€⠄¢s failure. When she looks at the corpse, she realizes that for years, she has not really seen Walter. He was her husband but distant from her, and she feels â€Å"ashamed† because she had not allowed him to be himself. Instead of feeling anger and resentment, she recognizes that her own expectations and refusals helped tear them apart. She describes her unborn child as ice in her womb, ice of fear. She has no-one to support her anymore. This may be the reason why she ‘winced with fear and shame’ from the death. The pity she feels for Walter sharply contrasts with her earlier harsh view of him, serving as an epiphany—she suddenly recognizes Walter as a human being, rather than simply a difficult burden. Elizabeth realizes she has been culpable in her own unhappiness. At the end of the story, she submits to both life and death as her â€Å"masters,† humbled by her own mistakes and about to carry on with a new perspective.

Challenges in the Security and Privacy in the IoT Domain - Samples

The primary purpose of the report is to discuss about a brief of the various challenges related to the security and confidentiality in the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT has been influencing various organizations as it has the potential to change the lives of the people and the various processes in the business systems. With the rapid growth in the number of devices that are connecting with the help of Internet, they have also presented a number of challenges to the security of the IoT systems. The IoT systems have to recognize the security standards of the devices that are connected with the environment and thus develop standards and policies, which can form a secure and standard platform. The sensors that are present in the network framework of IoT generally lack the basic competencies, which are required in order to encrypt and decrypt the vital data. Since the process of encryption is a bit low, hence the sensors are sometimes unable to transfer the data in a real time environment with the help of the process of direct encryption. As a result of a low standard of data encryption, many of the IoT devices are sometimes susceptible to side-channel attacks. For example, an attack due to a power analysis could be used to reverse the performance of an algorithm. This would directly exploit the loopholes in the algorithm. This report focusses on the limited capabilities of encryption technology within the systems of IoT and thus discuss various networks and firewall systems, which should be used in order to prevent the IoT systems against such attacks.   Bertino, E., 2016, March. Data Security and Privacy in the IoT. In  EDBT  (Vol. 2016, pp. 1-3). Sicari, S., Rizzardi, A., Grieco, L.A. and Coen-Porisini, A., 2015. Security, privacy and trust in Internet of Things: The road ahead.  Computer networks,  76, pp.146-164.

Pragmatics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Pragmatics - Essay Example This ability to overlook other differences to cooperate conversationally demonstrates itself in several dialogue maxims that we always adhere to. Grice contended that maxims that govern cooperative conversation are the maxims of quantity, quality, relation, and manner (Korta and Perry 2012). The maxim of quantity is the amount of knowledge that parties involved in the conversation find useful. The maxim of quality is the quality of information conveyed during the conversation and its true or false nature. The maxim of relation is how applicable the information is to the conversation. Lastly, the maxim of manner is placing the information conveyed in the clearest, shortest, and most neat way (Korta and Perry 2012). Conversational implicature is the sharp differentiation between what a person says and what he or she implies by this statement (Korta and Perry 2012). Grice theorized that one determines a person’s statement by the traditional meaning of the statement and the background processes of disambiguation and reference fitting. This means that what this person implies relates to the existence of some logical values and maxims leading the dialogue. Conversational implicature entails the common identification of implication due to the literal content of a statement, its implied meaning, its non-literal content, and unintentional

My target audiences are students Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

My target audiences are students - Essay Example Audience-subject relationship I think my audiences probably know that texting is distracting, but they think they can handle it anyway. They do not know how distracting texting might be and how it can impair their ability to think and act while driving. I expect my audience to be open to learning more about the effects of texting, but they must be persuaded through logic and emotions to improve their awareness about the harms of this practice so that they can change their texting-while-driving mindset and behaviors. Audience-writer relationship I want to build a strong relationship with my audience because I am part of them and I want them to trust me. They can trust me if they see that I approach the subject with balanced rationality and emotionality. I want to be seen as a credible source of information that they can trust because I truly care for their welfare. I want to come across as a communicator of expert and real-life opinions and insights on this matter. Text and Drive at Y our Own Risk: The Perils of Texting while Driving Vehicular accidents are the leading cause of death among young drivers. Drivers with ages of 15 to 20 years old compose only 6% of all drivers in the United States, but they are involved in 19% of all crashes (West et al., 2011, p.37). The youth nowadays are highly proficient in multitasking, including texting while doing other activities, and many think that they can easily text and drive (Hosansky, 2012, p.405). Those who already text and drive and have not yet experienced any accidents increase their belief that they can text and drive without serious difficulty. This paper synthesizes the opinions and findings of different stakeholders, specifically victims and their families, citizens, government agencies, telecommunication service providers, researchers, and the media. Stakeholders agreed on the negative effects of texting while driving because of the prevalence of primary and secondary sources that provide evidence that suppor t the latter, but they disagreed on the effectiveness and usefulness of bans on this practice because of differences in arguments about cause and effect and differences in the importance placed on values and interests. Stakeholders agreed that texting while driving directly affects the welfare of drivers, especially the youth, because they all value human life and confirm that driving impacts driving abilities. They have similarities in their values, where human life is more important than individual freedoms. Agency Group 06 (2012) focused on the view of the government on how vehicular accidents can be reduced. It interviewed government officials, all of which value life and have responsibilities in ensuring public safety and quality life. Agency Group 06 (2012) reported the active participation of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood in promoting bans against texting while driving. Because of his responsibility for the safety of drivers and commuters, Lahood lobbies for safe d riving practices and supports texting-while-driving bans, one of which was applied in Ohio (Agency Group 06, 2012). He emphasizes the importance of human life over the freedom to do anything inside one’s car and calls the attention of young drivers who are mostly affected by the harmful texting-while-dri

Change-oriented leadership trans formational and charismatic leaders Coursework

Change-oriented leadership trans formational and charismatic leaders - Coursework Example At the time of her appointment as Yahoo’s CEO, Marissa was five months pregnant. This did not deter her ability to deliver as a leader; in fact, it motivated her to work harder. She only took a two-week maternity leave and went on to build a nursery right next to her office, which meant no telecommuting and constant access to her new-born. Suffice it to say, Marissa gravitates towards a more situational management approach whereby she is more hands-on; a practice that is unorthodox for most CEOs. For example, she takes a more direct approach to hiring staff whereby she follows strict hiring policies, which entail conducting stringent achievement and educational background investigations (Weisberg, 2013). As evidenced by employee remarks and owners of the small companies that accepted mergers with Yahoo, Marissa Mayer is a charismatic leader. David Pogue, a former New York Times columnist cites Marissa’s charisma as one of the reasons why he accepted her offer to join the Yahoo editorial team. In addition, majority of owners of the companies acquired by Yahoo during Marissa’s tenure also cited her charisma as one of the major reasons for accepting acquisition offers. They agreed to sell their companies despite prior knowledge that their companies might face possible dissolution (Weisberg, 2013). Before Marissa took over as CEO, Yahoo had not released any noteworthy new products, which caused the company’s market share to plummet drastically. Since taking over, Marissa Mayer’s first year has been quite eventful. She commenced with the purchase of over twenty (20) small ICT based companies, a strategic decision driven by the need to diversify Yahoo’s product range. Her ability to recognize a problem, identify alternative solutions, and settling on the best alternative solution to the problem attests to Marissa’s exceptional transformational leadership traits. In addition, she did not let critical bystanders

Relationship between Byzantium and Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Relationship between Byzantium and Islam - Essay Example According to the research findings, administrative and doctrinal differences caused the Eastern and Western churches to divide in 1054, ending a centuries-long partition between Greek and Latin Christendom.   Byzantium attained its political height through Justinian, who re-conquered the old Western empire parts.   Successive attacks from various peoples, including Latin Christians, made Byzantium weak, finally falling to the Ottoman Turks (1454). As the 7th century began, vast territories that extended from Egypt to Syria and across North African territories were under the rule of Byzantine Empire from Constantinople (modern Istanbul), its capital. Critical to the power and wealth of the empire, these southern territories long influenced by the Greco-Roman traditions held Orthodox, Syriac, and Coptic, Christians, Jewish communities, among other many religions. Great pilgrimage centers engrossed the faithful followers from as far away as Scandinavia in the west and Yemen in the e ast. Major trade routes extended down the Red Sea to eastward past Jordan to Indian lands in the south, bringing ivories and silks to the imperial territories. Key cities made wealthy by commerce protracted along inland trade routes Constantinople north and along the coastline of Mediterranean sea. Commerce carried ideas and images freely through the region. In the same 7th century, the newly founded faith of Islam began from Medina and Mecca along the Red Sea trade way and reached westward to the Byzantium Empire’s southern provinces. Religious and political authority was conveyed from the long conventional Christian Byzantine to the newly founded Umayyad and well along Abbasid Muslim dynasties. These new powers capitalized on the advantage of existing region traditions in developing their compelling religious and secular visual identities. This exhibition shadows the Byzantine Empire southern provinces artistic traditions from the 7th century to the 9th, as they were change d from being fundamental to the Byzantine tradition and beliefs to being a critical Islamic world part.

Joan durrant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Joan durrant - Essay Example The significant research of Durrant concentrates on various dimensions such as cultural, legal and psychological frameworks of corporal punishment of children in Canada and worldwide. Moreover, the research works of Dr. Durrant emphasizes upon prohibiting physical maltreatment of children. The research also provides an adequate support within the context of disciplinary approach that is taken into concern towards preventing the children from any sort of physical maltreatment. The studies of Durrant are applied in different parts of Canada, Sweden and Germany that provides elimination of corporal punishment of children by a significant level (University of Manitoba, 2012). The paper intends to discuss the detailed research works that conducted by Dr. Joan Durrant. Moreover, the linkage of the research of Dr. Durrant with the developmental health perspective and certain recommendations that would enhance the quality of care children will also be depicted in this paper. Explanation of t he Research Conducted By Joan Durrant The dimensions relating to physical punishment or maltreatment of children have been observed from previous few years and are regarded to be an important concern in the context of international affairs. According to various researches, it has been noted that physical or corporal punishment has been raised considerably in the year 1990. The research works of Dr. ... Moreover, it has also been viewed that the physical punishment or maltreatment of children belonging to the age group of six to nine years result increased levels of antisocial behavior with the application of different controls. In this regard, the controls may include family or socio-economic status and emotional support levels among others. The aforementioned study further indicates that physical punishment is a major factor of jeopardy for rising aggression in children that compels them to perform antisocial behaviors (Durrant & Ensom, 2012). The research works conducted by Durrant & Ensom are related to the significant aspect of child aggression. The works in the research observes connectivity between physical punishment and psychological aspects. It has been viewed that physical punishment is related with wide ranging mental health related difficulties of children, youths and adults that include sadness, grief, anxiety, use of drugs and alcohol among others. Moreover, the resea rchers also observed that physical punishment or maltreatment is mainly connected with mental development of children that ultimately affects in the educational development of the individuals or rather the children. From the perspective of the development of children, it has been observed that the studies relating to neuroimaging played an imperative part. In this regard, the studies linked with neuroimaging suggest that physical punishment can lessen the volume of grey matter of brain in relation to different development areas of children. It can be stated that physical punishment can cause significant changes in dopaminergic regions that are related with susceptibility towards the ill-treatment of drugs and alcohol. On the basis of the

Research Paper on Comparative analysis of Wal-Mart, Kmart and

On Comparative analysis of Wal-Mart, Kmart and Burlington - Research Paper Example 10) through different business and management strategies. Almost all different companies play very uniquely in the market with varying organizational objectives, visions, techniques, ideas and strategies and therefore all these companies provide illuminating examples for how differently a market can be created and maintained. This piece of research paper presents a comparative study of the company background information, organizational cultures and environmental factors of three well known companies; Wal-Mart, Kmart and Burlington Coat factory. Based on the comparative analysis of the business strategies and marketing techniques of these three companies, this paper explains how different companies play uniquely in the market by creating values for their customers to make them ultimately satisfied. Company Background Information Wal-Mart The Wal-Mart is always an amazing business story since it has emerged to be the largest retailer from the dream of a family to start a small lucrativ e retail business with their personal saving of six thousand dollars (Soderquist, 2005). Out of all the retail and other brands in the US, Wal-Mart has undoubtedly affected the life of millions around the world by changing their lifestyle, culture and social status too. Wal-Mart operates retail stores in various formats and segments across the world such as discount stores, supercentres, neighborhood markets, Sam’s club and market-side. It is ranked first by Fortune 500 on the list of America’s largest corporations and also as one among the world’s largest corporations listed in 2011. Wal-Mart stores provide its customers with wide range of national as well as internationally recognized brands in categories of grocery, home appliance, entertainment, health and wellness, apparel, home wares and so on. One of the major strengths of the company is that it can quickly shift the products mix to adapt to changes in demand and market since the company has dominant posi tion in its market and also that it provides wide ranges of goods and services (Datamonitor, 2011). The Wal-Mart story The Wal-Mart story begins with Sam Walton’s dream to start a small franchise Ben Franklin’s variety store in Arkansas, Bentonville in 1945 (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2009, p. 293). The retail store that Sam Walton started began to inspire a group of people with his uncanny ability and his vision to create not just one-of-a-kind company but a revolutionary business model and thus to grow to impact the standard of living for millions upon millions of people every day in the US and worldwide (Soderquist, 2005). Until 1962, the business was entirely devoted to the operation of franchise variety stores. By July 1962, Sam Walton opened the first Wal-Mart store in Rogers and this has eventually grown to be a large chain with 24 stores that ringed up $ 12.7 million sales in 1967. In 1969, the company is formally incorporates as Wal-Mart Stores Inc (History

High school Essay Example for Free

High school Essay Our country has gone through many changes and development for the past few years. The continuous process made great impacts in the lives of millions of Filipinos. There are many aspects concerning the issues and problems in the Philippine Educational System as to how we can resolve it the best way we could to attain that kind of quality of education we have been searching and longing for. The researcher found out that the educational system is complicated because (1) it does notprescribe the national development (2) it is not responsive to the basic needs of the country (3) the implementation of programs are not properly monitored (4) it does not suite the educational globalization and (5) there is too much politics in education. We all know that all of these are due to population explosion, globalization and of course, the fault of the government in the system. Another problem is that the gap existing between the private and the public school systems. In addition, the students in the Philippines cannot be considered competent due to different matters. Another thing is the recent statement of the Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary Graciano Yumul Jr. that students in the Philippines cannot pass the global standards of education. Therefore, there is a need for the reform of the entire educational system in the Philippines especially in the public school system because Public schools are the building blocks of our societies. They can be considered our foundational instruments. Although these venues of learning play significant roles, they are unable to provide the best they can, due to their numerous flaws and faults. Generally, Philippine Education aims to provide quality and free education both for the elementary and secondary public schools but again this have not been observed and understood well causing it to be a burden most especially to the students and parents. Declining standards in public schools is one of the most controversial education issues today is the continuing decline in student learning.

Gender Differences Within The Education System

Gender Differences Within The Education System The Education System consists of all school types, from pre-schools to universities all over the world. There are many different types of gender differences within the education system including: academic, social, emotional and behavioural. Academic gender differences are one of the most highly researched topics within the educational system. Within this essay I will discuss the widening gap between gender and achievement, and try to explain why these differences may be apparent, and how to change them. Research shows that academic gender differences are evident from 3years of age. Statistics from the Foundation Stage Profile Results for England for 2007-08 show that girls outperform boys in all 13 assessment scales. The main gap areas are social development (10% difference between genders) emotional development (11%) linking sounds and letters (11%) writing (18%) reading (11%) creative development (14%) (Steve Maynard, Gender differences in school, 2008) During the 70s when academic achievement was being investigated research was showing that girls where underachieving, they did less well in GCE exams, left school earlier than boys and were less likely to go to university. The main view was that gender differences were natural and unalterable, known as the Biological Deterministic approach. This may suggest why boys and girls were treated differently within the education system, as their adult roles were different I.e. men go out to work and women are home-makers, therefore not needing qualifications. However, if this is the case it is important to address why research within the past decade, evidently shows an increasing gender achievement gap with male students lagging behind females on a number of important indicators of school success. (Clark. M, Flower. K, Walton. J, Oakley. E., 2008). It could be argued that this is down to the changing views of society, along with the introduction of a compulsory national curriculum where both girls and boys where required to take foreign languages, English, sciences and maths. According to Wilkinson (1994) the Genderquake has a major part to play in the success of women within education today. He states that fundamental changes in attitudes towards female roles in society, have lead women to have a more positive attitude towards education as a means of improving their chances of success at work. A report from the Rowntree Foundation (2007) found that academic gender differences can continue up to age 16, showing that boys outnumber girls by 20% as low achievers at GCSE. Van Houtte (2004) suggests this may be due to the fact that males have a less study orientated culture that females. This would explain why achievement is higher in vocational and technical courses such as business studies, IT, geography (where more boys enter) and in separate sciences a more hands on approach to learning in males than females. Berg and Klinger (2009) found that subject performance is often associated with gender-specific stereotypes, and self-perceptions such as reading for girls and maths for boys. This may explain why one of the only academic subjects males seem to have out performed girls in is mathematics. Many studies show that mathematical achievement is a male dominated subject. A study in 2008, (Van de gaer, Pustjens, Van Damme. De Munter.) amongst Flemish students showed that boys performance in maths is linked to their participation within that subject boys participate in maths classes more than girls. Further support for the above points comes from (Kyong Hee Chee, 2005) whose analysis indicated that women are more likely to possess an academic ethic than men. They also found that women tend to have higher Grade Point Averages (GPAs). They found GPAs to be positively associated with active participation in extra-curricular groups and clubs, and GPA was negatively related to employment for men. These results pose the question in why there is such a large gap in achievement between genders? Experts say that the reason for this may be down to the difference in nature and nurturing between girls and boys. Genetic theories state that females excel in language based subjects due to their greater verbal and reasoning abilities, where as males have a high level of innate spatial ability, increasing their understanding of shape and form. As girls start to talk, read (read more often) and develop fine motor skills earlier than boys, they also progress quicker and develop more positive attitudes, they are generally better equipped for the start of formal schooling than boys. Once in school, girls tend to be more task-focused more methodical and conscientious, and far better at tackling coursework. Boys tend to be action-oriented impatient, imaginative, and inclined to take risks. They develop fine motor skills later than girls, and their learning and motivational skills are different. (Duffy, M. 2002) There have been many discussions about how to close the gap between gender and achievement. This has included changing the ways that children learn, and it has been suggested that more male teachers in primary schools could help boys within their achievement. It has been argued that women teachers talk to much causing boys to switch-off. Celia Lashlie, author of Hell Be Okay states that women teachers need to talk in lower pitches when teaching and use more non-verbal cues like males do. Male can be seen as positive role models towards education teachers can break down assumptions such as reading is for girls.(Times Educational Supplement) There are many campaigns in place to encourage boys to read, such as Welsh rugby players promoting reading within schools and libraries. Maloney (2002) states that boys like to read books that reflect themselves and who they aspire to be and appeal to their sense of humour. Interestingly,boys enjoy looking at newspapers, magazines and comic books but do not consider this reading, as these materials arent valued in school. It is therefore important that to encourage reading and literacy skills, schools need to provide enough material for boys to want to read. The most recent idea, that supports previous research findings is too change assessments to suit each of the genders needs. AQA, the UKs largest school exam board, propose developing gender-specific alternatives, that are tailor made for girls and boys, to GCSEs. It has been suggested that these new key-stage 4 qualifications in English, Maths and Science could be taught as early as 2011, with coursework options for girls and more traditional exams aimed at boys. AQAs director of curriculum and assessment, said: We could offer a route for boys that is very different to a route for girls. Girls tend to perform better with coursework while boys do better with end-of-year exams. So we are pursuing that in science to see if we could have an option in science where we might have a straightforward examination for boys but a possibility of having a coursework option for girls. (Bill Alexander 2010, TES). Even though the research within this essay often has a large sample size, and seems to have the same effect across cultures, It has been argued that, although research has shown that by the age of seven, some boys are almost two and a half years behind their brightest female class mates, gender is only a small part of academic gender gap, and factors such as poverty, ethnicity and birth season have a larger effect on a childs academic achievement. The analysis conducted in 2000, revealed that the most disadvantaged pupils are male from a poor, ethnic-minority background, born in the summer, never went to nursery and spent their primary years moving from school to school. These children were more than two years behind more socially-advantaged, winter-born, female classmates. (Birminghams Education Authority) Also, biological theories for gender differences within education, can be strongly criticised. Genetic explanation can not explain how gender differences have narrowed between mathematics and science based subjects since the 1980s. Arguably, if these differences were genetic they would be expected to remain constant. Kelly (1982) suggests that the types of toys children play with can be attributed to the differences in spatiality ability. Further support for this point comes from Sharpe (1976), who argues that childhood socialization plays a large part in masculine and feminine identity roles. This may suggest why women tended to stick to feminine subjects such as home economics, and art other than science and technology, which are seen masculine. This provides further support for the views of the Gender-quake and the changing roles of women within society, henceforth the success of females academic achievement over males. In conclusion, there are many reasons for academic gender differences within the education system, including the stereotypes and the views of gender roles within society. In order to close the gap that seems to be continuously growing, changing ways in which teaching is approached seems to be a logical solution. This includes the encouraging boys to read, as it has been suggested that due to a lack of reading boys are held back in their writing skills. changing the ways in which assessment is carried out, may be more beneficial. (Times Educational Supplement) As well as tailoring assessments to suit the needs of each gender, especially as boys seem to better in exams, especially those that are multiple choice due to their nature of risk-taking behaviour (Ramos, and Lambating, 1996) where as girls are more likely to excel in coursework . Another option is also allowing more hands on and vocational subjects onto the curriculum. In order to see if these options take effect, it is important for researchers to keep up to date with the current operations of the educational system and keep carrying out their research. Words: 1607.

The Talloires Motivation :: University Improvement Essays

The Talloires Motivation Stewardship: â€Å"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.† Sustainability: â€Å"life that uses nature without bringing harm to it.† The concept of using resources without endangering their future availability is an ideal that only within the past couple decades has gained support within the collegiate world. The severe need for this principle caused twenty-two university presidents and chancellors to convene in 1990 and sign a declaration pledging to support it and advocate its propagation. Recently this document known as the Talloires Declaration was signed locally by President Warren J. Baker representing California Polytechnic State University, an action which he explained in a speech made on his college’s campus. The purpose of this speech was to reinforce the ideals of stewardship and sustainability in our area and indirectly support the Cal Poly Master Plan as an advocate of them in the community. These goals are in his best interest because if achieved they would rally support for Master Plan projects without resistance from parties uneducated to the ultimately beneficial aims of these plans. One way President Baker pointed out signing the Talloires Declaration makes the Master Plan indispensable is that many of the goals of the declaration parallel goals found in the Master Plan. He quoted the Master Plan as â€Å"striving to strike a balance among several principles that we believe are all essential elements of a comprehensive vision of sustainability,† and listed those values as academic excellence, social justice, economic growth and efficiency and environmental protection. Past successful projects he noted are offering degree programs that promote responsible actions when dealing with the environment, the construction of learning centers and institutions that advise and interact with the government on conservation projects, and promoting sustainability and stewardship through founding EARTH university in Costa Rica to alert the world to stewardship and sustainability. These are good examples of the Master Plan and Talloires Declaration working together as t hey show the width and breadth of projects the Master Plan has tackled, and present achievements with visible and positive outcome. These achievements are also well chosen because they are projects that paralleled the ten goals of the Taillores Declaration. Offering degree programs which concentrate on conservation and sustainability is an excellent way to â€Å"Increase Awareness of Environmentally Sustainable Development,† â€Å"Educate for Environmentally Responsible Citizenship,† and â€Å"Foster Environmental Literacy For All† which are goals one, three and four.

History Of Music :: essays research papers

Music has been around sense the dawn of time. When man first started to discover music it was not the kind of music we have today. All it consisted of was grunts, moans, and banging things. Music has evolved just as much as the people that created it. From Chromagnum men to musician and from grunting too classical music, rock, and rap. The first people imitated music from nature. They mimicked the sound from their every day life. It had no rhythm, beat, or tune it was just noise, but later turned into what we now call music. Ancient people used music for much more than entertainment they used it in every day life. They would yell and scream during battle, blow a horn as a warning, have ceremonies to honor the dead or bring the rain, signal danger, to show your importance in society, it was also used as a healing power. On the front lines of battle would be a soldier that would be holding a drum or a flute. When this was a common act the instruments would be spread around to different cultures after a battle. This brought on a new way of looking at music. Around the 16th century people started to collect instead of play music. A persons hands and feet were the first of all the instruments and is still the most common, because every one has them. A persons hands and feet were readily available, and easy to use. The drum is the second most common percussion instrument. Like most of the other instruments the drum was found by accident when someone hit a hallow log with a stick. The hallowed out stumps then became drums that were decorated. Drums were used for war or for signaling over long distances. The drum was a common instrument because it was so easy to use; all they had to do was strike it. The second percussion instrument was the rattle. The rattle was found later in the time when humans started to grow plants. It was found accidentally when someone picked up a dried out gourd of some sort and shook it. The ancient rattles were readily available because the people that grew the plants were just learning how to grow plant so they made many mistakes. The harp has been around since humans have started to use tools. The harp was founded during the hunt.

johnny tremain essay :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book starts in the pre-revolutionary time. At the beginning of the book, Johnny Tremain, is working as an apprentice to Mr. Lapham. Mr. Lapham is a blacksmith. Johnny’s parents died in a fire several years before, and this is why he lived with the Laphams. He worked there with enthusiasm for several years until he hurt his arm, scolding it in hot metal. After the accident, Mr. Lapham told Johnny that he needs to find a different profession, but he can stay with the laphams.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Johnny, after a lot of searching, finally finds a job delivering papers. While delivering papers he meets Rab, who works with him. Rab introduces him to the rebel underground. At that point Johnny agrees to deliver messages between the groups of rebels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book is a very interesting read, if you have some self discipline. I mean that you need some self discipline because this book didn’t really captivate me in the sense that I couldn’t put it down. But after reading it for a while, I started to appreciate the author’s way of describing the characters and actions in this book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several things that I like about this book. First off, I love historical fiction, and this is the genre of this book. Also, despite the author being too descriptive, the book went at a steady pace. For me, pace usually determines whether I will read the book or not, and I never really hesitated, or thought about changing books.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book was interesting to me, but I think that anyone older than I would find this book a slight bit easy, despite the fact that the author, Ester Forbes does use old English words that are no longer used. So I would recommend this book for anyone between the ages of 12-14, and strongly recommend it at that.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Despite the book being well written, there are several parts that I would re-write; here I will describe two of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first one is when Johnny hurts his hand by pouring hot metal on it.

Importance of Informal and Formal Language Essay

Society is changing at a rapid pace and informality in the English language is on the rise. In places where formal language was once a must, informality has taken over, and questions are raised over whether formal language still has a place in modern English. However, despite changes, formal language is still in use and is still expected and considered the most appropriate method of address in many situations. In written and spoken communication, formal language has the ability to convey knowledge and provide a sense of occasion, while informality has the ability to minimise social distance and is easily understood. Situations in which formal language is the most appropriate form of address may have diminished, however it retains an important role in society. From chatting on the phone to a friend to asking about a neighbour’s day, spoken informal language is the main form of language used in most people’s everyday lives, however it is now being used in more situations. For example, a shift in the way businesses run has been reflected in a less formal method of communicating. Whereas the old business model was focused on the boss being above their employees, hence, a formal manner of communication between the two groups. Businesses now run on the basis of collaborating, sharing and creating a healthy and enjoyable work environment, so the method of communication is far more informal. Another example of a shift to informality is in the way people learn. Teachers now speak in a far more informal style than they used to, instead of talking down to the students in a formal manner. The internet also uses informal, humorous language, people now go to Youtube videos to learn The advantage of using more informal language in these situations is that it minimises social difference, is engaging and makes both parties in a conversation feel comfortable. Informal spoken language is a huge part of peoples lives, the personal way in which it is spoken is now being mimicked in informal writing. Over the course of the last 10 years, mostly due to the invention of texting and the internet, the informal form of writing has become far more prevalent. People are more connected to each other, and yet often see little of each other face-to-fac. Informal writing is very similar to informal spoken language, non-fluency features are used, as well as other previously  spoken language only features. In this way informal written language connects people in a way that formal written language never could, and can almost replace in-person conversation. However, punctuation and grammar are forgone for the convenience factor of less keys to press, and in a fast moving society it is quicker to use non-standard grammar and shorten words to just a handful of characters than it is to plan, write and edit a single message. In a fast-paced, digital setting, informal written language is being used more than ever, however that does not mean formal written language no longer has a place. Formal written language is one of the forms of language most declined in use, however the use of formal written language but still remains a requirement in many areas of communication. Formal language enables both individuals and corporations to convey their expertise and knowledge on a subject. Formal language is expected in academic essays, scientific research reports, legal documents and other more ‘serious’ occasions. For instance, compare a formal sentence such as â€Å"I believe working at KMart would allow me the opportunities to grow as an individual,’ with an informal one such as ‘I reckon working at Kmart’d make me a totes swaggier person’ for a job application. The first conveys experience, maturity and intelligence, and is in the style of language expected on the occasion, and as a result is far more likely to get the position. Formal written language may not be as widely used as it has been previously, however in certain situation s it is the most appropriate, as is the case with formal spoken language. While it is not the language the average person uses reguarly, formal spoken language has immense importance in both conveying knowledge and giving a sense of occasion. For a formal speech, given by a politician or other powerful figure, such as a debate, a press conference, ceremony, or other formal occasion, formal language is the most appropriate method of communication. This choice assures the audience of the speaker’s expertise on the subject and their competency in their position, which leads to trust what they say as being truth. Another occasion where formal language is prevalent is at ceremonies such as weddings, funerals and religious events such as Mass. This formality, and adherence to the norms are key to creating  a sense of occasion and meaning. For instance, wedding vows, or the Lord’s prayer. Each of these is highly formal and rehearsed, and an event would not have the same weight without them. Formal spoken language still has a place in society, giving meaning and weight behind individuals and situations. A mixture of both formal and informal language are important for the continuance of society as it stands. Despite technological and societal changes, formal language remains key to conveying knowledge giving a sense of meaning and occasion to events. The two forms can coexist in separate spaces, in what linguist, Renato Beninatto, describes as the â€Å"underwear effect†. ‘Wearing a suit, people don’t mind using formal language [†¦] The closer they get to intimate life—the closer they get to their underwear, that is—the more they want to use their mother tongue.’ So for the most part, in their homes, informality will be the language chosen by people, however for different occasions, be it a funeral or a job interview, people will accept formality. This goes to show that formality still has a place in today’s society.

Athletic Leadership Development Program Essay

There is great need to develop effective athletic management programs in high schools. Apart from the fact that students derive direct benefit from such programs, it is also a good training resource since today’s high school athletes will eventually take shape as tomorrow’s sports leaders as coaches, trainers, athletic administrators, sports physicians, sports psychologists and other capacities (Lanasa, Ciletti & Lackman, 2005). High school is a very important stage in which students prepare for the future by getting a good education, making friends and participate in other activities such as athletics. It is unfortunate, that many schools have adopted budget cuts that under provide for sports, taking the opinion that money would be better spent on academics. Though it is right that academics come first, sacrificing high school sports is dangerous to the students’ high school experience as it affects their ability to perform at optimum academic levels (Amorose & Horn, 2000). Sports are also an important component that helps students develop into well-rounded adults who give full benefits to the country at large. INTRODUCTION This paper will carry out a literature review to illustrate how a School Athletic Leadership Plan works to give students full benefits. In extension, the school as an institution also derives high levels of achievement and satisfaction from the same. It will show how students with an interest in the field of training and treatment of athletes can effectively be prepared by the school athletic training programs. They are a perfect opportunity of gaining college and career preparation. These programs give an appropriate opportunity to the attainment of information, certification, scholarships and networking for students (MacGregor, 2005). HOW TO DEVELOP A LEADERSHIP PROGRAM This section will evaluate the leadership program adopted by Wheeler High School in Indiana. It presents a situation that is appropriate to most high schools where there are potentially good players but their hopes and targets fail to materialize due to lack of a well organized sports framework and leadership in the school. On evaluation of the progress and areas that need change, Snodgrass notes that the foremost problem was the lack of player leadership in the students’ teams coupled with the lack of senior talent (2005). Borrowing from the plan adopted by this school, this paper will give guidelines on how a school athletic leadership plan can be developed. Structure of the program An effective leadership program should start by identifying players that can participate in the plan. For starters, the first class could be made up of six senior and two junior students who would meet weekly for two to three hours over a ten week period (Snodgrass, 2005). In this period, they would they would participate in the curriculum by carrying out the following; Interaction They are expected to visit and spend one or two hours in the curriculum each night (Snodgrass, 2005). From this interaction, the head of the plan identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the selected team by observing how they interact and how committed they are. This is the stage at which the leaders and those with skills valuable to the plan are identified. As they share ideas, hopes and aspirations, this pilot group can come up with an excellent blueprint of the plan since they are better positioned to know what would work with their fellow student athletes and what would not. Activities strengthening core values The activities that strengthen core values are important as they set the plan in motion with the rest of the student athletes. The pilot group of eight should each be assigned a group of student with which they carry out these activities. This could occur in class for discussions and after knowing each other, the group members should engage in out of class activities. Group leaders are expected to call incoming players and engage with them with an aim of getting to know them intimately (University of Wisconsin, 2007). This is a very important step as the group leaders get in a position to identify strengths and weaknesses that might be hidden from the coaches and teachers. This enables the teams to avoid failures that commonly arise from the lack of proper understanding within the team. Leadership in youth camps The eight members of the pilot team should serve as counselor at the summer youth camp. They are expected to take up roles such as teaching a position, coaching the team in flag football, running the punt-pass-kick contest etc (Young & Edmonson, 2010). It should involve activities such as story narrations to emphasize the importance of team playing. The plan should be sure to implement a youth summer camp. The Handbook of Organizational Consulting Psychology underscores the importance of such camps in the development of leadership plans. It is from such camps that the members emerge as a team understanding each other, with strong leadership and ready to work together (Fiedler, 2002). The above activities lay the foundation on which the plan can be built upon. After getting the required individuals to spearhead the program and the necessary team sprit, the plan can proceed into the next step in which it formally assembles the best ideas and strategies for the leadership program in form of a blueprint discussed in the following section. PLANNING THE BLUEPRINT Snodgrass defines a blueprint as the process of designing a leadership program in any field from start to finish (2005). It guides the implementation of the whole process and it gives guidelines on how to check progress and success levels. This paper will provide a blueprint that is divided into steps as follows; Step 1: Assembling the planning team According to the program adopted by the Leigh University for the summer of 2007, the planning team should comprise all the key stakeholders to build a program that is acceptable campus wide (Fiedler, 2002). It is imperative to ensure that all individual stakeholders understand the importance of athletics in the life of the students. Teachers and other members of staff should be ready to sacrifice some academic hours in order to bring the plan into track. In this university, the team consisted of coaches from the Athletic Department, administrators and student-athletes as well as staff from the Dean of Student’s Office to attain a healthy balance (Young & Edmonson, 2010). They should meet weekly to discuss the rest of the steps in the blueprint. Step 2: Conducting a leadership audit â€Å"The leadership audit is a systematic assessment of leadership development opportunities at the institution and beyond. A complete audit includes both internal and external reviews and inventories all leadership opportunities† (Lanasa, Ciletti & Lackman, 2005). Internal audit: The information from this audit should find out whether there are other leadership initiatives on campus in which student-athletes can participate (). Fiddler finds that often these programs are not designed to directly increase the value of the student’s leadership and do not fundamentally impact Athletics as a whole(Amorose & Horn, 2000). There should be goal setting and skill building workshops that are conducive to the unique schedules of student-athletes and athletics department staff. External audit: This involves researching specific leadership opportunities at other institutions. This should particularly look for leadership development programs and delivery options within other institutions (Robinson & Skinner, 2008). It can be done in neighboring schools that have highly successful leadership development programs to identify crucial aspects that can be adopted. It can also be done online or from other literature on the issue to set good standards for a comprehensive plan. Step 3: Identification of an anchor The anchor is another crucial aspect of the plan that should be in place. Young and Edmonson define it as the â€Å"existing institutional purpose, outreach or reason that makes the program’s efforts essential and justifies the investment of time, energy and resources to support the effort (2010). It helps in the acceptance of the plan since it does not appear as something totally alien. For instance the mission statement of Lehigh University is; â€Å"To advance learning through the integration of teaching, research, and service to others† (Young and Edmonson, 2010). To be in tandem with the school’s mission statement, the Lehigh Athletics Mission Statement could be made to capture that of the institute, e. g. â€Å"Our mission in the Lehigh Athletics Department is to advance learning to develop leadership, and to foster personal growth through comprehensive athletics programming. † (Young and Edmonson, 2010). This way, the plan manages to entrench itself within existing institutional goals and hence all stakeholders can comfortably identify with it and work towards its implementation. As such, teachers for instance would drop their hard line stance towards the plan as they feel it helps in academics. Step 4: Determining the scope The scope is the extent of the leadership experience which encompasses aspects such as how deep the program will be embedded in institutional culture and the programmatic mission and learning objectives (Robinson & Skinner, 2008). The scope should be connected to the vision, mission, and learning outcomes of the school’s sports department. Vision: the plan should be aimed at cultivating a culture of leadership which encourages self-awareness, commitment to team playing, and emphasis on values and actions that enhance a good athletic experience. (Amorose & Horn, 2000) Mission: the sports department should use the plan to complement and support the larger missions of the institution as a whole. This can be achieved with the use of the transformational leadership theory that enhances student’s leadership skills and understanding (Fiedler, 2002). It should accomplish a sense of community among al stakeholders focusing on the value of positive leadership. Learning outcomes: these are the benefits that the students should derive from participating in the Athletic Leadership Program. Firstly, they enhance their knowledge of basic leadership skills and principles. Others are interpersonal skills, integrity, peer motivation, self awareness and the value of diversity in every situation (University of Wisconsin, 2007). This will enhance their wellbeing in every field of life in school and beyond. Step 5: Shaping the philosophy A philosophy is important in shaping an appropriate vision, mission and goals for a comprehensive Athletic Leadership Program. Robison and Skinner put forward two examples of philosophy that can be used to achieve this end. They do so by addressing the unique needs of student-athletes, teams and coaches (2008). The Transformational Leadership Theory is the primary philosophy in which the program is embedded. â€Å"It describes a course of action where both leaders and participants engage in a mutual, ongoing process of raising one another to higher levels of motivation, moral reasoning, and self-consciousness† (Robinson & Skinner, 2008). This encourages collaboration and interdependence within participants by appealing to social and community focused values. Principle-Centered Leadership Theory: this theory is based on principle based leadership. Leaders are required to center their practices in natural based practices. Their values can only be effective if they remain true to these guiding principles, which are identified as; â€Å"continually learning, service-oriented, radiate positive energy, believe in other people, lead balanced lives, see life as an adventure, are synergistic, and exercise for self-renewal† (Robinson & Skinner, 2008). Step 6: Selecting delivery framework These are the strategies and individuals to be used for teaching participants about leadership. This includes positional leaders and emerging ones. Positional leaders include coaches and captains who are directly responsible of development of athleticism in individual-student athletes which will ultimately lead them to winning championships (Fiedler, 2002). Emerging leaders include students joining the program and those who have been it for a while and want to further their leadership skills. This way, the plan ensures that it has a never ending supply of talent and new leadership, i. e. it is sustainable. Step 7: Select Assessment and Evaluation Strategies This step ensures that intentional assessment and evaluation tools will are available. It is recommended that the implementation of the blueprint is assessed after the first full year of implementation. The tools to be used for this assessment may include â€Å"focus groups, student-athlete exit interviews, pre- and post-surveys, student-athlete post-season evaluations, etc† (University of Wisconsin, 2007). This process is meant to explore needs, outcomes and satisfaction derived from the plan. CONCLUSION A School Athletic Leadership Plan like the one outlined above will go a long way in accomplishing a varied range of needs in the school. It clearly shows the need to implement an effective plan from which students can derive numerous benefits. The step by step process is imperative in creating a leadership program which is self sustaining and which is deeply rooted in the institutional goals and vision. This ensures that it is embraced by all. REFERENCES Amorose, A. J, and Horn T. S (2000). Intrinsic Motivation: relationship with collegiate athletes’ gender, scholarship status, and perceptions of their coaches’ behavior. Journal of sport and exercise psychology. 22(1), 63 – 84. Fiedler, F. E (2002). Proactive ways to improve leadership performance. Handbook of organizational consulting psychology, 76 – 105, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Lanasa, J. , Ciletti, D. and Lackman, R. (2005). Designing a Model for Improved Outcomes Among Students- Athletes in Sports Education. Left Coast Press. Retrieved, 6th August, 2010 MacGregor, G. M. (2005). Designing Student Leadership Programs: Transforming the Leadership Potential of Youth. Youthleadership. com Robison, T. I and Skinner, T. (2008). The Athlete and the Grade Change. Cases in Educational Leadership. Retrieved, 6th August, 2010 Snodgrass, S. (2005). Building a high school leadership program. Gale, Cengage Learning. University of Wisconsin. (2007). A Grounded Theory Of High Quality Leadership Programs: Perspectives From Student Leadership Development Programs In Higher Education. Madison: University of Wisconsin. Young, J. and Edmonson, S. (2010). High School Athletic Directors and Educational Leadership Traits: A Conceptual Analysis of the Literature. Retrieved, 6th August, 20 10

Cycle of Abusive Families Essay

The story of A Thousand Acres written by Jane Smiley is not at all unfamiliar to some American families. While the story tells about the male character representing a negative typical figure of abuse and the female character as the victim of violence and lack of compassion may be fictional in nature, this kind of story also happens in real life (Smiley 12). Love, security, and safety are words commonly used to describe a home. Some people say that home is where the heart is. From the daily grind of life, people seek refuge in the confines of the place they call their own. However, not all homes echo peace and harmony among family members. Not every home becomes a safe place to return to. Not all homes are filled with laughter. Not all homes make one proud. As a child, I get used to playing alone. Within the four corners of my dark bedroom, I have learned to find ways of how to make myself happy as I tried hard to get numb from feeling the bruises on my body and even just for a while forget about terror I get from seeing blood drop out of my skin. Mom said that Dad loves me that is why when he learned that I was not performing academically well in school, he has to hit me to remind me that I had not been a good boy. I believe her. I blame myself for not being able to completely understand my lessons because I cannot concentrate on reviewing while I hear Dad cursing mom in between beatings while mom screams her heart out from the pains she endure. If Dad has to lock me up inside my room, I cannot blame him because it was my fault. If he had to switch the lights off while I have to read my books, I cannot blame him because it was my fault. If he will not allow Mom to bring some food inside my room because I had just been punished for my poor grades, I cannot blame him because it was my fault. Dad punishes me because I deserve it. He does all these things because he loves me. I came to believe that fathers normally act this way because Dad once said that my grandfather does the same things with him when he was my age. Perhaps, children have to go all through this to feel the love their fathers have for them. But I was wrong. Dad has no right to hurt me or Mom. He is a father and a husband, not the enemy. Love is not supposed to be expressed by inflicting harm on the other. Love is not supposed to leave wounds that even time cannot afford to mend. I never had a happy childhood. Now that I am a grown up, I must admit that I am still struggling with the pains that my father has caused me. I know that it takes time. I am also aware, that while I try to leave all the hurtful memories behind, some of the bitterness in my heart will be here to stay. My father has been long gone. He died of colon cancer. Since his demise, Mom and I tried our best to put ourselves and our lives back to pieces. It was utterly hard, but our love for each other helped each of us to live life anew. Neighbors, relatives, and friend also extended their help to us. Coping up entails a long process to recovery. Nonetheless, it was all worth it. Life has not been easy as I used to be hunted by my past. However, my experience has allowed me to extend help to those who find themselves on the same path I used to cross. I devote my time in learning more about domestic violence. In this way, I can cause a change to other people’s lives in my own little way. From my own personal experience, I learned so many things I could not have otherwise known. My life may not be enviable at all but I am so proud to have surfaced from it nonetheless. The things I learned from my own life story are the very same things I want to leave behind when I am gone. I learned that I am entitled to live in a place where I can be safe. I have the right to stay inside a home free from violence of any kind. I am free to commit mistakes. No one has the right to tell me that I am useless. I am supposed to live my life according to my rules following my own decisions. I deserve respect for my intelligence. I am entitled to chase my own dreams. I am supposed to attend to my personal needs as a person. It is unfair for me to remain in a relationship where my personal welfare is in no way considered. It is important for me to discuss my concerns particularly with people whose behavior impairs wellbeing. I am entitled to decide things on my own. While I have the right to express my opinion, I also have the right to withhold them if ever I decide to do so. Fulfilling the needs of people who has inflicted pain on me is not in any way my obligation. Violence in the family is not something new. Perhaps, since time immemorial, family violence has already existed. However, it was only during the modern times, that societies started to acknowledge its existence and regarded it as a social problem. The World Health Organization regarded violence in the family as a global health concern in the year 2002 (Barnett, Perrin, and Perrin 2). It is easy to think of the family as being relatively immune from violence, a place of safe harbor, a place of sustenance and care. The idea that a parent or a spouse would intentionally and knowingly inflict injury on a loved one is counterintuitive. A parent is supposed to protect and care for a child. Spouses are supposed to love and cherish each other. We know, however, that often the family is a source of maltreatment and violence. We read about maltreatment within families in the newspapers, and we see news stories about it on television. Many of us know people who have been abused by family members or we ourselves have been abused, or we have witnessed abuse between our parents. We know family violence exists. Identifying the commonality of violence in the family is a difficult task. Calculating family violence is naturally problematic, primarily since there is a little conformity among those who collect data as to precisely what makes up domestic violence. Regardless of definitional consensus, the fact remains that most domestic violence takes places inside the confines of a home. It is usually concealed, overlooked, or ignored. The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation finds it hard to accurately identify the statistics of family violence because not all cases are reported for reasons beyond their control (Barnett, Perrin, and Perrin 3). When researchers attempt to deal with the issue of frequency of domestic violence utilizing self-report surveys, the data they collect proves to be unavoidably insufficient. Some victims may find it hard to remember childhood maltreatments and those who are currently suffering from domestic violence may not regard, may choose not to regard, or may be unable to report the abuses they endure at home. In this light, statistics of domestic violence must be treated with caution. Identifying precisely and accurately how much violence exists in the American society seem almost impossible. Violence in the family may appear to be unpredictable, merely a sudden occurrence associated to the moment as well as to the circumstances under which the people concerned find themselves into. As a matter of fact, violence traces a distinctive pattern regardless of the time when it took place or who is involved. The cycle of violence recurs every time the level of the abuser’s violence rises. At each stage in the cycle, the abuser takes full control of his or her actions and tries to manipulate and further isolate the victim. To be able to effectively address the concerns of the abused, it is vital to have a good understand the cycle of violence as well as of how the mind of the abuser works. In this way, the abused recognizes that he or she is not the one at fault. The cycle of violence begins with the set up. It is followed by the act of abuse itself. Afterwards, the abuser suffers from feelings of â€Å"guilt† and revenge. It is then followed by rationalization. The abuser then shifts to a charming behavior. Thereafter, the abuser contemplates on how to carry out the next act of violence on his or her victim. The act of violence can be manifested in various forms. The abuser behaves violently in the intention to show his or her victim who is in control. When the assault has been done, the abuser feels guilty not for his or her actions but for fear of facing the consequences of what he or she has done. This is where the abuser begins to rationalize his or her actions. The abuser does so in order to shift the blame on others. When the abuser starts to complete another plot of abuse, he or she creates a situation wherein justification can be made as to why the assault happened in the first place. Violence in the American society is not at all new. Wars, riots, gangland slayings, political assassinations, or rape cases are different types of violence familiar to Americans. However, surprisingly, the American home is perhaps as or more violent as compared to ay singular American institution. They run the greatest risk of murder, physical injury, or assault inside the confines of their own homes inflicted by their own family members. Across the country this is borne out by official crime statistics. Stories of ill-treated children and maltreated wives are rampant enough to be labeled as â€Å"child abuse† and â€Å"wife abuse. † Approximately millions women and children ill-treated and abused by family members each year are only the tip of the iceberg identified as â€Å"violence between family members† (Straus, Gelles, and Steinmetz 4). Brothers and sisters beat, stab, and shoot each other. There are husbands who are struck and beaten by their wives, and even grandparents are battered by their own children. Violence in one generation affects and encourages violence in another generation. In many families, perhaps a majority of violent families, violence is not even considered taboo or wrong. Rather, it is an accepted and integral part of the way the family functions. Wife abuse and child abuse have captured public attention because of the terms themselves and because they involve terribly violent acts with damaging consequences for the victim. However, â€Å"abuse† is only one extreme end of the continuum of violence in the family, which, for many reasons, never is publicly identified as â€Å"abuse. † Our aim was to study a variety of forms of violence, including some which many people do not consider violent, such as spanking a child. These are some of the frequently asked and most important questions, which unfortunately, we still cannot answer with any certainty. There is no real way of knowing whether families have become more violent in the last decade of the last century. One could use official police, hospital, and social agency statistics to assess changes in the extent of child abuse and wife abuse, but for several reasons these statistics are not suitable for estimating actual levels of violence in the family. First, official statistics compile only the cases of family violence that come to public attention. These are probably only a fraction of the total cases of family violence. Second, official statistics are compiled by organizations and individuals who work in those organizations. These individuals and the units they work in are often influenced by publicity campaigns, public pressure, political pressure, and changes in state and federal law. It was not until 1968 that all fifty states had laws mandating reports of child abuse (Straus, Gelles, and Steinmetz 4). Thus, official statistics compiled by the states before 1968 reflect differences in official legal attitudes toward child abuse and not the true level of abuse in each of the states (Straus, Gelles, and Steinmetz 4). Even today, official statistics vary because each state and each compiler of the statistics in state and local agencies draw on different definitions of child neglect and child abuse. In terms of spouse abuse on the other hand, spouse abuse, few if any agencies have ever bothered to compile statistics on how many wives or husbands batter one another. Although we cannot say definitely whether violence in the American family is on the increase, historical facts argue that family violence certainly is not new and that, probably, we are more violent and perhaps a little less violent toward our own families than were our ancestors. Abused women are found in all socioeconomic levels, all educational, and all racial groups (Finkelhor 29). The abused woman has a martyr-like behavior. She is often a long sufferer and overloaded with the demands of others. The abused woman finds it difficult to nurture herself and she feels unappreciated. The abused woman is often employed but is not allowed control of any finances (Finkelhor 29). She does not know how to deal with stress. She can have anxiety attacks. Usually, this type of woman will feel tired and overworked. She does not provide enough space in her life for breaks. Poor management of time and resources are quite apparent. It is hard for the abused to make life changes. Problem solving is very stressful. The abused accepts responsibility for the batterer’s behavior. The battered woman is isolated and loses contact with her family or friends. She often feels embarrassed about her situation. This type of woman is further isolated because her partner does not want her to give time to friends, neighbors, relatives, or outside activities. He wants all the attention himself. The abused suffers from guilt. He or she may feel that he or she deserves to be beaten for failing to live up to the expectations of the abuser. An abused woman is a traditionalist about her role in the home. She strongly believes in family unity and has traditional expectations of her husband or as the provider. This type of woman wants to keep the image of a socially or religiously acceptable marriage. The abused has a low self-esteem and does not feel that he or she has much value. The abused is extremely critical of his or herself and usually of others. He or she does not have a high level of self-preservation. The abused accepts violence in the hope that someday the abused violence the abuser will eventually change. The abused believes that he or she caused the anger and violence. The abused woman usually loves her husband and wants to trust his promises that he will reform, although it rarely happens. The abused could have been emotionally neglected as a child. He or she could have been physically and/or sexually abused as a child or saw violence in his or her family. He or she could have been abused by a sibling, parent, or a relative. It is difficult for the abused to verbalize her needs and desires to others. He or she has poor communication skills and has difficulty in being able to express his or her anger. The abused woman has poor communication skills and has difficulty in being able to express her anger. Since the abused woman is unassertive, she can be quite manipulative. She is skilled in the art of complaining. However, her complaints are usually not listened to or resolved by her partner. The abused is usually in denial. He or she will not admit to his or herself that he or she has been physically, emotionally, or sexually abused. The abused may think of each incident as an accident. He or she often gives excuses for the abuser’s violence. The abused usually rationalizes the incident. The abused woman is usually taught from her childhood to defer power to a male. Much of the time she feels helpless and will look for someone to help her put her life together. She does not want to take responsibility for making decisions and would rather have someone else make them. Many abused women feel comfortable in taking a complaint position (Finkelhor 29). She has been brought up to believe that women are weak, inferior, and should submit to men in return for financial support. The abused is often depressed. He or she can try to make his or herself less depressed by overdoing things. The abused my turn out to be alcoholic, may overeat, may over exhaust his or herself from work, to name a few. He or she may even contemplate on suicide to end his or her difficult life. Although parents’ use of violence on children certainly is not new, the addition of the term child abuse to our vocabulary has come about only recently. Child abuse typically refers to acts committed by parents on their children that other members of the society view as inappropriate and harmful. Thus, child abuse depends on historically and culturally relative judgments for its meaning. All families have tensions, and all families sometimes resolve these tensions in inappropriate ways. Even the best parents and the most loving couples sometimes lose their tempers, say intentionally hurting things to one another, raise their voices when arguing, and even lash out at loved ones physically. Many structural factors make families particularly prone to violence. One of these is the amount of time family members spend together, which increases the opportunity for violence. Another factor is that family interactions are often emotional, and so especially volatile. In addition, power differential often exists among family members. Children are subordinate to parents, elderly parents are subordinate to their adult children, and wives may be subordinate to husbands. The result is that the powerless sometimes become targets of aggression. Further complicating matter is the fact that children, and to some degree, women as well cannot fight back. Nor can they always choose with whom they will or will not interact. Whereas many interpersonal conflicts can be resolve simply through the dissolution of relationships, family relationships are protected by law and are not so easily severed. Wives can easily feel trapped by the cultural, legal, and economic constraints of marriage. Children are dependent on their parents. Even when child maltreatment comes to the attention of authorities, states are reluctant to break up families and parents are often given every opportunity to change. Everyone involved with spousal abuse seems to have feelings of guilt and frustration that manifest themselves as denial or in a pessimistic outlook. Either they cannot do anything about it so they might as well ignore it, or they cannot do anything about it by they will pretend they can until someone comes up with a better idea. It appears they are embarrassed by their failure or their perception of failure and so use defense mechanisms to protect themselves from it. Perhaps, this explains the general reluctance to talk about the problem at all, to anyone. Some believe that family members can be expected to lose control from time to time, that parents and spouses sometimes need to â€Å"blow off steam. † They may rationalize that a man who hits his wife is not really violent – he just had a bad day at work and lost his temper. Or they many rationalize that a woman is generally a good mother, but her kids were really acting up and she only hit them because she lost control temporarily. Some people believe that such actions are inevitable – even natural – and are hardly worthy of serious societal reaction. The ludicrous nature of the â€Å"it just happens† justification becomes clear, however, when one recognizes that stranger violence is not so easily dismissed. When one stranger assaults another, we do not allow the assailant to dismiss his actions as a momentary loss of control, a need to blow off steam, or a reaction to a bad day at work. Nor do we allow the assailant to blame the victim. We are appropriately intolerant of stranger violence. Violence within the family increasingly is identified as profound societal problems that can exert a multitude of short and long term effects on young people and can take a variety of forms including abuse perpetrated by parents or siblings. Victims of violence are survivors, and they find various ways to help themselves endure the violence until they are able to leave the relationship. The coping strategies they work out enable them to put their feelings on hold so they can deal with the day-to-day challenges of a violent and dangerous life. The most common coping strategy abused people do is denial. Denial enables them to live with what is happening and to avoid feelings of terror and humiliation. Denial can be counterproductive, as they may cause the victim to deny the seriousness of the problem. Anger enables the victim to take strong action in an emergency. Nightmares provide a way to experience strong feelings of fear, anger, panic, and shame the abused may not be able to share with anyone else or even allow him or herself to feel. The emotional impact on children who witness domestic violence done to other people can be significant, particularly when their parents or recognized authority are the ones involved. Moreover, the emotional impact on children is also great when the violence takes places inside the home where children are supposed to be kept away from harm. When children find themselves in a hopeless situation, they can also be harmed regardless of whether or not they are the ones directly abused in the situation (Helfer, Kempe, and Krugman 3). Many times, the effects of domestic violence are intensified when the children think they can no longer expect support coming from their parents or caregivers. They likewise struggle with feelings of fault and guilt. It is crucial to acknowledge that the impact on the child bearing witness to domestic violence can be controlled by a several factors, such as support from concerned adults as well as effective treatment to address their problems. In the vast majority of families, women are the primary caretakers of children. Therefore, the battering of mothers affects children in myriad of ways. Children who witness violence against their mothers are at considerable risk physically, psychologically, and emotionally. These children face two fold threats. One of which is the threat of physical abuse. The other is the threat of bearing witness to a traumatic incident happening inside their home. Children living inside a violent home are also at risk of being harmed. They may be traumatized witnessing their mother being attacked while both of them are left without aid. Consequently, these children may lay the blame on themselves for not being able to do something about the problem. Furthermore, these children may be abused or neglected themselves. Women who have been battered repeatedly are sometimes unable to respond psychologically to their children. They may display the following behaviors: unresponsiveness to the child’s emotional needs, passive rejection of the child, detachment or lack of involvement with the child, interaction with the child only when necessary, no display of pleasure when interacting with the child, lack of positive response to the child’s attempts to elicit interaction, poor ability to comfort the child at times of distress, no sharing in the positive experience of the child, withdrawn affect, no display of emotion, or depression, and an inability to derive pleasure or satisfaction from a relationship with the child (Wilson 32). Children living inside violent homes may be indirectly harmed themselves. These children may be struck by thrown objects or weapons. Babies may suffer injuries in the event that the mother is holding the baby at a time the assault takes place. In other cases, children may receive injuries while they try to protect their mother from harm. Many fathers unintentionally inflict harm on their children while throwing objects while assaulting their wives. The care, affection, and love they deserve are not given to children living inside violent homes. The trust of an abused child towards a violent parent is impaired in the process. Moreover, violence toward a child by a parent often serves to disrupt the development of child-parent attachment. The aggressive family tends to live in an environment that fails to provide the children with appropriate opportunities for or models of socialization or bonding. It is not surprising that children who are victims of family violence often have impaired social relations. Children have been subjected to differing types of maltreatment throughout history, and these atrocities are well documented (Utech 37). For centuries, society has condoned infanticide, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and the exploitation of children’s labor. The prevalence of child maltreatment has endured throughout time and has cultivated tenacious legacies that have shaped societal response to child abuse. Those legacies include the tenet that children are the property of their parents – and expandable as well. These traditions contributed to the slow societal response n defining and responding to child abuse. In addition, society has suffered from a denial of the problem’s existence and prevalence. Child abuse is a complex, disturbing concern that, even though prevalent in underprivileged families, crosses all sectors of society (Helfer, Kempe, and Krugman 3). The human as well as fiscal costs of abuse in America are huge. It is highly possible that billions of dollars are used in social service and treatment costs and lost in reduced productivity for a generation of abused children. The human costs on the other hand fill a long list of psychological disorders. The emotional damage due to maltreatment may last a lifetime. Works Cited Barnett, Ola W. , Cindy Lou Miller-Perrin, and Robin D. Perrin. Family Violence Across the Lifespan: An Introduction. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE, 2005. Finkelhor, David. The Dark Side of Families: Current Family Violence Research. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE, 1983. Helfer, Mary Edna, Ruth S. Kempe, and Richard D. Krugman. The Battered Child. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,1999. Smiley, Jane. A Thousand Acres. London: HarperPerennial, 2008. Straus, Murray Arnold, Richard J. Gelles, and Suzanne K. Steinmetz. Behind Closed Doors: Violence in the American Family. Piscataway, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 2006. Utech, Myron. Violence, Abuse and Neglect. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman Altamira, 1993. Wilson, K. J. When Violence Begins at Home: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Ending Domestic Abuse. Alameda, California: Hunter