Feminist Criticism Theory in the Novel “Harry Potter” by J.K. Rowling

Literary Criticism I Feminist Criticism theory in the novel â€Å"Harry Potter† by J. K. Rowling Introduction According to Peter Barry’s book, Feminism was born because of women are disadvantaged by comparison with men and the unequal treatment towards women by men. Women ask for their rights, because they believed that they deserve equality. In this paper I will analyze the feminist approach through Harry Potter Novels by J. K. Rowling. As we all know, Joanne Kathleen Rowling a. k. a J. K. Rowling is a female British novelist.These Harry Potter and his adventures novels have gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, sold more than 400 million copies to become the best-selling book series in history and been the basis for a popular series of films, in which Rowling had overall approval on the scripts as well as maintaining creative control by serving as a producer on the final installment. Rowling conceived the idea for the series on a train trip from Manchester to London in 1990. I’m lucky to have an incredible female writer for this analysis, but I won’t analysis this paper on the writer’s point of view or experience.I will challenge the representation of women as ‘Other’, as ‘lack’, and as part of ‘nature’. Harry potter is the story about wizard community. The main character is a male, but there are many parts in the story where the character female give big contributions. The first until the seventh book is the story about the adventure of Harry Potter to defeat Lord Voldemort. Where the female characters show the feminism because they play important roles and described to be as powerful as well. The analysis As I mention above, I will challenge the representation of women as ‘other’, as ‘lack’, and as part of ‘nature’ through these Harry Potter novels.The main characters of this story, well, of course, is a man called â€Å"Harry†. Harry has a close friend named Hermione Granger. Hermione’s described as â€Å"she has a bossy voice, bushy brown hair and large front teeth† in the first novel, the first impression of Hermione Granger shifts away from female stereotype of beauty. The next thing I know, Hermione is an intelligent woman. She had practice some simple spell and it worked for her where there is no one in her family have magic ability at all and Ron the other Harry’s close friends failed to use the spell.The other scene from Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s stone novel is when Harry has to depend on Hermione when they have to pass the obstacle to find a stolen stone. According to traditional stereotype, women are always associated as emotionally weaker that men, which leads to the assumption as ‘lack’. However, in this scene, Hermione shows that she uses logic and act rationally that reveal her intelligent when there is no wizard (men or women) has uses logic to pass this obstacle before, even Harry the major character who is supposed to have more logic since he is a man, depends on her.In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Hermione establishes S. P. E. W, S. P. E. W stands for â€Å"the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare†, she shows us that women also have equivalent in social power as men have. She concerns about the house-elves fate to serve the wizard family for lifetime without being paid. For her, it is slavery, although in this case the house-elves accept and understand their fates. Hermione decides there is a way to make a stand about elf-rights. Harry and Ron do not really support her actually for this movement, but Hermione doesn’t care.She struggles like what feminist do. She does the campaign that follows feminism general goal to bring positive changes in the society. Not only that, women reveals that they are weak in science and math, but great in language and art. But Hermione shows that she is not onl y capable in Ancient Rune (some kind of language subject at their school), history of Magic, but also Herbology (some kind of Biology subject), Potion (some kind of Chemistry subject), and Aritmanchy (some kind of Mathematic subject).She is even good in all subjects because she is the most brilliant student of the year, despite the fact that she is a muggle-born, which means she is not supposed to have Magic, but she has great ability in Hogwards. Hermione beats the ‘other’ concept as a woman. Next magnificent moment from Hermione is in Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s stone when she manages to free herself and releasing the boys from the plant which snares them until they cannot breathe. She performs her human duty to help each other, she shows us that she strong enough to depends on herself and helps her friends at the same time.Hermione, as a woman has part of human ‘nature’ that a man has. In Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, Hermione also sa ves her friends in the very urgent situation. When they are caught for using Umbrigde’s heart to communicate, Umbridge forces them to say with whom they are communicating. She almost forces Harry to answer with Cruciatus Curse to torture him. Fortunately, with her ability to control emotion and doesn’t get panic, Hermione pretends to give up and will give honest answer to Umbridge. So she creates a story about weapon to trick Umbridge and bring her into The Forbidden Forest.This idea leads them into freedom. It shows Hermione’s ability to think clearly under pressure and does not let her emotion control her. Conclusion In conclusion, based on the analysis of challenging the representative of women as ‘Other’, as ‘lack’ and as part of ‘nature’, Hermione has broken the concept as ‘Other’ and as ‘lack’ that put women in negative sides and proven themselves as equal to men. She also shows us that women are part of ‘nature’; it shows how women have balance roles with men in the society. They have their own roles that as important as men.

A Teacher Who Is Easy Going and Humorous Can Intrigue Students to Learn Well

For individuals, just as learning professional knowledge from a guider makes the most sufficient in an education constitution, so does a student acquire beneficially in study life. Some people support the statement that is more effective to have a serious and a strict teacher rather than one who is full of humor and easygoing. As a matter of fact, the survey (Harvey Craft, 2010) shows a teacher who is easygoing and has a sense of humor that can intrigue students to learn and gain knowledge. There are some reasons for students: because they can lower anxiety while learning, because they can confidently cultivate the optimistic views to their lives, because they can foster the future goals of being useful persons. To begin with, it is very vital for students to lower their learning anxiety during class. An affect will consider broadly learning as the aspects of emotions, feeling, mood and attitude. (Besnier, 1990, 421) When a professor hooks the beginning of daily technique topic, students can be easily to input from what the professor has mentioned today. A good personal case deserves to illustrate this point: When I was a university student, I was in love with attending one of my professional courses called â€Å"Translation & Media†. The professor, Kevin always used a creative and humorous way to warm up the lecture. Everyone including me liked to join his discussion. The vivid PowerPoint pictures with funny academic videos always captured my heart, I could be easily to bear everything in my mind. Moreover, I liked to turn in assignment diligently and I even got A plus in each quiz. Therefore, reliving nervous mood is better to input knowledge. Another factor is by no means crucial to serve that students can be confident to cultivate the optimistic views to their lives. Take my personal example, before joining TOFEL TEST; I would like to take TOFEL-Internet Course. Although the school was far from my hometown, I still persisted taking a coach to the destination every week. Because the instructors were very patient to encourage me to have optimistic thinking to conquer the hurdles, I finally got good scores and thanked my guiders. Hence, it is helpful to have positive horizons. Besides that, Cultivating to become useful persons in the future is significant for students. They can feel bright without darkness when learning. Everything will go well. To more specific, an old saying was illustrated, â€Å"Hard work brings success. † As students have obtained something from the professors, they can output by themselves and apply for the future what job they will do. In conclusion, it is clear that, a nice teacher with humor and being easygoing is more effective than one with strict and serious manner. Students can have good mood and attitude due to the lower anxiety, the confidence to their lives, and the goal of being a useful person to society contribution in the future. After all, life is short, art long.

Demonstrative Speech

Ever run out of crafts to do? Want to make a cool gift for someone? Want to get in touch with your creative side? Making a duct tape wallet is the answer. It’s a fun way to make a new project to keep busy while making something for someone else or yourself. For my presentation will be making a duct tape wallet. I will be starting with materials that will be needed, the steps to construct the wallet, and options to add to personalize it. For your reference the shell is referred to the main part of the wallet. The materials that is need 1.A pair scissors 2. Ruler 3. A piece of plastic or clear Scotch tape(optional) 4. Also, you will need 1 solid color and 1 printed duct tape. In this case I am using a solid pink and zebra printed tape. Now the steps 1. Cut 8 strips of the solid pink duct tape. The measurement is 8 ? inches long. 2. Once that’s done lay one strip sticky side up, then line up another strip( color side up) place it a little more than half way on top. There w ill be a little strip of sticky still showing. 3. Now place another strip on top of the sticky part that’s showing.Flip it over and continue to cover the sticky part on the bottom until you use all the strips of tape. You will be flipping it back and forth to complete the shell of the wallet. 4. When done the sticky parts that are left, fold them over. 5. Now clean up the edges. The length of your wallet should be 8 ? inches in length, and it should be 3 ? in width. When that is finished you will have the shell of the wallet. 6. Cut a strip of the printed tape measuring the length your wallet, and cut that piece into 2. 7.Put one of the printed strips on the top of the shell to create a printed border. 8. Cut 2 pieces of 4inch pick tape, to tape the sides of the wallet together. 9. Now it’s time to start the pockets. Cut 6 strips of 4 inch of any color tape besides the color of your actual shell (in this case the printed tape is used). Stick two pieces of tape together , after completion you should have 3 assembled pieces. Measure the 3 pockets to make sure they are exactly the same size 10. Cut small strips to tape down to the shell.Make sure after taping the first pocket down that there is a substantial amount of space so there will be room to put credit cards in. After, place the next on top and tape down and continue until the last one is taped down. 11. To create the secret pocket, cut 3 strips of 4 inches. Place the 2 pieces of tape on top of each other, once that’s done put the last piece on the very top of the pocket and fold it. Secure it with strips of tape on the three sides. 12. Get the other strip of the printed tape you cut earlier and place at the bottom to create the border. 13.Then cut 3 ? inches of the printed tape to finish up the printed border of your wallet. When that is done, you have made your own wallet. Options to add to the wallet * To make the I. D holder you will need a piece of plastic or 2 pieces of scotch tap e. Place over the secret pocket and secure it with small strips of tape and you has an I. D holder. * You could also add Velcro keep the wallet closed. Never knew that having a few pieces of duct tape could turn into something so fun and exciting to do. It’s a good way to be creative and make a craft for someone or yourself.

Mina O'Reilly at Logan Airport's TSA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mina O'Reilly at Logan Airport's TSA - Essay Example The supervisor under whose jurisdiction the TSO was appointed was Mina O’Reilly. Mina O’Reilly has a very good track record and it is because of her supervision, that Logan airport was declared as the airport of the year. Ludo Sanchez was also a hard-working efficient TSO who not only took his responsibilities seriously but also delivered them with dedication. He had a magical effect on the checkpoint. He was also offered promotion which he denied as he wanted to work as a frontline employee. So Mina O’Reilly had strong faith in his dutifulness and had no doubt in his dedication towards his work. However, the recent security breach has questioned the past notion of Mina O’Reilly for Ludo Sanchez. The security breach took place when Ludo Sanchez made a phone call to his daughter and was telling her to complete her homework on time. The call lasted for just a few minutes, but within this few minutes a man carrying a blue hand bag passed the exit lane to the sterile terminal area without security check. Flights got delayed as the blue bag the man was carrying needed to be identified and checked, so that there is no fear of explosives or hazardous elements on plan. All these delays and confusion occurred just because one security breach for which Ludo Sanchez was responsible. Mina O’Reilly is now the responsible person to take measures against this security breach. Mina O’Reilly Steps against Security Breach of Ludo Sanchez Mina O’Reilly received the detailed feedback from Lead Transportation Security Officer (LTSO). She was the one to decide what next steps to be taken against Ludo Sanchez. Though she had the power to terminate Sanchez immediately for his negligence, but she did not wanted to do it because Sanchez had a very good past performance record, and he was a very dedicated employee of the company. O’Reilly had several options in front of her to deal with the situation, but she had to choose one among them. She can assign Sanchez’s duty to a position which requires lower security, such as the exit lane, but ironically that was the position the security breach took place, when Sanchez was distracted. The second option would be to give him a verbal warning and developing a specific performance development plan for him to improve his performance and attentiveness. Third, option would be to send him for retraining and counseling. These were the probable options that O’Reilly can refer to for deciding her ultimate steps in Sanchez’s case. O’Reilly should be combining the options that she has decided; this means that she should give a verbal warning to Sanchez for his negligence. He should be sent for retraining and counseling, so that the protocols would be explained to him ones more and counseling would stop him from getting discouraged or de-motivated through the mistake that happened because of his negligence (Buchler, 2011, p. 231-233). Model of Employ ment The model of employment of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) signifies the organizational structure of the agency. In TSA the TSO’s position was the entry level position who worked as screening units. The annual salaries of these TSOs are $25,000 to $35,000. There were approximately 760 TSOs. They are responsible for travel document checking, checking luggage through X-ray machine, metal detectors, monitoring the exit lane, tracking explosive devices, etc. For each or these duties LTSO is assigned. There are about 148 LTSO. They handle a team of TSOs. Then

How were Martin Luther King and Malcolm X different in their attitudes Essay

How were Martin Luther King and Malcolm X different in their attitudes to the United States and its political traditions How were they similar - Essay Example In America for instance, throughout the United States, there were numerous activism activities, especially by the black Americans in the early 19th Century, who felt segregated from getting an equal share politically, socially, and economically in the American soil. In this case, the essay evaluates approaches that were used by activist, Malcolm X and Martin Ruther King in the early 19th Century within the United States. Among the African Americans, there were numerous issues that were viewed as unacceptable to the American culture. This included the acts of discrimination on the basis of color, in the political arena, socially and in equal distribution of wealth among the whites and the black Americans leading to Montgomery Bus Boycott (Jo Ann, 1987, p. 44). In other cases, there were accusations against the police using force on the black Americans. Through numerous activists such as Malcolm X, there were efforts to change such situations by advocating for equality through different activist organizations formed by the black Americans. In 1964, there was an achievement by such groups when a law on civil rights was signed by President Lyndon Johnsons in presence of activist Martin Luther King, Jr. by the passing of the civil rights law, this promoted equality among all the Americans whether black or white. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. were both black American activists born and brought up in the United States in the early in 19th Century. Their contributions toward black America activism were exclusive, and their impacts are felt to date in the American soil. Their activism efforts, though, were different as they both used different approaches towards their activism activities. Malcolm X, for instance, based his activism activities on the Islam teachings, while Martin Luther King, Jr. based his activism activities on Christianity. Additionally, Martin Luther King, Jr. fought

Transition to democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Transition to democracy - Essay Example The new political institutions such as the electorate and form of government set up must be voluntaristic, whereby the people contribute to their outcome. Centralization of these is essential in order to promote public policy, rather than personal interests (Lijphart 163-164). Democracies must have functioning political parties and electorate systems as these are the foundation of democratic rule. In this country, a multi-party system is the best approach for political parties. Choosing this ensures that citizens can determine whom they want to govern the country. Unlike a two-party system, a multi-party system gives full representation to the people, especially considering the ethnic diversity of this country (Lijphart 168-170). In this country therefore, multi-party will help in addressing the issue of multi-ethnicity. The most appropriate electorate system for this new democracy is the proportional representation. This allows for the political equality, minority participation, a participatory leadership, and the consideration of the preferences of voters in the polity. Proportional electorate therefore enhances equality and fairness. Unlike majority system, which focuses on the effectiveness of governance only, representation system focuses on effective governance as well as the representation of the minority in the polity. Proportional representation leads to the satisfaction of citizens in their country governance. This system is in alignment with democracy as it allows for personal choice, which is an individual’s right, and allows voting for personalities, and not manifestos. It is also a simple system, which is easy to understand. In addition, this formula has an integrating and concentrating effect for electors and society. The electioneering process must be conducted carefully by th e legislature, which

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Business law - Essay Example Another person was warned about the same issue. The three employees were Alison, Darren, and Peter. Alison had been with the organisation from the beginning itself. She is coloured (Algerian/French origin) and also suffers from dyslexia. Alison is a case worker and occasionally (and unofficially) doubles up as an accounts secretary though she does not relish the work. It appears that one of her duties in this area is to be in charge of petty cash. Peter who works in the stores department as an assistant clerk had been with the organisation only for the past six months. Peter is also an assistant clerk even though his position or duties are not mentioned here. Alison was also subject to discriminatory remarks by Peter and Darren when they addressed her â€Å"that she is fat, black and blind and should go back to the refugee camp she came from†. It is assumed that Alison has become a citizen of UK since she has been with the organisation for since its inception and that enough t ime has passed for her to obtain one. With regard to a legal angel there are three issues here. The first is that a dismissal has occurred here for two employees. The statutes of the UK Employment Act and the Employment Rights Act 1986 can be valid in this case. The second is that one of the employees (Alison) may be covered under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) because she suffers from Dyslexia. As per the Act, â€Å"Subject to the provisions of Schedule 1, a person has a disability for the purposes of this Act if he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities† (Disability, Part I). David’s’ Cave can come under the preview of the Act because, â€Å"The DDA covers different sorts of situations, for example, employment, goods, services and facilities, transport, education and premises† (What is the DDA). Many managers do not appreciate

Modern America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Modern America - Essay Example A widespread process of imperial expansion into Africa and Asia resulted, often with brutal consequences for the indigenous population due to Christian missionaries who wre dispatched to convert the native peoples. Americans became increasingly aware of world markets as developments in transportation and communication quickened the pace of commerce and diplomacy. The automobile and airplane helped shrink distance, and communications innovations such as radio and film contributed to a national consciousness. Throughout most of the nineteenth century, policy makers had sought to isolate America from the intrigues and conflicts of the great European powers but now America was coming out of it's isolationist shell by expanding commercial interests around the world along with the horizons of their concerns. The abundance of industries and cities invited a host of immigrants from all corners of the globe. urban-industrial development also brought along a list of hazards like corporate mono polies, child labor, political corruption, hazardous work ing conditions, urban ghettos that were finally addressed in a comprehensive way by the local, state, and federal governments who sought to rein in the excesses of industrial capitalism and develop a more rational and efficient public policy. A conservative Republican resurgence challenged the notion of the regulatory state during the 1920s when free enterprise and corporate capitalism witnessed a dramatic revival. But the stock market crash of 1929 helped propel the United States and many other nations into the worst economic downturn in history. The unprecedented severity of the Great Depression renewed public demands for federal government programs to protect the general welfare but employment restoration on a whole took place only after World War II. Captain Mahan argued that national greatness and prosperity flowed from maritime power and that modern economic development called for a powerful navy, a strong merchant marine, a leading advocate of sea power and Western imperialism, foreign commerce, colonies, and naval bases. Mahan, a self-described "imperialist," championed America's "destiny" to control the Caribbean, build an isthmian canal to connect the Pacific and Caribbean, and spread Western civilization in the Pacific. Eager for American manufacturers to exploit Asian markets, William H. Seward Seward believed the United States first had to remove all foreign interests from the northern Pacific coast and gain access to that region's valuable ports. To that end, he cast covetous eyes on the British crown colony of British Columbia, sandwiched between Russian America (Alaska) and Washington Territory. In 1891, Queen Liliuokalani, ascended the throne, she tried to reclaim a measure of power and to eliminate white control of the Hawaiian government. Hawaii's white population then revolted against the Queen and seized power. The American minister brought in marines to support the coup and within a month, a committee of the new government turned up in Washington with a treaty of annexation. The Hawaiians opposed the annexation but when the Japanese sent warships to take over the islands, McKinley responded by sending American warships and asked the Senate to approve a treaty to annex Hawaii. When the Senate could not muster the two-thirds majority needed

Long story or memoir Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Long story or memoir - Essay Example When she was twelve years old, Chun together with her family immigrated to Australia. Unlike her older sisters, Chun did not like the new environment, and the strangeness of the customs and language made her life even more miserable. Having grown up in China, life was totally different in Australia in terms of lifestyles, customs, language, and political structure. Just as Chun was adjusting to the new environment, at age 17, she discovered a small lump in her breast, and soon after, began the struggle with cancer. Indeed, this was a very traumatizing moment for the entire family as many could not believe that one of them would struggle with the deadly cancer. Shortly after five months since the lump started, her mother died at age 37. Both Chun’s family and the society thought Chun mum’s death was attributed by grief over her daughter's predicament, and as a result, Chun began a long struggle with low self-esteem and a deep sense of hopelessness and guilt. Chun believe d that she was the cause of her mother’s death and as a result, thought she was a reject to her entire family. However, after the post-mortem it was realized that her mum suffered from both high-blood pressure and diabetes. The news over her daughter’s cancer increased her blood pressure, and as a result, caused her death. During that bereavement season, Chun’s family could not understand why God had to take their mother who happened to be the source of encouragement to the entire family. Specifically, Chun could not understand the need or importance of living as she thought her situation was the cause of her mother’s death. Despite the many challenges that the family faced, they were privileged to have nurses and doctors who bestowed love and compassion to them. Chun’s treatment required the lengthy and frequent hospital stays, and thus she missed most of her college classes. Often, Chun thought that she had brought the disease on herself and she wished that she had a different disease that involved less pain and less hospital stays. Her medical treatment was so severe that it involved such unsettling and painful procedures as chemotherapy and surgery. The treatment was more frightening and scaring for a young person than it could be for an adult. During that period of loneliness and fear of lengthier therapy, Chun developed a strong and trusting personal relationship with her caregivers and nurses. The doctors walked with her and instigated a strong tribute that she could one day recover from the disease. Such encouragements created a strong platform for Chun to deepen her understanding that she can get better and recover from cancer if only she believes. Despite many encouragements, Chun went through many difficulties and pain. However, she kept believing that one day she would recover and be an inspiration to many suffering from the disease. While in the hospital, Chun decided to document a book by the subject â€Å"It G ets better if you believe† Her main purpose was to reach cancer patients on how to cope with the disease and remind doctors and nurses on the benefits of quality care to patients. Chun intended to create a solid platform for readers to understand her real life experience and how she battled with cancer. Apparently, Chun took every day as an opportunity to learn and comprehend things that one day would be an inspiration to others. She changed her mindset and embraced a positive

To Read without Being Lost Essay Example for Free

To Read without Being Lost Essay Human beings are almost always positive about knowing where they are in their life. But, they may never exactly know for certain where they maybe going or what their life will lead to. Billy Collins, the author of numerous poems including Introduction to Poetry and Schoolsville shows the aspects of this theory throughout his works. Collins provides enough details and description to let the reader know where they are when reading his poems, but not necessarily always where he is going with them. While most poets hide information or the fine points from us, Billy Collins does not. Instead, he indulges the reader with his clear topics, literary devices and precise imagery throughout the poems. In the poem, Introduction to Poetry, Collins chooses to use a personal experience of his own to form the topic. The poem describes him teaching to his students and telling them precisely how to write and find out the analytical meaning of a poem. Collins does this by telling his students to not express or say the underlying meaning in plain words. He suggests discovering the meaning of the words and phrases of the poem by â€Å"holding it up to the light like a color slide† (2-3). In a literal explanation, when a person holds a colored slide up to the light they see a great diversity of colors. Similarly, when looking at a poem differently, the poem conveys multiple important messages. Poet, Billy Collins, uses various literary devices to create a purpose for the reader. The desire Billy Collins has for the reader is to illustrate the picture he is painting for them and to comprehend his style. For instance, metaphors in the Introduction to Poetry make it almost painless for the reader to understand what is in fact being said: â€Å"I want them to water-ski across the surface of a poem† (9-10). This metaphor clearly explains that Collins wants the reader to have words to ponder, but the poem should flow smooth for them like water skiing across calm water. An additional literary device Collins makes relevant is personification. He gives living characteristics to a non-living object— a poem. When Collins says, â€Å"they begin beating it with a hose† (15) he does not literally mean that the students beat the poem with a hose. In reality, he is saying that the students get so frustrated that they can’t understand the concept. If they could they would beat it with a hose to get a meaning out. All Collins wants  is for them to treat the poem with loving attention and find the underlying significance for themselves. Imagery is also a key component when reading the Introduction to Poetry. Throughout the poem, Collins includes descriptive words to form mental images of a scene in the reader’s head. He makes it so clear that when he says they â€Å"torture a confession out of it† (14) a literal picture comes to my head. I see a student strangling the poem with a rope to force the meaning out of it. Imagery is presented again when Collins states: â€Å"drop a mouse into a poem and watch him probe his way out† (5-6). As I read this I pictured a mouse scattering through a poem like he would a maze, trying to find the piece of cheese. What the author is actually trying to declare is that he wants the students to have their poems not speak the meaning in plain words. Instead the poem should have the reader engaged in the work and wanting to find the way out, or meaning. In addition to the work, Introduction to Poetry, the poem Schoolsville also provides one of Billy Collins’ personal experiences when teaching as the topic. In the poem Collins informs the reader of how he reflects on the importance and meanings of his past. â€Å"Glancing over my shoulder at the past, I realize the number of students I have taught is enough to populate a small town† (1-3). Billy Collins means what he says word for word in these lines. This is the general idea for the poem. The topic also revolved around reminiscing and revisiting the past. Such as when Collins says, â€Å"I can see it nestled in a paper landscape† (4) he is referring to the past he had with his students. He stresses for the reader to understand that when he taught it was seen from his viewpoint only. It shows that traveling through one’s memory will eventually come to the reality of the present. Literary devices in the poem Schoolsville not only create a purpose, but they also make the poem interesting to read when depicting them. The reader is automatically grasped to the style of the poem by Collins’ literary devices. To be specific, when the author describes the girl at the drug store â€Å"brushing her hair like a machine† (19) he gives an example of a simile. In an analysis of this, he is saying the girl is brushing her hair furious, like a machine does work furiously. Another example of a literary device in Schoolsville is how the girl â€Å"signed her papers in lipstick† (17) is an allusion to â€Å"references to Hawthrone† (21). Hawthorne was the author of the  Scarlet Letter, which was a romantic novel. Therefore, the girl signing her papers in lipstick was also directed towards a romantic scene. Although I could not relate to this poem, it hooked my imagination through the imagery. The illusion of the teacher’s town, Schoolsville, is what made it almost real by Collins’ intricate description of the population. â€Å"The A’s stroll along with other A’s† (22) was a mental sketch of A plus students dressed tidy and carrying their books walking along with others of their kind. Another illustration of imagery is when Billy Collins writes, â€Å"a bell rings on the hour and everybody zigzags† (11). Immediately, I vision myself personally in high school waiting impatiently for class to end. As Collins did say, as soon as that bell chimes everyone from my class bolts out the door and â€Å"zigzags† through the hallways. The believability of the imaginary town is alluring to the reader. As Billy Collins writes his poetry he does so without losing the reader intentionally. The poems Introduction to Poetry and Schoolsville are descriptive, but yet easy to comprehend. The literary devices, apparent topics, and life-like imagery all contribute to what makes Billy Collins’ poems enjoyable and entertaining to read. Works Cited Collins, Billy. Introduction to Poetry. 1988. Print. Collins, Billy. Schoolsville. 1999. Print.

Access and consent in public photography

Access and consent in public photography Difficulties in obtaining literature I thought it would be appropriate to start this chapter with a foreword, explaining the difficulties I had in obtaining relevant literature for this review. Whilst conducting an initial search for literature, it became quickly apparent that very little other primary research had been conducted on this subject. To confound matters, the only literature that had been conducted was extremely dated. As a result, there was little other material that I would be able to compare my research to. The one piece of research that was directly relevant was a chapter in Image Ethics by Lisa Henderson – Access and consent in public photography. This chapter will receive a thorough review in a latter section of this review, as its importance as the only other comparable piece of primary research cannot be understated. The only other papers I found that were comparable in terms of content were legal review papers, usually specific to a particular nation. Both Dunedin and Ludlows papers at first glance seemed to be similar in content to my working title (Dunedin 2007; Ludlow 2005). Upon closer inspection though, their applicability was limited. Both dealt with photography as a form of privacy invasion, however, the large bulk of both papers was review of the legislation covering these issues in New Zealand and Australia respectively. Whilst some the content was arguably valuable, I felt that discussing legal legalisation of countries outside of the UK would be irrelevant in the context of my interviews. As there is little to no comparable primary research to base this review upon, I have instead aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the relevant issues that may occur during the interview process. These include, an overview of the laws in the UK that govern photographers rights, A social history of amateur photography and the advent of the Kodak and specific review of Hendersons Access and Consent in Public Photography. The Law The law is fundamental to many of the arguments covered in this dissertation. The UK law in particular, covers many aspects of photographers rights and details exactly when and how they may intrude upon the privacy of others. Despite issues such as the intrusion of privacy, are more of a modern product of legal development, their creation can be attributed in part to the onset popularisation of amateur photography as a result of the hand camera. In this aspect, it can be argued that photography is on the forefront of ethical and moral issues surrounding privacy and the protection of intellectual property. In particular, this section will focus on the laws surrounding photography of private property, invasion of privacy and harassment, and photography of children. There exists much material on copyright issues pertaining to photography. I have purposefully excluded these issues from this review because I felt it was less relevant to the overall purpose of the dissertation as compared to the issues involved in actually performing the act of taking the photograph. Private property As a rule of thumb, photographers do have the right to take photographs of private property from public spaces (Macpherson 2009). Photographers also have the right to take photographs on private property provided they have the owners permission to do so. Conversely however, any owner of private property has the right to refuse access to a property upon entry, and this includes taking photographs of said property. Macpherson notes that, in addition, photography is restricted upon entry to other areas of private property that some might consider public, including â€Å"museums, stately homes, for example, and by most concert venues† In addition, the use of a of a long lens to take to an picture of a private property, such as a persons residence, is an invasion of privacy if the photograph is taken without the owners consent, even if it is taken in a public space (Macpherson 2009). Exceptions in Public Spaces The UK has two exceptions, where photography is prohibited in openly public spaces. These specifically, include Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square in London. Photography in these areas is prohibited from commercial photography, for example, it could not be used in business adverting or for selling prints (Greater London Authority 2002). Non-commercial photography is not prohibited, for example, tourists taking photographs are unrestricted in their photography in these areas. Harassment In general, any harassment of a person is illegal. Obviously this term is extremely broad but photography in certain circumstances can be viewed as harassment. Macpherson notes that â€Å"Harassment is essentially behaviour that causes alarm or distress, and it refers to a ‘course of conduct not a single incident.† (Macpherson 2009) This means that this behaviour has to be repeated at least twice to count to amount to harassment; however, two separate incidents have the potential to occur in a short period a time, for example, if a person repeatedly tried to photograph of an unwilling subject. Invasion of Privacy As it stands, the UK does have laws governing an individuals privacy. This right to privacy has developed through the interaction of the European Convention on Human Rights with domestic law through the Human Rights Act 1998. This may result in certain prohibitions on the practice of photography. Specifically Article 8 of European Convention on Human Rights gives every individual the right to protect their private family life, correspondence and home from the intrusion of others. Whether this right is directly a result of the Human Rights Act 1998 or is judicially created, is a matter that has been widely discussed (Morgan 2004). Whilst, the right to privacy is protected by Article 8 of the convention, Article 10 detailing freedom of expression, contradicts this right in terms of photography As a result, courts often have to judge each case in terms of its own merits (Human Rights Act 1998). To confound matters, article 8 is in a stage of flux, and laws surrounding the privacy of ind ividuals are often altered, creating the potential for further confusion among both photographers and members of the general public. When specifically considering the case of photographing in public spaces, the core of the issue lies in whether a person could have a reasonable expectation of privacy, however, the degree to which is asserted is a matter of debate. Data Protection Despite there currently not being a case of such, there is still a possibility that photographs may be subject to the Data Protection Act (Data Protection Act 1998). This act monitors and protects all aspects pertaining to personal information. Whilst the act does not specifically mention privacy as a concept, the label of ‘personal information can relate to almost any aspect of an individuals intellectual property, whether this includes their image, is a question that has yet to be clearly stated ,but is a matter that will no doubt be debated in the near future. Protection of Children The law protects children in exactly the same way as adults when considering the issues we have already considered in terms of harassment, data protection and invasions of privacy. However, in addition, children are also protected by the child protection act. It is illegal both to take an indecent photograph of a child, or to edit an image in such a way that a photograph becomes indecent. These laws are detailed in the Protection of Children Act (Protection of Children Act 1978). Macpherson notes that while it is not illegal to take photographs of children under the age of 16 in public places, it may well arouse suspicion from the police and may result in investigation of motives (Macpherson 2009). In addition he notes that other activities and events put on by local councils, such as fairs and school-based events, may well have strict rules about photography of children which can be enforced. Security National Security has become an issue of chief importance in the light of recent terrorist activity. One of the most published examples is the fact that is now illegal to transfer or publish a photograph of a police constable, members of the armed forces, or other security related personnel under new counter terrorist legislation (Counter-Terrorism Act 2008). This rule is somewhat moderated by the fact that the accused photograph would have to be of a nature that would prove useful to terrorists. The accused are capable of defending themselves if they manage to provide a reasonable excuse, nevertheless, the focus of this legislation is arguably still a case of ‘guilty before proven innocent. This law has been met with considerable resistance, with journalists recently staging a protest against the legalisation at Scotland Yard. In an news article covering the protest, Victoria Bone notes â€Å"That means anyone taking a picture of one of those people could face a fine or a prison sentence of up to 10 years, if a link to terrorism is proved The law has angered photographers, both professional and amateur, who fear it could exacerbate the harassment they already sometimes face.† (Bone 2009) A Cultural History Of Amateur Photography The Advent Of Personality And Privacy The advent of a formal understanding of privacy is an issue that is central to this entire dissertation. I wanted to examine the advent of privacy as a concept because it is so inextricably linked to many of the issues that arose through my interviews, aiding my latter analysis. Many of the issues pertaining to the evolution of privacy can be found in Mensels paper Kodakers Lying in Wait: Amateur Photography and the Right of Privacy in New York, 1885 -1915 (Mensel 1991). At first glance of this paper, I was concerned of its potential use because I wanted to focus on the UK, as many of these issues are culturally relative. Despite this, upon further inspection, the concepts the paper produces are universal in their applicability. In addition, many of the issues of privacy do appear to have developed in Victorian New York in a way that is both traceable and easily understood. The first of Mensels key references in the development of privacy is author Warren Susman. Susman has written a wealth of information on the fundamental changes that occurred in American society in the early 20th century. Perhaps the most important of these changes was the shift between being a â€Å"culture of character† to a â€Å"culture of personality†. In her book ‘Culture as History: The Transformation of American Society in the Twentieth Century (Susman 1984) Susman describes how self-awareness developed within society, subtly and yet fundamentally. He argues that for much of the 1800s that society was defined by the nature of â€Å"Character†. Character was defined as form of self-awareness where people examined their own morality. From Susman: â€Å"In the age of self-consciousness, a popular vision of the self defined by the word character became fundamental in sustaining and even in shaping the significant forms of the culture. Such a concept filled two important functions. It proposed a method for both mastery and development of the self. In fact, it argued that its kind of self-control was the way to fullest development of the moral significance of self. But it also provided a method of presenting the self to society, offering a standard of conduct that assured interrelationship between the social and the moral.† This matter of expressing oneself to society was a crucial trigger for a wide reaching social change. For Susman, the advent of character was the first step on the road to society developing personality and consequently, the concept of privacy. Despite these insights, Mensel argues that Susmans use of words such as ‘character and ‘personality are inappropriate because such distinction between them was not recognised at that time. Another key reference that Mensel cites in his paper, is the writing of renowned journalist EL Godkin. Godkin was at the forefront of the development of privacy as a concept and was one of the first to write specifically on the matter. His article in Scirbners magazine ‘The Rights of the Citizen was one of the first writings to consider â€Å"The right to decide how much knowledge of [an individuals] own private affairs the public shall have† (Godkin 1890). Godkin saw privacy as â€Å"a distinctly modern product, one of luxuries of civilisation†. Having recognised the advent of privacy as a new phenomenon, Godkin was also conscious of the threats to privacy that the behaviours of modern society represented. He was particularly concerned with the behaviour of the media in intruding peoples personal lives: â€Å"The Chief enemy of privacy in modern life is that interest in other people and their affairs known as curiosity, which in days before newspapers created personal gossip [A]s long as gossip was oral, is spread, as regarded any one individual, over a very small area, and was confined to the immediate circle of his acquaintances. It did not reach, or but rarely reached, those who knew nothing of him. It did not make his name, or his walk, or his conversation familiar to strangers† Godkins writings on the issues of privacy and how it may be intruded upon, inspired a strong desire within some sectors of the society, to protect their privacy with legal means. Some social commentators have argued that Godkins work was the direct inspiration for Warren and Brandeiss groundbreaking article, ‘The Right to Privacy, that argued for privacy to be protected by law (Warren Brandeis 1890). Ironically , it would appear that Godkin was actually opposed to using the law as a method of protecting privacy. According to Mensel, this was partially due to the fact that a jury in such a trial would be most likely â€Å"be composed of the same ‘depraved classes that were responsible for the advent of sensationalist journalism and intrusive photography profitable† (Mensel 1991). Despite Godkins objections, Warren and Brandeiss article was a huge success. Combining elements from varied and estranged fields of law, they managed to formulate an argument that the law could protect the â€Å"thoughts, sentiments and emotions† of the general public (Warren and Brandeis 1890). This issue was especially important to the authors because of the threat generated by â€Å"Recent inventions and business methods† These included the new journalism style that was similarly disregarded by Godkin, in addition a previously unconsidered threat in the form of the newly invented Kodak hand camera. The Social Impact Of The Kodak Camera Photography, prior to the invention of the hand camera, was a difficult and cumbersome process that was only left to the reserve of a minority of experts. It was certainly not the highly accessible hobby that it became in later years. As Jenkins notes: â€Å"From the time of the introduction of commercial photography in 1839 until the late 1870s, the technical complexities of the photographic process were so great that only professional photographers and a very few avid amateurs chose to pursue the practice. In the 1870s the photographer had, for example, to prepare the photosensitive materials; adjust the camera settings; expose, develop, and fix the glass-plate negative; and print and fix the positive paper copy.† (Jenkins 1975) This situation changed permanently and dramatically with the invention of the hand camera, invented by George Eastman. This camera used an innovative new technology that used dry plates and allowed for instantaneous exposures. This new technology came to change not only how photographs were taken, but who took them. Perhaps the widest reaching effect of the introduction of the Kodak was to allow members of the public with no little to no previous experience of photography to take acceptable quality pictures. Whilst this may have seen as a positive step in terms of the reputation and esteem of the photographers, the advent of thousands of amateur photographers had the opposite effect. In the late 19th century, in America, prominent newspapers such as The New York Times produced articles on what came to be known as The Camera Epidemic (The New York Times 1884). These articles disregarded the mass popularisation of photography to the extent of a labelling it a national scourge. Reports written by members of the public of the growing problem of â€Å"camera lunatics appear frequently in letters to the major publishers. A different article in the New York Times (NYT 1884) went as far to liken amateur photographers to the mentally ill: â€Å"it has not occurred to a single medical man that the first noticeable increase in the percentage of lunatics in this country and in England took place about a year after the introduction of dry plate photography We need search no further to find out why our lunatic asylums are crowded. These reports are a potent reminder of the disregard many people felt for the advent of the hand camera at this time. One article detailing Secretary of Treasury, Charles Folger marked as an oddity for having â€Å"a most extraordinary fondness for being photographed†, In the same article as the author describes Folgers picture being taken be describes â€Å"..while the camera does its deadly work† (NYT 1884) Examples such as these highlight the publics distaste for these new amateurs. One particularly violent solution was offered in The Amateur Photographer1885: There is but one remedy for the amateur photographer. Put a brick through his camera whenever you suspect he has taken you unawares. And if there is any doubt, give the benefit of it to the brick, not to the camera. The rights of private property, personal liberty, and personal security birthrights, all of them, of American citizens are distinctly are distinctly inconsistent with the unlicensed use of the instantaneous process. (The Amateur Photographer 1885) Access And Consent In Public Photography – A Review This essay, written by Lisa Henderson, is essentially a review of an unpublished masters thesis – Photographing in Public Places: Photography as social interaction that was produced while she was a student at the University of Pennsylvania in 1983. I first encountered this essay while studying a book called Image Ethics: The Moral Rights of Subjects in Photographs, Film, and Television published in 1991, the essay however is also revised and reprinted in a book called The Photographer Reader published in 2003. The gap between these dates was a good initial indication that the essay had occupied a unique niche in terms of describing issues of privacy caused by photography from a social standpoint. Indeed, it is the only comparable piece of literature I have found on the subject. Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain a copy of the original thesis. Thankfully, the essay alone contains a detailed summary of the most pertinent results. This section will review these results so that I may be able to compare the findings of our research during my analysis and conclusions. Hendersons results are subdivided into three main categories: Settings, Subjects and Strategies. I will purposefully avoid repeating the reference (Henderson 2003), all of the following material is adapted from the most recent version of her essay in The Photography Reader, all statements can be directly attributed to this essay. Settings Henderson begins this chapter with four elements that she has defined as being key when considering the setting of photographs: 1) The familiarity of the setting 2) Whether the setting is is considered a â€Å"front† or â€Å"back† region of a larger area 3) How frequently photographs are taken in the setting and 4) The purpose of the event within the setting. Familiarity, according to Henderson, is key in defining how comfortable a photographer feels taking photographs in a given setting. She notes that familiarity is key because it allows a photographer to achieve a state of â€Å"normality† By understanding their subject audiences, photographers can blend into specific cultural settings and make their subjects feel at ease. The language used in this case is interesting. Henderson implies that a state of â€Å"normality† is beneficial because photography is an abnormal action. The terms of â€Å"front and back† are adapted from theatrical stage language and define a photographers route of access. Back regions involve a photographer to imitate the image of a consummate professional going about day-to-day business, they can achieve this by being accompanied by a official such a police officer or by â€Å"pretending† to be on official business. Front entrance occurs when an event implies a photographers presence is not unusual. Henderson argues that photographers are more comfortable when surrounded by their own kind. A mob has the effect of drawing attention away from the individual, making it easier for a single photographer to achieve â€Å"neutrality† in their setting. Again, the language here implies neutrality is beneficial in order to avoid unwanted attention. Again, events where photography is expected, such as press conferences, are easier for photographers because photography is the expected norm at such an event. Subjects Henderson introduces this section with what some would argue, is an extremely bold statement: â€Å"No group of people is categorically off-limits or of no interest to photographers†. This statement is modified by adding that many different groups at treated differently by photographers, Age, gender ethnicity and social class all require a modification of strategy be it an invitation to take a photography or an act of â€Å"intimidation in others†. Henderson notes that a common subject for many amateur photographers can be found in street performers performing various formal and informal activities. Individuals performing musical, theatrical or other forms of entertainment are ideal according to Henderson, because photography is usually a welcome presence or â€Å"flattery† for many street performers who are keen for attention. They also allow the photographers to remain relatively unnoticed among a crowd of stationary observers. Strategies Henderson describes a plethora of different strategies in order to gain access to their subjects. These strategies are eased if the photographer shares common characteristics with their subjects, she cites ethnicity, social class and social background as being key in determining the ease at which a photographer can gain access to their subjects. Interestingly, she notes that children are an exception â€Å"Photographing children is an exception. Children are thought to be less self-conscious about their appearance and less likely to anticipate the â€Å"possible horrors† of photographs and they might appear in publication† This comment is of particular interest because it reflects the culture of the time in which it was written. Indeed children would be considered an exception in photography in recent times, more likely for the fact that they were a subject to be avoided due to possible fear of being labelled a sexual deviant. A mass paranoia about paedophilia was not p resent in the early 1980s to the same degree that it is currently. Henderson describes a variety of different strategies that may be employed to gain access to their subjects. The majority of these involve the photographer assuming a role where he/she can appear as â€Å"un-alarming† as possible by either assuming an official role or by blending in with the crowd. Conclusions Hendersons work serves an interesting social insight into the behaviour of photographers. However, there are several factors that would be interesting to have been more informed on. She mentions that this work is based on interviews with 15 ‘photographers, it becomes clear in the subsequent prose that these photographers consist of a mix of amateurs, professionals and photojournalists, which does seem a wide variety for such a small sample. In many ways, the paper exudes a feeling of disapproval, photographers are seen as taking steps to remain â€Å"un-alarming† and seeking to try and gain an appearance of â€Å"normality†. Photographers are also seen as adjusting their approach to different social groups by â€Å"intimidating† them, although direct quotations or evidence to support this claim is not provided. In many regards, this paper seems to follow the line of the amateur photographer as a 19th century â€Å"camera lunatic†. Whilst informative, it does seem somewhat odd that this one-sided approach to the issue remains the only obtainable source on the behaviour of the photographer and their considerations of privacy.

How do I keep my own biases and my own history from allowing me to und

I have a jumbled mess of information to process. I believe that being African America, Black, or of African descent, whichever is currently more acceptable that I have a plethora of bias pointed in my direction. Being a female doesn’t help alleviate the dilemma. Growing up in what is considered a textbook black family stereotype I am the last of six children, my mother having had children by different men, the home being on public assistance, growing up in a single parent household and church every Sunday. With a deceased father at the age of seven I became one of the 49% according to familyfacts.org that grew up in a single family household lead by a mother only. I felt different then as I do now in the way I think and process information from a vast majority of people I am related to and whom I have encountered. Not many of my views and opinions have a foundation based on my upbringing. I have no strong views in either direction of conservatism or liberalism and no ties to r eligion. Some may say I am a page ready to be written on while others may say I am damned. Therefore I do carry bias opinions that overall do not fit neatly in any key hole. I find with much thought that I do hold bias against religion being a better form for raising children, the public assistance system, and the education system ability to prepare youth for adulthood. My bias on religion is that children raised in a religious home or no more or less better than those raised without religion. Of the 83.1 percent of Americans who have some kind of religious affiliation some 16.1 percent have no affiliation this according to The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. I do believe that religion is an important aspect of civilization. Religions structure all... ...each my children how to function as adults and I understand that not all cases are universal. To not accept new information I am doing more harm than good. Works Cited Longley, Robert. "Lifetime Earnings Soar with Education - How a Higher Education Leads to Higher Lifetime Earnings." 2011. 04 April 2011 . "One in two African-American children lives in a single-parent home." 2011. 03 April 2011 . "Prison Incarceration and Religious Preference." 2011. 03 April 2011 . "Statistics on Religion in America Report -- Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life." 2011. Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. 03 April 2011 .

The Strategies The Meiji Government Used to Achieve Economic Developmen

The Strategies The Meiji Government Used to Achieve Economic Development? The Meiji government during the 1880's created both an institutional and constitution structure that allowed Japan in the coming decades to be a stabile and industrializing country. Two major policies and strategies that reinforced stability and economic modernization in Japan were the creation of a national public education system and the ratification of the Meiji constitution. Both these aided in stability and thus economic growth. The creation of a national education system aided in creating stability because it indoctrinated youth in the ideas of loyalty, patriotism, and obedience. Japan's education system at first stressed free thought and the ideas of individual's exploration of knowledge but by 1890 the education system of Japan became a tool for indoctrination into what Peter Duus calls "a kind of civil religion" with the Imperial Rescript on Education. This Rescript stressed two things. First, it stressed loyalty to the emperor and to a lesser extant to the state. In every classroom a picture of the emperor was placed. Second, the education system stressed self sacrifice to the state and family. Filial piety was taught in schools and applied not only to the family but also to the national family which included father, teacher, official and employer. The Japanese education system also created a system of technical schools and universities both public and private that educated a grow...

Essay on Internet Privacy - Carnivore, and the Power Of FBI Surveillanc

Carnivore: The Power Of FBI Surveillance      Ã‚  Ã‚   Abstract:   This paper provides an analysis of the privacy issues associated with governmental Internet surveillance, with a focus on the recently disclosed FBI tool known as Carnivore. It concludes that, while some system of surveillance is necessary, more mechanisms to prevent abuse of privacy must exist.    Communication surveillance has been a controversial issue in the US since the 1920's, when the Supreme Court deemed unwarranted wiretaps legitimate in the case of Olmstead v United States. Since telephone wires ran over public grounds, and the property of Olmstead was not physically violated, the wiretap was upheld as lawful. However, the Supreme Court overturned this ruling in 1967 in the landmark case of Katz v United States. On the basis of the fourth amendment, the court established that individuals have the right to privacy of communication, and that wiretapping is unconstitutional unless it is authorized by a search warrant. [Bowyer, 142-143] Since then, the right to communication privacy has become accepted as an integral facet of the American deontological code of ethics. The FBI has made an at least perfunctory effort to respect the public's demand for Internet privacy with its new Internet surveillance system, Carnivore. However, the current implementation of Carnivore unne cessarily jeopardizes the privacy of innocent individuals.    There is considerable utilitarian value in extending privacy rights to the Internet. The fear that communication is being monitored by a third party inevitably leads to inefficiency, because individuals feel a need to find loopholes in the surveillance. For instance, if the public does not feel comfortable with communica... ... best way to establish this balance of power is by requiring the FBI to have the ISP's perform the searches themselves.          Works Cited Kevin W. Bowyer. "Ethics And Computing". IEEE Press, New York. 2001. (142-143).    Patrick Ross. News.com. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-2713029.html September 2000    Patrick Riley. Fox News. http://www.foxnews.com/national/071100/carnivore.sml July 11th, 2000    Donald M. Kerr. FBI. http://www.fbi.gov/pressrm/congress/congress00/kerr090600.htm September 6th, 2000    IITRI. http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/publications/carnivore_draft_1.pdf November 17th, 2000.    Thomas C. Greene. The Register   http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/15591.html December 19th, 2000    Chris Oakes. Wired News. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37470,00.html July 12th, 2000

Causes of International Conflict

Competing territory Is an Important cause of Internal conflict. An example Is the conflict over border between China and India In 1947. When India gained Independence from Brilliant, It Inherited the frontier drawn by the British; while China protested that It had not agreed to the frontier. It was difficult to have a clear border between the two countries because much of their frontier lies in the inaccessible Himalayas.In 1958, China announced that it had built a road on the Assai Chin plateau, which was one of the disputed territories, and the Indian government retested. Tensions worsened when fighting broke out in the disputed territories, which eventually led to a war. War ended quickly but issues are not resolved. Also, numerous border incidents have broken out. They then signed an agreement to address the border issue reasonably. The conflicts occur because the territories are claimed by the two countries.Control over certain tracts of land can be important to a country especi ally If It concerns its defended and national pride. As such, some countries may attempt to extend territorial control by taking over territories which do to belong to them, which may result In conflicts due to territorial disputes. Both countries will not be able to accept the action taken by the other country and they will need to take a harder stance against the other country. This often ends up in using military means and disputes to fight for the territories.Therefore, competing territory causes internal conflict. The two other factors that will lead to internal conflict is the competition over scarce resources and ideological differences. The competition over scarce resources Is a factor that leads to Internal conflict. For example, Iceland and Britain were In conflict over fishing grounds in the sass. Iceland has few natural resources and depended on the fishing Industry for Its survival. Fishes are very important to Iceland because the country depend a lot on fish for surviv al. 70% of Iceland's export is fresh fish and fish products.Therefore, it is important to maintain sufficient fish stocks in the seas around Iceland. Fishermen from European countries like Britain were overfeeding around Iceland, leading to the decrease in fish stocks and making Iceland felt that its nation interest were threatened. Iceland sought help from the United Nations which extended Iceland's fishing ground boundary, such that no country can fish within Iceland's boundary without permission. However, British refused to comply because they think that it was not their problem or fault.When Britain refused to acknowledge the new boundary, Iceland cut Its diplomatic ties with Britain, until an agreement was signed later on. The world's natural resources such as land, water, OLL and fish are unequally distributed. As such, some countries have more of these resources while others have less. Countries with fewer resources may use force to gain more, especially if these inflicts may arise. In this case, Iceland had to react as their livelihood was affected and they had to ensure their own survival. This concerns its country's survival, economic growth and national pride.Both countries will not be able to accept the action taken by the other country and they will need to take a harder stance against the other country. This often ends up in using military means and disputes to fight for the resources. Therefore, competition of scarce resources causes internal conflict. Ideological differences are different values and beliefs among countries that may cause conflicts. Countries pursuing different ideologies can come into conflict if they see that their ideological beliefs are threatened.For example, North Korea and South Korea fought a war in 1950 because they believed in different ideologies. North Korea, which believed in Communism, invaded South Korea which believed in democracy. The United Nations defended South Korea in fear that communist ideologies would be spread to South Korea. The war only ended when an agreement was signed and a demoralized zone was created. Ideological differences has causes both countries to not be able to accept the action as well as the values and beliefs oaken by the other country and they will need to take a harder stance against the other country.This often ends up in using military means and disputes to fight for the beliefs and values of their own country. Therefore, ideological beliefs causes internal conflict. Competing of scarce resources is a more important factor than ideological differences in causing internal conflicts. Scarce resources has a bigger impact than ideological differences for a country. This is because the scarce resources may be vital for the survival of a country. In the case of Iceland-Britain conflict, Iceland's was pendent on the fishing industry for its economic needs.As the livelihood of the Islanders would be threatened if fish stocks decrease, they were willing to risk clashes with Britain in order to protect their national interests and ensure their survival. Conflicts over ideology are less important because it does not affect the survival of a country directly. On the other hand, the natural resources that a country has would promote economic growth and allow a country to develop. Therefore, competing of scarce resources is more important than ideological differences.

Clara Barton’s Courage Essay

â€Å"My business is staunching blood, and feeding fainting men.†, Clara Barton once wrote according to the Clara Barton Birthplace museum, 2010. One of the most important humanitarians and courageous people that has ever lived is Clara Barton. Barton posses the qualities and fits the definition of courageous through her actions as she encounters life of helping to aid soldiers in very extreme surroundings, donating munificently to the war, and trying to help a cause when she had nothing left, showing selflessness. Shows perseverance as she kept going while soldiers stopped for the night, she put much effort to unite Red Cross and the US, and she kept striving when she was told it was unladylike. Barton asserted a hard working ethic by working in many wars, working nights that had much to do, and accomplishing the assignment from Lincoln. Look more:  perseverance essay Clara Barton was a courageous person from having the traits of selflessness, perseverance, and a hard working ethic. Thus presenting the qualifications and the definition of courage herself. Born in Oxford Massachusetts on December 25, 1821 to Stephan â€Å"Captain† Barton and Sarah Stone, (American Red Cross, 2013) Growing up, her childhood was very fearful and full of containing much nursing experience. Barton had no playmates as a child, but she had many adults and became chicken-hearted of many things, â€Å"I remember nothing but fear† (Clara Barton, 1862). She first encountered and glimpsed into the field of healing others, when she was 11 years old. Her brother suffered a very serious fall, and at the time- doctors prescribe leeches. Clara Harlowe became his nurse for a duration of 2 years. (Nancy Whitelaw, 1997) When she was a child, she would always listen to her father’s war stories and watch her family all become teachers or serve in the war. She followed their footprints and became a teacher, but quit after 10 years from feeling that this isn’t what she really wants to do. A school was dedicated to her for her great efforts. She became a clerk, but quit for the same reason. (Women in History, 2013). She helped in many civil wars as aid, which awarded her with the Iron Cross, the Cross of Imperial Russia and the International Red Cross Medal. (Women in History, 2013) Years later, around the age of 83, she retired from being the president of the Red Cross. At the age of 90, she died. America, thought of her as one of the greatest Americans in History, (Red Cross, 2013) Life experiences that put her down, was suffering depression around times of no work such as being restricted to continue aiding, â€Å" but always seemed to revive quickly when a major calamity called for her services,† (Red Cross, 2013) Clara Barton is a very courageous person in history from her altruism throughout her life. She volunteered to help aid soldiers in very extreme places, donated most of her life savings, and though she had lack of funds or tickets, she still tried to help a cause with what was left. One extreme nursing area was when she aided in the battle of Antietam. â€Å"The tables jarred and rolled until we could hardly keep the men on them, and the roar was overwhelming.† (Clara Barton, 1862). While she was attending to needy men, the upper levels of the house was being shot at. â€Å"the house and corn field were under the lee of a hill and the enemy’s guns were mostly trained on that hill so that the firing went over us. The upper stories of the house were riddled to be sure and several shells fell in among us†, Clara Barton,1862. The mere fact that she had to adapt and not be fearful, as she stayed in this hostile and unsuitable environment for medical aid, presenting the characteristic of selflessness. She was there to help, no matter what the situation put her in. She was also selfless by philanthropic acts toward the war. In Culpepper, Virginia, she brought 3 warehouses of supplies from her own home from lack of supplies there, and aided them without pay or pension. (James Lincoln Collier, 2003) 3 warehouses full of supplies in the time period was a great deal. She gave her life savings to the penurious war and realized she had too little money to keep up with the dedication to aid. She proposed to congress for 30,000 dollars to keep up the great help, but only received 15,000 in congressional appropriations instead. (Nancy Whitelaw 1997) Clara Barton was selfless when she was restricted from the army supplies and unable to help the army in any way from lack of funds and ticket. During this time, whenever she heard of need of aid, she was there. Exemplifying, St. Helens Island was infected with smallpox, so she scraped up money to help them by sending supplies such clothes and sanitation, according to Nancy Whitelaw, 1997. During this time she talked to everyone she could and tried to publicize how important it is to donate to the army, while suffering depression. (Dorothy Francis 2002) Barton’s courage is greatly emphasized from the events showing her selflessness as she put her heart out for the cause she believed in. Overall, Barton was a very courageous person because of perseverance and devotion to the cause. She kept proceeding on the trail while soldiers stopped for the night, she put much effort to unite Red Cross and the US, and she kept contending when she was told it was unladylike. While many soldiers stopped for the night, she continued on the path to set up her place to care for the wounded. â€Å"At dusk the train drew to one side of the road and halted for the night. At midnight I directed my drivers to harness quietly and drive on past them, if possible without creating suspicion.† (Clara Barton, 1862) When the battle began, she would be completely prepared to heal anyone as soon as it starts. She adjusted to her job, to where she could care for the soldiers at the utmost convenience. Also, she showed perseverance during the battle of Antietam. She testified to congress in 1862, of a conversation between the Chef and herself. The assistants were gone, leaving the Chef and her. â€Å"They have been here through ghastly scenes since daylight and then cannonading is nerve-wracking. Don’t blame them that they have retired, and some have gone down the line to the wounded.† Other assistants couldn’t bear the amount of trouble and overwhelming times, yet she abided until the supplies ran out, therefore showing perseverance. Clara Barton showed perseverance by fighting the odds of the union of the Red Cross and the US.( Nancy Whitelaw, 1997). Her persistence to the government officials,was not enough to make them budge, so she tried to publicize Red Cross. She wrote countless letters, talked to everyone she could, and created speeches to gain support and awareness that might change the government official’s minds. (James Lincoln Collier, 2003) When Barton went to Europe for rest, she and Henry Dunant tried to make â€Å"international agreements to protect the sick and wounded during wartime without respect to nationality and for the formation of national societies to give aid voluntarily on a neutral basis.† by making an agreement to many countries such as Russia, the US, and Geneva for the Red Cross to be part of the â€Å"framework†. (Red Cross, 2013) She also showed perseverance by when she was told that what she wanted to do was unladylike, yet kept going. When she made the decision to visit the front of the battlefield for a living, she had to get many proper officials authorizations. They told her of how it’s not fit for a lady, but she juxtaposed to their argument of the idea of how effective she was aiding to the Washington troops, through the exemplaning the amount time she spent collecting supplies for soldiers, and the fact of 3 warehouses full of supplies to her dispense. (Dorothy Francis, 2002) Clara Barton was a very courageous person because of her hard working ethic. She worked in many wars, worked nights that had much to do, and accomplishing the assignment from Lincoln. Barton aided in Battle of Cedar mountain, Battle of Chantilly, Battle of South Mountain, Maryland, Siege of Ft. Wagner, South Carolina, traveled with the Army of the Potomac, Battle of Fredericksburg, and aided to riots in Maryland, and many other small battles. (Clara Barton, 1862) The timing between each war was very little- some were only less than a week apart. The duration of each war was as little as 2 days to a whole month. (National Park Service, 2013) In account of Barton 1862, she and 42 other nurses were nursing with many soldiers in need of immediate attention, 1862. Clara Barton had a hard working ethic because of the amaranthine and undying amount of wounded pouring in that she tended to (Clara Barton, 1862) Since there were ceaseless amounts of wounded soldiers each night, she was constantly working throughout the night. Clara Barton even stated in her diary about how sometimes she wouldn’t be able to see her quarters for two days because of the amount of 1862. Having long tedious nights, every night for a long time, means much effort given all the time. Barton showed her hard working ethic when President Lincoln allowed her to search for missing soldiers. She set up an office of correspondence for four years writing to families . (Red Cross, 2013) â€Å"She and her assistants received and answered over 63,000 letters and identified over 22,000 missing men† (Red Cross, 2013). Her hard working and dedicated work ethic brings. Clara Barton had a great impact on history. She created Red Cross, she tracked over 36000 men, and she proved and inspired many people that they can help in the war without fighting it. The Red Cross is a great relief to every disaster of human need there is. â€Å"When disasters strike abroad, we provide technical support, relief supplies, and financial assistance to ensure rapid response and recovery,† they stated, 2013. Their role in the community was purely to save many lives funded and made possible by contributors in society. Clara Barton founded and created this organization that affected many Americans. Without the Red Cross, we would be relying on the government to provide help in disasters. With the limited funding they have, it would not anywhere close to the support the Red Cross has. Same with the facts of, if there was never a Red Cross, there would not be enough support to military families, disaster relief, enough health/ safety education, help to foreign countries, and enough blood to provide who needs it. (Red Cross, 2013). When Clara Barton did the assignment by Lincoln, â€Å"She and her assistants received and answered over 63,000 letters and identified over 22,000 missing men,† according to the Red Cross. She helped create the national cemetery of the Andersonville Prison, she and 31 other people â€Å"identified the graves of nearly 13,000 men†. She provided much cessation of worry to the 63,000 families by doing what she did. (Red Cross, 2013) Imagine if she didn’t help at all with identifying and provide closure to the vast amount of men who were MIA? Clara Barton had a great impact on history and the world, as it seen by them of inspiration and proof that you can help the war without fighting it. Barton’s speeches she gave over time to who would listen, provided awareness of the donation and volunteer work available to in the Red Cross. (Nancy Whitelaw, 1997) Events such as helping to servicing in intense environments, donating most of her life savings, trying to largess with insufficient funds, shows the trait selflessness, which perceived as courageous. Perseverance (also a trait apart of courage) is shown as she kept on trail while soldiers stopped for the night, put much effort to unite Red Cross and the US, and kept contending when she was told it was unladylike. Courage also has the trait of a hard working ethic shown by Barton having an aspiration to assist in many wars, working nights that had much to do, and accomplishing the assignment from Lincoln. Barton is one of the most courageous people in history from having the traits of selflessness, perseverance, and a hard working ethic. Works Cited â€Å"The Civil War: Clara Barton – Birthplace Museum.† The Civil War: Clara Barton – Birthplace Museum. The Birthplace Museum, 2010. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Founder Clara Barton.† Clara Barton. Red Cross, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Women in History†. Clara Barton biography. Last Updated: 2/5/2013. Lakewood Public Library. Date accessed 2/5/2013 . â€Å"Clara Barton and the International Red Cross Association†, Clara Barton papers, Library of Congress, reel # 109, beginning at frame # 409, Sep. 17, 1862. 17 Sep. 1862. Wed. 05 Feb. 2013 Collier, James Lincoln, and Greg Copeland. The Clara Barton You Never Knew. New York: Children’s, 2003. Print. â€Å"Founder Clara Barton.† Clara Barton. Red Cross, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. Francis, Dorothy Brenner. Clara Barton: Founder of the American Red Cross. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook, 2002. Print. Whitelaw, Nancy. Clara Barton: Civil War Nurse. Springfield, NJ: Enslow, 1997. Print.

Letter of Advice for a Newly Engaged Couple Essay

Congratulations Susan and Gerald on your impending marriage. If I might, I would like to contribute some words of advice and suggest some effective communication tools to make your marriage successful and satisfying. Successful communication between couples increase the likeliness for a happy marriage, something every couple strives for. Communication is a process of many aspects that must be continually practiced and perfected. Though there are stumbling blocks in any relationship that may affect communication, following the advice in this letter will help you learn the many aspects of the communication process that must be continually practiced and perfected. I have put together a list of suggestions of communication tools and things to watch out for you both that will serve as a helpful guide in working towards effective communication in your marriage. The list begins with the first effective communication tool which is to develop and practice perfecting your emotional intelligenc e. â€Å"Accurately perceiving others’ emotions may help to more correctly perceive the partner’s needs and opinions and result in better perspective taking.† (Schrà ¶der-Abà © & Schà ¼tz, 2011, p. 156). Without emotional intelligence, you will not be able to understand, interpret, and correctly respond to the emotions of the other person. Emotional intelligence allows my husband to correctly perceive when a particular issue is important to me even if he does not feel the same way. By disregarding the importance of the issue for me, he is showing a lack of empathy and/or a lack of sensitivity towards the situation. The repeated practice of this process helps couples in developing â€Å"relationship satisfaction or closeness† with each other. (Schrà ¶der-Abà © & Schà ¼tz, 2011, p. 156). â€Å"People who are aware of their emotions and are sensitive to the emotions of others are better able to handle the ups and downs of life, to  rebound from adversity, and to maintain fulfilling relationships with others.† (Sole, 2011, Ch. 2.5, para. 4). Read more:  How many words is a 10-minute speech. Emotional intelligence can be achieved by raising self-awareness, providing empathy for the other person, and by developing self-control over your emotions. (Mind Tools, 2013). Self-awareness is paying attention to what you are focusing on and how you will interpret the world. (Sole, 2011, p. 74). Self-awareness will allow a person to have control over their thoughts, emotions, reactions which will all have an effect on their behavior. A person that does not develop self-awareness could make tense situations worse by their behavior, reactions, lack of empathy, or a lack of sensitivity. A person that does not have control over their emotions lessens the likeliness of rational and coherent thinking. The next communication tool on my suggested list is to practice self-disclosure, also another opportunity to develop emotional intelligence. Self-disclosure is described as â€Å"sharing your private feelings, fears, doubts and perceptions with your partner.† (Schoenberg, 2011). There is nothing to be gained if there is no self-disclosure between two people. The ideal self-disclosure between each other should mirror each other. If the level of self-disclosure is not identical for each person, it could lead to feelings of resentment, anger, embarrassment, low self-esteem, and the like which can lead to conflict. As the back-and-forth of the self-disclosure process progresses, so should the level of intimate information. If the levels of self-disclosure are mirrored, it can build a feeling of trust and it can give each person a feeling of closeness to the other person. When my husband and I first started dating, we would spend hours deep in conversation getting to know each other. We have since enjoyed talking to each other. It is easily forgotten how to have meaningful conversations amid the bustle of life where functional conversation or polite pleasantries become a daily routine. In an article I read that was written by Schoenberg (2011), it suggests taking at least 10 minutes per day to discuss self-disclosure topics with each other. This could be a great technique to build a strong and firm foundation that also helps strengthen your emotional intelligence skills. As we grow older, we change in our feelings, perspectives, perception, and the like. In taking the time to practice the suggested daily 10 minutes to engage in mini sessions of self-disclosure, it keeps a couple connected, growing together in sync, and  it improves the quality of communication. I will use myself and my husband as an example of the effectiveness of the 10 minute self-disclosure technique. My husband is busy with his day at work in the Army and I am busy with school and taking care of the kids. Every day is a nonstop busy day where we each have our responsibilities. Every evening before we got to sleep, my husband and I take the allotted time to remember ourselves as a couple. Even though we have been married for 11 years, we still ask each other simple open ended questions such as, â€Å"What movie did you like the most as a kid?†, â€Å"What did your family do for fun growing up?†, and â€Å"What places would you like to visit?†. When you ask open-ended questions such as â€Å"who†, â€Å"what†, â€Å"where†, â€Å"when†, â€Å"why†, and â€Å"how†, it requires â€Å"more than a â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† answer and encourages the other person to talk†. (Sole, 2011, p. 172). There is always a possibility for you to run into stumbling blocks within interpersonal interactions to each other. Stumbling blocks could be in the form of self-image, self-esteem, and misinterpretation. Self-image is what we tell ourselves what we look like, if we are fat or skinny, pretty or ugly, smart or dumb, and the like. It is important to have a positive self-image because in accepting and loving yourself, it will allow you to be accepted and loved by another person. (Sole, 2011, Ch. 3.1, para. 29). If you do not have a positive self-image, it can be difficult to accept that another person accepts and loves you which could lead to distrust in a relationship. Self-esteem is your sense of self-worth and the level of satisfaction you have with yourself. (Sole, 2011, Ch. 3.1, Para. 30). A low self-esteem could cause problems within the relationship because it could bring a pessimistic attitude to difficulties that may rise. For many people, weight issues have the potential to cause low self-esteem. A great example of this concept would be myself at the times when I am at my heaviest and/or I am badly in need of a haircut. My outlook is grim and chocked with frustration. I tend to have a negative attitude towards those around me and I have little to no desire to leave the house. This is in opposition to when I have improved my appearance and my self-esteem raises along with my attitude. I try to maintain a healthy self-esteem, which I suspect allows me to pull myself out of the pocket of low self-esteem when needed. A person with a healthy sense of self-esteem thinks highly of themselves and has confidence in their ability to bounce back from any adversities. If I did  not do my best to maintain a healthy self-esteem, I do not think I would be able to pull myself o ut of the low pockets of self-esteem. Instead, I would most likely fall into a depression. To further demonstrate this concept, we can use an analogy of a person that takes vitamins on a daily basis. The person takes vitamins to strengthen their immune system but that does not guarantee they will never get sick. A healthy immune system will â€Å"make you less vulnerable to disease and better equipped to overcome it†. (Esteemed Self, 2013). In applying this analogy towards a person’s self-image, a healthy self-image will not guarantee there will never be adversities. A healthy self-image will make a person less at risk of succumbing to adversity and able to overcome it. In essence, having a healthy self-image allows a person to believe in themselves and to be okay with the way they look, feel, and so forth. Another potential stumbling block is misinterpretation. Misinterpretation occurs when one person incorrectly perceives the message of the other person. It is important to give feedback and to receive fee dback to ensure proper communication. Correct understanding is essential for effective communication between each other. Misinterpretation can come from the tone in a person’s voice or from any nonverbal communication. The tone of a voice can sound very unfriendly from the sender, perhaps from having a bad day, which could confuse the listener. The listener could internalize the negative tone in the speaker’s voice thinking it is directed at them. Other problems with the tone of our voices could include unclear mumbling, yelling, talking too fast, or an irritated tone could all contribute to miscommunications. We must be conscious of the tone in our voices to avoid any miscommunications. Nonverbal communication is the message that our bodies give off. Much like the tone of our voices, it is important that we are mindful of what our body language is telling the person we are speaking to. For example, what we do with our eyes while we are communicating can signal to the other person if we are uninterested or bored in the conversation (not making eye contact, looking away, looking at our wat ch, etc.). Much like our eyes can communicate a message to the other person, so can our facial expressions. Our facial expressions can signal to the other person how we feel but, at times can be miscommunicated as insincerity. (Sole, 2011, p. 119). Body posture and hand gestures are also part of the nonverbal communication that we must be cognizant of. Body  posture can send messages of disinterest if, for example, a person is folding their arms while they are communicating. Folding your arms can be very tempting to do, especially during a conflict. The examples of nonverbal communication mentioned will only serve as an aggravation to the situation, or rather conflict. An example of this is when my husband would smile as he was making a point during our disagreements (conflicts). It was not a genuine smile, but rather a condescending smile. After thinking about the behavior during our disagreements, my husband and I made a pact to do our best at avoiding this type of negative nonverbal communication. It is important to practice a healthy sense of self-concept, which is an inventory of your strengths, weaknesses, traits, race, heritage, and any other description that makes you who you are today. (Sole, 2011, Ch. 3.1, para. 1). Throughout your life up to this point, you have had many experiences to react and interpret different situations. My particular example of this would be the cultures that I grew up in. One illustration would be the Hispanic culture that my family and I are a part of. I experienced a sense of belonging to the Hispanic community and it therefore played a part in defining my self-concept. A sense of belonging is an important experience for a person so that they will see themselves as â€Å"loved, loving, and valuable†. (Ferrer & Fugate, 2003). In short, a person with a healthy sense of self-concept is able to have balance in their lives and is able to have better control over themselves, such as their emotions. This healthy sense of self-concept has a positive effect on relationships. Much like self-esteem or self-image, a negative sense of self-concept has the potential to keep a person from developing a feeling of belonging. In lacking the feeling of belonging, it could serve as a wedge that separates the individual from another person thus preventing any closeness in forming. Throughout our formative years, we experience reactions from people that serve as a form of feedback or we perform a self-analysis on ourselves based on that feedback. One or both of these make their own particular contribution in shaping our self-concept, a sense of who we are based on a combination of the cultures we have belonged to. Over time, this combination of who we are strengthens our self-concept and is an important influence on your ability to perceive and overcome difficulties. In application to your relationship, your self-concept has an influence on how you will handle  personal and sensitive issues that may arise. When communicating with each other, it is essential to develop good listening skills. Listening has the power to make the other person feel worthy, appreciated, and respected. It is a very uncomfortable feeling when you are speaking to someone, they have poor listening skills, and you are left to wonder if they even care about what you are talking about. Comprehension listening, or â€Å"critical listening†, is listening for facts, information, or ideas that may be of use to you. (Sole, 2011, Ch. 7.3, Para. 16). Empathetic listening is when you make an attempt to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. (Sole, 2011, Ch. 7.3, Para. 18). Both types of listening will be of great use to you in your marriage. A great technique for both types of listening is the speaker-listener technique. To begin the exercise, the first speaker has the floor and when he or she is finished, the listener then summarizes what the speaker just said. This process is repeated back and forth throughout the disagreement or conversation. This technique helps in ensuring both people communicating are understanding each other. In taking a moment to summarize what the speaker has said, it gives validation to the speaker. This could also tie into emotional intelligence, or more specifically, the ability to be empathetic towards the other person. When a person does not feel validated, they will be less likely to listen to the other person. This is an effective technique to use when two people have difficulty in commun icating with each other. Case in point, during the early years of my marriage to my husband, we were having difficulty during our disagreements. Our disagreements were filled with emotions and were very tense. Each of us wanted to get our point across and wanted the other person to listen to us. We realized we were accomplishing nothing. We made a decision to attend counseling where we learned the speaker-listener technique. My husband and I both have a better understanding the importance of validity. It is essential for a person to be heard and validated in a conflict. In doing so, they will be more open to compromising with the other person. It has taken me many years to understand the importance of communication skills such as self-disclosure, emotional intelligence, and the speaker-listener technique. All of these skills combined help in avoiding the type of pitfalls that can hurt a marriage rather than help. I stress the importance of all of these skills to you so that you will be successful in the coming years of  marriage. I will also stress avoiding stumbling blocks such as low self-esteem and misinterpretation that can rob any marriage of the joy of healthy communication. I am confident that both of you will be successful in practicing and perfecting the art of communication in the years to come. One last note to remember, interpersonal communication is ever changing because people are ever changing, therefore you will always need to practice and perfect it. Good luck on your marriage and have fun learning to communicate with each other! References Esteemed Self. (2013). The Dangers of Low Self-Esteem. Retrieved from http://www.esteemedself.com/what-is-self-esteem/the-dangers-of-low-self-esteem/ Ferrer, M., & Fugate, A.M. (2003). Helping Your School-Age Child Develop a Healthy Self-Concept. EDIS. Retrieved from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy570 Schoenberg, N. (2011, January 17). Can we talk? Researcher talks about the role of communication in happy marriages. McClatchy-Tribune News Service. Retrieved from ProQuest Newsstand. Document ID: 2240370261 Schrà ¶der-Abà ©, M., & Schà ¼tz, A. (2011). Walking in each other’s shoes: Perspective taking mediates effects of emotional intelligence on relationship quality. European Journal of Personality, 25(2), 155-169. Doi:10.1002/per.818 Sole, K. (2011).Making connections: Understanding interpersonal communication. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Mind Tools. (2013). Emotional intelligence. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_59.htm