Pet Sematary by Stephen King Essay

Setting: The novel, ‘Pet Sematary’ by Stephen King is set mostly in Ludlow, Maine. Aside from the fact that Stephen King often sets his novels in Maine, where he was born and grew up, the quiet and laid back atmosphere of this place which has a very small population (only 402 in 2000) has something to do with the novel. As catalyst for the novel, a particular ancient Indian burial ground is located within walking distance of the Creed family house in this locality. The value of this setting in this novel is its link with history. Ludlow is known to have a 1% American Indian Ancestry and this small ancestry is enough to validate the presence of the Micmac burial ground in the area. With a small population in the locality, it is most likely that most of the people in the place know about the burial ground which explains why a certain ‘Timmy’ in the novel is referred to as having being buried in the burial ground as well. This sets precedence in the story and explains hoe Jud is quite well-versed with the lore of this particular burial ground. The setting also helps to conceal whatever supernatural events that occur in the place therefore making it more believable that people from other places did not hear about the strange occurrences in the place. So, while it is a given that King always sets his novels in towns and counties in Maine, the choice of Ludlow for this novel is obviously intentional and is done to achieve certain effects and objectives; these basically, to make it more believable and to validate the link between the townsfolk and their apparent, inherent knowledge of the critical element of the novel which is the Micmac burial ground. Other than just these technical intentions of the author, it has to be understood that the tone of the novel is also often set by the setting. In this particular novel which starts out in a sleepy, almost passive town, the effect of having something strange and supernatural occurring serves to upset the status quo of the town. Of course, there is reference to a similar occurrence happening in the past, but this works to deepen the secret of the town and so consequently explain the hush-hush attitude of the people. Drop in a metropolitan family preoccupied with the more tangible representations of life, and a burial ground that is able to resurrect the dead, and the novel has the perfect setting for the materialization of the tangible desires of the alien family and the chaotic interplay between these values and the values of the townsfolk. Major characters: Louis Creed is the main character of the story and it is his family, starting with the family cat, and then his son, and finally his wife that fall victim to the demonic powers of the Micmac Burial ground. Creed is initially introduced to be indifferent and academic, but sympathetic and close to his family members. This is vital to his decisions later in the novel. His entrance into Ludlow, Maine sets in motion a series of events that serve to clearly emphasize the differences his family has with the people in the town; not only this, it also serves to create a contrast between the ideals of the people of the town as well as his own ideals. Creed is used in the novel to foreshadow the events that would follow with their moving to Ludlow because it is his dream of a certain university student that leads him to the burial ground in the metaphysical sense. However, more than just the reality that the novel revolves around this main character, Jud, another character in the story, a friend of Louis plays a very important role in setting in motion the chain of events that lead to the demonic corruption of the Creed family. Jud and Louis are at the different ends of the supernatural spectrum in Pet Sematary – Jud is at the initiating end and Louis at the receiving end of the initiation. Jud is a local of Ludlow and has witnessed certain events in the past connected to the powers of the Micmac burial ground so as a favor to Louis who was instrumental in saving his wife from a fatal heart attack, he takes the family cat of the Creeds which was run over by a truck to the ancient burial ground after which the cat returns to life. This is the first incident that involves the Creeds and the burial ground, so in effect, Jud is the instrument of paradox because it is through him that the novel begins to plummet towards its gruesome and quite horrific climax. Horror Fiction Formula: Of course, Pet Sematary, being set in Ludlow, Maine apparently begins with the concept of the Apollonian community. However, a distinct characteristic of this particular novel is the fact that the community is not at all Apollonian in the truest sense of the concept because as the novel unfolds, it reveals that in fact, the Micmac burial ground and its demons has had its victims in the past, this being Timmy, who was killed along with his father when their house was burned down. In effect, the Creeds arrive into the community at a period when it is seemingly Apollonian, but in reality, is merely in a transition period from its dark past to another, darker future. This is important in the novel because the Dionysian force comes through an instrument, Jud, who has experienced the irruption in the past in the person of Timmy. So, it is Jud who becomes the harbinger of the Dionysian force, which in this novel, is the evil that resides in the Micmac burial ground. The strange thing about this novel is the fact that even with Jud’s knowledge of the degree of evil of the Dionysian force he still risks this by entering the Creed’s family cat into the grounds of the ancient burial site, even with the knowledge of what the consequences could be. The resurrection of the cat in the novel is the irruption in the novel because it is the manifestation of the Dionysian force, albeit still quite genteel, it actually escalates as Louis Creed decides to inter his son into the ancient burial site. The only time that the novel deviates from the horror formula is when the novel moves towards its ending, where instead of pursuing the Dionysian force to put a stop to it or to defeat it, Louis Creed is devoured by the temptation of bringing back his wife, perhaps also blinded by his loneliness and depression. The novel ends with implications of the wife actually returning from the dead. So, although, there is no pursuit of the Dionysian force, the novel still ends the way it should according to the formula with implications that the Dionysian force was not in fact defeated or destroyed. Levels of horror: Perhaps the reason why this novel is so successful and so enjoyed by many horror fans is the fact that it operates on the three levels of horror in an escalating manner. In the beginning, the Apollonian community is merely gripped by its dark past and the burial ground is nothing but a folkloric piece of land behind a pet cemetery. In this part of the novel, it operates on terror because while many people from the town know of the legend of the burial ground and were witnesses to its demonic powers, the knowledge is still on the level of intangibility, like a rumor going around town. Later, when the Dionysian force manifests itself in the form of the cat, a mild form of horror begins to emerge which is the resurrected cat – more aggressive, more hostile, and possessing the qualities of a dead animal. So, in this sense, the Dionysian force acquires a face or some form of tangibility. The horror becomes more pronounced with the resurrection of Louis’ son, Gage. This time, the Dionysian force becomes more vivid as Gage is more demonic and more evil. This newly resurrected creature then kills Jud which then transforms the horror into revulsion because along with Jud, the monster kills Rachel. King implies in the story that Gage partially eats the corpse of Rachel. This adds to the revulsion. The end of the novel adds more to this third level of horror by turning the evil inside out. In effect, instead of the horror merely manifesting itself in the resurrected corpses, it begins to eat through the sanity of the last remaining protagonist, Louis. So, the revulsion takes a final twist, when because of the insanity of Louis, he also buries his wife in the burial site and his wife returns. In effect, the monstrosity has transcended from being limited only to the dead coming back to the living finally concurring with its evil.

The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano Book Review

Compare the 18th century African slave trade to a game of checkers. Played on a checkered board of 64 opposing colors, the object of checkers is to capture or block all the men of an opponent. Careful planning of attack and defense are key elements to winning. The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano does more than just detail the experiences of a former African slave, it sets forth the play sequence between the various players engaged in the slave trade, the emotions involved, the effects and consequences on the players, and the future of the game if it were allowed to continue. Equiano experienced life as a slave on several continents. He endured the torment of the Middle Passage and the various physical and emotional insults and tortures, which came as a result of bondage to another individual. These descriptions are important in establishing the primary players in the slave game. The first is the African player and the other is the White player represented by both Europeans and Americans. The beginning descriptions of Equiano’s tribal life are instrumental in understanding the nature of the African player. Equiano perceives the difference in the African way of life versus that of the European as merely one of time. The Africans have not had the time to learn and grow as the Europeans have. Equiano maintains the notion that existing in a different state of being does not give the European the right to take advantage of their situation in order to promote their own welfare. â€Å"Let the polished and haughty European recollect that his ancestors were once, like the African, uncivilized, and even barbarous. Let such reflections as these melt the pride of their superiority into sympathy for the wants and miseries of their sable brethren and compel them to acknowledge that understanding is not confined to feature or color. Equiano uses scripture to support his idea that all men were created the same and merely existed in different states of progression. The majority of Europeans did not share Equiano’s views. As a result the rules of the game changed for the Europeans who viewed themselves as superior to that of the African. These views were responsible for the horrors, which many Africans f aced in slavery. Even those Europeans who tried to treat slaves with respect could not escape the economic benefits slavery provided them. As a result the European was held captive by his own desire to win rather than to play fair. The European plan of attack was ruthless and he felt he had nothing to fear from the African. Equiano writes that these feelings on the part of the European ate away at the salvation of the European soul. Slavery affected not only the body of the African but also their hope. Equiano describes men in his company who would rather jump off a ship and perish in the sea than endure the atrocities of the Middle Passage. Even those Africans who were granted freedom still suffered the abuse of slavery. After a horrifying incident aboard the London slave ship the Zong, Equiano, a free man at the time, wrote of the courts â€Å"he saw no help in them, nor by the law. † Not only was the incident aboard the Zong an example of the horrors that existed when people were treated as property but served as an example of how the ideas of superiority on the part of the English served to strike a blow at the hope of the African. The recurring theme of religion in Equiano’s narrative is important in understanding that one’s actions cannot escape the judgment and eye of God. Equiano felt comfort and solace in the doctrines of Christianity. It was a force that comforted him when his duties of a slave almost destroyed him and his inability to be treated as an equal when free mystified him. In true Christianity Equiano also saw hope for the Europeans who were losing their souls to the slave trade. In an address of thanks to the Quakers in Grace Church Court, Equiano states that by lifting the burdens of the Negroes there might be in â€Å"some measure, be the possible means, under God, of saving the souls of many of the oppressors. In the checker game of the slave trade, the Europeans did not realize that their men were being lost. They felt they were winning the game in regards to economics. Equiano alerted the reader to the cost the European was paying for their grasp on wealth and prosperity. Equiano’s notion that men can only be saved through a combination of faith, works and grace is important in understanding the effects of the trade upon the future of the game. Equiano recognized that there were no lasting winners in the slave trade. The Europeans were losing the game because they failed to see the eternal consequences of their actions. Equiano believed that the European could still prosper economically without the slave trade if the right plan were to be put into effect. This plan would benefit all involved. Equiano fight for the abolishment of slavery was the tip of the iceberg in his quest. He called for a change of attitude in regards to race relations. He believed this would be the ultimate step in restoring the dignity of all involved. Equiano had seen first hand that many Europeans still viewed Africans as property even when they were free and treated them as such. Equiano knew that merely breaking the chains of slavery was not enough to make its effect disappear. Just as men needed all components of the faith – grace equation to be saved, those involved in the slave trade needed a change in attitude to prevail in order to restore hope and eternal relationships. Equiano wrote, â€Å"After all what makes any event important, unless by its observation we become better and wiser, and learn to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God? . Equiano’s narrative teaches us that in order for individuals to truly win they must not compete against one another nor capture or enslave based on the notion of race. Instead they should look for ways to work together to find and enjoy the treasures of wisdom and salvation Equiano believed were available to all. I believe in Equiano’s message. It w as one of powerful humility and quite visionary for his time. He was no ordinary man as he claims. His insights into his experiences and encounters with both players of the slave trade reflected a depth of understanding no money could buy. His ability to shed light on the emotions of all players involved opened my eyes to the various sides of the slave trade of the time. His message is applicable not only to these aspects of slave trade of the 18th century but also to other concepts of World History past and present. It is important to recognize and understand the concept that when we fail to recognize the importance of others and try to dominate rather than cooperate the only winner of the game is disaster and heartache.

To Be Determined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

To Be Determined - Essay Example She grew up within the ambit of various religious influences, but internally, Christ in the heart was more important to her, than cross on the neck! Even though it is not correct to say that the three religious figures she encountered in various stages of life, influenced her thought processes, the interaction of Mr. Brocklehurst, Helen Burns and St. John Rivers, helped her intellectual growth. But they failed to impact her deeply and crystallize her religious beliefs. They were offered to her as religious syllabus, which she rejected. She evolved her own ideas about faith and principle. She came to the conclusion, that which is not practical, can not be religious or spiritual either. Practical consequences of an idea were more important to her. Her different types of spiritual/religious inclinations could be observed right from her childhood. She observes, â€Å"Of these death-white realms I formed an idea of my own: like all the half-comprehended notions that float dim through children’s brains, but strangely impressive.†(Bronte, 1997, p.7) Religion! And what sins are committed in the name of religious practices! Is the hypocrite act of Mr. Brocklehurst subjecting his students to privations and humiliations in the name of purging their pride, a Christian Act? He instructs to trim the curly hair of one of Jane’s classmates to make it straight. These acts can be compared to the ragging practice among the modern college students, which all the right-thinking people condemn! He was not working for the glory of the Evangelical movement. On the other hand, Jane is disappointed with Helen Burn’s meek type of Christianity. The true surrender to God needs to be dynamic and not weak. Jane personally loves and admires Helen Burn but she will not adopt his passive type of Christianity. This is not the type of individual who can lead the Christian masses to the glory of true Kingdom of

Relationship between Leisure Activity and Life Satisfaction Essay

Relationship between Leisure Activity and Life Satisfaction - Essay Example (Ragheb & Griffith, 1982). Although these two are distinct, life satisfaction is somewhat related to mind and leisure is related to physical aspect but they share a relationship. In this article I have focused on these few questions; (a) what leisure activities are taken by people (b) How different people participate in different activities (c) What is the relationship between life satisfaction and leisure activity (d) Are few leisure activities strongly related then others to life satisfaction The data is all related to the United States population and is taken from the census of the USA government. From all the data I have gathered, it's found out that frequency of participation in leisure activities also differ by sex, age and income levels. Furthermore there is a positive correlation between leisure activity and life satisfaction. The activity theory which states that the greater the frequency and intimacy of activity, the greater the life satisfaction; and the needs theory which refers to the theoretical frameworks which purport that when individuals satisfy their needs, this in turn has salutary effect on subjective wellbeing which leads to life satisfaction; (Diener and Lucas 2000) have been used in this article. Apart from the busy lives, people want leisure thus they engross themselves in different leisure activities. According to the US census of 2007 out of the total population, 1,255,897 million were attending and participating in various leisure activities. The table 1 below shows this; Activity Participants in the last 12 months/1 Number(000) % Adult educational courses 13462 6.1 Attend shows/art galleries/music & horse race 106796 48.4 Backgammon 3675 1.7 Cooking/baking/barbequing 125588 77.2 Billiard/pool/board games/chess/puzzles 97581 44.1 Bird watching 12498 5.7 Book club/reading books & comics 97390 44.2 Concert on radio 6997 3.2 Dining out 107456 48.7 Electronic games/computer games 63282 28.7 Entertain friends/relatives 90197 40.8 Sport league 6192 2.8 Fly kites 5219 2.4 Furniture refinish/ home decoration/wood work 44245 20 Go to bars/beach/theatre/museum 149346 67.7 Karaoke 9142 4.1 Model making 3501 1.6 painting/drawing 15146 6.9 Photo album/ scrapbook 17782 8.1 Photography 28340 12.8 picnic 22426 10.2 Play bingo/cards/musical instruments 77228 35 Trivia/video/words game 59737 27 Zoo attendance 27081 12.3 Source: Mediamark research. New York, N.Y, According to the table people are involved in different leisure activities; all indoor and out door. People have different moods which set up their way of choosing a leisure activity. Life satisfaction is attained by different people in different ways and so different leisure activity gives people different levels of life satisfaction. As shown, people are mostly interested in Cooking/baking/barbequing and then the priority is given to going to bars/beaches/theatre and museums. The least number of participants are in model making. Thus majority of the US population prefer indoor activity; staying at home and involving themselves in cooking/baking and barbequing which gives them satisfaction; out of the population second preference is given to outdoor activities which satisfy people. Indoor activities like model

Ah Leon's Memories of a Classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ah Leon's Memories of a Classroom - Essay Example This essay compares and contrasts two divergent forms of art -- Ah Leon’s ‘Memories of Elementary School’ and James Siena’s exhibit ‘Compare, Contrast, Connect’ – in terms of emotional appeal, form, and theme. While Ah Leon’s ‘Memories of Elementary School’ and James Siena’s ‘Compare, Contrast, Connect’ are ostensibly divergent forms of artistic expression, there are a number of comparative aspects in terms of emotional appeal. Leon’s exhibit is a conceptual piece that recreates an elementary school setting; conversely, Siena’s exhibit contains four etchings with juxtaposed images and colors. In terms of emotional appeal, Leon’s work harkens back to memories of childhood and the process of education. This is contrasted with Siena’s work that is more highly abstract, as it depicts vague exploratory images. In these regards, Siena’s work plays more on direct and int uitive emotions through its elaborate color design and vivid imagery. Still, it’s clear that both images share some emotional qualities. In these regards, they are both clearly concerned with challenging intellectual quandaries. Although Leon’s work contains emotional nostalgia, and Siena’s direct emotional appeal, there is also a removed sort of intellectualism inherent in both works. Another prominent consideration in terms of these works of art is their form. Within this context of understanding, the works perhaps demonstrate their most divergent qualities. The first consideration in these regards is Leon’s ‘Memories of an Elementary School’ as noted above this is broadly characterized through its depiction of seats and chairs of a Taiwanese elementary school. Within this work there is strong regimentation as well as etchings in the desks that further add expressionistic details to the art. In terms of categorical form, Ah Leon’s wo rk clearly falls under what has been termed conceptual art. In these regards, the art form but questions the nature of art, as well as expresses meaning. This aspect of form can be contrasted from Siena’s ‘Compare, Contrast, Connect’. This exhibit can be categorically placed within the context of the abstract art movement and is divergent from Leon’s work in these regards. Indeed, Siena has frequently been characterized for his work in abstraction ("Harlan & weaver," 2010). The work functions less as a self-reflexive question on the nature of artistic expression and more of in terms of the artist’s personal vision. Still, both forms make demands on the viewer as they force them to consider subtle undertones. In Siena’s work this emerges as the viewer is asked to consider the juxtaposition of the four etchings. Ultimately, both forms are on opposing artistic spectrums. A final consideration of these artistic works is in terms of theme. While t hese works seemingly exemplify divergent thematic structures, it’s possible to find similar thematic elements. One of the most notable thematic elements of Leon’s work is his exploration of the rigidity of Taiwanese education. Within this thematic concern is clearly Leon’s characteristic exploration of scale. Indeed, it’s been said of Leon’s other work that, â€Å"The effect of Ah Leon's obsession with scale here is not simply to stun viewers but to move them" (Chung 2000). While Siena’s work lacks a thematic investigation of scale, it does explore a similar mode of personal expression. In these regards

E-Learning Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

E-Learning - Thesis Example Based on the overall finding of the research, it has been ascertained that continuous advancement in technologies imposed considerable impact over the inhabitants of Saudi Arabia especially in the circumstance of e-learning. The study further revealed that administrative, personal, technical and financial aspects mainly prevent e-learning success in primary public schools within the nation. Based on this fact, in this research study, the above discussed four aspects were considered as independent variables and e-learning success to be the dependant variable. Moreover, it was found that the average numerical value in terms of mean of responses of the teachers in technical barriers was recorded at 4.1996, administrative barriers with 4.2206, financial barriers around 4.2479 and personal barriers with 3.6811. Furthermore, the findings also indicated that administrative barriers have high effect in the succession of e-learning, as reflected by the value of coefficient. Nevertheless, the findings depicted the important fact that in order to attain greater success in the context of e-learning approach in Saudi Arabia, the teacher and the students must remain highly concerned about mitigating the above identified barriers in an effective manner. E-learning refers to the form of learning approach or its related activities, which involves the transmission of information with the use of internet. The e-learning approach has wider applicability from the students’ learning viewpoint, as a form of gaining new learning experiences.

Why Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why Violence - Essay Example any given social set up solving problems through fighting is not viewed as a philanthropic way of solving problems, it is quite true that in some instances violence is the solution. I agree with the author that violence is of great political importance to the society especially an effective method to solving problems of political dominance. For any kind of violence to be an effective solution to a given political problem, the people fighting should be more superior to their adversaries. It is a fact that the effect or threat of violence can compel acquiescence among people with different political views. Occasionally, peacefully expression of views or negotiations has always failed in finding a solution to political problems such as abuse of power, election problems, and power wrangles among others. The author does a great work by giving examples of countries and regimes where violence has been used as means to solving political problems. For instance, threats of violence led to the ousting of president Mubarak of Egypt by the protesters and Quddafi regime was only defeated through war (Ginsberg, 4). It is a fact that violence is also an important aspect of political and social change in any given society setup as expressed by Ginsberg in the article. Over the past years since the end of world wars, different nations have been driven to invent and make advanced weapons that can be used to subdue their adversaries and bring power balance. This in turn has led to changes in both the social and political arena among nations involved. For instance, Iraq has been seeking to make nuclear weapons to gain control over the Middle East, which has also led to the emergence of terror groups that function through blackmail of the entire process. In addition to such political changes, I agree with the author that violence played a significant role in addressing the problems and challenged faced by the African Americans in the United States. Although social injustices such as

Use of Indian mascots in sports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Use of Indian mascots in sports - Essay Example As such, it is bout time the truth was let out to the people as a means of ending negative stereotyping and racism drawn from deep within our history. Such efforts can attain significant efficacy if the issue is tackled from the sports context which evidently bears much of the concealed negative stereotyping of Native American Indians. The National Congress of American Indians has in the past explained that most depictions of Native American stereotypes in educational and/or commercial settings vilify and defame tribal nations, native cultures, and native peoples. This happens in that they usually spread legacies of prejudiced attitudes and racism that are rooted deep within ancient American cultures that looked down upon the natives particularly in the pre-civil rights era. This does not however mean that the teams that use names such as the Washington Redskins, Atlanta Braves, and Cleveland Indians deliberately use them to annoy or humiliate the Native American Indians; in most cases, they have no idea what is concealed in the names and mascots. This means that even Indian images such as the Chief Zee, ChiefNoc-A-Homa and Chief Wahoo portray the Native Americans as ethnic groups frozen in history. In this, political inequity and racial segregation emerge. The matter of Native Indians being oppressed dates back to American history when they were being accused of being â€Å"unreasonable savages who had corrupted new national ideals of political stability and economic continuity† (Deloria 39). The contributing factor as to why Indian mascots and other related phenomena are used to mock Indians is the fact that they were rich in symbolism and had multiple objects, beliefs, and imageries that were associated with them. For instance, the Red Indian face with a feather sticking out of his hair and the tomahawk are identities associated with the Native American Indians. Today, such names and imageries are used in sports teams and in popular merchandise such as

Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Experience - Essay Example In the case of the aforementioned interview, the former governor was talking in a general term, speaking about his ideas based on his political views and affiliation. On the first question of Cavuto about the senators who fled to Illinois to block the Wisconsin controversial bill, the governor answered in a general term embracing to his opinion what America should do. He encouraged America to stand with Walker, the governor of Wisconsin and to stand with the state where this controversy is being ironed out. This statement of Pawlenty not only depicts generalization of views but also mirrors an interpersonal barrier presenting the political ideas of the interviewee. He showed the tendency of thinking that his listeners have the same beliefs as he did by seemingly assuming that standing with the Wisconsin governor is the answer to restructuring the government. Static evaluation is evident in the words of Pawlenty about president Obama when he was asked if the Republicans might be recon sidering him to be unbeatable when the issue about the 2012 election was brought out. The governor stated that he thinks Obama is not unbeatable which could have been a good answer because he was just simply stating his opinion which is undeniably possible. However, his next sentence made it all wrong saying, ‘I think he should be beaten’, showing his desire for Barack Obama. This gives the message to the listener or viewer that his emotions are strong enough against the president for him to say those words especially the ones that came after that. ‘I think he’s not done a very good job as president and he doesn’t deserve re-election’ are the personal views of the governor which show static evaluation. He has expressed a statement which is biased and quite judgmental, revealing his discernment to be a general truth and unchangeable. ‘Let’s not just talk about cutting†¦ but let’s talk about growth as well and we’ ve got a president who understands none of that’ are the final statements of the governor in his interview. This statement again, shows judgments that are static, speaking about a president who is nearing the end of his term. Rephrasing the announcement of the governor, I think it would be better to say, ‘I think he (Obama) could be beaten’ rather than using the word should because it expresses a strong personal feeling against the president making the speaker look like he is against him. As a listener, these words are understood as pretty much affected by the interviewee’s emotions and political background and beliefs, supporting the governor of Wisconsin and criticizing the president who earlier expressed his disapproval over the Wisconsin union rights controversy saying governor Walker is going beyond what he is supposed to do. The governor could improve his verbal communication skills if he takes time to think for a moment before giving his answers and avoid being carried away by his political views and emotions. Reference â€Å"Your World Cavuto.†

Theories on Motivation in Human Resource Management Assignment

Theories on Motivation in Human Resource Management - Assignment Example ory had been applied in US organizations and later exported to other regions of the world, it has lost its significance in the current global business environment. The theory is founded on mere assumptions rather than relevant facts or research. It is absurd to think that individuals would carry on moving toward growth and finally attain ‘self actualization’. If this theory can be relied, for ample workforce motivation the management has to identify the active needs of each employee. The theory flaws in the practical side as it is impossible to categorize employees based on their physiological and psychological requirements. The weakness of the theory is more prevalent in the case of multinational companies (MNCs) which are having the features of virtual organizations with broad pool of human. Although this theory had been applied in US organizations and later exported to other regions of the world, it has lost its significance in the current global business environment. The theory is founded on mere assumptions rather than relevant facts or research.

Coping Skill and Lazarus Stress Theory Essay Example for Free

Coping Skill and Lazarus Stress Theory Essay Each individual experiences stress and problem in life. These will serve as measurement to know how emotionally stable individuals are and how they will handle everything that come their way. The ways of coping from stress, anxiety, and problems are the basis of how well-adjusted an individual is. Coping with difficulties of life is hard especially when the situation is complicated. It is a natural reaction that everyone will be experiences at one time or the other. As cited by Luthans (2005), Ivancevich and Matteson see stress as â€Å"the interaction of the individual with the environment†- an adaptive response mediated by individual differences and or psychological process, that is consequences by any eternal (environmental) action, situation or even that places excessive psychological and or physical demand on a person. Stress in college will comes in many forms. You will become essentially responsible for yourself: doing laundry, preparing your own meals, cleaning your own rooms. This will of course in addition to studying hard to achieve good grades. You will also have to deal with peer pressure, dating predicaments and drinking situations. Coping with stress will prove to be a daunting task. Every trying moment that you will encounter in college is only temporary. Coping with stress in college will be part of life, if you can hurdle over your stress, you will surely become as stronger and tougher person. Such that when you will absorb by the workforce, your will be better equipped to face the challenges of your job. Students will deal with stress differently. If you are one of these students who will have a hard time coping with stress, you should not be ashamed to seek the help of others, especially your counsellors who will be there for you for a reason. Stress will seem to be an especially common feature of college student life, particularly at highly competitive colleges and universities. Stress-coping mechanisms are behaviors and thoughts people employ to calm themselves when they will feel upset, angry, overworked, or otherwise overwhelmed by tension. Being under stress will affects your heart rate, blood pressure, mood, and contributes many diseases such as obesity and asthma. Coping mechanisms can be described as the sum total of ways in which we deal with minor to major stress and trauma. Some of these processes are unconscious ones, others are learned behaviour, and still others are skills we consciously master in order to reduce stress, or other intense emotions like depression. Not all coping mechanisms are equally beneficial, and some can actually be very detrimental. One may have various ways of coping with stress, anxiety and problems. Acceptance may be one by which individual wholeheartedly accepts the situation, the persons will learn to understand the things on the way it should. Others, on the other hand, may still look on the good side, putting more attention and emphasis on the things that could be better and would bring better to them. This study will determine what the most prevalent sources of stressors among our students are, and to evaluate the coping mechanisms adopted by them. Background of the Study Stress (2000) is generally defined as the body’s nonspecific response or reaction to demands made on it, or to disturbing events in the environment. It is a process by which we perceive and cope with environmental threats and challenges. Personal environmental events that will cause stress are known as stressors. Therefore, stress is simply defined as emotional disturbances or changes caused by stressors. Stress which promotes and facilities learning is called good stress. An optimal level of stress can enhance learning ability on the other hand; stress which inhibits and suppresses learning is call bad stress. The bad stress must be prevented and avoided. It is noteworthy that the same stressors may be perceived differently by different students, depending on their cultural background, personality traits, experience and coping skills. The purpose of this study is to gather data on the stress prevalence, stressors and coping strategies among second year students of Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurial Management, hence it will provides valuable information for future study in such students and teachers to understand better about this common problem. The second year students of BSEM are prone to pressure for the reason that they are the last batch of this said degree and because of that they are threatened to study hard, to give a good image and expected to build a better name for their degree. Though college may put you under a lot of stress, most students accept this as a given something one should just learned to deal with. And although work overload is a constant in all schools, many students notice discrepancies among different universities and colleges. Theoretical Framework The study will focus on the stress and coping mechanism among the Second year students of BSEM in regarding to their demographic profile. Coping with stress in college just like any other stress coping mechanism is seeing past the negativity of the moment and embracing the potential for good in it. Numerous theoretical provides sufficient background on the nature of stress individuals encounter and a multiple functions of coping for the optimum development and adjustment. The foremost theories represented in the study are enumerated, (a. ) Systematic Stress: Selye’s Theory, states that stress is a state manifested by a syndrome which consists of all the non-specifically induced changes in a biologic system. (b. Psychological Stress: The Lazarus Theory, states that two concepts are central to any psychological stress theory: appraisal, individual’s evaluation of the significance of what is happening for their well-being, and coping, individual’s efforts in thought and action to manage specific demands. Since its first presentation as a comprehensive theory the Lazarus stress theory has undergone sev eral essential revisions. In the latest version, stress is regarded as a relational concept; stress is not defined as a specific kind of external stimulation or a specific pattern of physiological, behavioral, or subjective reactions. Instead, stress is viewed as a relationship between individuals and their environment. Psychological stress refers to a relationship with the environment that the person appraises as significant for his or her well-being and in which the demands tax or exceed available coping resources. (c. ) Resource Theories of Stress: A Bridge between Systemic and Cognitive Viewpoints. Unlike approaches discussed so far, this theory of stress is not primarily concernedwith factors that create stress, but with resources that preserve well-being in the face of stressful encounters.

Essential Oils for Muscle Discomfort and Inflammation Relief

Essential Oils for Muscle Discomfort and Inflammation Relief Whether from overwork or under use, many of us have had to deal with muscle aches and discomforts at one point or another. While there are several remedies available to relieve muscle discomfort, both natural and pharmaceutical, essential oils have their own role in soothing the sore muscles and offering relief. The most popular essential oils that are generally used to soothe muscle discomfort include wintergreen, cinnamon, marjoram, cypress and basil. With that said, here are some of the best essential oils you can use for muscle pain relief: Basil Basil can be applied directly as a massage oil to reduce swelling in the muscles. It works as a decongestant, antiseptic, muscle relaxant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antiviral and antispasmodic. Individuals with epilepsy, kids, and pregnant females must avoid making use of basil. It may likewise be a skin irritant. Basil can either be ingested in diluted forms or used in a diffuser. Marjoram Marjoram essential oil can be beneficial for bronchitis, headache, asthma, whooping cough or any irregularity in muscles. With the right knowledge of its use, Marjoram fits for both oral consumption and topical application with no known side effects involved. Tea Tree There are not many side effects involved with the use of tea tree oil; however, a little caution must be followed when using this oil on children under the age of 6. In addition, I have found people using tea tree oil to have a higher vulnerability to contact sensitization. Neroli Neroli is calming, relaxing, promotes self-confidence, sensuality, peace of mind, and positivity. When used properly, there are no known side effects to using the oil. Neroli can be applied topically as a fragrance, or used in diffused form. Spearmint Spearmint essential oil can work wonders for those suffering from muscle pain and inflammation. There are no known adverse effects to using this oil; however, skin irritation is one of the negative outcomes when this oil id used for long. This oil can be taken orally, used externally or in a diffuser. Helichrysum Helichrysum is useful for reducing the inflammation of the muscles, acne and headaches. In addition, this oil promotes the healing of injuries or burns, detoxifies the body and boosts the immune system, reverses the signs of aging, and fights the fungal infections. There are no known adverse effects to making use of this essential oil, but ingesting it orally can be toxic. Helichrysum can be used both topically and in a diffuser. Peppermint Peppermint essential oil is highly relaxing for those suffering from muscle pain and inflammation. While there are no known negative effects to making use of peppermint oil, I have seen some people reporting problems like mild skin irritation. It can be taken internally, topically, or used in a diffuser. Wintergreen Wintergreen essential oil can be beneficial for small muscle aches and pains, issues of the kidney, nerve pain, arthritis, throbbing joints and menstrual pain. This oil is hazardous when ingested orally, and can trigger ringing in the ears, forgetfulness, belly pain, headache, vomiting and nausea, if not used appropriately. It can be applied topically to the skin or used in a diffuser. Clary Sage Clary Sage essential oil can be helpful for inflammation of the muscles when applied to the skin. There are no recognized negative effects to making use of clary sage, when taken in right amounts. It can be taken orally (it acts as a flavor for food) or used topically. Chamomile Chamomile essential oil helps in sleep and has soothing and relaxing properties that help to lower stress and anxiety. Possible adverse effects can include contact dermatitis, anaphylaxis and other extreme hypersensitivity reactions. You can diffuse it or rub 2 drops of this oil on the temples or back of the neck, either prior to going to bed or when dealing with a difficult situation. Cinnamon Cinnamon essential oil has the ability to stabilize blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and battle the infection. There are no known side results to using cinnamon; however, it may be a skin irritant and may irritate the nasal passages if not watered down. Cypress Cypress essential oil reduces pain in the muscles including muscle fatigue and spasms. In addition, this essential oil helps in relieving aching muscles after a strenuous exercise session. When used topically, it easily penetrates the skin and mixes with the blood within minutes, triggering immediate relaxation and pain relief. Common muscle illnesses and the essential oils you can use for them General Muscle Discomfort The best essential oils to use for general muscle discomfort are Marjoram and Pepper mint followed by wintergreen, white fir, vetiver, Spanish sage, silver fir, rosemary, Lemongrass, lavender, Ginger, Cypress, Birch, Basil and Balsam fir. Muscle aches If you are throbbing due to muscle pain or have fibromyalgia or connective tissue discomfort, the following essential oils are most helpful: Peppermint, Oregano, Marjoram, Clove and Birch. Other than these essential oils, I have found Wintergreen, White Fir, Thyme, Rosemary, Chamomile, Lavender and Helichrysum to be quite useful. Cardiac Muscle pain Yes, your heart is a muscle. Marjoram and Lavender work best for such muscle issues, followed by Rosemary, peppermint and Cinnamon. You can use these oils topically or in a diffuser for aromatic use. Cartilage Injury Birch, Marjoram, and Wintergreen are best for this kind of injury. Lemongrass and Peppermint are likewise useful. Lack of energy in muscles To energize the muscles prior to a workout, use Rosemary. It warms the muscles and helps them to stretch for optimal efficiency. Muscle Cramps Often prompted by pressure or lack of blood circulation, leg and foot cramps can often be prevented by remaining hydrated. Lemongrass, Marjoram, and Peppermint are the best oils for relief, followed by Vetiver, Rosemary, Chamomile, Lavender, Grapefruit, Cypress, Clary Sage and Basil. Muscle Fatigue List of essential oils that I can confidently recommend for muscle fatigue includes White Fir, Peppermint, Marjoram and Cypress. Other than that, Thyme, Rosemary, Grapefruit and Eucaluptus have also shown quite good results with my patients. Muscle Spasms While spasms are not usually agonizing, they can be eased with the use of Basil, Chamomile and Marjoram. Peppermint, Lavender, Cypress and Clary Sage can likewise help. Muscle Sprains Stress in the ligament can be treated with White Fir, marjoram and Lemongrass. Other essential oils that might be helpful are Vetiver, Thyme, Rosemary, Lavender, Helichrysum, Ginger, Eucalyptus and Clove. Tendinitis Marjoram and Lavender are the best essential oils you can use for swelling of the tendon. Muscle stress Whether caused due to physical stress, or emotional anxiety, Marjoram is your best choice for muscle stress. Helichrysum, Lavender, Peppermint, and Roman Chamomile are also useful. Prepare your own essential oil Blends For a muscle pull, blend 3 drops of Roman Chamomile and 2drops of sugary food grade Marjoram together. Apply this blend via cold compress. For muscular pain, combine 3 drops of Roman Chamomile with 3 drops of Lavender. Apply this blend using cold compress. For swelling in the muscles, use a cold compress of 3 drops of Peppermint and 3 drops of Yarrow. To release a muscle spasm, mix 2 drops of Ginger, 3 drops of Cypress and 3 drops of Sweet Marjoram with 3 teaspoons of carrier oil of your choice. Apply this blend topically twice in a day. To soothe tender muscles, blend 3 drops of Lemongrass, 5 drops of Ginger, and 5 drops of Lavender with 5 teaspoons carrier oil of your choice. Apply this blend topically three times in a day. To relax tight muscles, blend 4 drops of Lavender, 4 drops of Rosemary, and 2 drops of Ginger with 4 teaspoons of carrier oil. Use this blend topically three times in a day. In order to ease rheumatic pain, blend 3 drops of Lavender, 3 drops of Ginger, and 3 drops of Silver Fir in 5 teaspoons of carrier oil. Apply this blend over the impacted areas three times in a day. In order to enhance flow of blood to the cramping muscles of the leg combine 3 drops of Ginger, 5 drops of Black Pepper, and 5 drops of Cinnamon in 5 teaspoons of carrier oil. Use this blend over areas where muscle cramps exist. For centuries, essential oils have been recognized for having therapeutic properties. Ancient cultures exercised the art of making essential oils for reliving muscle pain by first soaking the leaves, branches, bark and flowers of plants in oil for duration of time and then using linens to cleanse, separate and filter the oils in a concentrated form. Always remember that muscles need potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, glucose and sufficient amounts of water to work. So, I would recommend that you do not overlook something that is the basic requirement for your muscles to function optimally.

Franz Liszt: Biography and Works

Franz Liszt: Biography and Works Franz Liszt and the New German School In pre-modern Europe, most artists were content to follow a proud classical tradition, offering creative embellishments of their own as a contribution to the field and following the rules of composing a proper sonata, concerto, or waltz paying special attention to chord progression, harmonics, and tonality. Because much of the music was purely instrumental, each piece identified a theme in the title (i.e. Danse Macabre, Mephisto’s Waltz, Liebestraume, Moonlight Sonata etc.) and sought to bring it to life through music. While there were noteworthy artists in the field, very few had the creative ability to usher in a new era or popularise a new form of expression, which is probably why only a handful of Europe’s finest are known offhand today such as Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart and Wagner. In the mid-nineteenth century, the idea of the New German School was born and Franz Liszt was one of the most important members. It did not matter that he was not born in Germany, but bec ause the art and culture of Germany had such great influence over his work, he was claimed as one of the Great German Artists by Franz Brendel and other music commentators associated with him. Most classical aficionados have heard of Franz Liszt because of the dark dynamic quality of his work, and the artistic risks he had taken in many of his compositions—he broke conventions relating to harmonics, chord structure, tonality, and quite often did not give the work a suitable ending.[1] This is rather startling because most people settle into a routine at an advanced age—i.e. they would have ‘found their voice’ and spent much of their time refining the message—indeed, it was expected. However, many of his critics believed that Liszt’s later work was not the birth of something new. Instead, it was considered a diminishment of capabilities and a sign of some internal sickness that attacked one’s artistic sensibilities. According to Ernst Gà ¼nter, ‘the music of Liszt’s final decade (1876-1886) is the product of aesthetic weariness and distrust of the very principles of art. The disaffection of the later Liszt, which he vouched for only in isolated remarks, becomes effective in the compositions as the destruction of the aesthetic norms.’ However, one can argue that his later work was a natural progression of his earlier work and tragic events in his personal life and the rapid rate of change in the world may have had a greater influence on his later compositions than simply mere disenchantment with art itself. Instead, much of the research suggests a growing disenchantment with the world itself as he comes to face his own mortality and his interest and focus is further removed from the world around him to the afterlife instead. This paper will examine a sample of Liszt’s final works and attempt to answer the question of whether his change in style is the result of ‘aesthetic weariness’ or the next logical step in his creative path and reflective of his journey as an artist reflecting the times in which he lived. We will examine a few of his past compositions to establish a context and then discuss personal events that had taken place around the time he began to exhibit the noteworthy abandonment o f ‘norms.’ Liszt’s Persona Even today, scholars have a difficult time characterising Franz Liszt’s contribution to the musical world and what he stood for. He certainly had harsh critics and adoring fans during his stage career as expert interpreter and composer and his biography makes it difficult to put him into a box, personally or artistically. According to Liszt Scholars Michael Saffle and Rossana Dalmonte: ‘Here is where many differences of opinion concerning Liszt and his music originate. Liszt’s lifetime spanned the transitions from Napoleon’s Europe to Bismarck’s, and from the earliest railroad trains to electric lighting; his works reflect both romantic (which is to say, modern) and post romantic (which is to say, modernist) concerns. Thus, in the last analysis, it proves extremely difficult to place or describe Liszt, even through comparisons to other great figures of the past. So much is lost if we simply consign him to this or that box.’[2] During his career, he had become something akin to the nineteenth century equivalent of a rock star. Women would fight over his handkerchiefs and gloves, and the expressive passion he brought to his performances often reduced many a patron to tears. Not surprisingly, he was renowned as a ladies’ man and often found patronage (and love) from wealthy noble women. During his travels, he introduced much of the work of German composers such as Schubert, Schumann, Franz, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn to the rest of Europe, and when he switched gears from performance to composition, the German influence became evident although he hails from Hungary. As a composer, his primary aim was to wed music and poetry—a fact that he shared with Agnes Street-Klindworth, a woman with whom he had an affair and corresponded with until his death in 1886.[3] As with most poets, his songs reflected his internal state. At the time, he was absorbed in presenting dramatically flawless interpretations of the masters and he incorporated some elements of theirs into his music, though many of his critics believed that he had taken the wrong ones (i.e. Brahms).[4] Intriguingly enough, many of his contemporaries acknowledged that many of his transcriptions and interpretations of other’s works are so creative that they had taken on a life of their own. However, one can speculate that his early compositions reflected his own grand ambition to utterly master the piano as he rearranged the songs of many of the greats in his field into something that only he, with his unusual hands, could play.[5] Toward the end of his life, he had become much more contemplative, devoting much of his time composing spiritual choral pieces and wandering across Europe, which may also be considered ‘unconventional’ for a man in his mid-sixties (especially as most people did not get to live that long in the first place). Gunter notes that Liszt’s work began to ‘slip’ after 1876, however, it can be argued that his style began to shift radically from the mainstream to a new form of expression entirely. As with many artists, much of the inspiration from Franz Liszt’s music had come from his life experience, his natural temperament, and his passion for his art. In Ihr Glocken von Marling a late composition, it becomes increasingly clear that he is turning toward the more religious themes that started to creep into his work during the latter part of the 1860s. That decade brought much personal loss to Liszt. He had buried his son, daughter, and mother, his marriage to Princess Carolyne was thwarted, and he had to endure smear campaigns by a psychotic stalker.[6] At the same time, he began to turn away from the material toward the spiritual and he began to resemble more closely the archetype of the wandering ascetic. In 1876, he suffered an accident that left him the use of only nine of his fingers—even so, he was still the standard by which most pianists of his time compared themselves and composed at the speed most people write letters.[7] In his final decade, his compositions had become more concerned with the themes of death and dying as his growing ill health and spiritual sentiment was coupled with his belief that he truly had no talent. For instance, Ihr Glocken von Marling approximates the sound that calls the villagers to worship. The repetition of the chords imitates the pealing of the bells in the churchyard. The fact that it is more or less written entirely in the treble clef lends an ethereal sound to the work.[8] While that claim is ludicrous, it is a rather valid concern because he did spend most of his career creating transcriptions of other compositions. He has always had an obsessive and perfectionist streak, which he channelled effectively through his art. In one of his later letters he writes: ‘For the last two weeks I’ve been absorbed in cypresses†¦I have composed two groups of cypresses, each of more than two hundred bars, plus a postludium, to the cypresses of the Villa d’Este. These sad pieces won’t have much success and can do without it. I shall call them Therenodies, as the word elegie strikes me as too tender, and almost worldly. A few more leaves have been added to the cypresses—no less boring and redundant than the previous ones! To tell the truth I sense in myself a terrible lack of talent compared with what I would like to express; the notes I write are pitiful. A strange sense of the infinite makes me impersonal and uncommunicative.’[9] Perhaps his uncommunicativeness can be interpreted as his growing inability to conform to mainstream preferences. It is true that many of his later works focus on spirituality and Hungarian nationalism. This religious sentiment grew to a raging crescendo as he was writing the Via Crucis in which he was forced to contemplate the passion and death of Jesus and his own emotions on the matter, as he was a deeply religious man. ‘The Via Crucis possesses a complex cyclical structure unified on a variety of levels through precisely controlled motives and pitch relations, many of which take on an iconographic significance. This strange and profound work should silence those who cast doubt on the sincerity of Liszt’s religious beliefs. It is the product of deep, anguished contemplation of the passion of Jesus, a process during which one can well imagine Liszt came to identify strongly with the suffering Christ. Via Crucis conveys not only the horror and sorrow of the crucifixion, but also the wonder of God’s redeeming love for humankind.’[10] It is very clear that at this point in his career, he is finished competing with the greats of his age and is simply looking to express his true self through his art. In other fields, refusal to imitate was often seen as an affront to the scene and the fruits of one’s labour were not even considered art (i.e. Vincent van Gogh). Rather than simply producing brilliant transcriptions, he is looking to himself as a Christian, as a Hungarian, and a man that is looking at the winter of his life for inspiration. Instead of becoming despondent about his art, he was invigorated with passion, creating pieces that he intended for performance, particularly about the great Hungarian heroes in history, Mosonyi in particular. Although he had not previously done much work in the Hungarian style during the 1870’s, during the 1880s, he had become much more interested in freeing himself from the stylistic constraints of Western European music. When we had quoted him previously, Liszt said that he lacks the talent to express what he wants to say because there are so many tropes and ideas that he wanted to create through music and he simply did not have sufficient talent to carry it out. From what we know of him historically, he was never one to suffer from a lowered sense of self so he may have meant that his ideas have simply outgrown his ability to express them in art. Using the portrait theme was one of the defining art forms of the 1870s as Mussorgsky created his famous Pictures at an Exhibition ten years before. However, unlike the nationalist sentiment that had become a form of religion in modern Europe, it did not displace his faith in God as noted in Liszt’s letter to his publisher when he first brought up the idea in 1885.[11] As with Via Crucis, scholars concur that his Hungarian Portraits have the depth, resonance, and relevance to the period and served as a foreshadowing of other pieces of that nature. ‘The piece touches upon a number of harmonies which resonate with significant moments earlier in the cycle. It builds to a climactic apotheosis of the main theme in D minor, which subsides to a tender recollection of the contrasting theme in D major, and closes on a solemn note of faith and hope. In spite of the strong projection of the tonic at the conclusion, however, Liszt rigorously avoids stating the tonic root in the low bass, perhaps signifying that life is part of a greater continuum in which only God has the final word.’[12] Conclusion Much of Liszt’s work in the last decade of his life revealed an even deeper understanding of life than when he was younger. Although he was more likely to observe the conventions of composition in his youth (quite brilliantly in fact), he did not yet have more than the intellectual understanding that art was expressive and indicative of life—indeed, that it was not separate from that of the creator but instead flowed organically from his mind and his talents. Unfortunately for Liszt, his knowledge of life’s pain and the existence of other great talents in the arena (i.e. Wagner) led him to doubt his own abilities as an artist. Because he had experienced one of the most devastating losses of all—the deaths of his children, he may have lost all faith in the ‘natural order of things’ recognising that life was often chaotic, out of harmony, and progressed along unexpected paths. Because art is not formed in a vacuum, he poured his energy into crea tion, which is why the body of his later work is characterised by a focus on the sacred, death and dying. In his later years, he tried to turn these realizations into art, and indeed succeeded in creating poetry from his music. Do Liszt’s late compositions perpetuate the progressivism of the 1860’s? Not by a long shot: his songs are religiously themed with sub-themes of destruction, death, and dying in a time characterised by invention, discovery and increasing secularism. Nevertheless, it would not be fair to say that his works signalled artistic breakdown because his exploratory approach created the brilliant sacred pieces Via Crucis and Rosario, Years of Pilgrimage, and The Hungarian Portraits among many others. However, in an age where spirituality becomes increasingly unpopular, artists that reflect it in their work are often alienated by the mainstream and their work is deemed inaccessible. Bibliography Baker, James M. ‘Larger Forms in the Late Piano Works’ in Ed. Hamilton, Kenneth. The Cambridge Companion to Liszt. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005 Botstein, Leon. ‘A Mirror to the Nineteenth Century: Reflections on Franz Liszt’, Franz Liszt and His World. (eds. Christopher H. Gibbs Dana A. Gooley) Princeton: Princeton University Press: 2006 Gorrell, Lorraine. The Nineteenth-Century German Lied. New Jersey: Amadeus Press LLC, 2005 Hamilton, Kenneth. ‘Liszt’s early and Weimer Piano works’ in Ed. Hamilton, Kenneth. The Cambridge Companion to Liszt. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005 Liszt, Franz Agnes Street-Klindworth. Franz Liszt and Agnes Street-Klindworth: A Correspondence, 1854-1886. New York: Pendragon Press, 2000 Saffle, Michael and Rossana Dalmonte. Liszt and the Birth of Modern Europe. New York: Pendragon, 2003 Walker, Alan. Franz Liszt: The Final Years, 1861-1886. Cornell: Cornell University Press, 1997 1 Footnotes [1] Leon Botstein. ‘A Mirror to the Nineteenth Century: Reflections on Franz Liszt’, Franz Liszt and His World. (eds. Christopher H. Gibbs Dana A. Gooley) (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press: 2006) 518 [2] Michael Saffle and Rossana Dalmonte. Liszt and the Birth of Modern Europe. (New York: Pendragon, 2003) 8 [3] Franz Liszt Agnes Street-Klindworth. Franz Liszt and Agnes Street-Klindworth: A Correspondence, 1854-1886. (New York: Pendragon Press, 2000) 116 [4] Hamilton, Kenneth. ‘Liszt’s early and Weimer Piano works’ in Ed. Hamilton, Kenneth. The Cambridge Companion to Liszt. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005) 57 [5] Hamilton, 65 [6] Alan Walker. Franz Liszt: The Final Years, 1861-1886. (Cornell: Cornell University Press, 1997) 175 [7] Walker, 369 [8] Lorraine Gorrell. The Nineteenth-Century German Lied. (New Jersey: Amadeus Press, LLC, 2005 ) 246 [9] Liszt qt. Walker, 370 [10] James M. Baker. ‘Larger Forms in the Late Piano Works’ in Ed. Hamilton, Kenneth. The Cambridge Companion to Liszt. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005) 126 [11] Baker, 134 [12] Baker, 135

The Tragic Hero of Hamlet Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

The Tragic Hero of Hamlet    Shakespeare's play, Hamlet illustrates the tragedy of a young prince's pursuit to obtain revenge for a corrupt act, the murder of his father.  Ã‚   As the exposition unfolds, we find Prince Hamlet struggling with internal conflict over who and what was behind his father's death.   His struggle continues as he awaits the mystic appearance of a ghost who is reported to resemble his father.   Suddenly it appears, proclaiming, "Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing / To what I shall unfold" (1.5.5-6).   The ghost continues to speak providing an important clue: "The serpent that did sting thy father's life / Now wears his crown" (1.5.38-39).   In short, this passage reveals evidence leading to the identity of whom Prince Hamlet must pursue in order to obtain revenge.   Moreover, Prince Hamlet's pursuit for revenge casts him into the role of a tragic hero, whose decision to feign madness enables the audience to see his tragic flaw, which seals his fate of destruction. Tragic heroes are characterized as the protagonists of a tragedy who begin in a state of happiness and fall into destruction.   The manner in which Prince Hamlet's happiness is affected, causing him to assume the role of a tragic hero is through the loss of his father, which drives him into a state of depression.   Also, the hasty remarriage of his mother, Queen Gertrude to his uncle, Claudius, the new king becomes significant, as he is reluctant to support this marriage.   His reluctance is portrayed later in the play as he speaks to Gertrude, saying, Look her upon this picture, and on this, The counterfeit presentment of two brothers.  Ã‚   See what a grace was seated on this brow: Hyperion's curls, the front of Jove himself, An eye like Mar... ...eare. Ed. Gerald Chapman. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1965. Epstein, Norrie. "One of Destiny's Casualties." Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. of The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless to the Best of the Bard. New York: Viking Penguin, 1993. p. 332-34. Gooch, Bryan N. S. "Review of The Shapes of Revenge: Victimization, Vengeance, and Vindictiveness in Shakespeare." Early Modern Literary Studies 4.1 (May, 1998): 5.1-6   http://purl.oclc.org/emls/04-1/rev_goo6.html. Gordon, Edward J. Introduction to Tragedy. Rochelle Park, NJ: Hayden Book Co., Inc., 1973. Jorgensen, Paul A. "Hamlet." William Shakespeare: the Tragedies. Boston: Twayne Publ., 1985. N. pag. http://www.freehomepages.com/hamlet/other/jorg-hamlet.html Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. T. J. B. Spencer. New York: Penguin, 1996.

An Interpretation of Emily Dickinsons Poem I Felt a Funeral in My Brain :: Dickinson I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain Essays

An Interpretation of Emily Dickinson's Poem I Felt a Funeral in My Brain Emily Dickinson was a reclusive individual that was rarely seen by anyone outside of her immediate family and few close friends. This solitude emerges in her poetry in the form of doom and gloom depictions. Dickinson seems to have a fascination with death as if death is a friendly character rather than a horrible image. It has been stated that Dickinson's obsession with death was a sign to others around her and her readers that she was struggling internally. In the poem "I Felt a Funeral in My Brain" Dickinson seems to be describing a delusion of a person that is contemplating what will happen to him/her when he/she dies. This poem also seems to be an affirmation of heaven and hell and a personal battle within the narrator to come to terms with his/her own mortal existence. In the first stanza Dickinson describes "feeling a funeral in her brain". This could be a metaphor for her own personal death and the reference to "sense breaking through" tells the reader that only through death can a person ever understand and/or value life. This could be viewed as a retrospection on the narrators life and a telling poem about where she was at in her existance around this period of time. If this interpretation is justified then in stanza two the funeral proceeds with the narrator hating to be there as she/he says: "And when they all were seated, A Service, like a Drum- Kept beating-beating-till I thought My Mind was going numb-" This stanza shows that the narrator is still bored with the living world even in death. The third stanza continues the theme of a struggle between heaven and hell in the last line when the narrator states, "Then space-began to toll". This reference to a bell tolling, or time running out seems to suggest the impending judgment for the narrator. Heaven is discussed in the forth stanza and compared to a bell: "As all the Heavens were a Bell And Being, but an Ear, And I, and Silence, some strange race

The Purpose Of Education :: Economics

The Purpose Of Education Education is an important part in every child's life, and here in Singapore, every child has to receive compulsory education. I believe that education is an important part in helping a child grow up, to make sure that a child grows up into a sensible and responsible adult. It is also important to make sure the child grows up into an independent person with the skills necessary to be in the workforce of a country. In order to achieve that, I feel that education has to be introduced at a young age. That way, children would be used to the environment, and be able to study more effectively when the child gets older, and more subjects are introduced. However, education cannot be too geared towards an academic approach. For example, I feel that the education system in Singapore is too exam-oriented. Though in Raffles Institution, there is no more focus on examinations, there still common tests and quizzes. Furthermore, other schools, specifically neighbourhood schools, still focus on examinations, which I think is a dangerous pitfall, since schools should not exist solely to make another person more knowledgeable. It should instead be used to help make the children's minds more creative, and not so rigid, in the sense that they would be able to look at things at different perspectives. This is clearly represented in "Gryphon". Mr. Hibler, a normal teacher in Five Oaks, follows the education system very faithfully. Paragraph 55 shows that Mr. Hibler had a lesson plan ready. Thus he was probably just going to tell the students some information about Egyptians. I feel that this kind of teaching, however, is not useful, since it just spoonfeeds the children with information. This information would be forgotten by the students very quickly after a few years. Next, we read on about how Ms. Ferenczi teaches the students. Mr. Hibler falls ill and is replaced by Miss Ferenczi. Miss Ferenczi, on the other hand, does not strictly follow Mr. Hibler's lesson plans, but instead she gives the students a lot of room for imagination. For example, in paragraph 64, Miss Ferenczi is supposed to talk about pyramids. However she asks the students to think of what was inside. Then she goes on to say that the nature of pyramids were to guide cosmic energy forces into a concentrated point. However, we know that this is not true. Thus she is apparently trying to encourage the children to imagine different things. This would be what I think the purpose of education should be. It should be to give children a chance to express their creativity, to

Impact of Globalisation on Africa Essay

This course will examine the critical and rapidly changing role of the state at the beginning of a new millennium as a result of internal and external factors, paying special attention to the state as a central player in ensuring the provision of public services, as well as facing the new challenges emerging around the world. It will enable students to: †¢ assess the impact of global economic liberalisation and information dissemination on governments and their constituents; †¢ engage in specific analyses of the changing role of the state, the different actors and stake-holders involved, the mechanisms of governance at different levels; and the emerging frustrations and violence. †¢ identify the capacities of and constraints facing governance processes; †¢ critique the manner in which reforms undertaken by governments impact social, cultural and economic development; and †¢ analyse the challenges faced by governance with regard to democratisation; To accomplish this, the course is divided into three thematic areas: 1. The State and the People – (internal factors): Under this first part of the course, students will identify the basic components of state-craft, the different actors who come into play in decision making, the relative importance of each over the course of history, the constants in different geographic contexts, etc. With the advent of fresh economic, social, and environmental challenges, there is a strong sense among governments that their scope for autonomous public action is being reduced by the forces of globalisation and the consequent growth of inter-dependence among states. Sound governance in the public sector is a critical factor for continued progress. A determined effort is thus required by governments in refocussing the capacities of the public sector to meet the emerging challenges, and to grasp the opportunities thrown up by the global trends in a new millennium. 2. The State and Globalization – (external factors): Under this second part, students will review the process of rapidly increasing globalization, and its impact on the role of the state, the process of increasing inter-connectedness between societies such that events in one part of the world have increasing effects on people and societies far away. Economically, transnational flows of commodities and production factors, such as capital and labour, are being accelerated. Politically, the sovereignty of nation states is being undermined, and certain kinds of supra-national authorities are being enhanced. Socio-culturally, contacts between peoples in different parts of the world have become easier, enhancing the advent of a global culture and cultural homogenisation. The effect of the integration of markets, new information technology, the erosion of sovereignty, the growing role of non-state actors, and sub-national groups, and an increasing inter-dependence among states, has resulted in the emergence of a global community, global issues, and global actions. Students will analyse the changes required in the functions of the state so that it can effectively mitigate the impact of globalization to ensure sustainable development, and national security. 3. Reconstructing the State – (mechanisms of reform): Under this third part, students will review the need for recasting the roles of the institutions of the state, as well as the normal interaction between the various stakeholders – the state, the private sector and the civil society. They will analyse and debate on how national governance institutions can be reconstructed and retooled in different contexts within a climate of privatisation, participation, and decentralisation, how local governance can be promoted, how rule of law and regulatory frameworks can be established through responsible governance, and how democratic space can be created and maintained. This includes engaging civil society and the private sector in a dynamic partnership to improve the quality of developmental services, enhance social responsibilities, and ensure the broadest participation of citizens in civic life. The task o f the state is to take advantage of the forces of globalisation in providing a secure and stable domestic environment. The course will also analyse the manner in which the state can promote the participation of citizens in decision-making, enforce impartial legal frameworks, build transparency and promote accountability and equity, design policies on consensus, and provide strategic vision to overcome the challenges of mitigating the negative impacts of the global economy, transnational bodies, international law, powers and power blocs, and sub-national fringe groups. READINGS While required readings will consist of the following texts which will be placed on reserve in the Library, additional articles for each lesson may also be made available either over email or in hard copy. Some of these articles are cited in the various lesson descriptions below. Recommended Texts: †¢ Globalisation, Human Development Report 1999, UNDP, available for free download at : http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1999/en/ †¢ Reinventing Government, David Osborne, 1992. †¢ Reconceptualising Governance, Discussion Paper 2, UNDP, January 1997, available for free download at : http://magnet.undp.org/Docs/!UN98-21.PDF/Recon.htm †¢ The Third Wave, by Samuel Huntington, published by the University of Oklahoma Press. †¢ Development as Freedom, by Amartya Sen, published by Random House Anchor Books. †¢ The World Turned Upside Down? Globalization and the Future of the State, by Berry Jones, published by St. Martin’s Press. †¢ Globalisation and its Discontents, by Joseph Stiglitz, published by W W Norton and Company. †¢ The Lexus and the Olive Tree, by Thomas Friedman, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Other General Texts: †¢ Globalisation and the State, World Public Sector Report 2001, United Nations †¢ Civil Society and Political Theory, Arato and Cohen, MIT Press, Cambridge. †¢ Democratic Governance, March and Olsen, New York Free Press. †¢ Globalization and the Nation-State, Holton, London: MacMillan. 2 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The Retreat of the State: The Diffusion of Power in the World Economy, Strange, Cambridge University Press. Marc Williams (1996), â€Å"Rethinking Sovereignty†, Chapter 8, Elenore Kafman and Gillian Youngs (Eds.), Globalization: Theory and Practice, London: Pinter Globalization: Theory and Practice, edited by Youngs, London: Pinter The Twilight of Sovereignty: How the Information Revolution Is Transforming Our World. Wriston, New York: Charles Scribner. Governance in the Twenty-first Century , Rosenau in Global Governance, Vol. 1, No. I (Winter 1995) Globalisation, State Sovereignity, and the Endless Accumulation of Capital. Arrighi. A new version of a paper presented at the ‘States and Sovereignity in the World Economy’ conference, University of California, Irvine, 21-23 Feb. 1997. What Future for the State?, Strange, Daedalus Vol 124, (Spring 1995), 56. The Defective State, Strange, Daedalus Vol 124, Number 2, Spring 1995. The Retreat of the State: The Diffusion of Power in the World Economy, Strange, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1996 Governance and Politics in Africa, Goran and Bratton, Lynne Rienner Publishers Inc. Colorado, USA. Institutions , institutional change and economic performance. North, Cambridge University Press. Making democracy work, Putnam, Leonardi, and Nanette, Princeton: Princeton University Press. CLASS POLICIES Class Participation: Class participation is essential in this course, and therefore, timely and regular class attendance is mandatory. Class attendance will be marked at the very beginning of each class. Attendance will be graded. Except for serious emergencies, and medical reasons, which must be brought to notice immediately over email, absences or late arrival will not be â€Å"excused†. It should be clearly noted that almost one-third of the Final Grade is dependant on attendance and punctuality. Drafting: Particular emphasis will be placed in this class on building up an ability to draft assignments and papers in a grammatically correct and logical manner, in presentations that can carry weight and conviction with the reader. The same will hold true of oral presentations in class. Email: Because of the importance attached to email and web pages, all students must have proper email accounts, and must check them regularly every day. (All email addresses will be collected in the first class). Students should also maintain a group address (Listserv) of all classmates, including the Professor, so that messages of common interest can be circulated to all. Reference Formula: All email correspondence MUST contain the following four-part Reference Formula in FOUR places, namely, (a) as the only â€Å"subject† of the email; (b) as the only first line of the text of the email; (c) as part of the â€Å"header† of any attached assignment, and (d) as the â€Å"filename† of the attachment: (initials of university)-(course symbol)-(initials of student)-(assignment number) 3 Example of the four-part Reference Formula: NYU-G-XXX-A# (where NYU stands for New York University, G stands for Globalisation, XXX are the student’s initials in capital letters, and A# is the assignment number). Format of assignments: Assignments will normally be submitted in hard copies, and must be saved in Microsoft Word (or WordPerfect) format exclusively. They should be saved with the same filename as the â€Å"Reference Formula† above, so that no confusion is ever created. Web-Sites: Each student will be encouraged to maintain a personal web-page, which will be graded. (Some tips on the quickest means to establish student web-sites will be discussed in the first class). In addition, a Class Web-Page may also be maintained as a group project. Each student will have to provide a personal â€Å"thumbnail† picture and a few lines of descriptive text for this Class Web-Page. These thumbnails have to be provided within the first two weeks of class. Other material on the class web-page will include summaries of class notes, and links to the personal web pages of each student reflecting their respective assignments. Assignments: Assignments will include : (a) One Mid-Term Paper (4-6 pages, single space, Garamond 12 or 14 pt. font, or equivalent) to be prepared and submitted by the 7th week of class. (b) One Final Paper (14-16 pages, single space, Garamond 12-14 pt. font, or equivalent) to be prepared and submitted by the 12th week of class. (c) Class Notes to be prepared each week by designated students working separately or in couples for each of the class sessions. (d) Oral presentations, supported by Summaries, on some of the essential texts (note: The summary of the presentation MUST be circulated to all students and to the professor via email a full 24 hours before the presentation). Class Notes: The objective is to maintain a complete record of the notes from each class on the home-page. The assigned group (which will always be different from the group preparing the presentations) will be responsible for preparation of the class notes. Class notes MUST be written within 24 hours after the class, and then circulated immediately via email to all. Class notes should not be longer then one page and should contain the following 1. The gist of the topics discussed in class. 2. The lessons learned News: The daily reading of at least one leading American newspaper (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, etc), one major foreign newspaper or weekly (London Guardian, Economist, etc), and one major American quarterly (Foreign Report) is required. All are available over the Internet. GRADING POLICY Grading Notes: In judging the quality of all assignments, the total grade for each of these will be divided into three portions, one-third for the quality and formatting of the presentation, one-third for the factual accuracy of research, and one-third for the strength and persuasiveness of the opinions expressed. Extra weight will be given for any visible improvement of work manifested over the semester. 4 Grading values: A+ (98-100) A (94-97) A-(90-93) B+ (88-89) B (84-87) B-(80-83) C+ (78-79) C (74-77) C-(70-73) D (60-69) F (59-less) Grading Break-up: Attendance and participation Web-page maintenance Assignments (oral and written) Final or Term Paper SCHEDULE OF LECTURES 30% 10 % 30 % 30 % SESSION 1 : INTRODUCTION Class policies and ground rules regarding, drafting techniques, web-sites, email addresses, oral book presentations, etc., and the road map of the semester will be discussed in detail. SESSION 2 : THE ROLE OF THE STATE : RIGHTS, DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS This session reviews the definitions of the state, including the institutions of the legislature, the judiciary, electoral bodies as they have traditionally been conceptualised. What are the duties of the state to the public? What levels of government carry out what duties? How does legislature respond to the needs of the state, its duties and obligations? Governments are established to respond to the needs of their populations? What are these needs? How are they defined? What right do the people have to demand them? How do they make their concerns known? And in turn do they have duties to fulfill in their capacities as private citizens that contribute to the smooth functioning of their governments? What is the role of citizenry in good governance and in the effective functioning of the state? Book Presentation: Globalisation, Human Development Report 1999, UNDP Other discussion Papers: Public Sector Management, Governance and Sustainable Human Development. Discussion Paper 1. UNDP, BDP/MDGD. January 1995, Available at: http://magnet.undp.org/Docs/!UN9821.PDF/Psm.htm The Challenge to the South, The Report of the South Commission, 1992. Available through http://www.southcentre.org/ The Rise of the Brand State, Peter van Ham, Foreign Affairs, Sep-Oct 2001 SESSION 3 : UNDERSTANDING GLOBALISATION This session will attempt to define the parameters of the forces of globalisation in their historical and functional contexts. How does globalisation today differ from its earlier versions? What are the respective roles of the state and the private sector in using these  forces ? How do states, citizens, businesses, benefit from these forces ? Who gains and who loses out in the process. Book Presentation: Reinventing Government, David Osborne, 1992. Other dscussion papers: Selling Globalization The Myth of the Global Economy, by Michael Veseth Globalisation, Human Development Report 1999, UNDP, Available at: http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1999/en/default.cfm The Clash of Globalisations, Stanley Hoffman, Foreign Affairs, Jul-Aug 2002 SESSION 4 : GOVERNANCE AS A BASIC PRE-CONDITION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Governance is a basic precondition for sustainable economic, social and political development. This lesson will look at the linkages between governance and development that is sustainable. It will review how systems of governance can effect development positively or negatively and the challenges posed to the state and society. It will also look at accountability and transparency in dealing especially with corruption, which is a major concern in most countries. Book Presentation: Reconceptualising Governance, Discussion Paper 2, UNDP, January 1997 Other discussion Papers: Governance for Sustainable Development, a UNDP Policy Document, 1997, Available at: http://magnet.undp.org/policy/default.htm Corruption and Good Governance. Discussion Paper 3. UNDP, BDP/MDGD. July 1997 Available at: http://magnet.undp.org/ under: Discussion Papers Series. SESSION 5 : THE INTEGRATION OF MARKETS, TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION This lesson reviews the impact of globalization on nations and countries all over the world. It examines the development of new technologies, and rapid information communications that are breaking down barriers of time and distance. It looks at the effect of unprecedented integration of trade and financial transactions through electronic means and the massive diffusion of information through Internet and satellites. It examines the effect of globalization on the sovereignty of the state and the need for a change in its role. Book Presentation: The Third Wave, by Samuel Huntington, published by the University of Oklahoma Press. Other discussion Papers: Globalization and the Nation-State, by Robert J. Holton, London: MacMillan, Philip G. Cerny (1996), â€Å"What Next for the State?†, Chapter 9, Elonore Kafman and Gillian Youngs (Eds.), Globalization: Theory and Practice, London: Pinter. The Knowledge Gap, Avinesh Persaud, Foreign Affairs, Mar-Apr 2001 SESSION 6 : THE EROSION OF SOVEREIGNTY The process of globalisation is undermining the sovereignty of nation states and will lead to the eventual disintegration of the sovereign states system in international politics. The sovereignty of nations is being undermined by multiple sources: technology, civil society, global consensus on issues such as human rights, democracy and governance. However, sovereign states are still the basic constituents of the international society. This lesson will look at the effect of globalization on the sovereignty of the state and review policies that need to be adopted to meet the requirements of the international community. Book Presentation: Development as Freedom, by Amartya Sen, published by Random House Anchor Books. Other discussion Papers: Philip G. Cerny (1996), â€Å"What Next for the State?†, Chapter 9, Elonore Kafman and Globalization: Theory and Practice, by Gillian Youngs (Eds.), London: Pinter, The Twilight of Sovereignty: How the Information Revolution Is Transforming Our World, by Wriston, Walter, New York: Charles Scribner, Will the Nation State survive Globalisation, Martin Wolf, Foreign Affairs, Jan-Feb 2001 SESSION 7 : THE GROWING ROLE OF NON-STATE ACTORS The modern state is witnessing civil society, NGOs and the private sector becoming more powerful at the expense of the state. In some countries, the influence of some transnational corporations (TNCs) has become greater than that of the state. These TNCs are the most important single force creating global shifts in economic activity, and their strategies and operations are much influenced by the forces of technological change. Moreover, private investment has become a major source of funding for development activities. How can the state interact with these non-state actors gradually gaining a more prominent role? This lesson explores the different experiences and responses of nations to answer this question. Book Presentation: The World Turned Upside Down? Globalization and the Future of the State, by Berry Jones, published by St. Martin’s Press. Other discussion Papers: Governance in the Twenty-first Century, by Rosenau, James N. in Global Governance Vol. 1, No. I (Winter 1995) Public Sector Management, Governance and Sustainable Human Development. Discussion Paper 1. UNDP, BDP/MDGD. January 1995, Available at: http://magnet.undp.org/Docs/!UN9821.PDF/Psm.htm Assignment submission deadline for one of the following topics: 1: How is globalization affecting the poor and other disadvantaged groups in developing and developed countries. Each student can either take one country or one aspect of globalization to prepare this summary. In other words the unit of analysis could either be one issue/aspect of globalization applied to different countries, or one country through which all aspects are brought together. or 2: Critically examine the problems of the civic and corporate responsibilities of multinational corporations. Students can either choose one company, or prepare a general note to examine how private sector companies can share social and economic responsibility for the communities and groups in which they work. Such responsibilities might include, among other possibilities, support to local economic development, increasing awareness of human rights, supporting the government to fight cross border corruption, etc.. SESSION 8 : THE INCREASING INTER-DEPENDENCE AMONG STATES There is visible evidence about the emergence of a global community, global issues and global actions. Examples lie in multi-lateral organisations as in the United Nations system, and in regional institutions, as in the European Union, NAFTA, ASEAN, etc. Increasing interaction among states in tackling political, economic and financial issues, has resulted in a growing awareness that interaction at regional and global levels is essential in this globalized world. There is a need to address issues of peace, security, economic stability, poverty and health as global concerns. There is an awareness that global actions are becoming essential in effectively tackling problems which are acquiring global dimensions, for example, drugs, terrorism, global warming, crime, poverty, illiteracy, AIDS, etc. There is growing awareness also about the concept of â€Å"global public goods†. How can nations deal with this new interdependence? What is the most effective role for the state? This lesson reviews the effect of rapidly increasing globalisation in the 21st Century and its impact on national governments of the North and South. It looks at the issue of global goods, effects on the growth, distribution of incomes, availability of public services, and increasing inequities within countries and across nations and reviews the need for increased collaboration in policy, with particular emphasis on global governance. Book Presentation: Globalisation and its Discontents, by Joseph Stiglitz, published by W W Norton and Company. Other discussion Papers: Governance in the Twenty-first Century by Rosenau, James in Global Governance, Vol. 1, No. I (Winter 1995) SESSION 9 : THE EFFECTS OF GLOBALISATION AND LOCALISATION Globalization is forcing states to cede some sovereignty over global issues. The greater demand for decentralisation and citizen empowerment is also forcing states to devolve power, authority and finances to local levels. What is the role of decentralisation and how can this be distinguished from the process of devolution, and deconcentration? This lesson will look at institutional changes, experiences in decentralisation and democratic governance. Book Presentation: The Lexus and the Olive Tree, by Thomas Friedman, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Other discussion Papers: Institutions , institutional change and economic performance, by North, Douglass, Cambridge University Press, 1990. Making democracy work, Putnam, Robert D., Robert Leonardi, and Raffaella Y. Nanette. 1993. Reconceptualising Governance. Discussion Paper 2. UNDP, BDP/MDGD. January 1997, Available at: http://magnet.undp.org/Docs/!UN98-21.PDF/Recon.htm Globalisation, Human Development Report, UNDP, Available at: http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1999/en/default.cfm Globalisation’s Democratic Defeat, Joseph Nye, Foreign Affairs, Jul-Aug, 2001 SESSION 10 : RETOOLING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL GOVERNANCE INSTITUTIONS. Governments and international organisations are faced at all levels with increasing globalisation, population, and growing needs. New forms and ways of government functioning are emerging. The twenty first century is marked by a focus on democratisation, and an increased emphasis on global, national and local governance. The challenge is to restructure national governance institutions to deal with the impact of globalisation and the changing circumstances as well as providing efficient and effective public services with limited funds. Other discussion Papers: The new institutionalism: Organizational factors in political life. by March, James. G., and Hohan P. Olsen.. American Political Science Review 78 (3): 734-749. SESSION 11 REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS AT THE INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS The objectives are, ensuring society-based supremacy of laws, establishing regulatory systems to set up effective regulatory frameworks and a rights based system, ensuring equal treatment before laws protecting life, property and human dignity. How is law implemented in multijuridical states? What challenges does this present to governments? How does this affect the democratic representation of each citizen? The session will also look at overarching international juridical bodies: who designs them, who informs them, how is their mandate determined and implemented. Particular attention will be focussed on the World Bank, the IMF, and the WTO. Country cases are used to illustrate the needs of establishing policies, laws and resource priorities at the national levels to ensure equity and justice, and the upholding of rule of law, bringing security, and predictability to social, political and economic relations in the world. Other discussion Papers: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights; United Nations Available at: http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html SESSION 12: BUILDING NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR What constitutes civil society? What is the most effective role of civil society organisations at the local, regional and global level? Do they and should they have well defined mandates? How can they work collaboratively with government? In addition, beginning with a review of the traditional role of the private sector in the stability of a nation-state,what are the moral, financial and legal obligations that the private sector has both to governments and to its constituents, addressing the question of the appropriate tools for regulation, if any. It examines the vital role of the private sector in good governance and in mitigating the negative effects of globalisation. Other discussion Papers: Citizens, Strengthening Global Civil Society. CIVICUS. Good Governance and Trade Policy: Are they the Key to Africa’s Global Integration and Growth?. by Francis and Yates, Alexander; World Bank. 1999, Available at: http://wwwwds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000094946_99032505 585398 Taxes and Bribery: The Role of Wage Incentives. Besley, Timothy, and J. McLaren. Economic Journal, Vol. 103, January 1999. Final Paper submission deadline: What is the issue of the changing role and power of the nation-state in the face of globalisation. Some argue that invincible globalising forces will inevitably lead to the demise or fatal weakening of the nation-state in international politics. This kind of argument is explicitly presented in titles such as â€Å"The End of the Nation-State† (K. Ohmae, 1996) and â€Å"The Retreat of the State† (Susan Strange, 1996) Others refuse this argument and contend that nation-states will hold fast to their traditional powers and sovereignty. Examine the conflicting arguments on the relationship between globalisation and the sovereignty of the nation-state. In doing this, look into the conceptual aspects of globalisation and sovereignty first, present the different views on the subjects, and try to arrive at some conclusions as to what the conflicting arguments imply for human development. or A focused single-topic paper, either on one of the following topics, or on any other relevant topic which is cleared in advance with the Professor: (a) Corruption and Accountability. (b) Electoral Reform in Established Democracies. (c) Decentralisation and Democracy. (d) The Importance of Rule of Law and Access to Justice. (e) The Limits to the Capacity of the Public Sector. (f) The Uneven Impact of Globalisation. (g) The Erosion of Sovereignty. (h) The Role of Civil Society in the Future World. (i) The Role of Foreign Direct Investment. (j) Information Technology as a Driving Force. (k) Terrorism, causes and effects (l) Poverty and its Effects (m) New Doctrines in Law (n) Free Trade and Protectionism (o) Migration flows in a Globalised world. SESSION 13 : FINAL SUMMATION – CURRENT GOOD PRACTICES Several modules of good governance exist around the world. Students will identify different models of good governance and critically analyse its components establishing the reasons for the success of the models and identifying the circumstances where these models could be used as an example of â€Å"best practices†. What does capacity development for governance involve? How is the capacity of a national government assessed and what are the innovative approaches required to create an enabling environment and interrelationship of groups and organisations. Other discussion Papers: Governance for Sustainable Human Development. Discussion Paper 7. UNDP, BDP/MDGD. http://magnet.undp.org/policy/default.htm January 1997, Available at: Corruption and Good Governance. Discussion Paper 3. UNDP, BDP/MDGD. July 1997, Available at: http://magnet.undp.org/ under: Discussion Papers Series. The Capacity to Govern: Report to the Club of Rome. Yehezekiel, The Commonwealth Portfolio of Current Good Practices and New Development in Public Services Management, Commonwealth Secretariat. 1996, Emerging Issues in Capacity Development, Proceedings of a Workshop. Institute on Governance, Ottawa, 1994. Spreading the Wealth, Dollar and Kraay, Foreign Affairs, Jan-Feb 2002 Is Inequality Decreasing, Galbraith and Pitt, Foreign Affairs, Jul-Aug 2002 SESSION 14 : DISCUSSION ON FINAL PAPERS This session will review the Final Papers of students before the semester ends