Resarch critical appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Resarch critical appraisal - Essay Example urvey, using a 17-item questionnaire, of 112 respondents between the ages of 37 to 87 years old of both male and female genders, all of whom speak Swedish. The actual research did not entail significant ethical concerns considering that much of it was presumably done personally and voluntarily by the respondents by filling up the 17-item questionnaire after informed consent was obtained. Aside from the individual informed consent, the researchers also acquired prior approval from Research Ethical Committee at the University of Gothenburg. The researchers, however, failed to state how they were able to gain access to hospital data regarding patients who are scheduled for THA. Privacy and confidentiality of medical records relative to medical research studies have always been problematic areas from the perspectives of patients (Lo 2009 82). It is notable, however, that the research has specifically excluded patients who are critically ill and mentally impaired. Employment of mentally impaired persons in research studies is ethically questionable considering that historically they have often been subjected to research abuses (Lo 2009 145) . Pain management, which is the focus of the research paper, is an important area in nursing (Holzemer 2009 39) making the paper significantly relevant to the profession. Although the subject itself is well delimited, the research may not have successfully delimited the parameters of participating respondents considering that their ages ranged from 37 to 87 years old. The variance of pain experience between age groups is noted by the researchers themselves who made a vague reference to it on page 454 of the research paper. In addition, the paper fails to explicitly state its working theory at the beginning as such although the entire paper is obviously underpinned by it and refers to it under a different heading. It is evident that the research is trying to prove that a realistic expectation of the pain entailed by a THA surgical

Sichuan Province Earthquake Effects On Tourism Tourism Essay

Sichuan Province Earthquake Effects On Tourism Tourism Essay Sichuan province is located in the Sichuans plateau in the inland of Southwest China; it is commonly referred to as the land of abundance. It has an enormous territory and rich in resources and is one of the most ethnically diverse areas in China. This province has several historic and cultural sites and other natural and manmade tourist attraction sites. The attraction sites and the famous Sichuan cuisine normally characterized by hot flavor, and incomparable beauty make the province a wonderland that attracts millions of tourists from all over the world. Sichuan is also a major industrial region in China; the province has both heavy and light industries. Plans were underway of developing this region into a high tech industrial centre. A massive earthquake, the famous Wenchuan Earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale, hit western Sichuan, China in 2008. According to official figures, released 65,185 people were confirmed dead. Over 68,636 of them were from Sichuan province, approximately 374,171 of others were reported injured and scores of others missing. Millions of people were left homeless and a lot of private and public property destroyed, the economic loss incurred was approximated to be over  ¥ 1,000 billion. The earthquake extremely affected all economic sectors in the quake-hit areas and tourism was no exception. Study of the impacts of the quake on tourism enhances the hypothesis of tourism and more significantly serving as the basis for planning and policymaking. Problem statement The earthquake is believed to have killed 54 tourists in Sichuan province. During the period, over ten thousand tourists were stranded and over 30 flights and 300 vehicles used to evacuate them. The tourist industry lost over $ 7.24 billion in the earthquake. With regard to the contribution of tourism to the regions economy, there have been major reconstruction efforts after the earthquake. Destructive catastrophes, such as the Boxing Day tsunami in the Indian Ocean (2004), Hurricane Katrina (2005), the Wenchuan Earthquake (2008), the Samoan tsunami (2009), and the Haiti earthquake (2010) have lately put the limelight on natural disasters, with real time TV footage screening the events as they unfold. International media issue warnings to tourists to stay away, while local economies experience immediate and widespread impacts from the loss of tourism earnings, and endure many months of uncertainty before a return to anything resembling normal business operation. Tourism destinations are highly sensitive to interruption by natural disasters because tourism operations are reliant on functioning critical infrastructure, including electricity, sewage, communications and water; lifelines which are inevitably damaged and disrupted for a prolonged period following a damaging event (Ritchie 2009). Flow-on effects from disasters also include significant disruption to the supply and distribution chains of even the most prepared businesses (Lee Harrald 1999). Economic losses are attributable to a decline in damage to infrastructure (Laws et al. 2007). The interdependencies of the tourism industry have been one of its great strengths, allowing it to rapidly expand and diversify. However, natural disasters can produce immediate, cascading failures within the tourism sector that have the ability to reverberate within communities and countries for many months and years. This study highlights physical and social impacts of large magnitude earthquakes. According to Sichuans local media, reconstruction in the Sichuan tourism sector has been separated into three levels. The initial stage was trying to attract the domestic tourists to the quake hit areas, followed by focusing on local tourism enterprises to restore global tourism market. Finally reviving the entire tourism sector by or after the year 2010 and make it the leading sector in the region. This earthquake affected the potential tourists perceptions on the Sichuan tourism many still feel that the destination is not safe enough to visit. The Sichuans tourism agency has to spend a considerable budget to convince the potential tourists that the place is safe to travel and that the attractions are still as appealing as they were before the quake. Objectives of the Research Study The main objective of this study is to investigate the potential tourists perceptions towards the Sichuan tourism after the earthquake. This study has not been carried out there giving rise to the knowledge gap that needs to be filled. The findings from this research will fill this knowledge gap and add to the current literature. Findings from this study will also be very significant in identifying the determinants that can be changed to design the best strategies in order to attract more tourists and satisfy their needs. The Sichuan tourism industry is expected to improve services and develop strategies to attract potential tourists and make them feel comfortable in Sichuan. Specifically the objective of this study is to help understand the potential tourists perception towards the post-earthquake Sichuan tourism, and determine what factors are considered significant by the potential tourists wanting to travel to Sichuan. Conceptual framework Scott, N. Laws, E. (2005). Tourism crises and disasters: Enhancing understanding of system effects. Journal of Travel Tourism Marketing, vol. 19, (3), pp. 151-160. The conceptual framework above articulates a set of complete values for disaster management strategies, to the benefit of tourism businesses and destination bureaus. This model follows a linear crisis procedure that is pre-event, emergency, intermediate, recovery and resolution. It goes further to provide insights for successfully assisting the tourism industry and the government in putting up disaster management strategies. Strategic implementation comprise of disaster communication and control, stakeholder collaboration and resource management. The tourism industry should learn from experiences such as the Sichuan earthquake. The work of emergency organizations as well as tourism organizations become very crucial, while that of tourism enterprises is usually less critical during pre- or post crisis periods. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1. Historical background of problem area Tourism in the area accounted for 8% of county gross domestic product prior to the earthquake (Lim, 2009). The earthquake cost Sichuan province US$7 billion in lost tourism revenue (Zhiling Xianyu 2009). In contrast to the consequences of the Chi-Chi earthquake, tourism to the area rebounded in less than a year as domestic visitors flocked to see areas devastated by the quake (Lim, 2009). Government investment in the tourism industry in the region hopes to cash-in on the earthquake tourism phenomenon, with work currently taking place on the construction of a number of earthquake museums in the province, and a quake-relief training centre in Beichuan (Zhiling Xianyu 2008; Lim 2009). Local officials hope to increase tourism earnings to as much as 20% of regional GDP. One local Beichuan man describes his feelings about the earthquake; the earthquake was a catastrophe, but it will be good for the tourist industry (Lim 2009). The travel motivations of domestic Chinese tourists include o bserving the power of nature, to pay their respects to the dead, and to be reminded of the frailty of life (Liu 2009). According to various online news reports, as many as 19 million tourists visited Sichuan province during the National Day celebrations this year (Global Times 2009). The business of earthquake tourism, it seems, is booming in devastated parts of the epicentral region. Tourism disaster management Tourism is a deliberate and peacetime activity, is very susceptible to disparities caused by external environments that may compromise the tourist experience (Santana, 2003). Given that perception is reality in the tourism industry, a negative image results from a catastrophe of any kind, even if inexcusable, and will hinder potential tourists and lead to negative buying behavior. Globalization exposes the tourism industry to greater political, economic, social, and technological changes (Ritchie, 2004). Meanwhile, the butterfly effect further magnifies small-scale crises in one part of the world to other parts. Examples can be found among previous events, regardless of type, such as the Wenchuan Earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale, hit western Sichuan, China in 2008, and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami (Santana, 2003). The negative impact of crises on the tourism industry is more significant among destinations that are highly reliant on tourism as their major sourc e of revenue. The world has become increasingly catastrophe prone (Coombs, 1999: Richardson, 1994) and all the economic sectors are on the edge of chaos, Fink argues (1986), Researchers have provided many definitions for crisis. Faulkner (2001) contended that crises are induced by internal factors, or actions or inactions of the organizations, whereas disasters are by external forces, comprising of natural phenomena. Stafford, Yu, and Armoo (2002) further classified external factors into physical, social, and human environment. According to them natural disasters like those that earthquakes and technological failures are affiliated with crises in the former situation, and confrontations, epidemics and war are allied with crises in the latter situation. Foreign visitors satisfaction Hartman developed a customer satisfaction concept in 1993 that consists of three constructs: the cognitive, affective, and systemic (Hartman, 1993). Customer satisfaction is defined by customers post-purchase assessment of service delivered and comparison of customers expectations and the actual service experience (Hunt 2007).This concept was further refined as the expectancy-disconfirmation paradigm by Oliver (2000), with four elements: pre-purchase expectations, perceived performance, disconfirmation and satisfaction. Several approaches to performance analysis in tourism satisfaction such as expectation-performance, importance-performance, disconfirmation approach, and performance-only approach have been used. In terms of travel, Moutinho (1997) notes that this post-purchase construct is primarily a function of pre-travel expectations and travel experiences. Similarly, Pizam, Neumann, and Reichel (1998) define tourist satisfaction as the results of the comparison between a tourists experience at the destination visited and the expectations about the destination. Tourism researches have been interested in measuring the overall levels of tourism satisfaction with their experiences in particular destinations as well as satisfaction with specific attributes at service encounter level such as in a hotel or at an attraction. Foster (2000) while another focus in studying tourism satisfaction is to determine satisfaction with a series of service encounters as experienced in a hotel, in a travel agency or in a tourist attraction (Macintos, 2002). Research interests in methodologies for studying tourism satisfaction have been comprehensive summarized by Kozak (2001).Tourism satisfaction with a destination has been examined as a gap analysis between pre-travel expectations and post travel experiences (Schofield, 1999). Based on the cumulative nature of tourists experiences, Scott, Tian, Wang, and Munson (2005) developed a tourism satisfaction model. Bowen and Clarke (2002) articulated a context Tourism satisfaction level can be attributed to different destination attributes including tangible produces and prices to intangible service quality and the friendliness of the local people (Ryan,1999). The deliveries of good core services alone cannot guarantee customer satisfaction, and overall satisfaction and repurchase intention are differentially influenced by the various service encounters experienced in a chain of service activities (John Tim 2000). Durocher (1994) argued that the speed of recovery depends on three factors: the extent of damage caused by the natural disaster, the efficiency with which tourism partners bring their facilities back online, and an effective marketing message that clearly states that the destination is available to the public (Durocher). Although the first two factors concern the short-term immediate response, the third involves a long-term continuous process that aims to restore consumer confidence. Conventional approaches to crisis management implicitly assume that the primary goal is to restore the precrisis equilibrium level. However, Faulkner and Vikulov (2001) argued that because of the lingering effect of a disaster, trying to achieve the precrisis equilibrium level could be a redundant (or suboptimal) approach with regard to long-term sustainability. The chaos created by a crisis can therefore lead to a creative process with potential for new configurations (Faulkner Vikulov 2001). In other words, the crisis can be an opportunity for innovation, with the launching of new marketing campaigns and development of new products through cooperation with industry partners. These new products and marketing plans should be tailor-made to attract identified key generating markets, because resources are always limited during hard times. Another important strategy is to nurture a healthy and positive relationship with the major media. From the long-term perspective, the restoration of customer confidence is the focus of post disaster recovery, and this can only be done by building a positive image of the destination (Santana, 2003). By inviting major media to visit the area affected, not only the availability of the destination is demonstrated but also the elimination of travel barriers for potential tourists.Although often associated with enjoyment, pleasure, relaxation, and safety, tourism is by nature an industry susceptible to variations in the external environment, including crises and disasters (Santana, 2003.). In times of unpredictable events, government plays an essential role in the response and recovery stages needed to minimize damage and bring life back to normal (Peterson, 1995). The reaction of government agencies and the tourism industry is a critical topic in tourism crisis management that has not ye t been fully addressed (Faulkner,2001). This study represents one of the first attempts to fill this research gap by examining the post earthquake tourists perceptions of Sichuan tourism. METHODOLOGY The study will be a qualitative research, as the qualitative methods will be more appropriate in understanding meanings and experiences relevant to the research. Quantitative methods might however be used if the need arises. Qualitative methods have however, been criticized for not having the scientific firmness. Some researchers have gone further in an attempt to provide systematic approaches to assess its quality. McInnins-Dittrich (1996), for example, identified several dimensions along with which the reliability of quality studies can be assessed: transferability, dependability, credibility, authenticity, and conformability. Guided by the above-mentioned principles, the research will recognize the importance of providing reliable, verifiable, and credible data. The research design will involve a mixed methods approach to help understand the potential tourists perception towards the post-earthquake Sichuan Tourism. To provide an in-depth interpretation of the aims, certain variables will be identified to ensure that all data is utilized successfully to reach the goals of this study, these variables include visitor characteristics, trip characteristics, satisfaction, factors that influence the visitors decision to visit a destination, and Sichuans tourism marketing image. These variables will be fundamentally developed from the examination of previous literature, and the needs for further research as expressed by Sichuan Tourism Administration. Data collection Secondary and primary data collection methods will be used in the research study. The secondary methods to be employed will include literature review, and policy and legislative analysis. Primary methods will include focus group discussions stakeholder consultations, and focused interviews with key informants, interviews with potential tourists in different regions and surveying the attitudes and beliefs across various regions. Survey Considering the questions to be answered by this research, a comprehensive social cultural instrument will be developed. Perceptions, attitudes, and opinion questionnaire (PAOQ) will be informed by literature review and the social cultural factors that are relevant to the target regions. They will also be scientifically validated before administering them across a representative sample in each target region. Using a likert scale, the PAOQ will be a self-reporting assessment of perceptions, attitudes and the opinions of the potential tourists that will be designed for both domestic and international tourists from different regions. The questionnaire will contain several sections: post earthquake perceptions, the attitudes to the Sichuan tourism, opinion on the required action to promote the tourist attractions. The researcher hopes to administer the questionnaires within group settings. Sampling method will be used for the PAOQ. The researcher aims to administer 500 questionnaires across the targeted regions. The questionnaires distribution will depend on the regions population with regions with the high population getting more questionnaires. The researcher also aims for 50-50 representation of the males and females. The key variable will include gender, education, socioeconomic status, age and rural/ urban. Data analysis The researcher will then analyze the PAOQ data using the statistics package for social sciences version 16. The given variables will be analyzed and their contribution to the topic measured. Frequencies will be used to provide the statistics and graphical displays that will be useful in describing the variables to be measured. Cross tabulation, method will also be employed to measure the association of variables. To investigate the possible gender effects, ANOVAs test will be used and conducted between the men and the women on all dependent variables. Differences between the childhood sexual abuse group and the non- childhood sexual abuse group in interpersonal, social, and dynamic personality will be examined using a one-way ANOVA test. The researcher however has the mandate to use any other data analysis technique depending on the kind of data that will be obtained from the field Summary This chapter has described the methodological approaches that will be used to investigate the main objectives of this study. Both objectives will predominantly use qualitative method but where need be the quantitative methods will be employed. It also explains how data will be collected that is through primary and secondary methods. Further describes the researchers survey. Finally, the methods and tolls of data analysis are fully explained research findings and interpretation will be discussed in the next chapter. SECTION 5: BUDGET In order to complete this research, certain amount of budget will be required and the estimate cost is as below: AMOUNT (AUD) ITEMS USD 400.00 Computer and Econometric Software 1. USD 300.00 Conference , accommodation and travel 2. USD 600.00 Data Collection , travelling cost , Stationeries and data analysis 3. USD 1300.00 TOTAL SECTION 6: TIMELINE MARC,2010-APRIL,2011 MARC,2011-APRIL,2012 MARC,2012-APRIL,2013 QTR1 QTR2 QTR3 QTR4 QTR1 QTR2 QTR3 QTR4 QTR1 QTR2 QTR3 QTR4 Candidature Proposal Literature Review Phase 1* Phase 2* Phase3* Thesis Write Up Final Touch UP Submission Phase1*: Data collection Phase 2*: Data Analysis Phase 3*: Thesis Starts to Write up

The Downfall of Lady Macbeth :: Free Macbeth Essays

The Downfall of Lady Macbeth   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Macbeth is a play full of magic, mystery, and murder.   The variety of plots, as well as the interesting characters, force the reader to pay full attention at all times.   Unfortunately, one of these characters is a victim of her own imagination. Although Lady Macbeth adds much positive flavour to the play, her character is revealed through her aggressive attitude with her husband, her inhumane disregard for life, and her guilty conscience.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lady Macbeth is very assertive when dealing with her husband's hesitations about murdering Duncan:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "O never shall sun that morrow see!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Your face... is as a book where men   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   May read strange matters.   To beguile the time,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But be the serpent under't."    This urging causes Macbeth to possess Å’black and deep desires', which lead him to   murder the king.   She takes it upon herself to pressure him and therefore, her bold character is revealed.   Macbeth's intentions would have been less serious if his wife was not more anxious than he was.   She, more than her husband, is to blame for the death of King Duncan, due to her relentless pursuit of power and authority.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lady Macbeth is a heartless fiend with an savage disregard for life. This is evident in the manner in which she downplays the murder of Duncan to her husband:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "A little water clears us of this deed;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How easy is it, then!   Your constancy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hath left you unattended...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Get on your night-gown, lest occasion call us,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And show us to be watchers.   Be not lost   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   So poorly in your thoughts."    She tries to make Macbeth believe that committing the murder was not a vicious deed and that washing their hands will wash away all the guilt.   Macbeth exclaims that "all Neptune's ocean" will not wash the blood from his hands. Lady Macbeth appears at this point to be a ruthless killer working on behalf of the prince of darkness, which solidifies her character and gives the audience new insights to her psychological state.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The audience is lead to believe that Lady Macbeth will never feel any guilt concerning the murder, but her guilty conscience is displayed near the end of the play. She begins to sleepwalk and relive the murder in her mind:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Out, damned spot! out, I say!   One; two; why, then   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Å’tis time to do't.   Hell is murky!   Fie, my lord--fie!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   a soldier, and afeard?

Hinduism and Buddhism, and Their Respective Elements

Two known eastern religions and philosophies shared the area of India for centuries, which probably lasts up to this date. These two are Buddhism and Hinduism. Since both concept of Buddhism and Hinduism originated from a single source, it would be possible to identify similar concepts between the two, or at least some form of derivative of a concept belonging to one of the two mentioned religions and philosophies. The focus of this paper primarily entails the comparison between the two great religion philosophies of Buddhism and Hinduism. There is bound to be a difference between them, as one of them originated earlier than the other.One cannot simply judge that the latter one is a mere copy of the one that existed before it. In relation to death and the afterlife, there are two concepts which can be identified in both Buddhism and Hinduism: Reincarnation and Samsara, the Wheel of Life wherein rebirth is usually based. For now, it is best if the both Buddhism and Hinduism be discern ed and identified as a separate entity. The Two Eastern Religion Philosophies: Buddhism and Hinduism As mentioned earlier, the two primary religions and philosophies that proliferated in India were Buddhism and Hinduism. Both of which had a significant amount of followers.Buddhism and Its History. Basically, Buddhism is the basic religion to which its disciples and members follow the scriptures and teachings of Buddha. After Buddha's death, its followers—mostly monks—congregated in order to discuss which scriptures and teachings would fit best to the aims of Buddha and the proliferation of Buddhism around India, and in other parts of the world. Emperor Ashoka converted to Buddhism after witnessing a carnage he produced. After being converted, he dedicated his life and a whole lot of structures to Buddhism, and to Buddha—his life and death.He ordered the construction of numerous pillars which contained the scriptures and teachings of Buddha, spreading it through these stone pillars (Boeree 1999). It was Emperor Ashoka who allowed Buddhism to proliferate across India and beyond its borders, sending messengers to promote Buddhism within those areas. Hinduism: a Brief History. It has been mentioned by historians that Hinduism dates back around 5,000 years ago, proving that it is a much older religion than Buddhism. The word was actually derived from the river â€Å"Indus†, from an area of which it originated (Kolanu 2009).The daily practices of the area's inhabitants gradually turned into a religion or concept, upon which it revolves around the peoples' religious, philosophical, and cultural practices native to the Indian sub-continent (Kolanu 2009). It has had many names before Hindu. However, many of its followers would prefer to call it as Hindu, after the name—or at least a close version of it—of the place wherein it originated. It would be later known in history as one of the main religions in India, which is still qu ite true today—Islam is the second main religion during the contemporary period.The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. The Four Noble Truths is one of the basic doctrines that Buddhist follow. It basically involved the dispossession of material things, which Buddhist do not really need. The First Noble Truth entails the realization that every aspect of existence is unsatisfactory as these are all subjected to birth, decay, disease, and death (Lorentz 2007). The Second Noble Truth is the cause of dukkha. The Third Noble Truth entails the freedom from dukkha, wherein one is required to remove the craving of the senses.The Fourth Noble Truth leads to the end of the dukkha by following the Eigthfold path: Perfect understanding, Perfect Thought, Perfect Speech, Perfect Action, Perfect Livelihood, Perfect Effort, Perfect Mindfulness, and Perfect Concentration (Lorentz 2007). India's Caste System. Hinduism entailed a social hierarchy in which identified their society, based on social ra nkings upon which was born into, or had been reborn into. When the Aryans came to the Dravidian-occupied Indian subcontinent, they implemented a caste system which separated them from the Dravidian.It composes of four major components wherein the bottom was reserved for the Dravidian people. The topmost was known as the Brahmin class, made up of religious officials. The second was the Kshatriya, which was reserved for warriors and rulers. The third was the Vaishya, which was reserved for artisans and other skilled workers like farmers. The last one was the Shudra, wherein they serve the higher castes (Flesher 1997). Intermarriage was disallowed because they believe that it will reduce their rank. One is also required to perform well, and promote goodness in order to maintain the rank or move upward when they are reincarnated.The opposite happens to those who promote evil. It has also been mentioned that some Buddhist from other areas practice the same Caste system implemented by the Aryans. However, they implemented new ideas in order to promote equality among the classes, which is a chief principle of Buddhism. The Life of Buddha: Who was He anyway? Buddha was said to have been born in the body of Siddhartha Gautama, the prince of Kapilavastu which was near the Indian-Nepalese border, during the fifth century B. C. (Delattre 2009).At around this time period, India had a prolific spiritual heritage, with Hinduism at the forefront. It has been described in spiritual scriptures—probably from Hindu sources—that an ascetic will be born and become the greatest spiritual teacher. This ascetic would also realize the ultimate truth (Lorentz 2007). It has also been mentioned in Hindu scriptures that after the prince was born, seven Brahmin priests observed the baby, concluding that the baby will become a great spiritual leader who will leave his royal status behind him; the basic principle of Buddhism.However, his father wished for him to become a Great K ing, giving him the best education which a prince deserved. His curiosity of the world beyond the walls of their palace urged him to sneak out and realize the truth about the world they lived in. After this realization, he vowed to help the people by living life as an ascetic, leaving his royal status behind. While on his spiritual quest, he went under the wings of great teachers, to which he was able to surpass. Realizing that there is still dukkhas to be flushed away, he left his teachers and practiced by himself.He was able to attain his complete spirituality without the practice of extreme asceticism. For the next four or so decades, he ordained new followers and taught them what he had learned from his spiritual quest (Lorentz 2007); he became Buddha. End of the World at the Presence of Seven Suns In Buddha's sermon of the Seven suns, he envisioned that Seven suns would appear on the sky and wreak havoc towards the Earth, through a series of cataclysmic events (Jayaram 2007). T his will occur after many hundreds and thousands of years in the future; as do all â€Å"end-of-days† prophecies.In Buddha's version, the presence of the seven suns will cause the following: first sun would cause severe drought; second sun will evaporate streams and ponds; third sun will evaporate great rivers like the Ganges; fourth sun, after a long lapse, would evaporate the great lakes; After another long lapse, a fifth sun will gradually drain oceans; After yet another long lapse, a sixth sun will scorch the earth and cause volcanic eruptions; After another long interval, the seventh sun will turn the earth into a ball of flame and then explode and disappear. A Slight Taste of Death and the AfterlifeBoth Hinduism and Buddhism believed in reincarnation, as the caste system which they followed required reincarnation to reward or punish people. However in Buddhism, one must attain Nirvana—enlightenment–in order to escape the endless cycle of reincarnation. If the person failed to do so, he or she will be reborn into one of the following six states of life: Heaven (has 37 different levels), Human life (under the caste system), Asura (Demi-Gods), Hungry ghost (taken literally), Animals (those who have killed animals), and Hell (the lowest level) (Tang, Urbandharma.org 2002). References Boeree, C. G. (1999). The History of Buddhism. Retrieved May 19, 2009 from Delattre, M. (2000, November 18). The Illustrated Life of the Buddha. Retrieved May 19, 2009 from Flesher, Paul. (1997, February 8). Social Organization: The Caste System. Retrieved May 19, 2009 from Jayaram, V. (2007). Buddha's Discourse on the End of the World.Retrieved May 19, 2009 from Kolanu, P. (2009). The History of Hinduism. Retrieved May 19, 2009 from Lorentz, M. (2007). Buddhism. Retrieved May 19, 2009 from Tang, T. H. (2002, March 22). Buddhist View on Death and Rebirth. Retrieved May 19, 2009 from

A Compare/Contrast of Monet’s Grainstack(Sunset) and van Gogh’s The Sower

In this essay I will compare and contrast two paintings. The first is Grainstack (Sunset), painted by Claude Monet in 1891. The second is The Sower, which was painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1888. Both paintings were painted around the same time and are very similar in style and subject, but their differences illustrate the change that was happening from the Impressionist to the Post-Impressionist movement. Just beginning with the obvious, both Monet and van Gogh used the same medium, oil on canvas. Both Grainstack and The Sower were paintings of the outdoors around sunset, focusing on the way that the setting sun played with the colors of the environment. They are representational artworks, portraying natural objects in recognizable form, although Monet’s Grainstack is more naturalistic than van Gogh’s Sower. When Monet painted Grainstack, he was experimenting with perceptual color. The idea of the Impressionist movement was to objectively record nature as it was seen by the painter, focusing on the effects of color and light. He painted Grainstack the way he saw it; not the actual color that we know it was, but the colors that the sunset made it appear. Van Gogh, at the beginning of the Post-Impressionist movement, was not merely trying to paint what he saw, but wanted to express emotion in the colors and lines. He was initially drawn to the subject matter by the contrasting colors of the sky and the field, how the contrast of the violet shadows on the field and the yellow sun in the sky almost irritated the eye. Where Monet painted what he saw, van Gogh changed and softened the image so as to portray the emotion in the contrasting colors while still making the painting pleasing to the eye. This became a recurring theme for van Gogh, as can be seen in The Night Cafe, which he painted very soon after The Sower. In both Grainstack and The Sower, the artists use a technique very similar to pointillism. They paint with visible brushstrokes, using colors that blend together to create the images that the artists wish us to see. However, where Monet uses smaller, thinner strokes to create a more streamlined image; van Gogh is more loose and free with his brush strokes, conveying emotion in the broad, expressive lines. This is another example of the transition from Impressionism to Post-Impressionism. The way that Monet and van Gogh approached these two paintings are slightly different. The focal point of Grainstack is the actual haystack. Its lines lead you toward the center of the page, but the main focus is the haystack, sitting off to the side. This gives it a slightly unbalanced feel. In The Sower, van Gogh achieves an asymmetrical balance by countering the visual weight of the farmer on the right, with the path, the birds and the house, all leading the eye to the left and back into the contrasting colors of the environment. While these two paintings may not seem very different at first glance, once you delve into them a little deeper, their differences almost outweigh their similarities. Painted right on the cusp of the transition from Impressionism to Post-Impressionism, these two paintings illustrate the slowly changing style of the period. Their color, line, and subject matter make Grainstack and The Sower perfect examples of the embodiment of their respective movements, and the subtle changes in style that were occurring. References: Doyle, Marc; Art Movements Timeline; The Art Industri Group Van der Wolk, J.; Vincent Van Gogh: Paintings and Drawings; 1990

Language And You Essays - Gangsta Rappers, Death Row Records Artists

Language And You Essays - Gangsta Rappers, Death Row Records Artists Language And You Language and You In my opinion, language is certainly the most essential quality human beings have inherited. It is the only way to communicate, and it sure is fascinating how we can convert our thoughts into words. Since language lets us express our feelings, I think learning a second language gives us valuable life skills, as well as, a wider vision of todays world. Undoubtedly the most interesting thing about language is how influential words can be, especially when they are coming from your favorite musician. Since language is our most important, if not the only, means of communication, I think it actually brings people together. Whenever we use language, we are expressing our intelligence through words. It is impressing what the power of words can do; it can break or make a person. Once people realize the power they hold in their hands, they tend to use language to induce the opinions of others. As a result, a single word can affect a persons behavior, as well as, life enormously. I also think mastering a second language gives us priceless life abilities. Being bilingual myself, I think it is an advantage to know a second language because it gives me access to a larger pool of information, and thus a wider area to seek employment and cultural enrichment. Therefore, I think language plays a major role in my life and it also gives me the chance to have a more extensive vision of the world. When contemplating language, I cant leave out the person whose words have inspired me the most. Although he passed away, Tupac Shakurs poems and song lyrics still live in me. His unique way of rapping about real life situations really caught my ear since the first time I heard him. Even though many people thought Tupacs lyrics were dark and inappropriate, I think it was absolutely necessary for a man, who had such a disturbing adolescence, be able to share his problems with the rest of the world. Tupac clearly wrote lyrics that I could relate to in one way or another. I have to admit that he might have said them in an offensive way, but in todays society, people are entitled to say, think, and believe in what they feel strongly about. Finally, I can say many things about language mainly because it is important and it allows us to not only express ourselves clearly, but to influence the way other people think. For this reason, I think knowing a second language enhances the quality of life. Not only do we gain a better understanding of who we are, but we also have a broader access to other cultures. Due to the many experiences I have had with language, I think I have learned to appreciate the fact that I can speak, read, and write. I also have to give credit to my favorite song writer and poet, Tupac Shakur, whose words of wisdom have inspired me and many of todays youth.

Pythagorean Therom essays

Pythagorean Therom essays When the name Pythagoras is mentioned, most people (who have taken a geometry or another higher mathematics course) automatically think  ¡the Pythagorean Theorem ¡. But what many people do not know is that Pythagoras contributed a lot more than just  ¡a theorem ¡ to the world of mathematics. From traveling to many cities near and far from his birthplace in Samos, Ionia (569 B.C.), to having a mysterious unknown death, Pythagoras has been placed above many mathematicians as the  ¡ first pure mathematician. ¡ (Cajori, 17) Details of Pythagoras ¡ life are not of those, which have been documented by him, instead information about Pythagoras ¡ life comes from early bibliographies, which were written by authors whom had grown very fond of Pythagoras and his work(s). The information in this paper was pieced together by various sources that had many major facts that repeated throughout the sources. Some resources have other in order facts about Pythagoras that were not found in any supplementary texts or Internet sites. The research that I chose to incorporate in my paper about Pythagoras was based on what seemed valid and credible. Pythagoras ¡ traveling and learning began at an early age, when he would travel out of Samos with his father to conduct business. The childhood of Pythagoras is like that of a lost treasure at the bottom of the ocean ¡s floor. It is almost as if Pythagoras was bore to his parents, but really did not starting living his life until he was between the ages 18 and 20. During those years, Pythagoras was introduced to the  ¡ancient ¡ Thales and his apprentice Anaximander who both lived on Miletus. It is said that Thales did not teach Pythagoras much, however he was the one person to get Pythagoras ¡ interested in mathematics and astronomy. (www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history) During direct instruction, under Thales, Pythagoras was advised to trek to Egypt and teach the citizen...