A city (ISTANBUL) that has been continuously inhabited for hundreds of Essay

A city (ISTANBUL) that has been continuously inhabited for hundreds of years - Essay Example The city covers more than five thousand three hundred square kilometres and is coterminous with the Istanbul province whose administrative capital is the city itself neighbouring Bosporus strait in the northwest. The establishment of Istanbul occurred as a Greek colony known as Byzantium in the seventh century BC then in AD 196, it fell to the Roman Republic up to 330 when it became the capital of the Roman Empire and renamed Constantinople (Spielvogel, 2012). In the later antiquity, Constantinople grew to become the biggest in the western hemisphere with almost half a million inhabitants and was the headquarters of the Eastern Roman Empire referred to as Byzantine Empire which came to an end with the Muslim conquest after which it became Ottoman Empire’s capital. There has been a decline in population in the medieval era, but as the Ottoman Empire was approaching its peak, the population of the city rose to about seven hundred thousand inhabitants in the sixteenth century which was second only to Beijing and surpassed only by London later in the eighteenth century (Lafferty, 2009). With the founding of the republic of Turkey in 1923, the headquarters were moved to Ankara from Constantinople and from the thirties, the native title Istanbul has been the only official name of the city and has replaced Constantinople. Istanbul’s public transport can be traced back to mid-1869 when a contract was signed to construct a tram in Ottoman Empire’s capital and by the 1950s, the tram lines were almost one hundred and thirty kilometres long. The trams remained serviceable on the European side up to 1961 and on the Asian section up to 1966. O the other hand, the ferry can be considered as the oldest transportation means in Istanbul, which has to parts split by the Bosporus strait and encircled by the sea. In 1837, boats that belonged to Britain and Russia began transport in the Bosporus with the Istanbul maritime company being started in 1851 through a decree of

Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

Huckleberry Finn Essay In the protagonist Huckleberry Finn as he is depicted by Mark Twain, Emerson’s idea of the American scholar is epitomized. The following essay will present the points of Mark Twain as an American scholar through the character Huckleberry Finn; it is through Huckleberry Finn that Emerson’s ideas of nature, books and action become realized and this essay will bring to the forefront of its argument these facts among many other ideas of Emerson’s American scholar are epitomized in Twain’s character Huck. Huckleberry Finn is a character whose main purpose seems almost like a young tale of the Iliad in which fate seems to simply happen to Huck Finn. The events leading up to his stay with the widow Douglas he accounts are no fault of his own, as the metaphor of the story is found with the great Mississippi River so does Huck Finn’s life simply flow along until he makes a conscious choice. This choice comes into being when Huck decides that ‘sivilised’ life is not for him. In the rejection of civilized life Twain is brining in elements of Emerson’s ideals: Huck Finn is a very simplistic character and his thwarting of Widow Douglas best attempts of making him presentable to society become the correlation of Emerson’s American scholar. The American scholar according to Emerson is best found in nature since it is with nature that man learns how the world works; in the trees, and in the roots. This classification allows a man to simplify his life; life is easier with just nature and without civilization. Thus, it may be surmised that Huck’s doffing off of nature is Twain’s own sentiment on the subject of culture and the evilness of society. In Huckleberry Finn’s disappearance from civilized life, after his father kidnaps him and Huck fakes his own death, the voice of Emerson is best found with Jim the slave. Jim gives advice to Huckleberry Finn about the disappointments found in the world and how a man may be able to handle himself by making conscious choices. In the litany of Emerson, this concept is also found by way of Emerson stating that a scholar must gather for himself the appropriate information from different books in order to find an organized opinion about a subject and to take a side of each books’ opinion in order to find himself. Jim states similarly to Finn that he should experience what life has to offer and decide for himself the difference between right and wrong, morality and immoral nature. Thus, the point of going down the Mississippi is to gain as much knowledge and experience as possible in order to later filter opinion from fact, one’s own thoughts from society’s mores. It is in the creation of man’s own thoughts, of Finn deciding throughout the journey that no man should be a slave that Huckleberry Finn becomes a man, becomes an American scholar since he is finally thinking for himself. He rejects Widow Douglas, his father, society in whole and travels with Jim collecting his own thoughts and deciding what is wrong and what is right in the nature of man. In a subtler note, Emerson states that the American scholar must take action and in this capacity Mark Twain does not falter with his protagonist Huckleberry Finn. Huck’s action consists in the part of the story where the Dauphin capture Jim and subsequently sells him in order to receive the reward. Huck is completely outraged by this betrayal and in the course of the story this signifies the first time that he acts upon his own judgment and he rejects the advice of his conscience which tells him that by helping Jim escape to freedom he is in a way stealing Miss Watson’s property. Huck tells himself, All right, then, Ill go to hell! (Twain), Huck resolves to free Jim. Emerson’s concept of the American scholar persists with this idea of action; Emerson states that the scholar must fill every moment of every day with action. The scholar should accordingly work different jobs in order to become fluent in a myriad of vocations. The scholar must also be a poylglot in order to express himself with different thoughts. In the language of the text Huck Finn speaks a very succinct colloquial language as well as proper grammar at times. Thus, he is fulfilling Emerson’s concepts. Finn’s epiphany while traveling and having conversations with Jim is such that he discovers man is his own master; in discovering that Jim has to hide in order to be free and comparing that with Finn’s own hiding in order not be kidnapped he relates himself to Jim. The discovery upon the river is as Emerson highlights, â€Å"And, finally, is not the true scholar the only true master? But the old oracle said, `All things have two handles: beware of the wrong one. In life, too often, the scholar errs with mankind and forfeits his privilege. Let us see him in his school, and consider him in reference to the main influences he receives† (Emerson). Thus, Finn epitomizes Emerson’s view of the American scholar through not only his thoughts but also his behaviors and his actions.

Online Communication Essay -- Internet Web Communication

Online Communication Communication via instant messaging and e-mail is far more effective than using the telephone or post office due to their speed of delivery and ability to simultaneously talk to many people. Instant messenger services have become very popular over the years, and there are currently 180 million registered users for AOL Instant Messenger alone. In some respects, e-mail is even more widespread-- people next door to each other and people across the world keep in touch and even conduct extensive business, simply by sending e-mails back and forth. There are also countless numbers of discussion forums on the internet, on topics ranging from anarchy to zoology. The internet has grown rapidly over the last two decades, and there are now a myriad of internet services available to the general public for free. Anyone with an internet connection can register for an instant messenger account today. As long as a person has the means to get on the internet, there's no limit to what kind of instant messenger accounts they can register for. Ranging from AOL Instant Messenger to Yahoo! Messenger, it is possible to talk to anyone in the world with a computer. With instant messenger services, a person can talk to as many people as humanly possible with ease, while being on the telephone is restricting. When using instant messengers, a person can surf the internet, shop online and even read news articles while talking to as many of their friends as they wish. With the telephone, a person is limited to the amount of people they can talk to unless they are willing to pay the additional fee to talk to another person at the same time. Even then, the conversation is restricted to 3 people, unless the person on the other line is wi... ...n with others simpler and better. Instant messaging is a great alternative to using a telephone because online chatting is capable of simultaneous conversation with many different people. E-mail replaces snail mail because it is able to do things ordinary mail can do with bonus features faster and more efficiently. Using e-mail is also more reliable and secure than sending mail via the post office. Works Cited Daum, Meghan. "Virtual Love." Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. Eds. Laurence Behrens and Leonard Rosen. New York: Longman, 2003. 254-261. Dyson, Esther. "The Anonymous Voice." Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. Eds. Laurence Behrens and Leonard Rosen. New York: Longman, 2003. 262-270. Parsons, Russ. "A Shared Sadness." Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. Eds. Laurence Behrens and Leonard Rosen. New York: Longman, 2003. 249-253.

Propaganda :: essays research papers

Bush and Cheney: Propaganda In A Over-Confident Way What does the word propaganda really mean? For most of us we assume that it is a word for negativity use. Just to assure those that think of propaganda as a negative word. Propaganda does have a positive objective if used correctly. The word propaganda is defined in a few different ways, But in the most general usage, it varies from bad to good persuasion of our minds. It is used during election time to our daily lives on television to our newspaper stands. According to Donna Cross’s essay, â€Å"Propaganda: How Not to Be Bamboozled,† there are thirteen different types of propaganda; this paper will discuss six varieties. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney used primarily every sort of propaganda to influence the citizens; therefore, our national society needs to develop awareness in the propaganda used by such politicians so that they can make wise decisions intelligently. One of the thirteen propaganda divisions is glittering generalities. â€Å"This propaganda method involves correlating a person or idea with words of positive meaning and feelings (Cross 527-28).† President Bush states, â€Å"our national courage has been clear [ . . . ] by confronting problems instead of passing them on to future generations† (Address, par. 21). Instead, one needs to examine what is Bush’s strategy really about? Do the citizens think that Bush will just turn around and listen to them instead of following his strategy? Does Bush have a kind heart to affiliate such caring feelings for the American people? During the speech that the Vice President gave on February 15, 2001 he stated, â€Å"It is not for us to wait on events but to act. And we will act on principle. We are going to stand for responsible [ . . . ]. They see a future when the world is at peace, promoting the values of the human rights and freedom all around the world. That statement certainly attempts to struggle with one’s emotions. What specifically are these words striving to reveal to the American people anyway? Is he mentioning them only to obtain future support? What does principle or responsibility really mean? Surely these words sound outstanding, but one needs to ask, if I take out the glittering words what is the value of the idea itself? Getting caught up in the words and feelings illustrated by them happens easily, making the actual intent behind them disfigured.

Compare and Contrast two major theories of Social Inequality – Can Inequality be eliminated?

A major theory of inequality is the one propounded by Karl Marx who argues that social inequality is not natural but stems from the construction of the unfair capitalist system. Marx sees the workers or the proletariat as being exploited for their labour by those that own the means of production Marxists see social inequality as manifested in the fact that workers do not benefit from the wealth that their labour produces instead Marx claims that they are 1'pauperized'. The poorer working classes get poorer whilst the rich enjoy getting richer this is illustrated by income inequalities all over the world; the poorest 20% of people in the USA have seen their incomes fall by 19% whilst the top 5% saw their incomes rise, in Australia the richest ten per cent of the population owns about half the nation's wealth in the USA its over two thirds. A limitation of Marx theories on inequality is that it only focuses on economic inequality. Many sociologists would agree with Marx that economic inequality is the most significant form of inequality at the moment whilst acknowledging that economic inequality and social inequality, as we live in a modern multi- cultural capitalist country are inextricably linked and are affected significantly by gender, racial, religious and ethnic inequality. Ethnic background is both an indicator and factor of social inequality. In Australia for example, Aborigines are over represented in the working class as well as underclass and under-represented in the top stratification of earnings and class. Social inequality thus seems to be a consequence of ascribed status: of the status that our skin colour our gender and/or our social class confers on us. Arguably there is scope for social mobility in our current system as our ascribed statuses can be overshadowed by our achieved status especially as we are not generally ascribed to a lower cast iron status at birth that prevents social mobility (unlike the untouchables in the caste system in other cultures) Theoretically we can ascend the social ladder, however low we start, as there is equality of opportunity. This is the view propounded by functionalists such as Davis and Moore. Our achievements in our meritocratic system determine the social position that we hold. Davis and Moore acknowledge that there are perhaps socially unequal jobs yet they are all important for society to function. Thus to maintain society each role needs to be filled so ‘effective role allocation' is an essential functional perquisite. However as some jobs require more skills and training than others there is a need for differing social and financial incentives to entice people to undergo extensive training and take up such jobs. Davis and Moore assert that role allocation and thus people's socio-economic status is fair as it is based on merit, those in the top roles earning the most are those that are best equipped for their role. Whilst Marx sees the current system as exploitative Davis and Moore see it and the inequality that accompanies it as legitimate and functionally advantageous to society. Such a theory though, does not take into account gender and racial inequalities or concepts such as culture capital old boys club and the glass ceiling The culture capital theory suggested by sociologist Pierre Bordieu explains that the education system prises and is geared toward the culture of the middle and upper classes thus those from a working class background find that the skills and knowledge derived within their culture is ‘devalued' and they therefore do not have equal opportunities to excel academically which of course restricts their employment choices and socio-economic position in the future. We can see therefore that inequality is institutionalised, as Marx alludes to in the labour market, and that education is perhaps the first agent of stratification. M. Tumin has also criticised Davis and Moore by condemning their notion of functional importance as questionable and too vague. It ignores the differential of power. According to Tumin differences in pay and prestige will be affected by, and often reflect differences in the relative power of groups and individuals in the labour market rather than the job's actual functional importance. Therefore differences in pay can actually be more a reflection of the relative strength of the workers' union and bargaining potential rather than of functional importance e.g. coal miners and farm labourers. Davis and Moore suggest that inequality is universal as it can be identified in all societies. Such views would suggest that inequality is not eliminable. Marxists ideas contradict this view. Marx claimed that inequality could be eliminated with the development of class consciousness and the abandonment of capitalism however the Soviet communism model proved that in the modern world this was untenable. Equality came at a high price- by the collapse of communism in 1989 equality had come to mean people simply had equally low living standards. Economic and social equality came at the expense then, of basic human rights, the sociologist Peter Saunders stated socialist societies are2 ‘always more repressive than the capitalist ones since they must get people to fulfil their role without the incentive of economic rewards.' However it is clear that the Soviet system was successful in reducing and even eliminating inequality in many spheres of life. Even if it didn't respect human rights in all cases, it guaranteed basic needs such as housing employment education medical care and even holidays. 3The satellite states had embraced capitalism after communism expecting to reap the economic benefits of a capitalist system in fact, living standards actually fell. Russia, after communism rapidly transformed from an almost standardized society to one that was plagued by socio-economic polarisations, according to Goskomstat, the income ratio between the wealthiest 10% of the population and the bottom 10% was about 4:1 in 1990 by 1996 it had sky rocketed to 13:1. Women's rights have also regressed significantly in Russia currently approximately 80% of the unemployed in Russia are women. Such evidence seems to support a Marxist framework of inequality as not inevitable but sustained by a capitalist system. Marxists claim that a capitalist society is maintained through divide and rule. Thus when a class ‘stopped being a class in itself and started being a class for itself' then the group could recognise their inferior social position, class solidarity would develop as the class recognised their shared interests and goals and they would then act together to displace the bourgeoisie. However because inequality is so multilayered class divisions are easy to maintain as differences in gender and race also generate inequality thus even if class differences were eliminated these would persist and perhaps increase. Blackness has historically been classed as inferior, perceived inferiority has been harmful since those who see themselves as superior usually hold the legal power and status in the society and can therefore cement in law the inferiority of the blacks or other ethnic groups. Loury calls for4 ‘major structural remedies to speed up progress toward racial equality' which will in turn reduce the economic inequality that ethnic minority groups face. The New right perspective argues that social inequality has persisted throughout the ages; Saunders states that ‘there has never been a completely egalitarian society'. Every society has its male and females, rich and poor it's big and small and it's old and young. In this absolute sense there is some truth to the assertion that some degree of inequality is inevitable. However inequality itself is unequal it varies with time and culture which validates the theory that inequality is socially constructed and thus can be eliminated. In Britain granted we have moved from the stark extremes of inequality of slavery in imperial Britain but only to an ‘acceptable' economic and social inequality that is institutionalized within our capitalist system, unequal access is built into the structures that support and maintain our contemporary society. It can be argued that the current degree of inequality is not advantageous to society and a reflection of unequal talents in society as Davis and Moore claim nor is it an inevitable product of the capitalist system as Marxists argue; it is a matter of choice. Through the lax way we regulate corporations compared with the harsh regulations placed on workers unions, how we distribute the tax burden and how we set wages. We limit the power of workers thus limiting their socio-economic position.

Speaking On Your Cell Phone While Driving Should Be Made Illegal †Persuasive Essay

Speaking On Your Cell Phone While Driving Should Be Made Illegal – Persuasive Essay Free Online Research Papers Speaking On Your Cell Phone While Driving Should Be Made Illegal Persuasive Essay Introduction: I would like to begin by telling you a story of what happened to me the other day on the way home. As I was driving and singing along to 50 cent, a car came careening across his lane and into mine. If it wasn’t for my cat like reflexes I would have been smashed up against the center divider. Now, acting in road rage, I sped up and caught up to the man, rolled down my window and began to yell at him with some pretty influential words. As I was doing so I realized that the man wasn’t even aware of what he had done or me yelling at him. Do you know why he didn’t even realize of what he had almost done? Well it was because he was on his cell phone. I know that we have all had incidents where we got mad at someone for doing something stupid on the road and tried to get ahead of them only to pass them and see that the reason that they’re going so slow is because they were on their cell phones. This type of incident is described as it was just said, as an INCIDENT. This distraction though has been leading to a growing number of accidents and fatalities. That day that I had my incident, I got lucky ladies and gentlemen but that’s what it took for me to look at the less fortunate people that have fallen as victims to this foolish type of negligent driving. I believe that we should illegalize the use of cellular phone while driving because too many people have been putting other peoples lives at risk just to find out the latest gossip on who was on Oprah earlier in the day. According to the Cellular Telecommunications Internet Association, in June of 2005 they reported that over 190 million people used cell phones, as compared to 4.3 million people in 1990. With that kind of increase in cell phone usage it has made our daily lives both convenient and dangerous. With more people using cell phones today, who’s to tell how many of them are speaking on it while they drive at any given time? Well that question was answered by the NHTSA. They concluded the number of drivers using their cells phones while driving at any particular moment during the daytime increased from 6% in 2002 to 8% in 2004. That’s 1.2 million people more and that jump was most noticeable in women. It went up to 6% from 4% in 2002 alone. Men on the other hand stayed steady at 4%. With so many people using their cells phones driving the increase of risk goes up too and for 2 main reasons. First, the driver must take his or her eyes off the road to dial a number and second, people can become so engaged in their conversations that their concentration level on the road goes down. A lot of us don’t feel it when it happens because a lot of our daily routes are so common to us that we just use our subconscious level of thought to get us where we’re going. But it’s at that point that we put the safety of other motorists and pedestrians at risk Safety experts also noted that the threat of cell phone conversations has not yet been eliminated. In fact, they believe that it may have been getting even worse in the recent years. Now a lot of you have already probably thought that by using hands free sets that the problem is solved and therefore I hold no valid claim but as studies show, hands free sets are what those experts were talking about when they said that the risks have actually began to rise. In a study published in 2003 issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology, they found that the distraction risk is just as high and even higher for people who use the hands free sets. In their studies they found that people using the hands free sets had to redial their calls 40 percent of the time as opposed to the hand helds which had to redial 18 percent of the time. This led me to believe that hands free sets may be designed for safety on the road but it may provide drivers with a FALSE sense of safety and security. The reason for cell phones being such a target as the biggest distraction is because unlike talking to someone next to you, speaking on your cell phone demands much greater continuous attention and concentration which takes the drivers eyes off of the road at times and his mind from driving. In cases where drivers don’t pay attention to the road the University of Utah found an interesting statistic. They found out that drivers that talked on their hands free sets were 18 % slower in braking and took 17% more time to regain the speed that they lost when they braked. Some other studies that they performed concluded that drivers that talked on their cell phones were less likely to remember seeing pedestrians, billboards or other roadside features. So far, the first state to impose this law of forbidding cell phones while driving was New York. About another 2 dozen other states have also begun enforcing that law. California is not yet amongst them and should crack down on this issue. Around the world, countries such as Japan, the UK and France have begun to prosecute drivers that get in accidents due to a distraction on their cell phones as negligence, which is similar to driving while intoxicated. Although this may seem like an impartial plan to enforce, it’s something necessary to do. By doing so we force the car companies to produce vehicles with newer and safer technology. One pretty new feature on cars is a voice command which allows the driver to keep both hands on the wheel and his eyes on the road. That will probably take another few good years until it becomes equip in all cars but its an advancement and we need to keep pushing the car companies to try harder to convince us. Conclusion: cell phones play an important part in our everyday lives. However, the convenience that they offer must be judged against the hazards that they pose. All though a lot of us are oblivious to this, our cars are weapons. And for those of you who disagree with me then you should know that when you combine driving and speaking on a cell phone, even the cutest little Hyundai sonata becomes a killing machine on wheels. I would like to leave you with one little thing. It takes a little bit of your brain to carry on a conversation on your cell phone but it takes even less than that to realize the threat of cells phones to our lives when it’s used at the same time of driving. So the next time you drive and that phone rings just remember those statistics and think twice before you decide to answer it. Bibliography â€Å"Bills would ban using cell phones while driving.† CNN. 23 May 2001. 07 november 2005. http://archives.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/05/22/cellphone.bills/ â€Å"Cell Phones and Driving† Insurance Information Institue. August 2005. 07 november 2005. iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/cellphones/ â€Å"Road Traffic Accident† Wikidpedia. 8 November 2005. 06 November 2005. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_accident Frankenfield, Gay. â€Å"Using cell phones while driving increases crash risk† WebMDHealth. 18 May 2000. 06November2005.webmd.com/content/article/24/1728_57668?src=Inktomicondition=Home%20%20Top%20Stories Infotrak. I lost the page I worked and and could not find the info I Research Papers on Speaking On Your Cell Phone While Driving Should Be Made Illegal - Persuasive EssayThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationGenetic EngineeringThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseTwilight of the UAWCapital PunishmentDefinition of Export QuotasMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsPETSTEL analysis of India

Free Essays on Injustice Toward Women

Injustice Towards Women During the 1900’s In the film Les Miserables, women are treated horribly. The forms of mistreatment are made evident throughout the film and show the harsh realities of life during the 19th century. This was a time in which Les Miserables takes place. During this period, there was discrimination, of women. They were constantly being viewed as shallow and inferior to men. They carried no power within society and were expected to present themselves in a decent manner. Women who did not live up to society’s expectations faced the consequences of being looked down upon and degraded by all who lived amoung them. Fantine, the mother of Cosette in les Miserables, is a perfect example displaying the many acts of injustice, which took place towards women in the 19th century. In Les Miserables, Fantine is displayed as a character that is weakened by the oppression of society. She is a young woman who earns a living working in a factory comprised entirely of women. In those days, men and women were often separated at work in order to preserve their innocence. Innocence was a very valuable obsession and the loss of a woman’s innocence was not tolerated during these times. Unfortunately, Fantine becomes a victim of lost innocence and she bears a child out of wedlock. The head lady at the factory disapproves of Fantine’s sinful ways. Fantine is forced to return to the streets of France. Knowing that no one will hire such a tainted woman, Fantine has no other choice but to sell her self to men in order to feed herself and her child. During the 19th century, women who bore children out of wedlock were shown neither compassion nor respect. It was a very shameful thing to have a child and to not be married. Society was very judgmental about this issue and many women hid themselves from the cruelty of the public. Today, the act of having a child out of wedlock is not aslooked down upon, and it has b... Free Essays on Injustice Toward Women Free Essays on Injustice Toward Women Injustice Towards Women During the 1900’s In the film Les Miserables, women are treated horribly. The forms of mistreatment are made evident throughout the film and show the harsh realities of life during the 19th century. This was a time in which Les Miserables takes place. During this period, there was discrimination, of women. They were constantly being viewed as shallow and inferior to men. They carried no power within society and were expected to present themselves in a decent manner. Women who did not live up to society’s expectations faced the consequences of being looked down upon and degraded by all who lived amoung them. Fantine, the mother of Cosette in les Miserables, is a perfect example displaying the many acts of injustice, which took place towards women in the 19th century. In Les Miserables, Fantine is displayed as a character that is weakened by the oppression of society. She is a young woman who earns a living working in a factory comprised entirely of women. In those days, men and women were often separated at work in order to preserve their innocence. Innocence was a very valuable obsession and the loss of a woman’s innocence was not tolerated during these times. Unfortunately, Fantine becomes a victim of lost innocence and she bears a child out of wedlock. The head lady at the factory disapproves of Fantine’s sinful ways. Fantine is forced to return to the streets of France. Knowing that no one will hire such a tainted woman, Fantine has no other choice but to sell her self to men in order to feed herself and her child. During the 19th century, women who bore children out of wedlock were shown neither compassion nor respect. It was a very shameful thing to have a child and to not be married. Society was very judgmental about this issue and many women hid themselves from the cruelty of the public. Today, the act of having a child out of wedlock is not aslooked down upon, and it has b...

buy custom Systems Planning and Selection essay

buy custom Systems Planning and Selection essay Information technology is an essential factor in the success of many aspects and businesses in the world. The wave of new technology and gadgets has brought with it a lot of desire and the rise and fall of companies. The best example is Amazon that is an online shop. With the invention of online businesses by many companies for any company to remain afloat, it has to take the same route. This is where the emerging concept of cloud computing comes in. It is defined as the storage of data by many companies so that they can be accessed by their workers and interested parties. This means that data and information can be stored over the web. The platform of IT is broadly divided into three groupings. The utmost grouping that can benefit any business is the Infrastructure as a service (IaaS). This is because it helps a business grow its available resources. The paper discusses in length the concept of cloud computing and its benefits and implementation in a business. Cloud Computing Cloud computing is defined as the usage and access of a computer as a service more than a merchandise. Data is provided over several computers in this process. The data include software and information. The services are easily linked through other computers instead of storing in one computer. This is enabled using the internet. The new technology provides the storage of software and data without using the same access point, hence, the users do not require knowing the source and specific location of the data. The users of this service are known as cloud users (Elsenpeter, 2009, p. 243). The users of the service can get information without using the resources that are currently required to carry out computing. The resources are, however, used within limits. This process can be compared to electricity consumption, in which people can access information over long distances, without acquiring the knowledge of how process of the manufacturing is done. The process is also beneficial for inf ormation technology, since it is based on internet protocols and is capable of provisioning of services that are unattainable in the current system. It is a product of the provisioning of services easily with remote computers. The programs that have been put easy to access by the new technology are website based tools and applications. They can be accessed via web browser, and when they are accessed, it will look as if they are installed in the computer that they are accessed. The cloud computers provide applications via the website that can be accessed from different web browsers via desktop computers, laptops or mobile devices. However, the business software and information are stored on servers at a location. The cloud computing technique provides an ideology in which there is a base of uniting infrastructure. The infrastructure in this case is the shared services (Knorr, 2011, p. 1). This enables businesses to unite their applications and speed up the process of internet growth. There is additionally less maintenance of the data that the company has in its web browser. This in the end leads to increasing demand and supply of goods by a business. The data presented are extremely essential because they are numerous and they are accessed from a single point. The new development has enabled United States government to reduce its expenditure on information technology as the new development reduces the expenses that are required. With the current move of resources to the internet by many businesses, it is essential that a person identifies the best resource that he or she can make use of, to maintain the face of the business. The current business world requires an organization to have adequate resources in the in internet in order to capitalize on the web. However, there are several challenges that the online business faces (Miller, 2008, p. 27). The key problem is being restricted to a single workspace. This problem affects many institutions. Nonetheless, cloud computing can be used to solve it. The effects of this action are that there are reduced costs and increased input. The cloud computing theory puts in practice th working of an organization over the internet. In the current world, many businesses do not initiate the proper control process and that is why many businesses fail. It is noted that the current business environment requires to a business diversify its resources and locate its services over t he web. Web advertising is the best way of increasing the working ratio and getting the best inputs after a business. Many corporations such as Coca-Cola have used the new strategy to increase its revenues and it has been proven to work. If a company does not have adequate internet access and resources, there are high chances that it will realize low outputs than a company that is already utilizing the new technology. Cloud computing further increases the number of workforce. This can be conceptualized by saying that a company can share its resources with many workers and yet they are working from their own homes. This is a classic example of realizing how a company can benefit from employing this strategy. The restriction of operating in a single workplace creates a lot of unnecessary jam in the business that can be avoided by employing new strategies that are beneficial for growth. Therefore, for the success of a firm to be realized it has to incorporate cloud computing into its systems (IBM Cloud Computer, 2011, p. 1). The number of workforces can be increased if a company has the right tools for the job. With cloud computing, an organization has to look at the way it wants to grow. If a person is operating a busi ness that can be operated from home, there is no need of carrying information in memory sticks as they are sometimes bulky and can easily get lost. The best way to operate on this issue is accepting cloud computing since the business can locate all its data over the internet and efficiently share it with its employees. This sharing is essential in ensuring that employees can work on the availed files and this in the end, increases the size and output of the business. The idea of cloud computing has been conceptualized for very many years and since it is here, it is the best opportunity as many people would wish to work together to realize profits. The success of Amazon can also be attributed to cloud computing. By creating a private cloud, the company, fully realizes its potential and goals. A private cloud means that one which is only shared by a business. This is essential since the corporation is ensured security, and in addition, there is the availability of resources that can be used to manage and enable an increase of ideas in the business. The use of diversification of business using information technology also ensures that there are distributed risks. This is a significant factor as it means that the business can run its operations without the fear of being run down through a risk. The diversification in the end is essential, as the other divisions of the business can employ different tactics and this in the end means that there would be many services that the business could offer. This ensures a constant cash flow and an increase in the finances of the business. The other factor that can be ensured by incorporating cloud computing is reduced costs. An example is using a plan that is not diverse. Therefore, the company will employ many employees who can access the business data and utilize it. This is in contrast to a business operating without the new technology, because it will have to construct new sites and in each new site, they will need and additional employee to foresee the running of the site. To avoid all these costs, a company, can employ cloud-computing (Han, 2011, p. 199). In any business setting, a distributed risk ensures that the workforce is working without fear, and this leads to more input, and for any company to survive it must employ this working criterion. Systems Restricted workspace is a major problem in many businesses and requires a whole lot of diversity to tackle it. The cause of having a restricted workplace is majorly finances. An upcoming company cannot manage to operate on vast resources and then maintain the working of its employees. This is because the task requires a lot of capital and it additionally neeeds a large number of workforces. This affects the growth of many businesses and the proper way to capitalize on this loss is to enter into the internet market. The entry into the internet market has additionally been boosted by the introduction of cloud computing (Elsenpeter, 2009, p. 123). Using cloud computing, many companies have managed to bring out excellent results and if any business is in doubt of the internet wave, he or she should look at the new strategies, that even financial institutions are employing to maintain the customer base. The main problem of space sometimes is not only brought forth by finances but also the lack of space. If an individual is operating, a company that he or she thinks can work with outsourced people then they can apply the formula of cloud computing. The effect of workplace immobility has led to innovations that are meant to counter the unavailability of space, but not many people have been able to come up with a clear and concrete solution like cloud computing. Therefore, for the success of a business to be realized, the best way is to follow this new trend. The lack of space is not a problem that only affects small business, as mentioned priory; the inadequacy can also be seen through the lack of land and not just merely finances. Therefore, it is essential that even gigantic firms try the new form of creating space (Han, 2011, p. 200). This will ensure that there is adequate competition and use of resources that will maintain the running of the industry as a whole. It is also notable that business has taken new shape and competition is notably moving to the internet. Therefore, for a company to survive and market itself, what better place than the web and utilizing the cloud computing in particular. Many current business leade rs, for example, Warren Buffet, have come up with ideas that the internet is the best source of gaining success by companies. In a research conducted by the University of Oxford, it was found out that the most profitable businesses had in one way or the other employed internet technology. This, therefore, calls for a new rise in technological and visionary ideas in companies and that is where cloud computing plays the key role. The main success factor for internet torrent sites is the ability to share files and this is the new concept that has been employed only that the files are secured this time round. Another case example is a company that has employed the best ideas and used adequate resources in maintaining its success in the IBM Company. Throughout history, innovative companies have always stood out as champions. Therefore, it is essential for a company to reconstruct its vision and mission plus the setting up ideas to incorporate the new technology of cloud computing. In a move, to gain a new and stronger market, the Money bookers organization chose the internet to further its interests and this has acted positively towards creating space and gaining new customers. The company is currently placed as one of the best companies that have emerged in the financial market. This is a good case example of identifying the need of cloud computing (IBM Cloud Computer, 2011, para 1). Technology is an essential factor in the very day growth of companies and is additionally a great market place to outsource ideas and that is the reason cloud computing should not be ignored as a new technological wave but a concept that is here to stay. Conclusion In conclusion, the best way that a company can ensure that it has a right way forward is through the utilization of the internet. Therefore, the idea of cloud computing is generally the best idea that has ever come up in the technological world. Therefore, utilizing it is one among the best strategies that a company can use. The new technology comes with many benefits and these benefits are represented in terms of common pull. A company can have set several goals and consequently it does not have a focal point in which it can share its resources and information. Cloud computing presents a base in which the business can operate and, therefore, utilizing it is the best way forward. Buy custom Systems Planning and Selection essay

Bullying in Schools and Colleges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bullying in Schools and Colleges - Essay Example It has been found that bullying has increased to tremendous levels and it is almost impossible now to contain the problem. Due to the ever-increasing problem of bullying, it is seen that several states and schools have taken a notice of the grave situation and implemented laws to ensure that it does not prevail. A person that I recently met was quite a calm person in real but was a former bully in his school. He was known for his aggressiveness back then because of which the students feared them. When I questioned him I got to know quite a lot about him and made a general consensus about the bullies. The environment had a huge effect on the former bully but he got to learn things because of which he moved onto the spiritual way of life. His home life and family were the most disturbing things in his life and I believe that these things made him turn into a bully. According to him his family was more of the masculine type and liked being tough. He had four elder brothers who used to f ight with him often. He was simply frightened of them and had lost self-respect in this cause. His father never paid enough heed to him and he had to rely on his loneliness for some time. This loss of self-respect caused the former bully to target people who were of his own kind. In other words, he looked for people who were more like him and bullied them. He used to look for fellow students who were scared and did not have respect for themselves and then bullied them accordingly. The former bully stated that he was greatly influenced by his family and somehow the genetic factors got to him. His brothers were known to be the most famous bullies in the high school and he followed in their footsteps. He also told that he got to learn different techniques of bullying through his brothers. Fighting with them was an experience, he says which made him learn how to tackle off the guys who were powerful than him. Above all bullying was considered to be a very cool act by him and other guys and this made him fall into the act. Genetic factors obviously did play a role as put down by the bully. Masculinity ran in his family and he practiced this masculinity on the other students believing that this would help him regain his pride. However, he states that over time he has learned a lot of new things and has moved to the spiritual way of life. Above all, he was affected by the fact that his family was nothing about honor. As the bully grew up he realized that his family did not have much to respect for others. Women were not treated as they should have been and he observed his brothers and father to find out the fact that they themselves were hiding from reality. None of his family members were able to lead a good life and soon he realized that masculinity was only a reason for him to be a bully. With the spiritual learning, he started to walk back from fights and became proud of it. He realized the wrongs that he had done as he put in the interview. He also went to many of the people he had bullied to apologize and most of these apologies were accepted, fortunately. His personality traits can be related to those of a normal person as he realized about them when he grew up. The former bully started feeling the emotions of others when he grew up and respected the people who stood up against him.

Answer 8 questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer 8 questions - Assignment Example It can save all files and project related correspondence under one umbrella in one and e) Dimdim: it provides a place to convene online meetings, web conferences and webinars in the cloud (Kip). Q. 2. Who first developed and launched the SQL database? SQL known as Standard English Query Language was initially developed by  Donald D. Chamberlin  and  Raymond F. Boyce  in the early 70s of 19the century at International Business Machines. In late 1970s, Oracle Corporation saw the potential of the concepts introduced by Cod, Chamberlin, and Boyce and subsequently developed own SQL-based  RDBMS. It was successfully tested at the sites of the customers which encouraged IBM to develop commercial products based on their systems. After successful testing of SQL at the sites of customer, IBM began to develop its commercial products for the customers in the year 1979, 1981 and 1983 respectively (W3schools.com). Q. 3. Search some internet sites for Blue Tooth devices. Select one and di scuss the advantages and disadvantages of the one you selected. There are numerous products wherein Bluetooth exists. Few of them are telephones, media players,  Lego Mind storms NXT,  PlayStation 3,  PS Vita, Wii, headsets,  modems and watches. It is very useful technology while transferring data/information from one device to another device or from one device to so many devices near to each other (Official Play Station Website). Here are the advantages and disadvantages of one of PS Vita that has been selected from internet searches. It is accessible from both 3G and Wi-Fi. It has 5 inch OLED Screen. It back Blue tooth technology.  It has a small flash based memory card.  Users may have other options as well i.e. play PSP titles, minis and PSone classics titles, offered on PS Store. It is not compatible with PS3 and PS2 title. It does not carry any video output feature. Its Battery is intact. It lacks support UMD. It can be introduced stereoscopic 3D without glasses (O fficial Play Station Website). Q. 4. Describe briefly the history of Amazon.com who started it, when and what is Amazon’s annual sales? Everyone knows that Amazon.com is an American e-commerce company located at Washington. It was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and placed it products in 1995. Initially it begun with an online bookstore, subsequently added with number of products in their menu (VHSs, DVDs, music CDs, MP3s, computer software, video games, electronics, apparel, furniture, food, toys), and more the passage of time. The journey which started in a garage becomes one of the greatest ecommerce sites now days. As far as the generation of revenue is concerned, it will touch to the height of $100 billion in annual sales at the end of  next year  (Amazongenius.com).  Ã‚   Q. 5. How does MIS differ from IT? IT is a comprehensive computer field in general which can be subdivided into many careers. Take the examples of Network Administrator, Security, Hardware, Softwar e & Application Development, Database Administrator, Desktop Support Technician etc., In accordance with the available definition; Information Systems Management is an

Signs of American Life (McDonald's Restaurants) Essay

Signs of American Life (McDonald's Restaurants) - Essay Example A country's culture can be judged by many things, such as its language, films, drama, literature and of course, its cuisine. Although there are many regional variations of its cuisine, the single most visible form of American culture as exemplified by its cuisine is its fast foods. Fast food service restaurants are invented in America and McDonald's is its foremost example that combines the can-do spirit, its stringent individualistic attitudes towards life in general; a hurried pace of life, such that even eating is hurried and harried. In old Europe, eating is done in a leisurely manner as shown in its fine dining establishments but in America, it is different. A general mood is do things quickly in order to achieve material things in life and get ahead. Alexis de Tocqueville hit it on the right spot to have observed this restlessness in Americans; a general tendency to acquire material things that lead to disillusionment, disquiet, unhappiness and an unstated feeling of getting le ft behind by the faster, next fellow. (Tocqueville 1). Long before the term â€Å"keeping up with the Joneses† was coined or invented, Alexis de Tocqueville had already put it succinctly what one single trait to describe the Americans. In his statement, â€Å"it is strange to see with what feverish ardor the Americans pursue their own welfare; and to watch the vague dread that constantly torments them lest they should not have chosen the shortest path which may lead to it† in which an observer gets the impression most Americans are always outdoing each other, not wasting even a single moment by eating fast. Instant coffee, instant meals and instant gratification are exemplified by McDonald's Restaurants in which a customer can order a quick bite and have it within a matter of minutes. McDonald's has been immensely successful because it catered to this American trait of having everything at once, not a minute longer than necessary. People who are always on the go who ne ed a quick bite can hop into any McDonald's outlet and expect to be served very

Corporate Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Corporate Strategy - Essay Example The company changed its name to Air France KLM, though the two companies operate separately. Delta Airlines had a merger with Northwest Airlines in the years between 2008 and 2010 that made the former become the world’s No.2 passenger carrier after United Airlines. The company still maintains the Delta name. We also visit United Airlines that merged with Continental Airlines in 2010 to become the world’s largest airline company/carrier. Airline acquisitions and mergers have implications on airline customers and employees. These business moves have some interlinked factors that are important in understanding what really takes place; Efficiency, approvals, competition, strife and benefits to the airline customers (Kelly et al, 2002). In the airline industry, mergers and acquisitions are purely strategic and are pursued after putting several factors into consideration: Service quality and image of the other airline, possibility of the other airline company to have partners hips with airlines considered industry rivals and the area covered by the other airline, which is of interest. Strategically speaking, an airline entity would merge with another airline company that operates on different routes from those that it operates. This expands flight coverage and helps in avoiding overlapping of flights in any given routes. One of the effects of acquisitions and mergers on airline customers is that air fares increase. Such business moves reduce the number of operators thus reduction in competition. The result is an increase in fares and rates. Acquisitions and mergers are most active when there are equity markets with low volatility and low rates in interests. There is also an upward trend in mergers and acquisitions, when stocks trade in low multiples. Mergers and acquisitions have the tendency of being instigated and driven by market conditions and factors that are favorable (Kelly et al, 2002). The drive to transact mergers and acquisitions mainly starts with the parties involved who have strategic objectives that are to be achieved at the tail end of such transactions. The strategic objectives of selling and buying converge in a manner that fuels the transaction process. For instance, the parties involved may enter into such agreements in order to stay afloat in the market or the merger and acquisition plan will facilitate a leaner, profitable, and successful company. These transactions could be done with the objective of strategically positioning the resultant business entity for the necessary growth. There are strategic reasons that explain the existence of these kinds of businesses: financial growths, achievement of vertical integration, outdo competition, asset acquisitions, expansion into new markets, gaining of intellectual property (IP), acquisition of new customers and clientele, expansion into complimentary services and products, and the need to outdo threats on entity services and products (Bierly & Coombs, 2004). There were developments that led the above named airline companies to venture into these kinds of agreements. United airlines merger with continental airlines was driven by the urge to create the world’s most lucrative airline that would taste success in the competitive domestic and global airline sector. The resultant entity would offer unique and superior services and products to its prospective customers. The resultant company would also serve a global airline network of 370 destinations. The

Introducing a line of bottled water Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Introducing a line of bottled water - Essay Example In order to differentiate within the market, the supplements would be developed so that the water taste was not changed, and through marketing to the segment of the population that is starting to experience minor ailments and issues that can be directly addressed through supplements. The segment would be the aging population that is 40 and over. Marketing will also have to be directed to a broader demographic through onsite marketing that is less specific to age. As the bottled water market has increased steadily since 1997, the potential for success is high. Introduction Bottled water has become a staple in Western society, a trend that stems from a variety of areas of concern. One of the reasons that bottled water has become a prominent resource for hydration is that the fitness industry has determined that a significant amount of water, usually defined by about 2 litres, per day is necessary for good health (World Health Organisation 2004: 486). Another reason that bottled water h as become more marketable in the last few decades is that public water, as in tap water, has come under attack for the purity and safety that it contains. As a result, a natural marriage between the health industry and bottled water has emerged in which diversification into the bottled water market makes sense for corporations that have health related products already in their product line. One company that has yet to develop bottled water is GlaxoSmithKline. Through the exploration of their current line of products and brands, along with an exploration of the overall market, the addition of a line of water to the GlaxoSmithKline product line would enhance the current product line as well as open up a new market. The brand name of the proposed new line of water will be called PURE with a supplemental line of text used to define which type of water is being offered. The line of bottled water would not simply be the one line of basic water, but in order to appeal to the chosen demogra phic, a line of water with supplements within them would increase the potential success of the line. Taking the example of waters such as Dasani by the Coke product line and Aquafina by the Pepsi product line, creating flavoured waters or water with minerals and supplements has shown to have success. The twist on this line of water is that all of the water will taste like water, but will have supplements that target the differing needs of those who are aging. GlaxoSmithKline Company Overview Formed in 2001 through a merger between GlaxoWelcome and SmithKline Beecham, the company holds its headquarters in Great Britain with most of its business being conducted in the United States. As a pharmaceutical leader, the company is a leader in respiratory, central nervous system research, diabetes and vaccines, with 2003 seeing pre-tax sales of more than 21.4 billion. Profits were approximately 6.3 billion with an investment

Corporate Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Corporate Strategy - Essay Example The company changed its name to Air France KLM, though the two companies operate separately. Delta Airlines had a merger with Northwest Airlines in the years between 2008 and 2010 that made the former become the world’s No.2 passenger carrier after United Airlines. The company still maintains the Delta name. We also visit United Airlines that merged with Continental Airlines in 2010 to become the world’s largest airline company/carrier. Airline acquisitions and mergers have implications on airline customers and employees. These business moves have some interlinked factors that are important in understanding what really takes place; Efficiency, approvals, competition, strife and benefits to the airline customers (Kelly et al, 2002). In the airline industry, mergers and acquisitions are purely strategic and are pursued after putting several factors into consideration: Service quality and image of the other airline, possibility of the other airline company to have partners hips with airlines considered industry rivals and the area covered by the other airline, which is of interest. Strategically speaking, an airline entity would merge with another airline company that operates on different routes from those that it operates. This expands flight coverage and helps in avoiding overlapping of flights in any given routes. One of the effects of acquisitions and mergers on airline customers is that air fares increase. Such business moves reduce the number of operators thus reduction in competition. The result is an increase in fares and rates. Acquisitions and mergers are most active when there are equity markets with low volatility and low rates in interests. There is also an upward trend in mergers and acquisitions, when stocks trade in low multiples. Mergers and acquisitions have the tendency of being instigated and driven by market conditions and factors that are favorable (Kelly et al, 2002). The drive to transact mergers and acquisitions mainly starts with the parties involved who have strategic objectives that are to be achieved at the tail end of such transactions. The strategic objectives of selling and buying converge in a manner that fuels the transaction process. For instance, the parties involved may enter into such agreements in order to stay afloat in the market or the merger and acquisition plan will facilitate a leaner, profitable, and successful company. These transactions could be done with the objective of strategically positioning the resultant business entity for the necessary growth. There are strategic reasons that explain the existence of these kinds of businesses: financial growths, achievement of vertical integration, outdo competition, asset acquisitions, expansion into new markets, gaining of intellectual property (IP), acquisition of new customers and clientele, expansion into complimentary services and products, and the need to outdo threats on entity services and products (Bierly & Coombs, 2004). There were developments that led the above named airline companies to venture into these kinds of agreements. United airlines merger with continental airlines was driven by the urge to create the world’s most lucrative airline that would taste success in the competitive domestic and global airline sector. The resultant entity would offer unique and superior services and products to its prospective customers. The resultant company would also serve a global airline network of 370 destinations. The

Ethics and Legal Professionals Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics and Legal Professionals - Research Paper Example The second scenario is the fact that the prosecutor could be giving the jury misleading information so that the jury becomes convinced that the suspect is actually liable for the crimes that he is accused of having committed, and thus influence the jury to believe in the guilt of the suspect, which will in turn favor the prosecutor by enabling the jury to favor the conviction and charging of the suspect as guilty. Therefore, the jury is faced with the dilemma of choosing who to believe between the prosecutor and the judge and thus is torn between following the judge’s direction and following the information given by the prosecutor. The choice of whether to believe the prosecutor or to stick to the judge’s direction forms the ethical dilemma. The resolution of this ethical dilemma is complex since it entails the application of the relevant laws, which guide the conduct of professionals in the judicial system (Pollock, 2012). Legal professionals are required by the laws t o conduct their activities regarding the cases before a court of law in accordance with the guidance of the code of conduct of the legal professionals. According to the provisions of the code of conduct for legal professional, any legal professional handling a case before a court of law is prohibited from engaging in any form of discussion regarding the case with any side of the case, outside the courtroom (Beauchamp, Arnold & Bowie, 2009). Therefore, any discussion undertaken outside the courtroom with either the prosecution or the defense side is against the conduct of the legal professionals. Therefore, while the information provided by the prosecutor to the jury could be true and thus helpful to the determination of the case at hand, the manner in which it is obtained is against the provisions of the code of conduct of the professionals (Siegel & Worrall, 2013). Therefore, resolving this ethical dilemma requires the jury to adhere to the necessary code of conduct and ignore all the information that is obtained from one-sided party to the case outside the courtroom since the individual may be interested in misleading the jury and thus have his stance favored. Therefore, the ethical dilemma can be resolved through adhering to the guidelines offered by the judge and ignoring all the information obtained outside the courtroom. The system of ethics that I would most likely employ is the law enforcement code of ethics. This system of ethics provides that the fundamental function of a law enforcement officer, including the police, the prosecutor, the judge and the jury, is to serve mankind while at the same time protecting the innocent against deception and the weak against oppression (Siegel, 2010). This system of ethics requires the legal professionals to conduct themselves in a manner that respects the constitutional rights of all individuals to liberty and justice. The legal professionals are also required to observe honesty and be mindful of the welfare of t he others, including that of the suspects, under the law enforcement code of ethics (Pollock, 2012). The legal professionals are also required to obey the laws of the land and ensure that they adhere to

The Life of Jonathan Edwards Essay Example for Free

The Life of Jonathan Edwards Essay Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary The Life of Jonathan Edwards A Paper Submitted to Dr. Gregory Tomlin In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Course American Christianity CHHI 692 Table of Contents Abstract3 Biographical Outline4-5 Survey of Edwards Life5-18 Work Written By Jonathan Edwards19-20 Bibliography21-22 Abstract Through out Jonathan Edwards’ life he focused on preaching and expressing his views and feelings on how people should live their lives and practice the faith. He was very influential in the first great awakening. He also gave various sermons and wrote multiple books and essays (that influenced many future people and organizations) on how to live life and worship God. Biographical Outline Jonathan Edwards was born on October 5, 1703, in Connecticut. There he shared a life with his father (Timothy Edwards, who was a minister in East Windsor, Connecticut), his mother (Esther Stoddard, the daughter of Rev. Solomon Stoddard), and ten sisters. His parents made sure that their children were brought up to know God on a personal level. After completing his home studies (with his parents), Edwards decided (at the young age of 13) to continue his education by attending Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut, where he studied divinity. He studied there working on his B. D. for two years. After his graduation, he decided to focus his knowledge in the areas theology. After preaching at a Presbyterian church in New York City for less than a year, he decided to return to college (Yale) to receive his M. A. degree. On completion of his schooling, he joined his grandfather as an associate pastor at Northampton. In July of 1727 he married Sarah Pierpont, and over the years they had eleven children. In the early part of their marriage, Edwards’ grandfather died, and he had to take on the task of preaching, alone. This event began his life as a true preacher. Through out the rest of his life he focused on preaching and expressing his views and feelings on how people should live their lives and practice the faith. He was very influential in the first great awakening. He gave various sermons and wrote multiple books and essays on how to live life and worship God. Edwards was known for his views on women. During his time many people felt women should focus their life in the household, but Edwards felt that they were equal to men, and could also hold important positions in life. This could be preaching the gospel to others and or explaining the fascinations and or discoveries of science (which he also enjoyed). Throughout his life he enjoyed education of not only himself, but also all of the people around him. Survey of Edwards’ Life Edwards’ Early Years Jonathan Edwards was born on October 5, 1703, in East Windsor, Connecticut. He was born to two parents, who were firm believers of God and His power, Timothy Edwards and Ester Stoddard. Edwards father, Timothy Edwards, was a pastor of a church their in East Windsor, Connecticut, and his mother, Esther Stoddard, was the daughter of Solomon Stoddard (a pastor of the church in Northampton, Massachusetts). Edwards’ parents were blessed with 11 children. Among those eleven children, he was the only boy (so he probably had a lot to live up too). His parents, who grew up in the Puritan age, raised him and his siblings in a Puritan atmosphere and upbringing. They were home schooled, while being taught the importance of putting all of your faith into the Lord. After his schooling, at home, was completed, Edwards decided to continue his education by attending Yale College (in New Haven, Connecticut). While he was there he studied various subjects, including science, divinity, and theology, giving him a well-rounded and objective education. During his studies he managed to find extra time to write multiple intriguing essays. He graduated in September 1720, as the valedictorian of his class, with a degree in divinity. Once Edwards completed his college studies at Yale College, he decided to try out preaching. He began his journey at a small Presbyterian church in New York City. There he was a clergyman. He stayed there for almost a year. Then decided to leave for more education. He returned to Yale to tutor others and to continue his education. In early 1727 Edwards decided to join his grandfather at his church (Northampton). There he held the position of assistant minister. Since he was still considered a student minister, between his time ministering, he would spend his extra time studying and increasing his knowledge. Also during the same year Edwards decided to marry his love, Sarah. She was the daughter of the founder of Yale College. Although she was young (the mere age of seventeen), she was devoted to her spiritual love for God. She was truly an inspiration for Edwards and had been since she was 13 years old. Throughout their marriage she was a wonderful wife and friend. She made sure her husband and their eleven children were taken care of in every way. She was a true role model to her children and her husband. In 1729, early within the year, Edwards’ grandfather (Solomon Stoddard) died. Upon is death, Edwards was left with the huge task of taking on the ministry of his grandfather’s church (Northampton) all by his self. This church was a well known and attended church, and was one of the largest in the area. Edwards and The Great Awakening In 1731 Edwards wrote, preached, and published one of his famous sermons. He shared his sermon, which was called God Glorified – In Man’s Dependence, with the people of Boston. This sermon revolved around the topic of Arminianism (stereological thought that involves the Protestant Community, which is based on Dutch Reformed theologian, Jacobus Arminius). Edwards’ main focus with this sermon was to let people know that God gave them the power of faith to help lead them to salvation. In1733 a revival began right there at Edwards’ church (Northampton). By the spring of the next year the revival reached huge heights. Within six months of the revival’s beginning, nearly three hundred people had come to the church to participate. The increased activity there at the church also gave him the idea and the opportunity to study the process of conversion (which he documented in his essay, A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in the conversion of Many Hundred Souls in Northampton). Eventually the entire revival was documented (by Edwards) through multiple essays, which Justice of God in the Damnation of Sinners became the most effective. By the year of 1735, the revival that began with Edwards’ church had expanded. The revival had gone from the grounds of Northampton to New Jersey. With the expansion of the revival, the numbers of doubters grew. There were many people throughout New England who doubted Edwards’ sincerity of God’s Words, and felt that he was leading his flock of believers (new and old) to ultimate damnation. These doubts got so great that some people felt the urge to commit suicide (with a few actually completing the act). These acts and feeling of suicide ultimately ended this revival. Talk of the revival spread all the way to England and Scotland. People in other countries (across seas) were aware of what was going on in America, and they were intrigued. One person, in particular, who became interested in Northampton and Edwards, was George Whitefield. He was an Anglican Protestant minister, who eventually helped spread the Great Awakening to Britain. In 1739 Whitefield traveled to the Thirteen Colonies (the initial British colonies established, between the time of 1607 to 1733, on the Atlantic Coast of North America) on a revival tour. While he was touring he met Edwards’ acquaintance. While in America he preached at Edwards’ church. The sermon was so touching (as he reminded Edwards and his congregation of the purpose of the revival that had occurred earlier) that most of the congregation cried (along with Edwards) as Whitefield spoke. The sermon was so inspiring that the revival came back to life. People remember what the whole point to the revival was, a chance to bring people to God. The sermon also inspired Edwards. This was during the time that he preached the sermon the made him known. In 1741 Edwards went to Enfield, Connecticut, and preached his famous sermon, Sinners in the hands of an Angry God. In this sermon he reminded people of Hell (through vivid imagery and scripture). He felt that this was what the people needed to return them to the path of righteousness. Although there were many people who Edwards brought back to the revival, there were still some who were leery of the movement. Some of these people consisted of conservative Congregationalist ministers. These ministers were leery for various reasons, one in particular were the actions that consumed people during the movement. Some of these actions consisted of barking, crying out, yelling, body movements, etc. In the movement’s defense, Edwards published a work called The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God. In his work he stated the reactions of these people were not one way or another the actions of God. Shortly after publishing this work he published a couple of apologizes stating that he was incorrect and that the divine visitation does take over the body (in the writing Thoughts on the Revival in New England). These new views came in part from the actions of his wife during the movement. Regardless of Edwards’ words on body movements and conversion people took notice of the effect that the gospel seemed to have on the people who participated in these revivals. The people who were promoting The Great Awaking took the body movements as true reactions to conversion. Even though many people had taken Edwards’ words that he previously spoken, on the topic of bodily movements and conversion (even though he tried to retract his options and views on the topic), and ran with them, he still tried to let people know that he had changed his position and views on the topic. He preached at his church (Northampton), in the attempt to share and spread his new feelings and to explain why his feelings had changed. During the years of 1742 and 1746, Edwards had a group of his sermons published called Religious Affections. This famous group of sermons expresses his views on conversion. It also described how true conversion occurs and that the only way a person can be saved is if they truly believe, have faith, and accept that Jesus Christ died for man’s sins. Without the previous criteria a person cannot be saved. During the years between 1747 and 1749, Edwards published various works regarding religion and beliefs. A couple in particular regarded a movement in Scotland and David Brainerd. In 1747 Edwards joined a movement that was in Scotland. It was called the Concert in Prayer. After his involvement in the movement he decided to document his experience in his writing called An Humble Attempt to Promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union of God’s People in Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion and the Advancement of Christ’s Kingdom on Earth. Then in 1749 another one of his writing was published. This writing involved the conversion and confessions of David Brainerd. During the time in question, Brainerd was living in Edwards’ church (Northampton) and was being attended to by Edwards’ daughter (Jerusha). Rumors were floating around that the two, Jerusha and David, were engaged, but of course there were no documents to back up the rumors. Women and Their Importance Throughout Edward’s life, he tried to instill in the people who surrounded him the importance of a woman. He wanted people to know that women were just as important as men were and that they should work together as a team to help each other. These views were instilled in him as a child. His mother and sisters took care of the duties around the house and helped him and his father throughout childhood. Edwards also expressed is views about women when it came to his wife Sarah. He felt that men and women were equal and promoted gender equality. In his day – to day duties and even his sermons, he promoted Equality. For example, he would stress the fact that The Bible states that Eve is the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20), giving her one of the most important roles of life. There is no one more important than a child’s mother. He continuously focused on various characters throughout The Bible, giving equal considerations to many of the women that it mentions. Some of the names include women like Eve, Sarah, Anna, Mary, etc. He was clearly (and possibly dangerously) a head of his time, with his views on women and equality. His Fascination With Science During this time, many new advances were beginning to surface. People were beginning to look into various areas, like how electricity worked and if and how it could be reproduced and other various things. Edwards took an interest in science early on and decided to broaden his education (which included science) in college. In college he was so interested in how things worked that he wrote various papers on philosophy, optics, flying spiders, light, etc. He basically tried to investigate and observe as much as he could (or that peaked his curiosity). While some people shied away from science, Edwards was drawn to the laws of nature. Many people during this time felt that science disregarded God and religion. While these opinions were circulating, Edwards felt that the laws of nature came from God and were in itself part of His care and wisdom. Since God and science went hand and hand, science did not threaten faith or spirituality. His Later Years During the early years of Northampton, Edwards’ grandfather (Solomon Stoddard) established the church with specific guidelines and rules. One of the more important guidelines was that members of the church must be baptized to participate in different church activities. Events like the Lord’s Supper, was a reminder and a converting ordinance. People who were not baptized could come to the church for sermons, but other activities needed membership and baptism to participate. Problems began to arise there in the church, around 1748, when Edwards began to publicly voice his opinions with his grand father’s views. He felt that church membership should require more criteria. This included things like clothing, entertainment, reading materials, etc. One particular event was when Edwards published a list of people from his congregation that were accused of reading inappropriate reading materials. This list included people that were being accused along with any witnesses that were called. The problem that got the congregation in an uproar was the fact that the list, that he published, did not distinguse between the accused and the witnesses. Everyone on the list was looked at as guilty, in the eyes of anyone who read the list. The people who were found guilty were disciplined for their actions. As a result of the whole incident, the relationship between Edwards and the congregation deteriorated. The situation created tension between him and many of the people within the community. People began to think of him and label him as a trouble maker and no fun. Edwards’ and his church became very unpopular. Many people resented him and very few people wanted to be involved with his church. For many years after the situation with the published names, very few people expressed interest in being members of his church. The few that did show interest, were met with numerous and outrageous qualifications that they refused to follow. Even though many people from all over would come to hear his sermons, his own congregation was not at all fond of him. Since there was so much tension between Edwards and his congregation, the council of the church had to serve as a mediator. Eventually the council and the church felt they needed to deal with Edwards and all of his recent changes and opinions. In this meeting, the council and the members of the church decided to suspend his privileges to preach there at Northampton, and when the vote ended up going to the town meeting, it was also confirmed and Edwards preaching privileges were ended. Although Edwards was no longer a minister there at Northampton, he continued to live there in the town. And he seemed to not hold any ill will regarding the congregation’s final decision. Occasionally the congregation would ask him to come and preach a sermon or two. This process went on until 1751. In the next few years, Edwards was invited to preach in Scotland and Virginia, but he decided to decline. He also chose to decline invitations to a church in Stockbridge and a chance to mission to the Housatonic Indians. He did spend time with the Indians, preaching to them now and then. He also took time to write various books. One in particular was called Humble Relation (Reply to Williams), which spoke on full communion. There were many other writings that involved God and morality. In 1757 Edwards son – in – law (Reverend Aaron Burr), which was married to his daughter Esther and was the son of the future US vice – president Aaron Burr, died and Edwards decided to take his place as the president of the College of New Jersey (Princeton University). But shortly after accepting his new position, Edwards became sick and died. Edwards was a firm supporter of the new small pox inoculations. To show his support, he decided to also get the inoculation. Because he was never in excellent health, he developed complications from the inoculation and died on March 22, 1758. His Legacy Edwards was a Calvinist and believed in those views. Edwards and the people who followed him were known as the New Light Calvinist ministers. Some of his followers included Samuel Hopkins, Gideon Hawley, Joseph Bellamy and many others. Most of his followers lived in the New England area, comprising a great population size. His followers also became great citizens, this included US vice – presidents, college presidents, etc. Edwards’s writings and his beliefs were great influential readings during his day and even today. Many laws, rules, regulations, etc. were drawn from his writings. Some of the things Edwards’ writings influenced were the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions missionaries, The Missionary Herald, The Banner of Truth Trust, etc. Works Written By Jonathan Edwards (not inclusive) †¢A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God †¢Charity and its Fruits †¢Christian Charity or The Duty of Charity to the Poor, Explained and Enforced †¢Concerning the End for Which God Created The World Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God †¢Freedom of the Will †¢A History of the Work of Redemption including a View of Church History †¢The Life and Diary of David Brainerd, Missionary to the Indians †¢The Nature of True Virtue †¢Original Sin †¢Some Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival in New England and the Way it Ought to be Acknowledged and Promoted †¢A Treaste Concerning Religious Affections †¢Atonement (Governmental view) †¢Colonial America †¢Congregational church †¢Great Awakening †¢Mission House (Stockbridge, Massachusetts) †¢Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God †¢Jonathan Edwards College Argument form Beauty †¢American philosophy †¢List of American philosophers †¢Ivy League Presidents †¢New England Dwight family Bibliography Bearskin, Douglas L. â€Å"Jonathan Edwards, Enthusiast? Radical Revivalism and the Great Awakening in the Connecticut Valley. † Church History 74 (2005): 683-739. http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. liberty. edu:2048/ehost/detail? vid=4hid=11sid=a18c3fe2-bd1d-4992-b657-7c6bfe30e3fe%40sessionmgr15bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9hAN=19448230. Beck, Peter. â€Å"Fall of man and the failure of Jonathan Edwards. † Evangelical Quarterly 79 (2007): 209-225. http://web. bscohost . com. ezproxy. liberty. edu:2048/ehost/detail? vid=3hid=11sid=a18c3fe2-bd1d-4992-b657-7c6bfe30e3fe%40sessionmgr15bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9hAN=25338906. Crisp, Oliver D. â€Å"Jonathan Edwards on the Divine Nature. † Journal of Reformed Theology 3 (2009): 175-201. http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. liberty. edu:2048/ehost/detail? vid=3hid=11sid=a18c3fe2-bd1d-4992-b657-7c6bfe30e3fe%40sessionmgr15bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9hAN=42316446. Duban, James. â€Å"A Reverent and Obedient Evolution: Jonathan Edwards, the New Science, and the Socialism of Henry James Sr. Journal of Speculative Philosophy 23 (2009): 244-261. http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. liberty. edu:2048/ehost/detail? vid=3hid=11sid=a18c3fe2-bd1d-4992-b657-7c6bfe30e3fe%40sessionmgr15bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl. Miller, Gordon. â€Å"Jonathan Edwards’ sublime book of nature. † History Today 46 (July 1996): 29. http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. liberty. edu:2048/ehost/detail? vid=4hid=11sid=a18c3fe2-bd1d-4992-b657-7c6bfe30e3fe%40sessionmgr15bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9hAN=9607212980. Wikipedia. â€Å"Jonathan Edwards. † http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Jonathan_Edwards_(theologian).

Discourse Analysis on Psychological Knowledge Production

Discourse Analysis on Psychological Knowledge Production Putting Critical Psychology into Practice: A discourse analysis of the production of psychological knowledge; How I live with schizophrenia interview by STELLA BREEZE, Daily Mail 4th November 2003 In this assignment an article featured in the Daily Mail newspaper on the 4th of December 2003 was chosen to be analysed by way of discourse analysis. The article concerned an account of a scientific researchers coming to terms with a mental illness. Diagnosed with Schizophrenia, the individual giving her account elaborated upon what her condition meant to her, how it had been present in her history and who and how others involved in her life had helped her to cope with it. An attempt was made to draw out her perception of this reality inherent to her account, whilst applying it to an established school of psychological knowledge. A critical examination was undergone by way of comparison of her accounted reality and an epistemological model of psychological knowledge. The chosen school of psychological knowledge in this analysis was social constructionism. According to theorists, Social constructionism is based upon the fracture of modernist ideas such as objectivity, rationality and truth (Burr, 1995). It belongs primarily to post-modern thinking and is concerned with how realities are constructed by the subject. It is an epistemology that is heavily concerned with three main principles: the principle of construction, the principle of social and the principle of language (Burr, 1998). It is believed that the individual must construct a reality and live and think within that construction. It is believed that unlike traditional constructivism that the construct is informed and perceived by the locality and proximity of the individual to their society. Furthermore, the construct, in relation to its society, can be understood through the language of that society’s culture. Language is believed to represent what is understood within the language but not what is outside of the language itself (Cromby et al, 1999). That is to say, tha t the language represents a reality reflected by societal values and shared understanding rather than something that exists extrinsically. Essentially, social constructionism is concerned with the usefulness of theories, ideas and points of view contained within someone’s language construct in relation to the power that it ordains certain groups and the action that it gives to the functioning of the people within those groups. Essentially, the psychology of an individual is seen as being immersed within the locality of their culture and cannot have their mind removed from this subjective reality. From a psychological perspective, given the qualitative nature of social constructionism, its use of discourse analysis, its rejection of quantitative methods and objectivity, truth and rationality to gather defining data, it was decided that discourse analysis was the best thing to suit this epistemological analysis. The tendency with social constructionism is to draw out the locali sed meaning of an individual’s account. Or as the social contructionist and analyst Megan points out ‘It is human interchange that gives language its capacity to mean and it must stand as the critical locus of concern’ (Megan, 1994). It is with this in mind, that an analysis was undergone. In the account we see that the person involved has used her scientific definitions and knowledge of schizophrenia to identify her condition. In her account she continually uses the language and construct of scientific rationality to objectify her experience and construct a reality in keeping with that perceived in the psychological domain. For instance, she accounts for her being schizophrenic as different from the norm throughout the accounts of her past. She explains that it became prevalent to her in her first year at university but was easily dismissed due to the culture of the time. She emphasises the importance of social recognition, suggesting that in her teens her different behaviour was not recognised as the culture of the time was understood as having ‘bizarre’ expression (Breeze, 2003). In this we can see that she is indicating to us that she felt bound by social convention, in that it was hard to establish at the time that she was mentally ill (schizophrenic) . However, now she perceives it as such, as the established scientific rational of her current position allows her to interpret her behaviour of that time as such. This is perhaps why she defines herself as a long term schizophrenic and indicates a strong identity with being a sufferer with that condition, which ultimately forms the basic premise for her reality construct. She strengthens this idea of scientific rationality when she empowers herself with the ability to determine her condition. For instance, she states that ‘reluctantly, I agreed to see a psychiatrist on campus and persuaded him that I was OK. I was asked if I had been hearing voices or ever felt I was in a different world, but I just lied and said I was fine. I wasnt diagnosed with schizophrenia for another six years’ (Breeze, 2003). In this we see that she determines that the Doctor’s description of a split world outside of the one defined by the scientific social norm, is true. Whilst acknowled ging that this is the truth she establishes that her denial of these symptoms as lies to avoid being identified as mentally ill. This shows that she is rationalising by splitting her experiential life into that of a normal and objective reality and a confused and subjective sureality as is often prescribed by the reasoning of society and scientific discourse when concerned with behaviours outside of the norm (Bandura, 1986). Having established a real world of socially defined normal behaviour and a foiled world of surreality and madness that defines the schizophrenic stereotype, we see how she comes to terms with the people around her. In her acceptance of the condition and the two worlds as one she states that ‘it was then that it really hit me and I had to deal with everything that goes with the label. Schizophrenia is such a powerful word. I could no longer deny that I had a serious and chronic mental illness’ (Breeze, 2003). We can see here that she is taking into account the discourse of schizophrenia and the stereotypes and social stigma (ignorance) that go with it. She acknowledges that because now her condition has been given a word and therefore set in language, she can no longer deny it. It is not so much the inability to deny having the condition itself, as she clearly identified from a young age that she did have a difference to the perceived norm, but the inability to deny the s ocially constructed idea of schizophrenia that pertains to language and discourse. At this point she goes onto explain the reality of living with her condition in terms of social impact. She states that she ’didnt tell my parents for another two years after I was diagnosed. When I finally did, I said I had mental health problems. They were shocked and worried at first, but have been very supportive, as have my brother and sister’ (Breeze, 2003). Furthermore, she outlines the further reaching social reality that sufferers of the condition must endure. She suggests that ’getting a job is the most difficult thing for sufferers. Id prefer to get in front of people and show them never be dishonest about it, but theres the fear that your CV will automatically be binned if they know’ (Breeze, 2003). This fear of alienation from social normality is heightened with her notion that ’maybe they assume youre going to be unreliable or will take a lot of time of f sick. A lot of people deal with the illness by denial its just that this is an illness’. Here she clearly identifies herself (and any other sufferer) as needing to confront the reality of schizophrenia. But what is the reality of this schizophrenia? Turning to her ‘utterances’ and their significance may give a better indication (Aitchison, 2005, p.42). Through her usage of the words ‘need’ and ‘denial’ whilst determining the action she deems required to facilitate her condition we can see that she is detaching her schizophrenia from her reality construct once again. She has determined that those around her have sympathy and compassion for her condition, like that understood in the research of familial constructs (Robert, 1951). However, we also see the suspicion of the wider reaching social bonds where the ideas of sympathy and compassion are not so commonly found. In these accounts we see that she does not necessarily identify her sc hizophrenia as a part of her reality, but that it is a mental illness that she has to compensate for. Having established the history of her condition and coming to terms with being identified as a person with a schizophrenic condition, she then talks of the reality of her condition, diagnosing it and accounting for it in terms of symptoms. This forms the reality of her schizophrenia in terms of symptoms and episodes; of potentially damaging and unsociable behaviour that need to be alleviated. The focus is put on the need to alleviate these symptoms, much like that of a cold, so that she can operate and function in accordance to social and cultural norms. In this definition of her experiences we see that she spends little time entertaining any notions of significance or attempts to construct meaning for the voices in her head in any way whatsoever. Other than them being defined as a symptom and ultimately a nuisance, she gives them no regard in her account. For instance, she explains that ‘Ive also learnt to be better at spotting the signs. I stop things getting out of hand by t rying to get enough rest and relaxation. I also avoid anything that may exacerbate the symptoms, such as drinking alcohol, watching TV which sends me messages and going out in large groups‘(Breeze, 2003). This certainly indicates that her treatment of this condition is not dissimilar to that of a socially unwanted vice. Furthermore, we can see that she will take social sacrifices due to the idea and significance that she impinges upon these symptoms as indicators of madness within her socially constructed reality. She seems to place a responsibility of the removal of her perceived madness for the benefit of normal society at the heart of her account. This discourse of madness or surreal otherness is at the heart of the socially constructed ideology of sane and is clearly the thing that she fears to enter into. As the post modern critic Roland Bartes puts it, ’Imagine someone who abolishes within himself all barriers, all classes, all exclusions, not by syncretism but by simple discard of that old spectre: logical contradiction; who mixes every language, even those said to be incompatible; who silently accepts every charge of illogicality, of incongruity; who remains passive in the face of Socratic irony (leading the interlocutor to the supreme disgrace: self-contradiction) and legal terrorism (how much penal evidence is based on a psychology of consistency!). Such a man would be the mockery of our society: court, school, asylum, polite conversation would cast him out: who endures contradiction without shame? Now this anti-hero exists: he is the reader of the text at the moment he takes his pleasure.’ (Bartes, 1975, p.3) With this statement we can see how Bartes highlights the strength of social construction as an informer of the way in which we objectify knowledge so that we can perceive things as sane and insane from the perspective of language. Clearly challenging and indicating the flaw in ’Cartesian’ scientific rationality as the governor of what is sane and insane, he suggests that someone who challenges this and essentially sees outside of their localised knowledge construct and its discourse of a socially governed language would be made a mockery of by that society. He even refers to this in terms of conversation, which is what is referred to directly in the account. This is clearly the biggest fear present in the account and central to the person’s definition of her condition in terms of understanding, rationalising and formation of a reality construct. She is essentially using what Homi Bhabha, a post-colonial critic and cynic of established schools of psychological tho ught, particularly in the West, refers to as the technique of applying a ’localised cultural’ definition of her condition and applying it to an illusory ’universal’ truth (Bhabha, 1994, p,62). Essentially, her reality is that her condition is an insane or ’mad’ other that is signified in accordance to the socially constructed sane that is represented in her localised bi-polar language system. The role of ‘agency’ also plays a significant part in her account (Smith, 2001, P.2). On highlighting a very clear socially defined split between what is sane behaviour and what is insane behaviour, she suggests that although not wanting to, she feels relief when she enters the hospital. On craving a perceived agency prevalent in her accordance to the principles of scientific rationality, she feels calm at the removal from society so that she no longer needs to actively suppress and be conscious of the onset of the insane other. She tells us that, ‘Finding it hard to trust your own judgment is part and parcel of the illness. For instance, if there was a noise outside that I couldnt account for I might think it was the voices, so sometimes Id ask Mike or a friend: Is that real? Its still not perfect and I still go in and out of hospital. I hate going doing it, but once I am there, there is a feeling of relief.’ (Breeze, 2003) During this account we can see that she again makes no indication as to what the meanings of her voices are or what they may signify. Instead she focuses upon them in terms of unwanted symptoms. We can see that she has removed agency away from a coming to terms with her disease in a personal manner and toward a constant and vigilant guardianship over her perceived sanity. It would seem that with her being taken into hospital her account ends and she does not extrapolate on any of the findings or experiences within the hospital, as if the committing of herself to hospital brings closure to her discourse. Essentially, that her madness and insanity that bears no significance in her discourse of rationality and sanity has no place in the scientifically established social construction of knowledge. In this she indicates that she has become a patient to her condition, rather than a polemic agent to the condition, which brings her much needed relief. It is not so much that her symptoms are being alleviated, but that her symptoms are being taken away from societal knowledge and its rational discourse of the sane. In her conclusion we see how she perceives the stereotypes of schizophrenia as madness. Trying to steer away from the demonisation of schizophrenics that she feels is perpetuated by the media and other sources of social informants she suggests that, ‘The perception of people with schizophrenia still hasnt gone away. On the whole, people with schizophrenia are not violent. Obviously it happens because you read stories about it, but people with schizophrenia are more likely to harm themselves than anyone else.’ (Breeze, 2003) In this concluding account we can see that she is concerned with the image of schizophrenics as an unpredictable and essentially violent group of people. She seems to present herself as a schizophrenic who is rational, in control and above all sane, albeit with a mental illness that can and must be controlled. It would appear that she is trying to appeal to socially constructed definitions and ideas of rationality that can be understood within the culture and language system of English. Entering into a rational discourse that positions the insanity of the schizophrenic as sane, yet subordinate, she succeeds in what De Kaster refers to as ‘The mapping of implicit stories and discourse, that live underground [and] offer opportunities to open a broad discussion, in which the dominant discourse or story can be challenged’ (De Koster et al, 2004). It would appear that she has succeeded in attacking the perception that exists in the socially constructed language of the insane so that ‘alternative paths are being uncovered, choices have to be justified, resulting in an emancipation effect, which, in the long term, can support personal and social changes‘ (De Koster et al, 2004). However, in accordance to the epistemological thought of social constructionism this definition does not necessarily represent a truth. Merely one of many possible truths. Similarly, it is not without critique. Some schools of thought related to social constructionism would argue that this interpretation itself suffers from objectifying her experience (Fry et al, 1997). Others would argue that there is an objective reality from which experience can be measured (Smith, 2000). Although language is a component of ideology and experience can be understood as subjective, there is a physical world whereby experience can be measured. The lengths to which this can be fully drawn out by social constructionism are not as yet established. Bibliography Aitchison, J., (2005) Words of the Mind London: Blackwell Bandura, A,. (1986) Social Foundations of Thought AND Action New Jersey: Prentice Hall Bartes, R,. (1975) The Pleasure of the Text, Canada: Harper Collins. Bhabha, H., (1994) The Location of Culture New York: Routledge Breeze, S., (2003) How I live with schizophrenia London: Daily Mail Burr,V,. (1995) An Introduction to Social Constructionism, London: Routledge. Burr, V. (1998) ‘Overview: realism, relativism, social constructionism and discourse.’ In Parker, I (Ed.) Social Constructionism, Discourse and Realism. London: Sage. Cromby, J Nightingale, D (1999) Social constructionist psychology. London: Sage. De Koster Katerin (2004) Two practices, one perspective, many constructs: on the implications of social constructionism on scientific research and therapy. Taken from: http://www.centroditerapiastrategica.org/journal english 1/Articoli_Inglese/de koster.pdf Fox,D Prilleltensky,I (1997) Critical Psychology: An introduction, London Sage Gregan, K., (1994) An Invitation to Social Constructionism London: Sage Smith, J., (2000) The Psychology of Action London: McMillan Rogers, C., (1951) Client centred therapy Boston: Houghton Mifflin