Case Study: Transferable Skills

Case Study: Transferable Skills How was I before the Core Business Skills module? The Core Business skills is a module that explores a number of quality tools that will help us to look at our core skills in the business field and identify areas where we could improve. At the beginning of this module, I used to leave my life as normal with few skills that I have learned from my parents, for example the Communication skills and Team working skills, but even it was not enough to communicate or to work with whomever. Communication skills and team working skills are the closest skills; team working can not occur if there is no communication. Since our childhood, our parents push us to get in touch with people of our ages. At beginning, it is never easy seeing the quarrels that happen with our friends in the youngest ages while playing together, but these skills get developed in growing older. I also had an experience of team working during few years when I used to play football in a club, and as we know this sport is not played individually, but in a team, and I had learned a lot during this experience. It is sure that we learn a lot from our parents and the activities in our childhood, but studying complements the path our parents put us on to build our future in order to get the objective of having a good life later on. I have also learned during my past years some important skills that our module covers, such as Numeracy skills and Information Skills. However, they were not as important as we studied during this semester. Numeracy skills are taught in increasing levels since the youngest ages, starting from the primary school until we get our degree at the university, but before, it was just numbers and relations that I learned and that dont stand for anything real. On what concerns the information skills, I have learned a few about it during the high school and I increased my level on it during the foundation year I have done last year at the university. Other skills that are closer to the communication skills which are the effective learning skills, and they are also close to the personal and career development skills as well. The effective learning skills are the ones I learned trough some experiences, but for what concerns the personal and career development skills I did know nothing about them until I discovered them during this module. What this module has changed on my life? Regarding the six transferable skills that I have learned during this module, I notice that I have made a big improvement on these skills that help me now to be more efficient on getting my objectives either on my personal or professional life. Since more than one year ago, I work and I study simultaneously, and things that I learned during this module brought me to a higher level that I was not expecting from myself. I will introduce my job in few words and describe how what I got from the Core Business Skills module changed the way I was doing it. So, I work as Electronic Dance Music producer with many professional record labels worldwide, and this started just by passion at the beginning until I have been discovered by one of the most famous deejays in South America, and then I had a proposal to sign my song on his own record label located in Buenos Aires in Argentina, here was my first professional experience and I was afraid of getting ripped off because I did not know how to deal with the contract and I did not even negotiate it. However, I kept balancing between what I study and my work and I acquired more experiences practicing what I study on my professional life. Edwin H. Friedman said about communication that The colossal misunderstanding of our time is the assumption that insight will work with people who are unmotivated to change. Communication does not depend on syntax, or eloquence, or rhetoric, or articulation but on the emotional context in which the message is being heard. People can only hear you when they are moving toward you, and they are not likely to when your words are pursuing them. Even the choices words lose their power when they are used to overpower. Attitudes are the real figures of speech. (1) So, the communication skills are very important on my daily work, now due to what I learned, I started knowing how to negotiate my contracts with the other record labels for each song I make, and this fact contributes on making more profit and also to advertise my artwork and letting people buy what I make. This course also helped me to learn how to make formal letters to communicate with the record labels and producers worldwide as well as this will serve me later on my professional life as future manager. Now as Im still a student I do use it only on my music affaire and my personal life with my family and friends. Also I would mention that as a student and future manager, I highly improved my skills on making presentations in front of the audience. On what concerns the effective learning skills on my personal and professional life, now I can know what I should improve on my life, on my studies or on my musical skills. Before, on my studies, I was kind of lost when the exams were approaching, it usually happened to me to be confused on what to prioritize and what to leave for the last, but now I got this level of knowing prioritizing the most important things after identifying them. Same thing on my life out of studies and on my professional life as well, now I can identify on what I could improve to make better songs in the future, I can manage myself to improve my personal and my student life to get best results, and eventually, now I know what I want to be, what I want to be later on, and how to get my goal. On my professional life, I also use the skills I learned about the team working knowing that my job consists on composing and producing songs, sign them on record labels then advertising them as much as possible to get profit out of them, even if advertising is the main work of the record labels. Also, it plays a vital role on my personal life. As I said at the beginning, team working is taught by our parents and our society at the first before starting classes, but whatever is the level that we get from these lasts, the school teaches us more about them. We work in teams at home, we play sport in teams and also at the school and the university we work for some projects given for our studies in teams or either preparing for our exams we mostly work in teams. TEAM stands for Together Everyone Achieves More. Working in teams is essential on the business life, either working for our own or others companies, these skills consist mainly on sharing tasks and ideas in a project work, and th is technique is more efficient than working alone. Numeracy skills stand for budgeting, numeracy functions and computations, dates and time, parenting and health related numeracy. These skills on budgeting or money management and banking serve to count money, make change, calculate services charges, save money and invest it too, and these are generally skills that our module covers adding to the numeracy functions and computations skills that we learned in the past from the primary school until the high school. Dates and time skills are used to some basic things in life as using a calendar, fill in time sheets or writing the date as well as the parenting and health related numeracy skills to read directions and dosage on medicines bottles, read thermometers or to understand a report card. All these numeracy skills are important and very useful on whomevers daily life for either managers, farmers or whatever we can be. During this module I leaned the most of the important numeracy skills for business management field, and this regardi ng the decision threes to analyze and get the best solution to do not make loss on business and take the best decision. The information skills are vital for all the successful professionals. These skills help us to become more efficient. Here are some techniques that help us to develop our information skills. The first one is how to take notes effectively, and this is a good tool to record and organize the information, the second one is to fully absorb the written information to assimilate and understand the written information quickly and effectively. Reading strategies is also a technique to read faster by thinking what to read, while the technique of keeping the information fresh in our minds helps to keep what we learned alive in our minds. There is also a technique which is learning in a way that suits us and this will not only help us on developing the ways we can learn, but we will be able to make what we do so the others can learn efficiently from us. Making learning an enjoyable experience is for me the best way to learn efficiently because if we love what we do we get good results, and this is what is helping me a lot on my music producer career, even all the results that I got from my productions I still dont consider this as a job but just as my main passion and I keep learning day after day. Same thing on my studies, there are some topics that I enjoy and I can be successful on them, but once I dont love one topic, I know that I will have problems within it. The personal and career development skills are the ones I really enjoyed during this module. These skills are mainly keys for everyones life. To know our own strengths that we already have and we might build on, our weaknesses that we could reduce or otherwise work around, our opportunities that are related to our chances and that we can exploit better than the others, or even our threads that we need to be aware of them and to avoid them is a simple analysis that allows us to know who really we are and to avoid stress. I also learned how to manage my time and the basic ideas of control in this module, and all these skills have changed my personal and professional life and help me to gain more confidence on myself and to keep improving on my life in general. What should I develop again on my transferable skills? All the skills that I got from the Core Business Skills module are not skills related only to the business field, but to our life in general and help to improve the way we are living it. Bill Clinton, the forty second U.S President (1993-2001) said: Today, many companies are reporting that their number one constraint on growth is the inability to hire workers with the necessary skills. (2) From what Bill Clinton said, companies have a lack of workers with the necessary skills, and they do their best to overcome this problem, but people with the necessary skills are not enough to satisfy every companys need. To participate on the growth of our society, we should all have some basic skills which when we develop them, we get a higher level of confidence and abilities. Personally, even the improvement that I have done during this module, I still have to improve all the skills to get my personal objective. We know that the sky is the limit for what concerns learning the skills, and we can improve them more and more day after day. My skills on communication are not enough, because if I start communicating with professional people I could not be at the same level as them, but with the practice and time I can develop my skills and reach the level required by the professional world. Also, I still have many problems when it comes to the numeracy skills on business; the decision tree for example seems to me easy, I can get the tree, but not the calculation, I usually get lost on applying the relations and calculating numbers. The information skills, and the personal and career development skills, I think we can develop them more within the next modules and experiences. I got a lot of benefits from this module, it has changed my life, now I see things in a professional way and this is the best way to reach out the objectives that we set on our life. Now that I learned also these skills I set new goals to my life and I will try to achieve them all, or at least the majority. People with goals mostly succeed because they already know where they are going. I also believe in Willis Reeds quote that says: Go for the moon. If you dont get it, you will still be heading for a star.

Cubism & Expressionism Essay -- essays research papers fc

In this paper I will be comparing the expressionist art movement with the cubist art movement. I will discuss some of the artists that made these movements a stepping-stone for the other movement that followed. I will look at Picasso and Kandinsky to name a couple.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Expressionism, which began in 1905, was the term used for early 20th century art that conveyed emotional and spiritual preoccupations of the artist, using a variety of styles and subject matter (Arnason 124). These expressionist artists built on techniques of the post-impressionist movement; they generally relied on simple and powerful shapes that were direct and sometimes crude expression (Arnason 124). All this was to heighten the emotional response of the viewer experiencing the art (Arnason 124).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Expressionist drew inspiration from their own background traditions of medieval sculptures and folk art (Arnason 124). They also referred back to art from Africa and Oceania (Arnason 124). One of the more famous artist that also referred to African art for inspiration was Pablo Picasso. Picasso with Braque have been credited for developing cubism. Cubism was a revolutionary turn in the history of art. It was not an abstract style in itself, but it gave way to the many varieties of nonobjective art that made its way throughout Europe (Arnason 156). It can be seen as a more radical expression of the philosophy that justified the artistic thoughts and innovatio...

George Orwell 1984 Essay

In this essay I intend to investigate experiences and historical events in Orwell’s lifetime. These events may have significantly influenced Orwell’s style, structure and theme, contributing to the political and artistic nature of his novel. I also intend to compare the contradictory interpretations of Orwell’s ‘message’. Did he intend 1984 as a warning, a prediction, or a historical novel? Despite its critics 1984 has made a significant impression on the modern world. Its infiltration into reality television may not be a tribute Orwell would have appreciated but many of his terms and phrases have been used to highlight threats to social and personal freedom. I will use this as a basis to ascertain whether there are other aspects of Orwell’s novel that have become reality in the modern world. 1984 by George Orwell was written in1947/48. This era has been referred to as ‘The age of anxiety, the age of the lost generation’. (www. historyguide. org/europe/lecture10) It was a nightmare world where individuality was lost. The totalitarian states of the time, exercised complete control over the lives of their human subjects. The Great War (World War One) facilitated totalitarian regimes, simply because war has only one objective: victory. â€Å"Individuality is sacrificed for collectivism and freedom is restricted as governments reject liberal values†. (www. historyguide. org/europe/lecture10) This mood of anxiety and conformity, is clearly illustrated in 1984; this is portrayed in the early pages of the novel and is maintained throughout. Orwell cleverly uses his descriptive talent, to set the scene for his reader. At the very beginning of his novel ‘the vile wind, the swirl of gritty dust’ (Page 4) projects a negative image of life in 1984. The maintenance of these visual images is preserved and comparisons, between post-war Britain and 1984, are recognisable. Examples of these are the shortages, rationing and the bombsites of the 1940’s. Orwell successfully engages the readers’ senses to conjure up images within the mind of the reader. ‘The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats’. (Page 4) I found phrases like this one actually made me feel the squalor and deprivation he was describing. The use of visual cues is also a theme, which starts on the first page of Orwell’s novel. He continually presents images that could be describing London during the 1940’s, but are in fact describing life in 1984. ‘A coloured poster too large for indoor display has been tacked to the wall ’(Page 4) Orwell has managed to reaffirm the squalid surroundings by the use of the word ‘tacked’ before he has even described the poster. ‘It depicted simply an enormous face, more than a metre wide: the face of a man of about forty-five with heavy black moustache and ruggedly hand-some features’. Many have suggested that Orwell based his character â€Å"Big Brother† the leader of the party on Stalin and Hitler because they all shared similar physical characteristics and had the ability to â€Å"manipulate the minds of the masses†. (The Worlds Most Evil Men). However, Churchill was also â€Å"recognised for his skill in altering peoples minds†(The History Of World War II) which could be interpreted that, the people of the 1940’s were being manipulated, regardless of their countries political status. His creative talent excelled itself with the name of his totalitarian leader. Big Brother conveys an image of trust and loyalty with the idea that he is a member of your family who is a figure affording protection and security. This is a complete contradiction to the lives of the Russian citizens under Stalin or the German people during Hitler’s rein and indeed the population of nineteen eighty four had little opportunity to feel safe. The naming of other characters within his novel, I suspect, had a deeper meaning. For example Emmanuel Goldstein’s face was described as It resembled the face of a sheep and the voice, too, had a sheep like quality. The significance of this description becomes more meaningful if you look at a poster (see appendix 1) used during World War II. Henri Guigon represented Churchill as a British bulldog in an American poster. To the whole world Britain’s new prime minister epitomised the stubborn and proud nature of the British. Orwell uses animals for descriptive comparison frequently in his writing but the use of a sheep, in this instance, is a curious choice. The character Goldstein is the leader of the opposition and sheep like qualities conjure up images of low intelligence and all following the crowd. This is a form of sarcasm that implies ridicule, disapproval, or contempt Sarcasm often includes an element of irony. Winston’s description of the opposition is not dissimilar to party members. Orwell could have been expressing his concerns with how Churchill’s War Cabinet, had on occasions, behaved no differently from the fascist regimes of the era. News was censored, wages controlled and travel restricted under the guise of wartime necessity. (Guardian 2002). However Goldstein is a Jewish name and World War II had just ended when this book was being written. Goldstein is used as a scapegoat in 1984, which has, parallels with the Nazis attempt to blame their problems on the Jews. In my opinion the name of Orwell’s main character Winston Smith also had a deeper, if somewhat personal meaning. Orwell was a dying man, when he wrote this novel, and he was probably aware it would be his final legacy to the world. He had a reluctant admiration for Churchill. Although he did not always agree with his policies he admired him not only for his courage but also a certain â€Å"largeness and geniality†. The History Of World War II) This admiration was expressed in the form of poetry that he rarely wrote. (See appendix 2). It is a fitting acknowledgement of this respect, that Winston became the name of his primary character. Smith is simply a very common English name, which gives the impression that Winston Smith is a very ordinary citizen not dissimilar to oneself. The caption under the Big Brother posters read â€Å" Big Brother is watching you† (Page 4) Orwell’s use of capital letters for this caption, and indeed others later in the book, gives increased impact to the reader of the significance of these words. It gives a sense of the controlling nature of the society in which the citizens of 1984 lived; constantly being watched by the eyes of Big Brother. It was similar to the blackouts enforced during World War II where wardens’ patrolled neighbourhood, and failure to conform, resulted in humiliating offenders in front of their neighbours. (The History Of World War II) The use of posters and slogans in Orwell’s novel may well have been inspired by the vast array of similar images used during World War II. England and Germany, among others, used large images, in a poster format, to send messages to their people. These were used to encourage conformity, solidarity and patriotism within each nation. At times they were also used to inflate morale at home and abroad, while at the same time humiliating and ridiculing their opponents. (See appendix 3) A good example of this, used in World War II, is the appearance of ‘V’ on walls in German- occupied Belgium. The Flemish speaking Belgians would interpret this as ‘vrijheid’, which means freedom, and the French speaking Belgians would understand this to mean ‘victoire’ (victory). This is a cruel psychological attack on an already defeated nation. Winston describes party slogans, in 1984, on the walls of buildings, which also have contradictory meanings. â€Å"War is peace, Freedom is Slavery and Ignorance is Strength† (Page 6) Orwell uses this type of psychological approach in different ways throughout his novel. Orwell’s wife, Eileen O’Shaughnessy (1905-1945) had a degree in psychology from Oxford University. Obtained in the 1920’s this would have been a significant achievement for a woman at that time and her influence on Orwell’s writing has been recognised. Eileen wrote a poem called â€Å"End Of The Century, 1984†(1934). There are similarities between the futuristic vision of Eileen’s poem and Orwell’s 1984, including mind control and the destruction of personal freedom. (www. arlindo-correia) The aggression, described by Winston, during the two-minute hate, and the hangings could have been influenced by Eileen’s psychological knowledge. There are various psychological theories as to why people display aggression. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) believed aggressive impulses are a reaction to frustrations of daily lives. This theory could easily be applied to the citizens in 1984. Freud’s theories were very influential during the 1940’s/50’s and his written articles had an almost political language, when referring to human behaviour, which may have appealed to Orwell’s political and artistic nature. Behavioural psychologists believe behaviour is learnt through reinforcement; their theory is that humans respond to social reinforcement such as social approval. In the 1940’s solidarity and conformity in Britain was achieved via camaraderie â€Å"every one doing their bit†. (Yesterdays Britain) In 1984 it was built on fear. In the following quote Winston describes what happens to citizens who don’t conform to the party’s political orthodoxy. In the vast majority of cases there was no trial, no report of the arrest. People simply disappeared, always during the night. Your name was removed from the registers, everything you had ever done was wiped out, your one-time existence was denied and then forgotten. You were abolished, annihilated: vaporized. (Page 22) This type of enforcement was common after the death of Lenin in 1924. His successor Josef Stalin turned a popular revolution based on freedom and equality, into a totalitarian dictatorship maintained solely by terror. He said â€Å"The death of a man is a tragedy; the death of a thousand is a statistic† (World Most Evil Men). A census in 1937 estimated that Russia’s population was twenty million short of what it should have been, although this information was withheld and emigration and famine were factors Stalin’s purges accounted for millions of deaths during his rule. Winston describes the use of purges during the formation of the party. The intense anger and hatred that Winston describes are characteristic of mob behaviour and learning. The characters of Orwell’s novel show almost animal like hatred for the opposition and hero worship for Big Brother. This behaviour appears unrealistic, but if you look at Britain during World War II there are some striking similarities. The people of Britain were suffering a savage war with horrors, deprivation, shortages and bombings. Death and loss were a constant threat, yet ordinary British people obeyed government instructions â€Å"keep calm and carry on†. The conformity of the people of 1984 is portrayed in different ways firstly; party uniforms remove any possibility of individuality. The idea that men and women wore the same uniform also removed gender as a source of identity. ‘ I’m going to get hold of a real women’s frock from somewhere and wear it instead of these bloody trousers’. Julia goes on to say ‘In this room I’m going to be a woman, not a party comrade’. (Page 164) During the war women’s role changed and they were required to do the work previously done by men. The uniforms they wore, although practical, had a distinctly masculine appearance. Clothing was rationed until March 1949 and women had learnt to live independently. The Bible (Deuteronomy 22. 5) clearly states, â€Å"The women shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man† highlighting the social unacceptability of women wearing trousers. This did not change until the 1960’s. Gender identity refers to the psychological and biological dimensions of sex. Freud (1925) described this as â€Å"Psychical consequences of anatomical distinction between the sexes†(Freud 1925) In the modern world, there is legislation that prohibits discrimination, because of a person’s gender identity, which is part of the human rights laws. (www. ransgenderlaw. org) Although Orwell gives his characters names, the society he is describing mainly refer to each other as comrade. This was also a common term used in Nazi Germany, during World War II. Removing the use of personal names is another means of removing an individual’s identity and individuality. The party is all-powerful, friendships and family structure is suppressed to limit the possibility of divided loyalties. The party demands absolute loyalty in thought and deed. Children are brainwashed via organization such as the Junior Spies and Youth Groups these are similar to Adolph Hitler’s Youth League, during World War II. Education was designed to suppress independent thought and sources of information were restricted and controlled. In the 1940’s most educational establishments, educated children via the ‘didactic model’ sometimes called teacher- centred teaching. This method is where knowledge is passed from teacher to pupil. The teacher speaks and the pupil’s listen. In the modern world students are educated via the ‘critical method’ this is sometimes called ‘student-centred learning’. This is a process where students are taught to explore, question and formulate truth and opinions for themselves. The use of investigating, discussing and debating are used to facilitate the development of independent thought. (Pollard1998) One of the most chilling depictions of the repressive and controlling nature of life in 1984, in my opinion, is the inclusion of the telescreen.. â€Å"The telescreen receives and transmitted simultaneously, you had to live did live, from habit that became instinctive in the assumption that every sound you made was over heard, and except in darkness, every movement scrutinised†. Page 5) The use of the telescreen was an ingenious concept, taking into account the era. Technology was primitive compared to the modern world. However, the military during World War II improved radar and rockets, this enabled the post war development of television (1946) and close circuit television (CCTV) (1949). The Star newspaper (January 14 1949) included an article explaining a â€Å"New system of television being used to aid road safety†. This system carried signa ls direct from a camera to a screen with both visual and audio reception, this was known as CCTV. The summer of 1949 saw the technology and the knowledge but not the resources available to launch satellites (The Star 1949) which we now know can be used to monitor, observe and transmit around the world. In today’s society Britain has earned a reputation as a world leader of surveillance. It is estimated that the average British citizen is caught on camera up to three hundred times per day (The Star 2005). However, observation of British citizens is not a new concept. During World War II mass observation was the government’s way of keeping in touch with the mood of the people. Tom Harrison, the director of mass observation called for observers to monitor war morale. Citizens’ reactions in cinemas were monitored to perceive the mood of the nation (Yesterdays Britain). Orwell used irony extensively through out his novel. For example He was alone: no telescreen, no ear at the keyhole, no nervous impulse to glance over his shoulder or cover the page with his hand. (Page 214) This contradicts appearance with reality and allows the reader to understand Winston’s motives and rebellion. Later the reader is informed that in fact the telescreen is hidden behind a picture, which was offered for sale by Mr Charrington earlier in the novel. This suggests to the reader that an enemy is not always obvious. The friend and foe situation between the Communists and the Nazi’s during the 1940’s is a clear example of a hidden enemy. In the present world, America and Britain are fighting a War on terrorism. It appears ironic that we are fighting a war against an unknown enemy; at home and abroad. Orwell’s character Winston Smith is frequently concerned with the parties’ alteration of facts and history. The quote â€Å"He who controls the past controls the future† is a terrifying notion. The alteration of history, whether personal or social removes individuality and identity it also, to a certain extent, changes reality into anything the ruling party deems it to be. Stalin, after the Russian revolution, had history rewritten to magnify his part in events. Trotsky’s part had been erased from Soviet textbooks. (Time Archive 1940) For information and historical events to be constant and unalterable they need to be remembered. Humans have a complex memory system, which enables information received from the environment to be processed. Short-term memory (STM) is information that is held temporarily and long-term memory (LTM) is a permanent storage system. For information to pass from STM into LTM individuals need to pay attention to the received information. Repetition, relearning and making the information meaningful help to maintain the information permanently. Orwell’s 1984 society appears to be attempting to remove LTM from its citizens. Information is received via telescreens but due to poor LTM development this information can be altered without the individual remembering the original information. This is achievable partly due to the act that new information interferes with previous memories. Orwell expressed his concerns (Politics and the English language) that government officials debating on historic events trivialised the truth and found ways to convince everyone that history never happened or happened but it didn’t mater any way. Young children have a limited memory capacity due to underdevelopment of the pre frontal cortex but also because they are not particularly interested in remembering the past thus make little effort to develop ways of making memories meaningful, which also makes recall more difficult. Orwell use’s this concept in his novel in a variety of ways. Firstly the characters in 1984 are more concerned with survival than the past. The present is more relevant to this aim than events from the past. With the invention of Newspeak, the official language of Oceania it enables the party to restrict speech, thought and consequently memory. Many in today’s society, would suggest that politicians have perfected their own form of â€Å"Newspeak†. The use of text messaging is also a modern day form of newspeak. Orwell was concerned with the use, or misuse of the English language. He felt that words with variable meaning were often used with the intent to deceive and that language was intended for expression not concealing or preventing thought. In the modern world the media is required to present a ‘balanced’ coverage of news and public affaires. However this results in a form of ‘double think’ in which truth is immediately neutered by an opposite truth. The second section of Orwell’s novel deals mainly with the love affair between the characters Winston and Julia. This gives the novel direction and hope. However, the inclusion of â€Å"the book† makes this a difficult section to read. Orwell’s intentions may well have been to explain the futility of war where there are no winners or indeed losers; just simply the maintenance of war. Hitler wrote a book called Mein Kampf (My Struggle) outlining his vision of the future of Germany. It was a ranting, sometimes unreadable vision of the future of Germany (The world’s most evil men). This may have been the inspiration for the inclusion of â€Å"the book† in Orwell’s novel. Orwell uses various figurative language through out his novel, this gives the writing greater power of expression and meets Orwell’s criteria for artistic purpose (Why I Write). For example the melodramatic use of the nursery rhyme â€Å"Oranges and lemons†, say the bells of St Clements’s! (Page 112) Is an epigram, the rhyme symbolizes, in an almost child like way, the past. Orwell maintains the original historical names of the London churches before the formation of the party. Through this symbolic representation it gives Winston hope that, fragments of the past can survive. Other characters gradually piece together the rhyme until Charington finally completes it during the capture of Winston and Julia. These Churches are recognisable in London today and keep the novel relevant after the year 1984. Orwell uses innuendo with the words â€Å"we shall meet in the place where there is no darkness† (Page 118). Winston believes these words are from O’Brien but Orwell manages to keep the origin and the significance of these words unknown until Winston and Julia are captured. This creates and develops a sense of foreboding and suspense, which maintains the controlling and manipulating society, which is being portrayed in 1984. Winston’s dreams of the â€Å"Golden Country† are the direct opposite of his reality in 1984. They represent peace, beauty, unity and uniqueness. These are Freudian theories as they reveal Winston’s subconscious. The capture and subsequent torture of Winston shows a curious, horrific and terrifying journey. The absolute and total destruction of the mind and body. However, the language and tone is calm and detached with surprisingly little malice, anger or hatred. This gives a deeper more powerful description of what Orwell is suggesting the future could be. It also gives the character O’Brien a more complex personality. He is constantly switching between ‘good guy’ and ‘bad guy’. This intrigues the reader, as well as Winston. Is he friend or foe? He has the â€Å"power† to do good or evil, which will he choose? Orwell is using an interesting psychological theory. He is suggesting that not all evil men are bad all the time and thus good people do not always act nicely. The reader is left with a feeling of wanting to like O’Brien but at the same time hating him for his cruelty. This strange relationship is as contradictory and confusing as Churchill and Roosevelt’s involvement with Stalin (1939). Despite the catastrophic purges, and the negative value that Stalin had demonstrated over human life, they still became allies. Churchill said of Stalin, at the Yalta summit, â€Å"I walk through the world with greater courage when I find myself in a relationship of friendship and intimacy with this great man. † Stalin concealed a cruel and calculating nature prepared to commit war crimes at least as evil as those of the enemy. (Worlds Most Evil Men) Winston represents mankind (us)†If you are a man, Winston, you are the last man. †(Page 309) Winston’s torture and re-education is his or our chance to save humanity, freedom, individuality, choice, beliefs and the right to be different. Orwell has used psychological manipulation of the mind to project a horrific interpretation of the destruction of mankind Orwell uses a terrifying concept, by taking Stalin and Hitler’s atrocities to a whole new level: total and absolute conformity in life as well as in death. So long as human beings stay human, death and life are the same thing. (Page 156) Orwell’s novel in my opinion is a plausible projection of the future as he saw it in 1948. Projections of the future, often allows the reader to become detached because the people appear different from oneself. However, Orwell creates characters that are not dissimilar from us (the reader). The inclusion of the proletarians, that cleverly maintain sentimental songs and normal human compassion, also prevents detachment and preserves recognisable modern parallels. The setting of this novel is used to maintain the past, the present and the future. For example, the central administration building of The University of London which was used during World War II as the headquarters for the ministry of information. All censoring systems were coordinated from here. It bears a striking resemblance to the Ministry of Love described in 1984 and amusingly its telegraphic address was â€Å"miniform†. (www. orwelltoday. com) All other significant buildings, described in 1984 can be located in London today. This was probably Orwell’s intention and it keeps the novel viable even after the year 1984. In returning to the original question I feel I have demonstrated that George Orwell used many sources of inspiration, from the world, in his writing of 1984 and it powerfully reflects the times in which it was written. After the publication of Animal Farm (1945) Orwell explained that he intended â€Å"to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole†(Why I Write). This suggests that Orwell was concerned with Britain’s future. Even with overwhelming evidence of the evil nature of the Stalin regime, they still became allies with Britain and America. Malcolm Muggeride said of Orwell â€Å"He loved the past, hated the present and dreaded the future. I strongly believe that Orwell intended 1984, as a warning of what the world could become, not necessarily what it would become, if ‘we’ (the future) did not take action and responsibility. Orwell has left a legacy, a permanent warning. For the present and the future, to prevent the formation of the totalitarian states of the past. His terminology has given modern day man, the language to express themselves and to protect civil liberties and influence human rights. 1984 is a political satire that exaggerates all that was wrong with the world in 1949 to hopefully shock and horrify a nation into action and prevent this type of society becoming a reality. Although the date of the book has passed the message is still clear and in some ways more relevant today, than when it was written. The advances in technology have made the surveillance and monitoring of citizens easier and more commonplace. Freedom, in the true sense of the word still depends on where you live, your age and your gender. However, I feel Orwell’s novel should be recognised for its extraordinary impact and significant contribution to human rights in the modern world. Although Orwell’s warning has been subjected to many interpretations I feel a novelist is supposed to make you think and possibly reflect: you must agree, job well done. Despite its critics 1984 has sold millions of copies and has been translated into 65 languages.

Infant observation essays

Infant observation essays On Wednesday, July 19th, I had a chance to observe carefully an infant for about half an hour in my psychology class at Santa Monica College. The infant, Ali Osman is a healthy, playfull boy, appeared to be of Middle Eastern origin. He is 15.5 months old, 32" tall and weighs about 24 lbs with brown curly hair, dark brown eyes and fairly tanned skin. 1. There were several kinds of toys like blocks, dolls, automobiles... in the room. However, when he just came in, he was immediately drawn to the dolls with intense focus. Eventhough there wasn't any way to measure his heart rate or brain wave, I could easily tell how interested he was by the way he gazed, touched and played with the dolls. This could be explained by the fact that "the perception of an unfamiliar stimulus usually elicits physiological responses" (Berger, p. 156). Later, this explanation of mine for his behavior was confirmed to be correct by his mother that he had never seen a doll before. Clearly, he was sensing the strange object and trying to perceive it. And exactly as the text said, "eventually, habituation occurs, in which the stimulus becomes so familiar and uninteresting that these responses slow down." (Berger, p. 156), he got tired of the dolls and began to pay attention to other toys and people around. 2. According to table 5.2, the Age Norms for Motor Skills in Berger, p. 153, for his age of 15.5 months, 90% of all babies master the skill of walking. Beside being able to walk, just like the majority of infants at his age (from 1-2 years old), Ali is quite a toddler, "for the characteristic way they move their bodies, toddling from side to side." (Berger, p. 151). Still toddling but Ali obviously belongs to the upper half of the population in mastering his gross motorskill since he is also able to walk backward, a skill that only 50% of infant could master at his age according to again table 5.2. 3. Ali is quite a friendly kid, he is not ...

Contract Law The WritePass Journal

Contract Law Introduction Contract Law : 316). In spite of this, the practical application of economic duress has been subject to much confusion and it has been questioned when, if ever, renegotiations should be enforced. It would seem, under the doctrine of consideration, that renegotiations can never be enforced on the basis that no additional consideration supports the promise to pay more or accept less (Chen-Wishart, 2012: 316). Under the promissory estoppel doctrine, the promise to pay the same for less can be enforced in limited circumstances, though this does not apply if illegitimate pressure has been exerted. Therefore, if it can be demonstrated that illegitimate pressure has been applied to the renegotiation of a contract, that contract will not be enforceable. Because commercial contracts are extremely competitive, it is likely to be the case that some form of pressure will always be applied. Though the question to be determined is whether the pressure that has been applied is legitimate or not. This is likely to be ex tremely problematic and thus cause a great deal of complexity for the courts. As exemplified in the cases above, threats to blacklist a ship and refuse its release may constitute duress. Further examples of where economic duress has occurred can be seen in the cases of North Ocean Shipping Co Ltd v Hyundai Construction Co Ltd [1979] QB 705 and Pao On v Lau Yiu Long [1979] UKPC 17 where threats to terminate a contract in the absence of a renegotiation is also illegitimate unless it can be legally justified. What will be deemed legally justified is largely a matter to be determined based upon individual facts and circumstances, though there is likely to remain a lot of confliction in this area. In Williams v Roffey Brothers Ltd [1991] EWCA Civ 5 the Stilk case was severely limited by the courts.   Here, the consideration requirement was extended to include practical benefits and thereby covered the promise to perform an existing contract. Here, a number of contractors promised to refurbish 27 flats with a sub-contractor performing the carpentry. Before the flats were finished, the sub-contractor realised that he had under-priced the contract and was resultantly facing financial difficulty. The main contractors offered the sub-contractor a financial inducement to finish the contract on time. It is trite law that consideration is needed for a party to that contract to be able to sue on it. Since the sub-contractor was doing no more than he was already bound to do under the contract, consideration was lacking. Surprisingly, it was held by the court that because the contractors had received a benefit from the sub-contractor, in that they avoided the penalty clause of the main contract, the sub-contractors claim was successful. This did not mean that consideration was present as the benefit did not move from the promisee, although there was a clear departure from the orthodox principle of consideration principle. The doctr ine of consideration maintains that a contract will not be supported by the performance of an existing duty unless that duty exists by virtue of a third party contract (Noble, 1991: 141). This decision conflicts with the decision in Stilk which demonstrated that consideration needs to be of economic value to be deemed good consideration and that it needs to move from the promise as also shown in; White v Bluett (1853) 23 LJ Ex 36; Thomas v Thomas (1842) 2 QB 851; Shadwell v Shadwell (1860) 9 CBNS 159; and Scotson v Pegg (Scotson v Pegg (1861) 6 H N 295). It has also been argued by Cheshire et al; that; the time has come to recognise formally the alternative definition of consideration and admit that the rationale behind the refusal to enforce some types of consideration is pure policy (Cheshire et al; 2012; 77). Arguably, it appears that the consideration principle is rather outmoded and in need of reform so that a more robust approach to economic duress can be taken by the courts. At present, much confusion arises as to when economic duress can be used as a defence. Judges thus need to err on the side of caution to prevent commercial pressure being mistaken for economic duress and vice versa. Still, as stressed by the court in Adam v Opel Gmbh v Mitras Automotive [2007] EWHC 3481; â€Å"the list of matters to be considered in assessing legitimacy is not exhaustive, and the weight to be attached to each of them will depend on the facts of the individual case. Furthermore, it was also stated in the case that the decision to be made will involve some element of value judgement when considering whether the pressure that was exerted on the claimant crossed the line from that which must be accepted in normal robust commercial bargaining. It is clear from the decision in this case that the courts have made some attempts to provide clarity in this area and that each case will be decided on its own facts. In the more recent case of Kolmar Group AG v Traxpo Enterprises Pyt Ltd [2010] EWHC 113 it was evidenced that a contract variation between a supplier and a customer will unlikely amount to duress if the supplier is unable to perform a contract as a result of financial difficulties that will cause the supplier to become insolvent. Another problem that arises when it comes to economic duress is whether lawful conduct can amount to illegitimate pressure. Whilst it is possible, it is also extremely rare as shown in CTN Cash and Carry Ltd v Gallaher Ltd [1993] EWCA Civ 19; GMAC Commercial Credit Ltd v Dearden [2002] All ER (D) 440 (May) and Wright v HSBC Bank plc   [2006] EWHC 930 QB. Consequently, economic duress will continue to pose many problems as there will always be a debate as to whether particular circumstances may or may not give rise to a claim for economic duress. Because of the uncertainty within this area, it is evident that a more robust approach needs to be taken so that greater clarity and consistency can be provided. Economic duress has also been criticised for being causation-led, thereby meaning that a lack of causation will prevent a successful claim from being made. In Pao On v Lau Yiu Long [1979] UKPC 2 it was pointed out by Lord Scarman that in deciding whether causation was present, it will need to be considered whether the claimant; a) protested; b) had a practical alternative open to him; c) received independent advice; and d) acted promptly. This decision has been criticised for being inconclusive and failing to take into account the fact that claimants may not think that there is any point in protesting. This was recognised by Chen-Wis hart when it was argued that; these factors are inconclusive. The victim may not protest because he sees no point in it or he may not wish to antagonise the coercing party whose performance he needs (Chen-Wishart, 2012: 318). It is clear that the facts and circumstances of each case will be the determining factor as to whether the claimant has suffered economic duress or not. Because of the uncertainty that exists in this area, however, it is often difficult for those entering into commercial contracts to acknowledge that they are exerting pressure that is considered illegitimate, especially when there is a possibility that lawful pressure will also be capable of amounting to economic duress. As a result of this, Young warns against exerting commercial pressure that the courts may possibly consider economic duress: Abusing your upper hand can leave the strong open to claims (Young, 2012: 23).   Conclusion Overall, whilst the doctrine of duress is well established in English law, the doctrine of economic duress still remains largely uncertain. This generally arises from the difficulty of distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate economic duress. As such, it is up to the courts to decide when a persons economic interests have been damaged from being forced or coerced into entering into a contract. Hence, the court will be required to consider whether the re-negotiation of the terms of the contract were lawful and whether the person being subjected to the economic duress, should be entitled to rescind the contract that they entered into. This is an important defence in ensuring that parties to a contract have equal bargaining power. Nevertheless, the practical application of economic duress has been subject to much confusion over the years, which may result from the reasoning that has been provided by the courts. There appears to be a lack of consistency that is being provided, which highlights the need for future reform to this area. Whilst there is a difference between commercial negotiation and illegitimate pressure, it has proven extremely difficult to distinguish between the two, especially since lawful conduct can also amount to illegitimate pressure. In order to provide clarity to this area, it seems as though a more robust approach is therefore needed by the courts. References Business Dictionary. (2014) Economic Duress, [Online] Available: businessdictionary.com/definition/economic-duress.html [07 July 2014]. Card, R. Murdoch, J. and Murdoch, S. (2003) Estate Management Law, OUP, 6th Edition. Carr, N. (2011) Walking the Line – The Balance Between Legitimate Negotiation and Economic Duress, Available [Online]: lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=ee935c57-32ac-471f-ae37-4f65a4912b9c [07 July 2014]. Chen-Wishart, M. (2012) Contract Law, Oxford University Press. Cserne, P. (2009) Duress in Contracts: An Economic Analysis, Contract Law and Economics, Volume 6, 2nd Edition. Furmston, M. P.   Cheshire, G C. and Fifoot, C H. (2012) Cheshire, Fifoot and Furmstons Law of Contract, Oxford University Press: London. Dictionary. (2014) Duress, [Online], Available: yourdictionary.com/duress [07 July 2014].    Noble, M. (1991) For Your Consideration, New Law Journal, Volume 141, Issue 1529. Ohrenstein, D. (2013) Key Developments in Contract Law: Economic Duress, Radcliffe Chambers, [Online] Available: radcliffechambers.com/media/Misc_Articles/Key_Developments_in_Contract_Law_-_Economic_Duress_2013.pdf [07 July 2014]. Young, A. (2012) When Pressure Turns to Duress, Construction Law Journal, Volume 23, Issue 5.   Cases Adam v Opel Gmbh v Mitras Automotive [2007] EWHC 3481 Collins v Godefroy (1831) 1 BAd 950 CTN Cash and Carry Ltd v Gallaher Ltd [1993] EWCA Civ 19 Dimskal Shipping v International Works Federation (The Evia Luck) [1992] 2 AC 152 DSND Subsea Ltd v Petroleum Geo Services ASA [2000] EWHC 185 GMAC Commercial Credit Ltd v Dearden [2002] All ER (D) 440 (May) Kolmar Group AG v Traxpo Enterprises Pyt Ltd [2010] EWHC 113 North Ocean Shipping Co Ltd v Hyundai Construction Co Ltd [1979] QB 705 Pao On v Lau Yiu Long [1979] UKPC 17 Scotson v Pegg (Scotson v Pegg (1861) 6 H N 295) Shadwell v Shadwell (1860) 9 CBNS 159 Siboen and The Sibotre [1976] 1 Lloyds Rep 293 Stilk v Myrick (1809) 2 Camp 317 Thomas v Thomas (1842) 2 QB 851 Universe Tankships v International Workers Federation (The Universe Sentinel) [1983] 1 AC 366 White v Bluett (1853) 23 LJ Ex 36 Williams v Roffey Brothers and Nicholls (Contractors) Ltd [1991] 1 QB 1 Wright v HSBC Bank plc   [2006] EWHC 930 QB

Confidence Intervals Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Confidence Intervals - Statistics Project Example In addition, this paper will also compare male and female BMI values with the national averages and with the International Classification of adult underweight, overweight and obesity according to BMI. The average mean body index for men is about 27.62 (SD = 10.88). The margin of error (half width) for a 99% confidence is about 4.66 (See Appendix B for calculation). The 99% lower and upper confidence limits of BMI for men are Therefore, the 99% confidence interval for the mean body mass index for men is between 22.96 and 32.28. Thus, there is 99% chance that the mean body mass index for men falls in the interval (22.96, 32.28). The average mean body index for women is about (26.70 SD = 6.93). The margin of error for a 99% confidence is about 2.97 (See Appendix B for calculation). The 99% lower and upper confidence limits of BMI for women are Therefore, the 99% confidence interval for the mean body mass index for women is between 23.73 and 29.67. Thus, there is 99% chance that the mean body mass index for women falls in the interval (23.73, 29.67). It is known that men have a mean weight that is greater than the mean weight for women, and the mean height of men is greater than the mean height of women. The results suggest that men (M = 27.62, SD = 10.88) also have a mean body mass index that is greater than the mean body mass index of women (M = 26.70, SD = 6.93). However, the 99% confidence interval for the mean body mass index for women (23.73, 29.67) is narrower as compared to the 99% confidence interval for the mean body mass index for men (22.96, 32.28). Thus, the mean body mass index for women is less variable as compared to the mean body mass index for men. The U.S.  National Institutes of Health  and the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  uses World Health Organization  guidelines for classification of adult underweight, overweight and obesity according to BMI.

Critical Analysis of Andre Dubu's The Curse Essay

Critical Analysis of Andre Dubu's The Curse - Essay Example However, he continues to be remorseful and is overcome by self-doubt. He keeps thinking that he should have done something to stop the rape. His words, â€Å"I should have stopped it. I think I could have stopped it† highlight his feelings at that time. The central idea of the story is that man himself has to define what is right and honorable. One cannot always make the right choice between right and wrong. Sometimes one ends up making a safe decision in the name of right decision and this choice may become difficult to live with. This is exactly what happens to Mitchell in this story. The story revolves round the struggle the hero goes through as he tries to perceive the difference between doing the right thing, not being able to do the right thing and not doing anything. Andre Dubus uses an unconventional plot and places his characters in real life situations to explore his theme.. In this story like many of his other stories all his characters are well-meaning characters. They face situations that challenge their beliefs and face ethical questions such as self-interest, duty, truth, etc. The main character of the story is Mitchell. The story revolves around him and at the end of the story he is transformed from a carefree man into a man consumed by remorse and guilt. He feels old at the end of it all. Dubus describes his condition thus: â€Å"He did not know what it was like to be very old †¦ but he assumed it was like this: fatigue beyond relieving by rest, by sleep.† (Andre Dubus). Was Mitchell right in not doing anything? There are many factors to be taken into consideration if one had to decide whether Mitchell was right or wrong in not doing anything to stop the rape. Factors such as moral values of a person, the element of risk an d one’s natural instincts have to be considered. But in the end it is the given situation which determines how we act. In Mitchell’s case the situation was such that "doing the right