Analysis of The Technology Voice Over IP

Though communication have been existing for a long time, changes in method have been taking place all the time, so that costs are reduced and one of the latest methods is to communicate through IP or Voice over IP – VoIP. The technology of sending voice is already over a hundred years old, but earlier there had been less important developments in technology over the earlier systems of PBX and key system technologies which had been developed for many years. The new technology that has now been developed is of sending voice over IP which is replacing the earlier TDM products and now with the development of technology the changes in technology of voice can have an important role to play in organizations. The change is more important than just converting the earlier used system of time division multiplexing or TDM to Internet Protocol or IP. This is the first step of companies to solve difficulties regarding costs and achieving business goals of the organization. Apart from voice the architecture that is used with IP communications include â€Å"video, messaging, contact centers and business process enablement†. (Voice over IP is the first step to an enabled, converged environment) What is being stated is very simple and that is voice will not be sent as a separate type of communication, but will be sent in the form of an Internet Protocol based communication. This is being transmitted for quite some time now and dependable channels have already been developed. The costs of this method are also viewed to be quite low, and that will naturally reduce costs of transmitting voice. At this stage it is important to understand what Internet is. This is a method of communication which can be carried over many media like cable, radio, wireless, etc. The difference that it has with other media is that this causes a series of fluctuations for the message to be carried, somewhat like a pulsating signal. At the same time, the pulses provide a certain code for passing on messages and this is like digital communication which transfers information regarding scripts and also on the computers. This had originally started of with 8 bits which now form a byte and even the storage capacity of computer items like hard disks are stated in billions of bytes. (IP Communications: A Wealth of Innovations Begins to Deliver New Value to Business) Apparently the numbers required are high as even this article will contain some 30 thousand bytes, but the method of transmission is simple as the information just consists of yes or no and the method used is of binary logic. The logic of Internet protocol is over 32 pieces and this has now spread over all networks – wired or wireless, public Internet or service provider networks and corporate LANs. For communication to be enabled, what was required was the enabling to IP of all communications and computing equipment. (IP Communications: A Wealth of Innovations Begins to Deliver New Value to Business) The advantage of using these methods is it permits an organization to reach the next level of communication services and not confine itself to have special systems designed for its own use. This will naturally save it sizeable amounts of capital expenditure as also the regular costs of maintenance and operations. According to a recent Forrester study, IP videoconferencing and unified messaging are becoming very popular in North American and European enterprises, though the majority of enterprises in this are not purchasing these applications during the current year. In the course of the study, it was found that 29% among North American and 17% among the European enterprises which have at least a 1,000 employees are already using or presently upgrading IP videoconferencing. The full methods of unified messaging is being fully used or being upgraded in only 15% of North American enterprises and in 14% of European enterprises. (Unified Messaging and IP Videoconferencing: Adoption Slower Than Expected) This shows clearly that there is a rapid change going on in this area. Considering that both applications are now reasonable mature, it was surprising to find that full-scale deployments are still found in less than 30% of companies that were surveyed. At the same time, there is a reasonable potential for growth of both unified messaging and IP videoconferencing, since the enterprises will now upgrade to Session Initiation Protocol based platforms. Most enterprises that were surveyed plan to use these applications in-house, yet, several companies, mainly in Europe, stated that they would consider unified messaging applications and IP videoconferencing to be provided as a managed service. After the standalone applications become integrated, the market for these applications is expected to grow at a faster rate. (Unified Messaging and IP Videoconferencing: Adoption Slower Than Expected) 3. What industry can do to insure that service? Before we talk about the insurance of service for IP based phones let us look at the benefits as if there are no benefits, there are no advantages in switching to the new technology. There can be substantial savings and those can vary from $9,600 per site to $28,000 per site over a full year for large organizations and from $4,800 to $9,600 for medium sized organizations and these results are taken from a study that was carried out last year. The second advantage is that it enables organizations to increase their total telephone systems along with the growth of the organization. Even the growth when it takes place can be flexible and without gaps or stoppages. There are programs like Microsoft Outlook which enables the user to know immediately who is calling along with the ring of the telephone. Even for the management there is a benefit and they do not have to depend on the supplier of the system for any changes that they want to make (Is Your Network Ready for IP Telephony?) In terms of insurance, the service is now available from a number of manufacturers and thus in the case of dissatisfaction, one can always change suppliers and that is probably the best sort of insurance that one can get. 4. How can IP makes the vision of any device to any device over any network possible? Before VoIP started all organizations had two separate infrastructures and one was used for transmitting voice and the other was for transmitting data. When VoIP is used, there is only one integrated infrastructure. At the outset, it will seem that without the PSTN infrastructure the cost infrastructures can be justified easily for the system. At the same time, this cannot be removed totally since it has to handle the call overflows and any calls which are not targeted for the remote site. There are models available which will enable the calculation and justification for these network integration projects. (VoIP: How to plan for the bandwidth and calculate cost savings) This has made it clear that many new devices will be made to work over the Internet for human benefit. To conclude, it could be said that at certain levels of technology, it is difficult to understand the technical points and one should look at the entire question from a requirement point of view.

Clairant Marketing

We are also thankful to Mr.. Oman Patella 0 for his help and valuable Insights Into Strategic Management at Claimant Pakistan Limited. Mr.. Patella, a very dedicated individual, is a competent and proactive professional at analyzing the implications of Claimant's competitive strategic framework on each of the business' operations. He provided us with every detail about Clangors corporate strategic activities and how they are aligned with the core competencies of the company.Without his time and help, it would have been impossible for us to prepare this report. Sincerely, Amber Alicia Ham Named Virus Mason Razz Mohammad Moms Useful Gaga students of ABA (HON.) Institute of Business Management, Karachi. Letter of Transmittal Mr.. Abdul Qatar Mollie Institute of Business Management Koran Creek Karachi – 75190 Pakistan Date: 18th April, 2013 Dear Mr.. Mollie: Management in Claritin Pakistan Limited† as authorized by you.The purpose of this report is to examine how Claritin Pa kistan Limited manages its strategic activities at the corporate as well as the business level. The project report is a comprehensive outline of Claimant's strategic mission, the competitive strategies it has developed to enhance its core competencies, the macro-economic analysis that it conducts for scanning the various environmental threats/pressures, the strengths and opportunities it effectively utilizes and the weaknesses and threats it counter- balances.The group members were immensely excited to work on this project since in a few months' time we will all be part of the work force and will be concerned with these strategic tasks employed in the organization at the basic level of an individual employee. With much effort and diligence all the work was divided equally amongst us. We prepared a questionnaire which contained a list of questions regarding Strategic analysis, development and execution. We then met a representative of Claritin Pakistan Limited, Mr.. Oman Patella 0 wh o responded to our list of questions diligently.Later different parts of the report were asked to be written by each group member. While working on this report we observed the amount of energy, thought process and effort that goes behind into making an organization strategically competitive in its industry We are grateful to you for teaching us the important aspects of Strategic Management, for helping us whenever we needed your assistance and believing in us to complete this report in the best possible manner by fulfilling our capabilities. Contents 1 Objective To conduct Claimant's organizational analysis in the light of the chemical industry.To achieve this objective a broad environmental analysis needs to be conducted in order to recognize the external opportunities and threats along with internal strengths and weaknesses. This would allow us to improvise their existing strategies and suggest recommendations. 2 Industry Definition At present there are nearly 30 Chemical companie s having the total paid-up Capital of RSI. L . 7 billion. Most of them have shown remarkable progress in their sales in the recent years such as Fuji Fertilizer, Icily Pakistan, Negro Chemical, Atwood Hercules,Claritin Pakistan, Sitars Chemical Colgate Palmolive, Berger Paints, BOCA Pakistan, Sins Alkalis, Dyne Pakistan, are considered as market leaders in the field of Chemical Industry in Pakistan. The rapid industrialization resulting in the large increase in chemical consuming products has enlarged the demand of all types of chemicals in the country. Chemical Industry in Pakistan has gradually developed to its present stage and has played a vital part in the development of the country and will continue to do so in future with more foreign investment.The Chemical Industry produces a arioso range of products such as polyester fiber, sodium carbonate, PVC, Soda Ash, PTA, Pharmaceutical, Paints, Fertilizer, Insecticides, Petrol-Chemical and other Chemicals. Chemical industry in Pakis tan is widespread. The chemical imports constitute about 17% of the total import bill. Pakistan has made considerable progress in basic inorganic chemicals like Soda Ash, Caustic Soda, Sulfuric Acid and Chlorine and has acquired sufficient production capacity of these chemicals to cater for the needs of the local industry, while surplus is being exported. 2 Even then there are some challenges to be countered. The chemical industry of Pakistan is lagging behind due to some challenges. The main challenge is that it has to rely on its imports and foreign materials. It does not benefit the economy and results in production of expensive products. Secondly lack of industrial infrastructure and technology in Pakistan results in low quality products which do not mark the standard. Moreover the discriminatory approach of international community does not integrate the Pakistan market into the international economy and Pakistani products are not given access to the international market.Moreove r the lack of resources and weak trade policies of the ministries also result in the weakening of chemical industry. In order to enhance the chemical industry Pakistan must adopt the policy of â€Å"self-reliance†. Instead of relying on foreign designs and engineering it must improve its own production and ensure high quality of chemical products. Pakistan must work towards integrated approach. It must bring four worlds of a society together which are traders, universities, research and development and production partners.This will bring innovation and must utilize its youth which has rest minds and great ideas to enhance the chemical industry resulting in qualitative and quantitative perfection in the chemical products. Pakistan is capable of producing high technological products all it needs is a little bit of effort in improvement of administrative capabilities and induction of new technology and support from government to put things in order. 3 Company Background and Info rmation 3. History Claritin was formed in 1995 as a spin off from the chemical company Sanded, which was itself established in Basel in 1886. Through their direct lineage, Claritin have massed knowledge and experience of chemistry and industry spanning approximately 150 years. Claritin expanded through the incorporation of the specialty chemicals business of Hooch's (Germany) in 1997, and the acquisitions of BIT Pl (I-J) in 2000 and Saba's Master batches division in 2006.In 2008, it acquired the leading U. S. Colorado suppliers Rite Systems and Ricoh Colors. The latest acquisition, the highly-innovative specialty chemicals company SÃ'Ëœd-Chemic (Germany), was completed on 21 April 2011. Additives Catalysis & Energy Emulsions, Detergents & Intermediates Functional Materials Industrial & Consumer Specialties Leather Services Masturbates Oil & Mining Services of specialty chemicals and application solutions for consumer care and industrial markets.Textile dyes include disperse, reactiv e, direct, acid and sulfur dyes. The textile business encompasses special chemicals for pretreatment, dyeing, printing and finishing of textile. Optical brightener and chemicals for special treatment are also the part of the range. Moreover, textile region also include water based application of the emulsion for the paint and the construction industry. Paper business supplies paper dyes, optical brightener and process and pulping chemicals.Leather region produces chemicals for finishing and complete range of wet-end chemicals. The Consumer Care segment includes the Personal Care business which, among others, develops and produces specialty ingredients for skin and hair care, wet wipes and selected pharmaceutical applications. They supply all relevant information and advice for safer use, handling, labeling, storage, and disposal of our products as a part of Claimant's commitment to sustainability and product stewardship to best meet customer needs.Industrial & Home Care business hel ps customers gain a competitive advantage with its product range for household cleaning fluids, disinfectants, industrial and hospital cleaning solutions Claritin, as a world leader in the field of specialty chemicals, is fully committed to sustainable operation and development in all business activities. It develops and offer products and applications that allow for use of the product during its whole life cycle helping to avoid risk to employees, customers, the public and environment.Claritin has signed the Global Responsible Care Charter as our commitment to Sustainability. It is the chemical industry voluntary initiative to continuously improve health, safety and environmental performance, and to communicate with all stakeholders through the supply chain. This enables Claritin to make a strong contribution to Sustainable Development through the Responsible [email  protected] ethic and the Global Product Strategy targets which promote the safer use of chemical products and enha nce product stewardship throughout the whole supply chain.Their comprehensive product stewardship approach includes cooperation and partnership with Claimant's suppliers Claritin is aware that the energy issue is one of he key challenges of today's and future society and industry. Claritin highlights energy efficiency and savings as the most cost-effective and fastest way to reduce CO and other emissions and increase security of supply. 3. 3 Mission Statement Our mission clearly expresses what is important to us and what we stand for – as a brand and as a company. We build leading positions in the businesses we are active in and we adopt functional excellence as part of our culture.We create value through appreciating the needs of: our customers – by providing competitive and innovative our environment our shareholders by acting sustainable – by achieving above-average returns 4 Porters Five Forces 4. 1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers The bargaining power of suppl iers is low. Claritin is a chemical manufacturing firm; they make chemicals used in different sectors like textiles, oil & gas, mining, dyeing etc. Claritin does not have a particular supplier for its raw materials; the Company buys raw material from different suppliers.The planning department is responsible for planning of the units of raw material to be purchased based on the market forecast. The procurement then takes prices from approved suppliers and then laces an order to the supplier who gives the lowest deal on the purchase. The bargaining power of suppliers is low as there are many suppliers in the market and they cannot charge a high price otherwise they would lose business to their competitors. Yes (+) moderate No (-) 1 . My inputs (materials, labor, supplies, services, etc. Are standard rather than unique or differentiated. 2. I can switch between suppliers quickly and cheaply. 3. My suppliers would find it difficult to enter my business or my customers would find it dif ficult to perform my function in-house. 4. I can substitute inputs readily. 5. I have many potential suppliers. 7. My cost of purchases has no significant influence on my overall costs 4. 2 Bargaining Power of Buyers The bargaining power of buyers is high in the chemicals industry as the buyers have many choices from where they can purchase their products from.Claimant's consumer markets include automobiles, candles, cosmetics, detergents, latex, stationery, as well as finishers for aluminum and leather. Claimant's buyers are aware of the need for information and Claritin helps its customers through the technical service centre. But this does not undermine the fact that other local chemical industries are also major players in the market so similar products are available, and buyers do not really incur a switching cost when changing where to purchase from. To what extent are your customers locked into you?No effect 1) Are there a large number of buyers relative to the number of firm s in the business? 2) Do you have a large number of customers, each with relatively small purchases? 3) Does the customer face any significant costs in switching suppliers? 4) Does the buyer need a lot of important information? 5) Is the buyer aware of the need for additional information? 7) Your customers are not highly sensitive to price. ) Your product is unique to some degree or has accepted branding? 9) Your customer's businesses are profitable. 0) You provide incentives to the decision makers. 4. 3 Rivalry among the Competitors Threat of competitors is high. 1 . The industry is growing rapidly. (Not so rapidly due to Energy constraints) 2. The industry is not cyclical with intermittent overcapacity. 3. The fixed costs of the business are relatively low portion of total costs. 5. The competitors are diversified rather than specialized. 6. It would not be hard to get out of this business because there are no specialized kills and facilities or long-term contract commitments etc. 7.My customers would incur significant costs in switching to a competitor. 8. My product is complex and requires a detailed understanding on the part of my customer. 9. My competitors are all of approximately the same size as I am. 4. 4 Threats of Substitutes Threat of substitutes is high. 1 . Substitutes have performance limitations that do not completely offset their lowest price. Or, their performance is not Justified by their higher price. 2. The customer will incur costs in switching to a substitute. 4. Your customer is not likely to substitute. . 5 Threats of New Entrants The threats of new entrants are high. 1 . Do large firms have a cost or performance advantage in your segment of the industry? 2. Are there any proprietary product differences in your industry? 3. Are there any established brand identities in your industry? 4. Do your customers incur any significant costs in switching suppliers? 5. Is a lot of capital needed to enter your industry? 6. Is serviceable used equ ipment expensive? 7. Does the newcomer to your industry face difficulty in accessing distribution channels?

Ethics and Values in the Work Place Research Paper

Ethics and Values in the Work Place - Research Paper Example The discussions about international business ethics are as old as international business itself. Throughout the decades of the 1980s and 1990s business ethics was mainly a branch of learning being trained in business schools and argued by scholars. (Charles, 2003) However, by the end of the 20th century business practitioners deal with numerous intimidating issues. A few more imperative concerns are sheathing yield of production, oppressive societal and narrow costs, dissatisfied and unfaithful staffs, a growing surge of worldwide antagonism, geopolitical turbulence, erratic currency structures, and periodic pressures of inflation, depression, and universal market volatility. A profound acquaintance of values and ethics drive business practitioners, their employees, and their organizations to do what they do might well assist them not only to endure current complexities but also to provoke the influential social and technical streams renovating the global business structure. (Frederi ck, 1995) D'Silva (2007) defines business ethics and values as an ability to distinguish between right and wrong, good and bad etc. Anything one may consider appropriate conscientiously may be regarded as ethical and vice versa. However this simply not enough as stated by D'Silva (2007) values and ethics comprise one's intellects to discriminate between moral and immoral in addition to willingness to facilitate someone in a positive manner. Business Ethics may be an approach of honorable doctrines practiced in the business world globally. It imparts strategies for suitable conduct by corporations not only in the policy formulation but in routine activities as well. A moral attempt has so far become essential in the determination of the reputation of the business and ultimately the success of course. In order to achieve this reliable status, business concerns are now making efforts to prepare and follow ethical codes of conduct decoding into the perceptions of commercial and individual account ability. A Model of Ethical decision making McDevitt, et. al., (2006) have created a model of ethical decision-making that amalgamates the decision making procedure plus the content variables taken into consideration by those coping with ethical problems. The model explains the decision-making procedure in surroundings of disagreements, alternatives and assurance with content variables. An improved interpretation of the procedure will help managers in coming up with strategies that improves the probability of ethical conduct in their firms. External environment Figure 1: Adopted from McDevitt, et. al., (2006) A number of Subject matter variables have been presented by the researchers to elucidate the ethical decision making but here only few are chosen in context with the application. These are individual and situational variables. As Figure 1 demonstrates how individual traits of a person are associated with different situational aspects to reach a final decision. Need of Educating Values and Ethics in Business Schools for Career Development As stated by Cornelius, N. et. al., (2007) in order to meet the call of the day it has become a

Impact of the Industrial Revolution Research Paper

Impact of the Industrial Revolution - Research Paper Example However, the use of the initial spinning machines was dependent on water power hence the production cite had to be at the proximity of rivers. Nevertheless, this led to more innovations through which steam engines were discovered and thus substituted the reliance on waterpower. However, it is worth noting that despite the discovery of the spinning mule in 1785, the production efficiency in textile industry was not any better than through hand until higher modifications were done. This would explain the reluctance observed in adoption of the machine at the time. Gradual acceptance of the machine took place and this led to the full adoption of the discovery in the mid nineteenth century. Preface The late 18th century to the early 19th century saw a shift in mechanisms and practices that were traditionally used in manufacturing to modernized systems of manufacturing. There was a shift from production methods, which involved hand production methods to the introduction, and adoption of me chanization processes. Production mechanisms in use prior to the revolution encouraged the furtherance of such vices as slave trade, which supplied the required labor cheaply for higher gains in production especially within the western economies. Previously, the efficiency in production was greatly compromised because of the use of such crude mechanisms of production as the hand/manual labor. This period marked the introduction of simple machines, iron production as well as chemical manufacturing. The processes adopted encouraged the extensive use of steam power for running engines besides improvisation of machine tools. Discovery of coal and its use for fuel equally dates back to the period where coal proved to be more effective as a source of power over wood as well as other bio fuels that were in use previously. However, it is worth noting that the revolution points its origin from Britain though it easily dispersed to other parts of the world from Europe to the US. The revolutio n is shown to have had some sort of impact to merely every aspect of human life. For instance, such aspects of social economic lives of human beings as average income as well as population growth changed; there was a notable growth in both of these aspects. The living standards of all populations had thus a celebrated notable improvement, which illustrated growth patterns. Generally accepted is the fact that the revolution had great influence on social and economic change across the globe. However, it is worth noting that the industrial revolution has been a topic of great debates with both advantages as well as disadvantages of the same being postulated. Discussion As indicated from the photo, the textile industry received and exhibited great evolution with the commencement of industrial revolution. Industrial production of textile products was wholly dependent on human labor prior to the commencement of industrial revolution. In fact, it is estimated that the output levels were ve ry low as this depended on all factors that would influence the productivity of a human being. Such factors as the level of motivation as well as environmental factors would inhibit massive production in the textile indus

Marketing Plan for a new Fair Trade Company Coursework

Marketing Plan for a new Fair Trade Company - Coursework Example This research will begin with the statement that the modern business world is a highly competitive platform in which the strongest competitor gains at the cost of the weaker counterparts. Although this policy satisfies the economic rationale for trade, it hurts the social and ecological balance in the society. Since the market is a part of the society and the market agents are social beings, preservation of the right of the producers is considered a basic necessity in the contemporary business world, irrespective of their location or economic strength. From this concern, the concept of fair trade has evolved during the 1940s. A fair trade company is such a company that aims at providing appropriate wages to the producers, particularly the ones belonging to the developing countries. These goods would then be distributed to buyers in the international market. Several international bodies work in cooperation with one another to ensure that producers that are situated at less advantageou s positions in the developing countries receive the rightful wage against their toil. Many companies operating internationally are now recognized as fair trade companies; they follow certain unique principles and the activities of all these companies are monitored according to these principles. The purpose of these companies to operate under the guidance of a uniform principle is to ensure that poor workers around the world are not taken advantage of. Fair trade coffee has gained importance since the 1990s.   Situation analysis Coffee Bar is a privately owned organization that would newly enter the UK coffee industry. The company is determined to gain reputation in the industry for its products and its service to customers. Coffee Bar would be a fair trade company. It would follow the established principles of fair trade in procuring coffee beans from the

How does hip hop articulate black marginality in ways that are both Essay

How does hip hop articulate black marginality in ways that are both new to the contemporary city and consistent with African Ame - Essay Example To decode, audience members resort to values, norms and beliefs – root metaphors – tat they, the audience, and hold in order to make sense of the information communicated and their response is not only based on the intent of the communicator but also on the values in which the audience have also been socialised, (Hill, Simona, and Ramsaran, 2009, p. 17) The notion of bardic television is adapted and applied to the entire media hence the framing of the natural order of things in the world by providing a set of images so the audience members can locate themselves in the social stratification system. This is made so by providing justifications for the system of inequality, and by perpetuating images that reinforces the dominant culture/ideology while the exploration of the issues of race, class and gender is rooted in the historical development of the society. It considers the values and images that are important for the contemporary social stratification. Hiphop as well a s the media play a role in the reinforcement of these images that result in the perpetuation of the poser of the privileged. Many of the images that have been brought into the mainstream reinforce the old controlling images of minorities, women and the poor thus serving to perpetuate the system of domination and it fits well into the overall colour-blind ideology promoted to justify contemporary notions such as discrimination and inequality. In the 1980s, cultural and commercial forces united to forge an enduring place for hip hop within the African American popular culture as Tricia Rose (1994) argues that this point effectively as she observes that at the beginning of the urban hip hop, the rap stories continue to articulate the shifting terms of the black marginality in the contemporary American culture. On the one hand, some aspects of hip hop culture can challenge some marginalised ideologies such as racism and sexist stereotypes; however, those images sold by corporate America in hip hop culture increasingly reinforce many of the fundamental factors that further the entrenchment of marginality in America. The contradictory nature of the black male image that is brought into the mainstream culture by the highly commercialised hiphop culture challenges the system of traditions that were associated with racism, polite brutality and poverty while at the same time articulate the contemporary hegemonic values of the oversexed, violent black male. The very images that are now brought into the mainstream about black men can be traced to the ancient forged realities of the North American slavery periods. Black males are portrayed as violent, a threat to the society, and having an uncontrolled appetite for sex particularly with white women as the gangster and thug life perpetuated by the hip hop culture serves to portray those negative stereotypes of black males and despite the negative social impact, contemporary capitalism, with the use of the media, can market dimensions of thug life associated with the gear and mannerisms to suburban white youth for profit so that the youth can experience the other digitally. The performance of the rap artists becomes a vicarious and demonstrative event that captures supposed reality and reinforces

Global environment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global environment - Research Paper Example Over the time, the elevation in the population rate declined the natural reservoirs. In other words, the natural resources are coming under intense pressure with its vast usage by the population that is creating a threat to the health of the entire population of the world. Moreover, it is also creating a warning sign for the social and economic development as well. This is due to the reason that natural reservoirs have come under consumption to the maximum level in the process of production as the inhabitants principally count on these resources the most, consequently, drastically impacting the environment on a global basis. â€Å"However, one of the principal and leading challenges that the planet Earth and its entire human race is encountering while crossing the threshold into the twenty first century is the universal environmental pollution and the climatic variation that comes under alliance to it. In addition, this global environment wears and tears are in a continuation process, which has become one of the foremost and focal concerns in the today’s life†. The thought that the public are exploiting the nature and the resources in order to meet the current needs gives rise to the question that are the human beings of this world deteriorating the natural resources that is one of the major needs for the future as well. According to studies and researches, it has come to an observation the developing countries with an intention to improve the living standards of the common people, these economies are utilizing the natural resources more rapidly and in a much accelerated pace than they are restoring or redeveloping these resources. As an outcome of it, these developing nations are creating a permanent and irremediable damage to the natural resources. Moreover, with carrying out an unbearable growth and expansion for the natural resources, the humankind is encouraging and giving rise to the ecological disasters that contribute to deteriorate the environment on an enduring basis. Water shortages, soil exhaustion, air and water pollution, lack of forestland and trees, and degradation of coastlines are few of the instances that are the leading contributing factors that may badly affect numerous regions and districts of the world. The records and evidences divulge the piece of information that the twentieth century was the epoch that witnessed a revolution that resulted in the strange and bizarre environmental turmoil. The human creatures and their actions and doings are the chief and salient causes that triggered such environmental turbulence. However, the global environm ent has dramatically affected the lives of not only the human beings but also the other living creatures such as marine life, plants, animals and many other types of species. Moreover, these environmental risk and jeopardy embrace shift in average temperature and the weather, weakening of the ozone layer, ecological change, urbanization and

Domestic Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Domestic Violence - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to analyze domestic violence in our society. Domestic violence is a serious problem that is hurting the quality of life of many American families. This social deviant behavior is a problem in the United States and abroad. Victims of domestic violence must speak out in order to get help. Domestic violence is a crime punishable by the law. Nobody deserves to be physically and emotionally abused by another person. It is better to get out of bad relationship than to continue to suffer from an abusive spouse. Women are five to eight times more likely to be victims of domestic violence (Aardvarc, 1998). In order to battle against domestic violence victims have to tell someone about the problem to then eventually get the courage to file formal charges against the abuser. Our society will be better place once domestic violence is eradicated forever. Aardvarc.org (1998). From â€Å"Violence by Inmates: Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or Former Spouses, Boyfriend and Girlfriends, U.S. Department of Justice, March 1998† Retrieved December 11, 2010 from http://www.aardvarc.org/dv/statistics.shtml Helpguide.org (2010). Domestic Violence and Abuse: Signs of Abuse and Abusive Relationships Retrieved December 12, 2010 from

Decide by yourself Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Decide by yourself - Essay Example This is evident in the calls that concerned individuals and private institutions, foundations and sectors that address anti-racism and anti-discrimination in the national and international setting. The book "Myne Owne Ground" showed, racism was once blatant in the US. Slavery, especially in Virginia was all highly visible manifestations of racism committed with the sanction or even active participation of the authorities. Although overt manifestations of racism today would be unacceptable to the majority of US citizens, the country is still struggling with ongoing racial and ethnic divisions . (Vaughan, 1995) Major steps taken over the past 50 years to end institutionalized racism have not eliminated the inequalities which many members of racial minorities continue to face in daily life. The black-white divide on racial matters is one of the most profound and enduring in American society. For decades, public opinion polls have shown that blacks and whites differ fundamentally as to what constitutes the race problem, how severe it is, and what to do about it. The segregation and discrimination of the black urban community is the result of politics and economy in the mainstream history of the United States. Millions of Africans were brought to the Americas and traded there as slaves (Vaughan, 1995). This mass movement of people led to a new social and economic system; with the color of the skin as a determining factor whether one would live as a slave or as a free citizen. By the 1640s and 1650s, England thus had five substantial areas of overseas settlements--the Irish plantations of Ulster and Munster; the Chesapeake colonies of Virginia and Maryland; Bermuda; the New England colonies of Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Haven; and the West Indian colonies of Barbados and the Leeward Islands. The predominantly English people who went to these areas all intended to one degree or another for the new societies they were creating to be fundamentally and recognizably English. Yet the new research into the cultural dynamics and socioeconomic and demographic configurations of the two major centers of English settlement on the North American continent has made it clearer than ever before that during these early years of settlement the Chesapeake colonies of Virginia and Maryland differed profoundly from the principal New England colonies of Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut. Indeed, it would be difficult to imagine how any two f ragments from the same metropolitan culture could have been any more different (Vaughan, 1995). About the only characteristics they had in common were their ethnic homogeneity, their ruralness, their primitive material conditions, their remoteness from England, and, after their first few years, an abundant local food supply. In virtually every other respect, they seem to have been diametric opposites. Along with the strong cohesive force exerted by the church, village, family, schools, and visible and authoritative leadership structures that characterized the New England villages, the absence of exceptional economic opportunities inhibited the urge to scatter that was so powerful among the settlers in the Chesapeake (Vaughan, 1995). T

On Rape and Responsibility Essay Example for Free

On Rape and Responsibility Essay Throughout the course of Disgrace, Coetzee attempts to juxtapose the rape of Melanie with that of Lucy. By analyzing the actions of David Lurie, Lucy and Petrus, it becomes apparent that there is a dynamometric sense of responsibility among victims and abusers. Coetzee attempts to demonstrate that rape is more than a gendered based crime, that social class, and ethnicity also play roles in determining what harm is committed. It is because the rapes are not viewed through the eyes of the victim but primarily through Lurie, who sympathizes with Lucy and denies raping Melanie, that the readers are forced to determine who burdens responsibility and to what extent actions are repentant. Lurie’s attack on Melanie is more or less a date rape. He doesn’t take no for an answer and her passive means of refusal are not enough for him to take the hint. He truly believes that he is dating this woman, and that it is his right to engage in such relations with her. This belief is wound up in his perpetual state of selfishness and his arrogance of self delusion. She ends up filing for grievances making the whole situation public. Lucy is not just attacked, she is punished. What is done to her is done for the sole intention of causing her harm, of scaring her as an individual. It is done because she is a white woman, because she is the epitome of what is wrong with her rapist’s world. Along with the rape she is robbed of her property, and her father is assaulted and badly burned. In the end they both have to live with the scars of what happened. The attack on her is not personal; it is the way an oppressed social class is lashing out at the harsh mistreatment they have received for generations. What is ironic however is that the fact that the act in itself is the most personal it could have been. The society they are trying to punish is not going to be affected as a whole to what happened that day. It is a tragedy but one that would otherwise be swept under the rug, if Lucy had not swept it under herself Lucy. The hatred they had for society, they funneled into this woman. They made it personal once they had decided that Lucy was their victim. Similarly the reason these women are harmed is not purely random. Yes Melanie as student put her into the pool of prey for David Lurie, but his attraction to her is personal, and her mild response to him in the beginning paves the path Lurie takes. Her response is what Lurie feeds his delusions with, and that causes him to make the decisions he makes. Lucy is chosen out of what seems like convenience, Pollux attacks close to home, victimizing the woman that oversees his brother-in-law. Lucy is the best representation for the oppressive white class that he has, since she is â€Å"oppressing† Petrus. What theses essentially break down to is a crime of opportunity and a crime of restitution. The strongest underlying feeling that distinguishes the two is hate. It is not because Lurie hates Melanie that he does her injustice, it is because he is selfish and has no regard for her wants or feelings. Lurie finds Melanie alluring; he pursues his desires and treats what are blatant expressions of refusal as too subtle to actually mean â€Å"no†. The two rapes do however shed light on the misconception that rape is simply a gender based crime. Rather race and class complicate the situation making the two incidents vary widely in their response. Lucy keeps quite while Melanie comes forward; Lurie denies his actions while the other men acknowledge what they did as it matched their motive. Lucy’s refusal to come forward stems from white guilt, believing that what happened to her she had coming to her. She analogizes her gang rapists to tax collectors and feels that she should be paying to them what they feel they deserve. Her white guilt and higher class both make her a target and victim distinct from Melanie. Reporting such a rape would thereby align Lucy with the previous hierarchical white class of the apartheid period. She realizes that the crime would be used to â€Å"fuel the fires of racism† and knowing that her case would be used to represent â€Å"others† she does what she can to prevent the white class to rationalize future segregation. Melanie, who is a young black girl, is attacked by an older white man. Her response to his misdeeds is filled with want of restitutions. She does not accept what has happened to her as due to her, and she ultimately makes her attacker pay for the injustice he has committed. Interestingly, Coetzee uses Lurie’s view to further illustrate the racial-social class effects on perspective. Lurie’s inability to acknowledge what he has done as rape sheds light on his sexist and racists ideology, as Mardorossian points out, Lurie can only see rape as something black men do to white women, and prevents him from doing earlier what he does with Lucy, â€Å"namely call rape ‘rape’†. In his disciplinary hearing, Lurie establishes an equivalence between â€Å"the ‘rights’ of desire and sexual violence’† demonstrating his belief in his personal superiority over Melanie. The two rapes are diametrically opposed in their factors and responses, which demonstrates to the reader the â€Å"inextricable relation between incommensurable categories of identity such as gender, class, or ethnicity in the application of legal and moral authority†. When Coetzee introduces Lucy into the novel, she is sympathetic to her father’s situation. She leaves judgment aside as something that is his to deal with. She encourages him to make reparations but does nothing to make him feel ostracized for his previous misdeeds. All of this changes once Lucy is victimized. With Lurie’s inability to empathize with the situation, at least to the extent that Lucy wants, Lucy refuses to confide in him. She feels what has happened to her is a private matter and because he is not a woman, he could not understand the way she feels, and so she feels no obligation to share her experience with him. In addition to his male-handicap Lucy also starts to view Lurie as a predator, seeing only subtle differences between what he did to Melanie and what those men did to her. It made it harder to sympathize with his experiences, and she ultimately becomes distant. When Lucy does finally go into detail about what happened. Rather than offering solace to his daughter’s grief he instead attempts to give her another outlook on the situation. Her confession that the worst part of it was how personal the action was, and her inability to understand it. â€Å"Why did they hate me so? † is met with â€Å"It was history speaking through them†¦ A history of wrong. Think of it that way if it helps. It may have seemed personal but it wasn’t. While what Lurie is saying may have truth to it, this is not what Lucy is looking to hear when she confides in him. Lurie suffers from what Stember calls sexual racism- having a right to claim a â€Å"colonized woman’s† body, and to project his guilt onto the colonized man imagining him wanting revenge and thereby desires â€Å"the white woman†. In this light Glenn suggest that Coetzee uses Disgrace as a sociological and cultural statement, as â€Å"symptomatic- part of the traumatized white reaction to living in the Black Republic. Demonstrating that Lucy’s refusal to report the rape, taking responsibility for it, and even keeping the rape-child is central to South African politics and the use of women as objects in a kinship economy. In Addition, Petrus embodies the â€Å"black claims for restitution of farm land† essentially getting through violence, what black South Africans felt they were due. The rapes also introduce the idea of responsibility. The intertwining elements of ethnicity, gender, and social class also incorporate a sense of responsibility, both to self and community. Rebecca Saunders uses Nietzsche’s position of justice and responsibility as an economic manner to illustrate how characters shun responsibility off of themselves, or accept unwarranted responsibility. Lurie’s inability to confess, but rather simply plead guilty is a great example of such. He feels that his plea is what is necessary for the hearing, but sincerely apologizing is more valuable to him that he feels is warranted by the committee. Likewise Petrus’ solutions to Lurie and Lucy are compensation as if they appropriately equate to the emotional and physical harm done. Saunders explores this logic in the frame of â€Å"visceral† versus â€Å"reason†. How responsibility should be dealt in relation to the justifications behind the actions. He feels undercompensated, because he stands behind â€Å"reason† he understands that Petrus’ offers do not actually equate to the needs at hand. Also standing behind â€Å"reason,† Lucy equates the values of the harms done to her and to her aggressors, and feels as though a debt has been paid. This merely serves to illustrate that every character feels their side is the rational one, and their opponents’ are acting out of visceral. Rosemary Nagy, also explores the idea of responsibility, but in relation to the language of justification. How things are worded greatly impact the level of responsibility each character takes on for the actions they have committed, or have had done to them. The three figures centered around responsibility are Petrus, Lucy and Lurie. Petrus is of course playing surrogate for the men who attacked Lucy. She suggests that Disgrace establishes that there is no easy formula to decide where the middle ground falls between reconciliation and responsibility. David Lurie’s rape of Melanie is always met with a lack of culpability, despite Gal’s reasoning, that Lurie cleanses himself through his treatment of the dogs. However by the end of the novel he still refuses to believe that what he did constituted rape. The idea of repentance and responsibility stems from an expectation of transformation. That those committing such crimes become â€Å"new† men, but by the end of the novel we do not see this change in Lurie. In fact he nearly comes full circle, satisfying his sexual appetite with prostitutes and solving â€Å"the problem of sex rather well. Lucy on the other hand takes responsibility for what the white class in South Africa did for decades, a burden much bigger than warranted. She sacrifices herself, leaves herself with nothing â€Å"no cards, no weapons, no property, no rights, no dignity. † She completely switches roles with Petrus, who onces was dog-man, now she is â€Å"like a dog. † Petrus while not obligated, still accepts no responsibility for what happened to Lucy. Instead he reaps the benefits of her misfortune, gaining land, and a third wife because Lucy no longer feels capable of protecting herself. Through the act of (or lack of) accepting responsibility, Coetzee forces the readers to analyze the extent to which acknowledgement dictates reconciliation. Coetzee uses Disgrace, to make a statement about race and culture in a post-apartheid South Africa. That rape is more than a gendered- crime, that it crosses through socio-ethnic barriers to express something more harmful. That the feelings on reconciliation vary widely depending on who feels victimized and who feels responsible, which is a reflection of how Coetzee feels about the future of the white middle class in the years after the apartheid state.

Innovations In Continuous Internal Assessment English Language Essay

Innovations In Continuous Internal Assessment English Language Essay The present system of one-shot summative evaluation by means of the course end examination has been criticized (and also supported by some) by some of the stakeholders of education system. The purpose of evaluation is to see if a given programme is working, an institution is successful according to the goals set for it, and the original intent is being successfully carried out. It means to determine social utility, desirability or effectiveness of a process, product or a programme and includes recommendation for some better future course of action. Evaluation does not just mean measurement of the level of learning outcomes but more so an approach for further improving the system. It needs to be diagnostic and formative in nature to provide remedial help to the students. It is also agreed by all academicians that evaluation should act as a positive input for improving the teaching learning process and not as a deterrent. The report card of evaluation should reflect not only the schola stic aspects of the learner, but also Life Skills acquisition, personality attributes, behaviour interests, attitudes, values and proficiency in indoor as well as outdoor co-curricular activities. It should facilitate in unravelling the latent talent and reflect a true picture of the growth and profile of a young learner (Vineet Joshi, Chaiman Secretary, CBSE, 2009). One consequence of the global influences, such as changes in the world economy, the information revolution, environmentalism, and cross-national health threats, is the move away from the heavy use of traditional, more judgmental approaches to assessment toward alternative, more inclusive means of determining what learners know and can do. Along with this move is a thoughtful re-examination of just what we want from our learners in classrooms worldwide. (Carol A. Puhl, 1997). Realizing the flaws in the present system of evaluation and importance of comprehensive continuous assessment, a country has to not only reform but also transform the process of evaluation in the current education system. With this objective (for improving the quality of education), Government of India also has planned to put in place a system of continuous assessment in few months time (PM,s address to the nation on the occasion of the countrys 65th Independence Day). Different forms of continuous assessment can be used by different subject teachers for different levels of learners. Though broad guidelines can be laid down, exact procedure to be followed cannot be explicitly stated for a specific course or programmes. Every individual tutor may be trying within the limitations of resources and his experience different ways of evaluating the students continually over a semester or academic year. The effectiveness of this process can be determined only through the learners performance after the course. In this paper, I have made an attempt to share my experience in comprehensive continuous assessment of the students at tertiary level in English language/ literature class rooms. Changing Role of Teachers Modern Indias system of education expanding as never before with graduation as the minimum entry level qualification for a job and Masters degree a mere gateway for a career, the need of the hour is far beyond the degrees in paper. What matters most is attitude and varied skill sets in order to sustain ones place in the competitive and challenging global job market. To fulfill these requirements, our democratic nation shoulders the huge responsibility of modifying its past principle, Survival of the fittest to suit the current needs as fit all of them to survive. This present principle being our goal, all the universities and academicians play a vital role in transforming this goal into action. The function of tertiary and higher education institutes and the quality of students produced by them requires not only a thorough scrutiny but also a major revision and a complete reformation to address the challenges in todays changing education environment. Our country needs not just gradua tes but intellectual dynamites to think locally and act globally, individuals with thinking minds, responsible citizens to lead India in the path of progress as a developed nation. In the branch of tertiary and higher education today, semester pattern is largely being followed by most of the universities, India and abroad. With such practice in vogue, an academic year comprising two semesters, Spring and Fall, should contain relevant topics, both significant in content and interesting in variety thus fulfilling the knowledge function. True to the saying that knowledge is power, only if applied, such knowledge-gain has to be tested in practice. Testing is nothing but practicing the power of learning. From times immemorial, examination, either oral or written has been in vogue only to check the comprehensive level of the receiver. We should keep in mind the fact that checks and balances are part of any established system. Contrary to this ancient belief, testing of knowledge, in a way, also helps both the learner and the teacher to know more from each other which can further lead to self-scrutiny and betterment. To smoothen this process, as a first step, appropri ate modern teaching methods have to be applied along with the essential pedagogical resources for the knowledge transfer to happen successfully. Again the teaching-learning process remains partial if there is no training function. Implementation of practical methods has become the need of the hour not only for science subjects even for humanities. Due to such changing trends in the field of modern education, a classroom, meant for knowledge-sharing, is no longer an exclusive teacher-cantered domain for delivering lectures based on theory. As the dimension of learning process includes in its fold different types of experimental learning techniques using technology as teaching aid, the classroom becomes a world in itself. The suggested place also serves as a continuous learning-cum-testing ground to know more and more: starting from critical thinking to presentation skills, personality enrichment to behavioural science, verbal to non-verbal communication methods, subjective to objective approaches, so on and so forth. With these wide-ranging benefits, continuous internal assessment paves way to self-development, knowledge upgr adation, creativity, innovative thinking , problem-solving, strategic planning, time management etc. thus leading further to the road not taken. Thus learning and assessment go hand in hand as a continuous process. Obviously, to match the changing trends, the learning outcome tested by means of assessment is undergoing a sea-change as well. Now, to focus on the teaching of English language and literature in the present century, a teacher cannot sit back to play the conventional role of merely teaching and assessing the students performance and publishing their results. There is no denial of this public-service function performed by a teacher which in addition to this mandatory task demands an extension of role as a trainer to identify and hone the skill of students. Therefore, a multi-level learner-centered training programme has to be incorporated as part of the regular teaching method in the form of activities and games to develop language skills and literature study. As a result, a new job-description evolves for a teacher in order to match the rising professional standards. To bridge the existing gulf between the old and new standards, the teaching faculty has to be made aware of the ever-c hanging roles and responsibilities across the world. Teaching profession expects the teacher to emerge in a new avatar of multi-tasking. As a result, a new job-description evolves for a contemporary teacher to suit the rising standards. For equipping the teachers, orientation programmes and training workshops on tech-savvy teaching can be organized at regular intervals thus helping the tutors do justice to this new avatar. Learning journey takes a new route: With the increase in population and universal primary education becoming one of the seven millennium development goals proposed by the United Nations, the class room size is increasing and paying individual attention to each and every learner becomes extremely difficult even for the most dedicated tutors. Evaluation of continuous assessment components becomes even more time consuming and labourious. In such circumstances, Virtual learning environment eases the work of the tutor and reaches the door steps of the learners who have access to the internet. Among the present generation of students, there is hardly a person without a laptop and in some states in India, government offers free laptops to the student community at the tertiary level. Thus the changing times and emerging trends bring technology to our service for fulfilling the demanding educational needs in a much more effective way. Many open source software (Moodle is one) are available which needs just customization to suit the needs of the institution/ programme. With VLE, students and teachers can work on the same platform as per their convenience in many ways having scheduled activities over a semester with a time frame for every activity. Semester work plan/ weekly teaching schedule, learning resources such as power point slides, videos, lecture notes, reading or course material, assignment and presentation topics, links to files or websites having learning resources, quiz questions, or anything you name can be added and uploaded, periodical online tests can be conducted. This tool also provides extended facilities for grading, report generation (best results are achieved with MCQ based tests), backup and restoring of files. The actual constraint may be the resources and training provided to the tutors by the institutions they work with. Access to the computers during off-class hours in the college, stable and fast internet connection and necessary software should be available to the faculty. Ther e may be resentments at the beginning as it involves extra labour on preparation, over the years the tutors will have the ease of using it effectively even for a large group of students. Researched Assignment: From east to west, assignments are the best methods to inculcate research practices in students, as research at graduate, masters and doctoral level has proved to be application oriented. The general framework/ sequential task involves gathering relevant information through research, understanding and interpreting the collected details by applying critical thinking, planning and outlining the draft, coherent organization of details, structuring the paragraphs with appropriate thesis statement and topic sentences and thus presenting the thought-inductive ideas in a refined written form. Such series of steps can be worked together in pair. Even for this task, innovative measures can be applied right from the beginning by posting the assignment topics over VLE along with the necessary guidelines and time frame to monitor the progress and submission. Assignment submitted after the deadline will not be accepted by the system. Also, the question of being unaware of the task never arises as the assigned task glows with the tag NEW and its mandatory for both the teacher and the taught to access this link very often for exchanging their views in the discussion forum , for the announcement of academic activities etc. One another advantage of this soft copy assignment submission is that the whole write up can be scrutinized for on line plagiarism by using software (Viper is one such software which is an open source software). This feasible method can curb plagiarism, an academic dishonesty, to a possible extent. Moreover, students can submit hard copy as well to proceed with the usual evaluation pattern. For systematic evaluati on, following a specific preset marking criteria encompassing content, critical analysis(inclusive of quotations), referencing (in-text and end-text) and language can help in setting a standard evaluation procedure thus enhancing the skill set of the learners with a better end-product. Power Point Presentation: The main objective of this internal component is to enhance the spoken communication of the students. Other inherent aspects looked at are the style of presentation, fluency and flow of speech, pronunciation and choice of words, use of right terms, intonation, body language, the level of confidence and above all the ability to reach out to the listeners and tackling the questions at the end of the session. The presentation purpose listed above is quite common for all. Therefore, let me move on to the presentation tool. Since Chart is the most familiar tool used even at school level , todays young students whose lifestyle keeps moving from screen to screen (from television to mobile to computer) can be trained to present the topic as ppt slides. The constructive use of technology as an aid in academics not only makes the presentation interesting and informative but also kindles the creativity of students. Coming to the assessment part, an exclusive grading sheet for the presentation can be formulated to evaluate the performance. To ensure a cohesive presentation, prior planning is required which includes a brief outline of the presentation schedule with the group division of students and their topics along with the grading criteria. The planned schedule can be uploaded over VLE well in advance so that students can start preparing their topics. Usually the presentation can be conducted a few weeks before the semester draws to a close and using this method one particular text a play or a novel can be assigned for the students to prepare and present. A model presentation plan has been chartered for practice. Grading Criteria Group Names [ Group division] Presentation Topic Marks Total Content: In-depth subject knowledge Proper use of textual lines adequate explanation Critical analysis Group 1: A , B C Text assigned: Ben Jonsons The Alchemist- a play A: The Age of Jonson BJ as a playwright. B: Intro. To the play concerned with a briefing on the plot structure characters. C: The origin and application of Js theory Presentation Style: Clarity in presentation Coherent flow of ideas Unique method of representing the concept Voice modulation Group 2: Each group can have 4 or 5 presenters Presenter 1: Act I-sc.i, ii P 2: sc. iii iv, an analysis P 3: On character sketch, traits and major events. P 4: Overall critical analysis of Act I with the comments of critics Language Fluency Appropriate choice of words Pronunciation -The pattern continues for a week or for 7 lecture hours. The method continues for all the acts of the play done by the subsequent groups Body Language Eye contact Confidence Last Group: Sums up the whole task P 1: Revisit the play as a whole highlighting the major events and their significance. Interaction Independent tackling of the queries -Task to be continued and completed. P 2: Focuses on the method of characterization with the classification of major and minor chrs The prime objective of this presentation model is to promote independent learning and individual thinking. End purpose: Students gain knowledge through self-learning and practice. P3:Traits and disposition of the chrs, highlighted. P 4 5: on Thematic concerns. Action Spread Sheet Method: This unique method is also a proven success when implemented in my teaching career. Its feasible for a small group of learners with a student strength ranging up to 25 and can be applied in the II or III semester after establishing a friendly familiarity with the attitude and aptitude of the group involved. The uniqueness of the mode of assessment for this method lies in the fact that its purely based on text-based activities performed by each group throughout the semester. For instance, I applied this method for the II semester English Literature group comprising 24 students. The module title and the recommended texts for this module are: English Poetry Drama: C14 17. Texts: 1.Chaucer : General Prologue to Canterbury Tales 2.Marlowe: Doctor Faustus 3. BenJonson: The Alchemist 4. John Milton: Paradise Lost, Bk.I 5. Metaphysical Poets: 3 Poems of John Donne 2 poems of Andrew Marvell. Continually assessed semester activity plan: A Sample Product When a text is being taught, either in the middle of the weekly schedule or at the end, students should perform a group-based activity. The one and only condition is that, all the members in the group should contribute, so that they can be marked. Otherwise everything is left to the creative imagination of the students. This fun learning exercise happens in the classroom within the class hours and that too with minimum properties. Group 1: Activity 1: A mime show on Chaucers pilgrims. Gp.2 : Activity 2: Literary parade of seven deadly sins and its contemporary relevance. Gp.3 : Activity 3: Choose one gulling scene involving Subtle, Face and any other victim or Quiz programme can be conducted by the group on this particular text. Gp.4 :Activity 4: Famous speeches of Satan, Beelezebub and the epic similes: to be recited and their significant meanings pointed out. Gp.5 :Activity 5: A slideshow or an album of the major metaphysical poets, their contribution, and the rules devised by the metaphysical school of poets for their poetry construction with examples from the poems studied. Gp.6 : Activity 6: Definition and explanation of the metaphysical conceits, wits and symbols appearing in the prescribed poems. This method provides ample room for fun and creative learning with enthusiastic participation from the students thus creating a better learning environment. For this activity, the assessment record has to be maintained throughout the semester as it can be finalized only at the end. Portfolio Assessment for Creative Writing: The Creative writing module containing short fiction and non-fiction writing has submission of portfolio for assessment. All the drafts, workshop materials, activities done individually, in pair and group and the research work done has to be filed in order with the date and topic and has to be submitted along with the final draft of the story and an essay. Short fiction comprising story writing is taught through varied activities . They are developing story from a poem, writing a scene, lottery story-writing focusing mainly on character sketch by drawing lots, collaborative dialogue writing, completing a given story, sketching a captivating scene, developing conflicts both internal and external etc. Well trained on all the aspects of story-writing, the student is expected to create an original story. Marks are awarded based on Plot structure, characterization, technical aspects, language and theme. For non-fiction the assessment is based on content, organization, language and methodology. This portfolio pattern, which practically includes everything done by a student from beginning till the end, trains youngsters to remain well-organized. Conclusion Any method adopted by teachers in any classroom for comprehensive continuous assessment also has obstacles like classroom size, workload for the teacher and other responsibilities shouldered by the teachers in the institute. The support and encouragement rendered by the institution to the teachers and the receptivity of the students to the initiatives are some other factors that affect the success of the process. An institution may have the best infrastructure and curriculum but the ultimate success lies in the hand of the teacher and the learner specially on their attitude towards teaching and learning. To conclude, the success of any innovation in the academic circle rests on two factors. On the one hand, the larger picture matters and on the other the connectivity enjoyed between the teacher and the taught.

What is Religion Essay -- essays research papers fc

World Religion What is Religion?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the American College Dictionary, religion is a noun defined as the quest for the values of the ideal life. This definition is vast and general, allowing for a variety of interpretations by people from all cultures. There is no single path to follow in order to lead an ideal life, only personal beliefs and experiences. Religion is non-finite so there is no way of determining a boundary (Smart, 5). In my quest for a true understanding of what religion is I explored my own traditions and religious beliefs as well as life experiences. Slowly, with the added insight from the text and videos, my own definition of religion has begun to take shape.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps the most powerful statement made about religion was made by Dr. John Simmons of Western Illinois University. He makes the valid point that religion is not a noun, but a verb. Religion is based on beliefs and how people act based on those beliefs. Tradition, prayer, and meditation are all acts of religion and are considered intangible behaviors. Although many rituals of religion are â€Å"things†, the ethical and social portions are lifestyles. In addition to this point, Dr. Simmons mentions the possibility of religion being founded as a way to understand and answer important questions about life and death. People must find out who they are, why they are here on Earth, and what purpose their life holds. Questions known as boundary questions are posed when humans are faced with new situations in their lives (Beliefs and Believers, Class 1). They must believe that there is reasoning to support their actions. Rites of passage are the most frequent exper iences involving boundary questions. For example, as a child of Christian parents, I was told that people die because it is their turn to be with Jesus. Heaven made sense to me and comforted me, knowing that my loved ones would be in such a wonderful place. Also in the Christian religion, questions may arise about the beginning of life and how we got to Earth. The myth of Adam and Eve and the story of the Creation answers that for Christian believers. As for my purpose on Earth, my question was answered by the Christian doctrine. I am here to spread the word of God in actions and words so that all humans may know His love. However, these answers do not make sense to a... ... identity and answers profound life questions otherwise unobtainable. In only a short period of time, my perception of religion has changed vastly. I have been introduced to many other perspectives that have impacted my own beliefs. I hope that as I continue to study new religious ideas, my understanding and knowledge will grow as well. BIBLIOGRAPHY Beliefs and Believers. Teleclass.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  University Park, Illinois: Governors State University, 1999 Marty, Martin. Interview with Dr. John K. Simmons. Beliefs and Believers:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  University Park, Illinois: Governors State University, 1999 Simmons, Dr. John K. Beliefs and Believers Teleclass Study Guide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt, 1999 Smart, Ninian. Worldviews: Crosscultural Explorations of Human Beliefs (Third Ed).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2000 Tindall, George. America: Brief 5th Edition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  NY, NY: Norton, 2000 Williams, Rev. Cecil. Interview with Dr. John K. Simmons. Beliefs and Believers:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  University Park, Illinois: Governors State University, 1999

Reassemblage: Challenging the Relationship between Women and Visual Ple

Reassemblage: Challenging the Relationship between Women and Visual Pleasure Visual pleasure, derived from images on film, is dominated by sexual imbalance. The pleasure in looking is split between active/male and passive/female. In her essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" Laura Mulvey asserts the fact that in mainstream films, women are simultaneously looked at and displayed. That is to say, the woman is both an object of desire and a spectacle for the male voyeuristic gaze. The male's function is active; he advances the story and controls the gaze onto the women. Interestingly, the spectator identifies with the male through camera technique and style. In an effort to reproduce the so-called natural conditions of human perception, male point-of-view shots are often used along with deep focus. In addition, camera movements are usually determined by the actions of the male protagonist. Consequently, the gaze is dominated by the active male while the passive female exists to support desire within the film. In an attempt to change this structure, Mulvey stresses the importance of challenging the "look." One way this is accomplished, is in the film Reassemblage, where the look of the camera is free from male perspecti ve and dominated more by passionate detachment. In doing this, the filmmaker, Trinh Minh-Ha attempts to destroy the satisfaction and pleasure derived from images of women in film, by highlighting the ways Hollywood depends on voyeuristic and fetishi...

The Richness of Olive Oil Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Richness of Olive Oil When I think of olive oil, a picture suitable for a postcard comes to mind: rows of olive groves, pasta figgoli, Pavarotti singing, and Grandma Garone rubbing olive oil on the heads of my father, Vincenzo, and his brother, Francisco. Their hair would take on the Italian look: dark and sheen, slicked back, reminiscent of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Grandpa Garone owned acres of olive groves in a small village outside of Naples in Southern Italy. Each day, his workers collected the olives and made batches of fresh olive oil. When my grandparents came to America in 1925, they smuggled in as much olive oil as they could carry—12 gallons worth—for fear they would find nothing like it here. Pungent, thick, and drab to emerald green in color, olive oil comes from the fleshy pulp of the fruit of an evergreen tree grown exclusively in temperate climates: Spain, Southern Italy, Greece, and, more recently, California. In 1775, the first California olive trees were planted around the state at the various Spanish missions. Today, California’s olive oil industry constitutes less than 0.5 percent of world production because only 3 percent of the 110,000 tons grown in California is used to make olive oil. The rest is canned and consumed as olives; preserving the olives costs less and is more time efficient than pressing for oil. California has four major varieties of olive: Manzanillo, Mission, Sevillano, and Ascalano. The Mission, named for the Spanish missionaries who introduced it, is most commonly used to make oil because of its high oil content and its â€Å"low pit to flesh ratio.† More than 300 other varieties of olives are grown in California. Sounding like female characters in a Fellini film... ... United States, it is unique, compared to the bread and butter usually served in Italian restaurants. By serving the oil with the bread, Kuleto’s is supposedly emulating Italian culture, at a pretty high price. Would this practice be so popular if olive oil tasted more like Crisco? The distinctive flavor, as well as the romantic and pastoral images conjured up by traditional strong olive oils, make this oil a winner in today’s overflowing market. Even the painter Renoir had something to say about olives: â€Å"Regardez cette lumiere dans les oliviers: Ça brille comme un diamant.† (Look at the light in the olive trees: it is brilliant like a diamond.) It is the oil that makes them shine like diamonds. And it is the bucolic images of the Italian countryside that will draw consumers back again and again to the richness of olive oil, both in flavor and on the body.

Midsummer: Mind and Impulsiveness Physical Attraction Essay

The story’s plot (if there is any) was light. It was just about a guy (Manong) who took care of a bull and eventually met a girl (Aning) on the road. It was obvious that Manong was attracted to Aning mainly because of her figure, â€Å"The underpart of her arm is while and smooth†¦And her hair is thick and black.† The bull in the story served as a connection of the two persons. It was like in Chekhov’s â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog† (I just realized that I often cite this story in my commentaries. What can I do? I love this story). When Manong was having a meal with the bull on his side, he found the girl fetching water on the well and it was obvious that Manong grew â€Å"conscious† in her presence which leads to the idea that he likes the girl. But on my reading, he just likes the girl due to impulsiveness – physical attraction. His noticeable thoughts of the girl’s â€Å"breast† was the proof that he was just another normal guy who does this thing. Oh, I’m sounding crappy. Their conversation when they talked about their meals made their official connection toward each other (the one Aning confessed that her meal were just rice and salt), â€Å"They laughed and felt more at ease and regarded each other more openly† and â€Å"the while he gazed up at her and smiled for no reason.† And when the bucket of water fell they started teasingly blaming themselves. Manong volunteered to fill the empty buket with water because he thought that he was â€Å"stronger† than her (I found a sexist tone in this part though). Anyway, when Aning offered him to drink water from his fetched bucket he seemed to be more â€Å"conscious† than ever, â€Å"A chuckling sound persisted in forming inside his throat at every shallow. It made him self-conscious. He was breathless when though, and red in the face.† Aning also offered Manong to stay in their house foor some shade and to have some rest. Of course, Aning mentioned the â€Å"bull† to at least express a reason for the offer (a very common technique. Lol.) But I stopped when I read the line, â€Å"We have no neighbors.† I thought that the ending of the story was somewhat mysterious but it came to tme that maybe I was just over reacting about this one. Anyway, back to the issue, I think there was a great possibility of them being lovers. The closing lines though made me feel a creepy feeling, â€Å"He felt strong. He felt that he could follow the slender, lithe figure ahead of him to the ends of the world.† It felt awkward.

Income Inequality

Currently there are many problems and flaws with the way the Canadian government’s policies deal with healthcare, income inequality and poverty. Time to time changes in policies have been made, perhaps to improve these issues, however, the gap between rich and poor keeps increasing and there is very little improvement in healthcare and the economy. In fact, healthcare keeps on becoming costly. Major issues like income inequality and poverty are not being taken care of by the government. According to Dr. Raphael (2002) poverty is caused by several reasons such as inequality in people’s income, weak social services and lack of other social supports (p. VI). He states, â€Å"Poverty directly harms the health of those with low incomes while income inequality affects the health of all Canadians through the weakening of social infrastructure and the destruction of social cohesion. †(Raphael, 2002, p. VI) Income inequality and poverty are interrelated with the way government structures policy decisions in its social and economic sphere (Raphael, 2002, p. VI). Dr. Raphael (2002) also claims that the health effects of poverty is strongly related to income inequality and poverty because societies that has high levels of poverty is bound to be economically unequal (p. 4). Canada’s government policies are inefficient in preventing income inequality and poverty. We do not get to see the whole picture as to how the Canadian government ignores and/or fails to provide services in all parts of Canada who requires improvement of healthcare, prevent income inequality and poverty. People who are living in urban areas are extensively lacking access to healthcare. The population in rural areas of Canada are lower than the population in urban areas. As a result, the government provides less healthcare in rural, northern and remote areas (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. III). I believe government is able to do this because people in cities knows less and/or cares less about people living in rural and remote areas. And perhaps government purposely ignores these people in rural areas. For decades aboriginal people living in these areas has been deprived of their rights whether it was healthcare, social assistance, jobs and access to daily needs and services. These aboriginal people often face issues such as poverty and occupational hazards (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. III). The reason these problems occur is because government policies are not implemented properly in these areas and the health care professionals in these areas are also not trained properly and there are less staff members workings at these rural areas (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. V). There are shortages of doctors and nurses. There is less community health services in these areas. Also these areas are purposely given less funding by government and private organizations (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. V). The reports are not being prepared accurately for these areas and government does not make enough efforts to evaluate these reports properly (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. V). Some of the major healthcare services are lacking, such as major trauma, mental health services, palliative care, aged care, dental health services and children with special needs. I n most areas these services are not offered and sometimes culturally and linguistically they are not available (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. V). This means that in many cases a patient has to travel a great distance in order to get these services and this means spending a great deal of money from their own pocket and if they do not have it, they have no choice but to receive no services or care (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. 25). Also women's healthcare is a significant issue in rural areas. They have difficulties with giving births as there are not enough medically trained doctors for deliveries in rural areas (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. 25). They often rely on family physicians and physicians trained in anaesthesiology to have deliveries done. Also there has been many closers of hospitals in these rural areas. As a result, now women too have to travel a great distance to have their deliveries done by a professional. Some women have to reach cities 1 month prior to their delivery and pay all their own expenses (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. 25) Because of all these hospital closures and reduced services now there are problems with surgical procedures and pharmacists. Most of the doctors and pharmacists does not stay long in these areas. They leave the community and return to cities (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. 26) Also these rural areas do not receive much care for alcohol problems and HIV/AIDS. These services are poorly served. Aboriginals are also not given proper education in how to prevent these diseases (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. 26). These are some major issues that government fails to address or as it seems they choose purposely to ignore because these issues has been going on for decades. The government should be a bit responsible with making better policies and taking expert advices constantly to improve the policies. That is why we pay high taxes and high price for goods and services, so that the government should be always on their toe and working hard to make sure we get better and efficient policies. Policies that would help reduce inequalities and poverty in Canada. There are problems in cities too regarding healthcare access. Access such as emergency services, diagnostic equipment and medical specialist are problematic (Soroka, 2007, p. 15). Wait times get longer and longer each year (Soroka, 2007, p. 5). For example, a 50 year old women would have to wait 6 months for her biopsy, a 65 year old man who needs hip replacement has to wait 6-12 months for the surgery (Soroka, 2007, p. 15). There are also delays and lack of service for home care for senior citizens and elderly mentally challenged people. According to author Soroka (2007) 87 percent Canadians claim t hat there is a great amount of lacking in the number of doctors and nurses (p. 16). This happens because government is failing to provide more money to hire more doctors and nurses (Soroka, 2007, p. 16). Yet, the government brings in many immigrant doctors and nurses based on their education who still can not find a job in Canada. So it seems that even when there is qualified doctors and nurses available, they government is failing or not investing enough amount of money to hire them. According to Green and Milligan (2007) the gap between Canada’s rich and poor has increased significantly from year 1980 to 2000 (p. 3). The study shows that rich and poor are heading in different directions at an extreme level where the top 1% earners and CEOs only getting richer while middle and the poor only gets poorer (Green & Milligan, 2007, P. ). As an example Green and Milligan (2007) shows that during 1980 to 2000 top 5% Canadian earners earned about $121,260 disposable income where as the bottom 5% families had only $3,104 as disposable income (p. 3). This means that the top earners had 39 times higher income bottom 5% earners (Green & Milligan, 2007, p. 3). The study suggests that the Canadian government’s used income tax policies in order to widen this gap of inequality between rich and poor (Green & Milligan, 2007, p. 4). Green and Milligan (2007) states, â€Å"In 2000, the top 10% of income earners had a disposable income of approximately $97,000. That’s 16 times more than the average of $5,900 earned by the bottom 10% of income earners. †(P. 7) While top earners income rose, the bottom earners income remained the same (Green & Milligan, 2007, p. 7). Also in a Globe & Mail newspaper article author Tavia Grant (2008) points out that an average earner in the year 2005 earned about $41,401 which is almost the same as an average earner 1980 who earned $41,348 (p. 2). Therefore, it is evident that the poor and less advantaged are being kept at the same level of income and resources, while expenses and prices of goods and services has always gone up. As a result, it is the middle and the poor class who suffers by paying the price unfairly, because their income never increase and also their income stayed at the same level for 20 years. According to Grant (2008) 11. 4 percent lives below low income which is considered a poverty line (p. 3). Also immigrants in Canada earn way less then a Canadian born worker. Statistics show that immigrant men earned 63 cents for each dollar a Canadian-born worker earns (Grant, 2008, p. 3). In general, women earn about 85 cents for every dollar men earn (Grant, 2008, p. 3). Lower income deprives basic needs of human life, it leads to depression and it also leads to poverty sometimes. According to Mikkonen & Raphael (2010) Canada’s richest neighbourhood’s residents on average, live four years more than the poorest neighbourhood (p. 12). Their study finds that the most deprived Canadians had 28% higher death rates than the least deprived Canadians. Also health issues are a major concern because the poor has far more health issues like heart attacks and diabetes (Mikkonen & Raphael, 2010, p. 12). They lack resource and information. The poorest neighbourhoods also have a much higher suicide rate (Mikkonen & Raphael, 2010, p. 12). Therefore, in Canada it is evident that income inequality is not being addressed by government policies, it is depriving and affecting the poor and the immigrants, and it is also making them vulnerable where it becomes really difficult to climb out of their situation. Sweden’s government has a different policy for income inequality and poverty. As author Palme (2006) indicates that Sweden’s government is doing well in promoting reduction in poverty and inequality (P. 16). Swedish government has a universal model of social protection. This social protection plan reaches out to venerable people in both rural and urban areas. This plan protects women’s labour force, aging population, all kinds of workers and salary based employees (Palme, 2006, p. 16). The plan also combines both public and private sector where improvement is necessary. There are three basic parts o this program. First, family support and old-age pension program which comes under citizenship benefits. Secondly, for different sectors of society there is a universal scheme which is the social earning insurance. Finally, there is housing benefits and social assistance in which income is verified and tested for families with elders and children (Palme, 2006, p. 16). By using these tactics the Swedish government has been successful in reducing overall inequalities to some extent (Palme, 2006, p. 16). Our government has somewhat similar policies for social services and assistance. However, Sweden pushes the boundaries in making the policies better and providing better services to its citizen. Perhaps Canadian government should also look to other countries and/or advices, it does not have to be Sweden, but they should at least try and find different policies that works better for Canadians. One of the major crisis that the Canadian middle and the working class is facing today is coming out of the 2008 world wide recession. Minimum wage is still very low compared to the rising prices of goods and expenses. During the recession people lost jobs, hours were cut and a lot of people were laid off. In order to survive and pay their bills, a lot of low income Canadians had no choice but to borrow and acquire huge amounts of debts. However, most of the top earners and CEOs kept the same paycheques that they were earning before the recession, while the working class took and are still taking most of the financial blow (CBC News, 2011). This makes their lives even more difficult. Therefore, much of countries capital money is circulating at the top, the vast middle and working class does not have the purchasing power to keep the economy flowing. For a short term goal I would like to propose ‘tax reforms’. Tax reforms that is going to reduce taxes for middle and the working class. Also provide a wage support. Increase marginal income tax on the top earners and limit their earnings. There are a lot of elites and CEOs in Canada who are fortunate and skilled enough to earn a very high income. For example, if someone is earning $500, 000 or $5 million a year then they should pay much higher income tax than what they are paying now. Their tax money should be used not only to evenly distribute, but they should be used to better health services, education, social services and transportation. This way it will not only circulate the money back to middle and working class but it will also help families and individual advance in their life. This helps society as a whole. There are several reasons why government should accept my policy rather than accepting others policies. It is common sense that first and the most important basic need for human is being stable mentally and physically. To maintain this stability you need food, shelter, health, clothing and most importantly education. When people are deprived of these basic needs because of poverty or less income, then the outcome might only be negative consequences and there also might be a social crisis. A society cannot function and/or improve without meeting these basic needs. A society also cannot improve without better education, better healthcare and better social assistances. Therefore, government of Canada should look to invest in poor and hard working people with low income, by providing their basic needs and by educating them in different areas of the policies we have and how to get help from different social assistance programs. Perhaps the government should also take public opinions, discussions and ideas into consideration while making major decisions and policies because it’s the people’s problems that they need to address and the only way to address them is to find out first hand what the real problems are, and what are the best means by which the government can provide efficient and helpful service to the public. The government should also improve income distribution and tax policies. I believe there is no better investment than investing in every person in society and government should focus on improving human capital. In the long run, investing in improvement of human capital improves society and mankind as a whole.

Dignity in Ivan and the Sound of Waves Essay

In the novels, One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn and The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima, the characters value their dignity and take many actions to preserve it. First of all, in One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich, Shukhov attempts to maintain his human dignity in the face of oppression. As Shukhov begins his daily routine, he â€Å"quickly finished up the job. There’s work and work†¦ If you’re working for human beings, then do a real job of it† (Solzhenitsyn 33). Shukhov is imprisoned in a gulag, one of the worst possible places to be, but he still maintains his human dignity by keeping a good work ethic. Shukhov knows that if he works well he will be treated well, but beyond that, the fact that he is working for another human being gives him reason to maintain a good work ethic, and his self-respect. Furthermore, Shukhov always preforms many small, but meaning full actions in order to maintain his dignity. While eating his rations, Shukhov â€Å"removed his cap from his shaven head—however cold it was, he wouldn’t let himself eat with his cap on† (16). Shukhov still maintains his manners, even when he is forcibly kept in a gulag prison. His manners are very important as they allow him a way to remain human and keep his dignity, rather than deteriorating to the state of an animal, like some of the other prisoners. While the characters in One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich, attempt to maintain their dignity as a means of refuge in the gulags, the characters of The Sound of Waves, retain their dignity as a means of protecting their status in society. To begin, the characters in the Sound of Waves do not tolerate any embarrassment or loss of respect to their peers. When Shinji’s mother visits Terukichi Miyata’s home he ignores her visit and she replies, â€Å"[s]o you say you won’t see a poor widow†¦Well let me tell you something†¦ never in life will I ever cross [Miyata’s] damned threshold again† (Mishima 128-129). Shinji’s mother vows never to cross paths with Miyata’s home after he insults her by refusing to meet with her. Shinji’s mother takes a hit to her pride and retaliates in a way that would imply her intolerance for disrespect. Moreover, the characters in the novel are virtuous and refrain from committing any acts that would call into question their morals and self-respect. While resting naked with Shinji in the shrine, Hatsue says, â€Å"It’s bad. It’s bad! It’s bad for a girl to do that before she is married† (76-77). Although the urge to engage in a sexual relation with Shinji is strong, Hatsue knows it would hurt not only her self-respect but also defile her father’s reputation in the village. Although characters in both novels take actions to preserve their respective dignities, in One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich, It is done to maintain their humanity and sanity when they are treated like animals. While in The Sound of Waves, the characters preserve their dignity to uphold the respect of the village and their peers. Overall, the characters in both novels value their dignity and take many actions to uphold it.