Classical Period Essay Example for Free

Classical Period Essay Haydn’s Violin Concerto in C (Hob. VIIa/I) was composed sometime around the year 1765, during his fourth year of employment by the Eszterhazy family as assistant to kappelmeister Gregor Werner. Aged thirty-two at the time, he was just then entering into the period during which he would produce his most mature works. Like many concerti of the time – including Haydn’s Cello Concerto, which had immediately preceeded the present work – the Violin Concerto in C was composed to showcase the talents of a specific performer, in this case, Alois Tomosini, who ultimately became concertmaster of the Eszterhazy Orchestra. Like the Cello Concerto, this piece is in three movements: Allegro Moderato, followed by a slower Adagio movement in the subdominant key of F, and finishing with a brilliant, energetic Finale: Presto. Structurally, all three movements follow the sonata allegro form. This form, so common in during the Classical Period that it came to be known as â€Å"First Movement Form† begins in with a primary theme in the tonic key, followed by a secondary theme in the dominant key (or, in the case of minor tonality, the relative major). This makes up the â€Å"exposition. † During the â€Å"development† section, the composer uses thematic materials from the exposition in a series of variations and mutations. The â€Å"recapitulation† restates both initial themes in the tonic key. During the Classical Period, the second movement of any multi-movement work was invariably a slower moving piece in the subdominant key. In the work under discussion, Haydn does not depart from this formula, nor in the last Presto movement in which Classical composers always returned to the original key. It is worth noting that orchestral ensemble works, particularly those of Haydn and Mozart, contained a Minuetto movement inserted between the slower second movement and the faster fourth movement; however, in concerti, which featured a solo player, the Minuetto was never included. It is interesting to note that the Presto movement is in a triple meter, and has the feel, if not the strict form, of a Minuetto. In the performance used for this paper, this movement is played much faster than a typical Minuetto, but a dance-like atmosphere is retained. As this is a fairly early work, it should not surprise us that that Haydn relies a great deal on scale runs and patterns, particularly during transitional sections. In fact, the initial introductory material consists of nothing more than an ascending F major scale, elaborated upon by the accompaniment. This is not as apparent in later, more mature works by this composer, although scale-based material of this nature is prominent in some of Mozart’s youthful works, particularly the first movement of Symphony No. 29 in A Major. There are also several instances in all three movements in which the thematic material goes back and forth between major and parallel (rather than relative) minor tonalities. For modulations, Haydn makes frequent use of â€Å"common-tone diminished† chords, which makes it quite simple to go from one key to any other key. Nonetheless, Haydn rarely strays far from the initial key of a given movement. However, unlike many of Haydn’s later works, diminished seventh harmonic structures are not prominently featured, serving brief functional purposes only. The third, Finale Presto movement has the most interest, despite the frequent use of double stops in the first and the lyrical quality of the second. The fiery leaps and fast runs are obviously intended to display Tomosini’s virtuosity. In addition, there is some interesting rhythmic movement between 3:07 and 3:09 of this recording in which the music nearly changes into duple meter, giving a sensation of hemiola. Much of Haydn’s influences are apparent in the early music of Mozart as well as that of Joseph Bulogne, an French composer of Afro-Caribbean ancestry who commissioned Haydn’s later â€Å"Paris Symphonies. † Haydn enjoyed a long, productive life that spanned nearly the entire stylistic period that came to be known as â€Å"Classical. † At the time Haydn began his compositional career, the Baroque style typified by the works J. S. Bach, G. F. Handel had become dated. The â€Å"Classical† style of which C. P. E. Bach, son of J. S. , was a founder, was still fairly new. The use of the harpsichord continuo – despite the availability of the newly-invented pianoforte – is a noteworthy holdover from the tradition of the baroque concerti grosso. Nonetheless, in its use of scale patterns, parallel minor and the common-tone diminished modulations, this early Haydn work shows a mastery over the basic compositional elements that he would use in many future works. Work Cited Haydn, Franz Josef. Violin Concerto In C Major (Sound Recording). Orchestra Sinfonica Haydn di Bolzano e Trento. Barry Faldner, Conductor. Benjamin Schmid, soloist. (Stradivari Classics, June 1994).

Education Essays Pupils Special Disabilities

Education Essays Pupils Special Disabilities Pupils Special Disabilities This essay critically evaluates the success of policies to promote the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities since 1997. The essay reflects critically on recent legislation in the field and the implications of this for development, showing an understanding of how to resolve conflicting viewpoints. The essay first outlines the legislation, and policy documents, that have been enacted or published since 1997 and then critically analyses these policies in terms of answering the question of how successful these policies have been in terms of meeting special educational needs and disabilities through a review of the impact of these policies on the teaching of special needs children in mainstream schools, and the impact of this on the pupils with special needs, on the ‘normal’ children being taught alongside special needs pupils and on the teaching staff involved in teaching in classrooms containing mainstreamed special needs pupils. Special education is defined, generally, as education that is modified for students with special needs, whether these be special physical needs due to a disability or special mental needs, such as mental health problems or giftedness. The Education Act 1996 defines special educational needs thus, children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them, and children can be identified as having a learning difficulty if they have a significantly different ability to learn than the majority of children the same age as them and if they have a disability which prevents them from making use of facilities that would normally be used within that setting by children of a similar age. Students with special educational needs and disabilities have been catered for through a number of legislations since the late 1990s. The Education Act 1996 outlines the various roles and responsibilities of all those involved in the process of educating children within the UK: teachers and parents, for example. The Education Act 1996 contains statutes that are directly relevant to the education of children with special educational needs and disabilities, building, as it does, on the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. One of the requirements of the Act is that local authorities publish ‘disability statements’ at regular intervals, detailing the facilities provided by the local authority with regards to accommodating children with special educational needs and disabilities because one of the main requirements of the Act was to identify, assess and meet children’s special educational, or physical, needs in terms of meeting these needs within a mainstream school. Part Four of the Education Act 1996 was revised and was enacted as the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. The Government launched their publication entitled Excellence for all children: Meeting Special Educational Needs in 1997, which set out a coherent strategy for dealing with students with special educational needs and disabilities. This was enhanced through the 1998 publication of the document Meeting Special Educational Needs – A Programme of Action which, when implemented in conjunction with the 1999 Disability Task Force report entitled From Exclusion to Inclusion, reinforced the necessity of considering the rights of students with special educational needs and disabilities. Essentially, the New Labour Government wanted to extend the educational provisions for students with special educational needs and disability by placing educational provision in the broader agenda of social inclusion, within the framework of rights for individuals with special educational needs and disabled individuals (MacBeath et al., 2006)n. Following these publications, and as has been seen, Part Four of the Education Act 1996 was revised and was enacted as the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 is divided in to three parts, two of which are of particular relevance for those with special educational needs and disability: Part One which made changes to the existing Special Educational Needs section in the Education Act 1996; and Part Two which deals with disability discrimination in education, amending Parts Three and Four of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Part One of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 strengthens the rights of special educational needs children, in particular the right of these individuals to be schooled in mainstream schools. Part Two of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 makes it illegal for schools and Local Authorities to discriminate against disabled people for any reason that is related to their disability: schools and local authorities have a â€Å"reasonable adjustment† duty to provide for the special needs of any individuals under their care. Since the enactment of this Act, a revised Special Educational Needs Code of Practice was developed (in 2002), which provides practical help and advice to all those involved in providing education to students with special educational needs and disabilities. Then, in 2003, a Green Paper was published, entitled Every Child Matters, which outlines the Government’s commitment to partnership with all those involved in educating students with special educational needs and disabilities, under the framework of the Children’s Services proposals. In 2004 a strategy document was published by the Government, entitled Removing Barriers to Achievement – The Government’s Strategy for SEN, which focuses on providing guidelines for early intervention, and for the provision of special educational needs. In terms of the Government’s approach to the education of students with special educational needs and disabilities, as outlined in their 2004 document Removing Barriers to Achievement – The Government’s Strategy for SEN, the Government sees it as important to remove barriers to learning and to raise both expectations and achievements, all within a framework of ensuring the application of the terms of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. In terms of the impact of all of this legislation on the education of students with special educational needs and disability, the proportion of such students being ‘mainstreamed’ (i.e., taught within the framework of a ‘mainstream’ school, not a special school) has not been significantly affected by the legislation as many parents are still choosing to send their children to special schools, although the legislation has increased the awareness and appreciation of mainstreaming (OFSTED, 2004). From 1999 to 2003, for example, the portion of students with special educational needs and disability that were schooled in a mainstream setting remained steady, although reports from the Audit Commission have reported an increase in students with behavioural disorders being mainstreamed; conversely, since 2001, in fact, there has been a 10% increase in the number of students sent to special schools (OFSTED, 2004). Whilst the Government seems to think that mainstreaming is the best possible solution for special needs children, a recent report has suggested that school inclusion can actually be a form of abuse and that the recent policies that have been enacted to cover the education of special needs children are badly failing these children (MacBeath et al. 2006). As reported by the BBC, MacBeath has been quoted as stating, â€Å"Physically sitting in a classroom is not inclusion. Children can be excluded by sitting in a classroom that is not meeting their needs†. As reported in MacBeath et al. (2006), there is massive variability across the country as to how inclusion, and mainstreaming, is accommodated, with many schools having unresolved problems regarding inclusion of students with special educational needs and disabilities. A recent (2004) OFSTED report, which looked at the issues of special educational needs and disability and inclusion in mainstream schools found that the Government’s revised inclusion framework has promoted increased awareness of the benefits of inclusion and has led to some level of improvements in practice, but that the framework of inclusion has had little effect, as yet, on the number of pupils within mainstream schools or on the range of needs for which mainstream schools can cater, even though most mainstream schools are committed to mainstreaming special educational needs and disabled students. However, the report found that only a minority of mainstream schools meet special needs well, with expectations of achievement not well enough defined with progress in learning slower, for a vast majority of pupils, than it should be (OFSTED, 2004). Few schools were found to objectively evaluate their provisions for students with special educational needs and disability with not enough use being made of the potential for adapting the curriculum so that such students have suitable opportunities for improving their education (OFSTED, 2004). In general, classroom teaching of students with special educational needs and disability was of highly variable quality, with many lessons having many shortcomings with teaching assistants, especially, contributing to a lack of organization with regards to students with special educational needs and disability (OFSTED, 2004). Shockingly, over half the schools that were visited during the course of this report had no disability access plans and few schools liaised with special schools in order to develop better educational content for the subsequently mainstreamed pupils (OFSTED, 2004). In sum, the OFSTED (2004) report recommended that the Government and local education authorities start to work together in order to ensure that the ability of mainstream schools to teach pupils with special educational needs and disability in a better way, in terms of working closely together with special schools to forge productive links for mainstreamed special educational needs and disabled pupils, such that pupils with special educational needs and disability are enabled to play a full and active part in school life, receiving a curriculum that is relevant to their needs. Whilst noble in its aim, therefore, in terms of the actual numbers of students with special educational needs and disability being mainstreamed, and the education these children are receiving when mainstreamed, inclusion remains a significant challenge for many mainstream schools, and the education received by students with special educational needs and disability within a mainstream school setting is perhaps not as optimum as it could be in many cases, with provisions for their special educational needs and disabilities also not being as adequate as they could, or should, be (Henry, 2004). MacBeath et al. (2006) identified shortcomings in the issue of inclusion, with schools admitting they often had problems with mainstreaming of special educational needs and disabled pupils, due to issues related to resourcing and financing, admissions and capacity, balance of needs, recruitment and retention and expertise and professional development. This does not mean that inclusion policies do not work, as MacBeath et al. (2006) found that inclusion policies are often seen to work when a number of essential conditions are met, namely that staff are enthusiastic and committed, with strong teamwork across staff at the school. In addition to looking at how mainstreaming affects pupils, MacBeath et al. (2006) also looked at how teaching staff are affected by the mainstreaming of students with special educational needs and disabilities. It was found that teachers, in principle, welcome mainstreaming, but that the realities of mainstreaming in practice are very different, due to the fact that the needs of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities are very different from those of ‘normal’ children, and that this can cause problems when deciding how to allocate one’s time as a teacher; that often special needs and disabled pupils are allocated to teachers who lack the necessary skills to be able to handle these pupils; that the nature and quality of support for teachers with special needs and disabled pupils is often not present, all of which impact negatively on the ability of the teacher to teach all of their pupils, i.e., those with special needs or disabilities and the ‘normal’ children (MacBeath et al., 2006). Thus not only do policies to promote the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities affect those children with special educational needs and disabilities, when such children are mainstreamed, these policies also affect the ways in teachers are able to carry out their job, in terms of being able to teach all children in their care equally and with equal attention. This has been noted to be of special concern when the pupils with special educational needs are children with behavioural problems (whom, as we have seen, have been steadily increasing in numbers in mainstream school settings), as these children are very demanding of teachers time, which, if the teacher pays a great deal of attention to managing these pupils behaviour can lead to the teacher having less time to dedicate to the ‘normal’ children in their class. This leads to the argument that special educational needs and disabled children should not be educated in mainstream classrooms. Seldom is the level of training sufficient for mainstream teachers to teach these children adequately, and to care for these children well enough, so that the basic care needed for these children is often not present. Conversely, if the teachers are well versed in teaching and managing pupils with special educational needs, and concentrate too much on these pupils within their classroom, this leads to the ‘normal’ children in the class missing out on the teacher’s time and attention. There is, thus, a delicate balance to be struck when a teacher’s classroom includes children with special educational needs or disabilities, between caring for that individual child and accommodating their needs, and also having adequate time for the other pupils in the class. For this reason, many educators, and many parents, argue against the idea of inclusion and mainstreaming, arguing that these policies serve no practical purpose, other than fulfilling the Government’s idea of how inclusion should ideally work. The MacBeath et al. (2006) report addresses this issue, when they ask ‘is inclusion working?’. Whilst inclusion provides social benefits for special educational needs and disabled children, in terms of them feeling more accepted by their peers, the viability of the whole concept of inclusion is brought in to question when one studies what has been happening in classrooms over the period when mainstreaming has become more commonplace. For teachers who have taught special educational needs and disabled pupils in a mainstream setting, it has been found that children with special needs often feel they have a lack of entitlement to learn and develop emotionally; that there are restrictions on learning for ‘normal’ children being educated alongside special needs children because a disproportionate amount of a teacher’s time is given to special needs children; that mainstreaming special needs children can generate feelings of inadequacy in teachers without specialized expertise in dealing with such children; that there is a great increase in the workload of teachers dealing with special needs children within their classroom and that there are massive pressures on teachers in terms of inadequate funding and resourcing by local authorities (MacBeath et al., 2006). The MacBeath et al. (2006) also addressed the impact on pupils of inclusive policies, finding that mainstreamed special needs children can benefit from interactions with their peers, but that, in the majority of cases, lack of training of teachers, and lack of resources mean that special needs pupils are not adequately dealt with and end up struggling in mainstream schools because there is a general and significant lack of expertise on the part of teachers as to how to properly and adequately deal with special needs children in a mainstream school setting. Following these conclusions, the MacBeath et al. (2006) report recommended that the implementation of policies of inclusion should not rely on individual schools to handle all the responsibility of teaching these children, rather that this should be based on a collaborative effort between special schools, mainstream schools and local authorities, and that this enhanced collaboration should ensure the best service for all children, i.e., those with special needs who are being mainstreamed and ‘normal’ children in classrooms containing pupil(s) with special needs who are being mainstreamed. It is clear that policies of inclusion, and mainstreaming, will only work, and will only continue to be suggested and developed, if this collaborative effort is strengthened and if teachers involved in teaching mainstreamed special needs children receive adequate training, allowing them to handle their special needs pupils in a way that is advantageous to those individuals, and also to simultaneously manage their ‘normal’ pupils, so that accommodating pupils with special needs does not come at the detriment of ‘normal’ pupils. For fear of a lack of adequate training and understanding, perhaps, many parents of special needs children still choose to send their children to special schools: as we have seen, the proportion of special needs students being ‘mainstreamed’ (i.e., taught within the framework of a ‘mainstream’ school, not a special school) has not been significantly affected by recent legislation, as the vast majority of parents of special needs children are still choosing to send their children to special schools and not to send them to mainstream schools (OFSTED, 2004). In terms of the success of policies to promote the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities since 1997, then, as has been seen, these policies were introduced as a way in which to further the New Labour Government’s ideas about social inclusion, but have, in practice, been ill thought out, in terms of the actual provision of support and training for teachers and teaching assistants who are actually involved, on a day-to-day basis, with teaching mainstreamed special needs pupils. Thus, whilst there is a case to be made for inclusion with regards to special educational needs and disabled pupils, particularly in terms of the social benefits of this practice for the special needs children, there have been insufficient resources devoted to making these policies work in practice, in terms of generating a collaborative atmosphere which would foster sharing of resources and expertise, between mainstream and special schools, for example. Both MacBeath et al. (2006) and OFSTED (2004) found that when mainstreaming does works, it works only because of the extreme dedication of the individual teachers involved, not because there is a framework in place to ensure that inclusion works in practice. Such was the gravity of the situation as recorded by MacBeath et al. (2006) that their report concluded with an urgent need for inclusive practice, including a â€Å"radical re-appraisal of†¦the contradictions inherent in the interface of standards and inclusion agendas†. References BBC (2006). School inclusion ‘can be abuse’. Tuesday 16th May 2006. DfES (1997). Excellence for All Children – Meeting Special Educational Needs. DfES (1998). Meeting Special Educational Needs – A Programme of Action. DfES (2001). Inclusive Schooling. DfES (2002). Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. DfES (2003a). Every Child Matters. DfES (2003b). Together from the start: practical guidance for professionals working with disabled children and their families (birth to 3 years). DfES (2004). Removing Barriers to Achievement – The Government’s Strategy for SEN. Disability Rights Task Force (1999). From Exclusion to Inclusion. Dyson, A. (2003). Special needs, disability and social inclusion – the end of a beautiful friendship? In Norwich, B. (ed.) (2003). Disability, disadvantage, inclusion and social inclusion. Henry, J. (2004). Inclusion policy fails children with special needs. The Telegraph 25th September 2004. HMSO (1995). Disability Discrimination Act HMSO (1996). Education Act HMSO (2001). Special Educational Needs and Disability Act HMSO (2005). Disability Discrimination Act MacBeath, J. et al. (2006). The Costs of Inclusion. University of Cambridge Faculty of Education. Norwich, B. (ed.) (2003). Disability, disadvantage, inclusion and social inclusion. OFSTED (2004). Special educational needs and disability: towards inclusive schools.

Impact of Contemporary Globalisation on Thailand

Impact of Contemporary Globalisation on Thailand Introduction Contemporary globalization is defined as the final wave of globalization, and is characterized by the acceleration and intensification of the technological, cultural, religious, economic and political integration (Gerle 2000). Although this has led to development and advancement in many countries around the world, it has raised issues in many parts of Asia facing religious and social concerns. This essay will argue that contemporary globalization will raise issues in the traditional social and religious visible in two Asian nations, Thailand and Malaysia. The values that will be discussed is in relation to the paper are the Buddhist and Collectivist values for the Thai, and Islamic values for the Malays. Thailand and Malaysia are countries that are similar in the fact that they have both dominant religions that are closely linked with their way of life. Both countries are multiethnic and multicultural but Malaysia has a higher percentage of 50% ethnic Malays and 60% of the country practicing the Islamic faith (Nations Online 2011). In Thailand, it has majority of Thai which is 75% and with 94.6% of the country practicing the Buddhist faith (CIA 2011). First this paper will discuss the conflict that occurs in the business culture of Thailand and Malaysia. Next, it will explain how contemporary globalization is intertwined with popular culture, or ‘pop culture, and has placed a significant Western influence upon the youth of Thailand and Malaysia, and has changed their social ideology compared to the traditional ideology. Finally, the paper will identify how globalization has led to conflict with the conservative religious values that exist in Thailand and Malaysia. Business culture in Thailand and Malaysia The global spread of Multinational companies (MNCs) has led to the popularity of conducting a business in a Western style, which has led to conflict in the traditional Thai and Malay business culture. In research conducted by Niffengger, Kulviwat and Engchancil (2006), traditional Thai business culture is strongly influenced by Buddhism.It explains that business is run in Thailand in a uniquely paternal style, and although the relationship between superior and subordinate is, â€Å"formal and authoritarian, the boss is expected to be benevolent and paternalistic† (Leppert 1996).   An example of how differently a local Thai business operates in comparison to a Western MNCs is visible in the example of the Siam Cement Group in 1998, when they â€Å"reported a loss of 52.5 billion Baht but did not lay off a single one of their 35,000 employees†, while on the other hand, â€Å"Kmart in 2003, laid off 57,000 of their staff to avoid bankruptcy and even closed one thirds of their stores† (Niffengger et al 2006 p. 409). It is just from the fundamental way of operating a business in the West that has come about from contemporary globalization which is very foreign to the Thai, and brings issues in the social and business aspect. For example, sexual equality was not common until the early 20th century due to Western influences upon Thailand and it is still seen as untraditional or unconventional in a traditional Thai business for a woman to be in a managerial level (Thaiways 2002). Through the influences of Western values which has come from contemporary globalization, traditional Thai business values face a dilemma on how to preserve their traditional business culture in the midst of the increasing MNCs. Malaysias business practice bias is visible through the Bumiputra policy, meaning â€Å"sons of the soil†, which is the preferential treatment of the native Malay people. The Bumiputra came about from the New Economy Policy (NEP) in 1971 with goals to alleviate poverty and social and economic imbalances through equity ownership, employment, and other fields. Stoever (1985) explains the fields that ownership of productive resources should be 30% in the Bumiputra hands, for public and private corporations the Bumiputra should be 30% of the employees. Finally, Malays are given other advantages in university admissions, bank loans and credit access. Although the Bumiputra policies are deeply imbedded into the Malaysian business culture, there are numerous ways that the Western practices of business have placed a significant amount of complication in the traditional Malay businesses. The traditional Islamic way of establishing the economy was from, â€Å"the desire to defend Islamic civilization against foreign cultural influences† (Kuran 1995 p.15). However, due to contemporary globalization the influence of the â€Å"Western secular system and capitalistic culture has been slowly adopted by a growing number of Malay business† (Mutalib 1993). The adoption and the continuation of coming into contact with the capitalist business culture of the West will endanger the survival of the Muslim culture, as argued by Al-Maududi (cited in Ahmad 2009), because it may result in complications to differentiate the Western and Muslim mindset and lifestyle. Although Malaysia has a strong protection for the ethnic Malays as seen wi th the Bumiputra policies, the gradual influences of the Western business culture is starting to endanger the security of the Malays and the way they conduct business. Popular Culture in Thailand and Malaysia Advancements in technology allows the Western media to be easily accessed by almost everyone in the nation, which will bring issues with the traditional lifestyle as the youth become more interested in what the Western media brings. Pop culture is commonly connected to cultural imperialism because it the Western film, television programmes, and music is known to impose bourgeois values and capitalist ideology (Berger 2008). There are many causes of the introduction of pop culture and the impact is has placed upon Thailand, like Tourism and Media. Tourism was one of the earliest forms of the introduction of pop culture in Thailand. Westerners make up a significant portion of the Thai tourism industry, and leave an imprint of their culture behind. Thailand has won many tourism awards and is the first in the world for having the Best Tourist country for five consecutive years (Asiativ 2011). However, that has led to a form of ‘neo-colonization in consumerism and tourism. What tourism can do in a political economy approach is that developed metropolitan cities often impose their values on developing countries; in addition, the recipient countries face environmental, social and economic problems (Chang and Raguraman 2001). Furthermore, in order to accommodate the influx of tourism, Bangkok, which is the capital city of Thailand, reformed itself so that it will have an ‘Old Bangkok, where the roya l palace and historic temples are located, and a ‘New Bangkok, where there are numerous shopping malls, hotels, and skyscrapers (Burke, Brash, and Bush 2010). Thailand is slowly losing its traditional characteristics within the cities. Besides tourism, Berger (2008) also added that Thailand was going through rapid modernization and was losing their Thai identity and becoming more ‘Americanized due to the western media. It is telling how from Rodcumdees (2002) research, the media is becoming the most common way for locals to learn more about the West; television being the first and the internet and Western music as the 4th most popular medium. Due to Thailand accommodating tourist needs and influence from Western culture and habits that the tourists leave behind, as well as the accessibility of the Western media, this culminates in the erosion of Thailands authentic and exotic traditional values. Malaysia is also at a similar situation where pop culture influences the youth of the nation, especially for the ethnic Malay population. The Malaysian former Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim delivered a speech   in The Straits Times (cited in ed. Souchou   2001) where he described his concern of media and technology because, â€Å"in recent years there have been an overwhelming, almost imperialistic diffusion of Western or Western-influenced cultural products.† The issue in Malaysia is that the youth are absorbed in wanting to be like their idols that they see on MTV or eating McDonalds or KFC instead of eating their local delicacies. It is further explained by (Jayne 2003) that it is also partially the state governments responsibility that the youth are being influenced by pop culture because of the lack of support for local pop culture that youths have no other choice but to search for their individuality or values in the western media which is e asily accessible and popular globally. The lack of support for the local pop culture and the accessibility of the Western pop culture through contemporary globalization have caused the Malay youths to wander away from the traditional social values and practices. Way of Life in Thailand and Malaysia Finally, through the discussion of the two different aspects of contemporary globalization, it is significant to discuss the most crucial aspect of how globalization comes into conflict with the traditional way of life of Malaysia and Thailand due to their daily life being intertwined with religion. In Thailand, there is a strong impact of contemporary globalization bringing issues to the traditional way of life for Thailand. The difference between the youth and the older generation as discussed in how pop culture is causing Thailand to lose its religious, cultural, and traditional way of life; moreover, it is leading to more dilemma. The forces of contemporary globalization did not stop at just imposing its Westernized culture, but also spread its influence to hybridizing the Buddhist religion of Thailand, which has caused an uprise and several issues in the nation. It is explained by Kitiarsa (2005) that this ‘hybridization has led to the rise of many public religious movements that are â€Å"responses to the wider, largely economic-impersonal forces of globalization that have profound ramifications for Thai social life.† It is discussed by Geert Hofstedes Cultural Theory that the West and Thailand have a significant difference as to how Buddhism is deeply interwo ven into the way of life for the Thai people (Niffengger et al. 2006). For example, the Thai people believed in the predestination of human life, and how it cannot be altered or changed. However, through Western influence of how an individual has the power to change his or her destiny, this belief is challenged (Thaiways 2002). These Western ways of thinking through contemporary globalization has influenced the traditional Thai values and is shifting the way of life to the people which endanger the preservation of the Thai values.   In Malaysia contemporary globalization is eroding the traditional social values and practices that have flourished in the nation for years. In Malaysia, many Muslims have started to adopt the ‘Hi/Hello culture, which contrasts with the Islamic greeting which is ‘Assalamu Alaikum (May peace be on you) because while the Western greeting does not carry any â€Å"emotional attachment or blessings to someone. The Islamic greeting not only expresses emotional attachment, but also conveys blessings of peace for the person being greeted† (Nurullah 2008 p. 6). Through this influence and visible change in the country, Malaysia is starting to feel a form of threat from this ‘Westernization and is further explored by Gerle (2009) that in Malaysia, the state attempts to â€Å"recreate a Muslim identity in order to protect oneself against the West, in terms of economic dominance as well as values.† However, it is uncertain whether this attempt will succeed or not du e to the wide influence that contemporary globalization already spread itself to. Conclusion The impact that contemporary globalization has on Thailand and Malaysia through the advancement of technology, introduction of foreign companies, and culture can be seen through this essay to be having a significant amount of challenges to the traditional religious and social values. Through the examination of the Buddhist Thai business culture and the Islamic Malay business culture, it is visible that the Western business culture is more individualistic, while the Thai and Malay business culture focuses on conformity, importance of religious practices, and taking care of the business as family. In addition, pop culture has caused the Thai and Malay youths identity to be more ‘Americanized due to the increase of western media and internet access. Finally, the cultural and social practices, and the way of life of the Thai and Malay people is changing due to contemporary globalization like way of speech, daily lifestyles, and changes in their traditional religious practices is starting to distance the people from their traditional way of living. There are attempts taken by the government and people who are passionate in keeping their traditional social and religious values. But from observations of the examples of the impact of contemporary globalization, this seems to be a challenging task indeed.

Home Schools V.S. Public Schools Essay -- Education Learning Papers

Home Schools V.S. Public Schools How would your life be different if you were home schooled? Perhaps you were. If not though, do you think that you would be on the same academic path that you are on now? In the case of Evenstar Perez, it made her life very different. Evenstar started out going to a public school from first grade through fifth, but it wasn’t until she entered into sixth grade that she began to be home schooled. Evenstar mentioned, â€Å"At first the transition was difficult because I was so used to the public schools system of doing things, but later I became better adapted.† When asked what advantages she felt she gained from her home school experience, Evenstar replied, â€Å"A lot.† She then went on to explain how she got ahead of students her age at public schools; â€Å"I got way ahead in my math classes. While most students in my grade at public schools were taking algebra, I was taking geometry.† Evenstar had the ability to experience both a public school a nd home school educational experience and stated that the home school experience allowed for more personal time and individual attention. She explained, â€Å"There is more time to study, you can work at your own pace, and you can get more done in the home school environment.† It becomes clear through talking with Evenstar that home schooling had a positive impact on her life. Presently in America, there are 1.5 million students who participate in home schooling. This amount constitutes for about 2.8% of all of the students that do not attend either a private or public school for the grades K-12 (Cai 1). It has been, and continues today, to be an ongoing debate over whether home schooling or public schooling offers a better education for a student. Ther... ... (2002): 1-15. Cartland, Jenifer, Ruch Ross, Holly S. Henry, and David B. Adolescence. â€Å"Feeling At Home In One’s School: A First Look At A New Measure.† Academic Search Premier. 38 (2003): 1-12. Eley, Mark G. â€Å"Making the Home School Connection.† Academic Search Premier. 59 (2002): 1-3. Raver, Cybele C. â€Å"Young Children’s Emotional Development and School Readiness.† Department of Education. (2003): 1-6. Ray, Brian D. â€Å"Customization Through Home Schooling.† Educational Leadership. 59 (2002): 1-6. Rivero, Lisa. â€Å"Progressive Digressions: Home Schooling For Self Actulization.† Roeper Review. 24 (2002): 1-12. Ryan, Kevin, and James M. Cooper. Those Who Can, Teach. Boston: Houghton Miflin Company, 2004. Sheehan, Michele. â€Å"Dancing With Monica: Personal Perceptions of a Home School Mom.† Roeper Review. 24 (2002): 1-11. Home Schools V.S. Public Schools Essay -- Education Learning Papers Home Schools V.S. Public Schools How would your life be different if you were home schooled? Perhaps you were. If not though, do you think that you would be on the same academic path that you are on now? In the case of Evenstar Perez, it made her life very different. Evenstar started out going to a public school from first grade through fifth, but it wasn’t until she entered into sixth grade that she began to be home schooled. Evenstar mentioned, â€Å"At first the transition was difficult because I was so used to the public schools system of doing things, but later I became better adapted.† When asked what advantages she felt she gained from her home school experience, Evenstar replied, â€Å"A lot.† She then went on to explain how she got ahead of students her age at public schools; â€Å"I got way ahead in my math classes. While most students in my grade at public schools were taking algebra, I was taking geometry.† Evenstar had the ability to experience both a public school a nd home school educational experience and stated that the home school experience allowed for more personal time and individual attention. She explained, â€Å"There is more time to study, you can work at your own pace, and you can get more done in the home school environment.† It becomes clear through talking with Evenstar that home schooling had a positive impact on her life. Presently in America, there are 1.5 million students who participate in home schooling. This amount constitutes for about 2.8% of all of the students that do not attend either a private or public school for the grades K-12 (Cai 1). It has been, and continues today, to be an ongoing debate over whether home schooling or public schooling offers a better education for a student. Ther... ... (2002): 1-15. Cartland, Jenifer, Ruch Ross, Holly S. Henry, and David B. Adolescence. â€Å"Feeling At Home In One’s School: A First Look At A New Measure.† Academic Search Premier. 38 (2003): 1-12. Eley, Mark G. â€Å"Making the Home School Connection.† Academic Search Premier. 59 (2002): 1-3. Raver, Cybele C. â€Å"Young Children’s Emotional Development and School Readiness.† Department of Education. (2003): 1-6. Ray, Brian D. â€Å"Customization Through Home Schooling.† Educational Leadership. 59 (2002): 1-6. Rivero, Lisa. â€Å"Progressive Digressions: Home Schooling For Self Actulization.† Roeper Review. 24 (2002): 1-12. Ryan, Kevin, and James M. Cooper. Those Who Can, Teach. Boston: Houghton Miflin Company, 2004. Sheehan, Michele. â€Å"Dancing With Monica: Personal Perceptions of a Home School Mom.† Roeper Review. 24 (2002): 1-11.

Hindutva :: essays research papers

The ideology of Hindutva is becoming popular because there is a growing realization that everything else that has been tried to inculcate a national spirit, has failed to yield the desired results. Many people previously opposed to Hindutva have embraced the ideology, as they believe that the solutions to the country's problems can be found within it. At the mass level, with the work done by many individuals and organizations, the acceptance has been a relatively easy task. However, at the intellectual level the success leaves much to be desired. The reason for this is that those who are opposed to Hindutva occupy positions of power in the academic field. They have ensured that the research done on Hindutva remains at the fringe of the scholarly arena. Not only are the public resources denied to the work that needs to be done, but the funds are being invested in anti-Hindutva propaganda, with an intention to prove Hinduism as a regressive religion and a backward culture. Most people who live abroad and write on India rely for their information on the English media and writings, which paint an essentially negative picture of Hindutva. It is therefore necessary to give the theoretical basis of the Hindutva movement due publicity. In one of his recent books, a Eurpean scholar, Dr. Koenraad Elst says, "In Europe every sizeable party or ideological pressure-group has set up a think-tank to develop ideology and formulate policy proposals. The Communists in India have a host of intellectuals (mostly on state and university pay-rolls) working full-time to develop the Marxist view on each and every topic. All the valuable and useful political thought produced by the Hindu movement would not exceed a few volumes, to put mildly. As long as there is no intellectual mobilization, Hindu society is badly on the defensive. Hindu society has a host of bright young people available, trained in traditional or modern learning, whose talent is wasted because there seems to be no Hindu nerve center interested in putting them to work.

Hat Task Essay

The population as of 2011 was totaled to 608,453. The majority of this population consisted of people between the ages of 15 and 44 years old. Kent County consist of mostly white persons at 83. 8%. The next larges group consists of African Americans at 10. 3% and Hispanics at 9. 9%. The median household income is $50,801, with 14. 8% of the population being listed below poverty level. The unemployment rate is at 8. 52% (2011, US Census Bureau). It is reported by adults that 13. 6% have not accessed healthcare within the past 12 months. 10. % of adults reported they have no healthcare coverage. It was also discovered that the county only has 29% of what is needed in the dental care community(2011, Michigan Department of Community Health). The second assessment piece is labeled cultural assessment. Once again this was information I collected on a County level. In Kent County there are slightly more females than males, 51% versus 49% respectively. The populations consists predominately of white Christians, while the subgroup is Roman Catholics (2011, Kent County Health Department). Obesity was noted to be on the rise due to lack of physical activity and inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption. More specifically 31. 3% of adults are obese, and Michigan as a whole is the 5th most obese state in the US. 19. 7% of adults reported adequate physical activity with 23. 6% stating they lived a sedentary lifestyle within the past month, and 17. 8% report they consume fruits and vegetables at least 5 times a day (2011, Michigan Department of Health). African Americans voiced distrust among healthcare providers however they did support and agree for a universal healthcare system. Hispanics voiced concern for the lack of translation services due to language barriers and issues surrounding documented legal status and the difficulty this poses to accessing healthcare (2009, Michigan Department of Health). I discovered that in the area there are over 50 parks with various indoor and outdoor activities for all to enjoy. The third assessment piece is entitled neighborhood and community safety. This information was obtained from local agencies. I noted the Health Department and local hospitals are very involved in providing health services, education, and discussions for the community free of charge. The air quality for Kent County is considered poor. We have had at least 7 air pollution days per year due to fine particulate matter and ozone. The water quality in the last 5 years has been excellent. 0. 09% of public water supplies exceeded contamination levels during this time frame (2011, Kent County Health Department). The wild life in the area can cause a potential for disease, and the many surrounding lakes, rivers and streams can cause a potential for drowning. Due to the location of Kent County we risk potential severe weather events. The violent crime rate in the area was 0. 4% significantly lower than the national average. It was also noted that the local police and fire response is at or exceeds standards (2013, Kent County Sheriffs Department). The fourth assessment piece is the disaster assessment and planning status. This information was gathered on a City and County level. The disaster command is headed by the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security loca ted in Grand Rapids. They included the requirements of National Response Plan and NIMS. I discovered they are following all federal regulations by the Department of Homeland Security. 3 County, and other regional collaborations were noted in the planning. The Kent County area is at risk most for these natural disasters; severe winter weather, thunderstorms, tornados, riverine flood, and urban flood. The are is at risk most for these other disasters; electrical failures, communication failure, intentional acts, transportation accidents, and hazardous material. The city and county provide public education through CERT classes, brochures, and coordination with school districts to relay safety information at a young age (2011, Kent County Health Department). From the information obtained above I believe that Kent County Michigan is an overall healthy community. Areas for improvement would be to increase the access to dental care and healthcare for at risk and poor underserved families, to decrease the prevalence of obesity and ensure access to healthful foods, and to establish a plan to deal with language barriers for other populations living within West Michigan. This information that I have obtained and explained above is listed below in my community genogram. The genogram highlights the pertinent information in an easy to view graph with each assessment topic listed. It discusses once again the community as a whole from population and economic status, to the cultural assessment, to the neighborhood and community safety to lastly disaster assessment and planning. It provides an overview of the community as a whole, strengths and weaknesses. The community assessment is how I feel the community is and the areas that are at risk or I feel can be improved upon. Resources: 1. ) 2011. Kent County Michigan. US Census Bureau. Retrieved from http://www. uickfacts. census. gov/qfd/states/26/26081. html 2. 2013. Kent County Michigan. Kent County Health Department. Retrieved from http://www. accesskent. com/emergencymanagement. html 3. 2011. Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey. Michigan Department of Community Health. Retrieved from http://www. michigan. gov/brfs 4. 2009. Community Conversation Executive Summary. Michigan Department of Community He alth. Retrieved from http://www. michigan. gov/minorityhealth 5. 2013. Kent County Sheriffs Department. Retrieved from http://www. accesskent. com/lawenforcement/sherrif_emergency. htm

“Lord of the Flies”: Qualities of a Good Leader Essay

What qualities does it take to make a good leader? People have always pondered this question especially when electing leaders. They may say that a good leader should be charismatic, intelligent and perhaps good-natured. Their idea of good leadership qualities usually comes from books and movies. In Lord of the Flies there were many various leadership qualities exhibited by the boys, but how can one decide on a leader out of so many boys that would make the society work? Only a leader with the best of the boys’ character traits would have made the society work. For example, we can see that Ralph was logical, but lacked the ability to make quick decisions. On the contrary, Jack was decisive, yet not very logical or civil. Finally, Piggy was the intelligent advisor, however he lacked the charisma and appearance to get his ideas accepted by the group. Ralph was a logical and influential leader, but lacked the ability to quickly enforce the directions. His logical reasoning process helped in identifying the necessities for life. For example, he valued such necessities as fire and shelter above everything else. These were the necessities that would have led them to a stable and civilized society on the island. However, although Ralph had the right ideas, he was not too quick or efficient in getting them done. In fact, the fire was often let out. Similarly, the shelters were something that seemed there to be done until there was something more exciting, at which point the shelters were left uncompleted. Without direction, the boys on the island often went to do things that were fun. This lack of direction was not at all due to a lack of power. The boys instantly viewed Ralph as a leader with his influential looks and speech. For instance, when Ralph said â€Å"fire†, the boys went running towards the woods to build a fire. This kind of authority over the boys was exceptionally important for getting things done, unfortunately Ralph did not use his authority to its fullest. As can be seen, Ralph had the power and logic to do things, yet he lacked the decisiveness to do them quickly. In contrast to Ralph, Jack was an aggressive instigator, who was always quick to act. Jack was an intimidating figure. The boys often feared what he would do should they not listen to him. Similar to Ralph, this control would enable Jack to get things done. Contrary to Ralph, however, Jack used this control. He took his choir with him hunting whenever he saw fit. By being decisive, he could quickly and efficiently get things done. However, his decisiveness was not necessarily a good thing, as Jack was very aggressive in nature. His savage nature influenced the others to let their savage sides come out, most noticeably when they were hunting. They would all paint their faces and carry as little as possible. Since Jack was doing it, it was the thing to do. A good leader would not encourage or intimidate people to let out their aggression. Simply put, Jack was decisive and intimidating, but encouraged the wrong actions in the boys. Last but not least, Piggy was the intelligent advisor to Ralph, yet lacked some important qualities. Piggy’s intelligence was a very important asset to the boys. He knew how things had to be done. Additionally, he had many ideas that would lead the boys to a civilized and safe society. This kind of intelligence is important to any good leadership. Unfortunately, Piggy was not a good public speaker. Not only did he lack the breath to complete a long speech, but he was very shy being a minority group on the island. It is this disadvantage that would prevent him from ever leading, because a good leader must be able to communicate his ideas clearly. Despite not being good at communicating his own ideas, he was open to others’ ideas. He would consider them and give his own constructive criticism. For example, he agreed with Ralph that fire was important, and suggested that if they could not have a fire on top of the mountain, then to have it by the shore. Any good leader must listen to others’ ideas as any one person can not have all of the best ideas. Piggy’s intelligence is vital to good leadership. As can be seen, the combined leadership qualities of Ralph, Jack and Piggy would have most likely worked in creating a civilization on the island. Ralph’s logic, appearance, and influential speeches can guide the group to do what is important. Jack’s decisiveness can get the important things done quickly and efficiently. Finally Piggy’s intelligence would provide important information as to how to accomplish various goals, and would keep the island in a civilized manner. None of the boys could have led the group towards a working society by themselves. In conclusion, after understanding this dispersement of leadership qualities in Lord of the Flies, can it  really be said that any single person is a good leader?