Oryx and Crake Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Oryx and Crake - Essay Example Atwood depicts several moods and situations through few sentences and has the advantage of presenting a detailed description of a future that is unfamiliar in the minds of most readers. However, her skills in including specific details help sketch a precise vision of every such instance. The central theme of the story focuses on the process of creating newer forms of life by way of genetic engineering, which has been a phenomenon for the past several decades. This has led to the introduction of numerous weird creatures such as wolvogs and rakunks (a combination of the genes from different animals) in addition to creating life forms which are abnormally larger or smaller than their natural dimensions. The story, narrated through a series of small episodes, provides for the considerate discussion of a specific theme along each episode, thereby allowing Atwood to express her strong feelings in diverse areas. Despite the seriousness of the topic being dealt by her story, she includes a great deal of humor into her story in places like the depiction of the Martha Graham College and Jimmy, its student in English, who is the principal character in the story. ‘Oryx and Cake’ describes a period not far from our own where several aspects of life are quite similar, thereby allowing the reader a sense of familiarity along a sensible progression of time. The society as depicted in ‘Oryx and Cake’ comprises the privileged classes who thrive in closely guarded settlements and those who live around these areas in lesser favorable circumstances. The rich sell their wares to these less fortunate people, referred to in the story as ‘pleebs’, whereby the latter is clearly at the losing side of the bargain. The rich controlled the society through genetic fiddling and maintained a strict oversight over resources such as food and livestock. In fact, the

Human Resource Development studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human Resource Development studies - Essay Example Hard skills are also known as technical/administrative skills that are necessary for an organizations success and overall operations. Hard skills are required for machine operators, computer administrators, safety officers and even financial procedures. Hard skills are easy to quantify, observe and even measure in an individual; moreover, they are attained through training and apprenticeship as opposed to soft skills which are acquired through life exposures and experiences (Wellington, 2005). Hard skills are easy to learn and acquire as they are physical skills that has no elementary background at the brains cell level. Soft skills are learnt as we grow, interact, do mistakes and get exposed to different life and work situations. Once incorporated and integrated into ourselves, soft skills cannot be replaced. This is because the brain cannot simply delete the behaviours and skills that we may feel are unnecessary. Acquiring these skills can also present a challenge once an individua l has grown and become so adept to his old practices. Human resource experts and managers have shifted their focus to soft skills as opposed to hard skills. This has resulted into a wide array of situations for the society, the employees and the employers. In this paper, the analysis of the impacts that this focus has created will be evaluated and critically discussed. Prominence will be given to the advantage of this new approach especially to the domestic and international human resource management and labour issues (Schulz, 2008). Impacts of emphasis on soft skills The increased demand for more employees with both the technical and hard skills has been attributed to the recent happenings in the business world. Competition has reached the highest level and organisations are striving to outdo each other in their innovativeness and good public relations. The growth in multinational companies and globalisation has also created another frontier for competition. The international marke t is more averse with technology and seeks quality and value in the services and products they seek to buy. All these have prompted human resource managers to develop new ways of promoting, recruiting and assigning responsibilities to their employees (Wellington, 2005). Technology intense projects have proved to have high failure rate when compared to projects that integrate the soft skills of the employees. Failure in any project that the organisation has invested a lot of resources, time and staff reduces the company’s competitive advantage and position in the market. This calls for individuals who can fuse both the hard skills that they posses to their soft skills to make them more viable and productive. The increasing competition in the job market and the increase in the number of fresh graduates and technical expertise have made it quite difficult to choose the best individual to engage (Riley, 2006). In an economy where the applicants have the same training, university academic staff and same graduate degrees, a new approach on how to choose new employees should be adopted. Human resource managers have in the recent past, resorted to sorting out the best employees based on soft skills as opposed to the hard skills. As all graduates will have the same technical skills,

Culture Essay Example for Free

Culture Essay First it would be profitable to try to define culture; for a cultural studies researcher not only it includes traditional high culture (the culture of ruling social groups) and popular culture but according to Raymond Williams also everyday meanings and practices. As stated in Matthew Arnold? s Culture and Anarchy culture is â€Å"the disinterested endeavor after mans perfection†. It was James Clifford in â€Å"Collecting art and culture† that defended that what we gather for culture is not always the same because objects of study vary according to power discourses which define the value of the studied object. This being said, it is commonly known that we live in a time of consumption, so naturally art is seen from that perspective. Theodor Adorno defends culture is being sold as you would with commodities. The autonomy of works of art is eliminated by the culture industry they become bound to be trade as commodities. In a Marxist view, he defends that those who control the means of production, essentially control the culture. Adorno approaches the spheres of mass culture in a simplistic way, production (industry) and reception (consumption) – strip away individuality. Adorno also distinguishes high / low art. He says that high art has been diminished by speculation about its efficacy†.. In this sense, high culture would be the art worth of serious academic study while low culture would be the culture of the masses. Walter Benjamin speaks about the way we define art is determined not by ideas but by theories. He reflects on what art is and the way it is being altered by technical means. W. Benjamin starts his essay by quoting Paul Valery: â€Å"our fine arts were developed by men whose power of action upon things was insignificant in comparison with ours† – so it is something questionable. In addition, Valery states that the idea of Beautiful is constantly changing due to the growth in techniques and their precision. Benjamin corroborates this view by pointing out that techniques of representation detach the reproduced object from the domain of tradition and mass movements are responsible for this, especially the film. Although in his essay he states that the film operator captures the image at the speed of an actor? s speech, thus showing us things we have never been able to notice before, like a gesture decomposed in several fractions of a second, it also manipulates masses – its ultimate purpose is profit. The reproduction of works of art and the art of the film have had a huge impact on in its traditional form, as Benjamin puts it. Who hasn? t experienced this first-hand? Calling forward the example of painting, Benjamin points out that without its reproduction it would not be accessible to so many, we will have to dislocate in order to be able to contemplate the original work . But copies diminish the importance of the work of art. For example a symphony was trivialized â€Å"from an auditory to the drawing room†. This calls to question the authority of the object. Copies of a work of art made it commodity. Without realizing the painter was selling them to earn a living, although his ulterior motive was the artistic side of it. But it became a commodity nonetheless. According to both texts there is no high culture today and little remains in the sense it was first created. W. Benjamin states that high culture always had a cult component and it was bound by it. Statues were made to be contemplated in temples, mosaics in churches. Works of art like statues and mosaics that cannot be mechanical reproduced thus maintained their authenticity – â€Å"they are first and foremost related to cult value. When a work of art is related to exhibition value it loses its aura because by reproducing the uniqueness of every reality we destroy the aura. According to Benjamin high art would be the works of art that have an aura and can maintain their distance. If such a distance is not kept then true authenticity is questioned. An analysis of contemporary life sheds some light in this question. It brings us closer to every manifestation of art. He also states that contemporary literature is being undervalued. There is a thin dividing line between reader and writer. Virtually any reader can become a writer, once again closeness is implied.

Perceptions And Attitudes Towards Hiv Health And Social Care Essay

Perceptions And Attitudes Towards Hiv Health And Social Care Essay Since the first reported case of HIV/AIDS in 1981, the disease has had a devastating effect on all components of our society and has become the most deadly infectious disease epidemic in recent times. The disease is seen as a threat to the stability of entire nations and regions affecting the most productive members of the society. HIV/AIDS has become a global phenomenon, however the disease is most pronounced in developing countries particularly Sub-Saharan Africa. The spread of the disease has reached pandemic proportions in most parts of the African continent (WHO 2007). The numbers of people infected with HIV keeps on increasing particularly among the young people. The estimated number of persons living with HIV worldwide in 2009 is 33 million. African continent alone had 22.5 million of the worlds estimated 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS/WHO 2007). UNAIDS estimates showed that young people under 25 accounted for about 45% of all new HIV cases (over 6800 people become infected with HIV everyday) in adults in 2007. The disease continues to ravage Sub-Saharan Africa and it remains the most serious of infectious disease that challenges Africa. The leading cause of death in Sub-Saharan Africa is HIV/AIDS (Tanaka, Kunii, Hatano Wakai 2007). It is true HIV/AIDS continues to spread among the population of urban communities in Rwanda, with its heavy toll on the 15 49 year age groups, who constitute the economically productive sector of the countrys economy. Kanombe and Muhima Districts are urban communities in Kigali City Province, which has seen increase in the spread of HIV/AIDS. Urban districts are part of the worst HIV/AIDS prevalence in Rwanda. As at 2006 it had prevalence rate of 5.1% far higher than the rural average of 2.1 the same year. Rwanda is among the ten countries in Africa most severely affected by HIV/AIDS. The country is facing a generalized epidemic. National estimates indicate that in 2006, the adult prevalence rate is in the range of 3.1% among the general population (WHO 2007). Behavioral data serve as an early warning system and provide information to guide program design and evaluate interventions. In addition, the data provide information that can explain HIV prevalence trends. Prevention supports of donor agencies and the government have been working assiduously to curb the HIV/AIDS epidemic but there has not been any considerable decrease in the prevalent rate within Kigali City Province. A critical question here is; what could have accounted for this? Prevalence in 15-24 years group shows an increase trend though efforts have been made to slow down the spread. Young female adolescents are vulnerable and may be influenced into high-risk behaviors. The gab between male-female percentage regarding condom use in Rwanda is 40.9 and 19.7 respectively (WHO 2007). The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of adolescents towards HIV/AIDS in order to institute meaningful preventive measures for the control of HIV/AIDS in Kigali City urban community. The findings of this study can be added to the existing body of knowledge on HIV/AIDS in Kigali City Province and in Rwanda as a whole. The findings of this study will help policymakers and healthcare professionals to develop adolescent centered, all-round and intensive programs that will curtail the spread of HIV in the province. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 HIV/AIDS Definition HIV is the short form of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the virus that causes AIDS. (Levy. 1993). AIDS is an abbreviation for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Simply put Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which destroys the cells in the human body that combat infections. Dr. Samuel Border, formerly at the National Cancer Institute in the United States of America, reminds us the history of HIV/AIDS. He said In June of 1981 we saw a young gay man with the most devastating immune deficiency we had ever seen. We said, we dont know what this is, but we hope we dont ever see another case like it again (WHO 1994).On 5th June, 1981, AIDS was first reported in Los Angeles, California. (Centers for Disease Control 1981). According to Broder S 1984 cited by Katrak 2006, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV 1) was discovered in 1983 as the root cause of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Katrak 2006). Kahende (2001), in his thesis viewed HIV/AIDS as a cause as well as a symptom of underdevelopment. Its long incubation period makes it hard to predict the social and economic effects it may have on households and national development as a whole. The disease mostly affects individuals in their prime between the ages of 15 to 49 years and sizable number of those in this category will have major social and economic effects in the long run (World Bank 2007, International Development Committee (IDC) 2001). The United Nations International Labor Organizations (ILO) report in Akukwe (2006), suggest that a minimum of 26 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS are in the workforce with at least two-thirds of them living in Africa. The consequence of this is that the labor force in Africa will be in jeopardy in the near future. The disease has an incubation period of about 8 years and someone infected with the virus could infect many other people (Kahende, 2001). This means that a person infected with HIV may not show any noticeable symptoms until between 8years t o 10 years when the bodys immune system can no longer withstand the HIV virus. During this time many more persons will have become infected [around 6800 new infections per day at present) USAIDS (2007)]. This creates continuing rolling burden and a vicious cycle of illness and deaths which effects could be perilous to the affected countries. This makes AIDS much more dangerous than other diseases since diseases without incubation periods can be easily identified and treated (Kahende, 2001). Cure for HIV/AIDS has not been found yet, however, anti-retroviral therapy can prolong the lives of individuals living with HIV/AIDS (Akukwe 2006). This therapy is however currently expensive and not available to majority of infected people in sub-Sahara Africa (Fry 2007). 2.2 Rwanda Country Profile 2.2.1 Rwanda History Rwanda is a small, landlocked country in Central Africa with 9.7 million and a high population density (368 people per sq. km). Rwanda became independent in 1962 after colonization by Germany (1899) and Belgium (1919). In 1961 its monarchical government was formally abolished by a referendum and the first parliamentary elections were held. Political turmoil over the sharing of power and access to opportunities resulted in explosions of ethnic violence which have marked much of the recent history of the country. A civil conflict pitting the Hutu-led government against the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), a Tutsi-led rebel movement, culminated in genocide, between April and June 1994. About 800,000 people were massacred by the army and the extremist Interahamwe militia. The RPF overthrew the regime in June 1994. While the country is currently at peace, Rwandans continue to struggle with the legacy of genocide. National reconciliation is a long-term endeavor that has the full commitment of the Government and the support of the international community. The Rwandan Government has undertaken significant measures to consolidate reconciliation including the continuation of the demobilization and reintegration project for ex-combatants and a model of democratization focused on a decentralized administration (World Bank 2009). 2.2.2 Economic and Social Progress Rwanda has made remarkable progress since the 1994 genocide and civil war. Peace and political stability have been re-established, reconciliation efforts are continuing, and democratic institutions and processes are being strengthened. Poverty and social indicators have also improved. Rwanda has been able to maintain overall macroeconomic stability and implement extensive reforms which have contributed to a strong growth performance. Rwanda is on track to achieve several of the Millennium Development Goals  (MDGs): MDG 2 on universal primary education; MDG 3 on gender equality; and MDG 6 on HIV/AIDS and malaria. Net primary enrollment is currently 95 percent, with 97 percent enrollment of girls. However, low completion rates and poor quality of basic education show that there are still major challenges to meeting MDG 2. HIV prevalence is estimated at about 3 percent with female infection rates (3.6 percent) substantially higher than those of males (2.3 percent). Rwanda is also on track to achieve the targeted reduction in malaria incidence (World Bank 2009). 2.3 Adolescents and HIV/AIDS Adolescence is one of the most captivating and complex transitions in the life span. It is a period of tremendous adjustment for children and parents. As children transition from childhood to adulthood, they undergo many physical, emotional and behavioral changes. These changes include; very fast physical growth, the rise of reproductive sexuality, new social roles, growth in thinking, feelings and morals. The sequence of pubertal changes is relatively predictable and consistent; however, their timing is extremely variable (National Academies Press 1999, 1-2.). Nearly 50% of the worlds population is under 25 (UNFPA 2003). The threat of HIV pandemic to young people cannot be over emphasized as UNAIDS estimates showed that young people under 25 accounted for about half of all new HIV cases in adults in 2007 and more than half of them still lack accurate and comprehensive information about how to avoid exposure to the virus (USAID 2008).The indication that less than 40% of young people globally have accurate and comprehensive knowledge about HIV (UNGASS indicator 13) is unacceptably low and consequently worrisome. Previous studies done in USA (DiClemente, Zorn, Temoshok, 1986; Bhattacharya, Cleland, Holland, 2000),Nepal (Mahat G Scoloveno 2006) and Turkey ( Savaser 2003) where adolescents in those studies knew of only sexual route of transmission. There is the need to step up HIV/AIDS education among the youth particularly in Sub-Sahara Africa where various cultures frown at sex education among adolescents. Young People between the ages of 15 to 24 accounts for 30% of all people living with HIV/AIDS (UNSAIDS 2001). The disease keeps on spreading especially among young people making it even harder to control. The HIV/AIDS epidemic remain invisible to both young people and the society, people usually carry the disease for years without their knowledge. As a result, the epidemic is spreading among young people at an alarming rate. In sub-Sahara Africa, the situation looks gloomier. More than half of sub-Saharan Africa have generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic, this means 5% or more of the young people are infected (UNAIDS 2000). The youth constitute one-fifth of the worlds population and nearly two-fifths in the developing countries populations (Population Reference Bureau (PRB) 2000). All hands must be on deck to reverse the trend in order to salvage our youth from the scourge of HIV pandemic, the future looks bleak if current situation must be allowed to continue. Young people have been designated as a group at high risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS due to their involvement in sexual experimentation and the use of recreational drugs. Vulnerability of young people to HIV/AIDS can be attributed to physical, social, economical and psychological features of adolescents (Offer, Ostrov, Howard, Atkinson, 1988, 270 Senderowitz, 1995). Socially and economically, most adolescents are dependent and inexperienced therefore, they are unable to protect themselves from infections, and have less access to health care than adults. Again, young peoples vulnerability to HIV/AIDS increases as result of cultural practices that shape their behaviors. Adolescence is a stage where young people establish their sexual identities, in doing so they are faced with pressures from society as well as their peers. 2.4 Adolescents knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and prevention of HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS has caused indescribable suffering to millions of people world wide. The fight against the scourge and epidemic of HIV/AIDS is and continue to be one of the biggest challenges facing the world today. The impact of the disease touches on the lives of the global community in different predictable and unpredictable ways. Though the severity of the crisis is obvious, biochemical and pharmaceutical development of vaccines continue to have limited success; current drugs available can suppress the virus but they do not cure HIV infections or AIDS (The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), 2009).Therefore, promotion of prevention strategies needs to be intensified in order to halt the spread of HIV. It is now a common knowledge as reported in many studies that Transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) via sexual contact is the most common(UNAIDS 2002) and accounts for 75 to 85 percent of all infections(Royce, Seà ±a, Cates, Cohen, 1997). Over the past two decades, rates of infection with sexually transmitted diseases have continued to increase among teenagers. Roscoe and Kruger (1990) in their article titled Late adolescents knowledge and its influence concluded that although adolescents knowledge of HIV transmission might have improved over the past few years, their risk-related behaviors remain unchanged. This, no doubt can be linked to Adolescents sexual behavior and knowledge, attitudes, perceptions towards HIV/AIDS. Numerous studies have been done on adolescents sexuality, knowledge, attitudes, and/or behaviors relevant to AIDS in order to improve the over all sexual behavior of adolescents. It is important at this point to consider such surveys of adolescents. A random-sample surveyed by Strunin and Hingson (1987) of 860 adolescents, 16 to 19 years of age, concerning their knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors regarding AIDS indicated 70% were sexually active (having sexual intercourse or other sexual contact) but only 15% of them reported changing their sexual behavior because of concern about contracting AIDS, and only 20% of those who changed their behavior used effective methods. Several prominent studies showed high engagement in unsafe sexual behaviors such as sex with multiple partners, sex with unknown persons, as well as negative views about condom use, and a low rate of behavior change even after learning about HIV/AIDS (Buysse, 1996, Gray Saracino, 1989). This corroborates the suggestion that a moderate to high knowledge level of AIDS may not be a predictor of safe sexual behavior practices (Gray Saracino, 1989). However, a study conducted by Roscoe Kruger, (1990) of 300 late adolescents suggests that one-third had altered their sexual behavior as a result of fear of the disease. Available Research on the effects of beliefs of susceptibility to AIDS indicates that adolescents and adults who report high perceived risk for AIDS practice safer sexual behaviors, whereas those who perceive low risk for contracting AIDS report practicing unsafe sexual behaviors (Gray Saracino, 1989 Villarruel, A.M., Jemmolt, Howard, Taylor, Bush, 1998). Youth Education and prevention programs have been used as the primary means of decreasing rate of HIV infections among adolescents, it can be summed up in three letters ABC(A=Abstinence, B=Be Faithful, C=Condoms). Barnett and Parkhurst (2005) have described abstinence as the best followed by faithfulness to one partner and condom use as last. Anytime ABC is mentioned Ugandan situation comes to mind, in 1991, the government, opinion leaders and the people of Uganda had the courage to change the attitudes and behaviors that were spreading the HIV. A Harvard study in Uganda finds HIV rates drop 50% within eight years. The study credits abstinence education in reducing HIV/AIDS in Uganda (Trafford 2002). Again, it has been argued that condoms have about 10-13% failure rate in preventing pregnancy and 10-20% failure rate in preventing HIV for several reasons. Museveni (2004) in his commentary on HIV titled Behavioral Change Is the Only Way To Fight AIDS cited Uganda as being excellent in this direction; it has successfully managed to bring the seroprevalence rate from 18.6% to 6.1% using just social vaccine (behavior change), approximately 70% reduction. Molomo 2008, National coordinator of NACA(National Action Committee on AIDS) said behavioral change is the responsibility of the individual and not the community. He explained the latter could provide enabling environment within which the former can effect behavioral change. Attitudes, beliefs, and/or intentions have been described by many theories as proximal determinants of behavior. Consequently, changes in attitudes toward abstinence and condoms, and Perceptions of personal risk or susceptibility to HIV should be the main goals in any HIV/AIDS prevention program. 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The aim of this study is to investigate the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of adolescents (15-24) towards HIV/AIDS in order to institute meaningful preventive measures for the control of HIV/AIDS. Ultimately, the study will provide information on appropriate intervention methods necessary for preventing HIV/AIDS among adolescents in the community. 3.1 Research Questions With respect to the theme of our research, the following research questions shall be addressed: 1. What knowledge do adolescents in Kigali City Province have about HIV/AIDS? 2. What are the perceptions and attitudes by adolescents towards HIV/AIDS preventions? 3. Which preventive method(s) do they use? 4. Do they perceive any risk of contracting/getting HIV/AIDS? 4. RESEARCH METHODS AND DATA SOURCES Qualitative research approach will be used to address HIV/AIDS prevention among adolescents. Qualitative methodology or deductive approach according to Pope and Mays (1995) is used to explore, interpret or illustrate the actions and/or subjective experiences of research participants. In other words qualitative research tends to give a comprehensive data about human observations, thoughts and feelings; it tries to establish meaning from human life experiences. As the focus of our study is to investigate the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of adolescents and young adults towards HIV/AIDS and its prevention, a qualitative approach will allow the participants to express their feelings and experiences genuinely (Punch 1998).

socrates :: essays research papers

This paper will argue that during â€Å"The trial and Death of Socrates†, Socrates could have given better arguments for his defense. First it will outline the prejudices or accusations Socrates has to face during his trial. It will then show how Socrates acted as tough he wanted to lose the case and finally it will conclude explaining the arguments Socrates could have given in order to be acquitted. During the first speech (18a-19b) Socrates has to overcome two different types of prejudices: the old prejudice against Socrates set by the plays of Aristophanes and the new prejudices that included impiety charged by Meletus as well as the corruption of the youth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In fact more than once is Socrates confused for someone else. Aristophanes is responsible for latter but it is reconstructed by Meletus as including both impiety and corruption and Socrates is portrayed as a corrupt teacher .the first charge of impiety also originates with Aristophanes but Meletus confuses Socrates with the atheistic Anaxagoras when he describes Socrates as seeking to study the heavens (18a) the second charge of corruption is also in Aristophanes' Clouds but confuses Socrates with Protagoras. This led to confusion (18e) of Socrates with other sophists like Gorgias, Prodicus, and Hippias. The new prejudice against Socrates really is because of the Socratic paradox (20c-21a): â€Å"he knows nothing and only in this he claims to be wise â€Å" this paradox aroused hatred against him (21b, 23ab), even though he explains that the knowledge of his ignorance lead to his philosophical mission in life .his mission to question and to seek â€Å"the unexamined life is no life for a man†(21c-23c) this is explained by Chaerephon's enquiry at Apollo's oracle at Delphi declaring Socrates the wisest of men (21b-) Socrates turns this philosophical interrogation into his philosophical purpose ,as a consequence the young followed him trying to copy his questions to their leaders (23c) this arose the charge of corrupting the youth ( 23d) since like Socrates, they also questioned the leaders of democracy and religion, claiming not to believe in the gods and discover the heavens (d) . Having in mind all theses accusations Socrates, should had defend himself better but that was not the case. Throughout the trial, he acted as though he wanted to lose the case. He went out of his way to antagonize the jury, making comments that associated himself with certain people and ideas that were offensive to the jury. socrates :: essays research papers This paper will argue that during â€Å"The trial and Death of Socrates†, Socrates could have given better arguments for his defense. First it will outline the prejudices or accusations Socrates has to face during his trial. It will then show how Socrates acted as tough he wanted to lose the case and finally it will conclude explaining the arguments Socrates could have given in order to be acquitted. During the first speech (18a-19b) Socrates has to overcome two different types of prejudices: the old prejudice against Socrates set by the plays of Aristophanes and the new prejudices that included impiety charged by Meletus as well as the corruption of the youth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In fact more than once is Socrates confused for someone else. Aristophanes is responsible for latter but it is reconstructed by Meletus as including both impiety and corruption and Socrates is portrayed as a corrupt teacher .the first charge of impiety also originates with Aristophanes but Meletus confuses Socrates with the atheistic Anaxagoras when he describes Socrates as seeking to study the heavens (18a) the second charge of corruption is also in Aristophanes' Clouds but confuses Socrates with Protagoras. This led to confusion (18e) of Socrates with other sophists like Gorgias, Prodicus, and Hippias. The new prejudice against Socrates really is because of the Socratic paradox (20c-21a): â€Å"he knows nothing and only in this he claims to be wise â€Å" this paradox aroused hatred against him (21b, 23ab), even though he explains that the knowledge of his ignorance lead to his philosophical mission in life .his mission to question and to seek â€Å"the unexamined life is no life for a man†(21c-23c) this is explained by Chaerephon's enquiry at Apollo's oracle at Delphi declaring Socrates the wisest of men (21b-) Socrates turns this philosophical interrogation into his philosophical purpose ,as a consequence the young followed him trying to copy his questions to their leaders (23c) this arose the charge of corrupting the youth ( 23d) since like Socrates, they also questioned the leaders of democracy and religion, claiming not to believe in the gods and discover the heavens (d) . Having in mind all theses accusations Socrates, should had defend himself better but that was not the case. Throughout the trial, he acted as though he wanted to lose the case. He went out of his way to antagonize the jury, making comments that associated himself with certain people and ideas that were offensive to the jury.

Tibetan Oracles :: Tibet Religion Papers

Tibetan Oracles In Tibetan tradition, the word oracle, or kuten, literally interpreted means â€Å"the physical basis.† The word oracle is also used to define the spirit which enters into men and women who are acting as a medium between the spiritual and natural realms. Oracles serve as a guide for Tibetans in political decisions, predictions about natural forces, etc. Their decisions help guide internal and external affairs. They most clearly demonstrate their function while in trance. In this mind-altered state prophecies and predictions are made about questions asked. Their answers are taken seriously by Tibetans and high-standing political and religious individuals. The occurrences that take place while in trance cannot all be explained by scientific means and there is some spiritual force acting on the situation. To fully understand Tibetan oracles and their trances, some background information about them must be given. The first recognized Nechung oracle was realized in 1544 AD. This was the first time that the spirit of Nechung was possessed in a human being. The name of oracle was Drag Trang Go-Wa Lobsang Palden. Many oracles used to be present in Tibet, but their numbers have diminished as a result of various factors such as Chinese occupation. However, the phenomenon of oracles still remains central to Tibetan life. The oracle is not only used to predict the future, but they are also sometimes used as protectors and healers. The main function of oracles in Tibet is to answer tough questions about internal and external affairs both religious and political. They way that this is most effectively performed and acted upon is through possession or trance induction. Trance induction in the Tibetan State Oracle is a complex process involving certain physical deprivations and stimuli from various sources of anything from music to hyperventilation. Symbolic elements as well as visualizations induce possession and trance in the oracle. (Ellingson 58) Certain questions about the spirituality of the oracles arise. It could be argued that oracles are taught to act in spiritual ways and that these actions are just reproductions of what they have been taught. Tibetan Oracles :: Tibet Religion Papers Tibetan Oracles In Tibetan tradition, the word oracle, or kuten, literally interpreted means â€Å"the physical basis.† The word oracle is also used to define the spirit which enters into men and women who are acting as a medium between the spiritual and natural realms. Oracles serve as a guide for Tibetans in political decisions, predictions about natural forces, etc. Their decisions help guide internal and external affairs. They most clearly demonstrate their function while in trance. In this mind-altered state prophecies and predictions are made about questions asked. Their answers are taken seriously by Tibetans and high-standing political and religious individuals. The occurrences that take place while in trance cannot all be explained by scientific means and there is some spiritual force acting on the situation. To fully understand Tibetan oracles and their trances, some background information about them must be given. The first recognized Nechung oracle was realized in 1544 AD. This was the first time that the spirit of Nechung was possessed in a human being. The name of oracle was Drag Trang Go-Wa Lobsang Palden. Many oracles used to be present in Tibet, but their numbers have diminished as a result of various factors such as Chinese occupation. However, the phenomenon of oracles still remains central to Tibetan life. The oracle is not only used to predict the future, but they are also sometimes used as protectors and healers. The main function of oracles in Tibet is to answer tough questions about internal and external affairs both religious and political. They way that this is most effectively performed and acted upon is through possession or trance induction. Trance induction in the Tibetan State Oracle is a complex process involving certain physical deprivations and stimuli from various sources of anything from music to hyperventilation. Symbolic elements as well as visualizations induce possession and trance in the oracle. (Ellingson 58) Certain questions about the spirituality of the oracles arise. It could be argued that oracles are taught to act in spiritual ways and that these actions are just reproductions of what they have been taught.

Does Holding the Olympic Games Have Benefits for the Host Country?

AGRUMENTATIVE ESSAY Does holding the Olympic Games have benefits for the host country? In recent years, the Olympic Games have developed into one of the most significant mega-international sporting events (Roche,2000). More and more cities are bidding to host the Olympics and increasingly money are invested in Olympic bids, which is due to the reason that the government believe that they could get benefits from such an event. During the proceeding of the 2012 London Olympic Games, amount of people in the world have been brought into focus on Olympic Games.It is such a big event, holding it successfully will improve one country’s reputation and get more attention around the world. Does holding the Olympic Games have benefits for the host country? It might be said that hosting Olympic Games has some financial risks because of its exceeding budgets. Countries invest huge number of money on sports facilities, which could result in the over-needed of infrastructure. However, there are many reasons why a country should organize Olympic Games.The first reason why holding Olympic Games have benefits for the host country is that, from the economic point of view, increase the income of revenue. Because of the influx of people who come from all around the world, the needs of consumption will dramatically rise. As a result, it is contributed to the output of factory, which is benefit to the whole market. What’s more, Olympic Games attract numbers of merchants to the host country to look for the business opportunities. Their investment in the market will stimulate the growth of economic.Rose and Spiegel (2009) suggests that the rate of trade is increased 30% for those host countries, which ‘realize an economic benefit in the form of greater openness. ’ Furthermore, during the proceeding of the Olympics, large numbers of foreigners will come to the hosts to visit. Bolton (2004) states that the percentage of tourists is increased to 150% in the 1992 Barcelona Games, with the Spanish government’s effort to stimulate the tourism. They are the potential consumer groups which could promote the local economy. This will stimulate some tourism-relative ndustries (hotels restaurants and shops) to develop. Although it is sometimes claimed that these numbers of tourists tend to be temporary, it must be acknowledged that the host country could become a popular tourist destination. In addition, employment is another great benefit to the host countries. Holding Olympics will create some full-time jobs because of the investment in infrastructure. For example, in Atlanta, the host city of the 1996 Olympic Games, the government invest about $2 billion to Olympic-related projects, which is leading to over 580 000 new jobs to this region between 1991 and 1997. Steven and Bevan, 1999) suggests that the Olympic Games were stimulating economic growth up to $5. 1 billion between 1991 and 1997. During the period of games, Barcelona, the host city of the 1992 Olympic Games, the general percentage of unemployment drop from 18. 4% to 9. 6% (Brunet, 1995). The second reason why holding the Olympics Games have benefits for the host country is that infrastructure such as transportation and sports facilities will get improved during the Games. To guarantee a successful Olympics, government should invest into infrastructure, such as improve the public’s transportation and sports facilities.Firstly, the Olympics have promoted the urban development and have an impact on the landscape and urban environment. In Tokyo, the host city of 1964 Olympics games, a new road and highway network was constructed to meet the short-term demands of the Games and to accommodate the city’s continued population and traffic increase in the long-term. Chalkley and Essex (2010) points out a total of 22 main highways were designed for the Games, huge amount of money were spent on land acquisition, compensation and providing alternative si tes for the activities displaced.In addition, the development of infrastructure is not directly related to the leisure facilities, commercial and open spaces, it also involves improve the appearance of the host city. Secondly, the staging of Olympics often contains build the new sporting facilities or restructure the exiting ones. It is often claimed that those facilities have failed to produce a long-term benefits to the country; some of the sports venues often become unused after the Olympics is finished. However, this ignores the fact that the whole society will get beneficial from infrastructural investment and environmental improvement.The London 2012 Olympic Games have made a dedicated plan for the usage of facilities before the facilities is built. For example, after the games, the Olympics Village will become a new community housing. The new shopping centre, which is separated from the Olympic Park, will become an employment centre of this area. Transportation will get impro ved through the construct of new stations, line extensions and additional trains and a largest urban park will build available for both local community and for elite athletes (Olympic Delivery Authority, 2007).The final reason why holding the Olympics Games have benefits for the host country is that it will help to improve the host country‘s image. For the host country, it’s not just a competition about sports; it's a chance to improve their international prominence and a sense of national pride. Firstly, it is contribute to transforming the image of the host city. In order to amplify the effect of Olympics Games, it is necessary to rely on the function of media. During the Games, the worldwide TV audience watched a cumulative 36. 1 billion hours of sport (IOC, 2001).This is one of the most effective ways to improve a nation’s image and attract tourists. For example, in 1996, during the 17 days of the Centennial Olympic Games, it has been reported that 3. 5 billi on people saw the city on worldwide television coverage in 214 countries and territories and about two million people visited Atlanta, as a result, the tourist industry of the region increased dramatically (Steven and Bevan, 1999). It seems clear that a successful mega-event can enhance cities’ reputations through the global media coverage.Prior to the 1992 Olympics, Barcelona was only a large city in Spain, but it is now a famous destination which attracts numbers of tourists to visit. Furthermore, holding this mega-international sporting event could attract the public’s interest to take part in sporting activities, and also increase local pride and community spirit, which could make a significant contribution to the quality of life of both the individual and community. For example, there is a remarkable increase in Barcelona in the participation of sports activities in the years following the hosting of the Olympic Games.There has been an increase of 46 000 new users in the city’s sports centres following the 1992 Games, with the percentage of women participating in sporting activities increasing from 35% in 1989 to 45% in 1995. Moreover, in 1994, more than 300 000 people took part in sporting events which involved the city’s inhabitants on the streets of Barcelona, such as athletic competitions, popular marathon, the bicycle festival and the roller-skating festival (Truno, 1995).In conclusion, it is clear from the weight of evidence that holding Olympic Games have benefits in economic growth, infrastructure improvement and image promotion for the host country. However, there are still some aspects should get the government’s attention. For example, in order to handle with the financially risks such as the increasing rate of over-budget, the international Olympic Committee, together with local Olympic organisers should make the capital budget table precisely.Moreover, the post-event facility usage should be considered befor e the infrastructure is built, which is avoid to become a burden to the long-term economy. Only in this way can the host country get maximise economics benefits. Bibliography: Bolton, L. 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