Effective literacy instruction for english learners Essay

Effective literacy instruction for english learners - Essay Example Depending on the needs of the students, instructors can select which recommendation can be used in order to teach English in the most effective way possible. The increase of immigrants in the country also increased the number of students whose first language is not English. Thus is the increase in number of English language learners (ELL’s), or students that must also learn English, aside from learning the K-5 curricula. However, because English is the main language of instruction in schools, ELL’s lag behind in terms of their reading proficiency and in turn, their academics (US Department of Education, n.d.). This called for the Department of Education to create recommendations in order to effectively teach English to ELL’s in an effective way (Gersten, Baker, Shanahan, Linan-Thompson, Collins, & Scarcella, 2007). By the use of such recommendations it is expected that not only can ELL’s learn English properly, but also able to keep their learning pace at par to English speakers as well. Among the five recommendations listed in the guide, the most effective ways to teach English as a second language would be the combination of three: the screening for reading problems and monitoring progress; intensive small-group reading interventions; and regular peer-assisted learning opportunities. First, the importance of screening of problems at the beginning would help instructors focus on what the student needs to learn, since this would be the foundation for higher skills (US Department of Education, n.d.). Second, grouping students based on their or their language skill level would not only create a feeling of empathy for one another, but also they could learn from each other in the process. They can also build teamwork since they would be sharing tasks and working together in order to understand the language a lot better. Third, similar to the second one except grouping the students according to their ethnicity or based on similarities

Two Kinds by Amy Tan Essay

Two Kinds by Amy Tan Essay Amy Tans Two Kinds is a short story about the relationship between a Chinese-American mother and her American daughter. Two Kinds is a chapter from Tans book, The Joy Luck Club, which is made up of sixteen stories about Tan growing up in America with a mother from ancient Chinese customs (Tan, 189). In this chapter, Tan describes her childhood not with emphasis on cultural differences, but as a girl trying to find herself all the while in constant conflict with her Chinese-American mothers desire for her to become extraordinary. Further research reveals to the reader that Daisy, Amy Tans mother, is her influence for writing. Daisy a child-survivor of Nanjing came to America in 1949 at the age of 18 leaving behind three daughters to escape communism and abuse (unknown, 2010). Daisy raised Tan as a Chinese mother with Chinese customs is expected to by using harsh words of warning to motivate greatness. Tans exposition of the story appears in the beginning with you could phrases that introduce the reader to the mother. You could open a restaurant. You could become instantly famous. You can be best anything (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, p. 336). The reader is intrigued in the first three paragraphs as it is clear this mother, the static character throughout this story, expects no less than excellence. The first person narrator is the dynamic character of this story, Jing-mei. She is also the protagonist in an ongoing struggle for independence with her mother who is the antagonist. Jing-mei struggles to find who she is. At first, she convinces herself that if she hurries, she can fulfill her mothers expectations and would soon become perfect (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, p. 336). However, the child-narrator in her coming-of-age attitude sets the tone for the battle-of-wills when she thinks the mother is beginning to give up hope (337). Jing-mei continues this battle determined not to try (p. 338) and determined to put a stop to her foolish pride (p. 339). The mother-daughter climatic moment occurs when Jing-mei selfishly yells You want me to be someone that Im not (p. 339). Tan allows the mother to invoke her position in the relationship with her reply of Only two kinds of daughters. Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this hou se. Obedient daughter (p.339). Tan increases the mother-daughter conflict using dramatic visualization as Jing-mei repeatedly defies the mothers with the use of words like disappointed, failed expectations, I had been sent to hell and I wish I were dead (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, pp. pp. 337-339). The mothers comments to her daughter because you not trying (p. 337) and only ask you be your best (p. 337) poses a dilemma for the reader of whether to feel sympathy for the mother or daughter. What the daughter perceives as being an unsatisfied and disappointed mother is Tans use of situational irony. It is not until the end of this short story that the daughter realizes that her mother was not controlling or demanding for the sake of Chinese custom, but was only exhibiting a mothers enduring hope that her daughter would be someone great. Tan affirms this near the end as the mother reminds her thirty year-old daughter you could been genius if you want to (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, p. 340). The pivotal moment of the story occurs in the last paragraph as the daughter for the first time notices the music pieces she rehearsed as a child (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, p. 340). Tan dramatizes the irony further when Jing-mei, after the death of her mother, notices the two songs on the piano, Pleading Child (p. 340) and Perfectly Contented (p. 340) that are symbolic of the daughters growth from a child to an adult. She realizes the pieces were two halves of the same song (p. 340) just as she and her mother were. As the mothers character was seemingly over-bearing, she and her mother wanted the same thing; both wanted the best in life for Jing-mei. Tans chronological organization of the story allowed the reader to see the conflicts emerge and resolve as Jing-mei grew into an adult. This story was not about the cultural differences between Chinese and Americans as one might expect, but more about a mother-daughter relationship. Tan writes because it is about the meaning of my life (Tan, NEA Big Read: Meet Amy Tan, 2010). When we read this story as a chapter in The Joy Luck Club, Two Kinds completes Tans collection of stories that are about hope and the way she looked at the world (2010). I liked this story because I connected with Jing-mei at first and felt sorry for her. However, half way through the story, I began to feel sad for the mother after Jing-mei began behaving selfishly and defiantly by not trying. As short as the story was, it created a momentary emotional struggle for me. At first I could not understand why the mother would force a child into extracurricular activities of which she had no interest. I thought perhaps the mother, given Amy Tans real mothers tragic history, was living vicariously through her daughter. Later, as a mother of three daughters, I began to see why the mother was trying to convince her child to do something great. It was because she wanted her daughter to be no less than perfect. The story did not change my perspective on mother-daughter relationships because all mothers raising daughters have unique coming-of-age stories. I did stop and reflect upon my own mother and my childhood with her as we had our growing pains. I was adopt ed and my mother was very much like Amy Tans trying to make every perfect. Tan writes brilliantly with passion and I am a newly committed fan. I would not change a thing in this story.

Ideology in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Minister’s Black Veil Essay

Ideology in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Minister’s Black Veil Bennett and Royle in their textbook, Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory, define ideology as representing â€Å"†¦ ‘the imaginary relationship of individuals to their real conditions of existence’† (161). The ideology of self, of personal identity, is represented by a person’s perception of what is acceptable in their society. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, The Minister’s Black Veil, the minister appears before his community with a black veil covering his face. He gives no explanation for this apparel and the community becomes agitated that their minister refuses to remove it. The readers challenge is to discover why the minister wears the veil and why he won’t take it off. Hawthorne challenges the readers ideology of self with his choice of words, by showing how ideology is redefined by each subject, and by using as his form the technique of the parable. The parishioners expectations are shattered by the appearance of their beloved minister wearing a black veil over his face. Children, with bright faces, tripped merrily beside their parents, or mimicked in graver gait, in the conscious dignity of their Sunday clothes. Spruce bachelors looked sidelong at the pretty maidens, and fancied that the Sabbath sunshine made them prettier than on weekdays (Hawthorne 1) These expectations are portrayed by the way the story begins. Hawthorne uses words that suggest happiness; â€Å"bright† â€Å"merrily† â€Å"pretty† â€Å"fancied† and â€Å"sunshine†. But this ‘happiness’ vanishes with the appearance of the minister. The expectations of what is socially acceptable are challenged by the appearance of the black veil. â€Å"But what has good Parson Hooper got upon his face?† c... ...o understand the parable. A parable is used to explain something that is unexplainable and cannot be explained if the reader does not understand it. The reader is in constant danger throughout the reading of having his ideology of self shattered by the very real possibility that he won’t ‘get it’. The entire story is as obscure and shaky as ideology itself. Hawthorne’s choice of words throughout the story set up the reader for a continual bombardment of his/her ideology of self and societal expectations. Works Cited Bennett, Andrew and Nicholas Royle. Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory. 2nd Edition. New York: Prentice Hall, 1999. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil†. Crown College. Accessed 27 Aug 2003. http://www.crown.edu/humanities/ratledgw/ENG%20132/stories/ veilhawt.htm> Miriam Webster Dictionary. Accessed 27 Aug 2003.

Animal Farm: a Story Based on Communism

The novel â€Å"Animal Farm† is a story based on communism, and revolves around the Russian revolution and the Soviet Union, showing this by the animal’s feelings, emotions and actions of communism eventually becoming corrupt. The novel is written by George Orwell and is told by a narrator in third person, and shows how communism operates and reflects upon the characters. The main characters in Animal Farm would make a list of: Napoleon (the big fat pig), Old Major (the boar), Snowball (Napoleon’s best friend, the white pig), Squealer (Napoleon’s side kick, the pig), boxer (the horse) and Benjamin (the donkey) as the rest being pigs and sheep etc.Napoleon would be the perfect specimen for being the key character to reveal George Orwell’s important warning or theme, which is that power, corrupts. Old major, gathers the animals of the Manor Farm for a meeting in the big barn. He tells them of a dream he has had in which all animals live together with no human beings to oppress or control them. He tells the animals that they must work toward such a paradise, and teaches them a song called â€Å"Beasts of England,† in which his dream vision is lyrically described. The animals greet Major’s vision with great enthusiasm.When he dies only three nights after the meeting, three younger pigs, Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer, formulate his key principles into a philosophy called Animalism. Belatedly one night, the animals manage to overpower the farmer Mr. Jones in a battle, virtually forcing him to leave. They rename the property Animal Farm from Manor Farm and dedicate themselves to achieving Major’s dream. The carthorse Boxer devotes himself to the cause with particular fanaticism, committing his great strength to the success of the farm and adopting as a delicate maxim the support â€Å"I will work harder. Originally, Animal Farm prospers. Snowball is ever so determine to teach the animals to read, and Napoleon is the head of a group of youthful puppies to educate them in the ethics of Animalism. When Mr Jones shows unannounced to fight back for his farm, the animals defeat him once again, in what comes to be known as the Battle of the Cowshed, and take the farmer’s abandoned gun as a token of their victory. As time leads on, nevertheless, Napoleon and Snowball gradually hedge over the future of the farm, and they commence to find it hard with each other for power and influence amid the farm.Snowball concocts a scheme to build an electricity-generating windmill, except Napoleon firmly opposes the plan. When the meeting aroused for the vote on whether to take up the task, Snowball astounds everyone one with his speech. Even though Napoleon gives only a brief rejoin, he suddenly made a strange noise, and nine attack dogs, the puppies that Napoleon had confiscated in order to â€Å"educate†, rupture into the barn and hound Snowball from the farm. Napoleon ends up assuming leade rship of Animal Farm while declaring to that will be the end for any meeting.From there on, he asserts, the pigs alone will make the decisions now onwards for the good of everyone. Napoleon ends up shifting his mind about the windmill and especially Boxer, and of course with all the animals going along with it, to devote their efforts to completing it. The windmill ended up falling down from a storm. The human farmers in the area thought that the animals made the walls too thin, due to the end result. Napoleon claims that Snowball came back to sabotage the windmill.He stages a great wash out during which animals who allegedly participates in Snowball’s great plan. In other words any animal who opposes Napoleon’s uncontested leadership, convene direct death at the teeth of the attack dogs. With his leadership not answered (Boxer has taken up a second maxim, Napoleon always being correct. Napoleon begins growing his powers, rewriting history to make Snowball a villain. N apoleon begins to act more like a human being, sleeping in a bed, drinking whisky, and engaging in trade farmers.The initial Animalist principles exactly forbade such activities, but Squealer, Napoleon’s propagandist, justifies the actions to the others, whilst convincing that Napoleon is a handy leader and makes everything better for everyone, despite the fact that the common animals are cold, hungry, and pushed too far. A neighboring farmer called Mr Frederick scams some timber and then attacks the farm and dynamites the windmill, in saying that the repair was expensive.After the demolition of the windmill, a slanting battle, when boxer cops major wounds. The animals rout the farmers, but Boxer’s injuries weakened him. When he falls whilst working on the windmill. All of a sudden, Boxer is nowhere to be found. According to Squealer, Boxer is in peace after being taken to the hospital, admiring the Rebellion with Boxers very last breath. In realism, Napoleon has sold his most loyal and long suffering worker to a glue maker in order to earn money for whisky.As time passes on the farm, the pigs become and eventually act like human beings likewise, walking upright, carrying whips, and wearing clothes. In the long run, the seven principles of Animalism, known as the Seven Commandments and decorated on the side of the barn, ends up being reduced to a single principle reading, â€Å"all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others†. Napoleon entertains a human farmer named Mr. Pilkington at a dinner and declares his intent to ally himself with the human farmers against the laboring classes of both the human and animal communities.Eventually Animal Farm is returned to the name being Manor Farm, claiming that Manor Farm is correct. Looking through the farmhouse window, the common animals can no longer figure for who are the pigs or the human beings. Animal Farm is mainly famous in the West as a stinging critique of the history and rheto ric of the Russian Revolution. Retelling the story of the emergence and development of Soviet communism in the form of an animal fable.

Foot Binding, Status and Society in Early China Essay

In early China, the Han Dynasty to the end of the Manchu Dynasty, there was a practice known as foot binding. Foot binding was considered a symbol of status for women for many reasons. The disabling effects of foot binding caused women not to be able to participate in any form of hard labour, it confined them to the home, and was considered erotic by men, thus acceptable. The explanation for binding ones feet tells us that society at the time was extremely patriarchal, that a women’s chastity was extremely important, and that it was imperative for women to conform to changing cultural ideals. Foot binding was a practice that started during the Tang Dynasty when a prince, Li Yo, enjoyed watching his concubine dance before him with tiny bound â€Å"lily feet†[i]. Since then it became popular in the Han Dynasty. Women would wash and massage their daughters’ feet, turn their toes under, and then they would break their daughters’ arches, and finally wrap the foot tightly in a cotton bandage pulling the big toe and heel together as well as hold the rest of the toes in place[ii]. The average length of the foot was three inches after the process had been completed. This caused the foot to be seriously deformed. The women would be disabled to the point where they could barely walk; sometimes toes would even fall off as a result of the bindings[iii]. Working and peasant class women would not usually have their feet bound because it was necessary for them to be able to do manual labour, but if mothers desired for their daughters to marry into good families they would risk losing their daughters labour to bind their daughters’ feet. [pic] Foot binding was considered a symbol of status for several reasons, many elating to how women were seen during this era. The earlier Chinese peoples had a society based on Confucian values. Confucianism has it’s foundation on the Yin and Yang ideal[iv]. Yin is the representative of all that is bad, weak, and female; and Yang is all that is good, strong, and male. The same can be seen in early Chinese values. At the time of foot binding the Chinese felt that women were weak, immoral, and should be subservient to men. Men felt that the female body should be repressed to keep it chaste and to keep women in their inferior place. Therefore the bound foot allowed women to show their loyalty, publicly, to these ideals. A woman who lived as an obedient and chaste person was desirable to men at the time and foot binding was a way for women to show that they were this way. There are other reasons as well, why foot binding was used as an emblem of status. Besides being a sign of chastity and obedience in a woman, being desirable traits, foot binding was used to show that a female was of a wealthy background (in the beginning). A woman who had her feet bound as a child could not endure standing for any lengthy period of time unassisted. Standing on a bound foot was very painful and most carried a cane to shift their weight on. Therefore, if women could barely stand with bound feet, they also could not work. This meant that only women from families that could afford to do without their labour could afford to bind their feet. As a result when a man’s family, of wealthy background, was in search of a bride they would search for a bride with bound feet because they not only would know that she was from a wealthy background herself, but knew she would not leave the home often, and would not cheat. Mothers often started the binding process on their daughters as young as four years old to ensure their daughters a good marriage later in life[v]. This shows that it was important for a woman to marry into a good family because women were willing to endure such pain for elevated social status and a secure life. When foot binding was prevalent, a man’s needs were second only to a parent’s needs. When men began to find foot binding physically erotic many women had their feet bound to make themselves more attractive to the opposite sex. Just as women today squeeze their feet into tight torturous high heels for the sake of cosmetics, Chinese women bound their feet for the same reason; for the sake of being more physically attractive for men. Men found the â€Å"staggering dance-like walk[vi]† of the bound foot to be extremely erotic. As well the struggle to walk actually made the muscles of the vagina tighter, increasing sexual pleasure for men[vii]. During this period men found the foot to be the most alluring part of the female body, when tightly bound to a length of three inches. Therefore not only was a bound foot a symbol of wealth and adherence to cultural values, but it was also a sign of beauty. The Manchu Dynasty tried to abolish the tradition of foot binding during its rule, but failed. The practice of foot binding went on in China for approximately one thousand years. It was outlawed after 1911 when the Manchu Dynasty fell. There are actually women who still practice foot binding today because they feel it is attractive, but their numbers are very small[viii]. Though the practice is almost extinct today, foot binding continued somewhat after its being outlawed for the sake of tradition which is very important in Chinese culture, then and now. The entire practice of foot binding tells the historian a lot about Chinese society up to the end of the reign of the Manchu Dynasty. Foot binding shows how China was an extreme patriarchy. Society at the time felt that a woman’s place was in the home and to be chaste, a bound foot kept her there. A woman who had bound feet openly showed that she was more than willing to conform to the values of the age for the sake of status. The practice of foot binding also showed that when it came time to be married it was important to be from a wealthy background to ensure a good match, and stability within the marriage. Finally, foot binding shows that in this era women were seen as objects for they enjoyment of men. From the first concubine who bound her feet and danced for a prince to satisfy his desire, to later women who did it to be seen as sexual objects, foot binding has been a custom to gratify men’s desires, despite the pain and malformation it causes.

Winston Churchill essays

Winston Churchill essays Perhaps one of the most colorful and intelligent figures of his day, Winston Churchill was a master negotiator and superb leader. Drawing from his vast experience and wit, he successfully led Great Britain through many troubled times and hardships. His skill as a leader was unsurpassed and was only out done by his wry sense of humor. Winston Churchills exploits will forever be a part of history as he truly was one of the greatest leaders of his time. Winston Churchill was born on the 30th of November in 1874 and was the eldest son of aristocrat Lord Randolph Churchill. He graduated from the Royal Military College in 1895 and was soon commissioned as an officer in the Fourth Hussars. While acting as a war correspondent during the Boers War, he was captured by the enemy and held in less the humane conditions as a prisoner of war. He later escaped his captors and was recognized as a national hero upon his return to Great Britain. This newfound fame and heroism led him to the public spotlight and into what was to eventually become a historical political career. Shortly after his triumphant return, Winston Churchill was elected as a member of the Conservative Party. Later, in 1904, he was elected as president of the Board of Trade. Stepping through several other positions of power, he eventually became the Lord of the Admiralty. Unfortunately, after an unsuccessful campaign, he was forced to resign. Thus began a period of learning and self-reflection that eventually led into his transition as a great leader. In 1917, Churchills political career again flourished as he was elected the Minister of Munition and was a member of the coalition party until it collapsed in 1922. After several ups and downs in his political career, Churchill became the Prime Minister in 1940 as Nazi Germany and Hitler were knocking on Great Britains doorstep. Through his expert leadership and negotiations, he won the support of the Unit...

Rethinking Rights and Global Development

Rethinking Rights and Global Development Introduction Research surveys have estimated that approximately 600 million individuals, who comprise of an estimated 10 % of the global population, suffer from a particular form of disability. At least two thirds of the disabled persons reside in developing nations (Baehr, 1994). Despite the variations in their living conditions, it is a common trend that all disabled persons are exposed to diverse kinds of discrimination and social exclusion.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Rethinking Rights and Global Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such treatment usually restricts them from enjoying their human rights and freedom, which is a significant factor that impedes their participation in the activities taking place within the boundaries of their societies (Baar, 2000). The controversy behind the issue of disability extends beyond the enjoyment of rights by disabled persons. The primary issue of concern is abo ut equal gratification of all aspects of human rights without any case of discrimination for people having disabilities. The principle of non-discrimination increases the relevance of disability, in a similar manner age, sex and children affects the issue of enjoying human rights equally. The concept of human rights With respect to this report, the concept of human rights is used to denote the universal rights that every person must enjoy on the basis that one is human. Human rights are diverse and encompass human right to work, education, health and food. The human right to work implies that individuals have a right to be engaged a significant or useful employment; as such, people should not be forbidden from work. The human right to work is enlisted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international human rights law, whereby it lays emphasis on socio-cultural and economic development. The type of work that an individual engages him/ herself in is determined by oneà ¢â‚¬â„¢s accessibility to the available resources, level of education and appropriate training. The foundation of the human right to work is that involvement in work and accessibility of resources should be undertaken in such a manner that it facilitates the participation of every, individual who intends to work. It is also imperative that the benefits attained from working should be enough to reach a sustainable living standard (Bickenbach, 2001). The human right to food is a universal human right that aims at ensuring that people undertake their lives with dignity without instances associated with food insecurity, malnutrition and hunger. The main objective of this right is to ensure that every individual has the capability to feed oneself in dignity.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The human right to food is identified under the international human rights and hum anitarian law and the state obligations as outlined in the international law. Conventionally, the human right to food outlines three distinct kinds of the state obligations, which includes the obligation for respecting, protecting and fulfilling (Chartered Institute of Personal Development, 2006). The obligation to protect means that governments should not deploy any actions that are aimed at intentional infringement of the people right to food. The obligation to protect means that governments should enforce laws and actions aimed at avoiding infringement of the right to food to its people by third-party organizations and other individuals. The obligation to fulfill means that governments have the responsibility of facilitating access to food and other resources that can increase the capacity of individuals to have access to food (Clapham, 2007). The right to education implies that every individual is entitled to education (UNESCO, 1995). It also involves the obligation to ensure hi gher education is accessed equally with the progress towards making it free (Claude Weston, 2006). The right to school also entails an obligation of offering fundamental education for those people who have not finished their primary education. The human right to health is socio-cultural and economic right that ensures every person accesses the highest achievable health standards (Council of Europe, 2005). The human right to health is a fundamental human right that stipulates that every individual must enjoy the highest health standards that can be achieved regarding one’s personal wellbeing and family. In addition, this right advocate for equity during access to healthcare and related services, right to use to safe drinking water and sanitation, healthy environment and elimination of discrimination associated with social practices relating to health matters (Council of Europe, 2005). Various international documents have classified disability as of considerable concern when i t comes to the issue of human rights. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) places disability in the context of the issue of human rights (Chartered Institute of Personal Development, 2006). The CRPD places disability in the context of respecting human dignity, involvement and inclusion of people with disabilities in a manner is effective and non-impartial.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Rethinking Rights and Global Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The CRPD also acknowledges the fact that disabled persons are part of human kind and they represent diversity within the human race. Other elements of CRPD in relation to human rights include equal opportunity and equality for people with disabilities. Any infringement of these serves as a violation of the human rights for the disabled persons. Analysis of the failures and successes In most of the countries, a significant challenge facing the issue of social and economic rights is that they are not identified or enforced by the law. This implies that there is less legal strength regarding the implementation of the human rights. Such an environment is a breeding ground for the violation of the human social and economic rights (Donelly, 2003). The area of focus is the problems facing the implementation of human rights for people with disabilities in developing countries. Developing countries face significant economic, social, political and cultural constraints that hinder effective implementation of the human rights for the people with disabilities. Disabled persons in developing countries are not at the same level to enjoy the human rights as people without disabilities (Felice, 2010). The social approach to disability consents that problems facing implementation of human rights in developing countries are mainly due to the larger society and not disability. As a result, the human rights approach perceives the concept of disability as an instance of violation of human rights, which serves to change the issue regarding inequality when enjoying human rights between people with disabilities and those who are not disabled. This denotes core significance arguing that intervention to address the challenges should be rights-focused and not some sort of charity. In addition, the governments have the legal obligation to ensure equal enjoyments of the human rights (French, 1994).Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Disability and development Disability is mainly considered as a development issue because of the correlation it has with poverty. This is mainly because poverty usually tends to increase the risks associated with disability. In addition, the number of people with disability is considerably high in the developments. For instance, the prevalence rate for people having disabilities among individuals who at least 60 years of age stands at 43.4 % in low income countries, compared to 29.5 % prevalence rate of high income nations. The situation is worsened by the fact that disabled persons need additional finances in order to have an equal standard of living that us same to people without disabilities. Given the high prevalence rate of disability in developing countries, this report outlines the problems regarding the implementation of rights for those with disabilities in the developing world (Harris, 2003). The second aspect of viewing disability as development is the fact that disabled persons in developing countries have minimal chances of being employed, and if they are employed, they usually earn relatively less compared to people who are not disabled. The inference from this is that the severability of disability in developing countries usually worsens the employment opportunities and income levels for people with disability (Hashimoto, 2004). The economic conditions in the developing countries usually make it difficult for disabled persons to gain the benefits associated from economic development and enhance their living standards. This can be mainly attributed to increasing cases of discrimination that disabled persons face during employment opportunities, restricted access to the transport facilities and a limited access to resources that they can use for self-employment and enhance their quality of living (Haynes, 2002). High poverty levels usually tend to increase the risks associated with disability. A research conducted on 56 developing nations reported that poor people were experiencing worse health conditions compared to people who are better off (Bickenbach, 2001). This is mainly because poverty results to health complications that are likely to inflict disability such as low weight during birth, absence of clean water, increased malnutrition, lack of clean water and poor living conditions (Haynes, 2002). In most cases, poverty increases the probability that an individual with the present health conditions is likely to be disabled. Developing nations are faced with the problem of resource constraints that can be used to address the impending problems associated with disability. For instance, 5 % of individuals in developing nations call for the use of prostheses and orthotics, an additional estimated 30 million individuals in the developing nations require at least 180,000 professionals in the field of rehabilitation (Welch, 2001). Currently, the sub-Saharan Africa is served by only six rehabilitation doctors, who are all based in South Africa. In addition, there are limited numbers of female rehabilitation medical personnel in other developing countries, such as Afghanistan whereby women are supposed to receive treatment only female therapists (Clapham, 2007). Another potential challenge that faces effective implementation of human rights for those with disabilities in developing countries is the problem associated with the retention of the healthcare personnel and rehabilitation personnel. This is because most of the healthcare workers opt to move to developed countries that offer higher wages compared to developing countries. For instance, a considerable case of immigration has been noted among the healthcare workers found in Brazil, Egypt, Nigeria, Philippines and India (Clapham, 2007). With regard to health, the CPRD assures equal access to healthcare and promotion despite the fact that it does not provide for the principal deterrence of health conditions. Disabled persons usually have poor health co nditions compared to people without disabilities in both developed and developing countries ( World Health Organization, 2008). Accessing mental health services by the disabled persons in developing countries is normally limited. A latest country survey established that approximately 30-50% of individuals with disorders in developed nations and about 75-85 % of people with mental disorders in developing nations did not get mental health services prior to the year that the survey was done ( World Health Organization, 2008). Such prevalence rates in low-income countries can be significantly attributed to affordability. High rates of unemployment and affordability are intertwined because employers have the obligation of providing their employees with private health care plans. Limited access to insurance schemes in the developing countries means that people with disabilities have to incur the costs associated with the use of assistive technologies. Governments of developing countries d o not adequately allocate funds for assistive technologies that the people with disabilities need in order to enjoy the human rights at the same level as individuals without disability (Walmsley, 2001). A significant number of findings from empirical research have concluded that disabled persons and their respective families are socially and economically disadvantaged compared to people who are not disabled. The beginning of disability ultimately imposes negative impacts on the social and economic well being of individuals by negatively affecting how the disabled persons enjoy the basic rights such as education, right to productive employment (WHO, 2003). The situation is further worsened in the case of developing countries; possibly, due to the fact there are inadequate funds at the state level to aid the disabled persons enjoy a standard of living that is equal to their counterparts who are not impaired by any form of disability. This is usually the case of developing countries, w hereby disabled children have a lower probability of attending schools; the outcome of this is that they have limited opportunities to contribute to the formation of human capital (UNESCO, 1995). During adulthood, the disabled persons have limited employment opportunities and their productivity is impaired. In particular, this serves as an impediment towards effective implementation of the human rights to productive labor. The human right to work implies that individuals have a right to be engaged a significant or useful employment; as such, people should not be forbidden from work (Council of Europe, 2005). The human right to work is enlisted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international human rights law, whereby it lays emphasis on socio-cultural and economic development (Council of Europe, 2005). The nature of work that a person engages him/ herself in is determined by one’s ease of access to the available resources, level of education and appropriate training. The foundation of the human right to work is that involvement in work and accessibility of resources should be undertaken in such a manner that it facilitates the participation of every, individual who intends to work. It is also imperative that the benefits attained from working should be enough to reach a sustainable living standard. Developing countries do not offer conditions that favor the effective implementation of socio-economic rights (Kwessi, 2008). Human rights for people with disability in the context of developing countries Recent times have seen a notable improvement with regard to the way people with disabilities are perceived in the developed countries in the western world. The increasing concerns relating to social justice and the increasing recognition of equality regarding the equal enjoyment of human rights and provision of equal opportunity, which was mainly attributed to the accomplishments imposed by the Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s (Ingsta d, 2001). This resulted to increased awareness regarding the needs of people having various forms of disabilities. Developed countries have reinforced necessary efforts, strategies and policies aimed at ensuring that people with disabilities receive equal treatment as people who do not have any form of disability. This is notable by the enactment of laws regarding education and employment; examples include Individuals with Disabilities Act and The Americas with Disabilities Act (Katsui, 2005). The passages of such legislations serve to ensure equal involvement of people with disabilities in the mainstream society. Another example that highlights the efforts to acknowledge disabled persons in developed country is the fact that they have recognized sign language as the official communication language for deaf individuals (Hellsten, 2004). Developed countries usually have lower disability prevalence rates mainly due to high-end medical technologies and efficient statistical systems. Th is is contrary to the case of the developing nations, whereby disabled persons are constantly facing rejection, dehumanization and being devalued. In addition, developing countries are characterized by increasing instances of political warfare and high prevalence rates of HIV/AIDS (INTRAC, 1998). This results to a redirection of the national policies to deal with other problems that are perceived to be of national importance. A surprising observation is that most developing countries have consented to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Children that were endorsed by the UN General Assembly. It is also important to mention that developing nations have also endorsed the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs established by the UNESCO ( International Monetary Fund, 2004). Social and economic rights are protected under the various instruments of human rights at the regional and international level. Governments of developi ng countries are required respect, fulfill and protect the social and economic rights, and deploy strategies for progressive action towards the human rights (Helleiner, 2002). Development goals such as the Education for All have outlined the need for governments of developing countries to provide basic education for every individual without any form of discrimination. The member nations of the Organization for African Unity (OAU) have approved the Africa Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which insisted on the rights of disabled children to be offered with protective services under specific conditions ( International Monetary Fund, 2004). This serves to uphold their integrity, foster individual reliance and ensure that they participate actively in the activities of the community (London, 2002). The Charter was adopted with the principal objective of ensuring that people with disability have access to training, prepare them for employment and make use of recreational fac ilities in order to ensure that people with disabilities are socially integrated into the mainstream society. In Africa, it is estimated that 80 million individuals are disabled. This high rate of prevalence can be attributed mainly to increasing poverty and malnutrition, difficulty in accessing healthcare, disease epidemics, and ethnic conflicts. The World Report on Disability made by the World Health Organization during 2008 reported that the prevalence rates of people with disability in Africa are growing at a faster rate compared to other continents. Infrastructural inadequacies in developing nations have increased the difficulties and complexities in equal enjoyment of human rights by disabled persons ( World Health Organization, 2008). Persons with disability in developing nations are usually subjected to intense segregation and marginalization, which results to their positioning at the lowest level in economic ladder (Kwessi, 2008). This is because disabled persons are not gi ven equal opportunities and enjoyment of the human rights. Marginalization of people with disabilities extends beyond an economic dimension to include a social perspective. Practical challenges facing the implementation of human rights for people with disabilities in developing countries It is a fact that disability is everywhere across the globe, the only difference is the way they are viewed, which in turn influences the manner in which they enjoy the fundamental human rights when compared to people without disabilities. Over the course of time, people with disabilities have always been treated with ignorance and isolation, from both the public and their respective governments. In the case of developing countries, disabled persons are victimized using neglect and stereotyping that is inaccurate (Helleiner, 2002). In some cases, disabled persons are exploited. In most cases, the cultural beliefs and public attitudes towards individuals with disability is usually characterized by sh ame, social exclusion from the larger community and Prejudice. Kwei notes that people having disabilities are discriminated against, and viewed as inferior; as a result, they are excluded from the society (2000). Despite the fact 80 % of disabled people live in developing countries, it is surprising to note that only 2% are beneficiaries of the support from the United Nations. This is a possible explanation as to why disabled persons comprise of about 17 % of poor people across the globe. The basic inference that can be made from the above observation is that people with disabilities in developing countries face significant ignorance from their governments and the internal community (Chartered Institute of Personal Development, 2006). In order to analyze the practical challenges facing the implementation of human rights for people with disabilities in developing countries, it is important to take into consideration the three levels of action including the system of cooperation at th e international level, challenges imposed by the government of the developing countries and the views of public regarding disability. Development cooperation entails the interventions implemented at both government and non-government levels, which interact to affect the implementation of the human rights within developing countries (Mawdsley, 2005). At the micro level, implementing human rights for people with disabilities is faced by significant constraints. The stigma associated with disability usually imposes negative perceptions by the family members of the disabled persons. This means that the family members are sometimes embarrassed to seek interventions to address the problem (Felice, 2010). This usually makes it difficult to implement the human rights for disabled people in cases whereby they cannot be publicly accepted, even within the boundaries of the family. A notable characteristic of developing countries is how they are deeply rooted in the cultural beliefs, which in i tself serves as an impediment towards enhancing the well-being of disabled persons (Nickel, 2007). For instance, getting a modest education, being employed and the general acceptance by the larger society are usually next to impossible for disabled persons because of the manner in which the society positions them. Despite the fact, the governments of developing countries may have a well-laid strategic plan for action to implement the human rights for people with disability; such strategies are usually constrained by issues relating to huge amounts of national debts, and high levels of corruption with the government ( International Monetary Fund, 2004). The outcome of this approach is the governments of developing countries may pass the required legislations and assent to various charters aimed at effective implementation of the human rights for people with disabilities, but they may lack the will to implement the established plan of action (Oliver, 1990). This economic state of affa irs implies that issues related to disability are not awarded national priority, and subsequently receive minimal funding in the national budget. The situation for the case of developing countries is worsened by the fact the problem of disability is tied to the individual, rather than the environment. This is not in accordance to the human rights approach, and presents an opportunity for the human rights of people with disability to be violated in developing countries. The outcome of such an approach is that the governments of the developing countries and the larger society fails to concede the underlying effects of cultural impositions on disability that lead to discrimination among the disabled persons in the community (London, 2002). The proposed solutions that are to be implemented using the government policies and channels usually tend to lay more emphasis on preventing and curing the disability rather that changing the attitudes of the society towards people with disability. S uch policies perceive the problem of disability as emanating from the individual; therefore, they have the principal objective of fixing the disability problem in the person in order for the disabled people to fit in the mainstream society ( World Health Organization, 2008). Such policies have failed to identify the cultural elements that usually result to their exclusion and denying them their human rights (Oliver, 2002). Effective approaches are required to recognize the significance of disabled people as an important element in the society and should therefore aim at ensuring that there is equal opportunity for the disabled people when seeking employment, attaining education, legal presentation and participation in the activities of the community (Paulo, 2005). In most developing countries, insufficient healthcare and social services is considered a significant challenge in effective implementation of human rights for people with disabilities. Clapham (2007) gives an example of N igeria, whereby many cases of disabilities can be accredited to lack of basic healthcare like children immunization programs like polio,which increases the likelihood of disabilities among children. Within the same context, there is no enabling policies and paassed laws, and a well established methodological framework to allocate and distribute funds for services relating to special education (Pierre, 2006). The country also lacks enough programs for training personnels for special education, the required facilities and the educational methodologies to integrate special students within the mainstream classes. The manner in which students with disability are handled in developing nations such as Nigeria is far behind the state of affairs in some of developed countries. The basic observation in such a case is that disabled persons are denied their basic right to education. In another example by Claude Weston, (2006), Kenya runs special education initiatives that are under the governm ent, they do not have adequate equipments, trained personnels. In most cases, the personnel receive minimal wages. Private institutions on the hand have adopted effective frameworks to address the needs of disabled children, but they are usually expensive and cannot be afforded by the regular citizen. The inference from this surveys is that governments of developing countries have failed significantly to offer the schools with the equipments that are needed to address the educational requirements of children with disability (Read, 2008). This is in contrary with the goals of free education for all. Despite the fact that Non-Governmental Organizations in developing countries are deploying efforts to ensure that people with disabilities enjoy their basic human rights, their efforts are constrained by lack of adequate manpower and funds (Chartered Institute of Personal Development, 2006). Besides the challenges imposed by cultural beliefs and attitudes, there are concerns regarding the value contributions that disabled people bring to the country. Given that developing countries face significant problems relating to national povery, instability of the government and fiscal policy issues, there is a less chance that the human rights of disabled persons will be given a national priority (Seuf, 2001). The primary focus of social and educational initiatives is on people withoit disabilities because of their perceived contributions towards the national economic growth and development. The countries perceive disabled persons as not being capable of making significant contributions towards the economy, rather they consume resources from the national budget. In most cases, disabled persons are given less preference in the available employment oppportunities (Donelly, 2003). Solutions The World Health Organization (2008) notes that affordability is the principal setback regarding the implementation of human rights in developing countries. This mainly because developing co untries lack the financial resources for effective implementation of the basic human rights for the disabled persons. Despite the fact that most developing countries have assented to Charters relating to human rights, effective realization of the goals is constrained by the resource constraints facing the countries, implying that developing countries are less likely to give human rights for disabled persons national priority at the brink of high national debts and poverty levels (Townsend Townsend, 2004). Developing countries are supposed to ascertain the relationship between poverty and disability, and how the one affects the other. From the onset, poverty increases the prevalence of disability and increased prevalence of disability means high poverty rates. This means that elimination of poverty will reduce disability reates, while at the same time dealingt with disability effectively will result to reduced levels of national poverty (Tvedt, 1998). Addressing the issue of afforda bility requires the deployment of national policies that take into consideration the economic effect of high prevalence of disability and deploys counterproductive measures to curb them. For instance,most developing countries adopt national policies that prioritize military needs that they rarely use while ignoring the implementation of human rights for people with disabilities (French, 1994). This results to social and educational initiatives directed at individuals with disabilities facing finance constraints meaning that that they cannot provide quality education that addresses the needs of disabled students. National policies should be more supportive towards initiatives aimed at ensuring equal access to education for all individuals (UNESCO, 2007). Another important strategy that can be used to address the issue of human rights for persons with disability in developing countries is Community-based rehabilitation ( World Health Organization, 2008). Currently, community-based reh abilitation program is active in 90 nations globally. The rehabilitation programs are witnessing a transformation from the conventional prorams that aremedical-based to incorporate rehabilitation, reducing poverty, enhancing equak opportunities and ensuring that there is social inclusion of disabled persons in the mainstream society (UNESCO, 1995). Community-based rehabilitation programs have also facilitated the process of effective delivery of healthcare services related to mental health through eliminating the aspect of institutionalizing psychiatric hospitals and other facilities that host disabled people. Such an approach is costly and requires financial commitment from the governments of developing countries in order to ensure that the programs are effective (Clapham, 2007). With regard to the basic human right to education, disabled individuals have been subject to exclusion from the mainstream classes, and usually received their education in specialized institutions. This ap proach has not been effective in targeting a significant population of the people having disabilities. In addition, this approach to offering the basic human right to education costly to be effectively implemented in the developing countries ( International Monetary Fund, 2004). The outcome of this approach is disabled pupils will not stay in school for long and very few are likely to enroll for such programs. According to the CRPD, children having disabilities have the right receive education in the mainstream education system (United Nations, 2000). Developed countries areimplementing an inclusive approach to ducation, something which is yet to be realized in the developing countries. This means that flexibility is required due to the fact that inclusion of the disabled people in regulareducation system sometimes is not the best method,and such times call for segregation of the disabled persons depending on the type of disabilities ( International Monetary Fund, 2004). There aredi verse barriers towards the reaching of Education for All within the developing countries that are participating. The significant problem is funding in both the public and private sector. Strategies to overcome the identified imediments require the adoption of national policies that advocate for inclusive policies regarding the aspect of equal eduaction for pupils with disabilities (WHO, 2003). The adopted policies should also be accompanied by legal frameworks and adequate resources. In cases whereby disabled students are mainstreamed, the institutions should adopt a flexible curriculum (Claude Weston, 2006). With respect to the basic human right to productive work, persons with disabilities in developing countries usually have relatively lower employment rates compared to individuals who are not disabled. According to the CRPD, disabled persons have the right to engage in productive work on an equal platform with the individuals who do not have disabilities. In developing countrie s, disabled people are usually in the informal sector, possibly due to the descrimination regarding the implementationn of human rights. A significant barrier regarding the labor and employment of disabled persons is transport and mobility issues (Harris, 2003). This implies that develpoing countries have to adopt universal approaches in the transportation sector and any other facilities that the disabled persons are likely to use. Over protection of people with disabilities tends to reduce their employment rates (Chartered Institute of Personal Development, 2006). This is mainly because disabled persons rely on short working days and paid leaves that are longer compared to people without disabilities. Social protection for disabled people should be regulated in order to eliminate instances associated with employees fearing the implications of social protection of the disabled ( House of Commons Join, 2009). References Baar, A., 2000. Human rights in Africa: the conflict of implemen tation. New York: University Press of America. Baehr, P., 1994. Human Rights in Developing Countries Yearbook. New York: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. Bickenbach, J.E., 2001. Disability Human Rights, Law, and Policy. London: Sage Publication. Chartered Institute of Personal Development, 2006. Diversity in Business: How Much progress have employers made? Diversity in Business, pp.3-15. Clapham, A., 2007. Human rights: a very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Claude, R. Weston, B., 2006. Human rights in the world community: issues and action. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press. Council of Europe, 2005. Human rightsdisabilitychildren: towards international instruments for disability rights : the special case of disabled children: proceedings of the conference, Part 611. London: Council of Europe. Donelly, J., 2003. Universal human rights in theory and practice. Ithaca : Cornell University Press. Felice, W., 2010. The global new deal: economic and social human rights in world politics. New York: Rowman Littlefield. French, S., 1994. What is Disability? Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd. Harris, A., 2003. Disability, equality, and human rights: a training manual for development and humanitarian organisations. New York: Oxfam. Hashimoto, H., 2004. The prospects for a regional human rights mechanism in East Asia. New York: Routledge. Haynes, J., 2002. Politics in the developing world: a concise introduction. New York: Wiley-Blackwell. Helleiner, G., 2002. Local Ownership and Donor Performance Monitoring: New Aid Relationships in Tanzania? Journal of Human Development, 3(2), pp.251-61. Hellsten, S., 2004. Human Rights in Africa: From Communitarian Values to Utilitarian Practice. Human Rights Review January-March, pp.61-85. House of Commons Join, 2009. The Un Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: First Report of Session 2008-09; Report, Together with Formal Minutes and Oral and Written Evidence. London: The Stationery O ffice. Ingstad, B., 2001. Handbook of Disability Studies. London: Sage Publication. International Monetary Fund, 2004. Official financing for developing countries. Washington DC: International Monetary Fund. INTRAC, 1998. Direct Funding from a Developing countriesern Perspective: Strengthening Civil Society? Wiltshire: Antony Rowe Ltd. Katsui, H., 2005. Towards Equality: Creation of the Disability Movement in Central Asia. Helsinki: Helsinki University Pres. Kelley, C., 2006. The impact of population growth on well-being in developing countries. London: Springer. Kwei, R., 2002. The Deaf and hard of hearing. Daily Graphic. Kwessi, K., 2008. Begging as work: a study of people with mobility difficulties in Ghana. Disability and Society, 23(2), pp.163-70. London, L., 2002. Human Rights and Public Health: Dichotomies or Synergies in Developing Countries? Examining the Case of HIV in Developing countries Africa. Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics , 30, pp.677-91. Mawdsley, E., 2005. Tru st, Accountability and Face-to-face Interaction in North Developing countries NGO Relations. Development in Practic, 15(1), pp.77-86. Nickel, J., 2007. Making sense of human rights. New York: Wiley. Oliver, M., 1990. The Politics of Disablement. London: Macmillan. Oliver, M., 2002. Using Emancipatory Methodologies in Disability Research. Presented in 1st Annual Disability Research Seminar. Dublin. Paulo, D., 2005. Human rights in youth sport: a critical review of childrens rights in competitive sports. New York: Routlege. Pierre, R., 2006. Human rights in the world community: issues and action. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press. Read, J., 2008. Disabled people and the right to life: the protection and violation of disabled peoples most basic human rights. New York: Taylor Francis. Seuf, A., 2001. Corruption and development: a study of conflict. Development in Practice, 11(5), pp.597-605. Townsend, J. Townsend, A., 2004. Accountability, Motivation and Practice: NGOs No rth and Developing countries. Social and Cultural Geography, 5(2), pp.271 384. Tvedt, T., 1998. Angels of Mercy or Development Diplomats? NGOs and Foreign Aid. Trenton: Africa World Press. UNESCO, 1995. World Education Report. Oxford: UNESCO Publishing. UNESCO, 2007. Freedom from poverty as a human right: who owes what to the very poor? Washington: Oxford University Press. United Nations, 2000. Fundamental Rights of Disabled Persons constantly violated around the World. [Online] Available at  https://scienceblog.com/ . Walmsley, J., 2001. Normalisation, Emancipatory Research and Inclusive Research in Learning Disability. Disability and Society, 16(2), pp.187-205. Welch, C., 2001. Protecting human rights in Africa: roles and strategies of non governmental organizations. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press. WHO, 2003. Access to rehabilitation for the 600 million people living with disabilities. [Online] Available at  https://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2003/np24/ en/ . World Health Organization, 2008. Human rights, health, and poverty reduction strategies. Geneva: World Health Organization.

How to Form and Use Possessive Adjectives

How to Form and Use Possessive Adjectives Possessive adjectives are used to show ownership of an item or an idea. Possessive adjectives are very similar to possessive pronouns and the two are often confused. Take a look at these examples of possessive adjectives immediately followed by possessive pronouns used in a similar sense. Possessive Adjective Examples My dog is very friendly.Her book is red.Our house is painted yellow. Possessive Pronouns Examples That friendly dog is mine.The red book is hers.That yellow house is ours. If you are unsure focus on the placement of possessive adjectives which are placed directly before the noun they modify. Possessive Adjectives Usage Possessive adjectives are used when the reference to which person or thing is understood. For example: Jack lives on this street. His house is over there. The possessive adjective his refers to Jack because of the context. Remember that possessive adjectives come in front of the noun they modify. Here is a list of possessive adjectives: I - my carYou - your dogHe - his boatShe - her familyIt - its fabric(NOT its!)We - our classYou - your jobsThey - their toys Examples: I took my daughter to the movies.Where is your house?I picked up his book yesterday.Thats her car over there.Its color is red!Our company is doing very well.Your bicycles are located in the basement.Their toys are in the closet. Possessive Adjective Checklist Possessive adjectives are used in place of proper names Place adjectives directly before the noun they modifyPossessive adjectives are very similar in usage to possessive pronouns Possessive adjectives are used when the context is clear who is in possession of an objectNote the similarity in form between possessive adjectives and pronouns Use these resources for more detailed information on other possessive forms: Possessive Nouns - For example, Johns house, the bicycles color, etc. Possessive Pronouns - For example, that is mine, this is hers, etc. This general guide to possessive forms quickly compares all three types of possessive forms.

Jonestown Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jonestown - Movie Review Example It was not enough for Jim Jones that people of his church followed him, he wanted more. "What you need to believe in is what you can see  ... If you see me as your savior, I'll be your savior. If you see me as your God, I'll be your God† Hue Fortson, Jr. quoted Jones. Jim Jones wanted to be Christ. In early 70’s in his book â€Å"Letter Killed† he started to criticize the Bible for the gender & racial discrimination, and preaching that he is a reincarnation of Jesus Christ. In spring 1976 Jim started to confess openly that he is an atheist. He was losing his capability to be a leader due to his dependence on drugs and mental sickness. His behavior was really disturbing. Prior to the mass suicide many people in his community were stating they did not want to die with â€Å"The Temple†, but Jones did not want to let people make their own decision, he was persuading them: â€Å"Don't be afraid to die; it is just stepping over into another plane. We didn't c ommit suicide; we committed an act of revolutionary suicide protesting the conditions of an inhumane world.† Jim Jones had high level of intellect, getting almost the best grades in his class and was always the best student in public speaking. In his childhood he was insatiable  reader and especially liked writings of Stalin, Hitler and Machiavelli.

Porter's five forces models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Porter's five forces models - Essay Example Porter`s five competitive forces include the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, potential substitute products and the level or extent of rivalry among the competitors. The model of five forces can also be used to analyze the bread making industry of the UK (Daft, R. et al 1991). The bread making industry of UK is one of the largest markets of the entire food industry and is worth approximately ?3.4 billion. The UK baking industry is divided into three sectors, large plant bakers which control 78% of the market, the in-store bakeries produce around 17% of bread and the master bakers or the craft bakers produce the remaining which is 7% of the bread produces in UK. These three sectors of the industry are competitive and there is competition within each of these sectors as well which results in a high level of competition in the entire bread making industry of UK. The large plant bakers, for example, include three large plant manufactu res and the largest of these is the Warburtons and together all of these control almost 3/4th of the large plant bakery sector. ... The three main manufactures of bread in UK are Premier foods (Hovis), Allied Bakeries (Kingsmill) and the largest producer, Warburtons. These companies produce 80% of the bread sold in UK and therefore, the level of competition between these industries is also high as they compete to cater to the larger portion of bread market in UK. Another force is threat of substitute products which is also high in this industry. According to the Federation of Bakers, everyday almost 11 million loaves of bread are sold in UK with a total volume of fewer than 4 billion units with a variety of almost 200 different bread products available for the consumers. Therefore, there are a lot of substitute products available for the consumers of this market. As far as the bargaining power of suppliers is concerned, most of the bread sold in this market of UK is produced by local or domestic companies. As there are a number of dominant suppliers in the market (Premier foods, Allied Bakeries, Warburtons), they have a certain level of power over the market as together they control more than half of the market. They can exercise this power by collaborating and dividing the market amongst themselves. As a result, they could even stop new companies to enter the market and could even set prices to earn high profits. Therefore, it is quite difficult for new companies to enter this industry as the market share of the industry has already controlled by the three dominant suppliers. As a result, new entrants would have a limited margin for expansion. Also that they might not be able to compete with these dominant suppliers as they already have positioned themselves

Employee relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Employee relations - Essay Example It is possible that major changes in the work shift schedule that these employees have to go through combined with a high level of work-related stress could endanger the physical health of the employees. Stressors at work can either be external or internal. (Ward et al., 2003) External stressors include extreme physical condition such as hot or cold room temperatures. An evidence-based research was conducted by Gershon et al. (2007) shows that there is a significant relationship between organizational climate and musculoskeletal disorders. In some cases, poor working environment related to insufficient lighting or the presence of noise pollution could also lead to stressful working condition. Several studies suggest that one of the risk factors that may have contributed to call centre agents’ upper limb discomfort includes the insufficient mobility while at work. (Lynn et al., 2001; Greening et al., 1999) Particularly the work-related ‘social demands’ such as the personal interaction of call centre agents with the clients and ‘organizational demands’ which includes excessive work load and responsibility could contribute to neck and lower back pains. (Daraiseh et al., 2003) Poor body posture at work also increases the workers’ risk of having a chronic ne ck pain. (Aptaker, 1996) Considering the large number of young mothers who are working with the company, it would be very difficult to force this group of employees to work during school holidays especially when there is nobody to take care of their children. Requiring sick employees and worried mothers to be present at work is not a good idea since employees will not be able to deliver a good quality customer service to the Phone-us clients. Implementing a strict organizational rule on absenteeism may only cause these employees to become de-motivated from working with the company. As a result, it is expected that the quality

Discovery and settlement of the new world Coursework

Discovery and settlement of the new world - Coursework Example Their occupation mainly consisted of hunting and farming in a limited manner as the invention of tools and wheel were not made in those times. However, they used few primitive tool and gold and silver for ornaments. None of the tribes had written language. They used pictures to convey their messages or make a record of important events and for long distance messages, used smoke signals and sign language. On the other hand, the tribes in south like Aztec and Inca were more developed and furnished with equipment formed a cultured society. They were at an advance level in mathematics and architecture, due to which proper cities and towns were constructed and great stone temples were made to worship. They had a written language. A common viewpoint about these southern tribes is they had a high level of cultural advancement comparatively to any country of the Western Europe. The disagreement in Anglican Church found its way across Atlantic oceans. The puritans especially were in tolerant about beliefs different than them. They argued that the religious practices of Church of England should not resemble to Catholicism. The aim of British Colonies was to practice religion as to worship God with freedom. However, this approach was only adapted by early colonists, which was not extended further. There were four main New England colonies, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Later on the survival of English colonies depended on them In 1629, Massachusetts was founded by few puritans of common faith. About one thousand men, women and children started their journey towards America, as they were distressed to see the moral life and future of religion in England. They came to America to practice religion freely and in turn forced the residents to practice the same belief. They punished, whipped and persecuted those who did not belief in puritan faith. Many settlers were forced out from their lands for not practicing those beliefs, which eventually set tled in Rhode Island. In 1644, Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts colony due to his belief in, God can be worshipped in many ways. He did not thrust puritan believes on the Indian tribes due to which he was ordered to ship back England but he managed to escape and found Rhode Island, which was the first colony where any or every religion was acceptable to practice. The dissenters were forced to live here and some later on moved to Connecticut. Thomas hooker was the most popular Puritan preacher in the Massachusetts colony, who formed Connecticut colony in the valley of Connecticut river .He angrily fought for religious rights and in 1662 was granted with the charter by the Anglican Church. A written plan was documented for the four colonies and presented to the government by Connecticut. The first big battle among settlers and Native Americans was also fought here and was won bye English settlers. New hemisphere was founded in 1679 with the consent of English King an d it became a royal colony. At one time it was part of Massachusetts. The immigration of tribes, from a nonjudgmental perspective was held acutely. Past events flowed in front our eyes as a story being told. The determination and efforts put by daring explorers who ventured over the world and discovered new lands and exotic things, is a note to be marveled upon. With few sources in hand and limited knowledge about the whereabouts of final destiny these explorers are

Introduction to child development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction to child development - Essay Example The first child that I observed was a boy. The boy was aged 8 years, and he lived in a suburban area. The family lived in an apartment, which had a spacious compound used for play and various outdoor activities. The observation took around 10 minutes, and it entailed checking how the child played with his peers and parents. In the first three minutes, the boy was grossly engaged in role-play. In this instance, the boy was pretending to be a pirate who had captured a ship containing treasure loot. The boy together with his friends had turned the table upside-down to be used as the ship. In order to make the event more realistic, he wore costumes that represented a pirate. The ship was captured and all the treasure loot taken by the pirate. After the pirate had taken the loot, he sank the ship using bombshells. The children made the sound of the bombs and the pirate was chanting victory songs. The children in the â€Å"captured ship† fell down to symbolize the capsizing of the bombed ship. The â€Å"pirate† was seen to be very happy after a successful mission. However, a few seconds later, government authorities appeared and arrested the pirate for causing havoc to sea-travellers. Immediately, the mood of the pirate changed to sadness to illustrate the loss of the treasure loot. In the next three minutes, the boy in a group of others began playing dance revolution. In this game, the boys competed against each other for who could dance better. Each boy was given thirty seconds to show his skills. A popular song was played, and each boy was supposed to dance to the tune of the song. Though sophisticated, each child was seen to be enjoying what was happening. The winner of the event was given a dummy cup. The boy isolated himself from the group designing a house using sticks and pieces of paper. The manner in which the boy designed the house was amazing. He created the blueprint and began putting the sticks in their right place. However, the boy left what he was doing immediately and went to the backyard. In the last two minutes, the boy went to play with his parent (father). The father of the boy was painting a picture in the backyard. The child took his drawing book and crayons and began imitating what the father was doing. It is evident from the observation that the child was particularly keen to what the father was doing. The ease of use of the crayons on the drawing book indicated a considerable growth of the child in terms of fine motor skills. From the observations, it seemed that the child was very comfortable both when playing alone and with others. In all the plays, the boy showed some level of sophistication in the way he played and interacted with the group and his father . The second child was a girl aged six years. The girl also lived in a suburban area and just like the first child; they lived in an apartment that possessed a spacious compound. Like in the first case, the girl was observed for close to ten minutes and it involved checking how the girl played, that is, alone and with others. The girl child was deeply involved in playing with her doll. For a better part of the observation time, the girl remained in one place. At the first, the girl was seen bathing the doll. It is important to state that the girl even checked the temperature of the bath water to see if it was optimal for bathing the doll. Immediately after bath, the girl combed the hair of the doll and made small braids on the doll’s head. Though the braids were not very good, the girl showed some level of skill probably acquired from the parent. The doll was dressed in neat clothes, and it was placed on its beds. After a minute, the girl picked the doll and began cooing the child as if it was crying. After the â€Å"supposed child† had slept, the girl was seen making some food for either her or the doll. At this stage, the girl went to pick something (ice cream) from the kitchen. The girl picked the

Twin Deficits Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Twin Deficits - Research Paper Example If people consumes more than their income, they either borrow funds or sell off a few of their properties. The individuals end up defaulting in paying what they had borrowed and thus encounter bankruptcy hence lower living standards. This applies to any nation with similar trend of expenditure (Efremidze, 2009). However, it remains clearly known that people tend to portray different life-cycle spending patterns. The young generation consumes more than their income, those of middle age tend to exercise net saving, and retirees go back to net consumption after they cease employment. Thus, it is vital to balance earnings and consumption in every time. However, there are a few shortcomings to the amount one can borrow if they will have the ideal opportunity of evading financial deterioration. If a lender observes that, the debtors have a more spending habit than their potential to refund the money, then it remains a high possibility that the creditor will charge increased charges to refl ect the raised threat related with that debt. The same is correct for a nation (Mankiw, 2012). The US Twin Deficit Experience Beginning from the 1980s (during the era of Reagan Administration), the US had high trade and budget deficits. The budget deficit had remained about $50 to $75 billion during the end of 1970s and increased to more than $200 billion in 1983. The current account or trade deficit remained about zero throughout the start of 1980s, however, went past $100 billion in 1985. A few scholars had the notion the huge trade deficits and budget deficits of the start of 1980s could cause greater interest proportions. Walter Heller argued that deficits would â€Å"send interest proportions hiking† whereas output on 30 month Treasury Bills dropped from 7.29% during February 1986 to 5.75% during February 1987. Outputs on 30 annual Treasury Bonds dropped from 8.93% during February 1986 to 7.54% in February 1987 whereas the budget deficit stayed about the same size and th e trade deficit rose marginally. The US experience on the twin deficit clearly tells which area of the deficit should receive keen and thorough study in order to curb or solve this problem wholly. The budget deficit is the challenge to address for the US since the trade deficit in the US will happen due to budget deficit (Mankiw, 2012). The US Government Budget Deficit Policy Choices The following policies if well addressed will aid deal with the challenge of budget deficit precisely and thus improve the living standards of the people of US. The three policies include: a. Support economic development and creation of jobs- a quick developing economy provides the win-win results of a huge proverbial economical tart to share, with greater employment and tax incomes, reduced safety net consumption and a reduced debt-to-GDP ratio. The advantages of this policy is that economic development provides a â€Å"win –win† situation for greater creation of jobs, which raises tax in come however, lowering security net expenses for such matters as lack of jobs compensation and food tramples. Various deficit suggestions associated to expenditure or income appears to take funds or gains from one constituency and offer it to others. A â€Å"win=lose scenario. Democrats normally campaign for Keynesian economics, which deals

Introduction to child development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction to child development - Essay Example The first child that I observed was a boy. The boy was aged 8 years, and he lived in a suburban area. The family lived in an apartment, which had a spacious compound used for play and various outdoor activities. The observation took around 10 minutes, and it entailed checking how the child played with his peers and parents. In the first three minutes, the boy was grossly engaged in role-play. In this instance, the boy was pretending to be a pirate who had captured a ship containing treasure loot. The boy together with his friends had turned the table upside-down to be used as the ship. In order to make the event more realistic, he wore costumes that represented a pirate. The ship was captured and all the treasure loot taken by the pirate. After the pirate had taken the loot, he sank the ship using bombshells. The children made the sound of the bombs and the pirate was chanting victory songs. The children in the â€Å"captured ship† fell down to symbolize the capsizing of the bombed ship. The â€Å"pirate† was seen to be very happy after a successful mission. However, a few seconds later, government authorities appeared and arrested the pirate for causing havoc to sea-travellers. Immediately, the mood of the pirate changed to sadness to illustrate the loss of the treasure loot. In the next three minutes, the boy in a group of others began playing dance revolution. In this game, the boys competed against each other for who could dance better. Each boy was given thirty seconds to show his skills. A popular song was played, and each boy was supposed to dance to the tune of the song. Though sophisticated, each child was seen to be enjoying what was happening. The winner of the event was given a dummy cup. The boy isolated himself from the group designing a house using sticks and pieces of paper. The manner in which the boy designed the house was amazing. He created the blueprint and began putting the sticks in their right place. However, the boy left what he was doing immediately and went to the backyard. In the last two minutes, the boy went to play with his parent (father). The father of the boy was painting a picture in the backyard. The child took his drawing book and crayons and began imitating what the father was doing. It is evident from the observation that the child was particularly keen to what the father was doing. The ease of use of the crayons on the drawing book indicated a considerable growth of the child in terms of fine motor skills. From the observations, it seemed that the child was very comfortable both when playing alone and with others. In all the plays, the boy showed some level of sophistication in the way he played and interacted with the group and his father . The second child was a girl aged six years. The girl also lived in a suburban area and just like the first child; they lived in an apartment that possessed a spacious compound. Like in the first case, the girl was observed for close to ten minutes and it involved checking how the girl played, that is, alone and with others. The girl child was deeply involved in playing with her doll. For a better part of the observation time, the girl remained in one place. At the first, the girl was seen bathing the doll. It is important to state that the girl even checked the temperature of the bath water to see if it was optimal for bathing the doll. Immediately after bath, the girl combed the hair of the doll and made small braids on the doll’s head. Though the braids were not very good, the girl showed some level of skill probably acquired from the parent. The doll was dressed in neat clothes, and it was placed on its beds. After a minute, the girl picked the doll and began cooing the child as if it was crying. After the â€Å"supposed child† had slept, the girl was seen making some food for either her or the doll. At this stage, the girl went to pick something (ice cream) from the kitchen. The girl picked the

How journalists influenced US war efforts in Vietnam Research Paper

How journalists influenced US war efforts in Vietnam - Research Paper Example The differences that led to war involved the Northerners favoring communist form of rule and the Southerners favoring non-communist form of rule. The stand by Southerners tended to cohere with the desire of USA, which hated communist rule. Coupled with the fear of about the possible spread of communist rule across the entire East Asia in case any country managed to secure an opportunity, USA resolved to help South Vietnam intensify war against North to defeat the idea of communism. The perceived support given to the South prompted the North to fire directly on US ships1. This act aggrieved US authorities thus resolving to direct involvement and participation in the war. This is how US entered into the Vietnam affair, where it emerged unsuccessful due to various factors. One of the main factors was the involvement of American journalists in an era when televisions were widespread across many households in US. 2The digital technology of television and newspapers facilitated the process of journalists transmitting real videos and pictures as happened in the battle ground. Influence of Journalists on US efforts in Vietnam War Prior to the arrival of the US journalists in the war field, US government tended to deliver deceptive reports concerning the progress of the war. At first, the government denied claims that US troops took part in the war, while they did. This came clear after the arrival of the journalists in the war field, who captured and aired the real events. The reports send by the journalists showed how US participated in aerial bombings that killed many people. Some of the news showed children running helplessly in Trang Bang after being hit by and injured by bombs fell by US military. 3These pictures frightened and aggrieved most of the Americans who started blaming the government for mismanaging American resources by fighting innocent children. In fact, television news and newspapers covered a terror-stricken girl running along the street naked after her cloths burnt in bomb triggered fires. In bid to quell citizens, American government responded by claiming that the attacks on children were due to misdirected bomb thrown by South Vietnamese soldiers4. This claim was in total contradiction to the pictures and videos transmitted by journalists, which showed US airplanes dropping the bombs. 5Journalist reported and transmitted videos of massacres of US soldiers during the Tet offense of 1968, alongside flying of dead bodies of soldiers back to US. Furthermore, journalists investigating the Vietnam at some moments focused on the sad atrocities caused by US soldiers who massacred people across Vietnam. This news increasingly aggrieved US citizens who continued to declare strong opposition of the government in the Vietnam War. 6In spite of the media transmitting clear pictures and information as happening in the battleground, US government persisted on denial and even quoting small number of deaths of soldier contrary to the visual records transmitted by media. It this continued denial of the government and closure of truth that aggravated public anger to an extent of engaging public protests demanding for withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam. 7The media through the respective investigative journalists stationed in Saigon did at one time transmit images about Buddhist crisis of 1963. The images showed people committing serious suicide away of protesting restriction to religious rights by Diem

Impact of the Black Death on Art in Europe

Impact of the Black Death on Art in Europe How significant was the Black Death for painting in Siena, Florence and  Padua in the second half of the fourteenth century? From 1280 until the advent of the Black Death, Florence, Siena and Padua had been growing in wealth and size, but the outbreak of disease in 1348 and the years following led to the deaths of between a half and two thirds of their populations (Norman, 1995, II, 8). This ‘catastrophic fall’ led to the culmination of many building projects, notably the construction of the Duomo Nuovo in Siena (Norman, 1995, II, 135), but the significance of the Black Death with respect to painting is disputed. Since the publication of Meisss work, Painting in Florence and Siena After the Black Death (1951), the connection between the Black Death and a change in art during the second half of the fourteenth century has been the subject of discussion among art historians. Henk Van Os, for example, argues that Meiss was not the first to identify this trend, but that he was the first to attribute it to the social and religious upheaval which accompanied the Black Death (Van Os, 1981, 238). There has been much discussion as to whether the Black Death could be seen as quite the decisive event that Meiss alleged. The debate focuses on three crucial areas of thought: firstly, whether the works that Meiss cites are correctly dated (i.e. whether they can with certainty be placed before or after 1348); secondly, whether the Black Death was actually a causative factor in the perceived change in style; and, thirdly, whether there was one shift or several in the artistic course of the fourteenth century. In view of these disputes, we must beware of taking too simplistic an approach. For an example of the first element of this debate, we can look to the Triumph of Death in the Camposanto at Pisa and Barna da Sierras frescoes in the Collegiata of San Gimignano, both cited by Meiss as being typical of artistic production after the Black Death. Subsequent scholarship has cast doubt on Meiss’s theory because the former work is now believed to have been produced in the 1330s (Smart, 1978) and the latter is now dated before 1348 (Van Os, 1981, 240). We must also consider that some of the qualities most characteristic of late Trecento painting are already present, as Meiss himself was the first to recognise, in the frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi in the Baroncelli Chapel (Smart, 1978, 108). As this chapel was painted during the years 1328-34, it demonstrates an early change in style which also undermines Meiss’s thesis. The second element of the debate concerns the change in religious thought that occurred as a result of the devastation of the Black Death. Norman comments on the popularity of altarpieces depicting Saint Sebastian and the overt association of his sufferings with those of the victims of plague (Norman, 1995, I, 187-195), but there is also a subtler change in style represented by the Strozzi Altarpiece (1357). Meiss argued that painting typical of the early fourteenth century dwelt on ‘familiar and universal human experience‘ (Meiss, 1951, 28) and that it had been succeeded by a greater emphasis upon the hierarchical and dogmatic expressions of religious life, an elevation of the church and a mystification of the deity. Giotto had pioneered an artistic style that was marked by its realistic depiction of three-dimensional space, harmonious use of colour and the creation of a sympathetic response in the viewer. These features came to be characteristic of early fourteenth pain ting, yet the Strozzi Altarpiece rejects the depiction of concrete space, the figures ‘hover’ and show a ‘lack of exact spatial placement‘, the colours are ‘disjointed and uneasy‘ and the painting creates a distancing sense of awe and mystery, which Cole describes as ‘strange‘, ‘eerie‘, ‘stern and unforgiving‘ and ‘aloof’ (Cole, 1976, 134-6). Meiss argued that this style was a conscious return to the Byzantine influenced art of the previous century (Meiss, 1951, 10) and that it is a reflection of the religious emphasis upon guilt and atonement that was a reaction to the Black Death. We may also notice an interest in the symbolic rather than realistic representation of figures in the St John the Baptist Altarpiece (1370/80) by Giovanni del Biondo, where John tramples his enemy, Herod, underfoot. John has the same austere look and there is the same sense of psychological withdrawal that has been obse rved in the face of Christ in the Strozzi Altarpiece. However, in Padua it is difficult to discover much evidence for the rejection of ‘realism’ in artistic style during the second part of the century. Altichieros decoration of Lupis funerary chapel in the Santo, far from attempting to distance the viewer, uses space and form to draw the spectator in. His use of landscape reminds us of Lorenzetti and his figures are clearly inspired by Giotto, especially the women who gather near the foot of the cross and embrace in a manner reminiscent of Joachim and Anna and the angels who have the substance and expression of those we see in the Arena Chapel. The scale, proportion and design of this fresco suggest that this scene is being played out just beyond the walls of the church and that we are viewing it as though through the arches of a loggia. The colours are harmonious and subdued and there is an impression of nearness and reality. Altichiero’s style is more developed and detailed than earlier works, but its underlying in tent and spirit owes much to his legacy from the earlier fourteenth century. In Siena we also find more contradictory interpretations of the changes that occurred in the mid-century. Henk Van Os has described the way in which social upheavals following the Black Death led to profound changes in patronage: the wealthy elite lost much of their political power and a class of nouveau riche sprang up who had less interest in artistic commissioning. Much of the art became imitative and conservative and was more often commissioned in the provinces surrounding Siena. In the city itself, only the wealthy body of the Ospedale of Santa Maria della Scala, which had received many bequests from victims of the Black Death, continued commissioning new altarpieces, one of which, by Bartolommeo Bulgarini, included the Assumption of the Virgin, a painting which Van Os believes to exhibit very full, monumental figures, entirely in the tradition of Pietro Lorenzetti (Van Os, 1981, 245). He argues that this painting does not show signs of the flat, hierarchical, mystical design wh ich Meiss attributed to it, but that it takes the form of a plastically realistic version of the Assumption and so stands within the earlier traditions of Sienese painting (Van Os, 1981, 245). Certainly, the treatment of the Virgin and the use of elaborate gold effects reflect the Sienese craftsmanship established by Duccio and Simone Martini. Van Os concludes that changes in artistic production after the Black Death were principally due to different sites of patronage rather than changes in religious thought . The third aspect of the debate concerns the question of whether Meiss was right to propose that there was a single significant shift around 1348. Smart and Norman, for example, argue that the Strozzi Altarpiece was not such a significant departure as Meiss had argued because the precedent for such a depiction of Christ had been set in the Stefaneschi Altarpiece, painted by one of Giotto’s associates and dated late 1320s early 1330s (Smart, 1978, 122 and Norman, 1995, I, 184). Although many critics agree that the middle years of the fourteenth century can be described as a period of reassessment in the history of Tuscan painting (Smart, 1978, 107), there are significant arguments that that the evolution of artistic style went through a number of phases, not just one sudden change linked to the Black Death. John White discusses two stylistic changes in the second half of the fourteenth century: the first more conservative and less adventurous and the second in which exploration and experiment again came to the fore (White, 1993, 542). Cole also argues that, as well as the change in the middle of the century, there was another change in style around 1375 and a renewed interest in both the form and content of Giottos art (Cole, 1976, 140). It is clear that, since Meiss’s original theory was proposed, much work has been done by other art historians to challenge his ideas. Although the production of art in Florence in this period did take on different forms from earlier ones and the theory that this was due to the religious reaction provoked by the Black Death can be given some credence, there is less evidence of this trend in Padua and Siena. It is therefore my conclusion that the middle part of the century saw a brief set-back in artistic endeavour, which was due to the devastation caused by the Black Death, but that the fourteenth century was mostly a period of successive developments building on the work of the earlier masters. 1500 words Bibliography Cole, Bruce (1976), Giotto and Florentine Painting 1280-1375, New York. Meiss, Millard (1951), Painting in Florence and Siena After the Black Death, Princeton. Norman, Diana, ed., (1995), Siena, Florence and Padua: Art Society and Religion 1280-1400. Volume I: Interpretative Essays, London. Norman, Diana, ed., (1995), Siena, Florence and Padua: Art .Society ad Religion 1280-1400. Volume II: Case Studies, London. Van Os, HenkThe Black Death and Sienese Painting: a Problem of Interpretation, Art History, 4,1981, pp. 237-49. Smart, Alastair, 1978, The Dawn of Italian Painting 1250-1400, Oxford. White, John, 1993, Art and Architecture in Italy 1250-1400, London.