Identity- Men And Women Essays - Identity, Gender, Gender Identity

Identity- Men And Women Identity-Men and Women What influences a persons identity? Is it their homes, parents, siblings, or possibly where they live? When do they get one? Do they get it when they understand right from wrong, or when they can read, or are they born with it? Everyone has one and nobody has the same, is there a point in everyones life when they get one? A persons identity is their own, nobody put it there and nobody can take it out. Everyone in this world has a different identity because they all make their own over the course of their life. A persons identity also causes a person to have masculine and feminine traits. There is no one thing that gives a person their identity, there are however, many different factors that contribute to ones identity. What is someones identity? To me someones identity is a part of their being. Nobody will ever hold it, touch it, or even see it, but it is there. Everybody has one, it guilds your decision making, your thoughts, ideas, and dreams. You may think something is terrible while someone else does not even care and yet another person may laugh, why? The answer is simple, everyone has his own identity and personality. Everyone feels, acts, thinks, and dreams differently. People may have some of these things in common with one another, but they will not be totally the same, it is like a fingerprint, unique. There are many origins to a persons identity, their family, friends, home life, religion, environment and others. A persons identity is developed over many years and put together by the person themselves. It comes from the individuals ability to think, reason and form an opinion. Nobody has the same mind, or the same or the same conscious, so how could anyone have the same identity as another. A persons identity is developed over many years from the time they become aware of their surroundings, to the time they decide if they are going to college, and even as they grow old there identity will change with them. As peoples dreams are dreamed and goals are accomplished their identities will change with the individual. Their aspirations and values will change, causing their identities to change with it. It may be a slight alteration or a major overhaul but there identity will adjust to the person. Gender is a major cause for a persons identity. A person might act a certain way because of the gender that is given to them. It is often referred that a person might act a certain way because it is in their nature. A persons nature is a major reason that causes a persons identity. A person might be mentally sick and just go crazy on people. This is part of the persons nature, he is going to do what his nature compels him to. A persons nature might also influence a person to act like a man or a woman. A man might be a man but have feminine traits. This is the nature of his mind. Nature and identity also characterize how the person acts. The nature of someone might make someone act stronger in their own sex. Identity can be seen in even the youngest of children as soon a child is ready to make their own decision, no matter how trivial the decision might be, the child is starting to create his or her own identity and define their own nature. This nature can be seen in children too. One childs nature might make a little girl act like a boy, also called a tomboy. This means that the girl just like to play with boys and do boy things. While another girl, with a different mentality, might play with Barbie dolls and dress in a pink dress. Siblings grow up together, they play together, and they have fun together. But, eventually they will get their own friends and make their own decisions. This also leads to a persons identity. Not all people like all the same things or people. Joe may be friends with Larry, and Larry may like Bob, but Joe may not like Bob. There is no reason to hate each other, they just do not mix. Friends also play a part in a persons developing an identity, they are also a good indicator of ones identity. Whether you hang around wall street all day or you

A Room with a View Close Contextual Analysis Essay Example

A Room with a View Close Contextual Analysis Essay Example A Room with a View Close Contextual Analysis Paper A Room with a View Close Contextual Analysis Paper ‘A Room with a View’ – Close textual Analysis p. 105-107 Throughout the whole of the novel the theme of light and dark is constantly reoccurring and is openly present within this extract: ‘thinking of the old man who had enabled her to see the lights dancing in the Arno’, this metaphor gives the reader an insight to how Lucy is desperate for the freedom of her own independence which the lights clearly symbolise. The passage begins with ‘‘The Curtains parted. ’’ This gives the reader an impression of a theatrical entrance, to then introduce Cecil appears to the reader as somewhat of a disappointment; ‘‘Cecil’s first movement was one of irritation. ’’ It is symbolic as this idea of parting the curtains draws in on the continuous contrasting theme of Lucy’s fight with restriction and her will for freedom. As the curtains part Lucy is being exposed to more of the freedom she is so desperate to gain. Cecil’s action ‘‘of irritation’’ is not in correlation with the previous images of independence and liberty. ‘Irritation’ implies to the reader that Cecil is not comfortable almost awkward in his current situation and acting ill-tempered, which shows immediately to the reader how opposite Lucy and Cecil are for one another and how ill-fitting a marriage between them would be. The idea of Cecil ‘‘parting the curtains’’ subsequently becomes ironic as his own actions associate him with darkness rather than with the light that we as the reader attach Lucy to. Previously in the novel there are other references to windows in a similar context; ‘Come away from the window, dear’, Showing Miss Bartlett’s concern and restraint of Lucy becoming exposed to the freedom she desires. The next passage starts ‘ Light entered. ’ showing instantaneously a new positive outlook. Giving a beautiful, elegant description of a ‘terrace, with trees each side of it, and on it a little rustic seat and two flower beds†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Forster lulls you into a false sense of optimism, ‘Lucy, who was in the little seat, seemed on the edge of a green magic carpet which hovered†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This reminds the reader of Lucy’s purity and innocence using the fairy tale symbolism ‘‘of a green magic carpet’’. The whole metaphor of Lucy is cleverly constructed illustrating the idea of Lucy ‘hovering’ and ‘on the edge’ as to show her half way between her own personal discovery and the iddle class society that is so desperate to keep drawing her back in. In contrast the reader discovers that throughout the novel whenever Cecil appears dreams dissolve and reality is re-established; ‘†¦hovered in the air above the tremulous world. Cecil entered. ’ All imagination is lost. All the beauty and el egance of the paragraph is destroyed by this simple, blunt statement. Once more you see Cecil is portrayed in a negative sense, reserved, bold in some way starched, too conventional, the complete opposite of what Lucy wants making the idea of an engagement between them seem inconceivable. Even a simple embrace is an arduous task for him, he feels compelled to follow convention and displays a complete lack of spontaneity and passion; ‘Up to now I have never kissed you†¦Then I ask you – may I now? ’ Although in a different context, Cecil is still capable with little effort to ruin a perfectly romantic moment. Forster shows Cecil’s belief of his own self-importance clearly with his introduction along with his high position within society in the novel, ‘Cecil must at once be described. Comparing Cecil to a ‘Gothic statue’ gives an impression of power but a cold exterior. His character is a complete contradiction to that of Lucy’s. ‘He was medieval’, yet she is trying so hard to progress forward in time. ‘Medieval’ suggests that he is welded to tradition and very conservative which would hold her back, keeping Lucy away from her ‘view’. As the description of Cecil continues he becomes more pompous, ‘And a head that was tilted a little higher than the usual level of vision’, creates an image that Cecil calculates his self worth to be much higher than most. Cecil’s character is very dissimilar to that of George. He is depicted as free-thinking, ‘He stepped quickly forward and kissed her’, tolerant and willing to admit to his human failings; ‘I nearly fainted myself’, This illustrates to the reader that George Emerson is clearly a better choice for Lucy in comparison to Cecil who would only be keeping Lucy from the freedom she is so desperately in need of. The incessant medieval metaphoric descriptions of Cecil become an anomaly against the image of the renaissance. Comparing the images of ‘the gothic statue which implies celibacy’ and ‘the Greek statue which implies fruition’ is a hidden way of contrasting Cecil and George Emerson. ‘The end of the middles ages’, Forster cleverly uses historical imagery to give a sense of how society moves forward. Within Lucy’s current society she has moved on from medieval tradition as depicted by Cecil’s stereotypical middle class character. Lucy’s social circle could not create a finer choice than Cecil as he fits the marital ideal, but Lucy is not society and to the reader the only acceptable choice for her is George Emerson. Mrs Honeychurch enters the scene appearing excitable and seeming to over-act her interest, ‘Oh Cecil, Oh Cecil, do tell me’. This does not seem typical of Mrs Honeychurch’s general conduct; she has previously come across very differently regularly criticising her son Freddy; ‘Why shouldn’t my permission be asked? What do you know about Lucy or girls or anything? ’ However with Cecil she completely lets her guard down because she is trying so desperately to make him feel ‘as one of the family’. This is ironic as she does not treat her own son in this manner. She seems genuinely thrilled by the idea of her only daughter marrying a man of such high standard within society. Love and romance was not included in the idea of a good marriage, money and status were the key factors. Any possible romance that may have been associated with the idea of Cecil’s and Lucy’s engagement disappears when Cecil answers, ‘She has accepted me’. His answer is completely monosyllabic and he does not remotely seem overjoyed by her acceptance, maybe slightly content but that’s all the emotion you can find in his response. Cecil regularly answers or asks questions in a similar tone, like the staged kiss between him and Lucy where he asks ‘then I ask you – may I now? ’ Where in both situations the encounters seems awkward which are reinforced by his actions, ‘shifting his eyes to the ceiling’, obviously uncomfortable with the situation. Cecil is an authority figure but this is not how you would expect him to be with his fiance. He acts very causally in comparison to what people stereotype the enouncement of an engagement to be, ‘‘I say Lucy! Called Cecil, for conversation seemed to flag. ’’ This is very ironic that Lucy is hardly involved in this scene yet it’s her engagement that’s being enounced something that will charge the pattern of her life entirely yet she is completely uninvolved. He commands Lucy not asks her, ‘Would you take them into the garden and tell Mrs Honeychurch all about it? His tone comes across very patronising and not respectful at all. Cecil acts as though he is dismissing a child rather than asking his fiance a question. ‘I shall have our children educated just like Lucy. Bring them up among honest country folk, send them to Italy for subtlety, and then – not till then – let them come to London. ’ His patronising tone is constant, he talks as if she is not in the room and as though she no right to an opinion of her own, even on such an important matter as her children. ‘As if taking orders’, Forster makes this clear showing his control complex to be unhealthy it is not free or liberating. Although Lucy’s life would be different in marriage to Cecil, in reality it would only be another type of enclosure. The last line of the passage ‘They passed into the sunlight’ reengages the idea of light. Creating the image of light falling when Lucy is distanced from Cecil, shows how Cecil will only contribute to the darker parts of her life and will not contribute to Lucy’s self discovery and liberty. This further highlights the mismatch between the two people. It clearly accentuates the reasons as to why she should not marry a man with these characteristics. These faults in a man would be the cause of her own self destruction and personal downfall.

Mong Schoolchildrn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mong Schoolchildrn - Essay Example This book rvls th story of young tchr's lif nd work in th Klly School, prt of th Holyok, Msschusts school systm. Th book provids insight into wht it is lik tching in multiculturl clssroom nvironmnt nd how importnt it is to b bl to monitor nd djust to troubld studnts, how vitl it is to chng your mthods of working, whr tching 24/7 profssion, not 8:00-5:00 job. During th whol yr Chris tckls not only issus of difficult studnts but prsonl issus s wll. This book provids futur tchrs with much rquird glnc t th rlitis of tching whr strss of bing tchr is vidnt. From Sptmbr to Jun, Chris Zjc, compssiont, dvotd tchr struggls with th nrly suprhumn tsk of tching innr-city childrn, mny from impovrishd nd brokn homs. .It fls lik you r in th clssroom with Mrs. Zjc. Trcy Kiddr dscribs rl tchr nd hr studnts nd tks th rdr with thm through th school yr. Zjc mngd to rlt th problms s wll s th succsss in th clssroom. Zjc is th kind of tchr tht prnt would wnt thir child to b round, bcus sh dos not only tchs bsic skills nd knowldg, but lso nturs nd dls with childrn who com to th clssroom with lot of bggg. Mrs. Zjc posssss ll trits tht vry tchr should hv: tough in loving wy, disciplind, slf-wr, nd willing to confss to hr own fults. Onc in whil whn sh rlizd tht sh is probbly boring, sh tris to shk up th lsson to void wtching bord studnts. Mrs. Mrs. Zjc is wondr tchr tht vry child should hv t lst onc in thir grd school crr, bcus sh posss ll ncssry qulitis of n xcllnt tchr. Sh is sympthtic, lmost to fult, bcus somtims sh givs too mny scond chncs to pupils who try to disordr hr clss, but sh lso mngs to gt through ll of thm, vn th ons who hd to b rmovd. Sh is hrd-working tchr nd lwys brings hom both th ppr grding nd th worris in which sh constntly rumints on ch studnt's lif nd how sh cn improv it. Sh dos not lv tchr flings t th school door nd s rsult lmost ll of innovtiv ids build up whil sh broods t hom ovr som kid's dilmm. Sh hs big hrt, nough to mbrc nd provid thm with unconditionl lov, spcilly to thos who xprincs hrdships t hom or vn to thos who dos not vn hv hom.In ordr to b n ffctiv tchr on hs to nturlly possss ll thos trits nd b bl to us thm in ordr to gt through to thir studnts. It is chllnging to b bl to s th diffrnc btwn "problm studnts" nd "good studnts" nd th chllngs thy prsnt in vry dy situtions. Th mjority of studnts in Mrs. Zjc's clss r Hispnic-- growing truth throughout th Unitd Stts--so long with th vrydy frustrtions of vry tchr, w s tht Mrs. Zjc hs n dditionl worklod imposd mrly by th prsnc of lngug brrir. Looking t fiv min rs of Mrs. Zjc's clssroom cn giv n insight into wht mks hr good tchr nd thos trits includ: tchr's intrction with th studnts, studnts' intrction with th tchr, studnts' intrction with othr studnts, contnt, nd nvironmnt.Sh intrcts in such wy tht studnts hv prcption tht sh wnts th bst out of thm, so thy try hrd in ordr to mt thos xpcttions. Whn Hnritt wntd to quit working on hr mth, Mrs. Zjc just tris to rpt hr xpcttions by sying, " No, Hnritt. You cn't quit. You hv to kp trying. You cn't just quit in lif, Hnritt." By following nd mting thos xpcttions, studnts t som point will try to outprform vn. nothr lsson tht cn b drivd from Mrs. Zjc's styl of tching is hr ttitud towrds trting studnts , whr sh sys "Trting studnts qully oftn mns trting thm vry diffrntly." Sh undrstnds tht vry studnt's bst is diffrnt, but just th fct tht h of sh trid to rch thir bst is lrdy nd indictor of succss. For xmpl, sh rlizd tht th ssy tht Jimmy wrot ws hug

BUS 171A Project 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

BUS 171A Project 2 - Essay Example It is being anticipated by economists and pundits that BIT will bequeath the United States and China substantial benefits (including the strengthening of the Sino-American relations) as the US and the People’s Republic of China prepare to meet in the July 9-10 US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing. On the side of China, Barshefsky and Yongtu divulge that China has grown its total stock of foreign and direct investment in the United from zero to 17 billion US dollars, between 2000 and 2012. 4 billion US dollars proceed to the US from China in the year 2012 alone. Interestingly, despite all these humongous gains, China only accounts for less than 1% of the FDI in America. All the benefits and potential for investment growth are also likely to catalyse job creation and catapult the US economy onwards (Barshefsky and Yongtu, 31). Conversely, US firms have also built its presence in China. In 2012 alone, the total stock of the American FDI in China rose to 70 billion US dollars. Nevertheless, the US government only accounts for 3% of China’s internal FDI. This is a tiny fraction of what ought to be the case, should market barriers be removed. That the BIT talks are likely to be successful is underscored by the fact that in 2013, Washington and Beijing Administrations had met and agreed to effect nondiscriminatory treatment of Chinese and American investors in all trade sectors throughout all stages of development- from the pre-establishment stage to the conclusion

Moral Frameworks of Terrorists

Moral Frameworks of Terrorists This paper discusses, with reference to two examples, whether terrorists can appeal to a consistent moral framework. Terrorism can be, and indeed, most usually is defined in the literature, as a strategy of violence that is designed to promote a desired outcome through instilling fear in the public at large. There are, however, disagreements amongst many academics, from political science, law and human rights analysts, as to the definition of terrorism that should be used in practice, as some academics argue that the motives that fuel some terrorists are politically valid. The definition of terrorism currently in use by the UN is, â€Å"any act†¦intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organisation to do, or abstain from doing, any act.† (Annan, 2005). Regardless of the particular definition of terrorism that is employed, terrorist acts are generally defined through their violence, the psychological impact of the act, the political goal of the act and the fact that they are usually perpetrated against civilians, or non-combatants. Obviously, as a result of these factors, terrorism is regarded, everywhere, as unlawful and an illegitimate means of achieving the ends that are sought, but as the famous saying goes, â€Å"one man’s terrorism is another man’s freedom fighter†. Recent events have brought this to the fore, with the war in Afghanistan bringing back many memories for the United States government, who supported the Afghan Mujahideen as ‘freedom fighters’ during the United States war with the Soviet Union, but recently, the United States government branding breakaway Afghan groups as terrorists, and launching a war in Afghanistan to stop them in their terrorist acts. Nelson Mandela, ex-Preside nt of South Africa, and Nobel Laureate, was once branded a terrorist and was imprisoned for decades for his terrorist acts; a definition for terrorism, and the word terrorist thus seems to be flexible, depending on the political context and the aims that are trying to be achieved by the people supporting the country in which the terrorist is present. What is certain, however, is that the people committing the stated acts of terrorism wholly believe in what they are fighting to achieve, and, as such, construct some sort of moral framework to justify their actions and their beliefs. This paper is interested in how and why these frameworks are constructed and whether terrorists can ever appeal to a consistent moral framework for their actions. As Bandura (1990) argues, terrorists are able to morally disengage through many psychological routes, and, as such, it is a societal responsibility to ensure civilised conduct through social systems which uphold compassionate behaviour and which denounce, and renounce, cruelty in any form. As Bandura (1990) argues, moral standards do not function as fixed internal regulators of conduct, but rather, self-regulatory mechanisms do not engage until they are activated, and there are many ways in which these regulatory mechanisms can be disengaged, allowing the emergence of different types of conduct with the same moral standards. Bandura (1990) further argues that political diversity and the toleration of public expressions of scepticism create the conditions that allow the emergence of challenges to suspect moral appeals, such that if societies are to safeguard against the occurrence of terrorism, they must establish social safeguards against the misuse of institutional justificatory pow ers for ends which are exploitative and destructive. As such, Bandura (1990) seems to be arguing that it is the fault of the state, which has not ensured a proper, functioning, framework for the non-appearance of terrorism, which allows terrorism to grow, not that terrorists themselves are at fault. This type of argument does not require an appeal to moral consistency or moral frameworks on the part of the terrorist, but rather argues that terrorists are a product of a dysfunctional society, which is responsible for the appearance of terrorists. Further to this, Atram (2006) concludes that suicide terrorism cannot be explained by a single political root cause, such as the presence of foreign military forces or the absence of democracy, as other factors such as psychological motivations, or religious inspirations can also contribute to the desire to undertake terrorist acts. As Atram (2006) argues, any simplistic accounts of terrorism, why it happens and what leads people to become terrorists, are bound to failure as terrorists have underlying moral values and group dynamics which are complex themselves and also intertwined in a complex manner. Only when these root causes are fully understood by decision-makers will organisational and ideological solutions that could defuse the threat of terrorism be found (Atram, 2006). As such, as Atram (2006) argues, terrorists have a consistent moral framework within which they work, allowing them to unilaterally act, in concert, to achieve their ends. There have been many terrorist acts in recent history, including the Munich massacre in 1972, during the Olympic Games, bombing of flights including Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, gas attacks in Tokyo, bombing campaigns in Ireland by the IRA, the 9/11 attacks on the United States and, following this, the Bali bombings, the London and Madrid bombings. Terrorism is a tactic that has been used for a long time to achieve political ends, but it has recently come to the fore through the massive loss of life in the 9/11 bombings, and the subsequent wars, as this was an attack against the currently most powerful nation on Earth, on home soil, killing thousands of innocents. Terrorism, as a political tool, has therefore come to be used almost as a daily term, in the media, by academics, in family homes, and, indeed, the populace is scared, perhaps by hyper coverage of terrorism in the media, perhaps by the attacks themselves, but, for whatever reason, the populace is scared, and so the ter rorists are winning, under the definitions of terrorism which have been discussed herein. The current paper will discuss two examples of terrorist groups in order to assess the moral framework to which they adhere, to assess whether this framework is consistent, and, if, indeed, it can ever be argued that terrorists can appeal to a consistent moral framework. Colombia has been involved in what is termed an ‘armed struggle’ for the past four decades, since the death of Gaitan in the 1960s, when the FARC and the ELN were founded, ironically, as a call to stop La Violencia which had begun following Gaitan’s death. At this time, these two guerrilla groups campaigned for peace, for free elections and for the return of a leftist government. The FARC and the ELN have, however, in recent decades, become embroiled in the drugs trade, gaining money through the drugs trade in order to fund their ‘war’ on the Colombian government, and their fight for peace in Colombia. In response to this, it is known that the current administration funded paramilitary groups to fight against the guerrillas[1], although the paramilitary groups have themselves become embroiled in the drugs trade and are known to have committed acts of terrorism against civilians and non-combatants, such that there is now a war between the guerrillas an d the paramilitaries. Thus, the situation in Colombia is extremely complex. FARC and ELN guerrillas began with the stated aim of returning Colombia to peace, through the instigation of free elections, seeking a solid political end to La Violencia. Their moral framework was just that: a moral framework through which they were seeking to return Colombia to some semblance of normality. However, as we have seen, and because it is so easy, in a country where it is so difficult to earn a living any other way, the guerrilla groups became embroiled in the drugs trade, and, as such, their moral framework for committing terrorist acts has changed, and indeed, the way in which they commit their terrorist acts has changed, with IRA terrorists training the guerrillas in bombing tactics, and these being used on Colombian military targets, unfortunately to great effect, with the concomitant loss of many lives. Thus, the Colombian case is extremely complex, with guerrilla groups starting out with mainly political aims, b ut with these same groups now largely fighting to retain control of their share of the drugs trade, causing armed combat between members of these guerrilla groups and government-backed paramilitaries whenever they come in to contact. Thus, the FARC and the ELN, although they started out as political terrorists are now seen as groups which use their skills to dominate the drugs trade, through the taking of national territory and the submission of hundreds of thousands of farmers in the regions in which they hold territory. The moral framework that these terrorist groups adhere to has, therefore, firstly, radically changed over the period of activity, and has taken a far less ‘helpful’ turn, in terms of terrorising a whole country and causing problems for Colombia in terms of international relations, economic development and human rights issues. The FARC and ELN, if they adhere to any framework at all, for their actions, certainly cannot argue that this framework is in any way moral and it certainly has not been consistent. As such, for these groups of terrorists, who literally hold a country to ransom, there can be no argument of a consistent moral framework that is in place, and there can be no argum ent for the existence of any consistent moral framework for the human rights abuses they cause and the economic and political havoc they create for Colombia. The next terrorist group we shall look at is the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) of Peru, which was formed as a political guerrilla group, in response to Peru’s military dictatorship, with the stated aim of achieving free elections within Peru and placing a communist party in control of Peru, through the Pensamiento Gonzalo ideology (named after the thinking of Guzman, the Shining Path’s leader). The Shining Path took to violent means as a way of achieving its stated aims, and, indeed, is known to be responsible for some of the worst massacres in Peruvian history, with Peru’s human rights record being atrocious, on account of the atrocities committed by the Shining Path. The Shining Path seized control of large areas of Peru, but their communist ideas were never popular with the Peruvian populace, and so their guerrilla war began to lose support and its base began to falter. The Shining Path support fell dramatically following Guzman’s capture in 1992, and the capture of his successor several years later, with its successor movement, Proseguir, having very few supporters and arguing mainly for the release of former Shining Path members. In terms of the moral framework of the Shining Path, their aims were very clear and political in scope, although the situation was complicated as Fujimori, the Peruvian Prime Minister at the time, branded anyone who spoke against the government a terrorist (see Burt, 2006). Even though the Shining Path were obviously terrorists who, it has been proven, were responsible for many civilian deaths, the Shining Path had a consistent moral framework to which they subscribed and which dictated their actions: the installation of communism within Peru. This framework was the reason for the establishment of the group, and was consistent across the time during which the Shining Path was active within Peru. Thus, in this guerrilla group, unlike in the guerrilla groups active in Colombia, the moral framework for the Shining Path’s actions was very clear and fixed, and consistent across the history of the Shining Path. We have therefore discussed two cases, of three guerrilla groups, two in Colombia, one in Peru, two of which (the FARC and the ELN) have evolved in their ideology and moral framework as they moved through time, and one of which (the Shining Path) had a consistent moral framework in place for their actions, which informed, supported and dictated their actions in terms of achieving their stated aims (i.e., the installation of communism within Peru). Thus, terrorists, and terrorist groups, as we have seen in the case of the FARC and ELN, can evolve and change, in terms of their aims and their objectives, and the means used to achieve these aims. As such, their moral frameworks also change and move with the new orientation. Under this analysis, it is implicit that terrorists have a moral conscience, that although this moral conscience allows them to commit acts that are considered terrorist acts by society, they do have a moral conscience, and one that can be called upon to support their objectives and their aims, and which can be used as a way of justifying any terrorist acts that they commit. As we have seen, as Atram (2006) concludes, the emergence of terrorism cannot be explained by a single political root cause, such as the presence of foreign military forces or the absence of democracy, as other factors such as psychological motivations, or religious inspirations can also contribute to the desire to undertake terrorist acts. As Atram (2006) argues, any simplistic accounts of terrorism, why it happens and what leads people to become terrorists, are bound to failure as terrorists have underlying moral values and group dynamics which are complex themselves and also intertwined in a complex manner. On ly when these root causes are fully understood by decision-makers will organisational and ideological solutions that could defuse the threat of terrorism be found (Atram, 2006). As such, as Atram (2006) argues, terrorists have a consistent moral framework within which they work, allowing them to unilaterally act, in concert, to achieve their ends. Thus, the FARC and the ELN, and the Shining Path, although, as we have seen, they have, and continue to, commit terrorist acts, they can call upon a moral framework for these acts, in terms of having justifiable reasons for their objectives and aims, and the way in which these objectives are achieved, such that these acts are perpetuated under what they consider to be a moral framework. That the rest of society does not see this framework as moral, under normal societal definitions of moral, is beyond them, beyond their understanding for, as Bandura (1990) argues, moral standards do not function as fixed internal regulators of conduct, but rather, self-regulatory mechanisms do not engage until they are activated, and there are many ways in which these regulatory mechanisms can be disengaged, allowing the emergence of different types of conduct with the same moral standards. This paper has discussed the issue of whether terrorists can appeal to a consistent moral framework. As we have seen, there are many definitions of terrorism in use in the literature, as there are disagreements as to the definition of terrorism[2], as some academics argue that the motives that fuel some terrorists are politically valid. Indeed, ‘terrorist’ and ‘terrorism’ seem to have been, and be, somewhat flexible terms, depending on the political affiliation of the terrorist/terrorist act; many people would call the acts committed by the Israeli’s against the Palestinians, for example, terrorist acts, but these seem to be supported by the United States government, as Israel is currently one of the highest recipients of United States foreign aid. Similarly, as we have seen, Nelson Mandela, ex-President of South Africa, and Nobel Laureate, was once branded a terrorist and was imprisoned for decades for his terrorist acts; a definition for terrorism, and the word terrorist thus seems to be flexible, depending on the political context and the aims that are trying to be achieved by the people supporting the country in which the terrorist is present. Although the word ‘terrorist’ and the term ‘terrorism’ are open to interpretation, by politicians, and under international law, as we have seen[3], terrorists do subscribe to what they consider to be a moral framework for their objectives, and to support their acts to achieve these objectives. As we have seen from the two examples used here, these moral frameworks can stay static throughout the history of the terrorist group (as with the Shining Path) or can change over time in response to external factors or political events (as with the FARC and the ELN). Thus, the issue of whether terrorists can appeal to a consistent moral framework, I will argue, is valid: indeed, although this framework may be seen as amoral by the rest of society, the terrorist defines their objectives as moral, under a moral framework, which for them is consistent in terms of leading to desired objectives. Whether this framework is consistent across time is a matter for discussion, f or, as we have seen, some terrorist groups find their objectives changing with shifting external circumstances, and, as such, their framework, whilst remaining internally morally consistent, in terms of the objectives, is not externally consistent over time. As Atram (2006) argues, terrorists have a consistent moral framework within which they work, allowing them to unilaterally act, in concert, to achieve their ends: it is this framework which allows them to function, as a unit, in order to achieve their aims and objectives. References Annan, K., 2005. Larger Freedom. Speech given to the United Nations at the Security Council Meeting on 17th March 2005. Atram, S., 2006. The moral logic and growth of suicide terrorism. The Washington Quarterly 29(2), pp.127-147. Bandura, A., 1990. Mechanisms of moral disengagement. In Reich, W. (ed.), Origins of terrorism: psychologies, ideologies, theologies, states of mind (pp.161-191). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Burt, J-M., 2006. Quien habla es terrorista: the political use of fear in Fujimori’s Peru. Latin American Research Review 41(3), pp.32-62. Saul, B., 2006. Two justifications for terrorism: a moral legal response. Foreign Policy in Focus, FPIF Policy Report. January 10th 2006. Available from http://www.fpif.org/pdf/papers/0601justifications.pdf Accessed on 30th April 2007. 1 Footnotes [1] As part of their efforts to secure, and retain, money from the United States, through their War on Drugs programme. [2] Although, as we have seen, the definition of terrorism currently in use by the UN is, â€Å"any act†¦intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organisation to do, or abstain from doing, any act.† (Annan, 2005). This definition is also used by the International Criminal Court, and by most human rights lawyers who are involved in prosecuting terrorist acts. [3] with, as we have seen, for example, the war in Afghanistan bringing back many memories for the United States government, who supported the Afghan Mujahideen as ‘freedom fighters’ during the United States war with the Soviet Union, but recently, the United States government branding breakaway Afghan groups as terrorists, and launching a war in Afghanistan to stop them in their terrorist acts.

Flood Myth in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Biblical Flood Myth of Gene

The Flood in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Flood of Genesis      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Biblical book, Genesis, of the Old Testament contains an account of an historic Flood which has never been equaled in intensity. Tablet 11of the Sumero-Babylonian version of the epic of Gilgamesh also records a Flood quite expansive and quite devastating. Are they a record of the same event?    E.A. Budge states in Babylonian Story of the Deluge and the Epic of Gilgamesh that the narration of the Flood in Sumero-Babylonian records may simply be related to a local flood instead of a worldwide Flood such as the Bible narrates:    It is not too much to assume that the original event commemorated in the Legend of the Deluge was a serious and prolonged inundation or flood in Lower Babylonia, which was accompanied by great loss of life and destruction of property. The Babylonian versions state that this inundation or flood was caused by rain, but passages in some of them suggest that the effects of the rainstorm were intensified by other physical happenings connected with the earth, of a most destructive character. (27)    Column 1 on Tablet 11 begins the Sumero-Babylonian Flood narrative (Gardner 226). The sage Utnapishtim from Shurippak (100 miles south of Babylon), says:    The great gods stirred their hearts to make the Flood. [. . .] Build an ark. [. . .] Load the seed of every living thing into your ark, the boat that you will build. Let her measure be measured; let her breadth and length be equal. Cover it with a roof as the abyss is covered. (Gardner 226)    Alexander Heidel in his book, The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels, provides a background for the survivor of the Sumero-Babyloni... ..., Nels M. Readings in Ancient History: Thought and Experience from Gilganesh to St. Augustine. Third edition. Lexington, MA: D.C.Heath and Co., 1987.    Budge, E. A. Babylonian Story of the Deluge and the Epic of Gilgamesh. Montana, USA: Kessinger Publishing Co., n.d.    Gardner, John and John Maier. Gilgamesh: Translated from the Sin-leqi-unninni version. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984.    Harris, Stephen L. â€Å"Gilgamesh.† The Humanist Tradition in World Literature. Ed. Stephen Harris. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co., 1970.    Heidel, Alexander. The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1949.    Ignatius Holy Bible. Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1966.    Sandars. N. K. The Epic of Gilgamesh. New York: Penguin Books, 1972.

D.T. Resistant Materials – Evaluation

I feel that my product has fulfilled all of the essential criteria although some of the desired criteria aren't fulfilled. This includes: * Incorporated Lights * A Combination of Materials * Be used for placing an object on top The reason behind these specifications not being fulfilled was mainly due to limitations or the way it would have to be incorporated into the design I chose. If I decided to incorporate lights, the price would have rose as well as me having to make the boxes more bulky making them a lot more difficult to move and customise. A combination of materials wasn't used because of complications and problems which I will explain later and to be used for placing an object on top, the product would become less customisable, however an add on could be designed for my product in the future which would allow this, but as current because of time scale and general problems (which I will explain) this is an unavailable feature. What it does and how good it is at doing it My product is designed to allow users to store objects such as books and paperwork in. Teenagers, my target audience, would be able to customise the product by adding different tops as well as a different combination of boxes of which came in two sizes. The system I designed allowed the boxes to be placed on top of each other as well as beside each other. After testing, I found that the average sized box fitted perfectly, mainly due to my research which I carried out earlier. Papers unfortunately didn't fit without aid such as a folder or possibly something which allowed the paper to stand on end. Having said this, the product was perfectly able to stand the weight and the customisable feature with everything lining up with little add on features which gave room for error as well as being extra features to the set. After asking other 15/16 year olds, comments were very positive particularly with the engraved design on the side which matched with the add on spacers as well as the fact the boxes could be stacked or put on the side. They also liked the idea of the customisable top which could be turned into a different wide range of add-ons which could have been added to in the future if desired. There were few negative comments which were probably due mainly to pure politeness! Having said this, the ones I received were well constructed such as the fact that paper couldn't be placed flat without it sticking out the side as well as the fact that the choice of finish allowed the pine to show which was of a colour too bright to some people's preference. Modifications and/due to Problems One major problem I came up against was the fact that I was unable to cast a peg. This was due to limitations of knowledge on casting as well as the time limit I was restricted against. Our first trial was shown on my developing ideas section where only one half of the peg seemed to come out correctly. This, unfortunately, made me skip the variety of materials desired criteria. Another problem was accuracy. I was only making one of many of these products and because of this I opted to create the top plate by hand. Having done this I soon realised that it was very difficult and time consuming to get it correctly placed. Due to this fact I modified the size of the dowel from 8mm to 6mm which meant that the 8mm hole will now have 6mm slotted into it with the top plate. Because of time restrictions, it wasn't possible to create other add-ons such as the CD rack I planned earlier on. Instead I opted in a different material which would make the product more appealing (aesthetically pleasing). Accuracy was also another problem which I faced when joining the boxes together. I originally planned to join the boxes directly against each other. Because of 8mm holes being in the top and the bottom, 8mm dowel had to be used and the fact is that there was no room for error which became a problem. I solved this by creating a spacer which contained 6mm dowel which would slot into both the bottom and top box. This was a viable solution. Design problems also caused the boxes to be connected sideways only one possible direction as the boxes would not slot into each other on one side. This problem was one which I didn't fix as the boxes could still tessellate one way which made this problem very minor.