Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Student Athletes s Academic Self Concept And Academic...

The study sought to address and understand how the â€Å"dumb-jock† stereotype influences a student’s academic self-concept and academic identity. Student-athletes have multiple identities while in college which can be influenced by stereotype threat. Academic identity and athletic identity both heavily influence a student’s self-perception. The researchers surveyed collegiate athletes across gender, race, ethnicity, athletic division, and sport about their experiences as student-athletes at their respective institutions. The authors presented data they collected to understand students’ experiences of stereotype threat, examined implications of the findings, and gave recommendations for how to best support student-athletes while reducing†¦show more content†¦The assessment created was a survey collecting self-reported data from students who received an electronic questionnaire and elected to respond. The Structural Equation Model seems appropriate for assessing the relationships between variables selected as it relates to athletic identity, academic identity, and coaches’ perspectives. Colleges and universities were chosen to participate in the study based on connections and recommendations from experts working with athletes in higher education as well as through, snowball references and cold-calls. After going through the Institutional Review Board, internal contacts provided the survey to student-athletes using existing listservs. This approach gave students the option to opt out of the survey. The rate of return for the survey was 18.32% which was less than 1/5th of the students contacted. This approach to collecting data did not result in a high enough rate of return to accurately represent subpopulations of student-athletes, who likely opted out of the study because of its’ focus on educational experiences. The snowball approach to collecting data is not representative of students, colleges, or universities. Most of the respondents are considered low-profile sport participants. 64% of the respondents were women. 91% of allShow MoreRelatedThe Relationshi p Between Academic Performance Of Sports And Non-Student Athletes4602 Words   |  19 PagesUnderstanding motivations and how or why certain students breed success over specific periods of time within different realms has been a consistent and timeless issue. Educators search endlessly to make those connections and find correlations between certain students and what makes some perform exceptionally better academically than others. Within the same cohort of students, how can one group seemingly elevate themselves to higher levels of academic success than others? 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Some psychologists distinguish this through motivated reasoningRead MoreThe Theory Of Motivation And Learning1099 Words   |  5 Pagesmorals to cultural backgrounds. The actions completed to remain committed are critical factors to shaping one’s personality, allowing differential elements of a person (Mayer, 2005). Deci and Ryan (1985) relate autonomy the key motive to self-determination. The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) identifies essential developmental tendencies— the need for competence, relatedness and autonomy. Humans are driven for personality development and social empowerment. The digression of the way SDT works resultRead MoreHigher Learning, By John Singleton1309 Words   |  6 Pagesfirst-year college students: Malik Williams (Malik), Kristen Connor (Kristen), and Remy. At Columbus university, barriers exist between race, sexuality, and economic status. Students are faced with the challenges of achieving academic success, while also overcoming those barriers. For Malik, Kristen, and Remy, the ensuing encounters cause them to examine their life and reshape their identity. Malik, one of the main characters, is an African American track athlete, who struggles with academics. He feelsRead MoreGender, Gender And Sexuality Essay1295 Words   |  6 PagesGender and Sexuality Gender and sexuality are problematically understood and represented in Australian classrooms because of the presence of gender bias and the marginalisation of sexually diverse students, which reflects the patriarchal society that we live in. It is important to acknowledge that issues related to gender and sexuality are not just issues for older children and teenagers. They are just as applicable to young children who are at a very impressionable and susceptible stage of theirRead MoreRacism on College Campuses4582 Words   |  19 Pagesdirectly observe and examine the way American College students perceive the notion of race on college campuses and how they believe it can be used to a persons advantage or disadvantage. I used two different kinds of research in this paper; interviews among 4 students from 4 different universities across the United States to provide a deep and personal understanding of the topic and by surveying in an open-ended questionnaire 10 American students from Auburn University in Alabama to provide a more

Monday, December 16, 2019

Modernisme in de architectuur Free Essays

string(28) " Brinkman en Van der Vlugt\." Inleiding Het modernisme in de architectuur, dat zijn ontstaan vond rond de jaren ’20 new wave vorige eeuw, maakt vandaag de dag duidelijk deel uit new wave de architectuurgeschiedenis en is op deze manier deel van de traditie dice zich onbewust voortzet in ons denken over architectuur. De kerngedachte new wave het modernisme is genuine rain trees met zijn grootste pionier, Le Corbusier, gestorven. Het modernisme is een belangrijke inspiratiebron geweest voor verscheidene denkers in architectuur nut daarbuiten. We will write a custom essay sample on Modernisme in de architectuur or any similar topic only for you Order Now Omdat ze voor een radicale breuk zorgde met de bestaande traditie in het denken over architectuur en het realiseren van idee A ; euml ; n. Maar na onderzoek te verrichten binnen het modernisme, blijkt Er een verschil Te zijn tussen het schoolse voorbeeld new wave modernisme en de toepassing op woningen. Zo vindt work forces de footing ideologie wel terug, maar hanteert work forces in woningen zachtere en voorzichtigere toepassingen. pDe kerngedachte new wave het modernisme stond haaks op wat de overblijfselen van de 19de eeuwse architectuur, dice zich vooral richtte op de fa A ; ccedil ; aden new wave woningen, ons toont. Er was niet veel sprake van leef- nut woonkwaliteit, en de modernisten trachtten hierin een verandering Te brengen, heated interieur moest ALSs een woonmachine beschouwd worden. Hierbij krijgt het functionele karakter voorrang op de vorm, waarbij licht, lucht en zicht vooropgesteld werd. Ontwerpers verlaten heated decoration en zoeken naar eenvoud en eerlijkheid. Sobere en geometrische vormgeving wordt verwezenlijkt door het gebruik new wave moderne materialen. Op vlak new wave interieur betekende dot vooral digital audiotape Er meer unfastened ruimtes gecre A ; euml ; erd werden, muren worden weggelaten, elektrisch licht die vanuit techniek omgezet wordt naar vormgeving. Inbouwmeubilair werd niet langer beschouwd ALSs een meubel, maar nam plaats in ALSs onderdeel van de ontworpen ruimte. Nog een belangrijke aanpassing was een eigen voordeur ALSs onderdeel van de identiteit van elke woning, wat voorheen niet gebruikelijk was. Het modernisme diende ALSs inspiratiebron op gebied new wave vormenta al, werkwijze en materialen in de latere stromingen. Vele new wave deze stromingen zijn echter een zwak afstammeling new wave wat het modernisme voor de architectuur betekend heeft. Wat de modernisten vaak verweten wordt, is dat de ruimtes die ze verwezenlijkten niet bestemd waren om in te wonen. De oorzaak is volgens ons te vinden bij de oorsprong van Hun inspiratie. Modernisten hanteerden Principes die afgeleid waren van gebouwen dice de tand diethylstilbestrols tijd doorstaan hebben. Zo vond Le Corbusier zijn typologie uit tempels, die voor hem zuiverheid voorstelden. Ook Mies Van der Rohe tekende ruimtes die een meerwaarde bieden, maar dice niet gebouwd zijn met de noden new wave een samenleving in het achterhoofd. Ze zijn het merchandise new wave een denken, en zijn dus logischerwijze ook een merchandise new wave de tijd waarin Mies new wave de Rohe leefde. Maar anderzijds Wilde hij zich bezighouden met de architectuur op zich, en niet met de fenomenen dice zich aandienden in de maatschappij. Zijn architectuur is op een bepaalde wijze volmaakt en correct, en cyberspace daarom wordt ze onbewoonbaar. Le Corbusier, echter, hield er geschriften op na waaruit zijn diepgaande interesse in de maatschappij bleek en de mate waarin zijn architectuur in die maatschappij voluit kon functioneren. Standaardisatie is, kort omschreven, wat Le Corbusier propageerde een kleine honderd jaar geleden. En dot is juist de paradox van het modernisme. Enerzijds brengt het vernieuwing teweeg, gesteund door idealisme digital audiotape onze grenzen verlegt. Maar eenmaal dice vernieuwing voor weelde zorgt, verdwijnt het idealisme. De vernieuwing verspreidt zich niet meer, maar evolueert ter plaatse. Een belangrijke zijstroming new wave het modernisme, is heated functionalisme, ook wel het Nieuwe Bouwen genoemd. Deze term wordt in de Nederlandse architectuurgeschiedenis gehanteerd tussen 1925 en 1940 voor modernistische architectuur binnen Nederland. Het gaat niet noodzakelijk om een nieuwe bouwstijl, maar eerder een nieuwe bouworganisatie, die een antwoord moest bieden aan de economische en demografische schaalvergroting, die problematisch bleek in die tijd. De aanhangers van heated modernisme waren er van overtuigd digital audiotape de stijgende bevolkingsdensiteit niet langer kon gehuisvest worden, indien work forces bleef vasthouden aan de gebruikelijke manier new wave bouwen. Standaardisatie en schaalvergroting stonden centraal bij het functionalisme. De voorgestelde oplossingen bleken echter radicaal. Ze richtten zich op collectieve bouw, met praktische indeling, comfort en licht. De publieke ruimte werd voorzien new wave parken en pleinen. Ontwerpers trachtten de confrontatie met de straat, dice in hun ogen Te direct was, te veranderen. Zonlicht en natuur dienden de agressiviteit van de straten te verzachten. Naar woningen toe werd dot uitgebreid door ruim verglaasde gevels te plaatsen. Zadeldaken, schoorstenen nut donkere gevels werden vervangen door pleisterwerk, glas- nut metaalconstructies. In de ogen new wave modernisten waren dot, stuk voor stuk, nederige materialen dice waardevol bleken vanwege de inherente schoonheid van Hun lijnvoering en vormgeving die ze teweeg brachten.1 De gebouwen hadden een zwaar uiterlijk, maar stonden dankzij staal- en gewapend betonconstructies verheven boven heated straatniveau. Architecten die tot het Nieuwe Bouwen gerekend werden, vonden steun bij het Bauhaus en Le Corbusier. Ze groepeerden zich in ‘de 8 en Opbouw ‘ , waaronder Van Eesteren, B. Bijvoet, J. Duikers, W. Van Tijen, J.J. Van Loghem, J.J.P. Oud, J.A. Brinkman en L.C. Van der Vlught. Deze laatste twee hebben de Van Nellefabriek in Rotterdam verwezenlijkt en zijn zeker noemenswaardige architecten binnen deze stijl. Wat ze voor ons in deze essay belangrijk maakt, zijn Hun bewoonbare woontypologie. Een new wave dice huizen is heated inmiddels gerestaureerde woonmuseum Huis Sonneveld. Het huis Sonneveld is ondertussen een boegbeeld geworden voor het Nieuwe Bouwen. Huis Sonneveld Om het modernisme in zijn totaal beeld beter te begrijpen, leek het ons het beste een concreet voorbeeld te bespreken en hierin alle aspecten new wave het tijdsbeeld duidelijk Te maken. De verwezenlijking dat ons hiervoor uitermate geschikt scallion, is heated reeds eerder vermelde huis Sonneveld. Sonneveld is gelegen aan de Jongkindstraat nabij heated museumpark in Rotterdam. De woning werd omstreeks 1933 ontworpen door het architectenbureau Brinkman en Van der Vlugt. You read "Modernisme in de architectuur" in category "Essay examples" Zij hadden eveneens de fabriek ontworpen voor Albertus Sonneveld. Deze laatste was zodoende tevreden digital audiotape hij een verzoek deed om zijn woning ook Te ontwerpen. A. Sonneveld was een vicedirecteur van de Van Nellefabriek in Rotterdam. Door zijn reizen naar Amerika wist hij wat Er zich afspeelde op gebied new wave hygi A ; euml ; ne, luxe en comfort. Van zijn functionalistische architecten verwachte hij ook niet anders dan dat dot ook werd toegepast op zijn woning. De opdrachtgever was gefascineerd door technologie dice het dagelijkse leven kon vereenvoudigen. Huis Sonneveld wordt gekenmerkt door ‘gesamtkunstwerk ‘ . De betrokken architecten hebben weliswaar niet alles zelf ontworpen, maar waren bij moose aspect new wave de woning betrokken. Op deze manier hebben ze doorheen het hele gebouw Hun stempel opdrukken. De woning wordt gekenmerkt door licht, lucht en ruimte. De vaststelling bleek duidelijk door het kijken naar de architectuur, het kleurgebruik en het interieur met modernistisch meubilair. Als we enkel naar het exterieur new wave het gebouw kijken, merken we veel gelijkenissen op met de bekendere designer, Le Corbusier. Huis Sonneveld werd opgebouwd uit drie bouwlagen met bovenop een dakterras. De voor- nut achtergevel zijn witgepleisterd en bevatten bandramen om een relatie Te cre A ; euml ; ren tussen binnen nut buiten. Le Corbusier ontwierp woonmodules gelijkaardig aan waaruit deze woning is opgebouwd. De woonmodules worden op elkaar gestapeld en work forces tracht de buitenwereld binnen Te halen. Vandaag is er niet veel meer new wave Te merken, aangezien de natuurlijke omgeving in Rotterdam heeft plaatsgemaakt voor een museumpark. De toegepaste panoramavensters, het dakterras, de witte gevel en een vrij program, vinden we ook reeds terug in de pijlers van Le Corbusier. Om een vrij program te verzekeren werd een staalskelet toegepast. Betonvloeren verzekerde grotere overspanningen, waarbij work forces de aftekening new wave de bekisting in sommige ruimtes nog zichtbaar liet. Er wordt gespeeld met een verbinding tussen binnen en buiten, deels door een accurate toepassing new wave glas, anderzijds door unfastened elementen te hanteren. Alle vertrekken staan in directe toegang met de tuin of de verscheidene terrassen. Deze verbinding geeft digital audiotape de woning verlengd wordt new wave het interieur naar buiten toe. De ruime en talrijke buitenruimtes bieden lucht en ruimte aan het geheel. Behalve de woning, werd ook de tuin en het volledige interieur ontworpen door de architecten Brinkman en Van der Vlugt. Beschrijving ontwerp De ideologie new wave het modernisme, het Nieuwe Bouwen, is duidelijk terug Te vinden in heated interieur new wave Huis Sonneveld. Zo werd er gebruik gemaakt new wave materialen dice het tijdperk kenmerken. In de woning treffen we betonnen vloeren, stalen kolommen en stalen kozijnen aan. Die kozijnen zijn inmiddels tijdens de restauratie vervangen door aluminum kozijnen. Door de toepassing new wave een stalen skeletbouw werd de woning vrijgesteld new wave dragende wanden. Zoals het werd voorgedaan door Le Corbusier, werd de binnenruimte ingedeeld met een vrij program en bandramen, die een overvloedige lichtinval verzekeren. Het Platte dhak biedt een plaats voor heated dakterras. Van de drie bouwlagen, is de begane grond new wave het huis de enige dice geen woonfunctie bevatte, vergelijkbaar met Villa Savoie new wave Le Corbusier dat enkele jaren voordien werd opgeleverd. Op dot niveau bevond zich de inkom, een garage en de dienstenvertrekken. Ook bevond zich hier de studeerruimte van de dochters Sonneveld. Aan de benedenverdieping te zien, is heated duidelijk digital audiotape het hier om een kapitaalkrachtig gezin ging. De twee bedienden dice steeds aanwezig waren in de woning beschikten over een eigen slaapkamer en een bescheiden leefruimte, afgescheiden new wave de werkgevers. Deze verdieping onderscheidt zich new wave de bovenliggende verdiepingen dice de woning huisvesten van de familie Sonneveld. Work force ontving gasten in de hal, waarna deze via de trap naar de woonvertrekken van het gezin kon worden geleid. Deze brede trap is bekleed met zwart marmer, waar gum elastic op stroken is bevestigd om het geluid Te dempen. De trap draait ALSs een schroef door het hele huis. De centrale as is unfastened en de glanzend chromen leuningen werken ALSs feestelijke serpentines, die de vorm begeleiden. Voor het personeel was er een apart trappenhuis voorzien om zich in alle bescheidenheid over de verdiepingen Te begeven. Deze stond in directe verbinding met de keuken en een elektrische lift voor de afgeleverde goederen. Work force had echt nagedacht over circulatie, privateness en voornamelijk technologie. De indeling new wave deze verdieping werd unfastened opgevat. De ontwerper concipieerde een leefniveau met vloeiende overgangen. Men kiest voor een enkele leefruimte Te ontwerpen, waarbinnen alle handelingen kunnen gebeuren, maar waarbij work forces steeds opteert de connecties van an dere functies te betrekken. Echter blijkt wel digital audiotape Er hier een beetje voorzichtig werd omgesprongen met die openheid. Er is namelijk een afscheidende schuifwand aanwezig. Hierin onderscheidt het Huis Sonneveld zich wel met het modernisme in vergelijking met Le Corbusier, waarbij meer gedurfd wordt Te experimenteren met het vrije program. Aan de andere kant kan dot ook toespelen op de discussie, i.v.m. de leefbaarheid van het modernisme. De schuifwand scheidt namelijk de woonkamer af van de bibliotheek en de eetkamer, waardoor binnen het gezin een soort new wave privateness kan gegarandeerd worden. De meubels dice in deze ruimte zijn geplaatst, werden door de architecten en de opdrachtgever uitgekozen via een catalogus new wave Gispen Dat voor A. Sonneveld technische voorzieningen een vereiste was, is eerder al vermeld. Maar wat opmerkelijk blijft, is de doorgedrevenheid new wave dice technische voorzieningen. Zo zou de woning vandaag nog steeds beschouwd kunnen worden ALSs een luxewoning. Een ingebouwde luidspreker verbond tien telefoontoestellen, voor de communicatie binnenshuis. Twee andere telefoontoestellen verzorgde communicatie met de buitenwereld. De goederenlift dice zich naast de openhaard bevond, werd gebruikt om hout vanuit de kelder naar boven aan te voeren. De keuken werd op alle manieren ALSs een laboratorium beschouwd. De oorspronkelijke aankleding new wave de keukenkastjes bestond uit stalen deurtjes, die nadien bij restauratie vervangen werden door houten panelen. Ook de aparte circulatie new wave het dienstpersoneel doet dot vermoeden. Vanuit de keuken kon eten worden doorgegeven via een luik naar de eetkamer toe. Op de bovenste verdieping, bevonden zich de grote slaapkamer, kleedkamer en badkamer new wave de ouders evenals de slaapkamers en aparte badkamer new wave de dochters. In deze badkamer waren een ligbad, een lavatory en twee wastafels beschikbaar. Ook was er een logeerkamer en een linnenkamer aanwezig. Op het dhak werd Er ook een dakterras voorzien. Maar ook op de eerste en tweede verdieping waren buitenruimten gecre A ; euml ; erd, onder de vorm new wave balkons. De slaapkamers van de dochters waren beiden ingericht met identieke meubels en hier zijn ingebouwde kasten een deel new wave het geheel. De dochters bezaten elk over een Eigen balkon. Aan de andere kant new wave de gang van deze verdieping bevond zich de riante slaapkamer van de ouders. Deze bezat aan twee zijden een buitenterras. Vanuit de ruime slaapkamer was ook een Eigen badkamer bereikbaar voor de ouders. Deze badkamer symboliseerde in de jaren ’30 de apotheose van het modernisme. Ze was ruimer dan de andere badkamer, bezat eveneens een ligbad. Een ultramoderne Amerikaanse douche vervolledigde het tijdsbeeld. De douche bezat 1 grote douchekop en werd aangevuld met 9 massagesproeikoppen. Vernieuwingen in materialen In het huis werd moeite noch geld gespaard om de nieuwste materialen en technieken voor Te stellen. In tegenstelling tot donkere parketvloeren met handgemaakte tapijten, vindt work forces hier vloeren uit linoleum en gum elastic. De leidingen werden doordacht weggestoken in schachten, die soortgelijk waren aan hedendaagse leidingschachten. Deze detaillering werd nagedaan new wave fabrieksontwerpen. Behalve de studeerkamer van de dochters, werd Er in elke kamer een linoleum of rubberen vloer gelegd. Dit materiaal was in die tijd vrij duur en werd tot dan Department of Energy enkel geplaatst in ziekenhuizen, vanwege zijn hygi A ; euml ; nische kenmerken. Linoleum is ook niet vochtdoorlatend nut werd naar onderhoud toe Ge A ; euml ; xalteerd door gebruikers. De bewoners bevonden dot materiaal eerder kaal en ongezellig. Er werd daarom geopteerd om de ruimte aan te kleden met een heater materiaal, digital audiotape een leefbaarder antwoord bood. Moderne tapijten bleken de geschiktste aankleding. Het meubilair en de verlichting werden door Gispen ontworpen. Meestal ging het over een meubelstuk digital audiotape verkrijgbaar was in de bestaande Handel new wave Gispen, maar sommige meubels werden aangepast aan de visie van de architecten. Gispen begon Al in een vroeg bowl new wave het modernisme Te experimenteren met moderne verlichting. Hij stelde zijn lampontwerpen rain trees uit zuivere vormen. Liefst waren zijn creaties zuiver geometrisch opgebouwd, zoals van een modernist werd geacht. De buislampen, die reeds veel weg hebben new wave TL-lampen, in Huis Sonneveld, zijn van de manus new wave Gispen. Zijn bewondering voor de buisstoelen van Marcel Breuer, zorgde ervoor dat hij zelf begon Te experimenteren met buismeubelen. In 1928 startte de productie van zijn stalen buismeubelen. De stalen buismeubelen paste door vormgeving, functionaliteit en transparantie bij het Nieuwe Bouwen. Door met een minimal aan materiaal een stoel Te ontwerpen werd een unfastened structuur verkregen. Verder maakte een minimalisering new wave stoffering, glanzende chroomafwerking en de toepassing new wave transparante tafelbladen, het mogelijk om de meubels seriematig Te produceren. De serieproductie gaf ook aanleiding om heated produceren new wave een catalogus, waardoor nieuwe meubels toegankelijker werden voor het grote publiek. Het algemene devies ven heated Nieuwe bouwen: â€Å" licht, lucht en ruimte † werd hier wel gealterneerd in een luxe uitvoering ervan: â€Å" sfeer, hygi A ; euml ; ne en comfort † .2 Kenmerken die A. Sonneveld eiste. Het totaalconcept moest ook kloppen en work forces ging zelfs zo ver digital audiotape Er ook serviesgoed en glazen speciaal werden ontworpen. Kleurgebruik Het kleurgebruik werd voor de restauratie geanalyseerd om de juiste kleuren te kunnen weergeven, aangezien de tijd ervoor had gezorgd dat kleuren vervaagden of overschilderd werden. Het kleurenprogramma van Huis Sonneveld werd ontworpen door kunstenaar Bart new wave der Leck. Volgens de restauratiearchitect, Joris Molenaar, kan heated kleurgebruik opgedeeld worden in drie zones. De eerste zone was de woonkamer, de tweede zone betrof de eetkamer en studio en de laatste zone bestond uit de dienstenvertrekken. De woonkamer met bijhorende bibliotheek werd uitgebeeld in aardtinten. Bruin, brons en beige waren de aangenamere versies van heated puristische humor, waar door modernisten zo graag naar werd gegrepen. Elk item new wave deze ruimte werd door een kleurenschema bepaalt, zo zijn de gordijnen, de tapijten en zelfs de schuifwand in diezelfde kleuren. De bekleding new wave de meubels steekt een beetje meer af ten opzichte van de sobere ruimte, maar blijven steeds binnen hetzelfde thema. De volgende kleurgroep spreidt zich over de eetkamer en de studio. In tegenstelling tot het vorige kleurenschema, waar de kleuren aan elkaar aangepast waren, domineren de kleuren de ruimte hier. Primaire kleuren confronteren de pasteltinten die aanwezig zijn. Tenslotte werden de dienstvertrekken uitgevoerd in beige met ALSs accentkleur dieprood. Op de gangen wordt datzelfde ecru gecombineerd met gele deurvlakken. In elk facet new wave het huis is even modern en conceptueel opgevat, zo werd Er opgemerkt digital audiotape de kleedkamer van de ouders en de badkamer van de dochters afweek new wave het kleurenschema. De kleedkamer werd uitgevoerd in appelgroen. De badkamer new wave de meisjes werd dan weer bekleed met bolle tegeltjes in een pastelgroen. Deze twee vertrekken lijken eerder Art Nouveau dan Modernisme. How to cite Modernisme in de architectuur, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Shafron V ASIC [2012] HCA 18-Case-Study-Free-Samples for Students

Questions: Identify the following: 1.Legal terms and their meanings relevant to the case. 2.The major legal Issues area(s) of law in dispute. 3.The relevant law (cases and statutes) relied on by the judge in making his/her decision. 4.The actual decision of the case. Answers: Case Summery Shafron v ASIC [2012] HCA 18 1.The Relevant Facts of the Case: The fact of the case is Mr. Shafron was of the employer in Hardie where he the post of general counsel and company secretary until November, 1998 and in 1999 Mr. Donald Cameron joint the company. The board of the company has found that Mr. Shafron has breached the Sec-180(1) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)[1]. 2.The Major Legal Issues: According to the Sec-180(1) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)[2] defines that the director has goof fait and civil obligation towards the company when they are exercising their powers and duties. The NSW Court of Appeal has found that Mr. Shafron has breach the duties of the participating in decision making process which made the effect the whole company. In this matter he argued that the company secretary has limited duties in decision making[3]. However he mentioned that as a secretary of the company and his capacity of working he did his tasks in Hardie[4]. In the decision making process, a company secretary has the role and responsibility to participate in the process as a decision maker on that decision on the separation proposal of the board[5]. There is no evidence has been found where he can prove that he maintain the responsibilities with care and diligence in the office[6]. Therefore the company has sued Mr. Shafron for breach his secretarial duty towards the office[7]. 3.The Relevant Law: According to the fact and argument of Mr Shafron the court has rejected the argument and claim of him. The Sec- 9 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) defies the term officer who can be director or secretary of the company and has the right to making or participate in decision making process. The Sec- 180(1) defines the directors duty where a director has the right to exercise their power and discharge with proper care and diligence[8]. According to the case study, Mr Shafron is the secretary of the company and he has duty towards the company in decision making where he was argued that he has limited responsibility in decision making[9]. Whereas, the sec- 180(1) defines that he has a proper duty toward the company to making decision[10]. In the case, the court has find that he has breached the Sec-180(1) towards the company and according to the responsibility he must complete his actual responsibilities as the secretary of the company[11]. When the decision making process has been decided he must complete the responsibilities to Hardie and support the finding which duty he has owned. 4.The Actual Decision of the Case: According to the courts finding, Mr Shafron has the duty toward the company as a secretary where he has breached his responsibilities, which affect on the decision of the company[12]. The court has reject his argument and found that due to the lack of responsibility the company was affected[13]. References Barber, Fran. "'Directors Duties' Imposed Below Board Level." (2013). Barber, Fran. "Indirectly directors: Duties owed below the board." Victoria U. Wellington L. Rev. 45 (2014): 27. Campbell, Tiffany. "The obligations and risks imposed on directors by workplace laws." Governance Directions 68.9 (2016): 530. Coffee Jr, John C., Hillary Sale, and M. Todd Henderson. "Securities regulation: Cases and materials." (2015). Hanrahan, Pamela, and Tim Bednall. "Independence of directors affiliated with substantial shareholders: issues of law and corporate governance." COMPANY SEC. LJ 33 (2015): 239. Keay, Andrew. "The shifting of directors' duties in the vicinity of insolvency." International Insolvency Review 24.2 (2015): 140-164. Langford, Rosemary Teele, Ian Ramsay, and Michelle Anne Welsh. "The origins of company directors' statutory duty of care." (2015). OReilly, Trish, and Bill Turner. "Duty of care in Africa: What does it really mean?." Australia's Paydirt 1.219 (2014): 48. Peden, Elisabeth. "Civil and criminal liability of directors and officers of sporting clubs." Commercial Law Quarterly: The Journal of the Commercial Law Association of Australia 31.1 (2017): 12. Shafron v Australian Securities and Investments Commission [2012] HCA 18. 247 CLR 465; 86 ALJR 584; 286 ALR 612 Van Tonder, Jan Louis. "An analysis of the directors' duty to act in the best interests of the company, through the lens of the business judgment rule." Obiter 36.3 (2015): 702-724. Varzaly, Jenifer. "The Enforcement of Directors Duties in Australia: An Empirical Analysis." European Business Organization Law Review 16.2 (2015): 281-319 Shafron v Australian Securities and Investments Commission [2012] HCA 18. 247 CLR 465; 86 ALJR 584; 286 ALR 612 Langford, Rosemary Teele, Ian Ramsay, and Michelle Anne Welsh. "The origins of company directors' statutory duty of care." (2015). Hanrahan, Pamela, and Tim Bednall. "Independence of directors affiliated with substantial shareholders: issues of law and corporate governance." COMPANY SEC. LJ 33 (2015): 239. Campbell, Tiffany. "The obligations and risks imposed on directors by workplace laws." Governance Directions 68.9 (2016): 530. Barber, Fran. "Indirectly directors: Duties owed below the board." Victoria U. Wellington L. Rev. 45 (2014): 27. Campbell, Tiffany. "The obligations and risks imposed on directors by workplace laws." Governance Directions 68.9 (2016): 530. Barber, Fran. "'Directors Duties' Imposed Below Board Level." (2013). Langford, Rosemary Teele, Ian Ramsay, and Michelle Anne Welsh. "The origins of company directors' statutory duty of care." (2015). Hanrahan, Pamela, and Tim Bednall. "Independence of directors affiliated with substantial shareholders: issues of law and corporate governance." COMPANY SEC. LJ 33 (2015): 239. Barber, Fran. "'Directors Duties' Imposed Below Board Level." (2013). Campbell, Tiffany. "The obligations and risks imposed on directors by workplace laws." Governance Directions 68.9 (2016): 530. Hanrahan, Pamela, and Tim Bednall. "Independence of directors affiliated with substantial shareholders: issues of law and corporate governance." COMPANY SEC. LJ 33 (2015): 239. Langford, Rosemary Teele, Ian Ramsay, and Michelle Anne Welsh. "The origins of company directors' statutory duty of care." (2015).

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Why Did the West Imperialize East Asian Countries Essay Example

Why Did the West Imperialize East Asian Countries? Essay Why Did the West Imperialize East Asian Countries? : A positive or negative effect. Claire Lay East Asian History Rogers 10-1-2012 It was Marco Polos tales of encountering China for the first time, and talk of Asian spices, accounts of exotic raw materials, agriculture, new technology, and a large consumer population that that first enticed western ideals. Since the late 13th and early 14th centuries, missionaries have been back and forth through Asia spreading the Christian word; all though it was truly was Polo’s grand tales that spiked westerners’ interests in Asia. According to the dictionary imperialism is defined as, the policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies, though some mite define it as an unequal and possible an unwanted dominative relationship between one nation and another. The true question is; did imperialism have a positive or negative effect on these East Asian countries? According to our book Westernization became popular and in 1890 Japan, from the style of clothing to even writing a western style constitution, also leading China to do the same. Imperialism, while invasive, did bring civilization and economic affluence to many third-world countries. â€Å"Modern transportation and communications technologies, such as the steamship, the railway, and the telegraph, knit the planet together, more tightly than ever before†[1]Western Imperialism introduced Asia to new western technologies, philosophies, and commercial markets. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Did the West Imperialize East Asian Countries? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Why Did the West Imperialize East Asian Countries? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Why Did the West Imperialize East Asian Countries? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Some could say that at the time the majority of East Asia was willing to accept the west’s intrusion, having a seemingly positive effect on the area. Originally Western Imperialism in Asia was intended for establishing new colonies, but in time it became way to secure new commercial markets for western made products and raw materials to feed back to their industrial industries[2]. â€Å"In eighteenth-century wave of westernization foreshadowed the current phenomenon of globalization in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries†[3]. By the 19th century, there was vast western imperialism throughout Asia; this is when westernization and imperialism began to take a negative turn ecologically for both Asia and the West. It was the large military presences used reinforce Imperialism throughout the world that put financial stress on many western nations. The overall cost of keeping up a foreign military and governments, and the time and money put into reinforcing them, left a financial burden on the West. The Chinese did not buy enough western products to counterbalance the flow of income leaving western markets. The west even put money into schools and institutions for Asians to learn western knowledge, and it was this mistake that made it only a matter of time before these suppressed societies used that knowledge to break free from western imperialism, Some Asian nations developed anti-western/anti-imperialism sentiment, eventually leading to many outbursts of economical and political confrontations such as the Opium Wars, domestic rebellions, all the way to the 1911 Revolution. In East Asia, the peak period of Westernization actually did not arrive until the early 20th century, but the deep forces underlying these changes had intruded much earlier[4]. The ecological and political effects of imperialism were different throughout the world, and led to the disruption and dislocation of many small societies throughout East Asia and the rest of the world, Europeans basically drew haphazard and illogical lines on their colonial maps of East Asia to establish their own territories, built massive manufacturing factories, and disrupted East Asia’s’ natural territories and pristine environment; the traditional societies were replaced by European businessmen, European militia, and investors. At first when it occurs it may seem to be positive effect, but in the long run, for example in this case it was a negative effect, but by the end of the 20th century the West was left with a large monetary deficit, and East Asia suffered with basically a dictatorship from the West, both were left with an up and coming war on their hands. Colonies in East Asia were heavily exploited and were given no rights to do anything, even though the West gave them modern culture. Colonies inside colonies would fight because they wanted independence and have their own government and rule. There were many ethnics group that had nationalistic feelings but could not accomplish anything and become a free nation because of Imperialism. In conclusion, there were many pros and cons of imperialism for both East Asia and the West. In my opinion both the West and East Asia suffered mostly negative effects of Westernization and imperialism. Works Cited Michael Schroeder. The Twentieth Century and Beyond: A Global History. McGraw-Hill Companies,Inc. , 2007. Holocombe, Charles. A History of East Asia: From the Origins of Civilization to the Twenty-First Century. Cambridge University Press, 2010. [ 1 ]. Holcombe, A History of East Asia, 191. [ 2 ]. Goff, Moss, Terry, Upshur, the 20th Century: A Brief Global History, 68. [ 3 ]. Holcombe, A History of East Asia, 191. [ 4 ]. Holcombe, A history of East Asia, 191.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Gifted Children and Poverty Sociology Essay

Gifted Children and Poverty Sociology Essay Gifted Children and Poverty Sociology Essay Gifted Children and Poverty Sociology Essay Poverty is the universal issue, which is affecting many areas of life in the zones of political and economic instability and in emerging and developed countries. In particular, poverty may be the most important factor impacting attainment of high achievements in education amongst other student differences. While not all schools have students of diverse ethnicity, race, and religion background, almost all schools would have some students who are living in poverty conditions. Hence, there is a need to give individual support to high-ability, low-income students (Burney Beilke, 2008). This topic is important to research because poverty is not so easily identifiable as a factor in the field of gifted education. There are numerous research studies on the impact of such elements as ethnicity, race, gender, cultural background, language, or school location on students’ high achievement. The importance to research the topic of the paper lies in the fact that it is not easy to identify prospective high-achieving students who, in addition, may be living in poverty. This is detrimental to the principals of equal opportunities given in education and the complication is that poverty may have a high impact on students’ performance. This research can be justified by its practical use in classrooms, in particular, supporting the belief in one’s own ability to master tasks, which can be influenced by motivating activities. It is very important to give stimulation in order to boost confidence of gifted students in poverty, for instance, by giving them challenging tasks. It has been determined that for those students who demonstrate high ability, their personal beliefs of own competence are often at the core of gaining motivation and, therefore, leading to exercising control in achieving high performance (Burney Beilke, 2008). The Impact of Poverty on Students’ Achievement The up-to-date research in the area of the impact of poverty on gifted students’ achievement contains philosophical beliefs and empirical research applicable to the issue. It also contains recommendations to help teachers boost the confidence of gifted youth and ensure the equity of education as an important part of equity in the democratic society, which nurtures its future. This analysis is particularly relevant in the field of gifted education. For the purpose of this research, four current scholarly articles have been selected, summarized, and analyzed. Burney and Beilke (2008) have focused on the definition of poverty as it relates to various areas of family life and argue that its implication is by far broader than purely financial limitations. The case under analysis is comprised of a socially underprivileged locality school with statistically 65 per cent of students living under the established poverty line and almost 100 per cent of students of Afro-American background. These students were given a chance to attain a cost-free college education, but only under the condition that they successfully graduate from school. Surprisingly, the outcome of such program was far from expected: in that particular year less students successfully graduated from school in comparison to the previous years (Burney Beilke, 2008). Some of the limiting circumstances, which are directly connected to poverty, have been identified in relation to gifted students with the main one being limited access to the resources that are required to build foundational skills for successful further studies and motivation. This refers to financial resources and common family interests and moral support required to support gifted children. In the ethnically and culturally diverse community, the myth of difference in values in different cultures may prompt an unnecessary belief and stereotype that a representative of certain cultural background places less value on education and success, which may lead to overlooking gifted children from those cultures. It is interesting that the findings of Burney and Beilke of Ball State University (2008) are confirmed in the earlier research of Baldwin of Connecticut State University (2004), precisely that children from poor households are underrepresented in the state and school Gifted Program s and various rigorous courses. Baldwin refers to the professional magazine Gifted Child Quarterly where there was an ongoing discussion and dialogues devoted to the lack of culturally diverse and underrepresented community groups’ students over the past five decades. Although this clearly demonstrates that there is a major concern about this issue, there was only a superficial analysis of many influential issues and variables. These issues can be grouped into three major topics: identification and selection of gifted students, curriculum and programming, and the choice of teaching staff along with their professional development (Baldwin, 2004). Baldwin has conducted a case research with the outcome, which has largely undermined the scoring of IQ and overall attitudes existing in education towards underprivileged children. This case study has shown the outcome of stimulating students in the classroom on the basis of 100 per cent Afro-American group of students who previously did not reach the IQ score of gifted students. It has turned out that the research has undermined the validity of IQ scores results, which basically determines if students are gifted. In this particular case, 24 students were identified who would not have been admitted to a Gifted Program, but for the teacher who would have advocated them by recognizing their potential and developing a motivational environment to pursue their innate abilities (Baldwin, 2004). It is worth noting that this case study can be applicable to a mixed group of students, not only of Afro-American descent. The key to the research is that with the motivation, the potential of stude nts can be identified and encouraged to flourish, thus bringing them to the Gifted Program. Later in this paper, it will be recommended in what ways this motivation can be applied in the conventional classroom approach. The grey area is the approach to giftedness and conceptions about the ways intelligence is demonstrated. Students with poor background may have such talents and gifts that might manifest in other ways, which are not recognized in the system of traditional values and behaviors. For instance, some of these manifestations may be in the field of creativity and expression, but due to the student’s vocabulary choice and poor grammar and the lack of social experience, their talent may not be acknowledged as one of the indicators of their potential talent. Some of the knowledge of students from poor background like, for example, sports, music, and other culture may not be considered as a valuable knowledge. Complex domestic environment may stimulate development of negotiation and communication skills, which are used to solve problems and avoid conflict, but are not recognized in the criteria for Gifted Programs (Slocumb Payne, 2000). Even when students from poverty are placed in the Gifted Program, risks exist, which can impede on their learning and progression in these programs. Some of them are the feeling of inadequacy as compared to wealthier students, low confidence, and poor self-image and they may stay in the way of student’s academic success. Not less important is the students’ lack of financial resources to gain access to learning materials, which are necessary to perform up to the academic expectations of the Gifted Program. Social status in the group of gifted students and the fact that some of the established friends are not in this program present further constraints on the ease of access of gifted education for the poor. There are many hidden undercurrents to poverty, which are not directly obvious to teachers and they can lead to teachers trying to remove the child from the program for the benefit of a group rather than trying to make necessary adjustments. The possible lack of help a nd support from family members may be another complication when any issues need a three-way discussion with the teacher, student, and family (Slocumb Payne, 2000). Critique and Recommendations Designing a suitable Gifted Program in school is often dependable on the identified number of gifted students and, therefore, on financial and other resources. While some areas have schools with enough students to offer such special Gifted Program within the school, others may have identified a small number of their students as gifted and this may be related to the community where this school operates. Some schools may have additional pull-out hours for gifted students, which may be insufficient to address the need and not serve the purpose of the Gifted Program. Even those schools that have a full Gifted Program face challenges, in particular, in the way of support for teachers. In terms of developing the potential of gifted students, their awareness of their own high potential is required for their high performance; at the same time, it is not a guarantee of such performance. A stronger motivation is needed from teachers to help students develop and up-keep their efforts and hard work to attributing high achievements. High grades and achievement are potentially leading to the likelihood of enrolling students to post-secondary courses and further lead to improved chances for obtaining a well-paid job and overall increased earnings, thus breaking the cycle of poverty. Better education can give prospects for students to escape the limitations of poverty not only for themselves, but for their families, parents, and future generations. Strategies for success in reviewing the Gifted Education Program include the importance of early identification and intervention in the overall improved general school program, changed perceptions of intelligence, and allowing for more flexible access to Gifted Programs. On an individual level, developing strength and resilience of students who are prepared to exercise high efforts and commitment along with attracting and recognizing the important role of the family support are important points to be stressed in the improvement of the Gifted Program strategy. Along with recognizing the need for improvement of the Gifted Education policy, the following recommendation can be made in the existing programs: Ensure effectiveness of identification and then placement of students from minority groups and possible preparatory classes for gifted programs; Review flexibility of teaching strategies and curriculum design, which would be the most effective for students from various cultural backgrounds; Involve the community in supporting poorer students demonstrating high ability; Review the current IQ tests and, possibly, remove its major role as an indicator for the giftedness; Review the role of creativity as one of the assessment tools for high potential identification. It should be said that poverty is the world issue and it will undoubtedly take many years to be resolved. The new globalized environment has brought along the faster pace, increasing technical progress and making the world smaller with integrated borders. One of the benefits of globalization is the fact that it has increased wealth, however, not for everyone and not everywhere. The existing poverty generates poor nutrition, poor hygiene living conditions, less employment chances, and more diseases. In the social sphere, which can also be evident in schools, children from poor background can experience bullying due to† low status† and depression, to name a few. British politician Peter Hain said that globalization presented opportunities. When well managed, it will help in driving forward efforts for building prosperity and diminishing poverty. Badly managed, it is bound to increase the gap between the rich and the poor (Cole, 2012, p. 7). Educators have to put their best efforts in order to help reduce this gap between the rich and the poor on the foundation level.

Friday, November 22, 2019

American Revolution and the Battle of the Chesapeake

American Revolution and the Battle of the Chesapeake The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes, was fought September 5, 1781, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Fleets and Leaders Royal Navy Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves19 ships of the line French Navy Rear Admiral Comte de Grasse24 ships of the line Background Prior to 1781, Virginia had seen little fighting as the majority operations had taken place far to the north or further south. Early that year, British forces, including those led by traitor Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, arrived in the Chesapeake and commenced raiding. These were later joined by Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis army which had marched north following its bloody victory at the Battle of Guilford Court House. Taking command of all British forces in the region, Cornwallis soon received a confusing string of orders from his superior in New York City, General Sir Henry Clinton. While initially campaigning against American forces in Virginia, including those led by the Marquis de Lafayette, he was later instructed to establish a fortified base at a deep-water port. Assessing his options, Cornwallis elected to utilize Yorktown for this purpose. Arriving at Yorktown, VA, Cornwallis constructed earthworks around the town and built fortifications across the York River at Gloucester Point.    Fleets in Motion During the summer, General George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau requested that Rear Admiral Comte de Grasse bring his French fleet north from the Caribbean for a potential strike against either New York City or Yorktown. After extensive debate, the latter target was chosen by the allied Franco-American command with the understanding that de Grasses ships were necessary to prevent Cornwallis escaping by sea. Aware that de Grasse intended to sail north, a British fleet of 14 ships of the line, under Rear Admiral Samuel Hood, also departed the Caribbean. Taking a more direct route, they arrived at the mouth of the Chesapeake on August 25. That same day, a second, smaller French fleet led by the  Comte de Barras departed Newport, RI carrying siege guns and equipment. In an effort to avoid the British, de Barras took a circuitous route with the goal of reaching Virginia and uniting with de Grasse. Not seeing the French near the Chesapeake, Hood decided to continue on to New York to join with Rear Admiral Thomas Graves. Arriving at New York, Hood found that Graves only had five ships of the line in battle condition. Combining their forces, they put to sea heading south towards Virginia. While the British were uniting to the north, de Grasse arrived in the Chesapeake with 27 ships of the line. Quickly detaching three ships to blockade Cornwallis position at Yorktown, de Grasse landed 3,200 soldiers and anchored the bulk of his fleet behind Cape Henry, near the mouth of the bay. The French Put to Sea On September 5, the British fleet appeared off the Chesapeake and sighted the French ships around 9:30 AM. Rather than swiftly attack the French while they were vulnerable, the British followed the tactical doctrine of the day and moved into a line ahead formation. The time required for this maneuver allowed the French to recover from the surprise of the British arrival which had seen many of their warships caught with large portions of their crews ashore. Also, it allowed de Grasse to avoid entering battle against an adverse wind and tidal conditions. Cutting their anchor lines, the French fleet emerged from the bay and formed for battle. As the French exited from the bay, both fleets angled towards each other as they sailed east. A Running Fight As wind and sea conditions continued to change, the French gained the advantage of being able to open their lower gun ports while the British were prevented from doing so without risking water entering their ships. Around 4:00 PM, the vans (lead sections) in each fleet opened fired on their opposite number as the range closed. Though the vans were engaged, a shift in the wind made it difficult for each fleets center and rear to close within range. On the British side, the situation was further hampered by contradictory signals from Graves. As the fighting progressed, the French tactic of aiming for masts and rigging bore fruit as HMS Intrepid (64 guns) and HMS Shrewsbury (74) both fell out of line. As the vans pummeled each other, many of the ships to their rear never were able to engage the enemy. Around 6:30 PM the firing ceased and the British withdrew to windward. For the next four days, the fleets maneuvered within sight of each other. However, neither sought to renew the battle . On the evening of September 9, de Grasse reversed his fleets course, leaving the British behind, and returned to the Chesapeake. Upon arriving, he found reinforcements in the form of 7 ships of the line under de Barras. With 34 ships of the line, de Grasse had full control of the Chesapeake, eliminating Cornwallis hopes for evacuation. Trapped, Cornwallis army was besieged by the combined army of Washington and Rochambeau. After over two weeks of fighting, Cornwallis surrendered on October 17, effectively ending the American Revolution. Aftermath and Impact During the Battle of the Chesapeake, both fleets suffered approximately 320 casualties. In addition, many of the ships in the British van were heavily damaged and unable to continue fighting. Though the battle itself was tactically inconclusive, it was a massive strategic victory for the French. By drawing the British away from the Chesapeake, the French eliminated any hope of rescuing Cornwalliss army. This in turn allowed for the successful siege of Yorktown, which broke the back of British power in the colonies and led to American independence.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

State about your story Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

State about your story - Assignment Example Unlike many other subjects, mathematics is among the subjects that find application in almost all areas of life. As a student interested in a career involving mathematics, I find it necessary to pursue mathematics major in country where mathematics is a flourishing field of research. The skills and knowledge one acquires by studying mathematics apply to all aspects of life, and are not just limited to the career chosen. I believe that by studying mathematics, I have the chance to grow into a competent individual who can contribute positively to the society. In addition, studying in the United States gives me an opportunity to interact with students from different backgrounds. This is important for my development not only as a mathematician but also as a social being. Given that I have an ambition to work in the insurance field, I believe that taking mathematics major will prepare me adequately to work in this sector. One of the skills acquired through the study of mathematics is data acquisition and analysis. This is an example of the skills that can be applied in the field of insurance and finance. By solving mathematics problems, I will develop analytical skills that help grow my mind and thinking processes. Mathematics will enhance my ability to pay attention to detail, and this will be important for my future career in the insurance field. As an analyst, the knowledge acquired through the study of mathematics will be critical. Analysts are required to analyze large volumes of data, and make conclusions and decisions based on this data. By studying mathematics, I will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to become an analyst in future. Mathematics is a subject that mainly involves numbers and figures, and understanding how they are applied. For example, as an analyst, I need skills such as linear regression in order to effectively analyze financial data. Mathematics major provides the necessary foundation for acquiring such skills and also

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Research paper in Internet Activism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research paper in Internet Activism - Essay Example Thus besides entertainment, such information is critical for education and informative purposes. The use of social networks has particularly had diverse impacts on the populations’ perceptions of relative social themes. The objectivity and reliability of relative information has been in most cases compromised by the subjective nature of the contributions made by various factions of the society. Most importantly, this tendency has had direct impacts on the social ties that the society holds in high regard. Through face-book, you-tube, my space and other social networks, important information has been relayed to populations across the globe. Apart from educators, activists have employed social media to reach various factions of the population and communicate important issues to these. Through these, they have been able to understand and appreciate the views of the global populations about emergent social issues. Perhaps the most critical information pertains to that relating to sensitive issues that affect the populations in different ways. Besides being instrumental in informing the public, these social networks have in most cases undermined the credibility of the information relayed across. It is against this background that this paper provides an explicit review of internet activism in light of the Kohn 2012 video. To address inherent concerns, it greatly relies on secondary research. The internet has become the latest technological tool through which information is passed on to the population within the shortest time possible. According to research, it only requires a single click to publish important information about emergent issues and concerns within the society. It is pervasive as exemplified by Giridharadas who cites the Kenyan Ushahidi initiative stating it has â€Å"been used in India to monitor elections; in Africa to report medicine shortages; in the Middle East to collect reports of wartime violence; and in Washington† (Giridharadas, 3). Through social networks, this is visible to a diverse population who have subscribed to the relative services. Likewise, these are able to present their views on the particular issue within the shortest period possible. It only requires access to internet and knowledge about its use to utilize this facility. The first world countries have taken immense practical steps to ensure that their populations have access to the electronic infrastructure. Although the third world countries such as Kenya and Uganda have not readily succeeded in enhancing the use of internet, use of phones has really been useful. According to Zuckerman â€Å"the most important activist technology of the last five years is the mobile phone â€Å". Specifically, the use of Short Text messaging provision has been important in information dissemination in third world economies. Through this, populations are able to communicate useful insights regarding wide ranging issues to a diverse population base. The lau nch of Kony 2012 video in March, 2012 triggered various arguments and controversies about the credibility of use of social media in activism. Initially, the intention of this online video was to raise awareness about the leader of Lord’s resistance army, Joseph Kony. Towards the end of the video, viewers were requested to help in different was to capture the war lord so that he could face the law. The video spread so fast and within six days, it had been viewed by a significant one

Saturday, November 16, 2019

English Legal System vs Inequalities between Individuals and Groups Essay Example for Free

English Legal System vs Inequalities between Individuals and Groups Essay English Legal System vs Inequalities between Individuals and Groups Introduction Does The English Legal System Do Enough To Address Inequalities Between Individuals And Groups?            Addressing inequalities are a vital aspect of any government legal system, not only for the economic growth and for the development of the goals such as the millennium goals, but also for security and peace perspective. The legal system of English has not been left aside in the fight against inequalities among its citizens. This is the system of law that has developed in England. Horizontal inequalities have developed and increased among people globally and England has been affected. The inequalities are taken as increasing factor to the risk of violence, conflict, which can in turn worsen the inequalities among people or groups (Haskel Slaugther, 1999).            This paper looks into how and what the English Legal System is undertaking in the fight against inequalities among groups of people or individuals. There are increasing concerns about persistent and often rising inequalities. These inequalities includes aspects such as age, pregnancy and maternity, disability; race, gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership, religion or sexual orientation among other grounds where discrimination can occur. All these grounds of inequalities are applicable to both individuals and groups people. However, each and every legal system in different countries is tasked with the fight against any form of inequality among individuals or groups of people in the society. The English Legal system has been as well on the forefront in the fight against the inequality menace among its people (Pontusson, 2005).            The law has been and continues to be a tool through which essential democratic ideals have been expressed not only in the English legal system but also in other legal systems around the globe. The egalitarian ideals expressed include the same employment chances, equal right of entry into schooling among many other aspects. Simultaneously, the legal system is on its own a site of unusual discrimination, as discovered in different degree of access of first-class legal aid, discrepancy in arrest rates, or disparity in sentencing. The researches within this field attend show how good has the English legal system done to address the issues of inequalities between individuals and groups of people. Hence, law can be used as a mechanism for equalization and in turn can produce or express inequality as well (International Labor Office, 2007).            Disparity in the legal system, the main question behind the issue of inequality is whether the law is applied fairly to all members of any group? Courts appointed attorneys providing a sufficient protection for their needy clients? Is the death judgment more likely to be forced on African Americans than on whites? Who bears the brunt of the notable increase in the detention rate? When the prisoners re released from the jails, do their potential employers discriminate against them this creating an even larger underclass? In addition, how has the increase in the number of privatized prisons affected how captives are handled? How has it altered the political process (e.g. Entrance by the prison industry) that manages how large our imprisoned residents will be? Discrimination could be integrated as a concern into goals and targets on different sectoral/thematic issues such as (politics, security, justice, poverty, education and health), through speech stressing additio n, fairness, accountability and responsiveness to all social groups throughout the framework is essential in the English legal system (Witte Green, 2012).            There is numerous discrimination by type that is experienced amongst people in the United Kingdom. These include: age, disability, equal pay or compensation, religion, retaliation, sex and sexual harassment, genetic information, harassment, national origin, pregnancy, race/color,. One of the major areas of concern in the English legal system is the issue of inequality among the disabled people in the community. Not only in the United Kingdom, there has been a unison call from all the corners of the world from the people and groups of people for the disabled people to be respected in the society just like the normal individuals in the community. There have been campaigns all over the globe fighting for the rights of the disabled people. This has been dubbed as disability discrimination, which has resulted in inequality between different people in the society. According to Equality Act 2010, disability discrimination is when a disabled person is treated less favorabl y than a non-disabled person, and is treated in this way for a reason arising from their disability, and the treatment cannot be justified (Keister et all, 2012).            The fight against disability discrimination, in the United Kingdom has been defined by numerous acts in the English legal system. These include ‘The Equality Act 2010’ this provides disabled people with protection from discrimination in the workplace. England and Wales have had laws against, against discrimination since the 1960’s. For example, the Race Relations Acts of 1965, 1968 as well as that of 1976, all of which outlawed race inequity among groups of people or individually. In addition, there is also the 1970 Equal Pay Act and the ‘Sex Discrimination Act’ of 1975 which themselves proscribed discrimination in the line of gender. Moreover, there was the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which outlawed disability discrimination. Putting all of these acts together, in the year 2010, all, the anti-discrimination laws were confined together under one Act, namely the Equality Act 2010 (Chant, 2010).            The English Legal System comprises one of the greatest tools for people with disabilities, in order to ensure and also protect their fundamental rights. According to the ‘Equality Act 2010’ section 6 disability is defined as a ‘person who have an impairment either physically or mentally, however, the impairment should have substantial adverse as well as the lasting effects on their capability to perform their normal daily activities’. Under the act, there is direct disability discrimination as well as indirect form of discrimination. Section 15 of the Equality Act forbids the  unfavorable treatment  of a disabled person where the reason for the unfavorable treatment is not the disability itself, but something that comes up as a result of the disability (Partington, 2014).            Despite the wide and all inclusive act in the fight against disability inequality in the United Kingdom, there have been numerous cases reported of disability inequality among people, more so in the private sector of employment. The government has, however, embarked on the massive implementation of disability discrimination laws. Some of the achievements that have been beneficial to the fight against disability inequality in the United Kingdom are the implementation of the required facilities for the disabled in order for them to access services. This includes laws in building and constructions, whereby public buildings should be accessible to the disabled; this is through revision of the relevant facilities and services such as no stairs, washrooms for the disables among others. In addition, an important issue for some disabled people is the provision of adaptations of dwellings to improve safety, mobility and quality of life. Effective adaptations can lead to red uced pain and enhanced well being, self-esteem and control. Hence it can be said that the English legal system has done quite a lot in the fight against inequality among the disabled people or groups and in turn more should be implemented in terms law, implementation for the complete acceptance of the disabled people. The most affected sector where inequality is most felt is through employment (Fafinski Finch, 2008).            Another aspect that has given rise to inequality is the United Kingdom is the religious identification or differing peoples beliefs. According to human rights and anti-discrimination legislation in the UK, every person has the right to hold their own beliefs as well as any other philosophical beliefs that are similar to religion or beliefs. Under the Equality Act 2006, it is or prohibited or illegal for someone to differentiate or discriminate against another person or a group of people because of their religion or belief or else for the reason that, they have no religion or belief (Elliott, 2012).            There has been a case of religious discrimination in the United Kingdom, especially the issue of Britain’s divided schools that has been a disturbing portrait of inequality. With the increased differences between the Middle East countries and the western especially between the Muslims and other religions groups. In many cases, there has been a correlation between the increasing trend in terrorism and the Muslim religion. This has resulted in the inequality between the Arabs/Muslims in the UK and other people especially whites. Advance in achieving liberty of religion or belief and thwarting inequity based on religion or belief in the place of work and in public services has been widely advocated in the United Kingdom. Equally, the capability to draw conclusion continues to be stalled by Government’s reluctance to distinguish between the various Christian denominations, when recording people’s religious profession, either in the population censu s or the Labor Force Survey (Boaler, 2011).            Generally, the act on equality, human rights and religion or belief has been interpreted watchfully in domestic tribunals and courts as according to section 5.3 of the equality act. While some indirect inequity claims relating to dress codes and working hours have been successful, most claims based on religion have failed. This is largely because courts have mostly found that intrusion with the autonomy of belief or religion under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is not easily recognized. Over the years, religious conviction has played a less leading role in public culture. Temporarily, the rival status hierarchies have fallen away. The meritocratic ladder of specialized success is pretty much the only one left standing. We can see a correlation between inequality and religious faith (Warren, 2006).            The presence of religious diversity in today’s times in the United Kingdom has resulted in increased contact between religious, which has sometimes revealed deep-rooted stereotyping and prejudice, which in turn leads to tension and sometimes conflict between individuals or groups of people in the community. Indeed, religion is an indispensable component in the identity of some of the groups that make up our society, however, it has also been connected with stereotypes or depressing preconception, including the assumption of a so-called ‘clash of civilizations. Political events and popular discourse have repeatedly been revealed in the media and have negatively linked terrorism and Islam. This has in turn prejudiced social attitudes and led to a Renaissance of religious and racial discrimination in the community and most public places. A latest information on the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) found that Muslims are often fat alities of inequity, negative stereotyping and of manifestations of prejudice and hatred. These take the form of verbal threats and physical attacks on people and property and racial and mostly religion affiliation profiling (Oliva, 2008).            The growing visibility of religious and belief variety in Europe and especially United Kingdom has been depicted by an increase in unfairness, inequity, and prejudice against religious and ethnic minorities. While a great deal of development has been achieved, biasness on grounds of racial or ethnic origin and religion is still a problem for many people in our societies, even though this is tricky to accurately measure due to short of data on the religious composition of the inhabitants of the UK, mainly in regard to minority religions. The English Legal system has created a structure of legal tools, policies, and initiatives for fighting religious and racial unfairness and in turn promoting fairness. Nevertheless, it could be argued that the principles of equality and non-discrimination and the respect for the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion have not been fully implemented in all Member States (Lansley, 2012).            Despite the tremendous effort by the government and the vast established English legal law, there are still cases of religion inequality and discrimination within individuals and the UK citizens towards either an individual or a specific group or community. People affiliated to religious minorities, especially migrants; also, experiences disproportionately lower incomes and higher rates of unemployment, as they face problems accessing housing and in turn living in poor environs. They suffer from prejudice and experience exclusion or marginalization in social, political, and economic activity and from unfair treatment in public or social services (Blanden Machin, 2013).            The enactment of the Equality act 2010 in United Kingdom has redefined people’s rights regardless of their religion affiliation. The introduction of the law has targeted all people in the country, and in turn offering the right protection to people. In addition, the human rights movements have been active in fight for the people’s rights and in turn bringing along equality among the countries populace. English Legal system has been deemed as one of the all-inclusive legal system and has been a positive aspect in the fight for equality among the United Kingdom citizens. The ‘Equality Act 2010’ has been drawn-up to deal with inequality and also prevent prejudice against all sorts of people on the basis of ‘protected characteristics’. It brings together several presented laws and aims to make understanding the law simpler. It also introduces a new single public sector equality duty, which requires public bodies to actively advan ce equality. This has enabled the UK government to be able to handle the numerous issues of inequality in the society. In accordance to the question posed ‘whether the ‘English Legal System’ is doing enough to address Inequalities between Individuals and Groups, the answer is YES. Although there has been numerous handles in the full achievement of equality, the government has been able to implement laws that has been effective in curbing inequality. Moreover, the legal system has developed an effective criminal justice system which has enabled in the fight against inequality (Keister et al, 2012).            In conclusion, there are many experiences that remain invisible and ignored within the wider agendas in the fight against inequalities within the English legal system. While the inequalities are widespread and all-encompassing, the legal systems have tried to be all inclusive in solving all forms of inequalities that are experienced within the individuals, and groups in the society. It is clear that there can be an experience of far-reaching inequality, prejudice, favoritism and racism from politicians, the media, and the public. However, numerous recommendations have been made in different chapters for the introduction of ethnic monitoring, for example in health, social work, substance use services and criminal justice. In many of these domains, existing equality and human rights law provides the framework for addressing these injustices, but it needs to be proactively and effectively implemented. References Haskel, J., Slaugther, M. J. (1999).  Trade, technology and U.K. wage inequality. Cambridge, Mass.: National Bureau of Economic Research. Pontusson, J. (2005).  Inequality and prosperity: Social Europe vs. liberal America. Ithaca, NY [u.a.: Cornell Univ. Press. International Labour Office. (2007). Equality at work: Tackling the challenges : global report under the follow up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Geneva: International Labour Office. Witte, J., Green, M. C. (2012). Religion and human rights: An introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Keister, L. A., McCarthy, J., Finke, R. (2012). Religion, work, and inequality. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Pub Limited. Chant, S. (2010). The International Handbook of Gender and Poverty. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Pub.Partington, Martin. (2014). Introduction to the English Legal System 2014-2015. Oxford Univ Pr.Fafinski, S., Finch, E. (2008). English legal system. Harlow: Longman. Elliott, C. (2012). English legal system. Harlow: Pearson. Stephenson, M., Harrison, J. (2011). Unravelling Equality: The Impact of the United Kingdoms Spending Cuts on Women.Political Quarterly,  82(4), 645-650. doi:10.1111/j.1467-923X.2011.02256.x Boaler, J. (2011). Mathematics and science inequalities in the United Kingdom: when elitism, sexism and culture collide.  Oxford Review Of Education,  37(4), 457-484. Warren, T. (2006). Moving beyond the gender wealth gap: On gender, class, ethnicity, and wealth inequalities in the United Kingdom.  Feminist Economics,  12(1/2), 195-219. doi:10.1080/13545700500508502 Oliva, J. (2008). Religious Symbols in the Classroom: A Controversial Issue in the United Kingdom.  Brigham Young University Law Review,  2008(3), 877-896. Lansley, S. (2012). Inequality, the Crash and the Ongoing Crisis.  Political Quarterly,  83(4), 754- 761. doi:10.1111/j.1467-923X.2012.02357.x Blanden, J., Machin, S. (2013). Educational Inequality and The Expansion of United Kingdom Higher Education.  Scottish Journal Of Political Economy,  60(5), 597-598. doi:10.1111/sjpe.12031 Source document

Thursday, November 14, 2019

7 Deadly Sins Of Fantasy :: essays research papers

Seven Deadly Sins of Fantasy Imagination is the key to the universe. In order for one to use it, they may create a world of their own. Fantasy literature uses imagination as its key source, and everyday life as its secondary. Not one element can bring a piece of the art form together. Society lives on both factors as well. Fantasy art can either make or brake a world, just by the ideas and thoughts that are used with the imagination. This fantasized world is mainly inspired by reality and especially religious beliefs. Considering that fantasy literature is one of the oldest works, that any period of history can relate to; many stories seem to be fictional, if analyzed they become parallel to any cultural society. The characters in fantasy art works may represent actual people in everyday life, for example an evil witch may be compared to a mean motherly figure. One major contribution to fairy tales is the religious influence of all societies. Gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, wrath, pride, and lust are the seven most deadliest sins of the Biblical universe, all these examples are related to the idea of temptation, which brings the fairy world happiness. Chesterton wrote, "The whole happiness of fairyland hangs upon a thread, upon one thread. Cinderella may have a dress woven on supernatural looms and blazing with unearthly brilliance; but she must be back when the clock strikes twelve. The king may invite fairies to the christening, but he must invite all the fairies of frightful results will follow. Bluebeard's wife may open all doors but one. A promise is broken to a cat, and the whole world goes wrong. A promise is broken to a yellow dwarf, and the whole world goes wrong. A girl may be the bride of the God of Love himself if Green 2 she never tries to see him; she sees him, and he vanishes away. A girl is given a box on condition she does not open it; she opens it, and all the evils of this world rush out at her. A man and woman are put in a garden on condition that they do not eat one fruit; they eat it, and lose their joy in all the fruits of the earth," (256). "Wrath 1: violent anger: RAGE 2: divine punishment," (Web. dictionary, 609), in other words, revenge. Take Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the wicked stepmother hated her stepdaughter with such anger that she became angry enough to commit violence.

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Lost Symbol Chapter 22-23

CHAPTER 22 Pacing the library, Katherine Solomon pulled back the sleeve of her lab coat and checked her watch. She was not a woman accustomed to waiting, but at the moment, she felt as if her whole world were on hold. She was waiting for Trish's search-spider results, she was waiting for word from her brother, and also, she was waiting for a callback from the man who was responsible for this entire troubling situation. I wish he hadn't told me, she thought. Normally, Katherine was extremely careful about making new acquaintances, and although she had met this man for the first time only this afternoon, he had earned her trust in a matter of minutes. Completely. His call had come this afternoon while Katherine was at home enjoying her usual Sunday- afternoon pleasure of catching up on the week's scientific journals. â€Å"Ms. Solomon?† an unusually airy voice had said. â€Å"My name is Dr. Christopher Abaddon. I was hoping I might speak to you for a moment about your brother?† â€Å"I'm sorry, who is this?† she had demanded. And how did you get my private cell-phone number? â€Å"Dr. Christopher Abaddon?† Katherine did not recognize the name. The man cleared his throat, as if the situation had just become awkward. â€Å"I apologize, Ms. Solomon. I was under the impression your brother had told you about me. I'm his doctor. Your cell number was listed as his emergency contact.† Katherine's heart skipped. Emergency contact? â€Å"Is something wrong?† â€Å"No . . . I don't think so,† the man said. â€Å"Your brother missed an appointment this morning, and I can't reach him on any of his numbers. He never misses appointments without calling, and I'm just a little worried. I hesitated to phone you, but–â€Å" â€Å"No, no, not at all, I appreciate the concern.† Katherine was still trying to place the doctor's name. â€Å"I haven't spoken to my brother since yesterday morning, but he probably just forgot to turn on his cell.† Katherine had recently given him a new iPhone, and he still hadn't taken the time to figure out how to use it. â€Å"You say you're his doctor?† she asked. Does Peter have an illness he's keeping from me? There was a weighty pause on the line. â€Å"I'm terribly sorry, but I've obviously just made a rather serious professional error by calling you. Your brother told me you were aware of his visits to me, but now I see that's not the case.† My brother lied to his doctor? Katherine's concern was now growing steadily. â€Å"Is he sick?† â€Å"I'm sorry, Ms. Solomon, doctor-patient confidentiality precludes me from discussing your brother's condition, and I've already said too much by admitting he is my patient. I'm going to hang up now, but if you hear from him today, please ask him to call me so I know he's okay.† â€Å"Wait!† Katherine said. â€Å"Please tell me what's wrong with Peter!† Dr. Abaddon exhaled, sounding displeased with his mistake. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, I can hear you're upset, and I don't blame you. I'm sure your brother is fine. He was in my office just yesterday.† â€Å"Yesterday? And he's scheduled again today? This sounds urgent.† The man heaved a sigh. â€Å"I suggest we give him a little more time before we–â€Å" â€Å"I'm coming by your office right now,† Katherine said, heading for the door. â€Å"Where are you located?† Silence. â€Å"Dr. Christopher Abaddon?† Katherine said. â€Å"I can look up your address myself, or you can simply give it to me. Either way, I'm coming over.† The doctor paused. â€Å"If I meet with you, Ms. Solomon, would you please do me the courtesy of saying nothing to your brother until I've had a chance to explain my misstep?† â€Å"That's fine.† â€Å"Thank you. My office is in Kalorama Heights.† He gave her an address. Twenty minutes later, Katherine Solomon was navigating the stately streets of Kalorama Heights. She had phoned all of her brother's numbers with no reply. She did not feel overly concerned about her brother's whereabouts, and yet, the news that he was secretly seeing a doctor . . . was troubling. When Katherine finally located the address, she stared up at the building in confusion. This is a doctor's office? The opulent mansion before her had a wrought-iron security fence, electronic cameras, and lush grounds. As she slowed to double-check the address, one of the security cameras rotated toward her, and the gate swung open. Tentatively, Katherine drove up the driveway and parked next to a six-car garage and a stretch limo. What kind of doctor is this guy? As she got out of her car, the front door of the mansion opened, and an elegant figure drifted out onto the landing. He was handsome, exceptionally tall, and younger than she had imagined. Even so, he projected the sophistication and polish of an older man. He was impeccably dressed in a dark suit and tie, and his thick blond hair was immaculately coiffed. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, I'm Dr. Christopher Abaddon,† he said, his voice a breathy whisper. When they shook hands, his skin felt smooth and well tended. â€Å"Katherine Solomon,† she said, trying not to stare at his skin, which was unusually smooth and bronzed. Is he wearing makeup? Katherine felt a growing disquiet as she stepped into the home's beautifully appointed foyer. Classical music played softly in the background, and it smelled as if someone had burned incense. â€Å"This is lovely,† she said, â€Å"although I expected more of . . . an office.† â€Å"I'm fortunate to work out of my home.† The man led her into a living room, where there was a crackling fire. â€Å"Please make yourself comfortable. I'm just steeping some tea. I'll bring it out, and we can talk.† He strode toward the kitchen and disappeared. Katherine Solomon did not sit. Female intuition was a potent instinct that she had learned to trust, and something about this place was making her skin crawl. She saw nothing that looked anything like any doctor's office she had ever seen. The walls of this antique-adorned living room were covered with classical art, primarily paintings with strange mythical themes. She paused before a large canvas depicting the Three Graces, whose nude bodies were spectacularly rendered in vivid colors. â€Å"That's the original Michael Parkes oil.† Dr. Abaddon appeared without warning beside her, holding a tray of steaming tea. â€Å"I thought we'd sit by the fire?† He led her over to the living room and offered her a seat. â€Å"There's no reason to be nervous.† â€Å"I'm not nervous,† Katherine said entirely too quickly. He gave her a reassuring smile. â€Å"Actually, it is my business to know when people are nervous.† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"I'm a practicing psychiatrist, Ms. Solomon. That is my profession. I've been seeing your brother for almost a year now. I'm his therapist.† Katherine could only stare. My brother is in therapy? â€Å"Patients often choose to keep their therapy to themselves,† the man said. â€Å"I made a mistake by calling you, although in my defense, your brother did mislead me.† â€Å"I . . . I had no idea.† â€Å"I apologize if I made you nervous,† he said, sounding embarrassed. â€Å"I noticed you studying my face when we met, and yes, I do wear makeup.† He touched his own cheek, looking self- conscious. â€Å"I have a dermatological condition, which I prefer to hide. My wife usually puts the makeup on for me, but when she's not here, I have to rely on my own heavy touch.† Katherine nodded, too embarrassed to speak. â€Å"And this lovely hair . . .† He touched his lush blond mane. â€Å"A wig. My skin condition affected my scalp follicles as well, and all my hair jumped ship.† He shrugged. â€Å"I'm afraid my one sin is vanity.† â€Å"Apparently mine is rudeness,† Katherine said. â€Å"Not at all.† Dr. Abaddon's smile was disarming. â€Å"Shall we start over? Perhaps with some tea?† They sat in front of the fire and Abaddon poured tea. â€Å"Your brother got me in the habit of serving tea during our sessions. He said the Solomons are tea drinkers.† â€Å"Family tradition,† Katherine said. â€Å"Black, please.† They sipped their tea and made small talk for a few minutes, but Katherine was eager for information about her brother. â€Å"Why was my brother coming to you?† she asked. And why didn't he tell me? Admittedly, Peter had endured more than his fair share of tragedy in his life–losing his father at a young age, and then, within a span of five years, burying his only son and then his mother. Even so, Peter had always found a way to cope. Dr. Abaddon took a sip of tea. â€Å"Your brother came to me because he trusts me. We have a bond beyond that of normal patient and doctor.† He motioned to a framed document near the fireplace. It looked like a diploma, until Katherine spied the double-headed phoenix. â€Å"You're a Mason?† The highest degree, no less. â€Å"Peter and I are brothers of sorts.† â€Å"You must have done something important to be invited into the thirty-third degree.† â€Å"Not really,† he said. â€Å"I have family money, and I give a lot of money to Masonic charities.† Katherine now realized why her brother trusted this young doctor. A Mason with family money, interested in philanthropy and ancient mythology? Dr. Abaddon had more in common with her brother than she had initially imagined. â€Å"When I asked why my brother came to you,† she said, â€Å"I didn't mean why did he choose you. I meant, why is he seeking the services of a psychiatrist?† Dr. Abaddon smiled. â€Å"Yes, I know. I was trying to sidestep the question politely. It's really not something I should be discussing.† He paused. â€Å"Although I must say I'm puzzled that your brother would keep our discussions from you, considering that they relate so directly to your research.† â€Å"My research?† Katherine said, taken totally off guard. My brother talks about my research? â€Å"Recently, your brother came to me looking for a professional opinion about the psychological impact of the breakthroughs you are making in your lab.† Katherine almost choked on the tea. â€Å"Really? I'm . . . surprised,† she managed. What is Peter thinking? He told his shrink about my work?! Their security protocol involved not discussing with anyone what Katherine was working on. Moreover, the confidentiality had been her brother's idea. â€Å"Certainly you are aware, Ms. Solomon, that your brother is deeply concerned about what will happen when your research goes public. He sees the potential for a significant philosophical shift in the world . . . and he came here to discuss the possible ramifications . . . from a psychological perspective.† â€Å"I see,† Katherine said, her teacup now shaking slightly. â€Å"The questions we discuss are challenging ones: What happens to the human condition if the great mysteries of life are finally revealed? What happens when those beliefs that we accept on faith . . . are suddenly categorically proven as fact? Or disproved as myth? One could argue that there exist certain questions that are best left unanswered.† Katherine could not believe what she was hearing, and yet she kept her emotions in check. â€Å"I hope you don't mind, Dr. Abaddon, but I'd prefer not to discuss the details of my work. I have no immediate plans to make anything public. For the time being, my discoveries will remain safely locked in my lab.† â€Å"Interesting.† Abaddon leaned back in his chair, lost in thought for a moment. â€Å"In any event, I asked your brother to come back today because yesterday he suffered a bit of a break. When that happens, I like to have clients–â€Å" â€Å"Break?† Katherine's heart was pounding. â€Å"As in breakdown?† She couldn't imagine her brother breaking down over anything. Abaddon reached out kindly. â€Å"Please, I can see I've upset you. I'm sorry. Considering these awkward circumstances, I can understand how you might feel entitled to answers.† â€Å"Whether I'm entitled or not,† Katherine said, â€Å"my brother is all I have left of my family. Nobody knows him better than I do, so if you tell me what the hell happened, maybe I can help you. We all want the same thing–what's best for Peter.† Dr. Abaddon fell silent for several long moments and then began slowly nodding as if Katherine might have a point. Finally, he spoke. â€Å"For the record, Ms. Solomon, if I decide to share this information with you, I would do so only because I think your insights might help me assist your brother.† â€Å"Of course.† Abaddon leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, as long as I've been seeing your brother, I've sensed in him a deep struggle with feelings of guilt. I've never pressed him on it because that's not why he comes to me. And yet yesterday, for a number of reasons, I finally asked him about it.† Abaddon locked eyes with her. â€Å"Your brother opened up, rather dramatically and unexpectedly. He told me things I had not expected to hear . . . including everything that happened the night your mother died.† Christmas Eve–almost exactly ten years ago. She died in my arms. â€Å"He told me your mother was murdered during a robbery attempt at your home? A man broke in looking for something he believed your brother was hiding?† â€Å"That's correct.† Abaddon's eyes were appraising her. â€Å"Your brother said he shot the man dead?† â€Å"Yes.† Abaddon stroked his chin. â€Å"Do you recall what the intruder was looking for when he broke into your home?† Katherine had tried in vain for ten years to block out the memory. â€Å"Yes, his demand was very specific. Unfortunately, none of us knew what he was talking about. His demand never made sense to any of us.† â€Å"Well, it made sense to your brother.† â€Å"What?† Katherine sat up. â€Å"At least according to the story he told me yesterday, Peter knew exactly what the intruder was looking for. And yet your brother did not want to hand it over, so he pretended not to understand.† â€Å"That's absurd. Peter couldn't possibly have known what the man wanted. His demands made no sense!† â€Å"Interesting.† Dr. Abaddon paused and took a few notes. â€Å"As I mentioned, however, Peter told me he did know. Your brother believes if he had only cooperated with the intruder, maybe your mother would be alive today. This decision is the source of all his guilt.† Katherine shook her head. â€Å"That's crazy . . .† Abaddon slumped, looking troubled. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, this has been useful feedback. As I feared, your brother seems to have had a little break with reality. I must admit, I was afraid this might be the case. That's why I asked him to come back today. These delusional episodes are not uncommon when they relate to traumatic memories.† Katherine shook her head again. â€Å"Peter is far from delusional, Dr. Abaddon.† â€Å"I would agree, except . . .† â€Å"Except what?† â€Å"Except that his recounting of the attack was just the beginning . . . a tiny fraction of the long and far-fetched tale he told me.† Katherine leaned forward in her seat. â€Å"What did Peter tell you?† Abaddon gave a sad smile. â€Å"Ms. Solomon, let me ask you this. Has your brother ever discussed with you what he believes is hidden here in Washington, D.C. . . . or the role he believes he plays in protecting a great treasure . . . of lost ancient wisdom?† Katherine's jaw fell open. â€Å"What in the world are you talking about?† Dr. Abaddon heaved a long sigh. â€Å"What I am about to tell you will be a bit shocking, Katherine.† He paused and locked eyes with her. â€Å"But it will be immeasurably helpful if you can tell me anything you may know about it.† He reached for her cup. â€Å"More tea?† CHAPTER 23 Another tattoo. Langdon crouched anxiously beside Peter's open palm and examined the seven tiny symbols that had been hidden beneath the lifeless clenched fingers. â€Å"They appear to be numbers,† Langdon said, surprised. â€Å"Although I don't recognize them.† â€Å"The first is a Roman numeral,† Anderson said. â€Å"Actually, I don't think so,† Langdon corrected. â€Å"The Roman numeral I-I-I-X doesn't exist. It would be written V-I-I.† â€Å"How about the rest of it?† Sato asked. â€Å"I'm not sure. It looks like eight-eight-five in Arabic numbers.† â€Å"Arabic?† Anderson asked. â€Å"They look like normal numbers.† â€Å"Our normal numbers are Arabic.† Langdon had become so accustomed to clarifying this point for his students that he'd actually prepared a lecture about the scientific advances made by early Middle Eastern cultures, one of them being our modern numbering system, whose advantages over Roman numerals included `positional notation' and the invention of the number zero. Of course, Langdon always ended this lecture with a reminder that Arab culture had also given mankind the word al-kuhl–the favorite beverage of Harvard freshmen–known as alcohol. Langdon scrutinized the tattoo, feeling puzzled. â€Å"And I'm not even sure about the eight-eight- five. The rectilinear writing looks unusual. Those may not be numbers.† â€Å"Then what are they? Sato asked. â€Å"I'm not sure. The whole tattoo looks almost . . . runic.† â€Å"Meaning?† Sato asked. â€Å"Runic alphabets are composed solely of straight lines. Their letters are called runes and were often used for carving in stone because curves were too difficult to chisel.† â€Å"If these are runes,† Sato said, â€Å"what is their meaning?† Langdon shook his head. His expertise extended only to the most rudimentary runic alphabet– Futhark–a third-century Teutonic system, and this was not Futhark. â€Å"To be honest, I'm not even sure these are runes. You'd need to ask a specialist. There are dozens of different forms– Hlsinge, Manx, the `dotted' Stungnar–â€Å" â€Å"Peter Solomon is a Mason, is he not?† Langdon did a double take. â€Å"Yes, but what does that have to do with this?† He stood up now, towering over the tiny woman. â€Å"You tell me. You just said that runic alphabets are used for stone carvings, and it is my understanding that the original Freemasons were stone craftsmen. I mention this only because when I asked my office to search for a connection between the Hand of the Mysteries and Peter Solomon, their search returned one link in particular.† She paused, as if to emphasize the importance of her finding. â€Å"The Masons.† Langdon exhaled, fighting the impulse to tell Sato the same thing he constantly told his students: â€Å"Google† is not a synonym for â€Å"research.† In these days of massive, worldwide keyword searches, it seemed everything was linked to everything. The world was becoming one big entangled web of information that was getting denser every day. Langdon maintained a patient tone. â€Å"I'm not surprised the Masons appeared in your staff's search. Masons are a very obvious link between Peter Solomon and any number of esoteric topics.† â€Å"Yes,† Sato said, â€Å"which is another reason I have been surprised this evening that you have not yet mentioned the Masons. After all, you've been talking about secret wisdom protected by an enlightened few. That sounds very Masonic, does it not?† â€Å"It does . . . and it also sounds very Rosicrucian, Kabbalistic, Alumbradian, and any number of other esoteric groups.† â€Å"But Peter Solomon is a Mason–a very powerful Mason, at that. It seems the Masons would come to mind if we were talking about secrets. Heaven knows the Masons love their secrets.† Langdon could hear the distrust in her voice, and he wanted no part of it. â€Å"If you want to know anything about the Masons, you would be far better served to ask a Mason.† â€Å"Actually,† Sato said, â€Å"I'd prefer to ask someone I can trust.† Langdon found the comment both ignorant and offensive. â€Å"For the record, ma'am, the entire Masonic philosophy is built on honesty and integrity. Masons are among the most trustworthy men you could ever hope to meet.† â€Å"I have seen persuasive evidence to the contrary.† Langdon was liking Director Sato less and less with each passing moment. He had spent years writing about the Masons' rich tradition of metaphorical iconography and symbols, and knew that Masons had always been one of the most unfairly maligned and misunderstood organizations in the world. Regularly accused of everything from devil worship to plotting a one- world government, the Masons also had a policy of never responding to their critics, which made them an easy target. â€Å"Regardless,† Sato said, her tone biting, â€Å"we are again at an impasse, Mr. Langdon. It seems to me there is either something you are missing . . . or something you are not telling me. The man we're dealing with said that Peter Solomon chose you specifically.† She leveled a cold stare at Langdon. â€Å"I think it's time we move this conversation to CIA headquarters. Maybe we'll have more luck there.† Sato's threat barely registered with Langdon. She had just said something that had lodged in his mind. Peter Solomon chose you. The comment, combined with the mention of Masons, had hit Langdon strangely. He looked down at the Masonic ring on Peter's finger. The ring was one of Peter's most prized possessions–a Solomon family heirloom that bore the symbol of the double- headed phoenix–the ultimate mystical icon of Masonic wisdom. The gold glinted in the light, sparking an unexpected memory. Langdon gasped, recalling the eerie whisper of Peter's captor: It really hasn't dawned on you yet, has it? Why you were chosen? Now, in one terrifying moment, Langdon's thoughts snapped into focus and the fog lifted. All at once, Langdon's purpose here was crystal clear. Ten miles away, driving south on Suitland Parkway, Mal'akh heard a distinctive vibration on the seat beside him. It was Peter Solomon's iPhone, which had proven a powerful tool today. The visual caller ID now displayed the image of an attractive middle-aged woman with long black hair. INCOMING CALL–KATHERINE SOLOMON Mal'akh smiled, ignoring the call. Destiny pulls me closer. He had lured Katherine Solomon to his home this afternoon for one reason only–to determine if she had information that could assist him . . . perhaps a family secret that might help Mal'akh locate what he sought. Clearly, however, Katherine's brother had told her nothing of what he had been guarding all these years. Even so, Mal'akh had learned something else from Katherine. Something that has earned her a few extra hours of life today. Katherine had confirmed for him that all of her research was in one location, safely locked inside her lab. I must destroy it. Katherine's research was poised to open a new door of understanding, and once the door was opened even a crack, others would follow. It would just be a matter of time before everything changed. I cannot let that happen. The world must stay as it is . . . adrift in ignorant darkness. The iPhone beeped, indicating Katherine had left a voice mail. Mal'akh retrieved it. â€Å"Peter, it's me again.† Katherine's voice sounded concerned. â€Å"Where are you? I'm still thinking about my conversation with Dr. Abaddon . . . and I'm worried. Is everything okay? Please call me. I'm at the lab.† The voice mail ended. Mal'akh smiled. Katherine should worry less about her brother, and more about herself. He turned off Suitland Parkway onto Silver Hill Road. Less than a mile later, in the darkness, he spotted the faint outline of the SMSC nestled in the trees off the highway to his right. The entire complex was surrounded by a high razor-wire fence. A secure building? Mal'akh chuckled to himself. I know someone who will open the door for me.