Reading Text Commentary - New Internationalist Magazine Essay Example for Free

Reading Text Commentary New Internationalist Magazine Essay This reading text has been written for an adult audience for some form of magazine such as the new internationalist (www.newint.org) that is focused on worldwide concerns. This text does have a similarly to the listening text, as this reading text has been written to inform on a political issue however this text attempts to achieve this by a written format. This text aims to inform the audience of the Liberty and Livelihood march and for those who are unaware of why rural Britain is having such a problem, to them see reason for their outcry. The main challenge of this text is that as this text is written to inform, the reader cannot hear the tone of voice and various features that a speech would have and would have to re-create the situation themselves. This would mean that key points of the text are not quite obvious. Images from this march have been included in an attempt to let the reader understand the atmosphere of the Liberty and Livelihood march. As the images used were taken by me, there would be no problem with copyright legislations. Although this text does produce a challenge of attempting to highlight key issues, I have attempted to combat this by highlighting quotes as often done in newspapers and other articles. Tony Blair cannot just bat an eyelid This not only catches readers at first glance, it also brings out key issues and in this case the key issue is view of Tony Blairs ignorance of the public opinion. To bring these key issues to attention, I have changed the font size, alignment of the text and made the text bold to catch the readers eye. Another replication of newspaper articles that is used in this text is the use of images and the pun used for the title. The images used are relatively powerful images are they show the live action of the protest. The second picture used is of the anti-hunting group. This picture has been used as it shows the other side of the story and adds more depth and validity to the text. For further replication, I have used powerful words in the text to create an emotive text that would make the text stick in the minds of those who read it. Whoever is right, the steady haemorrhaging of the countrysides vitality and distinctiveness is set to continue whatever the fate of the hounds quarry. This sentence is a prime example of how I have attempted to use powerful language in this text. The general tone of this text is formal as this text is attempting to inform the reader of what happened then and why there was so much interest. This was done by using 3rd person sentence structures that direct the attention to the protestors and not the person reading it. By doing this the reader can attempt to understand why there was such a huge protest that would show that rural Britain does have a voice. This texts target audience would be 16+ who had the knowledge to fully understand what the text was suggesting and how important it shows another example of the neglect for public opinion. Several audiences, mainly being friends and family members, read this text and gave a critical response about this text. The general reaction of this text was that it contained a lot of thought provoking material and strong use of words that made them think about the future of Britains agriculture. The main criticism that I found with my first draft was that it could have been longer, I then added to this text in attempts to make it longer When presenting this text for a final time to an audience, it was found that the audience enjoyed reading this text and that it was an informative text. I had added a considerable amount more to the text to hopefully give more information to the audience as I found that the main problem found when receiving feedback from my initial audience was that they did not know enough about the subject as all they knew was what they saw on the news. When observing the final audience reading this text I observed various features of non-verbal communication that indicated that they were enjoying the read and found it informative and useful text. This was an excellent response as the aim of this text was to inform the audience of the problems of Britains agriculture faced that people who lived predominantly in the city were previously unaware of.

John B. Watson Essay -- Psychology, Behaviorism

John Broadus Watson was a famous American psychologist who lived between 1878 and 1958. He was born in Greenville, South Carolina to Pickens and Emma Watson and was the fourth of six children. The family was not well off financially and John did not have an easy childhood. In spite of the poverty that engulfed the family, John’s father turned into an alcoholic who cared less for his family. However, Emma, John’s mother was a devoted religious woman who struggled to take care of her children with less support from her husband. In 1891, John’s father left the family and disappeared after engaging in extra marital affairs with other women. The infidelity strained his marriage with Emma and the relationship with his children. After the disappearance of his father, John became unruly and confused due to the lack of full parental care of both parents. He became defiant at school and did not want to listen to advice from his teachers. He bullied fellow students and was involved in other antisocial behaviors which were quite unacceptable in the school environment, further more he became violent and even rebelled against his mother (Buckley, 1989). Watson’s negative attitude towards education did not last forever and it changed after he was accepted to Furman University where he began his training at the age of sixteen in 1894. John’s life started to turn around with his enrollment and the help of his professor Gordon Moore. He later developed a positive attitude towards academic work since he realized that he could at least now contribute to the community regardless of the social class of his family. His academic performance was quite brilliant and he graduated from Furman University with a master’s degree in 1899. He later enrolled at... ...ormation is introduced even if the previous pattern of behavior has been already established by reinforcement (Cherry, 2011). In conclusion, the theory of behaviorism is based on observable behaviors for easier quantification and data collection. Effective techniques such as behavior intervention and discrete trial training originate from this school of thought. The approaches are very essential in altering the maladaptive behaviors in adults and children (Cherry, 2011). Today, conditioning and the use of reward and punishment are used to help people learn accepted behavior and in other cases to help them stop problematic behavior (Coon & Mitterer, 2008). This has made behavior modification and training easy and possible. Therefore, Dr. John Watson played a tremendous role in the transition of psychology from the work of earlier scholars to the modern scholars.

Children with Down Syndrome Plastic Surgery Essay

Children with Down Syndrome: Plastic Surgery Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children with Down Syndrome share similar characteristics such as its effects on their facial features. The bandwagon of most children protracts such features as extra skin. As a result, these children have an epicanthi fold that is additional skin on their eyelids inner corners. In addition, they have slanted eye openings rather than the horizontal openings, a feature referred to as slant palpebral tissues. Besides, such children have flattened nasal bridge and may also have downturned lower lip and flat mid-facial zone. Notwithstanding, they may have an open mouth with a protruding tongue. Plastic surgery was proposed in the 1970s as a way to reconfigure their children’s facial features to recover from Down Syndrome. Surgery recoveries for this ailment are categorized into facial reconstruction and tongue surgery. The treatment approach has elicited mixed debate on the parenting and parenting rights. This paper argues that parents of children with Down Syndrome should not subject their children to plastic surgery to make them look more conventional.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To begin with, interventions to change the body of a child may involve use of medicines, surgery or hormones. Conventionally, such interventions inflicted some physical damage to the children and are generally optional (Ameen & Boby, 2013). The procedures to reshape the body of a child are irreversible, invasive and potentially dangerous. Nonetheless, the fact these decisions are made indifferent to therapy needs differentiates them from similar parental decisions that design the child. Indeed, current laws do not consider the difference in these decisions, and therefore, parents can decide to subject their children to various body shaping. Current laws are indifferent to children body shaping decisions although they raise concerns on child rights, parental rights as well as parent obligations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the U.S.A for instance, it is constitutionally and in common law embalmed that competent adults decide on their personal medical decisions. These decisions go beyond lifesaving treatment, dangerous cosmetic procedures and election treatment. In this regard, children are not considered as competent adults. Ethicists argue that teenagers and young children should decide on their medical procedures. However, the law vests decision making for teenagers and children on their guardians and parents withy limited restrictions. Therefore, legally, parents are free to decide among different alternatives including plastic surgery to reshape their children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Obviously, there is much as stake when parents are allowed to subject their children to plastic surgery even when the children have Down Syndrome. Firstly, plastic surgery inflicts physical harm as it involves piercing and cutting of the skin (Ouellette, 2010). Besides, it may entail removal of organs or tissues as well as injection or anesthetizing with hormones. Consequently, the children stand at a risk of suffering cancer, nerve damage, hypertension, diabetes or death in extreme cases. Notwithstanding, such children are likely to suffer from psychological risks associated with injury to identity and stigma. Still, the piercing, cutting and injecting the tender skin of children constitute child abuse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For ages, plastic surgery was a recipe for austerity and ostensible rich or a requisite recovery treatment for birth deformities and trauma sufferings. However, today, it is an optional cosmetic surgery accessible to people of all economic structures and ages (Ouellette, 2010). In spite of these, this paper is of the opinion that it should be accessible to adults only. For this reason, the researcher does not harbor ill will against plastic surgery for treatment but emphatically reserves it for adults only. Therefore, this is not a grand conceptualization to present a teenage girl for breast implants to rejuvenate her low self esteem. Neither should a teenage boy be subjected to plastic surgery for skin acne scars. Instead, parents should tally for a few more years for them to make these shaping decisions in their adulthood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Parents of children with Down Syndrome subject their children to plastic surgery to make them look â€Å"more conventional†. To begin with, â€Å"conventional† is a relative word in Down Syndrome vocabulary because most children tend to take after other members of their family (Ameen & Boby, 2013). Therefore, there is nothing unusual. So, conventional is a term used to brandish children with Down Syndrome by their parents to refer to a â€Å"less embarrassing† look. Note that I do not use any particular term for that purpose. As a result, my son and daughter are my children, period! If they have Down Syndrome, they are not normal, weird, and conventional or anything like that like their elder siblings or not. They are my children, period!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Coincidentally, parents subjecting their children to cosmetic surgery claim unconditional love to their children (Ameen & Boby, 2013). However, they willingly, uninfluenced and independently expose their children to pain and suffering in an effort to throw a cover over their having Down Syndrome. Most of the parents claim to mitigate humiliation, embarrassment and pain from teasing by â€Å"fitting them in†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pardon my dumbness, but I wonder how it helps a kid with learning disabilities learns that his parents were extremely embarrassed and ashamed of their outlook that they would have spent astronomically to reverse the situation (Ameen & Boby, 2013). Equally, I wonder how it helps the child when it is teased at school for being â€Å"unconventional† while the peers cannot tell that the child has Down Syndrome. For this reason, parents of children having Down Syndrome should not subject their children to plastic surgery. They should wait for the children to become of age and make personal decisions. After all, plastic surgery is an irreversible condition. References Ameen, F., & Boby, C. (2013, June 4). Parenting a Child with Down Syndrome. HubPages. Retrieved December 27, 2013, from http://society-parenting.hubpages.com/hub/Parenting-a-Child-with-Down-Syndrome Ouellette, A. (2010). Shaping P arental Authority Over Children ‘ s Bodies. Indiana Law Journal, 85(3), 956-1001. Source document

Paul Watzlawick’s First Axiom Essay

Paul Watzlawick was an Austrian-born psychotherapist, psychoanalytic, sociologist and philosopher. He was best recognized for his venture in schizophrenia, as well as his communication theory regarding the five axioms. (Sack, Herald) His first axiom – â€Å"one cannot not communicate† – states that no matter how much a person tries not to communicate, there will some forms of communication going on. (Blanford, Roxanne) Watzlawick believed that every little behavior sends a message, regardless whether it’s intentional or otherwise. Therefore, all behavior has communicative value. When I first read about his theory, I honestly thought that it was unreasonable. Personally, I thought that sometimes unintentional actions do not mean that one is sending any form of communication. However, according to Kit Welchlin, a well-known public speaker, he states that â€Å"no matter what you say, or don’t say, people apply a meaning to it†. He gave an example of his observation on how the value of a co-worker from a marble factory was recognized by the messages that the manager sent through his actions. In addition, Eric Myers, founder and C. E. O. of Myers Business Diagnostics and Solutions LLC, said that people can make â€Å"judgment calls† to the non-verbal actions that the other is showing. â€Å"Words is only 7% of communication, body language 55%, and tone 38%†, Myers’ said at one of his talks. Another person who agreed to the theory is Dr. Amy Gaffney, an assistant professor from University of Kentucky. She believes that many people don’t always realize that anything that they do could â€Å"potentially be perceived as a form of communication†. She gave a simple example of how a student who’s nervously presenting in front would react to her â€Å"funny face† that she made because of the other noisy students behind her class. Besides the three influential speakers/researchers that I’ve mentioned above, there were also many other researchers whom have agreed at some point towards Watzlawick’s theory. So, I decided to conduct a personal experiment, with my brother as the subject of matter. I purposely picked him up late from his work place one day, and I observed his actions and behavior – which includes expressions, as he walked towards my car. I found out that although he did not mention that he was a bit irritated by my lateness, but his little fidgets and frowning of the eyebrows gave away. The findings of this experiment, combined with some additional researches, changed my perception towards Watzlawick’s theory. In short – I agree to Watzlawick’s First Axiom of â€Å"One Cannot Not Communicate†. Since every of our behavior may be perceived as a form of communication, there will be times where our behavior doesn’t actually convey the message that we want to convey. These are called â€Å"unintentional communication†. One very good example is when someone is deep in thought, and so happen the person’s eyes are facing your direction. You would start to wonder why the person is looking at you, but in actual fact, the person isn’t. A man who’s wearing a suit and drives a luxurious car doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s rich. But to the eyes of others, that person might be misperceived as rich. In a nutshell, Watzlawick’s theory of â€Å"One Cannot Not Communicate† is true, but to a certain extent, because not all behavior actually conveys the message that the person wants to convey.

House by Tracy Kidder, A Short Review of the Book

House by Tracy Kidder, A Short Review of the Book House by Tracy Kidder is the compelling true story of the construction of a home in Massachusetts. He takes his time with details, describing it all in over 300 pages- the evolution of the design, the negotiations with builders, the groundbreaking, and the roof raising. But, dont look to this book for floor plans or building instructions. Instead, author Tracy Kidder focuses on the human aspirations and struggles behind the project. Facts That Read Like Fiction Tracy Kidder is a journalist who is renown for his literary nonfiction. He reports on actual events and real people by creating a story for the reader. His books include the best-selling Soul of a New Machine, Home Town, Old Friends, and Among School Children. When Kidder worked on House, he immersed himself into the lives of the key players, listening to their squabbles and recording minute details of their lives. He is a reporter who tells us the story. The result is a non-fiction work that reads like a novel. As the tale unfolds, we meet the clients, the carpenters, and the architect. We eavesdrop on their conversations, learn about their families, and peek into their dreams and self-doubts. Personalities often clash. The complex dynamics are dramatized in five sections, spanning from the signing of the contract to the moving day and the uneasy final negotiations. If the story seems real, its because it is real life. Architecture as Drama House is about people, not floor plans. Tensions mount as contractor and client quibble over small sums. The architects search for an ideal design and the clients selection of decorative details take on a sense of rising urgency. As each scene unfolds, it becomes apparent that House is not only the story of a building: The construction project is the framework for exploring what happens when we put a running meter on a dream. Truth Behind the Story Although House reads like a novel, the book includes just enough technical information to satisfy a readers architectural curiosity. Tracy Kidder researched the economics of housing, the properties of lumber, the architectural styles of New England, Jewish building rituals, the sociology of building, and the development of architecture as a profession. Kidders discussion of the importance of Greek Revival styles in America could stand on its own as a classroom reference. Yet, as a testament to Kidders craftsmanship, the technical details do not bog down the plot of the story. History, sociology, science, and design theory are woven seamlessly into the narrative. A comprehensive bibliography closes the book. You can get a flavor for Kidders prose in a short excerpt published in The Atlantic, September 1985. Decades later, well after Kidders book and the house was built, the reader can continue the story, because, after all, this is nonfiction. Kidder already had a Pulitzer Prize under his belt when he took on this project. Fast forward to the homeowner, lawyer Jonathan Z. Souweine, who died of leukemia in 2009 at the young age of 61. The architect, Bill Rawn, went on to create an impressive portfolio for William Rawn Associates after this venture, his first residential commission. And the local building crew? They wrote their own book called The Apple Corps Guide to the Well-Built House. Good for them. The Bottom Line You wont find how-to instructions or construction manuals in House. This is the book to read for insight into the emotional and psychological challenges of building a home in 1980s New England. It is the story of well-educated, well-to-do people from a specific time and place. It will not be everyones story. If you are now in the midst of a building project, House may strike a painful chord. The financial woes, the strained tempers, and the deliberation over details will seem uncomfortably familiar. And, if you are dreaming of building a home or pursuing a career in the building professions, watch out: House will shatter any romantic illusions you may have. But while the book spoils the romance, it may save your marriage ... or at least, your pocketbook. Buy on Amazon Originally published by Houghton Mifflin, October 1985, House has become a staple at library book sales. Paperback by Mariner Books, 1999. ~Reviewed by Jackie Craven Related Books: The Apple Corps Guide to the Well-Built House by Jim Locke, 1988Buy on Amazon The Architecture of Happiness by Alain De Botton, 2008Buy on Amazon Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell, 2008Buy on Amazon The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder, 1981, 2000Buy on Amazon

A’ Minimum Of Two’ A Short Story

A Minimum Of Two A Short Story â€Å"Minimum of two† is a collection of short stories written by Australian writer Tim Winton. He writes his stories in different views such as first and third person, mainly for the reader to feel the story more in depth. The book features 14 short stories which are; Forest Winter, No Memory Comes, Gravity, The Water was Dark and it went forever down, Nislam’s Friend, Minimum of two, Distant Lands, Laps, Bay of Angels, The strong one. Holding, More, Death belongs to the dead his father told him and sadness to the sad and finally Blood and water. Throughout all of these stories there is relevant trauma for past events, coming to an outcome of growth in either a positive or negative way. The short story that in my opinion is the most powerful in regards to trauma and growth is the story â€Å"Minimum of two†. It’s written in first person view of the husband (Neil). This is a deep story about a married woman called Greta getting raped by a senior in her de partment by the name of Fred Blakey. He is taken to court by Greta and Neil and is sentenced to 5 years imprisonment but for Neil this is not enough because he went through ample suffering through the recovery of Greta in the way that she did not want to be intimate with him because she was sensitive as expected after being raped. With this issue, Neil decides to take matters in his own hands and contemplates killing Blakey when he gets released, he tells his friend Tony Mitchell that he will be doing this. Mitchell doesn’t agree with what Neil wants to do, but Neil doesn’t listen to him and ends up killing Blakey when he got out. His conscience then catches up with him and he then feels like the most horrible person, saying that he feels that he was a â€Å"dead man†. The main trauma in this story is the rape of Greta by Fred Blakey, this is mainly trauma from Greta as she becomes sensitive and doesn’t get intimate with Neil, this is also a traumatic for him, and this is shown in the way he writes about his feelings. It seems like her intimacy with him is a great thing for him making this story traumatic for both Neil and Greta. In the ending Neil kills Blakey and comes to a negative growth of feeling sorry for himself, as well as losing his best friend Tony Mitchell. The next story that showed trauma and growth is the story called â€Å"Distant Lands†. It’s written in the third person view. This short story is about an overweight woman working at her father’s newsagency. This woman is called â€Å"Fat Maz† she was teased and tormented through high school and also was not supported very well by her parents, they also treated her as if they didn’t know her or that she wasn’t their daughter. There was a day though that changed her life, a stranger Pakistani man comes into the newsagency, and opens the book â€Å"Distant Lands† has a glance and leaves. As she goes to inspect the book sh e realises the blurb saying â€Å"You will want this book never to finish†after she reads the blurb she is interested in reading the book, as she is reading it the Pakistani man comes into the newsagency once again and this time re-opening â€Å"Distant Lands† and smiling at Fat Maz, he gives her money and some confidence to leave her garbage job helping at her father’s newsagency

Religion, Feminism, and Environmentalism Research Paper - 1

Religion, Feminism, and Environmentalism - Research Paper Example Women who are both religious and in support of the efforts of the women’s movement have sought common ground in order to actively pursue ecological interests. In comparing Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist faiths in context with women’s movements, it is clear they are actively interested in both principles of equality and ecology where common ground can be found which unites these belief systems. Ecological feminism is a theory that combines feminist ideals and motivations with a concern with preserving the world through ecological perspectives. Warren and Cheney write that â€Å"Ecological feminism is a feminism which attempts to unite the demands of the women's movement with those of the ecological movement in order to bring about a world and worldview that are not based on socioeconomic and conceptual structures of domination†. The marriage of the women’s movement and ecological interests is not new and can be seen in many cultures, including in Brazil whe re the women’s movement and the landless people movement were grew together in order to support the concept of living off of the land in a communal and freedom based environment that was contextually absent of consumerist interests. This was done in order to support the weak and the marginalized in a meaningful and bountiful way.2 It may be that the problems within the environment are some of the most serious problems that are being faced in the 21st century as the economy and the act of working is based upon consumerism which often strips resources and fundamentally changes ecological systems both nonhuman and human.3 The idea of ecological feminist movements are often based upon practical solutions to social problems where in the shadow of patriarchy and male dominance, alternatives to participation in economies where there are disadvantaged women find ways in which to focus on less economically based roots of survival. Hindu The traditions of India were always based upon e cological principles in which sustainability was a driving force behind decision making in relationship to resources. Religious texts such as the Vedas and Puranas supported environmental ethics as well as the Advaita philosophy that â€Å"acquires a cosmic character as it considers all living beings to be God’s creation†4 This is the basis of Indian belief systems that place importance on reverence for the Earth. However, industrialization and the formation of larger cities as centers of employment have led to deforestation and he disruption of what had been carefully attended ecologies, specifically affecting women who depend more on the natural world for their sustenance and methods of earning a living. The development of environmental movements have allowed women a common cause that does not run contrary to other cultural belief systems, but allows them to assert themselves into the public discourse. The extremes of poverty sometimes prevent women in India to becom e activists, but it galvanizes others.5 In India, the issues of ecology and sustainability are integral to the needs of many women who are struggling with extremes of poverty that is heightened by destruction of resources that would have otherwise supported them. As in most nations, women in India are among the poorest demographic, with urbanization pushing women into the workforce at a higher rate of 19.5%, which leaves them in marginalized social positions in low paying jobs.6 The issue of ecological irresponsibility affects these women directly as their tradition and culture is irrevocably changed, the sustainability of the ecology is