Wednesday, July 31, 2019

A Review of A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

The field of Science, particularly cosmology or the physical science concerning the history and evolution of the Universe, is truly an interesting and remarkable subject matter. However, understanding and eventually appreciating the significance of the said discipline are another aspects.Hence, it is valuable that such field is introduced, explored, evaluated and fully realized in both analytical and fascinating ways. This is because it is only under such circumstances that a complicated matter like Science, specifically the facts relating to the creation and development of the Universe, is simplified and ultimately recognized of its purpose and essence.Presented with such situation, it is now practical to ask how can people and the society in general is able to simplify a complex and apparently an intriguing field like Science. In particular, the challenge of effectively presenting the historical account and all the essential details about the beginning and evolution of the Universe may be difficult to achieve.This is where a non-traditional approach to the field is necessary helpful. That is, the technicalities of the origin and eventual development of the Universe are presented in ways understandable to lay people or the non-scientific public. The successful transformation of Science, from a complicated to a simple field or subject, manifests the undeniable effectiveness on the part of a person or material that aimed to modify Science or the study of the Universe.The said condition was the efficient effort undertaken by theoretical physicist and author Stephen Hawking in his 1988 book â€Å"A Brief History of Time.† The said literary work succeeded in presenting the field of Science, particularly the circumstances regarding the start of the Universe, in a manner only true physics is able to do and provide.Apart from such strict scientific presentation however, the author and his book are best to be acclaimed for the ability to illustrate, explain and eventually made people understand the topic in simple manner. The important scientific features of the book definitely serve as its assets but it is therefore one's impression especially towards the simplicity of the book that makes the material ultimately valuable.Valuable FeaturesAt the onset, the important features of the Hawking book rely on its strict adherence to the scientific creation and evolution of the Universe.   As far as true-blooded physicists are concern, â€Å"A Brief History of Time† offers little or even nothing new details and insights about the study of physical science, the Universe in particular.For people who are new or unfamiliar especially those who are totally oblivious of the said subject matters, the book however definitely serves as a valuable material. In fact, Hawking through his book provides a venue where readers are comforted in their search for answers to scientific questions. This is because the technicalities of the topics featured in t he book were presented and explained in ways understandable to ordinary people.The features of the book include a general and wide look at the major concepts or theories on the field of theoretical physics. The book also features clear-cut presentations and explanations of complicated topics concerning the study of Physics like the origin of the Universe. Additionally, the author engages in attractive approach as the book shows inviting illustrations all throughout (Hawking, 1988).Specifically, the Hawking book features several valuable scientific topics. These include the Big Bang Theory, the law of gravity, black holes, time quality, light cones and answers to a string of scientific theories that even physicists have long been searching for.The book's clear presentation of deep science or the technical circumstances of the origin of the Universe and other physics-related concepts, in effect, shows the effectiveness of the author in the field that he masters. Through these features , the book succeeds in its purpose to strictly focus on key scientific topics. While the book presents the origin of time through the image of tortoise at the start, such attempt paves the way for the realization that people indeed learn about science because of its historical perspective (Hawking, 1988).Valuable ImpressionThe relevance of the book is apparent for it enables the readers to leave valuable impression or feeling towards the content and significance of the material. On a personal note, â€Å"A Brief History of Time† allows me to have a glimpse of the historical evolution of the Universe or the field of theoretical physics in general. The book offers real physics in a manner that is understandable to both science-oriented people and non-scientists. Beyond such effort, my important view and impression about the book is all about its effectiveness in simplifying the field of science to an ordinary reader like me.It is definitely important that a science material lik e the Hawking book strictly observes or follows the fundamentals of science. However, the public is fortunate enough that the material simplified the field and its concepts for a non-science person like me to understand and realize.Simply put, the value of this book is the author's ability and effectiveness in presenting and explaining scientific ideas like the origin and evolution of the Universe in simple as well as more perceivable and appreciating manners. Hence, beyond the book's technical approach and scientific adherence, it is its efficient modification of a rather complex subject matter that leaves a person with worthy impression of the book.ConclusionAnalyzing a book like Hawking's â€Å"A Brief History of Time† is truly worthy of one's time and effort. This is because reviewing the book makes one to recognize the significance of scientific concepts and most importantly, the usefulness of making a material easy or understandable to a non-scientist reader.The vital f eatures of the book are the initial factors why one will be absorbed in reading it further. Aside from these however, it is a reader’s impression or feeling about the book that makes one realizes more its value. That is, the fact that the book effectively simplified a complicated field is an ultimate factor in making a material valuable in the study and appreciation of the origin of the Universe.ReferenceHawking, S. (1988). A Brief History of Time. New York: Bantam.   

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Photos That Changed the World

As you know the photo is great power to influence people's mind. Picture can change perception, social, political position and even identity. I want to talk about most popular and influential documentary photo that changed the world. It would be hard to imagine a technology that had more impact on 20th century life than photography: the automobile, the airplane, nuclear power, all of these were higher profile than photography, yet in day-to-day terms, photography was truly the most pervasive. First I`d like to tell some facts about photo journalism.It is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. As for me documentary photography is similar to photojournalism. Documentary photography generally relates to longer term projects with a more complex story line, while photojournalism concerns more breaking news stories. There is a final branch of photography directly related to popular social life, and that is documentary photography. Documentary pro jects generally focus on social reality and human life, informed by the strong feelings of the photographer.They are photographs with a point of view, focusing not just on events, but on the daily texture of life of their subjects. Many reformist projects in the earlier years of the 20th century were documents of disadvantaged social groups in dire straits, poverty, and cultural alienation. But projects toward the end of the century have tended to be more personal to the photographers, sometimes documenting the photographer’s own social group and concerns. People love pictures. Text without pictures is boring to the mass audience.Drawings and engravings had been used in newspapers and magazines for a long time. As early as the Crimean War in the mid-19th century, photographers were using the novel technology of the box camera to record images of British soldiers in the field. However, the widespread use of cameras as a way of reporting news did not come until the advent of sm aller, more portable cameras that used the enlargeable film negative to record images. The introduction of the 35 mm Leica camera in the 1930s made it possible for photographers to move with the action, taking shots of events as they were unfolding.I`d like to present photo in a in chronological order. In 1908 photographer Lewis Hine was hired by the National Child Labor Committee. He traveled across states, capturing images of children working in mines, mills and on the streets. Here he has photographed â€Å"breaker boys,† whose job was to separate coal from slate, in South Pittston, Pa. this photo was one of the factors that influenced the adoption of laws prohibiting child labor. The photograph depicts 11 men eating lunch, seated on a girder with their feet dangling hundreds of feet above the New York City streets.Ebbets took the photo on September 29, 1932, and it appeared in the New York Herald Tribune in its Sunday photo supplement on October 2. The photo was taken dur ing construction of the GE Building at Rockefeller Center and it is named â€Å"Lunch atop a Skyscraper†. Photo was taken by Dorothea Lange in 1936. This California farmworker, age 32, had just sold her tent and the tires off her car to buy food for her seven kids. The family was living on scavenged vegetables and wild birds. This work helped convince the public and the government of the need to help farmers.Lange later said that this woman, whose name she did not ask, â€Å"seemed to know that my pictures might help her, and so she helped me. † Thanks to the power of images, the explosion of the Hindenburg in 1937, claims to be biggest disaster of the 20th century. In fact, it wasn't even the worst Zeppelin crash of the 20th century. Of the 97 people aboard, a surprising 62 survived. The incident effectively killed the use of dirigibles as a commercially viable mode of passenger transport, ending the golden age of the airship not with a whimper, but with a horrific ba ng that was photographed and then spread around the globe.Of course you know this photo. Soviet Union soldiers raising the flag on the roof of Reichstag building in Berlin in May, 1945. Photo was taken by a Red Army photographer Yevgeny Khaldei. Later took photographs of the Nazis at the Nuremberg Trials. It is a sad story, because famous photographer, that took such a powerful photo for Soviet Union ideology, was fired in 1947 because he was a Jew. Americans also have their national flag rising. The battle was the first American attack on the Japanese Home Islands.It was immortalized by Joe Rosenthal in 1945. On August 14, 1945 Alfred Eisenstaedt took this photo on Times Square. It is named â€Å"Victory over Japan Day† or â€Å"The Kiss†. That portrays an American sailor kissing a woman in a white dress. The image remains an enduring symbol of America's exuberance at the end of a long struggle. Racial segregation is the separation of different racial groups in daily life activities, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a washroom, attending school, going to the movies, or urchasing a home. The picture shows a man drinking from a segregated water fountain. The photo was taken in 1950 by Elliot Erwitt. June 11, 1963 a Buddhist monk from Vietnam, burned himself to death in downtown in Saigon to bring attention to the repressive policies of the regime. Buddhist monks asked the regime to lift its ban on flying the traditional Buddhist flag, to grant Buddhism the same rights as Catholicism and to give Buddhist monks and nuns the right to practice and spread their religion. While burning monk never moved a muscle.After capturing and executing Che in 1967, before bury him in a secret tomb, the executioners made a group photo with the body, to demonstrate the people that EL GRAN CHE is dead. The picture actually made him a legend, his admirers said he had a forgiving look on his face and compared him with Jesus. On this famous photo South Vietnam’s national police chief pulls out his pistol and executes a Vietcong captain with a single shot to the head. It instantly became an icon of the war's savagery. But it is not so simple.The man being shot was the captain of a Vietcong â€Å"revenge squad† that had executed dozens of unarmed civilians earlier the same day. A photograph, named â€Å"The Agony of Omayra Sanchez† was taken by Frank Fournier in 1985. She was one of the 25,000 victims of volcano which erupted in Columbia on November 14, 1985. Girl had been trapped in water and concrete for 3 days. The picture was taken shortly before she died. Photo has caused many discussions about ethics rules of Documentary Photograph. Steve McCurry took this photo in refugee camp in Afghanistan.Girl was orphaned during the Soviet Union's bombing of Afghanistan and sent to the Nasir Bagh refugee camp in Pakistan in 1984. Her village was attacked by Soviet helicopter gunships. The image of h er face, with a red scarf draped loosely over her head and with her piercing sea-green eyes staring directly into the camera, became a symbol both of the 1980s Afghan conflict and of the refugee situation worldwide. This is probably the most famous picture you know. This is the picture of a student who tries to stop the tanks in Tiananmen Square standing in front of them.The tank driver didn’t crush the man with the bags but shortly after, the square filled with blood. The photo showed the Chinese that there is hope. However, China is still controlled by a communist regime. The photo is the â€Å"Pulitzer Prize† winning photo taken in 1994 during the Sudan Famine. The picture depicts stricken child crawling towards an United Nations food camp, located a kilometer away. The vulture is waiting for the child to die so that it can eat him. This picture shocked the whole world.No one knows what happened to the child, including the photographer Kevin Carter who left the plac e as soon as the photograph was taken. Three months later he committed suicide due to depression. I do not offer photos of the last few years, because I do not have enough time. And it is too early to talk about the fact that they changed the world. I will show you only one. This photo depicting Jewish woman defying Israeli security forces as they remove illegal settlers in the West Bank of Jordan river. My selection of photos is subjective, you can easily disagree with me.But the format of the report (informative speech) saves me from criticism. Conclusion So as a conclusion I want to say that as for me photo is the most powerful media tool in XX th century. And now, in the Internet epoch, we are reposting photos all the time. Documentary photo has its own tradition, its own rules, their own code of ethics. Sometimes it is on the edge of social morality. Almost all shown pictures somehow influenced the course of history. Some of them were used by ideological regimes. Another part o f them became public. But in the 21st century we know and remember them.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Maritime Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Maritime Policy - Essay Example is the case, many nationals of these developing countries occupy a significant share of the workforce that mans the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries and open register’s fleets (Johnston, 1991). This movement of marine industry workers between flags as a result of the free working environment created by fleet managers and ship owners in assembling crews of different nationalities according to Ron, Stutchbury and Pascoe (1988) actually led to the firm establishment of the seafarers’ global labour market. This report seeks to analyze the global labour market in detail; its formation, and how it has impacted players involved in shipping companies from both developing and developed regions of the world. The report goes further to suggest ways and means of tackling problems experienced by stakeholders of the seafarers’ Global Labour Market (GLM). Initially, almost all ships were manned predominantly by people of the same nationality as the ship’s flag (Williamson, 1992). This tradition was held in part as a consequence of legal requirement with countries varying in strength in the enforcement of the law. Besides, it was also considered more practical in as much as recruiting seafarers from other countries was difficult and expensive (Tyner, 2000). Notable exceptions to these requirements, however, arose when the Liberian and Panamanian registers were created in 1949 and 1922 respectively (Tyner, 2000). Neither of the two nations involved had national seafarers’ labour markets. These anomalies however posed no significant threat to the well organised labour markets of Japan and European nations until the prolonged recession of the 70s and 80s hit world trade. The scale and pace of change in the marine workforce in the 80s was widely unprecedented. According to Alderton, in 1987 alone, there was a steady increase in the number of Filipino seafarers working in European-owned ships. The press, throughout the 80s,

Sunday, July 28, 2019

MC DONALDS ADVENTURE IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY Essay

MC DONALDS ADVENTURE IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY - Essay Example anged but as the hotel was under the umbrella of McDonalds, therefore it is quite expected that the brand image will be the same as that of the McDonalds. It refers that the brand should be associated with cleanliness, hospitability and convenience but the fact was that the hotel management was unable to satisfy the expectations of the customers. Golden Arch should prepare different marketing missions and should promote those accordingly. Therefore, it can be concluded that Golden Arch did not have much success in the branding strategy. After deciding about the diversification of the business, McDonalds had entered into the markets of Switzerland with the hotel business. The pros and cons of this entry strategy can be analyzed as below. Pros: Switzerland is an attractive tourist destination and most targeted place for the hotel business. The country is economically sound and possesses a stable political background. The city that has been chosen for operating the hotel business is the political capital of Switzerland which comprises of 35 million populations. Also, 10 years ago there was not as much competition prevalent like today and therefore it was a good decision. Cons: McDonalds needed to have a market analysis before entering into the hotel industry in Switzerland. The related industries such as travel and construction should also be evaluated. Due to the booming construction industry, four and five star hotel can be built quickly. Another important aspect is the availability of the human resource. Switzerland ranks number two with respect to the productivity of the labor sources but there the availability of cooks and chefs are inadequate and that had definitely interrupted the flow of the work. From the above analysis it can be said that the entry strategy was not bad at that point of time but with the passage of time, scenario has changed as competition has increased and Golden Arch needs to strategize accordingly. Strategy was not the issue, rather

Saturday, July 27, 2019

How Firms Try to Extract Consumer Surplus Using Two-Part Tariffs Essay

How Firms Try to Extract Consumer Surplus Using Two-Part Tariffs - Essay Example This study declares that consumer surplus may be defined as â€Å"The difference between the price that a consumer is willing to pay for a good and the amount actually paid†. A two-part tariff (TPT) has many interpretations, one of which is: â€Å"A form of pricing in which consumers are charged both an entry and a usage fee† (ibid, 317). There is more to two-part tariffs than described. It is essential to understand certain associated economic factors before getting at the rather complex topic. In this paper, I will explain in brief Consumer Surplus; Consumer Surplus and Demand; Monopoly and Pricing Strategies with Market Power. Two-part tariffs and consumer surplus are closely linked; I will explain what two-part tariff means in practical terms and show how firms try to extract consumer surplus using it. This paper highlights the public purchases goods only if there is some benefit to be had. Consumer surplus is a valuation of how much benefit individuals gain as a total on completing their purchase of the product in question. Most people have differing methods of evaluating the intrinsic value of a good. Such extraneous factors, apart from purely commercial reasons, decide for these individuals the maximum price they are willing to fork out for an item. If an individual is willing to pay  £ 100 for a Liverpool vs Chelsea soccer match, but manages a ticket for  £ 40; his consumer surplus is  £ 60. According to Pindyk, Rubinfeld and Mehta, â€Å"A demand curve is the relationship between the quantity of a good consumers are willing to buy and the price of that good.† They add, â€Å"It is fairly simple to calculate consumer surplus if the corresponding demand curve is known and their relationship can be examined†. Let us do so for an individual, as advised by the a uthors.

John Hancock, Boston Massacre Oration, March 5, 1774 Essay

John Hancock, Boston Massacre Oration, March 5, 1774 - Essay Example enderness, what regard, respect, or consideration has Great Britain shown, in their late transactions, for the security of the persons or properties of the inhabitants of the Colonies? Or rather what have they omitted doing to destroy that security?† He also told that such event was British act of â€Å"trampling on the rights and liberties of his most loyal subjects in Americaâ€Å" and that instead of protecting it as the King should, Britain did not and as a result â€Å"Our streets nightly resounded with the noise of riot and debauchery; our peaceful citizens were hourly exposed to shameful insults, and often felt the effects of their violence and outrage† and of course, the blame is pointed against the Britons to agitate the public. Hancock was actually agitating the crowd through his speech to revolt against Great Britain although it was not obvious. He did so by citing what a virtuous government ought to be and that as citizens, John Hancock and his fellow American must support. In the speech, he enumerated how Great Britain is not this virtuous or honorable government but rather â€Å"it is to the last degree vicious and infamous to attempt to support a government which manifestly tends to render the persons and properties of the governed insecure†. This statement is a subtle way that Britain is not fitting to rule them but has rather arrogated to â€Å"have declared that they have ever had, and of right ought ever to have, full power to make laws of sufficient validity to bind the Colonies in all cases whatever† evident with the Boston Massacre. In short, this speech was designed to sow discontent against the British by pointing out how she has arrogated her powers. In the process of agitating the public, people will look for ways on how to fight Britain of which they can later provide that eventually led to American Independence. 3. How should we evaluate Hancocks oration below in light of the real events of the Boston Massacre? In your opinion, was the

Friday, July 26, 2019

The Liberal Values of Washington Consensuses Term Paper

The Liberal Values of Washington Consensuses - Term Paper Example The feature of neo-liberalism, in general, is to expand the market and desire to intensify, increase the frequency, number, formalization, and repeatability of transactions. The crucial goal of neo-liberalism is a universe wherein every action of every individual is a trade transaction, performed in competition with the other individual and influence every transaction, with the transactions that occur in the infinitely shorter time period and reiterate at an infinitely rapid rate (Neoliberalism: Origins, Theory, Definition 2005). Â   Â   Â   Â   As a result of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations, the rise of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was established in the year 1995. It is central to the development of global governance. The concern of WTO is to build a world trade system into a predictable and uniform arena for the world nations and businesses. Streamlining the trade policies of the nation-states, reducing barriers to trade among nation-states and resolving trading disputes are the responsibilities of WTO. It plays a significant role in preserving intellectual patents, rights and so forth. Â   Â   Â   Â   The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) also play a significant role in global governance. The IMF tries to make the International economy more translucent by imposing rules and is a lender to the countries that are undergoing a financial crisis. The World Bank reduces poverty to balance or diminish social division that may counterbalance the global integration of economies. Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Since, the commencement of Westphalian International System that is International state system established in 1648 by Peace of Westphalia treaty as a defining feature of policy with the state sovereignty, the state has played a significant role in the system. The ideological cover of neo-liberal (deemphasizing the traditional liberal doctrine to get development by practical methods is accomplished due to the growth of globalization. The role of the state in the International system has undergone a drastic change. The ideology of neo-liberal states that market by it is a very significant institution (Christensen, Karen & Levinson, David 2003).

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Memorandum Law Research on Law Cases Case Study

Memorandum Law Research on Law Cases - Case Study Example Before the case started, the complainant had paid $600 towards the purchase of the freezer. Jones found out and sued the Star Credit Corps for contract rescission. During the case the court fund the terms of the purchase to be unconscionable, they award the complainant with the freezer at a price of $600 to which he had already paid. The court found the contract unconscionable because of the gross inadequacy in the value of the freezer and the price at which it was to be sold. It was found that the credit charges in the contract exceeded the value of the freezer. The purchaser of the freezer was found to be limited financially during the time of purchase to which the seller also knew. The case of the Derby v. Derby is one that is based on divorce. The two were married for twenty two years before Mrs. Derby filed for divorce citing cruelty, years later Mr. Derby alleged adultery and by the wife severally. The court found out that Mr. Derby had signed out an agreement that had been brought to him by the wife citing that he had done so to secure their marriage. The husband says that the wife had promised to live with him if he signed the agreement of her having a real estate that they owned. The court in it ruling stated that, the wife had been opportunistic and used the fact that the husband had been convinced to sign the agreement for them to move back in together. Mr. Derby to sign the agreement in the absence of his lawyer because of the consideration that were misrepresented by the conduct of Mrs. Derby accepting to go back to the husband (Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E.2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989)). The court found the agreement to be invalid as it was unconscionable, the wife had taken advantage of her husband’s emotional weakness and need to rebuild his family to agree. It was not out of free will and voluntary, but it was because of a condition stated. In relation to the Jones case, the intention of the

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Homosexuality Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Homosexuality - Term Paper Example Does homosexuality cross cultural boundaries with any consistencies? A study of 375 homosexual men in Brazil, Guatemala, Peru, the Philippines, Thailand and the United States consistently found that 25 percent of homosexual men display highly gender atypical behavior, while 50 percent showed marked gender atypical behavior as young children (Whitam, Mathy, 1986). Choice, convoluted or not, or chance, nature or nurture, the controversial topic will be discussed using persuasive arguments from both sides of the issue. There is a great deal of controversy as to whether homosexuality is genetic or environmental in origin. Homosexuals are very much looking for any scientific confirmation that would verify that they were born as homosexuals. But the vested interest that homosexuals have often prevent them from taking a broad view. Many environmental factors can occur early in the development of a child that can lead individuals to believe that they must have been born that way. But even if one has a predisposition towards homosexuality, they are not necessarily homosexual. A predisposition must be added to other factors to produce a homosexual. â€Å"This formula can be illustrated in this way; a predisposition toward homosexuality plus that first homosexual experience multiplied by pleasurable and positive homosexual thoughts to which is added more homosexual experiences multiplied by more pleasurable thoughts equals a homosexual† (Copeland, 2001). When one has a previous predisposition towards homosexuality, is then exposed to homosexual experiences and can pleasurably reflect upon them, a powerful attraction a created that is hard to conquer. So powerful can these experiences and reflections be that one does not need to have developed a predisposition to be drawn into this sort of behavior (Copeland, 2001). There seems to have been a restoration of homosexuality as a psychosis over the past several years within psychiatric and psychological circles. With th e recent conservative swing of society these professionals now seem to feel anger regarding the issue and want to vent their inflexible views on homosexuality. â€Å"Charles Socarides, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine has written many books and articles over the past 25 years reiterating his belief that homosexuality is a disorder. In August 1997, The Washington Post quoted him as saying, ‘Homosexuality is a psychological and psychiatric disorder. It is a purple menace that is threatening the proper design of gender distinctions in society† (Eidenberg, 1998). In a letter to The Wall Street Journal, members of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, a coalition of therapists who argue that they can cure homosexuality, stated that â€Å"many of the young men who have died of AIDS have sought treatment for their homosexuality and were denied knowledge and hope. Many of them would be alive today if they h ad only been told where to find the help they sought† (Eidenberg, 1998). What they are saying, in effect, is that gay activists are killing their friends and lovers by insisting on acceptance rather than treatment. Yet these sentiments are not shared by everyone. â€Å"Human beings can not choose to be either gay or straight† (Answers, 2003). Sexual orientation materializes for most people in early teenage years without any previous sexual experience. People may choose whether or not to act on their feelings but

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Formal analytical report on employment in thehealtcare field Research Paper

Formal analytical report on employment in thehealtcare field - Research Paper Example The report contains five parts. The first part can educate individuals who would like their children to develop a career in healthcare management. This is because the part contains recommendation on steps that could be made to enhance professional development among this group of individuals. Part 2 could educate both parents and teachers on the most recommendable steps to take in encouraging students to develop a career in healthcare management. Part 3 and 4 would be of very great assistance to individual learners who want to develop career in healthcare management. This is because it contains the recommendable steps that they could undertake to enhance their acquisition of necessary knowledge and skills. Thank you in advance for reading the report. I know that the knowledge and skills you have obtained would assist you in developing competency in healthcare management or help someone else become a better healthcare manager in future. Regards (Insert names here) Table of Contents Let ter of transmittal 2 Table of Contents 2 Background 4 Purpose, scope, and limitations 4 Sources and methods 5 Report organization 6 Career development during pre-elementary and elementary education 6 Career development during high school and undergraduate education 7 Career development during postgraduate and work 8 Conclusion 9 Introduction Background Healthcare management is a very luxurious field to pursue a career. According to Buchbinder & Shunks (2011), healthcare management is a fast growing profession with increasing opportunities in different settings. This is because of the growing population that results to a greater demand for effective and high quality healthcare services. However, healthcare management has become very demanding as the healthcare institution continue to adapt complicated organizational structures to improve service delivery. Like other managements, interaction between academic and experiential learning plays a very great role in developing competency in healthcare management (Walshe & Smith, 2011). This makes individuals pursuing a career in this field to be required to advance their education to supplement their experience. Challenges encountered in healthcare management are different from challenges encountered in other management fields. According to Goldsmith (2005), healthcare management involves allocation of scarce resources among competing factions and maintaining something akin to equilibrium in the organization. Achieving this has not been easy because of interdisciplinary activities that are required to be undertaken. Multidisciplinary activities require teamwork activities. Therefore, professional in healthcare management need to understand how to achieve group cohesiveness and teamwork in the team they manage (Burn et al., 2011). This is actually among the most conspicuous challenges that distinguish healthcare management from the one taken in other management fields. Purpose, scope, and limitations This report explai ns how individuals can develop a career in the healthcare field. The purpose of the report is to inform young people who have ambitions of becoming healthcare professional about the necessary steps that they require to undertake to achieve their ambitions. Moreover,

Monday, July 22, 2019

Caravaggio’s Religious Imagery Essay Example for Free

Caravaggio’s Religious Imagery Essay The topic to be examined involves the iconological study of selected religious works by Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The term iconological refers to the study of visual imagery and its symbolism and interpretation, especially in social or political terms. The primary purpose of this research paper is to study the symbolism of Caravaggio’s paintings and their impact on society in a historical sense through present day. A secondary purpose is to determine the extent to which, if any, that his art has influenced politics and religion dating back to the late sixteenth century. There are three facets of the research problem: (1) the impact of the new Baroque style of painting that Caravaggio defined; (2) the influence that his religious works had on the church, politics, and society; and (3) the iconological study of Caravaggio. The study is significant for two reasons. First, since art and culture have major influence on society and history, it is important to recognize Caravaggio for his role in averting the threat of Protestantism by replacing the ruling Mannerism period of European painting with his radical naturalistic approach to chiaroscuro. The term chiaroscuro refers to a painting technique that involves an intricate use of shadow and light. Second, the study will address the implications for art and religion in society in relation to the issue of barriers and obstacles that have been faced and whether they have been truly overcome. Hypotheses Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio profoundly changed the art world, bringing about definitiveness to Baroque and eliminating Mannerism. Caravaggio’s authentic religious works that filled the Counter-Reformation Church helped to form specific religions based on imagery. The symbolism and interpretation of Caravaggio’s religious pieces was that they were radically natural, combining theatre and drama with close physical observations. In proving the above hypotheses to be true through utilization of the following methodology, the impact of Caravaggio on religion and society will be obvious. It is also necessary to take other scholars who have come before him into consideration in order to detail exactly what impact his works have made. Although he was somewhat ignored after a short period of fame in the seventeenth century, until the twentieth century, he is to be formally credited with the evolution of art from Mannerism to the new Baroque. There has been an overall positive impact on art and religion because of his development. Methodology The research will use a non-experimental design. The data collection method will be a combination of observation, interviews, and the use of preexisting records. After an initial period in Australia, becoming familiar with relevant secondary material on the subject I will go to Italy to analyze paintings first hand. The three religious works by Caravaggio that have been selected for personal observation in situ are as follows: n Deposition of Christ in the Sepulchre, 1602-1603, Oil on Canvas, 300 x 203cm, Pinacoteca Vaticana, Vatican City n The Calling of Saint Matthew, 1599-1600, Oil on Canvas, 322 x 340cm, Contareli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome n Crucifixion of Saint Peter, 1600, Oil on Canvas, 230 x 175cm, Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome Literature Review In researching the identified topic, many of the traditional sources, articles and books, on Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio and his works were that of negativity giving him little or no credit for the profound impact he has had on art history. The intention of this research paper is to disclose the truth through interpretation while counter-arguing past research on the subject that is seemingly incorrectly represented. Primary Sources Alpers, Svetlana. ‘Describe or Narrate? A Problem in Realistic Representation. ’ New Literary History, Vol 8:1, Readers and Spectators: Some Views and Reviews (Autumn 1976), pp. 15-41 This article, taken from the New Literary History journal, volume 8, discusses Caravaggio as a great artist but describes his art as offensive and vulgar rather than profound and evolutionary. In order to validly make my claim, it is necessary to show arguments against my stated hypotheses and counter them effectively, which is why this article will be of significant use to me in compiling my extracted information. Chorpenning, Joseph F. ‘Another Look at Caravaggio and Religion. ’ Artibus et Historiae, Vol 8:16 (1987), pp. 149-158 I believe this journal article can provide the basis for my project. It is very similar to the intentions of my research paper and will help to make my finished piece a worthwhile, significant, and original investigation for the truth. Friedlaender, Walter F. Caravaggio Studies. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1955 Walter Friedlaender, the author of Caravaggio Studies, is one of the first to write about the obscure Italian artist. Although sections of the biography appear to be speculative, there is a great deal of information that is unavailable elsewhere in this book.

Thesis writing guide Essay Example for Free

Thesis writing guide Essay The Centre for Graduate Studies of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) would like to extend its appreciation to the members of staff who contributed their efforts and ideas in the preparation of this fourth edition of the Thesis Writing Guide. This manuscript was updated based on the third edition published in 2006. The Centre would also like to thank all parties involved in the publication of the manuscript. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii LIST OF TABLES vii CHAPTER 1 THESIS STRUCTURE AND CONTENT 1 1. 1. Thesis definition 1 1. 2 Thesis structure 1 1. 3 Thesis status declaration 2 1. 4 Viva voce examination panel 3 1. 5 Title page 3 1. 6 Declaration page 3 1. 7 Dedication page (Optional) 3 1. 8 Acknowledgement page (Optional) 4 1. 9 Abstract 4 1. 10 Content page 4 1. 11 List of tables page 5 1. 12 List of figures page 5 1. 13 List of symbols and abbreviations page 5 1. 14 List of appendices page 5 1. 15 Text 6 1. 15. 1 References in the text 7 1. 15. 2 Tables in the text 7 iv 1. 15. 3 Figures in the text 8 1. 15. 4 Equation in the text 9 1. 16 References 9 1. 17 Appendices 10 1. 18 Vita 10 CHAPTER 2 SIZE AND FORMAT. 11 2. 1 Paper and size 11 2. 2 Margin 11 2. 3 Page numbering 11 2. 4 Numbering of chapters and sub-titles 12 2. 5 Typing 13 2. 6 Spacing and format 13 2. 7 Printing of documents 14 2. 8 Lettering and drawings 14 2. 9 Maximum number of pages 15 2. 10 Binding of thesis 15 2. 10. 1 Cover colour and letterings 15 2. 10. 2 Thesis cover 16 2. 10. 3 Thesis spine 16 2. 10. 4 Trimming 16 CHAPTER 3 FORMAT OF REFERENCES 17 3. 1 Introduction 17 3. 2 Author (Date) System 17 3. 2. 1 Writing cited information 19 3. 2. 2 Writing the reference list 21 3. 2. 3 Writing the names of authors 22 3. 2. 4 Referring different types of sources 23 v 3. 3 31 3. 3. 1 Citing references in the text 31 IEEE Format 31 3. 4. 1 Citing references in the text 3. 4 Referring to Electronic References 31 3. 4. 2 Writing Style in publishing of reference list 31 REFERENCES 36 APPENDIX 38 vi LIST OF TABLES 1. 1 Structure and content of thesis 1 CHAPTER 1 THESIS STRUCTURE AND CONTENT 1. 1 Definition The specific use of the word â€Å"thesis† in this guide refers to the academic writings submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the doctoral degree or the masters by research degree. The word â€Å"thesis† is also used in general to refer to the master’s project report and research dissertations, which are the documents submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of masters by coursework or mixed-mode, as well as the undergraduate project reports. 1. 2 Structure A thesis is made up of several sections, arranged in the sequence shown in Table 1. 1. Table 1. 1: Sequence of contents NO. SECTION REQUIREMENT EXAMPLE (APPENDIX) REMARKS 1 Blank Page 2 Declaration of Thesis Status Required A1/ A2/ A3/A4 Unnumbered 3 Examiners’ Declaration Required B Unnumbered 2 Table 1. 1 (continued) NO. SECTION REQUIREMENT 4 Title Required EXAMPLE (APPENDIX) C1/ C2/ C3 5 Student’s Declaration Required D1 /D2 6 Dedication Optional E 7 Acknowledgements Optional F 8 Abstract Required 9 Contents Required G1a/ G1b/ G2a G2b H 10 List of Tables Required I 11 List of Figures Required J 12 Required K 13 List of Symbols and Abbreviations List of Appendices Required L 14 Text Required M 15 References Required P1/P2 16 Appendices Optional 17 Vita Required Q 1. 3 REMARKS Unnumbered but considered as (i) Lowercase Roman numeral (ii) Lowercase Roman numeral Lowercase Roman numeral Lowercase Roman numeral Lowercase Roman  numeral Lowercase Roman numeral Lowercase Roman numeral Lowercase Roman numeral Lowercase Roman numeral Arabic numeral starting with the page number Arabic numeral continued with text Arabic numeral continued with text Unnumbered Declaration of thesis status The status of a thesis must be declared by completing the Thesis Status Form as shown in APPENDICES A1-A4. If a thesis is to be classified as confidential or limited, a letter seeking this classification must be obtained from the organisations concerned and submitted to the Dean of the Centre for Graduate Studies, the Dean of the Faculty or related academic centres. The approval letter must state the reasons for and duration of the classification. The typical duration for this classification is three years. Where an author classifies a thesis as unlimited, the University shall assume that the thesis is non-confidential. Copies of the thesis can be made and used by Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia. 3 1. 4 Viva voce examination panel The names of the members of the viva voce examination panel shall be included as shown in APPENDIX B. This page is not applicable for the master’s project report or the undergraduate project report. 1. 5 Title. The title page must contain the following information in the following order: (i) Title of the thesis; (ii) Full name of the student; (iii) Statement on the purpose of the thesis submission; (iv) Name of the faculty or centre where the student is registered; (v) Name of the University; and (vi) The month and year the thesis was written and accepted. Theses for the Master’s degree by research and the Doctor of Philosophy degree must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee (Jawatankuasa Pengajian Siswazah), whilst others must be approved by the relevant committee. (Please refer to APPENDICES C1-C3) 1. 6 Declaration The declaration page contains a statement declaring the originality of the thesis. It must be signed by the author. Please refer to APPENDICES D1-D2. 1. 7 Dedication (optional) The dedication message must be concise, must not exceed one paragraph and must not contain any numbers, graphs or figures. Please refer to APPENDIX E. 4 1. 8 Acknowledgements (optional) Acknowledgements must be written on a single page only. Its purpose is to record the author’s appreciation for individuals or organisations that provided their assistance either directly or indirectly in the preparation of the thesis. Please refer to APPENDIX F. 1. 9 Abstract The abstract is a short summary of the thesis. It should describe the rationale and objectives (problem statement), the methodology, as well as the findings and conclusion of the study undertaken. The abstract must not be longer than 250 words for a Master’s thesis or Master’s project report and not longer than 350 words for a Doctoral thesis written in two languages, Bahasa Melayu and English. For a thesis written in English, the abstract must be written in English first followed by its Malay translation on the next page. Do not include any literature review, unexplained abbreviations, limitations or suggestions for future research in the abstract. It must be written with a spacing of one and a half (1? ) lines. Please refer example abstract for engineering at APPENDIX G1a and APPENDIX G2a and example abstract for social science at APPENDIX G1b and APPENDIX G2b. 1. 10 Table of contents The table of contents must begin on a new page. The information is organised by chapter, topic and page number. Every chapter, topic and page number shown in the table of contents must correspond to the same chapter, topic and page number in the thesis. Sub-titles may be displayed up to three levels only. Please refer to APPENDIX H. 1. 11 List of tables This page contains a list of all tables presented in the thesis. Information such as table numbers, table captions and the corresponding page numbers where the tables 5 appear must be shown clearly in the list. The list must be ordered by chapter. Please refer to APPENDIX I. 1. 12 List of figures All illustrations included in the text such as maps, charts, drawings, graphs, pictures and photos are considered as ‘Figures’. The list of figures contains all the figure numbers, titles and the corresponding page numbers on which they appear. The list of figures must be ordered by chapter. Please refer to APPENDIX J. 1. 13 List of symbols and abbreviations This page lists down all the symbols, abbreviations, nomenclature and terminology used in the text. The order of writing them is as follows: Roman letter alphabetical order Greek letter alphabetical order Superscript alphabetical order Subscript alphabetical order Please refer to APPENDIX K. For further information on spelling and abbreviations, students are advised to refer to the latest edition of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary published by Oxford University Press. 1. 14 List of appendices. This page lists down the appendices included with the thesis. Please refer to APPENDIX L. 1. 15 Text Text in the thesis must be organised in titled chapters. The titles must reflect the content of the chapter. Every chapter must begin on a new page. Chapters can be divided into sub-chapters with corresponding sub-titles. Titles and sub-titles must be 6 numbered. Please refer to APPENDIX O. There is no restriction on the total number of chapters in a thesis. Generally, a thesis will have the following basic structure. (a) Introduction This chapter describes the aim, objectives and scope of the research as well as the structure of the thesis. (b) Literature review The literature review is a critically written and comprehensive account of the published works on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers. It is directly related to the thesis, providing information on theories, models, materials and techniques used in the research. c) Methodology This important chapter explains in detail the samples, instruments, materials, procedures and data gathering methods used in the research. (d) Data analysis and results This chapter explains the data analysis techniques and results through written text, figures, tables, and/or other means. (e). Discussion and conclusions In this chapter, the writer discusses the results and research findings by comparing them with the previous research work mentioned in the literature review chapter. Conclusions are drawn based on the research findings and their implications. Future works are also discussed. Students who need to translate their theses are advised to refer to the latest edition of Gaya Dewan Bahasa dan Pedoman Translasi published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. 1. 15. 1 References in the text When an information or idea is taken from a source, the author of the source must be acknowledged in the text. References cited in the text must be written according to the style prescribed in CHAPTER 3: FORMAT OF REFERENCES. 7 1. 15. 2 Tables in the text All tables must be numbered using Arabic numerals. Table numbers must be linked to the chapter number. For example, the third table appearing in Chapter 4 is numbered, â€Å"Table 4. 3†. The caption for a table is placed 1. 5 lines above the table and written in Times New Roman font, size 12 without a period at the end and left justified with single line spacing between lines. The text in the table must be written using Times New Roman font, size 10 and single line spacing between lines. If a table extends beyond the end of a page, its continuation on the next page must, for example, be labeled, â€Å"Table 4. 3 (continued)†. As an example, please refer to Table 1. 1 on pages 12. If a table is taken from a particular source, the source must be stated at the end of the caption. Please refer to APPENDIX N. A table can only be presented after it is cited in the text. All tables that appear in the text must be listed in the list of tables as shown in APPENDIX I. 1. 15. 3 Figures in the text All figures must be of high quality and numbered using Arabic numerals. Figure numbers must be linked to the chapter number. For example, the third table/graph/chart/etc appearing Chapter 4 is numbered, â€Å"Figure 4. 3†. The caption for a figure is placed 1. 5 lines below the table/graph/chart/etc and written in font size 12 without a period at the end with single line spacing between lines. If a figure extends beyond the end of a page, its continuation on the next page must, for example, be labeled, â€Å"Figure 4. 3 (continued)†. If a figure is taken from a particular source, the source must be stated at the end of the caption. Please refer to APPENDIX N. A figure is best placed immediately after it is cited in the text. All figures that appear in the text must be listed in the list of figures as shown in APPENDIX J. Illustrations in diskettes, on slides or in other similar mediums must be placed inside a specially made pocket attached on the inside back cover of the thesis. Illustrations with large dimensions, such as plans and maps, must be reduced in size to fit into a single page. Illustrations must comply with the following conditions: 8 1. 15. 3. 1 Photographs Photographs used as illustration must be affixed in the text using high quality glue or other better techniques. 1. 15. 3. 2 Newspaper and other clippings. A clear and high quality photocopied version of the actual clipping must be used instead of the original. 1. 15. 3. 3 Maps and aerial photographs Maps and aerial photographs intended to be included in a thesis must have obtained prior written permission from the Ketua Pengarah Pemetaan Negara (Director General of National Mapping). Illustrations must be scanned and printed using a high resolution colour printer. 1. 15. 4 Mathematical equations Mathematical equations must be numbered using Arabic numerals. Equation numbers must be written at the end of the equation and linked to the chapter number. For example, the numbers (4. 3) and (4. 4) are given to the third and fourth equations respectively that appear in Chapter 4, as follows: y2= 32 + 3xy + C (4. 3) z = 106 + 9y5+84 + 7y6x5 + 6y5x4 + 54 + 4y4x3 + 3y3x2 + 2y2x + yx 1. 16 (4. 4) References References are the sources referred to when preparing a thesis and cited in the text of the thesis. Thesis writers are required to list down all cited materials in the list 9 of references (refer to APPENDIX P1 and APPENDIX P2). The list of references must be prepared according to the format prescribed in CHAPTER 3: FORMAT OF REFERENCES. 1. 17. Appendices (optional) The appendix section gives an author the opportunity to include materials that can provide additional information in the text to support the study. These materials include tables, charts, computer programmes and questionnaires. Here are some guidelines for the appendix. (a) Research data, tables, examples of questionnaires, maps, photos and other materials that are too long to be included in the text or are not directly required to comprehend the text can be included as appendices. Generally, tables and graphics that are more than two pages long should be put in the appendix section. (b) Appendices are labelled as APPENDIX A, APPENDIX B, etc depending on the type and quantity of the materials. Appendices can also be given specific titles. 1. 18 Vita Students must provide a one-page â€Å"Vita† of themselves to be placed at the end of the thesis after the appendices. This â€Å"Vita† page is unnumbered. See APPENDIX Q for an example of the â€Å"Vita† page. CHAPTER 2 SIZE AND FORMAT 2. 1 Paper quality and size Only high quality A4 size (210 mm x 297 mm) white simili paper, weighing 80 grams, may be used for the thesis. 2. 2 Margin The margins should be 4 cm from the left, 2. 5 cm from the top, 2. 5 cm from the right and 2. 5 cm from the bottom, on every page including the cover. 2. 3 Page numbering Number the pages according to the sequence given in Table 1. 1. The page number must be written at the top right corner, 1. 5 cm from the top and 2. 5 cm from the right, measured from the last digit of the page number. The page numbering system must conform to the following rules: (i) The preface of the thesis, starting from the title page, must be numbered using lower case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii and so on); the text pages and the rest of the thesis must be numbered using Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, and so on). (ii). The first page of the thesis, the title page, is an unnumbered page ‘i’. (iii) The first page of Chapter 1 is unnumbered but is considered as page ‘1’. The same applies to the first page of all the following Chapters, where the first 12 page is unnumbered but taken into account for the purpose of numbering the subsequent pages. 2. 4 Numbering of chapters and sub-chapters Chapters and sub-chapters must be numbered using Arabic numerals. Chapters are numbered CHAPTER 1, CHAPTER 2, CHAPTER 3, and so on. Sub-chapters are nested, but its numbering is not indented, up to a maximum of 4 levels as in the example shown below: CHAPTER 2 First level (Chapter number) 2. 1 Level 2 (sub-title); 2. 1. 1 Level 3 (sub-sub-title); 2. 1. 1. 1 Level 4 (sub-sub-sub-title) If a chapter title or sub-title at any level exceeds a single line, the spacing between the lines must be the same as that of the text. Subsequent sub-chapters beyond the fourth nesting level must be numbered using alphabets. The distance between the title number and the title is one (1) cm irrespective of its nesting level (refer to APPENDIX R). 2. 5 Typing The thesis should be typed out on a computer in Times New Roman font, size 12, and using Microsoft Word version 6. 0 or later, except for tables and figures (refer to 1. 14. 2 and 1. 14. 3). Words in a language that is different from the language of the thesis must be typed in italics. The spacing between text lines should be 1. 5 lines. Text should be typed on one side of a paper only. Chapter titles should be typed with capital letters and centered between the left and right margins. Each chapter must begin on a new page. Chapters and subchapters should be titled. Titles should be typed in bold without underline. Only the first letter of the first word of a sub-title should be in uppercase. 13 2. 6 Spacing and format. Students must adhere to the following text spacing guidelines: (i) The spacing between the upper margin and a chapter number is 2. 5 cm. (ii) The spacing between the chapter number and the chapter title is 4 lines. (iii) The spacing between the chapter title and the first line of text is 2 lines. (iv) The spacing between a sub-title and the last line of the preceding text is 2 lines. (v) The spacing between a sub-title and the first line of the following text is 2 lines. (vi) There should be no spacing between paragraphs. (vii) Start a sub-title, including its numbering, from the left margin. (viii). Start the first line of text of the first paragraph below the sub-title without any indent, beginning from the left margin; the following paragraphs should be indented 1. 27 cm from the left margin. (ix) Do not start the first sentence of a new paragraph at the bottom of a page if the space available can only fit one line. (x) The text should be left justified except for the first line of the first paragraph in a section. (Refer to (viii) above). The author is responsible for removing any excess space between words. (xi) The spacing between the last line of text and a Table, Figure or Illustration should be 1 line. (xii) The spacing between a period (. ) and the first letter of the next sentence of the same paragraph is at least one (1) character. (xiii) 2. 7 The spacing after a comma (,) is at least one (1) character. Printing of documents Theses must be typed out using a computer and printed using a laser printer or a printer with an equivalent print quality. 14 2. 8 Letterings and drawings Letterings and drawings should be clear so that copies made will be of satisfactory quality without any loss of information. 2. 9 Maximum number of pages The maximum number of pages for a thesis is as follows: Undergraduate Project Report: should not exceed 100 pages Master’s Project Report and Thesis: should not exceed 200 pages Doctor of Philosophy Thesis: should not exceed 300 pages These limits do not include tables, diagrams and other illustrations except appendices. Students who intend to write a thesis that exceeds the given limit must obtain a written approval from the Dean of the Centre for Graduate Studies or the Dean of the Faculty (for undergraduate reports) by submitting an application through their supervisors. 2. 10 Binding All theses must be bound. A thesis must be temporarily bound (spiral binding) for the purpose of examination, and may only be hard-bound after obtaining the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee or other committee(s) for the related programme. 2. 10. 1 Cover colour and letterings For submission to the University, theses must be permanently bound with buckram covers and gold letterings using regular Times New Roman font, size 18. The colour codes for the cover are as follows: (i) Doctor of Philosophy Thesis: Black (585) (ii) Master’s Thesis: Moss Green (557) (iii) Undergraduate Project Report: New Blue (550) 15 2. 10. 2 Cover The thesis cover must be of A4 size (210mm x 297mm). The title, author’s name and the words ‘Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia’ must be written in capital letters on the front cover of the thesis, as shown in APPENDIX S. 2. 10. 3 Spine The abbreviated name of the University, â€Å"UTHM†, the author’s name, the month and the year the thesis is approved* and the level of study must be stated on the spine, as shown in APPENDIX T. *Date of status confirmation for undergraduate Project Report/Master’s Project Report/Master’s Thesis/Doctoral Thesis (Refer Appendix A1-A4) 2. 10. 4 Trimming. The thesis can only be trimmed by 2. 5 mm on each side of the A4 paper during binding. CHAPTER 3 FORMAT OF REFERENCES 3. 1 Introduction Sources that are referred to in a thesis, whether published or not, must be stated. The source of information must be acknowledged in the text as well as in the reference list. Proper acknowledgement is important because it will help others locate and verify the original sources. Furthermore, proper citation can avoid allegations of plagiarism. Acknowledgements in the text must be linked to the list of reference using the â€Å"Author (Date)† system or the â€Å"Number (IEEE) Format†. 3. 2 Author (Date) System The system is also known as the American Psychological Association (APA) system. 3. 2. 1 Citing references in the text A reference can be written in a sentence itself or at the end of a sentence. (a) In the Author (Date) style, the year of publication must be placed in brackets after the name of the author. For example; According to Mohamed (2005), a large proportion of scheduling problems in the various sectors, such as economic and engineering, can be classified with a class of problems known as constrained optimisation. (b). If a reference is not cited in the sentence itself, the author’s name and year of 17 publication must be written within brackets. For example; Therefore, research on effective solution methods for constraint optimisation has become the focus of current research (Mohamed, 2005). (c) If a source of reference is authored by two people, state both authors’ names. For example; Maintenance scheduling has been researched for a long time, for example in the generation of power by Kralj Petrevic (1995) (d) If a reference contains three authors, state all three names the first time it is referred to in the text. For the second and subsequent times it is mentioned, state only the first author’s name followed by â€Å"et al. † and year. For example; A study by Alias, Black Gray (2002) shows that engineering students have lower spatial visualisation ability than required. Since this ability is important in solving engineering problems, it needs to be improved among engineering students (Alias et al. , 2002). (e) For a reference with four or more authors, state only the name of the first author followed by â€Å"et al. † and year. (f). Use lowercase letters (a, b, c) to differentiate between two or more publications published in the same year by the same author. For example; An example of an application that uses a constraint programming language is ILOG Solver by Puget and Albert (1994a). In addition, Puget and Albert (1994b) also found that the use of object is widespread, especially within artificially intelligent programming. (g) Secondary sources may not be cited. Thesis authors must refer to the original reference source. An example of a secondary source is given below: Ali (in Abu, 2000) emphasised that . 3. 2. 2 Writing cited information There are three main ways to acknowledge the source of an idea or information cited in the text, namely (a) quotation, (b) paraphrasing and (c) summarising. examples that follow are based on the following excerpt: The 18 Biological time is not only scientifically important, but it also greatly affects the productivity and health of a nation. The cost to the nation’s health of working out of phase with our biological clocks is probably incalculable at present. In the short term, poor sleep, gastrointestinal problems, higher accident rate, and social problems are evident. (p. 1000) Source: Rajaratnam, S. (2001). Health in a 24-hr society. Lancet, 358, pp. 999 – 1005. 3. 2. 2. 1 Quotation Words of an author may be quoted exactly by the writer to support an argument. When a direct quotation from a source is taken, it should run into the text with double quotation marks if it is reasonably brief (three (3) or less sentences) with the end-of-sentence period in the normal place. (a) Emphasis on the writer To give emphasis to the writer, the author’s name is written at the beginning of the sentence. For example; Rajaratnam (2001) concluded that, â€Å"The cost to the nation’s health of working out of phase with our biological clocks is probably incalculable at present. † (p. 1000). Furthermore (b) Emphasis on the idea To emphasise the idea, the author’s name is written at the end of the sentence. For example; A lot of discussion has been made on the cost of working out of phase with our biological clocks. â€Å"The cost to the nation’s health of working out of phase with our biological clocks is probably incalculable at present† (Rajaratnam, 2001, p. 1000). Therefore, A quotation containing more than three sentences must be set off from the text as a paragraph on its own with 1 cm indent, placing the period at the end of the quoted text with no period after the reference citation page number. Single spacing should be used for block quotations. For example; According to a renowned scholar (Rajaratnam, 2001), Biological time is not only scientifically important, but it also greatly affects the productivity and health of a nation. The cost to the nation’s health of working out of phase with our biological clocks is probably incalculable at present. In the 19 short term, poor sleep, gastrointestinal problems, higher accident rate, and social problems are evident. (p. 1000) 3. 2. 2. 2 Paraphrasing The paraphrasing method is used to acknowledge information taken from the original author by rewording the original text without altering its meaning nor providing the writer’s own interpretation. For example; Rajaratnam (2001) argues that while the notion of biological time is of scientific importance, it is also economically and socially significant at a national level. He points to the health, productivity and social problems which may be attributed to individuals working â€Å"out of phase† with their internal clocks. 3. 2. 2. 3 Summarising The writer may summarise cited text in his/her own words to present the key points of an author’s arguments or ideas, without altering the meaning. For example; In his conclusion, Rajaratnam (2001) points to the possible economic and social costs incurred by a nation, when individuals work â€Å"out of phase† with their biological clocks. 3. 2. 3 Writing the reference list All sources of reference that are cited in the thesis must be listed at the end of the text under the title â€Å"REFERENCES†. Do not use the word â€Å"BIBLIOGRAPHY† because it indicates a list of all sources that was referred to including those not cited in the text. The reference list must be in alphabetical order. Two or more sources by one author must be listed in chronological order. For example a 2002 publication by Suradi must be listed before his 2007 publication. 20 3. 2. 4 Writing the names of authors. In general, an author’s surname (family name) or patronymic name (father’s name) is written first followed by the initials of his/her other names. This is a common system used in academic writing internationally. Examples of how to write an author’s name are as follows: (i) Name : Malik ibn Anas : Ibn Anas, M. Name : Tan Beng Keat : Tan, B. K. Name : Raymond Tan Beng Keat : Tan, R. B. K. Name : Srinivasan Venkataraman : Venkataraman, S. Name : S. N. Gupta : Gupta, S. N. Name : Pretam Singh Written as : Singh, P. Name : Yasunori Matsufuji Written as (x) : Al-Attas, S. M. N. Written : (ix) : Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas. Written as (viii) Name Written as (vii) : Abdullah, M. N. Written as (vi) : Mohd Noor Abdullah Written as (v) Name Written as (iv) : Pavlovic, J. N. Written as (iii) : John Neville Pavlovic Written as (ii) Name : Matsufuji, Y. 3. 2. 5 References from different types of sources In thesis writing, references can be made to various types of sources. The following examples can be used as a guide in writing the different types of sources in the reference list. 21 3. 2. 5. 1 Books The major elements that must be included when an article is taken from a book are as follows: Author (Year). Title of book. Edition. Location: Publisher. An example of a reference by one author; Race, P. (2002). How to Get a Good Degree: Making the Most of Your Time at University. Buckingham: Open University Press. An example of a reference by two or three authors; Creme, P. Lea, M. R. (2003). Writing at University. 2nd ed. Maiden: Open University Press. Delamont, S. , Atkinson, P. Parry, O. (2004). Supervising the Doctorate: A Guide to Success. 2nd ed. Maidenhead: Society for Research into Higher Education Open University Press. For publications that have more than one author, the word â€Å"and† and â€Å"dan† is replaced by the symbol â€Å"†. If the book has an editor, the name of the editor must also be written. The general format is as follows: Editor (Ed. ) (Year). Title of book. Location: Publisher. As an example; Martin, A. M. (Ed. ) (1991). Peat as an Agent in Biological Degradation of Waste. London: Elsevier. The page numbers are required if the editor edits part of the book. As an example; Lees, R. H. (Ed. ) (1974). Chemical Nomenclature Usage. Chischester: Ellis Horwood. pp. 314-362. 3. 2. 5. 2 Articles from books The major elements that must be included when an article is taken from a book are as follows: Author (Year). Title of article. in Author. Title of book. Location: Publisher. Page numbers. For example; 22 Sarmani, S. (1987). Pencemaran Radioaktif. in Mohamad, A. B. (Ed. ). Perspektif Persekitaran. Petaling Jaya: Fajar Bakti. pp. 71 -87. 3. 2. 5. 3 Articles from journals The major elements that must be included when an article is taken from a journal are as follows: Author (Year). Title of article. Title of journal, vol. no. (issue no. ), page numbers. For example; Mikac, N. Branica, M. (1994). Complexation of trialkyllead with diethyldithiocarbonate. Electroanalysis, 6(2), pp. 37 – 43.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Harry Potter Analysis: Themes of Power and Oppression

Harry Potter Analysis: Themes of Power and Oppression The world in which one lives today is one that is not different from the past in many aspects. Though there have been several changes in society, there are still several things that remain the same. Human lifestyle undoubtedly has changed along with the way that people think. However, memories and records of events and the like are not always forgotten. People may not forget things easily, and somemake it a point to hang on to memories and even grudges. Historic events may be recorded solely for the purpose of preserving thoughts of the world so that man, in time to come, would have a chance of knowing his roots. Through history, one important thing that has come to man’s attentionis the existence of inequalities through time. Inequalities have always existed, and these have always been a major source of conflict. Conflict has always been known man, and has never been a stranger to man at any point in time. This is not to say that wars always raged across the earth, but certainly does mean that atrocities and the like always existed. The hostilities and crime that one witnesses today is hardly different from the crimes that were committed in the past. The only thing that makes it much more different to what it was in the past is that there is technology on one’s side today. Instead of this being of greater help to man today, it has resulted in much more death and destruction, all starting from inequalities in resources. Theorists like Karl Marx and Stephen Greenblatt are individuals that would be able to shed greater light on the disharmony in society. Their views on social living also help one to understand the way that things were and are today, and how similar conflicts may be through time . Domination could take almost any form, and this would depend on what kind of resources one class has. If one has economic resources, it is possible to dominate others extensively. In Marxist terms, domination is usually because the resources a class has in hand. If a class has economic resources, it has greater strength and can dominate others. If the resources have limited value, they cannot dominate all that much. In addition to the possession of resources that causes conflict, there is also something known as a sense of belonging. If a person feels that another is not of his status or does not speak the language that s/he does, conflict might arise. However, â€Å"Differences of habit and languageare nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open†. Aside from the differences in resources and the conflict that takesplace because of a difference in resources, Marxism has other values. It is a theory that explains social change, which is why it can beapplied to various situations of conflict. The reason for this is thatthere always has to be a reason for conflict, and this refers todifferences in resources of strengths . Marxism being a macro-sociological theory is one that can also apply tosmaller setups. This means that it can apply to communities as welleven though a community is only a part of a larger society. However,thismakes sense because of the fact that it also applies to a wholestate that itself a smaller part of a global environment . Being a theory that can be used to see significance in communities, itis one that can be applied to the magician’s community in Harry PotterNovels by J.K Rowling. The community in Harry Potter Novels is perfect for implementing Marxist theory. This is because of the fact that there is existence of segregation, class/group conflict, oppression, slavery,Prejudice, etc. existing in the community. It is all these factors thatexpose the importance of Marxist theory and the way that communities gothrough changes during conflict. The stages in a conflict are alsoclearly visible as one reads through the Harry Potter books. Thesestages are similar to Marxist explanations, and are also in sync withsocial changes that occur because of conflicts . In addition to the class conflict that would occur because of control over resources or magical powers, there is also the case of descent.Descent or heritage is an issue in Harry Potter stories as well becausethose who belong to an original group are believed to be rightful heirs and have authorized control. This is something that is explained byother theories as well, but Marxism primarily considers these to bebecause of beliefs and doctrines that are embedded in people’s minds.They are also most likely to occur because of the control that peoplebelieve they are entitled to when they are of original or pure descent. This is precisely the case wit the pure bloods that think they arerightful owners of magic. The purebloods assumed that they have therights to magic and only they should be allowed to study at the schoolof magic. They wanted the half bloods and the mudbloods ousted.However, since they could not do it through fair means they resorted toother means. At various stage s of the whole story of Harry Potter’sexperience this is demonstrated. Not only is Harry Potter subject totheir unfair means but so are many innocent people. The pure bloods arewilling to go to any length to dominate and gain control over allothers. They want to gain control in the wider society by first takingover the magic school and proving themselves as rightful owners ofmagic. They are inbred and come from generations of practice. AlbusDumbledore asserts: â€Å"You place too much importance on the so-calledpurity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not whatsomeone is born, but what they grow to be! † Undoubtedly, they may possess exceptional traits and ability to performspells, but it may also be said that they have mastered all thisthrough immense practice. As opposed to this, Harry Potter is anindividual who is of half wizard descent. He still has more abilitiesthan most other wizards of pure descent. He has the ability to applymagical spells at will even though he was warned in the initial stagesthat it could prove dangerous for him. He was told that afterperforming magic for the first time, it is â€Å"Natural to want a bitmore†. He was told that he â€Å"cant start flying cars to try and get†himself â€Å"noticed† (Chapter 6, p. 91). The best part about Harry Potter’s character is that he is a wizard ora young wizard with immense skill. He does not use his magicalstrengths unless he really needs to. He had been warned against usingmagical spells, but also preferred to use commonsense to work his waythrough situations. It may be asserted that Harry Potter was a clevermagician who used his magical capabilities to reinforce his efforts. Describing magical situations in a community of wizards and using amacro-sociological theory to back it up, may seem odd. However, itappears that the discrimination between different groups or classes isbest described through this theory. The manner in which individuals inthis story behave is interesting and fits well into such a theory. Considering Roald Dahl’s ‘The Witches’, it can also be asserted thatMarxism fits into it too. This is because there are also notions ofgroups or class in this story. There is also existence of oppressors.These oppressors are the ones that cause the disharmony; they try toget rid of children, and people in general cannot detect them livingalong with them in society. They look like normal ladies and have everygeneral character that women have, and no one would even imagine thatthere are some of the wickedest women living right beside them. Since class distinction is an important part of Marxist theory, it isworth asserting that Harry Potter has no shortage of Marxist notions. This can be observed in the fact that class distinction is quite open. The manner in which classification takes place in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ is exceptional. This is typically visible whenthey magicians are categorized and placed in traditional houses. Each magician is placed in a traditional house according to his or her capability or status. An example of this is the manner in which Harryis placed in the house of Gryffindor. He is a hero and is placed herewhile other magicians such as Malfoy, are placed in Slytherin. Though it may be argued that this is highly unlike a Marxist practice becauseof the inequality, it can be said that it is actually very much in syncwith Marxist theory. This is because of the fact that Marxism holdsthat each one has particular capabilities that could be put to use. Marxism e mphasizes on the notion: from each one according to hiscapability, and to each one according to his need (Marx Engels,1848). In the above example, it is obvious that the emphasis is more onthe capability of the individual, which is why each of the characterized are placed in separate houses. In this kind of segregation, there are particular advantages as well asdisadvantages. This refers to the fact that being segregated couldcause unity in some ways and further disintegration in others. In‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’, both these notions arevisible clearly. Unity is demonstrated through the recognition ofmorals in each character. The characters recognize certain qualities ineach other and they are drawn closer; Harry, Ron and Hermione stand outas examples. In contrast to this, it can also be observed that thereare instances where some characters are repulsed. It is through the unity that is created by the three friends at themagic school that a plot has been detected to steal the ‘Philosopher’sStone’. Harry, Ron and Hermione work together to discover a culprit atthe top level. It turns out that one of the teachers is a suspect. Thework that the three friends put in to discover the suspect is anexample of the way that the people in a state can work towards foilinga treacherous attempt. This part of the story also reflects the natureof the Marxist state that is more than likely to pull down a leader orany official that puts them at risk. The people are the ones with powerand they may use it collectively to achieve a goal. Though there may beother individuals against them, they may still go ahead with what theybelieve in. The Philosopher’s Stone is like the importance of a state, and if anyone is trying to steal something that belongs to the state they need tobe stopped. The situation can be deadly, which is why it may also beadventurous. â€Å"After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but thenext great adventure† . This is precisely what Harry and his friends set out to do after theyhave strong suspicions on particular people. However, their earliersuspicions were not accurate as Harry discovers that he has to facesomeone other than Snape. One can have â€Å"As much money and life as youcould want! The two things most human beings would choose above all -the trouble is, humans†, even if they are magicians, â€Å"do have a knackof choosing precisely those things that are worst for them† . In order to prevent the Philosopher’s Stone from being stolen, Harryand his friends have to go after the stone themselves. This meant thatthey had to get in through the guards to make sure the Stone would notbe stolen away. At this point in the story, it is specificallymentioned that Harry and his friends had to pull their strengthstogether in order to get where they reached. Harry and his friends manage to do this quite successfully until Harryhas to go in alone after the Stone. In doing this, he is faced withProfessor Quirrell. Being his crafty self like many politicians thatwant to benefit the most, Professor Quirrell tries to use Harry to getto the stone. He knew that Harry would be able to get through, and soknew it would be the best way. However, the professor remainsunsuccessful in his attempt. Quirrell was killed and Voldemortdefeated. This defeat and death stands for the necessity of conflict tobring peace and restoration to a state. The characters defeated standfor those that interfere with the relatively peaceful system in place.Harry and his friends stand for those that are willing to risk all thatis theirs in order to do what is right. Harry in particulardemonstrates that he is the people of a state because of the fact thathe was ready to lay down his life for everyone. He knew that he was theonly one capable of completing the task, and so we nt into a dangeroussituation all by himself. However, he emerged victorious and thus livedup to being a hero. Though Harry did a splendid amount of heroic work single-handedly, itcannot be forgotten that he could not have done it all by himself.Towards the end of the adventure, this is exposed considerably throughthe points scored in all the efforts. Gryffindor earns one hundred andsixty points through the collective efforts of Harry, Ron and Hermione.However, an extra ten points were earned because of Neville’s effortsto stop the three from going to the Philosopher’s Stone. It is obvious that trying to stop Harry and his friends from goingthrough the defenses of the guards would be seen as a good act. Quitenaturally, Harry’s actions as ring leader were not the mostappropriate; the school of magic may not have been pleased about this,and so placed a ban on him from using magic for the rest of the summer.However, he kept this ban a secret so that no one would take advantageof him. Using magic could not be kept a secret, but not using it couldbe kept a secret. Looking at the practice of magic in the literaturepublished today, there are several religious groups that are againstthe use of magic and witchcraft in Harry potter stories. This has beenthe case so much so that religious groups have moved to have the seriesbanned. However, this is an unlikely thing to happen, as the book isfiction; something that is far from reality. However, in comparing thenotions in this series with Marxist literature, it can also be saidthat there are people who scrutini ze it (Marxist Literature) as well,terming it all as evil and a social disease that aims at overturningother just forms of governance. The fears are more real in this sense,but pertinent literature can hardly be banned from publication . Marxist literature is known to focus on many different aspects ofsocietal living; it is a political theory and often serves as a meansof scrutinizing state operations. One of the main things that ittargets is injustice. It emphasizes on the need to get rid the root ofinjustice in society. In Marxist notions, there are ways of targetingand getting rid of injustice. The words mentioned earlier about Marxismcan aptly be applied here as well: ‘to each one according to his needs’(Marx Engels, 1848). These words comprehensively overruleinjustice, but of course are not sufficient to make sure that injusticedoes not occur. Injustice still occurs in its various forms, anddiscrimination towards individuals belonging to particular origins isone of the most well known of its forms. Discrimination is alsosomething that is a major consideration in ‘Harry Potter and thechamber of secrets’. Basically the discrimination is generalized at all magicians lower than‘pure blood wizards’. In ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’Harry is discriminated by Malfoy because Harry is not a pure bloodwizard. In contrast to this story talking about discrimination andmaking of differences between wizards, there is a great deal that onecan learn from it. Tolerance is one of the major teachings in thisstory. Individuals of all ages can learn from tolerance, no matter whattheir backgrounds are. Marxist theory also holds fast to tolerance asopposed to its notions of conflict. People living in a society may havedifferences, but they still have to live together. Provided that thedifferences are not too magnified, there is no reason why they cannotlive together. In extreme cases, they may need to clash before peace isestablished, but first tolerance is preferred. Conflict is actually thelast option; when there is no other way out, conflict is resorted to.The inten sity of the conflict can be observed in the following lineswhen Arthur Weasley says: â€Å"Never trust anything that can think foritself if you cant see where it keeps its brain† . Tolerance in the Community: In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, tolerance in the communityis of great importance. If tolerance is non existent, there would be nocommunity. However, there are some individuals that want to causedisharmony even if their intentions seem logical. In the story, SalazarSlytherin wants to get rid of all those that are different andestablish a community that is pure; he wants to get rid of themudbloods, or wizards that do not have any magical ancestors. Here,one can see that is a definite distinction between the two classes, andthere is also a definite demeaning tone and term being used againstthose that were not pure magicians . Quite obviously, there was aresponse from those who were being looked down upon. They would defendthemselves if attacked or harmed in any way. This would be legitimatein the sense that all members in a society are entitled to equalrights, and these are natural rights. The targeted class might feel theneed to resist hostilities or even launch attacks. Th is conflict isnothing unknown to Marxism; in fact, class conflict is normal for peaceto be achieved. Particularly, it must be noted that class conflict inHarry Potter and the Chamber of secrets is also similar to Marxistdescription because of the class conflict existing between two classes.Typically, this was the Quidditch game between Gryffindor andSlytherin. The Gryffindor and Slytherin represent the two classes inconflict. According to Marxism there are no other classes; there is just aconflict between to very distinctive classes in society because of thedifferences in resources . Here, one can observe that the classconflict or group conflict in Harry Potter exists between those thathave more magical power and those that do not. Also, those that havemore power are ones that claim to have purer heritage. They believethat they can purify their community by getting rid of those withoutsuch heritage. Purifying the community is something that is out of Marxist views; itis something that does not pertain to the theory. Though there havebeen instances in the past that may be used as examples of purifyingcommunities and races, none can be blamed on Marxism. Purification ofraces and communities is something that has been the result ofDarwinian thought. However, since these notions were integrated withso-called socialist strategies, Marxism is largely blamed for heinousevents in history . In Harry Potter, the purification that Salazar Slytherin intendsactually goes to show that these ideas are opposed to peace. Peace canonly attained by getting rid of such prejudices. The only way to get ofthese prejudices is to change the way that the dominating class thinksand acts or to have a direct and open conflict to demolish it. Coming back to the manner in which Harry and Hermione are both demeanedbecause of their heritage, Harry’s is only half of what the pure bloodswere. Both Hermione’s parents were not magicians as well. This meansthat both friends were not pure magicians by blood. However, they werepretty good at whatever they did; there magic was far better and moreeffective than Malfoy’s who was a pure blood. Here again there can be aMarxist comparison. This is because of the fact that Harry’s andHermione’s characters demonstrate the fact that all individuals nomatter what their heritage have the ability to perform in any art; allindividuals are able to do just as well as any other individuals. Marxism holds that all people in a community have the ability towork and be as productive as any other individual. Though there areindividuals with specialized skills who can be more productive in termsof quality, other individuals should not be demeaned or underestimated. However, this is what Malfoy does; he and his lot aredescribed as oversized, strange-looking, mean and unintelligent, butthey are still pure bloods coming from generations of pure blood. Theyhave not much in their favor, and so, it is very important for them tobe pure. They have worked for generations to be ‘purebloods’ at thecost of losing everything else. This is perhaps the reason why they areso hung up on remaining in control and excluding all those that aredifferent to them. Perhaps they could not stand anyone having magical[powers and not being pure bloods. However, the problem for them wasthat Harry and Hermione were really good at their magic even thoughthey were not pure bloods . Observing the manner in which the ‘pure blood wizards’ treated the‘mudbloods’, one can say that there already are already two classes inconflict. However, the mudbloods are those that are targeted, andwithin a broad category of those that dominate them are the pure bloodwizards along with others. These others include people such as theDursleys, who virtually fear magic. They are the ones that try to avoidmagic and had kept Harry away from these practices that were rightfullyhis own. The Dursleys serve as a group of people in the category ofthose that oppress the ‘mudbloods’ even though they are not exactly onthe same side of the ‘pure blood wizards’. However, the fact is that,anyone or group that opposes or oppresses the mudbloods areautomatically considered to be in one broad category. This is similarto the manner in which all those who oppose or oppress the proletarianare considered to be one group or class. As opposed to the class conflict that is clearly visible in Harry{Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Marxist theory has it that for acommunity to survive there is need for tolerance to be practiced. Iftolerance is not a strength in a community, at any point in future, acommunity is liable to fall apart or become a victim of disharmony. A community should be strong enough in its bonds in order to preventdisharmony. It should tolerance and other qualities at its center sothat its community members can rely on it. Speaking of a community as awhole, in Harry Potter could not have been a hero on his own. He neededother individuals to support his role and cause too. Without them, hecould not be successful and would never have been recognized as a hero. Harry also has individual traits as well that are required of a hero.He is one that depends on the moment for taking decisions thatultimately define his success. Harry uses each moment intelligently andapplies common sense knowledge to situations. He does not think withhis magical powers. He instead, uses his magical abilities to reinforcehis decisions. He does not think with magic or with power. This isreflected in Marxist theory as well, as individuals and governingbodies or a state or even a community need to think logically and notwith the power they have in their hands. Social living is given a lotof importance in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which is whyHarry maybe used as an important example. He is a community member. Heis one that is oppressed by those that are in a position to oppresshim, but he does not give in. He knows better because he can think anddoes not abuse his magical power. This is something important and infact is close to utopia in Marxism. Being h onest and having the abilityto control one’s power and authority is a quality that many do nothave . Just like the legal system in Marxism is taken into considerationso is it done in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’. The systemof governance in place is most important to consider. This is becauseof the fact that it is the foundation of actions to be carried out whendealing with millions of people in a country. If there is injustice inthe legal system, it needs to be dealt with accordingly. An example ofinjustice in the legal system is reflected I the way that Lucius andMalfoy deal with those that make mistakes. Their decisions are severeand harsh, and in most cases are unnecessary. Lucius and Malfoy represent the harsh hand of the law. In many casesrecorded in history there have been legal systems that have practicedharsh treatment of their people and little was done. However, Marxistideals do not agree with this even though rulers may have misusedtenets of Marxism. Injustice of the kind that Lucius and Malfoy carriedout cannot be tolerated. The Social set up is such that it allows all individuals to provethemselves. They may do sop as individuals or as a group. The Quidditchis believed to be a social indicator that can reveal the wayindividuals are. This is possible because it allows a competitionbetween two sides, Gryffindor and Slytherin. The integrity of the twosides is measured in terms of the strategies they use. Each of themwants to emerge as the winner and earn recognition through theirpowers. However, the serious conflict is that the Slytherin use unfairmeans to prove themselves even though they are pure bloods. TheGryffindor on the other hand are not necessarily pure in terms ofmagical power heritage; they are however, effective, and are evenbelieved to be more powerful than their opponents. The Quidditch also serves as an environment of its own kind becauseof the fact that it has the ability to observe individuals as thoughthey are in another environment altogether. Through the Quidditch a lotcan be revealed about an individual’s real life intentions; it can beused to predict the lengths to which that individuals may go in orderto win or prove themselves. On the parts of both competitors,Gryffindor and Slytherin, it can be observed that they have tried hardto prove themselves the best way they know how. In this process, agreat deal has been revealed about the Marxist notions involved in theoverall set up. Something that reinforces Marxist notions, especially with theoppressed magicians, is the fact that they are concerned about thosethat are enslaved. They understand the plight of those enslaved andknow that their condition is perhaps worse than their own. Beingoppressed is one thing because at least the oppressed like Harry andHermione have the power to fight back. With the elves, there is hardlya chance of fighting back, as they have nothing to fight with and haveno special magical powers. It is this concern for the enslaved that istypical of individuals among the proletarian. This is an attitude thathas the power to bring people together and oppose oppression by thedominant ones. The slaves in Harry Potter are individuals that are kept for freelabor for the wicked wizarding families. The way that these elves aretreated depends on the mercy the wizards have for them, and since theyhave enslaved them it is obvious what kind of mercy they have shown them. Hermione has learned much from this enslavement and knows that this isnot far from the way that other good and bad wizards have experiencedat the hands of Lord Voldemort. Hermione then works throughout the bookto liberate the oppressed individuals. Some of those enslaved were madeso by physically restricting them to particular areas or by placingthem under a curse or spell. In view of the way that they wereenslaved, Marxist views would reveal that individuals in society canalso be enslaved in similar ways. The physical way of course ispossible through keeping a person in captivity or even abusingpolitical power to torment individuals. The alternative means ofenslaving a person through a curse could refer to the way that anindividual may be placed under bonds, contracts and the like. Peopleoften take advantage of individuals who fail to fulfill agreementsunder bonds and contracts, and they may subject them to blackmail orcompel them to serve their demands. Just like the wizards may no t havebeen able to do much under the Imperius curse, individuals cannot domuch after being placed under a bond. People with the power to enslave others and control them in this waygradually can take control of a lot of people. Politicians have thepower to do this when they are ion power and create particular decreesthat compel the people in a country to act accordingly. Getting peopleto act according to the demands of a ruler is also enslavement. Thesame thing is in effect in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Thewords mentioned in this book that say exactly what one should knowabout a man’s behavior towards others are as follows: â€Å"If you want toknow what a mans like, take a good look at how he treats hisinferiors, not his equals† . These are precise words and ones that saya lot about class difference and individual attitude in view of aperson’s social position. However, the intention that Voldemort had wasto get all the slaves together and then get rid of them so that therewould be almost a nation of pure bloods. This sounds very familiar;history rings a bell here, and one is compelled to consider the SecondWorld War in which the Germans had attempted and succeeded at doingthis to some extent. However, this is something is opposed to Marxisttheory because of the fact that Marxism does not hold with purifying acommunity through enslavement and other similar practices. Though it has been blamed for what happened in the Second World War,Marxism promotes diversity. Again here one of its tenets may beconsidered as it was earlier: to each one according to his need, andfrom each one according to his capability . These words automaticallyclear Marxism, promoting the appreciation of diversity in society.Establishing a pure race is no where within the tenets of Marxismbecause it is a theory that primarily focuses on the value of humanlife and effort . This human life and effort cannot be compared orcompensated for economically; it cannot be sold as a commodity, andshould not be sold as such. Instead, the value of human life and effortis so high that it should be cared for in such a way that the stateappreciates it through its entire existence. This is particularly thereason why this theory does not believe in the accumulation of personalassets; it is more focused on state-provided care in order to maintainpower that is distributed among the people. When power rests with thestate, no individual a group can rise up easily and take control ofothers with shortage of resources or power. In Harry Potter and theGoblet of Fire, this is what causes the problem in the magician’scommunity; a handful of magicians manage to take control of othersthrough their crafty ways and gain more and more control. â€Å"There was nopoint in worrying yet. what would come, would come and he wouldhave to meet it when it did† . It is through brave and selfless effortsthat Harry manages to overturn these efforts. Harry is not justinterested in saving the community nor is he totally agai nst wrongdoings, but he is keen on opposing domination. He becomes a herobecause he has one aim and that is to protect what was important toeveryone primarily. He wanted to protect the Philosopher’s Stone andalso confront the evil magicians. However, it is these efforts thatbuild up a community connectedness. In his efforts he had to seek helpfrom those he could. Without his friends by his side, Harry might nothave been able to get to the Philosopher’s Stone. In the Triwizard Tournament as well, Harry is not alone. Hagrid andMoody had helped him in getting him past the dragon. Also, Cedric andDobby had helped him further when they helped him decrypt the goldenegg; this enabled Harry to rescue the underwater victims. While trying to figure out what Harry may have done single-handedly,there is apparently little to go on. This even includes Harry gettingthrough the maze; he would not have been able to get through had it notbeen for the protective charms created by his wands connection withVoldemorts wand. Trouble for Voldemort was inevitable. â€Å"Its a strangething, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything toslow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up† . Harry was also under the protection of his parents’ sacrifice. Harryalways thought about his parents; he also thought â€Å"about his father† .He also thought about his fathers three oldest friends: Moony,Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs† (Chapter 21, p. 407) His parents’ sacrifice was the thing that kept him alive. Therefore,whenever he is apparently cornered, he has a wa