A Cinematographic Vampire’s Tale: Understanding the Symbolism Behind the Horror Icon

Cinema is the place where we as viewers engage in sharing a collective dream. Certainly, horror movies enrich us as viewers with the most dream-like of plots. This is because they open a portal into another world where we are allowed to engage with our nightmares. All over time various horror movies show us how normality is endangered by a monster, but the creature who has haunted the screen like no one is undoubtedly the Vampire. According to Ivan Phillips the figure of the Vampire has drifted and shifted through the pages of newspapers, travel journals, novels, poems, comics, and plays for 300 years, it has haunted cinema and television for almost a hundred, its shadow is creeping into the social, narrative and ludic networks of the digital’. The image of the Vampire is constantly present in the virtual and literature culture of the twenty-first century. Although this being moved from its folkloristic origins in which he appeared in works of J. Sheridan Le Fanu, John Polidor i and Bram Stoker, the vampire still remains an iconic figure in Western Culture. This personage provides paradoxical fascination as it exists ‘at the edges of what is deemed normal, acceptable and safe, the vampire embodies the foreign and the unfamiliar’. Although, the vampire is often seen as a bringer of death, there are numerous metaphorical meanings and readings of this being. Through Marxist discourse the vampire is portrayed as the monster of monopoly capitalism and the agent of foreign ownership. This idea of the ‘bloodsucking capitalist’ is perceived in a negative way the Marxist community. In a xenophobic society this idea of the vampire embodies a general fear of the unfamiliar and may also constitute a racial difference. But the vampire not only represents the non-conformity it also alludes to an illicit desire. According to Jorg Waltje, this being is the embodiment of humanity's ‘hopes and desires: beauty, strength, and immortality’. Although these elements do not express fear in the same way as the vampire's link with death but in the same manner they express an external behaviour which puts at risk society's stability. The vampire hints to a sense of ‘unsettlement’. Through his figure the viewer, in a quite troubled sense, comes face-to-face with the dramatization of humanity. As a creature, the vampire encompasses men's vulnerability and his inability to alter the laws of time. As Sarah Sceats states ‘Vampires represent what we both fear and desire; they evoke a marginal world of darkness, secrecy, vulnerability, excess, and horror. Whatever they are, it is positively Other’. This notion of ‘excess' was also tackled by Omar Calabrese in one of his chapters. According to Calabrese one could only escape from ‘a closed system’ through this notion of excess. The vampire represents this excess as he personifies ‘those aspects excluded or rejected by society, its existence in itself denotes excess’. In addition to this, Calabrese associates this vampiric excess to the exotic erotic which alludes to the scandal and breaks the boundaries of what is socially acceptable. In this sense the vampire's bite is linked with the erotic. Further to this ‘explicit erotic act’ we have an unavoidable act with death. It was Bram Stoker which explored this notion in his novel Dracula. In the scene, where Lucy dies we see an excessive use of the erotic; ‘She seemed like a nightmare of Lucy as she lay there; the pointed teeth, the bloodstained, voluptuous mouth – which it made one shudder to see – the whole carnal and unspiritual appearance, seeming like a devilish mockery of Lucy’s sweet purity’. Through this, Bram Stolker illustrates us with an example of how death is linked to the erotic. The notion of ‘excess' is repetitively used and reused by Stolker. In fact, he describes Lucy as a ‘nightmare †¦ hich it made one shudder to see’ As viewers, as film enthusiasts or as junkies of the silver screen, we have grown accustomed to think that nothing happens outside of the frame. Yet this idea seems to crumble to the ground when it comes to Dreyer's, Vampyr. The latter haunts us with ‘a distinctly innerving sense of not knowing where anyon e is, creating a feeling that anything culd be happening beyond the frame, in the ‘blind space' in which the monsoter lurks’. Visually speaking, Vampyr resembles Jean Epstein's La Chute de la Maison de Usher and Bunuel's Un Chien Andalou. Dreyer's horror movie encapsulates ‘clear moments of crossover between the two movements’. Therefore Vampyr distinguished itself from other movies of the same genre because of the various artistic influences which left their imprint. Comparison can also be drawn between more contemporary movies which are not necessarily classified under an artistic movement but which are still relevant to vampire studies. Coppola's movie is separated by decades from its predecessors and is more straight forward in the narration of events. Visual metaphors are central to its filmic structure and the American director’s interpretation is completely submerged in blood, but while this film is heavily conditioned by an erotic element, the scenes of blood in Vampyr are scarce. The ‘spots of blood’ carry psychoanalytic connotations. Barbara Creed states that the manifestation of horror is culturally and socially constructed through the ‘images of blood, vomit, pus. shit etc’. These images emphasize a split between the law of the father and the maternal influence. This division has to be viewed under a pre-Oedipal line of thought. In this stage there is a fierce attachment to the maternal figure. In Dreyer's vampire movie, blood is linked to the maternal entity because Chopin ‘punctuates the flesh and transgresses the sanctity of the body’. Another overwhelming point stated by Creed is that the female vampire does not limit herself to mutating her victims into creatures which are one with the night. Her victims are testimony of the vampire's ability to destabilize ‘traditional gender definitions’. Although lesbian connotations are often attributed to this particular flick, there is no real intimacy between Leon and Chopin. The scene in which Chopin ‘feeds' upon her young prey, does not communicate a sense of desire. The village doctor who is at the service of Chopin, does not coincide with the medical man who represents a positive force in the traditional gothic horror narrative. In Coppola's Dracula, based on Bram Stocker's novel, Van Helsing is an educated individual and an adversary to the malevolent vampire. The doctor ‘sucks' the blood from the living thanks to the transfusion equipment just as Chopin uses fangs. The victim of the doctor's bloodsucking, artificial technique is Gray. He is the character who often looks at the actions taking place by standing behind doors or windows; ‘he is an outsider peering in’. In fact, Gray is removed from the narrative action even as he witnesses the first death. David Bordwell believed that Gray ‘is a curious character’ and he is more of a mediator than a provocateur of action. However, Gray still ‘possesses an active and enunciating gaze’. This male character's progress is often hindered by other characters, by the props and also by buildings. What is so overwhelming about Vampyr is the collision between reality and the supernatural. Everything seems to take place within a dream-like state and the movie is ‘ephemeral, polysemic and shifting, provoking opinion and polarising debate’. The movie afflicts the viewer with dissonance and discomfort, especially when our gaze meet Chopin's stare as Gray is sealed in the coffin. The latter is an artefact which shares an endless tradition with the general notion of vampirism. It is the space where these beings retreat and hide away from the daylight. The coffin is the body-fitting box where Dracula and Count Orlock patiently wait their time to rise while the vessel is sailing. This tomb or repository is ‘the most vampiric of all enclosure’. Gray finds himself trapped in a coffin and at this point in the movie's chronology, ‘the spectatorial gaze is doubly trapped, within the confines of a sealed coffin and the immovable dead body’. As the coffin containing Gray's corpse is being carried away, the procession passes next to Gray's unconscious body. In Vampyr, the element of the doppelganger has a heavy resonation. Vampyr is venerated amongst lovers of the genre even though movie makers throughout those years did not have the present technological resources. Old, B&W, silent movies may seem alien in form and content to younger generations, yet what some of these past flicks embody inextinguishable artistic and human values. We've already drawn remarks on Coppola's remake of Bram Stocker's narrative work into film. Long before the release of this movie, ‘the most haunting of any attempt to dramatize Bram Stocker's novel’ was Murnau's Nosferatu. There is a strong resemblance between Murnau's vampire and the one lurking in the book. What is it that viewers find so terrifying about Nosferatu? Is it the vampire’s appearance and inhuman gestures? Does he embody the general notion that â€Å"we fear whatever we cannot explain or understand through rational thinking†? As consumers, for there is no better way to call genuine movie enthusiasts, we ought to dig deeper and deeper into the sequence of images. Most of the time denotations come with connotations and it is up to us to fish out such hidden meanings. The imagery in Murnau’s movie suggests the concept of repression and ‘the arch is a visual leit motif in the film’. Arches and similar structures try to stop the vampire from emerging. Count Orlock is therefore a repressed force who is also linked to Jonathan via these same arches. In a memorable scene in the movie, the Count emerges from under an arch and Jonathan from another as they meet for the first time. Jonathan is also linked to the menacing creature through the house which stands on the opposite side to his. Count Orlock purchases this house, thus becoming the young man’s reflection. Jonathan is a loving companion to Nina while Nosferatu becomes a ‘demonic alternative husband’. Nosferatu contains numerous references to ‘a number of traditional or cultural elements’. Myths about Persephone and Orpheus also produce an echoing effect through this vampire movie. Nosferatu was not meant to float in its own air bubble, separated from all other influences and ideas. Murnau transfuses into the motion picture ‘the product of a synthesis’. This adaptation of Dracula, which donated to all lovers of the horrific this ‘thin, repulsively bald’ being, dates back to ‘the heyday of expressionist fantasy’. What come into collision are the natural and the fantastic. These two distant realms are central to Nosferatu yet neither dominates the film. The viewer cannot but notice the obsession with filing space and the ‘obrusive sets’. Like Tabu, Nosferatu is primarily set in natural surroundings and both of Murnau’s movies deal with a menace. The latter diffuses into an ordinary world and out of a fantastic, paranormal world. Nosferatu portrays an animal-like being (a mixture between a rat and a human skeleton) who is ‘constantly associated with nature throughout the film’. Even Count Orlok’s movements does not coincide with those of a human being , in fact even his castle ‘is like a natural continuation of the rock’ thus the true protagonist in Nosferatu is Nature which is closely linked with its natural settings. In Nosferatu, Murnau used a sort of trick photography also with expressionist angle shots. As Gilberto Perez Guillermo suggests these specific techniques are used to illustrate a remote, fragmented and bizarre environment. Nosferatu is generally seen from distance and this gives us the impression that the nocturnal creature is merging itself with the surrounding nature. Murnau succeeded into creating an iconic- power image through which he shows Nosferatu as ‘seemingly immensely tall’. In particular the scene where the vampire is standing on the deck of the vessel which is no longer conducted by a human being. Murnau makes also the use of the negative image, this technique is ideal to express ‘mystery, fantasy, and unreality’. This negative image basically involves an X-ray photograph, in this film it was used when Jonathan was being carried into ‘the land of phantoms’ in Count Orlock's weird carriage. The three movies which have been discussed so far are all based on similar, if not identical, themes. In each case the relationship between the female character and the parasite represented by the vampire is at the heart of the movie's plot. Guillermo del Toro took on a different approach and directed a vampire movie which derailed from the norm set up by the previously discussed films. Narrative-wise, Cronos ignores the myth of the Count and focuses on a device that causes transformations to take place within the main character's physique. The Cronos looks like an insect which shares some sort of a mutual parasitic relationship with its victim. Apart from a different take on the blood-sucking creature's myth, Cronos proposes characters which are marked by an ‘implied absence’. Del Toro's movie might ‘represent a nostalgic look at the past’ in the sense that the long-gone years receive a corporeal dimension belonging to the present. The main character in this Mexican Gothic is a perfect illustration of this notion. Jesus Gris is the ‘purveyor of antiques and guardian of the new dawn’ the latter being Aurora. What distinguishes Jesus Gris with Dieter de la Guardia, the dying industrialist who is aware of the Cronos' true nature and powers are there past scars which must be dealt with in modern times. On the one hand the ‘scars’ of Jesus are related to family life while on the other Dieter de la Guardia is at the mercy of an ailing health. Above all else, the Cronos is a ‘fascinating hybrid of science and nature’ and the golden case is said to hold an insect which lives off human blood. In return the creature rejuvenates its bearer and prolongs his life, killing off the threat posed by ‘corruptible, material flesh’. The device is needed by de la Guardia because it surpasses the technology of modern times. Only the Cronos can achieve what technology has failed in. There also lies a fine parallelism between de la Guardia and the angel’s statue. The man’s body is full of holes just like the archangel’s interior which is infested by cockroaches and if the statue reminds us of the divine, the deteriorating human body indicates an inevitable ending. Erotism is a stranger to the film’s plot, yet del Toro’s work delves into universal dreams, such as eternal youth and the conflict between life and death. Jesus caries the device while de la Guardia holds the instructions; Jesus is the unsuspecting individual who comes across an artifact of mysterious powers and who ends owning itself to it. The Cronos dehumanizes him and his need for human blood becomes more prominent as the film unfolds. Just as the insect feeds upon the blood of the device’s holder, the latter ends up developing an appetite for human blood. Viewers have grown accustomed to having a female figure within vampire stories. Whether the woman is a prey, a victim or an object of desire, she has been instrumental to Dracula’s and Vampyr’s storyline. In Cronos, Aurora ‘plays the role of the love interest for which the monster must make his sacrifice’. Transformation and shifting of form does not limit itself to Jesus’ metamorphosis, but it also manifests itself in the relationship between the vampire and the female figure. The erotism is replaced by an ‘innocent, filial love’. Contrasting and comparing characters and plots allows us to point out what is present in one movie and absent in another. Some characters from different filmic works may share the same attributes or characteristics, while others may interpret the same role but in a totally different manner. The so-called â€Å"assistant†, the faithful follower who is at the service of his master, is present in all four films discussed so far. However Angel, the nephew of de la Guardia, is not as submissive as Renfield and the village doctor. Angel’s mode of thinking is simply capitalistic. He yearns for his uncle’s wealth and represents the ‘cynical angel’. In contemporary popular culture the power of the vampire’s bite did not vanish but in some manner it did change. We can see this notion through the creation of diverse pop culture vampires such as Angel and Spike in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003). These modern vampires have been ‘desexualized and de-victimized’ because they only obtain and drink blood from butchers. Now the vampire is made more human and this highlights the fact that contemporary vampires have a more mundane appearance. In the new millennium the vampire seemed to have changed from a creature of fear to a creature of ‘sympathy and emulation’. This is made more evident in online discourse about the vampire. As argued by Mary Williamson in her book Lure of the Vampire, in the virtual world the vampire is perceived as a ‘forgivable outcast’ and thus we sympathize with him. In Facebook, a social network used by millions in the world the presence of this being is very strong. Through one particular application called Vampire application we see several imitations of the ‘folkloric tradition of the vampire’. This application is diffused from one user to another via a ‘virtual bite’. During this process a user is sent an invitation to enrol himself to such application, were the user gets to interact with other individuals who share their interest and curiosities about this subject. Users get to fight other vampires, fill their hunger or feed upon weaker vampires. Once cravings for this so called ‘virtual-violence’ are stated by many, users can also send gestures such as hugs to their nearest companions. Feeding and fighting are the highlight of this application were vampires get points and money for doing so which than they can be exchanged for weapons or to improve their senses or powers . In this application placing someone in a suit will result in losing all their fights for two consecutive days, which is quite a deal breaker. This application also embraces violence amongst friends. Some of the many options this application boasts are the way one can attack another throughout the Facebook community. This application is filled with the erotic; this notion solidifies the ‘traditional elements of the transgressive vampire’. At each and every single level the vampire's abilities achieves a new rank and this creates a new type of vampire. As noticed by Mary Williamson in the virtual world this being is not perceived as an ‘outcast’ but rather a fundamental figure through which players communicate. In the online world the vampires have become a part of a different ritual, a social ritual by which relationships and friendships are maintained and expanded’. In this application, what used to frighten about this creature is eliminated and instead it is accepted. In fact, with the loss of penetration of the bite the vampire is ‘de-sexualized and sanitized’. According to C alabrese, the vampire represents only a slight alteration beyond what is socially accepted and thus it represents; the shifting of limits. ‘When confronted by an ‘acceptable’ excess, the limit is simply moved (perhaps to a considerable distance) in order to absorb it’. When in the virtual world, elements like blood and the penetration of the bite are removed ‘the virtual vampire becomes the monster that is us’. In the twentieth century, sympathy for this being has grown bigger. In fact as stated by Williamson, this being has generated new implications and attitudes ‘towards the ‘self ’ in the twentieth century’. There is a great desire to imitate the vampire not as a rebellious figure but rather to imitate a ‘bohemian outsiderdom which locates the individual as the desirable outsider, the sympathetically alienated’. In the virtual context perception of the self becomes ‘fluid and flexible’. As it is no longer linked with the body but it is highly linked with the fulfilment of desires. In this sense identity is constructed as one desires. The virtual identity can be understood through the Lancian psychoanalytic theory. ‘In the online world the virtual identity is not reflected but is rather constructed; the subject is not created in the reflection but rather in the digital composite’. This leads us to do a parallelism between the vampire and the virtual identity. According to Shannon Winnubst, the site represents the mirror reflection in which an individual forms and constructs his ideas about the self. On the other hand the vampire ‘in lacking a mirror reflection, does not even register on the radar of identity-formation: he does not have the necessary condition for the possibility of becoming a subject’. Also Rhonda Wilcox explored this theme using the imaginative Id and the Jungian shadow. According to Wilcox the online body represents the negative aspect of one's personality. In this manner the vampire is portrayed as the doppelganger of the victim before it was biten. Stoker's Lucy and Angel in Buffy are the perfect examples, Stoker’s Lucy from chaste to ripely erotic, or perhaps the souled and soulless incarnations of Angel in Buffy – so too does the virtual body provide opportunity for the vampiric shadow to find form in cyberspace. As stated by Wilcox, the imaginative Id illustrates the unconscious which is repressed and which encourages the pre-vampiric identity to free itself. In this sense online where the personality is fluid the wishes of the Id can be fulfilled as there are no repercussions which constitute some sort of restriction in the corporeal world. When talking about horror movies there is a subtle difference between the onster and the human being. But as indicated in films by Dreyer, Murnau, Coppola and Guillermo del Toro a strong link exists between the two beings. The myth and the vampire have always been subjects of debates. Although there are number of similarities and differences between Vampyr and Nosferatu yet both films show us the vampire as being more than just a b lood sucking, nocturnal creature but it is also the representation of the darkest corners of the human psyche ‘For this is one of the functions of our monsters: to help us constrict our own humanity, to provide guidelines against which we can define ourselves’.

Ethical Lens Reflection

Ethical Lens Reflection US101 I use my reasoning skills (rationality) to determine what duties are as well as the universal rules that each person should follow (autonomy). By prioritizing the value of autonomy over equality my primary concern is prospecting individual rights. I believe this is always the best way to assure that everyone in the community is treated equally. Believing all person should follow the same set of universal rules so strongly that I resist making exceptions even when intuition suggests a more passionate result. I found this result to be very true of myself.My personal ethical lens may direct my academic behavior into the positives. If all is true as the ethical lens states then when I set my mind to a project, being the discussion questions or an assignment, I fulfill those tasks. Doing this will get everything in on time. My ethical lens influences my critical thinking knowing that I have to think things through, I ask questions when need be, and ensure all resources are verified as scholarly or peer reviewed. By following my ethics I will refrain from plagiarism making sure to cite or reference all sources as needed.Keeping my conscience clear in classes. One of my results was: Tools for analyzing problems, Reason. Using critical thinking skills is my preferred method for learning and problem-solving. It states that I tend to think through a problem carefully and dutifully research options to find the one that will allow myself to fulfill my duties. My focus on gathering and carefully analyzing all the available data so I can make fully informed decision. The classical value of Temperance shows that I value individual balance and restraint in the desire for pleasure as I seek to satisfy my duties.I also know who I am, so I can act with integrity in the exercise of all virtues. â€Å"I am responsible† is my key phrase. Because I value autonomy and rationality, I tend to assume that my own definitions of what a responsible perso n should do applies to everyone. I define an ethical person as one who fulfills their duties and does the right thing as an autonomous, fully responsible adult. For me, this is the fullest expression of fairness and justice. My gift of self-knowledge shows I am concerned with figuring out my duties, when I am at my best I know myself – I know what I am doing and why.Because of this, when I say that I will do something or care for someone, I follow through. I am also able to live in the present, to determine what I need to do at any given moment to fulfill my responsibilities. I risk being autocratic or bossy. I require everyone to do things my way in order to measure up ethically. I tend to not consider other interpretations of facts or listen to other approaches once I have made up my mind. If I am not paying attention I can be tempted to excuse myself from following the rules. I insist that I really am being true to my core values, even when I am not.I’ll convince my self that the rules were meant for other people or that the action I want to take really does meet my responsibilities, even though my responsible self tells me otherwise. My vice is that I can become overly judgmental and unrealistic. I must remember to think about the impact of a decision on the whole community. Sometimes individuals actually benefit by restraining autonomy for the good of the community. As I learn to consider other perspectives in my decision making process, I will live out the best of my ideals with compassion and care for others.Using the results from the aptitude competency exercise can help with my current career as well as in class. By focusing on customer needs and satisfaction; I can set high standards for quality and quantity; monitor and maintain quality and productivity, working in a systematic, methodical and orderly way, and consistently achieve project goals. By producing new ideas, approaches, or insights; I can create innovative products or designs , and produce a range of solutions to problems.

An Analysis of the Arguably Unified Poem, Beowulf Essay...

An Analysis of the Arguably Unified Poem, Beowulf Beowulf as a less than unified work, more important for its historical and philological content than its literary merit, and critics after him regard Beowulf as a unified work of art. For example, of the critics who discuss the poem as a whole in An Anthology of Beowulf Criticism, most agree pace Tolkien that Beowulf is a unified poem, even if they argue so on different grounds. Burton Raffels introduction to his own translation offers a particularly exuberant example of post-Tolkien Beowulf criticism: [W]e are remarkably lucky to have [Beowulf]: not only is it unique, the sole survivor of what might have been a thriving epic tradition, but it is great poetry. Approached as an†¦show more content†¦It is primarily for these reasons that critics prior to Tolkien argue against the unity of Beowulf. Though this paper agrees more with Tolkien and Raffel, it does not assume the self-evident unity of Beowulf; rather it will briefly review and assess the main issues relevant to the question of the poems unity, of which there are three: (1) Beowulfs structure, (2) the significance of its subject matter, and (3) its thematic unity. One possible caveat here is that modern ideas about artistic unity do not apply to Beowulf. H. L. Rogers makes this claim, for example. However, Aristotle presented sophisticated ideas about poetic unity long before Beowulf, and hence there is no reason to believe that Old English authors had primitive notions of artistic unity. Moreover, those who argue against the single authorship of Beowulf already apply modern standards of unity to support their case, as Rogers indeed does. Thus there should be no great objection to applying these standards in support of the opposing view. The prima facie evidence for the structural unity of the poem is strong. The narrative centers around three fight scenes that parallel one another and link together part one and part two. In each part, a monster plagues a helpless people, and Beowulf comes to the rescue. Throughout this basic narrative, there are themes of kingly wisdom and tribal loyalty, descriptions

Essay About Freedom - 839 Words

The struggle for freedom is big, people will always have reasons for not letting you have it. No matter what kind of freedom you want, you will always have to work and fight for other people and yourself to find it. Over the years there has been a lot of hate but also a lot hope, considering this there are a lot of controlling people who want power, but there is also a lot who are selfless and want that freedom from society and primitive thinking. These are qualities a lot of people have but, there is people who have persevered and never quit fighting for what they believe. In the collection of texts that we’ve read, freedom is obtained by never ceasing from fighting for what you want, no matter how many people don’t want you to have it.†¦show more content†¦These women didn’t care what the officials said or thought that they could or could not do, they were just tired of being treated that way. â€Å"We confronted the regime as best we could†(Sat rapi 84). This text represented the way Muslim woman did everything could and fight off and let the men know they were not going to give up. Even if they were small acts of rebellion, they were going to do their best to never give in to the way they were treating them and always fight for that freedom they so deeply needed. My last reason I have for making this claim is seeing the way Junior fought of all the stereotypes about Indians not having a future and never being able to leave the reservation. He went to Reardon no matter how much people hated him or judged for it because they all felt betrayed. They all didn’t believe he could do it just because they thought he didn’t belong there or maybe just because they didn’t think he was smart enough. â€Å"I’m never going to surrender to anyone, never, never, ever†(Alexie 186). 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Parental Involvement Among Different Cultures ...

Parental Involvement among Different Cultures: Implications and Strategies for Families and Educators in the United States Sarah Cain St. Petersburg College Abstract It may come to no surprise to many families and educators in the United States that families actively participating in their children’s academic life (school, homework, extracurricular activities) is a key component in unlocking their children(s)’ success in school. The struggle that educators face is the lack of understanding or lack of knowledge about how families in other cultures view parental involvement. It is important for educators to understand that not all families will have the same viewpoints on parental involvement, and educators themselves may have different opinions about parental involvement that are not unanimously shared among colleagues. This research paper aims to provide an in depth review of how parental involvement is viewed in different cultures present in the United States. This paper will provide discussion regarding how differing culture views affect education in the classroom. Furthermore, this paper should provide educators with strategies o n how to recognize, accept, and encourage family participation in all cultures present in the United States. This paper will focus on cultural views from European American Families, Hispanic/Latino Americans, and cultural views based on family dynamics (single parents, income-classes, same-sex parents). Keywords: Family Involvement, FamilyShow MoreRelatedFactors Influencing Parental Involvement, Motivation And Anxiety On Educational Success Of Adolescents2518 Words   |  11 PagesInfluence of three factors - parental involvement, motivation and anxiety on educational success of adolescents Introduction Adolescents have different levels of educational achievements and socio-emotional nature. 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Truancy is rated among the major problems facing schools today (Garry, 1996). Schools in some larger cities have reported absenteei sm rates as high as 50 percent per day (Allen-Meares, 2004). The issue of truancy compromises schools primary function and places our young people at risk. According to the Bilchik, truant students have the potentialRead MoreRisky Behavior : Risky Behaviors1639 Words   |  7 Pages Risky Behaviors When asked the question regarding risky behaviors in African-American student peer groups, the Academic Dean had this to say: These teens or young adults have a different temperament that’s responded to their good life with risky living. So, we must introduce equations into their lives. This means, we talk over big decisions ahead of them (or behind them) and define how one choice leads to a specific benefit, but another choice leads to a negative consequence. 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The ï ¬ ndings facilitate the development of family-centred care focuses on partnership of care between the nurse and family to enhance the Chinese family’s active and participatory role. 1 Keywords: XXXX  © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 1 J A N Journal Name 1 2 0 4 2 Manuscript No. B Dispatch: 22.10.12Read MoreThe Conceptual Framework For A Research Based Diet And Physical Activity Interventions5466 Words   |  22 Pagesprevention programs, but their motivation to engage in such activities does not stem primarily from their desire to improve the health of their children and families. According to the CDC (2012), it has been identified an overarching desire among parents to feel better about themselves as parents that could in turn lead to pursuing improvements in their family?s nutrition and physical activity behaviors. According to Pocok (2010) parents want to lead by example, navigate their busy lives more efficiently,Read MoreSummary Of Funds Of Knowledge And Teaching Other Peoples Children3644 Words   |  15 Pagesresearchers point out that in the past government policy for inequality was focused on how to make schools serve industry more efficiently. Connell, et al. (1986, p. 26) describe the difference in classes as stemming from people from different social strata having different attitudes, values, child-rearing methods, personality problems and so on. People from lower socio economic backgrounds do not achieve as highly because the homes they come from are unable to support them (Connell, et al., 1986)

Annotated Bibliography in Australia - Free Sample & Solution

Question: How should Australia regulate voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide? Answer: White, B. and Willmott, L. (2012). How should Australia regulate voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide?. Journal of Law and Medicine, 20(2). The most significant objective of this paper on voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide is to give a fundamental base on which the initial discussion on this issue can be raised. The authors through this article attempts to give a wide perspective on this issue of euthanasia and assisted suicide and also raise some very evident questions relating to the law that needs to be modified in order to incorporate these issues of euthanasia (White and Willmott, 2012). The article does not aim to persuade the people or the government to make proper laws for or against this element. Instead the article tends to address all the issues relating to euthanasia more or less in a neutral manner and also tends to raise factors which are relevant to both sides of the argument. The article explores the legal policies of the country considering the decisions that can be made to end the lives. It elaborately describes the different laws with regard to the decision to withdraw or stop any life sustaining treatment which can result in the death of a person and how these decisions are considered under the Australian legal system. The article states how the Australian legal system considers it to be lawful to stop the life sustaining treatment of any person or to stop giving treatment to the people when such treatment is of no use to the person. The laws as the article states further provides that the proper painkilling if taken shall not give rise to any criminal responsibility. Contrastingly, it should be noted that both voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide is considered unlawful in the country and dealing with such cases would lead to a prosecution in the court of law. The legal implications can lead to the convictions under the laws for murder, suicide, abetment for suicide etc (White and Willmott, 2012). However, it should also be noted that even though there are many laws relating to these there are many such cases of voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide that is occurring in the country. The article states that there are a number of evidences which prove that even though there are laws restricting euthanasia many cases of assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia has been occurring in the country. The article further goes on to describe the role of the political parties in their efforts to modify the existing law in this regard. In the Northern territory assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia had been made lawful for a certain period of time. Otherwise, throughout the country there have not been many changes with regard to the laws in euthanasia and assisted suicide. The article proceeds to discuss the various laws that are prevalent throughout the different jurisdictions in the country. It states that there are quite a few jurisdictions where the laws relating to euthanasia is lenient and it is allowed in some countries. There are a number of countries as well where euthanasia is permitted. For instance, in the country of (Dupuis, 2003), euthanasia is permitted but there also exist laws and statutes that regulate the rules and regulations on voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide. Even in the European countries of Belgium and Luxembourg and in the states of United States of America there exist proper statues and laws with regard to euthanasia (White and Willmott, 2012). The legislative structures in these countries give detailed study on the incorporation of the review and processes that entitle the collection of the different data on how the law is to be implemented. Due to the following of this process there exists a considerable amount of evidence that shows the methods on which the operations with regard to the law can be assessed. In the country of Switzerland, the assisted suicide is permitted when such a thing is done without any motive (Bury, 2003). This effort of the country has been cons idered to be euthanasia tourism in the country. This particular thing has also been mentioned in the article. The article further analyses all the possible arguments both for and against of euthanasia and assisted suicide. The arguments for euthanasia state that the there needs to be proper reforms in law and these include public opinion that roots for reforms in this area, autonomy to a certain extent. It also needs to be stated that the present laws prevailing in this area is extremely discriminatory and illogical (White and Willmott, 2012). Some of the primary arguments against making voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide are that with regard to the sanctity of life it would be unethical to voluntarily make a person die (Cordner and Ettershank, 1996). These arguments primarily are concerned with how effective the standards and whether euthanasia would be ethical to be used on minors or adults when such an act is not voluntary. The article further attempts to proceed with the other issues in the arguments of euthanasia which are generally not been considered by the scholars during their research in this issue. The ethical issues relating to this concept has also been considered by the authors in this article. The ethical issues are connected to both for and against the arguments of euthanasia and tried to consider the broad aspect in this issue (Parker, 1994). The article than proceed to make a structure on how the legal system in Australia should move forward to regulate the issues of assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia. The authors critically analyses on the issue as to whether these would be considered as criminal acts. In case assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia is considered to be a criminal responsibility (Ragg, 1992), it needs to be enquired whether modifications in the law is required in order to make the laws even more strict or the laws should be kept unchanged. In case research states that modification in the law is required then it needs to be mentioned as to how the criminal law should be formulated in order to punish people connected with voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide (Doyal and Doyal, 2001) (Varelius, 2013). Some of the options that may be available for criminal punishments are reforms, creation of the offences that are context-specific, developing guidelines on the methods in which the criminal justice system should be dealing with the issues of euthanasia. The article after giving an unbiased view on the legal system on euthanasia later moves on to discuss how this concept when not criminalized would bring forward questions as to how these acts can be regulated and allowed. The article further suggests some reforms which can be applied in the legal system in this regard. These reforms include making such decisions which are voluntary as well as capable and the ability of the person to make use of the legal regime set by the government. The legal structure should set out procedures as to how the decisions need to be made with regard to the person who is suffering from any terminal illness or pain or sufferings (White and Willmott, 2012). The authors in this article state that if voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide is decriminalized the validity of the laws on euthanasia and assisted suicide would be questioned and hence an appropriate statutory practice needs to be recognized in order to put regulations on this practice. The article primarily deals with the regulation of voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide that arises with the social and medical context (Randall and Downie, 2010). The present generation as stated in the article would not agree to be subject to the paternal medical practices present and would rather insist that they have more control over the process in which they die. The article highlights the debate which exists in contemporary time regarding the advancements made in medicine in this field. As a result of these advancements life sustaining medical treatment would be able to make patients live longer than usual (White and Willmott, 2012). Hence under such circumstances considering this process of euthanasia also becomes significant. As concluding remarks it can be stated that the article is extremely well written and it covers all the essential aspects with regard to voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide. It critically examines the contemporary laws in the country of Australia relating to this issue (Ulsenheimer, 2000). The article further compares the laws of the country with that of the other countries such as Netherlands, Belgium and some of the states of United States of America. The article further helps readers to look at both the aspects of the arguments for and against euthanasia and assisted suicide and also analyses the issue based on the ethical grounds. Hence the article very elaborately discusses this issue on voluntary euthanasia along with the existing ethical debates. This study would be appropriate for readers intending to gain knowledge on the existing laws on euthanasia in the country and also receive a view on the different aspects of euthanasia. References Bury, B. (2003). Assisted suicide and euthanasia in Switzerland: Doctors should keep out of it.BMJ, 327(7405), pp.52-52. Cordner, S. and Ettershank, K. (1996). Australia says no to euthanasia.The Lancet, 348(9043), p.1730. Doyal, L. and Doyal, L. (2001). Why active euthanasia and physician assisted suicide should be legalised.BMJ, 323(7321), pp.1079-1080. Dupuis, H. (2003). Euthanasia in the Netherlands: 25 years of experience.Legal Medicine, 5, pp.S60-S64. Parker, M. (1994). Active voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide: A morally irrelevant distinction.Monash Bioethics Review, 13(4), pp.34-41. Ragg, M. (1992). Australia: For or against euthanasia?.The Lancet, 339(8796), pp.800-801. Randall, F. and Downie, R. (2010). Assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia: role contradictions for physicians.Clinical Medicine, 10(4), pp.323-325. Ulsenheimer, K. (2000). Legal Aspects of Active and Passive Euthanasia.Der Gynkologe, 33(10), pp.734-739. Varelius, J. (2013). Voluntary Euthanasia, Physician-Assisted Suicide, and the Right to do Wrong.HEC Forum, 25(3), pp.229-243. White, B. and Willmott, L. (2012). How should Australia regulate voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide?.Journal of Law and Medicine, 20(2).

New School Program in Seattle

The USA has been an example of a democratic society where people have equal rights and opportunities. However, the US equality has often been questioned. Admittedly, there can be no equality in a segregated society. The Civil Rights Movement is regarded as a successful campaign.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on New School Program in Seattle specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Though, segregation is still in many areas (or rather most areas) in the USA. Rosenthal and Mayo (2012) claim that a new Seattle school plan contributes to the increase in segregated areas in the city and its suburbs. Clearly, such racial groups as African Americans will not be able to pay for buses to attend schools in better areas (noteworthy, these schools are also considered to be better than those in poorer areas). These children will have fewer educational opportunities and this will inevitably lead to fewer job opportunities for them in f uture. Therefore, it is possible to note that the new school plan can negatively affect development of the city as it will contribute to development of a highly segregated society. To consider the impact of the new school program, it is necessary to take a closer look at such theoretical perspective as urban ecology. This theoretical perspective helps better understand the processes and trends existing in the city (Crowder, n.d., p. 3). According to this perspective, some social groups tend to dominate certain areas. Historically, more well-to-do areas have been dominated by the white population, while poorer areas have been populated by African Americans. In this respect, it is obvious that it is vital for African American young population to have an opportunity to leave the poorer neighborhoods. Young African Americans can go to better schools in other areas so that they have more educational opportunities in future. Admittedly, schools in more prosperous neighborhoods tend to pro vide better educational services and students of these schools often enter colleges and/or universities, and this, in its turn, helps them get better jobs. Nonetheless, the new program deprives children and young people from poorer neighborhoods of such educational opportunities (Rosenthal Mayo, 2012). Population of poorer neighborhoods can become confined to their neighborhoods as, obviously, they are unable to pay extra money for transport. In the end, this program will become one of the major factors contributing to residential segregation, i.e. distribution of certain social groups into separate areas (Lecture 9, p.1). Salaries, real estate prices, educational opportunities are some of the factors that affect residential segregation. It may seem that diversity is no longer one of the priorities of officials.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On balance, it is possible to note that the new school program in Seattle can have a number of negative effects. Unfortunately, segregation still persists in the American society and such programs can contribute to further development of a segregated society. Admittedly, financial difficulties the city is facing should be taken into account and it is possible to economize. However, it is unacceptable to try to economize at the expense of those who have even more financial constraints. The program can deprive many students coming from poorer neighborhoods of their chance to succeed in life. This program can also contribute to creation of the society where well-to-do areas enjoy prosperity while poorer neighborhoods are struggling with such problems as violence and crime. It is time to face the problem and start diminishing residential segregation in the state and nationwide. Reference List Crowder, K. (n.d.). Soc201A Lecture 3: Theoretical perspectives on urban change. Lecture 9: Residential segregation. Rosenthal, B.M. M ayo, J. (2012, August 20).6 Seattle schools have become whiter as new assignment plan changes racial balance. The Seattle Times. Retrieved from http://old.seattletimes.com/html/education/2018958662_schoolsegregation16m.html This essay on New School Program in Seattle was written and submitted by user Nyla Myers to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.