Paparazzi: An Embarassing Part of American Culture Essay

Imagine living in a fish bowl. Every move you make, magnified by the glass surrounding your whole existence; every flick of your hand, exaggerated by the bubble that surrounds you; every little notion taken and dissected by the ones distantly observing you outside the fish bowl. Not such a pretty experience for somebody so vulnerable and meek. However, why do we, as a society, feel it is ok for celebrities to be treated with such cruelty, and such blatant disrespect for privacy? We may not realize it, but celebrities are now like small, vulnerable fishes living in a world that, much like a fish bowl, does not give them any smidgen of privacy. This is not anything new. We see it in the hottest gossip columns, in those cheap tabloids, and in those entertainment-themed television shows each and every day: paparazzo stalking celebrities who have now become household names. Paparazzi and their stalker-like tendencies, are part of American culture, they have been imbedded in the veins of our society. Tabloids and paparazzi shots are ordinary to American culture, for some people, they part of everyday life. And because we find it so common and ordinary, we forget that this is not the case in the rest of the world. In most Asian countries, celebrities are appreciated for their craft, and they are given much respect and are treated with much accord. Although there are a lot of gossip columns, they retrieve information based largely through simple interviews with the celebrities. However, the trend in American celebrity journalism (if you could even call it that), is sensationalism. And to make these odd and exaggerated claims more believe, a picture, unfortunately, is given as proof. Take for example, pictures of Brad Pitt walking nude while on vacation in some island circulating the internet. Mr. Pitt has never allowed himself to be shot (in a movie or for a photo shoot) completely naked, exposing even his private parts; but with the paparazzi’s intrusion of his privacy, he now has his nude pictures scattered all over the internet. My point is simple; paparazzi and the pictures they take are very intrusive and give absolutely no respect to celebrities. And the reason why paparazzi continue on stalking the most popular celebrities is because they get huge paychecks for one controversial picture. They are making a living out of these celebrities pictures, and they even get perks like free trips to wherever the celebrity they are tasked to follow plans on vacationing. Tabloids are willing to pay huge amounts of money for these pictures because they get higher sales when they print more intrusive and more controversial pictures. So in the end, it is not just the paparazzi’s fault, it is not just the tabloids’ fault, it is the fault of the American public who purchase and show interest in these tabloids and pictures. And just like any other positive movement, a single person convinced to stop wasting their time and money on these intrusive pictures, is a big help in finally putting a stop on this embarrassing industry of ugly journalism and disrespect for the basic right to privacy. Main Point: Paparazzi shots and sensationalism is an embarrassing and intrusive part of the American journalistic world, and of American culture. Summary: Paparazzi and their stalker-like tendencies, are part of American culture, they have been imbedded in the veins of our society. Unlike in Asian countries where celebrity journalism is less intrusive and maintains respect toward celebrities’ privacy, the trend in American celebrity journalism is sensationalism. Tabloids are willing to pay huge amounts of money for these pictures because the American public patronizes the more intrusive, more controversial photos. The American people should stop wasting time and money on this embarrassing part of American culture.

Amanda Cross and the Female Sleuth

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sleuth as a slang word for sleuthhound or detective who follows a trail to uncover a mystery, crime or unknown variable. In literature mystery is defined as a distinct subgenre of detective fiction in which an unknown event, often a disappearance or murder, causes the stories protagonist, or main character in the story, to solve the crime or mystery. Mysteries do not require crimes or the assistance of law enforcement as the common detective fiction or whodunit but they do depend on an unknown variable that the protagonist must determine, (NationMaster, 2003).Mystery fiction is not a new genre of story telling. Throughout time man has been interested in solving the riddles of life. So much so that there is significant evidence to indicate that civilization has enjoyed a good mystery as far back as Ancient Egypt and Greece. However, it was Edgar Allan Poe and his first published story The Murders in the Rue Morgue published in the mid-nineteenth cent ury that made mystery fiction the popular brand of novel it is today. The Murder in the Rue Morgue first appeared in Graham’s Magazine, (Mystery Network, n. d. ).After Poe there have been a number of influential mystery writers including Wilkie Collins, also known as the father of the mystery, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the Scottish author of the Sherlock Holmes series. Sherlock Holmes is not only one of the most widely known mystery series but is also considered to be the most famous literary figures in history, (Mystery Network). Holmes was first introduced to readers in The Strand Magazine when they published the story â€Å"A Study in Scarlet. † Edward Stratemeyer, the author of both the Hardy Boy’s and Nancy Drew series of juvenile mysteries, Carolyn Keene and Agatha Christie.Amanda Cross is a twentieth century mystery writer who contributed much to the genre. Her semi-feminist voice transformed the common sleuth from a run-of-mill private detective into a strong willed female literature professor. Cross, who was struggling with gender equality issues at the University of New York, was tired of the tried and true mystery novels that were being produced a-dime-a-dozen. She set out to produce mysteries are intelligent and contain a role model worthy protagonist. Cross is the pen name of Carolyn Heilbrun.Her first novel, In the Last Analysis, features Kate Fansler, the female sleuth featured in a 14 book series. Fansler is a witty and highly educated literature professor at the prestigious New York University and the majority of her adventures are set against an academic background. Fansler, as opposed to traditional detectives, solves the crime through interviews and conversations with those involved. Most of the mysteries involve the death of either a student or professor and it is up to Fansler to solve the crime. In The Last Analysis, Fansler recommends Janet Harrison see psychoanalyst Dr. Emmanuel Bauer.Bauer is a friend and former lover of Fansler’s. However, shortly after starting sessions with Bauer, Harrison is found shot to death on his couch. Fansler is on the case to prove that her friend is innocent. However, Harrison has led an elusive life in which she has very few friends or acquaintances, making it hard for Fansler to track down a possible killer. However, Fansler’s knowledge of Freudian concepts and her personal integrity helps her to catch the killer. Although Heilbrun strays from the norm her first novel is typical of an amateur-detective mystery. Fansler knows a crime has been committed.She seeks information pertinent to the case by following leads and seeking information from those involved. Fansler then comes up with a theory about what happens, which proves to be correct. Also typical is the fact that the protagonist is a strong female character. Throughout Heilbrun’s novels Fansler is portrayed as strong independent woman, much like Heilbrun. She enjoys eating and drin king and marries later in life. Fansler differs from a majority of female protagonists in mystery fictions because she solves the mystery through Freudian analysis and personal interviews.This is a mystery of the mind in which Fansler does not have physical clues that lead her to find the real killer. Other mystery writers have used female protagonists as well. Contemporary author Nevada Barr features the female protagonist Anna Pigeon, a national park ranger who leads the reader through various adventures in the backcountry solving mysterious deaths. Pigeon is similar to Fansler in the sense that they are both independent modern women. They are both professionals who solve mysteries within the backdrop of their chosen profession.Pigeon and Fansler both represent strong female characters. Yet, Pigeon represents a more traditional character in modern mystery fiction since she follows a trail of clues left behind by the murders as opposed to using literary and psychoanalytical clues t o solve the mystery. Similarly well known mystery writer Sue Grafton began her alphabetical mystery series with A is for Alibi. In her mystery fiction protagonist Kinsey Malone represents a courageous and sassy female private eye. Grafton too takes a more traditional approach by utilizing a private investigator as the main character.Others authors such as Sandra de Helen utilize logic and facts to solve mysteries as opposed to following physical clues. De Helen’s novel The Hounding features two female detectives Shirley Combs and Mrs. Mary Watson. De Helen has a series planned surrounding the two who is in some way related to Sherlock Holms and his assistant Watkins and they solve crimes similarly. These characters all follow typical mystery genre traditions. But not all mystery writers follow tradition. Sue Grafton, a well known mystery writer, started an alphabetical mystery series in which murders are solved by a female feline and a small dog.Grafton strays away far from t radition with characters but stays within the realm with the practices that her characters use to unravel the crimes. Different writers use different methods of crime solving as well as types of characters. However, there is a pattern of female mystery writers creating professional and strong female protagonists. Most of the main characters in modern mystery writers today have had to overcome obstacles in a male-dominated world. They often face gender discrimination or stereotypical peers that create obstacles that must be overcome.For example, Ellen Godfrey's protagonist Jane Tregar is tough and feisty. Tregar, a professional working in a search firm, has had to battle her way up the corporate ladder to a senior position in an executive firm. She utilizes technical know-how to uncover information and corporate savvy to survive her male peers and their scrutiny as well as solve mysteries and be successful in the male-dominated business world. Another modern author Sara Paretsky, cur rently extremely popular with mystery readers, has created the protagonist V. I. Warshawski.Warshawski broke ground as the first female in an all male dominated world of the dangerous back streets of Chicago. Warshawski proves that women can be tough and sensitive and that physical difference between men and women do not mean that women are not capable of performing well in dangerous situations. In the Last Analysis, Fansler fully understands the plight of women within the world of academia. â€Å"Kate was startled by Professor Anderson, who was an eighteenth-century man with a strong distaste for all female writers since Jane Austen (Cross, 2001, p. 3).† This is a common war in the literary department. Literature has been male dominated for a number of years. This is caused in large by the fact that women were not taught to read or write for centuries. However, as women have begun to take their seat at the head of English departments across the nation male peers may scoff. T here is a large portion of male literary enthusiast who tries to minimize the female impact on literature today. Heilbrun later retired early from her post at the University of New York to avoid dealing with this same type of professional peer.But gender discrimination and differences are not the only ones that haunt Heilbrun. Age also seems to be a factor. Heilbrun laments that her students are young and full of life and the longing for their own futures. However, as a professor years goes by and nothing changes. â€Å"Spring on an American campus, even an Urban a campus as this one, inevitably drove the faculty into a mood of lassitude, irritation and fastidiousness. Perhaps it is because we are getting old, while the students, like the Caesar’s crowds on Appian Way, are always the same age.Gazing at the students who sprawled or made love on every patch of available grass, Kate longed, as she did every spring for a statelier, less untidy era, (Cross, 2001, p. 3). † H eilbrun used Fansler to express her own apprehensions about aging as well as the endless cycle of youth that professors endure each college enrollment period. Heilbrun did not reveal her herself as the author of the Amanda Heilbrun mysteries until she was offered tenure at the University due to her fear of criticism from her peers and having her literary work interfere with her academic work.However, age criticism may have also been a concern. The idea of age is transcendent in Heilbrun’s mysteries. Fansler is already in her forties at the start of In the Last Analysis and has never been married nor does she have children. Although latter in the series she does marry she has no concerns about being a â€Å"homemaker† or playing into any other typical stereotypes of women. In fact Fansler, although discreet, has a number of lovers. The idea of the woman as a non-maternal figure breaks social traditions. But the primary social concern of In the Last Analysis surrounds pr ofessional ethics and human integrity.Throughout Heilbrun’s series there are two main characters, Fansler and her friend and future husband Reed Amhearst. Fansler is old-fashion yet she has a penchant for martinis and she comes from a background of wealthy parents to supplement her teacher’s salary. This is convenient since she does not seem to work much as she uncovers her friend’s innocence. As she tries to prove her friends innocence she solicits the help of Amhearst, an attorney, who goes out of his way to help Fansler and repay her a favor. Amhearst is portrayed as Fansler’s love interest and a protect figure.Throughout the book, In the Last Analysis, Amhearst tries to caution the headstrong Fansler who gets involved despite his warnings. Fansler even goes so far as to put her reputation and career on the line to prove that Bauer, her friend, is innocent. Her old-fashion sensibilities coupled with a reckless and courageous manner makes Fansler a grea t candidate to become an amateur sleuth and enforce the idea of human integrity. There are several other examples of human integrity in the book as characters assist Fansler in solving the case. Heilbrun’s novels have been successful overall.However, she was criticized. Especially for her first book, In the Last Analysis, in which it is obvious that Heilbrun has yet to fine tune her technique. Although professional news agencies such as The New York Times had positive reviews a number of readers felt Heilbrun tried to hard to present Fansler as smart and independent. Thus she came across as being pretentious. However, after her first novel the series gained in popularity in part due to the fact that her subsequent novels take place within the world of academia and Fansler’s character can put her intellect to better use.In conclusion, Heilbrun has made a significant contribution to the mystery fiction genre. She is the first mystery writer to create a mystery in which t he crime must be solved using conversations and analytical skills as opposed to physical clues and traditional evidence. Heilbrun also sets the stage for female authors who create strong and independent protagonists that break the mold of female stereotypes. In keeping with many other female authors Heilbrun’s female protagonists are working in a professional field despite gender inequalities.Throughout In the Last Analysis and other Heilbrun novels there are overtones of age related issues as well as gender differences within the world of academics. Both may reflect challenges that Heilbrun has faced as a Professor at the University of New York. Heilbrun utilizes a common amateur-detective mystery technique yet she strays from the norm by implementing psychoanalytical methods of solving the crime as opposed to relying entirely on physical clues.In addition to concerns about professional ethics, specifically within the medical field in which patient-client relationships come into question, there is a predominant theme of personal integrity. Integrity is often displayed throughout the novel in the form of personal favors and character’s taking risks for each other. Fansler is able to solve the crime using intelligence, Freudian analysis and a little help from her friends. Variations from the common mystery novel include the use of wit and analytical strategies to solve the case as well as the protagonist being an older woman without cause to seek out marriage or family life.Heilbrun and many of her peers have chosen to expand the image of â€Å"detective† to include smart and professional women who are employed outside of the law enforcement or private investigation fields. Although Heilbrun’s protagonist is similar to the main characters in other mysteries by her peers, Heilbrun deviates by choosing to make Fansler an example of a non-traditional woman. She is neither interested in marriage or children and has taken a number of love rs to prove her modern values despite an old-fashion background. Heilbrun paved the way for female mystery writers as well as the female protagonist.Through her popular series and the popularity of Kate Fansler a whole new genre of mystery books has evolved. These new series feature witty story lines and fast paced plots while featuring strong protagonists and often feminist views. After Heilbrun’s success there have been a number of other mystery writers following similar strategies including Nevada Barr, Rita Mae Brown and Sue Grafton. References Cross, A. (2001). In the Last Analysis. : Fawcett. Mystery Network (n. d. ). Evolution of the mystery genre. Retrieved Dec. 27, 2008, from www. mysterynet. com NationMaster (2003). : Rapid Intelligence.

Cognitive Psychology Essay Example

Cognitive Psychology Essay Example Cognitive Psychology Paper Cognitive Psychology Paper Cognitive Psychology When an individual faces a problem, they may not know its solution, but might have insight, increasing knowledge, and a notion of what they are looking for. When an individual faces a mystery, however, they might only be able to stare in wonder and puzzlement, not knowing what an explanation would even look like. Many theories have been projected over the years to explain the developmental adjustments that individuals experience over the path of their lives. These theories vary in the beliefs of human nature they embrace and in what they consider to be the essential causes and means of human inspiration and behavior. Cognitive psychology has had many stemmed milestones and has become one of the major schools of thought within psychology which examines internal mental processes such as problem solving, memory, and language, studying how people think, perceive, remember, learn, then behave. Key Milestones In the late 19th century many psychologists became more and more fascinated in cognition. After following earlier behaviorists and their theories, such as Jean Piaget in the early 19th century with his interest in child thought, B. F. Skinner in the mid 19th century with his language and operant conditioning, or even Noam Chomsky who disputed B. F. Skinner’s theory a few years after. What substituted these behaviorists’ theories after many uncertainties of proficiency was what is called cognitive psychology today. The fascination with cognition began to expand and cognition became an extreme inspiration within psychology being called the cognitive revolution then appointed the name of cognitive psychology. Rather than told to interpret their experience participants are nowadays asked to describe the contents of focal attention. Their reports are not used as a direct description of cognitive processes, but rather treated as any other behavioral data. In a set of recent experiments motivated partly by these considerations, Daniel Hart and colleagues found that although children tended to appeal to their physical features in standard free-recall tasks about the self, the same children regard their psychological characteristics as most important to their self. Hart and colleagues used philosophically-inspired thought experiments on personal identity to explore this. In one condition, the child is shown a model of a person machine and is told the following: This is a person machine. What the machine does is make persons. The person behind this door gets an exact copy of your body and looks exactly like you. But this person does not have your thoughts and feelings. The person behind this door has an exact copy of your thoughts and feelings, but this person does not have your body or look like you. The subject was then asked which of these two persons is closest to being you. Is it the one with your body and appearance, or the one with your thoughts and feelings? The researchers compared childrens responses to the person machine task with their responses to standard free-recall tasks, and found that in the free recall tasks, the children mentioned physical characteristics most often, but in the person machine task, they regarded their psychological qualities as most important for the self. Hart and colleagues describe the results as follows: When asked to judge which set of characteristics was most important for establishing similarity between the self and a hypothetical person, the 7-year-olds in this study most frequently claimed that it is their psychological features; indeed, over half of the children claimed that the psychological characteristics are superior for preserving personal identity for all the hypothetical transformations posed in this study. Philosophers will no doubt notice that this isnt really a question about personal identity, since it is explicitly about similarity between simultaneously existing persons. However, many children would be upset by imagining that they are dismantled shortly after stepping into the person machine, and ethics review boards would be unlikely to approve such a study should a sadistic experimenter propose it. At any rate, as Hart and colleagues intimate, the person machine task is likely more revealing than free-recall tasks for uncovering the childs theory of the core features of the self. Hart and colleagues developed their task explicitly in the context of Theory of Mind research. The Theory of Mind is plausibly implicated in the person machine task, since the task requires the subject to judge the importance of psychological properties for similarity across various individuals. The findings on the person machine task begin to tell us a bit about the Theory of Minds. They suggest that on the concept of self delivered by the Theory of Mind, the most important features of the self are ones psychological properties. Presumably, children dont have this understanding of self until they have a Theory of Mind. Hence, at least for this concept of self, Wellman is right. Everyday, theory of mind provides the infrastructure for self-conception. The strength of method for Introspection is that it helps psychologists propose theories about what is happening inside a subjects head on the basis of the subjects external behavior. Clearly, there is no way to know for certain what is actually going on inside. What is important is that the theory be accurate in predicting a subjects action under a certain condition. For instance, where two study techniques are being compared, a good theory would predict which technique will result in a subjects learning more items. The theories to be presented here are the best available understanding human cognitive functioning, and we desire to make use of this body of knowledge for practical applications. Specifically, we desire to investigate the fundamental question of how to look. What is the role of the eye in actively looking at a character? Eye movements are intimately related to perception, visual memory, and pattern recognition. Eye movements play an essential role in vision. In particular, eye movements are controlled by cognitive models already present in the brain. The weakness of this method is that we are still somewhat left with the following questions in reference to introspection. How is information recognized? How are perceptual patterns perceived? The cognitive process in the human being may be regarded as an information-processing process which may be analyzed into a sequence of ordered steps. Fundamental topics of importance are: (a) How is information perceived? (b) How are concepts formed? , and (c) How does human memory work? Specifically, we want to know, How can we make the information contained in a Chinese character easy to use? By that we mean easy to understand as well as easy to remember. The human mind processes information in a sequence of steps, namely: the external stimuli flow into the very short-term memory (VSTM), through the short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM), and back out again. In terms of information processing, understanding means processing by the STM. This makes information easy to understand by means of enabling the STM to create large chunks of information quickly and accurately. Remembering means retrieving information from the LTM, in which is stored the abstracted and condensed form of what was received by the STM. During recall, the mind re-generates words and images from the condensed data stored. Thus, understanding is primarily determined by the organization of knowledge, while remembering primarily by the contents.

Destructive Leadership in HRM

Destructive Leadership in HRM Critical Learning Points The article by Birgit Schyns and Jan Schilling (2012) offers an analysis of the phenomenon of destructive leadership along with its possible consequences. The following points from the article appear to be important to me.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Destructive Leadership in HRM specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Destructive leadership is described as a process in which over a longer period of time the activities, experiences and/or relationships of an individual or the members of a group are repeatedly influenced by their supervisor in a way that is perceived as hostile and/or obstructive (Schyns Schilling, 2013, p. 4). The consequences may include resistance and deviant work behavior, decrease in job satisfaction and commitment, job tension, and reduced employee wellbeing (stress, emotional exhaustion). The authors also included some suggestion regarding the reasons for destr uctive leadership. They reflected that it may be a result of ineffective leadership that has led the followers to question the leaders position. The authors admit that the actions believed to be destructive can help to regain the leadership position in the short run; however, the damage to the leaders image and followers trust is bound to render this strategy ineffective sooner or later. While the negative impact of destructive relationships appears to be apparent, it is important to receive scientific data supporting this point. Apart from that, in my opinion other issues need to be discussed in this respect.  The idea of destructive leadership being an oxymoron caught my eye. The authors explain why the influence that a leader has on followers can be called leadership regardless of its effects, and I agree that this power can be used for negative purposes. However, it appears as important that the destructive leadership does not have to be intentional. In this respect, the issue of perception seems to be important. It appears to be necessary to take into account and assess the way followers perceive a leaders actions. Elsewise, the leader is in danger of using destructive leadership without fully realizing it. Apart from that, I do not believe that the consequences and the actual impact of any kind of negative behavior are necessary for defining destructive leadership. In case the actions of a leader have the potential of becoming destructive, they need to be rectified.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Applying the Insights to the Future Career Taking into account all the possible adverse outcomes of destructive leadership, I would intend to avoid abusing my power over the employees. Apart from that, I attempt to take into account the fact that it is not strictly the behavior of the leader, but its perception in the eyes of the followers that has practical influence. I know that I need to be sensitive to my followers perception of my actions, which can be achieved through developing my social and emotional skills. Apart from that, I believe that a trust- and respect-based relationship with employees can facilitate the process of opinion exchange among us. In this case, the problem of the difference in perception can be solved. Thought-Provoking Questions The problem of perception differences appears to be very significant to me. I have expressed my suggestions regarding it; I wonder if my peers could brainstorm this issue with me to arrive at a more consistent conclusion. The authors point out that the destructive leadership can be found on individual and group levels (Schyns Schilling, 2012, p. 4). However, would not an individual-level destructive leadership be destructive on a group level? I would suggest regarding the issues of the leader being a model of negative behavior in this case. Reference Sc hyns, B., Schilling, J. (2012). How Bad Are the Effects of Bad Leaders? A Meta-Analysis of Destructive Leadership and Its Outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 24(1), 138-158. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2012.09.001

Definition and Examples of Language Contact

Definition and Examples of Language Contact Definition Language contact is the social and linguistic phenomenon by which speakers of different languages (or different dialects of the same language) interact with one another, leading to a transfer of linguistic features. Language contact is a major factor in language change, notes Stephan Gramley. Contact with other languages and other dialectal varieties of one language is a source of alternative pronunciations, grammatical structures, and vocabulary (The History of English: An Introduction, 2012). Prolonged language contact generally leads to bilingualism or multilingualism. Uriel Weinreich (Languages in Contact, 1953) and Einar  Haugen (The Norwegian Language in America, 1953) are  commonly regarded as the pioneers of language-contact studies. A particularly influential later study is  Language Contact, Creolization, and Genetic Linguistics by  Sarah Grey Thomason  and  Terrence Kaufman (University of California Press, 1988). Examples and Observations [W]hat counts as language contact? The mere juxtaposition of two speakers of different languages, or two texts in different languages, is too trivial to count: unless the speakers or the texts interact in some way, there can be no transfer of linguistic features in either direction. Only when there is some interaction does the possibility of a contact explanation for synchronic variation or diachronic change arise. Throughout human history, most language contacts have been face to face, and most often the people involved have a nontrivial degree of fluency in both languages. There are other possibilities, especially in the modern world with novel means of worldwide travel and mass communication: many contacts now occur through written language only. . . . [L]anguage contact is the norm, not the exception. We would have a right to be astonished if we found any language whose speakers had successfully avoided contacts with all other languages for periods longer than one or two hundred years. (Sarah Thomason, Contact Explanations in Linguistics.  The Handbook of Language Contact, ed. by  Raymond Hickey. Wiley-Blackwell, 2013) Minimally, in order to have something that we would recognize as language contact, people must learn at least some part of two or more distinct linguistic codes. And, in practice, language contact is really only acknowledged when one code becomes more similar to another code as a result of that interaction. (Danny Law,  Language Contact, Inherited Similarity and Social Difference. John Benjamins, 2014)   Different Types of Language-Contact Situations Language contact is not, of course, a homogeneous phenomenon. Contact may occur between languages which are genetically related or unrelated, speakers may have similar or vastly different social structures, and patterns of multilingualism may also vary greatly. In some cases the entire community speaks more than one variety, while in other cases only a subset of the population is multilingual. Lingualism and lectalism may vary by age, by ethnicity, by gender, by social class, by education level, or by one or more of a number of other factors. In some communities there are few constraints on the situations in which more than one language can be used, while in others there is heavy diglossia, and each language is confined to a particular type of social interaction. . . .   While there a great number of different language contact situations, a few come up frequently in areas where linguists do fieldwork. One is dialect contact, for example between standard varieties of a language and regional varieties (e.g., in France or the Arab world). . . . A further type of language contact involves exogamous communities where more than one language might be used within the community because its members come from different areas. . . .The converse of such communities where exogamy leads to multilingualism is an endoterogenous community which maintains its own language for the purpose of excluding outsiders. . . . Finally, fieldworkers particularly often work in endangered language communities where language shift is in progress.   (Claire Bowern, Fieldwork in Contact Situations.  The Handbook of Language Contact, ed. by  Raymond Hickey. Wiley-Blackwell, 2013)   The Study of Language Contact - Manifestations of language contact are  found in a great variety of domains, including language acquisition, language processing and production, conversation and discourse, social functions of language and language policy, typology and language change, and more. . . . [T]he study of language contact is of value toward an understanding of the inner functions and the inner structure of grammar and the language faculty itself. (Yaron Matras, Language Contact. Cambridge University Press, 2009) - A very naive view of language contact would probably hold that speakers take bundles of formal and functional properties, semiotic signs so to speak, from the relevant contact language and insert them into their own language. To be sure, this view is much too simplistic and not seriously maintained any longer. A probably more realistic view held in language contact research is that whatever kind of material is transferred in a situation of language contact, this material necessarily experiences some sort of modification through contact. (Peter Siemund, Language Contact: Constraints and Common Paths of Contact-Induced Language Change.  Language Contact and Contact Languages, ed. by  Peter Siemund and Noemi Kintana. John Benjamins, 2008) Language Contact and Grammatical Change [T]he transfer of grammatical meanings and structures across languages is regular, and . . . it is shaped by universal processes of grammatical change. Using data from a wide range of languages we . . . argue that this transfer is essentially in accordance with principles of grammaticalization, and that these principles are the same irrespective of whether or not language contact is involved, and of whether it concerns unilateral or multilateral transfer.. . . [W]hen embarking on the work leading to this book we were assuming that grammatical change taking place as a result of language contact is fundamentally different from purely language-internal change. With regard to replication, which is the central theme of the present work, this assumption turned out to be unfounded: there is no decisive difference between the two. Language contact can and frequently does trigger or influence the development of grammar in a number of ways; overall, however, the same kind of processes and directionality can be observed in both. Still, there is reason to assume that language contact in general and grammatical replication in particular may accelerate grammatical change . . .. (Bernd Heine and Tania Kuteva,  Language Contact and Grammatical Change. Cambridge University Press, 2005) Old English and Old Norse Contact-induced grammaticalization is part of contact-induced grammatical change,and in the literature of the latter it has been repeatedly pointed out that language contact often brings about loss of grammatical categories. A frequent example given as illustration of this kind of situation involves Old English and Old Norse, whereby Old Norse was brought to the British Isles through the heavy settlement of Danish  Vikings in the Danelaw area during the 9th to 11th centuries. The result of this language contact is reflected in the linguistic system of Middle English, one of the characteristics of which is the absence of grammatical gender. In this particular language contact situation, there seems to have been an additional factor leading to the loss, namely, the genetic closeness andaccordinglythe urge to diminish the functional overload of speakers bilingual in Old English and Old Norse.   Thus a functional overload explanation  seems to be a plausible way to account for what we observe in Middle English, that is, after Old English and Old Norse had come into contact: gender assignment often diverged in Old English and Old Norse, which would have readily led to the elimination of it in order to avoid confusion and to lessen the strain of learning the other contrastive system. (Tania Kuteva and  Bernd Heine, An Integrative Model of Grammaticalization.   Grammatical Replication and Borrowability in Language Contact, ed. by  Bjà ¶rn Wiemer, Bernhard Wlchli, and Bjà ¶rn Hansen. Walter de Gruyter, 2012) Also  See AccommodationBorrowingContact LanguageHistorical LinguisticsKoineizationLanguage ChangeSociolinguistics

Schools Need Dress Codes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Schools Need Dress Codes - Essay Example Then why cannot one opt the issue of uniforms in schools. In most of the countries it have been identified that there is no need of uniforms. Students are attending college in casual dress such as Canada. This is unethical, for instance if we are working in a particular organization each individual is asked to do formal dressing. This sense of equal dressing should be created in children’s from the very beginning, starting from schools, were each child is same in the eye of teacher. But one must consider the other perspective also, i.e. the children’s, what they feel when they see the other child in a good dress as compared to themselves. This may create a sense of demotivation in children’s as well as parents. For instance, a child with good financial background will wear luxuries clothes as compared to the child with low income group. This will create a gap in child’s mind and the former will force parents to get good clothes. This will affect income and expenditure pattern of the family. Therefore to control this situation it is imperative to have dress codes in schools to promote equality among children’s (Ann Svensen, 2000). Training Uniforms are required to train the students for future. In some of the jobs, mostly Asian countries employees are required to wear a uniform. If a child is not made to wear uniform in school, then he will not be able to wear that even later in life, because we human being perform in a way and principles learned in schools. Educational institution is the place which makes a child disciplined. Students can be trained by for future if they are required to wear uniforms. Most of the jobs specification requires servile attitude in people and a student wearing a uniform throughout his academic life is accustomed of having a servile attitude, which will help the child in future. In contrast, children are who are made to wear casual dresses in schools lack this form of attitude which is a main drawba ck. So, it can be said that uniforms in schools can lead to future success of children’s (Alleyene Sylvan, 2009). Equity This focuses on the fact that there exists a problem of rich and poor children’s due to the lack of uniforms in school. This factor is very important in a child’s life. If it is avoided, may ruin the entire life of children. This statement verifies the utmost importance of uniforms in schools. The equity arguments are mainly made by state schools who are more concerned for the future development of children’s. Presently, many private schools in Asia are focusing on this equity theory. School uniforms make students look alike and reduce the differences among them. Children’s mainly judge themselves from their physical appearances i.e. their clothes (David L Brunsma, 2004). Conflict Lack of uniforms may lead to conflict. As discussed earlier children’s judge themselves on the basis of their clothing, if they feel something i s less, more demands are made to the parents. In most cases, parent can’t afford to make their children wear luxuries clothes. This creates a sense of demotivation in a child. One gets frustrated. In result, there exist conflicts among children’s studying in same classes. It creates a sense of hatred among them. This can lead to increase in fights and democracy in an educational institution. It will not only harm children’s but as well as the school itself. Therefore, in order to solve these conflicts wearing uniforms should be

The malden court Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The malden court - Essay Example There is also no restriction to the use of legal materials in the court house, thus an individual can trace the laws applicable in different cases from the legal materials, and then observe how they are being interpreted by the judges and how they are applied in determining different types of cases presented to the court. The advantage associated with this aspect is that; a learner is able to participate in the court process fully, since they can easily trace the laws the laws that the judges, the defense and the prosecutors are applying in the cases before the court, and thus help the learner from being disoriented. It is through tracing the laws applicable in a case and seeing how such laws are interpreted and applied, that a learner is able to fully understand them. Thus, this is one of the major strength associated with The Malden District court, since it serves to indicate the transparency of the judicial system applicable here. The act of the court to allow the attendance of th e court proceedings by any interested party is a major step towards enhancing judicial transparency, since it indicates that the court is being honest in its dealings and it invites any interested party to evaluate its performance regarding its processes. While allowing the public or any interested parties an opportunity to learn the law through the court process, it also allows for the opportunity for scrutiny and evaluation of performance by the interested parties, raising the bar of The Malden court regarding the concept of transparency. However, the major weakness associated with The Malden District court, or at least with one of the case that I attended during my visit to the court is that; the judge did not give explanations regarding the case she was handling. The judge just read out the ruling of the court, gave out the verdict and the type of punishment that the defendant was to face, without clearly giving the judicial reasoning and the laws applicable in determining the c ase. Despite the fact that the other case that I heard attended, which was presided by a different judge, was characterized by the explanation of the judicial ruling, citing the laws applicable and the reason for which the defendant was to be sentenced accordingly, this particular case was handled differently. The judge just gave some files to the defense team, then read out the ruling and the punishment, and then adjourned the court, with a brief explanation that the reasons for the verdict given in the case were already supplied to the defense team. With that, the judge was through with the case. That did not work very well for the individuals who attended the court with a desire to learn something. This is because; they could not understand what laws were applied in the case, how they were interpreted and how they suited into the circumstances and context of the case, to warrant the judgment that the judge gave. The other aspect of the weaknesses that was noticeable in this case is that; the judge was too fast while announcing out the crimes and the punishment, while also using a light tone that was too low, which made it difficult for the individuals attending the court to understand everything that judge was saying. Thus, the weakness of The Malden District court, as displayed in this particular c