Essay on Art as a Reflection of Life in Death in Venice

Art as a Reflection of Life in Death in Venice Death in Venice explores the relationship between an artist, namely Gustave von Aschenbach, and the world in which he lives. Aschenbach, destined to be an artist from a young age, represents art, while his surroundings represent life. As the story unfolds, Aschenbach endeavors on a journey in an attempt to relinquish his position in society as an artist. Aschenbach wants to experience life, as opposed to merely reflecting upon it, as he has done for so many years. This attempted change of lifestyle can also be interpreted as a transition from the ways of Apollo to those of Dionysus, an archetype dating back to Nietzsches Birth of Tragedy. Aschenbachs journey throughout Death†¦show more content†¦Aschenbachs resolution to travel is not described by the author as a voluntary act, but instead portrayed his destiny. Mann writes, Aschenbach regarded travel as a necessary evil. (Mann, 6) His life had been filled with order, austerity, and isolation, essentially elements of an Apollonian lifestyle. Due to the regularity and predictability of his previous life, Aschenbachs decision to travel can be interpreted as an act of fate, thereby making the man on the portico a messenger. Upon being summoned by the messeng er, Aschenbachs first destination is Trieste, a word meaning sad in French. Appropriately enough, this concurs with Aschenbachs outlook towards his upcoming travel. The next event of Aschenbachs twist of fate takes place on the small boat ferrying him to Venice. While onboard, Aschenbach takes note of an elderly man not acting his age. Mann writes, But the young-old man was a truly repulsive sight in the condition to which his company with youth had brought him. (Mann, 19) Seeing a drunken old man passing away the time with the youth is not what disgusted Aschenbach. On the contrary, Aschenbach saw himself in the old man, and rejected the direction which his life had taken. The alcohol is symbolic for the Dionysian surroundings in which Aschenbach finds himself, namely the relaxed, happy, and carefree elements of the scene. However, Aschenbach is fated to stand back and reflect on the scene instead of becoming a part of it because heShow MoreRelatedArt: Comparison and Contrast of 19th Century Art Essay1175 Words   |  5 Pages there is a difference between their styles, their point of view, and the scenery. However there are similarities betwe en the two paintings. The paintings that will be compared and contrasted are â€Å"Under the Birches, Evening† and â€Å"The Campo Santo, Venice.† The first painting, â€Å"Under the Birches, Evening†, is done by Pierre Etienne Theodore Rousseau. He was born on April 15, 1812 in Paris, France. His family saw that he had great potential in being an artist and since their business was profitingRead More Henry James The Wings of the Dove Essay4845 Words   |  20 PagesHenry James The Wings of the Dove This paper will present briefly Henry James and his thoughts about the art of fiction that is presented by his same titled essay before thoroughly analyzing his novel: The Wings of the Dove. James’ ideas on his article The Art of Fiction will be applied to The Wings of the Dove and the narrative style that he uses will be indicated by certain quotations taken from the novel. James had read classics of English, American, French, and German literature andRead More Ambiguity, Inconsistency and Uncertainty in Othello Essay example1269 Words   |  6 Pagesand strange. Consider the propriety of the general’s slapping the face of Desdemona in the presence of Lodovico: OTHELLO. Devil! [Strikes her.] DESDEMONA. I have not deserved this. LODOVICO. My lord, this would not be believed in Venice, Though I should swear I saw’t. ‘Tis very much. Make her amends; she weeps. (4.1)   Is this violent action not out of place – and just plain impossible at this point? No crime by the lady would be deserving of public beating, especiallyRead More Irregularities in Othello1716 Words   |  7 PagesIrregularities in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The Shakespearean tragedy Othello contains various irregularities of time and occurrence which cause the audience to scratch their head in wonder and doubt. Let us analyze some of these shortcomings in this essay.    In the Introduction to The Riverside Shakespeare Frank Kermode explains one of the difficulties in Othello:    Othello murders his wife on the second night in Cyprus. The difficulty, of which Shakespeare was clearly aware, arisesRead MoreEssay on Pure and Foolish Love in Othello1275 Words   |  6 Pagesreasoner and foolish lover. The tragedy of `Othello is largely due to Othellos personality and life experience. Othello believes himself to be loved and respected by everyone around him as most people refer to him as the noble General Othello. Othello, after realizing his tragic mistake of murdering his innocent wife, Desdemona, claims he loved not wisely, but too well, this is an honest reflection of himself as his love was true and pure but also foolish. His lack of wisdom is because ofRead MoreEssay on The Imagery of Othello2452 Words   |  10 PagesImagery of Othello Talks  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In the tragedy Othello the Bard of Avon uses imagery to talk between the lines, to set moods, to create a more dramatic impact on the mind of the audience, and for other reasons. Let’s consider imagery in this essay.    A surprising, zoo-like variety of animal injury occur throughout the play. Kenneth Muir, in the Introduction to William Shakespeare: Othello,   explains the conversion of Othello through his increased use of animal imagery:    ThoseRead MoreThe Role of Prejudice in the Merchant of Venice2395 Words   |  10 PagesThe Role of Prejudice In The Merchant of Venice This paper discusses the subject of prejudice in the William Shakespeare play, The Merchant of Venice. I. Introduction William Shakespeares satirical comedy, The Merchant of Venice, believed to have been written in 1596 was an examination of hatred and greed.The premise deals with the antagonistic relationship between Shylock, a Jewish money-lender and Antonio, the Christian merchant, who is as generous as Shylock is greedy, particularlyRead More Othello’s Diversity of Imagery Essay2781 Words   |  12 Pagesof the populous city of Venice – Iago’s â€Å"world,† as it has been called. . . .(132)    When Iago returns to the Moor, he resorts to violence in his description of the senator, saying that â€Å"nine or ten times / I had thought to have yerkd him here under the ribs.† Othello responds to the antagonist with a whole new set of imagery which is respectable, non-violent, and worthy of imitation; he speaks of his family lineage and the open sea:      Ã‚   I fetch my life and being   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   FromRead MoreJealousy and Race in Othello 1430 Words   |  6 Pagescertainly is a timeless classic work of art. â€Å"The object of tragic imitation is men in action.† As stated by Aristotle in his work, Poetics. Othello consists of men in action, in more than one sense; Othello (titular character protagonist), Iago and Cassio are ‘men of action’ and additionally, throughout the play we are able to observe men and women combating none other than life itself. The play deals with various themes and issues, however, this essay will focus on jealousy and race. OthelloRead MoreEssay on Discrimination Against Women in Othello3067 Words   |  13 Pagesunjustly so. Let’s talk about the obvious sexism throughout the play.    Susan Snyder in â€Å"Othello: A Modern Perspective† expounds on the sexist notions typical of Venice:    The pervasive notion of woman as property, prized indeed but more as object than as person, indicates one aspect of a deep-seated sexual pathology in Venice. [. . .] Fear of women’s sexuality is omnipresent in Othello. Iago fans to flames the coals of socially induced unease in Othello, fantasizes on his own about being

The Detailed Examination of the Arabs in Israel Free Essays

While the nation is aware of the indignities that were forced upon the African Americans who resided in this country at the beginning of the 18th century, few people realize that similar discrimination practices are going on all over the world. One of the most prevelant examples of discrimination currently is happening in Israel against the Arabs. Arabs are being discriminated in ways that impact their ability to live a life of freedom and comfort. We will write a custom essay sample on The Detailed Examination of the Arabs in Israel or any similar topic only for you Order Now The plight of Arabs in Israel is very similar to what the African Americans experienced in America during the first years of the 20th century. â€Å"Few questions challenge us to consider 380 years of history all at once, to tunnel inside our souls to discover what we truly believe about race and equality and the value of human suffering. Kevin Merida (1) (on African American reparations).† During the early part of the 20th century African Americans suffered a great deal of discrimination in America. They were refused even the most basic freedoms that the constitution of the United States is supposed to provide. The right to vote, the rifht to live freely, the right against unreasonable search and seizure are all elements of life that many people in this nation take for granted. However, for African Americans of that time those were dreams that were not often realized. Today, African Americans have many recourses if their rights are not being followed, including civil or criminal proceedings as well as government intervention. It is not completely rectified but it is being worked toward. The Arabs in Israel do not have such protection currently. They are at the point in history that African Americans were during the early part of the 20th century. Housing, employment and basic living right elements are being denied to them based on the fact that they are Arabs. Arabs in Israel have been complaining about their treatment for quite awhile but many of their concerns fall on deaf ears(Winder, 2006). The Israeli government and many of the nation’s citizens insist that the discrimination allegations are false and misleading. For one to fully realize and accept that the Arabs are indeed being discriminated against one only has to hold various tangible situations that they encounter against the situations that were encountered by African Americans during the first part of the 20th century. The United Nations believes that the Arabs are indeed being discriminated against and said as much in a recently published report that was released last year. It says: â€Å"The government did little to reduce institutional, legal, and societal discrimination against the country’s Arab citizens(Cook, 2004).† The humiliating treatment of the Arabs is one issue that the United Nations believes proves the discrimination that the Israel government currently denies exists. â€Å"Among many issues, it notes the humiliating treatment of Palestinian citizens, including community leaders, during security checks at airports and checkpoints(Cook, 2004). † During the 20th century in America, African Americans were forced to live in substandard housing and work in substandard employment environments. The quantity of available buildings for Arabs to reside in are not enough in numbers for the need. While most people in America will agree that the Arabs should not be confined to certain buildings the fact is they are often confined by societal attitudes and the available buildings are too few in number and have been for a significant amount of time. The quality of the buildings that are available are also in question. The repairs do not occur in the manner and speed that they do in other areas of the nation. The buildings that are made available to the Arabs are often in such disrepair that they are uninhabitable. African Americans when through similar problems in the early years of the 20th century. They were relegated to â€Å"Colored’ area when it came to buildings that they could rent and own. The buildings were in disrepair and when they asked the landlord to repair them they were ignored or forced to pay for repairs that were legally the responsibility of the landlord. The term slum lord was originated because of the treatment of landlords regarding minority tenants and the fact that those landlords allowed their buildings to become uninhabitable yet they would allow minority tenants to live there and collect their rent each month. Another area of life that is similar for the Arabs in Israel today, that the African Americans faced in America and often times still do face is the area of education. During the early years of the 20th century students who were black were forced to attend specific schools. They were given substandard supplies and resources and they were given old used textbooks and equipment that most often did not work. Arabs today are facing the same dilemma when it comes to the education of their students(Cook, 2004). This greatly reduces the ability to teach advanced course and help Arab students better the future for themselves and their children. â€Å"Israel has also sought to undermine the value of Arabic, even though it is an official language of the state. Few Jews learn even basic Arabic, whereas Arab children are required to learn Hebrew to advanced level(Cook, 2004).† While the African Americans did not have this problem in the 20th century they were forbidden at times from singing the songs that had been popular in their homeland. Whether it was a hymn or a song of life they were whipped or punished for singing them out loud. â€Å"University courses are in Hebrew or English, as are public meetings and court cases. Many Arab workers report being sacked for speaking Arabic at the workplace(Cook, 2004).† This is blatant discrimination. It is similar to the African American ban on homeland songs and stories as well as the making it illegal to teach African Americans to read and right because the Americans wanted them to remain illiterate. Without saying so the Israel government seems to have the same goal in mind by its refusal to provide current and equal schools, supplies and textbooks for the Arab students living within its boundaries(First, Israel inside the Green Line (the de facto border after the 1967 war) http://www.mideastweb.org/israel_apartheid.htm). â€Å"Much international attention has focused on the recent decision by the Knesset to ban family unification in the case of marriages between Israeli Arabs and Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza. In many cases, it is now impossible for couples to live together: under the new law, Palestinians are denied entry into Israel, while Israeli Arabs are banned by military orders from entering Palestinian areas(Cook, 2004).† In addition to the obvious discriminations that are being experienced by Arabs in Israel there are many instances in which they are being discriminated against that are not so obvious to the eye unless one looks very closely. One such area is the area of employment. Arabs are being discriminated against on a regular basis when it comes to employment. Research concluded that Arabs have an unemployment rate that is twice as high as the Jewish unemployment rate for the same regions. â€Å"The country’s big monopoly corporations such as the telecoms firm Bezeq and the Israel Electricity Company have Arab employees in the single figures even though they have a combined staff of more than 20,000. Some of the worst discrimination is faced by the 140,000 beduin living in the Negev. Many of their communities have never been recognised by Israel, even though they predate the state(Cook, 2004). † The end result of this type of discrimination is that approximately 70,000 Arabs are forced to live in tin shacks and tents. They have no power, water or sewage service. Their children are traveling 40-60 miles each way to go to school and get back home. Removal of child benefits for Arabs have been top of the political agenda ever since. â€Å"Some discriminatory practices against Israeli Arabs – Systematic bias in education provision (HRW report) – Israel’s worst 36 unemployment blackspots are all in Arab areas† The plight of the Arabs in Israel is extremely similar today to what the African Americans faced in the United States during the early part of the 20th century. Employment discrimination, housing issues and lack of education for their children were accepted practices at that time. Today, the same problems and practices are being thrust upon the Arabs who reside in Israel. For this to change the government and the world will need to step in and force change. How to cite The Detailed Examination of the Arabs in Israel, Papers

Should Governments Legalize and Tax Marijuana free essay sample

Michael McHugh Composition II Julie Herskovitz 08/10/2011 Should Governments Legalize and Tax Marijuana? Marijuana Legalization and the Revenue from Marijuana Sales The war on drugs is an expensive battle, as a great deal of resources and time go into catching those who buy or sell illegal drugs on the black market, prosecuting them in court, and housing them in jail. These costs seem particularly exorbitant when dealing with the drug marijuana, as it is widely used, and is likely no more harmful than currently legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. Theres another cost to the war on drugs, which is the revenue lost by local, state and federal governments who cannot collect taxes on illegal drugs. As Washington breaks the bank on Wall Street bailouts, President Barack Obamas stimulus package and other spend-now, pay-later measures, most observers agree that politicians will eventually need to increase revenue or cut spending to cover the federal governments debts. We will write a custom essay sample on Should Governments Legalize and Tax Marijuana? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Washington could begin to balance its books now if politicians would take a serious look at the marijuana industry. In California the owner of two retail outlets for medical marijuana claims that his business’s generate $1 million in revenue annually, and pays around $80,000 a year in sales taxes to the state of California. But the federal government, which does not acknowledge sales as legitimate commerce, gets nothing from his business. Inside a cannabis dispensary, federal authorities have spent time trying to close this man’s and other medical-marijuana clubs. Washington is losing money with tax’s, just imagine how much the federal government would save if they stopped cracking down on sellers . One very important and often used comparison with alcohol is that alcohol is taxed very heavy, every time the local, state or federal government need more money they go after alcohol and cigarettes. Marijuana could be taxed the same. It should be the reason to legalize Cannabis, it is good for the economy, Its been here the whole time, and is nowhere as dangerous to society as alcohol is, in every aspect from drunk driving to health issues, no matter how the politicians want to twist and turn it, the facts speak for themselves. As more people begin to see the merits, for the legalization, or decriminalization and the medical use of marijuana continua’s to be debated in terms of public health, lawmakers are increasingly looking into the economic benefits of regulating and taxing weed, which the Office of National Drug Control Policy says is the most popular illegal drug in the U. S. Many marijuana advocates say history is on their side. Their arguments are similar to those that led to repealing Prohibition during the Great Depression. In the early 1930s, one of the reasons that alcohol was brought back was because government revenue was plummeting. There are plenty of studies indicating the vast amount of tax money that can be generated by doing this. The American marijuana trade is at $113 billion annually. Between drug enforcement and potential taxes, the federal government and the states are losing almost $42 billion a year. Its a very large amount of money that is missing from the taxable economy. a more-conservative number, estimating that federal and state treasuries would gain more than $6 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like alcohol or tobacco. At the same time, relaxing laws against use of marijuana would save nearly $8 billion in legal costs. The Obama administration seems to be inching toward a more permissive stance on marijuana. The time is now to get rid of out dated laws concerning marijuana. Works Cited Examining a Recent Study on Legalization From Mike Moffatt, former About. com Guide Examining a Recent Study on Legalization From Mike Moffatt, former About. com Guide By John Dyer, MSN Money International Business Times http://www. naturalnews. com/033193_marijuana_legalization. html#ixzz1TtqSemQR

The Shark in the water Essay Example For Students

The Shark in the water Essay It also provides a sense of mystery and the impression that the shark is searching for something. The music however, quickly builds up and gets louder and faster. This suggests that an event is imminent and that there will be some kind of action soon. It also increases the heart beat as we start to feel anxious. But just as we prepare for a scare, there is a total change in scenery and there is the sound of a mouth organ being played at a beach party. This creates a stark contrast. This suggests the people on the beach are unaware of the danger and appear to be in a different world altogether. We will write a custom essay on The Shark in the water specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We are left with the impression that the sea is an ambivalent bystander following the violent attack. The sudden quietness and sound of the gentle sea is punctuated with the tolling of a single bell on the buoy a death bell rung out after the event rather than as a warning. Before the third attack the music is jovial to make us relax and loosen- up, however the music in the background starts to build up and then again slow back down. This confuses and tricks us into believing something was going to happen, this turns out to be a false alarm. It also makes us aware that something might be around the corner and so puts us on the edge of our seats. After the false alarm and after our heart has stopped pounding the leitmotif begins again, but this time, not only do we feel anxious, but we empathise for the only person in the scene crying out Shark! This is because the leitmotif indicates the presence of the shark yet, like the only witnesses, we feel unable to affect the situation. As the scene progresses we see the shark behind the man who had fallen in the water. The music is calm. This is because if we were there we would not hear anything apart from all the people yelling and panicking. This is similar to the first attack in this instance all we hear is what Chrissie hears, but under the water we can hear the fear- provoking leitmotif. This makes the attacks seem a lot more genuine and terrifying. As the film progresses we discover that on the beach Spielberg uses ordinary beach sounds of children playing and under the water we hear the menacing music. This gives us the impression that the sea is dangerous and perilous and once on land we are safe. Nearly every Hollywood movie has its bad guys. Spielberg follows suite and portrays his human villain in the form of Amitys mayor. He is a selfish, pompous and ignorant man who disagrees with every point Brody brings to him. Also, because of the clothes he wears, which are probably more suitable in the circus ring than anywhere else, he gives the impression he is not genuine and possibly a devious man that would put his own interests before others. The mayor helps to build up the tension as he has the power to save the day but chooses to take risks to pursue business ventures. He is informed quickly by Brody of the Sharks presence but the mayor decides to overlook it as a one- off and to Brodys disgust keeps the beach open. This creates on- screen tension between the two characters which therefore creates tension within us. Brody and the mayors personal feud continues all the way through the film and keeps high tension throughout. After Brody had finally convinced the mayor to shut the beach the townspeople are less than happy, so to keep them on his side he makes it a 24- hour ban. .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f , .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f .postImageUrl , .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f , .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f:hover , .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f:visited , .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f:active { border:0!important; } .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f:active , .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u915dd4f163301dceb77d0d998523aa9f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Film Review - 35 and Ticking EssayThis starts to create probably the most tension in the entire film as the ban leaves Brody needing to catch the gigantic shark and only having 24- hours in which to do it. If he fails or runs out of time he fears more shark deaths in Amity. Because of the colossal amount of tension present, the second attack is without a doubt the most nail biting scene; however it is increased even more with the help of the ingenious camera techniques. At the start of the scene we get a panning and tracking shot of the boy walking up the beach to his mother. This introduces us to the child and it makes it clear that he has a loving mum. Then as the boy asks if he can stay in the water, the camera focuses and zooms onto the conversation. This increases the tension a little as it informs us something bad is probably going to happen. Also in this scene we are focused on the yellow hat the boys mum is wearing. There is in fact a lot of yellow used in this scene plus the people who walk by on the wipe shots are wearing increasing more yellow. Not forgetting the boys lilo is yellow. Yellow is important as in nature yellow is very hazardous and any animal displaying yellow is often considered as dangerous, or in our case anyone wearing yellow is in danger and so helps to show that there is a shark attack immanent. We then have a mid- shot of a man in a black swimming hat which builds up the tension and the suspense, but then when we realise it is a man in a black swimming hat and not a shark, we all sigh with relief along with Brody and the tension is released. There is a clever use of wipe shots in this scene. As the scene goes on people walk in front of Brody and each time it zooms closer to him, then it cuts to looking out to sea (point of view shot). This shows how he is focused on the sea, which is important as it reiterates how paranoid he is about the shark attacking. This creates apprehension. It also makes us want the people to move out of the way so Brody doesnt miss anything. When we have a mid-shot of a woman playing in the water screaming, this again quickly builds up the tension and increases our heart rate. Then the camera pans from the sweet innocent child to the sea and then a close up of the stick which a man was throwing for his dog. Here we have a contrast between the calm happy child and the worrying man and it gives us the idea something is wrong. It also makes us feel uncomfortable and insecure as this contrast suggests that the sweet little boy might be on the sharks menu next. There is now a big emphasis on the isolation of the boy. Whenever we see him in the water he is away from the other children. This is shown when we see a point of view shot from the Shark in the water. This is important because throughout the film the people killed are isolated. During the shark attack the camera is at water level. This is a very clever use of the camera as it makes us feel like we are in the water with the people and therefore more in tune with what is happening. Also, we are given lots of zoomed under water shots of childrens legs which gives the sense of vulnerability as human legs are the first thing the shark will grab and they are the furthest part of our body from our view, so the shark will bite us before we can get a even a glimpse of it.

Analysis of a film poster Essays

Analysis of a film poster Essays Analysis of a film poster Essay Analysis of a film poster Essay Essay Topic: Film The film poster that I have chosen to analyse is that used for Halloween Resurrection. The title of the film is situated at the bottom of the page but has also been centred. The font used for it stands out because it is plain but it also has the sharp edging which helps with symbolising what the genre of the film is. The use of colour in the word Halloween helps it to stand out, the silver colour used at the top of the lettering contrasts with the black background making it stand out and catch the eye of the public. The poster has also included a lot of the common things that you will find on all film posters such as the certification, which is situated next to the title. There is also all the information about the production company, director etc which has to be included for legal purposes, the one thing that is found on almost all film posters is the names of at least one star who is in starring in the film but this poster does not include any names. Also there is no release date found on the poster, one reason for this could be because the poster was released before the company had decided on the date of release. First impressions from the poster are that the film is going to be a thriller genre. Once you look in more detail at the poster you can see that there are different images that have been used to create the feel that the film is going to be of the above genre. Firstly the title Halloween Resurrection shows that it is going to be a thriller because you usually associate Halloween with ghosts and rising people from the dead, also the word resurrection is associated with the rising of dead people. Another image that shows the thriller side is the use of the knife which blood on the tip of it, also the way that the knife has had a sparkle put on it shows that it is sharp and it makes you feel as though it will be used for evil. The use of the Michael Myers mask as the background image shows that it is going to be a thriller, but people who have seen the other films in the Halloween series will pick up on this up. If you havent seen any of the other Halloween films then you will not realise who the person is in the background but you should be able to realise that he seems evil because you are only able to see half of his as the other half is in shadow and the sockets of his eyes are completely black. The poster does conform your expectations of the genre because it shows many images that you can associate to other thriller films. The way that the sentence Evil finds its way home is placed across the face in the background makes you think that maybe this face is in fact the face of evil, and it is his home where he is planning on going back to. Also the image of the knife with the blood on it shows that there will be death within the film and that is more than likely the way that people are going to be killed. The enigma which is used to bring people into watch the film is the face in the background because people are going to want to know whos face it is and why it is being kept in the dark. The review given to the film that has been printed on the poster again ties in with the thriller genre as it says that the film is more gore-splattering than you might expect. The image used as the background of the poster is an extreme close-up on a very pale face. The camera has been positioned face-to-camera on a slight upward tilt. The light has been angled so as though only half of the face is lit up and the other half is in the shadows, the side that has been lit up is the side with the writing running across the cheek. The other stars in the film are collaged together to fit inside the blade of the knife, it has been done in this way because all these people are going to be victims of the killer. The order, which they have been put in the blade could symbolise the order of which they are going to be murdered. The way that the image of Tyra Banks isnt only a close up of her face like the other stars is used to try to bring in an audience of males because it shows her cleavage. The further back the images are in the knife blade the more shadowing there is on their faces, the face at the front has hardly any shadowing whereas the face at the very back has half of her face in shadow. The faces within the knife blade all have serious expressions with a slight look of anxiety and fear, this could show that they are going to be victims of the killer or they know something about the killings. The face in the background is expressionless. The main framing is open but within that there is the framing of the knife blade, which is a closed frame. The image in the background is slightly out of focus and this helps to bring the knife into focus in the foreground. In the review written on the page there is the use of hyperbole, the way that the word hugely has been used to describe how entertaining it is has been put there to emphasise it. There is a range of ages of the people who star in this film, the people who we can see from the film range from teenagers to 30s. There is also an even range of gender, in the majority of films males have more roles than women do but from the people you can see on the poster there is an even range. The images used within the poster are used in a typical manner to show that the film is going to be of the thriller. The use of the mysterious person in the background and then the knife blade in the foreground with all the other stars from the film collaged into it also help build tension about the film. The film poster was directed mainly towards people who are over 15 and into thriller films. It is also directed towards people who are fans of films from the rest of the Halloween series, these people are aimed at by the use of the Michael Myers face in the background. I think that the poster was also successful because it builds tension about the film and makes people want to go and see what is actually going to happen.

Asian Philosophies of Critical Thinking

Asian Philosophies of Critical Thinking Essay EXTENDED ESSAYAsian Philosophies of Critical Thinking: divergent or convergent to westernestablishments?MAY 2003 AbstractThe research question of this extended essay came across at a very earlystage in my life. Having been born and developed from a family with all itsmembers being University instructors and professors, I was often involvedin arguments related to the lack of critical thinking in Asian cultures. AsI got older, having had the chance to emerge in different cultures, Istarted to develop my own viewpoints and answers. I started to wonder aboutthe truth between the real differences of Asian and Western philosophies ofcritical thinking. This extended essay, intended to be a research andinvestigation, bearing the title Asian Philosophies of Critical Thinking:divergent or convergent to Western establishments? is in fact howevermerely just a summary of my viewpoints and answers which I have developedthroughout the years. In the first section of the essay, Logical Tradition in India and China Iwill attempt to give evidence of critical thinking in two Asian culturesthat I have chosen; namely India and China. In India, I will argue thatcritical thinking is clearly visible in historical texts such as the Carakaand Nyayasutra. This is presented as the well-known five-membered argument,a system of logical deduction, similar to the Aristotelian syllogism foundin the west. In China I would focus mainly on the two schools of logicalthought, the Mohists and the Logicians. For the Mohists I would argue thatcritical thinking is a vital element in the building of what they callmental models. For the Logicians, I would study deeply the writings ofHui Shih and Kungsun Lung, I would show that in fact both of them developedsystems of logical and paradoxical thinking that could well serve as thefoundations of modern science. If critical thinking is clearly presentable in these Asian cultures thenwhy are there still concerns for introducing it to them? This is thequestion I intend to answer in the latter section Needhams Grand Questionand Fullers Interpretation. During this section, I would also show thatdiscussions of modern science seem to enable us to see how the tradition ofcritical thinking arose and how they were promoted or discouraged. I wouldcover how Asian historical, economic, social and cultural factors have abig influence on their development of critical thinking. Lastly I wouldshow how the prioritization of a civilization has a devastating effect ondeciding the future road they intend to walk. In conclusion, I would argue that since the philosophy of a culture is butan abstract and theoretical expression and justification of the culturesdecision to choose one set of priorities over another, Asian philosophy andcritical thinking are neither necessarily divergentnornecessarilyconvergent to western establishments. Contents|Introduction|4|||||Logical Tradition in India and|4||China||||||Needhams Grand Question and|7||Fullers Interpretation||||||Asian Philosophy and Critical|8||Thinking: Divergence or|||Convergence?||||||Conclusion|9|||||Bibliography|10 |||||References|11 ||||Asian Philosophies of Critical Thinking: divergent or convergent to westernestablishments?By Clement NgIntroductionIt is widely recognized nowadays that critical thinking has become anecessary ingredient in all levels of education. Educators and educationalpolicy makers agree that one of the desirable goals of education is thatstudents are able to think critically. Throughout the past few years, manyhave felt the need to consider critical thinking more seriously ineducational programs. At the moment several different acts are beingconsidered around the world by various factors and agencies. The core ofthese proposed acts is the idea that the students are able to thinkcritically and independently. Although there are widespr ead disagreementson what critical thinking actually is,1 there is an agreement that it hasbecome very important in the world overwhelmed by huge amountsofinformation. Some Western educators who teach at schools or universities in a number ofAsian countries have voiced their difficulties and problems they encounterwhile trying to teach critical thinking and other related skills to Asianstudents. Bruce Davidson (1998) argues that a set of Japanese culturalfactors act as a kind of barrier against teaching critical thinking tostudents. Atkinson (1999) goes so far as to argue that critical thinking isculturally specific, and is a part of the social practices of the Westhaving no place within Asian cultures, which do not adopt such practices. What these educators have in common is the feeling that some elements inAsian cultures do prevent the full realization of critical thinking skillsin the students. Most of these elements perceived by Western educators inAsia are quite well knownthe beliefs that teachers are superior andalways right, that knowledge is not to be made here and now, but existseternally, so to speak, to be handed down by teachers, that social harmonyis to be preferred rather than asking probing questionsto mention just afew. Is critical thinking really culture specific? Can the traditional beliefsystems of Asia respond to the challenge of the modern world while stillretaining their distinctive identities? Are Asian philosophy and criticalthinking necessary divergent or possibly convergent? These areverysignificant question not just for Asian cultures, but for understanding howcultures of the world respond to globalization. In addition the questionalso has a bearing on the problematic relation between critical thinkingand the cultural environment in which it happens to be embedded. In this essay, I attempt to argue that critical thinking is not necessarilyincompatible with Asian traditional belief systems. In fact I will showthat both India and China do have their own indigenous traditions oflogical and argumentative thinking; it is just because of certain barriersthat prevent them from further developing such establishments. I willfurther try to show that these traditions can and should be reexamined,reinterpreted and adapted to the contemporary situation. By doing this Iwould seek acknowledgement to the essay question and would provide ananswer to the Western educators who have found no such critical traditionsin the East. Logical Tradition in India and ChinaIt is widely known that India had a highly advanced logical tradition,spanning more than two thousandyears.ThesuccessesofIndianmathematicians and computer programmers are perhaps due to the fact thatlogic and critical thinking have been integral to the Indian way ofthinking since time immemorial. Such integration can also be witnessed inthe fondness of Indians for talking and debating. Tscherbatsky (1962: 31-34) tells us that in the times of Dignaga and Dharmakirti, two of thegreatest Buddhist logicians, the fate of entire monasteries depended onpublic debates. According to Tscherbatsky, Dignaga won his fame and royalsupport through his defeat of the brahmin Sudurjaya at Nalanda Monastery(31-34). In another vein, Matilal (1990: 1-8) argues that the Indian logicaltradition is entirely home grown, since there is no evidence of India beinginfluenced by Aristotelian ideas. Matilal also shows that many topics,which are of interest by contemporary logicians and philosophers today,were discussed and researched into with sophistication by Indian scholars. Such topics include theory of inference, empty names, reference andexistence, perception, knowledge of theexternalworld,substance,causality, and many others (Matilal 1990). Moreover, Tscherbatskys (1962)work, dealing mainly with the works of Dignaga and Dharmakirti illustratesthat India is one of the great logical and philosophical civilizations ofthe world. There are a number of topics that both traditions discovered independentlyof each other. For example, Matilal notes that the counterpart of theAristotelian syllogism is the five-membered argument found in such textsas Caraka and Nyayasutra. Instead of the three propositions found inAristotelian syllogism, the five-membered argument consistsoffivepropositions, the first of which is the conclusion, and the last repeatingwhat is already stated in the first. The remaining three propositions inbetween are the premises. Here is one example of the five-membered argumentcited by Matilal (1990: 5):1. There is fire on this mountain. 2. For, there is smoke there. 3. Smoke goes with fire always (or, in all cases, or in all places):witness, kitchen. 4. This is also a case of smoke. 5. Therefore, there is fire there (on the mountain). Logicians will immediately be able to reconstruct this argument in thefamiliar Aristotelian form as follows:The place on the mountain is a place where there is smoke. A place where there is smoke is a place where there is fire. Therefore, the place on the mountain is a place where there is fire. Matilal, however, notes that there is at least some dissimilarity betweenthe Indian and the Aristotelian argument forms presented here.Forinstance, he says that the conclusion of the Indian argument form is in theform of singular proposition, (i.e., modified by demonstratives likethis or that) whereas that of the Aristotelian syllogism is eitheruniversal or particular (i.e., modified by quantifiers like all orsome). But the dissimilarity here could be amended, as indexicals (termslike this or that which relies on the context of utterance for theirfull meaning) could be dispensed with by supplying the required informationon the context in which they are uttered. Thus it could be safely statedthat the Indian logical tradition fully comprehended the essence, so tospeak, of logic, which is the concept of validity and the basic validargument form. Another of the worlds great civilizations, China, also had its ownindigenous and independent logical tradition. Two of Chinas logicalschools of thought are the Mohists and the Logicians. The former wasfounded by Mo Ti, who lived between 479 to 381 B.C., during the WarringStates period of Chinese history (Ronan 1978: 114). Among the typicalChinese scholars the Mohists are better known for their doctrine ofuniversal love and the condemnation of offensive war rather than theirinterests and achievements in the physical sciences. In the latter Needhamreports that the Mohists went very far towards realizing that the thoughtsystem was in fact a prerequisite for modern science. Most significantly,the Mohists appeared to be in grasp of the concepts of deduction andinduction. They viewed the former as a way of thinking which follows amental model, which guarantees that whoever follows it will never fail tobe right in their thinking. Here is an example of reasoning based onfollowing such mental model:Model thinking consists in following the methods of Nature. What are followed in model-thinking are the methods. Therefore if the methods are truly followed by the model-thinkingliterally: hit in the middle, the reasoning will be correct. But if the methods are not truly followed by the model-thinking, thereasoning will be wrong (Ronan 1978: 119). On the other hand, the Mohists also recognized the value of extensionwhich is a kind of reasoning from the known examples and extend it tounknown cases similar to them:Extension is considering that that which one has not yet receivedi.e. a new phenomenon is identical from the point of view ofclassification with those which one has already received, andadmitting it (Ronan 1978: 119). READ: Teen Suicide EssayIt is clear then that the former is an instance of deductive thinking,while the latter represents the basic idea of inductive thinking. The two most well known representatives of the Logicians are Hui Shih andKungsun Lung. The former is known for his paradoxes resembling that ofZeno, and his writings were designed to shock and to illustrate deeplogical point. For example, Hui Shihs writing that The Heavens are as lowas the Earth; mountains are on the same level as marshes (Ronan 1978: 122)could be regarded as a way of illustrating the fact that, viewed from thecosmic perspective, the sentence written by Hui Shih here is actually true. Other pieces of his writings concern what and how we perceive:Fire is not hot. Eyes do not see (Ronan 1978: 122). These are designed to lead one to think that what is hot in fire may wellnot be in the fire at all, but is located within our tactile perception ofit. And the factor that actually does the seeing is not the eyesthemselves, but the consciousness or whatever that gives rise to theperception. Similarly, according to Needham, Kungsun Lung had a system of logical andparadoxical thinking that could well serve as the foundation of modernscience. The following excerpts show that Kungsun Lung grasped suchconcepts as the universality and unlocalizability of number and universalsand their contrasts with particulars that are their instances. Mostinterestingly, Kungsun Lungs discussion of changes in Nature could wellpoint to modern scientific way of thought:Q: Is it permissible to say that a change is not a change?A: It is. Q: Can right associating itself with something be called change?A: It can. Q: What is it that changes?A: It is right. Q: If right has changed, how can you still call it right? And ifit has not changed, how can you speak of a change?A: Two would have no right if there were no left. Two contains `left-and-right. A ram added to an ox is not a horse. An ox added to a ramis not a fowl (Ronan 1978: 121-122). Here one finds a discussion of the unchangeability of universals and theirdistinction from particulars. One thing, A, located to the right of anotherthing, B, would form two things, A-and-B. This thing, A-and-B would undergoa change if A happens to move to the left of B. What are changed here arethe relation between A and B. However, the Right itself is changeless, eventhough the particulars forming right or left relation to each other do. Thus, a ram added to an ox would still be two animals, and wont becomeeither a horse or a fowl. The changelessness of universals is a differentmatter altogether from the mutability of particular things. Kungsun Lungswriting here reminds us of Western medieval treatises on logic and theproblem of universals, such as those of Abelard or Duns Scotus. No matter how similar or different these Asian writings on logic andphilosophy are from those of Europe, it is certain that both India andChina do indeed have rigorous and profound systems of logic and criticalthinking, systems which could well form a launching pad for advancedscientific research and innovation that actually took place in the West. Thus Atkinsons argument that critical thinking is culturally specific tothe West is clearly not borne out by historical facts and thus is mistaken. However, when we look at the situations in the Asian countries today,especially in Thailand whose cultural tradition is mostly influenced byBuddhism, which originated within the Indian philosophical and religiousmilieu, Atkinson seems to be right in that there is a felt need forteaching Thai students to be able to think critically. McGuire (2000)argues that there is a need to teach critical thinking and that criticalthinking can be taught to Asian students because it does not necessarily goagainst the grain of local cultures and contains universal elements thatany local culture can find acceptable. If critical thinking is alreadythere in these cultural traditions, then why are there concerns forintroducing it to them? Something must have happened to these culturaltraditions so that there feels a need to bring in the skills and practicesof critical thinking from outside. Or is it really the need to reintroduceand to reestablish these traditions with something which is clearly theirown , but is somehow lost?1901Needhams Grand Question and Fullers InterpretationAn adequate investigation into what actually may have caused the decline ofthe logical traditions in India or China would comprise one thick book. However, I believe that a glimpse toward an answer could be found if wecompare the dominant positions in the two civilizations with the logicaltraditions. In India, the logical schools, Nyaya, Mimamsa, together withthe Buddhist logic and dialectic schools of Dignaga, Dharmakirti andNagarjuna never gained the supreme control when compared to the othertraditions such as the Vedanta. Personally, I think that this may be due tothe fact that the teachings of the logical schools were limited to themonks or brahmins who practiced them. And when the logical tradition had tocompete with other traditions that could garner more popular appeal, it isquite conceivable that the remote logical schools would lose support. Perhaps in India the tradition of logical and critical thinking was limitedto the highly educated class in such a way that the general population knewnothing of it, and this could be one explanation, as to why modernscientific thinking did not develop in India. For science to develop, theremust be a tendency toward a full understanding of all of Nature through afew general laws that could be learned and understood by anyone. The methodof learning such laws must be such that no one is excluded from studyingexcept through his own intellectual capabilities. In China, Needham suggests that the reasons for modern sciences lack ofdevelopment are due to historical, economic, social and cultural factors(Needham 1969: 190-217). Needham rightly dismisses the interpretation ofEuropes eventual mastery of modern scientific techniques in geographicalor racial beliefs. The scientific and mathematical achievements in bothIndia and China during the ancient and medieval periods is so great that itis hardly conceivable at all to think of Europes success in terms of herdestiny or superior level of advancement as propagated by the Hegeliantradition. On the other hand, Needham seems to believe that it is more amatter of luck that Europe could eventually mastered the arts of modernscience and became dominant. Needham writes:The further I penetrate into the detailed history of the achievementsof Chinese science and technology before the time when, like all otherethnic cultural rivers, they flowed into the river of modern science,the more convinced I become that the cause for the break-throughoccurring only in Europe was connected with the special social,intellectual and economic conditions prevailingthereattheRenaissance, and can never be explained by any deficiencies either ofthe Chinese mind or of the Chinese intellectual and philosophicaltradition. In many ways this was much more congruent with modernscience than was the world-outlook of Christendom (Needham 1969: 191). The special social, intellectual and economic conditions that explainEuropes success are nowhere necessarily attached to thehistoricaldevelopment of Europe. They seem only to be those that Europeans adopted,consciously or not, in response to their historical, social, and mercantileneeds. Those needs apparently were not in the minds of Indians or Chinese,whose priorities for their civilization as a whole seemed to be somethingelse. Thus, instead of looking for a unifying theory capable of explainingand predicting natural phenomenon so that men could harness the power ofNature to their own material needs as well as feel a sense of mastery whenNature is thus comprehended, Indians and Chinese chose to put the ideals oftheir civilizations in another way. The summum bonum of the Indian philosophical tradition, attainment ofMoksha or Liberation, is quite contrary to the ideals and assumptions ofmodern scientific thinking. Instead of looking for the way to free oneselffrom the endless cycle of rebirths throughstrictself-discipline,Europeans sought to advance their own self-interests that are more inclinedto the ordinary. In China, the rapid transformation from feudalism to statebureaucratism, coupled with the influence of the Confucian ethos, whilehugely successful in preserving Chinas cultural identity amidst the greatvariety of people and localities, nonetheless made it the case thatmaterial innovations and proto-scientific and logical theories would begiven little attention. Writings on such matters are referred to the`Miscellaneous category by the mandarin scholars who put the highestpriority to moralistic, ethical, or historical writings (Ronan 1978: 19)This interpretation, which is focused on the contingent character of therise of modern science in Europe, is regarded by Steve Fuller as the underdeterminist one. According to Fuller, the reason why China did not developmodern science was that it was not specifically promoted (Fuller 1997: 80-88). He contrasts this with the over determinist modethe kind ofexplanation that seeks to explain the lack of progress of modern sciencethrough the idea that it was specifically prevented from occurring. Thus,according to the former outlook, the reason science did not develop inChina was because historical, social, economic conditions were such thatthey were simply incompatible with its rise. I think this could be due tothe Chinese not putting a high priority on things scientific. On the otherhand, the over determinist would assume that science is part of a culturesdestiny which would materialize anyway if the circumstances were favorable. However, in the case of China these circumstances were not favorable,blocking sciences potential development. To viewthehistoryanddevelopment of science in the latter mode would mean that science is anecessary part of a cultures path of development, which is the same forall cultures. A culture in which science successfully develops is thusviewed as more advanced than another where the development of science issomehow stinted. On the other hand, the under determinist would argue thatsuch a picture of each cultural entity racing along the same path smellstoo much of teleology and Gods design to be tenable. Instead of soviewing, each culture should be regarded as having its own path notnecessarily shared with others. Since critical thinking and modern scientific thinking are closely related,discussions of the historical rise of science in various cultures aredirectly related to our investigation of whether critical thinking iscompatible with the major Asian cultural traditions. Discussions on therise of modern science seem to enable us to see how the tradition ofcritical thinking arose and how they were promoted or discouraged. If theunder determinist mode of interpretation is accepted, then the lack ofcritical thinking tradition in Asia could be explained by the fact thatsomehow members of these traditions decided not to go put critical thinkinghigh on their list of priorities, despite the fact that critical thinkingskills could be found deep within the traditions themselves. READ: Ambition in Macbeth examples Essay1034Asian Philosophy and Critical Thinking: Divergence or Convergence?Hence, the values typically associated with Asian culture such as socialharmony and deference to the elders and teachers are thus seen asconsequences of the cultures deciding to put a certain set of prioritiesabove others. Social harmony was instrumental in bringing about thecultural unity that is the most distinctive characteristic of Chineseculture. It is valued above most other types of values because it goes handin hand with social stability, whose alternative is perceived as chaos andgeneral burden of social structure. The prioritization of social harmonycan also be seen in other Asian cultures such as the Thai one, and resultsin Thais trying as far as they possibly can to avoid open conflicts anddisagreements. In the case of China, since all the elements that couldbring about the rise of modern science were in place, it is quite clearthat the Chinese culture actually chose not to go along the path taken bythe Europeans. The decision made by a culture to adopt a particular systemof beliefs and practices certainly did not happen suddenly, as if at oneparticular moment of history, members of a culture had a meeting anddeclared their cultures adoption of this or that set. The decisionoccurred gradually throughout the historical development of a culture, andcan be seen in China adopting Confucianism ratherthanthemorematerialistic and scientifically inclined Taoism and Mohism, and in Indiaadopting the more mystical doctrine emphasizing the role of meditation andprivate insights rather than publicly demonstrable methods of knowing. Ithink that reasons for such decision are enormously complicated, but it ishardly conceivable that China was somehow destined to lag behind Europe inthe science race due to factors they could not control. This may be taken to show that critical thinking and Asian thought aredivergent. If the Asian cultures chose not to go along the path wherecritical thinking is one milestone, then both do not seem to go with eachother, and Atkinson may be vindicated when he argues that critical thinkingis a part of Western culture only. If the Asian cultures prioritize sets ofvalues which are incompatible with critical thinking, and if they freelychose those sets over the set adopted by Europeans for whatever reasons,then it appears that critical thinking would belong to European cultureonly, and to adopt it to Asian cultures would be the same as to importingforeign ideas and practices to alien lands. Thus, Atkinsons argument seemsto fit well with the under determinist position. This line of reasoning, however, would be valid only if a culture decidedas its own set of priorities at one time will always remain so for allother times. If the Thai culture, for example, once decided that socialharmony should take precedence over critical argumentation andopendebates, then critical thinking practices would be forever alien to them. But that is surely a very unreasonable position to take. Cultures, likehumans, often make decisions that later are amended or revoked with newdecisions made; when things are not the same any longer. Decisions toprioritize one set of values over another are not etched in stone, but evenso the stone can be broken down or else taken to a museum or a pedestalwhere it loses its real meaning. Decisions at one time reflect thecircumstances normal at that particular time, and to stick onto pastdecisions with no plan of adapting or making new decisions in response tochanging circumstances would make the culture frozen and unabletoparticipate. Opting not to correct their past decisions, a culture would ineffect be telling the world that it is constructing a wall around itself,giving nothing to the world and receiving nothing. However, sociologicaland economic conditions of the current world do not permit such a scenariofrom happening. Cultures need to change themselves, not merely to survive,b ut to prosper and to permit better lives for their members. Consequently, Asian cultures and critical thinking are divergent only ifthe former opt not to correct their decisions. But since we are talkingonly about decisions, then it is not difficult at all to suggest thatcultures would make new decisions in response to changing times. Doing sowould make the two more convergent. Hence, the divergence and convergence,after all, depend on what decisions a culture makes. There is nothingnecessarily attached to a cultures path along history that makes itessentially divergent or convergent from the modern critical thinkingtradition, or from any tradition for that matter. Since the philosophy of aculture is but an abstract and theoretical expression and justification ofthe cultures decision to choose one set of priorities over another, Asianphilosophy and critical thinking are neither necessarily divergent nornecessarily convergent. ConclusionAny attempt to introduce, or we should say to bring back critical thinkingpractices to the cultures of Asia would, therefore, begin within thecultures themselves. This is in line with the under determinist idea thateach culture has its own peculiar development path which is not necessarilyshared with others. The mission of spreading the truth of one culture toanother is a misplaced. One that apart from sounding patronizing, issomething the current morality cannot accept. Thus the first step in suchan attempt must consist of a series of arguments designed to show to mostmembers of the culture where critical thinking is to be introduced, thatcritical thinking is really good. However to do that would at least requirelarge amounts of explanations, something that is definitely out of scope ofthis present essay. Besides, to argue that critical thinking is actually agood thing to have is difficult, because it may run counter to the deeplyestablished belief that critical thinking i s just a label fortheconfrontational mode of life that the culture finds unpleasantanddifficult to accept. Though the task is difficult, I believe that it is unavoidable. As aninsider of my own Chinese cultural tradition, I am trying to convince themembers of my culture of the value of critical thinking and its importantrole in educating citizens for the increasingly globalized world of todayand tomorrow. An important part of my argument for combining criticalthinking and its belief systems to the Chinese culture is the idea thatpeople should view the elements of their culture which could present themost serious obstacles to critical thinking as benign fiction. That is,elements such as respect of the elders and the belief in social ranking andso on should be viewed in the same way as a modern person views his or herown traditional customs and ceremonies. One is in a sense a part of theculture where the ceremonies happen, but in another sense detached from it. This is because he knows himself only to serve a certain function in theculture, and in addition, knowledge of other cultures enables furtherdetachment from his own customs and ceremonies. Such an argument would naturally require a lot more space and time than isavailable here. What I hope to have accomplished in this essay, however, ismuch more modest. It is, as we have seen, an argument that Asian philosophyand Asian thought in general do not necessarily conflict with criticalthinking and its presuppositions. Furthermore, it is the influential makingof decisions throughout the history of each culture itself, which, Ibelieve, is flexible and adaptive enough to effect important changes forthe future. 1065BibliographyAtkinson, D. 1997. A Critical Approach to Critical Thinking. TESOLQuarterly 31, 71-94. Blair, J. Anthony and Ralph H. Johnson. 1991. Misconceptions of InformalLogic: A Reply to McPeck. Teaching Philosophy 14.1, 35-52. Davidson, Bruce. 1995. Critical Thinking Education Faces the Challenge ofJapan. Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines, 14.3, 31 pars.,http://www.shss.montclair.edu/inquiry/spr95/davidson.html. Fuller, Steve. 1997. Science. Birmingham: Open UP. Hatcher, Donald. 1995a. Critical Thinking and Epistemic Obligations. Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines 14.3, 38 pars.,http://www.shss.montclair.edu/inquiry/spr95/hatcher2.html. Hatcher, Donald. 1995b. Should Anti-Realists Teach Critical Thinking?. Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines 14.4, 21 pars.,http://www.shss.montclair.edu/inquiry/summ95/hatcher.html. Hongladarom, Soraj. 1998a. Critical Thinking and the Realism/Anti-RealismDebate, http://pioneer.chula.ac.th/~hsoraj/web/CT.html. Hongladarom, Soraj. 1998b. Humanistic Education in Todays and TomorrowsWorld. Manusya: Journal of Humanities, 1 (forthcoming). Hostetler, Karl. 1991. Community and Neutrality in Critical Thought: ANonobjectivist View on the Conduct and Teaching of Critical Thinking. Educational Theory, 41.1, 1-12. Matilal, Bimal Krishna. 1990. Logic, Language and Reality: IndianPhilosophy and Contemporary Issues. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. McGuire, John. 1998. Is Critical Thinking Cultural Thinking?. Unpublishedms. McPeck, John E. 1991. What is Learned in Informal Logic?, TeachingPhilosophy, 14.1, 25-34. Needham, Joseph. 1969. The Grand Titration: Science and Society in East andWest. London: Allen Unwin. Paul, Richard. 1993. Critical Thinking: What Every Person Needs to Survivein a Rapidly Changing World. Santa Rosa, CA: Foundation for CriticalThinking. Ronan, Colin A. 1978. The Shorter Science and Civilization in China: AnAbridgement of Needhams Original Text. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. Sutton, Robert. 1995. Realism and Other Philosophical Mantras. Inquiry:Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines, 14.4, 18 pars.,http://www.shss.montclair.edu/inquiry/summ95/sutton.html. Tscherbatsky, F. Th. 1962. Buddhist Logic. New York: Dover. References1 The literature on the nature and definitions of critical thinking areenormous. Probably the most intense debate among critical thinking expertscenters on the question whether critical thinking can be a separateautonomous academic disciplines dealing with the general form of thinkingto be applied by students in all of their academic areas. Or whether it isnot autonomous at all, but should always be part of important academicdisciplines. However, I believe that these debates giveuslittleunderstanding of what critical thinking should be. For critical thinkingwould be nothing if not applied to real cases, and the study of it wouldnot be totally effective if the skills and theories unique to it were notabstracted and studied on their own. The other debates focuses on thenature of critical thinking, or the meaning of critical thinking itself. Richard Paul (1993) provides a definition that no one can gainsay: Criticalthinking is the kind of thinking one thinks of ones thinking in order tomake ones thinking better. Hatcher (1995a; 1995b) calls for the kind ofcritical thinking that is based on the so-called epistemological realistposition this is contrasted by Sutton (1995) and Hostetler (1991), whoargue that critical thinking is more amenable to the anti-realist position. Whatever it is, there is still no correct definition concerning the truemeaning of critical thinking.

The History of Maize from the New World to Africa Essay

The History of Maize from the New World to Africa - Essay Example At present efforts are being made in order to increase Africa’s annual local production and at the same time reduce their importation rates since corn is considered to be one of the most important food sources for the people. The History of Maize from the New World to Africa Maize (Zea mays, L.) or more popularly known around the world as corn, is a cereal crop that originated from the New World, now known as the Americas. It is a tall, annual grass, from the family Gramineae, where other important monocot cereal crops such as wheat and rice also belong (Warman, 2003). It is considered to be one of the earliest grains that were borne out of human genetic manipulation, and its high yield was one of the factors that strengthened the early agricultural societies harvesting this crop (McCann, 2005). All of the numerous uses for corn owe it to its high starch content, which can range from being cooked and served as a major carbohydrate source in every meal, to being ground into flo ur for making chips and bread, to sweets such as desserts or as sources of sweetening agents, and even alcoholic drinks like beer, thus corn shows the flexibility of its products (Warman, 2003). Also, corn is known to have small amounts of minerals such as calcium and iron, even higher than in other cultivated cereals, which adds to the crop’s high carbohydrate content and subsequently, its nutritional value (Mboya, et al., 2011). It is through the wide variety of products that can be made out of corn and rather high nutritional value that made it acceptable in many countries, and its worldwide distribution a success. Among the many areas that have come to learn about planting and harvesting corn, as well as creating a culture that highly utilizes it is Africa, where it was introduced during the time when the Portuguese were still in the process of exploring the New World, as well as beginning to enter into the slave trading business (Maddison, 2007). Starting from a few seed s, the local farmers were able to grow various varieties as well as developing the crops to contain some characteristics that were deemed important, such as having attributes that were similar with locally-grown sorghum (La Fleur, 2012). This initiated a wide acceptance of Africans to a corn corn-cultivating culture and makes it one of their most important staple crops as of date. Thus, the introduction of maize, a New World crop into the African continent and culture was brought upon by the colonial rule of the Portuguese in Southern Africa around the 1500’s, and the successful propagation of the crop in the continent created an economic boost that brought up the culture of planting and consuming maize across Africa, which remains very much alive even today. Origins of the Maize Unlike other grains and cereals which were originally bred from wild ancestors and have undergone minimal changes, the appearance of the maize or corn plant and its cob has been the product of the de liberate intervention of man in its evolution. It is hypothesized that the corn has no wild ancestor, and it has been extinct long before its cultivation began.

Islamic women and Education Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Islamic women and Education - Research Proposal Example Schoeter Susanne (178) explains from a personal and woman’s perspective that women like her need education and needs to be involved in policy making process on decisions that include education, a voice that identify a woman’s role in advocating for women’s interests in education. Fatima Al-Fihri is another woman who contributed to education in the ancient periods, establishing University of Al Karaouine in North Africa while Dafiya Khatun constructed theology schools in the Middle East (Women’s Iislmic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality 1). Roles of Nyai Abida in education are also evident in academic administration in Pesantren Seblak (Srimulyani 100) and women like Ahl-al-Aaqil played active roles as educators (Falola & Amponsah 83, 84). The active role in education continues and is evident in the positions of Muslim women in South Africa’s academic institutions (Lovat 186). In addition, women seem to play a significant role in self-motivatio n into education. Even though environmental factors may affect ability of Muslim women to advance in education, the women mediate effects of these factors (Oplatka 341, 342). Respecting personal domain as a Muslim is another reported motivational factor to the women’s education (Laar, Derks, & Ellemers 70, 71). Existing literature suggest significant women’s role in education and this transverses across history. A study is therefore necessary on trend of the women’s roles in education across history and by regions. Laar, Colette, Derks, Belle, & Ellemers, Naomi. â€Å"Motivation for education and work among young Muslim women: The importance of value for ingroup domains.† Basic & Applied Social Psychology 35.1 (2013): 64-74. Print. Oplatka, Izhar & Orit. â€Å"Muslim women in graduate studies: Some insights into the accessibility of higher education for minority women students.† Studies in Higher Education 37.3 (2012): 327-344. Print. Women’s Islamic Initiative in

War and the City Essay Example for Free

War and the City Essay Paintings and photographs are pieces of art. As such, it has always depicted life. It has become a representation of reality. More importantly, it represents the time wherein these artists are living. They created what they see, and through the artists’ eyes and perspective, we are able to witness what they’ve seen as if it was right in front of us. In this light, the three photographs have war as the unifying theme. Although differently expressed, each image portrays pain and helplessness, and with it a faint spark of hope for a better tomorrow. But the latter implication cannot be readily noticed at first glance of the picture. When we look at them, we only see dismay and fright. They are a reminder of a life others were not able to witness, a terror for others. They displayed this in either symbolic or upfront manner, but they never failed to show the emotions involved. The striking difference among these pictures, on the other hand, resides on how they were presented. The first image by Goya made use of warm colors and upfront action. Picassos painting used of a lot of symbols. Meanwhile, the 9/11 photograph captured a moment during the after shock of the attack. These images each have a different perspective, taking war from various angles. In the end, they all say war is never pleasant. Every artist has a responsibility for every piece of art they render. More importantly, the artist who constantly depict the realities of war should be careful about their pieces. Unfortunately, paintings and photographs are works of art, and are avenues for freedom of expression. It should not be constrained. But knowing that what they show in their works would either create or break their names as an artist can be very constraining. However, if they let themselves be taken by this constraint, and did not risk the consequences, them they would not have been able to become masters in their fields. In my perspective, I believe that the artists should really show the horror and brutality of war. We are at the age wherein being romantic and subtle are no longer the focus of art. Strong and provocative pieces are more the trade of art today. However, given that the other two pieces were created during a different period, it does not mean that being upfront about war only started in recent history. War is a fact of life, regardless of the time when they were created. It should not be covered with romanticized implications to depict war. There is no other way to present war as it is. We cannot define how it feels to be in the middle of one. We only have pictures to show us how is it like. It is the closest to reality as we can get, and it is a reality we have to face. There are a lot of things one can perceive from one piece of art depicting war. But I dont believe that these will promote violence for the audience. Usually, these pieces are present the effects of war, and the basic facts about it. It was not created to persuade others to resort to war, unless that was the underlying message and it was bluntly said. However, majority of these kinds of artworks only present facts, and are not usually political in nature. They are perspectives, concepts and ideas from the artists point of view. We dont always have to agree or disagree with them. A silent understanding would have been enough. Works Cited â€Å"Guernica: Testimony of War. † Public Broadcasting Service. 1 April 2008 http://www. pbs. org/treasuresoftheworld/guernica/gmain. html. â€Å"Third of May. † Museo Nacional Del Prado. 1 April 2008 museoprado/mcu. es/i34. html. â€Å"World Trade Center September 11, 2008. † SHI. 1 April 2008 http://dmetcalfe. homestead. com/AMERICA2. html.

Essay --

Resumen Este trabajo investiga sobre el advenimiento de la era tecnolà ³gica la cual a medida que pasa el tiempo se expande a todos los sectores de la sociedad, ya sea por la cantidad de nuevas investigaciones y tecnologà ­as como por la ubicuidad de à ©stas. Para lograr una mejor comprensià ³n de ello es necesario abordar los conceptos de Computacià ³n Ubicua, Tecnologà ­a Calma, Interaccià ³n Inconsciente y nociones psicolà ³gicas de Resistencia al Cambio. En el transcurso de este informe se irà ¡ seà ±alando brevemente como avanzan estos temas a lo largo de la historia y resaltando el estudio del lugar de la interface y el nuevo rol del ambiente en la Interaccià ³n Humano/Computadora. Palabras claves Computacià ³n Ubicua, Tecnologà ­a Calma, Interaccià ³n Inconsciente, Resistencia al cambio. Introduccià ³n Varios aà ±os atrà ¡s la tecnologà ­a era una herramienta muy fà ¡cil de distinguir, percibir e identificar, ya sea de forma visual (ya que eran artefactos nuevos o diferentes a la vida cotidiana) o tambià ©n mediante la interaccià ³n del usuario, por ello muchas veces existià ³ la necesidad de tener conocimiento previo para poder utilizarlas y entenderlas o si no se tenà ­a ese conocimiento era necesario adquirirlo para un correcto â€Å"uso†. A una gran cantidad de usuarios, estas nuevas tecnologà ­as les resultaron muy llamativas, fascinantes y amenas para indagar, profundizar y sumergirse mà ¡s en ese mundo, los cuales con gran facilidad pudieron apreciarla y aprovecharla, pero tambià ©n siempre existen y existieron las personas que tienen una gran resistencia al cambio, a aprender nuevos modos, nuevos lenguajes, nuevos usos y nuevas formas de vida. Al ser esta una tecnologà ­a muy fà ¡cil de distinguir, a à ©ste grupo de personas les resultà ³ muy fà ¡cil la tarea de identificar... ..., con las nuevas tecnologà ­as lo interesante es el hecho de que a esta altura del tiempo todas las personas (quieran o no) forman parte del mundo que està ¡ inmerso en la computacià ³n ubicua, de una u otra forma son usuarios de alguna de estas tecnologà ­as y no han tenido la necesidad u oportunidad de decidir si forman parte de este nuevo mundo o no, porque lo son de forma imperceptible ya que no tuvieron que adoptar nuevas formas de uso o cambios en la vida cotidiana porque la tecnologà ­a se acomodà ³ a ellos, se invirtià ³ lo que sucedà ­a en un principio, asà ­ es posible el alcance de estas tecnologà ­as a toda la sociedad sin generar los problemas sociales de resistencia a lo nuevo o al cambio, porque este cambio ya no es tan brusco, porque la tecnologà ­a està ¡ tan mimetizada con el entorno que no genera un choque, se disimula, se percibe el entorno y el entorno es la interfaz.

Factors That Affect the Rate of Reaction of Peroxidase

Factors that Affect the Rate of Reaction of Peroxidase Purpose: To determine the effect of various factors on the rate of reaction between an enzyme and its substrate, and also to determine the optimal ranges under which the enzyme activity is maximized. Also to determine whether saline and alcohol are inhibitors or activators Hypothesis: PH factor prediction: I predict that as the pH increases so the activity of the enzyme will increase until it reaches optimum pH range (pH 7) because the enzyme is less denatured when it reaches the preferred pH level, and after this it will decrease because the active site will change in shape and it will no longer accept substrates. Temperature factor prediction: I predict as the temperature increases, the enzyme activities will increase because there is more energy to speed up the reaction until it reaches the optimum temperature range (room temperature which is about 20  °C), and after that the enzyme activities will decrease because of denature of the enzymes (cause changes to active site that will no longer fit substrate) Concentration of enzymes prediction: I predict that as the concentration of enzyme increases, so the enzyme activities will increase because there is more enzyme to react with the substrates however when enzymes get saturated, the reaction will come to a plateau because eventually all the substrates will have enzymes to react with, and any extra will have no effect on the reaction whatsoever. I predict alcohol is an inhibitor of Peroxidase because alcohol when alcohol bind to the allosteric site it changes the active site shape of the enzymes thus deactivating enzymatic activities I predict salt is an activator of Peroxidase because salt contains Na ions which attaches to the allosteric site changing the shape of the enzyme to fit a substrate. Materials: †¢ Peroxidase (enzyme in potato) †¢ Hydrogen peroxide, 3% †¢ A strong acid, pH3 (lemon juice, or HCL) 0. 5 †¢ A strong base, pH 10 (drain cleaner, NaOH) 0. 5 mol/L †¢ A weak acid, pH 6 (vinegar, acetic acid( CH3COOH)) 0. 5 mol/L †¢ A weak base, pH 8 (baking soda, sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)) 0. 5 mol/L a †¢ A saline solution, pH 7 (table salt, NaCl) 0. mol/L †¢ Alcohol, pH 7 (rubbing or spirits (isopropyl or ethanol)) 1 mol/L †¢ Distilled water, pH 7 †¢ Hot plate, stove, or kettle (hot water bath) †¢ Cold water (ice water bath) †¢ Eye dropper or oral, needle-less syringe 10 cc (10 mL) †¢ Graduated cylinder or needle-less syringe 10 cc( 10 mL) †¢ Disposable plastic plates †¢ Disposable plastic cups †¢ Thermometer †¢ Timing devi ce (with second hand) †¢ ice Safety Precautions Being sure to wash hands before and after handling materials. Use caution with hot and cold materials. Follow all safety procedures. Procedure: †¢ I placed a piece of raw potato in 10 mL of water at room temperature (20  °C) for three minutes. Put three drops of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) on it (after dabbing dry with paper towel) †¢ I placed a piece of raw potato in 10 mL of cold water at temperature 10  °C for three minutes. Put three drops of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) on it (after dabbing dry with paper towel) to observe the effect of temperature on reaction activity †¢ I placed a piece of raw potato in 10 mL of cold water at temperature 15  °C for three minutes. Put three drops of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) on it (after dabbing dry with paper towel) to observe the effect of temperature on reaction activity †¢ I placed a piece of raw potato in 10 mL of hot water at room temperature 25  °C for three minutes. Put three drops of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) on it (after dabbing dry with paper towel) to observe the effect of temperature on reaction activity †¢ I placed a piece of raw potato in 10 mL of hot water at temperature 30  °C for three minutes. Put three drops of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) on it (after dabbing dry with paper towel) to observe the effect of temperature on reaction activity I placed a piece of raw potato in 10 mL of lemon juice 0. 5 mol/L at room temperature (21  °C) for three minutes. Put three drops of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) on it (after dabbing dry with paper towel) to observe the effect of pH on reaction activity †¢ I placed a piece of raw potato in 10 mL of drain cleaner, NaOH at room temperature (21  °C) for three minutes. Put three drops of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) on it (after dabbing dry with paper towel) to observe the effect of pH on reaction activity †¢ I placed a piece of raw potato in 10 mL of vinegar, acetic acid 0. mol/L at room temperature (21  °C) for three minutes. Put three drops of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) on it (after dabbing dry with paper towel) to observe the effect of pH on reaction activity †¢ I placed a piece of raw potato in 10 mL of baking soda 0. 5 mol/L at room temperature (21  °C) for three minutes. Put three drops of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) on it (after dabbing dry with paper towel) to observe the effect of pH on reaction activity †¢ I placed a piece of raw potato in 10 mL of saline solution 0. 5 mol/L at room temperature (21  °C) for three minutes. Put three drops of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) on it (after dabbing dry with paper towel) to determine if saline is an inhibitor or activator †¢ I placed a piece of raw potato in 10 mL of alcohol solution 1 mol/L at room temperature (21  °C) for three minutes. Put three drops of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) on it (after dabbing dry with paper towel) to determine if alcohol is an inhibitor or activator †¢ I put three drops of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) on large pieces of potato to observe the effect of concentration (large pieces have smaller surface area which have less enzymes) I put three drops of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) on medium pieces of potato to observe the effect of concentration (large pieces have smaller surface area which have less enzymes) †¢ I put three drops of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) on small pieces of potato to observe the effect of concentration (smaller pieces have larger surface area which have more enzymes, the more the enzymes the greater the reaction activi ty) Analysis: Inquiry skills (scientific Method): The dependant variable is time The independent variable is Peroxidase enzyme The controlled variables are PH, temperature, and concentration The reason to create this datum is so that we could make a comparison. Without creating this action, it would be hard to see the effect of enzymes on the decomposition of peroxide. It’s to create this reference point to see how it decomposes before any enzymatic reaction and after. Inquiry skills (data management): [pic] Figure 1: Qualitative observation scale of Peroxidase-catalyzed peroxide decomposition Temperature factor (10  °C): Quantitative Datum (action)- (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action) -(extent of bubbling) | |10 |0 | |20 |1 | |30 |1 | |40 |2 | |50 |1 | |60 |1 | |Average: |1 | Temperature factor (15  °C): Quantitative Datum (action)- (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action)- (extent of bubbling) | |10 |1 | |20 |1 | |30 |2 | |40 |2 | |50 |2 | |60 |2 | |Average |2 | Temperature factor (20  °C): Quantitative Datum (action)- (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action)- (extent of bubbling) | |10 |2 | |20 |2 | |30 |3 | |40 |3 | |50 |3 | |60 |2 | |Average |3 | Temperature factor (25  °C): Quantitative Datum (action)- (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action)- (extent of bubbling) | |10 |3 | |20 |3 | |30 |4 | |40 |4 | |50 |2 | |60 |2 | |Average |3 | Temperature factor (30  °C): Quantitative Datum (action) – (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action)- (extent of bubbling) | |10 |3 | |20 |2 | |30 |2 | |40 |2 | |50 |1 | |60 |0 | |Average |2 | pH factor (pH 3): Quantitative Datum (action)- (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action)- (extent of bubbling) | |10 |0 | |20 |1 | |30 |1 | |40 |1 | |50 |1 | |60 |2 | |Average |1 | pH factor (pH 6): Quantitative Datum (action)- (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action)- (extent of bubbling) | |10 |1 | |20 |2 | |30 |2 | |40 |3 | |50 |4 | |60 |4 | |Average |3 | pH factor (pH 7): Quantitative Datum (action)- (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action)- (ext ent of bubbling) | |10 |2 | |20 |3 | |30 |3 | |40 |3 | |50 |4 | |60 |4 | |Average |3 | pH factor (pH 8): Quantitative Datum (action)- (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action)- (extent of bubbling) | |10 |3 | |20 |2 | |30 |2 | |40 |2 | |50 |2 | |60 |1 | |Average |2 | pH factor (pH 10): Quantitative Datum (action)- (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action)- (extent of bubbling) | |10 |2 | |20 |1 | |30 |1 | |40 |1 | |50 |0 | |60 |0 | |Average |1 | Concentration factor (large pieces): Quantitative Datum (action)- (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action)- (extent of bubbling) | |10 |0 | |20 |1 | |30 |1 | |40 |1 | |50 |2 | |60 |2 | |Average |1 | Concentration factor (medium pieces): Quantitative Datum (action)- (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action)- (extent of bubbling) | |10 |4 | |20 |4 | |30 |3 | |40 |3 | |50 |3 | |60 |2 | |Average |3 | Concentration factor (small pieces): Quantitative Datum (action)- (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action)- (extent of bubbling) | |10 |4 | |20 |4 | |30 |3 | |40 |3 | |50 |3 | |60 |3 | |Average |3 | Saline inhibitor/activator factor: Quantitative Datum (action)- (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action)- (extent of bubbling) | |10 |4 | |20 |4 | |30 |3 | |40 |3 | |50 |3 | |60 |2 | |Average |3 | Alcohol inhibitor/activator factor: Quantitative Datum (action)- (time in seconds) |Qualitative Datum (action)- (extent of bubbling) | |10 |1 | |20 |1 | |30 |1 | |40 |1 | |50 |0 | |60 |0 | |Average |1 | Knowledge and understanding (Data Analysis): The optimal range of temperature and pH of Peroxidase is about 20 °C to 25 ° C at a pH of 6. 0 to 7. 0 It seems to be that Peroxidase has a different temperature range than Catalase however both have similar pH range. Knowledge and Understanding (Concept Analysis): Enzymes are made of protein, depending on the structure of the amino acid, and the hydrogen and ionic bonds is what makes the difference between the two enzymes (Catalase and Peroxidase). It seems to be that Catalase has stronger hydrogen and ionic bonds than Peroxidase and that’s why it can withstand more temperature before it’s denatured. Conclusion: My experiment results agrees with my hypothesis. According to the data tables I have created, you notice that the enzymatic reaction (amount of bubbles) first increases starting from 15 °C then it starts to go down when it reaches over 25 °C (this matches with my first prediction on the effect of temperature on Peroxidase) Starting from pH 3 to pH 7, the reaction increases then it decreases after pH 7 (this matches with second prediction) Starting from low concentration, we get less reaction then it increases gradually (this matches with my third prediction)

Dynamic Seal †Mba: Six Sigma / Operations Case Essay

Dynamic Seal, a precision parts manufacturer with a reputation for high quality, does not currently utilize a Statistical Process Control (SPC) system. However, United Airlines (UA), a major customer representing 14% of Dynamic Seal’s business, insists they implement an SPC system or loose United Airlines’ business. In addition Dynamic Seal do not have a sound preventative measure quality control system in place, preferring 100% inspection to cull bad quality, rather than building parts correctly from inception. Goal: Reduce product variance and the need for rework by implementing a company-wide quality control system that includes an element of Statistical Process Control. A secondary goal is to reduce waste by focusing on Lean engineering processes. Competitive Environment: Dynamic Seal are a successful manufacturer of mechanical components for aerospace, marine and military application. Their products require precision engineering, and the company has built an excellent reputation based on â€Å"high quality, innovative engineering and close tolerance manufacturing.† The company makes use of expensive superalloy materials manufactured to extremely tight tolerances, with many products selling for $10,000 to $50,000. A significant defective rate with such high cost materials / products will severely impact the company’s bottom line. The United Airlines production line operates under a separate department, with dedicated equipment and personnel. Dynamic Seal’s quality reputation is a result of highly skilled machinists and a 100% inspection policy. The company employs a workforce of approx. 400 people, in a 120,000 sq. ft. facility and has increased it’s sales ten-times over the last 10 years to $130 million. Key Facts: 1.Dynamic Seal does not have a company-wide Quality Management ethos. 2.There is a customer requirement to use SPC. 3.No SPC system is currently in place and equipment has not been tested for capability. 4.Quality is controlled by 35 quality inspectors and is not the responsibility of the workforce. 5.The Quality Control Dept. is overworked and underpaid – reports to the General Manager. 6.Machinists set informal equipment specifications, not the QC Dept. 7.The company operates a 100% inspection policy.  8.In-process inspection is infrequent, therefore origin of 25% of defective issues cannot be found. 9.Inspection and assignment of rework involves significant lag. 10.QC system generates significant volumes of paperwork: 80 defective reports (DMR) per week. 11.Product blueprints and Inspection Specs (IMS) often do not match and are not updated. 12.Initial defective rate documents (DMR) are often produced post-rework. Analysis: Two sets of process data have been collected for initial analysis. Before specific SPC issues can be addressed the process and equipment should be assessed to see they meet the capability requirements laid out in the customer specs. The first process examined uses the Lablond Lathe machinery and requires a machined diameter of 7.7250, plus tight tolerances of + .0005 inches. A Process Capability Ratio (Cpk) analysis of the lathe’s data, results in a Cpk of .379 (exhibit A). A result of less than one indicates the machine is not capable of matching the tolerances laid out in the IMS spec. Therefore the Lablond Lathe is not suitable to handle the process it is being used for. Before a more suitable machine is selected, the Lablond Lathe should be checked for calibration, as should the measuring equipment used. If all fall within calibration specs, new machinery should be selected that is capable of handling such tight tolerances. Solving machine capability issues is a low-hanging fruit method of quickly improving quality control. The second data set refers to the Cincinnati Milling Machine. Initial analysis indicates the machine is capable of meeting the required specs, so X-bar and R-bar run charts were constructed to visualize output performance against the IMS specs. Positions 8 to 10 on the R-bar chart (exhibit B) clearly indicate the process is out of control. The X-bar chart (exhibit C) further supports this claim by showing the process is out of control at positions 9 and 10. Although a bigger concern is that all but one data point lies above the control line, indicating the process could be off-center and require recalibrating. As Dynamic Seal’s materials and production methods are so expensive, before machine recalibration occurs, a fish bone diagram should be used to trace the problem to its source. Alternative Options: There are four significant options open to Dynamic Seal. The can opt to do nothing and potentially lose the United Airlines contract, plus risk further losses as more customers begin to impose stricter quality control requirements. They can implement a company-wide Quality Management system such as Six Sigma that incorporates SPC analysis. They can implement an SPC system on one type of machine throughout the manufacturing plant. Or they can implement a Quality Management / SPC system within the United Airlines production cell alone. Recommendation Short-term: To reduce project scope, I recommend initially focusing on the UA facility only. Once procedures have been tested and proven, they can be rolled out company-wide. Gordon Jenkins is a good person to head up the Quality Management program, as his initial plan (exhibit D) includes many elements of DMAIC and his review of the problems seems accurate. However, he needs senior management backing (possibly a promotion) and further Six Sigma training, to combat negative views from Alan Schneider and Scott Palmer. Without the three of them on the same page, any new quality management system will fail. Initially Jenkins and the QC team needs to perform a UA Dept. X-ray, creating process-maps, checking equipment capability and taking base-line SPC data (exhibit E). Once data has been received a full DMAIC analysis using Histogram / Pareto charts should be done to identify the low-hanging fruit. Variance issues in the new SPC data can be tracked to their source using fishbone diagrams and House of Quality reviews. Equipment selection, process streamlining, reduction in paperwork and implementing work procedures are valid projects. Equipment settings and tool selection should be standardized, reducing the craftsmanship required. The responsibility to monitor quality should be moved to the machinists. Having them fully involved in the process design, and giving them responsibility to manage their own quality would achieve machinist buy-in. In addition tight controls need to be placed around the production and updating of product specs, requiring improved communication and a sign-off system between the Sales, Engineering and Production Depts. Finally a measure of improvement is critical to the success of any quality management system. Improved SPC data will be part of that, but the company can also track rework labor hours, improvements in process throughput time, inventory reduction, and reduction in cost-of-goods as critical measures. Recommendation Long-term: SPC by itself does not promote in-depth quality management, therefore long-term I recommend Dynamic Seal implement a company-wide Lean Six Sigma system, with SPC analysis. To set the right tone and get management buy-in, long-term implementation should begin with upper-management Six Sigma training, including the GM. A dedicated approach to quality management should infiltrate all aspects of the company, from engineering to administration, with the goal of promoting a quality-focused Kaizen culture. The current Quality Control Dept. should train as Six Sigma black belts and be mandated to train the workforce in Six Sigma techniques and to oversee on-going Six Sigma projects. Salary incentives should be implemented that reflect advancement in Lean Six Sigma training.