Brave New World By Aldous Huxley - 1337 Words

In the novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley was trying to convey the message that a perfect world could never exist despite any effort to control not only society, but all aspects of the lives of human beings. Utopian societies often result in totalitarianism because rulers are so consumed with making a perfect society that they are too controlling. The demolition of a dystopian society is quite inevitable because of human curiosity, which ultimately ends in the uncovering of the lies that a government attempts to communicate. In this novel, the government in London controls the lives of the people by making a perfect human race, and outcasts are exiled to another place outside of the State. First, totalitarianism is a branch of dictatorship that is ruled by one central power that attempts to control the lives of their victims. It can be dated back to the Maurya dynasty of India from 321-185 B.C. Throughout the history of totalitarian governments, the victims are often oppressed. A f ew common totalitarian rulers include Adolf Hitler from Nazi Germany, Benito Mussolini from fascist Italy, and Joseph Stalin from the Soviet Union. In the time period when these rulers were in power, it was illegal for anyone to stand up for their rights or express their negative beliefs on the government. In the novel, many pastimes have been prohibited by Mustapha Mond, their ruler. Books on religious teachings, dictionaries, novels, poems, and any books used for information or entertainmentShow MoreRelatedA Brave New World by Aldous Huxley668 Words   |  3 PagesIn Brave New World, there are similarities that have a deeper meaning that we can understand. There are personal effects in Aldous Huxley life that contribute to what he has written in the book. Aldous Huxley throughout his life have seen, done, and events have happened to him, just like all of us, but he has expressed it in his book. So when Aldous wrote the he had so many ideas. I have read the book; it’s notRead MoreBrave New World by Aldous Huxley811 Words   |  3 Pages Brave New World is based around characters who gave up the right of freedom for happiness; characters who ignored the truth so that they could live in a utopian civilization. The deceiving happiness was a constant reminder throughout the book. Almost every character in Brave New World did whatever they could to avoid facing the truth about their own situations. In this society, happiness is not compatible with the truth because the World State believes that happiness was at the expense of theRead MoreBrave New World By Aldous Huxley1525 Words   |  7 PagesA Brave New Feminist The novel Brave New World written by Aldous Huxley in 1932 is known for its social satire, utopian values, and unusual standpoints on stereotypical gender roles. In this time where futuristic technology has completely taken over, and men and women are given the same opportunities for everything, â€Å"the genders appear equal within the social order; both men and women work at the same jobs, have equal choice in sexual partners, and participate in the same leisure pursuits† (MarchRead MoreA Brave New World by Aldous Huxley664 Words   |  3 Pagesfor the fact being in the future and in the past time has changed and many differences were made. In his Dystopian Society Huxley portrays masses of niches where the government produces clones for specific reasons. Huxley decides throughout Brave New World that cloning humans is unethical. He then becomes in contact with the society’s most powerful Alphas and Betas clones. Huxley suggest in BNW that lower class groups in clo ning humans to act like servants to terrorize them into working hard conditionsRead MoreA Brave New World by Aldous Huxley1189 Words   |  5 Pages In the world of sex, drugs, and baby cloning you are going to be in many situations where you feel like the world we live in should be different. In the story Brave New World, they had sex with multiple partners along with a very bad use of drugs. It is weird that Aldous Huxley wrote this book in 1931 about the world he was living in during that time and how it is similar to the world we live in today. Nowadays, drugs are still being used and people are still engaging in sexual encounters withRead MoreBrave New World By Aldous Huxley968 Words   |  4 PagesAldous Huxley’s utopia in Brave New World foreshadowed and illuminated the complications within modern day society. Upon its release, the narrative became widely banned all over the United States due to the unorthodox thoughts and actions of multiple characters in it. Early readers, as well as modern day audiences, feared and rejected the ideals that Huxley incorporated into his perfect society; however, our society today is heading towards the dark paths the older generations desired to avoid. Read MoreA Brave New World by Aldous Huxley895 Words   |  4 Pagesthe novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley tells of a society where everyone is the same but, compared to t oday’s society, everything is different. Huxley tells of a world where everything that happens or takes place is because of one’s own desire and nothing more. The hero in the novel, a â€Å"savage† named John, is Huxley’s main focal point. It is through his eyes and mind that the reader sees what’s going on. Now when I read this novel, I began to think, â€Å"Could this perfect, conformed world actuallyRead MoreA Brave New World by Aldous Huxley1684 Words   |  7 Pagesimperfect world and is usually only a hopeful dream. These types of worlds can greatly be described in detail through the world of science fiction. Aldous Huxley was an English writer who lived during a time when war and chaos were engulfing the world. His works reflect his view and thoughts on a dystopia, which is a false utopia, and describes what could occur in possible governments of the world. The ability to understand and dive into the thoughts of the author is what make s world literatureRead MoreA Brave New World by Aldous Huxley614 Words   |  2 Pagesthem truly happy. What if someone were to tell you that what you thought was true happiness was all an illusion. In a Brave New World by Aldous Huxley people in the world state are conditioned and drugged up by soma to not experience true happiness. In a world that is perfect, human beings do not have to depend on drugs to keep our world in balance. In a Brave New World by Aldous Huxley there is always a perfect drug called soma that keeps everyone happy, which they have based their society on. ThisRead MoreA Brave New World by Aldous Huxley948 Words   |  4 PagesWelcome to a world were â€Å"Brave† is not just a word; It has a true meaning. This is a story were everything as you know it, doesn’t seem to be right and will completely change your way of thinking. When this story was written, life was very harsh for many people†¦.Mostly for the author who wrote â€Å"Brave New World† During this time (1930s) they didn’t have much sexual content Living The Future Of The Past In The Present†¦.. In the air; But Aldous made a future full of sex for them and we are the

Dracula and Science, Superstition, Religion, and Xenophobia

There are many debates in the United States that have been ongoing for decades, and some for even centuries. Some of these issues are in relation to science, religion, and some are even a combination of the two. Film and other media outlets have commonly been used to address these types of issues ever since these outlets were started. In the film Dracula, directed by Tod Browning in 1931, many controversial issues of the 1920s and 1930s including science, superstition, religion, and xenophobia are addressed. An argument that has been extremely controversial and debated for centuries is science versus religion. Dracula takes the side of religion in this debate, which is shown throughout the novel. Many times the protagonists attempt†¦show more content†¦Dracula takes the side of the West in basically saying that science is overrated and that old world logic is what people should be relying on. The message is that people should not be putting all of their faith into scie nce, and that they should still be reserving some for old world superstitions and religion. Another theme in this film and the early 1900s is anti-Semitism. In Dracula it is outrageously apparent the physical features of Count Dracula alone. He has a large nose, bigger ears, and to add to his physical Semitic features he also greedy, which is yet another stereotypical attribute of people with Jewish backgrounds. It is not surprising that Dracula was made out to be Jewish during this time period, because in the early 1900s the Jews were everyone’s scapegoat. Often times they were called â€Å"vampires† or â€Å"bloodsuckers† because they were portrayed as shady individuals who were often involved is sketchy business deals. These racist nicknames made it easy to create a Jewish Dracula, because the Jew was already portrayed as exactly that, a vampire. During the early 1900s there was a great deal of anti-Semitism around the world, especially in Europe. The most obvious example of it is The Holocaust, where there were nearly seven million Jews murdered. This was caused by Adolf Hitler manipulating different medias into portraying Jews in a poor light. This manipulation of the JewishShow MoreRelatedBram Stoker s Dracula - Dracula1964 Words   |  8 PagesHargrave 7/25/2016 Eng 2305 Dracula Interpretive Essay In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, we are introduced to the monster that is Dracula. Throughout his Stoker touches on several themes of Dracula’s monstrosity. This paper will explore Bram Stoker’s Dracula under the theory of, â€Å"The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference† The rejection of modernity, sexual expression, and the xenophobic threat from Old World Europe are all gates of difference that Stoker touches on. Dracula dwells at the gates of difference

Foundation’s Edge PROLOGUE Free Essays

The first Galactic Empire was falling. It had been decaying and breaking down for centuries and only one man fully realized that fact. He was Hari Seldom the last great scientist of the First Empire, and it was he who perfected psychohistory – the science of human behavior reduced to mathematical equations. We will write a custom essay sample on Foundation’s Edge PROLOGUE or any similar topic only for you Order Now The individual human being is unpredictable, but the reactions of human mobs, Seldon found, could be treated statistically. The larger the mob, the greater the accuracy that could be achieved. And the size of the human masses that Seldon worked with was no less than the population of all the inhabited millions of worlds of the Galaxy. Seldon’s equations told him that, left to itself, the Empire would fall and that. thirty thousand years of human misery and agony would elapse before a Second Empire would arise from the ruins. And yet, if one could adjust some of the conditions that existed, that Interregnum could be decreased to a single millennium – just one thousand years. It was to insure this that Seldon set up two colonies of scientists that he called â€Å"Foundations.† With deliberate intention, he set them up â€Å"at opposite ends of the Galaxy.† The First Foundation, which centered on physical science, was set up in the fuel daylight of publicity. The existence of the other, the Second Foundation, a world of psychohistorical and â€Å"mentalic† scientists, was drowned in silence. In The Foundation Trilogy, the story of the first four centuries of the Interregnum is told. The First Foundation (commonly known as simply â€Å"The Foundation,† since the existence of another was unknown to almost all) began as a small community lost in the emptiness of the Outer Periphery of the Galaxy. Periodically it faced a crisis in which the variables of human intercourse – and of the social and economic currents of the time – constricted about it. Its freedom to move lay along only one certain line and when it moved in that direction a new horizon of development opened before it. All had been planned by Hari Seldon, long dead now. The First Foundation with its superior science, took over the barbarized planets that surrounded it. It faced the anarchic warlords who broke away frog, a dying, empire and beat them. It faced the remnant of the Empire itself under its last strong Emperor and its last strong general – and beat it. It seemed as though the â€Å"Seldon Plan† was going through smoothly and that nothing would prevent the Second Empire from being established or, time – and with a minimum of intermediate devastation. But psychohistory is a statistical science. Always there is a small chance that something will go wrong, and something did – something which Hari Seldon could not have foreseen. One man, called the Mule, appeared atom nowhere He had mental powers in a Galaxy that lacked them. He could mold men’s emotions and shape their minds so that his bitterest opponents were made into his devoted servants. Aries could not, would not, fight him. The First Foundation fell and Seldon’s P1an seemed to lie in ruins. There was left mysterious Second Foundation, which had been caught unprepared by the sudden appearance of the Mule, but which was now slowly working out a counterattack. Its great defense was the fact of its unknown location. The Mule sought it in order to make his conquest of the Galaxy complete. The faithful of what was left of the First Foundation sought it to obtain help. Neither found it. The Mule was stopped first by the action of a woman, Bayta Darell and that bought enough time for the Second Foundation to organize the proper action and, with that, to stop the Mule permenently. Slowly they prepared to reinstate the Seldon Plan. But, in a way, the cover of the Second Foundation was gone. The First Foundation knew of the second’s existence, and the First did not want a future in which they, were overseen by the mentalists. The First Foundation was the superior in physical force, while the Second Foundation was hampered not only by that fact, but by being faced by a double task: it had not only to stop the First Foundation but had also to regain its anonymity. This the Second Foundation, under its greatest â€Å"First Speaker,† Preem salver, manages to do. The First Foundation was allowed to seem to win, to seems to defeat the Second Foundation, and it moved on to greater and greater strength in the Galaxy, totally ignorant that the Second Foundation still existed. It is now four hundred and ninety-eight years after the First Foundation had come into existence. It is at the peak of its strength, but one man does not accept appearances – How to cite Foundation’s Edge PROLOGUE, Essay examples

Business Rovor Mentor Program

Question: Describe about the Report for Business Rovor Mentor Program. Answer: Using and developing Victoria University Graduate Capabilities According to Schon, the capacity to reflect on the actions requires in engaging with the continuous process of learning and paying critical attention to the practical values and theories related to the practices at workplace (Moon 2013). The Graduate capabilities during the learning process at the Victoria University have helped me in developing my skills as a Finance Officer during my course. In addition to developing knowledge, skills and the applications of the same, the learning course has enabled me in developing the capabilities which are described below. Graduate capabilities 1: Adaptable and capable 21st century citizens, who can communicate effectively, work collaboratively, think critically and solve complex problems This Graduate Capability program has helped me in gaining new knowledge and understanding of the complex local and global problems. It also helped me in enhancing my capability to solve the complex problems by implementing my critical thinking skills. The capability incorporated the organizing, planning and executing of the business plans, case studies and business plans which helped me in assisting knowledge development to complete my assessment tasks with efficiency. This capability has helped me in developing my communication and interpersonal skills which are required to work collaborate in the business environment as a 21st century citizen (Vaughan et al. 2014). Graduate Capabilities 2: Confident, creative lifelong learners who can use their understanding of themselves and others to achieve their goals in work and learning The Master of Business (Finance) course at the VU included the Graduate Capability learning program of infusing confidence and creativity within me that helped in developing my understanding about the cultural values throughout my course duration (Chahal 2015). The various assessment tasks as incorporated in the learning process required to initiate and develop ideas by using my creative skills that I had acquired during the course. Graduate Capabilities 3: Responsible and ethical citizens who use their intercultural understanding to contribute to their local and global communities The VU has helped me in developing my knowledge, skills and abilities throughout my Master of Business (Finance) course. It also helped me in developing the inter cultural understanding by valuing and respecting diversity amongst peers. This graduate capability has helped me in developing my skills such that I am capable enough to supervise my team members who are responsible for accounts payable and receivable, record keeping benefit processing, payment processing, generating bill receipts, and other finance related works (Officer 2016). This developed capabilities of supporting my peers has helped me in understanding more about the global and local communities and has enabled me in contributing to a more sustainable and equitable world. Relevance to course concept and theories Concepts of Graduate capabilities 1: Determining, anticipating and solving the problems that range from simple to complex and important to unpredictable problems While working in a business environment, I would be tested on my abilities and challenged to be resilient and adaptive towards making a project successful. This unit of the learning program has helped me in enhancing my critical thinking and problem solving ability such that I feel the confidence to solve complex problems at ease (Nguyen et al. 2013). Accessing, evaluating and analyzing the information In a business environment, I would be required to think critically and rigorously analyze and evaluate information, use statistic and data to establish facts (Giacalone and Promislo 2013). I would also be required to display my abilities and skills in this regard which I have learned from this unit. Effective communication using tools in the various contexts This capability program has helped me in developing my communication and interpersonal skills which are required to work collaborate in the business environment as a 21st century citizen (Funston and Lee 2014). Using effective interpersonal skills to influence work and community networks both locally and globally This unit of the learning program helped me in developing my interpersonal and effective communication skills. These skills would help me in ensuring the delivery of a quality project by exploring my critical thinking and problem solving ability throughout the project. Concepts of Graduate capabilities 2 Understanding of the role of culture, values and dispositions in affecting achievement of goals The graduate capability learning program helped in infusing confidence and creativity within me that helped in developing my understanding about the cultural values throughout my course duration. Understanding how to initiate and develop new ideas The various assessment tasks as incorporated in the learning process required to initiate and develop ideas by using my creative skills that I had acquired during the course. Planning and organizing self and others The learning program also helped me in developing an inter cultural understanding by valuing and respecting diversity amongst peers. This cultural understanding would be helping me in obtaining a better understanding about organization self and others. Decision making The critical thinking skills that I have acquired during my learning process at the VU would be helping me in arriving at an effective decision related to any project in the business environment. Concepts of Graduate capabilities 3 Respecting and valuing diversity The graduate capability helped in developing the concept of the diversity through the illustration of modern Olympic Games where I learned to respect and value the diversity and cultural practices in a global exposure. Developing capacities required to contribute to a more equitable and sustainable world, including courage and resilience The course at the VU included the graduate capability of infusing confidence and creativity within me that helped in developing my understanding about the cultural values throughout my course duration. Understanding the workings of local and global communities and individuals responsibilities within these The course has helped me in developing the inter cultural understanding by valuing and respecting diversity amongst peers wherein I learned more about the global and local communities which has enabled me in contributing to a more sustainable and equitable world. Understanding the intricacies of balancing individual and public good The cultural practices in the global exposure as taught in the learning program had explored the rights of the individuals, communities and balance with public good. 3. Learning over time- framework for reflection Description The Graduate capability development program during the learning process at the Victoria University has helped me in developing my skills as a Finance Officer during my course. In addition to developing knowledge, skills and the applications of the same, the learning course has enabled me in developing the capabilities to work efficiently in the business environment (Papadopoulos and Armatas 2013). Thinking and feelings During my Master of Business (Finance) course at the VU, I gained more insightful knowledge of business as a whole. During the learning process, I found myself more comfortable in approaching the issues that were required to be addressed related not only to finance, but also to controls, database management, strategic outline and revenue generating areas of the business environment. Evaluation The Victoria University has helped me in enhancing my capability to solve the complex problems by implementing my critical thinking skills during the entire course. The various Graduate Capabilities as incorporated in the extended program of the University has helped me in the organizing, planning and executing of the business plans, case studies and business plans which in turn helped me in assisting knowledge development to complete my assessment tasks with efficiency. The learning program also helped me in developing the inter cultural understanding by valuing and respecting diversity amongst peers (OBrien et al. 2013). This graduate capability has helped me in developing my skills whihc would be helping in enahancing my capabililty. This would help me in developing my skills such that I could be able to supervise my team members who are responsible for accounts payable and receivable, record keeping benefit processing, payment processing, generating bill receipts, and other finan ce related works. Analysis One of the main reasons why I decided to study at the Victoria University is due to the extensive Graduate Capabilities learning program that it incorporates within the learning modules. This learning program runs for the full two year of the Masters in Business (Finance) course which helps in the continuous self-assessment of the individuals. Conclusion Thus, I could have done nothing but to dedicate myself into extensive learning program of the VU to transform my unconscious incompetence into conscious incompetence. This dedication and hard work of mine has played a part, but I wonder what impact of the learning program and its reflection mechanism is having on me. Action plan As opposed to the isolated incidences, I have learnt to view my life in a systemic control wherein, I believe, every thought of mine would be having an impact on my life. Hence, I am going to apply my knowledge, skills and abilities as acquired during the entire duration of course, into further development of my communication and interpersonal skills such that to complete my assessment tasks efficiently and also help in developing the inter cultural understanding by valuing and respecting diversity amongst my peers. This reflection has been analysed on the basis of the framework as provided by Schon (Farrell 2012). References Chahal, D., 2015. The Student Rover Mentor Program: Inclusion, satisfaction and perceived impact. Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 9(2), pp.A46-A61. Farrell, T.S., 2012. Reflecting on reflective practice:(re) visiting Dewey and Schn. TESOL Journal, 3(1), pp.7-16. Funston, A. and Lee, N., 2014. The graduating project: A cross-disciplinary inquiry-based capstone in arts. Inquiry-based Learning for Faculty and Institutional Development: A Conceptual and Practical Resource for Educators (Innovations in Higher EducationTeaching and Learning, Volume 1) Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 1, pp.223-241. Giacalone, R.A. and Promislo, M.D., 2013. Broken when entering: The stigmatization of goodness and business ethics education. Academy of Management Learning Education, 12(1), pp.86-101. Moon, J.A., 2013. Reflection in learning and professional development: Theory and practice. Routledge. Nguyen, D.M., Truong, T.V. and Le, N.B., 2013, March. Deployment of capstone projects in software engineering education at duy tan university as part of a university-wide project-based learning effort. In Learning and Teaching in Computing and Engineering (LaTiCE), 2013 (pp. 184-191). IEEE. OBrien, K., Moore, A., Hartley, P. and Dawson, D., 2013. Lessons about work readiness from final year paramedic students in an Australian university. Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 10(4). Officer, A.C.F., 2016. Accounts Receivable Management. Policy. Papadopoulos, T. and Armatas, C., 2013. Evaluation of an ICT skills program: Enhancing graduate capabilities and employability. International Journal of Electronic Commerce Studies, 4(1), p.93. Vaughan, B., Florentine, P. and Carter, A., 2014. Introducing a portfolio assessment in a pre-professional osteopathy program. International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 17(2), pp.129-134.

Main Causes of the American Revolution free essay sample

The parliament UNC questionably possesses a legal authority to regulate the trade f Great Britain, and all her colonies. Have looked over every statute [law] relating to these colonies, from their first settlement to this time; and I find every one of them founded on this principle, till the Stamp Act administration. All before, are calculated to regulate trade. The raising of revenue was never intended.. .. Never did the British parliament, [until the passage of the Stamp Act] think of imposing duties in America for the purpose of raising revenue. The Townsend Acts claim the authority] to impose duties on these colonies, not for the regulation of trade but for the single purpose of levying money upon us. . According to Dickinson, what taxes was parliament justified in imposing on the colonies? 2. Why did he object to the Stamp Act and the Townsend Acts? Document 2 On March 5, 1770, a crowd of Boston boys and men surrounded a number of British soldiers and began taunting and cursing them while they pelted them with snowballs. We will write a custom essay sample on Main Causes of the American Revolution or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Order quickly broke down, and the frightened soldiers fired into the crowd.When the shooting ended, several people were dead and more were wounded. This engraving by Paul Revere, a leader of the Boston Sons of Liberty, was sent throughout the Colonies in the following weeks to arouse anti-British feelings. . How does the engraving tell a different story from the above description of the Boston Massacre? 2. Where do you suppose the term massacre came from that describes this event? Document 3 This excerpt is from Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms. issued by the Second Continental Congress on July 5, 1775. The war had broken out in April, when British forces had marched to Lexington and Concord, two villages just outside of Boston. This document, written largely by John Dickinson and Thomas Jefferson, was designed to explain and justify the fighting that had continued since April. The British declare] that parliament can of right make laws to bind us in all cases whatsoever. What is to defend us against so enormous, so unlimited a power? We are reduced to the alternative of choosing an unconditional submission to the tyranny of irritated [British officials), or resistance by force. The latter is our choice. 1 . Why, according to this document, were the Americans justified in fighting the British? 2. Describe the two choices that colonists have according to this document. Document 4 These excerpts are from The Declaration Of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress of July 4, 1776. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations [unlawful seizures], all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.

The Coping Skills of the Elderly

The Coping Skills of the Elderly Free Online Research Papers It is common knowledge today that we live longer than ever before because of science and technology. However, this trend of longevity comes with numerous strains on our society and the elderly. It is common knowledge too that this process of aging culminates into degenerative changes in our physical and psychological well being. As people age, they depend more heavily on assistance from technological devices and caregivers to perform activities of daily living. Studies done by Chappell, Strain, and Blandford (1986) found that both the number of chronic conditions and the extent of functional disability increased with age. Equally important, Statistics Canada (1990b) supported this notion by revealing that the disability rate is tied to age and that it increases with an increase with age. The fact that more people are getting older in this era that before means that a larger portion of our population have some sort of limitations or some kind of disability that affects their ability to be fully functional in day to day life. Functional disability is defined by Chappell, Strain, and Blandford (1986) as â€Å"a functional limitation on the performance of normal daily role activities as a result of illness or injury.† In order to cope with their inability to perform activities of daily living, the elderly in need of assistance have devised means of survival by adapting to assistive devices like hearing aids and wheelchairs. This term â€Å"activities of daily living† as discussed here refers to a basic set of everyday activities or tasks that an individual should be able to perform in order to live independently (Katz, 1963; Weiner, 1990). In order for us to understand the challenges the elderly pass through on daily basis to overcome their limitations, we need a fact finding project with an individual facing such challenges in performing his or her basic activities of daily living, for us to appreciate this topic. I had an opportunity to perform a semi-structured interview with Mrs. Joyce Wealth (fictitious name), a 83 year old resident of a reputable long-term care center in Hamilton, Ontario. The purpose is to investigate and identify how Joyce copes with her physical impairment and pain associated with a stroke (CVA) and other conditions she has and how her coping strategies have made her aging successful. In this paper, I will attempt to discuss the results of this interview with emphasis on how research could be influenced by these results and how we can borrow a leaf from Joyce’s book to prepare for our own old age. Joyce a widow with two daughters, suffered from a stroke six years ago which increased on her inability to perform daily activities by living her with limited use of her left side of her body. She suffered from considerable depression and nursed feelings of frustration, anxiety, anger and apathy. She as a result disengaged herself from the world and become isolated. â€Å"I wished then why nobody could speak to me as they used to and yet hated to see them sympathizing with me† she lamented. â€Å"Few people realize how the shock of this sudden change affects one psychologically. You feel like God should have done you a favor by letting you die.† At the time both her daughters worked and lived outside Canada and were unable to be of effective help to her, thus increasing on the obvious risk to her of not being able to solicit or receive adequate assistance that she needed in basic maintenance activities. Coupled with arthritis and other contributing factors, Joyce agreed to move to a long-term care facility four years ago. Whilst talking to her, I noticed that she had a cognitive competence of a younger person. Despite her disabilities, Joyce’s mental faculties were sound in relation to her biological age and aging perceptions. With all those bouts of depression, crying and overwhelming fatigue, Joyce’s thought process was not impaired. During the course of the interview we were interrupted by a phone call where she exhibited her ability to perform some instrumental activities of daily living by picking up the phone and talking to the extent of passing over her daughter’s telephone number and the day of the week to the caller without checking her directory or calendar. She is thankful for some assistive devices that make it easier for her to tackle mobility problems that would have otherwise limited her ability to go shopping. â€Å"The girls in the Activation and Restorative Department take us out every Saturday to different malls to shop. I am thankful for the motorized wh eelchair I have and for the girls for letting us choose what we want to buy.† She said. Joyce’s attitude towards assistive devices seem to be in conformity with studies by Hirdes and Forbes (1993), that suggests that older people usually adapt to changes in life by adjusting their expectations and activities. But perhaps Cott and Gignac (1999) agreed with her more when they suggested that people with activity limitations used methods to cope with their deficiencies. Whereas successful aging maybe gauged differently in professional circles, Joyce’s case scenario gives me a different perspective of this term simply because of her willingness to try and cope with her physical deficiencies. Activities of daily living that include personal care (toileting, eating/drinking, dressing, bathing), and mobility that seem automatic to us are predominantly a problem for people with motor deficits like Joyce. However, Joyce’s attitude towards her challenges is refreshing most especially when she easily adjusts to ever changing situations by not hesitating to utilize various assistive technologies to help facilitate these activities. In my opinion, a disabled elderly who looks at the future as bright and tries to promote self worth, independence and quality of life with satisfaction has aged successfully. Rowe and Kahn (1991) described low chance of disease and disability; high mental and physical functioning; and active participation in soci al activities as the three signs of successful aging. But like Thompson and Forbes (1990) said, and basing my argument on Joyce’s enthusiasm and desire to avoid further decline, deterioration should not be part of aging. Baltes (1993), recognizes that the cognitive effectiveness which is necessary in maintaining the daily activities associated with overall health is a significant part of aging. Joyce seems to lead a effective life by utilizing her self management skills and practical knowledge to compensate for physical losses which fits well with aging well. When I asked Joyce how she could have been successful in performing instrumental activities of daily living as observed earlier, she attributed it to her insistence on simple exercises with the physiotherapist assistants in the home and an open realistic mind towards her situation. She manages to walk short distances like to the washroom with her walker and with assistance from a caregiver. However, Joyce reiterates that sometimes the caregivers may respond to her call bells late causing incontinence at night which frustrates her. To solve this, Joyce agreed to some interventions like a bedside commode and a bedpan to reduce on consequences of waiting for help and walking to the washroom at night, protective bedding and use of briefs which would have been degrading to any of us. With such assistive devices/interventions, Joyce is able to enjoy continuity in her quality of life by performing some activities by herself in a non threatening atmosphere. Physical disability has not stopped Joyce from promoting her own independence. She talked of the trouble she goes through trying to dress herself without assistance, and how she struggles to feed herself at every meal, tasks that need utmost coordination to complete. Several times Joyce has acquired injuries from falls whilst trying to dress herself or walk to the washroom not because she has lost the ability to evaluate consequences of such risks she takes but because she has a positive attitude towards her life and is willing to commit her energy to doing things herself for her to live a fuller life. The long-term care home she resides in decided to help her meet her objectives. She says that her environment has been altered for her safety. Floor mats have been removed from her washroom and brightened up her room with fluorescent lighting to help her make better judgments while walking. â€Å"I am so happy that I did not sit down and wait to die the moment I realized my fingers could not coordinate properly with my hands to comb my hair the way I would like.† If Joyce had been caught up in such a state of despair, she would probably have resigned herself to her room in isolation away from family and friends because of frustration and embarrassment like it was immediately, just like it was immediately after the stroke. Today she makes it a point to attend all social gatherings and activities in the nursing home. She knows that a strong social support network of friends and family members is a very important contributor to good health in old age. Rowe and Kahn (1998) found that a strong social support network can buffer or reduce some of the effects of aging. Joyce has company every time from her brother, sisters, members of her church, friends and daughters. This keeps her motivated to live since it makes her feel appreciated. Joyce recounts that â€Å"While in hospital, I remember asking a doctor if I will ever be normal again? His response still rings in my ears, that if I worked harder on exercises and on my positive attitude, I’ll get back.† With all that work she put in to cope with the effects of the stroke, she soon got out of bed to a wheelchair and now to a walker for short distances. Her motivation, she says, is that she will one day walk again. However, Joyce’s rehabilitative exercises on how to use her right side of the body to compensate for the disabled left were not enough in itself. She recalls that her family and friends played a huge role as mentioned before. â€Å"My friends and family encouraged me and believed in me. It strengthened me to know that they loved me and were there for me.† All this social support that provides patience, kindness, understanding and affection provided Joyce with a secure emotional environment to reach her goals. In final analysis, my conversation with Mrs. Joyce Wealth was extremely insightful and enlightening on many aspects of coping with physical limitations in later life. Talking to Joyce brought a realization to me that the concept of successful aging based on non-medical approach to promote human well-being is particularly fundamental to increasing quality of life. By providing a universal understanding of the aging experiences that encompasses limitations to the performing of activities of daily living, this interview identified and agreed with the notion that the elderly can find ways to compensate for their disabilities and other limitations in order to enjoy a successful later life. It is therefore important to learn from Joyce’s school of thought and accept changes that come with aging or other misfortunes by adapting and using alternative devices to cope with these changes. Joyce embraced assistive devices, jumped onto the exercise bandwagon and surrounded herself with a supportive social network of friends, family and health caregivers in order for her to achieve quality of life. The bottom line is that quality of life is the ultimate goal of everybody both young and old. References 1. Baltes, P. B. 1993. â€Å"Aging Mind: Potential and Limits.† Gerontologist 33(5): 580 94. 2. Chappell, N. L., Laurel A. Stain, and Audrey A. Blandford. 1986. Aging and Health Care: A Social Perspective. Toronto: Holt, Rinehart and Winston of Canada. 3. Cott, C. A., and M. A. M. Gignac. 1999. â€Å"Independence and Dependence For Older Adults with Osteoarthritis or Osteoporosis.† Canadian Journal On Aging 18(1): 1-25. 4. Hirdes, J. P., and W. P. Forbes. 1993. â€Å"Factors Associated with the Maintenance of Good Self-Rated Health.† Journal of Aging and Health 5(1): 101 – 22. 5. Katz, S., Ford, A., Moskowitz, R., Jackson, B. and Jaffe, M. (1963). â€Å"Studies of Illness in the Aged.† Journal of the American Medical Association, 185, 95 – 99. 6. Rowe, John W., and Robert L., Kahn. 1991. â€Å"Human Aging: Using and Successful.† In Harold Cox, ed., Aging, 7th ed. Guilford, CT: Dushkin. Originally Published in Science 237 (1987): 143 – 49. 7. Rowe, John W., and Robert L., Kahn. â€Å"Successful Aging.† New York: Pantheon Books; 1998. 8. Thompson, M. E., and W. F. Forbes. 1990. â€Å"The Various Definitions of Biological Aging.† Canadian Journal on Aging 9: 91 – 94. 9. Wiener, J., Hanley, R., Clark, R. and Van Nostrand, J. (1990). Measuring the Activities of Daily Living: Comparisons Across National Surveys. Journal of Gerontology; Social Sciences, 45, 229 – 237. An Interview with Joyce Wealth; Coping with a Disability in Old Age Hopes Kikonyogo interviewing Joyce Wealth on 7th November, 2005 lasted approximately 60 minutes. It was conducted in the activity room of a long-term care center in Hamilton, Ontario. Audio data from the interview was recorded on a digital recording device and later used to generate post interview notes for this paper. To preserve privacy the actual names of the lady interviewed and the name of the long-term care center were not used. The interview is intended to highlight Joyce’s coping strategies with a disability that hindered her ability to perform activities of daily living. Through her experiences we hope to understand the survival instincts of humans in later years. HK: Joyce, thank you for agreeing to this interview. First, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Joyce: I was born in 1922 to a Ukrainian family. My father was a physician and my mother a nursery school teacher. After school I married an English soldier and we moved to Canada after the war. In Canada, my husband, Henry became a physician and I became a secretary. Later after further studies, I was promoted to office administrator in Henry’s medical office. He died 15 years later of cancer. HK: Did you and Henry have children? Joyce: Oh, yes. I am ashamed I did not mention them. I have two girls, Marilyn and Bertha. Marilyn is a Chief Economist with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) somewhere south of the border and Bertha a Political analyst and part time lecturer at one of the east coast universities in USA. I am proud of my daughters and their achievements are a satisfaction in my life. I do not see them that often though, but we talk quite a lot on telephone. Once in a while I get to watch Bertha on news networks like CNN, sharing her opinions with the world. I am a proud mother. HK: Let us focus on your disabilities for a moment here. How did you end up in this situation? The disabilities and living in a long-term care center? Joyce: I suffered from a stroke in 1999. It caught me completely unaware, one moment I was fine preparing to go to church, the next moment I had this awful headache, a fuzzy feeling over my eyes and general weakness of my body. Luckily enough, Bertha was visiting with me, and rushed me to hospital. A stroke interrupted my good life and changed it probably for good. I was in hospital confused, physically mmmh, crippled and speechless. That feeling is horrible, I mean, it is horrible to feel powerless and hopeless over yourself. Anyway, I stayed in hospital and various rehabilitation centers for 2 years, I think, before being discharged to a nursing home. HK: How did you feel about coming to a nursing home? Joyce: I really had no option, I could hardly care for myself and could not afford 24/7 home care. My daughters did not live in the country and even if they did, it would have been so stressful for them to run my home and theirs. I had thought hard about this before taking up this chance. Truthfully my first year of living with the effects of a stroke was my lowest. I was so depressed, refused to take any calls from my family and friends; I often pretended to be asleep when someone visited with me. I had totally cut off the world, feeling frustrated and embarrassed, but somehow with the persistence of my church, daughters and friends I agreed to therapies that have helped in my recovering journey. HK: What state of mind were you in the aftermaths of the stroke? I mean did you feel like you had lost your cognitive awareness? Joyce: I was disabled after the stroke. I could hardly do even the simplest things you know of like using my left hand to touch and feel, because my left side of the body was paralyzed. I could not feed myself, unable to write, dress myself and so many other things we do take for granted. I leant that feeding oneself requires a lot of coordination. One thing I did not lose though, thank God, was my ability to think, judge and make my own decisions. Having all your mental faculties in order when you cannot perform the simplest of activities is a recipe for depression, embarrassment and frustration. A few people realize how the shock of this sudden change affects one psychologically. You feel like God should have done you a favor by letting you die than living you with disabilities. HK: Earlier you mentioned about self isolation, disengaging yourself from friends and family. Why was that? Joyce: Hard to understand, but at that time you figure death is the best thing for you. Apart from that, you feel so embarrassed and angry at your friends and family when they feel sorry for you. It seems like they all talk to you like you are a toddler. People often avoided contact with me because they figured I could not hold a normal conversation with them. I wished they could talk to me like they used to and at the same time hated to see them sympathize with me. HK: Joyce, after such a low period in your life, what motivated you to turn around your life? Joyce: While in hospital. I recall asking a doctor if I will ever be normal again. His response still rings in my ears, that if I worked harder on exercises and on my positive attitude, I’ll be back. Rehabilitation therapists often asked some stroke survivors to come and visit with me, which encouraged me. I realized then that I can live if I wanted to, that my rehabilitation was in my hands. Up to today, I still wonder how I managed to turn that corner. Look, I toiled and found strength to get out of bed, I started using a wheelchair. That in itself was a milestone in my struggle to recover, but still believe it is not good enough. Today, I so often use my walker to walk for short distances like to my washroom and to the dining room with the help of caregivers. It is a challenge and so exhausting. HK: I have just noticed you answering your phone without assistance. How could you have been successful in performing such a task? Joyce: Keeping active is the key, if I had remained idle without purposeful activity to help in my rehabilitation, my goals would have been undermined. I happen to do simple exercises at least everyday with Mary the physiotherapist assistant in this home. I also harbor a positive mind towards my life because I have moved on. I read a lot and keep my mind active. All that is not easy, most especially if one is recovering from a stroke and has arthritis as well, like I do. I am so happy that I did not sit down and wait to die the moment I realized my fingers could not coordinate properly with my left hand to comb my hair the way I want it. HK: What would you like to be changed in this nursing home, anything that would further your goal of recovery? Joyce: if I had my way it would be a day or two coming up with stuff that needs to be changed, but we are all humans thus seldom perfect. I am contented with what this home offers. There is care, very good care here but one thing that has been frustrating is the response by caregivers to call bells. They often respond to my call bells late and by the time one is here, I have soiled my pants or wet my bed. Just yesterday, I brought this call bell issue up during my care conference and agreed to management’s proposal of a bedside commode, bedpan and usage of briefs. It is an inconvenience and embarrassing, but at least it solved a problem or two. HK: By the way, are there certain things you can do for yourself? Joyce: Oh sure, I do my own shopping, which is a thrill because I was a ‘shoppaholic.’ The girls from the Activation and Restorative department take us out every Saturday to different malls for shopping. I am thankful for the motorized wheelchair I use and for the girls that not only take us out but also let us choose what we want to buy. I am thankful for all the devices that enable me to continue with life in a fulfilling way. Apart from the shopping, I try to toilet myself, try to walk myself to the washroom and to the dining room, dress myself and feed myself. However I have paid for taking such bold risks. I have acquired bruises and injuries from falls, but now my room is as bright as day light because of those fluorescent lights that help eliminate shadows, they also removed my floor mats in the washroom to avoid tripping. HK: Finally Joyce, do you have anything else to say? Is there something important to you that I missed? Joyce: Yeah, I appreciate all I have today which is life. I am particularly thankful for all the care I have received. The caregivers here though over worked and always understaffed remain pleasant and helpful. I thank my family and my friends that encouraged me and believed in me. It strengthened me to know that they loved me and were there for me. HK: Exploring your coping skills with the effects of a stroke has been very informative. I have enjoyed talking to you Joyce and particularly thankful for your willingness to share your experiences with us. Thank you. Research Papers on The Coping Skills of the ElderlyLifes What IfsRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andResearch Process Part OneInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of Self

Philosophy 3330 interpretive essay final Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philosophy 3330 interpretive final - Essay Example rgument — often called the cogito argument in reference to Descartes’ most-quoted catchphrase the Latin cogito; ergo sum, or â€Å"I think; therefore I am† — to explain the rise of capitalism in Protestant society is perhaps one of the more interesting takes on Cartesian theory. Weber argues that instead of using Descartes’ notion of self simply as a philosophical proof of individual being, Protestants transformed the concept into â€Å"an ethical reinterpretation† (Weber 80), using it as the basis for a life of contemplation: In other words, Weber argues that Protestants seized on the idea of self-knowledge as a sort of manifesto, not a proof existence but a responsibility of existence. So far, so good, but where does the connection to capitalism come in? How does it relate to the notion of an inner life? What does it have to do with the notion of intellectual responsibility? â€Å"The name of Weber makes it clear that we cannot begin to sense the real ideological function of religious aestheticism unless we place it within that larger intellectual and ideological preoccupation which is the study and interrogation of value,† wrote Frederic Jameson (124). Or, more simply put, the religious contemplation of the Protestants was both a factor in and a result of their historio-economic status. For Weber, this status follows a predictable trajectory, journeying from the traditional to the rational with a brief, joyous moment of transformation Weber calls â€Å"charisma.† (Weber 96) The Protestant Reformation is an example of a charismatic period in the evolution of Western society, a time in which society was moving from traditional values and ethics toward restructured, rationalized ethics. And economic success was an important part of these metamorphosing ethics. Part of this emerges from what Weber sees as the Protestant notion of â€Å"craft ,† or pride in workmanship. The idea of a â€Å"calling† for a career path was no longer restricted to men and women of

Parallel Path by Kevin Clark Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Parallel Path by Kevin Clark - Essay Example The constant comparison between the two couples becomes a source of repetition in this poem. This serves the purpose of persuading the readers to think about the ever-changing reality of human relationships. The poet repeatedly refers to the woman’s stepping away from her guy in an attempt to emphasize upon such a difficult decision of her life. She pretends to be confident and her pretension shows that she might be shaky in her decision. As she slowly steps away from him, she might be weighing the pros and cons of making such a decision. So the metaphor is hardly an amusing embellishment or diversion, an ‘escape’ from the harsh realities of life or of language. It is made out of, and it makes those realities. Their ‘opposite and discordant’ qualities are given, by metaphor’s interactive function, a form and an integrity, a role and an order. In this sense, man’s reality is formed by the metaphorical processes that inform his language. (Noppen, 61-62) The main metaphor of this poem is ‘parallel path’. It evokes images of people walking on parallel paths and this term is ironic in the sense because even though the sad couple is walking on a parallel path of the happy couple, yet their destinies are poles apart. Parallel path carries different meanings for both couples. One is destined to be together; while the other couple is splitting up. But the poet admits that even for the happy couple, there are no guarantees, which means that anything can happen. This is rather a realistic and practical approach to life and relationships. By believing in the uncertainty of life and staying prepared for the unexpected helps a person in the long run. It saves one from the shock of a sudden break-up and enables a person to enjoy life to its fullest. Time is also a significant metaphor that records the happy, sad or tough phases of people. It  seems that the sustainability of relationships between the two couples has been gauged over a long time period of time.  

Nereis succinea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 11000 words

Nereis succinea - Essay Example Even as the decrease in feeding may indicate a decrease in olfactory sensing, greater levels of activity may refer to compensation through visual detection, i.e. a certain amount of time would have to be devoted in finding food. It is crucial to evaluate both parties in the interactions of predator and prey especially as both parties would likely be affected differently, eventually implying changes in the life of each party. Nereis succinea reproduction: (la) The mass spawning for the N. succinea is mostly seen from June to September at night during a new or full moon with temperatures higher than 16oC. This must however be influenced by the location population (Ram et al., 1999). The females give off the cysteine-glutathione disulphide (CSSG) when they swim. Such pheromone, first discovered by Zeeck et al. in 1998, seems to attract mates at depressed concentrations. The swimming of the male spawns becomes elevated (Ram et al., 2008) leading to a rise in the possibility of being face d with a sexually ready female (Fei et al., 2008). As these spawns meet, both males and females swim around each other in tight circles gradually becoming smaller in size. Males unleash some sperm along with the egg release pheromone (ERP) (Zeeck et al. 1996, 1998). Such ERP is made up mostly of inosine with glutamic acid and glutamine; it leads to the females releasing both eggs as well as significant amounts of sperm release pheromone (SRP), CSSG, at elevated levels (Hardege et al., 2004). Consequently, the males then unleash significant amounts of sperm, thereby leading to the fertilization of the female egg. Chemical nature of nereidid sex pheromones (la) Nereis succinea 1. Cysteine-glutathione disulphide (CSSG) Cysteine-glutathione disulphide (‘nereithione’) (CSSG) (Figure 10) is released by the female N. succinea while swimming; it is also considered a tetra- peptide pheromone. At low levels of concentration (10-9 M), CSSG causes the males to increase the pace and speed of their swimming; allowing the faster access to the slow-paced females. At elevated levels, (in excess of 10-6 M) CSSG causes the release of gametes by the male spawns (Ram et al., 1999). Glutathione (GSH) found in the body fluids and cysteine (amino acid) is utilized to provide synthesis for CSSG as needed. This production happens only during the heteronereid level of the life cycle (Hardege et al., 2004). Figure 10. Structure of the sex pheromone in N. succinea, CSSG (Source: Guidechem). Spawning hormones and pheromonal communication are responsible for the transduction of this information (Bentley and Pacey, 1992) eventually leading to the mass spawning phenomenon often seen for the nereidid species. 1. Males usually cover large distances as they swim over water surfaces seeking the slow swimming females. At some point, females may shift their swimming patterns, often swimming in circles for a few seconds. At which point, they may give off the sex pheromone 5-methyl-3-hep tanone and start to swim in tighter circles (Zeeck et al., 1988). 2. Ripe males detecting swimming females may notice the pheromone in the water and change the quality of their swimming. They then return to the source of the ‘smell’ of the female while also giving off some coelomic fluid, which is otherwise referred to as a ‘sperm cloud’ (Hardege, 1999). Such sperm cloud includes the egg release pheromone (ERP), L – Ovothiol A (Rohl et al., 1999) (Figure 6). 3. The ERP then prompts the female to swim

Bilingualism in the Basque Country Spain

Bilingualism in the Basque Country Spain Agur the first time I heard this word I lived in San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain. It is Basque and it means bye. When I laid on the beach some weird language I could not understand was spoken over the public address system and after that language followed a Spanish speaking lady saying that a child had been found. I was fascinated by this language, how can it be that it is so different from all the other languages I know? When I heard about the paper subjects I immediately knew I wanted to find out more about the Basque language and the bilingual system in the Basque Country in Spain. In this paper I will discuss the multilingual history of Spain, describe the situation of the Basque language in the Basque country and I will develop more about the educational systems to stimulate Basque language proficiency. I hope to give the reader an insight in the Basque educational system, the Basque Country itself and in the multilingual history of Spain. This paper consists out of a liter ature review on the basis of earlier studies because it was hard to find evidence on my own. At first this paper will describe the history of multilingualism in Spain, has the Spanish government always allowed bilingual education? Which co-official languages exist in Spain? Then a closer look will be taken on the Basque Country: a description of the area will be given, percentages of bilingual speakers, the attitude of Basque speakers towards Basque; why and when do they speak the language? In the next paragraph the educational models that were created by the Basque government will be described. These models were created to improve the second language proficiency in Basque for Spanish-speakers. An overview will be given of the three existing educational models. Finally a paragraph will discuss the attitude of Basque speakers and non-Basque speakers; where is Basque mostly spoken? Why there? Has the number of students studying Basque increased of decreased? This paper will be ended with a conclusion which sums up all the major findings of this paper. History multilingualism Spain Spain, as we know it today, is a multilingual country. It consists out of seventeen autonomous communities. Six of these communities (Catlonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic islands, Galicia, the Basque Country and Navarre) recognize a language of their own which is, together with Spanish, the official language in their territory. All Spanish autonomous communities have received legislative power in some areas. One of those areas is education, so the Spanish autonomous communities can adapt their own rules on education. So all the six communities with their own language can offer education in this language. This sounds all very positive; the possibility to teach children in the minority language and to have the minority language recognized as being an official language. Yet the life story of multilingualism has not always been like this. Thanks to historical developments, we can speak of the multilingual country Spain, but multilingualism used to be forbidden during the dictatorship of General Franco (1939-1975). After the Civil War (1936-1939) General Franco came in power and this put an end to the second republic. During Francos regime he declared Spanish as the only official language, and Franco forced the minority languages to disappear from the public domains; they could not be used in the media, public administration nor in education. The use of the languages was limited to domestic use, the people could only speak their language in their homes and not on the street, at work or other public places. When Francos regime came to an end, Spain established a democracy and a new Constitution was passed (1978). Many new regulations were adapted and the new Statues of Autonomy were passed. These statues divided Spain in the following autonomous commun ities: Aragà ³n, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, the Basque Country, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla-Leon, Catalonia, Ceuta and Melilla, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia and Navarra. The country was not only divided into different areas, some areas also retrieved an official status for their own language, which was the case for Catalan, Basque and Galician. Spanish became the official language of the Spanish state, but the autonomous communities can have an own official language next to Spanish. This meant that all the minority languages in Spain were acknowledged. Nowadays Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, the Basque country and Galicia have two official languages; Spanish and the official language of their territory. All the Parliaments of the above mentioned communities together created the Laws of Linguistic Normalization in 1983. This was a reaction on the regime of Franco. The laws not only gave minority languages the co-official status next too Spanish, but also the right to know and use the other language in any context, the principle of no discrimination on linguistic grounds and control of the educational system, culture and media to the autonomies (Huguet et al. 2008). Another aim of the Laws of Linguistic Normalization is to ensure that students have a balanced command of Spanish and their second language by the time they leave school. This aim has led to Catalan, Valencian, Balearic, Navarrese, Basque and Galician educational systems to create bilingual schools where mother tongue Spanish speakers can develop their language competence in the minority language (Lasagbaster and Huguet, 2007, Huguet, et al 2008). During the last twenty years bilingual education has increased in Spain. The Laws of Linguistic Normalization give autonomies the right to develop their own educational systems following a bilingual criteria. A description of the educational system in the Basque Country can be found on p. 8 of this paper. Figure Map of Spanish bilingual communities In figure 1 (Huguet, et al 2008) the communities with their own official language besides Spanish are highlighted: the Balaeric islands (where Catalan is spoken), the Basque Country and Navarre (where Basque is spoken) , Galicia (where Galician is the minority language) and Valencia (where Valencian is spoken). The autonomous communities of Aragon (where both Catalan and Aragonese are spoken) and Asturias (where Asturias is spoken) are also added to the figure. In Aragon and Asturias the minority languages have no legal status. Tabel Percentage of inviduals who can understand and can speak the minority language (Huguet et al, 2008) Catalonia Valencia The Balearic Islands Galicia The Basque Country Navarra Individuals who can understand (passive) 97 89 92 99 44 23 Individuals who can speak (active) 79 56 72 89 29 16 This table shows an enormous difference between the communities. In Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands and Galicia over 90% of the population can understand the minority language and many (although less than 90%) can also speak the minority language. Yet in the Basque Country and Navarra the percentages are much lower, less than 50% of the population can understand the minority language and even a lower percentage can speak it. But in the case of the Basque Country, many things are done to improve the situation of the minority language as we will discuss in the next paragraphs. The Basque country The Basque country covers an area of approximately 20,742 square kilometres and is divided into seven provinces: three belonging to the French Pyrenà ©es Atlantiques community (Lapurdi, Nafarroa, Beherea and Zuberoa), and four to two autonomous regions in Spain (The Basque Autonomous Community and Navarre). In this paper the situation of the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC) will be described. The total Basque population exists out of 3 million inhabitants, with 92% being Spanish citizens. In the BAC live around 2.1 million inhabitants, of which 24.7% are bilingual and 16.3% are passive bilingual. Basque is a minority language spoken by only 27% of the population. The Basque language is the only non-Indo-European language in Western Europe and although the language has been in touch with many Roman languages (Spanish, French, Catalan), it is completely unrelated to them. This is probably one of the most important reasons why so few people of the Basque population (almost 60%) do not understand Basque at all. The language differs so much from Spanish and other Roman languages in Spain that it has no interface with other languages in the country. Spanish is the first official and dominant language in BAC, so that makes all Basque speakers bilingual because they speak Spanish and Basque. Since Spanish is also the dominant language is makes proficiency in Basque not necessary in many areas. (Perez Vidal, ..) The monolingual Spanish speakers in the BAC do not necessarily need the Basque language to survive in the BAC. Everyone around them speaks English, in formal settings the language spoken is mostly Spanish, the media mostly publishes in Spanish, and so everything around them is in Spanish. This especially counts for the bigger cities, such as Bilbao or San Sebastià ¡n (Donostia in Basque). In smaller villages in the country side there are more people who speak Basque and speaking Basque becomes more of a necessity. Thanks to the promotion of Basque in schools there has been an increase of 95,000 Basque speakers from 1981 to 1991 (Garmendia 1994, Perez Vidal ..) and in the next decade (1991-2001) the percentage of bilinguals in the range of 16-24 years old has almost doubled, from 25% to 48% (Gobierno Vasco, 2003; Huguet 2008). Basque is in the process of reversing language shift (Fishman 1991, Cenoz 2005). Reversing language shift is putting a stop to the declining use of a language and increasing its status in the population. Joshua Fishman created eight steps in which a dead or threatened language can be brought back to life. The Basque language is in the process of being revitalised. The Basque language is used more and more by the Basque population and the attitudes towards the language are increasingly positive. Basque is used as a medium of instruction, on the Basque television channel, on the Basque radio and in Basque newspapers. Even though the use of the Basque language increases, the other official language of BAC, Spanish, is used more for these purposes. So Basque is present in the media of the BAC, yet Spanish takes a bigger role and is more used in the Basque media. But a high percentage of Bascophones do use the media in Basque; 77% of the Basque bilinguals listen to the Basque radio and 82% watches the Basque television (Cenoz 2005). Bascophones speak Basque in the private domain and they tend to use Spanish for formal settings. Bascophones use Basque to talk to their children, and mostly use Spanish to communicate with other family members. The factors that influence the usage of Basque are: the number of Bascophones in the subjects social networks, the relative ease with which the subject has to use Basque and Spanish, and the number of Bascophones in the sociolinguistic area where the subject lives. (Euskararen Jarraipena I 1995 cited in Cenoz 2005: page 43). So even though the Basque language is growing in popularity, it is remarkable to see that Bascophones prefer to use Basque in their domestic area and speak Spanish in more formal settings. Basque in education Bilingual education has been present in the Basque educational system since the 19th century. Some schools were bilingual or even trilingual (i.e. Spanish, Basque and French). Spanish schools are either public or private. Public schools are usually fully or partially funded by the Spanish government so parents do not have to pay a lot of money for their children attending school, private schools are not financed by the government, which means that parents have to pay more money if they want their children to study there. During the 1960s a number of private Basque schools (ikastolas) were founded. The ikastolak schools are created as a promotion tool for the usage of Basque in education, and even though in the 1960 it was illegal to use Basque in education, the number of students increased over the years. Today most of the ikastolak are part of the Ikastolen Elkartea, which is a covering body preoccupied with the promotion of different projects to improve the quality of education (in kindergarten, primary and secondary education). With the Law of Linguistic Normalization both Basque and Spanish became compulsory subjects at school and three models of bilingual education were created. These models are based on the assumption that bilingual education has important advantages. For example, bilingual education can have a positive effect on cognitive development and communication ability. Bialystok found that bilingual children were superior to monolingual children on measures of the cognitive control of linguistic processes. (Bialystok 1978b cited in Baker, 2006: page 157) The three different bilingual models in the BAC are: Model A, B, and D. (The C does not exists in Basque). Model A: This model is intended for mother tongue speakers of Spanish who want instructions in Spanish. All subjects are in Spanish, except for Basque, which is taught four to five hours a week. Model B: This model is intended for mother tongue speakers of Spanish who want to be bilingual in Spanish and Basque. Both languages are used as languages of instruction for 50% of the school time. Model D: The model was intended as a maintenance program for the Basque, but many Spanish students are studying according to this model as well. Basque is the language of instruction and Spanish is taught as a subject for four to five hours a week. Model D schools can be seen as both total immersion programmes for majority language (Spanish) students and first language maintenance programmes for native Basque speakers. Parents can choose the model they want for their children and both models are available at public and private schools. From 1983/1983 to 2004/2005 the amount of pre-university students enrolled in Model A has decreased from 415.456 (79.34%) to 81.603 (26.69%), yet Model B has increased from 44.458 (8.49%) to 69.941 (22.88%) but Model D has increased the most: from 63.699 (12.17%) to 154.164 (92%). The majority of all the pupils (92%) are enrolled in Models B and D. (Huguet et al 2008) In Table 2 we see the number of students in the different models in the BAC in the year 2001-2002. At every level, either kindergarten, primary school or at compulsory secondary school the highest amount of students is studying according to model D, where Basque is the language of instruction and Spanish is a subject. Model B is the runner up, where both languages are languages of instruction, and the lowest amount of students study in Model A, where Spanish is the language of instruction and Basque is taught as a subject. This shows the trend that a lot of students choose to study Basque and that the language its popul arity is growing. (p.t.o. for table) Table Number of students in Models A,B, and D in the BAC (2001-2002) Model A Model B Model D Other Kindergarten and primary school 24.831 45.807 85.676 1.255 (3- 12 year-old children) 15.8% 29.1% 54.3% 0.8% Compulsory secondary school 26.370 19.131 31.651 597 (12-16 year-old children) 34% 24.6% 40.7% 0.7% Language attitude The status of the Basque language has increased during the last fifty years. The number of students studying Basque has increased and this influences the number of bilinguals in the BAC. But there still seems to be a gap between the knowledge and the use of Basque in daily life. As mentioned before: Basque can be found in education and in the media, yet Spanish is still the prevailing language. Bascophones usually tend to use their language in the home situation and not in more formal settings. It is remarkable that more and more native Spanish speakers decide to study Basque (in either Model B or D schools), yet Basque is still a domestic language. Spanish is still the dominant language in the BAC, the use of Basque in daily life is limited to areas that are dominated by Bascophones. Maybe the language attitude towards the Basque language has an influence on the use of Basque. Lasagabaster (2005) has done a research on this subject; Attitudes towards Basque, Spanish and English. He defined attitudes with the words of Skehan (1989): attitudes are part of the so-called affective variables of language learning, together with personality, motivation, the learners expectations, social cultural experience or anxiety. Lasagabaster states that attitudes are a key factor in sociolinguistics and language learning. He used 1087 participants, all undergraduates in the age range of 18-50 and all studying at university. The participants studied at one of the three campuses in which the university of the BAC is divided: Arba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa. Lasagabaster found that the degree in competence in Basque influenced the students attitudes towards Basque; very competent students had a more positive attitude than those with little or good demand of the language. The same counts f or Spanish, if a students speaks very well Spanish, the attitude towards the language will be more positive than the attitude of someone whose Spanish is of a lower level. He also found that students living in a dominant Basque-speaking area (such as small towns) are more favourable towards the Basque language than those who live in dominant Spanish-speaking areas (such as big cities).This can be explained by the migration from Spanish workers to the BAC on the labor market. The younger generation in the BAC tends to use Spanish instead of Basque. This can be explained by the fact that majority languages usually seem to be cooler than the minority languages to the teenagers, therefore they prefer to speak Spanish. Conclusion Schools should try to intervene in the attitude towards Basque. They should try to create language awareness courses to change the attitudes towards the minority language. Teachers could do this by showing the students how rich the world becomes with so many different languages. A positive attitude towards Basque is increasing, but more should be done to change the status of Basque as minority language in its own territory. The government should try to change the language attitude towards Basque. The heritage of Franco (the use of domestic Basque) should be disinherited. The Bascophones should feel that they can also use their own language outside their homes and use it at work or on the street. But therefore more people should learn Basque, because otherwise only a small amount of colleagues would understand the Bascophones. By implementing more Basque on educational and media level the usage of Basque will grow. More people will be forced to speak or learn Basque and the attitude t owards the language will increase positively even more. It will not only be dominant in the smaller villages, but also in the bigger cities. As a result the language will be everywhere and the native Spanish speakers who studies Basque will learn the language with more ease. The only risk of so many non-native Basque speakers is that they will influence the language and add a Spanish influence to the grammar or lexical level. Unfortunately, attitudes are difficult to change. The attitude towards Basque has been negative under the leadership of Franco (which lasted for almost 40 years) and to changing this attitude immediately is impossible. It takes small baby steps, but those baby steps are heading the right way. In the example of Spain we can see that there is a political influence on language education and attitude. During Francos regime the use of minority languages in public was forbidden, this influenced the attitudes towards the minority languages. Nowadays Basque is still not used often in formal settings, Bascophones tend to use Basque for domestic use and Spanish in formal settings. Most of the media in the BAC are in Spanish and not in Basque. It seems that Francos regime still has an impact on the use of the Basque language in formal settings. But to close of with a positive note: bilingualism in the Basque country has come a long way. Basque used to be forbidden and nowadays the attitude towards the language is growing positively. More and more students are attending model D schools, schools where the language of instruction is Basque and Spanish is taught as a subject. Although the situation of Basque is improving, there are still few people who speak the language, but thanks to the increase of students the number of bilinguals in the BAC also increases. Hopefully this will prevent Basque becoming a dead language and remain a vivid language.

Is Love A Key Element When Choosing A Marriage Partner? Essay -- essay

A famous quote by John Lennon saying that â€Å"love is the answer and only you know that for sure† was not entirely truthful the fact not realised was that, for the many people in today’s contemporary â€Å"dating† grouping, truly knowing what the answer actually is in regards to dating is often easier said than done. Therefore, the answer certainly is not love. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (1974), love is defined as a â€Å"strong affection, a warm attachment, attraction based on sexual desire, cherish, to feel passion, devotion or tenderness for ~, caress and to take pleasure in ~ â€Å" (p.417). In the modern-day world where the preferences and choices of human mate selection has become a topic of broad exploration, it is highly questionable as to whether or not â€Å"love† is the principal influence that leads an individual’s decision of choosing a life-long partner. The choosing of a marriage partner today seems to be a crucial aspect of life decisions that makes all other choices in one’s life seem to be more or less trivial when comparing accordingly. When you come to a decision as to who you want to marry, share the rest of your life with and become one with, you are changing every aspect of your once single and independent life. For the reason that life changes so significantly when a marriage partner has been chosen, there are countless factors that have an effect on the choices that individuals make. Firstly, Botwin et al. (1997) insist that â€Å"personality plays a critical role in mate selection and marital happiness† (p.128) but many other attributes such as the many dating processes, the many problems that often occur in relationships, and individual preferences all highly motivate, aspire and aim to encourage people in today’s society toward finding their preferred marriage partner. Society often questions the difficulty involved for an average person to simply decide â€Å"who† they desire to marry. What's more is the reality that many people also criticize the individuals who have no idea who they want to marry. Research by Doosje et al. (1999) shows that â€Å"both men and women value most in their partner that she/he is kind and considerate, socially exciting, creative and intellectually stimulating† (p.46) which goes to prove that couples want their marriages to work and do not even consider them to eventually fail. Buying a car or buying a house is a diff... ...enges that young adults face in today’s society but even more importantly, it is the largest challenge that the future of the family life will be facing for years to come. Bibliography Botwin, D., Buss, D., & Shackelford, T. (1997). Personality and Mate Preferences: Five Factors in Mate Selection and Marital Satisfaction. Journal of Personality, 65(1), 107-136. Doosje, B., Rojahn, K., & Fisher, A. (1999). Partner Preferences as a Function of Gender, Age, Political Orientation and Level of Education. Sex Roles, 40 (1/2), 45-163. Nock, S. (1995). Spouse Preferences of Never-Married, Divorced, and Cohabitating Americans. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 22(3/4), 91-108. Simpson, J., & Gangestad, S. (1992). Sociosexuality and Romantic Partner Choice. Journal of Personality, 60(1), 31-51. Townsend, J., and Levy, G. (1990). Effects of Potential Partners’ Physical Attractiveness and Socioeconomic Status on Sexuality and Partner Selection. Archives of Sexual Behaviour, 19(2), 149-163. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. New York: Pocket Books New York, 1974. New International Version Youth Walk Devotional Bible. Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992.

A Book Review of All Quiet on the Western Front

While All Quiet on the Western Front may help us understand the effects of the Great War on Germany, it is as an account of trench warfare and a simple story of human endurance. It is understandably one of the most famous of war novel.â€Å"All quiet on the western front†Ã‚  Ã‚   talks about the vehemence of war, friendship, bewilderment and mishap. It gives a description of German soldiers’ experiences. It is a clear, simple narration. Quite terrible are those dreamlike pictures in its ditches.The same for the severe feeling of being alone for the friend on leave only to return to the forefront .Remarque is the intensely interesting story of war experience of Paul Baumer who is a member of German army in world war one.He is positioned on the western front having a role of fighting against the French and English soldiers. He however hated the war believing that it was needless and that the war has decimated the generation he belongs .This fight of the adolescent Germans was seen by Paul as useless which they have been forced to do.This was a time that Germany was trying to gain influence in the world .Paul and 7 others eventually die   in the book as depicted in the last chapter. Paul gives a picture of dying men around him in many of the battles. The pattern of Remarque’s presentation in the book is awesome. All pages with the exception of the short paragraph in the last chapter are described in first person.The portrayal of the characters makes the reader feels as if at the scene of the battle. Two passages I really found interesting in the book the first being   where Paul expresses his longing to survive: â€Å"I think no more of the dead man   : â€Å"I think no more of the dead man. He is of no consequence to me now. With one bound the lust to live flares up again and everything that has filled my thoughts goes down before it† (138-139).Here  Ã‚   the objectives of all the armies is   illustrated and it is that they all want to live and arrive home safely and they are desperate to achieve this by all means whether good or bad. The book also teaches that to escape the fear of war the best thing is to face it. In another passage, Paul talks about how his teacher previously advised about the battle to the German youths:   â€Å"Kantorek would say that we stood on the threshold of life. And so it would seem. We had as yet taken no root.The war swept us away† (16).In this place, the book depicts how young men, unprepared for war but preparing for their future are forced to give their dreams and aspirations in other to face a gruesome and deadly battle. What a mature strong men may not survive is being faced by this young people i.e. famine, poverty, thirst, terrors and demise of friends or even they themselves. Will they survive?Even after the war, if they survive they are old and what can they do with their lives again? No jobs, no families, and no homes again. Unfortunately various life e vents appear purposeless after fighting in the trenches.â€Å"All quiet on the western front† relates the events of one man who suddenly found himself in the war he knew little or nothing about. Paul Braumer was laboring in trenches while for the purpose of the uplifting of the Germany he volunteered himself for war having been persuaded by his teacher.He and his friends served as members of the infantry. Paul wondered not only the possibility of escaping without himself being killed  Ã‚   as he watched his friends dying one after the other but also the likelihood of surviving a world without war. He observed the trenches of western government were soaked in human blood from the death and massacre of the people.Remarque in his book allows for a period of relief amidst hell of battle. His approach is simplistic, clear and direct without losing the essential purpose and value. There are also periods of lyrics and thoughtful ruminations. Patriotism and countryman spirit are co nfronted by entity of the pompous schoolmaster who persuaded the writer and his fellows to join together.Disconnection from the civilian way of life is seen following the narrator’s leave having previously left the school for trenches with no assurance of establishing ties. It allows for a pensive thought on the generalized effects of war most marked by hindsight. Horrors are slimly depicted. With progression of the novel in terms of its character transformation, character reinforcement, the breaking and twisting in the battle front, we are being gradually challenged by the Aristocrats and the disastrous genre of the book.The Genre of the book is tragedy. In one scene of the book, Paul and his friends were together in the open space over the boxes being used as latrines: â€Å"And it will be 2 hours before we get up again† (page 7). Paul rails: â€Å"There he lies now but why? The entire world should have passed.† The book depicts the combination of joy, happine ss sorrow and the outbreak of violence.All quiet on the western front is laudable as it will compete to emerge as one of the best if not ever best book written on war. I enjoy reading the book and the lesson I learn is that war can be terrible. I give the book distinction and I can recommend it anytime, anyday.   

How Pericles changed Athens essays

How Pericles changed Athens essays There are two important matters that the Funeral Oration of Pericles proves, these two matters are, the great respect that Athenians have for their warrior class and how the Athenians were exceedingly proud of their city and its customs. The following paper discusses the way of life of Athenians and how the Funeral Oration of Pericles influenced it. It is a well-known fact that the Athenians had a great deal of respect for the warrior class and believed them to be among the top members of their society. The warriors were seen as the top portion of their classes. They are classified as heros and/ or idols. The Athenians were also extremely proud of their city and its traditions. To the people of Athens their country was at the top and there was no other country that could be superior. The purpose of the funeral oration was not only to respect the departed but also to reward the citizens national pride and their passion to defend their country. The oration was a eulogy that focuses on the prominence of Athens and her ancestors. A member of the family gave the eulogy, generally it was a son if possible. It was required by the law for the dissertation to have some necessary components. The speech had to be in regard to the lives of both the deceased and the ancestors of the deceased. At the end of the eulogy that Pericles gave he spoke in reference to the soldiers and the ancestors of Athens. Although it seemed that he was not sure if he had an impact on the people and he was unsure as to if he had been able to get through to the citizens of Athens. He states, My task is now finished. I have performed it to the best of my ability, and in words, at least, the requirements of the law are now satisfied. (Thucydides, 109) The speech recounted the significant life that the departed lived and the great achievements that these people accomplished. Pericles spoke to the public about the soldiers who had ju...

How To Easily Find Content Marketing Ideas

How To Easily Find Content Marketing Ideas I couldn’t believe my eyes. It seemed like every single content marketing idea that I had just come up with was already readily available on Google. And when it came to social media content and content marketing these names- Neil Patel, Kevan Lee, Belle Beth Cooper, and Garrett Moon- kept popping up again, and again, and again. As a young, budding content marketer, I was distraught, and yet curious. How were these people able to come up with all these content marketing ideas and topics- some of which had barely germinated in my mind? Were they extraordinarily creative? Were they even mortal? As it turns out, yes, they are all regular human beings just like you and me. And just like us, they had to start somewhere, too. The good news is, thanks to technology, we live in a time of unprecedented access to resources and knowledge. By tapping the right sources, you  can easily come up with enough marketing  ideas to last a year and beyond. Before we get started, it’s important to have a place where you can note down all your ideas- which is also known as a â€Å"swipe file†- even if they are just half-formed. Your swipe file could be on a  Google Docs spreadsheet, , or recorded with a plain ol’ pen-and-paper. If you’re ready, let’s dive into it. How To Easily Find Content Marketing Ideas via @legendt 1. Look At What Others Are Writing About- And Do A Better Job You probably already have a list of blogs and publications that you look up to and hope to emulate one day. Why not start emulating them right away? Have a look at their top posts, and come up with similar ones, but better. There’s a reason why these blog posts did well for them, and if your target audience overlaps with theirs, you can be sure that this will be a win. Backlinko’s Brian Dean calls this  the skyscraper technique. Here are four ways that you can make your post superior to the original (Thanks, Brian!): Make it bigger or longer:  Go for broke, and find 100 ways to do help your audience  instead of just 50. Making a comprehensive guide gives your audience a one-stop solution for what they're searching for, shows your expertise, and builds your credibility. Make it more up-to-date:  A list post that did well in 2015 will likely do well again in 2016, and the year after, and so on. Build on what you know already works with your more recent  knowledge. Make it look nicer:  An infographic that visualizes text content that resonated with readers will certainly attract more attention. Heck, infographics are some of the most-shared types of social media content, and  content with visuals included about every 100 words can grow your shares by 30%. Make it far more detailed:  100 bullet points will never compete with 100 points with brief descriptions. Case in point: I recently noticed that there were multiple posts on beautiful resume designs that topped the first page of Google, but the biggest post listed only 50 examples. I decided to shoot for a list post of 70 well-designed resume examples. This particular blog post  ended up becoming our most-viewed article for that week  and was shared more than 600 times on our social media channels in the same time period as well. Not too shabby. If you’re not sure which blogs to look at, try entering your topic keywords into BuzzSumo, which will then magically churn out a list of the most-shared related content on the blogosphere: 2. Listen To What Your Customers Are Asking About Think that it’s hard to come up with content marketing ideas for your niche? Try doing it for a pool company, and you’ll realize the true meaning of hard. Yet back in 2009, Marcus Sheridan’s company River Pools and Spas was able to use content marketing to dominate the pool industry. His solution for coming up with topics is exceedingly simple: To answer his customers’ questions. â€Å"The problem in my industry, and a lot of industries, is you don’t get a lot of great search results [online] because most businesses don’t want to give answers; they want to talk about their company,† he said in an interview  with The New York Times. â€Å"So I realized that if I was willing to answer all these questions that people have about fiberglass pools, we might have a chance to pull this out.† When brainstorming with his clients over at his online marketing consulting business, The Sales Lion, Marcus reveals that he has â€Å"never had a company come up with less than 100 questions in 30 minutes.† There are a number of ways to find out what your customers are asking about in your industry and business: Ask your sales teams who have regular interactions with the customers. Use a live chat app such as Zopim or Olark to chat with them online. Even better, organize a community meetup to engage with your users face-to-face. Hootsuite does Hootups, for example, while we run PiktoTours  regularly at Piktochart. This method is highly recommended- we get a lot of invaluable feedback and suggestions from these meetups.Simple and effective #ContentMarketing:  Listen to questions and respond with valuable answers.3. †¦And Listen To Others In Your Industry,  Too Your customers might be an excellent source of potential  marketing ideas, but they might have missed out on a question that others asked. How do you find out what the rest of the industry is curious about? Find out where they gather to talk shop. Facebook groups, Twitter chats, and forums are some of the platforms that will bring them all together. It pays to become an active participant, as you can get industry-wide exposure over there. Another popular platform that attracts questions across a variety of industries is Quora. According to Marc Bodnick, Quora’s head of business and community, the QA website has around  500,000 topics as of 2014. That’s a whole lot of potential blog topics to pick out right there! To optimize your efforts, focus on questions that have a lot of followers, answers, or views, like this one: With 1,700 followers and over 300,000 views, you can be sure that many people are curious to know what the perfect startup team is. Sounds like a great blog post in the making! You can find most of these high-traffic questions in the topic FAQ: As a bonus, you can post your answer to the topic with a link to the blog post you’ve written to get a boost in traffic as well. It will drive traffic to your blog in no time. This is because all the followers of a question will receive a notification email as soon as you post your answer. Game, set, and match. Answer your audience's questions and share your take where they already hang out.4. Interview Industry Rockstars Every industry has its rockstars. Startups have Elon Musk. Designers have Jony Ive. And marketers have Seth Godin. And their success and experience make them a treasure trove of tips, tricks, and advice- things that your readers are dying to learn. To get the most from them, it’s important to know them well first. Here’s where a little journalistic inquiry will come in handy. First, find out what their stories are, and what is so extraordinary about them. Look for content marketing ideas and think about what your readers can learn from them  like Contently did when they interviewed Seth Godin on the future of branded content.  Come up with topics accordingly. What is their secret to being so productive? How could they do what they do so darn well? What were some of the greatest mistakes  they've made? Connect their expertise to what you know your audience will dig, and you'll have a winner. 5. Be Authentic Okay, that sounds like fluff, but hear me out. People love stories.  It’s built into us- we can’t help but look for the story in everything. This is because  it's â€Å"a way for humans to feel that we have control over the world.† And you are most uniquely qualified to talk about your own stories. I don’t mean  for you to make up fictional tales. Talk about your journey, struggles, and opinions. For example, what are your goals, and how are you trying to achieve them? Groove’s Alex Turnbull managed to build out  a popular blog out of their singular mission: To reach $100,000 (and now $500,000) in revenue. Think that you have nothing worth sharing? Everyone does, according to  John O’Nolan from Ghost: "These posts aren't just an exercise in narcissism, they can be incredibly useful for other people in your industry. Everyone has to start somewhere, and by learning from your mistakes the next generation can progress even quicker.† Companies like Buffer  and iDoneThis  have also dedicated whole blogs to telling the inside story. Put the spirit of point 1 into action (publish better content than anyone else), and have a look at what kind of topics these example companies tackle- they could apply to you, too. 6. Keep Up-To-Date Every industry has its  own set of buzzwords and trends  that constantly go in and out of fashion. If you’re quick enough, you can ride these waves and come up with post after post where you can put your two cents worth in. Take the â€Å"guest blogging scare† of 2014 for instance. Google’s former head of the web spam team Matt Cutts had denounced guest blogging  as a spammy practice, foreshadowing that Google would not view them kindly. The marketing community blew up: One by one, articles which mostly  disagreed  with  Matt started popping up everywhere. The most convincing writers were able to lead the conversation on this topic. Buffer also did a great job  analyzing what the change of Twitter favorites to likes would really mean for marketers, just a day or two after the news was released. You can stay abreast of trending topics in your niche by using Google Alerts. Create an alert with keywords that are relevant to you and your company, and have it send updates to you as and when things surface. NinjaOutreach  is also an effective tool for finding out what topics are currently hot in the social media world: Also, do keep a close lookout for recent research and studies on topics in your niche as well. A recent study by Constant Science found that  roughly 65 percent of participants think that web content is a â€Å"hit or miss† or â€Å"unreliable.† Research-backed blog posts are an advantage you can easily tap on. For example, we focus a lot on design-related topics over at the Piktochart blog. As such, I check the Visual Design section of Nielsen Norman Group’s website  daily to see if there are any great tidbits that I can latch on to. 65% of people think web content is hit or miss. Data-driven, research-backed content stands out.7. Refresh Old Hits Not every blog post that you write will be a hit. Chances are that one or two might be, and end up bringing the bulk of traffic over to your site. These articles are your crown jewels.  See how you can create updated versions of them that are relevant to today so you can repeat that initial success. Hubspot does this on a regular basis: Also, it’s worth putting in some time to analyze what makes them so good, and see if you can spin some content marketing ideas off of them. Do a blog content audit  to find out which of your posts are suitable to do this. As Crew’s editor Jory Mackay found out, it is a tedious process, but well worth the trouble. If your definitive guide to making infographics  is regularly bringing in substantial repeat traffic, for example, it shows that there is interest among your readers in the process of creating infographics.  Topics like "100 infographic ideas that work",  which comes before the creation process, and "50 ways to market your infographic",  which comes after, might also be attractive to your audience in this case. Success shows audience interest. Learn from it to inspire new #marketing ideas.This Is Just The Beginning... As you can see, content marketing ideas are a dime a dozen. Coming up with them is the easy part. The tough part comes after, when you put pen to paper (or your fingers to the keyboard)- that’s a whole new ballgame  with different rules! So don’t get too wrapped up in ideation. Once you have a decent number of topics, get started right away. As Derek Sivers puts it: â€Å"To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions.†