Neil Anderson Critique: Bondage Breaker Essay

Neil Anderson, in his book â€Å"Bondage Breaker† ( 1993) addresses using a new phenomenon for a New Age problem. Overall, Anderson suggests that a large amount of problems that people struggle with today are related to Satan’s attack on their mental state. Anderson stands firm on the belief that Christians are not aware of their ability to be attacked by Satan’s attempts to confuse and deter them from God’s plan for their life. This critique will share the overall summary of this theory. Summary Anderson (1993) writes this book in three major parts. The first entitled â€Å"Take Courage†, opens the reader up to his opinion on Satan’s influence and ability to mislead a person. Anderson begins suggesting that the enemy uses many different forms of negative thoughts, feelings and sins that plague people in and outside the counseling field. In these first chapters, Anderson (1993) supports his opinions with his many experiences of people under the attack of demonic forces.(p.18). In chapters two and three, Anderson (1993) shares his view that the world is heading in a new direction where culture is more accepting of Satanism and the supernatural (Anderson, 1993, p.29). Therefore this makes for a great time to share this concept and allow people in on the ability to have more control over the enemy’s confusion. It is also in this first section that he addresses the biblical need to accept and address the demonic influence (Anderson, 1993, p.37). The author suggests that Christians have accepted the idea that with Jesus Christ, the influence of Satan is dead ( Anderson, 1993, p.37). The author supports his belief that Satan’s influence is still very strong and suggests the bible informs this by such verses as in 2 Corinthians, 10:5, â€Å"†¦Every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (holy bible). He also continues to support his belief with scripture from Romans 7, where Paul is describing his struggles (Holy Bible) Anderson also shares his views on Satan’s attacks on the human mind (1993, p.64). He shares the support in scripture like â€Å"The spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons† (1Timothy 4:1, NSV). He also relates this to psychology by connecting this to a routine pattern of patients hearing voices (Anderson, 1993, p.65). In the final section of part 1, Anderson (1993) shares how God’s love and gift of Jesus Christ is enough to take control of Satan’s influence, but it’s about understanding and accepting it, before trying to take action (1993, p.93). Once this is understood by the client, then Christians must take action. Anderson (1993) compares this to being in the military and resting in the tanks and missiles but not taking caution in wearing a helmet (1993, p.93). In other words, the author suggests there is work to be done in â€Å"taking up the armor of God† discussed in Ephesians (Holy Bible). Moving into the second part of the book, Anderson (1993) begins sharing more about Satan’s strategy with his attack on a person’s thoughts and sins. In chapter seven, one reads the different qualities of a demon, like its ability to exist in or outside humans (Anderson, 1993, p.116).In chapter 10, the reader is informed of Satan’s lies that continue to linger in a person’s mind until they become their truth (Anderson, 1993, p.153). And finally in this section, the author shares about how easily deception can slowly sneak into a person’s mind and can take over their life (Anderson, 1993, p.171). The last portion of the book is about the freedom through Christ that we are unaware that we have. This section is Anderson’s explanation of what to do to rid yourself of the demonic forces that have been fueling a negative path in one’s life. The first step that he states in taking action towards this freedom is prayer and acknowledging, by renouncing all past or current non-Christian activities that a person may have participated in (Anderson, 1993, p.201). The next step is to make oneself aware of the deception that you are believing (Anderson, 1993, 204). Anderson gives many scripture and sample prayers to help a person realize this (Anderson, 1993, p.209 ). The third step in this process is to allow yourself to choose forgiveness for others (Anderson, 1993, p.203). The last steps described in these sections explain in detail for areas of pride, rebellion, and lastly how to make sure this process is a success. Strengths and Weaknesses The major area that I feel uneasy about with this theory of Satan’s attacks on Christians is his biblical support. Anderson (1993) supports this theory on the idea that Christians are free through Christ but we are influenced by Satan. I felt that his stance on this was not very clear. I recognize that we are informed in different areas of the bible to be aware of Satan’s influence, but I don’t know if I agree with his opinion that demons can live within us (Anderson, 1993, p.118). I know that a lot of his interpretations are based on his methodology that he uses, and therefore, I start to question his opinion of the scripture. It’s just hard for me to understand and accept that if Christ died to give us freedom, how are demonic forces able to live among us still? I’m not against this idea entirely, but it has led me to question where I stand on this. I feel I will need to investigate more on this topic. In agreeing that this may not be acceptable, it brings me to question the ways this theory on Satan’s control could be abused. If someone were to begin accessing their situation and applying it their everyday life, I can see how this could very easily be abused. Every time you stub your toe, it’s now all thanks to Satan’s attacks on you. Eventually a person could begin to label their sins Satan’s faults as well. Biblically, God calls his people to honesty and dignity. I would not want to find myself falling into this pattern of never truly evaluating my own struggles and just accepting them as Satan’s fault. With all this being said, I will say I highly enjoyed this book. I would prefer reading this book the most, as it brought me to consider a new perspective on the dark world that we live in. Until reading this book, I was not very clear on the biblical support that this topic has, even if it is an area of methodology in scripture and several diff erent theological opinions to go with it. I appreciate Anderson’s views on these attacks in the counseling field. I was amazed at the experiences he has had to back up every one of his theories. I also enjoyed his information on new age super natural influences in the world. I think that is vital information because so many people today are looking to these sources for advice. Personal application I’ve had a small portion of my walk with Christ influenced with the knowledge of Satan’s attacks on the earth and our spiritual walk with God. I enjoyed reading this book and will probably study it further in the future. I appreciate knowing that the times in my life when I could not figure out what I was missing or understand what I was doing wrong, it may have been because of spiritual warfare. However, with that being said, I am not comfortable relying on that as a crutch. Therefore, I feel as though this is an area worth investigating and hearing others’ opinions on before calling it fact. I do think that this is an issue I would like to compare further with other critics in the counseling field and hear their opinions. I would like to see the new studies that are developing in regards to Christian therapy that acknowledges demonic influences. I am curious to not only hear if this is common treatment, but how it is being researched.

Electrical Conductors vs Insulators Essay

Every thing in the world is differentiable on the basis of its electrical conductance. Some things are called insulators and these substances never conduct electricity. they include things such as cold air,wood and plastic. Then there are things that conduct electricity and current flows through them, they are called conductors. examples of conductors are most metals like copper and steel. Other materials that are sometimes used as conductors are silver, gold, and aluminum. Copper is still the most popular material used for wires because it is a very good conductor of electrical current and it is fairly inexpensive when compared to gold and silver. Aluminum and most other metals do not conduct electricity quite as good as copper. The electrons of different types of atoms have different degrees of freedom to move around. With some types of materials, such as metals, the outermost electrons in the atoms are so loosely bound that they chaotically move in the space between the atoms of that material by nothing more than the influence of room-temperature heat energy. Because these virtually unbound electrons are free to leave their respective atoms and float around in the space between adjacent atoms, they are often called free electrons. Also, this relative mobility of electrons within a material is known as electric conductivity. Conductivity is determined by the types of atoms in a material (the number of protons in each atom’s nucleus, determining its chemical identity) and how the atoms are linked together with one another. Materials with high electron mobility (many free electrons) are called conductors, while materials with low electron mobility (few or no free electrons) are called insulators. Some substances that conduct at high temperatures are called semi conductors. they do not conduct as good as conductors but have various uses that make them more versatile than conductors themselves. Lastly, are materials of recent times, called superconductors, that at very low temperatures, such as 230 Kelvin, can conduct freely without any resistance whatsoever. The difference comes down to nothing more than how the electrons are arranged around the nucleus. The laws of quantum physics say that there are only specific bands (or tracks) in which any electron can travel. There are some interesting facts about these bands. First of all, only a very specific number of electrons can travel in each one; once it’s full, it’s full. Second, which track an electron is in corresponds to how much energy that electron has. And third, some of the bands are closer to each other than others. Different atoms have different numbers of electrons, and how those electrons are arranged in the bands defines whether a material made of those atoms will conduct. In every atom, the electrons get as close to the nucleus as possible, since the bands that are closest to the nucleus are also the ones that require the least energy. That means that the outermost shell might not be completely filled, and thus an electron from a nearby atom can join this atom in its outermost shell. these moving electrons create an electrical current. therefore we can say that atoms with empty spaces in the outermost electron bands are conductors. the materials with no empty spaces in the outermost electron band are insulators. They do not let electrons flow very easily from one atom to another. Insulators are materials whose atoms have tightly bound electrons. These electrons are not free to roam around and be shared by neighboring atoms. However there are materials that fall in between conductors and insulators. Their conductance is in between metals and insulators. And their conductance can be modified by shining a light on them or injecting charges. They’re known as semiconductors. They are mostly made of atoms that don’t conduct electricity, but they have a handful of atoms with loose electrons. Under certain circumstances — by changing things like temperature or how much energy is injected — these loose electrons will start a flowing current. Superconductors are very different from the first three, since no material known today superconducts except at very cold temperatures. Scientists are discovering materials that do superconduct closer and closer to room temperature all the time, but no one is quite sure how that happens. However, some scientists have come up with a theory for how the very coldest superconductors work, known as the BCS theory. In such materials, at low temperatures, the atoms vibrate in a way that forces the moving electrons closer together. Normally electrons don’t like to huddle so close, since they’re all electrically negative and therefore repel each other. But in superconductors, the electrons actually achieve almost an attraction for each other. The result is that as one electron moves, it pulls the next electron along right behind it. Electrons slip from atom to atom more easily than they ever do normally. Therefore, atoms which, at the right temperature, can make electrons attract instead of repel each other are superconductors. In a conductor, electric current can flow freely, in an insulator it cannot. Metals such as copper typify conductors, while most non-metallic solids are said to be good insulators, having extremely high resistance to the flow of charge through them. Conductor† implies that the outer electrons of the atoms are loosely bound and free to move through the material. Most atoms hold on to their electrons tightly and are insulators. In copper, the valence electrons are essentially free and strongly repel each other. Any external influence which moves one of them will cause a repulsion of other electrons which propagates, â€Å"domino fashion† through the conductor. Simply stated, most metals are good electrical conductors, most nonmetals are not. Metals are also generally good heat conductors while nonmetals are not. While the normal motion of â€Å"free† electrons in a conductor is random, with no particular direction or speed, electrons can be influenced to move in a coordinated fashion through a conductive material. This uniform motion of electrons is what we call electricity, or electric current. To be more precise, it could be called dynamic electricity in contrast to static electricity, which is an unmoving accumulation of electric charge. Just like water flowing through the emptiness of a pipe, electrons are able to move within the empty space within and between the atoms of a conductor. The conductor may appear to be solid to our eyes, but any material composed of atoms is mostly empty space! The liquid-flow analogy is so fitting that the motion of electrons through a conductor is often referred to as a â€Å"flow. † With electricity, the overall effect from one end of a conductor to the other happens at the speed of light: a swift 186,000 miles per second!!! Each individual electron, though, travels through the conductor at a much slower pace. Effects on conductance: Different conductors have different levels of conductance. Silver is the best conductor, offering easier passage for electrons than any other material cited. Dirty water and concrete are also listed as conductors, but these materials are substantially less conductive than any metal. Physical dimension also impacts conductivity. For instance, if we take two strips of the same conductive material — one thin and the other thick — the thick strip will prove to be a better conductor than the thin for the same length. If we take another pair of strips — this time both with the same thickness but one shorter than the other — the shorter one will offer easier passage to electrons than the long one. Most metals become poorer conductors when heated, and better conductors when cooled.

Poverty is a State of Mind Essay

The mighty Great Britain is not what it used to be. Its glory days are long gone and the financial recession of 2008 struck Britain bad. There’s a gap between the wealthy and the poor, like there’s always been. And it has grown greatly over the years. It is especially visible in the division of the northern and southern parts of England. The southern parts of England have London as its centre, and are doing more than well, but the northern parts of England are suffering. They are unable to sustain themselves. Their employment has risen, and people are facing tougher and bigger challenges. But perhaps those challenges are not only a material challenge, but also an emotional challenge, as Bernard Hare argues in his radio essay â€Å"Poverty is a State of Mind† from the BBC network, 2012. But is his argument correct, when he says that poverty is mostly in your mind? In this essay I am going to analyse the radio essay † Poverty is a State of Mind† by Bern ard Hare. Part of my essay will focus on Hare’s use of his own experience, the way he uses contrasts and his use of pathos, logos and ethos. Bernard Hare is a social worker and writer. He was born in the town of Leeds in North England in 1958. He was the son of a coal miner and a shop worker. He was born into poverty because his family did not have a lot of money. But Hare never saw that, he argues that even though he grew up poor in Leeds, he had love, security and a good social environment. Because of that, he never felt he was alone nor did he feel poor in spirit, which Hare believes is how the poorest people, who have basically nothing, are feeling today. Things changed though, when the strike of the coal miners began. And everything good about Leeds that he had known shattered to pieces. When they protested against Margret Thatcher’s liberalization, Hare got caught in the middle, which led him to doing drugs and starting drinking. But later in his life when he came across some young kids who were doing exactly the same thing, he decided to suck it up and help the community, and starting writing to promote his cause. â€Å"Absolute poverty was back with a vengeance.†1 Here he points out that poverty can become an evil circle, where money is spent but not for the better. â€Å"You’ll never have any money if you drink and smoke [†¦] I was becoming aware that there might be a self-inflicted element to some people’s poverty†2 Here he comments on the fact, that he believes that the only way to escape poverty, is to do something about it yourself. But to do  so there needs to be an even playing field, where society does not favour the richer people. â€Å"Education is one way out of poverty, but the road is only worth taking when combined with social justice,†3 Since poverty and finding his place in society was a big part of Hare’s life, it is obvious that he uses parts of his life as examples, to get his message out. He uses examples from his life experience, so that he can come across as more reliable, when he argues his message. He makes it easier to persuade the reader – this is the rhetorical technique ethos. This comes across when he argues that people, who are born poor, find it hard to find their place in society â€Å"I had escaped poverty [†¦] A year later I was plunged right back into poverty again.†4 Hare uses a lot of contrasts in his essay, to show the difference between poverty in the olden days that he experienced as a child, and the poverty nowadays – here he uses the kids as an example. The poverty in his childhood was to him much happier than the poverty today. People cared for each other and looked out for each other, they trusted each other even though they had nothing and might gain more from stealing from amongst each other. They were happy neighbours in Leeds in the 60s. Today the poor feed themselves with drugs and misery – poverty is a fact in Britain. Today’s poor are a contrast to the 60’s poor – today they are all alone, back then they stood together. Hare underlines his message when he uses this contrast. The message; that even though his father was poor and beaten physically, he was rich and happy socially and mentally, whereas today the poor are both poor inside and out. When he underlines his messages with examples from his own life experiences, he gets a stronger appeal, which makes him seem like a more honest and trustworthy person. Hare also uses the rhetorical technique pathos by the use of adjectives, in this case to make the reader take a certain side. â€Å"Margret Thatcher was out to destroy the miners’ union†5 Here it is obvious that Margaret Thatcher is the bad guy who wants to destroy all the miners, and therefor he wants the reader to feel sorry for them. The central problem with Hareâ₠¬â„¢s essay and his statements, that poverty is only a state of mind, is that it is psychological. Poverty is big part of humanity, and being physically poor means that your possibilities are restricted. Those people who are stuck in poverty and can’t get out, it becomes difficult to reflect on the riches such as love and care. His point is good, when he claims that if you feel  and think you are rich, then you are, but he forgets that despite his family was very poor, they were not unemployed. To conclude it all – the 21st century seemed to be a lovely change, democracy was on its way forward and there was growth in the middleclass. But when the financial crisis boomed in 2008, those unprepared paid a great price. Poverty became reality – especially in the north where unemployment shattered over the people. The parliament from south did not have a solution, and if nothing is done to change that rise in poverty, both the physical but also mental poverty, perhaps Great Britain will lose its greatness.

Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Assignment 2 - Essay Example They roughly run towards each other to grab the ball and throw it to a teammate. One or two boys fall to the ground, with one shedding copious tears, but their daddies merely tell them to stand up and run again. The crying boy’s father approaches him, pats him at the back and instructs him to play ball again as if nothing happened. My observations made me reflect on the kinds of play these children engage in. I thought Barbie dolls are considered a representation of the American ideal of beauty – sexy, thin and stylish, given to little girls like a torch passed on from one generation of women. It is but expected by society for a girl to achieve the much coveted beauty and grace exemplified by Barbie dolls, as looks matter terribly in this society. That is why the older ladies seemed to be guiding the little girls on how to make their dolls more beautiful, in the hopes that these girls will do so for themselves. On the other hand, boys are encouraged to engage in contact sports. Mothers endure the mess and stench of sweaty jerseys and hold their hearts in their throats as they witness their little boys being roughed up in the playing field all because of the image boys need to project as being manly. The fathers proudly motivate their sons to go for a goal or to brush of simple accidents of tripping to the ground as trivial. It seemed that expressing pain by crying in such accidents is not encouraged. Boys and girls are treated differently from the time they are born. Baby girls are considered fragile and they are exposed to delicate language and handled very gently. Boys, on the other hand, are exposed to strong tones and power-filled language and are handled less gently as they are tossed in the air and held upright from a younger age to demonstrate their power and strength (Rasquinha & Mouly, 2005). Chodorow (1978) posits that after birth, the infant unconsciously sees himself/ herself as merged with

Problem Solution, A health issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Problem Solution, A health issue - Essay Example Scientists and physicians together with health organizations have published several articles addressing the issue. Furthermore, the majority of the people have a notion that women cannot have muscles due to lack of hormones associated with the same. Contrary to what majority think, women can have a well defined muscular body with proper training. In this case, proper training involves lifting weights and not just any weights but heavy weights. Having enough muscles ensures proper metabolism. Increasing the percentage of muscles in ones body increases the metabolism rate. Physicians refer to this as the basic metabolism rate (BMR). Defined and well-structured muscles increase the BMR thus ensuring that calories are burnt even when an individual is resting. The burning of the excess calories ensured fitness and desired body size and shape. The addition of exercise to the condition ensures that no matter the amount of calories consumed in a day, one does not add weight in an undesirable manner. One of the benefits of weightlifting can be seen at old age. At the age of 20s to 30s one does not see the need to exercise and concerns of old age stability is for the future. However, training as early as possible for women does not only lead to building of muscles but also improvement of bone density. The increase in bone density would ensure stronger bones and thus stability. Most reported cases of bone problems involve women at old age due to low bone density compared to men. Exercising by lifting weights can enable a woman be more stable at old age minimizing bone-related problems. Maintenance of good bone health involves regular training and lifting of weights that necessitates the need to lift weights and maintain fitness among women. The level of testosterone hormones among ladies is low compared to men. However, the low level of the hormone found in women varies from one woman to another. It is the hormone

Keynesian Economics Vs. Classical Economics Essay

Keynesian Economics Vs. Classical Economics - Essay Example The Keynesian and Classical economics also differ on their understandings of the behavior of prices. Whereas classical economics view prices and wages as flexible, Keynesians view them as inflexible or sticky downwards. For this reason, Keynesians do not think prices can be relied on to quickly drop and pawn the adverse effects on employment that can result from a decline in total demand. Since prices do not drop, there is no mechanism to ensure that full employment will automatically be restored. The Classical and Keynesian economics also differ in the desirability of an active role by government in maintaining the economy as close as possible to a non-inflationary, complete employment level of output. The Classical economics holds that the government should assume a less active role in stabilizing the economy. They believe that the economy if left alone will incline to run at its full (or natural) employment output (Tucker 484). Overall price and employment levels are the greatest concern in the economy. If government views its primary responsibility as keeping markets as free as possible, the resulting movement of wages and prices should lead to the adjustments necessary to ensure natural or full employment levels. Conversely, Keynesians believe the government should play a more lively function in stabilizing the economy. According to the Keynesian model, there is no reason to expect an economy, left alone, to reach a full employment level of output automatically (Tucker 484). According to Keynes, unemployment, or a recession, occurs due to lack of spending.

Can qualitative research be valid and reliable Essay

Can qualitative research be valid and reliable - Essay Example This is because without the help of this guideline we cannot determine whether when standard procedures are used to analyze data, will result to inferences that are biased. This suggests that it only by understands the activities in data generation process that will enable one produce a valid explanatory inference. Kirk and Miller (1985:25) state that most methodologies used in qualitative research come in package with a range of reliability checks but none with validity. Therefore, social science relies almost completely on methods that are used to assure reliability considering that ideal validity is not achievable in theory. This idea is based on the fact that all measurement is to some extent are suspect because all measuring instruments cannot be perfectly controlled. This brings an argument that the tool used to measure in a research is closely related to the subject under observation and to that; it is apparently providing applicable data. According to Silverman (2006:43), it is not to be assumed that the only way to ascertain the validity of qualitative research is through the use of techniques used in quantitative research. Other attempts have been made to establish qualitative investigations validity. The decision of which observation is to be selected in qualitative research, is very critical for the conclusion of the study and to the degree its product’s determination and its reliability. Many opportunities are present that permit bias to interrupt our selection methods. This is because often selection conditions in qualitative research are implicit and made with no self conscious challenge to assess possible biases. Many sources of biases are invited when randomness is abandoned during selection (King, Keohane and Verba, 2001:128). According to Silverman (2006:279-89), reliability in the context of qualitative research has been related to the generation of a measurable concept. This implies that consistently recording of observations is a re liable method. Similarly, researchers believe that reliability is the dependability of the degree of consistency. Having pointed out that, researchers use a variety of methods when collecting data such as interviews, participation and documents among others to collect their observations hence creating a consistent record of observations (Rubin and Babbie, 2010). Though opinions vary regarding the degree of reliability that can be addressed in qualitative research, there is a sound interpretation by Silverman that need to be considered. When measuring a concept by construct validity, the measure of a concept is related to another concept’s measure whereby the two concepts are said to be related, illustration of construct validity is done in this way. This involves a researcher to specify that the two concepts are related (Ragin, Nagel and White, 2004). This implies that when the measures are related, each measure has construct validity of the other but if they are not related then there is no construct validity. Measures lack face validity if good reasons emerge to question the correlation of the measure to the concept under study. This measure of validity is

Critically assess the scope, meaning and relevance of Essay

Critically assess the scope, meaning and relevance of non-discrimination in WTO law - Essay Example This paper tackles the most-favoured-nation (MFN) treatment obligations of member countries and its twin principle which is a national treatment obligation; the WTO is supposed to equally grant MFN-like status to all countries. The WTO replaced the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) as the world global trading body tasked to implement and adjudicate the rules for international commerce. The recent global Great Recession has highlighted anew the importance of the role of WTO in settling trade disputes as countries scramble for ways out of the recession. Trade frictions are again on the rise as countries find ways to revive their economies. This paper discusses the non-discrimination principle and its increased relevance in international trade.2 B. Discussion The WTO is a big improvement over the GATT and its still-born cousin ITO. In the WTO rule of consensus decision making (termed derisively as its mass management), there is no board of directors like in modern corporatio ns.3 The consensus makes the WTO a success it is today although in rare instances, majority votes may also rule. If trade disputes arise, the WTO works to resolve it through negotiations. Once a WTO resolution is deemed final, the concerned country must conform to the ruling such as amending its laws or pay compensation to the adjudged winner; failure to do so results in non-negotiable sanctions as no appeals are allowed. This is how non-discrimination is enforced in the WTO; its stated aims are to expand free trade equally without barriers to all members, make trade predictable through rules and a truly competitive undertaking by removal of subsidies.4 The lack of a governing body similar to a corporation's board of directors is intentional to address previous complaints of smaller countries. There is no body within WTO that has a delegated power from its members despite proposals for creation of a smaller executive body.5 Members make their decisions known through its committees a nd councils. Decisions reached by the members are more acceptable to all implemented quickly like the Japanese way of doing things.6 This loose set up has advantages but sometimes, people end up confused.7 Its culture is designed to promote sharing of common values and reassure smaller nations their weaknesses are being addressed.8 Fusion of interests of all countries helps build harmony through transparency and inclusion. The WTO success is its rules-based disputes resolution.†9 Non-discrimination in WTO Law – experts call WTO a modern miracle for sheer fact it managed to exist.10 The guiding idea behind WTO is its Dispute Settlement Understanding or DSU. For the first time, the DSU codified all procedural rules as they pertain to the core principles in any dispute across all types of trade agreements.11 It is the basic document that sets out the jurisdictional scope of the WTO dispute settlement and all members must submit to its authority. There is less reason to sus pect any subjectivity in any of the WTO decisions.12 Relative to transparency and

Chemistry Experiments Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chemistry Experiments - Lab Report Example This methodology is widely use to determine concentration of various metal ion like Cu, Al, sulphide etc. being highly sensitive and accurate methods precautions should be taken while performing estimations. some of them are as follows. Copper iodide forms week complex with molecular iodine (I2), which slowly leach out and gives re-coloration to the solution after discoloration. Avoid that potassium thiocynate can be added to the system. Proper observation of discoloration must be taken and any modification in it leads to differential endpoint and hence final result. White bright tiles or any white paper can be kept below flask to distinguish different coloration and end point. There is slight difference in obtained results and actual values as there are chances (Mary Ann Varanka-Martin) (WKU website) (MHS Chemistry ) of error and limitation of procedure leads this difference. Both experiments gives Idea of water contain in hydrated Cuso4 crystal and make us understand how water plays important role in crystallization. Slight modification in above mention experiments give us more information about thermodynamics of crystallization and how different lows of physics and chemistry applies to crystallization process For example if we estimate the water evaporated during heating by obtaining condensate of it, gives clear cut idea of law of mass conservation and also validate results by one more means. Similarly estimation of heat generated during rehydration of CuSo4 gives idea of law of energy conservation and make us understand how energy get disappears in form of

Operations Management and Business Development Essay

Operations Management and Business Development - Essay Example In this management style, all the employees and management work together as a group so as to harmonize operations such as deciding what should be invested in to the operation arrangement such as workforce, material, apparatus, power and how these resources can be easily be acquired and used to ensure that finished products meet the requirements of consumers Over the recent past, Avon Mill toys has faced competition in it field of operation hence getting the urge to expand to other fields so as to offer a diversity of product and be able to stand the current economic crisis amid competition. Some of the effort that is underway includes trying to sell their product over the internet, an idea that has suffered several drawbacks in terms of rejection by its representatives (Galloway et al 2000). Avon has used direct marketing to make its sales and this has been very effective though the current increased use of the internet is giving competitors an upper hand as they can reach a wider range of clients. The companies efforts to sell their products over the internet has faced rejections from representatives as it could lead to loss of jobs or the company could loose that direct customer relationship (Grassley 2008). A big question is whether Avon can afford to remain competitive by direct marketing or by inventing another way to increase its sales Over the past years, Avon has relied on direct marketing as a major strength to promote and sell its goods. The company has been in the lead for providing toys to the customers directly and the developments in communication have suddenly changed the company's major strength into a very large obstacle. Any innovations intended to increase the company's sales above direct sales faces opposition from sales repetitive. There is a lot of competition emerging from other companies offering alternative and substitute products. For this reason, Avon Toys has to come up with a strategy that will be cost effective and of sharing promotion and branding expenses in all the company's markets has helped to cut down the operation costs. Avon has also involved in marketing its product over popular medium like the television and movie theatres thus increasing customer base covered. Avon is determined to provide everyone with high value toys that are innovative and in the process also provide financial independence to the general population like employing sales representatives (Galloway et al 2000). The toy company has targeted to reach a lot of people if not everyone with their product in the global market hence help in improving the quality of live by the products they offer. Under operational management, it is very important to focus on the corporate objectives of firm which means that the company's supply of raw materials, manufacturing process and marketing strategies should be harmonized to reduce incidences of misunderstanding, delays and process failure (Grassley 2008). The operations strategy should provide the company with the capacity to compete in the UK market especially the Avon Mill toy Company. The operations framework includes the following steps; 1. Defining the

Methods of Data Collection Essay Example for Free

Methods of Data Collection Essay Introduction: Data Collection is an important aspect of any type of research study. Inaccurate data collection can impact the results of a study and ultimately lead to invalid results. Data collection methods for impact evaluation vary along a continuum. At the one end of this continuum are quantitative methods and at the other end of the continuum are qualitative methods for data collection. Bakhtadze (2012:82) ‘When you have decided on a topic, refined it and specified objectives, you start considering the ways of collecting the evidence you require. The initial question that guides you is: â€Å"What do I need to know to answer my research problem? Why do I need it?† After you have answered the question you start choosing the best ways of collecting information. Researchers next decide how they are going to collect their empirical research data. That is they decide what method of data collection (test, questionnaires, focus group, observation, interviews) they are going to use to physically obtain research data from their research participants.’ University of Wilconsin (2012)The Quantitative data collection methods, rely on random sampling and structured data collection instruments that fit diverse experiences into predetermined response categories. They produce results that are easy to summarize, compare, and generalize. Quantitative research is concerned with testing hypotheses derived from theory and/or being able to estimate the size of a phenomenon of interest. Depending on the research question, participants may be randomly assigned to different treatments. If this is not feasible, the researcher may collect data on participant and situational characteristics in order to statistically control for their influence on the dependent, or outcome, variable. If the intent is to generalize from the research participants to a larger population, the researcher will employ probability sampling to select participants. Typical quantitative data gathering strategies include: * Experiments/clinical trials.   * Observing and recording well-defined events (e.g., counting the number of patients waiting in emergency at specified times of the day). * Obtaining relevant data from management information systems. * Administering surveys with closed-ended questions (e.g., face-to face and telephone interviews, questionnaires etc). Wikipedia (2012) In statistics, survey methodology is the field that studies the sampling of individuals from a population with a view towards making statistical inferences about the population using the sample. Polls about public opinion, such as political beliefs, are reported in the news media in democracies. Other types of survey are used for scientific purposes. Surveys provide important information for all kinds of research fields, e.g., marketing research, psychology, health professionals and sociology. A survey may focus on different topics such as preferences (e.g., for a presidential candidate), behavior (smoking and drinking behavior), or factual information (e.g., income), depending on its purpose. Since survey research is always based on a sample of the population, the success of the research is dependent on the representativeness of the population of concern. Survey methodology seeks to identify principles about the design, collection, processing, and analysis of surveys in connection to the cost and quality of survey estimates. It focuses on improving quality within cost constraints, or alternatively, reducing costs for a fixed level of quality. Survey methodology is both a scientific field and a profession. Part of the task of a survey methodologist is making a large set of decisions about thousands of individual features of a survey in order to improve it. The most important methodological challenges of a survey methodologist include making decisions on how to: * Identify and select potential sample members. * Contact sampled individuals and collect data from those who are hard to reach (or reluctant to respond). * Evaluate and test questions. * Select the mode for posing questions and collecting responses. * Train and supervise interviewers (if they are involved). * Check data files for accuracy and internal consistency. * Adjust survey estimates to correct for identified errors. Advantages * They are relatively easy to administer. * Can be developed in less time compared with other data-collection methods. * Can be cost-effective. * Few experts are required to develop a survey, which may increase the reliability of the survey data. * If conducted remotely, can reduce or obviate geographical dependence. * Useful in describing the characteristics of a large population assuming the sampling is valid. * Can be administered remotely via the Web, mobile devices, mail, e-mail, telephone, etc. * Efficient at collecting information from a large number of respondents. * Statistical techniques can be applied to the survey data to determine validity, reliability, and statistical significance even when analyzing multiple variables. * Many questions can be asked about a given topic giving considerable flexibility to the analysis. * Support both between and within-subjects study designs. * A wide range of information can be collected (e.g., attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviour). * Because they are standardized, they are relatively free from several types of errors. Disadvantages The reliability of survey data may depend on the following: * Respondents motivation, honesty, memory, and ability to respond: * Respondents may not be motivated to give accurate answers. * Respondents may be motivated to give answers that present themselves in a favorable light. * Respondents may not be fully aware of their reasons for any given action. * Structured surveys, particularly those with closed ended questions, may have low validity when researching affective variables. * Self-selection bias: Although the individuals chosen to participate in surveys are often randomly sampled, errors due to non-response may exist ( Adà ©r et al. (2008:13) . That is, people who choose to respond on the survey may be different from those who do not respond, thus biasing the estimates. For example, polls or surveys that are conducted by calling a random sample of publicly available telephone numbers will not include the responses of people with unlisted telephone numbers, mobile (cell) phone numbers, people who are unable to answer the phone (e.g., because they normally sleep during the time of day the survey is conducted, because they are at work, etc.), people who do not answer calls from unknown or unfamiliar telephone numbers. Likewise, such a survey will include a disproportionate number of respondents who have traditional, land-line telephone service with listed phone numbers, and people who stay home much of the day and are much more likely to be available to participate in the survey (e.g., people who are unemployed, disabled, elderly, etc.). * Question design. Survey question answer-choices could lead to vague data sets because at times they are relative only to a personal abstract notion concerning strength of choice. For instance the choice moderately agree may mean different things to different subjects, and to anyone interpreting the data for correlation. Even yes or no answers are problematic because subjects may for instance put no if the choice only once is not available. Questionnaires Wikipedia (2012)A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. Although they are often designed for statistical analysis of the responses, this is not always the case. The questionnaire was invented by Sir Francis Galton. Questionnaires have advantages over some other types of surveys in that they are cheap, do not require as much effort from the questioner as verbal or telephone surveys, and often have standardized answers that make it simple to compile data. However, such standardized answers may frustrate users. Questionnaires are also sharply limited by the fact that respondents must be able to read the questions and respond to them. Thus, for some demographic groups conducting a survey by questionnaire may not be practical. As a type of survey, questionnaires also have many of the same problems relating to question construction and wording that exist in other types of opini on polls. Basic rules for questionnaire item construction * Use statements which are interpreted in the same way by members of different subpopulations of the population of interest. * Use statements where persons that have different opinions or traits will give different answers. * Think of having an open answer category after a list of possible answers. * Use only one aspect of the construct you are interested in per item. * Use positive statements and avoid negatives or double negatives. * Do not make assumptions about the respondent. * Use clear and comprehensible wording, easily understandable for all educational levels * Use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. * Avoid items that contain more than one question per item (e.g. Do you like strawberries and potatoes?). Questionnaire administration modes Main modes of questionnaire administration are: * Face-to-face questionnaire administration, where an interviewer presents the items orally. * Paper-and-pencil questionnaire administration, where the items are presented on paper. * Computerized questionnaire administration, where the items are presented on the computer. * Adaptive computerized questionnaire administration, where a selection of items is presented on the computer, and based on the answers on those items, the computer selects following items optimized for the ‘testees ‘estimated ability or trait. -Wikipedia. Org Observational study In epidemiology and statistics, an observational study draws inferences about the possible effect of a treatment on subjects, where the assignment of subjects into a treated group versus a control group is outside the control of the investigator. This is in contrast with experiments, such as randomized controlled trials, where each subject is randomly assigned to a treated group or a control group before the start of the treatment. Wikipedia (2012)Although, observational studies cannot be used as reliable sources to make statements of fact about the safety, efficacy, or effectiveness of a practice, they can still be of use for some other things: [T]hey can: 1) provide information on â€Å"real world† use and practice; 2) detect signals about the benefits and risks of[the] use [of practices] in the general population; 3) help formulate hypotheses to be tested in subsequent experiments; 4) provide part of the community-level data needed to design more informative pragmatic clinical trials; and 5) inform clinical practice.’ Bakhtadze (107:2012) Observation is watching behavioral patterns of people in certain situations to obtain information about the phenomenon of interest. Quantitative Observation: Quantitative Observation involves the standardization of all observational procedures in order to obtain reliable research data. Qualitative Observation: Qualitative Observation involves observing all relevant phenomena and taking extensive field notes without specifying in advance exactly what is observed. Focus Groups Bakhtadze (106:2012) A focus group is a type of group interview in which a group moderator (working for the researcher) leads a discussion with a small group of individuals to examine how the group members think and feel about the topic. Purposes of Focus groups: 1. Obtaining general background information about a topic of interest; 2. Stimulating new ideas and creating concepts; 3. Generating impressions of products, programs, services, etc. 4. Learning how respondents talk about the phenomenon of interest; 5. Interpreting previously obtained qualitative results Summary A method of data collection is the procedure that a researcher uses to physically obtain research data from research participants. The method of data collection that is used in a research study is discussed in the method section of a research report. . Finally, the methods of data collection discussed in this paper work can be mixed by using the fundamental principle of mixed research to strengthen the evidence provided by a research study. References: Adà ¨r, H. J., Mellenbergh, G. J., Hand, D. J. (2008). Advising on research methods: A consultants companion. Huizen, The Netherlands: Johannes van Kessel Publishing. Bakhtadze, I., 2012.Course note on Research Methodology, Department of Education, International Black Sea University, Tbilisi-Georgia. World Bank, n.d: Data Collection Methods, 2012 viewed 28th of December 2012 http://www.worldbank.org/poverty/impact/methods/datacoll.htm University of Wilconsin, n.d., Data Collection Methods, viewed 28th of December 2012 http://people.uwec.edu/piercech/researchmethods/data%20collection%20methods/data%20collection%20methods.htm Wikipedia, 2012, Questionnaire, viewed 28th 0f December 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Questionnaire Wikipedia, 2012, Survey Methodology, viewed 28th 0f December 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistical_survey Wikipedia, 2012, Observational Study, viewed 28th 0f December 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observational_study

Grand Canyon Essay Essay Example for Free

Grand Canyon Essay Essay Although not a more prominent theme, the theme of things happening for a reason and changing your life was also shown in the movie Grand Canyon. Through my own life experiences and the through the experiences of others I too have learned that things do happen with reason and that things may not seem good right at the moment, but things will turn out right in the end. To me, the movie showed this theme, but more subliminally then up front. When times do look bad, have faith and know that things will turn out for the better and that theres a reason for why things are the way they are. In the beginning of the movie we see that Mack gets into car trouble in the wrong side of town. As Mack is beginning to be harassed by a couple of gangsters, Simon comes to the rescue. Simon, the tow-truck driver tells the gangsters to back off, thus saving Macks life. Mack is therefore grateful of what Simon has done. Despite the fact that Mack couldve gotten himself killed, Mack wised up and made a new friend. In another part in the movie Simons sisters house was shot at (they live in the wrong part of town). At first, his sister decides to just stay there, but later moves into an apartment that Mack suggested they get. Then there was the part where Simon and Jane, a girl Mack set up with Simon hit it off right away after their first date. If you think real hard about it, all those things that happened never wouldve happened if that night Simon and Mack had not met. Even though it was a bad way to meet, things did turn out right. Everyone involved learned more about each other and themselves and everything did turn out for the better. As did the case with Macks wife, Claire. One day on one of Claires daily jogs she literally finds a baby behind some bushes. Claire takes the baby into her care and later plans to adopt the child. The child seems to be what Claire was missing all this time. The baby seemed to fill an emptiness she had. As these situations in the movie shows, there is reason for why things are the way they are and that in turn changes our lives completely. In my own life experiences, Ive come to terms with my faith in God and the belief that things happen with reason and that God would not abandon you. My mom has also taught me and instilled that belief in me. In the past couple of years things have been on the rough for my family and I. Four years ago  my dad lost his stable job of about 10 years. During and throughout that period of about a year, money was somewhat a problem and with each new day my dad became more and more depressed as each job interview passed with no reply. During that time my mom, told us to believe and kept telling us that bad things do happen, but they only happen when something better is to come. About 2 years ago, Bell Canada employed my dad. His office was even closer than the old one and his new office was larger and my dad loved his new job. My mom was right. But thats not where it all ends. A year and a half ago, my dad was transferred to a Mississauga branch. My dad hated the commute each morning and you could tell he wasnt liking it there. They were understaffed there so he always worked overtime, and that meant leaving later from his already far workplace. He was stressed a whole lot. Once again, my mom told us that this is just a period of time that tests us and that things would turn out for the best. About a year ago today, my dad was transferred to one of Bell Canadas downtown branches. My dad now works right in the Eaton Centre and my dad is so happy. Through just that whole ordeal Ive learned first, how powerful prayer really is and second, that things do happen for a reason. When my dad first moved to Mississauga he was thinking of quitting and looking for a new job, if he had done that he wouldnt have ended up where he was today. Through many other experiences I have learned that something very little can change your life forever and that God only gives you things He knows you can handle. It may seem like through my experiences Ive learned two different things, but to me they go together. God communicates to us through many different ways, so does fate. The littlest things like going to the mall or going home can change our lives forever. More recently, was the terrorist attack in the U.S. In the news and from various other sources you hear stories about people who missed their train or slept in that morning and therefore missing out on the Trade Centre collapsing. Just missing out by a few seconds how just by being late could change your life forever. It also shows the power of fate, it wasnt your time to pass on. As little as something may seem, it can alter your life in more ways than one. When your life seems out of place or when youre going through rough times,  youve got to just remember that things always turn out for the better. If something good has passed you by now, something better for you is bound to be coming soon. Though you may not be optimistic something better is coming, youve got to believe so. That something better may not come big, but it will change your life forever.

A Multi Ethnic Society Cultural Studies Essay

A Multi Ethnic Society Cultural Studies Essay The linkage between ethnic crises in Nigeria in relation to how the integration of diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria can be attained was the focus of this study. The integration of Nigeria is an issue at boiling point that needs to be urgently and collectively tackled by the Nigerian government and indeed Nigerians; this aroused my interest in the study. Inquiries were made into the effects of ethnic crises on the integration of Nigeria. Struggle for ethnic dominance, leadership problems, resource control, religious differences and undying quest for power, among others, characterized the emergence of ethnic crisis in Nigeria. This study held that the major cause of disintegration in Nigeria could be linked to the frequent and unending ethnic crisis which in turn leads to political and economic disability as no meaningful development could take place in a crises driven society and the existing ones are been destroyed. INTRODUCTION Nigeria is made up of different ethnic units. In actual fact, it is a multi-ethnic society. According to Gaye (1999) the integration problem in Nigeria is likely one of the most complex in the world. Nigeria is Africas most populated country with over 250 ethnic groups on a land area of 923,768 sq km (2008 Mongobay world statistics) with over 140 million population, none of the three main ethnic groups which are the Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo constitutes a majority of the population (Gaye 1999). With over 520 languages spoken (Ethnologue 2009) it is of no doubt that Nigeria is truly a multi-ethnic Nation. Nigeria was created during the British colonial rule. It was established in 1914 when Lord Fredrick Lugard (the First Governor General) joined the two British protectorates of Southern and Northern Nigeria and Lagos as the crown colony into a single entity in other to promote unity and development. Nigeria gained independence in October 1960 and had since experience much of Military intervention in its political affairs. Since the current return to civil rule in May 1999, there had been over 150 ethno-religious conflicts resulting in tremendous loss of lives and properties (Eliagwu 2004). Religious membership in Nigeria is strongly tied to ethnicity. Ancient Nigeria comprises of many religions which are practiced by different ethnic groups, but all this religions had since been overpowered by Islam and Christianity with only a few practicing the Traditional Nigerian Religion. According to the Nigeria census report (2003); 50.4% of Nigerian population practice Islam, 48.2% practice Christianity while 1.4% practice the Traditional Nigerian religion. In terms of major ethnic-religious memberships Islam mainly dominates the Northern (Hausa) part of Nigeria; Christianity is prevalent in the Southern (Yoruba and Igbo) part of Nigeria while in the Southwest there is no leading religion. According to Emenloye (2011), there is usually an inseparable linkage between ethnic and religious conflicts in a multi-ethnic society such as Nigeria where ideals of federalism and constitutionalism are still in transition. Conflicts as a result of ethno-religious tensions are not new in Nigeria, but the unending occurrence makes it an issue that requires urgent attention if Nigeria is to remain integrated as a Nation. Ideally; the spirit of federation, patriotism and nationalism is expected to override all ethnic, tribal or religious affiliation of Nigerians. Unfortunately, this is not the case as most conflicts were based on ethnic or religious identity (Emenloye 2011). It is notable that the number of such conflicts in recent years is clearly much higher than those that had previously occurred in the history of the country (Oke Ogunde, 2002). According to Nwaobi Godwin (2009), this ethno-religious disunity has disturbed, complicate and had made every developmental effort undertaken by government to be unrealizable. This was what prompt Martin Ike (2009) to posit that Nigeria effort at achieving national integration have remain largely unrealized. STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM The combination of ethnicity with religion had since put Nigeria into unrest. Since its independence in 1960, Nigeria has struggled with the challenges of managing its religious and political differences. The major test of Nigerias ability to manage this diversity and promote national integration has been ethno-religious conflicts and there devastating effects on the Nigerian polity (Emeye 2011). The concept of ethnicity and religion cannot be separated in the explanation of social conflicts but at this end it is important to separate the two words ethnicity and religion in other to be able to trace the problems back to the roots so as to be able to get a clear understanding of the research problems. Though fused together and inter-woven, one must note that not all ethnic motivated crises in the Nigerian polity has religious undertone and not all religious motivated crises as an ethnic undertone though they mostly come side by side. Problems of ethnic conflicts in the Nigerian polity. Ever since Nigeria attained independence from the British colony in 1960, The Nation had since been battling with integration as a result of inter-ethnic cum religious conflicts. Will it then be right to posit that the colonial existence of Britain in Nigeria and the force associated with colonialism united the entity called Nigeria before independence? It is worthy of note that the Biafra conflicts which almost divided the nation started in 1967 which is a few years after independence. The conflicts lasted for almost 3years because the eastern states attempted to break away from Nigeria. To be factual, most of the ethnic conflicts which rage Nigeria today could be traced to the events which took place while Nigeria was under the colonial rule of Britain. However, Nigeria still ignorantly continued to tread that path till this present day. It is important to note that the entity called Nigeria does not exist before colonialism, what existed was many different scattered communities and tribes in which some of their territories even over-lapsed the geographical territory of the present day Nigeria. The different ethnic groups which had different beliefs, cultures, religious practices and languages where all brought together by Britain to form a nation without seriously considering the characteristics of these groups and how they could peacefully co-exist. These ethnic nationalities on the other hand do not legitimately see themselves as a citizen of one united Nigeria but as that of whichever ethnic groups they originate. So from beginning the patriotic spirit needed to move the nation forward was lost because the ethnic groups never agreed and were not willing to co-exist. So ever since after independence in 1960, Nigeria had been battling to cope with different inter-ethnic crises arising as a result of trying to force fully co-exist together as one indivisible entity as it was established in 1914 before independence. These seems unrealizable, due to the faulty foundation on which Nigeria was established as some ethnic groups still desire to break away from the present entity called Nigeria. However, the economic system of Nigeria is another contributing factor to frequent ethnic crises. The economic system introduced to Nigeria from inception was not in-line with the political system of a country with such historical developments as Nigeria. The capitalist economic system that was introduced creates high level of competition and strives for economic relevance among the amalgamated regions. Every individual since then and till present day, strive for the development of its own affiliated region not the development of a united Nigeria, therefore division became further drawn along the lines of ethnicity. Worst still, the ever un-sincere and bias constant intervention of the western world due to their own selfish driven interest, in the political-economic affairs of Nigeria had continually led to nothing but chaos among the Nigerian ethnic groups. Nigeria as a sovereign nation needs no external interference, and should be independent to run its affairs in the ways and manners it deems fit. Nigeria is a nation with many mineral resources like crude oil, which is needed by developed nations to survive. The favors and special treatment in terms of loans, aids and grants to one region because of what they stand to gain from such regions had continued to set Nigeria ethnic groups against one another. A good point of reference is the constant and undying interest of the western powers in the oil rich south-south, Niger-delta region of Nigeria due to its richness in crude-oil and the outright neglect of Northern Nigeria which does not possess such vital mineral resources they need. Invariabl y whenever there are crises in these regions, the western powers takes sides and this tends to guarantee the re-occurrence and prolong such crisis. Further-more, the style of governance imposed on Nigeria was totally unfit for a multi-ethnic society like Nigeria. According to Katy, (2008) Britain imposed a west-minister style of government which was totally different from the ways the diverse ethnic groups formerly governed themselves. This included the starting of political parties; it is notable that various parties under the British rule were often made up of members of specific tribes and this concept exist till date in Nigeria as political parties are formed on the basis of ethnicity and not national interest. Nigeria currently has over 60 different political parties. During colonialism, it is important to note that political parties and groups despite their different aims and objectives once shared a common goal: which is to get autonomy from the British colonialist. This became their major national interest and for that short-while, tribes were united under a common aim. Once independence was gained it became evidently cl ear that Nigeria was not naturally a nation; no wonder Nigeria had to battle with civil war from 1967-1970. The systems in place were not really established to deal with such large amount of ethnic groups. Politics till date in Nigeria is base on ethnicity, instead of the parties coming together to share common aim, they all tread the path of regionalism. The natural order of regions, division along tribal lines with each ethnic groups striving for political-economic relevance and superiority had continually result to constant conflicts. In recent years, since the return to democratic rule in May 1999, ethnic crises in Nigeria had been a more constant phenomenon and had since been inevitable due to the lucrativeness attached to politics and democracy in Nigeria. To be factual Nigerian political system and political offices are too profitable for any ethnic group not to strive for power dominance and recognition. Nigeria practices federalism in written but not in its true context, the Federal Government oversees the entire resources and regulates the economic affairs of the Nation while resources are been distributed to the states and local councils on a monthly basis. The political elites of each ethnic group had since view control of the central as an automatic way to selfishly enriched themselves and maybe also better the living standards of the people of their community. Each ethnic group passionately strive hard to be in the realm of power, to be able to regulate national affairs at the center and are not willing to settle for anything less thereby making politics a do or die affair. Each region in Nigeria have their own dreaded groups: the Odua peoples congress (o.p.c) fighting for the interest of the west, Militants and so called freedom fighters in the east and south-south and the most dreaded one recently tagged a terrorist group by the united states, which is also currently threatening the unity and peaceful co-existence of the Nation is the Boko-haram sects in the North. This sect is responsible for the recent bombing of the United-Nations house in Nigeria as well as other recent insurgents in the country. The sects had since constantly and are not ready to give up in terrorizing the unity of Nigeria until the south-south region currently in hold of the federal power releases it to the North, so also are other regions clamoring for this same power. The challenges of Nigeria regarding integration are that Nigerians no longer view Nigeria as their own entity. The sense of patriotism needed to unite and fast track developments in the country had been long lost. According to Katy, (2008) a Nation cannot be created by simply drawing of lines on a map, it must be to some extent a natural product of the unity of its population. Problems of religious conflicts in the Nigerian polity: Religious conflicts are as old as ethnic conflicts. Religion is a double edged sword which could serve as an instrument of social integration or serve as a motivation for violence (Maregere 2011). With endless religious cum ethnic conflicts in the Nigerian polity, religion has served more as an instrument and motivation for violence than for social harmony. Over the years the relationship between ethnic and religious groups had grown worse. Religion in Nigeria had become a divisive issue that creates a growing conflict flash point (shadrack 2001). A brief analysis of the background reasons behind those religious conflicts in Nigeria will help the purpose of this research and also create a better understanding of the situation. Religious intolerance, fanatics and extremism is the basis of religious crises on which other causes of religious violence rest upon. This implies the strict obedience and faithfulness to the doctrines of a religion. Often times modernization is been used to weaken original religious teachings to encompasses intolerance. This involves the obstinate and bias devotion to ones opinions and prejudices especially the exhibition of intolerance and hatred towards persons of differing beliefs (baird and rosenbaum 1999). According to Abdul Balogun (1988:166) religious intolerance is the hostility towards other religions as well as the inability of religious adherents to harmonize between the true principles and practical aspects of a religion. However, the wrong scriptural interpretations by some selfish and shallow-minded religious leaders according to Ahmad (2008) gives wrong impression about other religions because of the wrong religious orientation been impacted on the religious faithful. This make people to be used indirectly for violence without knowing they are been used, especially when religious leaders and Nigerian political elites lack the power and support to gain access to something they hide under the shadow of religion (Usman 1987). Religious dominance, struggle for relevance and superiority among religious groups is another problem of religious conflicts in Nigeria. The introduction of Sharia doctrine in some Nigeria Muslim populated states had always been forcefully rejected by other religious groups. The Islamist claimed that the introduction of Sharia principles in the states will put a stop to bad acts such as corruption, rape, alcohol consumption, kidnapping, bad dressing and other evil things which are believed to be done by other religious faithful in the states. The governments felt that such behaviors will pollute the minds of Islamic faithful whose population dominates the states. This met stiff resistance by other religious faithful who claim that it is an attempt to turn Nigeria into an Islamic nation and put a stop to other religions, this in turn spark up religious conflicts in Nigeria. The unreasonable statements and publications by religious elites in the media had always spark up unending conflicts among different religious groups who feel insulted by such publications and adversely react angrily. Example of such conflicts occurred in 1999 as a result of the intentional wrong spelling of an Islamic word on the cloth of a Muslim faithful by a tailor in Kano state Nigeria. The tailor removed two alphabets from the word spelling; meanwhile the two letters he omitted from the word changed the meaning of the word which is now interpreted as an insult to Muslims. this made the Muslims angry as it later broke out into a serious religious conflicts. Another good illustration is the religious conflict that happened in Nigeria in 2001 a result of a comment in the media by an unbeliever regarding Islam as a religion of pieces instead of peace This statement is an insult, bad and unreasonable. The Islamic youths and faithful were annoyed and this lead to conflicts as such st atements and publications had always led to religious conflicts in Nigeria. The lack of punishments for past offenders who had intentionally caused chaos among religious groups in Nigeria had constantly brought about conflicts. The religious groups seek revenge by themselves for the killings and damages done to them by other religious groups. The recommendations of previous probe committees set up by government are not been implemented. This makes it looks as if offenders will go unpunished and it encourages more conflicts in the country. The fusion of politics with religion by most political actors in Nigeria is another problem. Most times during elections, contesters of various political offices tends to hide under religious tenets to get their votes which makes them to be loyal to such religious groups when they get to power. They therefore involve in religious activities and this brings hatred among religious groups as the opposition candidate will hide under another religious group during the next elections. The dirty game of politics is been brought into religion and this foster conflicts. RESEARCH QUESTIONS To this extent it becomes imperative to inquire into the basis of ethno-religious crisis and how true nation-hood can be attained in Nigeria via the following research questions: Why has ethno-religious conflict affect integration in Nigeria? Why did ethno-religious relationship worsen in Nigeria? How has the Nigerian government been making efforts to re-integrate Nigeria? OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY This research aims to proffer solutions to the problems confronting Nigeria integration. This study therefore essentially seeks to examine how ethno-religious conflicts have led to the disintegration of Nigeria. This work seeks to analyze and evaluate ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria, in other to determine the extent of their relevance and irrelevance to the problem of Nigerias integration. However emphasis will be placed on finding out the attitude of the governments towards preventing constant ethno-religious conflicts as well as the strategy government adopts in tackling the remote causes of various ethnic or religious identity motivated crisis in the country in other to checkmate if not eradicate future occurrences. More so, this study will examine the efforts of government in re-integrating Nigeria. The significance of this study cannot be under-estimated as attempts will be made to bring out recommendations to the Nigerian government, which if adopted may establish a better peaceful co-existence among the diverse ethnic and religious groups in Nigeria, aimed at re-awaken the consciousness of national unity. On a final note this research seeks to contribute to the academic world as the problems hindering integration in countries with high level of multi-ethnicity and religious beliefs like Nigeria will be explored. RESEARCH METHOD The nature of this research will be qualitative, in other to reasonably accomplish the task set out in this study. According to Myers (1997), it is an inductive approach of gaining deeper understanding of a social and cultural phenomenon. Qualitative research is based on gathering deep understanding and knowledge about human behaviors, the foundational reasons behind such behaviors and decision making. The researcher often infers knowledge base on constructivist perspectives (Creswell, 2003). This form of research is necessary in this study because it will investigate why and how the conflicts happen, not just where, what and when. It involves the use of inductive reasoning by observing datas in other to develop a generalization which will explain the relationships between the variables observed. ( Schriver 2001) This study will involve the use of historical and content analysis, to discover facts and gain further insights since the study seeks to enhance the understanding of how ethnic conflicts disintegrates Nigeria and also aims to recommend possible solutions aim at solving the integration problem in Nigeria. Method of data collection This study would make use of secondary data collection. The research will be base on review from several works. Sources of data will include: Official documents: Like communiquà ©s, correspondences, government policies and international agendas. Newspaper and media: The reports, speeches, figures, internet and papers delivered by stake-holders will be used, but the internet will be discreetly used to avoid bias as events will be checked from different sources in other to validate its authenticity. Publications: In form of books, thesis and article in journals. All the information gathered will be analyze in a systematic way hence it deals with complex social issues. All the information gathered will be written down and analyze systematically, hence it deals with complex social issues. . This type of research does not carry out its interpretation in numbers instead it is carried out through visual data presentation in the form of maps, photographs and diagrams indicating how ideas are conveyed and relate all the works within the framework of the subject matter. Method of data analysis: According to Marshall and Rossman (1989) Historical analysis will be useful in obtaining background and knowledge of previous unexamined areas and re-examining questions for which answers are not as definite as desired. Data would be interpreted through historical and content analysis. The analysis will be done using speeches, text books, policy statements, journals, local and international magazines, internet, articles, federal government reports, and communiquà ©s and so on. The analysis will look into the roots and basis of ethnic and religious crises in Nigeria, how such crisis had threatened the integration of Nigeria as a nation, the relationship between ethnic and religious crises, as well as look into the efforts of government in re-integrating Nigeria. The historical analysis will pave way in getting a clear understanding of why conflicts occurred in the past, gain some certainty of the facts, establish the reasons and effects between those facts so that one can understand the relationships between variables which will help in getting solutions to the problems of this research. THEORECTICAL FRAMEWORKS The theories of ethnic identity conflicts in political literatures are the theory of Primordialism, Instrumentalism and theory of Social Constructivism. These theories are used to explain ethnic conflicts (Esman1994). The primordials theory best fits into the conflicts situation in Nigeria and that of other nations with multi ethnic groups as it brings to our knowledge how difference in ethnic identities always results to crises. However the instrumentalist and social constructivist views will be used to back up the view of the primordials in the ways they reflect on the Nigerian conflict situation. This framework focuses on the primordialism theory of conflicts. The primordialism theory of conflicts can be traced to the philosophical ideas of German Romanism particularly in the works of Johan Gottlied Fichte,(1792) and Johan Gottfried Herder, (1792) it was popularly propounded by Donald Horowitz.(1996) Primordialism in relation to ethnicity as posited by Fichte and Herder (1792) is that ethnic groups and nationalities exist because there are traditions of beliefs and action towards primordial objects such as biological factors and territorial locations. Primordials are of the view that ethnic identity is fixed once it is constructed; this concept established that difference in customs form the basis for national disunity in most multi-ethnic nations. Donald Horowitz (1985) and Steven Grosby (1994) posits that ethnic factions will do anything to preserve and protect the language, beliefs, territory, background and cultures against external forces; in a competitive society, threats and sense of danger usually meets strong resistance which brin gs conflict. primordialism remains influential in identifying the strength of ethnic ties and peoples commitment to the ethnic alliances of their own immediate ethnic groups. Primordials believes that an irreconcilable difference due to diverse orientation and cultural background causes the fear that begets conflict. To the primordial, conflict experienced during the Nigerian civil war in 1967 and other ethnic conflicts was unarguably due to difference in norms, cultures, traditions, backgrounds and beliefs which brings rivalries between ethnic groups. The theory of instrumentalism in this framework is balancing the primordials theory in the aspect of leadership interest in ethnic conflicts as it touches some aspects in the Nigerian conflict situation. Instrumentalism became prominent in 1960s and 70s in the works of Anthony Smith. It is mainly on ethnic persistence as an effective melting point to ethnic issues. This theory focused on the actions of community and regional leaders who used their ethnic groups as site of mass mobilization in competing for dominance, power and resources. Such leaders hide under the shadows of ethnicity to brain-wash and set there subordinates against other ethnic race in other to realize there individual goals. The Instrumentalist believes that if ethnicity is not viewed as instrumental identities which are means to a particular end there will be no crisis, theyre of the position that there is more to ethnic crises other than relevance. A good illustration is some leaders of the Niger-delta region in Nigeria who sponsored militancy groups to terrorize other ethnic groups and the country at large while there major aim is to gain control of crude-oil in the area. Also supporting the Primordials theory in this framework is the theory of social constructivism which was formalized by Jean Piaget (1975) through the accommodation and assimilation principles. Social constructivism view ethnic crises base on the unwillingness of ethnic groups to accommodate and assimilate each others principles. According to Jean (1975) Ethnic groups cannot integrate until they are genuinely ready to shift grounds for one another by willing to accommodate the good and ugly of each other, and are as well ready to assimilate each others principles, beliefs and way of life. Jean believes that if the components of this theory could be applied by ethnic groups then ethnic conflicts might no longer occur constantly. The primordialism theory is the major theory of this framework while social constructivism and instrumentalism theory tends to balance and back-up the major framework. All these views put together better explains the indebt reason behind ethno-religious conflicts among the over 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria.

Finding Ones Own in Cyberspace, by Amy Bruckman :: Finding Ones Own in Cyberspace

Ever since I have been in college my telephone has been shorting out every time I try to have a conversation with someone on it. It has been so aggravating! Especially when I am trying to talk and the person on the other line keeps saying, what, what...What did you say? It drives me crazy! Well when I got to college I was advised, and later informed, that it was a requirement to know how to use the Internet. So I signed up for an E-mail account. In high school I never used the computer for anything but assignments, but now I constantly find myself on line. I am either E-mailing friends far away, or talking to my family on IM (Instant Message). The Net has been most helpful to me when it comes to contacting others, especially since my phone doesnt work. Most importantly, I feel that the Net has brought my family and I closer together. After I read Finding Ones Own in Cyberspace, by Amy Bruckman, an essay explaining that to enjoy the Net we need to find our own place, our own communit y, so I realized that my community on the Net is E-mail, enabling me to talk to the people closest to me. The movie You've Got Mail starring, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, exemplifies how two people become closer through E-mail. Making it easier for people to connect in ways they always could, but never new how. Both the movie, Youve Got Mail, and Bruckmans Finding Ones Own in Cyberspace explore how the Net brings out a side of us that cannot be seen by the human eye. You've Got Mail is a love story about a man and woman who meet on the Internet and use e-mail to talk to each other. Although they havent met face to face they know so much about each other that if they were to meet, it wouldnt matter what the other person looked like. Hankss character owns a very popular bookstore that in turn makes Ryans tiny family bookstore go out of business. Therefore, Ryan hates Hanks throughout the whole movie. Everyday they seem to run into each other not knowing that the person(s) behind their face s are their soul mates. Little do they know the person they see everyday and the person that they despise is the same person they talk to every night when using E-mail or their I. Finding Ones Own in Cyberspace, by Amy Bruckman :: Finding Ones Own in Cyberspace Ever since I have been in college my telephone has been shorting out every time I try to have a conversation with someone on it. It has been so aggravating! Especially when I am trying to talk and the person on the other line keeps saying, what, what...What did you say? It drives me crazy! Well when I got to college I was advised, and later informed, that it was a requirement to know how to use the Internet. So I signed up for an E-mail account. In high school I never used the computer for anything but assignments, but now I constantly find myself on line. I am either E-mailing friends far away, or talking to my family on IM (Instant Message). The Net has been most helpful to me when it comes to contacting others, especially since my phone doesnt work. Most importantly, I feel that the Net has brought my family and I closer together. After I read Finding Ones Own in Cyberspace, by Amy Bruckman, an essay explaining that to enjoy the Net we need to find our own place, our own communit y, so I realized that my community on the Net is E-mail, enabling me to talk to the people closest to me. The movie You've Got Mail starring, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, exemplifies how two people become closer through E-mail. Making it easier for people to connect in ways they always could, but never new how. Both the movie, Youve Got Mail, and Bruckmans Finding Ones Own in Cyberspace explore how the Net brings out a side of us that cannot be seen by the human eye. You've Got Mail is a love story about a man and woman who meet on the Internet and use e-mail to talk to each other. Although they havent met face to face they know so much about each other that if they were to meet, it wouldnt matter what the other person looked like. Hankss character owns a very popular bookstore that in turn makes Ryans tiny family bookstore go out of business. Therefore, Ryan hates Hanks throughout the whole movie. Everyday they seem to run into each other not knowing that the person(s) behind their face s are their soul mates. Little do they know the person they see everyday and the person that they despise is the same person they talk to every night when using E-mail or their I.

Creationism vs. Evolution Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Where we come from is a question as old as mankind itself. There are countless numbers of religions, each with their own twist on the origins of earth and mankind, but one of the most highly visible debates would be creationism vs. evolution. Depending on where your beliefs lie, the Earth has been around somewhere in the neighborhood of 6,000 years to 4.5 billion years. One would tend to believe that this vast difference in time would make it impossible to have 2 â€Å"theories† that are so widely accepted. However this debate gives you just that. Each argument has its variations, however it comes down to either God created the Earth and all things in it as they are now or that life today has evolved from a single one-celled organism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Genesis God created the Earth and all things in it in 7 days (actually six days and one day for a little R&R). There are within the belief wide ranges of explanations for the scientific discoveries in modern times. In 2000 the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) created a committee to study the first three chapters of the Book of Genesis. What they found were 4 different views of creation days within their group. The first view is that God created the world in 6 consecutive days, with each day being a normal Earth calendar day (24 hours), any geological formations seen today (such as sedimentary rock formations with ten’s of thousands of years of different layers) are said to have come from the Flood in Noah’s time. The most generally accepted date of the creation of the Earth was October 22, 4004 B.C.E. Certain groups such as and especially Christian fundamentalists who believe in the inerrancy and literal interpretation of the Bible a re the main subscribers of this train of thought. One example of how this would be possible even when scientific evidence suggest that the Earth is far older then 6,000 years is that when God created things, he created them with a history. Trees would have been created already containing rings. New mountains would appear already eroded. In short, the world would appear much older then it actually is. Other examples such as the â€Å"Gap Theory† states that the days were in fact 24-hour periods, however there were large gaps of time between each one of them, enough time to accommodate many geological ages. The second view is th... ...tionism. Arkansas wanted equal time for evolution and creationism, while Louisiana was looking for either both be taught or neither. These laws were met with great resistance and were later deemed unconstitutional under the 1st amendment. In an ironical turn of events fundamentalist and evangelical Christians are now trying to get creationism back into the lesson plans of the science department, a total 180 from just 2 decades ago.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The evidence supporting evolution continues to increase, and someday we may be able to prove without a doubt that mankind developed from a more primitive species. Some fundamentalist groups though may never update their way of thinking no matter what science is able to prove, however, in my opinion, the vast majority of the â€Å"developed† world, will eventually make their way to a theistic evolutionary outlook. The combination of science and religion will offer someone the gift of knowledge with the piece of mind of knowing there is some guiding force, and not just some natural process without a specific goal. Albert Einstein said it best when he said, â€Å"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.†

Literacy Essay -- Education Learning Papers

Literacy Why is literacy of such interest to postsecondary teachers of writing? If "literacy," as it might be defined by someone outside the field of English studies, is "the ability to read and write," then why are we interested in it when our own students presumably acquired this ability in the distant past, about the time they learned to tie bows in shoelaces? That we are interested in literacy, I take it, is obvious from the proliferation of books with the word in their titles, of conferences on topics in literacy (the Modern Language Association has now held two), and of review essays such as this one, commissioned by the editors of a journal that purports to deal in issues relevant to "composition theory" and "advanced composition" at the college level. Defining Literacy I might answer my opening question by redefining "literacy" from within English studies in such a way as to make it more complex and problematic, and thus to question the presumption that college students have already acquired it. Indeed, in these proliferating discussions of literacy, its simple definition as the ability to read and write is usually rejected at the outset. But in attempting to go beyond the simple definition, scholars begin to diverge. Consider, for example, the variety of essays collected under the title, The Right to Literacy (1990), a title which implies a unitary conception of literacy and a contest only over who possesses the desired object. In this volume, Andrea A. Lunsford, Helene Moglen, and James Slevin collect twenty-nine papers from the 1988 MLA "Right to Literacy" conference. Most of the essays, therefore, are short; and ranging through them, one gets a sense of the heterogeneous mixture of topics that accrue for Engli... ...Discourse Community." Curriculum Inquiry 12 (1982): 191-207. ---. "Literacy in Culture and Cognition." A Sourcebook for Basic Writing Teachers. Ed. Theresa Enos. New York: Random, 1987. 125-37. Brandt, Deborah. Literacy as Involvement: The Acts of Writers, Readers, and Texts. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1990. Hirsch, E.D., Jr. Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know. 2nd ed. New York: Vintage, 1988. Kintgen, Eugene R., Barry M. Kroll, and Mike Rose, eds. Perspectives on Literacy. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1988. Lunsford, Andrea A., Helene Moglen, and James Slevin, eds. The Right to Literacy. New York: MLA, 1990. Stuckey, J. Elspeth. The Violence of Literacy. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton, 1991. Taylor, Denny, and Catherine Dorsey-Gaines. Growing Up Literate: Learning from Inner-City Families. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1988.

‘Everything Grew Larger Than Life in the Steamy Hothouse of Darwin and the People Were No Exception.’ How Important Is Place in This Novel?

Peter Goldsworthy’s Maestro demonstrates the importance of setting in understanding characters such as the protagonists Paul Crabbe and Eduard Keller. Written in a retrospective narrative from Paul Crabbe’s point of view and how the settings of ‘steamy’ Darwin, ‘suburban’ Adelaide and ‘hypocritical’ Vienna affected him. Upon moving from Adelaide to Darwin, Paul immediately falls in love with the ‘city of booze, blow and blasphemy’. Darwin is the backdrop to the sensual addiction Paul develops and feeds his heightened sense as a ‘steamy and lush hothouse’. Totally different from Adelaide, Paul thrives in the new setting, as his character develops. Paul meets Keller, the ‘Maestro’ in Darwin and is fascinated by the first impression Keller leaves upon him. The formal white suit Keller wears contrasts with the Swan, the dark and casual hotel he inhabits, symbolising Keller’s alienation in Darwin. Described by Paul as a ‘type of monastery†¦ a place for atonement’, Darwin and the Swan provide an insight into the Maestro’s character. To Keller, Darwin symbolises the social and cultural isolation he craves as atonement for the crimes he believed he had committed. Keller’s history affects him so deeply he was changed by it, and to Paul he is merely a ‘Nazi. ’ Upon reflecting, Paul found it strange to realise how much he ‘came to love the man, depend on him’ from his first impressions. As a teacher Keller taught Paul incomplete lessons of music and life that Paul comes to regret not appreciating. On Paul’s final night in Darwin he goes to the Swan with the intention of saying goodbye to Keller and then meeting with his girlfriend Rosie. Keller’s acceptance of Paul as an important part of his life is symbolised through the new chair and table he has purchased for Paul, finally ready to share his mysterious history. However, Paul doesn’t realise the confessional for what it was and with ‘the aroused sexual present’ overwhelming the past he leaves behind his broken teacher. Keller’s past and transition in nature from a ‘romantic virtuosos’ to strict teacher is shown through music and his descriptions of Vienna. After the Nazis rose to power, Keller describes the ballroom of Vienna being turned nto ‘the experimental laboratory for the end of the world’ demonstrating that Keller’s own world ended along with his love of Vienna. Keller’s love for his wife Mathilde gave him rubato, and ‘that extra littleness’ that Paul could never achieve. However, it buoyed his arrogance and belief of his own invulnerability which prevented him from real ising the danger his Jewish family were in, in Vienna. To Paul, Vienna represents a European city of culture and music but to Keller it is a reminder of his lost family and regretted choices. Vienna is also the cause of Keller’s mistrust and suspicion of beauty, as he says ‘never trust the beautiful’ is something Paul, as a young and naive man, can’t understand. Keller describes Vienna as a veneer, ‘hiding the hypocrisy within’ in an attempt to teach Paul the lessons he had to learn through awful experiences. Paul and Keller’s natures are contrasted by Goldsworthy in Maestro and their similarity is what causes Keller to endeavour to teach Paul. The confessional that Paul snubbed, a privilege that he failed to realise through selfishness and sensual addiction, was Keller’s explanation and he told Paul this as he called out ‘I tell you this, not for me, but for you. ’ Paul’s rejection of the deep connection he shared with Keller is something he would come to regret as he strove to defy the limits of perfection Keller had shown him. When Paul leaves the setting of Darwin to attend school, he takes an arrogance that let him believe Keller ‘had taught all that was in his power to teach. In comparison to ‘lush’ Darwin, Melbourne and Adelaide are mundane and suburban and perhaps symbolise the direction Paul’s future will take, as he rejected Keller and the incomplete lessons he strove to teach. Paul realises he can’t bridge the tragic gulf between talent and genius in his travels of Europe as he ignored Keller’s advice of ‘a little hurt now, to save a wasted life’. Vienna is a city of culture and music to Paul and the setting is important in understanding how he differs from his mentor, the Maestro. The settings of Goldsworthy’s Maestro are important in understanding the history and context of each character and their actions. The settings are significant in the novel as they contrast the characters to their surroundings and develop meaning such as Keller’s chosen isolation in Darwin. Each place in the novel symbolises differences and similarities and Goldsworthy positions the reader to observe the way the character understands and interacts with their surroundings, be it Darwin, Adelaide, the Swan or Vienna.