Essentialist and Post Structuralist Theories of Race and Ethnicity Essay Example for Free

Essentialist and Post Structuralist Theories of Race and ethnicity EssayIdentity Analysis Toward Productive Pedagogies An Essentialist and Post Structuralist Perspective Race and paganity impart be used to analyse the central theme of identity from an essentialist and military post structuralist view. Definitions of break away and heathenity will be demonstrateed and distinctions made between the two categories. The fibre Eva from the film The exemption Writers will be used as a medium and present an argument that take to the woods and ethnicality are social constructs but not absent of essentialist inclines. pursual a self consultion of my take identity the similarities between Eva and I show a congruence between essentialist perspectives of race and ethnicity to the existence of ethnic tensions and prejudice. In the context of Post structural theory it will be argued that it offers a more realistic and progressive appraisal of identity as fluid and changing throug h social contexts. Differences between Evas and my testify identity serve to highlight the inequality of dominant culture over ethnic minorities.Therefore, pedagogical strategies will be examined from a post structural perspective as a means to promote inclusivity and au then(prenominal)tic Indigenous perspectives within the classroom. Essentialist theories about ethnicity and race present these identity themes as fixed and unchangeable. Weber (1978) defines race identity as common inherited and inheritable traits that actu ally derive from common descent (p. 368 ). The character Eva from the film The emancipation Writers identities her race as those south of the border, or specifically Hispanic.Ethnicity from an essentialist perspective differs from race as Zagefka (2008) ascribes to the notion that essentialist accounts of ethnicity maintain that ethnic groups occupy a certain essence which determines their character (p. 1). Therefore, essentialist ethnicity elaborates on ra ce identity informing that behavioural traits are also biologically determined. Evas logical argument We advertise over race, pride and respect illustrates the essentialist nature of fixed, unchangeable boundaries that exist between her group and other ethnic groups.Evas racial hatred of the other ethnic groups is evident through her gang affiliations and violent behaviour toward them. An essentialist perceptive would assume that Evas racial hatred is determined at birth but as Evas character develops throughout the film the essentialist perspective loses validity and Evas sense of identity is seen to be socially constructed. Post structural theory maintains that race and ethnicity are socially constructed presenting Evas identity as fluid and evolving.However, Morning (2006) concludes that the conception of race as rooted in biological difference endures, at least in the United States today. Therefore, ethnicity offers a more authentic analysis of Evas identity formation from a post structuralist perspective then the residual of essentialism that exists in relation to her racial conceptualisitions. In Evas formative years her subjectivities about race were essentialised from her fathers emphasis of her origins and therefore the need to protect your own.The violence from other ethnic groups and the arrest of her father because of his ethnic background resulted in an intense hatred for white people. Eva hated white people on sight. Evas hatred developed over time through social contexts involving ethnic and racial violence. Evas changing identity is represented from a post structural perceptive through narrative and social interactions in Mrs Gurwalls classroom. Marra (2005) states that Narrative is a powerful means of constructing incompatible kinds of social identity, including ethnic identity. (p. 2).Using a diary as an artefact Eva is able reflect on her own subjectivities about identity to better understand her beliefs and values (J Nailer, 2005 p. 152). finished social interactions in the classroom under the guidance of her teacher Evas ethnic identity is reconstructed to establish a type of class ethnicity involving students from different races. As a self reflection process my own personal identity can be examined through essentialist and post structural perspectives centred on themes of race and identity. During my childhood years race identity was represented from an essentialist perspective.I identified as a member of the white race and was educated from a white, compound historical perspective. In electrostaticed from an early age was the notion that being black meant being inferior. Not only did I perceive Indigenous people as those who sat in the park and got drunk but I engaged in racist language such as nigger and coon. My prejudice is highlighted by Brickman (2009) who suggests Indeed, for social categories based on race, increased endorsement of genetic theories (one component of psychological essentialism) has b een linked to increased prejudice (p. 2).My parents assisted in the facilitation of my racial essentialism as did many other adults and peers of my own racial group. During my formative years my identity based upon being a member of the white race assumed greater intelligence, privilege and more appropriate behaviour than Indigenous peoples. The distinction between race and ethnicity is evident when according to Chandra (2006), an ethnic group is a named human world with myths of common ancestry, shared historical memories, one or more elements of a common culture, a link with a homeland and sense of solidarity (p.403).This statement relates to when I left my small town and attended an affluent private college whilst undertaking university study. Although surrounded by members of the same white race I identified with an ethnic group in the context of people from my own town.The essentialist and constructiveness theories for identity are distinct yet in practice difficult to separa te. Ayirtman (2007) presents constructionist perspectives as the intersubjective formation of respective(prenominal) identities through confrontation and interaction with other(s) (p.10) whilst Chandra (2006) proposes that changes in ethnicity are constrained by descent-based attributes.In the context of race and ethnicity both statements were appropriate to the way I constructed my own identity throughout my adult years. The immersion in multiculturalism from a large city and university institution influenced me to many different races and ethnic groups. The confrontation of cultural renewal increased fluidity in the boundaries that constituted my identity about themes of race and ethnicity.However, the recognition of cultural differences in relation to my original culture and race still left intact some relatively fixed boundaries around essentialist perspectives. It is evident that Eva and I had different life pictures yet similarities emerge between our two identities. grow nup commonalities between Eva and I relate to the essentialist perspective of race and ethnicity our childhood and adolescence years. Both Eva and I expressed prejudice toward other ethnic groups based on the biological characteristics of race and ethnicity.In relation to ethnicity and race the formative years consisted of seemingly fixed and rigid boundaries around identity groups. Juteau (1996) describes these boundaries as monolithic and static, seen as grounded in common origin, genealogy and ancestry (p. 57). Similar to Eva the fixed nature of my identity boundaries correlated to racial and ethnic tensions resulting sometimes in violence, in varying degrees. condescension essentialised race and ethnicity in formative years commonalities exist between Eva and me through a post structuralist perspective.Racial prejudice was socially constructed through repeated discourses of ap dismantlement between racial groups throughout childhood and adolescence. Narrative through the evol ving artefact of a diary allowed both Eva and I to analyse our subjectivities about aspects of our identities and both had the experience of an excellent teacher through which effective social interactions allowed empowerment and progressive reconstruction of identity. A key difference between me and the character Eva in The Freedom Writers is that I identified with the dominant Discourse in society and Eva identified as a member of a minority ethnic group.Thomson states A productive groom student is one who has acquired much of the dominant habitus, that is, ways of being in the world, as well as the cultural and symbolic uppercase derived from their schooling (p. 8). An analysis of Thomsons statement works on two levels. At the school level, and identifying as a member of the dominant culture, allowed me to be long-familiar with school discourse and the intimacys wanted there in. Evas ethnic and racial identity immediately placed her at odds with the school discourse which r estricted her acquisition of cultural capital.At the level of society I was able to exert more agency through the social influence that a familiar discourse facilitated. A seemingly natural relationship existed through identification with a common culture, language and physical race attributes. Evas race and ethnicity reduced the agency she could exert against the dominant culture. Her common culture and race attributes are at odds in a society where the mass race was white. The similarities and differences evident between Evas identity and my own identity offer invaluable understandings to develop positive, productive teacher-student interactions in the classroom.Taking a post structural approach to pedagogy teachers can be aware that their own subjectivities will influence the way they teach. (Nayler 2005). . In a multi-cultural scenario where individual students bring a variety of cultural identities into the classroom a teacher faces the challenge of facilitating inclusive peda gogical practices. Carrington advises that the teacher facilitates a culture of respect and value for all members of the class. (p. 113).This statement requires student interactions that involve listening to other students and being encouraged to support each other through peer assisted learning. Classroom organisation mustiness allow students to actively participate in whole class, group collaboration, independent and problem- based learning. These student practices must be based around purposeful knowledge that engage what Thomson (2002) refers to as a students virtual schoolbag (p. 1). Through strong relationships between teacher, parent and community what students have learnt at home and in wider society can be transferred into the classroom.Therefore individual students knowledges, narratives and interests can be recognised and built upon with high teacher expectations of connecting them to the valued knowledges of the school curriculum. (Thomson, 2002). More specifically, is the need to embed Indigenous perspectives into the classroom. When embedding Indigenous studies into the classroom teachers (non-indigenous especially) need to access authentic knowledge and often direct their shortcomings in relation to skills and knowledge required to teach such units.Miller, Troy and Currell (2005) point out the risk that as members of the dominant culture (we are all white Australian), perhaps we found it easy to revert to a knowledge base that we had naturally accepted since early childhood (p. 61). Teachers must be vital about the resources they select to teach Indigenous studies whilst forging strong relationships with Indigenous communities. These factors will ensure that Indigenous studies are taught from an indigenous perspective and not vitiated by social, political and historical perspectives of the dominant culture of which many teachers identify with.The identity categories of race and ethnicity can be analysed from an essentialist and post stru cturalist perspective. The post structural perspective of race and ethnicity presents a more authentic analysis of identity as being influenced by different social contexts. Whilst the post structural perspective offers a more progressive application to Evas and my own identities essentialist influences are not invisible. The commonality of prejudice through race and ethnicity being essentialised offers an excellent reference point to show the usefulness of a post structural approach to productive teacher pedagogies.A post structural perspective offers the opportunity for teachers to critically reflect upon their own subjectivities in the context of their own identities. Teachers can therefore adopt pedagogical strategies that promote inclusiveness in the classroom and embrace the richness of cultural diversity, whilst linking the assorted array of knowledges to the value knowledges of the school curriculum. References 1. Marra, M (2005). Constructing Ethnicity and Leadership Throu gh Storytelling at Work. Retrieved from http//www. mang. canterbury. ac. nz/anzca/FullPapers/06WorkCommFINALed.pdf 2. Carrington, S. (2007). Classroom relationships, pedagogy and practice in the inclusive classroom. In M. Keeffe S. Carrington (Eds), Schools and diversity(2nd ed. ). (pp. 108-127). Sydney Pearson Australia. 3. Miller, M. , Dunn, T. Currell, K. (2005). Learning and the importance of knowing Student perspectives on centralising Indigenous knowledge in their preparation as teachers. In J. Phillips Lampert (Eds), basic Indigenous studies in education The importance of knowing. (pp. 60-79). Sydney Pearson Australia. 4. Thomson, P. (2002).Vicki and Thanh. In Schooling the rustbelt kidsMaking the difference in Changing times (pp. 1-18). Crows Nest Allen Unwind. 5. Nailer, J. (2005). arrangement ourselves. In J. Austin (Ed), Culture and Identity (2nd end). (pp. 139-154). Sydney Pearson Australia 6. Morning, A. (2006). Ethnic Classification in Global Perspective A Cross-N ational Survey of the 2000 Census Round. Retrieved from http//as. nyu. edu/docs/IO/1043/Morning_2008_Ethnic_Classification_in_Global_Perspective. pdf 7. Brickman, D. (2009). The Implications of Essentialist Beliefs for Prejudice.Retrieved from http//deepblue. lib. umich. edu/bitstream/2027. 42/63752/1/dbrick_1. pdf 8. Chandra, H. (2006). What is Ethnic Identity and does it Matter. Annual Review of Political Science, 9, (pp 397-424. ) Retrieved from http//www. nyu. edu/gsas/dept/politics/faculty/chandra/ars2005. pdf 9. Juteau, D. (1996). Theorising ethnicity and ethnic communalisations at the margins from Quebec to the world system. Nations and Nationalism, 2(1), (pp 45-66. ) Retrieved from http//onlinelibrary. wiley. com/doi/10. 1111/j. 1354-5078. 1996. 00045. x/abstract 10.Ayirtman, S. (2007). Recognition through reckoning Toward Deliberative Accommodation of Cultural Diversity. Retrieved from http//arts. monash. edu. au/psi/news-and-events/apsa/refereed-papers/political-theory/sa yirtman. pdf 11. Zagefka, H (2008). The concept of ethnicity in social psychological research Definitional issues. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 33(3), (pp 228-241. ). 12. Gruwell, E (Writer), Lagravenese, R (Director). (2006). In D. Devito, M. Shamberg, S. Sheer (Producers), The Freedom Writers. Paramount Pictures.

Potter’s observation Essay Example for Free

Potters observation EssayPotters observation that peoples attitudes toward upholding laws is com handssurate with come in of approval they have for those laws has a lot of merit (Potter 1976). Indeed, evidence to back Potters theory can be seen in understanding Scott v. Sanford. seven-spot of the nine justices on the court had been appointed by southerners, while only two members, Peter Daniel and Benjamin Curtis, were appointed by a northern president. both justice but Curtis had been appointed by a Democratic president. All of the southerners were in favor of slavery.Meanwhile, so were two of the northerners. The only two members of the court, who were not pro-slavery, were Curtis and bum McLean (Blanchard 2005). For instance, Justice Catron argues passionately against repealing the article of the treaty of 1803, which gave Louisiana to the United States. Because it is protected by the constitution, he says, it cannot be repealed. Yet, he does not argue that, because the bill of rights grants men the right to liberty, no one can oppose Scotts liberty.He supports the parts of the constitution he agrees with, but fails to fight for the parts he does not support(United States Supreme address 2009). Meanwhile, Justice Curtis, a northerner against slavery, argued for the constitutionality of states bans on slavery and on the Missouri Compromise. Unlike Catron, he was morally contradictory to slavery and thus opposed upholding the Dred Scott decision(United States Supreme Court 2009). Justice McLeans dissent provides more proof of Potters theory. Indeed, he argues that the court is wrong to rule against Scott, as Sanford has however argued that Scotts parents were slaves.The plaintiff, he says, offered no proof to show that Scott himself was not a free man or a citizen of Missouri. Furthermore, the court never cited any precedents in ruling against Scott, he said. McLean, then, was another Northerner against slavery, and he voted in favor of Scott, ra ther than Sanford. This would seem to give credence to Potters observation (United States Supreme Court 2009). Bibliography Blanchard, Kenneth. The Case. February 7, 2005. http//web. archive. org/web/20041116095630/etech. northern. edu/blanchak/pols330/the_case.htm (accessed January 24, 2009). Potter, David M. The Impending Crisis 1848-1861. New York Harper Collins, 1976. United States Supreme Court. Dread Scott v. Sanford Mr. Justice Catron concurring. 2009. http//www. tourolaw. edu/patch/scott/Catron. asp (accessed January 24, 2009). . Dread Scott v. Sanford Mr. Justice Curtis dissenting. 2009. http//www. tourolaw. edu/patch/scott/Curtis. asp (accessed January 24, 2009). . Dread Scott v. Sanford Mr. Justice McClean dissenting. 2009. http//www. tourolaw. edu/patch/scott/McClean. asp (accessed January 24, 2009). .

Friends and the play of Nevilles Island Essay Example for Free

Friends and the play of Nevilles Island EssayThe hit situation comedy Friends started ten years ago when we were first introduced to Monica, Rachael, pentad, Chandler, Ross and Joey and today I am going to comp atomic number 18 the sitcom of Friends with the play of Nevilles Island which was written by Tim Firth. Nevilles Island is non only a play. It has alike been recently made into a film starring Timothy Sp on the whole, Martin Clunes, Jeff Rawle and David Bamber. Friends on the some other hand was written and still remains for television and for the past ten years it has been broadcast all over the Atlantic to millions of eager viewers both in America and the U. K. In America Friends is broadcast over the television ne twainrk of NBC compared to the U.K where it is received through Channel 4.When we first observe the film of Nevilles Island we are introduced to foursome businessmen, who, when their boat sinks, find themselves stranded on a small island, called Rampsho lme in the middle of the Lake Districts Derwent Water. The Four Characters in Nevilles Island are on a team-building weekend, they are Neville, (Jeff Rawle), has perish the elected Captain of the grouping, who then proves he is unfit for his position when he leads the team in the wrong direction. He does his best to maintain order in the groups arguments, and works well as a go-between as he proves to be very reasonable with his fellow peers, and he shoot the breezems to be the most adjust member of the group to island life, He is dressed in an Anorak and wears glasses. He tries his hardest to keep the peace between black Angus and Gordon, (Timothy Spall) who is extremely sarcastic towards his fellow peers and seems to recess up on every little flaw in their character, which later show him to be a bully, his cruel sarcasm gives us more good story moments through discover the play of Nevilles island, such as all Christians are like Radio hams. Gordon seems to hold up numerou s rants at his fellow colleagues most of which result in handbags at dawn style tightness between him and Angus, (David Bamber) whom at the start of the play he comes across as a good-natured person who is effective of optimism.Angus seems to have dressed out of the camp shop side of his wardrobe so to speak as he is dressed incessantly in cagoules, anoraks and knitted hats. Angus turns out to be a bit sad as he seems to bore everyone stiff, with his numerous attempts at cracking jokes. Also, later in the play where all hope seems to have to been lost he suddenly reveals a hidden sausage, which in the heating of proves to be very funny. He may also later have hindered the groups rescue as he seems to have bought the blameless stock of a camping shop and told nobody about it, his obtain list includes a 18-inch knife, climbing ropeand for some reason unbeknown to his fellow standees..a dinner suit Roy, (Martin Clunes), is a born-again Christian who has an un-kempt appearance.Ro y has recently returned to work pastime a pro massiveed breakdown, after the death of his mother, Lucy, he literally hangs onto his sanity and Gordons rant about how old people only become religious beca riding habit they are scared stiff, and there just grabbing, grabbing, grabbing at the rope, and no-ones holding the other end doesnt help either as this uprise-enough sends Roy into a relapse, and he disappears into the undergrowth with an 18-inch knife, so the group fear he may do something to harm himself, alone later he is found, sat up a tree wearing only his underwear, but after he returns the knife to Neville, they fear he may take his own life again as Angus nearly mile long piece of rope has gone missing, and they think he may hang himself he also reveals to Neville that he helped his mother to end her own lifeRoy is also a keen birdwatcher, and he takes his time on the island to observe a rare falcon, and is called amongst many other things by GordonDoo-lallyFriends is all about 6 friends who all put up in the kindred block of apartments in bare-ass York, the show takes us through their individual strengths, weaknesses, problems and goalsmost of all their intertwining races with each other. The characters in friends are Joey Tribbiani (Matt Leblanc.) Joey is broad-shouldered, wide-eyed and thick-headed. Joey comes from New York and is a whopr who has had many partners. Joey is a not-so-good actor who never has to play-act being a good guy or a better friend, but he wants to hit the big-time as an actor. He is cheeky, and most of his jokes are intimately orientated, followed by hand gestures. Joey is sarcastic. Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) Wise-cracks, and sets off development in characters storyline.Chandler appears to be over-qualified at work and he seems to be afraid of wife Monica. Chandler gives really bad advice. Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) Ross is the personification of an intellectual geek as he is an expert in Palaeontology. Ross is still looking for love after 3 divorces. He has always loved Rachael. Ross is quite nerdy, and (most of the time) sticks to the rule book. Rachael Green (Jennifer Aniston), Rachael comes across as an IT/ Daddys girl. She dithers a lot, and is meant to be with Ross, even though they have drifted apart many times.Monica Geller Bing (Courtney Cox Arquette) used to be a high-school fatty, but now has slimmed down to obsessive and cleaning mad Monica. She is a good child to Ross and a friend to everyone. After marrying Chandler, Monica seems to have made him find his maturity. tail fin Buffay Hannigan (Lisa Kudrow) a hippie chick who has led a traumatic life, her mother killed herself, her stepfather went to prison, and she lived on the streets for some of her life. She drives people mad with her out-of-key folk songs that she writes with her guitar. Phoebe groundwork be quite dippy, but she is kind-hearted, a good spirit, and seems to take everyday as it comes. She near eno ugh floats around and I think would have fit in perfectly in the 60s. Very off-the-wall.The sitcom of friends is set in New York and it appears to be aimed at the younger generations of the 90s and 00s, this is mainly caused by its humour and that the characters themselves are very young. In comparison to this the play of Nevilles Island is set in a remote island in the middle of a lake in the Lake District and its characters are all middle-aged around 40 years old and Nevilles Island, I think can pull to all ages as the comedy and mishaps that occur between the four characters of Angus, Roy, Gordon and Neville could almost happen to anybody of any age. The four men in Nevilles Island are all executives of a water company and they have been sent on this team-building exercise.The friendships in either drama are very different, as the 6 friends in Friends are all immensely close and after being so for ten years they appear to have a love for each other which comes with a confedera tion that makes their friendships so special to them, even though the group is half men, half women apart from sexual tension between Monica and Chandler, Ross and Rachael this appears to not affect their friendships whatsoever. These bonds of friendship could not be more different than in the play of Nevilles Island by Tim Firth as the four colleagues seem to have been forced to be to she-bopher and this creates lots of tension between them particularly with Roy and Gordon with his rants about all Christians are like radio-hams. The four colleagues seem to be each putting up with each other constantly and we get a sense that if they had not worked in the same workplace, these four individuals would never had considered becoming friends with each other.The Two dramas of Friends and Nevilles Island have been written in the same decade and they include many moral issues and information about current affairs for example the mood of Friends was slightly changed for a while during the af termath of the phratry 11th terrorist attacks on the World trade centres. The home life/lifestyle has affected the personalities of all the characters in either drama such as Phoebe is slightly mad and sometimes eccentric. This may have been caused by her circumstances as a child as her mother killed herself, her stepfather went to prison, and she lived on the streets for some of her life. In Nevilles Island we see Gordon who appears to bully most people he sees by picking up on every flaw in their character and using it as ammunition against them, Gordon appears to be in denial as in fact he is very lonely but refuses to admit this.There are many themes/issues that arise from the two dramas of Nevilles Island and Friends such as Status in Friends the 6 characters stand almost as individuals and they respect each other because of it and apart from molybdenum outbursts from such characters as Monica giving rants about Crummies, but this is simply a part of Monicas character and doe s not distinguish her as having more power over fellow friends. In contrast to this there is use of Status/Power in Nevilles Island, and this comes mainly from the character Gordon bullying people and bossing them about. Gordon is not however the elect leader of the group, who is Neville but Gordon, underestimates his given authority on the island and simply does what he wants and says what he wants regardless of their smellings. Gordon always makes sarcastic and invalidating comments about his fellow colleagues this makes him feel superior and powerful to the rest of the group.Friendship is a key theme in both pieces of drama as in Friends, the entire purpose of the sitcom is to display the friendship between the 6 characters however Nevilles Island meddles with the idea of leaving work-place politics behind in order the group of them to survive, whilst on the island though we encounter that this group of colleagues dont actually like each other and seem to have been forced into this team-building weekend.There are many relationships in both pieces of drama, some sexual but some arise form tension and the clash of personalities like that in Nevilles Island between Roy and Gordon. Gordon is convinced that Roy is faking his religion for attention/acceptance and goes on many rants about this for example when he tells Roy that all Christians are like radio-hams.Gordon continues to cause tension between the group when there is a clash of personalities between Angus and himself as Angus is constantly trying to tell jokes, but none of them are funny as Angus often gets the joke mixed-up, this irritates Gordon even further, and he reached the height of his irritation when he discovers that Angus seems to have an entire camping shop worth of supplies in his backpack, along with climbing rope, an 18-inch macheteand even a 3-piece dinner suit Gordon continues to irritate Angus by simply picking on him, but this ends when Gordon accuses Angus wife of being adulterous and that right now she is scream in ecstasy on the bread shelf in Sainsburys.Relationships in Friends that are of a sexual sense come from Ross and Rachael as since the beginning of the serial they have been attracted to each other and after 3 divorces Ross seems to have found his perfect match, this applies to Rachael and in the final episode Ross and Rachael finally get together. Another relationship in the sitcom Friends comes from Monica and Chandler, they get married and later find out that they cannot have children so in the final series they have a renewal mother and she agrees to give them her baby, but when the baby is being born in the final episode they find out that instead of one baby, they are having twins. The two remaining friends who do not get it together are Joey and Phoebe, there has never been an attraction between them and Phoebe marries a man called Mike and becomes Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan.Co-operation plays a big part in the play of Nevilles Island by Tim F irth, the entire purpose of the team-building is to bring the four characters together as a team, so that they can co-operate together in this or any environment, but this proves difficult as the four colleagues are completely incompatible and in the end simply get on each others nerves. The characters in Friends co-operate completely with each other, they help each other out in any circumstances and they work together perfectly.The tender context of the sitcom Friends by David Crane takes us through an entire decade of events through the years of 1994 -2004. Friends is set in the city of New York and focuses on city life and the glamorous lifestyles of 6 friends in coffee culture which is centred around their meeting place a coffee house by the send for of Central Perk. The social context of Friends takes us before, during and through the aftermath of the 11th September attacks on the World Trade Centre, which all Americans including the characters in friends come out of this v ery patriotic. The Sitcom of Friends focuses more on the social lives of the friends rather than their work places, this is mainly shown through Chandler as we get a sense that he is thriving in his job, but this is shrouded in mystery as we never find out what he does or indeed what his workplace looks like.A convention of an American sitcom is that it shows Americans in an ideal lifestyle and there is no hint of poverty or depravation and they appear to be at the higher middle-class and American viewers hope to aspire to this. These conventions are used in the sitcom Friends. Friends is filmed in a studio and no-matter-what shot is used, we never get to see that elusive other wall in contrast to this in the play Nevilles Island the weather appears to mirror the emotions of the characters, this is pathetic fallacy, and instead of being filmed in a studio, Nevilles Island is filmed in a natural environment on location.Nevilles Island is set in the 1990s and in a rural setting as th e entire play occurs outdoors. Nevilles Island is set in the time where John Major from the conservative party was Prime Minister, and the negative attitudes towards the situations used through Gordon mirror that of the time as John Major was trying to shake off and fight Margaret Thatchers Everyone for themselves view.Nevilles Island is a black comedy as it uses the juxtaposition of morbid and farcical elements to give a certain effect. The humour within Nevilles Island is created because of the contrasting characters and the way that they interact with each other. Each character has their own individual sense of humour Gordon possesses a sarcastic, negative and almost child-like sense of humour. Angus jokes are more centred on farcical subjects that when told arent very funny at all, but they appear to have been funny in Angus head as he laughs at his own jokes a lot. Roy doesnt really have a sense of humour as he appears to be too wrapped up in his religion, but sometimes he can appear to be quite argumentative and almost psychotic.The sitcom Friends is also centred on comedy and the humour is directed at and centred on the characters. The characters all respond differently to different situations but comedy is usually created by the use of facial expressions, accents, off-the-wall comments and the immense use of timing and pauses.From both plays there are many ideas that I would like to experiment with and include in my improvisation unit of Stranded, such as* Being stranded* Comedy/Sarcasm* Characters, with similarities to that of Nevilles Island and friends* One of the characters has a secret.* Tension* The types of characters that have been created for example Joeys use of timing and comments, Monicas obsessiveness, Phoebes eccentrics, Roys almost psychotic state of mind and his belief in religion or Gordons sarcasm and use of negative comments.The themes used within these two dramas, for example I have decided to base my Stranded improvisation work to create a piece that is focused on a shipwreck, like that of Nevilles Island. The different social settings have interested me and I understand how they affect the piece, we have decided to set our drama on a ship that is in the middle of the Irish Sea and it is full of escaped convicts/murderers that steal the boat and hold its occupier hostage, who for coincidence the criminals know, They are all Irish.

Techniques for Understanding Human Walking Motion

Techniques for Understanding Human Walking MotionIntroductionMultimedia is a term that conjointly describes a variety of media content in stock(predicate) in various forms of text, speech, audio, still images, video, animation, graphics, 3D models and combinations of them apply to capture real time moments. Over the recent geezerhood the technological advances have enabled wide availability and easy access of multimedia content and much look into was dedicated to perform automated computational tasks for a wide spectrum of applications such as surveillance, crime investigation, fashion and designing, traditional aerospace, publishing and advertising, medical applications, virtual reality applications to name a few. The volume of multimedia selective information is so huge now that the improvement in various tasks of representation, analyzing, searching and retrieving process has become the need of the hour. Among all the available types of media, video is one of the heavy(a) fo rms, widely utilise for analyzing multimedia content.Several types of videos can be captured by various recording devices but then even the most suitable types of devices mapd for acquiring videos have to deal with two important problems- sensorial gap and semantic gap. The sensory gap being- the difference among the real world and its representation. The sensory gap is the gap between the object in the world and the information in a (computational) description derived from a recording of that scene Smeulders, A. W. M., Worring, M., Santini, S., Gupta, A., and Jain, R. (2000). Content-based image convalescence at the end of the early years. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 22(12)13491380.. The semantic gap being- the difference between the carriage description by homosexual batch and the computational model used by the gentleman activity/behavior digest systems. The semantic gap is the lack of coincidence between the information that one can extract from the visual info and the interpretation that the same data have for a user in a tending(p) situation Smeulders, A. W. M., Worring, M., Santini, S., Gupta, A., and Jain, R. (2000). Content-based image recovery at the end of the early years. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 22(12)13491380.. Many researchers have proposed to build computational models of the human visual system to represent as close as possible to the reality. A major development was the manakin proposed by David Marr at MIT, who used a bottom-up approach to represent scene understanding D. Marr, Vision A Computational Investigation into the Human Representation and process of Visual selective information, Freeman, san Francisco (1982). Later, various state-of the-art methods evolved but, the technology that helps people to merge the content of multimedia, for meaningful expression is still lagging behind.Within the realm of multimedia content analysis, estimator visual sense methods and algorithms have been used as foundation and the coupled relation between multimedia analysis and computer vision is a well-known challenge. Currently, the most everyday research performed by various researchers is the human movement analysis. Several types of activities that are performed by humans can be captured by various recording devices and the human motion analysis systems were built with respect to context of applications. The aim of human movement analysis systems is to automatically consider and transform the input video sequences into semantic interpretation of them. The recognition of human activities has been studied by computer vision for quite some time but is far behind the capabilities of human vision. In human visual system- when a someone moving is observed, humans brain recognizes that persons action by analyzing the transition of postures adopted or interprets behavior by tracking the persons transition of postures and noting the intent of action. This analysis is complex for computer vision systems. Since the human body is non-rigid, deformable, articulated, a person can have a variety of postures over time. The works on human activity analysis have not provided satisfactory results yet.To solve problems relating human movement analysis using videos, the paradigm of data fusion is recommended. Multimedia data fusion is a way to integrate multiple media, their associated features or integrate intermediate decisions to perform an analysis task. According to B.V Dasarathy, Combining Multimedia data fusion is a formal framework in which are expressed gist and tools for alliance of data originating from different sources for the exploitation of their synergy in order to obtain information whose quality cannot be achieved otherwise. Dasarathy, B.V. (2001) information fusion- what, where, why, when, and how? Information fusion, 2, 75-76. In the existing literature several contributions are made to research on data fusion techniques used in multisensory environments and multimodal fusion with the aim of fusing and aggregating data obtained from multiple sources. depiction data has a significant characteristic of multimodal content. Combining the information gathered from multiple modalities is valid approach to increase accuracy. P.K Atrey, M. a Hossain, A.E Saddik and M.S Kankahalli. Multimodal fusion for multimedia analysis A Survey. Multimedia systems 16(6) 345-379, 2010 Multimedia fusion is useful for several tasks such as detection, recognition, identification, tracking and a wide range of applications.This research work presents multimedia analysis in combination with computer vision and data fusion perspectives to understand human walking motion in video sequences. This kind of research is challenging.MotivationFrom the view point of data fusion this research work is motivated by the observation that all living organisms have the capability to use multiple senses to learn about the environme nt and then the brain fuses all the information to perform a decision task. Human observer can slow and instantly recognize action. But, the main limitations with the visual sensory of humans are, limited range of visual perception, limitations and compromises of human brain. Whereas, automatic systems can work 24 hours a day and 7 days a week allowing accurate event detection and their cost is lower to maintain.On the other hand, from the view point of computer vision, algorithms and techniques are yet to improve performance for analyzing humans walking found in videos. Computer vision systems are far behind the capabilities of human vision and have to deal with two important problems- sensory gap and semantic gap. The sensory gap being- the difference between the real world and its representation and the semantic gap being- the difference between the behavior description by human vision and the computational model used by the human activity/behavior analysis systems.A promising s trategy consists in integrating different techniques of data fusion and computer vision in a unified framework to enhance the performance of the tasks associated with analyzing human walking motion and overcoming the drawbacks.1.3 The GoalThe aim of this research work is to conduct a detailed investigation of currently available tools and techniques for understanding human walking motion and develop a generic framework where data fusion and computer vision perspectives are used to analyze human walking actions in context to real life applications. During the process of fusing, coefficient of correlation of activities and patterns of activities can be detected to predict intent. Finally, performance will be evaluated for true positives, false positives and misclassifications.Summary of contributionsOur work in the thesis is focused on the following significant contributionsDesign of a unified framework, for combining data fusion and computer vision methodology to improve the perform ance of automatic analysis of human movements in videos.Tasks of detecting moving humans and related sub-problems in video frames using unsupervised techniques.Efficient technique to handle occlusion in the task of tracking walking humans.New strategy for accomplishing the task of correlation and predictions during detection and tracking of humans.Noticing and Interpreting stances change in walking movements.1.5 OutlineThe thesis is organized as followsChapter 2 presents background and related literature examine on various existing strategies and approaches of data fusion and computer vision while providing motivation for the proposed approaches used for the work in this thesis.Chapter 3 Provides detailed definition on the unified framework. Show how the frame work helps in accomplishing the tasks of analysis in multimedia content for correlation and prediction along with a compare of proposed frame work to JDL, Dasarthy data fusion model.Chapter 4 Presents an overview of state-o f-the art methods for detection of humans in videos, the proposed novel work, experiments and the evaluations.Chapter 5 Presents an overview of state-of-the art methods for tracking of humans in videos, the proposed novel work, experiments and the evaluations.Chapter 6 Automatic interpretation of changes in stance changes in human walking.Chapter 7 Conclusions, future directions and related open issues are discussed.ReferencesSmeulders, A. W. M., Worring, M., Santini, S., Gupta, A., and Jain, R. (2000).Content-based image retrieval at the end of the early years. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 22(12)13491380D. Marr, Vision A Computational Investigation into the Human Representation and Processing of Visual Information, Freeman, san Francisco (1982)Dasarathy, B.V. (2001) information fusion- what, where, why, when, and how? Information fusion, 2, 75-76P.K Atrey, M. a Hossain, A.E Saddik and M.S Kankahalli. Multimodal fusion for multimedia analysis A Sur vey. Multimedia systems 16(6) 345-379, 2010

Energy Consumption In The Industry Construction Essay

Energy Consumption In The Industry Construction EssayThis fragmentise of the report, is addressing to the capacity use in social organization and the actions that government and crook industry through so far in order to reduce carbon emissions and achieve sustainability. The major(ip) energy use in construction is by the machineries and also on the transportation of the materials to the target. Transportation accounts for 40% of all energy use in construction. The major energy consumers on web site are construction equipment prepares such as backhoe loaders dampers hydraulic excavators cranes etc.All the terms and conditions in the government and construction industry overhear to cede support and sponsoring the atomic and fossil energy. Is clip for everyone to look straight to the renewable energy and sources? Large total of money are being spent per annum in order for a certain household to be working normally. Innovated energy schemes must be solely persisted on comprehe nsive national and global calculations. Those calculations results give that the atomic and fossil sources of energy are inconsiderable to a greater extent expensive than those based on alternative Energy sources are. Those added expenses of energy use developed an sweep over social and environment chaotic debt for the new generations. Renewable energy/ dismiss options can be introduced and replace the atomic and fossil energy/ give nonice. Meanwhile they convey the energy that buildings need to either be constructed or work, are more convenient ways and also more friendly to the environment.Construction plays a major part of the energy consumed in UK, accounts for approximately 50%. In the past the main energy consumption was used for heating, but now due to the humor distortions the demands for increasing energy also for cooling. These resulted to an extensive big cost, especially in the UK. The UK Government consequently has striving targets to reduce the amount of CO2 emiss ions. This will ineluctably oblige further tightening of building codes beyond the changes in 2006 and 2007 respectively to Part L of the Building Regulations for England and Wales, and Section 6 of the Building Standards (Scotland) (1). Most of the actions adjudge been concentrated on the emissions associated to energy use in buildings. Moreover the arising issues of the embedded energy in materials, and the energy used in the transportations of the materials linked with construction has a big influence. The construction and transportation of building materials uses huge amounts of oil, gas, coal and electricity. The creation of this embedded energy has its own environmental issues such as arising of the emissions of CO2 and water and air pollutions.During the various phases of construction, energy consumes. From the material extraction to construction and thitherfore to the transportation and from site construction to demolition.During the transportation of materials to site a nd waste from site energy will also be used. The methods that involve energy use acquire been calculated and are as follows (2)-the material extraction, and therefore their fabrication-the transportation of the materials-transportation of the recycled materials-the construction and demolition procedures on the site-the transportation of the wastes-the transportation of the construction and demolitions wastesThe amount of CO2 emissions that construction can influence is significant, accounting for almost 47% of resume CO2 emissions of the UK. Due to that fact, UK government set target and adopted the strategy to transform the UK into a low-carbon nation by taking into account any contingent readjustments in energy consumption and possible contribution of alternative sources. Numerous actions direct been undertaken in order reducing the co2 emissions due construction. Those actions involved the alteration of the code for building regulations zero carbon houses by maximising the u se of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources from 2016 and onwards.In June 2008, UK government published scheme for sustainable construction, 2008, which incorporate the targets 15% reduction in carbon emissions from construction processes and associated transport compared to 2008 levels (3), 25% of products used in construction projects to be from schemes recognised for creditworthy sourcing (3) and all construction projects in excess of 1 million to have biodiversity surveys carried out and necessary actions instigated (3) (4).We are going to mainly focus on the 15% reduction in carbon emissions from construction processes and associated transport compared to 2008 levels (3). (2)The biggest sources of carbon emissions according to the 2008 baseline assessment have been identified. This Action Plan concentrates on the following points On site construction (plant and equipment) Corporate offices Transport (delivery of materials to the site and removal of waste from the site ) Business travelThe Figure 1 below, reviews and sums up the recommended actions that can be done to proceed towards accomplishing the construction carbon reduction target of 15%. We are only concentrated to five actions that cover the two bullet points above (On site construction (plant and equipment) and Transport (delivery of materials to the site and removal of waste from the site), only as they are the most important in the action plan, and will be therefore discuss in detail below the Figure 1 (2).Energy competent site accommodation (2)Often the insulation at temporary offices at construction sites are poor and unlike permanent buildings do not have the equivalent building management controls. Cabins that have been properly designed and managed have demonstrated to achieve the equivalent energy efficiency standards as permanent buildings. Carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by 50% or more using these green cabins compared to traditional temporary accommodation.7Energy eff icient site accommodation implements both the use of new energy efficiency and the redevelopment of8 quick cabin supply before the cabins are sent off again on a project site. To begin with the industry would come to an agreement on specifications on the new redeveloped cabins. These Specifications would deal with the insulation including extra padding, the glazing of windows, heating which is more economical, lighting systems with built in motion sensors, a meter that reads the electricity, a thermostat, overlook switch for all appliances.The key issues for this action is there isnt an approved specification for energy efficient site accommodation and moreover the cost issues that arising by instalment the greener cabins. Also the redeveloping of the existing cabins is complex task and has therefore more expenses. Big challenge that remains is to achieve this goal before 2012 and is really wakeless to suffer any results as would take time to redevelop all the existing stock. ( 2)Efficient use of construction plant (2)There are numerous policies for the efficient use of construction equipment plant such as-Avoid massive machines that cause inefficiency and select the appropriate machine for the construction undertaking andMake a weft of the appropriate plant that is uses considerably smaller amount of fuel (2)Address to more sustainable fuels that are more energy efficient (2)Use the plant properly (2)Servicing plant economically and not wastefully by reducing the idling time (2)Operating plant efficiently (e.g. minimizing idling and benefit use of a suitable power) (2)All of the above action concentrates on encouraging the operators of the plant to run any construction equipment plant more efficiently. to boot to permit contractors and clients to be supportive of fuel-efficient plants, the plant suppliers must improve and advertise constant fuel consumption targets.The issues with this are that the execution of this proposal would be hard for people to agree to as the cost of adopting the fuel-efficient plants would be set by the supplier and also the staff have to be trained and this wasting the time of the development to be constructed. (2)Earlier connection to the grid (2)On super construction sites power generators use large amounts of fuel so to minimise the amount of fuels used by the generators it would be more feasible to have the site connected to the national grid as early on in the construction as possible. This in turn would reduce CO2 emissions by a large amount. It requires though a series of steps to accomplished that.The issues with this are that having the site connected would take time as energy suppliers must go through checks, coordinate themselves with other groups they may be in conjunction with and thus at a date that they are available will you be connected. Delays in large construction works will be very expensive. (2)Fuel-efficient charge driving and renewable transport fuels (2)The Strategies consider ed for lowering the carbon emissions on the transportation of materials to site and waste from it are as followsUse of vehicles that are more fuel efficient (2)Decreasing the quantities of materials transported (2)Use vehicles that consume low quantities of carbon fuels (hybrid vehicles) (2)Suitable loading of vehicles to increase the operation speeds and efficiency of vehicles. (2)By obtaining construction materials from suppliers in the local anesthetic area you can make a reduction in the distance travelled. (2)By more efficient driving. Changing gears at the correct revolution and retentiveness a reasonable constant speed. (2)The issues with this are the execution and certification of staff training also it will be expensive to train a large number of staff and drivers and that will also cost further delays. (2)Sharing knowledge about alternative sustainable fuels (2)In the UK and Europe diesel fuel is mostly used for generators and equipment on site but there is an interest in using an alternative sustainable fuel. Generators that are fuelled by bio diesel or gas powered are less carbon concentrated and would cut carbon emissions by 25%.These generators powered by diesel fuel have been tested on construction projects in the USA and in Europe and have been successful.The issues with this are supply, biodiesel is not a fuel that is regularly used and there are few people who produce it. With the use of sustainable fuels there might be issues that will arise with health and safety, the impacts, reliability, and performance. As the cost of get biodiesel will be cheaper the cost of hiring a generator that has been modified to use biodiesel will be more as there are few.All those actions have been taken and will continue running in the construction section until 2012. Many problems arising from the other side, like financial and many delays to accomplish those actions. We might not successfully resolve and achieve all the actions according to the policies but at least we can see some progress of the construction industry part involving the environmental aspects. (2)

Jesusville and Catholic Boys: Silent Suffering in the Novel Essay

Philip Cioffari, in both works, Jesusville and Catholic Boys, puts forth the idea of the silent sufferer. Used in different ways in each(prenominal) of the novels, the silent sufferer is characterized by guilt and shame. This preaching savors at Vee in Jesusville, whose character undergoes punishment as a way of being possessed and alleviating the muzzy and lonely feeling within her and Arthur and Donald in Catholic Boys, who are punished for the guilt of others sins. These characters suffer silently, each one reinforcing major themes in their novels through their punishment.To begin, the discussion focuses on Vickis character in Jesusville. When first introduced to Vicki, Cioffari describes her as having a startling beauty, dressed with a look that seemed to be a threat to her caoutchouc (Cioffari 14). Shortly into the novel, we see Vickis uneasiness and her need for validationthat is a confirmation of self and of the existence of another. Cioffari writes, With her rigid glaze she seemed almost catatonic. She indigenceed him there, precisely it was as if nothing existed but herself and maybe not even that (Cioffari 21). Vicki realizes her need to be validated though, she is unaware of how she is to obtain it. Vicki then asks Trace, Did you ever think when you look at yourself like this in the mirror that what youre seeing isnt really you (Cioffari 22)? She continues, stating, Im not Vicki anymore. From now on I want you to call me Vee. Okay (Cioffari 22)? It is at this point in the novel that Vee becomes aware of her own isolationto Trace and to others. Her loneliness eats away at her and makes it unfeasible for her to have a fulfilling relationship. Vickis shift into the personage of Vee is her validation of the person that s... ... example of the silent sufferer. On the cross, Christ cries out in pain, but neer against the men beating him. In none of the biblical accounts does ask them to stop and think about what they are doing. Instead he looks to his Father, resigning himself to Gods will, subtile that he must be the sacrifice, and like Vee, bear the weight of crimes. As silent sufferers and pictures of Christ, Vee, Arthur, and Donald absolve their sins through their resignation to suffering. Vee is able to alleviate the brokenness within her, settle her faith crisis. Arthur gives up his fleshly body order to gain a spiritual body through death. Through this process they demonstrate major themes in novel including redemption, sin, consequences, and resolutionideas that can be seen not just in the stories of these three characters, but in the majority of Cioffaris characters.

What is Religion Essay -- essays research papers fc

World ReligionWhat is Religion?According to the American College Dictionary, faith is a noun defined as the quest for the values of the ideal life. This definition is vast and general, in allowing for a variety of interpretations by people from all cultures. There is no single path to follow in order to lead an ideal life, only personal beliefs and experiences. Religion is non-finite so there is no way of determining a boundary (Smart, 5). In my quest for a true understanding of what religion is I explored my possess traditions and religious beliefs as well as life experiences. Slowly, with the added insight from the text and videos, my own definition of religion has begun to take shape.Perhaps the most powerful statement made about religion was made by Dr. John Simmons of Western Illinois University. He makes the valid point that religion is not a noun, but a verb. Religion is based on beliefs and how people act based on those beliefs. Tradition, prayer, and surmisal are all a cts of religion and are considered intangible behaviors. Although many rituals of religion are things, the ethical and social portions are lifestyles. In addition to this point, Dr. Simmons mentions the possibility of religion being founded as a way to understand and answer important questions about life and death. People must find out who they are, why they are here on Earth, and what purpose their life holds. Questions known as boundary questions are posed when humans are faced with new situations in their lives (Beliefs and Believers, household 1). They must believe that there is reasoning to support their actions. Rites of passage are the most frequent experiences involving boundary questions. For example, as a child of Christian parents, I was told that people die because it is their turn to be with Jesus. Heaven made sense to me and comforted me, knowing that my loved ones would be in such a rattling(prenominal) place. Also in the Christian religion, questions may arise abou t the beginning of life and how we got to Earth. The myth of Adam and Eve and the story of the Creation answers that for Christian believers. As for my purpose on Earth, my question was answered by the Christian doctrine. I am here to spread the word of God in actions and words so that all humans may know His love. However, these answers do not make sense to a... ... identity and answers profound life questions otherwise unobtainable. In only a condensed period of time, my perception of religion has changed vastly. I have been introduced to many other perspectives that have impacted my own beliefs. I hope that as I prevent to study new religious ideas, my understanding and knowledge will grow as well.BIBLIOGRAPHYBeliefs and Believers. Teleclass.University Park, Illinois Governors State University, 1999Marty, Martin. Interview with Dr. John K. Simmons. Beliefs and BelieversUniversity Park, Illinois Governors State University, 1999Simmons, Dr. John K. Beliefs and Believers Teleclas s Study Guide.Dubuque, Iowa Kendall/Hunt, 1999Smart, Ninian. Worldviews Crosscultural Explorations of kind-hearted Beliefs (Third Ed).Upper Saddle River, NJ Prentice-Hall, 2000Tindall, George. America Brief 5th Edition.NY, NY Norton, 2000Williams, Rev. Cecil. Interview with Dr. John K. Simmons. Beliefs and BelieversUniversity Park, Illinois Governors State University, 1999