Sociology How Reference Groups Influence Our Lives Essay

Reference groups are the groups that people identify psychologically and in which it serves as the sources of self-evaluation. Reference groups also influence the way people become, the way the think and act, as well as what people believe. There are two types of reference groups positive and negative reference groups. Positive reference groups refer to groups that people aspire to become and negative reference groups refer to groups that we do not want to be identified with. Having the knowledge of a reference group will help people understand why some groups behave as they do. The way to clarify the way a person behaves is through the knowledge about what kind of reference group that the person looks upon and does not. My reference†¦show more content†¦The second positive reference group is top students in school. I always find myself admiring people with high grades and wide knowledge. I belong to Economics Club in Georgia State and whenever we have meeting to discuss abo ut current economics issue. Members will share his or her knowledge and information that make them sound like a professional economist especially the current US debt issue. Before the meeting I will find myself to read news from a lot of sources to make sure that I could be one of them who try to make analysis regarding the issue. Besides, top students with great knowledge always stand out in the class and by competing with them, I force myself to fit into this groups. This groups have shaped the way I study and my ‘never give up’ attitude in studying. This also makes me understand the way those top students behave because they understand that knowledge can bring a bright future for them. The third reference group is a negative reference groups as I try very hard not to become one of them. People with little education or no education at all always end up being an alcoholic or filling in low-paid jobs. Females usually end up being prostitutes as their source of income a nd male may end up being homeless. The major problem in the society is to deal with poverty and one solution is to be educated. Poor people always find themselves beingShow MoreRelatedSociology Essay1116 Words   |  5 PagesRahman, â€Å"development of sociology took place in Europe during 18th and 19th centuries as the results: of a new industrial economy, the growth of cities, the political change, and a new awareness of society.† She adds that, â€Å"the term sociology was coined by a French social thinker Auguste Comte (1798-1857).† In the book, Thinking Sociology by Carl, sociology is defined as, â€Å"a science guided by the basic understanding that the social matters: our lives are affected, not only by our individual characteristicsRead MoreEssay on Sociology and Social Sciences1144 Words   |  5 Pagesthe seven social sciences (anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology) according to what you believe is their importance and influence on the people in a modern society. Answer: 1.Psychology (How humans think influences most, if not all of the social sciences.)   2.Sociology (This helps figure out how society thinks. If you understand how society thinks, you can improve it.)   3.Political Science (Politics runs every country.)   4.History (ThisRead MoreExplain How Culture and Socialisation Interact in a Sociological Context1719 Words   |  7 PagesExplain how culture and socialisation interact in a sociological context? Culture is our knowledge we gain from birth as a result of our immersement into our cultural group. Socialisation is the way in which we learn this information we gain from such contact. When we look at the two ‘Culture and Socialisation’ and study how this interaction occurs, what is gained, changed, modified, etc we are defining the interaction of culture and socialisation and how they react to each other we are using ‘Sociology’Read MoreWhat is Sociology?1169 Words   |  5 Pages . Introduction Sociology is described by Layder (2006, p.1) as being â€Å"How the encounters of everyday life and individual behaviour influence, and are influenced by, the wider social environment in which we live† Bauman May (2001. p.1) describe a visual image of the output of sociology, as being a â€Å"collection of books in a library†. The discussion within this collection broadly follows main concepts and perspectives, with many authors, but also of key peer tested Authors. I will initiallyRead MoreWhich Is More Important in Shaping Individual Identity: Social Structure or Social Interaction?1284 Words   |  6 Pagesstructure) and microsociology (social interaction). Within social structure is class, status and institutions they will be expanded upon later in detail on the way they influence one social identity more then social interaction. Social identity is defined as a person’s acknowledgement of belonging to a certain social category or group where its members possess the same social identification and observe the surroundings with an individual perspective (Hogg amp; Abrams 1988, p. 7). To better understandRead MoreEssay about Sociology Midterm955 Words   |  4 Pagesimagination, cite its components, and explain how they were defended by C. Wright Mills. The sociological imagination is defined as being a way of thinking that helps us use information or data to form theories about the social patterns around us. We collect information and from that information we may make judgments or prediction. However we cannot view society in one’s own point of view. Everyone is different so it is important to not only form our own theories but also to take into considerationRead MoreMy Big Fat Gypsy Wedding1314 Words   |  6 Pagesat birth via naming, clothing, and treatment of the infant, and it continues to be taught and reinforced throughout life within most social institutions† (Online Learning Centre, 2003). The main agents of socialisation include family, school, peer group, and media. Families begin in the process for their children to define whether they’re male or female. The child learns the appropriate roles associated with their gender. An example of this is letting your children play with certain toys that areR ead MoreMarriage, Family, And Religion1687 Words   |  7 Pagesto the functioning of our present day society. In this paper, marriage and family and their changes over time will be discussed. Topics such as religion, which plays an important role is the development and changes of ideas regarding these two topics will be approached as well as the social changes due to tradition and the changes of time in regards of marriage and traditional thoughts of marriage and family. In this paper, these topics are discussed in order to establish how they have effected sameRead MoreSociological Concepts Essay728 Words   |  3 Pagessocioautobiography is to use the insights from sociology to better understand your own story; it is a way of using the concepts of sociology to explore our personal riddle. But the socioautobiography is not a diary or a point-by-point account of your life since infancy. It is rather a reflective exercise in which you step outside of yourself and employ sociolog ical concepts to interpret your experiences. . . . it uses the concepts of the discipline to interpret our life in its social context. (p. 287) Read MoreRacism and Sexism in Education1166 Words   |  5 PagesRace, as defined in The Penguin Dictionary of Sociology, as involving the following issues: cultural differences between groups can be explained wholly by reference to genetic differences, and that social inequalities between ethnic groups are genetic in origin; the study of structures which produce and maintain racism and racial hatred; the study of the interaction between social class and ethnicity in social stratification, giving rise to both vertical and horizontal segments in the social structure

The Kite Runner and Novel - 1201 Words

Could the story of the novel exist without the class difference between Amir and Hassan? Make a case, using specific plot points and historical facts to ground your argument. Examine the concept of circularity in the novel. What important cycles exist in the characters lives and histories? How is circularity connected to redemption? Explore the way in which courage is portrayed in the novel. What constitutes true bravery? What are the key moments when characters are brave and who is the bravest character, if any? Use specific examples from the text to support your argument. Each character in the novel is shaped not only by his particular circumstances, but by the historical and political events that occur during his life. Consider†¦show more content†¦Consider the idea of a homeland or watan. How do you think the novel defines a homeland? Make sure to consider the opinions of Farid and Assef. Also, consider this question in terms of Amir and Sohrab, two characters who leave Afghanistan when they are still growing up. Even though countless events occur in the novel, the title refers to kite fighting and kite running. What do these activities represent in the novel and why are they so important? To whom or what does the title, The Kite Runner, refer? Examine what itCould the story of the novel exist without the class difference between Amir and Hassan? Make a case, using specific plot points and historical facts to ground your argument. Examine the concept of circularity in the novel. What important cycles exist in the characters lives and histories? How is circularity connected to redemption? Explore the way in which courage is portrayed in the novel. What constitutes true bravery? What are the key moments when characters are brave and who is the bravest character, if any? Use specific examples from the text to support your argument. Each character in the novel is shaped not only by his particular circumstances, but by the historical and political events that occur during his life. Consider Sohrab, the only character of his generation; how is he different from the other characters and how are these differences a function of whatShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Novel The Kite Runner1043 Words   |  5 PagesIn the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir has an epiphany, realizing, â€Å"there is only what you do and what you don’t do.† (Hosseini 212) Amir proves this statement true throughout the novel, showing that it is the actions one does or does not take that determines fate. He validates this statement through the consequences of not intervening during Hassan’s rape, setting up Hassan as a thief, and fighting Assef to save Sohrab. Each of these actions, or lack thereof, are critical in shapingRead MoreAn Essay on Orientalism Through Novel the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini1223 Wor ds   |  5 PagesHosseini who wrote this novel The Kite Runner tells the story of a man who wants to make up for all the wrongs he did throughout his life. This novel portrays Orientalism. Orientalism is a negative point of view that is to look at the west (Occident) with. This novel The Kite Runner has many characteristics that tell us that this book is portraying an Orientalist view. An example of this would be characters that show themselves as everyday Afghanistani stereotypes. This novel does not only portrayRead MoreCharacter analysis: How does Amir change in the novel The Kite Runner?1139 Words   |  5 Pagesthroughout the novel? The character of Amir goes through drastic changes as he moves from adolescence to adulthood. As a child Amir begins his life in Kabul, where his character is shaped through conflicts with his father and Hassan. Later, when he moves to America he leaves these conflicts behind and is able to create a stronger relationship with his father. However, when Amir is an adult he is called back to Afghanistan by an old friend to confront these earlier conflicts. In The Kite Runner by KhaledRead MoreRedemption is a capacity that both Amir from the remarkable novel Kite Runner, written by Khaled900 Words   |  4 PagesRedemption is a capacity that both Amir from the remarkable novel Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseni along with Walt Kalwoski the main character of the unforgettable movie Gran Tornio, directed by Clint Eastwood, withhold. Both Walt and Amir were collided with life changing events that later shaped the individuals they are today. Nevertheless, throughout both stories, the pr otagonists are faced with opportunities to redeem themselves, often at the risk of hurting their loved ones more than theyRead MoreThe Kite Runner1069 Words   |  5 PagesWhat role did assef play in The Kite Runner? antagonist Who is rahim khan in The Kite Runner? Rahim Khan is Babas business partner and best friend. What is the mood of The Kite Runner? The mood of one flying a kite i would say is optimistic. Flying a kite doesnt always go as planned. What disease did Ali have in The Kite Runner? Parkinsons. What did Baba decide to construct and pay for in The Kite Runner? An orphanage How was amir responsible for the flight of ali and hassan? Read MoreAnalysis Of The Kite Runner 1229 Words   |  5 PagesThe Kite Runner’s plot is centered on the story of Amir, a young boy who grew up in Afghanistan with his father, and friend, Hassan. Amir was raised without a mother, and had no womanly influence in his life until he was married. This lack of women in the storyline has caused some to argue that the novel is demeaning to women (Gomez). The vulgar language and explicit themes are seen as demoralizing towards the female gender (Schaub). In the novel the women are required to remain committed and submissiveRead MoreSymbolism Of Kite Running By Khaled Hosseini1243 Words   |  5 PagesKali Denney Mr. Snyder AP Literature and Composition 11 December 2015 Symbolism of Kite Running In this essay the book being discussed is, Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Khaled Hosseini’s biography will be discussed as well as the historical influences upon him that affect the novel as a whole. The essay will contain a critical analysis as well as an analysis of the critical response to the work by others. In the novel and now a grown man, the main character Amir recalls events in his childhood thatRead MoreForever Typing: Use of Fatherhood in â€Å"The Kite Runner†1162 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Kite Runner† by Kahleed Hosseini has been deemed a ‘big hit’ by Craig Wilson, journalist for USA Today, selling more than 1.4 million copies, and requiring 17 printings at the time the article was printed, April, 2005. Some have called it a â€Å"certifiable phenomena for a first-time author in today’s anemic book market† (Singh), others still have said â€Å"is about the price of peace, both personal and political† (Hill). Hosseini has already made himself a success with The Kite Runner. Hosseini, inRead MoreThe Kite Runner Symbolism Analysis753 Words   |  4 PagesTHE KITE RUNNER Symbolism is a literary device found in all mediums. Symbols are marks or words that designate the significant features in a piece of literature. They allow people to connect to the many concepts found in the literary works. The novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, showcases this notion of symbolism well. These symbols come full circle by the end of the novel as they represent pivotal moments in the close bond Amir and Hassan share. Within the novel, Hosseini uses a kite to symbolizeRead MoreKhaled Hosseini is the Man Who Makes a Difference with His Novels808 Words   |  4 Pages(Hower). Khaled Hosseini’s novels have brought many of his readers a different perspective of Afghanistan. Many people after reading Hosseini’s books start to notice this place more and have sympathy feelings rather negative views about it. Usually people believe the media’s information that conveys about Afghanistan as a poverty place but does not specify why they live in this co nditions and how those states affect their everyday life. In the two novels The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns

Ethos - Pathos and Logos for Communication- myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theEthos, Pathos and Logos for Traditional Communication. Answer: Persuasion is an important at of what the stories need to achieve and it is also the same place where an understanding of the roles played by the political rhetoric becomes the main point. Rhetoric at its core is referred to an art of persuasion and is a power to make use of the device for verbal communication in order to change a persons mind through arguments and this has been a consistent interpretation for over 2000 years, ever since Aristotle, the Greek philosopher first detected the three main forms of rhetoric- ethos, pathos and logos (Tran 2016). He described the power of the ethos, pathos and logos in convincing the mind of the people. The modes of persuasion of Aristotle, which is otherwise known as the rhetorical appeals are commonly known as the ethos, pathos and logos. These rhetorical appeals are the means of persuading others in order to believe a specific point of view. These appeals are generally used in advertising and speech writing in order to sway the audiences. This paper will elaborate on how these Aristotelian appeals of the ethos, pathos and logos have underpinned the persuasive communication for over the 2000 years. It will describe these appeals with relevant examples of their application in the modern business communication and their importance in the digitalized world of communication. As according to Aristotle, rhetoric refers to the ability, in each specific case, in order to see the present means of persuasion. In modern days, business makes use of advertising their products and services and they consider it to be a communication strategy. The advertising appeals are used by the marketing and the advertising professionals in order to cater the attention and to persuade the customers for buying or acting (Berlanga, Garcia-Garcia and Victoria 2013). In the theory of rhetorical appeal, the idea of appeal dates back to the Aristotle, the one who had identified the three primary appeals of communication, which are also known as the rhetorical triangle. They are ethos, pathos and logos. In the modern language they are known as appeal of credibility, emotion and logic respectively. The term ethos, which is sometimes also referred to as an appeal to the ethics, is generally used as a means to convince the audiences through the creditability or authority of the persuader, either be it a significant or an experienced figure in a particular field or be it a popular celebrity. In other words, it is the credibility or trustworthiness of the speaker. It is essentially the credibility of a business man, which is the reason for which people must believe what he is saying. In many cases, ethos comes solely from the rank of the business man within an organization. In modern days, the leaders build the ethos most efficiently through demonstrating the technical expertise in a particular area and through displaying a strong level of character and integrity (McCormack 2014). This strong level of character and integrity convinces the audiences or the customers that the man is not going to lie to them. As stated by Aristotle, We believe fair minded people to a greater extent an d more quickly than we do others. Hence, the very first level of judgment which is casted by audiences is targeted at the credibility of the speakers. Before a speaker takes a stage for speaking, the audience already starts to analyze him different ways. Credibility is usually established through the perceptions of the audiences on authority, respect, history, expertise, trustworthiness as well as emotional and physical presentation. Whether they are placed in corporate lobbies, retail stores or waiting rooms, digital signs usually have to accomplish one of these two things- persuading the audience for taking action and informing the audience. In this world of digital signage, making use of ethos help to persuade the viewers is really hard (Kaplan 2014). Until and unless that content actually features someone who is both well-respected and identifiable in the fields, the business cannot simply have enough time to introduce its argument maker. The term pathos, which is associated with an appeal to emotion, is a method of swaying the audience of an argument through creating a response that is emotional to a convincing story or an impassioned plea. It is all about making emotional connection and attachment, which is essentially the main reason behind why people believe the man is saying will surely matter to them. Hence, it is very important of making emotional bond with the customers in business as it has a great power to flourish a business and therefore, it is a critical area of competence for the leaders in modern days. Giving the customers individual attention, being enthusiastic regarding the progress of the organization as well as of the individuals that enable it and taking active interest in the career development of the team members are the ways in which the leaders do this well. In the end, pathos has indeed the greatest impact on the perception of the followers of the effectiveness of the leaders as communicators . As stated by Aristotle, To understand the emotionsthat is, to name them and describe them, to know their causes and the way in which they are excited. Ability of tapping into the emotions of the audience could evoke the feelings of connectedness as well as that of the motivation of acting and prescribing to the thoughts and positions of the speakers (Dima, Teodorescu and Gifu 2014). It can be attained through humor, vivid storytelling, engaging the delivery of information, descriptive use of language and emphasizing emotionally in the words and themes. There are many use of pathos in the content of digital signage. It is an appeal which lends itself to the imagery. However, it is also to note that all the empathy and the authority present in the world would not really help if people do not understand what the business is talking about or how it came to its conclusion. The term logos, the appeal to logic are a method of persuading an audience with a reason by making use of the facts and figures. It is the mode for appealing to the sense of reason to others. The modern leaders express their logical ideas in compelling and clear terms in order to influence the results or outcomes through employing strengths in problem solving, strategic thinking as well as in analytical skills (Mshvenieradze 2013). While there are some who get by on gut feeling. In this context, Aristotle has said that Persuasion occurs through the arguments when we show the truth or the apparent truth from whatever is persuasive in each case (MacDonnell 2016). It is to note that a clear and concise argument, which is logical as well, provides substance to the message of the speak er. Hence, these three Aristotelian elements of communication reinforce each other. Each of these three elements is extremely important for excellent communication. Combing them is the path to achieve the expected success. They are the core pillars of persuasion that have set the foundation for creating a connection in between the speaker and the audience to be achieved. They are of a great help in the modern world of digitalized business in making their communication effective. Though these elements have been identified 2000 years ago, but they still have the potential to change the communication issues of any business in an effective one, if implemented collaboratively. References: Berlanga, I., Garca-Garca, F. and Victoria, J.S., 2013. Ethos, pathos y logos en Facebook. El usuario de redes: nuevo rtor del siglo XXI.Comunicar,21(41). Dima, I.C., Teodorescu, M. and Gifu, D., 2014. New communication approaches vs. traditional communication.International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences,20, pp.46-55. Kaplan, R.B., 2014. Contrastive rhetoric and discourse analysis: Who writes what to whom? When? In what circumstances?. InDiscourse and social life(pp. 124-143). MacDonnell, T.C., 2016. The Rhetoric of the Fourth Amendment: Toward a More Persuasive Fourth Amendment.Wash. Lee L. Rev.,73, p.1869. McCormack, K.C., 2014. Ethos, pathos, and logos: The benefits of Aristotelian rhetoric in the courtroom.Wash. U. Jurisprudence Rev.,7, p.131. Mshvenieradze, T., 2013. Logos ethos and pathos in political discourse.Theory and Practice in Language Studies,3(11), p.1939. Tran, B., 2016. Ethos, Pathos, and Logos of Doing Business Abroad: Geert Hofstede's Five Dimensions of National Culture on Transcultural Marketing. InInternational Business: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications(pp. 1601-1626). IGI Global.

Modernism in Another Country Ernest Hemingway Essay Example

Modernism in Another Country Ernest Hemingway Paper Davenport Jessica Period 3 7 March 2011 Have you ever wondered how modernism went along with the novels that were written in that time? Well â€Å"In Another Country† portrays Modernism and The Harlem Renaissance in many different ways. During this period was when WW1 went on from 1914-1918, The Jazz Age which was know as â€Å"The Roaring Twenties†, and The Great Depression, which included The Dust Bowl and The New Deal. This was just some of the few things that happened. With some of the historical events also came some important people. Edna St. Vincent Millay and Dorthy Parker were the two women who celebrated the clash between the traditional and modern values, celebrating youth, independence, and also freedom from social constraints. Also during this time John Steinbeck was the writer who wrote about the despairs that the population was going through during the dust bowl. During the time of the mass production Sinclair Lewis was just one of the few writers who felt he was being alienated by all of the new values and lifestyles. Along with the different types of things happening there were many different topics and ways that the writers wrote things. Most of the novels were about the war that was going on which was known as â€Å"The Great War† or WW1. In the story â€Å"In Another Country† Hemingway was an injured soldier in Milan, he was one of the very first to try out a new machine that was supposed to help injuries. The doctor that was helping him with his leg injury was hopeful that the machines were going to work and Hemingway would be playing football just like he had been doing before the war. We will write a custom essay sample on Modernism in Another Country Ernest Hemingway specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Modernism in Another Country Ernest Hemingway specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Modernism in Another Country Ernest Hemingway specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Then he meets another soldier who is getting his mangled hand fixed by the same machines and the doctor also promises him that he will be able to return to fencing but this man finds out that his wife has passed away when he was in Milan and he is devastated about it. That is when Hemingway realizes that he did not deserve his medals and his injury was not heroic action but an accident. One way the piece of literature is an example from the period Works Cited â€Å"The Harlem Renaissance and Modernism 1910-1940 A Changing Awareness†. McDougall Littell Literature: American Literature. Evanston I11. : Houghton Mifflin Co. , 2008. Print.

Free Essays on Edgar A. Poe’s Fear of Self

Edgar Allan Poe was a unique man that most people could not understand. Many recognize that he is a talented writer with a very strange and dark style. One of his most well known short stories is â€Å"The Fall Of The House Of Usher.† Many argue the different meanings of this story and how it is symbolic to his life. Poe was a very confused individual who needed to express him self, he accomplished this through the short story of â€Å"The Fall Of The House Of Usher.† Through this story, Edgar was trying to show the fear he had for him self, he did not understand him self so therefore Poe ran from his own personality and mind. This story enables the reader to take a look at Poe’s mind and reveals some of the details that led him into his own insanity. Almost everyone goes through different fazes in their lives where they are trying to find their true self. Some may be happy and content with who they are where as others are scarred and frightened at the human beings they have become. Edgar finally came to a point in his life where he needed to step back and examine himself. The method that he chose was to look into the depths of his own mind. There are many things for which he needed to come to terms with, in a sense he had grown apart from himself and needed to find out who he really was. The story of â€Å"The Fall Of The House Of Usher† is the story of Edgar Allan Poe taking a journey into his own mind in search of who he had become. Upon reaching the house of Usher he has come to the outer shell of his own mind, it is not clear what is wrong but Poe is certain that there is something off set and out of place. He cannot quite put his finger on it but it is there never the less. â€Å"What was it-I paused to think-what was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the House of Usher† (234). Before Poe truly finds what he is looking for, he knows that there is something wrong within himself. Even the setting of this story describes... Free Essays on Edgar A. Poe’s Fear of Self Free Essays on Edgar A. Poe’s Fear of Self Edgar Allan Poe was a unique man that most people could not understand. Many recognize that he is a talented writer with a very strange and dark style. One of his most well known short stories is â€Å"The Fall Of The House Of Usher.† Many argue the different meanings of this story and how it is symbolic to his life. Poe was a very confused individual who needed to express him self, he accomplished this through the short story of â€Å"The Fall Of The House Of Usher.† Through this story, Edgar was trying to show the fear he had for him self, he did not understand him self so therefore Poe ran from his own personality and mind. This story enables the reader to take a look at Poe’s mind and reveals some of the details that led him into his own insanity. Almost everyone goes through different fazes in their lives where they are trying to find their true self. Some may be happy and content with who they are where as others are scarred and frightened at the human beings they have become. Edgar finally came to a point in his life where he needed to step back and examine himself. The method that he chose was to look into the depths of his own mind. There are many things for which he needed to come to terms with, in a sense he had grown apart from himself and needed to find out who he really was. The story of â€Å"The Fall Of The House Of Usher† is the story of Edgar Allan Poe taking a journey into his own mind in search of who he had become. Upon reaching the house of Usher he has come to the outer shell of his own mind, it is not clear what is wrong but Poe is certain that there is something off set and out of place. He cannot quite put his finger on it but it is there never the less. â€Å"What was it-I paused to think-what was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the House of Usher† (234). Before Poe truly finds what he is looking for, he knows that there is something wrong within himself. Even the setting of this story describes...

Important Read This Before You Send SAT Scores to Colleges

Important Read This Before You Send SAT Scores to Colleges SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips No matter how stellar your transcript, no matter how mastered your extracurricular activities, no matter how lyrical your essay- no application is complete without your SAT scores. So how do you make sure your SAT scores are sent properly, at the right time, and with only the scores you are most proud of? Read on for our best advice on the decisions you'll be faced with and what to do in case something goes wrong. In this article,I'll go over the process of sending SAT scores, the ins and outs of SAT Score Choice, when to send SAT scores (and when not to!), and what to do if your scores go missing. I'll also explain the pros and cons of every option and give you my suggestion anytime there are multiple possible ways to proceed. How to Send Your SAT Scores: 2 Methods You can send your SAT scores either when you takethe test or anytime after you get your scores. We'll look at the two methods in more detail below. Method 1: Use Your Four Free Score Reports When you register for the SATand for nine days after you take the test, you can send four free score reports tocolleges and scholarship programs. However, note that you'd be doing this without first seeing your scores. Here's our advice onwhether you should send these free four SAT score reports: Pros: These four score reports are free. A dollar saved is a dollar earned! Cons:You won't know your scores before they get sent out. This means you won't be able to use SAT Score Choice to pick which scores colleges see and which they don't see (more about Score Choice in the next part of this article). Essentially, your scores will be sent out even if they aren't as strong as you'd like them to be. Recommendation:Save some money and time- use your four free score reports to send scores to colleges that want to see all your SAT scores. Note: More and more schools are allowing students to self-report their SAT/ACT scores and only require official score reports if students are accepted. If you're only applying to schools that fall into that category and wait until your acceptances to send an official score report, you'll have to default to method 2, which we'll be covering next. Ben Franklin and his three-pence paper money are proud of your frugality. Method 2: Order Additional Score Reports You can alsoorder SAT score reports through your College Board account anytime after you get your scores. In your account, you can see all of your SAT test dates and scoresand choose which ones to send out. Here's our advice about whether you should send your SAT scores after you see them: Pros:You can see all your scores first, so you can select only your best scores to be sent out (again, I'll address SAT Score Choice in more detail below). Cons: It costs$12 to send a score report to a college, and each report can include a number of test scores on it. In other words, if you want to send three SAT scores to the University of Vermont and two to the University of Hawaii, you'd pay $24. (Students eligible for a fee waiver have unlimited free score reports.) Note that rush reports cost more:$31. Here are our recommendations for when to order additional SAT score reports: Send scores withyour best section results to colleges that superscore the SAT. These schools make a new composite score using your best Math, Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), and Essayscores from any SATs you took. Send your single highest score to colleges that neither superscore norrequire all your scores,to SAT scholarship programs,andto the NCAA if you plan to playcollege sports. Can You Send Old SAT Scores? To send scores from an SAT you took more than a year ago, you must request them from the archives. Each report costs$31, and each rush report costs an additional $31. You can order old SAT scores in one of two ways (note that youcannotorder them online through your College Board account): Fill out the Archived Score Report Order Form and send it to the following address: SAT Program PO Box 7503 London, KY 40742-7503 Call the College Board at (866) 756-7346.Be aware that there is an additional $15 fee for ordering scores over the phone. Pro Tip: You might run across QA websites that tell you to simply mail or fax a copy of your printed SAT score report to colleges as a way of sending scores for free. Don't listen to these! Most colleges only look at official score reports sent directly by the College Board. You can't simply send schools a copy of your report, even if your deadline is approaching. Faxed a copy of your scores? Might as well have sent them this note. Can YouChoose Which SAT Scores to Send? You can now decide whether you want the College Board to send all your SAT scores to colleges or whether you want to use a program called Score Choice. SAT Score Choice lets you pick which scores you send to schools.You can select individual test dates, but not test sections. In other words, you pick the date of the SAT you want to send, and the College Board will send out scores from that test and that test only. Say you tookthe SATthree times, and the second time you were nursing a fever and just generally having a bad day. Score Choice lets you send only the first and third test scores to colleges- so you can go ahead and consign that second one to the dustbin of history. Score Choice also applies to SAT Subject Tests.You can pick which Subject Test score to send to your target colleges. Here are the pros and cons of the SAT Score Choice policy: Pros Score Choice is awesome for colleges that don’t requireall of your SAT scores. It's also perfect for colleges that superscore- you can send them the test dates that have your highest section scores. It's great forany SAT Subject Tests you’ve taken multiple times,since you just want colleges to get your highest score. Finally, it’s the best way to send your best single SAT score to scholarship programs and the NCAA. Cons You have toread your target colleges' score submission policies very carefully. Failing to send all your scores to colleges that require all of them could land your application in hot water. To make keeping track of different policies easier, check out CollegeBoard's BigFuture site, which lists the SAT score policies for hundreds of US schools. When Should YouSend YourSAT Scores? Now, let's discuss the best timing for sending SAT scores to colleges. In this section, we'll touch on how early to send your scores, when to expect scores to reach your colleges, whether to consider rush ordering your score reports, and finally what to do if you miss a deadline. Should You Send Your SAT Scores Early? The College Board claims that sending scores earlyshows colleges that you're a very interested applicant. If you first take the SAT your junior year, then, should you go ahead and send that score to colleges you're particularly interested in? It's true that some collegesdo sometimes ask to see proof that an applicant sincerely wants to go to their school; this is calleddemonstrated interest.But this is something that usually comes into play after you've turned in your full application, usually as a way to move someone up on a waitlist. Typically, sending SAT scores early does notgive you an edge. Similarly, it doesn't count as demonstrated interest.This is because if you send SAT scores to a college but haven’t applied there yet, the admission staff will simply save them under your name in a general file until your application shows up. And it's not only that. If you send your scores early and are planning to retake the SAT, you won't get the full benefit of Score Choice since you won't be able to compare your early score with ones from later tests you take. Save getting there early for the Harry Potter swag line. When Should SAT Scores Get to the Admissions Office? It will be no surprise to hear that official SAT score reports should get to your schools by their respective application deadline.In order to figure out what this means in terms of when to send your scores, let’s go through the timing of everything that happens after you take the test. Step 1: The College Board Scores Your SAT Scoringusually takes two to three weeks but can take more than five weeks for the June test date. Step 2: Score Reports Are Posted Online and Processed for Sending You can access your SAT score report through your College Board account. If you registered for the four free score reports, these will be sent out to colleges about one to two weeks after your scores appearonline (if you took the SAT without Essay). If you took the SAT with Essay, your scores will be sent out about 10 days after you get them online. As soon as scores are online, you can order additional score reports from the College Board website. Step 3: Colleges Receive Your SAT Scores Most colleges receive test scores electronically through software that files your score with the rest of your application materials. Colleges themselvesselect how often to download new SAT score reports; this is usually somewhere between once per day and once per week(for example, UVA gets SAT scores daily). Remember that there will be a lag between when a college gets your scores and when it adds them to your application file. In most circumstances, the math for ordering SAT score reports goes like this: less than 1 week for ordering scores + 1 week for colleges to get and file scores = order scores at least 2weeks before the application deadline I always hedge my bets, soI’d advise ordering test reports at least three weeks early for safety or, even better, as soon as you're done testing and know which schools you're applying to. Your last possible test date math looks like this: 3weeks for scoring + 3 weeks for ordering tests = take your last test no later than6weeks before the application deadline Should You Rush Your SAT Score Report Order? If you are worried about beating deadlines, youcan pay extra for the College Board'srush service. Here are the pros and cons of doing so: Pros Instead of taking "a few days"to send your scores, the College Boardguarantees SAT scores will be sent out within two to four business days. Cons This service does not speed up how long it takes the College Board to score your test. It also does not speed up how long it takes for colleges to receive your scores. Remember, schools choose the timing themselves, with some getting score reports only weekly. In other words, while your scores are sent sooner, they aren't necessarily going to be seenby schools sooner. Colleges that receive score reports electronically might not view priority reports at all. The service costs $31(but you can rush reports to many schools at once). Recommendation:If your deadline is fast approaching, it might make sense to pay extra to buy yourself a little more time. Just keep in mind that colleges might not see your scores any faster if their delivery preferences aren’t set up for priority reports. Yes, sir- we have our very fastest messenger on it, sir. What If You Miss the Application Deadline? What happens to applications when SAT scores arrive late varies depending on each college's policy. Some schools have a hard and fast rule: late application materials disqualify that applicant. For example, theUniversity of Texas’s policy even overrides the guaranteed admission the school offers to any in-state students in the top 10% of their class. In short, late test scores are a big gamble- you’re essentially betting that your application won’t be considered until further into the process and that therefore your SAT scores still have a chance to get there without issue. For example, here's whatStanford University’s admissions site warns in regard to test scores: â€Å"We cannot delay the review of an application in anticipation of scores that will arrive after the deadline nor can we guarantee that late [SAT] scores will be reviewed." Meanwhile,UVA points out the followingif your SAT scores are late: â€Å"There is a chance that we will have already started the [sic] review your file before those scores arrive. You should still send those scores.... There's a chance that the scores will be seen at some point in the process.† Finally, some schools judge applications on a case-by-case basis.This means that an otherwise excellent application might be put aside until SAT scores arrive, while an application that is clearly not a good fit for the school will be rejected even before scores are received. How Can I Ensure That My SAT Scores Don’t Get Lost? A college is guaranteed to receive your SAT scores either when you select it during SAT registration or when youselect it on the College Board website while ordering additional score reports. Some university systems, such as University of California system, which has many campuses under one umbrella, share scores among campuses. In other words, if you send your SAT scores to one UC campus, your scores will be distributed to all UC campuses. The most likelyreason your target college can’t find your SATscore report is that you picked the wrong school's name on the form.If you registered for the four free reports, check your own score report to confirm that the collegesyou put in are correct. If you ordered reports through the College Board website, log in to your account to double-check the colleges you selected. A good rule of thumb is to wait three weeks after you send your SAT scores to check whether they've been received.Usually, this info is available on the college’s application site, but in some cases colleges will contact you to let you know which application materials aren't in your file yet. If you get a notice from the college that your scores are missing, don’t panic: often, it can take up to a few weeks for received application materials to be logged.Chances are, the school has indeed received your scores but simply hasn’t filed them yet. Feel free to call the admissions office and calmly and respectfully ask them to check whether your SAT scores have arrived or not. If your SAT scores don't turn up- either because they got lost in the mail, were somehow electronically derailed, or were simply misfiled- you can always resend your scores by ordering new ones throughthe College Board website. Can we somehow get the tooth fairy involved with this whole missing-SAT-scores situation? What’s Next? Unsure how to study for your next crack at the SAT? Check out our expert advice and SAT study plan suggestions for taking the test your sophomore and junior year as well as the summer before senior year. Ready to try for a full SAT score? Learn what it takes to get to a 1600 from a perfect SAT scorer. Want to start working on the rest of your college application? Try out our tips on how to craft a versatile one that'll work for many different colleges. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today!

Fiber Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fiber - Essay Example However, with advances in the scientific field the various health benefits of fiber were identified. Hence regular consumption of generous amounts of dietary fiber in the diet has been proven to reduce the risk for developing several diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity, blood pressure, gall stones, diseases of the colon and it has also been found to boost the immune system (Dietary fiber, 1996; Anderson et al, n.d). Research studies have revealed that people consume less than the recommended levels of dietary fiber. The amount of dietary fiber intake depends on the age, gender and total calorie intake (Anderson et al, n.d). The major advantage provided by dietary fiber is the presence of a mixture of bio-molecules along with the fiber which may include vitamins, minerals or phytochemicals which actually contribute to protection against diseases (Dietary fiber, 1996). The occurrence of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke and hypertension which affects a majority of the population worldwide can be effectively reduced by consumption of sufficient amounts of dietary fiber. Fiber reduces the risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes, obesity and dyslipidemia. Many studies beginning from 1982 have proven the effect of dietary fiber intake, especially the whole grains, on the risk of cardiovascular disease (Dietary fiber, 1996; Anderson et al, n.d ; Rosamond, 2002). While the exact mechanism by which dietary fiber reduces the risk of heart diseases is not known, it is however, found to effect serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels by binding to bile acids in the small intestine and thus increasing their elimination from the body via feces (Dietary fiber, 1996; Anderson et al, n.d). In addition, dietary fiber also has an advantage of low-cost can be beneficial to all classes of

Individual Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Individual Analysis Paper - Essay Example ‘emotional stability’, I can deal with difficult situations, and accordingly with the help of ‘conscientiousness’ and ‘openness-to-experience’, I will be able to gain more knowledge and become more competent as well as productive for my organization. Thus, these personality traits possessed by me will certainly have a positive impact on my job performance/satisfaction as my interpersonal skills are unrivalled in my current organization. I scored 64 units in terms of my job satisfaction which depicts that I am not highly satisfied with my present job role. As a competent professional, I wish to face more challenging job roles that would be adequate in utilizing my personal skills as well as the knowledge gained through experiences in my work. Notably, I have learnt the work process on my own and find myself to deserve a better and more challenging work to improve my overall job satisfaction. However, in the current position, I feel to be overqualified, which is the main reason for my lower job satisfaction score. I scored 19 in disciplining others which is not sufficient but also not quite low to be ignored. The reason for scoring low is certainly my lack of involvement in disciplining positions for a long period that hampered my skills largely due to non-performance. To improve my disciplining skills, I require practicing them regularly in my professional and in my personal life as

Hockey Sport Essay Example for Free

Hockey Sport Essay Hockey is a fast, exciting sport played by two teams on a sheet of ice called a rink. Each team has six players on the ice, one goalie, two defensemen, two wingers, and one center man. The players skate up and down the ice shooting or passing a hard rubber disk called a puck with sticks. They score points by hitting the puck into the net. Hockey is much faster and swifter than any other sport. As the players streak across the ice, their powerful shots and passes can send the puck faster than 100 miles [160 kilometers] per hour. A goalkeeper on each team defends his net from the puck going in. They must often make quick slides across the on their skates, stomachs, knees or backs to stop the puck from going into the net. A puck that crosses the goal line is a called a goal and scores a point for the other team. The side that scores the most goals wins the game. To keep the action fast, hockey has an unusual rule. It is the only major sport that allows players to change or substitute during play. The game is rough and includes lots of hitting and some fights, although fighting is against the rules. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, Romans, and Arabs, perhaps among the earliest of stick-and-ball games, played forms of hockey. A sport similar to hockey, called Hurling, is known to have been played during the 1st millennium in Ireland, and other Europeans in the Middle Ages adopted similar sports. The historians don’t know for certain where the name Hockey came from. But most of them thought the name hockey have been adapted by the English from the French word hoquet (shepherds crook). How ever was the name first given to the sport in the 18th century, but was not in common usage until the 19th century. Hockey then started in Canada in the mid-1800s. By the 1900s it had become Canadas national sport. Since then, hockey has become popular in many other countries including Russia, Sweden and the United States. Hockey is grouped in many different divisions including minor hockey, which is grouped into age categories, SJHL, WHL, OHL and IHL, which involve the smaller cities in province or state, and NHL, which involve the bigger, better known cities in Canada and the United States. Each period begins with a face-off at the center face-off spot. A face-off also starts play again after it has been stopped for any reason. During play, the puck must normally be kept moving. If it is hit over the boards, held by the goalie, out of the referees sight, frozen between opposing players, or is otherwise temporarily out of play, an official blows a whistle for a face-off. A player may move the puck along the ice, pass it to a teammate, or shoot it at the goal, but rules limit these plays in certain ways. One extremely important rule states that no player of the attacking team may be in the attacking zone ahead of the puck. One player must carry or shoot the puck across the attacking blue line before any other player on the team crosses the blue line. For violations of this rule, an official signals the offending team offside and conducts a face-off in the neutral zone. A player may pass to a teammate anywhere in the same zone. The player may also pass from the defending zone to a teammate in their teams half of the neutral zone. If the pass is received past the centerline an official signals the pass offside and conducts a face-off where the play began. Hockey requires a variety of skills. They include checking, skating, passing, stick handling and shooting. Checking is the way a player takes the puck away from the opponent. There are two main types of checks: stick checks and body checks. For a stick check the player uses his stick to hook or poke the puck away from the opponent. In a body check the player bumps against the opponent with a hip or a shoulder to try any block the opponents progress or throw the opponent off balance. Both stick checking and body checking are allowed only against a player in control of the puck or the last player to control it. Skating is the most important hockey skill. Players must be able to turn sharply, skate backwards and perform many other maneuvers while skating at top speed. They must be able to do this with their head up and while stick handling the puck. Passing occurs when a player who has the puck passes it to another player. In most cases the players use their sticks to propel the puck toward the receiver. These passes are either flat passes or flip passes. To make a flat pass the player sends the puck traveling along the surface of the ice. To make a flip pass the player causes it to rise off the ice to avoid interception by an opponent. Sometimes the passer simply leaves the puck behind, so that a teammate can get it, this is called a drop pass. Stick handling is the use of the stick to control the puck. The player first moves the puck with one side of the blade and then with the other side while skating. The player makes some sweeps of the stick some wide and some narrow. In this way the player keeps the opponent guessing as to the next move and also makes it difficult to steal the puck. Shooting is the skill needed to drive the puck into the net and score goals. Most shots are either wrist shots or slap shots. In a wrist shot the blade does not leave the ice. The player uses strong wrist action to propel the puck. For a slap shot the player raises the stick for a back swing and brings it down against the puck with great force. Slap shots are more powerful but less accurate than wrist shots. Offside plays and icing account for most violations of the rules. For these violations, the offending team risks losing control of the puck in the resulting face-off. For more serious violations, players receive penalties ranging from two minutes in the penalty box to removal from the game, but each team must always have at least four players on the ice. If a third player is penalized while two teammates are in the penalty box, a substitute may replace the player on the ice. A teammate may serve the goaltenders penalty. Hockey has five main kinds of penalties: minor penalties, major penalties, misconduct penalties, match penalties and penalty shots. Minor penalties are given for violations like holding, tripping or hooking resulting in two minutes in the penalty box. The team must play short-handed until the time is up or the other team scores. But if the same minor penalty is awarded against players on both teams they sit for the full to minutes and two different players may replace them on the ice. Major penalties are given mainly for fighting or cutting or drawing blood with a stick, they result in five minutes in the penalty box. The penalized team must play short-handed for the full five minutes, but if a player on each team receives a major penalty at the same time, substitutes may replace both players on the ice. Misconduct penalties are given mainly toward the improper treatment towards an official, which results in ten minutes in the penalty box, but a substitute may replace the penalized player. A game misconduct penalty is given mainly for more serious offences against officials. Match penalties are given for deliberately injuring or attempting to injure an opponent. The offending player is removed for the rest of the game and usually given extra penalty minutes depending on the severity of the incident, which a player on that team has to serve. Penalty shots are free shots at the opposing goal defended by only the goalie. They are awarded against the defending team when an attacking player throws his stick or is pulled down from behind and is so prevented from taking the shot. Those are the rules and regulations of the fun and exciting game of hockey.

Crime Scene Investigation Essay -- Media, TV Show

Every week more than 60 million Americans turn their television sets to tune to the popular crime investigation drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or one of its countless spin offs, which have become increasingly popular among the American public (Shelton, n.d.). The show has been a top rated drama since it was first aired in 2001, it has received several Emmy nominations, and many even claimed it has lead to the considerable increase in college students studying forensic science. Recently however, despite its many achievements several newspapers and magazine articles began warning about the impact the shows influence is having on our criminal justice system; they referred to the phenomenon as the CSI Effect. Max Houck, Director of the Forensic Science Initiative at West Virginia University, explains the CSI effect as â€Å"basically the perception of the near-infallibility of forensic science in response to the TV show† ( Podlas, 2010, p. 99). The concern among criminal jus tice experts and prosecutors is that the so called CSI effect creates unrealistic expectations that every case must be solved with high tech forensic tests, which they believe, has a significant impact on juror decision making. Exposure to the dramatized and fictional depiction of crime solving portrayed by these television shows has had a significant impact on viewer’s conception of reality, which has negatively altered the expectation of jurors and influenced jury verdicts. In order to comprehend the impact of television crime dramas on the criminal justice system, it is important to understand how the CSI effect operates. The relationship between entertainment programming and viewer beliefs is based on the media theory of cultivation. The cultivation theor... ... more than twelve million people tuning in to watch CSI (Shelton, n.d.), and with science and technology continuing to evolve so rapidly, we will continue to see a substantial influence on American criminal justice through their impacts on potential juror expectations. Our criminal justice system should seek to adapt to these changes as supposed to fight them, the way the system is set up juror verdicts are expected to be a reflection of our society’s values. With those value will change and jury verdict will reflect those changes in popular culture. In adapting to such changes, we must invest in funding and training law enforcement to collect and analyze scientific evidence. While we adapt to those changes it is crucial that the jury is carefully instructed about the nature of such evidence as well as properly selected by a Voir Dire process to identify biases.

The Middle East Conflict

The Middle East Conflict Will Israel Ever be Able to Exist in Peace? The Middle East Conflict Will Israel Ever be Able to Exist in Peace? From the day Israel declared itself an independent nation, neighboring countries and terrorists has routinely attacked it. The history of Israel and the conflict between the Jewish state and its Arab neighbors is long and complex. To begin to understand the root of the violence, one must first know the history of the creation of the state of Israel.Some of the major questions that have to be asked to understand the conflict and whether or not there can truly be peace include the following: 1. How was Israel created 2. What has caused the tension in the Middle East 3. What role does the International community play on the Middle East conflict How Was Israel Created After the First World War, the defeated Ottoman Empire was divided amongst Britain, France, and Italy. The British mandate included Transjordan and Palestine, though this was the first ti me the name Palestine had ever been used.Britain’s main role was to implement the Balfour Declaration, which stated the â€Å"Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object† (Hurewitz, 1979, p. 101 – 106). The Arabs were originally given 80 percent of the British Mandate, now known as Jordan. During World War II, Britain refused to allow European Jews, who were attempting to escape the Nazis, entry into the British Mandate. Instead, they were either sent to the African nation of Mauritius or sent to detention camps (Lenk, 1991, p. 2). Even, after World War II, Britain wanted to severely restrict the flow of Jewish immigrants from Europe to Palestine. Finally, Britain announced their desire to end their mandate of the territory by May 1948 and they turned the problems regarding the division of the land to the Unite d Nations. The United Nations came up with several plans. The one that was voted on and passed 33 to 13 was UN Resolution 181, which divided the remaining portion of the British Mandate into two independent states with Jerusalem falling underInternational control (United Nations, 1947, p. 132 – 133). The UN resolution gave the half of the remaining 20 percent of the original mandate to the Arabs. Israel declared itself an independent state on the 14th. It was immediately recognized by the United State, the Soviet Union, and many other nations. However, the Arab world refused to recognize Israel and over the next several days Arab forces from Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded Israel (Anti Defamation League, 1999).Israel defeated all of the invading countries and starting with Egypt in February 1949, they all began to sign armistice agreements with Israel. Israel gained an additional 8 percent of the original mandate after the war. The Gaza strip went to Egyp t and the West Bank to Transjordan. The United Nations Conciliation Commission estimated there were approximately 711000 Palestine refugees as a result of the 1948 War (1950). However, Jordan was the only Arab country who would accept them and allow the to travel outside of UN refugee camps (Bard, 2008).What Has Led To The Current Tensions? After the initial 1948-49 War, many Arabs in Israel choose to try and leave the country and flee to other surrounding Arab nations. However, since Jordan was the only country willing to accept them as citizens, major resentment built up towards the Jews. Again, in 1967 Egypt and Jordan invaded Israel in another attempt to wipe Israel of the map. This war lead to the annexation of the West Bank, the Gaza strip and the Suez Canal into the hands of the Jewish state resulting in even more Palestinian refugees.Once more, resentment continued to build against Israel. The irony of the situation is the Palestinians have had land and they have had opportu nities for their own country, yet the Arabs in the region were not content with the land they already had and continued the violence towards Israel creating the refugee problem. As more and more Palestinians are displaced, the blame is put on Israel for not doing enough to help out the Palestinians and help them make permanent homes. Yet, at the same time no other Arab nation will take the time to help the Palestinians.Instead they use them in an effort to obtain their own goal of a complete annihilation of the Jewish State. Iran, for example, helps to fund and support Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, both of which are terrorist organizations. This outside influence adds more to the already tense situation in Israel. Another factor that has led to the hostilities was the creation of a Jewish state in a predominately Muslim region of the world. The Muslims see Israel and Jerusalem, the third holiest Muslim city, as belonging to them.On the other hand the Jewish people biblica lly have the same believe about Israel and Jerusalem belonging to them. Both groups were given the legal permission via international law that provided both groups with land in the area. While the Israelis were content with the land they were given, the Palestinians were not, thus, the start of the 1948-49 war. When the other Arab nations attacked Israel, they violated international law and started a war of aggression. Since they were defeated, International law says all land captured from the aggressive armies is to remain in the hands of the country that was attacked.The Palestinians saw this as though Israel were stealing their homeland. However, by refusing to accept the UN’s partition plan, they gave up any right they had to the land. Though the rhetoric that these Palestinian areas are being occupied illegally by Israel helps to fuel the violence between the two groups. What is the International Community’s Role be in Trying to Ensure Peace in the Region? The Uni ted Nations was directly responsible for the creation of the state of Israel, as was noted earlier.Therefore it is partly the responsibility of the UN to help ensure peace. The problem right now is violence is not condemned on both sides of the conflict. When a Palestinian terrorist walked into a Jerusalem seminary and 8 rabbinical students, the United Nations could not pass a condemnation of the attack (Heilprin, 2008, March 7). Yet, at the same time, the United Nations condemned Israel for their use of force to try and stop the groups of Hamas terrorist firing rockets that are targeted at Israel civilians.The United Nations actions of condemning Israel for their use of superior force to defend itself against those targeting Israel civilians, while at the same time refusing to condemn terrorist attacks targeted at civilians, merely emboldens the terrorists. The radical Palestinians who commit these terrorist acts see this lack of condemnation from the UN as a free pass to continue their targeting of civilians. Israel’s only logical response is to fight back, thus causing the violence to continue with at a cessation in site. Then again with an increase in world wide Anti-Semitism over the last few decades, it has ecome unpopular, in the world, to support the Jewish state. Why should the World Care? While the United Nations has shown weakness on the issue of supporting Israel as they continue to fight terrorist in an effort to protect its civilians, the question should be asked if there really is a need to support Israel and protect them from being completely eradicated. The first thing to consider is displacement. If the country of Israel were to ever fall to the Arab world and it become a Muslim nation again, where would the Jews go? You would first have the immediate influx of Jewish refugees would be most likely forced from their homes.Additionally, what happens if another Holocaust happens in which one group is attempting to eradicate the Jewish peo ple? Where would these Jews go to be guaranteed an escape from this persecution? The next big issue as to whether or not Israel is worth saving is the question of what has Israel done for the world so far? Good News from Israel gives plenty of examples of how Israel has contributed to the world. Here are just a few. Motorola’s research and development facility in Israel developed the cell phone. Both the Intel Pentium microprocessor and Pentium MMX Chip were designed in Israel.The AOL Instant Messenger ICQ was developed in Israel. Israeli doctors are making major medical breakthroughs including finding was to stop cancer in its tracks. Israel has the third most companies listed with the NASDAQ, behind Canada and the United States. These are just a few of the contributions that Israel has made to the world (http://www. newsoftheday. com/). All these and more have been accomplished while continuously engaged in war and being the target of terrorist. The question should be how c ould the International Community afford not to play a role in establishing peace in the Middle East while not removing Israel from the map?What can be Done To Achieve Peace? Unfortunately, it seems as though the only way there will ever be peace in the Middle East is for a devastating and complete loss for one of the sides. The sad reality is peace talks and cease-fires do not work. The only way to truly achieve an end to a conflict is for an enemy to be dealt a crushing blow or a complete annihilation. The biggest problem is Fatah and other organizations that are part of the mainstream Palestinian lifestyle have called for the destruction of Israel (Ratzlav-Katz, 2007, November 20). They refuse to stop their fight against Israel until the country of Israel no longer exists.These leaves Israel with the option of defending itself and acting aggressively to prevent more civilians from being targeted by Palestinian terrorists. Perhaps ones all the terrorists have been eliminated, the t wo sides will be able to sit down and reach an agreement that will result in a lasting peace. In order for peace to fully exist, though, after the terrorist have been removed from the equation, Israel’s neighbors are going to have to recognize it as a legitimate country with a right to exist. Perhaps once these two conditions exist, there can be a true heading towards peace.References Anti Defamation League. (1999). Israeli War for Independence. Retrieved March 3, 2008, from http://www. adl. org/ISRAEL/Record/48war. asp Heilprin, J. (2008, March 7). Libya Blocks UN from Condemning Violence. Yahoo News. Retrieved March 7, 2008, from http://news. yahoo. com/s/ap/20080307/ap_on_re_af/un_mideast_violence Hurewitz, J. C. (Ed. ). (1979). The Middle fast and North Africa in World politics: a Documentary Record, vol. 2. New Haven: Yale University Press. Lenk, Karl. (1991). The Mauritius Affair, The Boat People of 1940/1941. London. Ratzlav-Katz, N. (2007, November 20). American Jewry : Fatah Charter Calls to ‘Eradicate' Israel. Arutz Sheva. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from: http://www. israelnationalnews. com/News/News. aspx/124315 United Nations. (1947). Resolution 181. Retrieved March 8, 2008, from http://daccessdds. un. org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/038/88/IMG/NR003888. pdf? OpenElement United Nations Conciliation Commission. (1950, October 23). General Progress Report and Supplementary Report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine, Covering the Period from 11 December 1949 to 23 October 1950. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://domino. un. org/unispal. nsf/9a798adbf322aff38525617b006d88d7/93037e3b939746de8525610200567883! OpenDocument The Middle East Conflict The Middle East Conflict Will Israel Ever be Able to Exist in Peace? The Middle East Conflict Will Israel Ever be Able to Exist in Peace? From the day Israel declared itself an independent nation, neighboring countries and terrorists has routinely attacked it. The history of Israel and the conflict between the Jewish state and its Arab neighbors is long and complex. To begin to understand the root of the violence, one must first know the history of the creation of the state of Israel.Some of the major questions that have to be asked to understand the conflict and whether or not there can truly be peace include the following: 1. How was Israel created 2. What has caused the tension in the Middle East 3. What role does the International community play on the Middle East conflict How Was Israel Created After the First World War, the defeated Ottoman Empire was divided amongst Britain, France, and Italy. The British mandate included Transjordan and Palestine, though this was the first ti me the name Palestine had ever been used.Britain’s main role was to implement the Balfour Declaration, which stated the â€Å"Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object† (Hurewitz, 1979, p. 101 – 106). The Arabs were originally given 80 percent of the British Mandate, now known as Jordan. During World War II, Britain refused to allow European Jews, who were attempting to escape the Nazis, entry into the British Mandate. Instead, they were either sent to the African nation of Mauritius or sent to detention camps (Lenk, 1991, p. 2). Even, after World War II, Britain wanted to severely restrict the flow of Jewish immigrants from Europe to Palestine. Finally, Britain announced their desire to end their mandate of the territory by May 1948 and they turned the problems regarding the division of the land to the Unite d Nations. The United Nations came up with several plans. The one that was voted on and passed 33 to 13 was UN Resolution 181, which divided the remaining portion of the British Mandate into two independent states with Jerusalem falling underInternational control (United Nations, 1947, p. 132 – 133). The UN resolution gave the half of the remaining 20 percent of the original mandate to the Arabs. Israel declared itself an independent state on the 14th. It was immediately recognized by the United State, the Soviet Union, and many other nations. However, the Arab world refused to recognize Israel and over the next several days Arab forces from Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded Israel (Anti Defamation League, 1999).Israel defeated all of the invading countries and starting with Egypt in February 1949, they all began to sign armistice agreements with Israel. Israel gained an additional 8 percent of the original mandate after the war. The Gaza strip went to Egyp t and the West Bank to Transjordan. The United Nations Conciliation Commission estimated there were approximately 711000 Palestine refugees as a result of the 1948 War (1950). However, Jordan was the only Arab country who would accept them and allow the to travel outside of UN refugee camps (Bard, 2008).What Has Led To The Current Tensions? After the initial 1948-49 War, many Arabs in Israel choose to try and leave the country and flee to other surrounding Arab nations. However, since Jordan was the only country willing to accept them as citizens, major resentment built up towards the Jews. Again, in 1967 Egypt and Jordan invaded Israel in another attempt to wipe Israel of the map. This war lead to the annexation of the West Bank, the Gaza strip and the Suez Canal into the hands of the Jewish state resulting in even more Palestinian refugees.Once more, resentment continued to build against Israel. The irony of the situation is the Palestinians have had land and they have had opportu nities for their own country, yet the Arabs in the region were not content with the land they already had and continued the violence towards Israel creating the refugee problem. As more and more Palestinians are displaced, the blame is put on Israel for not doing enough to help out the Palestinians and help them make permanent homes. Yet, at the same time no other Arab nation will take the time to help the Palestinians.Instead they use them in an effort to obtain their own goal of a complete annihilation of the Jewish State. Iran, for example, helps to fund and support Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, both of which are terrorist organizations. This outside influence adds more to the already tense situation in Israel. Another factor that has led to the hostilities was the creation of a Jewish state in a predominately Muslim region of the world. The Muslims see Israel and Jerusalem, the third holiest Muslim city, as belonging to them.On the other hand the Jewish people biblica lly have the same believe about Israel and Jerusalem belonging to them. Both groups were given the legal permission via international law that provided both groups with land in the area. While the Israelis were content with the land they were given, the Palestinians were not, thus, the start of the 1948-49 war. When the other Arab nations attacked Israel, they violated international law and started a war of aggression. Since they were defeated, International law says all land captured from the aggressive armies is to remain in the hands of the country that was attacked.The Palestinians saw this as though Israel were stealing their homeland. However, by refusing to accept the UN’s partition plan, they gave up any right they had to the land. Though the rhetoric that these Palestinian areas are being occupied illegally by Israel helps to fuel the violence between the two groups. What is the International Community’s Role be in Trying to Ensure Peace in the Region? The Uni ted Nations was directly responsible for the creation of the state of Israel, as was noted earlier.Therefore it is partly the responsibility of the UN to help ensure peace. The problem right now is violence is not condemned on both sides of the conflict. When a Palestinian terrorist walked into a Jerusalem seminary and 8 rabbinical students, the United Nations could not pass a condemnation of the attack (Heilprin, 2008, March 7). Yet, at the same time, the United Nations condemned Israel for their use of force to try and stop the groups of Hamas terrorist firing rockets that are targeted at Israel civilians.The United Nations actions of condemning Israel for their use of superior force to defend itself against those targeting Israel civilians, while at the same time refusing to condemn terrorist attacks targeted at civilians, merely emboldens the terrorists. The radical Palestinians who commit these terrorist acts see this lack of condemnation from the UN as a free pass to continue their targeting of civilians. Israel’s only logical response is to fight back, thus causing the violence to continue with at a cessation in site. Then again with an increase in world wide Anti-Semitism over the last few decades, it has ecome unpopular, in the world, to support the Jewish state. Why should the World Care? While the United Nations has shown weakness on the issue of supporting Israel as they continue to fight terrorist in an effort to protect its civilians, the question should be asked if there really is a need to support Israel and protect them from being completely eradicated. The first thing to consider is displacement. If the country of Israel were to ever fall to the Arab world and it become a Muslim nation again, where would the Jews go? You would first have the immediate influx of Jewish refugees would be most likely forced from their homes.Additionally, what happens if another Holocaust happens in which one group is attempting to eradicate the Jewish peo ple? Where would these Jews go to be guaranteed an escape from this persecution? The next big issue as to whether or not Israel is worth saving is the question of what has Israel done for the world so far? Good News from Israel gives plenty of examples of how Israel has contributed to the world. Here are just a few. Motorola’s research and development facility in Israel developed the cell phone. Both the Intel Pentium microprocessor and Pentium MMX Chip were designed in Israel.The AOL Instant Messenger ICQ was developed in Israel. Israeli doctors are making major medical breakthroughs including finding was to stop cancer in its tracks. Israel has the third most companies listed with the NASDAQ, behind Canada and the United States. These are just a few of the contributions that Israel has made to the world (http://www. newsoftheday. com/). All these and more have been accomplished while continuously engaged in war and being the target of terrorist. The question should be how c ould the International Community afford not to play a role in establishing peace in the Middle East while not removing Israel from the map?What can be Done To Achieve Peace? Unfortunately, it seems as though the only way there will ever be peace in the Middle East is for a devastating and complete loss for one of the sides. The sad reality is peace talks and cease-fires do not work. The only way to truly achieve an end to a conflict is for an enemy to be dealt a crushing blow or a complete annihilation. The biggest problem is Fatah and other organizations that are part of the mainstream Palestinian lifestyle have called for the destruction of Israel (Ratzlav-Katz, 2007, November 20). They refuse to stop their fight against Israel until the country of Israel no longer exists.These leaves Israel with the option of defending itself and acting aggressively to prevent more civilians from being targeted by Palestinian terrorists. Perhaps ones all the terrorists have been eliminated, the t wo sides will be able to sit down and reach an agreement that will result in a lasting peace. In order for peace to fully exist, though, after the terrorist have been removed from the equation, Israel’s neighbors are going to have to recognize it as a legitimate country with a right to exist. Perhaps once these two conditions exist, there can be a true heading towards peace.References Anti Defamation League. (1999). Israeli War for Independence. Retrieved March 3, 2008, from http://www. adl. org/ISRAEL/Record/48war. asp Heilprin, J. (2008, March 7). Libya Blocks UN from Condemning Violence. Yahoo News. Retrieved March 7, 2008, from http://news. yahoo. com/s/ap/20080307/ap_on_re_af/un_mideast_violence Hurewitz, J. C. (Ed. ). (1979). The Middle fast and North Africa in World politics: a Documentary Record, vol. 2. New Haven: Yale University Press. Lenk, Karl. (1991). The Mauritius Affair, The Boat People of 1940/1941. London. Ratzlav-Katz, N. (2007, November 20). American Jewry : Fatah Charter Calls to ‘Eradicate' Israel. Arutz Sheva. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from: http://www. israelnationalnews. com/News/News. aspx/124315 United Nations. (1947). Resolution 181. Retrieved March 8, 2008, from http://daccessdds. un. org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/038/88/IMG/NR003888. pdf? OpenElement United Nations Conciliation Commission. (1950, October 23). General Progress Report and Supplementary Report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine, Covering the Period from 11 December 1949 to 23 October 1950. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://domino. un. org/unispal. nsf/9a798adbf322aff38525617b006d88d7/93037e3b939746de8525610200567883! OpenDocument

The Vikings Capture and Use of Slaves

The Vikings have always been discussed throughout history as vicious people. The Viking Age lasted from the late eighth to eleventh centuries. The ancestors of the Vikings, called the Scandinavian people, traded with the Romans. Scandinavia was made up of five modern day European countries: Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. 1 Some items that they traded included ivory, amber, skins, and furs. After the Roman Empire fell, the Scandinavian people living in Scandinavia became closer and stronger. Around the mid seventh century, the Scandinavian people used ships with sails and built large towns.At the end of the eighth century, the Scandinavian people began raiding parts of pre-modern Europe. During this time, the Scandinavian people began to be known as the Vikings. Most people in pre-modern Europe were afraid of the Viking’s raiding of their society, but the Vikings were really just seeking goods that they could trade for money. The Vikings were known as a range of different people including warriors, pirates, explorers, and merchants. The Vikings started in Scandinavia, but because of increase in population and limited land, they traveled all through Europe looking for new land to expand.But the question is, with these vicious people just raiding to look for goods to trade with and with limited land space, why did they capture slaves and how did they use and treat these slaves in their society? As you may know, the Vikings went from society to society in pre-modern Europe looking for goods including gold, jewelry, and livestock. However, the Vikings also captured children men and women from these societies and used them as slaves. Because of their limited land space, they traded most of these slaves for money. The Vikings got a majority of their slaves from Ireland.They began to get involved with a slave trade in Ireland. Slavery existed way before the Vikings came. Slaves made up a large population of trade for the Vikings. Once captured, m ost of the slaves were sold on the slave trade while others were sent to Scandinavia to become slaves of the Vikings. It has also been recorded that some laves captured from Ireland were sacrificed to heathen gods. The first attack in Ireland was in 795, and attacked approximately once a year for the next thirty to forty years. The Vikings heard of the riches that the Irish held and thought that this region would be the perfect place for the Viking people.During this attack, the Vikings mainly just raided the societies and only took some slaves, but continued to capture more slaves as time went on. For those whose fate it was to be in the trade were either sent to Iceland, Viking colonies in Britain, Islamic empires, or Byzantine empires. The Islamic and Byzantine empires contained luxury items that the Vikings wanted for the trade of slaves. These items included Byzantine silk and Arabic coins. The Vikings then used the silk and coins in trade for items from North Europe including more slaves and furs.Once these slaves were traded, they were usually required to do laborious work of the household. The treatment of these sold slaves varied from owner to owner. Some were treaded kindly while others were treated worse than livestock. Even though a majority of the captured slaves were sent to the slave trade, some of the slaves were sent back to Scandinavia to become slaves of the Vikings. The reason that all of these slaves did not go straight to Scandinavia was because of the over population in that area. If all of the slaves were used in this area, than more strain would be on the land and on the resources that it produces.The Viking society had a social class system. This caste system was separated into three classes. The highest class was called the jarls. This class was known as the noble class, the rich people of the Vikings. They were measured by their mass wealth in terms of followers, treasures, ships, and estates. They lived in fine halls and led refine d lives with countless activities. The power of each jarl depends on how many followers he has. The jarl, however, must take care of his followers. The first born of a jarl was also to become a jarl. The middle class in this system was called the karls.These people were free and owned land. They were considered the plain folks in the Viking society. They could include farmers and blacksmiths. The families of the karls usually lived in cluster homes that had their barns or workshops in the cluster. A karl could become a jarl if he gained enough fame and wealth. The lowest class in this system was called the praell. This class included slaves and bondsmen. If a man owed another man money and could not pay his debt back, he was to work for another man until his debt was paid. This would make him a bondsman, or basically a temporary slave.Also, the system’s laws stated that if a man was convicted as a theft, he could be handed over as a slave of whom he stole from. A slave could be freed, but would still be considered in the lowest caste system. The slaves at the bottom of this caste system were chattel. They hardly had any rights. They could not inherit anything or leave nothing after their death. They could not participate in any business transaction. The only relation a slave had with society was through his master. There were some branches of the culture that slaves were not allowed to take part in. These privileges of citizenship include military and jury services.Basically, a slave could not participate in these two services because they are institutions of free men in the Viking society. When a slave was no longer capable of work, due to old age disease or injury, they were put to death. The slaves of the Vikings did however have limited rights. They could accumulate property and save enough money to buy their freedom. Slaves could also marry. Even with these few rights, slaves were still considered to the Vikings as unreliable cowards who were stupi d and foul. The Vikings were polytheists. This means that they followed many gods. The father of the gods was Odin, the god of wisdom.Because of their religion and how the Vikings followed the gods, their slaves were expected to follow the same life and tasks deemed by the gods. Challenging this could mean death of the slave. A master could kill a slave and not be held accountable for it. The slaves of the Vikings had a variety of jobs that they did in the Viking society. Some of their daily work included things such as carrying loads of firewood, tending to the fields, feeding pigs and other farm animals, cutting peat, building fences, fertilizing crops, and making ropes. All of their tasks were mainly the tasks that their masters didn’t want to do.It was necessary for running a farm to have slaves working it. Slaves were used on both small and large farms. The plantation farm was not practiced with the Vikings. Slaves worked on family farms with hired help, but the slaves d id the harder work than the hired help. The women slaves that the Vikings captured who were young and beautiful were kept as servants, sexual trophies, or wives. Others were used, upon the death of their master, as a sacrifice. Female slaves were forced to have sexual advances their masters would place upon them. Slaves were allowed to form family unites, meaning having a wife and children.However, there was no religious ceremony or wedding that slaves could take part in. they were forced to content themselves with unions that did not have the approval of the church. Children born to female slaves became property of her master and a slave, but are born with some rights. However, there was not allowed to be any sexual relations or legal marriage between a free person and a slave. There was no penalty of a freeman having sexual relations with a slave. Also, a free man was allowed to marry a former slave, meaning that a free Viking could make a women slave his legal wife by giving her freedom.Illegitimate children were abundant in the slave population of the Vikings. A child born to a slave women and a free man can claim his freedom at birth only if the free father will adopt him. Once adopted, that child could be the heir of the father’s estate. When thinking of the Vikings and how they are discussed in history, people would not think that they were mainly traders. The Vikings have always been thought of as mean and vicious people that destroyed everything in their path. All that the Vikings wanted were riches. They traded many different kinds of goods including slaves. 4 The Vikings captured their slaves form Europe, mostly from Ireland. The slaves they traded were mainly sent to the Islamic and Byzantine empires. No one would think that the Vikings would be trading slaves for luxury items like gold, jewelry, and livestock. Not all of the slaves captured were sold, however. Due to the limited living space, only small portions of these captured slaves wer e sent back to Scandinavia. There is a caste system in the Viking society with three different classes, with slaves in the lowest class. The slaves that were sent to work for the Vikings were treated better than other slaves around the world.Yes, they had long hard jobs that their masters did not want to do, but they did have a few rights and opportunities of freedom. Male slaves were meant to tend to the fields and livestock while female slaves were used as sex trophies or wives. 17 Slaves were expected to listen to their masters and follow the lifestyle of their master’s religion. 19 The slaves of the Vikings were even allowed to form family units and have children, but could not have a formal marriage ceremony. 17 Slavery impacted the Viking society not only by aiding their masters in Scandinavia, but also by aiding the Vikings in trade with other societies.

Kerala Quiz Essays

Kerala Quiz Essays Kerala Quiz Essay Kerala Quiz Essay Kerala History Quiz 1) The only Malayalee to be mentioned in the autobiography of Gandhiji is ? A) Barristor G. P. Pillai B) Sardar KM Panikkar C) Sree Narayana Guru D) K. Karunakaran 2) Who is the father of Malayalam Language? A) Kumaranasan B) Ezhuthachan C) Vallathol D) G. Sankara Kurup 3) Which is the first Bank in Kerala A) Muthoot Bank B) State Bank of Travancore C) Catholic Syrian Bank D) Nedungadi Bank 4) Who was known as Kerala Simham (Lion of Kerala) A) Marthanda Varma B) Velu Thampi Dalawa C) Pazhassi Raja D) None of these 5) The first Keralite to become a State Governor was ? A) V. P. Menon B) R. Sankar C) Jyothi Venkitachalam D) Fathima Beevi 6) Name of the Ship in which Vascoda Gama came A) Saint Gama B) Saint Antony’s C) Saint Gabriel D) None of these 7) Who was the first Congress Chief Minister of Kerala? A) Pattom Thanupillai B) R. Sankar C) K. Karunakaran D) EMS 8) First Mamankam festival or Mamangam festival of Kerala was held in A) AD 78 B) AD 780 C) AD 789 D) AD 829 9) The First Europeans to come to Kerala was A) The Portuguese B) Dutch C) French D) British 0) First Malayalam Dictionary was compiled by A) Sreekanteswaram Padmanabha Pillai B) Mahakavi Vallathol Narayana Menon C) Hermann Gundert D) General Knowledge Quiz Blog 11) The first Jewish Synagogue in Kerala was set up in A) Kodungalloor B) Mattanchery C) Kochi D) Manjeri 12) The fist women Governor of Kerala was A) Fathima Beevi B) Jyothi Venkitachalam C) Anna Chandy D) Sarojini Naidu 13) Which ruler of Cochin started Thrissur Pooram A) Marthanda Varma B) Swathi Thirunal C) Shakthan Thampuran D) Chithira Thirunal 14) The largest irrigation project in Kerala is A) Kallada B) Malampuzha C) Pallivasal D) Neyyar 15) Vaikkom Satyagraha was in the year A) 1920 21 B) 1930 – 31 C) 1919 20 D) 1924 25 ************************* Answers 1) A) Barristor G. P. Pillai 2) B) Ezhuthachan 3) D) Nedungadi Bank 4) C) Pazhassi Raja 5) A) V. P. Menon 6) C) Saint Gabriel 7) B) R. Sankar 8) D) AD 829 9) A) The Portuguese 10) C) Hermann Gundert 11) A) Kodungalloor 12) B) Jyothi Venkitachalam 13) C) Shakthan Thampuran 14) A) Kallada 15) D) 1924 25

Denmark, Incest, and Uncertainty in Hamlet

Denmark, Incest, and Uncertainty in Hamlet Shakespeares tragedy  Hamlet has a number of  major themes, such as  death  and  revenge, but the play also includes sub-themes, such as the state of Denmark, incest, and uncertainty. With this review, you can better understand the dramas wide range of issues and what they reveal about the characters. The State of Denmark The political and social condition of Denmark is referred to throughout the play, and the ghost is an embodiment of Denmark’s growing social unrest. This is because the bloodline of the monarchy has been unnaturally disrupted by Claudius, an immoral and power-hungry king. When the play was written, Queen Elizabeth was 60, and there was concern about who would inherit the throne. Mary Queen of Scots’ son was an heir but would potentially ignite political tensions between Britain and Scotland. Therefore, the state of Denmark in Hamlet could be a reflection of Britain’s own unrest and political problems. Sexuality and Incest in Hamlet Gertrude’s incestuous relationship with her brother-in-law plagues Hamlet more than  his father’s death. In Act 3, Scene 4, he accuses his mother of living â€Å"In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed, / Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love / Over the nasty sty.† Gertrudes actions  destroy Hamlet’s faith in women, which is perhaps why his feelings toward Ophelia become ambivalent. Yet, Hamlet is not so angered by his uncle’s incestuous behavior. To be clear, incest typically refers to sexual relations between close blood relatives, so while Gertrude and Claudius are related, their romantic relationship does not actually constitute incest. That said, Hamlet disproportionately blames Gertrude for her sexual relationship with Claudius, while overlooking his uncles role in the relationship. Perhaps the reason for this is a combination of women’s passive role in society and Hamlet’s overpowering (maybe even borderline incestuous) passion for his mother. Ophelia’s sexuality is also controlled by the men in her life. Laertes and Polonius are overbearing guardians and insist that she rejects Hamlet’s advances, despite her love for him. Clearly, theres a double standard for women where sexuality is concerned. Uncertainty In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses uncertainty more like a dramatic device than a theme. The uncertainties of the unfolding plot are what drive the actions of each character and keep the audience engaged. From the very beginning of the play, the ghost poses a great deal of uncertainty for Hamlet. He (and the audience) are uncertain about the ghost’s purpose. For instance, is it a sign of Denmark’s socio-political instability, a manifestation of Hamlet’s own conscience, an evil spirit provoking him to murder or his father’s spirit unable to rest? Hamlet’s uncertainty delays him from taking action, which  ultimately leads to the unnecessary deaths of Polonius, Laertes, Ophelia, Gertrude, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern. Even at the end of the play, the audience is  left with a feeling of uncertainty when Hamlet bequeaths the throne to the rash and violent Fortinbras. In the closing moments of the drama, Denmark’s future looks less certain than it did at the beginning. In this way, the play echoes life.