Reflective learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reflective learning - Essay Example I also made them believe that raising funds is not really hard as many of my peers thought. I made them understand that there are a lot of ways to raise funds we just have to be creative and exert a little effort to raise it. I introduce the idea of a garage sale with a party. The items that will be on sale will be the things that our neighbours are ready to dispose. To make the story short, we were able to exceed our objective to raise fund for our project while having fun at the same time. The other experience I had about leading a group was during a school project where I was assigned as a project leader. I was hesitant at first because I was anxious that I might end up doing the whole project myself if my team members will not work and cooperate. It was not as hard as I thought if one will just know how to push â€Å"the right button† or motivate the group members to work. Before these projects were realized, the process and dynamics of getting it done was quite tough. It was an interplay of leadership, organizational skill, team work and resolving personal issue among the members in the group. But the main component is leadership on how to direct the energy of the team to commit and realize our objective (Kayser and Melcher 2007). It was not easy asking people of my age to do certain things that it made me think how to go about it and in the process learned several things about myself. I learned that in getting people commit to do certain things, I have to get along with them very well especially if it is a volunteer work just like our community project or a school work where one cannot direct others because everybody is in equal footing (we are all students). I learned that I do pretty well in this department that it is almost effortless on my part. But I have to admit that there are things about me that is un-leader like that I have to change such as my tendency to procrastinate. I observed that when I procrastinate, my team members also did the s ame. There are also certain things about my behaviour that I did not realize to be a leadership trait. Knowing that my team members in our community project are not being paid to do it, I invoked their higher sense of achieving and contributing good when I told them that what we are doing is for the community and that we will become an invariable part of it because we worked hard for a project dedicated to our community. This is actually a trait of transformational leadership (Judge and Piccolo 2004). My good interpersonal skill also enabled me to effectively address an issue with our group. The person I assigned to go door to door in one of our streets suddenly did not show up. I was worried. But instead of passing judgment at him to be lazy and non-committal, I inquired what happened. I learned that my team member had a medical emergency at home because a sister has to be rushed to the hospital. When the issue was already done, my team member was very motivated to go door to door to collect things for our garage sale and this would not have been possible had I judged him earlier. On areas that I need to improve my behaviour about leadership, I believe it would be my organizational and administrative skills. I have to admit that I am disorganized as a leader. I realized this during the garage sale itself because I had hard time putting up the event. The event could have been better with more attendees and more funds could have been raised if I had a better

Idioms in Bilingual Dictionaries Essay Example for Free

Idioms in Bilingual Dictionaries Essay A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more languages, and it reflects the vocabulary of a language. Its purpose is to provide information on the meaning of words, combinations with other words, sometimes also pronunciation and other aspects of a language. Dictionaries can be classified by many different aspects – for example, a dictionary can be monolingual, bilingual, bilingualised or even multilingual. If the dictionary is bilingual, it can be either unidirectional or bidirectional. Dictionaries can deal with general language, with special terms or specific area of a language and dictionaries vary for their purposes. Thus, dictionaries can also be classified according to their size. Usually the most popular dictionaries are monolingual and bilingual, and this essay aims at exploring the usage of multiword expressions, idioms in particular, in bilingual dictionaries. Burkhanov (1998) defines a bilingual dictionary as â€Å"a work of reference whose word list is organized in the following way: L1L2, which means that lemmata of one language usually referred to as an object of language, are explicated using another language – a target language† (Burkhanov, 1998: 29). Bilingual dictionaries have a longer history than monolingual, and their position is already well-established. Typically bilingual dictionaries are translation dictionaries, and at this point the treatment of idioms and other multiword expressions should be seriously considered. Bilingual dictionaries can be general or specialized, encyclopaedic or linguistic, alphabetical or thematic, diachronic or synchronic, in print or electronic format and they also vary according to various user groups and various sizes. Bilingual dictionaries can be divided according to their purpose – if your native language is the SL, then the dictionary is for encoding needs (also called an active dictionary), but if your native language is the TL, then the dictionary is for decoding needs (also called a passive dictionary). This active-passive parameter is â€Å"often equated with encoding vs decoding or productive vs receptive parameters† and â€Å"is used to classify bilingual dictionaries with respect to tasks for which they are employed by their users† (Podolej, 2009: 25). Dictionaries are organised in word entries or lexical items, and â€Å"a lexical item is any word, abbreviation, partial word, or phrase which can figure in a dictionary (often as the headword of an entry)† (Atkins, B. T. and Rundel, M. , 2008: 163). As the authors point out, â€Å"it is important to be aware of the various kinds of lexical item, as there are important differences in the way each is handled in the dictionary† (ibid. ). Lexical items are grouped as the single items and multiword expressions (ibid. ). Among multiword expressions there are classified fixed and semi-fixed phrases, phrasal idioms, compounds, phrasal verbs and support verb constructions, and the authors have raised a question of â€Å"which multiword items should be treated as ‘multiword expressions [ in our dictionaries? † (ibid. : 166). Multiword expressions, including idioms, constitute a very important part of the vocabulary and need to be included in both monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, but it is of particular importance to include them in bilingual learners’ dictionaries, since â€Å"language learners may not recognize them as significant units of meaning, cannot usually compose them, and will often have proble ms understanding them† (ibid. : 167). The authors have provided several types of multiword expressions, the first of them being fixed and semi-fixed phrases, for example, transparent collocations (to risk one’s life), fixed phrases (ham and eggs), similes (white as snow), catch phrases (horses of courses), proverbs (too many cooks), quotations (to be or not to be), greetings (good morning), and phatic phrases (have a nice day) (ibid. ). Other type are phrasal idioms that are â€Å"the most difficult [ ] to handle in lexicography† (ibid. : 168). The third type that the authors provide are compounds that â€Å"belong mainly to three word classes: nouns (the most frequent case, e. . , lame duck, civil servant), adjectives (e. g. , sky blue, stone deaf), and verbs (of which by far the most common are the phrasal verbs† (ibid. : 169). The fourth type is a phrasal verb – â€Å"a multiword expression consisting of a verb plus one or more particle(s)† that can â€Å"function either as an adver b (away, out) or as a preposition (with, to), or both (in, through)† (ibid. : 171). The fifth type is the support verb construction, of which the most frequent are make, take, have, give, and do (ibid. : 175). Other authors have made this classification in a more simple way – they argue that there are five types of multiword expressions distinguished, and they are idioms, collocations, phrasal verbs, compounds and support verb constructions (Atkins, B. T. and Rundel, M. , 2008: 359). In order to distinguish between different multiword expressions, the difference between a collocation and an idiom must be stated. Cruse (1986) has argued that collocations are â€Å"sequences of lexical items which habitually co-occur, but which are nonetheless fully transparent in the sense that each lexical constituent is also a semantic constituent† (Crude, 1986: 41). Idioms, on the contrary, are expressions â€Å"whose meaning cannot be inferred from the meaning of its parts† (ibid. : 37) and they are usually translated in bilingual dictionaries not with lexical, but semantic equivalents. According to Online Etymology Dictionary, the word â€Å"idiom† is derived from late Latin idioma, meaning â€Å"a peculiarity in language† and Greek idioma, â€Å"peculiarity, peculiar phraseology† (Online 1), but â€Å"with a passage of time this word has acquired quite different denotations† (Cruse, 1986. : 176). Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English provides the following explanation for the word â€Å"idiom†: â€Å"a group of words that has a special meaning that is different from the ordinary meaning of each separate word† (Online 2). Oxford online dictionary provides quite similar explanation â€Å"a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words† (Online 3). One more interesting definition of an â€Å"idiom† is that it is â€Å"a meaning where the sum’s meaning is different from that of the parts† (Jones and West 1992, Johnson and Schlichting, 2004, quoted in Fuste-Hermann, 2008:4). Dictionaries have existed for hundreds of years and they have been developed to meet practical needs of people. The language evolution throughout centuries has been â€Å"towards more idiomatic usage and more lexicalized combinations† (Yong and Peng, 2007: 175). Idioms are â€Å"a unique part of the lexicon and have proved to be the most difficult part in vocabulary acquisition for both native learners ad foreign language learners† (ibid. ). Each language contains a large number of idioms, and consequently, â€Å"the treatment of idioms in dictionaries, particularly in bilingual dictionaries, has become an essential issue in dictionary compilation and research† (ibid. ). As the authors argue, idioms started to attract the focus of language researchers only quite recently, and a lot of work still has to be done in this field, â€Å"either from the position of compiling a dictionary of idioms or from the position of treating idioms as an essential part of the process of making a dictionary† (ibid. . Idioms â€Å"are not a separate part of the language which one can choose either to use or to omit† (Seidl and McMordie, 1978:1, quoted in Yong and Peng, 2007: 175). Idioms form â€Å"an essential part of the general vocabulary of language, thus accounting for a large proportion of the dictionary text in both monolingual and bilingual dictionaries† (Yong and Peng, 2007: 175). Both monolingual and bilingual dictionaries should â€Å"decide where in the ordering of the entry should go compounds, phrasal verbs [ ] and other MWEs, if they are to be included within the entry of one of their component words† (Atkins, B. T. and Rundel, M, 2008: 253). Usually they are considered as secondary headwords or they can be located in a separate section, entitled ‘Compounds’ or â€Å"Phrases’, but there is another option of giving them a separate entry distinct from any related entry (ibid. ). In general there are five most common options of handling the multiword expressions, including idioms, in dictionaries – there is a possibility to make each multiword expression as a headword; to make selected types of multiword expressions in their own right; to put all multiword expressions within the same entry, at the very end in separate blocks for each type; to put all multiword expressions within the same entry, within the ‘appropriate sense’ in separate blocks and there is an option of putting all multiword expressions within the same entry, within the ‘appropriate’ sense, but without differentiating the multiword expression type (ibid. : 254). However, according to Atkins, B. T. and Rundel, M. â€Å"the tendency nowadays is to avoid secondary headwords if possible, as embedding one entry (however reduced) within another simply makes it more difficult for the user to find anything† (Atkins, B. T. and Rundel, M. , 2008: 493). Idioms should be covered to some extent in general bilingual dictionaries, but usually they are found in subordinate parts of entries. When compiling a bilingual dictionary, the question of classification of idioms must be decided according to a key word in idiom. For example, the idioms pigheaded person and to eat like a pig could be found together under one entry word pig. In practice most of bilingual and monolingual dictionaries use this approach that seems the easiest way to decode a language. However, the second possibility involves â€Å"identifying the underlying function expressed and recording idioms under this category; for example, the previous two examples would be classified under the function to insult someone† (Akbarov, 2010: 137). Idioms do not co mply with other aspects of language that can be more easily explained â€Å"in terms of rules and semantic characteristics† (ibid. : 140). As idioms and other multiword expressions are quite hard to treat in dictionaries, the compilers of bilingual dictionaries have to be very careful towards this question because we all know how annoying it is to open a dictionary and fail to find a word that we were looking for. There is no dictionary that could include all words, and therefore lexicographers have to make decisions on selection of words in it, including idioms. Dictionaries are often regarded as a basic tool in the process of foreign language learning. Bilingual dictionaries have been the traditional lexical resource for learning a new language. Change is not something that dictionaries undertake very easily as their purpose and place is indisputably significant. Of course, modern dictionaries come in different formats – they can be monolingual, bilingual, paper or electronic dictionaries, but when it comes to defining the meaning and giving definitions or equivalents in other languages, the dictionary is the same. There are many problems the lexicographer has to deal with when compiling a bilingual dictionary and the main problem is the basic lack of equivalence which exists between different languages. According to Nida (1958: 279), the semantic problems that occur in compiling a bilingual dictionary are different from and also more complicated that those problems that occur in the compilation of a monolingual dictionary. The reason for that is the fact that monolingual dictionaries are compiled mostly for users who participate in and understand the culture being described, whereas bilingual dictionaries describe a culture that differs from that of the users. Baker and Kaplan (1994: 7, quoted in Gauton, 2008: 108) argue that â€Å"equivalence is nebulous in nature, and cannot be represented by way of neat translation equivalents†. The perfect translation in a bilingual dictionary where the SL word is translatable perfectly is very rare, and in the case of multiword expressions and idioms compilers have to be ready to face problems. As Atkins, B. T. and Rundel, M argue, â€Å"the equivalence relationship between a pair of words, SL and TL, varies from exact to very approximate, from perfect to just-adequate† and the factors that play a role in evaluating SL-TL equivalence are the semantic content (single words and multiword expressions), collocational context (mainly single words), vocabulary type (single words and multiword expressions), message (of phrases, including idioms and sayings) and function (Atkins, B. T. and Rundel, M, 2008: 468). Thus, there no right and wrong about how to present the various types of multiword expressions (ibid. : 491). As Yong and Peng (2007) argue, â€Å"idioms are the evolutional product of national culture and social life† (Yong and Peng, 2007: 176), thus â€Å"they are conventionally lexicalized linguistic units and ‘ready-made utterances’† (Crystal,1985: 152, quoted in Yong and Peng, 2007: 176). â€Å"Structurally, the elements in idioms are usually bound together† and they â€Å"often do not permit the usual variability they display in other contexts† (ibid. ). Thus, â€Å"from the semantic point of view, idioms must be interpreted in connection with the historical and cultural contexts from which they emerged† (Yong and Peng, 2007: 176). Idioms are unified and the meaning cannot be guessed without knowing its â€Å"sociocultural context† even though the meaning of separate words is clear (ibid. ). However, â€Å"some idioms are historically traceable with translations in several languages† (Fuste-Hermann, 2008:5). The sociocultural context is of extreme importance in dealing with idioms in bilingual dictionaries as there are the so-called â€Å"culture-bound† words that denote objects or concepts peculiar to some particular SL culture (Gauton, 2008: 110). It means that for these culture-bound items there are no translational equivalents in the TL and in order to overcome this lack, lexicographers use the explanatory equivalent in their illustrative sentences (ibid. : 110-111). Mtuze (1990, quoted in Gauton, 2008: 111) illustrates that â€Å"cultural issues could create problems for lexicographers because they might not comprehend certain concepts foreign to their own culture†. As Fuste-Herrmann argues, â€Å"there are three major factors affecting idiom comprehension: semantic transparency, familiarity and context† (Fuste-Hermann, 2008: 6). The first one, the semantic transparency, deals with â€Å"the relative correspondence of an idiom’s literal and figurative meanings† (Nippold and Taylor 1995, quoted in Fuste-Hermann, 2008: 6). There can be a transparent and an opaque idiom, â€Å"a transparent idiom’s meaning matches closely with the image conjured up by that idiom† and in contrast â€Å"an opaque idiom conjures up an image that is not helpful in interpretation† (Fuste-Hermann, 2008: 6). For example, the idiom a piece of cake could associate with some enjoyable task, whereas beat around the bush has nothing to do with its meaning (ibid. ). Therefore â€Å"the previous studies have concluded that transparent idioms are generally easier to decipher than opaque idioms† (Nippold and Taylor 1995, quoted in  Fuste-Hermann, 2008: 6). The transparency of idioms can be also discussed â€Å"in terms of their decomposition† (Glucksberg, 2001, quoted in Fuste-Hermann, 2008: 6). Idioms that are decompositional â€Å"are able to be modified† – for example, â€Å"he broke the ice, she breaks the ice, after the ice was broken etc† (Fuste-Hermann, 2008: 6). Therefore â€Å"the noncompositional idioms cannot survive the same alterations† (ibid. ). In general â€Å"decompositional idioms are likened to transparent idioms, and less decompositional idioms are equated with opaque idioms† (ibid. ). The other factor is familiarity – â€Å"the frequency with which an idiom occurs in a language† (ibid. : 7). It is â€Å"relative and depends on such factors as geographical location, linguistic background [ ], culture and age† (Nippold and Rudinski 1991, quoted in Fuste-Hermann, 2008: 7). The main idea is that the more frequently the idiom is used, it becomes more familiar (Fuste-Herrmann, 2008: 7). The third factor is context – â€Å"contextual cues are imperative for comprehension of unfamiliar idioms in either the written or oral modality, particularly if idioms are more opaque in nature† (Qualls et. al. , 2003, quoted in Fuste-Herrmann, 2008: 8). According to Fuste-Herrmann, â€Å"in the last several decades many researchers have speculated about how idioms are interpreted† (Fuste-Herrmann, 2008: 8). The first hypotheses that she advances is the â€Å"Early Hypotheses† that implied the idea of idioms when encountered for the first time in spoken or written language, â€Å"the listener or reader tries to interpret the idiom literally†, thus, â€Å"when the literal meaning fails to make sense, the listener/reader hen accesses a mental idiom list, described as a sort of a mental idiom dictionary, in order to determine the figurative meaning† (Searle, 1979, quoted in Fuste-Herrmann, 2008: 9). Swinney and Cutler (1979) have â€Å"challenged the existence of a mental idiom list† and also proposed that â€Å"the meaning of idioms were processed simultaneously as figurative and literal† and â€Å"the most appropriate interpretation wins† (Fuste-Herrmann, 2008: 9). Idioms are quite hard to acquire when learning a second language and it is considered that their arbitrary nature makes it difficult for learners to learn them, thus they are not easy to translate. Translating multiword expressions requires that they are not the exact word-to-word translation, but a translation of semantic equivalence should be offered. Traditionally idioms are perceived as rather fixed expressions that learners have difficulties with, but more and more modern dictionaries include idioms as well as other multiword expressions in their word lists that facilitate the language comprehension. As idioms can be found in either separate or sub-entries, sometimes it could be quite hard to find its location in a dictionary. For this purpose electronic dictionaries could be more useful than paper ones as it is more easy to locate the necessary idiom. Bilingual dictionaries are meant for learning a new language, and as idioms constitute a substantial part of any language, they should be treated properly and with care.

Of Mice An Men Essay -- essays research papers

The story Of Mice and Men took place during the 1930’s. That time period was very different from today. Race and gender were very important characteristics that determined whether a person had the opportunity to make money. The 1930’s were also a time where people started questioning life and the American culture. Many people like John Steinbeck thought that life was very unfair and questioned whether if life was even worth living. In Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck demonstrates that mans dream is destined to be destroyed by a cruel reality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George was a very smart and able man who had taken responsibility of a mentally-challenged man named Lennie. George could have found a good steady job for which he could have stayed at and made good money, but when he went to work with Lennie, Lennie made a mistake that got both of them in trouble. George was a very good person for taking care of Lennie. Lennie was very dumb, but he always remembered the dream he and George shared. The main dream that George possessed was to be happy, and he realized that even though taking care of Lennie was hard work at times, he was happiest with Lennie. George would repeat their dream to Lennie. The nicest thing George ever did for Lennie was giving him hope, and that’s what mentioning the dream farm did. Lennie always wanted to â€Å"live of the fatta land† (81), and â€Å"have rabbits, and puppies, go on George.† George saved a man’s life, and in return he got nothing. George’s d...

Delivering Lifelong Learning

Delivering Lifelong Learning Enhancing learning through using technology Thinking back to when I delivered in work focused training sessions I found that technology was a huge aid to the learning for the students. I would set them web quests and get them research topics around the subject of day, One in particular that I remember was asking them to look at the human right act I asked them to work in pairs and put together some information about what the act was and why it was so important and how it linked into working in Health and social care.I gave them a set amount of time to do this then asked that they nominated a person to feedback to the group about what they had learnt. Looking back now I see that by encouraging learners to use this technology this was supporting the differentiation off the group it supported all the learners to gain knowledge and understanding even the ones who were not as confident in speaking up as others.I guess the other main way I support learners to u se technology is to encourage them to use the online etrack site to check there progress once I get a learner engaged with this I find that they look forward to checking their progress after each visit it’s a good tool for motivation. And another way would be by getting the learners to access and use the BKSB to support there learning with the maths and English it’s an excellent online tool that will guide them to up skill in the specific areas needed.It can however, as mentioned before highlight too many areas for development and perhaps scare the learner completely so this aid has negatives and positives. Technology can also support learners when writing written assignments they can use Microsoft word and send work over on email for electronic submission or send it to etrack a secure site to make additional progress in between assessments with their assessor. Learners can also use internet for research to support their learning. I also use offline exams that once upl oaded can give instant results, this is good as the learner knows.I have put together a case study of some of the various technology that can be used to support learners and have looked at what the positives and negatives of them are. |Technology available |Positives |Negatives | |Blogs, chat rooms and online discussion |Will help learners to communicate with each other. |Not all learners have | |forums |Accessible and inclusive. Can aid learning from peers. |internet. Connection | | |Is flexible the learner can log on in there own time. problems IT issues, would | | | |not support learners with | | | |low literacy levels. | |Cameras and mobile phones. |Aids communication. Often an instant response. Take |Not always cost effective | | |pictures of evidence |to all learners may create | | | |barriers for some.Bad | | | |signals. Unable to read a | | | |learners body language and | | | |vice versa | |Computer facilities to enable word |Can save work /use spell checker/ word coun t can go back|Not all learners have | |processing assignments and saving |and amend if needed. access to a home | |documents. | |computer/Can not be used | | | |during power cuts? Viruses | | | |could cause work to be | | | |lost. |Digital media for visual/audio recording|Good to play back work/ film to aid recall |Again learners may not have| |and playback | |access to this equipment. | |Electronic portfolios/etrack |Accessible/ sustainable i. e. no need for paper. |Again can create barriers | | |Can access supporting materials. |as not all will have access| | | |at home.Internet | | | |connection problems. | |Email |Electronic submission of work/communication/feedback |See above and also not | | |Can help evidence work set and completed |always an immediate | | | |response.IT issues may | | | |prevent you from receiving. | |Internet access |Accessible and inclusive/ Can access resources |Can lead to plagiarism | |Mobile phones |Aids communication/ Take pictures of evidenc e/ Internet |Not cost effective to all | | |access/Apps |learners/ may create | | | |barriers for some.Poor | | | |signal. Not always an | | | |immediate response. | |Online/offline and on demand tests |sustainable i. e. no need for paper instant results e. g. May highlight lots of work | | |diagnostics exams |required/ may not be a pass| | | |could de motivate | |Online discussion forums |Can be flexible to the learner/ can aid learning from |Again learners may not have| | |peers |access to this equipment. | | |Poor internet connection. | |Presentation software |Visual aid for learners/ can be emailed and used as a |Does not support all | | |reference |learning styles | |Scanners |Can upload documents evidence immediately |Again learners may not have| | | |access to this equipment. |Web cameras and video conferencing |If you cannot be in the same place as your learner and |See above | | |need to observe them | | |VLE |Can access supporting materials |See above | |Specialist equipment such as readers |Can aid learners with visual impairment or limited |See above | |tape recorders, Talking |verbal communication | | |calculators/Computer terminals with | | | |speech output | | | |DVR |Can be played back uploaded for evidence |Some people don’t feel | | | |comfortable being recorded. |Expectations of the minimum core in relation to delivering lifelong learning Firstly I would like to explain the importance of good communication it is imperative to ensure that information is given and received. It is the key to motivation, managing behaviour and promoting good working relationships. It includes verbal non verbal and written and can include various technology email/webinar and forums. I must ensure that I have excellent communication techniques to be able to maintain learner’s attention and to show professionalism when giving feedback. I need to be aware of my tone and facial expressions knowing when to change my tone to say show sympathy an d understanding r to take control of a disruptive group.I need to ensure that if I use jargon that the learner is supported in understanding what that is? ETRACK what is etrack a demonstration needs to be given so that the learner understands. Speaking/ Listening/Reading/Writing are the four skills I must demonstrate when supporting learners in Literacy, language and ICT I have looked at Tuckman’s theory of group work in relation to how people in groups communicate. He came up with a development model that shows the stages of development of how groups will communicate. Forming In the first stages of team building, the forming of the team takes place. The individual's behavior is driven by a desire to be accepted by the others, and avoid controversy or conflict.Serious issues and feelings are avoided, and people focus on being busy with routines, such as team organization, who does what, when to meet, etc. individuals are also gathering information and impressions – abo ut each other, and about the scope of the task and how to approach it. This is a comfortable stage to be in, but the avoidance of conflict and threat means that not much actually gets done. Storming Every group will next enter the storming stage in which different ideas compete for consideration. The team addresses issues such as what problems they are really supposed to solve, how they will function independently and together and what leadership model they will accept.Team members open up to each other and confront each other's ideas and perspectives. In some cases storming can be resolved quickly. In others, the team never leaves this stage. The maturity of some team members usually determines whether the team will ever move out of this stage. Some team members will focus on minutiae to evade real issues. Norming The team manages to have one goal and come to a mutual plan for the team at this stage. Some may have to give up their own ideas and agree with others in order to make th e team function. In this stage, all team members take the responsibility and have the ambition to work for the success of the team's goals. Performing It is possible for some teams to reach the performing stage.These high-performing teams are able to function as a unit as they find ways to get the job done smoothly and effectively without inappropriate conflict or the need for external supervision. By this time, they are motivated and knowledgeable. The team members are now competent, autonomous and able to handle the decision-making process without supervision. Dissent is expected and allowed as long as it is channeled through means acceptable to the team. 1. ^ The Five Stages of Project Team Development, Gina Abudi – Retrieved May 18th 2010 Its not very often I deliver to groups but this research has helped me to look at the importance of it and also the importance of communication not only from myself but between learners.I often teach learners individually however they te nds to be a group within one setting and they will often work together to learn and gain knowledge for the award. So it’s important that I have an understanding the theory and psychological dynamics of group work. Evaluation of own practice in delivering inclusive learning and teaching I feel that I do adapt my teaching to try to suit each individual need. I have some learners for example who need much more support with their functional skills than others and in these cases I have arranged extra visits with and given one to one support. I do feel that since delivering Functional skills my practice has improved.At the start I found it difficult to know where to start with supporting learners and with experience I have gained confidence and knowledge of the support materials available. I have also recently obtained some really helpful handouts to support learners with understanding the requirements of literacy. They are like flash cards and are very easy to understand. Looking back I can think of learners that this resource will have been very helpful. And I wish now that I had sourced them sooner. I am also not entirely confident in speaking in group situations and I know that the only way to prepare for this is to be fully prepared and to ensure that I have researched a subject fully.I have passed my functional skill level 2 in literacy and Math but would like to go on to complete the level 3 as I feel this will enhance my knowledge and confidence and thus can only benefit my learners. I intend to complete a diagnostic on the BKSB to identify what areas I need to improve on. I also need to work on some of my ICT skills in particular spreadsheets as I work in health and social care its not to often I have deliver ICT so I feel I have not focused on this area as much as I should have. I In particular I know I need to work on spreadsheets and I have been working through some workbooks on the BKSB to help with this. I would hate to ever be in a situation wh ere a learner wanted support in this area and I was unable to give it.

Aquatic Flora of Pulicat Lake Essay

Pulicat lake derived its name from a vernacular name ‘Palaverkadu’ means plants with many number of roots. Those plants are mangroves with aerial roots called Pneumatophores. The word mangrove is considered to be a combination of the Portuguese word â€Å"Mangue† and English Word â€Å"Grove†. These are salt tolerant plants and are rich in this area and might be the reason for that name. The lake harbours rich and valued floristic wealth because of its varied ecological habitat viz., salt marshes, canals, mangroves, islands, low lying areas etc. A careful study of literature revealed that the lake has hardly received attention by the botanical explorers and hence it has remained botanically under-explored so far. But its fauna was extensively studied by many zoologists Nanda Kumar et.al . A.R.KSastry and T.A. Rao (1973) in their extensive study on the flora and vegetation of Coastal Andhra Pradesh, have recorded about 15 species from the island of the lake. Pulicat lake derived its name from a vernacular name ‘Palaverkadu’ means plants with many number of roots. The lagoon’s boundary limits range between 13.33 ° to 13.66 ° N and 80.23 ° to 80.25 °E, with a dried part of the lagoon extending up to 14.0 °N.; with about 84% of the lagoon in Andhra Pradesh and 16% in Tamil Nadu. The large spindle-shaped barrier island named Sriharikota separates the lake from the Bay of Bengal. Area Three major Rivers which feed the lagoon are Arani river, Kalangi river and Swarmukhi river. The Buckingham Canal, a navigation Channel is part of the lagoon on its western side. It is connected to the sea through three tidal inlets, one each at Tupilipalem, Rayadoruvu and Pulilcat villages respectively, from north to south. Study was undertaken in the Pulicat lake and data of aquatic flora collected by frequent visits during 2009-2010. Close up Photographs of as many as possible and associations depicting the richness of the macrophytes of the lake were taken. Herbaria of various aquatic plants also collected for future reference. Herbaria-specimens are preserved at N.B.K.R. Medicinal Plant Research Centre, Vidyanagar, Nellore District. Results and Discussions Brackish water is more saltier than fresh water and less saltier than sea water. Hence it is biologically more productive than either freshwater or sea water. It shows very rich aquatic population diversity including free floating, submerged, suspended, marginal, amphibious plants along with halophytes and mangroves. Region of pulicat lake includes salt marshes, canals and mangroves. Salt marshes often inundated by backwaters are mostly occupied by halophytes. They include Aleuropous lagopoides, Etriplex repens, Cressa cretica, Crotalaria retusa, Cyparus haspan, Fimbristylils ferrugenea, Salilchornia brachiata , Sesuvium portulacastrum Etc. Similar halophytic species scattered along the banks of Buckingham canal and Vapenjeri canal flowing with brackish water. Halophila ovalis popularly called sea grass belong to the family Hydrochariticeae appear prominently all along the margins Buckingham canal. Small mangrove pockets are located at two places namely near Vepenjeri canal close to Chandrasikuppam, and near Chengalpalem. Four species of mangroves belonging to four families are prominent over here. They include Aegiceras corniculatus of Myrsiraceae, Avicennia marina of Aviceiniaceae, Excoecaria agallocha of Euphorbiaceae and Lumintzera racemosa of Combretaceae. They develop pneumatophores in response to oxygen deficient conditions Significance of macrophytes to the lake: Macrophytes provide cover for fish and substrate for aquatic invertebrates, produce oxygen and act as food for some fish and wild life. Established mangrove roots provide an oyster habitat and slow water flow, there by enhancing sediment deposition. The fine anoxic sediments under mangroves act as sinks for a variety of heavy (trace) metal with colloidal particles in the sediments scavenged from the water. They protect coastal areas from erosion, storms and tsunamis. Their massive root systems are efficient at dissipating wave energy. Conclusion A decline in the macrophytic population may indicate water quality problem. They may be the result of excessive turbidgidy, pollutants including herbicides or salinization. It may lead to a major socio economic problem. One village in Tamilnadu was protected from tsunami destruction. That village is Naluvedapathy planted 80.244 saplings to get into the Guinness Book of World Records. This created a kilometer wide belt of trees of various varieties. When the tsunami struck, much of the land around the village was flooded but the village escaped form minimal damage. Many conservative methods have to be practiced to protect the macrophytic flora of the lake.

Victorian Age essays

Victorian Age essays The Victorian Age brought about great changes in all areas of everyday living. There were great political, economical, religious, and social changes which influenced the attitudes and values of the emerging society along with many writers of that time. Countries were rapidly changing from an agricultural to an industrial society. Life during this time was moving at a much faster pace. Although many thought, including Bathd, "of the Victorian Age as a smug complacency, of hypocritical and unhealthy prudery", (Bathd 22) it was much more than that. The Victorian Era marked freedom in a way of which poets felt they had an immediate mission. Alfred Tennyson was among one of the greatest poets of this time. His work completely sums up and expresses the great Victorian Era in which he lived. The Victorian Age lasted from 1837 - 1901. During this time Queen Victoria ruled and her reign was so outstanding it became known as the "Victorian Era". Around this time Victorian England saw great expansion of wealth, power and culture that influenced not only England but most parts of the world. "This was also a time of several unsettling social developments such as the growth of English democracy, the education of the masses, the progress of industrial enterprise and the consequent rise of a materialistic philosophy" (Wright 4). Yet, it can be said without much fear of contradiction that this age represents the glory of the middle classes. The people of this period experienced a rise in their moral sense and social conscience, which animated the middle class. They had a very high moral tone to maintain and managed to do just that. This was due to the fact that Queen Victoria grew up as part of this class. Her ethics, respectability and personal tastes generally reflected tho se belonging to the "great" middle class. Cooke believed "that what made them so Victorian is their sense of social responsibility, a basic attitude that obviously different...

This Earth of Mankind Essay Example

This Earth of Mankind Essay Example This Earth of Mankind Paper This Earth of Mankind Paper This report is based on an interview of Pramodeya Ananta Toer which explains the background thought processes of his four book series the â€Å"Buru Quartet† however the references taken shall be based solely on the first book of the quartet â€Å"This Earth of Mankind†. Pramodeya says that the idea for Minke the male protagonist of the quartet was based mostly on â€Å"Willem Wertheim† a Dutch scholar, this seems mostly ironic as one of the main antagonists in the novel happens to be the Dutch government and it is against Dutch colonialism that Minke stands up but as Toer says â€Å"He brought out the characters who had been erased from our history. Not only this but also â€Å"I had students pore over newspaper stories from the period and wove episodes into the plot† thus it cannot be said that the lead character was based solely on one inspiration, however we do see that Minke happens to be more ambitious than his fellow countrymen and also has a more enlightened attitude which does have a European or in this case Dutch in nature and hence could explain Toer saying he was based on Willem. We also notice the similarity of the book with the events at the time when Toer was writing the book such as the power of the ruling government to take over private businesses in order to run them ‘fairly† and act as caretakers as seen in the Dutch taking over the Nyai’s business, and we also see the apparent class system and high level of social segregation which was still present in Toer’s time, it also seems that Pramodeya did have a direct source to base Minke on in the form of the Philippine novelist ‘Jose Rizal’ who was executed by the Spanish in 1896 after three years of imprisonment and torture for championing freedom from colonial rule however he does not mention this. We also see that Minke’s main enemy other than the Dutch was Robert Surhoff a man so confused by his own birth that he develops a superiority complex in order to make himself appear better than his fellow countrymen as can be seen by his calling Minke Indo all the time considering the title ‘Bupati’ beneath him even though it was a position of power more than he could ever have this however was one of the numerous people suffering from similar Psychological problems due to the changing time. The idea as Toer says came from an Eurasian gang organized by the Dutch to terrorize the people of Jakarta and this is also pretty much what Robert Surhoff is also doing, another thing that is also most remarkable is the irony of the situation that the very people they try to imitate and please, by harming their own brethren in order to get their acceptance do not treat them with much respect and also consider them below their level. Which can be seen in the novel that the Dut ch born first son of Mr. Mellema is given preference to the property over Mellema’s half Dutch children this concept is a forerunner to the idea of 2nd class or 3rd class citizenship which is still another form of Racism left over from colonial rule. Pramodeya’s inspiration from other works such as John Steinbeck’s â€Å"Of Mice and Men† and the works of Gorky and Tolstoy are quite evident. Pramodeya integrated the running theme of â€Å"Try to understand each other† from ‘Of Mice and Men’ into his quartet as it seems the only way out of the problem that the colonials and the colonialists are facing is if the two groups try and understand each other and Pramodeya in a way is showing what happens when individuals and communities on a whole do not understand the other persons view point and try to assert that they are right or superior over the other. Other concepts also evidently integrated in the novel taken from Steinbeck’s novel are dreams, loneliness, how mans prosperity achieves cruelty, powerlessness, and uncertainty of the future - or fate. All seen in the life of Minke and how he progresses through out the first novel as not only his rise to fame gain him the enemity of his Rubert Surhoff and Mellema but also that of his brother to an extent and also that he dreams of changing not only his life but also the life of his fellow people however in the face of the unexpected events and ‘fate’ he was helpless/powerless. Also from Gorky’s work we see Pramodeya geting the idea of showing the social fabric of Indonesia in the novel and to show the distinctive charecterists of Indonesian people and to give a psychological aspect to the novel.

Word Choice Comprise vs. Compose

Word Choice Comprise vs. Compose Word Choice: Comprise vs. Compose At this rate, it won’t be long before even pedants  give up on the difference between â€Å"comprise† and â€Å"compose.† After all, â€Å"comprise† is frequently misused, particularly by people writing â€Å"comprised of† when they mean â€Å"composed of.† But it’s our job as Guardians of Language (it sounds snazzier than â€Å"proofreaders†) to defend against grammatical abuses. So, in this post, we explain  how â€Å"comprise† and â€Å"compose† should be used. Comprise (To Contain or Include) The verb â€Å"comprise† means â€Å"contain† or â€Å"consist of,† so it is used when describing a whole that includes multiple parts or components: The United States comprises fifty states. Here, â€Å"comprises† shows that the United States (as a whole) includes fifty individual states. Typically, when using â€Å"comprise,† the whole should come before the parts in the sentence. Compose (To Make Up or Constitute) While also a verb, â€Å"compose† means â€Å"make up† or â€Å"constitute.† As such, we could invert the example above to say: Together, fifty states compose the United States as a republic. In this sentence, the focus is on how the fifty individual states combine to form the United States as a country. Those stars arent just there to look pretty. [Photo: Jnn13]We also see why â€Å"composed of† is acceptable while â€Å"comprised of† isn’t, since â€Å"compose† focuses on the parts that constitute the whole. We can therefore rewrite the example sentence again as: The United States is composed of fifty states. More generally, â€Å"compose† can also mean â€Å"create an artistic work† (particularly music or a painting), or even â€Å"calm oneself† (where its a variation of â€Å"composure,† meaning tranquility). Comprise or Compose? The problem with â€Å"comprised of† is that â€Å"comprise† is the opposite of â€Å"compose,† not a synonym. In short, they can’t be used interchangeably. One good way to remember this is the following: The whole comprises the parts; the parts compose the whole. Here we see how both terms refer to how something is constituted, but from opposite directions; while â€Å"comprise† describes the components as belonging to a whole, â€Å"compose† describes the whole as constituted by its parts.

Presentation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Presentation - Assignment Example The main aim of using the television is because it had a wide audience, and the retailing giants could reach as many customers as possible. Ziobro (3) identifies Wal-Mart, Target Corp as the highest advertising spenders. For example, Wal-Mart managed to spend approximately 57 million dollars on television advertising. Home Depot and Sears spent less on advertisements. Ziobro (2) denotes that Sears Holdings only spent 26 million dollars on television advertising. Ziobro (1) denotes that these figures are reliable because an advertising tracking company carried out the survey, to find out how much retailing organizations spent on advertisements during the Black Friday. The advertising company under consideration is Kantar Media. In coming up with the Data, Kantar Media managed to calculate the advertising fees a retailing unit spent for purposes of making people buy into their company. Ziobro (3) denotes that the only limitation with the methodology used to collect data is that information does not reflect how much people spent in the retailing units. It only identifies the number of visitors to a retailing unit, based on the advertisement under consideration. From this research, Ziobro (5) denotes that Wal-Mart was able to attract the highest number of visitors to its stores. This is as compared to its rival company, Target Corporation. Wal- Mart was able to attract a higher number of visitors to its retailing units as opposed to Target Corporation because in every two Wal-Mart TV ads, Target Corp had only 1. On this note, during the Black Friday Weekend, Wal-Mart was able to gather 34% of visitors, as opposed to Target Group which had on 12% of visitors. Sears, who spent less on advertisements managed to acquire only 1.9% of visitors to its stores (Ziobro, 5). Ziobro (6) goes on to denote that there are other factors that made these stores to have the number of

Explain a Marketing concept for MKGT 3000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Explain a Marketing concept for MKGT 3000 - Essay Example We would be discussing few major factors that significantly impact purchase behavior and consumption pattern of the products that are used in marketing a product. Customers’ purchase behavior is quite complex because it is intensely influenced by socio-economic and psychological paradigms. It is true that consumers purchase products only when they perceive the need for it. But at the same time, the need could have triggered either by advertisement or by observing other people which could lead to the purchase of the product. Various factors like price, buying value, consumption value and after sales performance add credibility to the purchase. If customer is satisfied, the organizations are not only able to retain them but they are also liable to get new ones through word of mouth publicity that greatly establishes their market credibility. Arnould et al (2004) assert that consumer behavior is also motivated by desired goal that is need based. Products that are bought mainly as a lifestyle statement are prompted by motivated goals. Luxury brands and trend setting goods are major indicators of changing lifestyle pattern that people are ready to adopt to keep up with the times. People are prone to adopt new lifestyle that reflects that changing socio-economic status in society. It also reveals their new value system, tastes and indeed changing preferences.

De-Magnetising a Ships Hull Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

De-Magnetising a Ships Hull - Essay Example The soft iron parts get temporarily magnetized due to the influence of horizontal and vertical components of earth's magnetic field which flows through the huge ship when kept on the harbor for a long time. [1] So the entire ship behaves like a magnetic after construction for which it is subjected to two types of dangers. Firstly, the magnetic compass will not work correctly inside the ship and secondly the ship will be affected by magnetic mines inside the water. So we have to remove ship's magnetism and the process is called degaussing. Above all we have to place magnets and magnetic materials on each side of the compass inside the ship to keep its direction exactly towards the magnetic meridian. It is a process to remove ship's magnetism. [3] This is done by winding few turns of insulated wire around the ship and passing a heavy current so as to create an opposite magnetic field to that of the ship's magnetic field. This will remove ship's magnetism by the demagnetization process. A steel hulled ship is like a huge floating magnet with large magnetic field surrounding it as the ship moves through the water, this field also moves. The ship can act as a trigger device for magnetic sensitive ordnance or devices, which are designed to detect these distortions.

People are more knowledgeable today and therefore have more Essay

People are more knowledgeable today and therefore have more opportunities and choices than they had in the past, do you agree - Essay Example Due to change people now have more opportunities and choices than they had in the past. In society knowledge is produced and disseminated; knowledge has caused change in society making a development in various institutions in society, a good example is the development of medicine, there has been a shift from traditional cure to scientific discovery of medicine to cure various illnesses, there has been increased knowledge in that people can now self diagnosis, improvement in over the years, in the example given the example on a patient who is ill in the year 2000 BC the medicine will come from a certain tree or root, in the year 1000 AD the patient would be asked to recite a certain prayer, in the year 1850 AD the patient would be advised to drink a certain potion and lately in the world we are in today the patient will be asked to take a certain pill. Therefore in the world we are today we can say we are in a better position than we were in the past. Still in the medicine part, today we are in a position to choose from various medicines to cure certain illnesses, there is also the development of health institutions which is now improved to offer better health care and the training of doctors has led to development of educational institutions to train the doctors. All these have led to creation of more and complex institutions which have led to creation of more opportunities and choices. Religious knowledge is defined as knowledge based on beliefs, over the years this knowledge has been passed on to many people in the world, these is made possible by the development of science, the bible is now published and available to all unlike in the past, the improvement of modes of communication especially the mass media has made it easier for the dissemination of these knowledge. There are now many churches and denominations and people have now many choices, the improvement of this institution over the years. The emergence of religious leaders and increased belief in religion has led to change in society leading to a better society despite critics by Karl Marx that religion was an institution that legitimized capitalism and that religion led to a state of false consciousness. An improvement in environmental conservation knowledge has led to development of environmental conservation movements and institutions to improve on environmental degradation. In the past environmental degradation was not accounted for but in the present times there has been increased efforts to improve and conserve the environment, pollution has increased over the years due to improvement in science on sources of energy especially fossil fuels, in the present there is increased knowledge on environmental degradation and people are now looking for alternative sources of energy that are less pollutants. The sensitization of the deterioration of the ozone layer by the media has led to more conservative measures. The source of this knowledge is the development of science and technology, people in the present are have more knowledge than in the past, and these improvement has led to a better society that has more opportunities and choices. An example is the improvement o

Rights and Obligations of Spouses in Islamic Marriage Research Paper

Rights and Obligations of Spouses in Islamic Marriage - Research Paper Example Seeking to understand and evaluate the main rights and obligations of spouses in an Islamic marriage, the following aims to provide a thorough, yet critical overview of an important issue. With an emphasis on the important obligations facing both men and women as they pertain to marriage, this critical essay will utilize the research of Amina Wadud-Muhsin, in her groundbreaking piece Qur’an and Women, to understand the ways in which gender is framed through an Islamic lens. Following this, an overview of the issues studied will conclude with a critical overview of the important rights and obligations of spouses within Islam. The following section turns more thoroughly to the main rights and obligations with the institution of marriage within Islam (Chaudhry, 2001). Developed through the teachings of the late Prophet Mohammad and framed within the social context in which the doctrine developed, Islam has prescribed roles for both men and women within the Islamic faith. Islam invites all the Muslims to follow Islamic teachings in all spheres of their life for the deliverance of humanity. The Qu’ran is the sacred text of all Muslims which is revealed to Prophet Muhammad. Islamic teachings are best understood through both the Qu’ran and Hadith. Allah says in the Qu’ran, "And He does not speak out of caprice. It is not but a revelation revealed, taught him by one terrible in power. (Chapter-53: verses-3 to 5). Islam proclaims to do everything fi-sabilillah (for the sake of God). Islam also orders Muslims to visit and take care of sick persons. Furthermore, the relationship between husband and wife is seen as one of the most important social bonds which exist in society (Esposito, 2008). An Islamic marriage begins with the nikah, which is the matrimonial contract between husband and wife. The marriage can only be said to be Islamically sound if the prerequisites of nikah are fulfilled and entered into without duress.

People are more knowledgeable today and therefore have more Essay

People are more knowledgeable today and therefore have more opportunities and choices than they had in the past, do you agree - Essay Example Due to change people now have more opportunities and choices than they had in the past. In society knowledge is produced and disseminated; knowledge has caused change in society making a development in various institutions in society, a good example is the development of medicine, there has been a shift from traditional cure to scientific discovery of medicine to cure various illnesses, there has been increased knowledge in that people can now self diagnosis, improvement in over the years, in the example given the example on a patient who is ill in the year 2000 BC the medicine will come from a certain tree or root, in the year 1000 AD the patient would be asked to recite a certain prayer, in the year 1850 AD the patient would be advised to drink a certain potion and lately in the world we are in today the patient will be asked to take a certain pill. Therefore in the world we are today we can say we are in a better position than we were in the past. Still in the medicine part, today we are in a position to choose from various medicines to cure certain illnesses, there is also the development of health institutions which is now improved to offer better health care and the training of doctors has led to development of educational institutions to train the doctors. All these have led to creation of more and complex institutions which have led to creation of more opportunities and choices. Religious knowledge is defined as knowledge based on beliefs, over the years this knowledge has been passed on to many people in the world, these is made possible by the development of science, the bible is now published and available to all unlike in the past, the improvement of modes of communication especially the mass media has made it easier for the dissemination of these knowledge. There are now many churches and denominations and people have now many choices, the improvement of this institution over the years. The emergence of religious leaders and increased belief in religion has led to change in society leading to a better society despite critics by Karl Marx that religion was an institution that legitimized capitalism and that religion led to a state of false consciousness. An improvement in environmental conservation knowledge has led to development of environmental conservation movements and institutions to improve on environmental degradation. In the past environmental degradation was not accounted for but in the present times there has been increased efforts to improve and conserve the environment, pollution has increased over the years due to improvement in science on sources of energy especially fossil fuels, in the present there is increased knowledge on environmental degradation and people are now looking for alternative sources of energy that are less pollutants. The sensitization of the deterioration of the ozone layer by the media has led to more conservative measures. The source of this knowledge is the development of science and technology, people in the present are have more knowledge than in the past, and these improvement has led to a better society that has more opportunities and choices. An example is the improvement o

Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Education - Research Paper Example There are a variety of post reading strategies that will heighten, enrich and refine interest in a specific topic, but the primary objective of post reading strategies is to further clarify and develop interpretations of readings and text, and to aid students recall whatever they have individually developed in their minds after reading a particular text. There are generally four main types of post reading strategies or activities. These are: a) Those provide students with the opportunity to ask questions with regards to assignments or readings. b) Those that concentrate on text structure c) Those that involve peer and classroom review d) Those that extend learning This paper will be based on the following paragraph from the book Tangerine by Edward Bloor: Antoine studied my face. He said, â€Å"You’re Erik Fisher’s little brother?† I tightened up at the sound of Erik’s name. I mumbled, â€Å"Yes.† Antoine said quietly, â€Å"It’s time to sta rt telling the truth, little brother. Do you understand what I’m saying?† I nodded like I understood. But, I didn’t. Not really. Not until he added, â€Å"Don’t spend your life under the bleachers, little brother. The truth shall set you free.† I nodded with real conviction now. ... Activity 1: Web The discussion web is a graphic illustration that helps students prepare for discussions in the classroom (Kinsella & Widener, 2001). In this case, the students will be required to develop a discussion centered on the paragraph drawn from the book that has been mentioned earlier and to primarily focus on the content. The discussion web is geared towards helping the students examine all sides of an issue and understand all perspectives emanating from that particular issue. Your role (the teacher) in this activity will be that of a moderator and an encourager (Behrens & Rosen, 2008). As a moderator, you will help the students to create a topic and stay focused on it. As an encourager, you will help the students engage participants and ensure that they are free to voice their opinions and points of view. Prepare students for listening or reading by establishing a purpose for reading, activating previous knowledge and introducing important vocabulary. After students have read the paragraph, introduce the web by way of a provocative question. For instance, â€Å"was Paul a dishonest person?† 1. Students will be required (in pairs) to discuss the pros and cons of the question and then complete the web as a unit or team. They will take turns filling in as many NO and YES statements as they can generate. 2. Pairs are rearranged into units of four students, who then compare their webs and come up with one answer to the question. 3. The group chooses and records the most appropriate and strongest argument and gives its reasons for that choice. 4. Each group selects a spokesperson to report (in three minutes) the results, and then students with

Leading Equality and Diversity Essay Example for Free

Leading Equality and Diversity Essay Be able to understand the commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity 1. 1 – Evaluate the organisation’s commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity Equality and diversity means that every service user has their individual needs comprehensively addressed. He or she will be treated equally and without discrimination. This is regardless of the individual’s ethnic background, language, culture, faith, gender, age, sexual orientation or any other aspect that could result in their being discriminated against purely because they have such characteristics. Ashley Care LLP is firmly committed to diversity in all areas of our work. We believe that we have much to learn and profit from diverse cultures, experiences and perspectives, and that diversity will make our organisation more effective in meeting the needs of all our stakeholders. We believe that equality and diversity within our organisation contributes to our objectives and we are especially conscious of the fact that effective partnership relationships require a shared commitment to equality of opportunity and valuing and managing diversity. Our Equality and Diversity Policy helps to ensure that there is no unjustified discrimination in the recruitment, retention, training and development of staff on the basis of gender including transgender, marital status, sexual identity, religion and belief, political opinion, race, work pattern, age, disability or HIV/AIDS status, socio-economic background, spent convictions, on the basis of having or not having dependants, or any other irrelevant grounds. Our Policy is an integral way on which we handle our recruitment procedures to ensure a fair and approachable image of our organisation. Ashley Care LLP have an Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Policy and its purpose is to ensure that its service is fully committed to these principles and values and to communicate this commitment to all stakeholders. The policy should always be referred to wherever differences of view based on lack of understanding or prejudice about diversity, equality and inclusion are evident. Equality, diversity and inclusion means that every service user has their individual needs comprehensively addressed he or she will be treated equally and without discrimination. This is regardless of the individual’s ethnic background, language, culture, faith, gender, age, sexual orientation or any other aspect that could result in their being discriminated against purely because they have such characteristics. 1. 2Discuss how behaviour, actions and words of all members of the organisation support the commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity At Ashley Care LLP we are committed to working together to build a community founded on equality of opportunity a social care community which celebrates the rich diversity of our service users and staff populations. Discriminatory behaviour has no place in our community and will not be tolerated. Within a spirit of respecting difference, our equality and diversity policies promise equal treatment and opportunity for all regardless of gender, sexuality, race, colour, disability, religion, age, and ethnicity or nationality. We call on all members of our company to make a personal commitment to these aims. Our Partners of the Company will ensure that its own actions promote equality and diversity. Through their words and behaviours, Partners will aim to provide genuine equality of opportunity regardless of gender, sexuality, race, colour, disability, religion, age, and ethnic or national origin. In considering its own composition and filling vacancies, the Partners will seek to ensure that its membership embraces the widest possible variety of backgrounds and views, consistent with the need to maintain a Partnership with the skills and experience necessary to carry out its responsibilities. Ashley Care LLP expresses its commitment to equality and diversity by: a. especting service users’ ethnic, cultural and religious practices and making practical provision for them to be observed b. reassuring its service uses that their diverse backgrounds enhance the quality of experience of the service c. accepting service users as individuals, not as cases or stereotypes d. involving service users to express their individuality and to follow their preferred lifestyle, also helping them to celebrate events, anniversaries or festivals which are important to them as individuals e. howing positive leadership and having management and human resources practices that actively demonstrate a commitment to equality and diversity principles f. developing an ethos throughout Ashley Care LLP that reflects these values and principles g. expecting all staff to work to equality and diversity principles and policies and to behave at all times in non-discriminatory ways h. providing, training, supervision and support to enable staff to do this i. aving a code of conduct that makes any form of discriminatory behaviour unacceptable; this is applicable to both staff and service users and is rigorously observed and monitored accordingly. Partners will devote time to the development of their own knowledge, understanding and practices to promote and achieve equality and respect for diversity and will see such development as one test of their effectiveness. The achievement of genuine equality of opportunity is at the heart of our mission as a provider of higher education. We aim to build a learning community which exhibits the diverse range of skills and experience which cannot be found within any single group of students or staff. In pursuing this aim, we want our community to value and to be at ease with its own diversity and to reflect the needs of the wider community within which we operate. Although we accept all of our responsibilities under current legislation, we aim to reach beyond the strict confines of the law to provide equality of opportunity for all. We will continue to formulate and implement policies to that end. Every member of our company has a moral and legal responsibility to promote equal treatment within that community and to respect its diversity. Overall responsibility for working with our community in support of these aims lies with the Senior Partner, closely supported by the other Partners. The HR amp; Workforce Development Manager is responsible for matters relating to equality of opportunity in employment, for developing policies which meet legislation and best practice, for monitoring the impact of these policies on different minority groups, and for providing relevant employment statistics. All staff and service users are responsible for ensuring that their actions are carried out in accordance with this policy. They may be held personally to account should their actions fall sort of the requirements of this policy in any way. We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We wish to see people from all groups in our society represented at all levels of employment, to ensure that no available talent is overlooked and to provide role models for our staff members. 1. 3Identify organisational and personal responsibilities and liabilities under equality legislation and codes of practice The Equality Act became law in October 2010. It replaces previous legislation (such as the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) and ensures consistency in what we needed to do to make our workplace a fair environment and to comply with the law. â€Å"This was, primarily , the Equal Pay Act 1970, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and three major statutory instruments protecting discrimination in employment on grounds of religion or belief, sexual orientation and age. † en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Equality_Act_2010 The public sector Equality Duty (section 149 of the Act) came into force on 5 April 2011. The Equality Duty applies to public bodies and others carrying out public functions. It supports good decision-making by ensuring public bodies consider how different people will be affected by their activities, helping them to deliver policies and services which are efficient and effecti ve; accessible to all; and which meet different peoples needs. The Equality Duty is supported by specific duties, set out in regulations which came into force on 10 September 2011. The specific duties require public bodies to publish relevant, proportionate information demonstrating their compliance with the Equality Duty; and to set themselves specific, measurable equality objectives. The Equality Act covers the same groups that were protected by existing equality legislation age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity it extends some protections to some of the groups not previously covered, and also strengthens particular aspects of equality law. The Equality Act is a mixture of rights and responsibilities that have: * Stayed the same for example, direct discrimination still occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic * Changed for example, employees will now be able to complain of harassment even if it is not directed at them, if they can demonstrate that it creates an offensive environment for them * Been extended for example, associative discrimination (direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who possesses a protected characteristic) will cover age, disability, gender reassignment and sex as well as race, religion and belief and sexual orientation Been introduced for the first time for example, the concept of discrimination arising from disability, which occurs if a disabled person is treated unfavourably because of something arising in consequence of their disability. As a result, I needed to review and change most of our policies and practices. 2. Be able to understand the application of equality of opportunity and diversity 2. 1 – Describe the organisation’s equality and diversity policies and how these are communicated within the workplace To ensure equality and diversity is no longer viewed as something only affecting minority groups, any issues need to be viewed not as issues, but as something to be explored and celebrated. Staff could be personally affected by stereotyping, prejudice and/or discrimination when attending work, which could lead to non attendance or non achievement. As a manager I need to ensure all my staff value one another and that the basic rights they are entitled to, for example to learn in a comfortable and safe environment are met. The Pre-Employment Induction to Ashley Care LLP include details of all policies and procedures, including equality and diversity, which are brought to the attention of the staff members during their initial interview and during the induction session. Having a policy is not enough, Ashley Care LLP also have a working group to ensure that the policies are promoted, monitored and regularly reviewed. Policies are also communicated to all staff through the following mechanisms: * Staff handbook * Contract of Employment * Application Form * Team meetings * Staff meetings Ashley Care LLP fully supports all principles of equality and diversity, and opposes any unfair or unlawful discrimination on the grounds of ability, age, colour, culture, disability, domestic circumstances, employment status, ethnic origin, gender, learning difficulties, marital status / civil partnership, nationality, political conviction, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation and/or social background. Ashley Care LLP aims to ensure that equality and diversity is promoted among all staff and service users and that unfair or unlawful discrimination, whether direct or indirect, is eliminated to promote a climate of equality and respect. All staff can expect to work in an environment free from harassment and bullying. † Taken from Ashley Care LLP’s policy on Equality and Diversity 2. 2 – Assess the application of the organisation’s commitment to equality of opportunity and dive rsity The evidence that Ashley Care LLP have collected over the years clearly demonstrate our commitment to equality and diversity. The application form states that â€Å"Ashley Care LLP is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all work seekers and shall adhere to our policy at all times. We review all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. † Our policy states that â€Å"Equality and diversity means that every service user has their individual needs comprehensively addressed. He or she will be treated equally and without discrimination. This is regardless of the individual’s ethnic background, language, culture, faith, gender, age, sexual orientation or any other aspect that could result in their being discriminated against purely because they have such characteristics. † Within our policy we also state that â€Å"Ashley Care LLP expresses its commitment to equality and diversity by: a. respecting service users’ ethnic, cultural and religious practices and making practical provision for them to be observed b. reassuring its service uses that their diverse backgrounds enhance the quality of experience of the service c. accepting service users as individuals, not as cases or stereotypes d. nvolving service users to express their individuality and to follow their preferred lifestyle, also helping them to celebrate events, anniversaries or festivals which are important to them as individuals e. showing positive leadership and having management and human resources practices that actively demonstrate a commitment to equality and diversity principles f. developing an ethos throughout Ashley Care LLP that reflects these values and principles g. expecting all staff to work to equality and diversity principles and policies and to behave at all times in non-discriminatory ways h. providing, training, supervision and support to enable staff to do this i. aving a code of conduct that makes any form of discriminatory behaviour unacceptable; this is applicable to both staff and service users and is rigorously observed and monitored accordingly. † 2. 3 – Review the diversity of the workforce against the local and/or national population and identify areas for review. Diversity is about valuing and respecting the differences in the workforce, regardless of ability and/or circumstances or any other individual characteristics they may have. If you have more than one member in your workforce you will experience diversity. I am also different from my workforce in many ways, and they are different from one another, therefore they are entitled to be treated with respect, wi th their differences taken into consideration. Combined together, equality and diversity drive an organisation to comply with anti-discrimination legislation as well as emphasising the positive benefits of diversity such as drawing on a wider pool of talent, positively motivating all employees and meeting the needs of a wider customer base. Differences should be acknowledged, celebrated and embraced, to ensure all employees feel included in the process to be followed, and that the working environment is suitable for all. Examples of these differences are: * ability| * disability – physical or mental| * age| * domestic circumstances| * belief| * educational background| * colour| * employment status| * class| * ethnic origin| clothing worn| * experience| * confidence| * gender| * culture| * intelligence| * language, accent, dialect| * race| * learning difficulties| * religion| * marital status / civil partnership| * sexual orientation| * nationality| * social class or identity| * occupation| * talent| * parental status| * tr adition| * physical characteristics| * transgender| * political conviction| * wealth| Promoting diversity in the workforce is about attracting and retaining the best people, regardless of what group they belong to. â€Å"There is considerable evidence to show that inclusive organisations benefit from diversity through: enhanced competitiveness, attracting and retaining more competent employees, who understand the needs of their workforce and respect differences; * improved performance and outcomes, creating a working environment in which everyone is encouraged to perform to their maximum potential; * improved customer services, being able to reflect and meet the diverse needs of the workforce and; * improved staff relations, which reduced the risk of costly tribunals by complying with anti-discriminatory legislation. † www. lluk. org. uk/3167. htm As a manager working within the Health ;amp; Social Care Sector, I agree with the above statement, particularly creating a working environment in which everyone is encouraged to perform to their maximum potential. An inclusive organisation will ensure that their workforce are not excluded for any reason, either directly or indirectly, from part aking in a chosen programme. All the workforce will bring with them valuable skills, knowledge and experiences, I try to incorporate these within any training sessions and treat everyone as an individual. I am always positive and proactive where equality and diversity are concerned, even if my opinions differ from those of my workforce. I have to challenge my own values and beliefs. However, as a professional, I am first and foremost a manager, and my personal opinions must not interfere with the employment process. I must also be careful not to indulge the minority to the detriment of the majority. 3. Be able to understand the needs of others in relation to equality of opportunity and diversity 3. 1 – Explain the requirement to understand individual’s needs, feeling and motivations and to take an interest in their concerns The fundamental reason for promoting equality is to meet the needs of the workforce. Individuals are at the heart of the company and meeting their needs requires an active approach to equality of opportunity at all stages of their employment. It is about the removal of social and economic barriers to participation. Good equal opportunities ensure that all employees: * are respected and not discriminated against; * become aware of equality and inclusion; * benefit from high quality opportunities * work in an environment that supports their development. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) look to employers and learning organisations they fund to help promote equality of opportunity, widen participation and improve performance. They recommend the following. â€Å"Explicit references: equality of opportunity should be promoted and discrimination tacked so that all employees achieve their potential, * guidance and support should be sensitive to quality of opportunity, * organisations should have effective measures to eliminate oppressive behaviour, including all forms of harassment, * companies should be socially inclusive, ensuring equality of access and opportunities for workforces, * managers should use materials and methods that promote equality of opportunity, * there should be explicit aims, values and strategies promoting equality for all that are reflected in the organisation’s work. Implicit references: staff should have access to relevant, effective support on personal issues, * staff should understand their rights and responsibilities, * resources and accommodation should allow all staff to participate fully, * organisations should promote good working relationships, * programmes should be responsive to local circumstances, * the organisation’s values should be fully understood by staff, including sub contractors and work placement organisations, * the performance of different groups of staff should be used to guide programme development. As a manager I need to take positive steps to promote a culture of equality and diversity in everything that I do that may affect the employment process. 3. 2 – Evaluate the impact of showing respect to others, recognising their value and upholding their rights An example of showing respect to others, recognising their value and upholding their rights could be: An employee has declared to me during this Common Induction Standards training that he is transgender and wants to know which toilet facilities he can use. He has not asked this information remain confidential. This declaration by the employee means that my whole organisation is deemed to know under the Equality Act 2010, and will need to make reasonable adjustments so that the employee has access to toilet facilities he is comfortable with. I may suggest that the employee can use the disabled toilet which is accessed by both males and females. If I am unable to respond to the employee’s needs, he may feel that under the Gender Reassignment Regulations (1999) his needs have not been given the same consideration as those of male and female gender. Some employees may not want to may not want to complete the section on the application form (pre 2008), which required them to disclose details such as a disability, ethnic origin, date of birth etc. Although it was not compulsory, the information often helped our organisation support the workforce, as well as collect data for purposes such as funding and statistics to inform policies. 3. 3 – Describe the need for integrity, fairness and consistency in dealings with individuals When considering forms of harassment, it is important to bear in mind that different people have different cultural and social perceptions as to what they consider to be hostile or degrading. If possible, deliver sessions with your workforce to try to address these perceptions or assumptions. During the recruitment and selection process, I often ask the interviewers what they understand by equality and diversity and how they ensure it in their interviewing. Very often the response is that they would treat everyone the same. However, diversity, fairness and equality are about treating others as they would wish to be treated, rather than making assumptions on their behalf. The workforce is all different and therefore have different needs and different degrees of need which will lead to equal outcomes at the end of their training. Language has a fundamental role to play in treating people fairly. Words you use should give a clear message to all the workforce that myself and my organisation value diversity and respect individual differences. Carefully examining the language I use and the way I use it will help ensure that I treat my workforce as individuals and not merely as members of staff. Communication is not just about words, however, and I also should ensure that my tone of voice, demeanour and body language convey the same message of inclusiveness. An example may be: Gemma has been asked to plan, design and deliver a four week Job Skills programme as part of a Support and Achieve Programme for Lone Parents. The clients are referred to the programme from JobCentrePlus and the aim of the project is for the one parents to return to work. The very title of this project typecasts these clients into a particular group. They are immediately identified as lone or single parents. Gemma therefore suggests the title be changed. Reports from the media project an image of lone parents as predominately young mothers or fathers with children living on their own and claiming state benefits. There are many diverse people who find themselves as lone parents due to different circumstances, for example, widows, windowers or divorcees. The title of a programme can therefore affect who will apply for it, in this example it is positive discrimination in favour of lone parents. However, the content will be based around returning to work and could easily be adapted to suit others, and the mix of workers will help promote inclusion and equality. 3. 4 – Outline a process for dealing with others whose behaviours, words or actions do not support a commitment to equality of opportunity or diversity When an inspection is planned, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) uses the provider’s annual self-assessment report, along with other information such as data on achievement and development plans. Inspection reports include judgements on self-assessment and the self-assessment report. During the inspection the self-assessment report will continue to provide CQC inspectors with crucial evidence to support judgements about the Essential Standards of Quality and Safety’s main aspects, the contributory grades for equality and diversity, safeguarding and the provider’s capacity to improve. Inspectors will use the report to assess risk, monitor standards and plan for inspection. Where subject areas are to be inspected, the report will help the lead inspector select the areas to inspect. Findings during the inspection will be compared with those in the self-assessment report, and a conclusion reached on the accuracy of those judgements. Judgements on the accuracy and use made of the self-assessment report contribute to the grade awarded for the provider’s capacity to make and sustain improvements. A provider that is judged to be outstanding in this area will have a self-assessment report that is highly accurate. The process of self-assessment will be comprehensive and inclusive. It will be used very effectively to secure sustained improvements in all aspects of the provider’s work. A provider that is judged to be good in this area will have a self-assessment report that is largely accurate. The process will be thorough and used well to secure improvements in most aspects of the provider’s work. A provider that is judged to be satisfactory in this area will use self-assessment well to identify most of the provider’s strengths and weaknesses and bring about improvements. A provider judged to be inadequate in this area may be one where quality improvement and self-assessment do not lead to demonstrable improvements. After inspection you must review and update your plans to take account of the inspection findings. Providers are required to set out clearly what actions are needed and to link this explicitly to the inspection findings within two months of the publication of the inspection report.

Spanish Cinema During The Dictatorship

Spanish Cinema During The Dictatorship Spanish cinema was highly affected by the effects of the civil war; private investment in the production of commercial films fell drastically. The country was divided in two areas which were facing the effects of having military forces. This situation was reflected specially in the movie industry because at the time no-one wanted to invest in any new projects. Nevertheless, movie theatres in the whole country were doing extremely well all through the war; they were screening local productions as for example, Florià ¡n Reys clichà ©d Morena Clara (1936) and also, they were importing popular American productions. The Republican, who had the control over the principal centres of urban movie-making, gave authorization for the production of more than 200 films during the conflict. However, at the beginning of 1938 it started to be perceived that the Republican government was going to be defeated and therefore several members of the film industry started to organize their departure; most of them were Republican supporters. The directors Luis Alcoriza, Luis Buà ±uel, Carlos Velo, etc; also many actors as for example, Josà © Luis Baviera, Margarita Xirgu, Ana Marà ­a Custodio, Alberto Closes, Rosita Dà ­az Gimeno, Carmen Amaya; accompanied by a huge group of technicians such as the editor Josà © Caà ±izares, the camera operator Josà © Marà ­a Beltrà ¡n and the majority of the team members who were in charge of Andrà © Malrauxs Lespoir: Sierra de Teruel, migrated from Spain to countries such as: France, Argentina and Mexico. These were countries in which Spanish speakers had the opportunity to continue their work in the film industry. The director Buà ±uel was the perfect example of someone that was able to adapt to a life forced out of Spain. After he was exiled in 1946 he decided to go to Mexico and in 1949 became a Mexican citizen. However a large list of film makers who had started their careers under the Republicans and were sympathizers of the democratic government stayed at Francos side for example, Juan de Orduà ±a, Antonio del Amo, Benito Perojo, Florià ¡n Rey, Edgar Neville, Eduardo Garcà ­a Maroto, Rafael Gil, etc. The civil war finally ended on April 1939; afterwards Spain assumed a military dictatorship with General Franco in command. Obviously, the new management of the Spanish cinema industry during the dictatorship had a very negative repercussion on the film industry and could only lead to the best opportunity for those who were in the power to commit several crimes such as fraud, patronage, use of favours etc. It is important to highlight the fact that in 1940 three main official regulations were established and then submitted leading to the Spanish film industry to suffer the side effects of these intransigent regulations for many years. These regulations were: Compulsory dubbing Official state newsreel Film censorship Spanish Cinema during the dictatorship: Film Censorship Film censorship had been presented to Spain when the country was still facing the civil war in 1938; then in 1939 during the dictatorship of Franco it was stipulated all through the nation. During this period all film scripts had to endure a pre-censorship, shooting scripts had to be approved and Spanish films were required to have an exhibition licence, changes to image and sound tracks, cuts in completed movies were as well imposed and there was authorization of dubbing and subtitling. Film censorship was characterised for its inefficiency, for not being consistent when making decisions, and also for being arbitrary in its choices. Nevertheless it is difficult to establish if censorship caused the same impact on Spanish cinema as compulsory dubbing. Compulsory dubbing into Spanish and the taxation of all films that were imported from foreign countries were introduced by the industry and commerce ministry in April 1941. These two measures are normally seen as a consequence of Axis satisfactory results during the Second World War. However it seems to have more connection with Francos constant attempts to Hispanicize Spanish culture. At this time over 50% of the public couldnt read or write and most of Spain only spoke Spanish and didnt speak any other language and therefore Spanish film viewers soon got used to watching foreign films in dubbed Spanish. The film industry quickly realised that they could produce more profit from dubbed films than from using subtitles in films; as a result it was easier for censors to manipulate soundtracks and images. Nevertheless, compulsory dubbing drastically affected the country; economically and industrially. It caused a great damage to Spanish film productions; the main reason was that Foreign and Spanish films were in a position of equal accessibility to Spanish audiences and thus distributors and exhibitors abandoned essential elements in the effort to defeat international competition. Furthermore, the importation of international productions for distribution and even for exhibition was determined by the concession of import licences to national film producers. These licenses were given by official organisations to national film makers depending on the ideology of their productions. It was typical that the producers who supported Francos regime who behaved in a moderate and morally acceptable way would obtain three or five import permits. However, there were some films for example; El davo (1944) directed by Rafael Gil and El escà ¡ndalo (1943) directed by Josà © Luis Sà ¡enz de Heredia that won fifteen licences. Then these were sold for a lot of money, normally through the illicit black market, mainly to distributors from America who were based in Spain. The Spanish audience seemed to prefer foreign productions and therefore producers became very rich from selling import permits. This was also true for the distributers and exhibitors who also became very wealthy from screening foreign movies. As a consequence of this, for about ten years, the Spanish film industry was only used as a simply way of making very good profits from selling import licences. Spanish industry started suffering the consequences of a new law: compulsory official newsreels commonly recognised as NODO which was presented in December 1942 and had to be screened in all cinemas in Spain. This was basically political publication; propaganda used by the regime that had as its main purpose to influence Spanish people by the use of inaccurate information. NO-DO which is the acronym for Noticieros y Documentales Cinematograficos was used instead of the Italian and the German newsreels in cinemas in Spain and was compulsory until 1976. Unluckily, the mandatory introduction of NO-DO newsreels in Spain efficiently excluded a large number of younger national film-makers from presenting their work to the public such as, animation, documentaries or shorts and this certainly discouraged others to study in these areas. To lessen the gravity of the disastrous effects of the NO-DO policy, the regime presented a list of new protectionist measures that benefited the Spanish film industry. The following are some of these measures: Revised classification schemes, screen quotas (initially one week of Spanish film for every six of a foreign film). Official loans with which to finance up to 40 per cent of a film budget. Official prize of 400.000 pesetas. National interest awards for deserving films. Until about 1945, the regime of General Franco had its favourite film genres, especially one called cine de cruzada or films inspired by war, which also commemorated the Franco regimes victories in the civil war, disapproved the defeated Republican and celebrated the power of the armed forces, the religious, and colonialist values of the new people who ruled the country by that time. These films included: Escuadrilla (1941), Boda en el infierno (1942) and Los à ºltimos de Filipinas (1945), all directed by Antonio Romà ¡n.  ¡Harka! (1941) directed by Carlos Arà ©valo, El crucero Baleares (1941) directed by Enrique del campo and Juan de Orduà ±as  ¡A mà ­ legià ³n! (1942). There was especially one film called Raza (The Race) (1942) directed by Josà © Luis Sà ¡enz de Heredia which was without doubt one of the more significant films for the genre. Towards the end of 1940 and As the nation came to terms with the dramatic repercussions of the bloody civil war that had just ended, and while the rest of Europe engaged in its own devastating conflict, Franco found the time to write a brief novella entitled Raza. Published under the pseudonym Jaime de Andrade, Raza was structured like a screenplay and clearly intended to be made into a film; a semi autobiographical film, reflecting aspects of Francos real life. In 1945 with the foreseen defeat of the Axis, the descent in influence of Falange (Political organisation) and the ideology adopted by Franco of National Catholicism, the principles of the cine de cruzada was transformed into different nationalist genres. These also contained the period drama, the folkloric comedy, the historical movie, and the religious film. Comedies seemed to be preferred by the box office, the reason being this genre of film was the most popular and therefore the most profitable; especially films directed by Edgar Neville, Rafael Gil and Josà © Luis Sà ¡enz de Heredia who produced many clichà ©d, bullfighting films and folkloric musicals. These types of films were characterised for their poor quality and being cheerful in nature and having low production values. However, these films were produced for easy viewing; also, audience had the opportunity to participate. These were vehicles which were created around the best singers of that time, for example, Juanita Reina, Carmen Sevilla, Lola Florez, Paquita Rico, Currito de la Cruz, and Conchita Piquer as in Florià ¡n Rey La Dolores (1940). Yet in a time in which international isolation and repression for its fascist supporters was very common, the regime encouraged film producers to use the great national symbols of old and resist using anti-Spanish symbols in a serie s of bulky over produced biopics, commemorating distinguished Catholic heroines as in Juan de Orduà ±a Locura de Amor (Love Crazy) (1950) and La Leona de Castilla (The Lioness of Castille) (1951), and Reina Santa (1947) a film about a virtuous Spanish princess who becomes the Queen of Portugal directed by Rafael Gil. Along with these theatrical and historical films, we also see a strong Catholicism and missionary colonialism theme running through the cinema at this time, such as Misià ³n blanca (1946) directed by Juan de Orduà ±a, and then there were the prototypes for the sentimental, religious dramas of the early 1950s with films like Balarrasa (Reckless) (1951), A mans harrowing experience in war which turns him to God for salvation and he becomes a Priest) directed by Josà © Antonio Nieves Conde. It is worth mentioning that the same Falangist director, Josà © Antonio Nieves Conde, directed Surcos (Furrows) (1951), dealing with the fatal repercussions of leaving the old country and implications of migrating to the city. This film seemed to symbolise the realist cinema which was more relative to daily life in Spain and to the Spanish people, issues of lower orders, and presenting social problems that were entirely absent from Spanish cinema screens. Surcos was also the cause of strong disagreements between Falangism and conventional Catholicism because in 1951 Josà © Marà ­a Garcà ­a Escudero who was the General Director of Cinema at the time, denied to give the national interest award to Juan de Orduà ±as Alba de America (Dawn of America) (1951) as he preferred Surcos instead. As a consequence of this, Escudero had to leave his position as General Director of Cinema and Orduà ±as historical epic was awarded instead. This was an indication of the regime position towards f ilm makers who had the courage to defy the regime baring the less appealing, problematic side of social issues in Francos dictatorship. Realism had gradually returned into Spain through the weird example of Italian neo-realism and soviet cinema at the end the 1940s, it had sneaked into university film programmes. These types of films found great acceptance among some disillusioned Falangist film makers in the new, official film school, which was created by the regime and founded in 1947. Originally, the regime permitted the establishment of the Instituto de Investigaciones y experiencias cinematogrà ¡ficas (Institute for Film Research and Experiment) by means of forcing control on professional access to the film industry. In 1962 its name was changed to Escuela Oficial de Cine (Official Film School) and represented its programme on the curriculum for the Italian Centro Sperimentale in Rome. The IIEC was known for its lack of good teaching standards, and poor resources. However, the IIEC acquired 109 students just in the first year of its foundation; many of these pupils played important roles in the film industry movements in the 1950s and events which were organized to manifest cultural and also political opposition to Francos regime. Spanish Cinema during the dictatorship: Neo-Realism (1952-1961) Neo-Realist ideology started to be more obvious throughout the film industry in Spain almost immediately, not only in films by the young upcoming directors but also in those by followers of Franco such as Josà © Antonio Nieves Conde, who with his controversial film Surcos, let Spaniards see some of the unpleasant aspects of urban life. Luis Garcà ­a Berlanga and Juan Antonio Bardem were two disillusioned Falangists who studied at IIEC, they both were very important individuals in the attempt to renew Spanish cinema. These two men worked together with their own production company called UNINCI and in 1951 made Esa Pareja Feliz (That Happy Couple) (1953). The story was based on dreams of the working class about the improvement of the economy with parodies of CIFESAs (Compaà ±Ãƒ ­a Industrial Film Espaà ±ol S.A.) epic cinema and also the escapism of romantic comedies from Hollywood. Berlanga and Bardem proceeded with the same satirical style in the respected Spanish parody Bienvenido Mister Marshall (Welcome Mr. Marshall!) (1953).This production had a very critical edge and for that reason it obtained a very positive international recognition. Nevertheless, it was publicly and officially disapproved in Spain. Although the critics of his movies were softened by the parody and comic tone, Berlanga frequently had cens orship and poor distribution issues. Juan Antonio Bardem was part of the illegal Communist Party and also one of the organizers of the Salamanca Film Conference in 1955. His career in the film industry in the 50s and 60s was interrupted with periods of imprisonment due to his political actions against the regime. Among his works were Cà ³micos (Actors) (1953) and Muerte de un ciclista (Death of a Cyclist) (1955) in which Bardem emphasises in a critical perception of the bourgeoisie in Spain and showed some short images of people living in extreme poverty in Spain, this film gave Bardem substantial international recognition (Winner of the 1955 FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival). The introduction of new ideas from international lands caused great fervour and strong feelings of change among filmmakers and the general public alike. Public discussions were due for the first time in Spains old University City Salamanca lead by Basilio Martà ­n Patino and sponsored by the Universities film club, the first National cinematographic conversations called the attention of professionals in the Spanish film industry, scholars, critics and writers who were there to represent a vast range of ideologies, these conversations took place between 14th and 19th of May in 1955. There was an opened document declaring the meeting which was signed by directors such as Bardem, Patino, Muà ±oz Suay, etc; these recognised personalities of the film industry along with many others discussing a number of topics, for example the censorship criteria, film distribution, and protection quotas. They also mentioned that it was crucial to include a member of the film industry in the censorship team and wanted that point to be considered. The discussions in Salamanca caused a minimum reaction for which many of their supporters thought the talks had been a failure. The fascist government opposition said the talks were an opportunity given to the regime by a bourgeois organization to sharpen its manipulation by the use of censorship criteria. Conservatives said the talks were proof that communist were infiltrating; some other people said that the discussions were clear evidence that the film industry in Spain was in its infancy, but for others of its history and maturity. Nevertheless it is important to say that the talks had helped the awareness of Spanish cinema on a national level and due to some insecurity in the government eleven months after the Salamancan talks the general director of film and theatre was substituted by Josà © Muà ±oz Fontà ¡n (Whose career would later be destroyed by Buà ±uels controversial Viridiana (1961)). The most obvious evidence of official reactions was that the film industry was in c omplete silence following the talks and the Franco Government quietly turned its back. Although censorship had caused an artistic void in Spain, the new emerging and inspiring ideas being introduced into Spain had created new blood with young home grown directors such as pioneers Luis Garcia Berlanga and Juan Antonio Bardem (Who both helped to create la està ©tica franquista, a film style which ironically defined Spanish film during Francos reign). Spanish Cinema during the dictatorship: New Spanish Cinema (1962-1968) Spain made its first attempt to be part of the European common market in 1962; the country wanted to prove that Spain was not the fascist, retrograde it used to be; Spain was going through a new phase of liberalization. The moderate Garcà ­a Escudero who was dismissed 10 years before for supporting the film Surcos was brought back to accompany the director of cinematographic and theatre position. Garcia participated in the discussions in Salamanca and was aware of the disappointment and frustrations of those people who were attempting to make films during the dictatorship of General Franco and therefore when the repression caused by the use of censorship temporally down the pressure on the film industry in 1962, Josà © Marà ­a Garcà ­a Escuderos started to revise the points discussed in Salamanca which after seven years had not been even considered. One of the hardest aims for Garcà ­a Escudero to achieve was to update the censorship system. In this attempt he was attacked by constant criticism, especially by members of the church and the right wing who accused him of being a repulsive freak of a promoter. Forth revised codes were stipulated in 1963, which were strongly attacked with the only purpose of bringing back many of the strictly controlled measures. Although several of the new film makers were clearly part of the opposition, the dictatorship found the way to silence their voices. Josà © Garcà ­a Escudero did not find enough political support to cause any serious alteration to the censorship system; however, in 1962 he managed to create a new category for special interest films. This category was very significant for new professional film makers from The Escuela Oficial de Cinematografà ­a (EOC), to work in a film industry in which they had never been allowed to be involved in unless they were only apprentices. As a consequence of the special interest category a new genre in the film industry appeared. This new genre was films that showed the problems of Spain, especially with criticism towards the social situation of the country, for the first time realistic narratives of Spain were screened in cinemas along the country. This type of cinema was called by critic Juan Francisco de Lasa as New Spanish Cinema. The new cinema in Spain was known for its use of metaphor showing social criticism which was prominent in the 1950s especially by directors Luis Garcà ­a Berlanga and Juan Antonio Bardem who were well respected at the time and classed as the best of their era and genre. Nevertheless new directors focused more on the 1890s literary generation. Spanish writers like the likes of Antonio Machado, Miguel de Unamuno and Pà ­o Baroja were attempting to find answers to national issues in its literary, historical and also geographical past, the new directors in the 1960s were more interested in analyzing and criticizing social traditions in Spain in an attempt to form an image of Spain in which the country is seen for what it really is, instead of for what it was in the past or people thought it would be in the future. Despite the special category which allowed new Spanish productions to work as films of special interest, young Spanish film makers were still being attacked by censorship, as seen in Miguel Picazos La tia Tula (1964), that had a cut of over four minutes and then there was the confiscation of certain scenes from Carlos Sauras Llanto por un bandido (1964) which were eventually destroyed by the censors. Manuel Summers Juguetes rotos (1964) recalls the heroics of a boxer, a bullfighter, and a soccer player, showing the contrast between the opportunities of youth and the loneliness of advancing age still had its problems with the censors with the director receiving a long list of prohibited shots, including the following. A child begging A group of girls in bikinis Dialogue saying Cualquier Espaà ±ol puede ser torero (Any Spaniard can be a bullfighter) These frequent restrictions caused an enormous frustration among many promising film makers. When the regime realised that the new Spanish cinema was being used in opposition, the government designed a system which allowed control over film distribution, making sure that these films were seen only by a chosen few; new Spanish films were screened exclusively in a system of art theatres for a very small educated audience. The arte y ensayo system started in January 1967 with the following restrictions: 380 theatres Only in urban areas (cities of over 500,000 inhabitants) Cannot seat more than 500 (By law) The distributors at first thought it was great to be able to offer films shown for the first time in Spain but because the audiences were small, exhibitors advertised promising them fruto prohibido (films prohibited or censored elsewhere). While this was correct, most of the public had misinterpreted it and would come looking for lewd material. Most previously censored films were not necessarily sexually explicit, censored more for political or social reasons such as Jean-Godards A bout de soufflà © (1960), Luis Buà ±uels Exterminating Angel (1962) and Ingmar Bergmans Persona (1966). The public became totally disillusioned and because of the years of censorship was completely unprepared for the new developments in films. By 1972 the art theatre ceased because it proved to an unsuccessful experiment. The special theatres were created not so much for the benefit of the Spanish film industry but so that foreign tourists in Spain could see movies in their native language. The New Spani sh Cinema was being exhibited mostly in the art theatres but after a mere five years, Spains New Cinema did not have an audience in its own country and they were all abolished. The whole movement had attracted nothing but problems from the start due to the total lack of film culture in Spain. Directors of New Spanish Cinema created films which felt out of date to the foreign audiences. Basilio Martà ­n Patinos Nueve cartes a Berta (1966) was entered into Cannes by Josà © Marà ­a Garcà ­a Escudero but straight away rejected; Patinos honest and naive film felt dated to an international audience with their advanced understanding of cinema. To be fair to Garcà ­a Escudero he had accomplished a lot between 1962 and 1966, over forty new directors had made their first film. This wasnt enough for him to keep his position of director general of Cinematografia y Teatro, and he was dismissed for the second time in his career. There were two reasons given, the first was economic; the secon d was for The Primeras Jornadas Internacionales de Escuelas de Cinematografà ­a (First International Film Schools Discussions) and his lack of control over a new and important presence in the Spanish film world, a group of students and young directors who were presided over by the respected film critic Ramà ³n Gubern and in part by director Joaquim Jordà   who is quoted saying: Today is impossible to speak freely of reality in Spain, so we are trying to describe its imaginary life* This group organized the only public discussion of film in Spain for the last twelve years. These discussions were held between 1st and 6th of October 1967 in the Catalan beach town of Sitges. Attended by students, critics and young filmmakers, the Sitges conference provided a unique space for anti-Franco protesters, revolutionaries and supporters of experimental film. The Catalonian film director, Jordà   presented a manifesto for the Barcelona School that became widely known as the Sitges Manifesto. This manifesto provided a clear focus for debates on questions of film principles and political ideals, as well as new ideas for production and exhibition of work outside Francos restrictive regime. Jordà  s drafted the manifesto with a Marxist tone and could not be further from the New Spanish Cinema if it tried, with demands to end all censorship and state subsidies of any kind. Furthermore it called for the replacement of the Sindicato Nacional de Espectà ¡culo (State Entertainmen t Union) which would be able to supervise the production, distribution and exhibition of film. The Sitges manifesto rejected any possibility of working with the system and would only agree to a film industry totally independent of the state. By the time the Franco regime noticed what was going on in Sitges the conference was coming to a close. Nevertheless police interrupted the end of the event and arrested participants. Jordà   sought refuge in Rome and classes were briefly suspended at the National Film School. Garcà ­a Escudero was finally dismissed in November 1967. After the regimes reaction to the conference in Sitges, the Spanish film directors union (Agrupacià ³n Sindical de Directores-Realizadores Espaà ±oles de Cinematografà ­a (ASDREC)) was planning to continue the debates at their own convention, scheduled on the 23rd of November in 1969. A group of professional directors proposed that they carry out a study of the main problems of Spanish film and publish the find ings. Some of these findings, including eliminating film censorship, had been taken from Sitges. Officially the ASDREC convention was prohibited due to its controversial tone, but this didnt stop them. After many preliminary talks between directors discussing the topics most relevant to the industry, the main meeting was eventually held in March 1970. * Higginbotham, V. (1988). Spanish Film Under Franco. Texas: University of Texas Press. p66 Spanish Cinema during the dictatorship: The decade of Francos death (1969-1975) With the demise of Garcà ­a Escudero and the New Spanish Cinema and the breakup of School of Barcelona with its avant garde views, Spanish movie screens were full of foreign Spy movies and spaghetti westerns. The decade of Francos death (November 20th 1975) had started badly for Spanish film, with huge debts for the industry and the best of its new films were hardly shown on Spanish cinemas screens. 20 percent of world cinema had been banned in Spain since the Civil War and by the 1970s it had risen to over 50 percent of films made abroad that couldnt be seen on Spanish screens. If most of the worlds greatest films couldnt be seen in Spain, at least it wasnt being so strong on letting them be filmed there, even if it brought controversy. One of the most important (and controversial) events for Spanish film during the later years of Francos reign was Buà ±uel being granted permission to film Tristana (1970) in 1969. Tristana, definitely one of Buà ±uels finest, is a great example o f why his films, although banned and not well known to the Spanish people, were considered by Spanish Directors in the know as National treasures. In total contrast to most of the Spanish films made during the dictatorship, Buà ±uels vision of Spain seemed and felt more authentic. With the use of real people where possible as in Viridiana (1961) where he selected a group of beggars straight from the streets of Toledo and Madrid, and then there is the title character from Nazarin (1959) who is a typical anarchistic Spanish clergyman (many were murdered on the suspicion of being Communist sympathizers during the Civil War). Buà ±uels return to Spain was also the start of a new era in Spanish film, in the next five years leading up to Francos death there were some great films to come out of Spain. Carlos Saura (after Buà ±uel is Spains most important director during the post-war era) managed to create some great films even though his films were criticized by both right and left wing equally. He had the power to irritate and inherited Buà ±uels ability to cause trouble and whose films also managed to disturb the uneasy calm of the Franco camp. Films included Los golfos (1959), Ana y los lobos (1972), La prima Angelica (1973) and Cria cuervos (1975) the title in Spanish stems from the phrase Raise ravens and theyll pluck out your eyes and the equivalent phrase in English would be you reap what you sow. Filmed the year before Francos death, it makes clear how the regime, through an out of date religious education, making certain that the young do not grow into cuervos (ravens) and rebel the fascist myth. Last but definitely not least is the most highly acclaimed film in the history of Spanish cinema, El espà ­ritu de la colmena (Spirit of the Beehive) (1973) one of the most beautiful and poetic films ever filmed, a film which has been haunting audiences both Spanish and abroad since it first premiered in Madrid in October 1973. A young Victor Erice (he was 33 years old when he directed his master piece, 3 years younger than Orson Welles when he directed Citizen Kane (1941)) was in search of new myths and turned to classic horror films for inspiration and he found Frankensteins monster to represent Spain and its problems. After seeing James Whales Frankenstein (1931) for the first time, seven year old Ana becomes fascinated with the monster, she becomes obsessed with finding him, and transfers this onto a wounded army deserter, who she is convinced is the monster. As a metaphor for Spain, the monster is a ghoulish collage of a man, a monstrous figure constructed by the sinister creat or, Dr. Henry Frankenstein. Even the Doctors name sounds very much like Franco. With its reference to the myth of Frankenstein, Erice found an uncanny metaphor for Francos Spain. The monster was reborn and had no memory like a new born baby, he has no moral sense and so can behave kindly, then kill (by accident or otherwise). Frankensteins monster being a literary myth himself suitably represents the final result of the so called Franco myth. Chapter Three Spanish Cinema back to Democracy General Franco died on the 20th November 1975, and with his death died 46 years repression, a new phase of history was about to be born in Spain. It was the time for freedom which would give strength and new backbone to the Spanish cinema. It was as if Spain finally had democracy, liberalism, explicitness and experimentation all at once. Directors were now creating without the pressure of all those previous prohibitions. Franco before he died had designated as his successor Juan Carlos of Bourbon, who was the grandson of the last king of Spain. For the first time in over 40 years, a free election took place on June 15, 1977 and