A Description of Life in the Treches During WWll essays

A Description of Life in the Treches During WWll essays A Description of Life in the German Trenches during WWI In an age driven by technology, the face of war has changed so dramatically that wars can now be fought on digital battle fields from ships that volley missiles capable of devastating entire armies at distances measured in hundreds of miles. It is far cry from life experienced by soldiers in WWI whose only protection from the nearby enemy lines merely feet away were miles of cold and shallow trenches that zig zagged their way across Western Europe. Carl Zuckmayer, a writer and WWI veteran, describes his experiences in the trenches on the Western front of the war and the effect it had on his life and political views during post war years in his autobiography entitled, A Part of Myself. Born in 1896 and only seventeen at the outbreak of war in 1914, Zuckmayer was a gifted poet whose leftist political views had a major influence on his initial disapproval of the war. I will never kill anyone. I would rather go to prison (Zuckmayer 141) was his response when asked about whether or not he would join the army. However, upon returning home from his summer vacation, he was quickly swept up in the patriotic euphoria of the German people were. He writes I remember precisely what I was feeling...something was entering me-not like an infection, but rather like some form of radiation, like a completely novel, tingling current, as if I had put my hand on the grip of an electrified machine (142). This renewed sense of national pride was fueled by the mass belief that a war with France and Russia would be a quick and victorious one. As with the rest of the German people at that time, he would comes to find out in the following years that this is would not the case. However, it sparked enough of a fire inside him that in August of 1914, along with his schoolmates, he dismissed his leftist views and enlisted in the German Army. He states...

The Movie About Family Relations Family Systems

The Movie About Family Relations Family Systems The movie explains family relations. It is noted that one family member may influence the behavior of others. From the movie, it is evident that the family plays a critical role in the life of an individual since it restrains behavior (Knapp, Womack, 2003). Agency-structure theory suggests that the individual does not exist freely in society. However, individuals are influenced by the dynamics of society, such as the family.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Movie About Family Relations: Family Systems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The movie aims at conveying the purposive nature of human activity as opposed to its constrained aspect. In the movie, it can be observed that social life is largely determined by group life. This would mean the existence of an individual could be explained as an outcome of the structure. From the movie, the family is portrayed as an agent that can either restrain or promote individu al behavior. In a family setup, some forms of interactions usually take place. Family members exchange both material and non-material goods through actions and messages. These exchanges result to interactions, which would take various forms, depending on the nature of the family. Social interactions would sometimes be repetitive and habitual. If interactions become habitual, they might form a certain pattern. This is referred to as patterned social interaction. In this regard, each family member would be expected to demonstrate certain forms of behavior. In this article, two forms of interactions would be compared. Two major forms of social changes would also be compared, which are the first-order and the second-order change. In the film, command is used to influence Ana to defer her studies in favor of employment. In the Latino culture, a woman was supposed to help her family immediately she graduates from high school. Ana’s parents issued a command that she had to obey soci etal rules and assist her mother in undertaking domestic chores. Since it is a traditional society, actors in the movie use command quite often to demand for attention. Ana’s mother accused her of becoming irresponsible when she decided to quit employment and go back to school. In the film, women do not enjoy societal freedoms since they are supposed to be providers and caregivers. Regarding interactions, content and process interactions exist among family members in the movie. Content interactions take place when members of the family come together to discuss major problems affecting them. Moreover, family members would come up with suggestions on how to end problems.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In particular, individuals in the family would be required to highlight the causes of problems. In the movie, content interactions are portrayed in many ways. When Ana finishes high school, her parents never hesitate to inform her that the family is facing many problems and she is the only hope (Lee, 1982). The family agrees that problems would be eliminated if Ana starts working instead of joining college. Content interaction is always the main form of interaction in the backward societies, such as the one portrayed in the movie. There are no clear modes of conflict resolution. On the other hand, process interaction refers to the actions whose main aim is to achieve certain objectives. Process interaction entails thorough evaluation of a problem before coming up with a solution. In the movie, this form of interaction takes place when Ana is about to go back to school. It is after a critical review of her life that Ana decides to quit employment. The mother is reluctant to give in to Ana’s demands. Process interaction involves emotions whereby family members express deep concern. Ana’s mother could not see her daughter leave her and she decides to lock herself in a room. Ana is also overwhelmed by emotions when she leaves for Columbia. Wiener’s cybernetics theory and the systems theory talk about how human beings change over time. Wiener noted that a human being would stretch his or her hand until he or she reaches an object. The theory is used in social sciences to explain the process of change. It means that an individual would not relax until he or she obtains what he or she wants. In the movie, Ana never gives up on her studies. She always admires female professionals and things that one day she could make it. The theory differentiates between first-order change and second-order change. First-order change means championing for the same thing over several years (Salkovskis, 1996). This is the kind of change advocated by Ana. She insists that she wants to be a professional woman and believes that this could be achieved through education. First-order change is non-transformational and is reversible. It is reversible because Ana accepts to join the local industry as a casual laborer but decides to quit after some time.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Movie About Family Relations: Family Systems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More She never needed any information to change her mind implying that first-order change does not need new learning techniques. Second-order change involves accepting the reality due to certain forces. Ana’s father realized that he had to allow her daughter to pursue high education because the world was changing at a faster rate. References Knapp, J. V., Womack, K. (2003). Reading the family dance: Family systems therapy and literary study. Newark: University of Delaware Press. Lee, G. R. (1982). Family structure and interaction: A comparative analysis. Philadelphia: Lippincott. Salkovskis, P. M. (1996). Frontiers of cognitive therapy. New York [u.a.: Guilford Press.

Film Studies Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Film Studies - Movie Review Example Thesis Statement: "The Green Mile," is an intermittently powerful and meticulously crafted drama that falls short of its full potential due to considerable over-length and some shopworn, simplistic notions at its center which could have been arranged and prioritized through editing. The story is primarily around an inmate called John Coffey. He is a seven-foot black man who is convicted of raping and killing two small white girls. He is a very quiet man and afraid of the dark: this coupled with his enormous size makes him a very memorable man. John Coffey is not able to do such things as tie a knot, and is described as "knowing his own name and not much else." During the primary period of the story there are two other inmates on the block on which the story concentrates. These are Eduard Delacroix, a french man convicted or arson, rape and murder. Delacrioix has a pet mouse called Mr. Jingles, who is able to perform tricks. The other inmate is William Wharton: a tough and boasting character, claiming to be a modern Billy the Kid. After John Coffey arrives the warders realize that he has a special gift. The captain of the guard, Paul Edgecomb, has a urinary infection, which is causing him extreme discomfort. John Coffey realizes this, and when in distance of Pau l, grabs him and heels him. Paul is naturally flabbergasted by this. John Coffey is set to be executed, and the guards realize they have to execute a man with a "gift from God." John Coffey also has the ability to see people's thoughts or memories. William Wharton grabs Coffey's arm, and Coffey sees Wharton's memory of killing the two little girls that Coffey has been convicted of. Coffey transfers this image to Paul, the chief of the guard. By this Paul knows that Coffey is an innocent man. The warders now realize that they have to execute an innocent man with a "gift from God." Identify one theme or message of the movie. Because The Green Mile is an anti-capital punishment exemplum, characters are defined morally in the simplest terms. The director emphasizes the fundamental humanity of the two men who are the first to be executed, Arlen Bitterbuck and Eduard Delacroix. While Frank Darabont tells the audience that the two men are murderers, he shows them speaking and acting with such dignity, love, and simple faith that one perceives their executions as evil, unnatural acts. On three occasions we see the procedure involved in administering death by electrocution, a witnessed event in which certain words are spoken, restraints are attached to the victim, and levers are pulled. It is at this point that we grasp the analogy of the quintessential victim of the death penalty of all time -- someone who performed miracles, who was condemned of something that he did not do, and who forgave those whose interpersonal relations are based on hate rather than love. Analyze one element of film analysis Within individual scenes, Richard Francis-Bruce's editing is precise in obtaining maximum values however there are scenes which could have been edited further. All of the performances, from the leads down through David Morse's laconic prison guard, Doug Hutchison's hateful and mulish one, and Bonnie Hunt's

Recycler Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Recycler - Essay Example Based on the importance of trees to our environment, and the little being done by the responsible entities to protect the trees, my friends and I have developed a recycling method. One of the greatest damages to trees involves their use in charcoal burning and for use of other posts such as fencing poles. In an urge to curb the damage of trees in charcoal burning and building posts, we have come up with an idea of recycling used plastics and polythene bags in order to make fencing posts out of them. Used plastics and polythene bags are matter that usually makes the environment dirty and finding an appropriate means of disposal that would protect the environment was the best alternative. After collection of the waste plastics and bags, we then subject them through a process of melting then pouring the melt into metal containers designed in different shapes and sizes depending on the purpose of the posts. Despite the fact that this has not eradicated the falling of trees for making posts, it has significantly reduced the damage done on trees and we project that in the next five years we shall have fully eradicated the

SUMMARY Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SUMMARY - Coursework Example By 1935, prior to the acquisition of the farm, the number of nesting pairs of sandhill cranes in Wisconsin were 25. This was one of his major concerns and he thereby corresponded with people in Wisconsin that have knowledge of sandhill cranes. The collective effort of Leopold and his colleague has yielded positive fruits as there are 12,000 sandhill cranes in Wisconsin as of today. Prior to Leopold acquisition of the farm, there were no otter neither was there wolves spotted on the farmland. These extirpated wildlife has made a comeback. Lutra Canadensis has reappeared and there are otter in the otter pond. Likewise is the presence of radio-collared wolves noticed in the farmland. Leopold benefited from his ecological restoration of an insignificant farmland. For instance, from an insignificant tree oak Leopold got firewood, exercise, family teamwork, and a history lesson. Leopold also preserved the economically worthless Draba by avoiding the planting of pines in area that favors th e growth of these plants. The planting of 48,000 pines in thirteen years, indeed, demonstrates Leopold commitment to ecological restoration. ... The International Crane Foundation works towards the preservation of the world’s fifteen species of crane and towards the protection of crane habitat. Leopold through his writing and experiment at the abandoned farmland has built a legacy for himself. In the forestry community, Leopold is highly regarded. For instance, the idea that landowners are responsible to the land is attributed to Leopold. Despite his lesser influence in Britain, Leopold is still known among British restorationists. The Leopold farmland is a pilgrim center that means different things to different people The resultant relationship between humans and the environment leads to the ecology not mending itself. Left alone, ecology restores itself but human interaction prevents this restoration. .Question 2 Although, A Sand County Almanac contains no panaceas, no blueprints for mass action, it has planted the seed of ecological responsibility and land ethics in me. I now understand that I own ecology a duty in helping to preserve it and keeping it healthy not only for posterity but for my own benefit. I also now understand that land is not a property to be used but my partner in the food chain. It has instilled in me the intellectual and emotional altitude to preserve all of nature. The whole concept is ethics. Ecological ethics is the intellectual and emotional altitude that restricts our freedom of action in the struggle for existence. As opposed to philosophical ethics, there is no concept of social or anti-social behavior rather it is a mode of guidance that direct our use of natural resources such as land. An ethical human being does not regard land as his property rather as part of his existence. Land ethic revert the role of Homo sapiens as landowner or conquerors to

Models of change | Free essay | Management essays

Models of change | Free essay | Management essays Models of Change Throughout the last decade there have been numerous changes and developments in the way we manage work. From the classical era Frederick Winslow Taylor introduced the scientific approach, often criticized for the lack of scientific rigor and one dimensional view of human motivation (Burnes 1989; Kelly, 1982). Rose (1988) argues, that Taylor portrays human beings as greedy robots: indifferent to fatigue, boredom, loneliness and pain, and driven solely by monetary incentive. However, Taylor does not ignore the fact that individuals have different abilities. He was quick to point out that not everyone was capable to work in a scientific one best way, and that individuals needed to be selected on their ability to work hard and in accordance with instruction (Linstead, Fullop Lilley, 2009). It would be wrong to say that Taylorism or scientific management is a thing of the past, these theories are alive today. Giving strength to the French proverb The more things change, the more they stay the same, Burkard Sievers (1995) argues that changes in the structure of work, such as Taylorism job specification / simplification, have deskilled many jobs and made work meaningless. He goes on to state, we only need to look at McDonalds, behind the strong family image of the company, both internally and externally and the importance of team membership, is a highly Tayloristic organization which studies have demonstrated depend on a high proportion of expendable part-time and contract labour and a punitive control system. Taylors view was to achieve the highest productivity you had to follow one best way which was subject to rigorous control, however, Elton Mayos experiences in the Hawthorne Works Experiments disproved those beliefs. The experimenters at Hawthorne had discovered that teaching employees to become a team rather than inflicting one best way also had a strong influence on productivity. Also the employees would have the opportunity to vary their work methods, avoiding boredom. Unlike Taylorism, the employees at Hawthorne had a great deal of freedom in comparison. These experiments lead us to the humanistic management approach, where changes were being implemented in consideration for the working environment for its employees with the aim to be more productive. In 1951 saw the introduction of Kurt Lewins three step model for change. This theory set out to answer the questions How does successful change happen? (Comparison of Change Theories, 2009) The key was to see that human change, whether at the individual or group level, was a profound psychological dynamic process that involved painful unlearning without loss of ego identity and difficult relearning as a cognitive attempt to restructure ones thoughts, perceptions, feelings and attitudes. (Change Management, 2009) Unlike previous theories which looked at how we approach the way we work, Lewin looked at how we implement the changes in how we work, devising the three step approach set out below. Unfreezing Changing to overcome the pressures of both individual resistance and group conformity. Movement A change process that transforms the organization from the status quo to a desired end state. Refreezing Stabilizing a change intervention by balancing driving and restraining forces. (Robbins, fig 19.3, 2009) The introduction of this new way of thinking is regarded to be the corner stone model for understanding organizational change and also the beginning of Organizational Development (Understanding the Three Stages of Change, 2009). Our existence is defined by the fact that we have to shape our lives to fit reality. In the sense that there are universal constants we have to make the best of, like a finite amount of resources or physical laws. Our final aim is to reach a point where we can shape the organisation to fit our lives. Which begs the question; if we achieve this what will we do then? This is why we have culture. To do something is not an end in itself. We need culture to reflect on how we managed to change something and how it changed us and what we need to change for the future.

Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing Essays -- Standardized Testing E

The United States recognizes that standardized testing is a central part of the educational system in our country. What many people do not know though is the history of where it came from. Beginning in the mid-1800’s prestigious universities decided they wanted to give more students across the country a better chance at going into higher education, but at the time there was not a way to measure the capabilities of students in both high class and low class families. This is how standardized testing came into play. If a student could do well on these tests regardless of their financial position than their scores would hopefully speak for themselves. Now standardized testing performs many more roles compared to its simple origins. In today’s society standardized tests not only indicates the capabilities of the students, but they also show how much they have learned, and the results can even decide how much funding a school will receive. Due to these factors, a tremendous amount of pressure is put upon both students and teachers. For students the pressure is mainly to do well, and for teachers the pressure is primarily to teach your students well enough to perform their best. These requirements have become an integral part of what shapes the classroom mold. The goal of schooling is no longer to just teach, but is now also to prepare students for taking exams. One argument that has become prevalent is the debate of whether or not standardized testing should be used at all. Ultimately this is a personal decision; there is no right or wrong answer considering that an argument could be made for either side. One thing that is for certain though is that there has to be some standard for determining a student’s abilities in school. Th... ...Tests." ProCon.org Headlines. N.p., 1 Nov. 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. Tennant, Victoria. "School of Education at Johns Hopkins University-The Powerful Impact of Stress." School of Education at Johns Hopkins University. John Hopkinds School of Education, Sept. 2005. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. "The Human Brain - Stress." The Human Brain - Stress. The Franklin Institute, 2004. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. Tung, Stephen. "News." Stanford University. Stanford, 20 Jan. 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. "Where Did The Test Come From?" PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2014.