Feminism and Homosexuality in Theater Essay Example for Free

Feminism and Homosexuality in Theater Essay Feminism in theater has a very close relationship with the depiction of homosexuality onstage. Playwrights and performance artists who advocate feminism have seen theater as a powerful tool to make the public understand their views. The work of artists such as Lillian Hellman, Holly Hughes, and Anna Deavere Smith shape the discussion of feminism and homosexuality in the theater. Lillian Hellman was a playwright who’s known for plays that discussed the psychological and social manifestations of evil. Her work was revolutionary because she created strong female characters at a time when men ruled American theater. On the subject of homosexuality, Hellman’s most relevant work was â€Å"The Children’s Hour† (Champion and Nelson 156). While â€Å"The Children’s Hour† sends a powerful message on the topic of homosexuality, Hellman herself wasn’t a homosexual and her work may have reflected her attitude toward the subject. Hellman described the play to a reporter as â€Å"not really a play about lesbianism, but a lie (Griffin and Thorsten 27). † According to Hellman, the bigger the lie, the better it gets. â€Å"The Children’s Hour,† which opened on Broadway on November 20, 1934, painted a grim but clear depiction of Hellman’s view. â€Å"The Children’s Hour† is about the lives of two young women who opened a school for girls. Eventually, their lives are gradually ruined when one of the students accuses them of lesbianism. The characters of Martha Dobie and Karen Wright were realistically rendered by Hellman, resulting in a Broadway hit that would have 691 performances. This was a milestone of an achievement since America at the time was very conservative and homosexuality was a taboo subject (Griffin and Thorsten 27). Homosexuality was so taboo a subject in the Western world that the play was banned in Chicago, Boston, and London. While the play earned critical success in France and New York, it wasn’t awarded the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1935 because the subject matter was still thought to be too sensitive at the time. Critics from New York however, protested the refusal of conservative bodies in the theater industry by forming the Drama Critics’ Circle. The organization has since then presented its own awards for plays they thought were relevant to art and society (Griffin and Thorsten 27). Hellman’s guardedness toward the issue of homosexuality is reflected on the play’s morality, which though clearly controversial and shocking at the time, was nevertheless morally acceptable to the majority of audiences. One glaring example of this is the fact that in the play, the accusation that Martha Dobie and Karen Wright were engaged in a lesbian relationship was simply a lie. An archetypal malicious teenager named Mary Tilford who studied in the school for girls fabricated the story. In fact, Karen was engaged to Dr. Joe Cardin, whom she really loved. Martha may have really been a lesbian in the story, but fearing for her sexuality, she committed suicide after revealing her thoughts and feelings to Karen (Griffin and Thorsten 28). Despite her sensational plays often associated with left-wing politics and feminism, Hellman considered herself largely a â€Å"moral writer. † The issue of homosexuality was primarily just a tool in the story to illustrate Hellman’s view that good people sometimes bring about harm because of their unwillingness to challenge evil. Karen was clearly painted in the play as a heterosexual and Martha seemed to have paid for her crime (homosexuality) with her life. Aside from reaffirming the norms of American society at the time, the play also apparently satisfied the morality of the conservative audience (Griffin and Thorsten 28). â€Å"The Children’s Hour† may have shied away from directly defending homosexuality, but it nevertheless showed the gradual opening of society to the broader roles of women. Martha and Karen were women who earned their own money, thus sending a message that they were independent and had some sort of power to satisfy their desires. These female characters were different from another of Hellman’s characters named Regina in â€Å"The Little Foxes. † While Regina depended on others’ money and the things she got from her manipulation of men, Martha and Karen had the education and administrative skills which led to the success of the all girls’ school they founded. Joe, Karen’s partner, also symbolized the growing number of egalitarian men at the time. He was very supportive of his partner’s wish to continue her career after their marriage and he also respected her dedication to the school she co-founded. He even defended Karen and Martha to his aunt after Mary’s mother convinced other parents to take their children out of the school because of the lesbianism charge (Griffin and Thorsten 28). In effect, while the play was hesitant to probe the reality of homosexuality more deeply, it did affirm in the audience’s mind the expanding role and power of women in society. Hellman might have been too guarded about lesbianism, but performance artist Holly Hughes was definitely vocal about her views about homosexuality and homosexual relationships. Hughes was an openly homosexual performance artist and writer of various plays and books that center on the topic of homosexuality. Her work has both been debated and celebrated by artists and intellectuals. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) refused to fund Hughes’ work in the summer of 1990 because of its sensitive subject matter, which resulted in a fierce debate and controversy in the world of performance art. One of Hughes’ most controversial pieces is a play entitled â€Å"Well of Horniness. † Lynda Hart, Assistant Professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote that the â€Å"Well of Horniness† is both â€Å"transgressive and aggressive† because it dismantles the audience’s preconceived notions about lesbian homosexuality. The play is loosely based on a classic novel about lesbian homosexuality written by Radclyffe Hall. Hughes’ play became very successful and eventually inspired two sequels: â€Å"Part II: Victim Victoria† and â€Å"Part III: In the Realm of the Senseless (Hart and Phelan 60-61). † The play is mostly representational, with the plot repeatedly interrupted by mock commercials and commentaries (Hart and Phelan 60-61). The memorable characters of â€Å"Well of Horniness† include Georgette, Rod, and Vicki. Georgette is Rod’s sister and Vicki is Rod’s fiancee. Vicki and Georgette are members of a sorority called Tridelta Tribads. Georgette meets Rod and Vicki at a restaurant, and Georgette soon recognizes Vicki as someone she knows from her past sorority. Vicki instantly desires Georgette and stares at her longingly. While dining at the restaurant, Vicki drops her fork underneath the table. As she goes down to pick it up, she’s drawn instead to Georgette’s legs, which Hughes writes, were â€Å"two succulent rainbows leading to the same pot of gold (Hart and Phelan 61-62). † The aggressive affirmation of homosexual reality masked in comedy is performed in the play as Vicki continues to give Georgette cunnilingus while Rod delivers a monologue on honeymoon getaways. In productions of the play at East Village, Manhattan, this scene is performed explicitly with Georgette in a comedic manner to Vicki underneath the table. Vicki then gets up and says she’s feeling â€Å"a little too hot† and goes to the bathroom (Hart and Phelan 62). Rod tells Georgette that he senses â€Å"something fishy† but he can’t â€Å"put his finger† on it (Hart and Phelan 62). Georgette then replies, â€Å"I’m working on it. † The comedic conversation happens in the context of a play that is filled with references to fish, eager beavers, muff-divers, and other terms associated with lesbianism (Hart and Phelan 62). In contrast to â€Å"The Children’s Hour†, â€Å"Well of Horniness† certainly drives home its message on homosexuality in a more direct, striking manner. Hughes’ play doesn’t hide behind other issues or concerns such as the â€Å"lie† or â€Å"evil† in Hellman’s play, and instead hits audiences with the reality of homosexuality right away. It is this controversial nature of Hughes work that has made her notorious for conservative critics and even lesbians and other homosexuals who review her work. Hart though, thinks that Hughes’ play effectively challenges heterosexual hegemony. Its borderline messages and controversial nature opens up a â€Å"hopeful new space of visibility† for feminism and its supporters (Hart and Phelan 62). The popular scene from â€Å"Well of Horniness† is even more notable because it shatters lesbian stereotypes. Lesbians at the time were thought of as homosexuals who generally assumed male identities. Vicki though, was already engaged to Rod and yet still desired other women. Vicki’s performance of oral sex for Georgette in close proximity to her fiance destroys any notions the audiences might have regarding lesbianism and the sexuality of women. Since the play is representational, Rod’s character mainly stands for heterosexual hegemony, which explains why the character is named â€Å"Rod† to refer to male phallic symbol. Hughes shows that homosexual realities are happening throughout society despite the blind functioning of heterosexual institutions, such as marriage, as the play points out. Unlike Hellman, Hughes seems more concerned with homosexuality than feminism, although the empowerment of women might also be addressed by her aggressive plays. Through the clear depiction of women as freely desiring beings, Hughes is able to free women from societal stereotypes. â€Å"Women† isn’t a category of human beings who can only desire men. Instead, it’s a fuzzy category that mostly refers to female human beings who may desire any sex and express that desire in different ways. Overarching Hellman and Hughes’ work may be the amazing work of Anna Deavere Smith, performance artist, playwright, writer, and professor. Smith has received numerous awards and is widely known for her performances which have her assuming the identities of more than twenty people. Smith employs few props, such as chairs and tables to differentiate identities in her performances. All the identities she plays are real people who are interviewed beforehand about a social issue. The result of her lengthy monologues is a stunning commentary on the differences that fracture a community. One of Smith’s most popular acts is called â€Å"On the Road,† which she has been performing since 1982. In one of her performances, Smith interviewed twenty-five men and women from Princeton University on subjects such as the university’s eating clubs which are exclusive to men, assault against women, and the condition of black students among others. The fifty-minute dialogue that results from this research entertains and delights audiences at the same time. Smith usually invites her subjects to attend her performances and their reaction is usually positive. Many of them even laugh out loud when they recognize their own selves in the numerous identities performed. Some of them though, get unsettled when they see their views juxtaposed with others from the community (Hart and Phelan 35). This unsettling of the self may be one of the main goals of Smith in structuring her acts through such a unique manner. According to Smith, her goal is â€Å"to find American character in the ways that people speak (Cohen-Cruz 148). † She said that the spirit, imagination, and the challenges of the time can then be captured by inhabiting the words of the people in the community. Unlike other actors who try to project realistic characters on the stage, Smith’s emphasis is more on the filtering of the self through a single actor. She doesn’t assume that she has all the experiences of her subjects, but that she can learn many things from these experiences (Cohen-Cruz 148). Feminism has been one of the subjects of Smith’s performances for a very long time. In one Princeton performance entitled â€Å"Gender Bending,† Smith reminisced how women from Seven Sisters colleges had been imported to Princeton throughout history to provide weekend entertainment for members of fraternities. Feminist definitions of the body, the AIDS crisis, and modern literary representations of homosexuality are also discussed in the show. Smith tackled all these issues by impersonating the subjects she interviewed and playing them onstage (Hart and Phelan 37). In a way, Smith’s work is closer to reality than both Hellman and Hughes’ work because it merely projects the voice of real people onstage. What makes Smith’s performance more striking though than a simple video recording of interviews is that only one face speaks for all of the subjects. Through this technique, Smith is able to erase the immediate symbols of color, gender, and other characteristics of her subjects. Without the physical characteristics that differentiate one subject from another, audiences are forced to consider each subject’s view as a part of a unity that is the community. Stereotypes are then magnified as audiences realize that differences are oftentimes imaginary and unjust. Instead of masking the call for the empowerment of women through discussions about â€Å"evil† such as what Hellman did, or aggressively attacking the audience with controversial representations of lesbians such as what Hughes demonstrated, Smith is able to give voice to real women by simply putting their views side by side with others from the community. Smith puts real context in her performances, which makes the issue more immediate to viewers. Her acts send the message that gender discrimination is really happening right now and many people are unconsciously participating in it. They call for an immediate response to pressing social issues while entertaining audiences at the same time. For ordinary citizens, norms in society are always difficult to challenge, let alone break. Revolutionary works by Hellman, Hughes, and Smith are very valuable in that they help people to cross the bridge, so they can see the other side. While some audiences may dislike the oftentimes crude and vulgar images in their work, their act of watching alone is enough to gradually bend the norms of society. Norms always have to be challenged so that society’s morality and humanity doesn’t remain oppressively stagnant. Once taboo subjects are discussed, they cease to haunt the people concerned and become an issue for everyone. As modernity pushes people to think more about the effects of gender on society and the self, feminism and homosexuality will continue to be relevant topics in theater and other forms of art in the future. Hellman, Hughes, and Smith’s work will also continue to shape the discussions on these topics. These three brilliant writers represent different sides of the spectrum and their work should be read by anyone interested in exploring the relationship between feminism, homosexuality and theater arts. Works Cited Champion, Laurie and Emmanuel Sampath Nelson. American Women Writers, 1900-1945: a Bio-bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000. Cohen-Cruz, Jan. Local Acts: Community-based Performance in the United States. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2005. Griffin, Alice and Geraldine Thorsten. Understanding Lillian Herman. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1999. Hart, Lynda and Peggy Phelan. Acting Out: Feminist Performances. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1999.

religious policies of England and France from 1603 to 1715 :: essays research papers

Describe the religious policies of England and France from 1603 to 1715. Why do you think rulers feared religious toleration so much? When discussing why the rulers feared religious toleration and how their fears affected what religious policies were enforced, one must first look at what events transpired through the years to get a full understanding of the word â€Å"stubbornness.† During the early years, the English church was dividing into a conservative camp that wanted to retain the religious ceremonies and the hierarchy of the church and a radical, Calvinist camp called Puritans who wanted to "purify" the church of everything not contained in the Old and New Testaments. The Puritans demanded that the English church abandon the elaborate ceremonies and flatten the hierarchy of the church into something more closely resembling the voluntary associations of the Calvinist church. King James, however, would have none of the Puritan argument and declared, in 1604, that he was fully in the camp of the religious conservatives. This division between the monarch and the Puritans, which would be continu ed by his son, Charles I, lit the fire that ignited the English Civil War. Charles sided with the religious conservatives against the more radical Puritans. The archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, was particularly hostile to the Puritans' complaints and Charles allowed him to freely take any measures to stifle their dissent. In 1633, Charles forbade Puritans from publishing or preaching, and in 1637, they tried to bring Scotland under the fold of the English church. The Scots had, for a long time, a Calvinist church based on a flattened hierarchy and the purification of the religion of all non-Biblical practices. The imposition of the English church--which included the English prayerbook, church hierarchy, and rituals and sacraments that were derived from Catholic ceremony--was too much for the Scots to take. So they rebelled. The English Civil War started as a conflict between Parliament and Charles over constitutional issues; it fired its way to its conclusion through the growing religious division in England. The monarch was supported by the aristocracy, landowners, and by the adherents of the Anglican "high church," which retained the ceremonies and hierarchy so despised by the Puritans. The Parliamentary cause was supported by the middle class, the Puritans, and the radical Protestants. The king's forces roundly beat the Parliamentary forces for almost two years and the Parliamentary cause seemed all but lost. In 1642, however, Parliament reorganized its army under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell, who was a landowner and, in religious matters, an Independent. religious policies of England and France from 1603 to 1715 :: essays research papers Describe the religious policies of England and France from 1603 to 1715. Why do you think rulers feared religious toleration so much? When discussing why the rulers feared religious toleration and how their fears affected what religious policies were enforced, one must first look at what events transpired through the years to get a full understanding of the word â€Å"stubbornness.† During the early years, the English church was dividing into a conservative camp that wanted to retain the religious ceremonies and the hierarchy of the church and a radical, Calvinist camp called Puritans who wanted to "purify" the church of everything not contained in the Old and New Testaments. The Puritans demanded that the English church abandon the elaborate ceremonies and flatten the hierarchy of the church into something more closely resembling the voluntary associations of the Calvinist church. King James, however, would have none of the Puritan argument and declared, in 1604, that he was fully in the camp of the religious conservatives. This division between the monarch and the Puritans, which would be continu ed by his son, Charles I, lit the fire that ignited the English Civil War. Charles sided with the religious conservatives against the more radical Puritans. The archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, was particularly hostile to the Puritans' complaints and Charles allowed him to freely take any measures to stifle their dissent. In 1633, Charles forbade Puritans from publishing or preaching, and in 1637, they tried to bring Scotland under the fold of the English church. The Scots had, for a long time, a Calvinist church based on a flattened hierarchy and the purification of the religion of all non-Biblical practices. The imposition of the English church--which included the English prayerbook, church hierarchy, and rituals and sacraments that were derived from Catholic ceremony--was too much for the Scots to take. So they rebelled. The English Civil War started as a conflict between Parliament and Charles over constitutional issues; it fired its way to its conclusion through the growing religious division in England. The monarch was supported by the aristocracy, landowners, and by the adherents of the Anglican "high church," which retained the ceremonies and hierarchy so despised by the Puritans. The Parliamentary cause was supported by the middle class, the Puritans, and the radical Protestants. The king's forces roundly beat the Parliamentary forces for almost two years and the Parliamentary cause seemed all but lost. In 1642, however, Parliament reorganized its army under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell, who was a landowner and, in religious matters, an Independent.

Benefits of Medical Marijuana Essay

Marijuana is perhaps one of the most controversial herbs rendered illegal by United States laws. Several sectors in the society advocate for the legalization of marijuana. These arguments usually point out to the medical benefits that marijuana contains. The supposed medical benefits of marijuana have been scrutinized by several scientific researchers and some of these claims have been supported by studies. By looking objectively at these medical claims can help people be more aware of the facts and the actual benefits that marijuana offers if there are any. Medical Benefits of Marijuana Medical marijuana, according to some studies can help relieve pain, nausea and muscle spasms. Although these illnesses may be simple symptoms of more serious diseases, they are being experienced by a number of patients that are suffering from hepatitis and cancer among others. In this regard, medical marijuana can be a cheaper alternative for the treatment of these medical conditions (Legal Reefer, 2004). Another medical condition that marijuana can help treat is glaucoma, which impairs the vision because of intra-ocular pressure damage. The reason behind this is that marijuana helps relieve the pressure felt in the eyes, thereby preventing glaucoma from worsening and leading to eventual blindness. Glaucoma, interestingly, is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. With the use of marijuana, therefore, this cause of blindness can be mitigated and more people can cherish their sight for a longer time in their lives. Glaucoma and the pain associated with it can be relieved with marijuana (Legal Reefer, 2004). Other illnesses that marijuana helps treat includes tremors, unsteady gait, muscle pain, multiple sclerosis and spasms. Multiple sclerosis is one of the most debilitating neurological illnesses that afflict young adults in the US. With the help of marijuana, those who are suffering from epileptic seizures also find help. Arthritis, dysmenorrheal, depression and migraines also benefit from treatment with marijuana. The Legal Reefer (2004) reports that some courts and agencies of the US government have verified these findings. Two compounds, Cannabidiol and Caryophyllene, are present in medical marijuana. These two compounds are responsible for the medical effects of marijuana. Cannabidiol helps relieve inflammation, nausea, inflammation and convulsion (Grlie, 1976). In addition, it also helps inhibit the growth of cancer. Caryophyllene, on the other hand, is responsible for reducing tissue inflammation. It usually comes in the form of oil and applied on the inflamed body part (Grlie, 1976). Even if the issue of legalizing marijuana is contentious in the United States, medical practitioners are coming to a consensus that medical marijuana is needed helpful in relieving up to 250 medical conditions. This number is too huge to be ignored by the greater majority in the society. Legalizing Marijuana The literature in support of medical marijuana is robust and continues to grow. Medical marijuana has been shown to aid in the treatment of symptoms for AIDS and cancer. It can also serve as an immuno-modulator and analsgesic. Furthermore, it can help treat asthma and other emotional and bipolar disorders (Lucido, 2008). The American College of Physicians (2008) have also come up with a position paper in support of research concerning medical marijuana and the exemption of medical marijuana from the prosecution of the law. In their paper, the organization cited the health benefits of marijuana in stimulating appetite, in treating glaucoma, neurological and movement disorders and its use as an analgesic. The position of the ACP gives credence to the claims that marijuana can really function as a good medicine. The ACP, however, noted that there are adverse effects associated in marijuana. If smoked, marijuana can increase the heart rate of the user and help decrease the blood pressure. In addition to this, there are other psychoactive effects that are of a more serious nature. These may be manifested in short-term memory impairment, reduction of motor skills, attention and reaction times. There may also be some difficulties in organizing and processing information given to the one who used marijuana. These effects are more severe for those who orally take medical marijuana. So this is certainly an adverse effect that should be carefully taken into account in the case that marijuana is approved as a medicine (Joy, Watson & Benson, 1999). Smoked marijuana also has important adverse effects similar to tobacco. If marijuana is smoked on a regular basis, it can help induce cancer, lung problems, pregnancy problems and even bacterial pneumonia. When taken orally, medical marijuana has less lethal toxicity than other psychoactive drugs being used in the world today. Since medical marijuana will not be prescribed for smoking, then the dangers posed by the adverse effects will be mitigated and will be contained. In fact, these adverse effects are also within the acceptable range of effects present in other forms of medication. Marijuana: To Legalize or to Remain Illegal? With the support of the ACP for the continuation of research for the medical implications of marijuana. With such support, the impetus for legalization will be picked up by those who are advocating for the legalization of marijuana. Another reason why people are pushing for the legalization of marijuana is the perceived economic benefits that it will bring to the government. Marijuana has often been compared with alcohol, which also have harmful contents but is being allowed to be marketed all over the country. If the government could legalize it, then it can derive huge revenues from the taxes and sales derived from marijuana. As it stands now, it is illegal. So the ones who benefit from the marijuana trade are the black market and organized criminals (Gerber & Sperling, 2004). Marijuana is similar to alcohol and tobacco. The major difference is that marijuana offers therapeutic and medicinal effects while tobacco does not and alcohol only helps enhance health minimally. According to Herer and Cabarga (1998), those who are getting rich through the black market want it to remain illegal because if it becomes legal, the money will then have to be transferred to the hands of the government. Conclusion What is needed now is to strike the right balance between maximizing the medicinal effects while mitigating the negative effects of marijuana. The answer to the question of legalization would be a controlled legalization. Marijuana could be used for medicinal purposes and alternative treatment. This means that it would have to be recommended by licensed physicians and that there should be a regulation in using it in the same way that certain narcotic pain killers are regulated in the market. Marijuana should not be offered as an over-the-counter medicine or offered like tobacco or alcohol as this would only make the negative effects of marijuana more prevalent in the society. With government legislation and strict implementation of the law, the medicinal values of marijuana would be used by society while its negative effects would be avoided. Reference American College of Physicians (2008). Supporting Research into the Therapeutic Role of Marijuana. Philadelphia: American College of Physicians. Retrieved 25 September 2008 from http://www. acponline. org/advocacy/where_we_stand/other_issues/medmarijuana. pdf. Grlie, L (1976). â€Å"A comparative study on some chemical and biological characteristics of various samples of cannabis resin†. Bulletin on Narcotics 14: 37–46. Herer, J. & Cabarga, L. (1998). The Emperor Wears No Clothes: Hemp and the Marijuana Conspiracy. New Jersey: Ah Ha Publishing. Joy, J. E. Watson SJ, Benson JA. (1999). Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine. Washington, DC. Legal Reefer. (2004). Marijuana Offers Medicinal Benefits. Retrieved 17 June 2008 from http://www. legalreefer. com/article4. shtml Lucido, F. (2008). Therapeutic Effects. Retrieved 25 September 2008 from http://www. medboardwatch. com/wb/pages/therapeutic-effects. php

Religion Essay - 1637 Words

Religion is intricately intertwined with various aspects in the socio-cultural arena, that the above three factors are always present in the shaping of an individual’s religious identity. Ethnic differences; according to the Social Identity Theory, emerge when individuals of ethnic minority groups feel threatened in terms of identity, thus reasons for their emphasis on their social identities as a means of maintaining positive self-conception. Gender differences may impact on one’s religious identity; this being exemplified through the characteristic participation of the female gender in religious activities and in their expression of religion as being an important aspect of their lives, this being in relation to their male counterparts†¦show more content†¦The work â€Å"Sitt Maria Rose† by Etel Adnan is set before and during the Lebanese Civil War of 1975-1990. Publication was done in France in 1978, after an Arabic translation done one year earlier. I t was based on the life of Maria Rose Boulos, who was executed by a Christian militia during the conflict, defines in breadth the various aspects of Lebanese culture, and even on social issues such as xenophobia and women’s role in society. Historically the French Mandate (1943) ended France’s political influence in Lebanon, but the influences brought by Western culture helped create a Lebanon characterized by diversity. The major themes, as put by Adnan, are based on contrasts between the Western and Eastern influences on Beirut. The role of the Lebanese women, within their social context, is paid particular attention especially in the latter half of the work, in the form of a dramatization of the death of Maria Rose Boulos. She was an immigrant from Syria who taught deaf and mute children and contributed to the organization of social services for Palestinian camps (Adnan 17). It is based on two timeframes, the pre-war era, with Mounir’s desire to make a movie on Syrian immigrant working in Lebanon. It is during this era that violence, asShow MoreRelatedReligion, Religion And Religion1189 Words   |  5 PagesReligion is a concept that is passed down from generation to generation. Thankfully, because someone decided to write the religious values down, same of religions core concepts haven’t changed much. But people typically don’t learn their religion by growing up and finding a bible or Quran and reading it. People form religious identities from their culture and how a person is shaped by the world. Religion will forever refuse to die because it gives people a purpose in this world. The people thatRead MoreReligion : Religion And Religion Essay1496 Words   |  6 PagesReligion. Whenever I hear people talking about that word, I draw a blank. I start to question what really is religion, why is it so talked about, and why is it such a big deal to our society. 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In general religion, con flicts are more about human nature than religion itself. People usually create problems and blame the God, saying my religion said it or it s written in the holy book. God is not the one who created different amongRead MoreReligion, Religion And Religion1444 Words   |  6 Pages Religion is a very difficult topic for me to navigate, and a rather personal one. While on the surface I might seem very atheistic and anti-religion, this is very far from the truth. I have had quite a complicated relationship with religion over the years, and it is still something I am struggling to figure out. When I was in primary school we were taught quite a lot about religion. It was something that was constantly there in the school’s agenda, with assemblies every Monday morning in whichRead MoreReligion And Religion902 Words   |  4 PagesThe incorporation of religion into a person’s life displays how a belief in gods can impact every facet of someone’s life. The entirety of religion is based solely on faith and the willpower of someone’s belief in what has been taught to them. In these teachings, through sacred texts, manuscripts, or orally transmitted; the basis of many religions is the idea of an object, person, or building being sacred. The reason something becomes sacred and is then believed to be sacred is because the sacred

Interactionist Perspective - 798 Words

Theoretical Approaches 2 Many theoretical approaches may be used when assessing the behavior of the characters in One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest. The characters are thought to be mentally ill, however when examining them through the use of the theoretical approaches one realizes that there may be no problems with the characters at all. Nurse Rachet, a head nurse that conducts group therapy and dispenses medications, could be responsible for the characters behavior. Nurse Ratchet consistently talks to the characters about their supposed problems during the group therapy sessions. She forces Martini and Billy Bibbett to discuss their problems during nearly every group therapy session they have. She is therefore reinforcing the†¦show more content†¦In the mental hospital the characters are seen by others as mentally ill, therefore they internalize these judgements and they themselves began to feel as if they are mentally unstable. Though these feelings may not be true it is the internalization of these thoughts that begin to shape the behavior of the patients. The Chief can be better understood when using this model. The Chief came from a family of alcoholics and he liked to drink also. His history and his status at that time led others to feel that he had a problem, making him feel as though he was a misfit and needed to seek help for his problematic behavior. There are numerous theories to use that could analyze the behavior of the characters in One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest. However the best theory may be the labeling theory. The labeling theory can be best shown when examining the behavior changes of the patients; when McMurphy is in charge and then again when Nurse Rachet takes over. 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The Use Of Nanotechnology On Other Types Of Brain Cancer

Glioma, a destructive type of brain cancer, and other types of brain diseases have been mostly untreatable due to the blood brain barrier (BBB). There have been drugs produced that are effec-tive in treating these diseases, but simply cannot bypass the barrier due to its special properties. It serves to restrict and control the movement of molecules in and out of the brain. In recent years, the use of nanotechnology show promise with their abilities to bypass the BBB to deliver drugs and small molecules into the brain. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) obtained the most interest, as it has been used in earlier applications, and their ability to be tracked by CT imaging or atomic ab-sorption. By first looking at the size of the nanoparticle, researchers were able to decide which size of nanoparticles would have the most AuNP uptake across the BBB. It was found AuNPs less than 50nm are the most ideal for the amount of delivery within brain cells. 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Traditional Education Free Essays

Traditional education From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Traditional education, also known as back-to-basics, conventional education or customary education, refers to long-established customs found in schools that society has traditionally deemed appropriate. Some forms of education reform promote the adoption of progressive education practices, a more holistic approach which focuses on individual students’ needs and self-expression. In the eyes of reformers, traditional teacher-centered methods focused on rote learning and memorization must be abandoned in favor of student-centered and task-based approaches to learning. We will write a custom essay sample on Traditional Education or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, many parents and conservative citizens are concerned with the maintenance of objective educational standards based on testing, which favors a more traditional approach. Depending on the context, the opposite of traditional education may be progressive education, modern education (the education approaches based on developmental psychology), or alternative education. [1] Contents * 1 Definition * 2 Instruction Centre * 3 Marking * 4 Subject Areas * 5 Criticism of the concept of teaching in traditional education| Definition The definition of traditional education varies greatly with geography and by historical period. The chief business of traditional education is to transmit to a next generation those skills, facts, and standards of moral and social conduct that adults deem to be necessary for the next generation’s material and social success. [2] As beneficiaries of this scheme, which educational progressivist John Dewey described as being â€Å"imposed from above and from outside†, the students are expected to docilely and obediently receive and believe these fixed answers. Teachers are the instruments by which this knowledge is communicated and these standards of behavior are enforced. [2] Historically, the primary educational technique of traditional education was simple oral recitation:[1] In a typical approach, students sat quietly at their places and listened to one student after another recite his or her lesson, until each had been called upon. The teacher’s primary activity was assigning and listening to these recitations; students studied and memorized the assignments at home. A test r oral examination might be given at the end of a unit, and the process, which was called â€Å"assignment-study-recitation-test†, was repeated. In addition to its overemphasis on verbal answers, reliance on rote memorization (memorization with no effort at understanding the meaning), and disconnected, unrelated assignments, it was also an extremely inefficient use of students’ and teachers’ time. This traditional approach also insisted t hat all students be taught the same materials at the same point; students that did not learn quickly enough failed, rather than being allowed to succeed at their natural speeds. This approach, which had been imported from Europe, dominated American education until the end of the 19th century, when the education reform movement imported progressive education techniques from Europe. [1] Traditional education is associated with much stronger elements of coercion than seems acceptable now in most cultures. [citation needed] It has sometimes included: the use of corporal punishment to maintain classroom discipline or punish errors; inculcating the dominant religion and language; separating students according to gender, race, and social class, as well as teaching different subjects to girls and boys. In terms of curriculum there was and still is a high level of attention paid to time-honoured academic knowledge. In the present it varies enormously from culture to culture, but still tends to be characterised by a much higher level of coercion than alternative education. Traditional schooling in Britain and its possessions and former colonies tends to follow the English Public School style of strictly enforced uniforms and a militaristic style of discipline. This can be contrasted with South African, USA and Australian schools, which can have a much higher tolerance for spontaneous student-to-teacher communication. citation needed] Instruction Centre | | Topic| Traditional approach| Alternate approaches| Person| Teacher-centred instruction: * Educational essentialism * Educational perennialism| Student-centred instruction: * Educational progressivism| Classroom| Students matched by age, and possibly also by ability. All students in a classroom are taught the same material. | Studen ts dynamically grouped by interest or ability for each project or subject, with the possibility of different groups each hour of the day. Multi-age classrooms or open classrooms. [3]| Teaching methods| Traditional education emphasizes: * Direct instruction and lectures * Seatwork * Students learn through listening and observation[4]| Progressive education emphasizes: * Hands-on activities * Student-led discovery * Group activities| Materials| Instruction based on textbooks, lectures, and individual written assignments| Project-based instruction using any available resource including Internet, library and outside experts| Subjects| Individual, independent subjects. Little connection between topics[3]| Integrated, interdisciplinary subjects or theme-based units, such as reading a story about cooking a meal and calculating the cost of the food. | Social aspects| Little or no attention to social development. [3] Focus on independent learning. Socializing largely discouraged except for extracurricular activities and teamwork-based projects. | Significant attention to social development, including teamwork, interpersonal relationships, and self-awareness. | Multiple tracks| * A single, unified curriculum for all students, regardless of ability or interest. Diverse class offerings without tracking, so that students receive a custom-tailored education. * With School to work, academically weak students must take some advanced classes, while the college bound may have to spend half-days job shadowing at local businesses. | Students choose (or are steered towards) different kinds of classes according to their perceived abilities or career plans. Decision s made early in education may preclude changes later, as a student on a vo-tech track may not have completed necessary prerequisite classes to switch to a university-preparation program. Student and teacher relationship| Students often address teachers formally by their last names. The teacher is considered a respected role model in the community. Students should obey the teacher. Proper behavior for the university or professional work community is emphasized. | In alternative schools, students may be allowed to call teachers by their first names. Students and teachers may work together as collaborators. | Marking Topic| Traditional approach| Alternate approaches| Communicating with parents| A few numbers, letters, or words are used to summarize overall achievement in each class. Marks may be assigned according to objective individual performance (usually the number of correct answers) or compared to other students (best students get the best grades, worst students get poor grades). A passing grade may or may not signify mastery: a failing student may know the material but not complete homework assignments, and a passing student may turn in all homework but still not understand the material. | Many possible forms of communicating achievements: * Teachers may be required to write personalized narrative evaluations about student achievement and abilities. Under standards-based education, a government agency may require all students to pass a test; students who fail to perform adequately on the test may not be promoted. | Expectations| Students will graduate with different grades. Some students will fail due to poor performance based on a lack of understanding or incomplete assignments. | All students need to achieve a basic level of education, even if this mean s spending extra years in school. | Grade inflation/deflation| Achievement based on performance compared to a reasonably stable, probably informal standard which is highly similar to what previous students experienced. The value of any given mark is often hard to standardize in alternative grading schemes. Comparison of students in different classes may be difficult or impossible. | Subject Areas Topic| Traditional approach| Alternate approaches| Mathematics| Traditional mathematics: * Emphasis is on memorization of basic facts such as the multiplication table and mastering step-by-step arithmetic algorithms by studying examples and much practice. * One correct answer is sought, using one â€Å"standard† method. * Mathematics after elementary grades is tracked with different students covering different levels of material. Mathematics is taught as its own discipline without emphasis on social, political or global issues. There may be some emphasis on practical applications in science and technology. | * Curriculum de-emphasizes procedural knowledge drills in favor of technology (calculators, computers) and an emphasis on conceptual understanding. * Lessons may include more exploratory material supportive of conceptual understanding, rather than direct presentation of facts and methods. * Emphasis may be on practical applications and greater issues such as the environment, gender and racial diversity, and social justice. Mathematics lessons may include writing, drawing, games, and instruction with manipulatives rather than filling out worksheets. [5] * Lessons may include exploration of concepts allowing students to invent their own procedures before teaching standard algorithms. * Grading may be based on demonstration of conceptual understanding rather than entirely on whether the final answer is correct. * In some countries (e. g. the United States), there may be expectations of high achievement and mastering algebra for all students rather than trackin g some students into business math and others into mathematics for math and science careers. Science| Fact-based science: Science class is an opportunity to transmit concrete knowledge and specific vocabulary from the teacher (or textbook) to the students. Students focus on memorizing what they are told. â€Å"Experiments† follow cookbook-style procedures to produce the expected results. | With Inquiry-based Science a student might be asked to devise an experiment to demonstrate that the earth orbits the sun. The emphasis changes from memorizing information that was learned through a scientific method to actually using the scientific method of discovery. Language learning| Phonics: The focus is on explicit training in sound to letter correspondence rules and the mechanics of decoding individual words. Students initially focus on phonics subskills and reading simplified decodable texts. When they have mastered a sufficient number of rules, they are allowed to read freely and e xtensively. (In many languages, such as French, Spanish and Greek, phonics is taught in the context of reading simple open syllables. )| With whole language the child is exposed to rich, relevant language that can heighten motivation to read. Learning to read is assumed to be as natural as learning to speak, so students are not formally taught sound to letter correspondences, but assumed to infer them on their own. (Note that this issue is limited to languages such as English and French with complex phonetics and spelling rules. Instruction in countries with languages such as Spanish and Greek, which have relatively simple phonetic spelling, still depends mainly on phonics. )| Criticism of the concept of teaching in traditional education Traditional education focuses on teaching, not learning. It incorrectly assumes that for every ounce of teaching there is an ounce of learning by those who are taught. However, most of what we learn before, during, and after attending schools is learned without it being taught to us. A child learns such fundamental things as how to walk, talk, eat, dress, and so on without being taught these things. Adults learn most of what they use at work or at leisure while at work or leisure. Critics argue that most of what is taught in classroom settings is forgotten, and much of what is remembered is irrelevant. How to cite Traditional Education, Papers