Religious Extremism and Islam

Religious extremism cropped up from diverse Islam’s Jihad teachings. The research focuses on the reasons for the religious extremism. The research centers on the different interpretations of the Koran’s Jihad verses. Religious extremism precipitated from some Muslim religion devotees’ diverse interpretation of Koran’s Jihad verses.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Religious Extremism and Islam specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Initially, Paul Heck1 stated Islamic extremism centers on two aspects of the issue. The first aspect is extremism. One group of non-Muslim people may classify the Islamic attacks on innocent civilians as extremism. On the other hand, the Islamic perpetrators of the suicide bombings do not classify themselves as extremists. Paul Heck2 mentioned the second aspect is on the Islam religion. Some Islamic fundamentalism groups do not accept violence as a last re sort. However, all Islam devotees affirm that Jihad is part of their duties. Some groups of Islam devotees prefer to use extreme means to perpetuate their goals for spread Islam. Islam accepts assassinations and bombings, specifically suicide bombings, as the duty of every serious Islam devotee. Likewise, Shireen Burki3 emphasized Islamic terrorism or Jihad is part of the duties of Muslims to achieve their political and religious goals. Islamic terrorism cropped up in many strategic locations around the world. The Islamic extremist attacks occurred in Africa, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States starting in the early 1970s. The most recently devastating Islamic extremist attack occurred in New York on September 11, 2001. Al-Qaeda’s leader, Osama Bin Laden authorized the Islamic extremist attacks. The plane attacks focused on stopping the United States’ political and military presence in the Middle East as well as in the Arabian states. The extremi st attacks also focused on the removing the corrupt and inefficient leaders of the Arab states. Another very loud reason for the extremist religious attacks is to put a stop to the United States’ military, financial, and other aids to Israel. In addition, the extremist attacks focus on returning East Timor and Kashmir under Muslim authority. The extremist members are very active convincing people to join their religious extremist acts. The terrorist attacks include kidnappings for ransom, hijackings, and suicide attacks. Shireen Burki4 opined religious extremism is an offshoot of Islamic teachings. Alia Brahimi reiterated the Islam religion teaches violence as part of the necessary acts of their religion. Religious extremism is the ideology or political act that violates the norms of society. Society norms consider killing a crime. Consequently, an extremist is any person who uses religion as a basis for killing another person.Advertising Looking for research paper on re ligion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Demetrios Caraley5 shows a vivid example is the unforgettable horrors of the September 11, 2001tragedy that hit New York and the Whitehouse. The incident is a direct act on the United States’ democratic ideology. The incident shows that Muslim religion devotees’ religious beliefs may translate to the loss of innocent lives. Osama Bin Laden was instrumental in the attack of United States soil. The secularization of the September 11, 2011 issue equates to the harmful effects of the Islamic religion’s attack on New York City that fateful day. The horrors of the September 11 event awaken the people around the world on the power of religion to kill and maim innocent civilians. The people around the world will not forget the mass suicide of the four groups of Muslim religion devotees who hijacked the four planes. The four Islamic martyr groups did not think twice befo re using the planes to commit suicide. The Islamic martyrs consider themselves rightful heirs to the king of their God, Allah. Andrew Langley6 stated 19 religious extremists hijacked four planes. Two hijacked planes jets crashed on two skyscrapers in New York. Another group rammed the Pentagon complex in Arlington, Virginia. A fourth plane, destined for Washington D.C. crashed before reaching its destination. The airplane passengers were able to fight against the fourth plane’s hijackers. Everyone in all four hijacked planes died. In addition, a majority of the people trapped in the twin towers of New York were murdered. The September 11, 2001 casualty reached 2,974 dead and thousands more injured. In other parts of the world, David Cook7 stated women and men sometimes join suicide bombings are normal activities of religious activities. Cook mentioned many radical Muslims are using the Jihad process to widen their appeal to idealistic Muslim men and women to join in the battl efield’s martyrdom operations. The religious extremist straps bombs inside one’s clothes. When they reach their targets, the religious extremists blow themselves up. As a result, the bombing activities kill both the suicide bomber and a majority of the intended targets.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Religious Extremism and Islam specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, the suicide bombings often cause massive property damages. Normally, the suicide bombers use huge explosive charges to ensure the infliction of a huge toll on major property damage and huge human lives. Malik Mufti8 theorized the Islam religion explains that suicide bombers will receive rewards for killing non-Muslims. For the religious extremists, it is a duty to kill nonbelievers. It is the duty of the religious extremists to persuade the nonbelievers to convert to the Islam religion. The non-Muslim’s refusal to convert to the Islam religion would precipitate to the Muslim’s consideration of the Muslims as enemies. The religious extremists’ killing of non-Muslims for the sake of religious obedience is part of religious activities. Thus, the religious extremists do not have second thoughts on killing innocent civilians. Killing itself may be legal or illegal. Normally, the law allows the killing another person in a self-defense capacity. It is one’s fundamental right to protect oneself against dangers to one’s person, one’s family, and one’s property, especially the home. In addition, the state courts hand down death penalties to some convicted felons. The convicted felons are meted the death penalty for heinous crimes. The killing is classified legal. However, societal norms dictate that the killing innocent civilian, in the pursuit of one’s political or religious ideologies, is illegal. This is true for every suicide bombing activity. Hi storically, many empires have suffered under so-called extremist religious organizations. The implementation of widespread Islamic terrorism complies with the Islamic religion’s duties. The extremist attacks are religiously approved attacks on the apostates. The Koran states Apostates are non-Muslims. Non-Muslims are infidels or enemies under the Koran. However many Muslim scholars and leaders opined the Koran verse on Jihad or attacks on the apostates has been taken out of context. Some Muslim leaders emphasize that the Muslims warriors should implement the Jihad or holy wars only to protect the Muslim people from outside attacks.Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Muslim warriors should start a Jihad or holy war to defend their religious beliefs, in case of attacks. Osama Bin Laden emphasized that the United States is an aggressive enemy of the Islam religion. Osama Bin Laden theorized the September 11, 2001 attack on New York City was a defensive Jihad attack. The Muslim leaders are more acceptable to the defensive Jihad attack when compared to the aggressive Jihad attacks. One of major causes persuading Muslims to join the Jihad or holy war is a strong bond. The family bond encourages one member of the family to successful implement a suicide bombing attack. The strong community bond encourages members to be a martyr for the group. A martyr is one who sacrifices one’s life in a suicide bombing attack. Other factors are not as influential in convincing a Muslim devotee to murder innocent Christian civilians. Poverty is not a strong factor. Trauma is a major factor in convincing the Muslim convert to engage in the Jihad or holy war . Being in a mad state is not as influential in convincing the Muslim individual to kidnap a Christian Pastor. Ignorance will not be an equally effective factor in terms of persuading the Muslim adolescent to engage in the Holy war to kill one’s innocent neighbors. The environment is a strong factor in terms of convincing the Muslim devotees to engage in Jihad activities. Muhammad Akbar9 stated the Koran’s Surah 9 verse 111 states â€Å"Allah hath purchased of the Believers their person and their goods; for theirs is the Garden of Paradise. They fight in his cause and slay and are slain.† The quote clearly shows that all Muslim religion devotees must comply with all the religious instructions of the Koran, without exception. Research conducted showed that more Algerians living in France join extremist groups. Likewise, the more Moroccans taking up residence in Spain favor the Jihad activities. Lastly, more The Yemeni persons taking up residence in Saudi Arabia a re eager to join the suicide bombing activities. Many Muslims offer terroristic attachments to the Jihad concept. The Jihad is a struggle to succeed. The Jihad is a Muslim struggle. The Koran imposes the Jihad on the persons, communities, or groups for having harmed a Muslim person, group, or community. John Esposito10 explained the confusion regarding in interpretation of Jihad is understandable. Muslim devotees have to comply with the five pillars of the Islam faith. The Muslim religion devotees consider the Jihad or holy war as the sixth compulsory pillar. The Koran commands Jihad actions in the Muslim devotees’ struggles. Jihad is the Arabian word for struggle. The Prophet Muhammad used the Jihad or holy war to capture reach territories previously controlled by other religions. The Koranic verses serve as the law of the Muslim religion devotees. The Koran verses teach the Muslim religion devotees self-understanding, piety, mobilization, expansion, and defense (Jihad). Dep ending on the Muslim religion devotees’ situation, one’s daily life focuses on fighting injustice, oppression, and spreading the Islam faith. Other Muslim religion devotees’ daily activities include establishing a society that implements just policies on all its residents. The Muslim religion devotees’ daily duties include joining the Jihad or holy war to defend one’s faith against infidels (non-Muslims). In terms of overall impact, the communities have to protect themselves from the extremists. The United States has stepped its homeland defense to counter the Islamic extremist11. The camaraderie of Muslim religion devotees creates a strong bond among the Muslim religion devotees around the world. The Islamic brotherhood includes Muslims from North Africa, Southeast Asia, Sudan, Algeria, the Gulf regions, and the United States. Leaders of the brotherhood include Hasan al-Banna (1906 -1949) and Sayyid Qutb (1906- 1949). Some of the leaders distribut ed Islamic books and other Islamic reading materials. The materials focus on the fundamentalist principles of the Muslim faith. The Islamic religious leaders do their best to use the Koran’s verses to legitimize their extremist killing activities. The increasing distance between the Muslim religion devotees and the Christians continues to widen. Similarly, Abdul Gafoor12 theorizes the literal meaning of Jihad is â€Å"to exert†. I t is the exertion of the intellect as recognized by the Islamic Law, Sharia. Jihad can be accomplished by using one’s heart, tongue, hands, or sword. Jihad is the battle against sin and Satan in the Muslim devotees’ life. Koran’s Verse 110 states â€Å"Ye are the best of peoples evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah.† The Koran verse does not literally state devotees are required to kill innocent civilians. The above verse clearly shows that the devout Muslim religion devotees must comply with all the Koran’s instructions. The Koran states that each Muslim religion devotees must forbid what is wrong. What is wrong includes not helping in the spread of the Islamic faith. All Muslim religion devotees should go out of their way to punish all infidels for maligning or attacking the beliefs of the Muslim faith. In turn, their god, Allah, will reward them for defending their faith against the infidels. For example, Geneive Abdo13 mentioned Essam al Eryan actively complies with all policies and instructions of the Muslim Brothers organization. The Brotherhood is the Middle East’s most powerful Muslim religion devotees ‘ group. Eryan is a doctor and a radio commentator. He often attacks the government’s policies. In return, the government has been irritated by Eryan’s anti-government radio commentaries. As a deputy secretary general of Egypt’s medical doctors’ syndicate, he is a very influential p erson among the citizens. Essam al Eryan was monitored by the state police for his possible contribution to a future Jihad or holy war attack on the top government officials and bombings in public places. Further, the Brotherhood of Muslims covers many countries around the world during the 1990s. The Muslim religion devotees’ extreme efforts to spread the Islamic teachings of their Prophet Mohammad. In Egypt, the Muslim religion devotees live in an environment having a dynamic as well as different relationship among the Muslim religion devotees. The Egyptian experience includes the radical, as well as violent revolutionary Islamic activities and institutionalization of the Muslim religion devotees’ lives as politically and socially comfortable. The police were trying to find the link between Essam al Eryan’s radio commentaries and killings of policemen and tourists in Upper Egypt. The police are finding evidences to prove that Essam al Eryan is instrumental in t he firing of shots on visiting Egyptian cabinet members walking along Cairo’s busy streets. The suspecting of Essam al Eryan is grounded on his caustic criticism of the Egyptian government’s running of the state’s affairs. Essam al Eryan was a radio commentator on British Broadcasting Corporation. The government did its part to try to control the media, including Essam al Eryan’s radio commentaries. However, the Muslim Brotherhood’s primary policies include renouncing the use of violence to pursue their religious goals and objectives. A majority of the Egyptian population were critical and against the government’s secular policies. Based on the above discussion, religious extremism is a different interpretation of Islam’s Jihad teachings. ‘Some groups interpret Jihad to include attacks on innocent civilians. Other Muslim religion leaders and scholars Jihad is allowed only to defend one’s religion, family or community agai nst the infidel attackers. Indeed, religious extremism precipitated from some Muslim religion devotees’ detoured interpretation of Koran’s Jihad verses. Works Cited Abdo, Geneive. No God but God: Egypt and the Triumph of Islam. New York: Oxford Press, 2000:71. Akbar, Muhammad. The Shade of Swords Jihad and the Conflict Between Islam  and Christianity. NewYork: Routledge Press, 2002:12. Burki, Shireen. â€Å"Haram or Halal? Islamists’ Use of Suicide Attacs as â€Å"Jihad†.†Ã‚  Terrorism and Political Violence 23.4 (2011): 582-601. Caraley, Demetrios. September 11, Terrorist Attacks, and U. S. Foreign Policy. New York: Political Science Academy Press, 2003;39. Cook, David. â€Å"Women Fighting in Jihad?† Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 28.5 (2005): 375-384. Esposito, John. What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002;117. Gafoor, Abdul. Islam Jihad: Prejudice versus Reality. New York: Palgrave Press, 20 02;45. Heck, Paul. â€Å"Jihad Revisited.† Journal of Religious Ethics 32.1 (2004): 95-128. Langley, Andrew. September 11: Attack on America. New York: Compass Books, 2006;8. Mufti, Malik. â€Å"The Art of Jihad.† History of Political Thought 28.2 (2007): 189-207. Palmer, Monte, Islamic Extremism: Causes, Diversity, and Challenges. New York: Rowman Littlefield, 2008: 271 Footnotes 1 Heck, Paul. â€Å"Jihad Revisited.† Journal of Religious Ethics 32.1 (2004): 95-128. 2 Heck, Paul. â€Å"Jihad Revisited.† Journal of Religious Ethics 32.1 (2004): 95-128. 3 Burki, Shireen. â€Å"Haram or Halal? Islamists’ Use of Suicide Attacs as â€Å"Jihad†.† Terrorism and Political Violence 23.4 (2011): 582-601. 4 Burki, Shireen. â€Å"Haram or Halal? Islamists’ Use of Suicide Attacs as â€Å"Jihad†.† Terrorism and Political Violence 23.4 (2011): 582- 601. 5 Caraley, Demetrios. September 11, Terrorist Attacks, and United States Fo reign Policy, New York, Political Science Academy Press, 2002; 39. 6 Langley, Andrew. September 11: Attack on America. New York: Compass Books, 2006;8. 7 Cook, David. â€Å"Women Fighting in Jihad?† Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 28.5 (2005): 375-384. 8 Mufti, Malik. â€Å"The Art of Jihad.† History of Political Thought 28.2 (2007): 189-207. 9 Akbar, Muhammad. The Shade of SwordsL Jihad and the Conflict Between Islam and Christianity. NewYork: Routledge Press, 2002, 12. 10 Esposito, John. What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002, 117. 11 Palmer, Monte, Islamic Extremism: Causes, Diversity, and Challenges, New York: Rowman Littlefield, 2008;271 12 Gafoor, Abdul, Islam Jihad: Prejudice versus Reality. 2002; 45. 13 Abdo, Geneive. No God but God: Egypt and the Triumph of Islam. New York: Oxford Press, 2000, 71. This research paper on Religious Extremism and Islam was written and submitted by user Nelson Mclean to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Definition and Examples of Singular They

Definition and Examples of Singular 'They' In  English grammar, singular they is the use of the pronoun they, them, or their to refer to a singular noun or to certain indefinite pronouns (such as anybody or everyone). Also called  epicene they and unisex they. Though strict prescriptive grammarians regard the singular they as a grammatical error, it has been in widespread use for several centuries. Singular they appears in the writings of Chaucer, Shakespeare, Austen, Woolf, and many other major English authors. In January 2016,  the American Dialect Society chose the gender-neutral singular they as its Word of the Year: They  was recognized by the society for its emerging use as a pronoun to refer to a known person, often as a conscious choice by a person rejecting the traditional gender binary of  he  and  she (American Dialect Society press release, January 8, 2016). Examples When a person talks too much, they learn little. (Duncan Hines, Lodging for a Night, 1938)If anybody wants their admission fee back, they can get it at the door. (Fiddlers Dram. Spooky South: Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore, retold by S. E. Schlosser. Globe Pequot, 2004)She admired the fullness of the dirty net curtains, opened every drawer and cupboard, and, when she found the Gideons Bible, said, Somebodys left their book behind. (Sue Townsend, Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction. Lily Broadway Productions, 2004)She kept her head and kicked her shoes off, as everybody ought to do who falls into deep water in their clothes. (C.S. Lewis, Voyage of the Dawn-Treader, 1952)I know when I like a person directly I see them! (Virginia Woolf, The Voyage Out, 1915)A person cant help their birth, Rosalind replied with great liberality. (William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 1848) Singular They and Agreement Examples of semantically singular they are given in [52]: [52i] Nobody in their right mind would do a thing like that. [52ii] Everyone has told me they think I made the right decision. [53iii] We need a manager who is reasonably flexible in their approach. [52iv] In that case the husband or the wife will have to give up their seat on the board. Notice that this special interpretation of they doesnt affect verb agreement: we have they think (3rd plural) in [ii], not *they thinks (3rd singular). Nonetheless, they can be interpreted as if it were 3rd person singular, with human denotation and unspecified gender. (Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum, A Students Introduction to English Grammar. Cambridge University Press, 2005) The Growing Acceptance of Singular They The general hesitancy of grammarians towards accepting singular they is not actually matched by many of their academic colleagues who have researched the usage and its distribution (e.g. Bodine 1075; Whitley 1978; Jochnowitz 1982; Abbot 1984; Wales 1984b). Nor indeed is it matched by the lay native speakers of standard English, who show an overwhelming preference for it in contemporary spoken English, non-formal written English and an ever-widening spread of non-formal written registers, from journalism to administration and academic writing. . . . Singular they, in fact, has been well established in informal usage for centuries; until prescriptive grammarians decreed it was grammatically incorrect, and so outlawed it, effectively, from (public) written discourse. The OED and Jespersen (1914) reveal, for example, that right from the time of the introduction of the indefinite pronouns into the language in their present form in the Late Middle English period, the option involving they has been in common use. (Katie Wales, Personal Pronouns in Present-Day English. Cambridge University Press, 1996) The Only Sensible Solution His or her is clumsy, especially upon repetition, and his is as inaccurate with respect to grammatical gender as they is to number. Invented alternatives never take hold. Singular they already exists; it has the advantage that most people already use it. If it is as old as Chaucer, whats new? The  Washington Post’s style editor, Bill Walsh, has called it the only sensible solution to the gap in English’s pronouns, changing his newspapers style book in 2015. But it was also the rise in the use of  they  as a pronoun for someone who does not want to use he or she. Facebook began already in 2014 allowing people to choose they as their preferred pronoun (Wish them a happy birthday!). Transgender stories, from The Danish Girl, a hit movie, to Caitlyn Jenner, an Olympic athlete who has become the world’s most famous trans woman, were big in 2015. But such people prefer their post-transition pronouns: he or she as desired. They is for a smaller minority who prefer neither. But the very idea of non-binary  language with regard to gender annoys and even angers many people. In other words, as transgender people gain acceptance, non-binary folks are the next frontier, like it or not. Who knew a thousand-year-old pronoun could be so controversial? (Prospero, Why 2015’s Word of the Year Is Rather Singular. The Economist, January 15, 2016) Origin of the Concept of the Gender-Neutral Masculine Pronoun [I]t was [Ann] Fisher [author of A New Grammar, 1745] who promoted the convention of using he, him and his as pronouns to cover both male and female in general statements such as Everyone has his quirks. To be precise, she says that The Masculine Person answers to the general Name, which comprehends both Male and Female; as, Any person who knows what he says. This idea caught on. . . The convention was bolstered by an Act of Parliament in 1850: in order to simplify the language used in other Acts, it was decreed that the masculine pronoun be understood to include both males and females. The obvious objection to thisobvious now, even if it was not obvious thenis that it makes women politically invisible. (Henry Hitchings, The Language Wars: A History of Proper English. Macmillan, 2011)

Grand Bargain - Details and Explanation

Grand Bargain - Details and Explanation The term grand bargain is used to describe a potential agreement between President Barack Obama and congressional leaders in late 2012 on how to curb spending and reduce the national debt while avoiding steep automatic spending cuts known as sequestration or the fiscal cliff set to take place the following year to some of the most important programs in the United States. The idea of a grand bargain had been around since 2011 but the real potential emerged following the 2012 presidential election, in which voters returned many of the same leaders to Washington, including Obama and some of his fiercest critics in Congress. The looming fiscal crisis combined with a polarized House and Senate provided high drama in the final weeks of 2012 as lawmakers worked to avoid the sequestration cuts. Details of the Grand Bargain The term grand bargain was used because it would be a bipartisan agreement between the Democratic president and Republican leaders in the House of Representatives, who had been gridlocked on policy proposals during his first term in the White House. Among the programs that could be targeted for substantial cuts in a grand bargain are the so-called entitlement programs: Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Democrats who resisted such cuts would agree to them if Republicans, in return, sign off on higher taxes on certain high-income wage-earners much like the Buffett Rule would have imposed. History of the Grand Bargain The grand bargain on debt reduction first emerged during Obamas first term in the White House. But negotiations over the details of such a plan unraveled in the summer of 2011 and never began in earnest until after the 2012 presidential election. The disagreements in the first round of negotiations reportedly were the insistence by Obama and the Democrats on a certain level of new tax revenue. Republicans, particularly more conservative members of Congress, were said to have vigorously opposed raising taxes beyond a certain amount, reportedly some $800 million worth of new revenue. But following Obamas re-election, House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio appeared to signal a willingness to accept higher taxes in return for cuts to entitlement programs. In order to garner Republican support for new revenues, the President must be willing to reduce spending and shore up the entitlement programs that are the primary drivers of our debt, Boehner told reporters following the election. We’re closer than anyone thinks to the critical mass needed legislatively to get tax reform done. Opposition to the Grand Bargain Many Democrats and liberals expressed skepticism over Boehners offer, and restated their opposition to cuts in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. They argued that Obamas decisive victory allowed him a certain mandate on maintaining the nations social programs and safety nets. They also claimed the cuts in combination with the expiration of both the Bush-era tax cuts and payroll-tax cuts in 2013 could send the country back into a recession. The liberal economic Paul Krugman, writing in The New York Times, argued that Obama should not easily accept the Republican offer of a new grand bargain: President Obama has to make a decision, almost immediately, about how to deal with continuing Republican obstruction. How far should he go in accommodating the G.O.P.’s demands? My answer is, not far at all. Mr. Obama should hang tough, declaring himself willing, if necessary, to hold his ground even at the cost of letting his opponents inflict damage on a still-shaky economy. And this is definitely no time to negotiate a grand bargain on the budget that snatches defeat from the jaws of victory.

Gender in TFA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gender in TFA - Research Paper Example His father’s lack of courage and financial insecurity stirs his obsession for masculinity and he is motivated to become a chivalrous warrior and a man of great wealth, who could provide everything his family needs. Thus, Okonkwo’s character thrives on the notion of filling a vacuum in the realms of masculinity that his father so cowardly left. On the other hand, he remains concerned about his son Nwoye of 12 years of age, whom he perceives as lazy. This causes the anguish in Okonkwo that his son will grow up to become an ‘efukfu’, a worthless loser like his father. Consequent to a settlement, Okonkwo acquires a virgin and a 15 year old boy named Ikemefuna as reward from another tribe and he envisions an ideal son in the latter. However, despite his love for Ikemefuna, he kills him just to save himself from appearing weak in front of others. Thus, through each thread in the fabric of TFA’s plot, Achebe emphasizes Okonkwo’s yearning for recognit ion as a manly hero in the patriarchal society that values masculinity as the most honored trait. Right from the beginning of the story, Achebe illustrates the significance of masculinity in the Umuofian society by referring to the fact that at the age of 18, Okonkwo has earned honor in the village by winning a wrestling contest with ‘Amalinze the Cat’ who has been the unbeaten champion for over seven years. Even while describing the fight, the author strives to accentuate the masculinity of both warriors by showing how every vein and â€Å"every muscle† on their arms, back and thighs stands out (Achebe Ch.1). Thus, the audience receives a clear idea of the pivotal role of masculinity in the Nigerian culture and how male characters in the story cherish the notion of manliness. On the other hand, Achebe also distinctly depicts the motivation of the male protagonist by orienting the readers about his father’s lack of masculinity by portraying Unoka,

Critical Pedagogy Perspective of Education Essay

Critical Pedagogy Perspective of Education - Essay Example â€Å"Habits of thought, reading, writing, and speaking which go beneath surface meaning, first impressions, dominant myths, official pronouncements, traditional cliches, received wisdom, and mere opinions, to understand the deep meaning, root causes, social context, ideology, and personal consequences of any action, event, object, process, organization, experience, text, subject matter, policy, mass media, or discourse"(Wink 2011, p. 128). This is an implication that in critical pedagogy approach of schooling the learner is not mandated to conform to the conventional schooling system. The paper access the appropriateness of critical pedagogy of schooling and its key elements. Paulo Freire was the first person to describe critical pedagogy approach of schooling. His initial interest was to address adult literacy, â€Å"†¦Paulo Freire, writing originally within the specific context of promoting adult literacy within Latin American peasant communities, but whose work has taken o n an increasingly international interest and appeal in the past three decades†(Macrine 2009, p. 67). ... (1984, 1988) critical pedagogy approach of schooling is concerned with the relationship that should exist between, school and the socio- political aspects of living. In his explanation, Stanley (1992) indicates that Freire’s critical pedagogy is based on critical consciousness. Stanley (1992, p. 56) continues to deduce that according to Freire, â€Å"Freedom, for Freire, begins with the recognition of a system of oppressive relations, and one’s own place in that system. The task of Critical Pedagogy is to bring members of an oppressed group to a critical consciousness of their situation as a beginning point of their liberatory praxis.† This is an implication that the learner should be the centre of schooling not schooling being the centre of learning. Purmensky (2009, p. 96) states that, â€Å"Freire goes further than arguing that educators must constantly discover and rediscover ways to help the learner view knowledge as problematic.† Arguably, an implica tion that teachers should employ a learning approach that enables the learner to learn and unlearn. The idea behind critical pedagogy approach of education is attributed to neo-Marxian literature concerning Critical Theory. Critical theorist argued that the Frankfurt school, whose founder was Marxism, had underrated the significant role played by media and cultural influences in addressing issues pertaining capitalism (Malott 2010; Sleeter 1995). critical pedagogy generally refers to the effort that is need to work in an educational institution as well in other aspects of life such as the media and have the audacity to question any form of power inequality that results to groups as well as individuals abandoning what is meaningful and will value to their lives. To install such crucial virtues, learners’ in school

Success From Creatine :: essays research papers

Success From Creatine   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people in athletics avoid using creatine monohydrate because they do not know much about it. They are convinced that something that can help athletes achieve such great results cannot be good for the body. This is not true if the supplement is taken correctly. Creatine is an excellent supplement. It is one of the only products on the market that has been proven to significantly enhance athletic performance in the areas of power, strength, and muscle mass. Creatine makes muscle cells retain water, then flushes out acid buildup when the muscles are used. This hydration process increases the amount of work individual cells can do and also aids in the recovery of muscle cells. Many people believe creatine supplements should be treated the same as steroids and banned from all sports. They assume creatine is not natural, harmful to the body and unfair in athletic competition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often, it is said that creatine supplements are unnatural. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most people do not realize the human body produces creatine. It is an amino acid made in the liver and stored in muscles. It can also be obtained by certain foods in the diet. Milk, steak, and fish are the best sources of creatine. The daily recommended minimal dosage of this amino acid is about two grams. If dietary creatine is increased, it will augment the amount of stored creatine which will help athletic performance. Without the correct amount of any of the twenty amino acids, the body will not function to its fullest potential.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although scientists have known of creatine for over one hundred years, studies on it have only been going on for the last decade. They have found it to be virtually harmless with very few drawbacks in their research. The most significant being abuse of the supplement. One example of this is to consume too much over a long period of time. Some researchers fear that this could make the body stop producing creatine, then the body would rely only on the supplement. This is why creatine supplements should be taken in cycles. Another form of abuse is to ingest too much at one time. It is hard for the body to breakdown the granular substance, but if plenty of water is consumed this should not be a problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people believe that creatine supplements give athletes an unfair advantage and compare them to steroids. These supplements are most definitely an advantage, but not unfair. Even though the supplement may have similar results to steroids, it is only an Success From Creatine :: essays research papers Success From Creatine   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people in athletics avoid using creatine monohydrate because they do not know much about it. They are convinced that something that can help athletes achieve such great results cannot be good for the body. This is not true if the supplement is taken correctly. Creatine is an excellent supplement. It is one of the only products on the market that has been proven to significantly enhance athletic performance in the areas of power, strength, and muscle mass. Creatine makes muscle cells retain water, then flushes out acid buildup when the muscles are used. This hydration process increases the amount of work individual cells can do and also aids in the recovery of muscle cells. Many people believe creatine supplements should be treated the same as steroids and banned from all sports. They assume creatine is not natural, harmful to the body and unfair in athletic competition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often, it is said that creatine supplements are unnatural. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most people do not realize the human body produces creatine. It is an amino acid made in the liver and stored in muscles. It can also be obtained by certain foods in the diet. Milk, steak, and fish are the best sources of creatine. The daily recommended minimal dosage of this amino acid is about two grams. If dietary creatine is increased, it will augment the amount of stored creatine which will help athletic performance. Without the correct amount of any of the twenty amino acids, the body will not function to its fullest potential.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although scientists have known of creatine for over one hundred years, studies on it have only been going on for the last decade. They have found it to be virtually harmless with very few drawbacks in their research. The most significant being abuse of the supplement. One example of this is to consume too much over a long period of time. Some researchers fear that this could make the body stop producing creatine, then the body would rely only on the supplement. This is why creatine supplements should be taken in cycles. Another form of abuse is to ingest too much at one time. It is hard for the body to breakdown the granular substance, but if plenty of water is consumed this should not be a problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people believe that creatine supplements give athletes an unfair advantage and compare them to steroids. These supplements are most definitely an advantage, but not unfair. Even though the supplement may have similar results to steroids, it is only an

Psychological study: “Geenie the Wild Child!” Essay

The development of language comes naturally for most people; as they grow from an infant to a child. Noam Chomsky believes that languages are genetically pre-programmed by a language acquisition device in the brain. The deep structure of language and words is not learned. Yet the surface structures, such as phonetic sounds are learned. A few children do not master the basic foundation of language like in Genie’s case. Genie (and her mom) was victims of abuse and neglect inflicted upon them by Genie’s father. In November, 1970, Genie’s [a.k.a. â€Å"The Wild Child†] horrible plight was documented and this is my personal assessment of it†¦ I would think that Genie can one day master English (or another language) because of one specific reason: Genie’s brain, as slow and below average for a 13 year old as it was, did show some progression. Genie did have a 20-word vocabulary. She could correctly identify colors, she knew her mom and could say things like, â€Å"walk, door and No more.† However, this was not the case. After over 6 years of being observed, poked and researched by scientist, Genie never did master the English language. Also, Genie had a most bizarre and unfortunate life starting at the very moment she was born. In the beginning she was constrained and not given any attention. When she was discovered by the world, she was bombarded with attention from many researchers. From the multitude of research done on her, one bit of information that held true to Lenneberg’s theory is the inability to produce speech after puberty even when exposed to it. However, in the end the researchers became insensitive and overlooked Genie’s own well-being for scientific research.