The Subconscious in Characters in Gordimers Essay Example for Free

The Subconscious in Characters in Gordimers Essay She feels bewitched and cut off from reality. Marlow experiences a similar sense of insecurity as he travels up the Congo, a journey he describes as a timeless voyage back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings (30). He feels lost and insignificant in his surroundings, which irritates his pressure of being European. Marlow refers to himself and his boatload of pilgrims as wanderers who could have fancied ourselves the first men taking possession of an accursed inheritance We could not understand because we were too far and could not remember, because we were traveling in the night of the first ages, of those ages that are gone, leaving hardly a sign and no memories (44). Bam and Maureen also experience this psychological transportation from one reality to another. This would explain their unconsciously developed habit of speaking about life outside of the village in the past tense: Whites in the pass offices and labor bureau who used to have to seal with blacks all the time across the counter-speaking an African language was simply a qualification, so far as they were concerned, thats all. Something you had to have to get the job. What are you lecturing about? -But he hadnt noticed he had spoken of back there in past tense (Gordimer, 44). Nature provides an important influence the development of the subconscious in both novels. Conrad depicts Europe as the conquered earth, whereas Africa is described as monstrous and free. The unfamiliarity and immensity of Africas nature to the Europeans heightens their sense of insecurity. Maureen often stares into the wild expanse of the bush, the borders of her freedom, feeling lost and pathetic, a cat at a mouse-hole, before that immensity (Gordimer, 43). During the night, she feels that even the moon and stars had been stifled and the dense bush that hid everything was itself hidden (Gordimer, 47). Marlow also remarks on how the vastness of nature causes him to feel small and lost: Trees, trees, millions of trees, massive, immense, running up high; and at their foot, hugging the bank against the stream, crept the little begrimed steamboat, like a sluggish beetle crawling on the floor of a lofty portico. It made you feel very small, very lost (Conrad, 104). As Marlow is recounting a spiritual voyage of self-discovery, the Smales, particularly Maureen, also take a journey into the hidden self. For Maureen, the end result of having to live a life on mere necessity uncovers the selfishness and darkness within. Eventually, she becomes less and less of a wife and mother and drifts apart from the family. When the helicopter is heard at the end of the story, Maureen is more vibrant and happy than shes ever been since she arrived in the village, and runs for the helicopter, forgetting her family whom she no longer loves or feels obligated to. Little consideration is taken into the consequences she might bring upon her family or to Julys people. Marlows deep psychological journey into his own darkness leads him to the confrontation of the impulsive savagery in his unconsciousness he had never acknowledged while in the deceptive milieu of a civilized existence. Much of this reflection is based upon Marlows final meeting with the power-hungry egomaniac Kurtz, in which he describes him as lack[ing] restraint in the gratification of his various lusts, that there was something wanting in him (Conrad, 133). The modern odyssey the characters take toward the center of the Self within the primitive wilderness of Africa uncovered much of the characters personality the personality that had been hidden under the influence and pressure of being European. The African experience stirred the unconscious forces within the self, bringing out all the true, repressed dark aspects of the personality. Word Count: 1,490 Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness, New York: Dover, 1990. Gordimer, Nadine. Julys People, London: Penguin Books, 1981. McLynn, Frank. Hearts of Darkness: The European Exploration of Africa. New York: Carol Gey, 1992. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Joseph Conrad section.

Writing An Essay At Tertiary Level

Writing An Essay At Tertiary Level Academic writing, like all forms of communication, is an act of identity: it not only conveys disciplinary content but also carries a representation of the writer. The notion of identity has only surfaced in writing research relatively recently, but it is increasingly seen as less a phenomenon of private experience than a desire for affiliation and recognition. Cave men could do it, why cant I? Communication in the written form has been around for millions of years, be it on a cave wall, or the best university in the land. Mans attempt to get across a message has truly been a constant in our lives for so very long. Essay writing to many people is a difficult concept to grasp. Plenty of time is taken up preparing the makeup of the essay. There are no shortcuts in a well written essay, only time and research can bring about the results the university requires. The plan, Where to begin! The age old question when it comes to essay writing. How do you put that first word, then sentence and finally paragraph together? Well according to most of the sources that I have come across, a basic structure keeps coming up. The importance of an introduction, as well as the body and conclusion are all key areas of an essay. Then just as you embark on your writing task, more problems are faced. Outlined below are 4 key areas I believe let students down time over time. The Introduction To identify the main issue(s), explain and justify the methods(s) of analysis to be use, and assess the quality of the evidence available. Sounds straight forward enough when you start out, but without the correct introduction, the reader or audience will be lost to you. Trying to find balance between the correct amount of information, to draw the reader in, without sounding to boring or waffling on. A quote or hook is one way to draw the reader in, and have them wondering if the rest is as good or have they used up their best material. Do you agree with the question or disagree? Put together an argument that can both show your knowledge of the subject material, and putting it into an argumentative context. Avoiding Plagiarism DEFINITION OF PLAGIARISM Oxford English Dictionary (Vol XI, pg 947) 1989: 1. The action or practice of plagiarizing; the wrongful appropriation or purloining, and publication of ones own, of the ideas, or the expression of the ideas (literary, artistic, musical, mechanical, etc.( of another. 2. A purloined idea, design, passage, or work. Plagiarius in Latin means kidnapper, seducer, plunderer, a literary thief according to the Roman poet, Martial. Plagiarism is not simply understood. Students may deliberately choose to plagiarize their work, but others may through other means, reach the same desired goals. Students from many backgrounds may not understand the reasoning behind plagiarism, which can lead to significant problems within education. Students tend to plagiarize because they do not understand how they can write in their own voice, as it can be such a daunting task. . Others may not have developed the skills to accurately document their information. Still others may be struggling to learn English. (Thompson) Planning and research So we have been asked to write an essay 2000 words long, ideally the best thing we can do is to always start with a plan. Planning an essay makes things much easier. It gives you the chance to organize your time so you can meet your deadlines accordingly. It helps you distribute the information in a clear way. Planning provides you with a true sense of safety, since you are already half way done even before writing the first paragraph of the paper. With this particular essay I find that I am in agreement with the question. It is an extremely complex issue, as I have outlined above, to organise and write. A problem faced by so many is the ideas and information that is floating around inside their mind, but do not have the natural ability to get said material onto paper. To form an argument: introduce the concept, talking about obvious instances first, such as size and style, talk about what they tend to involve, and answer what this provides. Give the positive and negative aspects. Then assess the perfect environment, and contrast this with a good or bad situation (Northedge, 1990, pp. 110-155) BODY where the evidence is presented, examined, arguments put forward and supported or refuted. This is where you should develop your argument or themes. Taking each of your main points and support them with examples and illustrations. Start breaking your materials down into paragraphs, one paragraph for each aspect of the topic. Essay Structure The following is the basic essay structure or discernible pattern, which should help you plan your essay and organize your material, expanding the three elements that constitute any essay. MAIN BODY where the evidence is presented, examined, arguments put forward and supported or refuted. CONCLUSION where you sum up and draw the threads together. 1. Introduction Your introduction should: (a) Comment on the title or topic of the essay (b) Define or explain any difficult or ambiguous terms in the title; plus keywords (c) Direct the reader by stating which aspects off the topic you intend to cover and why The introduction should be roughly 5% of the total length of your essay, generally one paragraph. 2. Body The main body of the essay should develop your argument or theme. Take each of your main points and support them with examples and illustrations. Break your materials down into paragraphs; one paragraph for each aspect of the topic. A paragraph may: (a) raise a particular issue, or (b) develop a particular issue. Often the first sentence is the topic sentence that is, it explains what the paragraph is about. As you develop your argument, you must move from point to point and from paragraph to paragraph. This involves transitions to smooth the way for the reader. It is important to remind the reader where you have been and where you are going. Linking words are used as signposts to help the reader make the transition from one paragraph to the next. The linking words you use will depend on the way you are developing your argument. The following are ways to develop your essay from one paragraph to the next, and common linking words for each. 1. Cause and Effect: You can discuss the cause in one paragraph and the effect in the next one, or the other way round. In this case you are expressing a relationship or drawing a conclusion. (Linking words: as a result, thus, therefore, consequently, thus, for this reason, because of.) 2. Positive and Negative Aspects: You can contrast the positive and negative aspects of something. You might discuss the positive aspects in one paragraph and the negative in the next. (Linking words: but, however, on the other hand, although.) 3. Sequence of Events, i.e. before and after: You can show the next step or the previous step to the event you are discussing. (Linking words: then, after that, finally, ultimately, following, before, first, previously, firstly, secondly , thirdly.) 4. Illustration: You can illustrate or give an example of what you have been talking about. (Linking words: for example, for instance, such as, that is.) 5. Extension: You can extend an idea, add weight to your argument, give further examples. (Linking words: similarly, moreover, furthermore, in addition, not only.) 3. Conclusion Your conclusion should: Summarize your main ideas. Answer any specific questions which were asked, through your answer may be tentative. Draw a general conclusion from your argument. In your conclusion you may also, discuss the wider implications. You should not introduce any new arguments or information. The conclusion should make up about 7-8% of the total length of your essay. It is useful to check the essay for basic errors a day or two after writing it, if you have allowed time for this and you are not then tempted to start re-writing bits of it! http://www.intranet.hereford.ac.uk/Services/Study%20Skills/Essay%20Structure.htm Thompson, Celia. Discourses on Plagiarism: To Discipline and Punish or to Teach and Learn?, http://www.bond.edu.au/hss/communication/ANZCA/papers/CThompsonPaper.pdf. The purpose of the essay is the natural aim or plan of the essay itself. As the writer, it is your sole responsibility to judge just what exactly you wish to accomplish with your essay once youre done with it. A common misconception among students is that the essays purpose is to simply impress their high school teachers or professors whove requested them to write an informative or persuasive essay. This is not just harmful, but frowned upon, as professors are genuinely disappointed in such efforts by their students who dont see the wider perspective of the essay (i.e. the actual target audience). Your essay must include the following: Selection of at least four (4) key points from the Readings and/or other academic sources Presentation of ideas in an essay structure Correct referencing throughout (in-text and in the Reference List) Presentation of ideas that are related to student learning Demonstration of your understanding of the issues and concepts Demonstration of your ability to reflect on own context and present relevant argument Good Study Guide by Andrew Northedge) Norton, B. (1997). Language, identity, and the ownership of English. TESOL Quarterly, 31, 409-429. Essay Structure diagram

Schizophrenia :: essays research papers

Schizophrenia- Severe disorders on which there are disturbances of thoughts, communications, and emotions, including delusions and hallucinations. (Psychology: An Introduction,Charles D. Morris with Albert A. Maisto) It's quite horrendous. First of all, you've got somebody that you love, a child that you've raised. And then suddenly, the child becomes a crazy person. Better drugs and new ways of treating schizophrenia are enabling more of the disease's victims to live in society instead of institutions, and even to hold down jobs. Schizophrenia can be detected in childhood--even traced to the womb. These malfunctions may be wired into the brain before birth. There is mounting evidence that schizophrenia reflects deviation in development rather than a backwards process that begins in maturity. Scientists,whose findings have already paved the way for a greater understanding of schizophrenia, and researchers around the world are hunting for underlying causes of the disease. People diagnosed with schizophrenia display a wide-ranging breakdown of perception and thought. A glitch in the timing of cell responses across broad swaths of brain tissue may help account for these people's fragmented experience of the world, according to a new study. In the brains of schizophrenia sufferers, electrical activity fails to synchronize with a specific sound frequency as it does in the brains of mentally healthy people. Improved drugs to fight psychosis--the loss of contact with reality that afflicts schizophrenics--are already coming on the market, and some researchers believe that within the next few decades, scientists will find a way to virtually cure the obscure disease. Schizophrenia usually begins between the ages of 16 and 30, with men often being affected earlier than women. The first symptoms can include trouble concentrating or sleeping, and afflicted people may start avoiding their friends. In the next stage, many schizophrenics begin to speak incoherently and see or hear things that no one else does. As the disease takes hold, there are cycles of remission followed by frightening relapses marked by disordered thinking that causes many schizophrenics to leap illogically from one subject to another when they talk. They begin to experience hallucinations, paranoia and delusions-- schizophrenics in their psychotic phases may become convinced that people are spying on them, or imagine that they have acquired godlike powers. When they are in the grip of psychosis, they frequently behave erratically, and they can become violent or suicidal. Often, it is parents and other family members who have to deal with the recurring crises. Often,schizophrenics are more of a danger to themselves. An estimated 15 to 20 per cent of them take their own lives--in despair of ever finding peace of mind, or because their "voices" tell them to.

Foucault, Consumerism, and Identity Essay -- Philosophy

Foucault, Consumerism, and Identity Michel Foucault presents those revolutionary sorts of analyses that are rich not only for their content but for their implications and novel methodological approach. Just beyond the surface of his works lies such philosophical wealth that one can be overwhelmed by considerations of which vein to mine first, and what to make of the elements therefrom extracted. I’ve broken earth in several attractive sites this last week. Some, it seemed, hid their treasures too deep for the scope of this excavation. Some presented me with granite barriers which I do not yet have the tools to penetrate. At other sites, the earth gave way easily and I made great progress, only to be flooded out. Finally, at the fifteenth hour, I have struck something shiny. I wish to use Foucault’s accounts of socialisation, categorisation, and discipline, as the background for my analysis of a modern entity I call the â€Å"identity package.† I will define this concept and show how it fits into and is suggested by Foucault’s works. Following this I will deal briefly with supposed problems with Foucault’s account (or lack of an account) of subjectivity. Narrative gives coherence to a life. Particular episodes make sense in light of a uniting theme. The simplistic world view of the Middle Ages left people satisfied with fairly simple narratives. One knew their personal obligations and had a vague idea of how they fit into the systems of king and God. For the sovereign and the elite, their special status was confirmed in ceremony and artistic representations.1[1] The masses were unrepresented. The lack of demand for empowerment or change may be partly due to the fact t... ...of this system. The process of categorisation seems to have an assimilative function. If you can’t beat them, label them. If it fits into our picture, it is ours. Put this way, it seems like we are imprisoned in a menacing matrix of metaphysical manipulation. However, as I have shown to be the case in pop culture, we are complicit in our captivity, in fact, all too willing to participate. 1[1]Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish, tr.Alan Sheridan (New York: Vintage,1995) p.192 2[2]With an increase in bureaucracy came an increase in the importance of meticulous knowledge; with this, more power and a more distinct role for the researcher. 3[3]Modern advertising calls this â€Å"appeal to a certain demographic†. 4[4]Quoted in: Michael Clifford, Politcal Genealogy After Foucault, (New York: Routledge, 2001) p.99 Foucault, Consumerism, and Identity Essay -- Philosophy Foucault, Consumerism, and Identity Michel Foucault presents those revolutionary sorts of analyses that are rich not only for their content but for their implications and novel methodological approach. Just beyond the surface of his works lies such philosophical wealth that one can be overwhelmed by considerations of which vein to mine first, and what to make of the elements therefrom extracted. I’ve broken earth in several attractive sites this last week. Some, it seemed, hid their treasures too deep for the scope of this excavation. Some presented me with granite barriers which I do not yet have the tools to penetrate. At other sites, the earth gave way easily and I made great progress, only to be flooded out. Finally, at the fifteenth hour, I have struck something shiny. I wish to use Foucault’s accounts of socialisation, categorisation, and discipline, as the background for my analysis of a modern entity I call the â€Å"identity package.† I will define this concept and show how it fits into and is suggested by Foucault’s works. Following this I will deal briefly with supposed problems with Foucault’s account (or lack of an account) of subjectivity. Narrative gives coherence to a life. Particular episodes make sense in light of a uniting theme. The simplistic world view of the Middle Ages left people satisfied with fairly simple narratives. One knew their personal obligations and had a vague idea of how they fit into the systems of king and God. For the sovereign and the elite, their special status was confirmed in ceremony and artistic representations.1[1] The masses were unrepresented. The lack of demand for empowerment or change may be partly due to the fact t... ...of this system. The process of categorisation seems to have an assimilative function. If you can’t beat them, label them. If it fits into our picture, it is ours. Put this way, it seems like we are imprisoned in a menacing matrix of metaphysical manipulation. However, as I have shown to be the case in pop culture, we are complicit in our captivity, in fact, all too willing to participate. 1[1]Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish, tr.Alan Sheridan (New York: Vintage,1995) p.192 2[2]With an increase in bureaucracy came an increase in the importance of meticulous knowledge; with this, more power and a more distinct role for the researcher. 3[3]Modern advertising calls this â€Å"appeal to a certain demographic†. 4[4]Quoted in: Michael Clifford, Politcal Genealogy After Foucault, (New York: Routledge, 2001) p.99

Pygmalion. The identity of Eliza how does it change and is it for the better?

Pygmalion was written by Bernard Shaw in 1914. The play tells the story of a man called Henry Higgins; a professor of phonetics who makes a bet with a friend Colonel Pickering that he can successfully pass of a low-common cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle as a sophisticated lady by teaching her how to speak with an upper class accent and an improvement in etiquette. Eliza Doolittle by chance meets Higgins and grabs the opportunity to better herself. Eliza wants to improve herself so she can be a flower-seller in a shop instead of on the streets. Eliza manages this after a lot of hard work and she changes in a number of ways. The changes Eliza makes include: learning to speak correctly by Higgins tuition, she learns about personal hygiene, she learns manners from Mrs Higgins; she learns how to dress properly by Mr Higgins, her confidence and self-esteem increases with Mr Higgins behaviour towards her. The ending of the play is ambiguous because although Eliza has changed her identity, she is so unrecognizable to the other street flower sellers that she no longer fits into her old class and society anymore; she is no longer sure of who she actually is. The first time we meet Eliza is when she is trying to sell flowers to people who are running for shelter from the rain into the porch of St. Paul's church. It becomes apparent that Liza is a low-common flower girl with her gutter speech. There is a note taker who is taking down what the flower girl is saying, which then leads her to think he is a police officer. At this time the flower girl is the only person who doesn't have a name. The significance of this is that, it's as if she doesn't have an identity, however she does have some sort of identity with her personality. â€Å"Thank you kindly, lady. â€Å"I'm a good girl, I am. † This evidence shows how she is has a general sense of manners, she treats people well and with consideration, which as the play continues is something that Higgins doesn't have. Higgins was treating her like she was nothing and he and her father look on her as commodity as Doolittle offers Higgins to pay for her. A change that Liza encounters is her hygiene, in order for Liza to be treated like a lady and receive her lessons; she must wash and dress properly. It soon becomes apparent that Liza is apprehensive about having a bath, one thing Liza rarely does. You expect me to get into that and wet myself all over! Not me I should catch my death†. This evidence clearly shows Liza's working class stigma – a disgrace to others around her after finding out she's never had a proper wash before. Liza's appearance also causes a controversy in the way she wears ‘rags' all the time, as appearance is an important factor when a change of identity occurs. This is a very positive change in Liza because now she has changed to be a hygienic person and looks like a lady. Throughout, the play when Liza is growing and learning every day, she gets respected mo re from other people. (Very courteous) won't you sit down? † This suggests the great respect Pickering pays Liza from the beginning. As a result of Liza's improved treatment from others, it make her self esteem increase, she gets more confident. The audience will notice Pickering acting like a true gentleman. Liza needs respect during her change in identity, so this is a positive change. After a period of time, Higgins decides to test Liza to see if she has learnt anything of what he has taught her. He takes Liza to his mother's at-home day. However, after a while Liza suddenly starts to relapse back into her old gutter speech and mind. They done the old woman in† â€Å"Gin was mother's milk to her. † This evidence suggests that Liza hasn't actually changed at all. The language she used reminds us of her old cockney flower girl image and that she still reflects on her now. There is still more work that Liza needs to do in order to be a lady, this reflects badly on her after her hard work to achieve where she was. Throughout the play, it has been seen that the way Liza is treated by Higgins is rather unpleasant, he puts her under a lot of pressure. He treats her with disrespect and with a certain dislike. Put her in the dustbin† this evidence shows how Higgins doesn't have any respect for the girl, this treatment continues throughout the play. The language used would create the effect that he doesn't like her cares what happens to Liza, it looks like they have a bad relationship, but he's teaching her to stand up to him which could be the greatest of all her identity changes, so this is a positive change to her because he is forcing her to stand up to him but it could also be a unhappy encounter because of the lack of respect at the time. Liza only originally planned to have the lessons to make her speech better, so she could achieve her dreams of becoming a flower-seller in a shop; however more fundamental changes have taken place. â€Å"she must be a princess at least† this evidence shows that she has achieve her original goals, but she has also gained some which include confidence from her new voice and appearance; her appearance has changed quite a lot, her posture changes, her manners and respect change and also her hygiene along the way. So this is a very positive change however, Liza may feel as if she has become two separated from her original plans. After Liza's hard work and determination she feels she cannot go back to the gutter. â€Å"I have forgotten my own language, and I can speak nothing but yours† this evidence suggests how she has lost her old life behind and doesn't want to be part of her old life again. Liza has grown as an independent lady and doesn't want her past to reflect her new life- but this doesn't fit into her new life because she has become so far away, she doesn't know who she really is anymore. This creates an effect on the audience because she is showing she has changed and is not the same person, she used to be. Liza has shown an external change rather than on the inside because she still reverts back to her gutter speech at certain times. Overall, Liza has changed. She has changed in many different ways which include her new identity which has come along with her improved hygiene, self-esteem/confidence, etiquette, views, goals/ambitions and her relationships such as one which formed with Freddy. Liza has found her self-importance and independence which she can now leave Higgins, without his need all the time, as she leaves with Freddy, which doesn't entirely make her happy. Liza would have liked to stay with Higgins but he didn't want her. She can't return to her previous life because Higgins has left her unfit for it, example is Liza's father Doolittle, who hates being rich. If anything Liza's transformation has taken away her identity because she no longer knows who she is; she isn't Doolittle's daughter anymore, no longer a street flower seller and no longer Higgins experiment. She doesn't know what her future holds and doesn't know what she is going to do.

The Fuel Behind the Rapid Spread of Islam During

The religion of Islam is the second largest belief system in the world with over one billion believers. As of 2009, almost one quarter of the world's population follow after Islam, second only to Christianity. But roughly 15 centuries ago, this was not true at all concerning Islam. The populations that now embrace Islam have roots in a polytheistic society where Islam did not yet exist. Christianity was clearly the dominant religion of that time period and the wide influence of the Byzantine Empire ensured the continued influence of the Church. Some historians have noted that nothing substantial seemed to stand out culturally or militarily concerning the emerging Muslim population when compared with Europe. Simon Barton of the University of Exeter writes in his book review concerning the work, The Great Arab Conquests: How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live In: â€Å"Why did Islam prove so conspicuously successful in galvanizing the energies of its adherents? Why was it, given that the Muslims achieved no significant breakthrough in military technology that the well-established great powers with which they came into conflict – notably the Byzantine and Persian empires in the east – or the Visigothic kingdom in the west proved unable to halt their advance? † (Sidelko 2009, 466) The fact that the emerging Muslim society didn't appear to have an overwhelming advantage in the years leading up to the seventh century growth explosion of Islam begs the very question that Simon Barton just asked. In this paper, I will attempt to discuss some of the conditions that help account for the rapid spread of Islam during the 7th century, such as the political conditions surrounding the Byzantine Empire, conditions surrounding Orthodoxy and Catholicism, and conditions surrounding the introduction of Islam as a religion. From the 6th century leading into the 7th century, the Byzantine Empire became locked in a series of wars with the Persian Empire. These conflicts began around 500 A. D. , and lasted nto the first decades of the 7th century. These disputes brought about a great strain upon resources for both empires. Both lands were diminished and did not have enough time to lick their wounds before raids from Muslim groups started becoming more and more frequent. Although the Byzantine Empire seemed to have some form of victory over the Persian Empire, that notion became meaningless when Persian Empire under the rule of the Sasanian dynasty began to fall to the Arabs raiders who were becoming more organized as time progressed. Eventually, the Persian Empire was completely absorbed– just as the Oxford Islamic Studies Online article states, â€Å"The surprising speed at which the conquests took place can be attributed to the weakness of countries debilitated by long external conflicts (the Sasanian Empire) or by the fragility of internal structure (The Spread of Islam). † The Byzantine Empire lost much of their territory that they had claimed from the Persians. They simply were not ready for a fresh, new challenger after dealing with a century long war. This is one of the conditions that accounts for the rapid growth of Islam. Many Arabs had become fervent followers of Islam at this point and Muslims had gained established, strong leadership which was directing their growing forces despite Mohammad's death. With the gaining of new territory, the message of Islam would no doubt follow along. Without successes from the likes of Charles Martel, the Byzantine Empire could have ended up like the Persians. Again, the Oxford Islamic Studies Online article writes, â€Å"The eighth century saw further expansions eastwards as far as the river Indus and the Sind region and westwards through northern Africa to Spain and France where the over-stretched army was stopped at the battle of Poitiers by Charles Martel†. (The Spread of Islam) The Byzantine Empire was greatly diminished, but still managed, however, to stay intact enough to prevent total assimilation of the Arab conquest. During the time of the 7th century, Christianity was largely split into two main groups– Orthodoxy and Catholicism. These two counterparts of Christianity often times were at odds because of discrepancies over where the true source of Church authority actually resided within the Byzantine Empire. As a result, Christian fringe groups in countries such as Egypt or Palestine would be easily labeled as heretics and would find themselves disassociated from the Church. When the Arab conquest claimed these lands, they tended to show more tolerance for non Muslims in exchange for good citizenship within he new Islamic environment. Also, Islam was fresh and hadn't begun to suffer from its own power struggles from within the belief system. As Shenk writes, â€Å"One wonders what parallels to Muslim Spain might be found in the rise of an Islamic presence in the heart of the European Balkans. Bosnia's capital Sarajevo adds the intrigue of its location along the historic fault line between the two major branches of the Christian heritage in the region, Orthodox and Catholic. In any number of centuries since the arrival of Slavic peoples in migrations dating from the sixth and seventh centuries (C. E. ), recruitment efforts based both in Rome and in Constantinople (Istanbul today) were zealous to secure the allegiance of the newly arriving tribes for their respective church orbits. † (Shenk et al 2006) This tolerance is described as a sort of legacy that some regions of the Muslim world have left behind. Many oppressed throughout history after the seventh century could flee to certain parts of the Muslim world for refuge. Muslims believed in one true God, and they determined that the rule of the land and Islam should be the same– one people, one government, and one religion without any distinctions. This characteristic, along with Muslims early tolerance of fringe Christian groups seems to have given Islam a subtle, but unique advantage over the appeal that Orthodoxy and Catholicism had towards other Christians. As a result of this, Islam was better able to retain more territories and perhaps even convert more people over to their faith. These conditions also help account for the rapid spread of Islam during the 7th century. Paul Sidelko s remarks in his review of Hugh Kennedy's book, â€Å"Whether it was demographic decline and internal political divisions that sapped the morale of many of Islam’s rivals, or the motivation, leadership and mobility that characterized the Muslim military machine, Kennedy wisely concludes that in the final analysis timing was everything. If Muhammad had been born a generation earlier, it is unlikely that he or his successors would have achieved what they did. (Sidelko 2009, 466) One cannot know for certain what would have happened if Muhammad started spreading Islam a generation earlier. But, I would tend to agree with Sidelko (and Kennedy's) notion that if Muhammad had lived to spread Islam in 300 A. D. rather than in 500 A. D. , Islam may not have spread so well. Also, nothing really stood out about early Muslim culture or technology during the times leading up to their conquest. â€Å"The main reason the early presence of Muslims is difficult to find in the archaeological record is not because we don't know where or how to look for it; it is because it isn't there. Outside of Arabia, Muslims have been a minority of immigrants at first and have tended to assimilate to the local material culture. Local converts to Islam have tended to keep their own material culture. † (Morony 2006, 437) Early Muslims simply didn't stand out even with the archaeological record. To me, this suggests that Byzantine Empire would have been stronger, and far more equipped to handle a growing adversary who was still a minority if Islam's rise happened earlier in history. The Persian Empire may not have yielded so readily, perhaps keeping Islam contained even further. And the conditions in Arab society may not have been quite so receptive to Muhammad's new religion. Muhammad faced opposition for many years before he was successful at gaining any traction for his Islamic teachings among the Arab people. One hundred years earlier may have been even more difficult to do– especially since the Arabs were polytheistic well before Muhammad started to spread Islam. There is also something to be said about how fervent the Muslims became about Islam once it finally started to become popular after Muhammad's death. The Arabs took with them a fresh faith with a fresh sense of fervency that was not equally matched the war torn Byzantine and Persian Empires. â€Å"For the first five centuries or so since the earliest, and most traumatic, encounter between Christendom and Islam in the second quarter of the seventh century, Christian attitudes to Islam had been compounded of ignorance, misperception, hostility and fear. † (Fletcher et al 2003). Such hostility and fear may not have been aroused by a younger, stronger Byzantine Empire. So then, the mere timing of the introduction of Islam seems to account for why this faith spread so rapidly during the 7th century. When one considers how the present is interwoven with the past, it is amazing to consider how the teachings of one man could spread so quickly across the world hundreds of years ago, and yet still maintain a quarter of the world's population as followers in present times. It is amazing to think that Islam perhaps wouldn't be prevalent at all if Muhammad or his successors were born too early or too late for the Muslim message to catch on due to unforeseen cultural influences. What if Muhammad had been born elsewhere? And to think– what if somehow the Byzantine Empire had found a way to better manage their constant fighting with Persia, or if the Catholic Church had exercised more tolerance like the Muslims first did after acquiring new lands that had a noticeable Christian population? A change in these factors could have certainly changed the course of history. But as things are, these conditions of the past are the reasons why Islam spread so rapidly centuries again, and is still one of the largest religions in the world today.

Human factors Essay

Introduction The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)’s invention of Research to practice (R2P) was a totally a new initiative, it is served with the purpose of transferring and translating the institute’s research findings, its technologies and information by using highly effective practices of prevention and most common and available products which can are easily adopted in the workplace. Its research is aimed at using the necessary methods of prevention to reduce work-related musculosketal disorders (WMSDs). The initiative encourages management commitment, the anticipation of workers, it also trains them the necessary safety practices procedures and these helps them to identify, evaluate and control risk factors that relate to WMSDs (American Meat Institute and Ergo Tech, 1990). The main objective of the initiative is to reduce illness and injury is achieved by ensuring there is effective use of its research findings at workplaces (ANSI, 1996). In ensuring that their findings are achieved effectively they work closely with other partners like center for disease control (CDC), this facilitates its product development, translating its research findings into practice, target its dissemination efforts, and in evaluating practice effectiveness (ANSI, 1986), and this is clearly demonstrated by their efforts which have improved workplace health and safety in many organizations (American Meat Institute and Ergo Tech, 1990). Their research initiative is accomplished by making use of the following techniques: (a) Prioritizing: – their researches are aimed at addressing the most important and pertinent issues occupational, safety, health and injuries. (b) Partnering: since it realizes that it cannot achieve its targets alone, it carries out its research and works closely with both international and domestic partners to encourage work place practices adoption and use of research findings. (c) Targeting: – Its research findings are channeled into information products, in different presentation reports which is tailored mainly towards meeting the targeted audience. (d) Translation: – It ensures that their research findings are transferred and translated by using appropriate tools of presentation by making use of latest technology, and all the necessary information that will ensure adoption of required prevention practices and procedures. (e) Dissemination: It uses the latest communication science in guiding the movement of its research into the workplace. (f) Evaluation: It builds data collection into each program to determine its effectiveness in preventing work place injury and illness (ANSI, 1996). In order to ensure that the above initiative objectives are met, they make use of a variety of control methods of intervention to contain workplace hazards, their methods include ergonomic hazards. The control methods are: (a) It builds strategies aimed at reducing the potential conditions for hazards by making use of engineering controls. (b) By making use of administrative controls to ensure easy transition of workplaces practices, and the general management policies. (c) they encourage the use of any necessary personal equipment Conclusion NIOSH’s practices and activities highlight hazards and prevention strategies from diverse settings of work places. Their materials of practice are flexible and can be used either as a stand-alone curriculum or they get it incorporated into the already safety programs in practice (Astrand, & Rodahl, 1986). Their practice even includes a dedicated curriculum aimed at reducing occupational injuries and illness in young people. In helping teens, its activities have been extensively involved in pilot-testing by making use of high school teachers, job trainers and work coordinators all over the country to teach the youth, the basic occupational safety and health (Astrand, & Rodahl,1986). There is need for inclusion of behavioral issues in their research as relates to corporate social responsibility, this will help greatly in office ethics. References American Meat Institute and Ergo Tech, Inc. (1990). Setting up an ergonomics program: meat industry. Arlington, VA: American Meat Institute. ANSI, (1986). American national standard: guide for the measurement and evaluation of human exposure to vibration transmitted to the hand. New York, NY: American National Standards Institute, S3. 34 1986. ANSI, (1996). American national standard: control of work-related cumulative trauma disorders. Part I: upper extremities. New York, NY: American National Standards Institute, Z-365-1996. Unpublished draft. Astrand, P. and Rodahl K. (1986). Textbook of work physiology. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.