Human and Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

Human and Utilitarianism Essay Let me begin by defining Utilitarianism: utilitarianism is the belief of doing what is right for the greater number of people. It is a theory used to determine the usefulness of the happiest outcome and how it will affect everyone else. Now, this sounds like a amazing theory, what would be better than making yourself and others happy? I found myself at first agreeing with this theory up until I really looked into it. At first I found myself thinking that not everything is about being happy; some may have to suffer for the happiness of others. For example, there were two boats one contains three criminals on death row being transported to prison and the other boat contains ten happy, loving families simply enjoying a vacation. Both ships have bombs that will go off in a matter of seconds, blowing up both ships and killing everyone. However, there is a solution. I for some odd reason have a device that sets off a bomb on ONE SHIP and deactivates the other. Now the morally right thing to do would be what? What is moral and right? Taking lives? Or saving them? I do not believe in ‘playing God’ or taking lives. I would simply ignore the Utilitarianism way of thinking and walk away. I would let nature take its course. If God has arranged this to happen, then it is meant to happen. Who am I to walk in and ‘play God’ ? I have to say I agree with Hospers when he says â€Å"A hundred men might gain great pleasure from beating up or killing just one Insignificant human being; but other mens lives are not theirs to dispose of. † (Hospers) A Utilitarian would approach this situation by asking himself/herself, what will bring happiness? What will do good for greater numbers of people? Why should the prisoners get to live? There are only three prisoners, and have done nothing good but cause harm to society. What have these families done? The Utilitarian will start to analyze each detail of the situation. They first see that there are only three prisoners as opposed to ten large families. Hence, there are less people on the prisoners boat. Then he/she will see that the prisoners have already been sentenced to death, all being on death row. However, the main point will be that these are three bad men. Doing bad things, and causing pain and sorrow to others. Why should ten happy families be punished for their wrong doings? The Utilitarian would settle for simply deactivating the bomb on the prisoners boat. Believing that killing them will bring greater good and happiness to all. My argument to this is a human life is a human life; what if one of those men are actually innocent and were convicted for a crime he didn’t commit? What if the other criminal was to be released in the morning and go home to a family of eight children and a loving wife? Truth is we don’t know. Utilitarianism fails to acknowledge that a life is a life- we are not suppose to be playing God. We don’t decide who lives and who dies, even if it is for the greater good. We should just let nature run its course. Utilitarianism is a theory of always choosing pleasure over pain for the greater good of all. I believe that I have kept a closed mind towards Utilitarianism. The prisoners are already on death row, which means they are going to die for the evil they have set loose on our world. Why should I sacrifice the lives of innocent families, for a couple of men that have caused unhappiness to all? I want to reach happiness, as does everyone else in the world. I mean does the world function over what the greater good for all is? Is that why we have soldiers in Iraq sacrificing their lives for the greater good of America? Maybe I have just overlooked all the positive outcomes of Utilitarianism. I find myself agreeing with a lot of what it has to say. I want happiness, I want innocent lives to be saved, and I want to strive for the greater good of all. I find it interesting how easy it is to fall into the comfort of Utilitarianism. It goes along with my morals and values and yet I still feel a sort of guilt. If I were to deactivate the bomb on the ship with the families and let the prisoners die, I would still be taking a human life. In my religion (Catholicism), a life is a life. We must forgive sinners and those who have sinned against us. But if these prisoners are on death row†¦were they already destined to die? Would that already be in God’s plan? Was it God who sacrificed his only son for all of us sinners? I feel in a way that makes God himself a follower of utilitarianism. He set the example of offering his only son for our sins, to open the gates of heaven for everyone. Yet one of the Ten Commandments is â€Å"Thou shall not kill. † Is that not hypocritical? As I keep analyzing this situation I realize that God is God. He decides who lives and who dies, not us. I feel that it’s hard to stick to my morals when hearing the theory of Utilitarianism. Allowing someone to die at my hand for the greater good, for happiness of others. That just sounds selfish to me, kind of like the holocaust. Did all those innocent Jews endure experimentation and torture for the greater good of all? I mean, if it weren’t for these grotesque experiments we wouldn’t know the maximum altitude that crews in damaged planes can parachute safely to the ground or find the cure/treatment for hypothermia. The Jews were used as guinea pigs for the greater good of everyone else. Is that not Utilitarianism? So many people could have died of hypothermia if that experiment was never conducted. But how many innocent lives were lost to reach this conclusion? Is there a limit to how much sacrifice should be made for the greater good? There should be. This is where I cannot connect with Utilitarianism, the fact that some sort of evil has to be done to help others. I see hypocrisy in this theory; it wants happiness but wants to rule out evil. People are evil, mean and rude. No one can be happy all the time; no one can bring eternal happiness. This takes me back to my original example, who would I save? The prisoners on death row or the innocent families? The Utilitarian’s seem to have a more interesting argument. Its funny how by writing this paper, my views changed. I look at the situation differently now. I do not feel as biased and conservative as before. My ideas have changed to a more liberal understanding sense. Why release these evil me back into the world? We have enough chaos and evil. These are just three men who chose their paths and now have to pay for it. They were sentenced to death for a reason, I will not be held responsible for the innocence of happy families, children, parents, aunts and uncles. They are not in prison because they have not done anything wrong. They simply stepped onto a ship, whose fate I now hold in my hands. I have made my choice; I will deactivate the bomb on the families boat and let the prisoners face death.

Archangel Uriel: The Wisdom Of God

Archangel Uriel: The Wisdom Of God The Archangel Uriel is one of the four archangels that rule over the four corners of the Earth. The other three are Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Uriel is the least mentioned of these four archangels, if he is mentioned at all. According to some traditions, there are seven archangels. But even in these accounts, these four are the most prominent. There are scant references to Uriel in scripture. Jewish scripture does not mention the archangels by name. In Christianity, Uriel appears in the Gnostic version of the Bible where we learn his name means The Light Of God. Uriel is also known as the angel of Wisdom. His realm is in the mental plane where thoughts, ideas, and creativity reside. As The Light of God, the Archangel Uriel shines the light of truth and wisdom where there is darkness, deception, and confusion. Uriel also helps people to control their emotions, guiding them to release anger and overcome anxiety, both of which are obstacles to gaining wisdom. The archangel provides guidance in recognizing and avoiding dangerous situations. The Archangel of Salvation, Uriel shows people how to heal and brings forgiveness t those who ask. Tradition teaches that Uriel stands before the gates of Heaven and denies entrance to all who have failed to love God. Uriel also offers unconditional forgiveness and holds the keys that unlock the gates. Uriel is mentioned often in apocryphal scripture and other early religious writings that did not make it into what we now know as The Bible. The archangel is credited with rescuing John the Baptist from the Massacre of the Innocents the king ordered upon hearing about the birth of Jesus. Jewish tradition holds that Uriel checked the doors for lambs blood during the Egyptian plagues. Uriel is also one of the select few angels who are allowed to enter the immediate presence of God. During medieval times, Uriel was considered the holy source of heat in the winter. In Catholic tradition, Uriel is the patron saint of the arts. He is also the patron saint of science, because of the archangels association with wisdom, and of those seeking the sacrament of Confirmation. The Coptic Christians venerate Uriel. To many other Christians, however, Uriel remains unknown. There is no mention of Uriel in canonical scripture. In 745 AD, Pope St Zachary condemned the churchs obsession with angels, saying that it bordered on angel worship which is forbidden by the Ten Commandments. He did, however, approve the reverence of certain named angels. Uriel was one of many angels that were left off of this list. Despite the efforts of Pope St. Zachary, many people still venerate Uriel, especially among Kabbalists and Eastern Orthodox Christians. Uriels Feast Day is July 28th as the archangels influence is deemed to peak in the middle of the summer. Uriel stands guard over the summer, guiding the ripening of the grain harvest and the blossoming of a multitude of flowers. Making A Connection With Uriel Connecting with Uriel is becoming increasingly common among people in the New Age movement and Christians exploring their own deeper spirituality. There is no one correct way to make a connection with the Archangel Uriel. What is important is that you find a method that is comfortable for you. Prayer is obviously the most common method for connecting with Uriel. However, the influence of New Age mysticism has caused a growth in the popularity of meditation as a means of venerating the archangels. Because archangels are ever-present spiritual beings, you can connect with them whenever and wherever you are. Archangels have a historic tendency to appear to humanity in dreams and visions. This is particularly true of Uriel, who operates primarily in the realm between the physical and the spiritual. Through Prayer People most often pray to Uriel to grant them wisdom. Unsolicited contact with Uriel is rare and is generally associated with someone becoming a scholar or a prophet of God. Uriel also guides us on our spiritual journey as we transform from our mere physical and carnal nature to one that is more holy and of God. The archangel teaches is the path of wisdom and righteousness, leading us to our destiny of being united with God in Heaven after our death. Uriel is also the angel of music, the arts, science, and prophecy. People who are actively interested in each or all of these areas are encouraged to reach out to Uriel to intercede on their behalf with God. The archangel helps us to overcome stress in our life, soothing our minds and allowing us to find inner peace. Whenever life becomes seemingly unbearable, Uriel is the archangel who keeps us grounded in our faith and leads us through troubling and turbulent times The primary method people use to reach out to Uriel is through prayer. The act of praying allows us to communicate openly with God and His angels. Prayer is usually a one-way communication from us to the divine as we seek to have our voices heard. Occasionally, people will receive a directly communicated answer during their prayers. Most often, however, the answers to our prayer occur over time. As one of the angel who is allowed to be present with God, Uriel is a powerful ally in your prayer life. God listens to His angels and grants them leeway to act on His behalf. Uriels assignment is to give people wisdom in all things. The archangel guides our decision making and relieves our anxiety. He allows us to think and perceive the world with a clear mind and stable emotions so that we can make the right choices that ultimately bring us closer to God. As such, Uriel helps us navigate the spiritual realm and makes our entry into Heaven possible. For those who are new to the act of prayer, formal prayers are extremely useful. God and His angels know what we are thinking and what we are going to say before we say it. Still, God wants us to reach out to Him so that we can use our own freewill to choose to follow and love Him, thus growing in His spirit. If you have not prayed before, formal traditional prayers can help to loosen your tongue and open your heart to a prayerful life. Here is an example of prayer you can use as you begin your quest to crate a connection with Uriel, the Angel of Wisdom. A Prayer For Wisdom St. Uriel the Archangel You are the Light of God The Angel of Wisdom Please pray for me Grant me wisdom So that I might understand the will of God Release me from anxiety Soothe my soul Open my heart And guide me along the path of righteousness So that I might join you In the presence of the Lord Amen A Prayer Of Thanksgiving St. Uriel, I thank God for the gift of your guidance And I thank you for the gift of your wisdom Archangel Uriel, you guide my decisions and keep me on the righteous path You soothe my mind and bring harmony to my soul You ease my troubled heart and release me from anxiety For all of these things I thank you and give you praise In the holy name of God our Father Archangels often answer prayers in ways that are not immediately clear to. Praying everyday helps to prepare you to understand the answers. Through experience, you will gain the ability to discern the answers to your prayers from mere happenstance. God and His angels are ever present which means they see your life in its entirety while you experience it one moment at a time. Answers to prayer come in Gods time, not mans. Through faith you will understand the answers to your prayers and how they affect your life. Prayer can take place wherever you happen to be. Sacred places like shrines and churches offer quiet and holy places where we can connect with the divine, but you do not have to go to those places in order to pray. All you need is your soul, and open heart, and humility. The words will come when you are ready. There are two basic forms of prayer formal and informal. Formal prayers are the prayers that are passed down through church tradition or newer prayers that follow the same form. They generally start by acknowledging who is being prayed to and honoring or venerating them, The person praying then humbles themselves and makes their prayer request. Informal prayers do not follow a traditional form. While their tone is more reverent than casual speaking, the words themselves are generally improvised on the spot or are words that are personally relevant to the one who is praying. Connecting With Archangel Uriel Through Traditional Formal Prayer Formal prayer helps us to speak with God and his angels when our own words fail us. When the crowd asked Jesus Christ how they should pray to God, he gave them The Lords Prayer. Clearly, any form of prayer will work if it is humble and honest. The use of traditional formal prayers makes the act easier. During stressful situations, we can struggle to find the right words to say. Formal prayer gives us those words as a starting point from which we can add our own words later is we wish. Using a formal prayer also teaches us how to pray on our own. Traditional prayers follow classical structures that, once learned, can be used to craft something more personal. For centuries, people were persecuted and sometimes executed for reciting these prayers. Knowing this makes reciting these prayers today a powerful and humbling experience. Saying The Rosary The Rosary is probably the most well known type of formal prayer. Using a chain of beads, a person recites a series of traditional prayers venerating the Virgin Mare or reflecting on either moments in their life, lost loved ones, or the Passion of Christ. Rosaries can be used in other ways as well. They can be used for connecting with the archangels by substituting prayers of veneration for the archangel for the Hail Mary prayer used to venerate the Mother of God. A prayer for the veneration of the Archangel Uriel would go like this: Hail Archangel Uriel, Angel of Wisdom You are ever present with the Father And are Blessed in the eyes of the Lord Bring me comfort, for I am troubled So that I might become closer to God Holy Uriel, the Light of God Guide me on the path of righteousness Protect me from evil And pray for me, a sinner To the Lord our God Saying the rosary is a prayerful and meditative discipline. Making the rosary a habit will comfort your soul. Chaplets Chaplets are similar to rosaries, but smaller and quicker to use. They are also available specifically for different saints and the archangels. The Chaplet of The Archangel Uriel consists of the Medal of Uriel, three beads representing the Holy Trinity, and nine beads that represent the nine choirs of angels. The chaplet can be used in the following manner. The medal Holding the medal between your finger and thumb, recite the Hail Archangel Uriel from above. The first three beads Begin each bead with the words Archangel Uriel, intercede for me so that might become closer to God With the first bead, follow this with the Lords Prayer. Using the next beads, follow the words with the Hail Mary and then the Glory Be. The nine beads Say these beads in honor of the nine Angelic Choirs, or just use them as a novena. Say the following prayer with each bead. Holy Lord, God of power and might Heaven and Earth are filled with your Glory Hosanna in the highest Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest. Closing prayer Upon completion, say the following formal prayer to Uriel Archangel Uriel, Fire of God With your fiery sword of God Protect me from evil Bring me to the throne of God On the day of my reckoning Show mercy on my soul And intercede with me To the Lord God Almighty Chaplets are more convenient that rosaries as they are easier to carry with you and can be said relatively quickly. Novenas A novena is a series of prayers said for nine days in a row. They can be the same prayer, or a different one each day. The nine days of prayer remind us of the nine days the apostles spent in prayer between the Ascension and Pentecost. The days between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday are the most popular time for saying novenas, but they can be used at any time. Saying a novena to Uriel is often done around the archangels Feast Day of July 25th or the Feast Day shared with the other archangels, September 29th. Novenas can be said with prayers from prayer books, with chaplets, or y praying the rosary. They can also be used in conjunction with meditative rituals. The Archangel is traditionally associated with the number 9, making novenas a particularly appropriate way to seek your connection with him. Connecting Through Meditation Meditating is different from praying and is an important addition to your spiritual growth. During prayer you are seeking an audience with the divine. You want to be heard, whether you are offering praise, asking forgiveness, or seeking guidance. Prayer is essentially an act of active communication with God and His angels. During meditation, you are seeking to listen more than to hear. There is a place for communicating while meditation, but the act is more importantly an opportunity to be still in body and mind so that you can receive messages from heaven. Through meditation, you enter a trance-like state where you are better able to listen to communication from the angels of the Lord. Mediation can be accomplished anywhere. Using a meditative ritual can be a wonderfully holy and cathartic experience. The process of the meditative ritual brings the body, mind, and soul in to a restful and peaceful state. This opens your awareness to the presence of the divine. To begin meditating, you first need to find a quiet and secluded place. The church is an excellent place for meditative purposes. Most churches are open between services, allowing people to enter and meditate on the word of God. In Catholic churches, the inner room where the Eucharist is displayed is the quietest area is perfect for reaching a meditative state. Meditating in the presence of the Body of Christ is a deeply religious experience. Secluded gardens that are off the beaten path are also wonderful places for meditation. If you do not have access to a place like this, however, you can easily create a meditative space within your own home by setting up a shrine using little more than a table, table cloth, candles, and incense. Once you have found a proper place to meditate, make yourself comfortable and close your eyes. Make yourself become aware of every breath you take, breathing in and out slowly and deeply. As you inhale, feel yourself breathing in the spirit of the Archangel Uriel. As you exhale, allow yourself to release you anxiety and fear. By releasing your anxiety, you make room in your mind and soul for the wisdom which Uriel wants to bestow on you. Meditating is also an excellent way to start your day with energy and focus, or to end your day in a peaceful and reflective state. Visualization during meditation keeps you focused on your objective and helps you to avoid becoming distracted. This is where icons, statues, and images of the Archangel Uriel can be used effectively. These items do nothing of themselves other than to help you remain focused. Do not mistake the images fr the actual presence of the Archangel Uriel, as that would amount to idol worship. Merely let the images help you to create a vision in your own mind that the archangel can fill with his own presence. As you go deeper into your meditation with Uriel, you will see a ray of light. The light will either be white, yellow, or gold, as these are the colors associated with Uriel. Uriel is known as The Fire Of God, so do not be surprised if you see flames in your vision. The visions of fire or light will join with your actual vision of the Archangel Uriel. This way, you will understand with whom you are present. While meditating, you must remain passive. Do not try to manipulate or actively understand the messages you are receiving. This can lead to your ego altering the messages in a way that is easier for you to handle. But, this will result in you losing the message from the archangel. You ego is a powerful tool of Satan. To meditate on the message of the archangel, you need to subjugate you ego completely so that you can fully receive the Uriels message. There will be ample time to make sense of that message once the meditation is complete. Connecting With Uriel Through Simply Speaking Informal conversations with God are becoming common place. Humanity is developing in its collective relationship with God. Where once we could only speak with the Lord in a formal manner, we have learned to converse with God and His angels whenever we feel the need and in whichever way is most expedient and effective. Developing a habit of casually speaking with the divine is more convenient than making time for formal or ritualized prayer, and makes it easier to stay connected with the divine throughout the day. Formal and informal prayers serve the purpose of teaching us how to pray. From these prayers, we learn to offer praise, remain humble, seek forgiveness of our sins, and accept the will of God. Of these things, remaining humble is vital. To receive the blessing of the Archangel Uriel, we must acknowledge that we are not deserving and ask for these blessings along with his mercy. Pride is another tool of Satan. Thus, we must eliminate our pride to ensure out connection with the archangel. Simply speaking to Archangel Uriel is particularly appropriate during emergencies. When we are suffering, God doesnt expect us to just stop what we are doing, grab our rosary, and find a church. He wants to hear from us immediately, just as Christ called out to Him on the cross. Jesus Christ showed us that we can speak to God just as effectively whether we are in a peaceful garden or under extreme physical and spiritual anguish. Having a chaplet, medal, or charm handy can give you something to hold on to and focus on, and also serves to help you to relax. However, they do nothing more than that. The items are not magical on their own. The Use Of Writing To Connect With Uriel Communicating with Archangel Uriel through writing is very effective. Not only does it help those who write better than they speak to make a connection, it creates a journal of that communication that can be referenced later. Sometimes the messages we receive from angels are difficult to decipher immediately but become more clear with the passage of time. Creating a written journal of these messages allows you to review them as time goes by. The journal can also help you to give advice to others who are in your same circumstance, or can persuade people to write to angels on their own. Angelic writing takes two forms automatic dictation and automatic writing. They are similar in that you need to put yourself into a meditative state to begin, as you will be allowing Uriel to use your hands to deliver his message. With both forms, you also need to receive the message without judgment, allowing it to flow directly from the angel to the paper. Modern technology can be used as well by simply replacing your writing instrument with a keyboard. When using automatic dictation to connect with Uriel, you will listening to the message the archangel gives you and writing it down. You will start the process yourself through prayer and meditation so that you can become aware of the presence of Uriel. Nest, write down you question or request for the archangel on a piece of paper. Now, stay ready to write and listen for the archangels response. It is vital that you write down whatever message you receive, even if it doesnt seem to make sense. The process of interpreting the communication while writing puts the ego in the way of the communication, rendering it invalid. Continue to write whatever you receive until the message stops. Once the communication is over you can then go back and try to understand what you received. Understand also that the answer you receive might not be the answer you want. The Archangel Uriel is wise and knows what is best for us. Often, what is best for us seems confusing or comfortable at first. You must trust these messages through your faith. Also, if the message is confusing, dont try to force meaning into it. Allow time to pass and revisit the message from time to time. Eventually, life experiences and the passage of time will help you to understand what the archangel was telling you. Automatic writing is a little bit different. After asking your question of the archangel, sit completely still and let your pen hover over the paper. When you start to receive the message, the pen will start to move over the paper on its own. Do not try to influence the motion of the pen. Keeping your eyes closed is a good idea, because you might be tempted to finish a word that you think you recognize when the angel is trying to communicate something else. Keep in mind that the communication might be a picture instead of words. Trying to influence the outcome will result in a communication that is inaccurate and makes no sense. Both forms of angelic writing require you to free your mind completely of all preconceptions and allow the communication to flow freely. Do not allow yourself to edit, correct, or judge the communication. Simply accept what is given to you. If it doesnt make sense, save it and come back to it later. Angelic messages come to us with an understanding of a future that we have yet to experience. Given time, the message and guidance you receive will make perfect sense to you. Connecting With Uriel In Your Dreams Archangels are quite fond of communicating with us through our dreams. When Uriel appears in dreams and visions, the encounter is very intense and intimidating. Archangels are no-nonsense, straight to the point communicators. There is no small talk, they are strictly about their business. Unsolicited interactions with Uriel are extremely rare because so few people can handle the gifts of wisdom and prophecy that Uriel bestows. Should you be visited by Uriel in your dreams, count yourself most fortunate. Uriel only visits those who the archangel believes can handle the intensity of the connection. And, the gift of prophecy he endows people with comes with great responsibility. Uriel is a teacher, and the lessons can be difficult ones. Always remember that, no matter how uncomfortable the message or lesson is, it is being bestowed upon you with love and grace. Reaching out to Uriel in your dreams is not dangerous, nor is it for the faint of heart. You must prepare yourself for the encounter by praying to Uriel to deliver you from fear. The powerful presence of the archangel is known to cause immense fear. This is due to the archangels God-like power, and not from any intent from the archangel to cause you to feel afraid. Believe that the archangel will not allow harm to come to you, and you should be able to relax and allow yourself to receive his presence. If you want Uriel to appear to you in your dreams, set yourself up before going to bed. Start with several prayers to the archangel. Rosaries and chaplets are perfect for this purpose. Then, as you drift of to sleep, repeat the words Archangel Uriel, allow me into your presence. As you fall asleep, your resting souls will enter the spiritual realm where the archangels reside. There, you will meet Uriel and receive your message. Recognizing The Presence Of The Archangel Uriel Making a connection with an archangel is a deeply religious and overwhelmingly emotional experience. These are the angels who will defeat Satan during the end times, who announced the birth of Jesus Christ to the world, and who deliver Gods messages to humanity. But just because a spiritual experience is immensely powerful does not necessarily mean that an archangel is present. Here are some clues to help you recognize when the Archangel Uriel is present. 1) You gain new insights and wisdom The Archangel Uriel is assigned to give people divine wisdom. If after your attempts to connect with the archangel you find yourself with a new understanding of your situation, you have likely been in contact with Uriel. Connecting with Uriel will cause your focus to move off of your worldly problems and on to God. You will become conscious of the everlasting presence of God and His angels. You might also find that you have received the gift prophecy. With this gift, you will not necessarily be able to foresee the future, but you will clearly see the consequences of your actions as well as the actions of others, and you will be able to guide people along the path of righteousness. 2) You suddenly grow in confidence Your new found wisdom will boost your confidence. You will feel empowered as you set wisely set yourself on the path to Gods glory. This confidence will not resemble cockiness. Rather, you will hold yourself and act in a way that reveals your understanding of Gods will in your life and the life of others. Many will be drawn to you for this, while others will shun you due to their lack of faith in God. 3) You will be motivated to help and serve others God and His angels grant these gifts to humanity not to be hidden but to be used to help others. A true connection with Uriel will be a life change in experience. You will feel obligated to use your new wisdom for the good of others, not for your own selfish gain. Interactions with the archangels spur us into action for the glory of God. This motivation to help others will also come with the ability to make positive changes in the lives of others. You will have the Archangel Uriel with you always to help you help others. 4) You will see or feel light, fire, and/or electricity Uriel is the Fire of God, and is associates with brightness, heat, and energy. People who have connected with Uriel report feeling an electric charge flow through their body. Some have also seen a flame or fire that burns hot and bright yet destroys nothing. Although nothing seems to be destroyed by the fire, it burns so hot and bright that you can smell the heat 5) The sights, smells, and sounds of Uriel Besides light and fire, Uriel is associated with the colors white, gold, red, yellow, and orange. When the archangel is present, you will smell the pungent and spicy aromas of sandalwood, cinnamon, and nutmeg. You might even have a vision of a beautiful angel dressed in leather and armor and holding a sword of fire, or riding in a chariot holding a bow and arrow. For more casual encounters, Uriel will appear dressed in a red tunic with leather sandals or boots. Uriel is also the Angel of Music and the Angel of Poetry. The patron saint of artists and musicians, Uriels presence is always accompanied by the beautiful and poetic music of the Angelic Choir. When you receive a message from Uriel, you will no it to be authentic if you are compelled to act on the message right away. Your new wisdom will excite you and guide you in the right direction. Archangel encounters are highly motivating and life changing. One cannot help but change they way they see and approach the world after such an encounter. Connections with archangels can also be terrifying. These are powerful spiritual beings that are closely related to God the Father. The Bible states that no one can set eyes on the Lord and survive. While the same is not true of the archangels, the encounter is indeed similar. Feeling afraid during an encounter with an archangel is entirely natural. If you ask the archangel to remove your fear, you will immediately be out at peace. Asking Uriels Help With Lifes Struggles The Archangel Uriel is adept at helping us with our daily struggles. From Uriel we can the wisdom and insight we need to make the right choices on a daily basis. God has assigned Uriel the ask of granting us wisdom in order to bring us closer to Him. This is his greatest gift. Uriel will clear your mind of anxiety and dread, and fill it with holy wisdom. When Uriel presents you with his wisdom, he will change the way you perceive the world, the spiritual realm, and your place in each. You will no longer wee yourself as a mere mortal being. You will understand you place in God eternal plan for the universe. This wisdom will rule your every though and action. You will no longer feel lost. Rather, the way of the righteous will become clear to you and you will follow that path with a content and sacred heart. Also known as the Archangel of Salvation, Uriel helps us with every aspect of our lives. He grants us the power of unconditional forgiveness. He shows us how to turn disappointment and failure into victory for the glory of God. And, he will be waiting for us at the end of our days here on Earth to grant us access to the Kingdom of Heaven. Archangel Uriel will intercede with God on the behalf of anyone who asks with a humble heart. Our mortal experience is rough, but necessary to prepare our souls for the paradise that awaits us in Heaven. The wisdom Uriel grants us gives us the ability to navigate our way through out most troubling times without straying from our path or losing our faith in the Almighty. Anytime you feel overwhelmed in your life, you should seek guidance from the Archangel Uriel. As the Angel of Music, Uriel can bring all aspects of our life into harmony. If you are not getting along with coworkers, Uriel can bring peace. If you are struggling with problems that you have caused for yourself, Uriel will help you to forgive yourself and find your way out of you self-imposed predicament in ways you did not see before making your connection. Asking Uriel For Help With Health Problems The Angel of Music wants our entire life to be in harmony. This includes our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health. The archangel understands that our physical well-being takes a toll on our spiritual health and can erode our faith in God. Along with spiritual wisdom, Archangel Uriel gives us the wisdom to make the right choices in regards to our health so that we can take better care of our bodies and treat them as a temple to God. Uriel is also ever-present with God, which makes him a great intercessor whenever we need healing. Asking Uriel to intercede on your behalf when you are ill or injured will bring a multitude of blessings. First, it will open your heart and soul to receive the healing power of God. Second, it strengthens your mind and spirit, which in turn helps you to endure the healing process. Also, Uriel will give you wisdom so that you will be able to take the proper steps to let our body heal. He will bring all the systems of your body in to harmony, so that they can work as one to heal your body on the inside. Uriel is also a worthy ally to have when we find ourselves to be terminally ill. All of us end our lives in the same way. We all must die. When your God appointed time has come, Uriel will be there to protect you and to welcome you at the Aptitude Influences: Second Language Acquisition Aptitude Influences: Second Language Acquisition Second language learning aptitude is featured as strengths which individual learners have in the cognitive abilities information processing during L2 learning and accomplishment in various stages and within different contexts. Aptitude has conventionally been observed as a key factor in the domain of L2 learning in which Ehrman and Oxford (1995) propose that its measures are most strongly correlated with L2 proficiency among all the individual differences (ID) variables. Therefore, emphasizing on the way it is measured, its role in the second language acquisition (SLA) process, and most importantly, the extent to which its factors may affect L2, aptitude can be confirmed as a strong predictor of academic success in SLA. In this paper, after discussing the nature of aptitude in general, a few important aptitude factors which contribute to SLA will be focused. DEFINITION OF LANGUAGE APTITUDE In an early review paper on aptitude research, Carroll (1981) defines general aptitude as an ability of learning a task, which involves a special inclination towards learning L2 and depends on some combination of persistent characteristics of the learner. In Carrolls specific view, aptitude is separated from achievement and motivation. Also, aptitude must be seen as a stable factor, perhaps even innate. Notably, it is not a prerequisite for L2 acquisition and should be distinct from general intelligence. CARROLLS INITIAL WORK It is appropriate to start the discussion of aptitude with a review of the work of the American psychologist J. B. Carroll who dominated the area by researched foreign language aptitude and established the parameters within which the sub-field still operates. It is important to report that till date, there has been large-scale work in making use of the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) produced by Carroll and Sapon (1959). Carrolls four factors of aptitude Carroll (1965, 1991) reports that aptitude contains four sub-components, namely, phonemic coding ability, grammatical sensitivity, inductive language analytic ability, and memory. Their descriptions can be expanded and their perspectives can be processed to SLA by using the four factors as described below. Phonemic coding ability This is not simply the ability to make sound discrimination, but the ability to code foreign sounds in such a way that they can be recalled later. Sound discrimination can be different from one to another; however, there is no correlation between this variation and language learning success. What really correlates is the ability to analyze sound so that it can be done quicker and can be recalled more readily without the need of having immediate rehearsal (Skehan, 1998). Associative memory This involves the ability to make connections between stimuli and responses, for instance, foreign language words or equivalents, and to develop such links strength. At the time of the MLAT production, its interpretation reflected the focus on psychology, described it as relatively simple stimulus-response connections, without mentioning more complex memory organization or representation. Skehan, (1980) has expanded in the recent aptitude research to the conceptualization of memory significantly, to seeing memory as only one part of aptitude but not the most important aspect. Instead, the ability to memorize more auditorily complex material are now viewed as more powerful predictors of L2 learning. Grammatical sensitivity The ability to understand the contribution that words make in sentences is the main focus in this area. The passive aspect to this ability is to emphasize recognition of function other than explicit representation (Skehan, 1998). Inductive language analytic ability This involves the ability to analyze a corpus of language material and then pay attention and discover patterns of correspondence and relationships including meaning and syntactic form. No matter it involves implicit or explicit rule representation, this fundamental attribute represents an ability to identify pattern, especially in verbal material. In addition, it is a productive ability in which the identification of pattern can be viewed as the beginning of inferring from input material for producing language based on the pattern which has been identified (Skehan, 1998). POST CARROL RESEARCH Since Carrolls influential work, the story of aptitude has not changed very much. However, it is useful to briefly review the studies which have appeared. Working during the 1960s, Pimsleur (1966) produces the only alternative battery, the Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery (PLAB), targeted at high school students. This set of sub-tests is broadly similar to Carrolls MLAT, but places greater emphasis on auditory factors, and less on memory. Since then, there has been marginalizing influence related to the putative link between aptitude and learning context. Many researchers believe that foreign language aptitude with the methodologies that prevailed at the time of Carrolls research no longer survives in SLA field. In particular, Krashen (1981) links foreign language aptitude to learning, in which it involves teacher-led activities and occurs in classrooms. In other words, aptitude is explicit rule-focus, non-communicative practice, and learners awareness of language items. As a matter of fact, however, Reves (1983) points out the existing evidence between aptitude scores and naturalistic learning as well as de Graaff (1997a, 1997b) and Robinson (1995) mention the connections between aptitude scores and acquisitional measures that move towards the center of aptitude related to L2 acquisition processes. Post Carrolls five factors of aptitude Inspirations from SLA and foreign language aptitude will have led to be given an understanding of aptitude factors, namely, capacity to process input, implicit and explicit learning, output, attention and Focus on Form (FonF) Techniques and age, as highlighted in the following paragraphs. Capacity to process input SLA in earlier days mainly mentions input, and Krashen (1985) even comments that learners are required to process comprehensible input for meaning, which certainly engages the mechanism of language acquisition. Further developments have shown limitations by using this approach (Swain, 1985, 1995). VanPatten (1990, 1996) finds how input can be processed more effectively through carrying out a key research tradition in this aspect. A researcher later proves that if learners are placed under any level of information processing pressure, they can make use of their limited processing resources to reach the meaning (Van Patten, 1990). Furthermore, learners can only involve in forming an input if their processing capacity is available. Schmidt (1995, 2001) has pointed out the importance of noticing which includes the necessity to direct attention to some aspects of the input. On the one hand, Krashen provides the processing of comprehensible input and argues that such processing will turn out to develop an implicit system without awareness of learner in general. On the other hand, Schmidt claims that development involves noticing as a precondition in which it is necessary to have aspects of form before noticing consciously in the input. Definitely, this does not mean that complexity and ramifications of the aspect of form has to be thoroughly understood but to be in focal attention. Afterwards, additional processes, whether it is implicit or explicit, can be brought out. Noticing, therefore, becomes a pre-requisite condition, instead of a full explanation on the process of teaching and learning. Implicit and Explicit Learning The earlier research discusses the relationship of cognitive abilities to learning under instructional exposure in different conditions. Some recent researchers try to identify relationships between the information processing demands of different instructional sets and the L2 learner, and in addition, how influential these instructional sets are on learning (Robinson Ha, 1993; Williams, 1999). These instructional sets contain the symbols: +/- awareness of targets, +/- intention to learn targets, and +/- explicit metalinguistic information in relation to the form of targets. It is discovered that that L2 learning in explicit conditions, with certain level of metalinguistic awareness and instruction, were as effective and efficient as learning in implicit conditions under the condition that the stimulus domain was complex rather than having a simple L2 stimulus domain (Robinson, 1996a and de Graaff, 1997b). In addition, as measured by subtests of traditional tests like Carrolls MLAT, Robinson (1997a) and Williams (1999) claim that ID in aptitude and memory ability affect learning in both implicit and explicit conditions. Hence, it is suggested that adult L2 learning under all conditions of exposure is basically more or less the same (Robinson, 1996b, 2001) since the ID in the conscious information processing abilities are the underlying differences in the extent of learning which can be observed through the measurement of aptitude and memory tests. There are findings proving that L2 learning is facilitated when strengths in patterns of abilities or aptitudes are compatible with the processing demands of certain instructional sets. On the contrary, Krashens (1982) supports that implicit learning is basically different from explicit learning as the former focuses on unconscious processes and is insensitive to ID in the abilities in the traditional aptitude tests measurement such as MLAT which forms contrast to the concept of the latter. Output The output study is important in SLA in which the emphasis of most research activity has been on competence-oriented analyses of structural change. Therefore, output can be observed either as the immediate and extensive results of structural change, or the consequence of automatisation process. New analysis of output has recently formed a more central role. It is argued that the use of communication strategies can be influential to language development. Although it is at the expense of pressure for structural change, such strategies enable the effective communication of meanings. The necessity to communicate may induce more difficulties in basic form changes in some L2 learners (Schmidt, 1983; Skehan, 1992, 1998). Moreover, the nature of fluency should be understood or viewed as an interesting problem in SLA learners. Bygate (1988) clarifies that learners make noticeable dependence on time-creating devices to ease off real-time processing pressure. At the same time, Foster (2001) points out that learners lexically depend on chunks of language which function as wholes and therefore ease off processing demands as they can be retrieved without internal analysis. Since language in this view depends on lexicalized chunks, a different analysis on the role of memory in language processing is required. Instead of using a conservative slot-and-filler approach which involves syntactic rules and lexical elements, language as memory reliant can be used with the need of a capacious, redundantly-stored memory system. This is the only way to ensure speakers to have the pressures of real-time processing. Attention and Focus on Form (FonF) Techniques Many earlier research studies conducted classroom research under the influence of different kinds of intervention aiming to direct learner attention to L2 form through activities, which have a primary focus on meaning and the accomplishment of communicative goals (Doughty, 2004; Doughty Williams, 1998). The degree of attention to form in classroom L2 processing is being controlled by using various FonF techniques, for instance, input flooding which is a technique for drawing attention to form in input processing (White, 1998), input enhancement (Fridman, Doughty, 1995; Robinson, 1997b), structured input processing independent of rule explanation (Benati, 2004; Farley, 2004;); and recasting (Lyster, 2004; Philp, 2003). Research findings of less communicative FonF techniques generate mixed results recently, with some research proving input enhancement and recasting, but not others, do affect subsequent L2 learning. One reason behind is that in the studied population, the aptitudes or abilities of some L2 learners, are more suitable to learn from one FonF technique while others are not. Two recent studies show this may be due to recasting. Mackey, Philp, Egi, Fujii, and Tatsumi (2002), in collaboration with various levels of students who join foreign language EFL program, discover obvious positive relationships between phonological working memory capacity measurement and recasts of noticing of information in communicative L2 interaction within three consecutive days. Yet, lower educational levels learners indicate this relationship more significantly than that of higher educational levels learners. Likewise, Robinson (1999) and Robinson Yamaguchi (1999) report obvious positive correlations between phonetic sensitivity measurement and rote memory, in which learning from recasts by university level and non-language majors over a five week of task-based interaction. Pre- and post-test scores on relative clause production are used to measure learning as a whole, with the targeted form in the research. Age Cooper (2002) shows evidence that intelligence measures in middle childhood can be used to predict intelligence in later life. The other side of the coin, yet, is that age is a central factor to an individuals language learning capacity as proved by a huge body of literature on the critical period hypothesis mentioning age-related changes in SLA. Therefore, it is practical to assume that aptitude changes occurred over time is in relation to some age-related variation. Researcher proves that foreign language aptitude shown to be relatively fixed over long period of ones life span (Carroll, 1981). Bristol-linked research of Skehan also claims aptitude is stable because of the obvious correlations between related measures taken more than 10 years apart. Therefore, Skehan (1989) comments that abilities during some language learning arise by the age of three and a half. Nonetheless, he highlights that it is not too clear if these abilities are innate or are affected by the early environment where the children are exposed to in the first three years of age. Harley and Hart (1997), however, have recently indicated that the story is not so straightforward. By investigating Grade 7 and Grade 11 L2 learners, the extent of different aptitude factors predictive qualities which changed with age can be analyzed. They conclude that different factors of aptitude were involved in the different age groups. The younger the children, the stronger the correlations were found with the memory factors, while the older the learners, the highest explanatory power showed in the language analysis subtests. DISCUSSION Foreign language aptitude studies and the related research decline notably from the 1970s with the following suggested reasons behind (Skehan, 2002). Firstly, aptitude is considered as anti-egalitarian in which testing aptitude of someone and assigning them a score really contain a forbidding quality. According to the assumption of the possible fixed talent and shaped level of achievement, language learning capacity would be measured in a rigid manner and may hence lead to the consequent that aptitude which is originally taken to be the value of individual effort is vanished. Instead of struggling against the nature of aptitude and its measurement as mentioned above, many researchers disagree with this strict perspective and choose other options in their research field for an effective pedagogy. Secondly, the study of aptitude accompanies with old-fashioned audiolingual methodologies. Consequently, with these methodologies, aptitude was considered to be particularly suit the prediction under such situations (Skehan, 2002). Two developments highlighted the disadvantages of these methodologies. Firstly, when the communicative approach becomes more effective, researchers start to question the relevance of aptitude. Although it can be used to predict the structured input and practice oriented activities, it is not a meaningful approach applied to communicative language teaching. Secondly, the growth of SLA research after 1970 has led to the naturalistic engagement of the processes of acquisition and at the same time, the handling of learners input from communicative contexts. Again, aptitude is viewed as an irrelevant item which actually meets the requirement of an outmode class teaching and learning. In addition, Krashen (1981), who insists that aptitude is only for the purpose of learning rather than acquisition, comments that the marginality of learning is a very destructive assessment of the role of aptitude. Thirdly, it is an obvious that English Language teachers are not interested in the individual differences that exist among learners (Skehan, 2002). This may due to the fact that there is a huge growth of importance in the material of language teaching and learning. The forward movement of such materials means textbooks should be published in a way that can suit the largest markets for the teachers and learners. Those textbook series are sold in a large number which reflects the growing importance of English as a global language, with more international and general in nature. In other words, it is not an attractive commercial option for having the ideas of catering for individual learning preferences, styles, or aptitudes. Therefore, it is more a general theory to predict that all learners are exactly the same with the over-riding issue of these textbooks. Teachers and textbook writers find that the individual learner differences are based on a generalized aptitude score and are hence no longer attractive, especially under the situation of having mixed-ability classes. CONCLUSION Defined as the capacity of language learning, aptitude is one of the key areas in individual learner differences in SLA. Its strong correlation with the language proficiency makes it a predictor of academic success in learners acquisition of language. Both Carrolls initial work and post Carroll research contain factors contributing to the aptitude which in turn influencing SLA. It is worth to discuss those factors widely across the timeline because they dominate the area of research in foreign language aptitude and involve lots of pedagogical activities in classrooms. However, for many years, aptitude has been isolated from the wider contexts of foreign language learning and acquisition as discussed. Perhaps, aptitude may well be a central theory if there is a focus on form in SLA. Also, under the condition that critical period for second language learning is accepted generally, and the real acquisition is undertaking, aptitude may then well represent ID which is responsible for the effectiveness of language learning.

Racism In Contemporary Britain

Racism In Contemporary Britain The existence of races in a given society presupposes the presence of racism, for without racism, physical characteristics are devoid of social significance (Van den Berghe, 1978, p.11). This represents a tension, explored within this essay, between the inability to categorise human beings into separate races on the basis of physical difference (Peoples and Bailey, 2011) and the fact that such categorisation occurs, based on the misconception that socially constructed concepts of racial difference are an objective reality (Barak et al., 2010). As the existence of race relies fundamentally upon its construction within society (Marger, 2011), it appears, within this essay, as race. In examining the existence of racism in contemporary Britain, a number of definitions will be explored, however, a commonality among them is their dependence on the definition of race, demonstrating, I would argue, the equally, socially, constructed, nature of racism (Capdevila and Callaghan, 2007). By examining Immigration and Asylum policy, this essay will analyse how differing definitions of racism, explain its continued existence, within a seemingly tolerant society (Wemyss, 2009). It also considers how immigrants and asylum seekers are perceived and treated within society, because in addition to occurring at policy level, racism is a lived experience (Lentin, 2011). I do not consider the definitions examined, namely biological, new, institutional and cultural racism, to be an exhaustive list and recognise that considering its existence from other constructs, may give a different picture of contemporary Britain, further demonstrating the need for a critical approach to concepts of racism and its existence within society (Zamudio et al., 2011). I will conclude by exploring whether accurately defining racism, impacts its prevalence, or whether pursuing the eradication of negative life chances, for minority ethnic groups, is not more beneficial than the categorisation of discri mination. Although it is now commonly recognised that there are no biological differences, by which races can be categorised (Nanda and Warms, 2010), this concept continues to create the foundation for biological racism and associates such difference with a behavioural hierarchy in terms of morals and intellect (Smedley and Smedley, 2005). This concept of hierarchy, I would argue, is integral to racism, in that the self is constructed as superior and the other as inferior (Rivers, 2008). Having proven the non-existence of race, this form of racism could be considered outdated and irrelevant, however, I would argue that its prevalence is still apparent within scientific discourse and public opinion (Lentin, 2011). In recent political debate, for example, around reducing the spread of HIV within the UK, by providing free treatment to foreign nationals (HAUK Select Committee, 2011), objectors have argued that this will increase immigration, out of a desire for free medical treatment (Department o f Health, 2005). Whilst I would not deny the greater prevalence of HIV in some parts of the world, and therefore some ethnic groups, associating this with the motivation for immigration, within such ethnic groups, being to take advantage of free resources, I would argue, has biologically racist undertones. In addition, there is no evidence that the provision of free HIV treatment would create such health tourism (NAT., 2008). With racism being legislated against (Race Relations Act, 1976), racist undertones are now more common than overt racism, when taking a biologically racist perspective (Jiwani and Richardson, 2011) and the denial of racism within Immigration and Asylum policy, arguing that its not racist to impose limits on immigration (Conservative Party, 2005), is unsurprising. Whilst immigration rules, by their nature, discriminate between those who have, and do not have, the right to remain in the UK, I would argue that this discrimination is only biologically racist, if decisions are made on the basis of physical difference. As such, it could be argued that the Conservative discourse is justified, in that some criterion are required for immigration control, but that such rules do not refer to particular racial groups having characteristics determining their suitability for immigration (Sriskandarajah, 2006). Whilst this argument does not necessarily prove the lack of racism within Immigration Po licy, it demonstrates how one definition of racism, in this case biological, can be used to deny its existence, whereas, as this essay will demonstrate, constructing alternative definitions highlights greater prevalence of racism within Immigration and Asylum policy. A combination of factors, including legislation, scientific rationale behind the non-existence of race and eugenics movements, have resulted in traditional forms of racism being constructed as socially unacceptable, causing a reduction, although not eradication, in overt, racist behaviour and a denial of racist intent (Romm, 2010). If my understanding of racism, therefore, were restricted to a biological definition, I might argue that its existence within contemporary Britain has reduced. By redefining racism, however, in the light of its social unacceptability, to subtler, indirect forms, the existence of racism, I would argue, in both Immigration and Asylum policy and wider British society, can still be seen. This subtler definition, known as New Racism (Collins and Solomos, 2010), argues that the same belief in racial superiority underpins many current discourses, but that new language is used to represent these traditional beliefs, for example, substituting race with immigrant or asylum seeker (Kimber, 2010). Returning to the Conservative Manifesto (2005), if no inference of racism exists within policy proposals, then why is there a need for rhetoric which defends a non-racist position? The powerful use of language is evident in this kind of discourse, because in addition to denying racist intent, arguments are constructed, such that, accusations of racism are deemed irrational, making any covert or indirect forms of racism difficult to challenge (Goodman and Burke, 2011). In Conservative leader, Michael Howards election campaign (2005), for example, the need for stricter immigration control is argued to be based on common sense, rather than racist principles. Mr. Howard categorises immigrants as good and bad, with those being different and not encompassing British values, deemed bad (Btihaj, 2006). Being a child of immigrants, he classifies himself a good immigrant, for whom racism is unacceptable because he is one of them, however, Michael is white, and therefore does not look different and his immigrant Father is Romanian, a Christian, European country whose values and cultures are more in line with Britishness than perhaps, non-white, non-Christian countries, making conforming to the image of good immigrant, much easier for him (Capdevila and Callaghan, 2007). In this way, I would argue that, although new language is used, racist beliefs underpin this discourse, in describing acceptable immigrants as white, with similar culture and values, and conversely less acceptable immigrants, as non-white individuals, refusing to conform to our culture and values. A biological definition would deny racism within this speech, whereas, a new racism definition highlights underlying racist discourse, which may result in the implementation of racist immigration policies. I would argue that this further demonstrates the contested and constructed nature of racism, which can be made to exist, or not, on the basis of its definition. This coded use of language can also be seen in wider public attitudes, within the UK. Where terms like lazy, stupid and unprincipled were historically used to describe racial groups, they are now connected with immigrants and asylum seekers (Craig, 2007). Similarly, Finney and Peach (2006) found that although discriminatory views have shifted from race to immigrants and asylum seekers, similar language, and reasons for feelings of animosity, are used in describing both groups. A biologically racist perspective, could argue that attitudes toward ethnic minorities have improved within the UK, but I would argue that, considering a new racism definition, although language and focus have changed, racist attitudes still prevail within contemporary British society. Another perspective in understanding racism, is to consider how policies, decision making and institutional practices create and define racism, rather than individual belief systems. This institutional definition of racism, argues that, policies are constructed to both subordinate, and maintain control over, particular racial groups (Carmichael and Hamilton, 1969). In this way, racism is the creation of inferiority through the implementation of organisational policies and procedures (Better, 2008) and is rooted in the processes of established and respected forces within society, which I would argue makes them less likely to be challenged than individual acts of racism (Carmichael and Hamilton, 1969). Institutional racism can occur unintentionally, by unwitting prejudice and racial stereotyping creating policies and cultural practices which disadvantage ethnic minorities (Macpherson, 1999). The complexity of institutional racism is that, organisations cannot make decisions or policies , without the presence of individuals and therefore questions whether an institution can be racist, or whether racism results from the influence of individuals within that institution (Roush, 2008). The UK Border Agency, in working predominantly with immigrants and asylum seekers, in my view, holds significant potential for institutional racism. Whether such racism is intentional is contested, but irrespectively, I would argue that, some immigration policies disproportionately disadvantage certain ethnic minorities. Recent changes to work permit policies, for example, mean that restaurants employing chefs from outside the EU, must find applicants with at least 5 years experience and graduate-level qualifications, paying them at least  £28,260 a year (Home Office, 2011). Although this policy is applied to all restaurants and its implementation aims to prioritise jobs for British citizens, I would argue that restaurants providing cuisine originating outside Europe, are likely to be disproportionately impacted by this policy and that such businesses are likely to be owned by, and employing individuals of, ethnic minorities (Khaleeli, 2012). In this way, whether intentionally or n ot, I would argue that these immigration changes are institutionally racist, in that their negative impact, upon ethnic minorities, is unjustifiably disproportionate. This again demonstrates, I would argue, how the definition of racism taken, can significantly impact its perceived existence within contemporary British society. A biological definition, for example, would argue that decisions are not being made on the basis of physical difference, as all individuals are receiving the same treatment, and therefore the policy is not racist. Similarly, new racism, by examining the language used, could still conclude that the intention of this policy, is not to favour any particular racial group. The difference, I would argue, with institutional racism, is that intent is less important than impact and therefore, racism can be deemed to exist if the outcomes for ethnic minorities are disproportionately worse than the general population, which in regard to this policy, I would argue, could be the case. The final perspective being explored, cultural racism, is argued by some to simply be an extension of new racism (Jacobson, 2008). Within immigration and asylum discourse, however, I would argue, the language of culture so frequently replaces that of race, as to make a distinct exploration of cultural racism beneficial (Diller, 2010). Cultural racism relates to the belief that less dominant cultures are dysfunctional, maladaptive or even deviant, emphasising individual failings, rather than a societal failure to accommodate difference (Williams, 2007). Although it could be argued that this moves too far from a valid definition of racism, this depends upon how race is defined and if there are no biological differences by which races can be categorised, then the socially constructed differences which create racism, may also be cultural differences (Pon, 2009). In this way cultural racism is both the negatively, differential treatment on the basis of cultural difference (Hill, 2008) and the denial of opportunity to express ones culture (Ford, 2005). Muslims are frequently constructed, for example, as a homogenous group, when in reality the diversity of individuals classifying themselves as Muslim, is too vast to validate a single identity (Al-Azmeh, 2007). Despite this, the term Muslim has become a way of describing ethnicity, both in politics and public opinion (Wilson, 2007). This process of homogenisation, I would argue, has caused ideas of fundamentalism, and terrorist intent, to be attributed to the Muslim identity, constructing them, in some respects, as an enemy of British society (Todorov and Brown, 2010). This is not only a discriminatory and inaccurate portrayal of a diverse group, but also culturally racist in the way such beliefs are played out in the implementation of policy and treatment of Muslims within British society (Qasmiyeh, 2010). This can be seen in proposed legislative changes, following the terrorist attacks of September 2001, where Prime Minister, Tony Blair, argued a need for increased ability to exclu de and remove those suspected of terrorism and those seeking to abuse the asylum system (Hansard, 2001). In addition, in describing the attacks, Mr. Blair highlighted the terrorists motivation as a religious obligation set out in the Islamic Holy text, the Koran (ibid). This demonstrates, I would argue, an underlying discourse associating both Muslims and asylum seekers with terrorism (Huysmans and Alessandra, 2008). Further political statements in the subsequent decade, I would argue, cemented this construction of Muslims as the enemy (Pantazis and Pemberton, 2009). In 2006, for example, a report on countering terrorism (Cabinet Office, 2006) concluded that the most prominent threat came from Islamist extremists. Furthermore John Denham, as Home Office minister, suggested that behind a minority group of terrorists, sat a wider Islamic community, who considered terrorism to be a legitimate response to current concerns (Denham, 2007). A consequence of this negative construction of Muslims, I would argue, is the discriminatory treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers who identify as Muslim (Pantazis and Pemberton, 2009). Risk-profiling computers, for example, determining on entry to the UK who should be scanned, searched and questioned, have been found to focus upon Muslim-specific behaviours, categorising practising Muslims as high risk (Webber, 2012). This is a clear demonstration, I would argue, of cultural racism, in determining negatively, differential treatment on the basis of cultural identity, further highlighting how the existence of racism, is very much dependent upon the way in which it is defined. Biological racism, for example, would argue that the range of ethnic diversity within Islam, indicates that any discriminatory treatment toward Muslims, cannot be racist, as underlying, discriminatory, motivations are not based upon biological difference. Similarly, although much of the discrimination explor ed, occurs at an institutional level, Institutional Racism is based on the impact of policies and practices upon racial, not cultural or religious, groups and so would not consider the matters explored to prove the existence of racism, within contemporary British society. Having considered varying definitions of racism, I would conclude that its existence, within contemporary British society, is complex and can be argued to be both prevalent and a thing of the past (Rattansi, 2007). By taking a biological perspective, this essay has considered that, although racist undertones may exist in some immigration and asylum discourse, its prevalence within British society is decreasing (Day, 2011). Alternatively, by taking an institutional view, where it is not intent but impact which is measured, the existence of racism has been highlighted, through some UK policies and institutions disproportionately, disadvantaging ethnic minorities. Similarly, by considering racism from the perspective of new language being used in place of traditionally racist terms, the prevalence of racism increases significantly, specifically, as this essay had demonstrated, within Immigration and Asylum policy. Finally, by extending this new racism definition to the replacement of ra cialised language, with that of culture, this essay has demonstrated how specific groups continue to experience significant levels of racism within British society, both in terms of policy construction and public attitude (Allen, 2010). Reflecting upon these various constructions of racism, I would argue that its perceived existence is highly dependent upon the definition used. Whilst this analysis has examined the existence of racism, it could be said that it does not explain its existence. Why is it that some groups consider it appropriate to negatively treat others, on the basis of their race? I would argue that the answer to this, is power. With biological racism, it is seen in the superiority and inferiority of racial groups, on the premise that biological difference creates a natural hierarchy. With new racism, it is seen in powerful discourses which paint racist ideologies as rational and in the best interests of Britain, whilst in reality maintaining the authoritative position of the powerful (Capedevila and Callaghan, 2007). With institutional racism, it is seen in those with the power to create policy and organisational procedures, constructing these to maximise the benefits for themselves and maintain their position of authority. Finally, with cultural racism, it is seen in the view that inferior and less developed cultures should be discarded an d individuals from such cultural groups assimilated into the dominant culture, accepting the superiority of these cultural norms. In light of this, I would argue, that if the existence of racism is determined by its definition and the purpose of racism is to maintain power, then a critical understanding of the constructed nature of racism, is paramount in assessing the discourses and policy proposals of those with such power. This reflection has also caused me to question the extent to which an academic pursuit of categorising behaviours, policies and ideologies as racist, is beneficial and if instead, it is deflecting the focus from challenging negative discrimination, faced by certain groups, irrespective of their experience fitting our socially constructed definition of racism. In conclusion, however, I would argue that, as racism is now considered both legally and morally wrong, if it can be accurately defined and its existence proved and highlighted, then work can be achieved towards its eradication (Cole, 2009).

Hayden Carruth :: essays research papers

Hayden Carruth Scrambled Eggs & Whiskey is Hayden Carruth's most recent collection of works. Published in 1996, it reflects a dark, boozed washed view of the world throw the eyes of a 76- year-old man. His works reflect his personal experiences and his opinion on world events. Despite technical merit Carruth works have become depressing. Hayden Carruth is a child of the depression born in Vermont in 1921 where he lived for many tears. He now lives in upstate New York, where he taught in the Graduate Creative Writing Program at Syracuse University, until his recent retierment. He has published twenty-nine books, mostly of poetry but also a novel, four books of criticism, and anthologies as well. Four of his most recent books are Selected Essays & Reviews, Collected Longer Poems, Collected Shorter Poems, 1946-1991, and Suicides and Jazzers. He edited poetry for, Poetry, Harper's, and for 20 years The Hudson Review. He has received fellowships from the Bollingen Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, most recently in 1995, a Lannan Literary Fellowship. He has won many awords including the Lenore Marshall Award, the Paterson Poetry Prize, the Vermont Governor's Medal, the Carl Sandburg Award, the Whiting Award, the Ruth Lily Prize, the National Book Award and The National Book Critics' Circle Award for Collected Shorter Poems, 1946-1991. In "Another" Carruth comments on the goal of poetry. He begins by dismissing truth and beauty; "Truth and beauty were never the aims of proper poetry and the era which proclaimed them was a brutal era." -Another The era mite have been brutal but "truth and beauty" where and still are a large part of "proper poetry". The collected works of William Shakespeare and Robert Frost both have great deal of truth and beauty in their works as well as the tragic ordeals in life while Carruth only sees the brutality of life. Carruth goes on to name the goal of poetry as: "...let justice be primary when we sing,..." -Another Even though he's primary goal is justice this collection of poems seems to be one long complaint about injustice. It is easy to agree with Carruth in the "Quality of wine" when he says "this wine is really awful, " unlike the poet, it is his unremitting winning that is awful. Like self commentary Carruth writes: "Language is defeated in the heavy, heavy day. Limp lines on the page like grass mown in the meadow." -The Heaviness This utter heaviness can be seen in the horrific poem "The Camp, " all 21 verses of it lament man's hardness of heart. In the second verse, a lighter through reads, "As the kittens were born

Response Essay :: Essays Papers

Response Essay When the issue of Animal Testing is brought up in the course of a conversation, almost every single person that is involved in this discussion will have opinions that differ in some way, shape, or form. Many people will talk about the horrific conditions that animals are forced to live under, as well as the pain and suffering that they must endure while being tested. However, these conditions are not all that horrible when you take into account the state of the world we live in. This issue can be debated back and forth until the end of time. It is an issue involving two totally opposite views, pros versus cons. Pro-Con. The Con side will state that so many animals are needlessly used while in a test, but according to Roger Marshall, large numbers must be used in tests in order to account for statistically reliable results (Marshall 1). The Con side will also say it is not needed, and it serves no purpose, however, animal testing is a great thing, because it can help find cures for human illnesses, it can aid in the advancements of medical procedures, and it can also find cures for illnesses of animals. For many years, performing research on animals has had invaluable benefits for the human race, and without the constant developments we receive from it, we might still be plagued by the most medieval of viruses that we do not even think about in this day in age. The probability of heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure would greatly increase if we did not possess the medication we can now use to control high blood pressure. According to the American Medical Progress Education Foundation, great advancements have been made regarding cardiology, including coronary blood flow, coronary bypass techniques and high blood pressure medication (Research 2). Many medications have been produced as a result of testing on animals, including insulin, the medication used to regulate diabetes. If animals were not used in medical research, we might still be living in a world where we must fear diseases like polio, smallpox, and even measles. Human Benefits. Medicine alone is not the only thing that has been vastly improved due to animal testing, the way we treat diseases and surgeries has all drastically changed and improved.

First day in college Essay

Most people’s first day at college is the most stressful day of their lives because they don’t know what to expect or they just don’t want to go through an embarrassing situation, but for me it was the most exciting day of my life. First, I met new people who shared my interests, second it was a whole new experience for me in which success depended on me, and third it was the first day that I started studying something that I really liked. Finally I won’t forget it very easily because lots of things were accomplished in my first day at UNACH. First I met lots of people who were as excited as me for their first day at college. I really enjoyed that day because everybody I talked to were people who were going to study English with me, so we shared the same interest. My new friends and I talked a lot that day about the first things that crossed our minds, and then we exchanged our emails. In my case I tried to look for the people who where completely interested in the program, the ones that were 100% of what they were doing and that they were not going to drop out the program in afew months. Second, for me it was an amazing experience that I had never gone through in my life. For the first time in my entire life I was studying something that I was really into of. Studying English for me was the best choice because I knew that I was meant to study languages. The other new thing is that succeeding depended exclusively on me; nobody was going to be pushing me to study or to prepare my homework. This new stage in my life was totally new for me and it was something that I had to get used to. Third, it was the first day I started studying something that I really liked, I have always liked languages not just English, But I always said to myself that the first one that I was going to learn world be English. Although I didn’t speak much English I remember that in my first day I tried to practice my English as much as possible, but it was difficult to find the person who dared to speak English. After some unsuccesful tries I found the person who took the risk and she didn’t care about others, she was Leticia. I know that we made lots of mistakes but we didn’t care, we just did our best and were able to understand each other, which was the point. Finally, I won’t forget that day because it was one of the most special moments of my life. That day I received more things of what I had expected, I got friends, I was the first day of my English program, I realized that there was something that I was really good at. Now that I am in my third year and I look back and I see that it was the best choice I have ever made, I have no regrets, these last three years have been the most remarkable and greatest years of my life.

Dupont Case Study Essay

Tom Harris is the General Manager of Dupont, which is the major employer in their community. Big changes had taken place when the Orlon plant had closed down, but few changes had taken place. Projects such as getting rid of one operation and installing another was being seen as regular business so there was no change management rubric. GM Harris went to the University of Virginia seeking advice from the academic community to bring some of the latest thinking in business to the Dupont plant. He specifically wanted to introduce his managers to new ideas and how to apply those ideas to improving to the plant. He stated he was not looking to improve overall organization effectiveness. He stated he was under increasing pressure to do more with less. A general bulletin was sent out to all employees stating the work culture that would be built. It stated that a representative from University of Virginia would be spending time at the plant and had been asked to give new perspectives on the work being done and the organization as whole. The hope was that it would help develop people and continually improve production. The most important goal was to help the staff appreciate and develop what goes right, assist in building on the strengths and to make the plant work better for everyone. It was also made clear that the representatives presense was not to suggest there was a particular problem, and the result is due to the plants desire to continuously improve. Over a six month time period interviews were conducted with workers and managers. Time was spent in the workplace and the representative learned about the day to day activities at the plant. This produced a description of the shared stock of knowledge that organizational members used to interpret events and generate behavior. What was made explicit with that process was the local widely used everyday common sense model performance unique to the plant and it’s atmosphere. A part of the culture that came out of this fact finding was that the local model of teamwork was organized around a southern stock-car racing metaphor. It was used to explain teamwork and the pattern for accomplishing it. Everyone knew the metaphor, so it was understood. The General Manager and the other managers were surprised to learn of the NASCAR metaphor, but it explained why they had not recognized existing teamwork in the workplace for they had different language used for teamwork. This metaphor gave them a language to introduce change for improvement. It also illuminated of the local meaning of effective supervision, high performance, and what constituted a good day at the plant with making improvements. Managers were instructed to use the findings of the study. It was felt the new understanding could be used to interpret the local meaning of effective work to capitalize on strengths, to expand and develop existing good practices. This would also help to problem solve. It was found too that the findings of the study could also be used as a basis for experiements. There existed a Leadership Core Team who were instructed to introduce change as an experiment. It was to be explained that it was to be tried and watched closely, and if after a designated time it was not working as planned, it can be stopped.