The Effects of Post-Colonialism and Hybridity in a Culture free essay sample

Post-Colonialism is how a culture changes after ideas are dominated by new beliefs on how ways life should be. Hybridity, when talking about post-colonialism, can be described in two different ways. Hybridity can be viewed as a mixture of groups or cultures in which one then compliments the other so that a new group or culture is formed. Either group or culture will then practice with an understanding from both beliefs. In the other view of hybridity it shows the overall loss of identity, or the process of identifying oneself among a different culture. Each of these definitions of hybridity is expressed through the writings of Amitav Ghosh’s The Glass Palace, Robert J. C. Young’s Postcolonialism, and Gandhi. Amitav Ghosh expresses hybridity in The Glass Palace through characters who adapt to the mixture of culture, and to those who experience the loss of their identity because of this mixture. We will write a custom essay sample on The Effects of Post-Colonialism and Hybridity in a Culture or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In Robert J. C. Young’s Postcolonialism, the example of Algerian rai music is described as a hybrid genre. Hybridity can also be seen through the early writings of Gandhi according to the European education system and how it completely evolved from the previous form of education established in India. Each society is forced into an overlapping culture with their dominating colonial power, changing every aspect of their previously known lifestyle, thus having to adapt to the new style of living. When talking about hybridity in the sense of mixture, The Glass Palace shows hybridity through the change of clothing styles. Saya John is normally dressed in the traditional â€Å"longyi† because of his country, but as colonial power it’s imposed on his lifestyle, he then begins to dress in more traditional European clothing. The transformation to the European style of clothing symbolizes his overall transition into a hybrid culture. In Robert J. C. Young’s, Postcolonialism, the example of Algerian rai music is described as a hybrid genre due to the combination of various Spanish, French, and Arabic influences found within the single category of music. He writes, â€Å"rai does not consist of one kind of music that can easily be described in general terms. It has always been mobile and shifting as it changes its functions and locations, its instruments and its audiences† (Young 70). Rai music changed due to the hybrid culture in which it was founded. It became a mix of sounds and phrases from multiple regions, forming an entirely new expression of music. One of the simplest forms of social expression was changed due to the combination of multiple cultures. Both the transformation of clothing styles and development of rai music illustrates the definition of hybridity in the sense of a mixture of two cultures. Views of hybridity can be seen by some aspects of post-colonial like: political structure, economic strategies, and social models of a culture. In Ghosh’s The Glass Palace, Rajkumar, an orphan from Burma, takes on a new economic role due to the combination of his previously known culture with that of the Europeans. Originally, Rajkumar himself served as a source of labor in the teak lumber yards, yet as he gains knowledge with age, he acquires a teak yard of his own using procedures similar to those of the Europeans. He uses the British tactic of maintaining slave labor for economic advancement. The lifestyle that Rajkumar attains is a direct result of colonial rule and power. The British colonizers were able to change the entire economic system of the teak yards, and once Rajkumar was exposed to this, his original ideas about labor were transformed as well. During his confrontation with Uma, Uma states, â€Å"What you and your kind have done is far worse than the worst deeds of the Europeans† (Ghosh 214). Uma’s reference to the slave labor, Rajkumar, has been enforcing in his camps displaying the fact that he has not only blended with the culture of the British, but he has surpassed their traditional actions. This reinstates the other idea of hybridity causing the loss of oneself. Rajkumar is no longer able to identify with his previous Burmese culture, but rather he has transitioned into a European mindset. A similar instance pertaining to the overall loss of oneself can also be seen through Dolly’s character in The Glass Palace. She is originally from Burma, but she spends the majority of her time in India with the Royal family. Due to her location, she encounters a first-hand experience of a lifestyle under colonial domination. She experiences an overall loss of identity with her previously known territory and culture. During her conversation with Uma, she is asked whether she would ever want to return to Burma. She responds by saying, â€Å"Never†¦if I were to return to Burma now, I would be a foreigner-they would call me a kalaa like they do Indiansa trespasser, an outsider from across the sea† (Ghosh 96). Dolly refers to herself as a foreigner when referring to her homeland. By going through a lifestyle under British rule in another country, she has completely lost a sense of who she once was, and is unable to identify with her previously known culture. The idea of Dolly referring to herself as a â€Å"foreigner† within her own homeland displays the loss of herself and her identity which represents the meaning of hybridity. Dolly’s emotions towards herself and her homeland are compared throughout the writings of Gandhi. The elements of hybridity are interpreted through the exploration of Britain’s imperial rule over India. The education system in India had completely evolved in its transition to a post-colonial territory. The traditional form of education in India was transformed into that of the traditional European education, causing both social and political elements of hybridity to form throughout the territory. Gandhi speaks against this transition, stating that â€Å"[they] should have today a free India†¦not as if they were foreigners in their own land†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Gandhi 127). Similar to Dolly, many Indians had begun to lose their identity, and felt as though they were foreigners in their own land. There was not a single sense of their previous culture that remained within themselves, or their daily routines. The Glass Palace portrays various pieces of hybridity through each of the characters and their positions in their society and culture. Rajkumar is able to learn positive economic benefits from the combination of British tactics and traditional Burmese standards. However, Uma’s perspective embodies the second definition of hybridity. She believes that Rajkumar has fully transitioned into the European culture, leaving no trace of his previous Burmese identity to be found. And Dolly takes on this perspective for herself, completely losing her previous identity and culture due to the colonial-dominated area she grew up in. Between clothing styles, genres of music, political structures, economic developments, and social models of a culture, hybridity has emerged throughout post-colonial areas, and is still affected the daily lives of the people in societies and cultures today.

Free Essays on Crucible

John Proctor And Willy Loman: The Tragedies Of Two Common Men Are John Proctor and Willy Loman common men? Are they tragic heroes? Using information from Arthur Miller’s essay, â€Å"Tragedy and the Common Man†, both men can be defined as common, and both men can be defined as tragic heroes. Miller’s essay also characterizes the plays â€Å"The Crucible† and â€Å"Death of a Salesman† as tragedies in modern literature. According to Miller, the quality that shapes the image of the common man is one that â€Å"derives from the underlying fear of being displaced, the disaster inherent in being torn away from our chosen image of what and who we are in this world† (Miller, Tragedy of the Common Man). Both John Proctor and Willy Loman share this fear, and both regard their reputations in society very highly. Proctor’s fear of being displaced is evident in the last act when he refuses to sign the confession stating that he practiced witchcraft. Procter declares, â€Å"I have given you my soul; leave me my name!†(Miller, The Crucible, Act IV). This quote implies that Procter values maintaining his chosen image as a good and holy man over his soul, which in his religious society is also regarded very highly. Willy Loman lives in a fantasy world where he believes that he is extremely successful and loved by all. At one point Willy states â€Å"I’m the New England man. I am vital in New England.†(Miller, Death of a Salesman, Act 1). Later in the play Willy refuses a job offered to him by Charley, because he fears that accepting the job will tear him away from his chosen image if being the best, thus categorizing him as a common man by Millers standards. Because John Proctor and Willy Loman regard their reputations and dignity so highly and fear the possibility of these qualities being degraded, they are considered common men. Miller describes that the tragic element in a tragic hero is â€Å"evoked... Free Essays on Crucible Free Essays on Crucible A Major Theme of The Crucible According to the Webster’s Dictionary, a crucible is â€Å"a vessel in which metal is heated to a high temperature and melted for the purposes of casting†. It can also be referred to a situation in which a person has to make a decision that can be critical to his morals and principles. There are many interpretations of the word crucible as there is for the theme of Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible. Closely related to the word â€Å"crucifixion†, The Crucible is about a man put in a crucible situation, who is forced to choose between life and morality, just as Jesus Christ did. Miller interweaved these scenarios to form the main themes of the play – the problem of making the right moral choice and the necessity of sacrifice as a means of redemption. Both of these themes can be abridged to form one main theme, good versus evil. Based on the Salem witch trials of the late 17th century, The Crucible explores the vulnerability of a society and the difficulty of doing ‘good’ in the face of evil and tremendous social pressures. The play is about a town, Salem, Massachusetts, and the hysteria its residents go through because of the witchcraft accusations made by the young girls and countless other people of the region. These accusations, we learn in the novel, are not true and are merely stories to put the blame of someone’s mistakes or wrongdoings to someone else. The accusers are just trying to find scapegoats for their shortcomings. This is where good versus evil takes place. There are numerous â€Å"good† characters in the novel that try to prove that there are no such things as witches, as well as â€Å"bad† who use the trials for their own gain, and the plot revolves around their struggle against each other. One of the many cases where good versus evil is portrayed is through the situation between Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams. Abigail Williams is the niece of Reverend Parris, a renowned preache... Free Essays on Crucible John Proctor And Willy Loman: The Tragedies Of Two Common Men Are John Proctor and Willy Loman common men? Are they tragic heroes? Using information from Arthur Miller’s essay, â€Å"Tragedy and the Common Man†, both men can be defined as common, and both men can be defined as tragic heroes. Miller’s essay also characterizes the plays â€Å"The Crucible† and â€Å"Death of a Salesman† as tragedies in modern literature. According to Miller, the quality that shapes the image of the common man is one that â€Å"derives from the underlying fear of being displaced, the disaster inherent in being torn away from our chosen image of what and who we are in this world† (Miller, Tragedy of the Common Man). Both John Proctor and Willy Loman share this fear, and both regard their reputations in society very highly. Proctor’s fear of being displaced is evident in the last act when he refuses to sign the confession stating that he practiced witchcraft. Procter declares, â€Å"I have given you my soul; leave me my name!†(Miller, The Crucible, Act IV). This quote implies that Procter values maintaining his chosen image as a good and holy man over his soul, which in his religious society is also regarded very highly. Willy Loman lives in a fantasy world where he believes that he is extremely successful and loved by all. At one point Willy states â€Å"I’m the New England man. I am vital in New England.†(Miller, Death of a Salesman, Act 1). Later in the play Willy refuses a job offered to him by Charley, because he fears that accepting the job will tear him away from his chosen image if being the best, thus categorizing him as a common man by Millers standards. Because John Proctor and Willy Loman regard their reputations and dignity so highly and fear the possibility of these qualities being degraded, they are considered common men. Miller describes that the tragic element in a tragic hero is â€Å"evoked... Free Essays on Crucible The madness of the Salem with trials is explored I great detail. There are many theories as to why the with trials come about, the most popular of which is the girls’ suppressed childhoods. However, there were other factors as well, such as Abigail Williams’ affair with John Proctor, the secret grudges that neighbors held against each other, and the physical and economic differences between the citizens of Salem Village. From a historical viewpooint, it is known that young girls in colonial Massachusetts were given little or no freedom to act like children. They were expected to walk straight, arms by their sides, eyes slightly downcast, and their mouths were to be shut unless otherwise asked to speak. It is not surprising that the girls would find this type of lifestyle very constricting. To rebel against it, they played pranks, such as dancing in the woods, listening to slaves’ magic stories and pretending that other villagers were bewitching them. The crucible starts after the girls in the village have been caught dancing in the woods. As one of them falls sick, rumors start to flu that there is witchcraft gong on in the woods, and that the sick girls is bewitched. Once the girls talk to each other, they become more and more frightened of being accused by saying, ‘I go back to Jesus; I kiss his hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!† Another girl, Betty, continues the cry with, ‘I saw George Jacobs with the Devil! I saw Goody Howe with the Devil!† From here on, the accusations grow and grow until the jails overflow with accused witches. It must have given them and incredible sense of power when the whole town of Salem listened to their words and believed each and every accusation. After all, children were to be seen and not heard in Puritan society, and the new found attention was probably overwhelming. The girls were called before the judges...

A Strange Role Model

When a person has a role model, they look up to that special someone, adoring them, wanting and trying to be everything that person stands for. Little boys look up to Michael Jordan, the sports hero of our time. Little girls look up to models and Barbie, wanting to be beautiful, poised and sophisticated women. Me, I always thought that I had no role model, no one I wanted to be. Then one day my dad and I had a huge argument. Nickay! he always screamed, not yet having mastered the art of talking. Why didnt you wash the dishes last night? He barged into my room. I looked up from my homework and calmly explained that I had so much homework to do that I had fallen asleep. He screamed some more and, angered, I screamed back. He said Id better not let it happen again or I would see what would happen. My father has always been a believer in ruling the household with a firm hand. When he left my room, I thought, boy do I dislike that man and click, it came to me. My influence is my father. This brazen, rough man is my role model for everything I dont want to be. When I grow up, I dont want to be anything like my father. Growing up was hard. When I was smaller, I tried desperately to be Daddys little girl. I wanted him to protect me. I wanted him to buy me a necklace with a charm that said Daddys Little Girl, and one day in return Id give him one that said Number One Father. I wanted to go out for ice cream and talk about different things. Sadly, it never happened. My father was nothing like I dreamed. He made many promises and broke them all. Growing up, I always studied hard and strived to be the best. My father would be proud some days but others, when he was mad, would tell me with a mean face, I dont care how many books you read or study, youll never be smarter than me. This from a security officer with a high school diploma. My father brought me up with a stern hand; I feel children should be allowed to be children, and should be loved, not beaten. Now that Im seventeen my dad doesnt hit me anymore, but he may slap me once in a blue moon. He feels I have no respect and wants to put me in my place. He is the parent and I am the child. Nothing more, nothing less. But in reality, I dont hold any respect for my father. In his house, my dad feels that his way is always right, and tries to enforce his brazen ideas. But somehow I have been able to develop an independent mind and believe in myself. The only thing we have in common is our love of sports. Still, its different. He wants me to run track in the Olympics and, while I love track, I value an education more. Today, I am a strong, independent, black-Hispanic woman. Unlike my father, I love different cultures, new ideas and concepts. I have grown to love classical and some alternative music music that he ridicules. However, I just lock my door and pop in Beethovens Symphony No. 9, or my favorite, Tchaikovskys 1812 Overture. I love Broadway shows and dream of the day my father will take me to see Miss Saigon, which some of my girlfriends have done with their dads. But I am forced to save money to see this play on my own. I love to read and discuss books, something my father would never do with me. So I discuss books with my teachers and my uncle, who is a bookworm. My father feels there is no life beyond the city, but I want to travel and see the world. I have always been fascinated by other cultures, which is why I want to study International Relations. This probably comes from my diverse background. I am Hispanic, but I look African-American and realize how different these two cultures are. My Hispanic friends are open to friendship and are more sentimental than my black friends. Ive lived in Panama (my birthplace), Costa Rica, Hawaii, Texas and now on the East Coast. But my main goal has always been to try to lend a helping hand. It hurts me to see all the troubles in countries like Serbia. I feel a nagging pain to want to help. Graduating from high school and college are my top priorities. I dont ever want to stop being who I have become, because I have grown to like myself. My father and I have come to an understanding leave him alone and he leaves me alone. Lately, he has been proud of my accomplishments. I was in an article in the city newspaper, and he showed it to his friends. It may seem a little late for my father to begin understanding me, but I will give him a chance because someday I would like to be someones role model. fl

The presidency of Andrew Jackson and the Bank War Research Paper

The presidency of Andrew Jackson and the Bank War - Research Paper Example However, renewal of character could still be possible after the then current charter could expire in the year 1836. Thus to prevent this he rolled out a strategy that was aimed at crippling the bank economically. While acting against the advice of the Congress and cabinet members, President Andrew replaced resistant Secretaries to the Treasury and ordered that federal funds should be deposited into other banks other than the second bank of the United States. Following the president’s directive, the second bank’s president made a countermove in the economy to let people feel the need for the second Bank of America. By so doing, Nicholas Biddle the central bank president created a financial crisis that led to heated debate in the Congress, the press and the public. Businessmen being the most affecting, protested, asking the president and the bank’s management to end the bank war (Rothbard, 510). After people had learned of the dangers of the central bank, there were minimal needs for the renewal of the charter, hence leading to its closer in the year 1836 which was a victory for President Andrew

Business cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business cycle - Essay Example The business cycle occurs in five distinct stages, which include growth, peak, recession, trough, and recovery. Whenever the business cycle is at recession, the business general, economic performance is bad (Elwell 123). In fact, it results to adverse economic elements such as inflation, unemployment, losses to corporation, and decline in investment levels. On the other hand, period of growth and peak are desirable in that they are characterized by strong economic signals such as high employment levels, price stability, profitability of firms, and high investment levels. It is therefore, preferable that the economy operates on growth or peak season. Three key economic variables that characterize a business cycle Economists have unearthed three causes of a business cycle, which include employment, inflation, and interest rates. During trough or recession period, the interest rates are high, which means that the cost of acquiring capital for investing is business is high. This, therefo re, implies that less people are taking up loans for investment. With investment levels low, the unemployment levels in the economy will go down. As such, trends continue to soar; the overall effect is that the economy may go into a trough. In order to revive the economy from such adverse trends, the government usually comes up with expansionary policies such as increasing public expenditure as well as reducing the rate of capital to encourage investment and reduce the unemployment rates. The other factor that characterizes the business cycle includes the issue of inflation. During the times of recession or trough, the economy is characterized by price volatility. The price of goods and services usually go up making life difficult for the majority of households. Whenever, the economy has high prices, the business cycle is affected negatively implying indirect relationship between inflation and business cycle. The other factor that affects business cycle is the issue of productivity. During peak and growth period since the economic cycle, the economy is always characterized by high productivity. Hamilton (119) says that it is important that government of the day and the management of various businesses put in place deliberate measures to ensure productivity through quality education and training, investment in infrastructure, and better government policies that encourage productivity. The good business environment in developed economies such as United States of America examines why their economy is rarely affected by adverse economic cycle such as recession and trough. Characteristics of Recession Economic pundits refer to recession as a period exceeding two quarters in which an economy is grappling with a negative trend in GDP. The major characteristic of recession is a reduction in investment spending. During periods of recession, the interest rates are always high which in turn results to increase in cost of capital (Smiley 221). Increase in cost of capital makes it very expensive to service loans hence less money is available for investment. The other critical characteristic of recession is high unemployment rate. During recession, the level of

Evaluation of a multiprofessional community stroke team Essay Example for Free

Evaluation of a multiprofessional community stroke team Essay The study aims to conclusively evaluate how effective it is to employ a specialist community stroke team for the rehabilitation of stroke victims in a community based setting. This is clearly established at within the opening lines of the article. In the summary at the beginning of the article the author claims that the available evidence is inconclusive and his aim is to provide conclusive proof with regards to evidence based practise for the patient. A research article should state its’ aims clearly and should assume the audience has no previous background knowledge (Greenhalg, 2006). The literature reviewed in this article was from a variety of sources such as the Cochrane database and a selection of journal articles. On this basis the authors were able to deduce that previous research carried out provided contradicting reports. For example Roderick et al (2001) as cited by Lincoln et al (2004) found no significant difference in the effectiveness of rehabilitation which had taken place in the home to that which had occurred in a hospital setting. On the contrary Gladman et al (1993) as cited by Lincoln et al (2004) found a significant difference in a small group of younger patients. It was also suggested that there was a shift of focus from mainly hospital based rehabilitation to community based rehabilitation of stroke patients. According to Polger and Thomas (2008) a literature review should provide appropriate background information. That is, it should show the current knowledge level in that area of study. The author appears to have utilised much of his own previous work in the study and some are more than ten years old. This could possibly be an indication that indeed, there is a large gap in knowledge of this subject area. On the other hand it may indicate that the author has done a selective search of the literature. A quantitative approach was utilised in this study and the method used was a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT). The articles’ methodology was well documented. According to Sim and Wright (2000) an analytic study attempts to quantify the relationship between two factors, that is, the effect of an intervention or exposure on an outcome. A term used to describe the design randomized controlled trial according to Greenhalgh (2006) is Parallel group comparison. This is when each group receives a different treatment and both are entered into the experiment at the same time. By comparing the groups an analysis is provided. In the Lincoln et al (2004) study Participants were divided into two groups, A and B with the former receiving routine care while the latter received the intervention – rehabilitation with the multi-professional community stroke team. The question posed by the authors could have been answered using a qualitative approach. The question could possible state; Evaluation of a multiprofessional community stroke team: a phenomenological study. SAMPLE Altman (1991) states that a study should have enough participants recruited in order to detect a significant effect if one exists. The sample group consisted of patients referred to the Nottingham Community Stroke Team who had suffered a stroke within the last two years, who were over sixteen years old and needed intervention from more than one multidisciplinary team member. Patients who lived outside the geographical area and/or had been treated by the community stroke team in the preceding two years were excluded. Four hundred and twenty eight patients were randomly selected at the start of the trial and randomly allocated to either Group A or Group B. An error resulted in seven people being recruited twice. This error was corrected by including only the outcome of their initial recruitment when the results were being analyzed. The target population of this study is relatively clearly defined (patients who have had a stroke within last two years, over the age of sixteen, etc ) and lends credence to the external validity of the study (Payton, 1994). According to Sim and Wright (2000) the accessible population is the portion of the target population that is available to the researcher and the sample is then taken from this accessible population. The groups are similar to each other with regards to gender and age distribution; this also increases the validity of the study as this similarity reduces the variables of the study. The overall population was a convenience sample which was then randomized to two groups. Six months after randomization all the patients were sent a letter asking them to consent to being in a study to evaluate the input of a community stroke team. According to Lincoln et al (2004) the consent forms and outcome questionnaires were sent this late so as to reduce bias. It was thought that group A which was receiving routine care would have lower expectations if confronted with the realization that the alternate group may receive superior care. Some would possibly insist on being referred to the specialist community stroke team The Local Research Ethics Committee granted ethical approval for this study to go ahead. This indicates that the value of the research undertaken outweighed any harm that this consenting method may have caused as patients in Group A were still receiving routine care. However, the department of health has issued guidelines which state that participants must be consented and all pertinent information given prior to the start of any study. Data was collected via a questionnaire comprising of the Barthel Index, Extended ADL, General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12) and Euroquol. The participants were also asked to rate their knowledge of the expected extent of recovery from their stroke, and their overall satisfaction with the services they received from the community stroke team. The use of a questionnaire for data collection has both negative and positive aspects. Greenhalgh (2006) states that a questionnaire is an instrument used to measure human psychology, so whilst sending the questionnaire via post proves to be cost effective as the alternative would be to hold face to face interviews with the participants as focus groups or individually, it raises concerns about the reliability of the study. This is because the researcher is not present to interpret facial expressions and body language when the participants answer the questions. The alternative of conducting face to face interviews with such a large number of participants would prove to be costly and time consuming. However, according to Oppenheim (2003) long questionnaires are sometimes off putting and may generate low response rates, conducting these questionnaires via the postal service could possibly increase the likelihood of a low response rate. The results were shown as a table and diagram, the Mann-Whitney U-test which was used to compare the groups showed no significant differences on independence in personal or instrumental activities of daily living or on the patients’ mood. There was also no significant difference between the groups in their knowledge with regards to the resources available to assist them in adjusting to life after a stroke. There was also no difference between the two groups with overall satisfaction or in satisfaction with the practical helped received. However, patients in the Community Stroke Team were significantly more satisfied with the emotional care they received. (Lincoln et al, 2004) According to Wright et al (2009) the Mann-Whitney U-test is used when one group from the sample is larger than the other and when both samples are from the same population, as is the case with this study. There was no significant difference in carers’ mood between the two groups. However, the strain on carers of patients seen by the community stroke team was significantly less than that of carers of patients randomized to the routine care group. The carers of patients in the community stroke team group were significantly more satisfied with their knowledge of stroke and had higher overall satisfaction than the carers of those in the routine group. By utilizing the randomized controlled trial design the author lends credence to its validity as this design allows for the eradication of systematic bias. (Sim et al, 2000) This was done through the sampling process of selecting the participants from the target population and randomly allocating them to Group A which received routine care or Group B those in the care of the community stroke team. The collection of data by using a postal questionnaire helps to â€Å"blind† the researcher as he cannot influence the participants’ response. Although some participants did not respond to the questionnaire, others responded with incomplete forms, some died and a few were recruited twice, the author is cognizant of this and incorporates it into his findings. Crombie (2000) states that if the withdrawals and failures to respond can be seen as being consistent between both comparison groups then the results of the research will not be negatively impacted upon. This is because the results show that these failures are random among both groups and not specific to one. However one major fault is the fact that the services received by Group A were not collected due to impracticalities and unreliable recollections of the patients. Critical appraisal is not just an exercise in fault finding, it is the analysis of these faults and the assessment of their potential impact on the research which allows the reader to come to a decision regarding the strength or usefulness of the article being critiqued. In order for the research results to be utilized in clinical practice its’ reliability and validity are essential aspects which need to be covered. (Polger and Thomas, 2008) This article shows a research that was methodically sound and well designed. The sample was representative of the population being examined and attempts were made to minimize bias. The author was aware of the shortfalls of this research and attempted to incorporate this in his findings however, most of the issues identified did not affect the results of the study. The study if repeated would provide comparable results. However, the author states that the study provides evidence supporting the use of a community based stroke team to assist in the rehabilitation of stroke patients because of the increased emotional support for patients and greater satisfaction and reduced strain on carers. This statement would have been better justified on results from a qualitative study as this type of study aims to interpret people’s emotional and psychological response to the intervention or interventions being employed. The results from such a study would be closer to the patients’ and carers true feelings as the methodology behind that study would be different.

Gullivers Travels :: essays research papers

Gulliver’s Travels   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel, Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift addresses many things wrong with the society around him. His portrayal of English society shows how much he saw evil in it. He mainly addressed five issues throughout his book: war, government and politics,economy, society, and mankind as a whole.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Lilliputians uncover the idiocracy of war in our society. The Little-Ender and Big-Ender war all started on the debate of which way to break an egg. It didn’t matter that the entire reason of the war was ridiculous--no one knew that reason. They just fought because they knew that they fought long ago, and guessed that it should have been for a good reason.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gulliver himself even showed the absurdity of war when he explained the reasons England would fight to Mistress or the Queen of Brobdingnag. His justifications to fight were simply because the enemy was weaker and they wanted more land. This shows Swift’s sympathy for Ireland at that time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Swift believed that politics and government were games. The “election'; of “leaping and creeping'; of the Lilliputians was the basis of choosing their government officials. The government was ran with people that could go under or jump over a stick. The entire notion of classes and ranks seemed to be stupid to Swift.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The island of Brobdingnag portrayed Swift’s idea of a perfect society. Everyone was equal, and everyone got an equal share. There were no taxes and everyone got a say in how to deal with problems that arose.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Gulliver explained English society to the queen of Brobdingnag, she no longer regarded the little man with wonder. She proclaimed that the crimes of his society were lying and swindling, and the English were horrible vermin. When Gulliver decided to show the queen a wonder of his society, he seemed to further alienate himself because he showed her the destructiveness of his world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Swift probably knew that having knowledge was power. But the impractical seeking of knowledge was of no use to him. At the Academy, professors would stay inside for years at a time, letting nature outside go to waste. They would ponder different ways to perform simple tasks and looked for answers to questions that hadn’t any. They did not take a thing of nature as God intended it, rather they took it apart and analyzed it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Swift saw humankind as evil, as portrayed in the life of the Houyhnhms and Yahoos.