Essay on Protest Songs Throughout the Vietnam War

Throughout all the anti-war protests and marches during the Vietnam War, it is interesting to note the changes in the music of that time. From the beginning of the war, where support and loyalty from Americans was present in songs, to the end of the war, where anger and distrust was evident in musical lyrics, American’s opinion changed about the war. This change in opinion was easily recognized by the altering of musical lyrics about the war when Americans grew tired of the constant sending of U.S. troops to Vietnam. The growing dissatisfaction with the Vietnam War led to increasing levels of anger and hostility in the popular music of the time. In 1965, Lyndon Johnson, with solid support from the American public, made the decision to†¦show more content†¦This area in San Francisco named after two interesting streets became a mecca, of sorts for the hippie movement. It was a generally peaceful movement advocating universal love and rejection of conventional values. T hey used songs such as â€Å"Where have all the Glowers Gone† and â€Å"Blowin in the Wind† to convey an anti-war message, that still had a peaceful tone. In â€Å"Where have all the Flowers Gone,† the girl in the song could be considered a metaphor for society in general repeating cycles of history, such as war, without learning from them. When Bob Dylan sang â€Å"Blowin in the Wind† he alluded to the answer to war being right in front of us but the inability to grasp it: Dylan says, â€Å"Yes, n how many deaths will it take till he knows/That too many people have died/The answer, my friend, is blowin in the wind,† (Lyrics.com). As more and more troops were being sent to Vietnam, and the casualties began to rise, people began to question the government’s involvement. â€Å"Even military troops came to mistrust their government’s reasons for keeping them there, as well as Washington’s claims that the war was being won†.(Vietnam War) The Vietnam war was the first war to be broadcast on television. This meant that for the first time the American people were able to see the war instead of just hearing about it on the radio. They were able to see firsthand the soldier’s faces, see the reality of where they were fighting and to see theShow MoreRelatedThe Song Bring Em Home 1743 Words   |  7 Pages The song â€Å"Bring ‘em Home† was a protest song about the Vietnam War. The song was written and performed by Pete Seeger. Pete Seeger was born in May 3, 1919. Since birth Pete Seeger had a musical orientated childhood. His parents were both involved with music in s ome way. His father majored in musicology and his mother was a concert violinist. Pete became interested with music in his teenage years. Seeger went on to the Harvard University but later dropped out. â€Å"Pete met, traveled and performed withRead MoreCivil War And The 1960s1631 Words   |  7 PagesA History of Protest Music – Revolutionary War to the 1960s Protest music in the United States dates back to the 19th century. This protest music focused around subjects that were topical for the time period. Among these topics were the Civil War. Another topic was slavery, and its abolition. A final topic was women’s suffrage. A famous group of protest singers was the Hutchinson Family Singers. Their notoriety, which spanned the mid-19th century, began in 1839. Their songs about abolition wereRead MoreHow Music Affected the Anti-Vietnam Movement1226 Words   |  5 PagesHumans throughout history have proven to be a very aggressive species. They disagree with one another, which might lead to conflict, and if the conflict is big enough, war. There have been many great battles and wars in the past, but one of the most controversial and protested war in human history was the Vietnam War. As World War II ended, the young males returned to their homes. They began families which brought a significant number of new children into the world. This dramatic increase in theRead MoreMarvin Gaye Whats Going On Analysis795 Words   |  4 Pageslisteners throughout the US. Written towards the end of the Vietnam War, What’s Going On would touch on subjects including war protests, unification of the American people, and the poor treatment of veterans. Gaye’s brother served in Vietnam, and much of this album shows the brother’s thoughts and feelings when he returns. Throughout his album, Marvin Gaye uses his own experiences to give us a look at why he and many others had a dissatisfaction with society and the government during the Vietnam War eraRead MoreSongs and Poems Written on Wars: Imagine by John Lennon 793 Words   |  3 Pageseffectively achieved through song. The Vietnam War also known as the American War was the longest major conflict that Australians have been involved in. It began in 1962 and ended in 1975. The Vietnam War was the cause of the greatest political and social dissent in Australia since World War 1. In 1959 war broke out between communist North Vietnam and democratic South Vietnam. America and there allies, which include Australia, sent thousands of troops over to Vietnam in hope to stop the spreadRead MoreMusic And Cartoons Of The Vietnam War1710 Words   |  7 PagesMs. Harris AP US History June 8, 2015 Art as History: Music and Cartoons of the Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1955-1975) was the longest war the United States has ever fought in and also the most controversial. Many Americans protested against sending their children across seas to fight in a war that did not involve the United States. Millions asked for a return to isolationism such as the 1920s. Meanwhile many protests went viral as the National Guard interfered, killing four at Kent State UniversityRead MoreBob Dylan Vietnam878 Words   |  4 Pagesdemonstrations against the Vietnam War. Americans were divided between patriotism and the desire for peace. Some agreed with President Johnsons involvement in Vietnam for the common goal of eliminating communism, others became entranced in the peace movements that usually involved mass protests. For those who protested American involvement in the longest war they ever took part in, songs of the times were an inspiration, particularly songs of Bob Dylan, whose influential songs often protested what manyRead MoreSongs Written Du ring War Times811 Words   |  4 Pagesnever a good war, or a bad peace.† said Benjamin Franklin, showing the importance of peace and unnecessariness of war. The songs are the symbol of sadness, love, desire, sorrow, expectancy and other unnumbered emotions. And on the other hand the lyrics are the voice of the society. Therefore, the lyricists and the artists composed songs for different occasions, such as hunger, poverty, demand for freedom, and war. The war songs were also composed during the World War II, the Vietnam War and the ColdRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of Protest in American History Essay1090 Words   |  5 PagesThe Vietnam War is a perfect example of a group of protests that had many different outcomes. The Kent State shootings and the Democratic Convention of 1968 are examples of protests that went terribly wrong. Sit-ins and singing protest songs against violence are examples of peaceful protest. The Democratic Convention of 1968 took place in Chicago, Illinois. This convention is known as the people’s convention because it was put on during a time of confusion and turmoil over the Vietnam War andRead MoreMusic During the Vietnam War Essay889 Words   |  4 Pageswere at risk of being drafted into the Vietnam War. This war brought on revolutionary and innovative ways of thinking. The young people of this decade wanted change and this brought a huge difference in culture from the conservative fifties. Inspiration for many of the songs and lyrics of the time came from the Vietnam War. The war caused many people to protest and speak out about it. The main genres people used to show their attitudes about the current war were folk and rock. Hippies used music

Dissociative Identity Disorder - 2158 Words

â€Å"Dissociative Identity Disorder† Through out the years there has been many disorders that continue to be diagnosed on people, many can be difficult to deal with. Some of these disorders can be uncontrollable and can make it harder on the patients who are trying to get better. Disorders are not sicknesses that can be cured and gone with a couple of doses of medicine, disorders are serious problems a person has to deal with usually if not for a large amount of time, it can be every day for the rest of their life. Sometimes they can worsen with time but others can better as well. Dissociative identity disorder is one of the many disorders which is uncontrollable and difficult to deal with. Patients with this disorder suffer from many symptoms and because of that they can find it hard to live their every day life on their own. Dissociative Identity Disorder has a background that shows that it is caused by many psychological reasons, many cases and stories also prove the same but there is always people who disagree and believe the disorder is unreal. Psychology plays an enormous role in Dissociative Identity Disorder it is the way of explaining the disorder and the troubles the victims got through. In â€Å"Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Literature Review† by Mcallister, Mcallister states ways in which psychology connects with DID. Phycologists have and continue to study this disorder closely. They explain how this disorder is developed by many abused children. These childrenShow MoreRelatedDissociative Identity Disorder ( Dissociative Disorder )1040 Words   |  5 PagesDissociative Identity Disorder Dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, is a mental illness that is greatly misunderstood, much like many other mental illnesses. Nicholas Spanos, Professor of Psychology, hypothesized Multiple Personality Disorder as a defense against childhood trauma that creates â€Å"dissociation† or a split mental state. The trauma sustained during childhood is so substantial, that the individual creates different identities to cope with itRead MoreDissociative Identity Disorder ( Dissociative Disorder )1194 Words   |  5 PagesDissociative Identity Disorder is a disorder distinguished by the existence of two or more distinct personality states. It is also known as DID or Multiple Personality Disorder. It is very rare, with only 20,000 to 200,000 known US cases per year. Currently, there is no known cure, but treatment can sometimes help. Many believe that DID can be caused by a significant trauma and is used as a coping mechanism to help avoid bad memories. The disorders most often form in kids victim to long-term physicalRead MoreDissociative Identity Disorder970 Words   |  4 Pages Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) is a severe condition in which two or more dissimilar identities, or character states, are present and alternately take control of an individual. The person experiences memory loss that is vaguely extensive to be explained as common forgetfulness. These symptoms are not taken in consideration for by seizures, substance abuse or any other medical conditions. Description of DID: Symptoms: Read MoreDissociative Identity Disorder2780 Words   |  12 PagesDissociative Identity Disorder Imagine waking up in a new house, town, city, even state and not knowing how you got there. Now add onto that thought of forgetting almost a year of your life because someone else, or something, has taken over your body. That is just a look into dissociative disorders in general. Dissociative Disorders are ‘extreme distortions in perception and memory† (Terwilliger 2013). Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), or previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder, isRead MoreDissociative Identity Disorder2296 Words   |  9 Pagesdefines dissociative identity disorder (DID) as the occurrence of a minimum of two different personalities and maybe more than two. It also clarifies that the switching between the distinct personalities can be observed by the individual who is suffering from dissociative identity disorder or witnessed by others. (Barlow, 2014, P. 1). This disorder used to be known as multiple personality disorder, which is more recognized and understood to peop le without a psychology background. This disorder can beRead MoreDissociative Identity Disorder1221 Words   |  5 PagesThis research paper is about Dissociative identity disorder (DID) as known as multiple personality disorder. DID in which a person could have many different parts to their personality due to severe stress and an experience of a trauma. A person with DID when the have control over their one identity they cannot remember what they did when their other identities were in control. Most of the time people with DID have two personalities but they could have more than two which is referred as alters. ThenRead MoreDissociative Identity Disorder : Dissociative Identification Disorder1485 Words   |  6 PagesDissociative Identity Disorder Dissociative Identity Disorder is a mental disorder where an individual experiences two or more distinct personalities. When an individual is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, one personality has dominant control of an individual. This personality controls how a person may act and how they live everyday life. A person diagnosed with this disease may or may not be aware of their alternate personalities. Each personality is contrasting of each other withRead MoreDissociative Identity Disorder1030 Words   |  5 PagesDissociative Identity Disorder Defining what is abnormal is not necessarily easy. There are many different criteria to determine what exactly is normal and what is abnormal. According to Ciccarelli and White (2012) as early as 3000 B.C.E. there have been human skulls found with holes in them. Archaeologists suspect this was caused because of the treatments they had years ago such as â€Å"trepanning†. Trepanning is done nowadays as well to remove extra fluids from the brain, as for years ago doctors didRead MoreDissociative Identity Disorder ( Dissociative Personality )1254 Words   |  6 PagesDissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder) is thought to be a complex mental condition that is likely brought on by numerous variables, including serious injury amid early adolescence generally compelling, repetitive physical, sexual, or psychological mistreatment. The greater part of us have encountered mild dissociation, which resemble wandering off in fantasy land or losing all sense of direction at the time while taking a shot at an undertaking. In anyRead MoreDissociative Identity Disorder1678 Words   |  7 PagesDissociation is defined as â€Å"a mental process, which produces a lack of connection in a person s thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity† (Grohol, 2016). The Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a severe condition in which two or more separate, distinct identities or personality states are present in an individual. In other words, a person has, what seems like, actual distinct and contrasting people in their head and these â€Å"alters† are able to take control of an individual’s

Movie Summary A Christmas Carol Essay Example For Students

Movie Summary A Christmas Carol Essay A Christmas Carol (2009) was a great movie to watch, although, it does have some differences from the book. Though many differences there are similarities as well. As we re-visit the greatest Christmas story of all time, we will discover the differences, similarities, and changes made to this story in previous years. In the film we witness an old man named Ebenezer Scrooge who is awakened on Christmas Eve and visited by spirits. They remind him of the terrible life he has been living and the opportunities he wasted growing up. Ebenezer is also faced with the decision to either change his ways or to continue living the miserable life he has been living. This will determine whether or not Scrooge will face death or redemption. The novel is also the same plot structure as the film, yet there are many differences between the book and the film. Here are some places when the film differs. In the book we are introduced to The Ghost of Christmas Present. A difference that occurs here is that when The Ghost of Christmas Present â€Å"dies† in the book, it just disappears. In the movie we witness the actual death of The Ghost of Christmas Present. Unlike the book, the whole chasing scene when Scrooge is being chased by the horses and is shrinking only occurs in the film. Scrooge also falls into his own grave during this scene which is not included in the book either. Old Joe does not make an appearance in the novel, but in the film he is seen chasing shrunken Scrooge with a fire poker. At the end of The Ghost of Christmas Past sequence Scrooge rids the spirit out with his own cap, but in to film the spirit is â€Å"jetted† towards the sky. In the book it is also written that Scrooge encounters a ghost riding a phantom hearse right before he visits Jacob Marley. In the movie, it is clear to see that this scene is moved to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come’s scene. In the movie it is not shown when Belle is with her family, but in the book there is a section about this event. More differences can be shown with the changes of technology. In the book there is obviously the use of older language, but when the Disney film was written in 2009 they used language more â€Å"up to date† that children would be able to understand when watching the movie. Also a difference occurs in the Disney remake of this film/novel because it is animated. This is unlike any other version of A Christmas Carol ever made. Having films be remade over time can definitely cause for some changes in the story line. Sometimes directors try to make the film more modern and have it apply to the lives of everyday people. It is absolutely a true statement when people say â€Å"a movie can never be as good as the book†. In my opinion, I find this to be a super accurate saying because books such as Harry Potter, are very, very long and you do not want to be watching a 6 hour movie. With that being said, directors often cut out parts of the novel to have enough space in the film for what they want. Sadly, directors usually take out the most important parts of the novel when making the film, causing it to be completely different. I personally like to read the book before I see a movie just because of things like this. It is way easier to compare the movie and book if you know both sides of the story. It is also good to do things like this so you can see how well the film follows the book. .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86 , .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86 .postImageUrl , .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86 , .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86:hover , .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86:visited , .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86:active { border:0!important; } .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86:active , .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86 .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc22456f791d236a1046d39f9701fcd86:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Movie Summary - A Civil Action EssayRarely, I have come across films that follow the book very well. One example would be The Book Thief. Not only did the film follow the book very well, but it also showed you what it would be like living in the character’s position during that terrible time in history. Films can be a complete hit with the crowds in terms of following the book, or they can be an absolute miss. A major similarity that can be seen is the meanness and personality of Ebenezer Scrooge. The book is where we first witness the terrible Christmas Spirit of Scrooge. He is obviously not a huge fan of Christmas because of his lonely life as child, the loss of his wife Belle, and the death of his business partner Jacob Marley. I think Scrooge feels as if there is nothing good to celebrate because everything has been taken away from him, so people shouldn’t deserve what they get. After watching the film, it is easy to see the personality of Scrooge shine. He can be very mean, but there were also many times in the film where you could see the softness and kindness he had deep inside him. Scrooge was always known as the â€Å"tough guy† and didn’t want to show even the smallest amount of kindness he may have had. The character Ebenezer Scrooge made such an impact with his meanness and selfishness the word â€Å"scrooge† is now used today. The film and the book has helped us truly understand his personality, but it is the film that helps it come to life. As you can see, making a film an exact match to a novel is never the case. There will always be differences and even similarities that occur in either the film or the novel. Changes are always going to be made and before we know it A Christmas Carol might be a completely different story years from now. That is why reading the book is always the best so that you can understand the true story. Though there are many different versions of the film, there is only one amazing novel by Charles Dickens. No film is ever as good as the original novel. This is a reason why I truly hope that amazing stories like these are being made as I get older and for future generations to come. It is always nice to bring out a good book, sit down, and read it, even if it is one you have read over one thousand times. This book is one book that is never going to get old to me.

Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber Essays -

Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber One theme present in Ernest Hemingway's short story, "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber", is that the way a person views his life can change completely in one fulfilling moment, if only for an instant. This is a story of a man's continuous display of cowardice, his wife's retaliatory love affair, and his recovery of integrity and pride as he bravely faces a charging buffalo. Francis Macomber is a prominent American businessman with a beautiful, dominating wife who holds the control and power in their marriage. At the start of their safari trip to Africa, Francis Macomber is regarded as a coward and endures the embarrassment from his own cowardliness during the hunt, the disrespect from his wife, as well as a feeling of weakness when compared to Robert Wilson, his safari leader. He regains his integrity and confidence when he faces a charging bull only to have his life cut short when his fires a bullet through the back of his head. At the start of the safari, Francis Macomber must endure the embarrassment of his own cowardliness during the hunt. He is first presented in a "mock triumph", since he had only "half an hour before, been carried to his tent from the edge of the camp in triumph on the arms and shoulders of the cook, the personal boys, the skinner and the porters. The gun-bearers had taken no part in the demonstration" (DiYanni 337). This is evident that Macomber has withdrawn from his prior hunt for a lion and has already been recognized as a coward in the eyes of the gun-bearers. They do not wish to pretend along with everyone else that Francis deserves praise for a lion that he supposedly shot. Macomber, however, does finally shoot a lion during his second outing with Wilson and his wife. Upon approaching the injured lion hiding in the tall grasses, "Macomber heard the blood-choked coughing grant, and saw the swishing rush in the grass. The next this he knew he was running; running wildly, in panic in the open, running towards the stream" (DiYanni 347). Macomber does here what most any man would do if confrotned by a lion. He runs. His wife, however criticizes him for what she sees as weakness in her eyes. Another factor contributing to Francis Macomber's suffering self-esteem is that he must also withstand the constant disrespect from his own wife, Margot. She is the power in their marriage and refuses to let him show any type of influence in their relationship. Margot readily shows everyone around them how humiliated she is of her husband's actions even at the beginning of the safari when she shuns her husband's choice of drink. She maintains much control and is open with her affairs with other men. After the incident with lion and she witnesses Francis's terrified retreat from the lion, she blatantly "leaned forward over the low seat and kissed him on the mouth", referring to Robert Wilson (DiYanni 347). She does not consider any of Francis's feelings. When he asks her where she has been when she finally returns in the middle of the night to their tent, she reply's "Out to get a breath of air", to which Francis reply's "That's a new name for it. You are a bitch"(DiYanni 347). This seems to imply that this is not the first time she has been caught in an affair. She states that the reason for her behavior is the result of his cowardice. She turns to other men who demonstrate what she believes to be strength and bravery. She holds absolutely no respect for her husband, and insists on accompanying them on the safari even though even Wilson openly opposes her request and thinks to himself that "women are a nuisance on safari" (DiYanni 350). Francis Macomber, although wealthier and more prominent when compared to his safari leader, Robert Wilson, also lacks the strength and self-knowledge that Wilson seems to carry naturally in order to survive in the African wildlife. Wilson represents the brave and courageous man that Francis Macomber wants to become. He is introduced ordering a gimlet and therefore rejecting Macomber's kind of drink. Macomber feeling ashamed of himself and unsure of his choice changes his mind and orders the same drink. He is aware of his self-consciousness and asks Wilson to not talk about an earlier incident in which he had "bolted like a rabbit." Wilson, at this point, loses any respect he has at all for Macomber, "so he's

Free Essays on Deep Curriculum Alignment

Chapter one discusses the reasons why assessment and accountability have become increasingly prevalent over the last 50 years. Interestingly, English blames most of the problems with assessment and accountability on politics. The chapter discusses in depth the rhetoric associated with the defects of public education today. Six culprits including the monopolistic and inefficient nature of public education, the genetic incapacity of minority children and children of color to do well in school, the intransigence of teacher unions to educational reform, the lack of intellectual rigor in colleges of education, the good ‘ole boy coaches who dominate school leadership positions, and the lack of â€Å"quality† in schools which must be forcefully inserted by ratcheting up the consequences of not doing well on state tests were all investigated in the chapter. I can very easily relate to all six of these â€Å"culprits.† At different times in my education career, I have heard reference to all six. I particularly enjoyed the discussion centered on the last culprit since this high-stakes testing practice is used in the state of Alabama. What is most thought provoking about this is that I had actually bought into the belief that some of these â€Å"culprits† were actually legitimate. English points out that these aspects have little or nothing to do with poor tests score and fixing them will not improve tests scores since test scores are not caused by any of them. This chapter also explores four popular myths about tests. Among these myths are tests are neutral and objective, tests are meritocratic tools, tests take the politics out of education, and one can test (inspect) quality in education. I found of particular interest the section dealing with tests and politics. English refers many times to the politics involved in high stakes testing in this chapter. To be perfectly honest, I did not realize to what extent testing was political... Free Essays on Deep Curriculum Alignment Free Essays on Deep Curriculum Alignment Chapter one discusses the reasons why assessment and accountability have become increasingly prevalent over the last 50 years. Interestingly, English blames most of the problems with assessment and accountability on politics. The chapter discusses in depth the rhetoric associated with the defects of public education today. Six culprits including the monopolistic and inefficient nature of public education, the genetic incapacity of minority children and children of color to do well in school, the intransigence of teacher unions to educational reform, the lack of intellectual rigor in colleges of education, the good ‘ole boy coaches who dominate school leadership positions, and the lack of â€Å"quality† in schools which must be forcefully inserted by ratcheting up the consequences of not doing well on state tests were all investigated in the chapter. I can very easily relate to all six of these â€Å"culprits.† At different times in my education career, I have heard reference to all six. I particularly enjoyed the discussion centered on the last culprit since this high-stakes testing practice is used in the state of Alabama. What is most thought provoking about this is that I had actually bought into the belief that some of these â€Å"culprits† were actually legitimate. English points out that these aspects have little or nothing to do with poor tests score and fixing them will not improve tests scores since test scores are not caused by any of them. This chapter also explores four popular myths about tests. Among these myths are tests are neutral and objective, tests are meritocratic tools, tests take the politics out of education, and one can test (inspect) quality in education. I found of particular interest the section dealing with tests and politics. English refers many times to the politics involved in high stakes testing in this chapter. To be perfectly honest, I did not realize to what extent testing was political...

Five Theories on the Origins of Language

Five Theories on the Origins of Language What was the first language? How did language begin- where and when? Until recently, a sensible linguist would likely respond to such questions with a shrug and a sigh. As Bernard Campbell states flatly in Humankind Emerging (Allyn Bacon, 2005), We simply do not know, and never will, how or when language began. Its hard to imagine a cultural phenomenon thats more important than the development of language. And yet no human attribute offers less conclusive evidence regarding its origins. The mystery, says Christine Kenneally in her book The First Word, lies in the nature of the spoken word: For all its power to wound and seduce, speech is our most ephemeral creation; it is little more than air. It exits the body as a series of puffs and dissipates quickly into the atmosphere... There are no verbs preserved in amber, no ossified nouns, and no prehistorical shrieks forever spread-eagled in the lava that took them by surprise. The absence of such evidence certainly hasnt discouraged speculation about the origins of language. Over the centuries, many theories have been put forward- and just about all of them have been challenged, discounted, and often ridiculed. Each theory accounts for only a small part of what we know about language. Here, identified by their disparaging nicknames, are five of the oldest and most common theories of how language began. The Bow-Wow Theory According to this theory, language began when our ancestors started imitating the natural sounds around them. The first speech was onomatopoeic- marked by echoic words such as moo, meow, splash, cuckoo, and bang.   Whats wrong with this theory?Relatively few words are onomatopoeic, and these words vary from one language to another. For instance, a dogs bark is heard as au au in Brazil, ham ham in Albania, and wang, wang in China. In addition, many onomatopoeic words are of recent origin, and not all are derived from natural sounds. The Ding-Dong Theory This theory, favored by Plato and Pythagoras, maintains that speech arose in response to the essential qualities of objects in the environment. The original sounds people made were supposedly in harmony with the world around them. Whats wrong with this theory?Apart from some rare instances of sound symbolism, theres no persuasive evidence, in any language, of an innate connection between sound and meaning. The La-La Theory The Danish linguist Otto Jespersen suggested that language may have developed from sounds associated with love, play, and (especially) song. Whats wrong with this theory?As David Crystal notes in How Language Works (Penguin, 2005), this theory still fails to account for the gap between the emotional and the rational aspects of speech expression. The Pooh-Pooh Theory This theory holds that speech began with interjections- spontaneous cries of pain (Ouch!), surprise (Oh!), and other emotions (Yabba dabba do!). Whats wrong with this theory?No language contains very many interjections, and, Crystal points out, the clicks, intakes of breath, and other noises which are used in this way bear little relationship to the vowels and consonants found in phonology. The Yo-He-Ho Theory According to this theory, language evolved from the grunts, groans, and snorts evoked by heavy physical labor. Whats wrong with this theory?Though this notion may account for some of the rhythmic features of the language, it doesnt go very far in explaining where words come from. As Peter Farb says in Word Play: What Happens When People Talk (Vintage, 1993): All these speculations have serious flaws, and none can withstand the close scrutiny of present knowledge about the structure of language and about the evolution of our species. But does this mean that all questions about the origin of language are unanswerable? Not necessarily. Over the past 20 years, scholars from such diverse fields as genetics, anthropology, and cognitive science have been engaged, as Kenneally says, in a cross-discipline, multidimensional treasure hunt to find out how language began. It is, she says, the hardest problem in science today. In a future article, well consider more recent theories about the origins and development of language- what William James called the most imperfect and expensive means yet discovered for communicating a thought.

Application Case 3-1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Application Case 3-1 - Assignment Example sexual harassment cases have been formally indicated, investigated and confirmed, an employee should be terminated; then, the same action should be applied to the president, as well. The handling of sexual harassment cases is considered complicated due to the following reasons: (1) due to its sensitive nature, there are almost always no witnesses; (2) the cases should be handled on a case-to-case basis; (3) reporting the incident was considered fact-specific, subjective, and takes into account the credibility of both the accuser and the accused; and (4) evolving behavioral changes with regards to accepting some patterns of behavior differ through time (Pfeiffer & Henneman, p. 90). Consistency in handling sexual harassment claims is important because there could be legal sanctions and cases filed for discrimination if employers would treat their employees differently in situations where sexual harassment complaints are made. As such, based on company policies or codes of discipline and ethical behavior, organizations should clearly and explicitly stipulate instances that render the behavior as veering towards sexual harassment (irrespective of race, gender, age, length of service, position in the company, and other factors noted in the Equal Employment Opportunities