Ethnic group Essay Example for Free

Ethnic group Essay In this section, we will discuss race, ethnicity, and multiculturalism and how they are depicted in the show. These concepts are somehow illustrated in this television series. Race, in the American society, has been typified by black skin color. The unique cultural traits and the sense of community African-Americans share reflect their ethnicity. On the other hand, Kady, the youngest child in the Kyle family, represents multiculturalism through her knowledge of multiple languages. The following section will define, operationalize, and describe these concepts and how they are evident in the show. Race is a category of people used to differentiate people in terms of physical appearance, particularly skin color. People who have the same physical characteristics are from the same race. The concept that is used to operationalize race is skin color. In this show, the dominant race is â€Å"black† but there are a few characters that are â€Å"white. † People who have a dark skin color are considered non-Caucasians. In this series, the racial minority is the Caucasian because the non-Caucasians are the dominant group that makes up most of the characters. Therefore, race is largely unmentioned during the show because most of the characters are from the same race. However, there is one episode in season two where there was an argument between two different races, the Caucasians and the non-Caucasian. At the beginning of this episode, Michael is forced to take his family out for a meal. He is annoyed when he realized that the restaurant is expensive and the service isn’t good enough. Michael’s evening worsens as he gets to sit next to Stuart Tyler’s family, a guy whom he got angry at in the gas station for taking to long to gas up his tank. A few minutes later, Stuart starts insulting Michael’s kids, citing their smell, while Michael insults Stuart’s kids by telling Stuart that â€Å"they look like squirrels. † Afterwards, Michael apologizes to Stuart but seconds later they argue again on who’s the bigger man. They make amends again but then argue cause Stuart held Michael’s lobster without washing his hands after urinating. When they starting singing â€Å"Happy Birthday† for Stuart’s wife, Stuart interrupts in the middle and is irritated by the fact that Michael isn’t singing. The arguing just keeps going and going and things never got any better. They leave the restaurant at odds with one another. Michael and Stuart’s altercation evidenced friction between Caucasian and non-Caucasians but apart from this episode, race is not a point of reference throughout the scope of the show. Consequently, race is insignificant in this show and is proven to be unimportant within the Kyle family. An ethnic group is a group of people who have common national or cultural characteristics. An ethnic group has five main characteristics: (1) unique cultural traits such as language, clothing, holiday, or religious practices; (2) a sense of community; (3) a feeling of ethnocentrism; (4) ascribed membership from birth; and (5) tendency to occupy a distinct geographic area (Caron 269). The social structures ethnicity groups strengthen social solidarity. Social structures are the stable pattern of social relationships that exist within a group or society (Soci1002E, Lect. 5, 2012). The main ethnic group in the show is the African-Americans. The unique cultural traits and the sense of belonging is what will be used to operationalize ethnicity. The sense of belonging within the African-Americans in the show is what empowers this ethnic group. A social structure is the stable pattern of social relationships that exists within a particular group or society (Soci 1002E, Lecture 6, 2012). The African-Americans in the show share the same language, and a sense of belonging. The language that the African-Americans use is English as it is their first language in their country and state. Michael’s youngest daughter is learning Spanish and Swahili but her mother tongue is English. Throughout the show, the Kyle family develops relationships with other African-Americans individuals. Michael married an African-American woman. Junior impregnated an African-American woman; Vanessa. Claire and Kady retain African-American boyfriends. Also, Junior has many African-Americans friends. All these relationships prove that the African-American community shares a sense of belonging. The language and the sense of community is what make the African-Americans a powerful ethnic group in the show. Multiculturalism is a philosophy that respects ethnic diversity within a community that encourages people to learn about other cultures. A multicultural person acknowledges and accepts diverse cultures other than his or her own and tries to learn from them. The way this concept is measured is by understanding and learning other cultures, especially through its’ language. Kady Kyle, Michael’s youngest child, is the precocious one out of Michael’s sons and daughters. She is referred to as â€Å"the cute one† because she is the youngest one in the family. â€Å"The cute one† strongly supports the idea of multiculturalism through her musical talent. In the Episode †Making the Grade†, the Kyle family are sitting at a table while Michael Kylie checks out his sons’ report card. After they are done celebrating Claire’s outstanding report card, Michael calls on Kady to come and sit on his lap. Kady innocently says, â€Å"I don’t have a report card. † â€Å"Yes, but you do go to school, right? You go to music class. How are you doing there? † replies her father. â€Å"Well, I learned a new song called Itsy Bitsy Spider† she answered. Her father then claims that he never heard this song before and asks her to sing it for him. She starts singing the song until he father interrupts her and tells her to sing the song in Spanish. So she starts singing in Spanish until her father tell hers to sing it in Swahili, a language spoken by several countries in East Africa. Kady is learning about other cultures through their language at a very young age. She is willing to learn more about other languages and is doing so through an artistic way. She found an interesting way to connect music and culture together which is very smart for someone her age. By choosing this concept, we concentrated on the cultural diversity aspect of the television show. This scene allowed us to demonstrate my knowledge in understanding the sociological concept, multiculturalism. The scene depicts a multicultural young girl who is eager to discover other cultures, especially its’ language. To conclude, these three concepts are demonstrated in a way or the other. After operationalizing, analyzing these sociological concepts, and applying them in My Wife and Kids, we discovered that ethnicity and multiculturalism are clearly portrayed, while race isn’t really significant in the show. Race isn’t really depicted in the show but the constant disagreement between Michael and Stuart reveals a slight conflict between the non-Caucasians and the Caucasians. The African-Americans have proven that they are a strong ethnic group through their culture and sense of community. In the show, they all speak the same language and have several relationships between each other. Kady Kyle’s comprehension of other cultures is what ascertains that multiculturalism is evident in the show.

Kushta Abrak Safaid Physicochemical Properties Study

Kushta Abrak Safaid Physicochemical Properties Study STUDY OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF KUSHTA ABRAK SAFAID PREPARED BY DIFFERENT DETOXIFICATION METHODS Mohd Tariq, Khaleequr Rahman, Shahid Shah Chaudhary, Mohd Zakir Corresponding author. Mohd Tariq (M.D) Abstract Background: Kushtas are organo-mineral nano-particles made by treating mineral with several herbs and subjected to precise heat treatment. In classical Unani text, various methods for the detoxification of abrak (Mica) are described. The end product of these methods is considered to be same but scientifically this claim has not been validated. Objective: The present study was aimed at comparative physicochemical evaluation of kushta abrak safaid (KAS) prepared by two different methods of detoxification, using classical as well as modern scientific parameters. Materials and Methods: Abrak was detoxified by two methods mentioned in Unani literature. After detoxification, both kushtas were prepared in furnace due to isolation of material heated, cost effectiveness and controlled heating system. Both finished products were comparatively evaluated for physicochemical characteristics including preliminary tests. Results: Floating and fineness test were positive for both the kushtas indicated correct preparation of KAS. Bulk density (0.50 ± 0.00 and 0.49 ± 0.00 gm/ml), tapped density (0.83 ± 0.00 and 0.83 ± 0.03 gm/ml), Hauser’s ratio (1.69 ± 0.00 and 1.65 ±0.01), compressibility index (40.23 ± 0.24 and 40.25 ±0.41%), loss of weight on drying (0.095 ± 0.00 and 0.094 ± 0.00%), pH of 1 and 10 % solution (9.96 ± 0.01, 9.60 ± 0.01, and 10.87 ± 0.00, 10.30 ± 0.01) total ash, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash (93.04 ± 0.05, 5.98 ± 0.01, 6.59 ± 0.07 and 97.26 ± 0.03, 6.84 ± 0.01, 7.48 ± 0.00%); extractive values in petroleum ether, acetone, ethanol and water (0.00 ± 0.00, 0.46 ± 0.03, 1.43 ± 0.03, 5.23 ± 0.03 and 0.00 ± 0.00, 0.6 ± 0.00, 1.73 ± 0.03, 2.4 ±0.06%) were reported in KAS1 and KAS2 respectively. Conclusion: Results suggests that physicochemical constants of both kushtas were similar without any significant difference. Hence, the study scientifically validates the claims of Unani scholars that different detoxification methods of abrak do not have any significant effect on physicochemical properties of its kushtas. Key words: Detoxification, kushta, Mica, physicochemical, Unani medicine. 1. Introduction Unani means medicines which are a symbol of life. The name is derived from the word Ionian which originated in Greece. It is a time tested system of medicine dating back 5000 years.1 This system has vast description of useful metals and minerals. Earlier there was a disbelief that minerals are incompatible to humans, but now it has been reported that numbers of metallic compounds are essential for body.2 In Unani and other alternative system of medicine these metals and minerals are mostly used in calcined form called as kushta. Kushta is known by various vernacular names like Rasayana,3,4 Elixir4, Kimiya,4 Ikseer3,4, Bhasma5 etc. It is an organometallic substance treated with a quantum of heat to induce thermal decomposition in drug which produces rapid remedial effect after entering in the body. 6 In Unani system Mica (abrak) is used effectively since millennia for the treatment of various disorders. Internally, it is used in the form of kushta. But before making its kushta, it is always subjected to detoxification in order to enhance its therapeutic actions and remove the unwanted or toxic properties.7 Various detoxification procedures of abrak are mentioned in classical texts, which are still in practiced. Unani scholars claim that different detoxification methods do not implicate significant effect on physicochemical properties of the end products. However, this claim is never scientifically studied. Therefore, the present study was aimed to prepare kushta abrak safaid by detoxifying it by two different methods and comparatively inscribe the physicochemical properties of both the finished product and to observe that whether the two kushtas significantly differ from each other or not. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1 Materials Abrak safaid and milk were purchased from the local market in Bangalore. Ghekwar (Aloe barbadensis Mill.) was procured from the herbal garden of National Institute of Unani Medicine. Shora Qalmi (Potassium nitrate) was purchased from Shrinivasa chemical shop, Rajaji Nagar, Bangalore and was of analytical grade. 2.2 Methods of detoxification (Tasfiya) of abrak safaid Before subjecting to kushtasazi, abrak safaid was purified as per classical literature. Most of the raw drugs are procured from the mines, so there is more chance of impurities, toxicity and heterogeneous qualities. Tasfiya (detoxification) is indicated to eliminate all such impurities and to induce certain good qualities to enhance its pharmaco-therapeutic properties.8 This process results in the conversion of impure mineral into pure or organomineral form, ready to be calcined.9 If ‘tasfiya is not performed, their use is said to be injurious to the individual.10 First method of detoxification The layers of abrak were first separated by pounding with mortar and pestle (Fig 1). The small pieces of abrak were tied loosely in a bag of thick cotton cloth along with date (Phoenix dactylifera) seeds. The bag was then dipped in lukewarm water and rubbed vigorously (Fig 2). Small particles of abrak were then squeezed out of the bag. The process of dipping the bag in hot water and rubbing was repeated till all the particles of abrak were squeezed out of the bag. The particles of abrak were allowed to settle down at the bottom of the vessels and the water was decanted. The abrak particles were collected and allowed to dry. The dry particles are called abrak mahloob (Fig 3).11 Fig 1: Raw abrak Fig 2: Dhanab process Fig 3: Abrak mahloob Second Method of detoxification Abrak was heated on fire (Fig 4) until red hot (Fig 5) and then dipped in 100 ml milk (Fig 6). The procedure was repeated seven times.12 Fig 4. Raw Abrak  during heating Fig. 5 Abrak after  red hot stage Fig. 6. Abrak safaid  after dipping in milk 2.3 Method of preparation of Kushta Abrak safaid KAS was prepared as per method mentioned in Kitab ul taklees6 but with a slight modification, that instead of using the cow dung cakes it was prepared in furnace because being a closed chamber furnace gives better temperature control,9,13 isolation of material being heated, saves time and labour,13 Twelve gram abrak safaid musaffa was dipped in luab gheekwar (Aloe barbadensis) (Fig 7) and placed inside Muffle Furnace and heat was given (Fig 8). For the operation of heat, thermogram of 12 kg of cow dung cakes given by Kumar G et al was followed14 as same quantity of cow dung cakes are used for the preparation of KAS. Afterwards self cooling, 18 gm shora qalmi dissolved in 20 ml water was added (Fig 9) and again heated (Fig. 10) by following same heat pattern. After self cooling, kushta was removed and dipped in one liter water (Fig 11) and kept undisturbed for 2-3 hrs so as to remove shora qalmi. Afterwards water was removed and kushta was dried on heater. After complete drying, KAS ( Fig 12) was stored in an air tight bottle. Fig. 7 Abrak flakes dipped Fig. 8. After 1st puta (Heating) Fig. 9. Shora dissolved  in Aloe barbadensis in water added Fig. 10. After 2nd puta (Heating) Fig. 11. Kushta dipped in water Fig. 12. Final kushta abrak safaid Physico-chemical parameters The prepared kushtas were evaluated for classical parameters like organoleptic properties, classical parameters of kamil kushta (ideal kushta) like floating test, 15 grain floating test,16 fineness test15 as well as modern scientific parameters like bulk density,17 tapped density,17 Hausner’s ratio,18 Carr’s compressibility index19 in density tester by LABINDIA model no. 1025. pH in 1% and 10% solution20 by digital pH meter by Eutech instruments model no. 1544421, loss of weight on drying20 in hot air oven by LABLINE, Anmatrix instrument technologies. Total ash,21 acid insoluble ash,22 water soluble ash22 and extractive values23 were also evaluated. 3. Results and Discussion Ideally kushta should be tasteless, odorless and lusterless. Both KAS were tasteless, odorless, smooth to touch and lusterless (Table no.3). KAS1 was yellowish white and KAS2 was complete white. Floating, grain floating, finger and wall stick test were positive for both kushtas (Fig.13-18). These findings implies that both the kushtas were ideal (kamil) as per classical Unani literature. Fig.13 Floating test (KAS1) Fig.14 Rice floating on KAS1 Fig. 15.Finger test KAS1 Fig. 16 Floating test (KAS2) Fig. 17 Rice floating on KAS2 Fig. 18 Finger test (KAS2) The mean value of bulk and tapped density of KAS1 and KAS2 were 0.50 ± 0.00 gm/ml, 0.83 ± 0.00 gm/ml and 0.49 ±0.00, 0.83 ± 0.03 gm/ml respectively (Table no.4). Bulk density is the mass per unit volume of a loose powder bed. It is an essential parameter for process development of solid dosage manufacturing. It indicates the amount of powder that can fit in a space.18 The tapped density represents the random dense packing of the material and is generally higher for regularly shaped particles (i.e. spheres) as compared to irregularly shaped particles such as needles.18 The mean value of Hausner’s ratio and compressibility Index of KAS1 and KAS2 were 1.69 ± 0.00, 40.23 ± 0.24% and 1.65 ± 0.00, 40.39 ±0.25 % respectively (Table no.4). Compressibility index is a measure of relative importance of inter-particulate interactions. In a free flowing particle, these interactions are generally less significant; so bulk density and tapped density values are closer. For poo rly flowing materials, there are frequently greater inter particle interactions, which results in lower bulk density and a greater difference between bulk and tapped densities. These differences in particle interactions are reflected as compressibility index.18 Compressibility index of kushtas were greater than 37 indicated that both kushtas have very, very poor flow properties.24 However, the compressibility index of KAS1 was less than that of KAS2 indicating that KAS2 was more compressible than KAS1. Fig. 19. Comparative Bulk density, tapped density and Hausner’s ratio of raw abrak, KAS1 and KAS2 pH value of both kushta were alkaline. The pH value of KAS1 and KAS2 was 9.96 ± 0.01 and 9.60 ± 0.01 respectively in 1% and 10.87 ± 0.00 and 10.30 ± 0.01 respectively in 10% aqueous solution (Table no.4). These results are in accordance to the fact that the pH value of water solutions of metallic oxides are basic.25 The percentage of loss of weight on drying at 105 °C was found to be 0.095 ± 0.00 and 0.094 ± 0.00 in KAS1 and KAS2 respectively (Table no.4). Shelf life of kushta as mentioned in classical literature is infinite and they become more and more potent with the advent of time. This negligible moisture might be the factor responsible for high shelf life as it would not provide any medium for the growth of the microbes and restricts the chemical reactions. The mean percentage values of the total ash, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash and water insoluble ash in KAS1 were 93.04 ± 0.05%, 5.98 ± 0.01 %, 6.59 ± 0.07% and 86.45 ± 0.07 % respectively and for KAS2 were 97.26 ± 0.03 %, 6.84 ± 0.01 %, 7.48 ± 0.00 % and 89.77 ± 0.04% respectively (Table no.4). High ash value in both kushtas showed the presence of very high inorganic content. However, KAS2 showed higher quantity of inorganic matter than KAS2. Fig. 20. Comparative total ash (TA), water insoluble ash (WIA), acid insoluble ash (AIA) and water soluble ash (WSA) of raw abrak, KAS1 and KAS2 The mean percentage of the extractive value of KAS1 in petroleum ether, acetone, ethanol and water were 0.00 ± 0.00, 0.46 ± 0.03, 1.43 ± 0.0and 35.23 ± 0.03 respectively and for KAS2 were 0.00 ± 0.00, 0.6 ± 0.00, 1.73 ± 0.03 and 5.73 ± 0.03 respectively (Table no.4). Extractive values help in the determination of the adulteration and is an index of the purity of the drug. In case of kushta extractive value is performed to extract out organic matter if present.26 Low extractive values were indicative of very low organic matter and maximum quantity of inorganic substance in both kushtas. Fig. 21. Comparative extractive values of KAS1 and KAS2 in petroleum ether, acetone, ethanol and water Table 1: Observations while detoxification of abrak Table 2: Physical Constants of raw abrak Table 3: Preliminary tests of raw abrak, KAS1 and KAS2 Table 4: Physicochemical parameters of raw abrak, KAS1 and KAS2 *LOD- Loss of weight on drying, AIA-Acid insoluble ash, WIA- Water insoluble ash, WSA- Water soluble ash 4. Conclusion The data of the present study suggests that the physicochemical characteristics of KAS1 and KAS2 were similar without any significant difference. Hence, the study validates the claim of Unani scholars that difference in detoxification methods does not have any effect on the action and uses of kushtas. Further, these kushtas should be analyzed through sophisticated analytical instruments like XRD, Particle size distribution, SEM, TEM, Energy Dispersive X Ray, AFM methods. Furthermore, work needs to be done using various animal models to evaluate the extent of absorption and their elemental effect at tissue level. References Dubey N, Dubey N, Mehta RS, Saluja AK, Jain DK. Quality Assessment of Kushta-e-Gaodanti: A Traditional Unani Medicine. Asian J. Research Chem. 2008; 1(1):46-50. Dandiya PC, Vohora SB. Research and Development of Indigenous Drugs. New Delhi: Jamia Hamdard; 1989:297 Kareem BH, Ferozuddin CH. Miftahul Khazain. New Delhi: Idara Kitabus shifa; YNM: 6, 194. Mahdihassan S. Indian Alchemy or Rasayana. New Delhi: Vikas Publication House; 1979: iii, 20,51, 52, 60, 63, 65,66. Bajaj S, Vohora SB. Anti-Cataleptic, Anti-Anxiety and Anti-Depressant Activity of Gold Preparations used in Indian Systems of Medicine. Ind Jour of Pharmacol. 2000; 32: 339-346. Kabeeruddin HM. Kitabul Taklees. New Delhi: Central Council of Research in Unani Medicine; YNM: 23, 46, 68 Khaleefatullah M, Rasheeda AM. Ilmul sayadala- The Unani pharmacy. Andhra Pradesh : Academic Publisher; 2009: 27. Neeralagi RM. Physico-Chemical Analysis and Evaluation of Antibacterial And Antifungal Activity Of Sasyaka Bhasma. Dissertation submitted to the Rajiv Gandhi university of Health Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka; 2010:13. Tariq M. Comparative Physicochemical Analysis of Kushta Nuqra Prepared by Different Methods of Detoxification. Dissertation submitted to the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka; 2013: 68. Chopra RN, Chopra IC, Handa KL, Kapur LD. Chopra’s Indigenous Drugs of India. 2 Nd Ed. Calcutta: Academic Publisher; 1982:461-464. Anonymous. The Unani Pharmacopoeia of India. Part-II. Vol. 1. New Delhi: CCRUM, Ministry of H F.W. Govt. of India; 2007: 270-271. Hafeez A. Sanatal Takless. New Delhi: Central Council of Research in Unani Medicine; YNM: 87. Chaturvedi R, Jha CB. Standard Manufacturing Procedure of Rajata Bhasma. An Int Quar Jour of Res in Ayur. 2011; 32(4): 566–71. Kumar KG, Galib, Patgiri BJ. Pharmaceutical standardization of Jala shukati Bhasma and mukata shukati Bhasma. An Int Quar Jour of Res in Ayur. 2012; 33(1): 136–142. Tariq M, Chaudhary SS, Imtiyaz S. Introduction to kushta: a herbo-mineral Unani formulation. Jour of pharma and sci inno. 2013; 2(1): 14-17. Mohaptra S, Jha CB. Physicochemical characterization of ayurvedic bhasma (swarna mashika bhasma): An approach to standardization. Int Jour of Ayur Res. 2010; 1(2): 82-86. Ahmed N, Niharika G, Deepak P, Nazan S, Mohammed SA. Formulation design, characterisation and in vitro Evaluation of bilayered tablets containing Telmisartan and hydrochlorthizide. Int Jour of Biopharma. 2013; 4(1): 1-9. Qui Y, Chen Y, Zhang GZ. Developing solid oral dosage forms: Pharmaceutical theory and practice. USA: Academic press, Elseviers; 2009: 168-70. Ghosh TK, Jasti BR. Theory and practice of contemporary pharmaceutics. USA: CRC press; 2006: 299 Anonymous. Physicochemical Standards of Unani Formulations. Part 4. New Delhi: Central Council of Research in Unani Medicine; 2006: 39, 142-145. Anonymous. The Unani Pharmacopoeia of India. Vol. 2. New Delhi: GOI. Dept. of AYUSH; 2007: 116. Anonymous. The Unani Pharmacopoeia of India. Vol. 3. New Delhi: GOI. Dept. of AYUSH; 2007: 134. Anonymous. Quality Control Methods for Herbal Materials. Switzerland: WHO; 2011: 29-31 Aulton EM. Aultons Pharmaceutics. London: Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier; 2009: 176-178. Qasmi IA. Kitabul Taklees. Aligarh: Aligarh Muslim University; 2003: 13-17. Rasheed A, Marri A, Naik MM. Standardization of Bhasma: Importance and prospects. Jour of Pharmacy Res. 2011; 4(6):1931-1933.

Saloon Culture Essay -- essays research papers

Saloon Culture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Royal Melendy writes about a rising social culture taking place at the turn of the twentieth century. He depicts this culture as the ambiance emitted in early Chicago saloons. â€Å"Saloons served many roles for the working-class during this period of American history, and were labeled as the poor man’s social clubs† (summary of saloon culture, pg. 76).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Saloons were described as part of the neighborhood. An institution recognized and familiar to its people. Many laws restricted their services; however, they continued to exist. The article talks about two types of saloons. The first being the more upscale in downtown districts. These would close around midnight not in accordance to law, but demand. The other type Melendy calls â€Å"saloons [of] workingmen’s districts† (Melendy, pg. 77). He illustrates these clubs as home away from home. They supplied the basis of food supply for those whose home was in the street or for those residents of cheap lodging establishments. It is even stated that many saloons provided free lunches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The article discusses the need for these early Chicago saloons as a neighborhood commune for those men who labor long hours only to come home to poverty and despair of a desolate household. Melendy focuses on the mental, physiological, and moral nature of these workingmen. He points out that this saloon culture allows it’s patrons to develop these traits by interacting with their peers—others facing the same despair. These establishments are described as the â€Å"workingman’s school. He is both scholar and teacher† (Melendy pg. 78). Patrons gather at the bar, around tables and in the next room amongst games of pool, cards, and darts to discuss political and social problems, sporting news, and other neighborhood gossip. Here men, native and immigrant, exchange opinions and views of patriotism, brotherhood, and lessons in civil government. Melendy describes this atmosphere as cosmopolitan, and articulates that these businesses advertise this issue in their names. For example one of the downtown saloons was entitled â€Å"Everybody’s Exchange.† The saloon’s customers experienced a buffet of nationalities upon which was not so for those of poverty in previous decades. Saloons also served as disguises of corruption as Melendy illustrates by declaring â€Å"... ... Melendy’s discussion are lightly touched on in the excerpt. The article does explain how some patrons abused alcohol and would â€Å"revel in drunkenness and shame,† (Melendy, pg. 76) and even how the saloon wrecked their life. It also expresses the fact that some saloons would display nudeness and play on human lust in order to boost liquor sales. Finally, Melendy in his last sentence of the excerpt states â€Å"the youths are here [the saloon] corrupted is too well known†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Melendy, pg. 79). Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society. Available at: http://homicide.northwestern.edu/timeline/1905/large/29.jpg References A Millennium Biography, Chicago in 1900. (October 1999). Available at: http://www.chipublib.org/004chicago/1900/fun.html Melendy, Royal. â€Å"The Saloon in Chicago,† The American Journal of Sociology, 6 (November 1900): 289-306. Above references with page numbers note an excerpt of this article as published in For the Record: A Documentary History of America from Reconstruction through Contemporary Times. Edited by David E. Shi and Holly A. Mayer. Other references denote the full length article available at:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5765/ Saloon Culture Essay -- essays research papers Saloon Culture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Royal Melendy writes about a rising social culture taking place at the turn of the twentieth century. He depicts this culture as the ambiance emitted in early Chicago saloons. â€Å"Saloons served many roles for the working-class during this period of American history, and were labeled as the poor man’s social clubs† (summary of saloon culture, pg. 76).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Saloons were described as part of the neighborhood. An institution recognized and familiar to its people. Many laws restricted their services; however, they continued to exist. The article talks about two types of saloons. The first being the more upscale in downtown districts. These would close around midnight not in accordance to law, but demand. The other type Melendy calls â€Å"saloons [of] workingmen’s districts† (Melendy, pg. 77). He illustrates these clubs as home away from home. They supplied the basis of food supply for those whose home was in the street or for those residents of cheap lodging establishments. It is even stated that many saloons provided free lunches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The article discusses the need for these early Chicago saloons as a neighborhood commune for those men who labor long hours only to come home to poverty and despair of a desolate household. Melendy focuses on the mental, physiological, and moral nature of these workingmen. He points out that this saloon culture allows it’s patrons to develop these traits by interacting with their peers—others facing the same despair. These establishments are described as the â€Å"workingman’s school. He is both scholar and teacher† (Melendy pg. 78). Patrons gather at the bar, around tables and in the next room amongst games of pool, cards, and darts to discuss political and social problems, sporting news, and other neighborhood gossip. Here men, native and immigrant, exchange opinions and views of patriotism, brotherhood, and lessons in civil government. Melendy describes this atmosphere as cosmopolitan, and articulates that these businesses advertise this issue in their names. For example one of the downtown saloons was entitled â€Å"Everybody’s Exchange.† The saloon’s customers experienced a buffet of nationalities upon which was not so for those of poverty in previous decades. Saloons also served as disguises of corruption as Melendy illustrates by declaring â€Å"... ... Melendy’s discussion are lightly touched on in the excerpt. The article does explain how some patrons abused alcohol and would â€Å"revel in drunkenness and shame,† (Melendy, pg. 76) and even how the saloon wrecked their life. It also expresses the fact that some saloons would display nudeness and play on human lust in order to boost liquor sales. Finally, Melendy in his last sentence of the excerpt states â€Å"the youths are here [the saloon] corrupted is too well known†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Melendy, pg. 79). Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society. Available at: http://homicide.northwestern.edu/timeline/1905/large/29.jpg References A Millennium Biography, Chicago in 1900. (October 1999). Available at: http://www.chipublib.org/004chicago/1900/fun.html Melendy, Royal. â€Å"The Saloon in Chicago,† The American Journal of Sociology, 6 (November 1900): 289-306. Above references with page numbers note an excerpt of this article as published in For the Record: A Documentary History of America from Reconstruction through Contemporary Times. Edited by David E. Shi and Holly A. Mayer. Other references denote the full length article available at:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5765/

binge drinking Essay -- essays research papers fc

What Causes Binge Drinking   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Binge Drinking is an intriguing phenomenon that many college students take part in all across the country. The issue of binge drinking has been a problem on college campuses for decades. Binge drinking has many horrible effects, but the problem starts with the causes for it. If the causes could be controlled then the issue would not get out of hand. Many college students give different causes for their drinking problems, and experts on the subject have their explanations as well. The problem is, while growing through adolescence anything can become an excuse for drinking, such as  ¡Ã‚ §its Thursday the day before Friday, we need to drink ¡Ã‚ ¨ or,  ¡Ã‚ §it ¡Ã‚ ¦s the last Wednesday of the semester, lets get some beer. ¡Ã‚ ¨   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Binge drinking has different definitions but many would agree that  ¡Ã‚ §Binge drinking has been defined as drinking more than 4-5 drinks in a row in one sitting. A drink is defined as a 12 ounce can or bottle of beer, a wine cooler, a four ounce glass of wine, or a shot of liquor ¡Ã‚ ¨ (Rhodes 1). Others believe that men who consume 5-6 drinks and women who consume 4-5 drinks are also considered Binge Drinkers. Personally I do not think that sex matters, if someone is consuming multiple drinks to become highly intoxicated they should be considered a Binge Drinker.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One article that covers the results of a national survey states that  ¡Ã‚ §Adolescents ¡Ã‚ ¦ levels of alcohol and drug use have been found to be strongly associated with peers ¡Ã‚ ¦ use. However, other studies have shown that a student ¡Ã‚ ¦s drinking was more strongly influenced by how much he or she thought close friends drank than by perceptions of the extent of use by students in general ¡Ã‚ ¨(Results 2). This is a statement that I can agree with because growing up I have watched many young people become greatly influenced by their friends. Now a days the phrase  ¡Ã‚ §peer pressure ¡Ã‚ ¨ concentrates on pressure from a direct group of friends rather than a students peers as a whole. Another reason the article gives for the cause of Binge Drinking is that  ¡Ã‚ §Students who perceive that more drinking occurs than actually does provide themselves with an excuse for drinking more because  ¡Ã‚ ¥everyone is doing it ¡Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¨ (Results 2). E veryone knows that most youngsters want what every other kid has, this idea relates in the... ...nge drinking. Almost anything can become a cause for binge drinking. There are things that directly lead to drinking problems such as depression but most of the causes for it are just any old excuse. If I had to decide on main causes for binge drinking they would be depression and simple excuses that give students a reason to drink. People that are depressed usually have thoughts of giving up on life, so by drinking they are just easing their pain. Most of the binge drinking that goes on in college is because students feel that they are supposed to drink, its a college tradition in a way. This is why students will use any excuse they can to drink. Works Cited Anxiety and Binge Drinking. 30 Oct. 2000. Houser, Regan. Message in a Bottle. 30 Oct. 2000. Prevention Primer: Binge Drinking. 30 Oct.2000. Wechsler, Henry and Kuo, Meichun. College Students Define Binge Drinking and Estimate Its Prevalence: Results of a National Survey. EBSCO Publishing 29 Oct. 2000

The Road Essay -- Literary Analysis, McCarthy

In Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy† refer to themselves as â€Å"the good guys† compared to â€Å"the bad guys†. While reading this book I was lead to believe that â€Å"the boy† is truly the only â€Å"good guy† left, because â€Å"the man† and every other character that I encountered in this book share some of the same qualities as â€Å"the bad guys†. The boy constantly begs his father to be sympathetic and charitable to the drifters that they encounter on the road, but the father usually refuses or either puts up an argument before finally giving into the boy, and handing over one or two cans of food to the stranger. Although â€Å"the man† is in survival mode, he expresses no compassion for humanity and therefore represents â€Å"the bad guys†. â€Å"They came upon him shuffling along the road before them, dragging one leg slightly and stopping from time to time to stand stooped and uncertain before setting out again.†(McCarthy 49). â€Å"They followed him a good ways but at his pace they were losing the day and finally he just sat down in the road and did not get up again.†(McCarthy 49). â€Å"He was burntlooking as the country, his clothing scorched and black.† â€Å"One of his eyes was burnt shut and his hair was but a nitty wig of ash upon his blackened skull.†(McCarthy 49, 50) . â€Å"What is wrong with the man?† â€Å"He’s been struck by lightning.† â€Å"Can’t we help him?† â€Å"Papa?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"We cant help him.† â€Å"The boy kept pulling at his coat.† â€Å"Papa?† â€Å"Stop it.† â€Å"Cant we help him Papa?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"We can’t help him.† â€Å"There’s nothing to be done for him.† â€Å"They went on. â€Å"The boy was crying† â€Å"He kept looking back.† (McCarthy 50). I was agitated with â€Å"the man† during this part of the novel, because I feel that he should have at least stopped and checked on the fee... ...he thought it was beauty or about goodness.† Things that he’d no longer any way to think about at all.† (McCarthy 129,130). â€Å"The man† still shows acts of kindness towards strangers here and there in hopes that the boy will not follow in his footsteps and give up fate as well; he wants â€Å"the boy,† as McCarthy states it, to continue â€Å"to carry the fire.† This book was very interesting and pleasurable to read, I found myself intimately connecting with the characters. In some ways I found myself walking in â€Å"the man’s† shoes, not caring about humanity, and only protecting the one most precious to him (me). In some instances I also sided with â€Å"the boy† clinging to the hopes of a brighter world where there is still some purity in civilization. This novel The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a true masterpiece and I recommend it to anyone looking for a phenomenal read.

Linguistics and their realationship to Teaching Essay

Abstract This paper is an attempt to analyze the relationship between linguistics and language teaching. Linguistics is a science and teaching while technical is also an art yet they are closely related to each other in the case of language teaching. The foreign language teachers need to include ‘selection’, ‘grading’ and ‘presentation’ as their main steps. Linguistics plays an important role in the whole process of teaching by helping to facilitate a teacher’s understanding of the workings and systems of the language they teach. Applied Linguistics is really about the melding of these 2 actions. The Relationship between Linguistics and Language Teaching. Linguistics is defined as the scientific study of language. Linguistics is then divided into several branches which study different accepts of its use. Descriptive linguistics, historical and comparative linguistics, which it is based on methodology. Synchronic and Diachronic linguistics, which it is based on the aspect of changes over time. Phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics, which is based on a language as a system. Sociolinguistics this is related to or combined with the disciplines of linguistics and sociology. Its interest is in the relationship between language and society. It works to explains why people Use different speech in different social contexts. It’s area of study is the social functions of language to convey social meaning. The social relationships in a community, and the way people signal aspects of their social identity through their language (Jenet Holmes, 2001). Sociolinguistics also is concerned with the interaction of language and settings. (Carol M. Eastman, 1975; 113). The other expert defines it as the study that is concerned with investigating the relationship between language and society with the goal of a better  understanding of the structure of language and of how languages function in communication ( Ronald Wardhaugh, 1986 : 12) Psycholinguistics relates to the combined disciplines of psychology and linguistics. Psychology is defined as the systematic study of human experience and behavior or as the science that studies the behavior of men and other animals. Knight and Hilgert in Abu Ahmadi,(1992). It covers language development. (Lim Kiat Boey). The other definition of psycholinguistics is that it is the study of human language-to-language comprehension, language production, and language acquisition (E. M. Hatch). The research done on the relationship between linguistic theory and language teaching can be traced back to the late 19th century. Its relationship has been discussed and debated for many years and researched extensively. Since this time different research proposed by different scholars has been disputable and found to be largely inconclusive. In the 1960s it was decided that there needed to be a reassessment. The conclusion that was formed went in two two main directions of thought with differing points of view. One viewpoint was that linguistics is not as relevant as it was first thought to be, and its importance was overrated. Such linguists as Lamendella (1969) and Johnson (1967) expressed their disagreement to regard linguistics as the basis of a strategy of learning. Lamendella (1969) thought that it was a mistake to look to transformational grammar or any other theory of linguistic description to provide the theoretical basis for second language pedagogy. What is needed in the field of language teaching are not applied linguists but rather applied psychologists. The other point of view was to recognize that the general contribution of linguistics was important. This came though with a proviso that teaching language was not to be bound to only follow one theory alone. The idea being that different linguistic theories can offer different perspectives on language, and they can all be treated as equivalent resources useful for teaching. Levenson (1979 ) once said, ‘no one school of linguistic analysis has a monopoly of truth in the description of the phenomena of speech†¦traditional school grammar, TG grammar, †¦all these and more can be shown to have their own particular relevance to the language teaching situation. By1960 the United States, reached its peak of the influence of structural linguistics upon language Teaching. Structural linguistics stressed the importance of language as a system and investigates the place that linguistic units such as sounds, words and sentences have within this system. This then associated with behaviorism provided the principal theoretical basis of the audio lingual theory. This then influenced language teaching materials, techniques and the teachers educations. Behaviorism led to theories, which explained how an external event, causes a change in the behavior, without any kind of mental interaction. It also stressed the importance of repetition and practice in learning a second language, this I think is a vital factor in learning a foreign language. If we look at the audio-lingual method, it emphasizes: (1) The teaching of speaking and listening before reading and writing; (2) The use of dialogues and drills; (3) The avoidance of the use of the mother tongue in the classroom. Audio-lingual method regards speaking and listening as the basic skills, this is in line with today’s English teaching situation. The Mentalist Approach In the 1960s Chomsky formulated the mentalist approach. The hypothesis was considered that human behavior is much more complex than animal behavior. Chomsky, felt that we are born with a Language Acquisition Device (LAD), which enables a child to make a hypotheses about the structures of a language in general, and also the structure of the language being learned more importantly. By the end of the sixties’, there were new developments in teaching language starting to occur. The TG theory had a big impact resulting in a change in teaching methods. It was opposed to the empiricist theory, that is, teaching audio linguistics, linguistically structuralism and psychologically behaviorism. TG theory. 1 It stresses mental activity. 2 It postulates that all human beings have an innate ability to learn a language. 3 That it is an inborn instinctual ability and not practice that made human beings obtain the rules of a language and understand and can produce countless numbers of sentences. The Natural Method was successfully used in various language schools in the USA and Europe in the late 19th and the early 20th century. In the post-World War I decades, the direct method was adopted into English language teaching (ELT) this laid a solid intellectual and practical foundation for developing ELT as an autonomous profession. Some linguists, like Diller (1970), openly declared his preference for the cognitive position; while others, like Chastain (1976) and Rivers (1981:25-27) held that the two theories were complementary and served different types of learners or teachers or represented different phases of the language learning process. Applied Linguists brought about the situational approach and the notional/functional method. It is based on a broader framework for the description of language use called communicative competence proposed by Hymes, This brought about the communicative approach to language teaching came into being. In 1970s, a group of scholars including Oller (1970) and Widdowson (1978), were linguists but at also closely in touch with teaching practice. They gave language teaching and language pedagogy the linguistic direction they regarded as necessary. Since they were in touch with language teaching practice and linguistic so had a two-way view of the problem, they placed emphasis on real language and its communication and use. To take Oller’s interest in pragmatics as an example. Oller (1970:507) claimed that pragmatics has implications for language teaching; it defines the goal of teaching a language as prompting the students not merely to manipulate meaningless sound sequences, but to send and receive messages in the language. The students in China start English when they are in primary school. In the past, more attention was paid to the grammar, the result was very disappointing: Now the emphases is on speaking and listening. The audio-lingual method is now used in the classroom. In China, more people need to learn English in order to have the ability to communicate with foreigners. In this case, speaking and listening is much more important than being able to read and write. They are not expected to have a high level of English and their aim is simple, they need to communicate with a foreigner so they can understand their words and express themselves well. This is based on simple daily conversation. A market sale and business or being able to work in the tourism industries. Basic conversation and understanding can be very helpful in everyday conversation exchanges. The Audio-lingual method stressed the repetition and it theorizes that a language is learnt through the formation of habits. To speak English fluently, without constant practice, is impossible. So in our English teaching, we must help our students speak and listen well. Expressing ourselves properly is not always an easy thing, especially if it’s an emotionally charged topic. Even an English major may sometimes find it problematic to express exactly what they mean so it is understood by the other person in a way that is understood by all. When I go to Cambodia I find the generally that the population though not taught English in school has good English conversation capacity. They may not read or write but I feel if they had the opportunity to learn now they have grasped the basic language that they would with more ease. There is a need for them to talk and sell to foreigners so they have had a need and incentive to learn and the fact that their using it every day also helps. Though there are of course talented students I find in Thailand the communication level is not good as a lot of emphases is but on reading, writing and grammar, that many times, is not really understood or comprehended. Thai students learn form primary but they do not always have a reason to speak out of the classroom. One lesson a week in speaking and 3 of grammar I find makes the students scared to use the language. I teach with Thailand teachers and due to a some general pronunciation problems the students are confused about the sounds of the words and how to string them together. Confidence helps a lot just talking even if it is wrong. I always attempt to inspire confidence as I feel it is very important for speech. In my opinion, linguistics and language teaching relationship is a dual one. There are some theories of linguistics that can be applied to language teaching, i. e.  linguistics guides in development of language teaching theory. On the other hand, a language teaching theory expresses or implies answers to questions about the nature of language. It is necessary for a language teacher has some knowledge about, the systems of languages. A teacher should understand how the language works and expresses meaning and the structures that are used in the language being taught. A teacher needs to know how to make the phonic sounds and the mechanics to produce these sounds. This helps with pronunciation problems that students will encounter. By studying linguistics a teacher will have a deeper insight into the nature of language and the language the student speaks as they’re first language. If we agree that the use of a language is a matter of habits and practice, then a teacher needs to implant the habit of using it for communication until it becomes second nature. Conclusion Linguistic theory is continually developing and teaching theories are constantly changing as is the language itself. This alone demands a permanent study of languages and the relationships between linguistic theory and language teaching methods. There are many techniques and theories but no one concept or technique can take in the Different needs student may have and the differing ways people learn. This is a science in its self. There can be many differences in understanding between the L1 and L2 language from different cultural understandings and different sounds that may be new to the learner. There are many ways a culture will express its self along with idiosyncrasies and local knowledge of the everyday life in the culture. They say when you understand humor you start to know a language. If one could take every student as an individual and teach them the best way they learnt one would be assured of good results. Knowing the basic individual attributes the child had can enable to teacher to create classes designed for their individual needs. This is a luxury that tutors can give their students but in the classroom one dose not have so much control. A practical framework designed to suit the most students and the context that is the most appropriate. The Relationship of Linguistic Materials for the Second Language Teacher. Because of political, economic and also technical changes, English has become widely taught as an official business language worldwide, also as a second language to immigrants in English-speaking countries to gain entry and work, and as a foreign language in many non-English-speaking countries. This is also largely due to the computer so there is a universal language for coding and business. There are many theories on different ways to teach and different scholarly thoughts on the best process. I feel that this depends on the type of English you are teaching. Since there are many different needs a student may have. In China the emphases is on communication with foreigners on a daily basis like selling them something in a market or doing business. In other countries such as Thailand the emphases is put on Grammar and writing and reading and only a small part into communication. So while there are still many theories on the best way to teach I feel in my knowledge so far that it is best to learn as many ways as possible and how they work in the different environments. Applied Linguistics is really about the melding of these two actions but not the scope of this essay. One of the most fantastic Linguistic help I think the corpus is one of the best ways to get relevant vocabulary for your students. This is helpful for Syllabus and curriculum planning and for all areas of language teaching. References Chastain, K. (1976). Developing Second-Language Skills: Theory to Practice. Chicago: Rand McNally. Diller, K. C. (1970). ‘Linguistic theories of language acquisition’ in Hester 1970:1-32. Johnson, M. (1967). Definitions and models in curriculum theory. Educational Theory, 17:127-40. Lamendella, J. T. (1969). On the irrelevance of transformational grammar to second language pedagogy. Language Learning, 19:255-70. Levenson, E. A. (1979). Second language lexical acquisition: issues and problems. Interlanguage Studies Bulletin, 4:147-60. Oller, J. W. (1970). Transformational theory and pragmatics. Modern Language Journal, 54:504-507. Rivers, W. M. (1981). Teaching Foreign-Language Skills. Second edition. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. Widdowson, H. G.. (1978). Teaching Language as Communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press. .†? Zeki Hamawand, Z. Morphology in English: Word formation in cognitive grammar. continuum. Publishing. ( Zeki Hamawand, Z. (2011).

Hotel and Theme Park

Earlier this year, my mum and dad decided that we would be going to Benidorm for a week at the beginning of the summer holidays. My sister, Tara and I were so excited for the holiday that we immediately started counting down the days even though it was April and we wouldn't be going until the end of June/start of July. The months leading up to the holiday was a whirlwind of planning what we were taking and what we were going to do while we were there. Finally the day came and we were getting up at 3 am so we could get ready and catch the 6 o’clock plane from Edinburgh airport to Alicante airport.I remember bouncing in my seat in excitement while we were landing and letting out a squeal of happiness when we were safely on the ground and free to leave exit the plane. The first thing I felt when I departed the plane was the complete relaxation that the searing sun on my face brought to me. All too soon we were sitting in an overcrowded bus that would take us all to our different hotels. Our hotel was one of the first few stops as we were relatively close to the beach.On first look, the hotel (which I cannot for the life of me remember the name of) looked pretty standard. It wasn’t horrible looking however it didn't look like the Ritz. However, once I got inside I was taken aback by how classy the reception area was. I couldn't help but wonder if our room would be just as classy and lovely as the reception area. My answer to that particular question was no. The room was nice enough considering we wouldn't be spending much time in there but I couldn’t help but be disappointed by the size of our room.The thing I enjoyed the most about our room was surprisingly the bathroom, the lighting in there was absolute perfection for getting ready in the morning and evening and the shower was to die for! I could just feel all the tension in my shoulders wash away while in that shower. Our first day in Benidorm wasn’t all that eventful, Tara and I spe nt most of our day out by the pool swimming (Tara) and soaking up some vitamin D (me).Eventually we had to leave the pool at about 8 o’clock for dinner which  would be starting soon. The dinner the hotel served was extraordinary! It was as if they had taken a dish from every country in the world and put it into a buffet where we could just take whatever tickled our fancy! Day two of our holiday of found us spending the day sunbathing at the beach and swimming in the sea. The water was a beautiful clear blue colour and the sand was golden. The highlight of day two for me though were the peaches that my dad bought at a fruit stall while we were walking down to the beach.They were the largest and juiciest peaches I had ever had and kept my stomach content until dinner time. On the third and fourth days of our time in Benidorm were spent in the theme park â€Å"Terra Mitica† which translates to ‘mythical land’. The theme park was split into 5 different parts : Egypt, Greece, Iberia, the Islands and Rome. Each area had their own rides and shows. Personally my favourite part was of the theme park was the boat ride around the park as it was decorated magically. Day five found us exploring the old and new town and the shops that they offered.We found a boat ride that would take us to Benidorm Island and while there we walked all the way to the top of the hill and down again which in the blistering heat was a very difficult feat to accomplish. The next day was spent at a secluded beach that we found while exploring the town. This beach was a little bit different to the main beach though, as there were fish swimming in the water with us. Our last day in Benidorm was spent at a marine animal park, â€Å"Mundomar† where we watched a bird, sea lion and dolphin show, looked at turtles/tortoises, lemurs, monkeys and seals and had our pictures taken with dolphins.It was the perfect ending to the holiday that had undoubtedly been the best hol iday of my life. With our glowing tans, souvenirs and pictures that needed to be uploaded onto Facebook, we boarded the plane that would take us back to Edinburgh, I couldn't help but feel disheartened by the fact that we were leaving this incredible, stunning and warm place and going back home to dreary Scotland! But as they say, all good things must come to an end.