A Taste of Honey by Shelagh Delaney Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

A Taste of Honey by Shelagh Delaney - Essay Example There is no attempt to connect the play to a wider social world, by 'argument' (characters do not debate the issues between themselves); nor does the play articulate a position on that world (there is no obvious authorial 'point of view' on display); nor, despite the contextual readings, does Delaney exploit the metonymic function of the characters, action or set, but rather the issues are visible in the texture of the personal relationships themselves. Stuart Hall noted this aspect of the play: Delaney is not at all self-conscious about her ability to portray Salford life but she accepts this as a framework for what she is really interested in communicating-her extraordinarily fine and subtle feel for personal relationships. No themes or ideas external to the play disturb its inner form: her values are all intensive. A Taste of Honey is remarkable partly because it breaks a number of racial and sexual taboos: Jo's lover is a black sailor and her flat-mate is homosexual, and the main action of the play is the journey into motherhood of a young, unmarried teenager. It is not simply that these things are represented, but that they are represented positively-that the form of the play elicits sympathy for characters that come to us heavy with connotations, who are part of a world that we 'read about every Sunday in the News of the World'. It is precisely such socially marginal and 'a-typical' characters with which the Wolfenden Report-and the press debate that followed it-was so concerned. The action of the play is contained by a 'comfortless flat', and the stage space is clearly marked as domestic. It is, however, an interior in which all the domestic activities are potentially on display; the kitchen area, the double bed, the living and eating areas-these are all visible, delineating a whole 'way of life' in its routines and chores. Very little conventional domestic activity actually takes place in this space, though, and when it does, it is not performed by characters who inhabit traditional roles. This is part of a complex series of reversals and oppositions in the play, in which expected connections are severed. The mother figure, Helen, is very unlike a 'mother', having no domestic abilities, being feckless and sexually active. The caring role is taken initially by Jo, the daughter, and then by Geoff, a man who displays none of the conventional 'male' attributes. The nearest to a white, male, heterosexual gender norm in the play is to be found in Peter, Helen's l over and fianc, who is presented as a lecher and a drunk. The three central characters are all potentially sexually active, and the two women become so. However, sex is destructive to happiness in the world of the play-as it is in Look Back in Anger. It separates mother and daughter (Helen's marriage to Peter) and leaves Jo with a baby. Jo's relationship with Geoff is only possible because it is without sex. The only moments of genuine difficulty between them are when sex is involved; Jo's demand that Geoff tell her what he does with

Search for my Tongue Essay Example for Free

Search for my Tongue Essay Sujata Bhatt tells us about the difficulties that she has speaking with a new tongue when her old tongue starts to rot away in her mouth with her new tongue pushing it out of the way and trying to take over. Your mother tongue would rot, rot and die in your mouth until you had to spit it out. This means the author has stucked between two languages and the new language (English) is making her lose mother tongue (Gujarati). Having two tongues this poet feels that she is totally confused and makes her to forget her mother tongue while she speaks English. She also tried to think and dream both languages at the same time but she couldnt. She has dreamt in Gujarati and transliterated into English. At the end of the poem her feelings changes a bit because she describes over the night her confidence grows back even stronger than before, but while she dreams it grows back, stump of a shoot grows longer, grows moist, grows strong veins, it tries the other tongue in knots. This means she highlights the difficulties being part of two cultures. The dominant culture is always the mother tongue (her Gujarati culture is always the influences of the American lifestyle). The shape of the poem has divided into three parts:  ? First part of the poem explains her conflict with loosing her  mother tongue and learning a new foreign tongue.  ? Second part of the poem is written in Gujarati (mother tongue) and explains her fear of loosing her identity.  ? Third part of the poem is translated in to English and focuses on her determination to retain her Gujarati culture. The poet includes the Gujarati as an indication of the strong link between language and culture. This shows us that she tries to use the both languages at the same time in her dreams. The central part of the poem is looks different because it has written in Gujarati and transliterated into English. I think the poet included this Gujerati script and its phonetic prescutation underneath as an indication of the strong link between language and culture and possible to you to realise how difficult it would be in a foreign country and speaking in a foreign language.  Fundamentally, one image links this whole poem is that a flower. She compares her mother tongue to a flower that grows (a symbol of beauty and life), like a flower grows the foreign language also grows but her mother tongue is stronger eventually. This is called Extended Metaphor. I think the poet used this extended metaphor in order to compare the differences and influences of two languages. The list below describes some of the ways in which her mother tongue is compared to a plant. The poet uses both negative and positive images in describing her mother tongue. Sujata Bahatt thinks that foreign tongue has most powerful effect than Gujarati but Gujarati culture overcomes the influences of the American style and still makes the mother tongue strong.  In conclusion, I believe that I have learnt a lot about the culture and traditions of an immigrant. The writer feels that she has confused in between two languages. She feels her mother tongue is being lost in her mouth and foreign tongue is becoming more frequently used, this is making her uncomfortable. At the end of the poem, I feel that she gives us an inside view of what it must feel like to be in a foreign country and speaking in a foreign language.

Huntingtons Disease Essay example -- Disease/Disorders

Huntington’s disease is a degenerative neurological disorder affecting movement, cognition, and emotional state (Schoenstadt). There are two forms of Huntington’s disease (Sheth). The most common is adult-onset Huntington’s disease, with persons usually developing symptoms in their middle 30s and 40s (Sheth). There is an early onset form of Huntington’s disease, beginning in childhood or adolescence, and makes up a small percentage of the Huntington’s population (Sheth). Huntington’s disease is a genetic disorder with a short history, a plethora of symptoms, and devastating consequences, with no current cure in sight. Cases of Huntington’s disease date back to the early seventeenth century, but those records are basic, with no convincing descriptions (Folstein). George Huntington’s paper was the best and first to describe Huntington’s disease, which was presented at a meeting of â€Å"Meigs and Mason Academy of Medicine at Middleport, Ohio, in 1872,† (Folstein). Shortly after 1900, papers on Huntington’s disease gradually began appearing in case reports and psychiatric literature (Folstein). In 1936, Huntington’s disease appeared twice in two different letters to an editor about eugenics, which is defined as â€Å"improving the species by regulating human reproduction,† (Bakalar). These letters named Huntington's disease as one of five diseases that should be considered for voluntary sterilization (Bakalar). In 1967, the first symposium devoted to Huntington’s disease was held inside of a larger conference on neurogenetics in 1967 (Folstein). By 1968, George Willem Bruyn had published the first complete review of all of the Huntington’s disease literature that had been published up until that point in time (Folstein). In normal circumstan... ...ml?res=9E06EFDF123FF93BA35751C1A96F9C8B63#> Folstein, Susan E. Huntington’s Disease. Baltimore: The John’s Hopkins University Press, 1989. Print. 3 April 2012. Genetic Science Learning Center. "Huntington's Disease." Learn. Genetics. Web. 23 March 2012. Miller, Marsha L. â€Å"HD Research – Past and Future.† Huntington’s Disease Society of America. 2011. Web. 23 March 2012. Schoenstadt, Arthur M.D. â€Å"Huntington’s Disease Statistics.† eMedTV. Last reviewed 30 November, 2006. Web. 25 April 2012. Sheth, Kevin. â€Å"Huntington’s disease.† PubMed Health. Last reviewed 30 April 2011. Web. 20 March 2012.

The Effect of Multiculturalism in Canadian Society

In terms of education, multiculturalism is becoming increasingly disruptive in Canadian society. It seems that there is a new issue in the media focus regarding education on a weekly basis. It's becoming increasingly apparent that most, if not all issues in recent years stem from the debate of whether to centralize or decentralize our current system of education. Proponents of centralization argue that a standard national system of education will provide all people with access to the same quality of education. On the other hand, proponent†s of decentralization claim that individual educational institutions will provide a level of education that is sensitive to the differing cultures and economic status within a particular area. Both sides contend that their system will provide a higher standard of education while improving the educational opportunities for minorities. Due to the recent investigation by the UN into Ontario's education system, it is appropriate to define what Canadians are entitled to as far as educational rights. The UN proclaims universally that, â€Å"Everyone has the right to education† and that â€Å"education shall be free,† [UN, 1948,Article 26 (1)]. These definitions are very broad and far-reaching, and are rarely adhered to as fundamental human rights. â€Å"Many governments are inclined to define human rights in the manner most convenient to suiting their own political interests. † (Boutros Butros Ghali, 1993). Essentially, there is no benchmark that compels any government education system to provide for a multicultural society. It should be interesting to see what the UN will say about the Canadian education system and whether or not they will set standard in education for a multicultural society such as ours. With no hard and fast guidelines how should the education system in Canada operate in order to become an integrative force in Canada. The most prevailing school of though in Canada regarding education is its standardization and centralization. The provincial Government is responsible for developing and implementing of public education policy as long as they are in power. The Harris government has implemented and proposed many ideas for the centralization and standardization of education in the province of Ontario. These policies are aimed at conserving tax dollars and the elimination of the wasteful bureaucracies infecting our education system. Also the provincial government is taking steps to standardize the level of education received by students in Ontario. Programs like standardized testing for teachers and students as well as the standardization of the curriculum were implemented. These programs are intended to provide all students regardless of race or economic standing in any area of the province and equal opportunity to succeed. These initiatives are part and parcel of increased demand by the Federal government to have Canadian students rise to â€Å"levels equivalent to those achieved by students in Asia and Europe. † (Lightbody, pg. 265) These steps however pay little heed to other cultures in the education system. All courses on history or culture at the high school level are aimed to familiarize students with the traditions, philosophy, literature and history of the western world. Proponents argue that this action is appropriate since our country is based on a democracy founded in European ideals of government. It is also claimed that there would not be enough time in the current school year to educate students on every culture that has contributed to the construction of our society. Proponents for centralization seem to prefer the â€Å"middle of the road approach† when making decisions on curriculum. It is argued that trying to push the subject of multiculturalism too far would actually be a hindrance. Over emphasis of multiculturalism may interfere with a student†s participation in other groups, or worse, hold a child back from expressing his or her individuality. (Ryan 137) In other words, an education system that is equal is equal for all that use it. An all-encompassing education system provides the same level of education for all involved, and should not pay preference to any one individual culture. This type of system has come under fire from groups such as: Natives, isolated communities, minorities, and women†s groups since the system is incapable of attending to their particular needs. For example, the Oakland California School Board's introduction of a controversial Ebonics policy. This policy was countered immediately with the creation of a bill that would penalize schools who support the instruction of Ebonics by restricting funding. Teaching courses in Ebonics can severely handicap a student in North America. Almost every facet of business, education, and government is conducted in proper English. This is a good example of how an absurd attempt to be considerate towards a minority hinders the progress of the education system. Diversions such as these take the attention away from sensible attempts to structure the education system in a way that benefits everyone fairly (If there is such a thing). In today†s society this type of education does not seem to be a progressive step for Canadians. An example of this is the creation of Affirmative action programs. In the U. S. blacks are experiencing an unemployment rate of nearly twice that of whites, Canadian figures I assume are relatively similar. â€Å"Affirmative action was designed to give qualified minorities a chance to compete on equal footing with whites. These programs create widespread resentment for minorities by Caucasians and thus hindering the development of society. Meanwhile the implementers of these programs ignore the reasons why these programs need to be created. They have even gone as far as claiming, â€Å"Few can argue that racism is still rampant in awarding contracts, jobs, and educational opportunities, even though it†s been proven beneficial to have people of different races with different ideas and different experiences working toward the same goal† (Chappell, 1996) The other school of thought in regards to education is the creation of what is known as a chartered school. A chartered school is run nearly autonomously with little interference by government (other than partial funding) or bureaucracies. It is intended to allow for increased local participation in decision making, and to save money by cutting down on costly administration and foster innovation through competition. (Lawton pg. 23). With competition, schools would have a greater incentive to improve itself in all aspects. Most advances would take place in the creation of new programs, providing access to higher levels of technology, and structuring curriculum with sensitivity to the ethnic make-up in its surrounding area. These schools would be developed and influenced by the parents of the students, teachers, other community members and even corporate sponsors. One of the major benefits of this type of school would be an increased response time in educational demands due to a lack of bureaucratic posturing and unnecessary collective bargaining agreements. Essentially, the organization will perform better since the programs implemented or any decisions made will affect those who make them. Supporters believe that this will hold a charter school accountable for improving and achieving its stated goals. Therefore, a school located in a particularly ethnically rich area can provide a form of education more appropriate culturally for it†s students. If a school is to be successful then it will have to be very aware of the demands placed on it by the area in which it is located. If it is not then it will risk failure. Parents will move their children to another school if they feel that their child is not being provided with an acceptable education. A centralized school system would be unable to respond to local needs due to broad general policies made by distant bureaucrats. These schools however will be partially funded by the government, with more money being allocated to the successful schools who attract more students. Presently there are eight chartered schools operating in Alberta out of a legislated maximum of 15. Other Provincial governments may be considering the implementation of charter schools but the idea is still new in Canada and there are numbers or studies that assess the performance of the existing schools in Alberta. The fundamental hindrance of a charter school is that it serves its community but not the nation. The increased response to community needs may in fact serve to increase the segregation among cultures in Canada. Also, lower income families will not be able to send their children to more successful schools for many reasons such as the cost of transportation and the cost of living in a particular area. The same could possibly apply to different cultures. The opportunity for a culturally rich education may be limited to location, and financial position. The result being that they would be no better off than they are now. The issue of multiculturalism will always plague the education system in Canada. There is no proven method of teaching all the students in a class in a manner that preserves their culture while affording them the same opportunities as everyone else. The centralization of education almost ignores the need for cultural understanding between ethnically different people. It supports itself on the idea that if all schools teach the same thing, students will be afforded the same opportunities. But how does the government decide what is best for each individual? Does majority rule apply in the education system as well? On the other hand the de-centralization of the school system provides for more community oriented schools that strive for improvement through competition. The idea of a problem free multicultural society can not be realized if we draw lines in the sand. We must act for the development of the nation, and the maintenance for the culture. Both views essentially try to answer two important questions asked by Canadians at once. First, how do you reduce the level of bureaucracy and reduce wasted tax dollars. Secondly, they attempt to answer the looming question of equality and the creation of a multicultural society in Canada today.

Erikson Lifespan Theory Essay

Developmental psychology studies multidimensional aspects, such as physical, cognitive, social and emotional patterns of change and stability both in the evolutionary history of humans within the life span development theory. This field of study has historically evolved from two competing worldviews. Overton (1984) defines a worldview (a paradigm/disciplinary matrix/scientific research program/research tradition) as a general and abstract framework used by scientists to define their research plans. Like focal questions, methods, instruments and basic theoretical propositions. There has been much confusion around the integration of psychology and the Christian faith has led to conflicting attitudes toward this important design. A Reformed Evangelical approach to bringing developmental psychology under the authority of the Bible is proposed through the validation, modification, and reconstruction of elements in the mechanistic and organismic world views. Christian psychology scholars are encouraged to test their research agenda against the biblical canon in order to determine whether their theoretical formulations, focal questions, methodological approach and interpretation or application of data are working. Carter and Narramore’s work (1979) raises some questions at exactly what these authors seek to integrate. It seems that both the title of their book and the majority of their argument focus on the disciplines of psychology and theology, their text frequently shifts to the integration of psychology either with Christianity (with scripture from the bible or biblical revelation) as though all of these could be interchangeable. They do say that the Christian Scripture is not to be combined with theological interpretation. However, their integration approach remains the same whether the biblical text or theology is the focus of discussion in relation to psychology and as either as a science or as a profession. They argue for â€Å"a continuing dialogue between psychology and theology† (Carter & Narramore, 1979 p. 16). Whether one opposes or supports integration depends both on what is being integrated and on the stated goal of integration. Christian scholars in the field of psychology are called â€Å"to study reality in the light of biblical revelation† (Greidanus, 1982, p. 47, cited in Jones and Butman, 1991). The Bible is the lamp we all need in order to walk straight; it is the light we all need as we think of God’s creation after God’s won thoughts (Psalm 119:9-11, 105). To be sure, the interaction between theology and psychology can yield valuable insights (Carter, 1996), and a focus on the role of generic faith in life satisfaction can challenge a long dated stereotyp e against religion as pathogenic (Myers, 2000). From a Reformed Evangelical standpoint, not only theology and psychology, but also faith, spirituality and all dominations of life must ultimately be brought under the knowledge of the Bible. As Hurley and Berry (1997) indicated, it is in the Bible that: God speaks directly and without corruption (2 Tim. 3:16, 17, provides a trustworthy source of information (John 17:17), equips us adequately to live out our Christian lives (2 Tim. 3:16, 17), and provides special information needed to understand both the fallen earth and God’s plan of salvation (John 20:30, 31). General revelations (creation) are not in verbal form and are distorted by the fall, while special revelation (Scripture) is direct, verbal, and not distorted. Therefore, we need the Scripture to interpret creation properly†¦ (p. 326). Religious or scientific it is clear that spirituality and human development have crossed paths with psychology and more consideration is needed for better treatment plans for prospective patients and clients. More study and discussion has been on how counseling professionals have become increasingly aware of the ethical responsibilities of developing competencies in the area of spirituality. Many counseling and counselor education programs incorporate spirituality into curriculum areas to help prepare counselors to address spirituality issues in practice settings. Cashwell & Young (2005) believed that enhancement to counseling students and professional’s competence in addressing spirituality ethically and skillfully. The editors use the competencies developed by the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling for integrating spirituality into counseling as a framework. Tools and techniques should be incorporated to enhance their own spirituality into the context of the therapeutic process. These suggestions are not for the pastor or minister, but for psychologists. The ideal is that these teachings can be shown to even support human development theories and enhance counseling methods.