Effective Communication Case Study

There are many factors that affect Ahmed’s ability to communicate with others, the factors are that he is partially sighted, he has a learning disability, Ahmed also struggles with English and lastly he is very withdrawn from others. To overcome these barriers many strategies will need to be put in place to enable him to communicate effectively. One factor is that he is partially sighted which means it will be difficult for him to see when talking to his teacher or other students in his class.Sentence and Verbal Communication This is a barrier to his communication because it stops him from communicating as he is limited to what he can see for example, if a child is trying to call Ahmed from a far distance using hand gestures, Ahmed may find it difficult to see that child, which can prevent him from making friends. This means his communication skills will not be effective. If someone is using non-verbal communication, he will not be able to see which means he could interpret things in a different way because non-verbal communication can be used to express your feelings. This will affect the way Ahmed will communicate because if he is limited to what he can see it will stop him from getting involved and also if he is not able to see non verbal communication clearly he may misinterpret the conversation. When getting involved in group practical work it may be difficult to participate as will not be able to see. A strategy that could be put in place is having a magnified board to put over his worksheets which will help him with seeing the words. This can be put in place so Ahmed is able to get involved with the schoolwork and could potentially help his language development as he is able to read certain words but may need a teacher with him to guide him. This magnified board can encourage him to participate in more activities and he may feel comfortable knowing he can see what the other students are seeing. Another strategy that could be put in place to overcome this barrier is having bigger font sizes on work sheets, books or computers. This will make it easier for Ahmed to see and it could make him feel normal like everyone else. It may encourage him to sit in a group with other children and get involved. Another factor that affects his ability to communicate is that he has a learning disability. This is a potential barrier that comes in the way of Ahmed’s communication as he may feel different than the other children in his class. Because Ahmed has a learning disability it changes the way he thinks and interprets things. â€Å"Children with learning disabilities see, hear and understand things differently. This can lead to difficulty with learning new information and skills and putting them to use. (http://www. sabp. nhs. uk/iamme/understanding-learning-disability Accessed 14/10/15) This can make Ahmed feel left out from the other children and discourage him to communicate. This can potentially mean his language is not as developed as some of the other children so he may be a bit behind, this affects the way he communicates because it will be difficult to have conversations with others if he is does not have the same abilities as them because they may not understand what Ahmed is trying to say and their language may be to developed for Ahmed as he is still learning slowly. A strategy that could be put in place is having a teaching assistant with him because this may make him feel comfortable and potentially more confident. The assistant can help him with words and could make picture cards for words that he may struggle with, for example having a picture of a book so he recognises that it’s a book and he can point to it so the assistant understands what he is trying to say or what he wants. The assistant could have one-to-one sessions with him to help him with communication and his schoolwork. Having a one-to-one session with an assistant can make a lot of difference in Ahmed’s ability to communicate because if he builds a relationship with this assistant he could possibly open up and express his feelings in a way that he can even if it is not through verbal communication. Ahmed struggles with English, which is also a factor that affects the way he communicates. It can isolate him from other children in the school because English is not his first language so it will make it difficult for him to fit in with children who speak fluent English. It will block the quality of communication and affect the needs of Ahmed being met adequately. For example, if a supply teacher was covering and didn’t know his needs, they will not be met because he may not be able to explain what his needs are because his English is limited. As he struggles with English, it will also be difficult for him to interact with other students because he will not know how to speak to them and if the children to try communicating in English, Ahmed may not understand so there will be miscommunication and a language barrier between them. You can read also Costco Case Study A strategy that could potentially be put in place for Ahmed to improve his English is having a translator come in to help him develop his English language. The translator could come in maybe twice a week. This would help Ahmed quite a fair bit because he can speak to the translator in the language he knows fluently and the translator can then communicate with him and help him with his English by saying words in English and then telling him what they mean in his first language. This is a good way for Ahmed to learn English because he will gradually recognise more words and could possibly start speaking sentences, which will help with his confidence, and he may start communicating with other people. Because Ahmed struggles with communication he has now become very withdrawn from people and sometimes is antisocial which is another factor that affects the way he communicates. This is because he keeps himself away from others as he may think he cannot get involved and interact because of his needs. Ahmed may think he is different to the rest of the children so may feel like he is not included with them. This affects his communication because he will have no one to talk to and it stops him from making friends and having a social life. A strategy that could be put in place for this is doing more group work in class because this will mean he has to talk to different people. Doing group activities may encourage him to have a conversation and get involved. This will be good for Ahmed’s confidence because he will be working with other people who could help him and it means that he wouldn’t be talking one-to-one because that may be intimidating for Ahmed as he probably wouldn’t know how to start the conversation. Group activities include everyone so they don’t feel left out; this will help Ahmed to socialize more and he may stop being withdrawn from others as he might make friends who will make him feel normal and included. Whilst on work experience I had to have conversations with patients and some of the patients were difficult to communicate with, this is because there were factors that affected their communication. One factor was a patient who had dementia. This affected the way they communicated with others in the care home. The word dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. † https://www. alzheimers. org. uk/site/scripts/documents. php? categoryID=200360 (accessed 13/12/15) dementia causes patients to forget all previous memories and they find it difficult remembering things and they have language difficulties. Every time a carer spoke to the patient either asking them a question or telling them to do something, it took them a while to remember and take in the information, it required the carer to repeat what they were saying several times. This affected their communication because it meant they couldn’t have a detailed conversation so there was lack of information being received. Patient with dementia sometimes respond slowly because it takes them a while to process everything. To overcome this barrier, the carers in the care home used pictures. This is because the pictures were repeated many times a day which meant the patients found it easier to remember. Pictures helped with the patients memory and it was easier for them to point at the picture so the carer knew what they were trying to say. Lastly, another factor that affected patient’s communication in the care home was a patient who was partially deaf. This was a barrier that affected the communication between the carer and the patient. When the carer was trying to have a conversation with the patient, it was very difficult for the patient to hear because there was also a lot of background noise which made it worse. Sometimes what the patient heard was different to what the carer was saying so the conversation was not effective because the point was not getting across. To overcome this barrier, the carers were using sign language because sign language was more effective as the patient understood it better and it also didn’t require hearing. Sign language was known by the majority of the staff members so they could communicate with different patients who had hearing difficulties. Another stragey that was put in place for some of the patients were hearing aids. These were only used for people who were struggling a lot to hear. Hearing aids help with hearing and it means words become louder in the patients ear and they could hear everything. This made the patients feel confident within themselves. The patients found it easier to follow conversations so communication between the patient and carer was more effective. Overall, it is important that these factors can be overcome in order for service users to have effective communication with others. There are many strategies that could be put in place and these should all be considered when getting service users to communicate.

King Lear and the Drawer Boy Comparative Essay Essay

Sometimes, unconsciously, role play is used in our daily lives to assume or act out a specific role. The role play portrayed in Shakespeare’s King Lear and Michael Healey’s The Drawer Boy is best defined as the acts or attitude of a person differing from normal in order to attain a better point of view, social interaction, or a goal. William Shakespeare, born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England in 1564, is known world-wide for his talent for writing plays and poems (William). Shakespeare’s King Lear was officially printed in 1608 (King Lear). This play follows the life of a headstrong old man, King Lear, whose mental state is disturbed by his two selfish daughters, Goneril and Regan. Lear’s other daughter, Cordelia, is loyal to her father, but is disowned for her simple, yet honest response to her father’s question in Act one. The daughters must flatter their father in order for him to decide who gets the most desirable part of his kingdom, but this only elicits lies and cruelty from Goneril and Regan, eventually leading to Cordelia’s and Lear’s downfall. Meanwhile, Gloucester, the father of Edgar and Edmund (his illegitimate son), is blinded by lies as well. Edmund manages to trick his father into disliking Edgar in order for him to take over Gloucester’s power. Michael Healey reflects on betrayal in the form of a stage play, The Drawer Boy, a story told with humour, but also about loss and love. Healey, a Canadian playwright and actor, was born on August 25, 1963 in Toronto, Ontario (Nothof). He based The Drawer Boy on a group of actors who went to farms to research rural life in Southern Ontario and collectively produce a play called The Farm Show. The Drawer Boy is a full length play that focuses on a young actor from Toronto, Miles, and his experiences while visiting a farm owned by two older men, Morgan and Angus. Morgan cares for his close friend Angus, who has brain damage and memory loss which happened during the bombing of London in the Second World War. By the end of the play, these three men create and interpret reality through storytelling and role play. It is obvious that both works use role play as an important device that helps develop the topic of deception. Although the essential nature of role play in King Lear is mostly corrupt, in contrast to the innocent intention in the Drawer Boy, both forms of deception have positive consequences. These positive consequences are what allow the characters to act morally and to understand the value of others. Everyone has an individual role that has the ability to influence other lives. Being capable of role play can have negative and positive effects, depending on how it is used. In King Lear, Edmund is described by his father as the â€Å"bastard son†, and that is the exact role he plays. This role was given to him at birth. Although Edmund is cruel and manipulative in nature, he does find a means for redemption. When Edmund is defeated by his brother Edgar, he still has the chance to kill Cordelia and King Lear, but instead, he makes an attempt to save them by calling back his soldiers before they follow orders. Although the attempt is unsuccessful, a different side of Edmund is revealed during this final act, and he admits to being out of character. â€Å"I pant for life. Some good I mean to do, despite of my own nature,† he declares (5. 3. 291-292). This self-awareness is significant because Edmund acknowledges how his role has affected others, and takes advantage of the opportunity to make a moral decision. This form of justice is also portrayed by the character Miles in The Drawer Boy. Miles’ task is to go to a farm and study how farm-life works in order to create a play about it back in Toronto. The more he gets involved with the lives of Morgan and Angus, the more intrigued he is by them. Although there are a few humorous references to farming, the main attention of this play is on Morgan and Angus’ history together. Miles decides to use the original story he overheard Morgan telling Angus one night as a part in his play. After attending Miles’ rehearsal, Morgan is not impressed by how invasive the play is, but Angus is excited by the reanimation of his life. When Miles discovers there is more to the story, such as sadness and loss, he declines Angus’ offer to use their story in his play. â€Å"Thanks. But—thanks†(Healey 188), Miles says as he hands over his notebook. Miles decides to give up the whole play, even if it means it will jeopardize his career as an actor. When Miles hands over his notebook to Morgan it symbolizes the ethical decision he is making. Even though his role in the play is to investigate farm life, he steps out of that role to do what is right. Edmund and Miles are characters that can be easily compared. They both show that a specific role is not given to someone; instead, people can determine how flexible and adaptable their role in life is. The way that Edmund and Miles adapt to their surroundings by changing characters in order to make a just decision is heartening. Valuing other people for their individuality or specific characteristics is essential to positive interaction among humans. When people take on the role of someone else they lose their individuality and worthiness of true self-value. This type of deceiving interaction is seen in both King Lear and The Drawer Boy. Lear’s flaw at the beginning of the play is that he values appearances over reality. Using role play to their advantage, Goneril and Regan are villainous and use Lear’s blindness to their true natures against him. They alter their characters to flatter their father, who is too full of pride to recognize deceit. Cordelia’s sincerity is misunderstood and Lear banishes her because she does not compliment him like her other two sisters. Both Goneril and Regan have altered their personalities to gain all of Lear’s powers, and it is not until they take everything away from Lear, that he realizes Cordelia is the only daughter who truly loves him. He begs for forgiveness as he cries to Cordelia, â€Å"If you have poison for me, I will drink it. I know you do not love me; for your sisters/ Have, as I do remember, done me wrong† (4. 7. 82-84). Although Lear believes he has done Cordelia wrong and deserves to be punished, Cordelia has no desire for revenge, or any need to make her father suffer for having misjudged her. Goneril and Regan make their father believe they are someone else, but in the end, Lear is able to made amends with Cordelia and value her compassion and honesty. Thi s family journey reinforces the idea that at the heart of every betrayal lies a skewed set of values. Similarly, Morgan values his life-time friend Angus, but does not fully appreciate him until the end of the play. Morgan hides the truth from Angus for a couple of reasons: Angus hit Sally during one of his headache episodes and that’s why she and Frances left the farm. Morgan alse wants to protect himself from his guilt over being responsible for Angus’ accident that caused the headaches and memory loss. When Miles and Angus push Morgan into finally revealing the true story, Angus is overwhelmed, but understanding. Morgan explains, â€Å"I told you the story of the black car crashing for the first time. I told it again, and you stopped crying. I told it again, and you fell asleep. I kept telling it ’cause it made you feel better. Goddamn it, it made me feel better† (Healey 187-188). By telling Angus the truth, Morgan shows how his protective role overpowered his role as a friend. He was, in a way, being selfish by hiding this secret from Angus because he felt guilty for being the one who made Angus go out to the car to get a bottle of brandy when the accident occurred. Angus, however, is not mad at Morgan, but upset with himself for hitting Sally, which caused both Sally and Frances to leave. Both men feel guilty and sorry for one another and for what they have done. Angus had the right to know the truth and Morgan realizes that after seeing how his friend handles it. Morgan now has more respect for Angus, especially after they make a promise to tell the story every day even if Angus forgets. Angus plays a unique role in this play because he is lacking memories of his past with Morgan. Even with memories missing, he still acknowledges the importance of Morgan in his life, and vice versa. The characters recognized the value of others near the end of both works. Truth comes out by the end of King Lear and The Drawer Boy that draws attention to the real role of characters. These character traits are what reveal to the audience each character’s true nature and this realization is what brings those characters closer. Although in The Drawer Boy, Morgan already valued Angus for who he is, it is not until the end of the play that he can explain why he values his friend so much. Whereas throughout King Lear, Cordelia is wretched compared to her sisters, and Lear does not realize how important she is until the very end. In conclusion, while King Lear have more sinister intentions of role play, it is easily comparable to the role play in The Drawer Boy. Characters from both works change their behaviour to accomplish tasks which lead to important results. The results are identified as the characters making moral decisions, and developing a new appreciation of others. In King Lear, the good are misjudged as evil and the evil are accepted as good. In The Drawer Boy the effect of loss and love overwhelms the reader. Two intriguing pieces of writing that are different, but similar in many ways, use an important device, role play. Role play can be as simple as a child playing â€Å"Doctor†, or it can be as serious as altering one’s entire personality to be someone else. In either instance, it is an effective tool that can have many advantages or disadvantages. How people decide to use this ability that defines them and the outcome.

Predominance of Goddesses in Minoan Religion Essay

The most obvious thing present in Minoan religion is its polytheistic and matriarchal features, thus it is always referred to as a goddess religion, wherein all deities are female and there had been no male divinity detected until later times. Added to that is the fact that male deities are uncommon and they are usually embodied on a lesser level in contrast to female deities. The predominance of goddesses in the Minoan religion is very apparent in its cults. The proof to this claim is that the majority of mainland palaces shows paintings of parades wherein the people give offerings to their goddesses. Clay statues of female deities were also located in Crete. The predominance of female gods is also indicated by the central task occupied by priestesses in religious rites and the attendance of women in ceremonies’ environment. The number of women also exceeded that of priests and male assistants, and this could be seen in the paintings on the Aghia Triadha Sarcophagus which would be further discussed later on this paper along with other evidences found which points to the predominance of goddesses in the said religion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Minoans worships female gods, and even though there are several proof of male deities, portrayals of Minoan goddesses greatly outnumber representations of something which could be judged as a Minoan male deity. Whereas some of these portrayals of women are considered to be representations of worshippers and female priests overseeing religious rituals, as opposed to the goddess herself, there still appear to be numerous female deities such as Mother Goddess of fertility, and so on (Hooker, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since ruins and remnants were the only thing left for us in understanding Minoan culture, one could only hypothesize and predict what the Minoans religious culture and practices had been. The Minoans left only some articles and pieces of their relics which only suggests at a prosperous and complicated religious practices and figurative method behind their cracked exteriors. As already mentioned earlier, the most evident attribute of this particular religion is that it is polytheistic and matriarchal in nature. Most of the Minoans gods are female and it was only after so many years that male gods had been identified and even then they hold inferior position in contrast to female gods. A majority of religious and cultural scholars now accept as true that almost every religion started out with a matriarchal characteristics and it was only after so many years that they decided to change this matriarchal existence into a patriarchal one. The sudden change from a matriarchal kind of religion into a patriarchal one is still a cause of great controversy up to this point in time. However, the espousal of an inactive way of life due to agriculture may have basically reoriented society in the direction of a patriarchal model of organization and the ensuing rethinking of religion comprised by female gods.   What is for sure is that urbanization radically hastened gender inequality as the lives of mankind unexpectedly took up a double magnitude, that of the public and the private life. The control of public life which is comprised of supervision, regulation, and military groups made up by the men definitely shaped a reorientation of religious principles. However, the Cretans apparently did not change their matriarchal way of life and religion into a patriarchal one. Up to this point in time, the heritage of the female oriented religion is still present in their lives. This is evident through the fact that in Crete men and women alike vow through the name of Virgin Mary. In Crete, the epithet Panagia is as popular as ever (Hooker, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ruler of the Minoan pantheon appears to have been omnipotent goddesses who governs and oversees everything in the world. This god is a mother deity, the label having come from her supposedly motherly attitude towards everything and everyone here on Earth. The relationship of a mother to a child is believed to be completely different from that of a father to his children. One may find this particular claim hard to understand however, such would not be the case if one thinks back and reflect that almost everyone holds the saying that â€Å"there is no greater love than that of a mother to a child† to be true, and even Sigmund Freud suggests the same notion on one of his works, â€Å"Moses and Monotheism†. According to him, the relationship between a mother and child is apparently more real than that of a child with his father especially if one would consider the fact that each and every one of us came from our mother’s womb. Although a relationship with a father is also a biological one, such is different and could only be supposed since the child did not come from the father, rather, as mentioned earlier, we all came from our mother’s womb. From here, one could deduct that one of the fundamental aspects of a matriarchal religion is a closer affiliation or connection, like kinship and the like to their goddesses. Religions dominated by male figures on the other hand, is liable to emphasize distance. However, all of these are mere suppositions and intelligent guesses from great thinkers, considering the fact that very little information regarding goddess religion were actually handed down to us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is basically owing to this reason that it is hard to weigh the nature of the mother-goddess of Minoans. There are several demonstrations of goddesses, which directs to the assumption that the Minoans were polytheistic. However there are also assertions that the many representations of female goddesses were nothing but just numerous manifestations of a single goddess.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are numerous goddesses which could be differentiated from one another in spite of the claims for a monotheistic religion. There is The Lady of the Beasts   or what others call the Huntress, this particular deity is epitomized as one which conquers and is efficient in mastering beasts or animals. In a later embodiment, Huntress became the Mountain Mother and was illustrated to be standing on a mountain and evidently defending the animals as well as the natural world. Snake Goddess, on the other hand is probably the most popular goddess of the Minoan religion. She has snakes interlinked on her body and since her sculptures are found only on houses or small shrines in palaces, there are suppositions that the Snake Goddess is some kind of a domestic deity. However, the household goddess also appears in the form of a tiny bird, this is assumed since there are several shrines which are leaning around a dove-like form. Majority of scholars thinks that major goddesses of Greek religion such as Hera, Artemis, and the like originated from Minoan goddesses (Marinatos, 1993).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The world for the Cretans appears to be saturated with divinity, every object in the universe were all full of religious significance. This is evident on their worship of trees, pillars, and so on, the priesthood as it appears, is dominated by women, although there are minute proofs that palace kings also serves religious purposes (Marinatos, 1993).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are also proofs that the Minoans religion also holds belief on demons, which are constantly depicted as doing certain religious rites and the like, so their precise nature is hard to judge. They are also portrayed in human forms, with the hands and feet of a lion, and while they are definitely hideous, they could still be, considered as representations of religious worships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also, as mentioned earlier, urbanization radically modifies social relations. Instead of genuine, natural, relationships founded on kinship and empathy, urbanized cultures managed themselves around more theoretical, less durable, and intrinsically uneven lines. For instance, urbanized society revolves around class or economic function instead of kinship, economic function creates a sort of social discrimination, as officials, priests, and so on comes to dwell in more significant roles than other people. /urbanization also creates a rip in human experience in that life is separated into public and private areas. Men were the ones who dominate public fields (Trustees of Dartmouth College, 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Crete, on the other hand avoided this sudden shift from matriarchal rule into a patriarchal one. Crete appears to be a society with no or very little class prejudices. Archaeological proofs imply that women did not stop from playing significant role in their society, especially on the public spheres. Women there operated as priests, as functionaries as well as officials, they also joined in the same sports male joins in. This is greatly admirable considering the fact that sports in Crete were extremely fierce and risky. Bull-jumping for one is a sport wherein those who are weak at heart could not possibly hope to join into. All the demonstrations of the said sports points out that even a woman join in this dangerous activity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It also appears that females partake in every profession and employment accessible for the male of the specie. The speedy increase of commerce in Crete includes accomplished craftswomen and entrepreneurs, and even the great, system of government and priesthood is full of women. In spite of the fact that the palace kings are male, the society itself could not be considered a patriarchal one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact proofs which came from Cretan settlements proved that Cretan society and religion is a matrilineal one. This is evident in the fact that kinship ancestry was reckoned through the mother’s lineage. Although there is no way to be certain that the Crete society is indeed matrilineal one could not deny that it is a possible conclusion especially since their religion is goddess-based.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Places of worship could also be one determinant that the religion of Minoans is goddess based. Many caves located in Crete showed a great deal of information regarding the Minoan religion. Caves were 1st utilized in Crete as abodes or some kind of living areas in the Neolithic period. By the end of the Neolithic era, caves started to be used at length, as burial grounds, and this kind of custom carried on all throughout the Early Minoan age. Caves were also viewed as cult places in the Middle Minoan era, where they hold their worship to their deities. The predominance of female goddesses in Minoan religion is supported by the presence of these caves wherein the deities they revere there all proved to be females.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most prominent cult caves is the Cave of Eilethyia which could be located near Amnisos and whose name is linked to the goddess Eileithyia. The basis for this particular connection could be found in Homer’s Odyssey. Close to the center of the cave, one could find a cylindrical stalagmite and contained in the area and in front of the stalagmite is something which looks like a square stone, which some believes to be an altar.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The presence of domestic shrines also points out to the matriarchal facet of the Minoan religion. The shrine at Myrthos is supposedly the place where the goddess Myrtos was found. This particular shrine could be dated back at the early Prepalatial period and it was known to endure all throughout Minoan prehistory. Four of the best well-known Minoan havens could also attest to the domineering feature of the said religion (Moss, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Shrine of the Double Axes at Knossos is a small shrine which was deserted along with its religious furnishings in situ and is therefore very precious in terms of understanding the Minoan religion. The room’s ground region is separated into different levels. A number of big vases could be located in the front area, in the middle region a stand table of offerings is entrenched in the bottom, and on each side of the table groups of tiny jugs and cups could be seen. At the back of the room, one could see an elevated bench wherein two set stuccoes clay could be located. It is where one the horns of consecration are placed, and in each container, between the horns of consecration is a circular hole. This hole is supposedly used to hold a double axe. Amidst the two pairs of horns, they located a figurine of a woman which is shaped like a bell. There were also found a slighter statue of a woman. They also found a sculpture of a man holding out a dove as well as two other figurines of women (one of which have a bird atop its head). The last is frequently believed to be a goddess while the other statuettes are categorized as votaries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Town Shrine at Gournia is a post-palatial bench asylum situated close to the utmost point of the neighborhood. This tiny shrine does not belong to a palace or to any huge structure in particular. Rather, the shrine is an independent architectural division close to a cobbled road. When the shrine was unearthed they saw that it is in a noticeable poor state of conservation. However, its floor is full of a huge quantity of cult belongings, some of which are similar to those of the Shrine of the Double Axes. The absence of associated pottery made it had to date the shrine; however, it is possible that it was last put into use in the LM IIIB era. A low bench is situated in the southern partition. The northeast corner, on the other hand, showed a public stand table of offerings about which were to be found four snake-tubes, the bottom of a 5th snake-tube hidden on the stand table of offerings   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Ayia Triadha Sarcophagus is also one of the great sources of evidence if one wants to prove that Minoan religion is basically goddess-based. The said sarcophagus was discovered in a pillaged tomb in early fourteenth century B.C. It is located in Ayia Triadha, thus the name Ayia Triadha Sarcophagus. The front side of the sarcophagus depicted goddesses which were represented by the double axes, there are also birds located atop the axes which is believed to symbolize the arrival of a goddess. In the West end of the sarcophagus is an incomplete male processional scenario, it also shows a chariot pulled by two Agrimia, and the chariot also carries two women. Agrimia is believed to have religious implications in Minoan art. It is also probable that the two women on the chariot are goddesses. At the back side of the sarcophagus is a shrine with a tree in the middle. To the left of the said shrine is an altar, a woman stands in front of the altar and behind the woman is a sacrificial table where a bull is secured which indicates that it is to be sacrificed. The woman standing have her hands held high while at the other side of the scene one could see a parade of women with their palms down which signifies that the sacrifice is meant for the earth or to an underworld character which in turn, implies the possibility that the sacrifice is meant for a funeral of some sort. At the East Side of the sarcophagus are two females riding a chariot which is pulled by two winged griffins, and over them there is a flying bird. The two women are viewed as goddesses, which are implied by the mystical appearance of the griffins. These figures are also viewed to be guides for those who are heading towards the underworld (Minoan, 1988).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As could be seen, huge quantity of evidences points out that the Minoan religion is indeed dominated by females. It is also mainly because of this particular observation, which were derived mainly from archaeological relics, that it is conclude that the society of Crete is also matriarchal in nature. The presence of numerous goddesses depicted through relics such as paintings, vases, and place of worships and so on all points out that the religion of Minoans were indeed polytheistic and goddess-based in nature. Works Cited Hooker, R. (1999) â€Å"Minoan Religion.† Marinatos, N. (1993). Minoan religion: ritual, image, and symbol University of South Carolina Press. Moss, M. L. (2005). The Minoan Pantheon: towards an understanding of its nature and extent   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John and Erica Hedges Ltd. Trustees of Dartmouth College (2000) â€Å"Minoan Religion.† Warren, P. (1988) Minoan religion as ritual action Gothenburg: P. Astroms.      

abortion Essays (813 words) - RTT, Abortion, Fertility, Free Essays

Abortion is the act of destroying an un-born fetus in a woman?s womb. Its known as one of the most controversial issues discussed in today?s society. The topic can be put into two categories; pro-choice, and pro-life. Those who support pro-choice believe that abortion is a woman?s right, and that abortion is acceptable. While on the hand those who support pro-life believe, abortion is morally wrong, and can be considered murder. However the issue has caused a great deal of turmoil in the world. Some protesters have even killed other people over this issue, which is ironic because killing human beings is exactly what those people are protesting. Pro-choice advocates argue that abortion is not murder, because life does not begin until the child is born, or sometime relatively close. Since the idea of life depends on ones religious, and theological views, it can make a complicated argument. However, from a scientific stand point, theres no room for argument. Scientist believe life begins at conception, and continues until birth. The definition of alive is, that a being is growing, developing, maturing, and replacing its own dying cells, which a fetus is capable of doing. Pro-choice advocates have argued that a woman had the right to her own body, and that the government shouldn?t be able to control a woman?s body, which is true. A woman, just like any other human being should have complete control to their own bodies. Having an abortion is murder, it is giving a woman the right to murder an unborn fetus. A woman has the right to get pregnant, and should take full advantage of all the possibilities and options while getting pregnant. Allowing a woman to have an abortion, is allowing a woman to commit murder. Abortion is immoral and wrong, with the exceptions in cases of incest, rape, and when the mother?s life is in danger. Using abortion as a form of birth control is murder, it is killing an unborn fetus. Believing that abortion is a woman?s right to her own body is startling to believe. Never has a state granted a citizen the right to have another person killed in order to solve a personal, social, or financial dilemmas. Abortion can also lead to many physical, and or mental problems. About 10 percent of women who have an abortion will suffer immediate complications. And about 2 percent are considered life threatening. Another likely complication is Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, which can later lead to infertility. Some of the more major complications which can occur at the time of an abortion are: Genital Tract Infection, excessive bleeding, embolism, ripping or perforation of the uterus, anesthesia complications, convulsions, hemorrhage, cervical injury, and endotoxic shock. The most common "minor" complications include: infection, bleeding, fever, second degree burns, chronic abdominal pain, vomiting, and gastro-intestinal disturbances. Post-Abortion Syndrome better known as PAS can be a mental after affect from abortion. A Los Angeles Times survey back in 1989 showed that 56% of women who had an abortion felt guilty, and 26% felt guilty about having an abortion Abortion isn?t always successful, there are about 50 failed abortions cases a year. A failed abortion is when a woman attempts an abortion and the fetus survives. Fused joints, Cerebral Palsy, growth retardation, missing limbs, or digit abnormalities and other congenital problems are just some of the medical complications that can result after abortion. A failed abortion can either be a continued intrauterine pregnancy or can also take place as an ectopic pregnancy. A continued pregnancy is a normal pregnancy, in which the woman can go on to give birth to her baby. An Ectopic is a pregnancy that takes place in the fallopian tubes and is not a result of the abortion, its a natural occurrence, and can actually be the reason of the failed abortion. Ectopic pregnancies that are not terminated can be fatal. After having an abortion there are many effects that can occur in future pregnancies. About 24.3 percent of women experience complications in future pregnancies, after having an abortion. Excessive bleeding, premature delivery, cervical damage, and even infertility are just some of the complications that women can experience after an abortion. Placenta previa, a condition producing extremely severe,

Advertising Appeals to Our Imperfect Lives & to Our desire to satisfy Essay

Advertising Appeals to Our Imperfect Lives & to Our desire to satisfy ourselves - Essay Example The belief that people hold, that their decisions cannot be affected by the media and the advertisements, makes media very strong because when a person purchases a product they are convinced that they really need it. However, in most instances, this is not true. The average individual in the American society sees very many adverts per day. These adverts are available in almost all corners of life ranging from home where most part of the television is advertisements to the office where an individual doing research on the Internet is exposed to many more adverts in this media that has become more pronounced in the contemporary world. The ads that are directed towards the female population range from beauty, fashion, and diets. The companies undertaking the advertising usually do enough market research to know which side of the society can be exploited to the advantage of increased sales volume and market share for these businesses. The adverts are projected towards ensuring that the cu stomers would be pleased to the point of thinking that their lives would become perfect if they purchased certain goods. If the media does not find a need to exploit, they can create some to make people think that they need the product being advocated for. Creation of an area to exploit makes people think that they have a problem or even make them doubt themselves. This would definitely prompt people to try the product to see whether the perceived problem would be eliminated. This is during the quest to make lives perfect, which according to people, can be achieved through elimination of the problems that cause the imperfection. The need to create doubts in people is usually the result of intense competition that has been taking place in the modern world between the main players in the business sector. However, during most instances, the ads are designed to exploit the existing needs that people cannot live without. For instance, most magazines intended for the male population have

Sustainability Indicators Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sustainability Indicators - Essay Example There are two types of indicators used, sustainability indicator and a typical urban indicator. Sustainability indicators are much more precise, detailed and extensive. They give us a broader view of the economic, social and environmental situation as if each and every element of the society is interlinked with each other. Not only does it provide us with a view of these elements, but it also gives us prompt solutions to it. Urban indicators measure changes in each part of the community as if they were completely independent. However sustainability indicators demonstrate the reality that each and every segment of the community is tightly interconnected with each other ("What are urban indicators? | Information | Livable urban environments | MFE"). The main objective of this type of an indicator is to inform and publicize the policy making authorities by providing them information and values on any relative term while keeping every activity interlinked with the other. A demonstration to this statement can be made by giving an example of the social-economic activities, as to whether it is an improvement or not. Unemployment is measured by collecting data related to diversity and vitality of local jobs, number and size of companies and the variability of skill levels. In this given situation a number of different elements are considered and evaluated. It is not just focused on a single type of activity but takes a number of different activities in consideration, collects data and gives result. This helps the state take better decisions to improve sustainability. The decision-making authorities find solutions to different problems such as to the situation that stands, whether the targets are being met, is improvement being made and as to where they stand generally compared to other states. This brings about various positive impacts bringing about a change in the environmental and societal improvement. The chosen sustainability indicator measures and evaluates the c ommunity progress in relevance to environmental, economic and social sustainability. This identifies the state of the community and how to resolve the issue. It interprets data and defines how to preserve and improve the quality of living for the present and future generation. The indicators used are related to society, environment and health. Values related to good health are measured by estimates of healthy infants, teen pregnancy and HIV patients. Conditions of environmental issues are measured by collecting data of the change in environment, air quality, waste reduction and bicycling. Social improvement is measured by elements such as the graduation rate, crimes and employment rate. These indicators used are of high value to any society or community. They determine the future conditions, the development and proper functioning of any state. The city council that chose this particular sustainability indicator approved a 10 year target for each indicator and set a numerical goal of what is to be achieved. The indicators are divided into 3 main parts that are further divided into 26 sub indicators. Each indicator gives view of the target, data, and analysis of each element of the community as mentioned above. Through this website the community is tracking the improvements and progress made in the society. As to how much work is done and what work remains in order to attain high quality life standards. This is done keeping

Literaty Anaylsis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Literaty Anaylsis - Essay Example The essay tries to make a literary analysis of Frost’s poem â€Å"Birches† laying special emphasis on its theme and the literary devices employed in it. One of the major themes of the poem is that of imagination versus reality. The poet, like the birch swinger, tries to fly into an imaginary world, but he ultimately realizes that â€Å"one must remain within the natural world itself and that complete escape into the world of the imagination is impossible† ("Birches: Themes"). The poet finds the birch tree â€Å"bend to left and right† and he understands the reality that it is the result of ice-storms. However, his imagination goes beyond the actual reason and concludes that some boy would be swinging on the birches. Thus, the tension between â€Å"the real world and the world of the imagination, runs throughout Frosts poetry and gives the poem philosophical dimension and meaning far greater than that of a simple meditation on birch trees† ("Birches: Introduction†). Later the poet himself identifies with the boy and considers himself to be a birch swinger. The poet is of the opinion that when one is â€Å" weary of considerations† and life seems to be â€Å"a pathless wood†, he/she is quite likely to â€Å"to get away from the earth awhile†. Thus, the climbing of the boy in the poem symbolizes man’s escape from the real world to the world of imagination or illusion and his coming down to earth suggests coming back to the world of reality. For the poet, the escape from the earth is only momentary and this occasional climb to the world of imagination provides one with the inner strength to face the real world. As Frost himself puts it: â€Å"Id like to get away from earth awhile / And then come back to it and begin over†. At the end, the poet comes to the realization that the â€Å"earth is the right place for love† and that he cannot find a better place than this. Thus, the poem can be rightly understood as a conflict of the soul