Hotel Rwanda - The Rwandan Genocide Essay Example for Free

Hotel Rwanda The Rwandan Genocide Essay Hotel Rwanda is a film about the genocide that transpired within the premises of the city of Kigali, the heart of Rwanda during the year 1994. This evil act lasted for 100 days killing thousands of innocent lives of Rwandan men, women and children. But in the film, it did not focus on the genocide. Instead, it shed a light on the heroic and courageous deed of one ordinary man in an effort to save the lives of some of his countrymen. In the movie, almost all of the aspects of the genocide were tackled including the powerlessness of the United Nations to put a stop to the violent killings perpetrated by the Rwandan government and the Hutu rebels against the Tutsis. This was very much evident when the character of Dan Cheadle was promised by the UN Colonel that he, his family and all the refugees at the Milles Collines will be rescued. But when the colonel had a talk with another UN officer, the plan seemed to have changed. The colonel explained that only foreign nationals were allowed to leave Rwanda. Only a small number of troops were instructed to uphold peacekeeping and not peacemaking meaning they were not allowed to shoot at anyone even if they commit violent actions. More so, the minimal involvement of the international organizations and their eventual negligence over the escalating killings in Rwanda played a pivotal role in the increased deaths of thousands of people. Instead of helping the Tutsis to take refuge to a safer place in neighboring countries, these organizations decided not to get involve because of the misconception that nothing can restore the peace and order in an anarchic setting. Moreover in the movie, a Red Cross worker drew some attention because of how she showed her bravery by setting aside her fears and her own welfare just to save a few people from being mercilessly killed by the Hutus. Some aid workers decided to stay in order to help while others chose to flee in order to protect their welfare. Overall, the movie generated an accurate depiction of the Rwandan genocide. However, some controversial issues were downplayed like the role of the French in the uprising and arming of the Hutu rebels. After the genocide, some reports have surfaced that implicated a few French politicians and the French military with this tragic incident. According to the results of the findings of an â€Å"Independent Rwandan Commission,† the French government was â€Å"aware of preparations for the genocide and helped train the ethnic Hutu militia perpetrators. The report included that France provided the Hutus with â€Å"political, military, diplomatic and logistical support. † For almost 2 years, the commission had gathered data and interviewed several survivors. All the information that had been obtained, served as testimonies to the participation of the French government in the killing of almost 800,000 civilians in the span of 100 days (BBC, 2008). But the French vehemently refu ted the accusations. In their defense, they stated that the allegations were biased because the commission has only one thing in mind and that is to prove that the French are guilty. The â€Å"French Foreign Ministry said â€Å"there is no surprise in the conclusions of the commission given its mission† (CNN, 2008). Aside from this, the film also failed to include the admission of the United Nations of its failure to prevent the genocide. But for the UN, this became a learning experience. They realized that people should not be neglected specifically in times of dire need when lives are at stake (BBC, 2000). Given this new angle in the Rwandan genocide, it should have been also portrayed in the movie. This would have given viewers more accurate representation of what really happened in Rwanda in April 1994. Also, this would have been a chance for the whole world to determine who the real culprits were in one of the worst humanitarian crisis of the 20th century. More so, these events could have provided a comprehensive outlook on how humans are capable of doing horrendous and brutal acts just to have power and control.

Functionalism In Psychology History Principles And Contributions Philosophy Essay

Functionalism In Psychology History Principles And Contributions Philosophy Essay This essay shows a history of functionalism, its principles and contributions. It includes four stages of psychology in the United States, development of functionalism and notable functionalists focusing on Willam James. It shows the theory of free will, habits and instincts, Jamess early years, mind-body debate, consciousness, emotions and the self. The development of self-esteem by James Williams could probably help social workers, counselors and psychologists to tackle clients who are troubled, bullied, depressed, anaroxic or suicidal. Functionalism in Psychology: History, Principles Contributions The alternative model to structuralism was known as functionalism. Founded by William James,who agreed with Edward Titchner that the study of consciousness must be the central theme of psychology. But James disagreed with structuralists search for basic elements of mind, he rather emphasized that psychologists should study how the mind functions. James published a book titled Principles of Psychology in 1890, which promoted functionalism. He agreed that consciousness is an ongoing stream, a property of the mind that continually interacts with the environment. Through this interaction, human beings learn to adapt to their environment. For him, the functions of mind were more important than the structures of mind (Hergenhahn, 2005). This paper will represent the history, principles and current contributions of functionalism. According to Sahakian (1975), thereare four stages of early United States Psychology. The pre-revolution, first stage betweenthe year 1640 1776, the using of reasoning to differentiate between God, beliefs, religion and state.Second stage between the year 1776 1886, commonsense philosophers have agreed to take feelings and senses as equal to reason. Third stage between the year 1886 1896, psychology is separated from philosophy and religion. In the final fourth stage, the publication of John Deweys article The Reflex Arc in Psychology in the year 1896 and themixture of science, apprehension for practicality, importance on individual and evolutionary theorycombined together into the school of functionalism. Functionalism was rooted in Charles Darwins theory of evolution. Evolution is based on individual differences and the survival of adaptive features. Adaptation becomes a popular approach to measuring intelligence and Individual Differences become a valued part of mental research. Unlike most other psychologists who were interested in the structure of mental activity, functionalists were interested in functions, the mental aspects of adapting to an environment. Functionalist were equally interested in individual differences of all mental activity. Functionalism started with John Lockes political theory influenced the American and French Constitutions (Hergenhahn, 2005). His views on education have contributed to the thoughts of every subsequent theorizer in the field.The mind at birth possesses no innate ideas. The mind of man is a tabula rasa or blank slate at birth, upon which is impressed many sense impressions. All knowledge proceeds through sense experience. As the mind stores up a variety of sense impressions, associations occur which provide new knowledge. The mind is consequently passive. The senses provide the mind with the materials which represent reality. These materials are not identical with the extra mental object. The material is the idea within the mind which represents the object outside the mind being received by the senses. By combining, comparing and analyzing these materials or ideas arising through sensations, we derive thoughts. Knowledge is not sense perception but intellectual perception. Functionalists like American philosopher, John Dewey who criticized reductionistic approaches to psychology and argued that experience must be understood in a naturalistic context. He applied the assumptions of functionalism in developing the field of school psychology and educational practices. As the functionalists studied the functions of consciousness, gradually their attention shifted to the learning process itself. They paid less attention to the study of consciousness and more to the environmental conditions that facilitate mental functions. William James was the most influential functionalist.He presented much of the foundation functional psychology, but he did not develop his ideas to the point of an independent school of study. He endorsed some aspects of functionalism, and considered the father of American psychology. Consistent with materialism and evolution, James believed that science opposed the existence of free will. In turn, he proposed free will to be beyond the realm of science. The nature of free will is reflected in voluntary behaviour. To control our voluntary behaviour, we must control the ideas of behaviour. Ideas of action can lead to action, or can be held back consciously.According to James, both habits and instinct are within the brain (not in the mind) and outside of free will(Hergenhahn, 2005). Habits are learned and continuous repetition could stabilize mental functions in the brain. Instincts are unlearned and they are learned patterns of reacting. Instincts are not blind and invariable and can be moulded by habit. James was initially impressed with the scientific advancements tied to both materialism and evolution, but those sciences left him disappointed and even depressed.His depression ended while reading about free will. He doubted free will was an illusion if he could voluntarily believe in free will. Voluntary belief also influenced his approach to science. His major publication was Principles of Psychology which provided a solid foundation of modern psychology in America. James attempted to cover every aspect of psychology and took twelve years to write it, and it was 1,393 pages long (published as two volumes). Principles of Psychology generally support a dualist, interactionist approach to human nature. James presents separate mind phenomena and brain phenomena, and proposes ways in which they interact.Most experimental psychologists at that time were looking for elements of consciousness.James represented the concept of a stream of consciousness. According to James, consciousness is not made up of a bunch of little pieces put together. Consciousness is personal (no need for common elements), continuous (cannot be dismantled), always changing, always selective and choosing (free will) and dealt of objects other than itself (the purpose is functional and adaptive). According to James, the self is the sum of all things which a person can call mine. Including the body and all possessions (material self), the self as it is known by others (social self) and spiritual self(Hergenhahn, 2005). Self as knower (the I, pure ego) is an ultimate vantage point, self that does the knowing and a part of you that remains constant in a changing stream of consciousness. Self-esteem is a ratio of the actual self over the potential self. Esteem could come from achievements and from lowering expectations.The classic theory of emotion in functionalism is stimulus, emotion and response; perceive object, experience emotion and respond to it. Another theory of emotion is stimulus, response and emotion; the behaviour is a functional reaction to the stimulus and the emotion is the result of the response. As a functional result, behaviours associated with how you want to feel can give you that feeling. Functionalism was an overwhelming achievement, unfortunately, it was a bsorbed into the mainstream psychology and not on its own. However, the study of functionalism and the selfresultedthe development of the study of self-esteem which helps the world till today. James had a very simple definition of self-esteem: success divided by pretension. According to James the more success we have and the lower our expectations or pretensions then the higher our self-esteem. To raise self-esteem, therefore, we have two options: lower our expectations of ourselves or increase our achievements.This theorygives us and psychologists a better understanding on howpeople react to their thoughtsand perhaps to tackle depression and maintain self-esteem. Functionalism has taught us on how to get a better understanding of the functions of the mind and perhaps this theory could be useful for psychologists, counsellors and social workers who meet with suicidal or depressed clients.

An Overview Of Semiotics And Structuralism Drama Essay

An Overview Of Semiotics And Structuralism Drama Essay In the early 20th Century Ferdinand de Saussure developed the linguistic theory of semiotics, the study of signs within language and the implications of these signs. This involved the analysis of words within texts but after development could be applied to all kinds of art, even paintings and music. The meanings and signs were discovered by studying why a word had been chosen over another, which in turn developed the idea of binary oppositions, for example it is cold because it is not hot. The signs within a text are differential, and it is important to study the relationship between the signs that are being given, and therefore in performance the audience are being sent many messages from what they perceive and this produces very complex layers of meanings as different signs connect with one another. Even seeing how the words are put together, particularly in old texts where the order is different to now, studying the sentences and which words are put with one another give a deeper meaning to the piece. Saussure introduced the idea of there being a signifier and signified to produce a sign. For example, the word tree would be a signifier, and then in the receivers mind they would produce their idea of a tree and this would be the signified, which when both are put together produce the sign of an actual tree. There are many interesting parts to this idea, for example the arbitrary state of these signs, in that there is no intrinsic link between signifier and signified (Culler, 20) as there is no clear reason why a tree is called a tree. Most words can be classed with this arbitrary argument (except onomatopoeia and words that are formed from two others, such as typewriter) and as a result what is further revealed is that because these words have no clear reason for use, everyone has their own interpretation. As a result different words mean different things to different people, and therefore one person may take a certain sign from an aspect of a piece, whereas another persons interpr etation could produce a completely separate sign from the same aspect. As there are so many cultures and no two people have the exact same experiences, each view of a piece will be very different. This does not make one readers interpretation more important, but in fact all signs picked up by all readers of the piece have to be taken into account, making it more complex than even just one person analysing it. Texts are made more complicated by the fact that they are diachronic, as they mean different things depending on when they are being read. For example, an ancient Greek play would have different meanings to it if seen by an ancient Greek in comparison to a contemporary audience. These contrasts in cultures add even more signs to a piece, as it is the differences between the views that show that one audience is missing a significant part of the meaning, and what this lack of meaning will mean as a result. Consequently it is important to acknowledge what would have been taken from the piece in its original time and place for cultural context. Theologists such as Charles Peirce produced another branch off these original ideas based on the idea of the arbitrary state, by analysing how arbitrary a signifier would be in relation to the sign. What he produced was three tiers symbols (such as a word) which were very arbitrary, indexes would be something more closely connected, (such as a musical note on paper) and icons were the least arbitrary, for example a photo or an actor playing a character. Even though this branched off from Saussures semiology ideas, what was important to take from it was that even if a signifier was an icon and was very close to the sign, still a sign stands for something which is not presentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ thus reinforcing the absence and metaphysical hollowness that haunt all signification. (Fortier, 22) In light of this, the whole of reality is questioned as if everyones interpretation of a situation is different, and no sign is more valid than another, what truly is reality, when nobody has the sa me view? This is what semiotics takes on as it is used, as every little thing is an interpretation to somebody, and therefore it is hard to see where to stop analysing, leading to unlimited semiosis, (22) as either everything must have a meaning or nothing has. In light of this a performance can be analysed as soon as an audience enters the theatre space, if not earlier. Peirces ideas, though connected, did branch off significantly from Saussures original work, so for this essay Peirces work is acknowledged but Saussures work will be put into use more. From semiology, Roland Barthes saw the significance of interpretation and chose to take this further in his own studies as he developed what is now known as structuralism. In his ideas, he emphasised the Death of the Author: it is language which speaks, not the author; to write is, through a prerequisite impersonalityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to reach that point where only language acts, performs, and not me. (Barthes, Image, 143) In this light, the authors only function is to produce the text but the readers interpretation is that which brings the detail to the piece, activating jouissance, an orgasmic joy in the unbridled dissemination of meaning. (Fortier, 24) Similar to semiotics, the use of contrasting cultures can produce resistant reading in structuralism, for if a piece has been produced in the style of one cultures codes, reading it using the codes of a different culture means that the text can be read against itself. Codes were very important to Barthes, seen as cultural definitions, for example to the Western world a cow is often seen just as an animal that produces milk and beef, but to a Hindu culture cows are sacred, so even something as simple as this has hugely contrasting meanings to different cultures, and so codes are put into place to help with this analysis. In his work S/Z, Barthes produced five important Narrative Codes, which were: proairetic, which indicated actions; hermeneutic, providing suspense in questions within the text; cultural, using social norms to define information about characters, referencing outside the text to knowledge that should be common to certain cultures; semic or connotative, which detail characters through theme, connected to the final code, symbolic, which goes further than this to binary pairings and larger themes to create a more detailed image for the reader. (Barry, 51) It is clear that semiotics and structuralism overlap and connect with each other greatly and so can be used together in analysing a piece of text, artwork or similar. In their development it seems as if they fed off each other, each building on the same ideas and creating similar ideas. However the main difference appears to be that semiotics are very focused, studying in detail cultural inferences, whereas structuralism is much broader and looks more at the overall effects of the play. By understanding these systems and theories of how all aspects of a text are codes and symbols for the reader to interpret, they can then be used on a play, such as the medieval play Everyman. Written in the late 15th Century, it is generally thought that this plays origin is the Dutch play Elckerlijc, written about the same time (Patterson, 142). Interestingly in the idea of the Death of the Author, the author is unknown for this piece. As a result any personal influences are immediately ruled out an d simply the readers interpretation can be focused on. In this play, Everyman is preparing to die after a visit from Death, and so asks different allegorical figures to join him on his journey to his final resting place. All of these figures represent certain characteristics of humans, such as Goods, Kindness or Strength, but are vividly fleshed out, for the playwright gives these characters traits and behaviours that make them powerfully real and recognizable as individuals on the stage rather than as abstract moral emblems. (Worthen, 236) As a result the use of gestures and the language style that each character uses would emphasise these traits or attributes, and so semiotics can be used to analyse these in detail. Sadly in this text there are very limited stage directions as with most pieces of that era, so much of the work has to be found within the text itself. This reminds us that a play text is arguably not complete in its own state, as it is simply a tool to be used to produce a performance. In medieval times God was much more prominent than nowadays, and so for God to appear in a play in such a way would have had a significant impact on the audience as a true moral lesson in the dwindling ways of peoples behaviour. However in contemporary audiences who are much more atheist, the full significance of the situation may be lost, as an afterlife is believed in less and less, so this means that the moral must come out of not the religious side of the play but of the morals, to simply encourage people to be better in their way of living rather than to emphasise the preparation of arriving at heavens doors. God, in this play, only appears at the beginning of the play to send Death on his mission but as he is the first proper character to appear his moment is made even more prominent. What is notable about the version in Pattersons Wadsworth Anthology is that when God finishes speaking he withdraws (line 71) whereas all other characters such as Death exit (183). This contrast in word choice implies that God never truly exits, and is therefore still involved in the action on stage, a very subtle religious message to the audience that God is always watching. The text also suggests something about the character of God, as he says they forget clean (30) and clean forsake me (35). Using the word clean as he describes sinners is very symbolic as it reflects Gods willingness to forgive and see people as naturally good people who are corrupted, but the cleanliness of their souls is still evident. In contrast to God, Deaths language seems simpler and more to the point when speaking to him, as he takes no time to talk about himself but offers himself up fully for Gods will: Your commandment to fulfill (65). An audiences first view of this character would see a very obedient character that was sudden and swift, which portrays death in reality, which is often sudden and sharp, striking at an unexpected moment. Already within the first 70 lines the reader has experienced very powerful messages, some of which may have only been absorbed subconsciously but will be brought up constantly throughout the play. Everyman, the human representative in the play, is very interesting to study. He gives off a style of conversation that is very hermeneutic, constantly asking questions until he finally gets the answers he needs. His inquisition suggests that he is very confused and startled by the appearance of Death, as would any human, as well as doubtful of what is happening. However as soon as he understands he seems sorrowful and it is clear that he does believe what he is being told by Death as the questions become less frequent. Sadly though, he seems naÃÆ' ¯ve of reality, saying Death giveth no warning! (132) but this seems foolish as death never gives warnings in real life. His fear of death is shown through his desperation, as he offers Death a thousand pounds if his fate could be delayed, again a sign of naivety. Overall this seems to represent a man who does have faith, who is naturally good, but who has got lost in life and has been distracted by worldly things rather than higher mea nings. On line 184, Everyman says Alas, I may weep with sighs deep! This is a very poetic moment as there is an internal rhyme and a true rhythm to the line, and we can learn a lot just from these words. It gives a general feeling of true sorrow, emphasised by Alas but he also seems a softened character, by the use of weep. Where sob or cry may have been used, the author has provided us with a softer sounding word that creates poetry. The beautiful result is that of grace and compassion, and so the reader feels for and relates closely to the character of Everyman, which is obviously the point of the play. We, as readers, then experience the arrival of the first moral figure Fellowship. Death has just left but clearly the impending doom still lingers in the air, as Fellowship even though oblivious to the recent events uses many words connected to death, such as lifes end (213), die (220), say no more (223) and hell (232). This could be seen as dramatic irony, as these words would sting Everyman because of his most recent experience. As a character he is very friendly and his first words on line 206 (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦good morrow, by this day!) are of enthusiasm and amity. These emphasised, optimistic words suggest that Everyman will be safe after all, and Fellowship vows his companionship to Everyman with words suggesting he would die for the friendship, wanting nothing in return. However in discovery of what is needed, Fellowship fails Everyman and refuses to commit to the journey, even in true friendship. This seems like a comment on human actions, questioning whether all humans are li ke Fellowship, willing to be dedicated and loyal until a true time of need comes and we have to sacrifice something important to ourselves. The despair that comes over Everyman in realisation of the fleeting, worthless relationship would resonate throughout an audience as they realise their own decisions in life. Many of the characters are like this, giving Everyman hope at first but letting him down at the true moment of need. Even Five Wits, Beauty, Discretion and Strength, who all appear to be dedicated to him, fail him at the moment when he reaches the grave. All of these are comments on human observations, as we fail one another in the same way and depend on the wrong things in life. Strength is a very interesting character to analyse as every time he speaks he uses several proairetic words, for example We will bring him all thither, / To his help and comfort, ye may believe me (lines 675-6). This suggests that this strength is to represent both mental and physical strength, as his words are active as well as emotive, as help and comfort have dual functions. The physical aspect is emphasised by reference to Judas Maccabaeus, a Jewish historical warrior, so there is a true feeling of fighting and power which is encouraged further by his words such as in battle fight on the ground (685). H owever, as Strength leaves, it reflects on how fear would overpower Everyman at this point, finally coming to terms with his mortality and feebleness as a human as well as despairing in his inevitable fate. Knowledge, on the other hand, is the figure that saves and guides Everyman in the end. He acts as a helping hand to the protagonist, as he can give him information and provide logic and clear decisions, such as suggesting the visit to Confession. This pushes Everyman forward where he may have been lost before, having not thought to call on Knowledge but was suggested by Good Deeds. This is used within the text to show how when fear arrives, humans struggle to focus and think logically, so the arrival of Knowledge is vital to Everymans continued journey, who soon realises the value of this companion and depends on him: give me cognition (538) so the message of the true worth of knowledge is passed on to the readers. Our final character contact is that of the Doctor, who sums up the whole significance of the tale for the reader. In reality a doctor is a scientific, logical person who can be trusted and is responsible for saving others, so the image of a doctor at the end is very official and makes the meaning that more important to listen to. Stating the point of the play very clearly, he addresses the audience directly (ye hearers, line 903), drawing in the spectators to emphasise the connection between Everyman and every man. He stresses the importance of understanding the moral of the play by saying take it of worth (903) while the word worth plays on the idea of our true values in life and what things are really worth to us. This play has constant religious intonations throughout, a significant example is that it opens with the words I pray and the last line says Amen. This is suggesting that the whole text is a prayer, from start to finish. Additional to this is the constant references to Jesus such as on lines 751 and 894 as well as a variety of other religious figures, which supports the theory that a monk or cleric wrote it. (Patterson, 236) Furthermore, the use of the Angel who uses very soft sounds rather than having words chosen with sharp endings or harsh starts, we get a very peaceful feeling of this character as appears only briefly and suggests a soothing impact on our Everyman. Overall, by analysis we can see deeper emphasises of the various figures and their significance within this story as well as the story of life. Semiosis and structuralism allow us to question words with a more scientific mind to see hidden layers of meaning, giving the whole play a stronger feeling of implication on ou r own life. The author, although unknown, may have written it as a message on his own views, or may have been channelling a message from above, but whether in text or performance the reader is taught that this life is fleeting and we must not hesitate to discover our true priorities on Earth.

An Analysis of Spivak’s Translation of Mahasweta Devi’s Essay

Mahasweta Devi is a very well known figure in modern contemporary Bengali Literature and also a Ramon Magsaysay Award winner for her tremendous works in the field of literature mainly on tribals and marginalized people. Gayatri Spivak played a great role in making Mahasweta Devi known to the literature world through her translations and her work of subaltern studies on Devi’s texts. Spivak has translated many texts of Mahasweta Devi from Bengali into English. Translation has its own problems and issues and has been discussed at large and these issues and problems are matter of concern for every translator. The present paper is concerned with the problems which emerged after reading the select translated text â€Å"Draupadi† and what English/Western readers are deprived of while reading the translated text. Mahasweta Devi (1926- ) is a prolific Bengali writer and a very active social activist. Her works for the upliftment of the tribal people is extra ordinary. Along with the tribal people, she has also dedicated her struggles for all the subalterns, who are the victims of the system and class. Her works like Bashai Tudu, Chhota Munda and His Arrow, Rudali, Mother of 1084, â€Å"Douloti†, â€Å"Draupadi†, â€Å"Breast-giver†, etc. gives a realistic picture of the society where protagonists are oppressed and suppressed by the different tools of the system. Major portions of her writings are journalistic in nature and are directed against the mainstream. According to her mainstream people are the mute spectators and are very much part of the exploitations inflicted upon the subalterns. Though all her stories are written in Bengali, most of the works of Devi has been now translated into English and other languages for wider readership. While talkin... ...rding to Bertrand Russel, â€Å"no one can understand the word ‘cheese’ unless he has a nonlinguistic acquaintance with cheese.† (2000:113). To conclude we can say that whatever measures a translator may take but there will be always loss of information. The best a translator can do is to minimize the loss. Bengal with its rich culture, traditions and religious values it becomes all the more tough for the translators to avoid the dilution of those values. Works Cited 1. Devi, Mahasweta. Spivak, Gayatri C, trans. Breast Stories. Calcutta: Seagull Books.2010. 2. Spivak, Gayatri C. In Other Worlds: Essays in Cultural Politics. New York: Methuen.1987. 3. Venuti, Lawrence, Ed. The Translation Studies Reader. London: Routledge.2000. 4. Sen, Nivedita and Nikhil Yadav, ed. Mahasweta Devi: An Anthology of Recent Criticism. New Delhi: Pencraft International.2008.

Brisbane: Impacts of Water Management Strategies Essay -- Brisbane Pop

1. Introduction The Queensland region recently suffered its worst drought in over a century. This period was shared with a rapid increase in the city’s population. A combination of severe drought and a rapid increase in population had a permanent impact on the city’s water management strategy. Brisbane population is expected to reach 4.5 million by 2050. This report aims to look at how the relationship between Brisbane’s water resources and population growth have effected society, the economy and the environment. It will briefly look at the growth rate of Brisbane’s population how this subsequently affected the city’s ability to meet challenges in water demand. The report will critically analyse the State Government five water management strategies. It will explore whether the strategies are environmentally sustainable in the growing population. It will aim to determine whether the strategies effective in protecting the state’s biophysical resource. The report will critically evaluate the current and potential impacts of water management strategies to the biophysical resource base. 2. Population growth and water supply The population growth of Brisbane has widely been viewed mark of economic prosperity (Wasimi, 2010). The Australian Labor government national policy encouraged population growth by giving financial incentives for people to have more children and encouraging migration (Lowe, 2010). However, the growth affected the city’s capacity to cope with growing demand for water. Brisbane’s water consumption is divided into ‘direct’ such as household water and ‘indirect’ such as commercial use (Rutherford and Finlayson, 2011). Brisbane’s water consumption growing rapidly due to the urban affluent lifestyle such ... ... (1), p437–447. Rutherfurd, I and Finlayson, B (2011) 'Whither Australia: Will Availability of Water Constrain the Growth of Australia’s Population?', Geographical Research , 49(3), pp. p301–316. Spearritt, R. (2009). THE 200 KM CITY: BRISBANE, THE GOLD COAST, AND SUNSHINE COAST. Australian Economic History Review. 49 (1), p87-106. Tam. V, Tamb. L and S.X. Zengc. (2009). Cost effectiveness and tradeoff on the use of rainwater tank: An empirical study in Australian residential decision-making. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 54 (1), p178-186. The Water & Carbon Group Pty Ltd. (2013). Sewage Treatment. Available: http://www.waterandcarbon.com.au/services/sewage-treatment. Last accessed 6th April 2014. Wasimi, S 2010, 'Planning for a large dam project: the case of Traveston Crossing Dam', Water Resources Management, vol. 24, no. 12, pp. 2991-3015.

Karla Ann Marling’s book “As Seen on TV” Essay

Karla Ann Marling’s book â€Å"As Seen on TV† addresses the perception television had on shaping the fashion and cultural persona of everyday life in the United States during the 1950’s. She presents this phenomenon as a cultural chain reaction that occurred in response to Christian Dior releasing his new line of clothing right around the same time as President Ike Eisenhower’s inauguration, one of the first major TV events of the Decade.   As noted in her book, when she says, â€Å"Ike’s 1953 inauguration was one of the first big TV events of the decade. The cameras caught every detail of.† Eisenhower’s costume: the mink coat, the silly hat worn over bangs, the suit with the nipped-in waist and flared hipline, the charm bracelet, and high heels that pinched (Marling, 1994).† Of course for the President himself, Christian Dior new line would have no significant effect on the culture or American society, but through his Wife Mamie Eisenhower wearing a dress by the infamous designer as well as wearing more stylish accessories like high heels, and pearls, it introduced a major shift in how women would dress, there on out, and the style itself became known as â€Å"The New Look.†Ã‚   In essence it slight freed-up sexual repression of the 1950’s and became representative of a lifestyle, so that they could be completely turned on their head in the 60’s during the explosion of the feminist movement. Christian Dior designed what became known as the â€Å"hour Glass† shape, by using different padded linings as the author notes. The molded, hourglass hap was achieved through a variety of means: padding hidden in the lining of jackets to accentuate the swelling of the hips; boning, stays, or other constricting devices built into waistlines; and an internal framework composed of layers of tulle, organza, silk pongee, and a new â€Å"miracle fabric†-nylon†,1994†. In response to this the author notes that â€Å"It could be argued, of course, that the woman inside was irrelevant to the dress, that she was the victim of fashion, enslaved and oppressed by her own dinner gown.†Ã‚   This represents many of the counter arguments presented by men who opposed changes being introduced to society by the fashion industry.   This also represents much of the conflict of the reading.   The author goes on to present a quote by acclaimed 1950’s psychoanalyst Edmund Bergler when he says, the fashions industry is a â€Å"gigantic unconscious hoax† perpetrated on women by homosexual men who wanted to make them look ridiculous (Marling, 1994).† In sum, the author closes her piece by pointing out how there is still to this day controversy over how much authorship can be placed on Christian Dior for the creation of â€Å"The New Look.†Ã‚   It is seen as a culturally defining moment in history, which would eventually give way to the admiration of glamour that was bestowed upon such figures as Jackie O, Marilyn Monroe, and Elizabeth Taylor. It also represents a slight window into the modern era and its obsession with fashion to the likes of which as produced such irreverent iconic figures as Lady Gaga, who could arguably be pegged as the child of Christian Dior and Mamie Eisenhower, 1953. Karla Ann Marling’s book (1994). â€Å"As seen on TV†

Madonna and the Child with Saint Peter and Saint John

The National Gallery of Art in Washington D. C. holds a wide selection of works of art from ancient times. Among these are Madonna and the Child (expressed in tempera on panel) and Madonna and the Child with Saint Peter and Saint John the Evangelist (also expressed in tempera on panel). The themes of both works are similar in that both contain an interpretation of the Virgin Mary (Madonna) and her interaction with the Christ Child. However, the differing contexts in which these are placed add further levels of meaning to each individual piece as depicted by each artist. Despite this, similarities also exist between the two paintings, and these similarities range from the use of color and lighting, to the sizes and perspectives used by the artists. Therefore, superimposed upon the differences in style, context and (to an extent) subject matter; similarities of color, lighting and perspective are to be found in these two works of art. The work Madonna and the Child was most likely painted some time between 1320 and 1330 AD. This was done in the late Byzantine Period in Italy by the artist Giotto, whose style is considered to be anticipatory of naturalism. The panel that holds this particular work represents Giotto in the later stages of his career and demonstrates the sobriety and restraint of an artist that had already spent his enthusiastic flare. Nardo (who died in his twenties), on the other hand, displays his 1360 painting in much brighter and vibrant colors that are typical of his youth and enthusiasm. While in Giotto’s work one detects the deliberate strokes of a talented artist that seeks to display the natural portrait of a woman and her baby caught in motion, in Nardo one also sees the talent, but with a less naturalistic tint. Nardo represents a return to the more traditional portrait-like paintings where subjects appeared poised specifically to be captured in the medium. Therefore, whereas in Giotto’s painting, the hands of the mother and child are caught in the act of brushing by her chest, Nardo’s painting depicts mother and child in absence of motion. Furthermore, Nardo’s painting includes the apostles on the side in adoration of these persons as saints, while Giotto represents them more on the side of human persons spontaneously experiencing life in solitude. The colors and lighting techniques used by these two artists offer themselves up for scrutiny. Contrast and conceptualization are used to a large extent in both the Giotto and the Nardo paintings. Giotto uses a method of alternating between gold and black to emphasize the importance of the Madonna. A conceptual interpretation of the colors might also demonstrate that the Madonna is herself covered by a black shroud of humanity, though her gold-tinted skin demonstrates the worth of the person within the shroud. The colors used for the Christ child corroborate this and elevate Him in relation to his mother, as he is given no dark-colored garment to attenuate the golden nature represented in the color of his body. In a similar fashion, the Nardo depiction of the Madonna, Peter and John features a stark black background that has the effect of focusing the eyes of the viewer upon the portraits within. Yet, the pictures of Peter and John on either side of the Virgin take on less significance because of a reduction in their sizes and of the contrast between their color and that of the wall in front of which they stand. This has conceptual value in that is denotes that the Madonna and the Christ Child take more precedence than the apostles. The mother and child’s position at the center also highlights this idea. One gets several feelings when one views these two paintings in the gallery. The immensity of the subject and the beauty of the golden and reddish colors give the idea that one is in the presence of highly exalted persons. Yet, one also gets the idea that the persons being viewed (especially in the Giotto painting) are also natural and in the middle of living their lives. With Giotto, the viewer has the sense that he/she witnesses â€Å"a quite drama† in which occurs â€Å"the human interaction between a mother and a child† (National Gallery). In contrast with this, the Nardo portrait gives a more contrived picture which resembles the posing of the two for a portrait. According to interpretation by the Gallery’s art historians, â€Å"Nardo’s Virgin, despite her soft expression, appears removed from human concerns.† The Virgin is, in this picture, aware of being under the scrutiny of others: the Saints Peter and John that flank her on each side, and the artist himself for whom she poses. Works Cited Giotto. Madonna and the Child. (Tempera on Panel). Samuel H. Cress Collection. National   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gallery of Art. Washington D. C., 1320/1330. Nardo di Cione. Madonna and the Child with Saint Peter and Saint John the Evangelist. Samuel   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   H. Cress Collection. National Gallery of Art. Washington D. C., 1360. National Gallery of Art. â€Å"Byzantine Art and Painting in Italy during the 1200s and 1300s.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Madonna and the Child. (Giotto.) Samuel H. Cress Collection. National Gallery of Art. Washington D. C., 1320/1330.