SPITCEROW MODEL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SPITCEROW MODEL - Essay Example At this time, 86 of 88 Russian Federal subjects committed to 1992 Federation Treaty (Turkish Weekly 1). This separated the power of the local and federal government. However, Tatarstan and Chechnya were not part of this agreement. Later, Tatarstan bowed to the agreement leaving Chechnya alone. This was followed by declaration of full independence form Moscow in 1993 by the Chechnya (Turkish Weekly 1). This resulted into a conflict, and Russia invaded Grozny that was Chechen capital. There were many civilian causalities including over 5000 children. On 11 December 1994, Russian forces from the ground towards Grozny launched an offensive. This happened with some discontent form the Russian military and government. The main cause of the war prior to the 2009 North Caucasus Insurgency was more of a secessionist conflict rather than ethno-nationalist, religious one (Turkish Weekly 1). In fact, Islam was a part of the Chechen identity. The first party is the Chechens. They have remained opposed to Russian authority since the late 18th century. This happened as Russia expanded to areas already under Turkish or Persian authority. The other party is Russia and more specifically Russian military. This has led to conflict due to political decisions and stand by the leadership in authority. Three issues relate to Chechen. They are statehood, international involvement, and equal rights. On the other hand are the Russian issues. They include renunciation of the demand for a separate state, the Chechen disarmament, and the ceasefire. The other issue at hand is the natural resources in Chechnya, and the religious tensions especially between largely secular or Christian Russians and Muslim Chechens. The rebel leaders are sometimes successful in pushing the Russian armed forces out of their vicinity. This was evident as from 1996 to 1997. The Russian army counters this especially after the rebels cross into other regions of Russia, as

Their bottoms are the wrong shape The theory of established outsider Essay

Their bottoms are the wrong shape The theory of established outsider relations and female jockeys - Essay Example The argument that women riders are â€Å"outsiders† within the racing figuration is derived from Elias’ theory of established and outsider relations and the method chosen for the study is a s series of eight semi-structured interviews with female jockeys who are already established in their careers. The article starts with a quotation from a female jockey who professes to hate being referred to as a â€Å"female jockey† and this highlights the tension that exists in the minds of many professional women who find themselves a focus of extra attention just because their gender is different from the large majority of participants in a certain field. The historical and cultural dominance of masculinity in sport generally encourages this tendency and racing is quite typical in this respect. Citing Cassidy (2002) and Grimes and Ray (1995) the authors demonstrate that vertical gender segregation is a feature of employment in the sport of racing, with women occupying the majority of low status roles, such as groom, while the higher status roles are generally occupied by men. The existence of male-only trainers is cited as another example of the systematic exclusion of women from prestigious roles, with the direct consequence that women obtain fewer mounts than their male counterparts. After this anecdotal introduction there is a discussion of theoretical concepts such as social habitus, insider and outsider, group disgrace and group charisma. The term â€Å"habitus† is drawn again from Elias, rather than Bourdieu, and defined as â€Å"second nature† (Van Krieken, 1998, p. 47) or â€Å"the level of personality characteristics which individuals share in common with fellow members of their group† (Mennell, 1992, p. 30). The authors emphasise a collective view of habitus, in terms of the way a whole society develops over time, again following Elias, rather than the more personal, psychogenic approach of Bourdieu, although both psych ogenic and sociogenic aspects in habitus are recognised as important. The concept of power is discussed in terms of its relational and processual role, as a constant factor in all human relationships. Here again, the collective aspects are highlighted, and the authors cite the example of group power relations between an estate and a village in the work of Elias and Scotson (1964/1994). The terms â€Å"insider† and â€Å"outsider† describe not just the physical location of these two groups, but the differences that they perceive in their own role, and the power relationship that exists between the two. The power differences in the Elias and Scotson study was internalised by both groups, so that the insider villagers developed a positive â€Å"group charisma† image while the outsider estate inhabitants internalised a largely negative we-image. This is accepted by Velija and Flynn as a valid model which can be applied to other types of interdependent groups in a fi guration, including contexts such as gender relations. A number of studies are cited to demonstrate the outsider groups tend to identify with the insider group rather than with each other and that acceptance of inferior status was generally accepted by the outsider group. The work of Ernst (2003) shows that in sport women can be categorised as outsiders and that they generally have less confidence than men, and are judged both differently and more severely. These patterns are deep seated, and even when organisational change is introduced such as in the merger of women’s and men’s cricket organisations in England and Wales, the established power relations and self-images remain (Velija and Malcolm, 2009). Jockey figuration is examined in detail, starting with the history of women’

Teaching Strategies Adopted by the Teachers in Science High School Handling II-Acacia Essay Example for Free

Teaching Strategies Adopted by the Teachers in Science High School Handling II-Acacia Essay Abstract The researchers sought to determine the teaching strategies of the II-Acacia teachers. This study intends to help various people. The data gathered in the study will be beneficial to the students, faculty, parents, DepEd, and future researchers. Through this study, the strengths and weaknesses of the teaching strategies can be determined. Specifically, it will seek answers to the following sub-problems: 1. What teaching strategies are used by the teachers? 2. What teaching strategies are most often and most seldom used by the teachers? 3. What are the implications of the findings to classroom instruction? 4. What are the recommendations to improve classroom instruction? The researchers used questionnaires. The questionnaires were distributed to teachers. Afterwards, the data was retrieved then organized in tabular form. Then it was copied in to the SPSS. Each teaching strategy employed in the II-Acacia was interpreted one by one. Then, a conclusion was derived. Introduction Since the beginning of time teachers started to pass on their knowledge to their students, over the years they started developing techniques for teaching from basic demonstration to the use of visual aids. Teachers have become an integral part in the society; they provide knowledge to make the child ready when we become adults. Teachers have different strategies to use for the students to learn. According to oregon. gov there are 4 varieties of teaching methods and these are Demonstration, Question and Answer, Role Play, and Short Lecture. As part of a teacher’s teaching strategy they also have a variety of teaching materials which they can use. These can be Audiovisual, Interactive computer, or Games. A teacher is nothing without a student. Students are the main reason why teachers exist. Students have learning techniques to suit them. According to mindtools. com students have 8 learning styles these are Sensory, Intuitive, Visual, Verbal, Active, Reflective, Sequential, and Global. Sensory learners prefer concrete, practical, and procedural information. They look for the facts. Intuitive learners prefer conceptual, innovative, and theoretical information. They look for the meaning. Visual learners prefer graphs, pictures, and diagrams. They look for visual representations of information. Verbal learners prefer to hear or read information. They look for explanations with words. Active learners prefer to manipulate objects, do physical experiments, and learn by trying. They enjoy working in groups to figure out problems. Reflective learners prefer to think things through, to evaluate options, and learn by analysis. They enjoy figuring out a problem on their own. Sequential learners prefer to have information presented linearly and in an orderly manner. They put together the details in order to understand the big picture emerges. Global learners prefer a holistic and systematic approach. They see the big picture first and then fill in the details. Research Problem The researchers want to determine what learning method is commonly used and evaluate it if the learning technique is really effective. This study evaluates and assesses the different teaching strategies of teachers utilized by the teacher in AQ Science High School. The researchers will use SPSS as the statistical tool to evaluate the data. Specifically, it seeks answers to the following sub-problems: 1. What teaching strategies are used by the teachers? 2. What teaching strategies are most often and most seldom used by the teachers? 3. What are the implications of the findings to classroom instruction? 4. What are the recommendations to improve classroom instruction? Related Literature and Studies Institutions of higher learning across the nation are responding to political, economic, social and technological pressures to be more responsive to students needs and more concerned about how well students are prepared to assume future societal roles. Faculty are already feeling the pressure to lecture less, to make learning environments more interactive, to integrate technology into the learning experience, and to use collaborative learning strategies when appropriate. Teaching methods are best articulated by answering the questions, What is the purpose of education? and What are the best ways of achieving these purposes? † For much of prehistory, educational methods were largely informal, and consisted of children imitating or modelling their behaviour on that of their elders, learning through observation and play. In this sense, the children are the students, and the elder is the teacher; a teacher creates the course materials to be taught and then enforces it. Pedagogy is a different way by which a teacher can teach. It is the art or science of being a teacher, generally referring to strategies of instruction or style of instruction. Resources that help teachers teach better are typically a lesson plan, or practical skill involving learning and thinking skills. A curriculum is often set by the Government with precise standards. These standards can change frequently, depending on what the Government states. A study from . asian-efl-journal, the bulk of research into Chinese students’ problem with plagiarism in both the Anglophone and Chinese contexts has given much attention to the culture/education versus language debate, and the development versus morality debate. This study explored the views of two groups of Chinese college English teachers in those regards, one with an experience of English-medium academic training (the PGDELT trainee teachers, n = 29) and the other without (the EFL in-service teachers, n = 30). All participants completed a questionnaire with a few being interviewed. The results indicated that (a) the EFL in-service teachers tended to see Chinese college EFL learners’ plagiarism more as a linguistic problem, whereas the PGDELT trainee teachers tended to see it more as a cultural/educational problem; and (b) the EFL in-service teachers seemed to take a moral perspective as indicated by their penalty-oriented approach to the learners’ plagiarism, whereas the PGDELT trainee teachers appeared to take a more developmental perspective as shown by their pedagogy-oriented approach to the learners’ plagiarism. However, while there seems to be strong evidence for the differences between the two groups in their perceptions regarding the culture/education versus language debate, there is only limited evidence for their different perceptions concerning the development versus morality debate. Moreover, the two groups were also found to differ to some extent in their perceptions concerning the causes of, remedial approaches, and punitive reactions to student plagiarism. Finally, the implications of this study are discussed and recommendations for future research presented. Most teachers and pupils have experienced misunderstanding in an English as a Foreign Language class. Take for example this episode of a teacher being puzzled by a pupil coming to the board, because he said, â€Å"Can’t hear! † (not â€Å"come here ! †). Communication is ruined if there is phonological misunderstanding. Troubetskoy explains that a learner is deaf to foreign sounds, which receive an incorrect phonological interpretation since they are â€Å"strained through the phonological sieve of one’s mother tongue†. As a result, there are numerous misinterpretations (1986, p. 54). This shows how tricky phonological appropriation can be for EFL teaching. By phonological appropriation, we mean matters of sounds, that is phonetics -the study of speech sounds , but also, rhythm and intonation, phonology â€Å"the abstract way phonemes function† (Roach, 2000, p. 44), as well as a mastering level of a linguistic form and its meaning, allowing a learner to use it in an authentic communication situation. Interaction is social and reveals how communication between the learner and other speakers leads to the FL appropriation. By interaction, we mean a language-dynamic communicative exchange among individuals in a functional pragmatic frame (Bailly, 1998, p. 135). This paper is based on both research and teaching, since its author is a researcher and a teacher trainer; it aims at raising this crucial question: Can oral interaction be a trigger to phonetic and phonological appropriation? To start with, this was posed to a group of 80 EFL supervisors coaching teacher trainees in partnership with the University School of Education in Reunion Island (IUFM de la Reunion, France) and their answers were staggering: Can interaction activities favour phonological learning? Yes: 9 No: 39 Don’t know: 32 Can discrimination activities favour phonological learning? Yes: 63 No: 13 Don’t know: 4 This quick survey shows that, unlike discrimination, interaction is not necessarily considered as a means of furthering phonological appropriation. By discrimination, we mean an auditory decoding process allowing the learner to match a speech sound with what he knows. The above-mentioned survey indeed raises many more questions: What about the consequent distinction between the conscious and unconscious process? What about the dichotomy between a form-focused versus a meaning-focused process? What is the respective role of input and output in phonological appropriation? To what extent can motivation help? The main problem raised here is whether cognitive psychology can address all questions, and what could be done to sort it out. It will therefore be worth wondering in this qualitative, descriptive, analytic and experimental study, whether oral interaction, which is now a full skill in the Common European Frame of Reference for Languages, can be seen as a real trigger to phonological appropriation. This study is built on a teacher trainee’s experience in Reunion Island, Indian Ocean. Reunion is the 23rd French region. L1 is Creole French; L2 is French. The major first foreign language taught at school is English (80% choose English, the others taking Spanish, German, Chinese or Tamil). Pupils start learning English as early as primary teaching at the age of 7. The teacher trainee involved is a 24-year-old French-speaking colleague who studied English both at the local university and abroad through an Erasmus exchange programmed. She passed the national competitive proficiency exam for EFL secondary teaching (known as CAPES). The University school of education tutor, who is also the author of this article, visits her in class three times in the year. The class involved is a B1 class (Threshold level in the CEFRL) of 24 fifteen-year-old teenagers. The school mentioned is a secondary high school. This group level is somewhat average with a majority of girls. The group personality is somewhat inhibited and introverted. Their fluency is slowed down by pronunciation difficulties. None has gone to an English speaking country before and all often feel self-conscious when they have to communicate in a foreign language. Our analysis will be threefold. We shall first examine an experience in this B1 class, in which phonology is acquired through phonological discrimination and tested through interaction. We will therefore deduce theoretical and practical issues. In a second part, we will enlarge our theoretical scope and try to find answers to our issues. Eventually, this will lead to a second experience and us to practical assumptions in the same B1 class, this time integrating oral interaction as a trigger to phonological appropriation. A comparison between the two similar assessments should be revealing: sound acquisition, word and sentence rhythm, intonation will be tested by three persons, the trainee for the sounds, the supervisor (a qualified teacher at that school) for rhythm, and myself (a lecturer and a trainer at the university school of education) for intonation. An average class situation was set up in November 2006 (Classe de seconde 4, 24 pupils, Lycee Boisjoly Potier, Tampon, Reunion) taught by our teacher trainee. The sequence was planned for three lessons. The cultural unifier was violence in New York. Two documents were studied: â€Å"Rudolph Giuliani† (Appendix 1) as a listening activity (Assou, 2004, p. 57), â€Å"New York City Mayor disturbed by police officer’s use of force†, November 28, 2006 (Appendix 2), as a reading activity. Once listening and reading, together with speaking will be over, phonology will be acquired through listening discrimination. A final interaction test should help to measure this acquisition. Related Studies The respondents from the college of Nursing and Health Sciences of ­ten preferred to use the following teaching methods: Lecture/Discussion Combination, Class Discussion and In-class Demonstration. They rarely preferred to use Jigsaw Method, Guest speakers, Oral presentations and Panel of experts. The data indicate that some faculty still hold the traditional passive view of learning which involves situations where materials are delivered to students using a lecture-based format. Although the findings of a study by de Caprariis, Barman and Magee (2001) suggest that lecture leads to the ability to recall facts and discussion produces higher level compre ­hension, a more modern view of learning where students are expected to be active in the learning process by participating in collaborative activi ­ties may prove more effective. A research on group-oriented discussion methods has shown that team learning and student-led activities not only produce favorable student performance outcomes, but also foster greater participation, self confidence and leadership ability (Perkins and Saris, 2001; Yoder and Hochevar, 2005). The results of the study of Hunt, Haidet, Coverdale, and Richards (2003) on the student performance in team learning methods show positive learning outcomes as compared to traditional lecture-based methods. In contrast to these findings, a study by Barnes and Blevins (2003) sug ­gests that active, discussion-based methods are inferior to the tradition ­al lecture-based method. However, a comparison of lecture combined with discussion versus active, cooperative learning methods by Morgan, Whorton, and Gunsalus (2000) demonstrated that the use of the lec ­ture combined with discussion resulted in superior retention of material among students. The Polytechnic Institute (PI) supports the curricula designed to culti ­vate and promote among the students high levels of scholarship, desire to seek understanding, a solid foundation in professional and personal responsibility, desire for service, and an ability/willingness to serve as leaders within both the engineering and architecture profession and soci ­ety. Thus, the graduate of PI must possess the ability to identify, formu ­late and execute solutions to multidisciplinary problems encountered in the practice of engineering and architecture. In order to realize these objectives, the faculty of the PI adopts certain teaching methods adapted to the subject matter, capacity of the students, situational needs and related to actual life situations and practices. The data show that the respondents from the Polytechnic Institute always preferred Lecture/Discussion Combination and role playing. Also they always preferred to use lab work and applied projects as teaching methods. They never preferred the Jigsaw Method; Index Card Exercise; Guided Imagery; Socratic Methods; ILPE Method and Brain Writing. The development of problem-solving skills is one of the primary goals of the PI curricula. Problem solving involves five basic components: rec ­ognize and define the problem; formulate the model and identify vari ­ables, knowns and unknowns; select an appropriate solution technique and develop appropriate equations; apply the solution technique (solve the problem); and validate the solution. Solution validation is one of the most important steps in this process and includes interpreting the solu ­tion, identifying its limitations, and assessing its reasonableness using appropriate approximate solutions or common sense. Allowing the stu ­dents to engage in lab work and project studies will help them develop problem solving skills. Also, role playing when properly used introduces problem situation dramatically, provides opportunity for the students to assume roles of others and thus appreciate another point of view. Fur ­thermore, it allows the students to explore solutions and provides oppor ­tunity to practice the skills. The faculty of the College of Business Administration envision to contrib ­ute to the intellectual and personal growth and development of the students and to enhance the competence of the students to engage in all phases of business activity and management. In order to achieve these objectives, the data show that they always preferred Lecture/Discussion Com ­bination and Class Discussion but rarely preferred to use Jigsaw Method, Index Card Exercise and Panel of experts as teaching methods. This means that the faculty of the College of Business Administration believed that by using the Lecture method combined with class discus ­sion, the students would be able to acquire knowledge on the core areas of business, perceive the global nature of organizational and economic activities, recognize the role of law and ethics in business behaviour, un ­derstand and appreciate the impact of demographic diversity on organi ­zations and understand and appreciate the impact of sustainability and the natural environment on organizations, the impact of organizations on sustainability and the natural environment, understand organizations and the process of management, develop the ability to work effectively, inde ­pendently and collaboratively, and integrate core area skills in problem solving and decision making. The College of Arts, Sciences and Education brings together disciplines in the arts, humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, and social scienc ­es and education t o form the intellectual heart of the University. It fosters liberal education, promotes lifelong learning, research, creative activ ­ity, social and professional responsibility, and growth. To these ends, its faculty challenges students to think critically and intuitively, cross disci ­plinary boundaries, recognize and value diverse perspectives, and solve problems creatively by through the use of different teaching methods. Since the College of Arts, Sciences and Education is committed to a liberal education orientation, it must provide the students with oppor ­tunities for: expansion of the boundary of knowledge, preservation and enrichment of a countrys cultural heritage, development of personal and social adjustment, cultivation of intelligent citizenship, acquisition of self-discovery and self-understanding, development of an oral and writ ­ten competency, maximization of the capacity for critical and imagina ­tive thinking, and understanding of international relations and affairs. This awareness of the commonly held objectives of the college provided broad bases for the faculty’s use of various teaching activities and meth ­ods. Thus, in this college, learning should provide opportunities beyond the knowledge of the subject matter of a particular course. The courses should not be restricted to the instruction of abstract theories, but should afford opportunities for students to develop skills of effective oral and written expression, to improve their ability to relate to others, to learn to think critically and scientifically, and to feel the need for continuous growth even outside the university campus. The importance of such in ­tellectual and social stimulation beyond the mere knowledge parameters of the course content should be emphasized. The college has the following major departments: Natural sciences, Mathematics, Social Sciences, LLH/Communication and MAPE/Profes ­sional Education. It is assumed that the teaching methods used in the class may differ from subject to subject since the method that the faculty may prefer to use may depend on the goals of the subject. The goal of the Natural Sciences component of the curriculum is to help the students increase their scientific literacy and capacity to ap ­proach scientific materials intelligently, and to convey the general understanding of science as a way of looking at the world. In order to achieve these goals, the faculty of the Natural Sciences Depart ­ment often preferred to use Lecture/Discussion Combination, Team Project Method, lab work, Worksheets/Surveys, In-class Demonstra ­tion, Panel of Experts and Explanatory Discussion as their teaching methods. However, the data show that the respondents had never preferred to use guest speakers, applied projects, Simulation and the ILPE Method. The next data on the teaching method preferences are from the Mathematics teachers of the College of Arts, Sciences and Education. The findings of the study show that this group of respondents always preferred in-class exercises. This group of respondents never preferred to use Jigsaw Method, guest speakers, Videotapes, Report-Back Session, Role Playing, Panel of ex ­perts, Explanatory Discussion, Reflective Discussion, Debate, ILPE Method, Guided Imagery, Brain Writing and PBL as teaching methods. This implies that the faculty adopted these teaching methods in order to provide the students precision in numerical expression, logical thinking and problem solving. However, other instructional methods may also be proven effective for developing mathematical comprehension. The most important of these could be the use of hands-on, active learning tech ­niques in the classroom. Of equal import is the need to make students understand the utility of the material they are being taught. Students need to understand and appreciate the need for their courses. Many students leave their mathematics courses thinking that the material will never be used in their courses. It is essential that mathematics courses have some future value in their program of studies. The mathematics portion of a student’s curriculum should not be simply something â€Å"to get through. † This means that the faculty teaching mathematics and others must coor ­dinate their curriculum. They must teach concepts and methods that are applicable to current practice, and these methods must be employed in other curriculum within a reasonable time period after the students learn the techniques. In mathematics teaching, teachers provide students with adequate oppor ­tunities to engage in math activities to help them in the self-exploration and cooperation and exchange in the process to really understand and master the mathematics knowledge and skills, ideas and methods, and to learn valuable math. Thus, participation and learning efficiency of the method is used when appropriate relevant. The social sciences component of the curriculum aims to make the stu ­dents aware of the general problems and issues, especially those with relevance to the Philippine society; and to enhance students’ awareness of the importance of scientific approaches to the discussion and analysis of social issues. In order to achieve these aims, the faculty teaching the social sciences always preferred Brainstorming as their teaching method but rarely preferred Role Playing, Role Playing, Index Card Exercise and Panel of experts. Another data of the teaching method preferences are from the LLH/Com ­munication faculty of College of Arts, Sciences and Education. The data indicates that this group of faculty often preferred Lecture/Discus ­sion Combination, in-class exercises, Brainstorming, Class Discussion, Explanatory Discussion, Reflective Discussion and Simulation. Most probably these are the teaching methods that the faculty teaching LLH/Communication perceived that could provide the students with effec ­tive communication skills in both English and Filipino, foster critical understanding and appreciation of how people give expression to their experiences in the world, develop in the students the students to see the grammatical relationships between words, group of words and sentence within the discourse level; train the students in the effective use of ver ­bal and non-verbal symbols towards ethical speech communication; and develop in the students writing skills in their respective discipline. Like ­wise, these teaching methods will help them teach the students how to reflect on the totality of the human experience; formulate for themselves a human perspective that integrates all branches of knowledge in a pro ­found understanding of the individual as well as society; and contribute to the understanding of the beautiful and the good in human experience. They rarely preferred to use Jigsaw Method, Report-Back Session, Team Project Method, lab work, Worksheets/Surveys, Index Card Exercise, Guided Imagery and In-class Demonstration as teaching methods. The faculty teaching MAPE and Professional Education are committed to the production of quality teachers who could be at par with the other pro ­fessionals through a deliberate effort to improve instruction, research, and community extension. These efforts are reflected in their teaching meth ­od preferences. Simulation is an event or situation made to resemble real classroom situ ­ation as closely as possible. The faculty uses simulation most probably because it is an excellent venue for the education students to learn ex ­perientially since it provides opportunities for them to practice problem solving and psychomotor skills in a safe, controlled environment. In a simulation, students create connections mentally which is rarely, if ever, accomplished through conventional teaching techniques. Conse ­quently, the learning has a greater impact, plus the new knowledge and skills are retained much longer. It works because the students become more engaged with the subject matter than through more conventional approaches to teaching (lecturing, debates, discussion, videos, etc. Thus, compared with these traditional methods, this method of teaching and evaluating learners is more realistic, enhances both acquisition and re ­tention of knowledge, sharpens critical-thinking and psychomotor skills, and is more enjoyable. Simulation can be used to teach theory, assessment, technology and skills. The emphasis in simulation is often on the application and inte ­gration of knowledge, skills, and critical thinking. Unlike a classroom setting or a paper-and-pencil test, simulation allows learners to function in an environment that is as close as possible to an actual teaching situa ­tion and provides them an opportunity to think. The Team Project method is the appropriate pedagogy of choice of most faculty in the professional education courses, since it combines knowl ­edge with practical experience and improve interpersonal and commu ­nication skills which are essential to the knowledge growth and perfor ­mance of future educators. Furthermore, besides technical skills and knowledge, the MAPE and Professional education courses is required to give students opportunities to improve their interpersonal, collaborative and communication skills. It requires students to apply in practice per ­sonal competencies and improve problem-solving skills such as explor ­atory searching, critical thinking and decision making (Hawking et al. 2001). The method also provides students with experiential learning op ­portunities to actively develop their knowledge and experience, as they cooperate in group projects. The discussion method is always a preferred teaching method since it involves the entire class in an extended interchange of ideas between the teacher and the students and among classmates. The members in the class may approach the discussion topic with many and varying points of view, however, the teacher focuses the discussion in the direction most conducive to effective and purposeful learning. In summary, the respondents from the College of Arts, Sciences and Ed ­ucation often preferred to use Lecture/Discussion Combination, in-class exercises and Class Discussion in teaching. Rarely, they preferred to use Jigsaw Method, Explanatory Discussion guest speaker, video tapes, Re ­port-Back Session, Role Playing, Reflective Discussion, Debate, ILPE Method, Guided Imagery and Brain Writing. As a whole the faculty of Aquinas University as reflected by the data, often preferred Lecture/Discussion Combination, Team Project Method, lab work, in-class exercises, oral presentation, Brain storming, Class Discussion and In-class Demonstration. They rarely preferred Jig ­saw Method, guest speakers, Index Card Exercise, Debate, ILPE Meth ­od, Brain Writing and Socratic method. Lectures although combined with class discussion (4. 34) remain the core teaching method in most the colleges. Their role is best suited to pro ­viding an overview of the subject matter and stimulating interest in it, rather than disseminating facts. Since this is the most preferred teach ­ing method, the faculty must remember that students would appreciate good quality lectures with clear objectives which could be placed in the course handbook, with the lecture summaries, clear overhead acetates or slides; a paced delivery; and appropriate handouts which would provide students with complex diagrams or difficult or critical text. The class discussion that follows could be used to clarify certain points in the lec ­ture. Thus, lecture when combined with discussion widens the intellectu ­al horizons of the student, making it possible for them to gradually move toward acquisition of self-discovery and self-understanding. It enables the instructor to correct error in literature and articles read by the student. Also, it affords opportunities for an instructor to explain a particularly equivocal ambiguous point of idea, or a complicated, difficult, abstract process or operation and resolves conflicting points of view and clarifies misunderstanding of different schools of thought. It could also enliven the learning situation by adding the voice, gesture and the personality of the instructor. The discussion that follows the lecture will promote interest by giving the students a share in the responsibility for the course and in search for knowledge. It compels the students to be active learners and motivates them by keeping the work within their intellectual bounds and by allying it with their aptitude. It enables the instructor to constantly appraise the students’ understanding of the issues under discussion. Discussion method is also a preferred teaching method since it sharp ­ens the students’ ideas and concepts by forcing them to express them in their own words. This facilitates intellectual comprehension and applica ­tion of new knowledge to life-situations. It permits the students to chal ­lenge statements with which they disagree or which they misunderstand, thereby facilitating the process of self-discovery and self-understanding and developing the sense of self-assertiveness. In addition, it develops in the students the skills essential to effective group discussion and verbal communication. The discussion method forces the students out of their classroom lethargy, so that every learner will react either in support or in opposition to the issue under discussion. In using this teaching method, each student learns to feel free to express his/her opinions, to argue with mutual respect and to defend his/her own stand in the light of logic and rationality. It also develops facility in oral expression, critical and cre ­ative thinking, and intellectual and imaginative problem-solving ability. Thus, lecture when combined with discussion sustains and strengthens most of the elements essential for productive learning. The provision of feedback and class participation heightens the learners motivation, facilitates the intellectual grasp of abstract concepts and the learning of problem-solving skills. The data also show that Brainstorming is an often preferred teach ­ing method. Alex Osborn describes it as a conference technique by which a group attempts to find a solution for a specific problem by amassing all the ideas spontaneously by its members† (http://www. moneyinstructor. com/lesson/brainstorming. asp. According to him in this process more ideas could be generated than in any normal dis ­cussion and that by producing more ideas, people had a better chance of finding useful ones: from quantity came quality. A key part of the process is to come up with wild or silly ideas because these in turn can spark off really useful ones. This finding of the study implies that brainstorming is often preferred as a group process so that the members of

Examining the theory of mind hypothesis for autism

Examining the theory of mind hypothesis for autism The Theory of Mind (TofM) hypothesis for autism has been investigated extensively in the last 30 years. This essay will review the literature which examines this theory, considering a wide range of methodological and theoretical approaches. It will be argued that whilst there are several strengths of the theory, the TofM hypothesis cannot account for the non-social symptoms of ASD, and therefore cannot be considered to provide a comprehensive account of the disorder. Cognitive evidence (including a range of TofM tests), theoretical issues, and alternative hypotheses of autism will be considered. What is the Theory of Mind Hypothesis for Autism? The TofM hypothesis of autism was first proposed by Baron-Cohen, Leslie and Frith in 1985. It proposed that individuals with autism lack a TofM, leading them to have specific deficits, such as an inability to partake in pretend play and impairment in social skills. The theory has been controversial since its proposal, with several alternative hypotheses being suggested. Cognitive Evidence The earliest tests of TofM ability often relied heavily on tests of false belief, in which participants are required to understand that other people do not necessarily know (or believe) the same as them. For example, Baron-Cohen, Leslie and Frith (1985) investigated TofM ability in children with autism and children with Downs syndrome, and found those with autism were significantly impaired in their understanding of false belief, suggesting a deficit in TofM ability in autism, and thereby supporting the TofM hypothesis for autism. Similar tests involving false belief, such as those carried out by Happe (1995), have supported findings by Baron-Cohen, Leslie and Frith (1985), providing strong support for the TofM hypothesis of autism. The principle problem in using false belief tests is their reliance on language use. (Bloom and German, 2000). Colle, Baron-Cohen and Hill (2007) investigated concerns that a potential inability to understand language associated with false belief tasks may result in individuals with autism failing these tasks, despite have the TofM ability required to pass tests (e.g. Bloom and German, 2000). They used a non-verbal false belief test to compare the TofM understanding of children with ASD to children with SLI, and found that autistic children have specific deficits in TofM which were not present in the SLI control group. They concluded that previous findings of a TofM deficit by research using standard tests of false belief (e.g. Surian and Leslie, 1999) were unlikely to have been confounded by language ability, thereby revalidating claims made by this research. However, there are other issues associated with the reliability of false belief tasks. For example, Bloom and German (2000) have suggested that a single test of TofM is unlikely to comprehensively test all elements of TofM ability in an individual. Furthermore, whilst research in the field shows the majority of autistic participants fail tests of false belief, a small minority of high-functioning autistic individuals pass the test (e.g. Baron-Cohen, Leslie and Frith, 1985). This has raised questions regarding the ability of false belief tests to recognise subtle deficits in TofM ability potentially shown in the high-functioning autistic population (Rutherford, Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright, 2002). As a result, new research in the field has often focused on using alternative tests of TofM. The Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (Baron-Cohen et al., 2001) is an alternative to false belief tasks, in which participants are required to recognise emotions based on images of a persons eyes. To pass this test, participants must rely on subtle cues indicated in the eyes, thereby indicating ability in mental state understanding, or TofM. Baron-Cohen et al. (2001) used this test to show that individuals with ASD are significantly impaired in their ability to recognise emotions using subtle cues, thereby indicating a deficit in TofM ability. A similar test was used by Rutherford, Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright (2002) and Golan et al. (2007) in which participants were required to establish how a person was feeling after listening to a phrase spoken by that person. This test also indicated social impairments caused by a deficit in TofM ability in ASD, as participants with ASD were significantly impaired in their ability to recognise emotions using vocal cues. Research into TofM ability using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test is particularly beneficial in supporting the TofM hypothesis. Methodologically, the test does not rely on language comprehension, and therefore passing or failing the test is based purely on TofM ability. Both the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test and the Voice variation are able to detect subtle differences in participants social sensitivity, allowing for deficits to be identified in populations that often pass false belief tasks (such as individuals with high-functioning Autism, Baron-Cohen, Leslie and Frith, 1985), and thereby suggesting the TofM hypothesis is generalisable and universal across the highly varied autistic population. The Faux Pas test was also developed by Baron-Cohen et al. (1999), and assesses recognition of faux pas (defined as being when something is said without consideration of whether the information may be something that the listener does not wish to hear or know, Baron-Cohen et al., 1999). In 2009, Zalla et al. investigated faux pas recognition ability in individuals with Aspergers syndrome using the Faux Pas test, and found these individuals made significantly more errors in detecting faux pas than typically developing individuals, were unable to correctly justify the speakers behaviour and were unable to comprehend the impact of this behaviour. Zalla et al. (2009) concluded that this showed a specific deficit in TofM ability in individuals with ASD. Methodologically, research using tests of faux pas lend strong support for the ToM hypothesis for autism by using an alternative test to false belief tasks. Using faux pas tests helps to revalidate claims made by the theory, which could have been considered questionable if relying purely on false belief tests. As a result, these tests provide strong support for the theory that individuals with autism have deficits in TofM. The TofM hypothesis for autism is also strongly supported by research into joint attention ability in autism (Baron-Cohen, 2009). Evidence suggests that joint attention and TofM ability are linked, such that early joint attention ability is a precursor to TofM ability (e.g. Charman et al., 2000). Furthermore, research has indicated that joint attention skills are significantly impaired in infants with ASD. For example, Charman (2003) investigated joint attention ability in infants (aged 20 months) with autism, and found significant deficits. Charman then assessed the social and communication symptoms of these infants at 42 months, and found that symptom severity was correlated with joint attention disability indicated at 20 months. Colombi et al. (2009) also found that young autistic children show joint attention deficits. As joint attention ability is considered to be a precursor for TofM ability, this suggests that TofM deficits are present from infancy or birth in individuals with ASD. This thereby provides support for the TofM hypothesis as a causal account of autism, by suggesting that a TofM deficit may be a primary deficit. This concept is supported by research into symptom severity and TofM ability. In 2003, Tager-Flusberg et al. used a battery of tests to assess TofM ability and symptom severity in autistic participants, and found that severity of social and communication symptoms was partially explained by TofM impairment. These conclusions imply that TofM deficits are causal in producing the social and communication impairments shown in ASD, thereby supporting claims made by the TofM hypothesis that a deficit causes symptoms associated with the condition. In 2007, Tager-Flusberg presented one of the most comprehensive reviews of the hypothesis to date. She assessed evidence which addressed key issues associated with the theory (for example, why some children pass false belief tasks, and whether a TofM deficit can account for all deficits associated with autism), evaluating a wide range of evidence (including cognitive testing and neurological evidence). She concluded that whilst there is a TofM deficit in autism, the hypothesis cannot account for all deficits in social-affective information processing associated with the condition. The issue raised by Tager-Flusberg (2007) is perhaps the most important weakness in the TofM hypothesis. Whilst the theory provides an explanation for social and communication deficits typically found in ASD (as successful communication skills require TofM ability, Baron-Cohen, 2009), there is no evidence to suggest that a TofM deficit may account for symptoms such as repetitive behaviour, obsessively pursued interests, and dislike of change (Baron-Cohen, 2009). Joseph and Tager-Flusberg (2004) investigated TofM deficits and repetitive behaviour in ASD, and found no correlation between deficits and severity of repetitive symptoms, thereby supporting the suggestion that the TofM hypothesis cannot account for repetitive behaviour. As a result, the theory cannot be considered comprehensive in terms of explaining all possible symptoms associated with autism. Another issue associated with the TofM hypothesis is that individuals with other disorders have also shown deficits in TofM. For example, Brune (2005) found that individuals with schizophrenia showed significant impairment in TofM, and associated impairments in social behaviour and emotion recognition, similar to deficits shown by individuals with autism. The TofM hypothesis for autism provides no explanation for how autistic individuals are unique in their symptoms, when other conditions exist which show similar TofM impairment. A theoretical constraint associated with the TofM hypothesis is the potentially ambiguous nature of the term TofM. The hypothesis is complicated by debates surrounding the nature of TofM ability in typical individuals. The two principle theories of TofM (Theory Theory and Simulation Theory) explain autism in terms of an inability to form thoughts, representations, and hypotheses about the social world (Theory Theory), or alternatively in terms of an inability to simulate the mental states of others (Simulation Theory) (Currie, 1996). Until an absolute theory of TofM can be established, any evidence in support of a TofM hypothesis for autism remains ambiguous in terms of exactly what deficits individuals with autism have (i.e. deficits described by Theory Theory or deficits suggested by Simulation Theory). When considering the literature investigating the TofM hypothesis, it is worthwhile acknowledging the wide body of neurological research. Research in this field provides strong support for a TofM deficit in ASD, with studies such as those by Kana et al. (2009), Mason et al. (2008), and Dapretto et al. (2006) suggesting abnormal brain activation in autistic participants in brain regions associated with TofM. However, research into a neurological basis for autism has also emphasised the issues associated with the TofM hypothesis. For example, Hadjikhani (2007) state that it is unclear whether dysfunction in brain regions associated with TofM could explain behavioural symptoms shown in autism (such as repetitive behaviour and concrete thought), or how structural and functional brain abnormalities originate in autistic individuals. This research highlights the key strengths and weaknesses associated with the TofM hypothesis as a cognitive account of autism, and reinforces cognitive resea rch suggesting the hypothesis cannot be considered as a comprehensive account of the condition. Summary The preceding review provides strong evidence to support a deficit in TofM in autism, which is likely to be present from birth. The review also suggests that symptom severity can be at least partially accounted for by degree of TofM deficit. However, there are significant issues when considering the TofM hypothesis for autism. These issues include an inability of the hypothesis to explain how non-social symptoms can be accounted for by a TofM deficit, a lack of explanation of the significant symptom variability shown in the autistic population, as well as theoretical constraints. Until these issues are addressed, the TofM hypothesis cannot be considered as a comprehensive account of autism. Alternative Theories of Autism The issues associated with the TofM hypothesis led to a range of alternative theories of autism being developed, which must be considered when reviewing literature investigating the TofM hypothesis. One of the first theories to be proposed since the TofM hypothesis was the Executive Dysfunction theory (Ozonoff, Pennington and Rogers, 1991). This theory contradicted the TofM hypothesis, in that it proposed that individuals with autism have deficits in executive function ability (Yerys et al., 2006). This theory became popular in autism research, as the theory appeared to provide more comprehensive accounts of the autistic traits (both social and non-social) presented in these individuals daily (Hill, 2004). Furthermore, a large number of investigations found executive dysfunction in autistic individuals. For example, Ozonoff and McEvoy (2008) examined cognitive development in autistic individuals over a three-year period, and found significant deficits in executive functioning. McEvoy , Rogers and Pennington (2006) also found a deficit in executive functioning in autism. However, recent research has suggested that executive dysfunction may be secondary to the autism. Yerys et al. (2006) investigated executive function in young children with ASD and found no evidence of dysfunction, suggesting that executive dysfunction in adults with ASD has developed gradually and is not a causal factor of the condition. Dawson et al. (2002) also found evidence for normal executive function ability in young autistic children, and concluded that dysfunction found at a later age was a consequence of living with the disorder. As a result, whilst this theory initially appeared to provide a valid and reliable alternative to the TofM hypothesis for autism, there is now strong evidence to refute executive dysfunction as a causal account of autism, and this research cannot be considered to provide evidence to invalidate the TofM hypothesis. A more successful theory was proposed by Baron-Cohen (2008) as a development of the TofM hypothesis of autism. The Empathizing-Systemizing theory proposes that individuals with autism have deficits in understanding others mental states and responding appropriately (empathy), but have an average or above average systemizing ability (i.e. using rules and regularities to analyze and construct systems). As a result, autistic individuals show deficits in social ability (caused by empathy deficits) and non-social symptoms such as repetitive behaviours, obsessively pursued interests, and dislike of change (caused by average or above systemizing ability) (Baron-Cohen, 2009). This theory is particularly successful for several reasons. From a methodological perspective, the theory provides an explanation for both social and non-social symptoms of autism, a key issue in the TofM hypothesis. The theory also explains the uniqueness of autism, such that whilst other conditions may show deficits in empathy (e.g. schizophrenia, Montag et al., 2007), no other condition also shows average or above average systemizing ability (Baron-Cohen, 2009). The theory is also strongly supported by research. For example, Lawson et al. (2004) investigated empathizing and systemizing in participants with ASD and typically developing controls, and found those with ASD were significantly worse at empathizing than controls, but were not significantly different in their ability to systemize. Wakabayashi et al. (2007) found individuals with ASD were impaired in their ability to empathize, but significantly better than typical controls in their ability to systemize. This theory has therefore become a valid and reliable alternative to the TofM hypothesis for autism. Conclusions This essay has reviewed the literature which critically examines the TofM hypothesis for autism. It is clear that whilst there is adequate evidence to suggest a TofM deficit in autistic individuals, the hypothesis cannot account for non-social elements of ASD. New theories of autism must incorporate the concept of TofM deficits, whilst aiming to account for all social and non-social symptoms, as well as symptom variability and severity. A greater emphasis on the understanding how cognitive deficits associated with autism generate the symptoms shown in the condition would have important implications for the development of interventions aimed at improving social skills and symptom management in individuals with autism.

Wild West :: essays research papers

In the beginning moving West was the majority of the barriers and obstructions that the setters had to face. Indian attacks, blizzards, tornadoes, flash floods and just being ill prepared among and numerous other hard ships took many settlers lives and were tough to over come. The journey was across a uniform, dusty, wind-swept, treeless nothingness. The temperatures would very a lot between 110 and below freezing. Not to mention that there was no trees for shade or cover from the storms. In this book there is a lot of first hand diaries, artifacts and photographs that show how it was in the 1800’s and how hard it really was to make the trip to the west and live there. This book is about how the west was won. It is also about emigrants from China and Europe, slaves that had just been freed, teachers from New England schools, and just some farm boys or opportunist from the south and mid west. They all found out that the west was so enormous and commendatory. They could not believe this native land was so immense and enormous. One reason for heading west was the Homestead Act, which would give deserving people sites or land to individuals who stayed on there land for five years. There were six main Trails that they took; the Oregon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, Mormon Trail, Gila River Trail, California Trail and the Old Spanish Trail. Some people even came out West on the Transcontinental Railroad that was recently built. The settlers could even buy the land on the plains from the Rail Company. The rail road company had been granted great tracks of land by the United States government on both sides of the railroad and was later sold to settlers. The Native Americans suffered from this flow of people from the east and this would change their lives forever. There were many struggles and the quest to just stay alive is why today we call it the â€Å"Wild West†. Especially when a good number of them were dishonest scoundrels or just drifters and adventurers. Plus, most of them were armed. The first thing the settlers needed to get done was to dig a well. Well digging was very hard job and often had to be done many times because they would run dry or they just couldn’t hit water. For the families that just arrived getting a crop in was another one of the many important chores. Wild West :: essays research papers In the beginning moving West was the majority of the barriers and obstructions that the setters had to face. Indian attacks, blizzards, tornadoes, flash floods and just being ill prepared among and numerous other hard ships took many settlers lives and were tough to over come. The journey was across a uniform, dusty, wind-swept, treeless nothingness. The temperatures would very a lot between 110 and below freezing. Not to mention that there was no trees for shade or cover from the storms. In this book there is a lot of first hand diaries, artifacts and photographs that show how it was in the 1800’s and how hard it really was to make the trip to the west and live there. This book is about how the west was won. It is also about emigrants from China and Europe, slaves that had just been freed, teachers from New England schools, and just some farm boys or opportunist from the south and mid west. They all found out that the west was so enormous and commendatory. They could not believe this native land was so immense and enormous. One reason for heading west was the Homestead Act, which would give deserving people sites or land to individuals who stayed on there land for five years. There were six main Trails that they took; the Oregon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, Mormon Trail, Gila River Trail, California Trail and the Old Spanish Trail. Some people even came out West on the Transcontinental Railroad that was recently built. The settlers could even buy the land on the plains from the Rail Company. The rail road company had been granted great tracks of land by the United States government on both sides of the railroad and was later sold to settlers. The Native Americans suffered from this flow of people from the east and this would change their lives forever. There were many struggles and the quest to just stay alive is why today we call it the â€Å"Wild West†. Especially when a good number of them were dishonest scoundrels or just drifters and adventurers. Plus, most of them were armed. The first thing the settlers needed to get done was to dig a well. Well digging was very hard job and often had to be done many times because they would run dry or they just couldn’t hit water. For the families that just arrived getting a crop in was another one of the many important chores.

Application of CFD Simulation for Evaluating the Separation Efficiency of Deoiling Hydrocyclones :: Environment, Oil-water Separation

Introduction Having an efficient and reliable system for oil-water separation is of crucial importance especially for offshore oil and gas industry. Due to the platform movement, space, weight and operating limitations in offshore, the usage of common methods (gravity based vessels) for oil/water separation are ineffective. On the other hand producing oil is often accompanied by large amount of water that is discharged into the sea on offshore platforms. The amount of oil in water is confined from environmental standards. Therefore the need to have a high efficiency compact separator during variable operating conditions attracts the interests of researchers to hydrocyclones. Special trait of hydrocyclones such as simple design, easy to install and operate, no moving parts, and low manufacturing and maintenance costs make hydrocyclones as an economical and effective system for produced water treatment [1-2]. The separation process that is occurred in the deoiling hydrocyclones is quite different from that in the desander ones []. The density difference between liquid-liquid is smaller than solid-liquid mixtures. Therefore the separation of liquid from liquid is more difficult than solid from liquid and needs higher rotational speeds. The liquid droplet in comparison with solid particles could not experience shear rates. If the shear rates increase to the critical level the larger droplet break down to the smaller ones. The separation process for small liquid droplets is more difficult than large ones. On the other hand if two droplets close enough they might coalesce to each other. Because of difference in flow split of desander and deoiler hydrocyclones, the flow feature of continuous phase is different in these two types. The centrifugal forces cause the solid particles migrate to the wall region in desander hydrocyclones. So the near wall region is important in desander hydrocyclones but the oil droplet migrate to the center of hydrocyclones in deoiling hydrocyclones and the consideration tends to the center flow features. The first idea of using common hydrocyclones for oil-water separation was suggested by Simkin and Olney [6] and Sheng et al. [7] but fundamental studies on deoiling hydrocyclones started from 1980 by Colman [8] and Thew. Several experimental researches on deoiling hydrocyclones were conducted by Colman et al. [9] and Colman and Thew [10-12]. Their results showed that the separation efficiency of hydrocyclones is independent of flow split between 0.5 to 10 percent. So the overflow diameter should design based on working conditions. Moreover for constant droplet size distribution in inlet, the size distribution in outlet is independent of flow split. Application of CFD Simulation for Evaluating the Separation Efficiency of Deoiling Hydrocyclones :: Environment, Oil-water Separation Introduction Having an efficient and reliable system for oil-water separation is of crucial importance especially for offshore oil and gas industry. Due to the platform movement, space, weight and operating limitations in offshore, the usage of common methods (gravity based vessels) for oil/water separation are ineffective. On the other hand producing oil is often accompanied by large amount of water that is discharged into the sea on offshore platforms. The amount of oil in water is confined from environmental standards. Therefore the need to have a high efficiency compact separator during variable operating conditions attracts the interests of researchers to hydrocyclones. Special trait of hydrocyclones such as simple design, easy to install and operate, no moving parts, and low manufacturing and maintenance costs make hydrocyclones as an economical and effective system for produced water treatment [1-2]. The separation process that is occurred in the deoiling hydrocyclones is quite different from that in the desander ones []. The density difference between liquid-liquid is smaller than solid-liquid mixtures. Therefore the separation of liquid from liquid is more difficult than solid from liquid and needs higher rotational speeds. The liquid droplet in comparison with solid particles could not experience shear rates. If the shear rates increase to the critical level the larger droplet break down to the smaller ones. The separation process for small liquid droplets is more difficult than large ones. On the other hand if two droplets close enough they might coalesce to each other. Because of difference in flow split of desander and deoiler hydrocyclones, the flow feature of continuous phase is different in these two types. The centrifugal forces cause the solid particles migrate to the wall region in desander hydrocyclones. So the near wall region is important in desander hydrocyclones but the oil droplet migrate to the center of hydrocyclones in deoiling hydrocyclones and the consideration tends to the center flow features. The first idea of using common hydrocyclones for oil-water separation was suggested by Simkin and Olney [6] and Sheng et al. [7] but fundamental studies on deoiling hydrocyclones started from 1980 by Colman [8] and Thew. Several experimental researches on deoiling hydrocyclones were conducted by Colman et al. [9] and Colman and Thew [10-12]. Their results showed that the separation efficiency of hydrocyclones is independent of flow split between 0.5 to 10 percent. So the overflow diameter should design based on working conditions. Moreover for constant droplet size distribution in inlet, the size distribution in outlet is independent of flow split.

A POSITION PAPER ON SOPHOCLES’ OEDIPUS REX Essay

THE KING WEARS A SHADES AS THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT WHICH MAKES HIS DAYS DARKER AND DARKER EVERY SINGLE DAY (with some relations to the Philippine Government and setting as a whole) A POSITION PAPER ON SOPHOCLES’ OEDIPUS REX REGULANO, Jean Paula Bermudez 2011-05787 HUM 1 X Oedipus Rex’ knowledge, which served as his gut against the others to be the King of Thebes, is only limited to the information on his people and his environment, excluding the information about himself due to his blindness and innocence on his own identity. In the midst of the downfall of the City of Thebes, is the entrance of a great leader who will dare to make a change, held the city up despite its fall, which will do his best for his term to be progressive and be full of legacy. What is it that makes this man a King, the kind of king projected in the story of Sophocles, the King who does not know some things behind? How could he achieve his goals for his city in the future if he cannot go back and take a look of what happened in the past? The city of Thebes, the city of secrets, the city of Gods, the city full of tragic with their King are what consists the play entitles, Oedipus Rex. What made Oedipus the King of Thebes? It all started with the legend of the Sphinx, a terrible monster in the Ancient Greece, whose body is consist of a lion, with wings of an eagle, and whose head is a head of a woman which had been sent to earth by the Gods to terrorize the land of Thebes to have a revenge on the former King, Laius, who raped a prince from another kingdom. All citizens of the poor city will be asked by the Sphinx by his riddles, a mind blowing riddle, and those who cannot answer, will be sent out of the earth. This had been a continuous process until one day, a man dared to pass a gate and unseemingly, become able to answer the riddle of the Sphinx. This man is Oedipus. Since the Sphinx’ riddle was answered, that means the fiend will now stop from terrorizing the city of Thebes. With that, people  idolized Oedipus, praised him as if he was a God like Zeus and the other great Greek Gods, and then a bit later, he was declared as the new King of Thebes, primarily because of his knowledge and not because of having someone who will pass the crown and position to him, which what actually happens in the Greek times that is if we are going to put it in the current government, specifically in the Philippine Setting, is what happens with a Political Dynasty. Painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres depicting Oedipus after he solves the riddle of the Sphinx. The Walters Art Museum. Therefore, his wisdom is what he used to be  able to lead the city in downfall, to be able to be a  King, which position is always dreamt by all the  citizens because of power hungriness and desire to  have a power to do all things for their own and for their  family which makes them selfish just like what we  have in the Philippine Congress right now, the misuse  of the taxpayers’ money, the continuous planning of  white elephant projects, misallocation of budget, all  becoming part of the politician’s pocket. But, will it  really benefit the society if someone like Oedipus will take the lead? Let us examine more who Oedipus is and what it that will and will not is make him a good leader. FREE WILL VERSUS DETERMINISM The idea of free will will always settle down in the word free, freedom. Attaining freedom and the word free are extremely big words. This simply means that having our own free will is having our own choices and it is on us to consider such constraints. It is not asking others of what is best for us, for example, when choosing a dress to wear or shoes to buy. This plays a very important role in our decision making process. Determinism is also another word that is so hard to define because of its vagueness of use and application. In any way, determinism is what pushes and  pulls us to do certain things which actually will lead us to the goal and/or maybe, will give us the answer whether we are up for this or not. This is also a philosophical position, a metaphysical one, which states that for everything that happens, there are conditions such that, given these conditions, nothing else could happen. This describes, simply, a cause and effect relation in variables. The free will and determinism concepts in the play in one way can be projected in the part where in Oedipus’ leadership was carefully examined. What is really, a hidden agenda of a man to be a King of such a place? All politicians who run for a position, saying or hiding this, have their own agendum of doing so. It would be so scripted for the people or for the mass to say that their only reason for asking a position is to have a better avenue to serve them, provide their basic social needs, to return back to them what they do for their nation as part of the nationbuilding, to offer his life as to bring progress and unite the people of a specific land. Though there are really some whose objective is this, but I wonder if they are placed in position right now. Oedipus’ is fortunate enough to be able to be the King of the City of Thebes, but, how about his tragic reversal of fortune as the story starts to end? Is it attributed to his own conduct? Or will it more reflect on his fate, which means that what happened is merely because it was planned, that is it was really meant to happen, and that it was not caused by the conduct of Oedipus? In an audience point of view, what happened towards the end is mainly because of his conduct. The death of Laius is really a big issue and as the one who overtook the position of the King who passed away, Oedipus was expected to give him the justice he deserves. He called on all of the people who may give him the answer of who is the man behind the death of the former King and to somehow diminish the vagueness of the case, but then, after hearing those that were said by the concerned people, Oedipus did not believe what they have just said. Instead, he continued searching for the truth, but since it all comes back to him, that he is the murdered of the former king, he chose to disagree. If at the first place, he accepted what his people said and searched for more details, the play might have ended in a less tragic moment. If, on the other hand, he did not gave his city a  somewhat like an information black out of what is happening to Laius’ case, it might have ended in a better way. In Oedipus’ point of view, as the play ends, he still chose not to believe on the words of his people which says that it was he who is the man behind the death of the king of Thebes who passed away, used his innocence of what he is, and made it to the point that everything was dictated by fate, first, him, being fortunate enough to be able to answer the riddle and be the King of the city, to have his people listen to him and such. Since he reflects every happening to fate—both the fortunes he received and the unnecessary unfortunate events that comes to life, what happened to him is governed and not related to his conduct as a leader and as a person as well. Oedipus can have avoided the tragic ending if he chose to lay down in his people’s words regarding the death of Laius. But what Sophocles did, is he chose to give his reader a somewhat heart attack, that as the play progresses, Oedipus kept all the information in him only, because he does not want anybody recognize him as a murderer especially because he is in a position, and it was an extreme shame for him and to his family as well to be called as one, and because the one that is under investigation is the death of a big man in politics too, the former King of Thebes, Laius. Man’s behavior in the world should be governed by free will. This is what it should be. But due to many constraints brought by the society, it becomes more governed by determinism as time passes by. What brings about determinism as the one which is responsible in governing people’s behavior? The social class. The concept of discrimination. The image of religion. The colonization and existence of imperialism. These are some factors which makes man’s behavior be determined. Others have to be slave and others have to be masters. Others have to be the politicians in the Philippine government, while others have to be part of the marginalized, oppressed and powerless. Inequality, it is. INNOCENCE VERSUS GUILT Innocence is mainly due to lack of information. This causes lots of vagueness to things which happens to be difficult to understand. It affects people’s decision making and this is detrimental in coming up with something that is relevant, rational and critical. Guilt, on the other hand, is what people feel after doing something which brought something that is bad or is not advantageous to the other. It is more of a kind of reflection people usually does after a sin has been committed. This makes a people better, because as he feels guilty, he becomes more prone in the realization of what he has done and that he should not do it again or any more so as not to affect or hurt his and the other people’s life in any way. Fig. 2 Oedipus and his wife. Oedipus Killed his father and marry his mother. One of the moral question of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is that is He (Oedipus) should really be accountable for the death of Laius and for marrying his own mother? Is he innocent or if not, what makes sense? Some scholarly articles, says answers a firm no on the question of whether Oedipus was innocent on the crimes he did. â€Å"Oedipus was ignorant of the true nature of his actions and is therefore morally blameless.† (Carel, 2000) The rationale behind this is that, he cannot be held responsible because the true identity of his mother whom he married and his father who is the former king of Thebes, tragically, at that time, is different than his knowledge. Meaning, these two personas are strangers to him in the first place. But then, how can an intelligent man, holding accountable for knowing some information regarding his lineage, fail to understand the meaning of his actions towards the end of the play? In an audience point of view, Oedipus’ case of being innocent should no longer be laid under the table. He is not innocent; rather, he keeps his record on his own. As the story progresses, there is his secret that will soon be in the mouth of the public. It will all boil down to him, being regarded as an intelligent man who was able to answer the riddle of the Sphinx which happened to be the turning point of  the citizens of Thebes that later gave rise to the declaration of Oedipus as the new King who will take over the term of the old man who died in the crossroad. Therefore, if he will be regarded as innocent, then the justice for the death of Laius will not be attained, it will forever be a mystery or a case unsolved but is set aside, and it will also be possible to have more cases as such to come, which will make the city more in trouble instead of bringing the light back to them. Therefore, the daughter of Janet Napoles is then innocent for using the fund for the masses for her own stuff because she does not know that her mother is a thief, where in it is not possible for her not to ask her mom of where there billions came from or even realize what her mom does and how come she (Janet) was able to generate hundreds and hundreds of thousands per day. Another unfair thing, it is. This scenario significantly explains the importance of knowledge, a full and not partial and biased knowledge, a relevant one. Having a full knowledge on something is very important in a way that it can help himself and even other people when they encounter problems, in such way, looking and formulating solutions will never be that hard. In the story of Oedipus Rex, it is possible for him to avoid the occurrence of what had happened in the end if he just evaluated very carefully all the things the people who are knowledgeable of what happened. But it happened to be not. It is because he just contained the information that he was able to gather from the people and rejected the fact that it may be really possible to be him who is the man behind the death of the former King of Thebes. In a more clearer perspective, he already had all the resources but then, he just disregarded everything and tried to make his own process in giving the justice that should be obtained by the killed King. SIGHT VERSUS INSIGHT Darkness and light. The darkness in the play may be reflected in Oedipus’ blindness, literally and figuratively. Figuratively in a way that he is blinded from his own identity that he did not even know that he was the one who killed his King before his term, that his king happened to be his own  father, that he married a women on the age twice as he, that he did not know that it happened to be his mother. There are lots of revelations happened in the play and that made it as tragic as how Sophocles wanted it to be. This inconsistent argument brings confusion to whether Oedipus should really be held accountable for killing his father and marrying his mother. There is a point that is mentioned in earlier paragraphs that he lacked knowledge that is why, there is a mere possibility that it is really not his intention to render the crimes that had been raised against her towards the end of the play. On the other hand, light signifies the latter  part of the play where in, slowly, every single  thing turns to be a much clearer that it is in the  earlier part. It is when the vagueness of the story  started to diminish, having a brighter view of  prediction of what will happen next. In the end, it  is really true that no secret can be kept forever.  Oedipus is indeed a very intelligent king, that as he  received the responsibility of being the King  Fig. 3 Blind Oedipus embraces Antigone and Ismene  of Thebes whose primarily goal is to raise the city out of the downfall left by the former king who is killed. But then, there is really no perfect creature in the real world, though people might say that this is only a product of Sophocles’ wide imagination. Oedipus Rex’ knowledge is limited like the resources of the species in the world. It is only limited to the information on his environment, not with the information of his lineage, which set him b lind from his identity that even his behavior have no a hundred percent hold that it was governed by free will or determinism. BIBLIOGRAPHY (2010,09) Oedipus Rex: Innocence vs Guilt. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 09, 2010, from http://www. Studymode.com/essays/Oedipus-Rex-Innocence-Vs-Guilt409245.html Carrel, Havi Hannah. 2000. Secrets and Lies: What Oedipus Really Knew. Orani: Culture, Creation and Critique. France. Rueda, Edward. (n.d).Oedipus Family Circus. Texts for Craig White’s Literature Courses. University of Houston Clear Lake.