Power in Language and Culture free essay sample

Power is considered to be the anthem of success-whoever holds power holds ascendancy over the society. However, whomever has ascendency over that society has to have means of communicating to the inferior. The way rulers communicate to their inferiors is a key part of society, and dictates the syntax of the language. Therefore power reflects on the flexibility and structure of the language. In Mrs. Bradys class lectures describing The History of the English language she states that before Viking invasions the Pagan Anglo-Saxon language consisted mainly of religious, domestic and mundane words such as fork, mile, table, alter, mass and chool. In 1066 A. D Norman Vikings overtook the society and added new words such as scream, take and skull these words allowed for aggression in the culture. Along with the aggressive word change the Vikings also degraded Anglo-Saxon words creating synonyms that now have a more powerful meaning for example the Anglo- Saxon word wish and the Norman word want. We will write a custom essay sample on Power in Language and Culture or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Customarily the Vikings were very hostile and aggressive people and their contributions to the English language reflect their virulent ways. The Vikings were able to harness their power to create a lasting nfluence on the language and culture of the inferior societies they overtook. Modern English is currently the connecting language used world-wide to communicate. It is described as dominate for many reasons in The Mother Tongue. A specific example given by Bill Bryson is a ited factor in setting English apart from other languages is flexibility. In the United States, Americans give respect where it is needed; there is no hierarchy where respect or a certain dialect is required to talk to another person. The fact that American culture is not based around power allows the language to have versatility. The government is people-based; the power granted to Americans through the constitution allows for variety and freedom of speech. For example female rights activists are able to speak o ut against misogynist beliefs. Though the power structure in America is composed of mostly men, women are unaffected by it, and are still able to speak out against the gender that makes up the majority of the government. American feminism is a prime example of how the power structure can have no effect on the language due to its basis on freedom and equality. In Outliers, chapter seven The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes, Malcom Gladwell describes the errible crash of Korean Airlines Flight 801 in 1997 caused by lack of communication through pilots. Unlike our American government Korea has different expectations for their language. It demands that members of higher rank be addressed properly. Not allowing for casual non-specific terms such as you. Koreans are obliged to be deferential toward their elders and superiors in a way that would be unnecessary in the U. S. Koreans must show respect for the people that hold power therefore speaking monotone causing serious situations to sound less urgent then they actually are. Another example of powers influence on language and culture is the example of Chris Langan vs. Robert Oppenheimer: Here we have two very brilliant young students, each of whom runs into a problem that imperils his college career. Langans mother has missed a deadline for his financial aid. Oppenheimer has tried to poison his tutor. To continue on, they are required to lead their cases to authority. sent to a psychiatrists. Oppenheimer and Langan might both be geniuses, but in other ways, they could not be more different (98). Oppenheimer grew up amongst a surplus of power, and so it affected the way that he spoke. He knew how to speak so hat he could get the most effect out of his words, and thus the power worked as an advantage to him and the way he uses language. Langan, in contrast, grew up extremely impoverished. He only had one set of clothes, his mother knew nothing about the way the world worked outside of their small town in Montana, and his step- father was an alcoholic and abuser. There was no positive form of power surrounding him, and thus his language skills were insufficient when he tried to convince his superiors to renew his scholarship. In social class structures there is power that either works to the advantage or disadvantage of the language. In George Orwells dystopian fiction novel 1984 the totalitarian government formats a society in which all members of the party are brain washed. In the appendix of the book Orwell discusses the importance the language, Newspeak, plays on the society. Euphony outweighed every consideration other than exactitude of meaning, (pg308) The language created by Ingsoc, called Newspeak, was used against the population in order to keep power. Newspeak was made up of doublethink words such as blackwhite and goodthink this made it impossible for the society to bond and connect with one another due to lack of cadence and meaning. Using language as a tool to control the culture rid society of their independence to think freely, ultimately turning them into mindless slaves of the government. A real-world example of a totalitarian societies control over language is Hitlers Nazi Germany. The Nazi regime aspired to inflict the same control over the people as Ingsoc did. In Mein Kampf Adolf Hitler states: The chief function of propaganda is to convince the masses, who slowness of understanding needs to be given time in order that they may absorb information; and only constant repetition will finally succeed in imprinting an idea on heir mind .. the slogan must of course be illustrated in many ways and from several angles, but in the end one must always return to the assertion of the same formula. The one will be rewarded by the surprising and almost incredible results that such a personal policy secures. Culturally, the Nazi regime was anti-modern. Censorship and propaganda ensured that Germans could only see what the Nazi hierarchy wanted people to see, hear what they wanted them to hear and read only what the Nazis deemed acceptable. Ultimately giving the Nazis full control over the mindset of their people. Forcing them to perceive that what they were doing was correct and thus socially acceptable. Moreover, whoever holds ascendancy over a culture has the ability to modify and manipulate the language however they want. Language can be used as a tool to gain power, or the people in power can use it as a tool to keep power. It can also be an effect rather than a cause; the way that power is exercised can have an indirect effect on the language. Whether direct or indirect, power has a lasting and critical impact on the language of any culture where a power structure is present.

Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marley essays

Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marley essays Bob Marley once said, "I'm a man of God and me come to do God's work. Bob Marley brought reggae to a broad audience and devoted his work to spread a message of peace, unity and love. Bob Marley made an attempt to make blacks recognized. He became an important figure for the Afro-race. In the song Buffalo Soldier the author calls its audience to see that there have been sacrifices of black men in America. Bob Marley began to work in the song in 1978, after reading about the black American soldiers decorated in the late 1800. The issues that the song Buffalo Soldier talks about are directly related to its title. This song refers to the Africans (who are the Buffalo Soldiers) brought to America that where forced to fight against the Native American Indians. The Amerindians probably saw a relation between the huge honored animal with thick hair and the brave and stalwart Africans wearing dreadlocks. Buffalo Soldier is a reflection of Marleys life and the class discrimination he witnessed while growing up in Kingston, Jamaica. Throughout his life Bob Marley was deeply troubled when men where not judged by their character, but by their skin color, and the amount of money they possessed. The song is dedicated to all the Afro-Americans living in the United States. This song is a recount of the story of some regiments of the post-Civil War. These regiments where formed by black men commanded to fight (pro white interests). They [the Africans] fought for a quarter of a century against the Cheyenne, Comanche, Kiowa, Apache, Ute and Sioux. In the end, fourteen key black campaigners, whom the Indians had dubbed "buffalo soldiers," were awarded the Medal of Honor as part of a public relations move to justify and glorify the genocide of Native Americans, underlining the U.S. government's policy of manifest destiny. The purpose of this song is to honor and extol the life of many black Rasta...

Personal School Health Education School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal School Health Education School - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that children who are without parental care are prone to violence, drug abuse, exploitation, and educational problems as well as HIV/AIDS infection. School based child protection program is a program designed to responds to children’s social, economical and development needs. One of the basic needs of children is the right to good health and provision of health care services. As the paper declares personal School Health Education provides a basic understanding and responds to the health needs of children. Poverty is the major challenge facing this program as it exposes children to the world as a vulnerable society. The world human rights laws protect children from harmful work and economic exploitation. It states that all children are entitled to provision of education and health services regardless of the economic status of the country or community. In this case, children education is mandatory in every country all around the world. Personal School Health Education has been introduced in the education curriculum to provide guidelines in the provision of children health service. Social and emotional wellbeing is an important as aspect in the growth of children as it directly affects physical health. Good emotional, psychological and social health protects children against emotional and behavioural changes. Emotional and social wellbeing are influenced by a various factors which are individual make-up, community and family background. Healthy education development Personal School Health Education helps in the development of a healthy environment for the growth of young people. Staying healthy entails the understanding of a person’s emotional being and maintaining healthy eating habits. The health of a person influences his or her education prospects. A healthy body promotes a positive state of mind that supports understanding thus positively influences education. Tutor groups Tutor group is a section in the Personal School Health Education that helps in the creation of a positive and healthy learning environment. It promotes the wellbeing of a person as it creates positive understanding of the person’s health status and also provides guidelines on how to live healthily. The basic idea of the introduction of tutor groups in the Personal School Health Education program was to foster the application of theoretical skills i nto practical life. The concept of group ideology helps in the sharing of experiences thus present theoretical education in a practical format. It also helps to monitor the health and wellbeing of children as a tutor is assigned a small group of children whom he or she monitors their health progress during the education program. Tutor groups help in the rating of the program’s capability in enhancing health and wellbeing of young people and their development at large. Behavior Management School systems are experiencing a climate of change towards the behavioral norms upheld by children and students. These changes enable students to think comprehensively about ways in which they can contribute to the society in a healthy manner that reflects their positive perspectives. Such is with the introduction of the Personal School Health Education (PSHE); a program enabling schools contribute to the well-being of the

Photography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Photography - Essay Example Arbus has successfully constructed a definitive position on photography; she helps in drawing a thick line between the camera and the body. Her proposition is that the camera is not in any way an extension of the body. Arbus draws a triadic relationship between the apparatus in photography and the subjects. She claims that the works are between her and the ‘others’. The camera itself has its own flaws. There are things that cannot be revealed through a camera. Some discomfort makes an individual to shun having a thoughtful glance on the photograph. The gaze that a photograph gives to us creates a situation whereby we are unable to keep staring at it. There appears to be a relationship between the three components of photography, the camera, the photographer, and the subject. Throughout the relationship there appears to be misconceptions that results to flaws. According to Armstrong, Arbus draws a gender construct whereby the camera is categorized as ‘other’. Here it introduces an aspect of gender politics, Arbus brings forth differences as a result of plurality which are caused by aspects of gender and sexuality. In addition to expression of gender issues, Arbus’ works are rich in photographs that feature hermaphrodites. In addition to gender and sexuality based photographs, children have also featured in her works but have not lacked controversy especially when it comes to interpretation. Armstrong talks about the photograph of a baby that has various features. In the photograph there is difficulty in interpreting the meaning because of its nature. The immediate clue that tells an interpreter of the meaning of a photograph lacks. This is a possibility especially because the lips are shut up as well as the body is completely covered. According to Armstrong an interpreter is left with the option of postulating the likelihoods which have a margin of error. Most of the times there

Office Space: Bureaucracy in the Workplace

Office Space: Bureaucracy in the Workplace The 1999 film, Office Space, characterizes an unhappy employee that works for a generic software company named Initech, which is structured as a bureaucracy. The main character, Peter Gibbons, eventually gets fed up by his job and the pressured environment in the workplace as a result of the bureaucratic environment. As a result of being fed up, Peter decides to rebel with the help of his two friends, Samir and Michael Bolton, and devise a computer program to steal from the company in small decimal amounts, but accidentally end up stealing a large amount. Meanwhile, the company decides to promote him while Peter is rebelling against the company. Bureaucracy, as defined by Max Weber, has six elements: first, the element of specialization of the job each worker does; second, bureaucracy has a rule of many by the few in which only one or a few people have rule of authority; third, bureaucracy has rules and regulations that the workers must follow; fourth, it is the characteristic of technical competence; fifth, it is the component of impersonality; finally, sixth, bureaucracy has formal written communication and official documentation. Webers characteristics of bureaucracy are shown to be in agreement with what is shown in the film. The first element is shown through the employees of Office Space. It is shown that each employee of Initech has a specific role that they contribute in the workplace. For example, Peter Gibbons, Michael Bolton, and Samir are all part of the computer programming component of the company while Lumbergh and the seven bosses that Peter has are part of the management component of the company. The purpose of having different people to complete different aspects of a company is to increase efficiency, however, the movie also shows that the computer programmers write the bank software to save space, such as taking out two digits (97 instead of 1997), but they have to go back into the program and change thousands of numbers so all of them only have two digits instead of four, which, in itself, is inefficient but it still emphasizes that only the computer programmers in the company have to do that, and that is what their job/contribution is in the company. The second element address that there is only one of few people that have rule of authority in the company, and in the film, this rulers would be Lumbergh and the seven other bosses that are part of management. But in these eight bosses, there is a hierarchy of management, giving the company a pyramid-like structure. The pyramid was Lumbergh up at the top, then Peter Gibbons, then Michael Bolton, then Samir, and then Milton, who would be at the very bottom of the food chain, with no authority in any situation or over anyone. This pyramid also contributes to the blatant difference in salary, as the film shows the employees general, family cars while Lumbergh had a Porsche in the same parking lot. Rules and regulations, as the third element of bureaucracy, are shown in the film in the very popular TPS Report scene of the movie in which Dom Portwood confronts Peter Gibbons: Dom Portwood: Hi, Peter. Whats happening? We need to talk about your TPS reports. Peter Gibbons: Yeah. The coversheet. I know, I know. Uh, Bill talked to me about it. Dom Portwood: Yeah. Did you get that memo? Peter Gibbons: Yeah. I got the memo. And I understand the policy. And the problem is just that I forgot the one time. And Ive already taken care of it so its not even really a problem anymore. Dom Portwood: Ah! Yeah. Its just were putting new coversheets on all the TPS reports before they go out now. So if you could go ahead and try to remember to do that from now on, thatd be great. All right! (credit: IMDB Office Space Quotes) This scene in the film is showing how Dom Portwood, the vice president reprimands Peter for not using the correct cover sheet on a report even though there had been a memo detailing the new procedure. Even when Peter said that it was a simple mistake and that he had a copy of the memo Portwood insists on sending another copy of the memo. This shows that the bureaucracy must follow a strict set of rules and regulations in order to be successful, and the management must make it clear that such mistakes will not be accepted in order to keep the important of rules and regulations high in priority. The fourth aspect of bureaucracy is the technical competence. In the movie, the two consultants are brought into the company to assess the efficiency and competence of each employee in the role that they are in, and they do this so the companys efficiency can be increased. This is interesting because it would seem that a company is run on many people, in many different departments, to successfully run a company, however they are laying off employees to increase efficiency, but that is really just the code phrase for downsizing. Peter, for example, is probably the antithesis of efficiency and competence because he says to one of the consultants that he stares at his desk and gets about 15 minutes of work done in an actual week. The fifth element is impersonality, which means that corporations and bosses dont actually consider getting to know their employees important. They, instead, write impersonal memos to their employees, and do not identify them as individuals. For example. Samir has been working in Initech for five years, and his name is still mispronounced. And the bosses, especially Lumbergh, are always just saying things like, did you see the memo, instead of addressing the person they are talking to. The final element is the need to officialize and formalize all documentation in the office. This also falls under the category of rules and regulations because the need to document everything is overemphasized, such as in the example in which Peter forgot a coversheet and how that little issue became over exaggerated enough for the vice-president to come and point it out. Examples of official documentation in Office Space include TPS reports, memos, files, and personal records of each employee that the company keeps, but nothing is really personal about that file just an impersonal set of information of each employee. Overall, the 1999 film cleverly points out the flaws of a highly bureaucratized work environment, and Webers Theory of Bureaucracy is also portrayed in the film. Teaching assistant: Developing child learning Teaching assistant: Developing child learning Historically, teaching assistants, or auxiliaries as they were sometimes formerly known, were non teaching adults who helped qualified teachers by carrying out day to day preparatory and administrative tasks and providing pastoral care to children. (Clayton. 1993) However, in 1998, the Local Government Chronicle published a summary of a Green Paper, (LGC, 1998), in which they outlined proposals for employing a greater number of support staff 20,000 by the year 2002 in order to provide more support for teachers. The summary also announced the governments suggestions for a more effective use of, and better training for, teaching assistants and other school support staff which, along with a subsequent OfSTED review, (2002a, p6) declared the need for training that would, match any proposed structure of qualifications and to facilitate career progression. The implementation of national occupational standards for teaching assistants, approved in 2001, and the HLTA status introduced in 20 03, (TDA, 2008) offered committed support staff the opportunity to progress and acquire the skills to become more accomplished educators. Working as a teaching assistant started to become a career and so began the real debate about the role of the teaching assistant. As with many job titles within the working environment, the title teaching assistant is often interpreted in a variety of ways but one common theme I have encountered, when questioning educational staff, is that all teaching assistants have the potential to be facilitators of learning and therefore are essential elements in the development of learning for children. How the facilitation is carried out, however, is less clear and open to individual interpretation by both employers and employees. In order to support the learning of all children, teaching assistants, like any educator, need to have a good understanding of how children learn. In the book, Teaching and Learning in the Early Years, Whitebread (2008, chapter 1) discusses Piagets ideas that children need to feel and hold control over their learning. Whitebread continues by exploring Vygotsys claims that it is the role of the adult to provide opportunities for social interaction and to support the child in moving out of their comfort zone or level of actual development and towards their potential via their zone of proximal development. To do this, a teaching assistant must understand how to promote curiosity amongst children while providing opportunities for discussion and exploration. With current class sizes in the region of up to 30 pupils, a class teacher will often be unable to engage in this vital aspect of developing childrens learning and so it is essential that supporting adults are equipped with the skills to scaffold learning and to provide opportunities for them to develop the language needed to be able to discuss and explain their ideas. (Bruner 1983, cited in Peabody Journal of Education, pp 64-66) Recently I was fortunate to be part of an initiative to promote reading amongst a group of reluctant pupils who had formulated an opinion that reading was a chore to be undertaken with animosity and only when instructed to do so. Upon investigation, it was obvious that these children had encountered a variety of barriers that had influenced their attitude and ability to read. My role was that of the enabling adult as described by Chambers (1991). By providing them with an opportunity to share and discuss each others reading experiences I was able to promote and inspire in them a willingness and enjoyment of reading. The outcome of this quickly became apparent in their understanding of written text. The children also began writing with enthusiasm, using their own knowledge and experiences; as a result, they had taken control of their own learning. The childrens vocal responses demonstrated that they felt empowered by the fact that they were directly responsible for the progress that t hey were making and they continue to enjoy our weekly discussions about their reading and progress. The children mentioned do not have special educational needs, as is often the case for pupils being supported by a teaching assistant. Children with SEN require a higher level of support and this has, traditionally, been provided by teaching assistants. (Alborz et al, 2009a) This has previously been an area for debate with The Daily Telegraph (2009) publishing an article claiming that research shows that, Pupils make less progress in classrooms where schools employ more teaching assistants. This article states that teaching assistants often support lower attaining pupils, resulting in them being less supported by a qualified teacher and to them making limited progress. The article does not, however, take into account the training of the teaching assistants. While reviewing the impact of workforce remodeling, a report by OfSTED (2004) stated that when a teaching assistant is appointed to work with carefully chosen pupils and is provided with the appropriate training to do so effective ly, the pupils make significant progress. This is, of course, as well as the obvious benefits of providing the teacher with more time to focus on other pupils. Having worked alongside several teaching assistants employed to support children with SEN I have witnessed the immeasurable benefit to the pupil and the class as a whole. The teaching assistants enabled the pupils to be included in a mainstream classroom and access the curriculum, while allowing the class teacher to support the majority of the pupils. Their support involved the re-enforcing of the whole class teaching, giving the pupil the confidence to participate in class discussions, simplification of vocabulary, offering praise and encouragement and feedback on the completed task. Following the lesson, the teaching assistant also provided the teacher with assessment and monitoring feedback to enable assessment of and for learning. This assessment has become a vital aspect of the role of the teaching assistant and supports the teacher and pupil by enabling differentiation and personalised learning to become every day practice. (OfSTED, 2002b) Guidance published by the NFER (2002, cited in Department for Education and Skills, 2005, p.22) found that when teachers and teaching assistants work in partnership, the results are a more effective level of teaching and learning. An example of this is a scenario I have experienced recently where a teaching assistant supported the learning of the majority of the class while the class teacher focused on the children with SEN. As a result of the teacher and teaching assistant having spent time working together to plan the lesson, the teaching assistant was able to support the learning objectives and assist pupils in their achievement of them. Teaching assistants can also, when included in the planning of a lesson, actively participate in the delivery of the lesson providing an alternative viewpoint or by playing a character in role. One such example was provided by my colleague who, upon realising that many of the pupils within the class had misunderstood a key concept, pretended to be confused and raised a hand to ask for clarification. As a result, pupils developed a clearer understanding of the lesson and therefore, the teaching assistant had played an important role in developing their learning. By implementing a combination of all of these approaches and with effective training and guidance, teaching assistants can provide invaluable support for all children within any lesson. Teaching assistants also support behaviour management within classes and can provide an alternative level of perception within the classroom. In daily Literacy lessons, I have observed a teaching assistant supporting a pupil with ADHD and have no doubt that without her presence, the class teacher would have to spend a large proportion of the lesson settling the child and addressing low level distractions. Personal experience has shown me that children with emotional or behavioural difficulties are often more responsive towards a teaching assistant with whom they can forge a positive adult / child relationship. This can contribute towards the social and emotional wellbeing of the child as outlined by Alborz et al. (2009b). Besides the opportunity to support childrens learning during lesson time, teaching assistants continue to carry out a multitude of administrative tasks in order to support the class teacher and the school as a whole. The National Agreement, (ATL et al. 2003, p.2), implemented as part of the governments workforce remodelling initiative, states that teachers should not spend their time carrying out administrative responsibilities that do not make full use of their skills and expertise but that these tasks should be carried out by support staff. The agreement outlines twenty-one tasks that teaching staff should not be required to carry out including the preparation of classroom resources, photocopying, the collection of monies for educational visit and the preparation and setting up of displays. These tasks must also, therefore, be considered the responsibility of the teaching assistant. Each and every one of the administrative tasks has an impact on the educational environment and ther efore contributes towards supporting the development of childrens learning. In practice, however, the need for teaching assistants to be more involved in the delivery of lessons surely means that they too will have less time for carrying out administrative duties which in turn might relay these duties back into the hands of the teachers. In my experience, teaching assistants often offer unconditional support for the school in which they are employed. Many carry out duties beyond their working hours providing curriculum enrichment activities and regularly being at the forefront of fund raising events. They frequently are able to provide a connection between local communities and their schools as they often live in close proximity to their workplace. This is a non essential yet valuable part of their role as it enables teaching staff to be aware of local issues and provides a link between parents and schools. (Lipsett, 2008) In conclusion, the role of the teaching assistant has evolved significantly over recent years and can offer committed individuals with a recognised career that is both progressive and rewarding. With appropriate professional development opportunities, a teaching assistant can give invaluable support to individuals and groups of pupils, teaching staff, parents and schools. By providing pastoral care, administrative support and personalised learning they can, as outlined in the Governments Every Child Matters initiative (DfES, 2003), promote enjoyment and achievement in a safe, nurturing environment; contribute to the academic and emotional wellbeing of all children; help them to become successful members of the school and wider community.

John F. Kennedy Essay -- essays research papers

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts on May 29, 1917, the second oldest in a family of nine children. His great grandparents had come to the United States from Ireland in the mid-1800s after a food shortage caused severe poverty in that country. Although their families had not come to the United States with much money, both of John Kennedy's grandfathers became political leaders in Boston. One of them, John Fitzgerald, was elected mayor in 1905. John Kennedy's father, Joseph Patrick Kennedy became a very wealthy businessman, an adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the United States Ambassador to Great Britain from 1938 to 1940. John Kennedy moved to New York when he was ten years old. Since the family spent the summer months at their home in Hyannis, Cape Cod, Jack still lived a good part of his life in Massachusetts. After graduating from the Choate School in Connecticut in 1935, he went on to Harvard College and graduated in 1940. That same year he wrote a best-selling book, Why England Slept, about some of the decisions which led to World War II. In 1941, John Kennedy joined the Navy. He became the commander of a small "PT" boat assigned to the battle in the Pacific against the Japanese. One night, while on patrol, Kennedy's boat was rammed by a large enemy ship. Two men in a crew of thirteen were killed, and the rest swam to a nearby deserted island. They managed to survive, mostly by eating coconuts, until they were rescued a week later. After World War II, John Kennedy had to choose the kind of work he wanted to do. He considered becoming a teacher or a writer but soon decided to run for political office. In 1946, he was elected to the U.S. Congress, representing a district in greater Boston. Kennedy, a Democrat, served three terms in the House of Representatives, and in 1952 he was elected to the U.S. Senate. In 1953, he married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. The following year he had a serious operation on his back. While recovering from surgery, he wrote a book about several U.S. senators who had risked their careers to fight for the things in which they believed. The book, called Profiles in Courage, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 1957. That same year, the Kennedy's first child, Caroline, was born. Kennedy had narrowly missed being picked as the Democratic Party's candidate for Vice President... ...edy, and that he and Ruby were part of a conspiracy. None of these theories has ever been proven. President Kennedy's death caused enormous sadness and grief among all Americans. Most people still remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news of the murder. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Washington for the President's funeral, and millions throughout the world watched it on television. As the years have gone by and other Presidents have written their chapters in history, John Kennedy's brief time in office stands out in people's memories--for his leadership, personality, and accomplishments. Many respect his coolness when faced with difficult decisions--like what to do about the missiles in Cuba. Others admire his ability to inspire people with his articulate speeches. Still others think his compassion and his willingness to fight for new government programs to help the poor, the elderly and the ill were most important. Like all leaders, John Kennedy made mistakes, but he was always hopeful about the future. He believed that people could solve their common problems if they put their country's interests first and worked together.

Effects of Video Games on Children Essay

Although video games can increase aggressive behavior, they can improve memory and logistical thinking, as well as teach perseverance. Over the course of the last few decades video games have been integrated into the lives of our children. Video games are very appealing to children of all ages, and even to some adults. There is a variety of video games out there, and they range from educational to very violent. Because of this diverse selection of video games, there is a wide range of positive and negative side effects that these games can have on children. Because a large percentage of our children’s time is spent playing video games, there has been a lot of research in recent years on the positive and negative effects these games have on them. â€Å"Among elementary and middle-school populations, girls play for an average of about 5. 5 hours/week and boys average 13 hours/week,† (Gentile, D. A. 2004). Teenagers also spend a time playing video games. According to Media Analysis Laboratory (1998),†Eighty percent of teens said they played at least occasionally and the average amount of time spent gaming for the sample was 5 hours per week† (para. 19). Video game play has become not only a leisurely pastime for children, but for families also. When parents are not involved in some of their game play the outcome can become a little scary. Children who play video games with their families have a more pro-social attitude compared to their counterparts who play alone. Children who are less social or somewhat anti-social tend to develop aggressive tendancies when spending long hours gaming alone especially when violent video games are involved. Video games have been shown to increase aggressive behavior in some children. Neubert, S. P. (2004) said, â€Å"Individuals high in hostility are more likely to become aggressive when exposed to violent video games. † â€Å"Games in which the only positive outcome is the violent demise of enemies reinforces anti-social behavior. Violent video games desensitize people to aggression,† (Neubert, S. P. , 2004). According to a study done by Douglas A. Gentile. References Media Analysis Laboratory (1998). Video game culture: Leisure and play preferences of B. C. teens. Retrieved from http://www. media-awareness. ca In-Text Citation 1. [Insert the paraphrased material] (Simon Fraser University, Burnaby B. C. , 1998). 2. The Media Analysis Laboratory (1998) website [Insert the paraphrased material]. 3. , â€Å"[Insert the quotation]† (para. 19).