5 Secrets About Independent Publisher That Will Surprise You

5 Secrets About Independent Publisher That Will Surprise You Like most blogs geared towards authors, Independent Publisher highlights events and advice that can help authors make the most of their craft. However, there are a few things that this blog does particularly well. Ill give you a brief overview here, to help you make the most of your time on the site, as well as highlighting some of the best bits; just to whet your appetite.(In) this issue offers valuable adviceThis first category of the blog is, in my opinion, one of the most valuable, as it highlights everything from book awards to literary legal terms; all fresh and recent, and conveniently presented in a user-friendly box, inset at the upper right of the homepage. If you want a quick look at a few helpful articles, then this is a good place to start. This months offerings include: the results of the groups book awards, guidance on how to turn a finished product into a bestseller, and key lessons learned from an author with fifty years of experience under his belt, all of which is invaluable.Independent Publisher offers invaluable advice to independent authors. Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels.As described, the articles listed in this section are timely and relevant, and most are very manageable lengths, making for quick reads (we all know how important time is these days). Here is an excerpt from author Jerry Apps article on lessons learned from his fifty years of writing:I also write what I dont know. I stay within my writing niche, and I combine what I know with what I dont know- which means I do massive amounts of research.Jerry AppsMost authors have heard the recommendation to, write what you know. In this piece, Mr. Apps also discusses the inevitability of having to write what you dont know, and the best ways to go about that. Going beyond the standard, cookie-cutter advice that is found on pretty much every blog about writing, makes Apps suggestions more salient and beneficial than the average commentary for new writers.This section is exactly what yo u would hope to find when first perusing a new literary blog; innovative, modern articles, that can be quickly scanned for relevancy, and delved into at length without taking an entire afternoon to grasp one concept. Its a great page to add to your bookmarks list.Book awards give writers marketing toolsRather than just focusing on a list of award results, this section of the blog seeks to sell you on the advantages of entering into one of the groups six award categories. The usual calendars, entry requirements, and eligibility rules are included, but then there are also links to things like, Testimonials, and, Why Enter Book Awards? given right on the first page, to guide you through the process. These articles are most advantageous to new authors, who are unfamiliar with the book award process, or even any of the benefits of applying for such programs.The following is an excerpt from the, Why Enter Book Awards, section:Are you on the fence about entering a book awards contest? Not sure if entering is worth the money and effort? Check out these six reasons why entering book awards is one of the smartest and most effective means of marketing your book.IndependentPublisher.comBy discussing the pros and cons of such an endeavor, the group will both increase the quantity and quality of their entries, as well as enticing new and jaded authors alike to give this particular contest a go. With six categories, this site offers multiple opportunities for independent authors to get the marketing boost and name recognition they need. If you have never considered applying for a book award, this page will give you a few solid reasons to reconsider.Reviews are the sites expertiseAs the title implies, this section of the blog is focused on reviews of independently published books, in a variety of genres, that both provides authors with valuable reference material, and offers a very important introduction to potential readers. True to the considerate nature of this blog, thoug h, the most salient links are right at the top of the page: How to submit your title for review, and, IP Notables. With infinite potential sources of reading material and helpful resources on the Internet, it is so refreshing to have a writers blog that gets the time constraints that are a reality of working authors.Independent Publishers blog factors in the time constraints of working authors. Photo by JEShoots.com from Pexels.Sure, if we had limitless time, most of us would love to sit and read every book review, savoring the diverse styles, and learning great tips as we go. The reality, however, forces us to prioritize publishing, marketing, and honing our skills, in a fast-paced and competitive environment; the primary subjects and links available on this blog. With an extremely wide-ranging list of genres, most authors will have no problem finding worthwhile reviews in a suitable category, to help them stay current and tailor their technique to project requirements.As to why yo u might want to submit your work for review, the reasons are similar to those given in the awards section, and are nicely summarized in this excerpt:Winning a book award and getting a good review published are two of the best marketing tools available to the independent publisher today.IndependentPublisher.comEnough said, really; these are very handy tools to have in your marketing and publicity box.The events section is fantasticWhoever is responsible for this section of the blog is doing their homework. This is a treasure trove of workshops, conferences, courses, and book fairs, to boost and enhance every aspect of your professional writing needs. The events on this page are regularly updated, and allow for planning ones schedule in advance. Although there are not an enormous number of events listed, those that are here are of a high caliber, with gatherings listed on a global level.This page is a bit sparse on explanation, compared to the others on this site, but it makes up for it with quality postings to help you: learn new skills, network with a wide selection of industry professionals, and rub shoulders with your peers at the largest, and one of the oldest, licensing events in the industry. Take a peek at the history of the Frankfurt Book Fair, for example:The worlds largest book fair is as rich in history as it is in attendees. According to Peter Weishaas A History of the Frankfurt Book Fair, the international importance of the fair to the literary community was established by 1598, when English scholar Thomas Bodley attended with the intention of stocking the newly refounded Oxford University Library.www.IndependentPublisher.comThey had me at Bodley.In addition to being insanely rich in popularity and prestige, the Frankfurt Fair is also one of the best places to do that essential business of forging licensing and book rights deals. There is also a good deal of attention given to small and independently published books, thus the sites interest in it, which is given in this enticing overview:Indie publishers are welcome at the Independent Publishers Reading Island, a space where new releases are presented and readings held. Self-publishing is also being recognized as an emerging and incredibly important aspect of the industry; a full days worth of events and discussions will focus on topics relevant to self-publishers, and guided tours of the fair will stop at major self-publishing companies and service providers.IndependentPublisher.comTalk to any successful writer, and these types of events are likely to be a significant part of their work process.The site offers updated news related to independent publishingIn addition to the wonderful sections already discussed, there is a News, page. In truth, the inclusion of both a News and, This Issue page may be difficult to keep from being redundant in slow news cycles in the literary world; therefore, for the most recent stories and advances in independent publishing, I have to recomme nd hitting the invaluable inset for This Issue on the homepage first. There are some great articles in the News section, as well, although not as timely as the ones in the previously mentioned link.To sum up, Independent Publisher is a useful, approachable literary blog, which does an excellent job of both catering to its niche market and offering more general industry advice for authors of all stripes. The This Issue section and the Archives page, which was not previously mentioned, contain valuable resources of past articles that have appeal for a wide assortment of writers and publishers. If this blog is not on your list of go-to literary resources, it is definitely worth considering adding it.

Geology of the Appalachian Plateau

Geology of the Appalachian Plateau Stretching from Alabama to New York, the Appalachian Plateau physiographic region makes up the northwestern portion of the Appalachian Mountains. It is divided into several sections, including the Allegheny Plateau, Cumberland Plateau, Catskill Mountains and Pocono Mountains. The Allegheny Mountains and Cumberland Mountains serve as a boundary between the Appalachian Plateau and Valley and Ridge physiographic region. Although the region is characterized by areas of high topographic relief (it reaches elevations upwards of 4,000 feet), it is technically not a mountain chain. Instead, it is a deeply dissected sedimentary plateau, carved into its present-day topography by millions of years of erosion. Geologic Background The sedimentary rocks of the Appalachian Plateau share a close geologic story to those of the neighboring Valley and Ridge to the east. Rocks in both regions were deposited in a shallow, marine environment hundreds of million of years ago. Sandstones, limestones and shales formed in horizontal layers, often with distinct boundaries between them. As these sedimentary rocks formed, the African and North American cratons were moving towards each other on a collision course. Volcanic islands and terranes between them sutured onto what is now eastern North America. Africa eventually collided with North America, forming the supercontinent Pangea around 300 million years ago. This massive continent-on-continent collision formed Himalayan-scale mountains while uplifting and pushing the existing sedimentary rock far inland. While the collision uplifted both the Valley and Ridge and Appalachian Plateau, the former took the brunt of the force and therefore experienced the most deformation. The folding and faulting that affected the Valley and Ridge died out underneath the Appalachian Plateau. The Appalachian Plateau has not experienced a major orogenic event in the past 200 million years, so one might assume that the sedimentary rock of the region should have long since eroded down into a flat plain. In actuality, the Appalachian Plateau is home to steep mountains (or rather, dissected plateaus) with relatively high elevations, mass wasting events and deep river gorges, which are all characteristics of an active tectonic area. This is due to a more recent uplift, or rather a rejuvenation, from epeirogenic forces during the Miocene. This means that the Appalachians didnt rise again from a mountain building event, or orogeny, but rather through activity in the mantle or isostatic rebound. As the land rose, streams increased in gradient and velocity and quickly cut through the horizontally-layered sedimentary bedrock, shaping the cliffs, canyons, and gorges that are seen today. Because the rock layers were still horizontally layered on top of each other, and not folded and deformed like in the Valley and Ridge, the streams followed a somewhat random course, resulting in a dendritic stream pattern. Limestones in the Appalachian Plateau often contain different marine fossils, remnants of a time when seas covered the area. Fern fossils may be found in the sandstones and shales. Coal Production During the Carboniferous period, the environment was swampy and hot. The remains of trees and other plants, like ferns and cycads, were preserved as they died and fell into the standing water of the swamp, which lacked the oxygen needed for decomposition. This plant debris accumulated slowly - fifty feet of accumulated plant debris can take thousands of years to form and produce only 5 feet of actual coal - but consistently for millions of years. As with any coal-producing setting, the rates of accumulation were greater than the rates of decomposition. The plant debris continued to stack on top of each other until the bottom layers turned to peat. River deltas carried sediment eroded from the Appalachian Mountains, which had recently uplifted to great heights. This deltaic sediment covered the shallow seas and buried, compacted and heated the peat until it turned into coal. Mountaintop removal, where coal miners literally blow away the top of a mountain to get to the coal underneath, has been practiced in the Appalachian Plateau since the 1970s. First, miles of land are cleared of all vegetation and topsoil. Then, holes are drilled into the mountain and packed with powerful explosives, which when detonated can remove up to 800 feet of the mountains elevation. Heavy machinery digs away the coal and dump the overburden (extra rock and soil) into valleys. Mountaintop removal is catastrophic to the native land and harmful to nearby human populations. A few of its negative consequences include: Complete destruction of wildlife habitats and ecosystemsToxic dust from explosions causing health problems in nearby human populationsAcid mine drainage polluting streams and groundwater, destroying aquatic habitats and ruining drinking waterFailure of tailings dams, flooding large areas of land While federal law requires coal companies to reclaim all land destroyed by mountaintop removal, it is impossible to restore a landscape formed by hundreds of millions of years of unique natural processes. Places to See Cloudland Canyon, Georgia - Located in the extreme northwest corner of Georgia, Cloudland Canyon is an approximately 1,000 foot deep gorge carved out by Sitton Gulch Creek. Hocking Hills, Ohio - This area of high topographic relief, featuring caves, gorges and waterfalls, can be found about an hour southeast of Columbus. The melting of glaciers, which stopped just north of the park, carved away the Blackhand sandstone into the landscape seen today. Kaaterskill Falls, New York - Ignoring a ledge that separates the falls into an upper and lower section, Kaaterskill Falls is the highest waterfall in New York (at 260 feet high). The falls were formed from streams that developed as Pleistocene glaciers retreated from the area. Walls of Jericho, Alabama and Tennessee - This karst formation sits at the Alabama-Tennessee border, one hour northeast of Huntsville and an hour and a half southwest of Chattanooga. The Walls form a large, bowl-shaped amphitheater of limestone rock.

Answers to Evolution Questions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Answers to Evolution Questions - Research Paper Example Population growth rate in majority of populations is very high resulting in more offspring every year than that can be supported by the local resources. This leads to a struggle for resources and in turn not all offspring survive. Differential reproduction - Those individuals with traits that are best suited to adapt to the local conditions are more likely to survive and reproduce. That is, more offspring will be contributed to the next generation by these individuals (James, 2010). The process of natural selection is one in which individuals with variations that are more favourable (to survive local conditions) than others are supported by the struggle for resources and as a result affect the population’s trait frequency (Breed & Moore, 2012). The random and gradual process of natural selection results in some traits being more common and some less common while some can be completely absent in the future generations. A change in a trait’s genetic code is called mutatio n and this gives rise to variation. Mutations happen by chance and are in no way related to adapting to local conditions. Fitness is another concept that is at the core of natural selection. Fitness is the ability of an organism to reproduce. If an organism can reproduce more than others in its species, then the genes of this species will be more common among the future generations. A recent example of natural selection is field mustard. ... An experiment conducted showed that plants from seeds of 2004 had earlier flowering times than those of 1997. Therefore, in order to survive field mustard plants had to develop the trait to flower early and they did develop this (Judson, 2008). 2. The best example of human evolution over the past 10,000 years is the evolution of the human brain. Research shows that human brain has evolved rapidly in the last 10,000 years. The reason cited for this is that natural selection might have favoured different dispositions and abilities due to increased complexity of social order and mechanics. As humans graduated from hunter-gatherer communities to farming communities, there were need for different skills and abilities such as mathematical ability and other intellectual abilities. Brain development corresponded to this through evolution (McAuliffe, 2009). Also it is argued that the development in the functioning of the hand has had an impact on brain evolution. As the functioning hand is be come more complex from manufacturing of tools to use of more sophisticated device the brain has developed more motoring abilities accordingly. That is, our hands today are more capable of fine-grained motor skills and in response brain has developed abilities to motor these skills (Ruse, 2012). Even though there isn’t much research done on this but there definitely will be effects of use of computer keyboards on the evolution of the brain. 3. A scientific theory is one which is a result of extensive research followed by experiments and observations conducted repeatedly that can be tested in the natural world. As a result of this, a scientific theory must be able to explain the observations through the development of mechanisms such as natural

Literature Survey for - What are the benefits and costs of worker Essay

Literature Survey for - What are the benefits and costs of worker training, and who should pay for training - Essay Example Moreover, Acemoglu and Pischke argue that worker training is important especially with the ever changing technology in organizations (1999, p.2). In a bid to increase productivity and retain relevance in competitive industries, organizations have to constantly change and adopt to new technology. As a result, workers need to attend trainings on how to effectively use new technology. Studies show that highly skilled workers easily and effectively adapt to new tasks and technology compared to low skilled workers. Furthermore, highly skilled workers were found to be more innovative hence yielding better performance (Blundell, Dearden, Meghir, and Sianesi, 1999, p. 14). This implies that worker trainings ensure that the entire workforce is always in conversance with organization equipment and technology thereby maintaining high productivity. In addition, the basic education attained in institutions of higher learning and other basic education providers is arguably not enough to produce optimum results. As a result, there is need for continued worker training to impact the essential knowledge required for maximum productivity. According to Preffer and Fong a consultancy firm can produce a two-year learning experience in colleges in three weeks (qtd. in Xie and Steiner 2013, p.3). This implies that worker training can be considered more effective than the basic education learnt in schools since people already have first-hand experiences in the course of work. However, this is not to say that basic education is irrelevant but it is to lay emphasis on the need to promote and incorporate worker training in organizations. This is further emphasized by Acemoglu and Pischke who argue that ‘most lines of business require a set of skills that cannot be impacted by the basic education (1999, p. 2). This implies that for maxi mum efficiency, worker education should be incorporated

Migratory Behavior of Mallard Ducks Essay Example for Free

Migratory Behavior of Mallard Ducks Essay There are four fundamental decisions that most animals make when it comes to mechanisms of adaptation: where to live, how to gather food, how to avoid predators, and what tactics to use to reproduce (Alcock, 1993). Habitat preferences in animals require satisfying their needs (ignoring or actively avoiding others, nutritional needs to perform growth, development and reproduction) at the same time experiencing higher fitness than those unable to settle in the favored habitat. There were also several hypothesis presented which correlates habitat preference and fitness. The seasonal dispersion of some animals like ducks is a costly business in terms of energetic expenses and risk to exposure to predators. On the other hand, considering dispersal cost, animals that do not respond to dispersion pay the price of deterioration due to the inability to adapt to the prevailing ecological conditions. Considering the inbreeding avoidance hypothesis (Ralls et. al, 1979), on ducks in particular, Mallard ducks may have migrated then for the purpose of expanding their genetic pool by interbreeding with Anas rubipes a close relative of the Anas playrynhos. The costly dispersal of Mallards may have been to avoid inbreeding depression primary of which is to circumvent the expression of damaging recessive alleles resulting from the mating of two closely related mates of the same species. This further correlates with the mate competition hypothesis (Moore and Ali, 1984), which states that males tend to fight against one another for mates therefore looser find it more energy efficient to seek closely related species to which they may successfully mate. When mating season is over, male disperses to avoid their daughters when these female become sexually mature. Animals engage into energetically exhaustive activity trying to complete the course of their journey to attain its fundamental goals. As the animal arrives to its destination, the issue of territoriality always comes to mind whenever a new species is introduced into a new environment and every time the visitor interacts with the native. While other animals ignore or tolerate the presence of a new species in its territory, others are extraordinarily aggressive in defending their territory from intruders. Territoriality among animals contributes to reproductive successes or failure to the contrary which further leads to interspecific competition. If suitable breeding sites really are short of supply, then one should be able to find non-territorial, non-breeding, individuals in populations of territorial animals. If this is so, the niche similarity of the visitors to the native may introduce interspecific competition with the available supplies. Territoriality may also influence the reproductive success of these visitors as it was found by Dhondt and Schillemans (1983). Territorial animals may invade the nesting sites of migratory birds which may lead to decreased viability and clutch. The ability of birds to fly and survive various environmental conditions has led to their development over time. Seasonal migration of mallard ducks (Anas platyrynchos) has been one of the intriguing aspects of its behavior. This behavior has been influenced mainly by several factors such as foraging (Heitmeyer, 2006), competition (Mc Auley, et al. , 2004), reproductive behaviors (Hill, 1984) which also includes the preservation of nesting sites, and interbreeding (Brodsky, 1989) and seasonal weather conditions (Ridgill, et al. , 1990 in D. Hill, 1992, Whyte Bolen, 1984, Poiani Johnson, 1991). Statement of the Problem From previous articles, it has been reported that Mallard ducks are reoccupying old territories throughout the United States and Canada (Talent, et. al. , 1983). From this observation, it can be inferred that various ecological changes in both habitat and inhabitants may take place. Since mallard ducks in this regard are annual visitors in these habitats, the temporary habitation of previous and new territories may significantly affect native animal species. With the combined hypothesis that Mallard ducks migrate from previously occupied territories due to overlapping conditions which may occupy new territories due to insufficiency of the previous, the study will assess the behavioral patterns of Mallard ducks towards returning to previous foraging territories and establishing new foraging regions (migratory routes) outside of their original habitats, specifically the study will address four major areas of concern. 1. What behavior of the Anas playrynchos determines the suitability of a habitat to be considered sufficient which helps it decide to inhabit previous foraging territories and new regions outside of their original habitats? 2. What behavioral mechanism will the Anas platyrynchos exhibit upon visiting a previous foraging territory and new regions outside of their original habitats if a highly territorial organisms was encountered upon landing? 3. What general behavioral model applies during the interaction of two closely related species (Anas rubipes and Anas platyrynchos) occupying the same niche in terms of: a. Reproductive tactics b. Foraging preferences c. Territoriality 4. What chances that the introduction of less territorial animal may cause significant adaptive stress (competitive stress) to a more territorial species? Hypotheses It is hypothesized that there is no significant differences in the previously reported behavioral mechanisms in Anas platyrynchos that helps it determine to decide on its habitat preferences. Alternatively, Anas platyrynchos establishes new migratory routes due to impending factors such as avoidance of predators, seasonal weather conditions, reproductive tactics and foraging preferences. Else, Anas platyrynchos establishes new migratory route or return to previous foraging areas due to certain conditions such as habitat destruction, scarcity of supplies needed to reproduce, and extreme territoriality between natives and migrants. Experimental Design In order to test these hypotheses, the study will be divided into two phases: the in vivo phase and in vitro phase. At the in vitro phase, groups of experimental populations of Mallard ducks will be placed in a study area which will allow observation of significant behavioral patterns relevant to foraging, reproductive tactics/quality such as mate preference, clutch size, egg size and viability, and interspecific competition. Two species of closely related species of ducks the Anas rubipes (native, will be allowed to acclimatize until such time that they one or two reproductive cycles have been achieved) and Anas platyrynchos (introduced species, will be introduced only after the native have been acclimatized well) will be situated in the same habitat which will be observed for close interaction. Behavioral patterns on mate preferences and competitive exclusion will be observed by on-site observation using a hidden observation platform. Foraging preferences will be looked upon by collection and analysis of droppings from both species. Geographical invasion of feeding territories will be looked upon by assigning quadrat areas which will be initially determined by the territorial preferences of both species of ducks. Territoriality will be measured by the number of times the more aggressive native will disturb the nesting sites of the migrants and the instance that the migrant will be driven away from a specific foraging site. Specific effects of such behavior will be measured by performing initial and final biometry of the two species of ducks. Decrease in biometric qualities from both adult and eggs would mean the inability to adapt into such competitive behavior. Possible effects of migrant foraging on native non-avian species will also be observed by recording the feeding activity of non-avian species living along the vicinity which might directly contribute to the promotion or disruption of the food chain brought about by the introduction of a new consumer. To observe the habitat preference of ducks with is natural behavior in its intact natural behavior, the in vivo phase will be done. Radio satellite transceivers will be wing banded on representative Anas platyrynchos through catch and tag method (including the alpha male) that are about to engage into seasonal journey to trace their possible destinations and stop-over. The result will be compared to previous annual migration data (20 years in succession or more depending on the available information) to establish a pattern supporting the behavioral mechanism that the ducks employ in selecting a habitat which sooth their preference. On site visitation of previously reported migration destinations will be surveyed to confirm habitation of previously occupied regions. Ecological evaluation and mapping of visited areas (stop-over and final destination) will be done and compared with other visited areas for specific pattern. Thorough monitoring of migration paths via remote sensing will be followed to confirm if ever there is a change in the migratory route. Conclusions will be based on the assessment of significant differences between the previously reported data and the novel information. Summary All in all, birds may move to various locations for survival. If the prevailing conditions decrease fitness, migratory ducks may move to different locations to continue to find food, reproduce and avoid predation. When the conditions increase fitness, these ducks will then return to their natal site where they will breed and raise their young. It may be that physical conditions and forces that govern the earth’s magnetic poles, hormonal changes, changing weather patterns or other various factors contribute to the birds urge to migrate to their seasonal habitats. For the purpose of this paper, the most important factor to be considered are the consequences to native animals belonging in the same niche brought about by abrupt or gradual changes in migratory routes and the resulting occupation of new or old territories. In the evolutionary perspective, animals are able to adapt into their environment mainly by employing specific behavioral mechanisms that would enable them to perfectly cope. At the event that an animal fails to establish equilibrium with its environment, serious complications arise. The study will better establish significant behavioral patterns in Mallard ducks which enable to blend in and adapt in variable habitats. Such adaptive behavior may serve as a key towards preserving animal species that are in danger of extinction simply because the adaptive behavior is not appropriate for survival. References Cited Alcock, John. 1993. Animal Behavior: an evolutionary approach, 5th ed. Sinauer Associates, USA. 279-379. Dhondt A. A. , and J. Schillemans. 1983. Reproductive success of the great tit in relation to its territorial status. Animal Behavior 31:902-912. Heitmeyer, M. E. 2006. The Importance of Winter Floods to Mallards in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Journal of Wildlife Management. Vol. 70, No. 1. pp. 101-110. Hill, David. 1992. Cold Weather Movements of Waterfowls in Western Europe. The Journal of Animal Ecology, Vol. 61, No. 1. Feb. , pp. 238-239. Hill, D. A. 1984. Population Regulation in the Mallard (Anas platyrynchos). Journal of Animal Ecology. 53. pp. 191-202. Mc Auley, D. G. , et. al. 2004. Dynamic use of wetlands by black Mallards: Evidence Against Competitive Exclusion. Wildlife Society Bulletin. Vol. 32. , No. 2. pp. 465-473. Poiani, K. A. , Johnson, W. C. 1991. Global Warming and Prairie Wetlands. BioScience, Vol. 41, No. 9. Oct. pp. 611-618. Talent, L. G. , et. al. 1983. Survival of Mallard Broods in South-Central North Dakota. The Condor, Vol. 85, No. 1. Feb. , 1983, pp. 74-78. Whyte, R. J. , and Bolen, E. G. 1984. Impact of Winter Stress on Mallards Body Composition. The Condor, Vol. 86, No. 4. pp. 477-482. Moore, J. , and R. Ali. 1984. Are dispersal and inbreeding avoidance related? Animal behavior 32:94-112. Ralls, K. , et. al. 1979. Inbreeding and juvenile mortality in small populations of ungulates. Science 206: 1101-1103.

How Miller creates Dramatic Tension in Act One of The Crucible Essay

Twentieth Century Drama How does Miller create dramatic tension in Act One of "The Crucible"? "The Crucible", by Arthur Miller, focuses on Theocracy and the effect it can have on a community, as well as on an individual. From Act One, Miller creates dramatic tension in many different ways. These include dramatic irony, and sudden twists in the plot, as well as the range of emotions that Miller's characters express both frequently and eloquently. As the curtain rises, the audience are curious as to why a man who is so clearly distressed is sat over the girl, Betty, who lies motionless and 'inert' on a bed. The audience grows more curious as he calls for God to help him, and the audience are intrigued, wondering what is happening. In a direct contrast to this, the ending of the scene is loud and frantic, leaving nothing to the imagination, with all the girls screeching and accusing. The intense power that the girls? poses is intoxifying, and is illustrated when a character orders: ?Let the marshal bring irons? This shows the control these children have, if they can alter the minds of these men, persuading them to lock up innocents. This also shows the control they have over the whole community. The visual impact of the opening scene is that of a ?clean spareness?, the room only contains the bare minimum needed. This also relates to the Puritan way of life, ?vanities? were frowned upon and rooms were furnished with only what was necessary. The fact that rev. Parris is ?evidently in prayer? has religious references which, as the play goes on, are confirmed. The quote: ?There is a narrow window, through its panes the morning sunlight streams? also indicates that the room is basic ? it would seem that even lig... ...sympathy to those doomed to this fate, after doing nothing wrong, who are merely counters in Abigail?s sinister game to gain attention. When Hail orders for: ?the marshal [to] bring irons? it shows a high form of drama, as the curtain drops leaving the audience to imagine the next scene, innocent women being drawn form their families. In conclusion, I enjoyed this play, and my reaction was enhanced by the dramatic tension Miller creates in so many ways. The unexpected twists and use of dramatic irony help to keep the audience?s attention, while the sub-plot of rivalry adds interest and also reflects the main plot. The abrupt ending of act one, reflects the abrupt ending of the play as a whole, leaving the remainder to the imagination. Ending like these force viewers to envision what would follow, and, once again this all adds to the dramatic tension.

The Effects Of Parenting On Education In Lilongwe Education Essay

Birds are creatures that love and care for their immature 1s really much. Get downing from the clip a bird lays eggs ; it takes good attention of its immature 1s and protects them from any danger. As if that is non plenty, when it has hatched it fetches nutrient for the immature 1s. As they grow the bird female parent teaches the small 1s how to wing and besides to be independent to happen nutrient on their ain for themselves. It teaches them how to fly from danger and besides how to tie in with other birds. If birds get involved in the life of its immature 1s, protect and supply for its demands and learn them to be independent, what more human existences? Do parents acquire personally involved in the instruction of their kids? Or should the whole duty of instruction be left in the custodies of instructors? In Malawi, many factors affect how the pupils perform in school and the quality of instruction they are suppose to acquire in secondary schools. Peers, socioeconomical position, and background are some of the factors that affect public presentation and quality of instruction in secondary schools of Malawi. Due to these factors, pupils in secondary schools need a assisting manus in their instruction. Teachers play the function of learning and developing them but this research worker thinks that parents and defenders have a function to play every bit good. The duty of guaranting that the public presentation and quality of instruction is bettering in secondary schools of Lilongwe ; lies in the custodies of non merely the instructors but besides parents and defenders. This research is dedicated to happening out if parental engagement has an consequence on public presentation and quality of instruction in secondary schools of Lilongwe territory.BackgroundThe research worker bases her attack on the fact that a household does non merely have a map of bearing kids but besides child rise uping which include supplying for their basic demands and most of all get involved in their instruction. In Malawi, many households believe that the minute they have given birth to a kid, their occupation is done. Particularly in small towns, many households do non care about their kids ‘s instruction, whether they go to school or non. Education is a tool to success and it is really of import in the lives of kids and even the coevalss to come. A Brighte r hereafter of kids is built through instruction ; it builds them to what they want to be in future. For parents to acquire personally involved in instruction brings great impact on instruction itself and the kids. Supplying school fees and necessities is non plenty, parents can make more than merely supplying these. If a household decides to educate their kids, they must acquire ready to be personally involved in every measure of the kids ‘s school. The inquiry is ; make households acquire involved in educating their kids? What difference does it do?HypothesisThe research worker thinks that personal engagement of parents has positively impacted instruction in secondary schools of Lilongwe by bettering its quality and how pupils perform.Problem StatementThe duty of educating the kids does non wholly depend on instructors but besides parents. Lilongwe territory has secondary school instructors who guarantee that criterions of instruction are bettering now and so. On the other m anus, there are besides parents who have kids making secondary school instruction. Parents work with the secondary school instructors in the undermentioned countries: school direction, look intoing the acquisition environment and execution of the course of study. Despite parents assisting instructors in the above countries ; the instruction criterions in most of the secondary schools in Lilongwe are traveling down every bit evidenced by the consequences of both the Junior Certificate of Education ( JCE ) and Malawi School Certificate of Education ( MSCE ) . The jobs ensuing from many pupils neglecting may include: most parents either populating in rural or urban countries of Lilongwe District do non care about the instruction of their kids. In every bit much as they provide demands for the kids, they do non personally acquire involved in it. However, it is the duty of parents to take note of how their kids are executing at school and parents should work manus in manus with the instructors in this exercising. This is why this survey seeks solicit positions from parents if they are involved in the instruction of their kids and if they are non, happening ways on how they can be involved.Purpose of StudyThis survey is dedicated to happening if engagement of parents has an consequence on the public presentation and quality of instruction in Lilongwe territory.Purposes and AimsThe purpose is to measure how parenting impacts instruction in Lilongwe territory with the aims of happening out how parents get involved in instruction, detect jobs th at hinder parental engagement on instruction and the impact that parental engagement has on instruction.Significance of the StudyThis research is traveling to assist pupils in secondary schools of Lilongwe territory ; parents and instructor to admit the impact that parental engagement has on instruction and how they can work together to back up acquisition, for the pupils to make better in school.Chapter 2LITERATURE REVIEWThe research worker bases her attack on the fact that a household has maps of kid bearing, kid raising, and socialisation. Mrs. Banda, a lector at African Bible College defined socialisation as the procedure by which individuals get cognition, accomplishments and temperament that make them more or less incorporate members of society. A household has duty of tie ining new members to suit into the community that they are to be found. One of the communities that new members will be found in is a school and a preparation topographic point. George Knight ( 2006 ) in his book of Philosophy and Education said that. â€Å" The school is merely one society ‘s agents for acquisition, instruction, and preparation. The household, media, equal group, and church are some of other establishments that portion this duty. † ( p. 12 ) . The procedure by which a household takes a duty of tie ining new members into the community is called rearing. One of the of import sectors that parenting has a greater impact is instruction. Jeff white a professor at African Bible College while learning Philosophy of Education Class stated that instruction is a directed acquisition. The first topographic point where a new member of a household gets instruction is in a household through the procedure of parenting. Jay Kesler ( 1997 ) in his book called ‘Parents and Teenagers ‘ said that. â€Å" Properly understood, the household and school signifier a partnership. Schools become bad or less good when parents are non involved. † ( p.628 ) . A household plays a great function in the instruction of kids for they work manus in manus in tie ining new members into a peculiar society. Education is a tool to success and it is really of import in the lives of kids and even coevalss to come. A Brighter hereafter of kids is built through instruction ; it builds them to what they want to be in future. For parents to acquire personally involved in instruction makes it more of import and it has a great impact on instruction itself and even the kids, supplying accoutrements for school and supplying basic demands for the kids is non plenty, parents can make more than merely supplying necessities. If a household has decided to educate their kids, so they must acquire ready to be personally involved in it. The inquiry is ; make households acquire personally involved in educating their kids? What difference does it do? McCain and Mustard ( 1999 ) stated that school systems work with the kids who come into them. The quality of kids ‘s lives before get downing formal instruction greatly influences the sort of scholars they can be. Of class many elements go into doing a quality scholar. These include: healthy, early childhood experiences and place support. For illustration on early childhood psychosocial development experiences ; surveies that were done showed that positive early experiences and interactions are critical to fixing a quality scholar. A big survey that was conducted in 12 Latin American states found that attending at twenty-four hours attention coupled with higher degrees of parental engagement that includes parents to immature kids is associated with higher trial tonss and lower rates of grade repeat in primary school ( Willms, 2000 ) . Evidence from the Philippines, Srilanka and Turkey, has shown that kids who participate in early interaction plans do better in primary school th an those who do non profit from formal early kid plans and surveies from India, Morocco and Latin America demonstrated that disadvantaged kids benefit the most from such programmes ( UNICEF, 1998 ) . Furthermore, Ansu Datta ( 1984 ) stated that, the modern-day issues refering household and instructions are: parents in rural countries depend on household for endurance therefore it is difficult for them to be involved instruction. Parents in urban countries are busy at work and they find it hard to acquire involved in instruction ( Datta, 1984, p.215 ) . Therefore, this undertaking will look much at the manner in which parents get involved in instruction in Lilongwe territory and how each manner aid in bettering the quality of instruction. The decision of a recent study from southwest educational development research lab stated that when schools, households and community groups work together to back up acquisition, kids tend to make better in school and like school more. Another research of parent engagement over the decennary finds that, irrespective of household income or background, pupils with involved parents are likely to: Earn higher classs and trial tonss, and enroll in higher-level plans Be promoted, pass their categories and earn credits Attend school on a regular basis Have better societal accomplishments, show improved behavior, and adapt good to school and Alumnus and travel on to post secondary instruction ( Henderson & A ; Mapp, 2002, p. 103 ) On the other manus, other researches on parental engagement on instruction show that schools must besides play a function in promoting parental engagement on instruction. Harmonizing to the research by The National Network of Partnership Schools, it shows that parents who are involved in their kids ‘s instruction do non make it right. As a consequence, their attempt to be involved in instruction is nonmeaningful since it does non do any difference on the quality of instruction and on the public presentation of the pupils. Therefore, they suggested a model of six types of parental engagement that schools can utilize to steer their attempts. It says schools can: aid households with parenting and child-rearing accomplishments Communicate with households about school plans and pupils advancement and demands Work to better enlisting preparation, and agendas to affect households as voluntaries in school activities Encourage households to be involved in larning activities at place Include parents as participants in of import school determinations and the community ( Epstein, 2001 ) Ramirez Laura ( 2009 ) in his book of Children Native American Wisdom and Parenting recognized the importance of parental engagement and its effects on instruction. Nevertheless, Ramirez thought that there are some grounds that hinder parents to efficaciously acquire involved in their kids ‘s instruction. She states that, â€Å" aˆÂ ¦Another ground your kids might non see the demand for you to be involved in his/her instruction is because you are busy with calling and other day-to-day jobs or go toing the place. You do n't recognize that does non run into the attending demand of the kids, † ( Ramirez, 2009, p.23 ) . Any attending that parents may give towards their kids ‘s instruction has a great consequence.THE EFFECTS OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT ON CHILDREN ‘S HOMEWORKDobson James ( 1979 ) in his book ‘ The Strong Willed Child ‘ gives and illustration of a kid that parental engagement became of aid to him after her female parent neglected her t hat chance for some clip. Dobson writes that, â€Å" †¦ During the conversation bonnie reveals that she does n't wish school anyhow, and she would instead remain place and drama. † As the narrative continues Bonnie ‘s female parent decided to assist with Bonnies ‘s prep and any school work that was supposed to be done at place. After that Bonnie public presentation at school improved and this is what Bonnie said, â€Å" †¦ . school is fun and if offers to assist me make my prep every twenty-four hours, I will remain in school. † ( Dobson, 1979, Pp.167-170 ) . The smallest attending that parents may offer to their kids ‘s instruction, counts a batch towards the attitude that the kids will hold for school.THE EFFECTS OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE CHILDREN ‘S SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND MEETINGSFurthermore, the engagement of parents in school activities and meetings are besides of import because it shows how much they are concerned with their kids ‘s instruction and how they perform at school. Phillips, Wiener & A ; Haring ( 1965 ) in the book ‘Discipline, Achievement and Mental Health ‘ provinces that the demand to work with parents is normally considered cardinal to the betterment of the kid ‘s behavior from the classroom-or clinic, medical, youth organisation, or any other-point of position. Parents may change widely in their grade of penetration, intelligence, motive, or amenability, but they have far more immediate uninterrupted impact on the kid ‘s life than anyone else. They can non be ignored in the effectual solution of the job any longer than in its diagnosing. On the whole we have found parents to be sensible and effectual helpers to the instructor in work outing schoolroom jobs, merely as Psychotherapists normally find them indispensable participants in the intervention procedure. ( Phillips, Wiener & A ; Haring, 1965, Pp. 116-117 ) .Significance OF PARENTS ‘ INVOLVEMENT IN PROVIDING SCHOOL ACCESSORIES TO THEIR CHILDRENSupplying for the kids ‘s accoutrements for school is one manner of parents acquiring involved in the instruction. As stated above that a household does non merely have a function of bearing kids but besides taking attention of them. Supplying for their demands is one manner of taking attention of them and portion of household direction and this has an consequence on instruction. Santrock John ( 2004 ) in his book of Educational Psychology states that, â€Å" Research workers have found that household direction patterns are positively related to pupils ‘ class and ego duty, and negatively to school-related jobs. † Furthermore, Santrock states that, â€Å" Even though parents typically spend less clip with their kids as through simple and secondary school, they continue to hold a strong influence on kids ‘s development by supplying for their demands. Parents besides influence whether kids take part in such activ ities as athleticss, music and other activities by the extent to which they sign up their kids to such activities and promote their engagement. † ( Santrock, 2004, Pp. 84-85 ) . Despite parents being involved in assorted ways as stated above, but Santrock ( 2004 ) continues to state that, although kids grow up in diverse households, in virtually every household parents play an of import function in back uping and exciting kids ‘s academic accomplishment and attitude towards school. The value parents topographic point on instruction can intend the difference in whether kids do good in school. Experienced instructors know the importance of acquiring parents involved in kids ‘s instruction. All parents, even those with considerable instruction, need annually counsel from instructors in how to stay productiveness involved in their kids ‘s instruction. ( Santrock, 2004, p. 84 ) . One research on Parental Involvement on instruction ( 2004 ) concluded that about all parents want their kids to win in school, but need clear and utile information from their kids ‘s instructors and from other schools and territory leaders in order to assist their kids develop their full potency. For illustration, sometimes parents inquire their kid, â€Å" how was school today? † We know that may stop with the kid reacting â€Å" all right † or â€Å" Okay † and non much more. Parents should be guided, alternatively, to inquire their kid, â€Å" Would you read to me something you wrote today? † or â€Å" could you demo me something you learned in math today? † ( Anguiano, 2004, P, 89 ) . Santrock in contrasting the survey made by 16,000 pupils stated that, â€Å" The pupils were more likely to acquire ‘As ‘ and less likely to reiterate a class or be expelled if both parents were extremely involved in their schooling ( National Center for Educational Statistics, 1997 ) . In this survey, high engagement was defined as the parent engagement in three or four of the followers: school meetings, a instructor conference, a category meeting, or volunteering. Other surveies have found that pupils ‘ classs and academic accomplishment are linked to parental engagement ( Epstein, 2005 ; Sheldon & A ; Epstein, 2005 ) .

Global Civil Society Essay

Over the years the civil societies have increasingly played a major role in global governance. Their involvement has attracted a lot of attention where people are skeptical about what are global civil societies. The rate at which the global civil societies are emerging as well as their political role in the globe has received a lot of attention from scholars around the world. The big question has always been how the global social society which includes the social movement and not governmental organization can form a coalition and influence the global policies. Studies have also been focused on empirical as well as the normative perspective of the global civil societies. The normative perspective of these studies focus on whether the role of the global civil society is legitimate. Whether the global civil societies have a role in making global policies and policy making democratic has been the big question (Hofmann, 2005). With the current globalization and deregulation, the role of non governmental organizations and civil movement is becoming increasingly important in the making of global policies. There is increasingly high number of key policies directly affecting a country that is made outside the state where the process is likely to be undemocratic. For this reason many of the scholars view global civil society as a potential force that is essential in making the globalization process more civilized and democratic (Colas, 2002). Global Civil Society Over the years, the meaning of civil society and their political influence has varied from time to time. Moreover, they also vary theoretically and activities undertaken from place to place. While today civil societies are separate from the states, the political thought in the 16th century did not separate the civil societies from the state. In the 17th century, civil societies included profit making organization which is not the case today. The global civil society can be seen as the political space where nonprofit making organization voluntarily and deliberately influences the governance of the society. The voluntary and deliberate acts of the civil societies influence the rules which include the policies, norms and structures that are essential in the governance of the society. The actions of the civil societies focus on both the formal and informal structures in the society. For example, they may focus on the legislation as well as the gender roles in the society or the general social order (Scholte, 2002). However, it is difficult to draw a line between the voluntary activities that influence governance and formal or market activities. For example, some civil societies are involved in the implementation of formal policies while some others are involved in business activities to raise money that is used in the funding of their campaigns. Moreover, there many cases of government and cooperate organization that have incorporated some civil societies. In pure terms, the activities of civil societies should not include or be related to quest for power which excludes political parties from the list or any monetary gains which excludes cooperate organizations and commercial media houses. The civil society therefore has several actors which includes academic institution civil movements, social advocates, lobby groups faith based organization, human rights advocates and social networks. Philanthropic organizations and organization that profit humanitarian aids are also civil societies (Scholte, 2002). However, political scientists have been skeptical about the definition of global civil society. Some scholars have disagreed with the general assumption that all civil societies that operate in different countries can be termed as global civil societies. These scholars have argued that considering transnational civil societies as global civil society is an attempt to include all non governmental organizations operating transitionally in the bracket. This will include the quasi Christian movements which are the remnants of missionaries from Europe operating in different parts of the world. These skeptics have suggested that global civil societies those civil organizations uphold universal values in the globalizing world while effectively using globalization to promote universal values. They view global civil societies as movements and organizations that use globalization to universalize the world (Anderson & Rieff, 2004). Some political scientists have also been skeptical about the values symbolized by global civil societies and their supporters. Rather that taking democracy as the basic value in the society, majority of the global civil societies appear to have taken human rights as the basic society value. Despite this the democracy in the world is greatly dependent on the role of the global civil societies. As the civil societies promote human rights, it is important to note the loopholes for human rights violation created by the democracy deficit that is present in many parts of the world. However, it is indisputable that although the global civil societies have focused on promotion of human rights, they have played an important role in the support of democracy. Some people have argued that the civil societies have concentrated more on human rights in the global society at the expense of democracy but it is evident that the two values complement each other and are both indispensable in every society (Anderson & Rieff, 2004). Examples of global civil societies that have taken an active role in global governance are the non governmental organizations. These organizations were not active in the world affairs until the United Nations was founded in 1945. The formation of the United Nations introduced provisions that made private civil organizations stronger and formal as well as enhancing the role of the role of the United Nations in the social and economic affairs of the world. There are numerous organizations all over the world that are described as non governmental organizations. Some of them operate as transnational organization while other operates at the national level. However, these non governmental organizations have fundamental characteristics. They are all independent from political influence or control by the state. There are other characteristics that exclude some organization from NGOs such as political parties, profit making organizations, and criminal groups. These conditions must be met for the organization to be recognized by the United Nations as a non governmental organization. However, some recognized non governmental organizations have been linked to political parties while many others are involved in commercial activities such as selling publications and consultancy to generate income. Nonetheless, there are no cases where non governmental organizations are incorporated in the government bureaucracy, in political parties or commercial organizations. NGOs therefore are organizations that work together with a common goal and do not aim at attaining political power, accumulating wealth or being involved in criminal activities (Willets, 2006). Global Governance Global governance is one of the most important aspects of the modern world as a result of globalization. It is a political and social interaction between nationals and societies of the world with an aim of developing solutions to the problems facing a particular society or state as a result lack of compliance. Global governance has also been referred to as world governance. In the modern world, no societies can life under social and political exclusion from the rest of the world. The world societies are becoming more and more interdependent with the rise of globalization which is as a result of human societies interrelating with each other especially in international trade. This has created the need for global governance in the context of the global world which stipulates the regulations that govern the society at the global scale (Scholte, 2005). In simple terms, global governance is a stipulation of regulations that are set to organize different groups of people on a global scale. Historically, governance could not be separated from political authority and political institutions. The traditional definition of governance is based on the formal political institutions that organizes the relations between different societies and has the authority to enforce and implement policies. A formal global government with political structures and authority may not exist for global governance. Some scholars have therefore suggested that global governance is the act of managing the global affairs without a global formal government. It is a well organized cooperation between societies of the world with concrete arrangement used in solving problems. Many organizations are involved in global governances which includes principally the United Nations and global civil societies. Global governance involves formal institutions and processes as well as informal mechanisms and institutions that work together in complex environment. The collective interests of different societies, individuals, markets, nationals and organizations are articulated in the global governance while upholding the rights and obligations of individuals (Weiss, 1998). Democracy has been an important principle that governs the global governance. Democracy determines whether the exercise of power as well as the sources of power is legitimate. Legitimate exercise of power is mandated by the people being governed who have the democratic rights to determine how they will be governed. Moreover, the individuals or institutions that are given the political powers should be worth the confidence the society places on them. Democracy is important in the global governance to reduce the possibility of leaving important decisions affecting the world societies the world to some international undemocratic institutions which may not be legitimate. Global governance requires some levels of representation of the global societies from different states or administrative units who are elected directly by the society members to represent their interests. More importantly the role of global civil societies that promote human rights and democracy by influencing policy making is important in global governance (Scholte, 2007). The development of international organizations as a result of global governance has introduced vicious institutions in the world that make important decisions affecting the world societies. This has created some inadequacies in the ability of the global governance to meet the needs of the world society. This is basically due to absence of morality, economic powers, legal foundations, democracy and good leadership. The lack of adequate legitimacy due to lack of legal foundations is the major challenge that affects the ability of global governance to organize and manage the world societies. The inadequacies in global governance are an impediment to the ensuring fair play in the world with the rise of globalization 9 Van Rooy, 2004). Examples of global governance agencies include the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization among others. These organizations were formed with the mandate of management of the social, economic and political affairs of the global world (Scholte, 2004). Global Civil Societies and Global Governance Democracy and accountability of any form of governance is essential. The case is not different in global governance. In governance guided by the principles of democracy and accountability, the leaders are answerable to their subjects for their good and bad acts. When democratic leaders perform well in their governance, they are supported by the general public. On the other hand, they are responsible for their errors and owe an explanation to the public which may force them to resign from office. However, there has been very little democracy and accountability when the arrangements in the global governance are considered. Over the years there has been unprecedented increase in the laws and institutions that affects societies in all over the world or in a given region of the world. Despite the increase in transnational policies, there regulation mechanisms are ineffective or inexistence. There is no democracy in the running of suprastate policies and institutions nor are the leaders accountable (Scholte, 2000). With this regard, there is a common belief that the global civil societies can save the situation. The world society who have been in one way or another affected by global governance due to lack of democracy and effectiveness believes that their help can only come from the organizations such as the united nations, the world trade organization and other global institutions that can influence the formulation and implementation of global policies. The disadvantages societies have also laid their hopes on global civil societies such as community based organizations, religious groups, think tanks, social and economic forums, trade unions, professional organizations and NGOs to increase their involvement in global governance (Wolf, 2006). Over the years, the civil societies have played an important role in influencing governance in the society. As the world changes the system of governance is also changing into a polycentric structure with the global and regional governance, state and substate governance. This has resulted into redirection of civil societies efforts from the traditional governance at the state level to other sites that have emerged in the complex society. The rise of globalization has made global governance inevitable which has created new needs for institutional accountability (Fraser, 2005). The involvement of global civil society in global governance has become an essential role of the civil society. A very good example is the anti globalization movement that protested against the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization and the World Bank, think tanks and forums that have proposed various changes in the global economy as well as human right movements that have advocated for the enhancement of arms controls across the borders and management of conflicts in different parts of the world. An important role has also been played by women associations who have made numerous attempts with much success in the promotion on of gender sensitivity in the global society. In the rise of global environmental degradation, it is important to note the role of environmental movements who have played an important role in the formulation and implementation of strict global environmental regulations. Trade unions have also played an important role in the promotion of international standards in the workplace. There are a large number of civil societies that are involved in the promotion of health and development and have taken an active role in the management of funds allocated to healthcare. There are also involved in the control of diseases that are considered as transworld which includes Aids, malaria and other epidemics that require global attention. There are other global civil societies that are directly involved in global governance arrangements that affect vulnerable groups such as women, children and the consumers (Scholte, 2004). Majority of the global governance institutions and agencies have realized the importance of global civil society in effectively carrying out their roles and have devised different mechanisms that are intended to accommodate the civil societies initiatives. Many of the global governance structures have developed channels that improve communication with the public through their websites and other communication channels that are aimed at addressing the concerns raised by civil societies. The result has been more accountability and transparency as the global governance agencies release more and more information to the public through the civil societies. As a method of promoting democracy within, these agencies have created room for the participation of civil societies and interest groups in their activities including workshops and conferences. Briefings to the civil societies, appointment of liaison officials from the civil societies and adoption of guidelines in personnel recruitment as stipulated by interest civil group has also increased accountability in global governance. Some global governance bodies have had formal arrangement to incorporate civil societies and interest groups in the management of their affairs where they include them in their advisory boards and the process making and implementation processes (Scholte, 2004). An example of an active involvement of civil societies in the global governance is the briefing of the International Monetary Fund to over one thousand global civil society through a quarterly newsletter. This ensures that the regulatory body is accountable and effective in carrying out its mandate. The World Bank also ensures that the information on the activities of the agency is freely accessible especially to interest civil groups and the general public. The united nation is the largest and most influential global governance agency in the world. In every United Nations global summit, the views of the civil society is put into consideration with them holding a parallel forum in every summit. Notable global civil society includes the Non Governmental Liaison Service which works with different institutions in the United Nations and the International Labor Organization which represents workers organizations and trade unions. In the years 2003, the World Trade Organization noted the important role played by civil societies and appointed a civil society advisory board (Scholte, 2004). The civil societies have played an important role in the promotion of accountability, effectiveness and democracy in global governance. They have played an important role in the promotion of transparency in the global governance formal and informal structures (Rhodes 1997). They promote democratic governance by pressing the agencies to disclose more information on their activities. This has increased public visibility through mass media, publications and websites which makes these agencies more accountable for their activities. Civil societies not only advocate for transparency of global governance agencies but also effective transparency. They understand that releasing the information to the public is one thing and understanding the details is another thing (Scholte et al, 1999). Monitoring and review of global governance policy is also an important role of the civil societies in ensuring effective, accountable and democratic governance. They act as the public watchdogs in the formulation and implementation of the policies. They ensure that the agencies comply with the stipulated guidelines, the official resolutions and declarations. They have also been involved in the review of global governance policies and how they affect different societies of the world. These reviews have been instrumental in uncovering incompetent implementers, shortfalls and the dangers associated with such policies. The civil societies have also played a role in ensuring that the global governance structures and policies do not result into ethnic strife and uprising. This in many cases may result from the dissatisfaction of some society with the distribution and misuse of resources from global governance agencies such as the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank. The civil society has also created channels through which different societies can forward their concerns, promoted formal accountability and in general advanced democracy in global governance (Scholte, 2004). Conclusion The global societies have played an important role in the promotion of democracy in the national as well as the global governance. However, political scientists are skeptical about the definition of global civil societies. In the current wave of globalization, global governance has become an important phenomenon due to the need to organize the world society as a result of interdependence. The role of the civil society is therefore essential in ensuring that the activities of the governance agencies are effective, accountable and democratic. Bibliography: Anderson, K. and Rieff, D. (2004) ‘â€Å"Global Civil Society†: A Skeptical View’, in Anheier, Helmut, Marlies Glasius and Mary Kaldor (2004) (eds. ). Global Civil Society 2004/5. London: Sage. Colas, A. (2002) International Civil Society, Polity Press, Cambridge Fraser, N. (2005) ‘Reframing Justice in a Globalizing World’, New Left Review, 36; pp. 69-88. Hofmann, J. (2005) â€Å"(Trans-) Formations of Civil Society in Global Governance Contexts – Two case studies on the problem of self-organization†, in: Gunnar Folke Schuppert (Hrsg. ): Global Governance and the Role of Non-State Actors, Band 2 der Reihe „Schriften zur Governance-Forschungâ€Å", Nomos-Verlag: Baden-Baden Karns, M. & Mingst, K. (2004). International Organizations: The Politics and Processes of Global Governance, Lynne Rienner, Boulder. Rhodes, R. A. W. (1997) Understanding Governance: Policy Networks, Governance, Reflexivity and Accountability. Open University Press, Buckingham. Scholte, J. A. (2007). Civil Society and Legitimation of Global Governance. CSGR Working Paper No. 223/07. Scholte, J. A. (2005). Globalization: A Critical Introduction, Palgrave: Basinstoke. Scholte, J. A. (2004). Civil Society and Democratically Accountable Global Governance Government and Opposition Ltd, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK: 9600 Garsington Road, Scholte, J. A. (2002) ‘Civil Society and Democracy in Global Governance’, Global Governance, 8, pp. 281-304. Scholte, J. , O’Brien, R. & Williams, M. (1999) ‘The WTO and Civil Society’, Journal of World

Importance of Love Sociology Essay Example

Importance of Love Sociology Essay Example Importance of Love Sociology Essay Example Importance of Love Sociology Essay Example Love is one of the oldest subjects. Many real and fictional stories have focused on current subject, where such stories as Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella and many others have gained worldwide readership. Love has been discussed at different levels, including individual, family, societal, national and even global. People have always been encouraged to love one another in order to live in harmony. In other words, love is a daily topic that is discussed in various ways. Love integrates families, societies and nations. It is also known as the perfect tool of overcoming evil. In order to describe such worldwide phenomenon, current paper will provide an in depth description of love, its importance, its forms and how values change due to love. Love is important in people’s life. It is caused by the fact that the society lives in the coexistence mode meaning that people depend on one another. Since people are social and must interact, love is important as it enhances such interaction among them. Love emotion makes people care about others and what happens to them. Moreover, love brings happiness and joy in people’s lives and it is also simple to trust one another in time of love. As for children, parental love helps and increases their survival rate and chances, since it compels their parents to care for them. In times of distress, love is important as it helps people overcome problems, especially when family members and friends express their positive attitude towards a distressed person. Love also increases emotional bond, as well as helps individuals in increasing their mutual support for one another (His Holiness Dalai Lama). Types of Love Personally, I think that love is important for survival. It means that my survival depends on love, since my parents gave birth and cared for me as a result of their love towards me. Moreover, the feeling of love is important not only for humanity, but for all living things. For example, animals also need love and they love each other, as well. Likewise, plants need love from humans, since the environment can only exist due to their love. To me, love is when I feel attached to another person or a thing that is important to me, as it helps in satisfying emotional needs. One characteristic of love is that it is biological in that it is an innate feeling that has to be given and also be received. The strength of love is in that it can maintain a society as mentioned above. When discussing love, it is always good to define love and explain the different types of it. According to the online dictionary, love has many definitions. Love is an emotion that is strong and constant towards another person. Love can also be defined as an attraction, which is inclusive of sexual desire. However, such type of love, according to the dictionary, is felt by people who have a romantic relationship. The same dictionary defines love as a strong affection towards another person due to such things as personal and kinship ties. Love is also an attraction that is based on common interests, benevolence and admiration. It is also a feeling of devotion, enthusiasm and warm attachment (Merriam Webster Dictionary). One of the ancient civilizations, the Greek, also has their definition of love. According to them, love can be divided into six categories. The first type of love according to the Greeks is Eros, which is passionate or romantic love. Some of the Greek philosophers stated that it is the most important type of love. The second type of love is Ludus, which is viewed as an uncommitted love or love that is based on game-playing. In such type of love, lying is viewed as part of the game. A person who holds such kind of love is not committed to anyone and is known to have many conquests. The third type of love, according to the same philosophers, is Storge, which is friendship-based and slowly developing. Such love type starts with the participating in mutual activities and leads to long-term relationships. In such type of love, sex is not obligatory or intense. The fourth type of love according to the same group is Pragma, which is practical love that leads to mutual benefits. Current love type is not always romantic. Sex is only included in such love when children are desired or needed. The fifth type of love is Mania, which unlike others is jealous, possessive and extreme. People who fall into current category tend to perform thoughtless actions, such as stalking the people they love. Lastly, there is Agape love, according to the Ancient Greeks. Such love is explained by its gentle and caring characteristics. It is also giving, brotherly and does not look at self-gain. According to the Greeks, it is rare and is only exhibited by rare individuals (Lee). Apart from the Greeks and the dictionary, modern scholars have also classified the types of love as they exist today. According to the Jonathan Inc., a foundation concerned with youths and teaching them about love, four types of love exist. They are: sexual love, Agape love and friendship love (Jonathan Inc.). In his theories of love, Sternberg developed a triangular theory of love. According to the psychologist, love can be classified in three categories: commitment, passion and intimacy. Intimacy category included such love types as friendship or liking, infatuation, romantic love, companionate and consummate love. Passion category comprises of such love types as infatuation, romantic love, fatuous and consummate love. Lastly, the commitment love can be infatuation, fatuous, companionate and consummate. Sternberg argued that it was most common among true friends, whereby feelings such as bonding, closeness and warmth are felt. The sociologist explained infatuated love as love at first sight, which is felt devoid of intimacy. In his view, such love does not last long, since its disappearance is sudden. He also explained the notion of empty love, which stems from deteriorating of strong love. In this case, all is left is commitment, but passion and intimacy disappears. Such love was explained as common in cultures where arranged marriages exist, since relationships begin from empty love. The other one is romantic love, which, according to Sternberg, is characterized by passionate arousal and emotional bonding. Companionate love is also identified by the sociologist and involves commitment and deep affection without passion in marriages. Steinberg explained that companionate love is stronger when compared to friendship and it requires stronger commitment. Family love was categorized as a part of companionate love, since it is among people that spend much time together. Fatuous love was characterized as the type of love that exists among married people, since it was driven by passion without intimacy, which is a stabilizing factor. Lastly, Steinberg identified consummate love, which is complete and only achieved by few people, though desired by all. When talking about the three major types of love, namely intimacy, passion and commitment, Steinberg explained that the type of love can shift during the relationship (Steinberg). How the Different Types of Love affect an Individual From the earlier discussion, three types of love can be noted: godly love, family and friendship love and romantic love. One of the loves, Agape or godly love is difficult to avoid for a person. Scholars argue that such love comes from God and then flows to the individuals. Agape love leads to commitment. In addition, Agape love leads to endurance and commitment to the other person. As for Christians who believe in Agape love, it brings them joy and hope. The effects of Agape love on an individual are different from the effects of romantic love on a person. Psychologists explain that romantic love affects a person psychologically. Researchers have explained that romantic love produces the same effects on an individual’s brain like drugs, such as powerful pain relievers and cocaine. The researchers explained that it is the reason why some people love taking cocaine, as it has the power of touching the area that makes a person feel good like when the person is in love. Additiona lly, romantic love has an ability to make people happy. Psychologists have also discussed the role of romantic love in relieving pain (WebMD). Although they may seem similar, romantic love is unlike Agape love, since it causes pain when it is lost. From the earlier observation, Agape love cannot be withdrawn, since it is unconditional. However, romantic love can actually be withdrawn. In such cases, a person may be subjected to pain and emotional suffering caused by the negative experience. In her attempt to determine the negative effects of withdrawing romantic love, Sailor argued that romantic love is important in marriages and is a necessary ingredient of them. However, when it is withdrawn, it can lead to various disorders, such as mood disorders for both adolescents and adults. It can also lead to anger and sadness after being withdrawn. Sometimes, life satisfaction may be lowered as a result of such negative experience (Sailor 3). Additionally, the author explains that the more the years that individuals had engaged in romantic life and the amount of trust also determines the amount of emotional distress. It is caused by the fact that closeness leads to trust and breaking the trust is considered painful by many people (Sailor, 4). However, one of the most painful forms of romantic love is rejection to an extent that people fail to function after they are rejected. The psychologist explained that different gender groups have different reactions to romantic love and its ending. Women tend to experience more distress than men when they are deprived of romantic love. Sometimes, the effects of romantic love and its withdrawal is physical. For example, some people after such ordeal tend to experience physical pain in their chests. Others may become depressed to an extent that they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Family love According to scholars, family love is important to the children, since it helps in boosting their intelligence level (Ian). Therefore, when children are deprived in terms of family love, their emotional well-being and their intelligence are damaged. When such children have problems with stunted growth, lower IQ develops from love deprivation. In addition, stunted growth is another effect of love deprivation among children. A study done to support such argument proved that stunted children who move to foster home show higher results in terms of growth. Love and care positively affect not only children. The researchers explain that love also affects adults, since it improves their psychological health (Shulz and Paula). Why People Love Me A personal look at myself shows that some people love and adore me. Starting with my parents, their love towards me is caused by the natural fact that I am their child. In addition, they are the one responsible for delivering me into this world. Without them, I would probably not exist. Therefore, they love me as their own child. They also love me in a Christian manner. Since they are Christians, my parents love me as a way of exercising their Christian faith. My brothers and sisters, on the other hand, love me with their sibling love. They also love me because they have simply used to me. It has been discussed earlier in Steinberg’s theory, whereby he defines such type of love as companionate love, which is shared among family members. Some people also love me because they like me. Some like me due to my looks, while others like me due to my personality. It is mostly observed among my friends, as some of them have a strong liking for me, while the others envy me, as well. In addition, I have noticed similar liking among my teachers. Some of them like me because I perform well in class and I finish my homework in time. Others like me because I am good at answering questions. Liking is also evident among my neighbors. Some of them argue that I am peaceful and friendly, while others like the way I interact with their children, since I always try to be polite. Regarding the above information, I have observed another type of love among my parents, which is also observable among my church members and some of my religious neighbors, namely Agape love. Such people love me without any particular reason. Instead, they love me because it is their duty and the way they live and things they believe in make them love others. I have observed their love, which is not egoistic and is shared in any situation. However, it is not common for all people, since only a small number of them can experience such love. For example, I have also seen people loving me because sometimes they could use me for their personal intentions. Such people love me because they know they can gain something from me. But when such people receive what they want, they stop hating me or withdraw from me, since their feelings were temporary as explained by Steinberg. Does the Value of Love Change Culture? It should be stated that love is strong and sometimes unmatchable. When talking about love in an organizational setting, Barsade and O’Neill argue that love has the capability of positively impacting an organizational culture. It means that if love can affect the culture in an organizational setting, it can also affect the society’s culture in a positive way. According to the two researchers, love starts with the company’s employees and then flows to the clients. The researchers also explain that the employee who lives in a loving family or in a loving relationship can impart the same culture of love to his/her fellow employees (Barsade and O’Neill, 2). Employees who often experience love and other related emotions are also tend to share positive traits among the fellow employees. The researchers explain such love calling it companionate love, which is the same notion provided by Steinberg. According to them, such love is similar to romantic love only in that it is less intense and does not necessarily involve such things as passion, since it is based on tender connection between people. It occurs when people’s lives are interconnected as explained earlier by Steinberg. Such love, which positively impacts the organization’s culture, is not self-focused. In addition, it promotes sensitivity and interdependence among one another. As a result, it helps in strengthening the social bonds in the society and in making people committed and connected to each other at the same time. When explaining the type of love that can change body culture, Barsade and O’Neill state that it can be expressed in cognitive appraisal, body language, vocal tone, facial expression, psychological sensations and subjective experienced. Such expression can be transmitted from one individual to another forming a culture of love in the organization (Barsade and O’Neill 4). In addition, Barsade and O’Neill explain that such love can also be shaped by the social context within which it operates. When expressed, it makes people feel as objects of care and also leads to softness, sentiments and fellowship among the employees. Other emotions, such as tenderness, compassion, caring and affection, also stem from companionate love. In some situations, it helps in attracting employees in a certain area of expertise. In conclusion, a description of love, its importance, its forms and explanation of how values change due to love helps in understanding such widely shared phenomenon. The description helps in understanding that love is important not only to individuals, but to the family and to the society, as well. It is caused by the fact that love acts as the uniting force and helps in survival of the human race. A research on love reveals various types of love in traditional setting, as well as in modern settings. However, three main forms of love, which include Agape love, romantic love and companionate love that is shared among friends and family, dominate in definitions and description. Moreover, the researchers say that love has positive effects on individuals. Such effects include increasing of the intelligence level among kids and bringing happiness and joy into the lives of individuals. However, when withdrawn, love may have negative effects, such as depression, physical illness and negati ve emotions. Regarding the culture, love is said to have the ability of imparting positive values, such as care and cohesiveness. Due to such positive attributes of love, it should be promoted at all levels. People should love one another, while families should work hard to promote love. The society and the world at large also need to promote the value of love in order to ensure the continuity of the human race and ensure that happiness and joy are promoted at a higher level.

Architecture Timeline of Important Historic Periods

Architecture Timeline of Important Historic Periods When did Western architecture begin? Long before the magnificent structures of ancient Greece and Rome, humans were designing and constructing. The period known as the Classical Era grew from ideas and construction techniques that evolved centuries and eons apart in distant locations. This review illustrates how each new movement builds on the one before. Although our timeline lists dates related mostly to American architecture, historic periods do not start and stop at precise points on a map or a calendar. Periods and styles flow together, sometimes merging contradictory ideas, sometimes inventing new approaches, and often re-awakening and re-inventing older movements. Dates are always approximate - architecture is a fluid art. 11,600 B.C. to 3,500 B.C. - Prehistoric Times Stonehenge in Amesbury, United Kingdom. Jason Hawkes/Getty Images Archaeologists dig prehistory. Gà ¶bekli Tepe in present day Turkey is a good example of archaeological architecture. Before recorded history, humans constructed earthen mounds, stone circles, megaliths, and structures that often puzzle modern-day archaeologists. Prehistoric architecture includes monumental structures such as Stonehenge, cliff dwellings in the Americas, and thatch and mud structures lost to time. The dawn of architecture is found in these structures. Prehistoric builders moved earth and stone into geometric forms, creating our earliest human-made formations. We dont know why primitive people began building geometric structures. Archaeologists can only guess that prehistoric people looked to the heavens to imitate the sun and the moon, using that circular shape in their creations of earth mounds and monolithic henges. Many fine examples of well-preserved prehistoric architecture are found in southern England. Stonehenge in Amesbury, United Kingdom is a well-known example of the prehistoric stone circle. Nearby Silbury Hill, also in Wiltshire, is the largest man-made, prehistoric earthen mound in Europe. At 30 meters high and 160 meters wide, the gravel mound is layers of soil, mud, and grass, with dug pits and tunnels of chalk and clay. Completed in the late Neolithic period, approximately 2,400 BC, its architects were a Neolithic civilization in Britain. The prehistoric sites in southern Britain (Stonehenge, Avebury, and associated sites) are collectively a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The design, position, and inter-relationship of the monuments and sites, according to UNESCO, are evidence of a wealthy and highly organized prehistoric society able to impose its concepts on the environment. To some, the ability to change the environment is key for a structure to be called architecture. Prehistoric structures are sometimes considered the birth of architecture. If nothing else, primitive structures certainly raise the question, what is architecture? Why does the circle dominate mans earliest architecture? It is the shape of the sun and the moon, the first shape humans realized to be significant to their lives. The duo of architecture and geometry goes way back in time and may be the source of what humans find beautiful even today. 3,050 B.C. to 900 B.C. - Ancient Egypt The Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren) in Giza, Egypt. Lansbricae (Luis Leclere)/Getty Images (cropped) In ancient Egypt, powerful rulers constructed monumental pyramids, temples, and shrines. Far from primitive, enormous structures such as the Pyramids of Giza were feats of engineering capable of reaching great heights. Scholars have delineated the periods of history in ancient Egypt. Wood was not widely available in the arid Egyptian landscape. Houses in ancient Egypt were made with blocks of sun-baked mud. Flooding of the Nile River and the ravages of time destroyed most of these ancient homes. Much of what we know about ancient Egypt is based on great temples and tombs, which were made with granite and limestone and decorated with hieroglyphics, carvings, and brightly colored frescoes. The ancient Egyptians didnt use mortar, so the stones were carefully cut to fit together. The pyramid form was a marvel of engineering that allowed ancient Egyptians to build enormous structures. The development of the pyramid form allowed Egyptians to build enormous tombs for their kings. The sloping walls could reach great heights because their weight was supported by the wide pyramid base. An innovative Egyptian named Imhotep is said to have designed one of the earliest of the massive stone monuments, the Step Pyramid of Djoser (2,667 B.C. to 2,648 B.C.). Builders in ancient Egypt didnt use load-bearing arches. Instead, columns were placed close together to support the heavy stone entablature above. Brightly painted and elaborately carved, the columns often mimicked palms, papyrus plants, and other plant forms. Over the centuries, at least thirty distinct column styles evolved. As the Roman Empire occupied these lands, both Persian and Egyptian columns have influenced Western architecture. Archaeological discoveries in Egypt reawakened an interest in the ancient temples and monuments. Egyptian Revival architecture became fashionable during the 1800s. In the early 1900s, the discovery of King Tuts tomb stirred a fascination for Egyptian artifacts and the rise of Art Deco architecture. 850 B.C. to A.D. 476 - Classical The Pantheon, A.D. 126, Rome, Italy. Werner Forman Archive/Heritage Images/Getty Images (cropped) Classical architecture refers to the style and design of buildings in ancient Greece and ancient Rome. Classical architecture shaped our approach to building in Western colonies around the world. From the rise of ancient Greece until the fall of the Roman empire, great buildings were constructed according to precise rules. The Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius, who lived during first century B.C., believed that builders should use mathematical principles when constructing temples. For without symmetry and proportion no temple can have a regular plan, Vitruvius wrote in his famous treatise De Architectura, or Ten Books on Architecture. In his writings, Vitruvius introduced the Classical orders, which defined column styles and entablature designs used in Classical architecture. The earliest Classical orders were Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Although we combine this architectural era and call it Classical, historians have described these three Classical periods: 700 to 323 B.C. - Greek. The Doric column was first developed in Greece and it was used for great temples, including the famous Parthenon in Athens. Simple Ionic columns were used for smaller temples and building interiors. 323 to 146 B.C. - Hellenistic. When Greece was at the height of its power in Europe and Asia, the empire built elaborate temples and secular buildings with Ionic and Corinthian columns. The Hellenistic period ended with conquests by the Roman Empire. 44 B.C. to A.D. 476 - Roman. The Romans borrowed heavily from the earlier Greek and Hellenistic styles, but their buildings were more highly ornamented. They used Corinthian and composite style columns along with decorative brackets. The invention of concrete allowed the Romans to build arches, vaults, and domes. Famous examples of Roman architecture include the Roman Colosseum and the Pantheon in Rome. Much of this ancient architecture is in ruins or partially rebuilt. Virtual reality programs like Romereborn.org attempt to digitally recreate the environment of this important civilization. 527 to 565 - Byzantine Church of Hagia Eirene in the First Courtyard of the TopkapÄ ± Palace, Istanbul, Turkey. Salvator Barki/Getty Images (cropped) After Constantine moved the capital of the Roman empire to Byzantium (now called Istanbul in Turkey) in A.D. 330, Roman architecture evolved into a graceful, classically-inspired style that used brick instead of stone, domed roofs, elaborate mosaics, and classical forms. Emperor Justinian (527 to 565) led the way. Eastern and Western traditions combined in the sacred buildings of the Byzantine period. Buildings were designed with a central dome that eventually rose to new heights by using engineering practices refined in the Middle East. This era of architectural history was transitional and  transformational. 800 to 1200 - Romanesque Romanesque Architecture of the Basilica of St. Sernin (1070-1120) in Toulouse, France. Anger O./AgenceImages courtesy Getty Images As Rome spread across Europe, heavier, stocky Romanesque architecture with rounded arches emerged. Churches and castles of the early Medieval period were constructed with thick walls and heavy piers. Even as the Roman Empire faded, Roman ideas reached far across Europe. Built between 1070 and 1120, the  Basilica of St. Sernin in Toulouse, France is a good example of this transitional architecture, with a Byzantine-domed apse and an added Gothic-like steeple. The floor plan is that of the Latin cross, Gothic-like again, with a high alter and tower at the cross intersection. Constructed of stone and brick, St. Sernin is on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. 1100 to 1450 - Gothic The Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres, France. Alessandro Vannini/Getty Images (cropped) Early in the 12th century, new ways of building meant that cathedrals and other large buildings could soar to new heights. Gothic architecture became characterized by the elements that supported taller, more graceful architecture - innovations such as pointed arches, flying buttresses, and ribbed vaulting. In addition, elaborate stained glass could take the place of walls that no longer were used to support high ceilings. Gargoyles and other sculpting enabled practical and decorative functions. Many of the worlds most well-known sacred places are from this period in architectural history, including Chartres Cathedral and Paris Notre Dame Cathedral in France and Dublins St. Patricks Cathedral and Adare Friary in Ireland. Gothic architecture began mainly in France where builders began to adapt the earlier Romanesque style. Builders were also influenced by the pointed arches and elaborate stonework of Moorish architecture in Spain. One of the earliest Gothic buildings was the ambulatory of the abbey of St. Denis in France, built between 1140 and 1144. Originally, Gothic architecture was known as the French Style. During the Renaissance, after the French Style had fallen out of fashion, artisans mocked it. They coined the word Gothic to suggest that French Style buildings were the crude work of German (Goth) barbarians. Although the label wasnt accurate, the name Gothic remained. While builders were creating the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe, painters and sculptors in northern Italy were breaking away from rigid medieval styles and laying the foundation for the Renaissance. Art historians call the period between 1200 to 1400 the Early Renaissance or the Proto-Renaissance of art history. Fascination for medieval Gothic architecture was reawakened in the 19th and 20th centuries. Architects in Europe and the United States designed great buildings and private homes that imitated the cathedrals of medieval Europe. If a building looks Gothic and has Gothic elements and characteristics, but it was built in the 1800s or later, its style is Gothic Revival. 1400 to 1600 - Renaissance Villa Rotonda (Villa Almerico-Capra), near Venice, Italy, 1566-1590, Andrea Palladio. Massimo Maria Canevarolo via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) A return to Classical ideas ushered an age of awakening in Italy, France, and England. During the Renaissance era architects and builders were inspired by the carefully proportioned buildings of ancient Greece and Rome.  Italian Renaissance master Andrea Palladio helped awaken a passion for classical architecture when he designed beautiful, highly symmetrical villas such as Villa Rotonda near Venice, Italy. More than 1,500 years after the Roman architect Vitruvius wrote his important book, the Renaissance architect Giacomo da Vignola outlined Vitruviuss ideas. Published in 1563, Vignolas The Five Orders of Architecture became a guide for builders throughout western Europe. In 1570 Andrea Palladio used the new technology of movable type to publish I Quattro Libri dell Architettura, or The Four Books of Architecture. In this book, Palladio showed how Classical rules could be used not just for grand temples but also for private villas. Palladios ideas did not imitate the Classical order of architecture but his designs were in the manner of ancient designs. The work of the Renaissance masters spread across Europe, and long after the era ended, architects in the Western world would find inspiration in the beautifully proportioned architecture of the period. In the United States its descendant designs have been called neoclassical. 1600 to 1830 - Baroque The Baroque Palace of Versailles in France. Loop Images Tiara Anggamulia/Getty Images (cropped) Early in the 1600s, an elaborate new architectural style lavished buildings. What became known as Baroque was characterized by complex shapes, extravagant ornaments, opulent paintings, and bold contrasts. In Italy, the Baroque style is reflected in opulent and dramatic churches with irregular shapes and extravagant ornamentation. In France, the highly ornamented Baroque style combines with Classical restraint. Russian aristocrats were impressed by the Palace of Versailles, France and incorporated Baroque ideas in the building of St. Petersburg. Elements of the elaborate Baroque style are found throughout Europe. Architecture was only one expression of the Baroque style. In music, famous names included Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi. In the art world, Caravaggio, Bernini, Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Velzquez are remembered. Famous inventors and scientists of the day include Blaise Pascal and Isaac Newton. 1650 to 1790 - Rococo Catherine Palace Near Saint Petersburg, Russia. Saravut Eksuwan/Getty Images During the last phase of the Baroque period, builders constructed graceful white buildings with sweeping curves. Rococo art and architecture is characterized by elegant decorative designs with scrolls, vines, shell-shapes, and delicate geometric patterns. Rococo architects applied Baroque ideas with a lighter, more graceful touch. In fact, some historians suggest that Rococo is simply a later phase of the Baroque period. Architects of this period include the great Bavarian stucco masters like Dominikus Zimmermann, whose  1750 Pilgrimage Church of Wies is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 1730 to 1925 - Neoclassicism The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Architect of the Capitol By the 1700s, European architects were turning away from elaborate Baroque and Rococo styles in favor of restrained Neoclassical approaches. Orderly, symmetrical Neoclassical architecture reflected the intellectual awakening among the middle and upper classes in Europe during the period historians often call the Enlightenment. Ornate Baroque and Rococo styles fell out of favor as architects for a growing middle class reacted to and rejected the opulence of the ruling class. French and American revolutions returned design to Classical ideals  - including equality and democracy - emblematic of the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. A keen interest in ideas of Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio inspired a return of Classical shapes in Europe, Great Britain, and the United States. These buildings were proportioned according to the classical orders with details borrowed from ancient Greece and Rome. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the newly-formed United States drew upon Classical ideals to construct grand government buildings and an array of smaller, private homes. 1890 to 1914 - Art Nouveau The 1910 Hà ´tel Lutetia in Paris, France. Justin Lorget/chesnot/Corbis via Getty Images Known as the New Style in France, Art Nouveau was first expressed in fabrics and graphic design. The style spread to architecture and furniture in the 1890s as a revolt against industrialization turned peoples attention to the natural forms and personal craftsmanship of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Art Nouveau buildings often have asymmetrical shapes, arches, and decorative Japanese-like surfaces with curved, plant-like designs and mosaics. The period is often confused with Art Deco, which has an entirely different visual look and philosophical origin. Note that the name Art Nouveau is French, but the philosophy  - to some extent spread by the ideas of William Morris and the writings of John Ruskin - gave rise to similar movements throughout Europe. In Germany it was called Jugendstil; in Austria it was Sezessionsstil; in Spain it was Modernismo, which predicts or event begins the modern era. The works of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudà ­ (1852-1926) are said to be influenced by Art Nouveau or Modernismo, and Gaudi is often called one of the first modernist architects. 1895 to 1925 - Beaux Arts The Paris Opera by Beaux Arts Architect Charles Garnier. Francisco Andrade/Getty Images (cropped) Also known as Beaux Arts Classicism, Academic Classicism, or Classical Revival, Beaux Arts architecture is characterized by order, symmetry, formal design, grandiosity, and elaborate ornamentation. Combining classical Greek and Roman architecture with Renaissance ideas, Beaux Arts architecture was a favored style for grand public buildings and opulent mansions. 1905 to 1930 - Neo-Gothic The Neo-Gothic 1924 Tribune Tower in Chicago. Glowimage/Getty Images (cropped) In the early 20th century, medieval Gothic ideas were applied to modern buildings, both private homes and the new type of architecture called skyscrapers. Gothic Revival was a Victorian style inspired by Gothic cathedrals and other medieval architecture.  Gothic Revival home design began in the United Kingdom in the 1700s when Sir Horace Walpole decided to remodel his home, Strawberry Hill. In the early 20th century, Gothic Revival ideas were applied to modern skyscrapers, which are often called Neo-Gothic. Neo-Gothic skyscrapers often have strong vertical lines and a sense of great height; arched and pointed windows with decorative tracery; gargoyles and other medieval carvings; and pinnacles. The 1924 Chicago Tribune Tower is a good example of Neo-Gothic architecture. The architects Raymond Hood and John Howells were selected over many other architects to design the building. Their Neo-Gothic design may have appealed to the judges because it reflected a conservative (some critics said regressive) approach. The facade of the Tribune Tower is studded with rocks collected from great buildings around the world. Other Neo-Gothic buildings include the Cass Gilbert design for the Woolworth Building in New York City. 1925 to 1937 - Art Deco The Art Deco Chrysler Building in New York City. CreativeDream/Getty Images With their sleek forms and ziggurat designs, Art Deco architecture embraced both the machine age and ancient times. Zigzag patterns and vertical lines create dramatic effect on jazz-age, Art Deco buildings. Interestingly, many Art Deco motifs were inspired by the architecture of ancient Egypt. The Art Deco style evolved from many sources. The austere shapes of the modernist Bauhaus School and streamlined styling of modern technology combined with patterns and icons taken from the Far East, classical Greece and Rome, Africa, ancient Egypt and the Middle East, India, and Mayan and Aztec cultures. Art Deco buildings have many of these features: cubic forms; ziggurat, terraced pyramid shapes with each story smaller than the one below it; complex groupings of rectangles or trapezoids; bands of color; zigzag designs like lightening bolts; strong sense of line; and the illusion of pillars. By the 1930s, Art Deco evolved into a more simplified style known as Streamlined Moderne, or Art Moderne. The emphasis was on sleek, curving forms and long horizontal lines. These buildings did not feature zigzag or colorful designs found on earlier Art Deco architecture. Some of the most famous art deco buildings have become tourist destinations in New York City - the Empire State Building and Radio City Music Hall may be the most famous. The 1930 Chrysler Building in New York City was one of the first buildings composed of stainless steel over a large exposed surface. The architect, William Van Alen, drew inspiration from machine technology for the ornamental details on the Chrysler Building: There are eagle hood ornaments, hubcaps, and abstract images of cars. 1900 to Present - Modernist Styles De La Warr Pavilion, 1935, Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex, United Kingdom. Peter Thompson Heritage Images/Getty Images The 20th and 21st centuries have seen dramatic changes and astonishing diversity. Modernist styles have come and gone  - and continue to evolve. Modern-day trends include Art Moderne and the Bauhaus school coined by Walter Gropius, Deconstructivism, Formalism, Brutalism, and Structuralism. Modernism is not just another style  - it presents a new way of thinking. Modernist architecture emphasizes function. It attempts to provide for specific needs rather than imitate nature. The roots of Modernism may be found in the work of Berthold Luberkin (1901-1990), a Russian architect who settled in London and founded a group called Tecton. The Tecton architects believed in applying scientific, analytical methods to design. Their stark buildings ran counter to expectations and often seemed to defy gravity. The expressionistic work of the Polish-born German architect Erich Mendelsohn (1887-1953) also furthered the modernist movement. Mendelsohn and Russian-born English architect Serge Chermayeff (1900-1996) won the competition to design the De La Warr Pavilion in Britain. The 1935 seaside public hall has been called Streamline Moderne and International, but it most certainly is one of the first modernist buildings to be constructed and restored, maintaining its original beauty over the years. Modernist architecture can express a number of stylistic ideas, including Expressionism and Structuralism. In the later decades of the twentieth century, designers rebelled against the rational Modernism and a variety of Postmodern styles evolved. Modernist architecture generally has little or no ornamentation and is prefabricated or has factory-made parts. The design emphasizes function and the man-made construction materials are usually glass, metal, and concrete. Philosophically, modern architects rebel against traditional styles. For examples of Modernism in architecture, see works by Rem Koolhaas, I.M. Pei, Le Corbusier, Philip Johnson, and Mies van der Rohe. 1972 to Present - Postmodernism Postmodern Architecture at 220 Celebration Place, Celebration, Florida. Jackie Craven A reaction against the Modernist approaches gave rise to new buildings that re-invented historical details and familiar motifs. Look closely at these architectural movements and you are likely to find ideas that date back to classical and ancient times. Postmodern architecture evolved from the modernist movement, yet contradicts many of the modernist ideas. Combining new ideas with traditional forms, postmodernist buildings may startle, surprise, and even amuse. Familiar shapes and details are used in unexpected ways. Buildings may incorporate symbols to make a statement or simply to delight the viewer. Philip Johnsons ATT Headquarters is often cited as an example of postmodernism. Like many buildings in the International Style, the skyscraper has a sleek, classical facade. At the top, however, is an oversized Chippendale pediment. Johnsons design for the Town Hall in Celebration, Florida is also playfully over-the-top with columns in front of a public building. Well-known postmodern architects include Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown; Michael Graves; and the playful Philip Johnson, known for making fun of Modernism. The key ideas of Postmodernism are set forth in two important books by Robert Venturi. In his groundbreaking 1966 book, Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, Venturi challenged modernism and celebrated the mix of historic styles in great cities such as Rome. Learning from Las Vegas, subtitled The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form, became a postmodernist classic when Venturi called the vulgar billboards of the Vegas Strip emblems for a new architecture. Published in 1972, the book was written by Robert Venturi, Steven Izenour, and Denise Scott Brown. 1997 to Present - Neo-Modernism and Parametricism Zaha Hadids Heydar Aliyev Centre, 2012, Baku, Azerbaijan. Christopher Lee/Getty Images Throughout history, home designs have been influenced by the architecture du jour. In the not far off future, as computer costs come down and construction companies change their methods, homeowners and builders will be able to create fantastic designs. Some call todays architecture Neo-Modernism. Some call it Parametricism, but the name for computer-driven design is up for grabs. How did Neo-Modernism begin? Perhaps with Frank Gehrys sculpted designs, especially the success of the 1997 Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Maybe it began with architects who experimented with Binary Large Objects - BLOB architecture. But you might say that free-form design dates back to prehistoric times. Just look at Moshe Safdies 2011 Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore: It looks just like Stonehenge. Prehistoric Stonehenge (left) and Moshe Safdies 2011 Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore (right). Left: Grant Faint / Right: photo by william cho Sources History and Research: Silbury Hill, English Heritage Foundation, english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/silbury-hill/history-and-research/; Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, United Nations, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/373 Additional photo credits: Tribune Tower, Jon Arnold/Getty Images; Stonehenge / Marina Bay Sands Resort, Images (cropped) by Archive Photos/Archive Photos Collection/Getty Images (left) and AT Photography/Moment Collection/Getty Images (right)