Story About a Disabled Person Essay Example for Free

Story About a Disabled Person Essay What is a disabled person? A disabled person is classified as any person who is unable to obtain for himself or herself, fully or partially, the normal requirements of an individual and /or is unable to participate fully in the community due to shortcomings either physically or mentally which may have occurred since birth or later in life. There are people who have overcome these shortcomings and achieved great success through self-reliance and diligence. One such person that comes to mind is none other than my Uncle John. Uncle John is my mother’s youngest brother. He was born on June 12, 1970, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Uncle John was not born deaf and blind. According to my grandmother, when Uncle John was 16 months old he came down with meningitis, which robbed him of both his sight and hearing. The sad thing about this was that my grandparents were not aware about this and only realized my uncle’s disability when he was only two years old. By then the damage to the nerves in his eyes were too severe to be rectified and there was nothing that could be done for his ears. With great determination my grandmother tutored my uncle at home in Mathematics, Language, Music and Art. My uncle was a fast learner and picked up well in all the subjects. But he showed tremendous improvement and excellence in Music. My grandmother decided to get him a music tutor although it took a toll on their livelihood as my grandfather was the only wage earner in the house and he had a family of five young kids to feed and educate. My grandmother decided to sell cakes to make extra money. My uncle progressed so well that he had completed all the 8 levels of music in just 5 years. When he was 15 years old my uncle decided to lift the burden of my grandparents by teaching music to earn a living. He was such a patient and caring music teacher that parents were waiting at the doorstep to enrol their children in his music classes. He had been teaching for about five years when he decided to further his studies in music. At the age of 21 he asked for his parents blessings to allow him to pursue his ambition of being a concert pianist in America. My grandmother was reluctant to let him go as she was worried that he would not be able to cope on his own. By then all his older siblings including my mother had graduated and were doing well in their respective fields. They talked their parents into allowing my uncle to follow his dream. With a heavy heart my grandmother gave in and my uncle left for America. While there, my uncle enrolled in the prestigious Julliard School of Music in New York City. Although he had saved enough money to see him through only the first year of college, that did not deter him. He gave his most and his disability was not an obstacle. He excelled in all his classes and was well liked by both his peers and lecturers. He was voted into all the committees as he was someone that could be depended on. At the end of the first year my uncle scored distinctions in all his subjects and was placed on the Dean’s list. He was given a full scholarship to continue his studies for the next year. He excelled for the next three years and was given a full scholarship for the rest of his college studies. At the end of his four year study he was invited to take part in a concert for budding concert pianists. At the tender age of 24 he played in front of an audience of 7,000. The audience was awed by his skills. He appeared in the newspapers and everyone was talking about this young talent. After this he was invited on many premier shows such as The David Letterman Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and even The Oprah Winfrey Show. He travelled all over the world giving concerts. He became a world renowned concert pianist earning a lot of money. After being away for 10 whole years my Uncle decided to return to Malaysia. Throughout the ten years away he never forgot the sacrifices his parents made for him. He set them up in a beautiful house with a maid to look after them. He made sure his parents and siblings were well taken care off. He also made sure that his parents travelled to all his concerts all over the world. Today he is happily married with two healthy children – my cousins Deidre and Antoine. He will always be my inspiration because he did not let his disability bring him down. He has taught me that one can excel in anything if one is determined.

To Veil of Not To Veil Essay Example for Free

To Veil of Not To Veil Essay Those of people that are brought up in typical western culture believe that Muslim women who wear the job symbolize the continued oppression of women in the Middle East. In â€Å"To Veil or Not To Veil† Jen’nan Ghazal and John P. Bartkowski perform a case study of different forms of identity among Muslim women in Austin Texas. This experiment delves into Muslim culture and tries to analyze both sides of the argument a primarily factual essay. The article carefully analyses both sides of the issue in an attempt to better understand what the head coverings mean for these women, and how their gender roles compare as muslim women. It appears that some people of the west fail to do before making assumptions about Middle Eastern oppression of women, many stop to ask a Muslim woman what she thinks about wearing a veil. In their case study Ghazel and Bartkowski talked to twelve veiled women and twelve unveiled women in Austin, Texas and asked them questions surrounding the controversy of the hijab. Islamic women’s motivations for veiling seem to vary dramatically. The range can be broad as expressing their strongly held conviction, to critique western culture, for strictly religious purposes, and to be viewed not just as women, but as intellectual equals. Some of verses in the Qur’an and Hadiths (Islam’s holy texts) say that women must wear to hijab to not tempt men and that to be a good Muslim woman she must conceal her body. This belief makes women overall much more modest and submissive. The Islamic religion according to the article is very much a patriarchal religious institution and some of the bureaucratic men in the society are said to see the veil as a way to keep women subservient in their society. This appears to be the central reason why unveiled women do not wear a hijab. They believe that because the head covering wasn’t originally created by Islam they shouldn’t have to wear it to achieve spiritual welfare or be considered of higher religious caliber. They believe the hijab is an oppressive tool to leave the male social hierarchy as it is now. By not wearing the hijab it appears that the majority of women feel empowered verses those woman who do where a veil. But it is important to note that there exceptions to the rule, the article talked about a girl who wore the hijab to be taken seriously by society and move up the social hierarchy. This article primarily uses an empirical methodology. The arguments are portrayed through the research and case study that the two authors conducted in Austin, Texas. Both arguments are covered thoroughly and some quantitative data is used. As I read the article I found it surprising that the two authors only conducted this study on twenty four women, twenty four Americanized women no less. An American Muslim woman verses a Middle Eastern Muslim woman can have very different views on the issue simply because the societies are so different, it is possible that the culture of the United States is encouraging this challenging think by these twenty four women. I also found it a little shocking that the article failed to address the factor fear plays in Middle Eastern Muslim women to wear the hijab. The majority of the Middle East is based on an ideology called Timocracy which is a society based on honor. When women in some countries do not wear the veil they are in affect disrespecting Islam and the nation according to some more radical Muslims. Because of this many women are punished by being beaten for something as little as a veil slipping in public. It is clear that a hijab does not have just one singular meaning. The veil may be a piece of the Islamic religion, but it is how women view and own the veil that determines what gender arises for the issue. While the some of the cultures may be forced on women, like Iran it takes independent and free thinking women to determine the culture now and how it will evolve.

Body Language and Non-Verbal Communication

Body Language and Non-Verbal Communication What is nonverbal communication? Nonverbal Communication is a system of symbolic behaviors that includes all forms of communication except words. It is the nonlinguistic transmission of information through visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic channels where the message isn’t being said. Nonverbal communication is an unconscious language that broadcast our true feelings and intentions. Trust, clarity and rapport can be created when nonverbal signals match up with the words we say if it didn’t generate tension, mistrust and confusion.There are two types of nonverbal communication which are nonverbal messages produced by the body and nonverbal messages produced by the broad setting. Nonverbal communication is used to repeat the verbal message, used to accent a verbal message, regulate interactions and as a substitute for verbal messages such as gestures and facial expressions. Body language is a main feature of nonverbal communication. What is Body Language? Body language plays a big role in intuition as it gives us messages about the other personthat we can interpret at an intuitive level. Body language is the conscious and unconscious actions and postures by which attitudes and feelings are communicated. Body language is a subconscious behavior distinct from sign language which is fully conscious and purposeful act of communication. Body language can reveal much about feelings and meanings to others and how others reveal their feelings towards you. Body language signals happen on both conscious and unconscious level. Body language encompasses how we position our body, facial expressions, movement of eyes, the space between us and people and also body language tend to include the pace, pitch, volume, variation, pauses of our voice. Body language is thought to account for between 50 to 70 percent of all communication. There are two types of body language parts of the body and intent. Body movements include Eye contact, body position, gesture and movement Body movements Body movements emphasize what a person says and deliver information about the emotions and attitudes of the person. There are some hand gestures to say â€Å"ok† â€Å"come here† which are internationally recognized. Facial expressions show the emotions we feel unintentionally which gives strong clue about the true emotional state of a person. Some gestures are used to give back such as nodding heads which will allow the person to adapt to his speech to reflect interest and agreement which will help to develop the conversation. Nonverbal behaviors such as biting nails, scratching heads are psychological needs which are subconscious. These behaviors often accompany feelings of anxiety or hostility. Posture reflects people’s emotions, attitudes and intentions. There are two types of postures open and close postures. In a close position people tend to have arms folded legs crossed where as in an open structure people tend to have arms apart on the arms of a chair which communicates openness or interest to listen, clos posture shows discomfort or disinterest to communicate. Eye contact is important in giving and receiving feedbacks, let a partner know when it is their turn to talk and to communicate something about a relationship between people. Communication may not be smooth if a listener averts eyes too frequently. Personal Space Personal space maintained between two people is different to types of relationship in different cultures. There are four types of relationships. The closest contact is the intimate distance. To hold a conversation personal distance is appropriate where it is easy to see the expression, eye movements and the body language. Mostly hand shaking occurs in a personal distance. Social distance is the distance for impersonal business it is more to a formal relationship where the speech should be loud and use of eye contact is essential to remain the interaction. Finally the public distance is when speakers address groups at public distance. It is necessary to exaggerate on nonverbal communication specially the hand gestures as facial expressions cannot be seen in such a distance. In different relationships the body language used differs as the distance is different from one to another. The nonverbal communication is adjusted to use in different relationship types. Body language as an influencer Opening up the body and taking and filling more space shows the power posture which shows a range of confidence and boosting effects. When in an interview or anywhere else using the power pose gives confidence and shows that you are confident and full of energy. This will influence people more on how they feel about you than what you say. Avoidance of devices used helps to develop moreconfidence. It is better avoiding using devices before a meeting so that it will help to organize and focus thoroughly. Facial expressions also mattes a lot in body language, It is necessary to have proper facial expression. Before a meeting go in front of a mirror and image yourself and reset to suit the emotions of the meeting. A genuine smile will stimulate your own sense of wellbeing which will display you are approachable, corporative and trustworthy> Gesturing when speaking will aid the thoughts and make a good impression. It is more effective and competent when using hand gestures it is another tool to punctuate what we are saying. When the gestures are meaningful and related to what we say it makes the listener to understand and remember. Gesturing helps to make clearer thoughts and speak in tighter sentences with declarative language. Leaning forward, nodding, tilting the head shows that you are engaged and paying attention which will encourage the speaker to continue specking. It is better to keep the hands free when talking to make the speech effective by using hand gestures. It is said that people with their hands held at waist level are more comfortable than hands at chest level Hand shake is the most powerful nonverbal signal. People remember two times more if you shake hand and people react more openly and friendly to people who shake hands. Shuffling of feet, fidgeting and winding of feet around each other shows nervousness and anxiety, when in tension people will stretch and curl feet to relieve tension Body languages of different genders Male and females doesn’t show much of a difference. There are few noticeable differences in female body language which women do consciously and subconsciously and also it says women tend to be more aware of their body language and others body language cues. Men read body language using different areas of their brains Men and women lie differently. Women lie less about themselves and more to protect others feelings or to make others feel better about themselves. Men lie to appear more powerful, interesting, and successful. They lie about themselves eight times more than they lie about others. Men usually point their toes towards the most important person to him in a group. Men take much more space to claim power in a room or assert dominance. How to improve non verbal communication To improve nonverbal communication, should learn to manage stress and pay attention to inconsistencies and show proper gestures to illustrate the message effectively. Should also maintain the proper posture and eye contact to display confidence an interest if not it will be viewed as disinterest or nervousness. In order to communicate effectively it is necessary to be aware of our space as well as others space and also it is equally important to be culturally competent and to know what is accepted in other cultures. References Goman, C. (2014).10 Powerful body language tips.Available: http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/10-Powerful-Body-Language-Tips.aspx. Last accessed 30th May 2014. Female Body Language Science of People. (n.d.). Science of People. Retrieved May 30, 2014, from http://www.scienceofpeople.com/2013/06/female-body-language/ Edwards, V. (2014, January 30). How to Read A Mans Body Language. The Huffington Post. Retrieved May 30, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vanessa-van-edwards/how-to-read-a-mans-body-l_b_4674615.html

Joseph Conrad: An Innovator in British Literature Essay -- Conrad

Joseph Conrad: An Innovator in British Literature      Ã‚  Ã‚   Joseph Conrad’s innovative literature is influenced by his experiences in traveling to foreign countries around the world. Conrad’s literature consists of the various styles of techniques he uses to display his well-recognized work as British literature. "His prose style, varying from eloquently sensuous to bare and astringent, keeps the reader in constant touch with a mature, truth-seeking, creative mind" (Hutchinson 1). Conrad’s novels are basically based on having both a psychological and sociological plot within them. This is why Conrad’s work carries its own uniqueness from other novels when being compared to his.    Examples of Conrad’s literature include novels such as Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, and The Secret Agent. Heart of Darkness is basically based on his own experiences, but Conrad also adds fiction into this particular novel (Dintenfass 1). It has been said that Conrad’s style of writing is described as "...life as we actually live it...[is] to be blurred and messy and confusing-- and the abstract ideas...[of] actual experiences can sometimes produce in us, or in that part of us, anyway, which tries to understand the world in some rational way." Acquiring this from the novel gives the reader a psychological perspective in that they are receiving feedback in a conscious way such as a hallucination or a phantasm (Dintenfass 2). Readers have curiously questioned the purpose of his novels such as Heart of Darkness, but the answer is quite simple. "[The] purpose is to get the reader to re-live [any] experience in some [significant] and concrete way, with all its complexity and messiness, all its darkness and ambiguity, intact" (Dintenfass 3). An addi... ...n, eds. Twentieth Century Literary Criticism. Vol. 1 Detroit: Hale Research Co., 1978. Dintenfass, Mark. "Heart of Darkness: A Lawrence University Freshman Studies Lecture." 14 Mar. 1996. *http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~csicseri/dintenfass.htm* (2 Feb. 2000). Draper, James P., ed. World Literature Criticism: 1500 to the Present. Vol. 2 Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1992. Hamblin, Stephen. "Joseph Conrad’s The Secret Agent." *http://www.ductape.net/~steveh/secretagent/* (2 Feb. 2000). The Hutchinson Encyclopedia. 1999. 2 Feb. 1999. *http://ukdb.web.aol.com/hutchinson/encyclopedia/72/M0013572.htm Magill, Frank N., ed. 1,300 Critical Evaluations of Selected Novels and Plays. Vol. 2 Englewood Cliffs: Salem Press Inc., 1976. Stein, Rita, and Martin Tucker, eds. Modern British Literature. Vol. 4 New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1975.

Comparing and Contrasting Hughess Mother to Son and Wilburs The Write

Comparing and Contrasting Hughes's Mother to Son and Wilbur's The Writer Whether life is a steep climb up a shaky stairway or a challenging voyage over rough seas, a parent hopes a child will persevere to the end. In Langston Hughes's poem "Mother to Son" and in Richard Wilbur's poem "The Writer," the poets use the voice of a parent considering a child's future, and both use imagery of struggle and survival to suggest what lies ahead for the child. Although the point of view, context, and language of the two poems differ significantly, the message is the same: a parent wants a good life for his or her child, but knows that many obstacles can block the way. While Hughes and Wilbur share a similar message in their poems, their points of view are very different. Hughes uses a first-person narrator, a mother speaking directly to her son. The title of the poem itself, "Mother to Son," states this point of view. The reader is listening in on a one-on-one conversation. The opening line introduces the mother's monologue: "Well, son, I'll tell you." The point of view stays consistent as the mother describes what life's stairway has been like for her: "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair" (2 and 20), and urges her son to do as she has done: "I'se still climbin'" (19). She addresses her son directly throughout the poem, calling him "son" (1), "boy" (14), and "honey" (18). The poem is entirely in the mother's speaking voice, with the informalities of someone speaking privately to a close relative and the grammatical errors of someone who is probably not well educated. Richard Wilbur's poem is also written in the first person, but the narrator does not address his daughter directly until the final stanza (31-33). The first thir... ...s her message across in twenty short, simple lines. Both "Mother to Son" and "The Writer" offer a parent's sincere message to a child. However, the poems' points of view, contexts, and language show two parents who have traveled very different paths before offering their messages. The reader sees that parents' hopes and concerns for a child are universal, even though their expression differs. Works Cited Bixler, Frances. Richard Wilbur: A Reference Guide. Boston: G.K. Hall 1991 Hughes, Langston. "Mother to Son." Literature and Ourselves: A Thematic Introduction for Readers and Writers. Eds. Gloria Mason Henderson, Bill Day, and Sandra Stevenson Waller. 4th ed. New York: Longman, 2003. Wilbur, Richard. Responses. Prose Pieces: 1953–1976. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1976 – New and Collected Poems. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1988

Andean/Incan People :: essays research papers

The Andean/Incan people The Andean/Incan people lived in the vast majority of the Andean Mountain ranges of Peru. They were mainly polytheistic and believed it was a series of gods who were responsible for providing the rain, maize, sun, etc. that was needed for daily survival.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Viracocha was the main and greatest god. He was held solely responsible for the creation of Earth, animals and man. He made men out of stone, replicated them and destroyed them according to his whim. Viracocha was considered he divine protector of the Incan rulers or â€Å"Incani’s†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Inti, the Sun god was the head of the state cult whose worship was mandatory. Every year a special festival called Inti-Raymi was held in Inti’s and the suns honor. Animal sacrifices and ritual dances marked and were often the highlight of the celebration.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Daily prayers were addressed to Apu Illapu, the rain giver, who was responsible for sustaining the Incans food sources. His temples were set high on a mountain so in case there was a flood, the temple would not be destroyed. A flood signified Apu Illapu’s anger and meant a pilgrimage with human sacrifice was necessary to appease him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Human sacrifice was not widely practices in the Incan religion as opposed to the Aztec religion where human sacrifices were the norm. Both the Incan and the Aztec believed that human sacrifice was a necessity to appease the gods. They felt there was no greater gift than giving your life to a god. Therefore, the sacrificial person as well as the god was honored. Festivals and daily prayers were often marked with dancing, singing and special prayers to the particular god of what they desired. Both fasting and feasting marked super special festivals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Penitential rituals must be observed if a particular god is displeased. Murder as an act of war was not a punishable offense whereas murder as an act of vengeance was the gravest sin to be committed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Birth, puberty, marriage and death were all times for special rituals and sacrifices. Therefore, the Andean people’s lives mainly revolved around their religion as, without the gods, they would have nothing. The Spaniards The Spanish conquerors and missionaries arrived upon the New World around 1492 but it took a few years for them to get acclimated to the people and area before they started the conversion of the natives. The Spaniards were staunch Christians and mainly Catholics, under the rule of the Spanish Catholic monarchy.

The Four Contexts of Motivation

Malcolm Knowles’ research in adult motivational learning produced four â€Å"distinct contexts†; Practical, Personal, Experiential, and Idealistic. The Practical context is motivated by a direct desired benefit result received from the learning such as a specific employment position, for financial wisdom and gain, or to apply the learning towards greater competency and confidence in making life decisions in situations anywhere from family to work, or even building that dream house that may have previously thought to be unattainable.The Personal context involves motivation directed by self fulfillment goals to overall better oneself and therein the quality of life. An adult student may for example want to learn in this context to increase self worth. Experiential learning differs from the other contexts in that one draws from real-life and past experiences motivated by a desire for renewal by consolidating with more current and forward ideas with the goal of improving an d refreshing their experience.The final Idealistic context motivation attracts those who just desire to continuously learn for the sake of the ongoing discovery of knowledge and new ideas throughout their lifespan. Learning wine tasting may be a venture for this type of learner. My learning motivation is Experiential. Professionally I have experienced a long career in the Human Resources field and held BA degree positions despite the fact that I did not have one. I do have my PHR but have learned mostly in a hands-on context. I have experienced both successful and unsuccessful situations during my career.I started my college education years ago and have procrastinated about returning for many years. I finally came to the realization that I need that degree and everything it offers in order to become more competent and confident in my business decisions. The unsuccessful situations I have experienced were due to my lack of a solid educational background. When I lacked the educational background to perform some of the tasks I was assigned I became panicked, stressed and found it necessary to be reactive.My motto during those times became ‘‘fake it until you make it! †. That attitude eventually caught up with me and forced me to face what I was missing. It took my losing a couple of positions to overcome the denial I was in. I know that I need this degree to enhance my performance and definitely for organizational development. I am know on a serious mission to complete this goal and believe attending Ashford University will give me the competency, knowledge and confidence I need to be successful resulting in a much happier and less stressful lifestyle.