Personal Development: Time Management Essay

Effective Time Management is a valuable resource. Those who learn to value it go much ahead in life. On the other hand, the people who take time for granted often end up losing much. Prioritizing well is the key to time management and proper management of time can improve the quality of your life, almost dramatically. These are some of the benefits of Effective Time Management: Allows You To Be In Control Everyone keeps harping about how life is beyond their control. While certain things really are, it is still possible to take command of most of the things in life with much ease. Reduces Stress & Frustration Effective Time management is the most valuable resource and yet, the most undervalued. It needs to be acknowledged that a paucity of time for finishing tasks makes you feel stressed out and frustrated and the spill-over effect is to be seen in every aspect of your life. Saves Quality Time Managing time also helps you in saving precious time, which you can utilize in pursuing your hobbies or spending quality time with your family. Boosts Confidence And A Sense Of Achievement Completing tasks within a set time period boosts your confidence and self belief, as your life seems to be under your control. REVIEW TIME-MANAGEMENT SKILLS TO ACHIEVE ORGANASATIONAL AND PERSONAL OBJECTIVES. Time management skills to achieve organisational and personal objective are: MAKE USE OF DOWN TIME by Using walking, driving, showering, or otherwise â€Å"dead† times to plan. Think about what your goals are for that day or the next. Again, REWARD YOURSELF Whenever you accomplish something, especially the important things, make sure to take the time to reward yourself. Also AVOID PROCRASTINATION AT ALL COST When trying to be more productive and trying to save time, procrastination should be avoided like nothing else. APPROPRIATE TOOLS TO CONDUCT A TIME MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS Activity logs are the key component to any sort of time management. Record your time spent on tasks and spot what areas that need improvement. Prioritization is the next critical ingredient to time management success; it’s what lets you know what you should be spending the most time and effort on. Another crucial part to add to your time management tools is the enforcement of setting goals for you and your team. SECTION 2: SKILLS AUDIT EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUAL SELF DEVELOPMENT Continual self Development are activities that improve self-knowledge and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realisation of dreams and aspirations. This encourages one be the complete entity, it allows an open frame of mind and encourages positivity. The importance of continual self development are: It helps you understand yourself better It assist you in creating your goals and life purpose It guides you in managing and spending your time effectively It enhances your ability to handle stress, adversity and change It supports you in managing your finances more wisely It teaches you to build better relationship with people It allows you to live a balanced lifestyle It provides an opportunity to take care of your health. USE APPROPRIATE METHOS TO ASSESS SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES AGAINST ORGANISATION AND PERSONAL OBJECTIVES. 1. Thinking critically and making judgments: Present a case for an interest group, prepare a committee briefing paper for a specific meeting 2. Solving problems and developing plans : Identifying problems, analyzing data, reviewing and applying information 3. Performing procedures and demonstrating techniques: By following protocols, carrying out instructions, observing real or simulated professional practice 4. Managing and developing oneself : working co-operatively, learning independently, being self directed, manage time, manage task 6. Demonstrating knowledge and understanding: By relating and interrelating, recognizing and identifying. MAKE SUGGESTIONS FOR FILLING IDENTIFIED SKILLS GAPS Know your organization â€Å"Many companies these days are taking on the ‘lean philosophy’ to cut expenses,†. individuals study the organization, and look for the positions that will likely take on greater responsibilities if and when positions are cut. Know where your company is going â€Å"Employees should look at future goals that are outlined in company-wide annual goal-setting meetings,†. By reviewing these goals, it’s easy for employees to uncover other educational frameworks that will meet these goals. Focus on customer service Employees should dig into their customer base to uncover any customer service improvement ideas that can be brought to the superiors. Find a mentor Connecting with a professional mentor or becoming active in relevant professional organizations can help employees learn more about the trends within their industry. SECTION 3: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN PRODUCE A PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN AGAINST S.M.A.R.T OBJECTIVES Personal Development Plan is a continuous process of targeted reflection and self-improvement – identifying your current and future needs, and working out how you can meet them. It also includes activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitate employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations. Producing a personal development plan against S.M.A.R.T objectives by: Improving self-awareness, improving self-knowledge, improving or learning new skills, becoming a self-leader, building or renewing identity/self-esteem, developing strengths or talents, improving wealth, spiritual development, identifying or improving potential, building employability or human capital, enhancing lifestyle or the quality of life, fulfilling aspirations, initiating a life enterprise or personal autonomy PLAN RESOURCES NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT THE PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Questionnaires; Semester planners; Details of your meetings with your personal tutor; Academic and/or personal problems you may have encountered; Your academic targets; Personal records of your progress in course units; Exam results and other achievements; Your career goals. SECTION 4: IMPLEMENTING A PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN DESCRIBE THE IMPORTANCE OF MONITORING A PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN The importance of monitoring a personal development plan is to ensure that activities are kept within the parameters of the agreed strategic aims and objectives; Also to ensure that activities are consistent with personal vision, mission and values; and keep under review internal and external changes which may require changes to the personal’s strategy or affect their ability to achieve their objectives. It also helps in monitoring one’s progress, it helps in evaluating personal performance. USE APPROPRIATE TECHNIQUES TO REVIEW THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVE OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN. Solicit Feedback Regularly: Perception is reality. Seek to understand how people perceive you. You may not be achieving the impact you expected in leading or working with others. You cannot adjust your approach without the benefit of feedback that can inform you in terms of how your intentions were received by others. Be proactive in finding out what people think about you and your style of interacting and your approach. Be open to and appreciative of the feedback you receive, not defensive. Reflect on Performance: Some successful people are gregarious and extroverted while others are reserved and introverted. But all successful people know how to spend time alone being reflective and thoughtful about recent performance and behaviour. Always take ample time at the conclusion of major elements of work to reflect on the quality of what you produced and the effectiveness of your work with others. The key to reflecting on performance is remaining balanced in your self-assessment. Be self -critical: understand what you could have done better and learn from these mistakes. Know Your Strengths  and Weaknesses: As you collect feedback and reflections, come to understand your personal strengths and weaknesses. Know that everyone has both. Successful people build success from their strengths while they limit the negative impact of their weaknesses. UPDATE THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF A PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN To develop the ability to make choices, set goals and take action. Develop a rational opinion and explain the reasoning behind it. Seek solutions/alternative options Listen and observe Be aware of disadvantage and changing needs – old age/ illness/ disability Develop positive relationships with a variety of people Share responsibility for group tasks Anticipate and counter negative reaction and rationale Resolve conflicts Make choices and decisions Set goals, plan, organise, promote, implement, evaluate. Recognized their own worth Demonstrate assertiveness, to enable active citizenship, at home, at school and in the community. REFLECTIVE LEARNING STATEMENT The main theme of this unit which is PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT have a significant impact in my work role and has helped me to realised the talent and competency in me. It allows me to be in control of my time, managing it effectively and utilizing it to the fullest. It also boost my confidence and sense of achievement with self belief as my life seems to be under my control. It assist me in setting adequate goals for myself and avoid procrastination at all cost The belief that I can achieve and be successful in whatsoever am doing is my strength at the start and end of this unit While time interval and access to books from the library serve as a weakness.

Critical Thinking and Old Man

Directions: In complete sentences, answer the following questions. Be thorough in your responses. These are critical thinking questions, which means you will have to go beyond what is written in the story†¦you need to INFER. Your grade will depend on your thoughtful and insightful answers. Answers should be at least 2-3 complete sentences in length. Prologue and pages 3-10 (stop at the asterisk) 1. Why does Coelho open with the modified myth of Narcissus? How does the new version differ from the original one? How does it change the myth’s meaning? What might the author be suggestion about how we perceive ourselves and the world? 2. The novel opens with Santiago thinking about his sheep. What does he observe about their existence? How might the sheep symbolize the way some people live their lives? How does his observation that they â€Å"have forgotten to rely on their own instincts† foreshadow what might be coming in the novel? 3. To what degree is Santiago’s father’s observation about travelers (page 9) true about Santiago? Pages 10 (start after the asterisk)- 25 (stop at the asterisk) 1. Why does the old fortune teller say that Santiago’s dream is difficult to interpret? Why is Santiago suspicious of her? 2. The old man tells Santiago a story about a miner and an emerald. How does it connect to Santiago’s situation? What does the old man mean when he says that â€Å"treasure is uncovered by the force of flowing water, and it is buried by the same currents? † What does this quote have to do with the story of the miner and the emerald? 1) By telling the new version he wants to tell his own interpretation of narcissus. The original version is about finding inner beauty but Coelho’s version is about finding meaning of life and the life’s purpose. The difference is because it leaves out how the lake cared about to much of its beauty and less about there people. The new one reflects upon the positive outcomes as the original has a negative term. The suggestion is made through the book where Santiago had to see what the world looked like and he gave up a his parents dram and followed his own dreams no matter what.

Domestic Bathtubs Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Domestic Bathtubs - Lab Report Example According to Wright, (1980), today, 62% of bathtubs, 28% of lavatories and 92% of whirlpool baths are made of plastic. According to Mazzurco (1986), the American National Standards Institute has set standards that manufacturers should observe when designing bath tubs. They may use enameled cast steel or iron besides plastic. Consumers are however taking into account the aesthetic features, safety, durability and environmental aspects when choosing bathtub materials. Customers and manufactures are now taking advantage of enameled or plastic bathtubs to design one-unit bathtubs. Safety, being an important factor to consider, is ensured in modern bathtubs by the use of prefabricated slip-resistant surfaces. The bath tabs should be leak free, the potential problem being solved by the provision of a moisture barrier between the subfloor and the bathtub, or ensuring that the base and the wall are integral parts of the bathtub. Bathtub Materials It is very important to choose the best mater ials for making bath tubs, just as it is important to consider its functions (Mazzurco 1986, pp.57). A wide range of materials that can be used to make bath tubs are readily available. However, they all have their own cons and pros of use. Other factors to consider in material selection are their cleanliness as well as longevity. These materials are in most cases available for spas, basic bath tubs and whirlpools. Examples of materials that are used to manufacture bath tubs are acrylic, cast iron, porcelain/ ceramic tiles, concrete, copper, cultured marble, fiberglass, granite, and porcelain on steel. Acrylic bath tubs normally chip and crack. Therefore, this material is reinforced by fiberglass to make it resistant. However, it is cost effective and light in weight thus allowing easier mass production. Bath tubs made of cast iron are very costly and heavy in weight. Manufacturing bath tubs with cast iron involves creating a mold according to the desired design, and then melting iro n and pouring it into the mold. Though they are expensive, they have two big advantages: many chemicals will not destroy the surface, and they firmly withstand abuse because it is nearly impossible to dent or scratch a bath tub made of cast iron. In its construction of porcelain or ceramic tile bath tubs, a wood form is produced and then covered in concrete. A gentle slope is essential as it ensures the right drainage. A water proof adhesive is used to glue the tiles to the concrete while cracks are sealed with grout. Unfortunately, they are often prone to small cracks that can cause leaks as a result of shifting of the whole house or form. Concrete is not a common material in the manufacture of bath tubs because of its high cost of labor. Concrete is either created in the factory or molded on site and then the finished product is delivered and placed in position. The biggest advantage of constructing bath tubs using tiles is that different textures and colors can be applied on the concrete. Furthermore, the material can conceive almost any color and shape. For a bath tub, copper is very costly to use. Another material that is normally used to manufacture bath tubs is cultured marble. Cultured marble is created by mixing polyester resin with limestone together and then coating it with gel. It is less expensive than cast iron but more

Business Policy case analysis on Samsung Electronics - it is a case Essay

Business Policy case analysis on Samsung Electronics - it is a case analysis and I will attach the case and more details below - Essay Example gion, for this purpose one of the main things that need to be studied are the strengths and weaknesses of the company, a SWOT analysis for the company follows. SWOT is basically an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, where strengths and weaknesses are internal and opportunity and threats exist in the external environment, with this basic understanding let us now discover the strengths of Samsung. Strengths for Samsung would be its human resources, because Samsung places such a high value on its human resources and believes in rewarding its labor and not punishing them makes a whole lot of difference because employees are more motivated to work and they have a strong sense of loyalty to the company; this makes a whole lot of difference as people would put in more effort for the company to succeed in achieving its targets and in bad times they would be much more supportive of the company which may include accepting a lower wage for the period that the company is suffering because there is a sense of ownership and belonging with respect to the company. At Samsung this is achieved by relieving the employees of the 90% of their burden such as healthcare for them and their family and retirement , with these burdens taken care of, it allows employees more freedom to concentrate on their work rather than worrying about other things.. Another important aspect is that Samsung places a lot of value on high quality and it develops that through research and development, it spends heavily on research and development and it has been unique in developing the way that it encourages people to research. It has an annual competition between two teams, one in California and the other in Korea itself, these two teams develop a new and better product each other and have been the source of many new product designs for Samsung, this is a strength that most of its competitors may lack and it gives Samsung a definitive edge over other competitors in the market, it

Week 4 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 4 - Research Paper Example It will also discuss the barriers to effective communication and how to overcome them. Additionally, the paper will define the correlation of leaders, organizational politics and stakeholder groups. In the Aristotle model, communication is described as a linear process. He further claimed that the packaging of messages is either in emotion (pathos), logic (logos) or character (ethos) (Palta, 2006). The model comprises the sender, the content, the message, the medium and the receiver. The sender is the individual from whom the message will come from. The content refers to what the message contains. The message could be in form of goods or just verbal information. The medium refers to the mode in which the message will be moved from the sender to the receiver. Mediums of sending messages include through telephones, through written letters, telegrams or just personal delivery. This model forms the basis of all communication models that are established today. The model covered all the aspects of communication and very minimal additions are made to the model. In modern day communication theories, there is the inclusion of distortion. However, distortion is only an inclusion to the Aristotle model of communication. Communication theorists come up with models which revolve around the Aristotle model. In many modern communication models, the goals and the objective of the message are usually defined. It is at this juncture that distortion comes into play. In case of distortion, the objective and goal of the message will not be achieved (Caputo, 2003). The modern model borrows from Aristotle model in that it defines the capability of the medium. After the medium, the model follows the Aristotle model to the receiver then to the feedback. Different barriers affect the effectiveness of communication models. The five barriers of communication are difference in perception, difficulties

International Involvement Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Involvement Paper - Essay Example In principle, each state must mind its own business and must respect the business of other independent states. However, in practice, this was not as easy as it seemed because these states related to each other in matters of commercial, political, cultural or humanitarian interests. Pickett (p. 13-14) added that the educational training and mental biases of historians of international relations affected their analysis of how America’s government behaved during the period. Pickett’s short article covered the whole period from the success of the American Revolution in the late 18th century to the collapse of the Soviet Union in the late 20th century. Having gained independence from England, the young American state continued to be concerned with the matter of how to guarantee its survival against European nations that were always intent on imperialism or the expansion of their respective empires through conquest. Newly independent from imperialist England, America faced a quandary throughout most of the nineteenth century that touched on the young state’s conscience: since conquest meant having to go against the freedom of other peoples and their governments, how could America justify its involvement in international affairs that may involve going to war? Pickett (1992, p. 14) cited the importance of the Monroe Doctrine as â€Å"the first and – in the nineteenth century – the most important American diplomatic principle. Through the Doctrine the United States first asserted interests in the Western Hemisphere.† The Monroe Doctrine, based on an 1823 Congressional address by President James Monroe, called for U.S. indifference to European affairs and for European powers not to interfere in the Western Hemisphere or the Americas. Thus, until the late nineteenth century, America’s policy was not to engage other nations, i.e., to be internationally isolationist. Several events in the

What causes inflation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

What causes inflation - Essay Example It will also look at some of the ways that an individual is able to calculate the inflation rate in an economy. However, the paper will not only focus on the negative side of matters and in conclusion it will also determine what solutions have been brought about on how the economy can avoid such a situation. Introduction Inflation can be described as the increase in the price level of various services and goods within an economy that takes place over a period of time. It should be noted that this increase happens in all sectors of the market meaning that almost goods and services suffer as a result and those in the economy end with a rising expenditure for the same things that they used to buy before (Taylor 89). It may not be very noticeable at first as it is a gradual process and prices do not sky rocket on the first day meaning that many individuals are usually caught off their guard by the situation leading to a financial panic as they realize just what exactly is going on. As a result of inflation, money also loses a fair amount of purchasing power meaning that an individual is able to buy less with a certain amount that before was adequate for his expenditure needs (Svensson 148). Loss of purchasing power of a currency is not good for the economy as this serves to lower the value of a currency as a whole in the end. It is due to this fact that individuals and institutions struggle against any signs of inflation in a bid to avoid from taking place and stopping it in its tracks as early as possible, the sooner the better (Taylor 101). Though inflation is viewed mostly as a negative impact on the economy, it should be noted that there are both positive and negative effects that are associated with this occurrence. Measures of Inflation One is able to identify the onset of inflation in an economy by measuring the inflation rate of that economy. Though there are a number of other ways in which measuring can be done, this is the main method that is used by econ omists on a global scale. Measuring the inflation rate is done by taking note of the yearly change in percentage terms of a price index over a period of time (Abel & Bernanke 93). The price index that is mostly used for these purposes is the consumer index though other can be used as well. The consumer price index is determined by measuring the prices of a selection of various goods and services that are usually bought by the average consumer and include items that may be needed on a daily basis such as foodstuffs and other supplies (Baumol & Blinder 25). High end items are not included in this collection of goods and services as they are first o f all not bought by the typical consumer and second of all not purchased on a regular basis thus they would reflect dishonestly on the final figure that is obtained in the end. Apart from the consumer price index, other indices that are also used to obtain the level of inflation in an economy also include the producer price index. This inde x concentrates on the producers rather than the consumers and determines the amount of money that domestic producers receive for their products over time determining the changes calculated in percentage in the process (Abel & Bernanke 98). The difference between this and the Consumer Price Index is mainly due to issues such as taxes and the intention of profit that will make the

Men and women struggle with gender expectations when balancing family Essay

Men and women struggle with gender expectations when balancing family and work - Essay Example The women participation rate increased but still lower than for men. The growth in women participation as put forward by Worell (1182) includes; improved education attainment, declining wages for men, declining family size, liberalization of perception of roles performed by men and women within the family as well as increased cost of living. Men and women take up different jobs at the work place. Most women are employed in the service sector with lowly paid wages and are rarely offered management positions. Men on the other hand, work in sectors that require a lot of skills such as engineering and construction where they are highly paid and also take up senior positions in the organizations. Gender pay gap also exists in the workplace where women are paid less than men in performing the same tasks. This can be attributed to gender stereotyping of roles which also leads to women taking up much workload at home and at the workplace. Women thus encounter more challenges than men while t rying to balance family and work. Gender Gender differences play an important role in determining the challenges faced by men and women in balancing family and work and how the challenges are negotiated. Traditionally, men performed heavy tasks such as hunting and gathering while women performed simple tasks and this continues to impact on their daily lives and modern occupational activities where jobs are offered in line with gender stereotype and role (Powell & Graves, 69). Women also were supposed to take care of their families while the men worked to provide for the family; the men were regarded as breadwinners and the women as care givers. This was attributed to biological factors where men are considered masculine and have good leadership skills. Women on the other hand are feminine in nature hence are caring and nurturing and always want to help others. As a result, women are employed in service sector where they interact with people and help them such as education, health an d as care givers. Men get jobs in sectors such as defense, construction, electrical work and engineering and take up leadership roles just as expected by the society (Powell & Graves, 76). Gender thus plays a role in determining occupational preferences of couples. Gender stereotyping also affects employer’s attitudes towards employees. It affects the HR procedures such as hiring, training and development, and promotion. There are those roles expected to be played by men and others for women and this affects recruitment decisions although discrimination based on gender is prohibited. Some employers view women as having more activities at home and therefore work for shorter time than men hence hindering their training and career advancement and consequently promotion decisions. The much emphasis put on women as homemakers affects their job preference whereby they prefer flexible working schedules and shorter working days as compared to men. Men as breadwinners are supposed to work and hence are accorded much search time for jobs and eventually get well paying jobs. Women on the other hand, have limited time to search for jobs and thus end up in lowly paid jobs and this affects work life balance as they don’t have enough to provide for their families (Powell & Graves, 79). Challenges Men and women are faced with various challenges as they struggle with

Frederick II (Frederick the Great) Research Paper

Frederick II (Frederick the Great) - Research Paper Example Majority of military strategists perceive him as a brilliant military thinker while critics accuse him of being a power-hungry tyrant willing to go to any length to calm his ego and enhance his reputation.1 This paper asserts that Frederick II epitomized what a military leader should be, especially based on his profound and enduring influence on other military strategists, leaders, generals, and statesmen who came after him.2 Frederick II noted, â€Å"A country should be ready for war, offensive or defensive and preparedness for war hinges on the condition of the army and the finances. Frederick II of Prussia was one of the â€Å"enlightened monarchs† (enlightened despots) based on the reforms that he was able to bring to Prussia. During his reign, he was able to expand the territories of Prussia to become a power house in Europe. Frederick modernized Prussian bureaucracy and civil service, besides promoting religious tolerance. Frederick managed to modify Prussia from European back water to an economically powerful and politically reformed state. One of the strengths of Frederick II lies in the fact that he was an enlightened absolutist and thus, could run the political side while simultaneously directing the army to achieve the objectives of the state. One of Frederick’s most outstanding quote details â€Å"a nation lacking an army is like an orchestra without instruments.†3 As a military leader, Frederick II focused on drill and discipline, besides stimulating initiative and inspiration in his military leadership. Frederick II maintained that common soldiers should fear their own officers more compared to the enemy, and he closely monitored his generals to ensure that none could be trusted to perform independently. As crown prince, Frederick II maintained that Prussia could not evade being drawn into conflict practically anywhere in Europe. However, his country was short of the

Outbound Tourism from China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Outbound Tourism from China - Essay Example Furthermore, the number of Chinese traveling to other abroad grew by over 25 per cent between 2000 and 2006 "BNET". For instance, in the year 2005 the Chinese made 31 million overseas trips (Cochrane 2008). The current high figures of outbound tourism from China did not grow overnight. China's policies in the past were restrictive and this minimized the number of travels by the Chinese in years before 1990 (Wen & Tisdel, 2001). For example, before 1990, the Chinese's travel abroad was mainly restricted to official visits or commercials functions rather than for holiday or leisure (Wen & Tisdel, 2001). Good tidings came in 1990 when China began relaxing its policies on outbound travel, first allowing visits to Southeast Asian counties for tourism purposes (Gu & Ratliff 2006). Perhaps this is the reason why outbound travel by the Chinese to the countries in this region is high. Along this line, "BNET" noted that the vast majority of overseas trips made by Chinese in 2005 were targeted for Hong Kong and Macau. In the 1998, the total number of Chinese who made overseas trips was 8.4 million, of which 5.2 travellers were doing business while the rest were on private functions (Wen & Tisdel, 2001). China's rising middle class income and an increasing crave to see the rest of the world make the country a significant outbound tourism market (Wen & Tisdel, 2001).. As cited above, China is progressively easing foreign travel policies and this adds impetus on the need to travel abroad. The rising levels of disposable income among the Chinese and constant exposure to foreign countries through television and the Internet have greatly contributed to the increase in outbound tourism from China (Prasad & Barnett 2004). The increase in number of travel agencies is indicative of the increase in number of outbound tourists. As an illustration, the number of travel agencies rose from 6,222 in 1998 to 11,552 in 2002 (Prasad & Barnett 2004). That a rise incomes among the Chinese and outbound travel policies have been phenomenal in promoting China's outbound tourism cannot be gainsaid. However, the two factors per se cannot be acclaimed to be determinants of outbound tourism. Other factors such as government limitations on the countries to which to travel come into play. For example, there is a list of countries that have an "Approved Destination Status" to which Chinese can freely travel (Lew et al 2002). Outside these countries, Chinese towards are perceived to be risking their lives (Lew et al 2002). The above factors and many others such as personal preferences and choices affect China's outbound travel. A discussion of the same and appraisal of relevant statistics forms the basis of discussion of this paper. Factors that have promoted China's outbound travel and tourism Changes in outbound travel policy China had a strict outbound travel policy that barred the Chinese from traveling overseas until 1983 (Zhang, Pine & Lam 2005). The Chinese government

Health of Indigenous Peoples Essay Example for Free

Health of Indigenous Peoples Essay This essay seeks to demonstrate that whilst Indigenous health policy may have been on the Australian public policy agenda since the1960s, the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health has remained. A brief description of the lives of Indigenous Australians prior to the colonisation of Australia is given, followed by a description of various policies that have been introduced by the Australian government to combat these inequalities. This essay demonstrates why these policies have been inadequate, in turn highlighting why the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge in creating Indigenous health policies is important. This essay closes with a brief examination of the Closing the Gap policy, which is utilising the knowledge of Indigenous Australians in creating culturally sensitive Indigenous health policies. In conclusion, this essay demonstrates that by including Indigenous Australians in the policymaking process, we might be starting to close the gap. The health inequality of Indigenous Australians has long been a concern for Australia and the world. Whilst the overall health of Australia has continued to improve, the health of Indigenous Australians remains at levels below those of non-indigenous Australians. Whilst it may seem that there is a lot being done to address these issues, the statistics demonstrate that policies implemented to address these issues have not been effective (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet 2010; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010, p. 29). The thesis of this essay is that whilst the government has been seen as attempting to address the issues of health inequalities of Indigenous Australians, it is only in recent times that the government has implemented programs that are anywhere near close to closing the gap between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. To demonstrate this thesis, this essay will firstly discuss the history of Indigenous health prior to colonisation. This will be done to highlight how Indigenous health has declined dramatically since colonisation. This essay will then discuss what the government has been doing since the 1967 referendum, in which Indigenous Australians were formally recognised in the Constitution, to address issues of health inequalities (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet 2010). In the next section, a discussion on the reasons why there is a large gap between Indigenous and non-indigenous health will occur. This will be followed by a discussion on the utilisation of Indigenous knowledge to provide adequate health services. This essay will finally discuss the current Closing The Gap policy (Australian Human Rights Commission 2011), which has been introduced to address issues that previous policies have failed to. This will be done to highlight the fact that whilst it may seem that as the Indigenous population require the knowledge and assistance of its non-indigenous counter parts, what is evident is that health of Indigenous populations has in fact declined since the colonisation of Australia. Failing to recognise the correlation between colonisation and declining health of Indigenous people, will only see a continuation of the problem rather than seeing a positive change. Whilst the information pertaining to the health of Indigenous Australians prior to colonisation in 1788 appears to be scarce, what is known is that Indigenous health has been on the decline since the arrival of European settlers. Indigenous Australians were considered to be healthier than those of their colonisers (Flood 2006, p. 120). Prior to colonisation, there was no contact with the outside world and therefore infectious diseases were minimal. Due to the introduction of new illnesses from colonisation, the population of Indigenous Australians declined (Carson 2007, p. 43). It was also common for Indigenous women to contract sexual diseases from the often non-consensual contact with the colonisers (Carson 2007, p. 44). Health was also impacted upon by change in diet. Prior to colonisation, Indigenous Australians maintained a diet of protein and vegetables due to the animals and plants available to them (Flood 2006, p.120), as well as the exercise they maintained from hunting and gathering (Flood 2006, p. 122). After colonisation, the Indigenous diet included many foods which saw an increase in obesity, diabetes and heart disease (O’Dea 1991, p. 233). It was not just the introduction of disease and change in die that impacted upon Indigenous Australians’ health. Anthropological studies surrounding Indigenous culture have shown that Indigenous populations have close ties to the land, as the land is incorporated into their sense of being. Pieces of land belonged to particular groups of individuals, and the objects from the natural landscape were considered to be part of their history (Carson 2007, p. 180). It was the failure of colonisers to understand this worldview that has contributed to the deterioration of mental health amongst Indigenous Australians, as they were forced off their lands and into settlements and reserves (Carson 2007, p. 49). This contributed to the feeling of being disconnected from land and family, exacerbating feelings of not be longing, lack of identity and low self-esteem (Ypinazar et al.2007,p. 474). As one can see, the issue of health amongst Indigenous Australians is a complex one, complicated by the differing world views of Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. It is due to this lack of understanding that has resulted in a myriad of health policies that have attempted to address the issue of health inequality of Indigenous Australians. The first health policy to address the health issues of Indigenous Australians was implemented in 1968, with thirty five adjustments made between then and 2006. Without going into the details of every amendment or new policy, what was common throughout this timeline, was that there were various bodies and institutions created to address the issues that had not been adequately addressed previously, responsibilities were allocated by the government to the states and territories, and programs were implemented to address health issues. Change in governments also meant that policies were constantly changing, which meant that the ways in which health issues were seen and therefore addressed also changed (Australian Indigenous Health InfoNet 2010). When attempting to implement a policy that will adequately address the issue, what has been found is that comparative analysis has been used to determine how health issues have been addressed in other countries. Whilst this kind of analysis may be sufficient in some circumstances, it does not suit such a situation where our Indigenous population’s culture and worldview is unlike that of any other. For example, whilst health issues may be similar to those of Indigenous populations elsewhere, worldviews which impact upon health and wellbeing will vary and may not be able to be applied from one culture to another (Tsey et al.2003, p. 36). One event that highlights the differing views on how issues should be addressed, was the closing down of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) by the John Howard Government in 2004 (Australian Indigenous Health InfoNet2010). What was significant about this was that Indigenous health policy had been the responsibility of ATSIC. This action effectively removed the responsibility of Indigenous health from the Indigenous people and placed the responsibility with mainstream departments that were also responsible for non-indigenous health. By doing this, the government had  wound back many years of work to address the health inequalities of Indigenous Australians, perceiving Indigenous Australians as a culture that could not look after themselves and needed instead the knowledge and expertise of the superior colonialists (Kay Perrin 2007, p. 19). By removing the responsibility of Indigenous health from ATSIC and placing it in the hands of a body that was also responsible for non-indigenous health, the government failed to understand the intricacies of Indigenous Australian culture and the implications that this kind of action can have on Indigenous health. Whilst the overall health of Australians is amongst the top third of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010, p. 8). There is a clear disparity between Indigenous and non-indigenous health, when one considers that even in this day and age of modern medicine, Indigenous Australians are expected to live twelve years less than their non-indigenous counterparts for males, and ten years less for females (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010, p. 29). So what are considered to be the reasons for this inequality? What has already been highlighted, is that Indigenous health has suffered from the introduction to changes in diet, introduction of diseases both airborne and venereal, and the impact upon mental health due to dispossession of land and loss of kinship. Mental health issues can also be connected to the economic and social disadvantage of many Indigenous individuals, which can lead to substance abuse and other issues (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010, p. 33). The failure to adequately address mental health issues has resulted in deaths by suicide being the second biggest reason for deaths by injury (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010, p. 30). These figures demonstrate that policies have clearly not been working. A salient point to note is that Indigenous Australians are the least likely group of the whole population, to access important health services. So what are the reasons behind this lack of access to services? It can be as simple as the kind of service that an individual receives. From personal experience of serving Indigenous customers, tone of voice can be misinterpreted. What may be considered polite in most circumstances, can be misconstrued as being conceited by others. Use of language can also be a barrier. For example, (again from personal experience), language has to be altered to manoeuvre these barriers, such as replacing the term ‘bank account’ with the word ‘kitty’. Other barriers may include the fact that in remote communities, health professionals may also be the town judge, which may deter Indigenous people from accessing the services from a person who might have also been responsible for sentencing an individual or a member of their family (Paul 1998, p.67). Barriers such as the remote locations of individuals in comparison to the services, and the cost of services also have to be taken into account. For example, if a service is some distance away from an individual, the cost of travelling may be too high. The cost of services close by may also be too expensive for individuals, or individuals may receive poor treatment due to either being turned away from services, or mistreatment due to racialist beliefs. This may result in individuals travelling long distances due to this very mistreatment in their own communities (Paul 1998, pp.67-68). The misconception that all Indigenous Australians are one group of people can also result in culturally inadequate services, deterring individuals from accessing important health services (Paul 1998, p. 68). This lack of understanding about Indigenous cultures when providing health services has resulted in a rise in the provision of health services that are either run by Indigenous individuals, or have been created in consultation with Indigenous individuals, to ensure that the services being provided are culturally adequate. An example that highlights this can be seen in the creation of a program in 1998in the Northern Territory that was attempting to address the health inequalities of Indigenous children (Campbell et al 2005, p. 153). There were many problems with this programme because the people that were overseeing the programme did not have cultural knowledge that was a factor in the health and wellbeing of the children. What resulted was a program which was implemented in an Indigenous remote community, which utilised the knowledge of Indigenous people from the community itself. This allowed for the programme to be altered when issues were addressed and individuals within the community were able to provide solutions to issues, rather than being told what was going to happen by an outside authority (Campbell etal. 2005, p. 155). Whilst this programme realised that a bottom-up approach was more beneficial than a top-down one which usually occurs in policy implementation, there were issues because the programme also involved people from the outside that were there to manage the programme, who were unwilling to give total control to the community, generating feelings of disempowerment, resentment and marginalisation (Campbell et al. 2005, p. 156). Whilst there are many examples of programs that have been implemented to address the health inequalities of Indigenous Australians, one that deserves mentioning because of success that it has had are the men’s groups in Yaba Bimbie and Ma’Ddaimba Balas (McCalman et al. 2010, p. 160). What was found was that these programs were successful because they were run by Indigenous men who had direct knowledge of the cultural issues and needs of the community as they also lived there. They were also successful because the men felt included in their communities by having control, rather than being controlled by an outside source. Due to these men’s groups, individuals were able to come together and share their concerns about their community, and as the others also were from the same community, they were able to contribute to solutions to the problems by feeling able to speak freely about their concerns. One such concern was anger management issues, which were exacerbated by the social issues that the individuals faced (McCalman et al. 2010, p. 163). Whilst, issues like this may seem to be separate, they in fact contribute to other areas, as has been mentioned earlier in regards to mental health and suicide, which flow on to other members of the community, when there may be no one in the family who is able to earn an income, which contributes to poverty. This may in turn, render an individual unable to access services as previously mentioned. As one can see, when individuals who are directly impacted by issues, are included in finding solutions to address these issues, there is more success than when they are not included. It is the understanding of this that has seen the implementation of the Close The Gap policy (Australian Human Rights Commission 2011). This policy is based on the understanding that the concept of health is different in the eyes of Indigenous Australians than that of non-Indigenous Australians (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare2009). This policy has sought to reduce the gap of inequality between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians by reducing the gap in life expectancy by 2031, halving mortality rates of children by2018, ensuring equal access to early childhood education by 2013, halving the gap in the area of inability to read and write by 2018, halving the gap of individuals who attain their Year 12 education by 2020 and halving the gap of unemployment rates by 2018 (Gillard2011, p. 2). Various programmes have been implemented to address these issues, with a common theme of inclusion. That is, the programs all involve Indigenous Australians who have a better cultural understanding than non-indigenous Australians. This has allowed for individuals to work with their own communities, various levels of government, non-government organisations and businesses (Gillard 2011, p. 6). By doing so, it has provided individuals with a sense of control and purpose over their own lives, which has seen a decrease in the mortality rates of Indigenous Australians (Gillard2011, p. 12), as well as a reduction in the rates of reading and writing problems (Gillard 2011, p. 14). There has also been a significant increase in the numbers of Indigenous Australians aiming towards their Year 12 qualifications (Gillard 2011, p. 16), as well as a decrease in the number of unemployed in the Indigenous population (Gillard 2011, p. 17). Whilst these figures are promising, one has to look at some of the programs that have been implemented as a result of this policy, to see if lessons have been learned from past mistakes, or if similar mistakes are being made. One such program that is deemed to be addressing issues of inequality is the Welfare Payment Reform act, which allowed the government to withhold portions of welfare payments (Gruenstein 2008, p. 468). This was to ensure that portions of the payment were going to required living expenses before going to things such as alcohol. Whilst this may seem as though it is an important step in addressing issues within communities, what is important to note is that policies such as these are in direct violation of the Racial Discrimination Convention because they directly target Indigenous individuals solely because they are Indigenous and are not necessarily in need of intervention (Gruenstein, 2008, p. 469). Whilst the Closing the Gap policy has good intentions, it can result in actions that treat Indigenous Australians as a homogenous group, rather than recognising the variation of issues. In conclusion, this essay has demonstrated that Australia has come a long way in addressing the issues of inequality amongst Indigenous Australians. It has been demonstrated that Indigenous Australians were in good health prior to colonisation, and only since colonisation has the health of Indigenous Australians has declined. This essay has also shown that the different governments have varied between allowing Indigenous Australians self-determination, or be included in the process of policy making, to the government seizing control of the issues, excluding the Indigenous community from decision making. Whilst it has been shown that the government has been addressing issues for well over 40 years, it has only been in recent times that issues of inequality have begun to be adequately addressed. By understanding that it is Indigenous Australians who are better able to understand their issues, which stem from the actions of non-indigenous peoples and allowing Indigenous Australians to take control of their own lives, will we start to close the gap of health inequality between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

Peace Essay Example for Free

Peace Essay Christianity and Islam have similar teachings on peace and it is evident that there is a strong relationship between these fundamental teachings and the ways in which the religious traditions and their organizations actively strive towards world peace. World peace is understood in both faiths, not just as an absence of violence and conflict, but also as an overall sense of wellbeing and social cohesion. Inner peace is essential in achieving world peace, and must be attained in order to work towards peace at a higher level. Christianity teaches that peace is Christ’s parting gift and a concept that begins with Him, â€Å"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you† (John 14:27). The Catholic peace movement â€Å"Pax Christi† stands for the ‘peace of Christ’ and has launched a policy for a culture of peace and non-violence. â€Å"Pax Christi† uses the teaching of the peace of Christ to guide them, calling adherents to state that they are recognizing their responsibility to â€Å"respect life†¦practice active non-violence [and] defend freedom† (Pax Christi International Manifesto for a Culture of Peace and Non Violence 1999) in order to contribute to the achievement of world peace. Islam teaches that peace can only be attained through the submission to Allah’s will. One is able to submit to Allah through the process of jihad, which is to struggle to overcome the obstacles in the way of submission, or the process of Shahada. The Sufism movement provides Muslims with a path to follow in order to contribute to the attainment of world peace through 3 stations. These mirror the teaching that peace can only be found in Allah, encouraging the submission as the initial step in moving towards world peace, â€Å"Submitting our†¦bodies to Allah is Sufism† (Sufism Equals to Islam). The teaching of submission and anticipation of pleasing Him, establishes a Muslims role in actively working towards achieving world peace. The Quakers are a Christian denomination that follows the principal teaching of pacifism, as modelled by Jesus’ ministry. Christ’s teaching of the Beatitudes is fundamental in guiding the Quakers, especially in â€Å"Blessed are the peacemakers† (Matthew 5:9). The Quakers work towards world peace through things such as rallies and marches for peace and justice, as well as campaigning and raising awareness about social justice and supporting those looking for an alternative to violence. The Quaker’s choice to refrain from war to contribute to world peace can be seen by their silent vigils against war, such as that in King George Square. In 1660, the Quakers presented â€Å"A Declaration from the Harmless and Innocent†¦Quakers†, which has been the basis for the Quaker’s peace testimony in which they strive towards attaining world peace. Rufus Jones, a Quaker, stated that Quakers have an â€Å"obligation to assist and to forward movements and forces which make for peace in the world† (The Quaker Peace Position). Peace is a fundamental aim of Islam and teaches that war is only permitted to overcome oppression and tyranny. The Qur’an teaches that â€Å"whosoever killed a soul†¦it is as if he had killed all mankinds† (Al-Madiah 5:32). However, this is overlooked due to common misconceptions about the Islamic faith, especially due to exploitation by the media. After the violent aftermath of the London bombings in 2005, the NSW Islamic Council stated on their website, â€Å"We firmly hold the view that these killings and atrocities have absolutely no sanction in Islam†¦terrorism†¦has no support from†¦the Islamic community†¦and would never be endorsed†. Partnerships exist between Muslim, Jewish and Christian organizations so that their voices aren’t overlooked, for example the 1991 ‘Prayer for Peace’ in which it was asked, â€Å"Forgive our violence towards each other†. Even though overlooked by the media, Muslims work tirelessly towards world peace. Christianity expresses that justice must come before peace is achieved. In 1972, in the World Day of Peace Message, the Catholic Pope Paul VI said, â€Å"If you want peace, act for Justice†. Accordingly, the Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV), seek peace, justice and reconciliation. In a report titled, â€Å"Called Together to be Peacemakers†, Catholics and Mennonites hoped to work together to assist the WCC’s DOV, stating, â€Å"Our similar identities as ‘peace churches’†¦our commitment to be followers†¦of Jesus Christ†¦Prince of Peace. † They quote John Paul II in the World Day of Peace (2002), â€Å"no peace without justice†, adding, â€Å"in the absence of justice†¦peace is a mirage†¦justice is an inseparable companion of peace† (CTBP 177). It is evident, the relationship between the doctrine of justice before peace, and then the actions to chieve this to strive towards world peace. The Qur’an teaches that, â€Å"Allah guides those†¦to the ways of peace†¦and guides them to a straight path† (5:16), often termed ‘the paths of peace’. This teaching of being guided on a path of peace is demonstrated by the organization Muslim Peace Fellowship, declaring on their website that their main objectives are to â€Å"work together with all people of good will to keep open the straight path† and to â€Å"work against injustice and for peace†¦in our world† (Muslim Peace Fellowship Blog). This organization actively seek world peace through the use of conferences, publications, speeches and interreligious action, as well as interior work and prayer. Evidently, principal teachings in both Christianity and Islam help to guide and encourage both their roles in the attainment of world peace. The fundamental teachings act as guidelines to be interpreted by current followers in order to play a role in the triumph of world peace. There is a strong correlation between the theoretical principal teachings and he actions performed by leaders and adherents to gain peace at a world level.

Microwave Remote Sensing in Forestry

Microwave Remote Sensing in Forestry BACKGROUND: Microwave remote sensing at wavelengths ranging from 1 cm to 1 m has gained a lot of importance over the past decade for a wide range of scientific applications with the availability of active radar imaging systems. Its potential in spatial applications has been scientifically established in various sectors like forestry, agriculture, land use and land cover, geology and hydrology. A variety of applications have been carried out world over using microwave data like discrimination of crop types, crop condition monitoring, soil moisture retrieval, delineation of forest openings, estimation of forest above ground biomass, forest mapping; forest structure and fire scar mapping, geological mapping, monitoring wetlands and snow cover, sea ice identification, coastal windfield measurement, wave slope measurement, ship detection, shoreline detection, substrate mapping, slick detection and general vegetation mapping (Kasischke et al., 1997). There is an emerging interest on microwave remote sensing, as microwave sensors can image a surface with very fine resolution of a few meters to coarse resolution of a few kilometers. They provide imagery to a given resolution independently of altitude, limited only by the transmitter power available. Fundamental parameters like polarization and look angle can be varied to optimize the system for a specific application. SAR imaging is independent of solar illumination as the system provides its own source of illumination. It can operate independently of weather conditions if sufficiently long wavelengths are chosen. It operates in a band of electromagnetic spectrum different from the bands used by visible and infrared (IR) imageries. Microwave applications in Forestry Applications of microwave remote sensing in forestry have also been reported during the recent past. Recent reviews on the application of radar in forestry show that SAR systems have a good capability in discriminating various types of (tropical) forest cover using multi-temporal and multi-frequency SAR data (Vander Sanden, 1997; Varekamp, 2001; Quinones, 2002; Sgrenzaroli, 2004). These studies showed that the biomass dependence of radar backscatter varies as a function of radar wavelength, polarization and incidence angle. Also recent studies have demonstrated that synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can be used to estimate above-ground standing biomass. To date, these studies have relied on extensive ground-truth measurements to construct relationships between biomass and SAR backscatter (Steininger, 1996; Rignot et al., 1997). Many studies demonstrated the use of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing to retrieve biophysical characteristics from forest targets (Richards, 1990). Although radar backscatter from forest is influenced by their structural properties (Imhoff, 1995), earlier studies derived useful relationships between backscattering coefficients and the above-ground biomass (Baker et., 1994; Le Toan et al., 1992; Dobson et el., 1992; Imhoff; 1995). These relationships may provide a method of monitoring forest ecosystems which play such a vital role in carbon storage and NPP. Microwave remote sensing has the advantage of all weather capability coverage overcoming the persistent problem of cloud cover in satellite images like in optical data. Optical remote sensing is being used very successfully in various applications related to earth resources studies and monitoring of the environment. However, optical remote sensing is not suitable for all atmospheric conditions. It cannot penetrate through clouds and haze. In many areas of the world, the frequent cloud conditions often restrain the acquisition of high-quality remotely sensed data by optical sensors. Thus, radar data has become the only feasible way of acquiring remotely sensed data within a given time framework because the radar systems can collect Earth feature data irrespective of weather or light conditions. Due to this unique feature of radar data compared with optical sensor data, the radar data have been used extensively in many fields, including forest-cover identification and mapping, discrimi nation of forest compartments and forest types, estimation of forest stand parameters and monitoring of forests. In areas where vegetation cover is dense, it visually covers the underlying formation and it is very difficult to detect structural limiting the use of optical sensors. Radar however, is sensitive enough to topographic variation that it is able to discern the structural expression reflected in the tree top canopy, and therefore the structure may be clearly defined on the radar imagery. Based on this background, the current thesis work has been carried out to explore the potential of microwave data in addressing core areas of tropical forestry viz., vegetation classification, above ground biomass estimation etc., and to provide the users/researchers a meaningful data base of SAR applications in tropical forestry, specifically over the India region. Research questions: Which SAR wavelength/frequency band is appropriate for vegetation classification in tropical forests? To what extent above ground biomass can be measured in tropical forests? Which frequency band and polarization are suitable for above ground biomass estimation? Is there any enhancement in vegetation classification with polarimetric / interferometric data than stand alone amplitude data? Research hypothesis: Based on the previous studies and earlier mentioned research questions, we understand that the backscatter increases with the increase in above ground biomass and depends on wavelength bands, polarizations used and on the study area, topographic variations and species composition. So, the present study attempts to derive the application potential of airborne and space borne SAR data in the quantification of the forest resources in tropical regions like India, both as a complementary and supplementary role to optical datasets. Different techniques such as Regression analysis, multi-sensor fusion, texture measures and interferometric coherence characterize different biomass ranges of the test sites and classification of major land cover classes. This study would facilitate scope for future research in tropical regions to explore the potentials of SAR data in land cover classification and above ground biomass estimation using the polarimetric and interferometric techniques. OBJECTIVES: Based on this background, the present study aims at the following objectives: Vegetation type classification using polarimetric and interferometric SAR data. Forest above-ground biomass estimation using multi-frequency SAR data and ground inventoried data. Vegetation classification is necessary to understand the diversity of species in a given area which gives above ground biomass with measured parameters. Hence, vegetation classification enhances the estimation of the above ground biomass. Forest biomass is a key parameter in understanding the carbon cycle and determining rates of carbon storage, both of which are large uncertainties for forest ecosystems. Accurate knowledge of biophysical parameters of the ecosystems is essential to develop an understanding of the ecosystem and their interactions, to provide input models of ecosystem and global processes, to test these models and to monitor changes in ecosystem dynamics and processes over time. Thus, it is a useful measure for assessing changes in forest structure, comparing structural and functional attributes of forest ecosystems across a wide range of environmental conditions. Knowing the spatial distribution of forest biomass is important as the knowledge of biomass is required for calculating the sources and sinks of carbon that result from converting a forest to cleared land and vice versa, to know the spatial distribution of biomass which enables measurement of change through time. Field sampling is the most followed conventional method for vegetation type classification. The identification of different species in field yields good results in the estimation of the above ground biomass. It is very time consuming, expensive and very complicated. With the use of multiple sensors, varied data collection and interpretation techniques, remote sensing is a versatile tool that can provide data about the surface of the earth to suit any need (Reene et al, 2001). Remote sensing approach for vegetation classification is cost effective and also time effective. Though the identification of the tree species is possible only from the aerial imagery, major forest types can be identified from the airborne and the spaceborne remote sensing data. Visual image interpretation provides a feasible means of vegetation classification in forests. The image characteristics of shape, size, pattern, shadow, tone and texture are used by interpreters in tree species identification. Phenological correlations are useful in tree species identification. Changes in the appearance of trees in different seasons of the year some times enable discrimination of species that are indistinguishable on single dates. The use of multi-temporal remote sensing data enabl es the mapping of the different forest types. SAR has shown its potential for classifying and monitoring geophysical parameters both locally and globally. Excellent works were carried out on the classification using several approaches such as polarimetric data decomposition (Lee et al., 1998), knowledge based approaches considering the theoretical backscatter modeling and experimental observations ( Ramson and Sun , 1994) ; Backscatter model-related inversion approaches ( Kurvonen et al., 1999), neural networks and data fusion approaches ( Chen et al., 1996). Dong et al. (2001) have shown that the classification accuracy of 95% for the vegetation classes could be achieved through the segmentation and classification of the SAR data using Gaussian Markov Random Field Model (GMRF). Many methods have been employed for classification of polarimetric SAR data, based on the maximum likelihood (ML) (Lee et al. 1994), artificial neural network (NN) (Chen et al. 1996, Ito and Omatu, 1998), support vector machines (SVMs) (Fukuda et al. 2002), fuzzy method (Chen et al. 2003, Du and Lee 1996), or other approaches (Kong et al. 1988, Lee and Hoppel 1992, van Zyl and Burnette 1992, Cloude and Pottier 1997, Lee et al. 1999, Alberqa 2004) Among these methods, the ML classifier (Lee et al. 1994) can be employed for obtaining accurate classification results, but it is based on the assumption of the complex Wishart distribution of the covariance matrix. Assessing the total aboveground biomass of forests (biomass density when expressed as dry weight per unit area at a particular time) is a useful way of quantifying the amount of resource available for all traditional uses. It either gives the quantity of total biomass directly or the quantity by each component (e.g., leaves, branches, and bole) because their biomass tends to vary systematically with the total biomass. However, biomass of each component varies with total biomass by forest type, such as natural or planted forests and closed or open forests. For example, leaves contribute about 3-5% and merchantable bole is about 60% of the total aboveground biomass of closed forests. Many researchers have developed various methods based on field inventory and remote sensing approaches for the estimation of above ground biomass (Kira and Ogawa, 1971). Traditionally, field-measured approach is considered as the most accurate source for above-ground biomass estimation. It has been converted to volume, or biomass, using allometric equations that are based on standard field measurements (tree height and diameter at breast height). Different approaches, based on field measurement (Brown et al. 1989, Brown and Iverson 1992, Schroeder et al.. 1997, Houghton et al., 2001, Brown, 2002); remote sensing (Tiwari 1994, Roy and Ravan 1996, Tomppo et al., 2002, Foody et al., 2003, Santos et al., 2003, Zheng et al., 2004, Lu, 2005); and GIS (Brown and Gaston 1995) have been applied for AGB estimation. Traditional techniques based on field measurement are the most accurate ways for collecting biomass data. A sufficient number of field measurements is a prerequisite for developing AGB estimation models and for evaluating the AGB estimation results. However, these approaches are often time consuming, labour intensive, and difficult to implement, especially in remote areas and are generally limited to 10-year intervals. Also, they cannot provide the spatial distribution of biomass in large areas. For the above reasons, the perspectives of using remote sensing techniques to estimate forest biomass have gained interest. Remote sensing data available at different scales, from local to global, and from various sources, optical to microwave are expected to provide information that could be related indirectly, and in different manners, to biomass information. The possibility that aboveground forest biomass might be determined from space is a promising alternative to ground-based methods (Hese et al., 2005). The advantages of remotely sensed data, such as in repetivity of data collection, synoptic view, digital format that allows fast processing of large quantities of data, and the high correlations between spectral bands and vegetation parameters, make it the primary source for large area AGB estimation, especially in areas of difficult access. Therefore, remote sensing-based AGB estimation has increasingly attracted scientific interest. In general, AGB can be estimated using remotely sensed data with different approaches, such as multiple regression analysis, K nearest-neighbour, and neural network (Roy and Ravan 1996, Nelson et al. 2000a, Steininger 2000, Foody et al. 2003, Zheng et al. 2004), and indirectly estimated from canopy parameters, such as crown diameter, which are first derived from remotely sensed data using multiple regression analysis or different canopy reflectance models (Wu and Strahler 1994, Woodcock et al. 1997, Phua and Saito 2003, Popescu et al. 2003). Spectral signatures or vegetation indices are often used for AGB estimation in optical remote sensing. Many vegetation indices have been developed and applied to biophysical parameter studies (Anderson and Hanson 1992, Anderson et al. 1993, Eastwood et al. 1997, Lu et al. 2004, Mutanga and Skidmore 2004). Vegetation indices have been recommended to remove variability caused by canopy geometry, soil background, sun view angles, and atmospheric conditions when measuring biophysical properties (Elvidge and Chen 1995, Blackburn and Steele 1999). Radar remote sensing has potential to provide information on above ground biomass. The information content of SAR data in terms of the retrieval of biomass parameters will be assessed based on an understanding of the underlying scattering mechanisms, which in turn are derived from observations and modeling results. For this purpose, an analysis of data acquired by multiple frequency, incidence and polarisation systems and by interferometric systems is carried out. It has been proved that the sensitivity to biomass parameters differ strongly at different frequencies, polarisations and incidence angles. In general, long wavelength SAR backscatter (P and L band) is more sensitive to forest biomass than shorter wavelength C-band backscatter and the relationships saturate at certain biomass levels ( Imhoff 1995b). The strength of the relationships and the saturation levels are dependent on the type of forest being analysed (Ferrazoli et al. 1997). The saturation levels for the estimation of above ground biomass depend on the wavelengths (i.e. different bands, such as C, L, P), polarization (such as HV and VV), and the characteristics of vegetation stand structure and ground conditions. C-band can measure forestry biomass up to app. 50 tons/ha, L-band can measure up to 100 tons/ha and P-band can measure up to 200 tons/ha (Floyd et al., 1998). The combination of multiple channels and polarizations provides greater advantage for estimating total biomass (Harry Stern, 1998). RELEVANCE OF THE STUDY: The present study is the part of Radar Imaging satellite Joint Experiment Programme (RISAT-JEP) for forestry applications undertaken by Forestry and Ecology Division of National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), as a pilot campaign with specific objectives of above ground biomass estimation and vegetation type classification using airborne DLR (German Aerospace Center) carrying ESAR (Experimental Synthetic Aperture Radar) data for Rajpipla (Gujarat) study site and space borne ENVISAT (Environmental Satellite) carrying Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) data for three test sites viz., Rajpipla (Gujarat), Dandeli (Karnataka) and Bilaspur (Chattisgarh), India. SCOPE OF THE STUDY: The specific objectives of the present study are above ground biomass estimation and vegetation type classification using airborne DLR (German Aerospace Center) carrying ESAR (Experimental Synthetic Aperture Radar) data for Rajpipla (Gujarat) study site and space borne ENVISAT (Environmental Satellite) carrying Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) data; ALOS (Advanced Land Observing Satellite) carrying Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) for three test sites viz., Rajpipla (Gujarat), Dandeli (Karnataka) and Bilaspur (Chattisgarh), India. Different techniques such as Regression analysis, multi-sensor fusion, texture measures and interferometric coherence were used to characterize different biomass ranges of the test sites and to classify the major land cover classes using spaceborne C-band ENVISAT-ASAR data and L-band ALOS- PALSAR data. Polarimetric signatures, polarimetric decompositions, multi-sensor fusion techniques etc. were used for the classification of different vegetation types in the Rajpipla study area using the airborne DLR-ESAR data. The study has its uniqueness and gains importance in the application potential of SAR interferometry over tropical regions like India, both in terms of an alternate/substitute to optical data sets due to persisting cloud cover and to the lack of availability of any earlier scientific work over the study region. This study is useful for the applications of to be launched Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) in 2010. The study has amply demonstrated the application potential of airborne and space borne SAR data in the quantification of the forest resources in tropical regions like India, both as a complementary and supplementary role to optical datasets. The study would facilitate future research in tropical regions to explore the potentials of SAR data in land cover classification and above ground biomass estimation using the polarimetric and interferometric techniques. LITERATURE SURVEY: During the last decade, many potential applications of SAR in different frequency bands have been studied for forestry applications using data acquired by both airborne and space-borne systems. Various techniques like Polarimetry, Interferometry and Polarimetric-Interferometry enhanced the use of SAR data in forestry applications. The backscatter from vegetation is used to infer information about amplitude data for forest cover mapping and estimation of above ground biomass in regenerating forests. Use of SAR polarimetric data delineated vegetation classes within the forest and also enhanced the capability in estimating the above ground biomass. The use of repeat pass interferometric data enables to calculate the forest stand height and also used for the land cover classification. The emerging Pol-InSAR technique is used to derive the three dimensional forest structures. Forest cover maps were prepared for the boreal, temperate and tropical forests using SAR data. Forest was separated from non-forest regions using multi-temporal C-band ERS SAR data on the test sites of United Kingdom, Poland and Finland (Quegan et al., 2000). The study applied a threshold value to separate forest from other classes. Tropical rainforest of Borneo was mapped from SIR-B data of different incidence angles (Ford and Casey, 1988). Different vegetation covers along with wetlands and clear-cut areas were distinguished. Forest cover mapping was done with JERS-1 SAR data on the coastal regions of Gabon (Simard et al., 2000). The study used decision tree method utilizing both radar amplitude and texture information. Forest cover map was prepared for Southern Chittagong using JERS-1 SAR data (Rahman and Sumantyo, 2007) and the study separated forest, degraded forest, shrubs, coastal plantations, agriculture, shrimp-farms, urban and water. Although radar backscatter from forest is influenced by their structural properties (Imhoff, 1995a), many studies have demonstrated useful relationships between backscattering coefficients and the areal density of above-ground biomass within particular types of forest (Baker et., 1994; Le Toan et al., 1992; Dobson et al., 1992; Imhof et al; 1995b). Many airborne and spaceborne SAR systems have been used to carry out a large amount of experiments for investigating the forest ecosystems. The airborne systems, such as the NASA/JPL AIRSAR, DLR-ESAR, etc., operating at P, L and C band, has been flown over many forest sites (Zebker et al., 1991; Le Toan et al, 1992; Beaudoin et al., 1994; Rignot et al.; 1994; Skriver et al., 1994; Ranson et al., 1996). The experiments of the Canadian CV-580, as well as the European airborne system, mainly operating at C and X band also have been carried out in North America and Europe (Drieman et al., 1989; Hoekman, 1990). Spaceborne SAR is being used from regional to global monitoring in a periodic basis. The spaceborne systems, such as the Seasat SAR, SIR-B, SIR-C/X-SAR and ERS-1, ERS-2, ENVISAT-ASAR, RADARSAT etc., were used for investigations of boreal, temperature and sub-tropical forestry test sites (Ford et al., 1988; Dobson et al., 1992; Ranson et al., 1995; Stofan et al., 1995; Rignotet al., 1995). These experiments and studies have shown that radar is sensitive to forest structural parameters such as diameter at breast height (dbh) and tree mean height including above-ground biomass (Dobson et al., 1992; Pulliainen et al., 1994; Skriver et al., 1994; Ferrazzoli et al., 1995; Ranson et al., 1996). Earlier studies has shown the potential of radar data in estimating AGB (Hussin et al. 1991, Ranson and Sun 1994, Dobson et al. 1995, Rignot et al. 1995, Saatchi and Moghaddam 1995, Foody et al. 1997, Harrell et al. 1997, Ranson et al. 1997, Luckman et al. 1997, 1998, Pairman et al. 1999, Imhoff et al. 2000, Kuplich et al. 2000, Castel et al. 2002, Sun et al. 2002, Santos et al. 2003, Treuhaft et al. 2004). Kasischke et al. (1997) reviewed radar data for ecological applications, including AGB estimation. Lucas et al. (2004) and Kasischke et al. (2004) reviewed SAR data for AGB estimation in tropical forests and temperate and boreal forests, respectively. Different wavelength radar data have their own characteristics in relating to forest stand parameters. Backscatter in P and L bands is highly correlated with major forest parameters, such as tree age, tree height, DBH, basal area, and AGB (Leckie 1998). In particular, SAR L-band data have proven to be valuable for AGB estimation (Sad er 1987, Luckman et al. 1997, Kurvonen et al. 1999, Sun et al. 2002). However, low or negligible correlations were found between SAR C-Band backscatter and AGB (Le Toan et al. 1992). Beaudoin et al. (1994) found that the HH return was related to both trunk and crown biomass, and the VV and HV returns were linked to crown biomass. Harrell et al. (1997) evaluated four techniques for AGB estimation in pine stands using SIR C- and L-Band multi-polarization radar data and found that the L-Band HH polarization data were the critical elements in AGB estimation. Kuplich et al. (2000) used L-band JERS-1/SAR data for AGB estimation of regenerating forests and concluded that these data had the potential to estimate AGB for young, regenerating forests. Sun et al. (2002) found that multi-polarization L-Band SAR data were useful for AGB estimation of forest stands in mountainous areas. Castel et al. (2002) identified the significant relationships between the backscatter coefficient of JERS- 1/SAR data and the stand biomass of a pine plantation. The study observed the improvement in AGB estimation results for young stands, compared to estimation for old stands. Santos et al. (2002) used JERS-1 SAR data to analyse the relationships between backscatter signals and biomass of forest and savanna formations. This study concluded that forest structural-physiognomic characteristics and the radars volume scattering, double bounce scattering are two important factors affecting these relationships. The saturation levels of backscattering co-efficient with respect to AGB depend on the wavelengths (i.e. different Bands, such as C, L, P), polarization (such as HV and VV), and the characteristics of vegetation stand structure and ground conditions. Luckman et al. (1997) found that the longer-wavelength (L-Band) SAR image was more suitable to discriminate different levels of forest biomass up to a certain threshold, indicating that it is suitable for estimating biomass of regenerating forests in tropical regions. Austin et al. (2003) indicated that forest biomass estimation using radar data may be feasible when landscape characteristics are taken into account. The radar backscattering coefficient is correlated with forest biomass and stem volume (Le Toan et al. 1992, Israelsson et al. 1994, Kasischke et al. 1994, Dobson et al. 1995). The sensitivity of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to forest stem volume increases significantly as the radar wavelength increases (Israelsson et al. 1997). The imaging process makes SAR suitable for mapping parameters related to forest biomass, like stem volume (Baker et al, 1999; Fransson et al, 1999; Hyyppa et al, 1997; Israelsson et al., 1997; Kurvonen et al, 1999; Pulliainen et al, 1996), total growing stock (Balzter et al, 2000; Schmullius et al, 1997), LAI (Imhoff et al, 1997), or above ground net primary productivity (Bergen et al, 1998). Le Toan et al., (1992) used multi-polarisation L- and P-band airborne radar data, and found that the dynamic range of the radar backscatter corresponded highly with forest growth stages and is maximum at P-band HV polarization. The analysis of P-band data indicated a good correlation between the radar backscatter intensity and the main forest parameters including trunk biomass, height, age, diameter at breast height (dbh), and basal area. Dobson et al., (1992) showed an increasing range of backscatter with changing biomass from C to P-band, as well as higher biomass levels at which backscatter relationships to biomass saturate. Hoekman, (1990) found poor relationships between X- and C-band backscatter and volume and other stand parameters. The spaceborne systems, such as the Seasat SAR, SIR-B, SIR-C/X-SAR and ERS-1, ERS-2, JERS, ENVISAT-ASAR and recently ALOS-PALSAR etc. were used for investigations of boreal, temperature and sub-tropical forestry test sites (Ford et al., 1988; Dobson et al., 1992; Ranson et al., 1995; Stofan et al., 1995; Rignot et al., 1995). These experiments and studies have shown that radar is sensitive to forest structural parameters including above-ground biomass (Dobson et al., 1992; Pulliainen et al., 1994; Skriver et al., 1994; Ferrazzoli et al., 1995; Ranson et al., 1996). Kasischke et al., (1997) reviewed radar data for ecological applications, including AGB estimation. It is being reported in literature that the radar backscatter in the P and L bands is highly correlated with major forest parameters, such as tree age, tree height, DBH, basal area, and AGB. In particular, SAR L-Band data have proven to be valuable for AGB estimation (Sader, 1987; Luckman et al., 1997; Kurvonen et al., 1999; Sun et al., 2002). Kuplich et al., (2000) used JERS-SAR data for AGB estimation of regenerating forests and concluded that these data had the potential to estimate AGB for young, regenerating forests. Luckman et al., (1997) found that the longer-wavelength (L-Band) SAR image was more suitable to discriminate different levels L-Band backscatter shows no sensitivity to increased biomass density after a certain threshold, such as 100 tons ha-1, indicating that it is suitable for estimating biomass of regenerating forests in tropical regions. The radar backscattering coefficient is correlated with forest biomass and stem volume (Le Toan et al. 1992; Israelsson et al., 1994; Kasischke et al., 1994, Dobson et al., 1995). The sensitivity of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to forest stem volume increases significantly as the radar wavelength increases (Israelsson et al., 1997). The imaging process makes SAR suitable for mapping parameters related to forest biomass, like stem volume (Baker et al., 1999; Israelsson et al., 1997; Pulliainen et al., 1996), total growing stock (Balzter et al., 2000; Schmullius et al., 1997), LAI (Imhoff et al., 1997), or above ground net primary productivity (Bergen et al., 1998). The dependency of backscatter on above ground biomass was observed and related to the penetration of the radiation into the canopy and interaction with the trunk, where most of the volume, therefore, biomass of the vegetation is concentrated (Sader 1987, Le Toan et al. 1992, Dobson et al. 1992). HV polarization in longer wavelengths (L or P band) is the most sensitive to above ground biomass (Sader 1987, Le Toan et al. 1992, Ranson et al. 1997a) because it originates mainly from canopy volume scattering (Wang et al. 1995), trunk scattering (Le Toan et al. 1992) and is less affected by the ground surface (Ranson and Sun 1994). As forest backscatter in different wavelengths and polarizations originate from separate layers of a canopy, the use of multiple channels or multi-step approaches (e.g., Dobson et al. 1995) could be used to estimate total above-ground biomass (Kasischke et al. 1997). Sun and Ranson (1994) estimated biomass in mixed conifer temperate forest upto 250 Mg/ha. Band ratios (HH/HV and VV/VH) were also used for the above ground biomass estimation. However, Dobson et al. (1995) considered these band ratios too simplistic (as the corresponding backscatter will be much higher for the few tall trees than for the many short ones), although effective in estimating biomass at higher ranges. In spite of this, a combination of bands and polarizations in a multi-step approach made possible the mapping of biomass in a mixed temperate forest upto 250 Mg/ha (Dobson et al. 1995). Establishing a strong link between backscatter and forest variables is an important part of the successful estimation of forest biomass from backscatter. Models are often used to explain the relationship between forest variables, scattering mechanisms and SAR configuration parameters (Richards 1990, Kasischke and Christensen 1990). Another approach is the use of statistical analysis, where forest variables are related to SAR backscatter by regression models (Sader 1987, Le Toan et al. 1992, Rauste et al. 1994). The combination of the two approaches, in most cases to assess the results of the predicted biomass or backscatter via regression (Ranson and Sun 1994, Ferrazzoli et al. 1997, Franson and Israelson 1999). Statistical procedures such as stepwise regression analysis were also used to determine the best set of bands and polarizations to discriminate biomass levels (Ranson et al. 1997a). The three-band (C, L, and P) polarimetric AIRSAR sensor has been used in many forest biomass studies (e.g., Green, 1998; Kasischke et al., 1991, 1995; Moghaddam et al., 1994; Ranson Sun, 1997). The strongest correlation between SAR backscatter and forest biomass has been reported in P-band and the weakest in C-band (e.g., Beaudoin et al., 1992; Dobson et al., 1992; Israelsson et al., 1992; Rauste et al., 1992;

Alexanders Empire :: essays research papers

Alexander's Empire The ancient Kingdom of Macedonia, situated in the north of modern Greece, was established by Perdiccas I about 640 B.C. Perdiccas was a Dorian, although the Macedonian tribes included Thracian and Illyrian elements. Originally a semibarbarous and fragmented power, Macedon became tributary to Persia under the Persian kings Darius I and Xerxes I and thereafter struggled to maintain itself against Thracians and other barbarians and against the Greek cities of the Chalcidice as well as Sparta and Athens. A new stage began with Archelaus (d.399 B.C.), who centralized the kingdom with a system of roads and forts; he also fostered the Hellenization of his people by inviting famous Greek artists, Euripides among them, to his court. Few regions gave much thought to Macedonia. The area was so primitive that it seemed to belong to another age- it was a rude, brawling, heavy-drinking country of dour peasants and landowning warriors. The language was Greek, but so tainted by barbarian strains that Athenians could not understand it. Macedonia remained an outland. Growth of trade in the early fourth century promoted the rise of several cities, yet when Perdiccas III, king of Macedonia, fell in 359 B.C. while fighting the Illyrians the seaboard of his state was largely under Athenian control or in the hands of the Chalcidian league, grouped about Olynthus. Philip (382-36), brother of the dead king, was made regent for the infant heir, soon set aside his nephew, and became outright king. Once power was his, the young monarch swiftly brought order to his domain by armed force when necessary, by diplomatic guile whenever he could, Philip set out to make Macedon the greatest power in the Greek world. Alexander was born in 356 to the first wife of Philip. As a teenager Alexander was educated by Athenian philosopher Aristotle. By the year 337 all of the Greek city-states had been conquered or forced into an alliance by Philip. He was planning to lead their joint forces for an invasion of the Persian empire when he was assassinated in 336. Thus at the age of 20, Alexander became king of the Macedonians. After Philip's death, some Greek cities under Macedonian rule revolted. In 335 B.C. Alexander's army stormed the walls of the rebellious city of Thebes and demolished the city. About 30,000 inhabitants were sold in slavery. Alexander's action against Thebes discouraged, for a time, rebellion by other Greek cities With Greece under control, Alexander turned to his fathers plan for attacking the Persian Empire. In 334 B.C., he led an army of about 35,000 infantry and cavalry across the Hellespont from Europe to Asia.

Sophocles Antigone - Antigone and Creon, the Powerful Protagonists Es

The Two Protagonists of Antigone In the classic model of dramatic structure, two characters move the action of the play from introduction to climax to resolution with their conflict. One of these characters is the protagonist; the other is the antagonist. The protagonist is generally regarded as the "good guy," and the antagonist is the "bad guy." In Sophocles' play Antigone, the lines between protagonist and antagonist are blurred. In the Greek tradition, the title character is the protagonist, but in this play, the supposed antagonist Creon also displays characteristics of the protagonist. Webster's Dictionary defines protagonist as "one who takes the leading part in a drama; hence, one who takes lead in some great scene, enterprise, conflict, or the like." At a cursory glance, Antigone seems to best fit this description. Her actions and the following consequences certainly form the plot of the play. She first decides to bury her dead brother in violation of Creon's edict. When soldiers of Thebes unbury the body, she returns to bury it a second time. She is caught in the act and brought before Creon, who sentences her to die. She commits suicide in prison as a final attempt to thwart Creon's plans. ontigone's refusal to leave her brother's body unburied even after she has buried it once reveals her stubborn streak, a common trait among protagonists. The fact that Creon is on his way to release her from jail when her dead body is discovered is yet another example of stubbornness. She will not give in to adversity or strife under any circumstances, which is both admirabl e and, in the case of Antigone, fatal. Creon is portrayed as a strict leader who believes in adherence to his laws over those of the gods. He is not... ...he plot, and Creon directs the consequences. Antigone has conflict with Creon the antagonist, and Creon has conflict with Antigone the antagonist. Antigone dies a tragic death because of her flaws, and Creon realizes his mistakes and suffers greatly because of his flaws. Both Creon and Antigone are protagonists. They are both main characters who are essential to the plot, and they both maintain the traditional role. Sophocles may not have intended audiences to see both characters as protagonists, but that is the logical conclusion. Now, if one were to ask for the real antagonist to come forward, one would most likely realize that the real antagonists were forward already. Works Cited: Sophocles. Antigone. Trans. Robert Fagles. Literature and the Writing Process. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X. Day, and Robert Funk. 6th. ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice, 2002.

Vaulting Ambition in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essays

Vaulting Ambition in Macbeth      Ã‚   Can one expect to find in Shakespeare's tragic play Macbeth a heavy dose of ambition? Yes, indeed. Such a heavy dose that it is lethal - as we shall see in this paper.    Clark and Wright in their Introduction to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare interpret the main theme of the play as intertwining with evil and ambition:    While in Hamlet and others of Shakespeare's plays we feel that Shakespeare refined upon and brooded over his thoughts, Macbeth seems as if struck out at a heat and imagined from first to last with rapidity and power, and a subtlety of workmanship which has become instructive. The theme of the drama is the gradual ruin through yielding to evil within and evil without, of a man, who, though from the first tainted by base and ambitious thoughts, yet possessed elements in his nature of possible honor and loyalty. (792)    In "Macbeth as the Imitation of an Action" Francis Fergusson states the place of Macbeth's ambition in the action of the play:    It is the phrase "to outrun the pauser, reason [2.3]," which seems to me to describe the action, or motive, of the play as a whole. Macbeth, of course, literally means that his love for Duncan was so strong and so swift that it got ahead of his reason, which would have counseled a pause. But in the same way we have seen his greed and ambition outrun his reason when he committed the murder; and in the same way all of the characters, in the irrational darkness of Scotland's evil hour, are compelled in their action to strive beyond what they can see by reason alone. Even Malcolm and Macduff, as we shall see, are compelled to go beyond reason in the action which destroys Macbeth and ends the play. ... ...iion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.    Johnson, Samuel. The Plays of Shakespeare. N.p.: n.p.. 1765. Rpt in Shakespearean Tragedy. Bratchell, D. F. New York, NY: Routledge, 1990.    Kemble, Fanny. "Lady Macbeth." Macmillan's Magazine, 17 (February 1868), p. 354-61. Rpt. in Women Reading Shakespeare 1660-1900. Ann Thompson and Sasha Roberts, eds. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1997.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. http://chemicool.com/Shakespeare/macbeth/full.html, no lin.    Siddons, Sarah. "Memoranda: Remarks on the Character of Lady Macbeth." The Life of Mrs. Siddons. Thomas Campbell. London: Effingham Wilson, 1834. Rpt. in Women Reading Shakespeare 1660-1900. Ann Thompson and Sasha Roberts, eds. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1997.    Vaulting Ambition in Shakespeare's Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essays Vaulting Ambition in Macbeth      Ã‚   Can one expect to find in Shakespeare's tragic play Macbeth a heavy dose of ambition? Yes, indeed. Such a heavy dose that it is lethal - as we shall see in this paper.    Clark and Wright in their Introduction to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare interpret the main theme of the play as intertwining with evil and ambition:    While in Hamlet and others of Shakespeare's plays we feel that Shakespeare refined upon and brooded over his thoughts, Macbeth seems as if struck out at a heat and imagined from first to last with rapidity and power, and a subtlety of workmanship which has become instructive. The theme of the drama is the gradual ruin through yielding to evil within and evil without, of a man, who, though from the first tainted by base and ambitious thoughts, yet possessed elements in his nature of possible honor and loyalty. (792)    In "Macbeth as the Imitation of an Action" Francis Fergusson states the place of Macbeth's ambition in the action of the play:    It is the phrase "to outrun the pauser, reason [2.3]," which seems to me to describe the action, or motive, of the play as a whole. Macbeth, of course, literally means that his love for Duncan was so strong and so swift that it got ahead of his reason, which would have counseled a pause. But in the same way we have seen his greed and ambition outrun his reason when he committed the murder; and in the same way all of the characters, in the irrational darkness of Scotland's evil hour, are compelled in their action to strive beyond what they can see by reason alone. Even Malcolm and Macduff, as we shall see, are compelled to go beyond reason in the action which destroys Macbeth and ends the play. ... ...iion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.    Johnson, Samuel. The Plays of Shakespeare. N.p.: n.p.. 1765. Rpt in Shakespearean Tragedy. Bratchell, D. F. New York, NY: Routledge, 1990.    Kemble, Fanny. "Lady Macbeth." Macmillan's Magazine, 17 (February 1868), p. 354-61. Rpt. in Women Reading Shakespeare 1660-1900. Ann Thompson and Sasha Roberts, eds. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1997.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. http://chemicool.com/Shakespeare/macbeth/full.html, no lin.    Siddons, Sarah. "Memoranda: Remarks on the Character of Lady Macbeth." The Life of Mrs. Siddons. Thomas Campbell. London: Effingham Wilson, 1834. Rpt. in Women Reading Shakespeare 1660-1900. Ann Thompson and Sasha Roberts, eds. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1997.