ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction More often than not movies have been used to pass across powerful messages about the society. This is a report which makes an attempt to show how conflict is expressed in the movie Life as we know it in a family setting. This is accomplished by providing a synopsis of the movie in which the role of the family is shown from a conflict sociological perspective. Academic resources are consulted in the review of the role of family from a conflict sociological perspective. Synopsis of the Movie Life as we know it is a comedy movie centred on two individuals, Holly and Messer, who are forced by circumstances to live together as a couple. After being set on a blind date by their best friends, who later married and had a child named Sophie, they were forced to move into Sophie’s home and raise her after her parents were killed in an accident. The real conflict came out clearly after they moved into the new home to take care of Sophie. Holly and Messer were drawn into conflicts on several occasions though they tried to minimise them for the sake of Sophie. At one moment Messer is left to take care of Sophie as Holly was busy on a catering job. Messer was disturbed by Sophie and could not concentrate on a basketball game which was to be directed by him. He returned home and argued with Holly after which he went back to the game on a motorcycle. Later Messer was apologetic about the occurrence and the two ended up sleeping together after going out on a date. Later Messer was offered a job which if he agreed to take. When Holly learnt of the job and the plan Messer had to move, she was angry ordered Messer to move to Phoenix. In a dramatic ending Holly discovered that she needed Messer to take care of Sophie and that the two, Holly and Messer, needed each other (Batts 1). The Role of Family in the Movie Interaction is Necessary for Conflict to Occur The family institution is used in this movie to effectively bring out the sociological perspective of conflict. Right from the beginning the theme of conflict is displayed in a very clear way. It is worth noting that though Messer and Holly were not spouses, they were drawn to live as a family unit with a child to take care of. It was through Messer and Holly living together as a family and taking care of Sophie that the sociological perspective of conflict fully came out. Messer and Sophie Interacting Living in the same house made it possible for Messer and Holly to interact and this brought out their contrasts which built up to form conflicts. Sophie was the unifying factor as well as the source of the many conflicts they had. It should be noted that it was Sophie who made it possible for them to live in the same home. On the other hand Sophie drew Messer and Holly into conflicts. A good instanc
Drinking alcohol is nearly as old as mankind itself. First used as a food source, it has long been an integral part of practically all cultures throughout the history of the world. People use it to relax and it is seldom absent from any celebratory event no matter how large or small. Alcohol also causes psychological, emotional and physical problems affecting employment and relationships. It is also a leading cause of death including both for the chronic drinker and the innocent victims of alcohol-related accidents. Alcohol can be good or evil depending on the level of personal responsibility exercised by the individual drinker. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Alcoholism, 2000), alcohol is among the three largest causes of preventable mortality in the United States. Contributing to approximately 100,000 deaths annually, only tobacco and diet/activity patterns contribute to greater death tolls. The Council also estimates that, despite laws against underage drinking, approximately 13.8 million Americans over the age of 18, representing about seven percent of the population, have experienced difficulty controlling their alcohol consumption, including 8.1 million people who are alcoholic. It is particularly disturbing to note that the prevalence for drinking problems is among those individuals within the 18 to 29 age group with a greater number of men experiencing problems than women by a factor of almost three to one. Despite laws against underage drinking, more than half of all high school seniors in this country have reported being drunk at least once and a third of them have reported having three or more drinks in a row in the weeks prior to the survey while another 76 million people, almost half of all Americans, have reported being exposed to alcoholism within the home (Alcoholism, 2000). These numbers are particularly alarming as studies continue to show that individuals who have started drinking before age 15 are up to four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who started at age 21 and there is a greater tendency for alcoholism to run within family lines. Legislators are reluctant to prohibit the responsible adult consumption of alcohol motivated by questions of personal autonomy and choice. Most Americans, especially those who are knowledgeable of the Constitution, believe constraining what adults do in private including what they can put into their bodies is clearly unconstitutional and an infringement on personal liberties unless this action infringes upon the rights of
Love is beautiful, love is sweet. According to Booth & Mays (2010), love is the warmth and the fuzziness that makes one feel like they are standing in the sun. It is in the name of love that many people have done wonders they did not believe they were capable of. Love has given strength to the weak and hope to the hopeless. It has mended broken dreams and ferried ambitions and intentions. In the name of love, there have been growth and ruin as well. The theme of love has been explored by many literature scholars. Shakespeare is one of the literature icons who in his works explored this theme. In this paper, the author is going to analyze a character from one of Shakespeare’s plays and how the character is used to portray the theme of love. In the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Shakespeare uses Helena to advance the theme of love. This character, however, portrays a different face of love that, ordinarily, many would fail to admit exists. Helena displays the sad truth that, sometimes, love is just a lonely street and you could be the only one there at the moment. Helena is a woman who falls in love with Demetrius (Berington, 2006). He however has no time for Helena and would rather think of Hermia than bear the sight of Helena. Hermia on the other hand wants to get married to the lovely Lysander and so they decide to elope rather than hang around. By decree, Hermia is supposed to either die or be sent to a nunnery if she does not obey her father’s wish to marry Demetrius. According to Benedetto (1999), Hermia should get married to Demetrius “…..to fit (the) fancies of (her) father’s will, or else the law of Athens yields (her) up, which by no means we may extenuate, to death or to a vow of single life” (1.1. 118-120). Helena is desperately in love. Her love for Demetrius seems not to be returned. She is desperately seeking his attention and love but does not get it. Her desperation first shows when she approaches Hermia and asks her what to do about Demetrius. She questions Hermia on what makes Demetrius love her so much and what she should do about it. She wants to know how to get Demetrius to fall in love with her like he is with Hermia. She quips, “….oh that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill! Oh that my prayers could such affection move!” (Berington, 2006: 1.1. 197-200). Helena further shows that she is jealous of Hermia. She cannot understand why all of Athens proclaims her beauty and fairness yet Demetrius chooses to fall in love with Hermia. On finding out that Hermia intends to elope with Lysander, she gets furious. She wonders how love could be romantic and beautiful to some people. She wonders why it is different for her and what makes Hermia so lucky in love. She mourns, “How happy some o’er other can be! Through Athens I am as fair as she. But what for? Demetrius thinks not so; he will not know what all but he does know: And as he errs, doting on Hermia’s eyes” (Benedetto, 1999: 1.1 226-230). Helena is a tactful and decisive lady. She discovers Hermi
Introduction Listening is a very significant skill that should be cultivated in every individual irrespective of age or role played in the society. This is because it touches on almost every aspect of life that necessitates communication: for instance, education, job or even family relationships. Listening reduces chances of misunderstandings and conflicts, thereby improving relationships that are formed among people and enhancing individuals’ lives. Listening has also proved to be very essential in enhancing cooperation through fostering of aspects such as individual and corporate understanding, an issue that is very important. In regard to job, listening skills enhance success through effective performance since people are able to understand each other’s needs and customer satisfaction is improved. In the business sector, effective listening enhances productivity and profitability, and in the education sector, it enhances learning as it allows adoption of ideas from all the people involved (Jean-Luc and Mandell 27). This paper gives an in-depth discussions of was through which listening skills can be improved. Enhancing listening skills Effective listening skills are significant. In order to understand the concept of enhancing listening skills, it is important to define what effective listening entails. Effective listening involves the process of gathering all the essential details of the information being communicated at any given time. It is a process that is only achieved under some circumstances: for instance, an ideal environment. It requires maximum attention to all aspects of communication, especially facial and other nonverbal expressions. Asking questions also contributes greatly to effective listening as it ensures that the listener is at par with the speaker and understands whatever is being communi
The notion of democracy is presently deemed as the most ethically sensible system of government that can be structured in modern society. Although there is a probability that some members of the state will be underrepresented, the general concept of democracy is founded on the notion of inclusivity and respect for all parties involved in the political, economic, and sociocultural relationships (Mashaw 81). However, democracy as a concept is targeted by a range of opponents who seek to disrupt the social balance; hence there is a necessity to reinforce the concept of democratic relationships within a state. Since freedom of speech is a critical aspect of democracy, it needs to be upheld as a crucial value, yet the key moral dimensions based on which social values are developed should not be obscured by emotional manipulation. Therefore, an open discussion of the opposing views is needed despite the statements made by Levitsky and Ziblatt in How Democracies Die . The principles of democracy have been engraved into the very fabric of the American society and justice system. To ensure that democratic principles would remain intact, the Founding Fathers established a rigid principle of equality and basic human rights for all citizens (Levitsky and Ziblatt 21). Thus, the phenomenon of democracy was immune to external threats for a while. However, even with the increase in acceptance of democratic principles across the globe, instances of violations of equality-related ideas have been recurrent. Although the use of a coup d’état is a traditional way of suppressing democratic principles, the Venezuelan scenario has shown that the legally approved erasure of democracy is also a possibility. Therefore, one may argue that intolerance toward opposing opinions and the tendency to stifle a two-sided discussion are the key threats to democratic values. The introduction of any kind of intolerance immediately implies that democracy compromises itself and turns into the weapon of silencing people. Thus, to uphold democratic values and ensure that they are not erased from the political landscape. However, the introduction of “more democracy” may not be the exact solution to the problem since it shows attackers on democratic values that they will face no legal responsibility for their actions. Therefore, fighting the erasure of democratic values is possible as long as the policies of gatekeeping are introduced for the parties that represent openly authoritarian viewpoints. The political and social concerns of recent years have shaken the foundation of people’s belief in democracy significantly, with numerous threats to free speech and the opportunity to promote multiculturalism. The political concerns in the United States, especially with the 2016 election results, have affected American citizens deeply, causing them to question the very nature of democracy (Levitsky and Ziblatt 15). In the
Introduction The too-big-to-fail problem refers to the possibility of large financial institutions affecting a country’s financial system and economy owing to their financial failure (Davidoff par2). To prevent adverse effects on the financial system, the government assists large institutions whenever they face financial constraints. Institutions that have large asset bases and whose financial activities play key roles in a nation’s economy experience this problem (Dudley par5). The problem arouses heated debates among financial experts and economists. Proponents argue that certain institutions are so important to a nation’s economy that the governmthe ent should implement protective measures to prevent their failure (Davidoff par4). On the other hand, opponents argue that the problem presents a moral hazard because institutions that are core to the economy tend to take advantage and invest in high-risk financial transactions. Governments usually create protective measures that prevent the downfall of such institutions. Analysis of the problem Certain financial institutions like big banks play key roles in the financial systems of many nations. Therefore, their well-being determines the stability and well-being of the economy (Davidoff par3). If these institutions fail, then they disrupt the economy and the financial system of the country. For example, the downfall of Lehman Brothers disrupted the financial system of the United States. The largest banks in the U.S own assets that are equal to 50 percent of the country’s GDP (Dudley par9). Therefore, the government takes the responsibility of improving their financial statuses when they face problems that could trigger their collapse. Solutions to the too-big-to-fail problem The problem can be solved in many ways including dissolving large institutions and forming smaller financial firms, heightening monitoring, increasing government regulating in order to reduce risk, and imposing risk taxes for large financial institutions. Dissolution of large banks Breaking up large institutions is controversial because the outcomes are not predictable. However, it can solve the problem. Many financial experts, economists, and financial analysts have proposed the dissolution of large banks and the consequent creation of small banks that are negligible with regard to their effect on the economy in case they collapse (Dudley par3). The benefits of dissolving large banks include reducing the risk they pose to the country’s economy and eliminating their political influence that shapes the country’s policies. In the United States and the United Kingdom, large banks consume large amounts of taxpayers’ money through governments’ efforts to bail them out during harsh financial times (Davidoff par5). In 2009, 106 banks went bankrupt in the U.S. alone because the government could not intervene due to their insignificant influence on the country’s economy. On the other hand, economists and financial experts argue that banks that are too big to fail should not exist beca
The “ Developing the European Dimension in Sport ” has been identified as the first policy issued by the Commission with concentrating on Sport-related issues after the implementation of the “White Paper”, which gives the EU a mandate to support, coordinate and supplement sport policy measures taken by Member States (European Commission 2011a:2). The Communication comprises the societal role of sport, the economic dimension of sport, and the organization of sport in the EU region. The current paper is an attempt to analyze the rationale of the policy, political ideologies influencing it, its strengths and weaknesses, and contradictory issues. The rationale for the policy The main rationale of the policy is to solve the challenges posed by sports which cannot be addressed by the member states at individual levels. Assumption Because there is lack of adequate, accurate, sound, and comparable information and data on sports for the EU member states, assumption on reliability on available data has been made (European Commission 2011: 15). Related Themes and the societal role of sport There has been a joint need to fight against doping which has been an important sports threat. In the recent past and even currently, there have been media reports on cases related to use of doping substances by amateurs athletes (European Commission 2011a:4). This poses severe public health hazards and hence the need to fight doping exercise or initiate preventive actions. In most cases, doping sanctions and doping prevention actions are withheld by the member states and the sports organizations. The new Commission supports the role played by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), the need to fight against doping, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) and accredited laboratories (European Commission 2011a:4). The Commission is supporting the need by the EU member states to adopt and apply the national anti-doping action plans. Through Article 16 TFEU, the member states will be in a position to increase their competence and deal with the doping problems. One of the major attributes of the Commission is to encourage EU member states to introduce the provisions contained in the criminal law (European Commission 2011a:4) In addition, the Commission fully supports the formation of transnational anti-doping networks which focuses on preventive measures that target fitness, all sports, and amateur sports. According to European Commission (2011a:5), “spectator violence and disorder remain a Europe-wide phenomenon and there is a need for a European approach comprising
Abstract The cyber security Act of 2009 (S. 773) contains various strategies that are aimed at enhancing cyber security. However, the bill contains several contentious provisions that give the president and the secretary of commerce excessive power on matters to do with important Information Systems owned by the private sector. These powers threaten to undermine civil liberties and possibilities of innovation (Gregory, 2009, p. 2). In this bill, the policies relating to government systems differ from those relating to private systems in that they are more prescriptive in addressing government systems but fail to draw clear distinctions between elements of free speech and silence in private communication infrastructure. Image of Cyber security (Spinello, 2010) Introduction The Cyber security Act of 2009, known formally as Senate Bill 773, is best known for its radical recommendation to give the president authority to shut down parts of the Internet under cyber attack. The Rockefeller-Snow legislation (S. 773) came at a time when cyber security threats were on the rise and needed proper strategies to counteract these threats (Spinello, 2010). However, up to date the government has not adequately addressed these threats and has failed to secure vital resources and infrastructure (Asbell, Bryer, and Lebson, 2011). Analysis of Section 18 Sections 18(2) and 18(6) form the most contentious provisions in the bill. They give power to the president to limit or shut down internet traffic to government systems and vital information systems as well as networks owned by the private sector in case of an emergency. Section 18(2) further gives power to the president to determine what constitutes an emergency and does not specify time limits for a shut down (Kumar, 2009, p. 49). In section 18(6), the president has further powers to order a shut down on any vital information system belonging to the federal government even without an emergency, But by using the term national security (Singh, 2010). This has solicited mixed reactions as to how the president could abuse the term ‘National security’ to achieve political and economic interests. Many people argue that, excessive power of the president over privately owned systems could result to negative consequences that would affect the economy and various critical infrastructures. Shutting down internet traffic, could result in loss of billions of dollars that could otherwise contribute positively to the economy (Kruger, 2010, p. 5). Analysis of Section 14 Many people agree that sharing information could contribute immensely in adopting cyber security strategies. However, the S. 773 undermines the role of the U.S. CERT, which has a responsibility of ensuring information sharing. It also ignores the ISACSs that represent public private partnerships (Baase, 2008, p.13). Section 14 of this bill mandates the department of commerce to ensure the sharing of vulnerability information with the private sector. This se