ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Agencies from different parts of the world have urged the government of Afghanistan to implement laws that protect women from violence, early child marriages, and forced marriages. This is the main concern to the society, especially women. If the government implements these laws, it will help in discouraging harmful practices and protect women from violence and get able to exercise their rights. The bill was objected by most of the male lawmakers, arguing that it was against the Islamic culture. This was perceived differently by society. Female students started staging demonstrations in universities arguing that it was a necessary agenda to bring to parliament for more discussions. The draft and women reaction The draft; Eliminating Violence against Woman (EVAW) law was under scrutiny. Later on, the president passed the draft, but it had to undergo parliament scrutiny. Women in the society were trying to push the government to pass the law in a hurry before the conservative members started arguing that it was against Islamic laws. The conservative condoned the president in the first place for decreeing to the draft, saying that it was an attempt to impose western values on Islam. Women advocates pushed for permanent laws to govern the rights of women and ban practices that were harmful to them. Some women argued that the draft was not against the traditions of the Islamic norms. Treatment of women Women are treated as properties in Afghanistan, and they were fighting against the vice. Men have objected to the provision that will give women rights and social customs, for example, the raising of marriage age of children which is currently at the age of 9 years. Laws should be set aside for men who are found guilty of violating women’s rights, like beating women. Conservative men still live in old age; they try to argue that they know what is right for their daughters, so they have an understanding of the right time to marry them. The law is likely to put women in more danger than benefit as it has not yet been passed. Conservative parliament members have done everything feasible to certify that the law fails. By continuously agitating for the law women have started accessing jobs, education, and public life. This happened after the overthrow of the Taliban. But the position of women and girls in the family is still subversive. NATO forces are said that they will withdraw from Afghanistan, and the Taliban will start to operate again. The women fear that they shall get back to where they used to be some past years ago. Conformity Conformity in society helps to describe the social life of men and
Introduction This course has covered the basics of developmental psychology exhaustively and was convincing in showing that this science and the concepts that it employs are not detached from reality in the slightest. Developmental psychology is highly applicable and may be put to good use by specialists striving to enhance a person’s development. The way in which an individual navigates through different stages of life is unique and influenced by many contributing factors, be it their ethnic, social, or economic. Normally, in practice, medical practitioners or social workers focus on the future of their patients or client and hence, consider effective interventions, and decide on the course of action. However, for this assignment, the development of an individual will be analyzed in retrospect. This paper provides a brief biography of Franz Kafka and describes the three most essential stages of the writer’s life. In the analysis, the theory of social learning is applied. Biographical Overview of Franz Kafka’s Life Franz Kafka lived a relatively short life of forty years. The future writer was born in Prague, 13th July 1883, in a Jewish family. Thus, his ethnic background was rather complex: the family belonged to the German culture but could not maintain any contact with the German community in Prague since they lived in the Ghetto. Not only the social exclusion gave rise to the crippling feeling of loneliness in young Franz Kafka but also his family’s indifference to his struggles (Duttlinger, 2013). From the very childhood, the writer was frail, sensitive, and vulnerable to external irritants which, however, did not inhibit him from being a diligent and responsible student. He entered higher education at the age of 18, shifted his major from chemistry to law, and graduated in 1906. It was no earlier than after the graduation that Kafka commenced his “double” life. In 1908, he was offered a decent position at the Institute of Insurance for Accidents at Work (Stach, 2013). In his free time, Kafka showed utmost dedication to literature, and now, one may say that as an author, he was reasonably prolific – he left forty complete prose texts on top of many diary entries. His professional and artistic life soon put a tremendous strain on his already weak health – the young man started displaying the early symptoms of tuberculosis in the university. Kafka’s new passions and responsibilities caused insomnia and asthenia and pushed him to the brink of depression. By 1912, Franz Kafka’s mental health had rapidly deteriorated. In a letter to his friend, the writer, who was only 29 at that time, confessed that he was feeling suicidal. Admissions to a clinic in Riva del Garda reno
Before the United States federal government decided to solve the ‘Indian Problem’ by creating one large reservation out of the state of Oklahoma, it was common practice to think of all Native Americans as one cultural group united by the simple idea that they all lived on the new common continent when the Europeans arrived. Looking at it from the perspective of a much-removed future, this idea seems ludicrous, especially when compared with the strong diversity and cultural differences that existed among the people of Europe despite the much smaller geographical space. Just like the Europeans, though, Native American tribes found on the continent when the first explorers arrived were often very different from each other. Understanding more about an individual tribe’s traditional way of life and culture, such as the Nanticoke, helps us to understand some of the more important events that have occurred in the tribe’s history that have affected their development and even survival into the present day. The Nanticoke Indian Tribe was an Algonquian-related tribe of people living in the Chesapeake Bay region of the North American continent at the time the area was first discovered by white people. At the time that John Smith first encountered them in 1608, the tribe already displayed cunning caution in dealing with the strange-looking people from the sea as well as demonstrated a high level of development in the area. They were firmly established on their chosen grounds and, according to Smith, had as many as 200 warriors within the group. Originally calling themselves the Kuskarawaoks, the Nanticoke’s name designated them as the people of the tidewaters. Their caution and adaptability won them greater respect than many tribes received at the hands of the white man, and they were able to broker a relative peace that made it possible for the tribe to survive in some form into the present day. The Nanticoke Indians were considered a very successful tribe of the eastern coastal area. Prior to their meeting with John Smith, not much is known about the tribe’s history. There is some significant evidence that they are related to the Shawnee and the Delaware people and were simply willing to travel further than these other groups chose to go. According to one account, “being great trappers and fishers, they separated from Delaware after these had reached their eastern seat and wandered south in search of good fishing and trapping grounds” (Hodge, 1906). However, by the time of John Smith’s arrival, the people are said to have settled down to largely established locations, remaining near the shore during the spring, summer, and fall and then traveling inland in the winter months to hunt and trap. According to the Nanticoke Indian Association, “women and children cared for lush gardens of corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, sunflowers, and tobacco. They gathered nuts, berries, birds’ eggs, and edible plants in season” (2004). Men fashioned a number of im
After the analysis of student course evaluations at Green Valley Community College had demonstrated an unfortunate trend and a slight increase in dropout rates has been observed, the college president decided to integrate technology into classrooms and to create alternatives to lecturing for the purpose of improving the students’ motivation. Using quantitative data-collection procedures, the current research measures use of technology in class, changes in teaching practices and corresponding shifts in learners’ attitudes and academic achievements for determining the effectiveness of training and defining the most effective programs. Explaining an unfortunate trend of increase in students’ dropouts with the lack of learners’ engagement into the teaching-learning process, the college president initiated workshops for educators aimed at improving their teaching skills and integrating computer technologies into the curriculum. Modification of the lesson plans was expected to have impact on students’ motivation and learning achievements. Thus, the target population of the survey would include the teachers and their students. Emphasis should be put on engagement of wider audience into the research process including various categories of college community, without giving preference to particular subgroups. It is important to analyze the results achieved by teachers and learners with different level of preparation for evaluating the impact of creating alternatives to lecturing more critically. Before the beginning of the investigation process, the research team has to receive permissions for intervening into the teaching-learning process and get an approval of one’s project from the research committee. A brief summary of the research plan should explain the impact of the survey on the following research process. Walpole & McKenna (2004) noted that “a decision has to be made about the ideal time and place for professional development and collaboration” (p. 88). The issues
Wong Tai Sin Temple is located at 586 6th Avenue, in the Inner Richmond neighborhood, Northwestern San Francisco, state California. This temple is considered to be Buddhist, although it is related, actually, to several religions, particularly Daoism (also known as Taoism) and Buddhism. Being two leading ones in the Orient, Daoism and Buddhism have different founders but a lot in common. For example, both of them do not have any Messiah, a savior or a creator of the world. Both Taoism and Buddhism include elements of religion and philosophy. Taoism pursues living in harmony with nature and the great Tao, which is the reason, the beginning and the ending of everything: “all things are produced by the Tao” (Lao Tzu and Bradshaw-Jones 73). According to Taoism, all people are good by nature, so, all we should do is to allow ourselves to be good. Buddhism understands the concept of the highest happiness as the achieving of enlightenment and so-called Nirvana (Weeraperuma 169). Besides, while Taoism perceives our existence as something basically good, Buddhism “adopt an attitude to life… which sees it as suffering, as the result of desire, and as something from which to escape” in order to attach Nirvana (Cooper 142). Still, both Taoism and Buddhism use the same statues and pictures. The visitors of Wong Tai Sin Temple can find out that it belongs to Daoism and Buddhism since it has particular symbols and images, as well as the form of worship, which convey its unique religious character. In the temple, you can find pictures of Wong Tai Sin (translated as “the Great Immortal Sage Wong”), a Chinese deity whom this temple is dedicated to (Leeming, Madden, and Marlan 981). There are also pictures and statues of other famous figures, such as Guan Yin (deity of mercy), Guan Gung, different faces of Buddha, etc. Visitors can pray to them using peculiar kneeling pads and burning traditional incense sticks. There is also a possibility to buy particular Buddhist items blessed by monks, which are aimed to protect a person whom they belong to. As for the architecture, this temple is not so beautifully ornamented as the one in Hong Kong, but interior design is still impressive. Besides, the structure of Taoist temple buildings is preserved: there is a reception room, a divine hall, a place for reading scriptures and an altar (“Taoist Architecture” par. 1). At the end of my report, I would like to mention that there are several sacred details at the temple, which I have found to be personally appealing. Firstly, although this temple is rather small, it is very authentic. Secondly, besides worshipping and praying to different deities, visitors of Wong Tai Sin Temple can also ask for their fortune. This practice is widely spread in Taoist and Buddhist temples and usually called kau cim (“Kau Cim” par. 1). Frankly speaking, kau cim predictions seemed very accurate and precise to me. Finally, I like how Taoism and Buddhism do not disclaim each other, and how the pictures of Wong Ta
Federal Budget Deficit from a Recession Can Stabilize an Economy A budget deficit is a shortfall in the government budget, whereby expenditures exceed income in a fiscal year. This scenario is experienced when the government cannot sustain its corresponding level of revenue required to support its budget (Hyman, 2011, p.491). A recession is experienced when there is slow GDP growth, increased unemployment, reduced housing prices, and slow business growth. Despite all these sounding exceptionally distressing, something significant comes out of recession; it helps in stabilizing the economy (Hyman, 2011, p.491). To manage inflation, usually, the Federal Reserve tries to slow the economy without exacerbating the recession. To achieve this, the federal government lowers taxes, increases spending on social programs, or simply ignores the deficit itself (Hall, & Lieberman, 2009, p.349). During the recession, tax collection drops and the government is unable to adjust its expenses immediately, which affects income generation, hence the deficit. Increased deficit causes increases in government expenditure on citizens as the unemployed are compensated – there are also welfare payments and food stamps (Hyman, 2011, p.491). Although these changes in revenue and expenditure increase the budgetary deficit, the measures concurrently manage the decreasing disposable income among citizens and households (Carbaugh, 2010, p. 298). During a decline in economic activities, it is natural that the level of tax collection likewise plummets (Carbaugh, 2010, p. 298: Hyman, 2011, p.492). At this point, the consumption and expenditure are maintained at an above-normal rate thus maintaining an appropriate level of aggregate demand. As a result, the effects of the recession on the economy are lessened (Hall, & Lieberman, 2009, p.349). The federal budget deficit causes expanded total spending, otherwise called aggregate demand, thereby causing short-term economic growth. Increased government spending directly expands the aggregate demand in cases where the deficit was because of government spending (Hall, & Lieberman, 2009, p.349). In the event of a budget deficit because of tax cuts, the increased spending among recipients who ge
The reformation of the system of public education is one of the central issues which are being developed by the Obama Administration at the present moment. Criticizing the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act for its burden of accountability that was put on educators, compelling them to meet the standardized targets. Obama’s proposal for the education reform under consideration presupposes increasing the federal aid to schools by 16 % in the next year (Altman, 2010, Education reform: Obama’s bipartisan issue?). The identification of low-performing schools is to be left to the local level for enabling them to compete for grant money. The main competing interests which are related to the issue include the Department of Education, National Education Association, and American Federation of Teachers. The opponents to Obama’s Administration Department of Education are the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers who criticize the President’s proposal for its inconsistency and limitation of teachers’ rights. As it was cited in Altman (2010), Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers noted “the plan puts 100 % of responsibility on teachers and gives them 0 % of authority” (Education reform: Obama’s bipartisan issue?). Disregarding the tension between the competing actors and the dissonance among the policymaking bodies, the contributions of all actors can be valuable for improving the formulations of the policies and increasing their effectiveness. Collaboration of all the actors is an effective strategy that can help enhance governance because it allows viewing the issue from various perspectives and taking into account the interests of various groups. On the other hand, collaboration should not be regarded as a universal cure and a means for avoiding conflicts (Imperial, 2005, p. 311). Reference List Altman, A. (2010). Education reform: Obama’s bipartisan issue? Time. Web. Imperial, M. T. (2005). Using collaboration as a governance strategy: Lessons from six watershed management programs. Administration and Society, 37 (3), 281–320.
It is said that folk tales have their history in the ancient past as a warning of the elders to the children about the ills of the world. As such, they carry grim stories and oftentimes, even darker endings. Through time though, the folk tales have been reinvented and retold for children of changing times. Thus, folk tales now tend to have certain similarities and storylines. For this particular paper, I decided to focus on the cross-cultural analysis of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. The first part of this paper shall deal with the folk tale that is Snow White. Immediately followed by the tale of Princess Aurora, the Sleeping Beauty. Snow White is the story of a little girl whose step-mother, out of jealousy upon being told by a magic mirror that her step-daughter is the “fairest of them all,” orders a huntsman to take the child to the forest and kill her. She is taking her heart, lungs, and liver as evidence of the completed murderous act. Taking pity on the child, the huntsman instead set her free in the deepest area of the forest after warning her of the danger that her step-mother represents. He then presents the evil step-mother with the organ parts of a boar as evidence of the child’s death. Snow White accidentally stumbles upon the home of the 7 dwarfs, who take pity on her and, in exchange for her keeping house for them, allow her to stay under their roof and protection. Years later, the step-mother once again finds out, through the magic mirror, that the child whom she thought was dead was actually alive and well under the care of the dwarfs. She attempts to kill Snow White and is thwarted twice before finally succeeding in “killing” Snow White on her third attempt by using a poisoned apple. Thus reclaiming her spot as the “most beautiful in all the land.” Finding their ward in the state of death, the dwarfs mourn her death, and as luck would have it, handsome prince chances upon them, mourning over their beautiful ward. Falling in love with the young woman, he plants a kiss on her lips. The kiss of true love. Seconds later, Snow White awakes and spits out the poisoned apple which she had choked on. Then, as all folk tales go, the prince and his princess left the dwarfs to live their lives together — happily ever after. The story of Sleeping Beauty, although told differently from Snow White, share similar elements. Princess Aurora / Sleeping Beauty was cursed upon birth by an evil fairy whom her parents, the king, and queen of the land, had forgotten to invite to her christening. Thus the fairy gatecrashes the party and places the curse of death on the child upon reaching the age of 16. Princess Aurora’s death is to be caused by her pricking her finger on the spindle of a sewing wheel. This curse is somewhat undone by a friendly fairy who is godmother to the princess. Instead of death, she curses the princess to deep sleep instead. For their part, her parents order that all sewing wheels and spindles in the land be burned and banned. All is well for the princess for the next decade or so. Until her 16 th birthday arrives, and the curse d
Introduction Does the world deserve beauty? In “beauty and politics,” Arthur Danto appreciates and demonstrates that, beauty is scarce in the recent art. Danto seeks to explain human beings attitude regarding beauty and how it can be used appropriately. With reference to Kant, Danto suggests that beauty is a sort of universal phenomena that is part of the human experience especially if presented in a good manner. Danto examines the work of Georg Hegel and concludes that beauty is actually appropriate especially when celebrating the loss of life for it reminds the bereaved of that pain as part of human experience. This paper will focus on summarizing Danto’s question “does the world deserve beauty” with reference to Georg Hegel’s position and how my mother’s absence in my life can be connected to Danto’s or Hegel’s insights. In this article, Danto observes that in the past people would bathe on a Saturday night so that they could be clean during the Sabbath. On Sunday morning, they would adorn special clothing to symbolize the moral difference existing between the outside and the inside. This action metaphorically gives the difference between the hardship human beings experience during their lifetime and the heavenly kingdom that they await. Danto quotes Adam Verver who does not believe in taking responsibility for the world that has brought him great opulence in his life. He goes on to observe that “life is a punishment and beauty is for the life to come if we do our duty here on earth” (Danto 116). The argument is that, being philosophical on matters of religion and worldly beauty could be termed as breach on morality. To demonstrate the breach of morality in such situations, Danto goes on to exemplify with sexual discrimination against women and the poor doing nothing about the homeless. Danto concludes that, if philosophy was to be linked with beauty then the argument on “moral appropriateness of beauty” will be quite clear (Danto 116). Hegel connects philosophy and art terming these two as “Absolute Spirit.” Hegel talks about the spirit and self-knowledge and artistic beauty as a product of these two. At the same time, Hegel observes that natural beauty does not come from the spirit. Considering the absence of my mother in my life, I can connect with Danto’s assumption that “it is as though beauty were a kind of catalyst, transforming raw grief into tranquil sadness” (Danto 117). Following Danto’s observation about appropriate beauty, I can confirm that beauty does influence the healing of an individual when they have lost their loved ones. In the political front, beauty is a matter of moral appropriateness and in such a case it is wrong. The reason why beauty influences the healing after the loss of my mother emanates from artwork or rather internal beauty. Beauty is connected to our human nature especially our mood. Losing a loved one affects a human being emotionally