Prostitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Prostitution - Essay Example Geishas, hetaeras, and nowadays escort boys and girls remain true to their profession. Reasons for different people are various: at first, there is a certain type of power and connections a prostitute may receive while â€Å"communicating† with people; according to words of madam - girls in sex industry are correlated to success, treated very well and receive a generous compensation for their time. Clients could have remained friends with some of them and would send them money for bills or education. So-called girls could make over $10,000 per week for a couple of nights (Davis). â€Å"The most Ive ever made is  £30,000 in a month† - tells a host, Josh Brandon, from London. The other reason is a decent payment and acceptable schedule, of which not so many other works can boast, "Working in a bar was just no good - too much work and not enough money," - Tommy says (Magazine). Also, it is clear, that legal prostitutes take their job seriously and cautiously in both fina ncial and health issues. It is stated, that prostitutes are often more aware of safe sex than average people, and their work is scheduled, has a rate and is bound with solving legal financial and social issues - as any other job. Government also can receive profit from prostitution, under the condition it’s being legal. â€Å"Germany legalized prostitution in 2002, creating an industry now thought to be worth 16bn euros a year† (Reed). Although prostitution is illegal everywhere in America except Nevada, old figures put its value at $14 billion annually nationwide; surely an underestimate. More recent calculations in Britain, where prostitution is legal but pimping and brothels are not, suggest that including it would boost GDP figures by at least  £5.3 billion ($8.9 billion) ("A personal choice"). Actual profit is received not only in financial, but also in

Data-collection in Qualitative Research Essay Example for Free

Data-collection in Qualitative Research Essay This Chapter is about methods and techniques in data-collection during a qualitative research. We mentioned earlier that qualitative research is eclectic. That is, the choice of techniques is dependent on the needs of the research. Although this should be true for almost all social research, it is particularly so with qualitative research in that the appropriate method or techniques is often identified and adopted during the research. Qualitative research is also multi-modal. The researcher may adopt a variety of research techniques, or a combination of such, as long as they are justified by the needs. The discussion below is therefore not to identify a set of techniques unique to qualitative research, but rather, to introduce the methods and techniques most commonly used in qualitative research, and the issues related to such use. We shall introduce the methods and techniques in three broad categories: observations, interviews and study of documents. These are also the basic methods used in cultural anthropology (Bernard, 1988:62). Indeed, the discussions about qualitative research in education can be viewed as a particular case in cultural anthropology. Observations Observation usually means the researchers act to find out what people do (Bernard, 1988:62). It is different from other methods in that data occur not necessarily in response to the researchers stimulus. Observation may be obtrusive or unobtrusive. A researcher may simply sit in the corner of a school playground and observe how students behave during breaks. He may also stand by the school gate and observe how students behave at the school gate. Such cases of observation may be seen as unobtrusive. In other cases, the researchers may not apply any stimuli, but their presence per se may have some influence on the scene. The most common example in this category is classroom observation. Although the researcher may just sit quietly at the corner of a classroom, the presence of the researcher may  change the classroom climate. It is, nonetheless, still observation. Observation is a basic technique used in almost all qualitative research. Even if other methods or techniques are used, the researcher remains the most essential sensor or instrument and hence observation always counts (McCracken, 1988:18-20). For example, when interviewing is used, a qualitative researcher also takes into account the tonic or facial expressions of the informant, because they help interpret the verbal responses. Such expressions are only sensed by observation. If the interview is done in the field, then the surroundings of the interview site also provide meaningful data for the research. The surroundings can only be depicted through observation. Hence observation is indispensable in almost all occasions of qualitative research. However, the term observation may sometimes go beyond what is seen. It also pertains to what is heard, and even sometimes what is smelled. Case 4.1 provides one of such examples. Case 4.1: Classroom Observation Scheme In the IIEP project on basic education, Leung designed for the Chinese research a scheme for classroom observation. Classroom was taken as one of the environmental factors affecting students learning. The scheme was designed after Leung stayed in local schools for two days. The scheme did not confine itself to the performance of the teacher, although that was a part. The figure on the next page shows one of the six sections of the scheme. Different writers have different ways of classifying observations. Without running into juggling of definitions, we shall briefly introduce observations as participant observations and non-participant observations. More detailed classification of observations can be found in Bernard (1988), Goetz and LeCompte (1984) and Patton (1990). Participant Observation Participant observation is perhaps the most typical of qualitative research.  Some authors even use participant observation as a synonym for ethnographic research. Different writers may have slightly different definitions of participant observation. The following description by Fetterman is perhaps the most agreeable to most researchers. Participant observation is immersion in a culture. Ideally, the ethnographer lives and works in the community for six months to a year or more, learning the language and seeing patterns of behaviour over time. Long-term residence helps the researcher internalize the basic beliefs, fears, hopes and expectations of the people under study. (1989:45) Immersion of the participant can either be continuous or noncontinuous. The three classical cases we quoted in Chapter 1 all include participation in the continuous mode. Lis study of classroom sociology (Cases 3.8 and 3.9) involved one years continuous residence. In the second and third year she went to the school three days a week. She combined continuous with noncontinuous participant observations. Fetterman used noncontinuous participation when he was doing qualitative evaluation of educational programmes. Case 4.2: Noncontinuous Visits In two ethnographic studies, of dropouts and of gifted children, Fetterman visited the programmes for only a few weeks every couple of months over a three-year period. The visits were intensive. They included classroom observation, informal interviews, occasional substitute teaching,interaction with community members, and the use of various other research techniques, including long-distance phone-calls, dinner with students families, and time spent hanging out in the hallways and parking lot with students cutting classes. (Fetterman, 1989:46-7) II. Environment of the classroom 1. The classroom is on the _____ floor of the school building. 2. The classroom is near ( ) residential area ( ) factories ( ) road(s) ( ) field ( ) marketplace ( ) others _______________________________________ 3. The number of windows which provide lighting and ventilation to the classroom: ( ) satisfies the required standard ( ) is below the required standard 4. The main artificial lighting facility in the classroom is: ( ) florescent tubes total no.__________________ ( ) light bulbs total no.__________________ 5. Condition of lighting during the lesson : ( ) bright ( ) dim ( ) dark 6. Ventilation in the classroom: ( ) well ventilated ( ) stuffy ( ) suffocating 7. Quality of air in the classroom: ( ) refreshing ( ) a bit smelly ( ) stingy 8. Environments for listening: ( ) very quiet ( ) occasional noise ( ) noisy 9. Classrooms floor structure: ( ) concrete ( ) log ( ) mud ( ) carpet 10. Classrooms floor condition: ( ) clean ( ) some litter ( ) full of rubbish 11. Classrooms wall conditions: ( ) smooth clean ( ) some stains ( ) dirty damaged 12. Classrooms area: _____________m2; area/person: _____ m2. 13. Space use in classroom: ( ) looks spatial ( ) fairly crowded ( ) very crowded 14. Furniture and other article arrangements in the classroom: ( ) orderly and tidy ( ) messy 1Figure 1 Classroom Observation Scheme (Designed by Leung Yat-ming) Whytes experience in the Italian slum (Case 2) is perhaps the nearest to ideal in participant observation. He stayed in the community for two years. He experienced the life of a member of the Italian slum. In Whytes case, native membership allows the researcher the highest level of participant observation. Most researchers are denied such an opportunity, often because of constraints in time and resources, as we have discussed at length in Chapter 3. Under all sorts of constraints, at best the researcher lives as much as possible with and in the same manner as the individuals under investigation (Goetz and LeCompte, 1984: 109). In these circumstances, the researchers may not claim that they was doing ethnography, but it is legitimate to apply ethnographic approach and techniques to the study (Fetterman, 1989:47). Participant observation in its broad sense therefore tolerates different lengths of time and different degrees of depth. There is a full range of possible modes of participant observation, what Wolcott calls ethnographer sans[1] ethnography (Wolcott, 1984: 177). The most frequent case in education is that a researcher may stay in a school and become a teacher in that school. The researcher identity may or may not be disguised. The researcher may then, as a participant, observe teachers behaviours in teaching, in meetings, in conversations, and so forth. Sometimes, the researcher is readily a member of the community (say, a school) and may still carry out research as a participant observer. However, in this case, the researcher should be aware of his/her knowledge of the community and should be cautious that such knowledge would not lead to preoccupations about the school under research. In cases where the researchers have successfully gained membership (as Whyte did in the Italian  slum), the distinction between a native member and the researcher-as-participant begins to blur. This insider-outsider dialectics will be further discussed later. Nonparticipant Observation Strictly speaking, nonparticipant observation involves merely watching what is happening and recording events on the spot. In the qualitative orientation, because of the non-intervention principle, strict nonparticipant observation should involve no interaction between the observer and the observed. Goetz and LeCompte assert that in the strict sense nonparticipant observation exists only where interactions are viewed through hidden camera and recorder or through one-way mirror (1984: 143). Dabbs (1982:41), for example, used hidden camera in Atlanta at a plaza in Georgia State University, and studied an informal group that frequently gathered during the morning break. There are examples of using hidden video-cameras in school toilets to study drug problem among students, or to use unnoticed audio recording device to study student interactions. The use of audio or video recording device often invites concern in ethnical considerations. Such problems are similar to those arising in using one-way mirrors in interviews or psychological experiments. Such cases are rare in policy-related research. Another case of nonparticipant observation with ethical problem is disguised observation, or covert observation. A typical example is Humphreys (1975) study on homosexual activities. He did not participate in such activities, but offered to act as watch queen, warning his informants when someone approached the toilet. Another famous example is Van Maanens covert study of police. He became practically a police recruit. Over more than a decade, he slipped in and out of the police in various research roles (Van Maanen, 1982). Covert observations are again rare in research which is related to educational decision-making. Hidden camera or recorder and covert observation occur only exceptionally.  Most author would accept the watching of audience behaviour during a basketball game (Fetterman, 1989:47) or the watching of pedestrian behaviour over a street as acceptable examples of nonparticipant observations. Interaction between the researcher and the social community under study is often unavoidable. We have again discussed this at length in Chapter 3 under the notion of researcher intervention. If we perceive the problem of intervention as a matter of degrees, then the distinction between participant observation and nonparticipant observation begins to blur. The general principle across the board is that the researchers should minimize their interactions with the informants and focus attention unobtrusively on the stream of events (Goetz and LeCompte, 1984:143). Wolcotts study of school principal (Case 3) was perhaps the most intensive type of nonparticipant observation that one could find in the realm of education. (He also used other supplementary methods as mentioned in Case 3). He did live with the school for two years, but he did not participate as a school principal which was his subject of study. He saw his role as one of participant-as-observer (Wolcott, 1984:7). So was Lis study (Case 3.8) of classroom sociology in her first year. She did stay with the school as a teacher but she never became a student which was her subject of study. The following two years of her study, however, was not nonparticipant observation because she applied experimental measures. During the UNICEF research in Liaoning, the basic method I used was interviewing and not nonparticipant observation, but I did have, at times, nonparticipant observation when debates occurred between the local planners and the provincial planners (Case 3.7), or when planners chat among themselves about their past experience in the field. The most frequently employed nonparticipant observation which is relevant to educational decision-making is perhaps observation at meetings. Typically, the researcher attends a meeting as an observer. The researcher tries to be as unobtrusive as possible and records everything that happens during the meeting. When Wolcott did his study on the school principal, he was present at all meetings unless he was told otherwise (Wolcott, 1984:4). The following was my experience of a non-participant observation in China. Case 4.3: A Validation Seminar I realized during the UNICEF research in Liaoning (Case 4) that one essential step in the planning for basic education in China was validation. When drafting of an education plan was complete, the draft plan had to undergo scrutiny in what is known as a validation seminar. In essence, all those related to the plan, including leaders at all levels, representatives of all relevant government departments, experts from all areas are invited to discuss. Relevant documents are sent to the participants well in advance. They are then asked to comment on the plan during the validation exercise. Only validated plans are submitted to relevant machinery for legislation. The validation seminar for Liaoning was unfortunately held before the UNICEF research. I got an opportunity, however, a year after in 1988, when the Shanghai educational plan was to undergo validation. The host of the meeting agreed to send me an invitation. I attended the meeting in the name of an external expert, although I made clear to the host that my major task was not to contribute. They agreed. During the meeting, I was able to observe the roles of the various actors during the meeting. I was also able to talk to individual participants during tea breaks and meals to understand their background and their general views about educational planning. I was able to do a number of things over the two-day meeting: (a) to classify the over 40 participants into technocrats, bureaucrats, policy-makers and academics; (b) to understand the different extents in which the participants contributed to the modification of the plan; (c) the disparity in capacity among participants in terms of information and expertise; (d) the inter-relations between the different categories of actors and (e) the function of the validation exercise. In the end, I concluded that validation was a way of legitim ation, which employed both technical (expert judgement) and political (participation) means to increase the acceptability of the plan before it went for legal endorsement. The political aspect came to me as a surprise. It indicated a change in the notion of rationality among Chinese planners and policy-makers. Interviewing Interviewing is widely used in qualitative research. Compared with observation, it is more economical in time, but may achieve less in understanding the culture. The economy in time, however, makes ethnographic interviewing almost the most widely used technique in policy-related research. Interviewing is trying to understand what people think through their speech. There are different types of interviews, often classified by the degrees of control over the interview. Along this line, we shall briefly introduce three types of interviewing: informal interviewing, unstructured interviewing, semi-structured interviewing, and formally structured interviewing. We shall also briefly introduce key-informant interviewing and focus groups which are specific types of ethnographic interviewing. Qualitative research of course has no monopoly over interviewing. Interviewing is also frequently used in research of other traditions. The difference between ethnographic interviewing and interviewing in other traditions lies mainly in two areas: the interviewer-interviewee relationship and the aims of interviews. Ethnographic interviewees, or informants, are teachers rather than subjects to the researcher, they are leaders rather than followers in the interview. The major aim of the interview should not be seeking responses to specific questions, but initiating the informant to unfold data. Readers may find more detailed discussions about ethnographic interviewing in Spradley (1979) who provides perhaps the most insightful account of the subject. In-depth discussions about ethnographic interviewing can also be found in Bernard (1988), Patton (1990), Fetterman (1989) and Powney and Watts (1987). Informal Interviewing Informal interviewing entails no control. It is usually conversations that the researcher recall after staying in the field. It is different from  observation in that it is interactive. That is, the informant speaks to the researcher. By its own nature, informal interviewing is the most ethnographic in the sense that it is not responding to any formal question. It is part of the self-unfolding process.

Media Violence and the Violent Male Adolescent Essay -- Argumentative

Media Violence and the Violent Male Adolescent      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My research led me to form some new hypotheses on the correlation of violence in the media, namely television, movies, and video games, to the rise in violent behavior in adolescents. For this essay, I will focus on male adolescents. I will use multiple lenses for my research to (1) establish the increase in violent acts by adolescents in the past two decades; (2) use proven research to show the impact of media violence on the individual; and (3) to illustrate my "recipe for disaster," four correlations that contribute to the effects of media violence on male adolescents.    Rise in Youth Violence According to the United States Department of Justice ("DOJ"), (1999) in a committee report, "The number of juvenile violent crime arrests in 1997 exceeded the 1988 level by 49%. Of that number, 2,500 were arrested for murder and 121,000 for other violent crimes. Eighteen percent of high school students now carry a knife, razor, firearm, or other weapon on a regular basis, and 9% of them take a weapon to school." The Committee report noted that a principal cause for the increase was media violence. " Eighty-seven percent of American households have more than one television, and 88.7% of homes with children have home video game equipment, a personal computer, or both. An average teenager listens to 10,500 hours of rock music during the years between the 7th and 12th grades. By age 18 an American child will have seen 16,000 simulated murders and 200,000 acts of violence. Television alone is responsible for 10% of youth violence. A preference for heavy metal music may be a significant marker for alienation, substance abuse, psychiatric disorders, suicide ris... ...f, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Children, Violence, and The Media,' (online document) A Report for Parents and Policy Makers. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Utah, Chairman, 1999, Sept. 14, Available  Ã‚   (http://www.senate.gov/~judiciary/mediavio.htm)    Mediascope Press, "How Violence Manipulates Viewers." Issue Briefs. Studio City, Calif.: 1997 Available: (http://www.mediascope.org/pubs/ibriefs/hvmv.htm)    Putnam, Robert,   "Bowling Alone" America's Declining Social Capital, Journal of Democracy; 1995, Jan., (pp. 65-68)    Strasburger, Victor C. M.D. Chief, Division of Adolescent Medicine, "How much influence do the media have?" Adolescent Medicine; State of the Art Reviews--Vol. 4, No. 3, October 1993 Philadelphia, Hanley & Belfus, Inc. Available online: http://www.cyfc.umn.edu/Documents/C/B/CB1030.html   

21st Century Technologies and Their Relationship to Student Achievement Essay

The Holy Grail in education today is to link an educational strategy, program, initiative or technology to student achievement. There are numerous organizations advocating for Technology Literacy, Information Literacy, 21st Century Learning Skills, and any number of other titles for literacy in a modern context. In all sectors of human society, the technology of the 21st Century has revolutionized and enhanced our way of life. From medicine to the military and from business to the arts, the technologies of today have made our lives better. It is not surprising then, that the public expects technology to have a similar revolutionary effect on education. After all, the biggest advancements of the last 20 years have been in the realm of information and the tools of human knowledge; this is Education’s back-yard. Yet, when people look at our schools they see many classrooms that seem to have been immune to these advances. There are obstacles that education faces in implementing a 21st Century approach to education not the least of which is finding a definition and a clear picture of what it really looks like and whether it will be more effective for students. Costs to implement technology-rich programs quickly seem prohibitive when scaling to an entire school system, particularly so in a state that lags the nation in educational funding. Teachers are our biggest asset and are known to be the single largest influence on student achievement the district can provide, so professional development is crucial and fundamental. The measure of success, the CSAP, is a paper and pencil test which will be unable to measure all the positive effects technology can have for student learning. Indeed, a 20th Century test method will be unable to properly assess (and may even inhibit) the skills development of a 21st Century learner. And then, are we just about the content and helping students master it, or is education about something more as well? Therefore, making the case that investment in technology will increase student achievement can be fraught with pitfalls and obstacles. To attempt to tackle this issue, the authors of this paper will review quality research and commentary in an array of areas where technology-related tools and strategies have been implemented with positive effects for students. A strict filter of studies that produce higher test results will not be used because of the limitations current paper and pencil tests have in assessment of 21st Century skills. In addition to improved assessment performances, the reader is encouraged to consider the context of a global workplace and education’s duty to prepare students to thrive in a highly digital, interactive knowledge workforce. Research that shows increased student achievement on assessments, studies that point to ways education can successfully prepare students for a modern workforce and our own experiences in Littleton Public Schools shall all be considered positive correlations between technology and student achievement in this paper. The Challenge Inherent in Determining the Effectiveness of Technologies via Research The following is an excerpt that addresses a gestalt view of technology and its correlation to student achievement: When we try to determine the effectiveness of educational technologies, we are confronted by a number of methodological and practical issues. First, we need to remember that technology is only one component of an instructional activity. Assessments of the impact of technology are really assessments of instruction enabled by technology, and the outcomes are highly dependent on the quality of the implementation of the instructional design. According to Roy Pea, director of SRI Center for Technology in Learning in Menlo Park, California, the â€Å"social contexts† of how technology is used are crucial to understanding how technology might influence teaching and learning. Educational technologies cannot be effective by themselves. The social contexts are all-important. This means more attention should be paid to the teaching strategies used both â€Å"in† the software and â€Å"around it† in the classroom, and to the classroom environment itself. It is a recurrent finding that the effects of the best software can be neutralized through improper use, and that even poorly designed software can be creatively extended to serve important learning goals. There are also a host of methodological issues to confront. First, standardized achievement tests might not measure the types of changes in students that educational technology reformers are looking for. New measures, some of which are currently under development, would assess areas, such as higher order thinking skills, that many believe can be particularly affected by using new technologies. There is also a need to include outcome measures that go beyond student achievement, because student achievement might be affected by students’ attitudes about themselves, their schools, the types of interactions that go on in schools, and the very idea of learning. Another consideration is pointed out by the U. S. Office of Technology Assessment’s Teachers and Technology: Making the Connection: Technological changes are likely to be nonlinear, and might show effects not only on student learning, but also on the curriculum, the nature of instruction, the school culture, and the fundamental ways that teachers do their jobs. Coley, 1997). Instant Response Systems Data-driven decision making is an educational approach that requires educators to decide on instructional strategies and activities based on what they know about how well students have grasped a concept. Whereas before, this might be done with mini quizzes, homework or performances at the chalk board, todayâ€⠄¢s technologies provide another avenue. Using handheld devices in Modesto City Schools classrooms, teachers can pose questions to students who use wireless remotes for real-time responses. Such engagement enables the teachers to immediately determine if students are grasping concepts and decide whether more time is needed on a topic or whether the group can move on. Item banks of standards-aligned questions make teacher’s jobs easier in developing such review materials (Hines, 2005). Another similar technology is the graphing calculator which can be used in math and science classrooms to enable every student to participate and have the power of a modern computing tool. Classrooms that make use of the graphing calculator exhibit better questioning and feedback behaviors; goal-oriented instruction becomes more attainable and more common; activities result in better student engagement and students tend to demonstrate more collaborative learning behaviors (Whitehurst, 2003). In Littleton Public Schools, a definitive interest is rising for these technologies as several classroom sets are deployed in schools across the district. Results are largely anecdotal and preliminary, but math coordinators are seeing the Texas Instruments graphing calculator as a valuable tool that will reach beyond just math class. Technology Education Littleton Public Schools has a strong tradition in the realm of technology education. Our Middle and High Schools are all equipped with curricula that introduce a wide array of technologies to students. LPS technology education students and teachers have won national recognition for their work. A relatively small amount of research has been done on students’ understandings of design and technology concepts, or technical knowledge. This limited research sometimes makes it difficult to capitalize on such an ever evolving subject as Technology Education. The findings from the Australian study state that an increasing awareness of students’ understandings of design and technology concepts can have an impact on the teaching and learning of design and technology in elementary schools similar to that experienced in elementary science education (Davis, Ginns, & McRobbie, 2002). Called Career and Technical Education in Virginia, CTE correlations to curricular areas have been documented on a state web site (http://www. valinkages. net/) and are considered a key component to preparing students for End-Of-Course tests. A study was conducted in 2002–2003 on Illustration and Design Technology coursework, an example of CTE student performance on Standards of Learning (SOL), the Virginia equivalent of CSAP tests. The results showed that 78 percent of CTE students passed the mathematics SOL test while only 72 percent of non-CTE enrolled students pass the test (Dyer, Reed, & Berry, 2006). Authors on the subject advocate for providing students with opportunities to synthesize their learning in other subjects in technology-related programs. The opportunity to apply and reinforce learning from content areas in technology programs is essential if learning is to be meaningful to students (Lewis, 1999). In our own experiences in LPS, we find that the Technology Education courses generate excitement and interest for learning among both male and female students which must have an impact on their learning. Recent research has shown that Technology Education courses appeal to both genders equally (McCarthy & Moss, 1994). Although girls appeared to enjoy required technology education courses, they were less likely to continue taking such courses as electives(Silverman & Pritchard, 1996). Certainly motivation and application of knowledge help to improve student achievement. And while recent results do not conclusively prove that these courses impact student achievement at a higher level than other programs we implement in schools, it would be imprudent to think that these programs do not have a very positive effect. This is one of the limitations of research on students: it is almost impossible to create a true control group. When asked, students currently enrolled in LPS Technology Education courses reported their thoughts of technology to include: computers, iPods, video games, music media, email, and tools in general. Recent legislation supports the concept that education’s technology initiatives need to go beyond thinking about computers. Rather, Technology Education is about teaching innovation; providing opportunity for practical application of knowledge gained in school; mastery of abstraction and problem solving. Technology Education programs at LPS include a broad scope of tools that human beings use to master their environment including manufacturing, construction, power and energy, communication, transportation, and biotechnology. While research that clearly correlates higher student achievement on standardized tests is lacking, the skills that students learn in such courses clearly match what employers, from engineering firms to manufacturing companies, indicate they seek in their applicant pools. Simulations and Video Games â€Å"Dad, did you know that a Prefect in ancient Rome was both a firefighter AND a policeman? † was a question that arose from the back of my (Dan Maas) car during a long road trip with my son, Calvin. He described, in quite accurate detail, the pantheon of Roman gods, the basic elements of Roman society and then abruptly ended the question and answer period that arose from his initial question so he could fend off the Carthaginians. How did he know they were Carthaginians? â€Å"Hannibal always attacks with elephants† was his reply. The boy had learned all this about Rome playing a video game at age five. Video games have long been the bane of the parent and teacher’s existence, but there’s something here that may be of some use to us. Some have picked up on the possibilities. A multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) is a kind of video game. Schools like Harvard University are creating MUVEs that are patterned after video games with a few critical differences. Video games typically have goals like collecting points, defeating enemies or gathering gold. On the other hand, MUVEs have the goal of learning. By creating virtual environments, problems can be posed, research can be collected, theories tested and outcomes achieved. One MUVE example begins with an outbreak of a disease in a small town that players must investigate, determine the pathogens involved, develop theories on how o treat the illness and test methods to resolve the crisis. The simulation is highly visual, interactive, and highly engaging to the students. See   Studies show that children whose teachers use technology for simulations and application of knowledge tend to develop higher order thinking skills and tend to score higher on tests like the National Assessment for Educational Progress. Conversely, technology use that focuses on drill-and-practice tends to correlate to lower performance (Archer, 1998). In another pilot, students who participated in computer-assisted literacy instruction earned higher scores on a Stanford Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory and on a Test of Written Spelling (Bottege, Daley, Goin, Hasselbring, & Taylor, 1997). In a 2005 study on a gaming system called an Intelligent Tutoring System, results showed increased educational interest and motivation among students. Students showed statistically significant gains educationally, but of particular note was the very significant effect on students who had performed poorly previous to the pilot (Virvou, Katsionis, & Manos, 2005). When one thinks about games, it seems as if there is a clear opportunity for using this tool for advancing educational skills. Students solve problems, learn languages and master virtual world rules while playing video games for entertainment. This pattern was examined in a Newark, New Jersey study using Lightspan educational video games where 47 pre-school age children played 40 minutes per day for 11 weeks and demonstrated significant gains over the control group on the Wide Range Achievement Test R-3. The scores for spelling and decoding were significantly improved for the experimental group over the control while no significant difference was detected in math (Calao & Din, 2001). The Pokemon video game is also interesting to consider. By the time the first draft of this document is completed for the Board of Education, the country will celebrate Dr. Suess’ birthday. His children’s books help young people to learn to read by creating simple, repetitive language constructs that reveal patterns to students and help them improve their decoding and phonic awareness. He even made up nonsense words to press the student’s phonetic ability. Pokemon has many similar traits. Text on the handheld game appears in small, five word chunks that only proceed when the reader is done. The reading is meaningful in that comprehension is required to solve the puzzles of the game. And the story line is filled with imaginary creatures with made-up names†¦ each phonetically accurate. Did the makers of Pokemon intend to create a game that might help children learn to read or did the creators use phonics to create the English language equivalents of their native Japanese? Who knows, but perhaps this game, or something like it, could be helpful. In speaking informally at several buildings in LPS, students at the middle level indicated that they would check out educational video games to play on their home gaming systems. Could video games, tuned to education by eliminating violence and other objectionable themes, become a new tool educators can use to engage students both during and after school? More research is certainly warranted but the existing results and intuitive logic leads one to think that there is promise here. At-Risk/Intervention An ever present emphasis in education is how to intervene for students with at-risk characteristics. We see educational and economic gaps forming for students at-risk and our public system is always focused on closing gaps and providing bridges for students. Can technology-integrated interventions be part of the answer? In a recent study published by North Carolina State University’s Meridian, journal on middle school technology, students repeating eighth grade were isolated into a focused 27-week program that used hypermedia, online resources and Power Point as integrated technologies. Students demonstrated statistically significant gains (29 percentile points) in reading and language arts. Additionally students demonstrated marked improvements (23 percentile points) in writing performances (Little, 2006). Within LPS, the Center for Online Studies is a partnership with Arapahoe Community College (ACC). Students come to ACC to take online coursework supplied by Class. com and supervised by a certified teacher. The students enrolled have had difficulty succeeding in their traditional high schools and reported to the Board of Education in January, 2007 that the program has made a difference in their academic pursuits. The principles in use here that are making this first year program a success are having a quality content source, a certified teacher and a supportive learning environment. 1:1 Initiatives One-to-one computing is an industry term of one computing device allocated to one person. This essentially is an initiative to end shared computing resources based on the idea that such learning tools are so essential that every student needs one all the time. This view is something akin to the status that textbooks have enjoyed for some time. When the public hears about classroom textbooks, meaning students can’t take their own book home, there is usually concern or even outcry to increase the resource. Proponents of 1:1 computing believe that the 21st Century represents a time when that status held by textbooks transfers to the computer. Indeed, if we are to shift from paper-based learning materials to electronic sources, a 1:1 initiative of some sort of computing device will be a pre-requisite. Some school districts and even states have begun to explore this concept. In Maine, a state-wide initiative began nine years ago to provide every seventh grade student with a laptop. The program is called the Main Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) and it is having an impact on teaching and learning in their public schools. After five years, researchers reported that teachers were more effective at helping students meet state standards. Also students were more motivated, learned more, and mastered concepts to deeper levels. Finally, students appeared to be learning new skills for the 21st Century (Lane, 2003). Further research into the MLTI project showed that students who had used laptops in 7th and 8th grade, but no longer had school supplied laptops in 9th grade reported that the quantity and quality of their school work had dropped since losing access to school-provided laptops (Pitler, Flynn, & Gaddy, 2004). A 1:1 project is the initiative in Henrico County, Virginia which began in 2001. Prior to the project, 78 percent of the district schools were accredited based on the student achievement on the Virginia Standards of Learning test. By the end of the school year in 2003, all schools had earned accreditation meaning that a satisfactory percentage of students passed the state test (Pitler, Flynn, & Gaddy, 2004). In Canada, a 1:1 effort entitled the Wireless Writing Project begun in 2002 started in Peace River North with 6th and 7th grade students. In pre and post-test results on writing assessments, researchers found that the percentage of students who met or exceeded the performance standards of the test increased from 70 percent to 92 percent (Pitler, Flynn, & Gaddy, 2004). Another 1:1 initiative is underway in New Hampshire where initial results reflect other studies of similar efforts. Students and teachers are demonstrating increased technology use across the curricular areas. Student engagement and motivation is improving and student-teacher interactions are on the rise. Initial reports of teacher judgment of student achievement (that is, basing achievement on grades rather than standardized tests) indicate that students are doing better than before (Bebell, 2004). In our own experiences in LPS, we see classrooms with laptop access achieving a 1:1 ratio for the class period exhibiting much improved academic behaviors. Working in this manner, students demonstrate a tendency to return to previous homework and revise, edit and reuse to far greater degrees than the classroom teacher was accustomed to seeing. Students more often compare their writing samples with peers and seem more likely to collaborate. Using blogs, wikis and other online tools, students expand on the usefulness of word processors by working collaboratively and ubiquitously. Collaboration through Technology A strong theme through the research and observations in this paper is how technologies are used to improve student achievement and general practices. This section is dedicated to the art of collaboration and how various tools allow people to reach across distances and through time like never before. iPods and other MP3 playing devices have opened up a very convenient and powerful pathway for information to be produced, accessed and archived. San Diego State University is leveraging this technology in science teacher preparation. Podcasting is a method of recording digital audio and video files and posting them online for others to access. This method can be used to bring distant experts to students, provide opportunities to review material at leisure, grant unprecedented access to students to research material and extend the learning opportunities for students well beyond the classroom. Surveys of pre-service science teachers who used iPods and podcasting in their preparation reported time savings, increased interest in subject matter, and declared that they would use podcasting in their own teaching methods in the future (Yerrick, 2006). The presence of global networks, the affordability of a wide array of information technology and the reality that connected people create an integrated whole have drastically impacted how we work, and learn today. Learning theories of the previous century including behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism were developed, prior to the current way our lives are organized, as a result of technology. Siemens proposes a new theory of learning based on the new human condition: Connectivism. In this view, knowledge resides in people and on devices. Learning and knowing rest on diverse opinions from a wide array of sources. Learning becomes a process of connecting nodes of information. Continual learning is maintained by nurturing connections. Learners find connections between different ideas, fields of study, and basic concepts. Being current is of paramount importance. And decision-making is actually a learning process, meaning choosing what to learn and being able to deal with the shifting nature of information. Learners must become comfortable with the reality that what is considered correct today might be proven wrong tomorrow. This theory of learning represents a massive shift in thinking: that learning is not an individual pursuit, but is a collaborative, dynamic and never-ending activity (Siemens, 2005). In LPS, the blog and the wiki has become a fascinating collaborative learning tool. In a Language Arts classroom, students no longer just check out a book, write some sticky-note annotations, and have one-at-a-time discussions prompted by the teacher. Rather, students copy Macbeth from a web resource into a word processor and annotate electronically, keeping their work on personally owned USB memory keys. While some students discuss a scene with the teacher, others are free to blog commentary on the topic of verbal discussion or other interests in the subject-matter at hand. Suddenly, a dozen conversation threads are happening all at once and the teacher only has control of one. The participation rate of students has risen and students return to the blog after school to continue their dialog. Students report that the conversation via blog makes them more reflective and yet more confident because of the lack of a public speaking component to the classroom discussion. In one discussion, the number of postings became so frequent over a short period of time that the free blogging service shut down the account because the activity resembled a malicious electronic attack on the blog server. A wiki supporting another Language Arts class is being used to connect students to young people in other countries like South Korea. Students reading Arabian Nights have opportunities to share their insights with others from around the United States and even in foreign countries. Other opportunities include the use of SKYPE for toll-free calls around the globe to other connected classrooms and instant messages allowing free-form, high speed conversation on topics of study. And in a Foreign Language classroom, chat and Voice Over IP systems allow students to practice their second language acquisition with their teacher, with each other, and even with students outside the classroom. The lesson is that the art of collaboration has no boundaries today. Time and space are no longer the limiters they once were and the list of technologies in this section only scratches the surface of what is available. And like the learning theory of Connectivism points out, this too will change. Education must take note and prepare students to succeed in an environment that thrives on collaboration while constantly changing and improving the tools that support it. Word Processing and Writing For decades now, research has been conducted on the effect word processing has on writing skills for students. In a 1997 study, Owston and Wideman cite a considerable body of work on this topic as part of their research project that studied 3rd grade students using word processors for writing. They concluded in their own study that use of word processors that were readily available to students and were an integrated part of their daily activities resulted in considerably higher quality and quantity of writing as compared to a similar student group without access and support for such tools (1997). In a more recent qualitative study, the use of word processors with seven 3rd grade students over a six week period led to significantly more creative, more comprehensive and improved style. This study of five girls and two boys also reported higher motivation to work with the writing process as compared to paper and pencil methods (Beck & Fetherston, 2003). In LPS, Anne Smith reports that students are more engaged when using classroom laptops. The students take advantage of the ease of use to manipulate text to show various sentence structures. While these studies definitely point to improved writing volume and quality from young students, research also suggests that young students need to be exposed to handwritten learning as well, which has been a point of discussion for some time. An article by Balajthy et al points out that students need a diverse writing experience and that word processors should be part of the experience rather than replacing handwritten work (Balajthy, McKeveny, & Lacitignola, 1986). At this developmental level, the various tools for writing are most effective for learners when they are used in an integrated approach with the overall instructional program rather than taught separately (MacArthur, 1988). There are studies that show little or no impact of word processors on the quality of student writing, however, a meta-analysis in 1993 showed that these studies tend to have a number of limitations not the least of which is the use of text-based word processors rather than the Graphical User Interface (GUI) systems in use today. Additionally, the analysis revealed that such studies often involve students who have sporadic access to the technology and were not accomplished with the tool (Bangert-Drowns, 1993). The process of mastering writing is very important and there is research that shows how emphasis on writing skills positively improves student achievement across the curriculum. Writing Across the Curriculum initiatives have over twenty years of professional practice and anecdotal evidence to support this claim. Strong research has been hard to come by, however, to truly evidence the effects. One of the biggest obstacles is the ability to truly have a strong control group for any study as such would require a population of students who did not use writing as part of their learning process (Railsback, 2004). Some studies have been able to document positive effects. In a 1992 study, Van Allen was able to conclude that school-wide efforts in Writing Across the Curriculum in five middle schools over a five year period resulted in better writing and better overall student achievement on assessments (1991). What we have found essential in LPS is to have students write frequently and in a variety of forms including wikis and blogs as well as word processors. We wish to note here that we must be careful about using research that is old, even though some of it is unavoidable. The technology tools of today are very different than when computers first entered schools. As an example, the word processing research from the 1980s may not be completely irrelevant, but the software of today bears so little resemblance to the software of the late 1980s. In addition, increased student (and teacher) familiarity with these tools will also have an effect on the impact these tools have on achievement. A key question is â€Å"How do we measure the impact of tools that change so quickly that by the time you measure their impact, the tools have changed? In other words, by the time most research is done (and published in â€Å"reputable† sources), the technology has changed so much that the research loses at least some of its relevance. This will be a significant hurdle to overcome. In a comprehensive peer-reviewed report, Bangert-Drowns conducted another meta-analysis with Hurley and Wilkinson on the impact of writing across the curriculum in 2004. This analysis, which reviewed 48 studies, produced three major findings. First, writing for learning produced positive effects on school achievement in the studies reviewed. The second finding was that grade levels, minutes per task, and writing prompts had significant impact on results. The study found that programs implemented in Grades 6–8 actually had reduced performances, possibly due to the loss of time on the more differentiated content covered at the secondary level. Longer tasks also depressed results perhaps for similar time constraint issues and motivational issues among students. The use of writing prompts concerning students’ current understandings and confusion were very effective while prompts for personal writing showed no effect. The third finding concerned the length of treatment. The analysis revealed the intuitive conclusion that students who have longer exposure to writing for learning strategies experience a cumulative effect that is very positive (2004). The research continues today and can be seen in an article published in Education Week on February 14, 2007, where the National Assessment of Educational Progress has been piloting a computerized test for assessing writing. This move recognizes the research that is showing how students write more often, of better quality, and with more consistency (between both genders) when using these writing tools. And preliminary results are showing that students tend to write better on the tests when using the word processor (Cavanagh, 2007). What can be drawn from these studies is that writing, being an active learning process, has been shown to positively impact student achievement in all subject areas. It can also be stated that students who have ample access to word processing in conjunction with skillful instruction in a school that is emphasizing Writing Across the Curriculum can be reasonably expected to produce higher achievement results. Streaming Video In four Los Angeles public schools, a study was conducted on the effectiveness of United Streaming video in supporting 6th through 8th grade mathematics achievement. Students were pre and post-tested to provide the source data for the study which revealed that the experimental group using streaming video outperformed the control group by 4. 7 percent among sixth grade students. This differential was shown to be statistically significant. Eighth grade students showed a more modest 2. 2 percent advantage which still registered as significant (Boster et al. , 2004). In LPS, the same United Streaming resources were secured for all schools at the beginning of the 2006–2007 school year. Additional digital projection and speaker equipment was provided to schools along with a concerted orientation effort to help teachers access and use the material. Prior to the introduction of United Streaming video, the Internet connection for the district was peaking at 26 megabits of demand. Within two months of the introduction of United Streaming, the peak demand had reached 100 megabits which represented the maximum throughput the connection was able to sustain. This 400 percent increase in Internet demand was traced directly to streaming video services requested by the schools demonstrating the value teachers immediately saw in this technology. Today, LPS is deploying a locally hosted server to present the streaming video to meet the growing demand for both quantity and quality of the content. Laptops for Teachers The following is an observation of technology use at Lenski Elementary School by Assistant Director of Instructional Technology, Boni Hamilton. As part of the Technology Grants from Plan for Social Excellence (www. pfse. org). schools provided laptops for teachers in the first year of the three year grants. PFSE didn’t collect hard data about the impact, but at Lenski Elementary School, I saw firsthand the effects on teachers and instruction. Some observations: 1. Teachers who had been least confident about their technology skills increased their confidence and competence with technology skills to equal that of the more tech-savvy staff members within four months. While the classroom teachers had regular access to technology skills when they co-taught in the lab and so were fairly confident with technology skills, the non-classroom staff such as specialists received training only when it was scheduled for the staff. This was too infrequent to give them the level of competence they needed. The portability of the laptops allowed the specialists to get help from peers, family members, and friends. A couple of teachers even signed up for computer classes outside the school because they finally had computers they could take home and practice on. One teacher who had been only moderately comfortable with technology learned how to make tables in MSWord and began showing everyone on staff — she became the staff expert. 2. Teachers improved in their trouble-shooting skills. Trouble-shooting is difficult to teach because problems happen at inconvenient times and are hard to reproduce during a training session. However, when teachers were carting their laptops home and had problems, they had to solve the problems themselves. They either used family members to help or they ‘fooled around’ until it did what they wanted. Because they knew the computers could be restored, they no longer worried about what would happen if they took a risk and pushed a button. 3. Teachers grew more relaxed about problems. Before laptops, teachers often got stressed when some technology failed. As they learned to problem-solve laptop problems, they had less tendency to get up-tight when something went wrong. They were then able to think about problem-solving strategies, consult a peer, or cart the laptop to a computer coach for help. 4. Teachers increased the level of student use of technology. As teachers gained confidence, they became more willing to risk using computers in the classroom. It wasn’t as scary to let kids try projects on classroom computers because they trusted that either they or their students could solve problems. 5. The demand for student computers in classrooms has increased dramatically annually. Even though teachers felt their classrooms were too small to handle clusters of computers, six months after they received laptops, they made room for computer clusters because they began to depend on computers to enable students to continue projects, collaborate on learning, and practice skills. The number of desktop computers in classrooms went from an average of three per room to an average of five to six per room. Lenski also bought two 15-computer laptop carts, but demand was so heavy that the school added two more carts in the following year. Then the library’s demand for computers increased so dramatically that the school had to buy a fifth cart. In the third year of having laptop carts, teachers are now complaining that there are too few carts available for the library and 16 classrooms (Grades 2-5). 6. After three years of having laptops, most teachers opted to return to desktop computers. There seemed to be several causes for this: 1) They purchased home computers and found they could use USB drives to cart files; 2) The school had enough wireless laptops for student use that teachers could get on a laptop; or even borrow one overnight, if they needed; 3) They preferred larger screens, faster processors, and standard mice. Based on these observations, I advocate strongly for giving teachers experience with laptops before buying laptops for students. Concluding Remarks The following is a summative commentary from Karl Fisch, Edublog Nominee and Finalist for the Best Blog of 2006: We’re not going to find a whole lot of really good research to support this at this time. I can summarize what the research generally says. The use of technology in appropriate ways has a small, positive effect on student achievement. It also has a larger, but still small, positive effect on student and teacher motivation, engagement and satisfaction. That’s about it. But I would strongly argue that – to a certain extent – this is missing the point. I would also suggest that many of our current practices are in direct contradiction to what the research says we should do, but we do them anyway because it’s convenient for the adults. How come nobody is demanding to see the research to support those practices? But I digress. ) I do not think that if we infuse technology into our schools, even putting in a 1:1 program at the high schools, that we will see student achievement – as we currently measure it – skyrocket. I think we may see a small positive effect, with possibly a slightly larger effect among those students who typically have not done very well in our schools. But the basic problem with looking for research that supports growth in student achievement is that – by necessity – research has to look at fixed, testable content to try to determine growth. Now I’m not saying that content knowledge isn’t valuable, it is. But I think the skills and abilities and habits of mind that ubiquitous access to technology would help us develop in our students are ones that are really hard to measure. How do you measure creativity? Or the ability to collaborate with others, both in the same room or across the planet (or beyond)? Or the ability to take in information from an almost inexhaustible supply, synthesizes it, remix it, and then produce something that is of value to others? How do you measure imagination? How do you measure the ability to function in a flat, globally interconnected, technology-enabled, rapidly changing world? How do we measure the ability to learn how to learn? To know how to adapt, to reinvent yourself over and over again to meet the needs of a world that is changing at an exponential pace. How do you measure the ability to function in a world where all of human factual knowledge will be available practically instantaneously? Knowledge is good. Having content knowledge is necessary, but not sufficient, to be successful in the 21st century. The research – at best – is only going to tell us about content knowledge. The power of the technology is to transform teaching and learning as we know it. To make it more student-centered, more individualized (yet also more community-based), more relevant, more meaningful. It allows each student to connect to each other, to the world, to knowledge, to learning, in the way(s) that works best for that student. I guess I fear we are asking the wrong questions . . . Where does all this leave us? And what use does this document provide? Clearly, more research is needed, but our efforts can no longer await the coming of comprehensive research studies. Not having solid research behind us will not be an adequate excuse for failing to prepare our students for the 21st Century. Therefore, we must be on the constant look-out for research that will help us light the way while we move ahead in the modernization of our public schools and our methods. We must become students of our own society and allow our own observations and action-research to influence our decisions. We must model for our students the creativity and risk-taking that will be defining characteristics of the next age. In short, educators must come out of the comfort zone, release some control and join the wave of seemingly chaotic global empowerment. Daniel Pink describes the next age of society which might give us some clues. He defines an age by the type of worker that is most commonly found among the population. During the Agricultural Age, the common person was some sort of farmer. During the Industrial Age, it was the factory worker. And during the Information Age, which he describes as beginning in the 1960’s, it was the Knowledge Worker. But the end of each age is preceded by an out-sourcing and off-shoring of the common worker prompting the rise of the next age. So what does Daniel Pink suggest is next? The Conceptual Age. This economy maintains the necessity of strong left-brain skills (reading, writing, math and science) while adding the right brain skills (aesthetics, intuition, value and play). Daniel Pink would advise us to continue our left-brain pursuits, but introduce the richness of meaning and value. It is no longer sufficient to create a well engineered product; now the product must be appealing as well (2005). References: http://www.bc.edu/research/intasc/PDF/NH1to1_2004.pdf

Paganism vs Christianity

Pagan vs. Christian The holy Catholic Religion had a drastic Christian like impact on the barbarian, Viking Pagans of the Anglo-Saxon Age in England (Elements of Literature 11). The Catholics evolved the aggressive Pagan Vikings into a peaceful society (Williams). Also, the Catholics substituted their warlike religion and after-life to a more holy and Christian like religion (Chaney 197-217). Along with the altering of the Pagan society and religion, the Catholics also transformed the Pagans dominant government style to a more civilized and unified one (Williams).The Pagans did not expect their society, religion, and government would be shifted to a Christian like style, but it did (Elements of Literature 11). The calm Catholics transformed the brutal Pagan Vikings into a more civilized society (Williams). After the transformation the Pagan’s tribal like communities was changed to towns with Castles (Williams). Also the Pagan’s tradition of oral literature being told by the scop was changed to written language in which the monks wrote (Williams).The unimportance of women in the Pagan society was changed when Virgin Mary the patriot saint helped raise the status of women (Williams). Along changing the type of society the Pagans were accustomed to into a more modern one like the Catholics there was also a change in religious beliefs (Elements of Literature 11 ). The Pagans believed in a warrior death and after-life while the Catholics believed in a holy peaceful religion, this was another alteration the Catholics made upon the Pagans (Chaney 197-217).The Pagans believed there was many gods and the best place to go after death was Valhalla while the Catholics believed in one God and Heaven was the best place after death (Chaney 197-217). The Catholics had an idol to live up to which was Jesus, the son of God, while the Pagans fought in battle to please Valkyries, whom was said to be the person who chose who died in battle (Chaney 197-217). The Pagans lived to die in battle, they believed dying in battle was heroic, the Catholics believed in living a sin free life and living a peaceful after-life (Chaney 197-217). Along with the changing of the Pagan’s arbarian society and warrior like religion the Catholics also evolved their tribal government into a more modern type (Elements of Literature 11). The Pagans believed in the strongest warrior being the King, or leader of the tribe, while the Catholics believed God chose who the heir to the throne would be (Williams). The Pagan king was known to be the bravest of all warriors but Catholics substituted the bravery for education and began to educate the Pagans (WIlliams). The Catholics also crated a Parliament in the Pagan tribe, which was something they lacked before ( WIlliams).Pagan warriors believed the strongest of all died to protect the king after the Catholics had an impact of their lifestyle it was believed there was a Diving Right of King (Williams). The Catholics un ified England with their transformation of the Pagan lifestyle (Elements of Literature 11). In the end the Pagans resulted in a peaceful society in which provided a common system of morality (Elements of Literature 11 ). The Catholics also provided the Pagans with a common faith of Christianity in which was more peaceful (Chaney 197-217).The most important gift the Catholics gave to the pagans was the transformation of a warrior leader to a militant but yet strategic leader to run a more civilized government (Elements of Literature 11). The calm Christians of the Catholic religion had a positive influence on the barbarous Pagans off the Anglo-Saxon Age in England ( Williams). Although there were many changes made to the Pagan lifestyle there were many more that needed to be made in order for them to be a more civilized nation of what present day England is like today (Elements of Literature 11).

How does Shakespeare encourage the audience to feel sympathy for Juliet throughout Romeo and Juliet Essay Example

How does Shakespeare encourage the audience to feel sympathy for Juliet throughout Romeo and Juliet Essay Example How does Shakespeare encourage the audience to feel sympathy for Juliet throughout Romeo and Juliet Essay How does Shakespeare encourage the audience to feel sympathy for Juliet throughout Romeo and Juliet Essay Discuss with reference to Act III Scene V and how directional choices can affect the audiences response. In conclusion, evaluate the moral significance of the play.Romeo and Juliet is certainly among the worlds greatest plays, and the story of Shakespeares star-crossed young lovers whose fate is sealed by their quarrelling families, the Montagues and the Capulets, is the touchstone fable of romantic love. Coincidence, chance, unawareness: fate weaves its inexorable pattern against the background of a bitter and deadly feud, working through persons who would never knowingly harm the lovers, but who do so nonetheless.This story contains aspects of both a love story and tragedy. The tale of two teenagers who fall in love at first sight and then marry, become true lovers and then risk it all for their love is fundamentally a tragedy. It is evident that this romantic play will have an extremely tragic ending from the beginning. The chorus states that the love between Romeo and Juliet is D eath markd and that the lovers take their life this is essentially dramatic irony. The audience therefore knows more than the characters. Some examples of tragedy in this romantic play include: quite obviously, the misfortune of Romeo and Juliets forbidden love. The blight of the messenger not getting to Romeo in time which leads to Romeo just missing Juliets awakening is surely a tragedy.To me this is one of the most frustrating things in the play, because if he just waited two minutes he would have been reunited with Juliet. And lastly, the death of Juliet. It is sad that she felt she had to take her own life to be with the one she truly loved. I think the unusual storyline, the language that Shakespeare uses and the fact that this play is timeless is what has made it so popular over the centuries. This timeless play points out several things like: how older generations can affect the younger ones. How we can try to control people and how they can rebel to this control, what can happen if younger people are not listened to and how people can rush into things but overall the main message is where there is civil strife, nothing is resolved.Juliet is one of the main characters, who is intelligent- we can see this from the amount of wordplay she uses. She is also articulate, reserved, and sensible and yet she is ultimately socially independent. Which is expected in the time the play was set, whereas as a character, Juliet is fully independent. In terms of age, she is fourteen although is mature for her age, but even so, we are reminded that she is a fourteen year old teenager who is very young at heart. She is part of the Capulet family who are at the centre of a deadly feud with Romeos family the Montagues. Her relationship with Lady Capulet (her mother) by modern standards isnt a proper relationship due to Lady Capulet not being very motherly towards Juliet which isnt surprising considering that in an upper class family in medieval Verona, a mother wouldnt h ave much say in her daughters life. Whereas her adoptive mother is the servant nurse as she is the one who has looked after Juliet all he life. Her father is Lord Capulet who is the head of the Capulet household and who can get an irritable temper if he doesnt get his own way, for exampleHang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch!I tell thee what: get thee to church o Thursday,or never after look me in the face (Act iii Scene V)This proves that lord Capulet can get a temper and that if he doesnt get his own way he can be very mean and inconsiderate.Shakespeare makes the audience feel sorry for Juliet in this extreme scene by making her a young lady and the fact that she is an innocent victim makes the situation much worse. We feel sorry for Juliet when she falls in love with Romeo because hes a Montague, his name is Romeo, hes a Montague- (Act I Scene V line 135) and shes a Capulet is she a Capulet- (Act I Scene V line 117). Dramatic irony also creates sympathy towards Juliet as r ight from the word go we know that this play is a tragedy and is going to end in tears A pair of star crossd lovers, take their life taken from the prologue. This one sentence concludes the play in great detail, that the audience cant help but feel the sense of dramatic irony.In my opinion Act III Scene V is important to the play because its the breaking point and its also the scene, which creates the most sympathy towards Juliet. When the scene opens up Juliet is refusing to believe that Romeo has to leaveWilt thou be gone? It is not yet near dayIt was the nightingale, and not the larkThat piercd the fearful hollow of thine earThis is Juliet trying to convince herself that it is not morning and her beloved Romeo does not have to leave to Mantua. Shes so desperate for Romeo to stay that she even makes up stories about some meteor that the sun exhaled to try to convince Romeo to stay and be with her. Shakespeare uses beautiful, romantic and timeless imagery, which makes us feel that we want and they should be together, and thus doing so creates sympathy towards them both. The language Shakespeare uses is vivid and just proves that Shakespeare is a timeless writer. And then, eventually, Romeo does give in to Juliet by sayingI have more care to stay than will to goCome, death, and welcome! Juliet wills it soThese two sentences is the realisation for Juliet that Romeo must leave unless she will never see him alive again. Suddenly Juliet snaps into a mature adult and claimsIt is the lark that sings so out of tune, straining harsh discordsAs this is what being told that he has to leave sounds to her and it proves how much of an adult Juliet can really be- without the audience not forgetting that she is a fourteen year old girl. But when Romeo is about to leave to Mantua they come together and sayMore light and light it growsMore light and light, more dark and dark our woesThese two sentences are talking about the danger that daybreak brings. When they part they talk about death and dieing which just shocks us because they are a extremely young couple who have the rest of their lives to live, but unfortunately this is dramatic irony and we know that its the last time they will see each other alive, this creates extreme sympathy towards both of the characters. Juliet is upset that Romeo has killed Tybalt because due to his actions he is banished from Verona and she will never see him again. Although in my opinion I think Juliet is more confused than anything because she is torn between Romeo- the man she loves who is good on the outside and bad on the inside, and Tybalt- her cousin, but given the evidence we clearly see that she is more bothered about Romeo being banished than the death of her cousin.Things go from bad to worse from there on because not only has Romeo left her the next to do so are her parents.As Juliet starts crying, Lady Capulet walks in. she immediately presumes that Juliet is crying over the death of Tybalt but the audience know different which creates the enormous sense of dramatic irony, as we know something the characters dont. Her mother saysEvermore weeping for your cousins death?What, wilt thou wash him from his grave withTears?And if thou couldst, thou couldst not make him live;Therefore, have done. Some grief shows much ofLoveBut much of grief shows some want of wit.This is showing Lady Capulets extreme incapability of comforting her daughter. This could be due to the fact that they have a very formal relationship as Juliet calls her mother Madam and Ladyship. In lines 85-86 and lines 101-102 this is where Juliet talks with double meaning. We know that she is talking about getting to Romeo because she loves him with all her heart whereas her mother thinks it is to get revenge. But all of a sudden this conversation goes from bad to worse when Lady Capulet proposes to Juliet that she marry the county Paris (lines 113-116). When Juliet is told she must marry Paris she acts how we would expect her to act because we know that she is married to RomeoI will not marry yet; and when I do, I swear,It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate,This is another double meaning as she is already married to Romeo but is meant to make her mother think she hates the idea, this is another way of creating the sense of dramatic irony, because the audience knows that Juliet is married to Romeo but the characters dont. After Capulet has abused Juliet, She turns to her mother hoping she will understand. Her mother ignores the plea and suicidal threat and disowns herTalk to me, for Ill not speak a wordDo as thou wilt, for I have done with thee,Thus both her flesh and blood have deserted herThis quote is extremely effective in creating sympathy towards Juliet because this is where Juliets own mother abandons her.When Juliet repeatedly refuses to agree to marry Paris and meet Capulets demands he hurls a torrent of insults and abuse towards Juliet such as Disobedient wretch, young baggage and hilding! he imitates her and even threatens his own daughter with phrases, he talks about dragging her to the church I will drag thee on a hurdle thither, he talks about hitting her My fingers itch and about kicking her out into the street and watching her die in the streets hang, beg, starve, die in the streets. Juliet goes from worse to terribly upset when Capulet abandons hernever after look in my face. Speak not, reply not, do no answer me.This behaviour is extremely unusual of Capulet, as elsewhere in the play we certainly havent witnessed him address Juliet in this manner, which brings the message across of Capulets frustration more vividly. This is also especially unusual behaviour because from the beginning of the play, it is learned that the Capulets held the decisive judgement of what Juliets future would have in store. Also at the beginning of the play Capulet was the person who didnt want Juliet to rush into marriageBut saying oer what I have said before. My child is yet a stranger in the world. She hath not seen the change of fourteen years. Let two more summers wither in their pride ere we may think her ripe to be a bride. (I ii, 7-11)This demonstrates Capulets intent of choosing Juliets husband, and now that he has his motives its the other way around. Juliet has been abandoned by a second person, her own fatherShakespeare also shows paternal love to go along with the others in the text. I guess that you could say that their was a bit of love from Juliets parents towards her in that they only wanted what they thought was best for her as well as getting what they want at the same time. They imagine that Juliet would be happy living her life with Paris, although Lady Capulet was much more loving than her husband was.After Lord and Lady Capulet have left Fearing she doesnt have anyone left Juliet turns to the only person who understands her- her good maid, the nurse. She wants words of comfort but that is not what she receives- lines 214- 226. This is not what she wants to hear, she cant marry the county Paris, it is impossible and inappropriate, and she is already married to Romeo so a second marriage is out of the question. This betrayal results in Juliet telling nurse she wont confide in her again thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain. Shakespeare shows us that Juliet is so desperate for help that she is willing to take her own life myself have power to die Romeo.Shakespeare uses vivid language to show us that Juliet feels isolated and confused such as Ancient Damniation! and if all else fails, myself have the power to die. This is sad; to think that Juliet thinks that killing herself is going to solve her problems. This makes the audience see how desperate she is and how much she is in love with Romeo. This also proves how isolated and confused Juliet really is because her mother, father and even the nurse want her to get married to Paris, so much that if the visit to Friar Lawrences Cell doesnt work she will take her life. Thi s scene is tremendously effective in creating sympathy towards Juliet because of the way her family are turning against her, the way her father behaves and the fact that her true love- Romeo has left to Mantua.If I was the director of a stage production of Romeo and Juliet, in Act III Scene V I would have Juliet Kneeling on the floor of her bedroom wearing a white nightgown in order to make the audience to feel more sympathetic for her. This idea is similar to the costume that Juliet is wearing in Baz Luhrmanns dazzling and unconventional adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Lord and Lady Capulet would wear suits to bring the message across that they are formal and important. The nurse would wear the traditional nurses outfit. Lord Capulets gestures would be harmful towards Juliet for example-: pushing, hitting, shoving, etc. in order to create more sympathy towards Juliet whilst Juliets will be screaming, crying and wriggling etc. the nurse and Lady Capulets woul d be similar such as clinging, pulling and dragging Capulet away from Juliet.This story is one of the greatest love stories of all time. There would not be too many people who have not heard of it. The story would not be as popular if Romeo and Juliet met, their families made up, they married and lived happily ever after. Even today, the tragedy resembles a blueprint of the problems that the adolescents of the twentieth century must face each day. In this play, Shakespeare explores the pitfalls of young love, and the consequences they receive from their actionsIn todays society, youth are constantly advocating the change from total dependence on family, to their own independence. Young people often think they know better than their parents, often believing that instead of helping them, they are only punishing them. Romeo and Juliet found that they new better then their parents, but after realizing the wrong they caused when both committing suicide. We love the tragic element of this story. It makes us cry, it makes us feel deep emotions, and it stirs up feelings like no other love story.The path of this true love is not smooth, but the path with its roughness and obstacles, seems to be the best way of showing the nobility and strength of true love. When Juliet sees Romeo dying at the end of the play we are filled with Sympathy towards Juliet and this is very important especially when Juliet takes her own life. In my opinion the moral of the story is when there is a civil strife nothing is resolved, and I think that if Romeo and Juliet hadnt died the moral wouldnt have been as strong. An apt quote to sum this up is spoken by Escalus, the prince of Verona.

Free Essays on The Power Elite

Given the gradual course of history of the United States, C. Wright Mills' theory of centralized control by a power elite has become prevalent today in American politics. According to C. Wright Mills, â€Å"the interlocking [policy, military, and economy] is clearly revealed at each of the points of crisis of modern capitalist society – slump, war, and boom. (Mills, pg. 83)† Given that one of the most important principles of politics is the consequence of history, the rise of centralization of power can easily be seen through a quick glance over the events of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century is unarguably the greatest leaps in production of all time, in which the economy of the United States of America grew to unprecedented proportions. Before this technological leap, most businesses were run by local entrepreneurs in local areas, and even if one area went completely bankrupt, the national economy would not be affected in the least bit. This allowed for minimal government and military intervention in such affairs. However, because of this event, many corporations soon took on the role of national and even international businesses. If such large factors in the national economy were to go bankrupt, it would have devastating effects on thousands of workers who would be left unemployed. This such event occurred in the 1930’s, known as the Great Depression. The Great Depression, which followed the crash of the stock market in 1932, was the first major occurrence in which the government was forced to intervene nationally in order to save the ailing economy. President Roosevelt enacted one of the largest extensions of government ever known to this country, creating many programs we know today such as welfare, social security, and public service projects. Although Roosevelt’s New Deal plans brought the United States out of depression and employed thousands of people,... Free Essays on The Power Elite Free Essays on The Power Elite Given the gradual course of history of the United States, C. Wright Mills' theory of centralized control by a power elite has become prevalent today in American politics. According to C. Wright Mills, â€Å"the interlocking [policy, military, and economy] is clearly revealed at each of the points of crisis of modern capitalist society – slump, war, and boom. (Mills, pg. 83)† Given that one of the most important principles of politics is the consequence of history, the rise of centralization of power can easily be seen through a quick glance over the events of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century is unarguably the greatest leaps in production of all time, in which the economy of the United States of America grew to unprecedented proportions. Before this technological leap, most businesses were run by local entrepreneurs in local areas, and even if one area went completely bankrupt, the national economy would not be affected in the least bit. This allowed for minimal government and military intervention in such affairs. However, because of this event, many corporations soon took on the role of national and even international businesses. If such large factors in the national economy were to go bankrupt, it would have devastating effects on thousands of workers who would be left unemployed. This such event occurred in the 1930’s, known as the Great Depression. The Great Depression, which followed the crash of the stock market in 1932, was the first major occurrence in which the government was forced to intervene nationally in order to save the ailing economy. President Roosevelt enacted one of the largest extensions of government ever known to this country, creating many programs we know today such as welfare, social security, and public service projects. Although Roosevelt’s New Deal plans brought the United States out of depression and employed thousands of people,...

What Makes a Good Villain Heres Your 15-Item Checklist

What Makes a Good Villain Heres Your 15-Item Checklist What Makes a Great Villain? Your Checklist for Writing a Good Bad Guy Nothing makes your hero more heroic than a worthy opponent. So don’t shortchange your villain. Spend every bit as much time crafting him as you do your lead character, if you want your story to work. (Though I will use male pronouns throughout, this applies equally if your main character is a heroine or your villain is female.) Too many novelists give plenty of care to every other element of their story, then create what they consider a deliciously evil villain and wonder why the package seems to fall flat. Often it’s because the bad guy is only that: bad. He’s from Central Casting and might as well be starring in a melodrama, complete with black top hat, cape, and handlebar moustache so we readers can boo and hiss his every entrance. Every other character is real and nuanced and believable, but the second-most important lead spoils the reader’s whole experience. Need help writing your novel?Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide. Motivation: The Secret Sauce for Creating a Great Villain Don’t let the word scare you. Motivation doesn’t have to be some nebulous theatrical concept tossed about by method actors trying to get into character. It simply means your bad guy needs a reason for being the person he has become. If he isn’t working, it’s because you’ve made him the villain only because he’s a bad person. He does evil things because he’s evil. That’s too easy. Change your thinking. Try something revolutionary. If you just can’t understand truly villainous people, try this: Put yourself in their place. â€Å"Wait!† you say. â€Å"I’d rather see myself as the hero, doing the right thing because it’s the right thing, rising to the challenge, saving the day.† Wouldn’t we all? Well, don’t knock this till you’ve tried it. You’re writing along, and you’ve come to the place where your villain needs to act in some evil way. Your virtual online writing coach has urged you to be sure he has proper motivation. What does this mean? He can’t be bad, do bad, cause trouble just because he’s the bad guy, so what’s made him this way? What’s behind it? You have to know before you have him do whatever it is he’s about to do. Take His Place â€Å"But I’m not a villain!† you say. â€Å"I’m no Dr. Moriarty or Dracula or Simon Legree.† Yes, you are. You have your days. You’ve learned to control yourself, or maybe you’re a person of faith and have found control outside yourself. But you know your true nature, your old nature. We novelists need to become our characters, from young to old, male to female, blue-collar worker to executive, and illiterate to educated. That’s part of the fun of it. Now take that further. When a friend takes credit for something you accomplished, what’s your first private thought? You get over it, I know. You probably say nothing and let it pass for the sake of the relationship, and that’s great. But dwell on that initial visceral reaction a moment. Someone you know well and love and trust lies to you, and there’s no question about it. You’re offended, hurt- crushed really. In fact, you’re infuriated. You bite your tongue because you’re a mature adult. Maybe when you cool down you’ll rationally confront the lie and get to the bottom of it. But for now, entertain that immediate first reaction. Where was your heart and mind then? I’m not telling you to become mean, rotten, and nasty when we’re all supposed to have grown out of that kind of thing by now. But I am telling you to tap into your dark side long enough to know what makes a good villain tick. What Makes a Good Villain? Villains are real people to whom terrible things have happened. Maybe in childhood, maybe in adolescence, maybe later. At some point, rather than learning and growing, their maturation process stunted and stalled. Roots of bitterness and anger sprang up in them. On the surface they may have many, if not most, of the same attractive qualities of your hero. But just beneath the surface fester the qualities you can access in yourself if you allow yourself to. While this may explain the reasons for your villain’s actions, it doesn’t excuse or forgive them. He’s still evil, and he must still be brought to justice. But giving him motivation will make him more than a cardboard cutout. So conjure a backstory for your villain. Make him real and believable and credible- even attractive in many ways. And while you’re writing your story, see how many boxes you can check off on this list of characteristics that pertain to your villain. The more that apply, the more successful your novel is likely to be. Because the more worthy his opponent, the more heroic your hero will appear. Villain Characteristics Checklist: He’s convinced he’s the good guy He has many likeable qualities He’s a worthy enough opponent to make your hero look good You (and your reader) like when he’s on stage He’s clever and accomplished enough that people must lend him begrudging respect He can’t be a fool or a bumbler He has many of the same characteristics of the hero, but they’re misdirected He should occasionally be kind, and not just for show He can be merciless, even to the innocent He’s persuasive He’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants He’s proud He’s deceitful He’s jealous, especially of the hero He’s vengeful Need help writing your novel?Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide. What would you add to this list of what makes a good villain? Tell me in Comments below.

Emma hiring a professional consultant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emma hiring a professional consultant - Essay Example And, again, instead of expansion by opening more stores or introduce franchising alternative, Emma could build an e-commerce infrastructure, acquire a point of sale system (POS) that would integrate all aspects of the business - from sourcing, stocking, to sales – among other strategies that integrate technology to the organization’s business operations. Developing computer/technological solutions could address issues of ergonomics, challenges in data access, communication, customer service, speed and cost constraints, among many other dimensions. There are a number of questions that Emma could ask Dr. Lipscomb. Three of these follows: 1) Is small business preferable than expanding it to a medium sized one in the context of Emma’s capability, skills, goals and interests; Would it be more profitable, considering the previous variable?; 2) What are the risks and variables that would threaten the business both in the short term and long-term; and, 3) What is the best model to be adopted in order to efficiently run the organization? The most important information that Dr. Lipscomb should identify is the owner’s preferences, personality and goals. So the first questions should be about these so that he could tailor the solution and strategy he would be able to develop for the small organization. Other questions should attempt to determine Emma’s willingness to change her perspective, lifestyle even some of her objectives in order for the organization to grow. For example, Is Emma willing to delegate the responsibility of immediate day-to-day problems so that she could concentrate on the wider and long-term issues; or, is she willing to sacrifice more of her time so she could focus on running her business.

Discussion board reply Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Discussion board reply - Coursework Example Process control ensures maintenance of a loyal customer base through the quality of products and services that are offered by a company. Process control involves adhering strictly to rules that a company uses in production enabling the company to prevent potential costly mistakes (Shinskey, 2008). When a company fails to address a possible mistake in the production process, the burden is transferred to other processes such as marketing of the products. Process control ensures that a company does not divert from the objectives that it has in production (Albertson, 2007). The importance of the process control can also be seen in the effect that a mistake in the production process can cause to the image of a business. When there is no proper process control in the production process, poor quality goods are produced and this reduces the confidence that the consumers have in the company and the products that the company offers (Sen, 2008). All these factors as also brought out by the classmate’s post can be avoided through the application of process control. Process control mainly involves monitoring all the activities that are carried out in the company to ensure each activity is in done in accordance to set rules and regulations (Sen,

Globalisation , the World Economy and MNEs Essay - 3

Globalisation , the World Economy and MNEs - Essay Example With increased competition, changing customers and ever changing technology, the fundamental part of RIM’s strategy was to expand the global reach of the Blackberry (Gillete et. al. 2013). RIM had the following options for expansion: RIM needed to further increase its core R&D activities. RIM already had a very successful local hiring strategy in place for this. Continuing with the same and increasing the magnitude would have fit with its existing approach and was also less risky. However, in order to be a global player, it had to look for talent worldwide. Having the same source supplier for new talent would have its limitations. One way was to expand Co-op programs at Waterloo to other universities and to hire more aggressively. The bond between Waterloo and RIM was loyal and reiterating the same loyalty with the other universities could yield desired results. Like other players in the industry RIM posted job openings online but with huge job applications mapping a right candidate to the right team was a tough job. Also, the competitors had a better hiring and on boarding process. RIM lacked a formal system of managing candidates. It needed to come up with an advanced system such as Global Scouting Platform of Microsoft to find the best talent worldwide. RIM had started expanding R&D and development centers at various locations and had the option to add more locations. However, the locations had to be strategic and the cost of resources had also to be taken into account. While expanding RIM had certain selection criteria while choosing new product and development sites such as having talented individuals, universities with strong technical programs and preferred base of software and hardware companies. However, the decentralization could lead to increased bureaucracy and add to management costs of the company. In past RIM had done some acquisitions which were

Boxing culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Boxing culture - Research Paper Example Boxing goes as far back as the second and third millennium BC. Archaeologists have found drawings and tablets that suggest that fist fighting was something that begun a long time ago, it may not have been as sophisticated as it is right now, and usually they would result in dangerous and deadly battles. Homer’s Iliad gives a good depiction of a possibly early era boxing fight. He writes it in the Mycenaean era and sometimes they would beat each other with fists until one of them died. (Fleischer) The very first ever boxing match was documented in 1681 and it took place in Britain. This happened when the Duke of Albemarle initiated a fight between his own butler and butcher and offered a prize to the winner. After a few years, boxing began to grow. All over England, matches were held. Years later, a match resulted to an opponent being killed, and this prompted a man known as Jack Boughton to develop the very first set of rules and had them published in 1743. There were twelve p rominent rules and this was when wearing of gloves was first brought in. This is where the knockout rule came about that stated that if a man was down and couldn’t continue for thirty seconds, then the fight was over. Broughton’s rules had the welfare of the players in mind. Because of his contribution, he is considered â€Å"the Father of Boxing†. The point where boxing really began to revolutionize was in 1865 when John Sholto Douglass, the Eighth Marquess of Queensberry wrote new boxing rules that basically transformed the sport to what it is today. In these new rules, he introduced the time of three minutes per round. He also made the wearing of gloves mandatory and prohibited wrestling during the match. These rules really kicked in when James Corbett defeated John Sullivan with the new established rules. He was the first world heavyweight champion under the Queensberry rules. It was in the early 19th century that boxing was first included in the St. Louis O lympic Games. Beginning with that, many talented fighters all over the world began flocking and they would fight for titles. This went on, really well into the 21st century. In 1927, the National Boxing Association (NBA) was formed. This was the very first authorization body to oversee the sport. The main goal of the NBA was to get talented boxers together to fight, to make sure there were no ethical problems, and to make the sport even more popular than it was at the time. Today, there are three governing bodies over boxing. They are the World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF), and the World Boxing Association (WBA). (Fox) Today, the Marquis of Queensberry rules are still being used. Some of the rules include that there should be up to three judges at ringside to score the game. Each boxer is also assigned a ring corner where he will take breaks, and enter in at. Another general rule of boxing is that hitting below the belt, biting, pushing or any of the l ike is prohibited. To avoid this, the boxer should have his shorts pulled up so as to not hit the genitals. A boxer cannot hold the ropes for support while he is punching or drop anywhere below the waist of the opponent while punching.