In Liam OFlaherty´s The Sniper, all of these are brought to an acute r

In Liam O'FlahertyÂ's The Sniper, these are brought to an intense reality in a solitary war-torn city. Solid cerebral feelings and contradicting methods of reasoning, because of which individuals need to wreck. The Sniper How does the creator delineate the strife and situation in a war-torn city in â€Å"The Sniper†? Outrage, torment, demise and regret all horrendous, however all are confronted and taken care of in each war. In Liam O'Flaherty's The Sniper, these are brought to an intense reality in a solitary war-torn city. Solid cerebral feelings and restricting methods of reasoning, because of which individuals need to annihilate the apparently â€Å"wrong† plague this world and are the primary purpose behind predicament. To help in his production of such passionate struggle, unrest and predicament, the creator has depicted the expert rifleman as a exceptionally disputable character. This story is situated around one character in the Civil War which he ought not be in as he is referenced to be a â€Å"student† in the story. The story whose primary topic is viciousness, endeavors to account the limited ability to focus obsession that rouses youth that prompts disturbance in the primary spot. In this clamorous circumstance nonetheless, obsession is the thing that one may require so as to endure and this is actually what the expert rifleman is confronting. This is demonstrated when the expert sharpshooter is supposed to be the â€Å"student with the essence of an ascetic†. He has one assignment to perform-to execute the officers of the Free States. Be that as it may, the most significant line that grabs the eye of the peruser is â€Å"†¦the eyes of a man who is utilized to taking a gander at death.† This is extremely unexpected as he was before looked at to an understudy who resembles an image for honesty where now he is spoken of as a killer. He is fascinated in satisfying his obligation and is currently a understudy of violence.... ...s’ the life of an officer. The violent sights in the city of Dublin, destroyed and deadened with war and dread is portrayed by individuals seeping in the drains till they kick the bucket and quick gunfire wherever followed by a stunning quietness. Executing is done without hesitating and, after its all said and done, the marksman looks after quiet until he murders his adversary expert sharpshooter on the contrary housetop. This serenity in bloodiness unmistakably legitimizes the disturbance and the situation that the creator appears in this short story. The creator utilizes the course and characters of the story to outline the course of the characters in each scene of brutality all over. The accentuation given to the carnage, the war, the death toll is more than what is given to the emotions, the individuals and the life and in along these lines Liam O’Flaherty has delineated strife and predicament in the war-torn city in this short story named â€Å"The Sniper†.

Is a College Education Necessary to Succeed in Life Essay Example for Free

Is a College Education Necessary to Succeed in Life Essay Instruction is the key that makes the way for all life brings to the table. The advantages of decent instruction, upgraded vision, expanded inspiration, and improved execution is significant to being effective throughout everyday life. Achievement has a place with the individuals who gain decent training. Improved vision Getting decent instruction can assist you with increasing a superior perspective on what you can do. Instruction gives an individual an upgraded feeling of individual control (Schieman and Plickert, 2008). Sound hypothetical and exact research has set up that instructive achievement is the basic initial phase in improving relational abilities, improving relationship aptitudes and improving your life (Schieman and Plickert, 2008). The most significant thing to recollect about instruction is training is the most significant component that can assist you with expanding your own control throughout everyday life. Expanded inspiration Acquiring decent training can likewise assist you with improving your station throughout everyday life. Abraham Maslow accepted that what spurs individuals is an order of requirements starting at the most essential needs of food, haven, and attire and consummation in self completion (Wilson and Madsen, 2008). Maslow accepted people have the capacity through training to turn into anything they desire to become in light of the fact that the individual has a capacity to learn (Wilson and Madsen, 2008). Through utilizing this capacity to learn and obtaining training you can discover achievement and you can discover the ability to transform you. Expanded execution Improving your instruction will improve your opportunity for progress. Getting decent instruction tends to cause you to feel great about yourself. At the point when you start to feel great your life takes on another significance and you can push off the pieces of clothing of a futile life and put on the articles of clothing of an important life (The humanist, 1992). This change is practiced through the restoration you had always wanted. At the point when you begin dreaming again you will start to learn through organized projects of learning, from loved ones, from day by day encounters, and from self reflection (Teare, 1997). Learning will turn into a pleasant activity. At long last, training furnishes you with the basic vocation and fundamental abilities that lead to a fruitful life (Hays, 2008). At the point when you learn through training to tune in, have sympathy, begin thinking about existence, become convincing, gotten mindful of the world in which you live, create prescience or vision, begin seeing the 10,000 foot view, become focused on your development as an individual, become worried about making the best choice, and understand that you are a little piece of a more noteworthy entire (Hays, 2008) at that point you will be well headed to being fruitful throughout everyday life and will have demonstrated that individuals truly need instruction to succeed.

A bear encounter and a wild cow-milking contest

A bear encounter and a wild cow-milking contest Im currently in Missoula, Montana: hometown of ze boyfriend. When I arrived, he suggested that I borrow his sisters mountain bike for the summer. I hopped on the bike with the following points in mind: The last time I owned a bike, I was nine years old, The last time I felt comfortable riding a bike, I was nine years old, and In the past decade I have ridden a bike exactly twice: once on an eighth grade field trip (I lost control of the bike and threw myself off before it fell into a rock pit) and once in Albuquerque the summer after I graduated from high school (I lost control of the bike and slammed head-first into a bush), With a lot of coaxing, I managed to wobble (screeching) down the sidewalk to a gyro cafe and back. Two days later, I managed to transport myself down a riverside bike path.   Apparently my performance was worthy of leveling up, because a few days later I found myself in the passenger seat of Raphaels 88 Mercedes, two mountain bikes mounted on the back. The trail went eight miles up to Franklin Bridge, and the plan was to camp overnight before riding the eight miles back down the next morning. We reached the trail head a little after noon. I swung on my backpack (which had, among other things, our camping stove, fuel, and my sleeping bag) took a moment to think wow, this is actually a little heavy, got on the bike, and roamed around the parking lot for a while. I felt okay, so off we went! The first half hour or so was tough. I kept panicking and stopping, trying to fiddle with changing the gear on the bike. Eventually I had such bad nausea that I had to get off the bike and sit on the ground. My legs hurt, my stomach hurt, I was out of breath, and my butt was NOT happy at bumping over all those rocks. Raphael was very patient, though, and eventually my bad mood passed and my bike balance improved. Not to mention that the scenery was beautiful: At some point, I literally could not continue (my legs were operating so slowly that the bike would just stop and tip over) so we took a break. We sat on the side of the road, and I scanned the meadow across the stream. A large brown mass moved. Hey, it was fuzzy! Kind of like a teddy- OH GOODNESS. Raphael, what is that? Raphael looked, then said lets get back on the bikes. So, we got back on the bikes, and suddenly (like magic!) I had enough energy to keep going for a while. Its amazing what your body is capable of when that flee-from-bear response kicks in. A few minutes later, I was definitively out of steam, so we stopped for a proper break. I had to do that a couple more times before we reached Franklin Bridge, and in the last few minutes I was walking and pulling my bike along, but we made it! In other news, we went to a rodeo in a little town called Hot Springs (population: roughly that of a large MIT dormitory). The event attracted a huge audience, and we had trouble finding seats. When we did, I felt out of place for not wearing a cowboy hat. Events included: bronco-riding, steer-roping, barrel-racing, and ~drumroll~ WILD COW-MILKING. More on that in a moment. First some pictures of the first few events: And heres a tiny little girl participating in the barrel-racing competition (with Grandma helping her out): Im not sure I had ever seen a horse when I was that age. The final event was wild cow-milking. Four teams of volunteers entered the arena. The event was exactly what you are imagining. A wild cow (one per team) was released from a pen, and the teams raced to catch the cow, tackle it to the ground, and milk it. First team to bring a cup of milk to the judge, won. It was terrifying to watch (I kept thinking that someones skull was going to get smashed in by a cow hoof) but two of the teams were successful and nobody (to my total astonishment) was injured. So, that was my first proper rodeo experience. Ive also been able to do some good old-fashioned astronomy! Blue Mountain Observatory is about an hours drive (mostly uphill) from Missoula. When we arrived, there was a beautiful sunset and a gorgeous view of Lolo Peak ( 9000 ft): We had a barbecue and chatted while the sun finished setting. When it was dark, we slewed the telescope with a very old-fashioned remote control (it was SO cool) with glowing red dials. We looked at M3 (a globular cluster), Saturn (we could see its largest moon, Titan!), and the Ring Nebula. Saturn is one of my favorite objects to look at through a telescope: it looks just like a picture. It doesnt look real. When Galileo first saw Saturn, he couldnt get enough resolution to see its rings: it looked like Saturn had two little blobs on either side of its body. So he drew the rings on like ears. Im currently working on collecting summer summaries from a bunch of French House residents, so stay tuned for that.

The Novel Alice s Adventures, Alice Falls Asleep And...

Many have compared life to a journey over the course of which, one experiences dozens of tumultuous changes and transitions. On this journey, the human body continually undergoes a developmental pattern of physical, mental, and social modifications. Even in the realm of literature, fictional characters inevitably follow this fate. In literature the stage, between childhood innocence and adulthood, characters transform in what is referred to as coming of age, otherwise known as adolescence. Because all humans experience this transition, it establishes coming of age as a timeless universal literary theme. Among coming of age novels include Lewis Carroll’s tale about a seven-year-old Victorian girl named Alice. In the novel Alice’s Adventures†¦show more content†¦The hallway contains dozens of doors that are all locked. Alice’s pre-adolescent stage parallels with her position in the hallway. Alice’s position in the hallway represents that she is at a stage stuck between being a child and a young woman. She posses a small golden key to the garden door, the only door that Alice cannot enter due to her size. Thus, her journey and her self-awareness begin when she strives to fit into the garden door. Issues concerning her size, identity, and her social exchanges with both Wonderland and its creatures spur and characterize Alice’s development towards becoming a young woman. In particular, Alice’s fluctuating size and â€Å"opening out like† (Carroll 11) a telescope parallel with a child’s seemingly spontaneous growth spurts, which occur frequently and most noticeably during pre-adolescent and adolescent years. In fact, Alice Liddell, the inspiration for the original tale, was ten when Lewis Carroll (the pen name of Charles Dodgson) first told the tale (Vallone 245). In addition, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland began as tale about the adventures of seven year-old Alice Liddell (Vallone 245). In reality, most children like Alice Liddell grow, but in Wonderland, Alice changed drastically and symbolically. Physically Alice’s growth correlates in many instances with her behavior. For instance, prior to drinking the mysterious liquid, Alice ponders on the substance’s toxicity, however, she fails to consider possible outcomes while forgetting

Goldberg v. Kelly Supreme Court Case, Arguments, Impact

Goldberg v. Kelly (1970) asked the Supreme Court to determine whether the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment applies to welfare recipients who are about to lose their benefits. The landmark case hinged on whether or not public assistance could be considered â€Å"property† and whether the interests of the state or the individual took precedence. Fast Facts: Goldberg v. Kelly Case Argued: October 13, 1969Decision Issued: March 23, 1970Petitioner: Jack R. Goldberg, Commissioner of Social Services of the City of New YorkRespondent: John Kelly, on behalf of NY residents receiving financial assistanceKey Questions:  Can state and city officials terminate welfare benefits without providing recipients with an evidentiary hearing? Are welfare recipients protected under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?Majority: Justices Douglas, Harlan, Brennan, White, MarshallDissenting: Justices Burger, Black, Stewart  Ruling: Procedural due process applies to welfare recipients at risk of losing their benefits. Welfare is a statutory entitlement and can be considered property. State officials must conduct an evidentiary hearing prior to ending someones benefits. Facts of the Case New York State terminated the benefits of New York City residents receiving assistance from the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program and New York States home relief program. John Kelly, who had been stripped of his benefits without notice, acted as the lead plaintiff on behalf of about 20 New York City residents. At the time, there was no procedure in place for notifying welfare recipients in advance that their benefits would be stopped. Shortly after Kelly filed suit, city and state officials adopted policies for notifying an individual about the loss of benefits pre-termination and included a hearing option post-termination. Under the new policies, state and city officials were required to: Give notice seven days before terminating benefits.Notify the residents that they may request a review of the decision within seven days.Task a reviewing official with â€Å"expeditiously† deciding whether or not to suspend or discontinue aid.Prevent aid from being discontinued prior to entering a finding.Explain that a former recipient may prepare a written letter for a higher official to take into consideration while reviewing the decision to terminate benefits.Offer the former-recipient a â€Å"fair hearing† post-termination in which the former recipient may give oral testimony and present evidence before an independent state hearing officer. Kelly and the residents alleged that the policies were not enough to satisfy due process. The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York found in favor of the residents. Cutting off a welfare recipient in desperate need of public assistance without a prior hearing would be unconscionable, the District Court found. The state appealed the decision and the Supreme Court took on the case to settle the dispute. Constitutional Issues The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment reads, â€Å"nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. Can public assistance be considered â€Å"property?† Can a state terminate public assistance without an evidentiary hearing?   Arguments The residents focused on the pre-termination procedure, arguing that it violated the due process clause by not allowing them to advocate on their own behalf. Public assistance was more than a privilege and suddenly terminating it, with or without notice, could jeopardize their ability to provide for themselves and their families. Attorneys on behalf of city and state officials argued that providing due process hearings pre-termination would create too great a burden on the state. Stopping benefits was a matter of cutting costs. A hearing could be triggered post-termination, to allow former recipients to advocate for the reinstatement of benefits. Majority Opinion Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. delivered the 5-3 decision. The majority found that public assistance is closer to property than a privilege and therefore covered under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Justice Brennan, on behalf of the majority, weighed the state interest of cutting costs against the recipient’s interest in receiving a fair hearing. The recipients interest carried more weight, the Court found, because public assistance beneficiaries could undergo significant harm when losing aid. Justice Brennan wrote: â€Å"For qualified recipients, welfare provides the means to obtain essential food, clothing, housing, and medical care. Thus, the crucial factor in this context ... is that termination of aid pending resolution of a controversy over eligibility may deprive an eligible recipient of the very means by which to live while he waits.† Justice Brennan emphasized the importance of providing someone with the â€Å"opportunity to be heard.† The process offered by New York State officials prior to terminating benefits did not offer the recipient the chance to speak to an administrator, cross-examine witnesses, or present evidence on their behalf. These three elements were essential to ensuring due process in pre-termination proceedings, Justice Brennan wrote. Dissenting Opinion Justice Hugo Black dissented. The majority had stretched the Fourteenth Amendment too far in granting procedural due process to welfare recipients pre-termination, he argued. Decisions about state and federal programs like the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program should be left to the legislators. Justice Brennans reasoning was suitable for a report from the House Committee on Education and Labor but woefully insufficient as a legal opinion from the Supreme Court, Justice Black wrote. The Courts findings amounted to a decision about what would be fair and humane procedure for terminating benefits, rather than an exercise in applying the text of the Constitution or past decisions. Impact Goldberg v. Kelly was the start of an era of procedural due process rulings from the Supreme Court. At Justice Brennans retirement, he reflected on Goldberg v. Kelly as the most important ruling of his career. It was the first Supreme Court ruling to broaden the concept of procedural due process and impacted millions of people by revolutionizing the system for terminating public assistance. It also provided the Court with a basis for future opinions weighing government interests against the interests of an individual. Sources Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U.S. 254 (1970).Greenhouse, Linda. â€Å"New Look at an Obscure Ruling, 20 Years Later.†Ã‚  The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 May 1990, www.nytimes.com/1990/05/11/us/law-new-look-at-an-obscure-ruling-20-years-later.html.

Grapes of Wrath Summary Free Essays

The Grapes Of Wrath Gena Rodriguez Student in Crime Films The Grapes Of Wrath The Grapes Of Wrath was a book that followed the Joad family on their journey from their deserted farm in Oklahoma to the riches of California, as their farms were destroyed in Oklahoma. They took few possessions with them on their journey, however they had eachother. They even picked up others along the way, all in hopes of a vision of getting their lives on track in California. We will write a custom essay sample on Grapes of Wrath Summary or any similar topic only for you Order Now Their journey was not easy as they had trouble with their vehicle, they lost family members and friends to death, and even heard several rumors of a depleted job market. The salesmen and pawnbrokers took full advantage of them as they knew that the families were in no position to deny payments for their goods. The family continued to stay together and remained positive as they looked forward to what was to come. Upon arrival in California, the Joads were met with much hostility. The camps were overcrowded and full of starving migrants, who were often nasty to each other. The locals were fearful and angry at the flood of newcomers, and label the migrants as â€Å"Okies. Work is almost impossible to find or pays such a meager wage that a family’s full day of work cannot buy a decent meal. Farmers resent the droves of Okies from flooding the state, as hungry and impoverished people are a danger. They are viewed as vagrants and thieves. The farmers, police and landowners were in a position of power, and it seems that they only seek to take advantage of those below them. They did not falter even when they were in a position to save a family, they refused to give up their wealth. The farmers used the police to their advantage, as they would have deputies destroy secret gardens, so that the camps people would not have extra food. The police labeled labor organizers as â€Å"red† and had them removed from camps for trying to organize and get decent wages and contracts for workers. Those labeled as â€Å"red† were placed on a blacklist and could not get work. The farmers’ association even tried to organize a riot, which they would pay certain â€Å"Okies† to start trouble, get the organizers put in jail and have the camp shut down. The migrants, got word of this and prevented it. Police seemed to be uncaring, rude, and cold mannered. They were abusive and corrupt. Many of the people in the camps felt they had to pretend to be incoherent and ramble, act â€Å"bull simple†, so that the police viewed them as unthreatening and idiots. Many of the â€Å"Okies† seemed to lack respect for the police due to their degrading treatment. An example would be Ma Joad chasing the police officer with a skillet. The police also acted recklessly such as in the shooting of Floyd Knowles. The police shot at him, but struck another woman in the crowd. Floyd Knowles was being arrested for trying to organize a contract and wages for workers, however the farmer became angry and informed the police. Knowles was later arrested on a bogus charge. The portrayal of police in this book can easily be compared to that of current police portrayals in movies and television shows. The times have changed to where people want to see the bad cop win or more action from police. The book portrays police as almost heartless and insincere, and corrupt. It portrays the police officer not as someone you go to, but someone you stay away from, which is very much in line with current trends in media. There are so many different types of police officers portrayed. Certain fictional dramas have come to show police officers as being corrupt and taking advantage of the power they hold but in my opinion this is not just fictional but rather a reality. This typed is definitely apparent in the book and the show â€Å"Underbelly†. There are some shows which portray police as masculine, overly intelligent, fit, aggressive, action packed, and always willing to shoot at suspects. The reality is that the public want to see these kinds of police officers. All of the excitement and glamour of being a police officer is what everyone wants to watch. A show where police are filling out forms and writing up boring reports just won’t cut it. The glamourized types of officers are portrayed in shows like â€Å"Hawaii 5 0† and â€Å"NYPD†, whereas the more realistic approach to policing is portrayed in shows like â€Å"First 48† and â€Å"cops†. References The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck How to cite Grapes of Wrath Summary, Papers

Intelligence in two psychological journals written by Thorndike and Hagopian

Description of the papers The psychological concept under analysis is intelligence as seen through the operant conditioning lens. In 1898 one of the pioneers of operant conditioning – Edward Thorndike – wrote an article called â€Å"Animal intelligence: an experimental study of the associate processes in animals.†Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Intelligence in two psychological journals written by Thorndike and Hagopian specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the article, the author carried out an experimental analysis of cats. He placed them in enclosures when they were hungry, and added basic escape mechanisms to the boxes. Thorndike (1898) placed food outside the enclosures. Some of the boxes had platforms that the cats could step on when they needed to get out; others had levers that would open when the cats wanted to escape. In other instances, he placed cords that the cats could pull when necessary. He recorded the time it took the cats to leave the enclosures successfully. He took out the cats that failed to open the enclosures but never fed them. He found out that successful cats kept repeating the acts needed to open the enclosures, and they did this in remarkably short timeframes. However, the cats that failed never attempted again. Thorndike came up with the law of cause and effect by affirming that responses (methods of escape used by the cats) that came immediately before satisfactory outcomes (food and less loneliness) became strongly associated to the situation, and were more likely to recur. However, inadequate association with the situation occurred when negative responses followed certain responses; these responses were less likely to occur.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hagopian et al. (2000) wanted to determine the effects of non contingent reinforceme nt on engagement with stimuli and problem behavior. Their analysis involved four mentally retarded participants who all had problem behaviors. They provided them with positive rewards such as toys and soft music under different conditions and observed them. They found that if they provided the subjects with positive stimuli regardless of participants’ behavior (non contingent reinforcement), the subjects continued to engage with it. They also realized that the stimuli almost reduced problem behavior to zero in these cases. They explained that non contingent reinforcement created reductions of destructive behavior. They also found that reduced response to the readily available stimuli (satiation) was a factor when the subjects had long access times. Extinction – providing no consequence for behavior – did not lead to reductions in problem behavior. Comparison In both analyses, the researchers are trying to understand how one reinforces behavior in intelligent org anisms. It can also be stated that the analyses focus on how learning occurs. They both use experimental analyses to come up with theories that explain these relationships. Furthermore, basic concepts of operant conditioning are the basis of these two researches; they all involve responses or behavior, rewards, and stimuli (something that alters behavior). Both studies also support the law of cause and effect; Thorndike (1898) explains that when a satisfactory effect comes immediately after a cat’s behavior (response), then the response is likely to be repeated.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Intelligence in two psychological journals written by Thorndike and Hagopian specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, when negative outcomes come immediately after certain behaviors, then the responses are less likely to occur. To Thorndike (1898), it is not possible to experience behavior reinforcement when one ch anges environments inconsistently. Similarly, Hagopian et al. (2000) explain that when one provides subjects with stimuli consistently; that is throughout the experiment, then targeted responses are likely to emanate from the study. In their case, they wanted to subvert problem behavior, so that was their targeted response. The subjects needed to form a link between the incentives and the consequences in order to achieve this outcome. Through consistent delivery, the researchers illustrated that there was a law of cause and effect. Continuities and discontinuities These researches are all based on operant conditioning. However, the recent paper is significantly different from the older article because it deals with the concept of non contingent reinforcement. Non contingent reinforcement refers to the provision of stimuli irrespective of a subject’s behavior. Scientists do this in order to show the subject that his or her negative behavior is not necessary in order to achieve a desired outcome. In their research, the subjects’ desired outcome was getting attention. The actions that they used to achieve this were tantrums, biting, kicking and self harm – all cases of problem behavior. The researchers provided toys and music as stimuli. Continually providing these stimuli caused the participants to reduce their undesired behavior.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thorndike (1898) had not considered a situation where the researcher continuously delivers the positive stimuli without regard to behavior. His experiment was contingent on the subjects’ responses. Therefore, his method was heavily reliant on interruptive removal or provision of stimuli; i.e., rewards and punishments. He did not focus on non interruptive patterns. The studies are quite different from each other because of the methods employed and the analytical techniques. The recent paper relied heavily on theoretical reviews of similar work. The authors quote other scientists’ explanations on extinction and satiation before making their conclusions. However, Thorndike (1898) was the first of his kind, so he did not rely on other authors’ previous work. He needed to justify his choice of methods because they were not common. Hagopian et al. (2000) used accepted methods of scientific research like baseline conditions and investigational conditions. Furthermore, the papers focused on different participants; Thorndike (1898) dealt with animals, so he could not use neurological explanations for his work; subsequent studies on operant conditioning have dwelt on human subjects. Lastly, Hagopian et al. (2000) distinguished between the factors that contributed to the effectiveness of the consequences such as contingency and satiation while Thorndike (1898) did not know about any of these terms. References Hagopian, L., Crockett, J., Van Stone, M., Deleon, I. Bowman, L. (2000). Effects of non contingent reinforcement on problem behavior and stimulus engagement: the role of satiation, extinction and alternative reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33 (4), 433-449 Thorndike, E. (1898). Animal Intelligence: An experimental study of the associate processes in animals. Psychological review monograph supplement, 2(4), 1-8 This essay on Intelligence in two psychological journals written by Thorndike and Hagopian was written and submitted by user Rachel F. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How to Write a Research Essay on Apache Native Americans

How to Write a Research Essay on Apache Native Americans The research essay is a scientific form of writing, one which is typically done for social science courses or as a follow up assignment to a lab or experiment you conducted. Research based writing is less creative, has more a formal structure, and requires you to back up everything you claim with evidence. Evidence can come in the form of data, statistics, or quotes from an expert in the field, etc†¦ Research essays require you to spend time, as the name would suggest, researching the topic. Your goal is to learn as much about your topic as possible so that you can support each claim you make and refute any opposition. When you are working on a piece like this, you want to first brainstorm some topics that are of personal interest to you. The more interested you are in the topic, the easier the research will be and the more passionate your arguments. If you are already familiar to some degree with a topic that is even better because it will reduce the amount of time you spend on background research. If possible, you can always tie in two or more ideas about which seem to you challenging and exciting. For example, you can relate your topic of Apache Native Americans to cultural changes in the US, so long as you present evidence to support your claims. The more facts and data you can present to support your argument, the better informed your reader will be. You also want to ensure that you cover the opposing viewpoint in one of your body paragraphs and in that, refute it with reasoning and facts supported with evidence. For your research essay, you can use superb facts on Apache Native Americans that are written for you. Before you begin the writing process, you need to create an outline as to the points you want to make and find reputable data to support the points. When evaluating evidence, make sure to review the source, the author, and where it was found. Reputable sources generally derive from academic databases, books authored by noted scholars in their fields, and peer reviewed journals. Information derived from such sources will go a long way in supporting your argument. When you start the writing process, you are better off beginning with your thesis statement and your body paragraphs. The introduction and conclusion are both best written after you have a solid middle. The reason for this is that the introduction and conclusion both serve as a summary, to some degree, of the content within the body paragraphs and if you have yet to draft those, you will not be in a good position to write about what you haven’t drafted. For each body paragraph, you want to present roughly the same amount of evidence. If, for example, your first body paragraph is supported by three pieces of evidence (two sets of statistics and one quote from an expert) you want to try and ascertain three pieces of evidence for the other body paragraphs as well. This will provide a more well-rounded presentation. These tips are prepared for you because it is a common knowledge that writing a research paper takes time and much patience. We hope that they will help you and you will write only the best papers.

The Ultimate Guide to the 28 Main Greek Gods and Goddesses

The Ultimate Guide to the 28 Main Greek Gods and Goddesses SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Few figures from ancient mythology are as popular and well-known today as the Greek gods. You can find them in books and movies, company names and Halloween costumes, and even in space, where tons of astrological features are named after them! But what if you want to know more about the Greek goddesses and gods than just their names and a vague idea of their function? In this article we’ll provide a comprehensive guide to the Greek pantheon, starting with an introduction to the Greek gods and their mythic origins. Then, we’ll do a deep dive on the Twelve Olympians, go over some other important minor deities, discuss Greek gods family tree, the history of their worship, and wrap up with all the places you might encounter this ancient pantheon today! Greek Gods and Goddesses: An Introduction As in many ancient religions, there were hundreds of beings recognized as deities by the Greeks. These deities were mostly associated with abstract concepts like memory and justice and natural forces and features like rivers, seasons, death, and rebirth. There were also gods associated with agriculture and craftsmanship (like shepherding and blacksmithing) and the social order (i.e. marriage, the law). These gods were understood primarily as inexorable forces that governed human existence, but they also had a human aspect. These gods also marry, have children, fight, intermingle with mortals, insult each other, take vengeance, make war, and create great art. They have hierarchical and familial relationships. Mythology shows the gods both hurting and harming both mortals and each other in fairly equal measure, and not necessarily in accordance with modern conception of justice or fairness. To the modern observer, ancient religions can seem truly bizarre. The gods seem petty and irrational- not benevolent or better than humans, but embodying the entire spectrum of human strengths and foibles while simultaneously ignoring human conventions (the Greek gods’ family tree is incredibly complicated- and incestuous). But to the Greeks, the gods were not meant to behave better than humans or judge human conduct; they were simply the absolute forces that ordered the universe and drove all phenomena. Their human aspects simply made them intelligible. Mount Olympus, the mythic home of the Greek gods. Photo by flickr user stefg74. Mythic Origins of the Greek Gods and Goddesses In the Greek view, the main gods of Olympus were far from the original gods of the Universe. In the beginning was only Chaos. From Chaos came four beings: #1: Eros, who represented not only love but the power to reproduce#2: Gaia, the earth#3: Tartarus, the empty abyss beneath the earth#4: Nyx, the night Gaia birthed Uranus, the sky, from herself. Gaia and Uranus then had many children together, who were known as the Titans. Among the Titans were both gods and monsters. Uranus was not pleased with Gaia’s monstrous children, and so attempted to force them back into her womb, causing her incredible pain. Because of this, Gaia had her youngest son, the Titan Kronos, castrate his father with a sickle and cast the testicles into the sea. Kronos then became ruler of the gods. He took his sister Rhea as consort. But as he had overthrown his own father, he feared his children would overthrow him. So he consumed each of his children as they were born. However, with her last child, Zeus, Rhea tricked Kronos by offering him a stone wrapped in swaddling instead. She hid Zeus on earth, where he was raised by a nymph. When he grew to manhood, Gaia helped Zeus drug Kronos and then give him a potion to make him throw up all of his siblings: Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Hera, and Hestia. With his siblings as allies, he established himself at Mount Olympus and led a war against Kronos and the other Titans. With his victory, he became king of the greek gods and goddesses. He imprisoned the defeated Titan men in the depths of Tartarus. However, he allowed the Titan women to remain above and in fact went on to have children with many of them! He also married Hera and made her his consort. To the Greeks, Rhea, Cronus, and the Titans most likely represented the gods who were worshiped before the worship of the main Olympians were established. The Battle Between the Gods and the Titans, by Joachim Wtewael, 1600 Major Figures of the Pantheon: The Twelve Olympians The number twelve had great symbolic significance to the Greeks, and so there always had to be twelve primary Olympians. This is regardless of the fact that far more than twelve gods lived at Olympus, and some of the Twelve barely resided there if at all (like Poseidon and Hades). Myth holds that Hestia forfeited her place as one of the Twelve when Dionysus ascended Olympus, to keep the correct number. Who was among the Twelve was not always consistent, either- some descriptions kept Hestia and left out Hades, for example. However, the following Greek goddesses and gods were those most commonly named as the Twelve. Zeus Illustration of Zeus by Paul Bransom, circa 1921 God of: Storms, fate and destiny, law and order, kingship; king of the gods. Origin: Child of Titans Kronos and Rhea Usually Depicted As: A strong, mature, kingly man with a dark beard. Symbols and Icons: Thunderbolt, eagle, oak, bull Major Relationships Married to Hera Brother of Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia Fathered many of the Olympian gods: Athena, Persephone, Ares, Apollo and Artemis, Dionysus, and many other more minor gods and demigods. Only Ares was fathered with Hera; the rest were from extramarital dalliances. Major Attributes After Zeus threw down Kronos, he, Poseidon, and Hades drew lots to divide up the cosmos. Zeus got the sky. The earth was considered equally under the mastery of all three brothers. Zeus' primary original aspect was as a weather god; thunderbolts forged by Hephaestus were his chosen weapon. Later, he came to symbolize order, the law, and fate; he was considered more powerful than all the other gods and thus his rule went unchallenged. He had a huge number of affairs with both goddesses and mortal women, and the many children resulting from said affairs. He often took animal form to seduce mortal women. Myths Other than the story of him overthrowing the Titans, most of the best-known myths of Zeus today center around his seduction (or rape) of various women. Here are some notable ones: Leda: Leda was the wife of Tyndareus, the Queen of Sparta. However, Zeus desired her, so he transformed into a swan and either seduced or raped her, depending on the version of the story. Leda also slept with her husband the same night, and then laid two eggs. From one egg came her children with Zeus, Helen (of Troy fame) and Polydeuces (or Pollux). From the other egg came her children with Tyndareus, Castor and Clytemnestra. Europa: Zeus saw and desired the beautiful Europa, a Phoenician noblewoman. He disguised himself as a white bull in her father’s herds. When out with her handmaids, she admired the beautiful bull and climbed atop his back. He seized the opportunity to take her away, swimming across the sea to Crete. After Zeus had several children with her, she married the king of Crete. The name of the continent "Europe" comes from Europa. Danae: Danae was the daughter of a king. This king heard a prophecy that her son would overthrow him, so he locked Danae in a tower so no man could touch her. However, Zeus transformed into a shower of gold, came in through the grates of her tower, and impregnated her with Perseus. The king threw Danae and Perseus into the sea in a wooden chest. Zeus asked Poseidon to bear them to safety. Hera The Peacock Complains to Juno; Gustave Moreau, 1881 Goddess of: Marriage and childbirth, women, and the sky and stars; queen of the gods Origin: Child of Titans Kronos and Rhea Usually Depicted As: A beautiful, majestic matron wearing a crown Symbols and Icons: The peacock, the cuckoo, the pomegranate, the cow Major Relationships Married to Zeus (also his sister) Sister of Demeter, Poseidon, Zeus, Hades, and Hestia Mother of Ares, Eris, Hebe, and Eileithyia, (with Zeus) Mother of Hephaestus (without male intervention!) Major Attributes As wife of Zeus, she was queen of the Greek gods. She was undeniably powerful in her own right, but was not really considered Zeus’ equal; in myths about direct confrontations between them Zeus always emerged the victor. She was considered somewhat stubborn and quarrelsome; she and Zeus had a tumultuous relationship. She was known for tormenting Zeus’ many lovers and so had a reputation for being "jealous." Every year, she renewed her virginity by bathing in a spring at Nauplia. Myths Many of Hera’s appearances in myth revolve around her attempts to torment the lovers of Zeus and the children resulting from these unions. Heracles and the Milky Way: Hera repeatedly tormented Zeus’ child with the mortal Alcmene, Heracles. (Zeus’ attempt to placate Hera by naming the child in her honor was not successful.) She set many obstacles against him throughout his life. One notable story about Hera and Heracles was that when he was an infant, Zeus tricked Hera into breastfeeding Heracles, presenting him simply as an abandoned child. When she realized who he was, she yanked the baby from her breast, and the spray of milk that followed became the Milky Way. Lamia: Zeus took a beautiful queen of Libya as his mistress, and she bore him multiple children. Enraged, Hera killed Lamia’s children and turned her into a monster (typically part-serpent) who devours the children of others. Poseidon Cirta mosaic of Poseidon and Amphitrite, circa 315-325 God of: The sea, flood, drought, earthquakes, horses Origin: Child of Titans Kronos and Rhea Usually Depicted As: A mature, dark-bearded man with a trident Symbols and Icons: The trident, the horse, the dolphin, the bull, the tuna Major Relationships Brother of Demeter, Hera, Zeus, Hades, and Hestia Married to Amphitrite Fathered many children with various mothers; a large number of these children were monstrous in some respect or another. Major Attributes When Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades defeated their father Kronos, they drew lots on who would rule over what, and Poseidon drew the sea. He is thought to be much like the sea: capable of being both majestic, calm, and stormy by turns. Like his brother, Zeus, he was known to have many lovers. He was considered to have the power to give sailors safe passage. He is often credited with creating the horse; he rode around on the surface of the sea in a chariot pulled by magic horses. The Greeks believed that sacrificing a horse would win Poseidon’s favor. Myths Patronage of Athens: Poseidon and Athena were both in bitter competition to become the patron god of Athens when it was a newly-founded city (and before it was called Athens, of course). Athena proposed they hold a content for the patronage of the city: each would present a gift to the city and the king, Cecrops, would judge which present was best and therefore which god would be patron. Some versions of the myth have Poseidon giving the people a spring, which turned out to be saltwater and so useless. Some versions have him creating and gifting the city with the horse. Either way, Athena gave the city the olive tree, which Cecrops deemed the better gift. Athena became patron and the city was called Athens in her honor. Demeter Fresco of Demeter by Cosimo Tura, 1476-1484 Goddess of: All plants and fruit, agriculture, grain, bread, fertility, and newlyweds. Origin: Child of Titans Kronos and Rhea Usually Depicted As: A crowned, blonde, somewhat voluptuous, mature woman bearing grain. Often portrayed with her daughter, Persephone, or in a chariot drawn by horses or dragons Symbols and Icons: Corn, pigs, fruit, poppies, sheaves of wheat, the cornucopia/horn of plenty. Major Relationships Mother of Persephone (by Zeus) Sister of Hera, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and Hestia Major Attributes The name "Demeter" has two potential derivations; it could mean either "mother earth," or "giver of grain/barley." She was primarily a Greek goddess not just of nature but of cultivation; she taught humanity how to cultivate grain. As such she was also considered the giver of bread. Without her blessing, nothing grew and people starved. Rather than dwell in Olympus, she spent most of her time wandering the surface of the earth with her daughter, Persephone. Mother and daughter were often worshiped together, particularly as part of the Eleusinian mysteries. This was a mystery cult centered at Eleusis that promised initiates entrance into the blessed paradise Elysium in the afterlife. The contents of the mysteries were closely-guarded secrets. We have a general idea that they were primarily a ritualized presentation of the myth of Persephone, but we don’t know all the specifics. So many details of the mysteries remain a mystery to this day! Many agrarian festivals were held in her honor throughout Greece. Demeter was also a goddess of fertility, and the priestess of Demeter was responsible for explaining the duties of marriage to newlywed couples. Myths The most important myth about Demeter is the myth of the abduction of Persephone- a story that has endured in the popular imagination through the present day. The Abduction of Persephone: The god Hades wished to marry Persephone, but he knew that it was unlikely that Demeter would allow anyone to marry her daughter as it would separate the two. So he petitioned Zeus, who gave him permission to abduct Persephone. When Persephone was gathering flowers with her companions, he came forth from the earth, snatched her up onto his chariot, and descended down with his new bride into the Underworld. Demeter, distraught, searched everywhere for her daughter with the help of the goddess Hecate. But she couldn’t find Persephone anywhere on earth. In her grief, she made it so all crops failed and all vegetation withered. Eventually, the Greek god Helios told her he had seen Hades carry off Persephone. Outraged, Demeter went to Zeus to demand her daughter be returned. Zeus complied because humanity was starving, and commanded Hades to return Persephone to the surface world. Hades did return her. But before that he offered Persephone a single pomegranate seed to eat. Because she had eaten of the fruit of the Underworld, she had to return there part of every year. Thus she spends a third of every year (or half, depending on who is telling the tale) in the Underworld, and the rest of the year on the earth’s surface with her mother. This myth is used to explain the cycling of the seasons: when Persephone is above ground, Demeter is happy and things grow. When Persephone is in the Underworld, Demeter is sad and the earth is barren (so, winter). Hades 16th-century painting of Hades God of: King of the Underworld, god of death and funerals; also considered the god of the metals and riches of the earth and soil Origin: Child of Titans Kronos and Rhea Usually Depicted As: A dark-bearded, mature man; had two commonly depicted aspects: enthroned in the underworld, or pouring earthly riches from a cornucopia Symbols and Icons: Black sheep, cyprus, narcissus Major Relationships Husband of Persephone Brother of Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, and Hestia Father of The Furies (sometimes) Major Attributes His name has two possible derivations: one meaning "he who makes invisible," and another meaning "receiver/embracer of all." He became god of the underworld when he, Poseidon, and Zeus drew lots to see who would control which realms of the cosmos. However, he was allowed to ascend Olympus at will, although he did not know what transpired on earth or on Olympus when he was in the underworld. He presided over the trials of the dead. He was considered a chthonic deity- associated with the earth and underground as opposed to the sky or sea. The Greeks considered him somewhat pitiless and he was not well-loved; unsurprising for the god of death! He was also often referred to euphemistically, with names like "Clymenus" (the illustrious) and "Eubelus" (the giver of good counsel) due to Greek superstition. He was also known as "the hidden one" because he had a helmet that made him invisible. Like Poseidon and Zeus, he had several extramarital dalliances; although of an order of magnitude less, it seems. Myths By far the most notable myth about Hades is his abduction of Persephone; see Demeter’s section above for this myth. Athena Athena by Gustav Klimt, 1898 Goddess of: wisdom and reason, battle strategy/warfare, handicrafts, weaving. Patron goddess of Athens. Origin: Was the child of Zeus and Titan Metis. Fearing his child would usurp him, Zeus consumed the pregnant Metis. Later, he endured a "splitting" headache- until Hephaestus split open Zeus’ head with an axe and the fully-formed, armor-wearing Athena emerged. Usually Depicted As: Wearing body armor with a shield and a lance; or wearing a helmet and the aegis, her cape printed with the face of Medusa. Symbols and Icons: The owl, the olive tree, the goose, the serpent Major Relationships Had a close relationship with Zeus; often cited as his favorite child Was in many ways counterparts with Hephaestus, who wished to marry her; she refused Major Attributes She represents logic and rationality to such an extent that she cannot be "afflicted by Aphrodite"- she cannot fall in love. As such, she is a sworn virgin. She is also considered to have a somewhat androgynous aspect. She has a close relationship with Zeus and was thought to sit at his right hand and give her wise counsel when occasion required. As opposed to being aligned with natural forces, Athena is primarily a goddess of civilization. She was considered a force of power and wisdom who protected the law, the state, and social institutions. In many ways she is the opposite of her fellow sworn virgin goddess Artemis. As protector of the state, she also had an aspect as a goddess of warfare and battle; she was considered the goddess of military strategy. This stands in contrast to Ares, who was the god of thoughtless battle-lust. The Greeks took it as somewhat self-evident that Athena surpassed Ares in battle. She was considered, much like Hephaestus, a great innovator and creator of many of the useful crafts used by humankind. Pretty much any carefully-designed invention or craft commonly used for human industry was thought to be inspired or created by Athena. She was notably considered the inventor of weaving. She also created the olive tree. Athena was a particularly beloved goddess by the Greeks; she had many cult sites and they often sacrificed bulls to her. Myths We've already covered how Athena became patron goddess of Athens in the Poseidon section, but there are also other notable myths about her. Arachne: Arachne was a young Greek woman who claimed that she was a better weaver than Athena herself. Insulted, Athena challenged Arachne to a weaving contest. Athena wove scenes of the gods’ glories and triumphs, while Arachne wove scenes of the gods abusing mortals. There is some variation in exactly what happened- some versions claim that Arachne’s weaving was superior, and some that Athena won. However, Athena was enraged by Arachne’s insult to the gods through her woven scenes and turned her into a spider, weaving only webs. Bonus: Want to read more about spiders? Check out our articles on myths of the camel spider and why you shouldn't fear garden spiders. Hephaestus 1497 painting of Hephaestus by Andrea Mantegna God of: Craftsmen, blacksmiths, fire, volcanoes Origin: Typically considered a child of Hera and Hera alone. She conceived him herself, but when he was born crippled, she threw him out of the heavens. He was rescued and raised by Thetis and Eurynome. He was later welcomed back to Olympus after proving his skill as a craftsman. Depicted As: A middle-aged, bearded man with the tongs and hammer of a blacksmith, usually wearing a short-sleeved tunic and cap; sometimes riding a donkey. Sometimes visibly crippled; sometimes ugly, especially in post-ancient depictions. Symbols and Icons: Hammer, anvil/tongs, axe Major Relationships In some ways a counterpart to Athena; he initially wished to marry her but she rebuffed him. Married Aphrodite when his request to marry Athena was denied. Had a somewhat contentious relationship with his mother, Hera Major Attributes Hephaestus is notable for being the only primary Greek god of Olympus with a disability. Aphrodite was not happy to be married to him and engaged in an ongoing affair with Ares. Hephaestus was the craftsman of the gods and made many of their most prized possessions, for example: Hermes’ winged sandals Aphrodite’s’ girdle The chariot of Helios The armor of achilles Hephaestus taught man the crafts associated with smithing and as such was often worshiped in tandem with Athena, who was also associated with crafting. He was also known for his healing abilities; his priests were renowned for their knowledge of healing snake bites. Myths As Hephaestus was often ridiculed and mistreated for his lameness, many of his myths are about shaming those who cross and denigrate him- even the other gods. Aphrodite and Ares: Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, but they did not have a happy marriage. She had an ongoing affair with Ares, god of war. Helios, the Greek sun god, revealed the affair to Hephaestus when he saw the lovers cavorting together from his chariot above. Enraged, Hephaestus decided to lay a trap. He hung a fine-woven, invisible net above their trysting-place and told his wife he would be gone for some time. When Ares and Aphrodite were in flagrante delicto, the net dropped, trapping them in an amorous embrace. Hephaestus invited the gods to come view his unfaithful wife and her lover. The goddesses declined, but the men went to see. Hephaestus demanded back the bride-gifts he had paid for Aphrodite, but Zeus refused and told him they needed to work out the marital manner themselves. Ares was ordered to pay a fine to Hephaestus. None of this, of course, made Aphrodite faithful to Hephaestus. Aphrodite "The Birth of Venus" by Giorgio Vasari, 1556-1558 Goddess of: Love, passion, beauty, sex Origin: When Uranus was castrated by Kronos, his testicles were cast into the sea. Aphrodite rose from the foam that formed around the testicles. Depicted As: A beautiful, nude woman; or in a clothed, seated style similar to other Olympian goddesses Symbols and Icons: Apple, myrtle wreath, scallop shell, the dove, the swan, the rose, the pomegranate Major Relationships Unhappily married to Hephaestus Had an ongoing affair with Ares Had many children by different lovers, mortal and immortal Major Attributes "Aphros" means foam; while Aphrodite’s primary aspects were related to love and sex, she was also a goddess of the sea. She rescued shipwrecked sailors. She also guarded plants, and was (somewhat unsurprisingly) the goddess of prostitutes. In some regions she was also a Greek goddess of war and considered the lawful wife of Ares; her connection to war perhaps explains the coupling of Ares and Aphrodite throughout myth. She had a magic girdle made my Hephaestus that made the woman who wore it irresistible; she would loan it to Hera when Hera wished to recapture the attention of Zeus’ wandering eye! Unlike most of the other female gods, who tended to have a fairly limited number of lovers, Aphrodite was known for her many mortal and immortal lovers. She was known for her jealous nature; while she was very generous to her worshipers, she was spiteful to those who denied her. Myths Aphrodite myths typically concern her love affairs. Her liaison with Ares and the trap laid by Hephaestus was already described. Other than Ares, her most famous lover was Adonis. Aphrodite and Adonis: Adonis’ parentage is not consistent in myth, but in all accounts his pregnant mother was turned into a myrrh tree and he was born from the tree some time later. Aphrodite was taken with the baby and gave him into the care of Persephone. However, Persephone refused to give the child back. To solve the dispute, Zeus (or sometimes Calliope) decreed that Adonis would spend four months of the year with each goddess and the remaining four months however he chose. He decided to spend eight months of the year with Aphrodite. (It is unclear at exactly what point in the story Adonis becomes a young man and the lover of Aphrodite, but that is how he is typically depicted.) Unfortunately, Adonis is gored to death by a wild boar. In different versions of the myth, the boar is sent by a different god or goddess to take retribution against Aphrodite for some perceived wrongdoing. One of the most famous versions has her immortal lover Ares sending the boar to kill Adonis out of jealousy. Aphrodite hears Adonis’ cries and rushes to his side, where he dies in her arms. She turns his blood into the anemone flower. Adonis was actually a cult figure in ancient Greece and the subject of many mystery cults concerned with the Underworld, resurrection, and immortality. He and Aphrodite were sometimes worshiped in tandem as part of these cults. Ares Mars by Has Thoma, 19th century God of: war and battle (especially bloodlust), but also associated with courage and civil order Origin: Child of Zeus and Hera Depicted As: Either as a mature armored warrior or a nude youth, but almost always with his helmet. Symbols and Icons: Spear, woodpecker, vulture, dog, peaked warrior’s helmet Major Relationships Best-known relationship among the gods was as the lover of Aphrodite Also had many children, some by Aphrodite but most by others. Was accompanied into battle by his children with Aphrodite, Phobos and Deimos (Panic and Dread), and his sister, Eris (Strife) Major Attributes While Athena represented battle strategy and cunning, Ares represented bloodlust and battle frenzy- he enjoyed conflict for its own sake and was known to aid both sides by turns in the battles of men. In addition to battle and bloodshed, he was also said to cause plagues and epidemics. As an agent of violence and chaos, he was not well-loved by his parents or the other gods (except for by Aphrodite). Like most of the other male gods, he had many lovers, but Aphrodite was the most notable one. Because he was an agent of violence and chaos, he was not necessarily hugely popular across Greece. He was worshiped primarily in the northern parts. Additionally, the Spartans believed they were descended from him, and at a certain point in Spartan history he received human and dog sacrifices. He wore a golden helmet and bronze armor made by Hephaestus. Myths Some Ares myths have already been mentioned; he was humiliated by Hephaestus for his affair with Aphrodite, and he killed Adonis because he was jealous of Aphrodite’s love for him. But here’s one other: The Areopagus: The site where criminal trials were held was named after Ares because he was, in myth, the first being tried there. One day he came upon a son of Poseidon trying to rape his daughter, Alcippe. To protect her, he killed her assailant. Poseidon was furious and demanded justice for the death of his sons. A trial was held and twelve gods acquitted Ares, saying his violence was justified. Artemis Diana la Casadora, Pedro Lira, 19th century Goddess of: Nature, wild creatures, hunting and archery, virgins, childbirth, and witches Origin: She was a child of Zeus and Leto, delivered on the island of Delos because that was the only place that would offer Leto sanctuary from Hera’s wrath. Usually Depicted As: A girl or young woman with a bow and arrow, usually with a stag or hunting dog Symbols and Icons: Deer, cyprus, the moon, bear, palm tree Major Relationships Twin sister of Apollo Accompanied by many companions, including the Pleiades Major Attributes Her name is typically thought to mean "healthy" or "vigorous." Artemis is primarily a nature goddess and was often identified with local nature goddesses in her worship. As a young girl, she begged her father to be able to remain a virgin forever; he granted her wish. Priests and priestesses of Artemis took vows of chastity. Artemis protects women and wild animals, especially the young. She was a goddess of the natural world. In spite of her status as a virgin goddess she was also associated with childbirth. Hunting with her silver bow, she wanders the woods with her companions, who are mostly female. Some of her notable companions include the Pleiades, the seven sisters. However, several of the Pleiades did not remain virgins and ended up having children, like Maia, who bore Hermes to Zeus. She was considered responsible for the sudden deaths of girls and women, but could also protect, cure, and heal these things. Her twin brother Apollo was in many ways her counterpart; they had a close and complementary relationship. Some traditions placed them as husband and wife, but this is not the most common interpretation. Myths The most famous myth about Artemis is the myth of Actaeon. Actaeon and Artemis: The young hunter Actaeon came upon Artemis bathing naked in a woodland spring. He was so struck by Artemis’ beauty that he remained to watch and was discovered by the goddess. As punishment for his transgression, she turned him into a stag, and he was hunted down and ripped to pieces by his own hunting dogs. Apollo Rosalba Carriera, Apollo, 18th century God of: Prophecy, the sun, music, poetry, the arts, archery, healing Origin: Child of Zeus and Leto; born on Delos Usually Depicted As: A beardless, beautiful youth (naked or robed), often holding a lyre Symbols and Icons: The lyre; eagles, snakes, crows, cicadas, wolves, dolphins, ravens, the laurel tree, the number 7 Major Relationships Twin of Artemis Major Attributes Apollo was one of the most widely worshiped and beloved Greek gods of Olympus. Like many of the gods, Apollo had a somewhat dualistic aspect; he was both the patron of the most civilized arts, like music and poetry, and capable of extremely violent and barbaric acts. Apollo was a close counterpart to his sister, Artemis. While she was a goddess of wild nature, he was much more closely associated with civilization; she was connected with the moon and he with the sun; while she was thought to be responsible for the sudden deaths of women and girls, his arrows caused the sudden death of men and boys. Artemis had a silver bow, and he had a wooden one. Both gods also had a healing aspect. As a god of civilization, Apollo protects flocks and cattle and the founding of towns. Additionally, Apollo was a god of prophecy; one of the most famous oracles in Greece, the oracle at Delphi, was dedicated to him. And of course, like many of the gods, he was known for his many lovers, male and female- although he was not very lucky in love, with many of his pursuits and affairs having tragic ends. Myths Many of the myths of Apollo center around his unfortunate pursuits of women and men. Daphne: Apollo loved the beautiful Daphne, who had sworn to remain a virgin. He chased her until she could run no more. She cried out to her grandfather, river god Peneus, for aid. He turned her into a laurel tree so that Apollo could not touch her and she could remain forever a virgin. Cassandra: Apollo gave Cassandra, a princess of Troy, the gift of prophecy in an effort to win her affections. When she rejected his advances, he cursed her that no one would ever believe her prophecies. Hyacinthus: The beautiful young man Hyacinthus was one of the lovers of the god Apollo. However, the west wind, Zephyr, also loved Hyacinthus and was jealous. So one day when Apollo and Hyacinthus were taking turns throwing the discus, Zephyr blew Apollo’s discus off-course, causing it to strike and kill Hyacinthus. Apollo turned the dying man’s blood into a flower, the Hyacinth. Hermes Photo of ancient Hermes vase by Nicolas Vollmer God of: Travel and trade, eloquence and insight, luck and the unexpected, athletes, messenger of the gods, bringer of dreams Origin: Child of Zeus and Maia, one of the Pleiades Depicted As: Typically depicted with his winged sandals and hat, sometimes with a sheep on one shoulder Symbols and Icons: Winged sandals, winged helmet, caduceus (a winged staff with two snakes twined around it), rooster, tortoise, ram, hare, crocus Major Relationships In many ways, Hermes was somewhat of a loner god; he interacted with most all the gods but did not necessarily have a close association with any of them However, he did father Hermaphroditus with Aphrodite. Major Attributes "Hermes" is probably derived from "herma," the heaps of stones that indicated boundaries and marked landmarks. As the messenger god, Hermes was both a god of travel and of social communication. He protected travellers and guarded those who crossed boundaries. He had a mischievous, trickster aspect; he was the god of all communication and eloquence, whether it was honest or not. He was frequently able to get away with deception simply because he was so charming! He also guarded thieves and prostitutes. As a figure of craft and cunning, he was credited with many inventions, including the lyre, music, the alphabet, numbers, measures, weights, astronomy, combat, and gymnastics. As a messenger, he was also considered a god of diplomacy and protected embassies and diplomats. He was a god of dreams in his messenger aspect as well. Finally, he was tasked with leading the souls of the dead to the underworld, and was one of the only gods with free passage to and from there. Myths Hermes had a particularly illustrious childhood, engaging in wild feats as soon as he emerged from the womb. The Cattle of Apollo and the Lyre: The day Hermes was born, he left his cradle to look for adventure. He decided to steal 50 cows from Apollo’s herds. Using trickery and cleverness he covered all the tracks so his crime couldn’t be traced. After a long and fruitless search, Apollo finally used his own oracular powers to find Hermes. Hermes denied stealing the cows, but Apollo didn’t believe him and brought him before Zeus. Zeus was delighted with Hermes’ cleverness and did not punish him, only ordered him to return the cattle. When it came time to return the cattle, Apollo found Hermes playing a new instrument he had just made out of a turtle shell- the lyre. Apollo offered to let Hermes keep the cattle in exchange for the lyre. Hermes agreed, and the gods were friends from that moment on. Dionysus Reproduction of plate depicting Dionysus by Arthur Elam Haigh (1896) God of: wine and drunkenness, celebration and festivity, but also madness and frenzy. Origin: Child of Zeus and Semele. Considered "twice-born" because his mother died while pregnant with him after beholding the full glory of Zeus. Zeus saved the child by carrying him to term in his own thigh. Depicted As: Earlier he was portrayed as a bearded man and later as a beautiful, but somewhat androgynous, young man Symbols and Icons: Grapes, the thyrsos (a pine-cone tipped-staff), panthers and leopards, the wine cup, the ivy wreath Major Relationships Married to Ariadne, daughter of Minos, a Cretan king. Lover of Aphrodite; she bore Priapus by him Major Attributes Dionysus was connected with wine, drunkenness, festivity, fellowship, and nature. His cult was also associated with art and literature. However, there was a dark side to his worship, as he was connected also to frenzy and madness- the untamed wildness both of nature and of drink. His entourage consisted of wild spirits of fertility, like the sileni and the satyrs. He was also considered to have power as a prophetic deity and a healer of illness. In his aspect as a nature god he was the protector of trees. He was considered somewhat effeminate or androgynous in nature. The ecstatic nature of his worship attracted many female followers, but was not as popular among men, who were uncomfortable with the female wildness associated with his rites. Myths There are not a huge number of myths centered on Dionysus, but he does feature in one well-known story. King Midas: For King Midas' hospitality to Dionysus’ foster father, Silenus, Dionysus offered the king whatever boon he wished. Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. Realizing that he could not eat or drink and even turning his own daughter to gold, Midas repented of his choice of gift and prayed to Dionysus to take it away. Dionysus told him to wash in the nearby river and the gift would be taken. Minor Gods As there are literally hundreds of Greek gods and goddesses, this is not a comprehensive list. But we have outlined the most notable greek gods and goddesses other than the Twelve Olympians. Atlas- Titan Who Holds Up the Sky Atlas by Guercino, 1646 Atlas was a Titan, the Son of the Titan Iapetus and the Oceanid Clymene or Asia. He was was in the Titan army that fought against Zeus and the Olympians; as punishment he was made to bear the weight of the heavens. In art he is typically depicted as a man holding up the sky or the stars Persephone- Goddess of Spring, Queen of the Underworld The Spring Witch by George Wilson, circa 1880 Persephone was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus; the story of her abduction by Hades was detailed above. Many of her attributes as a goddess revolve around this tale. Her return to the surface world at the end of winter is what caused spring to begin as her mother allowed new growth, and her journey to Hades in the autumn caused plants to wither and die as her mother killed living things in her grief. Thus she became known as a Spring goddess as well as the Queen of the Underworld. She was worshiped with her mother as part of the Eleusinian mysteries and associated with immortality because of her cyclical passage into the underworld and return to the surface world. In her dual aspect as the bringer of spring and the queen of the Underworld, she was associated with both life and death. She is known for either bestowing favors or her wrath on the many heroic visitors to the Underworld in myth. She aided Hades in cursing the souls of the dead when necessary. Sometimes she was known as the mother of the Erinyes (the Furies) with Hades, but not always. She was depicted both as a young agriculture goddess with her mother, with a torch and sheaves of wheat, and as the throned Queen of the Underworld, sometimes besides Hades. Her major symbols are the torch, wheat, and the pomegranate. Eos- Goddess of the Dawn Evelyn de Morgan, Eos, 1895 Eos, Greek goddess of the Dawn, was the child of Titans Hyperion and Thea and the sister of Helios, the sun, and Selene, the moon. She is most notable in myth for drawing the ire of Aphrodite after taking Ares as a lover. The jealous goddess cursed her with insatiable lust, leading her to kidnap a number of handsome mortals. Eros- God of Love, Passion, and Fertility Red-figure plate with Eros by Ascoli Satriano Painter, circa 340-320 BC. Courtesy of the Walters Art Museum. Eros was originally considered one of the very first Greek gods- the son of Chaos who allowed for not only love, but fertility to come into the universe. Through the power of Eros other gods were able to reproduce and the universe as we know it was arranged. In later years, Eros was demoted to a mere son of Aphrodite (with Zeus, Ares, or Hermes depending on the tale) and simply an ancillary assistant to her powers of love, sex, and fertility. Hecate- Goddess of Witchcraft Maximilin Pirner, Hecate, 1901. Hecate, daughter of Titans Perses and Asteria, assisted Demeter in her search for Persephone, lending her torches so the search could continue into the night. When Persephone was found, Hecate remained below with Persephone and became an underworld goddess. Hecate supervised religious rites, was the mistress of demons, and was the patroness of witches. She was accompanied at all times by a black cat and a black dog. Her shrines were found at crossroads, and the Greeks would lay sacrifices at crossroads during full moons to worship her. Hecate was a goddess that most Greeks worshiped specifically to avoid the misfortunes she had the power to visit upon them. Helios- God of the Sun Relief of Helios, circa 390-275 BC Helios, Greek god of the sun, was the child of Titans Hyperion and Thea and the brother of Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn. He was sometimes called the "All-seeing" because he was said to see all that passed on earth from his chariot that pulled the sun across the sky. Helios was sometimes equated with Apollo, who was also associated with the sun, but they did have separate identities as deities. Hestia- Goddess of the Hearth and Domesticity Hestia tapestry, 6th century Egypt Hestia was the first child of the Titans Kronos and Rhea, making her sister to Zeus, Hera, Demeter, Poseidon, and Hades. Some accounts place Hestia as one of the twelve Olympians; others say that she abdicated her place in favor of Dionysus so that the number could remain twelve. After both Poseidon and Apollo sought to marry her, Hestia petitioned Zeus to remain a virgin. He granted her request and made her the presiding figure over all sacrifices. She was worshiped mostly with a shrine in every family hearth, as opposed to publicly, but Greeks took the sacred fire of Hestia with them whenever they went to establish new settlements. As she never leaves her home in Olympus, she is also associated with rest and sanctuary. She is closely associated with the family and domesticity. Her symbols are fruit, oil, wine, and one-year-old cows. Iris- Goddess of the Rainbow, Messenger of the Gods Vase painting of Iris by the Diosphos painter, circa 500-490 BC; photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen Iris, like Hermes, was a messenger of the gods. Iris served as the messenger for the Olympians during the Titomachy- the war with the Titans. Associated with the rainbow, she could travel all the way from the heavens across the earth and into the underworld. Se was the child of Thaumus and the Oceanid Electra. Nike- Goddess of Victory Sculpture of Nike at Ephesus, photo by Laszlo Ilyes Nike, daughter of the giant Pallas and the river Styx, was the Greek goddess of victory. However, she did not have her own cult; she was primarily considered an attribute of Athena and Zeus. She was usually depicted with wings, carrying a palm branch, wreath, or staff to carry the message of victory. She later came to symbolize all kinds of success, not just martial victory. Nyx- Goddess of Nyx Nyx, Night Goddess by Gustave Moreau, 1880 Nyx, or night, was one of the four original forces that emerged from Chaos. Alone and with various partners, she bore many deities who functioned as the most primordial of forces. She bore Aether (Brightness) and Hemera (Day) with Erebus (Darkness). Her children that she bore alone included Hypnos (Sleep), Thanatos (Death), Geras (Old Age), the Moirai (the Fates, sometimes said to be borne with Hades), Nemesis (Retribution), Eris (Strife), and the Oneiroi (Dreams). While she was not widely worshiped, her great power was acknowledged; it was said that even Zeus feared her power and majesty. Pan- God of Fertility, Nature, Shepherds, and Goatherds Painting of Pan, Arnold Bocklin, 1864-1865 The child of Hermes and Dryope, Pan was born with the horns, legs, and ears of a goat. When he was born, his mother was so alarmed by his animalistic appearance that she ran away screaming- hence the term "panic." Pan was a god of untamed nature and lusty fertility. He was known for his many amorous pursuits and his pipe-playing ability. Interestingly, many of his goatlike characteristics later became associated with Christian conceptions of the Devil! Selene- Goddess of the Moon Albert Aublet, Selene, 1880 Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon, worshiped primarily at the new and full moons. She was the child of Titans Hyperion and Thea and sister of Helios and Eos. Other than her aspect as moon goddess, Selene is known primarily for her relationship with her mortal lover Endymion, her sleeping prince, who wakes only when she visits him and so never ages or dies. Selene is typically represented as a woman crowned with the crescent moon, driving a chariot. Themis- Goddess of Justice, Wisdom, and Divine Law School of Marcello Bacciarelli, early 18th century, Allegory of Justice- Themis Themis, a child of Uranus and Gaea, was Zeus’ second consort before he married Hera; with him she bore the Horae (the goddesses of the seasons and time). Sometimes the Moirai (the fates) and the Hesperides are also listed as children of Themis and Zeus. As the personification of divine law, Themis was fairly widely worshiped in Greece. She was considered a goddess of order who supervised rituals and ceremonies. She was also connected with prophecy and oracles. Themis is typically depicted as a serious woman carrying scales. 3 Famous Greek Goddess Groups Many minor Greek deities were conceived of as groups of beings, usually goddesses who were sisters. While this is not a comprehensive list, we have identified some of the most important groups of Greek goddesses here. The Furies- Goddesses of Vengance Megaera, Tisiphone, and Alecto by Gustave Dore The Furies (or the "Erinyes," the angry ones) were Greek goddesses of vengeance, possibly identified as personified curses or the ghosts of the murdered. Sometimes they are described as children of Gaia and Uranus who sprang up from the blood of Uranus’ severed genitals, while in other tellings they are the daughters of Nyx and Hades. They reside in the underworld, but pursue the wicked across the surface of the earth. They could torment an entire community for an unpunished crime. They were usually depicted as grim young women wearing black mourning attire. It was only later that the number and identity of the individual furies was established. There were thought to be three: Alecto ("unceasing in anger") Tisiphone (avenger of murder") Megaera ("jealous") Due to Greek superstition, they were often referred to euphemistically as the Eumenides ("the kind ones") or the Semnai Theai ("venerable goddesses.") The Muses- Goddesses of Art and Science The Dance of the Muses by Joseph Paelinck, 1832 The muses, daughters of Zeus and the Titan Mnemosyne ("memory"), were the group of Greek goddesses considered responsible for artistic (and sometimes scientific) inspiration. The were the patronesses of poets, artists, musicians, dancers, seekers of knowledge, and so on. They were led by Apollo and associated with wells and springs. The muses were unmarried but various muses gave birth to many famous mythic figures, like Orpheus, Hyacinthus, and the Sirens. In some early accounts there are only three muses, but the standard number is nine. While the Greeks would have primarily considered the muses a unit, the Romans ascribed specific artistic and scientific domains to each muse, although not in a standardized way. Clio, "the proclaimer"- history Euterpe, "the well-pleasing"- tragedy or music/flutes/lyric poetry Thalia, "the blooming"- comedy Melpomene, "the songstress"- tragedy and lyre playing Terpsichore, "delighting in the dance"- lyric poetry, dancing, and/or flute playing (origin of the word "terpsichorean"- pertaining to dancing) Erato, "the lovely"- lyric and love poetry Polyhymnia, "she of the many hymns"- sacred poetry, or mimicry, or dancing, or geometry Urania, "the heavenly"- astronomy Calliope, "she of the beautiful voice"- heroic or epic poetry; most notable of the nine muses The Fates- Goddesses of Destiny The Three Fates, Bernardo Strozzi, before 1664 Goddesses of: Human destiny About These Goddesses: These Greek goddesses, known as the Moirai, were considered daughters of Nyx or, less frequently, daughters of Zeus and Themis. They determined mortals' lifespans and their shares of misery and suffering and were imagined as three very old women who quite literally spun the thread that made up individual human destiny: Clotho, "spinner"- spun the thread of human fate Lachesis, "allotter"- dispensed the thread Atropos, "inflexible"- cut it (causing death) Greek Gods Family Tree Below see the family tree of the main Olympian Greek gods and goddesses as it is most commonly understood today. However, it’s important to emphasize that the relationships between the gods were not static and shifted over time, sometimes dramatically- as we see with Eros, who was originally considered one of the original children of Chaos and later became a mere son of Aphrodite, no longer one of the primordial forces that shaped the initial universe. On this Greek gods family tree, a single arrow shows offspring, with branching arrows representing siblings. A double line bond means a partnership of marriage and/or children. The pink boxes indicate the Twelve Olympians. The Worship of the Greek Goddesses and Gods Greek worship involved rites, oracles, sacrifices, and festivals. The most formal elements of worship were place-based: gods were worshiped at their own particular temples and sacred sites through specific rites and rituals. Priests (and/or priestesses) to a particular god would oversee the rites associated with that god, which often involved animal sacrifice and the pouring of wine (the libration). Priests and priestesses also interpreted oracles at sacred oracle sites like Delphi. Interestingly, many priestesses either had to be virgins or past menopause. Outside of more formal rites, Greek citizens also offered sacrifices to particular gods to give thanks or to invoke their protection. They might also pray to the appropriate god for a particular concern or issue, and make some kind of offering if they felt the prayer was answered. The other main component of Greek worship was the festival. Festivals centered around music, theatre, and sports (like the Olympics!) were held to honor the gods. Those are some general trends in worship. However, it is difficult to make absolute statements on exactly how specific gods were worshiped, because a lot of worship was very localized. Different city-states had their own preeminent deities, and might worship particular deities in different ways. Furthermore, ideas about the gods and how they were related to each other, especially in terms of marriage and parentage, were constantly shifting over time. Newer gods (for example, from neighboring countries) were often incorporated into the pantheon, and some gods would be combined or fade in eminence over time. Nonetheless, the main figures of the Greek pantheon and the mythology surrounding them were clearly well-developed by around the 8th B.C., when Homer crafted the Iliad and the Odyssey. However, it’s worth noting that just because a god was included in the twelve Olympians does not mean they were widely worshiped- for example, there was very little worship of Hades. Conversely, some very widely worshiped figures were not in the main Olympian pantheon, like Themis. Due to close contact between the Greeks and Romans, the Roman pantheon was very influenced by Greek mythology, and many Roman gods took on the attributes and myths of similar Greek gods. Some Greek gods are also worshiped today, as part of Neo-pagan religions. The theater was often part of religious festivals in ancient Greece. Greek Goddesses and Gods Today The Greek gods continue to be a source of fascination and inspiration in all areas of human endeavor. There have been many operas, ballets, and theater productions based on Greek myth throughout all of history. The Greek gods were a huge inspiration to Romantic and Neoclassical artists and poets. More recently, the Greek gods have inspired tons of movies, TV shows, books, comic books, and video games. Some notable pop-culture works that have borrowed or adapted Greek mythology include: The 1997 Disney movie Hercules TV show Xena: Warrior Princess The 1981 and 2010 films Clash of the Titans Wonder Woman comics The Percy Jackson book series by Rick Riordan The God of War video game franchise Additionally, many astronomical bodies like asteroids and asteroid belts, moons, stars, planets, and comets are named for figures of Greek and Roman mythology. Most of the planets in our own solar system are named for Roman deities, but many of the moons and asteroids are named for Greek deities. For example, the Demeter asteroid belt, Themis, a moon of Saturn, and Eris, a dwarf planet. L. Calà §ada and Nick Risinger, artistic rendering of dwarf planet Eris The Greek Gods and Goddesses: Key Points to Remember Unlike modern gods, who are generally thought of as benevolent and all-knowing, Greek gods personified the forces that organized and drove the world. As such, they were just as often petty and violent as they were just and magnanimous within Greek myth. Within myth, the Olympian gods rose to power after a war with the Titans. The Twelve Olympians were: Zeus, king of the gods and god of storms Hera, wife of Zeus, goddess of marriage and childbirth, the heavens Poseidon, god of the sea Demeter, goddess of agriculture and fertility Hades, god of the underworld Athena, goddess of wisdom, craftsmanship, war Hephaestus, god of smiths and fire Aphrodite, goddess of love, passion, and fertility Ares, god of war and battle frenzy Artemis, goddess of the hunt and nature Apollo, god of prophecy, the arts, music, and healing Hermes, messenger of the gods, god of travelers Dionysus, god of wine, celebration, and frenzy In addition to the Twelve Olympians, there were also hundreds of other gods worshiped throughout Greece. Some were mostly considered aspects or minions of more major deities, while others had robust cults of their own. What's Next? The Greek gods and goddesses may have gotten up to some crazy shenanigans, but they served as inspiration for religions that followed. Learn about the 20th-century's Aleister Crowley and the multiple religions he was involved in here. What is agnosticism and what does it mean to be agnostic? Find out with our guide to the origin of the term and how agnosticism is practiced.

Energy Power as a Soft Weapon in Resurgent Russia's Foreign Policy Coursework

Energy Power as a Soft Weapon in Resurgent Russia's Foreign Policy - Coursework Example Russia has inherited much of the former Soviet Union’s hard power including a powerful nuclear arsenal and a sophisticated army. It is in a position to capitalize on the ever-increasing instability in the Middle East and the consequent dramatic rise in the oil price.The interests of the Russian energy sector and the foreign policy goals of the Russian states are not only interrelated but also closely intertwined. To a great extent, the energy sector in Russia acts as the global carriers of the Russian state’s immensely self-assertive foreign policy. On the other hand, the international expansion of Russia’s premier energy enterprises is enormously assisted by the potentials of the Russian state. Oil companies such as Gazprom and Lukoil have strengthened their markets word wide and secured sensitive energy ventures. Their influence goes cut through strategically important places in Europe. Even the United States has come to rely much upon Russian energy resources. Moreover, Europe’s energy security is considerably depended upon the energy resources of Russia. Hill (2004) makes it clear that â€Å"on the surface, given prevailing concerns about energy security and increasing demand in the rising economies of Asia on Russia’s eastern borders, Russia’s future prospects in energy seem extremely promising† ( Hill, 2004, p.29). Thanks to the increases in oil production since 1999, Russia is now the world’s major non-OPEC, and non-Middle East and the Persian Gulf, oil supplier. As Peter Davies, BP’s chief economist, pointed out in his June 2004 presentation of BP’s annual Statistical Review of World Energy, thanks to its fast growth in oil production, between 1998-2003, â€Å"Russia alone supplied 46 percent of world oil consumption growth †¦ and exceeded Chinese consumption growth by 23 percent†¦ Russia has the resource base and the potential to increase oil and gas production and exports further – to supply a significant proportion of the world’s rising demands ... Russia can – and will – supply an important part of the growing energy needs of Asia†.

Athletes versus Non-Athletes on Academic Performance Research Paper

Athletes versus Non-Athletes on Academic Performance - Research Paper Example The reason behind selecting the topic of the research includes the popular misconception that sports and games cause the wastage of student’s time by diverting their focus from studies. The critics are of the view that the students, interested and involved in athletics and other games, consume large part of their time and energies in the playgrounds, and consequently become too tired and exhausted to pay any heed to their academic obligations. As a result, they lag far behind than their classmates in educational activities, and thus are unable to complete their studies in order to become the proficient and successful professionals for the future years to come. One school of thought observes that sport activities deflect time away from the classroom, and children always keep sports and play in mind, and neglect their classroom responsibilities and assignments. Somehow, the other school of thought disregards the very idea that athletics keep children away from their studies. The y are of the opinion that schools are not established to mere bestow certificates and degrees upon the students; on the contrary, people send their children to various educational institutions in order to make them capable of comprehending with the challenges life offers to man on the one hand, and for the growth and development of all aspects of their personality on the other. The researcher have selected small north Georgia schools as the population for the present study, where he aim to select one hundred and sixty respondents for the research process; one hundred and twenty of which would be students, while twenty each would consist of teachers and parents of the students. Interview schedule will be the tool for data collection in the present study. After the collection of data, the findings will be analyzed and results will be interpreted subsequently. Hence, the study will present a balanced report on the influence of athletics and games on the overall academic performance of the students. In addition, the data relevant to the North Georgia schools available at various websites will also be consulted for the study. Identification of the Problem: It has aptly been observed that sports and games maintain significant place in social life of the individuals. Sports not only perk up the physical strength of the people, but also pave the way towards the enhancement of intelligence level and sharpness in them. Thus, participation in sports improves mental and physical health and raises IQ level of humans. â€Å"Some of the factors to consider in assessing the significance of mental health relative to other influences are evident in reflecting on a familiar scenario: the long haul flight† (Lynch et al. 2000). Since all parents are determined to see their children healthy and intelligent, they make adequate arrangements for the studies and recreational activities of the children, where participation in sports is given particular attention. In addition, political authorities and social establishment also promote and project the opportunities of physical games of various kinds for adolescents and adults in order to make society healthy, strong and vigorous. Researches reveal the very fact that healthy people can work harder than

Migration And Refugee Process History Essay

Migration And Refugee Process History Essay Migration and refugee process is a process that had a negative effect on the whole world, before entering into the main point, which is an example that will show us how the migration and refugee process effect the whole world in reality (Afghanistan); we will need first to understand what does these two expressions means. Refugee is a word that could express an individual or a group of people that are/is owning a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality and membership also the word refugee includes the people that are persecuted out of there own country because of a political decision, which means that they are unprotected by there country so they are always seeking to travel for another country for safety. Secondly is the word migration , migration is the act or process of people moving from one place to another with the intent of staying at the destination permanently or for a relatively long period of time  [1]  , there are two different types of migration, the first type is the international immigrant type, individuals or group of people can be considered as an international immigrant if she or he had enters the country to settle his or her usual place of residence for more than the same minimal time duration  [2]  , and the second type is the international emigrant which means that if he or she had leaves the country and transfers his or her usual residence outside the country for more than a minimal duration of time  [3]  . After giving a brief overview on the two expressions (Refugee, Migration), we will enter now into the main point of the research paper, this main point is a unique example that faces a lot of problems concerning the refugee and migration process (Afghanistan). Afghanistan is a landlocked country that is located in the heart of Asia. Actually the Afghani population is mostly divided into 7 large ethnic groups (Pushtun, Tajik, Uzbek, Turkmen, Kyrgyz, Hazara and Nurstan), the division of the population into 7 large ethnic groups builds a wall of conflicts in the state, and this wall of conflicts was one of the four major reasons that helped in increasing the afghani migration and refugee process though it had reached the largest refugee population for mostly 2 decades, the other 3 main reasons that helped in escalating the Refugee problem in Afghanistan can mainly be shaped in a form of word that is called the refugee crisis, Afghanistan refugee crisis is a word that is consisted out of three main reasons that helped in growing up the problem of refugees and migration in Afghanistan, this three main reasons are: The Soviet invasion 1979 The withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989 Taliban Restrictions The Migration and refugee process that was escalated in Afghanistan built on the four major reasons that was raised in the paper, had effected the afghani population, and the studies that was made in fact of drawing a picture to the Afghani people had assumed that 50% of the population is illiterate  [4]  and that this illiteracy effected there life expectancy a lot (life expectancy is 44 years), also this illiteracy had effected the Afghani population in there Economic, political and social field. In 1978 Afghanistan begin to develop there political system, and actually they had succeeded in forming the first democratic republic in Afghanistan, in 1979 after the establishment of the democratic republic, Afghanistan was invaded by the soviet union, this invasion had caused the first massive emigrant process in Afghanistan, the Afghani people began to flow to the neighbor states( Iran, Pakistan) in form of refugees, and citizens how couldnt leave the state begin to move for the safest cities inside the country, which also means that the invasion caused internally displacement inside the state, and the United Nations commissioner studies had assumed that: During the 1980s More than 6 million Afghani became refugees Between 1988 1991 3.5 million in Pakistan 2 million in Iran One Million of refugees is spread all over the world Actually this was the external displacement of the Afghani refugee, while on the other hand there was a large massive internal displacement which causes a lot of disturbance inside the country, and what proofs this sentence is that the United Nations commissioners had estimated that there was 2 million internally displacement and that Kabul city had grew from 600,000 to 2 million people.  [5]   The second Refugee crisis in Afghanistan was done in 1989, and the reason of appearing this crisis was built on the reason of the withdrawal of the soviet troops which cause another population movements. Probably, this time the population movements was divided into two types, the first type was the people who where considered Afghani refugees, and they were returning back to there country after the withdrawal of the Soviet Union, and the second type of the populations is the people who were sympathizers for the soviet, and they were seeking to be recognized as a refugees because the Soviet has no more role in Afghanistan and they could not stay in Afghanistan after the soviet withdrawal because they can be killed by the Afghani people , During the process in which this movements had took place, a civil war had appeared in Afghanistan. The reasons of this Civil war had stopped the process of the population movements and change it from the form of returning of the refugees, to the form where Afghani people are seeking to be once more considered as a refugees, and this negative change that had appeared was built on several facts concerning the main reason which is the civil war, this main facts are: Refugees doesnt feel secure enough to return back to there homes They were afraid to be persecuted by Muslim Unbelievable citing fears of attack on home and property citing fear of political persecution Arrest and forced conscription  [6]   The strange point is that rather than solving the refugee problems and accepting them back to there countries after the withdrawal of the soviet, the opposite had happened and things became more wore sable the refugee numbers had increased once more, and the internally movements had increased also once more, the UNHCR studies had assumed that after the return of 2-3 million Afghans in the early 1990s there studies had approved that by 2000 there were again nearly 5 million Afghans refugees and 800000 internally displaced persons  [7]  . The third Afghanis crisis that helped in increasing the migration and refugee process is the Taliban crisis. Taliban is a fundamentalist Islamic Militia that had been established in 1994, it is consisted out of young members (men boys), those members had leaved a really harsh life in Afghanistan, and using the word harsh is built on several reasons. The reason of using a strong word like harsh was mentioned because this young members of the Taliban Militia is been born and leaved in the refugee camps , which actually means that they had suffered a lot from the soviet invasion and from the ethnic conflicts that were found in Afghanistan during the 1980s and 1990s. Taliban members were trained in ultraconservative religious schools in Pakistan. In fact of the society that the Taliban members had been raised upon, they didnt try to solve the problems of refugees, while on the other hand they had suffered there whole life because of this problem (refugee Case). Actually the Taliban militia had helped in increasing the refugee and migration process in Afghanistan, and what proofs this words is that Taliban military was forcing the Afghani civilians to leave Kabul city by there restrictions, which means that they will increase the internally movements of the population inside the country, and actually build on this internally movements there would be a lot of civilians that will seek to be recognized as a refugees because of the hard economic life that they will face, Even though the Human rights international organization had tried to help the civilians who leaves under the authority of the Taliban Militia in Kabul, but they actually refuse to accept any help or food from this organizations, and what support this argument is t hat workers for internationally aid organizations that were trying to deliver food and medicine to the desperate Afghanis is been harassed , subjected to unreasonable restrictions and even in some time they are arrested by Taliban military. In conclusion as it was mentioned in the introduction of this research paper; that the migration and refugee process is a process that had a negative effect on the whole world, and that the migration and refugee process is a process that can mostly appear after a war or in a period where there is an internal ethnic, religious conflicts, or any other types of conflicts that effect the national and international levels of the world. Actually from my point of view, concerning the Afghani example of refugees, which is one of the most important examples because Afghanistan was considered as one of the most largest refugee population in the world for two decades, I can really observe that Afghanistan is a country that had suffered from the economical, political and social fields a lot, and that it will keep suffering from this fields because of the refugee and migration process that is still running there. In the Afghanis example of refugees I had learned that the refugee and migration process had an internal and external effect on the state. First, the internally population movements inside a country had a huge side effect on the Cities and also on the people who leave inside this cities, My argument was based and build upon several main reasons, The reason why I disagree with the internally movements is that this movements ends a lot of beneficial services that is presented by the city for its citizens as: Jobs hospitals care Traffics Food Schools And a lot of life needs that is needed by each citizen in his city, and when each point of these points is affected it will influence the state. On the other hand, from the external Sid effect, refugees affect a lot the neighbors states, because a refugee or asylum seeker I always seeking to leave in a place near his country so it is always the neighbor states, when I had mentioned that refugees effect the country externally actually I had meant the external relation with the states that can be Affected in reason of this immigration, Example: when Iran had mentioned that it would not accept any more Afghani refugees, Actually this decision can affect the relation between the two states and can build a dogma of hatred between the two populations because un accepting them means that the refugees will return back to there countries and they can be killed or assassinated there. Refugee and migration process is a defining characteristic of the international landscape.