The Un At The End Of The Cold War Opportunity Missed

Part II - The UN at the End of the Cold War: Opportunity Missed The end of the Cold War heightened optimism at the United Nations about the prospect of creating a new international order with the UN at its core. The idea came even prior to that. During the 1980s. The USSR was economically enfeebled and could not afford a new arms race against the West. This led to Gorbachev’s â€Å"new thinking†, which was to reform the basis of the communist economies and gain accommodation with the West. By partially accepting Western values, the Soviet leaders tried to seek new allies among the rich Western states so as to restore the rapidly deteriorating economy (Forsberg, 1999). In the 1988, Gorbachev addressed the General Assembly that the UN should now†¦show more content†¦However, by hindsight, the Cold War bipolar equilibrium of power only yielded to a new world order, not based on the United Nations, but rather on American hegemony. There were several reasons causing the missed opportunity. First and foremost, the Soviet Union, on the edge of disintegration, was too weak to take the lead on such large-scale reforms (Johnson, 1999). Gorbachev himself fell from power in 1991, together with the collapse of the USSR. Soon after its appearance, the â€Å"new thinking† reforms no longer had a leader or lead-state and therefore withered and failed. Besides, the Western bloc generally perceived Gorbachev’s intention as suspicious (Larson, 1997). The trust between the two leading blocs had decomposed for decades and were not able to be repaired within a short period of time. Last but not least, when the Cold War was about to end, the United States became the world s preeminent military and economic power. Washington met this opportunity with remarkable short-sightedness. There were few short-term, tangible benefits for it to give up the political primacy to accommodate other states in a better system on a global basis (Johnson, 1999). Additionally, public opinion mattered. Many Americans, at that time, wanted Washington to chase its own interests without the necessity to collaborate with anyone, especially the United Nations. Thereafter, the US began withholding one percentage of its dues to pressure the UN in the mid-1980s (O’Sullivan, 2015).

Childbirth Experiences Of Women And Women - 1066 Words

The article, Childbirth Experiences in Australia of Women Born in Turkey, Vietnam, and Australia, was written in order to examine the experiences of childbirth focusing chiefly on the recollection of agony and how it was dealt with (pain relief). The study conducted was to investigate how women from different cultural groups experience giving birth in a large city hospital in Australia. The reason why it was conducted in a metropolitan hospital in Australia is primarily because of migrant women constitute a growing proportion of the childbearing population in many high-income countries hence having the study conducted in Australia. The other reason why this study was conducted was also because approximately 17% women giving birth in Australia were born in non- English speaking countries. That fact is important because these women come from different childbirth practices, and hospital staff in the new country might not be aware of the way these women views and expectations. What set this study apart was the fact that most of the studies did explore migrant women giving birth in a new country but explored this using qualitative methods while as this study used quantitative methods. What is usually found from these studies is that many of the traditional child birthing practices are diminishing or completely abandoned in a new country. Furthermore, language barrier, difficulty in communication and lack of individualized care aid in the diminishing of child birthing practices.Show MoreRelatedMedical Interventions During The Modern World1541 Words   |  7 PagesBefore 1700s, childbirth was primarily a domestic event, attended by midwives and female relatives. However, it has drastically changed as a technological approach to childbirth gained a momentum in the Western world. With each new technological invention, came new ways to test and analyze the process of childbirth. The strong push towards utilizing precautionary medical procedures during childbirth such as electronic fetal monitoring, amniocentesis, epidurals and C-section is currently the topicRead MoreNatural Birth Versus Medicalized Birth1156 Words   |  5 Pageshas been a long debate over which birthing method women should use today: natural versus medicalized. The World Health Organization defines natural birth as a vaginal birth without the use of any.. and medicalized birth as being .. However, medicalized births are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. The use of technology and medical interventions in the birthing process has increased despite the unchanged basic physiology of childbirth. One of the most common medical interventions inRead MoreWomen s Impact On Women1406 Words   |  6 Pagesprocreate. However, in the years before hospitals and physicians, women were forced to give birth within the confines of their homes with the help of midwives. Midwives were people who had been through what the soon-to-be mother has been through. This changed when mid wives gave way to physicians who spent their lives studying all the ins and outs of childbirth. Physicians were strictly men at the time, and it was recently that women became physicians as well. This caused much controversy because menRead MoreHow Can Women Reduce Child Labor Pain?1454 Words   |  6 Pagesin life, women always seem to have more on their plate, whether it is having to care for a household or working. Women go ,through the most traumatic yet rewarding pain they will ever go through, childbirth. Not everyone is cut out to endure the pain of child labor, but women have the strength to withstand it. Many men have no idea what excruciating pain women go through to deliver a baby. Labor is a very long process that strengthens the mental and physical aspects of a woman. Every women relatesRead MoreDissociative Experience During Childbirth921 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Dissociative experience during childbirth.† This experiment was assessing whether or not labor p ain, traumatic childbirth, obstetrical variables, and previous trauma were part of causing a dissociative experience during childbirth. The method used to study the hypothesis was by having 328 women completed five surveys up to 72 hours postpartum. They were between the ages of 18-42. Out of the group 68.6% were married or living with a partner and 43.3% had a job. The average number of years the women spentRead MorePregnancy And The Birthing Experience1684 Words   |  7 PagesChildbirth is one of the most difficult experiences a woman chooses to endure in order to have children. The challenge of birthing can be very frightening and ultimately life changing for a woman. Companionship during childbirth is extremely beneficial in the birthing experience (Hodnett, Gates, Hofmeyr, Sakala Weston, 2011). During childbirth, it is crucial for the mothers to have a continuous support system in order to have a positive birthing experience. In the past, only women supported womenRead MoreThe Impact Of Childbirth Education On Maternal Perception Of Birth Outcomes873 Words   |  4 Pages Impact of Childbirth Education on Maternal Perception of Birth Outcomes Amanda Steele Des Moines University Impact of Childbirth Education on Maternal Perception of Birth Outcomes In the United States, there are approximately 3.9 million women giving birth within a year (DCD, 2015). Improving maternity and birth outcomes has long been a pivotal part of public health. Health providers continue to work towards improved birth outcomes through enhanced processes, improved patientRead MoreThe Effects Of Hypnobirthing On Women During Labor1638 Words   |  7 Pagesto other studies of hypnosis and childbirth. After program and childbirth completion, 90 program participants from Australia, women ranging in age from 24 to 42, who had had complication-free vaginal births, were sent a questionnaire asking for specific information on their birth experiences to be considered for the study. The survey results find that although HypnoBirthing participants have similar labor experiences to other women who use hypnosis for childbirth, the majority of HypnoBirthing participantsRead MoreScholarly Review Of Beyond Control : Body And Self854 Words   |  4 Pagess job is the hav e control of her body. Likewise, a woman s experience with her pregnancy and childbirth has often been scrutinized by society. In Beyond Control: Body and Self in Women’s Childbearing Narratives, Sharon K. Carter focuses on a woman’s experience of having control over their body during their pregnancy. Her thesis works around the body/self relationship that women create for themselves during pregnancy and childbirth. (Carter, 2010) She also details how society views a woman’s controlRead MoreThe Word Natural As It1139 Words   |  5 PagesThe word natural as it relates to childbirth and midwifery Etymology Documented use of the word natural begins as early as the 14th century in the French and English languages as naturel and in the Latin language as naturalis. (1) The meaning of the word natural is relative to the context it is used in, which is evident even in early descriptions. The meanings for the French, English, and Latin origins of the word natural include â€Å"by birth†, â€Å"of nature, conforming to nature†, â€Å"of one’s inborn character;

What Does the Concept of Dignity mean to Stevens Free Essays

Stevens is a unique character whose life evolves solely around his profession and how he can both maintain his dignity and become recognised through his work. The concept of dignity has ruled his entire life and he believes it his duty to remain dignified in all circumstances in order to be classed as a â€Å"great butler†. His metaphorical journey however reveals that in trying to accomplish this, he has lost the vital element which must be sustained in life, human warmth. We will write a custom essay sample on What Does the Concept of Dignity mean to Stevens? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Stevens defines dignity as, â€Å"Something one can meaningfully strive for throughout one’s career†, compared to Mr Graham’s views that â€Å"dignity is something one possesses,† which seems more reasonable from the reader’s point of view. The critic Richard Locke asks what dignity there is in not making one’s own mistakes and refers to the consequent sorrow and remorse that follows, saying â€Å"such rueful wisdom much be retrospective. † This certainly explains Stevens’ unemotional behaviour in his mission to attain dignity because he has since regretted not â€Å"making his own mistakes† and living life to the fullest. Instead, he delicately portrays his Father’s views, who was â€Å"indeed the embodiment of dignity†, because he is not able to conceive his own opinions having followed Lord Darlington’s orders all his life. Furthermore, Stevens has incorporated the Hayes Society perspectives of dignity and related them to that of his father stating that he had, â€Å"Dignity in keeping with his position†, again proving that he can not form his own views and has again had to use someone else’s. Stevens is so concerned with dignity and yet his misinterpretation of it, together with the emphasis his father put on it, has left him unable to calculate his own ideas on what dignity actually is and has thus naively lead him into an empty life. It is his father’s stress on the tiger anecdote that has in my view confused Stevens, the idea being that a butler resorts to dramatic lengths to ensure that â€Å"no discernible traces† of the tiger â€Å"are left†. It is the fact that his father â€Å"knew instinctively that somewhere in this story lay the kernel of what true dignity is,† and Stevens does not, but yet continues to follow his father’s perspectives because he considers him a â€Å"great butler†. Everyone is motivated by aspirations to climb higher, and Stevens’ ultimate goal is to be acknowledged as a â€Å"great butler†. He feels he comes significantly closer to his quest at a conference Lord Darlington, holds for the most important delegates in Europe. At the conference he believes that he is heavily relied upon to oil the friction between the delegates from different countries by ensuring that the guests have nothing whatsoever to complain about. Whilst the delegates attend these various conferences, Stevens’ father is very ill, however Stevens is more willing to return to work than attend to his sick father who is the only family Stevens has left. There has always been a cold relationship between the two, both of them only conversing over professional issues, and Stevens respects his father not for being a good father but a good butler. As Stevens is devoid of sentiment he can only judge others based on their dignity and we see how important Stevens’ views on dignity are because it defies how he interacts and relates with others. Not only does he describes his father as â€Å"dark and severe†, which is dignity personified, he refers to him in the third person, â€Å"I hope father is feeling better now. † His lack of emotion proves to the reader how empty Stevens is, and in order for him to fill this emptiness, Stevens primarily concerns himself with dignity. Despite his father always being detached, he ironically asks, â€Å"Have I been a good father? † However, Stevens coldly dismisses his gesture, and in doing this, he loses any chance of a positive relationship with his remaining family. Furthermore, it is his arrogant ignoring of Mr Cardinal who tells him of Lord Darlington’s wrong attitude to the Nazis and of Miss Kenton’s attempts to give him one last chance to propose, that severely damaged his chances of becoming a â€Å"great person† and hence a â€Å"great butler†. However, he ironically recalls this experience with â€Å"a large sense of â€Å"triumph†, and consequently dismisses any hope of happiness as he is prepared to place professionalism before relationships. Stevens is also unable to communicate to the reader his true intentions for undertaking the excursion, stating that he wishes to improve the current â€Å"staff plan† however the reader perceives that he wants to visit Miss Kenton, and hence becomes â€Å"an unreliable narrator†, always placing a professional spin on everything. He believes that he is respected for his dignity, and thus judges others on how dignified they are. Dignity means everything to Stevens, it being all he has and hence his profession becomes his life, unable to even call holiday clothes by their true name but instead a â€Å"costume. † A costume implies a disguise worn to hide the true person underneath thus stating that Stevens is not the person to undertake holidays as it distracts him from his work. Another significant point demonstrating Stevens’ unreliability is his relationship with former employer Lord Darlington. Everyone must feel good about themselves in order to remain optimistic in life and Stevens accomplishes this by feeling good about being a good butler working for a good master. Despite dedicating the best years of his life to Lord Darlington, Stevens is then quick to deny any knowledge of his former employer once we hear of his connections with the Nazis in World War Two. At Mortimers Pond significantly halfway through the novel, another butler of a lesser stature than himself attends to his car and he asks if he actually worked for Lord Darlington, to which Stevens replies, â€Å"Oh no, I am employed by Mr John Farraday. † Stevens is deliberately misleading about his past relationship with Lord Darlington because of his associations with the Nazis, as the truth would have severely damaged his self-esteem. However, the reader is first given a hint of Stevens’ unreliability through his deliberate changing of his mind and misinterpretation of events which have occurred. Stevens corrects himself when he recalls passing Miss Kenton’s room and originally believes that she is crying, however on reflection he realises that it is not due to the untimely death of her Aunt, but her acceptance to marry Mr Benn, and that her efforts to provoke him into action had gone unnoticed. Miss Kenton asks him â€Å"Do you want me to stay†, giving Stevens the opportunity to react and tell her how he feels, however he ignores these blatant signs and continues to neglect the forming of relationships in order to protect his reputation. The reality is that he changed his mind about these events in order to shield himself from the painful truth that he is destined to spend the rest of his life alone because he chose dignity above warmth. Everything Stevens encounters on his excursion, he relates to his profession. He travels to Mursden, not as a tourist, but an admirer of the famous silver polish, and naively believes that using this has had positive repercussions all over Europe. However, Stevens has again attempted to selfishly pass something off as his own, so that he can feel good and important, helping him to fill the emptiness left from a lack of human warmth and intimacy. Despite Stevens’ clear longing for a close relationship with anyone, he still feels the urge to place his pride above what really matters. At Mortimer’s Pond, he refuses to walk around it for fear of dirtying his shoes because no self-respecting butler would allow that to happen and says, â€Å"My footwear is not such as to permit me easily to walk around the perimeter. † Stevens gullibly believes that others really care about how he looks and acts, and he must therefore strive to create a good impression and remain dignified. He sadly also realises that in order to qualify as a â€Å"great butler†, he had to work for an employer of proven â€Å"moral worth†, yet he has just disowned any knowledge of working for Lord Darlington when quizzed about it earlier. Realistically, Stevens is living in the past and refuses to change his ways because they have brought him his dignity, and his archaic, well structured English clarifies the fact that he has learnt his English from historical, classical books and not social context or conversations. The mere fact Stevens lives in the past is saddening as life should be full of new experiences, but instead he effectively shields himself behind his profession and exploits it as an excuse to visit new places. His old-fashioned lifestyle furthermore forbids him to look symbolically beyond the surface at Mortimer’s pond and delve underneath to find the truth, and only when he meets Miss Kenton is he forced to change his perspectives and views on life. His relationship with Miss Kenton has allowed him to modernise his views as he would before judge people on the surface and converse with them on purely professional terms. Although his liaison with Miss Kenton has not altered his perceptions on dignity, he has become aware that there is perhaps more to life than work Although the reader may sympathise with Stevens and respect him, his pitiful behaviour is also both extremely noticeable and frustrating. In the unfortunate incident concerning the dismissing of the two Jewish maids, Stevens will not admit that he did not stand up for something he knew was wrong. He says, â€Å"We must not let sentiment creep into our judgement†, but ironically it is his higher regard for dignity which has ensured that he avoids sentiment throughout his entire life, and once again the reader becomes aware of Stevens’ outdated response because he is prepared to place dignity above what is right. Furthermore, he ironically says that dignity is â€Å"not removing one’s clothing in public†. Whether he is attempting to banter is left deliberately ambiguous, however what he says is ironic to the reader because he does not remove his clothes in private and maintains his professional persona even in his social life. To remove clothing suggests relaxation and freedom, a characteristic the reader never associates with Stevens because of his overwhelming obsession with dignity which has cost him so much. Stevens views dignity as a key to success, living his whole life by it and striving to remain dignified in every single possible circumstance he is subjected to. In his fixation with dignity, he has ultimately committed the deadly sin of pride and has thus condemned himself to a life of emptiness. He is deliberately aiming to aspire to the stature of his father, Stevens believing that he achieved so much acclaim through his dignified manner. However, at the end of the novel, it is left ambiguous whether he will strive to maintain his dignity or seek to change his ways and become more intimate and emotional with people when he discovers that â€Å"bantering is the key to human warmth. â€Å" How to cite What Does the Concept of Dignity mean to Stevens?, Papers

Visual Literacy And The Arts In Essay Example For Students

Visual Literacy And The Arts In Essay Students acquire the necessary skills to understand the meaning in texts and be able to produce their wan puissant writing as well. Arguments concerning literacy are centered almost exclusively on written text and this is the only definition of literacy in which most are exposed to. However, we live and work in a visually oriented society in which the idea of being visually literate remains extraneous to the mainstream definition of an educated person. Our current culture is one in which we are subjected daily to images in every form, and over- saturated with pictorial advertising, both informative and misleading, The importance of visual literacy as an important aspect of critical hinging in present times becomes clear in the tact of such prolific output. It has been traditionally placed in the realm of fine arts, taught as a component of art and, specifically, design. The popular mode of thought is that one either has some artistic talent that includes visual literacy or does not, but it is rather a skill that can be taught, much like reading. Visual literacy should be an integral part of a modern education and it should be central to the contemporary definition of literacy. It is estimated that almost half of the knowledge we acquire is through usual means, pointing to its relevance beyond traditional art education (Karakul When budget cuts become necessary, schools often mark arts programs as the first to be cut. They regard education for the humanities as an extravagance that is not so important even money is scarce, yet financial constraint is not the only threat. In our current education system, school curricula are designed around state mandated tests. It is no wonder then that time dedicated to arts education and visual literacy is often seen as time taken from more important studies, specifically those that states test for. With strict limits on time and money, visual literacy and education for the arts has become a luxury that schools cannot or will not afford. The idea that arts education is only a frivolity isnt new. Booker T. Washington argued that only once the African. American community had begun to achieve a certain prosperity should the arts be added to their education (Washington 17). Nevertheless, the concept that visual literacy is inessential to an effective education ignores the preponderance of art, visual communication and the necessity of visual literacy. The earliest known paintings and drawings are roughly 14,000 years old. Prosperity, it would seem, is not a precondition for a culture to rich visual communication. Rather than supporting visual literacy and arts education, though, the ubiquity of the arts and visual forms can as a logical argument against it. If people are making art regardless of their education and economic stature then why should schools devote time and money teaching it? Why not just let art, design, and the understanding of it happen as it will? We are surrounded daily by pictures both informative and aesthetic in a vast number of forms, therefore visual literacy will come on its own, perhaps through experience or simply chance. If this is considered a sound argument against teaching art, then it is equally logical to argue against teaching language. Kids can learn a language simply by growing up around people that speak it fluently. However, nobody has argued that we ought to let nature take its course and drop the study Of English from our schools for the sake Of saving money. We can appreciate how modern education improves the capability to read, write and speak effectively, yet schools do not give visual literacy the same consideration. Skepticism concerning the feasibleness of art education is bound in the false action that art cannot be taught. .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9 , .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9 .postImageUrl , .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9 , .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9:hover , .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9:visited , .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9:active { border:0!important; } .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9:active , .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9 .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u783b3fe53a9b441043d217801e6bbaf9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Erich Fromm and Shirley Jackson have both written wonderful true-life affecting essays and should be awarded for themTalent is a gift, something that a number of people are simply horn with, and art results from inspiration. Coinciding with these ideas is the concept that art appreciation is entirely subjective, a matter of however art makes the viewer feel. If these stereotypes were true, education could not do much tort the development to creative people or their audience. Nor could it teach young minds how to make sense of the visual information they are subjected to on a near constant basis. The misconception lies in the idea that education consists exclusively in the transfer of information and ends there, Since art is not strictly propositional, it must not contain verifiable truths or facts, and since most art does not present any arguments, or at least in an easily recognizable fashion, it must not require justification. Works of art then have very little, if any, credible data to convey. Construed as sources of information, Mary Motherless writes, the arts create a poor showing; as a means of acquiring nevi truths about the world or the soul, they are in competition with science and with philosophy (8). While inspiration certainly figures in the creation of art, the idea that art is entirely a product Of inspiration is unwarranted. Within the visual arts, students learn the powers and limitations of the various media available, as well as the effects Of color, light, shade, shape, and form. Further, artists benefit greatly from studying art history. Even if creative talent is a genetic gift, education can foster and develop those creative skills and the level of critical thinking needed to use those skills effectively. Regardless of the fact that most people will never be artists in the traditional sense, and comparatively ewe people will even be serious amateur artists, we are all part of a greater audience. Audiences of the humanities do not consist entirely of cultural elite. They embody everyone who watches TV, goes to the movies, reads the news or uses the internet. Indeed we are bombarded with visual stimuli continuously. Information graphics are everywhere we look, Visual literacy is worth it for its own sake, however it also provides a platform for understanding both of art and other matters as well. Through an education that includes visual literacy we can develop perspectives that allow us to raise questions that, without them, e might not have. It is also important to note that visual literacy and the arts in education can cultivate a demand for art that is economically essential. Data from the National Endowment for the Arts Survey of Public Participation in the Arts shows evidence of a chronic decline in the audience (Karakas 27). Equally as worrying is the steady decline of young adult participation. As the authors of, Cultivating Demand for the Arts, Arts learning, Arts Engagement, and State Arts Policy declare, declining demand leads to a loss of the public and private benefits derived from the arts (27).