My Dream Essay Example for Free

My Dream Essay Hello everybody, im Doan Phuong Ly and i have been studied at Saigontech since 2012. My main major is Business Management. And i will have 2 more semesters to finish this program. I do really enjoy the business so that after graduating from this college , i hope that i can afford myself to attend the higher business program like MBA or rather , i will attend some Advanced Diploma certification which is necessary to my business in the future. As a person who are interested in business, i need to know the essential needs and basics of business so when i joined this course i feel it seems very useful and necessary to achieve my goals in my work life now and in the future. Eventhough, this course is short but it includes alot of content about the business such as the business environment, how to creating financing marketing and managing a business. In my life now, i have quite a lot of problems when i want to open my own business, such as opening my fashion shop, ive met quite a lots of trouble to identify and find out the best way to reach to my purpose. Fortunately, when participating in this course, there are too many things in books and also my instructor support a lots of business knowledge. It helps me to apply to my business work now, and if i can go further, i can understand the economic situation so that i may manage my business more effectively and i will achieve much success in my future.

Multiculturalism in Early Childhood Education Essay Example for Free

Multiculturalism in Early Childhood Education Essay In recent times, early childhood education is becoming more diverse. Early childhood providers are required to attempt many challenging tasks. One of the most difficult of these is providing our children with diverse, multicultural experiences. (Ogletree Larke, 2010) Since the beginning of times, young children have been raised by their families, extended families, clans and communities. Even today, most childcare homes and many early childhood programs tend to be fairly consistent and quite similar to the childs home background. Parents tend to choose childcare and early childhood programs based on whether the programs match their own views of education and discipline. (Tarman Tarman, 2011) Programs nowadays are expected to provide the children with experiences outside of their groups, offering opportunities to teach them to be tolerant, respectful and accepting of differences. (Derman-Sparks, 1989) Bennet (1995) described multicultural education as an approach to teaching and learning that is based upon democratic beliefs and seeks to foster cultural pluralism within culturally diverse societies and an interdependent world. In Singapore, where we have a culturally diverse population, it is essential to be sensitive towards each others cultural practices, beliefs and views. Thus, the reason to include multicultural education into the early childhood education system deems as important. The logical reason being that brain research has proved that the prime time for emotional and social development in children is from birth to twelve years of age. (Abdullah, 2009) Issues in Including Multicultural Education in Early Childhood Education There are several issues that do not allow multicultural education to permeate the early childhood programs in Singapore. Curriculum The curriculum of a center shows the process in which learning outcomes will be achieved. Therefore, including the goals and objectives of multicultural education into the center’s curriculum is essential. It has to be infused throughout the curriculum. Good early childhood pedagogy reflects and empowers the diverse cultural backgrounds of the children and families with whom they work. (Robinson Jones, 2006) Including children’s identity into the daily programming and planning of the early childhood curriculum is considered necessary for developing their self-esteem as well as cultivating their appreciation for diversity that exists more widely in our society. (Abdullah, 2009) In Singapore, multicultural education is not a mainstream issue. With Singaporeans being more aware of issues and events through globalization and internet, it is truly essential that multicultural education is included in schools. Quah (as cited in Berthelsen Karuppiah, 2011) has discussed the expanded ethnic and religious awareness strain among Singapore in recent years. Recent cases such as the wearing of the Muslim head-dress in government schools drummed up a buzz around the diverse ethnic groups in Singapore and resuscitated ethnic strains. These cases show that government policies need to be re-evaluated painstakingly so as to safeguard cultural harmony and maintain respect for cultural diversity. Thus, gaining support from the Government to deal with this issue indepth is significant. Language Development Usually the educational system in most countries applies the national language as the medium of instruction. However, multiculturalism and the distinguishment of the important role of language in studying makes it compulsory for differing qualities of dialect, abilities and correspondence styles to be recognized, esteemed and utilized within all early childhood services. The procurement for children to study the majority language whilst maintaining their first language ought to be underpinned and energized. This obviously is to propose bilingualism or in any event underpin for the home dialect as a strategy even at the unanticipated youth level. (Abdullah, 2009) Research has demonstrated that there can just be favourable circumstances to the child other than ensuring and regarding home dialect. (Hakuta, 1986) This primary issue and challenge for the procurement of bilingual training is one of human assets. Relatively few countries will have the personnel who themselves are bilingual or multilingual. Consequently, children with languages other than the national language to look, maintain and to develop and broaden their language and concept development within early childhood services. (Vuckovic, 2008) All children have the chance to listen to, utilise and study the majority language in a steady environment where assets, materials and individuals are utilized to scaffold their learning in a majority language. Early Childhood Education Staff. Staff working in childcare centers and early childhood education programs has the ability to create an impact on the children’s developing attitudes towards cultural diversity more than any other person in the child’s life. This is an undeniable fact. It is crucial that staff go through appropriate training or staff advancement programs, which include the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes for such an avocation. Teacher must take the steps necessary to better themselves as teachers in multicultural education settings. With the changing face of today’s classrooms, there is a growing need to address multiculturalism an diversity awareness. (Riskowski Olbricht, 2010) Training courses for early childhood educators might as well have components in both content and conveyance that address diversity of cultures. (Verma, 2003) Pre-service preparation in the form of actual scenarios where teachers are set in multicultural or classrooms made up of cultures different from their own are particularly adequate in getting them to re-look at their existing convictions and biases. (Jacobson, 2003) This type of learning emphatically influences teachers’ manners towards teaching in diverse settings. Pre-service learning has the potential of enabling teacher candidates to stand up to challenging issues of social inequities and to start the deconstruction of lifelong attitudes and the development of socially just educators. (Baldwin, Buchanan Rudisill, 2007) Issues Affecting Child as a Learner Children need an education, which allows them to take their place in this multicultural society. A child as young as two and three years are familiar with human distinctions and this mindfulness is connected with the improvement of specific disposition. An essential socialization as well as preferences and habit pattern in the early years of life leaves a preserving impact on the individual. .(Jacobson, 2003) These findings feature the importance of bringing social values and attitudes to children’s attention during this critical developmental period. Using this evidence, it becomes clear that early childhood community needs to address the needs of multicultural children and their unique families. These children include biological, multiracial and multi-ethnic children in blended homes, foster homes, adoptive homes and a variety of biological homes. In the early years, the child’s family assumes the leading role in socialising the child to the conduct, beliefs, convictions and plans held inside their culture. (Garbarino, 1992) With the rise in the amount of working parents and children partaking in group programs from an early age, preschools have likewise turned into compelling socialisation force. (Berthelsen Karuppiah, 2011). Young children who live in a multicultural community experience social differences firsthand; it is part of their world. Then again, other children who live in a monocultural group frequently have challenges comprehending and tolerating an environment that is not the same as theirs. Knowing increasingly about the noteworthiness of children’s voyages between home and school and the impacts of these adventures, teachers can help these children unite the universes of home and school and all different worlds that they might experience in theirdaily lives. (Vuckovic, 2008) Pressures from mass media likewise push an impact on children to fit in with a uniform set of necessitites, dialect, method of articulation inshort, a whole way of life. They are exposed to a ‘counter culture’, which declines and demoralizes articulation from expressing their culture of origin. Regularly, this brings about immense pressures for the children, with parents demanding adherence to the old customs, with traditions practised in the home and frequently in activities outside the home. The consequence is that by and large, parents get estranged from their children who are attempting to comprehend and adapt to their transitory sub-culture, yet endeavouring to make a successful modification into another society, which secretively and frequently unintentionally denies them this right. ( Lin Bates, 2010) Misconceptions in Teachers The most common issue is misconceptions in multiculturalism. Educators are unsure of their own ability to define what their role is in teaching culture. Teachers need the knowledge, skills and positive attitudes to know what to teach and how to teach. (Berthelsen, Karuppiah, 2011) Teachers need to teach in a way that will meet the needs of all of their students. It may not be easy and may require more attention, time and effort. An issue teachers face is that pre-service teachers are leaving their courses unassuming to educate in today’s diverse classrooms. The dominant parts of them are leaving courses after just having one or two essential modules on educating in a multicultural setting. They are not ready for interacting with different cultures than the shielded ones that a large portion of them live in. (Lin Bates, 2010) They are not ready for the distinctive needs controlled by today’s multicultural student population. They end up being not as qualified in this area as they should be. One reason for this could be that teachers express that students oppose multicultural education. (Atwater, Freeman, Bulter Morris, 2010) Why is this the case? Everyone holds his or her beliefs about things. The zone of multicultural instruction is no distinctive. One of the first things that a teacher must do is to analyse herself. She ought to perceive how the conclusions, convictions and viewpoints that she holds influence the curriculum that she is planning to teach. Whether purposeful or not, a teacher’s comtemplations, recognitions, inclinations and sentiments can likely be depicted to her students. (Nichols Dong, 2011) A â€Å"tourist approch† towards multiculturalism where cultures are only taught through celebrations, food and traditional clothing is a very common sighting in Singapore. (Berthelsen Karrupiah, 2011) It is both disparaging and trivializing and does not give a genuine comprehension of different societies. (Derman-Sparks, 1989) Teacher need to comprehend their own particular convictions about cultures and differing qualities so as to execute multicultural education programs viably with young children. Teachers should take the steps important to better themselves as instructors in multicultural settings. This is no feat that can be accomplished overnight. Multicultural Education in Singapore Singapore is a multi-racial, multi-lingual and multi-religious society. Our population comprises mainly Chinese, Malays, Indians and others. Multicultural education is not a mainstream issue in Singapore. While the government has been capable to keep up peace and congruity through its political, social and financial strategies and unique days, it does not manage the issue in profundity. As Singaporeans are presently for the most part more mindful of issues and occasions around the world through globalization and the web, it has become progressively critical for Singapore to think about multicultural education in schools. In the meantime as empowering differences through conservation of the social personality of the racial and ethnic aggregations in the nation, the government has likewise attempted to work towards building social union around diverse assemblies, which offered ascent to the trademark unity in diversity. (Berthelsen Karuppiah, 2011) For multicultural education to be viable, it must be taught in the early years of education and strengthened in the later stages. Since childrens attitudes to their and other social assemblies start to structure in the early years, early childhood educators can impact the improvement of uplifting demeanor towards others, as well as consolidating an educational program concentrate on tolerance wand cross-cultural understandings of others. Early childhood educators, however, cannot adopt a tourist approach to multiculturalism which generalizes other societies and transforms the multicultural educational module into a tourist curriculum. Tourist curriculum which educates about cultures through festivals and antiquities of society, for example, food and traditional clothing, is both disparaging and trivializing and does not give a genuine comprehension of other cultures. Teachers need to understand their own beliefs about culture and diversity in order to implement multicultural education programs effectively with young children. (Berthelsen Karuupiah, 2011) A survey was done by Berthelsen Karuppiah(2011) to find out their understandings of multicultural education and their perceptions of its importance in early childhood education. This was conducted in Singapore among a variety of teachers workingin private and public kindergartens and childcare centers. The participants came from different ethnic groups in Singapore. Perceptions about multiculturalism and children’s learning In this case study, they found that most teachers had restricted comprehension of multiculturalism. They saw multiculturalism as just regarding race and in the connection of Singapore. About 60% of the participants expressed that multicultural education implied having information of one;s culture and additionally other cultures. They believed that this learning is sufficient and would immediately carry individuals out of diverse societies together. Another 40% showed that children learn prejudices, dispositions, convictions and qualities from the adults around them, parents and teachers. They communicated convictions that schools assume a paramount part in educating children about diverse cultures. Beliefs about teaching for multiculturalism The same group of teachers were asked their beliefs about teaching for multiculturalism. Twenty of them thought directing a multicultural program implied examining distinctive cultures regarding their food, clothing, celebrations, traditions and so forth. This brings it back to the â€Å"tourist approach† that Derman-Sparks(1989) implied when educating about multiculturalism. They did not go past a tourist point of view in advancing an ‘anti-bias’ approach to educating and researching the distinctive cultures. Thirteen others said preschool centers should treat kids of diverse cultures similarly and decently. Sixteen teachers thought individuals might as well put stock in multicultural education and be supportive of it. The greater part of teachers who had constructive encounters in multicultural situations or with multicultural individuals were likewise more agreeable than others without such encounters in examining multicultural issues. A few teachers had reservations about talking over â€Å"delicate† issues, for example race or religion. Professional learning needs about multiculturalism Based on the survey done by Berthelsen Karuppiah(2011), the teachers comprehended that they needed to understand more about multicultural education. They agreed that teachers needed knowledge, skills and positive attitudes to know what to teach and how to teach. However, the teachers did not explicitly discuss the vitality of individual reflection to comprehend their own particular prejudices, demeanor, convictions and qualities, and how these could influence their educating and learning. There were no critical or elaborated ideas on the challenges and opportunities to implement multicultural education programs. Recommendations James A. Banks, a specialist in multicultural education, has developed the five dimensions of multicultural education. He realised that in his work, numerous teachers considered multicultural education as simply content integration, meaning utilizing samples, information and data from diverse cultures. (Ogltree larke, 2010) The five dimensions are content integration, knowledge constructions, equity pedagogy, prejudice reduction and empowering school culture and social structure. He desired for teachers to have the skills and knowledge and racial attitudes needed to work with people from diverse groups and to use a wide variety of strategies that cater to a wider range of students. (Banks, 2002) Content Integration Teachers should use several different approaches to integrate content about racial, ethnic and cultural groups into the curriculum. One of the most popular is the Contributions Approach. When this approach is used, teachers insert isolated facts about ethnic and cultural group heroes and heroines into the curriculum without changing the structure of their lesson plans and units. Knowledge Construction It helps students to understand how knowledge is constructed and how it reflects the experiences, values, and perspectives of its creators. In this approach, the structure, assumptions, and perspectives of the curriculum are changed so that the concepts, events, and issues taught are viewed from the perspectives and experiences of a range of racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. The center of the curriculum no longer focuses on mainstream and dominant groups, but on an event, issue, or concept that is viewed from many different perspectives and points of view. This is done while at the same time helping students to understand the nations common heritage and traditions. Teachers should help students to understand that while they live in a diverse nation, all citizens of a nation-state share many cultural traditions, values, and political ideals that cement the nation. Multicultural education seeks to actualize the idea of e pluribus unum, i. e. to create a society that recognizes and respects the cultures of its diverse peoples united within a framework of democratic values that are shared by all. (Banks, 2002) Prejudice Reduction According to Banks, this dimension is important in creating a more positive racial and ethnic attitudes. Basically, this dimension is the aspect of education where the teacher helps to lessen the amount of prejudice within students. Equity Pedagogy Teachers change their methods to enable kids from diverse racial groups and both genders to achieve. Empowering School Culture and Social Structure James Banks talks about looking not just at individual classrooms, but at the total school culture to see how to make it more equitable and using the other four dimensions to create a safe and healthy educational environment for all. James Banks’ five dimensions support that a child’s racial attitudes can change but education must start early and that early childhood programs are the perfect place to start multicultural education. (Vuckovic, 2008) Teachers As such, how can we make this a better transition for both teachers and the children? Sheets(as cited in Nichols Dong, 2011) said, â€Å"all teachers can begin and most evolve into culturally competent educators; however, it is important to become conscious that the ardous journey from novice to expert requires hard work, relentless commitment, and a high investment of time and energy†. Two evident approaches for joining multicultural education with teacher education programs are infusion versus segregation, and culture-specific versus culture-general. (Melnick Zeichner, 1997) Ladson-Billings (as cited in Berthelsen Karuppiah,2011), proposed a basic structure for breaking down teacher preparation programs. She argued that, paying little mind to prospective teachers; race, ethnicity or backgrounds; the educational module should include a target on comprehending the way of pre-service teacher relationships and the cultural bases of the educational program, educating and society. The education of teachers should boost self-reflection on values and beliefs about cultural difference and advocate the studying approaches, which allow for teacher inclusion that is dymanic, significant and ethno-linguistically appropriate. The plans of Melnick and Zeichner (1997) and Ladson-Billings (as cited in Berthelsen Karuppiah, 2011) could be connected to teacher education programs for early childhood education in Singapore. Such programs might investigate how preschool educators characterize and conceptualize multicultural education; fuse investigations of the history of race relationships; and use careful investigations and field encounters to provide teachers with chances to gain greater knowledge, skills and understandings of their own culture as well as of other cultural and language groups in their society. In particular, they should learn how to advance suitable programs for young children that consolidate encounters to permit children to comprehend cultural differences and encourage relationships between children of distinctive cultural backgrounds. Environment There is a need for physical environment where children are well versed to reflect the cultures represented by the children working within it. For example, pictures, books, art, music, activities, cooking and recognition of certain significant days important to each culture can reflect this orientation. (Jacobson, 2003) There is a need to advocate in children, knowledge of the similarities and contrasts in cultures, underscoring the likeness while encouraging an inspirational demeanor towards and delight in the differences. This could be attained through celebrating various holidays, enjoying reading material, folklore, music, art, games and introducing foods of various cultures. There is a need for a social or racial match between some educating staff and children in schools to be accomplished. This shows how the administration and teachers work together to decrease racial stereotypes and prejudices in the school and increase democratic attitudes, values and behaviours. The support from management is definitely essential. (Banks, 2002) Conclusion Multiculturalism is worthwhile undertaking in early childhood education based on our country’s population. It prepares children for the challenges of the globalized world. To attain the above, early childhood settings need to plan an environment, which puts forth diversity positively through resources, and materials that do not sustain stereotypes. It is also essential that a multicultural education, from pre-school onwards permeates the whole curriculum. It is inadequate to commit a component regularly reputed to be ‘ethnic studies’ to a corner of the syllabus or to a half hour period for every week. Most desirable is that interpersonal relations ought to be passed on by long-term and rational modeling and that knowledge gained ought to be by first-hand experience. Important implications need to be addressed before infusing it into the early childhood curriculum and equal collaboration between children, teachers, parents, administrators, employers and the wider community is essential. (Vuckovic, 2008) 2800 words References Abdullah, A. C. (2009) Multicultural education in early childhood: Issues and challenges. Journal of International Coopeation in Education, 12(1) Atwater, M. , Freeman, T. , Butler, M. , Morris, J. (2010). A case study of science teacher candidates’ understandings and actions related to the culturally responsive teaching of â€Å"other† students. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education. 5. 287-318. Baldwin. S. C. , Buchanan, A. M. , Rudisill, M. e. (2007). What teacher candidates learned about diversity, social justice, and themselves from service-learning experiences. Journal of Teacher Education, 58(4), 315-327. Bennett, C. (2003). Comprehensive multicultural education: Theory and practice. (5th ed. ). Boston, MA: Allyn Bacon. Berthelsen, D. , Karuppiah, N. (2011). Multiculturaleducation: The understandings of preschool teachers in Singapore. Australian Journal of Early Childhood Education. 36(4). Derman-Sparks, L. (1989). Anti-bias curriculum: Tools for empowering young children. Washington, D. C: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Garbarino, J. (1992). Children and families in the social environment (2nd ed. ). New York: Aldine de Gruyter. Hakuta, K. (1986). Mirror of language: The debate on bilingualism. New York: Basic Books. Jacobson, T. (2003). Confronting our discomfort: Clearing the way for anti-bias in early childhood. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Lin, M. , Bates, A. B. (2010). Home visits: How do they affect teachers’ beliefs about teaching and diversity? Early Childhood Education Journal, 38, 179-185. Melnick, S. , Zeichner, K. (1997). Teacher education for cultural diversity. Enhancing the capacity of teacher education for institutions to address diversity issues. In J. King, E. Hollins, W. Hayman (Eds. ), Meeting the challenge of diversity in teacher preparation (pp. 23-39). New York: Teachers College Press. Nichols, M. E. , Dong, E. (2011). Meeting the needs for today’s multicultural classroom: A review of literature. The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education, 7(1). Ogletree, Q. , Larke, P. J. (2010). Implementing multicultural practices in early childhood Education. National Forum of Multicultural Issues Journal, 7(1). Quah, J. S. T. (2000). Government policies and nation-building searching for Singapore’s national values. Singapore: South East Printing. Riskowski, J. Olbricht, G. (2010). Student views of diversity: A multicultural mathematics activity. Viewing transformation during the middle school years. Multicultural Education. 2-12. Sheets, R. (2009). What is diversity pedagogy?. Multicultural Education. 11-17. Tarman, I. , Tarman, B. (2011). Developing effective multicultural practices: A case study of exploring a teacher’s understanding and practices. The Journal of International Social Research, 4(17). Verma, G. K. (2003). Ethnic diversity and multicultural education: Cross-cutting issues and concepts. Proceedings of The International Conference on Globalization and Multicultural Perspectives in Education, Penang, Malaysia, 3-4 Dec. 2003. Vuckovic, A. (2008). Making the multicultural learning environment flourish: The importance of the child-teacher relationship in educating young children about diversity. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 33(1).

Capital Punishment On Drug Trafficking Criminology Essay

Capital Punishment On Drug Trafficking Criminology Essay With the capital punishment being carried out by China, issues on how it will affect the relations between the Philippines and China emerged. Moreover, there are calls of international organizations such as Amnesty International, International Harm Reduction Association and United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) to abolish death penalty for drug offences. As reiterated by Lines (2007), drug related crimes are not considered as most serious crimes in the International Human Rights Law, therefore, it should not be punishable by capital punishment. The study intends to analyze how capital punishment of OFWs affected the bilateral relations between the Philippines and China and how it violates the International Human Rights Law. Moreover, the study is to assess the policies, treaties and agreements made and signed between the Philippines and China in relation to capital punishment on OFWs. In addition, the study aims to examine why clemency was not granted by China to the OFWs on death row despite of the Philippines appeals and to analyze the effects to the political, economic and social factors between the two countries. Furthermore, the study will contribute to policy developments appropriate for the resolution of the problem. It is significant to engage in this topic for lessening, if not, preventing OFWs from being involved in future drug trafficking cases through the study of Chinese laws governing the execution of capital punishment to foreign drug traffickers. Theoretical Framework of the Study The paper attempts to define a deterrence theory of punishment framework by Cesare Beccaria (1764) and revised by Anthony Ellis (2004) for discussing the issue on capital punishment to overseas Filipino workers in China that are involved in drug related crimes in which within this paper, a better understanding will be cultivated in analyzing the existence of capital punishment on drug related crimes. Under this framework, it could be established that there are negative effects in the outlook of other nations towars countries that are still executing capital punishments. This framework would help justify the reasons why such punishments was formed and implemented. The theory discusses on the different ideas as to why these kind of punishments is being implemented in some states and one of the reasons is that it assumes that those crimes made needs equal sufferings in return and that of which is argued by Ellis that is not morally plausible. Ellis also argued that the deterrence theory is about a concept that crime gives some pleasure and because of that, there is a need for punishment in order to prevent individuals from committing criminal acts again. This theory also justifies the reason of those countries that has capital punishment in a way that criminals should be given heavier punishments like death penalty if the committed crime was grave and detrimental to the state and safety of the public. The deterrence theory of punishment could be defined in which it is the undertaking of punishments of those people who violated a law so that the crime committed will not be done again. In that context alone, it could be understood that deterrence is created to set limitations for people not to abuse its liberties and that is why countries like China who has capital punishment believes in making things right if it will teach law offenders, such as drug traffickers a lesson and to those who has intentions in doing crimes such as drug trafficking will fear of doing such act due to the punishment being given. 2.0 Review of Literature The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) is one of the countries in the world that performed the most executions of capital punishment on drug trafficking cases (Amnesty International Death Penalty Statistics, 2011). This statement is also supported by Hays (2008) by explaining how the PRC has executed many people already compared to other countries altogether. The PRC is categorized as an iron fist country that implements the laws equally towards its people, including foreign nationals (Criminal Law of the Peoples Republic of China, 1997). Drug trafficking is considered as a serious crime and is subjected to capital punishment (Guiang, 2012). It is characterized as an act which involves the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of substances, which are subject to drug prohibition laws (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [UNODC], 2012). According to Bi (2012), there are different factors that need to be considered before the verdict of capital punishment could be decided. The one responsible for the decision and approval of capital punishment cases is given to the Supreme Peoples Court of the Peoples Republic of China, which is the highest judicial court in the country (The Supreme Peoples Court of the Peoples Republic of China, 2009). It is guided by the Criminal Law of the Peoples Republic of China (1997), which serves as the basis of crimes and the corresponding penalties, wherein it classifies drug trafficking as a crime deemed punishable by capital punishment. The Chinese Government believes that by executing drug traffickers, it would discourage others from committing the same crime, which they termed as the Strike Hard anti-crime campaign (Hays, 2008). At first, drug trafficking cases are not directly subjected to capital punishment, but due to the uniqueness of the Chinese legislation, the possibility of having a verdict of capital punishment becomes higher (Criminal Law of the Peoples Republic of China 1997). Bi (2012) reiterated that the Chinese legislation has two specific elements, it uses a quantitative model as a basis on estimating the seriousness of the drug trafficking case, and that if the drug trafficker who is caught is a repeated offender; as a result, there is a great chance for the Supreme Peoples Court to approve an execution contributed by previous minor cases, since offenses and penalties are being calculated cumulatively. The step-by-step processes that a drug trafficker go through before an execution, is provided under the Criminal Procedure Law (CPL) of the Peoples Republic of China, which is being handled by the procuratorate, an agency that is tasked to prosecute criminal cases (National Bureau of Corruption Prevention of China, 2009). In accordance with Belkin (2000), there are seven procedures to be observed under the CPL, which are the following: (1) Preliminary Investigation, under articles 84 and 85, the police and the procurate would take actions on a suspected drug trafficker; (2) Filing a Case, the police or the procurator would bring up a case against the drug trafficker that would declare that a crime is officially made; (3) Compelled Appearance, it requires the suspect to present himself to the police station for further questioning; (4) Detention, the part where the suspect is being arrested; (5)Formal Arrest, where the suspect is being held under custody which usually takes about two months or more; (6) Trial Procedures, a process involving three decision makers and the part where the evidences are presented to prove that the suspect is indeed guilty of drug trafficking, and lastly; (7) Sentencing, it is when the court would announce its verdict. It takes about two years a nd beyond for the whole process to be concluded and once the verdict has been made, the sentencing of capital punishment is then given; there is only one way of execution for foreign drug traffickers which is through lethal injection (Lu, 2008). Though, it usually results a verdict of capital punishment if the drug trafficker illegally possesses more than one kilogram of narcotic drugs (Hays, 2008). The Supreme Peoples Court of the Peoples Republic of China (2002) has reformed the capital punishment by conceptualizing distinctive features within the system. It stipulates that minors below 18 years old and pregnant women are automatically exempted from being executed (Criminal Law of the Peoples Republic of China, 1997). Lu (2008) explained that in the Chinese context, minors are exempted because their intellectual, mental and psychological capacity is not yet fully developed; as a result, minors are unaware of their actions. The capital punishment with a two-year reprieve of execution is one of the unique aspects within the capital punishment system of the Peoples Republic of China (Criminal Law of the Peoples Republic of China, 1997). Under Section 5, Article 48 of the Criminal Law of the Peoples Republic of China (1997), it states that there is a possibility of having a two-year reprieve for capital punishment on cases which needs not be punished immediately. Wang (2011) explained that the rationality behind this is for the reduction in use of the death penalty, cautious application of the death penalty, and tempering justice with mercy. It is because in the past years, the growing number of people sentenced with capital punishment has become alarming, and with this, the Chinese Government hopes that the imposition of the two-year reprieve would bring a decline to the number of cases (The Supreme Peoples Court of the Peoples Republic of China, 2002). According to Wang (2011), if the person observes goo d behavior during the two-year reprieve, there is a chance that his punishment would be reduced into life imprisonment. It also serves as a period where drug traffickers are subjected into forced labor, as a way of reforming them (Belkin 2000). The bilateral relations of the Philippines and China are weakened with the executions of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who were convicted of drug trafficking. Since 2011, China executed four OFWs with drug trafficking cases namely: Ramon Credo, Sally Villanueva and Elizabeth Batain in March 2011, and an unnamed 35-year old Filipino in December 2011 (Santos, 2011). It is reiterated by the Presidential Communications Operations Office [PCOO] (2011) that China carried out the execution despite of the Philippines appeal for clemency to commute capital punishment to life imprisonment. Clemency cannot be granted to the Filipinos on the death row because of the strict implementation of the Chinese laws. According to Guiang (2012), once a verdict of the Supreme Peoples Court of the Peoples Republic of China [SPA] has been made, pleads of the Philippine government will no longer change the decision. Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay went to China on March 2011 to appeal for clemency to the three OFWs who were on the death row (PCOO, 2011). As stated by PIA (2011), in view with the diplomatic relations with the Philippines and in accordance to the Chinese laws, Chinese officials granted the postponement of the execution of the three OFWs to a month, from February to March. The Philippines appreciated the postponement of the execution and fully respected the final verdict of the SPA (PCOO, 2011). The execution of capital punishment to the four OFWs did not cause strains to bilateral relations, as reiterated by both countries. This argument is proved by the Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines [OGRP] (2011) that the executions of the OFWs produced stronger bilateral relations between China and the Philippines through the Joint Statement of both countries which aimed to promote and strengthen political cooperation between the two countries. In the political aspect, both countries advocated in combating transnational crimes, including drug trafficking, protection of nationals, negotiations for a treaty in relation to mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and transfer of sentenced persons are made, as reiterated by OGRP (2011). Moreover, a memorandum of understanding between the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of the Philippines and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of China is signed to strengthen political cooperation between the two countries to pr event OFWs from being involved in future drug trafficking incidents (OGRP, 2011). The Capital punishment is considered a violation to the International Human Rights Law. The Capital punishment or popularly known as death penalty in China to drug offenders has been a great concern for the international community because it violates the International Human Rights Law and the most fundamental law which is the Right to life (Lines, 2007). There are three major international organizations that protects human rights because of Chinas procedure on execution and sentencing and making the death rate of executions a state secret and that is why organizations such as Amnesty International, International Harm Reduction Association and the United Nations are fighting to abolish it. According to the International Human Rights Law drug offenses is not applicable to what they refer as crimes that are punished with death it is only those persons that committed the considered most serious crimes should be given a punishment of death sentence in Article 6 (2). This law was also give n a resolution by the United Nations and that Drug trafficking is not recognized and considered by the International Human Rights Law as one of most serious crimes (Gallahue, 2011). There are major organizations that are taking substantive measures to stop the execution of capital punishment in some countries. The organizations are the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), the International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA) and the Amnesty International (Lines, 2007). According to the International Harm Reduction Association (2007), the Chinese government violates the International Human Rights Law which is proved by Lines (2007) in a way that it doesnt consider drug offences a crime that is punishable with death sentence. In Chinas legal system, the law on death penalty on drug traffickers is stated in Article 347 of Chinas Criminal law, they have specific laws on the amount of grams of drugs that was being handled by the foreign national shall subjected to interrogation immediately without having a legal counsel to defend him and only after a certain period of time then he shall have a legal counsel but if the accused foreign national have witness ed that he did carry such drugs then he shall be on trial and sentenced with death penalty (Supreme Peoples Court of the Peoples Republic of China, 2002). Although the Chinese government have its system of investigating the prosecution in the trial, still, the foreign national could not defend himself because of the circumstance that the lawyer is not of which of his choice to defend him, that alone is bias, that fact is discriminating and is therefore a violation to the International Human Rights Law (Gallahue, 2011). The international community, as a whole, does not perceive drug offences as punishable by death sentence. According to Lines (2007) the approach of the countries that follows this practice does give rationale justification that drug offences are indeed punishable by death. It is viewed by China that a drug offences is a grave crime while in the International Human Rights Law, it is only when a crime against the state and a homicide should be considered a crime punishable by death (Bi, 2012). According to the International Harm Reduction Association [IHRC] (2007), there have been disproportionate execution and sentenced foreign nationals when it comes to drug trafficking because of the lack of due process in the procedure of determining if whether or not the assumed criminal is guilty of smuggling drugs or not because of discriminatory laws on drugs with foreign nationals. This is why drug cases in China pertaining to foreign nationals are very alarming to the people who are planning to visit China or work there perhaps (Lines, 2007). A retentionist state like China reasons that they are following this death penalty procedure to safe guard their country from hard drugs and according to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention that countries that have death penalty punishment to drug trafficking should be abolished because they failed to give an adequate protection on due process (Gallahue, 2011). In Chinese law procedure, in Article 61, which states that those that will be given a punishment will be based upon the nature of the incident of when he was caught with the drugs and the circumstances of whether how harmed the society, But in drug trafficking they do not follow as such, they just determine a drug trafficker when he is caught with the drugs on his bag but they do not consider the other mitigating circumstances on whether it was planted by someone else and this makes it even contradicting to laws they have on their system (Supreme Peoples Court of the Peoples Republic of China, 2002). The Peoples Republic of China argues that executing capital punishment on drug offenders a grave offense and therefore is subject to death penalty. In accordance to this, the Human Rights Committee have also made it clear that in Article 14 which states that, including a right to a fair hearing by an independent tribunal, the presumption of innocence, the minimum guarantees for defense and the right to review by a higher tribunal and also the right to seek pardon on the sentence (International Harm Reduction Association, 2007). However, in Chinas legal system in punishing drug offenders, it is not stated there that they have the right to seek pardon and that alone is a violation in the International Human Rights Law. China as a retentionist argues with the fact that although drug related offences are non-violent crimes, it is still a grave crime because it is heinous, grievous and it destroys their traditional values and with these things it results to social harm (Supreme Peoples Co urt of the Peoples Republic of China, 2002). 3.0 Results and Discussion In 2001, four OFWs were sentenced with capital punishment in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) due to drug trafficking. Ramon Credo, Sally Villanueva and Elizabeth Batain were caught smuggling drugs weighing 1 kilogram in March; meanwhile an unnamed 35-year old Filipino in December was caught with 1.5 kilograms of drugs. With the application of the Chinese Criminal Law, these four OFWs were immediately subjected with capital punishment for illegally possessing more than one kilogram of narcotic drugs. Like any other criminal cases within the PRC, there were set of procedures being observed during the whole process of their trial. The Chinese and the Philippine governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on August 31, 2011 and made a Joint Statement on September 01, 2011 to prevent further future drug trafficking incidents that will involve OFWs (The Philippine Embassy in China, 2012). This is pursuance of the commitment of both countries to combat transnational crimes, which includes drug trafficking. Table 1 and 2 shows the data on the Philippine imports performance with the Peoples Republic of China from January to May 2012 and 2011 and the Philippine exports performance of May 2012 and 2011 with the said country. Table 1. Philippine Imports Performance with Peoples Republic of China: January to May 2012 and 2011 (in Million U.S. Dollars) Source: http://www.census.gov.ph/data/sectordata/2012/im120503.htm Table 2. Philippine Exports Performance with Peoples Republic of China: May 2012 and 2011 (in Million U.S. Dollars) Source: http://www.census.gov.ph/data/pressrelease/2012/ex1205tx.html The figures presented in Tables 1 and 2 show that there is no decline in the imports and exports between the Philippines and the Peoples Republic of China after the execution of capital punishment for drug trafficking of the three OFWs. Instead, the trade between the two countries strengthened as imports and exports increased. Table 3 presents the data on the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) Cash Remittances from the Peoples Republic of China on January to June 2012 and 2011. Table 3. Overseas Filipino Workers Cash Remittances January to June 2012 and 2011 (Landbased and Seabased) (in Thousand U.S. Dollars) Source: http://www.bsp.gov.ph/statistics/keystat/ofw.htm The data presented in Table 3 shows that there is no drop in the in the cash remittances sent by OFWs from China to the Philippines despite of the execution of the three OFWs in March. Instead, the cash remittances flow from China to the Philippines grew stronger in January to June 2012. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) [2012] that promulgated the International Human Rights law have strongly disprove on the capital punishment issues on some countries that are executing individuals that have committed crimes that are not considered as most serious crimes (UDHR, 2012). As all other human rights, the right to life is the first and foremost core value of the UDHR and that is what the Peoples Republic of China violated (Nowak, 2005). It does not only protect individuals against arbitrary interference by Government agents, but also obliges States to take positive measures in order to provide protection from arbitrary killings, enforced disappearances and similar violent acts committed by paramilitary forces, organized crime or any private individual (Nowak, 2005). Under the laws of the UDHR, the countries that have capital punishments should follow fair trial to give the accused person the opportunity to defend himself. States must therefore outlaw such act s as crimes, and must implement appropriate legislation (UDHR, 2012) According to the Article 5 of UDHR No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The moment that the declare to a person that he/she will be subjected to capital punishment such as death penalty through lethal injection is already a mental torture to a person. It is already causing mental pain for a person to have the agony of waiting for the time he/she will be killed (UDHR, 2012) A punishment such as lethal injection to foreign drug offenders in the Peoples Republic of China can be considered already as cruel punishment because it is killing of another individual and therefore it is inhume and a degrading punishment. (UNCHR, 2012) The International Covenant Commission on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) [2007] is the covenant made by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights with regards to the protection of the individual rights of a person such as the Right to Life. According to Article 7 of CCPR No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In particular, no one shall be subjected without his free consent to medical or scientific experimentation. The UDHR and the CCPR clearly has the same position with cruel punishments. The CCPR also is strongly fighting for its abolition. In Article 6 of CCPR, it stated Nothing in this article shall be invoked to delay or to prevent the abolition of capital punishment by any State Party to the present Covenant. Prior to this law, there are still retentionist countries that are passive to what these International Laws are advocating (CCPR, 2007). Moreover, since retentionist countries still do what they have practiced, the international law provides for procedural requirements applicable to all death penalty cases: fair trial guarantees, the possibility of appeal to a higher court, and clemency (Nowak, 2005). According to Article 6 (4) of CCPR, amnesty, pardon or commutation of a death sentence may be granted at all times. Clemency may postpone or set aside a death sentence for instance, by commuting it to life imprisonment and can be used to make up for errors, mitigate a harsh punishment or compensate for any criminal law provisions that may dis- allow consideration of relevant factors. The right of any death convict to seek clemency is clearly affirmed in international human rights law. However, the Peoples Republic of China rarely grants clemency to drug offenders in their country, they have a strong stand point in their laws on drug related crimes (Nowak, 2005). According to CCPR, the death penalty should constitute exceptional punishment, always meted out in accordance with the principle of proportionality. Article 6 of CCPR refers to the most serious crimes and, under the Safeguards, the definition of the most serious crimes punishable by death should not go beyond intentional crimes, with lethal or other extremely grave consequences. But this is not being applied to the Peoples Republic of China because they are executing death penalty on foreign drug offenders caught in their state (Nowak, 2005).

Patriarchal Pathology: The Case of Sam Shepard’s Buried Child and Mahes

Sam Shepard and Mahesh Dattani belong to different countries and time span. They come from different social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Sam Shepard belongs to the cream of the crop of 20th century American dramatists. He was involved with New York's Off-Off Broadway Theater - the new experimental theaters that sprung up in church halls, lofts, basements and cafes after the Off-Broadway theater had become expensive. He was closely allied with Theater Genesis-an Off-Off Broadway venue based at St.Mark’s in the Bowery, an Episcopalian church in the East Village at 2nd Avenue and 10th Street. Mahesh Dattani is a well known cotemporary Indian-English playwright, the first Indian playwright writing in English to be awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award. Sam Shepard explores the complicated relationships within American families. In order to ensure the myth of the American Dream, however unattainable, family life is seen by playwrights like Sam Shepard to pay the price. The family is breaking up from within by their adherence to public values. Although his plays explore deeply the American psyche and investigate the cultural heritage of their nation, yet they have a mainstream plea to people all over the world. Mahesh Dattani writes on the burning issues that beset the post-independence Indian society, whether it is communal discord, politics and crime, growing homosexuality or the gender bias. He uses stage to condemn many of the drawbacks prevailing in society. His plays depict marginalized groups of society, people who are considered misfits in a society where stereotyped attitudes and notions reign supreme. His plays have varied content and varied appeal. The works of Sam Shepard and Mahesh Dattani thus r... ...Print. Shepard, Sam.Buried Child.Vintage Publications,1979.Print. Secondary Source Deeba,Farha.Prioritizing the invisible:A Study of the Select plays of Mahesh Dattani.Diss.University of Kashmir,2013. Mathisen,Kari.What’s Happened to this Family Anyway? The Disintegration of the American Family in Selected Plays by O’Neill,Miller,and Shepard.MA thesis. University of Troms,2009. Ranjan,Mukesh. â€Å"Mahesh Dattani’s Where There’s a Will: Exorcising the Patriarchal Code†.The Dramatic World of Mahesh Dattani-A Critical Exploration.Ed.Amar Nath Suri.Sarup Book Publishers,2009.136-144.Print. Shepard, Sam. Buried Child.In Sam Shepard:Plays,Vol.2.London:Faber and Faber,1997.Print. The Cambridge Companion to Sam Shepard. Ed.Mathew Roundane.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,2002.Print.

The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer †Tribulations :: Adventures Tom Sawyer Essays

The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer – Tribulations Mark Twain uses "The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer" to reveal his own childhood. In the preface Mark Twain states "Most of the adventures recorded in this book really occurred; one or two were experiences of my own, the rest those of boys who were schoolmates of mine. Huck Finn is drawn from real life; Tom Sawyer also, but not from an individual - he is a combination of the characteristics of three boys whom I knew, and therefore belongs to the composite order of architecture." This is Mark Twain's "The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer". From this point we begin our tour through the Adventures Of Tom Sawyer's life, accompanied by his friends. It is the story about life in a boys' world and it discloses feelings of Mark Twain concerning his boyhood, his town and the people there. Tom Sawyer was a boy but not a genus that would describe good children as the protagonists. Tom Sawyer was a fiend yet he was never malicious, but always up to a trick or a practical joke of some kind. During the years that we view Tom Sawyer, a multitude of events had occurred. All of which are recorded in Mark Twain's style. Mark Twain composes in a picaresque style, Tom Sawyer's adventures being set out in an episodic journalistic report by Mark Twain. In "The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer," Tom Sawyer, the lead character is seen as the protagonist, the hero of the story. "The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer," also fits into the genres of satire, frontier literature, folk narrative and comedy. Every adventure is new and more stimulating than the prior episode. These adventures are from an adult who views the adult world critically and looks back on the sentiments and past times of childhood in a somewhat idealized manner, with wit and also in a nostalgic way. Critics have suggested several other sources for the novel, including South Western humorist, George W. Harris. This is an example of "escapism" from a society that Mark Twain had felt alienated from. Set in the old South West, in an almost poverty stricken shabby town, called St. Petersburg.

Critical Analysis of War Photographer by Carol Ann Duffy :: English Literature

Critical Analysis of War Photographer by Carol Ann Duffy In his darkroom he is finally alone with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows. The only light is red and softly glows, as though this were a church and he a priest preparing to intone a Mass. Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. All flesh is grass. He has a job to do. Solutions slop in trays beneath his hands which did not tremble then though seem to now. Rural England. Home again to ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel, to fields which don't explode beneath the feet of running children in a nightmare heat. Something is happening. A stranger's features faintly start to twist before his eyes, a half-formed ghost. He remembers the cries of this man's wife, how he sought approval without words to do what someone must and how the blood stained into foreign dust. A hundred agonies in black-and-white From which his editor will pick out five or six for Sunday's supplement. The reader's eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre-lunch beers. From the aeroplane he stares impassively where he earns his living and they do not care. Carol Ann Duffy was born in Glasgow in 1955. She grew up in Staffordshire and went to university in Liverpool. Having spent some time in London as a freelance writer, she now lives in Manchester. She has won many prizes and several awards for her poetry. Her poems, she says, 'come from my everyday experience, my past/memory and my imagination. People and characters are fascinating to me'. Many of her poems are based on true experiences and real people. In the 1970s Carol Ann Duffy was friendly with Don McCullin, a famous photographer whose photographs of war were widely published and respected. Her poem, "War Photographer", (from Standing Female Nude, 1985), is based on conversations she had with him. The poem works on a very personal level - it is based on the authentic experience of a war photographer - and on a much wider level, saying something about the views and attitudes within our society concerning things that happen much further away. People are glad to distance themselves from the harsh realities of war whilst keeping themselves informed of, and superficially sympathetic to these real life situations. The structure of this poem supports this dichotomy in that there are two contrasting worlds: the world of war zones ("Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh.") and the calmer world of "Rural England". The war photographer is the man who goes between these two worlds. The safe world of England is signified by the cliche of a typical Sunday: "The bath and pre-lunch beers" while the horror of war is expressed through

Maya Angelou

‘Still I Rise' by Maya Angelou: the poem You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ‘Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries. Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard ‘Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin' in my own back yard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I'll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history's shame I rise Up from a past that's rooted in pain I rise I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise. GCSE English Blended Poetry  © Maya Angelou in whose name Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. has granted permission.  © The Sheffield College, 2006 Exploring the Poem We are now going to explore ‘Still I Rise' using the five aspects of poetry we looked at earlier. Situation Viewpoint Ideas or themes Language and style Mood or atmosphere After reading ‘Still I Rise' a couple of times, use the following questions to help explore your ideas about the poem. Situation What do you think Angelou might mean in the opening lines when she says that history tells lies about her? GCSE English Blended Poetry  © The Sheffield College, 2006 In the closing lines, who is Maya Angelou referring to as her ‘ancestors' and why is this important? Angelou repeats the words ‘I rise' throughout the poem. What does she mean by this? GCSE English Blended Poetry The Sheffield College, 2006 Identity is an important idea in the poem. What impression do you get of Maya Angelou in the second, third, fifth and seventh verses? What impression of herself does Maya Angelou definitely not want to convey in the fourth verse? What impression does Maya Angelou leave us with at the end of the poem? GCSE English Blended Poetry  © The Sheffield College, 2006 Viewp oint Who is ‘I' in this poem? Who is ‘you' in this poem? Ideas and Themes What themes do you see in the poem? GCSE English Blended Poetry  © The Sheffield College, 2006 Language and Style As you work through this section, you might want to refer to the Glossary, to read about some of the techniques discussed. Angelou uses a lot of natural imagery in the poem. List all the similes and metaphors which relate to nature that you can find in the poem. Imagery What points do you think Angelou is making in using this natural imagery? Comment on at least three images in detail. GCSE English Blended Poetry  © The Sheffield College, 2006 Alliteration and Assonance Find as many examples of alliteration and assonance in the poem as you can. What effects do you think Angelou is hoping to achieve by her use of these techniques? Rhythm and Rhyme Re-read the poem aloud or at least read it to yourself imagining how it would sound if you were reading it aloud. How do you think the rhythm and the rhyming of the poem affects your understanding of what Angelou is saying? Repetition What do you think Angelou is trying to achieve with the repetition in the poem? GCSE English Blended Poetry  © The Sheffield College, 2006 Mood and Atmosphere How would you describe the mood or atmosphere of the poem? Does the mood change throughout the poem? GCSE English Blended Poetry  © The Sheffield College, 2006 Maya Angelou ‘Still I Rise' by Maya Angelou: the poem You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ‘Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries. Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard ‘Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin' in my own back yard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I'll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history's shame I rise Up from a past that's rooted in pain I rise I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise. GCSE English Blended Poetry  © Maya Angelou in whose name Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. has granted permission.  © The Sheffield College, 2006 Exploring the Poem We are now going to explore ‘Still I Rise' using the five aspects of poetry we looked at earlier. Situation Viewpoint Ideas or themes Language and style Mood or atmosphere After reading ‘Still I Rise' a couple of times, use the following questions to help explore your ideas about the poem. Situation What do you think Angelou might mean in the opening lines when she says that history tells lies about her? GCSE English Blended Poetry  © The Sheffield College, 2006 In the closing lines, who is Maya Angelou referring to as her ‘ancestors' and why is this important? Angelou repeats the words ‘I rise' throughout the poem. What does she mean by this? GCSE English Blended Poetry The Sheffield College, 2006 Identity is an important idea in the poem. What impression do you get of Maya Angelou in the second, third, fifth and seventh verses? What impression of herself does Maya Angelou definitely not want to convey in the fourth verse? What impression does Maya Angelou leave us with at the end of the poem? GCSE English Blended Poetry  © The Sheffield College, 2006 Viewp oint Who is ‘I' in this poem? Who is ‘you' in this poem? Ideas and Themes What themes do you see in the poem? GCSE English Blended Poetry  © The Sheffield College, 2006 Language and Style As you work through this section, you might want to refer to the Glossary, to read about some of the techniques discussed. Angelou uses a lot of natural imagery in the poem. List all the similes and metaphors which relate to nature that you can find in the poem. Imagery What points do you think Angelou is making in using this natural imagery? Comment on at least three images in detail. GCSE English Blended Poetry  © The Sheffield College, 2006 Alliteration and Assonance Find as many examples of alliteration and assonance in the poem as you can. What effects do you think Angelou is hoping to achieve by her use of these techniques? Rhythm and Rhyme Re-read the poem aloud or at least read it to yourself imagining how it would sound if you were reading it aloud. How do you think the rhythm and the rhyming of the poem affects your understanding of what Angelou is saying? Repetition What do you think Angelou is trying to achieve with the repetition in the poem? GCSE English Blended Poetry  © The Sheffield College, 2006 Mood and Atmosphere How would you describe the mood or atmosphere of the poem? Does the mood change throughout the poem? GCSE English Blended Poetry  © The Sheffield College, 2006