Essay on The Allegory of the Cave - 1875 Words

In Platos Republic, the great philosopher describes what is needed to achieve a perfect society. He addresses several subjects still debated in todays society, such as justice, gender roles, and the proper form of education. He discusses these issues through his main character, Socrates. Socrates, another well-known philosopher for his time, happens upon a group of men, and what begins as a modest question, leads into a series of debates, metaphors, and allegories. Perhaps the most discussed allegory in todays popular culture is the Allegory of the Cave. Over the past decade, several movies have mimicked the fantasy, the most profitable being the Matrix Trilogy. But what makes this story so fascinating? Through it, Plato attempts to map†¦show more content†¦Since these are the only beings they are aware of, the sounds made by the people are also assumed to come from the shadows. Socrates summarizes their belief system stating, such men would hold that the truth is nothing ot her than the shadows of artificial things, (Book VII, 515c). After describing the setting of the cave, Socrates asks his audience to imagine that one of the prisoners breaks free from his bonds, and sees the fire and the statues themselves. He notes that there would first come pain as his eyes adjust to the new light, and disbelief, as everything he had previously thought to be real is suddenly proven artificial. However, Socrates assures his audience that the man would eventually come to realize that the people and the fire are more real than the shadows had ever been. He would ultimately grasp how the fire creates the shadows of the statues, creating a mere copy of the real thing. He would then conclude that the fire and the statues are the most real things in the world. Though the man would then seem to be educated, Socrates takes the fantasy farther by dragging the freed prisoner out of the cave and into the actual world. At first, the mans eyes would dart from the brightness of the sun, and watch only shadows. Eventually, his eyes would allow him to look at reflections and finally at the actual objects themselves. He then realizes that the trees, flowers, houses, rocks, and animals heShow MoreRelatedThe Allegory Of The Cave1086 Words   |  5 PagesExplain the allegorical significance(s) of the cave in Plato’s Republic. How is the cave an allegory of Plato’s philosophy? How is the allegory of the cave an allegory for enlightenment or philosophical education? How and why are most human beings like prisoners in a cave? Who are the puppeteers? What does the world outside the cave represent? What does the sun represent? Etc. What is Plato’s Theory of the Forms? What is a Form? How does the allegory of the cave express Plato†™s Theory of the Forms? HowRead MoreThe Allegory of the Cave907 Words   |  4 Pagesman follow the law, and how do implications of society affect our behavior. The most interesting topic from the Republic is from Book VII, the allegory of the cave. With the allegory of the cave Plato gives us the power to break the chains that bind us down and leads us to see the light. In the allegory of the cave Plato sets the scene with humans in a cave that have been chained since childhood so they are restricted from moving and looking around the room. These people only see the shadows castedRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave1382 Words   |  6 Pageshis most intricate, yet his most important figure: the Allegory of the Cave. Socrates calls on the interlocutors to imagine a dimly lit cave in which a group of prisoners are chained behind a wall in such a way that they cannot move and are forced to stare at a wall all day. Thanks to a small fire, the prisoners are able to see the shadows of their imprisoners and images their imprisoners projected on the wall. Having always been in the cave, the prisoners believe the shadows are true; similarlyRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave1307 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Allegory of the Cave there are prisoners are chained up together in which they are all facing the back wall. There is a firing behind the prisoners and the onl y thing that they can see are the shadows of the people behind them. The fire casts shadows on the wall so this is the only thing that they see. Their entire lives have been based on these shadows on the wall. These prisoners have been chained up since birth, so what they see on the walls is all they know. In the Allegory of the Cave, theyRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave Essay975 Words   |  4 Pagesof philosophy in Brooklyn College, once said â€Å"The only thing we know for certain is that nothing is certain.† This is the main philosophy behind both Plato’s â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave†, and the renowned sci-fi movie â€Å"The Matrix.† Both works deal with escaping a false reality while unveiling a real one. In Plato’s â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave†, the escaped prisoner synonymous to the character Neo in â€Å"The Matrix†, exhibiting a shared theme behind both plots. Socrates suggest that with effort, all that isRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave905 Words   |  4 PagesIn the allegory of the cave Plato tries to show us two scenarios where the prisoners experience emotional and intellectual revelations throughout their lives. Plato’s theory was that the ones who truly understand knowledge should guide the ignorant people out of their unenlightened states of being and into true knowledge. The cave symbolizes the people who think that knowledge come from what they see and hear in the world. It also indicates people that make assumptions about life based on the substantialRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave Essay2021 Words   |  9 Pagesrecognizable image of Plato’s Republic, the message of the allegory of the cave is present not only in Book VII, but throughout the entire dialogue. Plato-as-Socrates uses the allegory to express his views on philosophy’s role in his city of speech which is later shown more deeply with the five regimes in Book VIII. The cities in the five regimes underg o a degradation as philosophy moves further and further away from the ruler; which also mirrors the cave. Plato reveals his belief that the city and philosophyRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave Essay1660 Words   |  7 Pages 3. Explain how the Allegory of the Cave represents Plato’s views about the nature of knowledge and the nature of reality. In the Allegory of the Cave there are chained prisoners in cave who can only stare at the cave wall in front of them. At the back there is a long entrance with a staircase the width of the cave and a fire burning in the distance. They see only shadows projected in front of them from a raised platform and hear an echo that they attribute to what they observe. They talk aboutRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave1619 Words   |  7 PagesIn his allegory of the cave, Plato describes a scenario in which chained-up prisoners in a cave understand the reality of their world by observing the shadows on a cave wall. Unable to turn around, what seems to be reality are but cast shadows of puppets meant to deceive the prisoners. In the allegory, a prisoner is released from his chains and allowed to leave the cave. On his way out, he sees the fire, he sees the puppets, and then he sees the sun. Blinded by the sunlight, he could only stare downRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave Essay718 Words   |  3 PagesThesis Allegory of Cave First what is perception and ignorance? Let us define perception as one’s view of life through rationalization of the external world and ignorance as an assumption without proof and contemplation. In the â€Å"Allegory of The Cave†, Plato uses Socrates to explain different types of people, one who sees the physical realm accepting ideas as they form and one who lives in knowledge realm by questioning those ideas. People of the knowledge realm are obligated to helps those in the

Are All Adolescents at High Risk for Drug Addiction Free Essays

‘Psychological characteristics’ is the reason behind the involvement of the young adults to the use of drugs. This is what the authors who investigated the children in Woodlawn have found.   The study of Kellam, Branch, Agrawal and Ensminger regarding the investigation of how the use of drugs has been present in the childhood antecedents traced how the group of urban children from 6 to 7 years old developed. We will write a custom essay sample on Are All Adolescents at High Risk for Drug Addiction? or any similar topic only for you Order Now In this study, the authors found that after a decade, when the children aged 16 and 17, they have been using drugs. Also, children who began going to school have already varied ways into young adulthood. (Kellam, Branch, Agrawal, Ensminger, 1975; Kellam, Brown, Rubin, Ensminger, 1983) There was also this study of Jeanne and Jack Block about the children at the San Francisco Bay area, whom since nursery have experienced cases with which psychological characteristics has also been the cause. If in Woodlawn study, children involved are those aged 16 and 17, in this study, they have found out that children, at the age of 14, has already committed to drugs and the crimes and cases with its involvement, which is quite alarming.  (J. H. Block J. Block, 1980) The study required the authors to call the government’s attention in mitigating the cases committed by young adults. But aside from the government’s efforts in conducting programs and actions, the study also eyes for the parents to take actions regarding the issue. In terms of the responsibility, it has been the parents who are always on the position to take care of the psychological and emotional development of the children. These studies also included the whole range of conference later subsumed by the California Child Q-sort and the California Adult Q-sort that was designed to give permission to the clinicians in providing the in-depth, wide-ranging psychological descriptions. It was intend to gather information that is full of all psychological terms to talk about the concerns of the clinical and to give information to the efforts of intervention. (Smith, G. M., Fogg, C. P. (1978). Earlier investigators to this case have assumed nonstop relationships between the measures of psychological disturbances and the level of drug usage. It is because the approach assumes that the infrequent experimentation with the drugs has been problematic in terms of psychology, because of the tendency and the pressure to the adolescents for the regular use of drugs and for it becomes good to them (drugs are found to be good when the user is under the influence of it). Nonetheless, most of the adolescents in the United States have experiments in the use of marijuana most of the time, and the huge majority of these adolescents do not latterly become abusers of drugs because there is found â€Å"adjustment in the psychosocial† to those young adults who have experiments the use of drugs occasionally and of those young adults who totally avoided drugs. (Johnston et al., 1986; Johnston, Bachman, O’Malley, 1981 a, 1981 b; Miller et al., 1983; NIDA, 1986) Certainly, occasional use of drugs is what has been suggested by most of the researchers for the adolescents to understand the manifestation of the developmentally appropriate experimentation.   One of them has observed those behaviors, personalities and the attitudes of the young adults before they choose a path to in their own choice. It is an expedition for or the organization of self-rule and independently personality and performance. This may be believed a normative attitude among the adolescents of the America from a developmental mission of outlook and in conditions of incidence. In their study, the subject was one hundred and one children. There are forty nine boys and the fifty two remaining are girls. All ages 18 years old. They came from the preliminary preview of one hundred and thirty respondents in a study of the development of ego and mentality. They were at first employed into the experiment at their age of three. They were attending their nursery then, assessed by their parents.   The children have been measured on an extensive successions of psychological methods at ages three, four, five, eleven, fourteen and eighteen. Because there are just few of the subjects were lost over many of years, there can still be an amount of degree of difference of the slow destruction. In the interview, it has been those with the age of eighteen are being collected of the information about drugs. These interviews were conducted by the skilled and knowledgeable deficiency experts and the interviews varied over a selection of topics together with the works in school, relationship with the classmates and friends, the dynamics of the family and the personal interests.   The respondents were given questions about if they smoked pot or if they are using it in another form. The response goes with answers like if they never used marijuana, used it one time or two, more than two, one time in a month, one time in a week; twice or thrice in a week and the daily usage. The result of the study reveals that thirty seven percent of the respondents have reportedly trying cocaine and those who tried hallucinogens have been about twenty five percent. It was about ten percent of them found to be trying inhalants, barbiturates, amphetamines and even tranquilizers. There was also one of them has found to have used the heroin.   Those who tried marijuana also have the largest count, which is about sixty-eight percent. Before this, it was researched that four years earlier, it was fifty one percent only of the research have been using marijuana. Of the sixty eight percent of the category, thirty nine percent has found to be using marijuana once or more within a month, while twenty one percent of it has found to be using it in a week or about more than a week. These data point out that in a no selected delayed young adult example, irregular study with the marijuana is not destructive in terms of personal and societal. This insight is held up by studies of the penalties of drug usage, as well as with the research in the background and associative of drug usage and by with the truth that most of the young adults in America have tested marijuana but have not consequently turn to be abusers of drugs. The obvious contradiction between medical awareness and the found facts by the study, on the other hand, have been resulted when it has been documented that the individuals who in attendance themselves for drug treatment are not courier of the broad population of the young adults. For them, the study with the drugs is extremely unhelpful because drugs effortlessly become an element of a wider pathological disease. For the young adults more in general, some of the study in drugs is obviously does not have the appalling repercussion in the psychology. The Institute of Criminal Justice and Criminology made an evaluation of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE). It examines the DARE if it functions well or bad, and if its reaction to the incidents of drugs is being competent. They compared three hundred forty one fifth grader DARE students to those students who are not under the DARE. There were found major differences in the anticipated track for the usage of alcohol in the previous year, trust in the non anti-society standards, involvement with the group of friends who uses drugs, productive involvement in a group, approach to the police or military, conduct trick, liking and enthusiasm to the school, behaviors that are close to to material usage, and rudeness There were no distinctions found on the vice materials such as tobacco, cigarettes, and or marijuana usage last year, incidence of any use of drugs in the previous month. All have been the same, just some changes in terms of number figure, but in the total picture of it, nothing has changed. CONCLUSION   There have been a lot of books, references, studies and publications that are being made by the experts for the benefit of research and information to identify the causes and effects of the drug addiction issues worldwide. Almost every man in the world knows that the use of drugs is illegal, as it has been imposed by the government that drug use is prohibited because of its negative effects and disadvantages. The reason why there is a high risk for the adolescents in drug addiction is mostly because of the psychological attributes. The quality of guidance and assistance of the parents to their children is proven to be the major cause on why young adults are getting involved into drug addiction. It has been the parents who are being responsible on why the kids grow out of the path and without proper orientation of what life must be when they get into the matured age. Young adults are very prone in the addiction to drugs for their vulnerability stage. They are in the most curious stage of their lives in which no one can not stop them of being probing of everything new to them. The temptation to do everything they want because they are curious about it is very active at their age. So they are really at the high risk of drug addiction. How to cite Are All Adolescents at High Risk for Drug Addiction?, Papers

The Face of a Monster Essay Example For Students

The Face of a Monster Essay Physical Appearance in Mary Shellys FrankensteinIn Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein we are introduced early in the story to one of the main characters Victor Frankenstein and subsequently to his creation referred to as the monster. The monster comes to life after being constructed by Victor using body parts from corpses. As gruesome as this sounds initially we are soon caught up in the tale of the living monster. Victor the creator becomes immediately remorseful of his decision to bring the monstrous creation to life and abandons the borne creature. Victor describes his emotions and physical description of his creation as follows:â€Å"How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! – Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustro us black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shriveled complexion, and straight black lips.† (Shelley 34)Left on his own to strike out in the world the monster soon experienced the prejudices of those he came meet. Prejudices based upon his frightful, or unusual, appearance and his inability to communicate initially. I quickly had empathy for the abandoned creature, despite the descriptions of his gruesome appearance, and felt mixed emotions about his actions towards others in the story. Were the violent actions of the monster towards others spawned from their violent rejection of him? It seemed clear to me from the beginning, and Victor’s initial reaction, that the monster’s fate was predetermine because of the perception and assumptions made about him based solely on his looks. In th is essay I will examine how the monster’s looks and actions reflect the predominant cultural feelings that those who look different are bad, evil or incapable of normal feelings. That somehow because one may look different from the rest of us there must be something emotionally as well as physically wrong with them. We will write a custom essay on The Face of a Monster specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now As I struggled to grab on to a thesis for this essay, it finally occurred to me that my empathy for the monster really was fundamental in my reading of this text. In further examining why I would feel this way, and by comments made in class on this subject, I soon realized that I had a parallel to the monster’s experience right in front of me – literally. My brother, borne with a severe cleft pallet and lip he has endured twenty-three years of surgeries and therapies to repair the structure of his face. The first surgeries focused primarily on function of his basic needs: eating, breathing, speaking etc. without emphasis on how he looked. However, these past few years, as he approached his early twenties, the surgeries have focused primarily on his appearance. Like the monster, he experiences many prejudices based on his appearance. He is frequently looked upon suspiciously in stores while shopping and has been approached by security on occasion. Strangers tend to shy a way from him and often look away and do not respond if he directly address’ them. He was ridiculed relentlessly (beyond regular childhood cruelty) while in school and had difficulty establishing friendships. What others fail to see in him is his intellectual genius, his creativity, compassion for others and a basically neat, and normal, guy. My brother’s experiences are not quite as severe as the monsters; fortunately my parent’s were able to look past his physical defects and did not abandon their wondrous creation. What they do share are the same hurdles of trying to make it in a world, or culture, that does not give them the chance to connect socially because of their appearance. This leaves them otherwise shunned by the public and revealing their treasure only to those of us who look beyond appearances for what lies beneath. .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de , .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de .postImageUrl , .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de , .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de:hover , .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de:visited , .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de:active { border:0!important; } .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de { 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; } .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de:active , .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de .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; } .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9ba40dd3b2363c8a5fdd8511fbf326de:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: About Love EssayThe other element that reflects a cultural attitude about appearance and how someone is perceived is how that the lack of acceptance and prejudice can deteriorate ones perception of themselves. The monster illuminates these feelings when first catching a glimpse of himself reflected in a pool of water:â€Å"I had admired the perfect forms of my cottagers – their grace, beauty, and delicate complexions: but how was I terrified, when I viewed myself in a transparent pool! At first I started back, unable to believe that it was indeed I who was reflected in the mirror; and when I became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am, I was filled with the bitterest sensations of despondence and mortification. Alas! I did not yet entirely know the fatal effects of this miserable deformity.† (Shelley 76)Unfortunately, the monster’s â€Å"miserable deformity† and its effects play out tragically in Frankenstein. Just because he does not look like the others, the monster feels that he is not worthy of acceptance and consideration. He is quick to notice the dynamics of the culture around him, learning the language, traditions, ideologies. In his sensitivity to the culture, he also develops the feeling that he is bad because he does not look, or act as they do. It is unfortunate that nearly 183 years after this story was written that it is still the predominant cultural attitude that people who look and act differently are bad. They are not considered normal physically or intellectually. Throughout history, certain behaviors and physical attributes are desirable and we do not always agree or understand them in the context of our own culture and time in history. However, if your appearance is not reflective of what is considered normal, or you are severely disfigured, the predominant culture will label someone bad. Had the monster in Frankenstein be found strolling the local mall in our contemporary times he certainly would have been given a wide birth and had children quickly shuffled away by their mothers. Had he stopped to ask directions from a couple eating soft pretzels by a fountain he would have been greeted with downcast eyes, no response and worse yet their quick and rude departure. In contrast to this scenario we are of the same cu lture attitude that when we see a normal-looking person on the news who has been arrested for killing people, and eating parts of their bodies, we exclaim â€Å"but he looks so normal†¦he acted so appropriately†. Based on the assumptions he should have been hideously grotesque and had frequent bouts of conspicuous public behavior. Shelley’s Frankenstein, and specifically the plight of the monster, is a true-to-form illustration of cultural feelings about how people should look and act in the context of what is normal. Anything outside of normal is perceived negatively, viewed with suspicion and capable of the worst actions towards others. In this case, it is no wonder the monster unleashes his violent wrath upon those that have shunned and disposed of him. He was just fulfilling his predetermined destiny thrust upon him at the moment he was conceived. I am being somewhat sarcastic here, but I do feel that historically the ideas of what is normal can change. Unfortunately, as Shelley has drastically illustrated with the monster character, the monster is judged by his outside appearance and actions as it relates to what is considered normal. Bibliography:Shelley, Mary. â€Å"Frankenstein.† In A Norton Critical Edition. New York: W. W. Norton ; Company, Inc. 1996.

Critically analyse how the Global Energy Assessment pathways represent future socio-technological change in the energy system, focussing on the building sector. The WritePass Journal

Critically analyse how the Global Energy Assessment pathways represent future socio-technological change in the energy system, focussing on the building sector. Abstract Critically analyse how the Global Energy Assessment pathways represent future socio-technological change in the energy system, focussing on the building sector. the Global Energy Assessment (GEA) was therefore launched and a new global energy policy agenda was established (GEA Writing Team, 2012: 4). The GEA intended to change the way society uses and delivers energy in order to mitigate climate change. In doing so, it brings together hundreds of international researchers to provide an analysis of the current issues that exist and to identify the possible options that can be taken in tackling climate change. Technology options and policies are also included in the GEA and are considered vital in protecting the environment and maintaining sustainable development (GEA, 2014: 1). As noted by Greening, the Secretary of State for International Development: â€Å"The long-term effects of climate change threaten to undermine progress in reducing global poverty† (Department for International Development, 2011: 3). This is the main reason why the UK is committed to helping developing countries adapt to climate change in a positive way by ensu ring that they take up low carbon growth and effectively tackle deforestation. This study will therefore examine some of the Global Energy Assessment pathways, by focusing on the building sector, in order to consider the effects these will have upon the energy system in the future. Socio-Technological Change in the Energy System In order for climate change to be tackled effectively, socio-technological changes are needed within the energy system. This can be ascertained by reviewing the different sectors which impact the environment and then considering what socio-technological changes are required. The building sector has a significant impact upon the environment because of the fact that it accounts for one-third of the planets total energy use (Global Alliance, 2012: 1). Technological improvements to buildings are therefore a cost-effective way of mitigating climate change. By using existing proven technologies we have the ability right to â€Å"reduce energy consumption in new and existing buildings by 30-50 percent at extremely low or no cost, and usually at negative cost (Global Alliance, 2012: 1). Increased building efficiency is therefore the future for the building sector because not only do greener buildings help to promote sustainability but they are also better for the consumer in that they are m ore comfortable and cheaper to maintain (NAR, 2014: 1). The pathways for transition that have been explored in the GEA therefore need to be followed if the building sector is to become more energy efficient. This is important given that GHG emissions are expected to nearly double by the year 2030 under a high-growth development scenario (Metz et al; 2007: 6). The GEA supports sustainability in the building sector by helping decisions makers address the challenges associated with building development (CCCSEP, 2012: 1). Energy Efficiency Barriers in the Building Sector   The building sector can contribute to tackling climate change through socio-technological change in the energy system, yet there are many barriers towards improved efficiency in this sector. One of the main barriers that exists is a lack of technical, economic and general knowledge about the energy sector. Not only does this knowledge gap apply to consumers but it also applies to building designers, architects and politicians (Urge-Vorsatz, 2012: 702). Because of this lack of knowledge, it is very difficult for many of the technologies and practices that exist in this area to be implemented. Furthermore, although energy efficient practices are considered cost effective, they are not being widely adopted due to the high initial start-up costs. The high upfront costs are thus discouraging, especially when there is a lack of knowledge that exists in this area and unless greater awareness is provided, it is unlikely that the GEA pathways will have much of an influence in the future. Mark et failures also provide barriers to energy efficiency because of the failures in the way the market operates (Urge-Vorsatz, 2012: 702). Such flaws prevent the trade-off between energy efficiency investments and energy saving benefits. Behavioural barriers are also a problem for energy efficiency in the building sector as the behaviours of individuals and companies may be difficult to change. For example, individuals may fail to turn the lights off in their homes, whilst organisations may fail to identify energy saving opportunities, especially if they do   not benefit directly from them. An example of this can be seen in relation to green leases since these are one of the main pathways to energy efficiency. Green leases thus impose obligations on landlords and tenants to achieve targets for energy consumption. This ensures that the energy use of commercial buildings is minimised through â€Å"better measurement, greater awareness and systematic management† (All Party Urban Development Group, 2008: 2). There are a number of different green lease shades which represent different commitments to the green agenda: light green leases represent a modest commitment to the agenda, whilst dark green leases reflect a much more serious commitment (Bright, 2008: 158). Regardless of the benefits green leases have on the environment, however, they are not being used as much as they should. This is largely the result of the â€Å"conventional relationship between the landlord (as building owner) and tenant (as occupier)† which generally neglects â€Å"environmental co nsiderations† (Hinnells et al; 2008, 1). The extent to which green leases represent future socio-technological change in the energy system is therefore unclear and it seems that further changes are required if a more robust system is to be implemented. Green leases should be used more frequently than they are at present, yet it is questionable whether this is likely to happen given that â€Å"change may be rapid, disruptive and challenging (Hinnells et al; 2008: 1). Bright believes that capital investment will allow for more efficient equipment to be introduced that will allow for better energy savings to be made (Bright, 2008: 158). This will encourage landlords and tenants to enter into a green lease if they can identify the real benefits that are associated with them. Consequently, it is evident when looking at green leases that one of the main barriers towards improved energy efficiency is the lack of awareness that exists. In order to remove this barrier to energy efficiency, campaigns and sector learning networks could be introduced in order to increase the current awareness of GEA’s (Carbon Trust, 2005: 16). Furthermore, actions could also be taken that raise the attention of building owners such as; tax incentives and low interest loans (Rezendes, 1994: 41). This will allow greater access to energy efficient equipment and will encourage individuals to take advantage of the opportunities that are available. Another barrier towards energy efficiency in the building sector is transaction costs and the limited availability of capital. Because building owners do not generally have spare capital available to make their buildings more energy efficient, they are less likely to take the GEA pathways into consideration (Ecofys, 2012: 3). Furthermore, as has been pointed out; â€Å"financial barriers to the penetration of energy efficiency and building integrated distributed generated technologies include factors that increase the investments costs and/or decrease savings resulting from the improvement† (Urge-Vorsatz, 2012: 698). Arguably, building owners are unlikely to make energy efficient changes if they are not also cost-effective despite the fact that the equipment is more efficient. This could also be rectified through tax incentives and low interest loans, yet economic instruments could also be introduced that reduce the overall costs of the equipment. Energy prices could also be increased so that going green would be more of an incentive than it is at present. This is because, unless there are significant cost benefits of becoming more energy efficient, it is unlikely that individuals will be actively encouraged to do so. Market misalignment is another barrier that prevents â€Å"the consistent trade-off between specific energy-efficient investment and the societal energy-saving benefits† (The Carbon Trust, 2005: 16). An example of this can be seen in relation to tenant-landlord relationships where companies have no direct control over the premises and so are reluctant to invest in energy effi ciency. This barrier could be overcome through the provision of split-incentives. This would encourage landlords to become more energy efficient if they were being incentivised to do so. If the GEA pathways are implemented, the environment will benefit significantly from this and the passivhaus standard will be applied in the building sector. This standard is the robust approach to building design which seeks to minimise the heating demand of buildings by building houses that have exceptional thermal performance (Passivhaus, 2011: 1). Unless it is less costly for builders to employ the passivhaus standard, there will be no incentive for them to do so as they will not benefit from the reduced energy savings. GEA Pathways for the Energy Efficiency Transition Because of how important it is to protect the environment, it is necessary that the multiple objectives outlined in the GEA are being met through environmental control. The main objective of the GEA pathways is to understand the combination of measures, time scales and costs that are needed to transform the energy system. In understanding this, however, it is necessary to first identify the energy efficiency barriers that exist so that appropriate measures can be implemented to alleviate them. Reducing thermal energy use is achievable through a number of different pathways such as; best practice in building design, construction and operation; the elimination of energy poverty; the increase of living space and economic development ((Urge-Vorsatz, 2012: 703). Before these pathways can be incorporated, it will be necessary to for significant investments to be made as well as the introduction of new appliances and technology and discounted energy saving costs. Because this will require h igh start-up costs, increased knowledge of the GEA pathway benefits will be needed so that individuals and organisations will be incentivised to adopt such pathways. Hence, many approaches have already been implemented to manage pollution-generating processes (Stuart, 2006: 1), yet it cannot be said that the obligations placed upon individuals under the   Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the EU’s Council Directive 96/61/EC to control the environment are being realised (McEldowney and McEldowney, 2010: 48). This is likely to be the result of market failures and behavioural barriers since individuals and organisations may not be able to identify when an energy saving opportunity arises.   Nevertheless, since the Climate Change Act 2008 was first enacted various mitigation and adaption strategies have been introduced, such as the Government’s ‘Green Deal’. The objective of this deal was to limit greenhouse gas emissions so that the increase of global temperature could be decreased. The Green Deal has been considered a welcoming development because of the fact that it has enabled the energy efficiency of many households and businesses to be improve â€Å"without consuming so much energy and wasting so much money† (DEEC, 2010: 1). This is beneficial for consumers and is likely to reduce the initial startup costs. The Green Deal is also effective in increasing the awareness of energy saving benefits, which is likely to remove any subsisting behavioral barriers. Conversely, it has been argued that the implementation of the GEA pathways may actually lead to further energy use, through the so-called rebound effect (Gillingham et al, 2013: 474). Although the GEA have identified the possible re-bound effect the implementation of their pathways may have, it seems as though little consideration has been given to this (GEA, 2012: 1573). Accordingly, it cannot be said that the barriers to energy efficiency have been given much thought and unless the behaviour of individuals and organisations change, it is unlikely that the GEA pathways will have much of an impact in the future.   There are both direct and indirect rebound effects that are likely to occur. The direct rebound effect happens when people consume more energy as a result of the low costs, and the indirect rebound effect happens when people use savings from lower energy costs to spend on other energy intensive activities (Sorrell, 2010: 636). In view of this, is thereby essential that re bound effects are taken into consideration when evaluating how beneficial energy efficiency really is. As noted by Giillingham et al; however: Empirical evidence indicates that the direct rebound effect will dominate in the near term at around 10-30 per cent (2013: 476). Regardless of this, it was also pointed out that rebound effects are not necessarily bad since the overall well-being of society will be improved as a result. Therefore, even if the re-bound effect does not lead to a significant reduction in energy use, societal well-being will be improved. It is unclear whether the target of 80 per cent emission reductions by 2050 will be achieved since there are a number of different changes that need to be implemented in order for the barriers to energy efficiency to be overcome (Bell and McGillivray, 2008: 531). In effect, whilst many implementations have been made towards establishing a sustainable future in the energy sector, the extent to which these have proven successful re mains largely unclear. If the barriers to energy efficiency are removed and the GEA pathways are followed, there is a possibility that the emission reductions will be reduced by 2050, yet it remains to be seen whether this will be by 80 per cent. This is because as put by Riahi et al; although the GEA pathways have shown that such a transformation is possible, the task remains and ambitious and will require rapid introduction of policies and fundamental policy changes that lead to coordinated efforts to integrate global concerns (2012: 1300). Consequently, the barriers to energy efficiency will need to be overcome before the GEA pathways can be implemented, yet this is likely to prove extremely complex. Increased awareness would be the first step as this will lead to behavioural changes that will ensure the GEA pathways are being adopted. Conclusion Overall, whilst there are a number of different GEA pathways that are intended to make effective socio-technological changes in the energy system, the extent to which these will prove successful remains unclear. This is because, whilst many of the pathways are considered effective ways of creating an environmentally friendly energy system, it cannot be said that the current mechanisms are being employed by all. This is evidenced by the introduction of green leases, which are aimed at establishing energy efficient ways of occupying commercial property. Whilst these leases do seem rather beneficial to both landlords and tenants, their place in the market has not yet been established. The lack of incentives may be one reason for this, which signifies how further benefits ought to be made available. In addition, the future of the mitigation and adaption strategies that have been implemented into the building sector is also unclear because of the fact organisations do not always co-operat e in the implementation of such strategies. The re-bound effect is also not being given enough consideration and thus needs to be taken into account when analysing the GEA pathways. Consequently, in order to maintain sustainable development and minimise climate change, it is vital that the GEA pathways are being promoted a lot more so that the impact the building sector has on the environment can be minimised, yet in doing so the re-bound effect should be taken into account in order to ensure that a more realistic approach is undertaken References All Party Urban Development Group., (2008). Greening UK Cities Buildings; Improving the Energy Efficiency of Our Offices, Shops and Factories. A Report Delivered by the Officers, (2008), centreforcities.org/assets/files/APUDG4.pdf 20 March 2014. Bell, S. and McGillivray, D. (2008). Environmental Law, 7th edn Oxford University Press. Bright, S., (2008). Going Green. 158 New Law Journal 1135, Issue 7333. CCCSEP. (2012) ‘Global Energy Assessment: Energy-Efficient Building Modelling Scenarios’ Centre for Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Policy, Centre European University, https://3csep.ceu.hu/projects/global-energy-assessment-energy-efficient-building-modelling-scenarios 29 March 2014. DEEC. (2010). ‘What is the Green Deal?’ (2010) The Department for Energy Climate Energy, decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/consumers/green_deal/green_deal.aspx Accessed 20 March 2014. Department for International Development. (2011) Tackling Climate Change, Reducing Poverty, UK International Climate Fund, https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/48217/3389-uk-international-climate-fund-brochure.pdf Accessed 19 March, 2014. Dowden, M., (2008). Property/Landlord Tenant: Contentious Carbon? 158 New Law Journal 1707, Issue 7348. Ecofys. (2012) ‘The Benefits of Energy Efficiency – Why Wait?’ Sustainable Energy for Everyone, ecofys.com/files/files/ecofys_2012_the-benefits-of-energy-efficiency-why-wait.pdf Accessed 30 March 2014. Gillingham, K. Kotchen, M. J. Rapson, D. S. and Wagner, G. (2013) The Rebound Effect and Energy Efficiency Policy Yale University School of Forestry Environmental Studies, [Online] Available: yale.edu/gillingham/ReboundEffectLongForm.pdf [03 April, 2014]. Global Alliance. (2012) Why Buildings, Global L-eadership in our Built Environment, globealliance.org/Libraries/Resources/Climate_Change_and_Buildings_Overview.sflb.ashx Accessed 20 March 2014. Global Energy Assessment (GEA) Writing Team. (2012) Global Energy Assessment, Towards a Sustainable Future, New York: Cambridge University press. Global Energy Assessment (GEA). (2014) Global Energy Assessment International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, globalenergyassessment.org/ Accessed 19 March 2014. Hinnells, M., Bright, S., Langley, A., Woodford, L., Schiellerup, P., and Bosteels, T., (2008). McEldowney, J. and McEldowney, S. (2010) Environmental Law, 1st edition Longman. NAR. (2014) What is Green Building National Association of Realtors, greenresourcecouncil.org/green-resources/what-green-building Accessed 14 March 2014. Passivhaus. (2011) The Passivhaus Standard [Online] Available: passivhaus.org.uk/standard.jsp?id=122 [03 April 2014]. Rezendes, V, S. (1994) Geothermal Energy, DIANE Publishing. Riahi, K., et al; (2012) Global Energy Assessment, Chapter 17, [Online] Available: iiasa.ac.at/web/home/research/Flagship-Projects/Global-Energy-Assessment/GEA_Chapter17_pathways_lowres.pdf [03 April 2014]. Sorrell, S. J. (2010) Dimitropoulus, The Rebound Effect: Microeconomic Definitions, Limitations and Extensions Ecological Economics, 65(3): 636-649. Stuart, R. (2006) ‘Command and Control Regulation’, The Encyclopaedia of Earth, eoearth.org/article/Command_and_control_regulation Accessed 20 March 2014. The Carbon Trust. (2005) ‘The UK Climate Change Programme: Potential Evolution for Business and the Public Sector’ Making Business Sense of Climate Change, carbontrust.com/media/84912/ctc518-uk-climate-change-programme-potential-evolution.pdf Accessed 29 March 2014. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DEEC). (2014) What we do, Gov.uk, https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-energy-climate-change Accessed 20 March 2014. The Greening of Commercial Leases. Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1747108 20 March 2014. James, R., (2010). Not Easy Being Green. Property Law Journal 22, hilldickinson.com/pdf/Property%20Law%20Journal%20-%20green%20leases%20-%20Richard%20James%20Hill%20Dickinson%20LLP%20.pdf 20 March 2014. King, V., (2009). Is My Lease Green? 32 Company’s Secretary Review 24, Issue 24. LRCI., (2009). Guidance: Green Commercial Leases. Low Carbon Research Institute Convergence Programme, lcri.org.uk/images/pdfs/green%20leases%20guidance.pdf 20 March 2014. Urge-Vorsatz, D. (2012) ‘Energy End Use: Buildings’ iiasa.ac.at/web/home/research/Flagship-Projects/Global-Energy-Assessment/GEA_CHapter10_buildings_lowres.pdf Accessed 29 March 2014.

The Many Feminist Themes in Black Swan

The Many Feminist Themes in 'Black Swan' To call Darren Aronofskys Black Swan a chick flick might be a misnomer, but  the film  confronts nearly every significant issue facing girls and women today in a way that few mainstream films dare. The storys simplicity (an up-and-coming ballet dancer earns the coveted main role of White Swan/Black Swan in a production of Swan Lake) belies whats really going on: an internal/external struggle that touches on the duality of womens lives and asks what were willing to sacrifice to achieve success. Plot Summary Nina Sayres (Natalie Portman) is a 20-something ballerina in a famous New York City company. She displays tremendous skill but almost none of the fiery passion that could elevate her from the corps de ballet to a featured dancer role. As the audience soon learns, she is controlled to a disturbing degree. Despite the glamor of her profession, she does little more than shuttle back and forth between home and work. Home is an apartment shared with her mother Erica (Barbara Hershey). The warren-like environment, with its dark halls and various closed doors, suggests repression, hidden secrets, and sealed-off emotions. Her bedroom is little-girl pink and chock full of stuffed animals. This speaks to her arrested development better than any narrative could, and her wardrobe of white, cream, pink, and other pale shades emphasizes her passive, unassuming personality. An opportunity to break out of the pack and become a principal dancer arises when the company decides to perform Swan Lake. The leading role of the White Swan/Black Swan is a part Nina - like every other ballet dancer before her - has dreamed of performing all her life. Although its clear she has the skill and grace to play the innocent, virginal, and pure White Swan, its doubtful she can embody the dark deception and commanding sexuality of the Black Swan - or so the companys demanding artistic director Thomas (Vincent Cassel) believes until a heretofore unforeseen act on the part of Nina abruptly changes his mind. When newcomer Lily (Mila Kunis) barges into the dance studio and interrupts Ninas audition for Thomas at a crucial point, a triangle is established between the three that involves lust, passion, competition, manipulation, seduction, and possibly murder. Adding to the drama, Thomas turns the introduction of Nina as the new principal dancer into an opportunity to kick Beth (Winona Ryder), the companys aging star, out the door by announcing her retirement. Characters and Relationships Its a perfect setup for director Aronofsky to weave various themes into the film, including the nature of female friendship and competition, the mother/daughter relationship, sexual harassment, lesbian relationships, the transition from girlhood to womanhood, the pursuit of perfection, aging and women, and female self-hatred. Each relationship Nina is engaged in - with her mother, with Lily, with Thomas, and with Beth - mines these themes at several levels and twists the perspectives so completely its not clear whats real and whats imagined. In Erica, we see a mother who appears supportive but later reveals her animosity toward her daughter. Erica alternately cheers on Nina and attempts to sabotage her. She lives vicariously through Nina while resenting her achievements. She pushes Nina forward, even as she continually infantilizes her now-adult child. In Lily, we see a friendship thats both liberating and destructive and an attraction that may be purely platonic or steeped in sexual overtones. Is Nina attracted to Lily because she admires the other dancers wild child lifestyle and passion over perfection? Or is she afraid that Lily will supplant Nina in the company as Nina has supplanted Beth? Does Nina want to be Lily? Or does Lily represent what Nina would be like if she embraced both light and dark aspects of herself? In Thomas, we see various facets: the positive mentor who believes Nina can outshine even Beth in the role, the ruthless artistic director bent on breaking Nina and molding her into what he wants, the sexual predator who harasses and seduces women to dominate and emotionally control them, and the manipulative boss who sees what his subordinates are up to - yet turns a blind eye. In Beth, we see Ninas fascination with the companys fading female star played out against the backdrop of societys disdain for aging females. Eager to emulate Beth and feel what its like to be in her shoes, Nina steals her lipstick, an act which foreshadows Nina stealing her role and her power. Ninas guilt over assuming the mantle of female power in the company and her constant feelings of inadequacy build until they erupt in an unnerving hospital scene that is rife with self-loathing and self-hatred. But is  it Beths actions or Ninas deep-seated feelings we witness on screen? Good Girl/Bad Girl Themes in Black Swan Underlying these themes is the idea of perfection at any cost and the good girl/bad girl tug-of-war. Its a seesaw of wills that knocks Nina off-balance mentally, if not physically. The audience sees Nina physically mutilate herself, a cinematic echo of the real-world issue of cutting. This is a self-destructive behavior many females turn to in order to release feelings of pain, fear, and emptiness. The simple donning of a black camisole - the apotheosis of the transition from innocent to worldly - initiates Nina into a world where drinking, drugging, and hooking up with either sex is no big deal. And when Nina literally has to fight herself to play the Black Swan with conviction and passion, we see how great a sacrifice one woman is willing to make to achieve perfection. Black Swan or White Swan? The films trailer makes no bones about the fact that Nina goes mad as she immerses herself in the role of a lifetime. Its a dark Gothic tale of suppression, betrayal, desire, guilt, and achievement. But at some level, it also addresses how women fear their own power and abilities, believing that if they fully exercise both, they risk obliterating and destroying those around them - including themselves. Can women still be good and kind and be successful, or must women always morph into those despised and hated Black Swans when they fiercely go after what they want? And can women live - or live with themselves - after that pinnacle is achieved?

What is a modern American woman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What is a modern American woman - Essay Example American woman today desires to make improvements in her life as indicated by the female character Lain Wigand in The Insider. The character brings out the concepts of being independent, open minded, supportive and intelligence. Independent is state by which one gets the ability to make decision without influence from any person. Women in the modern America want to deal with issues affecting their lives without influence from other people. Most of the women in the books mentioned are depicted as independent people. For instance, Liane made her own decision to stay in marriage with Wigand (Lowell 85). She stayed with her husband during difficulty and she did not care what her parents or other people might say about the marriage. When problems accumulated, and she could not withstand, she made up her mind to quit the marriage. Her husband had gone to testify in a court of law (Henrik 36). The husband does not influence her to continue staying in the marriage when she thought it was not right to continue staying in that marriage. Wigand’s daughter also represents the characteristics of the American woman today. When she learns of some footsteps during the night, she informs her father immediately. This indicates that she decides independently on what to do without consulting. She understands that to inform her father is the right step to take when there are unusual events that are taking place at home. A supportive person is one who offers necessary help to the needy. For example, people suffering from Aids need much help from their family members since most of them cannot handle all duties. The family members who offer this kind of help are supportive (Lowell 86). Lain Wigand In The Insider partly fits and partly fails to fit in the modern American women. When the children suffer from asthma, she supports them

Social, Professional and Ethical Issues in Information System Literature review

Social, Professional and Ethical Issues in Information System - Literature review Example This has surely been possible with the advancement in technology. Furthermore, this need was fulfilled by the web and software IT designers in a much effective and functional manner, as explained in the book published by the Center for Financial Training. On the contrary, it is necessary to understand if these software and IT systems are in breach of any of the ethical laws or legal principles set by the governing authorities, or if these IT systems are strong and protective enough to avoid any frauds or theft of the client’s information, data, or belongings since it is the technology that leads towards the secruity violations (Center for Financial Training., 2009). Kondabagil, claims that although, online banking has been claimed as the most secured method by the banking sector but it has been facing ups and down regarding the security and privacy of the client’s data and thefts. ... Data Protection Act of 1998 According to the Data Protection Act of 1998, the British Government has provided a detailed list of the provisions that comes under the Act. From ‘Right to Access Personal Data’ to ‘Code of Practice’, ‘Restrictions’ and ‘Penalties’, every topic has been discussed to minimize chances of confusion regarding fraud data usage (Legislation.Gov.UK, 1998). This may help the online banking services and the IT systems that are designed for it. For example, if stricter laws will be applied and handsome penalties and punishments will be given to the accused then he or she will think twice before violating any law or regulation or conducting any ATM crime (Quinn, 2010). Relationship between Privacy and Online Banking There are numerous issues regarding privacy and online banking, which has shown the failure of the IT systems. These issues have given rise to different social, professional and ethical problems in the society. In legal terms, these issues have also violated many regulations, laws, and principles, which are solely designed as a guideline for online social, professional, and legal ethics. Because of this percentage of e-crime in different countries is increasing enormously. According to ‘The 2013 Identity Fraud Report’ issued by the ‘Javelin Strategy and Research’ it was revealed that more than $21 Billion have been stolen through different online fraud cases in banks. Different categories of online banking had been the victim of IT malfunction or ATM theft. It was reported that 5.26% of U.S. adults are affected every year because of this issue. These IT issues vary from social to ethical and legal aspects while talking about