Asserting Ethnic Identity and Power Through Language Essay

Week-1 The linguistic ideology at work here is founded both on the concept of the ‘mother tongue’ as well as on the ‘one nation, one language’ principle. Communities on the western side of the border are not interested in learning the language of their eastern neighbors. Eastern communities, on the other hand, are strongly motivated to learn western languages. The importance attributed to English as the ‘language of globalization’ is common to both sides. We can actually say that ‘language’ is a very hot and recurrent issue for some communities: namely the German-speaking community in Bernstein (D), the Czech-speaking community in Vejprty (CS), the German-speaking and Slovenian-speaking communities in Eisenkappel/Z? elezna Kapla (A),etc. The term ‘mother tongue’ is often used – forms the ‘way of thinking’ of its speakers, and thus the different ‘mentalities’ and ‘national characters’ are connected with the use of different languages. Many informants are convinced that it is the ‘mother tongue’ which determines thought, social behavior, and exhibition or control of affection and emotions. Thus the confrontation between languages automatically becomes a clash of mentalities. For example, the German-speaking community in Ba? renstein finds there is a relation between the insurmountable difficulty in pronouncing and learning the Czech language and the incomprehensibility of the words Czech-speaking people produce. People in western communities explain this widespread knowledge by saying that ‘the Others’ need to know my language, because my language is the superior One. We can also find indices of implicit prestige in many interview quotes, like ‘my language is useful to find a job’, ‘my language is more international than theirs’, ‘it represents a symbol of upward social mobility’; ‘the importance of my language forces them to learn it, and in this way they show practical sense, intelligence and cleverness, because they well know that the knowledge of the languages spoken on both sides of the border offers more professional and economic opportunities’. People are not generally interested in learning the language of the ‘Other’, and the reason is, as we have already seen, its ‘uselessness’, or its low value on the ‘language market’. They only learn what they need in their commercial transactions. Europe is a multilingual continent in which the tension between linguistic pluralism and assimilation is quite evident at present. Week-2 The topic for this week was â€Å"Creation of a Sense of Belonging through Language†, which we found very much interesting as we have to present our own explanation, views and thoughts. The topic is about Finland, Iceland and Latvia. Firstly we discussed about Finland that Swedish-speaking people along the coastlines, spoke a non-Scandinavian language, namely Finnish. The Finnish language was to become the most effective medium in the nation-building process as well as the most important criterion in creating an awareness of a collective identity. Language became a defining characteristic towards the ‘outside’ and a communicative driving force on the ‘inside’ within the great diversity of local and regional cultures. We could say that for the process of nation-building in Finland during the 19th century two main deficits had to be overcome: sovereign state structures had to be developed and an individual Finnish national consciousness had to be formed. In the process of spreading a Finnish national consciousness – a development often associated with the term ‘awakening’ as in a religious experience – the main focus was directed towards the common people, their language and culture. Finland’s modest cultural life, Finnish had gained the status of a modern cultural and scientific language. The civil servants, scholars, and many artists, continued to use Swedish as their language of communication and publication. But Finnish steadily gained ground. Many people were already, or became, bilingual. The accusation that Finnish was ‘too primitive’ was defeated by generating new terms, which proved that the language was innovative and possessed the potential for development. In the discussion about Iceland by Halfdanarson. The text tells a story of Icelandic nationalism and the struggle for independence of Iceland under Danish rule. Halfdanarson points out the rare case of Icelandic nationalism, and it’s non-violent nature. In fact, according to the article, both Iceland’s struggle for independence and the Danish reactions to it were both surprisingly pacific in nature, partly because of the idea of shared past and cultural heritage between the two countries. There are certain elements in common with the case study of Iceland and Herder’s text, such as the idea of mystic, shared past of a nation, the role of the single language of a social group forming the nation and so on. I think especially in cases like Iceland, language and linguistic identity have essential role in formation of national identity. Iceland is isolated, both in geographical terms as an island in the middle of Atlantic ocean and in terms of language. Although Icelandic is a language related to scandinavian languages, it still differes from them quite a lot. And lastly There was a question that is it possible to have a single language in whole Europe? We think its not possible to have a single langage in the whole Europe as there are many different countries with their own languages from last hundreds of years. In Europe, People communicate with each other using the shared language of their group. The group might be as small as a couple (married or unmarried partners, twins, mother and daughter etc. who share a ‘private’ language where only they know the meaning of some words) or as large as a nation, where everyone understands the allusions in their shared language (often allusions to shared history, to contemporary events, to media people of fact or fiction etc). The ‘secret’ language of the smallest group and the ‘public’ language of the national group are two ‘varieties’ of the same language. Every social group, large or small, has its own language variety, (regional groups have varieties of the national language (as opposed to regional or minority languages) which are usually called ‘dialects’) and there is overlap among all the varieties. However there is a possibility to use English as a second language as use of English gives a considerable advantage to the 13 % of EU citizens who are native English speakers, and to speakers of closely related languages (German, Dutch, Danish and Swedish), over all other Europeans. Week-3 In the week 3, we learned about ‘Language and subjective identity’. The two articles were on Franz Kafka and Simone de Beauvoir. Franz Kafka was German though he never lived among the Germans. He was then living in Prague, Czech. Hence Kafka knew both Czech & German languages. But, he preferred Czech Language as he was of the view that one could express his/her feeling in a better way in a particular language. In this case, he thought that Czech was a better language than German to express his feelings. Franz Kafka was in love with Czech translator Milena Jesenka. He used to demand Milena to write him letters in Czech language than German. He belived in a approach â€Å"belongs to a language†. When Milena replied his letters in Czech, he believed that Czech was much more affectionate, which removes all the uncertainties, he could see his lover more clearly, the movements of her body, her hands quickly which almost resembled as they both are meeting. This shows how Kafka prefered Czech more than German. Kafka encouraged his favourite sister Ottla in her marriage to Josef David, a Czech Catholic, against the opposition of parents and relatives, and wrote affectionately to his new brother-in-law in fluent Czech. For Prague Jews of Kafka’s generation, language and identity could be painfully dissonant. In Kafka’s case, this dissonance reached deep into his own family, conferring an alien quality on the most intimate of human relationships. Franz Kafka died of tuberculosis in 1924. He is buried beside his parents in the family plot in Prague’s New Jewish Cemetery. Simone de Beauvoir is a French Women. She was French writer, political activist, feminist, and social theorist. She gave her whole life for feminine rights and equality with men in Society. Beauvoir was an outstanding student. She did her postgraduate work at the Ecole Normale Superieure, the top postgraduate program in France, where she met Jean Paul Sartre. When World War II broke out in September 1939, Sartre was called for military service. He became a prisoner of war when the French army surrendered, but he was released and both Beauvoir and Sartre participated in the resistance, and after the Vichy Regime dismissed Beauvoir from her teaching position, she began a novel about the resistance. When the war ended, Beauvoir and Sartre became part of a group of leading French intellectuals, who concerned themselves with the perceived failures of modern French society. they founded Les Temps modernes as a means to explain their social and cultural views. At the same time, Sartre suggested to Beauvoir that she undertake a book on the status of women, and she published, La deuxieme sexe (The Second Sex). This was her most famous, and influential book. It became a sourcebook of modern feminism, particularly in the United States for later feminist thinkers such as Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. De Beauvoir used very specific and effective and powerful words to underline her matter. She is willing to deploy language and words towards others, because she knows about â€Å"a manner in which her body and her relation to the world are modified through the action of others than herself†.

Sangeet

Ganga action plan was, launched by Shri Rajeev Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India on 14 Jan. 1986 with the main objective of pollution abatement, to improve the water quality by Interception, Diversion and treatment of domestic sewage and present toxic and industrial chemical wastes from identified grossly polluting units entering in to the river. The other objectives of the Ganga Action Plan are as under. Control of non-point pollution from agricultural run off, human defecation, cattle wallowing and throwing of unburnt and half burnt bodies into the river . Research and Development to conserve the biotic, diversity of the river to augment its productivity. The ultimate objective of the GAP is to have an approach of integrated river basin management considering the various dynamic inter-actions between abiotic and biotic eco-system. First phase of GAP it has generated considerable interest and set the scene for evolving a national approach towards replicating this program for the other polluted rivers of the country. New technology of sewage treatment like Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) and sewage treatment through afforestation has been successfully developed. * Rehabilitation of soft-shelled turtles for pollution abatement of river have been demonstrated and found useful. * Resource recovery options like production of methane for energy generation and use of aquaculture for revenue generation have been demonstrated. * To act as trend setter for taking up similar action plans in other grossly polluted stretches in other rivers. Notwithstanding some delay in the completion of the The Government of India proposed to extend this model with suitable modifications to the national level through a National River Action Plan (NRAP). The NRAP mainly draws upon the lessons learnt and the experience gained from the GAP besides seeking the views of the State Governments and the other concerned Departments/Agencies. Under NRCP scheme the CPCB had conducted river basin studies and had identified 19 gross polluted stretches and 14 less polluted stretches along 19 rivers, which include 11 stretches situated along 7 rivers of M. P.

An Investigation of the CSI Effect Research Paper

An Investigation of the CSI Effect - Research Paper Example To attain the capacity to respond to the expectations of the courtroom, the government needs to equip the law enforcement agencies with the latest technology, as well as distribute resources necessary to equip the investigation agencies with the recent equipment in forensic science. These expectations also call for exemplary improvements in our nation's crime laboratories to keep pace with the increased demand for forensic analysis and minimize backlogs of evidence. Shelton’s (2008) study further established an increased need to equip players of the courtroom drama with better ways to respond to the expectations of the Jurors in an incidence of lack of scientific evidence. The prosecutors should learn other ways to support witness statements when there is no exhibit for the purpose (Shelton, 2008). Making a distinct observation that some of these expectations are forcing the prosecutors to spend most of their time explaining to the Jurors what type of scientific evidence is necessary in a case. Prosecutors have introduced a new witness in criminal cases called the â€Å"negative evidence† witness, whose function is to explain to the Jury that investigators were unable to collect any evidence from the crime scene (Dioso-Villa, 2009). Dioso-Villa’s (2009) argument is that â€Å"the CSI has exposed the activities of the investigators and law enforcement officers, which is what they look for at a crime scene to solve a crime.†

The Effects of Guerrilla warfare on Counter Insurgency Operation Essay

The Effects of Guerrilla warfare on Counter Insurgency Operation - Essay Example As these groups of people will be in minimum numbers when compared to the forces of the State, they might use key strategies to attack and overwhelm their opponents, and one among them is the guerilla warfare. Guerilla warfare is a quick and surprise form of attack carried out by a small group of insurgents against a much larger group of armed forces, causing immediate as well as minimum or maximum causalities and then withdrawing quickly. This form of warfare has been carried out by many groups against established armies achieving both successes and failures. Counter measures To counter this guerilla warfare by the insurgents, government or the official armed forces will indulge in Counter-Insurgency (COIN) operations. Nations try to reach the top echelons on the back of its strong armed forces. Nations’ with its army, navy and air force will protect its territorial integrity as well as gain superiority. On those lines, counter-insurgent forces are formed to carry out various military or armed strategies and actions against those insurgent groups, in order to eliminate their challenge against the state and also for the common good of the population including the local populace. Apart from indulging in armed actions, these COIN forces will further isolate and pressurize the insurgent groups and prevent them from guerilla warfare, by striking a good rapport with the local population. Thus, this report will first discuss how guerilla warfare gets formed and evolved, and how it is being used by the insurgent groups to fulfill their various needs. Then in the second part, the report will discuss how these guerilla warfare techniques and actions has made the COIN forces even more aware of any impending attack, thereby helping them to come up with a optimal strategies to counter them, using real-world examples. Guerilla Warfare As pointed out above Guerrilla warfare is surprise-filled irregular form of warfare carried out by a small group of combatants against a much larger regular armed forces in a terrain, which favors them. Apart from attacking the larger army’s convoys or forces, guerrilla army would also target their opponent’s resources including their arms and ammunitions depot, food supplies, etc, which can have a key impact on the way counter-insurgency is carried out. This way, they will try to cut the supply lines of their opponents, thereby weakening them to launch more attacks and finally make them withdraw. That is, as the small groups cannot directly confront the larger, equipped and dominant groups in a single battle, then knock them down and emerge victorious, they indulge in guerilla warfare to weaken them step-by-step. â€Å"†¦they seek through a constant campaign of sneak attacks to inflict continuous casualties upon their superior enemy forces and thereby over time demoralize the occupying forces and erode political support for the occupation in the homeland of the occupying forces.† (Singla ). This can be seen in many successful guerilla warfare based attacks, where there is a greater disparity in abilities and resources. So, it can be seen as a â€Å"simple strategy of repeated pin-pricks and bleedings that, though small in proportion to the total force strength, sap the will of the occupier to continue the fight.† (Singla). Another aspect of guerilla warfare is that,

What are the Elements of a Successful Counter-terrorist Strategy Dissertation

What are the Elements of a Successful Counter-terrorist Strategy - Dissertation Example It is properly defined as the creation and exploitation of fear through the use of violence or threat of using violence (Burke 2006). Because of the effect of terrorism on the social, economic and political aspect of states and non-states, various methods have been devised to prevent terrorist attacks, or at least reduce its negative effects. Thus, counterterrorism has been considered as yet another important agenda of states and other juridical entities (Durmaz 2007). This study aims to look into the different methods falling under the umbrella of counterterrorism as well as the elements that the same must contain in order to ensure its success. This chapter aims to provide an introduction to the topic at hand as well as to the aims and contents of this dissertation thus dividing it into the following sections: first, background of the study; second, research objectives; third, statement of the problem; fourth, research questions; fifth, significance of the study; sixth, scope and l imitations; seventh, operational definition of terms; and finally, an overview of the dissertation. Background of the Study As earlier mentioned, counterterrorism refers to an important agenda of states and non-states in their attempt to respond to terrorist threats and attacks (Orttung and Makarychev 2006). More specifically, counterterrorism pertains to the different practices, tactics, techniques and strategies that various juridical personalities (i.e. departments and corporations) make use of in order to effectively prevent and respond to terrorist threats and acts whether they be real or not. In this regard, counterterrorism focuses on both the detection of potential attacks as well as to the development of effective responses in... The intention of this study is terrorism that has been one of the most significant problems that the World has been dealing with in the twenty-first century. It generally pertains to the systematic use of terror as a means by which a person or a group of people could coerce another into doing something. In its common usage, the word terrorism pertains to those acts committed to cause fear and compromise the safety of the civilians. Most importantly, the prevalence of this problem in this particular era has led to the perception that it is often perpetrated by groups guided by their desire to attain a certain religious, political or ideological goal. Terrorism, thus, is considered as both a tactic and a strategy. It is properly defined as the creation and exploitation of fear through the use of violence or threat of using violence. Because of the effect of terrorism on the social, economic and political aspect of states and non-states, various methods have been devised to prevent terr orist attacks, or at least reduce its negative effects. Thus, counterterrorism has been considered as yet another important agenda of states and other juridical entities. Because of the importance of strategies related to counter-terrorism, it has been expounded that all aspects and segments of the society are of paramount importance in designing a counter-terrorist plan. In the same manner, it has also been argued that it is of utmost significance that propaganda and indoctrination be properly understood for the two lie at the heart of terrorism.

Gulf War Oil Spill of 1991 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gulf War Oil Spill of 1991 - Essay Example Whereas various economic costs are comparatively not that difficult to approximate, for instance the lost profits within the commercial fishing industry, however various costs like the lost aesthetic and ecological values are complex to quantify. The policies on oil spills decree that environmental renovation be carried out as reparation for the losses and damages. It is important to consider preliminary data in regard to the potential economic costs of the Gulf War oil spill, observing that the ecological destructions to wildlife and habitats are probably to be greater as compared to the market-based costs like the lost profits of both tourism and fishing. The Gulf War oil spill evokes the thought on economic valuation of risk. A careful though is given to the development o policies amidst oil spill risk and the relevance of standard risk analysis established as the right methodology for economic risk appraisal. This discussion has significant inferences for other disputes where disastrous risk is at issue, for instance nuclear power and global climate change. Economics postulates that the efficient prices for both goods and services ought to reflect all social benefits and costs but not merely the market interaction of demand and supply. Apparently the economic impact of the spill was a negative inclination due to the losses that were incurred in the process. Very many oil spills occur yearly within the marine surroundings. The degree of these spills is comparatively minor, not exceeding 100 gallons, and has insignificant damages to the economy. Larger oil spills such as the Gulf War oil spill of 1991, result in significant destruction to both the environment and economy. The Gulf War oil spill adversely impacted on aquatic plants and organisms, including fish (Saenger, 1994), thus significantly leading to a fall in fish supply and a corresponding decline in revenue. Further, polluted beaches were increasingly unattractive

Privatization in Canadian Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Privatization in Canadian Health Care - Essay Example For the purposes of this essay, laws and policies applicable to Canadian health care will not be evaluated in detail. However, the Chaouilli case in Quebec will be acknowledged, so as to direct the focus of the essay toward to possibility of the developmental path for a privatized health care system in Canada. Issues concerning the wait line which may have been expressed on other occasions will be considered as well. Their role in the advancement of the privatization of health care in Canada will be further evaluated. The Canadian health care system, recently more unstable than in previous years, is witnessing a rise in the private sector. The proposed paper will consider the advantages and disadvantages to the implementation of private health care in Canada. Concrete comparisons between the advantages and the disadvantages between the Canadian publicly provided health care system and the United States' health care as a private sector institution would allow for more in-depth analysis of both qualities and drawbacks. Privatized health care in Canada could prove to be more efficient in providing health services; it could also prove to be a catalyst in taking out the middle class, while widening the gap between rich and poor. 2.0 The Development of the Canadian Health Care System The current Canadian health care system was developed as a response to the social conditions of the early 1950's in Canada and was established at provincial levels. At this time, only 53% of the population was privately insured. Further, health care costs amounted to "the primary cause of bankruptcy," in the country.(Dean, 2007) As a reaction to these social circumstances, the provincial government began to participate more actively. Canadian heath care, Medicare, was built by the provincial governments with the support of federal legislatures. First, Saskatchewan implemented a public health insurance plan for hospital stays in 1947; the federal government acknowledged this action by providing reimbursements to the then-growing number of provinces who covered hospital costs. (Dean, 2007) At this time, the federal government provided funding for a third of health care spending.(Dean, 2007) Further, the federal government introduced the Canada Health Act, which addressed the goals of t he health care policy as comprehensiveness, universality, accessibility, portability, and public administration. (Klatt, 2000) However, a shift in the perceptions regarding the health care system is slowly developing. It could be argued that the medical services which were provided by the health care system then, differ from those in demand now. It must be regarded that health care which was established in the mid-twentieth century was primary concerned with "acute care." (Robertson, 2002) Today, Canada is dominantly composed of an aging population, which means chronic illnesses are the focus with such demographics. (Robertson, 2002) Consistent with the demographics is the aging population of doctors which are exiting the field due to retirement. This only narrows down an already small availability of doctors