Preference for Homeschooling over Traditional Schooling Essay Example

Preference for Homeschooling over Traditional Schooling Essay Unit 7 Assignment: â€Å"The Preference for Homeschooling over Traditional Schooling† Kaplan University Preference for homeschooling over traditional schooling Traditional education has been around for centuries. The origins can be traced back to the 1600’s during the time of the Puritans and individuals who were referred to as â€Å"Congressionalist’s. † Even after implementation of this educational system, children were still being taught at home by their parents even though it was not a lawfully permitted action in a number of locations. Through the years, the traditional school system has undergone many changes; possibly one of the most noticeable alterations is the preference of parents to re-visit their option to educate their children at home instead of â€Å"forcing† them to attend public facilities. Parents are increasingly becoming more aware of the many benefits this type of education can offer to not only their children, but to themselves. Homeschooling is more effective than traditional schooling because it allows parents to design a particularized curriculum for their child/children, reduces the social pressures of the traditional school environment and provides the convenience of schedule flexibility for parent and child alike. The increasing number of parents who are choosing to educate their children at home is due to a number of factors. The following reasons have also contributed to the escalating percentage of children who are receiving their educations at home. We will write a custom essay sample on Preference for Homeschooling over Traditional Schooling specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Preference for Homeschooling over Traditional Schooling specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Preference for Homeschooling over Traditional Schooling specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Homeschooling is now legal in all fifty states and at least thirty-seven states have explicit homeschooling statutes. Second, over the past few years the internet has provided the means to create homeschooling networks, distribute curricular materials, and offer legal advice. Moreover, with its growing popularity has come mainstream acceptability; this in turn has made homeschooling yet more popular (Reich, 2002). In the past, when parents made the decision to educate their children at home, they were met with resistance by not only the federal and state governments, but family members and friends were not able to understand why they would deny their children the ability to learn in an environment in which they could interact with their peers; an environment with specially trained educators who would be able to make a difference in their lives. Presently, however; it has become clearer as to why parents make the decision to teach their children at home and this has given rise to the desire for more parents and caregivers to choose homeschooling over traditional schooling. Specialists in the field of education continue to debate the potential downfalls and benefits of homeschooling vs. traditional schooling. There are numerous opinions regarding whether or not parents have the skills necessary to educate their children properly at home and if this type of education is appropriate preparation for their children to become productive and successful members of society. As with any topic as important as education, there are those who will refuse to consider both sides of the debate; this is when it becomes necessary to provide pertinent information of the benefits of homeschooling over traditional schooling. One of the most commonly cited reasons parents give for their choice to educate their children at home is their ability to formulate their curriculum to meet the specific needs of their child/children. In this sense; â€Å"special needs† does not necessarily refer only to children with disabilities. Special needs children can include those who possess exceptionally high IQ’s, those who do extremely well in a particular subjects such as math or science, children with ADHD or those who do have particular physical and/or mental impairments, etc. When taught at home, these children are less self-conscious of their differences; they are more capable of focusing on the material because they are less worried about being made fun of by their peers. It has also been discovered that children who do struggle with learning disabilities or have special needs benefit in many ways from homeschooling; â€Å"Research now indicates that the home is by far the best situation for most special children, so HSLDA highly recommends homeschooling any child with a learning disability or special need† (Wright, 2006). Additionally, parents are more capable of teaching their children in accordance with the child’s own particular style of learning. In the traditional schooling environment, it is not only difficult for teachers to pinpoint each student’s style, it is nearly impossible to simultaneously employ the numerous tactics necessary for them to learn particular subject matter. Parents who home school, are able to properly identify their child’s style of learning and incorporate particular teaching methods to accommodate each style individually. For instance, if a child learns in a inesthetic manner, the parent would employ the use of hands-on learning aids to enable the child to touch and feel the information, whereas a child, who learns best with the use of auditory stimuli, would benefit from the use of recorded lessons or musical learning tools. Another common reason parents prefer homeschooling over traditional schooling is the reduction or complete elimination of social forces which may cause their children to experience personal and emotional problems such as low self-esteem and self-consciousness. Children who are repetitively and constantly bullied or made fun of can develop emotional problems which may remain with them for the rest of their lives. Homeschooling provides children the ability to be in a safe and secure environment in which they do not feel threatened or bullied. â€Å"Some families feel that the negative social pressures of schools, such as sexualization[sic], bullying, drugs, school violence, and other school-related problems, are detrimental to a childs development† (New World Encyclopedia, 2008). Many individuals make assumptions in regards to the ability of children who are homeschooled, to function in society as adults, however; at this time, there is no conclusive evidence to prove that these assumptions are correct. It would make more sense to suggest that children who are harassed in the traditional school environment would tend to have more problems forming both personal and business relationships in their adult lives. Another common misconception of children who are homeschooled is that they are not allowed to be involved in extracurricular activities. The truth is most children who are homeschooled are also involved in outside activities such as athletics and fine arts; this provides the ability to create relationships outside of the home and contribute to their community in the same ways as the traditionally taught children. One of the most compelling advantages of homeschooling over traditional schooling is the fact that both parent and child alike can design a schedule which is conducive to their own particular needs. The complete flexibility of being able to formulate specific lesson plans, conduct classes when it is most convenient and the ability to chose specific subjects of interest which may not be available in a traditional school are major aspects in regards to parent’s decision to teach their children at home. . â€Å"Home schooling allows us to create our own schedule. We choose when we begin and end our school day. We choose how many days a week we conduct school. We choose which months of the year we will hold classes. † (Zeitz, 2008). Also, homeschooling also allows adults who have chosen to work from home the ability to adjust their own work schedules in order to better attend to the needs of their children and to assure a full and rich family life. As previously stated; there will always be individuals who oppose homeschooling for one reason or another, there will also always be individuals who advocate the numerous benefits this type of education can provide to both parent and child. The most important thing parents need to consider before making the decision to teach their child at home is the child’s willingness and ability to participate. Even though some parents may believe that this type of schooling is appropriate, the child may have a desire to attend a public school simply to find out what the â€Å"real world† is like; in other words, the best interest of the child should always be taken into consideration. There are many misconceptions regarding homeschooling which can be dispelled by merely researching the various benefits this type of education can provide; parents are beginning to recognize these benefits, establishing a greater preference for homeschooling over traditional schooling which has the aptitude to increase significantly in the coming year. In conclusion, there are numerous benefits to homeschooling such as the ability to create specific lesson plans which are in accordance with the individual interests of the child and the ability to teach children according to their distinctive learning styles. Homeschooling provides flexibility for both parents and children to develop the best and most appropriate times to learn, it also eliminates the social pressures which are present in traditional school systems. References New World Encyclopedia. (2008, May 26). Homeschooling New World Encyclopedia. Info: Main Page New World Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www. newworldencyclopedia. org/entry/Homeschooling Reich, R. (2002). Testing the boundaries of parental authority over education: The case of homeschooling. Haz politica. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from www. hazpolitica. org/pdfs/homeschooling2002. pdf Wright, K. (2006). The Link Homeschool News Network. Free Homeschool Easy Homeschooling Now: The Link Homeschool Magazine. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www. homeschoolnewslink. com Zeitz, J. (2008). Benefits of Home Schooling My Children. The Family Homestead. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www. thefamilyhomestead. com

Romulus My Father Pursuit of Happyness Belonging Essay Essay Example

Romulus My Father Pursuit of Happyness Belonging Essay Essay Example Romulus My Father Pursuit of Happyness Belonging Essay Paper Romulus My Father Pursuit of Happyness Belonging Essay Paper ‘Everything has its own place and function. That applies to people, although many dont seem to realize it, stuck as they are in the wrong job, the wrong marriage, or the wrong house. When you know and respect your Inner Nature, you know where you belong. You also know where you dont belong. ’ Benjamin Hoff Discuss this statement, focusing on how composers of texts represent the concept of belonging. In your answer, refer to your prescribed text (‘Romulus My Father’) and ONE related text of your choosing. You should write no more than 1000 words. Sense of belonging coming from father, in father son relationship. This can be seen in both, Raimond Gaita’s elegiac memoir, ‘Romulus, My Father’ and Gabriele Muccino’s 2006 film, ‘the pursuit of happyness’. Both texts demonstrate the relationship between a farther and his son and the extreme amounts of love and pain that they are willing to go through for the child to make sure that they belong. Both fathers when growing up had no real father figures. Without their fathers a grow with them a be their idol, they lacked a sense of belonging that made them feel disjointed from the rest of society. As a result, when they have their own sons they go the extra mile to provide and care for their son in every way possible. The sons in both texts have a strong sense of belonging to their fathers and trust them in everything. ‘The pursuit of happyness’ subway/bathroom scene demonstrates this love and sense of belonging between father and child. The scene starts with a shot from above the heads of the protagonist, Chris Gardner, and his son, and looks down the subway as the last train of the night leaves and they are left alone in the subway. This metaphorically states how Chris feels, the last train has left without me and my son, every opportunity has passed. The scene then skips to Chris and Christopher sitting on a bench in the railway, with a distance between them. Christopher than gives his father an opportunity to make this experience easier for him, telling Christopher that the machines that he always carries around and is trying to sell, are time machines. Chris leads his son into the bathroom, while he is in the fantasy where they stay the night. Chris is shielding Christopher from the hard times that they are going through demonstrating the love that he has for his son but also the trust and sense of belonging he has in his dad. This is an emotive scene that is made to make the responder feel sympathy. In ‘Romulus my father’, a similar scenario plays out. Romulus’ father died early in Romulus’ life. Romulus lived in poverty and constantly moved between his grandparents and mothers house, but never belonged to either. He left at 13 to find work, but was always on the move, never really belonging anywhere. They moved to Australia where Romulus worked some hours away from Christine his wife and their son, Raimond. Christine neglected Raimond and was unfaithful to Romulus. Romulus believed it to be better if Raimond was to come to the camp where they were working. Romulus and Hora, Romulus’ closest friend, split their shifts so one of them could always care for young Raimond. Raimond is unaware of the sacrifices that his father and Hora gave up, at that age, in their only opportunity of rest in the day to provide Raimond with care and to give him a place to belong. Romulus didn’t have a true sense of belonging to anyone or thing except for Raimond. And for him he would go to the ends of the earth to provide and care for him. Raimonds has had the opportunity to belong and relate to others through what his father has done for him. â€Å"On many occasions in my life I have had the need to say, and thankfully have been able to say: I know what a good workman is; I know what an honest man is; I know what friendship is; I know because I remember these things in the person of my father† The repetition of ‘I know’ expresses how highly he holds up his father and how no one will be able to tell him otherwise.. The tone of the quote, is proud. Roof top scene in pursuit of happyness, where they are play basketball and Chris tells Christopher that he won’t make it in basketball, but realized that this crushed his dream, so then says â€Å"don’t ever let somebody tell you that you can’t do something, not even me†

Reducing Binge Drinking among Teens Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reducing Binge Drinking among Teens - Essay Example Since teenagers are the ones who decide the future of a nation, binge drinking habits should be regulated at any cost. Educating teenagers about the consequences of binge drinking, social norms marketing and alcohol screening for college students etc are some of the effective methods which can be utilized for reducing binge drinking among teenagers. School and college curriculum should be revised thoroughly to teenagers about the consequences of binge drinking. Prevention is better than cure. It is better to educate the teenagers before they start their binge drinking behaviour than treating them after they start their binge drinking habits. Hanson (2007) has mentioned that social norms marketing technique has repeatedly proven effective in reducing the use and abuse of alcohol among young people. â€Å"It’s based on the fact that the vast majority of youths tend to drink -- or drink more -- than they would otherwise, in an effort to â€Å"fit in† (Hanson, 2007). Youth s have a habit of spreading false data about the quantity of alcohol consumed by them in order to get recognition among peers. They often treat youths who consume more alcohol as heroes. In order to eliminate such false beliefs, it is better to convey them messages through social norms marketing. Internet, teenager’s favourite television programs, print media etc can be utilized for conveying the messages against binge drinking to the teenagers.

Cost Management and Activity-Based Costing Essay

Cost Management and Activity-Based Costing - Essay Example This case is built upon the cutting most of the things and leaving only those which are absolutely necessary for the company like firing of both secretaries, the firing of one secretary, one social worker for Community Mental Health Services and one Social Worker for Outpatient mental health treatment, cutting in half the purchased services of security and consultation and the replacement of an assistant on lower pay rate. Reducing budgets are a very difficult job for the administration. Whosever share gets cut, that person becomes unhappy which may lead to future disagreements or problems. For this reason the management has to sort out the budget cuts from appropriate angles and has to deal with the problems straight on. The budgets cuts that can be reduced in this budget are prioritized below one by one. As mentioned before, budgets must be properly handled when there is a need to reduce them or great problems can occur. The first step to reduce the budget is to review the program and management achievements and fiscal performance over the year. This includes reviewing the objectives achieved, comparing budget to actual figures, and looking at the number of people served in each program. Based on this review, new goals and objectives should be discussed and agreed upon in a preliminary way. These goals must be realistic in nature sticking to the fact that the budget will be reduced and the targets would be harder to achieve. To reduce expenses, it is helpful to determine what each program would cost at different service levels. A fixed percent cut across all expense lines is often not the most effective way to reduce expenses. For instance, do not assume that benefits and costs move together, with each additional dollar spent resulting in an additional dollar of results. The costs to reduce must be properly analyzed first and then the reduction must be implemented. The estimate of the costs required in achieving the objectives,

General Muslim Religion Essay Example for Free

General Muslim Religion Essay Islam is the world’s second great monotheistic religion (Armstrong, 2002). Islam, an Arabic word, comes from a root word meaning commitment or surrender: hence the foundation of Islam is submission to the will of the Only God, Allah. The word ‘Muslim’ also itself means ‘one who lives his life according to Allah’s will (Esposito, 2002). Allah also has laid down the five pillars of foundations of Islam which are: 1. Confession of faith (shahada): the basic idea of Islam which is submission to Allah’s will 2. Prayer (salat): An exercise done five times daily to remember Allah’s influence in a Muslim’s life 3. Fasting (Roza): In the month of Ramadan for a month 4. Almsgiving (Zakat): Annually by rich Muslims at the rate of 21/2% of wealth 5. Pilgrimage (hajj): Once in a lifetime What holidays or events are important to your religion and why? The Muslims follow the Islamic calendar which is based on the position of the moon and their holidays fall accordingly to it. This includes 1. New Year which for them is the first day of Hijra (migration) when we celebrate Prophet Muhammad’s departure from Mecca to Medina in AD622 2. 12th Rabi-ul-awwal that is the birthday of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) 3. Shab-e-Baraat (night of forgiveness): In preparation of Ramadan, Muslims seek to forgive old grievances against each other and beg for mercy from their Lord 4. Lailat-ul-Qadr (night of power) when the Holy Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophet. It takes place on the 27th of Ramadan. 5. Eid-ul-Fitr which takes place after Ramadan and is like Christmas to the Muslims 6. Hajj: The pilgrimage which constitutes the fifth pillar of Islam is one of the most important events in the Muslim calendar and takes place in the month of Hajj 7. Eid-ul-Azha: Another Christmas type celebration which celebrates the end of the Meccan pilgrimage and animal sacrifices are made during the three days How does your group handle conflict? What are some examples of conflict? If there are criminal or family conflicts, they can be resolved through Islamic courts which decide the cases according to Shariah or the Islamic law. These are practiced in almost al Muslim countries though such Shariah courts are disallowed in western countries and over there Muslims must follow the law of the country they are residents of. One of Britain’s MPs recently suggested that Shariah courts be allowed in Britain also but this created uproar by non-Muslims who were afraid of Islamization. Other then that, if the solution of an issue is not mentioned in the Quran or its explanation is murky, knowledgeable Islamic scholars gather together to find an answer to a certain problem and it then becomes a rule of the Shariah. This practice has been prescribed by Allah to keep Islam updated with emerging problems in this fast changing world. What is the focus of your religion? The focus of Islam for Muslims is again submission to Allah’s will. This can be done through reading, understanding and following the word of God, which Muslims believe to be the Holy Quran. They should also follow the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) called the Sunnah and only then can they live the life of a true and complete Muslim. For the Western world though, the focus of Islam has always been its fascist beliefs and what they consider to be its outdated traditions, not understanding that there is only a minority of Muslims who distort the name of Islam by interpreting it so harshly. Who are your current leaders? Who are leaders of the past? Like most religions, Muslims have also had pious men of God lead them by example. There have been a total of 124000 prophets sent by Allah though the Quran only mentions 25 of them. The first prophet was Hazrat Adam and the final and undoubtedly the greatest prophet was our last prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). Allah revealed in the Quran that no more prophets shall come after the Holy Prophet (PBUH). After the prophets, came numerous Caliphs or religious leaders. Currently, tough there are learned Islamic scholars in the Muslim world; there are no leader as such. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) in the words of Allah was the Seal of the Prophets. How do your members participate and what is expected? All Muslim males are required to congregate in a mosque for the five daily prayers, especially the afternoon Friday prayers (Clark, 2003). For Muslim women, assembly in mosques is not mandatory. Other then that, all Muslims are required to uphold the basic principles of Islam by fulfilling all their obligations. Are there any special requirements, such as fasting, personal sacrifice? Fasting is the third pillar of Islam and without fasting, a Muslim is incomplete. It is prescribed for Muslims in the form of a month long abstinence from food and drink, accompanied by intense devotional activity. Physical relations and swear words are also prohibited to be performed or uttered. Similarly, smoking, losing temper, telling lies and all negative activities are also discouraged. Fasting, as is made clear by Allah, is not to be taken as self torture but mainly a way for Muslims to learn about patience, fortitude and self sacrifice and also to realize the plight of the needy and poor. During Eid-ul-Azha, Muslims are also required to sacrifice goats in God’s way and share the meat with the poor. Where do you see your religion in 25 years? What changes have occurred recently? Keeping in mind the fast growing popularity of Islam, I see Islam in 25 years, as the world’s largest religion. This is because as the concept of religion is dying in the west and more churches are being converted to museums and restaurants, Muslims, now more than ever are embracing their faith with a greater fervency and non-Muslims are also converting to Islam which they accept as a complete way of life and not just a religion. Muslims have now grown more receptive to Western ideas and Ijtehad or consensus helps keep Islam updated with the modern world. How has the modern world changed the direction and or movement of your religion? The recent of War on Terror, which often tends to depict Islam as a rigid and extremist religion has resulted in more Muslims delving deeper to understand their religion (Lewis, 2004). This has led to increased knowledge of Islam and a growing number of Muslims defending their faith as actually a very flexible one. My religion’s name has been besmirched by a few misguided individuals who believe suicide bombings and terrorist activities are completely acceptable in the eyes of God which is not at all the case. Islam’s very basis is peace. Are there any other validated forms of the religion practiced? What are some of the factors that have contributed to changes in ideas or customs? The Muslim sect is predominantly divided into Sunnis (around 80%) and Shiahs. The major difference between them is the way in which divine guidance is discovered. Sunni Muslims take their stand on the consensus of the community making known the Sunna (Holy Prophet’s example) of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Shiah Muslims look instead to inspired teachers and Imams who are descendents of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Other sects include the Aghakhanis who are followers of the Aga Khan who considers himself a spiritual leader sent by God. His followers believe the five pillars of Islam to be non-mandatory, preferring to give charity to the poor instead. They don’t share the Muslim taboo associated with drinking. Many believe theses changes have occurred due to undue influence of the West. Other sects are the Qadianis and Bohris. Conclusion Muslims all over the world follows a religion known as Islam which is a monotheistic religion. The word Islam means to submit oneself to god. There are almost 2 billion Muslims around the world practicing the teaching of Islam making it the second largest religion of the world. The follows the teachings of Prophet Mohammad on whom a holy book Quran was revealed. The faith of a Muslim is based on five pillars of Islam that are tauheed, salaat, zakat, hajj, and fasting. References Book Armstrong. (2002). Islam: A Short History. Esposito, J. L. (2002). What everyone needs to Know about Islam. Clark. (2003). Islam for Dummies. Lewis. (2004). The Crisis of Islam.

Much Ado About Nothing Essay: An Exploration of Conformity

Much Ado About Nothing as an Exploration of Conformity       In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice and Benedict rant about marriage for most of the beginning of the play, while Claudio raves about how wonderful it will be being married to Hero.   Yet in the end, Claudio exchanges his marriage to Hero for an opportunity to bash her in public, while Beatrice and Benedick marry despite that they were mortal enemies for most of the first three acts.   How did the situation swing around to this degree?   Beatrice and Benedick had been using the most extreme metaphors to demonstrate their scorn of each other and of marriage, and Claudio had been doing the same to demonstrate his love of Hero.   Not only did none of these three characters mean what they were saying, but meant the reverse, and the people that plotted to bring them together or pull them apart plotted because they understood on some level what each really wanted.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Beatrice and Benedick seem to have had some relationship before the beginning of the book that ended badly.   This suggests that the initial situation between Beatrice and Benedick was one of mutual attraction, not of the overt hate they seem to flaunt at the beginning of the play.   Scorn of this magnitude is rare among people who dislike each other from the start, and seems very unlikely in a broken up couple.   In addition, both Beatrice and Benedick turned out to be very willing to abandon their smear campaigns as soon as they are convinced the other is aching for them.   It is ridiculous that one would abandon one's own principals to bail out a hated enemy in trouble.   This makes clear that their attitude toward each other is an act.   If this is so, what is the purpose of the act... ...ther, and nearly kills an innocent woman.   In a broader perspective, conformity can leave people walking aimlessly down the beaten path with no real direction except conformity, doomed to live yet another meaningless life in a society based on archaic principles.    Works Cited and Consulted:    Barton, Anne.   Introduction.   Much Ado About Nothing.   The Riverside Shakespeare, 2nd ed.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997.   361-365.    Lewalski, B. K. "Love, Appearance and Reality: Much Ado About Something" Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 8 (1968): 235-251.    Prouty, Charles A.   Conformity in Much Ado About Nothing. New York: Books for Libraries Press/Yale University Press, 1980.    Rossiter, A.P. "Much Ado About Nothing."   William Shakespeare Comedies & Romances. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Much Ado About Nothing Essay: An Exploration of Conformity Much Ado About Nothing as an Exploration of Conformity       In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice and Benedict rant about marriage for most of the beginning of the play, while Claudio raves about how wonderful it will be being married to Hero.   Yet in the end, Claudio exchanges his marriage to Hero for an opportunity to bash her in public, while Beatrice and Benedick marry despite that they were mortal enemies for most of the first three acts.   How did the situation swing around to this degree?   Beatrice and Benedick had been using the most extreme metaphors to demonstrate their scorn of each other and of marriage, and Claudio had been doing the same to demonstrate his love of Hero.   Not only did none of these three characters mean what they were saying, but meant the reverse, and the people that plotted to bring them together or pull them apart plotted because they understood on some level what each really wanted.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Beatrice and Benedick seem to have had some relationship before the beginning of the book that ended badly.   This suggests that the initial situation between Beatrice and Benedick was one of mutual attraction, not of the overt hate they seem to flaunt at the beginning of the play.   Scorn of this magnitude is rare among people who dislike each other from the start, and seems very unlikely in a broken up couple.   In addition, both Beatrice and Benedick turned out to be very willing to abandon their smear campaigns as soon as they are convinced the other is aching for them.   It is ridiculous that one would abandon one's own principals to bail out a hated enemy in trouble.   This makes clear that their attitude toward each other is an act.   If this is so, what is the purpose of the act... ...ther, and nearly kills an innocent woman.   In a broader perspective, conformity can leave people walking aimlessly down the beaten path with no real direction except conformity, doomed to live yet another meaningless life in a society based on archaic principles.    Works Cited and Consulted:    Barton, Anne.   Introduction.   Much Ado About Nothing.   The Riverside Shakespeare, 2nd ed.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997.   361-365.    Lewalski, B. K. "Love, Appearance and Reality: Much Ado About Something" Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 8 (1968): 235-251.    Prouty, Charles A.   Conformity in Much Ado About Nothing. New York: Books for Libraries Press/Yale University Press, 1980.    Rossiter, A.P. "Much Ado About Nothing."   William Shakespeare Comedies & Romances. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986.

Global Culture: A Sociological Perspective Essay

With emergence of concepts like lingua franca and cultural assimilation, the world is reckoned to have lost its diversity. For this shift from ‘salad bowl’ to ‘melting pot’ phenomenon, the repercussions emerge in the form of global culture – a culture common to entire globe. At one hand, this concept contradicts the sociological understanding of culture as being specific to a particular group and distinct from the culture of other groups. However, the very concept broadens the scope of sociology. By considering the whole world as a representation of one culture, what is implied is the ascendance of sociology to a higher level. Culture emerges through common needs and circumstances which may fall at any level starting from organizations, communities, national societies and global societies (Whitehead). Behind the basic assumptions of global culture lie early sociology based on networking of the human race which led to traditions, norms and customs specific to civilizations. Stated differently, culture is a product of interactions and relationships between the members of society. By this principle, behind the concept of global culture lie interrelations between the members of the global community. A catalyst to strengthen these interactions is the modern technology that has connected the members together. For instance, a person living in the Asiatic part of the world is well aware of the culture in the American region due to the strong communication facilitated by technology. Being exposed to an alien culture serves to remove their perceived oddity thereby leading to a slow process of adaptation. To elucidate, let us look at the example of language. Language is a part of culture too. The increasing importance of English in the world is an evidence of global culture which seems to aggrandize with time. Its primary reason is the increasing interdependence of human nations on each other and emergence of international controlling bodies like United Nations. These factors would continue to maintain a shifting trend towards global culture. At the individual level of the society, global culture owes greatly to the realization of diversity as opposed to ethnocentric approach towards foreign cultures. Ethnocentric attitude greatly results from the strength of cultural bonds, within the society, that restrict or slow down the process of adaptation to global culture. In the contemporary world, a cessation in the shift towards global culture seems impossible. This is partly due of the extent the phenomenon has ascended the globe and partly due to the increasing advantages it offers. However, with these advantages, the negative corollaries of global culture cannot be denied. As perceived by Waters, global culture if completely adopted would have nation-state as its chief victim particularly the cultures of smaller nations. This means that at one hand the states are losing their role and culture within their territories and at the other hand they are not having a considerable role in the global community and culture thereby leaving a point of ambiguity about the merits and demerits of global culture compared to the nation state of any other form of culture in the human society (Shaneland). References Is there a future for the nation-state in an era of globalisation? If so, what future? Shaneland United Kingdom. Retrieved May 9, 2009 from http://www. shaneland. co. uk/academic/ma/globalisationessay1. pdf Whitehead, A. N. Global Culture. Sage Publications. Retrieved May 9, 2009 from http://www. uk. sagepub. com/parker/CHAPTER%207/Chapter%207%20Lecture%201%20Global%20Culture. PPT.