Khaled Hosseini Essay Example for Free

Khaled Hosseini Essay The story is about Amir and Hassan, a Hazara. They spend their days in a peaceful Kabul, kite fighting, roaming the streets and being boys. Amir’s father loves both the boys, but seems critical of Amir for not being manly enough. Amir also fears his father blames him for his mother’s death during childbirth. However, he has a kind father figure in the form of Rahim Khan, Baba’s friend, who understands Amir better, and is supportive of his interest in writing stories. Assef, a mean and violent older boy, blames Amir for socializing with a Hazara. According to Assef, the Hazaras were an inferior race that should only live in Hazarajat. He prepares to attack Amir with his steel knuckles, but Hassan bravely stands up to him, and threatens to shoot Assef in the eye with his slingshot. Assef and his friends back off, but Assef says he will take revenge. Hassan is a successful kite runner for Amir. He knows where the kite will land without even watching it. One triumphant day, Amir wins the local tournament, and finally Babas praise. Hassan goes to run the last cut, it was a great trophy. Hassan then said For you, a thousand times over. Unfortunately, Hassan runs into Assef and his two henchmen. Hassan refuses to give up Amirs kite, so Assef exacts his revenge, assaulting and raping him. Wondering why Hassan is taking so long, Amir searches for Hassan and hides when he hears Assefs voice. He witnesses the rape but is too scared to help him. Afterwards, for some time Hassan and Amir keep a distance from each other. Amir reacts differently because he feels ashamed, and is frustrated by Hassans saint-like behavior. Already jealous of Babas love for Hassan, Amir worries if Baba knew how bravely Hassan defended Amirs kite, and how cowardly Amir acted, that Babas love for Hassan would grow even more. To force Hassan to leave, Amir frames him as a thief, and Hassan falsely confesses. Baba forgives him, despite the fact that, as he explained earlier, he believes that there is no act more wretched than stealing. Hassan and his father Ali, leave anyway. Hassans departure frees Amir of the daily reminder of his betrayal, but he still lives with his guilt. Five years later, the Russians invade Afghanistan; Amir and Baba escape to Peshawar, Pakistan and then to Fremont, California, where Amir and Baba, settle in an apartment and Baba works at a gas station. Amir eventually takes classes at a local community college to develop his writing skills. Every Sunday, Baba and Amir make extra money selling used goods at a flea market in San Jose. There, Amir meets fellow refugee Soraya and Sorayas father, who was a high-ranked officer in Afghanistan. Baba is diagnosed with cancer but is still capable of granting Amir one last favor: he asks Sorayas fathers permission for Amir to marry her. He agrees and they marry. Shortly thereafter Baba dies. Amir and Soraya get to know that they cannot have children. Fifteen years after his wedding, Amir receives a call from Rahim Khan, who is dying from an illness. Rahim Khan asks Amir to come to Pakistan. He tells Amir there is a way to be good again. Amir goes. Ali was killed by a land mine. Hassan had a wife and a son, named Sohrab, and had returned to Baba’s house as a caretaker at Rahim Khan’s request. One day the Taliban murdered Hassan, along with his wife. Rahim Khan reveals that Ali was not really Hassans father. Hassan was actually the son of Baba, therefore Amirs half-brother. Rahim Khan tells Amir that the true reason he has called Amir to Pakistan is to go to Kabul to rescue Hassans son, Sohrab, from an orphanage. Amir returns to a Taliban-controlled Kabul with a guide, Farid, and searches for Sohrab at the orphanage. He does not find Sohrab where he was supposed to be. The director of the orphanage tells them that a Taliban official comes often, brings cash and usually takes a girl back with him. Once in a while however, he takes a boy, recently Sohrab. The director tells Amir to go to a soccer match and the man who does the speeches is the man who took Sohrab. Farid manages to secure an appointment with the speaker at his home, by saying that he and Amir have personal business with him. At the house, Amir has his meeting with the man in sunglasses. The man is revealed to be his childhood enemy, Assef. Assef is aware of Amirs identity from the very beginning, but Amir doesnt realize who hes sitting across until Assef starts asking about Ali, Baba and Hassan. Sohrab is being kept at the home where he is made to dance dressed in womens clothes, and it seems like Assef might have been sexually assaulting him. Assef agrees to release him, but only for a price a fight with Amir. Amir is the protagonist of the story. He lives with his father, while his mother died when he was born. He has trouble getting attention and love from his father. He is best friends with Hassan, and the story follows him from the time he is a child to adult. He is good at school, but he is a boy who is struggling to get his father to be happy, he feels that he is the disappointment of his father. He characterizes himself as a coward, with little purpose. He changes his personal beliefs twice throughout the history. First time when Hassan is raped, after the event he is not talking with Hassan because of his guilt and gets Hassan kicked out of the house. The second is when he goes back to Afghanistan to retrieve the son of Hassan. As an adult, he proved what he can do, and is presented as a man with so much courage that no one else ever had. Hassan is the son of Ali, who is the servant of Baba. Hassan is a Hazara and he is often discriminated against and oppressed by others. Hassan is brave, loyal and always protects Amir. Since Hassan has not gone to school, he learns to read and write from Ali. Hes doing what hes told. He is incredibly loyal to Amir. When Amir accuses him of stealing his watch, he said to Baba that he was the one who took it, without Amir asking him about it. Hassan is the character that changes at least throughout the history. Assef is the evil character in this book. He hates Hazaras, which is shown clearly in the book. Therefore, he is looking for Amir. He believes that it is his fault that Hassan lives with him. He is the one that causes problems between the childhood friends Amir and Hassan. We have two turning points in this book. The first comes when Hassan is sexually abused by Assef and his gang. It changes the friendship of Amir and Hassan. Amir stops talking with Hassan because he feels ashamed and feels that he has betrayed Hassan. The second turning point comes when Rahim Khan calls Amir. Amir changes and realizes that he can make things better. He decides to find Sohrab and get him to safety. This is the structure of the story. The story starts with a short introduction where the narrator tells us a little about himself and Kabul. Then we get more excitement and we get the climax. The climax is when Hassan got raped by Assef. Anything could happen at that point because Amir was looking at everything that happened. The excitement fell down after that incident because Hassan and Ali left the house, but it became more and more interesting after that because the Russians invaded Afghanistan and Amir had to leave Afghanistan. That was a big change in the story. Once again we got a climax when Amir stood face to face against Assef. He had a chance to take revenge now. This was our presentation of ‘’The Kite Runner’’. We have told you a little about the plot, the characters, the turning-points, climax, the setting, the themes and the message in the book. I will end the presentation by talking about my opinion about the book. I loved this book. It has a good structure, the content is really good and you don’t want to stop reading. I don’t like to read books, but this book was special. Sources:The Kite Runnerhttps://thekyterunner. wikispaces. com/Dragel%C3%B8peren| http://www. smartguy. no/klaer/t-shirt/t-shirt-logo/marinebla_polo-ralph-lauren-t-shirt_179718_21 http://www. smartguy. no/klaer/t-shirt/poloshirt/hvit_lacoste-poloskjorte_175476_3 http://www. smartguy. no/klaer/t-shirt/poloshirt/mellembla_tommy-hilfiger-poloshirt_187632_74 http://www. smartguy. no/klaer/t-shirt/poloshirt/svart_hugo-boss-orange-poloskjorte_182674_4 http://www. smartguy. no/klaer/jeans-bukser/bukser/sand_vito-chino_192150_27 http://karrierestart. no/jobb? jobtype=2municipality=89page=5 http://www. free-tv-video-online. me/internet/the_ellen_degeneres_show/season_10. html http://www. handelsportal. no/butikk/iphone-4-4s/iphone-4-deksel-og-etui http://max100. no/index. php? route=product/productpath=20_64_67product_id=292.

The Workplace As An Effective Learning Space Education Essay

The Workplace As An Effective Learning Space Education Essay Introduction Nowadays society, peoples understanding of learning space is no longer just confined to traditional areas of school education, but extends to all aspects of society. The workplace as an effective learning space, and its learning behavior has arouse widespread attention by educational theory and practice workers. Workplace learning as a form of learning, compared with traditional corporate training, not only improve employee skills to complete certain tasks, improve employee performance, change employee behavior and attitudes, but also to enhance overall quality of the employee, to enhance their knowledge to adapt to globalization and other external and internal environment change. Workplace learning is different from traditional forms of learning and training, it connected learner and worker, emphasizing to train the core competence, and get more and more attention. The rapid development of science and technology to accelerate the change cycle of the knowledge,also makes the work of those who need to use extensive knowledge or the main work is create knowledges employee face enormous pressure to update their knowledge and career development pressure. Especially the knowledge workers retraining and learning become the enterprise very concerned and attention problem. In the 1960s, the famous American scholars Foster once pointed out: the trainee get the employment opportunities in the labour market and the development prospects of taking office, is a key factor in the development of vocational education.Practical courses should be carried out within the enterprise, As far as possible reduction the distance between the regular school and the actual working situation.If you want to have some professional ability, it is necessary to participate in a solid and extensive vocational training; If you want to keep this professional ability and obtains the success in the future work, we must continue to develop own ability. Workplace learning is becoming an important form of lifelong learning. Many soft skills. Such as the ability to communication with others, methods ability, teamwork spirit, initiative and innovative spirit and so on.Its often acquisition in the work of informal learning rather than in formal education and training environment. Workplace learning challenge to the traditional education and the training system in some inherent formed. The concept of workplace learning Billet defines workplace learning as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦is a way to participate in real task and members of skilled guidance of the activities directly or indirectly, acquire knowledge and skills in ways. (Billet 1993)  [1]   He put the knowledge of the study were divided into three types: 1. The declarative knowledge is the answer to what it is of the kind of questions. That the information on what things is. This kind of knowledge learning is the memory process. 2. The procedural knowledge is complete how do it of the kind of tasks. Must be demonstrated through practical activities. Such knowledge is the result of repeated practice and practice. 3. The tendentiousness knowledge is decided to do or not do, do what. For example. A person not willing to do something is hard to do it well. Do not even do it. Tendentiousness knowledge is the product of individual long-term emotional experience. In the workplace learning, procedural knowledge often can be directly observed, and conceptual knowledge of the content is rather ambiguous. Orientation determines the first two types of knowledge while knowledge creation, learning and use. Only three types of knowledge with each other in order to become full sense of the knowledge, have real value. According to the perspective of Mansfield, who defines workplace learning from the angle of skill, workplace learning is study method of learners developing working operational capacity in workplaces(Mansfield 1991)  [2]  .He points out that four forms of skills are required in work of learners: technical skill. task management skill. the capacity of planning. deciding,prioritizing and managing emergencies as well as role and environmental skills. He also stresses that the skill is integrated with important components of comprehension, emotion, value and emotional stability etc. A German professor Rauner raised five stages from freshman to expert, and each stage which people are moving forward to requires different knowledge: Know about orientation,general situation,and the contents of basic operation as well. The knowledge concerning to the occupation, that is to say ,people should assure how to connect this job with the other jobs, and consider the reason why such connection is needed. Specific and functional knowledge, which refers to knowing the contents involved in a certain specialized work and make sure how it works. The deep knowledge based on experience includes the investigation on how to explain the relevant jobs in systematically and the further development. Proceeding from the above stages,the learners progress in gaining the professional ability from freshman to expert is no more than a process from receiving information passively to more reflection and participation. Besides, the knowledge becomes more internalized as time goes on, which is nearly close to self-construction.( Smith,PJ.Smith,ES. 2006)  [3]   FreshmanÆ’Â  personnel with progressÆ’Â  adeptÆ’Â  skilled personnelÆ’Â  expert Billet and Mansfield present the definition of workplace learning from the angle of learning results of knowledge and skills etc. with the purpose of establishing a theoretical frame so as to summarize and distinguish each form of learning in workplaces and combine them with work of the employees. Blended learning in the workplace Blended learning in the workplace refers to the comprehensive learning activities performed by adults within the workshops for the solution of work problems and the adjustment to the new working environment, including blended working activities, learning activities, learning technologies and learning environment. Blended learning, the new term takes shape on the foundation of e.Learning reflection features effective combination of traditional learning methods and e. Learning, does not only avoid the disadvantages of traditional learning, but also absorb superiority of e.Learning(LeeZhao 2004)  [4]  .In recent years, there is an increasing number of professional managers and training supervisors in workplaces accepting the concept of blended learning and exploring to put its means into application in enterprise trainings as well as employees studying. Compared with single e.Learning, blended learning can increase training efficiency, reduce worker cost and decrease training periods(RossettFrazee 2006)  [5]  . Essence of workplace learning lies in blending, for instance, employees can pass on working experience through communication, learn technology through listening and observing colleagues and study new operating procedures by attending trainings. In recent years, an increasing number of managers and trainers in North American workplaces start to accept the conception of blended learning. According to the survey conducted by Sparrow in 2004 with the subjects of over 300 training professionals from countries such as America and Britain, more than 2/3 subjects believe that blended learning is the most effective training approach with the highest cost efficiency. Besides, it is forecasted that investment in blended learning will account for 30% of training budget in the companies in 2006. The final target and difficulty of blended learning, the integrated strategy of transferring learning and promoting performance that means dynamic integration of many approaches including combination of formal and informal learning, face-to-face and internet learning, teacher-instructed and self-tutored learning and the digital resource-assisted and aspectant communication and discussion learning, lie in improving studying and performance of the organization and selecting appropriate connections of multiple ways in accordance with specific situations and subjects respectively. Many American enterprises are conducting practice and exploration of blended learning, IBM, for instance, has designed and developed Basic Blue blended learning system applicable for the training of over 30,000 new managers that are globally distributed and constantly on the move, which consists of self-evaluation of online e-learning, online simulation of commercial scenarios, online communities, face-to-face tutor instruction as well as workshop discussion, synchronous/ asynchronous virtual collaboration tools (emails, telephones, instant messaging and electronic white board) and professional e-tutors etc.( RossettSheldon 2001)  [6]   It is obvious that blended learning is a good idea, but is it suitable for all organizations? It is more complicated than traditional classroom instruction at fixed time and in fixed places. In spite of the considerable consensus people have reached on conceptions, namely, significance of learning in workplaces deserves affirmation and its effect can not be ignored, it remains not enough to encourage enterprise employers to decide to increase investment budget in this area with the reasons that it might be a long-term investment career without producing any effects in a short period, meanwhile, it calls for enough and a large number of capital investment, which is only enough to shut some small and medium-sized enterprises out of door. As employers, the attitudes towards educational investment will eventually depend on what kind of investment can produce considerable output, which will on average make the enterprises caught in a dilemma. On one hand, major companies are convinced tha t learning activities can constantly satisfy the organizations demand for skilled labor force with comprehensive knowledge, which is conducive to enhance their competitiveness in the international market; on the other hand, we can not fully grantee that the expenditure utilized in employee learning and training is bound to create profits and benefits for the enterprises, especially that there exists a phenomenon of frequent job mobility among young employees owing to the function and influence of flexible market, and there is no doubt that they will take away with them all the knowledge and skills learned when they employee conduct resign and job-hopping, which means it is a movement of high risk for all enterprises, especially the small-sized and micro ones to overly invest in employee training. Take Denmark, the typical country as an example, on one hand, local enterprises on average are not willing to bear the education and training cost because people in Denmark are used to pay in a full manner the cost of continuing education and skill training by public finance, and they are not willing to pay the cost unless it is an education and training program of special significance for enterprises or employers; however, on the other hand, they have to admit that learning content, purpose and approaches in workplaces will indeed pose great influence on enterprises, and accordingly development and implementation of corresponding learning program is good for enterprise development. Therefore, investment in this part will be gradually increased in enterprises. As for that of general education, it will be decreased gradually due to the enterprises perspective that it will not produce direct economic profits. The above are the double attitudes towards learning produced by companies. Ho wever, they will positively prefer to introduce in quantity such learning into enterprises provided that workplace learning can enable enterprises to get some financial subsidies from other aspects. Learning island In Germany, the traditional dual training system is encountering unprecedented challenge. Many people are for the opinion that under the mode of dual system, enough attention has not been paid by vocational training to learning and training in workplaces, especially that professional trainings of large enterprises are generally purely consumptive skill trainings conducted by training workshops that are independent from the manufacturing process, which separates vocational training far away from practical production of the enterprises despite that it is conducive to the formation of fundamental skills. However, the significance of learning and training in workplaces is becoming increasingly prominent in modern training system. In addition, the capacity of learning and working in a team can not be taught, which requires the learner to learn as a member of the team. In order to change the situation, large corporations in Germany begin to explore training approach that is closely connect ed with the process of production in recent years, emphasizing learning in the working process. It is just under this background that the conception of Learning Island is introduced to the field of vocational learning and training in Germany. Learning island, which is a working area established in the actual production environment of a company, marks a component of real production process from whether the spatial perspective or the organizational one. That is to say, it enjoys the same working conditions and procedures for the solution of work and problems with actual production environment. In learning island, the trainees jointly accomplish a certain working task in the production process through cooperation in the form of groups and teams, and the productions they manufacture should meet the quality requirements, namely, they should enjoy economic value. Meanwhile, as the coach personnel, training teachers provide assistance about the problems and difficulties they encounter to the learners  [7]  . There are some learning islands establishing in Benz car plant in Gaggenau that are separated areas including producing and educating equipments in the working plant. In the unit of groups, learners there carry out work by taking projects as orientation with the content of scheming producing task, manufacturing certain parts and solving logistical problems. The productions manufactured need to go through quality tests and those qualified will be assembled to the cars. Work of the whole group will be supported by a coach who only coordinates and intervenes when it is necessary so as to maintain the initiatives of trainees. Each group is supposed to accomplish a specific work or task goal within five weeks, the process of which will be fed back regularly to relevant groups in order to encourage learners to seek improvements. With the purpose of providing help to learners in learning island, some employees from the front line of production will be selected by senior workers to take the duty of tutoring personnel, and the production losses resulted from absence of tutors from the first line of production will be fixed by groups in learning island, through which what their work means in an industrial or commercial environment will be confirmed by the learners. Only when serious mistakes happen can the tutors, who serve as contact points of work groups and play the role of advisor intervene with the purpose of maintaining self-governing of the group work as far as possible. Work-based learning The concept of work-based learning Boud, Solomon Symes describe work-based learning as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a class of university programs that bring together universities and work organisations to create new learning opportunities in workplaces. Such programmes meet the needs of learners,contribute to longer-term development of the organisation and are formally accredited as university courses. There is a wide variation in the mix of elements they include, ranging from little more than a lightly tailored version of an existing course delivered in the workplace with some work-related assessment activities to programmes which focus more closely on the needs of learning in work. At the more interesting end of the spectrum are those programmes which depart substantially from the disciplinary framework of university study and which develop new pedagogies of learning. (Boud, Solomon Symes 2001:4)  [8]   Work-based learning is designed to use the opportunities, resources and experience in the workplace'(Margham 1997:2)  [9]  . These programs link theory and practice and are underpinned by appropriate professional knowledge and reflective practice (Hunt 2000)  [10]  . Work-based learning can be organised in a variety of ways and often consists of a hybrid mix of activities, however, they commonly include students undertaking a project or series of projects in their workplace. The context of work-based learning The work-based learning is an important component in Dual System Vocational Education in Germany, which has also achieved development in Australia,America, England in recent years. The development of the work-based learning in Australia The work-based learning system is developed with the evolution of apprentice system and trainee system, which are powerful in Australia.In the past seven years,under the support of finance and fundamental training programs, there was a great increase in the number of youths and adults who participated in training programs in Australia. In 2000, the apprentices and trainees who were accepting training are 275,000(Smith 2002)  [11]  .To tell the difference between apprentice system and trainee system, we should have a brief review on the historical evolution of the training system in Australia.Before the mid-1980s,orientation training was the work of traditional apprentice system and involved limited occupations.The Kerribi Report in 1985 suggested a one-year trainee system should be set up for the youths at the age of 16,17.In this system, 20% of time was used in school-based learning, while 80% of time was in work-based learning and the trainees also could receive 80% of the sala ry.People who participated the training in apprentice system were called apprentice, and in trainee system were called trainee.During 1996 to 1997, the number of trainees surpassed that of apprentices for the first time. Australia officials have ever expected to merge these two systems, and hoped to use Australia Vocational Training System,Modern Australia Apprentice System and New Apprentice System to unite the old names.But in fact , it is difficult to tell the difference between apprentice and trainee in Australia. Generally speaking, apprentices training time is longer than two years according to contract, otherwise, is trainee. Whatever in apprentice system or trainee system, the core part is the work-based learning. The development of the work-based learning in America In the late 1980s and the early 1990s, some areas and school districts or schools have noticed the problems in education so they launched reforms in local areas ,began to introduce the work-based learning and formulated various of models. For example, Georgia stipulated in its legislation in 1992 that any students in the grade of 11,12 or at the age of or more than 16 years old can register one of Youth Apprentice System programs provided by public schools(Smith 1998)  [12]  .A part of these models was adopted in School-to-Work Opportunity Act (STWOA) of 1994 and was spread through government. 3.the development of the work-based learning in England The work-based learning of England is reflected in the modern apprenticeship. The traditional apprenticeship was collapsed dramatically in 1970s. The main reason is it had little relation with mainstream educational system. In order to bridge the gap in training employees, the British government carried out a series of vocational training plans from the late 1970s to the late 1980s , however, its youth training plans didnt launched until 1990, and did not achieved success as hoped. Therefore, the British government initiated modern apprenticeship in September 1994. The early modern apprenticeship was applied in 14 industrial departments, and since 1995, its aim was to applied it in all industrial departments.There are three interrelated aspects in British modern apprenticeship:(1)apprenticeship is operated within the framework of contract which stipulates the rights and obligations of employer and apprentice explicitly and detailedly.(2)it includes cultural and social aspects before work and during the working process.(3)it contains school-based and work-based learning system which is an important characteristic of post-war British enterprises apprenticeship.Thus,the work-based learning is also the center of the British apprenticeship. The development of the work-based learning in worldwide has proved that it is a valuable and novel learning form in the recent vocational education and it is fully reflected the practicality of vocational education.At present,the extent of the promotion of the work-based learning is different in varied countries.For example,apprenticeship never plays an important role in cultivating skills in United States.And the 1990s modern apprenticeship did not gain the expected success in rebuilding the descending traditional apprenticeship in England. Compare to US and England,Australia was successful in this. Conclusion and Reflection Through the literature review,I have learned that Workplace learning is more than having structure,but a complicated one.However, due to the influence by too many elements,very few people can have full insights into the identity of work and learning and make natures of the two,with respect to learning or work,influence and supplement each other.Instead of maintaining an unchanged state in the whole interning process in workplace learning,the constantly changing environment, individual and different development demands of learners and the formed learning motivations will present a fluctuation in different occasions.Learners are also workers,and vice versa,so as to realize the required role coordination.The workplace-developed knowledge,which is primarily practical one under specific situation, is not public and can be structured only with experience.As a result, experience and reflection serve as its core elements, and it is of great significance for the individuals to participate in the practical process.Workplace learning, which marks a learning activity with instruction owing to the fact that it call for not only initiative as well as independent activity with abundant sense of responsibility, but also instruction and demonstration of experienced workers, allows learners to consolidate their own capacities through more practical operations and expend them with the organic combination of marginal participation and guidance. Everyday work activities when effectively structured provide opportunities for accessing and constructing robust and transferable vocational knowledge.The qualities of workplaces most likely to secure this knowledge are those that structure activities which assist individuals to move from peripheral activities to those which are more central to the functioning of the particular work practice;that provide expert guidance which presses individuals into accessing more complex forms of knowledge and which explicitly illuminate that which is not readily revealed. Through the literature review that I know how design of workplace learning mode for enterprises, guide and instruct workplace learning in an effective manner in order to achieve ideal learning effect of workplace learning, satisfy employees demands of career development and individual growth as well as coming to an agreement with business goals.The workplace is now commonly used as a setting for acquiring vocational knowledge.This situated approach to learning offers access to authentic vocational activities and the guidance of more expert others . Experience is most easy to grasp in practice.So,sharing experience is also a learning.Workplace learning is taught by one person who have experienced to no experience.Interest is the result of the learning experience,learning experience will impact personal education in the future and the development of vocational skills.Although the experience is the base of learning,but without reflection,learning is not complete.In fact,if the individual does not reflect on the experience,or did not consciously learn from experience,the experience of individuals may not learn.

Negative Effects Of Fertilisers On Our Environment

Negative Effects Of Fertilisers On Our Environment The scope of this report is to examine the negative effects of fertilisers on our environment. It will primarily focus on the Nitrogen Fertilisers, there effects and solutions to combat those effects. Synthetic N fertilisers are one of the biggest cause for eutrophcation. When excess fertiliser runs off to the water, it can causes algal blooms, fish kills etc. Excessive nitrogen in the drinking water also has negative effects on humans. The production and application process is one of the contributing factos to the Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) as well. The report touches on the other two primary elements in fertilisers, phosphate and potassium, however, we will not go into detail discussions. Fertiliser run-offs, mostly nitrogen, is a matter of great concern in Queensland where the run offs from adjacent sugar cane and cattle farms are polluting the water in the Great Barrier Reef. It is a great threat to the ecosystem of the Reef and measures needs to be considered to reduce this pollution and also ways to rehabilitate and conserve the ecosystem of the Reef. Resultantly, in this report we discuss how an excise policy can help reduce these negative effects of N fertiliser. We look into ways of promoting organic fertilisers and hydroponics with the help of the excise, also keeping in mind that the internalisation of the external cost should be one of the major underlying policy issues. We look into financial rebates and assistance that may be available to farmers opting to use organic fertilisers and switch to hydroponics. Part of the excise revenue should be earmarked for these purposes. We consider regulations that should be introduced to compliment and magnify the effects of the excise. The N-Replacement is a program where the soil is tested and the application of N is confined to only the amount that is required. In the fullness of time, all farmers should have to participate in such programs. Lastly, we examine the benefits and negative effects of the proposed excise on the manufacturers, farmers and consumers. We will also look at any administrative and compliance issues that may arise with the introduction of the new excise. The role of the proposed excise in helping us meet our commitments under the Kyoto Protocol is also examined. Introduction This report is about the effects that fertilizers have on our environment. While the use of synthetic fertilizers has ensured an enormous boom in the agricultural sector, it has had its negative effects on the environment as well. The effects are directly related to issues like global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, and much more. The three major elements of synthetic fertiliser are nitrogen, phosphate and potassium. The damages that fertilisers have on the environment can be divided into three broad categories; natural resources (water, soil and air), wildlife and ecosystem and human health. Nitrogen fertilisers have the worse effect on the environment with phosphate following closely. This report will primarily focus on Nitrogen (N) fertilisers. It is beyond the scope of this report to discuss all the elements in fertilisers and discuss their effects. This is because different elements have different environmental effects and to a varying degree. They all have different use i n the agriculture industry as well. However, once the excise model for the N nitrogen is established, a similar model can be used to impose excise on all the other fertilisers. Nitrogen Fertilisers When applied to the to soil to nourish farming land, nitrate, a compound of nitrogen, can wash off the agriculture fields by means of rain or irrigation and can leach into the surface or ground water. Ground water is one of the sources of drinking water and excess nitrate in the drinking water can potentially cause cancer, respiratory distress in humans. In surface water, extra nitrogen may cause eutrophication, process of nutrient over enrichment. This is the primary cause of depletion in the oxygen level in coastal water. Coastal waters that receive an inflow from polluted rivers are the most affected. Eutrophcation is one of the biggest causes for coastal fish kill; it is also responsible for the harmful algal blooms and imbalance in the coastal ecosystems. In Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is highly affected by diffuse pollutants. Most of it comes from nitrogen fertilizers used in cropping and grazing lands in relatively small areas of the adjacent catchments. According to a research conducted by the CSIRO on the Great Barrier Reef, experts found that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Export of nitrogen and phosphorus is high and increased hillslope erosion rates have resulted in increased nutrient and sediment loads reaching and influencing inner shelf reef and benthic ecosystems. These pollutants are generated from diffuse sources and evidence from other geographical locations suggests that by the time their widespread effects are identified, the reef systems will be irreversibly damaged. Lastly, some of the nitrogen from the soil and water enters the atmosphere as nitric oxide and the green house gas nitrous oxide. This has a wide range of negative consequences, starting from acid rain to subtle shifts in dominant species and ecosystem function in forests and grassland ecosystems. Phosphate Fertilisers Phosphate is right behind nitrogen when it comes to negative effects to the environment. Fluoride has been and is the worse environmental liability that the phosphate fertiliser industry has passed on to the environment. Despite new advanced air pollution control technology which is resulting in less and less fluoride escaping into the atmosphere, the impact of fluoride emissions is still being felt. Amongst other things, the fluoride in the air has the potential to cause a number of disorders in livestock, The actual production process of phosphate is also harmful to the environment and humans equally. Potassium Fertiliser Potassium have not directly been related to any environmental pollution, even though it does have minor affect such as magnesium deficiency in crops and soil in the case of excessive application As can be seen, the use of chemical fertilisers is very harmful to the environment. In attempting to protect the Great Barrier Reef, the State Government and the Commonwealth has initiated programs like the Reef Plan, the N Replacement project. However, these government initiatives have been criticised by a many environmental agencies such as the World Wlidlife Fund (WWF) as being slow to achieve any real results. Government initiatives can only be effective when there is a drive from the general population to support those initiatives. The use of fertilisers in farming is essential to farmers as their profitability depends on the yield of the crops, which is predominantly the result of fertilisers. It is an essential resource to the farmers. In such a situation, the introduction of excise on synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and other chemicals used to maximise crop yield, can be one of the tools to discourage the use of such fertilisers and at the same time promote and the use of more environment friendly, non-chemical fertilisers and other farming alternatives. Regulation of the Fertiliser industry using excise Excise tax can be used as one of the tools for the government to influence the agriculture industry and influence the level of demand for synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. By imposing excise, we create an artificial price differential between the synthetic nitrogen fertilisers and its organic counterpart. This has the effect of farmers being more mindful about over application of the N fertiliser and using it sparingly. In case of blended fertilisers, where all three elements are present, the nitrogen component will be excisable. This is turn will promote the production of fertiliser that have a low synthetic N fertiliser content.. Apart from trying to promote consumption of low nitrogen content fertilizers, excise can also promote higher consumption of organic fertilisers. This can be done similar to the fuel excise system in Australia, where excise is imposed on both organic and synthetic fertilizers, however, a full rebate may be available to the users of the organic fertilisers, making the effective rate of excise for organic fertiliser zero. In the fullness of time, when all fertilisers are included in the excise system, i.e. nitrogen, phosphate and potassium, differential excise rates may be introduced, where they all have different excise rate depend on the degree of severity of effects each of them on the environment. The idea is that, if an all purpose fertiliser is high in nitrogen than it will have a higher price tag (nitrogen is the most harmful element of the three) as opposed to an alternative blend that is high in potassium; the higher the content of the most harmful chemical (N), the higher the price of the end product. There is an alternative to introducing fertilisers to the excise system. The government can promote and take active steps to make the agricultural industry consider hydroponic controlled environment agriculture. The principle advantage of hydroponics compared to tradition farming is the isolation of crops from the soil. As there is no soil involved there is no chance of drainage or problems associated with leeching of nitrogen to the ground or surface water. The fertilisers that are not used up by the plants are caught and reused. Excise rates and underlying reasons In setting the excise rate, we need to be mindful of the underlying policy objectives. The objectives are: For the agriculture industry to use fertilisers that are less harmful to the environment. To the use of alternative organic fertilisers To promote hydroponics, an alternative method of farming. Internalise the external cost that the fertiliser industry imposes on the environment The external cost should be the main element that we should try to internalise via the introduction of the excise tax. Charging consumers or producers for external costs, which should induce them to reduce their activities to the socially optimal level, is known as the Pigouvian prescription. This rule states that efficient consumption or production can be achieved through the tax system by imposing an excise on the activity equal to the marginal cost of the damage caused to other people. In trying to internalise the external cost of fertilizer pollution, many governments around the world are considering some form of environment tax. In China, a study was undertaken on the external cost and optimum use of nitrogen fertiliser on the paddy field system of the Dongting Lake are. The research showed that the nitrogen fertiliser application in the region well exceeded the required levels. Such that, an environmental tax was suggested on the excess use of nitrogen fertiliser. In Australia, there is not much information available on the external cost of the agriculture industry. However, figures from other country gives us an idea of the external cost imposed by the industry. A US study estimates the externalised costs of agricultural production (in natural resources, wildlife, biodiversity and human health) to be between $5.7 and $16.9 billion annually is a broad estimate, it is not Australian-specific, nor restricted specifically to agriculture, but it does highlight the need to understand the environmental impacts of agriculture better in the Australian context. In Europe, the estimated external cost of nitrogen fertiliser is about 0.3 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬/kg N, bearing in mind that the market price is of the fertiliser is about 0.5 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬/kg N. This effectively means, that if the whole amount was internalised then the price of N fertilisers would rise by about 60%. For the purpose of this report we will use the European figures as, mentioned earlier, there is not much Australian specific data available on the external cost of fertilisers. Now 60% excise on N fertiliser may seem like a staggering figure, however, when this excise is placed is conjunction with other regulation and policies the net effective excise will drop considerably. These issues will be discussed in the next section. Specific vs Ad valorem rate The next issue in the rate setting process is to determine if this rate is going to be specific or ad valorem. The choice between the options depends on the underlying policy, i.e. to raise revenue, discourage consumption, improvement of quality etc. Ad valorem tax creates a price differential between similar excisable good base on quality where the high-quality products are dearer than the low-quality products. This is a good tax mechanism if revenue maximisation is the underlying policy objective. However, if the main focus is to reduce harmful levels of consumption of any product, then specific tax is more appropriate. Specific or volumetric taxation is based upon the number of units sold, irrespective of their value and recognises that the potential for harm falls equally upon consumers or the community irrespective of the price of the item. Coming back to the topic in hand, specific tax is the appropriate rate to use as we are really interested on the internalising the external cost of N fertiliser on the basis of $/kg N. If the tax is imposed on the value or the cost of production of the fertilisers, it will not properly reflect the negative effects that the application of N fertiliser has on our environment. Taxation vs Regulation It is argued that taxation by itself will not always achieve the desired or complete results. Tax can influence the consumption pattern of consumers to a certain extent but regulations are needed to back up the tax. High taxes on tobacco and drink reduce average and usually also excessive consumption. But a tobacco tax cannot deal in a cost effective way with the effects of passive smoking; (inflexible) bans on smoking in public places are necessary to deal with this externality. Similarly, the alcohol excise is an inadequate instrument to restrain people from getting behind the wheel of their car after they have had a drink. Drink-driving breath tests are better targeted to deal with this situation. . Regulations can be in many forms, it can be requirements imposed on the end users, i.e., farmers or it can be regulations on the fertiliser manufacturers. In Germany, farmers are required to calculate and report annual nutrient balances in the soil in order to demonstrate that they have not over or under applied fertilisers. Imposing regulations on the manufacturers may not be of much use apart from quality control. The regulations should focus on the farmers instead, with science based approaches to soil testing, promoting good agricultural practice and optimal use of nitrogen. This approach is in line with the new nitrogen management method N Replacement and in time this along with any other similar programs should be made mandatory. Apart from being environmentally beneficial it is also beneficial to farmers as under this method they will need to purchase and apply only the amount of soil that is required by the soil, resulting in cost savings for the farmers. Another method of regulation, could be the issue of tradeable permits. However, under this system the costs associated is rather uncertain, compared to the excise system. A system of tradable permits guarantees the envisaged quantitative reduction in pollution but at an uncertain cost, while an environmental duty has an uncertain impact on the quantity of emissions but fixes the marginal cost of emission controls for polluters. Price elasticity and excise Fertilisers are a vital part of the agricultural industry. There is a very strong connection between application of fertilisers and crop yield and profitability. Therefore, it will not be wrong to conclude that the demand for fertilisers within the agricultural industry is inelastic. Having said that a 60% excise on N fertiliser is going to affect the farmers the most. Because of the elasticity of demand, the economic incidence of the tax will fall on the farmers, where the fertiliser manufacturers will be able to pass on most of the tax burden to the farmers in form of higher prices. Therefore, it is important to come up with relief policies for the farmers as well, bearing in mind that we are also trying to promote the use of organic fertilisers and hydroponics method of productions at a large scale. This will be discussed in more details in the next section. Exemptions/exception for the excise system and why There should be exceptions, where the tax incidence for the farmers should be nil. Exemptions should be available to farmers in the form of a rebate. As one of the policy issue is to promote the use of organic fertilisers. Farmers should be entitled to a full or partial rebate depending on if the fertilisers are solely organic or substantially organic. Organic fertilisers are largely derived from plan plants or animals. Substantially organic fertilisers are product where some synthetic fertilisers have been added to boost the nutrient content of the fertiliser. A rebate should also be available for farmers who pre dominantly practices or are in the process of adopting hydroponics method of production. There are two reasons behind this exemption. First of all, the nitrogen used in hydroponics has no effect on the environment. The plants are grown in a controlled environment, usually in a greenhouse, therefore, there are no emissions, run offs or leeching. This effectively means there are no external costs associated with the application of nitrogen fertilizer under this system. Secondly, the biggest drawback of converting to hydroponics from the traditional method of agriculture is the high capital set up costs associated. Since we are trying to encourage more and more farmers to consider hydroponics, it only makes sense to provide some sort of relief to them in the form of ongoing rebate to compensate for the high set up costs. Lastly, a partial rebate should also be available to farmers who are participating in recommended programs such as the N- Replacement program. The N-Replacement program has the potential of reducing nitrogen inputs by almost one third. The government can only have this rebate available till the program is fully tested and made mandatory. Till then farmers should be rewarded for voluntary participation in the program. Positive and negative effects from this new excise Positive effects Lower demand for synthetic N fertiliser The introduction of the excise on the nitrogen fertiliser will lower the demand for it. As discussed earlier, because of the low price elasticity of demand, the fertiliser manufacturers will be able to pass on most of the tax burden to the farmers in the form of higher price. Higher prices will mean that farmers will now be more mindful when it comes to the application of the fertiliser. More and more farmers will be forced to practice good farming methods, only applying the amount that is required in order to save on cost of fertilisers. Less emission, leaching as a result As farmers starts to pay more attention to the wastage level and apply the optimal amount of nitrogen required to replenish the soil, there is less leeching and emission. Influx of excise revenue One of the unavoidable effects of imposing excise duty is the inflow of revenue. The revenue that comes in from this particular excise should be hypothecated. It should be used to finance projects that will aid in cutting down the use of N fertiliser application. Some of the funds should also be earmarked for providing assistance to farmers switching to hydroponics. Helps the government to meet other policy issue As the application rate of the N fertilisers reduce, it helps the government meet other environmental related policies, such as Australias commitment under the Kyoto Protocol. This will be discussed in more details in the next setion. Negative effects Higher cost of production for the farmers, which may be passed on consumers As discussed earlier, the imposition of excise will mean that the farmer will pay a higher price to purchase the fertilisers. Even if optimal applications of N fertiliser methods are implemented, there would still be an increase in the cost of production for the farmers. This in turn would mean that the increased cost of production for the farmers will be passed on to the final consumers in form of higher prices for fresh fruit, vegetable etc. Loss of revenue for the fertiliser manufacturers There will a significant loss of revenue for the fertilizer manufacturers, as they are the one who are actually liable for the excise payable. They will pass on the bulk of the tax to the agriculture industry, however, they will still loose out of a significant amount of profit. How will this new excise interact with Australias commitment under the Kyoto Protocol Under the Kyoto Protocol, Australia is committed to reduce its greenhouse emissions to 108 percent of the level we were in 1990. This target has to be achieved by 2012 (2008 -2012 is known as the first commitment period). According to a report on climate change, in 2008 the emissions for the agriculture sector are projected to be 77 Mt CO2 of emission over the Kyoto period. This is a 4% decrease on the 1990 level. Most of the decrease is, however, attributable to the drought. Therefore, introduction of this new excise will ensure that there is a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Apart from gas emission after the application of the N fertiliser, it also emits greenhouse gas during the production process. The production of fertilisers demands much energy and generates considerable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Kongshaug (1998) estimates that fertiliser production consumes approximately 1.2% of the worlds energy and is responsible for approximately 1.2% of the total GHG emissions. Therefore, when demand falls as a result of the new excise and regulations, the supply will eventually fall as well, with reduced production of synthetic N fertiliser. This, again, will result in reduced level of GHG emissions. Impact of the new excise on; Consumers The excise will mean that the price of end products that are heavily dependant on the N fertiliser will increase. When excise is imposed on a commodity, even though the legal incidence lies with the producers, the ultimate tax burden falls on the end users of the finished product by means of higher price. Therefore, we need to be mindful of that while imposing the excise. Business The excise will not affect businesses much. Businesses or in this case, the retail shops are just middle men. Any part of the tax that they do pay in form of higher wholesale prices, they simply pass it on to the consumers. Government revenues At first glance, it can be said that government revenue will also increase with this proposed excise. However, if we are to put the revenue aside, hypothecate the funds for the sole purpose of funding programs and assisting farmers in adopting more sustainable methods of farming, then in essence it will not be wrong to say that the government revenue stays the same. There is not extra gain as such from the revenue perspective to the government. Revenue generated from these policies could have an outcome on the effect of these policies, depending on how it is used. If revenues from a tax are added to the general treasury store then the wellbeing of those affected by the tax is negatively affected as modelled, but if the funds are ring-fenced for a relevant purpose such as assisting the fertilizer industry or farmers, then the welfare of those actors is not diminished by as much. Administration costs There should not be any extra cost related to the administration of the new excise. Currently the Australian Taxation office is responsible for the administration of all excisable and excise equivalent goods. The ATO is already well equipped to deal with excise tax. Moreover, under the self assessment regime where businesses calculate there own excise liabilities, the incremental change on administration cost should be minimal. The taxing point should be fixed as the fertilisers are leaving the factory for delivery to wholesalers and/ or the domestic market. This will further ensure ease of administration of the excise tax. Compliance activities The compliance activities on behalf of the businesses should be fairly straightforward as well. Under the self assessment system, businesses keep records and fill out their own excise return. Another section maybe introduced to the excise return, where farmers are eligible for a rebate. However, it should all be part of the prevailing excise return system that we currently have. Recommendation After examining the effects of synthetic fertilisers on our environment, especially the N fertiliser, it is recommended that the excise tax of 60% at a specific rate should be imposed. It is true that the imposition of the tax may have a large impact on the fertiliser manufacturers and farmers. However, that is the initial impact. Along with the excise, we should also provide rebates for the farmers, who act in accordance with out other policy objective. Farmers who look at alternative organic fertilisers should be entitled to a rebate as negative effects from organic fertilisers are minimal compared to its synthetic counterpart. Further rebates should be available to farmers switching to hydroponics, as the nitrogen content in the nutrient solution has no effect on the environment. Lastly, assistance should be available to farmers who make voluntary participation in good farming practices i.e. take part in practices like the N-Replacement program. Along with these financial laws, we should also implement some non financial regulations, which will ensure a superior result. Here, the goal is not make sure that the farmers are not applying excessive amount of synthetic N fertilisers to the soil and at the same time moving towards organic fertiliser. The tax will bring about that inclination in the farmers, they will want to apply the optimal amount of synthetic nitrogen in order to save cost on fertilisers and also look into cheaper alternatives which are more environmentally friendly. However, in the fullness of time, we need to introduce regulations, specially the one similar to Germany where the farmers needs to annually record and report the nutrient content of their farming land to the authorities. In the long run we should also make a N- Replacement plan mandatory, after it has been fully tested by CSIRO. We should also ear mark, some of the revenue from this new excise to help fund the programs and any similar programs. The new proposed excise policy combined with the proposed regulations is a little step towards Australia meet its commitment under the Kyoto Protocol. It is true the tax might hurt manufacturers, farmers and consumers, financially. However, we need to ensure that the external costs caused by the production and application of the fertiliser are being met, so that it reflects on the price. It is the responsible thing to do, to pay the price for the harm that the industry is causing the environment. It is a trade off we have to make to ensure a better world for the next generation. In order to stop global warming, bring balance back to our ecosystem, protect the Great Barrier Reef, it is a small price to pay.

The Exploration of Literature :: College Admissions Essays

The Exploration of Literature An English degree is about self development and education through the exploration of literature. A student who chooses English will never be expected to learn information by rote, or recycle the views of academics. Developing a unique creativity in relation to the course is the apotheosis of literary study. A degree in English encourages the challenge of critical views, and a communication of new opinions. Students are given freedom to construct a degree programme based on personal interests and strengths. The structure of any individual degree course is likely to centre around the benefits of personal academic choice. A host university will provide support and resources to enable effective tuition, but the significance of the award rests with the enthusiasm and motivation of a student. Tutors and lecturers can supply expert guidance in the themes and ideas which might appeal to individual academic acumen, but ultimately the degree is a personal achievement. An English degree is the production of the student, not the teacher. Lecture programmes are constructed to offer useful background knowledge, and will often allow fascinating scope for expert opinion. Students are given the opportunity to work with the most current literary views, delivered by the country’s foremost academics. However, individual research of selective material is just as valid — if not more so. Students will become adept at mapping a path through critical theories and ideas. No one English student is like another, and even students from the same university will refine their approaches to be radically individual. An English degree will encourage the discussion of academic interests with other students — refining areas of investigation by discussion and debate. Teaching oneself is a fascinating and liberating practice. Similarly, the construction is a two way process. As students piece together, and assemble ideas and literature of personal interest, so the aspects to which they are drawn will construct them as critics.

History of Fashion Essay -- Fashion Style clothing Historical Essays

History of Fashion Fashion is defined as a style of dress that is popular during a certain time or era (?Fashion?, 1). It often changes and reflects a persons? social class in old days. In modern times it reflects personality. Fads come and go as people find new and different things to like. Until the 20th century fashion changed very slowly. In the 20th century fashions change as quickly as lightning because of mass production and fast moving society. About every 10 years a totally new kind of dress is in style. Fashion is affected in many ways. Inventions and good economy bring many changes with it. Wars and bad economy bring plain fashion that stays for a while (?Fashion Through the Ages?, 1). Fashion often seems to go in a big loop repeating itself over and over again. Women?s fashion has changed and gone from fancy to simple and easy to wear. Here is a quick view of fashion from BC times to the future!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In ancient times clothing was simple, based more on function than style. Men and women wore a big rectangular piece of wool six feet wide and about a foot and a half taller than the person. The wool was wrapped around the person and pinned on the shoulder with a broach. Fabric was mainly white or off-white, but never bright colored. In fact red was forbidden for commoners. Hair was mainly worn in braids or covered by fabric draped like a hood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the spread of Christianity, clothing in medieval times became modest. Although the basic tunic style dress was still used, it became longer and sleeves were added. Heavier fabric was used and shoes replaced sandals. Increase in trade made for more extravagant fabrics and embellishments on clothing. Hair was worn down often with a jewel in it. The really wealthy and nobility experimented with extreme styles from vibrant color to hooked shoes to cone shaped hats in order to separate themselves from the middle class.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many changes came with the Renaissance period, with the rise of art fashion changed. Dresses became shorter and princess cut. Puffed sleeves, high collars and hoop skirts were the thing to wear. Slashing, or wearing two layers and cutting the outer layer was fashionable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Modesty came back with Elizabethan times. Queen Elizabeth had clothes covered every part of a persons body sleeves became tight instead of puffed and waist lines were straight. Gowns were worn by ... ...Sleek simple or choppy hair styles were seen as cute. Jeans were narrow and black in the beginning and became flared or relaxed with everything from glitter to studs to dress it up at the end of the 90?s. Any kind of shirt could be paired with jeans, from revealing belly shirts to classy blouses to comfortable t-shirts. Animal prints and camouflage were just a couple of prints that made their home in the 90?s (?Fashion Era?, 41). No matter what you were wearing in the 90?s it was sure to be a designer brand.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fashion has and always will repeat in a cycle. It seems to be cycling from elaborate to minimal as our lives become more complex due to technology. I think fashion will continue to be unpredictable. Many times movies and television have predicted how the future population would dress with no success. One thing is for sure, fashion will continue to be unique to the individual who wears it and express for them what they may not say with words. Works Cited ?Fashion.? Encyclop?dia Britanica. 2002 ed. ?Fashion Era.? Fashion History and Costume Era. Fashion-era. 23 Nov. 2003 ?Fashion Through the Ages.? The Evolution of Fashion. Bharat Textile. 19 Nov. 2003   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Review of Khayal Darpan

REVIEW ON KHAYAL DARPAN BY YUSUF SAIED IN LIGHT OF FAIZ AHMAD FAIZ â€Å"ROLE OF ART AND CULTURE† Khayal Darpan is the quest to discover the impact of partition on classical music in Hindustan, a documentary directed by Yusuf Saied. Yusuf Saied is one of the recent scholars who are trying to revive post partition culture and art which is somehow lost due to adoption of new Cultural identity. Yusuf other works include several articles on Islamic Modernization and Muslim community in India, he also directed an international documentary named â€Å" Tasveer Ghar† about Indian popular Culture and Art. As mention by great modernist poet Faiz, the body of art is the visible representation of a national identity, however in case of Pakistan forging an identity of its own rather than adopting from Indus valley civilization was the one of the reasons why pre partition art was throw in to abyss. 1 Khayal Darpan is well documented because it trace grounds and consequences of collapse of classical music what is named, â€Å" ILEM-E-MOUSIQI† in movie, to it ends in very optimistic observations. Khayal Darpan raised many vital questions about culture, nationalism and legitimacy of music in Islam. Yusuf documented some of the surviving practitioners and patrons of Classical music and observed the teaching of music in several institutions. Movie starts with very grounds of â€Å"_Biathaks†_ and â€Å"_Takias__†_ in Lahore where musicians from all over undivided India performed for perfection in â€Å"ILEM-E-MOUSIQI†, with great names such as Amer Ali, Ashiq Ali, Amnat Ali, Roshanara Begum and Bade Ghulam Ali. Yusuf journey takes him to Talwandi Gharana master practitioners of Dhrupad art of music. Things however gradually changed following partition with political identities slaughtering the art, anything with names of Hindu deities were banned on radio, names of Ragas were changed and some new Ragas were also introduced in classical music. Yusuf followed the first part of documentary with controversies during migration and its impact on music with gradual death of art and cultural exchange among two countries. Queries were often raised in masses why to adopt something which contain names of Hindu deities, tracing to it very beginning the classical music or Dhrupad art was developed by a Muslim Sufi Ameer Khusroo, and as Faiz define_ Art as a way of expression of urges, impulses, instinct, dreams, illusions, conflicts, happiness, and unhappiness, and fulfillments and frustrations of a human group_. 2 Second part of movie focus on problems faced by Classical Music after creation of Pakistan. Anti Indian, cultural and Political policies which were imposed in Pakistan did great causalities to â€Å"Khayal† and â€Å"Thumra† style of music. The Anti Indian sentiment which was induced in every Pakistani by political agents in country did great damage to culture which is now long forgotten. Indus Valley Culture was completely eliminated from post colonial society of Pakistan. Anything which relates itself to Sanskrit or Hindi was considered Indian and person practicing it was considered to be unpatriotic. This was very case in India with promotion of anti Pakistan and anti Urdu sentiment. These policies made their impacts on culture, art and literature of both countries. Movie continue with religious attacks on Music with â€Å"DEO BANDS† calling music forbidden in Islam completely neglecting the reality that music in South Asian society was patronized by Sufis. Moreover all of music teacher were related to red light area of Lahore â€Å"HERA MANDI†, this was also the reason why music was made so much unpopular in local masses. There were Valiant efforts to save art and this task was taken by musician themselves but with nearly no one patronizing classical music in society other than few listeners and singers. Later movie takes in account the change of trends in music genres. Ghazal became a popular genre in late sixties and early seventies. As Badaruzaman, classical singer from Lahore explains the reason for absurdness of old genre and denounces adoption of new genre as reason for their obscurity of classical music. However classical music was thrown into obscurity, like traditional Urdu poetry, because of stubbornness and lack of acceptance of new ideas into its regime. Classical music was not accessible and understandable to masses, like son of Tufail Niazi, folk singer explains, and how their father tired to make classical music accessible and understandable to masses. Faiz Ahmad Faiz in his Article, â€Å"Role of Arts & Culture†, tired to explain the factors for downfall of performing art in sub continent. According to Faiz the downfall of Mughal Empire brings arts of music and dancing to red light areas which gradually became morally unacceptable to society. The social prejudices attaching to artists of that time make art unpopular; the concert halls (Kothas) of Banaras and Lahore which was once appreciated by Nawabs and Rajas of subcontinent became a center of prostitution rather than a place of appreciation of performing art. Secondly he blamed imperialist rulers and colonial rule in India who sought to replace Indian culture with their own. During colonial rule national arts were held up to scorn and ridiculed and their western counterparts were popularized. After independence performing arts were apprehended by political and religious agents in both countries. _Performing art became immoral, vulgar and hence antireligious and ideologically unacceptable by both societies, however only classical music was apprehended on these religious and moral _grounds. Thoughtless and ill advised cultural shows during military rule in Pakistan was also the main factor in disrepute of performing art in Pakistan. All these factors provided a sanctuary to western art in Indian society which was adopted by later generations in Pakistan. 3 Third part of movie focuses of â€Å"modernism†, and its effects on art, culture, and literature. There was change in nearly every sect of society, throughout the world. There was mass adoption of western (modernist) cultural trend which is usually mistaken as adoption of western culture. Adoption of Pop and rock music became popular in new generation in Pakistan. Badaruzaman, classical singer from Lahore elucidates the reason of popularity of modern music; according to him clarity of lyrics in songs is the main reason for acceptance of Pop in Pakistani society, and deprecates the complexities of classical music for its downfall. Sarah Zaman talks about the void between traditional music and modern music which according to her is not created in India and Pakistan. She hopes that new generation will see towards traditional music with new approach. She also talks about the ideological differences between generations and how new generations look down upon traditional music and calls it as refutation of our cultural and traditional values. Last part of the movie compares western music with our traditional music. After World War 2 western music changes its trend and despite of ballads, sonnets and romantic songs a new genre of music were developed in western art with their lyrics mainly focusing on topics of wars, religion, society and humanity. On other hand Indian music was still not out of â€Å"Heer Ranja† and â€Å"Sassi Pannu†. It is not western music which is to be blame for dilemma with our traditional music. Horn of dilemma, tradition versus modernism was not limited to performing art but in literature traditional ways were rejected by new generation poets. Tides of time change the use of art in a society, trend of â€Å"art for art† for replaced by â€Å"art for life†, however our classical musician were late in realizing the requirements of new generation which gave a refuge to western music in Pakistani society. Faiz also describe the problem of national identity and relates it to the classical tradition of the arts. Traditions of dancing and music were in Indian society long before arrival of Islam in region; hence contain many ingredients which are not related to Islamic social traditions. Tradition of dancing and music also contains many ingredients from areas which are not Pakistani so this tradition cannot be exclusively Pakistani. Should this tradition then be accepted or alienated from Pakistani society? According to Faiz there are two schools of thought in Pakistan arguing on this question. First school of thought wants to develop a complete new national identity with estranging all elements of our past, but this thought leaves a big question mark on issue relating Urdu as national language and Hockey as national. The differing view on adopting or alienating tradition is that this tradition was accepted by our forefathers and this tradition represents days of Muslim glory in South Asia. This tradition should be accepted and actively patronized. There is also another points of view in this context that a clear distinction should be must be made between non-Islamic and Anti-Islamic in arts. 4_ It is obvious from the movie and article that political and religious agencies were main reason for downfall of this tradition in Pakistan. Classical musician should also be held liable for several reasons which played important role in alienating and diluting society from this tradition

A.V Lundstedt- Scandinavian Realist

Brief Historical Background of A V Lundstedt Lundstedt (1882-1955) was a Swedish jurist and a proponent of Scandinavian Legal Realism. He was also a professor of Law at the University of Uppsala in Sweden, from 1914 to 1952. Similarly to Haegerstrom, Ross and Olivercrona, he resisted the exposition of rights as metaphysical entities- contending that realistic legal analysis should dispense with such ideology. Beyond being a prominent tort law scholar, Lundstedt was also a social democratic member of the Swedish Parliament from 1929 to 1948.The body of his work can be viewed as an attempt to revolutionise the field of jurisprudence by transforming the law into a catalyst for political and social reform. Legal Knowledge and Legal Science Lundstedt is regarded by some as the most extreme and buoyant of the Scandinavian realists. Lundstedt advocated that legal science should be conceived of as a real science, and to that end he rejected traditional legal science. His main objection to tr aditional legal science was that it employed metaphysical concepts; inter alia, â€Å"right†, â€Å"duty†, â€Å"wrong –doing† and â€Å"guilt†.The focal point of his theoretical work was his sustained attacks towards what he termed the method of justice. The method of justice is the turn of phrase used by Lundstedt to denote traditional legal science, (derived from the traditional method of natural law), which holds that human beings are persons endowed with legal rights and duties. He was of the view that the term â€Å"right† and other metaphysical concepts employed by traditional legal science, were all illusory concepts ; that they were naught else but an intellectual play with expressions of feeling – as if something real were designated thereby.Such concepts could not be used because they did not refer to any natural facts – therefore the terms were devoid of any conceptual meaning. To cement the sphere of legal knowledg e as a bonafide, real science – legal science must be an empirical science, which deals with social facts: â€Å"As a science jurisprudence [legal science] must be founded on experience, observation of facts and actual connections, and consequently be a natural science. † He perceived that terms such as â€Å"legal order† and legal rules† are not concepts but merely empty words that ought to be replaced with the term â€Å"legal machinery†.Legal machinery in this vain, is used to denote the psychological factors that determine human behaviour in relation to the use of legal vocabulary. He postulated that legal concepts such as â€Å"right† and â€Å"duty† are also bereft of any conceptual meaning and should be abandoned. Therefore, the legal vocabulary of traditional legal science is to be understood as a matter of using words and noises to cause the appropriate behaviour; these words and noises are not concepts which could be said to be the reasons for human conduct.However Lundstedt conceded in his writings that, there are some realities that correspond to the concept of â€Å"rights†- namely, a position of advantage and safety, which is a result of the regular enforcement of certain legal rules and the psychological effects this had on the minds of people. In short, because the courts come to one’s aid when a person alleges an infringement of a â€Å"right†, a layman is left with the psychological impression that his/her right is real because the courts have sought to address the â€Å"wrong† they were done.As discussed earlier, the term â€Å"right† does not designate anything observable, tangible nor anything capable of sensory perception. One cannot show you their right- and thus Lundstedt argued that a â€Å"right† is a fictitious entity. It must be borne in mind that Lundstedt’s line of reasoning is not what is understood by the term â€Å"rights† wh en referenced in legal science nor in the public mind, and therefore he argued that it would be better still, to do away with the concept altogether.This stringent scientific attitude of Lundstedt’s , was committed to replacing the magical/metaphysical terms associated with traditional legal science scholarship, with scientific concepts having a basis in reality. In Lundstedt’s view, the scientific concepts were essentially empirical laws, stating the causal relations between the legal words and their effects upon human behaviour. The Method of Social Welfare Lundstedt was of the view that there was no objective means to define the requirements of justice, and that invocations of justice cloaked purely subjective preferences – i. e. he divergences of opinion concerning whether the death penalty is just. Alternatively he argued that such invocations of justice were representations of unacceptable metaphysical claims – i. e. in ancient Rome it was believed that the Emperor was the chosen emissary of God. For this reason, Lundstedt endeavoured to replace the method of justice with the method of social welfare, in solving legal problems. The method of social welfare is premised on social aims- that the aim of all legal activities such as judicial decision making, and the promulgation of legislation should be geared toward benefiting mankind.He emphasised that his notion of social welfare was not a moral or philosophical principle, but that the term should be understood in a descriptive sense; representing the actual valuations of people in society. He ardently denied that his method of social welfare was in anyway way related to the ethical theories of Jeremy Bentham or John Stuart Mill, as his theory was criticised as just another version of utilitarianism. For example, Lundstedt stated the purpose of punishment is not for revenge, but to maintain a system that is for the benefit of all i. . a system in which a thief is held liable for his damages. Were the purpose of the law to be â€Å"justice†, he opined that it could be argued that theft should be condoned if the thief is considerably worse off than the person(s) from whom he stole. (An illustration of why he rejected the concept of justice) Lundstedt argued that the method of social welfare is a scientific approach, as it is premised upon the reality of human needs and wants; and that the aforenamed are facts to be known by science.Lundstedt believed that his method should inform and shape legislation; as it was centred on the objective study of social conditions, and on the practical effects and capabilities of the law in improving society for all its members. In furthering his views that the law should be used as a vehicle for social reform, Lundstedt used this method as a line of argument against a proposed prohibition law in the 1920s. He was of the view that such a ban would harm the public respect for the law.In the 1930s he once again used his method to advocate for the decriminalization of homosexuality, which was quite a radical stance to take, taking into account the times in which he lived. Lundstedt’s arguments have been criticised as being not altogether convincing, as he failed to prove that people generally and truly supported the values he advocated. Moreover, he did not provide a measure for those situations in which the valuations of people differed greatly. ——————————————– [ 1 ].J Bjarup, The Philosophy of Scandinavian Legal Realism (2005) [ 2 ]. J-O Sundell, Vilhelm Lundstedt- A Biographical Sketch , (2010) [ 3 ]. Supra [ 4 ]. J Strang, Two Generations of Scandinavian Legal Realists,(2009) [ 5 ]. T Spaak, Naturalism in Scandinavian and American Realism: Similarities and Differences, [ 6 ]. Supra [ 7 ]. J Bjarup, The Philosophy of Scandinavian Legal Realism (2005) [ 8 ]. M Freeman & P Mindus, The Leg acy of John Austin’s Jurisprudence [ 9 ]. A. V. Lundstedt, Legal Thinking Revised, (1956) 10 ]. M Freeman & P Mindus, The Legacy of John Austin’s Jurisprudence, [ 11 ]. Supra [ 12 ]. M Freeman & P Mindus, The Legacy of John Austin’s Jurisprudence [ 13 ]. J Strang, Two Generations of Scandinavian Realists,(2009) [ 14 ]. Supra [ 15 ]. J Bjarup, The Philosophy of Scandinavian Legal Realism, (2005) [ 16 ]. Supra [ 17 ]. Some believe that it is the retribution of society that justifies the death penalty, whilst others aver that it is not for mortals to deprive the ‘killer’ of life.Whichever side of the coin you fall, your perception as to what is just and moreover whether the death penalty is or is not an injustice depends heavily upon your feelings and values concerning human life. [ 18 ]. J Bjarup, The Philosophy of Scandinavian Legal Realism, (2005) [ 19 ]. Supra [ 20 ]. J Strang, Two Generations of Scandinavian Realists,(2009) [ 21 ]. Supra [ 22 ]. J -O Sundell, Vilhelm Lundstedt- A Biographical Sketch , (2010) [ 23 ]. J Bjarup, The Philosophy of Scandinavian Legal Realism, (2005)