Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Critical thinking - Essay Example affordable housing is housing where there is an intervention in the market through public subsidy† (2005, p.22).Other terms such as subsidized housing, attainable housing, and low-income housing can be used to mean affordable housing (Cowan, 2008). In recent years, the cost of property has grown more rapidly than incomes making it presently impossible for low and middle income earners to afford reasonable properties. First time buyers also form the group of people that is losing the most for lack of affordable housing (Whitfield, 2012). Due to this, some people have to search around for more affordable property in other areas. Sassi points out that â€Å"in the UK there is a deficit of between 30,000 and 45,000 affordable housing units being built each year† (2012, p.66). People working in high property value areas such as the South East and London are usually affected by the high prices of property. There is need for more affordable housing units to accommodate the needs of everyone, since even while housing benefits can reduce the burden that comes with housing for low income earners, the number of people in need of affordable housing is too big to be catered for through the housing benefits. The UK government has been investigating different approaches to increase the number of affordable housing, as well as planning on prefabricating parts and sometimes entire buildings to create room for more occupants. According to Sassi â€Å"prefabrication offers a good potential for creating energy-efficient housing by integrating higher levels of insulation in new construction systems† (2012, p.66). Prefabrication may be done on-site or off-site. However, off-site prefabrication carries more benefits over on-site fabrication since, in off-site fabrication manufacturing waste is reduced, while factory construction addresses the problem on construction skills shortage which is abound in the UK. In the United Kingdom, more than half of affordable housing is achieved

One Thousand And One Nights Essay Example for Free

One Thousand And One Nights Essay Authors Note: I will confess that sucked-into-video-game styled stories have always been a guilty pleasure of mine. My only complaint is that they always tend to follow the same formula. With that in mind, I am going to try and switch things up a bit with this story. I hope you enjoy it, and regardless of the feedback being good or bad, I would love to hear your thoughts. PROLOGUE By the time you are nine-years-old, you are already considered a woman. In my mothers country, you could already be married off at that age. You could live in a house with your husbands family, you could bare children, and you can consumate your marriage even before you are of a mature age. Alas, I am not nine, I am not married, and in many respects, Im not yet a woman. At least, Ive never felt that way. To be perfectly honest, Ive always felt like a child. My family may have disciplined me into being quiet and intelligent, to pray five times a day to Allah, to read the Quran and wear the hijab, and always to get good grades, but Ive always felt this longing for adventure. They wanted me to grow up quickly so I would have a future that was every bit as special and important as the ones promised to other American children. But during my studies, my mind would always wander to imaginary worlds of castles, dragons, fairies, and of knights and princesses that banded together to save the day. And that feeling would build in my chest: warm and comforting, so light that it can almost lift you off your feet, whispering promises of laughter and happiness to come. It isnt easy being a Muslim in a sixth grade class full of conservative Christians, girls with gothic make up, or boys with their pants worn so low that their underwear shows. Despite how different they all are from each other, all of them were the same in their treatment towards me. At the very least, my imagination would offer feelings of companionship. Close friends who would accept me for who I was and not for what I wore or how many times I had to stop and pray throughout the day. At least, when I had finished my homework and had the time to write and draw in my notebooks, I could return to that imaginary place of peace and happiness. And sometimes, as childish as it may sound, I would pretend that such a place existed. Then I was killed. At least, thats what I think happened. The nicest aspect of imagination is that, in your own world, there are no Islamophobes. There are no people who want you dead simply because you are Muslim. You dont have to worry about stepping into the mosque and some scary man driving a van full of explosives into the building. He wanted to take out as many Muslims as he could, and one of them was me. Everything happened so suddenly that its hard to recall exactly how it happened. I remember hearing glass shattering. The doors leading into the mosque were made of glass, so I assume that was where the van drove into the building. There was the sound of doors being broken down, or wood snapping, and then the blast. I was the closest to the wall where the explosion went off. I remember feeling something smash against the side of my head and I briefly remember the heat that followed. There was nothingness for awhile: I could not see, think, or hear anything that was happening around me. I could not feel anything anymore. The best way I can accurately describe it would be a black out. Because it happened so quickly, I did not have time to register whether or not I was dead. I reached that conclusion when I woke up here. The Quran describes paradise as a place of large trees, sweet water, and pure soil of musk. The dwellers of heaven would not feel the excessive heat of the sun, nor the excessive cold of the moon. It is a realm of magnificence. This afterlife did not fit that exact description. There were trees larger than any I have seen in this life. There was water, beautiful and sweet, with the ability to heal me if I were hurt, or provide me with energy when I was weary. There was soil so pure that flowers and plants of all kinds could grow. It was indeed a realm of magnificence, but also a realm of both wonder and ruin. There were times that were heartbreaking. There were moments where I was sure I was going to die a second death. There were moments where we would walk and walk and walk with no chance of knowing if we would ever truly reach our destination. But there were moments of happiness and laughter. There were moments where we could laugh about the hardships we had just overcome. And there was that feeling of acceptance. I had found people who did not hate me for what I wore or what I worshipped. Before I continue with my story, I should introduce myself: My name is Nasira. I was twelve-years-old when I died and woke up on the Mist Continent.

Ngugi wa Thiong’os Personal and Political Beliefs Through A Grain of W

Ngugi wa Thiong’o's Personal and Political Beliefs Through A Grain of Wheat Ngugi wa Thiong’o is a Kenyan born writer of Gikuyu descent, born in 1938 in Limuru. He attended Alliance High School in Kenya, Makere University in Uganda, and Leeds University in England. In 1992 Ngugi was honored with the Paul Robeson Award for Artistic Excellence, Political Conscience, and Integrity. He received the Gwendolyn Brooks Center Contributors’ Award for Significant Contribution to the Black Literary Arts in 1994. Currently he is The Erich Remarque Professor of Comparative Literature and Performance Studies at New York University. However, before achieving this notability, Ngugi experienced life in a colonized country. This ultimately led Ngugi to become an active supporter of Kenyan independence and Jomo Kenyatta through his writings. Ngugi’s personal and political beliefs are reflected in his novel A Grain of Wheat, which he wrote as an optimistic patriot. Ngugi has written numerous novels and plays on the politics, the corruption, capitalism, religious hypocrisy and the cultural effects of colonization. Some of his works include Weep Not, Child (1964), Decolonising the Mind (1986), and Detained: A Writer's Prison Diary (1981). To further support his political belief, Ngugi stopped writing his books in English. He called his book Decolonising the Mind his "farewell to English" (Margulis http://www.emory.edu/ENGLISH/Bahri/Ngugi.html) because it would become his last book written in English. In 1978 Ngugi was imprisoned for one year, without trial, by the Kenyan government after co-writing the play I Will Marry When I Want. It was during this imprisonment that he wrote the book Detained to describe his ordeal. However, Ngu... ... the elections. Ngugi does remain optimistic that one day his people will reunite and learn that change is inevitable, and one-day Kenya will achieve what its founding fathers envisioned. Works Cited Behrent, Megan. â€Å"Ngugi wa Thiong’o on the Language Question†. Online posting. 1997. Political Discourse – Theories of Colonialism & Postcolonialism. November 10, 1999. <http://landow.stg.brown.edu/post/poldiscourse/behrent.html.> Margulis, Jennifer. â€Å"Ngugi wa Thiong’o†. Online posting. Spring 1996. Ngugi wa Thiong’o. November 10, 1999. <http://www.emory.edu/ENGLISH/Bahri/Ngugi.html.> Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Personal Interview. October 28, 1999. Ngugi wa Thiong'o. A Grain of Wheat: New Hampshire: Heinemann, 1967. "Ngugi wa Thiong'o" Encyclopedia Britannica Online. http://www.eb.com:180/bol/topic?eu=57045&sctn=1 [November 10, 1999]

Charles Dickens engender sympathy Essay

How does Charles Dickens engender sympathy for his protagonist Pip in this extract from ‘Great Expectations’? In this essay on ‘Great Expectations’, I am going to explore how the experiences of the main character Pip, create sympathy from the reader for him and how Dickens has put this across. Charles Dickens has written a gripping novel, set in his time and he has created sympathy for Pip in many different ways throughout the text. A first example of this is when Pip visits Miss Havisham’s house and meets Estella. ‘She called me â€Å"boy† so often and with a carelessness that was far from complimentary7, this shows that the way Estella spoke to Pip and that, instead of addressing him by his name, she just called him boy as if he was not worthy of his name, and he could sense that she did not really like him because of the way she said this, as indicated in the quote. This makes the reader feel sorry for Pip as Estella was very rude to him and unwelcoming, and nobody would really like to be in his position. So as well as being uncomfortable at the way Estella treats him, Pip also feels uncomfortable with his new surroundings as he has grown up with Joe and his Sister in poor, working class conditions at a Blacksmith’s forge, whereas Satis House is very different. It is rich and grand but also scary for Pip. ‘The first thing I noticed was that the passages were all dark’, this shows that Pip must have been quite frightened because of the darkness, and he was in a strange place but it is even worse that it is the first thing he noticed about the house. Pip was frightened of his surroundings as they were gothic and dark and very different, but the fact that he did know anyone at all must have also been a challenging experience. ‘At last we came to the door of a room and she said, â€Å"Go in/’ I answered more in shyness than politeness, â€Å"After you miss. † To this she returned: â€Å"Don’t be ridiculous boy; I am not going in. † And scornfully walked away, and what was worse took the candle with her. ‘ This was very uncomfortable and I was half afraid/ This long quote, from the extract shows a lot, first of all that he was very shy and uncomfortable in everyway at where he was and that he didn’t know anyone and he was also afraid. When he entered Miss Havisham’s room he was afraid again because of the very strange surroundings he entered into. ‘No glimpse of daylight was to be seen in it! ‘ this shows that it was very unusual and he was quite frightened and also when he saw Miss Havisham, ‘the strangest lady I have ever seen or shall ever see/ As well as being very strange, Pip also noticed that she was extremely rich, ‘some bright jewels sparkled on her neck and her hands, and some other jewels lay sparkling on the table/ Pip was not used to seeing such finery or such unusual surroundings so all of this makes the reader feel very sympathetic towards him. Miss Havisham’s mental state could also be a coarse for concern as, since her fianci left her on their wedding day and broke her heart she went a bit mad and stopped all of the clocks in the house and, by never touching anything in her room she tried literally to stop time at the prosiest second her heart was broken. ‘Her watch had stopped at twenty minutes to nine’ and she says to Pip ‘†What do I touch? † â€Å"Your heart. † â€Å"Broken! â€Å"‘ This experience must have been very frightening and unsettling for a young naive boy who was not used to being in the presence of such an eccentric and slightly mad old lady. Not just the fact that Miss Havisham was strange and so were her surroundings she also spoke to Pip and ordered him in a very strange and suspicious/manner. ‘†I sometimes have sick fancies† â€Å"and I have a sick fancy that I want to see some play. There, there! † â€Å"Play, play, play! â€Å"‘ This order seems rather strange for an old woman to have a fancy to see a young boy play but also the repetitive way in which she commands him to ‘†Play, play, play! â€Å"‘ She says this three times and Pip does not really know what to do so he therefore feels very awkward. After the harsh words from Estella and meeting Miss Havisham, Pip starts to feel the realisation of his low social status. ‘ This boy, why he is a common labouring boy, these words from Estella hurt Pip deeply but he did not show his true emotions until he was alone. ‘As I cried, I kicked the wall and took a hard twist at my hair; so bitter where my feelings! ‘ Dickens has displayed this very well as you can also feel a connection with him, because it is written in first person narration I, so you feel like Pip is actually talking to you, and you could imagine if you were in Pip’s position you, yourself would feel very frightened and uncomfortable so you end up feeling sorry and sympathetic for him.

Fallingwater Critque

I TLD understand the building when I first saw It's Image pop up, but with further Investigation, It grew on me. Maybe It Is because I am not an outdoorsy kind of person But the way the building Is designed, Is unique and quit intriguing. This building has many square edges, it seems basic along the outside of the building. But it is when you look at the materials used, the rocks along the exterior walls and the red paned windows and railings that seem to bring everything all together.I still am not sure if I like the way the building is put together, but it works for it's private and intimate location. It appears to have been always made for this location, the building seems almost natural. And the colors work very well together, again, all natural. Structure: The structure of the building varies with each area. There are 3 horizontal trays made up of reinforced concrete which form there three levels of the house. There are four piers, or bolsters anchored Into a boulder underneath the mall floor act as the fulcrum for the house.Counterbalancing weight to the back, or north side, of the house keep it from toppling into the stream. The cantilever, which is the long piece of concrete underneath the building is the basis for the entire structure. Materials: The materials which Frank Lloyd Wright has used to create the falling water building were very simple. He used sandstone, reinforced concrete, steel and glass. Which all the materials can be seen by loping right at the building. The building has many shapes and lines, but together it flows very peacefully.Some that re seen are pentagon, rectangle, semi-circle and squares pieces of the building. Talking about them separately, you wouldn't think they would flow as nicely. But they do work together In this setting. Context: The environment and the building all do flow nicely together. If this building was built in a rural area in a community of other rural homes, it would NEVER fit in. But this building creates t he environment and atmosphere as if it was always made to be there. It has become on with the river and surrounding landscape. It grows as the trees would grow that hover the river and building.

History of Celtic Christianity

History of Celtic Christianity Throughout history, there have been periods characterized by renewal and spiritual hunger. At times, people have tried to further understand their spiritual life by reverting to the origins of their faith. As the second millennium neared its end and at the beginning of the third one, organized religions of the world were unable to establish the connection they had been looking for. In the present times, people have been exploring the Celtic tradition in a bid to be in touch with what they have regarded as the Sacred Divine.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on History of Celtic Christianity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For years, a collection of many books has been written in an attempt to fully understand the pre-Christian Celtic culture and history. Anthropology and archeology have gradually started to provide some useful information concerning the Celts. However, there have been many challenges presenting themsel ves when trying to understand this history and culture. One of the challenges that can be pointed out is that the process of interpreting the available literary and archeological materials can only be achieved through thorough comparisons which take a lot of time to complete. For instance, the earliest existing sources are derived from a period when the earlier practices and beliefs had been replaced by Christianity. The challenge is that scholars who try to explain the history and culture of the Celts today must document things that were stated as facts and the ones that were not stated. Many people today might think that Celts were one race but this was not the case since they were a group of societies characterized by diversity. They were different tribes living in different locations but who shared value systems and beliefs. In addition, they had common cultural roots and linguistic affiliations. The term Celtic is used to refer to ‘of or related to indo-European languages Celtic group.’ For a long period of time the term was used to make reference to everything pertaining to individuals believed to have lived in regions where Celtic languages were spoken. A hypothetical common Celtic from indo-European came into place by 1000 BC. The different tribes speaking this language became the group of people dominating Central and Western Europe by 6th century BC as it known by the Romans and the Greeks. After some years, but before the end of the pre-historic period, the language split into two. Today, there are different sources that document the history and culture of the Celtic people and which can be used to gain further understanding of the group. For instance, archeological findings reveal that the Celts were creative and skilled artisans. They produced complicated metal workings in bronze, silver and gold which exhibited their unique skills and creativity.Advertising Looking for article on religion theology? Let's see if we can help y ou! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From archeology, it is understood that the Celts also produced beautiful and useful pottery alongside wood-workings and textile. Another source of information that gives insight about the Celts is written legends and myths. These narrate different aspects of the lives of the Celts. For instance, through myths and legends, their belief systems are understood. Apart from archeological and legendary sources, there are other written sources of information available to scholars that provide some insights on the culture and history of the Celts. There are documentary texts that explain concepts like language since language has no physical manifestation. These written sources assist in reconstructing the history of the Celts. Linguistics in the sense of Celtic names also provides philologists with insightful information on where to place the language of the Celts in relation to other world languages.

Population demographic for australia Essay Example

Population demographic for australia Essay Example Population demographic for australia Essay Population demographic for australia Essay Australia has become the 52nd most populous country in the world. Population Demographics and its diversity have played a key role in shaping the very foundations of todays culture. This can be seen through the transparencies of our local communities and the different profiles that co-exist within. This critical review will examine the population demographics of the Fairfield City Council. Through a number of sources including; (Fairfield a history of the District, Geographical Research- implications for Australia cities and region, Fairfield Aged Services Survey and Fairfield City- the Community profile) this report will identify the existing frameworks of the current scene outlined in those sources, whilst also evaluating the strengths and weakness of the articles themselves. Summary- The first piece of article being reviewed is the Geographical review released from the 2010 Intergenerational report (IGRP). The paper analyses the current trends and likely directions in the population and distribution and the major implications from the nations metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, relating directly the Fairfield city area. Further to this, it also isolates and pinpoints the cause the growth is based solely and driven by the effects and causes of immigration. This is clearly shown through the ethnic diversity in the Fairfield area. McGuire and Argent (2011) Journal article further represents this. It states that 80% of the population within Fairfield is ethnic including languages of Spanish, Arabic/Assyrian, Vietnamese and English. Secondly, the Fairfield city- Community Profile released biblically on the Fairfield city council website outlines the statistics associated with the diverse population of the Fairfield city area. The Fairfield City Community Profile provides demographic analysis for the city and its suburbs based on results from the 2011, 2001, 1996, and 1991 censuses of Population. Conducted by the council, the research divides Fairfield city into smaller areas of representation and subsequently the different ethnicities, age and gender within those areas. Thirdly, the publication of Vance Georges Fairfield A History of the District was written based upon the early researches conducted in the sasss, where he accepted commission from the Fairfield City Council to examine the dynamics of the Fairfield local government. Interviews were lead to analyses the recordings of citizens of their memories within the district. In addition to this, Vance George started to write newspaper articles about Fairfield history and complied a series of notes for those seeking information about the areas past, or for students undertaking local history projects. The common theme behind all his works, proudly claim that Fairfield has the highest migrant population of any local government area in the nation, with the largest Italian, Yugoslavian and South-East communities in Australia. Finally, the Aged Services survey was commissioned and funded by the State Library of NEWS grant to discover why elder immigrant use the library less than others and how education can be increased. In an Australian and possible the worlds first the survey explored the behavior of library and non-library users in three different languages: Assyrian/Arabic , Spanish and Vietnamese. Written by income, behavioral and attitude characteristics of each demographic groups and suggestions in approving further assimilating policies within the community. Lastly, the survey shows that the 193,000 population can be broken down into three group Arabic/Assyrian, Spanish and Vietnamese. Critique- Through a sound analysis the evidence gained has identified that the population geographic of Fairfield city is a multicultural and diverse region. All four sources point out that the demographic of Fairfield is populated by immigrants from regions of the world which consist of three major groups; these groups are of Spanish, Assyrian/Arabic and Vietnamese backgrounds. The difference between all these sources is that they dont identify specific characteristics of the groups involved. The sources are not consistent with information regarding age, gender and the number of individuals that are Australian born with parents born abroad. The main ideas to why all the sources were written are to show Fairfield city as the most diversely populated region in Australia. The main aspects covered by the sources include information regarding the matter of surveys being conducted throughout the Fairfield region on how it has always been culturally diverse region. Throughout surveys conducted the information obtained has lead us to believe that it has always been a very cultural region, these surveys where done from the asses towards late 2011. Sampling is done usually because it is impossible to test every single individual in the population. It is also done to save time, money and effort while conducting the research. The sampling used by the researchers provided helps the readers to understand clearly that they have used probability sampling. Probability sampling makes sure that the reader understands that the survey conducted allowed every individual in the population have equal chance of being selected as a subject for the research, this was done so that the information obtained was as accurate as possible. The sources provided clearly show through this method they have achieved their goal of trying to show diversity inside of the Fairfield city region. Population geography is one of the most data-rich fields in the discipline. This is because most communities conduct comprehensive censuses around every ten years; this is shown in the sources provided. These contain such information as gender, age and ethnic background. In the examples provided the Fairfield city council conducted surveys between 1970 to 2011. This data is maintained by the Fairfield council and Australian Government. Population data is also available through government documents like birth and death certificates. Governments, universities and private organizations also ark to conduct different surveys and studies to gather data about population specifics and behavior that could be related to topics in population geography. As a resident of Fairfield city, I can concur with the data being provided to readers that it is convincing because all the different types of data provided in different sources provide information of the same nature. All the sources data within tables and graphs is very similar and there are no major differences within the numbers provided in their research. Conclusion- diverse in terms of different cultures living in one sector of the wide population. Fairfield city is the most populated city in Australia in terms of having different ethnic backgrounds in the one region. From when the first survey was conducted in this area until the most recent survey, a multicultural diversity has always been a major part of the growth towards Fairfield City, Multiculturalism has always played a major role in the development of the city. This is also shown in Australias immigration drive that has allowed 60% of the Australian society with migrant backgrounds. The sources that I have provided all restate the same diversity in the Fairfield city population demographic.