American Beauty :: Film Movies American Beauty Essays

American Beauty American Beauty tells the story of one man's search for happiness. The film introduces the audience to Lester Burnham, an ordinary- looking married man and father in his forties. Lester is in a loveless marriage. Lester's wife, Carolyn, is so wrapped-up in her real estate career that Lester often claims that Carolyn doesn't even acknowledge him. Furthermore, Lester's daughter, Jane, is completely distant, often claiming how "pathetic" she thinks her father is. Moreover, Lester has dedicated fourteen years to his occupation, and suddenly, he is in danger of losing his job due to downsizing. All of these factors dramatically effect Lester and culminate into feelings of desperation and vulnerability for him. Lester is therefore in search of an escape and a rebirth. He is seeking the slightest possibility of happiness. Throughout the story Lester is consistently reminiscing on his past; wishing he could have it back. In the beginning portions of the story, Lester, as the narrator, state s that "it is never too late to regain your past." The catalyst to this frame of thought is Jane's friend, Angela. Lester feels excited by the thought that a teen-age girl thinks he is "hot." Lester overhears Angela state that she would have sex with him if Lester would start working-out and build-up his body. This drives Lester to change himself completely. Lester, in desperate search of happiness , finds an escape in Angela. Much like a hormone-driven teenage boy, Lester thinks that if he can "score" with a "bombshell" like Angela, then he will be reborn. Lester's mission for happiness and escape is further perpetuated by his eighteen year old neighbor, Ricky. In Ricky, Lester sees his model for rebirth. Lester calls Ricky his "hero" and is in awe of Ricky's confidence. Lester, then begins a transformation back to his stereotypical understanding of what a teenager is. Lester begins to work-out, smoke pot, and drink beer. Much like a teen, he rebels against responsibility by quitti ng his job and; therefore, bypassing his duties as a provider to his daughter and wife. Furthermore, Lester spontaneously, trades in his Mercedes automobile for a 1970's cherry-red Trans Am sports car. In addition, Lester pursues a job with the least amount of responsibility. He finds that job in a fast food restaurant. All of these actions are deemed necessary to Lester because this is the way to escape and thus achieving happiness.

Deaf Culture

Deaf Culture in America CAPSTONE PROJECT By Heather Velez Liberal Arts Capstone LIB-495-OL010 Dr. David Weischadle April 19,2013 Abstract The purpose of this research paper is to answer the major question, what is Deaf culture? There are three sub-questions that will assist in answering the major question: (1) What constitutes Deaf culture? (2) How has American Sign Language impacted the Deaf community? (3) What are the major issues that are being addressed in Deaf culture today? With these questions answer, it will give a better understanding as to what Deaf culture is and that it is indeed a culture.The methodology of my research is based off of internet, books, and a survey. My methodology of this paper is clear and simple. It was hard to find a lot of credible sources that should be used in this paper. A survey of one question to the general public in order to prove a point and purpose of this paper. Gallaudet University website has amazing sources to use and also helped guide in choosing the right books/websites to do the research. In this paper there will be a lot of different terms that will confuse the readers.I will take the time now to go over a few of the terms that will be used in this paper. * ASL (American Sign Language) * Deafhood (Deaf Culture, Deaf pride) * ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) * Bi-Bi (Bilingual-Bicultural) * CODA (Child of Deaf Adult(s)) * NAD (National Association of the Deaf) I With my research I have found a lot of interesting discoveries. Not only were the books and internet research but with the survey I conducted of one simple question, what is Deaf culture? After asking this question to 50 people I have received some interesting answers that were very surprising.This research has taught me a lot of interesting concepts and issues that are being faced today in the Deaf communities. II Table of Contents Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 Literature Review †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦ 3 Methodology †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 Results †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9 Summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 16 Discussion of Results . †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 20Work Citied †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 21 III 1 Introduction In this paper I will be discussing Deaf culture in America. The word culture is always interesting and has always been debated on.When people think of Deaf culture they only think of the language that is shared among the Deaf communities. Just like other cultures, Deaf culture is more than just a language shared among others. Deaf culture has been debated on in such that it isn’t a culture and it’s still being debated on today (Padden and Humphries). This paper is intended to educate others about Deaf culture and how it is most defiantly a culture. Most people have not heard of Deaf culture and let alone have met someone Deaf. I hope that this paper will educate those who are unaware of Deaf culture and become more accepting.Deafness is known to be abnormal in the business world. Business professionals tend to miss read the Deaf communities because of thei r lack of speech and hearing loss. A lot of Deaf people in general are looked at as someone with a learning disability or might of psychological problems. In a professional setting things are done differently between the â€Å"Hearing Culture† and the Deaf culture. In Deaf culture it is alright to turn off and on the lights to get everyone’s attention in a room; this is not okay for a hearing professional (signmedia).There is a huge gap in knowledge among the general public on Deaf culture (Padden and Humphries). The way Deaf people act in their daily lives may confuse others. Because the general public might think the way Deaf people act is taboo; they think Deaf people have learning, psychological disabilities because it is not normal for 2 them. A lot of people don’t understand how Deaf people have a culture and might make assumptions that Deaf culture doesn’t exist (Wilcox 2-5). My job is to answer that major question; what is Deaf culture?There are a lso questions that arise such as, what constitutes Deaf culture? There are two other questions that are very important into explaining the importance of Deaf culture, which is, how has ASL (American Sign Language) impacted the Deaf community and what are the major issues that are being addressed in Deaf culture today? This topic is very important to me because I was raised in the Deaf culture. My entire family is Deaf and have faced many of these questions that hearing people are unaware about. I feel that it is my job to educate when I have the chance to do so.By being able to educate at least one person, I have done my job. I do not think there is enough information out there to reach everyone’s awareness of Deaf culture. While investigating this topic I will be trying to ask at least 30-50 people; Deaf and hearing, about what they think Deaf culture is. I am very curious as to how many understand Deaf culture and how many Deaf people actually know what Deaf culture is. Dea f culture has been suppressed for many years that even the Deaf people might not know what really makes up Deaf culture.I also what to get the Deaf people’s take on what they think are the major issues that are being dealt with today and also how they think ASL has impacted their communities (History). I know that everyone will have a different take on these two questions and it is always interesting to see the different answers. I know that these questions and the answer that I get back will make the paper a whole lot more worth reading and understanding from a Deaf person’s perspective. 3 Deaf culture is very important to the Deaf communities.Deaf people have for many years fought to have their culture recognized, but still to this day Deaf culture is still being questioned as a culture. I hope that this paper will show those who read this that there is more to Deafness than what meets the eyes. I hope that I am able to help others understand Deaf culture and have a new respect for the Deaf communities around us (Padden and Humphries). Literature Review Rev. Jesse L. Jackson once said, â€Å"The problem is not the students do not hear. The problem is that the hearing world does not listen. In 1988, the rally that went on at Gallaudet University, Deaf President Now, set off major awareness of the Deaf communities in the United States. This was the beginning of what would change how people perceived the Deaf communities to be. Although, this was 25 years ago, the Deaf communities are still trying to get the awareness out (Deaf President Now). The Deaf communities are still trying to educate the United States that they are not to be perceived as people with disabilities and are unable to do much, but perfectly able bodies that can do just about anything but hear.With that being said, the 1988 rally at Gallaudet University paved the way for other Deaf communities in the United States to raise awareness and try to educate others which remains a dif ficult task to this day. With no language and no culture, there is only isolation which Deaf people will no longer allow (Deaf President Now). Deaf culture has been questioned from time to time. It wasn’t until the rally at Gallaudet University 25 years ago that a light was shone on deafness as a whole. 4 Although Deaf culture was formally recognized in 1965, people still didn’t know much about it (J, Michelle).The definition of culture explained by Dictionary. com: 1. The quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, ect. 2. That which is excellent in arts, manners, etc. 3. A particular form or stage of civilization, as that of certain nation or period: Greek culture. 4. Development or improvement of the mind by education or training. 5. The Behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group: the youth culture; the drug culture. (dictionary. com) The debate still is whether or not Deaf citizens have a culture.Given the definition above of what constitutes a culture, Deaf culture consists of all of these. The Deaf culture in America, like many other cultures, have a shared language; American Sign Language (ASL) (Padden and Humphries). ASL is used for Deaf people to communicate with one another and also to communicate with hearing people who know of the language. ASL is a visual/gestural language; there is no vocal component to the language. ASL is not a universal language, but other countries do have their own signed languages such as Italian Sign Language, and British Sign Language (J,Michelle).The use of ASL shares an identification and unity with other Deaf members in communities. Dr. Barbara Kannapel has observed Deaf communities to understand their values, rules, and traditions. She has concluded the following: Deaf communities are supporters of the 5 primary sense of vision for communication at school, in their homes, and in their communities (About American). They value the Deaf children that enter the world as the future of their Deaf culture, it is important to them to have Deaf children to pass on their language.Continuation of Deaf culture goes through the traditions of their films, folklore, poetry, literature, organizations, and school reunions. These traditions are very important to the Deaf communities and those who have children must pass on their traditions, otherwise they will be judged within their communities (About American). Deaf culture has been looked at as arbitrary because most of their language, ASL, cannot be translated into English. Even though Deaf culture has been somewhat acknowledged, the Deaf people are still fighting to be recognized and respected (J, Michelle).ASL is a complete and refined language. ASL contains its own grammar, culture, and syntax. The standardized Sign Language can date back in the early seventeen hundreds which supports the ASL’s origins. A SL isn’t a written form of language and cannot be written into English. When translating ASL it is completely different from the English language (J, Michelle). Abbe de l'Epee was from Paris and developed the Old French Sign Language in his Deaf school in 1754 (History). This was the first time that Deaf individuals had a school they could attend and allowed to learn. This was the frame work in the making for ASL.Meanwhile, in America, Martha’s Vineyard the birth rate of Deaf people where astonishingly high. The Deaf people that lived in Martha’s Vineyard had a genetic code that caused deafness at birth. While there were so many Deaf people living in the area the Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL) was created and used in so many households that had Deaf members. Another great man 6 named, Thomas Hopkin Gallaudet is accredited for the promotion of signing methods in America. He later partnered up with Dr. Mason Cogswell to research methods for Deaf chi ldren in Europe (History).Once Thomas had reached American the first Deaf school was opened in 1817, â€Å"American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb. † It was at this very school that ASL was born and where all different Sign Languages could influence the making of ASL. Today this school is now known as, American School for the Deaf. The children that attended this school later graduated and moved on to opening their own Deaf schools in the United States, influencing the language to thousands of Deaf children and adults. American Sign Language wasn’t always accepted and had some difficult time being accepted within society.Near the end of the 1800’s the use of oralism was imposed on the Deaf. He didn’t believe that ASL was a language that should be used. He believed the Deaf were being lazy and could learn to speak. With this movement it had hindered the growth of ASL in many Deaf communities across America. Deaf individuals couldn’t use their hands to communicate anymore and had to try their best at speaking for what they wanted. This completely crushed the education and language they were destined to have. They no longer could understand anyone let alone themselves, no language meant isolation (History).Carol Padden and Tom Humphries are co-authors of the book Inside Deaf Culture. In chapter 6, they show the similarities with the past silent films to the modern day silent Deaf theater. There is no difference within the two but for some reason with the modern society that we live in, its taboo for silent Deaf theater. People do not 7 understand Deaf people in general enough to understand and appreciate the Deaf theater. Deaf theater is part of Deaf culture, when learning the language you have to be able to show gestures which are used in silent films and Deaf theater (Padden and Humphries 123-143).Deaf people have been pushed in so many different directions with so many people making changes on what they should be doing. The bot tom line is; no language and no culture there is only isolation which the Deaf people will no longer allow. With all of these milestones in the history of the Deaf culture, there is only more to come. Abbe de l'Epee was a great man that gave a â€Å"voice† to those Deaf people who were silenced by their communities (About American). With the help of Thomas Gallaudet, Gallaudet University would have never set off the major awareness about deafness to America.Gallaudet University was the place that paved the way for many Deaf Americans to stand up and educate those around them of their language and culture (Deaf President Now). Methodology This research paper is on the topic of Deaf culture in America. The major question that I will be researching is what is Deaf culture? This paper will also be exploring these sub-questions in order to conclude the research paper; what constitutes Deaf culture, how has American Sign Language impacted the Deaf community, and what are the major issues that are being addressed in Deaf culture today?This topic is very detailed and so many unexplored areas. There will be a few different ways in researching this project. There will be a survey asking the general public and Deaf communities a simple question of, what is 8 Deaf culture. This question will allow me to be able to show the major differences between the two different communities. This research will also be using the Gallaudet University website to do most of my research. With the help of Gallaudet University website, other sources were found. Gallaudet has done so much research on topics today that Deaf communities are facing and also on Deaf culture.Gallaudet is the best source to receive and find information on this topic and very reliable. I will be answering the following sub-questions: 1. What Constitutes Deaf Culture? Using the dictionary. com for definition of culture shows what is involved within a culture. This definition will better show the true meaning o f culture and show that Deaf culture is indeed a culture. Knowing the definition will help others understand Deaf culture. There will be a one question survey asking a mixture of Deaf and hearing people this question to get an idea as to how many know about Deaf culture or the definition of culture. . How has American Sign Language impacted the Deaf community? Looking through the history from signgenius. com, will give a better understand how American Sign Language has impacted the Deaf communities. Gallaudet University has also published an article called â€Å"About American Deaf Culture† which gives you an insight on the impact it has caused. 3. What are the major issues that are being addressed in Deaf culture today? 9 Gallaudet University archives will be assisting in answering this question and also the National Association for the Deaf.This question will have a long list of items, but this paper will be touching upon the most important topic of today. Once all of these sub-questions are answered, the goal is to get the general public to understand the Deaf community better and understand the meaning of Deaf culture. This research in hope will make others more interested in researching more on their own and answer more of their questions. I have already started to ask questions to the general public and to Deaf communities as I go along. I am collecting my answers and putting them into similar answered piles to make up some kind of percentage I could use in my paper.I am also researching the Gallaudet University archives for facts on each topic. I will be using the facts I find from Gallaudet University and from the questions that were answered by the people to confirm my findings in my paper. Results This paper is intended to answer the major question, what is Deaf culture? This question is also followed by three sub-questions to help answer my major question. (1) What constitutes Deaf culture? (2) How has American Sign Language impacted the Deaf community? (3) What are the major issues that are being addressed in Deaf culture today?These sub-questions will also in the end answer many other questions that might arise when reading this paper. The plan is to educate others who are unaware of this topic. Culture has been defined in a way that many believe deafness couldn’t possibly be 10 in its own category of culture (J, Michelle). This paper will be explaining that Deaf culture is indeed a true culture and should be respected just as much as other cultures. What Constitutes Deaf Culture? In order to answer this first question, what constitutes Deaf culture, we need to first look at the definition of culture.The definition is explained by Dictionary. com: 1. The quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, ect. 2. That which is excellent in arts, manners, etc. 3. A particular form or stage of civilization, as that of certain n ation or period: Greek culture. 4. Development or improvement of the mind by education or training. 5. The Behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group: the youth culture; the drug culture.Just like any culture in the world, Deaf culture consists of social beliefs, values, behaviors, literary traditions, and art which are explained above in the definition (About American). A Deaf house hold will have the same way of communication and how they are able to live within a hearing world. Flashing lights will be the first thing noticed within a Deaf house hold. They flash their lights to get attention of another family member or their alarms, doorbell, and telephone are connected to some kind of flashing device. American Sign Language (ASL) is also shared within the Deaf culture.This language is very important to the way they communicate. This language is very visual 11 and abstract, it’s important to have every detail laid out in the language i n order for a Deaf person to understand what is being said (Padden and Humphries 123-126). ASL shares no similarity to English grammatically; it doesn’t share any aspect of English in any way broken, gestural or even mimed. English uses the subject-object-verb while ASL uses topic-comment syntax. Sign language has been developed specific to their communities and isn’t universal (Nakamura).There are also small communities set up all over for Deaf people to come together and share information or just to have great conversations. These communities are very important to the Deaf culture because there are not a lot of Deaf people living in one area, in order to meet and learn information from each other they have little communities set up and have monthly gatherings. These communities are much like the ones you will find in small villages and tribes but in large industrial societies (Wilcox 2-5). How has American Sign Language Impacted the Deaf Community?To start out with a nswering this question I would like to give a little background on ASL just so there is a more understanding as to what ASL is and how it impacted the Deaf communities in America. ASL is a complete and refined language. ASL contains its own grammar, culture, and syntax. The standardized Sign Language can date back in the early seventeen hundreds which supports the ASL’s origins. ASL isn’t a written form of language and cannot be written into English. When translating ASL it is completely different from the English language (J, Michelle).Abbe de l'Epee was from Paris and developed the Old French Sign Language in his Deaf school in 1754. This was the first 12 time that Deaf individuals had a school they could attend and allowed to learn. This was the frame work in the making for ASL. Meanwhile, in America, Martha’s Vineyard the birth rate of Deaf people where astonishingly high. The Deaf people that lived in Martha’s Vineyard had a genetic code that caused deafness at birth. While there were so many Deaf people living in the area the Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL) was created and used in so many households that had Deaf members (History).Another great man named, Thomas Hopkin Gallaudet is accredited for the promotion of signing methods in America. He later partnered up with Dr. Mason Cogswell to research methods for Deaf children in Europe. Once Thomas had reached American the first Deaf school was opened in 1817, â€Å"American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb. † It was at this very school that ASL was born and where all different Sign Languages could influence the making of ASL. Today this school is now known as, American School for the Deaf.The children that attended this school later graduated and moved on to opening their own Deaf schools in the United States, influencing the language to thousands of Deaf children and adults. American Sign Language wasn’t always accepted and had some difficult time being accepted within society. Near the end of the 1800’s the use of oralism was imposed on the Deaf. Linguist believes that ASL wasn’t a language that should be used. They believed the Deaf were being lazy and could learn to speak. With this movement it had hindered the growth of ASL in many Deaf communities across America.Deaf individuals couldn’t use their hands to communicate anymore and had to try their best at speaking for what they wanted (History). This completely crushed the education and language they were destined to have. They no longer could understand anyone let alone 13 themselves, no language meant isolation. With this isolation came frustration. They were looked at as disabled and unable to function. No one thought anything of a Deaf person, they pushed them in the back of the classrooms and allowed them to sit there all day until school was finished (History). What are the Major Issues within the Deaf Community Today?There is one major issue that is hitting home for just about all Deaf communities in America. Deaf schools are closing throughout the entire United States. There were 63 Deaf schools in the United States; that is no longer the case (U. S. State). Currently there are about 12 different Deaf schools in the United States that are in jeopardy of closing, 9 of these schools are in New York alone. The cause of these schools closing is the proposal of saving money for each state. These schools are government funded even though they are private schools. The government officials are trying to cut down budget by closing these schools.They are also proposing that these students from the Deaf school attend the mainstream schools that are in their area. They think it’s as simple as that but it really isn’t. It is hard for a Deaf student to get an interpreter that is willing to stay throughout the entire school year with them (NAD). The advantages of a Deaf school are the following: 1. Exposure to Deaf culture. Chi ldren who are sent to Deaf schools are exposed to the culture and language. It is important that they are exposed to understand who they are and to provide self-esteem. 2. The environmental learning that surrounds the children is essential to their 4 language. Communication is very vital to any person in the world, being able to speak the same language in school provide a better learning experience. 3. Deaf schools prevent children from falling into education and social gaps. They are able to learn important life skills just like every other child. 4. Deaf schools that are closed translate into job losses for those that are Deaf teachers. These Deaf teachers are less likely to be hired into a public school (Stop Closing). Another issue has also risen in the year of 2003. This may not be an issue for the general public but it has become an issue for the Deaf communities.Before explaining this I do want to take the time to share the true passion the Deaf have for their culture. It is true that many Deaf people wouldn’t do anything to change their life, such as being able to hear. They love and accept who they are and embrace their Deafness and their culture (J, Michelle). With that being said, scientists have been able to identify 30,000 genes that make up the human being, this also including genes that cause Deafness. In the mix of all of the new findings colleges and universities all over were starting to offer American Sign Language courses.American Sign Language courses are among the fifteen most popular taught languages across the United States. With this genetic information doctors and scientists are approaching their goal in being able to identify and correct the gene for Deafness. With this possibility it will most likely eliminate Deafness and American Sign Language. This is a big blow to most Deaf communities across the United States because their culture is very precious to them (Padden and Humphries 163- 15 166). They are not looking to be â⠂¬Å"corrected† they are looking to be understood by others.This is causing a lot of doctors to do more examinations of them instead of understanding them at all. Deaf people do not want to be looked at as some kind of science experiment. Each year there are thousands of Deaf children that are getting implanted with a cochlea implant; this helps the eardrum to react to sound. With these implants they hinder the learning process of language because these children are not taught ASL, they are forced to talk instead. These implants are also a big problem when it comes to needed an MRI or even a lifesaving defibrillator.An MRI or defibrillator could cause the implant to explode and kill the person instantly (163-166). From the above questions stated, there is much to research and so many more questions that may arise. With the research presented in this chapter, the conclusion is somewhat vague but is the building block of what to come in the next chapters of this paper. Again to r einstate the meaning of the word culture once again; culture consists of social beliefs, values, behaviors, literary traditions, and art (J, Michelle). Deaf culture also has the same categories that are stated above.Survey A survey was conducted by myself of 50 different people. This was only a one question survey, what is Deaf culture? The survey was with 25 people from the general public and 25 people from the Deaf communities. It’s important to have asked the same question to the Deaf communities because not every Deaf person were exposed to the Deaf culture or even use American Sign Language (J, Michelle). The results of this survey are: 16 20 people answered with, â€Å"Deaf culture? Is there such a thing? † 5 people answered with, â€Å"Deaf culture? I never heard of it. † people answered with, â€Å"A group of people, meeting together once a month. † 10 people answered with, â€Å" Deaf culture is when history and traditions are shared and passed down to the next generations. † 10 people answered with, â€Å" Traditions, history, stories, and beliefs are passed down and shared with Deaf families. Having Deaf children passes down these traditions that are shared. † Some of these answers have the full idea of what Deaf culture is and others are unaware of Deaf culture. This goes to show that there are a lot of people out there that do not know what Deaf culture is or even that it exist.I hope that this paper will create curiosity and learn more about it. Summary There is a huge gap in knowledge among the general public on Deaf culture (Padden and Humphries). The way Deaf people act in their daily lives may confuse others. Because the general public might think the way Deaf people act is taboo; they think Deaf people have learning, psychological disabilities because it is not normal for them. The purpose of this paper is to educate others that are unaware of the Deaf culture here in America (J, Michelle). Education is power and once people understand more, they are more accepting.The major question is; what is Deaf culture? In order to make this a 17 successful paper and to be able to answer this question there are the following sub- questions. (1) What constitutes Deaf culture? (2) How has American Sign Language impacted the Deaf community? (3) What are the major issues that are being addressed in Deaf culture today? These sub-questions help understand and answer the major question. Research wasn’t only based on internet, books, and journals; I also took it upon myself to question 50 people. The question that was asked is what is Deaf culture?When asking this question I have found some interesting answers and it also supports the purpose of researching this paper. The methodology of this paper is clear and simple. Finding a lot of credible sources satisfies my research paper and also having a one question survey to the general public and Deaf communities in order to support the purpos e of this paper. The Gallaudet University website has amazing sources to use and also helped guide in choosing the right books/websites to do this research. Gallaudet also gets a lot of their research and studies from these two authors, Carol Padden and Tom Humphries.These two authors are very knowledgeable in Deaf culture and how the communities are run; they have taken the time to study the Deaf communities in order to write their books. What really motivated me to do this research is a quote from Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, â€Å"The problem is not the students do not hear. The problem is that the hearing world does not listen. † (Deaf President Now) This quote is sums up the realization that the general public in America are unaware of Deafness and the culture that Deaf people share. In 1988, the ally that went on at Gallaudet University, Deaf President Now, set off major awareness of the Deaf communities in the United States. This was the beginning of what would 18 change how people perceived the Deaf communities to be. Although, this was 25 years ago, the Deaf communities are still trying to get the awareness out. The Deaf communities are still trying to educate the United States that they are not to be perceived as people with disabilities and are unable to do much, but perfectly able bodies that can do just about anything but hear (Deaf President Now).With all my research I want to be able to share a brief summary as to how I was able to answer these sub-questions I created in order to answer the major question. My research was pretty extensive and it took some time to break it down enough to give a direct answer to each sub-question. What Constitutes Deaf Culture? Dictionary. com has provided the definition of culture in order to answer the important question, what is Deaf culture? Giving the definition of culture is a great base to start off of. Being able to understand the definition will give a better understanding of how Deaf culture fits in the same criteria of any culture.Deaf culture has been debatable by many as to whether it was considered a culture or not. Just by putting the definition of culture and explaining all the components that make up a culture and how Deaf culture has the same components, already answers the major question but it’s still only half the answer. I have also asked a single question to 50 people on what they thought Deaf culture was. This also supported the fact that the general public is not knowledgeable in this topic. 19 How has American Sign Language Impacted the Deaf Community?Carol Padden and Tom Humphries have extensive knowledge about Deaf communities and how the impact of American Sign Language has made on Deaf communities. In order to answer this question, it required a brief history review. In order to understand how hard it was for the Deaf to communicate without sign language I believe gives another perspective on how important American Sign Language is to the Deaf communitie s. Also This helps answers the first sub-question by adding that American Sign Language is part of their culture because it’s a language that is shared throughout the communities and will be passed down to the generations to come.What are the Major Issues within the Deaf Community Today? The NAD (National Association for the Deaf) has been reporting on the major issues in the Deaf communities. As of the present day there are not enough Deaf schools around. This is a major problem because language skills, social skills, and the exposure the children get to their culture are very important (NAD). These schools are being shut down due to the fact there is very little knowledge as to how important these schools are to the Deaf communities. This topic is very important to mention because it also answers my first and second sub-questions.This issue shows how important it is to preserve American Sign Language along with their culture. Children in this generation are having a hard ti me with being able to be exposed to the Deaf culture because these schools are unable to be open to provide this exposure. In order for schools to stay open the government has to be educated in Deaf culture and their language. Without the knowledge they will continue to make these devastating decisions (Stop Closing). 20 Discussion of Results With this research I have found that the knowledge about Deaf culture in general is very minimal within the United States.We are aware of Deafness but we are not aware of the culture and the language that represents these people. In the books by Carol Padden and Tom Humphries, they basically summed up how misunderstood the Deaf communities are. Deaf communities are look at as being disabled and in need of help when that is far from the facts. With this paper and the resources I have provided in it will hopefully prompt others to look more into this topic and educate themselves about Deaf culture. With the three sub-questions that I have choose, (1) What constitutes Deaf culture? 2) How has American Sign Language impacted the Deaf community? (3) What are the major issues that are being addressed in Deaf culture today? I believe I have answered them all in detail and they all strongly support and answer my major question; what is Deaf culture? In conclusion to this paper, I believe it is safe to say that with more knowledge in this topic the Deaf communities will be able to preserve their culture and be understood more as individual Americans. Deafness is not a weakness it is just a miss component to the five senses. Deafness shouldn’t be considered a disability but as an opportunity. 1 Work Cited â€Å"About American Deaf Culture. † Gallaudet University . N. p.. Web. 2 Mar 2013. ;http://www. gallaudet. edu/clerc_center /information_and_resources/info_to_go /educate_children_(3_to_21) /resources_for_mainstream_programs /effective_inclusion/including_deaf_culture /about_american_deaf_culture. html;. â€Å"Amer ican Sign Language:History. † SignGenius. N. p.. Web. 3 Mar 2013. ;http://www. signgenius. com /american-sign-language/american- sign-language-history. shtml;. â€Å"Deaf President Now. † Gallaudet University . N. p.. Web. 2 Mar 2013. ;http://www. gallaudet. du /Gallaudet_University/About_Gallaudet /DPN_Home/Impact. html;. J, Michelle. â€Å"Deaf Culture Uncovered. † Articlesbase (2008): n. pag. Web. 2 Mar 2013. ;http://www. articlesbase. com/languages-articles /deaf-culture-uncovered-612047. html;. â€Å"NAD Action Alert: Preserve State Schools for the Deaf. † National Association of the Deaf. N. p. , 16 FEB 2011. Web. 3 Apr 2013. ;http://www. nad. org/news/2011/2/nad-action- 22 alert-preserve-state-schools-deaf;. Nakamura, Karen. â€Å"About American Sign Language. † Deaf Resource Library. N. p. , 13 Jul 1995. Web. 3 Apr 2013. lt;http://www. deaflibrary. org/asl. html Padden, Carol, and Tom Humphries. Inside Deaf Culture. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2005. Print. â€Å"Stop Closing Schools for the Deaf. † Deaf Think Tank. N. p. , 27 Sep 2012. Web. 3 Apr 2013. ;http://deafthinktank. org/stop-closing-schools -for-the-deaf/;. â€Å"U. S. State Residential Schools for the Deaf. † Deaf Education. N. p. , n. d. Web. 3 Apr 2013. ;http://www. deafed. net /PageText. asp? hdnPageId=105;. Wilcox, Sherman. American Deaf Culture: An Anthology. Burtonsville, Maryland: Linstok Press, 1989. 2-5. Print.

How did the “Doctrine of Empiricism” change the way artists created art?

The term â€Å"empiricism† has a dual etymology, stemming both from the Greek word for â€Å"experience†. (http://www. philosophybasics. com/branch_empiricism. html) The â€Å"Doctrine of Empiricism† changed the way artists created art. They went from an open-minded outlook on the way to express art to a more structured view. It vanished the idea of metaphysical, tradition, and myth and replaced it with critical thought, and the scientific method of experimentation and the knowledge through empirical data. (The Enlightenment) A philosopher that well represents empiricism was John Locke. Portrait of John Locke, by Sir Godfrey Kneller. Oil on canvas. 76Ãâ€"64 cm. Britain, 1697. Source of Entry: Collection of Sir Robert Walpole, Houghton Hall, 1779 Locke believed that everyone was born with a â€Å"blank slate† and knowledge was obtained from experience. ( Theory of Knowledge, Empiricism) That changed the way artists created art because it gave them a more realistic view on how to express themselves. They took what they already knew and have experienced and started a whole new perception. Although this whole concept was new to everyone, not everyone agreed. Jean-Jacques Rousseau argued the idea of perfection in progress and knowledge, but he still presented acceptable ideas because the philosophers of this period argued for the perfection of the natural. (The Enlightenment) Leonardo Da Vinci was an advocate for careful empirical observation and an early version of the scientific method, making him important to the development of both science and skepticism. Leonardo's emphasis on observation and empirical science was not separate from his art. ( Leonardo Da Vinci ; Science, Observation, Empiricism, and Mathematics) Vitruvius: Vitruvian Man, by Leonardo Da Vinci, 1490 The Vitruvian Man was created using contour lines. The detail and shading is limited but portrays his interest in proportion and science. Da Vinci put a visual emphasis on the body itself using shapes to create what acts as a border. Empiricism was a breakthrough in the late 17th century and during the 18th. It took the endless possibilities of art and gave everything a new perspective. It is the theory in which everything comes from experience and evidence. It changed the way artists created art by giving them some insight and background before they ventured off into the divine world of art. Works Cited http://www.theoryofknowledge.info/sources-of-knowledge/empiricism/ The Neoclassical (The Enlightenment) http://myeclassonline.com http://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_empiricism.html http://atheism.about.com/od/imagegalleries/ig/Leonardo-Da-Vinci/Virtuvius–Leonardo-Da-Vinci.htm

Sannu’s Story

Unit 8. Case Study 1. Sannu’s Story Sannu has contracted Leprosy. As a sixteen year old teenager, it is hard to pin point when he was infected since Leprosy has a long incubation period. As a small boy traveling barefoot along trails in his village, Sannu’s body has already adapted to his living conditions. Sannu’s feet are tough and calloused. As Sannu ages, so does his Leprosy infection progress. The infection will cause neuropathy in his extremities which will lead to many injuries to his feet and hands. The wounds acquired will be infected for weeks or even months without treatment.The neuropathy caused by the Leprosy infection is characterized by causing a decrease in sensation in the extremities, muscle weakness, and numbness. Sannu’s feet that have been toughened by his environment and life style have been further injured due to lack of sensation and medical treatment. In an attempt to keep his feet clean to aide the healing of his infections, Sannu is more than likely maintaining a sedentary life style. This life style along with the progression of the Leprosy infection will weaken Sannu’s muscles. A feature common to all forms of Leprosy is nerve infection.Nerve damage appears to result from the multiplication of bacilli within Schwann cells and damage to the perineurium. Most of the deformities occurring from Leprosy are in fact due to trauma or a secondary infection. In a Leprosy infection one of the first symptoms are anesthesia to heat and cold. Leprosy affects the peripheral nervous system by attacking the myelin sheath surrounding the axons which affects the reliability and speed of nerve impulses. In other words, the nerve fibers are no longer insulated and nerve impulses cannot be conducted efficiently.There are different types of sensory receptors located throughout the body and are designed based on a selective stimulus response. The appropriate receptive field is stimulated within a sensory receptor produci ng a response. In Sannu’s condition this action is delayed or absent due to the damage of his free nerve endings. Free nerve endings detect pain, temperature, and touch as well as tickle and itch. Sannu’s encapsulated nerve endings are also damaged. Encapsulated nerve endings detect pressure, vibration, and touch sensations.When Dianna performed the tests to check Sannu’s Achilles tendon and Babinski’s reflex, she was evaluating his somatic senses. Somatic senses involve sensations such as touch, pressure, and pain as well as temperature perception. These are all affected in Leprosy infection. In Sannu’s case he has also lost the sensations of touch, pressure, and pain in his feet and hands due to the affects of leprosy on his nociceptors, mechanoreceptors, proprioceptors, and exteroceptors. These sensations are also present in the sensory receptors free nerve endings and encapsulated nerve endings.Sannu’s interoceptors would not be affected in a Leprosy infection because interoceptors pertain to the body’s internal environment. Mycobacterium leprae grow best in relatively cool areas of the body such as: the skin, peripheral nerves, the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract as well as the chamber of the eye and in severe untreated cases the testes and eventually other vital organs. Leprosy affects the exteroceptors of the external surface of the body. Nociceptors are the receptors of pain and are located in all tissues of the body with an exception of the brain.Proprioceptors do no adapt very much, this is why Sannu still feels pain in his leg that has been amputated. Sannu’s pain is slow pain. Slow pain is referring to pain that is chronic, burning, aching, or throbbing. The peripheral receptors activated during a stimulus are the nociceptors. Like other cutaneous and subcutaneous receptors, Nociceptors transduce a variety of stimuli into receptor potentials. Also, like other somatic sensory receptors, N ociceptors arise from cell bodies in dorsal root ganglia that send one axonal process to the periphery and the other into the spinal cord or brain stem.Peripheral Nociceptors terminate at the site of free nerve endings. Nociceptors are located in the entire body except for the brain. The loss of myelination causes impulses to misfire. Without the myelin sheath the impulses are slower and misdirected. Sannu had little sensation to his extremities because of the process related to his Leprosy infection. Phantom limb pain is a result of neuroplasticity (new neural links can be made), or the brain region that once was responsible for controlling the amputated limb is taken over by an adjacent area of the brain.The phantom limb pain is enhanced by referred sensations, so that stimuli applied to other body parts can be sensed from the phantom limb. In patients with Leprosy, phantom limb pain will not occur with only the amputation of fingers, toes, hands, or feet. Phantom limbs and phanto m limb pain will only occur when the amputation is taken up to the stump of that limb. The representation of Sannu’s amputated leg on the somatosensory map will involve referred sensations because of remapping of somatosensory areas in the brain. The activity of the somatosensory map in the brain leads to conscious experience of body image and somatic sensations.After Sannu’s amputation it is possible for him to initially experience some effects on his balance and equilibrium. This is because after amputation Sannu may still have confused senses of his missing leg. With the introduction of a prosthesis, Sannu’s brain will connect to the prosthetic device causing his brain to remember how to function as if the original leg were still there. The initial sensory loss that Sannu experienced was due to interference of the sensory pathway transmission. Leprosy affects the skin and peripheral nerves which are closest to the exterior of the body where the sensory recept ors are located.Leprosy infection is caused by mycobacterium leprae and mycobacterium lepromatosis. Both forms affect the peripheral nervous system by attacking the Schwann cells, destroying the myelin. At the site of the Schwann cell, the bacteria multiply and cause damage of the nerve architecture and cause secondary inflammation. This disease process results in desensitizing sensory receptors. This is why when Sannu cut his foot, he did not feel the pain, nor the infection that followed. Due to his location in a remote village and lack of medical care, his infection resulted in an amputation.The receptors that should have sensed the initial injury to Sannu’s foot are the exteroceptors. Exteroceptors are responsible for responding to stimulus from outside the body such as touch, pressure, pain, and temperature. After Sannu’s amputation he began experiencing phantom limb sensations. This is considered as a form of neuropathic pain. It is presumed to be a response by t he peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system of an injury. The process of reorganizing occurs from retained nerves from the amputated limb, spinal cord, thalamus, and cerebral cortex.After an amputation the area of the brain that is responsible for processing the sensations from the missing limb are taken over by areas that neighbored the missing limb. It is believed that around 95% of people are naturally immune to Leprosy. Recent research suggests that there is a defect in cell-mediated immunity that causes susceptibility to Leprosy. The area of DNA responsible for that variable is also found in Parkinson’s disease. It is speculated the two disorders are linked somehow at the biochemical level. Research has shown that susceptibility to the disease was linked to region q25 on the long arm of chromosome 6.Further study indicated that the Leprosy susceptibility gene lies within a region shared by two genes for Parkinson’s disease. Resources The Merk Manua l of Diagnosis and Therapy â€Å"Infectious Diseases caused by Mycobacteria† 2004 International Journal of Leprosy and other Mycobacterial Diseases â€Å"Linkage of Leprosy Susceptibility to Parkinson’s Disease Genes† June 2004 www. who. ch/program [email  protected] nl www. encyclopedia. com www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/15372437 en. wikipedia. org/wiki/proprioception rarediseases. about. com. lepercolonies. thalidomide May 16 2009 pubmed. gov Muscle Nerve October 30 2004

Post heartattack cardiac failure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Post heartattack cardiac failure - Essay Example This essay is going to address the issue of heart attack in details and explain the measures one is supposed to take to avoid another heart attack in the future. Heart failure management includes a number of pharmacologic, nonpharmacologic and persistent strategies to reduce subsequent occurrences of heart attacks. Pharmacologic management includes the use of vasodilators, beta-blockers, diurectics, digoxin and anticoagulants. Nonphamacologic management entails physical activities, dietary sodium, fluid restriction and attention to weigh gain. Persistent strategies for heart failure are implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, electrphysiologic intervention such as pacemakers and cardiac resynchronization therapy, ventricular restoration and revascularization procedures such as coronary artery bypass grafting (Ketchum, 2011: 90). Heart failure patients should be examined for coronary artery disease, which is a major cause of heart failure. It also plays a role in heart failure progression through mechanisms such as ischemia, infarction and endothelial dysfunction. Studies reveal that patients suffering from coronary artery disease demonstrate a symptomatic and survival improvement with coronary artery bypass grafting (Clifford, 2008: 62). The sections that follow outline the most effective measures for providing support for CHF patients. Despite the deadliness of myocardial infarction and other chronic heart diseases, these measures, if well taken, have the ability to markedly improve one’s health outcomes. They also have the ability to reduce the burden on the health care system. Patients, their families and caregivers can reduce worsening of the CHF condition if they are familiar with the principles of myocardial infarction management and learn to monitor the symptoms and deterioration signs on a daily basis. Whether or not the victims are enrolled into a particular management program, the availability of supportive organization and

Individualized Education Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Individualized Education Program - Essay Example The law requires that if any member of the ARD does not attend a meeting he must put it into writing. There must be an agreement between the parent and the school agreeing that that member should not attend the meeting. These may be done if the expertise of that member is not needed (Bateman, Barbara D, and Mary A. Linden 1998). Another requirement is when a member of the ARD committee does not attend the meeting and his expertise is needed in the meeting he must write a letter to the school and the parent in order for them to review it before the meeting day. The school and the parents are also required to write a letter indicating the same. The contract should be renewed with conditions because it will enable the dormant member to improve on high work and also to ensure that we don’t lose a member because we had little faith for them and yet if given another opportunity they would have done better.

My Experiences during Last Years Summertime Vacation in Puerto Rico Essay - 3

My Experiences during Last Years Summertime Vacation in Puerto Rico - Essay Example This essay describes my experiences during last year’s summertime vacation in Puerto Rico. The beaches I visited during my stay in El Conquistador are the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. During my second day on the island, I took a field trip to a beach in the southwestern part of the island called La Jungla. I felt like Leonardo Decaprio when he first saw the beauty of the forbidden beach resort in the movie The Beach. It was all nature; one could see the crabs in sand and fishes in the clear crystal water. Five minutes from this incredible beach there was a little village with several bars and restaurants. I ate in a place where they served me a classic Puerto Rican dish called â€Å"Mofongo con Carne Frita y Caldo de Pescado.† The plate is fried plantain with fried meat and fish stock. It was delicious and only cost like six bucks; exquisite taste at the price of a burger combo. The reason I chose El Conquistador as my preferred hotel apart from its reputation of provided great service which proved to be true is that it was located eight minutes away from El Yunque National Forest. El Yunque is the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System. This is a mystical region that is out of this world. There was wildlife all around us as I walk through the moist roads within El Yunque’s territory. I reached a river and as I walked around a huge rock I suddenly saw a 30 feet waterfall. I could hear the singing of the Coquis. Coquis are a rare amphibian creature that can only survive in Puerto Rico’s system. Scientist in the past have tried relocating Coquis, but before reaching a foreign-located the Coqui dies. My summer trip to Puerto Rico in 2008 was a tremendous adventure.