A Foreign artist in Paris - Pablo Picasso Research Paper

A Foreign artist in Paris - Pablo Picasso - Research Paper Example The research paper "A Foreign artist in Paris - Pablo Picasso" discover one of the most incredible artists of modern era. Pablo Picasso is a famous artist from Spain. Artistic impression may have been passed onto the young Picasso, as his father practiced his specialty of painting especially of naturalistic depictions. This gene was passed from the father, as he proved to be an illustrious professor and curator; this in the city’s School of Crafts and a local museum respectively. This artistic capacity was evident from a young age, to be trained henceforth from the young age of seven years. His father was responsible for his early learning, especially in oil painting and figure drawing. As a traditional instructor and academic artist, his father was of the belief that proper training necessitated the disciplined learning from existing art masters. In addition was the need for skill in drawing the human body from both live models and plaster casts, with Picasso becoming engross ed in art; to the detriment of his schooling. It is after the tragic death of his sister that the family moved to Barcelona. Later, he was admitted in the city’s School of Fine Arts at the age of just 13 years. But his conduct could not sustain him in the center, instead transferring to Madrid’s Royal Academy, which is the nation’s foremost art center. However, his spirit was wild, being unable to sustain his schooling, to later on stop class attendance at the age of 16 years. His focus was henceforth shifted to other areas of interest.

Population Learning Importance To Quantity Of Education Economics Essay

Population Learning Importance To Quantity Of Education Economics Essay In every economy, the education sector is considered to be one of the biggest industries and in the twenty first century it is regarded as major contributor to economic growth and development of any country. There is a positive link between economic productivity and investment in human capital as they both are dependent on each other. Many authors have studied that a country can earn high returns if they invest properly in human capital. However today, many developing countries are facing problems with education quality. And there is an argument in academics also that what contributes to economic development quality or quantity in education (Hanushek Kimko, 2000, Gills et al., 1996, Mingat and Tan, 1996; Psacharopoulos, 1994; Krueger Lindahl, 2000; Hanushek Woessmann, 2007, Heyneman, 2004). Many theoretical and empirical findings have suggested that the economic development of a country is determined by its human capital and human capital is considered to be critical especially for the under developed or developing countries as they need to strive hard to achieve high economic growth (Barro, 1991, 1997, Barro Lee, 1993, Chen, Feng, 1996, Feng, 1997, Persson Tabellini, 1992 cited in Chen Feng, 2000). UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2007. As in the case of China, whose GDP growth rate has been very impressive from several years the demand for education has been increased. However, the resources required to meet this educational demand are not sufficient. Hence the government in China has decided to invest immensely in the education sector in coming years as that leads to economic development and also raises the standards of living. (Wen and Yang, 2005 cited in Iacov.D, 2009).13.0% of government spending goes to education in China (UNESCO, 2007). There has been a debate in the literature as to whether what matters the most in the economic development of a country is it quality or quantity of education? (Ferranti, 2003, Cheng Tam, 1997, Link Ratledge, 1975). It has been argued when evaluating approximately the effect of education on economic development of a country it is crucial to focus on knowledge and learning instead of counting how long students have attended the school i.e. Quality is more important rather than mere quantity. It has also been suggested that although quality and quantity of education both leads to economic development of a country but quality of education has major effect on economic growth of a country (Hanushek Woessmann, 2007, Barro, 2001, Bosworth Collins, 2003). From several years the literature on link between education and economic growth of any country has been focusing on the importance of quantity of education and purely neglected the issue of quality of education and has also overlooked the core of what education is all about. It has been suggested that the earnings of an individual is directly affected by improvement in quality of education as it leads to greater productivity. An individual who procures more knowledge can enter the labour markets quickly and with greater capacity. However, it has been argued by Wolf, 2004 that although higher education can lead to high productivity and better quality of education but then it differs from country to country as circumstances are different in each of the countries. It has also been suggested that the workers productivity cannot be increased in the labour market by just spending long years of schooling (quantitative) rather than that it depends on workers experience (qualitative) (Solmon, 1985, Monastiriotis, 2002, Wolf, 2004). However, it has been argued that measuring the impact of quantity of education on the economic development of a country is not easy. And one of the main reasons for this is that both quality and quantity of education are equally necessary in order to determine the effects of education on the skills of work force i.e. High levels of schooling and greater amount of knowledge acquired at each level of education. However, Mingat 1996 argues that Quantity can be easily measured through various means like enrolment ratio and years of schooling because as the technology changes the demand for higher level of education increases. It has also been argued that there has been no sufficient research conducted on the subject of quality of education by the academics (Cheng, 1995, Mingat, 1996, Smart, 2004). However it has been argued that if an individual possesses higher education he is in better position to earn higher wages in the labour market than those who just have knowledge and skills. But this may not necessarily lead to the economic development of the country. In the past there was limited need of education because people were mainly engaged in agriculture which required less knowledge and experience. But today at the various stages of economic development of a country labour market demands for well qualified, trained and educated workforce has been increasing. Therefore, the central issue here is that quantity of education is more important as the supply of qualified people in the labour markets is a necessary criterion today which contributes to the economic development (Ramlee, 2007, Card 1994, Sianesi Reenen, 2003). Behrman and Birdsall, 1983 Boissiere et al., 1985 cited in Mingat 1996 that the governments throughout the world are investing heavily in the quality of education. In several countries like Brazil, Tanzania and Kenya research that was linked to job performance and education was conducted and it was seen that not only quantity but the quality of education is crucial for economic development of a country. It has been stated that to measure the returns from education and its impact on economic development of a country both the quality of learning and the quantity of schooling must be considered (Mingat, 1996). However in the case of developing country like China, the country is struggling with the issue of quality of education as there has been rapid massification of higher education in China. In China quality of education is very low than what has been expected. This is because their attitude towards adopting western culture is not very encouraging. But still China is making efforts to increase its quality of education by joining hands with Germanyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s experts on quality management and quality assurance. This will be beneficial for China as Germany has one of the worldà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s best known quality education system. Also In vocational training and higher education, Germany has developed quality management and quality assurance standards in accordance with the Bologna Process and Copenhagen Process. From several years China has been mainly focusing on the issue of quantity of education and they have completely ignored the qualitative a spects which had led to the mismatch of demand and supply of Chinese Graduates in the labour market, thus leaving many graduates unemployed (Guyer, 2005, Brandenburg Zhu, 2007, Schulte, 2010, RIETI, 2010). Also For example in a country like Mauritius, they have been concentrating on improving both the quantity and quality of its higher education system. Since 1989, the number of students enrolling themselves in universities has been increasing tremendously it was around 40 initially which has risen to over 400 students today. It has also collaborated with other universities for improving their quality issues in education. Economic Growth of the country has been the central focus of the education system in Mauritius. They have designed their educational courses in such a way that the economy benefits the most from courses like engineering, it has lead to the technological development, textile, it has been the major contributor of economic growth since several years in Mauritius, law and management etc as all the above degrees contributes to the economic growth of the country and the economy can diversify into the highly profitable sectors. Hence quality and quantity of education has bee n the crucial factor for the economic development of Mauritius. (Bloom, Canning Chan, 2006). However, it has been critically argued that as and when the earnings of an individual increases, and people become richer the demand for education in turn also increases but there is lack of empirical evidence as to whether the countries who spend more on education and training reap economic benefits or not an also there is still consensus in the literature that whether quality or quantity of education leads to economic development of a country (Wolf, 2004). The second issue has been the role of Human capital theory and screening theory in quality and quantity of education and its effect on economic growth. Both of these theories are considered to be most important theories in the economics of education. These theories suggest that there exists a direct and positive relationship between earnings and education which leads to the economic development of the country. Human capital theory suggests that the skills of an individual are directly affected by education and it also affects ability of a person to earn profits in the labour market. The main reason behind this is that the better educated and trained workers have higher productivity and also they possess ability to learn more which in turn leads to the economic benefit as well as social benefit. This further leads to economic development of a country. The Human capital theory suggests that if an individual enrol themselves in number of courses, obtain high scores in their exams and fi nd a suitable job for themselves this all will improve the earning capacity of an individual. Human Capital theory further states that the education comes with economic benefits so it is generally productive. (Weiss, 1995, Becker, 1964, Schultz, 1975, Feng Liang, 2009). However in contrast to human capital theory, screening hypothesis assumes that the capacity for productivity depends on individuals themselves and that the education rarely has any effect on productivity of an individual. And according to screening hypothesis, high test scores and class ranks will not necessarily lead to significantly higher earnings or economic development of a country. Also screening theory argues for the informative value of education. In short human capital theory suggests that economic value of education is productive as compared to screening theory which argues that greater productivity can be obtained through informative value of education which enhances economic growth. (Spence, 1973; Stiglitz, 1975; Riley, 1979 cited in Feng Liang, 2009). On the basis of empirical research it was seen that Chinese labour market for higher education graduates is characterised by the signalling or screening hypothesis. In the Chinese labour market, employers give priority to the total number of degrees obtained by an individual and years of schooling i.e. quantity of education rather than the ranks of an individual in class or credits obtained by them i.e. quality of education. Also the higher education system of China has adopted screening hypothesis to admit deserving students (FengLiang, 2009). There is another major argument in the literature, about who should pay for education? It was observed that in many developing countries the Central Government finances the basic education on a large scale. It has been suggested that the subsidies which government provides to finance education of a country increases the quality as well as quantity of education. Also many Individuals consider education as a cost rather than an investment this may hamper the economic development of a country because less number of students will enrol themselves in the higher education courses. And governments should pay only for primary education as it leads to social benefit whereas investment in higher education leads to private benefits. Hence investment in mandatory education increases the quality of education as people are equipped with basic knowledge and skills which also leads to the economic growth of a country as its literacy rate increases. An individual should pay for higher education becau se he gets better qualifications and he can eventually earn more when he enters the labour market. High earnings can lead to high productivity and lower the rate of unemployment, also when well educated and trained individuals earn more they need to pay more taxes to government and hence the burden of government finances on education decreases which will increase quality and quantity of education and thus the government can use that money to invest in other sectors of the economy which further contributes to the economic development of the country. (Cummings Riddell, 1994, Woodward, et al, 2000, Bloom et al, 2006). However the idea of individual spending on education has remained a subject of debate and it has been argued that government alone should not pay for education. Tilak argues that an individual benefits the most from the basic as well as higher education so he should pay for his education expenses and government should not intervene in this. Moreover the demand for training and education institutions have been increasing this clearly indicates that people are willing to invest in private education so government should not be the main suppliers. It has been argued that if the governments are the only suppliers of financing the education then there can be a problem because the education resources for public are declining and the demand for the same has been increasing tremendously so if only the government pays for education then the quality of education will be declined this is the case with China as well. (Alchian, 1968 cited in Brown, 2001 and West, 1995 cited in Raines, Leathers, 2003, Mwikisa, 1999, Tilak, 2003). Ling and Zhang, 2006 cited in Iacov, 2009 that the funding of education in China has been very low and this is still the same. The education system in China has undergone a change wherein previously they had centralised system of financing for education i.e. the Central Government was considered to be the main supplier of education. But now they have adopted decentralised system of education and hence the Central Government is not the sole administrator or financier of basic and secondary education. The local Chinese governments mainly finances the mandatory education and generally the full cost of secondary education this will improve the quality of education (Iacov, 2009, Rong and Shi, 2001, Zhao, 2009). However, Zhang Kong, 2009 argues that the Chinese Government must make increasing efforts to raise their investments in the education system because it is essential for the economic development of a country and also education is the major contributor to the GDP of any country. People must be relieved from contributing to the cost of education (Zhang Kong, 2009) Summers, 1992 cited in Mingat, 1998 that investment in primary education is generally regarded as a cost effective instrument as broader social objectives can be achieved which leads to the social economic development of the country. Harbison and Hanushek, 1992 Hanushek, Lavy, and Hitomi, 2006 cited in Hanushek, Woessmann, 2007 that there is the direct link between education quality and primary education as in the case of Brazil there are increasing rates of repeaters and school dropouts hence achieving skills through primary education can lower the chances of getting failed. In many primary schools of Egypt the dropout ratios of students are higher because of the low quality of Primary education and failure to achieve cognitive skills at primary level. This in turn has affected the economic growth of the country, hence it is crucial for governments to invest in quality of Primary education so that the dropouts and repeaters ratio is reduced and economic development of the country is achieved (Mingat, 1998, Hanushek, Woessmann, 2007). It was also found that the Asian Economies who were investing heavily in the primary education were very successful in achieving the quality of education which further leads to the social benefits and the overall economic growth for the country. It has been stated that the economic growth and productivity of a country depends upon its investment in quality of primary education. In a study done by Hanushek and Wobman, 2007 it was suggested that as the number of years of schooling advances it contributes to the economic growth of the country by 0.58% (Burnett, 1996, Yeung Mathieson, 1998, UNESCO/ OECD 2003). However, Psacharopoulos, 1994 cited in Mingat, 1996 and Hanushek and Wobman, 2007 argues that in the developing countries even though rate of return is higher from lower levels of education but this higher rate of return from lower levels do not necessarily contribute to the economic development of country. It has been critically argued that in the countries like Ghana, Brazil, Pakistan, United States, Mexico, and Indonesia although investment in Primary education leads to greater returns but as compared to the secondary and higher education the returns are relatively low. Also it has been argued that if the quality of primary education is very poor then the returns will also be low. Some of the countries like India, China, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh they donà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t spend much for primary education it is just around 7% of the per capita Gross Domestic Product (Fasih, 2008, Schultz, 2003, Ferranti, 2003, Manacorda, Sanchez, Paramo and Schady 2005 cited in Fasih, 2008, Kingdon and Soderbom, 2007, Copper, 1980). However, there have been many problems in investing in the primary education one of them is there is a wide gap between years of schooling and the investments made in it hence it takes long time for educated and well qualified people to enter the labour markets. Secondly, some portion of Investments are also lost due to number of dropouts, repeaters and if the quality of training and education is low. The Third main problem of investing in the primary education is that some of the individuals after completing their education they never take part in the labour markets because of some restrictions this is generally prominent in the case of women and also many talented, well qualified and trained individuals migrate to some other countries hence there is a loss of stock of human capital which further affects the development of any economy as brain drain is a kind of loss to the country (Psacharopoulos and Arriagada, 1986). Conclusion

Acceptance of the Homosexual Lifestyle: An Evaluation and Comparison be

Acceptance of the Homosexual Lifestyle: An Evaluation and Comparison between the United States and Other Locations The idea of homosexual behavior has created a number of responses worldwide. Currently, the United States has many levels of acceptance of homosexuality. There are places on this earth that have the same outlook as the United States, and there are places that are completely opposite. By looking at these different perspectives, the public could obtain some valuable points in the battle of acceptance. My objective is to give these old ideas a new audience, to show the wide range of acceptance throughout the world, and to compare the United States and other nations challenged to acknowledge a different lifestyle. There are countries that have the same or a similar variety of reactions that are known in the U.S., such as Canada. There are supporters, but there are also many people who reject the homosexual lifestyle. One extreme to the acceptance of gays was illustrated when a Canadian politician made a comment about making homosexuality illegal. The National Post described the public reaction to this blaring comment, â€Å"you could almost hear the collective coast-to-coast gasp of horror† (Kay, 2003, p.A18). Even though this is one politicians belief, the Canadian mass media and market advertising try to make the gay lifestyle look as normal as heterosexual life. If they could fully succeed, it could be considered the, â€Å"greatest PR triumph in history† (Kay, 2003, p.A18). However, like the United States, many citizens of Canada are hesitant to give in. They’re hesitant because this lifestyle is so different. Also, it isn’t in compliance with the Bible. Many families of homosexuals don’t support them; the publ... ...homosexuality. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore. Morrison, J. (2004). Man's face slashed in King East bar; Hate crimes unit asked to investigate savage 2 a.m. attack. The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved May 12, 2004, from Lexis-Nexis database on the World Wide Web: http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe PR Newswire.(2004, February 23). PlanetOut Partners Launches Families Channel on Gay.com and PlanetOut.com. Retrieved May, 12, 2004, from Lexis-Nexis database on the World Wide Web: http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe Stanard, A. (2004, April 10). Gay tourist find acceptance in Buenos Aires: Peso devaluation makes cultured city affordable. The Associated Press. Retrieved April 28, 2004, from Lexis-Nexis database on the World Wide Web: http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe Watanabe, T. & Iwata, J. (1989). Love of the Samuri. GMP Publishers Ltd. London.

Explain with examples how the theoretical perspective of the researcher accepts choice of method

The choice of method used to collect data is used by the theory that the given sociologist accepts. Most sociological theories have certain types of data they tend to collect, and certain methods that they choose to adopt. The two techniques used are quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative techniques are used to measure distribution and the extent of a social characteristic. This technique is also useful when comparing two social variables such as social class and educational achievement. The technique provides a percentage or numerical feedback, allowing a statistical approach to sociological research. This type of research relies heavily on secondary data, i.e. research not collected by other parties, such as official statistics and social surveys, especially ones involving a formal interview. The Quantitative research technique is favoured highly by positivists who see measurement and statistics as a crucial element in making sociology more scientific. This technique can easily be duplicated, repeated and classified to achieve the same results, meaning the conclusion can be confirmed as fact. Positivists may also create their own primary material through creating questionnaires or structured interviews. The second research technique is Qualitative. Qualitative research is not based on measurements or statistics, and is useful if the researcher does not require a quantified figure or if the subject that is being studied cant be precisely measured. This style works well with participant observation as the observer may want to simply observe behaviour rather than record it. Interpretivists prefer the Qualitative technique as they employ methods such as in depth interviews, non-participant and participant observation. These methods are not easily repeated and no two observations may be the same, but that are still very valid. Traditionally, those who followed positivism were the Structuralists, the Functionalists and to a certain degree the Marxists. The Structuralists believe that the system of society took greater precedence than the elements within the system, so individuals are directed by society. Functionalists like Durkheim and Parsons believed that the actions of the individuals in society were controlled by the cultural system that they belonged to. Marx tried to apply more generalised historical social laws to his theories to try and predict society's future. However, some positivists have criticised him for not being scientific enough, and claim that his ideas are merely theoretical. The main body of interpretivism is made up of Phenomenologists and ethnomethodoligists. Phenomenologists are concerned with understanding how humans understand their environment and the world around them. The distinction between Phenomenology and positivism is often exaggerated. For example, Durkheim, the founding father of Functionalism did not stick rigidly to his own methodology. He made mental sketches of what it was like to be a Roman Catholic or Protestant. Ethnomethodology looks at how humans categorise the world around them, how people give meaning to their social world. This approach is only concerned with the subjective approach. Some sociologists do not fit directly into a category, interpretivist or positive. Symbolic interactionists such as Becker are commonly described as interpretivists as they understand they must appreciate the point of view of the actor, nevertheless, they still try to maintain a casual relationships. Some develop hypotheses and assess these against further evidence. Another example of a sociologist who crossed the boundaries was Cicourel, and ethnomethodoligist also used statistics to study juvenile justice. In modern times, theoretical commitment is not seen as important as structure and action and a mixed of methods is employed. For example Lea and Young have both used in depth interviews and statistics when analysing crime. Important points to take into consideration are that some techniques are better at analysing phenomenon than others. For example you would have great difficulty using social survey or official statistics to study police brutality or new age travellers. Some methods may be rejected as unethical such as covert participant research. Practical considerations are also noted. Time, money and number of collaborators may be affected if research is funded by a particular body. In conclusion, tradition dictates that there are only two choices of research technique that are adopted by different social theories, but in reality however, many sociologists find that the best way to achieve reliable and valid results is by combining both qualitative and quantitative.

Boycott and Lockout as an Anti Impasse Weapon

Boycott and Lockout as an anti impasse weapon. 1. Introdcution 2. Main Body Collective Bargaining Strike Lockout Boycott Example for Lockout Example for Boycott 3. Conclusion References Introduction In this study, Collective bargaining Collective bargaining takes place between workers` union and employer or employersorganization. Workers form and join the union which represent and protect their interest against employers. Labor union can be formed by industry, sector, region etc. Similarly, employers or organizations also can form group or union according to their common interest and objectives. By forming groups, union and organization both side gain power of ‘collective voice’ against each other. Collective bargaining has also various advantages and useful aspects for both concerning parties. It provides meaning and power to the agreements related to wages, working conditions made by two sides. By this way employers and workers union can easily define the rules governing their relationship. (Ref. Usually parties bargain in good fair, make agreement, maintain consensus point and satisfy each other with their demand. But not always it works, when they fail to resolve the disputes, occurs conflict between parties. In labor market this deadlock situation is called impasse. When parties reach impasse situation, they are using economic weapons against each other to maneuver. Employees pressures employers by going to strike and boycott in order to get what they demand from them. Similarly, employers organize lockout and by stopping production to exert pressure on employees. These actions are lawful when performed in peaceful manner and controlled not to allow to occur violence during the action. Strike {draw:frame} Source: ONS labour disputes survey Boycott Labor union makes use of boycott as an economic weapon against employers when conflict occurs between them. The boycott is attempt made by labor union to influence the employer directly or indirectly. When occurs conflict between union and employer, members of the union refuses work for the employer and cease business dealings with them. his type of directly influencing is called primarily boycott. When members of the union attempt to coerce the employer through suppliers and customers of the employer or through third parties, it is called secondary boycott. Secondary type of boycott is more effective than primarily and it is illegal. It can be lawful and allowed when limited conditions are met. Lockout Employers utilize the lockout as their economic weapon against unions. Just like unions, employers also have to enhance their position in collective bargaining. Employers lock out their workers in slow season gain some advantage over union, so they ensure their labor issues for further busiest season. Thus, they maneuver over labor union. Employers use it rarely, although lockout is their primarily economic weapon against labor unions. During lockout timeframe employers can hire temporary replacements but it is legal to hire permanent replacements. Royal Mail Strike CWU used strike action as a economic weapon against Royal Mail as they failed to make agreement and solve dispute over pay, working conditions and modernization. Union’s strike action which took place before the busy season urged Royal Mail to negotiate with them. At least they decided to have ‘period of calm’ in which both side make long term deal by considering each other’s interest and solve the modernization issue. Conclusion Sometimes in labor market impasse situation occurs, when employers and union fail to solve dispute between them. One of the parties uses economic weapon against other such as strike and lockout so that they can have power in bargaining. In this study, nature of collective bargaining is argued,

The Life of Alexandre Dumas, Classic Adventure Writer

The Life of Alexandre Dumas, Classic Adventure Writer French author  Alexandre Dumas (born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie; July 24, 1802 – December 5, 1870) wrote novels that came to epitomize the adventure genre. In works such as  The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, Dumas eschewed historical accuracy and literary elegance to craft stories that  delivered non-stop action.   Fast Facts: Alexandre Dumas Born: July 24, 1802 in Soissons, FranceDied: December 5, 1870 in Dieppe, FranceOccupation: WriterNotable Works:  The Count of Monte Cristo,  The Three Musketeers,  The Corsican BrothersLiterary Movements: Historical fiction, Romanticism  Famous Quote: All human wisdom is summed up  in these  two words,- Wait and hope. (The Count of Monte Cristo) Early Years Born in France in 1802, Dumas was the son of famed general Thomas-Alexandre Davy de La Pailleterie and the grandson of Marie Cà ©sette Dumas, an enslaved woman of African descent. His last name, Dumas, was adopted from his grandmother.  Although the family enjoyed some rank and connection due to General Dumas’ lineage and fame, they were not at all wealthy, and their situation worsened in 1806, when General Dumas died of cancer.   Without much money for an education, Dumas managed to educate himself and take advantage of family connections. When the French monarchy was restored after Napoleon’s final defeat, Dumas made his way to Paris in 1822 to make a living, intending initially to work as a lawyer. He found work in the household of the Duke of Orleans, a future king of France. A Revolutionary Playwright   Dumas was not satisfied with his new position in the household of the Duke of Orleans. He  almost immediately began writing plays, collaborating with the actor Franà §ois-Joseph Talma. His plays were instant hits, written in a raucous, energetic style filled with violence and dramatic plot twists. Dumas made enough money from the plays and articles he published in magazines that he was able to become a full-time writer by 1830. When a second revolution seized France, Dumas took up arms. He fought in the streets to dethrone Charles X in favor of his former employer, the Duke of Orleans, who became King Louis-Phillippe. Novelist and Collaborator Dumas began working in the novel format in the late 1830s. Noting that newspapers were publishing serial novels, he reworked one of his existing plays into a novel, Le Capitaine Paul. He soon founded a studio and hired writers to work on ideas and outlines that he generated, thus inventing  a business model still followed by some writers today.   Historians disagree about the  extent of his collaborators contributions, but there is no doubt that Dumas energetically increased his output by relying on other writers to flesh out ideas and sometimes write large portions of his books. This process allowed him to maximize his income and become incredibly prolific as a writer. (The fact that Dumas was frequently paid by the word or line is reflected in the surfeit of dialog in his books.) During the 1840s, Dumas’ major novels were written and published. Those works, which include  The Fencing Master, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Three Musketeers,  exemplify Dumas’ style: explosive opening action, endless excitement, no-frills writing, and a serial format.  The plots are not strictly formed; instead, they meander, resisting typical  narrative structures. The characters  are defined by their actions, rather than an internal monologue or other psychological factors. In all, Dumas published a remarkable amount of material:  more than 100,000 pages of novels, plays, articles, travelogues, and other writings. Personal Life Dumas married  Ida Ferrier in 1840, but historians believe that he had  nearly 40 mistresses and fathered anywhere from four to seven children in his lifetime.  Dumas only acknowledged one son, also named Alexandre Dumas, who became a celebrated author in his own right. Dumas  spent exorbitantly during his lifetime, at one point building a chateau that cost 500,000 gold francs. (At the time, the average laborer earned about 2-3 francs per day.)  As a result of his lifestyle, Dumas ran out of money in later life, despite his many successes. He wrote several poorly-received novels in an effort to drum up more income.   Death and Legacy Dumas died after suffering from a stroke in 1870. It is believed that he may have contracted syphilis at some point in his life, and that the disease may have contributed to his death. Prolific and energetic, Dumas produced historical adventure stories that have endured long after loftier works have faded into obscurity. His focus on action, his disdain for psychological exploration, and his sheer fluidity with language have made several of his novels all-time classics that are still read, taught, and adapted today.   Sources â€Å"David Coward on Alexandre Dumas.† The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 16 Apr. 2003, www.theguardian.com/books/2003/apr/16/alexandredumaspere.Tonkin, Boyd. â€Å"The Role of Race in the Life and Literature of Alexandre Dumas: The Episode That Inspired the Man behind the Musketeers.†Ã‚  The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 16 Jan. 2014,  www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/the-role-of-race-in-the-life-and-literature-of-alexandre-dumas-the-episode-that-inspired-the-man-9065506.html.Università © De Montrà ©al - IForum - Forum Express - Vol 4 No 1 - French Studies - Quebecer Discovers an Unpublished Manuscript by Alexandre Dumas,  www.iforum.umontreal.ca/ForumExpress/Archives/vol4no1en/article02_ang.html.Wallace, Irving. The Intimate Sex Lives of Famous People. Feral House, 2008.

Key influences on personal learning processes Essays

Key influences on personal learning processes Essays Key influences on personal learning processes Essay Key influences on personal learning processes Essay This essay will be describing in detail a few of the many different influences that can and do have an effect on learning; some of these have influenced me personally. This essay is like a self analysis looking from the perspective of the learner. It will be looking at the work of some key theorists to support and back up the points. It will also discuss how others can be helped to learn and the effectiveness of doing this. Learning is a process by which we acquire knowledge, skills and an understanding of abstract concepts. You start learning from birth and the learning process continues through formal schooling and even right through to adulthood, they do say you learn something new every day. In everyday life we call our learning informal. Firstly there are some main theories of learning used to understand the way in which individuals learn. From experience the best way of influencing and progressing an individuals learning is to actually know how you learn best, this will be either visually, auditory, kinaesthetically or tactilely. I am an example of a visual learner taking in information best when it has come from something seen like pictures or information in a book, etc. When you know this you can then put it into practice by planning the learning, then actually doing it and finally reflecting on what has been learnt. One of the main theorists associated with learning is Kolb. Kolb looks at the ways adults learn referring to these as cognitive abilities, he says that learning processes begin as instinctive preferences during adolescence. Kolb identified two pairs of opposing factors which, combined together, show learning as a cycle with four different stages of learning. Each stage can be entered at any time but for learning to be effective the stages must be followed in a sequence. As you can see from the diagram the four stages are concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation. Kolbs learning cycle can be applied to everyday practice. Another important theory is the learning styles theory conducted by Honey and Mumford. They identified ways in which different employees learned and came up with four learning style preferences, reflector, theorist, activist and pragmatist. Honey and Mumford conducted a questionnaire in order to find out peoples preferred learning style/s (see appendix 1 for their questionnaire) Honey and Mumford (1986) stated that the learning style questionnaire is designed to probe the relative strengths of four different learning styles.