Summarise the main criticisms that Jane Jacobs levelled at urban Essay

Summarise the main criticisms that Jane Jacobs levelled at urban planning thought at the beginning of the 1960s, and discuss whether her criticisms are still relevant to planners today - Essay Example Jane Jacobs was particularly active in her role against the surge of urban renewal politics that emerged in the past-war period. She was of the view that modernist urban renewal measures destroyed cities rather than improving the social and economical conditions that needed to be addressed. In the post-war period, that is the period after the Second World War, there arose a need for the redevelopment of bombed cities. It was decided to rebuild them on an organized framework and proper planning. However, there arose many criticisms to the approach adopted by architects and engineers. The critique that Jacobs leveled at the renewal plan was normative in nature, emphasizing on the values of the planning rather than the physical design. One of her significant contributions is her perception of cities as â€Å"problems of organized complexity,† which entail â€Å"dealing simultaneously with a sizeable number of factors which are interrelated into an organic whole† (Jacobs 1992). One of the criticisms that Jacobs put across was the ideology of utopian comprehensiveness. In plan cities effectively and sustain the development plans, Jacobs saw the need to have an acute understanding of the way cities function. If city planners did not understand the lifestyles and needs of the residents, they would not be able to devise a plan that incorporated the needs of the community. Therefore she rejected the ideal models that emerged during post-war planning of towns and cities. According to Jacobs, Howard’s garden city model, and Le Corbusier’s vision of the city of the future and his radiant city did not explicitly illustrate a framework that fulfilled of the needs of the community and led to a more functional urban setting. Her argument was that modern city planners had little insight into the functioning of cities, their models can not

On Agency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Agency - Essay Example This is because any decision made will be on the basis that someone is watching. Agency is determined or limited by various factors of influence referred to as structure. Examples of structure include customs, religion, ethnicity, gender and social class. Panopticon is a building which has a central tower. At the periphery of Panopticon is an annular building; at the center is a tower. The tower is fitted with wide windows which open on to the inner side of the ring. The annular building is divided in to cells which extend to the whole width of the building. The cells have two windows. One window is on the inner side facing the central tower while the other is on the far end of the cell. It is strategically placed there to allow light to enter in to the cell traversing the whole cell. The Panopticon is a prison. The prisoners in the Panopticon are watched by the inspector from the central tower. However, they cannot be able to see inside the tower. This way, they never know when they are being watched or not. The prisoners therefore have to behave at all times because they feel that they are being watched even if no one is watching because they cannot tell. The only way that the prisoners counter attack the watch of the inspector is by turning their backs on him. They face the outer window leaving the inspector to watch their back. When the inspector notices this, he has to go and issue a warning to the prisoners from hiding from his watch. This situation is symbolic of how agency is first inhibited by society. Society has been structured in a manner similar to Panopticon. Just like the prisoners, someone somewhere is always watching. The problem is, you can never know who it is and where exactly they are watching you from. The two windows are symbolic of the options of power and rules, and agency. The inner opening are the rules which have been laid down to dictate the manner in which things are to be done. The outer window symbolizes the possibility of indepe ndence; agency. This can be verified by the manner in which the prisoners turn their backs on the inspector and face the outer window. Similarly, we as individuals turn our backs from what has been decided for us and seek comfort by looking for the possibility of independence. It however takes little time for society to come running to us, in many forms, reminding us that our actions and decisions should be in line with its expectations. This is one perspective of viewing the reasons why agency cannot and has not been fully realized in society. As pointed out earlier, agency is the extent to which individuals make their own free choices; alternatively, it is the ability of an individual to act on their own will. However, this ability will be limited by more than just being watched by society. Personal experiences, and individual and societal perceptions, with respect to the circumstances that an individual is in and the environment that they have been born in or are part of, form a cognitive belief structure. These beliefs will affect one’s ability to act on their own will as they often cause conflicts between parties that are involved. For example, a child who wants to be a musician and has been born in family of scholars such as engineers, will have a hard time convincing their parents. This is because the cognitive belief that the family has formed is that success can only be achieved when one finds a career in books rather than in

Richard Cory

Richard Cory Richard Cory Poems are probably the best thing around the world there are so many poems that either explain a sense of feeling, anger, disappointment, illusion or also signify a way of showing love. Some of the things that go around the world are probably express in poems, letters and songs, which in later times this expression come to each individual and express the significance of the meaning of each poem or song to tell the individual what is happening around the world. The poem â€Å"Richard Cory† by Edwin Arlington Robinson has something in meaning either about people who are rich but also those that work off each time to get the food on their table every day. The poem and the song have their difference and similarities, but in particular who is Richard Cory, politics, and social influences. At the beginning of the poem we come to understand that it is talking about a man named Richard Cory, a man that is wealthy and well known to the town he lives in. The author introduces the reader with a sentence that says â€Å"We people on the pavement looked at him† coming to question the significance of â€Å"we† it is not clear to the reader how â€Å"we† comes is interpret in the poem. Is it the people on the town or the people that surround Richard Cory? According to a quote in Oppapers .com it specifies that â€Å"Richard Cory† is known as a â€Å"symbolic of upper society, and the towns people are symbolic of the middle class.† Richard Cory does not want any other human being to be just like him; this is probably why he is known as a powerful individual. A part of the poem mention how â€Å"he was a gentleman from sole to crown† taking place that the words in particular mean something to the poem itself. Sole and crown come to mean t hat one of a kind human being having a dominion of a sovereign (monarchy), making people feel he is as dominant as a king. He acts as a well educated and outstanding person that all the people around him admire the vivid image they saw in him as a God. Having a little understanding of who really is Richard Cory, we have knowledge to determine that people wish they could be at the same level as him, â€Å"richer than a king† understanding this is obviously unpredictable because according to the website Cummings guide it says â€Å"suggest Richard Cory is the name of a British king of, Richard I, who reigned from 1189 to 1199.† Richard Cory is a well know king of England, which was a king that fought against his own family, and well known to the public for his bloody fights he had encounter with other countries. The song â€Å"Richard Cory† by Simon and Garfunkel contradicts itself with two different views, one part is the fact that â€Å"he was born to society, a bankers only child† with â€Å"power, grace and style† every man wishes they had. Some parts of the song contradicts the poem because it does not mention in the poem that Richard Cory has a factory and that people work for him, but in the song it clearly mentions that he has a factory, making people who work for him curse the life they have. Seen the good quality of life that Richard Cory lived in made them wish that they could be him instead of â€Å"waiting for the light† (Cummings). Simon and Garfunkel quoted in their song â€Å"The papers print his picture almost everywhere he goes Richard Cory at the opera, Richard Cory at a show†. The song makes Richard Cory be as a celebrity, a person well known to society but also a person with class and a passion of been in social events rather than being a lonely person like it is mention in the poem. Other parts of the song that contradicted the poem, quotes â€Å"He freely gave to charity, he had the common touch, and they were grateful for his patronage and thanked him very much† (Simon and Garfunkel). People see a different Richard Cory, a guy that tries to help people and offers charity for people who are poor; they thanked him for all his contribu tions. In the poem he is known as a stock up and arrayed individual, who demanded the people around him. Some of the things we can easily see in the poem and in the song are politics. First the author Edwin Robinson talks in the poem about how he was â€Å"richer than a king† and â€Å"admirably schooled in every grace.† Richard Cory is seen as a king probably the king of England, who reins a country and wanted control over all the nations around him. Some of the problems was that they saw Richard Cory having maximum power, this made people be fearful at what he can do by harming its own people. His followers wish they had the same power as he did, disturbing the minds of those people made him belief that he had all the power and that they need to be just like him to gain the things he had, at least the selfishness he had just because he had maintain a well style of life with food and luxury. In the other side the song has different view of the Richard Cory he makes â€Å"political connections to spread his wealth around.† The song writer Simon and Garfunkel want the writer to see Richard Cory not as a king but rather as a guy with political influences that can control the way he can spend his wealth and capacity of controlling the things he has and gaining trust in the workers. When it says â€Å"wealth around† it a significance that Richard Cory according to the song wants to expand the use of his wealth and duplicated the things he has or it could also be that he wants to share the wealth to those people that envy him and want to be just like him, making them feel for a moment be just like him. Other issues that concern some will be the power that Richard Cory already has may cause him to want more power and be as powerful as a king, which in this will see the man with a monarchy, governing all the men and unsatisfying the peoples needs causing the mistru st in all the people and even himself. Some of the specifics that are encounter in the poem and song are that The influences of society over Richard Cory clearly, is obvious when the author Edwin Robinson makes Richard Cory as a handsome and wealthy person, making people want to be in his position because of the happy life he has. What society did not see was that inside that smile there was a man that did not have a perfect life, like everyone thought he had. The issues that Richard Cory had were hidden because he did not want society to know his lonely life; probably not having a family or love to share with. People could have provoked Richard Cory to kill himself because they talk too much about him, leaving him with almost no choice but to kill himself. Because he probably wanted to show the town that although he had money he was not happy with his life. Richard Cory was seen as a gentleman, and well schooled, he got tired of people only caring about what he had rather than the feeling that he wanted to give to people. This proves the quotes â€Å"money cannot buy you happiness it only buys isolation,† also, The poem â€Å"Richard Cory† wants humanity to realize that there are problems on thinking that been rich is everything in the world and reaching this is the fulfillment of happiness but like in the poem been wealthy may cause many people to kill themselves because they are not satisfy. He had everything he needed, everything he wanted but he did not have the valuable thing that a human being needs, happiness Yes, he helped the poor and also gave jobs to the needy but by doing that he was trying to buy peoples affections, so he would have friends. It is peoples natural instincts that if they cannot treat each other as humans with respect and love, then they will separated from the others in order to satisfy their own needs Overall, the poem and the songs had a meaning to each reader taking it from the egoism or the unhappiness that Richard Cory had, that ended up on killing himself with a pistol that went through his head. Of course, in reality there could be things that happen to people who are miserable because they do not have anyone to share their wealth. Like the things that were brought to the poem about who was really Richard Cory, the politics it brought as people so him as a king and probably the influences that people had over Richard Cory that ended up his life and brought knowledge to those people that thought that money has the happiness for all. Works Cited Robinson Edwin â€Å"Richard Cory† Rpt. In. Reading Literature and Writing Argument. 3th Ed. Missy James and Allan P. Merickel. Upper Saddle, River New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008.192 http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Richard-Cory-Analysis/30896 http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/simon+and+garfunkel/richard+cory_20124655.html http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/RichardCory.html http://www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon27.html http://www.faqs.org/lyrics/Simon-Garfunkel-Richard-Cory.html http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/simon+and+garfunkel/richard+cory_20124655.html http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Richard-Cory-Analysis/30896

Great Gatsby :: essays papers

Great Gatsby The great gatsby and the fall of the american dream. The book 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald was an 'icon of its time.' The book discusses topics that were important, controversial and interesting back in 1920's America. The novel is 'an exploration of the American Dream as it exists in a corrupt period of history.' The main themes in the book are the decay of morals and values and the frustration of a 'modern' society. The Great Gatsby describes the decay of the American Dream and the want for money and materialism. This novel also describes the gap between the rich and the poor (Gatsby and the Wilsons, West Egg and the Valley of the Ashes) by comparing the differences between the Western United States (traditional western culture) and the Eastern United States (money obsessed values). On a smaller scale this could be seen as the difference between the West Egg (the 'new, money) and the East egg (the 'old' money). The 1920's were a time of corruption and the degradation of moral values for the United States and many other countries. World War One had just ended and people were reveling in the materialism that came with the end of it, new mass produced commodities such as motor cars and radios were filling people's driveways and houses, money was more accessible (before the Great Depression). Cars were becoming a social symbol in the 1920s as we can see with Gatsby's five cars, one of which he gives to Nick and one of which kills Myrtle Wilson later on in the novel. Herbert Hoover (an American President) said in 1925 "We will root out poverty and put two cars in every garage." The parties that Gatsby held every week in the summer were a symbol of the carelessness of the time. Gatsby would hide in the house while the 'guests', most of whom were not even invited, would party, eat and drink until the early hours of the morning without even meeting the guest or even knowing who he was. People would turn up just to be seen or reported in the local newspapers "In his blue garden people came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne." This shows the carelessness of the guests. Another quote about the parties refers to the way the guests devour the endless supply of food and never give a thought as to who gave it to them. "Every Friday five crates of oranges and Lemons arrived from a fruiterer In New York- Every Monday these same oranges

Children with Down Syndrome Plastic Surgery Essay

Children with Down Syndrome: Plastic Surgery Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children with Down Syndrome share similar characteristics such as its effects on their facial features. The bandwagon of most children protracts such features as extra skin. As a result, these children have an epicanthi fold that is additional skin on their eyelids inner corners. In addition, they have slanted eye openings rather than the horizontal openings, a feature referred to as slant palpebral tissues. Besides, such children have flattened nasal bridge and may also have downturned lower lip and flat mid-facial zone. Notwithstanding, they may have an open mouth with a protruding tongue. Plastic surgery was proposed in the 1970s as a way to reconfigure their children’s facial features to recover from Down Syndrome. Surgery recoveries for this ailment are categorized into facial reconstruction and tongue surgery. The treatment approach has elicited mixed debate on the parenting and parenting rights. This paper argues that parents of children with Down Syndrome should not subject their children to plastic surgery to make them look more conventional.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To begin with, interventions to change the body of a child may involve use of medicines, surgery or hormones. Conventionally, such interventions inflicted some physical damage to the children and are generally optional (Ameen & Boby, 2013). The procedures to reshape the body of a child are irreversible, invasive and potentially dangerous. Nonetheless, the fact these decisions are made indifferent to therapy needs differentiates them from similar parental decisions that design the child. Indeed, current laws do not consider the difference in these decisions, and therefore, parents can decide to subject their children to various body shaping. Current laws are indifferent to children body shaping decisions although they raise concerns on child rights, parental rights as well as parent obligations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the U.S.A for instance, it is constitutionally and in common law embalmed that competent adults decide on their personal medical decisions. These decisions go beyond lifesaving treatment, dangerous cosmetic procedures and election treatment. In this regard, children are not considered as competent adults. Ethicists argue that teenagers and young children should decide on their medical procedures. However, the law vests decision making for teenagers and children on their guardians and parents withy limited restrictions. Therefore, legally, parents are free to decide among different alternatives including plastic surgery to reshape their children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Obviously, there is much as stake when parents are allowed to subject their children to plastic surgery even when the children have Down Syndrome. Firstly, plastic surgery inflicts physical harm as it involves piercing and cutting of the skin (Ouellette, 2010). Besides, it may entail removal of organs or tissues as well as injection or anesthetizing with hormones. Consequently, the children stand at a risk of suffering cancer, nerve damage, hypertension, diabetes or death in extreme cases. Notwithstanding, such children are likely to suffer from psychological risks associated with injury to identity and stigma. Still, the piercing, cutting and injecting the tender skin of children constitute child abuse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For ages, plastic surgery was a recipe for austerity and ostensible rich or a requisite recovery treatment for birth deformities and trauma sufferings. However, today, it is an optional cosmetic surgery accessible to people of all economic structures and ages (Ouellette, 2010). In spite of these, this paper is of the opinion that it should be accessible to adults only. For this reason, the researcher does not harbor ill will against plastic surgery for treatment but emphatically reserves it for adults only. Therefore, this is not a grand conceptualization to present a teenage girl for breast implants to rejuvenate her low self esteem. Neither should a teenage boy be subjected to plastic surgery for skin acne scars. Instead, parents should tally for a few more years for them to make these shaping decisions in their adulthood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Parents of children with Down Syndrome subject their children to plastic surgery to make them look â€Å"more conventional†. To begin with, â€Å"conventional† is a relative word in Down Syndrome vocabulary because most children tend to take after other members of their family (Ameen & Boby, 2013). Therefore, there is nothing unusual. So, conventional is a term used to brandish children with Down Syndrome by their parents to refer to a â€Å"less embarrassing† look. Note that I do not use any particular term for that purpose. As a result, my son and daughter are my children, period! If they have Down Syndrome, they are not normal, weird, and conventional or anything like that like their elder siblings or not. They are my children, period!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Coincidentally, parents subjecting their children to cosmetic surgery claim unconditional love to their children (Ameen & Boby, 2013). However, they willingly, uninfluenced and independently expose their children to pain and suffering in an effort to throw a cover over their having Down Syndrome. Most of the parents claim to mitigate humiliation, embarrassment and pain from teasing by â€Å"fitting them in†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pardon my dumbness, but I wonder how it helps a kid with learning disabilities learns that his parents were extremely embarrassed and ashamed of their outlook that they would have spent astronomically to reverse the situation (Ameen & Boby, 2013). Equally, I wonder how it helps the child when it is teased at school for being â€Å"unconventional† while the peers cannot tell that the child has Down Syndrome. For this reason, parents of children having Down Syndrome should not subject their children to plastic surgery. They should wait for the children to become of age and make personal decisions. After all, plastic surgery is an irreversible condition. References Ameen, F., & Boby, C. (2013, June 4). Parenting a Child with Down Syndrome. HubPages. Retrieved December 27, 2013, from http://society-parenting.hubpages.com/hub/Parenting-a-Child-with-Down-Syndrome Ouellette, A. (2010). Shaping P arental Authority Over Children ‘ s Bodies. Indiana Law Journal, 85(3), 956-1001. Source document

Depression: Signs and Symptoms

Mental Illness: Depression Depression a serious medical condition in which a person feels very sad, hopeless, unimportant, anger without enthusiasm, and often is unable to live in a normal life. Each person is different and will have unique symptoms, but here are some of the more common symptoms of depression: >Feeling of sadness and loss: Feeling that life is not worth living or worth the effort to even maintain their appearance or hygiene.They may believe that a negative situation will never change nd be pessimistic about their future >Feelings of guilt and worthlessness: Low self esteem and guilt assuming blame for negative events or circumstances. You may feel like a failure and have negative views about their competence and self- worth. You feel as if you are not â€Å"good enough. † >Changes in weight or appetite: Depression affects the appetite in one way or another. Often, you Just lose interest in eating because the food has no taste. When anxiety is high, you may not be able to eat.In some cases, however, people will overeat out of frustration or misery. >Changes in sleeping patterns like insomnia: Sleep disturbances are common symptoms of depression. A â€Å"good night's sleep† becomes virtually impossible. Many people complain of waking up in the middle of the night with their mind racing, wondering how they are going to overcome all of the obstacles before them. Others do little other than sleep but never feel rested. In both cases, the built up fatigue can aggravate every other aspect of depression.Reduces ability to think clearly or make decisions: It affects your ability to make decisions, think clearly, perform complicated tasks, concentrate, and remember things. You may feel that you don't remember things that you did before, that you cannot focus on your work, or that you are unable to make decisions >Anxiety: A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. >Recurring thoughts of suicide or self-harm: When you suffer from depression, thoughts of suicide are often common.If there is no relief over a long period of time, suicide can feel like the only way to end the pain. >Social Isolation: Poor communication lacking connection with friends and family. Avoiding family gatherings and events. Teens that used to spend a lot of time with friends may now spend most of their time alone and without interests. Not sharing feelings with others, believing that you are alone in the world and no one is listening to you or even cares about you. Depression: Signs and Symptoms By spiderwebz