The historians perils Essay Example For Students

The historians perils Essay The objective of most higher-level education in general, and specifically of liberal education, is often misunderstood. The goal is not necessarily in direct preparation for a particular skill or for employment, but instead has a more indirect aim of instilling knowledge, frames of reference and the ability to think and express oneself. History is particularly rich in the opportunity it offers for learning how to think, owing in part to the challenges inherent in its subject matter and to the strong tradition among historians of cultivating the general powers of intellect. The techniques of historical study and thinking, exacting as they are, nonetheless have a high â€Å"carry-over† value for other subjects and activities. As such, one cannot help but appreciate the historian’s unique plight, and subsequently to see the value in his work as applied to all our lives, as human beings. To begin, we must understand and accept that â€Å"History is constructed reality† (Burnstyn, 19870), given the simple fact that neither the historian nor the scholar has direct, first-hand knowledge of the events he is studying. As such, he is compelled to refer to documents, statements, or other evidence that pre-dates him and that he assumes represents the past, giving him some insight as to what took place. The trouble is that no single artifact is entirely representative of a time or place. Rather, it is the result of, and is equally subject to, individual interpretations at one particular instance in time. The evidence then, cannot intrinsically or independently reflect any given event or its context. It requires the discerning, well-versed historian to give it â€Å"meaning† by attempting to deduce the circumstances under which the artifact came to be, and what the particular piece really does represent. In attempting to do this, the historian endeavors to reconstruct reality by factoring in various principles and other sources of information, res ulting in a cohesive sum wholly different from any of its parts. This reconstructive process is a perilous one, fraught with potential for misinterpretation and/or misuse of the facts. The ambiguity of the â€Å"facts† themselves are clearly problematic, but more so are the ways those facts are discovered and subsequently presented. How does a historian know when he has reached genuine testimony of an event that transpired before he himself had even existed? Pictures can lie, and printed matter can be partisan though commonly accepted as being true likenesses of their subjects, photographs and portraits (the former more so than the latter), are actually only indicative of what either the subject or the artist wanted others to see. Bearing this caveat in mind, pictures then become subject to the same scrutiny as any other piece of evidence, so much so that examining the angle, focus, location and pose of pictures becomes more revealing than perhaps the picture itself. Think a bout it: why was this subject or information deemed important enough to paint or take a picture of, and by whom? For what purpose and/or audience was it intended, and how if at all, did that intention differ from it’s actual use? What was going on around the subject that didn’t get captured in the picture? With any of these questions left unanswered, it becomes apparent that though a picture may well be worth a thousand words, they can still only tell half the story. We will write a custom essay on The historians perils specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Clearly then, the historian must approach his search for knowledge with a critical eye for potentially misleading information. However, in stripping away the layers of subjectivity that were superimposed on the â€Å"facts† by times, places and people before him, can he simultaneously assure that these layers are not replaced with his own assumptions and interpretations in the process? The very search for objective evidence, however noble in intent, necessarily involves some preconceived notions of where to look and what to look for. Subjectivity, a priori assumptions, and hindsight will undoubtedly direct the historian’s focus and research, as well as colour his interpretation of his findings. A very good example of this is the tendency for leaders of governments or movements to use history as propaganda. Much traditional teaching of history has been utilized for indoctrination, particularly for glorifying the national state and conditioning loyalty in children.

Discuss how Alfred Hitchcock creates horror and suspence in his film Psycho Essay Example

Discuss how Alfred Hitchcock creates horror and suspence in his film Psycho Essay Example Discuss how Alfred Hitchcock creates horror and suspence in his film Psycho Essay Discuss how Alfred Hitchcock creates horror and suspence in his film Psycho Essay and it gently glides upwards toward the ceiling. Then we see Norman emerge from the bedroom carrying Mother, who, seen from above, looks quite doll-like and helpless. At this point, we are fully aware that information is being withheld from us, and that Psycho will not be over until we have looked Mother fully in the face. Hitchcock spent a lot of time and money trying to conceal the fact that Mother and Norman are one and the same. For example, Perkins never did Mothers voice. Hitchcock used several voices, male and female, to try to prevent the audience from getting a fix on Mother. He also used several different people to play Mother. Margo Epper, a 24-year-old actress who had worked largely as a double in Hollywood, played Mother in the shower scene. The basement scene starts as Lila sneaks of to explore the house while Sam holds off Norman. We see the dreaded staircase for the fourth time. The camera follows Lila as she opens the door to Mothers bedroom. At last we are going to see everything. Hitchcock makes time stand still as Lila explores the suffocating Victorian furniture, the armoire with the carefully spaced dresses, the famous, horrible crossed hands on Mrs. Bates table, and the mattress indented with Mrs. Bates seated form. During this scene we get one of the best scares in Psycho, when Lila sees herself reflected in a mirror. Lila doesnt only investigate Mothers room. Going up another half-flight of stairs, she comes to Normans room. As we look at the worn toys, the filthy, unmade bed, we realize that we are inside Normans mind (this is a good example of mise en scene). Then Lila pulls a book from the bookcase and opens it. However, we arent allowed to see what it is. After inspecting both mother and Norman rooms, Lila descends the stairs only to see Norman coming up the path. She cleverly hides beneath the cellar stairs as Norman ascends, but then, to the horror of the audience, decides to inspect the cellar rather than escape, this creates unbelievable tension as we know that mother has been hidden down there. One thing we dont know however is that the biggest surprise of the entire film is coming up. Lila enters the cluttered basement, and switches on the light. We then see Mothers figure sitting in the chair besides the window. Lila calls out mothers name 3 times before reaching out for the chair and spinning it around, this is the first part of the big surprise, the chair swivels around and for the first time in the film we are confronted, face to face with the stuffed remains of Mother. Lila screams and turns around to see Norman (fully dressed up as mother charging insanely through the door, knife in hand, he is ready to attack Lila. He staggers froward, ready to strike, but at the last minute Sam lunges through the door and restrains Norman. After Norman is subdued, we get the official wrap-up from Dr. Richmond. When the doctor is finished, a police officer enters, carrying a blanket for Norman, who is suffering from a slight chill. we then get our final glimpse of Norman, staring helplessly, while Mother gives us her side of the story through the voiceover. She finishes by saying that shes just going to sit here like the harmless old lady she is see, Im not even going to swat that fly. Suddenly, the focus returns to Normans eyes. He looks right at us and grins menacingly. The film has unmasked Norman, and to drive the point home, Hitchcock superimposes Mothers deaths head grin over Normans own. For the purpose of creating horror and suspense Psycho is perfect. The film uses a mix of techniques to create horror and suspense, ranging from the use of music, camera angles to brilliant editing and direction, added to all of this is a very good story line that sucks the viewer in and keeps him at the edge of his seat.

Internship report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Internship report - Essay Example During this meeting, the member organizations assess the general thrust of their actions, set the priorities and decide of their joint strategy for the coming 3 years, notably by electing the International Board. The International Board is comprised of 22 elected members (a president, treasurer, 15 vice-presidents, and 5 secretaries general) representing all regions of the world. This International Board defines specific strategies to implement the thematic and regional priorities adopted by the Congress. It also meets 3 times a year to discuss the FIDH's political and strategic orientation and to approve the budget. The Executive Board is composed of the President, the Treasurer and 5 secretaries General. It is responsible for the management of the FIDH on a daily basis and convenes once a month to take decision on current concerns and request submitted by member organizations. The International Secretariat, based in Paris, employs 30 permanent staff members who carry out various du ties including working at the headquarters, acting as a permanent delegation before IGOs (intergovernmental organizations) and working in regional offices. It implements decisions taken by the International and Executive boards in conjunction with the member organizations. ... The International Secretariat, Observatory and Specialist Desks. The International Secretariat is divided into regions (Africa Desk, Americas Desk, Asia Desk, Eastern Europe & Central Asia Desk, North Africa & Middle East desk) and is responsible for setting priorities. Since 2009, the FIDH singled out certain areas of prime concern, for which it has determined action priorities. These include: protection for human rights defenders, accountability, respect for human rights in the context of globalization, defense of human rights, and respect for human rights in the context of counter-terrorism. The thematic division of the International Secretariat reflects the following action priorities: Globalization & Human Rights Desk, Women's & Migrants Rights Desk, International Justice Desk, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defender (hereinafter "The Observatory"). The Observatory (a joint program with the World Organization Against Torture) seeks the implementation of the UN De claration on Human Rights Defenders and campaigns for the adoption of new mechanisms aimed at reinforcing their protection and security. It also provides emergency protection to human rights defenders on the ground under the form of material assistance, trial observation missions, media coverage, and urgent intervention. The International Justice Desk's mandate is to tackle the issue of impunity for those who carry out human rights abuses, and to make such individuals and groups accountable for their crimes against humanity. It does so by providing legal and judicial support to victims of international crimes by initiating or participating in litigation before national, regional and international courts. The fight against impunity is one of the raisons d’etre