cannyben

In the twenty-first century, in which notions of good versus evil have thrived, the word "hero" has taken on a striking resonance. As a consequence, the decades-old superhero of comic books (as established in the guise of Superman in 1938) has been thrust to the forefront of mainstream popular culture, present across multiple media and the character's signature emblems now among the most recognisable in the world, functioning as powerful, pervasive and vastly profitable brands. Most notably, this domination is no more apparent than the realms of blockbuster cinema. With Superman: The Movie (1978) having provided an epic, special effects-fuelled spectacle finally worthy of the superhero's stature, and the vast cultural and commercial impact of Batman (1989), the superhero movie made a popular return to prominence with X-Men (2000), leading to billion-dollar earning and critically-lauded films such as The Dark Knight (2008) and The Avengers (2012) - and with more ...

Empathy, the will to understand or to attempt to understand others by imagining what it might feel like to be them; how it might feel to experience the world from inside their skin, underpins much of our lives. For instance, it is present in the ways in which people relate to and care for one another within families and in bigger groups, to the ways in which we communicate with one another through literature, art, film, advertising and digital media. Many professions - from nursing, counselling psychotherapy and medicine, to teaching, product design, architecture, advertising and stand-up comedy, depend at least partly, on empathic skill. We can empathise with others whose lives are very different from our own, and because empathy involves the use of the imagination, we can even empathise with people in experiences that we are unlikely ever to have, and even in experiences that we will never be able to have. Though empathy is often viewed through 'rose-coloured spectacles...

With its controversial depiction of an assassination attempt on the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, The Interview (2014) triggered outrage in North Korea as well as retaliatory bomb threats against movie theatres that agree showed the film and the hacking of email accounts at Sony Pictures Entertainment, the parent company of Columbia Pictures, which made the film. While the backlash against The Interview was unprecedented, the film itself it part of a long-standing tradition in which Hollywood plays out the political and ideological conflicts that exist between the United States and other countries such as North Korea (Team America: World Police), Russia (Die Hard 5), China (World War Z), Vietnam (Apocalypse Now), and Somalia (Black Hawk Down) using negative stereotypes to  demonize  or ridicule anyone considered an enemy of the state. Regardless of whether this engagement is explicit or masked as seemingly harmless comedy, and regardless of any stated intention on the...

Domestic violence, sometimes referred to as domestic abuse, partner abuse, intimate partner violence, battering or family violence is a pattern of behavior which involves violence or other abuse by one person in a domestic context against another. It may occur within, but is not confined to, marriage, cohabitation, forced marriage, friendship and familial relationships, and can involve sibling, parental, grandparent, heterosexual or same-sex relationships. It takes various forms, including physical abuse, emotional, verbal, economic and sexual abuse, which may extend to rape. Domestic violence over a period of time may lead to homicide. Most commonly, victims are female but males can be victimised too, and it is thought that domestic violence against men may be under-reported because of the stigma attached to being victimised in this way. Couples may engage in reciprocal violence and abuse. Victims frequently experience post-traumatic stress disorder. They are often trapped in violen...

We have often met students who were intrinsically fearful of maths. The subject terrified them, gave them anxiety attacks and destroyed their self-esteem. This fear seems to be quite widespread in adults too, including parents and teachers. Its is a matter of concern that till grade 4, students seem to love and enjoy maths but as soon as they enter the world of abstract concepts like fractions, decimals, percentages, confusion sets in and they feel more and more helpless in succeeding in the subject. Added to that are incidents of continuous lack of success in solving maths problems accompanied by poor guidance from teachers and intense competition in a classroom, which actually diminishes the self confidence of students. Students with maths anxiety feel negative emotions when engaging in an activity that requires numerical or maths skills. In one of the studies carried out by researchers, when college students were informed that they would be asked to take a maths test, it t...

Teaching social responsibility means intentionally teaching young people to understand themselves, each other, and the world. To do this one can create classrooms where students can air and solve conflicts, discuss controversial topics, have a say in what and how one learns, ask questions, engage in dialogue, and be moved to action as result of their study. Tips to teach social responsibility: Make your classroom more democratic and participatory. The following questions will help decide how to involve students in the curriculum and in the classroom. *can students be allowed to determine classroom rules/guidelines and consequences? * How can students share ideas about reading assignments, areas of study, and home-work? * can some decisions be made by consensus? * can students take turns teaching the class, either individually or in groups? Its human nature to be more invested in something if one has a say in it. We’ve all felt the frustration of watching the sa...

The question, often is asked or wondered: Does the colour of one’s skin or religion, or background affect one’s ability to do a job well or give an indication of one’s level of intelligence or motivation? No, of course it doesn’t. So why are ethnic minority people statistically more likely to be unemployed than their   counterparts in general category? Do the above factors really influence one’s employability prospects and, if that really is the case, how can one redress the balance? This research project will try to provide information and advise on these issues and will help to understand the rights, as well as look at ways to deal with possible discrimination. It’s a long time that it is made in some countries illegal to treat a person less favourably than others on racial grounds. Yet there are still significant discrepancies for ethnic groups in the society and in the workplace. According to some research, ethnic minority workers receive less pay than their other cou...

In the present age, almost everyone is hoping for a change in the system in which a school functions. Education should be such that it meets everyone’s needs. Students, these days, are especially fed up with the education they are receiving. Education consists of three things, where the first is, to teach to observe and know the basic facts that would enable the students in forming judgements; secondly, to train children to think fruitfully and soundly; thirdly, to teach children to use their knowledge and their thought effectively for their own, as well as the common good. When students feel good about where they are, they tend to be more relaxed, creative and open to learning new things. Comfortable desks and appealing classrooms would help improve learning, while a student lounge, large auditorium and cafeteria would aid towards an ideal school. Curriculum and equipment are the major factors that should be considered when creating an ideal school. Unfortunately, most schools ...

Although we all talk about stress, it often isn't clear what stress is really about. Many people consider stress to be something that happens to them, an event such as an injury or a promotion. Others think that stress is what happens to our body, mind and behaviour in response to an event (e.g. heart pounding, anxiety, or nail biting.) While stress does involve events and our response to them, these are not the most important factors. Our thoughts about the situations in which we find ourselves are the critical factor. When something happens to us, we automatically evaluate the situation mentally. We decide if it is threatening to us, how we need to deal with the situation and what skills we can use. If we decide that the demands of the situation outweigh the skills we have, then we label the situation as "stressful" and react with the classic "stress response." If we decide that our coping skills outweigh the demands of the situation, then we don't s...

The question, often is asked or wondered: Does the colour of one’s skin or religion, or background affect one’s ability to do a job well or give an indication of one’s level of intelligence or motivation? No, of course it doesn’t. So why are ethnic minority people statistically more likely to be unemployed than their counterparts in general category? Do the above factors really influence one’s employability prospects and, if that really is the case, how can one redress the balance? It’s a long time that it is made in some countries illegal to treat a person less favourably than others on ethnic grounds. Yet there are still significant discrepancies for ethnic groups in the society and in the workplace. According to some research, ethnic minority workers receive less pay than their other counterparts, and are more likely to be unemployed. In essence, people should not be discriminated in the fields of employment, education, training, housing and the provision of goods, facilities...

Every new idea, somewhere along the line, will be met with either indifference or skepticism. There is an ingrained reluctance on the part of most people to accept new things. Samuel Morse had his telegraphic equipment turned down by the American Congress. The reason ? No practical value. Thomas Edison found a great deal of resistance in having his electric light bulb accepted because he had neither formal education nor scientific standing. People scoffed at the idea of being able to talk through a hollow wire, as the telephone was called in its early days. Who now can ever think of modern living without a phone ? These men, these inventors, had something in common and that was a resourcefulness, an ingenuity, and a deep faith in their own ability to reproduce their dream. They had hope and enthusiasm. They had to struggle long and hard but they never considered giving up. Try to direct your energies along lines that suit your inclinations or particular talents. Keep constantly...

Why Are People Homeless? Two trends are largely responsible for the rise in homelessness over the past 20-25 years: a growing shortage of affordable rental housing and a simultaneous increase in poverty. Homelessness and poverty are inextricably linked. Poor people are frequently unable to pay for housing, food, childcare, health care, and education. Difficult choices must be made when limited resources cover only some of these necessities. Often it is housing, which absorbs a high proportion of income that must be dropped. Two factors help account for increasing poverty: eroding employment opportunities for large segments of the workforce, and the declining value and availability of public assistance. Media reports of a growing economy and low unemployment mask a number of important reasons why homelessness persists, and, in some areas it is worsening. These reasons include stagnant or falling incomes and less secure jobs which offer fewer benefits. While the last few years...

Education researchers throughout the world state that fellow students are the single most potent source of influence. Numerous studies have found student-peer culture to be a key predictor in a range of education outcomes including persistence rates, commitment to the institution, and departure decision. Support for the role of social integration in student retention comes from across education research as well as from psychological, sociological and economic perspectives. While methods and perspectives vary, they all agree on one thing: social engagement is an essential component of retention. From Retention : Theory to Practice How can institutions help students stay and succeed ? There are agreement that social integration is a key element of retention but it is unclear how to foster it across diverse educational institutions. Essentially, the task for effective schools is to help create supportive communities for their students. Often, the work of student engagement, commun...

Student retention is a leading issue in education today. With nearly half of students failing to graduate, admistrators, educators are taking a closer look at the complex student success equation. Research across academic disciplines highglights the role of social integration as a big piece of the retention puzzle. However, integration programme like learning communities have met with limited success. The current social media explosion represents a powerful new opportunity for retention efforts. Nearly all educational institutions are already using social media tools - with Facebook currently in the lead. New research and social media programme are contributing to emerging best practices that will help administrators leverage these tools for better student engagement and community building initiatives. 

10 offbeat courses after 12th standard Here you are, at the crossroads. You have finished your 10+2, and are on a hunt for the course that best suits your taste and chances in the future. A good number of students choose Engineer, Medicine, Management or IT after their PUC. But there are other offbeat, yet interesting, courses too. Here is a collection of 10 of them. Check them out. BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK Course details A degree in social work equips you to serve your country better. With issues related to women, environment, man-made and natural disasters, human rights, mental heath, HIV/AIDS and so on on the rise, opportunities for employment and career growth in social work are expected to increase in non-governmental and governmental sectors. Professionally trained social workers are required more than ever. What you will learn (subject to syllabus) Social Work Intervention with individuals and groups Social Work Intervention with Communities and Institutions ...