Dantes Inferno

The Inferno is more than just a fictional story about someone traveling through life. It is actually more like an autobiographical journey of life through its author, Dante Alighieri’s. He basically wrote with the personal purpose of recording where all of the people he came in contact within his life, will go when they die. This could be one of three places; Hell, Purgatory, or Heaven. He went on to design specific, fitting punishments or rewards based on each person’s life. Dante then tied this all together and made himself a character that walks the entire length of the abstracted world.Written in the early 1300s by an angry Dante living in exile, he literally describes a man who has been trapped, and must find a way to escape. He also includes the hidden Renaissances darkness, and the people who are Manipulating. As Dante passes through the depths of hell he begins to see sins that would be punished and tortured in medieval times to the same acts that are displayed in the era of the Renaissance, and yet are treated differently. The Renaissances era that had a lot of influence on Dante and the journey through hell.Whether they were someone that betrayed him in his political career or the girl that he fell in love with when he was 9 years old, he found a way to integrate them into the Inferno. It’s not hard to notice that in the symbols, Dante considers trust and loyalty to be one of the most important human characteristics. He basically felt this way due to the point that he was betrayed and exiled away from his beloved homeland, by the pope. It is because of this that he places offenders of breaking these at the center of hell. Dante was exiled from Florence in 1302 and this is where his feelings that helped structured the story.When he comes out of the dark forest Dante is blocked by the three beasts. The beasts are a lion, a leopard, and wolf. The lion is seen to poses pride, the leopards' role is that of lust and the wolf represents is greed. The three ferocious beasts have three of the seven deadly sins. Canto 3 started the read when Dante comes to himself again and realizes he is lost in a dark, savage, threatening forest deep in a valley. He tries all night to find a way out; when he comes to the foot of a high hill and his way is blocked by three beasts.He thinks he's going to get past the leopard that comes first, but the lion is more fearsome, and the wolf drives him back, despairing, to the dark wood. He then sees a human shape and calls out for help. It is the shade of Virgil, When researched he was the great Roman poet of the time of the emperor Augustus, where he as a poet has learned so much, and Dante begs him for help against the wolf. Virgil tells him that the wolf is too fierce to get by, that she is ravaging all of Italy, and will do so until the person comes who can chase her back to Hell.But Virgil promises to get him out of the dark wood, not by taking him past the beasts, but by leading him through Hell. Once he has seen those who suffer in Hell, Virgil will lead him up the mountain of Purgatory, where souls become ready for eternal bliss, and then someone else will take over and lead him up to Heaven. Virgil can't go there because, living before Christianity had spread, and he was not a Christian. Dante accepts Virgil's guidance through hell, and they set out. The first circle he sees was beings that where not good enough to go to heaven, or bad enough to join the bottom of hell.As the reading continued I realized it also showed that the angles had a choice between heaven and hell, which made it different from anything I have read from the past. Canto 5, is when he first enters the Second Circle, Dante sees Minos, a horrible, snarling demon to whom each soul confesses everything. Minos warns Dante to turn back, but Virgil again asserts that Dante's journey is divinely ordained. Dante hears wailing again. Spirits pass through the air like a flock of birds, tormented by Minos; they have no hope of rest, and no hope of less pain. One long line of spirits gets Dante's attention, and he asks Virgil who they are.Virgil replies to him, all having died because of love, and Dante is bewildered by pity. Canto 34 is in the deepest depth of Hell, the lowest point in the whole universe. Virgil lets Dante know that he is about to see the being who is the ruler of Hell. Dante looks through the sadness and sees something that looks huge and like a windmill in the distance. The wind is strong, and he has to shelter himself behind Virgil. In the icy plain beneath them the souls are now completely buried in the ice, through which he sees them. When they get closer, Virgil makes Dante come out from behind him and look at Satan.Dante is so frozen and weak he feels neither dead nor alive, but he looks. There is the being who was once the fairest angel in Heaven, Lucifer, who rebelled against the one and only God who had made him so fair. Who was once beautiful but ug ly now from where he sits, he is much bigger than the giants Dante saw at the outer edge of the deepest pits. His head has three faces, one red, one white and yellow, one black. Two big bat wings sprout under each face, and it is the flapping of those wings that made the ice of Cocytus. He weeps tears and blood from each of his six eyes, and in each mouth he chews on a sinner.Virgil having seen everything, they must go. Dante holds tight to Virgil, with his arms around Virgil's neck, and Virgil goes right up to Satan and takes hold of his flanks, which are covered with hair. From tuft to tuft he descends to the midpoint of Satan's body, and then manages to turn himself upside down and start climbing. They reach a cleft in the rock and there Virgil puts Dante down on the edge. Dante looks back, and there are Lucifer's legs upside down. Dante is utterly bewildered. Virgil explains that the midpoint of Satan's body is the center of gravity of the earth.The story also reminds me of Reve lations more than just the relation of Rome. It is the same idea of describing others who have live into a different situation or character. Both Authors must have had similar feeling towards the groups, they both had hatred and wanted revenge. They describe the groups for who they were as a character that nobody would like. Dante Had made people change their family name, because he had shown a lot about the person to others, just because a relative was in the poem. He needed something to help him relived all the hatred he carried with him self; the Poem did not spike me as a comedy but more of a drama.

Textiles as a Building Material Beyond That of a Passive Skin

The functional character of fabrics: fabrics as aedificestuff beyond that of a inactive tegument. Much of the Interior Architects work consist of the adaptative re-use of concrete, steel and brick edifices. In a universe where resources are scarce and edifices have to be demolished to do manner for new 1s, fabrics could go an attractive option to traditional edifice stuffs. Could textiles serve edifice demands beyond that of a inactive tegument, beyond that of a cosmetic characteristic? Table of Contentss:Page figure: List of Figures†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦twoIntroduction: Buildings beyond inactive shelter†¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ .1Fabrics as a inactive tegument [ shelter ] †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ .2Curtain as architecture [ the interior tegument ] †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦ .3More than a skin†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦ .4Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7List of references†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8List of Figures: FIGURE 1: Curtain Wall House, Shigeru Ban [ pg.2 ] FIGURE 2: Axonometric position bespeaking drape as exterior facade [ pg.2 ] FIGURE 3: Section through concert hall [ pg.3 ] FIGURE 4: Large window with functional drape [ pg.3 ] FIGURE 5: Fabric facade [ pg.4 ] FIGURE 6: Responsive photovoltaic fabric strips [ pg.4 ] FIGURE 7: Diagram bespeaking response energy reaping facade elements [ pg.5 ] FIGURE 8: Curtain as splitter and illuming system [ pg.6 ] FIGURE 9: UV-resistant plastic insularity [ pg.6 ] FIGURE 10: Multi layered membrane construction [ pg.6 ]Introduction: Buildings beyond inactive shelterâ€Å"ALL BUILDINGS, Once HANDED OVER by the builders to the client, have three possible destinies, viz. to stay unchanged, to be altered or to be demolished. The monetary value for staying unchanged is eventual loss of business, the menace of change is the entropic skid, the promise of destruction is of a new building.† -Fred Scott ( SCOTT 2007:1 ) Current building rates and techniques could be seen as a response to society’s demands for a peculiar criterion of life ( ADDIS 2006: 5 ) . Within our current preponderantly industrialized society, it is usual pattern to cover with unwanted edifices by taking those things with immediate value, pulverizing what is left over and disposing of it by lodging it into the land ( CROWTHER 1999: 1 ) . This has a great impact on our environment, and can be seen in the depletion of non-renewable natural resources, air pollution and the debasement of the natural landscape to call a few ( ADDIS 2006: 5 ) . These patterns with their damaging environmental effects can non be sustained, either environmentally or economically, and convey on a demand for newer and more efficient building techniques and material utilizations ( CROWTHER 1999: 1 ) . Harmonizing to Guy and Shell,Design for deconstruction and stuffs reuse( 2001 ) The overall end with Design for Deconstruction†¦ â€Å"†¦is to cut down pollution impacts and increase resource and economic efficiency in the version and eventual remotion of edifices, and recovery of constituents and stuffs for reuse, re-manufacturing and recycling.† Design for deconstruction starts to oppugn traditional edifice methods and ways of believing simply by look intoing the mode in which things connect and gulf. With anticipations such as energy scarceness and resource depletion designers in assorted Fieldss should no longer be planing edifices merely to function as reclaimable shelter. Therefore, for a edifice to merely be demountable and adaptable is no longer plenty. Buildings should instead hold the potency of tackling the sustainable resources that are available. In this essay, the functional usage of fabrics as an architectural stuff will be questioned. First, the rediscovery of fabrics as an architectural stuff will be considered. Second, the usage of fabric drapes as a functional architectural stuff within Casa district attorney Musica will be briefly investigated and in conclusion, functional applications of fabrics as a inactive tegument within the architectural envelope will be discussed in short.Fabrics as a inactive tegument [ shelter ] Fabrics being one of the nimblest and lightest edifice stuffs, serve as a premier pick in the building of demountable and adaptable edifices. They are easy to transport and put in and hold a comparatively low embodied energy and C footmark. Developing engineerings besides demonstrate the extent to which fabrics are adaptative every bit good as multifunctional as a edifice stuff, doing the stuff capable of turn toing a assortment of human demands ( BROWNELL 2011 ) . While much of the current fabric engineerings are extremely advanced, the basic rules of cloths have ancient roots. The earliest grounds of woven fabrics goes back about 7000 old ages, puting it about instantly after the last ice age. Fabrics were besides found in the Paleolithic colonies in the signifier of portable tent-like huts clad with animate being teguments, imputing it with a long history as an architectural stuff ( McQUAID 2005: 106 ) ( QUINN 2006: 23 ) . This ancient system displays the careful consideration of resource usage every bit good as leting for constituents to be disassembled and relocated, replaced and maintained. The typical compressive frames and tensile membranes used within the constructions could be easy taken apart by the user as it was lightweight ( CROWTHER 1999:5 ) . With clip fabrics were replaced with lumber, rock, concrete and masonry constructions, deteriorating the usage of fabrics as edifice stuff in architecture. Consequently, fabrics are perceived as vulnerable to H2O, flammable, impermanent and weak whereas architecture is associated with mass and denseness. Therefore, fabrics are frequently limited to cosmetic elements ( QUINN 2006: 23 ) . The incorporation of soft cladding stuffs as an built-in constituent of reinforced infinites challenges this premise ( KLASSEN 2008: 1 ) .Shigeru Ban’sCurtain-wall house (see FIGURE 1 ) serves as an advanced modern-day illustration of the usage of lightweight fabrics in building. The fabric is incorporated as a bed of the exterior edifice envelope moving as a shade supplier ; splitter and enclosure in a domestic context ( see FIGURE 2 ) . By utilizing a fabric in topographic point of a structural wall, Shigeru creates paradoxes between the thoughts of openness and separation, permeableness and enclosure, every bit good as working with the thought of motion across interior and exterior infinites. This design offers credibleness to fabrics as a building stuff hinting to the rediscovery of fabrics as a important architectural stuff ( KLASSEN 2008: 3 ) ( QUINN 2006: 23 ) .Curtain as architecture [ the interior tegument ] â€Å"We shortly forgot about ornaments and colorss and began to construe the drape as walls, frontages, built-in parts of the architecture, structures that finish a room.†Ã¢â‚¬â€œPetra Blaisse ( WIENTHAL 2011:274 ) TheCasa district attorney Musicacreated by Rem Koolhaas, with interior infinites shaped by Petra Blaisse reiterates Shigeru’s usage of fabrics. Even more so than theCurtain house, theCasa district attorney Musicareappropriates fabrics as a functional architectural stuff within the inside. ( This illustration serves merely to beef up the instance for fabrics as a functional architectural stuff beyond ornament but does non look at the application beyond a inactive tegument ) . Contrary to conventional public presentation halls, the Casa district attorney Musica consists of big nothingnesss encroaching the edifice margin. This is chiefly because the halls were ‘excavated from the monolithic volume’that forms the edifices shell ( see FIGURE 3 and FIGURE 4 below ) . Initially the impression of drapes served a strictly ocular map within the architect’s theoretical account and was represented as garbages of fabric inserted as topographic point holders ( WIENTHAL 2011:272 ) . The demands and outlooks of the drapes changed as the design squad realized that even the slightest change of graduated table, stuffs, place or construction significantly impacted on the public presentation and potency of the suites. Finally the usage of blackout drapes mediated between the visible radiation and acoustic public presentation within the halls in order to heighten the ocular and audile quality of the infinites ( see FIGURE 4 on pg.3 ) ( WIENTHAL 2011:274, 275 ) . The coaction between Rem Koolhaas and Petra Blaisse exemplifies the ability of a fabric drape to excel the mere cosmetic and enter the kingdom of the functional. The acoustic and atmospheric definition that the fabric curtains conveying to the interior infinites of the Casa district attorney Musica exceeded even those initial outlooks of the designer. The fabric performs a specific map that could be considered architectural in nature and challenges the typical premise that cloth serves merely as a cosmetic addi tion.More than a skin [ the functional character of fabrics ] A new paradigm in architecture is emerging which includes net teguments, flexible skeletons and lightweight interwoven textile constructions that replace traditional positions of architecture as solid gravitation edge constructions. Dense compaction based edifices can be replaced with more efficient tensile systems that besides has the capacity to react to the natural environment ( McQUAID 2005: 104 ) ( QUINN 2006: 23 ) . This displacement enables designers every bit good as interior designers to make constructions that act beyond the boundaries of a inactive tegument. Buildings that harness their ain power from renewable beginnings. Architecture house KVA Matx late published an article in the Energy Future Journal ( Spring edition ) about theirsoft houseconstruct. This construct aims to make an active architecture that responds to environmental conditions. It includes the usage of a movable fabric substructure thatcrops solar energyby agencies of a antiphonal photovoltaic fabric [ 1 ] facade on the outside of the edifice that adjusts to follow the Sun ( KOEPPE 201: 378 ) ( STAUFFER 2013:21 ) . The row of lodging units portion the energy reaping facade as indicated in FIGURE 5 and FIGURE 6. These are equipped with incorporate flexible solar cells. The facade consists of single strips that change place to track the seasonal motions of the Sun ( See 4 diagrams on the right of FIGURE 7 ) . The fabric photovoltaic’s are made up of fabric strips with a fictile,spring-like construction of fibre-reinforced composite boardsthat bend to organize flexible [ 2 ] PV’s. See FIGURE 6 ( BROWNELL 2011 ) . Here the incorporation of fabrics in architecture is critical in order to let for the tegument of the edifice to reap solar energy. Different shadiness forms are besides created in the inside when the facade responds to the Sun ( STAUFFER 2013:20 ) . The Soft House antiphonal facade demonstrates how traditional‘hard’architectural stuffs (such as non-renewable energy, glass-based solar panels and Sun trailing machinery) can be replaced by low C, lightweight stuffs such as fabrics that allow for easy deconstruction and reuse. Here fabrics are used as a soft cladding stuff on the exterior facade of the edifice, nevertheless becomes a well indispensable constituent of the reinforced infinite. The fabric performs a specific map that surpasses that of mere inactive tegument and challenges the typical premises that it serves merely as cosmetic addition. Within the inside of the row lodging units a set of textile ‘smart curtains’ provide movable lighting. Brooding strips and LED’s provide an energy-efficientilluming systemthat allows for adjustable interior infinites. See FIGURE 8. Harmonizing to Kennedy, personal microclimates can be created†¦Ã¢â‚¬ When you [ enclose ] littleinfinites, the brooding elements in thedrapes reflect the heat from the radiantfloor in winteror roll up cooled air ifit’s summertime†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ( STAUFFER 2013:20 ) . The utilizations of proficient or smart fabrics expand beyond that of fabric photovoltaic panels and LED lighting drapes. ThePolar bear marqueeis the first edifice to implement ground-breaking engineering to expeditiously absorb and hive away heat ( See FIGURE 9 ) ( www.business.highbeam.com ) . The multi-layered construction comprises of a heat insulating membrane on a textile footing. The outer bed is composed of a crystalline UV-resistant plastic that provides heat insularity. Below this bed is a black absorbent fabric which is warmed by the Sun. Roll uping paths form an incorporate system of faculties oriented toward the Sun. This het air is so guided to the energy shops ( see FIGURE 10 ) . Here the heat is transformed into chemical energy within the energy shops by agencies of silicon oxide ( www.bio-pro.de ) ( www. techtextil.messefrankfurt.com ) . This extremely advanced system is still in the development stages but suggests countless chances for fabrics in the hereafter. This invention goes beyond that of fabrics as mere tegument and touches on the functional character of fabrics. DecisionInterior designers are continually forced to revaluate current design attacks due to pressing environmental concerns and technological promotions. Despite the current development in fabrics and as discussed, the advanced usage of fabrics in architecture, the applications thereof beyond a inactive tegument are still in their babyhood. I believe that fabrics could potentially go an environmentally sustainable design solution to that of traditional building stuffs. Therefore, non merely moving as a inactive tegument, but besides making chance for interaction with the environment and that we could potentially profit from the functional character of fabrics. This premiss derives from the case in points that focus on the development of antiphonal fabrics and their applications in the reinforced environment. The assorted inventions within the architectural fabric sphere is increasing and turning toward an environmentally sustainable solution.List of MentionsADDIS, B. 2006.Constructi ng with rescued constituents and stuffs: A design enchiridion for reuse andrecycling.United Kingdom: Earthscan. Biopro baden. 2013. A warm house thanks to polar bear rule: News.Found online at:hypertext transfer protocol: //www.bio-pro.de/magazin/index.html? lang=en & A ; artikelid=/artikel/09100/index.html. [ accessed: 24 February 2014 ] . BONNELMAISON, S. & A ; Macy, C. 2007.Responsive fabric environments.Canada: Canadian design research web. Brownell, B. 2011. Driving the hereafter of fabric constructions: Forte cloths reappraisal.Found online at:hypertext transfer protocol: //specialtyfabricsreview.com/articles/0611_f1_fabric_structures.html. [ accessed: 17 February 2014 ] . Butler, N. 2013. Textile roof gaining controls energy for long-run storage: Progresss in fabrics engineering.Found online at:hypertext transfer protocol: //business.highbeam.com/3840/article-1G1-342770882/textile-roof- captures-energy-longterm-storage. [ accessed: 24 February 2014 ] . CROWTHER, P. 2001. Developing and Inclusive Model for Design for Deconstruction. InChini, Abdol ( Ed. )CIB Task Group 39 – Deconstruction, Annual Meeting, 2001, April 2001, Wellington, New Zealand.Found online at:hypertext transfer protocol: //eprints.qut.edu.au/2884/ . [ accessed: 22 February 2014 ] . GUY, B. & A ; Shell, S. 2001. Planing for Deconstruction and Materials reuse. Environmental design usher. InChini, Abdol ( Ed. )CIB Task Group 39 – Deconstruction, Annual Meeting, 2001, April 2001, Wellington, New Zealand.Found online at:hypertext transfer protocol: //www.deconstructioninstitute.com/files/downloads/75508728_DesignforDeconstructionPaper. pdf. [ accessed: 21 February 2014 ] . Inside Outside. 2004. Casa district attorney Musica: Inside Outside, Petra Blaisse. Internet: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.insideoutside.nl/en/casa-da-musica.htm. [ accessed: 20 February 2014 ] . KLASSEN, F. 2008. From the bazar to infinite Architecture: Fabrics reshape the human home ground. Ryerson University: Faculty of communicating and design, school of interior design. Canada: Toronto Ontario.Found online at:hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ryerson.ca/malleablematter/images/publications/Bazaar_to_SpaceArchitecture.pdf. [ accessed: 22 February 2014 ] . KOEPPE, R. , Demir, A. , & A ; Bozkurt, Y. 2010. Development of Energy Generating Photovoltaic fabric constructions for smart applications.Fibers and Polymers.11 ( 3 ) : 378383. McQUAiD, M. 2005.Extreme fabrics: Designing for high public presentation. New York: Thames and Hudson. MILLER, G.T, & A ; Spoolman, S.E. 2009.Populating in the environment: Concepts, connexions andsolutions.16Thursdayedition. USA: Brooks/Cole. PALUSKI, M. , Hewitt, C. , Horman, M. & A ; Guy, B. 2004. Design for deconstruction: Materials reuse and constructability. Pennsylvania State university: Department of Architectural Engineering.Found online at:hypertext transfer protocol: //www.usgbc.org/Docs/Archive/MediaArchive/204_Pulaski_PA466.pdf. [ accessed: 21 February 2014 ] . QUINN, B. 2006. Fabrics in Archicture.Eco Redux.76 ( 6 ) :22-26 SCOTT, F. 2007.On Altering Architecture. New York: Routledge. STAUFFER, N.W. 2013. Constructing frontages that move, textiles that illuminate: A tract to flexible, resilient architecture.Energy Futures.Spring 2013.Found online at:hypertext transfer protocol: //mitei.mit.edu/publications/energy-futures-magazine/energy-futures-spring-2013. [ accessed: 24 February 2014 ] . Techtextil. 2014. Inventions prize victors: News.Found online at:hypertext transfer protocol: //techtextil.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en/besucher/news/techtextil-newsletter/3-top- thema — innovationspreisgewinner.html. [ accessed: 24 February 2014 ] . Volume: 2012. Chance and command, Interview with Petra Blaisse. Internet: hypertext transfer protocol: //volumeproject.org/2012/10/chance-and-control-interview-with-petra-blaisse/ . [ accessed: 20 February 2014 ] . WIENTHAL, L. 2011.Toward a new inside: An anthology of interior design theory. New York: Princeton Architectural imperativeness. 1

Assessing Learners in Lifelong Learning Essay

Critical reflection is an important aspect of teaching and learning effectively; as stated by Petty (2009:520) ‘as you reflect, your ‘theory in use’ improves, and so you become not only more effective, but also more adaptable and better able to solve problems.’ Through critically reflecting on your own practice, you become more able as a teacher and thereby improving your learner’s ability to achieve. This unit will be exploring assessment by way of critical analysis and evaluation. 1.a) How you select and apply assessment types and methods to meet the needs of learners, ensuring that the assessment evidence that is produced is valid, reliable, sufficient, authentic and current. Due to the vast array of assessment types and methods available, it is important that I research effectively which assessment methods and types meet the needs of my learners. Within AS and A Level Psychology that I teach, there are formal assessment methods used at the end of topics and the course that are marked in accordance with AQA guidelines. These tend to be similar methods of summative assessment, including mock exams and essays, as these are the most appropriate and effective methods of summative assessment in terms of what my learners need to know. However, upon exploring assessment in more details, it is clear that I could diversify in terms of the summative assessment methods I use. As stated within DTTLS Course Day Five Reflective Journal; ‘Whilst I am quite diverse with regards to formative assessment, I tend to use the same assessment methods with my learners for summative assessment. This is normally case studies and essays at the end of topics, and mock exams at the end of modules. Even though I understand that the reason I do this is to ensure that learners are prepared for their exam at the end of the year, I am not developing my learners as fully as I can.’ This has become an area of development for me for future planning and preparation; ‘As a result, I will be exploring ways to increase diversity within my summative assessment methods over the next few months.’ (DTTLS Course Day Five Reflective Journal). Through exploring summative assessment and researching this in more detail, I have been able to use different methods of summative  assessment to ensure that it meets the needs of learners and the course type; ‘The latter part of this session involved learners working together to present the three definitions of abnormality. In order to meet the needs of learners, I ensured that all learners were involved in presenting a different definition of abnormality than the one they completed the leaflet on. This is to ensure that learners get maximum exposure to the different definitions and are able analyse and evaluate at least two effectively.’ (Session 6 Self Evaluation Form, Individual Differences, 27/03/14). Through mixing up the assessment methods, so that learners were able display what they had learnt through written English, verbally and using ICT to produce a PowerPoint presentation ensured that this form of summative assessment at the end of the topic meet the needs of all learners within my learning environment. By giving learners the opportunity to present the definitions of abnormality in a variety of ways at the end of a topic enabled me as a teacher to identify whether learners had acquired the correct type and quantity of knowledge, and by not giving them a mark or grade ensured that they did not feel in competition with each other, or that they were being compared to other peers by way of national standards (Petty, 2009). By researching assessment and using a variety of formative assessment methods to assess learners during the courses and subjects that I run within my organisation, I am more able to identify those assessment methods that meet the needs of learners as well as the requirements of the course. This is supported by knowledge obtained on informal assessment. For example, ‘Such informal assessment includes question and answer to confirm understanding, which I use regularly throughout the session plans†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..This is largely due to ensuring that I getting immediate feedback on what learners know so I can check understanding to ensure that all learners have grasped the concept, to work individually with learners that have not, and enable those learners that have to move on. This is to ensure that I am meeting all learners’ needs, and engaging learners effectively.’ (Session 7 and 8 Self Evaluation Form, Positively Girls, 27/06/14). Ensuring that assessment types and methods are valid, current and reliable is an important factor and is an area I have identified for improvement within  my own self reflections; ‘In order to ensure that I am assessing effectively, I should be reviewing my assessment methods regularly to ensure that they are fair, valid, reliable and ethical (Gravells, a. 2012). This will be an area of development for me for future sessions and topics.’ (Session 7 and 8 Self Evaluation Form, Positively Girls, 27/06/14). Through completion of DTTLS Day Courses, I have become more confident in identifying assessment methods that are valid; ‘Working with the whole group on assessment methods we currently use was an activity that was useful in exploring how we all use assessment, as well as reinforcing how I use assessment. When I was discussing an assessment method I used to test learners knowledge of validity and reliability, I felt more confident when encouraged by my other membe rs of the group that it was a valid assessment method.’ (DTLLS Course, Day Five Reflective Journal). Having discussed in detail assessment on Day Five DTLLS Course has given me more confidence in identifying current, reliable and up to date assessment methods; ‘Another group activity that I found helped to encourage deeper understanding and acquisition of knowledge of assessment was exploring what things assessment criteria should be. Within the group, we came up with some key words that we felt were important, such as validity, reliability, up to date/current, reliable, specific and achievable. Anne then put up on the window other things that assessment criteria should be, and this enabled me to acquire more knowledge about assessment criteria. I hadn’t thought about transparency as part of assessment criteria before, and thinking through the variety of topics within assessment criteria, I was able to understand more clearly expectations of assessment. As a result of this, I am becoming more aware within my teaching practice of why assessment is used and what assessmen t criteria are about. I now feel more able to develop methods of assessment more effectively using this.’ (DTLLS Course, Day Five Reflective Journal). I feel that I am becoming more aware of how to use assessment within my teaching and learning so that it is effective, reliable, and current and meets the needs of learners. Trying out assessment methods and types is an area that I have been exploring, as supported by evidence within self reflections; ‘Trying out different assessment methods is supported by Petty, G (2009), whereby through trial and error of resources, teaching and learning methods and assessment, we are able to, as practitioners, develop  learners holistically and enable them to achieve their full potential.’ (Session 5 and 6 Self Evaluation Form, Positively Girls, 26/06/14). Through trial and error, I have been able to adapt session plans and schemes of work to ensure that a variety of assessment types and methods are used; ‘Within the session plans that I have created, I have given myself various opportunities to assess learners. Having explored the difference between formal and informal assessment has enabled me to become more confident in how I assess learners; I use a variety of informal assessments throughout my session plans’ (Session 7 and 8 Self Evaluation Form, Positively Girls, 27/06/14) 1.b) ways of using peer and self assessment to promote learner involvement and personal responsibility in the assessment for and of their learning Throughout my teaching and learning practice, I regularly use self and peer assessment to promote learner involvement; ‘I also observe learners when they are peer assessing, completing activities through role play or discussion so I can see informally how learners are getting to grips with knowledge and whether they are able to apply it effectively.’ (Session 7 and 8 Self Evaluation Form, Positively Girls, 27/06/14). Looking at prior self-evaluations and self-reflections has enabled me to focus on peer-assessment specifically within my teaching practice; ‘Through exploring previous self-evaluations, and identifying areas of development, I focused on identifying ways to encourage more peer assessment.’ (Session 5 and 6 Self Evaluation Form, Relationships, 25/06/14). When identifying ways to introduce peer and self-assessment, it is important to ensure that any disadvantages are considered and thought through; ‘Through researching both self and peer asse ssment, it has been indicated that learners are more likely to be harder on themselves than on others (Hillier, Y 2002. ‘Reflective Teaching in further and adult education)’ (Session 5 and 6 Self Evaluation Form, Relationships, 25/06/14). The research that I have conducted into peer assessment gave me the knowledge to trial it as an assessment method within my teaching practice; ‘In order for learners to feel more confident, as well as give them new ways to reflect and assess on others work and equip them with more life skills, and a as result of the  research I have undertaken, I opted to explore the use of peer assessment more regularly first. Within my session plan, there were several ways that I enabled this to take place. For example, when learners were trying to meet learning objective ‘Demonstrate understanding of relationship breakdown through research and context’ learners had the opportunity to present findings back to the class, and other learners to give feedback.’ (Session 5 and 6 Self Evaluation Form, Relationships, 25/06/14). This activity enabled learners to assess each other’s learning within the session, and gave them the opportunity to critically consider other lea rner’s work. Within this session, I have also shown how peer assessment can be used to promote learner involvement; ‘This worked quite well, as learners were very positive about their peers, but due to having spent nearly a year with this class, most felt comfortable to give constructive feedback. I was surprised at the level of maturity that learners displayed, and everyone participated well.’ (Session 5 and 6 Self Evaluation Form, Relationships, 25/06/14). Self-assessment also has many advantages as an assessment method within teaching and learning; When supporting learners to achieve objective ‘demonstrate understanding of learning objectives’ they were given key questions to answer, and then a model answer sheet for learners themselves to ascertain whether they had been correct. This enabled the learners within my classroom to clarify goals and make a judgement about their own work (Petty, 2009).’ (Session 3 and 4 Self Evaluation Form, Positively Girls, 25/06/ 14). Through self- assessment, learners within this session developed skills that they may not have otherwise had the opportunity to; ‘learners discussed with their peers their answers, and this encouraged deeper thinking, and therefore, retention, about what they had learnt in this session.’ (Session 3 and 4 Self Evaluation Form, Positively Girls, 25/06/14). It also gave learners personal responsibility for their learning; ‘It appeared that giving learner’s responsibility for their own learning through self-assessment motivated them to do well.’ (Session 3 and 4 Self Evaluation Form, Positively Girls, 25/06/14). Throughout exploring self and peer-assessment with my learners, I have been able to promote learning, motivate learners and engage them for significant amounts of time; ‘Through self and peer assessment in these sessions, it is clear that learners are more engaged and making significant progress in understanding what emotional  and physical health is, as well as identifying when emotional or physical health is not at its optimum level.’ (Session 5 and 6 Self Evaluation Form, Positively Girls, 26/06/14) I have been able to identify many benefits to learners through the use of self and peer-assessment, and will be continuing to use and develop these as assessment methods within my session plans and schemes of work. 1.c) how questioning and feedback contributes to the assessment process Questioning and feedback contribute to the assessment process in a variety of ways. Within the learning environment itself, questioning techniques have been shown to have positive impact on learners progress in terms of assessment; ‘I used questioning techniques, such as prompting and re-directing when learners were not relating feedback specifically to the presentation, and this enabled learners to stay on track (Reece and Walker, 2007).’ (Session 5 and 6 Self Evaluation Form, Relationships, 25/06/14). This enables learners to engage in the topic at hand and successfully complete the assessment activity. Questioning effectively also enables learners to identify areas that they need to acquire more knowledge on, and to identify how they are doing in terms of assessment Tummons, 2011). Through research and knowledge acquired on assessment and questioning, ‘I have been able to encourage learners to think more deeply by how I question them based on knowledge obtained from concepts on deep and surface learning (Reece, I. And Walker, S. 2007). (Session 7 and 8 Self Evaluation Form, Positively Girls, 27/06/14) This has contributed positively to the assessment process as learners are re-directed and re-focused to the topic at hand, and are given immediate feedback on their discussions via questioning. Feedback to learners is an important part of the assessment process, as it enables learners to develop and grow by providing them with constructive information about how they are doing and how they could do better, as well as providing guidance and support where needed (Tummons, 2011). It is important that feedback given is positive and constructive, and that learners do not feel demoralised or overwhelmed as a result of feedback; Learners that were presenting were pleased with their feedback, and also had areas for development for future presentations.’ (Session 5 and 6 Self Evaluation Form, Relationships, 25/06/14). I have researched the  importance of feedback to learners and have tried to ensure throughout my teaching and learning practice that I give effective feedback to learners; ‘I was able to provide constructive feedback to learners one on one as well as a group, supporting their discussion and providing appropriate feedback so that learners were able to identify if they were completing the activity correctly, and support and guidance given to them if they were not. I am realising the importance of feedback from and to learners and am exploring ways to increase formative assessment throughout the session so that I can pick up learner’s difficulties more quickly and get them back on track (Hillier, Y 2005. ‘Reflective Teaching in Further and Adult Education’).’ (Session 4 and 5 Self Evaluation Form, Individual Differences, 25/03/14). Feedback from the learners themselves is an important aspect of the assessment process, as without their input, it would b e very difficult as a practitioner to identify what your learners enjoyed, engaged in, found difficult etc†¦. Feedback should be clear and unambiguous, understood by learners, timely, and delivered appropriately (Tummons, 2011). I continually ask learners for feedback through the courses and subjects that I deliver to ensure that assessment is effective and meets requirements of feedback as stated above; ‘Following previous self-reflections completed within my teaching file on evaluation of topics, I asked all learners to complete an anonymous evaluation at the end of the last session in order for learners to let me know their views on how the session had been planned and delivered, the use of resources, assessment at the beginning, during and at the end of the topic, and how inclusive teaching and learning approaches were within the sessions.’ (Session 7 and 8 Self Evaluation Form, Positively Girls, 27/06/14). I have found that, by asking learners for feedback, it increases their self-esteem and confidence, as they feel that they have an input into how they are being taught and assessed, and this in turn, has a positive impact on their motivation, which is an important aspect of feedback that I have noted within self-reflections; I will be using comments made within their feedback for future sessions, as it is important for learners to feel that they are being listened to, and how they feel they work best (Armitage et al, 2012. ‘Teaching and Training in Lifelong Learning’). (Session 5 and 6 Self Evaluation Form, Relationships, 25/06/14). Lastly, questioning and feedback not only contributes to the assessment process, but to my own  professional development, and how I provide feedback to others; ‘It also gave me insight into critical evaluation of myself and others; this task enable me to explore giving feedback to others and being able to do so supportively, and positi vely’.(Day Four Reflective Journal) 2.a) the assessment requirements and related procedures of your learning programme The learning programme that I regularly teach within my organisation is AQA AS and A level Psychology. This learning programme is subject to assessment requirements as defined by AQA and I ensure that schemes of work and session plans are completed accurately to ensure that assessment can take place that is accurate and specific to the programme requirements; ‘The planning of this session was done in accordance with scheme of work that has been produced by myself in line with AQA specification requirements. As a result of this, I have specific aims to meet in a set period of time, which does not give me much room to be creative.’ (Session 1 Self Evaluation Form, Individual Differences, 20/03/14). As mentioned within this quote, it is important to ensure that I am knowledgeable about types and methods of assessment so that I am able to complete activities and tasks that are relevant and valid for learners as well as the programme. It is also important that I ensure that all requirements of each topic within AS and A Level Psychology are met; this means that it can be difficult to ensure that learners have a deeper understanding of a topic and to develop skills such as critical analysis and evaluation, but it is an area of development for me for future topics and Psychology courses; ‘The planning enabled me to meet AQA specification requirements, but it did not enable learners to discuss Psychopathology in detail and therefore gain a deeper understanding of it. As a result of this, I will be exploring more ways in which I can do this next year.’ (Session 1 Self Evaluation Form, Individual Differences, 20/03/14). 2.b) How you carry out and record assessments to meet internal and external processes and requirements There are a variety of ways in which I carry out and record assessments to meet internal and external processes and requirements. Within my organisation, our internal processes are in line with external process in terms of assessment, which provides a consistent approach and overview to how learners are assessed. For example, AQA has a mark scheme in accordance with how they mark specific elements of the Psychology Course. I have used this within activities used for assessment, such as through PSYA2 Individual Differences; Assessment for Learning Booklet (appendix one). This booklet enables me to assess how learners are doing throughout the topic of Individual Differences, and within the Scheme of Work for this topic; there are opportunities for learners to complete parts of this booklet. During Session 7 Monday 31st March, the assessment activity is ‘to complete pages 1-8 of PSYA2: Individual Differences Assessment for Learning Booklet.’ Each section is marked and I record learner’s marks in my teaching and learning assessment folder. These marks are also evident within learners Individual Learning Plans, which are introduced at the beginning of the year for each learner, and developed partly due to information acquired throughout the DTLLS course; ‘I have had one to one sessions with all learners since Day Two DTLLS to review their individual learning plans, and this has enabled me to see if all earners are on track, progressing, and if not, why not? As a result of this, further support for some learners has been identified and learners can see that I am keeping track of where they are and that, most importantly, I am interested in how they are doing.’ (DTLLS Course, Day Two Reflective Journal). However, it is clear from exploring self reflections from DTLLS Day courses and my teaching portfolio that I do not evidence how I carry out and record assessments in detail, and this is an area for devel opment for me for future self reflections. 2.c) How you communicate assessment information to other professionals with an interest in learner achievement It is important, when conducting assessment, that it is shared with colleagues appropriately within the organisation that I work in. Through training days that are held within my organisation, I have ensured that colleagues have appropriate information given to them in regards to assessment, particularly with regards to sharing good practice and exploring how we can effectively assess our learners;  Ã¢â‚¬ËœWithin discussions had on assessment on this training day, we explored sharing assessment information with colleagues. Having thought about this and looking at how this is currently done within my organisation enabled me to come up with a few ideas to ensure effective communication and support for assessment within the sixth form. I have discussed this in more detail within my review of teaching and consider it important enough for learner’s progress to identify i t as a development need for teaching practice’. (DTLLS Course, Day Five, Reflective Journal). Through communicating assessment information to others, I have become aware of the need to do this more regularly to ensure that all relevant colleagues and professionals have up to date information regarding assessment, as well as providing support and development within assessment for all; ‘I have become more aware of communicating assessment information to colleagues and other relevant people within my organisation. Whilst we have meetings and do discuss learner’s progress, I feel that it would be useful to have a professional development session once a term to share good practice on assessment and learners progress and ensure the session was interactive, and that staff could share resources and assessment methods with others.’ (DTLLS Course, Day Five Reflective Journal). Following this, sixth form meetings now take place once every half term in which assessment is the sole agenda item. This has enabled all colleagues to place importance on assessment, and enco urages colleagues to develop assessment types, methods and practice for the benefit of the learners, as well as the sixth form as a whole. 3.a) ways in which minimum core elements can be demonstrated and applied in assessing learners in own specialist area Throughout my teaching and learning practice, I identified early on my limited knowledge of Minimum Core. Since starting the DTLLS Course, I have had many opportunities to demonstrate and apply minimum core in assessing learners in my own specialist area of Psychology AS and A level. I regularly show my capabilities in terms of evidencing some areas of the Minimum Core, such as writing and language; ‘I felt that I demonstrated writing within the minimum core well, by presenting information on PowerPoint and through Abnormality booklet clearly, effectively, with a font size and type that was easy to read and legible, as well as using appropriate language that was in line  with learners ability.’ (Session 2 and 3 Self Evaluation Form, Individual Differences, 24/03/14). The Abnormality booklet was designed to be used as an assessment activity, for learners to work through during the course, and supports the use of Minimum Core and application to assessing learners. I have also been able to recognise areas of development within the Minimum Core and have worked on these to ensure that learners within my classroom are benefiting from valid and up to date assessment; ‘However, it is clear that there is a lack of numeracy within my session plans, and this is an area of development for future sessions.’ (Session 2 and 3 Self Evaluation Form, Individual Differences, 24/03/14). Following this, I researched numeracy within the Minimum Core and how I could apply it within my teaching and learning practice, in particular to assessment; ‘One of my areas for development in previous sessions (Session 2 and 3 self-evaluation form Individual Differences) was to research ways to increase numeracy as part of the minimum core†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. I explored ways in which I could do this†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. I ensured that I communicated processes within drug therapies and treatment of schizophrenia effectively, by use of video as well as practical demonstrations that I completed during this session. I also put drug treatment and treating schizophrenia into context and supporting learners to make sense of this and how it could be represented by exploring key studies, as well as analysing and evaluating drug treatment as a valid approach. This enabled learners to compile evidence, with support, and to think through processes logically to enable them to develop their learning skills.’ (Session 9 and 10 Self Evaluation Form, Individual Differences, 01/04/14). By using numeracy within the formative assessment activity as described above, enabled me to effectively demonstrate use of the Minimum Core within assessment. As a result of becoming more aware of numeracy within Minimum Core, I now feel more confident to demonstrate competency of this within the learning environment and within application of assessment activities for learners; ‘I did use diagrams during this session, and this supported numeracy within the Minimum Core, as I evaluated and assessed the diagram, mad e decisions concerning content knowledge and skills to ensure pupils were able to understand the concept of the diagram, and selected appropriate format and style to communicate this to pupils (through use of diagram).’ (Session 12 to 15 Self Evaluation Form, Individual Differences, 07/04/14 and  09/04/14). Due to extensive research on the Minimum Core and how to apply this within my own specialist area, I have become more competent in a variety of areas, including demonstrating competency within language and ICT; ‘As stated in previous self-evaluations, I have found it difficult to differentiate between minimum core and functional skills, and having researched this, as well as using the information gleaned from DTLLS Day 4, I am becoming more confident in doing this. For example, I can evidence personal ICT skills, personal language skills and explicit knowledge about active listening within minimum core for future sessions (Lifelong Learning UK, 2007 ‘Inclusive Learning Approaches for literacy, language, numeracy and ICT).’ (Session 3 and 4 Self Evaluation Form, Relationships, 24/06/14). However, I also recognise that further development is needed within this area to ensure that I am skilled, capable and experienced with regards to Minimum Core and its application to assessment; ‘This will be an area of development for me for future sessions, as I am still not confident in evidencing this and will need to ensure an adequate time frame and approach to gain more knowledge and evidence this successfully.’ (Session 3 and 4 Self Evaluation Form, Relationships, 24/06/14). 4.a) the effectiveness of own assessment practice taking account of the views of learners It is important, when looking at assessment, to explore the effectiveness of my own assessment practice taking account of the views of learners. I regularly ask learners for feedback on the session that they have completed, and value their input with regards to teaching and learning; ‘I also asked the learners how they found this resource and what I could do differently next time. Learners were pleasantly surprised that I had asked them; they stated that they were not used to teachers asking them for feedback and stated it made them feel valued. I resolved to ensure that I do this more regularly, as I understand the importance of learner feedback to ensure that they reach their full potential and I am able to become more successful in my teaching and learning practice.’ (Session 6 Self Evaluation Form, Individual Differences, 27/03/14). Input from learners on the AS and A Level Psychology Course that I run has an impact on how I complete assessment, and  the effectiven ess of assessment methods used. It is clear through exploring self reflections that I use a variety of assessment types of methods, as supported by quotes from self reflections within this assignment. However, learner feedback on individual vs. group assessment methods showed that; ‘[learners] enjoyed group work as opposed to independent work on tasks or activities; learners stated that they preferred working with their friends, as they were more comfortable and it enabled them to discuss the task more confidently.’ (Session 5 and 6 Self Evaluation Form, Relationships, 25/06/14). Whilst it is important that learners are listened to, I need to ensure that I balance this up with evidence and knowledge gained through research and support from colleagues and tutors;’ However, it is also important to note that moving learners out of their comfort zone enables them to use skills they might not know they had, and give them the opportunity to grow and become expert learners (The Excellence Gateway Treasury, [online] Available at: http://tlp.excellencegateway.org.uk/tlp/xcurricula/el/ ). ‘ (Session 5 and 6 Self Evaluation Form, Relationships, 25/06/14). I also ensure that I explore the effectiveness of my own assessment practice throughout self reflections completed as part of the DTLLS Course; ‘Due to regularly assessing learners work and activities that they participate in, it is clear that learners meet objectives and progress through the course, but I need to explore different ways to assess to enable pupils to become expert learners and challenge them more (Day Five DTLLS Course).’ (Session 3 and 4 Self Evaluation Form, Relationships, 24/06/14). I am able to identify areas for development, as shown in the quote above, as well as areas in which I am effective with regards to assessment; ‘My observation report clearly shows that I use formative assessment during sessions, as well as informal summative assessment through the plenary from the first part of the session. This ensures that I know where my learners are at before starting the second session, so I am able to adapt or change any part of the session plan or resources if required to ensure all learners have grasped the concepts they are required to know before moving on.’ (Session 3 and 4 Self Evaluation Form, Relationships, 24/06/14). Whilst completing this DTLLS Course, it is clear that I understand the importance of assessment and its effectiveness, as well as demonstrating ways in which I can ensure that assessment is  effective within my teaching and learning practice; ‘I recognise more and more the importance of assessment, and am more aware of how I use assessment and the effectiveness of this within my session plans and on how learners learn. As stated by Gibbs (cited in Bryan, C and Klegg, K 2006. ‘Innovative Assessment in Higher Education’); ‘Assessment has more impact on learning than teaching’ and this is something that I consider more often when constructing session plans and putting them into practice. For example, written English ensures that I have evidence of concepts that learners have grasped and how effectively they have managed to do so, and this feeds into future session plans.’ (Session 7 and 8 Self Evaluation Form, Positively Girls, 27/06/14). 4.b) ways to improve own assessment practice Having had the opportunity to explore self reflections from DTLLS Day Courses and my teaching portfolio, I have been able to identify ways in which I can improve my own assessment practice. With regards to assessment types, I have identified initial assessment as an area of improvement within my professional practice; ‘I have since been exploring ways in which I can use initial assessment with my next cohort of learners who will start in September to identify skills of new learners, find out more about them and how I can support their needs.’ (DTTLS Course, Day Two Reflective Journal). It is also important to remember where and how initial assessment occurs, to ensure that learners come into an environment that is comfortable, engaging, well signposted and is inviting; ‘It helped me to think about how learners enter my learning environment- were reception friendly? Do they feel comfortable? Were people rude or welcoming to them? I did not put much thought into this before, I think I had focused too much on learners first impressions when they meet me and come into the learning environment. This has led to me thinking of the bigger picture and discussing with colleagues how we run sixth form induction days, open days etc†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (DTLLS Course, Day Three Reflective Journal) I could also improve my own assessment practice by diversifying with regards to types of assessment; ‘When looking at how I used assessment within this session, it is clear that I tend to use the same types of assessment; observation, written English, through completion of  tasks and question and answer to confirm understanding. Whilst these are all relevant assessment methods, it is important to ensure that I am creating diversity in my assessment method to ensure all learners can achieve.’ (Session 3 and 4 Self Evaluation Form, Relationships, 24/06/14). Ensuring that I have a clear understanding of assessment methods and researching the variety of methods will enable me to provide variety to learners with regards to assessment. Lastly, I have found that through completing self reflections, that I am able to critically consider how I use assessment within my teaching practice and am always striving to develop myself with regards to this; ‘Evaluating each session during this topic is enabling me to critically consider the teaching and learning approaches I use, as well as assessment and learner involvement. This benefits not only me but the learners within my sessions, and I will strive to complete self evaluations more often to improve my teaching practice.’ (Session 4 and 5 Self Evaluation Form, Individual Differences, 25/03/14). Conclusion There are many ways in which I explore assessment, and completing this critical reflection has enabled me to identify where I complete assessment well, such as meeting learner’s needs through assessment methods and types, and demonstrating competency within minimum core, as well as identifying areas for improvement, such as carrying out and recording assessment information. It is important that I continue to critically reflect on my own practice to ensure that I am applying theory gained to practice in teaching and learning, and developing myself as a practitioner;’ Reflecting on my teaching practice has enabled me to think more critically about how I†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ meet the needs of learners, how I challenge learners but ensure that they are not overwhelmed, how I ensure I meet equality and diversity needs within the classroom, and how I assess.’ (Session 12 to 15 Self Evaluation Form, Individual Differences, 07/04/14 and 09/04/14). As stated by Tummons (2007:71) ‘if we use our reflective practice to explore critically the assumptions and preconceptions on which we base our training and teaching practice, we can build on our understanding of learning and  teaching and enhance our professional knowledge.’ References Gravells, A (2012) Preparing To Teach In The Lifelong Learning Sector. London: Routledge. Hiller, Y (2005) Reflective Teaching in Further and Adult Education. Continuum; London. Petty, G (2009) (4th Edn) Teaching Today. London: Cheltenham Nelson Thornes. Reece, I. Walker, S. (2007) (6th Edn) Teaching, training and learning: A Practical Guide. Tyne and Wear: Business Education Publishers Ltd. Tummons, J (2011) (3rd Edn) Assessing Learning in the Lifelong Learning Sector London: Learning Matters Tummons, J. (2007) Becoming a Professional Tutor in the Lifelong Learning Sector. London: Learning Matters Jones, P. (2014) Session One Individual Differences; Psychopathology. Introduction to Psychopathology (20/03/14) Jones, P. (2014) Session Two and Three Individual Differences; Psychopathology. Definitions of Abnormality (24/03/14) Jones, P. (2014) Session Four and Five Individual Differences; Psychopathology. Failure to Function and Definitions of Abnormality (25/03/14) Jones, P. (2014) Se ssion Six Individual Differences; Psychopathology. Presentations on Definitions of Abnormality (27/03/14) Jones, P. (2014) Session Nine and Ten Individual Differences; Psychopathology. Biological Approaches and Therapies (01/04/14) Jones, P. (2014) Session Twelve to Fifteen Individual Differences; Psychopathology. Evaluation and Analysis (07/04/14 and 09/04/14). Jones, P. (2014) Positively Girls Self Evaluation Session Three and Four; Stress, Worries and Relaxation (25/06/14) Jones, P. (2014) Positively Girls Self Evaluation Session Five and Six; Emotional and Physical Wellbeing (26/06/14) Jones, P. (2014) Positively Girls Self Evaluation Session Seven and Eight; Friendship and Communication (27/06/14) Jones, P. (2014) Session Three and Four A Level Psychology; Maintenance of Relationships Self Evaluation (24/06/14) Jones, P. (2014) Session Five and Six A Level Psychology; Breakdown of Relationships Self Evaluation (25/06/14) Jones, P. (2014) Reflective Journal Day Two (February 2014) Jones, P. (2014) Reflection Journal Day Five (May 2014) Appendix One; PSYA2 Individual Differences; Assessment for Learning Booklet

Apocalypse Now, by Francis Ford Coppola (War in Vietnam) Movie Review

Apocalypse Now, by Francis Ford Coppola (War in Vietnam) - Movie Review Example ion concerning the realities, which the members of the American armed forces had to undergo during the Vietnam War and the actions which they took to ensure that they survived it and returned home. Throughout the film, one will find that all of the actors have become absorbed into their roles and because of this absorption; they are able to depict the events of the war in a manner which is as close to reality as possible. There are instances in the film when the scenes become extremely emotional, as some of the characters have to deal with diverse issues that affect their lives during the war. It is during these moments that the audience gets a picture of how the soldiers who were involved directly in Vietnam were forced to undergo psychological torment over the various actions which they had to carry out, however futile, in order to ensure that the war was won. One of the themes that one finds in the film is that of depression and war weariness and some of the characters in various scenes depict this during the course of the film. In the film, the American soldiers are depicted as having to live lives in a manner which is not relaxed and that they have to constantly be on the look out to ensure that they do not fall victim to enemy attacks. For the most part, the film shows these individuals as having to live their lives on edge, not knowing whether they will be attacked in the next minute or not and having to either fight off or run away from the constant dangers that they encounter in the jungles of Vietnam. The result of living such lives is that it begins to take a toll on the way that they associate with each other and how they perceive the world around them. The result is that some of the characters, such as Chef and Lance undergo such mental strain that they are more often than not shown being under the influence of drugs. A scene i s depicted where due to Chef’s craving for mangoes; he and Willard go to the jungle where they encounter a tiger that

Go Down, Moses and Star Wars on Imperialism and Colonialism Research Paper

Go Down, Moses and Star Wars on Imperialism and Colonialism - Research Paper Example There are striking similarities between colonialism and imperialism though the differences must be examined as well. Colonialism is typically defined as the expansion of power by conquering new lands and gaining control over them. In short, colonialism is a system of direct political, economic, and cultural control by a powerful country over a weaker one. For example, Faulkner’s writings reflect the tensions of the south being dominated by the north. â€Å"In 1875 Mississippi Democrats "resolved to use as much force as was necessary" to regain control of their state government through elections, and their campaign of intimidation, which included the overt killing of blacks, succeeded.† Both groups of stories review multiple generations of imperial rule but also show that regardless of the strength one group has over another, that rule is limited as ultimately human nature is to rebel against absolute domination. Colonialism may go through a series of phases from success to failure. In these stories, the ultimate goal is colonization as one group looks to expand and control another. Though Faulkner’s stories focus more on localized groups and the Star Wars saga presents a quest for a more universal domination, both use methods of imperialism to achieve this end. Though the collection in Go Down, Moses focuses only within one country, it demonstrates the relationship between whites and blacks and then north and south across several generations. This element of time present in both Faulkner and the Star Wars saga not only shows that imperialism cannot last forever, the repetitions throughout each new episode or story leaves the impression that regardless of time or characters, some themes are always the same in history.

Critical nursing situations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical nursing situations - Research Paper Example The study had several limitations regarding the sample population, tools, availability of data, and the role of nurses in pain identification and assessment. First, the study reviewed medical documents from two medical centers with specified care in Quebec City. The study also considered only 52 patients and 183 pain cases. The statistics indicate that the study had a narrow coverage that did not offer an ultimate sample population. Second, the research used reviewed secondary data from the two clinics. It is possible that this clinic lacked proper documentation procedures. Thus, the availed documents had irregularities that result to wrong interpretation of the results. Third, the use of secondary data is an indication that the medical field lacks appropriate tools for conducting pain assessment for patients in this category of care. Thus, inadequacy or lack of the tools might have resulted in wrong data and misinterpretations. Finally, the research focused on non-pharmacological pr ocedures in clinics that used pharmacological procedures. The differences were sources of faults and wrong data. It also failed to incorporate the nursing roles and ideas of assessing pain. Overall, the reliance on medical documentation to identify the best practices for pain assessment created room for wrong entries and findings. The highlighted are the main limitations of this study. In the absence of non-pharmacological equipment for assessing pain in the critical care units, the sector should empower nurses by conducting preemptive education plans.

Server Virtualization Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Server Virtualization - Term Paper Example These issues become a challenge when the business is unable to respond urgently due to budget constraints. Virtualization has proven to be a reliable solution in responding to problems associated with declining floor space and power. Virtualization is exemplified best in virtual memory where computer system software is capable of utilizing more memory than is physically available. This is made possible through the swapping process that allows data to be placed at the background of hard disk. Recent developments have seen this concept being applied in server hardware, networks, laptops, system software and application software. The widespread application of virtualization is due to the fact that most of the system processing resources are normally underutilized. Simply put, much of system time is wasted given that most systems and their applications spend a considerable amount of their time in idle states (Kusnetzky, etal. 2011). Virtualization technology allows more work to be done f rom a single hardware. By creating more than one virtual machine in a single server or laptop, a business executive is able to optimize his or her system resource. This is possible since the technology is non-disruptive and it does not interfere with normal functioning of the system. With the level of abstraction given by virtualization IT managers are able to respond to urgent needs of an organization and to implement cost effective IT infrastructure. This is possible because the managers have a quick access to a centralized pool of resources. Virtualization makes it possible for hardware to function independent of applications and system. In addition, this technology enables virtual machines to be installed in any system. Also, management of operation system and application as a single unit is made possible by incorporating them into virtual machines (Kusnetzky, etal. 2011). Incase a server is overloaded; virtual machines can be deployed to a different server. This ensures that sy stem response time is not compromised and that a system is not underutilized. When the workload goes down, the virtual machines can be incorporated back to their original server so as to cut down costs by saving power. Few years ago it was not possible to exploit full potential of virtualization. This was because it was impossible deploying virtual machines in a secure environment. Server and network administrators at the time had difficulties managing virtual environment since routers and switches were not compatible with virtual machines. Nevertheless, with virtualization, management of resources was fairly easy since applications were readily available. In case a server encountered problems, virtual machines within it were readily restarted in a separate hardware. However, with automatic deployment made possible, efficiency is greatly improved since it is possible to move a virtual machine ahead of time in case a system administrator decides to service the server or to shut it do wn for some other reason. Virtualization has evolved to an extent that network vendors are able to perform certain activities which they could not few years ago. The development of BLADE network technology has seen the launch of switches (VMready) that have solved most of previous experienced problems. The switches readily recognize virtual machines within servers. The switch is also compatible with almost all Hypervisors e.g. Microsoft, VMware, Red Hat etc (Kusnetzky, etal.

Locke's Argument for the Conclusion of the Primary Qualities of Essay

Locke's Argument for the Conclusion of the Primary Qualities of Objects and the Secondary Qualities of Objects - Essay Example I shall argue that the distinction is well-grounded and interesting, that Locke had grasped an important truth about it, and that Berkeley's treatment of this matter is impercipient and unhelpful. Berkeley assimilated the primary/ secondary distinction to that monolithic 'theory of material substance' which he thought he detected in Locke's writings; and I shall argue that that is the dominating fact about his failure to deal competently with the distinction between primary and secondary qualities. Locke has two general, true things to say about the primary/ secondary distinction. One of them is his thesis that primary qualities are such as are utterly inseparable from the body, in what state so ever it be; and such as in all the alterations and changes it suffers, all the force can be used upon it, it constantly keeps; and such as sense constantly finds in every particle of matter which has bulk enough to be perceived. In most of Locke's theorizing, a thing's primary qualities are taken to consist in its being spherical, two feet across, and falling rapidly; but here they are thought of rather as a thing's being shaped, of some size, mobile, etc. That is, in the thesis that primary qualities are ones which a body cannot lose, it is determinable qualities which are in question and not determinate ones. Locke's example reinforces this reading: 'Take a grain of wheat, divide it into two parts; each part has still solidity, extension, figure, and mobility: divide it again, and it retains still the same qualities.' It is not clear that 'solidity' is a determinable, either in its normal meaning or in Locke's specialized sense in which 'solid' means 'impenetrable'. Locke has a good point here, but he ought not to express it as though it were a prediction about the outcome of an experiment, for really it is a point about the meaning of the word 'body', or about the concept of a body or a physical thing. I ndeed the word 'primary' for Locke partly means that these are qualities a thing must have to count as a 'body'. Locke's discussions of the concept of body involve detailed points which are of some interest but which lie beyond my present scope. His general thesis that the raw materials which constitute the concept of body are to be found within the realm of primary qualities, and that secondary qualities are conceptually inessential, seems safe enough. Yet Berkeley apparently denies it: 'It is not in my power to frame an idea of a body extended and moved, but I must withal give it some color or other sensible quality . . . In short, extension, figure, and motion, abstracted from all other qualities, are inconceivable.' The quoted passage is, as it stands, true: a thing's being extended, or its taking up space, must involve some spatial region's being occupied by something--some quality must be manifested in that region other than mere extension. But the quality could be solidity, w hich is on Locke's list of primary qualities. If Berkeley really is saying only that 'body' could not be defined out of extension, figure and motion, without recourse to solidity, then

Solution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Solution - Essay Example It is essential to redesign healthcare intervention toward diabetic patients, increasing their self-care behavior; especially for workers and the elderly (Bandura, 1997), and education is one key prevention strategy (Jun-Qiao Wang, 1997). Early education enables patients to prevent the disease while reducing the expense of healthcare. Many diabetic patients don't understanding the value of self-care, and helping them acquire the skills to manage their condition is important. According to the International Diabetes Alliance (IDA), more than half of diabetics know nothing about diabetes, and the American disease control center estimates 50% - 80% of diabetes complications can be prevented. Surveys show 58% of diabetics are confused by doctors' instruction, and 35% have damaged their health by not following those instructions. Also, 88% of diabetic patients gain primary knowledge from their doctors while only 9% receive it from nurses. The relationship between nurse and diabetic patient is essential; in developed countries, most diabetes education is gained through nurses rather physicians. Medication alone cannot control diabetes, and lifestyle education enables the patient to increase self-management more effectively (Li, 2002). Physical activity can reduce the risk factors, and the Daqing study shows that lifestyle intervention can improve insulin resistance by 46%. The U.S. DPP experiment showed that among 3,200 cases, lifestyle intervention reduced the incidence of diabetes by 58%. Medical intervention is less effective compared to lifestyle intervention (Pan Lizhen, Chinese Nursing Research, 2004). Liu shows intervention is able to reduce glucose and increase the sensitivity of insulin, among other benefits (Liu, 2001), while another survey reveals a 40% decrease (Bing, 2005). Just 30 minutes of walking daily can reduce the level of glucose, and large studies in other nations have recently demonstrated that exercise reduces the incidence of diabetes by more than 50%. Patients: In China, diabetic patients tend to trust drug advertisements rather than healthcare professionals, and many think the side effects of western medicine are stronger than traditional Chinese therapies. Some believethink that the more expensive the medicine, the better health outcome they can achieve; which is a huge economic burden (Jia Fen, Wang Jun, Shanghai University). Most diabetic patients are worried about having an incurable disease, long term injections of insulin, and other factors. Chinese studies show older diabetic patients dislike the outpatient service due to administration and waiting times, while others dislike the inpatient services because of unfamiliar environments. Richard Donnelly shares that most patients in China prefer to use traditional Chinese therapies, and many prefer to combine the best of traditional Chinese with Western treatment. Behavior: Ming Yeong Tan (2003) says that lack of adherence to self-care behaviors requires lifestyle changes for long-term management, and identifying the barriers to behavior is important. It is vital to increase educational programs on patient behavior to improve the quality of life. Health System: In China, health management is

Sustainability and Food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sustainability and Food - Essay Example Very likely some alteration of the vegetarian parents' diet will be necessary to make it suitable for a growing child. Parents must understand the need for combining cereals with legumes, milk, eggs, or fish if acceptable. A diet that combines several bowls of cereal will have variety but will have a severe imbalance of essential amino acids. Even with careful balance, both the parents and the physician should be aware that growth may be slower than expected.Slow growth cannot be equated with poor health and may not be bad per se depending on the degree of retardation. The pediatrician must decide at what point suboptimal growth becomes unacceptable. From a strictly practical point of view, the physician should try to instill certain dietary practices. Breastfeeding should be the mainstay of the infant's nutrition for at least six months, preferably much longer. Several of the cases cited previously, however, make it clear that careful attention must be paid to the mother's diet in t hese instances. Among older children, lactovegetarians and lactoovovegetarians willalmost certainly do well and the only real concern with these children is the assurances. Based on the foregoing information, it can be inferred that food and sustainability are interrelated. Vegetarianism, an option for healthy food, bridged the issue of sustaining life for human beings to contribute more to ecological preservation as stewards of the earth. Vegetarianism is not simply a trend for health concern. It is also apart of religious belief to care for our body.... vegetarian diets are lacto-ovo (milk, eggs included), lacto (no eggs), and vegan (no eggs, diary products or any foodstuffs made with eggs or dairy products). They abstain from food sourced from animal’s meat. Vegetarians were described as with lower weight, cholesterol level and blood pressures. Studies among dieticians and experts pointed that vegetarians have low mortality rate and advocates do not suffer nutritional deficiencies. Although there are few vegetarians in this world but they are proof that vegetarianism has substantial impacts to prolong life and to preserve better health. They consume less calories, fats but are more content with fibrous food. They prefer foods with macronutrient and micronutrient level of vitamins and minerals (White and Frank, xxxx). They prefer fruits that are with high anti-oxidant level. Studies have proven that vegetarianism improves social health because they live in an ecosensitive lifestyle and politics (p. 470). Vegetarians adopt thi s diet to conform to a stereotype; to wade off controversies of proteins; to uphold the relation of ecology to vegetarianism, including the economics of diet. Janda.and Trocchia (2001) explicated that vegetarianism gain prominence in contemporary society after advocates of vegetarianism explored deeper understanding on its concepts; its motivations and coping mechanisms underlying vegetarian orientation. In a two-phase phenomelogical study, researchers perceived that a person's attitude and character play an influential factor in opting this orientation. Dietician suggest that those with cardiovascular disease and cancer should be encourage to consume vegetarian diets (White and Frank, xxxx; 470). In a longitudinal study made by Burr and Sweetnam (2011) which used survey questionnaires

Literature Review Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Literature Review Assignment - Essay Example Moreover, towards the end of the minimum body temperature stage, a person will enter the ‘wake maintenance zone’ (Lack, Gradisar, Van Someren, Wright, and Lushington 309). In addition, the body’s temperature does not just affect the rhythms that people experience when engaged in the dream phase or before waking up. A person’s body temperature can also affect his or her frequency of experiencing insomnia. The onset of insomnia can be attributed to delayed rhythms of body temperature in incidences where an individual attempts to sleep in the midst of a delayed wake maintenance period. This may typically be experienced in the evening. Insomnia can also happen in the morning. Experiences of awakening insomnia in the morning may be connected to the incidence of advanced rhythm in temperature. According to Lack, Gradisar, Van Someren, Wright, and Lushington, the combination of maintenance insomnia and sleep onset is linked with the constant elevation of the temperature of the human body stimulating the continual hyper-arousal state that is characteristic of insomnia (307). Lack, Leon, Michael Gradisar, Eus Van Someren, Helen Wright and Kurt Lushington. â€Å"The relationship between insomnia and body temperatures.† Sleep Medicine Reviews 12.4(2008):307-317. Retrieved from

Love in the English Medieval Period Essay Example for Free

Love in the English Medieval Period Essay INTRODUCTION The romance of Courtly Love practiced during the Middle Ages was combined with the Code of Chivalry. There were strict rules of courtly love and the members of the courts practiced the art of courtly love across Europe during the Middle Ages. The romance, rules and art of courtly love allowed knights and ladies to show their admiration regardless of their marital state. It was a common occurrence for a married lady to give a token to a knight of her choice to be worn during a medieval tournament. There were rules, which governed courtly love, but sometimes the parties, who started their relationship with such elements of courtly love, would become deeply involved. Examples of relationships, which were stirred by romantic courtly love, chivalry and romance, are described in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Chaucer’s Wife of Bath. Many illicit court romances were fuelled by the practice and art of courtly love. The most fertile field of the romance genre was the Arthurian romance. Closely related to the romance tradition were two idealized standards of behavior: chivalry and courtly love. Many modern people think of chivalry as referring to a mans gallant treatment of  women, and although that sense is derived from the medieval chivalric ideal, chivalry includes more than that. Many modern people think of chivalry as referring to a mans gallant treatment of women, and although that sense is derived from the medieval chivalric ideal, chivalry includes more than that. Broadly speaking, chivalry, derived from the old French term for a soldier mounted on horseback, was a knights code of conduct. There was no single set of chivalric rules, but the existence of popular medieval chivalric handbooks testifies that chivalry was a well-known concept. Knights formed a distinct segment of medieval society, which was often thought of as being composed of three classes: those who pray (the clergy), those who fight (the nobility), and those who work (the peasants). Most knights belonged to the nobility, if only because a knights equipment horses, weapons, armor, required considerable resources to fund. Violence, often bloody and horrific violence, was at the heart of what knights did. As highly skilled and well-armed fighting men, knights could be a force either for creating social chaos or for maintaining public order. Unit 1- Background research on courtly love and chivalry 1.1 Courtly love developed in the twelfth century among the troubadours of southern France, but soon spread into the neighboring countries and eventually colored the literature of most of Western Europe for centuries. It originated in the writings of the poet Ovid Ars Amatoria (‘The Art of Love’). Andrà © the Chaplain (or Andreas Cappellanus), took as his model, Ovid’s ‘Ars Amatoria ‘ (the Art of Loving). Ovid’s work concerns how to seduce a woman, and among its rules are appropriate forms of dress, approach, conversation, and toying with a lady’s affections, all designed to amuse. In the Ars Amatoria, the man is in control, and the woman is simply his prey. But Andrà © turned the Ars Amatoria upside-down. In his â€Å"Liber de arte honeste amandi et reprobatione inhonesti amoris† (â€Å"Book of the Art of Loving Nobly and the Reprobation of Dishonourable Love†), the woman becomes the mistress of the game. It is she who sets the rules and passes judgment on the hopeful suitor. In Ovid’s work the lover sighs with passion for his pursuit, but in le Chapelain’s Liber the passion is pure and entirely for the love of a lady. The rules outlined in Andrà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s work are in many ways far  from the reality of the times. In the medieval world, women rarely had any power to speak of. The nobility were warriors, and the arts of war, leadership and politics occupied their minds. More often than not, a noblemen thought of his wife, (or future wife) as a breeder, a servant, and a source of sexual gratification (his, not hers). Fidelity on her part was absolutely necessary to ensure the validity of the bloodline. Fidelity on his part wasn’t an issue. Under any other circumstances, le Chapelain’s Liber might have remained an interesting literary exercise (as Ovid’s Ars Amatoria was intended to be); or it might have been ignored or laughed out of serious literary circles. But with the historical background at precisely the right stage of development, in the court of Eleanor and under the guidance of Marie, Andrà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s ‘Art of Loving Nobly’ was literature to be lived. Two women who had a particular influence on the development of romance were Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen first of France and then of England, and her daughter Marie, Countess of Champagne (in Eastern France). Eleanor brought to the English court her interest in poetry, music and the arts, all of which were cultivated at the court of Aquitaine where she grew up (her grandfather William was the first known troubadour poet). In the vernacular narratives that were written for and dedicated to Eleanor-early ‘romances’-we find an emphasis on the sort of love relationship that is depicted in troubadour poetry, commonly known as ‘courtly love’ (fin’amors in Provenà §al, the language of troubadour poetry). The ‘courtly love’ relationship is modeled on the feudal relationship between a knight and his liege lord. The knight serves his courtly lady (love service) with the same obedience and loyalty, which he owes to his liege lord. She is in complete control of the love relationship, while he owes her obedience and submission (a literary convention that did not correspond to actual practice!) The knight’s love for the lady inspires him to do great deeds, in order to be worthy of her love or to win her favor. Thus ‘courtly love’ was originally construed as an ennobling force whether or not it was consummated, and even whether or not the lady knew about the knights love or loved him in return. The ‘courtly love’ relationship typically was not between husband and wife, not because the poets and the audience were inherently immoral, but because  it was an idealized sort of relationship that could not exist within the context of ‘real life’ medieval marriages. In the middle ages, marriages amongst the nobility were typically based on practical and dynastic concerns rather than on love. The idea that a marriage could be based on love was a radical notion. But the audience for romance was perfectly aware that these romances were fictions, not models for actual behavior. The adulterous aspect that bothers many 20th-century readers was somewhat beside the point, which was to explore the potential influence of love on human behavior. Social historians such as Eric Kà ¶hler and Georges Duby have hypothesized that courtly love may have served a useful social purpose: providing a model of behavior for a class of unmarried young men that might otherwise have threatened social stability. Knights were typically younger brothers without land of their own (hence unable to support a wife) who became members of the household of the feudal lords whom they served. One reason why the lady in the courtly love relationship is typically older, married and of higher social status than the knight may be because she was modeled on the wife of the feudal lord, who might naturally become the focus of the young, unmarried knights desire. Kà ¶hler and Duby posit that the literary model of the courtly love relationship may have been invented in part to provide these young men with a model for appropriate behavior, teaching them to sublimate their desires and to channel their energy into socially useful behavior (love service rather th an wandering around the countryside, stealing or raping women like the knight in the ‘ Wife of Bath’s tale). Ovid described the symptoms of love as if it were a sickness. The lovesick knight became a conventional figure in medieval romance. Typical symptoms: sighing, turning pale, turning red, fever, inability to sleep, eat or drink. Romances often contained long interior monologues in which the lovers describe their feelings. For the troubadours of 12th C France who introduced it into literature, Courtly love had two basic, essential characteristics: Love is irresistible and it is an ennobling force. No one is exempt from the service of the God of love who rules this world and extramarital sexual love, sinful to Christians, is the sole source of worldly worth and excellence. All the other characteristics of love that appear in the Canterbury Tales, for example, are simply trappings  decorations. These belong to the general body of love literature. Yet these trappings, so ludicrous when exaggerated, have caused courtly love to be confused with romantic love and have brought it into disrep ute. Since love is irresistible, nothing done under its compulsion can be immoral; since humans are worthless unless they acts under this compulsion, the necessity of practicing love in incumbent on each person. Courtly love not only approves and encourages whatever fans and provokes sensual desire, it not only condones fornication, adultery, and sacrilege, but it represents them as necessary sources of what it calls virtue. Love is a union of heart and mind as well as body. Sensuality for its own sake, the enjoyment of fleshly delights of and for themselves, is contrary to courtly love. The wanton and the promiscuous practice such love. Hence, in the courtly love code fidelity is its greatest virtue and infidelity its greatest vice. Yet the Roman Church formally condemned both principles of courtly love. Archbishop Stephen Tempier at Paris condemned the irresistibility of love and love as the sole source of human worth on March 7, 1277. 1.2 What is Chivalry? Chivalry is a system of discipline and social interaction that is derived from the warrior class of medieval times, especially and primarily the class of trained warriors who participated in the Crusades (12th-14th centuries). Chivalry has a discipline because those ancient soldiers trained themselves daily through learning and practicing the arts of attack and self-defense. These arts gave rise to the idea of control of the body, mind, and speech in the Knight. Further, the idea of social interaction developed because the Knight originally followed carefully the orders of his superiors who were interested only in battle with those who were eligible to fight, that is, civilians were not to be engaged in battle. From this idea of engaging only other Knights developed the idea of treating enemies and friends fairly and equally. Men who excelled in battle were honored with Knighthood, an honor first granted by Knights only. Then, later, as the honor of being a Knight grew, both Monarchy and the Church (Eastern Orthodox as well as Roman Catholic) began to participate in the selection and creation of Knights. While the ideals of Knighthood were often violated by the Knight warriors themselves, yet the  ideals survived as Knighthood came to be thought of as an honor to be bestowed upon those who had proven themselves worthy. When the practice of the volunteer army and the need for Knights as warriors faded away, the concept of the honorable and self-disciplined Knight remained, and the rank and status of Knight began to take on aspects of minor Nobility that one could achieve (rather than having to be born into). As an honor and status that men sought, Knighthood became a valuable gift and boon for Kings and Church to grant, either individually as a ‘Knight Bachelor’ or as membership in an Order of Chivalry. Chivalry sets a standard of conduct that transcends era or culture. It maintains a code of conduct that traditionally [upholds] a practical guide to living in a changing world, and it provides discipline within an undisciplined environment. Chivalry embraces a spiritual path of personal development that combines bravery and gentleness with a fierce compassion for the welfare of others. The knights interest and goal in life is to protect those who cannot defend, be it physical, spiritual, or economical and to fulfill a desire for personal excellence. UNIT 2 The chivalrous ideal and courtly love in ’’Sir gawain and the Green Knight’’ and ’’The Wife of Bath ’’ 2.1 A knights behavior toward women, at least in the romance tradition, was governed by another standard known as courtly love. Medieval writers did not necessarily use that term, but it is a convenient modern label for an idea that appears frequently in medieval literature. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the poets term for it is courtesy. Scholars have debated whether courtly love was a social reality or purely a literary fiction, but in either case, it was a pervasive and influential notion. The ties between the romance genre and the courtly love tradition were well established even at this time, for when Cappellanus offered his rules of love, he brackets them with a story involving a knight on the way to the court of King Arthur. The courtly lover was a man (often a knight) who devoted himself to the service of his beloved lady, making himself her servant; if he was a knight; all of his brave deeds were dedicated to his lady. Marriage to others was not a barrier to such love affairs, which were to be kept secret, with clandestine meetings and messages between the lovers relayed by go-betweens.  The lovers usually exchanged gifts or favors, normally a personal item such as a ring, glove, or girdle, all of which appear in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. True lovers became faint or sick with the strength of their love; sleeplessness, lack of appetite, and jealousy were all symptoms of true love. A lover was expected to have fine manners and display perfect gentility. As with chivalry, the tension between courtly love and Christian morality was unavoidable. Much of the courtly love tradition assumed that the lovers would consummate their relationship sexually, regardless of whether they were married. A more Christianized version of courtly love placed the lover in courteous but decidedly chaste service to his beloved. Like chivalry, courtly love may have been more of an ideal than an actual practice, but that did not lessen its cultural importance. At first glance, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight seem to be a relatively simple story about the quest of a knight in Arthurian Camelot. Upon further examination, however, it becomes clear that interwoven within the simple plotline is an intricate relationship between men and women with an emphasis on the values of the time. Throughout this work, we are privy to a variety of literal and figurative dichotomies including those between men and women, court values and church values, girdle and pentacle, the Green Knight and Sir Gawain, Guinevere and Morgan de Fay, and the Virgin Mary and Lady Bertilak. During the medieval period, the court and the church were of utmost importance codes of chivalry in the court were substantial factors in dictating the etiquette and specific behaviors of people as demonstrated through its literature. What seems to have happened in medieval literature is this: the pre-courtly love literature presented a fairly accurate portrait of womens role in society. Then, with the advent of courtly love some authors felt the need to conform the role of women in literature to that which was assigned to them by the philosophy of courtly love. (Malcor). In a sense, the medieval work in question does not seem to draw exclusively from either the pre-courtly or courtly genres in its discussion of the role of women, rather we see a multitude of different women portrayed in clearly contrasting manners. Most notably, Lady Bertalik becomes a major figure of this work, as well as a symbol of knightly virtues, or lack thereof. In the third part of Sir Gawain  and the Green Knight, the story turns to Sir Gawain and Lady Bertalik; on three successive days, Lady Bertalik meets Sir Gawain in his bedchambers and attempts to seduce him. During the first two days, though tempting, Gawain manages to remain a model of both courtly and religious restraint and behavior; meanwhile, Lady Bertalik extends herself as the aforementioned ‘’fairly accurate portrait of womens role in society.’’ While some women of the time succeeded in being entirely pure, it was not uncommon for damsels to try and seduce men as they traveled about the lands. The third morning, however, Gawain succumbs to his own fear of death and accepts the lesser of two gifts offered by Lady Bertalik on promises that the magical girdle will protect him from all harm. ‘’[The girdle] was wrought of green silk, and gold, only braided by the fingers, and that she offered to the knight, and besought him though it were of little worth that he would take it,’’ while in reality, Lady Bertalik is knowingly tricking the unsuspecting knight (Weston, Part III). In addition, Lady Bertaliks gift is a strong symbol of womanhood and parallels both facets of pre-courtly and courtly literature. Like Lady Bertalik, the girdle is similar to the depiction of pre-courtly realism in which women maintained their outward appearance, but also had inner, wild sexual desires that were often unleashed as it is meant to be tied, but then removed to allow for free movement and expression. In slight contrast, the girdle may also illustrate the more courtly and idealistic viewpoint due to its restrictive qualities, which in theory, forces the girdle-clad to appear as a woman. The idea of the girdle enforcing a female faà §ade is lost, however, when Gawain, himself, dons the green article; thereby, excusing the idea that the girdle has any semblance of courtly qualities. For purposes of this argument that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight entertains two separate depictions of society through literature, the realistic and the philosophical it is Guinevere who plays Lady Bertilaks opposite. Though she appears only briefly in this text, her role in courtly society is quite obvious. Seen at the opening feast given by her husband, King Arthur, Guinevere sits regally, but quietly beside her husband. While she expresses some momentary discontent when Arthur first offers himself up to the Green Knight it is almost entirely based upon her role as a  woman and the wife of the king. In this particular piece of Arthurian literature, Guinevere is defined by specific binaries; she is only what the king is not and she behaves the way that Lady Bertalik does not. Given this role, Guinevere exemplifies the pre-courtly disposition of behavior and remains the passive and silent, but perfect queen. As demonstrated through the actions and general social conduct of Lady Bertalik and Guinevere, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight displays a variety of women in several blatantly contrasting roles. While this, does substantiate the suggestion that the behavior of women has been projected differently throughout medieval literature. Like most medieval literature, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight participate in several important literary traditions that its original audience would have instantly recognized. Medieval poets were expected to re-use established source materials in their own works. Modern readers sometimes mistakenly take this as evidence of how lacking in creativity and originality the Middle Ages were. In reality, much of the interest of medieval literature comes from recognizing how one work of literature pulls against those that came before it, makes subtle changes from its sources, and invests old material with new meanings. One can read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as simply a rollicking tale of adventure and magic or, alternatively, as a lesson in moral growth. However, understanding some of the literary and cultural background that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight draws upon can provide modern readers with a fuller view of the poems meaning. 2.2 The Prologue and Tale of the Wife of Bath are among the most popular parts of The Canterbury Tales, and also cause a lot of trouble for critics. There are many various opinions about the character of Alison, ranging from utter individuality of the character to her being only a refined archetype of the old go-between. Many consider the disparity of her Prologue and Tale so problematic that there is need to explain the duality of her personality, and again many others focus on the common features of the Prologue and Tale. Probably the only thing about Wife of Bath’s Tale on which the critics agree is that its narrative voice and choice of topic is distinctly feminine, the  world of her tale is inhabited by women with occasional obedient men. Alison is a feminist of her own making. Although many say that in the end she still submits to the rule of the patriarchal world, they do not take into account the time of her creation. When Alison struggles for respect in her own household, there is absolutely no awareness of feminine desire for equality, and it will still need several centuries before the Precieuses movement starts in France, influencing the whole Europe. Alison lives in a patriarchal world with strict views of women, and her domestic revolution seems outrageous in her times. Yet, in her Prologue, she argues that there is need for a distinctly feminine voice and tradition. Judging by Alison’s Prologue, it seems extremely difficult for a woman to accept her position in the male tradition. In her Prologue, she therefore uses the traditional patriarchal ideas and expression, and yet she bends them to suit her purpose. When she argues for marriage as an equally important alternative to virginity, she quotes St. Paul, the major male authority that prefers virginity. But it is obvious that the educated account of texts she shows the reader is only knowledge acquired from her husbands, as the read er is later to realize. She is incapable of reading the texts for herself; otherwise she would not use Jerome’s interpretation of the encounter of Jesus and the Samaritan woman beside a well. She would use the source text to impeach Jerome’s interpretation. But the Wife of Bath lacks the knowledge that it was not Jesus but the Samaritan woman herself who said she had no husband. Although the mind of the Wife is captured in medieval paradigms about women, she would gladly argue with Jerome just like she argued with her clerk husband, had she the knowledge of the original biblical text. The Wife also draws a decisive line between the biblical texts, which in no way express any obligation concerning the number of marriages, and the Church tradition created by men with no experience of marriage. What St. Paul says is not a rule, it is only advice: â€Å"Advice is no commandment in my view./ He left it in our judgment what to do† (CT, 278). After her biblical lecture where the Wife uses many examples from the Old Testament to show there are no strict rules established about marriage, she moves on to what she promises at the beginning of her Prologue, to experience: If there were no authority on earth Except experience; mine, for what it’s worth, And that’s enough for me, all goes to show That marriage is a misery and a woe; (CT,  276) Yet, as she has also shown, women’s reputation for zealous confessing paradoxically opened up opportunities of empowerment, as a number of female sham mystics, working with their attend- ant priests, created a lucrative theatre of spirituality in which the woman was the center of attention. The Wife of Bath’s Tale itself is another genre-experiment, which enacts the Wife’s speculation: By God! If women had written stories, As clerkes han withinne hire oratories, They wolde han written of men moore wikkednesse Than al the mark of Adam may redresse. (III (D), 693–6) The Tale is the retelling of a fairy mistress tale in which a knight finds that he can save his life only if he can find the answer to the question of what women want most. He goes on a quest in search of the answer and meets a loathsome old hag who tells him that women most want to have control over men. The knight escapes death at the hands of his enemies, but in return must marry the old hag. In bed on their marriage night, she persuades him to face her, whereupon he finds that she has transformed into a beautiful young girl. She asks him whether he would prefer to have her beautiful by day or by night, but tired by now of trick questions, the knight leaves the decision in her hands. Because he has capitulated to her, she promises to stay young and beautiful always, and they live happily ever after. What a synopsis effaces is the way in which this story can be adapted to prompt various responses. In the anonymous Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the narrative framework is deployed to allow Gawain, as hero, to demonstrate extreme chivalric behavior and win audience approval. Chaucer’s adaptation is more radical. The hero is a rapist, forced into the bargain set by the ladies of the court to save his life. There is no indication that he is remorseful, nor that the quest is penitential. He comes upon the hag because he spies on some young girls dancing in a wood, and much less emphasis is put on the grotesque appearance of the hag than in other romance versions. The radical change, however, is that he walks into the bargain with the hag without knowing his part in advance. She accompanies him back to the court where the bargain is uttered in public. The quest is, therefore, manipulated so that instead of being morally enhanced, the hero is humiliated. He has no chance to dem onstrate Florent’s stoicism as all his opportunities for displaying bravery and chivalry are pre-empted by powerful and cynical  women. The values of chivalry are transposed ironically into a lecture given by the transformed hag to her husband on their wedding night in bed. The relationship between Prologue and Tale is not so much the simple matter of the Tale being adapted as the wish-fulfillment of the invented narrator; rather the two sit in parallel, drawing attention through their internal juxtapositions of authorities and lived experiences, to the gap between official society and its mores, as enshrined in textual traditions, and the operation of other behaviors and performances. Her struggle is not one for domination in the relationship, as both her Prologue and Tale show. It is a struggle for love. She wants to be treated like a beloved lady in the courtly tradition, and repay her loving husband with respect and obedience. The essentially better view is that â€Å"as a kind of special representative of Chaucer in the matter, she believes in harmony between partners, however it is arrived at† (Stone, 85). Of course, it is difficult to pass judgment on Chaucer’s personal views, as Chaucer was very careful about revealing his opinions, but the choice of the topic, and the portrayal of the shrewish wife as an understandable and rather likeable character might be a certain sign of Chaucer’s own attitude. For all the problems in her first four marriages, Alison does not lose hope yet. In her climactic marriage with Jankin, the only one that ends up as a success, she is looking for love. She already has enough money and a good social standing, she could be very satisfied as a widow, a woman no longer subjected to any man’s whim, and yet she decides to marry again. Alison needs her own money and the independence it gives. The General Prologue suggests that she also needs her own work and the status that goes with success. But she wants love as well and, in her relationship with Jankin, is romantic enough to believe that it will make money irrelevant .When Alison finds out she lost not only her money, which by the right of marriage now belongs to her husband, but also her integrity as her young husband tries to change her into an obedient wife with no life of her own, she starts to fight him. But before the physical struggle is described, Chaucer gives us a mental picture of Alison’s state, a picture of a tormented woman who lacks the words to defend herself, while her husband has all the available verbal weapons. CONCLUSION The poet positions Gawain at the center of the unresolved tensions between chivalry, courtly love, and Christianity. Gawain is famed as the most courteous of knights. In one sense, this creates the expectation that his behavior will be irreproachable; in another, it assumes that he will be the most delightful of lovers for the lady who can snare him. The Lady of Haut desert exploits this tension to the fullest as she attempts to seduce Gawain. But the poet has also made clear that the beloved lady whom Gawain serves first is the Virgin Mary. As a thoroughly Christianized knight, he is forced to walk a fine line in defending himself. He cannot offend a lady, but neither can he give his hostess what she wants, because in doing so, he would be committing a sexual sin, as well as breaking chivalric loyalty and honor by betraying his host. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight cannot, therefore, be called a straightforward romance. It makes use of most of the conventions and ideals of the Arthurian romance, yet also points out its contradictions and failings. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is not an anti-romance, however, nor is it a parody, despite its lightness and good humor. When Chaucer laughs at Sir Thopas, he is mocking a tired genre, but when the Gawain-poet laughs, it is the generous laughter of friendship. The poets conservative and traditional approach to his timeworn material is what allows him to make it so engaging: He understands and thoroughly appreciates the conventions of his genre. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight manages to highlight the weakest points of the chivalric tradition while still appreciating everything that makes chivalry so attractive, especially its uncompromising devotion to the highest ideals, even if those ideals are not necessarily attainable (accomplished). Andreas got the Christian world to accept his concept of love by the device of the double truth. Although Christian teaching and his De Amore are basically irreconcilable, they may exist side by side each in its own sphere. His main purpose was to provide a pseudo-psychological and logical basis for the ideas and ideals of the troubadours. Reasoning and building on the nature of love and of humanity, he showed that love is the greatest good in this world, that it constitutes earthly happiness, and that it is the place of origin of all earthly good. Andreas proposed logically that if humans are viewed solely as rational and natural creatures, subject  only to the laws of nature and reason, then they must enroll in the army of the god of love and seek the pleasures of the flesh so that they may be ennobled and grow in virtue and in worth. Aware of the immoral and heretical implications of his work, Andreas wrote On the Rejection of Love where he condemned Courtly love and implicitly retracted all he had written. A strong possibility exists that Chaucer knew of the so-called double truth. He would have been aware of the dangers involved in writing romances of Courtly Love, the risk of an accusation of upholding immorality and heresy. He possibly set out to meet these dangers: 1. He is not interested in giving Courtly love a logical and philosophical grounding; he simply uses it as a vehicle for his love stories. 2. Andreas suggests he writes from experience. Chaucer states again and again that he is not writing on love from personal knowledge from experience or from his own feelings on the subject. Chaucers status is always as a non-participant in lovea rank outsider. His relationship to love and lovers is to be their clerk, their servant and instrument to gladden them and advance them in their individual cause. He doesnt participate because he is unsuitable. Chaucer did strive for religious orthodoxy when, in the words of the Parsons Tale, he protests that he will stand for correction. If his repudiation is not in fear, it might be a salve to a Christian conscience revolted at the utter incompatibility of Courtly Love with the tenets of Christian morality and faith. SUFFERING Love brings with it love melancholy or suffering. This was studied and in fact written on at length during the Renaissance, but it was known and made part of the fictional lover during Chaucers time. All in all, Chaucer’s attitude to women in The Canterbury Tales can hardly be judged as anti ­feminist. His portrayals of women are splendid and still attractive centuries after. He does not assert the male dominance in all his tales but he realistically employs different narrators to express different attitudes. Some of the tales question the medieval system of authorities, yet none of them is openly subversive. Chaucer’s female narrators cannot be judged by today’s standards of feminism and when they are looked at from the medieval point of view, the undertone of feminism in their behavior and tales emerges. They are concerned with bettering the conditions for women; they challenge the authorities in their tales. And although the women of the male tales are no revolutionaries, they are still humane enough for a modern  reader to enjoy. Chaucer does not portray women’s struggle for self-assertion, he unfolds the complex web of his society. Chaucer’s attitude to women as shown in his works is more complex than that of his contemporaries, and at the same time remains within the borders given by the society. Chaucer is a very careful poet and as such may be found inconvenient by some modern feminists. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Primary sources: Sri Gawain and the Green Knight Wife of Bath Secondary sources: Umbetro, Eco. Cum se face o teza de licenta, Polirom, Bucuresti, 2006 Dutu, Carmen. Eseuri si dizertatii. Metodologia crearii unei lucrari stintifice, Editura Universitara Bucuresti, 2012 G. C. Thornley and Gwyneth Roberts. An Outline of English Literature, Longman, Essex, 2008 Chretien de Troyes. Arthurian romances, Penguin Books Ltd, Englad 1991 Andreas Capellanus, The art of courtly love, Columbia University Press, New York 1960 Bruce J. Douglas. Evolution of Arthurian romance from the beginnings down to the year 1300, Gloucester, Mass Peter Smith 1958 Michel, Pastoureanu. La vie quotidienne en France et en Angleterre au temps des chevaliers de la Table Ronde, Hachette, Paris, 1976 [ 1 ]. Courtly love. Modern term popularized by C. S. Lewis to describe the various kinds of love between man and woman described in the works of *trou- badours and others between the 11c and the 13c. The range of feeling ran from the dutiful respect owed a lord’s wife, to the adulterously sexual. One relationship was excluded, that between husband and wife. The genre first appeared in Provence and then spread through Europe. Appearing at much the same time as Arthurian tales, the two created a potent and memorable mix of *chivalry and romance. The French phrase amour courtois is a 19c coin- age. – Cf. Aubade; Pastourelle [ 2 ]. b. 43 BCE, Roman who wrote a parody on the technical treatises on loving. [ 3 ]. The Ars amatoria (English: The Art of Love) is an instructional book series elegy in three books by Ancient Roman poet Ovid. It was written in 2 AD. It is about teaching basic Gentlemanly male and female relationship skills and techniques. [ 4 ]. Andreas Capellanus was the 12th-century author of a treatise commonly known as De amore (About Love), and often known in English, somewhat misleadingly, as The Art of Courtly Love, though its realistic, somewhat cynical tone suggests that it is in some measure an antidote to courtly love. [ 5 ]. Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages . As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France (1137–1152) and of England (1154–1189). She was the patroness of such literary figures as Wace, Benoà ®t de Sainte-Maure, and Bernart de Ventadorn. She belonged to the French House of Poitiers, the Ramnulfids. [ 6 ]. Marie of France, Countess of Champagne (1145 – March 11, 1198) was the elder daughter of Louis VII of France and his first wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. [ 8 ]. French bishop of Paris during the 13th century. He was Chancellor of the Sorbonne from 1263 and bishop of Paris fro m 1268.He is best remembered for promulgating a Condemnation of 219 philosophical and theological propositions (or articles) that addressed ideas and concepts that were being discussed and disputed in the faculty of Arts at the University of Paris. [ 9 ]. Chivalry is as much about the skills and manners of a warrior class as with a literature derived from the deeds of those warriors, but presented in an idealized fashion which returned to define the manners of the warriors. Chivalry was a collocation of qualities made into a coherent ideal: skill and courage, and a craving for glory or fame acquired through knightly skills and its necessary courage. [ 10 ]. Linda Ann Malcor Ph. D is an American scholar of Arthurian legend. She was selected as an Overseas Associate Member of the Late Antiquity Research Group.