Education System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Education System - Essay Example The Equal Status Act, 2000 is guided by the principle of equal rights and participation among community members (Houses of the Oireachtus, 2006). The Act includes access to service, facilities and amenities across ethnicity, age, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, political affiliation or physical and mental ability, or membership of a traveller community. However, there is a distinct lack of empirical evaluation of actual classroom practices of equality as provided by teachers and schools (Breen, 1998; Breen & Jonsson, 2005). Issues of exclusion within the education system reflect concerns for the learning attainments of groups that are differentiated by language, religion, ideology or culture, socio-economic status or who are political or economic immigrants. Socio-economic and political infrastructure within the Republic aims to cultivate within students a sense of "inclusive identity", which requires classroom practices that respect different traditions across community aggregates, and that encourage tolerance, acceptance and respect for social differences (Center for the Study of conflict [CAINS], 1996). Inclusive education requires that all students are recognised as part of both the school and wider community, regardless of the students learning strengths and weaknesses (Hanafin & Lynch, 2002). The principles of inclusive education contributed to the development of a national education program, Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) (Department of Education & Science, 2006). However, literature reviewing the effectiveness of the program is lacking.This research proposal aims to evaluate current classroom practices of equality and inclusiveness with regard to socio-economic status amongst secondary students in the Republic. A pre-post research design will be used, incorporating a mixed method of student surveys and end of term grades. The final thesis will be divided in to five chapters; 1) An Introduction to the topic; 2) A Literature Review of relevant empirical studies to identify the present state of research, to identify gaps so as to develop the research hypotheses; 3) A Method section to outline the school's characteristics, participant demographics, selection criteria and the obtaining of informed consent, as well as detailing the research design, materials to be used, and the procedure of the study; 4) The Results section will provide the findings of analyses and include tables and graphs as appropriate; and 5) A Discussion section, which will identify i f the hypotheses were supported or not whilst linking findings to current discourse as presented in the Literature Review. The limitations of the study will also be delineated, and recommendations for future empirical research shall be made.It is anticipated that this research project will positively contribute to the development of chaplaincy programs that will support equality of access to education, and enhance inclusiveness within schools of the Republic. References Breen, R. (1998). The persistence of class origin inequalities among school leavers in the Republic of Ireland,

The Impacts the opening of Terminal 5 has had on Terminal 3 and the Essay

The Impacts the opening of Terminal 5 has had on Terminal 3 and the Staff managerial structure - Essay Example Paton & McCalman (2008) in Change Management deal with the managers perspective in such change and state that the "problem more often than not is a less than competent management of the change situation." (p.39.) This competent management, as mentioned, was clearly lacking in the areas that we highlighted with respect to proper information being disseminated to the staff regarding their parking area, as well as the proper and effective management of the Information Technology process pertaining to the baggage sorting and handling. Paton & McCalman further state that the change management aspect is in fact a "multi-disciplinary activity" where key elements and skills that should be possessed and displayed include effective communication, maintaining motivation, facilitation and orchestration of group and individual activities, negotiation and influence and possibly most importantly the planning and control elements of the entire change. (p.40) Based on the results of the opening day o f Terminal 5, we believe that a number of these elements were in fact missing, especially that of the communication and the effective planning – this is displayed in the results that were produced on opening day. From the perspective of our research, the respondents mostly agreed that such change was required and in analyzing the size and complexities of BAs operations within Terminal 3 we believe that such change was needed. The respondents did not really reveal any negative feedback regarding such change, with the only notable feedback being that of the mentioned automation of deployment and the reshuffling of staff as well as the fact that the staff were no longer working in teams. These responses were not specifically relayed as negative but rather of how the situation is now. One has to accept that the company has employed technologically advanced means in

Staffing and Recruitment of the United States Military Term Paper

Staffing and Recruitment of the United States Military - Term Paper Example Determining staffing needs and recruiting the best employees to fill these needs is the first step in effective HRM. If the first step is appropriately performed i.e. getting the best employees, the remaining functions are facilitated because of it. Every field has different staffing requirements as per the nature of the job. Recruitment in the military is not just a ‘jobs program.’ It’s a very serious business which includes the security and national interests of any nation. In this report, we discuss the staffing and recruitment requirements in military with particular emphasis on the US Military’s recruiting in light of human resource management. ______________________________________________ Introduction Human resource management has gained a lot of importance in the past few years. The concept of managing your company’s most valuable assets i.e. the people to get maximum results has gained a great deal of momentum and has become one of the integ ral functions of any organization (Schuler & MacMillan, 1984). An effective human resource system has various functions. Staffing and recruiting is first and very important function of effective HRM. This includes understanding the appropriate hiring needs of a particular organization and sector and appointing the best personnel according to these needs. Research shows that organizations which use sophisticated recruitment and selection strategies have positive effect on labor productivity (Koch & McGrath, 1996). Along with the respective education, various other criteria are present for each different job. The more difficult the nature of the job, the more complicated its recruiting requirements; Military is one these fields, and therefore it is not a simple business with simple job descriptions. It involves the defense of a country and a lot of care is required in military recruitment. Taking the U.S. Military as an example, let us discuss in detail about military staffing and rec ruitment. Overview of United States Military The military organizational structure of the United States Military, first known as the ‘War Department’, and later restructured as the ‘Department of Defense’, is headed by a civilian, The Secretary of Defense. Under this, there are three military departments, namely: The Department of the Army The Department of the Air Force The Department of the Navy These three departments are also headed by civilians. The secretary of defense and the three department heads, all are appointed by the President of the United States. The military has five branches, The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The first three are commanded by four star generals who report to their secretaries’ respectively. The Marine Corps also commanded by a four star general report to the Secretary of Navy as well. Now for the Coast Guard; these did not fall under the Department of Defense until recently, but now it is cons idered as a military service. This is because during periods of conflict, the President can transfer any or all assets of the Coast Guard to the Department of Navy. This is also commanded b

US Magnesium Essay Example for Free

US Magnesium Essay In Feb 2004, US Magnesium, the sole surviving US producer of magnesium, a metal that is primarily used in the manufacture of certain automobile parts and aluminum cans, filed a petition with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) contending that a surge in imports had caused material damage to the US industry’s employment, sales, market share, and profitability. According to US Magnesium, Russian and Chinese producers had been selling the metal at prices significantly below market value. During 2002 and 2003, imports of magnesium into the US rose 70%, while prices fell by 40% and the market share accounted for by imports jumped to 50% from 25%. â€Å"The US used to be the largest producer of magnesium in the world†, a US Magnesium spokesman said at the time of the filing. â€Å"What’s really sad is that you can be state of the art and have modern technology, and if the Chinese, who pay people less than 90 cents an hour, want to run you out of business, they can do it. And that’s why we are seeking relief†. During a yearlong investigation, the ITC solicited input from various sides in the dispute. Foreign producers and consumers of magnesium in the US argued that falling prices for magnesium during 2002 and 2003 simply reflected an imbalance between supply and demand due to additional capacity coming on stream not from Russia or China but from a planned Australian plant. The Canadian plant shut down in 2003, the Australian plant never went into operation, and prices for magnesium rose again in 2004. Magnesium consumers in the US also argued to the ITC that imposing antidumping duties on foreign imports of magnesium would raise prices in the US significantly above world levels. A spokesman for Alcoa, which mixes magnesium with aluminum to make alloys for cans, predicted that if antidumping duties were imposed, high magnesium prices in the US would force Alcoa to move some production out of the US. Alcoa also noted that in 2003, US Magnesium was unable to supply all of Alcoa’s needs, forcing the company to turn to imports. Consumers of magnesium in the automobile industry asserted that high prices in the US would drive engineers to design magnesium out of automobiles or force manufacturing elsewhere, which would ultimately hurt everyone. The six members of the ITC were not convinced by these arguments. In March 2005, the ITC ruled that both China and Russia had been dumping magnesium in the US. The government decided to impose duties ranging from 50% to more than 140% on imports of magnesium from China. Russian producers face duties ranging from 19% to 22%. The duties will be levied for five years, after which the ITC will revisit the situation. According to US Magnesium, the favorable ruling will now allow the company to reap the benefits of nearly $50 million in investments made in its manufacturing plant during the last few years and enable the company to boost its capacity by 28% by the end of 2005. Commenting on the favorable ruling, a US Magnesium spokesman noted, â€Å"Once unfair trade is removed from the marketplace we’ll be able to compete with anyone†. US Magnesium’s customers and competitors, however, did not view the situation in the 2002-2003 period as one of unfair trade. While the imposition of antidumping duties no doubt will help to protect US Magnesium and the 400 people it employs from foreign competition, magnesium consumers in the US are left wondering if they will be the ultimate losers.

Role of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

Role of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) For many countries in the global landscape, its economic situation is perhaps one of the most important concerns which are duly given enough priority by the government. The economic situation of a certain nation is highly indicative of the countrys performance as well as the state of living of its citizens. It is therefore a major concern among national governments to protect the best interest of their domestic economy, as well as local business, in the objective if being able to establish a successful nation. With this, it is a priority for many countries to be proud of many globally operating organizations and economic councils which will not only help them foster a better trading and economic relationship with other nations but will also help them establish global presence. One of such groups would be the APEC or the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. In this research paper, the researcher seeks to examine the APEC in general while being able to provide its background and what it does to be able to help improve the economic condition of its member countries. More importantly, the research will examine some of the issues in APEC and how such were overcome through the policies and recommendations from the said economic body. The impact of APEC on its member countries will also be examined to be able to provide evidence of its significant efficiency. This research would generally seek to discuss the role of APEC in helping its member countries establish a more sustainable and stable economic situation. WHAT IS APEC? The Asia Pacific Economic Forum or APEC is a premiere forum which is primarily responsible for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade, and investment in the region of the Asia Pacific. It was established to promote economic integration around the Pacific Rim and with the goal of being able to sustain economic growth especially among its 21 member nations. The members of APEC are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Peru, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam. An open trade and the establishment of closer economic relation are among the priorities of each member countries in the APEC. Being the primary vehicle in the region to be able to promote trade, investment, and economic cooperation, it is expected that APEC will be able to generate favorable circumstances and activities such as increased employment opportunities and the dev elopment of the local community. Since its inception in 1989 to this current time, APEC has initiated various economic activities which resulted into better business among local nations such as the implementation of reduced tariffs. The APEC is very significant in the global economy primarily because its members, collectively, are acknowledged for being drivers of the growth of the global economy. The individual economic performance of the Asian countries and members of APEC are all seen to have made significant contributions in the success of the international economic situation. Another reason on why APEC is seen to be very significant in the global trading is because its member economies are representative of around 42% of the worlds population while it occupies 43% of the worlds total land area. APEC AND THE WTO Both the APEC and the WTO have been active and demonstrated success in their goals of being able to help in the improvement of the performance of domestic economies by being able to facilitate trading and other economic activities. Both have played active and significant roles in being able to liberalize trading. While the WTO is able to promote trade liberalization on a multilateral level, the same thing was done by APEC, only that it covers only the regional level. This is basically because the very nature of the said economic cooperation is limited when it comes to membership size and economic significance. Although the two organizations both have the same goal of being able to liberalize trade, they have totally different approaches on how to achieve such goals. This makes the WTO to be considered as the locus of negotiations and rule-making while the APEC is considered as the consultative body. the rules of the WTO are absolute and applicable all the members of the group while the APEC is more open to dialogue and it is basically voluntary in terms of participation in their economic and trading provisions and other executions or strategic actions. THE STRATEGIC ROADMAP To be able to effectively reach its goals and to be able to help its member countries build a better domestic economy, APEC has established a framework which serves as its roadmap towards achieving success in its operations  [1]  . The following are the basic principles which are dinetified in the said roadmap: non-discrimination; comprehensiveness; simultaneous start, continuous process, and differentiated timetables; comparability; standstill; transparency; consistency with the World Trade Organization; flexibility; and cooperation. Based on these major principles, APEC is seen to operate based on commitments which are assume to be non-binding, facilitates open dialogue, and practices equal respect fro the views of its member nations or participating countries. The strategic roadmap of APEC is influenced by the initiatives of its member countries like three of the worlds most dynamic economies  [2]  , along with the tiger economies of the Asian continent. The goals of APEC are expected to be achieved through a balanced program of: liberalization to be able to dismantle the barriers towards international economic transactions; being able to facilitate investment and trade to effectively reduce divergences which are not needed for domestic policies which are highly influential of international trade; technical cooperation which enables its members to share information as well as skills which are required to enhance the efficiency and availability of regional infrastructure; and coordination of economic policies to be able to help reduce risks or uncertainties in the economy. TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY The succeeding section of this research will provide a discussion on some of the initiatives of the economic organization through the years since its inception  [3]  . During the annual conventions of the member countries, strategies and new goals are laid out in which the members perpetually work for its achievement. Some of these things will be briefly discussed in the next paragraphs in the goal of the researcher to provide some of the initiatives of APEC towards the establishment of a more sustainable economy and nation. The Blake Island Economic Vision In the year 1993, economic leaders from the member countries of APEC gathered in Seattle to be able to discuss the ongoing economic condition and measures in which such problems could be given resolution for the longer term. During this forum in Seattle, the major problems which have been identified include erosion of multilateral global trading system, rise of inward-looking regionalism, and fragmentation within the Asia Pacific. During this convention, a proposition was made to change the meaning of APEC to Asia Pacific Economic Community but it was not approved for such was not deemed appropriate. Furthermore, $2 million  [4]  was also released to fund the activities of the organization in the following year. The leaders, who attended the meeting from APEC member countries, presented The Blake Island Economic Vision. The vision which they created is reflective of how they see the following years would be. The vision which the leaders created presented a call for an Asia Pacific which can be able to fully harness, utilize, and maximize its diverse economies while being able to have strengthened cooperation and promoting prosperity. Another achievement of APEC in the same year is the initiative to push for the creation of the Pacific Business Forum  [5]  and the APEC Education Program  [6]  . The Osaka Action Agenda The Osaka Action Agenda presents two components of how APEC member countries seek to improve its economic condition and sustainability: trade liberalization and facilitation and economic and technical co-operation. The trade liberalization and facilitation seeks to discus fifteen key areas which are seen to be vital in the economic activities of the member nations. These include: tariffs, review of non-tariff measures, investment, procedural custom activities, rights regarding intellectual property, services, purchasing from the national government, policies affecting the competitive environment, conformance with standards, rules of origin, deregulation, implementation of the results of Uruguay Round, mobility of people in business, mediation between disputes and conflicts, gathering of information and analysis. Furthermore, the economic and technical co-operation covers thirteen areas including: small and medium scale enterprises, the development of human resource, industrial scienc e and technology, transportation, tourism, energy, information and telecommunication, infrastructure of the local economy, promotion of trade, information about investment and trade, fisheries, agricultural technology, and conservation of the marine resource  [7]  . Manila Action Plan for APEC A year after the Osaka Action Agenda was laid out, APEC identified the Manila Action Plan for APEC or MAPA which included individual and collective action plans which could be able to help to bring the Bogor goals  [8]  into reality. The individual action plans of the member countries were compiled to be able to help the group stipulate measures which would be necessary to be undertaken to bring into possibility the achievement of free and open trading by 2010 or 2020. Moreover, it was also during the same APEC conference were the members have identified high priority issues which need their immediate attention for resolution to help sustain their economic conditions. These areas include developing human capital; fostering safe and efficient capital markets; strengthening the economic infrastructure; harnessing technologies of the future; promoting growth and improvement which is environmentally sustainable; and encouraging the prosperity of small and medium scale enterprises whi ch are significant in the collective growth of the member countries and of the region in general. Sustaining Growth, Connecting the Region The APEC Summit which was held in Singapore in 2009 marked the twenty years of the organization in pursuit of its objectives. During the summit, the member countries have acknowledged the fact that many things have changed since the inception of APEC although the organization still remains in its pursuit of supporting the growth and economic prosperity in the Asia Pacific region through various trading and economic activities such as free and open trade and investments. It ahs been identified that the robust policies of the organization have helped its member countries to recover from the financial crisis and economic downturn which hit the global economy. It ahs also been identified that responding to food security has been a top priority the year prior to the summit as evident by the calamities which struck its members. During the summit, the leaders also stressed the need to fight corruption, improve governance and implement transparency. These things are seen to be contributory t o the improvement of domestic economies in the Pacific Rim. APEC CHALLENGES In spite the contributions of APEC to the economic development and sustainability of the Pacific Rim, it is also confronted by a number of challenges. This calls for continued initiatives in order to improve the economic situation and to be able to help the organization establish a brighter economic condition in the future. One of the challenges identified to confront the organization is on how it is going to manage globalization as such is seen to have a significant effect on its member countries. The organization is also facing the challenge of how it will be able to effectively manage regional and bilateral free trade agreements which is very critical in the trading activities of member countries. Another challenge which should be overcome by APEC is its initiative to be able to create a free and open trading to its region. Until now, efforts to be able to help achieve such objective are seen to have remained ill defined. There is a need for APEC to realize that it needs modifications with regards to agenda-setting mechanism and procedures. The organization would need to set it eyes towards goals for the longer years and bring the goals into reality such as the achievement of free trade. This year, APEC faces a greater challenge as the deadline is already set for the achievement of the Bogor goals, which is the establishment of free trade. This is apart from other challenges which will confront the organization in succeeding years such as the threat from protectionism and lack of trust on financial institutions. To be able to recover from the financial crisis which hit the economy in the previous years, there is a great challenge not only to attract dynamic investments to boost the economic situation on the Pacific but also to bring back the trust into institutions of finance. By this way, it is acknowledged that a better business will be on its way. Furthermore, the member countries are also challenged to be able to improve its current standings on the World Banks Ease of Doing Business Index. Through this, it is anticipated that more investments will come in as a means of improving financial condition. Several APEC economies are already included in the top five an din the top twenty of the list which is a good indication of the fruitful years to come for the region. A challenge is also posed to address the growing disparities between the urban and rural regions especially with regards to levels of education, social inclusion, and health care provision. CONCLUSION This research does not disregard the importance of the WTO in the trading relationships and quest for the improvement of the economic situation in the Asia Pacific. However, it necessitates the significance of the role which was assumed by APEC to be able to help improve the condition of its member nations. Since its inception in 1989, the organization has helped identified measures on how to achieve greater economic visibility and improved domestic performance through free and open trade and investments among another factors. Nonetheless, twenty years after its establishment, the organization still remains to be challenged by the uncertainties of the economic situation. In the following years, it is expected that the increased importance of the role of the organization, along with WTO, will be more significant in the achievement of prosperity in the Asia Pacific. APEC has signaled the growth of a new political and economic order in the Asia Pacific region through the years. However, the uncertainties in the economic situation made it harder for the organization to achieve its goals and work its way towards prosperity and improvement of the status quo. The organization has also demonstrated positive effects not only on member nations but also towards non-member countries. The perpetual goal of APEC still remains to be the possibility of being able to establish a seamless market or a single economy for the benefit of the Asia Pacific  [9]  . The organization remains true to its commitment of helping countries be able to establish a more sustainable and economic condition. Through the years, the organization is left with shoes to fill and expectations to fulfill on its ability to bring a free and open trading and attract investments in the region in order to trigger economic activity and condition on individual member countries and the Pacif ic Rim in general.

Contradictory Ideas on Managing Land Lauresta Piper-Ruth :: Savory Essays

Contradictory Ideas on Managing Land Lauresta Piper-Ruth Who is Allen Savory? At Goshen College, a small liberal arts college, Land Management is one of the courses required for Environmental Studies majors. The main book required for this class is Holistic Management by Allan Savory. Savory is a well-known ecologist and author. His books cover his theories on how to take care of land. His work is so well recognized that he is known as the founder of holistic management principles. The teacher of this Land Management, Bill Minter, draws most of his lectures from the information in this book. One might make the assumption that the information in a book approved for a class such as this would not contain controversial material. Both the teacher and the students in the class assumed just this, the material within the book had subsequent evidence to back up the theories. However, this is not the case. Allen Savory’s holistic management ideas on grazing and resting the land do not work in the basic ways that he claims they do. In fact, research has been done that disputes his theories. Therefore, it has been given a great deal of criticism by other scientist. Holistic Management Theories There are two theories that holistic management advocates swear by. One is that grazing can be beneficial if preformed in the correct way. The other is that resting land is not good for it. Both theories basically state that land can and should be grazed. To understand these theories some background information must be given as to how land works. Land can be identified on a scale of how hydric or xeric it is. Every piece of land falls between those two points. Hydric lands get a great deal of rainfall and have high humidity. As a result they have much more vegetation on the ground and therefore many more organisms to break things down. Xeric lands are just the opposite; they are much drier. They have less rainfall, less humidity, less vegetation, and fewer organisms. When vegetation dies in hydric system, the great numbers of organisms quickly decompose it. When vegetation dies in a xeric system the decomposition is a much longer process. Savory also compares these landscapes using t he terminology of brittle and nonbrittle environments. The more brittle the land is, the more xeric it is. Oppositely, the more nonbrittle the land is, the more hydric it is. Contradictory Ideas on Managing Land Lauresta Piper-Ruth :: Savory Essays Contradictory Ideas on Managing Land Lauresta Piper-Ruth Who is Allen Savory? At Goshen College, a small liberal arts college, Land Management is one of the courses required for Environmental Studies majors. The main book required for this class is Holistic Management by Allan Savory. Savory is a well-known ecologist and author. His books cover his theories on how to take care of land. His work is so well recognized that he is known as the founder of holistic management principles. The teacher of this Land Management, Bill Minter, draws most of his lectures from the information in this book. One might make the assumption that the information in a book approved for a class such as this would not contain controversial material. Both the teacher and the students in the class assumed just this, the material within the book had subsequent evidence to back up the theories. However, this is not the case. Allen Savory’s holistic management ideas on grazing and resting the land do not work in the basic ways that he claims they do. In fact, research has been done that disputes his theories. Therefore, it has been given a great deal of criticism by other scientist. Holistic Management Theories There are two theories that holistic management advocates swear by. One is that grazing can be beneficial if preformed in the correct way. The other is that resting land is not good for it. Both theories basically state that land can and should be grazed. To understand these theories some background information must be given as to how land works. Land can be identified on a scale of how hydric or xeric it is. Every piece of land falls between those two points. Hydric lands get a great deal of rainfall and have high humidity. As a result they have much more vegetation on the ground and therefore many more organisms to break things down. Xeric lands are just the opposite; they are much drier. They have less rainfall, less humidity, less vegetation, and fewer organisms. When vegetation dies in hydric system, the great numbers of organisms quickly decompose it. When vegetation dies in a xeric system the decomposition is a much longer process. Savory also compares these landscapes using t he terminology of brittle and nonbrittle environments. The more brittle the land is, the more xeric it is. Oppositely, the more nonbrittle the land is, the more hydric it is.

Fear and paranoia created in the crucible Essay

The Crucible is full of heat, suspense, extramarital sex, public lies and ruthless prosecution, All of which add up to produce a book in which the theme of fear and paranoia is unquestionably a part in these small-town people’s lives. During the crucible, Miller tries to project a lot of fear and paranoia into his work, enabling the reader to physically and emotionally feel their part in Salem’s history. Salem is taken from the Hebrew Shalom meaning peace however from Millers part in the crucible; a darker, chaotic view is created for the readers, and the reality of peace is more shadowed by Salem and its characters dark paranoia. The overall effect that paranoia can set on a town is extraordinary, from being a small, well-known, blissful town; one mistake from a paranoid person can set off the whole town and can therefore disrupt and disturb it. Take Salem for example, a bunch of girls found dancing in the wood are immediately accused of doing witchcraft and trafficking with the devil, the paranoia of this town is really expressed by the fact that within the next day everybody knew about the â€Å"incident† and everybody except relatives had been quick to judge and had labelled them all witches, expressing the paranoia and fear among this small town. Miller’s attempts to create fear and paranoia are demonstrated in the way that he gives the readers and the characters something to be afraid of, fear must have a cause. Miller’s attempts at this are shown in the first scene as Parris questions and harasses Abigail because of his own paranoid ways that they were trafficking with the devil or even conjuring witchcraft in the woods, and the fear of his position and authority as reverend being taken from him and being thrown out of Salem. This fear is revealed as Parris says, â€Å"Now then, in the midst of such disruption, my own household is discovered to be the very centre of some obscene practice. † The life of many in Salem is orderly and controlled through religion fear of Gods might, not going to church could result in being sent into hell or purgatory after death. For example on page seventy three, as john proctor is quickly judged and damned and also accused by Cheever by saying â€Å"He plough on Sunday, sir†, thereby condemning proctor and heavily persuading Danforth to jail John Proctor. Fear for many of the characters is set by Miller on several different levels and so for a great number of people in the village, the churches power causes fear to do with the churches authority on how they have the power along with the law over witches, in the means of hangings, burnings and executions etc. The ordinary of the folk in the town have simple minds and can easily be manipulated or taken advantage over by the more superior of the town members, they can therefore easily be afraid of witches and their powers. These people also believed that their religion, Christianity was the only religion for the people, and straying from this religion was heresy. If a person tried to be an individual or â€Å"loner†, they were looked down upon, for that would mean they were leaving the community of belief that was supposed to be held by all members of the society. Salem was a theocracy, a type of government formed by combining the institutions of both state and church. When certain people began to be individualists, fear set into the community. It was this fear that prompted the Salem witch trials, the story that the play begins to tell. Because Salem’s inhabitants lived such ordinary lives, most of which were ruled or pressured intently by God, their lives became disorderly and the highers lose control, causing unrest among people’s lives for the reason that people need routine. However, once the highers lose control they therefore become afraid of losing their power and open to people becoming individuals and not being afraid to speak out or even proceed in the manner of life that they choose. As the play progresses, the church begins to lose power over individualists and rebels and consequently see people changing their ways of life because of the more recent happenings. This is shown in the way of the girls dancing in the woods. This act could possibly be taken as an act of witchcraft or possibly individualism; the girls (Betty, Mercy, Ruth, Mary, Abigail and Tituba) could have possibly been expressing their newfound uniqueness by dancing in the woods. In contrast to this lack of fear, the girls found dancing in the woods could possibly be taken as a taken as a very bold and daring act and an indication towards a desire for freedom or change and a desire to break control. This is indignation towards the church and their lives and is shown on page seven as she says, â€Å"Uncle, we did dance; let you tell them I confessed it – and I’ll be whipped if I must be. But they’re speakin’ of witchcraft. Betty’s not witched. † This quotation from Abigail is a suggestion to the rest of the town by expressing her point of not being witch, yet just dancing and symbolising their rebellious nature and newly found individualism. The townsfolk become confused with an alteration in the Status quo and are afraid of the unknown, so finally fear and paranoia sets in. Miller wrote the play from the stand point that people must not only be careful about how they react to certain situations, but that they also cannot avoid involvement in other issues, for that would mean to deny one’s own personal responsibility in the human race. Why are themes important to Miller? Themes are extremely and increasingly important to Miller as without these, plays or books are simply pieces of writing with no morale, theme or even point, and therefore the reader gains nothing from these books and feels no great need to read them, making them unsellable and pointless. Even the title plays a big part in the understanding of the book, for example in the crucible, this meaning a container which metals are heated to extract the poor element from dross or impurities, shows that this stands for the morale or point of the book that John Proctor is tested in a life-threatening ordeal and his death at the end rather than the betrayal of his confidence shows us that he too has come through the fire to be purified. Themes are important to Miller, the reader and the characters and this is shown in each of Millers books produced before he wrote and directed the crucible. In 1950, he wrote an adaptation of an enemy of the people, and the theme being the individual who insists he is right while the vast majority is absolutely wrong, this book even tying in with the crucible slightly. As well as all the other plays and books by Arthur Miller, like St. joan and the crucible and a man for all seasons, all his books are based on one similar thing and this is the overall main theme – a real historical happening, and this is the same case for the majority of his plays, all having a similar theme. In all three books in this case, the audience comes to value and applaud the stand made by the individual against the apparent vindictiveness of the law. From all of Millers books and plays, the crucible is renound for being the best and is shown and read all over the world, because of its meaning and theme of being somewhat different in different places and moments, giving information about the country it is being acted in, and so not only gives something extra to the reader but gives something back to the author each time it is acted out. The crucible is forever distinct of its time and maintains relevance because of its theme. The theme of the crucible however being of course, the conflict between a mans raw deeds and his conception of himself; the question of whether conscience is in fact an organic part of the human being, and what happens when it is handed over not merely to the state or the mores of the time but o one’s friend or wife. Overall, themes are important to Arthur Miller as it is shown in all of his other plays and that without one, a play is pointless and has no morale and is therefore not necessary to be produced as it is giving nothing to the human life, and is therefore extremely important to not only Arthur Millers plays but to every other playwrights plays throughout the world.