Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Gender Roles Of Women s Collective Identity Essay

Gender is one social division in society that plays a significant role in people’s collective identity. While the male gender is the privileged gender in New Zealand’s society, New Zealand’s view of masculinity in the 21st century is still an area for many social struggles and contestation. Ideas of masculinity are instilled at such a young age and people are socialized to feel pressure to conform to gender norms because they are taught to insult or degrade those who are different. This paper will look at the work of Richard Pringle (2007) and Shane Town (1999) to explore some of New Zealand’s ideas of the male gender and sexuality in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Word count: 110 Richard Pringle: Richard Pringle (2007) work raises the important and sometimes overlooked topic of male masculinity. Pringle (2007) starts of his work by pointing out that the construction of masculinity in society is complex. It is different for each social context and person. This immediately creates a tension of where each individual sits in the society in which they live. It also means that literature is theoretical and often key ideas are generalised. It would be an overwhelming piece of research (although now technologically feasible) to seek everyone’s opinion on issues. New Zealand society demonstrates the belief of a hegemonic masculine society. Hegemonic masculinity is defined by Pringle (2007) as the collective, dominate, social belief of the desirable way one should act male. Tony PorterShow MoreRelatedFeminist Student Culture And The Issues Of Postsecondary Education946 Words   |  4 Pagesthe perspectives of women and men and whether they support or are against feminist studen t culture. Lastly, the paper discusses recommendations and future research for student affairs professions to maintain feminist student culture in higher education. Understanding feminism Feminism in the United States is often separated into three waves (Vaccaro, 2009, Vernet Butera, 2005). The first wave began during the late 1800s to early 20th century, women began fighting for gender equality, emancipationRead MoreFeminism And The Third Wave Of Feminism1212 Words   |  5 Pagesmeans something completely different than what it did in the days of women s suffrage. No longer is feminism working on allowing women just to vote. It focuses on intersectionality, gender norms, women s reproductive rights, and so much more. We are in the third wave of feminism. In 2017 most millennials identify with third wave feminism or a variant of the movement and strive to abolish gender roles, patriarchy, and fight for women s rights and equality. Our distinct personal experiences and socialRead MoreFilm, Paris, Burning, And The Subculture Of Black And Latina / Os1387 Words   |  6 Pagesphenomenon incorporated dissing or â€Å"throwing shade,† referred to as voguing, in N ew York City during the 1980s, and mainly consisted of poor, people of color. These performative shows attempted to challenge and imitate dominant, white heteronormativity by role playing socially powerful categories like business executives and students, that poor, gay people of color are often denied opportunistic access to. Intersections of class highlight the devastating and somber effects of the consumeristic and capitalRead MoreIntersectionality Essay853 Words   |  4 Pageswasnt used as a term until the 1980’s by Kimberle Crenshaw, an american civil rights activist and feminist, as a label for the types of oppressions women of color experienced. This is crucial for our understanding of US womxy’s history. 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During the early conceptualization process of black feminist theory, the women of this new movement, specifically Kimberlà © Crenshaw, came to name the term â€Å"intersectionality theory.† Black Feminist Politics and theory argues that sexism, racism, class oppression, and gender identity are intric ately bound together. ComplexlyRead MoreThe Common Denominator of Security and Feminism600 Words   |  3 Pagestheory and practice meet, it is about the struggles of the women`s movement and the theory that flows from their experiences, about women`s security understanding that transform our understanding of men`s security. The link between feminism and security points out that understanding security issues needs an enlargement to include specific security concerns and beliefs of women. This research emphasizes context-based interpretations of gender in human security. In respect of a widen concept of humanRead MoreInfluences On My Identity Essay1630 Words   |  7 PagesInfluences on My Identity Nursery walls painted baby blue, the bedding a classic Winnie-the-Pooh print. Stroller and car seat covered in neutral plaid. Footed onesies in shades of white, yellow, and green. A long list of unisex names from which to choose. Sifting through my baby book, it is easy to see tell that my parents had no clue what gender their new baby would be. That is, until I came into the world in a flurry of activity and someone—probably the doctor—announced â€Å"It s a girl!† My grandmotherRead MoreWomen s Education : An International Human Right Without Any Discrimination Based On Sex895 Words   |  4 PagesWomen`s education is an international human right without any discrimination based on sex or gender. It is necessary for identity social development and a means for a prosperous life. Constantly, the United Nations emphasized women`s education and set goals for its success with gender equality. Empowering women`s education is an essential element in growing societi es that seek democracy and economic advancement. For the last decade, Palestinian women education had been the concern for several reasons

Monday, December 23, 2019

Frederick Douglass and the Abolition of Slavery - 600 Words

Frederick Douglass and the Abolition of Slavery There were many influential people who fought for the abolition of slavery in the 1800s. Among these people are Harriet Tubman, William Lloyd Garrison, and our sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln. Frederick Douglass is one of these people. As a former slave, Frederick Douglass believed he could not enjoy his freedom while the rest of his people suffered under the burden of slavery. Therefore, he spent much of his adult life working to abolish slavery. Frederick Douglass was a notable figure in the abolitionist movements in the 1800s and is still honored today. The first reason why Frederick Douglass was a prominent abolitionist was because of his experiences in his life. He was†¦show more content†¦Douglass delivered his first public address in 1841 and was offered the position of a lecturer for the â€Å"Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society† by William Lloyd Garrison and other abolitionists (â€Å"Frederick Douglass†). He worked for the society for 4 successful years (â€Å"Frederick Douglas†). When Douglass returned from Britain, he bought his freedom and published the North Star, a weekly anti-slavery newspaper (â€Å"Frederick Douglass†). As Douglass became more famous through his speeches and newspaper articles, many people began to doubt he was a former slave (â€Å"Frederick Douglass†). As a result, Douglass wrote his first autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself (â€Å"Frederick Douglass†). This autobiography was important because it helped people see what slavery was like in the South. In the 1850s and early 1860s, Douglass continued to work as a journalist, orator, and autobiographer (â€Å"Frederick Douglass†) By the Civil War, Douglass was a well-known all over the country as a spokesman for African Americans (â€Å"Frederick Douglass†). In 1863, he even advised President Abraham Lincoln on the utilization and treatment of African American soldiers in the Union Army (â€Å"Frederick Douglass†). He also founded the New National Era, a newspaper that didnt last long (â€Å"Frederick Douglass†). Douglass’ last autobiographical work, the Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, Written by Himself, was publishedShow MoreRelatedFrederick Douglass And The Abolition Of Slavery1713 Words   |  7 Pagesor resistance, against the institution of slavery. They rebelled against their positions in a variety of ways--sometimes small, subtle acts; other times very obvious and dir ect implications. Frederick Douglass resisted slavery by understanding the fundamentals of it, standing up for himself, and formulating an escape. James Oakes argues the direct resistance displayed by slaves, like running away, was significant and necessary to the abolition of slavery as a whole. Oakes understood slave resistanceRead MoreAn Analysis Of Frederick Douglass s The Light Of Anti Abolitionism 941 Words   |  4 PagesFourth of July† was brilliantly written by Frederick Douglass in the heat of anti-abolitionism. The speech was well written and executed by using imagery and language, using emotional tones to garner sympathy and understanding, and the overarching idea that slavery was wrong. The tone all through the speech shows the passion and fervor Mister Douglass was feeling that day and really goes to show why this speech is fantastic. To start, Frederick Douglass uses heavy and raw imagery to paint a surrealRead MoreFrederick Douglass : A Revolutionary Leader And Pioneer1617 Words   |  7 PagesLife histoory of Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass, social reformer of an African American descent, was an orator, writer, statesman, abolitionist movement leader. He was born in 1818 in Talbot County in the United States in the area of Maryland. He gained prominence because of his extraordinary oratory skills. His antislavery writings were appreciated across America, particularly when he pointed out that the slaves lacked the basic intellectual rights to perform as the independent AmericanRead MoreAdvocates for the Abolition of Slavery: Olaudah Equiano vs. Fredirck Douglass902 Words   |  4 Pagesslaves Frederick Douglass and Olaudah Equiano documented their horrifying experiences and published accounts of them. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano highlight the cruelty towards slaves during the era of realism. Although these autobiographies contain many similarities in the manner of their composure, including abolitionist motives and a fo cus on the separation of families, the dissimilar lives of Equiano and Douglass exposeRead MoreWhy Was Reading A Central Concern Throughout The 19th Century?879 Words   |  4 Pages19th Century? Frederick Douglass was born in a time where life for African Americans was unfair and poor. He was a man born into slavery, but he changed his own course of life and many others with learning to read and write. With the help of his owner’s wife he learned enough to start his own education and eventually escaped to freedom. Reading was such a central concern to Douglass for many reasons including: Reading about slavery helps Douglass to understand slavery, Douglass sees reading asRead MoreCompare and Contrast Harriet Beecher Stowe and Frederick Douglass740 Words   |  3 Pagesto the Civil war, many anti-slavery abolitionists spoke out on their feelings against slavery. New Christian views, and new ideas about human rights are what prompted this anti-slavery movement. Abolitionist literature began to appear around 1820. Abolitionist literature included newspapers, sermons, speeches and memoirs of slaves. Harriet Beecher Stowe and Frederick Douglass were two abolitionist write rs. They were similar in some ways and different in others (â€Å"Abolition†). Harriet Beecher StoweRead MoreFrederick Douglass s Influence On American Society982 Words   |  4 Pages Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, or better known, Frederick Douglass was born in February 1818 to Harriet Bailey in Talbot County, Maryland. For a long time, Frederick did not know his birthdate or his family lineage and it haunted him till the day he died. Frederick Douglas family lineage reach as far back into the beginnings of America and maybe even further into American prehistory. Douglass was believed to have Native American blood in him. Just from the description of him, â€Å"his broad foreheadRead MoreFrederick Douglass And The Fight For Women s Suffrage1357 Words   |  6 PagesFrederick Douglass was a major black-male voice in the fight for women’s suffrage. Douglass unlike many men believed that women too were people and deserved all of the rights a man was given. He believed this because black men were previously apart from the equality of all men, and they too should be apart in gaining this equality for all. Douglass, along with other strong willed women, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, Sojourner Truth, among others, they became the forefrontRead MoreFreedom, By Stedman Graham1135 Words   |  5 Pagesto take information and education and make it relevant to your own growth every single day. Freedom is not staying in the box. Freedom is not doing what other people want you to do.† It’s safe to say that Frederick Douglass would agree with this statement, due to the accounts he lived. Douglass was born a slave in Maryland in 1818. He was an African-American social reformer who longed to be free. He planned to achieve this through education, through reading and writing. During these times many African-AmericansRead MoreThe Life Of Harriet Tubman And Frederick Douglass1224 Words   |  5 Pageshelp other slaves escape the harsh conditions of their plantations in the south. Harriet Tub man and Frederick Douglass were two major influences to the success of the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad benefitted the African Americans by giving them hope, and most importantly freedom. If not for the Underground Railroad, the abolition of slavery would not have become a reality and slavery would have flourished and continue to spread into the newly added territories of the United States

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Is terrorism a serious threat to national and international security Free Essays

string(120) " hysteria and using it to construct a discourse which could legitimize an out of proportion response \(Jackson, 2005\)\." Introduction The aim of the following essay will be to critically evaluate the existing evidence, which supports the argument for considering terrorism as a threat to both national and international security. The topic of terrorism and the acts of violence associated with is one that is deeply embedded in the fabric of the late-modern period (Young, 2007), but paradoxically this does not make it an easy concept to define (Bolanos, 2012; Martin, 2012, Hoffman, 2006; Silke, 1996). This largely reflects the different priorities which both national and international organisations have, thereby making the achievement of consensus quite difficult (Senu, 2013). We will write a custom essay sample on Is terrorism a serious threat to national and international security? or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, for the purposes of the present study, terrorism will be defined as the systematic use of violence in order to create a general climate of fear in a population and thereby bring about a particular political objective[1]. Although the acts of terrorism are far from a modern phenomenon (Rapoport, 1984), in can be argued that the prior to 11th September it attracted little public attention (Hoffman, 2006). Post 9/11, terrorism occupied the forefront the political agenda and media attention, a trend that is observed to date and one that will not wither away easily in the future, thus the significance of the current essay. Having outlined some of the conceptual debates associated with the definition of terrorism, the following section will present some of the evidence which could suggest that terrorism should be taken seriously and prioritized over any other social problem on both national and international level. Terrorism as a threat to national and international security The rise of the threat of terrorist attacks is one that has more recently been linked to the concept of ‘world risk society’ (Beck, 2002), according to which the shifts from industrial to post-need and consumer societies has also had an impact on the risks to which we are exposed (Beck, 1992; Mythen and Walkate, 2006). But even prior to the occurrence of these transformations in the social fabric, terrorism seems to have had a significant impact on the course of world history, particularly in campaigns which can be described as anti-colonial, such as the one in Algeria against French dominance, the Cypriotic and Palestinian against British governance (Hoffman, 2006; Lutz and Lutz, 2012). Prolonged terrorist campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan (Tan, 2006), as well as India and Pakistan (Lutz and Lutz, 2011) seem to undermine national security and could pose a serious threat to international security as well, as some of the above-mentioned countries are well-known for their possession of nuclear weapons (Lutz and Lutz, 2012). The presence of terrorist groups within the borders of a country could also result in passivity of the security services, due to fear of reprisals and campaigns of violence (Lutz and Lutz, 2011). Moreover, prolonged terrorist campaigns and perceived level of threat could also have an impact on the politics of a specific country in the long run (ibid.). The introduction of special anti-terrorist legislation in many of the Western world countries post-9/11 has called for the tightening of borders and reducing immigration, as well as increased target-hardening of potential targets of future terrorist attacks. As a result of that, the ‘new terrorism’ is said to have become more lethal and indiscriminate, with the potential to strike occur at any place and time, as a result of the need to sustain the campaign of terror (Lacquer, 2001; Beck, 2002; Enders and Sandler, 2005). As some of the evidence in this section suggest, t errorism in some cases has been successful in changing the course of history and clearly the impact it has had should be neither denied, nor underestimated. However, as the next section of this paper will argue, the threat posed by terrorism is one that should be subject closer examination and the myth of such a lethal and omnipresent enemy should be scrutinized and not accepted at face value. Common misperceptions associated with terrorism Contrary to the common perception that terrorism is an ever-present threat to both national and international security, an increasing number of scholarly publications have presented and alternative view, wherein terrorism is presented as a much smaller threat than it actually is (Lustick, 2012; Mueller, 2005; Mueller, 2006; Mueller and Stewart, 2012). Such criticisms do not lack empirical foundation. For example, over the previous two decades, only three attacks classified by the FBI as terrorism have taken place on American soil– the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Centre, the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing and the 9/11. Of the three, the 9/11 attack was the worst terrorist attack which the United States have ever faced, it was unprecedented and was used as a justification of the initiation of a ‘war on terror’ and the introduction of specialized counter-terrorism legislation, the foundations of which appear to be unstable, as terrorism did not pose a sufficient thre at to justify the interventions (Wolfendale, 2007). The unexpected attack, its modus operandi and lethality all seemed to point in a direction of a brand new phenomenon, which had not been observed before – a ‘new’ form of terrorism. As it was noted in the previous section, part of the post-9/11 discourse is also the globalization of terrorism, which is claimed to be becoming transnational, another statement which is not based on any sound empirical evidence. Rather, since the 1990s, the nature of terrorist attacks has changed in exactly the opposite direction – attacks perpetrated by terrorists are becoming increasingly localised and the process of globalisation itself is not related in any way to transnational attack trends (Goldman, 2010). Moreover, the response triggered by the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent 11M (Madrid) and 7/7 bombings (London) is one that overestimated the real capabilities of Al Quada and its scope of operation (Byman, 2006). In fact, for many decades prior to all three of the above mentioned, the West has tended to over-estimate the threats posed by terrorist attacks (Furedi, 2007; Zulaika, 2003). And when such self-fulfilling prophecies do occur, the response is populistic, taking into account mass hysteria and using it to construct a discourse which could legitimize an out of proportion response (Jackson, 2005). You read "Is terrorism a serious threat to national and international security?" in category "Essay examples" For this reason it can be argued that terrorism is a functional reality of American politics (Zulaika, 2003: 198), as was the case of 9/11 (Lustick, 2006). Moreover, it is well-integrated into American and Western culture, it feeds from its imagination and arguably, is self-per petuated (Zizek, 2002). Being transformed into a cultural script, terrorism also receives disproportionate media coverage, even when it fails (Jurkowitz, 2010). The popularity of the theme feed off public hysteria and vice versa, it is larger than life and in the 21st century the threats posed by it (Ferguson and Potter, 2005). This is not to deny the lived realities of terrorist attacks and the devastating impact which they have on societies. Rather, the context in which acts of terror occur should be subject to rigorous and thorough examination. In the cases where the impact of terrorism is associated with overreaction, it would make sense to focus on reducing the latter, rather the leave the matter unaddressed. As Mueller (2005) notes, in the cases where the risk of threats such as alcoholism, smoking and driving are real, it makes sense to induce fear. On the other hand, where there is little risk associated with certain threats, for example, terrorism on flying on airplanes, it would be advisable to create policies which would aim at reducing anxiety and fear, rather than disproportionately increase them. Having outlined some of arguments which suggest that the threat of terrorism can be overdramatized in the Western world, the last section will argue that terrorism is real, yet the recent methods of countering it have been counterproductive. Conclusion As this essay has argued, terrorism is far from a new phenomenon; in fact, it has played a substantial part in social history and the resolution of geopolitical questions. Often considered to be the weapon of the weak and an indicator of asymmetric warfare, campaigns of terror have achieved some success in the past, despite arguments for the opposite (Abrahms, 2006). Therefore, it would be a mistake not to acknowledge what terrorist campaigns have achieved in the past and the ways in which they have undermined both national and international security. Yet, in the post 9/11 environment, the challenges posed by terrorism have been utilised in the creation of counter-terrorism discourses that are counterproductive (Appleby, 2010; MacDonald and Hunter, 2013) and rather than producing a resolution of conflicts, have prolonged them. Although a ‘war on terror’ has been waged over the past 12 years, it is one that can hardly ever be won and rhetoric associated with it raises unr ealistic expectations. Similar to the problem of crime, the problem of terrorism is one that will persist, therefore efforts should be directed towards containing it within reasonable proportions, and reducing the widespread ‘culture of fear’ which surrounds it. As English (2010) suggests, the over-militarisation of responses to terrorist attacks is not a long-term solution, but the addressing of root causes and underlying tensions is. Such a strategy, as well as the reliance on credible intelligence, is the key pathway which could provide a long-term solution to the problems which terrorism poses to the contemporary era. In conclusion, a careful balance should be found between the acts of terrorism and the real danger in poses to societies. Contrary to popular belief, terrorism is not an international in nature, rather it is a localised and occurs by and large in developing countries (Goldman, 2010) and therefore efforts should be directed towards tackling terrorism wh ere it poses significant risk to the obstruction of social safety and security. Bibliography Abrahms, M. (2006). Why terrorism does not work. International Security, 31(2), 42-78. Appleby, N. (2010). Labelling the innocent: how government counter-terrorism advice creates labels that contribute to the problem. Critical Studies on Terrorism, 3(3), 421-436. Beck, U. (2002). The Terrorist Threat World Risk Society Revisited. Theory, Culture Society, 19(4), 39-55. Beck, U. (1992). Risk society: Towards a new modernity (Vol. 17). Sage. Bolanos, A. (2012). ‘The ‘new terrorism’ or the ‘newness’ of context and change’ (pp.29-35), in Jackson, R., Sinclair, S. J. (Eds.). (2012). Contemporary debates on terrorism. Routledge. Byman, D. L. (2006). Friends like these: counterinsurgency and the war on terrorism. International Security, 31(2), 79-115. Enders, W., Sandler, T. (2005). After 9/11 is it all different now?. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 49(2), 259-277. English, R. (2010). Terrorism: how to respond. Oxford University Press. Ferguson, C. D., Potter, W. C. (2005). The four faces of nuclear terrorism. Routledge. Furedi, F. (2007). Invitation to terror: the expanding empire of the unknown. Continuum Intl Pub Group. Goldman, O. (2010). The globalization of terror attacks. Terrorism and Political Violence, 23(1), 31-59. Hoffman, B. (2006). Inside Terrorism. Columbia University Press. Jackson, R. (2005). Writing the war on terrorism: language, politics and counter-terrorism. Manchester University Press. Jurkowitz (2010) http://www.journalism.org/2010/05/10/pej-news-coverage-index-may-3may-9-2010/ Laqueur, W. (2001). Left, right, and beyond: The changing face of terror. How did this happenTerrorism and the new war, 71-83. Lustick, I. (2006). Trapped in the War on Terror. Univ of Pennsylvania Press. Lustick, I. (2012) ‘Why terrorism is a much smaller threat than you think’ (pp. 66-74), in Jackson, R., Sinclair, S. J. (Eds.). (2012). Contemporary debates on terrorism. Routledge. Lutz, J., Lutz, B. (2011). Terrorism: The Basics. Taylor Francis. Lutz, J. and Lutz, B. (2012) ‘The continuing threat to state security’(pp. 61-66), in Jackson, R., Sinclair, S. J. (Eds.). (2012). Contemporary debates on terrorism. Routledge. MacDonald, M., Hunter, D. (2013). Security, population and governmentality: UK counter-terrorism discourse (2007-2011). Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis across Disciplines, 6(2). Available at: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/53169/1/WRAP_MacDonald_Hunter_CADAAD_2012.FIN%20%281%29.pdf Martin, G. (2012). Understanding terrorism: Challenges, perspectives, and issues. Sage Publications. Mueller, J. (2005). Simplicity and spook: terrorism and the dynamics of threat exaggeration. International Studies Perspectives, 6(2), 208-234. Mueller, J. (2006). Is There Still a Terrorist Threat-The Myth of the Omnipresent Enemy. Foreign Aff., 85, 2. Mueller, J., Stewart, M. G. (2012). The terrorism delusion: America’s overwrought response to September 11. International Security, 37(1), 81-110. Mythen, G., Walklate, S. (2006). Criminology and Terrorism Which ThesisRisk Society or Governmentality?. British Journal of Criminology, 46(3), 379-398. Rapoport, D. C. (1984). Fear and trembling: Terrorism in three religious traditions. The American Political Science Review, 658-677. Senu, O. (2013). Labelling Acts of Terror: A Concern for Modernity. London: LASALA Foundation. Available at: http://lasalafoundation.org/our-articles.html Silke, A. (1996). Terrorism and the blind men’s elephant. Terrorism and Political Violence, 8(3), 12-28. Tan, A. T. H. (2006). South East Asia: Threats in the Security Environment. Marshall Cavendish International. Wolfendale, J. (2007). Terrorism, security, and the threat of counterterrorism. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 30(1), 75. Young, J. (2007). The vertigo of late modernity. Sage. Zulaika, J. (2003). The self-fulfilling prophecies of counterterrorism. Radical History Review, 85(1), 191-199. Zizek, S. (2002). Welcome to the desert of the real!: five essays on September 11 and related dates. Verso. [1] As defined by Jenkins, 2013: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/588371/terrorism/217762/Types-of-terrorism How to cite Is terrorism a serious threat to national and international security?, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

A Sample Analysis of Written Discourse free essay sample

A Sample Analysis of Written Discourse —through the analysis of larger patterns and cohesive ties For discourse analysis, we usually analyze two main categories of discourse, the spoken discourse and written discourse. When we analyze a piece of spoken discourse, we will exam the identify of the speaker, the purpose of the utterance, the perlocutionary effect of the utterance, and the context of the utterance. Elements like intonation, tone, and genre of the utterance also are included in the analysis. We can get a close look by the speaking mode presented by Dell Hymess SPEAKING model. The SPEAKING model is a method to analyze a piece of utterance, in which we, through the analysis of Setting and Scene, Participants, Ends (Purposes, goals, and outcomes), Act Sequence, Key(Cues that establish the tone, manner, or spirit of the speech act), Instrumentalities(Forms and styles of speech), Norms, Genre, deconstruct a discourse. As for the written discourse, it is, in some sense, much the same. A text is written within a certain context, aimed at specific readers. The writer’s purpose is realized with the structure and vocabulary used. This can be exemplified by the following list of everyday written texts; instruction leaflet, letter to/from friend, public notice, product label, newspaper obituary, poem, news report, academic article, small ads, postcard to/from friend, business letter. Though the analyses of written and spoken discourse are the same in some sense, they rely on different methods for exact interpretation. For spoken language, we can rely on visual and aural clues. The clues for written texts are not so obvious. But as the writer produced texts for particular purposes, he or she would employ difference structures. Connections between sentences and ideas are possible because all texts have structure. This structure is created through an overall textual pattern, lexical signals, inter-clause relations, and lexical and grammatical cohesive links. Recognizing this structure and the relations found within the text can be a very effective method for second language learners to improve their understanding. The interpretation of the structure can help their language acquisition. The ability to see how grammar and vocabulary contribute to the linking of the sentences ad ideas not only helps in their comprehension of the language but helps them to develop the ability to use the language in a more fluid manner. Text Patterns Text patterns are the forms and information sequencing of texts. For a purposeful writing, the writer will employ different methods to organize the information. The purpose of doing so is to achieve better fluency of language and effectiveness of texts. The General-Specific pattern, the Problem-Solution pattern and the Claim-Counter-Claim pattern are the three commonly employed textual patterns. Although one pattern forms the overall organization of a text, quite often other patterns are imbedded within, creating sub-patterns. In G. S. organization, the text begins with a general statement regarding a particular topic followed by a series of specific statements that exemplify, explain, or justify the original statement, ending in a general statement that restates the original statement. As the following figure demonstrates, there are two possible realizations of this pattern. Figure 1 general specific pattern General-Specific pattern of â€Å"Children Are Influenced by T. V. † In the sentence 5 of the essay Children Are Influenced by T. V. , the writer presented the general statement of the essay. In the general statement, the writer clearly defines the thesis. The thesis is the point of departure, which signifies what the writer will write in the following paragraphs. In some sense, the general statement commands the whole essay. Sentence 6, 11, and 18 are the three specific statements the writer used to exemplify the thesis, or sentence 5. In sentence 18, the thesis of the text is repeated. The argument of the thesis presented in sentence 5 is concluded. We can still find the second form of general-specific pattern in the sample essay. (6)First, one influence that has a major effect on childrens behavior is television. (7)Believe it or not, T. V. plays a big role in how kids act. (8)Shows like the Power Rangers and Beetleborgs can make boys violent and want to fight. (9)Girls are not so easily influenced by television as boys are? (10)Although there are some girls that want to fight along with the boys, for the most part, girls do not like those types of shows. Sentence 6 serves as the topic sentence of this paragraph. Sentence 7 is a furtherance of the idea of sentence 6. Sentence 8 presented specific TV programs to illustrate the idea. Sentence 9 rounds up the paragraph. Sentence 10, the last sentence of this paragraph, provides exception to the idea presented. The second pattern, Claim-Counter-claim, is often found in texts where there is an element of controversy. This pattern can also be organized in two ways. Figure 2 Claim-Counter-claim pattern This pattern is usually employed to solve controversy. First the writer establish his ideas by presenting a claim, then present a counter-claim, by the counter-argumentation of the counter-claim, justifies the claim. The third pattern, problem-solution pattern, is extremely common in text. Hoey analyzes such texts in great details. The pattern can be shown by the following figure. Figure 3 The situation presents questions like: where does the story take place? When? Who is involved? etc. The problem describes questions like: what happened? Why did you do what you did? etc. The solution gives response to the problem. The Evaluation evaluates the response to the problem. These three patterns are fully exploited by writers to achieve effective essays. Frequently, these three form are combined, making variations of these forms. The identification of the organizing pattern of the text can facilitate the interpretation of text. With certain knowledge of the patterns, the ESL learners can well construct their own writing in second language. The analysis of the text patterns not only shows the macro-structure of the organization of the texts, but also elaborates the transition or progression of the topic of written discourse. To make a text coherent, macro-structure is only one crucial factor, lexical relationships is another important element in the organization of the text. According to Halliday and Hasan, a text is a unit of language in use. What distinguishes a text from a non-text is its texture. The texture is provided by the cohesive relations that exist between certain linguistic features that are present in the passage and can be identified as contributing to its total unity. In other words, the texture of a text is formed by the cohesive ties that it contains. The cohesive relationship which can be formally established within a text, providing cohesive â€Å"ties† which bind a text together, is classified by HallidayHasan into five main types: reference, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction and lexical relationships. A. Reference Reference is a kind of linguistic form. It uses a word to make reference to some entity in the real world. The reader or listener depends on these linguistic forms for the interpretation of those forms. During the interpretation, the reader or listener has to refer to elsewhere for the interpretation rather than the semantic meaning of the word. The exophoric reference looks out of the text for interpretation. The enophoric reference indicates inward searching of the text for interpretation. Endophoric reference is of two kinds, those which look back in text for their interpretation, which Halliday calls anaphoric relations, and those which look forward in the text for their interpretation, which are called cataphoric relations. (1)When children are young, they tend to act different than when they are older. When the writer uses children in the very first sentence, the reader, as interpreter, will naturally seek for the entity in the real world. As the first sentence of the essay, the readers do not have enough information for the interpretation of the children, so it is quite understandable for the reader to resort to outside, outside of the text, for better interpretation. In the main clause of sentence one, the pronoun, they, is employed. It is used twice in the clause. They need to look back in text for their interpretation. The only noun they can refer to is children in the preceding clause. Thus a tie is established. B. Substitution Substitution is defined as that an expression may simply be replaced by a pro-form in the text. It can be used to avoid repetition and achieve cohesive text as well. In order for us to interpret a sentence which contains a pro-form the expression which is substituted by the pro-form, must be found in the context. (3)Little kids are usually very easily influenced by their surroundings. (4)Whether it is television, friends, family members, or just plain strangers, everyone and everything are influences on a little kid. (5)I believe that young boys are usually more easily influenced than young girls. From the sentences-above, we can find the use of their in sentence 3, which is used to refer to little kids, it in sentence 4, which is used to refer forward to any of the following; television, friends, family members strangers, everyone or everything, I in sentence 5, which refers to the writer. (12)Although most children are taught not to talk to strangers, we would be surprised how many actually do. The do in sentence 12 substitutes the verbal phrase are taught not to talk to strangers. The use of substitution can well reduce the redundancy of the text. It may effectively achieve cohesion and coherence of text. C. Ellipsis Ellipsis may be regarded as a special kind of substitution, substitution by zero. Ellipsis is used to avoid repetition and accentuate predominant information so as to connect the context. As a result, the interpretation of one sentence largely bases itself on another in the text. Thus their relationship of cohesion is established. D. Conjunction Conjunction differs from reference, substitution and ellipsis in that it does not set off a search backward or forward for its referent. It is not anaphoric or cataphoric. However it is a linguistic cohesive device in that it signals a relationship between segments of the discourse. Halliday suggests four broad categories Additive conjunctions simply add on a sentence or clause as if it were additional information or an afterthought e. g. and, in addition, furthermore, for instance, besides etc. The Along with television in sentence 11 introduces another sentence, which provides another exemplification of the thesis of the essay. (11)Along with television, children may also be influenced by people they dont know. Adversative conjunctions draw a contrast between the clause or sentence they introduce or are contained in and the preceding clause or sentence with which they form a cohesive relationship e. g. ut, however, yet, on the other hand, nevertheless etc. Take the following sentences for example, (10) Although there are some girls that want to fight along with the boys, for the most part, girls do not like those types of shows. (27) Even though they are young, girls are still more cautious than boys. Causal conjunctions make a link of cause or consequence bet ween two clauses or sentences e. g. so, therefore, as a result, hence, because etc. for example; (19)Because friends and family members are people that kids trust, they tend to want to be like them. (28)Therefore, I believe that young boys are more easily influenced than young girls. Temporal conjunctions make a time link, usually of a sequential nature e. g. then, finally, next, subsequently, after that etc. In the sample essay, it can be illustrated by following examples. (6)First, one influence that has a major effect on childrens behavior is television. (18)Finally, kids are most influenced by their parents and their friends. Conjunction, unlike other already mentioned term, is a special category of words, which provide logical connection of ideas. As for reference, substitution and ellipsis, they are simply word-for-word connection. This can be clearly shown be a simple analogy. When workers are make pearl necklace, the pearls, just like the words, are assembled together. The works repeat the pearls, just like the speakers repeat the words in their variants. The thread provides a connective force, just like the conjunctions in essay writing, which provides logical connections. E. Lexical Cohesion: For lexical cohesion, we should identify what is going to count as repetition. We know words relate to other words in many different ways. The relation can be called these relations links. The links are created through repetitions of words. Lexical repetition mainly includes: a. Repetition i. Simple repetition Simple lexical repetition occurs when a lexical item that has already occurred in a text is repeated with no greater alteration than is entirely explicable in terms of a closed grammatical paradigm. For example, (3)Little kids are usually very easily influenced by their surroundings. (4)Whether it is television, friends, family members, or just plain strangers, everyone and everything are influences on a little kid. More complex lexical repetition occurs either when two lexical items share a lexical morpheme (root), but are not formally identical, or when they are formally identical, but have different grammatical functions. For example, (5) I believe that young boys are usually more easily influenced than young girls. (6)First, one influence that has a major effect on childrens behavior is television. (22)If a kid hears his friends cuss all the time, then he/she will probably start cussing too. ii. Synonymy and near synonymy When two items substitute for each other in context without loss or gain in quality and with no discernible change in meaning, these two items are synonymies. For example, photo picture, the two words are synonymous. The link is a simple paraphrase. This can be justified by the following example, (1)When children are young, they tend to act different than when they are older. (2)They are not mature yet and are still easily influenced. (3)Little kids are usually very easily influenced by their surroundings. The children in sentence 1 is substituted by little kids (in sentence 3), which is close in meaning to children. (22)If a kid hears his friends cuss all the time, then he/she will probably start cussing too. (23)If a child, whether it be a boy or a girl, places a lot of trust in a person, every action that person takes will influence the kid.