3.03 Two Idealists: Double Feature

Part I. Ralph Waldo Emerson In an essay published in 1841, Emerson addressed one of the central characteristics of the American sensibility: individualism. Before you read, take a moment to think about the term â€Å"self-reliance† and what it means to you as a teenager and a student. As you read, determine what â€Å"self-reliance† meant to Emerson and how your meaning and his overlap. †¢ Read â€Å"Self Reliance. † †¢ Open and complete the questions on the Emerson Questions page. †¢ Then, continue to Part II.Part II Henry David Thoreau â€Å"Civil Disobedience† was inspired by a night in jail, which Thoreau had to serve for not paying his poll tax. His refusal to pay a tax to the state stemmed from his opposition to slavery. The state supported it, and to show his disdain towards the state's position, he refused to pay this tax. Some people have suggested the essay shows that Thoreau merely wanted to withdraw from life and all its hard que stions. Others see Thoreau's position as the only one he could take to justify his stand.Upon completion of this assignment, Part II, you will have to decide for yourself how this essay affects you. †¢ Read â€Å"Civil Disobedience. † †¢ Write a letter to the editor either in support of, or in opposition to this statement from the excerpt above, â€Å"That government is best which governs not at all. † – Thoreau †¢ Before you begin writing, continue to the Report page, where you will receive further instruction on how to formulate this letter. †¢ You will be adding this letter (Part II) to your Part I assignment to submit as your assessment for this lesson

Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality

According to Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus, (2005) the term homosexuality denotes sexual interest in members of one’s own anatomic sex and applies to both_ _men and women. Homosexual males are often referred to as gay males and homosexual females or referred to as lesbians. Gay males and lesbians have existed throughout history. The historical and scientific perspectives on homosexuality have shaped the way gay individuals perceive themselves in various ways. These perspectives may also be beneficial to heterosexuals' understanding of others in our world of sexual diversity. When looking at historical perspectives, religion and past societies' sexual behavior is addressed. Although past Greek and Roman cultures were frequently involved in homosexual relationships, the Christian religion denounced those sexual associations and made their beliefs and intentions clear that this behavior was not to continue, for example, according to the book of Genesis in the Holy bible, the city of Sodom was destroyed by God as a punishment as a punishment for sexual activity with members of the same sex. The legal system became intertwined with the Christian belief that homosexuality was sinful and would punish inappropriate sex acts as criminal offenses (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Another perspective to consider is heritage. Traditionally, in many cultures, there are specific roles for the male and the female. When family is the â€Å"primary social unit† as we find in Latino and Latina American culture, anything but the designated gender roles is not acceptable (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Interestingly enough, males can be sexual with other males without being considered gay (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Women cannot be sexual with other women though because that would be a threat to the traditional male dominance in that culture. Women also need to be virgins when they marry men so any sexual acts before marriage are prohibited. Specific gender roles in many cultures around the world lay the foundation for what is correct and incorrect for males and females in regard to sexual orientation. The scientific perspective of homosexuality is whether homosexuality is caused by environmental influences or whether gay individuals are born that way. This question has been pondered byscientists for decades, but there is strong evidence to support the idea that homosexuality is an inborn characteristic. Research done on both identical and fraternal twins, show that there are higher concordance rates of gay monozygotic twins. Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus, (2005) report that about â€Å"52% of identical (MZ) twin pairs were found to be â€Å"concordant† (in agreement) for a gay male sexual orientation, compared with 22% of fraternal (DZ) twins and only 11% of adoptive brothers† (p. 312). Also, evidence has suggested that hormonal influences could be responsible for differences in sexual orientation. Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus (2005) explain that prenatal sex hormones be responsible for tissues in the brain to think sexually one way, but for genital development to be the other way. Also, structural examinations on the brains of heterosexual and homosexual males have provided speculative evidence that a part of the hypothalamus in gay males is smaller than that region of the hypothalamus in heterosexual males. The scientific perspectives have helped many gay people come to terms with themselves, which has made coming out easier. Before scientific evidence provided clues that homosexuality could be inborn, many people believe that people â€Å"choose† to be gay. However, the scientific evidence proves that many are actually â€Å"born† gay. Gay people do not choose their sexuality, but rather live according to sexual impulses that are going on within them. Gay individuals now accept themselves more because they are convinced that they did not choose their sexual identity, as much as it was given to them. Many homosexuals have formed organizations that are involved personally with others in sharing life stories and involved politically in achieving equal rights for gays and gay couples Although I have always been attracted to individual of the opposite sex, which means that I am Heterosexual, after learning about the historical and scientific perspectives of Homosexuality that I was not aware of before, I better understand others who are oriented in ways that differ from mine. I feel as though learning about the history, the scientific research concerning cross-species subjects, and the biology on homosexuality can be beneficial for humanity in order to learn tolerance for differences among sexual orientations. References Rathus, S. A. , Nevid, J. S. , and Fichner-Rathus, L. (2005). Human sexuality in a world of diversity. (6th ed. ) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality HISTORICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVES PSY/265 Ana Diaz 10/20/1012 Kavita Kostek The way we view homosexuality has very much to do with how we were raised and taught depending on where we are from, our parents beliefs and what others around us tell us. Because of this we believe what we believe and will stand by them unless we ourselves come to a different conclusion as we grow older. I was raised a Catholic and was taught by the Bible teachings that homosexuality was wrong and will go to hell if that is what you practiced.In this paper we will look a little at the historical and scientific perspectives of homosexuality. We will first be starting with the historical view which has much to do with what the bible teaches on homosexuality. When we look back at ancient Greece where homosexuality was really not that big of a deal, older men would have relationships with adolescent males’ right at the time when they grew their first beards (online text pg. 28). Then we can go to Rom e where there were men that were very feminine and walked around certain parts of town looking for men to bed.In Florence which was a very Christian city had many sodomites (this is a Jewish and Christian word that signifies the connection between sodomy and the city of Sodom in the Bible which supposedly God destroyed (Genesis 19). I remember watching a movie called â€Å"Caligula†. This movie depicted how free the Romans were with sexual favors and bedding with those of same sex was an all-time occurrence especially male with male (online textpg. 287).Sodomy was such a natural thing but it bothered the governors at the time so they created a group called â€Å"The Office of the Night in 1437 to enable its citizens to be able to accuse others anonymously of sodomy (Human Sexuality pg. 287). Once the Roman Empire ceased to exist, throughout Western Europe Christianity spread and its beliefs were made part of secular laws. Next we can take a look at homosexuals through the cr oss-species perspective. Biologists have watched the male-male and female – female behavior of 450 species in every part of the world (Hird, 2006).Through this study they monitored the behavior of baboons and learned that male baboons may present their rear to other male baboons and allow themselves to be mounted either because the other is dominant or for protection and favors. I think by this study they concluded that human beings are much more like the animal species than we want to be. We do have animal instincts. We will now look at the psychological views on homosexuality with looking into the psychoanalytic views of Sigmund Freud who is the originator of psychoanalytic theory.He believed that children are all open to all forms of sexual stimulation. He says that once a boy lets go of the incestuous desire for his mother he will relate with his dad and will desire women as he reaches puberty and the same for girls when it comes to how they relate with their mothers. Wha t Freud is saying here is that depending on the relationship between parent and child and how it manifests itself sexually has influence on what the person’s personal sexual preference they will have when they mature.People are afraid of coming out and letting others know that they are gay because they are afraid of ridicule, personal injury or being ousted from their families. In the past it was much harder because there was much homophobia around. Now with all the gay activists and groups for support it is much easier. We have to be true to ourselves and if we feel that who we are physically is not who we really feel like then we should have to feel that we have to hide it. I grew up Catholic as I have stated and I grew up thinking that sex was between man and woman and not man-man or woman and woman.Now as I am older I know that people are just people but have different likes and that is what. Scientific findings never stirred me one way or another as to my sexual orientat ion. What did do it was my religious beliefs and even though I have nothing against the LGBT community I still believe that sex should be between man and woman along with marriage but I would never deny anyone else right to live life as they feel is right for them. References: Human Sexuality online text . Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality According to Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus, (2005) the term homosexuality denotes sexual interest in members of one’s own anatomic sex and applies to both_ _men and women. Homosexual males are often referred to as gay males and homosexual females or referred to as lesbians. Gay males and lesbians have existed throughout history. The historical and scientific perspectives on homosexuality have shaped the way gay individuals perceive themselves in various ways. These perspectives may also be beneficial to heterosexuals' understanding of others in our world of sexual diversity. When looking at historical perspectives, religion and past societies' sexual behavior is addressed. Although past Greek and Roman cultures were frequently involved in homosexual relationships, the Christian religion denounced those sexual associations and made their beliefs and intentions clear that this behavior was not to continue, for example, according to the book of Genesis in the Holy bible, the city of Sodom was destroyed by God as a punishment as a punishment for sexual activity with members of the same sex. The legal system became intertwined with the Christian belief that homosexuality was sinful and would punish inappropriate sex acts as criminal offenses (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Another perspective to consider is heritage. Traditionally, in many cultures, there are specific roles for the male and the female. When family is the â€Å"primary social unit† as we find in Latino and Latina American culture, anything but the designated gender roles is not acceptable (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Interestingly enough, males can be sexual with other males without being considered gay (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Women cannot be sexual with other women though because that would be a threat to the traditional male dominance in that culture. Women also need to be virgins when they marry men so any sexual acts before marriage are prohibited. Specific gender roles in many cultures around the world lay the foundation for what is correct and incorrect for males and females in regard to sexual orientation. The scientific perspective of homosexuality is whether homosexuality is caused by environmental influences or whether gay individuals are born that way. This question has been pondered byscientists for decades, but there is strong evidence to support the idea that homosexuality is an inborn characteristic. Research done on both identical and fraternal twins, show that there are higher concordance rates of gay monozygotic twins. Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus, (2005) report that about â€Å"52% of identical (MZ) twin pairs were found to be â€Å"concordant† (in agreement) for a gay male sexual orientation, compared with 22% of fraternal (DZ) twins and only 11% of adoptive brothers† (p. 312). Also, evidence has suggested that hormonal influences could be responsible for differences in sexual orientation. Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus (2005) explain that prenatal sex hormones be responsible for tissues in the brain to think sexually one way, but for genital development to be the other way. Also, structural examinations on the brains of heterosexual and homosexual males have provided speculative evidence that a part of the hypothalamus in gay males is smaller than that region of the hypothalamus in heterosexual males. The scientific perspectives have helped many gay people come to terms with themselves, which has made coming out easier. Before scientific evidence provided clues that homosexuality could be inborn, many people believe that people â€Å"choose† to be gay. However, the scientific evidence proves that many are actually â€Å"born† gay. Gay people do not choose their sexuality, but rather live according to sexual impulses that are going on within them. Gay individuals now accept themselves more because they are convinced that they did not choose their sexual identity, as much as it was given to them. Many homosexuals have formed organizations that are involved personally with others in sharing life stories and involved politically in achieving equal rights for gays and gay couples Although I have always been attracted to individual of the opposite sex, which means that I am Heterosexual, after learning about the historical and scientific perspectives of Homosexuality that I was not aware of before, I better understand others who are oriented in ways that differ from mine. I feel as though learning about the history, the scientific research concerning cross-species subjects, and the biology on homosexuality can be beneficial for humanity in order to learn tolerance for differences among sexual orientations. References Rathus, S. A. , Nevid, J. S. , and Fichner-Rathus, L. (2005). Human sexuality in a world of diversity. (6th ed. ) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

MP3 Player Industry Analysis

Electronic gadgets are very much popular nowadays. Both teens and adults alike are caught up in this technology wave of the present and future. Almost everyone in the US and other first-world countries have mobile phones. Even little kids have one for practical reasons, according to some parents. Yet another electronic gadget that is as popular as a mobile phone is the MP3 player. Since everyone seems to like music a lot, this little electronic device easily captured the hearts of many people around the world. Apple was the company that had big risks yet big hopes in this market when it released its own version of MP3 player called the Apple iPod in 2001. Some were not convinced of Apple’s strategy entering this line of business as the industry was not quite promising that time (Guglielmo, 2001). But even with its price tag on the upper bracket, Apple reportedly has the highest share in the market at about 80% (Skee, 2006). But with the increasing number of competitors in the market offering much more affordable digital audio players, this huge amount of market share will most likely decrease in the years to come. As all knows, technology is something that does not really stagnate at all. MP3 players would not only remain as simple music playing device forever. With continuous engineering and innovation, a third of the MP3 players currently available in the market now have video playing capability. This means that users will not only be able to listen to their favorite music wherever they want, but watch some cool music videos as well. This made a huge impact in the sales of MP3 players since the feature was introduced. Wargo, director of Consumer Electronics Association, (as cited in Slocombe, 2006) stated that, â€Å"MP3 technology helped boost the audio and accessories markets in 2005. With the introduction of video playback capability, MP3 player sales surged 200 percent in 2005 to $3 billion.[†¦]† The figures concerning this industry are really huge considering that this only talks about the US consumers alone. At present, MP3 players still do not lose their charm. Just for the past holiday season, MP3 players topped the survey of 1,000 US adults for their most wanted gift (Ogg, 2006). The device had outdone other popular consumer electronic devices such as digital cameras and portable DVD players. According to CEA (2007), â€Å"MP3 players continue to drive the audio market. [†¦] Thirty-four million MP3 players shipped in 2006 and an additional 41 million are expected to ship in 2007.† The toughest competitor of Apple iPod now is Microsoft’s own Zune which was just introduced in the market late 2006, just in time for the holidays. The two products have been compared by a lot of analysts. Most of the reviews and comparison reports made still think that Apple will be the leading brand in this industry for the next years to come. However, Apple is still in stand by because Microsoft is still Microsoft. Although there are not enough information yet as to how many people already own the new Microsoft Zune nor their current market share, it is well-known that the brand Microsoft itself owns about 90% of the market when it comes to operating systems which is about 300 million people. On the other hand, there are about 30 million people who have an iPod, which is about 70% of the MP3 player industry. (Elgan, 2006) In a nutshell, the MP3 player industry is still a promising and flourishing industry and will continue to increase sales in the coming years. With all the different companies trying to compete and outdo the market starter, Apple iPod still is the leading player in the market since its introduction despite the quite expensive price tag it has. References Elgan, M. (2006). Opinion: Why Microsoft’s Zune Scares Apple to the Core. Retrieved February 22, 2007 from http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9003718&pageNumber=1 Guglielmo, C. (2001). Apple Has Big Hopes for iPod. Retrieved February 22, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1242682,00.asp Ogg, E. (2006). MP3 Players Top Holiday Wish Lists, CEA Survey Finds. Retrieved February 22, 2007 from http://news.com.com/MP3+players+top+holiday+wish+lists,+CEA+survey+finds/2100-1041_3-6126358.html Skee, G. (2006). US MP3 Player Sales Will Reach $4.5 Billion in 2006. Retrieved February 22, 2007 from http://www.anythingbutipod.com/archives/2006/01/us-mp3-player-sales-will-reach-45-billion-in-2006.php Slocombe, M. (2006). CES 2006 Starts: MP3 Player Sales to Soar 200%. Retrieved February 22, 2007 from http://digital-lifestyles.info/2006/01/05/ces-2006-starts-mp3-player-sales-to-soar-200/

Apple versus PC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Apple versus PC - Essay Example With such distinctions being many questions have arisen in regards to which machine is truly superior. Through a consideration of a variety of components of each machine, this essay demonstrates why the Mac truly has higher quality than the PC. When consider computer technology one of the primary considerations that individuals make is in regards to cost. Oftentimes the Mac is derided in relation to the PC because of the significant cost differential between the two machines, with the Apple Macintosh generally costing a few hundred dollars more than the traditional PC. While these are valid complaints, ultimately they prove erroneous when one notes that the Macintoshes’ hardware warrants the cost differential. A recent study was conducted that compared the top of the line Dell Computer to the Apple Macbook Pro in terms of cost and efficiency. The study indicated that, Dell's Inspiron line doesn't currently offer processing power equaling that of the MacBook Pro. To get a 2.33- GHz Core 2 Duo processor (a 2.4-GHz version isn't available yet), you have to move up to Dell's more expensive XPS M1710 with Vista Home Premium. Once I did that, though, and tricked out the M1710 with only those extras it had to have to compete with the MacBook Pro, I was surprised to see the Dell come in at a whopping $3,459, some $650 more than the Apple product (Finnie). In these regards, the study indicates that when adding the same hardware technology to the PC that the Mac already has included, the Mac demonstrates significantly more value. This demonstrates that while ostensibly the PC is cheaper, in reality the Mac comes with significantly more value and quality. Another major consideration that one makes when considering the effectiveness of computer technology is the computer’s overall efficiency. Many PC users remain unfamiliar with the intricacies of computer technology and contend that the PC actually is a more efficient machine than the Mac. Still, when examini ng this question more thoroughly one discovers that in reality the Mac is a significantly more quality machine. Consider the parts that are used within the Mac as compared to the PC. A general qualitative investigation demonstrates that the Mac has a sleeker design that doesn’t bend and creek like PC plastic compartments. Another prominent element in terms of efficiency is the operating system. The PC only allows users the option of implementing Windows, while the Mac is equipped to run both Windows and OS X. This difference allows Mac users to tailor the operating system for the specific task, greatly improving computer quality and efficiency. It’s clear then that the Mac is better than the PC in terms of overall efficiency. A final consideration that is made regarding Mac and PC’s is within the realm of general useability. Oftentimes PC users claim that the Macintosh is an inferior product because it is purposely made more difficult to use as a means of differ entiating itself. In reality, this is an erroneous assumption and that Macintosh is an overall more useable machine. Consider a number of specific different between the computers. One of the major differences between the machines is the fast and effective boot time in the Apple. While having to wait an extra-minute or for a computer to load may seem like an insignificant problem, when this element is

Operations Management in Construction Industry Essay

Operations Management in Construction Industry - Essay Example Though primarily urban based, it has been able to transform barren lands into cultivable greeneries. Thus from repairing to building and alterations the construction industry is seemingly of vast scope. Its health can rightly be transpired through the rolling â€Å"economies like China are catching up a huge pace. Numerous workgroups have suggested that the stakeholders/ companies under the umbrella of this sector will only survive the tumultuous attitude of present day markets only if they are able to manage better operations management. As an epitome example of Carillion PLC can be cited here which provides best example as far as its management practices and ranking by profit† is concerned. (Sridharan, 2007). Operations Management in the above chosen organization is mature, and has been able to departmentalize the products and services of the company. The interdependent departments have been able to transform their rules of business in sub-categories of interrelated yet cent ralized organizations. The products that were required in construction venture were of humongous amounts and thus they were along with the available resource of services was channelized to start off with further new business organizations. Major services of the company are energy, consultancy, infrastructure development, management and property services. This has made their market expanding new horizons. Their markets are aviation, building, engineering, commercial, defence, education, energy, financial and health services, rail, roads and other such utilities. 3. The customers and suppliers: The â€Å"customer base is therefore a complex† of other organizations to individuals depending on the size and types of projects undertaken. As the complexity of the business grows the supplier base has also expanded. (Accenture, 2010) Current and prospective suppliers are not specifically mentioned and are deemed to provide pr supply them with work in different regions and capacities. They include innovative solution developers, challenge analyzers for the satisfaction of customers’ ever increasing demands, commitment helpers for sustainable procurement and workgroups and individuals that may continuously revamp health and safety of the organization on the whole. 4. Analyzing Input and Outputs of the operations: To analyze the operation of the company, one has to consider the input-output scenario

Marketing Strategy for Burke Museum Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Marketing Strategy for Burke Museum - Assignment Example The report will also define the segments which need to be addressed by the museum in order to enhance its business. The later part of the report explains the marketing plan which needs to be implemented by the Museum which would be helpful to achieve targets, and finally it concludes with the sales forecast and the Marketing Mix. Although museum visiting trends patterns are substantial in Australia, still there are many factors which will play an important part in the acceptance of the Museum in a society where visiting library is a preferred leisure activity for people. Museums play an important role in providing the people with entertainment in their leisure time. In order to enhance their market share Museums should focus on implementing new marketing strategies in order to attract more customers and increased market share (Peschiutta, 2001). Many established museums and cultural organisations cannot only rely on income generated; the public funds are decreasing with an increase in the attendance of people visiting these museums. With the increasing demands of greater accountability from government and funding bodies the planning and implementation of successful marketing strategies has become more important (Laczniak and Murphy, 1977). Weak or no marketing practice can lead to a big trouble for even a well-established Museum. The challenges facing the Museums are to adopt appropriate marketing strategies and technologies in order to make its presence well felt by the customers to generate and get as much. Burke Memorial Museum, Loch Street, Beechworth, Victoria 3747. Over the past several decades the Historical Burke Museum has served the purposes of research and education of the local community related to the history of Australian culture. Furthermore, without neglecting the necessity to provide knowledge, education, and entertainment through a highly aesthetic presentation, the museum's directorate is also seeking to blend the new concepts of muse ology and the scientific theories regarding the interpretation and presentation of material and immaterial cultural heritage in a way that the modern visitor can understand. Privately founded Museum has a total of 7 staff members with 15,000 objects in the collection and a current income of approximately 136.500,00 AUS$. The Museum is now aiming at increase in the revenue at least to 800.000,00 AUS$ in order to bear the expenses in new building. To achieve the purpose it is important to plan a marketing strategy, which can eke the management in acquiring the desired target. Mission Statement of Burke Museum: Burke Museum aims to: - Collect, keep, and preserve objects from the area of Victoria as well as related evidence of the life of the local people in the pre-industrial and early industrial period - Help the local people to become aware of their cultural identity and its history - Promote education - Introduce visitors from Victoria and all over Australia to local culture. 1.2 Objectives: The museum's broad objectives are: - To increase visitor numbers by a policy of communication, public relations, and

Religion College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Religion College - Essay Example process or act of making divine knowledge understood, often through direct ontological realization which transcends the human state and reaches into the divine intellect. Revelation in a religious sense can originate from God, a deity, or agents such as angels, and discloses a willed outcome, principles, behaviors, laws and doctrines. For example, most religions have religious texts viewed as sacred and revealed by the Divine, the monotheistic religions viewing them as the so-called Word of God. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revelation) There are two distinct dimensions to revelation: outer words and deeds, and subjective human experience. Miracles in the Old Testament are a prime example of the former type of revelation. Take, for example, the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus, to allow the Hebrews to pass safely through while the pursuing Egyptian army was drowned. This direct revelation of the Divine Will obviously had both positive and negative aspects since it favored the Hebrews as the Chosen People over the Egyptians who had enslaved them. Another instance of negative revelation would be the Ten Plagues which preceded the Exodus, as the Egyptian enslavers were subjected to harsher and harsher punishments for the Pharaoh ´s refusal to free the Hebrews as their leader, Moses, demanded.

Financial Crisis in Greece (2010-2013) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Financial Crisis in Greece (2010-2013) - Essay Example Public borrowing was undertaken heavily but grossly underreported leading to a debt-to-GDP ratio much above the 3% target. By 2009-2010 it became clear to investors that Greece would not be able to pay its creditors because of a huge fiscal deficit and government debt. The ongoing global financial crisis worsened the economic outlook for the country and it appeared that the country would default on its loan payments. Causes of the Greek Financial Crisis According to Dellas and Tavlas (2013), one of the main causes of the Greek debt crisis was the absence of an adjusting mechanism between money growth and credit growth. Historically, Greece has been running high public debts compared to its GDP which went largely ignored by foreign investors. As a result, there was little incentive for the country to reduce current and fiscal account deficits. Dellas and Tavlas (2013) explain that part of the reason was the fact that Greece did not use the gold standard and its currency was pegged to the Euro. There was an over-reliance by investing and financing countries on the willingness and enthusiasm by Eurozone core countries including Germany to bailout the Greek economy in case of a debt crisis. Throughout this period, the Greek economy continued to charge low interest rates in order to stimulate investment in the economy. As a result, the public borrowing continued to increase pacing the way for a sovereign debt crisis. In a paper presented at the Bank of Greece workshop, Manessiotis (2011) explains that poor fiscal discipline and lack of competitiveness in the economy were major factors that contributed to the crisis. These aspects of the economy should have received urgent priority following Greece’s entry into the Eurozone. Fiscal deficit ran up to 5.3% of GDP after 2006 whereas the target was 3.0%. Moreover, in 2008 the situation worsened with revenue falling by 1.3% compared to GDP while expenditures exceeded GDP by 1.2%. These problems were further exacerb ated by the international financial crisis that began in 2008. Conditions Imposed by IMF on Greece In 2010, it became nearly certain that Greece could not meet its sovereign debt payments and would inevitably default. The implications for the entire Eurozone region would have been severe. Hence, in May 2010, the Eurozone in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) prepared a bailout package worth â‚ ¬110 billion of which the IMF was to contribute â‚ ¬30 billion to enable Greece to improve its economy and avoid defaulting on its debts (Financial Post, 2013). This bailout package was subject to certain conditions. Mainly, the conditions required Greece to improve its fiscal performance and make the economy more competitive and open. The first condition imposed by the IMF required Greece to implement austerity measures in order to control the fiscal deficit. It was required that Greece reduce its public spending in order to narrow the fiscal deficit. Secondly, the fiscal debt problem was to be controlled by a policy of privatization of public assets. This measure would prevent the government from incurring additional debts to finance public organizations. By the end of 2015, the IMF required â‚ ¬50 billion worth of public assets to be privatized. Finally, the IMF required Greece to implement structural reforms in the economy to make it more business-friendly and competitive. This would stimulate business activity and help to strengthen the economy. However, the conditions have not been met satisfactorily

How does an individuals learning style preference influence the extent Essay

How does an individuals learning style preference influence the extent to which e-learning can be an effective learning tool - Essay Example The acquisition of learning techniques and styles by students depends on the personal characteristics of the student, the subject of study, and the students level of understanding of the subject (Major, 2015, p.47). Different people prefer different approaches to learning. No one approach or strategy of e-learning is optimal for all students. The methods and technologies used for e-learning involve the use of web-based education techniques, podcasting, internet video conferencing, social networking software, and computer-assisted instructions, among others. The styles of e-learning are especially gaining popularity in the higher education sector where most of the students are distant learners. This paper discusses how the learning preferences of an individual influence the extent to which e-learning can be a useful learning tool (Canavan, 2004, p.21). E-learning allows the adoption of the education content to suit the learning styles of individual students. It may entail the incorporation of digital media, digitized materials, graphics, web-based interactions, interactive videos, among others. The adoption of different learning styles and methods greatly affects the effectiveness of e-learning in the higher education sector. E-learning allows for the adjustment of educational content to suit the learning needs of the students. However, a lot of emphasis has been made on use of standard conventional learning styles in the e-learning systems (Brown, Zoghi, Williams, Jaberzadeh, Roller, Palermo, & Holt, 2009, p.4). This includes a tutorial, lecture, problem-based learning, and written text. The relationship between the styles of e-learning and the effectiveness of the e-learning system, as well as the attitude of students towards e-learning, is also important. The performance of students in the e-learning system is primarily tied to their learning style preferences. The learning style preferences in

Film Analysis of Dead Man Walking Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film Analysis of Dead Man Walking - Term Paper Example In order to discuss these critically important principles and relate them to the film under analysis, first the particular scene to which each of them relates the most will be identified. Then, that principle will be scrutinized to appreciate what literature has to say about it and finally, the extent to which each principle relates to the scene described will be critically analyzed. A- Deindividuation Scene: After going through many sessions with Poncelet, Sister Helen develops a special relationship with him and also becomes his confidant. She strongly believes in the value of forgiveness and repeatedly attempts to inculcate the same belief in him in many earlier scenes. It is because of that emphasis that near the end of the film just sometime before Poncelet is about to be executed for his crime, he confides in Sister Helen that he did in fact kill the boy and rape the girl despite having denied these deeds before. In this scene, he takes full responsibility for the cruel demise of both teenagers. What is deindividuation? Deindividuation is popularly described as marked loss of self-awareness to the point that a person becomes uncaring about social code of conduct or norms of the society. The loss of self-awareness is so potent that a person refuses to take responsibility for any action taken by him/her. ... Such people have no regard for others’ lives and do not seem to mind the idea of them bringing suffering or acute distress in other people’s lives. Deindividuation also compels people to violate their personal norms because external norms become more powerful (Pastorino and Doyle-Portillo 473) and engage in activities they would not care about otherwise. It is associated with unbridled and offensive behavior because it lowers the sense of self-awareness leaving a person unable to conscientiously evaluate his/her actions. How the scene conforms to the principle of deindividuation? This scene illustrates how deindividuation played a destructive role in motivating Poncelet to murder two innocent people. Because of wrong influence in the form of Carl Vitello and his own weaknesses, he violated his person code of conduct and lived by the external norms which stimulated him to commit the crime. He had no self-awareness in that moment and even after that, he is not seen willin g to take responsibility for his heinous actions. Before this scene, he always admitted being high on drugs but blamed Vitello for killing the teenagers leaving himself out of the main action. His personal norm was to lie about the real situation and he tried to live by that norm. However, when the moment of execution finally dawns on him, he loses self-awareness and the will to protect himself. Here, the external norms of Sister Helen related to honesty and taking responsibility for one’s actions become more powerful. B- Schemas Scene: Near the end of the movie, Sister Helen tells Pocelet that he is a son of God and should expect forgiveness because while he is being executed, Christ would be here.

A critical analysis of nursing care for Gina Essay

A critical analysis of nursing care for Gina - Essay Example In1860,Florence Nightingale recognized the importance of theory and process in health care,and her message has gotten stronger as the years have progressed.Nurses in the UK today are trained in clinical practice and the importance of following defined methods and practices. Regardless of the specific practice model they follow, first and foremost nurses must adhere to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2004) code of professional conduct: standards for conduct, performance and ethics. The code sets the standards on matters such as patient respect, consent, teamwork, confidentiality, professional competence, trustworthiness, and risk mitigation. However, the NMC does not specify how a nurse is to embody these standards.Most nurses and health facilities utilise nursing models to guide nursing practice, for example, Roper-Logan-Tierney (1996); Neuman, as cited in Ume-Nwagbo, DeWan, & Lowry (2006); and multiple theories/models as cited in Aggleton & Chalmers (2000). In addition to sp ecific author-developed models, nursing models are delineated as a function of patient care: total patient care, functional, team, and primary (Tiedman & Lookinland, 2004). The nursing field has long recognized the importance of "innovative practice models" or "structural approaches to nursing practice" (Weisman, 1991).One particular model, the Roper-Logan-Tierney (RLT) model, originally published in 1980 with revisions in 1985, 1990, and 1996, is a commonly used model in the United Kingdom particular at National Health Service hospitals. ... 1. Maintaining a safe environment 2. Communicating 3. Breathing 4. Eating & dressing 5. Eliminating 6. Personal cleansing & dressing 7. Controlling body temperature 8. Mobilizing 9. Working & playing 10. Expressing sexuality 11. Sleeping 12. Dying Upon admission to hospital, most patients in an acute care setting have physical problems that impact their ability to satisfactorily complete these tasks, thus the model can be used in multiple clinical settings (Walsh, 1998). The authors (1996) indicate they recognize the influence of non-medical factors including psychological, socio-cultural, environmental, and politico-economic on resources supporting satisfactory completion of AL, however he model is not without its criticisms, which shall be discussed as applied to and following the Case Description. A nursing model alone is necessary, but not sufficient, to provide nursing care to a patient. The nurse must act, carry out the steps of the model in an organized manner, to provide care meeting the standards of not only the NWC, the hospital, but most importantly, the patient. The National Health Service emphasizes this in its circular model of health care, which places patients and the public in the center of the circle and the providers surrounding them. This organized action involves following the nursing process. The nursing process generally includes four phases: assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. While generally performed sequentially, given the myriad of problems and matters a nurse must monitor for just one patient, let alone a dozen patients, it is not uncommon for a nurse to simultaneously be supporting tasks in each of the four

Types of information Essay Example for Free

Types of information Essay Analysis of the different types of information used in the business that I chose. This task will be an analysis of how the purpose of information from task 1 will be developed into more detail. First there is verbal information this can be face-to-face or via a phone call with a customer or another person from another company this is the easiest form of communication because it is right there and then you will get a response from the customer straight away this is also called a two-way communication. The purpose of this type of information is for the customer to receive the right information about a product that they are trying to find out about, e.g. vehicle tax, parcels or anything about post office products. There are a few pros and cons of verbal communication. The pros of two-way communication is that you can see the person who is in front of you and you can also look at their body language while you are discussing about a  product and if they look confused you can spot it and try to give more detail so the customer is happy with the response to their question. Another pro is that if the customer wants to ask a question they will receive an answer at that moment whilst if they were on the internet they wouldn’t know when that person is going to be on in order to answer their question. The cons of verbal information are that if it’s a phone call you can’t see their body language so you don’t know if the customer could be confused with the way that the information is being told to them. Another con would be language barrier, this meaning that the person who you are speaking to may have a strong accent and might not be understood clearly and this may create issues while trying to help the customer with what they need help. Written communication is a more formal way and can be very useful in many cases, this is a one way communication as the response is not going to be at the same moment. The way that written communication is showed to post office employee and customers is in leaflets and whenever there is a change in a product they will send a booklet with all the information about the changes. The purpose of written communication is to inform a customer through a message in a way that they are able to understand what the leaflet is trying to say this is also a good reference point for people to go back to. A pro of written communication is that whoever is reading it will not have a problem understating it, whilst if a word was said it could easily be misunderstood and could have a different meaning to what was actually meant to be said. Another pro is that you can always keep a copy of what was written to come back for a reference. There are a couple cons to written communication one of them being is that if it comes by post it could be lost this means that you wouldn’t be able to know what was on that letter and also the people that sent it wouldn’t know that it was received also if its sent by email there is a possibility that it could be hacked. In the business it is essential that all workers have a good level of written skills as this is essential to that type of job. On-screen communication is used in many ways by a company in this case it is used to show the exchange rate money. The purpose of this way of communication is to inform the customers of the exchange rate and how much  of a foreign currency they can get for an amount of money of their choice. A pro to this is that the customer always knows the exchange rate of the product they want to buy also there is no way of the post office person not giving the right amount of money to the customer. A con to this is that if the screen is up to date than the customers wouldn’t be satisfied with the way that a product is being shown and also with incorrect information. Multimedia is used in many ways by companies. There is Facebook and Twitter page/s or TV adverts. The purpose for multimedia in this type of business, generally is just about advertising products, customer’s feedback and Ways of checking new products or finding information about other post offices e.g. news about them and what is happening at Royal Mail, E.g. what they might be planning to bring out. A pro to this is that many people who are/ would be interested in this type of product would be very happy about being able to find out about what products and what alterations are being done to older products. A con to this is that some people might not be able to find out about the changes through websites or TV adverts this could be as a result of not knowing where to look or when the adverts are showing. Web-based communication is used by the company. This is through the Royal Mail website which its purpose is to give the customer an idea about product prices, finding where a parcel is by searching for it through a barcode and shopping for products e.g. stamps. Having this website can make it a lot easier for customers which have queries and this would be the ideal place to share them. Also the royal mail website is a great way to shop for a wide variety of products like special stamps like Common Wealth Game stamps, First World War stamps etc. and business supplies. Task 3 Royal Mail has been a public service, operating as a government department or public corporation. However, following the Postal Services Act 2011 a majority of the shares in Royal Mail were floated on the London Stock Exchange on 15 October 2013 and the company became a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index on 23 December 2013. The post office has undergone a lot of changes during the last two years as this has been part of the Royal Mail privatisation. Royal Mail since the privatisation has come up with many new  products in order to keep the customers happy and satisfied with their products. Royal mail is also planning another change during the Christmas time and this is probably to beat off competition. The decisions for this type of product change would have to go through the finance office and if they decide that this is a good decision which will need to be made in order to help the company move forward then the finance is going to be more than likely to fund it. After this decision has been made then it is up to the marketing side to go and make all the product design and specifications which are going to take over the old product. One thing that Royal Mail wants to see as part of this change is if the customers are feeling happier with the new product specifications. If the customers feel happy about the changes then the change was an appropriate decision which was undertaken by Royal Mail. This also means that one decision can lead to another decision. In this case the company would probably decide to keep the new product specifications out in the market. As Royal Mail is always competing against other companies to keep prices lower this would suggest that if more customers were using the post office for Royal Mail products this means that the company is ahead of other competitors. In order for the finance sector to fund any new projects that marketing has required to do them will first need to see a detailed plan of what the cost of the materials is going to be for example when the new idea for the labels for abroad parcels came forward, finance then would probably go to find out what the cost is going to be to supply all of the stores around UK with enough products. Then the next step of the finance – marketing job is for the marketing to find a way to advertise the new products but sometimes this is not the case. Royal Mail could basically just send you the new product and say here you go that’s the new product and it’s going to be available to the public form this date and so on. In their efforts of making the whole Post Office experience better for customers and increase profits Royal Mails is constantly coming up with new ideas and this is not only to beat off competition but also the main reason is to keep their customers happy and if that works then more customers would be happy of using their services. The finance and marketing area are the most important aspect of the Royal Mail company as without them the new ideas wouldn’t not be able to be financed and also the company would not be able do as good as they can and competing against other companies  would be a big challenge. This also means that marketing plays a key role in the company and how they do the advertising could mean the company doing good rather than bad. This all falls down to the decisions which are being made by these two sectors in order to keep the business in good shape. For the marketing sector they will look at many ideas from Facebook, twitter page/TV adverts. They will a lso encourage people to find out about new products through multimedia’s.

Semantic Priming: Effects of Related and Unrelated Words

Semantic Priming: Effects of Related and Unrelated Words Semantic Priming: Effects of Related and Unrelated Words on Response Times Introduction to Cognition, Biological Psychology and Quantitative Research Methods Abstract The aim of this experiment was to measure the response times on the string of letters that were shown to the participants on a computer screen. The task of the participants was to decide whether the string of letters were words or non-words. The hypothesis of the experiment was that the response time in the lexical decision task would be significantly faster for target words related to the prime than for target words unrelated to the prime. The experimental design was repeated measures, where participants responded to all the stimuli that were propounded. Participants were presented with a string of words related to the prime, words unrelated to the prime, non-word created from a word related to the prime and a non-word created from a word unrelated to the prime. The findings of the experiment showed that participants responded faster when the letter strings were related words rather than unrelated words. This is because related words are closely associated in implicit memory, theref ore the response times of the participants will be faster in recognising the words. Explanations for the results of the experiment will be discussed further in the report. Introduction Priming is an effect on implicit memory in which the reaction time of a response to a stimulus is faster due to having previous experience of the stimulus. For example, individuals can recognise a word faster if it is paired with a related word. For example, â€Å"table† and â€Å"chair† and are slower at recognising words if they are unrelated. For example, â€Å"nurse† and â€Å"butter† (Refer to appendix A). In the study of Meyer and Schvaneveldt (1971) we refer to semantic priming, where semantic refers to the logic and language individuals store in their implicit memory. Meyer and Schvaneveldt (1971) suggested that the response times were faster when the string of words were related because a part of the memory is activated in which the retrieval of words from semantic memory is faster. Associative priming and the lexical decision task is an extension of the study by Meyer and Schvaneveldt (1971). In their experiment they hypothesized that recognition of a word is faster when it is associated with its prime. In their experiment they presented 12 participants with two strings of letters, one above the other. Their task was to press the ‘yes’ key if the two strings were words and the ‘no’ key if one or both were non-words. In their results, they found that response times were faster when the target string consisted of related words such as ‘bread’ and ‘butter’ or ‘nurse’ and ‘doctor’ proving their hypothesis to be correct. Furthermore, another psychologist McNamara (1992) demonstrated results from a similar experiment of associative priming. He also found that mean response times were faster when words were related rather than unrelated. He also found that errors rates (percentage of errors) were much higher in the non-related condition than in the related condition. The present experiment is in favour of that of Meyer and Schvaneveldt’s (1971) and McNamara’s (1992) because similar results were obtained from both research studies. The difference to the present study to that of Meyer and Schvaneveldt’s (1971) was that the string of words were not presented simultaneously, they were presented one after the other and the participants were to decide if both strings were words or if one of both were non-words. From this it is unknown which letter string is the one that the participant responds to from their implicit memory. However the present experiment could allow us to investigate the effects of the time between the letters are presented on the effects on response times. Another modification that was made was that in the present experiment, was that one letter was changed in either a related or an unrelated word. This allows us to investigate the eff ects of the response time on the identification of words. Previous research by Meyer and Schvaneveldt (1971) and findings from the present experiment are relevant in explaining how the long term memory is organised in individuals. The hypothesis of the experiment was that the response time in the lexical decision task would be significantly faster for target words related to the prime than for target words unrelated to the prime. Participants 150 participants took part in the present experiment, all being part of the same educational institution. The participants consisted of mixed gender with majority being female. The age of the participants varied from 18 and above and they were also from various ethnicities. The type of sampling that was used in the experiment was opportunity sampling because the participants were available to take part in the experiment at that time. Apparatus As the experiment was computer based, each participant had access to a computer. The program was written in TCL for Windows, and ran on PCs using the Windows 7 operating system. There were two types of stimuli used in the experiment; words and non-words, related and unrelated words. Key findings in the experiment showed that participants responded faster when words were related to each other; for example, ‘bread’ and ‘butter.’ Thus, participants responded slower when words were unrelated to each other; for example, ‘table’ and ‘nurse.’ Design The experiment was set up in an educational institution and the task was carried out using computer equipment. There were 150 participants involved in the experiment and consisted of first year psychology students. This was an opportunity sample, as the participants were available at the time the study was being carried out. The program was written in TCL for Windows, and ran on PCs using the Windows 7 operating system. The design of the experiment was repeated measures where participants were presented with all the stimuli. There were two independent variables for this experiment: related or unrelated words and word or non-words. The dependent variable was the response time in which participants decided if the string of letters were words or non-words. The conditions in the experiment were to press the ‘L’ key or the ‘A’ key if the string of letters were words or non-words. The experiment program showed the participant which key to press for each response. The controls that were used in the experiment were the ways in which the stimuli were presented. The target was presented 300, 600 or 900 milliseconds after the prime was presented on the computer screen. When the results were presented the times after the stimuli were presented were averaged out. Procedure The participants carried out the experiment simultaneously. The participant was seated in front of the computer throughout the experiment. The stimuli were presented one after the other on the screen after which the participant had to make the choice if the string of letters presented were words or non-words. The participant responded by pressing the ‘A’ or ‘L’ key on the keyboard; these were random for each participant. Response time was measured by the computer programme. The experiment lasted around 20 minutes. Participants were shown 18 trials in which the target string was a word related to the prime, 18 trials in which the target string was a non-word, 18 trials in which the target string was a non-word created from a word and 18 trials in which the target string was a non-word from a word unrelated to the prime, which means there were 72 trials in total. (Refer to appendix B). Results The inferential test chosen for the present experiment was a repeated measure t-test. Using a repeated measures t-test, with alpha set at 0.05, response times for the related words were significantly faster than the unrelated words (t=-3.762, df=149, p=0.000, two tailed). Similarly, using a repeated measures t-test, with alpha set at 0.05, response times were significantly faster for related non-words than for unrelated non-words (t=0.974, df=149, p=0.332, two tailed). The difference between the mean response times in each condition varied, the mean response time was faster when the target string was a word related to the prime and was slower when the target string was a pseudo word unrelated to the prime. McNamara (1992) reports that lexical decisions are made faster because semantic memory consists of interconnected nodes (Refer to appendix C). When a stimulus is presented, a part of the semantic memory is activated and the spreads across the network activating related nodes. The c loser the nodes, the closer the words are associated in semantic memory. Mean Reaction Times and Standard Deviations in Lexical Decision Task Discussion The hypothesis of the experiment was accepted because response time in the lexical decision task was significantly faster for target words related to the prime than for target words unrelated to the prime. This is in favour of Meyer and Schvaneveldt’s (1971) experiment as previously mentioned because in their experiment, their mean response time was fastest when the target string was a word related to the prime; similarly with the present experiment. The results of the present experiment demonstrates that Meyer and Schvaneveldt’s (1971) and McNamara’s (1992) theory of semantic priming is both valid and reliable. An opportunity sample was used in the experiment and may be considered as a weak research method by many researchers. Therefore this kind of sample may produce a biased sample as it is easy for the researcher to gather participants from their social group; in this case, a sample of students from the same educational institution. Hence the results of the experiment are not generalizable to a whole population. Since majority of the participants involved in the experiment consisted of students, the results can be affected because a much educated, mature individual will have more knowledge of the world and whose memory may be better than that of students. Similarly, a younger, uneducated individual may not have a reasonable good memory so their results will differ from the student’s results. A more appropriate type of sample may be a volunteer sample, where the experiment will recruit all types of individuals from the society. This way the findings of the experiment may be general izable to a total population. References Friedenberg, J. Silverman, G. (2006). Cognitive Science: An Introduction to the Study of Mind. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Goldstein, E. (2010). Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research and Everyday Experience. (3rd ed.). Belmont: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. McNamara, T. (1992). Learning. Memory, and Cognition. Journal of Experimental Psychology. 18 (6) 1173-1190. Meyer, D. Schvaneveldt, R. (1971). Facilitation in Recognizing Pairs of Words. Journal of Experimental Psychology. 90 (2) 227-234. Proctor, R. Healy, A. (Eds.) (2003). Experimental Psychology, Volume 4 (2nd ed.). New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Appendix Appendix A Stimuli used in the experiment. The words in the brackets indicate where the pseudo word originated from. Appendix B Number of trials per condition. Appendix C A diagram of how knowledge in semantic memory may be organised.

Challenges Faced By Women In Politics Sociology Essay

Challenges Faced By Women In Politics Sociology Essay Though out history there have always been groups of people who do not feel that they are being adequately represented in modern governments, and women are one of them. Many women have experienced issues regarding whether or not their voices and opinions being heard and truly acted upon by people in political offices. As modern society continues to develop, things are beginning to become more apparent regarding the influence and ideas women have to offer in society and especially politics. Many women feel that there are not enough legislative powers adequately representing them and their voices. Men, because of their gender majority in politics, have the primary decision making when it comes to passing laws, which possibly affects more lives than they realize. There becomes a question if their views and decisions are based on their thoughts and opinions or those of whom they are supposed to be representing. When discussing such sensitive issues as abortion, which clearly relates to de cisions that should also be made by women because of their immediate relation to the subject have minimal say if any because of the unequal representation. Even though America chooses to encourage other countries to build themselves around American values, America herself seems to be falling behind the times. Yet in this male controlled political system that America has chosen to adopt, there seems to be very little change in the ability to sufficiently represent women. This problem can be resolved through more women becoming involved in the political process. Do women have a chance to overcome being head in charge. It has been said during the time when men were the bread maker and women were to be the homemakers. Women have been trying to wear the pants for centuries, whether it is as successful, career or in politics. It has always been debate about whether or not women are capable of succeeding in doing jobs that men have been doing for quite some time. There are many women now in the work force doing jobs that at one time were considered male only types of careers, jobs such as: police officers, fireman, and construction workers, even in politics. Hilary Clinton, who ran for the President of the United States, is a perfect example of modern women in the political arena. Even though she did not win the presidential race she still made her way to the White House; she is now the United States Secretary of State. Many people throughout the United States feel that she will do well with this position. My question is: What makes it hard for w omen to get the qualifying job that men hold and why is there a difference in the pay. Can a woman do the job better and get the job done equally? These are questions that many people in todays society feel need to be answered. Equality in the work place has been an issue for as long as men and women have worked together. Men and women work equally hard and get just as much accomplished as the other. Since the work is equal, the pay should be equal as well. It is seen by many that companies in the United States should be required to pay all employees equally and fairly. Obviously, pay should depend on position. If a woman works as a receptionist, she should not expect the same pay as a man in charge of system security. However, if a man and woman are in the same position, they should be paid the same. There are some jobs that women do better than men and vice versa. Companies need to realize that men and women work equally hard for their money. Often times, women work harder just to prove their equality. Instead of looking at gender, companies should look only at qualifications and how well the employee does the job. Women now are beginning to become corporate executives in businesses, and popular in the fi eld of medicine and law. Women have tried hard to push themselves forward in society to create a balanced and harmonious economy and so far it has been successful. Barriers of all kinds have been broken, well, all except a few, mainly in politics. Politicsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦when one stops and thinks of the word politics what naturally comes to mind? Our founding fathers, Presidents George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson; the popular political figures of today, President Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Al Gore; and now we can think of Hilary Clinton. Is society to blame for this misconception that women do not hold important roles in government and participate in making important decisions for our country? Not really, people just dont hear or read about women in politics as often as they do about men. As most people learn throughout elementary and junior high or middle school, our nation first formed government in 1776 when Thomas Jefferson first drafted our constitution. During this time women did not have a role in government, nor would they for the next one hundred and eight years, until a woman would try to run for office. In 1884, Belva Ann Lockwood the first woman to try a case before the United States Supreme C ourt ran for Presidency (Arenofsky 14). Well, to no surprise she lost, but her groundbreaking campaign made it possible and easier for Jeannette Rankin, thirty-three years later, to run and become elected to Congress for the state of Montana. However, even with this groundbreaking experience, women were still looked down upon for their lack of experience. It wasnt until 1920 when womens suffrage ended and the nineteenth amendment to the constitution, granting women the right to vote, and those women were formally introduced into politics. However, even with voting privileges, women were still looked at as weak feeble creatures. The lack of confidence and the inability to be seen as strong-minded females who were not afraid to voice their opinion hurt the female gender immensely. It wasnt until Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, crisscrossed the country speaking about social problems and serving as the quintessential role model for the politically active fem ale that women began to witness how to present themselves with confidence (Arenofsky 14). Finally, with womens confidence on the rise and their new understanding and attitudes toward government, women were starting to attain a higher status in the political arena. The big break for women came from the decision by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who in 1933 appointed Frances Perkins to the cabinet as Secretary of labor (Gurirab, T., Cayetano, P. (2010). However, in some magical, mysterious way, women are managing themselves quite nicely. Lets face it, there are far more white-collared, wealthy men in the United States, and in the world for that matter, than there are women. Even with women having highly paid corporate executive jobs, women still make far less than that of their male counterparts. For women, this is one of the major issues as to why government is lacking female participation. The most valid explanation for this problem is that the government controls the financial gains of women to limit their power. Looking at the facts, women make up fifty-two percent of our nations population, strange how such a big percentage of population has little representation. The thought of a government developed by males and dominated by females just does not sit well with the vast majority of higher male authority. Therefore, in order to make sure that women do not dominate, without being boldly direct about it, income levels are tampere d with. It may sound bizarre, but in Lyn Kathlenes Studying the New Voice of Women in Politics, she gives some very valid evidence that shows how women are paid in comparison to men in the same high white-collared jobs. The results are quite shocking. Kathlene shows that women are out-paid by men by nearly forty-percent for the same amount of work and jobs! The responsibilities of taking care of their home and loved ones and the lack of funds, the fight for womens dominance in government will never prevail. Does this mean Americans should just sit back and forget about the women before them who fought hard for their right to vote, to be heard, and have equality in government? Social class, status, and power are predetermined by ones gender. Within todays patriarchal society, men simply possess greater power than women, and enjoy greater access to what is valued by the social group. (Gurirab, T., Cayetano, P. (2010). Patriarchal thought produces male dominance, and authority within multiple areas, including politics. Throughout history, governments have designed laws to maintain such divisions of power, resulting in the oppression of women. Patriarchal power relations construct sexual differences as political differences by giving legal form to the belief that women, because of their sex, are fit only to serve as wives and mothers. (Gurirab, T., Cayetano, P. (2010). One must question how women can achieve greater influence within the male political arena if they are not viewed as equal? How are determined women attempting to change their position within society, regarding politics? Multiple changes have been made throughout history regarding the place of women in society, but are they leading towards equality? The main goal of the womens movement was basic citizenship rights for women. For decades, many of the first womens groups strived for their civil and political rights as women. Their central focus was the right to vote, and the right to run for office. The purpose was to claim a role in democratic politics. Many believed that in order to attain political goals, the right to vote was vital. Women assumed that once the right to vote was granted, equality in the eyes of males was soon to follow, along with their new influence within politics. Decades full of protests for womens rights created several political gains, as well as improvements in their status; however, inequality remained. Womens beliefs that political rights would lead to equal opportunity, were overshadowed by the reality that their inequality resulted in their lack of influence within politics. Multiple policies and laws may have been created or changed in an attempt to improve womens role in society, but economic dependence, and physical reliance on men continued as issues. Women remained underrepresented within politics, holding fewer than twenty percent of federal, and provincial elected offices in the United States. Eliminating women from political positions hindered their ability to become a valid influence within the political arena. Unequal pay, workplace harassment, and discrimination continued to plague women in the work force. Many believe that the variance between wages is due to the fact that forty-one percent of women are employed in part-tim e or temporary positions; however, those employed in full-time positions only earn seventy-three percent of what male employees make. Women occupy only twenty-two percent of the countrys highest paying jobs, but hold sixty-eight percent of the lowest paying jobs. With the lack of women in high profile positions, and the belief that women are not as valuable as men, they continue to provide no bearing on the political aspects of society. Women continue to receive less in our patriarchal society. Women have less political power, fewer economic resources, less security, and lower status that do men. (Gurirab, T., Cayetano, P. (2010). This continues regardless of decades dedicated to movements for womens rights, and lobbying for policies designed to alter womens status in society. For those women who are poor, immigrant, Native, or disabled, they find themselves even more inferior than other women. Therefore, the question remains, are women equal? Simply stated, they are not equal. Women continue to fight for liberal democratic political power. Their gender continues to play a role in how society will view them, as well as their position. For centuries, power has been allotted to men, which continues to this day. Few women possess great political power due to the difficulties of obtaining customary equality within society. In a world where men rule, how is a woman able to gain great authority, and step into the political spot light? In a society where women are viewed as insignificant, how are they to influence political decision makers? The law has granted women a voice within politics; however, it remains weak and inaudible. In order for women to increase their influence in politics, they must first become equal with men. Until then, they will be viewed as inferior; therefore, not requiring influence in politics. Gradually women are gaining more power, and prestige in society. Soon, the number in high-paying jobs will increase, creating a less economically dependent gender. As women strive for these changes, men, especially politicians, will be forced to take notice. As power for women intensifies, so will their influence in politics. As the voice for womens rights grows, so will their equality; therefore, leveling out the playing field in the political arena for both men, and women. Society needs to realize that this is the dawn of a new century and the role of the female should indeed be reevaluated. Women are equal to men, and should have the same opportunities as men. Women follow rules and are fair too. Women can cooperate with the government. Women can make good choices, and effective speeches. Most people say, Well what about their kids? Think about it. Men are responsible for their kids just as much as women are. A woman wont run president if she has 3 year olds and needs to stay with them. Shell run when she gets older because her kids will be older. I hope people will change their minds and give them a chance, because theyre there to do their jobs. I hope that one day I can live to see a woman president.

The Segregation for Separate but Equal Essay -- Papers Jim Crow De Jur

The Segregation for Separate but Equal 'Separate but equal' was an expression often used in the early 20th Century to describe segregation - keeping black and white people apart. Segregation was made legal in 1896, but had actually been going on for some time before that. White Americans living in the South (13 states in the Southeast USA) were determined to keep the black population under control. So states in the South passed laws - even though the US is governed by Federal Law, each of the 50 separate states can make their own laws that only affect that state. Southern states such as Texas, Florida and Alabama passed laws between 1870 and 1900 which were known as Jim Crow laws, and kept black and white people apart. The Federal Government in the more powerful North of the country didn't like Jim Crow laws but did nothing stop them. Then on June 7th 1892 a black shoemaker called Homer Plessy was jailed for sitting in a white seat on the East Louisiana Railway. He took his case to the State Court, and it eventually went all the way to the Supreme Court, the most powerful court in America. In 1896, Plessy lost again, and at the end of his trial the judge made a very important ruling. He said that segregation laws were acceptable in any state that wanted them, and that separate facilities for whites and blacks were legal - as long as they were equal. So separate was now ok - it just had to be equal. So although 'separate but equal' was now supposed to be the status of black and white Americans, but of course that wasn't usually the case. Almost everything was segregated, there were very few places in the South where black and w... ...heir skin. Homer Plessy, the man who first opposed Jim Crow laws was in fact à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã… ¾ white, but he was deemed below the white man who wanted his seat just because his skin was a little darker. Segregation laws would continue for over 50 years, and until they were abolished, black Americans would always have a lesser existence to whites. They were never thought of as equal to the whites, and the lives they were forced to live by Jim Crow laws were certainly not equal either. One black man summed it up when he said, "In reality a lot of effort was made to keep us separate, but not much was done to make us equal." His words undoubtedly paint a more realistic picture of Jim Crow laws than those of the Supreme Court or President Wilson, and tell us the harsh reality of segregation - they were separate, but definitely not equal.

John Steinbeck: Experiencing the Dust Bowl Essay -- essays research pa

The 1930’s were a decade of great change politically, economically, and socially. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl wore raw the nerves of the people, and our true strength was shown. From it arose John Steinbeck, a storyteller of the Okies and their hardships. His books, especially The Grapes of Wrath, are reflections of what really went on in the 1930’s. John Steinbeck did not write about what he had previously read, he instead wrote what he experienced through his travels with the migrant workers. â€Å"His method was not to present himself notebook in hand and interview people. Instead he worked and traveled with the migrants as one of them, living as they did and arousing no suspicion from employers militantly alert against â€Å"agitators† of any kind.† (Lisca 14) John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath was derived from his personal experiences and his journeys with the migrant workers. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in the town of Salinas, California. Salinas was an agricultural trading center with ties to the farms and ranches in the area. Steinbeck’s father, John Steinbeck Sr., was in the flour-milling business and through it supported his family of three daughters and one son. Steinbeck was a good student and a great writer even at an early age; he wrote stories for his high school paper. (Lisca 1-4) The experiences that were most influential to Steinbeck were not at school, but instead came from his home and the countryside. He read his mother’s books, which included the titles of Crime and Punishment, Paradise Lost and The Return of the Native. Another major influence was the countryside of California that surrounded him all his childhood. He went with Good 2 his family to his mother’s family ranch, where Steinbeck was surrounded by nature, and these kinds of trips led him to write such books as â€Å"East of Eden† and â€Å"The Red Pony†. (Lisca 3-5) Later in life, Steinbeck wrote a book called â€Å"In Dubious Battle†, which made him known as sympathetic to the labor conditions in California. Because of this, Steinbeck accepted assignments to write articles about the migrants working in California. Steinbeck had been aware of the labor problems in his state of California, but for these articles he wanted to experience it firsthand. For inspiration for his articles, and also what would turn out to be the inspiration for â€Å"Grapes of Wrath†, he visited t... ...out I’ve tried to make the reader participate in the actuality, what he takes from it will be scaled entirely on his own depth or hollowness. There are five layers in this book, a reader will find as many as he can and he won’t find more than he has in himself. (DeMott xiii).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Steinbeck was not observing these people’s plight, but was instead living and feeling it. Steinbeck could have only been considered an observer in that he did not have to experience it. Throughout his experiences living and working with the migrants he not only became interested or aware of the cause, but he became attached to the cause and it became a part of him. Good 5 Works Cited DeMott, Robert. Introduction. The Grapes of Wrath. By John Steinbeck. New York: Penguin Books, 1939. Lisca, Peter. John Steinbeck: Nature and Myth. New York: Thomas Y. Cromwell Company, 1978. Steinbeck, Elaine, and Robert Wallsten. Steinbeck: A Life in Letters. New York; Penguin Books, 1989 Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. 20th century ed. New York: Penguin Books, 1939. Steinbeck, John. Working Days: The Journals of Grapes of Wrath. Ed. Robert DeMott. New York: Penguin Books, 1989.

Diverse Culture- Guleri and Veronica Essay

Compare and contrast the female characters Veronica in ‘Veronica’ and Guleri in ‘A Stench of Kerosene’. In this essay both female characters in ‘Veronica’ and ‘A Stench of Kerosene’ will be examined for similarities and differences in their culture and traditions. When you read these two stories the three things that stand out is their culture, tradition and the theme of love. The story teaches us that sometimes tradition gets in the way of life. It can sometimes control your life or sometimes not. In both the stories, the women hold on tightly to their traditions. The authors are not just talking about their family traditions but the global tradition of fertility and obedience. The main characters in these stories are Veronica and Guleri. This essay portrays about the roles of women. Although there are a lot of similarities between them on the surface but there are more concealed. In both the stories, the main belief in the female characters is their culture. Throughout the stories it shows us how important their culture is to them and how their society forces them to do certain actions that occasionally leads to a person’s death as seen in ‘A Stench of Kerosene’. Veronica and Guleri both live in male dominated countries, which make females seen by everyone as inferior. The story of ‘Veronica’ is told in first person by Okeke who is Veronica’s childhood friend and the ‘I’ in the story. The story of ‘A Stench of Kerosene’ is told in third person by an omniscient narrator. The author of ‘Veronica’ is Adewale Maja-Pearce and he was brought up in Nigeria, the same place as Veronica was. Maja- Pearce later returned to London, as this was his place of birth so that he could supplement his education. In ‘Veronica’, the person narrating the story, Okeke can be compared to Adewale Maja- Pearce as he grew up in the same surroundings as him and also the same education and they lead similar lives. The author of ‘A Stench of Kerosene’ is Amrita Pritam and she was brought up in India which later became Pakistan, then she moved to New Delhi so that she could begin writing in Hindi. She had very unhappy experiences of marriage and divorce, this links with Guleri in ‘A Stench of Kerosene’ as Guleri can not have any children and her husband marries again agreeing to his mother so that he can have children and this makes Guleri depressed and broken hearted which then leads to her gruesome death as her mother-in-law controls everything that goes on with Manak and Guleri. Manak’s mother is an important force, though scarcely comes in as character. Veronica and Guleri both grew up in fairly rural areas of the country where they were reasonably poverty and war. But the only dissimilarity in their surroundings is that Veronica is in the country with troubled political history. The country has been torn apart by divisions between tribes and political groups, suffering massacres and civil war. As a result, financial development within the country has been limited and the rural areas have been badly affected by poverty. The characters in these stories have much resemblance in their personalities in the way they lead their lives even though both stories are set in very different countries. The author use comparable and diverse techniques to present and show their characteristics. Veronica is a very unfortunate woman who grew up in her native village. She lived with her susceptible mother, abusive and alcoholic father and other young siblings who have not been mentioned much throughout the story. On the other hand, Guleri lived in the village in India with her husband Manak and her mother-in-law. She had no children but was content with her life. Manak and Guleri had a much fulfilled marriage until her mother- in-law interfered by forcing her son to marry another woman so that she accomplishes her vision of being a grandmother and ruining Manak and Guleri’s life. The central theme of the story is the conflict between a man’s love for his wife and the obligation to have children. The major cultural issue concerns a man taking a second wife in order to do this. The author tells us that this practice of burning oneself for escapism is not unusual in certain parts of India but was very prominent. Guleri lives with her husband and her moth-in-law. It was pointed out that Manak was satisfied with his fate and didn’t want to marry again as most people around the country would have. Veronica cooked and served for her family. She married at a young age to a soldier and lived happily. Later on, she gave birth to a son. She is a very strong-willed person and is very content with her life. The physical appearances of both the female characters’ are not quite similar. Okeke describes Veronica, as ‘no great beauty she still had a certain attractiveness that I knew would appeal to men’. This is a very uncertain view as no one can be good looking and unattractive at the same time, they contradict with each other. Veronica being described as ‘shabby’ may have been because of her surroundings and her lifestyle that has influenced her to be that way. Guleri’s physical features are barely described throughout the story. But when it reads ‘they had bartered their hearts to each other’ an assumption that can be made from this is that Guleri must have been a very attractive woman as no one falls in love at first sight if the woman is unappealing. Also, as Guleri has never given birth before, she must have had a slim figure. Veronica is very comfortable with her life accepts the fact that she’s married to a soldier rather than being in the city with Okeke. She lives in the same hut as she used to when she grew up and she had never changed. She is like a slave first to her father and then to her marriage to her husband. She is pleased with what she does and doesn’t complain about it much but if she had the opportunity to raise her voice she would have probably had a say in what she desires to accomplish in life. ‘They are my family and this is enough’, this is a line of Veronica’s low expectations. She feels her family is everything she needs and nothing else would have the same satisfactory. Guleri on the other hand is very ‘childishly stubborn’ and always wants everything her way. She is portrayed similar to a little girl. Guleri is a happy go lucky person and loves her life. Manak and Guleri are expressed as a happy couple and care about each other. In ‘Veronica’ culture is a main portion of her life. Her life was about tradition. When she refuses to go to the city with Okeke and says that it will be harder for her as she is a woman and she isn’t educated enough. ‘God blessed us with a son. Is that not enough?’ this explains that Veronica is always the same after a long period of time that the two have been apart. She is still surviving in the squalor of a village of which Okeke had once lived. The low expectations of Veronica have for herself, compared to the high expectations Okeke has for himself throughout for story, shows us that this is a male dominated country. The social expectations demonstrate this too. Veronica is very stubborn and it shines through the story. Veronica’s life was all about the tradition. Guleri’s dignity is the main view of her life. Her life was all about Manak and her parents’ village. She always liked being the centre of attention. After Manak got married again, Guleri couldn’t believe the situation she was in the middle of. She did not have to express her distress and jealousy in words. The look on her face was enough. But her husband Manak did not do anything about the circumstances. ‘Her husband pulled out his hookah and closed his eyes’. Hookah is a tobacco pipe with a long, flexible tube by which the smoke is drawn through a jar of water and thus cooled. He seemed as if he either did not like the tobacco or that he could not bear to face his wife. In this short story, Guleri’s character shines winning the sympathy of the readers. Guleri, a cheerful girl coming from a ‘well-to-do’ family and her marriage to Manak, her failure to give Manak’s family a son, creates a terrific situation for her tragic end and the readers’ immediate sympathy is with the heroine of the story, Guleri. She was the pleasant young girl who ended her life with an extremely disastrous manner. Indian culture is such that a married woman should bring a son to the family. If a woman fails to fulfill this role, she is not successful, in marriage and therefore rejected. Thus Manak’s mother escapes a reasonable percentage of getting accused for bringing a second wife for her son, Manak. Not that she hated Guleri, but Indian culture had influenced her to extremes of believing in the gift of a son to the family. On the other hand, Guleri’s family was rich and wanted a man from a good family, for their daughter. ‘But Guleri’s father was prosperous and lived in cities. He had sworn that he would not take money for his daughter, but would give her to a worthy man from a good family’. Guleri failing to give Manak’s family a son and having to wait seven years and even the sad end to her life could have been sad even from the early days of her marriage. In India, the mother is supposed to be the representation of Indian culture. A mother enjoys an important place, if she is able to fulfill a mother’s part meeting with the expectations of motherhood; these being the customs and traditions of Indian culture. Manak playing his flute as they walked or were at the fair, made Guleri feel that the music brought her joy, taking her closer to Manak’s heart. Thus the flute standing as a symbol of joy in their lives. ‘He looked at her sadly. Then putting the flute to his lips blew a strange and anguished wail.’ Striking the signal of the tragedy and anticipating the tragic end. Bhavani announcing the sad end of Guleri, ‘when she heard of your second marriage she soaked her clothes in kerosene and set fire to them.’ Manak getting mute with pain. ‘He stared a long time uncomprehending, his face as usual expressionless.’ Therefore the death of Guleri could be called ‘cultural violence’ in Indian society, though not recognized as violence; in reality it is a violent act leading to death of a person. In the short story, ‘A Stench of Kerosene’ the writer, point out in simple diction the theme of the ‘theme of violence’ present in the culture of Indian society. Amrita Pritam gives a clear picture of the episodes with the appropriate choice of a family setting and the intended aim and view of marriage in typical Indian society. ‘The family setting of the extended family’, this can be compared to Veronica as her father beats her and was bullied by her father while she was growing up. In ‘Veronica’, Okeke felt responsibility for his death, as so feels an extreme guilt as he did not come back to her from the cities more often and persuade her more to go with him and if he had done this enough, she would have agreed at some point to go to the city. Manak with this haunting event trapped in his mind leaving every joyful moment with his new wife feeling guilty instead of happiness after the tragedy of his former wife and the manner and circumstances he had married her. Amrita Pritam shows us how this guilt has not only affected his life but his mind and senses at the same time as it reads in the last line of the story when he holds the new born baby of his second wife when it is given to him, he says; ‘Take him away! He stinks of kerosene!’ this portrays that the baby symbolizes the death of his former wife and the baby being brought to this world has made his former wife leave it. In both the stories we should pity Veronica and Guleri, as they were just ‘victims of death’. Veronica physically dies against her own rule and Guleri mentally felt that she could not live no more. Therefore, the main two women, in both the stories suffered the main tragedies. The reader may also have felt pity that Veronica was unable to prevent being born into a sexist and poor culture, which caused her to live her life with the tragic ending. Manak was also a victim, not of death but of guilt as he was taunted by the events of his wife and the evidence at the end of the story proves this as he thinks his child smells of kerosene, which is the liquid that caused his previous wife to burn to death. This proves that his future with his new wife will be very hard to cope with.

How To Buy A Brand New Car Essay

Buying a brand new car is one of the most important financial decisions a person can make in his life. Due to all the car models and makes available these days, buying a car is almost like buying candy from a store. There is always something that will fit your whims and fancies. Unfortunately, a car costs much more than candy and therefore, extra precautions are necessary when deciding upon what kind of car to buy.   This is why it is important for a person to draw up a personal selection process for buying a car that will cater to his specific needs and capabilities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First of all, a person on the market for a car should start by feeding his eyes. Look around you and observe what other people are driving. Do a search car models that catch your eye on the internet and see what the car reviews have to say about it. Print out your top 5 choices for narrowing down the list.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Second, check your finances and put a spending cap on your purchasing power. A mid priced brand new vehicle will function just as well, if not better than a high priced model. After all, the way a car functions all depends upon the way the owner maintains the car and not how much the owner spent to purchase the car.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Third, go showroom shopping. I would advise that you go only to the manufacturer’s outlet in your city rather than going to Honest Sam’s Car dealer. This is so that you can avail of various discounts and a full range of after sales services that only the manufacturer can offer you. With all the car scams out there, it is best to err on the side of caution. After all, you will be plunking down thousands of dollars on something that should last at least twenty years in service to you.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fourth, make sure to bring a passenger along for the test drive. The person can be a friend or even an independent car mechanic. The job of this person will be to help you look over the finer details of the car during the test drive. Remember, the comfort of the passenger matters too. The mechanic will be there to help you spot potential problems in car maintenance in the future and help you decide upon whether or not the car maintenance will be something your finances can deal with in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fifth, don’t let the showroom sales pitches get to you. These people need to move their cars. They work on a commission basis. The more cars they sell, the better for their pockets. Keep in mind that you have to be comfortable with the purchase decision you will be making. Having any emotional connection with the highly friendly sales staff should not influence your decision. After test driving your short list of cars, sleep on the decision. Consult people whom you know drive the cars you are considering to buy. What problems have they had so far? How much is maintenance costing them monthly and yearly?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lastly, make the final decision based upon all the technical and practical data you have gathered. Go purchase the car and start enjoying the freedom that owning a brand new car has to offer.