Genetic Engineering Should Be Controlled By Law - 1323 Words

Abstract This paper explores scientists points of view about genetic engineering. Some of them are sure that it should not be controlled by law; others consider that genetic engineering has crossed the line and as a result should be limited. Nobody doubts that with the help of genetic engineering we can treat some diseases, change the appearance of our offspring and even give infertile women an opportunity to have children. But genetic engineering has also an opposite side. The case is that scientists don t often think about an individual but only about society. They are willing to hurt animals in order to successfully carry out the experiment and achieve good results. A lot of animals suffer and we can t be sure that scientists activity will stop on it; they can start to carry out terrible experiments on people. Therefore I came to the conclusion that genetic engineering should be controlled by law in order maximize its benefits and minimize its harms. Should Genetic Engineering Be Controlled by Law There are so many opinions about genetic engineering. A lot of people think that it is unnecessary, because contradicts the nature, and, as a result, should be controlled by law. But as for the scientists, most of them are sure that it is a great achievement which allows us to change the hereditary properties of the human body. The most painful problem is that we still do not know which group of people is right. I’ll try to compare researches thoughts and my viewsShow MoreRelatedShould Genetic Engineering Be Controlled by Law?2870 Words   |  12 PagesMy topic: Should Genetic Engineering Be Controlled by Law? Table of Contents 1. Abstract of this research paper. 2. What is genetic engineeringï ¼Å¸ 3. What kinds of ethical problems are there? 4. Freedom of scholarship. 5. Innovative remedy for obstinate diseases. 6. Solutions for ethical problems. 7. Conclusion including my prospects. 8. References Abstract of the research paper Read MoreShould Genetic Engineering Be Controlled By Law.4015 Words   |  17 Pages Should genetic engineering be controlled by law By Ezekiel Abbott English IV Honors Mr. Wilson Read MoreEssay about Should Genetic Engineering Be Controlled by Law?992 Words   |  4 PagesShould Genetic Engineering Be Controlled by Law? â€Å"Just as the success of a corporate body in making money need not set the human condition ahead, neither does every scientific advance automatically make our lives more meaningful† ( Professor George Wald, Noble Prize winning biologist, The Dangers of Genetic Engineeering 1976, p.45) . Genetic engineering is the direct manipulation of an organism’s genes. It uses the techniques of molecular cloning and transformation to alter theRead MoreEthics of Genetic Engineering Essay637 Words   |  3 PagesEthics of Genetic Engineering Within the last two decades scientists have developed several new techniques, which manipulate and alter the genes found in the cells of living organisms. This wonder of the century, genetic engineering has turned heredity --the passing of inheritable characteristics from parent to off spring- from a natural, random event into a process that can be artificially controlled and exploited. It has the potential of giving humanity unprecedented power over life itselfRead MoreBenefits Of Genetically Engineered Food1240 Words   |  5 PagesThe alteration of plant and animal genetic codes for the ultimate purpose of increasing food abundance is an increasingly popular, yet controversial practice in the 21st century. Genetic engineering of food is done for a number of reasons, the biggest of which is increasing food supplies in the world, especially for the third world countries. However, there are arguments and even activist movements against genetic engineering of food, which begs the q uestion â€Å"why is genetically engineered food soRead MoreThe Human Genome Project ( Hgp )1000 Words   |  4 PagesGenetic Engineering The Human Genome Project (HGP) completely mapped human DNA for the first time in April, 2003. In addition, the HGP revealed that there are probably about 20,500 human genes, which is significantly fewer than originally predicted. This ultimate product of the HGP has given the world a resource of detailed information about the structure, organization and function of the complete set of human genes. This information can be thought of as the basic set of inheritable instructionsRead MoreThe Eugenics Movement By Sir Francis Galton1680 Words   |  7 Pagesa very real possibility. Genetic traits can be manipulated or screened for, slightly altering the gene pool of the babies that are born. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, both the United States of America and Nazi Germany both took the idea of eugenics and ran with it, implementing sterilization laws that would prevent the so-called â€Å"feeble-minded† from reproducing. One such person was Carrie Buck, a 17-year old girl living in Virginia when sterilization laws were implemented. Her motherRead MoreModern Society Issues Mirrored in Frankenstein1396 Words   |  6 Pagesare so deeply engraved in human society that they remain leading issues amongst people, despite the changes encompassing their day-to-day life brought on by the passing of time. One of the major issues in Frankenstein is crime. Whether it is genetic engineering or murder, these crimes still hold their place in society today. Another crime of sorts expressed in Frankenstein that is a prominent issue today is the abandonment of children by both paternal and maternal units. This leads to abandonment issuesRead MoreEssay about Human Ge netic Engineering1609 Words   |  7 PagesHuman Genetic Engineering Human Genetic Engineering is the alteration of genetic material. As science is improving as so does our need to make the world a â€Å"better† place. Technological advancements have let us cloned many animals but the next step you say? The next step is human engineering, as humans of perfection; we are always trying to find ways to make things better than others. They are able to manipulate the human genome and to cure the world of diseases. Scientists are able to make theRead MoreExternal And Strategic Management Audit1145 Words   |  5 PagesExternal strategic management audit, also known as external audit, is the identification and evaluation of events that cannot be controlled by the organization. For example, population shift, increased domestic and foreign competition, the revolution of technology and computer information, etc. To perform an external audit, it a difficult process to do so, because it covers a lot of information to analyze. The external audit shows the important opportunity and threats the company might face, which

Operation Watch On The Rhein - 3271 Words

Operation Watch on the Rhein The Battle of the Bulge 16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945 CW2 Gregory L. Nun WOAC Class 03-14 Dr. Boyd L. Dastrup October 20, 2014 Introduction Known as Operation Watch on the Rhein, â€Å"Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein† in German, Germany launched one of the last and deadliest counteroffensive operations against Allied forces along the Western Front of the European Theater during World War II. The primary goal was to split the American and British defenses in two and capture Antwerp to regain control and use of the harbor, encircle the American and British armies in the area, sever the alliance between the U.S. and Britain, and to force negotiations for a peace treaty with the U.S.†¦show more content†¦In September, Hitler announces and starts the planning for a major counteroffensive on the Allied Forces along the Western Front through the Ardennes region, which was lightly defended due to the rapid advance of forces and the long logistical routes needed to keep the forward units supplied and operational. Attempting to launch a counteroffensive on the Allies would be a risky decision and move. On O ctober 8, Generaloberst Alfred Jodl presented Hitler with 5 initial plans for approval, all were rejected. Jodl then submitted 2 additional plans on October 11, with a combination of the two plans being approved. It was from this combination that the Ardennes plan, named Operation Watch on the Rhein, was initiated. A couple of days later the Ardennes plan was briefed to the senior ranking officers in the German army. The primary units assigned to Operation Watch on the Rhein were given their Order of Battle and Objectives: Operation Wacht am Rhein: Army Group B Order of Battle and Objectives . . . Sixth Panzer Army; . . . 1. Advance through Verviers and Malmà ©dy, parallel with the Amblà ¨ve River 2. Wheel northwest, crossing the River Meuse at Lià ¨ge and Huy 3. Advance for Maastricht and Antwerp while Fifteenth Army protected their right flank Fifth Panzer Army; . . . 1. Advance through St. Vith and Bastogne, crossing the Our, Clerf and Salm Rivers 2. Advance northwest across the Ourthe, Lesse and L’Homme to the

Assignment Business Economics- GDP Various Nations- Literature Notes

Question 1: (a) What is the GDP gap? (b) Explain why comparing the GDP's of various nations might not tell you which nations people are better off. Question 2: Whatis the "market basket" used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics? Why does the "basket" of goods have to change over time? Give two examples ofhow the "market basket" has changed over time. Question 3: During the periods of economicdownturneconomists often note that the unemployment rate falls. They attribute this to the "discouraged worker effect". (a) Define an "unemployed person". (b)What is the "discouraged worker effect"? (c)Why does this drop in the unemployment rate signal bad news? Question 4: (a) Define the term "inflation". (b) Inflation has different effects for different groups of people. Who benefits and who loses out from inflation? (c)It is generally accepted that there are two broad types of inflation, demand-pull inflation and cost-push inflation. Describe both the cause and effect of each. Answer 1: (a) GDP gap The gross domestic product indicates dissimilarity between the nations actual output and probable GDP of same economy. The gaps associated with GDP assists in indicating the production quantity, which is permanently mislaid by the financial system. The capacity of huge production level is not applied as inadequate jobs were present. Therefore, the gaps associated with GDP points that the financial system is not efficiently operating and sources remain unutilized. So broadly it can be mentioned that the output gap looks for the dissimilarity between what an economies can produce and what it is producing (Zon, 2013). During the phase of monetary decline an economys productivity of services and supplies turn down. In good times, on the other hand, the output, which is generally assessed as gross domestic product, increases. Difficulties are present is estimating the GDP gap ad potential output, so policymakers require different other financial indicators to obtain a precise reading abou t general capacity pressure within the economy. These indicators are: capacity utilization, employment, average working hours, hourly earnings, credit growth, financial growth, labor shortage and inflation compared with expectations. These alternative capacity measures can assist the policymakers to increase their assessment of GDP gap. (b) Comparing the various nations GDP Simply, GDP assists approximating the economic value of finished products in the nation in a specific time structure. If the GDP of various nations are compared, a thought about financial activities can be determined. Nevertheless, this process does not precisely calculate the living standard of the whole population of a nation, their income level, capacities and their levels of efficiency. It is said that cost of living could be a factor, where cooling, heating, clothing, health care, automobile usage can be included. Therefore, it is justified to conclude that GDP comparison for different nations, which of the nations having better people are really difficult to recognize. The individual GDPs provide a relative thought of the nations success, but mostly depends upon the retained amount within different social classes that might not be in the equal percentage for all the nations (Mehrotra Pkknen, 2011). Very complicated methods are applied in assessing domestic product and absolute vastness of the job and due to this GDP is essentially a below perfect measure of a countrys economic pulse. Answer 2: The market basket and changes in the items of market basket with examples The Australian Bureau of Statistics applies market basket for approximately calculating the CPI or the consumer price index to estimate households inflation in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Statistics believes an easy approach for calculating consumer price index in which the ABS imagines a basket full of goods in addition to the services that is brought by the domestics of Australia. It is supposed that basket is brought in every quarter. Consequently, the total basket price alters and consumer price index approximates the price change of the market basket. The products inside the basket changes over time because the requirement for all items are not the same all through the year. The utilization of products differs depend on various season. Tablet computer is added in the increase basket of 2012. Other additions to the basket are teenage fiction for instance Twilight series. Alternatively, candy coated chocolate, jellied sweets, outdoor adventure boot, step ladder, glass ovenware casserole dish are removed from the basket. Charges for printing color film and developing color film are also removed because of the increased popularity of digital camera. Answer 3: (a) An unemployed person Unemployment takes place when an individual who is energetically looking for service is incapable to get work. Often unemployment is applied as a measure of economical health. The most commonly mentioned unemployment measure is the rate of unemployment (Abs.gov.au, 2015). This measure or numbers of unemployed individuals are divided by number of individuals in the work force. According to the Australian government, an individual will be marked as unemployed who is 15years of age or more than that and is not in a job during the week. (b) Discouraged worker effect This phrase means that individual has surrendered searching for a work because this person believes that no jobs are available for them. As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a person who is willing to work and is capable to perform so but has not searched for a profession during past month, as they believe that they cannot find a profession for various reasons, for instance deficiency of need for employees in a particular field or identified discrimination, is considered as discouraged worker. Minorities, recent graduates and older workers are probably to become discouraged workers, stated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (c) Drop in unemployment rate signal bad news The rate related to unemployment is depressingly associated with the decline in the rate of unemployment, entails that the inflation rate in amplifying. Amplification in inflation rate augments the product prices. Thus, higher inflation level has negative effect on the financial system. So, it can be said that fall in unemployment rate specifies a bad news. Answer 4: (a) Inflation Inflation refers to the rate as a result of which general prices for services and products are increasing and consequently procuring power is decreasing. There is an attempt by the central banks to stop massive inflation, together with severe devaluation, which is considered as an attempt to maintain the extreme increase of costs to a lowest amount. Inflation is also said to be the consistent amplification in the product price and services in a financial system for a specific time period. This can be illustrated simply with an example. Suppose, if the rate of inflation is 2%, at that time a $1 collection of sugar candy will cost $1.02 in that year (Kim Lin, 2012). Inflation affects a financial system in various ways, which means both in a positive and negative way. Negative impacts of inflation comprise doubt over upcoming inflation that discourage savings and investment, rise in opportunity cost of invested money and if the inflation rate is quick enough, product shortages as custo mers start hoarding out of fear that costs will amplify in the near future. Positive consequences comprise making sure that the central banks can regulate the genuine interest rates to alleviate recessions and supporting venture in non-monetary investment projects. Steady and slow inflation rate is always favored. This is because low inflation diminishes the economic recession severity by allowing the work market to amend more rapidly in a decline and diminishes the threat that liquidity trap stops the monetary policy from economic stabilization. (b) The gainers and losers from inflation Inflation has various effects on dissimilar group if people. It is seen that with an increase I cost, the manufacturers and sellers make higher profit. Moreover it assists in raising the earnings and turns down the redundancy rate. So, precisely, the gainers are the shareholders, businessmen and borrowers or debtors. Businessmen gain profit because of price rise. Shareholders make much bigger profit during price rise therefore higher dividend expense. During the inflation the actual price of money drops, therefore, the borrowers need to give less to the creditors in genuine terms. The losers are the pensioners, fixed salary earners, creditors and savers. For those who are fixed salaried, due to inflation their genuine income will be affected by inflation. If the inflation is rapid the loan will have trimmed down the procuring power. Savers are severely damaged due to inflation as the banks authorized supposed interest cannot clash the real interest rate. It creates sensible complicat ions for businesses and individuals in a financial system. This is due to the fact that money is rapidly losing its value; customers should take part in transactions more often as they hurry to spend whatsoever money they have. The rise in transactions generates shoe-leather costs. People wear out their shoes faster when price rises is there, due to the increase in the transactions. In case of higher inflation significant prices are generates as industries pay workers to re-price their goods. Persistent inflation gives rise to inevitable production as employment resources are set to the work of maintaining with increasingly changing prices. (c) Demand-pull inflation and cost-push inflation Demand-pull inflation is stated when the aggregate demand in a financial system exceeds the aggregate supply. In simple terms it is referred as in excess of money looking for excessively few products (Zhang, 2012). It illustrates how the inflation takes place. Cost-push inflation shows why price rises once initiated is very complicated to stop. Cost-push inflation principally means that the costs have been driven up by raises in prices of any of the four production factors; these are entrepreneurship, land, capital or labor, when organizations are already working well at complete production capacity. With amplified production costs and augmented productivity, organizations fail to maintain the margins of profit by generating the equal amounts of services and products. Consequently, the raised prices are conveyed to the customers, resulting in a rise in general cost level or what is called as inflation. References Abs.gov.au,. (2015).6202.0 - Labour Force, Australia, Dec 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2015. Kim, D., Lin, S. (2012). Inflation and Inflation Volatility Revisited.International Finance,15(3), 327-345. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2362.2013.12001.x Mehrotra, A., Pkknen, J. (2011). Comparing Chinas GDP statistics with coincident indicators.Journal Of Comparative Economics,39(3), 406-411. doi:10.1016/j.jce.2011.03.003 Zhang, X. (2012). China's Inflation: Demand-Pull or Cost-Push? .Asian Economic Papers,11(3), 92-106. doi:10.1162/asep_a_00169 Zon, N. (2013).Filling the gap. Toronto, Ont.: Mowat Centre.

Petrichor free essay sample

I love being RANDOM because pancakes are cool Recently, I have always felt the urge to write and write and write and never stop. Despite all my schoolwork and extracurricular and what not, I wanted to unleash my thoughts onto a blank screen, satisfied that I could at least make pictures out of words. Thus, this blog; a theraputic attempt to cope with my insane life and a way to make my writing stop being metaphorical and too formal. Blah! There are two things I do not want to be in my life and thus, in my blog. I do not want to be blatantly wrong. Honestly, who calls moose meesen? (inside joke!) Moose doesn’t sound like meesen anyway. Oh well, there are some people who revel in the prospect of stealing a garden gnome. I do not want any obvious grammatical errors. I value my life and friendship, to state the obvious. We will write a custom essay sample on Petrichor or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I have this friend who is such a MASTER of the English language, among other things, that she might get pretty mad over mistakes. Well, not really mad but maybe annoyed. Plus, I think grammar was invented for a reason and it should sound good†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦er well. So, in honor of her, I will yearn to write clearly and conscisely as possible. I do NOT want to sound like Meursault or Meresalt or whatever his name is from the book The Stranger (the only book I hated, detested, and viled not for its plot but for its writing). I for one want to drone out about my emotions about random stuff. Which brings us to the quote written above. I love random stuff; the more random it is, the more I love it. I want to learn more, from Ramsey Theory to Lawsonomy to the Creation-Myth-that-says-we-were-created-seven-minutes-ago to Savonarola’s Bonfire of the Vanities. Sometimes, I experience this state of euphoria, one I could only call being â€Å"drunk† on life and what it has the potential to offer. Especially on rainy days. Once, I was doing my homework in the wee hours of the night and I heard it rain and I felt happy, more happy than I ever felt in my life. I love the rain and the smell it brings, the smell of renewal, the smell of solitude, the smell of petrichor.

The Size and Function of the Federal Government

The Size and Function of the Federal Government In the 2010 midterm elections, the federal government’s size and function have been the common topic of debate among politicians in their election campaigns.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Size and Function of the Federal Government specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Liberals see the federal government as essential to America’s growth and well being. It should be large enough to protect its people from foreign threats, regulate businesses to avoid unfair competition and help the less fortunate citizens. Conservatives on the other hand argue that the federal government has already grown too big that it has become costly, consuming most of the US budget. They believe that the institution should limit their involvement and leave tasks to private entities and non-profit organizations. This paper aims to evaluate the arguments of liberals and conservatives in determining if the US needs a bigger federal g overnment. According to liberals, the federal government is vital in the growth of the United States because they provide infrastructures, education and healthcare mostly to support the poor and the society as a whole. Such investments could not have been adequately undertaken by private institutions because their scope is usually limited to that within their interests. Government support is primarily required in building roads and facilitating educational and healthcare systems and structures (McKenna and Feingold 238). The federal government serves as a coordinator in harmonizing systems such as railroad, water and highway structures. The government standardized the railroad systems when different sizes of tracks were used. They also created economies of scale when they organized communities to use a single public water system. Among others, the government was also involved in managing synchronized systems for highways and international trade and currency valuation (McKenna and Fe ingold 238). Lastly, the federal government imposes regulations which often make economies work better. The federal government was able to make product and service information more open, reduce corruption, monopolistic pricing and anticompetitive policies through regulations. They were also able to temper financial regulations (McKenna and Feingold 238). The controversial key benefit of the Post World War II government is it makes the economy more stable by creating jobs and supporting incomes. In this scenario, unemployment insurances, Social Security and government employments are stabilizing factors (McKenna and Feingold 239). On the other hand, conservatives give emphasis on the protection of freedom which should be guarded by both public and private institutions against the concentration of power. Freedom is destroyed because other institutions are weakened by the presence of the federal government for power is concentrated on the latter. The federal government dominates and di minishes the role of other institutions (McKenna and Feingold 242).Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In downsizing the federal government, governors and state legislatures can take control of education, healthcare, transportation and other services, giving citizens more independence from the federal government. At the state and federal level, business leaders can unite around common goals to lessen corporate taxes, duplicative regulations and lawsuits. The growth of the federal government must be restrain because of its unsound levels of spending and debt. This may result in the financial collapse of the government and private sector’s economic structures (McKenna and Feingold 245). Studies show that economic growth occurs when government spending is on the 20 percent or below GDP range but over the years as government spending increased, exceeding the 20 percent GDP, the US economy had slowed down and declined (McKenna and Feingold 246). Congress should take responsibility in the country’s problems such as the nation’s debt, out of control spending and loose monetary policies which are creating economic insecurity. Unrestrained government spending and debt may result to the neglecting of national priorities such as defence, devaluation of the US dollar, destruction of private-sector economy and the loss of wealth and quality of life for all Americans (McKenna and Feingold 247). The government is an essential institution for the development and protection of freedom but it should not try to manage America because they are only there to make the rules and enforce them. The federal government has been trying to manage and control many aspects of America’s economy and social services which always results to disaster. It has put America on an unstable financial course with its uncontrollable spending and huge debt. Both liberal and conservative parties have clearly stated and defended their opinions on the case of the enlargement of the US federal government. Analyzing and evaluating both sides, I conclude that the United States of America should broaden the scope and functions of the federal government because, although they are not perfect, they outline systems of rules and regulations which are clear in helping the growth of the country especially through infrastructures, education, healthcare and economic reforms. Conservatives may argue that such tasks can also be done by governors and other private entities. The concern here is that these groups may not provide consistent support in executing such tasks for they will always weigh and base their decisions on their own interests. In the 2010 midterm election the incumbents have been defeated because of the bad economy. Republicans were re-re-elected and democratic incumbents lost in record numbers. During midterm elections voters tend to punish the pre sident’s party because of their dissatisfaction of economic performance (O’Connor, Sabato and Yanus 361).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Size and Function of the Federal Government specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More McKenna, George and Feingold, Stanley. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Political Issues. 17th ed. New York: McGraw Hill. 2011. Print. O’Connor, Karen, Sabato, Larry J., and Yanus, Alexandra B. Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform. United States: Pearson Education, Inc., 2011. Print.

10 Facts About the Geography of the Pacific Northwest

10 Facts About the Geography of the Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest is the region of the western United States located adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. It runs north to south from British Columbia, Canada, to Oregon. Idaho, parts of Montana, northern California, and southeastern Alaska are also listed as parts of the Pacific Northwest in some accounts. Much of the Pacific Northwest consists of rural forested land; however, there are several large population centers which include Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Portland, Oregon. The region of the Pacific Northwest has a long history that was mainly occupied by various Native American groups. Most of these groups are believed to have been engaged in hunting and gathering as well as fishing. Today, there are still visible artifacts from the Pacific Northwests early inhabitants as well as thousands of descendants that still practice historic Native American culture. What to Know About the Pacific Northwest One of the first United States claims to the lands of the Pacific Northwest region came after Lewis and Clark explored the area in the early 1800s.The Pacific Northwest is highly active geologically. The region is dotted with several large active volcanoes in the Cascade Mountain Range. Such volcanoes include such Mount Shasta in northern California, Mount Hood in Oregon, Mount Saint Helens and Rainier in Washington and Mount Garibaldi in British Columbia.There are four mountain ranges dominating the Pacific Northwest. They are the Cascade Range, the Olympic Range, the Coast Range and parts of the Rocky Mountains.Mount Rainier is the highest mountain in the Pacific Northwest at 14,410 feet (4,392 m).The Columbia River, which begins in the Columbia Plateau in western Idaho and flows through the Cascades to the Pacific Ocean, has the second-largest flow of water (behind the Mississippi River) than any other river in the lower 48 states.In general, the Pacific Northwest has a wet and co ol climate which has led to the growth of extensive forests featuring some of the largest trees in the world. The regions coastal forests are considered temperate rainforests. More inland, however, the climate can be drier with more harsh winters and warmer summers. The economy of the Pacific Northwest is varied, but some of the worlds largest and most successful technology companies such as Microsoft, Intel, Expedia, and Amazon.com are located in the region.Aerospace is also an important industry in the Pacific Northwest as Boeing was founded in Seattle and currently  some of its operations  in the Seattle area. Air Canada has a large hub at the Vancouver International Airport.The Pacific Northwest is considered an educational center for both the United States and Canada as large universities such as the University of Washington, the University of Oregon and the University of British Columbia are located there.The dominant ethnic groups of the Pacific Northwest are Caucasian, Mexican and Chinese.

Strategic management - C5 Intel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategic management - C5 Intel - Essay Example Before Paul Pressler became the CEO of Gap Inc. between the years 2002 – 2006, he was the head of the Disney Store. (Duxbury, 2007; Niles, 2002) Gap Inc. under the leadership of previous CEO Pressler failed to have consistency when it comes to building image based on its target customers’ preferences in style and fashion. In the past, Pressler attempted to renovate Gap store outlets and develop new prototypes thinking that he could attract the consumers to patronize Gap’s products. However, customers did not even notice minor changes. (Diva, 2007) Basically, Pressler’s ineffective marketing strategies, lack of knowledge and sense in fashion, garments, and style including his inexperience in handling apparel business caused Gap, Inc. to experience a decline in revenue and market share. (Duxbury, 2007; Niles, 2002) Glenn Murphy as the recently appointed and chairman of CEO of Gap Inc. have more than 20 years of experience in retail business and branding of food, health and beauty products, as well as books. (Gap Inc., 2008) Although he has a limited experience in handling apparels, Murphy is capable of innovating effective marketing strategies for new products and services aside from his ability to manage the business operations. Given that Murphy has a limited knowledge and experience in fashion, as the CEO of Gap Inc., he should make sure that a group of individuals who has a good sense of fashion should be hired as part of the company’s purchasing department. This will increase the rate of marketability of Gap’s apparels based on the latest fashion and styles that looks appealing among Gap’s target customers. The company should also monitor its purchasing department by developing business procedures that will prevent corruption. By keeping the costs of garments low and maintaining the quality of clothing high, the company could benefit having a bigger profit

Given the cost and time involved in getting a college degree, do you Essay

Given the cost and time involved in getting a college degree, do you believe the benefits of a college degree outweigh the drawbacks State your position, and provide evidence and examples to support it - Essay Example 309-46). Nevertheless, is it worth incurring heavy financial expenses in order to obtain a college degree if the future of making the maximum use of the same is not certain? While the cost, effort, and time involved in obtaining a college degree may appear enormous in terms of sacrifice, there is still a strong belief that the benefits of a college degree outweigh the drawbacks especially going by the lucrative job opportunities that it brings along with it. Although the cost of getting a college degree may be quite prohibitive, it is evident that the job opportunities that come with the possession of one are innumerable besides the flexibility in profession (Bacila pp. 531-48). Essentially, getting a college degree helps a person to be predisposed to many job opportunities and therefore they are able to get a decent job upon the completion of their studies. This actually means that they are in a better position to secure decent jobs if they have a college degree than when they do not possess one. Additionally, the many job opportunities that present themselves to people who have college degrees have the luxury to choose the jobs or professions they want to pursue since they a college degree qualifies them in a number of fields and hence they can be flexible in terms of switching professions (McMahon pp. 309-46). As far as work experience is concerned, it is important to mention that a college degree benefits the holders through enabling them to accumulate work experience in their respective areas of specialization (Bacila pp. 531-48). Certainly, education up to college level places a person in a better position to quantify the specific experience that they hold in a particular professional field as opposed to general experience of unqualified staff. This experience is beneficial to their career progression. Perhaps another point worth noting about

Collective unconscious Essay Example for Free

Collective unconscious Essay Carl Jung was born in Kesswyl, Thurgau, Switzerland on July 26, 1875. His father was kind but weak, while his mother was an insecure woman but with two personalities: (a) kind and loving (b) harsh and aloof. Jung was lonely at childhood making him introvert. In 1906 he published The Psychology of Dementia Praecox, a psychoanalytic treatment of schizophrenia. He first met Freud in 1907 and Freud regarded Jung as his son and they travelled and worked together that lasted until 1913. Freud and Jung had an argument that ended their friendship. Freud considered it as the â€Å"Great Loss†. Jung is the first president of International Psychoanalytic Society. Jung established his own school of psychology named â€Å"Analytical Psychology†. Jung begun the structure of personality and made the ego, personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. Dynamics of Personality Carl Jung conceived that the personality or psyche as being a partially closed energy system. Energy from the outside sources must be added into the system and the system will only be perfect and stabilized if it is completely closed. He called psychic energy as the energy by which the work of personality is performed. Psyche – refers to all psychological processes: thoughts, feelings, sensations, wishes, etc. It is also another term for personality. Principle of Equivalence – states that if a particular value weakens the sum of the energy represented by the value will not be lost from the psyche but will reappear in a new value. Principle of Entropy – states that the distribution of energy in the psyche seeks equilibrium and balance. Structure of Personality. 1. Ego – it is one’s conscious mind. It serves as the organized conscious mediator between the person and reality especially by functioning both in the perception of and adaptation to reality. 2. Personal unconscious – the material in the personal unconscious comes from the individual’s past. It consist f experiences that was once conscious but have been repressed. 3. Collective unconscious – is the part of the collective psyche that is unconscious. It is the storehouse of latent memory traces inherited from one’s ancestral past. Archetypes – it is the universal thought form or predisposition to respond to the world in a certain way. It emphasizes potentialities; it represents different potential ways in which we may express our humanities. The Self – it represents the unity of all parts of the personality. It is the central archetype. Self Ultimate unity of personality (the central archetype) Persona Mask or Social Role Shadow Animal instincts or the opposite of Persona Anima Feminine side of male psyche Animus Masculine side of the female psyche. The Persona – refers to the social role that one assumes in society. It is a mask that one wears to adjust to the demands of society. The Shadow – encompasses those unsocial thoughts, feelings and behaviours that we potentially posses and other characteristics that we do not want to accept. The Anima – feminine side of the male psyche. The Animus – masculine side of the female psyche. Word association – a test used by Jung to detect complexes. The test is composed of a list of words; as each word is presented, the patient responds with the first word that comes to his or her mind. Complexes – an organized group of thoughts, feelings and memories about a particular concept that has power to draw new ideas into it and interpret them accordingly. Basic Attitudes Extroverted attitude: a standpoint characterized by an outward flowing of personal energy — an interest in events, in people and things, a relationship with them, and a dependence on them. Introverted attitude: characterized by an inward flowing of personal energy—a withdrawal concentrating on subjective factors. The Four Functions Thinking gives meaning and understanding; actions are a result of an intellectually considered motive; life is based on principles. Feeling a rational function that weighs, values, and attaches a proper value to things. Truth is seen as inter-subjectivity. Sensation emphasis on perception through the senses. It is a reality functions because it yields facts and the representations of the world. Intuition tells of future possibilities and gives information of the atmosphere which surrounds experience. Causality vs. Teleology For Jung both past and the future standpoints are important in determining the present behaviour. Teleology explains the present in terms of the future while causality explains the present in terms of the past. Individuation process of restoring wholeness to the psyche in adult development. Transcendence Function – is capacity to unite all of the opposing trends of the several systems to work toward the perfect wholeness. Self realization – is process of development that involves individuation and transcendence. In the process, the systems of the psyche achieve their fullest most complete differentiation and harmonious blending of all aspects of a human’s total personality. Strengths Jung’s theory as the first to discuss the process of self actualization. He was the first to emphasize the importance of the future in determining human behaviour. He stressed the attainment of selfhood as the main motive in human behaviour. Weaknesses Jung’s method was not systematic and puts too much emphasis on occultism, spiritualism and religion. His theory was said to be unscientific, unclear, inconsistent and contradictory. His self actualization is only applicable to the highly intelligent, well educated and those who have plenty of time to reach a degree of individualism. Sources: Engler, B. (2006). Personality Theories: An Introduction. USA: Houghton Mifflin Company. Hall, C. , Gardner, L. (1975). Theories of Personality. USA: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Burger, J. (2008). Personality. Belmont, California, Wadsworth Clonniger, S. (2004). Theories of Personality: Understanding Persons. USA: Pearson Prentice Hall Mitchell, G. Carl Jung Jungian Analytical Psychology. Retrieved from http://www. trans4mind. com/mind-development/jung. htmlÃ'Ž

What makes anyone a legal parent? :: Essays Papers

What makes anyone a legal parent? How easy is it for the courts to decide who should be the legal parent of a child? With the advances in assisted reproduction technology (ART), such as surrogacy and in vitro fertilization (IVF), more people both inside and outside the traditional relationships of a biological mother and father have a chance to have a child. These families consist of single parents and also same sex couples. With same sex relationships, a third party has to be involved, which could be either a surrogate mother or a male donor. This leaves the child with more than the two biological parents. How do authorities determine who will be the most beneficial to the child? The courts try to determine the legal parents out of the best interests of the child but their ruling gives the biological parents more rights over other individuals. Unfortunately, this discriminates against same sex couples because only one partner can be the biological parent. This closed judgment by the courts and society demonstrates that both parties do not understand the abilities same sex couples have in raising a child. Many partners in nontraditional relationships lose their involvement in their child’s life because courts make these conventional decisions which do not recognize same sex marriages. Everyone should have the same opportunities to raise a child because, as many successful adoptions show, a biological tie is not required for a person to be the best parent for a child. Lesbian co-mothers are growing in population. ART has contributed to a significant increase in the number of lesbian and gay individuals choosing to raise genetically related children (Goldstein 412). Most lesbian couples obtained a child from either a past heterosexual relationship or by alternative insemination where the child then has two mothers and a male donor. One of the main questions is how fitting is a lesbian couple to raise a child? Society seems to discriminate against same sex couples. As mentioned earlier, one reason is because there are more than two possible parental figures. People within society are concerned about this because it is not a traditional type of family. They feel that a child should have both a male and female figure represented in a family to make an ideal environment.

“A Sound of Thunder” and “Nethergrave” Essay

â€Å"A Sound of Thunder† by Ray Bradbury and â€Å"Nethergrave† by Gloria Skurzynski were good, well written science fiction stories. Both stories used technology to greatly change the life of the main characters. â€Å"A Sound of Thunder† involved dinosaurs and a time machine in which the characters used to go back in time. The time machine was built to go to the stories setting in a jungle, sixty million years in the past. In â€Å"Nethergrave†, the main character, Jeremy, choses to get sucked into the virtual world instead of staying the real world after having a quite embarrassing and lonely day. This stories setting seemed to be in the present time but did not say for sure. The climax in â€Å"Nethergrave† was when all Jeremy’s online friend had left him and he got a message from someone telling him to turn on his mic. I didn’t know what was going to happen or what the man wanted from Jeremy. He made the decision to leave the rea l world of being ignored and bullied to go to somewhere he was promised never to be abandoned. The climax in â€Å"A Sound of Thunder† was when the men were on the time machine returning to the present time. I thought this was the most suspenseful time because I knew Echkels had walked of the path he was forbidden to leave and I was waiting to read if that small action had really affected the future. Both the stories’ climaxes made me wonder what was going to happen next. One of the themes in the â€Å"A Sound of Thunder† is that one small bad action can lead up to a massive destruction. I think a theme for â€Å"Nethergrave† is that when reality is tough, it is easy to make poor decisions that seem to make it better. Both themes are ideal to remember because they go hand in hand. If you think about it, the theme in â€Å"Nethergrave† is saying if life is hard, then it is easier to make poor decision, and if you make poor decision, than it can affect yourself or others like the theme is in â€Å"A Sound of Thunder†. Both of these short stories show how technology can be extremely dangerous. Advancements in technology are being made every day. Even though these are science fiction stories, I thinkt the dangers of technology from the stories  might actually be possible in the future. Both stories kept me wanting to keep reading, but â€Å"A Sound of Thunder† was more effective than â€Å"Nethergrave† in my opinion. It had better characterization in describing the charters, a more relatable theme, had more description, and helped the readers get familiar with the setting. The last line of Bradbury’s story, â€Å"There was a sound of thunder†, made me sit dazed for a moment, questioning if he really did kill Echkels. Overall, I thought it had more exciting action and was my favorite of the two. Works Cited Bradbury, Ray. A Sound of Thunder. New York: Doubleday, 1952. Print. Skurzynski, Gloria. Nethergrave.

Jane Austen: Emma

â€Å"I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like† How does this comment by Jane Austen fit with your reading of her presentation of Emma? Today, we can interpret this remark as the recognition of a problem that was to be successfully overcome, instead of looking at it as an accurate prediction. Readers like the author's niece, Fanny Knight, who could â€Å"not bear Emma herself† have been in the minority. Most readers, myself included, have liked Emma Woodhouse and the novel that bears her name. It is an intricate, complex and perfectly achieved work that takes an apparently trivial matter – â€Å"3 or 4 Families in a Country Village†, in Austen's famous phrase – and makes it captivating, involved and rich with meaning. During this essay I intend to outline what Jane Austen means by â€Å"heroine†, and explain how Emma fits this title. I shall explore why Austen feels her character will not be liked, and yet what defies these intentions and regardless encourages the generally felt affection towards Emma. Jane Austen nurtures many issues during her novel, I need to examine them, and decide on their relevance to the characters position. Jane Austen's use of ‘heroine' in her comment outlines who the chief character of the story is, in this book we immediately discover its Emma Woodhouse. The book is justly named Emma, as the whole thing is Emma. There is only one short scene where Emma herself is not on stage; and that one scene is Knightley's conversation about her with Mrs Weston, proving she has a very dominant role. As readers we would usually expect the heroine of the story to be the most courageous, clever or perhaps even the most blasphemous. They usually have an attribute that sets them apart from everyone else. In this book though, Emma is mainly a figure of fun. We see the gradual humiliation of self-conceit through a long succession of disasters – serious in effect, but written comically throughout. The disasters occur through Emma's absurdities, her snobberies, her intrinsic honesty and her misdirected mischievous conduct. The reader feels affection for the character not because of her charms , but in defiance of her defects as she develops this rogue image. Her features allow her to take rank not with the ‘sympathetic' heroines, but as the culminating figure of English high comedy. The word ‘heroine' can also be used to describe someone much admired for their bravery. In my view, this ironically can also be applied to interpret Jane Austen's comment, and even Emma herself. Perhaps she doesn't demonstrate bravery of a courageous format, but she does show brave recognition of her faults, which could be employed to give her the title of a ‘heroine' in her own way. Jane Austen creates a wonderfully flawed heroine. Had Emma been perfect, her situation would have been of no interest to anyone; her flaws are what interest both reader and critic. The basic movement of Emma is from delusion to self-recognition, from illusion to reality. In the beginning she is loveable enough, but has much to learn. It takes supreme courage on Austen's behalf to portray a girl, meant to win and keep the reader's fancy, with the characteristics frankly ascribed to Emma Woodhouse. During the time period of both Austen and Emma the world was a male-dominated place, to centre the attention of the story on a woman was a daring move, but Jane Austen wanted to do something different. The narration opens by telling us all about the privileged heroine, â€Å"handsome rich and clever,† personally giving me the image of an insufferable young lady.We are allowed to know that she is pretty; not formally, but casually, from the words of a partial friend; â€Å"Such an eye! – the true hazel eye – and so brilliant! – regular features, open countenance, with a complexion – ah, what a bloom of full health and such a pretty height and size; such a firm and upright figure.† But, before we are allowed to see her personal beauty, we are made to see some of the destined troubl ing qualities. In her wish to be useful she is patronizing and a little conceited; her self-sufficiency early appears along with the irony of her willingness to have a hand in the future of others, despite having little knowledge or experience of her own to do it judiciously. Jane Austen's ironic voice throughout the book provides humour and logical thinking. Irony is defined as an absurd contradiction or paradox, a form of humour where someone says the opposite of what is obviously true. The ironic actions of Emma Woodhouse show one of her faults, for example her ‘matchmaking'. â€Å"It was foolish, it was wrong to take so active a part in bringing any two people together. It was adventuring too far, assuming too much, making light of what ought to be serious, a trick of what ought to be simple. She was quite concerned and ashamed, and resolved to do such things no more.† There is a special element of irony in this statement. Even as Austen has Emma relinquish the strategies of matchmaking, Austen condemns her heroine to continue thinking social relationships over and over again, repeating her misreading of sexual relations throughout the book. This is to emphasis the dislike we should be feeling towards Emma. Her complacent manner should evoke a feeling of frustration, instead, in my opinion, we see the funny side, predicting the outcome of Emma's actions, and knowing it's destined to go disastrously wrong. Emma's exclusive attention to marriage plots of her own devising is consistent with her inability to enter into a relation of equality with other women. Her obsession with arranging marriages distorts the relationship with her good friend Harriet Smith, and blinds her from other relational possibilities. The connection with Mrs Weston was never based on equality, she is grateful to her governess/friend for her guidance and education, the relationship is lacking in true parity. The great attraction of Harriet, beyond her blonde beauty and easily swayed temper, was that â€Å"everything† could be done for her. Emma's failure to bond with Jane Fairfax (her exact equal in age, abilities and sense) could also to a certain extent be due to her preoccupation with the marriage plot. Friendship between women is necessarily difficult in this period where the aim is to accomplish a husband. Rivalry for a husband of authority and worthiness is visible. Mrs Elton's marriage puts her into competition with all other women in her society and gives her precedence even over Emma Woodhouse; this makes her liable to judgement: â€Å"She did not really like her. She would not be in a hurry to find fault, but she suspected that there was no elegance; – ease, but not elegance. – She was almost sure that for a young woman, a stranger, a bride, there was too much ease. Her person was rather good; her face not unpretty; but neither feature, nor air, nor voice, nor manner, were elegant. Emma thought at least it would turn out so.† Emma values herself highly enough to make many judgements during the book, another flaw, as usually they are incorrect, and only get Emma into more difficulty. Her judgements are formed on the bases of social status and backhand gossip, instead of individual qualities and personality. It emphasises her pretentiousness and a lack of understanding. The limitation and narrowness of the Highbury world shows the limitation of class society. The class divisions are apparent throughout, and highly relevant to the attitude and treatment one will receive. Different ranks are distinguished by degrees of prestige, and one is judged to be worthy or not from the possessions they own. A real example of Emma's incorrect and unjustified assessment of a person is of Robert Martin. Her cutting remarks show qualities of vanity, ignorance and meanness; â€Å"He is plain, undoubtedly – remarkably plain: – but that is nothing compared with his entire want of gentility. I had no right to expect much; but I had no idea that he could be so very clownish, so totally without air. I had imagined him, I confess, a degree or two nearer gentility† As far as Emma is concerned the class is wrong for her young friend, nothing else needs to come into consideration, he is already not good enough. Her attitude is patronising, and should make us think poorly of her, but instead we tolerate her interfering, and enjoy the product of it. Her abusing of Miss Bates with her cruel remark reveals a different side to the Emma, undoubtedly a nastier side. Yet Emma's rudeness strangely expresses energy and excitement. The unexpected outburst causes the reader to wake up and take note. We don't hate her for her comment; instead we share her guilt, and secretly admire her for this more mischievous person. Emma Woodhouse indisputably casts a real attraction over most of her readers, but how and why? The plot of the book has been described by some as â€Å"uneventful† and â€Å"nothing profound†. One critic stated, â€Å"there is no story whatever, and the heroine is no better than other people; but the characters are all so true to life, and the style so piquant, that it does not require the adventitious aids of mystery and adventure† Despite these comments, to look at Emma's strengths is firstly a way of understanding her desirability. She is a very loving character, exposed through her faithfulness and kindness towards her father, and the attention she gives to the poor. She has a love of children, which becomes clear with the intense adoration shown towards her nieces and nephews, qualities that only strengthen her appeal. Interestingly enough, Emma could also be seen as a role model for women readers. She stubbornly demonstrates a resistant figure to the woman stereotype of the time, unusually showing a more masculine behaviour, or as we may see it, a more modern behaviour. Her squabbles and quick-witted retorts towards Mr Knightly show her intelligence, but also her unconcerned approach towards playing the typical 18th century woman; Mr Knightley: I leave you to your own reactions Emma: Can you trust me with such flatters? Her constant strength and vitality are alluring, and bring energy to the book. Emma's an imaginist â€Å"on fire with speculation and foresight†, giving her a playful, fun appearance, another beneficial quality. Lastly, Emma is bright girl, meaning we don't question her intelligence when things go wrong, just her naivety. She was never deceived about her sexual feelings during the book, and never deceived herself into feeling emotions that weren't there like Harriet seemed to. This emphasised her maturity, and made me, as the reader, value her actions and opinions more then, for example, Harriet's. In the book Emma seems to get everything and everyone wrong, yet her vulnerability is strangely attractive, and is one reason for my approval of her. The much irony directed at her is setting her up to be judged, irony in itself, as she is usually the one doing the judging. What she often thinks of other people is commonly true for her, and therefore classes her on the same level as everyone else. She is the heroine of the book, and proves so with conviction and success. However, to be a disliked heroine is mistaken. Because the book is told from her view constantly, allowing us to understand the character, and sympathise with her wrongdoings instead of judging her for them. Despite foreseeing when something is going to go wrong, we assume it will all turn out okay in the end, and predict there can only be a happy conclusion. Her officiousness and capacity for deluding herself only bulk out the story to make it more exhilarating, while also making Emma a fully rounded character, one which most readers cannot deny, like very much indeed.

Free Essays on Documenting History

Documentation of any event (no matter how significant) is a very difficult task. It is human nature to have some bias and objectivity when looking at any situation. In order to accurately document an event we must be able to control these feelings. This, in my opinion, is an impossible task. No matter how hard we try, I do believe some objectivity will sneak through into our documentations. In the case of slavery in the United States in the time period before the Civil War I believe this problem was magnified by the very nature of the event being documented. This paper will focus on why I believe the documentation of slavery in the U.S. is very skewed. Slavery has existed since the beginning of time. It is common practice to use all means possible to keep slaves from joining together and revolting. One method used is denial of education. In the case of the African slaves brought to America these people were very uneducated. The majority could not read nor write. American slave masters used this to their advantage. Even after many generations of slaves had passed slave masters still were able to keep the vast majority of them illiterate by denying them any education at all. What this created was a very one-sided account of the happenings of that period of time. When we read history, especially the early history of slavery in the United States, what we are mainly getting are accounts based on slave owners’ and educated white men’s’ documentation of the events. There is very little input by the slaves themselves. This inherently causes these pieces of history to be skewed towards the white man’s view. As we go along the timeline there eventually are more and more educated slaves and white men; who tell the stories of the slaves as had been told to them by the slave. However, we still cannot get rid of the fact that the majority of the information had to come from the white men of the time. Besides this example, there are ... Free Essays on Documenting History Free Essays on Documenting History Documentation of any event (no matter how significant) is a very difficult task. It is human nature to have some bias and objectivity when looking at any situation. In order to accurately document an event we must be able to control these feelings. This, in my opinion, is an impossible task. No matter how hard we try, I do believe some objectivity will sneak through into our documentations. In the case of slavery in the United States in the time period before the Civil War I believe this problem was magnified by the very nature of the event being documented. This paper will focus on why I believe the documentation of slavery in the U.S. is very skewed. Slavery has existed since the beginning of time. It is common practice to use all means possible to keep slaves from joining together and revolting. One method used is denial of education. In the case of the African slaves brought to America these people were very uneducated. The majority could not read nor write. American slave masters used this to their advantage. Even after many generations of slaves had passed slave masters still were able to keep the vast majority of them illiterate by denying them any education at all. What this created was a very one-sided account of the happenings of that period of time. When we read history, especially the early history of slavery in the United States, what we are mainly getting are accounts based on slave owners’ and educated white men’s’ documentation of the events. There is very little input by the slaves themselves. This inherently causes these pieces of history to be skewed towards the white man’s view. As we go along the timeline there eventually are more and more educated slaves and white men; who tell the stories of the slaves as had been told to them by the slave. However, we still cannot get rid of the fact that the majority of the information had to come from the white men of the time. Besides this example, there are ...

Robert K. Merton (1910-2003) - Sociologist Profile

Robert K. Merton (1910-2003) - Sociologist Profile Best known for developing theories of deviance,  as well as the concepts of self-fulfilling prophecy and role model, Robert K. Merton is considered one of Americas most influential social scientists.  Robert K. Merton was born July 4, 1910 and died February 23, 2003. Early Life and Education Robert K. Merton was born Meyer R. Schkolnick in Philadelphia into a working class Eastern European Jewish Immigrant family. He changed his name at the age of 14 to Robert Merton, which evolved out of a teenage career as an amateur magician as he blended the names of famous magicians. Merton attended Temple College for undergraduate work and Harvard for graduate work, studying sociology at both and earning his doctorate degree in 1936. Career and Later Life Merton taught at Harvard until 1938 when he became professor and chairman of the Department of Sociology at Tulane University. In 1941 he joined the Columbia University faculty where he was named to the Universitys highest academic rank, University Professor, in 1974. In 1979 Merton retired from the University and became an adjunct faculty member at Rockefeller University and was also the first Foundation Scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation. He retired from teaching altogether in 1984. Merton received many awards and honors for his research. He was one of the first sociologists elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the first American sociologists to be elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In 1994, he was awarded the National Medal of Science for his contributions to the field and for having founding the sociology of science. He was the first sociologist to receive the award. Throughout his career, more than 20 universities awarded him honorary degrees, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Chicago as well as several universities abroad. He is also credited as the creator of the focus group research method. Merton was very passionate about the sociology of science and was interested in the interactions and importance between social and cultural structures and science. He carried out extensive research in the field, developing the Merton Thesis, which explained some of the causes of the Scientific Revolution. His other contributions to the field deeply shaped and helped developed fields such as the study of bureaucracy, deviance, communications, social psychology, social stratification, and social structure. Merton was also one of the pioneers of modern policy research, studying things such as housing projects, the use of social research by the ATT Corporation, and medical education. Among the notable concepts that Merton developed are unintended consequences, the reference group, role strain, manifest function,  role model, and self-fulfilling prophecy. Major Publications Social Theory and Social Structure (1949)The Sociology of Science (1973)Sociological Ambivalence (1976)On The Shoulders of Giants: A Shandean Postscript (1985)On Social Structure and Science References Calhoun, C. (2003). Robert K. Merton Remembered. asanet.org/footnotes/mar03/indextwo.html Johnson, A. (1995). The Blackwell Dictionary of Sociology. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers.

Evolution Seminar Unit 8 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evolution Seminar Unit 8 - Research Paper Example When scientists use the term â€Å"theory†, it already has years of research behind it before it has been presented for scientific evaluation. However to a non-scientist theory is something that is â€Å"cutting-edge† science and needs to be taught to the children Antibacterial resistance of bacteria and pesticide resistance are good examples of natural selection. Since resistance is a genetic characteristic, not all bacteria had the gene that would induce resistance against an antimicrobial agent. However, a few bacteria did have resistance against the agent and hence nature â€Å"selected† them for survival. Therefore the later generation too had this gene carried forward to show resistance against the antimicrobial agent and hence evolution occurred. 6 Charles Darwin died before Gregor Mendel, also known as the Father of Genetics, shared his discoveries on the inheritance of traits. However, their research definitely complements one another. How could further research into genetics continue to help us understand the process of evolution? Genetics is today the most important tool in understanding everything about the origin and life of earth as well as that of human beings. Using molecular tools we will be able to understand the origin of man and how exactly we evolved and so on. It is not only man that we can study but also how man and other animals are linked and construct phylogenetic trees more

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel - Essay Example This leads to the creation of another version of the same story; this time, however, instead of animals on the raft there are people, Taiwanese sailor, his mother, the cook and the blind French man. The characters in the new story resembles to the animals in the life boat of the original story. And after two hundred and twenty-seven days adrift Pi is the only survivor. Somehow this second story told with hardly any details and seems more believable. By telling two different stories, Author wants to highlight the single most important concept and raised the question. Which story is better - the story with animals or the story without animals This faith revolves around the entire novel and serves as its conclusion. The center meaning of the book is to convey about man's relationship to animals. Pi is cast adrift in a lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and a huge Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Eventually, just the tiger and he are left in the boat, tale of 227 days at sea. The boat is well stocked for a human. Pi only hope for survival is to keep the tiger content and subservient to him. Pi lives in constant terror of Richard Parker, but manages to keep him supplied with fish, turtles, and fresh water so that he doesn't turn on him. Pi limited Richard Parker territory to the floor of the boat .In real life Richard Parker resembles dangerous people .A boundary should always be drawn and restricts them from crossing their limits or invading our territory Pi becomes increasingly convinced that his fate and the tiger's are inextricably linked and progresses to an uneasy truce between adversaries. Ultimately over the months they are together, he develops an ever-deepening relationship with the animal. But Richard Parker is a wild animal. He never forms an emotional attachment with Pi. Near the end of the novel, Richard Parker disappears into the forest without a trace and never returns. Not a single time he looked back. He unceremoniously concludes the relationship and left Pi with tears and a heavy heart. For Pi, caring for the tiger becomes his darkest moments in life. Like Dangerous people Richard Parker and other animals in the novel are never colored with sentimentality .They are revolving around our lives for their own cause and benefit. And they will never hesitate to leave us. 3. Explain why the author chose a tiger as the main animal protagonist instead of an elephant or rhinoceros Martel portrayed Richard Parker to be anything more than a dangerous Bengal tiger and Pi never to be more than a desperate boy lost at sea. His main aim was to show a 16-year old Indian boy, Pi relationship with a dangerously wild animal and survival through the use of his wits and sheer determination for 227 days at sea. So he chooses Richard Parker main animal protagonist unlike elephant or rhinoceros. A tiger symbolizes a carnivorous, wild and unsentimental animal. As the law of nature eventually rules in the lifeboat and Pi ends up as the tiger's last remaining occupant who lives in constant terror , but manages to keep of Richard Parker supplied with fish,

Discuss the racial stereotypes of Mexicans that underpinned Manifest Essay

Discuss the racial stereotypes of Mexicans that underpinned Manifest Destiny - Essay Example The American people held a superior position and felt that their motive to apply their expansionist policies was religiously justified for their God chosen race. In this regard, the presidential candidate embraced the Manifest destiny, whose optimal goal was to ensure that the American territory spans across the seas. In reality, the race stereotypes of the Mexicans underpinned Manifest destiny during the implementation of the expansionist policy by the Americans. Even before the existence of the term Manifest Destiny, the notion of American inferiority was already looming and the Mexicans were already anticipating wars from the American people. In the year 1803, the president of America, Jefferson, acquired the Louisiana territory and the American slowly drifted towards the west becoming among the most dangerous neighbours of the Mexican people. By the time president Poll was getting into power, Mexico was the country that was standing between the United States and the Pacific Ocean . When Poll got into power in 1845, he raised the spirit of Manifest Destiny and the effort to expand USA further west via Mexico was revived. Being a democrat, Poll felt that there was need to develop this political culture across the territories to make a dominant culture (Litke, 2012, p. 198). To the American, the underpinning thrust of the expansionist policy was the urge to democratize the entire of North America and Mexico was a barrier to this legitimate expansion. Shane (2009, P. 10) points out the notion of Americans that Catholics were an inferior religious race. The American’s were obsessed with the motive to grow and develop their countries to become exemplary to the countries that were â€Å"religiously inferior.† This was a stereotypic reference that American used to refer to the Mexican’s who American’s regarded as inferior for the reason that they were catholicists, a religion that was inferior to the protestant group. American’s fe lt that they were the anointed race and that their motive to expand was just a fulfilment of one of the promises that God had made to them. This religious superiority was a source of conflict that intensified the tension between American and the Mexican’s that were already familiar with the intention of President Poll to expand his territories beyond the Mexican boundaries. From this perspective, American’s stereotypical reference of Mexican as a religiously inferior race was a trigger pin that culminated into the war between the two countries. From the US History Guide Book (2010, p. 6), the American leaders were obsessed with the notion to create an admirable city that would be unique from those of the inferior nations. The proponents of expansionism reflect to the idea of Puritans who were the first people to settle in the northern Atlantic, and who, under the inspiration Governor Winthrop, came to believe that their settlement was equivalent to â€Å"a city on a h ill.† Horsman (2009, p. 116) makes a connection between this city on a hill and the term that was later used by Ronald Reagan later in 1980 to describe a different perspective of expansion in America. Reagan referred to America as a â€Å"shining city upon a hill† in his endeavour to paralyse communism and create a country that embraced pure democrats, what he perceived to the

Low Birth Rate in Hong Kong

Low Birth Rate in Hong Kong Nowadays, the world population just over 6 billion and consistently estimate to increase to 9 billion in the next 50 years. The growth rate is mostly come from those developing countries, especially from Africa. Nevertheless, the birth rate which we would call it as population growth rate is decreasing in Hong Kong. The local birth rate reached the lowest level in the world. According to the report from the Census and Statistics Department, around 30,000 babies will be generated by mainland couples while 69,000 will be born in Hong Kong each year. In 2006, 984 babies were produced each 1000 expectant mothers. The estimation of the following 30 years, the birth rate will be lower than 900 babies would be born with each 1000 expectant mothers. We can use the graph from Census and Statistics Department to indicate the change by birth rate. In the fig. 1.1, the lines are representing the population in 1996 while bars are representing the 2006s. We would see that the population in Hong Kong is going to form a reverse triangle as fewer are born in the base. Moreover, we would see that the birth rate was continuing decrease from 1981 to 2006. Basically, the government has been put aware on the issue. In one of a meeting of legislative council, the councilors have put out this as one the items of agenda. The decrease in birth rate may help to save the sustainable resources in the world, but it would cause out many society problems as well. Actually, aging problem is a serious issue happening in the society. And, this would cause out many consequences to make the society become poor. Aging problem will lead the tax payer having a heavy tax. As the decreasing birth rate cause out, fewer tax payers will need to fall into the tax system. While the number of elderly would increase to form an unhealthy population, the Government would have a financial problem on subsiding them. The government need to bear heavy costs on medical services, elderly health care and retirement such as social security allowance. On the other hand, the education system may need a reform. The demand would decrease as fewer children entering the education system. Those schools will be terminated by a low birth rate, and employers like teachers will be being unemployed. This is already happened in the society in 2006. Many schools are warned to shut down by insufficient students. As a result, encouraging the birth rate is a must. Recently, the government noticed that the importance of having a good birth rate and formed a committee to put concern and finding out solutions in low birth rate issue. The effective way is the government encourage the citizens to improve the birth rate. 1.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE In this study, we would like to help to find out the reason of causing low birth rate. Besides, we would not only want to know the causes but also want to find out solutions and the ways of government would able to give a hand. Therefore, our research objectives will be set as the followings: Understand the reason of low birth rate occur Evaluate the effectiveness of various methods to increase birth rate Understand the value of having baby (promotion purpose) Evaluate the impact of various media on the decision to have a child Obtain the demographic of response 1.3 CONTRIBUTION Through this marketing research, we would define clear why the low birth rate was caused out. Afterwards, we can find out the most effective solution to improve the birth rate, in order to prevent the next generation to pay the heavy tax to the government which is our generation and beyond. On the other hand, we would the report will be indicated out that the effective way of promotion by the government which he citizens would thinks it does work. It is beneficial to the government whether the aging problem is solved, the financial burden will reform. The government is able to put the subsidies on the other ways that make Hong Kong becoming a most successful city that people would like to live. 2.1 EXPLORARATY RESEARCH To begin our research, we may need to use exploratory research to provide the insights of the low birth rate problems. From the various types of exploratory research technique, we have used secondary data analysis and focus group when doing this project. Secondary data Low birth rate which is a big issue for the Hong Kong government, so there are plenty of data about this issue on the website of the Census and Statistics Department and also the newspaper. The reasons why we are using the secondary data are because they are low cost and useful as background information. Also, some of the data are realistic as those data are collected from the official department of Hong Kong Government. As the government highly concern about the low birth rate, there are policies and promotions about how to improve low birth rate, which helps us on creating the questions for our questionnaire. Focus Group Focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their attitude towards a product, service, concept, advertisement or idea. And there will be a moderator to introduce the topic of discussion and to encourage the group to discuss. Using focus group can allow the participants to discuss their true feeling and convictions, fast to collect data, easy to execute and flexible with low cost. Forming this focus group, our purpose is to understand the reason of low birth rate, evaluate the effectiveness of various methods to increase the birth rate, understand more the value of having a baby, evaluate the impact of various media on the decision to have a child, obtaining the demographic of response. After doing the focus group, we can combine the observations to understand the culture, the social group, sampling the sites to study, and creating news issues or topics we didnt think of. We would form 2 focus groups which consist of 6 respondents each. Besides, we need to hire a professional analyst to lead the focus group on the discussing track. Then, we need to book a one-way mirror room to observe the progress of the focus group. The most important is we should jot down the discussion by notes as an alternative way if the video recording devices does not work. The topic of discussion was focus on five main issues we focused on reasons affecting the birth rate, methods to improve birth rate, value on birth rate, ways to promote generation, demographic. To acquire the information we need, an analyst is needed to lead the focus group to discuss on the aspects. We did set the suggest questions: How do you think to generate a child? What are the costs to generate a child? What do you think the consequence to generate a child? Which ways do you suggest to encourage generation? How do you think the policies of government promotion? Summary of Findings Section We have been held focus groups in the March. After the focus group, we were given out some ideas of the low birth rate issue. In the focus groups people are all agree the late marriage is the trend in Hong Kong, many ladies are become focusing on their work. But they conclude that the cost of having a baby is the main cause of low birth rate. They need to quit their job, after the baby growth, their job opportunities will be probably lower as they disconnected with the society. They discussed that the birth rate from the middle class is important to improved. Later, they discuss that the method to improve the birth rate. Most of them thought that the government subsidies are the ways to help. Education allowance is the most effective as most of them agreed. It is because they think it is a long-term subsidy that their children need to study nearly 10 years. It is benefit if it would save their cost. However, no one concern on public housing because they thought that it is relate to the marry cost, not related to having a baby. They would think that the value of having a baby is to generate their breed. Most of them think that the TV commercial is the effective way to encouraged by government. It is because animation and sound would give them memorized. 2.2 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH To choose a suitable method to fit with our case, we would like to use the mall intercept personal interviews for collecting primary data. The process involves stopping the targets, screening them for appropriateness, and either administering the survey on the spot or inviting them to a research facility located in the mall to complete the interview. And, we decided to set up in Women Health Centre and the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong etc, therefore we are able to get the result that related to our expectation and purpose. The characteristic of the method is confined place to conduct the survey but speed of data collecting is fast, and conductors are easier to reach the assigned quantity with a specific time. It will have the highest degree of interviewer influence of answers. Although geographical flexibility is confined in a selection place, we can poll a large number of target respondents with a successful planning. There will have low anonymity of respondents however, the respondents may not actively to cooperate. It is difficult to follow up or call back but it is not an actual problem. Essentially, interviewers can provide clear explanations for the questions asked, respondents will be clearer to answer the questions through face-to-face interview. So, the possibility of respondent misunderstanding will be the lowest. On the other hand, if the respondent cooperation is not enough to meet the planned quantity, we may also use phone survey to back up mall intercept personal interview. The advantages of using phone survey is competitive reduce cost and the respondent cooperation are good. So, it is a good back-up proposal for anything goes wrong in the mall intercept personal interview. There are some measurements guiding us in design our questionnaire. We should concern that each questions should have a reason behind asking and the type of answers you would like to receive y open-ended or close-ended. Later, we should concern on the questionnaire wording. In designing our questionnaire, we have avoided long questions that will give people confusing by using short and clear wording. Secondly, we avoid emotional and socially desirability response by loaded and assumption questions. So, the validity will be increased. Be sure all answer choices are mutually exclusive, check for ambiguity in wording the question, and ensure if the respondents can interpret the meaning of words differently. We also put aware on the personal pronouns (gender references) never use only him (his) or her (her) unless you are referring to a specific gender. Be specific, rather than general questions and word them so that they communicate uniform meaning. Avoid using double negatives, especi ally possible when using Agree/Disagree. 2.3 RESEARCH INSTRUMENT Scale There are several scale in setting questionnaire, interval scale, nominal scale, ordinal scale and ratio scale. We used Interval Scale in Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 in our questionnaire. An interval scale is a measurement scale in which a certain distance along the scale means the same thing no matter where on the scale you are, but where 0 on the scale does not represent the absence of the thing being measured. The Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature scales are examples. It is uniquely classifies, in preserves order and equal intervals. We used Nominal Scale in Q.5B, Q.5C, Q.5D, Q.5E in our questionnaire. A nominal scale is really a list of categories to which objects can be classified. For example, asking the gender and give Male and Female, for asking status, given Single Married and Divorce. The data so classified are termed categorical data, which are reflecting the classification of objects into different categories. We used Ordinal Scale in Q.5A, Q.5F and Q.5G in our questionnaire. An ordinal scale is a measurement scale that assigns values to objects based on their ranking with respect to one another. For example, Q.5G, we are asking about the monthly income of each target ordinance, from [1] Less than $5000 to [5] above $30,000. While you know that [5] is having more income than [1], but there is no implication that [5] is twice times more than [1]. All we know is that there are 5 categories, with obviously that [2] are having more income than [1], [3] are having more income than [2], etc. The higher the value assigned, the higher the category. 2.3.2 Pretest Procedure It is very important for us to do the pretest before the questionnaire being publicized; the aim of pretesting questionnaire is to ensure that it can be clearly understood. Since the questionnaire may have a lot of mistakes, therefore, we need to conduct and find out the information on that issue. Correct all the mistakes in the questionnaire are necessary, if the survey did not properly set, the purpose will not be achieved to conduct the accurate information what we looking for. For our questionnaire, in order to achieve the effectiveness of pretest, we are going to read the questionnaire for at least 15 times after setting. Besides, we are also going to ask for 15 respondents to test our questionnaire. Finding correct and relevant respondents can help to increase the efficacy of pretest. The varieties respondents would be desire for our Low Birth Rate questionnaires are the professionals, such as English teachers; lecturers, schoolmates from universities, and also our parents. We chose them for the questionnaire pretest procedure, since some of them have sufficient knowledge to state out our problems, for example, English teachers can correct our grammar and spelling mistakes, rectify the question wording into more format type. Lecturers can check the flow of questions and give suggestions on the question, ensure that we are using the multiple-grid format and have been separated them into variety of groups before conducting. And, some of them are easy to re ach, like our schoolmates, their feedbacks help us to predict our target ordinance reaction to the questionnaire, they also may help to estimate the time-taking. After all, we can rearrange the follow up and one by one. Use our questionnaire as an example, after the pretest procedure; we rectify the question wording to make the questionnaire become more clarify. Such as, using Very Unimportant and Very Important to replace Most Important and Least Important. Use full sentence, Are you working now? (If yes, please continue to answer the following questions. Otherwise, jump to à ¯Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ Hà ¯Ã‚ ¹Ã… ¾) instead of a single word Occupation etc. (Appendix fig. 2.2, fig. 2.3) 2.4 SAMPLING Sampling is the simple way to reach out targets with a subset of the population instead of reaching the entire population. Compare with reaching the entire population, sampling will help to save time, cutting cost for budgeting and manpower. Firstly, we should figure the target group out. Our target group is men and women who have visited Women Health Centre and the Family Planning Association. It is because they will have a brief concern and knowledge on the birth rate issue. To reach our target group, we would use the convenience sampling indeed. There is no sampling frame while it is actually a non-probability sampling method. Those respondents are unknown member form our target group because of using the non-probability sampling. Our interviews will select the most available targets arbitrary. However, we would set the 200 respondents as our sample size. As the mall intercept personal interview is suitable to associate with our research, it has many advantages indeed. First, the mall intercept personal interview can be conducted faster and inexpensive. Also, the mall intercept can poll a large number of respondents and control the speed of the survey. As we want to poll a large number of respondents in target group, we decided to interview in Women Health Centre and the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong within 3 days. As the mall intercept is a face-to-face contact with the interviewees, it will lead us easier follow-up and make corrections of the unclear or misunderstanding answers. These advantages will encourage us to conduct a better survey. Unfortunately, there is no perfect method existing in the world. We would just choose the method which consist the least disadvantages. In the mall intercept, we would require a lot of labour force to conduct. This will lead the research cost climb higher by hiring cost for interviewers. Furthermore, low accuracy of the survey is also a disadvantage of this method. It is difficult to follow up if we find out any problem while analyzing the answers. Further, the result sampling may not represent the entire population in a place. Therefore, we would find out some solutions to fix them. We would not employ volunteers as our group members can be the volunteers in the research. Perhaps, cost of the employment will be relatively lower. In order to improve the accuracy, setting up more intercept places for interview can enhance the representative level of the results. Also, after conducting the survey, interviewees would politely to ask the respondents to leave their contact information if they are willing to do that. Hopefully, it may improve the disadvantages of the survey method. We would do the survey over 3 selected places within 3 day. On 28th April, we would conduct in the Family Planning Association at Wan Chai while conducting in the Women Association in Tuen Mun in the following day (29th April). Finally, we would reach the Family Planning Association at Wong Tai Sin in 30th April. These 3 locations will be assigned a team to play the role as interviewers. Each team will consist of 3 member do stay within the place in the operation hours. The selection of those 3 places is due to improving the accuracy of the sampling over territories. In addition, easy to reach who concern birth rate, prepare to have a child or even avoid having child as well.

The American Hero :: essays research papers

The American Hero   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For many years the American Hero has filled the silver screen and wide screened television sets, along with shelves of countless bookstores. Audiences love to see the protagonist overcome great odds, defeat the forces of evil, and save the beautiful girl at the last second. The character of the American Hero however, is not a new idea. James Cooper, in the 1800’s, created the archetype of the American Hero. Natty Bumpo, also called Deerslayer, embodied many qualities of the great American Hero. Modern day heroes are simply following the example set by Cooper’s creation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two qualities that many heroes possess are bravery and honesty. In the excerpt â€Å"Deerslayer Escapes†, Natty Bumpo exhibits these two traits when he returns to accept his punishment for killing a great Huron warrior. His punishment for killing is death. Knowing this and still returning to the tribe shows tremendous bravery. After Deerslayer returns, Cooper writes the reaction of the tribe. The leader, Rivenoak, describes Natty of being brave and honest, by saying, â€Å" Paleface, you are honest. We shall treat you as a brave.† Natty Bumpo speaks of his own honesty when he refuses to take their compromise for death. The solution is against what Deerslayer believes in so he doesn’t go along with the plan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heroes are also expected to stick to their beliefs, regardless of consequences. After killing the Huron’s best warrior, the Hurons offer Natty a solution. He must marry the widow of the fallen warrior. The reason is because there is no one to hunt or provide for the family. Deerslayer doesn’t mind providing for the family, but refuses to marry the widow, who is old enough to be his mother. He responds with this â€Å"As for feeding the children, I would do that cheerfully, could it be done without discredit.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The stereotypical hero is usually skilled with a weapon. Natty is in pioneer times, so there isn’t much choice in weaponry. Besides his gun that he kills deer with, there isn’t much that Deerslayer can do. When facing the tribe, waiting on his sentence, Le Panther, the Huron leader, throws a tomahawk at Natty. With his quick thinking he grabs the tomahawk before it even gets to him. He throws it back at Panther.

Dear Nobody by Berlie Doherty Essay

The novel is split between two points of view, a first-person narrative presenting the events as Chris recalls them in retrospect, interspersed with a series of letters from Helen to their unborn child (Nobody), telling her side of the story as she experiences it. The framing sequence is set in autumn as Chris is on the verge of leaving for Newcastle University. A parcel of letters is delivered for him, and he recognizes Helen’s handwriting. He begins to read the letters, all addressed to â€Å"Dear Nobody†, and they remind him of the past nine months. The subsequent chapter headings are all the names of months, beginning with January. Helen and Chris make love for the first, and only, time. Chris is prompted to ask his father about his marriage breakdown, and decides to get in touch with his mother. Shortly afterwards Helen begins to fear she is pregnant. Chris is disturbed by her distant behaviour. In late February she finally tells him her suspicions, and writes her first letter to â€Å"Dear Nobody†: â€Å"You’re only a shadow. You’re only a whisper†¦ Leave me alone. Go away. Go away. Please, please, go away.† Later when a pregnancy test proves positive, she tries to abort the pregnancy by going riding, risking her life in a wild gallop, to no avail. In April, Helen’s mother finds out, and arranges for her to go to an abortion clinic. However, Helen decides to keep the baby. Mrs Garton refuses to have Chris in the house, but he and Helen continue to see each other. They visit Chris’s mother in Carlisle. In June, Helen and Chris sit their A-levels. After they are over Helen tells Chris she has decided they should break up, believing it is best for both of them. Chris is bewildered, and feels bereft. To get away from all the memories in Sheffield, he goes to France with Tom. He meets a girl called Bryn, but cannot forget Helen. In September, Helen learns her mother’s greatest secret – that she is illegitimate, a great disgrace when she was growing up – and finally begins to understand her. When her contractions start, she has a sudden impulse to send her â€Å"Dear Nobody† letters to Chris. Chris finishes reading the letters, realizes the baby is coming and rushes to the hospital, where he meets his newborn daughter, Amy.

The Importance of Education to an Individual

Education involves a solid student/teacher relationship, as well as both student and teacher incorporating imagination into the teaching process. Both student and teacher must work together to reach an understanding of education in the classroom; this enables students to grasp full advantage of the material being taught by the teacher. Knowledge in most cases, allows you to see yourself, and to understand what you can produce. The most important aspect of education is change. Change is basically what education is; you are becoming educated and expanding your mind or in other words changing it. The more educated you become, the more able you are to approach the world, and the better off you are to introduce new thoughts to your society. A key example in demonstrating the teacher/student relationship and education as a whole, is explained by Sheldon Solomon. In Solomon's lecture on education, he discusses critical thinking and aesthetic awareness. Both, form creativity, and creativity equals change. Change, in the sense of altering ideas or approaching concepts from different angles as you become more educated and mature. Creativity allows you to take your ideas in any direction that you wish. When you start your education in elementary school you learn very easy concepts. As you proceed, you build upon early ideas with more advanced concepts. Your intuition increases through education and you have a broader background of facts and information to use. In addition to critical thinking, aesthetic awareness includes a change of your emotions. Deep visions start forming with all the information you have gathered through the years. Visions, in the sense of what the future will bring to one's life and what can be accomplished in the years to come. With these visions, students can determine what they want to do with the rest of their life. In addition, Professor Solomon includes a â€Å"dynamic interaction between active students and active teachers† (Solomon 9/9/99), as one of the five integral parts of a solid education. Students and teachers should work together to decide what and how they will be taught. The role of the professor is to keep the students interested, while the task of the students is to do what is asked of the professor. When students and teachers work together to find an effective and interesting way to learn material, the students don't have any excuse but take full advantage of the education that is being presented to them. To ensure student interest, a re-evaluation of the teaching methods should be reviewed every so often to keep the level of enthusiasm. One of the most important aspects of a person's education is the direction in which it takes you. The course the student wants to take is up to his or her imagination. As Alfred North Whitehead states, â€Å"imagination is not to be divorced from the facts: it is a way of illuminating the facts. It works by eliciting the general principles, which apply to the facts, as they exist, and then by an intellectual survey of alternative possibilities, which are consistent with those principles. In enables men to construct an intellectual vision of a new world, and it preserves the zest of life by the suggestion of satisfying purposes† (Whitehead, 15). Many individuals in my generation have very short attention spans. They can't be fully interested in school, without the freedom to express their own ideas and imagination. I believe that capturing student's interests involves acts of incorporating imagination in the classroom and being encouraged by the teacher. If this happens, students will use their talents to their fullest potentials â€Å"illuminating the facts. † Standard curriculum in schools can incorporate imagination as the key to students understanding boring information that they think they'll never use again in their life. An example of this is teaching mathematics, word for word, right out of the textbook in elementary school. The kids do the work mostly because they are required to do so rather than the desire to learn. If math is taught with objects on tables and a group interaction of the specific lesson is incorporated, a better understanding of the material will occur. These objects are the things that get you to imagine concepts and personal ideas. From an idea, imagination can spark the brain to open up to other possibilities and renditions of their original idea. A personal concept of an idea gives forth a creative personalized understanding. An excellent example of what a teacher should not aspire to is Gradgrind. I disagree with the narrow mind of Gradgrind, in Charles Dickens, â€Å"Hard Times for These Times. Teachers' should constantly doubt the credibility of the content and teaching methods. The idea of giving students a mass quantity of facts is very appealing because it will act in a way similar to an encyclopedia. However, Gradgrind failed to link these facts in an interesting, imaginative way. He was useless to his students and the students were useless to him. The clever point of this piece is the use of satire incorporated into Dickens' writing, clearly implying that the students should be incorporated into the teaching process. In no way, should they feel inferior, or feel like prisoners to the teacher. When a teacher dictates to students, they shut their brains and they become irritated by the teaching process. The teacher must provide encouragement plus interest with his or her students. Students want to accomplish work for themselves but also need the respect from their teachers to feel positive about their learning. When the teacher works at the level of the student it makes both feel equal, and better communication occurs, a friendship develops. Both student and teacher work together to reach this understanding of knowledge. My belief is that both students and teachers absolutely must work together to reach the ideal education. It is my experience that there will always be a disagreement of opinion about what and how students should learn, but in the end, I think that it is the responsibility of the students and their teachers to find this equality. If teachers weren't viewed as the dictators of life but rather education tools, I believe that students would get a little more out of the average education. Most importantly, teachers would be able to see the enjoyment of teaching, and find their jobs more rewarding.