Effective Legal Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Effective Legal Study - Essay Example The exchange of ideas can be done online in the course of legal study and research. 1 The purpose of a legal study and research will ensure the students the skills and knowledge required for a barrister. The assistance of IT in learning will enable the law students and researchers to speed up their study. According to Claire of University of West of England, web based guide can enhance the legal research skills in tutoring the law students. The guide must be useful to campus based and distance learners. The use of multimedia to enhance law teaching cannot be ignored. This results in growth of institutional repositories and open access journals will take place expanding the scope of knowledge reach. Every University and Law school can develop a web interactive guide for law students. This can enable not only campus based students to study law but also the distance learners can fulfil their quest for studying the law. This can even help the researchers who research for a particular project or assignment regarding Law. The project officer who monitors the development of interactive guide and its updating must monitor atleast for 2 to 3 days a week. The universities and law schools must consider the lack of budget for enhancing IT skills and web interaction for their students. The lack of budget problems can be addressed by the management and this interaction can make inter university discussion possible. The staff shortages due to lack IT skills must be addressed by the appropriate training for the present staff or by recruiting new staff who are IT savvy. 2 The librarians in the law faculty must be made involved in the development of web interactive guide for law students. This guide must be useful to law practitioners also if it is upgraded in a timely manner. The academic standards will improve if the web interactive guide was upgraded according to the time. The teaching hours can be increased by making teaching possible in leisure hours and holidays by online teaching and interacting methods. The personal contact programmes can be used for advanced research if the lessons and guidance was given online. The assignments correction and receiving can be done online and the evaluation of the student can be done in personal interaction at the end of the module. This type of approach is more sustainable to attract more students and making them successful in their law study and research. 3. Advantages of IT in Law Study and Research The complex nature of legal research can be made simpler by applying search IT skills for the research purposes. This can enhance efficiency and speed of the research. The IT skills and online presentations can address the staffing constraints in Law schools and Universities. The lack of enquiry on law floor can be addressed

Suicide Rates Statistics Analysis In India Sociology Essay

Suicide Rates Statistics Analysis In India Sociology Essay World Health Organization Assistant Director-General Catherine Le Gals-Camus finds that more people around the world die from suicide than other causes. 1. According to Dr Anuradha Bose, associate professor in pediatrics who also works for the CMCs department of community health, suicide is the third largest single cause of death among Indian youth between the ages of 15-19. One in every three cases of suicide in India is committed by people due to academic pressure. 2. A suicide is reported in India every 15 minutes and it is believed that there are many more cases of suicides that are not reported, so the actual number is very high. 3. Kerala, the state with the highest literacy rate in all of India also has the highest suicide rate which is an alarming factor for academic pressure. 4. The average suicide rate in India is 103 per 100,000 people compared with the worldwide average of 14.5 suicides per 100,000 people. 6. More than 100,000 people commit suicide in India every year and 3 people a day take their own lives in Mumbai. The rate of suicide among females in India is close to three times that of males. The average rate for suicide among males in India is 58 for every 100,000 and 148 for every 100,000 women. This is contradicting to the situation in other parts of the world where the rate of suicides is high among men rather than women. Females, in contrast to males, characteristically are more open to ask for medical help and to communicate their anxieties and fears to significant others. Males tend to be acutely aware of feelings of sexual inadequacy or inadequacy of masculinity and believe it shameful to communicate such feelings. This seems to hold true for college-age males and females as well as adolescents. POSSIBLE REASONS Although the reasons for suicide in students are likely as varied as the people who commit them, there are some primary reasons for the high suicide rate in India. Here are some of the most common reasons for committing suicide in India. 1. Pressure to perform: In this modern age, from the moment the child is born, hes brought up in a very competitive fashion. They are under tremendous pressure to deliver at schools well as sports and for competitive examinations. Parents and society expect a lot from the children and the pressure to perform is high. A lot of students contemplate suicide because they could not achieve the good scores expected by their parents. 2. Family conflict, including domestic violence: India is losing the support that has traditionally come from the joint family system, as many couples now opt to live on their own, away from the rest of the family. There is less bonding and interaction with the family members and the feeling of neglect make the children feel unwanted and they get depressed. 3. Ragging: In few cases, ragging in colleges has been found reason for suicide in their first year. The emotional and humiliating treatment that the seniors give the juniors, make them want to forget everything by ending their lives. 4. Copy-Cat: Another explanation for the high teenage suicide rate was copy-cat suicides where children read about suicides in newspapers and decide to do the same thing themselves. There have been many incidents where children try to imitate suicides scenes from movies for fun and end up getting killed 5. Virtual Lifestyle: These days children are hooked to videogames and computer. The internet can be considered as boon or bane. Children have been sucked into the virtual world and they have been so addicted to it that they find it hard to live in the real world. This has led to many suicides as they have not been able to become normal again The factors responsible behind the student suicide are quite different from other suicides like found in elders. The few trends have been observed in a survey in educational institutes across in US. Out of 2402 students, 1078 (45.8%) had psychological problems, half (1201 students) perceived problems in their role as students, 930 (45%) reported academic decline, 180 (8.82%) students reported that life was a burden, 122 (6%) reported suicidal ideas and 8 (0.39%) students reported suicidal attempt. There was significant correlation between students perception of life as a burden and class they were studying, mothers working status, psychological problems and problems students experienced in relation to study, peers, future planning and with parents. Risk Factors Biological Clues: Family history of mental illness including depression, puberty, cognitive impairments, disability, chronic illness, substance abuse, anxiety, mood disorders and conduct disorder Sociological: Contagion, peer pressure, family conflicts, drug and alcohol abuse, other abuse, academic pressures; expectations of school, family and self; break-up in a relationship, interpersonal losses, legal or disciplinary issues, bullying/harassment, negative social environment, victimization experiences Psychological: Negative self-talk like Im no good or I am not worthy; poor distress tolerance, poor resiliency, poor interpersonal problem-solving, black and white thinking, previous suicide attempt Existential: failure to see the good in the world, hopelessness: Whats the point its not going to change Communication The addressing of this social problem can be divided in two types- Proactive- Raising awareness among the students community at large at not to feel depressed and communicating that suicide is not an end to problems. Reactive This communication for those who need help right at the moment. As suicide tendency is very ephemeral  tendencies quite some time. If the patient can be counseled right at the moment than suicide can be avoided. I would propose an integrated communication plan across the channels as they have different reach and richness. Before going deeper we have to select the central communication idea for the campaign. As the basic problem is depression due to some failure , the value of life should be shown in all the campaign. The central idea can be Life is to live and not to end. You can end you life, not problems. The creative brief can be framed around what the chetan bhagat has mentioned in a address to students to a university- Dont be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing every day. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live?  Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? Its ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices. Mass communication- This can be divided further in different execution ideas- Movies: Few movies and documentary can be made which showcases the people who sometimes were depressed and thought of doing suicide have fought against the problem and become successful. The recently released film 3 idiots portrays such a character in which a brilliant student commits suicide due to failure in the exams. Textbooks:- Last page of text books can be devoted to such na motivationall stories about the people who did not do well in studies but able to make the histories in their field. People like Sachin Tendulkar , Bill gates , Mark Zukerberg who are college drop outs can be cited to make sure that text book and exams are not the end in itself. Newspapers:- The stories of committing suicide should not be given prime importance as it may promote the copycat to further to take the path. Society should not sympathize with the people who commit suicide as it gives a signal to potential person to reach that destination. Counseling: Every college should have time to time personal interaction with their students and family members on their academic performance and behavioral changes if any. Research shows that timely personal counseling is the most successful factor in preventing suicide cases. If needed, a professional psychologist can be sought for effective counseling. The counseling should be extended to parents and teachers. They also have to be educated that not every child can be best at everything and they have to find out their childs interest. Recently released movie Taree Zameen Par showcases this that every child is good at something and we have to nurture their interest rather than imposing their will on the students. Some psychologist suggests that parents drives the things which they were not able to do during their times through their child an in this process they go beyond the capabilities of the child. The overall personality of a student should be other parameter like sports and art also in students morale boosting. Help Line- Various help line is set up across the world who help the person who are depressed and counseling. Few of the most popular one are as below- http://www.samaritansofboston.org/ You are not alone. http://www.befrienders.org/ A helpline in Mumbai, called Aasra, has been operating for several years to tackle the problem. Connect to Young kids- Face book page Fight Against Growing Teenage SUICIDES having 768 likes In January Samaritans hosts an annual memorial service open to all suicide survivors. Dr. Anuradha Bose has begun a program of family life education, which includes information on sex and relationship for high school students which he hopes will help, but he admits its a small start to a big problem. Maharastra, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Bombay Psychiatry Society (BPS) have launched an intitiative Life is Beautiftul to locate syndromes of depression in child. They recently roped in Amir Khan as a Brand Ambassador fot hits. Campaign Motivation Parent Counseling Help line-

Hunger in Richard Wrights Black Boy :: Wright Black Boy Essays

Hunger in Black Boy Have you ever experienced real hunger? The kinds of hungers that Richard experiences in Black Boy are not evident in the society where you and I reside. The present middle class citizens cannot really relate to true physical hunger. Hunger for most of us is when there is nothing that we desire to eat around the house and therefore skip one meal. This cannot even compare to the days that Richard endures without food. Physical hunger, however, is not the only hunger apparent in Richard's life. Richard suffers from emotional and educational hungers as well. He yearns for such things as mere association with others and simple books to read. Both of which are things that most people take for granted. This efficacious autobiography, Black Boy, by Richard Wright manifests what it is like to desire such simple paraphernalia. From a very early age and for much of his life thereafter, Richard experiences chronic physical hunger. "Hunger stole upon me slowly that at first I was not aware of what hunger really meant. Hunger had always been more or less at my elbow when I played, but now I began to wake up at night to find hunger standing at my bedside, staring at me gauntly" (16). Soon after the disappearance of Richard's father, he begins to notice constant starvation. This often reappears in his ensuing life. The type of hunger that Richard describes is worse than one who has not experienced chronic hunger can even imagine. "Once again I knew hunger, biting hunger, hunger that made my body aimlessly restless, hunger that kept me on edge, that made my temper flare, that made my temper flare, hunger that made hate leap out of my heart like the dart of a serpent's tongue, hunger that created in me odd cravings" (119). Because hunger has always been a part of Richard's lifestyle, he cannot even imagine eating meat every day. This simple privilege would be a miracle to him, yet to most it is nothing. These weakening and piercing hungers are frequently evident where poverty dwells in the Jim Crow South. Furthermore, emotional hunger also represses much of Richard's life. Richard desires attention from people. However, since he does not

Effects of Polio on Society Essay

Polio had existed in society for a long time in history, although not as big a problem in history as in the 20th century, when greater emphasis was put on sanitation and children stopped getting the disease as babies. The effects of this disease on society were great. People feared that tomorrow they or their family members or friends would catch polio. Although polio has been significantly reduced in numbers, it still continues to exist in Africa and some parts of Asia. People are still infected with polio, and there are still global initiatives for the eradication of polio. These initiatives are not very effective as recently, in Africa there has been a controversy in Kano, Nigeria, chaired by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero and Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, who have put a lid on the federal government’s hope to get the people of Kano to use polio vaccines from the federal government. The reason they are against the polio vaccine is that there were many contaminated vaccine being supplied there, and they do not want to risk the lives of several Kano children. Official Ezio Gianni Murzi said that while polio had nearly been eradicated globally, Nigeria had recorded an increase of 40% in cases so far in 2003 compared to 2002. Whatever the reason for this may be, at least three northern states have opposed the preventive measures against polio after Islamic leaders blamed the vaccines on being a secret US plan to depopulate Africa. Situations such as these are defering the goal of global polio eradication. The eradication is still close to being achieved, as WHO estimates that new worldwide polio cases fell to just 3,200 in 1998. Reported cases of the disease have dropped by 90% in the last decade after the WHO launched a worldwide vaccination campaign. The number of people suffering from polio around the world is now estimated to be around 35,000. But as many as 20 million people in the world are still suffering from the effects of the poliomyelitis virus. This virus causes paralysis and difficulties walking and breathing. But it can easily be eradicated because it is difficult to catch. It is only spread person to person contact and cannot live long outside the body. The only WHO region which is polio free are the Americas. But Europe, the Western Pacific and parts of North and Southern Africa have had no recent cases. They will be considered free of the disease only when they have gone three consecutive years with no reported cases. Polio can easily be rid of as a result of the cheapness and effectiveness of the vaccine. It costs only $3 per child. However, problems such as war and basic health infrastructure make it difficult to carry out immunisation programs in some countries. In August 1998, for example, the Democratic Republic of Congo was forced to suspend its programme because of the ongoing fighting. But in other countries affected by war temporary ceasefires have been held so health workers can carry out immunisation programmes. Another problem, apparently in South Asia, is the population problem, as health workers find it difficult to contain the population.

Aero-Space Engineering †The New Field of Engineering

Aero-space engineering is a new field of engineering that has tight links with the fields of astro-physics, theoretical physics, chemistry, structural engineering, and space dynamics. It is definitely an old form of engineering if we refer to the space launch in the 1960’s, but this field is considered new because the new theoretical propositions in both space chemistry and astro-physics were put to test. New methods deserved new application. First, aero space engineers takes part in the designing of launch pads stationed in a body of water, say in the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. Engineers in the 1960’s to 70’s faced the difficulty of achieving bouyancy of launch pads due to some miscalculations or rudimentary tools. Because of advances in theoretical physics, these calculations were corrected. Aero-space engineers were able to develop launch pads that can be released from bodies of water. They were also able to develop spacecraft parts that can withstand the temperature in space. They were also the once who developed highly efficient landing tools for rovers and the Viking satellites. Because of the difficulty of their work, an aero-space engineer has to study the environment of a place (a planet or satellite) before the major design for a landing probe start. They would have to consult with other scientists trained in other fields to get data and advice. They would have to coalesce these pieces of data to dvelop or modify space equipments. The more complicated the data, the more complicated is the resulting technology. It is then of no doubt that an aero-space engineer would have to take a wide range of courses from ecology to physics to astro-physics. This would ensure that the would-be aero-space engineer has a wide-range of knowledge when it comes to design and modification. Although aero-space engineering is offered only in some American universities, its prospect for the future is great. There is a wide array of possibilities waiting for any graduate of the new field. NASA is offering wide range of job (highly paid) for these graduates. Reference: The Princeton Review. Career Profiles: Aero-Space Engineer. Princeton Review Publishing, 1997. Related links: http://www.discoverengineering.org/Engineers/aerospace_engineering.asp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerospace_engineering   

Free Essays on Biblical References In One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

â€Å"Now he’s nailed against the wall†¦ in the same shape, arms out, palms cupped, with the same horror on his face† (Kesey 14). After the Big Nurse overloaded Ellis with electro-shock therapy, she nailed him to the wall in the shape of a cross. This is just one of the many examples in the novel, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, which is similar to an event that happened in Biblical times. Although most people consider the novel to be a comical book, many of the characters in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest relate in many ways to people from the New Testament of the Bible. One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a novel about patients in an insane asylum. The main character, McMurphy, comes into the ward as a new patient and immediately lets everyone know that he is the â€Å"Bull Goose Looney† (which is his phrase for the leader of the patients on the ward). The other men are intrigued and somewhat hold back from him at first. The narrator, Chief Bromden, is half-Indian. He pretends to be deaf and dumb in order to beat the horrible system in which the patients are forced to follow daily. As the story progresses, McMurphy rebels against the Big Nurse, and encourages the other patients to stand up for themselves. The Big Nurse says that he is hurting the therapy that she gives the patients, when ironically he is probably the most therapeutic person to ever come to the ward. Many compare McMurphy to Jesus Christ because he has many of the same characteristics. When he came onto the ward, the other patients did not immediately accept him. They were all wondering who he was and why he always had such a positive attitude. This is similar to Jesus’ childhood, because people were somewhat afraid of the things that he said and the potential power he could hold. McMurphy began to preach to the other patients, helping to show them the ways that the Big Nurse and the black boys were mistreating them. When he get... Free Essays on Biblical References In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Free Essays on Biblical References In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest â€Å"Now he’s nailed against the wall†¦ in the same shape, arms out, palms cupped, with the same horror on his face† (Kesey 14). After the Big Nurse overloaded Ellis with electro-shock therapy, she nailed him to the wall in the shape of a cross. This is just one of the many examples in the novel, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, which is similar to an event that happened in Biblical times. Although most people consider the novel to be a comical book, many of the characters in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest relate in many ways to people from the New Testament of the Bible. One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a novel about patients in an insane asylum. The main character, McMurphy, comes into the ward as a new patient and immediately lets everyone know that he is the â€Å"Bull Goose Looney† (which is his phrase for the leader of the patients on the ward). The other men are intrigued and somewhat hold back from him at first. The narrator, Chief Bromden, is half-Indian. He pretends to be deaf and dumb in order to beat the horrible system in which the patients are forced to follow daily. As the story progresses, McMurphy rebels against the Big Nurse, and encourages the other patients to stand up for themselves. The Big Nurse says that he is hurting the therapy that she gives the patients, when ironically he is probably the most therapeutic person to ever come to the ward. Many compare McMurphy to Jesus Christ because he has many of the same characteristics. When he came onto the ward, the other patients did not immediately accept him. They were all wondering who he was and why he always had such a positive attitude. This is similar to Jesus’ childhood, because people were somewhat afraid of the things that he said and the potential power he could hold. McMurphy began to preach to the other patients, helping to show them the ways that the Big Nurse and the black boys were mistreating them. When he get...

Free Essays on The 1960

After the 1960’s another extraordinary and well known period known as the Sixties, had both a positive and negative affect on society. John F. Kennedy youngest president to be elected was a Democrat from Massachusetts who promised â€Å"to get America moving again†. Other positive influences such as the civil rights movement outlawed discrimination in public accommodations, housing, and jobs; increased federal power to prosecute civil rights abuses. Specialized programs such as the Peace Corps, Alliance for Progress offered economic assistance. United States race with the Soviet Union in science and technology took further advances. Beside from these positive affects negative changes took place. Political assassinations, Cuban missile crisis, and discrimination based on color of skin reduced the accomplishments that could have taken place. In my opinion sports and games wasn’t very prominent in the 60’s, but rather a thing people did and watched to enjoy themselves. At first baseball, boxing, and football was something everyone was into and did. It was in the 60’s when basketball became recognized. Wilt Chamberlain was basketball's unstoppable force, the most awesome offensive force the game has ever seen. If asked to name the greatest players ever to play basketball, most fans would put Wilt Chamberlain at or near the top of the list. In boxing, Paterson vs. Linston was one of the outstanding matches ever seen and heard. Skiing was also a new sport, and in this Jackie Kennedy was the first woman to ski. Car racing was also another hobby for people in the 60’s. In baseball, 1962, Jackie Robinson the first black American to play in major league baseball was placed in the Baseball Hall of Fame for his talent. John F. Kennedy was described as rich, optimistic, one who had a good sense of humor and strong sense of found. The election in 1960 John F. Kennedy vs. Richard M. Nixon was televised to 70 million viewers. Because JK...

Spanish Words for Use Around the Home

Spanish Words for Use Around the Home If youre like most of us, chances are you spend more time at home than you do anywhere else. So if youre looking at expanding your Spanish vocabulary, you might consider starting with some of the places youre most familiar with. Following, then, are the most common Spanish words used for places and items in the house. Note that many of the words can vary with region, and many of the words can have other meanings in other contexts. For example, while dormitorio is a common word for bedroom, it also can refer to the sleeping car of a train. Rooms and Areas of the House attic: el tico, el desvn, el entretechobasement: el sà ³tanobathroom: el baà ±o, el cuarto de baà ±o, el retretebedroom: el dormitoriocloset, wardrobe: el armario, el roperocourtyard: el patioden, study: el estudiodining room: el comedorentryway: la entradafamily room: la estancia, el cuarto de estargarage: el garage, la cocherakitchen: la cocinaliving room: la sala de estar, el salà ³nroom: el cuarto Words for Built-in Features ceiling: el techocupboard: el armario, la despensadoor: la puertaelectrical socket: el enchufe (de pared)faucet: el grifofloor: el suelo (floor that is walked on), el piso (level of a building)(kitchen) counter: el mostrador (de cocina), la encimera (other words are also used in various areas)lamp: la lmparalight: la luz, la lmpara, la lmpara de techo (ceiling light), el plafà ³n (ceiling light)mirror: el espejoroof: el tejadosink: el fregadero, el fregadero de cocina (kitchen sink), el fregadero de baà ±o (bathroom sink)stairs: la escalera, las escalerastoilet: el vter, el wter, el inodoro, el servicio, el retretewall: la pared (inside), el muro (outside)window: la ventana Words for Appliances and Furniture bed: la camablender: la licuadorachair: la sillachest of drawers: la cà ³modacouch, sofa: el sof, el divndishwasher: el lavavajillas, el lavaplatos, el friegaplatos (These are all compound nouns.)drier (for clothes): la secadorairon: la planchaoven: el horno (el horno microondas, or simply el microondas, microwave oven)stove: la estufa, la cocina (usage varies with region)table: la mesatoaster: el tostador, la tostadoravacuum cleaner: la aspiradorawasher (for clothes): la lavadora

PARAPHRASE chapter 13 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PARAPHRASE chapter 13 - Essay Example ties better than competitors perform, a firm is potentially able to create more value than its competitors do.  Frequently, strategic positions in a firm can be classified into two broad categories, namely a cost advantage or a differentiation advantage. Should a firm beat others in activities that breed superior differentiation or in activities that create reduced expenses, its strategic standing should correspond to these activities. A firm can conveniently outsource its value-added activities to other firms that can do such activities at a relatively lower cost. However, a firm should refrain from outsourcing activities which though can be performed cheaply by other firms would lead it to subject itself to considerable transactions costs and hold. Chandler holds the view that capital-intensive industries enjoy economies of scale. Industries that can produce in large quantities can achieve considerable reductions in costs. A crucial ingredient of a few firms that will control the market and be successful is if they continue producing throughout. The marketing department is charged with identifying markets, securing distribution and determining the price at which the firm can sell its increased output. There exists few natural sources of economies of scale in labor-intensive industries hence big firms have no intrinsic cost advantage over small firms. Where there are many firms and absent product differentiation, the market will be dominated by few opportunities for profits. A key function of the marketing department is to distinguish the firm’s products in the mind of the consumer.  The department turns out to be a central origin of value in the firm. Successful differentiation on the other hand is capable of turning the market monopolistically competitive or oligopolistic where image differentiation is immensely successful. Marketing steers this progression of market structure. An experience good refers to a product whose quality is only assessable after

Economical Impacts of Earthquakes on Society Annotated Bibliography

Economical Impacts of Earthquakes on Society - Annotated Bibliography Example By outlining the factors according to the importance, the authors have been able to discuss the involvement of community in the whole process of re-building and constructing the society in broader manner to tackle the issues like massive destruction that can be faced when an earthquake hit the country. This website discusses the Hazard US model for estimating the various impacts of earthquake including the economic impact of the same. This model is a unique model as it can allow to estimate the impact if earthquake happen in future including assessing the structural damage that can happen as a result of any earthquake. This book basically discusses the scientific analysis of the earthquakes from geological point of view and attempt to outline the various scientific tools and methods available that can be utilized to study the various impacts of earthquakes on the society. Discussing purely from the point of geology, this book also narrates the various economic implications of the earthquake on the society. This book also discusses the historical perspectives of the earthquakes and their overall impacts on the society as and when such large catastrophic events took place. This webpage discusses very thoroughly the various scientific basis of the earthquake, how happens and what are the different internal processes that actually happen within the crust of the earthquake to cause the damage. This webpage also discusses the societal impact of earthquakes including discussing as to how society and individual perceive the earthquakes and its dynamic impacts on the society. This study outlines the overall preparedness of the society in the wake of earthquake by studying the San Francisco earthquake. The results of this survey indicate that the overall preparedness of the individuals is at its minimum and authorities need to create a strong awareness regarding the potential impacts of the earthquake on the society and what should be the

The Importance of Developing and Using Cultural Stereotypes to Improve Essay - 1

The Importance of Developing and Using Cultural Stereotypes to Improve Cross-Cultural Communication - Essay Example Throughout history, humans have experienced both fascinations with and trepidation towards the other - understood as different nationalities, but also [as] any group of people perceived as different - perhaps in terms of so-called ethnicity, religion, political alignment, class or caste, or gender (Eunson, 2005). Thus, communication techniques should be based on certain cultural stereotypes, which should be taken into account in intercultural communication. The given paper will prove that learning and developing cultural stereotypes will help improve intercultural communication. It is determined that individual from a certain state may apply his own communication techniques during business negotiations or simply communicating with people from the foreign country he visited on vacation (Carbaugh, 1990). His behavior may not be typical for the country he arrived in. This atypicalness may cause difficulties or even frustration. In negotiations, for example, there can be dramatic differences in the way people define their opening positions, use tactics, persuade and listen. Even the practice of haggling over a price is an integral part of some cultures - which many revel in and Thus, the study of cultural stereotypes is necessary for effective cross-cultural communication. If one makes attempts to generalize about the behavior of people from the certain culture, he may need to identify, which age or society group of that particular culture he analyses. The region of the country a person came from should be also taken into account (York, 1994). Though it is necessary to learn and develop cultural stereotypes, this process contains a lot of difficulties that should be overcome. Scientists create special models to help overcome these difficulties (Mearns, 2009). When the primary variant of Hofstede's model of culture was introduced in the 1980s, it drew the attention of many scientists at once. The approach of the model is unique, and it is significant not only because of considering definite cultures but for making comparisons (Fishburn, 1995).

WAS BARRY GOLDWATER MISREPRESENTED BY THE MEDIA Research Paper

WAS BARRY GOLDWATER MISREPRESENTED BY THE MEDIA - Research Paper Example Media uses this phenomenon and controls us in many ways, as to how we remember events and people, thus effectively shaping our opinions. The power of media to shape opinions has always been lucrative to politicians. Consequently what the media shows us may not be the reality as portrayals and images sometimes lie in the category of paid-content, which is of course unreliable. Great leaders and politicians have always been a target for the media’s strident and harsh remarks. Barry Goldwater, â€Å"a five-term U.S. senator from Arizona and a champion of conservatism whose 1964 presidential candidacy who launched a revolution within the Republican Party† (Barnes, â€Å"Barry Goldwater†), is one victim herein. During that era he was also known as Mr. Conservative for his articulate, blunt and charismatic approach in political dealings. Politicians and leaders all over the globe still admire him for his values and have set him as a benchmark for themselves. This resea rch paper aims to briefly show how and why the media misinterpreted Barry Goldwater. Liberals during the 60’s had left no stone unturned to term Barry Goldwater as a racist and to tarnish his image in public but Goldwater stood as a man of principle and courage. He fought back to each and every allegation that was pointed towards him. It might be not be an overstatement to suggest that he had more enemies than friends but despite this fact, his political career had always been applauded. And even at this present day, it remains as interesting as it was back in the 60’s. To begin with, the first thing that needs discussion is his presidential elections in 1964 in which he had to face a crushing defeat by 16 million votes from Lyndon B. Johnson. Many factors contributed towards this but the most important of all was the misrepresentation of Barry Goldwater’s persona by the liberals. Moreover, the assassination of John F. Kennedy also contributed to his defeat, as it was discovered that he has been shot dead by someone with a Goldwater sticker on his forehead. So heartbroken was Goldwater at that time that he gave out a blunt statement, which further added to his criticism, i.e. â€Å"This is a great country, where anybody can grow up to be president...except me† (â€Å"Barry Goldwater†). Liberals were the actual culprits who misinterpreted him through media but in actuality, he was a staunch conservative with strong and practical thoughts, which if implemented, could have out casted the liberals. In the presidential elections of 1964 he was stereotyped as a nuclear war monger by the media. This was reinforced again and again by airing a television ad where a child was shown picking daisies counting down each petal till it reached one and then an atomic bomb exploding into a mushroom cloud with an announcer announcing in the background that these are the stakes so better vote for Johnson. By using tactics such as these, Goldwate r was highly misrepresented. Initially the liberals termed him as a racist because they said that he was a segregationist who would not allow equality and would not give an equal standing to every individual in the country. It all began when he insisted that he would vote for the approval of 1964 civil rights act if and only if section 2 on equal employment opportunity was removed. From then onwards, started a battle of allegations and misperceptions. People started calling him racist. They were aware

Self-Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self-Assessment - Essay Example The value of quality communication skills is immeasurable especially when it comes to creating personal development and creating relationships. I tend to think of myself as outgoing and love initiating warm up conversations with people (Robbins, 2008). In an attempt to determine my strengths and weaknesses in terms of communication, I took a test on face-to-face communication style. The results, which prove what my peers think of me, indicate that I have a stronghold in the areas of being friendly, attentive to matters and contentious (Robbins, 2008). In addition, I appeared not only secretive about my own issues but to also leave an impression on people. My weak point according to the test on the face-to-face communication style include not being effective in delivering message to a group, being a loud communicator and finding it difficult to control myself in a heated debate. Several factors contributed to the perception by my peers that I am friendly. The first attribute was that I ordinarily introduce myself and give a handshake coupled with a smile, every time I meet a new person (Robbins, 2008). My peers were of the view that I tend to show effort in remembering the names of individuals. Most of my friends stated that I tend to associate the names of individuals close to me with a unique feature. To add to that is the perception that I often use courtesy words for instance Thank you and your welcome. According to Robbins (2008), with regard to the issue of paying attention to detail, majority of my peer argued that I occasionally make a lot of eye contact and nod my head to show understanding on an issue. My body language says it all as depending on the environment, I usually lean forward on the side of the speaker thereby indicating focus on the message. The perception of my contentiousness arises from the judgment that I argue my points from facts.

Women's suffrage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Women's suffrage - Essay Example It is against these back drops that I want to bring to your attention the historical background of women suffrage, and finally deal with the missing link, argument against women suffrage. To achieve this objective, I have arranged my paper, into two main parts, in the first part, I have discussed broadly about the history of human suffrage, and then on the last part, I have considered the arguments against, women suffrage. To begin with I need to provide, the historical background of women suffrage, and it is to this that I now start with In 1776 Abigail Adams had written to her husband John Adams to ask him to remember ladies when they wrote the new laws. But the next year women lost the right to vote in New York. Three years later women lost their rights of vote in Massachusetts. And In 1784 women also lost their rights voting in New Hampshire. â€Å"Three years later voting qualifications were placed in the hands of the states by the U.S. Constitutional Convention, and women lost the right to vote in all states but New Jersey. Women lost their rights of voting in New Jersey in the year 1807† (Timeline of Womens Suffrage in the United States 2012). Anti-slavery associations were formed in the early 1830’s. In 1836 Angelina Grimke appealed to southern women by speaking out against slavery. And the Pastoral Letter of General Association of Massachusetts to Congressional Churches Under Their Care were put into operation against women speaking about slavery in a negative way in a public place (Liddington 1978). In 1840 a World Anti-Slavery Convention was held in London but women were prohibited from being a part due to their sex. Elizabeth Cady Stanton presented the Equal Voting Rights at the first Women’s Rights Convention held in the Seneca Fall, in New York in 1848. Another Women’s Rights Convention was held two years later in Salem, Ohio. That same year the first National Women’s Rights Convention was held in Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1861 in

Self-Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self-Assessment - Essay Example The value of quality communication skills is immeasurable especially when it comes to creating personal development and creating relationships. I tend to think of myself as outgoing and love initiating warm up conversations with people (Robbins, 2008). In an attempt to determine my strengths and weaknesses in terms of communication, I took a test on face-to-face communication style. The results, which prove what my peers think of me, indicate that I have a stronghold in the areas of being friendly, attentive to matters and contentious (Robbins, 2008). In addition, I appeared not only secretive about my own issues but to also leave an impression on people. My weak point according to the test on the face-to-face communication style include not being effective in delivering message to a group, being a loud communicator and finding it difficult to control myself in a heated debate. Several factors contributed to the perception by my peers that I am friendly. The first attribute was that I ordinarily introduce myself and give a handshake coupled with a smile, every time I meet a new person (Robbins, 2008). My peers were of the view that I tend to show effort in remembering the names of individuals. Most of my friends stated that I tend to associate the names of individuals close to me with a unique feature. To add to that is the perception that I often use courtesy words for instance Thank you and your welcome. According to Robbins (2008), with regard to the issue of paying attention to detail, majority of my peer argued that I occasionally make a lot of eye contact and nod my head to show understanding on an issue. My body language says it all as depending on the environment, I usually lean forward on the side of the speaker thereby indicating focus on the message. The perception of my contentiousness arises from the judgment that I argue my points from facts.

Paper on THE KORAN and how it deals with 3 issues listed below Research

On THE KORAN and how it deals with 3 issues listed below - Research Paper Example According to the Muslims the words of The Koran are indisputable and can never be changed by a human being. Various researches, conducted across the world, showed that the words of The Koran are the same as they were at the time of revelation i-e fourteen hundred years ago. The Koran covers many themes but we are going to discuss three chief subjects discussed in The Koran. They are Suicide, Holy War (Jihad) and the use of Alcohol. By going through the various verses of The Koran, we find it lucid and apparent that the suicide is austerely banned in The Koran and there are no exceptions to it. The philosophy of The Koran Says that life is a beautiful thing and it is the gift of Almighty Allah to the human being. It furthers describes that only Allah has the right to take his gift back. No human being is allowed to do so. And if he does, he will face the Wrath of Allah. Not only this that particular human being will never be allowed to enter the paradise. As the Last Prophet Muhammad Says Though it is clear that suicide is strictly forbidden in Islam, but sacrificing life in the Holy war (Jihad) is allowed in Islam. In fact according to The Koran one who fights for the prosperity and the advancement of the religion and sacrifices his life, he will not only be given direct entrance to the paradise but he will also be blessed by the Almighty Allah. â€Å"And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah; but if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who practise oppression.† [Al-Qur’an 2:192-193] It should also be noted that Allah has allowed this Holy war only against the forces of terror and corruption not against the normal and innocent human being. It does not matter to which religion they belong. There are various type of Jihad described in Islam. Jihad varies from pen to

Accounting Audit: Case Study

Accounting Audit: Case Study The inventory valuation is done on cost basis, while the NRV (Net realizable value) is 10% below the cost. As per the accounting standards in Australia governed by the AASB, the inventory valuation is done based on the basis of lower of cost or realizable value, whichever is lower, which is as per the guidelines laid down under the provisions of AASB 102. However, since the cost is of higher value in comparison to the realizable value, the system followed here reflects the inventory at higher value, which is not the fair value of inventory and contravenes AASB 102. This is the just and fair opinion of independent auditor. In view of this, the audit opinion expressed is fully justified. The inventory should reflect the fair value of the inventory and the cost basis does not reflect the fair value of the inventory as per acceptable accounting principles. Hence the system of accounting followed should be subjected to fair audit, and corrective measures should be taken for rectification. Further, the opinion expressed by the auditor should be an adverse opinion, since the accounting systems and practices followed by the company contravenes the principles and concepts of accounting and the provisions as per AASB and the Corporations Act, 2001 given the materiality of the information and facts reported by the company and the fairness in the reporting of the financial statements. The client has entered into a real estate contract of purchasing some property and developing shopping complex, and further selling the same to an unrelated third party at a profit-based (cost-plus) basis of settlement price. As the real estate markets fell and the rates had dropped, the purchaser sued the client on the basis that as he relied on markets and rates forecasted by the client, he was not getting the forecasted prices in the market because of recessionary conditions in the market. In view of the uncontrollable market conditions resulted due to no fault of the client, the auditor opined that the client need not pay any damages as he is not liable for any loss due to uncontrollable factors in the market over which client has no control. In view of this, the opinion of the auditor is just and fair. Moreover, when the transaction that has taken place between the purchaser and the client, the client is supposed to have information about the risks such transactions are exposed to. The market risk is covered under AASB7, which deals with the various risks arising under financial transactions. In view of the above, the auditors opinion with regard to client liability for loss is fair and fully justified. However, sensitivity analysis has to be conducted with respect to the variable parameters and the methods followed for the sensitivity analysis. The impact of the price analysis or forecasting is studied on the basis of the changes in these variables. In this case, as the client is not part of the final transaction pertaining to the sale after the completion of the deal, the client and its management is not liable. The entire risk in this case is to be borne by the purchaser himself who has to bear the entire market risk. Market risks are not part of any deal between parties. Hence, the auditors opinion that the client is not liable for the damages legally is fair and correct. Moreover, since there is always the probability of (market) risk involved due to price fluctuations, it is the presence of market forces which could have gone either way. The probability of loss to the client in the event of the markets falling could not be underestimated. Hence, the opinion here of the auditor should be a disclaimer opinion (a category of Qualified opinion) since the best forecast of the estimates could go wrong and hit either side and the auditor could not be held liable for the estimation or forecasting based on market factors (external), given the information and facts available to the auditor for forming an opinion about the companys accounting policy. (iii) In this case, there is a small NFP or Not-for-profit organization, which can be characterized by a high % (completion) of total revenue and, in such a organizational framework, the internal control degree is low. In view of this, the % completeness of revenues and the risks associated with auditing are also high. Larger the size of the NFP organization, lower the completion % of total revenue and better control over internal control and in turn, lower the risks associated with As the degree of internal controls is low, the auditors assertion of poor audit evidence and lack of control over the revenue completeness is correct and fair. Hence, the opinion issued by the auditor is one of disclaimer type in view of the limited scope or horizon and the limitations of the auditor in terms of the audit evidence provided or made available to the auditor to give the fair and independent opinion and the materiality of the information given. So there is a limitation of scope of the auditors examination. (iv) The company is follows the accounting policy of not disclosing the directors fees in its financial reports. Since the disclosure of directors fees is mandatory as per Corporations Act, 2001, (Australian corporation and securities legislation, 2001), the assertion and opinion of the auditor with regard to the materiality or otherwise of the fees does not hold well. The Materiality arises when it affects (i) decision making with regard to resource allocation (ii) accountability of management. The point of materiality is covered under AASB 1031 of the Australian Accounting Standards Board. Since as per the Govt. of Australias guidelines issued with respect to disclosure of directors fees is mandatory, non-compliance with the same or non-disclosure may lead to penalties for non-compliance on the part of the management and the auditors of the violating company. Hence, in view of contravention and non-compliance with the acceptable financial reporting policies, the auditor needs to give a qualified report. (v) The management of the company estimates the provision for bad debts at $550000. The audit arrives at the fair and reasonable estimate at 655000. The management of the company has refused to accept the figures of estimated given by the company for it would reduce the ne profit to the extent of $105000. Bad and doubtful debts are classified into recoverable and irrecoverable debts. Under the accounting norms for bad debts as per the Corporations Act, 2001, the irrecoverable debts are written off. The recoverable debts are those which are likely to be recovered and provision in respect of which is make in the financial statements of the year. Provision for Doubtful debts is under Section 237 of the Corporations Act, 2001 and AASB 124. In the Income Statement, the provision for doubtful debts is shown as a loss, while in the Balance Sheet, the provision is reduced from the Trade debtors as Net Debtors and is shown under current liability on its own (Current liabilities and provisions). A udit of accounting estimation follows the procedure collection of audit evidence, ascertaining and assessing the reasonability or otherwise of the accounting estimates, revising and renewing the estimates, and reviewing the subsequent events. As the materiality factor is involved in the accounting for the estimated figure of provision for doubtful debts, the report would not give a fair view of the financial report for the period and hence the auditor should give an adverse report indicating that the accounts do not reflect fairness in its state of affairs and financial position. (vi) In the case, the company has cash balances maintained in a foreign bank account situated in a foreign country or location. In this case, since there is no substantial audit evidence to enable the auditor to form an unbiased, independent opinion, the auditor can only give a subjective, qualified (limited scope) opinion on the reasonable grounds of his best professional expert judgment and experience, which may even be based on reasonable assumptions born out of facts available. Since the materiality figure is given, and the cash balance in the foreign account is just close to that figure, quantitative figures of materiality in the case do not hold good. Hence, the classification by the auditor of the entire cash balance held in the foreign account in the foreign location as current asset (asset required to meet short term obligation) is fully justified and the opinion given by him would be classified as disclaimer opinion, since the opinion does only reflect the best under the given circumstances and the facts. PART- B Introduction The auditor gives opinion of three types, in case of audit reports, namely, adverse, disclaimer, and qualified opinion in respect of the companys accounting norms, procedure and systems. Further, the audit of accounting estimates of the companys accounting procedure and practices would be generating modified, unqualified and qualified audit reports Executive Summary Under this report, we shall locate three annual reports from the appropriate sources mentioned in respect of three Australian companies listed in the ASX (Australian Stock Exchange) and also available in the CQU website. In these audited reports, the auditors opinions qualified opinions, unqualified opinions, and modified opinion with a Matter of emphasis as expressed by the auditors in these reports are shown. The detailed opinions are written in respect of the three companies annual reports considered for reporting on the Audit analysis of the financial reports of companies. Finally, conclusions are drawn based on the analysis of these reports. Report Now let us discuss the various opinions expressed by the auditors in respect of the three annual reports of the companies (Refer Appendix) as under: QUALIFIED OPINION: A Qualified opinion may be issued where there is a disagreement with management concerning appropriate accounting policies, a conflict between applicable financial reporting frameworks, or a limitation on the scope of the audit. A Qualified opinion can be used only when the auditor believes that the overall financial report is fairly satisfied. (Arens, at.al, 2010) I have found the following company with the Qualified Audit opinion. Gerard Lighting Group Ltd: Gerard Lighting is a listed Australian Company in the power sector. As it is the major company in its product line, I have taken this company as an assignment subject so that the companys accounting policies and practices, a strong company in the infrastructure sector can be thoroughly studied and reviewed. The annual report of the company for Year ended 2009 has been studied and the features of its auditors report are as under: Audit of its accounting estimates of expenses (Fielder, 2010) incurred during the period. Evaluation and assessment of efficiency and adequacy of its processes and controls Independence of the external auditor has been certified and ensured despite the auditor being engaged in the non-audit professional activities A review of the directors forecast (historical), historical pro-forma financial statements and best estimates assumptions, based on external factors (judgmental and subjective) beyond ones control and scope, has been carried by the auditors, which is done as per the audit evidence and financial data available to the auditors which is insufficient for the purpose of audit, hence the auditors clearly state that this is just a review of the management activities and forecasting based on its core performance factors, not a complete full-fledged audit. Hence there is no opinion made by the auditors on the audit report in view of insufficient audit evidence with the auditor as per information provided by the company for the purpose of audit which indicates that the auditor does not undertake any responsibility and the auditors opinion is known as disclaimer opinion, (Arens, et. al, 2010) a classification of qualified opinion, having insufficient audit evidence to form unbiased, clear opini on. The independent external auditor KPMG of Gerard Lighting Group Ltd has expressed their satisfaction over the financial report prepared and presented by the board of directors. The auditors have assessed and verified the statement of comprehensive income of the group, change in equity and statement of cash flow on date of year ending as well as the summary of all the significant accounting policies that has been followed by the company and the notes presented by the company. The auditors have found that the board of directors has discharged their duties in fair way. They have ensured that company follows the appropriate policies. As an overall view of the auditor this report is true, fair and free from any material misstatement. UNQUALIFIED OPINION: An Unqualified opinion is the most common type of auditors report. An unqualified opinion is issued when the independent auditor believes that the companys financial statements are sound; that is, the statements are free from material misstatements. This is different from a qualified opinion which is issued when the independent auditor discover something in the financial statements that is subject to major concern. Harvey Norman Holdings This is a leading Australian listed company in the product segments integrated retail, banking and franchise. As a company based on very sound policies, principles and practices, we have considered it for the study. The annual report of the company for the Year ended 2009 have been studied. The features of its annual report are as under: The audit of the financial position for the year has been made as per the audit procedure and carried in terms of provisions laid down under the Corporations Act, 2010 (Australian corporation and securities legislation, 2001)and the Australian Accounting Standards Board. The independence of the auditor being certified and ensured despite the auditor engaged in non-audit professional activities. The compliance with the standards and opinion about the fairness of the financial position by the auditor. Given the sufficiency of audit evidence and financial information, the audit carried represents a full and fair position of the financial standing of the company, in the opinion of the auditor with regard to the auditors report. This is an unqualified report expressed with regard to the unbiased independent opinion of the auditor on the financial position of the company. Finally, the auditor gives an unconditional, unqualified opinion based on data made available for forming an independent opinion and has classified the reports as unqualified reports The Independent auditor Ernst and Young of Harvey Norman Holdings have found that the financial report for the year ending 30 June 2009 has been satisfactory under various rules and have expressed an unqualified opinion on the report. The auditors have found enough audit evidences from various judgments and procedures that the financial report prepared and presented by the management is true. As a whole the auditors has expressed their opinion that this financial report is true, fair and free from any material misstatements and has been prepared by complying with all the relevant rules and laws of land. MODIFIED OPINION: An Unqualified audit report with an emphasis of matter is appropriate for an audit with satisfactory results and a financial report that is fairly presented, but where the auditor is required to provide additional information (Arens, et. al, 2010) The company with Modified opinion with an emphasis of matter AXA Asia Pacific holdings: This is a major listed Australian company in the financial (insurance) sector and is considered for the purpose of the study due to its key market position and sound financial practices. The annual report of the company for Year ended 2009 has been studied and following are the features of its auditors report are: Audit of its accounting systems and procedures. Evaluation and assessment of sufficiency of audit evidence. Independence (Roebuuck Martinov-Bennie, 2010) of the external auditor has been certified and ensured despite the auditor being engaged in the non-audit professional activities. The auditor has expresses an unqualified report on the financial position and expressed compliance with the AASB1039 (Australian accounting standards board). (Audit of Accounting estimates issued by AARF on behalf of ASCPA ICAA AUS516, 1995) Materiality (Pflugrath, 2010) with regard to the facts and figures presented has been checked and ascertained by the auditor and their conformance with the Australian accounting standards has been ensured. The forecast data based on judgmental assumptions and the subjective decisions made by directors of the company have not been reviewed or subjected to any kind of review. Hence, this is an aspect of a modified opinion with matter of emphasis. Considering the adequacy of sufficient information for giving true position of the financial state of affairs of the company, unqualified opinion has been given in the auditors report. The auditor Price Waterhouse Cooper has expressed their satisfaction over the independence of the external auditors and the financial reports of the AXA Asia Pacific prepared by the management under the Corporations Act 2001 and Australian accounting Standards as well as International Financial Reporting Standards. The auditors has found enough auditing evidences those indicates that this financial report of AXA Asia Pacific is true and has been complied with all the ethical and regulatory norms stated under Corporation Act 2001, Australian Accounting Standards while preparing financial reports. The auditors have said that this report is free from any material misstatement. On overall basis the auditors have found the financial report true, fair and free of any material misstatement and has complied all the rules and laws that governs and are relevant for a corporation having business in Australia (Annual Report, 2009 AXA Asia Pacific Holdings Limited). Conclusions We have studied a report based on the audit opinions expressed by the auditors regarding the accounting records based on the sufficiency of the audit evidence supplied and the audit plans carried out by the auditor. In all the cases, to the extent of the information supplied, they (auditors) have made independent opinions with regard to compliance with the Accounting standards of Australia (AASB) and compliance with the Corporations Act, 2001 and have qualified their opinions to the extent of the forecast and best estimates made by the management based on their subjective judgment and perception and also made opinions with regard to the fairness of these financial reports. From the analysis and review of the above companies, we can draw the following brief inferences with regard to Qualified, Unqualified, and Modified reports: GLG Qualified opinion HRH Unqualified opinion AAPH- Modified opinion with matter of emphasis.

Internalism vs Externalism :: essays research papers

Internalism vs. Externalism Knowledge can be achieved either through the justification of a true belief or for the substantive externalist, through a â€Å"natural or law like connection between the truth of what is believed and the person’s belief† (P.135). Suppose a man named George was implanted with a chip at birth, which causes him to utter the time in a rare Russian dialect. His girlfriend Irina, who happens to speak the same Russian dialect, realizes that every time she taps his shoulder, he tells her the time and he is always right. She knows that he is right because she checks her watch. Because she thinks this is cute, she never tells him what it is that he is saying. One day, Irina’s watch breaks but instead of getting it fixed, she just taps George on the shoulder whenever she needs to ask for the time. We may ask ourselves whether it is appropriate to claim that George has knowledge of the time every time he utters it. The answer is NO. Irina has been amused by his Russian utterances and has thus never told him what the words he says mean in English. So if Irina were to ask George what time it was, in English, he would be unable to tell her without looking at a watch or clock. This is due to the fact that when he speaks the time in Russian, his mind is not really referring to the time. The chip implanted in his brain clearly calculates the time on its own, not requiring the use of any of his bodily functions. The only interaction that the chip would have with George is to cause him to utter the appropriate numbers. So, since his brain is not involved in any calculating processes and all he does is utter the time in a foreign language, it is clear that George does not understand what he is saying. Without understand, it is obvious that he cannot form a belief based on what he are sa ying. If the requirement for knowledge is a true belief that is either justified or connected by natural law to a factual truth, then in the absence of a belief, there can be no knowledge. We may also ask ourselves whether Irina knows the time. The answer once again is NO. She believes that she knows the time because whenever she has tapped George on the shoulder, he has given her the correct time.

Roles of Colonial Militia and Continental Army in Winning the Revolutio

Roles of Colonial Militia and Continental Army in Winning the Revolutionary War When the fighting at Lexington and Concord broke out in 1775, the conflict unleashed a flood of resentment that had been building over the right of the colonies to govern themselves. This conflict became a symbol of the American fight for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." As James Kirby Martin and Mark Edward Lender argue in A Respectable Army: The Military Origins of the Republic, 1763-1789, the patriotic mythology of a united people fighting the tyrannical British oppressors for basic human rights permeated historical thought about the American Revolution until recently and obscured the inner conflicts that nearly destroyed the rebel effort (4). Martin and Lender maintain that the colonists did not develop a sense of national identity until after the Revolutionary War and that the lack of interest among the colonists in fighting for their cause prompted the use of the Continental Army to win the war. The authors also clearly regard the colonial militia with a great deal of contempt and spend a considerable amount of time discrediting them as an effective fighting force. There seems to be a fair amount of evidence, however, to indicate that some sense of nationhood existed prior to the Revolution, gaining momentum throughout the war but not firmly taking hold until after the war was over, and it was, in fact, the colonial militia that best exemplified that sense of nationalism. When the first settlers arrived in the New World, they attempted to transplant the European societal practices to which they were accustomed, but learned quickly that the wilderness of North America did not accommodate them. What resulted was the formati... ...had everything to lose and fought anyway better represented the national ideals for which they were fighting and it was for that reason that the public embraced them. The argument as to whether the colonial militia or the Continental Army deserves the most recognition in the war effort might never be settled. In some ways, the debate seems unnecessary. Winning the war combined more than just those two elements. If the French had not started a power struggle in Europe, the results would have been vastly different. If either the militia or the regulars had to fight the war alone, the results would have been vastly different. The laurels belong to no single group and should not be argued otherwise. Works Cited Martin, James Kirby, and Mark Edward Lender. A Respectable Army: The Military Origins of the Republic, 1763-1789. Wheeling, IL: Harlan Davidson, 1982.

Tracey †Wiersema Triple Axis (Operational Excellence)

Treacy and Wiersema assert that companies achieve leadership positions by narrowing, not broadening their business focus. Treacy and Wiersema identify three â€Å"value-disciplines† that can serve as the basis for strategy: operational excellence, customer intimacy, and product leadership. As with driving forces, only one of these value disciplines can serve as the basis for strategy. Treacy and Wiersema’s three value disciplines are briefly defined below: Operational Excellence: Strategy is predicated on the production and delivery of products and services. The objective is to lead the industry in terms of price and convenience. Customer Intimacy: Strategy is predicated on tailoring and shaping products and services to fit an increasingly fine definition of the customer. The objective is long-term customer loyalty and long-term customer profitability. Product Leadership: Strategy is predicated on producing a continuous stream of state-of-the-art products and services. The objective is the quick commercialization of new ideas. Dr. Franklin C. Lewis set up Energy Services Providers Inc. n October 2002, obtaining approvals from the New York Public Service Commission, the New York Independent System Operator, and various New York utilities. By April 2003 he started serving customers, from an office in his home on a quiet hill in Vermont. In 2005 ESPI became the largest electricity supplier in the National Grid territory in New York, with more accounts than any competitor, and by November 2007 the business became so big Lewis decided to move to premises in Williamstown, in the northwestern tip of Massachusetts. Some electricity suppliers attract new customers by offering amazing deals for three months, but require the customer to sign a contract for a year or two or more. ESPI does not have any contracts or cancellation fees. They just say, â€Å"try us and see. † Every company likes to advertise its customer service, but few live up to their promises. In the deregulated electricity market, however, ESPI has found that superior customer service is a sure way to differentiate itself. Many supply companies tend to do a churn and burn. They put telemarketers on to call a territory, get as many customers as they can, then go to the next territory. They don’t care whether those customers are saving money or not. † The ESPI business model is all about educating customers to save money on their electricity bills, which is a great incentive for new customers, and once they begin to realize the benefits, they tend to stay. Since deregulation, customers have been changing electric ity suppliers almost as fast as their socks, but ESPI can boast of customers who have remained loyal since 2003. Another service offered is help with grant applications to NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which offers grants to businesses for projects that will reduce their usage of electricity, whether by installing energy-efficient lighting or a new refrigeration unit. ESPI has experts who know exactly which form to fill out, how to do it, and they can walk you through it. ESPI dwells upon superb operations and execution. It is provided by their reasonable quality at very low cost. They have a task-oriented vision towards personnel which helps them excel amongst their competitors.

Information About Strategic Teaching, Strategic Learning and Thinking Skills Essay

Teachers, whether brand new to the classroom, or veterans of many years of service, are always looking for ways to make what they do more effective and more efficient. That even goes for students in teacher preparation programs, as well it should. Efficiency is a measure of what is obtained (results) in relation to what was expended (resources). Effectiveness is a bit more elusive. To be sure, effectiveness in anything, including teaching, can be difficult to describe and to measure. The following is a discussion about some fundamental principles that may lead to actual improvement of instruction. Please read on. In order to use any instructional technique effectively, anyone who teaches must, of necessity, understand the fundamental principles and assumptions upon which the specific technique is based. There is certainly no shortage of descriptions or labels for activities that may be classified as pertaining to instruction. From the ever-popular lecture method to complex student-teacher, student-student interactions, instruction encompasses a broad range of teacher behaviors. At one end (the lecture method) the teacher is an imparter of information, and the students are the intended recipients of the information the teacher imparts. At the other end of the range of teacher behaviors are methods in which teachers interact with students in vastly more complex ways. Most researchers and experts in the field are in agreement that the most permanent and meaningful learning takes place at this end of the range. Strategic teaching, and, concomitantly, strategic learning are techniques in which significant student-teacher interaction and resultant learning and thinking are at the high end of the scale. To learn strategic teaching techniques, and to foster the ability of students to engage in strategic learning, it is important to define some terms. In fact, one of the principles of strategic teaching is to define terms. Below are terms that are relevant to this process. Strategic teaching describes instructional processes that focus directly on fostering student thinking, but goes well beyond that. Strategic teaching and strategic learning are inexorably linked. A strategic teacher has an understanding of the variables of instruction and is aware of the cognitive requirements of learning. In such an awareness, comes a sense of timing and a style of management. The strategic teacher is one who: 1. s a thinker and decision maker; 2. possesses a rich knowledge base; 3. is a modeler and a mediator of instruction. Variables of instruction refer to those factors that strategic teachers consider in order to develop instruction. These variables, as the name implies, change, and therefore the teacher must be aware of the nature of change as well as the actual variables themselves. These variables are: 1. characteristics of the learner; 2. material to be learned (curriculum content); 3. the criterial task (the goals and outcomes the teacher and learner designate); 4. earning strategies (goal directed activities in which learners engage). In teaching content at the elementary, middle, or secondary level, the strategic teacher helps guide instruction by focusing on learning strategies that foster thinking skills in relation to the content. In connecting new information to what a student already knows, learning becomes more meaningful, and not simply retained for test-taking purposes. There are numerous strategies that teachers can develop that accomplish this purpose. To give one information is not difficult, but to help one be able to develop the tools to both know what information is relevant and the means to acquire it, is perhaps the most important function of any social studies teacher. There are numerous techniques for engaging students in thinking about content. Besides thinking skills, there are such practical matters as how best to present a lesson on weather, teaching map and globe skills, helping students work together in groups, how to question effectively, and how to answer student questions. The first and foremost criterion is that the teacher thoroughly know the content, the second criterion is that the teacher have a set of rules for classroom management that are understood and implemented, and the third criterion is that the teacher have the resourcefulness and knowledge to rehearse unfamiliar techniques, and more importantly, have the capacity to adjust any lesson plan to maintain academic focus. Many of these tasks are learned on-the-job. Nothing you can learn in any course is more valuable than learning what to do when you don’t know what to do. When you can do that, you are well on your way to becoming a great teacher. Strategic Learning Strategic learning is, in effect, a highly probable outcome of effective strategic teaching. Reduced to its essentials, strategic learning is learning in which students construct their own meanings, and in the process, become aware of their own thinking. The link between teaching, thinking, and learning is critical. As a teacher, if you are not causing your students to think about what you are presenting, discussing, demonstrating, mediating, guiding, or directing, then you are not doing an effective job. You must be more than a dispenser of information. You must create conditions and an environment that encourages thinking, deepens and broadens it, and which causes students to become aware of how they think. The process of thinking about how we think is referred to as metacognition. In helping students create knowledge, it is useful to think of knowledge as occupying space that can be thought of as a pyramid. At the bottom of the pyramid is declarative knowledge, or knowledge of â€Å"what is. † Declarative knowledge is akin to awareness. One step up on the pyramid is procedural knowledge, or knowledge of â€Å"how something works, or functions. † At the top of the pyramid is conditional knowledge, or knowledge of â€Å"when or why† a particular procedure will work. Conditional knowledge is closely related to the predictive function of knowledge. When students develop a broad and deep system of conditional knowledge, they are able to predict more accurately, solve problems more efficiently, and in a sense, are more free because they can identify and articulate more options from which to choose. Strategic learning is a valuable system to help your students develop conditional knowledge. Content Connections The creation of knowledge is, in the most practical and profound sense, a primary and direct result of learning. As teachers, we must strive to assist our students to develop intellectual tools by which they can create knowledge. Any knowledge, once created, becomes a part of a larger system that enhances learning and is capable of integrating and accommodating new information with greater efficiency and reliability. Each person creates knowledge in similar, yet uniquely distinct ways. Connecting information provided or described by others in novel and personal ways is a key to learning and developing knowledge. The more one â€Å"knows,† the more one can know. The idea of content links or connections is not exactly new, but offers some unique opportunities to chart your own course, learn, and add to your knowledge system. Enter the idea of Constructivism. Constructivism is a philosophy as well as a psychology of education. Constructivism is about how knowledge is created.

Song of Myself

In Walt Whitman’s poem Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855, the poet explores themes of the idea of the self, the recognition of self in relation to other people and the poet’s connection nature and the universe. For example, Whitman’s use of tangible objects such as the houses and the rooms symbolize the society. Another example is his use the perfume which embodies the self of one being; lastly, he use the atmosphere to describe the entire self. For Whitman, the self is regarded as mystical and remains constant throughout life. The self includes thoughts, experiences, conscious and subconscious states, and the individual’s spirituality. The theory of self is important in Whitman’s work because it is where his intellect and art is reflected. Walt Whitman sees the self as an individual and also as nature or the entire universe. The poet wants to preserve his own self while fusing with the entire universe. This means that the poet recognizes his need to associate with others and to commune with God. His reference to sex is a metaphor for spiritual experience. The poet’s pleasure stems both from the physical and the spiritual. Whitman demonstrates his individualistic style in â€Å"Song of Myself†. I consider it as one of the greatest poems I’ve read. His experiment with words is just breath taking. As one reads through his verses, one is lost in trance through his vivid imagery. The poem opens with the celebration of the self. The poet rejoices with the experience of communing with the universe as described in Section I lines 1-9: â€Å"I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.  I loafe and invite my soul, I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass. My tongue, every atom of my blood, form'd from this soil, this air, Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same, I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin, Hoping to cease not till death†. In section 2 of the poem, Walt Whitman asserts his independence from society and at the same time declaring his connection with nature. â€Å"Houses and rooms are full of   perfume†, as stated in line 1 of section 2; the perfume is a representation of the individual selves and the atmosphere denotes the universe. The poet is enticed to be with the other selves but he wants to keep his freedom and independence. The poet delights in experiencing all of his five senses. His use of his sight, his hearing, his taste, his smell and his touch gives him an intoxicating pleasure.  Sections 3 and 4 of the poem, the poet reproaches the â€Å"talkers†, the â€Å"trippers† and the â€Å"askers† for discussing things that is of shallow importance. Whitman describes his spiritual communion with God in section 5 of the poem by stating, â€Å"And I know that the promise of God is the promise of my own, And I know that the spirit of God is the brother of my own†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ In section 6 of the poem, a child asks the poet â€Å"What is the grass?† The poet stops and thinks and finally explains that the â€Å"grass† is a metaphor for life and death. The grass grows and eventually dries up and dies. In section 7 of the poem, the poet describes his universal nature. The universal self discovers that he is surrounded by everything good and he is a part of them. In sections 8-16, the poet depicts everything he encounters, genders, all young and old alike, people from different places. He is drawn to them and he considers himself as one of them. The poet acknowledges his similarity with mankind as illustrated by section 17. The poet addresses the entire humanity from section 18-19.   In sections 20-25, Whitman expresses his divine experience by the fusion of the physical reality and universal reality. The poet listens to everything around him as depicted in Section 26. The poet is amazed by the sense of touch and what joy it brings to him as it is described in section 27-30 where he asks â€Å"Is this then a touch? Quivering me to a new identity†. The poet believes that all small things are essential. He cites that â€Å"a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars†, as portrayed in sections 31-33. The poet makes reference to every person in existence and the ones who died; he also gives an account of his experiences in the history of America (Section 34-36). He further explains in sections 37-38 that through his connection to all things dead and living, he feels empowered by the experience. Sections 39-41 states that the poet is transformed to a hero that he would save people from falling he would stop â€Å"the descending man from and raise him with resistless will†¦/By God you shall not go down! hang your whole weight upon me†. In section 41, the poet accepts religion as universal. He believes that all men are divine. Whitman sees the inequality, injustice and corruption in society as described by section 42. The poet embraces all religion as explained in section 43. The idea of death and eternity is expressed in sections 44-49. He explains that everything will eventually unite with God in the end. Whitman feels that there is something greater than death and yet he could not explain it as cited on section 50 of the poem. Finally, in sections 51-52, the poet bids farewell â€Å"The past and present wilt—I have fill’d them, emptied them, /And proceed to fill my next fold of the future†¦Missing me one place search another, /I stop somewhere waiting for you.† Walt Whitman believed that the poet has a role of exposing the truth by using his poems. The use of metaphors not only enhances the reader’s imagination but also becomes an eye opener. It makes a person stop and think. It creates a sort of awakening of the senses that may not be seen, heard or felt before. Works Cited Whitman, Walt. â€Å"Song of Myself†. Leaves of Grass. New York: Bantam Books, 1998.

Civil Rights and Taxes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Civil Rights and Taxes - Research Paper Example This is where Civil Rights bridge the Constitution to make certain that those who were previously excluded from the Human Rights that existed, to guarantee they would not be overlooked any longer. The fight for those Civil Rights was a long and difficult road that still to this day remains a struggle because there are always new issues to replace the old. Civil Rights continue to deal with issues of race and religion, as well as, sexual preference and marriage and age discrimination. Overall the arena of Civil Rights is one of social concern it is rarely related directly to economical issues. So it may sound a bit unusual to discuss taxes in relation to the Civil Rights issues, but there is a certain amount of overlay. Taxes were designed as monies taken legally by the government from the citizens to participate in the funding of this country that we live in and enjoy. However, what happen when the taking of those taxes contradict the personal Civil Rights of individuals forcing citizens to financially participate in government endeavors that subverts their Civil Rights? It can happen and may continue to do so. That being said, it is entirely possible for taxes to violate the Civil Rights of the citizens of the United States. When this country was founded it was operated by wealthy, white male citizens. The rights they granted, primarily, benefited them, socially, politically, and economically. They were, by no means, malicious in their construct, but they were self-servingly inclusive. They excluded women. They excluded African Americans who were held in captivity and property for generations, as well as alienating other minority groups throughout time. P.B. Levy in his book â€Å"The Civil Rights Movement† gave a chronological list of all the incredible work done to gain Civil Rights for all the people who live in this country. From the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 to the ratifying of the

Rent Policy in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Rent Policy in the UK - Essay Example Each individual Rent Policy today has its guidelines from the legal Restructuring framework. It will be the basis of this essay. The Tenant Service authority(TSA) was created in 2008 as an independent body to work with social housing providers to give structure, legal verification and guidance in the day to day running of their properties including almos. (Housing and Regeneration Act 2008). The TSA replaced the regulatory functions of the Housing Corporation. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) took over the investment functions and delivery activities of Communities and Local Governments. These two authorities cover all types of tenants in the United Kingdom. The Town and Country housing Rent Policy was chosen arbitrarily(T&CHG 2010) The TSA requires that 3 criteria be met . (TSA, 2010) "All Rent Policies must explicitly state their objectives in order to comply with the Housing Corporation's Rent Restructuring framework of 2002 . The Rent Policy shows that the rents are accessi ble to all. the rent increases are in alignment with current legislation. The association is a viable entity, earning enough revenues to maintain the property standards". Town and Country have several types of housing: social housing, shared ownership, market rent and intermediate rented stock. The Housing Corporation Rent Restructuring framework of 2002 and modified in 2009 is applied to social housing in its policy though other types of housing are also dealt with in this policy. "A person must have the choice of what type of place he can afford to have. Price should not be a determinant facture in deciding where he lives but it should determine what size of property he chooses" (Wilson, 2010) Government decision making at the local level has become less appreciated in the last few years. Associations have lost the power manage their own estates because the accountability and local decision making have become the responsibility of the government Target Rent Schemes have put people in a situation where it is no longer economically beneficial to go out and get a job. Needs have changed. Population sources are different. Social demands are no longer what they were 10 years ago Establishing the rent target calculations of 2002 did not take into consideration any of the social or financial factures of the last 10 years. Financial viability is difficult to achieve when household rents rather than property rents are used to subsidize the upkeep of estates. Rent are no longer linked to free market value. If it determined by the physical value, size and manual employment of the tenant (Wilson 2002, 3) and there is high unemployment in the area, the estates can no longer be viable. In 2009, bedroom weighting factor was added trying to add more value to property values. Manual labour was change to general employment. There were still too many variations. The 10 year plan has been met in the majority of areas other than London. The Governmental controls over Social Hous ing does not give enough control to the local councils as it was before 2002. This has been slowly changing since 2009. Public and government subsidised landlords must be able to have a combined free market of rent pricing. There is a chronic need of affordable housing. Millions of properties in the private sector are priced too high to rent and to buy. There are a million empty homes

The Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Review - Essay Example In 1970, it accounted for 6.4% of the US capital stock and in 1988, this figure stood at 19.8% (Roach, 1988). The increase has been more pronounced in the manufacturing sector. In this sector, it grew from 1.6% in 1970 to 10.6% in 1988 (Roach, 1988). Extensive computerization and use of information technologies initiates an interest in knoing why many organizations or institutions have adopted these technologies. Most organizations are profit oriented and this means they not only focus positive returns but also how to obtain good financial rewards. Having this focus, many organizations always seek ways of limiting their costs of production while increasing production at the same time. This paper gives a literature review on how computerization and the use of IT increase worker productivity and reduces costs of production for many organizations, the focus being the manufacturing sector. Computerization and the use of IT in the workplace The term information technology can be defined a s the acquisition, processing, storage and distribution of numerical, textual, vocal and pictorial information through a combination of computing and telecommunications (Allen and Morton 1994). It therefore encompasses computer software, computer hardware, information systems, processes, data constructs, programming languages. Machines under IT domain render any data or information in visual format via multimedia distribution. Computerisation or computing refers to the action of utilising and improving or advancing computer software and computer hardware according to Agrawal and Symes (1994). In simple terms, computerisation is any goal-oriented activity benefiting from computer hardware and software. In the case of manufacturing industry, machines are run by computers that manipulate data according to a set of programs or instructions. General examples of utilisation of computerisation and IT manufacturing industries include networking, data management, information databases, and m ost importantly automation of machines. Like in many organisations, labour productivity in manufacturing industries is calculated by dividing the level of output by the specific level of labour input. Worker productivity is one of the important elements in determining the efficiency of an industry. Impact of computers and ITs on worker productivity and costs of production For many manufacturing industries, information technologies have continuously influenced work and changed the way it is done. One of the main impact of computerization and the use of technologies is the automation of machines. This has allowed manufacturing industries to assign repetitive and non-core tasks to machines while allowing employees to specialize in performing non-repetitive, complex and core duties of the organization. In this case, employees are able to fully utilize their skills and talents in the tasks assigned to them. This means that they offer their best and can handle more work in the area assign ed to them. Before the introduction of computers and IT in the workplace, employees would carry out every type of production activity including the most tedious and repetitive tasks. Due to the distances between the physical places of production assigned to these tasks, workers wasted a lot of time moving from one part of the industry to the other. As stated above, automated machines have taken over some of the repetitive and tedious tasks and

Cultural Difference between Public and Private Organisations Essay

Cultural Difference between Public and Private Organisations - Essay Example Considerable research in public administration was conducted in the ensuing years, but determination of these differences was largely overlooked by most of the scholars and journalists (Baarspul, 2009, p. 1). Although most of the researchers mutually consent that employee behavior in the public organizations is different from that of employees in the private organizations, yet certain researchers have expressed disagreement as a result of their studies while the compilation of empirical findings is nearly non-existent to date (Baarspul, 2009, p. 1). This paper discusses the differences of organizational cultures between the public and private sector organizations. Study of these differences is important because knowledge of the culture generally prevalent in either of the two types of organizations is a pre-requisite to understand the way these organizations play their role in the society, and to introduce positive changes in them to enhance their productivity and efficiency for the benefit and well-being of the society. Differences in the cultures of the public and the private organizations are caused by differences of the work environment, and dynamics of the workplace that come into play as a result of mutual interaction and integration of a wide array of factors that include but are not limited to the goals, decision making processes, attitudes and behaviors of the organizational personnel, and the patterns of communication. The prime goal of the private sector organizations is to safeguard the interests of the stakeholders that primarily include the owners of the organizations, and the people who have invested in the organization to purchase its shares. On the contrary, â€Å"the most often repeated observations about public organizations are that their goals are particularly vague and intangible compared to those of private business firms and that they more often have multiple conflicting goals† (Rainey, 2009). Decision making processes in the priv ate organizations in general and private for-profit organizations in particular is smoother as compared to those in the public organizations. Chances of occurrence of conflict, turbulence, and interruptions are more in the public organizations owing to the disorganization of the system and issues of decision making. These differences in the processes of decision making can fundamentally be attributed to the difference of roles played by the private and public organizations in the society. The main purpose of the private organizations is to make money for the stakeholders by selling their services and/or products to the consumers. On the other hand, â€Å"The typical general purpose, tax-supported governmental agency, such as a state department of mental health, contracts for services and collects information about the needs of people that call for a public response† (Nutt, 2005, p. 289-290). These differences of roles propose considerably different accountability and expectat ions which impart the conditions for different decision making processes in the private and the public organizations. The attitudes and behaviors of the organizational personnel play a key role in shaping the organizational culture. An organization that operates in the public sector is assumed to