Diversity in Racial, ethnic and cultural history Essay

Diversity in Racial, ethnic and cultural history - Essay Example There is a growing need for the government agencies and leaders, businessman, educators, and the society in general, to look at these racial differences that are not thought of in the past. Because of globalization, we come to accept this diversity, and for economic reasons, we realize the interdependence of each others lives. The growing economic system that is due to globalization .and advanced technology has accelerated the need to understand cultural differences and accept it as a way of life. I am a Caucasian by race with a French background. Being a Caucasian, I am proud of my ethnicity. The whiteness of the skin or being fair skinned as a passport to the American culture, is something new to me. Caucusus, the land where we lived, is blessed by nature, and for a long time, supplied the Russians with oil. Because of this relation, Caucasians developed a racial communist background, but we now belong to the ex-communists world. It is only now that I learned that the cohesiveness of my people is an influence of the Soviet system, and with the collapse of the system, people became closer because they feared of the uncertainty of their future, and â€Å"they have fallen back to ethnic solidarity to counter feelings of insecurity†(Henze, Paul, n.d.) Caucasus, is home to forty ethnic groups for many years, so its culture and ethnicity is a mixture of all these. Dr. Takvul, Ufuk, who made a sociological analysis of the Caucasia culture, said this race is characterized by ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is a tendency to view groups or cultures different from its own perspectives. It is an attitude that tends to believe of its own superiority. But having a French background makes my identity more colorful. Like the U.S., the immigration laws of the French country are tainted with racial prejudices. The existence of several laws makes the lives of minority groups difficult because of xenophobic attitude. Xenophobia is the extreme hatred for foreigners, and based

Outline and comment on the two schools Essay Example for Free

Outline and comment on the two schools Essay Outline and comment on the two schools of thought involved in the study of the nature-nurture debate in development. Explain, using examples, why this debate gives rise to so much controversy.  The debate concerning the two schools of thought involved in the study of the nature versus nurture is one of the most controversial and long-lasting debates in psychology. Psychologists disagree whether a particular part of behaviour had taken place through genetic and heredity factors or through experience in their environment and learning. Psychologists are trying to answer, What makes us who we are? and consider two main influences. Firstly nature which is involved in genes and heredity, and their influences on our development, and secondly nurture which is involved in external influences on our development such as the environment and nurturing. Psychologists were divided into two schools of thought, firstly the nativists, who are concerned with the nature side of the debate. In 1943 Gesell argued that genes and chromosomes that are inherited are the main influence in child development (Hayes and Orrell 1996, pg 2). For example: Gesell found that the development of physical coordination in a baby seemed to follow an orderly sequence, beginning with its head, and gradually moved down the body. Gesell regarded these sequences of development as being fixed and genetically determined (Hayes N 1993, pg 31). See more: what is essay format Genes are lengths of DNA, which carry instructions that control everything that happens inside a cell. They are passed onto the next generation in order to avoid extinction. Each body cell contains two sets of 23 chromosomes and each chromosome contains up to 4000 genes. (Barber M et al 2000, pg 480). Every newborn baby has around 60,000 genes; they have two copies of each gene and inherit one set from the mother and one set from the father. (Barber M et al 2000,pg 504). We portray some of these genes in our similarities in appearance to our parents or other members of our immediate family, or when generations have been skipped. For example our eye and hair colour is similar or our height, build and weight is similar to our parents. Genes can be recessive or dominant. For example: The gene that gives the colour in brown eyes is a dominant gene and the blue gene that results in blue eyes is a recessive gene. A child will have brown eyes if one of its parents had brown eyes even if the other parent had blue eyes. That child will still have the blue-eyed gene and may pass it on to the next generation (Hayes and Orrell 1996, pg 5). Some diseases are inherited mainly because of faulty genes. For example: Huntingdon disease is caused by a faulty gene and causes premature degeneration of the brain (Barber M et al 2000,pg 504). Downs syndrome is another example of a genetic disorder, which has resulted from the presence of an extra chromosome and causes physical and mental handicaps to different degrees of severity (Hayes and Orrell 1996, pg 4).  As well as inherited characteristics and features there is also evidence of inherited behaviour. This was shown in 1938 in Lorenz and Tinbergens 4 characteristics in animal behaviour: Stereotyped this behaviour happens the same way every time.  Species specific this behaviour is specific to a certain type of animal.  Isolation this behaviour is the same as others of their species, even if they have been isolated.  No practice this behaviour appears as a complete unit even if the animal has had no chance to practice it. (Hayes and Orrell 1996 pg 9 Class notes)  Imprinting is a type of behaviour that can form rapid attachments and is also believed to be genetically influenced. For example: Ducklings had become imprinted on a human being. Lorenz found that ducklings would adopt him if he were the first moving thing they saw. He believed this would only take place in the critical period, up to 25 hours after hatching. This was questioned by, (W Slucking in 1964.) After his own study of the same experiment, he found the period was extended if the ducklings were isolated from one another, and hadnt been able to imprint on each other (Hayes N 1993, pg 39). Behaviours we inherit dont show up all at once. Certain forms of behaviour emerge when the individual is mature enough. This is known as maturation, for example, the physiological changes that take place in puberty (Hayes Orrell 1996 pg 7). There are disagreements between the nativists and behaviourists about whether or not maturation is purely genetic. (Hayes N 1993, pg 32).  This brings the debate to the other side of the disagreement and behaviourists also known, as empiricists, believe nurture is the main influence in development. In 1913, J.B. Watson attempted to make psychology `Scientific`. Previously psychology had concentrated on the study of the mind, Watson argued that the mind was not suitable for valid scientific research, so instead he studied behaviour (Hayes N 1995, pg 3). Watson was a total empiricist believing the environment was the only important factor in an individuals development. He considered that a child was born as tabula rasa a blank slate, which experience would write upon to produce the person (Hayes Orrell 1996, pg 2.

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau :: essays research papers

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were both born in Massachusetts. Emerson was born in Boston in 1803. Thoreau was born in Concord in 1817. Emerson attended Harvard and then became a Unitarian minister just like his father had been. Thoreau also attended Harvard but upon graduating, became a teacher and opened up a school. Both Emerson and Thoreau gave up their careers to pursue Transcendentalist philosophy. Emerson was one of the first to start the Transcendental Club. Thoreau became Emerson's student after he had moved into his house. Thoreau simplified his needs and began to experiment with Transcendentalism through experience. Although Emerson's writings achieved national recognition during his lifetime, Thoreau did not see such fame during his own life. They were both active Transcendentalists, but their philosophies and methods differed slightly. Emerson believed one should live in harmony with nature. One of his essays, appropriately titled, "Nature," was the first published essay on Transcendentalist philosophy. Emerson theorized that man was one and the same with nature and he wrote about his experiences with nature. In "Nature," Emerson wrote that, "In the woods, we return to reason and faith. "Although he was the one to write this, it was Thoreau who went to extremes and took this literally. Though Emerson and Thoreau both believed in living in harmony with something, they differed on what it was they were to live in harmony with. While Emerson lectured about Transcendetalist philosophy, Thoreau thoroughly practiced it. Emerson believed in living in harmony with nature. Thoreau believed in living in peace and harmony with ourselves. Thoreau took Transcendentalism to the extremes. He simplified every aspect of his live and went" back to nature" to test the experiences of Transcendentalism. He focused on how he could live in peace and harmony with himself in nature while Emerson lectured about living in harmony with nature. Thoreau took Emerson's teachings and expanded on them. Emerson played his role as teacher and Thoreau played his role as student. They did this both whle living in the same household and throughout their lives. Emerson taught Transcendentalist philosophy and Thoreau not only expanded on those teachings, he used them for experimenting with Transcednetalism.

The Big Society: A Realistic Objective or a Political Myth?

Chapter 1 IntroductionSocio-political backgroundThe connection between civil society and the state reflects the changing nature of the public – private interaction and poses questions about the role of government in advanced capitalist societies. The constantly changing dynamics of the public-private coexistence is a direct response to the processes of globalization and modernization, which have placed the state in an entirely different realm, and have challenged its parameters as a political entity. On the international level, what Samuel Huntington called â€Å"the third wave of democratization† (1991) has seen the globalization of world politics, and according to some, the undermined capacity of the state (Cerny, 1990; Scholte, 2006; Rosenau 1990). The third wave of democratization in the world has also been marked by the rise of the global civil society and the increasing power of non-governmental organizations and associations (Bull, 1977). On the domestic level, a similar process can be traced. Throughout the last several decades, the traditional political ubiquity of the state has been challenged, with the rise of civil society and associational democracy (Baccaro, 2002). The state no longer exists in its exhausted and narrow confinement as a ‘provider’ of public services. Its functions, theorists like Baccaro argue, have been divulged to the local communities and voluntary associations, which have become the new pillar not only of public opinion, but also for public advocacy in legislature. Civil society challenges the modern state to some extent, but its functions do not aim to undermine its capabilities. As this dissertation will argue, they seek to reinforce them.1.2 Research aimsThis dissertation will examine the feasibility and sustainability of the Big Society Project as a model of political governance. In order to do this, the author will focus on the connection between the private and the public in the contemporary state, and will assess the resuscitating power of civil society in the public sector. It will illustrate the theoretical connection between the two through the critical analysis of a rather contemporary juxtaposition between civil society and the state, proposed by the Conservative Party in 2010. Specific aspects will cover the shift of state powers from the public to the private realm.1.3 Historical trends before the Big SocietyAlthough the Big Society was represented as a strategy by the Conservative Party, its ideological tenets can be found in earlier observations, related to the rise of an independent civil state and community participation. Attempts to accommodate civil society and the state in the same political equation have started at the turn of the last century, with a deep reconsideration of the main characteristics of advanced capitalist societies and the role of the state. A leading Marxist theorist, Antonio Gramsci proposes a classic division between the state and non-state elements of governance in his Selections from the Prison Notebooks (1971). He views civil society as an organic entity, which exists beyond the realm of the government. The controversy in his theoretical model of governance comes from the exaggerated view that the civil society can exist as a self-regulatory body in a stateless world. A more moderate view on the connection between civil society and the state is proposed by sociologist Max Weber. In his Politics of the Civil Society Weber discusses the idea of public citizenship and its role in mass democracy. He discusses civil society not as an alternative, but as a cultivating force, neces sary for the existence of the modern state (Weber, 2004). The Weberian approach to understanding civil society suggests that the connection between the public and private is not necessarily exclusionary, as suggested by the Marxists. In his 1962 Capitalism and Political Freedom, economist Milton Friedman discusses economic neo-liberalism as an important prerequisite for political freedom of the citizens. He emphasizes the central role of the government as a provider of legislature, which would enforce property rights and civil institutions. Friedman’s economic philosophy of government intervention suggests a model of public-private form of governance. In an extensive study on social movements called Beyond Left and Right, Anthony Giddens goes even further and suggests that social movements are stronger advocates for change than political parties are (Giddens, 1994). Last but not least, in his Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital (1995) Robert Putnam uses the decline of voluntary associations and civic engagement to explain the social decay of the American community. As symptoms of social apathy, he points out the political disengagement of the American public and its growing distrust to the government (Putnam, 1995). The ideological tenet of the Big Society can also be related to what Lucio Baccaro calls associational democracy (2002). He describes associational democracy as the intersection between civil society and the state. Baccaro’s vision of decentralization and empowerment of the local communities can be used to fit the Big Society into a wider theoretical realm. Baccaro offers a model of public-private governance, which reveals elements of societal conservatism behind the Big Society’s main goal – the shift of regulatory powers from the government bureaucrats into the hands of the people. It is not difficult to notice a historical trend on the changing divisions between civil society and the state. Last several decades have witnessed a major shift towards empowerment of the private sector, and transfer of powers and regulatory functions in the hands civil society organizations. This trend does not necessarily mean however that the state as a provider of services and individual well-being is in decline. On the contrary, this historic tendency suggests that civil society is a pillar, not a threat to the state and can act as a channel for reform in the public sector. The next section will examine its contemporary manifestations as a policy, proposed by David Cameron and the Conservative Party in 2010.1.4. What is the Big SocietyIn July 2010 in Liverpool, after the general elections, David Cameron re-launched the Big Society Programme, which was to become part of the political platform of the new coalition government. The programme had five main tenets: localism and more power for the communities; volunteerism; transfer of power from central to local government; support of cooperatives, charities, and social enterprises; transparency of government legislation (Cameron, 2010). Under the Big Society programme, initiatives such as the Big Society Bank and the National Citizen Service (NCS) were established. The idea behind the Big Society is to attribute more responsibilities to the citizens as key participants in the policy-making process. According to David Cameron, its main purpose was to propose a ground up approach of governance, where power and ideas will derive from the people (Cameron, 2010). The Conservative Party proposed the Big Society Project as the engine of public sector reform. The government indicated that the Big Society would empower local communities in their attempts to solve problems in their own neighborhood, and to voice their opinions. 1.4.1 Ideology The ideology behind the Big Society is an unconventional type of conservatism. It views successful governance as a hybrid between the private and the public sectors, and citizens’ initiative as a prerequisite for associational democracy. The idea behind the Big Society is very often confused with classic Marxism, which offers an extreme and rather utopian view of civic associations as a necessary replacement of the state. The rise of a big society however, does not imply the demise of the state. The Big Society can be interpreted as a politically sensible response to the economic recession, poverty, and social breakdown. It has lead to Cameron’s recognition of the role of the public sector and volunteerism as antidotes of a disintegrating society (Bochel & Defty, 2010; Evans, 2011; Smith, 2010). The ideas of the Big Society diverge from the stance of some of David Cameron’s predecessors such as Margaret Thatcher, because it recognizes the role of non-state associ ations as advocates for political change and providers for the citizens. At the same time, it does not use the societal factor as an umbrella for a smaller government (Norman, 2011; Smith, 2010). Therefore, the ideology behind the Big Society can be described as societal conservatism. Societal should not be confused with social (or socialist), because the Big Society project does not exclude privatization within the welfare sector and public sector cuts. 1.4.2 Responses The Big Society project has provoked mixed responses. Its supporters claim that the idea to unite the public and the private sector as providers for the citizens is revolutionary and democratically advanced. Liberals tend to view this idea as innovative, because it emphasizes the role of the citizens in shaping modern day policy. The main criticisms of the Big Society are that is has been used to justify the radical budget cuts in the public and social sectors, and is too utopian to be implemented in practice. A popular criticism points to the lack of citizens’ incentive and appropriate skills, which are prerequisites for a fulfilling civic participation (Grint & Holt, 2011; Hasan, 2010). 1.4.3 Local empowerment and decentralization Localism and decentralization have been key tenets on the Big society agenda. Some of the proposals, designed to empower local authorities and citizens include introducing directly elected mayors and police commissioners; devolving the financial powers of local government; increasing transparency and letting local citizens choose the organisational structure of their local council (Inside Government, 2011). The ideology behind local empowerment and decentralization is akin to the neo-liberal political thought. The transformation of local empowerment into an actual policy came to life in March 2011, when the Localism Bill was passed by the House of Commons despite controversies over social housing (Hodge, 2011). Some of the prescriptions of the Localism Bill have already been put into practice. Ministers have started giving councils greater financial freedom, by devolving ?7 billion more of government funding. They have removed burdens and bureaucratic controls so that they local governments can prioritize budgets to support public services in ways, which meet the priorities of local people and communities (Communities & Local Government, 2011). This is one way to enhance reform in the public sector, as it will give more incentive for local governments to improve their services, and they will be transformed from recipients of policy, into actual initiators of one. 1.4.4 Volunteerism Another important tenet of the Big Society Project is the idea of volunteerism and civic associations. The new government has encouraged voluntary organizations and social enterprises, as another way to reform the public sector. Two of the key programmes, related to Big Society volunteerism are the National Citizens Service (NCS) and Community Organizers. These two programmes target thousands of volunteers of all age groups and different social backgrounds nationwide, and their participation in community projects in 2011 and 2012 (Cabinet Office, 2011). The ideology behind volunterrism relates to associational democracy, which holds that democratization does not necessarily come from the state, but also from the citizenry, with its accumulated incentives and skills. As far as policy is concerned, both NCS and Community Organizers already exist as programmes. Whether efficacy has been achieved will be discussed in detail in the following chapters. In general, the Big Society is an opportunity for citizens to participate in the actual process of policy-making and to provide first-hand feedback to those responsible for legislation. The most important component of the Big Society is the financial autonomy of the local councils, because it will play important part in the allocation of budgets. Local councils know the needs of their residents better than the national government (Smith, 2010; Norman, 2011). Their financial plans will be much more realistic and sustainable, targeting the public sectors policies, which have the biggest demand and have been starved for resources in the past. Financial decentralization can bring not only better quality of public sector services, but also more realistic response to the actual needs of the local residents.1.5 SummaryThis chapter has traced the historical and policy features of the idea of the Big Society, and has examined some of its basic tenets. The remaining chapters will examine in de tail the feasibility of the Big Society as a form of political governance, which can make local communities more involved in the policy-making process. Bibliography: Baccaro, L. (2002) â€Å"Civil Society Meets the State: A Model of Associational Democracy†. International Labour Office Working Paper No. DP/138/2002. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=334860 or doi:10.2139/ssrn.334860 Retrieved 05.03.2012 Bochel, H. & Defty, A. (2010) â€Å"Safe as HouseConservative Social Policy, Public Opinion and Parliament†, The Political Quarterly, Vol 81, No 1, January-March Bull, H. (1977). The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillian Cabinet Office (2010) â€Å"Government Launches Big Society Programme†, 18 May, Available at: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/government-launches-big-society-programme Retrieved 05.03.2012 ___________ (2010) â€Å"Government Puts Big Society at the Heart of Public Sector Reform†, 18 May Available at: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/big-society-heart-public-sector-reform Retrieved 05.03.2012 ___________ (2010) â€Å"Building the Big Society†, Available at: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/building-big-society.pdf Retrieved 05.03.2012 Cameron, D. (2010) â€Å"Big Society Speech†, Monday, 19 July Available at: http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/speeches-and-transcripts/2010/07/big-society-speech-53572 Retrieved 05.03.2012 Cerny, P.G. (1990). The Changing Architecture of Politics: Structure, Agency and the Future of the State, London Communities and Local Government (2011) â€Å"The Localism Bill marks a turning point†, 7 June, Available at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1917316 Retrieved 05.03.2012 Della Porta, D. & Diani, M. (2006). Social Movements: An Introduction. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK. p. 93-113 Evans, K. (2011) â€Å"Big Society in the UK: A Policy Review†, Vol 25, Issue 2, pp. 164-171, March Friedman, M. (1962) â€Å"The Relation between Economic Freedom and Political Freedom,† Capitalism and Freedom. University of Chicago Press, pp. 7-17 Available at: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/ipe/friedman.htm Retrieved 05.03.2012 Giddens, A. (1994) Beyond Left and Right. The Future of Radical Politics, Stanford University Press Gramsci, A. (1971) Selections from the Prison Notebooks, Lawrence and Wishart Grint, K. & Holt, C. (2011) â€Å"Leading Questions: If ‘Total Place’, ‘Big Society’ and local leadership are the answers: What’s the question?†, Leadership, 7 (I) 85-98 Hasan, M. (2010) â€Å"The Sham of Cameron’s Big Society†, New Statesman, 22 November Hodge, K. (2011) â€Å"Localism bill passed, advice for the elderly and regeneration cash†, Housing Network Blog, Guardian, 19 May Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/housing-network/2011/may/19/localism-bill-advice-elderly-regeneration-cash Retrieved 05.03.2012 Huntington, S. P. (1991) Democracy’s Third Wave. The Journal of Democracy, 2(2) Inside Government (2011) â€Å"Big Society 2011: Empowering Communities, Encouraging Social Action and Opening Up Public Services†, 31 March Available at: http://www.insidegovernment.co.uk/economic_dev/big-society-2011/ Retrieved 05.03.2012 Marquand, D. (2004) The Decline of the Public: Hollowing Out Citizenship, Polity Press, Cambridge Norman, J. (2011) The Anatomy of the New Politics Buckingham: University of Buckingham Press Putnam, R. (1995). â€Å"Bowling Alone. America’s Declining Social Capital† Journal of Democracy 6, 65-78 Available at: http://canonsociaalwerk.be/1995_Putnam/1995,%20Putnam,%20bowling%20alone.pdf Rosenau, J.N. (1990) Turbulence in World Politics: A Theory and Continuity, London Scholte, J.A.(2006). Globalization a Critical Introduction. Palgrave Macmilian, UK. p. 13-123 Smith, M. (2010) â€Å"From Big Government to Big Society: Changing the State–Society Balance†, Parliamentary Affairs, Vol. 63, Issue 4, pp. 818-833 Weber, M. (2004) Politics of the Civil Society, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Irish and Mexican Culture and Customs Essay

If we start to compare how irish people greet to another person and how mexicans we can find a big difference because as we know mexican people always say hi with a kiss in the cheek and is a normal way to greet even although they don ´t know each other. Irish people with only say hi is a find to greet another one, for them is really rear to give a kiss in the cheek. For mexicans is really normal to say hi giving a kiss in the cheek and if you don ´t greet everyone is a very uneducated of your part. Irish people is just fine to say hi or how  ´re you without giving a kiss, because for them if you give a kiss is really inappropriate. Examples of how irish people say hi: Hi, how are you? Hi, how you doing? Hi, how is it going? Hi, you all right? Hi, what’s the story? (this is a very informal way to say hi, just people who live in really bad conditions say this type of greet.) Examples of how mexicans say hi: Hola  ¿como estas? Que onda Que tal Hola, Mucho gusto When Irish people inroduce themself to a strenger they just say hi nice to meet you my name is â€Å"†¦.† And they shake hands to each other, this is a formal way to meet someone. In a informal they don ´t shake hands and they just say hi my name is †¦. Nice to meet you. In ireland the poeple when they want to introduce someone People in Ireland have a long list of things that they might eat for breakfast. Including breakfast cereal, porridge, toast, croissants, grapefruit, a bowl of fruit, yoghurt, sausages, rashers (thin slices of bacon), black pudding, white pudding, tomato, eggs(fried, boiled or scrambled), baked beans, fried potato (in cubes or as a potato cake), and many other slight variations; pancakes, toasted potato farls, brioche, pop tarts. After the breakfast they have a luch round at 1 pm and what they eat is Sandwiches of all kinds are popular. Fruits of a variety too, like apples and oranges and bananas. Some will go for less healthy options like chips or chocolate. Then around 6pm or 7pm they have dinner and they like to eat corn beef and cabbage, and they also enjoy potatoes too. January the 5th is a every traditional day for every mexican, is called LA NOCHE DE LOS REYES MAGOS (The night of the King Wizards). Family and friends get together in a very casual way and have a ROSCA DE REYES (like a big doughnut in an oval shape) and hot chocolate for dinner. Everybody gets a chance to cut their piece of the rosca and inside it has a plastic baby (Jesus) and who ever finds the baby is supposed to invite everyone present to eat tamales on February 2nd, (Day of the candelaria). Normally you can find 2 to 8 babies inside the bread, and we do it more for the fun of it than really for making another party. What is most important here is the next day, children go to sleep on January 5th and leave a shoe next to the nacimiento, (A Nativity, a small representation of the birth of Christ). Children leave their shoe and receive presents the next day (Just like Irish receive from Santa Claus). What I find very valuable in my country is El dia del muerto, the Day of the Dead has been celebrated in Mexico, and other Latin countries. This is a very special ritual, since it is the day in which the living remember their departed relatives. The Day of the Dead is a beautiful ritual in which Mexicans happily and lovingly remember their loved relatives that have died. What they like to do for remember their family who just pass away is to make an altar where they put the picture of this person and flowers with typical food mexican that represent the favorite food of this special person who just died because they think that the sould of this person can come to the altar and what it do is smell all the food that they used to like and enjoy it in this important day. It is important for me because is a beautiful way to remember that special person who has been part of your family. I don ´t find something that is not valuable in my country because everything has a important meaning for the mexicans. Every tradition has a important meaning in the history of Mà ©xico and we celebrate some important days because it has something special and valuable for everyone. I find very special the mexican culture and the actitud that mexicans have because is really unique and I can see that we are very joyfull than other countries and funny. We are rich in culture and we have a lot of history that has change mexico in many ways. Our tranditions are different than other countries because we celebrate important days in different ways and we do something special for remember it thats for example we celebrate with big parties and with delicious typical food. Also we have different type of typical clothe that represent each region of Mexico. For me all of this is really important because mexico is a beautiful place full of history and beautiful people joyfull. A important tradition that is celebrated by the irish people is Saint Patrick ´s day, they celebrate this day because Saint Patrick was the person who brought cristianity to Ireland and thats why they remember this important person who was really important for the history in Ireland. People wear green, and often go to pubs and parties where they drink beer that has been dyed green and listen and dance to Irish music. This is the way they celebrate this important day. I don ´t think that they have something that is nos important because in every country they celebrate something different and have different meanings so I think that everything is important.

Conflict Between the Northern and Southern Regions of America essays

Conflict Between the Northern and Southern Regions of America essays 1.The long-standing conflict between the Northern and Southern regions of America as the New World stemmed primarily from their respective economic histories, and secondarily because of socio-cultural differences from each other. The economic roots of the animosity between the North and South New World territories is traced from its origins, wherein both regions are represented by Pennsylvania and Virginia and Maryland, few of the many English enterprises and early colonies that helped develop the regions for what it developed to be until America achieved its independence. The Souths success as the central source of cotton and location of cotton plantations is due to the focus of the region to successfully achieve economic prosperity, as opposed to the relatively better living conditions in the Northern region. The South experienced difficulties establishing colonies because of the unfavorable conditions of the settlers environs. The North, meanwhile, experienced abundance and increased its population because it has better living conditions than the Southern settlers: healthy water and favorable physical environment conducive to agriculture and sedentary living. As a response to the disadvantages that So uthern settlers experienced early on, they focused in improving the economy of their colonies, establishing a highly-structured cotton plantation economy, which reinforced, inevitably, the black slavery system as an integral part of Southern economy. The Northern region, relatively economically prosperous than the South, centered its development towards establishing a theocracy-centered society. Despite its subsistence to the slavery system, it did not become an integral part of the regions culture and economy, which resulted to the Souths strong subsistence to the slavery system, and the Norths intolerance and eventual resistance to it-thereby resulting to the increased animosity as both regions ...

Neutrinos And Gamma Rays Essays - Neutrinos, Dark Matter

Neutrinos And Gamma Rays Essays - Neutrinos, Dark Matter Neutrinos and Gamma Rays Emission of a beta particle produces an energy change in the nucleus of an atom. The energy change that is observed, however, does not add up to satisfy the Law of Conservation of energy. The conservation law can be balanced if another particle, called the neutrino is part of this process. In the time it takes to read just this sentence, more than a billion of them will have passed unnoticed through the reader's body. Neutrinos may account for an appreciable portion of the mass of the universe, even tending to slow it's rate of expansion. Originally proposed in 1931 by Wolfgang Pauli to account for mass that was mysteriously lost from certain nuclear reactions,and first observed in 1956 by Dr Frederick Reines and Dr. Clyde Cowan, neurtinos either were beleived to have no mass or to have a negligible amount of mass. Ever since their discovery scientists wondered if this elusive particle that has no electric charge and is able to pass through the entire earth without hitting anything might not have some negligible amount of mass. Because they exist in great numbers in the universe, even a small mass could provide the "dark matter" that cosmologists beleive makes up the substance of the cosmos. Having a mass, neutrinos might also be able to change into neutrinos of other types, by a process called oscillation. They have no electrical charge and are believed to travel at or near the speed of light. Neutrinos react very little with matter and only rarely do they react with protons or neutrons through a force ! called "the weak force". Their discovery enabled scientists to work out a conservation of evergy, spin, and momentum for beta decay. There are six types of neutrinos, depending upon the subatomic particles with which they are associated: electon antineutrinos with electrons, electron neutrinos with positrons, muon neutrinos and antimeutrinos with muon reactions, and tau neutrinos and antineutrinos with massive tau particles. Mass is what determines the rate at which the wave function of a particle vibrates. If the waves of two neutrinos of different masses mingle, they beat against each other much like sound waves of different pitch . If neutrinos had no mass, their waves would have the same frequency and would not be able to beat at all. A particle detector at Los Alamos National Laboratory has captured eight events that could be the first direct sightings of neutrino oscillations. If verified, the observations will prove as well that neutrinos have mass. However such experiments are not easy to carry out. In the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector experiment, a beam of protons from an accelerator is shot into a water target. Particles are absorbed and detected and some implications involving neutrino mass are made, and although this could help solve the dark matter problem it contributes nothing to the major puzzle the scientists are concerned with: the solar neutrino problem. Only about half the number of neutrinos that the theory predicts should come from the sun are actually detected. The deficit might be explained by presuming that the particles change to muon neutrinos and therefore escape detection. But if neutrinos change type over short distances as in the LSND experiment, the oscillations ! would average out over the 92 million miles that seperates the sun from the earth. Some other neutrino experiment have been undertaken to determine the number of neutrinos that actually reach the earth from the Sun and stars. One such experiment known as DUMAND, for Deep Underwater Muon and Neutrino Detector, Which was led by scientists from the Univ. of Hawaii, sought to install detectors in deep water off the coast of Hawaii's Big Island. But leaks and broken connections caused one expensive problem after another, and money for the project by the Department of Energy was recently ended. And just in November 1996 a collaboration of Greek and US physicists began their experiment called NESTOR (Neutrinos fom Supernova and Tervolt sources, Ocean Ridge). They began by lowering instument-laden platforms resembling umbrellas into the deepest part of the Mediterranean Sea off the southwest coast of Greece to test a system that will look for neutrinos coming up from the ocean floor. The earth is used

Five Tips for Writing a Travel Series

Five Tips for Writing a Travel Series Travel writing is considered one of the more glamorous writing gigs. After all, what could be better than getting paid to travel? While the reality is a bit more mundane (generally low pay, tight deadlines, viciously competitive markets) it’s still a load of fun. With the advent of travel blogs, more and more writers are expanding their experiences from single features to longer series. This allows you to focus on various aspects of a destination in different posts and tell a longer story arc. Here are five tips to writing an online travel series. These also work well for print features. 1. You don’t have to start at the beginning: While your journey has a beginning, middle, and end, you aren’t writing a novel. You don’t have to open your series with your arrival. This is usually your worst part of the trip anyway, so why inflict it on your reader? Instead, draw them in with a scene that brings the destination to life, such as when Rolf Potts started his series about going on a Star Trek cruise with the moment everyone discovered he wasn’t a fan of the show. Very rarely are the beginnings of a journey exciting, although my ten-hour drive across the desert to Somaliland made for a good opener. That time, and that time only, the start had excitement, color, vivid experiences, and a bit of danger. The rest of my trips have opened with me jetlagged and grumpy at some foreign airport. 2. Don’t forget that what’s normal to you is new to your reader: As we get accustomed to a new place, we begin to forget the little details that make for a great story. The best photo I never took in Iraq was of my driver eating hummus at a roadside restaurant as a sheep watched him from just outside the window. When I saw this I smiled and thought, â€Å"Appetizer and main course!† What I should have done was take a picture. That juxtaposition wasn’t unusual for me anymore, but I bet my readers would have gotten a good laugh out of it. Well, maybe not the vegetarians. 3. You don’t have to be a good photographer: I’m a mediocre photographer, and yet I’ve sold hundreds of photographs to print and online publications. How? I go to interesting places and take lots of pictures. It’s that simple. 4. Mix short and long pieces: Short, punchy pieces accompanied 5. The story is rarely about you: There are two types of traveler- those who describe the places they’ve been, and those who talk about how they went to a bunch of places. The first person is informative and interesting; the other is a boring braggart. While it’s your journey, you aren’t the most interesting thing about it. The people you meet and the things you see are. Leave yourself out of the picture unless it’s really, truly part of the story. There is very little about me in my series on  living in Harar, Ethiopia. When I visited the little-known Argobba tribe, or interviewed a traditional healer, I let them speak for themselves. In my post about meeting a nine-year-old refugee from Syria, however, my reactions were an important part of the story. A monk examines a medieval illustrated manuscript at his monastery on Lake Tana, Ethiopia. (copyright Sean McLachlan) Marsh Arab children in southern Iraq. (copyright Sean McLachlan)

Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness slp 5 Essay

Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness slp 5 - Essay Example The company has created different plans and strategies like the Every Day Low Prices, which is a pricing strategy to enable customers to buy goods of great quality at low prices. The company’s basic values of respect for individuals, service to customers and striving for excellence speaks for itself. Wal – Mart has tried to ensure it reaches out to the majority of the American population and the major customer group accounting to almost 23 percent belong to families where the annual income is lesser than $25,000. It was also noted that almost half of the customers of the superstore are blue-collar workers and most of the families are either unemployed or elderly (Featherstone, 2005). The main need of Wal-Mart is for a HR program which will help itself to improve and work towards the goals. The company needs a HR program to ensure complete retention of employees as the training involved and the experience required for the job is high. It is important to understand that the company’s strategy is to provide low cost goods and in turn gain a high share of the market. The company aims at working on the basis of economies of scale. Wal-Mart requires using a few techniques as benchmarking metrics. These include the use of Recruitment cost per employee, workforce capabilities and potential customers. For the success of the human resources of the company, it is essential that the company has a clear view on these details. Also these metrics will provide a base for the company to rightly forecast the needs of the employees as well as the company’s needs to get better and more experienced people. Since the company’s aim is to provide low cost goods to the customers daily, it is essential that the company has strong and well balanced operational costs. Hence this metric will help provide Wal-Mart with a strong ability to keep a constant check on the expenses and will also allow the

Mothers in Federal Prison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mothers in Federal Prison - Essay Example This information also supports the premise that when women are in federal prison it has severe repercussions on the entire family. Historically women who were mothers and sentenced to federal prisons were given lighter sentences. However, the literature indicates that tougher prison sentences, especially federal, are being handed down. As a result, more children are being affected by a parent's incarceration, (The Center for Youth and Families) The repercussions to the entire families of the incarnated women, not just the children are serious. There are emotional, political and economical effects that the entire family must endure. In the "Long Goodbye" by Amanda Coyne, all of these factors are addressed. The major factor that Coyne's work is concerned with is the emotional impact both on the mother and the rest of the family, especially the children. There is an emotional toll that affects the entire family f the imprisoned mothers. The literature suggest that the large numbers of women in federal prisons has a social impact and supports the premise that many women are in federal prisons due to the unsuccessful war on drugs. ... This causes great angst for the mothers in federal prison and it raises concerns as to what and how they will explain their incarceration to young children. The current literature also reveals that mothers in federal prisons have difficulties with adolescents and the adolescents of incarcerated mothers are problematic. (Coyne, p 73) Current literature is concerned with the unintended consequences of the incarceration of parents on children. (Coyne, p 72) These consequences may include problems with separation, caretaking, schooling, and antisocial behavior during childhood, educational failure, precocious sexuality, premature departures from home, early childbearing and marriage, and idleness and joblessness during adolescence and early adulthood. (Bloom, p 21) There is current literature that examines the dimensions and causes of these problems among children of mothers that have been sentenced in the federal district courts system. (Coyne, 74) The literature also suggests that the withdrawal or loss of a parent can result in the loss not only of economic capital, but also of social capital involving relationships among family members and the organization of family life toward the maintenance and improvement of life chances of children. (Bloom, p 22) The presence of mothers in United States prison populations is growing with the increasing reliance on incarceration as a criminal sanction, for women as well as men. (Bloom, p 22) The literature presents the results of a recent survey by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (1991) that revealed that about two-thirds of incarcerated women and more than one-half of incarcerated men are mothers of children under 18 years of age. (The Center for Youth

Stakeholder Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stakeholder Management - Essay Example As the research discusses the first management process is identification of stakeholders. The stakeholder selected should be able to match the needs and objective of the organization. On the other hand, Stakeholder should abide by the provisions provided for the partnership to exist. After selection stakeholders should then be prioritized based on what they offer to bring to the partnership. Prioritization is based on the needs of the organizations and how much the stakeholders offer. Understanding the key stakeholders is then required in order to create a proper engagement framework. Key principles are then identified. In addition, organizational stakeholders are also identified to increase engagement approaches used during the process of stakeholder engagement. Communication and engagement with stakeholders is then instigated to create a long term interaction all way through the entire project. From the report it is clear that the importance of control stakeholder engagement and manage stakeholder engagement in the organization are mainly based on ensure project objectives are met within the specified period of time. The organization understands what is required from the stakeholder relationship until the project is complete. In an argument by Turner the engagement approaches provide an overview of what project completion requires in regards to the partnership with stakeholders. Most importantly, organization or project managers are able to detect any new or unexpected requirements as the project continues.

Personal Statement for the admission of University of California

For the admission of University of California - Personal Statement Example My main motivation behind this application for admission in your University is my keen interest and experience in the field of Economics /Business major. I have completed third year in the Community College. I feel confident to seek admission in your University as the next step of the ladder of education and as the natural progression of my present academic qualifications. I hail from a business family from China. My father owned a factory and he was a watch manufacturer. He handled his business well and possessed good experience in production and marketing but the economic crisis of the 2007 was beyond the control of any prudent businessman. With such a severe jolt to the economy of the country he also suffered heavy losses and had to shut down the factory and our family budget was in shambles. Until then father used to manage everything, I did not have an idea as to what the family budget was, and suddenly we were in dire straits. At that juncture, I realized the value of money. As an inquisitive young man I began to do my own research as to why the country’s economy went haywire affecting thousands of families like us and what preventive or remedial measures would be necessary to challenge such a precarious situation. Each dollar was important, and we learnt how to prune the family budget and how to segregate the luxuries from the necessities. I was still in the high school, and the idea sprouted in my mind that the intricacies of business, the causes for rise and fall in prices and the events that led to the economic crises must be studied with a scientific approach. I broached the subject of economic theories with lots of application and got solution to some of the questions that bothered me. That was the beginning of my interest in the subject of Economics/Business. My next task was to cement my theory knowledge with real life applications. To gain practicalities of market functioning, I did my internship with an insurance company during the summer holidays in Hong Kong. Besides the experience in dealing with insurance related issues I got an opportunity to study the computer applications, as the working of the insurance company was totally computerized. Insurance companies have developed many types of packages depending on the need of various types of customers. Mostly, customers are not aware of the differentiation in different policies. Soon I developed expertise in handing insurance customers and completed the documents as per guidelines provided by my Supervisor. Though insurance business involves lots of discussions and convincing with the customers, I conclude that ultimately the issue is that of faith and mutual trust. Once the customers are convinced about the services and the end results of the products offered, they are willing to buy the policies. This internship completely changed my outlook about the application of technology in office procedures and the enormous advantages the clientele derived out of the same. Business tools and strategies have changed and are continuously on the change with rapid progress that is taking place without intermission in technology. If given an opportunity I will make it a point to make a detailed study of computer and technology applications in the insurance sector and prepare a research paper on the subject. My father was not much educated in the academic sense of the term, but he was a man of practical wisdom. He often used to say, ‘I study in the college of self-education, where my mind

Organizational Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Organizational Behavior - Essay Example , is to rollout the new features that enhance the user experience, including but not limited to more accurate content that the given user might be interested in, but crucially allow users to opt out of the features that track information. Personally, I am very wary of this information tracking issue, and I for one would not entertain the idea that businesses use my information, which I consider private, without my consent to push products/services and target my friends. However, this does not mean that I am willing to stop using social networks, rather I would like to be given control over the amount and type of information about me gets shared and the purposes it might be used for. Normally, these concerns are not adequately addressed hence leaving the public with nothing to imagine the worst. One could argue that the fact these companies do not provide solution to these queries is clear indication of lack of a solution. In addition, it could be speculated that there is a fishy agenda with this decision. The delicate part is that one’s personal information such as the cell-phone numbers are required. As a result, this becomes not only a privacy issue but a security one as well. Frankly, the privacy issue on these online sites is a real concern and a solution ought to be provided without further procrastination. Clearly, the CEO of Facebook engaged in first political influence tactic mentioned in the chapter – consultation. This influence tactic states that it is â€Å"used to gain the users support for a course of action by letting you participate in the planning of the action† (Ivancevich, Konopaske, and Matteson p.350). This is clearly mentioned in the case study: â€Å"Zuckerberg announced that the company would work on a major revision of the terms and invited users to provide ideas on its website†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Basically, customers are being engaged in order to develop a mutually beneficial solution to the problem of privacy Whereas, this move is overwhelmingly

Children's Development, Health and Well-being Essay

Children's Development, Health and Well-being - Essay Example This paper will now discuss the different ways by which children develop in their early years and primary settings, with specific focus on their health and wellbeing. First, a discussion on the developmental needs and conditions of children in their primary school years would be presented, followed by a discussion on the theories and key educational initiatives and how these impact on children’s development. Legislation pertinent to the topic will then be discussed, including the key elements which impact on children’s development, health and well-being. Legislation relevant to schools and children will also be made part of this discussion as a means of understanding the connections between policy and classroom practice. Body During the primary years, learners are highly energetic and highly engaged in physical activity. They are also entering a period of experimentation with various possible identities (Fabian and Dunlop, 2002). They explore themselves and their relati onship and similarities to their peers, including the differences between the male and female gender. They are also able to participate enthusiastically in various activities, as well as to expand their mental development in ways which may be considered reflective (Fabian and Dunlop, 2002). These learners have needs which relate to the application of complicated, dynamic, interactive and cyclical activities. The learning process for these children would have to call for them to elaborate, reformulate, and reflect upon their knowledge and values (Fabian and Dunlop, 2002). In other words, they have to be supported on how their develop responsibility for their learning. The years following conception until birth to the first eight years of the child’s life are crucial to their complete and healthy mental, emotional, and physical growth (Robinson, 2007). Their brain’s rapid development often starts as early as the prenatal stage and continues until after the child’s birth. The cell formation of the child is often already complete before their birth with a newborn infant having about 100 billion brain cells (Robinson, 2007). Their brain maturation as well as the development of their neural pathways is however continued after birth until their early childhood. In effect, early childhood is a time where the environment also has a crucial role to play in determining the eventual direction of the child’s development. The environment impacts on the number of brain cells and connections made, but also how these connections would be wired (Waller, 2009). The goal of removing excess neurons and synapses from the immature brain is a process which goes on until the child’s adolescence, but is especially dramatic during the child’s early years (Waller, 2009). This process is also guided to a significant extent by how the child is experiencing the outside world. According to different studies, if the brain does not gain enough stimulat ion during this critical period, it would be very difficult for the brain to later rewire itself at a later time (MacIntyre, 2007). Poor nutrition before birth and in the first years of the child’s life can also seriously impact on brain development and cause neurological and behavioural issues including learning disabilities and mental retardation (MacIntyre, 2007).

Organizational Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Organizational Behavior - Essay Example , is to rollout the new features that enhance the user experience, including but not limited to more accurate content that the given user might be interested in, but crucially allow users to opt out of the features that track information. Personally, I am very wary of this information tracking issue, and I for one would not entertain the idea that businesses use my information, which I consider private, without my consent to push products/services and target my friends. However, this does not mean that I am willing to stop using social networks, rather I would like to be given control over the amount and type of information about me gets shared and the purposes it might be used for. Normally, these concerns are not adequately addressed hence leaving the public with nothing to imagine the worst. One could argue that the fact these companies do not provide solution to these queries is clear indication of lack of a solution. In addition, it could be speculated that there is a fishy agenda with this decision. The delicate part is that one’s personal information such as the cell-phone numbers are required. As a result, this becomes not only a privacy issue but a security one as well. Frankly, the privacy issue on these online sites is a real concern and a solution ought to be provided without further procrastination. Clearly, the CEO of Facebook engaged in first political influence tactic mentioned in the chapter – consultation. This influence tactic states that it is â€Å"used to gain the users support for a course of action by letting you participate in the planning of the action† (Ivancevich, Konopaske, and Matteson p.350). This is clearly mentioned in the case study: â€Å"Zuckerberg announced that the company would work on a major revision of the terms and invited users to provide ideas on its website†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Basically, customers are being engaged in order to develop a mutually beneficial solution to the problem of privacy Whereas, this move is overwhelmingly

The Drunkard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Drunkard - Essay Example As the story unfolds, each new event hits the reader with an unexpected scenario. Larry lives up to his task and gets Mick out of the pub, sober and early, though not in any way the reader can imagine. O'Connor's tenacity at weaving reality into a humorous irony leads to an unexpected ending to their adventure. One of the most remarkable aspects of O'Connor is that he uses everyday situations and language to paint his humor. When they are burying Mr. Dooley you could feel the simple self gratification of Mick's attendance when he experiences, "a pleasant awareness that however much he would miss poor Mr. Dooley in the long summer evenings, it was he and not poor Mr. Dooley who would do the missing". Mick was glad to be alive and looking forward to the pub. He whispers to his friend Crowley, "We'll be making tracks before they break up". Bolting toward the pub before the last prayer falls silent he worries "in a crowd like that a man might be kept waiting". Once safely on a barstool he orders some lager beer and turns to chat with his friend Crowley. As his back is turned, young Larry decides to taste Mick's beer. Once again, O'Connor turns the mundane into a comedy with the use of plain language and lack of props. After tasting the bitter brew Larry recalls, "I was astonished that he could even drink such stuff.

American History Essay Example for Free

American History Essay â€Å"The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil† was a wise phase once uttered by Hannah Arendt. I love this quote because is perfectly describes the two boys from â€Å"American History X,† Danny and Derek. These two boys have seen and done it all when it comes to hate groups, as both were members of a neo-nazi hate group. Neo- Nazi hate groups use authoritarian, scapegoat, normative, and exploitation theories to justify their hate, discrimination, and torture of anyone who isnt a part of the â€Å"supreme race,† or white. Boy Danny and Derek end up in this life from an early age. Parents are one of the biggest, if not the biggest influence on a childs life. When Danny and Derek were both relatively young they looked up to their father, thought of him as the â€Å"ideal† man. However their father was a racist, influencing almost every thought the boys had. At family dinner when talking about about a black school teacher their father said, â€Å"Its nigger bullshit,† and warned Derek not to buy into the equality teachings. Because Danny and Derek both looked up to their dad so much, this would be and example of the exploitation theory. Exploitation theory is when one societal group, in this case whites, use hostility to keep their position and power intact. This really come into play after Danny and Dereks father was murdered and Derek believes it was a race related killing. Right after their father died, Derek joined a neo-nazi hate group known as the DOC(Disciples of Christ). Being extreme believers in the white supremacy movement, the DOC acted out with violence and extreme hatred toward any other race, especially blacks. Derek, being a high ranking member, murdered 2 black men for the cause. He served three years for the murders, which impacted his whole family tremendously. At the beginning of Dereks sentence he did not want any visitors, claiming it would be to hard to see his family. He made friends with other neo-nazi members in prison, but soon started realizing that they were not serious about the cause like he was. He also started becoming friends with his black work partner who said, â€Å"I aint the nigger in here, you are† Derek started realizing that white supremacy what basically just a scapegoat. Meaning that the followers of the movement were just trying to find someone to blame for their problems, which in this case happened to be  the blacks. After befriending his black work mate he realized that blacks are human too. Once he could recognize blacks as human he finally felt guilt for killing to people, not niggers, people. Derek was determined to help his brother and family by getting them out of the gangs and hate. One of the biggest influences on Derek while in jail was his principal from high school. He was a black man with experience in dealing with â€Å"troubled youth.† He gave Derek the push he needed by saying, â€Å"Has anything youve done made your life better?†. Later Derek told Danny, â€Å"Its just because I was pissed off†. I think this was Dereks way of responding to his principal, he really didnt believe in the cause it was more of just an outlet for his anger that his father would have approved of. While Derek is locked up.

Effect of Background Environment on Learning and Recognition

Effect of Background Environment on Learning and Recognition The effect of background environment on the learning and recognition of Chinese numeric characters Abstract Previous researches on human memory found that the context present at learning and testing can have a significant impact on how well information is remembered, suggesting that information learned in one context is better recalled when the same context is reinstated during testing (McGeoch, 1932; Godden Baddeley, 1975; Schwabe Wolf, 2009). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of classical background music on learning and recognition of Chinese numeric characters. Participants (N=60) were randomly exposed to four different situations over an established period of time while given a sheet consisting of nine Chinese numeric characters to remember. After remembering the list of numbers they were tested on their recall of the numbers either in the same environment they were learnt or in the alternative environment. Using a 22 between-subject designs analysis it was found that recall was better in the matching conditions. Additionally, numbers learned in a quiet conditio n produced more errors during recall in a noisy condition, suggesting that performance is worse when the environmental contexts are mismatched. These results suggest that the effects of background noise on memory retrieval can be eliminated when a dissimilar learning context is reinstated at test. These findings have important implications for educational concerns. Introduction The theory of working memory model considers the mind to have strictly limited attention resources in processing parallel steams of information, and can become overloaded when exposed to excessive amount of information. Early investigations of memory discovered that the context at learning and recall can have an impact on how well information is remembered, suggesting that information learned in one context is better remembered when similar context is reinstated during recall. Accordingly, in this context it has been established by prior studies that external stimuli such as background music would possibly interfere with cognitive processing. Previous researches that have tested recognition memory in an environmental context that is different from the learning context have produced inconsistent results. (Davidson, Powell, 1986; Banburry Berry, 1998) observed that background music enhance task performance on a variety of tasks. However, (Saufley, OtakaBavaresco, 1985; Klatte, Bergstro m Lachmann, 2013) found that students’ exam performance were not significantly better when learning and testing took place in the same environmental context, compare to a different context. This aspect of memory has been known as context-dependent memory (CDM). The CDM has been extended to different context and have received some previous attentions in the literature, including; olfactory stimuli (Pointer Bond, 1998; Cann Ross, 1989), alcohol states (Eich, 1980), and testing environment (Godden Baddeley, 1975), among many other context. Background music has been shown to be another potential context under which CDM seems to occur. In a number of studies changes in context between learning and testing have produced a significant affect during recall,whereas, in other studies this effects has not been shown (GeiselmanGlenny, 1977; Geiselman Bjork, 1980; Russo, Ward, GeurtsScheres, 1999; Smith, Glenberg Bjork, 1978; Smith Vela, 2001; Godden Baddeley, 1975; Smith, 1985; Fernandez Alonso, 2001). Nevertheless while external stimulus (such as music) appears to enhance individuals’ learning, it could be distracting to others. For instance, (Smith, 1985) examined the e ffect of background music on CDM. In which subjects were asked to learn a list of words under one of three background music conditions (Mozart piece, jazz selection or quiet condition). He concluded that participants who were exposed to the same musical context recalled significantly more words during testing. This provides evidence that the idea of background music can serve as an effective retrieval cue for earlier learned material and does produce CDM effects. According to the literature cited above, individuals tend to recall information better when the environmental context matches from encoding to retrieval. This was supportedin a study conducted by (Grant, Bredahl, Clay, Ferrie, McDorman Dark, 1998). In this study, the participants were instructed to study meaningful information under either noisy or quiet conditions. Then, they were asked multiple-choice and short-answer questions on the previously learned material. A reduction in recall was noticed in participants whose noise level was mismatched during learning and testing compare to those whose noise-level was matched. This suggests if the music played throughoutthe administration of the test and learning is the same, this will improves memory because similar background cues promote memory retrieval. Researches have also demonstrated the effects of background noise on task performance (Hygge, Evans Bullinger, 2002; Ylias and Heaven, 2003), underlining the harmful effects of noise as a distractoron an individual’s performance. Banbury and Berry (1998) found that performance was lower in the presence of background noise (taped office noise) compare to quiet conditions during recall. Also greater disruption was noticed when both learning and recall occurred in the same noisy environment. However, there has also been research contradicting these findings. Avila,Furnham and McClelland (2011) found no significant difference in task performance in the presence background noise. The present study considers the effects of background environment on learning and recognition of Chinese numeric characters. Three research questions are addressed. The first question is whether learning context affect recall. The second research question is whether testing context affect recall. And finally, the third research question that was addressed is to see whether there is an interaction between learning contexts and testing context. Also, in line with previous studies (Grant, Bredahl, Clay, Ferrie, McDorman Dark, 1998; Cann Ross, 1989; Smith, 1985), it was predicted that there would be an effect of context. It was expected that tasks performed in learn quiet-test quiet conditions would yield better results during recall than tasks performed in learn noisy-test noisy conditions, indicating that the background environment(Classical music) is a distracter to performance. The rationale for these predictions would be that background music could prevent full concentration on memo ry task; this could be because extra information during testing could be distracting to participants. Additionally, percentage error scores were expected to be significantly higher in the quiet-noisy condition during learning and recall, suggesting that background noise contribute to lower performance in memory. Perhaps this could be due to the fact that attention will be drawn to the background music while learning, therefore, leading to poorer recall during testing. Finally, performance was predicted to be significantly higherin no background noise condition. The rationale for these results would be that according to prior studies the presence of background noiseand changed environment during recall could impair performance, potentially through distraction. Method Design The first research question used a 22 between-subjects design to analyse the collected data. This was chosen to determine whether differences exist between different background situations (quiet and noisy) and whether one is more effective than the other. The independent variable was context at learning, with two levels; quiet and noisy. This addresses whether background music affects learning. The second research questions also used a between-subjects design. The independent variable was the context at testing, with two levels; quiet and noisy. This addresses whether background music affects recall at testing. The third research question addresses whether there this a interaction between context at learning and testing. For all the research questions the dependent variable was the number of errors. This was measured by counting the numbers of incorrect answers given by each participant. Participants Sixty participants (22 Males, 38 Females), ranging in age from 18 to 65 years old (M=29, SD=12. 1) participated in the study. The groups were randomly allocated from personal contacts of the researchers. Participants were divided into four groups each assigned to four different conditions. However, it is important to note that any Chinese participants or anyone with a previous knowledge of Chinese language were excluded from the study, due to the nature of the task. Materials (or Measures) The stimuli were the ‘noise’,which was played via Youtube throughout the study for a specific condition. Since classical music may cover a wide range of stylistic variances, the present study used Vivaldi The Four Seasonsthis was chosen as classical music is frequently heard in the radio and thus musical style would be familiar to the participants (VanWeelden, 2012). The test consisted of nine Chinese numeric characters,which were selected for the purpose of the study (appendix). In order to avoid practice destruction sheet (word search) was used, which was randomly selected on the Internet (appendix 7). Procedure The experiment was conducted in a room assigned by the researchers. Participants were given consent forms to fill out at the beginning of the study and were informed of their right to withdraw at any point (appendix 3,4). They were also given an instruction sheet, detailing what they were required to do (appendix 2). The study was an independent-measure design. All sixty participants were assigned to four different conditions. Each condition consisted of 15 participants and depending on their groups they were exposed to either a quiet or a noisy room with classical music being played in the background. Also, depending on the conditions the researchers explained to the participants that music would be played while they were given a sheet with nine Chinese numeric characters to remember the meaning of (appendix 1). The participants were then given five minutes to remember the meaning of each numeric character. Then, in order to redirect participant’s attention and to avoid pract ice subjects were given a distraction task of a word search to complete under three minutes. Then, they were asked to return to their respective room, depending on their conditions (quiet or noisy) and were allowed five minutes to identify the meanings of the same nine Chinese characters on a separate testing sheet presenting with symbols but no meanings (appendix 6). At the end of the experiment participants were debriefed (appendix 5) and instructed in the same verbal and written manner throughout the experiment. Result The analysis conducted a 22 ANOVA with learn (quiet, noisy) and test (quiet, noisy) conditions as between-subject variables were conducted on the percentage error recall. This was done In order to determine whether recall would be higher when the learning and testing context were quiet in comparison to noisy, and whether recall would be better when learning and testing context matched compared to mismatched. The mean and standard deviation for recall scores are reported in table 1. The results of the ANOVA confirmed that as predicted there was a significant main effect of context at learningF(1,56)=6. 287, P=0. 015, such that participants made significantly more errors in a noisycondition than in a quiet condition (M=22. 96 and M=11. 85 respectively). (See graph 1, figure 1). In addition, along with the prediction, there was not a significant main effect of context at test (p>0. 05),noisy condition produced more error compare to quiet condition (M= 21. 48 and M=13. 33 respectively). And finally, There was not a statistically significant interaction effect between learning and testing context, F(1,56)=3. 381, P=0. 071. This means that context at learning had the same effect at both levels of the other IV, context at test. Table 1. Percentage memory recall during quiet and noisy test conditions following quiet and noisy learning conditions. Figure 1: Estimated mean log of errors scores in Chinese numeric character recall task of context at learning. Discussion Our primary goal in this experiment was to examine the effect of background music on learning and recall. It was predicted that the detrimental influence of background music on memory retrieval would be lessened if the learning and retrieval environments matched. The present findings confirmed this prediction. The participants performed worse when the learning and testing context were dissimilar. This is in line with previous studies of impaired memory retrieval following background noise (Dalton Behm, 2007; Dobbs, Furnham McClelland, 2011). If, however, the learning and testing context were matched, this detrimental effect of stress disappeared. But, in confliction with some studies, the results provide no evidence for an interaction of background music and context effects in memory processes. Participants learned better in learn quiet-test quiet condition (M=11. 85), but did not necessarily recall higher when they were tested in a noisy condition (M=31. 11). Also, participants prod uced more errors in learn noisy-test noisy (M=14. 81) as opposed to learn noisy-test quiet condition (M=11. 85), suggesting that participants performed poorly when the learning and test context were mismatched. This can be supported by many studies (Fernandez Alonso, 2001; Schwabe Wolf, 2009). Although we focused mainly on the manipulation of the environmental (i. e. , external) context, it is important to note that the presence or absence of other stimuli can also be conceptualised as a change in internal context. In this study internal stimulus such as personality trait, emotional state and mood were not assessed during learning and recall. Also, mood, which can be affected by emotions and feelings, can improve or hinder with successful learning model of the engaged individual. Additionally, as mentioned before personality trait could be a factor that needs to be considered. The influence of music on memory performance has also been linked to personality types. A study piloted by Furnham and Bradley (1997) demonstratedthat pop music could be a distracter on the performance of introverts and extraverts. It was proposed that in the presence of music extravert would perform better than introverts. The findings determined that when pop music was played recall was severely le ssened for both introverts and extraverts. Also, it was shown that introverts recalled significantly lower than extraverts in the presence of pop music condition as well as introverts in the silent condition. Overall, introverts seemed to be easily distracted in the presence of background noise. This researchexposed evidence that overall background noise, such as music, TV and background conversation could improve performance in complicated cognitive tasks for extraverts, while it will considerably impair introverts’ task performance (Furnham Bradley, 1997; Dobbs, Furnham McClelland, 2011). A possible confounding variable in between-subjects designs in this experiment could have been related to individual differences, in which the participants’ characteristic differed one group to another, for instance the participants in one group may be older, smarter, then the participants in another group. This was somehow controlled by giving the exact same information to every participant and treated equally. Also, environmental variables may have affected the findings in which characteristics of the environment differed between groups, for example the groups were tested in different rooms, one group may be tested in a larger room and another group in a smaller room. However, we had no control over assignment of individuals to groups, as the groups were randomly allocated. It is important to note that the Chinese numeric characters where unfamiliar to the participants, these may have affected their recall regardless the condition their were set in, however, this needs to be taken into further consideration. A group of different ages were exposed to one task that had been designed to assess the participants’ ability ton how well they canremember unfamiliar Chinese characters. As Fernandez Alonso (2001) found that older participants recall better when they were tested in the same context, but no effects was shown for the younger participants. However, this had no impact on the direction of the data, but it makes the sample less reliable. In summary, the results of the present experiment indicate that the detrimental effects of background music on memory retrieval can be prevented when the environmental context at learning and testing match. These findings have important implications for educational concerns, to find out whether the negative impact of background music on learning or testing will be reduced if students are tested in the same room/context, instead of in an unfamiliar room. Word count: 2194

President Harry S. Trumans Executive Order 9981 :: essays research papers

President Harry S. Truman's Executive Order 9981 On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman orders the desegregation of the Armed Forces by Executive Order 9981. Prior to Harry Truman passing the Executive Order 9981 on February 2, 1948 he asked Congress to create a permanent FEPC, and in December 1946, he appointed a distinguished panel to serve as the President's Commission on Civil Rights, which would recommend "more adequate means and procedures for the protection of the civil rights of the people of the United States." The Commission noted the many restrictions on blacks, and urged that each person, regardless of race, color or national origin, should have access to equal opportunity in securing education, decent housing and jobs. Harry Truman sent a special message to Congress on February 2, 1948 calling for prompt implementation of the Commission's recommendations. Southerners were unhappy with that idea and â€Å"immediately threatened a filibuster†, so Truman, unable to secure action from the Congress had no choice but to move ahead using his executive authority. Critics on Capitol Hill easily stopped his proposals. Some historians believe President Truman had hoped to unite the Democratic Party by promising civil rights to African Americans, but not pushing so fast as to alienate segregationists. Southern Democrats formed the Dixiecrat Party and nominated South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond for president. President Truman’s Executive Board was the beginning step for further integration in the Armed Forces. Following President Truman's Executive Order, two boards were established to make recommendations about integration. A presidential commission chaired by Charles Fahy recommended an end to discrimination in jobs, schooling, assignment, and recruitment. In 1952 it was the Korean War that finally led to the desegregation of previously all-white combat unit. The main goal of President Trumans Executive Order 9981 was to grant equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. â€Å"There shall be created in the National Military Establishment an advisory committee to be known as the President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services, which shall be composed of seven members to be designated by the President.† He also states that the Committee â€Å"shall confer and advise the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force†. Over 2.5 million African-American men registered for the draft, and black women also volunteered in large numbers. While serving in the Army, Army Air Forces, Navy,

Compare and Contrast Essay Art

Work #1 Mona Lisa Leonardo de Vinci, i503-i507 Oil on poplar, (77 x 55cm, 30 x 21in) Muste de Louve, Paris Work # 2 Flowers of Edo: Young Woman’s narrative Chanting to the Shamison Kitagowa Utamoro, Mid 17903 Color wood block print (15 1/8 x 10/38. 5 x 25. 5 cm) Spencer Museums Art The University of Kansas I am not a professional art critic, I just like beautiful paintings. It is very fascinating to me the talent that some are born with. Dilect changes with time but a painting or message or imaginary stays the same. I chose two very important paintings both are portraits of woman. They were created during different time periods. Comparing the two work one (Mona Lisa) is very detailed, while work two (Flowers of Edo: Young woman’s narrative chanting to the shamisen) is more sketched. I am left wondering if work two was a real person or drawing that was later painted. Mona Lisa or La Giocanda (Lajaconde) is the 16th century, oil paintings on polar wood by Leonardo Da Vinci, and is one of the world’s most famous paintings. Few works of art have been subjected to as much scrutiny, study, mythologizing and parody. It is owned by the French government and hangs in the Musee da Louvre in Paris. The painting, a half-length portrait, depicts a woman whose gaze meets the viewers with an expression often described as enigmatic. The title Mona Lisa stems from the Giorgio Vasari biography of Leonard De Vinci published 31 yrs after Leonard’s death. In it he identified the sitter as Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a wealthy businessman; Mona was a common name from the title Madonna, meaning my lady, the English version of Madam. The alternative title is the Italian version which means light-hearted was derived because of her smile. The â€Å"Flowers of Edo† was a series of creations by artist kawakawa Utamoro, who was a Japanese print maker and painter, and he is considered one of the greatest artists of wood block prints. He is especially known for his masterfully composed studies of women. His sensuous female beauties are generally considered the finest and most evocative. He also produced nature studies particularly illustrated books of insects. Kitagawa work reached Europe in the middle of the 19th century, where his works were very popular; enjoying particular fame in France. He influenced the European impressionist, particularly with his use of partial views, with an emphasis or light and shade. Sources The Mona Lisa Exposed Http://www. hepgura. com/mona Lisa, an ad supported tufts University student website dedicated to the Mona Lisa. Shrug asana, Timothy Clark, The passionate art of Kitagowa Utamaro British Museum Press, London, 1995

Computer Dynamics

I. Computer Dynamics Computer Dynamics is a microcomputer software development company that has a 300-computer network. The company is located in three adjacent five-story buildings in an office park, with about 100 computers in each building. The current network is a poorly designed mix of Ethernet and token ring (Ethernet in two buildings and token ring in the other). The networks in all three buildings are heavily overloaded, and the company anticipates significant growth in network traffic. There is currently no network connection among the buildings, but this is one objective in building the new network.Describe the network you would recommend and how it would be configured with the goal of building a new network that will support the company’s needs for the next 3 years with few additional investments. Be sure to include the devices and type of network circuits you would use. You will need to make some assumptions, so be sure to document your assumptions and explain why you have designed the network in this way. Assumptions: The two buildings with Ethernet are wired with at least Cat5e cabling and all wiring is run back to a central closet on each floor to a data switch.To connect the floors in the building a fiber cable is run between the closets to connect them to each other, a chassis based switch with a router module installed, and the local service providers WAN. Rewire the building that has Token Ring to at least Cat5e cabling, Token Ring will not be able to withstand the network load or the anticipated network traffic growth. Install a chassis based switch with router modules installed and fiber ports to connect this building to the newly designed backbone.Chassis switches are robust and scalable; they will survive the demands of the network for the next 3 years. Connect the three building via the chassis switches using fiber from building to building and a dedicated point to point circuit to the service provider’s WAN. This will allo w the three buildings to share resources across the network, communicate with each other through the network, and share applications across the network. Install a DHCP server to issue IP addresses to the computers on the company’s networks so they will recognize that they are a part of the same network.

Entre Notes

Answer the following In about 15 words (i)List the tlelds in which Trailblazer' has business strengths. A. The trailblazer's business strengths could include the medical, technology, finance, legal and consulting fields. Being strong strategic thinkers, they focus easily on marketing and operations. (it) List the fields in which ‘Motivator' has business strengths. A. The motivator's business strengths: They do well in retail, sales and HR. They do well in almost any business that Involves people, as long as Its d somewhat non- confrontational environment.Ill) List the fields In which Collaborator has business strengths. A. collaborators are good at running customer service-oriented or retail businesses or any business where there is a need to convince others. Collaborators can be great salesmen in a warm selling market because they use their sociability to sell their expertise. (Iv) List the fields in which Diplomats' has business strengths. A. The diplomat's excel In retail or other people-oriented environments. They are good at multi-tasklng and can work well under pressure They get things done quickly end work well with deadlines, Q2.Answer the following In about 50 words. (i) Describe the characteristics ot a ‘go-getter' type ot personality. Ans. They have a higher-than-average level of both dominance and sociability and very driven and independent. Go-getters represent the largest percentage of the founders. Their natural style lends itself to managing and leading both processes and people. They can work well in ambitious and unfamiliar environments. means they can invest in, buy or start a business that's totally new and still make a success of It.They don't need to be an expert In the field to start the business, as they are good collaborators nd can learn as they go (it) What is brain storming? Ans. A group of persons sit together and generate a number of business ideas by innovating alternative ways of meeting the needs and solving problems . It is usually an unstructured discussion in which one idea leads to another. This is a very productive method of generating as many as possible. Oil) What do you mean by ‘environment scanning? Ans.One of the Important techniques that can be used to generate Ideas Is environment scanning, the screening of large amounts of Information to detect emerging trends. A lot of Information Is available from news magazines, reviews, government and consumer publications, trade publications, commercials, etc. These have to be scanned to obtain workable ideas. The challenge in this method is that there is too much information to scan from. However it is very useful way to generate ideas. (iv)What are focus groups? services in a structured setting.In a typical focus group a moderator focuses the group discussion or whatever issues are being examined. A focus group can provide an excellent way to generate new ideas and to screen proposed ideas and concepts. v)Explain feasibility study? Ans. Centre for Entrepreneurship at University of Rochester explained that â€Å"a feasibility study can be defined as a controlled process for identifying problems and opportunities, determining objectives, describing situations, defining successful outcomes, and assessing the range of costs and benefits associated with several alternatives for solving a problem. The information gathered and presented in a feasibility study will help entrepreneurs to: A) List in detail all the things they need to make the business work; B) Identify logistical and other business-related problems nd solutions; C) Develop marketing strategies to convince a bank or investor that their business is worth considering as an investment; and D) Serve as a solid foundation for developing their business plans. vi)What do you think is the reason for failure of business plan execution? Ans. Strategies most often fail because they are not executed well. Expected results and outcome may not happen and leading to unde rperformance. This creates significant frustration and cynicism within an organization. Even good plans can get a bad name because they are assessed by the results of its execution.

Week 10, 11 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Week 10, 11 - Assignment Example Its advantages are obvious as compared to disadvantages. Low cost and time saving has made it a delivery model for various business applications. Answer A. Data location is one of the security risk revealed by Gartner in textbook. Users might want to know the exact location where data is hosted. One does not know the place where cloud servers are placed, but believes that where cloud servers are located that is a safe place and no security risk is for stored information. Answer B. It is said that users have concern about data security and does not need to know where data is located. However, users of cloud computing service believe that local privacy requirements are met by authority keeping the cloud servers. Answer B: In the above figure, important concepts relevant to a Management Information System are given in a linear hierarchal way. Response management system, health information system, and sales information system are the main classes of MIS. Its services are numerous for business organizations. Answer A: Both UML and pseudo code are vital for designing and development of an online course delivery system. A UML of the online course delivery system will give graphical view of the system. Use Cases or other diagrams of UML save time for developers because system requirements are elicited very early in software development life cycle. Answer B. Pseudo code is another way of system representation in non-graphical view. It allows the developers/software engineer to specify levels of design description, which are required for each situation. Initial approach of UML is more suitable than pseudo code because it helps the software engineers throughout the life cycle of a system. It provides basic guidelines to developers for system designing and development. Answer A: A class diagram is mostly used by developers. This diagram is core for system designing and development. Objects and

The balance of power between the Executive and Legislative branches Essay

The balance of power between the Executive and Legislative branches has tipped in favour of a dominant Executive with negative c - Essay Example This means that no single arm of government should control the other two arms. However, this is not the case as seen in the study of the political system of Russia, United States of America and France, (Fitjar, 2010) Russia Russia emerged after the breakup of the United Social Soviet republic. It is made up of eighty nine republics and other jurisdictions. Russia’s political system is different from that of the United States of America and France. This is because the constitution, which was adopted in 1993 provided that Russia be governed by the three arms of government. However, the constitution did not give equal powers to all the arms of government. For example, the president is both the commander in chief of the armed forces and the chair to the Security Council. Vladimir Putin is said to have used this power to strengthen his office. The executive arm of the Russian government is comprises the prime minister, other cabinet ministers and the attorney general, (White, 2005) . The prime minister is appointed by the president and is the chair of the constitutional court which is the highest court in Russia. He is also the head of the Central Bank of Russia. Russia’s legislature is made up of two houses. The first house is the Federation council which is made up of 180 members who serve four years terms. The other house is the state Duma which is comprised of 450 members who also serve terms of four years. Both houses have different responsibilities. The State Duma has more powers than the Federal council which is viewed as a reviewing and consultation body. One important role of the legislature is to check and control the executive by making sure that transparency is observed in the operations of the government. However, in Russia the executive has dominated over the executive resulting in various consequences. The executive in Russia has dominated over the legislature in many ways. The president of Russia is allowed to appoint top government offi cials without consultation with the legislature. However, this is with the exception with the appointment of the prime minister where the lower house of the legislature should confirm the nominee for the position of prime minister. Despite this being the case, the president has the power to dissolve the lower house if they do not confirm a nominee to be the prime minister three times consecutively. This has resulted in the lower house accepting nominees for prime ministers since it faces the risk of dissolution if the nominees are not passed. It is said that it is through this that presidents like Vladimir Putin have taken advantage of this political system to empire their offices so that the government can be dominated by them. Another way that the executive in Russia destabilizes the balance of the executive and the legislature is by making sure they can control the federal council. The president does this by changing the process of ex official membership into presidential appoint ment. For example, in the year 2000 President Vladimir Putin replaced ex official members with those he appointed. This made sure he could influence decisions by the Federal Council in accordance with policies of the executive. Even though, the State Duma can pass a vote of no confidence for the government, the president has the powers to ignore the vote and even dissolve the house if they take another vote within the period of three months. United States of America The