Christian Societies Emerge in Europe Essay

Christian Societies Emerge in Europe, 600-1200 1. What new political systems emerged in Europe after the fall of Rome? How consistent were these systems, and what major variations were there? Byzantine had a continuation of Roman Imperial rule and tradition where it was completely gone in the kingdoms succeeding Rome in the West. Byzantine still used the imperial law intact while the west used provincial form of Roman law. Byzantine combined imperial rule with the political oversight of the Christian Church which led to Christian monarchs, a ruler with supreme religious and political authority. This prevented the empire to divide into principalities like in the East. Imperial authority and urbanization of the Byzantine protected them from population loss and economic reverse of the Western Empire besides from the Bubonic plague. decline. In western Europe, the imperial legal framework of the Roman Empire disappeared and saw to the rise of kings, nobles and chieftains in regions. Family based traditions of the Germanic people persisted and supplied laws of the Roman emperors. A local lord had a castle where peasants could take refuge in times of fear and security. Manorial systems developed which are self-sufficient farming estates consisted of outbuildings, castle, peasant village and surrounding land. Feudalism is the more political term where kings and lords give land to vassals in return for sworn military support. Fear allowed for farmers to give up their land in return for protection. Poorly organized govt. and isolation made them rely on own resources. The lords provided governance and justice while royal govt. involvement is limited. Jurisdiction fell under the clergy of the church, monasteries or nunneries which owned agricultural land. During the revival of Western Europe, 1000-1200, independent cities formed and were governed by communes or groups of leading citizens. Instead of farming these cities turned to manufacturing and trade. Laws made serfs free once they left the countryside for the city. Venice became dominant sea power and competed with Pisa and Genoa for domination of trade with Muslim ports in Africa and Med. Cites in Flanders rivaled Italian cities in prosperity trade and industry (dominated fish and wool trades) Abundant coinage of silver and gold coming from Muslim and Byzantine lands, promoted economic activity 2. How and why did Christianity spread throughout Europe up to 1200 CE? It spread through the Roman Empire which ruled parts of the Europe west of the Rhine and south of the Danube. First when Christianity was not very widely practiced and it was illegal, it spread along urban networks and lower classes. Then emperors started to convert starting with the Byzantine emperors established Christianity as their official religion. Then Christianity started to gain support and patronage. There were a few missionaries sent out of the Roman Empire such as St. Patrick who spread the religion to Ireland. Trade and Christian slaves also spread Christianity more easily to a broad range of places. After the division of the Roman Empire, two –thirds of Christians adopted Muslim faith in Byzantine territories around southern Med. The church and the jurisdiction of the pope remained a huge influence and role model in society. Kings who succeeded Western Europe generally were Christian so they can win the favor of their subjects. There were more missionaries spreading the teachings of Christianity. Monasteries and covenants planted Christianity in new lands. The Poles and other Slavic people in the North accepted the Christianity of Rome, taught by German priests and missionaries, and diffusion from Constantinople. In Kiev Russia, Vladimir married a bride from the Byzantine imperial family and converted to Orthodox Christianity and opened his lands to Orthodox clerics and missionaries†¦ Generally speaking, Christianity spread because of cultural diffusion, missionaries, political contacts such as marriage alliances, and Christian conquests. 3. How does the economic, social, and political structure of Europe compare with the previous era under the Roman Empire? Economically, Byzantine government remained the same in terms of set prices, organized grain shipments to the capital and monopolies on trade goods and luxuries. This may have slowed economic developments. The focus was mainly on Constantinople’s rich, trade, glittering court and cathedrals leaving the poor and the travelers behind which affected other Byzantine cities negatively. There was no moral code to follow so there were many crimes. In Western Europe, Germanic political order cared less about the urban based  civilization of Rome. It lost pop. in most regions and some cities became villages. Roman Roads, abandoned villas and public buildings started deteriorating as wealth, maintenance, and workers decreased. Paying with coins was replaced with the bartering system. Trade declined so they had to rely on local sources. Roman centralization used its wealth and production on the capital, which spread Rome’s cultural traits throughout the provinces. But Germanic territorial lords persisted on their own cultural traditions so literacy and other aspects of Rome declined. The status of women changed. During the Roman Empire, the family was centered on the legally all-powerful father while woman enjoyed freedom in public. Later, after the 7th century, women lived in confinement and hid their faces under veil. They only socialized with males in their family. On the other hand, from 1028-1056, women ruled along their husbands. Some also played prominent roles based on status such as the daughter of Emperor Comnenus by expressing her ideas and point of view. In Western Europe, the Germanic tradition was splitting property among sons. The Manorial system allowed for Nobles and their family to completely rule over the serfs of agricultural workers who worked the land in return for protection and could not leave the manor where they were born into. This limited the freedom and potential achievement for most people except for the nobles. K nights, the primary figure of medieval warfare, regularly answered to calls for military service and there was a growing number of warriors and horsemen which gradually led to an increased status of a mounted warrior, becoming a landowner. Land was the basis of wealth so the more land, the more support for the knight there is. Fiefs or grants of land could be inheritable as long as military service was provided. Noblewomen played key parts in the Feudal system. A man who married the daughter or widow of a lord with no sons could gain control of their property. Marriage alliances affect the kingdom on a whole. Noblewomen had sufficient roles in society such as directing public works. Noble daughters AND sons had little say in marriage matters but issues of land, power, and military service took more importance. Noblewomen could inherit land even when the husband was away at war. Regular women worked with the men, performing agricultural tasks such as raking, stacking hay, shearing sheep, and picking vegetables. They also were skilled artisans so they could weave and sew. Some women lived my monastic rules by seclusion in convent  but very small percentage. Convents provided refuge for widows and for other women in need of protection and spirituality. Byzantine still maintained Roman Imperial rule and traditions. Imperial authority and urbanization of the Byzantine protected them from population loss and economic reverse of the Western Empire. The Bubonic Plague and other epidemics, excluded from this condition, caused decline of pop., elite, and wealth and shifting views of saints. Power in the imperial court was organized by family based aristocracy rather than earlier class based office holdings by 11th century. Territorial losses of prosperous Egypt, Syria, and Tunisia by the Sassanids and invasions of Slavic and Turkish people in the Byzantine Empire led to military weakness and decline. In western Europe, the imperial legal framework of the Roman Empire disappeared and saw to the rise of kings, nobles and chieftains. Family based traditions of the Germanic people persisted and supplied laws of the Roman emperors. Society focused on rural villages and estates (manors) rather than cities. The Church also played a huge part in the political structure in both Byzantine and especially the West where not only did it offer religious guidance, but political jurisdiction as well according to church or clergy property. Three traditions constantly competed with each other; Feudal law from Germanic custom gave supreme power to the king, canon law is the single hierarchical legal institution with jurisdiction over Western Christians, and Monasticism which is living in a religious and secular community following pre-Christian practices such as celibacy, chastity, obedience and poverty. 4. Describe the process by which Christianity diverged into two branches: Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. There were disagreements between the popes and princes of Western Europe that gradually worsened. The patriarchs of Constantinople challenged the jurisdictions of the popes of Rome and some practices of the Latin Church. This formed a schism or split between the Latin Church and Orthodox Church. Christian populations followed the religious guidance of the pope of Constantinople and the pope of the Western Church had similar authority. Missionaries in the East spread Christianity among the Slavs so in the west, they spread Christianity into the British Isles and German lands. In the West, the papacy is the central administration of the Roman Catholic Church of which the pope is the head. Roman nobles lost control of it though eventually and became an international office where councils of bishops set canons or rules to regulate the priest and people not part of clergy. It was hard to unite the church when there were disagreements between regions over church regulations, shortages of trained clergy, political disorder, insecurity, some polytheism, and selling appointments. Because of political fragmentation, the pope needed allies, especially the support of the king. Both considered themselves as absolute authority. In 969, the Holy Roman Empire established loose confederation of German states and principalities. The first emperor had secular political authority over general Christian interests but the law of the church controlled jurisdiction overall church and clergy property while bishops holding land as vassals owed their service to kings and princes. This led to the investiture controversy or medieval struggle between the church and the lay lords to control churc h appointments and popes vs. emperors and kings. 5. What role did technology and improvements in agriculture play in the development of the European economy? Agricultural Europe produced horses for a specific type of warfare in the Roman legion where larger and heavier horses were needed. Farmers practiced shifting cultivation in Kievan Russia where they would burn a section of forest for fertility instead of manorial agriculture system. Between 1000-1200 western Europe transformed from subsistence farming where only basic needs were met for food, shelter and clothing to growing population and agricultural production. The food surplus made the return of a money-based economy and supported larger numbers of workers and traders. Population growth was started by new technologies and the appearance of the self-governing cities of Italy and Flanders devoted to seaborne trade. There were also improvements in central administration, greater control over vassals, and stronger kingdoms. A new plow appeared which cut deep into the soil to turn over land and made it easier to farm heavy soil but took more energy and animals. The horse collar was a harnessing method used to hitch horse to plows and carts more efficiently as they were faster and stronger than oxen. Some areas favored oxen and contributed to the pop. growth as well. 6. How did Kievan Russia develop both in conjuncture with Western Europe and Byzantium yet develop distinct  characteristics? The environment is quite different because of the fact that there is frozen tundra in the north, cold forest zone, then a more temperate forest, mixed forests and steppe grasslands. There is a different culture of the Slavic people who spoke distinct languages. Kievan Russia developed Orthodox Christianity officially like in Byzantine which extended northward which provided a barrier against Latin Christianity. Even though orthodox Christianity was the official religionthere was still distinct cultural traditions such as polytheist designs and beliefs, rejections of Christian burial practices, and traditional Slavic marriage practicing casual and polygamous relations. Besides this, Kievan developed distinct ones as well. Its political power came from trade rather than from landholding like the manorial system of western Europe. Farmers practiced shifting cultivation in Kievan Russia where they would burn a section of forest for fertility. Poor land and short growing season in the very north made food scarce so the focus was more on horse breeding than agriculture.

Bureaucratic Politics and Intelligence in The Bay of Pigs

In 1961 at the Bay of Pigs, exiles from Cuba performed an amphibious physical attack. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had done the recruitment, training and equipping of these Cuban exiles brigade. Moreover, pilots from America in support of the invasion flew some combat missions. However, in not more than three days, the Cuban president, Fidel Castro, had intervened and crushed the invasion but there were reports of hundred exiles that died. Besides, the assault force survivors spent the subsequent one and a half years languishing in the prisons of Havana.The then U. S. presidents, Kennedy, R. , was troubled within himself for having had approved this operation that morally, intellectually and tactically was bankrupt from its inauguration. Bureaucratic politics, a national security policy models by Graham Allison, helps clarify the dilemmas of Kennedy’s shadowy vacation. The use of analogical reasoning in this ill-fated invasion based on the past successes that were con cealed revealed the faultiness of enacting foreign policies in decision making.The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) may have misguided President Kennedy to result to the wrong policy decisions in dealing with Cuba and her president (Johnson, 1983, 25). Analogical reasoning by the way of process tracing could have aided Kennedy in making up his final decision. Though the press had been informed of the progress of the preparations of the invasion, it downplayed the same more specifically to the Cuban expatriates who had exiled the Miami political representatives in the interest of the national security.Further revisiting the unfolding of events in the Bay of Pigs (Bahia de Cochmos) leaned more on a political outcome than a decision arrived at rationally. The present struggles between the different governments’ officials’ gave birth to this Bahia de Cochmos since each independent side had its priorities, problems and perceptions totally conflicting with the othersâ€⠄¢. This invasion was a unitary rational actor’s unconscious policy decision emerging from coalition, compromise, confusion and competition among the aforesaid officials of the government who had different perceptions of the issue at hand (Blight, 1999, 7).Though no acting solely, these parties were in a common competitive game as elaborated by the model of bureaucratic politics. Endorsements by Eisenhower, an Indian, some staffers and the CIA funding held more significant roles invasion than the chiefs in the determination of the final outcome though they had no elaborate intention in the invasion. For instance, Eisenhower only supported the attempts of destabilizing Cuba while Nixon, a U. S. presidential nominee of the Republicans foresaw the benefits he was to enjoy once the toppling of Castro was successful prior the general elections.Another active participant of the Cuban program included Bissell, a former Yale’s economist and the CIA deputy director who worked t owards the programs expansion. He was determined, having the hopes of being Kennedy’s selected successor, to overthrow the government of Cuba through an amphibious invasion. He later collaborated with Eisenhower to fuel the assault force with heavy firepower. All through even after the eventful inauguration, President Kennedy supported the plan by his issuance of the relevant guidelines though he was doubtful of the invasion success.As the operation matured, various last minute changes had to be adopted. These were a reflection of the hidebound interests of individual players and organizations. Air strikes were prompted with the aim of eradicating on the ground any intervening attempts by the air force in the Castro’s government (Halperin, 1974, 14). The risks facing Kennedy’s political arena equaled those of the military. Confusion and competition between the officials resulted about the operation since each bureaucracy had its own goals that it promoted for it s interests.However, amidst all these, the ruinous upshot exploded. This invasion succeeded because of the collaboration of the bureaucrats. Though Kennedy thought that his infiltration of the Cuban exiles was quiet, the CIA kept the press updated and sent battle communiques to the Cuban political front based in Miami. Kennedy also perceived that was the invasion to face a bounce-back, guerrilla operations would work out. Other stakeholders like the air force staff played it well. The role of intelligence in the InvasionIntelligence calls for use of analogical reasoning and the utilization of the history properly in coming up with decisions especially foreign policy decisions. However, of the two reasoning by analogy seems to take a greater portion. In the Bay of Pigs, Kennedy placed less trust in advice given to him and suggestions from various administrations. For instance, he chose to independently deal with the Laotian foreign policy resolutions when the joint chiefs and the sta ffers seemed to be reluctant in updating him the happenings in the Bay of Pigs.He goes further to reflect on the European crises and not only the crisis in Cuba on missiles. Robert Kennedy stands out to be a statesman capable of escaping single analogy confines. Although a foreign policy maker, Kennedy employs historical reasoning in his policy decision making and this proves to be superficial as compared to reasoning by analogy. Besides, it is an ordinary phenomenon. The problems that were at hand in Cuba invasion could not have been perceived and recognized since the stakeholders merely made observations and their reasoning was logical with no analogical reasoning.They never referred from the past similar incident’s problems in order to handle the current in a more reasonable manner. Even though Kennedy was sympathetic with the operation’s motives and had no apprehensiveness about Castro’s overthrowing by the U. S. , the CIA plan was never persuasive to him. H e was focused on the probabilities of accomplishing the operation and also attaining political success (Vandenbroucke, 1984, 7). He favored smaller teams infiltration than undertaking an amphibious assault.The CIA managed to maneuver tactfully and shrewdly in the operations preparation and execution without loosing. This agency enjoyed the information monopoly on the Cuban issue. Furthermore, its officials were more passionate about the problem than the rest thus remained to be very convincing to the others. Besides, other key players like Bissell, a doctorate degree holder, with their divergent values, goals and stakes and power resources had reliable decision inputs. Besides, Bissell’s personality was superb. Schlesinger defines his intelligence as superbly clean organized and articulated.These activists were gurus in intelligence works and concealed operations. Despite the undoubted fact that the operation was highly risky, the CIA culture of accurately calculating and pro viding for these perils was utilized. With the president being at some points being unenthusiastic, the bureaucratic players involved in the operation could easily access him and influence his decisions through the OSSs and the Ivy League ties (Murgado, 2003, 8). This would time and again prompt him to react to the favor of the operation.The channel that was used for decision making was tightly concealed from the Cuban expertise civilian decision makers’ sources. This ensured that Cuban civilians could not forecast of the catastrophe that faced their country. In addition, through the wisdom of various players, the landings were successful; with Castro’s air force being down away with on the ground since an air strike had been called prior. In conclusion, the landings in the Bay of Pigs justifies the outcomes realized from a bureaucratic progression that a single actor or organization would have hardly accomplished.On the other hand, future foreign policy decision maker s have to learn from past mistakes so as to avoid echoing the lamentations of Kennedy. Though history and historical reasoning are reliable in the making of these policy decisions, they greatly remain to be superficial. Consequently, reasoning from analogy can help these foreign policy decision makers come up with more relevant and rational decisions. References Blight, J 1999, Politics of Illussion: The Bay of Pigs Invasion Reexamined. Lynne Rienner, Boulder, COHalperin, M 1974, Bureaucratic Politics and Foreign Policy. Brookings Institution, Washington, DC Johnson, L 1983, Seven Sins of Strategic Intelligence, World Affairs, Vol. 146, p. 23-28 Murgado, A 2003, The Bay of Pigs Invasion: A Case Study in Foreign Policy Decision-Making. Columbia College, viewed 5 August 2010 from Vandenbroucke, L. S. (1984). Anatomy of a Failure: The Decision to Land at the Bay of Pigs, viewed 5 august 2010 from

Literacy Autobiography Essay

I did not come from a household in which reading and writing was promoted, although both my parents were literate. My motivation to start a new family legacy comes from looking at how my literacy skills were formed. Growing up I cannot remember when I began to write. I do remember my fourth grade teacher â€Å"Ms. Pickering. I did my school work, because I had to. I do not remember a pivotal moment about writing. My parents mind set was it’s the schools job to teach you how to read and write. In hind sight I should have initiated more reading on my own, or been more interested, but I wasn’t, I was worried about baseball, soccer and then football. As I grew, my attitude towards writing did, I was not good at it so I was insecure when I had to write. I thought it was a waste of time. I am not an English professor (obviously) but my writing began to improve when I was taught how to make documents at work- schedules, order lists, inventory sheets. Then when emails became a bigger part of communication I would look at how my boss would format their writings and how the big bosses would write their letters†¦ Did I learn proper writing, probably not, but it was better than what I was doing before. Looking back I guess it is corporate/email writing etiquette. I am a slow reader, but I tell people I like to savor books! I never learned how to read fast, I envy people who can read a paragraph or page once, sometimes I will need to read a two sentence or paragraph two to three times to really understand it. Reading has always been a chore to me. As I have gotten older I have started to actually enjoy reading more. I will read news on the internet. I guess I never had that fairytale teacher or parent that lit the reading fire. Reading and writing is definitely not the constant in my life, it does not fill my soul, I really wish I could say the opposite.

Heather MacDonald's Hispanic Family Values Essay

Heather MacDonald's Hispanic Family Values - Essay Example Social workers and government policies are at a great quandary on how to deal with such a problem and various solutions and proposals had been put forward but it seems to no avail. This paper is a short discussion of the so-called â€Å"Hispanic problem† and the Latinization of America. Discussion Heather MacDonald's rather lengthy article delves on the growing Hispanic class of unwed mothers living in America today. The article â€Å"Hispanic Family Values?† questions the assumptions inherent in the Spanish-American society in which being a single parent has been considered as culturally acceptable but this has serious implications for American society as a whole because the Spanish-descent population of America is the fastest-growing segment and this has a profound impact on American society today and in the foreseeable future. To help in her arguments, MacDonald relied greatly on the appeal of logos (logical based on knowledge) rather than on the other two appeals in an argument, which are the ethos (ethical) and pathos (emotional). Along this line, she cited a lot of facts and figures derived from statistical studies. The structure of the essay is being expository by using strong and clear claims about the serious implications of a large population sub-segment that is unwed, reliant on the social welfare services and finds nothing objectionable to having unwed mothers, often very young. There is strong evidence for her claims and it is therefore hard to argue against these claims. A large portion of her essay was devoted to citing incontrovertible evidence using statistics and a host of anecdotes and vignettes regarding actual lives of its study subjects. Any person who had read this article would come out fairly convinced of her point of view regarding the social crisis facing Hispanic society in America today based on warrants that are essentially valid. A lot of supposedly â€Å"Hispanic family values† had instead worked against this immigrant section of the population like having a tight-knit family conducive to raising a kid without a father. A case in point is the citation regarding how fast the Spanish-American population is growing compared to other ethnic groups in America. A high birth rate (female fertility) that is coupled with an accepting and tolerant culture towards having illegitimate children had been a great contributory factor to the main social problem. The author cited these alarming statistics to show the extent of the problem: â€Å"The rate of childbirth for Mexican teenagers, who come as from by far the largest and fastest-growing immigrant population, greatly outstrips every other group. The Mexican teen birthrate is 93 births per every 1,000 girls, compared with 27 births for every 1,000 white girls, 17 births for every 1,000 Asian girls, and 65 births for every 1,000 black girls. To put these numbers into international perspective, Japan’s teen birthrate is 3.9, Italy’s i s 6.9, and France’s is 10. Even though the outsize U.S. teen birthrate is dropping, it continues to inflict unnecessary costs on the country. . .† and although the author maybe did not want to sound alarmist, the dimensions of the problem boggles the mind. Many of Spanish grandmothers are single and never wed, so their daughters never got married

Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Marketing - Research Paper Example The camera has syncing capabilities with image-management software which makes the process of transferring photos convenient. There is a possible video recording feature. iPhone has superior battery life and is easy to recharge. It gives 5 hours of video playback with Talk time of 16+ hours, comparable to market standards. Another advanced feature in iPhones is Synchronization with Apple’s other products such as iTunes, iCal and Address Book. Apple has also launched iPhones with 3G and 3GS capabilities. These advanced models have the features of Digital Compass and GPS for navigation, and proximity and light sensors. Further, Apple also allows users to add applications of their choice on their iPhones. These applications are of various kinds and can be purchased from the Apple online stores. Apple is renowned for its quality products and the same tradition continued with iPhones. Despite the sleek design and the sensitive touch interface, the phones are very sturdy and durable. Moreover, they are strong on the software side as well. The Apple OS inside these phones is known for its reliability and user-friendly interface. Apple also has strict quality checks on the iPhone Apps that are developed by third-parties. Apples Warranty for iPhone covers limited warranty for one year. Warranty service for repairs is available at no charge for twelve months from the date of original retail purchase. The phone is sold individual packaging. The package design itself is very attractive. Typically the phone is shipped with the handset, headset, charger, cables and user manual in the package. iPhone is very strong on the branding side. Experts say the success of the phone is more accredited towards Apple’s strong branding as compared to the phone’s features. Apple chose to target the teenager’s market and create a strong reputation amongst them. Apple has created itself as a brand of the youth. It has a very intense

Human resource management practice A substitute for trade unions Dissertation

Human resource management practice A substitute for trade unions - Dissertation Example Introduction Human resource management is a complete philosophy suggesting management of all personnel related issues in the light of vision of the organization and integrated with the organization’s strategy and policy (Pieper 1990). Traditionally, staff management is mainly targeted on tasks such as staffing, work design and rewarding however now the concept has been broadened to include in it personnel development and strategy specific actions. With this broad change where we talk about realizing the real potential of people and managing them in a way that they produce efficient results (Venter & Van der Waldt 2007) is it suitable to say that modern human resource management practice has substituted trade unions which were common a few years back to make the voice of laborers heard and acted. This research study, therefore, seeks to explore if human resource management practice has substituted trade unions or not. 1.1 Project Aims and Objectives As mentioned above research question guiding this research study asks has contemporary human resource management practice substituted trade unions. Having developed this research question, this research study seeks to attain following aims and objectives. To explore the role of modern human resource management in personnel management and development. To critically evaluate the role of trade unions in modern human resource management practice. To identify factors contributing to decline in trade unions if it is not modern HRM practices. 1.2 Project Approach This research study is primarily focused on secondary data and hence is categorized as desk research; Armstrong (2006, p. 53) defined desk research as â€Å"the assembly, collation and analysis of marketing information which is...Truss et al (1997) explained that hard HRM focuses attention on theory X whereas soft HRM focuses on theory Y. Truss et al (1997) examined that due to wide differences in these two approaches is it possible for an organization to u se both these models in integration; from their research they found that no organizations clearly follows any one of these models and though organizations focuses on commitment and conceptually targets to treat employees as humans (soft HRM concept) in reality where policies and strategic control is in action it is practically hard to stick to soft HRM and hence hard RM elements also come into action (Truss et al 1997). This study also looks into soft and hard HRM concepts and tries to relate it to the need of trade unions and which of the HRM versions may result in increase or decline in the number of trade unions. 2.4 Trade Unions and their Purpose Deb (2009) defined trade union as a representative body where employees are at the receiving end. Shmoop (2010, p. 1) defined labor union as â€Å"an organization established by and for workers to pursue collective workplace goals, benefits, work rules and power†.

Bilingual Education for Americans Research Paper

Bilingual Education for Americans - Research Paper Example In the United States, Bilingual education focuses on the learners of English. The United States Department of Education notes that a bilingual educational program is an education program for limited English proficient students (ed.gov/). It is this definition that has remained in the federal government but there are several areas where it has fallen out of favor. This is because such a definition more or less shows that the student needs or requires support in the English language for him or her to succeed academically. In almost all, if not in all the states, there is a general feeling by the groups pushing for bilingual education system that it does not help to have this idea and they also do not find a justification for such a definition. History has it that the earliest instance of bilingual education in the United States occurred with the immigrants from Poland who first permanently settled in an English speaking area of Virginia. At this time it was only the rights of the Engli sh people that were recognized. It was as a result of the need that the English had for the skills of the Poles that got similar rights to the Englishmen and managed to establish a bilingual school (Seidner, p.72). In this school, the subjects were taught in both Polish and English, and this continued in other places in one form or system or another. It expanded to Native Americas, the Dutch, the Czech, the Germans, French, Spanish and Norwegians in the century that followed. Several states developed laws to address this issue depending on the demands of the foreigners. There are groups that believe that a bilingual education should be necessary, even if temporarily so as not to discriminate against foreign-born students, or bring them up to speed. On the other hand, there those who claim that English should be the national language, and until every student is proficient in English, the fact that they have the ability to speak another language hinders their development in the Englis h language and slows down the overall process of learning in America. Although most initiatives against bilingual education have always had a majority lead when it comes to this issue, I hold the opinion that the world has become a global village. As such, I believe that a bilingual education should be mandatory for Americans, starting in Elementary school, through secondary school and even in the collegiate levels as the need may require. This position is highly based on the fact the number of immigrants whose children are at the age of attending school but speak very little or no English, are denied the benefits of being able to attend school at the appropriate age. In most cases there is usually a sort of remedial classes that they have to attend where they are taught only English before they get the opportunity to become part and parcel of the main school curriculum. In a system of Bilingual education, the necessity of such classes would not be fundamental and the children will be able to learn without any regard of the language that they speak at home or with which they grew up. This is because the curriculum would include their language too. The Advantages of Having a Bilingual Education System They hold the opinion that it does not help to keep non-English speaking children out school for them to master the English langu

Motivation and Work Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Motivation and Work Design - Essay Example This paper discusses the motivators’ significance and outline ways by which employers can design job roles to take account of individual motivations. Many motivational theories exist that offer bases for understanding effects of motivational factors and strategies for moderating the effects as well as ways for monitoring effects of the factors. Theory X and theory Y, as McGregor offers, is one of such theories. The theory establishes assumptions on human behavior to develop a framework for understanding people in a work environment and to influence actions and behavior of the people towards desired outcomes. Theory X assumes that people are not willing to conform to expectations and calls for managers and organizations’ control of people for achievement of objectives. It therefore suggests guidelines that can be attained through push factors such as punitive measures for failure to comply. Theory Y however argues for responsible behavior and actions in which people can align themselves to set goals in their organizations and work towards realization of the goals (Saiyadain 2009, p. 167). According to Theory X, people do not like work and this means that external influence is necessary to influence completion of desired works. The theory also assumes that people are less ambitious and do not like responsibilities. Instead, they prefer to work under control. In addition, people lack creativity into completing tasks and generating solutions into problems to support the postulate of necessity of external influence. In recognition of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, Theory X assumes that people are motivated at â€Å"physiological and safety levels† (Saiyadain 2009, p. 167). Intimidation is further necessary on people in order to ensure achievement or objectives. A consideration of Theory Y assumptions however recognizes people’s willingness to work provided that suitable conditions exist. Contrary to external pressure to influencing organizational

TOPICS CHOOSEN BY WRITER IN ACCORDENCE WITH PAPER INSTRUCTIONS Essay

TOPICS CHOOSEN BY WRITER IN ACCORDENCE WITH PAPER INSTRUCTIONS - Essay Example The key question is that The USA has one of the highest poverty rates in the world and its getting worse for the nation, with a total population of almost 37 million Americans living below the official poverty line, living on less than the substantiated amount of funds required to fulfill their food, clothing and lodging needs, so how do they need to be helped? Despite efforts made by the government in countering this issue, poverty has seen to be increasing in the near future; since the time that the recession hit the country, almost 27% of the people have been living in doom. â€Å"The report warns that the numbers will continue to rise, because although the recession is technically over, its continued impact on cuts to welfare budgets and the quality of new, often poorly paid, jobs can be expected to force many more people in to poverty. It is also difficult for those already under water to get back up again.† (Geal, Chris) America has a diverse range of people living that fall under the vulnerable part of society and has not been able to recover them since the recession; this has led them to further tumble into a state of mass poverty, something they are not able to come out of. Their social security needs have not been taken care of the government on a large scale and this is leading the circle to simply grow larger. In the recent times, the country has also been hit by a large number of natural disasters like hurricanes which have caused widespread and mass levels of destruction – homes have been destroyed and what does not seem to help is the fact that it is the poor that have been targeted by this act of god more than the wealthy sections of society. Unemployment in the economy is another major issue that has led to rampant poverty; the lack of jobs in the country, despite the repeated efforts of the government and the President’s motivational speeches, have done nothing for those that fall below the poverty

Chapter 17 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chapter 17 - Assignment Example On the other hand, when a person has a high external locus of control, he would probably perceive his achievements and disappointments as caused by luck or fate or any other environmental factor. Stability simply means whether causes vary over a period of time. In controllability, there are causes and factors that a person can control such as abilities as opposed to causes that cannot be manipulated such as fate, chance, and actions done by others. In relation to the attribution theory, we judge people in different ways because we give meaning to their behavior, whether it was caused internally or externally A good example is when a friend does not reply to your text messages. You might feel hurt, confused, or even angry thinking that she is doing it out of her own volition and avoiding you on purpose. What you might not know is that her phone’s battery might have died down, or that her phone got stolen. There are always two sides to everything and we make a mistake when we tend to look and pay more attention to one side than the other. More often than not, the first thing that we learn about someone tends to be our basis or plays the major role in giving attributes to that person commonly known as â€Å"first impression†. This tendency gives rise to perceptual errors such as self-fulfilling prophecy and stereotyping. In self-fulfilling prophecy, when other people expects highly of you, you tend to rise up to tha t level. For example in a basketball team, when the coach thinks highly of its players, the likely result is that the team will be one of the strongest in the league. In stereotyping, we pass judgment on a person depending on the group he belongs in. Just like in the movie â€Å"Mean Girls†, if you joined the Math Club, they considered it social suicide because of the notion that its members are geeks and nerds. Because of these misconceptions,

Planned Organizational Change Essay Example for Free

Planned Organizational Change Essay Abstract Planned organizational change can be defined in many different ways, and characterized on many different levels. The common denominator listed after reviewing two related Internet articles, indicates that change cannot take place for changes sake, but must be implemented to accomplish a specific goal or task. Another common statement states that change must also be accepted and embraced before the desired outcome is achieved. Planned Organizational Change Planned organizational change can be defined in many different ways, and characterized on many different levels. The common denominator listed after reviewing two related Internet articles, indicates that change cannot take place for changes sake, but must be implemented to accomplish a specific goal or task. Another common statement states that change must also be accepted and embraced before the desired outcome is achieved. The first Internet article reviewed was titled Planned Organizational Change as Cultural Revolution (Izumi and Taylor. n.d.). This article was particularly interesting because of the broad statement provided indicating that organizational schemes often fail because of poor reception by those involved. The article states: Organizational schemes gang aft a-gley during the implementation stage because the corporate culture does not change enough to allow the new ideas, procedures, and structures to take hold. There may not be the cultural buy-in necessary to sustain the current change effort. If planned change is to be successful, it must include, as an integral and critical part of the change process, the seeds of the new values, beliefs, and attitudes the organization is trying to grow. Unfortunately, change programs are often set up to fail because the change methods only perpetuate the old way of doing things. This statement rings particularly true for this author. Over the past 20  years in business I have witnessed many organizational changes that have failed miserably. Businesses seem to want a change, for different reasons, but do not know how to properly implement these changes. Improper implementation of a sound plan, not enough organizational commitment, and organizational politics, as indicated in the article, seem to provide some of the most common reasons for failure related to organizational change. Businesses will sometimes have a valid plan to change an organization, but neglect the final stages of implementation. This lack of follow-up invalidates the entire effort. Politics also play a significant role in most organizational change failures. Many businesses have allowed small unofficial organizations to form within organizations; this creates internal kingdoms which prove fatal to organizational change. A strong belief in the importance of a proper structure, as told by the article, often causes change factors to focus on the organization instead or processes. The effects of this type of change produce a structural change instead of a process change that allows the same processes to function under new management. The article goes as far as mentioning on model, used specifically in the case of large mergers, how many resources can be combined with little analysis of the operating environment. The thinking is, the combination of skills, thoughts and ideas will combine to form an organization that operates in a drastically different manner that initially imagined. This idea sounds valid, but a combination of organizational direction from management combined with the evolution of processes and organization would seem to provide the most effective solution. Business Process Reengineering (BPR) is one of the most interesting ideas retrieved from the first Internet article. The BPR is described as a natural outgrowth of the Internal Process approach to organizational effectiveness. This model concentrates on targeting internal processes for change. When these processes are analyzed for inefficiencies there is little consideration given to strategy or organizational structure. When internal processes are changed to increase efficiency, the old systems should be replaced with new systems rather than using the old systems to create new  processes. As old systems are purged, the effects on the organization increase exponentially. The domino effect seen by replacing old processes often surprises businesses as to the effectiveness of this model. The second article reviewed was titled: Basic Context for Organizational Change, this article parallels the previous article reviewed by this author. This article written by Carter McNamara, PhD provides two interesting points: (1) Change should not be done for the sake of change, and (2) There is typically strong resistance to change; people are afraid of the unknown. This author has witnessed several organization changes that could easily been implemented simply for change sake. The Internet article helps in the realization of the necessity for organizational-wide changes to truly create situations that effect positive change. Many times businesses will implement organizational changes in only one or two departments, when the change truly effects the every department or division in a small way. Organizational-wide change, along with change acceptance will go a long way toward creating a favorable atmosphere to change. Typically there are strong resistances to organizational change. People are afraid of the unknown. Many people like the way things are, are comfortable, and dont understand the need for change. Many people view any organizational change as bad, and neglect to give proposed changes an opportunity to succeed. This type of behavior is difficult to remedy, but a well-structured, properly organized change can implement change much easier that an ill conceived plan. In conclusion, this author has realized the importance of implementing and following through with planned changes as an integral part of successful organizational change. This author has also realized that change for change sake is a dangerous proposition and organizational changes should always consider the entire company before attempting local changes. A final lesson teaches the importance of recognizing peoples inherent resistance to change and the need to address human resistance as an important step in any organizational change effort. The items reviewed in both internet articles discussed effective ways to implement and recognized planned change, and  should be invaluable in future business endeavors. Reference Izumi, H., Taylor, D., (n.d.). Planned organizational change as cultural evolution. Empire State College Resource List. Para. 2. Retrieved April 15, 2003 from the World Wide Web:http://www.esc.edu/ESConline/across_esc/forumjournal.nsf/ 3cc42a422514347a8525671d0049f395/1f36661906ca98d9852567b00

Jury Trail Analysis Essay Example for Free

Jury Trail Analysis Essay A Jury Trail is a trial that proceeds like any other trial however the judges do not determine guilt or innocence in the case. A group of people that have been selected by both the defense and the prosecution sides in the case. These people that have been selected have sworn to inquire into matters of fact and reach a verdict on the basis of the evidence that during the case has been presented to them(Thefreedictionary, 2013). The trial by jury has become the central role in the criminal justice system. The Jury Trail has been known as an impartial was for a person to get a fair trial. This is based on that the person being tried having people just like them minus the crime being the one to decided guilt of innocence. The steps in a jury trial are as follows, selection of jury, the trial, the judge charge, deliberation, the verdict (Thefreedictionary, 2013). The jury selection process is quite a process. It starts with the county calling in its citizens for what is called a Voir Dire. This is the process by which citizens are questioned before being selected to hear evidence as juror (Thefreedictionary, 2013). After the questioning process the selected jury will be sworn in to hear evidence in the case. The trial is where both sides will present their evidence and arguments in the case. This is also were the judge may give remarks to the jury. Sides will give opening speeches, witnesses are called for direct and cross-examination and exhibits are presented (Thefreedictionary, 2013). Once both sided have presented their sides of the arguments they will give summary and closing arguments. The judge’s charge is after the defense and the prosecutions have presented their case and have given their closing arguments. The judge instructs the jury as to what laws apply to the case and what those laws mean(Nolo, 2013). The judge could also give the jury more information on the case and allow them to see evidence that was presented in the case. The Deliberation is when the jury goes into a private room to discuss the case and reach a decision. They may talk to no one except the Judge if they have questions. The verdict is when the jury returns to the courtroom and the foreperson announces the decision. The attorneys may ask that the jury be polled(Nolo, 2013). This is when each juror is asked separately there decision on each charge in the case. After the jury has made and read their decision on the case the judge will decide what the sentence will be for each count in the case. The selection of a fair and unbiased jury has a process that may take some time. The court that is handling the trial will bring in many different people that live in the area. Then they are asked a set of questions pertaining to their thoughts about certain topics that may or may not pertain to the case that they will or will not hear. The jury that is picked has to be chosen by both sides, the prosecutor and the defense team have to agree for the person to be made a jury member. A person has to show the courts that they don’t hold resentment towards a certain action, class of people, groups, actions on a person or the courts itself. The jury that is then chosen is taken to a room and sworn in and given instructions on what the do’s and don’ts are during their duty. The sixth amendment is a part of the constitution that gives the public the right to a public trial in criminal cases. These are where the court room is open to friends and family of the defendant and the victim of the crime. It also allow for a person to get a jury trial and a speedy trial. The confrontation clause of the Sixth Amendment gives defendants the right to be confronted by the witnesses against them. This gives defendants the right to cross-examine witnesses that is, the right to require the witnesses to come to court, look the defendant in the eye, and subject themselves to questioning by the defense(Nolo, 2013). The sixth amendment also provides that all people have the right to be represented by and attorney. A defendant shall provide their own defense; if they cannot afford a attorney the judge will appoint one for them at no cost to them. They also have the right to adequate representation. If there attorney of the one appointed to them by the courts does not, call favorable witnesses, object to mistakes, uses drugs, or a attorney that no long can handle cases, then they do not have adequate representation. There is a clause in the Fifth Amendment that states a person will be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.

The effects of technology on society

The effects of technology on society The effects of technology on society The term technology is derived from the Greek word technologia which means the practical application of knowledge, particularly in a specific discipline of study. It is worthwhile to note that technology is an abstract term that lacks a single universally acceptable concrete definition. Nevertheless, it can be defined as the usage and application of knowledge concerning tools, crafts, techniques, methods or systems of organization, or a material end product of these things, such as clothing. It is a word that is used collectively to portray or describe the advancements, undertakings, creations, abilities, views and knowledge of a distinct group of people (Basalla 14-15). On the other hand, a human society can be defined as a group of people who are delineated by their cultural identity, functional interdependence and social solidarity. A comprehensive definition of this term also takes into account the social status and roles of the people within society. By extension, a society may be taken to mean a group of people within a given region or country, or even the whole world in totality. As such, the meaning of society is closely linked to what is deemed to be social. It is also worth to note that members of any given society share some common characteristics, such as a common goal and a common interest or mutual concern (Jenkins 18-20). Throughout history, technologies have significantly affected human beings and other species of animals in their ability to control and acclimatize to their natural environment. Historically, human beings started applying the use of technology with the improvisation of the existing natural resources into simple tools and equipment. For instance, the realization of the capacity to control fire augmented the existing sources of food, while the invention of the wheel helped human beings to control their environment and enhance transport. On the other hand, modern technological advancements such as the telephone, the printing press and the internet have minimized physical hurdles of communication. They have also enabled human beings to interact rapidly and freely on a global scale by transforming the world into a global village. Nevertheless, it is quite clear that not all technologies have been used by human beings for peaceful purposes. For instance, technology has been used to construc t destructive weapons that range from clubs to nuclear weapons (Basalla 20-25). Human beings are divided in their opinions about the general impact of technology on society. Some people believe that technology has really helped human societies while others disagree with this claim. Nevertheless, technology has influenced different societies both positively and negatively in various ways. For instance, technology has helped many societies, especially in the contemporary world to improve their economies as well as allowing for the creation of a leisure class. In addition, technological processes have often led to pollution of the environment and exhaustion of natural resources, thus harming the earth and its environment. Different modes of technological implementation also influence the values of different societies and in many cases, arrival of new technologies often raise new ethical questions. For instance, technological advancements have led to an increase in the idea of efficiency with regard to human production, a term which was in the past only applied to m achines, and the challenge of conventional customs. This paper looks at how the use of machines has impacted on the capacity of workers, the effects of computer and the cell phone on society, and the general impacts of technology to the environment. In the contemporary world, machines continue to automate most of the critical industrial and household processes. For instance, machines have taken up, and are continuing to substitute human workers in most of the mundane jobs in industries. This is because of the evolvement of technology such that machines can even perform tasks which cannot be done by man. The application of advanced technologies, like artificial intelligence and robotics has proved to be more effective in performing life-threatening tasks such as space exploration and mining. Nevertheless, there is an increasing concern in many countries about the deteriorating position of the semi-skilled and unskilled workers due to improved technology. It is argued that technological advancements have made many of these menial jobs obsolete or poorly paid. This situation has been mainly augmented by the growing modern computing technologies. Technological advancements have also impacted greatly on the value of the skills of wor kers. Old workers usually find it very difficult to adapt to new and complex technologies, while young workers rapidly and readily acquire and employ skills that are tailored towards new technologies. As a result, such technologies increase the value of young workers, while they reduce the productivity of the old workers (Edward 53-65). Needless to say that computer technology has transformed the face of the world today (Edward 66). Computers are capable of storing, processing, managing and organizing large quantities of information and data. They have also given birth to the software industry, which is one of the most developed industries in the world. Internet technology seeded from the concepts of computer networking and has grown to be the most effective platform of communication in the world, with the largest information base that exists in the modern world. The internet infrastructure, through the worldwide web has made it possible for people to communicate through email, websites, downloads, media and file sharing, so transforming the world into a global village. The internet infrastructure has also made it possible for researchers, scholars and other people to share information across the globe almost instantly. The internet has also given rise to significant positive changes in the advertising and entertain ment industries. Advertisements can therefore reach out to the populations within very few seconds and consequently, this has promoted the entertainment industry which relies heavily on advertisement. Simply stated, the internet has made it possible for societies in modern times to link up and promote the sharing of information and globalization (Edward 67-70). Cellular communication has also transformed the communication industry and the larger society as a whole to a very great extent. One of the earliest technological advancements in communication was the invention of the conventional telephone which was followed by the telegraph. Mobile phones have expanded the horizons of communication in the modern world through their capacity to allow for expedient long distance communication. They have enhanced the communication process in society because they provide different ways through which people can use to communicate to others, such as through calling and sending text messages. Therefore, important information or message can reach the receiver in a few seconds. Mobile phones also help to develop and support communication, contact and communication processes within society. In spite of all of their advantages, they can also impact negatively on society. For instance, some teenagers share pornographic information and photos by sending them us ing their mobile phones and this has created a very serious concern. In general, inappropriate use of the internet and mobile phones for purposes such as pornography has really polluted the social culture of the modern world (Fox 89-92). Most of the modern technological processes lead to the production of excessive waste products commonly referred to as industrial waste, and pollution. These wastes can be classified as either toxic wastes, electronic wastes or radioactive wastes. Even though some of the produced material waste is recycled and used in other industrial processes, much of it is released to the environment and the result is environmental pollution, degradation and lack of sustainability. Very few technologies in the modern world are designed with the contemplation of the environment in mind. Most of the technological advancements are directed towards economic gain rather than on environmental sustainability and this has caused a lot of direct detrimental effect on the environment, such as the depreciation of the ozone layer which has led to global warming. Historically, many societies sought to maintain their environments since they were the sources of wealth for the people. However, in the contemporary world, societies have failed to maintain and manage their environments and this has greatly affected the whole universe. The more delicate and obvious impacts of technology on the environment include the exhaustion of the worlds non-renewable natural resources such as coal, ores and petroleum, and the pollution of water, air and land mostly by industrial wastes and disposal. Effects of these impacts include global warming, loss of coastal wetlands, destruction of natural habitats and deforestation. While organisms are capable of recycling the wastes of other organisms naturally, there is no such mechanism of recycling for technological wastes and therefore they remain harmful to the environment for long periods of time (Fox 98-102). In conclusion, the aforementioned are only but a few fields that can be influenced by technology. It is indeed not possible to enlist all the effects (both positive and negative) of technology on society. Even though technology is in overall beneficial to world societies, it is relatively clear that technological advancement may be accompanied by negative side effects and drawbacks. In fact, every new technology is accompanied by unwanted or unexpected side effects. Therefore, it is necessary for societies to adapt to technological advancements that have minimal side effects on them, the environment and future generations. Works Cited Basalla, George. The Evolution of Technology. New York: Longman Publishing Group, 1988. Edward, McClellan. Science and Technology in World History. Washington: John Hopkins University Press, 2006. Fox, Frank. Women, Gender and Technology. Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 2006. Jenkins, Reyes. Foundations of Sociology. London: Palgrave MacMillan, 2002.

Vegetarianism :: Healthy Lifestyle Essay

by Jello Biafra From I Blow Minds for a Living, recorded at Slim's, San Francisco, Nov 21, 1990 Does anybody out there know that for the first time in American history the U.S. Army was used in a war operation against the American people? Right near here, up in Humboldt County about 200 miles north of San Francisco right near a town called Shelter Cove, get this: three- to four-hundred American G.I.s dressed with automatic rifles and fully armed for battle, fanned out on maneuvers through the woods, backed up by a dozen Blackhawk attack helicopters. The mountain people up there were frightened out of their wits! They thought there was a war going on, especially the ones that had soldiers kicking in the doors to their cabins and putting guns to their heads in front of their children. Why!? Who was the enemy in this war? Not the communists! Not Saddam Hussein! Not Earth First! or even the spotted owl. No! The enemy they called out the army to put down, secretly, so few people outside of Humboldt would get alarmed as possible, it wasn't even a person or an army or a terrorist group! It was a plant, the marijuana plant. And they actually did manage to find a few for the G.I.s to pull up, and then they had to fly in more from the government stash so the pile would look big enough when they lit the bonfire for the network TV news cameras, so that they could say "Yes! Another triumph in the Drug War!" Drug War. War. The American army sent to war against the American people. And we're supposed to feel relieved and secure and protected. Protected from what?! A lot of people with more guts than I'll ever have risked their life and limb all last summer at the Earth First! Redwood Summer Action up in Humboldt County. They were chaining themselves to redwoods that were three times wider than they were, 800 years old, they were spread-eagled, as the saws buzzed right over their heads. They stood in the dirt as the bulldozers charged them and stopped right at their toes. Or people waved clubs at them, charged them with logging trucks, shotguns, you name it. All to try to save some of the last unspoiled virgin forest we have left anywhere in this country from being chopped down and turned into toilet paper, TV Guides and the Weekly World News. Vegetarianism :: Healthy Lifestyle Essay by Jello Biafra From I Blow Minds for a Living, recorded at Slim's, San Francisco, Nov 21, 1990 Does anybody out there know that for the first time in American history the U.S. Army was used in a war operation against the American people? Right near here, up in Humboldt County about 200 miles north of San Francisco right near a town called Shelter Cove, get this: three- to four-hundred American G.I.s dressed with automatic rifles and fully armed for battle, fanned out on maneuvers through the woods, backed up by a dozen Blackhawk attack helicopters. The mountain people up there were frightened out of their wits! They thought there was a war going on, especially the ones that had soldiers kicking in the doors to their cabins and putting guns to their heads in front of their children. Why!? Who was the enemy in this war? Not the communists! Not Saddam Hussein! Not Earth First! or even the spotted owl. No! The enemy they called out the army to put down, secretly, so few people outside of Humboldt would get alarmed as possible, it wasn't even a person or an army or a terrorist group! It was a plant, the marijuana plant. And they actually did manage to find a few for the G.I.s to pull up, and then they had to fly in more from the government stash so the pile would look big enough when they lit the bonfire for the network TV news cameras, so that they could say "Yes! Another triumph in the Drug War!" Drug War. War. The American army sent to war against the American people. And we're supposed to feel relieved and secure and protected. Protected from what?! A lot of people with more guts than I'll ever have risked their life and limb all last summer at the Earth First! Redwood Summer Action up in Humboldt County. They were chaining themselves to redwoods that were three times wider than they were, 800 years old, they were spread-eagled, as the saws buzzed right over their heads. They stood in the dirt as the bulldozers charged them and stopped right at their toes. Or people waved clubs at them, charged them with logging trucks, shotguns, you name it. All to try to save some of the last unspoiled virgin forest we have left anywhere in this country from being chopped down and turned into toilet paper, TV Guides and the Weekly World News.

Analysis Of A Motivational Speech By Queen Elizabeth I -- essays resea

The human desires of greed, wealth, and power have been embedded into the world's history as political figures have led invasions of other countries countless numbers of times. Whether invaded or being invaded, a country requires strong and capable leaders to see them through this difficult time. In 1588, Queen Elizabeth I of England gave a motivational speech to her troops using the rhetorical devices of diction, imagery, and sentence structure to motivate her subjects positively and to instill the fear of the pending invasion in their hearts. The queen uses positive diction, sentence structure, and imagery in her effort to motivate her people to defend their country from their Spanish invaders. She uses diction to praise and motivate her subjects. The queen refers to her people as "faithful" and "loving," praising their "loyal[ty]" and "goodwill." These positive words allow her subjects to see her as a caring, kind leader whose praise urges them to fight for their country. She also uses the words "noble" and "worthy" to describe her people's task of protecting their country against invasion. The use of such praising words makes her people see the task as important, and it will instill a sense of duty in their hearts to protect their kingdom. The queen further motivates her people by implementing the use of sentence structure. In the beginning of her speech, she says, "we have been persuaded." In the second half of her first sentence, she says, "I a ssure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people." Her use of the royal "we" and then her transition to "I" symbolizes her descent from the throne literally to speak to her troops on the field and figuratively by referring to herself as I. This will encourage the troops to see her as a fellow Englishman and not a distant queen. The queen also uses sentence structure when she says, "I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder," and, "By your obedience.., by your concord.., and your valor.., we shall shortly have a famous victory." She speaks listing three things at a time, giving her speech rhythm. The mention of her three positions shows her as generous and powerful, causing her troops to respect and admire her. The listing of the three characteristics of her... ...age of the queen actually picking up a weapon and marching into battle with her troops. The importance of this image is that it encourages the troops to pledge their loyalty to their queen who seems willing to fight alongside them. The queen also scorns those who "dare to invade the boarders of my [the queen's] realm." This creates an image of the pending invasion in the minds of her people. With a vivid portrait of the upcoming battles, her subjects realize that they must be brave and loyal in order to defend their country. Perhaps the most vivid image is that of the "heat of battle." A fire-swept battlefield comes into mind, and the fear of such a battle will motivate the queen's subjects to protect themselves from such future battles. Clearly, the queen, using the rhetorical devices of diction, imagery, and sentence structure, was able to motivate her subjects positively and to instill the fear of the pending invasion in their hearts. Her concise but powerful speech was exactly what her troops needed to hear before marching to battle. The queen with her speech secured their loyalty and trust, and her oratory helped unify her people in their time of crisis.

So You Want to Be an Astronaut :: NASA Space Astronauts Essays

So You Want to Be an Astronaut Part I: The Application There’s an application just to get an application. I had to fill out what NASA calls an application interest form, which is an information card much like the kind of card you fill out and send in for a magazine subscription. I got the card at the Johnson Space Center in Houston last summer. The space center is a sixteen-hundred-acre compound filled with lush grass and cream-colored buildings of different shapes and sizes. Satellite dishes bloom like flowers throughout the compound, and the only buildings open to the public are a museum, the rocket park, and mission control. After climbing through a mock-up of the space shuttle, pretending to be Sally Ride, I passed by an information kiosk and the application interest form caught my eye. I grabbed one and stuck it into my Space Center museum guide, forgetting about it until months later when I filled it out and mailed it in. Just a few weeks ago my application arrived. It’s a twenty-five page affair with a glittering blue and silver cover that has a picture of the space shuttle on it. I removed the cover and tacked it up on my bulletin board next to a postcard of Charles Lindbergh standing in front of The Spirit of St. Louis. Twenty-five pages. Becoming an astronaut is more difficult than applying to Harvard Medical School. More difficult than doing your taxes. Probably even more difficult than running for the senate. Now, I can’t be an astronaut because I have absolutely no interest in math, science, engineering, medicine, or astrophysics. I dabble in astronomy, but they don’t send you up in the space shuttle because you think it would be neat. However, it’s important to always have an impossible dream. It keeps you humble. This is my impossible dream. So, I read through the application. Why do you want to be an astronaut? I love the audaciousness of the space program. Here we are, little animals trying to jump off our planet. How have your past accomplishments or experiences prepared you to be an astronaut? When I visited the Johnson Space Center in Houston I tried on a space helmet. It fit. The boots were another story but I can wear many layers of socks.

Focus on the Learner Essay

1.Group Profile It’s a mixed group with a very mixed cultural background as only three students are actually from Germany. Four of the students were born in another country e.g. Lithuania, Turkey, France and Romania. They all moved to Germany as adults and all share German as a common language. The group is heterogeneous concerning the age they started learning English. Two students started learning as adults while the others started learning at school. Most of the students have learnt another language as an adult and therefore have previous language learning experience. The motivation for doing the course is quite high and the group can be divided into two groups – students who need English for their job/university and students who want to learn for their own enjoyment. They are all at upper intermediate level. Except for one student (who could be classed as a converger), the overall group could be classed as concrete learners. They enjoy the social aspects of learning and like to learn from direct experience. They are interested in the language and they enjoy games and group-work in class. The entire group could also be classed as communicative learners because they show a degree of confidence and a willingness to take risks. They are much more interested in social interaction with other speakers of the language than they are with analysis of how the language works. (Learning styles based on Keith Willing [1987]). 2.Strengths and weaknesses Grammar The students are weak when forming the present simple (especially 3rd person singular) (e.g. â€Å"I must to take the train†, â€Å"She like climbing†, â€Å"Stephen come from Australia†) very often confusing it with the present continuous. (â€Å"Sometimes I’m reading Turkish books†). Most students also have problems when using the simple past (â€Å"we seed it’s ill†, I gone to school with her†, â€Å"We can found this in a school†, â€Å"Where are you born?†, â€Å"She were †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Some students also have problems with verb-noun collocations (e.g. â€Å"She make all the housework†) Vocabulary The students have a good basic knowledge of vocabulary. They can talk about themselves, where they come from, their profession, their families, experiences they have had in the past and things they like to spend more money on. (Example of good language: â€Å"My picture is a technical object but I really don’t know what it is used for†, â€Å"Because you met the Pope, you changed your mind† â€Å"You said dug – so it is dig, dug, dug† = verb orientation). Many of the students try to translate directly from German into English (â€Å"The cat was by us†) and sometimes use a German word in a sentence, using it questioningly enabling other students to help out with the correct English word. The students respond very well, offering suggestions until correct answer is found. Most of the students focus on finding the exact translation of the unknown word rather than trying to paraphrase their idea. Pronunciation All the students have a strong L1 interference and speak with an accent. The group responds well to drilling the right pronunciation and where to put stress on the words. They are keen to sound natural and like repeating after  the teacher. Some students pronounce the endings of words that aren’t necessary e.g. â€Å"clothes†, â€Å"See† instead of sea, â€Å"Lus their jobs† Words: 208 3.Strengths and weaknesses skills Reading The students are able to read a text fairly quickly in order to understand the overall meaning. After enquiring about a few words of vocabulary (sometimes looking this up themselves in a dictionary) they are able to answer all the questions quickly and correctly. Listening The students are able to listen to texts read to them and in most cases understand the general meaning already after the first time. After hearing the text for the second time, they are able to answer questions, in most cases correctly. The students react well to instructions and during conversation they wait patiently until their dialogue partner has finished. One student is a panicky listener, the others all seem to be relaxed listeners. Writing The students have a wide range of vocabulary appropriate for the given tasks. Their sentences are well-structured and they make few mistakes. Speaking The students try to use structured sentences. If they are confident with the vocabulary hesitation is less frequent, with new vocabulary or grammar most students hesitate frequently. The students are motivated to improve their speaking ability and they make a great effort to only speak English. Some of them use gestures when they do not know a word, others switch between German and English, using the German word to fill in the gaps in the sentence (â€Å"I go with the Straßenbahn†, â€Å"I make Teig with Zimt and †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). 4.Recommendations Language development 1.Total English Workbook (Pre-intermediate) Antonia Clare/JJ Wilson – Longman Publishers Page 8, Section 1.3Grammar : Present Simple vs Present Continuous Justification:All 3 exercises on this page help the students to distinguish between the present simple and the present continuous. It also concerns activities they can associate with 2.New Cutting Edge (Pre-intermediate Student’s Book) Sarah Cunningham/Peter Moor – Pearson/Longman Publishers Module 4, page 34Language Focus 1 Present continuous and present simple Justification:At the top left of the page there is a grammar exercise section where the students have to underline and give an example of the present simple/present continuous. Exercises 1 and 2 help to practice the use of them. 3.Language to go Student’s Book (Pre-intermediate) Gillie Cunningham/Sue Mohamed – Longman Publishers Lesson 3, page 9 – The Present (Grammar focus) Justification:Exercises for the students to practice distinguishing between Present simple and Present continuous. First of all filling in the gaps, then writing their own email and finally using the language by talking in pairs 4.Total English Student’s Book (Pre-intermediate) Richard Acklam/Araminta Crace –Pearson/Longman Publishers Chapter 1, page 14 – Review and practice Justification:Exercises for practicing both present simple and present continuous (including question-forming) 5.Clockwise Pre-intermediate Class Book Bruce McGowen & Vic Richardson – Oxford University Press Chapter 25, page 65 – Present simple and continuous Justification:Students can fill in the tables with the verb and then complete the rules for using Present simple and continuous themselves in exercise 1 6.New Edition Basis for Business David Christie – Cornelsen & Oxford Unit 2, pages 24 and 25 – Further study (Simple present and present continuous) Justification:On page 24 there is an explanation of when to use simple present and present continuous and on page 25 there are exercises to practice 7.New Edition Basis for Business David Christie – Cornelsen & Oxford Unit 3, pages 37 and 38 – Further study (Simple past and past continuous) Justification:On page 37 there is an explanation of when to use simple past and past continuous and on page 38 there are exercises to practice 8.Powerbase Pre-intermediate David Evans – Longman Publishers Unit 4, pages 30 to 33 – Going places Justification:The article on page 31 is quite interesting for the students. On page 30 they can fill-in the verbs in the past and present form and on page 32 the past simple can be practiced in exercises. 9.Business opportunities Vicki Hollett – Cornelsen & Oxford Unit 5, Growth and development, pages 50 and 51 – Past experiences Justification:The article on page 31 is quite interesting for the students. On page 50 they can fill-in a time line. On page 51 there is an explanation on when to use the simple past, questions for the students to answer and discussion exercise. Skills development 10.Business opportunities Vicki Hollett – Cornelsen & Oxford Unit 2, Telephoning to make arrangements, pages 23, 150 and 151 Justification: Students usually enjoy doing role play. In these exercises they work with a partner and discuss a) a conference programme and b) arranging a meeting. 11.Business opportunities Vicki Hollett – Cornelsen & Oxford Unit 7, Telephoning to exchange information, page 73 Justification: Students will probably find the stories on this page quite amusing. They will then discuss any car accidents or funny incidents that they have experienced themselves. References: 1.Total English Workbook (Pre-intermediate) Antonia Clare/JJ Wilson – Longman Publishers 2.New Cutting Edge (Pre-intermediate Student’s Book) Sarah Cunningham/Peter Moor – Pearson/Longman Publishers 3.Language to go Student’s Book (Pre-intermediate) Gillie Cunningham/Sue Mohamed – Longman Publishers 4.Total English Student’s Book (Pre-intermediate) Richard Acklam/Araminta Crace –Pearson/Longman Publishers 5.Clockwise Pre-intermediate Class Book Bruce McGowen & Vic Richardson – Oxford University Press 6.New Edition Basis for Business David Christie – Cornelsen & Oxford 7.Powerbase Pre-intermediate David Evans – Longman Publishers 8.Business opportunities Vicki Hollett – Cornelsen & Oxford

GM Powertrain Essay

Joe Hinrichs, a recent Harvard Business school graduate, was hired in February 1996 to run the General Motors’s the Fredericksburg Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) manufacturing plant. At 29 years old, Hinrichs was GM’s youngest plant manager. Hinrichs was inheriting a poor performing plant that continually underachieved, losing money year after year. Improvements were desperately needed to increase the efficiency of the manufacturing process and reduce operating costs. GM had considered shutting down the plant; however, when a new bonding process, using carbon fiber, for the TCC was approved in 1995, GM instead invested thirty million dollars into the Fredericksburg plant to incorporate the new process. From the beginning, Hinrichs faced a difficult situation. The previous plant manager committed the plant to ambitious budgetary goals. Hinrichs was also tasked with preparing the plant to use the new TCC manufacturing process and attaining QS-9000 certification. If that weren’t enough, Hinrichs still had day to day emergencies to handle; the latest being the 1500-ton press breaking down, an important machine in the production process. Despite his situation, Hinrichs met the challenges head on, impressing both GM management and plant staff. Workforce Management Hinrichs knew that in order to be successful, he needed to rally the plant staff around him, gaining their trust and respect. Being an outsider at a small town plant and also being so young, Hinrichs knew accomplishing this would be a huge challenge. During the first month on the job he started to show that he could be the capable leader this plant needed. Hinrichs had just received word that a UAW strike at two Dayton area plants would shut down all of GM’s automatic transmission production plants, leaving him without customers. The standard procedure was to lay off the plant workers until the strike was over, instead Hinrichs used the lay off as an opportunity to show his workforce that he would take care of them. As an alternative to laying them off, he worked with the staff to get as many people as possible to take vacation during the time or mandatory training. The remainder worked on some of the improvements he wanted to make. Not only did this improve his relationship with the plant workers, it also gave him a way to start bring efficiency improvements to the plant. Historically, the Fredericksburg plant saw little gains from efficiency improvements. While not stated in the case, this was most likely due to the highly-skilled staff’s resisting change, preferring the comfort of their undocumented processes that they had been using for decades. Hinrichs knew that he wouldn’t be successful unless he could ease them into the changes and frame the changes in a way the staff would see as beneficial. In addition, Hinrichs had to overcome the fact that improvements meant less overtime, a disincentive for the staff. First, Hinrichs used the guise of necessary process changes to produce the new TCCs in order to bring in process improvements without upsetting the workers. By framing the changes as improvements to get the plant prepared for producing the new high tech part, the staff would be more open to changes. Second, Hinrichs eased the workers into change by first meeting with the union weeks before the changes were implemented in order to get their feedback and buy-in as well as time to come to terms with the changes. Third, Hinrichs spread change throughout the facility, so that no area would experience too much change all at once, giving the staff more time to adjust. Finally, Hinrichs kept the workers very involved in the installation of new cells, encouraging them to examine them and provide him with feedback. This approach got some of the more senior workers to take a closer look and get excited about the changes, some actually applying to work in the new cells. Hinrichs realized that he had to give the workers new incentives to overcome the disincentive of a lack of overtime. He knew that if he could reconfigure the plant away from assembly lines and into individual work stations, workers would be able to take more ownership of their work, producing better quality parts and be self-motivated by being able to measure their individual output, increasing job satisfaction. The new cells turned out to be a hit. Workers were excited about having more control over their output and being part of the new process. Hinrichs’s active management of change within the factory and focus on worker satisfaction and buy-in resulted in a lot of small victories that he used to win over the workforce’s trust and respect. In the process, Hinrichs transformed the plant from one that was resistant to change to one that embraced and was excited for change. Process Improvements One of the biggest needs for improvement was the assembly process. Although several changes were made throughout the years, quality and efficiency still fell below expectations. Hinrichs implemented the newly developed assembly which consists of two separate work stations that allowed operators in the adjacent stations to share the expensive balancer machine. These assembly cells were much more efficient as workers were no longer forced to wait for another person or machine in the process. Each cell was built like the other with quick turn set-up which created flexibility in the process while also reducing tooling inventory by almost a half. Now cells could be activated to meet demand for different models. Likewise, each cell was designed to handle 1 to 3 operators to accommodate changes in volume. For increased quality, engineers designed machines that would use the information documented in the PFMEA to check and reject any faulty units at any stage in the assembly process. This increased yields by ten times that of the original inspection method which was performed once at the end of assembly. These changes to the assembly process not only reduced down time, allow for dynamic line balancing and scalability, it also created a sense of worker empowerment. Each worker now controlled their own output therefore giving them a better understanding of their contribution towards the plant’s production goals. This was an extremely successful improvement that Hinrichs could now work off of. The new bonding machines installed for the new process also fell in line with increasing efficiency and operational costs. These new machines would now only required one worker instead of two. These machines also signaled when a problem occurred saving ample amount of time and wasted material. Employee job satisfaction increased as well with the new machines. Even older senior employees who currently hold desired jobs in the plant were applying for the bonder positions. Even if this change was a necessity forced on by the process change, it was overly successful and beyond their expectation. Workforce efficiency was another area that needed to be improved. The installation of the QS 9000 system helped do just that. It helped maintain high standards of quality and reliability as well as continuous improvement and cost reduction. This stringent process was basically absent from this plant. Documenting your process and continually monitoring it through a quality system gives one the ability to understand and uncover inefficiencies in the manufacturing process. For example, Hinrichs noticed, in particular, the Heat treat area did not utilize its workers effectively. There were employees that loaded and unloaded the ovens while three separate inspectors waited until parts came out of heat treat. There was significant idle time for all of the employees in the process. By teaching the operators the techniques needed to inspect their own parts, their idle time is significantly reduced while completely freeing three employees to serve higher demand processes within the plant. This change in job responsibilities is a good example of utilizing resources to increase throughput not just activating a resource just to keep it working. 1500-ton Press Analysis Hinrichs’s current challenge is how to deal with the broken 1500 ton press. This press is the only one in the plant. The press is the first step in the process and also the bottleneck. If this machine is down, the whole system is down. There are three options Hinrichs has considered: (Appendix A presents the information in data form needed to make a decision. ) Given the information in Appendix A and carefully analyzing it, we have decided to move forward with Option 1 while continuing ideas to more effectively implement the new Die into the process if purchased. By choosing option 1, the plant would be able to continue operating without loss of throughput or added unit cost due to outsourcing. To reduce system breakdown, a preventative maintenance procedure would be enacted. Currently, the relationship between Hinrichs and the union is good and furthermore, by repairing the press with existing parts, the plant cannot afford to eliminate a union job if option 2 were selected. Hinrichs also needs to be aware of his spending for the year as well as delivering a known return on his investments. Neither option 2 or 3 will allow Hinrichs the ability to show any return on investment this fiscal year. Option 2 seemed to be an expensive route to take just to add some reliability with little reduction in costs. While Option 3 sounds appealing, the new die is still unreliable and could have a significant impact to unit costs if additional outsourcing were needed while bringing it up to speed. Hinrich should continue to work on the new die offline and only incorporate it once the technical challenges have been overcome.

Critical Thinking Discussion and Summary Essay

I don’t know if there is a universal correct definition of critical thinking. I think this a very individualistic tool used by humans to break down different problems and situations and the best way to go about coming up with the best resolution in a non-biased manner. Gathering a thought process that is reasonable and with demeanor. This is simply how I would personally define critical thinking. Thinking things over more than once, second guessing yourself here and there, seeing things from multiple perspectives, and most importantly thinking if your thoughts would be different from the other side of an argument or situation. I think critical thinking is important for us to fully understand ourselves and our situations as well as others and their situations. Critical thinking is considering multiple angles and viewpoints and trying to understand them and where they come from, as well as why they exist. In my life personally, critical thinking has always been something I would like to think I’ve had due to being raised in a very diverse atmosphere and a very diverse community. I’ve seen racism towards more than one race, I’ve seen both sides of different biases, and I have lived in a small town closed minded community as well as the middle of a large densely populated city. It makes you think differently than most around you. It seems like you feel differently than most around you. There isn’t much that surprises you so there aren’t many situations that you are uncomfortable in. You think before you act, you think before you speak, and you take time and consideration to realize the type of environment you are in and the people you are surrounded by. Things like this don’t go through every young person’s mind before acting or speaking. You slow down, you react calmer, and you try not to get too high or too low. From this course I don’t think I’m looking for how to think critically as much as why some of us do think critically and some of us don’t. I think I’m looking for more reasoning for the differential than a definition of critical thinking.

Evaluation Essay of “In Too Deep” Essay

The essay â€Å"In Too Deep† written by Tom Ruprecht was structured similarly as most autobiography essays, and the author’s narrative has conformed to the â€Å"Dramatic Arc†. I am evaluating the essay in â€Å"Dramatic Arc† order and †¦Ã¦  â€¡Ã© ¢Ëœ place people。The writer changed his mind and gained a lot through this travel. At the very beginning, the writer of the essay Tom explained the background of the story: the inciting incident happened on the group trip to Hawaii. Tom used a special technique to arouse the audience’s curiosity: there are two negative phrases â€Å"impossible† and â€Å"instead of† in the beginning of the essay. Also, Tom repeated several times â€Å"kindergartners† and â€Å"uncool† to express the feelings of unhappiness of being treated like a child and felt hostile towards the guide, which has a strong contrast to the feeling of satisfaction with the â€Å"little kindergartnerâ €  in the end of the essay. When describing the guide, Tom also compared the guide with himself: a â€Å"rugged and handsome† guide vs. a â€Å"kindergartner†. His wife was in the tour group too, so Tom thought he lost face. Droven by those complex emotions, Tom asked to get into the cave although he was not interested in it at all at first. At this time, the spelunker Ernie appeared in the story. Through the phrase â€Å"I politely declined, he insisted† implied the frustrating and unpleasant dialogues in the paragraphs that followed. In addition, Tom mentioned that it was his father’s story and words that encouraged him to agree the proposal. We can see that his father has a great influence on him. åŠ   indicate name comparisonç ­â€°Ã¥ ½ ¢Ã¥ ¼ Ã¥Å'â€"ä ¸Å"è ¥ ¿Ã¨ ¿â€ºÃ¥Å½ » Then move to the â€Å"Rising† part of the â€Å"Dramatic Arc†. Tom and Ernie entered into the cave. Tom added a lot of action verbs to show the big difference between them. On the one hand, Tom â€Å"began† to ask to head back, on the other hand, Ernie just â€Å"simply rushed ahead†. â€Å"Slither through†, â€Å"panicked†, and â€Å"began looking around† those v erbs directly describe how Tom could not hide his scared emotions. When I read this part first time, I could know that every one-foot deeper, more fear came into Tom. Next, Tom presented that Ernie is an unprofessional and unreliable person, which made him feel even more  dangerous. There were some details: he could not figure out what substance was on the cave’s roof, and his unprofessional behavior. Next, it is the climax part. Ernie turned off the flashlight and asked the earthquake question in a joking way. Finally, Tom could not stand Ernie any longer, and decided he had to get out of the cave. Here, the extremely terrifying atmosphere was created by Ernie’s words. Although Ernie asked several questions, Tom did not give any vocal response but to describe his own facial expression and his decision to get out. There are not many describing sentences, but we can imagine the temporal unusual air. Then it is time to get back. Unfortunately, they lost their way and they chose the wrong way that had been picked by Tom. In the sentence, â€Å"Ernie, the great spelunker, replied: ‘ Oh, I have a terrible sense of direction.†™ † I think that Tom especially repeated â€Å" the great spelunker† to convey his complaints about his disappointing teammate. Also, the sentence â€Å"Eventually Ernie’s spelunking expertise did kick in† to show Ernie realized the wrong way. The spelunker was just like a soul who was absent all the time and finally appeared. I think this sentence was really successful, because it made Ernie vivid and humorous. The last part is the â€Å"resolution†. Tom and Ernie finally got out of the cave. Tom used the comparison again: the verb â€Å"popped† and â€Å"expect† show his happiness first but the reality was totally adverse. The annoyed group mates standing at the entrance to the cave were really mad at them. The most interesting thing is that the plot reversed again. The handsome guide criticized them in public first, however, he showed his admiration in private, which satisfied Tom’s self-pride to a great extent. Comparing the different attitudes between the beginning and the end, we can explore that the writer changed his mind. He challenged himself to explore the cave, and after this adventure, he felt better about himself and became more confident. He thought he was also a cool and brave man in front of his wife, which is very important to him. The writer Tom was good at describing the atmosphere and dealing with the details, and the atmosphere and details really impressed me. Also, every process of the incident was connected closely, and all of the peoples’ actions had powerful motivations. All in all, I think it is a really successful autobiography essay.