Odyssey Essay

â€Å"Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism, confronting your fears and allowing yourself to the right to be human can paradoxically make you far happier and a more productive person. † Dr David M Burn’s quote explains how you must face your fears to be a more perfect and productive person. A perfect hero must face al their fears, which allows them to become a perfect hero. In the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is portrayed as a perfect hero because he shows traits such as strength, bravery, and wisdom.There are many traits a perfect hero must have, the most important one may be strength. Strength is so vital to be a perfect hero because you can accomplish so much with it. Perfect heroes need both mental and physical strength to succeed. Maybe a hero needs to lift a heavy car off a child, or the mental strength to to leave a loved one. Odysseus displays mental strength by leaving Penelope and Telemachus for twenty years. Not only did he leave his family he le ft his homeland which Odysseus was very fond of.It takes a lot of mental strength to allow yourself to leave your family and home for twenty years. Also, he showed mental strength by avoiding the sirens by making his men tie him to the boat. Not only is that very smart it also takes strength to know what has to be done. Obviously Odysseus has mental strength he also had physical strength by killing a suitor, who stood in the way of him and Penelope. Although, these are only three minor acts, Odysseus shows mental and physical strength throughout the odyssey. Odysseus’ arrow hit him under the chin and punched up to the feathers through his throat. † (II 1419-1420) In addition to strength a perfect hero must also have bravery. Heroes are never seen as scared or wimpy. Always, they are seen fighting off their enemies or rescuing a civilian. Without bravery there would definitely be no heroes because it takes bravery to be one. When the Cyclopes’ eye was poked out by , Odysseus, he showed bravery. Not only was the Cyclopes ten times bigger than Odysseus, but he also could have easily crushed him.Odysseus has seen things no other man should see one of these was his men being ripped to shreds by Scylla. It takes bravery to see such horrible actions and not break down. A brave hero, also has guts to stand up for himself. When Odysseus approached Antonius, he had bravery to stand up for himself even though he was disguised as a beggar. Antonius was a suitor to Penelope and was living in his home. Odysseus had the guts to ruin Antonius’ reputation. â€Å"The eyeball hissed around the spike†¦the Cyclopes track roared around him and we fell back in fear. † (I )Further more, wisdom is the last essential trait to a perfect hero. Wisdom isn’t the most important but, the most powerful. It is the most powerful because it’s a trait that you can’t automatically have. You either have to work at it or in some cases youâ⠂¬â„¢re born with it. When you have wisdom it’s a very powerful weapon to your enemies, just like Odysseus. Odysseus makes the Cyclopes drunk so he could poke out his eye easier since the Cyclopes was much more bigger and stronger than Odysseus. Not only did he make the Cyclopes drunk he told him a false name Odyssey Essay Odyssey Essay Jared Page A heroic person is who does courageous acts for the sake of his family and peers. In the epic poem, The Odyssey by Homer, the protagonist, Odysseus, has not been a heroic person throughout the poem. Odysseus, Son of Laertes, has journeyed off with his crew in search of returning home but has not met the requirements of being a hero. Instead he shows insensitivity toward others, disloyalty and untrustworthiness. One characteristic trait that Odysseus presents is insensitivity towards his crew members.An example of this is when Odysseus and his men are trapped in the Cyclopes cave, Odysseus says â€Å"Now came the time to toss for it: who ventured along with me? Whose hand could bear to thrust and grind that spike in Cyclops eye† (279). This shows that Odysseus fails to sympathize with what his members are feeling. For this reason, Odysseus decides who will help him brawl Cyclops with a toss of a coin. By tossing the coin versus making the decision himse lf is an example that indicates Odysseus does not show the ability to be a heroic leader. Each time when Odysseus does something wrong, the Gods, particularly Zeus, would inflict adversity because of Odysseus’s actions. For example, just after wanting to depart the island, Zeus â€Å"disdained the offering: destruction for my ships he had in shore and death for those who sailed them, my companions† (512). This shows Odysseus has disobeyed Zeus; leading him to destroy his ships and crewmembers. Proving that Odysseus is endangering them by his absence of feeling towards others.Not only does Odysseus lack feeling, but also is untrustworthy to his peers. Odysseus has many conflicts as to whether or not he is a trustworthy person. An example of this is when the Cyclops asks why Odysseus is in his cave, Odysseus answers â€Å"He thought he’d find out, but I saw through this and answered with a ready lie: My ship? Poseidon. Lord. Who set the earth a tremble†¦Ã¢â‚ ¬  (226). This shows that Odysseus will lie his way out of things. A hero should be honest towards other people and not lie to achieve what he wants.Another conflict that Odysseus has with his men is when sailing towards Scylla. Odysseus says to himself â€Å"But as I sent them on towards Scylla. I told them nothing, as they could do nothing† (785). This proves that he cannot be trusted if he chooses to leave his men to find out for themselves what Scylla is. Odysseus has not only been untrustworthy to his men, but also disloyal to his family. Disloyalty is the act of being unfaithful to a person or country. Odysseus has showed this many times throughout the poem.An instance of this is when he has secret relations with Circe even though married. â€Å"Circe, persuades Odysseus to stay, share her meat and wine, and restore his heart† (1054). This shows that Odysseus has cheated on his wife while out at sea. This proves that Odysseus is unfaithful to his wife and family . While Odysseus’s men kill a ram, Zeus punishes them by a thunderbolt, killing everyone but Odysseus, â€Å"The dangerous nymph Calypso lives and sings there, in her beauty and she received me, loved me† (985).This shows that Odysseus has sailed away without his men and goes back to Calypso. Showing how Odysseus is disloyal to his crew, leaving their bodies and only caring about himself. Odysseus has many good characteristics that he shows throughout his journey, but none of them exhibit heroism. Dragging his crewmembers into his own faults by the Gods, being a untrustworthy leader, and a bad husband to his wife are all just examples of these qualities. Overall in this epic poem, Odysseus was not a good nor heroic leader.

Man as a social being Essay

Man is a social being and can never live a mundane routine always. Man undergoes different swings and moods in his daily life. Hence,the saying â€Å"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy† holds very true. Unlike a computer or any mechanical tool,man gets worn out or gets tired easily.He cannot perform any repeated activity continuously without a break. Let me take an example of a particular student who was a typical bookworm .He was very hardworking and he did studies and nothing else the whole day.Ironically,his marks never used to show the efforts he used to take.The reason for this paradox was that he always kept poring into books. He never used to take even a small interval of rest.This forced his mind to start daydreaming and remain in reveries. This would naturally affect his academic and over all performance in school activities. There is another reason to support this statement. On taking a break from a usual activities,say ,studies would give a pinch to the person. He/she would feel somewhat guilty for wasting his/her time into other activities.This would instigate the person to study harder and go in a faster rate with full concentration in his studies.Thus, even a half an hour break would save hours of time which would just be wasted in reveries . Taking a small interval of break would give a change to the mind .The person would feel refreshed to go back to work in a better mood. A person weared out or in a bad swing would feel joyous and happy if he/she takes a break by doing something interesting or even by taking rest for a while. One could take a break by involving in any sport activity or spend some time with a hobby. Going for sports could be a good time-pass.This will improve one’s health and naturally enrich one’s mind because a sound mind always dwells in a sound body.It would also improve a person’s talent in sports or other co-corricular activities like drawing,music etc.A person could improve himself in an over-all way,not only in work but also in play. Hence ,I strongly believe in this thought provoking phrase for it is not  always just work but also play that would make Jack a boy of brilliance.

Modeling and Simulation of Wind Turbine System

Chapter 5 Modeling and Simulation of Wind Turbine SystemSTANDALONE WIND ENERGY SYSTEMSize OF WIND SYSTEM COMPONENTSThe sizing methodological analysis adopted for the bing Wind power system for the small town Umrikheda is explained consistently as follows:Calculation of electric burdenThe burden of small town Umrikheda 150 kWh/day can be operated by the proposed base entirely weave energy system. The elaborate size methodological analysis adopted for day-to-day electrical burden of the distant small town Umrikheda which is operated by the present WIND system is given in below Table 5.1. Table 5.1: Electrical burden of small town UmrikhedaS. No.Energy ingestion ( Wh/day )1Families98,5002Street illuming15,8003School26,5004Others9200Entire150 kWh/dayThe entire day-to-day electric burden of the small town The designed burden for the air current energy system must be higher than the entire electrical burden of the location because at the clip of operation burden fluctuations and power losingss are occurs in the air current turbine system. The designed burden for the air current turbine system From equation ( 5.2 ) the day-to-day electrical ingestion for planing of air current turbine energy system is obtained as 225 kWh/day. The factor 1.5 is known as Fudge factor. This accounts for efficiency losingss, wiring and interconnectedness losingss and besides the battery charging and discharging losingss in the WES constituents.size of air current turbineThe selected air current turbine must fit the air current features at the site and it should bring forth optimal energy with a high capacity factor ( CF ) to run into the electrical energy demand. The Turbine size is determined utilizing Eq. ( 5.4 ) . Based on the power equation of air current turbine the diameter of turbine is considered 18 m so that the swept country of the air current turbine for the bing power system is obtained with the usage of diameter. The power equation for air and turbine are given as follows. Where ? is the air denseness and its value is 1.225, CPhosphorusis power coefficient with changeless value 0.59, A is the swept country of the selected air current turbine and V is the mean hourly air current velocity of the location which is 4.5 m/sec. based on Eq. ( 5.4 ) the power of one air current turbine is obtained as 8.38 kilowatt. The entire figure of wind turbine required to carry through the load demand of the location is 27 turbines each of 8.38 kilowatt capacities.Sizing of battery bankThe battery bank size in kW hr can be determined by the Eq. ( 5.5 ) . For bettering life of battery and for back-to-back cloudy yearss the figure of autonomy yearss is considered as 3 yearss in the proposed air current power system. The deep cycling will be occasional during nebulose yearss and therefore better the battery life. The three yearss of liberty was used by zero energy visitants centre ( ZEVC ) located at the Van Ness Campus of University of the District of Columbia as reported in 2006 by the Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy ( CERE ) [ 7 ] . Battery bank Size Here the figure of autonomy yearss is considered 3 yearss and the maximal deepness of discharge for the battery bank is taken 75 % . The size of battery bank is 900 kWh calculated by Eq. ( 5.5 ) .Capacity of battery bankThe capacity of the battery bank in ampere-hours can be evaluated by spliting the safe energy storage required by the DC electromotive force of one battery as shown in Eq. ( 5.6 ) . In the bing system we have chosen the evaluation of battery is 12 V and 350 Ah. Harmonizing to the obtained capacity of the battery bank from Eq. ( 5.6 ) , another determination has to be made sing the capacity of each of the batteries of that bank. The battery bank is composed of batteries that are connected in series and in parallel harmonizing to the selected battery electromotive force evaluation and the system demands.Number of batteriesThe entire figure of batteries is obtained by spliting the capacity C of the battery bank in ampere-hours by the capacity of one of the battery selected in ampere-hours which is calculated by Eq. ( 5.7 ) . The figure of batteries required for the system is obtained from the Eq. ( 5.7 ) is 214.28 which is rounded to 216 batteries. The connexion of batteries can easy be figured out by happening out the figure of series and parallel affiliated batteries. With system DC-voltage of 48 V, the figure of batteries connected in series is obtained by Eq. ( 5.8 ) . The figure of series connected batteries is determined by Eq. ( 5.8 ) which is 4. With the usage of this value we can cipher the batteries connected in analogue or the figure of strings by Eq. ( 5.9 ) which is as follows. No. of strings ( batteries connected in analogue ) The figure of parallel strings of four series connected batteries is determined by Eq. ( 5.9 ) . The entire figure of batteries is 216 which can be arranged in 54 parallel strings and each of the twine consists of 4 series connected batteries. The Ah capacity of battery bank gets added when batteries are connected in analogue and remains same when batteries are connected in series.Converter sizingThe convertor size is chosen as it fulfills the burden demand when the system is non runing. The dc electromotive force of the bing system is 48 V so the convertor must be chosen which takes the Ac end product from the air current turbine and change over it into 48 V District of Columbia. The evaluation of convertor should ne'er be lower than the system evaluation, it is ever 10 % higher than the system evaluation. The size of convertor for the present system can be calculated by Eq. ( 5.10 ) . The mean power of the contraptions that may run at the same time at the same clip is taken as 40 kilowatt. So the needed convertor must be capable of managing 40 kilowatt.Cost OF SYSTEM COMPONENTSCost of turbineTurbine is dwelling of four chief constituents as Blades, Hub, nose cone and tower. The cost of all these constituents is sums up for finding the entire cost of air current turbine. The below look shows the entire cost of turbine as follows. In the present survey we have used WES 5 Tulipo type air current turbine. The cost of one air current turbine is a‚? 51000 and the entire cost of air current turbine is obtained as a‚? 1,377,000.Cost of battery bankThe cost of battery bank can be calculated on the footing of existent size of the battery bank. Cost of battery bank can be calculated by the Eq. ( 5.12 ) . The cost of one battery bank is multiplied by the entire figure of batteries to cipher the coat of battery bank. The cost of one battery of bank is a‚? 13000 as reported by SECO [ 6 ] and besides reported in website [ 13 ] .Cost of convertorThe cost of convertor can be calculated by below Eq. ( 5.13 ) The cost of convertor determined by Eq. ( 13 ) is a‚? 178479824.Capital investing cost of air current energy system ( CO)The capital cost of air current power system includes the construction cost and the cost of land used for the system. In the present survey the land required for puting air current turbines and batteries is 5000 pess2. Cost of land in the proposed small town Umrikheda is 555.5 Rs/feet2. So, the entire monetary value of land is a‚? . 2,800,000 approximate. The capital investing cost of the air current system is calculated by below Eq. ( 5.14 ) . The balance of system or construction cost is about 20 % of the entire air current system constituent cost which is widely assumed all over the universe as reported by SECO [ 6 ] Besides, assume that cost of securing the land for the air current energy system is 20 % of the entire air current system component cost. Based on these premises, the capital cost ( CO) for the air current system is determined utilizing above combining weight. ( 5.14 ) .Operating and care cost of the systemThe operating and care cost for the proposed system is 2 % of the capital cost of the system. The computation of the operating and care cost is as given by Eq. ( 5.15 ) The operating and care cost of is added to the capital investing cost of the system to happen out the modified cost of the system. So, the modified capital investing cost of the system is a‚? 10,734,233.24 with the usage of Eq’s. ( 5.14 ) and ( 5.15 ) .LIFE CYCLE COST ANALYSIS FOR WT SYSTEMReplacement cost of battery bank systemIn the present Wind energy system the life of air current turbine and the battery is considered as 30 old ages and 5 ears severally and the life rhythm cost analysis is based on the life clip of both the turbine and the battery. The subsidised involvement rate usually offered by authorities sectors in India to advance the usage of renewable energy applications is 4 % . So, we have taken the rate of involvement is 4 % for our system. In India the old batteries are replaced on the discount of 7 % on entire cost of battery. With the premise of unvarying replacing of battery throughout the life of the system the replacing cost of battery bank after 5 old ages is calculated by Eq. ( 5.16 ) In the present system the replacing cost of batteries is obtained as a‚? 2611440.Present Battery bank costThe present cost of battery bank for future investings at every five old ages interval can be determined by combining weight. ( 5.17 ) as follows: ( 5.17 ) The present battery bank cost is obtained as a‚? 7547648.06 with 4 % involvement rate. 4 % is the subsidised involvement rate usually offered by authorities sectors in India to advance the usage of renewable energy applications. In this life rhythm cost analysis the salvage value ( S ) of WT system at the terminal of 30 old ages life was assumed equal to the present cost of balance of system since the depreciation of balance of system was considered tantamount to the rate of escalation in the monetary value of structural steel per kilogram.Present Salvage value of WT systemThe present salvage value of the system can be calculated by Eq. ( 5.18 ) Net Present cost of WT systemNet present cost of WT system ( CInternet) is determined as summing up of capital investing ( CO) , all other cost constituents converted into present cost and subtracted by present salvage value. The net present cost of PV system was determined utilizing Eq. ( 5.19 ) as follows: Annualized Lifecycle Cost of WT systemThe annualized life rhythm cost of WT power system over the 30 old ages lifetime is expressed mathematically utilizing Eq. ( 5.20 ) [ 14 ] as follows Capacity use factor ( CUF )The capacity use factor can be calculated by the undermentioned Eq. ( 5.21 ) . The CUF is calculated to ease the unit cost of electricity. The CUF is obtained by the above Eq. which is basically a step of electrical energy generated per KW of installed capacity per twelvemonth.Capital recovery factor ( CRF )The below Eq. ( 5.22 ) shows the look of capital recovery factor. It is used to find the sum of each hereafter rente payment required to roll up a given present value for known values of involvement rates and figure of payments. 4 % is the subsidised involvement rate usually offered by authorities sectors in India to advance the usage of renewable energy applications.Unit of measurement cost of electricity ( UCE )Using the capacity use factor the unit cost of electricity can be calculated by below Eq. ( 5.23 ) . Where COis the capital cost, m is the fraction of capital cost used on operation and care of the system and P is the capacity of the air current power coevals system.Payback periodThe EPBT signifies clip period required by energy output for counterbalancing the energy investings on the Stand Alone Wind Turbine power works. The energy payback clip for the bing SAWT system installed on steel construction over the land surface can be calculated based on the below Eq. ( 5.24 ) . The payback period for the proposed Wind Turbine system is calculated as 14.43 old ages with a‚? 9 Per unit cost of the system running for 30 old ages.Carbon monoxide2EMISSION MITIGATION AND CARBON CREDIT POTENTIAL FROM PROPOSED SAWT SYSTEMThe C recognition potency of Wind power system is determined on the footing of entire sum of CO2emanations extenuation from the system in its life clip. The Co2emanation and C recognition potency are given by the below expression.Co2emanation mitigated from WT systemConversion of Energy through Wind Turbine ( WT ) system is one of the more dependable and environmental friendly renewable energy engineerings which have the possible to lend significantly in the development of sustainable energy systems for coevals of power. It besides plays an of import function in CO2emanations extenuation. To cipher the entire CO2emanations mitigated from the present SAPV power system a mathematical calculation is carried out. The mean strength of CO2emanation from coal thermic power works in India is 1.57 kg/kWh [ 1, 16 ] . The entire extenuation of CO2emanations from the bing SAWT system for 30 old ages life can be calculated utilizing Eq. ( 5.25 ) as follows: ( 5.25 ) A air current turbine power system does non disperse immense sum of heat energy into the environing environment and saves a big sum of CO2emanations. Hence, WT systems are eco friendly systems and a good option for power coevals and must be preferred where electricity is non available or grid power is costlier. Carbon Credit potency of proposed WT system The entire sum of C recognition earned by proposed Wind Turbine power system can be calculated by the undermentioned Eq. ( 5.26 ) as follows. ( 5.26 ) The factor considered in Eq. ( 5.26 ) is a‚? 1760/ton of CO2extenuation represents the pecuniary value of one C recognition for extenuation of 1 ton of CO2emanation [ 18 ] .Consequence of C recognition potencyThe CO2emanation extenuation from the bing power system is estimated as 88.31 tons/year from Eq. ( 5.25 ) for n peers to 1 twelvemonth. The entire CO2emanation mitigated by bing PV system in 30 old ages life clip is estimated utilizing Eq. ( 5.25 ) as 2649.375 dozenss. The C recognition from the bing WT system is obtained utilizing Eq’s. ( 5.25 ) and ( 5.26 ) . The C recognition affects the unit cost of electricity produced from non-polluting WT power system.ConsequenceThe life rhythm cost analysis is carried out for the presented standalone Wind Turbine power system and the cardinal consequences obtained are listed in Table 5.4. The unit electricity cost utilizing Wind Turbine systems were estimated as a‚? 9/kWh for the involvement rate of 4 % , 30 old ages life of WT system and 5 old ages life of battery bank. Table 5.2: Consequences of WT power systemS.No.ComponentCost ( a‚? )1Wind Turbine1,377,0002Battery bank2,808,0004Converter1,784,798.45Capital investing10,734,233.246Battery replacing2,611,4407Salvage value3,313,034.958Net nowadays value14,968,882.359 10 11Unit of measurement cost of electricity Carbon monoxide2emanation mitigated Carbon recognition earned9/kWh 2649375 dozenss or 88.31 tons/yr a‚? 4519833.75 or a‚? 150661.125/yrThe energy consumed by the burden per twelvemonth was determined as 56250 kWh/year and matching CO2 emanation mitigated is estimated as 88.31 tons/year. The entire CO2 emanation mitigated by bing PV system in 30 old ages life clip was estimated utilizing Eq. ( 5.25 ) as 2649.375 dozenss.

QI Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

QI - Essay Example Considering this, the numbers in the spreadsheets were added to get the percentage of menus picked up by 100 units. This method was the appropriate one because it facilitated the computation of percentages using an easy formula. The breakdown of the menus and the floors required a unit that ensured the percentages provided the correct outcome that would give the accurate pickup. However, some challenges emerged during the entire calculation of the menu pickup project. These challenges were later rectified by having a menu pickup policy for diet technicians in order to increase the percentages. By using the original excel document of the menu pickups, highlighting was essential for the determination of the unusual or improper pickup units. For instance, highlighted in yellow were the menu p/u averages that consisted of items by Thumas, Danielle and Aaron. The results indicate that the pickup menus changed during the days, but had a constant Monti unit of 2 in the entire project. Similarly, the employees, namely Josie, Kristen, Sebastian and Eguono also registered different menu p/u percentages. This is because the menus picked up produced separate menus printed, giving different percentages. The perceived reason for this difference was due to maybe the employees taking lunch breaks at different intervals. It is also apparent that the employees took long hours choosing the menus pickups with others going for the ones with fewer complexities. Each worker failed to have their menu pickups when required to because of the difference in time intervals taken for breaks. Some workers were good with sticking to their programs, while others were logged off at most of the times. This caused the delays and differences in the percentages, which also resulted in the different averages at each level. For instance, the averages established by Dawn, Thumas and Sebastan were higher compared to the ones by Melisa, Angela and

The recruitment, selection and training methods of LVMH Essay - 3

The recruitment, selection and training methods of LVMH - Essay Example On the other hand, selection is a process where the managers select the best available person or applicant from the pool to work for the organization. The difference between both the processes has been outlined by Mondy and Noe (1993). According to them, recruitment is a process that aims to attract individuals from time to time that have appropriate qualification. Through recruitment, the firm tends to encourage individuals to apply for job. On the other hand, selection is a process that is used by organizations as a tool to measure the performance of an individual. This helps the organization to select the best available applicant in the talent pool that applied for the job. By measuring the potential and actual performance of employees, this process makes the most crucial contribution to the organization for the present and the future (Beardwell, Holden, and Claydon, 2003). The recruitment and selection function of the organization can be influenced with a mix of internal and external factors. Internal factors are those that can be controlled by the organization whereas, external factors are those that cannot be controlled by the organization. Each of the external and internal factors would be highlighted in the following paragraph. Recruitment policy plays an integral role in the recruitment and selection process as it specifies the objective of recruitment and can directly influence the program. Furthermore, the recruitment policy can be influenced by organizational objectives, policies of competitors and sources of recruitment (Aswathappa, 2005). The size of the firm is also an important internal factor that influences the recruitment and selection process. This factor can extensively influence the recruitment and selection process as when the organization plans to increase its operations; the organization will eventually enhance the recruitment and selection of potential employees to work for the organization so that it can

USA World Bank Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

USA World Bank - Case Study Example USA World Bank has been a very successful firm, both for consumers and small businesses domestically and internationally. Like all companies, it needs to come up with new and exciting products for its customers so that they remain committed to the company. The Board of Directors wants the company to launch just one product each year. This one product can focus on the consumer side or the small business owner side. However this can result in conflicting ideas internally and as well as with conflicting customers. It is the decision of the president and vice president to come up with the new product and launch it in the current time frame.Each year Managers at USA World Bank are required to launch a new product for their bank. This has become the tradition that the president and vice president of New Product Development brainstorm and then create an idea for the product and then present it to the Board of Directors for approval. In recent years the all the new products launched have bee n marginally successful therefore there is increased pressure on the president and vice president this year to deliver the goods. Without concurrent launching of new products, USA World Bank feels that it would lose its market share and its huge customer base to other new and agile banks. [3]Like any company UWB, wants to maximize its profitability while satisfying its customer needs. It takes into consideration the customer requirements and prioritizes the needs to identify which customers its product will be targeted towards. The Company faces a dilemma in this scenario whether to launch a Consumer Product or a Small business Owner product. Catering to one or the other will create a bad reputation from the other side. The second stakeholders are the general consumers. They have the right to purchase the product from UWB and to be or not to be a part of the company. They want to maximize the utility they get on purchasing the products from the company. Their interests clash with the interest of the Small Business Owner Card holders and they are given higher priority. The third stakeholders are Small Business Owners for whom a different kind of card is being sought to be produced. They have the right to purchase the product from UWB and to be or not to be a part of the company. They want to maximize the utility they get on purchasing the products from the company. Their interests clash with the interest of the general consumers because they are given lesser priority. [1] Problem Statement USA World Bank will cater to all customers to increase market share and market value by building close customer relationships. End-State Vision USA World Bank will add value to its customer base by offering affordable products and incentives to increase its market share. Alternative Solutions Alternative solutions are generated from the problem at hand. Mary Monroe wants to go ahead with the Consumer product while Jim and executives emphasize for the Small Business Owner product. Brian is confused whether to go for both products or simply do more research to find out which one is more feasible. Here is the list of alternate solutions Launch General Consumer Product Launch Small Business Owner Product Launch Both Products These alternatives are included in the secondary alternatives as the company wants to launch the product this year without any delays. Delay launching product until further research studies are not completed Don't launch any product this year Analysis of Alternative Solutions There are 4 different goals that have been identified for USA World Bank from this scenario. The cost is not considered that important like Brian Allen said therefore it is assigned a rating of 2. A

John Paul Dejoria and his accomplishments Research Paper

John Paul Dejoria and his accomplishments - Research Paper Example While he was still in twenties his wife died leaving a son behind whom John had to now take care of. John tried in everything and all sorts of Jobs, but his luck charmed bell rung when he met Mitchells another US individual. Together they worked to bring on revolutions in history of hair color solutions. Their strategy worked so well that today John Paul sells his products internationally in more than 90,000 salons. According to (Forbes 2011), he is worth US$4 billion. And Visionary of the Year Award (October 2009). John is one the great nationals of America today, with a generous donator, he has won numerous awards. Today all magazines recognize him as one of the millionaires. Sender’s Name April 22, 2011 John Paul Dejoria and his accomplishments   Living a luxurious life, with 90 hair products sold in 90,000 hair salons all across the United States plus an annual retailing topping $ 600 million, is the guy who worked hard to make the rages to riches story. John Paul Dejori a is a US citizen who holds prestige in being categorized as one of the True Global Citizen that moves on from a no way citizen to someone who owns riches equivalent to millionaires today. Early life and Education He was born as the second son to an Italian family, the family which immigrated from Greek to Italy. He marked the history of the Echo park neighborhood of California with his birth on the April 13th, 1944. Belonging to a family who separated when he was the 2 yrs old, he was thought as any other regular child. It was not but the age of nine that he started selling cards and news papers to support his family financially. Sometime later his mother felt that she won’t be able to provide for the family, so John Paul along with his brother were sent to their foster home. The real learning of this son of the immigrant parents from Italy and Greece was hard work and consistent determination to work for his goals in life. Since beginning John Paul and his brother had to li ve a life of tiresome work and sleepless nights. John Paul and his brother would have to get up at three in the morning to deliver the folded newspaper as their part time job during studies for sake of support for family’s financial wellbeing. At a really early age he had to spend time in the company of East Los Angeles’ street gangs. He then had to enroll in the U.S. Naval Reserve still being a student of high school then went on to join the Navy. However, his efforts worked against the thoughts for financial betterment. However, as life would have it a brief marriage left John Dejoria a single parent with a young son to support. Then he resort to different jobs trying to make ends meet with no particular correlations in the jobs he was handling. He did everything from the pumping of the gas, repairing of the bicycles, working as a salesman for encyclopedias, dictating machines, photocopying machines and even selling life insurance. It was harder for Dejoria and he st ill was having a rough time. As Oprah Winfrey puts beautifully â€Å"I've learned that you can't have all and do all at the same time.† (O Magazine, April 2003). Because of his early twenties he was like as many other adults who consider asking help from others disrespect in their self esteem. This resulted in him being broke on many occasions. However, he was willing to give it all those days he was collecting Coke bottles and cans to fund them in for a few pennies at the to buy cereal, macaroni, potatoes, rice, and cheese or canned soup. However, no matter how hard the

Chicago Police Department Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chicago Police Department - Essay Example The Chicago PD’s first strength is the fact that it has something of a monopoly in its field. When a person wants to take recourse to the legal system for a crime, their only recourse is to the Chicago PD, and by law they are the only group that provide many of the services they do. This means that the Chicago PD does not need to fear competition from any other group or organization providing similar services. The Chicago PD’s second major strength is in another vein, recognisability and marketing. The Police Department is so well known and intrinsically connected to their services in public knowledge that they have no need to spend many resources on marketing simply to let people know they exist and what their services are. Chicago PD’s widespread recognition can, however, be as much of a weakness as it is a strength. While Chicago Police Department is incredibly well known, but as mentioned above its reputation is formed as much by media as anything else, and thus misinformation and messages the Chicago PD do not want to be connected to can be at least as well known as things it wants to be connected to. One of the best ways for the Chicago PD to minimize this weakness is to work with community groups to spread the message that the Chicago PD wants, and actively fight against misrepresentation in media. The Chicago police department’s second main weakness is the fact that it relies heavily on crime reporting to be able to do its job effectively (). The Chicago PD thus must make itself as accessible as possible in order to find true criminals rather than just those who are afraid of the police. The Chicago PD can fight this as much as possible by minimizing the degree to which they attack people who are reporting crimes. Though it is responsible for finding criminals equally, allowing people of questionable immigration status or who might be involved in crime themselves to report crime allows them to respond more universally to crime. The Chicago Police Department has a wide array of opportunities to better fulfill its mission statement. One of the biggest ones revolves around the fact that by its very nature members of the police department have to be in constant contact with the members of the community in which they live. This means that if the Chicago PD can successfully realign itself to focus on community outreach, it can more easily cure the problems of a community rather than just treat the symptoms (Chicago PD 1993). The second major opportunity for the Chicago PD is that technology of policing is constantly advancing, and often at a rate much faster than the forces police are trying to fight (ie. Criminals). This means that if the Police Department successfully identifies trains and begins use of new and emerging technologies it can accomplish its mission with increasing efficiency, as it often does not have to fight competition with access to the same emergent technologies (Sims 2011). The biggest threats to the Chicago PD is the growing trend of people failing to report crimes and settle things using criminal activity, especially gang violence. This undermines the whole system under which the police force works, and

Fast profits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fast profits - Essay Example Since the release of the Jungle, the public responded to the outcry of the novel’s portrayal of the meat industry’s unhealthy practice of selling rotten and diseased meat to unsuspecting and unknowing customers. The putrid meat is masked by shiny, attractive surfaces of the can, thus enabling the customer to be deceived that the meat he is buying is safe and nutritious. Because of this, President Theodore Roosevelt was pressured to pass the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, despite being kept in storage in 1902 and again in 1905. The Beef Inspection Act was also passed in order to have a standard inspection scheme, away from bribery and corruption in the meat packing industry. With these precautionary measures, there is no doubt that the American people regard meat as an essential part of human consumption. And without proper sanitary and packaging regulations, American health is endangered. The book has not only inspired the American public in becoming critical and well-aware of what they eat, it has also triggered the term â€Å"consumerism† up to the time being. The consumerism attitude entails being critical of product labeling, not only for meat but as well as for other products. Furthermore, it has also set standard requirement for all food manufacturers to put â€Å"nutrition facts,† wherein the label includes the nutrients that an individual would get from consuming the product, and public safety precautions, particularly for those products that may inflict possible hazards in particular scenarios. On the other hand, there has been a rapidly emerging movement of vegetarianism for the last century. Throughout the years since the inception of the book, there have been a growing number of people who have suffered from heart attack, heart by-pass, stroke, high blood pressure, and other debilitating diseases related to excess meat consumption. The growing number of obese Americans has also been

Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organisations Essay

Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organisations - Essay Example In just 20 years the number of international NGOs has increased from 13,000 in 1981 to more than 47,000 in 2001 (Wild, 2006). The NGO sector has become "the eight largest economy in the world" worth $1 trillion, with an annual budget of $15 billion for development programs, 19 million paid staff members and countless volunteers, and the good will and respect of millions around the world (Hall-Jones, 2006). Public response to NGOs has been much more positive than negative on both global and national levels. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Anan called NGOs the "new superpower" (Scheper, 2001). The praise is not undeserved. At least part of the credit in establishing international agreements and norms about environmental issues (the Kyoto Protocol), human rights (campaign against torture of suspected terrorists), gender equality (rape in conflict areas), and other concerns should go to NGOs. In many developing nations, especially where authoritarianism and corruption are deeply rooted and persistent problems, NGOs are often considered to be more responsive, trustworthy and competent, especially in defending people against human rights violations by state actors and in the delivery of badly needed health, education and other services. NGOs have also contributed greatly to documentation and dissemination of information and analysis that have given and continue to give direction and substa nce to international debates. The evaluation of NGO performance is not entirely positive. There are NGO critics and critiques. Questions are only to be expected from government and business interests that are affected negatively by NGO issue advocacy, such as campaigns against granting corporations mining concessions that will threaten the right of indigenous tribes to their ancestral land. However, serious and urgent questions have been raised regarding NGO orientation, their competence, their ability to uphold the interests of their stakeholders, and their adoption and practice of transparency and accountability in their day-to-day operation. In addition, a substantial number of political activists have questioned the "apolitical" stance of a number of NGOs, relations between NGOs (mostly based in the global north) and social movements (mostly based in the global south), the growing reliance of NGOs on government and corporate funding, and what is seen to be their slow transformation into quasi-governmental institutions (Albrow and Anheier, 2007). This paper is an attempt to give a factual account on the actual performance and impact of NGOs concerning particular issues and what some consider as the overarching goal of civil society -- global social justice in a sustainable world. It will also present and briefly discuss definitions of civil society and global governance that provide the general context and background for the discussion on non-governmental organisations. II. Global Civil Society and Global Governance Professor Mary Kaldor, Co-director of the Centre for the Study of Global Governance based in the London School of Economics defined global civil society as: "A platform inhabited by activists or post-Marxists, NGOs and neoliberals, as well as national and religious groups where they argue about, campaign for (or against), negotiate about or lobby for the arrangements that shape global developments" (Kaldor,

Cultural Determinants of Terrorism Essay Example for Free

Cultural Determinants of Terrorism Essay Orchestrated objectives within well-organized terrorist groups suggest that principles of organizational psychology apply to terrorist organizations, under the cultural influence of each one (Borum, 2004). There is much cause for optimism in understanding terrorist organizations, for as Alder and Gunderson (2008) write, â€Å"Luckily, we have learned that global complexity is neither unpredictable nor random† (p. v). The call for research has never been more pressing. Introduction â€Å"Terrorism is an elusive subject, evading precise political, jurisprudential, and cultural definition† (Oliveri, 2008, p. 49). It depends upon the definition of ‘terrorism’. â€Å"With over 100 definitions, this is not an easy task; there is no common understanding of what constitutes ‘terrorism’; no clear and universally acknowledged definition actually exists† (Franks, 2007, p. 2). The definition Munger (2006) proposes that is used for this paper is, â€Å"Culture is defined as the set of ‘inherited’ beliefs, attitudes, and moral strictures that a people use to distinguish outsiders, to understand themselves and to communicate with each other† (p. 131). The distinguishing characteristic of ‘them’ and ‘us’ is perhaps the fundamental belief generated within cultures that makes terrorism towards others possible. Whether viewed in terms of extremist Muslim culture or right-wing American culture, cultural identity supports the conflict of ideologies. Ward (2008) says, â€Å"Terrorism has taken the academic world by storm† (p. 248). The Psychology of Terrorism only became a legitimate academic study in 1982; â€Å"terrorism is far from a new phenomenon, traceable to the French Revolution and the Nihilists of 19th Century Russia† (Franks, 2007, p. ). Undoubtedly, it goes much further into the annals of history than the 19th Century, â€Å"the concept of terrorism had no meaning in history until the modern era† (Bratkowski, 2005, p. 764). Prior to modernity, terrorism was so much a part of daily culture it was normal behavior, without a specific word for it. In fact, for most of Christendom, â €Å"humankind has always provided a justification for killing and instilling terror in fellow humans† (p. 764). It is only recently that most cultures have placed a label of immorality on selective murder to achieve political or cultural ends. Our species has a protracted history and prehistory of terrorism. One might wonder why terrorism has â€Å"taken the academic world by storm†. Insights from Psychology â€Å"Terrorist violence most often is deliberate (not impulsive), strategic, and instrumental; it is linked to and justified by ideological (e. g. , political, religious) objectives and usually involves a group or multiple actors/supporters (Borum, 2004, p. 17). Since terrorist objectives originate within multinational organizations, principles of organizational psychology apply to all terrorist organizations, under the cultural milieu of the organization in question. What is now certain is that terrorism is not a psychopathological aberration, as was originally thought in psychoanalytical circles (Crenshaw, 1992). Terrorist organizations are composed of clear-headed individuals, often with advanced university degrees. Merari (1991) collected empirical data on suicide bombers, and found that psychopathology is almost never a factor in a terrorist’s profile. In fact, â€Å"prevalence of mental illness among samples of incarcerated terrorists is as low as or lower than in the general population† (Borum, 2004, p. 34). This is a clear indicator that we are dealing with psychologies of organization, and not groups of crazed sociopaths. Survival of the organization, a tenet of organizational psychology, has clear implications for the terrorist mindset (Post, 1989), even though â€Å"research on the psychology of terrorism largely lacks substance and rigor. While cultural factors are important, much study remains. â€Å"Future research should be operationally-informed; maintain a behavior based focus; and derive interpretations from analyses of incident-related behaviors† (Borum, 2004, p. 3). The main problem with such a venture might be that terrorists are not giving interviews or taking surveys. Borum points out that â€Å"there is a broad spectrum of terrorist groups and organizations, each of which has a different psychology, motivation and decision making structure† (p. 5). This further underscores the need to be on guard against the ‘stereotypical terrorist organization’: there is none. In a terrorist organization, â€Å"two key narcissistic dynamics are a grandiose sense of self and ‘idealized parental imago’. If one can’t be perfect, at least one can be in a relationship with something perfect† (Borum, 2004, p. 9). Association with a world figure such as Bin Laden satisfies this need; this can lead us back to US culture: promulgation and amplifying worldwide terrorism, via the news media. Bin Laden often makes the evening news, and every time he does, his ‘world stature’ is elevated, especially in the min ds of his followers. It the name Bin Laden was unknown, how much less effective would al-Qaeda become? Media has some degree of culpability, if not complicity in promulgating terrorism worldwide by providing free publicity to organizations and their cause. According to Paul Marsden (CPM, 2001, p. 1), â€Å"the amount of media coverage devoted to these events, by television networks and newspapers, correlates positively with the rise in subsequent `copycat events. This is darkly consistent with the substantial body of evidence for suicide contagion the idea that suicides beget suicide. † If distraught teenagers copy Columbine style shootings, how much more are suicide attacks from terrorist cells encouraged by watching the evening news? Unintentionally but effectively eulogizing angry teens and terrorists alike hold moral implications for the major news media, which need addressing by society. Organizational Psychology provides some insight: if a culture perceives it is losing its ability to contribute its share to the world stage, conflict will result (Rahim, 1986; Katz ; Kahn, 1978). Considering that entire cultures may feel they are losing their ability to contribute because of intervention of external cultures upon their own culture is likely one requisite to the creation of worldwide terror organization formation. Cultural factors of extremist Muslim society While many in the West view extremist Muslim terrorism as irrational behavior by deranged individuals, â€Å"it is perfectly possible to understand terrorism as a rational decision problem, if we accept the premise that culture matters† (Munger, 2006, p. 132). â€Å"Islamic societies, not exclusively, but perhaps to a greater extent than most other nations, are committed to an idea of the perfectibility of humans in societies, through moral education and imposition and enforcement of moral law (Sharia) based on the Quran† (p. 142). This religious adherence adds a great deal of resistance to compromise from outside cultures, and bolsters the extremist elements within Islamic society. Much of the cultural foundation of extremist Muslim culture is their unique interpretation of the Quran: â€Å"The contemporary terrorist mentality and culture, which are rooted in absolutist, either-or, good-and-evil world views, resist efforts to negotiate. Accommodation, bargaining, and mutually acceptable compromise are not envisioned as possibilities within many terrorists’ mental framework† (Smelser ; Mitchell, 2002, p. 1). It appears that once a terrorist organization is established, the only ways to eliminate it is either when they accomplish their objectives, to destroy them, or to take away their reason to exist, which will allow Skinnerian extinction to follow over time. The ‘destroy’ method is problematic and costly: how does one destroy an ideology? Islamic terrorists are well-connected using technology; their geographic locality is literally everywhere and nowhere. Culturally-attuned uses of information technology† are a major source of cross-cultural influences in the creation and sustaining of terrorist organizations (Bailey ; Grimaila, 2006, p. 534). Terrorist organizations are expert in spreading and sustaining their ideology around the world. Once indoctrinated into a group, people will generally follow orders, no matter how extreme or violent, as long as the individual perceives that the order was issued from the appropriate authority (Milgram, 1965). Cultural influences caused normal students at Stanford to transform into ‘merciless prison guards’; once given the role and the authority, al-Qaeda recruits mold easily to orders from Bin Laden. Not only do they have a physical authority, which relieves their individual conscience from objecting, but also they further believe that Allah Himself sanctions Bin Laden and themselves in their efforts to establish Sharia law throughout the world (Bailey ; Grimaila, 2006). There is substantial agreement that the psychology of terrorism cannot be considered apart from political, historical, familial, group dynamic, organic, and even purely accidental, coincidental factors† (Borum, 2004, p. 22). Borum also states, â€Å"Significant differences [exist] both in, 1) the nature and level of aggression in different cultures, and 2) aggression can be environmentally manipulated; both findings that argue against a universal human instinct [of violence]† (p. 12). Diamond (20 04) argues that environmental influences are paramount in understanding why cultures are the way they are. The Fertile Crescent, once the cornerstone of agriculture, became radically altered once all the forests were clear-cut, leaving mostly a barren desert environment. It is interesting to note that the foundation cultures which harbored the seeds of al-Qaeda all come from this former environmental paradise. Therefore, while culture probably has the most influence on the creation of terrorist organizations in the short term today, environment certainly has a large degree of impact over the long term, and might have a large impact in the short term via militaristic or political manipulation. For many critics, global or ‘hyper’ terrorism has become an ultimate expression of acutely depressed geopolitical chaos† (Ward, 2008, p. 252). Geopolitical chaos produces environments ripe with opportunity for recruiters toward the cause of terrorism. Without addressing and rectifying the chaotic areas of the world, it is highly doubtful, that global terrorism will end. Cultures th at feel oppressed or depraved on the world stage may rise in rebellion against the oppressing culture(s), with or without religious dictate. Muslim culture is producing the lion’s share of high-visibility terrorists in the world today (Borum, 2004). One way to understand Muslim culture as it relates to the creation of terrorism is to look at Hofstede’s dimensions. Generally, Islamic countries have large inequalities of status, forming a small ruling group, and a large ruled group with limited power. Hofstede (2001) shows, those Arab cultures have large Power Distance (PDI) (80) and Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) (68). When these two Dimensions are combined, it creates a situation where leaders have virtually ultimate power and authority. It is not unusual for new leadership to arise from armed insurrection – the ultimate power, rather than from diplomatic or democratic change† (Borum, 2004, p. 44). Virtually the only method available for the downtrodden in Arab society to express their need for change is by armed insurrection. This is a valuable insight into the cultural creation of Arab-based terr orism, possibly the most important one. Naturally, from the ‘terrorists’ point of view they are not terrorists at all but â€Å"freedom fighters†, fighting with their only available means to enact positive change. Does this mean efforts at establishing democracy in Muslim states are likely to fail? Cultural roots run deep, and are resistant to change by outside cultures (Weiten, 2004), so the question of democracy introduced and established by Westerners is a highly speculative venture. Finally, take the case of a female suicide bomber. It was originally assumed that the young woman who committed this act was â€Å"innocent, ignorant, and of questionable morality† (Brunner, 2007, p. 961). It is difficult for Westerners to imagine otherwise. Subsequent interviews revealed that she was educated, showed no signs of emotional disturbance, and was â€Å"as highly intelligent and more independent than other girls in her society, but still fully within the range of normal† (p. 961). The key point is that she was â€Å"fully within the range of normal†, according to the culture that she grew up within. By not understanding her culture, Western culture had labeled her â€Å"innocent, ignorant, and immoral†, overlooking key factors with which to fully understand why a mentally stable young woman would commit such an act, and more importantly, to be able to deal realistically with the rise of extremist terrorism through a lack of cultural understanding. Cultural factors of the United States There is a cultural precedence of powerful nations to label other nations as ‘evil’: a threat to ‘civilization’ (Ivie, 2005). In the U. S. , â€Å"this is a very old cultural theme, deeply ingrained into the political psyche† (p. 56). This cross-cultural mindset of powerful nations is one part in the creation of terrorists in weaker cultures, a type of self-fulfilling prophecy: the call to destroy the ‘barbarians that threaten democracy’ is an ancient one; Greece and Rome had similar ongoing open-ended campaigns against terrorists, as does the U. S. today (p. 55). The main trouble with an open-ended campaign is that it never ends†¦ another cultural perception that needs adjustment on the world stage in order to arrive at peace in the world. Looking at the cultural history of the US, the ‘savage’ has always been the object of distain and genocide, in order to ‘make way for civilization’ (Ivie, 2005). The genocide of indigenous peoples of the North American continent is well documented, even using biological terrorist tactics of germ warfare; giving ‘gifts’ of small-pox laden blankets to Indians without acquired immunity against devastating disease (Diamond, 1997). Oliverio (2008) writes, â€Å"It was also a matter of common sense that the Aryan race was superior. This taken-for-granted reality of Aryan superiority led to the extermination of millions of American Indians, millions of African slaves bound for America, and countless indigenous cultures throughout the world† (p. 21). Powerful cultures that label weaker cultures as savages are a powerful impetus to the creation of terrorism. It is a recent habit of the American Right to wage war against abstractions (Comaroff, 2007, p. 381). The line between metaphorical and real war, blurred beyond recognition, gives rise to such cultural terms as ‘the war against drugs’, ‘the war against poverty’, ‘the war against illegal immigration’ (Sherry, 1995), and has become the standard of cultural mind-set in America today. Again, the US has a â€Å"militarized world-view extended to declaring metaphorical wars on disease, crime, engaging in ‘trade wars’ with foreign competitors, and fighting ‘culture wars’ with one another† (p. 58). â€Å"Culture wars† is the main point in question: how can peace ever prevail if acts of war against culture prevail? Even the Olympic Games that followed 9/11 became a forum for the core Bush Doctrine (Falcous ; Silk, 2005). How does the reduction of civil liberties fare with the response to terrorism? Not allowing college professors to speak out against governmental policies associated with the war on terror (Crowson ; DeBacker, 2008, p. 296) is one form of right-wing authoritarianism that many Americans think needs implementation. A disturbing trend of loss of personal freedoms that some associate with fascism. Taken as a whole, US domestic and foreign policy regarding oil consumption, and support for oppressive regimes, is set aside in deference to critical scrutiny of individual behavior and the forms of ‘moral lassitude’ associated with a culture of dependency† (Hay ; Andrejevic, 2006, p. 344). So at least part of the U. S. cultural mindset is about securing its own economic interests at the expense of decency and fairness on the world stage. Many people think that the U. S. would never have bothered with Iraq if they had no strategic oil supplies, especially in the Middle East and Europe. This belief can only inflame world tensions further. Understanding cross-cultural inter-dependencies A surprising interdependency, regards the Bush Administration itself. According to Kellner (2004), not only Jihadists are responsible for ‘spectacular acts of terror’, but also both Bush administrations. They deployed â€Å"Manichean discourses of good and evil which themselves fit into dominant media codes of popular culture; that both deploy fundamentalist and absolutist discourses† (p. 41). This is extremely similar to the â€Å"contemporary terrorist mentality and culture, which are rooted in absolutist, either-or, good-and-evil world views, resist efforts to negotiate† (Smelser ; Mitchell, 2002, p. 1). The Bush administration openly declares its refusal to communicate with terrorist organizations or states, which is absolutist. We know that incentives flourish within such organizations (Munger, 2006). Incentives usually take two forms: 1) recruit members that are prone to obey and please within a cultural setting (e. g. collectivist rather than individualist cultures), and 2) â€Å"Create a set of incentives that reward loyalty, by giving access to excludable near-public (â€Å"club†) goods† (p. 131). Mohammed Atta reportedly was â€Å"at a strip club spending a lot of money, shouting anti-American slogans, and left a copy of the Quran before he left† (USA TODAY, 2001, p. 1). This incident seems to have fallen under ‘club goods’ instead of operational funds, because it was the night before the hijackings, and such excessive cash was no longer needed. This says nothing of the influence U. S. culture had on Atta, a devout Muslim going to a strip club, one day before he â€Å"meets Allah†. There is no such thing as a ‘terrorist state’, in the absolute sense. Triandis, Bontempo, Villareal, Asai, and Lucca (1988) have shown that national cultures never equate to individual or subgroup cultures, so while a totalitarian governing body may indeed be a terrorist organization, the general populace can in no way be held accountable for the actions of a few. It is a stereotypical mistake to label an entire country as terrorist. It is important to realize that â€Å"both differences and similarities in behavior occur across and within cultures; psychological processes are characterized by both cultural variance and invariance† (Weiten, 2006, p24). Regrettably, â€Å"quite a few nations are culturally reasonably homogeneous† (Hofstede, 1998, p180), and this may mean that a few nations may be mostly extremist in their outlook. Discourses from the Bush administrations paralleled closely to speeches given by Hitler, Pope Urban II, and others: â€Å"an appeal to a legitimate power source external to the speaker; an appeal to the importance of the national culture under attack; the construction of an evil enemy; and an appeal for unification† (Graham, Keenan, ; Dowd, 2004, p. 213). Kellner (2004) feels that â€Å"the disparity between the vast amount of information freely available to all through multimedia sources, and the narrow vision presented on the major news media via television is a travesty†, and a major cultural factor responsible for the deployments of the Bush administrations’ controlled mass media (p. 61). While arguments that ‘freely available news sources from uncontrolled sources’ might suggest this no longer to be a cultural factor, culture by nature takes time to change, and most Americans probably place more credence in the evening news than the newer Internet sources (Kellner, 2003). Another example of how cross-cultural misunderstandings regularly occur between nations: â€Å"when one cultural message sender transmits information to another culture, chances of accurate transmission are reduced† (Alder ; Gunderson, 2008, p. 72), and when nations or organizations refuse to send information between cultures as both the Bush administration and the al-Qaeda organization currently do, virtually no chance of accurate transmission occurs. Stalemate results and wars go on, indefinitely; clear contributors to terrorism. Perhaps nowhere is the question of terrorism more complex than in the European Union: â€Å"European counterterrorism culture is a difficult concept due to the fact that the regional level of analysis encapsulates a range of different national cultures. Europe has always been a rich mixture of various cultures, and ‘terrorism’ is a culturally charged term† (Rees, 2007, p. 220), hence the difficulty in consensus. Conversely, in China, we could expect to find a unified definition of terrorism under the centralized government (Diamond, 1997). While China is suspect of â€Å"using the post-9/11 discourse of counterterrorism to cloak their own domestic priorities† (Rees, 2007, p. 224), most of their counterterrorism efforts are likely to gain support with the Chinese public as being in the accord of the countries best interest: China being a collectivistic nation. â€Å"Terrorists focus their recruitment where sentiments about perceived deprivation are deepest and most pervasive† (Borum, 2004). This helps us to understand why American involvement in Iraq actually helps create recruitment opportunities for al-Qaeda. Destroyed economies, infrastructure, and family support (via killed family members), create extreme deprivation, desperation to right cultural wrongs, and enrage cultural dictates for retribution (Borum, 2004). It even gives insight into where al-Qaeda might be concentrating recruitment efforts in America. For youth torn between two cultures in a foreign land, identity crisis may result from exposure to the foreign culture, and the chiasm between their parent’s cultures: â€Å"radicalism offers simple answers to the big questions they are grappling with† (Ongering, 2007, p. ). The human tendency to stereotype will easily adapt to simple answers rather than grapple with difficult questions (Weiten, 2004). Extrapolated, it may be easier to recruit a terrorist, than to prevent a person from taking up the cause in the first place. Does cultural pressure on a subgroup help to create violent extremists? Muslim communities in America, â€Å"Not only had their religion being p resented incorrectly, but its adherents were being equated with terrorists† (Baker, 2006, p. 302). Considering the degree that Muslim communities in the Western world are subject to intensified scrutiny, and even unwarranted acts of violence against them by US citizenry (Ward, 2008), a good assumption is that many young Muslims will adapt an extremist ideology in response to cultural threat (Sirin ; Fine, 2007), and some of those extremists will turn terrorist. It seems to be a never-ending spiral escalation of one cultural assault upon the other: the ‘Crusades’ continue†¦ It is a real ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg? ’ question. Which side began this milieu of cultural attack and counterattack? Perceptions run the gamut: â€Å"The terrorist presents a story of heroism and necessary sacrifice. The counter-terrorist presents a counter-narrative of defiance and vengeance, replacing the image of the martyr with that of inhumanity, even bestiality† (Ward, 2008, p. 254). We reminded again of weaker cultures as ‘savage’, and as we have come to see, cross-culturally, nothing could be further from the truth from both extreme perspectives. Another cultural misunderstanding that may have helped to escalate tensions is the perception that the Muslim community in America did not stand up in unison and denounce the acts of 9/11 as atrocious. This initial silent response interpreted by many Americans as tantamount to condoning such acts of terrorism (Munro, 2006). Paradoxically, this lack of public outcry may have been the result of Muslim culture itself, with the majority of Muslims feeling that it was obvious that they had nothing to do with the attacks, and therefore no reason to take a public stand (Munro, 2006). A form of ‘vigilante counter-terrorism’ develops in American culture, which gives rise to anti-Muslim sentiment and acts of violence (Johnson, 2003). One probable contributing factor is termed: â€Å"Sudden Jihad Syndrome† (Pipes, 2006). The perpetrator, â€Å"for all outward appearances, a young Muslim man, well adjusted to Western society, considered friendly; one day, without warning, he acted out an independent Jihad, which injured nine students† (Pipes, 2006). Such unforeseeable and unpredictable behavior influences non-Muslims to stereotype many Muslims as having the same potential toward â€Å"Sudden Jihad Syndrome†. This of course creates an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust between cultures: how can you tell who the enemy is just by looking at them? Discussion There is no cultural ‘quick fix’ to this pervasive problem confronting the modern world. â€Å"The general policy approach has to be adaptive, opportunistic, and multisided. The conventional problem-solving logic so attractive in American culture—find a problem and then fix it—is of limited utility, and a longer term, more contextualized approach is necessary† (Smelser et al. , 2002, p. 4). For instance, the Global War on Terror (GWOT) as espoused by the Bush Doctrine includes toppling ‘rogue nations’ as part of the effort to thwart terrorism (Borum, 2004). Focusing on ‘nation rebuilding’ of states, that are otherwise subject to deterrent, rather than on organizations that transcend geographic localities and are not subject to deterrent, is a lack of proper cultural understanding of the issues, and will lead to further cultural misunderstandings. It makes sense that if powerful cultures do not make accusations against weaker cultures not understood, or interfere in the sovereign rights of weaker nations, that a large amount of terrorism will fail to manifest by lack of unwanted cultural impetus from foreign powers. One of the biggest troubles seems to be, that powerful countries can arouse their masses which are â€Å"easily pressed into service to rally the nation, quell dissent and effectively inoculate the public against any alternative perspective† (Ivie, 2005, p. 56), the main point being to limit any alternative cultural perspectives as being legitimate relative to one’s own ‘superior’ cultural perspective. This is error. â€Å"An increasingly militarized culture of fear† (p. 9), such as is dominant in the US today, and which has been developing over many decades, cannot reduce the threat of terrorism in the world. Indeed, Muslim culture dictates that retribution be demanded when a family member is taken. Each errant US bomb inevitably creates more ‘terrorists’ (Borum, 2004), cultural ‘deviants’ are created that never would have existed otherwise. Rumors and hundreds of websites have sprung up claiming that FEMA has erected hundr eds of internment camps on American soil is a disturbing part of the changing culture in America today. A Google search of ‘American internment camps’ will pull up hundreds of unsubstantiated claims of such camps, including specific locations; further highlighting the cultural atmosphere of increasing paranoia. Finally, what can help prevent Muslim youth in the U. S. from taking a violent path? According to Sirin and Fine (2007)â€Å"Research that the successful integration of both one’s own culture and the dominant culture, leads to more positive developmental outcomes†¦whereas marginalization, that is disengagement from both cultures, is associated with mental health problems for immigrant youth† (p. 52). Society certainly would do well to address issues of marginalization, in order to help prevent future â€Å"Sudden Jihad Syndrome† (Pipes, 2006). Conclusion While this paper has focused mainly on US and Muslim extremist involvement, state and non-state respectively, it is important to remember that many other states and organizations exist whic h perpetrate terror. Terror is a two way street, with few exceptions. Perhaps the ultimate defense against terrorism is to understand the cultural and cross-cultural causes of it, and with proper knowledge, address the issues at hand. We must avoid stereotypes at all costs, because â€Å"Nearly all terrorists are extremists, but most extremists are not terrorists† (Borum, 2004). â€Å"Long-term orientation versus short-term orientation† (Franke, Hofstede, ; Bond, 1991) may provide insights into which culture holds greater strength in the GWOT. U. S. culture demands immediate results, and has little tolerance for long term strategies, while extremist Islamic culture is bond by the vision of Mohammed, and is prepared to sacrifice for centuries if need be (Borum, 2004). Fortunately, unnecessary warring between cultures may diminish substantially as one of the biggest single benefits of cross-cultural understanding and application of organizational psychological research (Brislan, 1983). â€Å"It is argued that we now live in an age of ‘hyperterrorism,’ where the nature and scale of terrorism has reached a new level, and that the question of ‘How to deal with international terrorism is quickly becoming the defining issue of our age’† (Ward, 2008, p. 248). It is imperative that we make every effort to understand the cross-cultural determinants of terrorism, regardless of cost. Additionally, â€Å"terrorism is a discourse that affects all our lives, and the collateral argument that terrorism somehow validates the occasional abrogation of so many of our most cherished legal principles, is something that should concern all of us† (p. 249). Hogan (2006) offers: â€Å"Due to the logistical and analytical challenges of cross-national comparisons, studies to date have concentrated largely on single nations† (p. 64). While much work remains, understanding the vast scope of cultural interdependencies that help create terrorism is an extremely complex task yet must be undertaken if we are to come to terms with global terrorism. As Hostede (1998) states, â€Å"constructs are products of the mind with which we attempt to understand and predict human behavior in an infinitely complex world†, and all constructs are flawed to some degree. In an infinitely complex world, we will never entirely eradicate terrorism in its many manifestations. Our best hope to eradicate the bulk of organized terrorism is through scientific understanding and conscientious application of rational solutions, freed from cultural bias. â€Å"Culture lies entirely on the â€Å"nurture† side of the ledger, as against â€Å"nature†, or truly nherited traits† (Munger, 2006, p. 134). Solutions to the specter of terrorism will manifest through understanding and responding to such cultural nurture. This paper has posited that understanding other cultures can help to reduce tensions between cultures, which give rise to terrorism and counterterrorism conflicts. As Munger (2006) points out, â€Å"a shared understanding of something that identifies insiders, and excludes outsiders because they do not share this understanding† (p. 133), is perhaps the fundamental commonality between conflicting sides. If we can short-circuit this exclusionary identity concept, by education and promulgate understanding by either, or both sides, and act upon it with responsible communication between parties, then perhaps modern terrorism as we know it will eventually end. It may take many years, because established terrorist organizations are not open to compromise (Smelser ; Mitchell, 2002), but such efforts may play a large part in helping to prevent future recruitment, and help eliminate the need for terrorist organizations within the cultures that originally spawned them; losing their luster they slowly fade from existence.

A critique on Teaching mathematics Essay Example for Free

A critique on Teaching mathematics Essay Graduate students who take up mathematics are burdened not only with the passion to obtain a deeper understanding and mastery of the subject but also with the responsibility to impart the knowledge they gain in their studies. It is acknowledged that there are only a few individuals who decide to pursue a degree in mathematics much less to attain a master’s degree or even doctorate in the field. It is clear, then, that the professors of mathematics undergraduate student are handled and taught by mathematicians who have obtained a higher educational degree in mathematics. Friedberg (2005) endeavors to present ways through which mathematics graduate students can be made better teachers during their training and learning in graduate school. The importance of such a feat are also presented in the article. The audience of the article is the mathematics community specifically the administrative staff in mathematics departments everywhere. Friedberg (2005) aims to provide an alternative to the present teaching curricula in mathematics education. He hopes to supplement the status quo with innovative teaching strategies that will develop the mathematics graduate students’ skills in teaching and handling undergraduate mathematics students. The article effectively presented the subject matter at hand in a readable manner. Anyone reading could easily relate to the document. Friedberg (2005) was also able to pinpoint the audience he was addressing in the article. This was effective in bringing his point across and establishing his goals with the article. However, the content and organization of the article, itself, is not as strong as it could be. A better organization of arguments could have made it a stronger article. Article summary Friedberg (2005) noted that mathematics graduate students could develop better teaching skills by having activities called case studies. These case studies were aimed at enhancing two factors that contributed to better teaching skills: experience and good judgment. Case studies were described by Friedberg (2005) as group discussions on â€Å"depictions of aspects of teaching math to undergraduates, typically involving a difficulty or an important decision† (Friedberg, 2005, 844) Qualified individuals were assigned to act as moderators in the said discussions. The success of the activity was reported by the author, who was also the one to conceptualize and develop the process. Statements given by students attesting to the effectiveness of case studies were also included in the article. Friedberg (2005) also relates the success of the teaching strategy by noting that the materials and case discussions he and his team have come up with have already been published and are already being used in different institutions for varied purposes. Dissecting the article Friedberg (2005) was very effective in his use of simple and everyday language to present his points regarding mathematics graduate students and their teaching skills. The manner of presentation of the text was straightforward, uncomplicated, jargon-free. When a reader goes through all six pages of text, he or she will be able to easily understand everything. This is mostly because of the language used by Friedberg. The article’s target audience was also effectively identified even on the very first page of the article. â€Å"The topic of this article should thus be of genuine importance to the entire math community. † (Friedberg, 2005, 842) From this one line found on the first page, it is clear that the author has already pinpointed the audience for whom he intended the article. Knowing who the author is â€Å"talking to† is a very important factor that increases the value of the article. When the author has a clear idea who he intends the article for, he is able to narrow his discussion down to tailor-fit that particular audience. There are, therefore, a number of things that may be edited out of the article already. The value of the article thus increases for that target population because the arguments and points contained therein are meant for them specifically. In writing the article, the author was also able to focus himself on concepts that would be most pertinent and relevant to his identified audience. Thus the Friedberg (2005) article is suited for the mathematics community and as such it will have the greatest value for that particular subgroup. Despite the positive factors regarding the article, the organization of the author’s points was not well thought out. Friedberg (2005) tended to expound too much on certain topics that were not as necessary in driving home his point about case studies being effective teaching tools. For example, too much attention was given to teaching assistants and certain characteristics of that subgroup. Although the topic is related to the article’s main concern, its weight in the overall impact of the article should have been taken into consideration and the amount of time spent expounding that point should have been adjusted accordingly. Conclusion Over-all, the article was effective in presenting the use of case studies as a tool for developing the teaching skills of mathematics graduate students. However, the arguments would have been more powerful if the author had given more thought to the organization of the article’s main points. Reference Friedberg, S. (2005). Teaching mathematics graduate students how to teach. Notice of the AMS, 52(8), 842-847.

Development of Radio in Africa

Development of Radio in Africa Melissa Paddock Topic: The development of radio in African countries, including South Africa In this academic assignment I will be describing the historical background and development of radio in Africa as well as in South Africa. I will also provide information about the present situation of radio today in Africa and South Africa. Radio was first broadcasted in South Africa in 1924. There has been three different phases that have occurred since the development of radio in Africa and South Africa. The first phase is the historical beginning of radio on the African continent. These were the first stages of development which would lead radio to become a mass media in the future. Radio was started in Africa when the European, British, Belgium, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian settlers arrived on the African continent and started to take control of the different countries. This was known as the Colonial period. These settlers started radio broadcasting to fulfil their own personal needs and interests. Only at a much later stage did the colonisers introduce radio services for the local and indigenous people of Africa. (http://www.transculturalwriting.com/radiophonics/contents/usr/downloads/radiophonics/A_Brief_History.pdf; accessed on 27 February 2014) The second phase in radio broadcasting now started with the development of the radio in South Africa and Africa after the colonial period. â€Å"The domestic broadcasting systems of all European powers were at this time stare (not government necessarily) monopolies such as the British independent public service model of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) or the French government radio stations. The Portuguese permitted some private broadcasting by colonial settlers in their colonies, but the main picture was one of national state monopolies† (http://www.transculturalwriting.com/radiophonics/contents/usr/downloads/radiophonics/A_Brief_History.pdf; accessed on 27 February 2014). Some of the first broadcasts on the African continent took place in South Africa. In Johannesburg (the Association of Scientific and Technical Services), Durban (Durban Corporation) and Cape Town (the Cape Peninsula Publicity Association), the radio stations were given licences to broadcast. These three radio stations started their broadcasting in 1924 but very soon after their establishment they all found themselves in debt. This is when the government decided that a commercial option would not provide the service that they required and wanted. In 1927 a man named I.W.Schlesinger, an insurance entrepreneur that purchased the three failing radio stations, decided to connect the three stations together into one network and called it the African Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). But in 1929 the ABC fall into a shortfall situation owing to several implications such as poor landline connections, high costs of programme production and because of the difficulty enforcing the licence payments . The ABC eventually reversed its financial position and within a couple years they were able to carry out capital improvements, this was all because of the schemes that that had implemented. The main audience at this stage were elite English speaking people. Most of the radio’s shows were broadcasted in English, which showed the development of the inequality of the languages used in broadcasting. Afrikaans was domination in the rural areas. In 1931, the ABC then changed its policies as they introduced a 30minute segment done in Afrikaans, and then in 1936 they had changed the 30minute segment to a 90minute one. There was no broadcasting done in any African language. John Reith, Director General of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), was invited to South Africa in 1934 where he recommended a new form of broadcasting for the country. (Teer-Tomaselli de Villiers 2014: 153 154) In 1936 The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was established. Very soon after the establishment of the SABC, they began to move away from the structure and way of broadcasting that was done by the BBC. There were issues with the unequal use of different languages. In June 1938 the first broadcast quality carrier link was set up between Grahamstown and Johannesburg. In 1939 a short wave receiving station was established near Panorama outside Pretoria. The main issue with the radio broadcasting was that there was dominantly English being spoken and only in 1939 did the radio start to bring in Afrikaans. The radio never catered for the black native people as there was no mention of African languages during broadcasting. In 1948 the National Party came into power in South Africa and they and the Afrikaner Broederbond acquired more domination in broadcasting. In 1950 the SABC introduced their first commercial radio station known as Springbok Radio. Springbok Radio’s pr ogramming was aimed at the white English speaking people. Only after 1943 did they start broadcasting their programmes in Afrikaans as well. It was only in the 1960’s that they started broadcasting in African languages to cater for the black native people who listened to the radio. This was when Radio Bantu was developed during the Apartheid era, this allowed the black people to keep up to date with the political issues in South Africa. The radio stations now started to use VHF (Very High Frequency) and FM signals and networks. There was now an establishment of many African languages used in the broadcasting of programmes and music on the radio. From 1980 till 1984 there was the introduction of independent commercial radio stations such as Capital Radio, Radio 702 and Radio5. At the beginning of 1996 there were 22 radio stations in South Africa, out of those 22 stations 11 of them were broadcasted in the official African languages. Some new radio stations that were introduced were SAfm, KFM and Radio Lotus. This was the development of radio broadcasting in South Africa. (Teer-Tomaselli de Villiers 2014: 160 162) Radio development in the rest of Africa happened as follows: â€Å"in 1927 in Kenya, in 1932 in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), in 1933 in Mozambique, and in 1935 in the French Congo. The earliest radio in British West Africa was not broadcast by wireless transmission but via wired services-subscribers had loudspeakers installed in their homes to receive the service. This was how broadcasting began in Siena Leone in 1934, Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1935, and Nigeria in 1936. Unlike the wireless services in Britains other colonies, these were created with native African listeners in mind. Then in 1936 the British colonial administration decided to develop radio broadcasting throughout its African colonies as a public service for native people. In Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), World War II provided an incentive with major consequences for the development of radio in that territory. A small radio station was established principally with the objective of carrying news (in African lan guages) of the wars progress to the Families of Soldiers fighting with the British forces in Africa and Asia. Radio also developed rapidly in other parts of Africa due to the war† ((http://www.transculturalwriting.com/radiophonics/contents/usr/downloads/radiophonics/A_Brief_History.pdf; accessed on 27 February 2014).). These radio stations after the war were now focused on educating, informing and entertaining the African listeners. These radio stations had very little independence as the government had strict control over them, only from the 1960’s and onwards did they start gaining their independence. These radio services relied on shortwave connections to be able to reach distant places. The situation of radio today is still very important. Most people in Africa and South Africa have access to a radio where they can be constantly updated, informed and entertained 24/7. Radio has played as a major nation building feature in Africa. Direct broadcasting by satellite was started in the early 21st century. Radio is still a dominant mass medium throughout the African continent. Every country in Africa has at least one radio station. Radio’s now days are more technologically advanced and have much better network signals that allow for longer distance connectivity to that radio station. We can now even listen to the radio on our phones which allows for mobile and portable connectivity. More and more people now have access to radios as they are inexpensive. People in the rural areas now have access to radios which allows them to be kept informed by the news every day. Radios are an important feature in people’s everyday lives. Everyday new inventions and creativ e innovations are being formed in order to keep continuously developing the radio into an advanced electronic mass medium. To conclude, radio was first developed to satisfy the needs, wants and desires of the settlers that colonised the African continent. It went through a stage of racial discrimination where no African language was used, as well as minimal usage of the Afrikaans language, in the broadcasting of the radio channel. Later when languages became equal and more channels were developed in order to accompany for all races, cultures and languages. Eventually radio had been developed throughout the African continent and most people had easy access to it. Now the radio is used to inform, educate and entertain its viewers. Radio is now one of the most important forms of mass media because every person has access or owns a radio. Radio will forever live on and will never stop developing. References Mytton, G. Date unknown. A Brief History of Radio Broadcasting in Africa. http://www.transculturalwriting.com/radiophonics/contents/usr/downloads/radiophonics/A_Brief_History.pdf; accessed on 27 February 2014. Teer-Tomaselli, R. de Villiers, C. 2014. Radio: Theatre of the Mind.

Free Essays - A Separate Peace :: Separate Peace Essays

In Knowles’ novel, A Separate Peace, Gene is portrayed as an intelligent student who is motivated by academics.   He is also a thinker that considers a situation from all sides before making a decision. Gene is also a person who follows all the rules and regulations. He always obeys his teachers, studies hard, never misses a class, and makes excellent grades. He does not really enjoy sports, for he is not a good athlete. While in school he lets many distractions such as his friend Finny take part in his life.   This leads to his internal wars. Finny is Gene’s roommate and best friend, who has a completely opposite personality from Gene. He always acts on blind impulse, never thinking about the rules or the consequences. He is also a poor student, for he does not devote himself to his studies. He would rather be playing sports, since he is the best athlete on campus. He lets sports motivate him and wants to participate in the 1944 Olympics.   During their days at Devon, Gene is motivated by Finny’s perfect grace and coordination.   Gene begins to adore and worship Finny as a super hero. He feels his roommate can handle any situation and charm the teachers and classmates. As a result, Gene tries to imitate him and also lets himself be controlled by him.   Gradually, Gene grows jealous of his friend. He begins to hope that Finny will get caught and punished for one of his many wild stunts. For instance, when Pinny wore an outrageous pink shirt, he escaped punishment by giving a satisfying reason saying that it was his emblem.   Gene   wants Finny to be forced down to his level so that he can compete with him and not just lose to him.Gene tries to please Finny. Although he knows that by doing so, he is acting against every instinct of his behavior. In order to keep up with Finny, he jumps from the tree into the river, a daring feat, even though he is scared to death. He also allows Finny to take him away f rom his studies, which are very important to Gene. When Finny saves Gene’s life by preventing him from falling from the tree, Gene knows that he should be grateful, instead he accuses him by saying he would not have been up in the tree if weren’t for Finny. He concludes that he

Homosexuality Must be Discussed in American Elementary Schools Essay

Wherever it has been established that it is shameful to be involved in homosexual relationships, this is due to evil on the part of legislators, to despotism on the part of the rules, and to cowardice on the part of the governed. -Plato Society is currently arguing over how to address the issue of violence against homosexuals. Many educators and activists suggest that the educational systems nationwide address the issues of sexual orientation in classrooms to combat stereotypes and myths that lead to violence against homosexuals. Within this debate, there is controversy about when to deploy educational stratagems regarding sexual orientation. In order to productively dispel stereotypes, it is necessary that queer issues be implemented into the elementary school curriculum. In considering the addition of queer issues into elementary education this paper includes a definition of queer issues. A discussion of why queer issues must be taught follows its explanation. In addition, arguments against queer education are looked at and refuted. Finally, ways to implement queer education into elementary school curricula are discussed. In reading over the following information it is imperative to keep in mind that the goal in including queer issues in education is that students recognize diversity in their community, culture, and classroom as well as accept and appreciate these differences. WHAT ARE QUEER ISSUES? Before teaching about queer issues it is important to define exactly what these issues are. Queer issues encompass topics, concerns, and questions relating to the GLBITTQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Intersexual, Transsexual, Transgendered, and Queer) community. It is these aspects of the GLBITTQ community that are the fo... ...7. Richardson, D. (1998). Sexuality and citizenship. Sociology, 32, 83-100. Rofes, E. (1995). Making schools safe for sissies. Rethinking Schools, 9, 8-9. [Available through ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER]. Savin-Williams, R. C. (1994). Verbal and physical assault as stressors in the lives of lesbian, gay male, and bisexual youths: Associations with school problems, running away, substance abuse, prostitution and suicide. Journal of Consultation and Clinical Psychology, 62, 261-269. Sears, J. T. (1999). Teaching queerly: Some elementary propositions. In W. J. Letts IV & J. T. Sears (Eds.), Queering elementary education (pp. 3-14). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Weeks, J. (2000). The Challenge of Lesbian and Gay Studies. In T. Sandfort, J. Schuyf, J. W. Duyvendak, & J. Weeks (Eds.), Lesbian and gay studies (pp. 1-13). London: SAGE Publications.

Lupus Essay -- essays research papers

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that attacks women between the ages of 15 and 40. It occurs less often in men than in women. The people affected by lupus vary depending on the country or region. In the US alone, the prevalence rate is highest among Asians of Hawaii, blacks of Caribbean origin, and Native Americans of the Sioux, Arapahoe, and Crow tribes. Lupus is a disease that affects the immune system. We can think of the immune system as an army within the body with hundreds of defenders (known as antibodies). They defend the body from attack by germs and viruses. In lupus, however, the immune system becomes overactive and creates antibodies that attack healthy tissues in the body, such as: the skin, kidneys, lungs, heart and brain. This attack induces inflammation, causing redness, pain, and swelling. It is not contagious. Symptoms come and go and vary from person to person. The symptoms can develop so slowly that the person may not notice for a long time. When the lupus symptoms are evident, they are called flares or relapses. When the symptoms are better, it is said that they are in remission. There are three major types of lupus: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - lupus that affects certain parts of the body 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Discoid or Cutaneous Lupus - lupus mainly of the skin 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drug-Induced Lupus - lupus caused by medicine Systemic lupus erythematosus, sometimes called SLE, is the most serious form of the disease. Systemic means that it may affect many parts of the body, such as the joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, or the brain. This type of lupus can be mild or serious. If it is not treated, systemic lupus can cause damage to the organs inside your body. Discoid and cutaneous lupus mainly affects the skin. The person may have a red rash or a color change of the skin on the face, scalp, or other parts of the body. Drug-induced lupus is caused by a small number of prescription medications. The person with drug-induced lupus may have the same symptoms as the person with systemic lupus, but it is usually less serious. Usually when the medicine is stopped, the disease goes away. The most common drugs that can cause lupus are procainamide, used for heart problems, hydralazine used for high blood pressure, and dilantin used for seizures. Drug-induced lupus is usually found i... ...nbsp;  Chloroquine, (Aralen) o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hydroxychloroquine, (Plaquenil) o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Quinacrine, (Atabrine) †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chemotheraphy drugs o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Azathioprine, (Imuran) o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cyclophosphamide, (Cytoxan) If, after diagnosis of lupus, the patient should develop pain in the chest previously undiagnosed that is crushing or squeezing, shortness of breathe that is preventing the patient to breathe adequately, or more than two symptoms of a stroke, 911 or another emergency service should be called immediately. The doctor should be called immediately if the patient develops chest pain, shortness of breathe, blood in the urine or urinating less than normal, a fever over 100.5 with or without a headache or body aches, experience depression or change in behavior, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, dizzy or muscle weakness, or have swelling of the lower extremities and have been diagnosed with lupus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is no cure, no way to prevent lupus, and there is no definitive treatment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚