When is war justified

To fght back out of self- defense is Just and must be done in order to protect one's nation from harm. A well- known example is when America was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor. America responded to this attack by bombing Japan and putting an end to this engagement. If America had not responded in this way, then how many more casualties would they have suffered? America's act of self-defense revealed to Japan that they don't want to engage in a war with America and in effect caused Japan to retreat and make peace with America. Humanitarian wars are not Justified because a nation is fighting out of political justice rather than self-defense.The general hope of a nation fighting a humanitarian war is that the death and destruction inflicted by the war will be less than the death and destruction from not going to war. However, humanitarian wars usually cause lots of death and destruction which ultimately causes a nation to look back at themself and wonder, â€Å"Was it worth all the lives we lost in battle? † The Vietnam War is a common reminder of a Humanitarian War that caused many eople to look back and wonder if it was worth it. Imagine if you were chosen to fight in the Vietnam War.The thought of losing your life in a war that was fought out of national liberation would be terrifying to most. In the book, The Things They Carried, the chapter â€Å"On the Rainy River† is the perfect examination of a young man who has been drafted to fght in a war that has no clear explanation. The young man wonders how a nation can go to war and sacrifice lives without any undeniable Just cause. The young man, Tim O'Brien, thinks aloud to himself and says, â€Å"It seemed to me that when nation goes to war it must have reasonable confidence in the Justice and imperative of its cause.You can't fix your mistakes. Once people are dead, you cant make them undead. † We all know that hundreds of thousands of American soldiers lost their lives in the Vietnam Wa r, but for what cause? The loss of their lives cannot be justified undeniably, therefore proving the point that Humanitarian Wars are unjust. Throughout history it is clear that the loss of lives in a war is inevitable, but the sacrifice ot lives in a war that is tougnt to protect the nation is always Justified when e look back at it while the same cannot be said of Humanitarian Wars.Jake Petroff reviewed my original essay and provided me lots of feedback that aided me in creating my final draft. He told me that I needed to provide more evidence to back up my argument and I did by providing texts from various pieces of literature. Jake also enhanced my knowledge of the Vietnam War by telling me facts about the war that I didn't know prior to my conversation with him. Thanks to Jake's feedback, I have been able to further my essay and create my final draft.

A study of Neanderthal ‘homo neanderthalensis’ morphology in terms of Bergman’s rule and Allen’s rule

Carl Bergman, a 19th century German biologist, stated that in a warm-blooded, polytypic, wide-ranging animal species, the body size of the members of each geographic group varies with the average environmental temperature.According to this principle, warm-blooded animals living in cold climates would tend to gradually become larger than animals of the same species living in warmer climates.J.A.Allen however said that animals adapted to cold have shorter limbs and protruding body parts.Taking these two rules together we could expect those living in cold, Northern climates to have short limbs, protruding body parts and be larger than those living in warmer places.It is believed that homo neanderthalis came North out of Africa 600,000 years ago. After that period there was an increase in their cranial capacity. They populated Europe from about 130,000 until 28,000 years ago when they either became extinct, or were so absorbed by homo sapiens as to become invisible. Fossils finds, associ ated with various cold adapted creatures such as reindeer.They had brow and jaw ridges and protruding faces. Palmer tuberosities   and tools found show that they probably had twice the strength of modern man. According to muscle attachment points and bone thicknesses it seems that they were more robust than modern man, but also that they were more sedentary. Homo sapiens ranged far and wide, whereas Neanderthals tended to stay in northern climes. Body mass increased in time, until they were about 30% larger than the worldwide average according to John Kappelman.McDonald makes the point that they lacked the culture to protect themselves from the elements and so adapted genetically with short, massively strong limbs, thick torso, prominent central face etc. Limb proportions are close to those of modern day extreme northern peoples such as the Inuit or Lapps. This fits in with the rules quoted earlier.References  Allen, J.A. The influence of Physical conditions in the genesis of sp ecies. Radical Review, 1877, 1: 108-140.Bergman,C. quoted inhttp://www.bartleby.com/61/98/B0199800.html retrieved 17th October 2007Kappelman, J., â€Å"They Might be Giants,† Nature, vol. 387 (May 8, 1997), pp. 126-127.Neanderthals found at   http://www.ecotao.com/holism/hu_neand.htm retrieved 17th October 2007McDonald, D.S., 1996, Neanderthal morphology found at http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/3917/morph.html retrieved 17th October 2007   A study of Neanderthal ‘homo neanderthalensis’ morphology in terms of Bergman’s rule and Allen’s rule Carl Bergman, a 19th century German biologist, stated that in a warm-blooded, polytypic, wide-ranging animal species, the body size of the members of each geographic group varies with the average environmental temperature.According to this principle, warm-blooded animals living in cold climates would tend to gradually become larger than animals of the same species living in warmer climates.J.A.Allen however said that animals adapted to cold have shorter limbs and protruding body parts.Taking these two rules together we could expect those living in cold, Northern climates to have short limbs, protruding body parts and be larger than those living in warmer places.It is believed that homo neanderthalis came North out of Africa 600,000 years ago. After that period there was an increase in their cranial capacity. They populated Europe from about 130,000 until 28,000 years ago when they either became extinct, or were so absorbed by homo sapiens as to become invisible.Fossils finds, associa ted with various cold adapted creatures such as reindeer. They had brow and jaw ridges and protruding faces. Palmer tuberosities   and tools found show that they probably had twice the strength of modern man. According to muscle attachment points and bone thicknesses it seems that they were more robust than modern man, but also that they were more sedentary.Homo sapiens ranged far and wide, whereas Neanderthals tended to stay in northern climes. Body mass increased in time, until they were about 30% larger than the worldwide average according to John Kappelman.McDonald makes the point that they lacked the culture to protect themselves from the elements and so adapted genetically with short, massively strong limbs, thick torso, prominent central face etc. Limb proportions are close to those of modern day extreme northern peoples such as the Inuit or Lapps. This fits in with the rules quoted earlier.References  Allen, J.A. The influence of Physical conditions in the genesis of spe cies. Radical Review, 1877, 1: 108-140.Bergman,C. quoted in http://www.bartleby.com/61/98/B0199800.html retrieved 17th October 2007Kappelman, J., â€Å"They Might be Giants,† Nature, vol. 387 (May 8, 1997), pp. 126-127.Neanderthals found at   http://www.ecotao.com/holism/hu_neand.htm retrieved 17th October 2007McDonald, D.S., 1996, Neanderthal morphology found at http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/3917/morph.html retrieved 17th October 2007  

Blood and Oil Essay

How to explain the post-Cold War violence? Some attribute it to identity politics (xi-xii). Pace Samuel Huntington, the cause is a struggle for resources (xii). Oil as special resource: 2001 and since revelatory of the consequences of oil dependency (xiii-xv). Goal of book: â€Å"Tracing the evolution of U.S. oil policy and weighing its consequences for the future† (xvi). Ch. 1: The Dependency Dilemma: Imported Oil and National Security. Cento (1-4). Military sees it as an extension of the 1980 Carter Doctrine (5-6).Similar development elsewhere of military as â€Å"global oil-protection service† (6-7). Oil asked to U.S. economic and military strength (7-10). â€Å"Oil makes this country strong; dependency makes us weak† (11). U.S. policy has been to â€Å"securitize† oil (12).Dependency on imported oil surpassed 50%in April 1998 (13). Late 1990s policy debate (14). George W. Bush acknowledges problem but does not really counter dependency with policies (15). â€Å"Dependency is not a static condition†. (15) Forecasts of growing dependency thro ugh 2025 (17-18). Table of proven reserves (19). Reserves in volatile regions (18, 20-21). U.S. presence in these regions and the nature of the oil industry are inherently destabilizing (21-22). Competition (or demand) for oil is increasing (22-23).Result: global economic instability (23).Ineffectiveness of military strategy, which has serious unintended consequences (24-26). Ch. 2: Lethal Embrace: The American Alliance with Saudi Arabia. Importance of â€Å"U.S.-Saudi relationship† (26-27). Anxiety about oil supplies in early 1940s led to decision in favor of â€Å"substantial and orderly expansion of production in Eastern Hemisphere sources of supply, principally the Middle East† (April 1944, â€Å"Foreign Petroleum Policy of the United States†) (28-30). SOCAL creates CASOC and finds oil, 1938 (31).Recognition of importance leads Roosevelt to extend Lend-Lease to Saudi Arabia, 1943(32-33). U.S. govt. tries to set up the Petroleum Reserves Corp. to buy CASOC’sconcession, 1943 ― but resistance keeps it from being realized (34-35). A â€Å"public-private partnership† (David Painter, Oil and the American Century [1986]) characterizesU.S. Involvement in development of Persian Gulf oil (35). Roosevelt and In Saud forge alliance, Feb. 14, 1945 (35-37). U.S.commitment to defend Saudi oil fields and the Saudi government ― and other Persian Gulf oil sources ― â€Å"a major theme of cold-war history† (37-38). Iran crisis of 1946 and concern for Mideast oil: need to overcome domestic resistance to overseas commitments led to â€Å"apocalyptic terms† of the Truman Doctrine (39-41). U.S. helps create modern Saudi army and air force, 1949-early 1950s (40). Eisenhower Doctrine (Jan. 5, 1957) designed to bolster pro-American regimes in the context of Nasser’s flirtation with the Soviet Union (41-42).Vietnam War forced proxy-based Nixon Doctrine (July 1969); Saudi Arabia and Iran are proxies of choice (42-43). But it inspired domestic opposition and leads to Shah’s overthrow in 1979 (44-45). Hostage drama and Soviet invasion of Afghanistan lead to Carter Doctrine (Jan. 23, 1980): the U.S. will protect Persian Gulf oil â€Å"by any means necessary† (45-46). Creation of Central Command (46-47). Consequences of the Carter Doctrine: huge arms sales to Saudi Arabia (47-48), tilting toward Iraq in Iran-Iraq war (48-49), ousting Iraq from Kuwait (49-50). Aug. 6, 1990 Cheney-King Fahd meeting leads to Operation Desert Shield (51-52).Desert Storm (52-53). Containment of Iraq: No-fly zones, $40b in arms to Saudi Arabia (53). 9/11 attacks and Osama bin Laden’s hostility â€Å"provoked primarily by the deployment of American troops in Saudi Arabia and the continuing alliance between Washington and the Saudi royal family, â€Å"which was â€Å"a product of America’s thirst for imported oil and the monarchy’s hunger for protection† (54-55). Ch. 3: Choosing Dependency: The Energy Strategy of the Bush Administration. Bush administration’s May 17, 2001 National Energy Policy (â€Å"The Cheney report†) (Feigns commitment to energy independence (56-59). But Ch. 8reveals immensity of growing dependency on imported oil in a chart and calls on the president to â€Å"make our energy security apriority in our trade and foreign policy† (61-64). Hopes for source diversification (Latin America, Caspian Basin, and West Africa) â€Å"face high risk of supply disruptions and shutdowns† (64-66). Defense Planning Guidance of 1992 and the Project for a New American Century highlight military (67-69).George W. Bush’s Sept. 24, 1999 Citadel speech called for greater power-projection capabilities (69-70). A Feb. 3, 2001 secrets document aims at assessing military implications of the energy plan (70-71). These 30, 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review emphasizes power projection (71-72). Warn terror morphing into energy supplyprotection: â€Å"It appears that theadministration has merged its three mainforeign-policy and security policies(increased access to overseas oil, enhancedpower-projection capabilities, and intensifiedanti-terror operations) into a single, unified plan† (72-73). Ch. 4: Trapped in the Gulf: TheIrresistible Lure of Bountiful Petroleum. The Cheney report â€Å"committed the UnitedStates to perpetual dependence on PersianGulf oil† (74-78). U.S. strategy aims atraising Persian Gulf oil production â€Å"from 24.0million barrels per day in 1999 to 44.5 millionbarrels in 2020 † (79). Obstacles: economic,technological, political, and military (79-82).Strands of U.S. policy constitute a â€Å"strategyof maximum extraction† (82-84). Primaryimportance of Saudi Arabia led some toadvocate in 2002 for seizure of Saudi oilfields (84-86). Social, economic, political,and religious sources of Saudi instability (86-89). U.S. approach is to strengthen Saudiroyal family and encourage reform (89-90).Iraq war as a way of being able to withdrawU.S. troops from Saudi Arabia (90).Palestinian statehood also backed for thisreason (91). Likewise. calls for reform andfighting terrorism in Saudi Arabia (91-93).Overthrow of Saddam Hussein needed bothto foster Gulf stability and to boost Iraqiproduction (94-105). Iran’s policies are inopposition to U.S. plans in the Persian Gulf,and sanctions are an inadequate weaponbecause they impede development of petroleum resources (105-07). Iran also hasthe power to disrupt energy supplies byblocking the Strait of Hormuz (107-08). Forthe time being the â€Å"dual-track policy† of Zalmay Khalilzad, consisting of denouncingIran’s government while encouragingopponents of the regime is being followed,but more aggressive policies are beingconsidered (108-10). Gulf problems willcontinue to require U.S. troops: â€Å"No matterhow costly the effort grows, we cannotremove our forces from the Gulf as long aswe remain committed to a strategy of maximum petroleum extraction. To meetanticipated U.S. energy demand in the yearsahead while also slaking the thirst of otheroil-importing nations, the Gulf producersmust . . . boost their combined oil output by85 percent between now and 2020, andthese supplies must safely reach theirmarkets† (111-12). Ch. 5: No Safe Havens: Oil and Conflictbeyond the Persian Gulf.

Media Culture in Canada Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media Culture in Canada - Assignment Example Canada has two primary languages English and French. Canada has a very unique blend of customs and traditions because of migration into its country; therefore, because of the cultural diversity it’s very necessary for the Canadian government to promote its own culture. The Canadian government faces many challenges because of its influx of citizens from European cultures and an extensive migration between America and Canada. Canada struggled immensely to protect its identity in 1920(Media Awareness Network 1). At that time, Canada introduced commercial radio broadcasting but some politicians were concerned about U.S radio programming. This concern introduced the hybrid system of broadcasting. The policy makers split this system into two parts public and private. The reason behind this division was that Canada wanted its own traditions; as time passed the Canadian government made its own broadcasting law. History Media plays one of the most powerful and important roles in buildi ng nations. Reginald Aubrey Fessenden was the first radio broadcaster in Canada; he is known as the â€Å"Father of Radio Broadcasting†. In 1906, Fessenden broadcasted his first official program. The era of media culture in Canada started in 1906 and noticeable improvements were seen within the next few years. In 1929, the government of Canada took remarkable efforts. The Arid Commission on public broadcasting suggested the establishment of a national radio broadcast network. In Canada, there was an increasing trend of listening to radio broadcast and because they didn’t have any national broadcasting station, they would listen to American radio. This was a major concern for the Canadian government and therefore, they launched their own national broadcasting radio. In 1932, Canadian Radio Broadcasting was founded under the administration of R.B. Bennet’s government. CBC was mainly responsible for innovation in Canadian media culture and all the broadcasting stat ions were under the control of CBC. CBC, Crown Corporation, was based on the model of the BBC. In 1940, an association was founded and named as Radio Artists of Toronto Society. This society was basically established for the radio performers and they were responsible for securing the rights of radio artists (James Lorimer & Company 24). The Association of Canadian Radio Artists was formed in 1943 and it was a flexible, national alliance of a variety of groups of actors. In 1946, FM radio was introduced in Canada but distinct FM service was launched later in the 1960s. In 1952, the era of television broadcasting was started with the launch of stations one after another in Montreal (CBFT) and then in Toronto. The first privately owned station of CBC was a television station in Sudbury and they owned it in 1953. In 1962, the English language radio network was divided into two different services (i.e. Dominion Network and Trans-Canada Network); Dominion Network was dissolved in 1976. Th e Trans-Canada Network was simply known as CBC. Over the next few decades, CBC was known to be the second English language FM Radio network and in 1976 its’ name was changed. It was now known as CBC Stereo (The Wendy Michener Symposium 65). According to the Canadian Broadcasting Act, it is mandatory for the broadcasters to ensure that they are broadcasting authentic information that reflects the points of view of the different cultures living in

Money Management Finance and Accounting Assignment

Money Management Finance and Accounting - Assignment Example Management of Money: Discussion on the Case: As the case represents, the individual concerned has retired and he has $500,000 saved with him that he can use either for investment or for any other purpose. Either a yearly pension from a life insurance company may prove to be beneficial for him or the individual may manage the wealth himself by investing in a bank. The purpose here is to determine which approach would be more beneficial for the individual after his retirement. Case 1: Yearly Pension from Life Insurance Company: In case of life insurance companies, depending on the age and life expectancy of the individual the insurance company may decide on the pension amount that can be paid to the individual (A Basic Lesson in Immediate Annuities). It is assumed that the individual is a male and his age is 60 years. He has an amount of $50,000 to invest. If he invests the money in a life insurance company, several options of income payment may be available to him. The highest amount that he may receive is $8,455 on a monthly basis on the plan of â€Å"Guarantee Income for a 5-Year Period Certain Only† (Estimated Quotes for a Single Life Annuity). ... Case 2: Managing Own’s Wealth: The individual might even decide to plan and manage his own wealth. If he wants to deposit the amount in a bank and withdraw a certain amount every year, he would have an interest payment for himself that he will receive on the amount he has deposited. A total savings of $500,000 might expect to receive an amount of $25,000 in a year from the portfolio of income. This amount may be received if the annual rates of returns are 7 percent or 8 percent and the individual withdraws, say 5 percent on the amount. Withdrawing an amount of more than 5 percent may create troubles for the principal amount and increase risk for the individual (Generating Income from a $500,000 Portfolio). Thus if an amount of $25,000 can be received through bank investment, then monthly returns are expected to be $2083. Comparison: If the two cases are compared it can be realized that the amount that the individual may receive from a life insurance company is much higher than the amount received from a bank investment. Even the minimum amount that a life insurance company can provide the individual with is $2520 which is more than the amount of $2083 that can be expected from a bank investment on a monthly basis. In addition to the higher amounts that a life insurance company may pay off to its customer, it also provides facilities for the family members of the individual depending on the plan that the individual selects for his investment. Thus, even after his death, his family members may receive the deserved amounts that might prove to be beneficial for their wellbeing. Thus comparing both the investment options available to the individual

Your choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Your choice - Essay Example r will discuss few methodological and evaluative strategies of the learning event, and such discussion will allow the teacher to include innovative methodologies based on students’ perspectives. After introduction, the teacher will endeavor to provide learning related to the: It is an observation that students are aware of few objectives, as well as functions of the United Nations from previous classes and personal discussions, so the teacher will endeavor to find out conceived perceptions about the United Nations before presenting his means of learning. Such an overview of known notions has huge significance in the learning theory of ‘Cognitivism’ that promotes consideration of prior knowledge for efficient learning (Horn, 2008). â€Å"The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights† (UN, 2009). In conclusion of this class, students will be aware of learning objectives specified earlier in the lesson plan briefly, and will be ready to understand different functions of the United Nations in a detailed manner. Group discussions will be significant in evaluating the understanding capabilities of students in the class (Westwood, 2008), and will play a major role in developing leadership and teamwork skills in the students. In addition, crossword activity will facilitate teachers in assessing creative and cognitive skills of the students. Class will commence with a brief summarization of previous class from the students that will provide a compatible learning environment to them, and will allow absent or shy students to participate in the learning event confidently. Moreover, such an overview of learnt concepts plays a significant role in the learning theory of ‘Cognitivism’ (Horn, 2008) that promotes consideration of

Analysis and forecasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis and forecasting - Essay Example Within these markets they have been able to develop segments and market effectively to them. They are also making steady progress into the educational market. Dell's primary competitor in the PC and peripheral market is Hewlett-Packard; HP #1 in the peripheral market and #2 in the PC market (Davis, 2001). Other rising competitors are Sony, Microsoft and E-Machines. Dell still has a prominent place in the marketplace, but will need to leverage peripherals to stay ahead f the pack. Products are Dell's forte and are targeted at very specific markets. Their placement is based on their direct sales model and more recently through non-traditional efforts like kiosks. Dell's promotional efforts have been effective through the use f traditional advertising on TV and direct mail, while also maximizing the effectiveness f email and the Dell web site. Price is a key differentiator for Dell and the use f state f the art production facilities has enabled Dell to keep their prices very competitive. Dell has been carried through the wave f technology the last 20 years without really contributing any new technology. There is very little spent on research and development, both viewed as crucial for the livelihood f major tech firms. A recent threat is the emphasis on non-traditional competitors, notably Sony and Microsoft, entering the fray and innovatively integrating various digital components together (PDAs, digital cameras, computers, video, etc). To maintain its competitive advantage, Dell must enhance and diversify its line f products offered to consumers and corporations. This will enable Dell to differentiate their offerings from the competition could give Dell a fresh look and enhance their reputation f providing cutting edge technology first. The initial stages f research questioning are key as they set the tone and focus for the final objective and/or opportunity. Clearly determining the end goal is crucial, otherwise the study may be a waste f precious resources (time and money) - or worse, the data analyzed may be misconstrued in such a manner that it would lead to poor business decisions. How do organizations avoid making these costly mistakes By employing the practice f research design to properly structure the study to achieve the desired objectives. Good research is derived, in part, from the following characteristics: clearly defined purpose, detailed research process, thoroughly planned research design, and maintaining high ethical standards. One f the final stages f research questions is deriving the research problem statement. This can be done by generally brainstorming ideas for organizational improvement, such indicating known problem areas f concern, and outlining goals for the organization. For example, Dell has the following goals: (1) conduct research to gather and analyze research new markets, and (2) make new products available to customers who are already intent on purchasing a base computer system. Combining these goals into a problem statement, "What (new) ancillary products could be sold to drive revenue, when combined with (existing) product lines" Dell

I'm not sure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

I'm not sure - Essay Example In addition to honoring elders, the path to virtue is found through restraint. This means that the individual must not indulge for personal satisfaction in order to stay on the path that will bring him/her to higher levels of achievement. When the individual behaves in a manner that expresses his/her position on the path as he/she is following the Way, the development of the community is achieved through right and moral good which in turn contributes to social betterment. Finding the Way is the path to finding virtue. The term virtue refers to moral worthiness, specifically and is referring to the power within the individual to act along the path. As Kong and Slingerland suggest, during the Shang period virtue was about the personal power within someone. This referred to charisma and the way in which the individual attracted people to them so that they would follow (242). This does not always mean that someone is good, however. A good example is that of Fidel Castro. One of the comme nts made by Barbara Walters when she had interviewed him was that she was wildly attracted to him and sexually compelled by his personal power (Ratcliff 130). In some interpretations of the Shang period of virtue, this would make Fidel Castro virtuous. The mark of this power was envisioned as a part of the divine right that was given to a leader as a blessing. The intention was to make the ruler seem that they were not to be questioned. The ruling position was deserved. The Zhou shifted this to mean that the observance of ritual was recognized by Heaven through which a ruler was then given divine blessing. What Confucius did was then place this not only within the power of the ruler, but into the power of the individual. This can almost be seen as the action that Martin Luther took when he opened up the path to God through the individual with the intervention of the priests no longer necessary. The sense of Heaven could be felt through the Way, and the way was accessible by the indi vidual (Kong and Slingerland 242). Dao is a reference to the Way. The Way refers to a path, which Confucius defines as a literal way of doing things in order to meet certain expectations of what it means to be a good and wholesome person. The Way is distinctly defined by a means to morality, the path through which the individual must go in order to move towards living a moral life. Kong and Songerland write that â€Å"this Way is manifested in the ritual practices, music and literature passed down from the Golden Age of the Western Zhou† (243). This means that culture is highly important in fulfilling the path of the Way. Culture is of high importance to the practice of morality. In passage 1.6, the â€Å"Master said, ‘A young person should be filial when at home and respectful of his elders when in public. Conscientious and trustworthy, he should display a general care for the masses, but feel a particular affection for those who are Good. If he has any strength left over after manifesting theses virtues in practice, let him devote it to learning the cultural arts† (Kong and Slingerland 3). This task is both difficult and easy, the mandate depending on the nature of the individual and their position within the world. The individual who is inclined to have respect for their elders and is consistent in showing respect for the people in his or her environment and who has a desire to seek the learning about the cultural arts can accomplish this goal. The

Persuasion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Persuasion - Essay Example y means a change in how you think about something, but also how you behave† (Principles of Persuasion, 2009) The persuader must be a role model and should be able to show the practical ways persuasion rather than delivering lectures about it. Persuasion has many dimensions and characteristics. Self persuasion and persuasion of others are two different aspects of persuasion. The techniques used to persuade others may not be successful for self persuasion. â€Å"An issue usually has two sides. To put it another way: Usually theres another side to any story. Recognizing this principle will bring some modesty to the persuaders attitude. He will realize that there are more gray areas in the world than purely white or black† (Principles of Persuasion, 2009). Usually, while I was studying, I have not thought much about the other sides of my studies. In other words, I never approached my studies in a critical manner. Whatever the written facts about a particular topic have been learned in a straight forwards manner. But after realising the persuasion principle mentioned above, I have changed my entire attitudes towards my studies and course works. I have realized that normally the knowledge sources provide only one side (White) of the facts and in order to complete our knowledge we need to find out the other side (Black) of the fact and also the one in between these two sides of the facts (Gray). For example, we all know that terrori sm is a serious issue, current world is facing. Most of the articles and the news papers will give us volumes of literatures about the darker sides of terrorism. But only limited people explore the brighter sides of terrorism. America is currently using the war against terrorism for executing their secret mission in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many people believe that the current war against terrorism is aimed at exploiting the oil, natural resources and fresh water resources of these countries. The gray side of terrorism is the reasons behind

Finance Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 12000 words

Finance - Dissertation Example These sorts of scandals caused several studies in which scholars and financial analyst tried to identify the content of information that the directors usually possess through which the directors were able to generate higher profits in the stock market. This paper clarifies whether directors outperform their business markets whenever they trade, when they buy, or when they sell. The research paper also establishes the characteristics in transaction level, the firm level, or the director-level, which determine the directors’ trade profitability. Based on the same, hardly any existing studies provide adequate empirical evidence of percentage gain by directors generated by directors in their process of purchasing or selling company shares. The paper also provides that directors are better selling off shares, through insider trading, rather than purchasing them at comparatively lower prices. For testing, data was extracted from the New York Stock and NASDAQ of fifty randomly select ed companies. The insider trading information of these companies for the financial period January 1, 2009 until June 30, 2012 was analyzed. The testing has proved the hypothesis that directors are able to generate abnormal profit through the insider trading sale transactions. 1.0 Introduction In the world of economics and finance, when it comes to financial malpractices, insider trading tops the list. Insider trading is one of the most notorious financial crimes being practiced by managers, directors and other employees all around the globe. An individual who has direct and reliable access to the non-public information about the security can define insider trading as the buying and selling of a security. Insider trading is not always considered as a malpractice or illegal and is subjective to the underlying intention to the transaction. The statement can be further elaborated by considering the fact that if the trader is reaping profits on the basis of such information which is not being public yet, then the insider trading transaction is illegal. In addition, insider trading does not always mean that buying and selling of security is taking place. Providing confidential information to a third party, in exchange of monetary or any other form of consideration, is also illegal. The practice of insider trading is not confined to Directors of any corporation but the practice also prevails among brokers and even the family members of the directors. Although, once the information is public, the inside transaction is not illegal as the parties involved does not derive any unfair advantage over the general public. Media has made the masses at general knowledgeable with the passage of time and they have also equipped themselves with the technicalities of insider trading especially after the cases of Enron and Martha Stewart. The Securities and Exchange Commission of USA has adopted the practice of enforcing strict and practical guidelines which distinguishes legal and illegal trading of the shares by the inside people. Insider trading is not a recent or a latest money making gimmick which has been exploited by the directors and managers to earn higher return. The history of insider trading dates back to the great depression as well. The securities and exchange commission of the United State

Assessing the occupational competence in the work enviroment Essay Example for Free

Assessing the occupational competence in the work enviroment Essay C. IN CARRYING OUT ASSESSMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL COMPETENCE, I WOULD ASK MYSELF: †¢How effective was my assessment and feedback? †¢Was there anything I didn’t anticipate? †¢How did I deal with it? †¢What went well? †¢What could I improve? †¢If I had to change anything what would I do DIFFERENTLY? I WOULD ASK THE LEARNER WHAT THEY INTEND TO DO AND HOW THEY ARE GOING TO ACHIEVE IT, GET THEM TO TELL ME WHAT TOOLS THEY ARE GOING TO USE TO GET THE DESIRED LOOK AND WHY THEY WILL BE USING THEM, ALSO WHAT PRODUCTS ARE GOING TO BE USED (IF ANY). ONCE THEY HAVE FINISHED THE ASSESSMENT I WILL ASK THEM. HOW THEY THINK IT WENT AND THEN GIVE THEM MY FEEDBACK. MY FEEDBACK WILL START WITH A POSITIVE E. G. WELL DONE FOR KEEPING WITHIN THE TIME SCALE. AND THEN TELL THEM IF THE ASSESSMENT WAS ACHIEVED OR NOT AND IF NOT HOW THEY COULD WORK TOWARDS ACHIEVING IT. I WILL FINISH WITH ANOTHER POSITIVE AND SETTING A NEW TARGET WITH A NEW DATE. BY KEEPING A REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ON MY EXPERIENCES AND THOUGHTS IT WOULD HELP ME WITH MY FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND GIVE ME USEFUL PRACTICE IN SELF-EVALUATION. D. TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENCY OF OWN EXPERTISE AND COMPETENCE RELEVANT TO OWN ROLE IN ASSESSING. OCCUPATIONAL COMPETENCE, I WILL NEED TO KEEP MY KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS UP TO DATE IN ORDER FOR ME TO BE AN EFFECTIVE AND CREDIBLE ASSESSOR. I WILL NEED TO MAINTAIN CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND I WILL HAVE TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH RELEVANT GOVERNMENT LEGISLATIONS, AWARDING ORGANISATION REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND ORGANISATION PROCEDURES RELATED TO ASSESSMENT AND QUALITY ASSURANCE. I WILL ALSO NEED TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND TEACHING. I WILL ATTEND FURTHER TRAINING COURSES TO KEEP MY CPD UP TO DATE AND KEEP A LOG OF IT. I WILL ATTEND STANDARDISATION. MEETINGS TO SHOW THAT I AM KEEPING MY ASSESSORS QUALIFICATION UP TO STANDARD REQUIRED BY THE GOVERNING BODIES. OUTCOME 4 BE ABLE TO PLAN THE ASSESSMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL COMPETENCE. B. TO PLAN ASSESSMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL COMPETENCE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING METHODS: †¢Observation of performance in the work ENVIRONMENT I WOULD OBSERVE THE LEARNER BY THEIR PERFORMANCE MAKING SURE THE CRITERIA IS COVERED. THIS WOULD BE DONE THROUGH ONE TO ONE WITH THE LEARNER. I WOULD MAKE SURE START AND FINISH TIMES WERE SET AND MAKE SURE THE SERVICE PROVIDED IS GOING TO MEET THE STANDARDS REQUIREMENTS. ANY  DOCUMENTATION WOULD HAVE TO BE FILLED IN, SIGNED AND DATED AND NEW TARGETS WOULD BE SET. †¢Examining products of work – I would check that THE WORK OF THE LEARNER HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT IN THE CORRECT AND PROFESSIONAL WAY AND THE END RESULT HAS THE DESIRED LOOK AND FINISH. †¢Questioning the learner – I would initially ask the LEARNER WHAT THEIR PLAN OF ACTION IS AND HOW THEY ARE GOING TO ACHIEVE IT, IF MORE CRITERIA NEEDED TO BE MET I WOULD ASK MORE QUESTIONS TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY AND MEET THE LEVEL REQUIRED. †¢Discussing with the learner – I would make sure the DISCUSSIONS WERE RELEVANT TO THE OUTCOMES AND. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA, I WOULD DISCUSS THE UNITS THAT NEED TO BE COVERED AND HOW WE COULD USE ONE VISIT TO COVER MORE THAN ONE UNIT (HOLISTIC APPROACH). I WOULD ALSO DISCUSS THE AMOUNT OF TIME NEEDED FOR THE PROCESS AND DATES AND TIMES OF VISITS. I WOULD MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE LEARNER WHAT I WOULD EXPECT FROM THEM FOR A COMPETENT ASSESSMENT. †¢Use of others (witness testimony) – As an assessor YOU WOULD NEED TO BE A PROFESSIONAL IN HAIRDRESSING WITH X NUMBER OF YEAR’S EXPERIENCE. YOU WOULD NEED TO BE FAMILIAR WITH THE NATIONAL STANDARDS AND CARRYING OUT OBSERVATIONS, YOU WOULD DOCUMENT ALL. THAT HAS BEEN OBSERVED BUT COULD NOT ENTER INTO THE CANDIDATES LOG BOOK. †¢Looking at learner statements – The learner would HAVE DOCUMENTED EXTRA EVIDENCE. THIS WOULD BE A WRITE UP ON UNDERPINNING QUESTIONS WHEN A RANGE HAS NOT QUITE BEEN MET. THIS COULD ALSO BE A WRITE UP ON A HAIR STYLE THAT WAS ACHIEVED, EXPLAINING HOW THEY WENT ABOUT GETTING THE ACHIEVED LOOK. †¢Insufficient evidence – If a learner hands back their ASSIGNMENT BUT HAS NOT MET THE CRITERIA COVERED, THEY WOULD BE TOLD THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT. THEY WOULD BE ASKED TO ADD THE REQUIRED EVIDENCE MAKING THE. ASSIGNMENT ACHIEVABLE. †¢Recognising prior learning – This would be when a LEARNER HAS COMPLETED A UNIT IN ANOTHER QUALIFICATION WITHIN THE SET TIME OF THE NATIONAL STANDARDS. I WOULD CHECK THEIR CERTIFICATION FOR PROOF OF THIS AND GET THE LEARNER TO TAKE THE TEST OF UNDER PINNING KNOWLEDGE SO THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO DO THE SAME UNIT AGAIN. I WOULD BE ABLE TO DOCUMENT THIS IN THE LEARNERS LOG BOOK WITH A RPL FORM, THE FORM WOULD NEED TO BE SIGNED AND DATED FROM THE ACHIEVED DATE ON THE CERTIFICATE. C. TO PLAN THE ASSESSMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL COMPETENCE TO ADDRESS LEARNER NEEDS AND CURRENT ACHIEVEMENTS. IN MY ASSESSMENT PLAN I WOULD IDENTIFY ANY SPECIFIC NEED THAT THE LEARNER MAY HAVE E. G. DYSLEXIA (I WOULD CHECK WITH THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE TRAINING ESTABLISHMENT TO SEE WHAT HELP COULD BE OFFERED TO THE LEARNER I. E. EXTRA TIME GIVEN FOR ASSIGNMENTS AND WRITTEN TESTS). I WOULD THEN AGREE THE LEVEL AND EXTENT OF THEIR CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS. D. IN ASSESSMENT PLANNING MEETINGS WHEREVER POSSIBLE I WILL ALWAYS TRY TO TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH. IF ONE UNIT IS BEING TAKEN I WOULD IDENTIFY HOW MANY OUTCOMES AND CRITERIA MIGHT BE MET, I WOULD DO THIS BY USING THE ASSESSMENT METHODS OF: OBSERVATION, EXAMINATION OF. PRODUCTS OF WORK AND QUESTIONING. AS AN ASSESSOR, WORK TO HOLISTIC ASSESSMENT PRINCIPLES WILL MAXIMISE OPPORTUNITY AND SAVE TIME AND COST. IF I HAVE ARRANGED TO BE OBSERVED ASSESSING COMPETENCE, EXAMINING PRODUCTS OF WORK AND QUESTIONING, I COULD DISCUSS WITH MY ASSESSOR WHETHER I COULD BE OBSERVED CARRYING OUT AN ASSESSMENT PLANNING MEETING DURING THE SAME VISIT. THIS COULD BE A FOLLOW ON PLANNING MEETING WITH A LEARNER WHO IS READY TO GO ON TO THE NEXT STAGE OF THEIR ASSESSMENT. BILINGUALISM DEALING WITH BILINGUALISM WOULD FIRST HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED AT THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT; THE LEARNER’S FIRST. LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH SO AS AN ASSESSOR I WOULD HAVE TO FIND THE BEST WAY OF COMMUNICATION. THIS COULD BE IN USING AN TRANSLATOR (ELECTRONICALLY OR A DICTIONARY) THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ENGLISH VOCABULARY ON THE LEARNER’S BEHALF TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PASS THE TESTING THAT IS INITIALLY DONE BEFORE ACCEPTANCE OF THE COURSE. SKILLS TESTING A SKILL TESTING IS A PRACTICAL OBSERVATION OF A SET SKILL TASK THAT HAS BEEN SET BY THE ASSESSOR. THE ASSESSOR WILL TELL THE LEARNER WHAT IS REQUIRED AND GIVE THE LEARNER A SET TIME TO GET THE TASK ACHIEVED. THIS CAN BE USED TO CHECK THE LEARNER’S CAPABILITIES. MAINTAIN LEGAL AND GOOD PRACTICE REQUIREMENTS WHEN ASSESSING VOCATIONAL SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING UV30566 TRACEY HEARNE OUTCOME 4 TO EVALUATE MY OWN WORK IN CARRYING OUT ASSESSMENT OF VOCATIONAL SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING I WOULD ASK MYSELF: DID THE LEARNER UNDERSTAND WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE TO MEET THE CRITERIA? WAS THE FEEDBACK CLEAR ENOUGH FOR THE LEARNER TO UNDERSTAND? WERE ASSESSMENTS MARKED AND RETURNED WITHIN THE TIMESCALE? BY ASKING MYSELF THESE QUESTIONS I CAN EVALUATE MY OWN WORK WITH THE EVIDENCE THAT I HAVE RECORDED. D. TAKE PART IN CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO  ENSURE CURRENT EXPERTISE AND COMPETENCE IN ASSESSING VOCATIONAL SKILL, KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING. IN TAKING PART OF ‘CPD’ THIS IS TO KEEP MY KNOWLEDGE UP TO DATE, AND TO MAINTAIN NEW SKILLS WHILST ASSESSING. I NEED TO BE ABLE TO PROVE HOW I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS. I NEED TO SHOW CERTIFICATES I HAVE GAINED IN COURSES I HAVE ATTENDED. KEEP A RECORD OF HOURS WORKED/SHADOWED. MADE REGULAR VISITS TO RELEVANT WEBSITES. (WWW. HABIA. ORG) READING RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS (HAIRDRESSERS JOURNAL (HJI). KEEPING A LOG OF ALL MY ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION IN EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES WILL BE MY RECORD OF ‘CPD’.

The Reliability of Online Media in the Realm of Politics Essay Example for Free

The Reliability of Online Media in the Realm of Politics Essay The advent of the World Wide Web has shifted the impact of the meaning of media and reliability. From major newspapers abandoning their print outlets to the latest up to the second news on somebody’s blog, the internet has changed the way people consume the news. The political landscape has seen some of the most significant changes and is a key example of how the reliability of the online world has come under questioning following the latest elections and news. Politicians have always relied on the media to disseminate their messages. In our digital age, the traditional forums of print media, radio, and television have become integrated into an online multimedia platform. According to a 2004 Pew survey, over 50 million Americans went online for election news everyday during the Presidential election (Nogourney). It is now common practice for politicians to have their own website and a social networking page on such sites as MySpace and Facebook or to publish Podcasts and YouTube videos in order to gain exposure and to further control their messages by excluding the intermediary forces of journalists. In a New York Times article, journalist Adam Nogourney wrote of the shifting trends of politicians as regards the new utilization of online media, â€Å"The Internet appears to be far more efficient, and less costly, than the traditional tools of politics, notably door knocking and telephone banks (Nogourney). The internet has also provided an forum for constant updates and information sharing that allows candidates and the public to analyze, comment, and react to the latest news from the campaign trail. That being said, there has been an increasing debate about the reliability of candidate news and information in an era of fierce competition and rampant misinformation efforts by political party ideologues and the unverified accounts of millions of bloggers that have free reign to publish their opinions without regard to journalistic ethics. In a 2007 article concerning the role of media in politics, Associated Content wrote an editorial speaking of this impact, â€Å"The media also influences the publics perception on the viability of a candidate. If reports say a certain candidate is ahead in an election, the public will come to accept that evaluation, which can greatly influence how voters cast their ballots (Influence). In this way, political polls and published statistics and trends have a greater access to a viral online community and this can significantly impact the public perception of the campaign. The role of the online media is only going to grow as traditional forums become further integrated into the online dialogue. As has always been the case in the media, questions concerning the reliability of information will continue to be asked. Outside from party ideologues and ulterior motivated bloggers, the information presented online parallels that of traditional media in terms of reliability, it’s just that now individuals have more choice as to how they consume their news and information. Works Cited The Influence of the Media in Politics, Campaigns, and Elections. (2007). Associated Content. Retrieved 27 March 2009, from http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/443975/the_influence_of_the_media_in_politics_pg7. html Nogourney, Adam. (2006). Politics Faces Sweeping Change via the Web. The New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2009, from http://www. nytimes. com/2006/04/02/washington/02campaign. html

Brief Analysis Of Gender Differences

Brief Analysis Of Gender Differences The language is the way in which people express their thoughts or ideas and is a media for people to communicate with one anther, which has the profound function in the social life. Owing to the differences of their genders, social status, backgrounds, living habits and their values, the languages used by different individuals in the society vary from each other. Among them, the gender differences of languages exist in almost every language of different cultures, thus becoming the eternal topic of language research. Based on the famous American television sitcomFriends ,this paper tries to tries to anatomize the phenomena and causes of gender differences reflected in language by comparing the language features in Friends. Key words: gender differences, language In April 1944 New York University in the United States, the Language and Gender was put into a comprehensive discussion as the central issue by the 44th annual International Language Institute Committee. This fully shows that linguists in modern society regard the Gender differences reflected in language as one of the important indispensable element in sociolinguistic studies. With the development of social linguistics and driving of feminism, the research on gender differences in language has entered the golden age. Gender differences reflected in language shows the differences of peoples cultural traditions, thinking modes and values, researches on this issue have practical significances on the construction of a harmonious, successful language communication between men and women. Firstly, the gender differences of language reflect in the pronunciations. Social linguists think that women compared with the men of same ages are closer to the standard style and have more elegant accents so as to make them look like more educated, and enjoy higher social levels. For instance, the pronunciation of the vowel r is a kind of typical expression of gender differences in pronunciation. In American English, the pronunciation of the vowel r is the symbol of people who have higher education and higher social status, and is the tag of the upper class. Comparing the pronunciations of the heroes and heroines in Friends, we can found that Phoebe, Monica and Rachel tend to use rigorous, elegant and standard pronunciations. However, Chandler and Joey tend to omit or replace one or more syllables, especially the th sound. For words like Thank and Thing ,women tend to have a correct and standard fricative sound ¼Ã‚ »ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¼Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ¼Ã…’while men like Chandler and Joey tend t o have the blasting sound  ¼Ã‚ »t ¼Ã‚ ½. Furthermore, the gender differences of language reflect in the intonations. In language ¼Ã…’intonation refers to the variation of tone when people speak. As for the same words, phrases, and sentences, the differences of the intonations will finally cause the totally widely different expressions. Through the researches on th corpus, the social linguists have fund that women are more likely to use doubtful intonations to show their hesitations, requisitions, and uncertainties ¼Ã…’besides they may have changeable fluctuations. This is a kind of reflection their backwardness, sympathy and psychological characteristics which shows euphemism, kind and tender of women. On the contrary, men are more likely to use falling tone or flat tone to show their firmness and certainty. Besides, their intonations are stable and invariable which shows mens aggression, decisiveness and authority. For example, when people are been asked ,When is he coming back?orWhen does the store open ?.Women would likely give the answer like oh ¼Ã…’à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦around six oclock?with rising ton, while men may give an answer like thishalf past sixin the falling tone with affirmative meanings . Generally speaking, men and women usually stress the different words of the same sentences. For instance, the sentence I wish youd do it. When men are speaking, they highest tone must be put on the most important word do. Women, on the contrary, will reverse the stress. They will read the most important word do in the lowest tone. The reason why women do so is that they want to put out the hint: Although this is very important, yet they dont want to interpose the listener, and it is up to the listener to make a decision. This fully shows the gentle personality of women. In Friends, we can see many examples like this. In the television sitcom, the frequency of the heroines use doubtful intonations is far higher than men, which just suits their female temperament. Men and women also differ from one another in the choice and use of the vocabulary. In general ¼Ã…’The vocabulary of women are much richer and more changeful than men, appropriately showing their delicate feelings. For example, women often use words like super, fantastic, marvelous, splendid and empty these adjectives to express their great excitement and satisfaction, men will only use some simple words like good, well, etc on the contrary. Womens sensitive also urge them to have a closer observation of the colorful world than men do. Thus making them master a sight of color terms and pay attention to the use of these words. Take the color red for example, women may choose to use peach, blossom, pink, plum, crimson, and salmon pink. Men may seldom use or even know about these words only if they often make paintings, decorations, or to do other things which are closely connected with color terms. In the daily life, in order to express their feelings, women often use some adverbs like so, very, quite, much to emphasize the things so as to strengthen the tone. However, words like so, very, quite, much is lengthy and jumbled for men because that their existences will have nothing to with the meanings of the whole sentences. Besides, words like adorable, charming, divine, sweet, lovely, etc are said to be the typical characteristics of women. In friends, the heroines often use vocabulary stressing on the dress on dressing, clothing, chores, children and friendship these little things, while men prefer to use vocabulary involving the sports, politics, economy, culture and also education, etc. As for the use of adorable, charming, divine, sweet, lovely, etc these words, the frequency for women to use these vague words is almost three times as much as mens. Certainly, the difference of language use between men and women also reflects in many places, for example, in syntactic structures. In order to shoe the fully respect to others, women talk in a polite way. They prefer to use isnt it, arent we or dont you in a sentence to offer suggestions, while men would like to use statements to directly express their opinions, commands or requirements, etc. In brief, there are many factors that cause gender differences in language such as personality, culture backgrounds, social experiences and so on, which summarized as the following three aspects. Generally speaking, the physiological factor comes first. According to the modern science research, scientists have found some credible evidence that can explain the difference between men and women in the physiological aspect which finally determines the gender differences in language. The research report shows that men and women tend to use different parts of their brains to learn the language which naturally causes the different use of language. Mens and womens different vocal organs also lead to a significant gender differences in language. Men have a big throat, long vocal cords and the vibration for men is slow, therefore the voice of male is apparently low and vigorous. On the contrary, women have a much higher intonation and tone than men do. What comes secondly is the cultural and psychological factor. Almost in every country of different cultures, people have different criteria for the mens and womens behaviors. Women are asked to speak like a lady, to be more specific, to have accurate pronunciation and gentle voice, while the vulgar language of men is often accepted by all. Finally, men and women develop into totally different dictions. Lastly, the social factor is also the key that cause the gender difference in the use of language. In peoples eyes, women are subordinated to the men and enjoy a quite low social position in society. To this point, men and women play different gender roles in their daily life which finally leads to the lack of confidence of women. Obviously, the reason why womens language style is different from mens is closely related to the traditional social values. Gender differences have been in language use for a long time. And many researches have shown that language, gender, and society are closely connected with each other. Thus, in a nutshell, the development of the research on the gender differences in language will finally disclose the more detailed difference between men and women speakers and truly it is of great value in cross-gender communication.

Analysis of the Dark Side of the Internet :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Dark Side of the Internet    Statement of the Problem The Internet has changed lives. It's fulfilling prophecies to be better than books, better than traditional reference material, and the next best thing since sliced bread. However, as with every other technological miracle, there are always drawbacks. I wanted to find out what people use the Internet for and the common problems that they have. I did this by making numerous observations, conducting interviews, and distributing questionnaires.    After encountering repeated difficulties both on my home computer and at school, I decided to find out what other people thought about the Internet. I heard many friends and family members frequently complain about their difficulties with the Internet. Because of these factors, I decided to conduct this study. Perhaps the answer to these problems lies in the activities or habits of users. I set out to find the answer to these questions in this study. There are evidently many problems and errors associated with Internet use. People also frequently associate the Internet with a bunch of so-called computer geeks and teenagers illegally searching for pornography. I wanted to dispel this theory with my research. It was my hypothesis that the Internet, while having many worthwhile uses, also has many problems, and a lot of progress still to be made.    Procedures My first step in researching Internet activities and behavior was to conduct observations of various people using computers and the Internet. I made these observations on three different dates. I watched fellow students in the high school library twice and observed my father using the Internet at home on one occasion. I watched to see what the subjects were doing, any problems or difficulties they had, or any comments they made.    My observations took place mainly in the library of Hempfield Area High School. During two of my study halls, I observed students in the library for other classes. During my first observation, most of the students around me were seniors. Most of the subjects of the second observation were sophomores. I looked to see what sorts of problems they had on the computers, what comments they made, their body language when dealing with teachers and friends, and what exactly they were looking at on the computers.

The Great Gatsby and The Hollow Men Essay -- essays research papers

The Great Gatsby has been one of the classic novels of the twentieth century. It creates a unique society that makes the story such a masterpiece. Another magnificent work that relates to The Great Gatsby is T.S. Eliot's 'The Hollow Man.'; The lines in the poem portray the story so vividly that it should have been an epigraph for the novel. The poem's references to hollow and stuffed men, can describe different characters in The Great Gatsby. The hollowness of men represents ruthless barbarians with no respect for humans and no understanding of love. However, the stuffed men seem to be educated, wealthy, and respectful. The differences in these types of men can be seen through the events of the novel. Another aspect of the poem that represents the novel is the idea of the paralyzed force. This force symbolizes freedom and uniqueness. It also is captivating and serves as authority. So, the similarities between The Great Gatsby and 'The Hollow Men'; remarkably show the hollow and stuff ed characteristic of the people in Gatsby's secret society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first similarity between the two pieces of work is the hollowness in mankind referred to by the poem. In the novel there are two main characters that depict such hollowness. The antagonistic character of Tom Buchanan represents the ruthless and careless American whose dream is to use women and acquire money. In addition he has no respect towards others which creates pain for people around him. An example of this is when Myrtle repeatedly uttered his wife's name which was Daisy. Tom took this as an insult and viciously punched her in the nose. He never took into consideration that hitting a women is uncivilized. Another quality he has is to flaunt his wealth in other peoples' faces. This can be seen when he takes Nick around his colossal house. Tom wants others to feel jealous of his riches, when he is actually jealous of the others around him. Thus revealing his emptiness of heart and spirit. His hypocritical remarks show his hollowness towards other. During t he climatic scene in the plaza hotel he said 'I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to you wife.(137)'; He doesn't take into account that he has been doing the same thing with Myrtle and plenty of other ladies. Another hollow character in the novel is Daisy. Daisy portrays the conceite... ...ed to be in charge of the conversation. Also, Owl Eyes was one of the few honorable people who attended Gatsby's funeral. He had an admiration toward Gatsby and cherished his view toward life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So, 'The Hollow Man'; has many parallels that make it a perfect epigraph for The Great Gatsby. The three key aspects of the poem that relate it to The Great Gatsby were the hollow men, the stuffed men, and the paralyzed force. All three depict the society Gatsby lived in and the life he had to go through. The hollow and stuffed men showed the two types of people in Gatsby's society. The hollow men contain no inner spirit or love toward one another. However, the stuffed men consisted of bravery, self-control, and love. They were Tom, Daisy, Jay, and George, respectively. The poem categorizes where people fit in society. The final parallel is the paralyzed force including Owl Eyes and the billboard. Both had a frozen outlook on life and someone to look up to. In conclusion, Fitzgerald and Eliot created classics that will be analyzed for many years to come. However, no one will be able to make an epigraph for The Great Gatsby better than Eliot's 'The Hollow Man.';

Dantes Inferno: The Theme of Anti-love in Canto XXVIII Essay -- Canto

Dante’s Divine Comedy is a multi-layered epic, containing not only a story about his incredibly difficult journey from earth to the depths of hell then up to the peaks of heaven, but it also contains many insights on theology, politics, and even his own life. Broken into three canticles—Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso—the work is written in the terza rima form. In Inferno—in 33 Cantos—Dante makes a vast journey through the nine circles of hell. In the Eighth Circle (specifically, the Ninth Pouch), Dante meets with those who â€Å"were, when alive, the sowers of dissension† (Inf. XXVIII.35-36). Dante encounters a myriad of characters in many realms of interest, including theological and political figures. This Canto adequately flows in the context of the rest of the work, but in order to understand why, the general trend of Inferno must be pointed out. The Bible states, â€Å"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love† (1 John 4:8, NIV). As Dante descends deeper into the realm of hell, he becomes closer to the center of the earth and farther away from God, or farther away from love. Each step down is a progressive step away from God. With Limbo, there are people who would love Christ if he existed; in the Second Circle, people are punished for love as a sin. But descend further, in the Eighth Circle, love is almost gone, for there are people who sin out of hate. Even in pouch one (where seducers reside), the love of person is still there. In pouch nine, the subject of Canto XXVIII, the people are sowers of schism and the scandalous—haters of someone else. At this point, Dante and his guide Virgil have essentially trekked the entirety of hell, as they are currently in the eighth of nine circles and the second to last... ...l of Achitophel, one of David’s advisors. The main difference between Bertran and Achitophel is that, while Bertran won, Achitophel lost. The punishment of Bertran is a worthy one: he is beheaded. The father is always seen as the head of the household, and when performing the holy cross after prayers, the head always represents the Father. By having Bertran beheaded, it symbolizes the separation between Father and son (The Godhead separated from the body of the Son). The theme of anti-love is prominent in this Canto, as by this point, Dante is already so close to the end of hell that love seems non-existent. From this trend, there is one thing to learn: love God with all of your heart, as this will prevent you from being far from Him. If one cannot love God for some reason, at least love others; this way, you will at least end up in a better circle of Hell.

Metalworks Case

| 2012| | KLU | Metalworks case study| Students: | Introduction : Metalwork is a company supplying cabinets and safety boxes. At the moment it has two plants and two warehouses which are â€Å"Des Moines† and â€Å"Dover†. Metalwork also uses an external supplier in case they can’t meet the demand. However in the case Metalwork has to buy products from supplier it doesn’t make any profit since the selling price $75 for the cabinet and $107 equals the buying price.Regarding this situation Metalwork has decided to improve its logistic efficiency by either increasing its capacity in â€Å"Des Moines† or investing in Juarez, Mexico by building up a new factory. Our job in this condition is to analyze the best option, to optimize the logistic efficiency and help Metalwork make a decision. At first we will see and optimize the current logistic system and then we will try to run the two solutions. And see which one is the best in order to give Metalwork th e best possible answer. Baseline scenario 1: without distance constrains and with direct shipment from supplier to customers.The first job we had to do was to actualize every data and verify everything was correct. This work consisted in adding the data for the 3 time periods missing (2011-2012-2013). So we added the data regarding warehouse capacity, production capacity, production costs, and customers demand. We allowed direct shipment from the supplier to customers. We also checked the flows between every actor of the logistic process (exhibit 1). We use the Rail Warehouses Midwest between warehouses and ABC fleet carrier from warehouses to customers. Then we made the software run for a first try and saw the results.So as a result we can see that first the scenario is feasible. Hopefully by the way since it is how the Metalwork is supposed to work. We can see that the total cost (which contains manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, variables, and holding costs) is $321  7 41  907 75 and total profit of $2  001  748  527 44. So the situation is pretty good since the company realizes profits. We can also see that in this baseline scenario we order 629  398 84 units to our supplier. Units on which we don’t make any profit. So we can clearly see that there is a need to invest in order to meet the demand thanks to our products.Baseline scenario 2 without distance constrains and without direct shipment from supplier to customers. In this scenario we will try to see if it is possible work without direct shipment from the supplier to the customers. That is why the lane visual changes compared to the first one. The answer in this case is that this scenario is not feasible, because of warehouses capacity. Indeed we begin to see that it is necessary to work with more than 2 warehouses. Baseline scenario with direct shipment and with distance constrains for warehouse to customer. In this scenario we will introduce constraints regarding the maxim um distance to customers.Indeed high quality service and responsiveness is highly important to Metalwork that is why we add a distance constraint of maximum 800 miles to Tier 1 customers and 1000 miles to Normal customers. We keep the same data and the same lanes and logistic system. Except that we allow this time delivery from the supplier to the customers. Because if not we would have add the same problem as in the second scenario since the situation is even harder regarding the distance constraints. That is why we decided to run it with this scenario. So we can see that the two warehouses supply the customers in within the 1000 miles away.That is why the supplier has to send directly to the other customers and also to supply the rest that is needed by the customers. We can see that only having two warehouses is really not enough. In this situation the supplier has much more importance and that has huge effects on the costs. Dual supply On the diagram bellow we can see that the su pplier has a huge importance on the production since it produces even more than the Plant in Dover. So in this situation we can see that the total costs have dramatically increased from $341  741  907 75 to $887  796  558, 11 and the profit has gone down to $1  435  693  607, 07.The manufacturing cost is really high: 749  750  420 $ compared to 138  145  001$ in the first scenario. Regarding the new constraint we really realize that Metalwork needs to invest in new plant and in new warehouses. Baseline scenario with direct shipment and with distance constrains for warehouse to customer and supplier to customer. The scenario is not feasible because the warehouse capacity is limited and the distance from supplier to some customers is greater than the distance restriction. We decided to apply this restriction because we fought it was necessary to apply the distance constraints to the supplier also.Indeed the service level must be equal for every product to every c ustomer. Indeed the customer doesn’t need to know and don’t care if the product is from the supplier plant or Metalwork plant. Increased demand scenario in Des Moines We increase capacity of Des Moines. The production capacity of the safety boxes increases by 25% and cabinets by 50%. We set the additional $1  250 000 operation costs. And we decrease the cost for each unit produced in Des Moines by 50 cents. We apply these directives into our data base for every time period. We also add the possibility to go from 2 warehouses to 4 warehouses for the 4 time period.Two of the warehouses are fixed. One in Des Moines and one in Dover. So in this scenario we can see that the total cost has decreased compared to the first baseline scenario. Now we have a total cost of $248  104  881 97 and a profit of $2  075  385  283 22 which is much higher than in the first baseline scenario. We can also notice that with these investments the supplier is no longer needed. So th e objective achieved. Plus we have 100% of the demand met. We clearly see that the Plant in Des Moines is the main motor of Metalwork. Plus even with the distance constraint we see that the scenario is feasible.This is able thanks to the 2 more warehouses available. So as we see on the map bellow, all the customers are supplied and the 4 warehouses are dispatched on every side of the United States. Plus there are only a few customers supplied by two warehouses, because of warehouse capacity. So clearly the result is conclusive. The demand is met the costs go down and the profit rises. Double supply Mexican Plant scenario In this scenario the objective of Metalwork is to improve the network of its plants and also to relocate its investment into a low labor cost country.The opening cost of this plant opening is $5  000  000. In order to make this scenario work we had to reset the data for the 4 time period, that is to say cancel the downsize in costs and production capacity in Des Moines. We also forbid the direct shipment from supplier to customer if needed. And used the railway West transportation for Railway warehouses West to supply our products to the warehouses. But we still have the same problem as in the previous scenario that is to say that some customers are supplied by two warehouses. Double supplyAs we can see can see in the chart below, our total cost is $ 243  950  541 68 which is smaller than in the previous scenario. The profit is also a little bit higher, with $2  079  539  623 51. 100% of the demand is met so we can say that the objective is met. And with better results on every side whether it is financial or quality we can say that we would recommend this investment rather than the first one. However this also depends on the image the brand wants to have, something such as made in America and avoid social problems in the plants.When the activity is relocated. We can see on the last chart that the production almost equally balanc ed between Des Moines and Juarez. The good thing is that the supplier is no longer needed. So every unit sold makes the company make profit. Conclusion: 1. After comparing the different scenarios based on the guidelines we had, we found that the scenario that involved building a plant in Juarez, Mexico turns out to be the best one. 2. While comparing the increased capacity scenario and the â€Å"Mexico† scenario we found that they are nearly the same.In both of these scenarios we find that we don’t need an external supplier, we would be able to supply the demand on our own. 3. Compared to the baseline scenario we can see that increasing the number of warehouses decreases the overall total costs. 4. While optimizing the solution, we figured out that having to use two given warehouses might not be the optimal choice, those two warehouses should be catalogued as potential, the maximum number of warehouses should be increased. 5. We observed baseline scenarios can’t compete with the improved capacity scenario or the â€Å"Mexico† scenario since the cost of buying from a supplier is too high.

Key Functions of Education from a Functionalist Perspective

What are the key functions of education from a Functionalist Perspective? Ever since the education system was invented, there have been a lot of ideas and criticisms of how it should work. The most famous sociological groups, functionalists and Marxists, were part of this and still are today. They both think that their views are best for society. Talcott Parsons believes that the education system has three main functions. Firstly it socializes young people into key cultural values such as equality of opportunity, competition and religious morality.Education is said by functionalists (especially Durkheim) to emphasize moral responsibilities in society that people should have towards each other. If these norms were not passed down through generations then there would be a tendency for individualism (where people believe that they are more important than social groups). Citizenship and religious education were introduced as compulsory subjects in schools to see that young people did thi ngs with thought for the society. The second function is to do with the skills that education teaches children, from literacy and numeracy to more job-specific skills.Occupational jobs are becoming more specialized and this in turn will lead to more years in education. The final function of education, according to functionalists is the allocating of roles of young people in society. Examinations and qualifications are said to allocate people for their most suited job. The equality of opportunity took place and so higher talented people are given the most functionally important jobs for the society. Parsons was criticized as he failed to consider that the values transmitted by the educational system may be those of a ruling minority rather than society as a whole.Like parsons, functionalists Davis and Moore saw education as a means of selecting or shifting people for different levels of the jobs market and ensuring that the most talented and qualified individuals are allocated to the most important jobs with high rewards. Society is therefore meritocracy in which people are rewarded for intelligence, ability and effort. They where criticized because the relationship between academic credentials and occupational reward is not close. Income is only weakly linked to educational attainment. There is doubt about the proposition that the educational system grades people in terms of ability.It has been argued that intelligence is so difficult to pin down that school achievement can never equal ‘intelligence’. While Marxists do share many ideas of functionalists e. g. the fact that education prepares us for out acceptance of the values of society they also see how the education system is alienating children. Functionalists, on the other hand, seem unable to see this and believe that the education system can only do well to children by teaching them norms and values. Functionalists where criticized because as Marxists say, education system is not meritocrat ic as there are the influence of class, ethnicity and gender.

Language and Communication Essay

Choosing a college is one of the most difficult choices you can make in regards to your career and there are many facets which need to be looked at when making that decision. Since we have a similar career path, I wanted to take the time to share with you the many different reasons why I chose Western Governors University as my college of choice. Credited certification courses, online access, flexible scheduling, expediting graduation date, and cost were all major factors I considered when I chose WGU. Information Technology certifications many times can still be a requirement that employers look for, even if you have a degree, as I know, it is also one of your major concerns. WGU offers industry certifications as a part of their course curriculum, which is one of the only colleges to do this. They include many of the different types of certifications depending on your learning track like Microsoft, CIW, CompTia, and Oracle. By incorporating them into the courses it enhances your resume, not only by the ability to declare your education but also that you have certifications that showcases your knowledge within the information technology industry, giving you an edge. Having an outstanding online program with easy access to the certification and course material was another advantage of choosing WGU, which is another concern you raised due to your current travel demands with your job. The online presence offered by WGU is the best that I have seen and having used it for the last year, and I know firsthand its quality and accessibility. Whether I am in the hotel, a rest stop, or having lunch at work I can access all my program information. Furthermore, they utilize Pearson, Task Stream, course mentorship, online communities, and workshops and have an extensive online library. The online dashboard outlines your entire degree program, course descriptions, emails, course contacts, degree tracking, and financial aid information. Overall the quality of the online functionality is the best, and will help ensure your experience is a great one. By having a well laid out online degree program not only assists you gaining, access but also actually helps you stay on track with flexible scheduling. With a busy work schedule, I am not bound by offsite classrooms, conference calls, or online live classes which can be mandatory for some schools; I pick the time to work on my education. Having this flexibility is key as I move forward in my current job meeting its demands, and meeting my education demands as well. Whether it is before work, lunchtime, after work, or weekends it is up to myself to find the time when it allows. Also, meeting the demands of an active family life can be very difficult to manage. With on-demand materials, when you want them, you can maintain a normal family lifestyle. To be empowered with flexibility of scheduling your classes online, along with a dynamic, robust education platform, make Western Governors a clear choice. Even though flexible scheduling is an import aspect of WGU when considering a college, the power to expedite your graduation date is just as important. When you sign up with WGU, you select your courses that match your degree program and can control what semesters you would like to take at that time. Once you have completed all your courses for a semester, you can still take additional courses within that semester. By utilizing the pre-assessments within the online dashboard, you can pre-qualify what you know about the course and move forward with the test, completing the whole course in days rather than months. This is great if the course is on something you have already established industry knowledge in the work place. Another great aspect is that if you already have certifications that you have earned, you can get credit for it, thus fulfilling a credit course. Being able to expedite your graduation is a huge value in saving your time, efforts and, most importantly, costs. College tuition has been on the rise over the years, and choosing a school that provides a top knowledge education, that is credited, sums up yet another reason for choosing WGU. They have a unique cost-cutting education system where you pay by the semester, not by each credit. So as you complete each course and then add more within that semester, you can actually reduce your overall cost for that degree. There are also savings found when you do not have to take additional certification classes and tests outside of your normal tuition, because it is all included. Another cost saving piece is that the school provides all the course materials for free, the books for each class is provided electronically. You save on commuting, as well as room and board which can also add to the bottom line of your education costs. The value of going to WGU for a top quality education is an undeniable benefit to you and your family, and should be a major factor in your decision. The decision to go to school or going back to complete your education can be a daunting task and one not to be taken lightly. But with your own research, you will find out what I have, that WGU is the best answer to your quest for success. With the certification built into the program, it just makes sense not to duplicate learning tracks. Online access gives you the resource to control your education and gives you a wider, flexible schedule to work with. Expediting your graduation date can only speed up and increase career opportunities. Finally, the cost comparison between a campus college verses an online education at WGU will give you the sense of value for the money spent well. Western Governors University is one of the fastest growing, premier online schools, providing a great education in a timely manner and results that will enhance your career.

Pygmalion VS Pretty Woman Essay Essay

Year 11 Preliminary Extension English Assessment Task – Pygmalion (George Bernard Shaw) and Pretty Woman (Garry Marshall) To what extent have contextual attitudes and values regarding gender and class been maintained or altered in the two texts you have studied? Both Pygmalion, composed by George Bernard Shaw and Pretty Woman, directed by Garry Marshall effectively critique the gender and class disparities of their time, suggesting that these discrepancies were merely social constructs. Through obscure and indirect methods such as the use of humour, irony, character development and transformations, Shaw and Marshall address the issues of gender and class inequality in a milder way, thus skilfully avoiding conflicting opinions with the audience and the general public. Although the two texts belong to different time periods and genres, they are similar in their storyline and unprovocative methods of presenting what used to be a highly controversial idea. In the play Pygmalion, Shaw uses irony to question the society’s views on gender inequality through the characterisation of Eliza, as an independent and intelligent young woman, capable of much more than was deemed appropriate for her sex. Shaw’s philosophy of equality which ridicules the social construct of gender discrepancies is expressed through Eliza’s disgust at having to marry a prosperous man, announcing that â€Å"I sold flowers. I didn’t sell myself. Now you’ve made a lady of me I’m not fit to sell anything else.† This is an example of irony which Shaw uses to target the notion of noble girls aiming to marry a rich man, rendering them dependent upon somebody else. While Eliza was able to provide for herself as a flower girl, no matter how little her income, she was better than the rich man’s wife who is reliant on her husband’s income. In the beginning of the play, Ms and Mrs Eynsford Hill ask Freddy to find a cab for them, suggesting that the man is the one who provides for and protects the woman as befitting for the gender roles of their time, whereas Eliza is different – she finds her own cab to go to Higgins’s house and also pays for her tuition with her own income. Hence it is evident that through the use of irony, Shaw subtly critiques the gender disparities of his time, and using the abilities his female protagonist, he shows his audience that allocated gender roles are simply social constructs, created and preserved by the traditions of society. Through the use of character development, Marshall takes a similar approach in Pretty Woman to critique the issues of gender inequality in comparison to Pygmalion, and though the times during which they were produced were different, both texts alluded to the fact that gender disparities were but social constructs. Alike in Pygmalion, the female gender is expected to act within certain definitions of ‘gentle and submissive’, but both Vivian and Eliza are strong and independent, and do not meet up to society’s expectations. Unlike Pygmalion however, Vivian is a real prostitute whereas Eliza is a flower girl accused of being a prostitute. Although Vivian’s profession is degrading of her gender, her being a prostitute without a pimp gives her power in her relationships, as expressed through her saying â€Å"I say  who, I say when† and her act of negotiating the price of her time with Edward. In contrast to Pygmalion’s ending, Vivian does develop a romantic relationship with Edward whilst Eliza remains independent of Higgins. This again may be degrading of Vivian and her gender as it appears to make Vivian financially dependent upon her male partner, though this notion is disproved when Vivian tells Edward that she will â€Å"rescue him right back†, teaching him life’s morals while he provides for her. This characterisation of Vivian as the ‘damsel in distress’ displays Marshall’s philosophy of the princess who is rescued from the tower, rescuing the prince â€Å"right back†, allowing the issue of gender inequality to be questioned in the film. While Pretty Woman may be much more subtle than Pygmalion, it is shown through the characterisation of Vivian that Marshall not only frowns upon gender inequality in his time, but also identifies gender disparities as a social construct, similar to Shaw in his philosophy. George Bernard Shaw also uses humour to address the social constructs on class differences and depict through the interactions between Higgins and Eliza the futility of the class structure of his time. This is illustrated through Higgins’s confidence in being able to turn Eliza whom he calls a â€Å"squashed cabbage leaf† and an â€Å"incarnate insult to the English language† into a â€Å"duchess† or â€Å"the Queen of   Sheba†. These insults are examples of the humour that is used in the play to present the issues of class disparities to the audience. Using Higgins’s pompous bet with Pickering to portray the fact that even a flower girl can be passed off as royalty, Shaw implies that given the right education, anyone can become ‘noble’ or ‘high-class’. This notion is further supported with the use of humour when Eliza attends the ball and is thought to be a â€Å"fraud† and a â€Å"Hungarian princess† thus allowing Higgins to win his bet. Shaw also promotes his beliefs through his character, Higgins when he argues that teaching the human being another way of speech is like â€Å"filling up the deepest gulf that separates class from class and soul from soul†. Hence, George Bernard Shaw’s intention of using humour and character interaction to question society’s view on class disparities becomes clear as he successfully identifies the class st ructures of his time as nothing but social constructs. In Pygmalion as well as Pretty Woman, there are clear class distinctions in the society, and through the concept of a ‘transformation’, Director Garry Marshall encourages the idea that one does not have to be born noble to be noble. For instance, the treatment that Vivian receives during both her visits to the boutique on Rodeo Drive differs greatly from one another simply because of the change in Vivian’s attire. In response to Vivian’s transformation, her friend Kit tells her that she â€Å"cleans up real nice† while Vivian replies â€Å"it’s easy to clean up when you got money†, suggesting that perhaps one’s class is based purely on appearance and with the right education and money, anyone can be ‘high-class’. The process of Vivian’s transformation is more physical rather than intellectual in contrast to Pygmalion’s Eliza who undergoes months of speech training to make her appearance in the ball, how ever, the same notion of ‘anyone can be high-class’ is supported. Near the end of Vivian’s stay with Edward, he offers to set her up in an apartment so he can continue visiting her, however she  refuses and tells him she once â€Å"would have said yes†, but the time she has spent with him led her to step out of her mindset as a prostitute as she becomes a noble lady. Through the concept of transformation, Marshall challenges the widely accepted view on class disparities and like Shaw, expresses through their work the futility of the class structure of their time. George Bernard Shaw and Director Garry Marshall shared their viewpoint on both gender and class disparities, believing them to be mere social constructs, questioning the norms of their time in their respective texts – Pygmalion and Pretty Woman. Through the use of humour, irony, character development and the concept of ‘transformation’, both composers successfully address the issues of gender and class with their characteristic subtlety. Although Pygmalion and Pretty Woman have many differences including their genre and the time period in which they were composed, they are ultimately similar in the way they critique gender and class disparities using mild and unprovocative methods which allow their philosophies to be communicated to a wider audience.

Childhood and Adolescent Depression and the Risks of Suicide Essay

Introduction Problem and its Background   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most common reasons for referral of children and adolescents to mental health professionals is suspected depression. There are continues debate as to whether childhood and adolescent depression are a reflection of normal variation in mood. It is reasonable for the primary care physician to view childhood depression as a constellation of factors that forms a syndrome. This constellation consists of a persistent mood disorder and dysfunctional behavior that intrudes and distorts the child’s day-to-day activities (Gottlieb & Williams, 1991 p.1). A firm denial gave way into a general and strong conviction about significance of depressive syndromes in childhood and adolescents, and of the implications throughout the life course. The realization of the problem occurrence made it possible for the therapeutic interventions and prevention programs to be developed and set up for depressive children, and to have these programs sponsored and evaluated on a scientific perspective. Various factors have facilitated the progression of this study concerning the recognition of childhood depression. Society is approached with enormous cost of untreated childhood depression later on in life (Corveleyn etal, 2005 p.165).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The concept of a depressive syndrome that is distinct from the broad class of childhood onset emotional disorders has been linked to incidence of suicidal rates worldwide. The condition of such incidence is becoming evidently alarming as the number of suicidal rate continue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The treatment of such depressive states range from pharmacologic drugs up to psychological modifications and therapies, such as behavioral, peer and group focused groups, etc. With the serious nature of childhood / adolescent depression, it is crucial that treatments with known efficacy and more than transitory effects be provided promptly and skillfully (Maj & Sartorius, 2002 p.292). Scope and Limitations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The treatment procedures and the condition of health care management for the case of childhood and adolescent depression are the primary subjects of the study. The concept on treatment procedure involves the pharmacologic, medical and psychological interventions that are absolutely necessary in the health care management of such condition. The study shall cover the discussion of depressive condition of the childhood and adolescent age group. Diagnostic procedures and issues shall be tackled in this research in order to portray possible conflicts and difficulties that occur in diagnosing the condition. The neurobiology of the depressive state shall be elaborated utilizing psychophysiology of the disorder, and linked to probable external physiological occurrences. Lastly, since the study focuses on therapy and medication as treatment modalities, the following methods and means of treatment shall be involved in the study. The following shall be the objectives of the over-all study. To be able to define, discuss and elaborate the conditions involved in the occurrence of depression in adolescent and childhood stages To be able to provide and tackle the treatment procedure as the center scope of study, accompanied by the issues, physiology and specific drugs involved in depression health care management. Discussion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cases of despondency and depression in children and adolescents were reported as early as the seventeenth century. Prior to the 1970s, however, little attention was paid to depression in youth (Hersen & Hasselt, 2001 p.243). The study on depression had been more inclined to adulthood depression and not on childhood and adolescence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Depression among children and adolescents is relatively common, enduring, and recurrent disorder that has an adverse impact on a youngster’s psychosocial development and in some cases is associated with self-destructive and life-threatening behaviors. Depressive disorders during childhood and adolescence may be more virulent and of longer duration than depressive disorders in adults. Depressive disorders during childhood are a risk factor for the development of additional psychological disturbances and for the development of depressive disorders later in life. The number of youths who are experiencing depressive disorders is increasing at the same time that the age of onset is decreasing (Mash & Barkley, 2006 p.336).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Depression can be conceptualized both as a dimension and as a category. Epidemiological studies suggest that juvenile depression is a continuum that is associated with problems at most levels of severity. According to Oregon Adolescent Depression Project, the level of psychosocial impairment increased as a direct function of the number of depressive symptoms. Moreover, in line with studies of adults, much of the morbidity associated with depression occurred in the â€Å"milder† but more numerous cases of minor depression. Such results suggest that even mild forms of adolescent depression are a risk factor for depression in early adulthood (Rutter & Taylor, 2002 p.463).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In recent years, increased attention has been given to evidence-based psychosocial and pharmacological interventions for depressed youth. The need to highlight what we know about treatment is underscored by the fact that most depressed youth do not receive treatment. However, as knowledge about treatments for youth depression has increased, the rate of treatment appears to have developed. Although depression among youth is treated more often, it is not clear that standard practice is effective at alleviating depressive symptoms or preventing recurrence. Moreover, there is a bias toward the utilization of pharmacologic drugs and extremely brief psychosocial interventions (Gotlib & Hammen, 2002 p.441). Diagnostic Issues involved in Depression   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, text revision groups mood disorders into two categories: depressive disorders and bipolar disorders. Both types of disorders are characterized by depressive episodes. For a diagnosis of depressive disorder, the child must be experiencing a mood disturbance for a period of at least 2 weeks, and the symptoms must be present more often than not. At least four of the following symptoms must be present during the same period (Mash & Barkley, 2006 p.337): Significant, unintentional weight gain or loss Insomnia or hypersomnia Psychomotor retardation or agitation fatigue or loss or energy feelings of worthlessness or extreme guilt Diminished concentration pr ability to make decisions Recurring thoughts of death, suicidality, or suicide attempts In depressed preadolescents and adolescents, a lack of perceived personal competence was associated with depression; however, in adolescents, the more abstract concept of contingencies is also related to depression (Mash & Barkley, 2006 p.338). Confusion sometimes arises in the childhood depression field, as it does with adult depression, because of different usages of the term â€Å"depression† and associated differences in methods of assessment. Moreover, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is the primary reference of psychiatric diagnosis, frequently changes. One example is in studies of childhood and adolescent depression, the term is variously used to identify depressed mood, a constellation of mood and other symptoms forming a syndrome, or a set of symptoms meeting official diagnostic criteria for depressive disorder. The usage of such term connotes various meaning, such as depression as a symptoms (lonely, fear impulses, guilt, etc.) and depression as a syndrome (comprises clusters of various signs and symptoms) (Mash & Barkley, 2003 p.336). Neurobiology of Childhood & Adolescent Depression   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Biologic studies in children are difficult to implement since they often require several blood draws, subjects remaining still more long periods of time, and the overall cooperation of the children and adolescents. Three types of investigation have provided information on possible developmental differences in the neurobiology of depression. The first is the study of Cortisol secretion, measured by investigations such as the dexamethasone suppression test (Rapoport, 2000 p.230).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Studies of neurotransmitters in depressed adults have focused on norepinephrine, serotonin, and acetylcholine. Serotonin regulation studied in adults with depression reported that in response to L-5hyroxytrytophan in 37 pre-pubertal depressed children secreted less Cortisol and more prolactin than age-matched and gender-matched normal controls, suggesting a deregulation of central serotonergic systems in childhood depression.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abnormalities of the hypothalamic pituitary-thyroid axis and the hypothalamic pituitary-growth hormone axis have been reported in depression in adults. However, Cortisol hypersecretion, as measured by repeated samples over a 24-hour period or by nocturnal sampling, has not been identified in depressed children and adolescents although adolescent showed a Cortisol elevation at the approximate time of sleep onset (Coffey, 2006 p.266).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second type of developmentally informative investigation is the study of sleep. Polysomnographic studies of depressed children and adolescent have tended to demonstrate abnormalities of sleep, including shortened rapid eye movement (REM) latency and reduced slow wave sleep. These generally positive results of polysomnographic studies with children have shown few differences (Rapoport, 2000 p.231).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The third type of developmentally informative investigation is the study of growth hormone. A variety of pharmacological challenge agents that stimulate release of growth hormone have been studied in depressed adolescents and children. Interestingly, the results with adolescents have been negative in terms of slow blunted growth hormone response to provocative stimuli. However, some studies have reported high levels of growth hormone in adolescents with major depression. Moreover, pubertal children both during depressive episode and after recovery have demonstrated blunted growth hormone response to provocative stimuli (Rapoport, 2000 p.231). Psychopharmacology: Antidepressants (SSRIs)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Special considerations arise in treating children and adolescents with antidepressants. Empirical data on antidepressants in young patients are quite limited. Psychiatrists, faced with depriving children of potentially effective medication or prescribing medication or prescribing medications â€Å"Off Label,† need information on which to base treatment decisions, and efforts are underway to promote research in this area. Clinically significant differences in pharmacokinetics and possibly pharmacodynamics between adults and younger patients can also complicate treatment. Moreover, younger patients may also be more sensitive to adverse effects of medications (Preskorn, 2004 p.356).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The antidepressant drugs are a heterogeneous group of compounds that, in adults, have bee found to be effective in the treatment of major depressive disorder. This particular pharmacologic intervention is also utilized in adolescent and children with major depression; although, there have been no studies that validate the appropriateness of such medications. The following are considered as the major treatment of adolescent depression, specifically Tricyclic Antidepressants and (SSRI) Selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (Rossenberg & Ryan, 1998 p.28).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) have long been the first-line antidepressants used by most clinicians for adults because of their established efficacy, safety, and ease of administration, but they have been less successful in the treatment of child and adolescent conditions. The mechanism by which TCAs are effective in the treatment of adult depression and other disorders has not been clearly established. There is, however, evidence that these agents affect monoamine neurotransmitter systems in the central; nervous system, such as serotonin and norepinephrine (Rossenberg & Ryan, 1998 p.28-29). The TCAs inhibit the reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin, potentiating their action. It has been suggested that antidepressants work by increasing noradrenergic and/or serotonergic transmission, compensating for a presumed deficiency. Controlled studies failed to demonstrate that TCAs are superior to placebo in the treatment of childhood and adolescent depression (Rossenberg & Ryan, 1998 p.28-29).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since serotonin is also implicated in the etiology and maintenance of affective disorders, particularly depression; hence, the use selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) is possible. SSRIs prevent the re-uptake of serotonin, which poses significant therapeutic value although has been shown to be less effective in therapeutic trials in children (Mash & Barkley, 2006 p.384). The SSRIs are now first-line agents for treating child and adolescent depression. The newer antidepressants, such as bupropion and mirtazapine, do not have an adequate empirical base with children; however, they are sometimes used as second-line treatments for those youths who do not respond to SSRIs. Thus far, none of the SSRIs has produced irreversible damage in children and adolescents. However, as the SSRIs gained wide use with depressed adolescents, concerns emerged about the safety of this class of medications. Reports suggested that they were responsible for increased suicidal ideation and behavior among youths (Mash & Barkley, 2006 p.384). In 2003, the British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency   (MHRA) concluded that most of the SSRIs do not show benefits exceeding their risks of suicidal ideation, and thus should not be prescribed in the child and adolescent population (Mash & Barkley, 2006 p.384).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the adolescent fails to respond to any SSRI, then switching to a different class of antidepressant is recommended. At present, no data support the use of one agent over another. Therefore, whether the clinician chooses a TCA, nefazodone, or venlafaxine should be based on clinical experience. Other factors to consider for a given adolescent are medication side effects, medical conditions, previous medication trials, comorbid psychiatric conditions, and familial history of a positive response to particular antidepressants (Esman, 1999 p.222). Other classes of antidepressants are fluoxetine, setraline, paroxetine, fluvoxamine, venlafaxine, bupropion, trazodone, and nefazadone. As major depression has a high recurrence rate, it is recommended that pharmacologic treatment continue for a minimum of six months achieving resolution of symptoms. Medication discontinuation should be accomplished gradually, with a slow, stepwise reduction in dosage over a two- or three-month period. The health care providers should carefully monitor the adolescent for withdrawal syndromes and reemergence of depressive symptoms (Esman, 1999 p.222). Relationship to Suicide Rates   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Suicidal thoughts and attempts are among the diagnostic criteria for major depression. Suicidal ideation is quite common, and has been reported in more than 60% of depressed preschoolers, preadolescents, and adolescents. Actual suicidal attempts also may occur, at rates that appear to be higher among depressed adolescents than among depressed adults (Mash & Barkley, 2003 p.336).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Studies have shown consistently high rates of comorbid psychiatric disorders in depressed children and adolescents. The comorbidity rate in children and adolescents with depression has been reported to be 80% to 95%. The most common comorbid disorders in adolescents with depression are anxiety disorders, with rates ranging from 40% to 50%. Moreover, substance abuse frequently co-occurs with depression. Adolescents with major depression are at risk for impairment in school performance and interpersonal relationships, which may interfere with achievement of appropriate developmental tasks. Suicidal behavior is a common sequela. A 10-yar follow-up of depressed child and adolescent outpatients found that 4.4% committed suicide. Mood disorder, prior to suicide attempt, and substance abuse are major risk factors for adolescent suicide (Esman, 1999 p.216).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Depressed and suicidal children and adolescents are often not identified. Identification of children and adolescents who express suicidal ideation or suicidal acts is crucial since such symptoms are recurrent and strong predictors of youth suicide. Other risk factors for youth suicide behavior have been described including family, other environmental and biological factors. Notably, family history of suicidal behavior increases risk for youth suicide (Rapoport, 2000 p.231). Reference Coffey, E. C. (2006). Pediatric Neuropsychiatry. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Corveleyn etal, J. (2005). The Theory and Treatment of Depression: Towards a Dynamic Interactionism Model. Routledge. Esman, A. H. (1999). Adolescent Psychiatry: Developmental and Clinical Studies. Routledge. Gotlib, I., & Hammen, C. L. (2002). Handbook of Depression. Guilford Press. Gottlieb, M. I., & Williams, J. (1991). Developmental-behavioral Disorders: Selected Topics. Springer. Hersen, M., & Hasselt, V. B. (2001). Advanced Abnormal Psychology. Springer. Maj, M., & Sartorius, N. (2002). Depressive Disorders. John Wiley and Sons. Mash, E. J., & Barkley, R. A. (2006). Child Psychopathology. Guilford Press. Mash, E. J., & Barkley, R. A. (2006). Treatment of Childhood Disorders. Guilford Press. Preskorn, S. (2004). Antidepressants: Past, Present, and Future. Springer. Rapoport, J. L. (2000). Childhood Onset of â€Å"Adult† Psychopathology: Clinical and Research Advances. American Psychiatric Pub., Inc. Rossenber, D., & Ryan, N. (1998). Pocket Guide for the Textbook of Pharmacotherapy for Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Disorders. Psychology Press. Rutter, M., & Taylor, E. A. (2002). Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Blackwell Publishing.