Technology Education and National Development

TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: THE PLACE OF INFRASTRUCTURE BY SUBAIR, S. TAYO AND ASHIRU, AL-MAHROOF. OLASEEWO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION FACULTY OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS AKOKA – LAGOS BEING A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE NIGERIAN ASSOCIATION FOR EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND PLANNING (NAEAP) INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE VENUE:JULIUS BERGER AUDITORIUM UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS DATE:24TH – 27TH SEPTEMBER 2007 AbstractTechnology education has been defined as a continuous process of special education and training imparted in individuals for them to achieve socio-economic independence. One major essence of technology education is self-sustenance and social development. This paper takes a cursory look at the factors germane to functional technology education and its implications for national development, by examining the concepts of technology education, national development, infrastructure and goals of technology education.The paper goes further to as ses the development status of Nigeria, the relevant of infrastructure in the provision of viable technology education and some areas along policies, practices, attitudes, and sensitization of the public towards imbibing technology education that can foster national development. Introduction The basis of Nigeria’s philosophy of education is the integration of the individual into a sound and effective citizen, such a philosophy as articulated in the National Policy on Education (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004).The goal of national development is hardly realizable without technology, which serves as a vehicle for the acquisition of appropriate knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies of both mental and physical nature. This is equipment for the individual to live in his society, and to acquire a relevant and balanced knowledge of facts about local and world phenomena. The etymology of technology is from Greek word ‘tekhne’, which refers to an art or craft, a nd ‘logia’ which means area of study. Simply defined, technology is a science of crafting.Collins English Dictionary (2005, pg. 1675) defines technology as the application of practical or mechanical sciences to industry or commerce, the methods, theory and practices governing such application and the total knowledge and skills available to any human society. Education, as defined by Adesina, Fagbamiye and Talabi (1985) is a tool for the integration of the individuals effectively into a society to enable them achieve self social, economic, political, scientific, cultural and technological progress.Now, in the era of globalization, the growing importance of trans-border education provisions particularly, in the area of technology is quite understandable. Generally, stakeholders are anxious to see that educational institutions deliver what they should deliver and that what they deliver produces desirable outcomes. These desirable outcomes include, among others, changes in structures, attitudes and institutions as well as the acceleration of economic growth, the reduction of inequality and eradication of absolute poverty.Consequently, in addressing the issue of national development vis-a-vis technology education, it is of immense necessity to show the understanding of the phenomenon development and also to harness the indices of development before we can decide what we look out for in a developed, under-developed, developing nation and so on. The Concept of Technology Education According to Adeogun (2004), Ogunranti (1988) and Ukeje (1991), technology is the application of science and scientific knowledge to make the world more efficient using industrial methods.Technology can also be viewed as the sum of the ways in which a social group provides for themselves with the materials of civilization, thus science and technology go hand-in-hand. It could be considered permissible then to say that technology is a systematic approach in an integrated process to achieve practical purpose or achieve an end product. Hence, technology involves a practical engagement, that is, the act of doing, which is meant to solve human problems scientifically and systematically. Translated from its Latin root, ‘educo’ or ‘educare’, the word education means ‘to lead’. In other words, education implies showing the way.In principle, education is the process by which a person or group of persons lead in the act of acquiring new knowledge or experience. Ajelabi (2000) views education as implying the experience that a person gets in contact with or which one undergoes with or without the school. According to Collins Dictionary (2005, pg. 433), education is the act or process of imparting knowledge, especially at school, college or university, the art or process of acquiring knowledge, the knowledge or training acquired by this process, the theory of teaching and learning; or a particular kind of special directives (inst ructions) or training.From the foregoing, an operational definition of technology education required for this paper projects technology education as a continuous process of special education, training and directives imparted in individuals for the development of innovative ideas to ensure socio-economic independence. It could be argued that the type of education which Nigeria pupils and students are exposed to at different levels of education in the school system today cannot favour the accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goals.This can be substantiated with the concern about quality which is uppermost in any educational discourse all over the world, and Nigeria in particular. The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (1999) observes that quality in education is a multi-dimensional concept which should embrace â€Å"all functions and activities: teaching, academic programmes, research and scholarship, staffing, students, buildings, facilities, equip ment, services to the community and academic environment†.To show that one is educated means that all aspects of his/her life is transformed to influence and be influenced by self, physical, social, political, economical and spiritual environments. For this reason, technology education should focus on productive skills that are saleable to the world, thus making such a country a power to associate with. The Concept of National Development National development is rooted in a force of change than can raise expectations, through sustainable and broad-based economic growth.It could also be perceived as the totality of all activities within a nation whose main goal is to raise the living standards and general well being of the people. Collins English Dictionary (2005, pg. 443) defines development as the act or process of growing or developing or the product of developing. The Cambridge International Dictionary of English (1996, pg 377) defines development as growing or becoming mor e advanced or a recent important event which is the latest in a series of related events.For the purpose of this paper, national development means the satisfaction and sustenance of the social, political and economic needs of the people of a state (nation). It could also be thought of as planned activities which focus on increasing and enlarging the capacities so that they can successfully handle greater positions in a nation. National development usually focuses on improving the conceptual skills – the intellectual and abilities needed to handle complex situations and do a better job.With economic needs, a change in the economic and social super-structure of the society is guaranteed. It is an improvement in the techniques of production in the consumption choices open to the average citizen, in the health of the citizen, in the behaviour of citizen and so on. It involves both quantitative and non-quantitative aspects. Also, it involves reduction in income inequality, unemplo yment and poverty (Adeogun, 2003).Bannock (1977) opines that economic development is related to the process of growth in total and per capita income of developing nations accompanied by fundamental changes in the structures of their economies. Accordingly, these changes generally consist of the increasing importance of industrial, as opposed to agricultural, activity, reduction of dependence on imports from the more advanced producer and consumer goods, and dependence on agricultural or mineral products as main exports, and a diminishing reliance on aids from other countries.Accompanying this economic process are attendant political and socio-cultural reforms aimed at resolving such problems as cultural deprivation, ignorance, political instability and poverty. Thus, national development can be perceived as the totality of all the activities within a nation whose main goal is to raise the living standards and general well-being of the people. The Concept of Infrastructure According to Coombs (1991), the educational system is a function of the quality and quantity of inputs. Of significance are the buildings, equipment and space.This view gains the endorsement of Ejiogu (1984) and Nwagwu (1983) who note that of the four important factors in an attempt to balance the qualitative and quantitative growth of any educational system is the quality and number of infrastructure in the form of buildings, machinery and equipment; their maximal usage and proper maintenance culture of the students, staff and community members that use such facilities. Infrastructure, as stated by Ehiametalor (2001) are the operational inputs of every instructional programme and they constitute elements that are necessary for teaching and learning.Such include buildings, laboratories, machinery, furniture and electrical fixtures. In specific terms, Bosah (1997) opines that infrastructure represent the empirical relevance of the totality of the school environment for the realization of the s chool business. He identifies the following as components of infrastructure: landscape, playgrounds, buildings – classrooms, library, laboratory blocks, health blocks, toilets, hostels, administrative blocks and so on; utilities such as electricity, pipe-borne water and security facilities – walls (fences), gates, telephone and alarm system.From the above, infrastructure can be considered the basic systems and services that are necessary for an organization, for example, buildings, transport, water and power supplies and administrative systems. These are things that represent the aesthetic picture of the school conveyed by the position of structures in relation to one another. Goals of Technology Education The goals of technology education include: -understanding the principles and dynamics of technology; understanding the principles of tool construction, processes of technology and modes of dissemination; -developing intellectual processes of technology and their rela tion with other systems such as communication, economics, science, industry and society; -acquiring skills such as instrumentation production, maintenance, creativity, designing and communication; -mastering of technology-oriented forms of general and specific problem-solving; -producing technologically literate people; and -producing products that are employable and equally those who would proceed to higher education (Busari, 2004).It is important to appreciate the interpretation of these goals in the policies and practices of technology education in Nigeria. The policy guidelines set by the government for achieving the objectives are provision of basic tools for educational advancement including preparation for crafts of the locality, provision of curricular activities like teaching of science, local crafts, domestic science and agriculture, and provision of qualified teachers to handle technology education subjects. An Assessment of the Development Status of Nigeria In assessing the indices, criteria or factors responsible for the lassification of any country as being either developing or developed, it becomes imperative to understand the underlying key concepts: development, developing, under-developed, least developed, third world or fourth world and developed countries. Development can be regarded as the process of improving human welfare. Hence, the goals of development include: -balanced healthful diet; -adequate medical care; -labour opportunities commensurate with individual talents; -environmental sanitation and disease control; -sufficient educational opportunities; -reduced infant mortality; -decent housing; social and political participation promoting equality (United Nations, 2003). Developing countries are characterized by high rate debts, low level of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), low standard of living, low level of productivity and low level of health, low level of investment; high dependency on the agriculture production and high vulnerabil ity for external shocks. Least Developed Countries (LDC) generally suffer conditions of extreme poverty, ongoing and widespread conflict (including civil war or ethnic clashes), extensive political corruption and lack of political and social stability.The form of government in such countries is often authoritarian in nature, and may comprise dictatorship, warlordism or a kleptocrazy (United Nations, 2003). The Relevance of Infrastructure in the Provision of Viable Technology Education With the present scope of technology in Nigerian classrooms, there are few technical schools and few universities where technology education is made available. It is lamentably sad to observe that the available infrastructure in the available technical colleges and universities of technology is inadequate when compared with the expected functions of such institutions of learning.No doubt that infrastructure comprises things that are used directly or indirectly for the purposes of supporting, facilitati ng, influencing or encouraging transmission or acquisition of knowledge, competencies, skills and know-how. When we think of the poor state of this infrastructure, a question tends to come to mind – is the government actually interested in building this nation? This is just that there appears to be a gap between the policy statements and policy implementation.Lending credence to this is Busari (2004) who observes that institutions (technical colleges, universities, etc) where technology education is run are given little or lip support because they are viewed as any other education programme providers. The lackadaisical attitude of related agencies responsible for the functionalism of technology education is evidenced by the fact that the required infrastructure that would make technology education operational are either inadequate or non-existing. If technology education would facilitate national development, the quality of the manpower available for the performance of such t asks will dictate.As reported by Subair (2004), even the universities of technology experienced a face-lift just because of the accreditation exercise embarked upon by the National Universities Commission (NUC), a body established by the Federal Government in 1962 for the purpose of quality university education. He opines that experiences of the students are better expressed when adequate provision of required infrastructure is made with due consideration for some factors such as students’ population, student-teacher ratio, minimum studio stage per student, drawing boards per student, etc and student work experience practice in particular.The country is now faced with the stark realities of her poor technological base, which manifests in all fronts, ranging from poor economy, inability to properly maintain facilities inherited from colonial masters, to bad educational planning (Odeyemi, 1996). The incessant scarcity of petroleum products, epileptic supply of electricity, bad roads, flooding, and so on points to the fact that this country seriously needs to embrace and appreciate technology education. The resultant effects of Nigeria’s state of technological development are being felt in other sectors of our economy uch as the agricultural sector, industrial sector, building and construction, health and infrastructural sector – water, road, telecommunication and electricity. The bite is much felt due to lack of the necessary technical know-how to maintain the existing infrastructure and fabricate spare parts to maintain the heavy duty and medium size plants. Moreover, the frequent stealing and vandalization of Power Holding Company of Nigeria’s (PHCN) equipment for example is traceable to the inability to produce them locally. Obviously, there will be no market for the stolen ones if the country is able to produce in large quantities.As Oguntoye (2004) comments: There is no doubt that Nigeria has made tremendous leaps forward in educ ational development, especially with regard to quantitative expansion, are probably more than those we faced before the Ashby Commission of 1960. The physical structures may be available (they are in short supply). The problem is not that people are unwilling to send their kids to school, may not be the curriculum, may not even be quantity of trained personnel, but the critical problem is attitudinal, wrong value-orientation, wanting to cut corners, acquiring the certificates without acquiring knowledge, skills and competencies (pg. – 8). It becomes important to say here that if Nigeria as a nation is to be a developed and modern nation, it needs to be rational. A rational society is one which regards people as having the knowledge and ability to control their own destinies. Controlling one’s destiny without depending on other countries for one’s basic needs is self-reliance, a supposed target or goal of technology education.Consequently, the focus now should be acquisition of thorough knowledge, skills, competencies and know-how capable of transforming and encouraging people to develop openness to new experience, readiness to social change, placing higher value on technology education and aspiring to high levels of industrial attainment, understanding the logic underlying production and industry; placing high value on technical skill and accepting it as a basis for the distribution of rewards, and a basic trust in the calculating of the surrounding world, and that people and institutions can be relied upon to meet their obligations.Conclusion Attaining national development depends on three things that are considered most important. One is that education, particularly technology education which is the source of high levels of human capital accumulation, should be heavily invested in to generate the human resources Nigeria needs as the ‘engine’ for growth. There should be active government involvement or intervention that will encourage enormous investments in human capital, educating large skilled manpower able to absorb and adapt the most advanced technology.Secondly, Nigerians should know that modern societies are science and technology driven. There is no reason why we cannot set target year for achieving technology education for all. Such focus will make Nigerians think scientifically and technologically, the resultant effects of which will be change in our attitude and belief system, worthwhile social, economic, political and cultural lives, culminating into poverty alleviation, economic progress that will touch millions of Nigerians.Thirdly, irrespective of the level of education, the students are the core input into our educational institutions and the quality of the output (students) depends largely on the provision of infrastructures capable of directly or indirectly supporting, facilitating, influencing and encouraging the development of their potentials. Therefore, the knowledge, skills, compe tences and attitudes students acquire for life can make them fit into the cultural, social, economic and political contexts of the society in which they live, and to work and employment.It can all be summarily put that quality of education is reflected in the fit between, on the one hand, the expectations of society expressed in the general and specific objective of education, and on the other, the actual characteristics of the educational process (technology education) and the changes observed at the students’ level. References Adeogun, A. A. (2003). Economics of education. Lagos: Olatunji Publishing Press. Ajelabi, A. (2000). Essentials of educational technology. Lagos: Raytel Communications Ltd. Bannock, A. O. (1977).Modern technology and students’ instinct development. New York: McGreen Publishing Company. Bosah, H. O. N. (1997). Improving school plant provision and administration in Nigeria school. N. I. Ogbonnaya and C. L. Ajagbaonwu (Eds. ) Major concepts and is sues in educational administration. NAEP Publication. Ibadan: Awemark Industrial Printers. Busari, O. O. (2004). Towards a rethink of science and technology education in Nigeria. Ejiogu A. (ed. ) Nigerian education and challenges of the 21st century. Lagos: Faculty of Education, University of Lagos.Cambridge International Dictionary of English (1996). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 377. Collins English Dictionary (2005). Glasgow: Harper Collins Publishers, pp. 443, 449, 1675. Coombs, Y. (1991). What is planning? Paris: IIEP UNESCO. Ehiametalor, E. T. (2001). School facilities: Management practice in Nigeria. N. A. Nwaguru, E. T. Ehiametalor, and M. A. Ogunu, M. Nwadiani (Eds. ) Current issues in educational management in Nigeria. Benin City, Nigeria: Nigerian Association for Educational Administration and Planning. Ejiogu, A. (ed. ) (2004).Nigerian education and challenges of the 21st century. Lagos: Faculty of Education, University of Lagos. Madumere, S. C. (1997). Educ ational planning and manpower development. Lagos: Samuel Printing Press. Nwagwu, N. A. (1978). Primary school administration. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications. Odeyemi, O. (1996). Technology as a vehicle for qualitiative education in Nigeria. Technology education Today 6(1 & 2), pp. 49 – 52. Ogunranti, A. (1988). Educational technology and curriculum development. Ogunranti, A. (ed. ) Problems and prospects of educational technology in Nigeria.Ibadan: Heinemann. Oguntoye, A. O. O. (2004). Education for national development self reliance in a deregulated economy. A paper presented at the 1st national conference of the School of Technical Education, Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka. Subair, S. O. (2007). Infrastructure, students’ welfare and students’ motivation to learn in universities. An unpublished post-field report paper presented at the departmental seminar of the Educational Administration Department, University of Lagos, Akoka. Ukeje, B. O. ( 1991).Educational technology in the new national system of education. In Ajelabi, A. (2005). Essentials of educational technology. Lagos: Raytel Communications, p. 18. United Nations (2001). Road map towards the implementation of the United Nations millennium declaration. Retrieved Sept. 17, 2008 from http://www. un. org. /millenniumgoal. United Nations Development Programme (2003). Human development report. New York: University Press for UNDP. United Nations (2005). Jakarta Declaration on Millennium Development Goals in Asia and the pacific: The way forward 2015, Jakarta, 5 August 2005.

Kinesthetic learning Essay

Kinesthetic learning is also known as tactile learning. People with a preference for kinesthetic learning are also commonly known as â€Å"do-ers†. Tactile/kinesthetic learners make up about five percent of the population. Auditory learners Reading- or writing-preference learners Kinesthetic learners Contents 1 History 2 Characteristics 3 Classification 4 Lack of evidence 5 References 6 External links History Kinesthetic intelligence was originally coupled with tactile abilities, and was defined and discussed in Howard Gardner’s Frames Of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. In his book, Gardner describes activities (such as dancing and performing surgery) as requiring great kinesthetic intelligence: using the body to create (or do) something. Margaret H’Doubler wrote and spoke about kinesthetic learning during the 1940s, defining kinesthetic learning as the human body’s ability to express itself through movement and dance. Characteristics Question book-new.svg This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2010) According to the theory of learning styles, students who have a predominantly kinesthetic style are thought to be discovery learners: they have realisation through doing, rather than thinking before initiating action. They may struggle to learn by reading or listening. When learning, it helps for these students to move around; this increases the students’ understanding, with learners generally getting better marks in exams when they can do so. Kinesthetic learners usually succeed in activities such as chemistry experiments, sporting activities, art and acting; It is common for kinesthetic learners to focus on two different things at the same time, remembering things in relation to what they were doing. They possess good eye–hand coordination. In kinesthetic learning, learning occurs by the learner using their body to express a thought, an idea or a concept (in any field). In an elementary classroom setting, these students may stand out because of their need to move; their high energy levels may cause them to be agitated, restless or impatient. Kinesthetic learners’ short- and long-term memories are strengthened by their use of movement. Classification Rita Dunn contends that kinesthetic and tactile learning are the same style.[3] Galeet BenZion asserts that kinesthetic and tactile learning are separate learning styles, with different characteristics. She defined kinesthetic learning as the process that results in new knowledge (or understanding) with the involvement of the learner’s body movement. This movement is performed to establish new (or extending existing) knowledge. Kinesthetic learning at its best, BenZion found, is established when the learner uses language (their own words) in order to define, explain, resolve and sort out how his or her body’s movement reflects the concept explored. One example is a student using movement to find out the sum of 1/2 plus 3/4 via movement, then explaining how their motions in space reflect the  mathematical process leading to the correct answer. Lack of evidence Although the concept of learning styles is popular among educators in some countries (and children and adults express preferences for particular modes of learning), there is no evidence that identifying a student’s learning style produces better outcomes; on the contrary, there is substantial evidence that the meshing hypothesis (that a student will learn best if taught in a method deemed appropriate for the student’s learning style) is invalid. Well-designed studies â€Å"flatly contradict the popular meshing hypothesis†. Proponents state that the evidence related to kinesthetic learners benefiting from specialized instruction (or targeted materials) appears mixed at best; the diagnosis of kinesthetic and tactile learning is coupled (rather than isolated), and teachers are likely to misdiagnose students’ learning styles. On the other hand, studies do show that mixed-modality presentations (for instance, using auditory and visual techniques) improve results in a variety of subjects. Instruction that stimulates more than auditory learning (for example, kinesthetic learning) is more likely to enhance learning in a heterogeneous student population.

Robert Moses Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Robert Moses - Research Paper Example Robert attracted several top titles that he used to power his projects. He was the president to the Long Island Park Commission in 1924, and he later took the chairmanship of the State parks council. As the chairman of States Parks Council, Robert used his position to build many public parks in New York. His focus was to improve Long Island by appropriating land and building parkways. Southern State Parkway, Northern State Parkway and Jones Beach State park, were part of the places that Moses wanted to take his projects (Joann, 1989). His intention was to build three bridges that would connect Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens. By the time, he was removed from power, Moses had constructed more than ten bridges parkways and many recreational facilities. Moses also came up with the idea of building skyscrapers to give more land for the construction of public facilities. His work had a considerable impact to the people in New York and Long Island because he connected the island to the mainland by constructing bridges and tunnels (Joann, 1989). He provided the public with several play grounds and recreational parks, as well as an effective transport system. Further, he facilitated the flow of traffic in New York by constructing thousands of Kilometers of parkways. However, one of his projects led to the destruction of private houses, and this brought a negative impact to his public favor (Joann, 1989). I gain the impression that Robert was a strong personality who was determined to bring development to everyone. He a man who would sacrifice the interest of a few if what he was chasing would benefit the majority. Moses was also capable of building strong connections that would protect him when the influential people wanted to ruin his career. I also realize that Moses was vengeful to those people who stood in his way. Today’s planning processes are different from the ones that Moses applied. Today, an extensive survey, is done to account for the people’s

MBTI - Teams and Leadership (Management and Leadership - A Continuum) Essay

MBTI - Teams and Leadership (Management and Leadership - A Continuum) - Essay Example In teams people work together, attempting to maximize each team member’s special talents, thereby minimizing gaps in knowledge and skills. CURRENT STUDY In the current study, the group supervisor/ leader type is ESFP. The ESFP, i.e. me, is a salesperson manager at the Qatar National Bank (QNB). The team/group that I am leading as a supervisor is termed as the ESTJ. ESFP’s are energetic and highly enthusiastic leaders. Talking about ESFPs Myers (1993) is quoted as saying, â€Å"They live in the present moment and extract every joy they can get from it, whether it is in case of interacting with people or animals, activities or world around them, etc.† (p.17) At their best ESFPs are excellent team players, motivated to get the task done with a maximum amount of fun and a minimum amount of fuss. This is just the way I, being a leader, am. As an ESFP I am interested in people and new experiences. Because I learn more from practical tasks rather than from studying or r eading, I tend to plunge into things, learning along as I go. Being a supervisor I appreciate my possessions and take pleasure in them. Generally, ESFPs make decisions by using their personal values. Therefore, I also use my internal Feeling of judgment to make decisions by identifying and empathizing with others. I am good at interpersonal interactions and often play the role of peacemaker. (Myers, 1993) When looking at a larger perspective, ESTJ teams have impulsively energetic environments. This is similar to the team working under me. As ESFP leaders lead teams in a comfortable way because of their dominant feeling I feel very comfortable in controlling my ESTJ team. As an ESFP leader I look for practical solutions. Being a leader I am quick enough to analyze the current requirements and then assess what is coming just next. It is convenient for me to it blended with my ESTJ team’s clear performance expectations. My EDTJ team is good at achieving practical results, and ke eping the core issue in sight. This strengthens the overall team performance of my ESTJ team and also our supervisor/team relationship. This, in turn, helps to achieve the sales targets for QNB. Communication may be more flexible and interactive beneficial for both the supervisor, i.e. me, and the team as on one hand ESFPs can easily be distracted by any new piece/s of information and on the other ESTJ teams reject new ideas and are not inclined to accept new trends. This results in a more focused communication that assists in decision making process as well. The above scenario may lead to negligence of important facts, thus, resulting in failure to consider important stakeholders. This indicates a possible blind spot in case of failure to achieve the desired results. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Team Report (1994) states, â€Å"Type theory predicts that when teams solve problems, they tend to rely on their favorite preferences more than on the others. ESTJ team’s problem-sol ving process may, therefore, look something like this: Thinking first, Sensing next then Intuition and Feeling least. The T helps to analyze, dissect, debate, create or apply

Global Performance of German and France Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global Performance of German and France - Essay Example It is hard to say whether the impact has been positive or negative because there is lot of gap and difference between the status in the middle and upper and lower middle and low classes of business. Globalization has widened this gap to the extent that they look un-breach able. Whichever way you look at this transformation it is obvious that globalization is an economical aspect. And it is good that it is; the onset of globalization has kick-started a movement of liberalization of independent thought process, which due to the heightened global interconnectivity may prove more successful than it ever was in any of the past socio-economic and cultural revolutions and in this respect these two countries, France and Germany, cannot be overlooked. (Dos, 441-442) Globalization is a big word today and one that has changed the way we look at and understand things around us. What is actually globalization? What do we understand by this word? Globalization is simply the predisposition of the economy through business, knowledge through technology and thought through philosophy to spread globally. Globalization can also mean the process by which this happens. This term is almost synonymous with intertwining of markets and economies without any consideration for physical border or legal restraints and it general it is well applicable for France and Germany. (Fletcher, 188)... The downside is that globalization seems to profit the rich more and the poor less, thus widening the gap further. It is true that globalization actually means the broadening of global linkages, while also impacting upon the social and cultural dimensions of the global society, hence propagating a one-world-citizenship which has one economy, one culture and one social order. Ecumenically globalization's definition would be complete with the above classifications. But there are many inroads in the understanding of the term. This is the process with which the poor countries can think of modernization and global competition, enhanced living standards, and work opportunities; on the other hand this very same process is the one which can destroy economies by sudden influx of foreign capital, can destroy marginalized workers livelihood and destabilize national banks. Hence, globalization literally is like a coin - with two very separate sides and much of it is realized in France and German y. However it should be mentioned that France is much well placed in terms of economy in this context when compared to Germany. At the same note it can be mentioned that the economic equilibrium in the international level is changing very quickly with the affects of financial flows and increasing trade. It is globalization that forces us to re evaluate the position of Europe along with major countries like France and Germany in the world market. This new wave of economy has given enough impetuous that positions held about three years ago are certainly to be changed. As it is these two countries are not doing in a very favourable mode in the international economic sector and domestically these two countries are witnessing rising inequalities with industrial instability as

Are knowledge and talent skills that can be taught in the workplace, Essay

Are knowledge and talent skills that can be taught in the workplace, or are they only acquired from experience - Essay Example Knowledge can be acquired through both teaching of an individual at the workplace and can also be acquired through experience. It is noteworthy that no skills are inborn but they are acquired by an individual as they grow. Many employers write job descriptions requiring skills for certain posts. Most hiring employers look for employees with certain skills rather than an individual with best talents. It is important for managers to understand that skill is a learned competence and everyone can be taught to develop a particular skill. Talent is a gift from God and reflects etymological roots of an individual. Talent cannot be taught in a workplace. If one wants to be a salesman, then with enough training, he or she can be taught to acquire this particular skill. In fields such as accounting, many people can read bank statements but few people can manage to manipulate the statements to identify viable investment opportunities. Communication is another area that clearly differentiates be tween the inborn or gifted characteristic and skills that can be acquired through teaching. Some people can talk throughout the day and what they are talking about influences other people. Some people have no ability to talk even for one hour. From these, we can note that skills can be acquired through teaching and experience (Santana, 2005). For more than 10 years, I have been hiring talented and skillful personnel to be my operations assistants. Last year, I was looking for a person with high profile in terms of skills that they were taught. I decided to employ a young man who had no skills.. I hired him because he had passion in the job. It was very fortunate that he learned how to do the job within a short period of time; he became the best among my employees. He turned out to be very productive more than the rest of the employees. From this, I learned that skills and knowledge can be acquired

CERVICAL CANCER IN VIETNAMESE WOMAN Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

CERVICAL CANCER IN VIETNAMESE WOMAN - Thesis Example A secondary analysis of the study is conducted to find out the cervical cancer differences. The questionnaire is prepared to analyze the data regarding cervical cancer. The theoretical framework is the main part of this study; this part presents an analysis of the cervical cancer in Vietnamese women. The result of the study indicates that cervical cancer is due to low Pap testing rates rather than difference in human papillomavirus infection rates. The effects of barriers of prevention are assessed. The result finds that most of the women are not having Pap screening. The results of the study will help in implementation of interventions. The study concludes with analyzing the prevention methods and awareness of cervical cancer control programs for Vietnamese women and recommending significance of Pap testing. 1. Select the Problem:    The problem selected for the study is the spreading of the cervical cancer among Vietnamese women. According to the study conducted by QIAGEN Group ( QIAGEN is the leading global contributor of sample and assay tools. Sample tools are used to separate and process RNA, DNA and proteins from biological models for example tissue or blood. Assay tools are used to create such separated bimolecular, for instance the DNA of a particular virus, noticeable for ensuing analysis.) (2010, p.2), it is mentioned that globally; cervical cancer is the second-most-common cancer among women. It is the leading cause of female cancer deaths in developing countries, where 80% of cervical cancer cases and deaths occur (â€Å"Creating a World Free From Cervical Cancer†, 2010, p.2). The study of cervical cancer is important, as it is the foremost cause of cancer deaths globally, particularly in the developing countries. Finding out its causes and awareness about prevention to Vietnamese women is really important. Cervical cancer persists to impact the quality of life of women and their families. â€Å"Shock, fear, self-blame, powerlessness, and anger are the most common emotions experienced by women who receive abnormal Pap test results† (â€Å"Social Impact of Cancer†, n.d., para. 12). Always, women misjudge their possibility in emerging cancer, as they may not fully understand human papillomaviruses and their symptoms, which may result to amplified anxiety regarding the future. So this may affect the development of the country and gain a lot of importance to study regarding the spreading of cervical cancer among Vietnamese women. â€Å"Cervical cancer among Vietnamese American women has been identified as an important health disparity† (Taylor et al., 2008, para.2). Years ago, this type of cancer was the foremost form of cancer amongst women in both North and South Vietnam. Presently, cervical cancer rates are significantly lesser in northern parts of the country. (â€Å"Association between War and Cervical Cancer among Vietnamese Women†, 2004, Para.1). â€Å"Many women, however, are not adequ ately informed about cervical cancer and are unable to navigate the healthcare system† (Schleicher, 2007, pg.2). According to Garner, the main factors of HPV infection include early sexual relationship, different sexual partners, difficulty in using methods of prevention, and other sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV. (Garner, 2012, para.4). The

Comparative Study of Different Bibliographical Sources for the Sonata Annotated Bibliography

Comparative Study of Different Bibliographical Sources for the Sonata by Paul Creston - Annotated Bibliography Example According to Grove’s dictionary (33), personal initiative leads to creativity in sonata as illustrated by Paul Creston who took piano and organ lessons. Rhythm can form the basis of a style in sonata, and the more performances an artist initiates in sonata, the more accolades and awards he receives. Paul Creston engaged cool romantic compositions in enticing his sonata performances (Grove’s dictionary 33). In the sixties and seventies most work and styles in sonata is attributed to Paul Creston. In turn, the society gave him a role to play in influencing sonata music. His performances involved shifting divisions of the normal meter, which was widely acknowledge and appreciated in America. Creston’s decision on 1932 had significant impact on sonata music. This is evident in the developments in the last century. Grove’s dictionary (34), states that another performer who was a music teacher and influenced sonata historically; thus, Marcus van Cravel. According to Slomski (8), benefits of engaging in sonata early in life to enhance creativity in this style of music are evident. Early participation can influence performance in sonata as evident in engaging in social duties. Slomski (97) asserts that engaging in several activities before establishing oneself in sonata often improves other music genres. Like other works of literature, Monica Slomski supports that exemplary works of sonata are disputable worldwide. Slomski (143) cites a case whereby outstanding performance in sonata earned Paul Creston awards in the orchestral field. This book in line with other literary sources highlights the importance of persistence towards achieving individual goals in performing sonata. Personal attributes such as hard work is to be utilized to achieve recognition for music activities especially sonata. This source elaborates the ways through which sonata enhances fame. Sonata’s background on tone and orchestral characteristics in most

Competition and Business Risk Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Competition and Business Risk - Assignment Example he individual reflective report will act as an overview of the strategies that were implemented by Head Start Footwear through the business strategy game (BSG) that was played from year 11 to year 15 on a period of 5 weeks. The major aim of this reflective report is be to make an evaluation of my knowledge of how to run a business by making use of the business strategy game. The report will also highlight how I used the Belbins typology to analyse my team members and myself, the theories that I have found helpful from other courses that studied on my masters programme, and what I have leant in relation to business strategy. Figures and facts retrieved from business strategy game will be provided to support the report’s arguments in the report such as the image rating and investor expectation as shown in the figure below. The business strategy game (BSG) offers me practice to make business decisions. The game also enables me to learn how to come up with strategies for winning in a highly competitive market. It also enables me to be held answerable for my actions, in comparison to the business managers who are held responsible for their firm’s performance in the real world (Thompson, Stappenbeck, & Reidenbach, 2013:33). The other benefit is that we can learn more of the BSG exercise by taking up a role a business expert attempting to attain the best organizational performance by making use of managerial prudence and responsible business approaches (Thompson, Stappenbeck, & Reidenbach, 2013:34). BSG gives the opportunity to put what I have learnt into action in order to gain some expertise in applying the skill of strategic analysis. I was able to access the most recent industry-wide developments, create a long-term direction for my company H, create and attain strategic financial goals, and lastly, I came up with ways of producing best results and possibly result to gaining some competitive advantage. Consequently, there the results for Head Start Footwear

Youtube In school Essay Example for Free

Youtube In school Essay Almost every student and teacher has come across the YouTube ban. In just about every school in the nation,the website, YouTube is banned. Most students are frustrated and find the YouTube ban illogical. YouTube is a great resource for students and teachers alike, it can help them both learn and teach. Allowing the site could greatly improve the way a student is educated. Many people believe that youtube should be allowed in school, and not all of them are students who want to use it to mess around. There are many useful videos on YouTube that are being kept from the youth of America. There is a wide variety of how-to, instructional and other educational videos students could use for projects and research. YouTube could also let students express their creativity through projects that could be viewed by the public. Many educational websites use youtube videos to support the things that are taught in the classroom. An example of this is Khan Academy, which is one of the leading math websites and its owner, Salman Khan, a graduate of MIT and Harvard Business School, teaches a variety of math lessons through â€Å"hands on experience† and by doing the lesson in YouTube videos, which teachers and students don’t have access to. Many social studies/ history videos could aid history teachers in their lesson plans, such as videos from the History Channel, while keeping the kids entertained and still educating them. Many people who believe that youtube should not be allowed in school think that access to the site would simply distract students from their learning experience. The presence of videos that have non-educational, inappropriate, violent or explicit content may cause them to believe that. Students could possibly watch videos such as those during school hours that could distract them, or teach them something not up to par to the DOE standards. Some argue that students or teachers could use it as a form of cyber-bullying and an invasion of privacy. A video could be made putting down a teacher, student or group of students. A video like this could easily be shared and spread through the campus and students. Some videos may show students that did not want to be seen by the public, or their parents didn’t want their child to be â€Å"put on display†. So should YouTube be allowed in schools all around America? I think that the pros of allowing youtube heavily outweigh the cons and that it should be allowed in school. Many will argue that it will not go well but I think that if the staff and faculty of the school monitored the use of the site by the students then any misuse could be prevented and/or stopped. I know that this is a controversial topic and others may have different opinions, so I hope I helped you make up yours. Bibliography http://www. nytimes. com/2012/03/10/education/youtube-finds-a-way-off-schools-banned-list. html? pagewanted=all_r=0 http://people. cornellcollege. edu/MNeef12/ http://www. debate. org/debates/Youtube-should-be-allowed-in-schools-and-not-blocked/1/] http://acrawford24. wordpress. com/2012/09/23/youtube-in-schools-should-it-be-allowed-as-a-teaching-tool/.

Coca Cola Threat of Entrants and Porters Five

Coca Cola Threat of Entrants and Porters Five Rationale: Coca Cola Company continues to work on research/development and focus on making new products. For instance, a can of coke has a secret formula that will be difficult to imitate. Coca Cola products are significant because they make each product unique. Internal Fit/Factors Porter 5 Forces Analysis Threat of Entrants Coca-Cola does have a lot of competitors in the soft drink industry. The threat of entrants is low for the soft drink industry. There are very few entrants who can compete with Coke. In addition, a barrier to entry when entering the soft drink industry would be a high capital investment. If you dont have that high capital investment it would be hard to enter the industry. Coke nearly earns 48% of the soft drink industry and there are no competitors that are nowhere near coca colas distribution. Coca-Cola has over 500 brands of products which are potentially substitutes. To get the point, the buyer can switch from one product to another at no cost under the Coca Cola brand. Nowadays, consumers are really being health-conscious about their health. So they may not be interested in soft drinks but look at tea, juices, milk and even water. Certainly, Coke does have these products on hand. If Coca Cola decides to increase most of their product by a $0.50 increase, it would be very likely, consumers would buy Pepsi products. Coke can lose its profits margin and can have a major impact on the trademark itself if they increase prices. Price is a huge factor to take into consideration with regards to other entrants. The challenge for this organization today and the future is to focus private companies because they can imitate the products and put cheaper prices. Private companies currently earn 14.4% of the soft drink industry. Having strong barriers prevents from this rising situation to happen. One strong barrier to entrant that prevents from coming would be distribution channels. Coca cola has their products everywhere on their store shelves which make it accessible to consumers while new private companies will have a hard time selling their products to wholesalers, retailers, and distributors. Rationale: Entrants are slowly rising to the carbonated soft drink industry and as organization must find new barriers. Coca-Cola should continue to develop their brand loyalty worldwide and convince consumers to have reliability in their products. Barriers to entry One of the 5 forces that shape the soft drink industry is barriers to entry. The Coca Cola company says on its website it is facing strong competition from well-established global companies and many local participants. For this particular industry, the competitive forces are benign, (favourable). Most of the companies in the soft drink industry are profitable. The Coca Cola companys main competitors are Dr.Pepper, Nestle and Pepsico. These companies definitely have the advantage over there competitors. In porters 5 forces, Porter refers to supply-side economies of scale, where firms such as the CCC and Pepsico can produce at large volumes enjoy lower costs per unit because they can spread fixed costs over more units, employ more efficient technology, or command better terms from suppliers. According to Porters article, supply-side scale economies deter entry by forcing the aspiring entrant either to come in the industry on a large scale, which requires dislodging entrenched competito rs. How does a newcomer circumvent the barriers to soft drink industry? Perhaps create new distribution channels of their own. Creating a niche market for their drink in the form of marketing to a certain segment in the soft drink industry. Competitive Rivalry Competitive rivalry is between two main competitors the Coca Cola Company and Pepsico to satisfy the taste of consumers in this industry. Last month Beverage Digest reported that Pepsi-Colas market share fell 0.5 percentage point while Diet Coke slipped just 0.1 percentage point in the U.S. supermarkets, convenience stores and other retail outlets. The two companies have fought over the past decade to win market share from one another as overall sales dropped. This relates to Porters article on the 5 competitive forces that shape strategy. There is an intense rivalry between these two companies. According to porter high rivalry, limits the profitability of the industry. The Coca Cola Company and Pepsico are competing based on brand image. Power of the buyers One of the 5 forces of porter is buyers the power of the, for Coca Cola Company the power of the buyers is high. They play an important role in the Company process because they are part of the distribution process of the company. They play an important role in distributing the system so it can reach the consumers. They are part of the company and the process. They are part of the strategy used by the company. Power of the suppliers Another of the 5 forces of porter is the suppliers. As well they play an important role in the company process so they have a high power. They have a high power because they also play an important part of the process of the soft drinks. If they decided to boycott the company it will caused them serious damages. There will be a cost to switch suppliers because they will have to build a relationship since 0 and might lost incomes for doing that. External Fit (Diamond E. Model) Management Preferences The senior management team wants to increase the efficiency and effectiveness in the production and bottling sector. With regards to economies of scale, Coke continues to increase production at a low cost. As production of Coca Cola products increase, the cost of producing each unit falls. Moreover, the senior management continues to think about new products (in addition to their 500 products), develop beverages, make new programs and promotions, and meet the needs of customers. The senior management continues to strive for sustainability in their organization. Coca cola recently launched their plant bottle packaging, which basically means they have created their PET bottles from plant based materials. Hence, makes their product 100% recyclable. Muhtar Kent, chief operating officer continues his obligation with sustainability. In 10 years, he plans to reduce coca colas emission by a half. To continue improving performance, Coca-Cola continues to update their technology with regards to quality control. As well continue using better material for their products. In addition, this organization is starting to develop their products in rural areas of the world. The senior management team wants to let consumers know that they are the most trusted carbonated soft drink company and strive to achieve leadership in corporate sustainability. Rationale: The main preferences for Muhtar Kent, CEO, wants to develop and raise their brands, enhance revenue growth and increase productivity within their products. Resources The resources on the Coca Cola Company according to the Diamond E. Model are first the all the resources that the company have to keep on growing and innovating. From the shareholders to the investors, etc. The company has used many of these resources to create healthy products or bio friendly products. They are aware that many of their ingredients comes from the environment and the nature so they are trying to created a friendly environment where the environment is being look after. They have different programs that are meant to help the environments to maintain the natural resources of the land. This is very important because if one of the products they use is gone they wont be able to produce the product anymore. Organization What is the structure, leadership and unique features of the Coca Cola Company in relation to Fry/Killing Diamond E Model. It is what is referred to as the Coca Cola system, which comprises 300 bottling partners worldwide. The coca cola system operates through multiple local channels, the company manufactures and sells its concentrate, beverage bases and syrups to bottling operations, owns the brands and responsible for consumer brand marketing initiatives. The bottling partners manufacture, package, merchandise and distribute the final branded beverages to customers and vending partners, who then sell the products to consumers. It is no wonder the coca cola company has one of the best distribution systems in the world and the ability to penetrate in markets where no company can duplicate is attribute to the structure and leadership at the Coca Cola company. The other unique aspect is the relationship it has with its bottling partners, who in turn works closely with customers, like g rocery stores, restaurants, street vendors, convenience stores, movie theatres, and amusement parks to execute localized strategies developed in partnership with the company. Part 2 The strategic job we chose for our organization was Brand manager and the requisite job we chose was a Truck Driver/Vending Machine Supplier. Requisite Job at Coca Cola: Truck Driver/Vending Machine Supplier The requisite job for the Coca Cola company we agreed to use was the truck driver/vending machine supplier. This type of worker requires high school education, has to be licensed to drive a truck, may involve some lifting and moving heavy case of soft drinks. It would be an asset to be in good physical condition. But it is not a requirement. The job incumbent must be personable, because you are dealing with customers and consumers of the company on a daily basis. It would be ideal to hire from within the company a group of truck driver/vending machine suppliers, but due to the supply of this type of worker. We will hire from outside the company. It is easy to hire from a pool of truck driver/vending machine stockers. Duties Responsible for delivering product and filling vending machines at all points of availability. Collects and is accountable for money Check accuracy and stability of the load Restock machine to proper level, maintaining accuracy in stock levels Invoice and collection of monies Securing company assets Ensure the machines are clean and in good working order Ensure compliance with regulatory and company policies and procedures Settle all accounts daily Ensure product codes and Health codes are adhere to Report damage to machines Load supplies in a vehicle, such as a truck Establish and maintain good customer relations with business owners and operators Knowledge/Skills/Attributes/other attributes of a Truck Driver/Vending Machine Supplier Knowledge knowledge of the English language Able to provide customer service and interpersonal relationships on one on one basis. able to provide and identify customer service needs in a group dynamic situation. being able to evaluate quickly customer service needs and know how to meet those needs knowledge of simple mathematics and statistics knowledgeable of relevant equipment and company safety policies and procedures. able to understand and read provincial regulations, regarding the safe operation of a vehicle Skills active listening speaking Critical thinking Coordination Service orientation Judgement and Decision-making Writing Abilities Oral comprehension Good Vision Ability for good oral expression Speech clarity Written Comprehension Control Precision Depth Perception Other Attributes Ability to perform and work directly with the Public Able to deal with external customers Able to have Face-to-Face discussions Able to work with a group or team Is able to work outdoors, exposure to all types of weather Able to handle the daily contact with the same people in a professional and polite manner Labour Market for a Coca Cola Truck Driver/Vending Machine Supplier Based on the duties and KSAOs of this type of work at the Coca Cola company. We are not just looking to hire any driver. They need to have the experience in dealing with customers and the public. They must be committed to working for the company, because we are going to be testing the potential hirees. The testing will be based on questions about our companys occupational health procedures and equipment operation. The potential hirees will be tested on English language proficiency and Mathematics problem-solving etc They will also be quizzed on customer service skills. What type of interpersonal skills do they possess? This type of job consists of daily contact with customers and business owners. We will give provide further training for those drivers/vending suppliers at the companys expense. Based on these requirements for the job, we will need to find certain individuals that possess a high school diploma, with a clean driving record. The company is confident that we will find the se talented people to come and work for the Coca Cola company. The CCC will provide the additional training to enhance skills such English, written and oral comprehension. The training will also involve a simulation of driving a Coca cola delivery truck. How to handle tight corners for example, or driving on the highway, avoiding dangerous maneuvers, while changing lanes. We at Coca Cola believe we can, attract and retain this type of driver. They will go through Coca Cola University, and once they complete their goals with a certificate. They will have the ability to work anywhere in Canada and the U.S. The company believes by showing that commitment and belief to our people in this case, our truck driver/vending suppliers, we have created a our own market. Benefits The benefits are: Training: at the Coca cola university for only selected hirees. Health, Dental, Vision Plan -an employee who requires work-life balance, can ask for it. This might involve parental leave or personal leave program. It is our belief at our company that we have invested time and training for our employees, in order to retain and attract future employees this is one benefit at the coca cola company will a mainstay. We also have wellness programs, so our employees have the option of going into a fitness program at the no cost to them. We have financial planning benefits that our Truck driver/vending suppliers can take advantage of, so they can plan for the a secure future for their families. Compensation We would start the new hirees at $13 hourly rate,work, after one year to $15/hr- enventually topping at $30/hr. The performance pay would be based on individual performance. We are designing the merit bonuses into the compensation package. One form of a bonus incentive could be showing up for work consistently. Or we could gear it to production like serving a number of vending machines or a certain number of clients. The other options are, since this type of work involves excellent customer service skills, we could start to give bonuses to employees who score high on customer service. Another type of bonus, could be about minimizing errors by truck delivery personnel on the most efficient routes for delivering products of Coca cola. We would also encourage the participation of employees on what type of bonuses they like to attain. Research has shown that employees who work to challenging but attainable goals, especially when they had a role in formulating these goals-outperform those without specific work goals

The Humor of Pride and Prejudice :: Pride Prejudice Essays

The Humor of Pride and Prejudice         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Of all the novels that Jane Austen has written, critics consider Pride and Prejudice to be the most comical. Humor can be found everywhere in the book; in it's character descriptions, imagery, but mostly in it's conversations between characters.   Her novels were not only her way of entertaining people but it was also a way to express her opinions and views on what surrounded her and affected her.   Her novels were like editorials.  Ã‚   Austen uses a variety of comic techniques to express her own view on characters, both in her book and in her society that she lived in. We, the readers are often the object of her ridicule, and Austen makes the readers view themselves in a way which makes it easy for the reader to laugh at themselves. She introduces caricatures and character foils to further show how ridiculous a character may be. Pride and Prejudice has many character foils to exaggerate a characters faults or traits.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Austen also uses irony quite often to inform the readers on her own personal opinions. The comic techniques caricatures, irony, and satire, not only helped to provide humor for Austen's readers, but they also helped Austen to give her own personal opinion on public matters.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When an action is exaggerated on stage by an actor, it becomes all the more noticeable to the audience.   An author can exaggerate a character in order to make fun of them.   Austen exaggerates many of her characters and therefore makes caricatures of them in order to emphasize their ridiculousness. Mrs. Bennet is such a character.   Her extremely unpleasant manner and reactions causes readers to delight in the situations which Mrs. Bennet places herself into. Mrs. Bennet's harsh tongue and simple mind causes the reader to laugh, because it is so exaggerated that the reader thinks that such a person cannot exist.   Mr. Collins is another exaggerated character in the novel.   But would such characters seem humorous without somebody to react to them?   Not at all. Such exaggeration works only when you place them besides another character who seems very real.   Mrs.   Bennet is placed besides her husband to make her look all the more ridiculous and Mr.

Treatment of Women throughout Othello Essay -- Othello essays

Treatment of Women  throughout Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚   Lamentably, sexism raises its ugly head even in such an unquestionably great tragedy as William Shakespeare’s Othello.   Let us pursue a study of the problem in this essay.      In William Shakespeare: The Tragedies, Paul A. Jorgensen describes the sexist â€Å"brothel scene† in Othello:    The â€Å"brothel scene† (4.2), sadistically cruel because in it he talks to Desdemona as to a whore, is yet full of tearful agony and even ardent tenderness. It redeems him in his wish that heaven were trying him with affliction – a theologically saving belief; and it opens momentarily his heart when he sees his worst affliction – without which he could bear the ordeal – being discarded from â€Å"there where I have garnered up my heart† (4.2.57). (65)    In the opening scene, while Iago is expressing his hatred for the general Othello for his selection of Michael Cassio for the lieutenancy, he contrives a plan to partially avenge himself (â€Å"I follow him to serve my turn upon him†), with Roderigo’s assistance, by alerting Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, to the fact of his daughter’s elopement with Othello: â€Å"Call up her father, / Rouse him: make after him, poison his delight [. . .] .† Implied in this move is the fact of a father’s assumed control over the daughter’s choice of a marriage partner. Iago’s warning to the senator follows closely: â€Å"'Zounds, sir, you're robb'd; for shame, put on your gown; / Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul.† This statement also implies that the father has authority over the daughter. Brabantio’s admonition to Roderigo implicitly expresses the same message:    The worser welcome:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I have charged thee not to haunt about my doors: .. ... lie;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   She false with Cassio! (5.2)    Then she accuses him of causing murder: â€Å"And your reports have set the murder on.† Emilia’s stunning interrogation and conviction of her own husband as the evil mastermind behind the murder reverses the sexist image of women underlying the play. Her performance proves that women are guided by reason to the same extent, or even greater than, men; and that men are passion-driven moreso than are women. The tables are turned on sexism at the very climax of the drama!    WORKS CITED       Jorgensen, Paul A. William Shakespeare: The Tragedies. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1985.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.      

Death Penalty And The Eighth Amendment :: essays research papers

Death Penalty and The Eighth Amendment The expression â€Å"an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth† has taken on a whole new meaning. Lately, murderers have been getting a punishment equal to their crime, death. In 1967, executions in the United States were temporarily suspended to give the federal appellate courts time to decide whether or not the death penalty was unconstitutional. Then, in 1972, the United States Supreme Court ruled in the case of â€Å"Furman versus Georgia† that the death penalty violated the Eight Amendments. According to the Eighth Amendment, â€Å"Excessive bail shall not be required, no excessive fines imposed, nor cruel or unusual punishments inflicted.† After the Supreme Court made this ruling, states reviewed their death penalty laws. In 1976, in the case of â€Å"Gregg versus Georgia† the Supreme Court ruled state death penalty laws were not unconstitutional. Presently in the United States the death penalty can only be used as punishment for intentional killing. Still, the death penalty violates the Eighth Amendment and should be outlawed in the United States.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Currently in the United States there are five methods used for executing criminals: the electric chair, gas chamber, lethal injection, hanging, and firing squad, each of them equally cruel and unusual in there own ways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When a person is sentenced to death by electrocution he strapped to a chair and electrodes are attached to his head and leg. The amount of voltage is raised and lowered a few times and death is supposed to occur within three minutes. Three whole minutes with electricity flowing through someone's body, while his flesh burns. Three minutes may not seem like a very long time, but to someone who is waiting for his body to die, three minutes can feel like an eternity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Three minutes is the approximate time it takes for a person to die if everything goes right, but in some cases it takes longer for people to die. In 1990, Jesse Tafero, a prisoner in Florida, remained conscious for four minutes while witnesses watched ashes fall from his head. In Georgia in 1984, it took nearly twenty minutes for Alpha Otis Stephens to die. At 12:18 am on December 12, he was shocked with electricity for two minutes, and his body still showed signs of life. The doctors had to wait six minutes to examine his body because it was too hot to touch. Stephens was still alive, so he was electrocuted for another two minutes. Finally at 12:37 am doctors pronounced him dead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When a person is executed in the gas chamber he is strapped to a chair

How Accurate Is Eyewitness Testimony Essay

The bedrock of the American judicial process is the honesty of witnesses in trial. Eyewitness testimony can make a deep impression on a jury, which is often exclusively assigned the role of sorting out credibility issues and making judgments about the truth of witness statements. In the U. S. , there is the possibility of over 5,000 wrongful convictions each year because of mistaken eyewitness identifications. The continuous flow of media stories that tell of innocent people being incarcerated should serve as a signal to us that the human identification process is rife with a large number of error risks. These risks have been largely supported by research. Unfortunately, a jury rarely hears of the risks; therefore, eyewitness testimony remains a much-used and much-trusted process by those who are uninformed — many times, lawfully uninformed. In cases in which eyewitness testimony is used, more often than not, an expert will not be allowed to testify to the faults of eyewitness identification. Thus, the uninformed stay blissfully ignorant of the inherent risks involved in eyewitness identification testimony. Too often, these blissfully ignorant people make up a jury of our peers. (McAtlin, 1999). According to McAtlin, there are three parts of an eyewitness testimony: (1) Witnessing a crime – as a victim or a bystander – involves watching the event while it is happening. (2) The witness must memorize the details of the occurrence. (3) The witness must be able to accurately recall and communicate what he or she saw. Studies of wrongful conviction cases have concluded that erroneous eyewitness identifications are by far the leading cause of convicting the innocent. Several studies have been conducted on human memory and on subjects’ propensity to remember erroneously events and details that did not occur. When human beings try to acquire, retain and retrieve information with any clarity, suppositional influences and common human failures profoundly limit them. The law can regulate some of these human limitations — others are unavoidable. The â€Å"unavoidable† ones can make eyewitness testimony devastating in the courtroom and can lead to wrongful convictions. Unfortunately, memories are not indelibly stamped onto a â€Å"brain video cassette tape. An event stored in the human memory undergoes constant change. Some details may be altered when new or different information about the event is added to the existing memory. Some details are simply forgotten and normal memory loss occurs continually. Even so, witnesses often become more confident in the correctness of their memories over time. The original memory has faded and has been replaced with new information. This new information has replaced the original memory because the natural process of memory deterioration has persisted. Furthermore, individual eyewitnesses vary widely in infallibility and reasoning. . (McAtlin, 1999). Studies of wrongful conviction cases have concluded that erroneous eyewitness identifications are by far the leading cause of convicting the innocent. For example, the Innocence Project of Cardozo School of Law reports that of the first 130 exonerations, 101 (or 77. 8 percent) involved mistaken identifications. But exactly how often eyewitnesses make tragic mistakes that lead to the punishment of innocent persons is unknown and probably unknowable. One of the infamous cases where mistaken identity led to the wrongful conviction and execution was Gary Graham. Graham’s case received widespread attention, in part because of substantial evidence indicating that he was innocent of the murder charge, and the indisputable fact that his court-appointed trial lawyer failed to mount a serious legal defense. Graham was convicted of killing grocery store clerk Bobby Lambert on May 13, 1981 during a robbery attempt. Graham was 17 years old at the time. There was no physical evidence linking him to the crime and only one eyewitness who identified him as the murderer. Eyewitnesses who told police investigators Graham was not the killer were never called to testify at trial by Graham’s lawyer. Constitutional Protections In Neil v. Biggers, the U. S. Supreme Court established criteria that jurors may use to evaluate the reliability of eyewitness identifications. The Biggers Court enumerated several factors to determine if a suggestive identification is reliable: (1) the witness’s opportunity to view the suspect; (2) the witness’s degree of attention; (3) the accuracy of description; (4) the witness’s level of certainty; and (5) the time between incident and confrontation, i. . , identification. Courts today continue to allow into evidence suggestive identification testimony. Currently, courts consider the admissibility of identification testimony under a Fourteenth Amendment procedural due process analysis. If a court determines that a pretrial identification was unnecessarily suggestive, it then ascertains whether the su ggestive procedure gave rise to a substantial likelihood of irreparable misidentification. A court will find a substantial likelihood of irreparable misidentification only if the identification is found to be unreliable. Therefore, even if the court concludes that a police identification procedure was suggestive, it may be admissible if the court finds that the identification is nevertheless likely to be accurate. A court will balance the suggestiveness of the identification procedure against the likelihood that the identification is correct, resulting in an unprincipled rule of law that turns on the court’s subjective assessment of the defendant’s guilt. Issues That Impact an Individuals Testimony A specific look at how memory functions and how suggestion operates llustrates why participation in unregulated lineups creates unreasonable risks of misidentification. Identification procedures differ from other police investigatory procedures in that they solely rely on human memory. Human memory consists of three basic systems: (1) encoding, (2) storage, and (3) retrieval. â€Å"Encoding† is the initial processing of an event that results in a memory. â€Å"Storage† is the re tention of the encoded information. â€Å"Retrieval† is the recovery of the stored information. Errors can occur at each step. Contrary to common understanding of memory, not everything that registers in the central nervous system is permanently stored in the mind and particular details become increasingly inaccessible over time. According to Loftus and Ketchum, â€Å"Truth and reality, when seen through the filters of our memories, are not objective facts but subjective, interpretive realities. † Because these processes are unconscious, individuals generally perceive their memories as completely accurate and their reporting of what they remember as entirely truthful, no matter how distorted or inaccurate they, in fact, may be. An individual’s memories become distorted even in the absence of external suggestion or internal personal distress. Naturally, people tailor their telling of events to the listener and the context. (Loftus & Ketchum 1991). Many conditions such as fear, lighting, distance from the event, surprise, and personal biases all affect memory and recall. Human memory is indeed delicate, especially regarding victims and witnesses of crimes. Fear and traumatic events may impair the initial acquisition of the memory itself. At the time of an identification, the witness is often in a distressed emotional state. Many victims and witnesses experience substantial shock because of their traumatic experiences that continue to affect them at the time of identification procedures. In a particular case in court, the psychologist can determine the reliability of the evidence of a particular witness and enable the judge and the jury to put the proper value on such witness’s testimony. For example, a witness may swear to a certain point involving the estimation of time and distance. The psychologist can measure the witness’s accuracy in such estimates, often showing that what the witness claims to be able to do is an impossibility. A case may hinge on whether an interval of time was ten minutes or twelve minutes, or whether a distance was three hundred or four hundred feet. A witness may swear positively to one or both of these points. The psychologist can show the court the limitations of the witness in making such estimates. Overview of Psychology and Law The service of psychology to law can be very great, but owing to the necessary conservatism of the courts, it will be a long time before they will make much use of psychological knowledge. Perhaps the greatest service will be in determining the credibility of evidence. Psychology can now give the general principles in this matter. Witnesses go on the stand and swear to all sorts of things as to what they heard and saw and did, often months and even years previously. The expert clinical psychologist can tell the court the probability of such evidence being true. Experiments have shown that there is a large percentage of error in such evidence. The additional value that comes from the oath has been measured. The oath increases the liability of truth only a small percentage. Psychologists sometimes provide expert testimony in the form of general testimony where theory and research is described and applied to a problem before the court. The expert would not provide opinions about any party involved in the case before the court, but might give opinions about substantive research that is relevant to the issues. Role of Psychology Professional in Forensic Matters Clinical-forensic psychologists are employed in a variety of settings including state forensic hospitals, court clinics, mental health centers, jails, prisons, and juvenile treatment centers. Clinical-forensic psychologists are perhaps best known for their assessment of persons involved with the legal system. Because of their knowledge of human behavior, abnormal psychology, and psychological assessment, psychologists are sometimes asked by the courts to evaluate a person and provide the court with an â€Å"expert opinion,† either in the form of a report or testimony. For example, clinical-forensic psychologists frequently evaluate adult criminal defendants or children involved in the juvenile justice system, offering the court information that might be relevant to determining (1) whether the defendant has a mental disorder that prevents him or her from going to trial, (2) what the defendant’s mental state may have been like at the time of the criminal offense, or (3) what treatment might be indicated for a particular defendant who has been convicted of a crime or juvenile offense. Increasingly, clinical-forensic psychologists are being called upon to evaluate defendants who have gone to trial and who have been found guilty and for whom one of the sentencing options is the death penalty. In this case, psychologists are asked to evaluate the mitigating circumstances of the case and to testify about these as they relate to the particular defendant. Clinical-forensic psychologists also evaluate persons in civil (i. e. , non-criminal) cases. These psychologists may evaluate persons who are undergoing guardianship proceedings, to assist the court in determining whether the person has a mental disorder that affects his or her ability to make important life decisions (e. g. , managing money, making health care decisions, making legal decisions). Clinical-forensic psychologists also evaluate persons who are plaintiffs in lawsuits, who allege that they were emotionally harmed as a result of someone’s wrongdoing or negligence. Clinical-forensic psychologists may evaluate children and their parents in cases of divorce, when parents cannot agree about the custody of their children and what is best for them. Clinical-forensic psychologists are sometimes called on to evaluate children to determine whether they have been abused or neglected and the effects of such abuse or neglect, and offer the court recommendations regarding the placement of such children. In addition to forensic assessment, clinical-forensic psychologists are also involved in treating persons who are involved with the legal system in some capacity. Jails, prisons, and juvenile facilities employ clinical psychologists to assess and treat adults and juveniles who are either awaiting trial, or who have been adjudicated and are serving a sentence of some type. Treatment in these settings is focused both on mental disorders and providing these persons with skills and behaviors that will decrease the likelihood that they will re-offend in the future. Clinical-forensic psychologists employed in mental health centers or in private practice may also treat persons involved in the legal system, providing either general or specialized treatment (e. g. treatment of sex offenders, treatment of violent or abusive persons, and treatment of abuse victims). Conclusion Studies confirm that unregulated eyewitness testimony is often â€Å"hopelessly unreliable. † Misidentifications are the greatest single source of wrongful convictions in the United States. Yet courts’ current due process analyses are unsuccessful in ensuring fair procedures and preventing wrongful convictions. A due process analysis alone is inadequate, in part because a due process analysis is essentially a fairness inquiry, and courts regard it as unfair to exclude a correct, yet suggestive identification, from evidence.

Drama Essay English 102 Essay

In A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen Nora (protagonist), lives a lifestyle that complies with the social standards of a typical wife during the late nineteenth century. She follows a patriarchal lifestyle in which her husband, Torvald Helmer (antagonist) is dominant. Furthermore, she doesn’t see that her marriage to Mr. Helmer is an illusion. Tarvold belittles and disempowers her throughout the play. However, at the end of the play she is no longer blind and sees that Mr. Helmer only cares for himself. Ibsen provides a clear example of Nora’s disempowerment in her lifestyle as a woman during the late 19th century. In 1879 women were not allowed to sign a contract for a loan without a male cosigner. Mrs. Helmer needed to take out a loan to pay for Tarvolds trip to Italy due to is illness at the time. Nora didn’t want her father to know about the loan because he was â€Å"on his death bed† (840). She didn’t want Mr. Helmer to know about the loan, because he wouldn’t take the money, he didn’t want to be in debt to a woman. Therefore she took the contract and forged her dieing fathers signature Another example of Nora’s disempowerment that Ibsen provides the audience with is Nora’s marriage to Torvald. First, he constantly belittles her by calling her pet names of insignificant animals such as squirrel or songbird (823). Another example is Mr. Helmer not allowing Mrs. Helmer to eat macaroons, which he claims are bad for her teeth. In Tkatchev 2 addition, when he suspects her of eating a macaroon he treats her as if she was a child (825). An example of Tarvolds feeding off of Nora’s helplessness is when she practices the Tarantella but she acts as if she doesn’t know what she is doing and desperately asks Tarvold to teach her. However in reality she was stalling him from checking his mailbox in which lies the letter from Krogstad stating the details of Nora’s forgery (859-860).. Although Nora is constantly disempowered and belittled by Tarvold, she is very submissive to Tarvold and believes that her marriage is a success. Although Nora is constantly disempowered and belittled by Tarvold, she is very submissive to Tarvold and believes that her marriage is a success. Although Nora is blind, because she doesn’t see that her marriage to Torvald is an illusion. At the end of the play Nora finds out what kind of person Mr. Helmer really is. After Torvald opens and reads the first letter from Krogstad he is astonished and the first words that came out of Nora’s mouth after Tarvold â€Å"flings open the door† â€Å"I won’t let you save me† (870). She is expecting for him to defend her because she committed a crime. However, it is the opposite he belligerently insults her and continually carries on about himself and his reputation. In addition, even when she implies suicide â€Å"When I’m gone from the world you’ll be free† (871), Tarvold implies if it was beneficial to him, he would let her do it; however, it doesn’t so she shouldn’t. After Tavold reads the second letter he quickly â€Å"forgives† Nora because the letter states that Krogstad will disregard the fraud and he will not file any charges. The second letter was written thanks to Mrs. Linde, who suggested that he still keep the letter stating the forgery and write a letter stating that he will disregard the forgery. The reason that she wanted the first letter to Tkatchev 3 reach Mr. Helmer is because she wanted the truth to be known. However it’s too late because Nora finally â€Å"opened her eyes†. After seeing Torvalds reaction the blind, submissive, powerless, Nora understood that Mr. Helmer only cares about himself. Therefore, she opened her eyes and changed to the complete opposite of the Nora that the audience met in the beginning of the play. Nora went from being submissive to unyielding. Instead of keeping to herself she began to voice her opinion. For example â€Å"For eight whole years – longer in fact since we first met, we have never talked seriously to each other about a single serious thing.† (873) Not only does Nora finally see what her marriage is really about, she also decided to leave Torvald forever. Clearly showing power and independence Tarvold begs her to stay and use the children as an excuse. However Nora responds by stating that the maid knows the house and the children better then she ever did. After reading this play I believe that the second translation (A Dolls’ House) is better then the first (A Doll’s House). Because, the first translation means singular, in reference to Nora. However, the second translation means plural in reference to both Nora and Tarvold. In my opinion both Nora and Tarvold are both, being dolls, victims of society and social standards. They followed a patriarchal rule within their family, which met with the social norms during that time period. Where Tarvold is the dominant, bread winner, husband and Nora is the submissive, entertainment, wife. If their social standard of society during that era, are now looked upon as immoral and wrong, does that mean that the people of the next era will look at our social standards of society and social norms and as immoral and wrong?

Parents Against Education: Unschooling

The topic of radical unschooling is important for a number of reasons. It deals with a very important matter, which is the education and rearing of children. It calls the integrity of public schools into question and the importance of a curriculum. It also questions or disregards the need to guide children at all through life. The world in general does not look fondly upon radical unschooling. Most people see it as neglect. The people who choose this lifestyle for their family bring up a few arguments and have philosophies that, in theory, make sense. They say that unschooling is good for children because it allows them to naturally learn for themselves at their own pace and in their own environment. Radical unschooolers extend their beliefs to everyday life. They believe that it is best for children to freely learn and express themselves without guidance and outside pressure. The children of parents who practice this form of education, or un-education, mostly get to decide what is best for themselves and have very little, if any, rules at all. Parents who radically unschool their children argue that children are â€Å"natural learners† and this is the best way for children to learn because it gives them real-life experiences and helps them to grow their own intellect. However, it has been proven that children require guidance and structure that this form of education has time and time again shown that it does not provide. One large problem with radical unschooling is the lack of structure and care provided for the child. Though radical unschoolers argue that they do not neglect their children and they provide helpful advice and suggestions, this is not exactly what children need. It has been proven that children really need structure and a definite routine to feel comfortable. According to Kathy Eugster, a registered child and family psychologist, structure is very important in the lives of children. Not only does it help to assert parental authority, it also helps children feel safe and secure. Also according to Eugster, children who come from chaotic and uncontrolled households have a harder time with healthy development. Unschoolers make the argument that their form of education is best in the long run because children will adapt better to life in the real-world. The real world does not coddle adults as they may have been throughout their childhood, so the adjustment could be difficult for some. However, structure is also a large part of the adult world. Also, as children grow into teens and then become adults, they learn more to think on their own, especially if they are encouraged to do so within a structured environment when they are young. These things are found to be true in a study entitled, â€Å"Chaotic homes and school achievement,† performed by King’s College London, The Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Center. Children living in the environmental confusion and unpredictability of high levels of family chaos (i. e. noise, disorder and human traffic) have lower expectations, lack of persistence and a tendency to withdraw from academic challenge. The level of family chaos affects early reading skill, even after considering other home environmental factors relevant to children's mastery of reading. Parents who radically unschool say that their children are in control of their lives. This becomes a problem because parents are not teaching their children how they are expected to act in public. They are not able to socially interact with other people and often act in a way that most of society frowns upon. Quinn Cummings, the author of the book, â€Å"The Year of Learning Dangerously,† who unschooled her daughter for some time, recounts some of her experiences while attending a Radical Unschooler’s Conference. She said that when she was there, she witnessed children stripping down to nothing and running around a crowded room, as their parents did nothing. Also, she saw one four year old girls get up and hit another child as her mother looked on, not saying a word. Most radical unschoolers will argue that these things rarely ever happen. However, many people have recounted experiences where things like this do happen. It is not very uncommon to see behavior like this from children of parents who radially unschool. One mother expressed fear of her children playing with the children who were radically unschooled down the street from them because they were so violent. Without proper guidance, children are not able to know what behaviors are really appropriate and which ones are not. Also, schooling your children in an environment void of other children can become a problem. Since they are not exposed to different types of people, such as, different races, religious, and economic backgrounds, they can become intolerant. This becomes especially true since they are not being taught about these things if they do not express interest in them. Though the children are encouraged to â€Å"become their own person† so to speak, they can still act out the behaviors and have similar thoughts that the people in their environment have as they grow older. For example, in the essay â€Å"Group Minds,† Dorris Lessing makes the point that we all live our lives out in groups, whether it is a school, family, etc. It becomes very easy for people in this situation to fall prey to thought that they are their own person with individual thoughts and are not subject to other people's ideas infiltrating how they think. Even though unschooling parents say that their method of teaching is best because it prepares children for the real-world, they seem to skip over one of the most important parts of adulthood, understanding other cultures. Another issue within unschooling is general inability of being able to do it. This could be from a number of reasons. Many people do not have the money, resources, or knowledge to do this. Radical unschools make the point that if there is a will, there is a way. While this sounds nice, most two income houses are not able to live off of just one income. It is almost impossible for a single parent to switch of unschooling unless they become their own boss. Many people do not feel comfortable when not using a curriculum in teaching their children. By definition and through all of its philosophies, there is no curriculum for unschooling, especially radical unschooling. Also, many people do not feel that they have the proper knowledge to be able to teach their children, especially without a proper guideline of what they should be teaching. Honestly, many people do not find that they are properly qualified to teach someone else. An argument that is made often is that children have more options to explore things they want to do. While this is true, if the child does not express interest in it, parents are not supposed to make them pursue anything. Also, if a child decides they are not interested in anything, they very often end up sitting in front of the television or playing video games all day. This is not a radical step in the right direction, it is actually radically unhealthy. Allowing children to take interest in solely what they want is a main component in radical unschooling. In her essay, â€Å"When Bright Girls Decide that Math is a Waste of Time,† Susan Jacoby talks about how not being able to use math and science is detrimental to society. If a child decides that math and science are not important and only wants to color, that does not mean it is right to let them do so. Avoidance of math and science has the potential to limit job potential in the future, as well as, making a child feel inadequate when someone possesses more knowledge than them. Children learning to read can also go along with this. Many unschooling families had expressed concern with their child's unwillingness to read, or inability to catch on. Also, because part of the philosophy is for children to do things at their own pace, this can really be a hinderance. Often, they are behind and unable to excel in other subjects because they just cannot figure out reading. This also serves to greatly limit children and what they are able to do. Overall, radical unschooling is a bad idea. While the philosophies seem to be in the best interest of the child, most of the time, they are not practical. Numerous studies have proven time and time again that structure, routine, and true guidance are all important for children. Also, always allowing children to do activities that will not help to intellectually serve them is really hindering, not helping them. Without exposure to different types of people, children can become intolerant and in general stuck within themselves while not being concerned with other people. This is especially true if all they have been taught all of their lives is to do whatever they want to do. It is a great possibility that these children could grow up to be the kind of people who do not care for others, education, or and kind of structure. That is not the kind of future that is best for children.