The President’s National Drug Control Strategy

The National Drug Control Strategy was announced by the Bush administration during the first quarter of 2002. It is believed that the strategy was devised because of the perceived loss of â€Å"the national will to fight against substance abuse. † This perception resulted from a dismal situation recently occurring in the country. For instance, the findings of the â€Å"Monitoring the Future Survey† which was conducted by the University of Michigan showed that 26 out of 100 eight grade pupils admitted to trying illegal drugs at one time or another. In addition to this sad reality, it was observed that many drug dependents in the United States do not get the treatment required to help them get rid of their addiction. Faced with such a grim state of affairs, President Bush declared his belief that â€Å"the time has come to re-energize the national movement against illegal drugs †¦[by making up] lost ground in the fight against drugs by applying the lessons of our recent history – emphasizing a balance between supply and demand reduction effort† (U. S. Office of the Press Secretary, 2002). It is clear, therefore, that the President’s intention is not only to reduce the use of illegal drugs in the country by reducing the number of drug dependents, but also to trim down the supply of drugs entering the country. To achieve this twofold objective, the strategy was based on the following principles, namely: â€Å"stopping drug use before it starts; healing America’s drug users; and disrupting the mark et† (U. S. Office of the Press Secretary, 2002). The strategy maintains that in the struggle against illegal substances, every citizen has a vital role to play in â€Å"stopping drug use before it starts. † This could be undertaken through education as well as community-wide efforts. Specifically, the strategy emphasizes that everybody should be an advocate for responsible citizenship. In other words, wherever he or she is, e. g. in the home, in schools, in his or her church, or in the place where he or she works, a standard should be set to reaffirm this value. In this connection, every individual should do everything to convince everybody to reject the idea that the decision to use illegal drugs is an individual freedom. In the home, the parents are expected to instill in the minds of their children that illegal drugs is evil and would destroy them and their future. The educators should also teach the same value in schools while church authorities are counted on to preach the devastating effects of drugs (U. S. Office of the Press Secretary, 2002). To backstop the efforts of schools and the community, the Office of the President granted an additional $10 million to expand the operations of the â€Å"Drug-Free Communities Support Program† of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), aside from creating a â€Å"Parents Drug Corps† with a budget of $5 million (U. S. Office of the Press Secretary, 2002). In addition, increased funding were also provided to other ONDCP projects, namely: $25 million to the drug testing of students for the year 2003 (a whopping increase of $23 million); $145 million to the anti-drug information efforts of the â€Å"National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign† for its 2005 expansion which would â€Å"include information for teens and parents to promote early intervention against drug use. † The media campaigns are aimed at changing the beliefs prevailing among American teenagers concerning drugs. Meanwhile, the ONDCP said that the additional $10 million budget for the â€Å"Drug-Free Communities Program† would be able to finance an additional 100 community coalitions who would work for the prevention of drug abuse among young Americans, especially in depressed areas of the country (U. S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2004). The strategy also aims to â€Å"heal America’s drug users. † To accomplish this goal, the budget for the â€Å"Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)† for the year 2003 was set at $2. 35 billion, increasing it to $2. 49 billion for 2004, and $2. 4 billion for the year 2005. Of particular interest is the increase of more than $100 million in the 2005 budget of the SAMHSA—Access to Recovery (ATR) program. According to the ONDCP, this will provide financial assistance to drug dependents who wish to avail of â€Å"clinical treatment or recovery services† on a case-to-case basis (U. S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2004). Extending additional assistance to drug dependents would be complemented with the creation of â€Å"a new climate of ‘compassionate coercion’† to get drug abusers to enter the government’s treatment programs. Compassionate coercion would be carried out with the help of the criminal justice system and the circle of family and friends of the drug abusers. According to the President’s strategy, it is now time to â€Å"confront drug use – and therefore drug users – honestly and directly† and every effort should be exerted to urge abusers to â€Å"enter and remain in drug treatment† (U. S. Office of the Press Secretary, 2002). The drug courts program of the Office of Justice Programs was likewise granted an increase of $32 million from its 2004 budget, raising its 2005 funding to $70. million. According to the strategy, this funding increase would improve the chances of success of the drug court programs by widening the scope as well as increasing the quality of the services provided by drug courts. The strategy explained that the drug court programs are serving as alternative solutions to imprisonment which utilizes the â€Å"coercive power of the court to force abstinence and alter [the] behavior† of drug dependents (U. S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2004). In other words, under the strategy, the criminal justice system is interested more in treating and rehabilitating drug abusers rather than putting them behind bars. To further enhance the capability of the criminal justice system in the task of treating and rehabilitating drug abusers, the President’s National Drug Control Strategy also increased the budget of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) from $960. 9 million in 2003 to $990. 8 million for 2004 and more than $1 billion for the year 2005. NIDA is the agency which is tasked with conducting research activities concerning the problem, specifically â€Å"on the nature of addiction, development of science-based behavior interventions, medications development, and the rapid translation of research findings into practice. † This initiative clearly spells out one of the most important roles of law enforcement in the drug policy of the president: that of treating and rehabilitating drug dependents (U. S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2004). Another, equally important role being played by law enforcement in the drug strategy of the president is that of â€Å"disrupting the market and attacking the economic basis of the drug trade,† thereby reducing, if not entirely eliminating, the supply of illegal substance available in or entering the country. For this purpose, at least six government agencies were enlisted, namely: the â€Å"Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF); the Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and the Department of State† (U. S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2004). â€Å"Disrupting the market† means that law enforcement agencies have both domestic and international missions. In the domestic scene, they are tasked not only with arresting drug suppliers and rounding up drug abusers, but also with intensifying the security of our borders to make the entry of drugs more difficult. In the international level, law enforcers are directed to seek out and destroy the supply of drugs in the countries of origin like Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and other countries (U. S. Office of the Press Secretary, 2002). The strategy considers reducing or eliminating the supply to be of paramount importance because less supply would mean that the substance would become more expensive and thus less available to Americans. For this reason, law enforcement agencies has been focusing not only on the â€Å"agricultural sources† of these illegal substances but also on their organizational set-ups, the transportation systems of suppliers and distributors, their â€Å"financing mechanisms† and their processing methods. Adequate knowledge of these things would enable American law enforcement agencies to destroy the drugs at source and easily intercept those that producers are able to ship out of their bases of operations (U. S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2004). The President’s National Drug Control Strategy should be regarded with respect not only because of its awareness of the importance of treating and rehabilitating drug abusers but also because it has correctly pointed out that the complete elimination of the sources of illegal substances is one of the keys to the elimination of the drug problem in the country. The effectiveness of the strategy could be measured in terms of the reduction in the number of drug users and dependents in the country and the reduction or elimination of the supply of illegal substances in the market. Reducing the number of users without eliminating the supply of illegal substances would never be effective since new users and abusers would always crop up.

Electronic Medical Records Essay

Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are becoming more widely used across the healthcare spectrum. One of the reasons for their popularity is the potential that is presented for increasing the quality of care delivered to patients by decreasing handwriting interpretation errors, reducing medication administration errors and eliminating lost charts. Time management is a crucial skill to have as a nurse. It allows for a smooth workflow which translates into quality patient care. Much time can be wasted not only by the nurse signing off illegible handwritten orders, but also by the other nurses that have to help interpret the handwriting. The EMR requires the physician to enter orders electronically, thereby eliminating handwritten orders. Electronic orders are more precise and more accurately followed (Sokol, 2006). Fewer errors make it to the patient, reducing unnecessary tests and increasing the quality of care that patients are receiving. Electronic medication administration records (MAR) are useful in displaying medications due at specific times. Not only is it possible to sort the medications due at one time, the MAR will also alert the nurse to potential drug interactions. Late medications will be displayed in red to be easily seen. If bar coding is implemented, medication errors can be reduced by a range of 60%-97% (Hunter, 2011). A lost chart can be very frustrating while trying to deliver seamless care to a patient. Paper charts are easily misplaced. Since there is only one, if a single provider is using it, no one else of the medical team can view the chart. The EMR can be viewed from any computer with secure internet access or on a handheld device. When the internet is down, a downtime view only access is available. Nursing Involvement Nurses are known as patient advocates. In advocating for their patients, nurses strive for what is best in their patient’s care. Since nurses will be using the EMR most frequently, it is imperative that they are part of the selection and implementation on an EMR. A nurse, on the EMR team, will represent all nursing. Nurses will be accessing the EMR through their shift several times and will become familiar with the layout and workflow and will be able to provide insight into what would work best to ensure quality of care. There is a saying that you don’t know what you don’t know. A nurse knows what she will need and is the best to supply this information. While researching which EMR would be the best for a facility, a nurse can provide information on time saving workflows between systems. Nurses must also be trained as super users to provide a seamless change from paper charting to electronic charting and provide support to fellow nursing staff. A nurse on the EMR team will be able to deliver new information in a way that other nurses are more receptive to. Handheld Devices If nurses were to use handheld devices in delivery of patient care, there would be a noticeable savings of time as well as more accurate charting. Nursing personnel carrying a handheld device would have immediate access to their patients chart to notice new orders, lab results, or medication admission records. The need to review the paper chart repeatedly throughout the day would be eliminated along with the long search that commences every time you have to look for the paper chart. This could add several minutes to a nurse’s time at the bedside, improving patient satisfaction. When vital signs are taken, written on a slip of paper and then transcribed into the paper chart, there are many opportunities for error and delay. Numbers can be transposed, written incorrectly or the wrong patient’s information could go into a chart. With the immediate availability of a handheld device, the information from the vital signs monitor would have the ability to interface into the patient’s chart virtually eliminating late charting and errors. Security Standards The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was initiated in 1996 as a standard for protecting individually identifiable health information (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services). HIPAA requires that all information, either written or electronically, that falls under the criteria is protected from unauthorized viewers. An EMR carries more stringent HIPAA guidelines than a paper chart due to the risks associated with computer based files and there are a few key steps that must be taken to ensure compliance with this act. Access control: each user will have a unique user name and password that must not be shared. Firewall protection must be used on the internet server the hospital utilizes to prevent hackers from obtaining access to protected information. If users are authorized to access patient information from home, there must be a secure server used (Arevalo, 2007). Storage: Data must be encrypted to enhance the security while information is being stored and while it is transferred. Encryption entails protection of files and data that is only viewable to authorized users. Compliance of these regulations should be audited on a regular basis with any violation being swiftly remedied (Medical Records, 2013). Healthcare Costs Purchasing an EMR can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. In order to justify such a large purchase, one must examine the potential ways that money can be saved while using an EMR. After spending hours training users and with a little practice, nurse’s workflows will improve and less time will be wasted. A chart will not have to be searched for, double or triple charting is eliminated by using handheld devices for immediate charting. The quality assurance team will be able to run reports on compliance of core measures and be able to recommend changes to nursing personnel to implement. Fewer medication errors will be made by using the electronic MAR. Most importantly, these time and money saving factors will enhance patient safety. With fewer paper charts to store, valuable space can be remodeled into patient care areas that offer services not previously offered due to space issues (Power, 2013). This will increase revenue for the facility. Comparison Epic offers a computerized management system that is utilized by everyone in the healthcare setting including, nurses, nurse aids, physicians, dietary, radiology, emergency department and the business office. Each department will have a unique look and functionality to their program. There is no need to use multiple systems to gather information on a patient. It can be used in medium size ambulatory settings such as a clinic as well as in a hospital setting for either inpatients or outpatients. With all departments having access to the same information on a patient, errors will be reduced in delivery of patient care. The chance for entering erroneous lab results or miss- documentation will also be reduced with department specific workflows. Not only will this result in better patient care, but also in a nurse’s ability to delivery effective, efficient, quality care without delay. In addition, all physician order entry is electronic, every time. Order sets can be customized for each prescriber, saving time and hassle while maintaining meaningful use and following core measures. For added security, the system can be set to automatically sign a user out after a specified length of time of non-use. And while all of the patient’s information is available to each user, audit trails are left enhancing patient security. Epic has pre-loaded patient teaching materials available as well as the option to custom make information. After visit summaries are easily printed upon discharge and an electronic copy is permanently attached to the chart. Patient would benefit from a facility the uses the Epic system by having access to MyChart. MyChart is a portal of access between a patient and their provider for communication as well as a portable computerized health record. IF a patient were to access care from a facility that does not utilize the Epic system, that patient would have access to MyChart and would then be able to provide critical information that would enhance their care. Another computerized management system available is one from Cerner. This system can be used in all settings in a hospital including nursing. For medication administration, Cerner has available barcode identification of medication to help nursing staff complete their five rights verification prior to administration. It also allows charting at the bedside to enhance accuracy either through a handheld device or a stationary computer. All order entry by physicians is done on the computer allowing the providers to follow built in prompts for allergy information and adverse drug interactions as well as prompts that will aid in the order of care protocols to enhance patient care. Cerner also has a portal designed for patient to have access to their records no matter where they are as well as tracking information for health goals a patient and their provider have established. The portal allows progress tracking and provides information on steps that can be used to help the patient reach their goals. This gives patients more responsibility for their health while providing the incentive needed. Nursing care will be escalated similarly to the way it would be in Epic. Patient information is easily accessible through intuitive workflows allowing nursing staff to make responsible decisions regarding patient care. My recommendation for a computerized management system would be the one available from Cerner. It is the most user friendly for staff including nursing and offers intensive training and yearly upgrades. The different departments systems appear to work together seamlessly resulting in increased savings of time and money (Cerner, 2013).

Discovering the Culture of Inquiry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discovering the Culture of Inquiry - Essay Example The value of research studies, whereby new medicines along with control groups, are tested for various health symptoms at different dosage levels, and then added to a standardized repository, cannot be overstated enough. Nurses use theory-based practices in first interviewing and working with patients to record health issues which are compromising those patients, including their environments. From there, a nurse can utilize the same theory or add on another theory to complement and enhance a treatment program, based on research conducted through the hospital or clinic’s repository of clinical information (Allred, Smith & Flowers, 2004). The Cochrane Center in Oxford, England, along with the Cochrane Collaboration, is one of the largest repository of clinical information which can be accessed by medical personnel nearly everywhere in the world. This, along with nursing theory practices, and researching the latest proven methods of medical practice, provide the best foundation for both nurses and their patients in getting the help they need (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2011). Allred, S.K., Smith, K.F. & Flowers, L. (2004). Electronic Implementation of National Nursing Standards-NANDA, NOC and NIC as an Effective Teaching Tool. Journal of Healthcare Information Management, 18(4). Available at

Quatitative Data Anaylsis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quatitative Data Anaylsis - Research Paper Example The study type would be quantitative; the researcher will circulate a questionnaire to gather data on the tested variables. This primarily is a correlation study, since the researcher is interested in discerning the important variables associated with the phenomenon. The researcher will conduct this study in a non-contrived setting because the researcher is interested in assess the working of these variables in a natural setting. Moreover, this type of study can be classified as a field study as the researcher will have to visit the organizations in order to understand the working of these variables. The survey tool used is a questionnaire that was developed by another researcher by the name of Bass (Obiwuru, Okuw, Akpa, and Nwankwere, 2011). Variables: Independent Variables: Transformational Leadership: this type of leadership evokes underlying emotions about work in the employees and motivates them to go beyond their current level of work. Transactional leadership: this type of lea dership considers reward as an appropriate return for a certain piece of work from the employees. Dependent Variables: Employee extra effort Employee work satisfaction and effectiveness Employee productivity and loyalty. Hypothesis: Ho: there is no relationship between leadership style and organizational performance of small enterprises. Ha: there is a relationship between leadership style and organizational performance of small enterprises. ... Tool used to measure the independent variable: In this research, the researcher made use of E-views software to understand the relationship of independent and dependent variables. The data collected was coded in order to enter the stats into the statistical software. Statistical Assumptions of Regression Analysis: The reason behind the use of this tool is to make a model of the variables of the study and analyze the changes that happen in a dependent variable when one of the independent variable changes. Linear regression also finds its utility when a researcher wants to use a predictive model to analyze an observed data set. Also a regression analysis is used when a researcher is up against a data that is linear, has a weak exogeneity, constant variance, and lack multi-co linearity. Statistical Results of the hypothesis: Transactional leadership Style: Coefficient of determination=R2 = 0.486445 F-Test= 1.8944 Transformational leadership Style: Coefficient of determination=R2 = 0.968 929 F-Test= 109.144 Characteristics of the data: The data collected through the questionnaire is quantitative figures. Since each variable was ascribed a code after incorporating it in the questionnaire, therefore this data collect is in coded form and behind every code is a variable. Once data gets arranged in a tabular form, the codes are decoded and actual variables are substituted in their place to reveal the true nature of the relationship. Appropriateness of the Statistical procedure: Since the data collect has multiple variables behind it, which are defining the relationship between independent and dependent variable, therefore it is important to see the collective impact of these variables. So a multiple

Property Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Property Management - Research Paper Example Property Management is a hot topic among modern real estate managers who are entrusted with the profitable care of any residential, commercial or industrial real estate in most modern cities and states around the world. Since the 1800's, effective and professional Property Management has been in demand, with the arrival of steel-frame buildings and elevators, the proliferation of the suburbs and the explosion of large real estate property-investment institutions that specifically aim to build more urban dwellings and infrastructure for the purpose of generating profits from real estate as an enterprise (Kyle et al, 3). With the advent of large urban commercial and industrial complexes, Corporate Property Management took its imposing place in the real property management scene while big government similarly responded with equally imposing bureaus intended to regulate the residential settlements and commercial complexes, with their sophisticated modeling schemes for simulating the growth, and implementing land audits that help dictate the land values of zoned areas in vast metropolises while placing various zonal restrictions aimed at efficiently harmonizing the explosion of mega-cities and the suburban sprawl. Sophisticated corporate... Sophisticated corporate strategies, financial instruments and computer based management information systems and property management-outsourcing which underlay the development of modern property management have been around for quite some time already, with much of their contribution to the practice of real estate property development, still evident in today's real estate property values that have been arrived at through the methods and practices advanced by modern-day property managers. However sophisticated this industry may now seem, Property Management began as the very basic practice of ensuring a property's maximum value (in terms of financial worth or appraisal) while expending the least amount of resources (financial or otherwise) for its upkeep and development. It involves the simple concepts of ensuring the maximum "value for money" on the part of the occupier and maximum profit on the part of the owner. It has been the property manager's job to make sure that the owner's best interests are sufficiently advanced while satisfying the requirements of the tenants. Property Management, as practiced by the State, by private corporations or by common individuals have remained fundamentally unchanged over the 19th century, that is to say that its objectives of profitability and operational efficiency remained the same, until the late 20th century wherein the real property market environment had undergone sweeping changes such that the management of a certain property, be it residential, commercial, industrial, mixed-use or special-purpose, has become a major discipline requiring an interdisciplinary approach that involves an intricate network of whole government bureaucracies and corporate divisions that

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

Legislation - Essay Example In the event that such programs become preferential based on gender, race or ethnicity, affirmative action becomes controversial (Dale, 2005). Originally, the Affirmative-Action legislation was intended to pressure institution including government institutions, schools, and contractors to comply with the non-discrimination provisions in the Civil Rights Act, 1964 (Dale, 2005). The article required that schools and colleges take affirmative action to counteract the effects of past discriminations and encourage affirmative so as to achieve a diverse student body. Most importantly, the legislation was intended to forbid inflexible and rigid quotas for the employment of minorities and encourages contractors, schools and colleges to take good faith efforts to meet targets and goals for the employment minorities and women without discrimination (Dale, 2005). Mr. Justice POWELL in his ruling on the Regents of the University of California v. Bakke case concluded that, the use of racial quotas in a university’s admissions process is unconstitutional. In addition, it concluded that the use of affirmative actions in the selection of minority applicants was constitutional in certain circumstances (â€Å"Regents of University of California v. Bakke,† 1978). This conclusion was based on the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, 1964 that only those racial classifications that violates the Equal Protection Clause when employed by agencies of the state and the sate itself(â€Å"Regents of University of California v. Bakke,† 1978). The ruling was also based on the fact that while the goals of affirmative action are still compelling, the use of quotas in such programs is unnecessary in the achievement of such goals since it is, under the Equal Protection Clause, unnecessary. Additionally, the conclusion was based on the fact the petitioner could not furnish the court with sufficient proof that

The Legal Profession in the United Kingdom Essay

The Legal Profession in the United Kingdom - Essay Example Infact, it was these very men of the cloth who first put forward the idea of a legal profession, which encompassed the right of litigious representation in the courts of law (Encyclopaedia Britannica.) In the mean time, the native common law started to evolve under the aegis of a legal society called the Inns of Court (Encyclopaedia Britannica). However, unlike today, this institution did not furnish any special or formal courses for polishing the young entrants to be the legal practitioners (Encyclopaedia Britannica). In fact, the members of this institution acquired the skills and the rights to become the legal practitioners through experience and apprenticeship (Encyclopaedia Britannica.) Thus during the course of time, there developed a whole new range of legal agents in the UK. There were Serjeants who were considered to be the most elite of the advocates (Encyclopaedia Britannica). Then there existed the attorneys who enjoyed a legal validity and under whom served many apprentices (Encyclopaedia Britannica). These apprentices, as they gained experience with time, were alleviated to the post of barristers (Encyclopaedia Britannica). With the establishment of the Courts of Chancery in the 16th century, solicitors were recognized as the valid agents of law, though the serjeants and the barristers still managed to retain the right of advocacy in the courts (Encyclopaedia Britannica). However, the legal profession in the UK ... century, the attorneys and the solicitors were literally chucked out from the Inns of Court and the schism between the role of the advocates and the attorneys became more apparent (Encyclopaedia Britannica). In the due course of time, all the barristers working in the UK were given the name solicitor, who rather willingly agreed to serve the clients under the authority and tutelage of attorneys (Encyclopaedia Britannica). Thus, by this time, there existed only two types of legal agents in the whole of UK, which were the solicitors and the attorneys, and the demarcation of their roles become more stern and rigid than ever before.However, today the structure of the legal profession in the UK comprises of two branches that is the solicitors and the barristers. To put it simply, the role of the solicitors is primarily confined to extending legal advice to ones client, whereas the barristers actually represent their clients in the court rooms. That is, solicitors prepare and compile the p aperwork associated with a case while the barristers fight the case on behalf of their clients in the courts of law. Solicitors perform a variety of jobs for their clients that may include: Drafting and managing all the legal correspondence on the behalf of a client. Rendering and extending legal advice to the clients regarding the legal issue being faced by them in a given scenario. Extending the advice to the clients regarding the family law issues being faced by them that may include divorce, separation, child custody, division of assets, etc. Drafting the legal documents like contracts and agreements for business firms and corporations. Drafting of will for the clients. Conveyancing that is imparting legal advice and compiling and drafting the paper work for the

Pan-indian Confederation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pan-indian Confederation - Essay Example military forces seems to be favouring the U.S sides anyways. When Tecumseh set out to convince other tribes to join him, the challenge before him was not just creating an army, but arousing among the tribal people the sense of unity that might have led them to victory. Before convincing the tribes to fight for the sake of their identity and existence, he had to settle the inter-tribal conflicts and ideological differences among his own people and bind them together with a strong unifying force. Tecumseh’s efforts were showing results to quite an extent until Tenskwatava’s negligence towards his brother’s strategies led them nowhere. Amidst, all this while he was away in the south spreading a doctrine of political and military unification, his younger brother’s excitation ruined everything. Tecumseh’s army was thrashed by Harrison’s men. The British who supported the tribes had their own vested interests of acquiring colonial wealth, they joined in more for their own motives and less in support of the Indians.They fled as soon as the U.S. Army came into action. During the American Revolution U.S. had developed such a standard of political and military strengths that it was naive of Tecumseh’s one-man army challenging them without planning an effective winning strategy. This is another reason why the U.S. army found no difficulties in suppressing the upheaval. unity, arms, forces and above all the lack of spirit among the people itself can be accused of defeat. Tecumseh’s speeches motivated the people, his oration influenced people from vast stretches in Canada to Mexico but ultimately it was the call from within among the tribes that might have made a difference and lacking this spirit the ball was never in Tecumseh’s

Strategies for Promoting Democracy in Iraq Term Paper

Strategies for Promoting Democracy in Iraq - Term Paper Example This is usually entrenched in the laws of the land. It involves social, cultural and economic conditions that provide free and fair practice of self-determination politically. It hails from a Greek word demokratia whose meaning is â€Å"rule of the people†. This word can be divided into two. Demos meaning â€Å"people† and Kratos meaning â€Å"power†. Democracy contrasts other forms of government like monarchy and aristocracy /oligarchy. Monarchy is where power is held by one individual while aristocracy is where power is held by a group of people. Contemporary governments tend to have a mixture of all these elements. There are several types of democracy (Lijphart 150-250). The two basic forms of democracy are a direct democracy and representative or indirect democracy. In direct democracies, citizens have direct participation in the decision-making process within the government. In indirect  democracies, citizens elect representatives (Lijphart 200-250). He ex plains that in modern democracies, the sovereign power is retained by the people while the political power is exercised through the representatives (200-250). He further explains that an electoral democracy government is determined by popular sovereignty (200-300). People in the country determine who will govern them. They do this by voting. Liberal democracy is one in which both sovereignty and liberties are manifested. The civil society is very active and restraints the government from misusing power. A substantive democracy is a working democracy. Under the representative democracy, we have a parliamentary, presidential and constitutional democracy. Parliamentary democracy is a democracy where the government is chosen by elected representatives (Lijphart 200-250). The government in this case is checked by the legislative parliament elected by people. The legislature can dismiss the prime minister under this system of government. This happens by passing a vote of no confidence. Th e presidential system of democracy is where the public elects the president through general elections (Lijphart 200-250).

Spearman VS. Gardner Essay Example for Free

Spearman VS. Gardner Essay Charles Spearman (1904) defined and developed a unilinear testing approach to general intelligence (g), which is based on a positive correlation among varying subjects like math, earth sciences and vocabulary. Gardner (1983) proposed there were multiple intelligences (MI), or seven areas of intelligence, linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal, and that each person has more than one of these skills. While testing of g intelligence is still used to assess overall IQ, universities and corporations look at the wider consideration offered by Gardner. Spearmans theory creates an environment that places strong emphasis on getting a high IQ score and high scores on a number of placement tests useful for schooling. However, as Gardner has said, these place too high an emphasis on IQ and test scores, and in ignores certain intelligences and abilities that people can bring to the workforce. Relying solely on IQ test scores not only can exclude an individual with superior a talent (g) from getting a proper education in the area of expertise, but can eliminate the individual from the education and professional arena altogether. We are all endowed with multiple, genetically determined forms of intelligence that can be enhanced through practice and learning, yet this is ignored in the process of rewarding individuals for high IQ according to Spearman. Unfortunately, MI theory is only just being put into practice at the educational level. Wallace Shilkus, a middle school technology education teacher in Illinois, wanted to know how relevant technology education was to middle school students; whether his methods of instruction made a difference in the classroom; and whether Gardners multiple intelligences had a role to play in the classroom. (Merrill, 2004, 6). Shilkus tied the in-class study to action research to document his teaching methods and benefits to his students in 2001, and found (using CO2 cars as the activity) that his students demonstrated most of the intelligences. Throughout this process, Shilkus noticed differences in himself as the teacher and his students as the learners. Moreover, Shilkus discovered that by presenting the material and requirements of the CO2 car activity in different forms, the students excelled. (Merrill, 2004, 6). Spearmans theory still reigns, as Gardners theories are just being put into practice, making one wonder what would happen to IQ testing and educational systems if, based on Shilkuss success, Gardners MI were put into practice on a scale approaching that of Spearman. Apparently, Gardners theory that students are being held back is supported and if his theory were put into practice, all students could excel and increase their chances for success in the workplace. I believe that Gardners Multiple Intelligence in more inline with society today. Knowledge cannot be put into just two types and tested that way. There are many different types of knowledge and if you included more of them into tests and stopped timing people on tests there would be a clearer understanding of why there are so many people failing the tests. You would know exactly what is wrong and could teach them more in-depth on that subject. Common sense is also a type of intelligence that needs to be tested if testing for the perfect IQ. A person could be a genius when it comes to academics, but have no understanding of common sense. You would have to be a genius in both to truly be a genius. IQ tests are not very accurate and do not go in depth enough on subjects. There may not even be a way to fully test to see if someone is a true genius. It would be a challenge to come up with a test to see if someone is an all around genius. References: Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books. Merrill, C. (May 2004). Action research and technology education. The Technology Teacher, 63, 8, 6. Shepard, R; Fasko, D, Jr; Osborne, FH. (2004). Intrapersonal intelligence: affective factors in thinking. Education. Available: http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/libweb/elib/do/document?set=searchgroupid=1requestid=lib_standardresultid=1ts=BA95D521D01A59E9BB67234C183BF7B4_10891053177

Theories on Dualism in Philosophy

Theories on Dualism in Philosophy Dualism in Philosophy is a theory which, at its basis, holds two radically distinct principles or concepts. One of the most commonly held interpretations of dualism is the concept of the existence of two distinct human entities, that of body and that of soul. It is this interpretation of dualism that the following explication will predominantly address. Dualists believe that the mind determines our personality and the body is a container, or vessel for this self (REFERENCE). Widely considered as the two vanguards of modern dualism are substance dualism and property dualism. Substance dualism holds that the mind or soul is a separate, non-physical entity from the human form, whilst property dualism maintains that there is no soul distinct from the body but only one entity (the person) which has two irreducibly different types of properties, mental and physical (REFERENCE). Substance dualism leaves some room open for the stance that the soul could possibly exist separately from the body, either before birth or after death. Property dualism does not allow for this notion although does permit that both the mental and physical relationship of cause and effect to work in harmony together. The cause of one event may be described as a physical event in the brain and under another event, as a desire, emotion or thought. Substance dualism however, has become increasingly omitted from the majority of contemporary discussions. It could now be considered that few phi losophers currently find the idea of the soul coherent or productive. Although the first use of the term dualism was cited in the 14th century to describe the Islamic faith (REFERENCE), the Western philosopher who spoke most about dualism was Renà © Descartes. Descartes believed that everything non-physical; all feelings and sensations that can be described but cannot be located physically become part of your mind or soul. Descartes dualism, (known as Cartesian Dualism) rested on very certain and definite ideas. He stated that the mind and body were two very different things and that all substances have a property of a special nature. To offer an example, the property of the mind is consciousness, an entity whose entire essence is to think (and therefore takes up no space), whereas the properties of bodily or material substances are length, breath or depth (and therefore their essence is to take up space). The mind has been widely considered as an intangible entity and non-physical in contrast to the body, which is extended and can take many material forms which can be described by their size, shape, position or movement (REFERENCE). Descartes considered that that the mind is the place in which a persons feelings, sensations and thoughts are known only to themselves, whilst all of the functions that the body performs are observable to all. His theory also asserted the idea that both the body and mind interact with each other, the mind having an effect on the body and the body having an effect on the mind, although the body and mind remain separate. He maintained that our identity comes from the ability to think and reason and it is therefore conceivable that we could survive without our bodies (as the soul/mind is separate from the body) and still remain the same person. Descartes was convinced that that we didnt need our bodies to live an intellectually aware and active life and consequently the mind could escape death. He felt that even if we drastically changed or altered our appearance, then it would not affect our personali ties and upon observation it would still be possible to recognise someone by reference to his or her character (REFERENCE). As Descartes asserted: Our soul is of a nature entirely independent of the body, and consequently it is not bound to die with it. And since we cannot see any other cause which destroys the soul, we are naturally led to conclude that it is immortal Renà © Descartes, Discourse on the Method, 1637 (REFERENCE) Dualism has received a lot of attention in the past and Descartes has not been the only philosopher who has written on the concept. Great thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle and Aquinas have all put forward their ideas on the subject each one differing slightly. Plato believed that the soul belonged to a level of reality that was higher than that of the body. He stated that the soul was immortal and this derived from his theory of ideas, which he called forms. Plato asserted that for every existence there is a perfect form of said existence. For example for every chair there is an ideal, perfect form of that chair, as with every dog there is a perfect dog (REFERENCE). Platos form theory maintained that the physical world is where the body exists for the subject in order to receive sense impressions, whilst the soul is immaterial and is capable of knowing eternal truths beyond the material world. All knowledge that we have acquired is from the acquaintance we have had with the forms bef ore our immortal souls became imprisoned in our body. Thus, the ultimate aim of the soul is to break free of the chains of the body and flee to the realm of ideas. There it will be able to spend eternity in contemplation of the true, beautiful and the good (REFERENCE). Aristotle was another philosopher who tried to explain the idea of the body and mind. Even though Aristotle was a pupil of Plato, his thoughts on dualism were very different form that of Plato although he still believed that the soul was the part of the body that gives it life and that the soul turned all physical form into a living organism of its particular type (REFERENCE). Whilst Aristotle believed that the body and soul were inseparable he asserted that the soul still develops peoples skills, character and temper, but it cant survive death. Once the body dies then the soul inevitably dies with it, and this provides an example of early monistic theory. Monism is the theory that the mind and body are inseparable, and monists do not accept that an individuals characteristics are anything more than physical ones (any ideas of consciousness are nothing more than electrical brain activity). This is where Aristotles principles differ from monism. He believed that a human is not just a living, physical body and nothing more. He thought that the body and soul were different, and because humans have a soul they are capable of having an intellectual life (REFERENCE). Aquinas (REFERENCE) agreed with Aristotle in the sense that he thought that the soul animated the body and gave it life and he called the soul the anima. Aquinas believed that that the soul operated independently of the body and that things that are divisible into parts, are destined to decay. As the soul isnt divisible it is able to survive death. However because of the link with a particular human body, each soul becomes individual so even when the body does die, the soul once departed still retains the individual identity of the body it once occupied (REFERENCE). The separation of the mind, or soul, and the physical body seems to be a concept which holds little weight under scrutiny. As Ryle (REFERENCE) asserted, to think of the body and soul as two separate entities is to make a category mistake and refers to what he considers the erroneous notion that the soul is something identifiably extra within a person, or to quote directly; a ghost in a machine. Ryle famously illustrated his hypothesis with the example of the university: A foreigner, having visited the colleges, libraries, sports facilities etc. asks to see the university: Ryles intention was to emphasize the requirement of the various constituent parts to form a whole. However, in order to facilitate a conclusive analysis, a clear definition of the concepts discussed is essential. Thus, a soul may be defined as that which thinks, feels and desires; a non-spatiotemporal essence that encapsulates the personal identity of an individual. The body may be identified as the frame in which t he soul is contained. Ryle, in advocating the unity of body and soul, assumes a Materialist stance and would thus contend that those features generally attributed to the soul are all explainable in terms of neurophysiological reactions. In Confessions of a Philosopher, Brian Magee supported this view, claiming: The human body is a single entity, one subject of behaviour and experience with a single history. We are not two entities mysteriously laced together. Yet, there has been an enduring allegiance to the inverse; that we are composite beings of both corporeal matter and incorporeal soul, thus subscribing to Dualism. Plato, a principal proponent, asserted in his Republic that at death the immortal soul, temporarily imprisoned within the contingent, perishable body, rejoins the realm of eternal truths. In his 2nd Meditation, Descartes reinterpreted Platos arguments, concluding that as our identity ensues from non-physical processes, such as the ability to reason, it is conceivable that we could survive a posthumous existence: Our soul is of a nature entirely independent of the body and consequentlyit is not bound to die with it. And since we cannot see any other causes which destroy the soul, we are naturally led to conclude that it is immortal. The Materialist contention that the soul cannot exist without the body would ostensibly appear the more rational position. Some elucidation is, therefore, required to account for the otherwise unprecedented attention Dualism has received over the centuries and, accordingly, Ryles alleged category mistake. As may be inferred, the concept of a non-contingent soul affords the possibility of survival beyond physical death. In allowing for the fulfilment of a moral equilibrium; the realization of human potential; a validation of existence; the remuneration of the pious; and a basis for rejecting the alternative, the abrupt termination of individual consciousness, life after death may be considered a desirable objective. However, not one supposition of a seemingly inexhaustible list renders the proposition necessarily true. Is it even coherent to postulate the existence of a non-empirical, unverifiable entity? There are four kinds of argument that may be raised in defence of the notion. First, we each have a unique consciousness, impenetrable to the outside world. Our thoughts, beliefs etc. may be inferred by others, but never directly experienced. Nevertheless, our body and its processes remain outwardly perceptible. The existence of a soul resolves the seemingly irreconcilable conflict between the public and the private. Second, the fact that we are held morally accountable for our deeds presupposes that we have complete freedom of choice. However, the premise appears unsubstantiated when countered by the fact that our every thought may be described in terms of the physiological processes occurring in the brain and central nervous system. These processes are accounted for by causal conditions extending beyond a person, prior even to their existence. If we are bound by such conditions that remain beyond our control, how may we be considered free, and, thus, held morally accountable? The postulation of some essence, independent of the deterministic causal chain, and with the capacity to influence moral choices provides a potential solution. Third, the quandary of multiple personality disorder must be remedied. If a body can house several personalities, each with its own distinct self-concept and set of behavioural patterns, the body is clearly not central to personal identity. How may this be accounted for? It is evident that we each possess a number of different, yet un-fragmented perspectives. In a pathological condition, however, what holds these perspectives together is lost. Does this suggest the existence of some ethereal glue, cementing the various facets of a self as one? Finally, there exist a number of people claiming to be in possession of paranormal powers such as telepathy, clairvoyance, psychokinesis etc. In assuming these accounts to be accurate, the Materialist notion that the mind remains entirely dependant on intermediate physical agencies is negated. In sum, if undisputed, the implication of the evidence given is that humans may comprise partly of some imperceptible essence, independent of physical processes. Furthermore, if death remains no exception to the rule, it is plausible that, in a limited capacity, the soul may be preserved, and with it our self identity. However, are there sufficient grounds for refuting the evidence? In truth, convincing though the Dualist arguments may appear, not one case made remains entirely exempt from Materialist criticism. Recently, there has been increasing support for an anthropological view. In attempting an analysis of the brain, in The Minds I, Douglas Hofstadter offered the analogy of an ant colony: A colony has different levels: the colony itself, groups of ants such as workers, teams of ants, and individual ants themselves. We assign meaning to the higher levels (for example that a group of worker ants is removing the carcass of a fly) and hold that these higher levels encode informatio n for the colony. But these higher-level patterns of behaviour are ultimately mere products of the random motions of individual, unintelligent ants. Thus, according to Hofstadter, our every thought, belief or idea is merely a product of random neural firings. It consequently follows that we need not appeal ultimately to meaning to account for reality; we do so purely for the sake of convenience. How well, therefore, do the four lines of argument raised stand up in light of this? The first may be immediately dismissed: The fact that one individual organism may not experience the neural firings of another is unexceptional. In the case of the second: If, on every occasion, what we formerly considered to be higher ideals and beliefs in truth function as labels, then moral law exists as little more that a highly complex system of control. The requirement to apportion a soul is, thus, mooted. Further more, the condition of multiple personalities may be explained by some form of repression, whilst numerous reports of paranormal incidents have proved fairly dubious. To this the following must be added: First, functions such as conceptualisation and memory recall are generally considered to be requisites of self-identity. The implication is that these processes are independent of the mind and could, thus, be sustained by our immaterial souls. The dilemma arises when faced with apparently irrefutable evidence of the inverse. It is widely accepted that, not only are certain mental abilities inherited, but that diseases affecting the mind, such as Downs syndrome, are genetically based. It may be, therefore, surmised that mental ability and function is significantly dependent on the hereditary process. Second, damage to the brain directly affects cognitive functions. For example, were a persons brain spheres to be severed, when presented with an object on the left, the right hemisphere of the brain would recognise it. However, the left hemisphere, the main area for speech and communication, would receive no information via the corpus callosum. Thus whilst the person could point at the object, he could not recount what he sees. Third, certain psychological processes, such as memory, may be discerned as patterns of energy events within the brain. Although, as yet, direct correlation with individual energy transfers has not been possible, the localisation is sufficient to facilitate neurological research. Furthermore, various types of intelligence are associated with specific cerebral hemispheres, for example, the right hemisphere controls artistic and intuitive mental processes. On evaluation, evidence would appear to suggest that those features generally identified within a soul, could equally be explainable in terms of physiological processes. That is not to say the Dualist has not attempted to evade the predicament. In fact, two schemas have been devised. Those subscribing to the first have postulated the immediate replacement of the body at death. For Buddhists the body is physical, for Christians; spiritual. Although, with the reincarnate generally lacking any awareness of a previous existence and ethereal bodies widely acknowledged to exist on a different spatiotemporal plane, verification remains difficult. Advocates of the second schema have suggested that the soul could exist disembodied, in a very limited capacity. For Catholics this may be temporally (Purgatory) until united with a body (Beatific Vision), or permanently (Hell). But what of Ryle and his ghost? The situation must be readdressed. It is clear that in attempting to rationalize the theory of the soul, one invariably returns to the starting point; that, whilst the notion cannot be dismissed entirely, it does appear physiologically unlikely. Ryles statement, however, was more than just a hypothesis; it was a definitive claim. Thus, though empirical evidence seems to lean in favour of the Materialist, whilst Dualism continues as a legitimate possibility, Ryles contention will remain unsubstantiated. Ultimately, the concept of a soul depends on the equally unverifiable existence of some divine entity to effectuate this recondite posthumous transition. Here lies the significance; although those Dualists subscribing to theism tend to recognise that the confirmation of their faith will be fulfilled by eschatological verification, the concept of some spiritual self within plays a fundamental role in their lives, not only in the provision of an intangible channel through which they might commune with God, but also in apportioning a sense of order, clarity and purpose to their existence.

Brown v. Board of Education Essay -- Civil Rights Movement

Slowly Turning Back the Hands of Time â€Å"We conclude unanimously that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal† (qtd. in Irons 163). Many African-Americans waited to hear this quote from Chief Justice Earl Warren after many years of fighting for better educational opportunities by means of school desegregation. African-Americans went through much anguish before the Brown v. Board of Education trial even took place, especially in the Deep South. Little did they know that what looked like the beginning of the end was just another battle in what seemed like an endless war. Brown v. Board of Education was an important battle won during the Civil Rights Movement; however, it did have a major drawback simply because no deadline existed, an issue that author James Baldwin grasped from the moment the decision was made. The South took full advantage of this major flaw and continued to keep its segregated schools with no intention of ever integrating. In order to understand the magnitude of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, one must understand the hardships that African-Americans had to endure. For example, the case of Davis Knight â€Å"illuminate[d] racially mixed communities [,] delineate[d] the legal and social responses to attempts at racial desegregation and black enfranchisement during the era of the New Deal and World War II† in 1948 (Bynum 248). Davis Knight was a 23 year old man from Mississippi who appeared to be a â€Å"white,† but indeed was a â€Å"black man, who later married a white woman by the name of Junie Lee Spradley† (247). The case was presented to the Jones County Circuit Court where Knigh... ...ssays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998: 209-214. ---. â€Å"Take Me to the Water.† 1960. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998: 353-403. Bynum, Victoria E. â€Å"†White Negroes† in Segregated Mississipi: Miscegenation, Racial Identity, and the Law.† The Journal of Southern History 64.2 (1998) 247-276. Harlan, Louis R. â€Å"The Southern Education Board and the Race Issue in the Public.† The Journal of Southern History 23.2 (1957): 189-202. Hope II, John. â€Å"Trends in Pattern of Race Relations in the South Since May 17, 1954.† Phylon 17.2 (1956): 103-118. Irons, Peter. Jim Crow’s Children: The Broken Promise of the Brown Decision. New York: Viking Penguin, 2002. Reid, Herbert O. â€Å"The Supreme Court Decision and Interpretation.† The Journal of Negro Education 25.2 (1956): 109-117.

American Freedom - No Greater Gift Essay -- Exploratory Essays Researc

American Freedom - No Greater Gift Silently they stand, tall, strong pillars of memory in a seemingly long since forgotten world. Rows upon rows of white marble glisten in the first rays of the rising sun. The shimmer of morning frost still graces their elegant arches as the brisk air begins to take on a slightly warmer tone. In this quiet hour, not quite night, yet still not day, one lone man stands respectfully next to a small, almost insignificant grave stone. His head hangs slightly bowed, and except for the small hunch in his back, he stands at perfect attention. Unnoticed by the swirling city around him, he slowly removes his cap and looks out across the hill before him. His gaze sweeps over the expansive garden of marble and granite. Millions of white headstones grace the green hillsides, most of them appearing small and humble. Every so often, however, the man sees a taller, more significant looking headstone. He knows these stones were meant to be impressive and eye catching; but to him, there is nothing more touching than the stone which stands before him. Only the rank of a private, a name and two dates grace the stone's face. Some might say this is rather insignificant compared to the graves containing generals or captains. Others might take the time to note how young the man was when he died at the age of twenty-one, and think he still had his whole life left to live. This lone man, though, views the grave stone entirely differently. To him, Private Michaels was more than just a name carved into a head stone, more than a private, more than just a twenty-one year old boy. Private Michaels had been his best friend. In Arlington Cemetery, there are hundreds upon hundreds of heroic men lying silently, their sto... ...rice of our freedom. Many have stepped back and taken a good look at the struggles our founding fathers went through to plant our country on a firm foundation based on freedom. As the old man stood silently surrounded by the stillness of the morning, he thought back to the days of his youth. Private Michaels and he had grown up together, and were thought to be closer than any two brothers. Where one went, the other was sure to follow, even to the extent of entering the Second World War. Together, they fought side by side, defending their country as well as the lives of many innocent people. Michaels gave his own life over to enemy fire, shortly before the end of the war, so his best friend could live. Standing there with rays of warmth caressing his back, the old man realized there truly was no greater love than the gift his friend had given him, and his country.

Product Management and Samsung Essay

From Gallop to Run – Samsung started in 1939 in South Korea. – In 1960 they started producing calculators and black and white tv’s by copying other brand technology. – In 1993 Samsung unveiled a ‘new management.’ – Their goal was to dethrone Sony as the biggest electronics consumers brand. – Samsung wanted all it’s products to pass the ‘Wow!’ test. – The interbrand list ranked Samsung in 2012 at the 19th place – However the 2012 list ranked Samsung on the 9th place. – A quote from the interbrand website is: †Samsung is one of the biggest successes of 2012, marked by a meteoric 40% rise in brand value.† – Samsung reached it’s goal to become more famous then Sony, with Sony staying 30 places behind Samsung. – Samsung has plans to go further in developping mobile devices which can connect to home devices. Samsung Technological History Key person: Lee Kun-hee From Copycat Brand to Product Leader Hiring of new designers New products -bold – beautiful – sleek – stylish Lifestyle works of artâ€Å" = New interpretation of electronic use Strategy Change of strategy = Expensive and stylish =  product Is Samsung’s product development process  customer-centered? Team-based? Systematic? Samsung’s product development process is team based. They develop a lot of products at the same time. All the products are developed by specialized teams of designers who make the product from start to finish. However they have combined their approach with the customer centered approach to gain a competitive edge by getting new products to the market faster. This is probably why BusinessWeek places them higher on their list of most innovative company’s every year. Samsung’s  technological History „New managementâ€Å" New goal Change of target group High-end user High investigations Customer-centered – Completely new products – Made to solve costumers’ problems – Wow effect Team based – 1 team of designers/developers from start to finish – A little bit late on the market but with better quality than competitors – High quality Systematic – Collects ideas from customers, employees etc. – Innovative products. – Small selection out of many ideas Product Life Cycle and challenges for Samsung – Short PLC – Freshest innovations – Must be faster and better than the rest – Stay focused on the needs, wants & demands of the customer Questions? Will samsung likely achieve its goals in markets where it does not dominate such as smartphones?

Jack London’s The Call of the Wild: A Review Essay

In Jack London’s novel The Call of the Wild, the main character, Buck, has developed from a house dog to a sled dog. Buck, being forced to adapt in order to survive, has made him become the leader of the pack. When Buck was being attacked by the man in the red sweater, â€Å"He saw, once for all, that he stood no chance against a man with a club. He learned the lesson, and in all his afterlife he never forgot it† (11). This shows that eventually Buck realized that he had to learn to respect the club. Also, Buck learned that he is not able to beat everyone, he must accept defeat sometimes. And once he would respect the club, the club wouldn’t hurt him. With Buck pulling the sled every single day, â€Å"his muscles became as hard as iron, and he grew callous to all ordinary pain† (25). Buck is developing and is becoming stronger to pull the sled. Also, the pain in Buck’s feet have disappeared since he is so use to having the same monotonous running every day. Later in the book, Buck was able to pull a 1000 pound sled. This shows that Buck has truly developed into a sled dog, because a house dog would never be able to achieve that. Also, being able to pull a 1000 pound sled means that he has grown stronger from all the running that he has done over the last few months. With him getting stronger and learning to respect the club, Buck has truly turned into an incredible sled dog.

Race Determining Music Preference Essay

Music in the United States is a reflection of the nation’s multi-ethnic population with regard to its diverse array of styles. The most famous of these genres include; rock n roll, country, rhythm & blues, jazz, hip-hop. The developments of most of the genres of music began during the civil war period. During this time the roots of such popular forms like blues, gospel, jazz, as well as country took shape. In the early 20th century there forms of music emerged as the core of American popular music and later underwent evolution to such styles as rhythm and blues, rock and roll and hip-hop (Daniel Gilbert Perret, (2005). Music integrates South American social and cultural identity, entailing social class, race and ethnicity among many others. The link and co relationship between is perhaps the to potent of all the factors within the United States than any other. Race seems to the most potent determiner of musical mean within America. The evolution of the Afro American musical identity as a result of disparate sources form Africa as well as Europe has consistently been the main theme within the music domain and history in the United States. During the mid 1800s, the Afro American had developed a district folk tradition that was well-recognized and very wide spread. African American techniques, their instrumentation as well as images were integrated and became part of what was then known mainstream music. Via spirituals, slave songs as well as minstrel shows. Through jazz, rhythm and blues, and blues and later on through rock n roll, soul a swell as hip-hop. Even through all these genres were accepted and adapted by all races within the United States they were developed from an afro American styles as well as idioms before eventually setting to become very common in consumption as well as performance that had no racial boundary. Differently, country music was driven from the European and an African context as well as Hawaiian and Native American. The untied states due to her diverse culture and her propensity to taking in influences form across the globe and building characteristically new methods through which artists can culturally express themselves. Even though many aspects of the American aspects of the American music is traceable back to certain specific origins it is usually inherently difficult to put claim on any respective original culture as the source of any musical element, because of the even evolving American music through transplanting as well as techniques of hybridizations, instruments and genres (Blush, Steven (2001). Very distinctly American music stems form the cross-cultural hybridization through a very close interaction. For instance, during slavery mixed persons form various tribes in very closely enclosed living quarter resulted in a shared musical tradition that was done through an extended hybridization. The process which music was being transplanted between various cultures within the United States brought with it various implications. For example, the revival of folk during the mid 1900s appropriated the music of different village person, partially to enhance particular political causes. The use of Afro American techniques as well as images, instruments during performances by white Americans have been on the rise since the mid 1800s. The music industry in the United States has been very active with her attempts to make popular white performers of African American music due to their palatability to mainstream as well as middle class American. From this process such many stars like Benny Goodman, Eminem as well as Elvis Presley have emerged in various genres of music. The nature of folk music within the united is as varied as the nature of her multi-ethical culture. Generally, the Native Americans have each played their variety of folk music, which has basically been spiritual. In its development stage spirituals was basically expressions of religious faith, and was a common song by slaves on southern plantations. It however, spread out of the south in the late 1800s. Its diversification increased with emergence of fekleg in the early 1900s as well as the rise of the singing preachers from which the gospel type of music originated (Chase, Gilbert (2000). Blues on the other hand is conglomeration of African folk songs, shouts as well as field hollers. It emerged form the rural south during 1900-1910. It was characterized in its use of the blue scale with a flatted/in determinate third. The various ethnic communities that have migrated to the untied have managed to keep alive the folk traditions of the culture and usually providing a characteristically American styles with foreign flair. The European musical tradition was imported to the United States with the advent of the first colonialists. This classical traditional music is deeply rooted within the traditions of the European art, as well as concern music. Majorly of American tried to work entirely with their music centered on the European models until the 1800s. By early 1900s, many American composers started incorporating such disparate elements into their musical art, from the jazz and blues to the Native American music. Big corporations that produce in both small and large scale largely dominate the music industry in the untied states. Often, these companies do not appeal to large audiences, as such small companies have sprung up to fill the void left. They produce in various styles with ranging variety that appeal to very large audiences. These small firms are normally built on the foundation of a core fun base that may happen to be strategically located in one region. The largest make music industry is that centered on Latin music. This kind of music has greatly impacted on the popular American music and was a very essential component in the development of jazz music. In view of this it is sufficient to conclude that to a greater extent race has a bearing on the preference of the type of music one performs or listens to this is born out of the fact that part of a child’s development stage, the cognitive part begins to encode the mothers language from the womb until he or she reaches the external environment (Daniel G. 2005). Thus, even if there are many Americans who have crossed the racial lines as has music still the culture is a determinant the choice of music.

Formative assessment Essay

â€Å"We use the general term assessment to refer to all those activities undertaken by teachers — and by their students in assessing themselves — that provide information to be used as feedback to modify teaching and learning activities. Such assessment becomes formative assessment when the evidence is actually used to adapt the teaching to meet student needs†. Black, P. & Wiliam, D. The purpose of the educational process focus on students’ learning, and when students use what has been taught in real life situations, then it can be said that the students are learning and that the objective is being achieved. But, can a test determine this in a classroom? Can I state that my students are learning based on a multiple choice test at the end of a unit? The answers of these questions may vary according to the type of teaching method a person uses. If this person uses a traditional teaching method that only seeks learners’ knowledge accumulation, then he or she could say â€Å"yes†. However, as times have changed and the ways in which people conceive the educational process have changed too, I consider that it is necessary to restate the way in which students are assessed and focus more on students’ performance in order to promote learning and involve them in their own learning process through the use of formative assessment rather than traditional or summative assessment whose aim lies on testing knowledge. Therefore, if a student takes a test and when he receives his score in terms of numbers or letters and he sees a bad grade, it can give him a negative emotional impact that could discourage him from continuing learning, and the next time he takes a test he will do it just for the sake of getting a good score. So, How about learning? Did it happen? In this situation my answer is an absolutely no! For the reasons above, it is important to apply a different assessment with a formative function that according to Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick (2005) aids learning by generating feedback information that is of benefit to students and to teachers. Feedback on performance, in class or on assignments, facilitates students to restructure their understanding/skills and build more powerful ideas and capabilities. This kind of assessment is called Formative assessment. With this form of assessment, teachers concentrate more on the how students learn and what they need to learn. Therefore, in this sort of assessment it is not only fill in the gaps with the correct words or match the sentences with the correct answer and you will get 5 points or an excellent grade, but let’s do this project, let’s carry out this task, how will you solve this problem? What do you think about this? And some other activities in which students can learn by doing. But most important of all, is that students receive a positive feedback about what to improve and change, to have a better performance in the upcoming assignments. As Shepard, (2008) states, what makes formative assessment formative is that it is immediately used to make adjustments so as to form new learning† Through the use of formative assessment students understand their own learning and develop appropriate strategies for learning to learn, also they build skills for peer – and self-assessment, and they get actively involved in their own learning process rather than merely absorbing information as in a traditional or summative assessment. Taking everything into consideration, it is my opinion that teachers focus more on students’ performance through the use formative assessment, so learners can develop the patterns of thoughts they need to achieve and be aware of their learning goals, and as students move forward in their learning, they can use personal knowledge to construct meaning, have skills of self-monitoring to realize that they don’t understand something, and have ways of deciding what to do next. Earl, Lorna. (2003). REFERENCES Black, P. & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the Black Box: Raising standards through classroom assessment, King’s College, London. Earl, Lorna. (2003). Assessment As Learning: Using classroom assessment to maximize student learning. Experts in assessment series, Corwin Press Inc. , Thousand Oaks, California. Nicol, David; Macfarlane-Dick, Debra (2005). Rethinking Formative Assessment in HE: a theoretical model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Shepard, Lorrie A. 2005. The Future of Assessment: Shaping Teaching and Learning, New York.

Short Biography: Carlos Flores

My name is Carlos Roberto Flores Facusse and I am the presiding President of the Liberal Party. I was born on March 1, 1950 in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa to Oscar A. Flores and Margarita Facusse Flores. I am a graduate from LSU, getting an undergraduate in industrial engineering and a master degree in international trade and finance. While at LSU, I developed my leadership qualities by becoming the President of the Honduras Student Association and chartering the first and only Hispanic fraternity on campus known as Phi Iota Alpha.Outside of academics, I would also find my future wife Mary Flakes at LSU; soon after receiving my master’s degree, we got married in 1974. After getting married, my wife and I returned to Honduras where I began participating in private and public committees such as the Honduran Central Bank and the Institute of Social Security. Additionally, I went to work at La Tribuna, the largest newspaper in Honduras that my father co-founded. During the 70's, I became part of political life, joining the Liberal Party.I would become a congressman, representing the department (similar to a province) of Francisco Morazan. This experience served as a stepping stone to my later success in the party as I became Minister of the Presidency (equivalent to Vice President) under the rule of liberal president Roberto Suazo from 1982 to 1984. In 1994, I became President of the Congress; four years later, I was nominated and eventually became the President of Honduras.During my presidency’s infancy, I was hit with the huge challenge: Hurricane Mitch. Hurricane Mitch killed thousands of people, displaced millions more, and destroyed the national economy; Honduras was looking at a minimal of 20 years to recover from what little we had. I orchestrated the successful raising of over $600 million of international aid from financial institutions and countries and these funds were directed at rebuilding Honduras' infrastructure, agricultural an d industrial economic sectors.My presidency was also marked by strengthening of the constitution, reducing the power of the military in the political operations of the country, and passing a new penal code, which in part created a new, independent Supreme Court. As to the issues at hand, I am deeply concerned with the road that President Zelaya is on. Although on the surface he portrays a people-oriented, country-enhancing dogma to his constituency, the actions President Zelaya are making forecast a different vision entirely – one that Latin American countries have seen all too well.From siding with ALBA soon after his presidency began to economic and social policies that hurt not only his party but the Honduran people to siding against the United States (one of our trusted allies), President Zelaya’s work so far should remind even the highest supporters of Zelaya of Venezuela and their woes with Hugo Chavez. As the head of his party, I and the Liberal Party have been weary of where his loyalties lie and his true motives as president as he consistently alienates his party â€Å"supporters† by doing things almost unilaterally.Now, with these new developments of â€Å"polling† the country in order to change the constitution and consider â€Å"re-elections† is absurd. We as a party, a people, and a country cannot stand to watch Honduras become Venezuela when we have been democratic for so long; thus, I, along with others I hope, will do what is necessary within our respective areas to not only prevent this â€Å"poll† from happening but to reign in Zelaya in order to remind him that he is in fact the President of Honduras and not the President of himself.In the same vein, fixing the power struggle between the three branches of government can be done with functioning parts, starting with the President. If the President and the Congress are unwilling, for whatever reason, to communicate, compromise, and collaborate when nec essary, then all that can be accomplished is a war between the abusive power of the President versus the manipulation of the law by those who write it. When I was the President of Honduras, I made some changes in the way the legislative, judiciary, and executive branches worked together in order to get the most order in the country.I moved judicial and penal reforms forward, established an anticorruption commission, and got the passage of a new penal code based on the oral accusatorial system and a law that created an independent Supreme Court. I did this in the hopes of creating a ground work for more accountability toward the stronger legislative and executive parts of our country. Additionally, while still being loyal to my party, I have respected both sides of the isle in policy making and debate to ensure that the best laws were written and discussed for the sake of the people.Unbalance of power starts with an open President who doesn’t have himself as number one. It qui ckly branches outward to demanding the respect of the Congress and receiving due communication between the President and the other two branches of the government. Lastly, each branch has to be strong independent of the others and able to work independently of the other parts while cognizant of how their actions affect the other branches. When we are able to enact a plan like this, then and only then will see the cohesiveness of a people and a country of Honduras.The foreign policy of Honduras and the problems thereof are strongly tied to the problem of our President. Because of his actions, our relationship with the United States is weakening while our bond to Venezuela and to a lesser extent Cuba are becoming not only more evident but stronger. This problem in my eyes is relatively simple: cut the source to kill the head. We as a body need to find creative and advantageous ways to remove the ties to Hugo Chavez and remind our President that he presides over Honduras the democratic country and not Venezuela the dictatorial country.By aligning ourselves with the U. S. , we are able to not only keep the freedoms we have but able to prevent jeopardizing our country’s international image by associating with a volatile government as Venezuela’s. As we say in Spanish, â€Å"Dime con quien andas y te dire quien eres† (Rough English translation: Birds of a feather flock together); Honduras would be much better off flying with the United States. Although there are few specific actions that can be considered â€Å"mine† in any of the topics, I am highly aware of the power I hold and the actions I am able to produce.As the leader of the Liberal Party, I am able to lead 48. 5% of the Congress in order to make decisions not only about our President’s â€Å"queries on constitutional reformation† but also about rebalancing our branches of government and to a lesser extent Honduran foreign policy. Additionally, I believe that my work in the private and the public sector and my previous presidential role allows me to communicate and work with business sectors and the legislative and military sectors via prior experience to help any other situations that might arise.

Micro and Macro Economics (marginal revenue; marginal cost; Essay

Micro and Macro Economics (marginal revenue; marginal cost; elasticity) - Essay Example Define marginal revenue and explain its relationship with total revenue. â€Å"Marginal revenue (MR) is the rate of change in total revenue with respect to quantity sold†. In other words marginal revenue is the additional revenue from a product earned by a producer through the production and sales of an extra unit of the product. Algebraically, marginal revenue is the difference between total revenue earned by producing and selling ‘n’ units of a product instead of ‘n-1’ units. Formula for calculating marginal revenue is MR = ∆TR/∆Q Marginal revenue is the addition to total revenue associated with a unit increase in output or sales. There is a direct relation between marginal revenue and total revenue. When marginal revenue is positive, total revenue increases and it falls when marginal revenue is negative. B. Define marginal cost and explain its relationship with total cost. â€Å"Marginal cost is the change in total cost associated with a unit change in quantity†. Marginal cost is thus the additional cost incurred by the producer in producing an additional unit of product. Marginal cost is thus a cost incured in addition to previous cost ie. cost of producing ‘n’ units of output inplace of ‘n-1’ units. Formula for calculating marginal cost is MC = ∆TC/∆Q Marginal cost is related to the average total cost in the short-run since a change in total cost is reflected in the total average cost. The total variable cost is got by summing up marginal cost. C. Define profit and explain the concept of profit maximization. â€Å"An economist measures a firm’s economic profit as the firm’s total revenue minus all the opportunity costs (explicit and implicit) of producing the goods and services sold† (Mankiw, 2011, p. 262). Profit is the reward received by an entrepreneur for the risk taken during the process of production or for alloting scarce resources for production. Profit maximization is a method used for determinig the quantity of output to be produced and price to be incurred by an entrepreneur so as to receive maximum profit. D. Explain how a profit-maximizing firm determines its optimal level of output, using marginal revenue and marginal cost as criteria. A profit-maximizing firm will determine its optimal level o f output at the point where marginal revenue of the firm equals its marginal cost. At this point the firm receives maximum profit. E. Explain what action a profit-maximizing firm takes if marginal revenue is greater than marginal cost. If marginal revenue is greater than marginal cost, then a profit maximizing firm will increase production which will be followed by a movement from earlier point of marginal revenue to a new intersection point where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. This step is adopted by the firm as there is room for further revenue at the earlier stage. F. Explain what action a profit-maximizing firm takes if marginal revenue is less than marginal cost. In a situation where marginal cost of a profit-maximizing firm exceeds its marginal revenue, the firm will cut short its production up to a level where it will equalize its marginal cost to marginal revenue. At the earlier level the firm was incurring loss. Task 2: A. Define the following three terms 1. Elastic ity of Demand: Elasticity of demand has various definitions. â€Å"The price elasticity of demand is a measure of the sensitivity of the quantity demanded of a good to the price of a good. ‘Price elasticity of demand’ is sometimes shortened to ‘elasticity of demand’† (Taylor & Weerapana, 2009, p. 93). 2. Cross-Price Elasticity (includes substitutes and complements): Cross-price elasticity is the degree of responsiveness to change in the price of a related commodity on the demand for a good. â€Å"

Environmental economics. Article review 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environmental economics. Article review 4 - Essay Example This was done by monitoring their presence in automobile filters. Furthermore, it is checked using rain water which may contain the isotopes. It has been a great worry to most researchers, scientists and writers at large. Therefore thorough checking in all possible components in the environment that can be contaminated is analyzed. Food is one such an area of major concern to these interested parties (Smith1 et al, 2014). Analysis of the samples suspected to contain heavy metals and isotopes is done using spectroscopy techniques. During analysis of the dangerous rays and substances, safety measures are taken into account to avoid accidents. For instance, shielding against cosmic rays is done. Air sampling is carried out using an air sampler to assist in determination of gamma emitting fission products from the site of occurrence. This is done with high efficiency while observing safety. Filter exchange is also done after a period of about twenty four hours. First findings indicated that Half-life of Iodine isotopes were 8 days for that with atomic number 131 and for that with atomic number of 132 took 2.3 hours. These findings were essential for establishment of a sample gamma spectrum that could give a good visual representation of findings. However, that alone is not sufficient and other sources of samples have to be considered. Therefore automobile air filters come into play. Priority is given to analysis of sample deemed to release radio isotopes that have the capability to harm or affect people. The technique aims at measuring airborne contamination degree (Smith1 et al, 2014). Samples up to about one thousand two hundreds are used to ascertain the level of available radio isotopes. They are estimated using an odometer or through monitoring of fuel consumption of the vehicles. Screening helps the researchers to get alerts of any possible contaminants. This sets the area apart and gives a

The risk of cultural issues in written communications Essay

The risk of cultural issues in written communications - Essay Example A good example is given by Tannen & Saville-Troika (1982, p. 41), about an Egyptian pilot called a traffic controller of Greek origin, asking if it was safe for the plane to land in Cyprus. The controller responded with a silence to mean refusal but the Egyptian interpreted that as acceptance and proceeded with the trip to Cyprus, only to be fired at by the Greeks in Cyprus while approaching the run way. Another cause is the complete language barrier between non related languages such as Russian and English, unlike the case between French and English whereby many words and closely related in spelling and pronunciation. Most of the Russians do not understand or speak English at all (Gudykunst 2003, p. 62). Likewise, Many English speakers do not understand Russian. In such a scenario, if a speech is presented in Russian, an English man will lose some important points. As mentioned before, in a miscommunication and misunderstanding in cross-cultural interaction, people lose the exact meaning of the communication and may respond in undesired ways. In cross cultural conversation, participants may decide to deliberately mislead the hearers, and convince them with false information. For example, Reynolds (2004, p. 38) argues that a participant may masquerade as being of greater social status than his or her true position in the society is. In a written communication, this can be more misleading because apart from just hearing wrongly, the reading itself may be wrong from the onset. Once a misunderstanding has occurred from cross-cultural communication, there should be a quick way to resolve and clarify on the specific errors. For example, it is a good practice to apologize and make possible clarification as suggested by Pride (1985, p. 62). With apology, the hearer’s may not be able to take offence. Where possible, the communication between different cultures ought to

My life five years ago Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My life five years ago - Essay Example The aspects that have changed in me include my maturity levels exceeding my thought boundaries. I never thought in my early teenage years that I would get matured this quickly. In just 5 years time I look like a young adult. I can sense things around me in a better manner than I was able to when I was just a kid. My personality has molded in such a manner that I have started to like it more and more. I have appreciated the difficulties of life now with my chin up and I seldom cry in the face of adversity. I can stand up and be counted – which was not the case some 5 years down the road. I have traveled far and wide with my parents. Europe is a continent that I have explored with my loved ones in my early teenage years. I remember each and every moment of my visits with my parents and I cherish everything about those journeys that we had. I can still remember the talks and conversations we had in those times with my parents and how we ended up laughing at the end of each debate and friendly mocking. We enjoyed different sceneries together and looked to find out about nature more and more. I remember my parents guiding me through thick and thin in those formative years of a kid’s life and I believe I am pretty lucky to be blessed with such loving parents. A lot in me has changed all this while. Though I lived in Egypt for the better part of my life, I feel that my upbringing has been affected in a positive fashion after I went to United States. I explored a new world and thus tried to comprehend things in a wholly new way. I aim to become a successful businessman just like my father who I believe is my living inspiration. I draw my encouragement and inner motivation from him and thus I believe I am what I am because of my father. I would do anything to go back in those times – 5 years back to be precise. I absolutely adore each and every second of that life which I had. Now life has become more sober and demanding. Earlier it used to be all fun and play.

Leading in the Darkness and the Light Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leading in the Darkness and the Light - Essay Example Question Two: The trapped miners gave maps to the rescue team. Members of the team stepped up as leaders to help manage the situation in the mines. They displayed transformational leadership through various acts. Mario Gomez, who was the oldest miner, took the responsibility of ensuring that catering for everyone’s mental and spiritual health. Another miner took the role of ensuring that the physical health of the crew was intact. The miners ensured that they took care of the whole person, meaning that the trapped miners were cared for mentally, spiritually, emotionally and spiritually. The miners worked together in shifts of their groups. The miners who had leadership roles also were willing to and did their best to serve others who needed help like the trapped miners by providing both physical and physiological help. The trapped miners had chosen a person who uplifted their humor, and another was named the pastor of the group who uplifted their spiritual moods. This displayed authentic leadership in times of adversity. They showed that they had hoped for life by ensuring that they organized all their activities while trapped to ensure their survival. Question Three: The president displayed a truly transformational leadership by responding quickly to the situation. Even though there were low, the chances of survival the president went ahead and organized, how they would be rescued by having the vision and choosing people to deal with the rescue. The Mining Minister had a team that was divided into three teams with different tasks. One was to locate the miners; the other was tasked with keeping them alive, and the other ensuring that they are rescued safely. All the three leaders displayed servant leadership, as they were willing to serve others before their needs.

Bulling in NYC School Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Bulling in NYC School - Research Paper Example This essay approves that researchers have not agreed on the actual definition of bullying. There are definitions which have been in use and are worthy of quote here. Bullying is defined in a number of ways. Experts believe that there has been no clear definition of the term bullying. Bullying is also known as peer victimization and peer harassment. It is an intentional act of harming somebody by means of verbal, physical, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment. Bullying at school is believed a universal social malady. In many instances, bullies are stronger and more powerful than their victims, and the situation has the tendency to be repetitive. The study of bullying involves studies of children’s temperament. Bullying is peer abuse because it involves people in the same setting, students in the same school, or people who should have considered themselves companions with the same purpose and that is learning. This report makes a conclusion that that bullying is a â€Å"social sickness† that needs to be cured. And it is getting serious every day. It’s time authorities and the many stakeholders concerned with the welfare of the young to bond together and find effective means to heal this social malady. The young are victimized. Parents feel that their children are not anymore secured inside the school, a place where they ought to experience positive and moral values and learn good things in life. But it seems, schools are not anymore safe for the young.