My best educational experience Essay

My best educational experience was learning to drive my car. My [insert figure name] taught me how to understand the basics of driving as well as defensive driving. He or she would always state that driving was a big responsibility. I always wondered why driving a car could be a responsibility and I learned it very slowly during my driving course in school. Our instructor stated that driving was a two-way encounter with others and your own vehicle. He did not allow us to get into a car until we understood the rules of the road. For instance, did you know that you must wear a seatbelt no matter what? And it’s also important to check under and in your car before cranking the ignition? I never thought that stuff was important unless it was in a movie. After he ensured us that it was for our safety, I check to make sure I’m okay. Learning the rules of the road was an easy task. We had to learn about the signal lights, lines of the roads, and basics of driving with others. My vision test (signal lights and signs) was a breeze because the signs were so easy to remember. At first, I could not remember which sign meant construction workers and pedestrians; now I can recognize any sign that involves individuals crossing my path. Learning how to drive a car also meant learning how to understand my car. Our driving instructor taught us the general structure of a car by posting pictures and having actual parts in our class. Each day, we learned a new part and how it functions in our car. The third day of class was our messiest; he brought a transmission into our classroom with oil on it. He stated that our cars would not be able to move if our transmission did not work. I really didn’t know that before he told me – and it makes me wonder how naive I would have been without knowing it. By the end of the seven weeks, our instructor took us on the road. I was the 12th driver listed for an on-road exam for my permit. I was very nervous because I had to get on the road with other experienced drivers. My instructor told me to be careful and relax. I relaxed then I was careful with my driving. I realized that being ‘uptight’ about the situation could make things worse. Driving a car was not surgery (even though our instructor made it seem that way). Driving was an enjoyment because I could determine my destinations. If I wanted to get away and go to the beach, all I had to do is crank my car and fill up the tank. The freedom of driving has taught me how to appreciate my time. By having access to a vehicle, I realized that I was fortunate to feel comfortable behind a wheel. Cars are a big responsibility and I agree with [insert figure name]. It does take a responsible person to travel highways at high speeds in a vehicle. I’m glad that I was able to become one of those responsible people and learning to drive was an amazing experience – it taught me how to guide myself in the right direction.

Learning style Essay

There is no credible evidence that learning styles exist. While we will elaborate on this assertion, it is important to counteract the real harm that may be done by equivocating on the matter. In what follows, we will begin by defining â€Å"learning styles†; then we will address the claims made by those who believe that they exist, in the process acknowledging what we consider the valid claims of learning-styles theorists. But in separating the wheat from the pseudoscientific chaff in learning-styles theory, we will make clear that the wheat is contained in other educational approaches as well. A belief in learning styles is not necessary to incorporating useful knowledge about learning into one’s teaching. We will then discuss the reasons why learning styles beliefs are so prevalent. Finally, we will offer suggestions about collegiate pedagogy, given that we have no evidence learning styles do not exist. What is a Learning Style? The claim at the center of learning-styles theory is this: Different students have different modes of learning, and their learning could be improved by matching one’s teaching with that preferred learning mode. The way theorists have defined â€Å"modes of learning† has changed over the more than 50 years that this concept has been in vogue. Proposed modes have included dichotomies such as linear vs. holistic, impulsive vs. reflective, reasoning vs. insight, and visual vs. verbal. The most popular current conception of learning styles equates style with the preferred bodily sense through which one receives information, whether it be visual, auditory, or kinesthetic (for some reason, no one claims that there are tactile or olfactory learners). We use this sensory definition of learning styles in the examples below, but our conclusions apply equally to other definitions. As you will see, the claim that the mode of presentation should match the preferred mode of learning subsumes several other claims, and it is worth unpacking the learning-styles concept in order to consider its constituent subclaims separately. Which Claims of Learning-Styles Theorists are Correct? We believe that some general assertions of learning-styles proponents have nearly universal consensus, based on a wealth of evidence. We begin by acknowledging the truth of these claims in order to differentiate them from other ones without support. The first claim is this: Learners are different from each other, these differences affect their performance, and teachers should take these differences into account. This is true and recognized by educators and cognitive scientists alike. While many of those scientists seek to discover general principles of learning, we all acknowledge that there are differences among students. Understanding these differences and applying that understanding in the classroom can improve everyone’s education. We can find further agreement on some of the differences that matter for learning. First, whether we call it talent, ability, or intelligence, people vary in their capacity to learn different areas of content. One of the authors (Riener) has fraternal twin sons, and despite having most of the same experiences, one has learned to read earlier and the other is a better basketball player. This is clearly due to genetic differences in talent rather than a bizarre experiment in which the parents decided that one would be a basketball player and the other a professor. With educators under 6 feet tall for both parents and grandparents, they are both probably doomed to proceed to graduate school rather than to the NBA. Second, and often intertwined with ability, students differ in their interests. If a student loves the piano, or basketball, or chess, or the biology of frogs, that student will no doubt learn material related to that subject faster than another one who does not share that fascination. We all agree that interest and attention are preconditions of learning and vary from student to student, depending on the subject. Third, students differ in their background knowledge, and that difference influences their learning. This is obviously true in the sense that a large vocabulary allows one to read a wider variety of books. And it is further true in fields such as history: One can’t hope to learn much about the causes and consequences of the American Civil War without knowing facts about the growth and separation of the colonies, the history of economic differences between the North and the South, political facts about our three branches of government, etc. But background knowledge is also quite important in things we think of as skills. For example, learning basic math facts is critical to the acquisition of later math skills. Finally, some students have specific learning disabilities, and these affect their learning in specific ways. For example, there is considerable research on dyslexia and the strategies for addressing it. These strategies of course differ from those appropriate for those students on the autistic spectrum or those with hearing difficulties. In each of these cases, a specific difference in the student calls for individual diagnosis and attention. So in claiming that learning styles do not exist, we are not saying that all learners are the same. Rather, we assert that a certain number of dimensions (ability, background knowledge, interest) vary from person to person and are known to affect learning. The emphasis on learning styles, we think, often comes at the cost of attention to these other important dimensions. What Do Learning-Styles Theorists Get Wrong? The next claim is that learners have preferences about how to learn that are independent of both ability and content and have meaningful implications for their learning. These preferences are not â€Å"better† or â€Å"faster,† according to learning-styles proponents, but merely â€Å"styles. † In other words, just as our social selves have personalities, so do our memories. Students do have preferences about how they learn. Many students will report preferring to study visually and others through an auditory channel. However, when these tendencies are put to the test under controlled conditions, they make no difference—learning is equivalent whether students learn in the preferred mode or not. A favorite mode of presentation (e. g. , visual, auditory, or kinesthetic) often reveals itself to be instead a preference for tasks for which one has high ability and at which one feels successful. But even if we did identify preferences that were independent of ability, finding ones that are independent of content is a much trickier proposition. If I were to tell you â€Å"I want to teach you something. Would you rather learn it by seeing a slideshow, reading it as text, hearing it as a podcast, or enacting it in a series of movements,† do you think you could answer without first asking what you were to learn—a dance, a piece of music, or an equation? While it may seem like a silly example, the claim of the learning styles approach is that one could make such a choice and improve one’s learning through that choice, independent of content. We all agree that some kids show more interest in math, some start their education more interested in poetry, and others are more interested in dodgeball. The proof that the learning-styles theorist must find is that for some sort of content—whether it be math, poetry, or dodgeball—changing the mode of presentation to match the learning styles helps people learn. That evidence has simply not been found. Finally, we arrive at the critical and specific claim of learning-styles proponents: Learning could be improved by matching the mode of instruction to the preferred learning style of the student. Learning-styles believers do not make the claim that students sort neatly into sensory categories: One need not be purely visual, auditory or kinesthetic. But according to the theory, an educator should be able to improve the performance of those who have a strong preference for one of these sensory styles by matching instruction to their preference. Failure to find any experimental support for matching the mode of instruction to a preferred learning style would simply leave us where we were at the end of the section above: Students have different interests, backgrounds, and abilities. And indeed, a recent review article in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest by a group of distinguished memory researchers sought to find evidence for this claim in particular. If you are visual, you should learn better with a visual presentation of information than with an auditory one. If you are auditory, you should learn better with auditory materials than with visual ones. Each of this pair of results is necessary to support this element of learning-styles theory. But experiments that tested this prediction with a variety of content material have not found support for it. While such evidence of learning styles would serve as a proof that they exist, the lack of evidence does not prove definitively that they do not exist. However, in order to persuade us to devote the time and energy to adopt a certain kind of differentiated teaching, the burden of proof is on those who argue for the existence of that description of students’ cognitive strategies. In other words, a good rule of thumb is that we should only bring ideas from the laboratory into our teaching if (1) we are sure that the laboratory phenomena exist under at least some conditions and (2) we understand how to usefully apply these laboratory phenomena to instruction. The first of these two conditions is not met for learning styles, and the first is obviously a precondition for the second. Why Does the Belief in Learning Styles Persevere? What are the reasons for this myth’s perseverance? First, we think that a belief in learning styles persists because the more general claims (the ones we addressed above) are true. Learners do differ from one another. But many who believe in the myth do not consider the critical differences between styles and abilities. Teachers should take into account the differences in learners’ abilities. And adjusting a lesson not just to be appropriately pitched at the students’ level of ability but to take into account their background knowledge and interests is surely an important first step in fostering learning. Second, a belief in learning styles fits into an egalitarian view of education: Everyone has value, according to the theory, and everyone has strengths. The corollary for some learning-styles theorists is that if you think that the theory is wrong, you must think that all students are identical—which is obviously untrue. Again, we agree that students differ and all students have value, but we do not need learning-styles theory to convince us of that. Third, learning-styles theory has succeeded in becoming â€Å"common knowledge. † Its widespread acceptance serves as an unfortunately compelling reason to believe it. This is accompanied by a well-known cognitive phenomenon called the confirmation bias. When evaluating our own beliefs, we tend to seek out information that confirms our beliefs and ignore contrary information, even when we encounter it repeatedly. When we see someone who professes to be a visual learner excel at geography and an auditory learner excel at music, we do not seek out the information which would disprove our interpretation of these events (can the auditory learner learn geography through hearing it? Can the visual learner become better at music by seeing it? ) Why Should College Educators Care? We have addressed the direct costs of the learning-styles myth above, but there are considerable opportunity costs as well. The same research in cognitive science and education that has failed to find evidence for learning styles has offered many insights into how memory does work. Mindset (2006) by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck is an excellent summary of the interesting ways that incentives—both carrots and sticks—as well as internal drives influence learning. And Henry L. Roediger and his associates at Washington University in St. Louis have demonstrated the value of testing for learning. Even the act of taking a test when one does not know the answers can support learning the correct answers faster and more effectively. Of course learning is an enormously complex activity, and this is not the place to outline all of the basic research on learning. We seek only to emphasize that attention to learning styles, for which evidence has not been found, may lead educators to neglect research on learning for which there is solid scientific support. Even though the belief in learning styles has influenced pedagogy in the schools far more than it has in higher education, we believe that there are several other reasons faculty might pay attention to the fact that researchers have failed to find evidence of learning styles, reasons that have important implications for the college classroom. First, when we poll our undergraduate classes on the belief in a number of myths of popular psychology, the one that â€Å"people have their own learning styles† is typically endorsed by more than 90 percent of our students. This belief has the potential to shape and constrain the experience that students have in the college classroom. For example, if a student believes she is a visual learner and therefore disengages and daydreams when a lecturer turns off the PowerPoint and tells a story, this will prevent her from learning the concept through a compelling narrative. And while these beliefs may not have as direct an impact on performance reviews as they do in K-12 settings, a belief in learning styles occasionally shows up in student evaluations of teaching: â€Å"I am a visual learner, so the visual examples were good,† or â€Å"I am an auditory learner, so more auditory content would have helped. † Second, learning-styles theory is sometimes offered as a reason to include digital media in the classroom. While including multimedia may be a good idea in general (variety in modes of presentation can hold students’ attention and interest, for example), it is not necessary to tailor your media to different learning styles. We shouldn’t congratulate ourselves for showing a video to engage the visual learners or offering podcasts to the auditory learners. Rather, we should realize that the value of the video or audio will be determined by how it suits the content that we are asking students to learn and the background knowledge, interests, and abilities that they bring to it. Instead of asking whether we engaged the right sense (or learning mode), we should be asking, what did students think about while they were in class? Finally, when one has the opportunity in a smaller class to collect information about students and more specifically to tailor a lesson to that particular group of students, it is a waste of time to assess learning styles rather than, for instance, background knowledge. The latter can obviously be extremely useful. We often use prerequisites to ensure common background knowledge of students in a given class, but assessment at the beginning of a class can be an excellent reminder of how little of the prerequisite course content is easily recalled. Assessment of student interest can also be a useful tool for deciding how to approach the material in a given class. Some indication can be gained by what majors are represented in the class, but more specific interests assessed through a brief questionnaire or class discussion can also be useful in certain situations, such as small or homogeneous classes. So here is the punch line: Students differ in their abilities, interests, and background knowledge, but not in their learning styles. Students may have preferences about how to learn, but no evidence suggests that catering to those preferences will lead to better learning. As college educators, we should apply this to the classroom by continuing to present information in the most appropriate manner for our content and for the level of prior knowledge, ability, and interests of that particular set of students. Resources 1. Dweck, C. (2006) Mindset: The new psychology of success, Random House, New York, NY. 2. Paschler, H. , McDaniel, M. , Rohrer, D. and Bjork, R. (2010) Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest 9, pp. 105-119. 3. Roediger, H. L. and Karpicke, J. D. (2006) The power of testing memory: Basic research and implications for educational practice. Perspectives on Psychological Science 1, pp. 181-210. Cedar Riener is an assistant professor of psychology at Randolph-Macon College. Daniel Willingham is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. He blogs at the Washington Post and is the author of Why Don’t Students Like School? (Jossey-Bass, 2009). Related Notes Change Magazine – September-October 2010The Myth of Learning Styles by Cedar Riener and Daniel Willingham There is no credible evidence that learning styles exist. While we will elaborate on this assertion, it is important to counteract the†¦ Learning with ‘e’s: A convenient untruthThursday, 24 November 2011 A convenient untruth What do you think is the teacher’s worst enemy? Some would say lack of time. Others would say unsupportive leadership, or the dreaded government inspect†¦

How Technology is Changing the Face of Business Today 1 Assignment

How Technology is Changing the Face of Business Today 1 - Assignment Example Therefore, the most critical business processes that largely use information system in Coca Cola Company include customer service and communication. In retrospect, productivity is improved because employees perform their roles and responsibilities with ease when dealing with customers. Additionally, efficiency and transparency is increased when information systems are constantly used in conducting business particularly in issues of marketing (Abrams, 2003). Overall, production processes remain the greatest beneficiary of new technology platforms used by Coca Cola. In Coca Cola Company, IT is the driving force that makes business process faster, cheaper, and more accurate. This is through new communication formats that are easy to manage between the clients and the management. For example, the use of social media forums, text messaging, and teleconferencing ensures that customer-savvy customers are better in selecting their preferred goods and services (Roberts, 2011). It also improves their choices and decisions when giving a feedback or

CASE BRIEFING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CASE BRIEFING - Essay Example Hence, MGM sought damages while respondents claimed that they did not control or monitor the use of the software (Casenote Legal Briefs, 2009). 3. History: The district court and the court of appeals both had ruled the decision in favour of MGM with respect to copyright infringement but did not hold the respondents responsible for it and summary judgement was granted. MGM had then decided to move to Supreme Court appealing for summary judgement in their favour (Casenote Legal Briefs, 2009). 6. Reasoning: The evidence that MGM produced clearly showed that the respondents marketed and sold the software as tool that could be used to share copyrighted material. The respondents had a clear purpose of making profits from the violation of the act from the users. The respondents had actively promoted pirating. File sharing tools are not illegal and the manufacturers of the tools are not responsible for how the users use the tool until and unless the manufacturer actually encouraged infringement. I am of the opinion that the respondents encouraged sharing of copyrighted material on their software. Yes, the respondents cannot control how their software will be used once it is sold but if they generate a sale by promoting the software as a tool to share copyrighted material, then the main purpose of the software will be pirating. Hence, respondents should be held responsible for copyright infringement. Unlike the Sony Corp v. Universal Studios, the only use of software is to share files which can be copyrighted or not. In Sony, VCRs could only play already copyrighted content and in no way contributed directly to

The Eruption of Toba Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Eruption of Toba - Essay Example Some geologists believe that the volcanic eruption also resulted in the extinction of the human race that existed at that time. However, there is a belief that this theory does not hold true because many of the species of the animals that are said to be sensitive to the change in temperature did exist at that time. The other belief is that it caused a change in the genetic setup of the human beings that lived in the area at that time. This volcanic eruption is considered to be the largest known eruption in the last 25 million years and caused a major change in climate at that time. The volcanic winter which occurred as a result of the eruption resulted in decrease in temperature to around 3 to 5  °C (5  to 9  Ã‚ °F), and up to  15  °C  (27  Ã‚ °F)  in higher latitudes (Causey 48-59). TOBA CATASTROPHE THEORY According to this theory the winter caused because of this super volcanic eruption lasted for around 6-10 years and the cooling of the lava was a long process that stretched around 1000 years. It was suggested by Ann Gibbons that the super volcanic eruption that took place resulted in a bottleneck in the human race. A few other scientists suggested the same but then again many other scientists subsequently failed to identify any link or develop enough evidence to support the theory. According to a theory there were not just one but a series of three eruptions that spanned over the period of 1 million years. The crater that was formed because of the super volcanic eruption was  100 ? 30 km2 area wide. The crater is known as the Caldera Complex and the volume of the eruption was estimated to be around 2,000  km3  and  3,000  km3. The mass that was collected after this eruption was estimated to be larger than the erupted mass that had been ever collected in the past 100 years of volcanic eruption history. The ash layer that was deposited from the Toba eruption that took is said to be around 15cm thick and it was spread over the whole o f South Asia. A layer of ash was also deposited over the Indian Ocean, and the Arabian and South China Sea. Even the deep sea rocks that were later retrieved from the South of China sea are said to have the after effects of the volcanic eruption and this has proven that the estimation that was done about the spread of the volcanic mass was an underestimation. And therefore the mass was estimated to have even more far reaching effects than had been calculated (Gunn 40). Some of the scientists believe that the eruption happened at the time when the last of the glacial period was setting in. They believe that the super volcanic eruption that occurred was not responsible for the cooling effect on the climate, but it acted as a trigger for the glacial period. The glacial period was setting in was at a very low speed, but when the super eruption at Toba occurred the whole process was quickened and the glacial period occurred. There are many conflicting opinion about this theory but the ge neral assumption is that the super eruption at Toba caused a lot of dramatic changes in the weather and the temperatures dropped dramatically thereafter. There were also a lot of ash deposits found in the atmosphere as well as in the ocean. The ice samples that were found from the Greenland also showed abnormality in the temperatures and the deposition that had

Critical appraisal in clinical practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Critical appraisal in clinical practice - Essay Example It is of particular interest to me because various studies have been carried out on pain management and assessment, and I believe that establishing which studies provide the best evidence on care would also assist me in my delivery of health services (Hammer and Collinson, 1999). This paper shall first present the method by which the studies were selected. It shall be followed by the critical summaries and then by the appraisal of method. Finally, a synthesis of findings and reflection on practice will also be presented. Body Selection of papers In the selection of the papers, I entered the following search words in Google Scholar; post-operative + nursing care, post-operative issues + nursing, pain assessment + post-operative nursing. Search results were further narrowed down using the following additional parameters: past 10 years, and results from the following databases: EMBASE, CINAHL, PubMed, and the Cochrane databases. Articles found were further narrowed down based on advance d search parameters, covering meta-analysis and other scholarly types of research. The credibility of the authors was also evaluated, assessing their expertise on the subject of the research. Critical summaries In the study by Blondal and Halldorsdottir (2008), the authors attempted to establish a though understanding of nurses’ experiences in the management of patients in pain. The authors understood that despite improved knowledge on patient care, these patients were still suffering from issues in relation to pain and nurses are the primary health professionals which can help relieve these symptoms. The authors carried out their study as a phenomenological study covering 20 dialogues with 10 experienced nurses. The research process revealed that caring for patients in pain is a major challenge for many nurses and nurses seem to feel a moral obligation to ease patient’s pain. Moreover, these nurses feel that they face a challenge in managing patient’s pain in t erms of how they read their patient, how they deal with moral conflicts, and organizational issues. The authors also concluded that nurses require different patterns of knowledge and a favourable work environment in order to improve their pain management skills. In the study by Al-Shaer, et.al., (2011), the nurses’ knowledge and attitudes regarding pain assessment and intervention was considered. The authors undertook their study as a non-experimental, descriptive design, based on a convenience sample of 129 registered nurses working in various units of a Midwestern metropolitan hospital. The authors covered registered nurses on their knowledge and attitudes on pain management and the results indicated that their knowledge of pain management principles and interventions seem to be insufficient. Although the results of this study do indicate high knowledge scores, some nurses indicate an inadequate ability to care for patients experiencing pain. The authors were also able to a cknowledge the fact that pain is a subjective experience and that nurses must not base their assessments on their personal beliefs of judgments. Critical review 1. Appraisal of method In the study by Blondal, the problem was specifically and clearly stated by the authors and it had sufficient background information in order to

Factors Influencing Online Shopping Behavior of the Consumers of Dissertation

Factors Influencing Online Shopping Behavior of the Consumers of Thailand - Dissertation Example This research will begin with the statement that in the modern era of rapid globalization and advancement of technology, the firms all around the world are facing a tremendous competition in the domain of attracting the different markets, to be specific, attracting the customers. Every firm is thriving by the usage of various channels which helps them to reach their target customers. Today the entire world has become a local market place and the entire population of the world has become the target market for the marketers. The increased application of technology has made the task easier for both the customers and the marketers. The recent trend of using internet for the purpose of shopping is gaining popularity all across the world. The topic we are dealing with is the behavior of the shoppers in Thailand with respect to online shopping. The previous studies on this topic shows that online shopping have been already recognized as a popular trend among the customers of UK however itâ €™s yet to gain heights of popularity in developing countries like Thailand. The study conducted by the Thai National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (NECTEC) reveals that the total number of shoppers in Thailand includes almost 23.6% internet shoppers. Also their online shopping decision is influenced greatly by their friends, family and colleagues. Thus its evident from previous studies that online shopping is already a familiar term in Thailand.

Case essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case - Essay Example Jill deciding not to take this particular job causes her to be fired from the contract without the terms and conditions of the contract being fulfilled over the five year period. The actions taken by the firm break specific laws and carry elements of proof in regards to the lack of creating the correct approach to the job fulfillment specifications. The laws based on job descriptions and legal requirements is based on the necessity of listing any and all duties which are expected to be fulfilled by the employee before hiring the individual. This has to be specified with a contractual agreement that is filled by both the employee and employer. When Jill was asked to not take part in the escort service, she then proceeded to take the problem to a legal entity, specifically because the service was one which is not considered legal. The whistle blowing action which Jill took part in furthered the problem. According to current movements against discrimination, one cannot be unlawfully terminated for whistle blowing against problems within the workspace or from complaints over potentially illegal activities which are in the workspace. If one decides to freely participate in acts that are considered illegal then any firing process is considered discriminatory and is not lawful. There are two areas which Jill has the right to file against in this specific case. The first is based on the written employee agreement. This has blanket statements based on the claim of allowing each individual to have the right to fair and equal treatment while expressing and acting upon any religious or personal beliefs. If the job description is not one which claims the escort services and if Jill opposes this religiously and legally, then it is her right to act upon this within her own manner while being protected by the law. If this was stated in the contract than Jill remains protected from being fired. The second area which

Threatened species - Bradypus Torquatus Coursework - 1

Threatened species - Bradypus Torquatus - Coursework Example The causes of deforestation are agriculture and urbanization. The size of the Atlantic forest, locally called as the Mata Atlantica, has been reduced to 10% of its original size (Hance, 2010). Gravely affected with such change in landscape are the maned sloths, because an individual needs as much as a hectare as habitat. As well, contributing in the increased risk of their extinction is the fact that their litter size is 1 and there are only 15-20 births between February and April, although the absence of distinctive mane among juveniles allows them to hide in their mother’s fur. These slow-moving animals that spend 60-80% of their time resting is susceptible to become prey to mammalian predators (Hayssen, 2009). Thus, this species is already enlisted as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Since human activity has a large part in it, ways on allowing harmonious co-existence between humans and wild animals must thus be determined before this endangered species become extinct. Studies are thus being made to identify effective means for humans to better protect B, torquatus and to facilitate the increase in the population of this animal. Since much of the problem concerns the habitat, one of the studies conducted tried to determine whether cacao agroforest, locally called as cabrucas, interspersed between the remaining patches of Atlantic forests can serve as a habitat for this endangered species. Agroforestry has long been suggested as a solution to decreasing wildlife population partly caused by human-initiated landscape changes. This way, humans can earn a livelihood, while providing habitat to displaced animals as well. For 40 months, Cassano and her colleagues (2011) monitored three maned sloths living in the Cabana de Serra farm containing primary and secondary forests interspersed with shaded cacao and rubber tree plantations. There were also swamp and pastures. The sloths

Philosophy and Socrates Essay Example for Free

Philosophy and Socrates Essay SOCRATES THE PHILOSOPHER Socrates is a noteworthy and important historical figure as a philosopher, because of his and his pupils influence on the development of the philosophical world. His teachings, famous arguments, and ideas began the outgrowth of all later western philosophies. Born in 469 BC just outside of Athens, Socrates was brought up properly, and thoroughly educated. He was raised as most Athenians; developing both physical and mental strengths. Socrates then went on to learn from Archelaus the philosopher. Here he studied astronomy, mathematics, and was introduced to philosophy, which was a new concept at the time. Archelaus taught of explanations for the world with a scientific approach. Socrates, however, turned away from this idea and created his own. He decided that instead of trying to understand the universe, a person should try to understand himself. To express his philosophy, Socrates spent his days in the marketplace of Athens, telling people of his ideas. His voice was heard, and he was soon declared to be the wisest of all men. Socrates was skilled in the art of arguing. He developed a method by which he would win every debate. His favorite hobby was going to the marketplace and debating philosophical issues with other men in front of an audience. The result of these debates was that Socrates embarrassed the wise men in front of the crowd. This caused many to dislike him. After being named the wisest man, Socrates attempted to prove that this was not true. He debated with many men in the streets. These debates are some of his most famous argument methods. He started the discussion by stating that he knew nothing. As a result of the debate, he was able to prove that although his opponents claimed that they were wise, they knew nothing either. Socrates concluded that he really was the wisest man because unlike the others, he knew that he knew nothing. Socrates had many ideas and philosophies concerning issues other than the knowledge of oneself. These included explanations of the universe, the belief in god, and lifes goals. Other, earlier philosophers, had many different interpretation for the makeup of the world. Some believed that it was made out of numbers, others thought that it was made of a single substance, or many different substances, while still conflicting philosophers theorized that everything was formed out of atoms, and even illusions. Socrates had his own, different ideas. He believed that the world was made of forms that are not within the reach of our senses, but only of our thoughts. This means, for example, that when we think of characteristics such as roundness, we only picture ideas of it like a ball or a wheel. Therefore, he assumed that we only understand specific things that participate in our lives. In his search for the inner truth of oneself, Socrates theorized the explanation to the question of what the goals of life are. He concluded that everyone tries to find the meaning of happiness and goodness in their existence. This is the purpose of life. However, true happiness comes in many forms and is disguised in a way that people spend their lives looking for goodness, but finding only the evil in which it is concealed. The only way to discover true happiness, goodness, and the right way, is to fully understand oneself. Socrates did not believe in the Greek gods or religion. He had his personal view of god. Socrates felt that there must be some form of divine power because everyone seemed to believe in some kind of god and religion. He also believed in a sort of immortality. He hypothesized that there was an afterlife. His explanation for it was that people who had achieved goodness in their lives knew where they were going afterwards, and that evil people tried to ignore the fact that immortality existed. He preached that the soul was a persons true being, and that our goodness in life reflected on the goodness of our souls. According to Socrates, each individual should try to make his soul as moral as possible so that it can be like god, which will allow the achievement of an afterlife. Debating in the marketplace of Athens was not Socrates only daily activity. He also taught his philosophies to a group of students in a small classroom. These students were much like disciples. They respected and followed in the philosophies of their teacher. Socrates most famous pupil, Plato, went on to become a great philosopher like his mentor. Socrates lived through and fought in the Peloponnesian War. After Athens defeat, the democracy was replaced by a tyranny. This did not bother Socrates much because his belief in government was a rather simple and apathetic one. He thought that no matter what kind of government subsists; it should be followed solely because a form of law and order must exist in a society to control it. One of the tyrannys leaders was a former pupil of Socrates and hated his teacher. He tried to make life harder for Socrates by banning the t eaching of philosophy in the streets. Socrates ignored him. In response to this, the tyrant tried to kill Socrates; but the tyranny was overthrown right on time to prevent this. A new democratic government came into power, the leader of which, Anytus, also hated Socrates because his son, who was the philosophers pupil, turned away from the familys business to become a philosopher. Anytus had Socrates arrested on charges of corrupting Athens young and turning them away from Paganism, the Greek religion involving a belief in many gods. Anytus announced the death penalty as a punishment for this crime. It was obviously an outrageous sentence for a crime that was not even committed. Socrates was brought before a jury and instead of using his debating skills to defend himself, he did nothing in his own defense because he was convinced that the entire trial was a joke. The jury voted on the death penalty. Now Socrates had a chance to appeal to the court. He was entitled to suggest forms of punishment other than death to satisfy his crime. Instead of proposing a reasonable penalty, Socrates suggested ridiculous ones which angered the jury; causing them to vote on the death penalty once again. Socrates did not seem to mind at all. He was sent to prison and lived their surrounded by his friends and disciples for his last few days. His life ended by drinking hemlock as his friends cried at his bedside. Only after this scandalous death, did all of Greece realize what they had done; that they had killed one of the greatest philosophers of all time. Socrates life achievements were vast. He introduced new ideas and theories into the philosophical world. His pupil, Plato, went on to influence all of the western worlds philosophical development. Socrates began the evolution of philosophy throughout the world. He took the first step toward advancing modern philosophy, as we know it. His theories and ideas were a whole new concept that helped progress the western philosophy through all of later history. In conclusion, Socrates historical importance is great, due to his extreme influence on the evolution of the worlds ideas of philosophy. Even though Socrates never made written records of his work, his finest and most successful pupil, Plato, recorded much of his teachers accomplishments and deeds. From these history has learned so much as to be able to advance and heighten its entire philosophical viewpoints; and until this day, learn from the ancient philosopher, Socrates. INTERVEIW WITH A PHILOSOPHER: Mark ? Socrates, you were raised and educated in many different fields, why did you decide to spend your life as a philosopher? Socrates ? It is true that I have been educated in the arts, literature, and gymnastics as a youth; but in my continuing education as you may already know, I was taught by Anaxagoras, the famous early philosopher. His theories were not ones with which I would agree; such as those stating that all things were made of tiny substances which contained a little of everything, that the sun was a hot rock, and that the moon was made of earth. For these teachings, he was banished from Athens. Nevertheless, he was a good teacher and allowed me to realize that my philosophies were going to be antiscientific and quite different from his. My following philosophical teacher was Archelaus, with whom I studied mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy. I knew that my opinions and theories were strong, I had performing and arguing skills, and my ideas would consist of principles rather than sciences. The simple lifestyle of the philosopher appeals to me. I enjoyed the unusual behaviors that I associated myself with. All that really interested me was the great mysteries of philosophy, and the questions of knowing oneself, which I devoted my life to learning and teaching. Mark ? Your teaching was remarkable and much can be learned from studying it even after your death; why is that you never bothered to record your works for later generations? Socrates ? Many have asked this before and for quite obvious reasons. Most other noteworthy historical figures did keep a record of their works ever since the invention of written language, yet not one of mine exists in writing. I do not exactly know the reason for this. Whether there are records of my work or not, does not matter. I will forever be remembered by my loyal pupils, the Athenian population, and the world. Furthermore, nothing I ever said was of too great importance. And to tell you the truth, I never really wanted to take the time to keep useless records. That nonsense did not concern me nearly as much as most of my other problems as a philosopher. I had to make money somehow, to support my wife and three sons. As you might have guessed, being a philosopher does not exactly bring you riches. One of the reasons I began teaching was to make money. Also, I had to deal with many peoples constant hatred of me, mainly due to my victories in debates against them. Some, with high political positions, even wanted me dead at points of my life. And one even succeeded. So, you see, no matter how simple and easy going my life may seem, there are quite a few difficulties attached to it. Mark ? Your trial and death are quite interesting and famous historical events. They have been interpreted by many and confused some; what caused you to make such drastic and unusual decisions, the consequence of which you knew forehand? Socrates ? This I am aware of. As a matter of fact, some even claim that I was mentally ill, and blame that as the cause for my actions. This of course I deny. The truth includes a mixture between my philosophical beliefs and the thoughts that have occurred to me during my last days. I always believed that there is an after-life. And that must have somehow influenced my decisions. Even though the religious part of this came to me only afterwards. At first many others and I thought that this ridiculous trial was an obvious hoax. Who would have thought that such a crime, which I was evidently not guilty of, be punished by the death penalty. I fooled with the court. They on the other hand were quite serious about it. In the last days, I realized that there was no way out. True I could have argued with the court and won. I could have escaped using the plan devised by my dear friends. But since there was a high-ranking leader who wanted me dead, it was going to happen no matter what. Furthermore, my governmental beliefs stand true in all situations; the law should be followed and that is all. There was not much I was willing to do. After some thinking, I decided to go along with the law, after all, I had lived a happy life. One that I was proud of living, no matter how unusual it may appear to others. I was an old man of seventy. I found and understood myself, and had achieved happiness and goodness. There was nothing more that I desired. I knew what was waiting for me after death and was ready for it. Word Count: 2066.

Economic Effects of Immigration

Economic Effects of Immigration Moon Kyung Jung A trend that existed long time ago and still nowadays that people tend to move from one place to another in order to achieve better conditions of living and profits. Disregard the size, for many reasons immigrations occurred from several places. Of course the immigration occurs from less developed countries (LDCs) to more developed countries like the U.S. [1] As the immigration process concentrates in place such as the U.S. will affect that country in many ways. The immigrants from LDCs disproportionately have little schooling, so school system might be affected. Also, most of immigrants are mostly unskilled workers, so it would affect the low-wage labor market, but affect high-wage markets. As well as the ratio of exports and imports to GDP has risen as well, and an increasing proportion of imports have come from LDCs.[2] However, immigration does not only bring positive effects to a country, but also brings negatives at the same time such as security problems.[3] Throughout this pa per, I will focus on both positives and negatives. This paper has three sections. First section will discuss about the effects of immigration on the U.S. labor market. Second section will discuss about the effects, both on social and economic levels. And last section will discuss about the changes in politics and effects of immigration to them. Will immigration affect the markets? Yes, it definitely will because the market is a place where human interactions are happening and immigrants are part of the societies and they become to involve in the market as they revert. There are so many markets that immigrants can affect, but I will mostly focus on the labor market. There was a significant rise in immigration and trade in the U.S. since the 1960s.[4] Since then, the major impulse for the increased inflow of legal immigration from less developed countries was the 1965 Amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act.[5] There were many reasons why people sought the U.S. as a place to immigrate. The simplest reason is the huge wage differential between the U.S. and border countries like Mexico and this also increased illegal immigrants.[6] During the few decades after the Act, the U.S. faced a significant increase in the population pool that from 1970 to 1996, the number of foreign-born persons increased by 15 million, raising the foreign-born share of the U.S. to 9.3 percent in 1996.[7] Many immigrants first settled in the six main immigrant-receiving states: California, New York, Texas, Florida, New Jersey and Illinois, but soon spread out by 1990s.[8] Because of the most immigrants were in the adult population (aged 18 to 64), the effect of im migration on native labor was huge, mainly in these six states during the decades.[9] The effect on native labor depends crucially on the skill distribution between immigrants and natives. Basically, if the immigrants are skillful as the natives then both groups are in the same skill-match that there will be no change in the structure of wages. By contrast, if immigrants are not skillful as the natives, then the wages will tend to concentrate to skillful workers and will shift the distribution of income toward the more of the natives, and the opposite will happen if the immigrants are more skillful. [10] In the table from the article â€Å"How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes?† it compares the distributions of years of schooling for immigrants and natives in the U.S. and in California for 1990 and 1995. The table is showing that the distribution of immigrants by educational achievement is more spread than that of natives.[11] A disproportionately large number of immigrants have fewer than nine years of education, but also, a disproportionately high number have more than sixteen years. On average, however, immigrants have fewer years of schooling than natives. [12] As a result, the contribution of immigrants to the supply of skills has become increasingly concentrated in the lower educational categories. [13] These lower educational categories include farming occupations, service jobs, private household workers, and operators and fabricators. Immigrants are less likely than natives to work in white collar jobs and are especially underrepresented in gov ernment jobs.[14] Accordingly, this results in increasing competition in lower-skilled industries, which possibly can reduce the wage of workers while enhancing their performances. However, immigrants can just as easily work in any industries as the natives if they become skillful and second generation of these immigrants are gradually increasing their educational level so it seems that the immigrants possibly can easily acquire skillful jobs. Were the changes emerged from the immigration effect positive? This answer can vary depending upon who one stand for. If the one is a native, he/she might consider it as negative because the immigrants made the natives harder to look for a job and the competition even made the natives acquire higher education now. However, the immigrants will not think in the same way because the minimum wage they receive in the U.S. is much higher compared to their home countries, so as long as they can afford jobs they find it successful.[15] But now, let’s stay away from this sentimentalism and talk about real negatives. There are many problems emerge as more immigrants enter a country. Simply, let’s think about an example. Suppose there is a small company and due to its successful innovation, it became huge and famous. Now, more people are willing to work for this company and the company is willing to hire more workers. However, as the workers increase, the company has to create another building or make the original building larger. Also, there will be higher costs for training them. The transfer of information between divisions will cost even more. There are just so many issues pop out as the number of people grows. This logic also applies to countries that accept large number of immigrants like the U.S. However, there is a bigger problem than just about the costs. It is the security. When countries are dealing each other internationally, every single of them has dealt with excessive securitization of individual and group.[16] Because people particularly emphasized on pervasiveness of fear and mistrust among stated intentions for peace, there is an idiom like â€Å"Who wants peace must prepare for war.†[17] This idea of securitization even played a huge role during the world wars that Hitler wanted to restore and save the dignity of German, while exclude or persecute many Jews. Also, the nuclear arms race during the Cold War that the U.S. and Soviet Union wanted to get more people under their ideology by securing their members.[18] However, when it comes to a country level, it is a little bit different. There is a term called the security dilemma where â€Å"the means by which a state tries to increase its security decrease the security of others.†[19] At the social level, the immigration often creates public opposition. For the past two decades, hostility to immigration has become increasingly politicized in many regions of Western Europe and the U.S. Anti-immigrant parties often give elaborations for why an individual would object immigration or support a nativist political movement.[20] However, unsurprisingly the academics blame individuals’ nativism on lack of personal contact with immigrants, poor education, youthfulness, masculinity, a rural environment, failure to belong to a union, membership in the ethnic or linguistic majority.[21] However, the reality isn’t the same as idealism. In fact, psychological school usually gives tiny help to those seeking to reduce nativism because it is hard to determine which specific bills to pass to reduce public alienation. [22] These anti-immigration movements are honestly waste of time and resources. What is so beneficial by kicking all immigrants out of a country who are people that possibly can enhance the quality of the country through the competition which makes everything efficient?[23] I cannot find any reasonable answer for this question. Obviously, the nativists will say things that are economic self-interest.[24] Most citizens will support any political movements only if they seem like beneficial to themselves. Apparently, the immigration does not seem like beneficial to the nativists. However, as mentioned earlier, it is not true. It is beneficial to a country when there is more population because it provides greater amounts of better services, rise in productivity, and more.[25] Anti-immigration movements are not the only things that happen because of the immigration. PAGE 25à ¬Ã‚ ªÃ‚ ½ How much† Bibliography How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes? George J. Borjas, Richard B. Freeman, Lawrence F. Katz, John DiNardo and John M. Abowd http://www.jstor.org/stable/2534701?seq=2 Immigration Phobia and the Security Dilemma Mikhail A. Alexseev San Diego State University from Journal of Economic History http://ebooks.cambridge.org/ebook.jsf?bid=CBO9780511528064 Immigration and Politics in the New Europe Gallya Lahav State University of New York from Journal of Economic History http://ebooks.cambridge.org/ebook.jsf?bid=CBO9780511558887 Emigration from the UK, 1870-1913 and 1950-1998 Timothy J. Hatton Australian National University and University of Essex from European Review of Economic History http://ereh.oxfordjournals.org/content/8/2/149.full.pdf+html?sid=4edbd32d-8637-417b-a651-1804ac220ac2 Skilled and unskilled wage differentials and economic integration, 1870-1930 Concha Betran and Maria A. Pons Universidad de Valencia, from European Review of Economic History http://ereh.oxfordjournals.org/content/8/1/29.full.pdf+html?sid=4edbd32d-8637-417b-a651-1804ac220ac2 Economic self-interest or cultural marginality? Anti-immigration sentiment and nativist political movements in France, Germany and the USA Joel S. Fetzer Published online http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/136918300115615 [1] How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes? George J. Borjas, Richard B. Freeman, Lawrence F. Katz, John DiNardo and John M. Abowd [2] How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes? George J. Borjas, Richard B. Freeman, Lawrence F. Katz, John DiNardo and John M. Abowd [3]Immigration Phobia and the Security Dilemma By Mikhail A. Alexseev San Diego State University [4] How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes? George J. Borjas, Richard B. Freeman, Lawrence F. Katz, John DiNardo and John M. Abowd [5] How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes? George J. Borjas, Richard B. Freeman, Lawrence F. Katz, John DiNardo and John M. Abowd [6] How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes? George J. Borjas, Richard B. Freeman, Lawrence F. Katz, John DiNardo and John M. Abowd [7] How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes? George J. Borjas, Richard B. Freeman, Lawrence F. Katz, John DiNardo and John M. Abowd [8] How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes? George J. Borjas, Richard B. Freeman, Lawrence F. Katz, John DiNardo and John M. Abowd [9] How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes? George J. Borjas, Richard B. Freeman, Lawrence F. Katz, John DiNardo and John M. Abowd [10] How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes? George J. Borjas, Richard B. Freeman, Lawrence F. Katz, John DiNardo and John M. Abowd [11] How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes? George J. Borjas, Richard B. Freeman, Lawrence F. Katz, John DiNardo and John M. Abowd [12] How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes? George J. Borjas, Richard B. Freeman, Lawrence F. Katz, John DiNardo and John M. Abowd [13] How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes? George J. Borjas, Richard B. Freeman, Lawrence F. Katz, John DiNardo and John M. Abowd [14] How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes? George J. Borjas, Richard B. Freeman, Lawrence F. Katz, John DiNardo and John M. Abowd [15] Skilled and unskilled wage differentials and economic integration, 1870-1930. Concha Betran and Maria A. Pons Universidad de Valencia, from European Review of Economic History [16] Immigration Phobia and the Security Dilemma. Mikhail A. Alexseev San Diego State University from Journal of Economic History [17] Immigration Phobia and the Security Dilemma. Mikhail A. Alexseev San Diego State University from Journal of Economic History [18] Immigration Phobia and the Security Dilemma. Mikhail A. Alexseev San Diego State University from Journal of Economic History [19] Immigration Phobia and the Security Dilemma. Mikhail A. Alexseev San Diego State University from Journal of Economic History [20] Economic self-interest or cultural marginality? Anti-immigration sentiment and nativist political movements in France, Germany and the USA. Joel S. Fetzer [21] Economic self-interest or cultural marginality? Anti-immigration sentiment and nativist political movements in France, Germany and the USA. Joel S. Fetzer [22] Economic self-interest or cultural marginality? Anti-immigration sentiment and nativist political movements in France, Germany and the USA. Joel S. Fetzer [23] Economic self-interest or cultural marginality? Anti-immigration sentiment and nativist political movements in France, Germany and the USA. Joel S. Fetzer [24] Economic self-interest or cultural marginality? Anti-immigration sentiment and nativist political movements in France, Germany and the USA. Joel S. Fetzer [25] Economic self-interest or cultural marginality? Anti-immigration sentiment and nativist political movements in France, Germany and the USA. Joel S. Fetzer

Thematic Comparison of Lovelace’s To Lucasta and Donne’s Song Essay

Thematic Comparison of Lovelace’s To Lucasta and Donne’s Song  Ã‚   Modern perceptions of love as expressed in literature-- with gender equality and the abandonment of expected role-playing-- did not arbitrarily become pervasive, but are the product of centuries of incremental progression. The seventeenth century in particular provided a foundation for this progression, as poets for the very first time began to question the dictated structure and male domination of the Elizabethan era. Two poems of the seventeenth century, the cavalier "To Lucasta on Going to the Wars" by Richard Lovelace and the metaphysical "Song" by John Donne, each focusing on the pain inflicted by different aspects of love, employ tactics emblematic of the century’s poetry to demonstrate love’s puzzling nature. Both ostensible attempts to comfort their audiences by universalizing and morally justifying love’s baneful realities, they eventually fail and leave their audiences with only exacerbated pain. "To Lucasta," Lovelace’s attempt to justify his de parture from his lover Lucasta for the British Civil War by subjugating his sensual love to honor, fails in its illogical and contradictory nature, and acknowledges the ability of love’s endurance to victimize man, while "Song," by trying to alleviate the pain of fleeting love, only underscores love’s inevitable elusiveness. Lovelace, one of the preeminent cavalier poets of the seventeenth century, attempts to use his particular situation with his lover Lucasta as well as an appeal to honor and patriotism to justify to all soldiers the departure of their lovers, but the poem’s inconsistencies obviate success. Throughout the poem, Lovelace’s mind, understanding the need to go to battle, remains at war with hi... ...love for his precious Lucasta, however, inconsistencies and wavering pervade his writing, and reveal his involuntary mockery of soldierly values and his unbreakable bond to Lucasta. As he must venture into battle, he becomes a victim of love’s enduring impregnability. Donne, in his "Song" attempts at first to comfort all men who have encountered the difficulties of romantic relations. With his strong, dominating voice, however, he obliterates the prospects of enduring love. Much the opposite of Lovelace, Donne delineates himself as a victim of love’s elusiveness. What the two poems have in common is their discomforting effect on their audiences resulting from their eventual resignation to their respective perceived realities. For Lovelace, this reality is a future of battle and a separation from all that matters; for Donne, it is a life void of enduring love.

Toms Escape Essay -- Essays Papers

Toms Escape In The Glass Menagerie, Tom Wingfield is perhaps the most prominent character. He is burdened with not only being a main character of the play but the narrator as well. He is given the unenviable task of being the voice of reason in the Wingfield house. Almost every action of his reveals an important detail about his personality and motivation. Tom’s personality can be divided into two main parts. The first â€Å"give(s)†¦truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion† and speaks in vague details while the other side speaks bluntly and leaves no room for misinterpretation. Both parts are vital to Tom as a character since they show that he is a true three-dimensional character rather than a simple representation of a single idea. His motivation appears to change throughout the play. At times he acts out of his feelings of love and responsibility to his family while at other times he is driven by his sense of adventure. Tom’s personality traits reveal a great deal about his motivation and reasoning for his actions. The many traits of Tom’s personality are what drive him to his actions in the play. His sense of responsibility to Amanda and Laura are the sole reason he works at a job where he â€Å"makes a slave of himself†¦for sixty-five dollars a month.† His desire for adventure in his everyday life is what compels him to go to the movies every night and join the merchant marines. His need for adventure is so great that he is willing to leave his family behi...

Antidepressant vs Placebo Essay -- Medical Research

Depression has grasped the lives of millions of Americans. There are those who claim these new cures, known as antidepressants, have helped many Americans escape from depression. The mind is what determines the outcome, the placebo effect is a way the mind heals itself without any medication. Placebo is a better and safer route to take for multiple reasons. First off, drugs can cause unpredictable symptoms. Secondly, there is the negative effect of self-withdrawal, the placebo effect does not always even have to be from a sugar pill, and lastly placebo works almost as well, if not just as well as actual antidepressants. Millions of Americans escape the deadly grip of depression by the help of popular drugs, such as Prozac, Zoloft, and other antidepressants (Turner et al). Only a select few know about my struggle with depression; [When I first received my medication, I took two prescribed pills of Prozac every morning. Not too long after taking it, I became more focused and driven at whatever tasks I was at hand. Anyone can safely start, a daily dose of antidepressants because they trigger the serotonin, one of the many brains signaling materials (Time Healthland). One of the negative points of antidepressants is that it can cause undesirable side effects. Doctors have prescribed antidepressants to patients who simply want to take an edge off of things, but the drugs can also cause distressing side effects. There are many levels of disability and symptoms of depression. Knowing these levels are a large part in knowing the effectiveness of the various antidepressants (Noonan et al, Newsweek). Antidepressants have side effects that include bleeding problems, and kidney or liver failure. The subject (people who use antidepressa... ...th-mental_health/t/placebos-power-goes-beyond-mind/#.T05fJmBuFl1>. Moerman, Daniel E., and Wayne B. Jonas. Annals of Internal Medicine. N.p., 19 Mar. 2002. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. . Connor, Steve. "Antidepressants Increase Suicidal Thoughts in Under-25s." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 12 Aug. 2009. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. . Alden, Wesley. "Dr. Oz: Sex and Exercise Reduce Stress The Fitness Center Orlando Sentinel." Dr. Oz: Sex and Exercise Reduce Stress The Fitness Center Orlando Sentinel. Orlando Sentinal, 16 Aug. 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. .

Reading for Pleasure Can Be Better Develped in Imagination and Language Sklls Than Watching Tv

Today, I will talk about an ancient city of China—Langzhong. My purpose in giving this presentation is to show you detailed geographic features of Langzhong, and recommend this famous place to you for travelling, so this presentation will have two parts, that is geography and tourism. Different from big modern cities, ancient cities can offer tourists an incredible variety of special sights and activities. This city is often referred to as a famous historical town. It’s one of the best preserved ancient towns in China. Langzhong city is a 2300-year-old city located in Nanchong, Sichuan Province.It is located in the north-east of the Sichuan basin and the middle reach of the Jialing River. The city is known as the wonderland of Sichuan. In terms of the geography of Langzhong, it is best to imagine the area as a main center surrounded by countless mountains and rivers with the northern part is higher than the southern part. Langzhong has plenty of natural resources such a s water resources, mineral resources and open space. Langzhong’s numerous rivers also ensure that our whole country has a major source of hydroelectric power. The government is also reclaiming these open spaces to improve agriculture.What’s more, Langzhong is rich in oil, gas, and gold. When people refer to Langzhong, they always talk about its long history. It was given the title of the best preserved ancient city around the world by the United Nations. As a travelling destination, Langzhong has something to offer almost every visitor. The first place that gives me a deep impression is Huaguang Tower. Huaguang Tower is also named Southern Tower or Zhenjiang Tower. It was first built in the Tang Dynasty, but it suffered several fires and was rebuilt repeatedly by past dynasties.The existing tower was renovated in the sixth year of the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. The base of the tower is 5 meters high and the total height is 25. 5 meters. With a three-layered ro of, the tower seems tall and straight as well as elegant and delicate. It has unique architectural features of the Tang Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty, winning the reputation of â€Å" the number one tower of Langyuan Garden†. In addition, few Langzhong sites are as impressive as the pavilion of Prince Teng, you can climb the pavilion to see the whole scenery of Langzhong City.The famous Chinese poet DuFu wrote an essay to praise this tower’s elegance and uniqueness highly–â€Å"The mountain is cloud-kissing, and people ascend it to enjoy a distant view. † If you want to know a lot about Chinese history and you are interested in the Han Dynasty, you can’t miss the chance to visit the Temple of Zhangfei. This temple has a history of 1700 years. It is well-known for its striking architecture, beautiful calligraphy, exhibition, and long history. Langzhong city is also famous for its examination hall.This hall was a special place for the imperial competi tive examination, which selected the most talented people and sent them to the emperor. Langzhong was called the town of number one scholars because it had so many geniuses who made great contribution to the entire world. What’s more, my favorites are the ancient streets and ancient houses. The preservation of the ancient city is a precious legacy for our whole world. Historians can learn a lot from this city. As for me, when I walked into the city, I simply wanted to spend a whole day strolling along the streets with my best friends.You can also take a boat to enjoy the scenery of Langzhong city along the Jialing River. This city is more peaceful than Lijing ancient city. Another thing the city has to offer is its excellent food. You can have a barbecue at night and drink specially-made plum wine or a beverage made of vinegar, both of which are delicious. The chafing dish has local features that are totally different from what I have ever eaten. That’s why I really wa nt to recommend it to you. There are some Langzhong’s tourist attractions, now, I want to talk about my trip to Langzhong. On that trip, I travelled with five friends.It was the first time that we took a trip without parents. We had to arrange everything in advance, but to be honest, it was hard to depend on ourselves completely. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the trip and had great fun with my friends. We could visit any place we are interested in without a touring party. I think you can imagine how free we felt. In fact, I was not very close with two of those guys. Although we were classmates in middle school, we lost contact with each other after we graduated. After those five days, we had already become close friends and talked all the time.Yes, this trip was an valuable experience for me. Because of it, I understand it is difficult but important to be independent, I find it is so good to have such kind friends and I have fallen in love with this ancient city. It was just a five day long trip, but it becomes an precious part of my life. I know I will cherish it forever. That’s my speech. I hope everyone has learned something about Langzhong ancient city from it. If you want to experience the atmosphere of ancient China with your best friends, Langzhong is the place to do it! Thank you for your time.

Explain the Principal Sociological Perspectives Essay

The functionalist approach in regard to health and ill health came from Talcott Parsons. Talcott Parsons urged that people must be health for the society to function well. He continued to verify that illness is a form of unaccepted behaviour and people who are ill play the sick role. Moreover, his approach towards these members is that the state comes with responsibilities. The rights that are related with the sick role include; People expect to be excluded from normal roles for that period of time. or duties e. g. work, house chores and also to be nurtured. The family play an important role in caring for the sick person. Responsibility of the sick role is; the sick person has to take good care of wellbeing in order to recover and return to normal duties. The functionalist contrast with the with government views regarding illness, that the society will be ineffective with sick people. Major strategies must be considered for the society to function. The Marxist approach: Concerning health, illness and health and social care services that are offered, the Marxist conform that this is an advantage to those in the high class. The government continue to allow advertisement of products that cause ill health and junk food. Moreover, factories manufacture dangerous products and cars cause air pollution. The functionalist view ill health as something that happen any time, whereas theorists say ill heath is a result of differences in the society. For example in areas of poverty there is high rate of unemployment. The government play a small role to eradicate issues that are associated with illness. Therefore people who are privileged benefit in the society. The Interactionist or social action approach: The interactionist approach is focused on the steps that an individual say about the illness, whether the illness existed or not. There are people who are seriously and do not consider themselves to be ill. There can be consequences to the sick person of being labelled ill. The interationists do not consider structures and institutions. However, they look on difficult relationships between people. Family, friends and professionals influence the individual’s declaration of being ill. The interactionist was criticised of leaving the causes of illness and focus on relationships and negotiations that occur. The approach ignores medical reports and environmental factors like depression, poverty and pollution. Concept of health Health is the state when there is no disease. Parson explained health which was proposed by the Who in 1974, as the condition of being physically, intellectual and spiritually fit. The absence of disease received negative report that gives no attention to individual’s physical, emotional and intellectual health. Car providers apply the holistic approach to care and support heath care users. Health care providers view themselves to deal with needs of patients instead of recognised matters. Three strands that were identified by Blaxter are; positive – when a person is fit and well: negative – health is being without pain or discomfort and functional – health is the ability to carry out daily tasks. Models of health Biomedical model The biomedical model originated from Western countries, the model supports the National Health Services. Health is considered as disease not found and professional help is required. The aim of professionals is to treat illness and the model so not focus on patients. Sociologists say look less on environmental factors that may cause ill health. The biomedical model focuses on the ill person instead of environmental and social factors. The biomedical model relates with the functionalist perspective. The functionalist perspectives say that illness cause the society be ineffective. The sick role has responsibilities to cooperate with the medical doctors. The socio-medical model The socio-medical model of health pays attention on environmental and social factors that lead to health in in the community. Researchers obtained information that life expectancy has increased and death rate is falling. The National Health Services provide free medical services. The report support that social factors cause ill health. The socio-medical model fits with the conflict theorists. Conflict theorists identified that there is lower life expectancy and increasing rates of illness people with low income and areas of poverty. Less privileged people have a poor diet and they live in areas where there is pollution. Although politicians identify plans to help people with illness they do not want to contribute. Biomedical model look on diagnosis, whereas the socio-medical focus on environmental factors that cause illness.

Human Relations and Scientific Management

Ha Chi K50BF During the period of the nineteen and twenty century, the world industry had reshaped itself with the new present of technology and information transfer in new manner. In the complex situation of the economy, F. W Taylor(1856-1917), published his principles in managing which was called Scientific Management and had been popular as the core managing style for various business models up to now.Scientific Management focuses on logical task provision and maximising productivity based on task performance. A few years after Taylor' death, Elton Mayo(1880-1949) made a significant movement in managing perception rooted in Hawthorne ‘s experiences at an electric company. The new perception quoted that managing an organisation was not only maximising productivity, it was also about satisfy organisation internal people ‘s needs. By this way or another, there are gain and loss, which will be clarified hereafter.To begin with gain by each approach, Scientific in particula r, providing logical principles in working processes in a manner of analysing discrete tasks, finding one best way in practise, choosing suitable people respectively to accomplish the tasks. By this way, clear tasks were for clear individuals which helps increasing productivity by assigning right people for the right jobs, avoiding responsibility denying and easier in measuring work performance.Scientific Management was the orthodox foundation in modern business management models. Later revolution in managing had relied on its principles up to now. Besides that, Human relations Approach did have pretty different in perception. It had pointed out the important in human behaviour at work and the development of management thinking. In this case, managers behaviour was a vital aspect of motivation and improved performance.Furthermore, maintaining good relation among group of people, sharing feelings with staffs emphasised on the needs of social organization and generating working motiva tion as well as creating somehow group values and norm. The importance of organization has been pushed up to a high level that had never mentioned in other Human relations perception. Continuing with the bad sides of both approaches, Scientific Management Approach had ignored the interaction among organisations. Although it motivated employees by monetary reward, it refused to sympathy to employees' concerns and feelings.As a result, works became a routine and boring, workers were treated as manufacturing machines, they were made light of dignity then they gradually losing interest in work. In addition, training process was kind of waste money. It was pointed out that, one in eight trainees was capable to job requirements( porter job). In recent practise, Human Relation Approach are popular in any industries, people choosing a job is not only for high salary, but also appreciate to good working environment, extra incentives and social needs from organisations.Nowadays, Scientific Ma nagement is still relevant to some extent such as work assignments, salary based performance( in hospitality job). Overall, there are different points in this two conceptions. However, Human relations Approach is seemed that more innovate and practical method in business management. The managers decide to use which method or even combination need to consider further factors such as major, economy and so on to establish a good strategy. Case study DELL

The Ascetic Ideal and the Slave Revolt in Morality

There are many aspects in sociology, as well as in psychology, which helps individuals better understand how the frameworks for what is now accepted behavior and moral guides were established and created by the past, and by whom. One of the important aspects of this discussion involves the ascetic ideals, ressentiment, the nobles and the slaves, the slave morality and the slave revolt in morality. In this aspect, one of the most respected individuals who provided important insight for the discussion of this topic is Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche was a very popular German philosopher who devoted much of his professional time and career being involved in the discussion involving important aspects of morality and the noble and slave relationship, as well as the ascetic ideals and how it eventually affected the aforementioned aspects. There are those who criticized what Nietzsche has put forward, particularly the ideas he discussed involving the ideas of morality, how it is defined and how this controls humans through the close inspection of one's self and through the direction of the accusing finger from outwards to inwards. Nietzsche's ideas on the topic of slave revolt in morality carefully analysed by some; while others merely dispose it as something that does not fit the agreeable and convenient and comfortable understanding of the modern individual about the important aspects of morality and how the individual in his social position should be ascribed with his own set of attributes for this particular aspect. â€Å"Nietzsche's unintended contributions to the moralization of the decadence are most obviously displayed in the Genealogy, a book in which he both documents and exemplifies the twisted psychology of the slave revolt in morality (Conway, 2002, p. 31). † Nonetheless, what Nietzsche had said about this topic has earned its rightful significance. Because of that, the further discussion of this topic is a significant endeavor to further clarify the ideas presented in this aspect. What is the Ascetic Ideal? The ascetic ideal can be taken differently, depending on the person's outlook. It c an be something grand that it can be life altering in the sense that one's outlook in life may seriously change and the ascetic ideal showing that it can be powerful enough to provide someone with a significant life goal worth pursuing. While, on the other hand, it can be as insignificant as being plainly nothing more than a tool used by individuals and groups who, like the group they are trying to usurp, merely wanted control over the people by creating something from which control of the people can be possible. Nietzsche provided an explanation on the meaning of the ascetic ideals and the differences of the meanings of the ascetic ideals, depending on the type of person the ascetic ideal will be applied to. He explained that the target individuals who will be affected by the ascetic ideals include artists, philosophers, priests and scholars, as well as women and those which Nietzsche described as someone who is â€Å"physiologically failed. † In common present term, physiologically failed is someone who is not physically capable to be superior against other people or against the ruling class, or someone who is not equipped physically with the power to fight against or even resist physically the attack on one's self by the members of the higher status quo or higher social echelon (Nietzsche, 1998, p. 67). For each one of them, ascetic ideal mean something different, but largely something that can make them feel better about themselves by allowing the ability to create a condition inside one's mind. The individual has the ability to fight the superior class or render victorious in its socio-political and socio-moral fight versus the ruling/noble class; often, the ascetic ideal falls to the idea that it is relegated to the mental or even spiritual state (Nietzsche, 1998, p. 67) of the individual where it resides and it is at its peak efficacy. What Role does it play in the Slave Revolt in Morality? The ascetic ideal plays an important role in the slave revolt morality because the ascetic ideal is the driving force behind the creation of the slave revolt in morality. Without the ascetic ideal to empower particular groups of people (particularly the leader in the form of the ascetic priests who was considered as responsible for reforming and re-evaluating morality and the definition of good and bad / good and evil in the society), the people, who follow these leaders (ascetic priests), would have not known the ideals, believes and set of behaviors that allowed for and at the same time a result of the slave revolt in morality. The ascetic ideal, as explained earlier in the paper, influences different kinds of individuals and as an ideal is appreciated, exercised and consumed differently by different types of people. Nonetheless, these differences do not make the individuals feel the impact of the ascetic ideals differently through its manifestation and role in the slave revolt in morality. Although it is evident that in the analysis of the slave revolt in morality, often, the target of discussion is zeroed in on the ascetic ideals of the priests. In turn, the important role of the ascetic ideal of priests in the slave revolt in morality above the other types of ascetic ideals and the other individuals are affected and involved in this socio-cultural psychological and emotional revolution impacting the morality, behavior and social senses of the self and the relationship with other people (Craig, 1998, p. 854). It is important to point out that in the battle for the creation of what should be the accepted morality by the people, the tug of war pitted the noble/soldiers versus the priests and the peaceful (Craig, 1998, p. 54). â€Å"To explain the origin of the good/evil [the specifically moral] mode of valuation, Nietzsche postulates a slave revolt in morality, a revaluation inspired by ressentiment [or]†¦ grudge-laden resentment (Craig, 1998, p. 854). † This happened because between the two lies what can be considered as irreconcilable differences in the idea of morality and is significant in the creation of what is known as slave revolt in morality (Schacht, 1994, p. 327). Even with the power in the society exercised by the nobles/soldier caste – the â€Å"ressentiment constitutive of slave moralities [which] were initially provided by the nobles (Schacht, 1994, p. 327). † The priests, at the onset of the rise of the socio-political power of religions like Judaism and Christianity, are, nonetheless, not fully rendered incapable and incapacitated by the noble/soldier caste. Brian Leiter (2002) noted about the fact that present then and now what is known as â€Å"the cunning of the priestly caste even within noble societies (Leiter, 2002, p. 86). † This is important because as what critics and analysts points out, the ideals of ascetics, despite the fact that it targets and hits different kinds of persons, its most prominent figure is the ascetic ideal upon the priest (now ascetic priest), to whom the movement of the ascetic ideals (and its role in the slave revolt in morality) is largely and significantly hinged (Conway, 2002, p. 13 1). â€Å"Throughout his account of the genesis and ascendancy of the ascetic ideal, he unwittingly presents himself as a Doppelganger of the ascetic priest (Conway, 2002, p. 31). † The ascetic ideal's role in the slave revolt in morality is that it allowed slave revolt in morality to happen and to be more easily and/or conveniently embraced by a particular group of people (Conway, 2002, p. 131). To be able to truly identify the role of the ascetic ideal in the slave revolt in morality, it is important to point out the creation of ascetic ideal and how the ascetic ideal influenced or have had a role in the slave revolt in morality. There is first the feeling of ressentiment of the slaves which created the idea of morality – the entry of asceticism ideals that helped explain the slave morality to the people and helped them understand the mental/spiritual and emotional aspects of the relationship of the noble/slaves in the society during that time and how the ascetic ideals, in the end, helped the different types of people to understand the angles on existentialism that they needed to embrace and understand for the slave revolt to be realized and be made possible in the first place (Leiter, 2002, p. 286). The resentment of slaves and the internalized cruelty of civilized humans may have laid the foundation for morality, but it was the ability of asceticism to resolve the existential dilemma that ultimately accounted for the success of the slave revolt and the transformation of bad conscience into guilt (Leiter, 2002, p. 286). † More so, the role of ascetic ideal (and particularly, the ascetic priest) , is highlighted in the slave revolt in morality because the role of the ascetic priests was very significant in the salve revolt in morality taking place in the first place. It was because of the ascetic ideals among priests, who believe that the power of the combative soldiers and power all in all (as they see it among the ruling class nobles and soldiers), should be something that should be abhorred, ergo resulting in the slave revolt in morality. In the end, it was the priests, who was powered by the ascetic ideals, that was believed to be the leader behind the movement of the slave revolt in morality, and not the slaves as the name may imply (Craig, 1998, p. 54). â€Å"His postulated slave revolt was led not by slaves but by priests (Craig, 1998, p. 854). † Conclusion Despite what Nietzsche had said about the idea of morality and the feeling of the ascetic priests and how this contributed to the shaping of modern day attitude directed towards the religious institutions and the aristocratic and/or ruling and influential echelon side by side one another, what is clear is that this aspect is something that is still very much debatable. There are still many corners in this topic that hasn't reached a full closure regarding the loose ends that came about after the problems springing up based from what Nietzsche postulated from his works. â€Å"Our concepts need clarification precisely because they are products of a complicated historical development. Different strands have been tied together into such a tight unity that they seem inseparable and are no longer visible as strands (Craig, 1998, p. 854). † Still, it will always be educational to constantly pry open this issue that will never close. More so, with the fact that just like in the past, the position of the ruling class, the position of the religious and the noble groups and the outlook of the society may still change. This change may still affect, how the ascetic ideals and the slave revolt in morality, is viewed in the future. What is clear is that in one way or another the ascetic ideal has gained foothold among many individuals and groups in the society; later on, it has managed to become a significant influence in the slave revolt in morality.

Creating the Critical Path Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Creating the Critical Path - Assignment Example As per the planned activities of the project, there exist relationships between the activities include: start to start and end to start. Keeping in view these facts, the above given diagram shows activities having two colors including the blue and red. The activities in the blue color are non critical activities; however, the activities in red are critical. The combination of red activities which flow till end of the project develop the critical path meaning delaying one of the critical activities (red) can delay the completion of the project. From the above, the activities on the critical path include: six (6) to eleven (11), sixteen (16), seventeen (17) and twenty one (21) to twenty six (26). Therefore, the project manager along with the project team are required to concentrate on the critical activities, so that these activities complete as per the planned time and ultimately complete the project within time. However, on the other hand, the blue / non critical activities can be de layed to a certain point and this concept is known as the slack or float. And if the activity delays more than the slack or float, then this non critical activity becomes critical as well. For instance, the activity number eighteen (18) titled â€Å"Meetings’ can be delayed for eight (8) days, however, if the same activity delays for nine (9) or more days, then this activity becomes critical. ... And there are various factors which can result into the deviation from the critical path of the project. These factors include but are not limited to the following (Gardiner, 2005): i. Unrealistic schedule of the project activities (poor schedule planning), ii. The negative impact of the inter / external project risks, iii. Lacking Project Management skills iv. Allocation of inappropriate human and technical resources on the activities v. The communication gap between team members as well as the stakeholders (customer / client / vendor, etc.) vi. Unskilled team members Results of deviating from the critical path Precisely, a project can said to be a failure, if the project objectives are not achieved within the agreed deadline. It is pertinent to mention here that a delay in single critical activity leads to delay the whole project from the prescribed deadline. Therefore, one of the major results of deviating from the critical path is the delay in project completion date. However, th ere are certain other results include: an increase in the agreed cost / budget of the project, and the project would not to be said as a quality project. Simply, it can be stated that the following critical path is significant. And if by any means, the project team deviates from the critical path, the project management techniques should be utilized to bring the project again to the critical path (Meredith, and Mantel, 2008). Triple Constraint of a Project The triple constraint of a project includes: the time (deadline), cost (budget) and scope (user / client requirements). A project can be a failure if one of the triple constraints (schedule, cost and scope) is not met by the project. The quality of a project is based on the completion of the project within the triple constraints i-e

Assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

2 - Assignment Example Intuitively this can happen, but the evidence presented does not warrant that such would lead to the kind of seemingly dramatic downturn in the quality of the relationship between Lindsey and Malik, as described. The literature describes this fallacy as the Slippery slope fallacy which is a fallacy where the evidence to make a given conclusion is not sufficient. Here there may be an exaggeration of the consequences of Lindsey’s going to university over having a baby. After all, Lindsey can have a baby and go to university, and the choice does not preclude Lindsey having a baby after university. Moreover, given that the couple’s relationship seems long-term, it is unlikely that just one event whose consequences can be reversible can lead to the downturn of the relationship. The consequence is reversible because they can always have a baby during or after university, assuming that Lindsey is young and still have many childbearing years ahead of her (Bassham et al.). 2. Pr emise: (1) The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star reporters made the claim that Mayor Ford uses crack cocaine, and that the mayor’s brother was a drug dealer in the 80’s. (2) Mayor Ford says that the reporters are â€Å"just a bunch of maggots† Conclusion: People should not listen to the â€Å"sleazebags†. Fallacy: Personal Attack Here the mayor says that because the reporters have questionable professional and personal morals, the conclusion is that their assertions that the mayor did drugs and that his brother pushed drugs cannot be true. He is equating the reporters' morals with the non-truth of their claims (Bassham et al.) It may be that the reporters are of questionable morals and integrity as far as looking for news and making sure that their newspapers are able to feed off sensational reporting, but the character of the reporters do not preclude them from making truthful claims relating to the activities of the mayor and his brother, especially s ince the newspapers themselves are reputable and can be presumed to have done its fact checking prior to the publication of the claims. The personal attacks on the reporters are not relevant to whether the mayor and his brother used/are using and/or dealt drugs (Bassham et al.). 3. Premise: (1) There are many weight loss programs available. (2) The Weight Watchers sales associate said theirs is the best weight loss program among alternatives Conclusion: The Weight Watchers program is the best there is. Fallacy: Hasty Generalization Here the conclusion is that since the sales associate says Weight Watchers is the best, then that claim must be true. This is relying on the authority of one person, the sales associate, and not considering that other points of view may yield different answers as to which program is the best (Bassham et al.) It may be true that the Weight Watchers program that Keesha enrolled in is the best in the market, but this cannot be concluded from the evidence tha t Keesha presented, which is the word of the Weight Watchers sales associate. The evidence is small, and just consists of one sample so to speak, whereas a more