Land remediation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Land remediation - Essay Example Spills and leakages occur in all these situations and cause contamination of soil and ground water. Authors Malawska and Wiokomirski confirmed high presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and heavy metals (like Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Hg, Fe, Co, Cr, and Mo) in railway sidings in Poland (Malawska M & Wiokomirski B, 2001). Volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOC) are the other common contaminants resulting from the use of hydrocarbons. The specified site condition indicates sandy soil to a significant depth and water table at relatively shallow depth of 3.2m. Thus we can expect the highly permeable sandy soil and ground water to be contaminated with PAH, heavy metals and VOC. industrial sheds for production and storage, network of roads for movement of people and materials, utility services for power and water supply, common effluent treatment plant etc., among other things. A large number of people work in such areas for long hours and are exposed to pollution that is present in air, water and soil. While the industrial sheds may be constructed with impermeable floors per se, such is not the case with the open spaces of an industrial estate that may be used as storage areas, common areas, landscaping and gardening, for roads / utility lines etc. Hence land remediation is necessary. Options available for remediation in this situation are soil vapor extraction (SVE) technique and land refill. Land refill would involve extensive excavation and removal of the contaminated soil and refilling. This is a very expensive operation, especially in view of the presence of contaminated ground water at shallow depths, which in any case needs to be cleaned up before use. Finding a suitable place for the extracted soil will also be an issue. Soil vapor extraction involves vaporizing and extracting the volatile

Balanced Scorecard & Tableau de bord Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Balanced Scorecard & Tableau de bord - Essay Example rspective regarding performance measurement systems, which are usually implemented with respect to their strategic and organizational relevance - their cultural and ideological backgrounds being generally disregarded. In addition, this analysis provides some insight into the more general question of the transferability of management methods. Over 20 years ago Steven Kerr wrote an article entitled “On the Folly of Hoping for A and Rewarding B”. The paper, now considered a “classic”, described how many companies performance measurement systems were rewarding different behaviors than the ones they hoped to obtain from their employees. This issue has received much attention over the last few years. In particular, Robert Kaplan and David Norton have published a series of three Harvard Business Review articles proposing a specific framework, called Balanced Scorecard, to facilitate the translation of strategy into action. The idea of having some form of balanced picture of company performance is not new in itself. Many companies have for years tracked and reported multiple indicators. Further, many countries have also had particular traditions. In France, for example, companies have been using a related tool called “Tableau de Bord” for over 50 years. The paper reviews and compares Tableau de Bord and Balanced Scorecard. The authors conclude that Kaplan and Nortons Balanced Scorecard represents a welcome addition and goes further than what most companies and countries were doing. The Balanced Scorecard approach to management control, as developed by [The Balanced Scorecard: measures that drive performance. Harvard Bus. Rev. 1992 (January–February) 71], has generated a great deal of interest, at least in academic circles and in consulting firms, and it has been promoted by its authors as a novelty. This is surprising for French accounting scholars and practitioners who developed a similar technique in the 1930s called the Tableau de bord. This paper critically

Qnb And Atropine Binding To Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Biology Essay

Qnb And Atropine Binding To Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Biology Essay Using rat brain membranes, buffer, atropine and 3H-QNB you will produce a displacement curve for QNB by atropine, using a filtration method to separate bound QNB from free QNB. Radioactivity on the filters will be measured by scintillation counting and, after correction for counting efficiency, will be converted into molar units from specific radioactivities. Introduction: Receptors for acetylcholine are present in many tissues and can be characterised as falling into two main types, muscarinic or nicotinic, on the basis of their ability to bind muscarine or nicotine respectively. Several substances are known that bind to the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR): some of these are agonists (which bind and elicit a response) and some are antagonists (which bind but do not elicit a response). In general, antagonists are used to measure receptor binding as they bind with a higher affinity (lower KD) than agonists bind. In this experiment you will investigate some of the properties of mAChR in rat brain membranes by means of 3H-quinuclidinyl benzilate (3H-QNB) binding. This experiment is based upon an article by Yamamura Snyder (1974) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 71: 1725-1729 (See course website.) Requirements: 1. Rat brain membranes store on ice. (See p for preparation method). 2. Sodium potassium phosphate (NaKP) 50 mM pH 7.4 standard 3H-QNB/NaKP assay mix (NaKP + 1.3nM 3H-QNB, 11.2 x 102 Bq/pmol high concentration 3H-QNB/NaKP assay mix (NaKP + 6.5 nM 3H-QNB, 11.2 x 102 Bq/pmol atropine solution (10 ÃŽÂ ¼M MW 290) * QNB AND ATROPINE ARE TOXIC SO HANDLE WITH CARE * 3. Small glass test tubes, micropipettes 200 ÃŽÂ ¼l (YELLOW TIPS), 1000 ÃŽÂ ¼l (BLUE TIPS), 5000 ÃŽÂ ¼l (WHITE TIPS) 4. Multiplex filtration apparatus + GF/C glass fibre filters (2.5 cm diam) + forceps 5. Scintillation mini-vials + Ultima Gold scintillant Methods: All assays have a final volume of 2.0 ml, made up of 1.5 ml 3H-QNB assay mix, 0.3 ml water or atropine. The assay is started by adding 0.2 ml membranes. The excess atropine added to the controls displaces the specific and saturable (i.e. receptor-bound) QNB leaving the non-specific, non-saturable QNB bound to the membranes. The assays are left for the appropriate length of time, stopped by adding 2.0 ml NaKP to increase the volume and filtering immediately through glass fibre filters. These are washed with NaKP and counted overnight in a scintillation counter. Day 1 1. Make up two bulk assays, one to measure total QNB binding (with water) and one to measure non-specific binding (with atropine). Set up two 50 ml conical flasks thus: A B 3H-QNB (1.3 nM) 30.0 ml 30.0 ml water 6.0 ml 0.0 ml atropine 0.0 ml 6.0 ml (this is enough for 20 assays you will do 18 assays) 2. Set up a filter tower with six GF/C filters. When you are ready, quickly add 4.0 ml swirled membranes to each flask and swirl to mix. 3. Now remove 2.0 ml aliquots to filters, three for each flask, making sure that you know which are from flask A and which from B. *USE SEPARATE PIPETTE TIPS FOR FLASKS A AND B* Note that if you contaminate the QNB solutions with atropine it will completely abolish all binding Filter quickly through fresh GF/C filters. 4. Wash each filter with 5 ml NaKP, remove filters to mini-vials, add 5 ml scintillant, invert, leave at least 1 hr, invert again and count the radioactivity in the scintillation counter. 5. Repeat steps 3 4 at times =10, 20, 30, 45 and 60 mins. 6. Using the swabs provided, take six separate samples to check for radioactive contamination, for example by rubbing gloves, bench or anything that might have been in contact with 3H-QNB. Carefully note the origin of each swab. Then put each swab into a separate vial containing 5 ml of scintillant, as before, record the treatment of each, and send them for counting. This is a standard safety procedure when dealing with radioactive chemicals. The amounts of tritium involved in this experiment are unlikely to damage your health. Nevertheless this is a useful exercise to find test your technique before you make a mistake with 32P or 125I (much more damaging). Day 2 Note that you need to take great care to get the correct volumes of each solution into the appropriate tubes. The more care you take, the better will be your results Determine IC50 for atropine (i.e. that atropine concentration which displaces 50% of QNB binding). Take 5 small glass test tubes (1-5) and put 1200 ÃŽÂ ¼l of distilled water in each. Now add 300 ÃŽÂ ¼l of 10 ÃŽÂ ¼M atropine to Tube 1, mix well and transfer 300 ÃŽÂ ¼l to Tube 2. Mix well and transfer 300 ÃŽÂ ¼l to Tube 3. Repeat up to Tube 5. Calculate the atropine concentration in each tube. Set up 7 triplicate glass tubes (A1, A2, A3, B1 G3) as follows: Tubes 300ml of 1.3 nM QNB assay mix A 10mM atropine 1500ml B Tube 1 1500ml C Tube 2 1500ml D Tube 3 1500ml E Tube 4 1500ml F Tube 5 1500ml G distilled water 1500ml As rapidly as possible add 200ml membranes to each tube. Proceed as described in 2).4) above, using the incubation time you calculated from Day1s experiment (it should be at least 45 minutes). It is best to start the reactions in two batches, with 5 minutes between each batch to allow you time to filter the first batch before the second batch is due. Calculate the average radioactivity bound to each triplicate set of filters and convert this value into suitable units of QNB bound (nanomoles or picomoles). Plot these values against log10[atropine]. Estimate the IC50 from the midpoint of the curve and compare your result with that obtained by Yamamura Snyder. While you are waiting for the reactions to reach equilibrium, carry out a Lowry assay for protein (see p) so that you can calculate specific QNB binding in fmol QNB per mg protein, and compare your value to that given in the Yamamura Snyder paper. You will be told in the class what quantities of membrane preparation to use in this assay. Day 3 Note that you need to take great care to get the correct volumes of each solution into the appropriate tubes. The more care you take, the better will be your results Determine KD for QNB. You will make lower concentrations of QNB by diluting the standard QNB assay mix with NaKP; higher concentrations can be made from the high concentration 3H-QNB mix but this is strictly limited at 20 assays per group dont waste it. Label eight test tubes 1-8. Tube 1.3 nM QNB mix 6.5 nM QNB mix NaKP ml ml Ml 1 0 7.50 0.00 2 0 2.50 5.00 3 0 5.00 2.50 4 0 3.20 4.30 5 6.00 0.00 0.00 6 2.50 0.00 5.00 7 5.00 0.00 2.50 8 3.50 0.00 4.00 Label eight sets of triplicate tubes A1, A2, A3.H3. Add the water or atropine last. Tubes 1500 ÃŽÂ ¼l from Tube # 300 ÃŽÂ ¼l A 1 Water B 2 Water C 3 Water D 4 Water E 5 Water F 6 Water G 7 Water H 8 Water Now label a separate set of eight tubes label A4, B4à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦H4. Set these up as the previous but add Atropine instead of water. Note that this set is not done in triplicate. Add 200 ÃŽÂ ¼l of membrane preparation to each tube. Incubate the tubes as described in 2)4) above, the incubation time being that determined on Day 1. It is best to start the reactions in two batches with 5 minutes between to allow you time to filter the first batch before the second batch is due. Calculate the average radioactivity bound to each triplicate set of filters and convert it into amounts of QNB (nano- or picomoles). Draw a straight line through the atropine controls, and subtract the values for each real or estimated atropine control from the water values and use these data to calculate the bound and free QNB values. While you are waiting for the reactions to reach equilibrium, carry out a Lowry assay for protein (p) so that you can calculate specific QNB binding in fmol QNB per mg protein, and compare your value to that given in the Yamamura Snyder paper. The data from this experiment may be analysed by Scatchard analysis. This will be discussed during the following session. Further information about this and other methods of analysis can be found at: http://www.curvefit.com/introduction75.htm Dispose of your radioactive equipment and toxic chemicals in the correct places. Data analysis Questions to think about: How many dpm should be present in each assay? (Calculate this.) What is the likely nature of the non-specific binding? Comment on the rate of binding for the specific and the non-specific binding. What other methods are available for measuring receptor-ligand equilibria? If the off-rate were fast (e.g. half-life of around 1 second) what method of assaying the receptor-ligand binding might be suitable? Does the QNB concentration affect the IC50 of atropine? LOWRY ASSAY FOR PROTEIN Reagent 1: 0.5 ml copper tartrate has been mixed with 50 ml alkaline carbonate on the day of use. copper tartrate (0.1 g CuSO4.5H2O added to 0.2 g NaK tartrate in 20 ml water) alkaline carbonate (2 g NaOH in 20 ml water and adding 10 g Na2CO3, made up to 100 ml with water) Reagent 2: Commercial Folin-Ciocalteau reagent 1:1 in water Method: In a series of test tubes, add the volume of membrane announced at the start of the class and make this up to 1 ml with water. Prepare tubes containing 0, 50, 100 150 and 200 ÃŽÂ ¼g bovine serum albumin (BSA) made up to 1 ml water. The concentration of BSA you are supplied with is 1 mg.ml-1. Add 1.5 ml Reagent 1. Mix well and leave to stand for 10 min at room temperature. Add 0.3 ml Reagent 2, mix well and leave for 30 min. Read at 660 nm. Plot the data from the standard BSA tubes and calculate the protein concentration in the membranes. PREPARATION OF RAT BRAIN TISSUES Rat brain membranes for QNB binding experiment Rat brains were homogenised in 10 volumes ice-cold 0.32 M sucrose/0.1 mM PMSF with a Teflon-glass Potter homogeniser. This was centrifuged at 12000g x 10 minutes and the pellet resuspended in original volume of sucrose and frozen in aliquots. (PMSF = phenylmethylsulphonylfluoride half-life in water c. 3hr)

Australian Values Statement Essay -- Nationalism

On October 15, 2007 the government shifted from a liberal multiculturalist immigration policy to an assimilation policy. This occurs after a change in the political speech. During the early 2000’s the rhetoric became more nationalistic and Australia like many different countries focus on defining its identity. The citizenship eligibility requirements were reinforced and all applicants for provisional and permanent visa have to read and accept the Australian Values statement. These core values of the nation are summarizing by three dot point: â€Å" †¢ Australian society values respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual, freedom of religion, commitment to the rule of law, Parliamentary democracy, equality of men and women and a spirit of egalitarianism that embraces mutual respect, tolerance, fair play and compassion for those in need and pursuit of the public good †¢ Australian society values equality of opportunity for individuals, regardless of their race, religion or ethnic background †¢ the English language, as the national language, is an important unifying element of Australian society.† On a first point we will analyse the text and try to understand it purpose and the means use to attain it. Then we will focus on the three dot point and the â€Å"Australian values† defined by the state. The issue of this focus is to know if the state-defined values are promoted and recognize by the media and the population or not and if they really occur in reality. Finally we will express some of the critics made to this â€Å"Australian Values Statement† form. We shall consider first the reasons and goals that pushed the government to create this statement and analyse its writing. On Australia Day 2006, the Prime Minister John Howar... ...Press. Leet, M. (2006). What Are Australian Values, Really? The Brisbane Institute. Leitner, G. (2004). Australia's Many Voices: Ethnic Englishes, Indigenous and Migrant Languages. Policy and Education. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. McGregor, C. (2001). Class in Australia. Melbourne: Penguin. Phillips, T., & Smith, P. (2000). What is 'Australian'? Knowledge and Among a Gallery of Contemporary Australians. Australian Journal of Political Science, pp. 203-224. Randel-moon, H. (2006). ‘COMMON VALUES’: WHITENESS, CHRISTIANITY, ASYLUM SEEKERS. ACRAWSA e-journal, Vol. 2, Issue 1, , pp. 1-14. Rossister, J. (2007). Identifying and Measuring "Australian Values". Australian Marketing Journal 15.1, pp. 7-13. Thompson, E. (2001). Challenges to Egalitarianism: Diversity or Sameness ? In Unity and diversity: a National Conversation: Barton Lectures (p. 71). Sydney: ABC Books.

Goal Setting for Academic Success

November 2010 Goal Setting for Academic Success Goals are like road maps; they get a person from one point to another. Goals provide the direction one needs to reach a destination. The best way to get results is to plan for the future, but live one day at a time. Think about the future; how does one define success? What makes one happy? What drives a person? What makes a person get out of bed in the morning? Does success mean family, money, security, helping others, improving the environment, solving problems, a career, or a degree?Whatever a student decides, the key to academic success is to strengthen one’s will to succeed and to do this one must set academic goals. The first step in setting an academic goal is to define an attainable, relevant goal. A student must ask himself about his own core values, what motivates the student, where does the student want to be tomorrow, next week or even a few years? What does the student want to do? Be very specific with academic plans. If a student’s desires are specific, goals will be specific. Never ask the questions, â€Å"What if†, or â€Å"What would happen if†.Make the questions a positive affirmation of what the student will do. While developing a relevant goal, make sure to also ask if what is desired is attainable. After some thought write out a clear description of a goal (Carter et al. 100). The second step in academic goal setting is to defining a specific path. The student must think about what the most important goal is, and what is the first thing to do to start towards that goal? Then plan backwards in time and outline. Start by creating a rough outline or some type of map that includes specific steps in regard to the academic goal.The beginning of the student’s road map is this map being personalized just for the student. Outline specifically the steps towards goals, keeping in mind behaviors and life events that are under one’s control. In this outline define a specific educational path; most importantly begin creating new rules for life especially giving thought to what one will do with events and behaviors that cannot be controlled (Carter et al. 100). Once the student has the big picture in mind, the third step in goal setting is setting a time table.Ask when do you want to have a goal complete, being realistic in regard to the goal and the time that will be involved to accomplish it. Think about deadlines for the steps defined in the plan of action. Finally, begin keeping track of progress perhaps by blogging or writing in a notebook to keep track of progress towards reaching the goal. Think of short -term goals towards academic achievement ranging from daily to weekly, even monthly or as far up to one-year. Long term goals can be set up to take 5 years to accomplish.Make sure to set deadlines for each step in a plan and keep track of those (Carter et al. 100). The fourth step in academic goal setting is for the student to measure the m self. The student should be learning more at this point and what makes them tick. The student needs to keep a written record of progress and set backs as well as finding a confidant to talk to; someone the student can count on to help keep them on track (Carter et al. 100). The fifth and one of the most important steps is not getting â€Å"stuck† If a bump in the road to academic goals get in the way, the student shouldn’t panic!The student needs to be aware that staying on track with a specific academic or any other personal goal can be rocky and may place un needed stress on them. The student should try to anticipate problems and think of ways to make changes to the plan of action if they run into trouble. If the student gets stuck, now is the time to reach out to family, trusted friends, school counselors and maybe even instructors for support. Plans aren’t always etched in stone and it’s important that the student understands that plans can be alter ed, they should never give up (Carter et al. 00). Step six in achieving an academic goal is the most exciting part; putting the student’s goal achievement plan into action, following the steps and trying not to sway from them. By conditioning, the student will be able to follow this map created as if life depends on it because in a way it does. This is the student’s future and they should take it very seriously (Carter et al. 100). Putting academic strategies into action is to achieve a desired goal. Prepare daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly; action plans are your set of directions to achieve academic goals.Things to remember to include in a plan of action is time management, which would include how much time is spent studying everyday; where the student will study, who the student will study with, and how the student will avoid distractions. Keeping assignments and important dates organized in a planner is very important. The student will then be able to refer to it on a daily. A student must also take into consideration negativity and how to avoid it, assuring that the short term goals are being met successfully.The student should be encouraged even if they don’t succeed at first to try again. The student may struggle at first deciding and committing to academic goals, but that doesn’t mean they can’t go back and revise academic plans. It’s important to note that in the beginning of the post secondary experience; academically the student should start out simple but be concise. If the student is undecided on a major but still has to find classes to take, conquering the general education courses that the student will need to get into a major and attain a degree is a great way to start short term goals.Some people might even benefit from this course of action because if they are dedicated to goals they have set, it will increase success skills in college once the student has reached the level to get into a degree progr am. This makes things seem a little easier later in the college years because the student has learned have how to manage time, and how to study and get the grades needed to succeed. A student always needs to remember the sky is the limit but it’s up to the student how they are going to get there or how you will not.Goal setting emerged as a theory in psychology over the course of the last 35 years (Morisano et al. 255). Goal setting will recognize both a student’s conscious and unconscious mind and what the student wishes to achieve. Goal Setting has the power to change a student’s life. While setting an academic goal in the proper way a student will achieve it. So the key with goal setting is to ensure that the right goal is set, and then begin working towards it, most importantly in the right order. Goals can be supportive to a student’s self, academics, family and community. Goal Setting is a tool hat if used correctly can change the quality of oneâ₠¬â„¢s life. It is beneficial in academics, personal, health, and business life. â€Å"Setting goals can improve performance and ability at any given task. Students with clear goals appear more able to direct attention and effort toward goal relevant activities and away from those that are not† (Morisano et al. 177). The authors go on to say that goal setting is healthy in establishing clear goals increasing self regulating skills, increasing enthusiasm, increased energy, persistence and less susceptible to anxiety, disappointment and frustration.Further more the article goes on to say that well defined goals appear to help students discover efficient strategies and modes of thought and perception. Even when a student doesn’t realize a goal is in place it probably is for example the night before class one might be organizing books, materials, setting alarms to get up for class the next day not even realizing that these small goals achieved are to reach to the larger goa l of getting to school prepared and on time.Not every student finds it easy to know what goals to set academically Goals which measure academic success might include: an increase in grade point average, improvement in note taking effectiveness, or increased usage of an effective study system. Improvement in any area requires clear behavioral goals, clear outcomes and measurable ways to monitor the student’s goal-oriented behavior. Goals need to well-defined so that they are stated as an outcome, specified as actions, and numerically measurable. A student needs to be able to define goals using each of these three criteria.The improvement in goals is influenced by the clarity of goal statements (Carter et al. 94-119). The Steps to Achieving Great Goals are appreciating the value of a goal, deciding on the goal a student wishes to set, ensuring they are excited by the goal and documenting their goal as they forge through it towards achievement. â€Å"The process of writing abou t a goal for example keeping a journal detailing the academic goal, the ups and downs related to reaching it, how the student feels about it does appear to have some elements of magic about it† (Lemos 480).Lemos goes on to say that this is because the process of documenting a goal does a number of very positive things for students. Writing about a goal ensures focus on exactly what the goal is, not just a general feeling of what it is. Having a documented goal is a permanent record of the goal so that the student is consistently pursing the one goal, the student has a future record against which to measure progress, and the process of converting a goal from thought to words engages more of the brain and clarifies the instructions given to your unconscious mind.While setting academic goals in order to successfully achieve them, the student must ensure the goal is well formed as to identify the evidence that enables them to know when they have achieved it, most importantly ident ifying the student’s first step, ensure that achieving your goal fits into their life and the cost of the goal is not greater than the benefit that they will achieve. Finally a student wants to identify and remove any and all blockages, finally visualizing skills, talents and interests. For weekly goals, a student shouldn’t choose something that is uncharacteristically demanding for them.A student can always do more than the stated goal so build on success by choosing something realistic (Lemos 480). Characteristics of a reachable goal are both believable and possible. The student is the key person here so they shouldn’t set a goal that they don't believe in. The student needs to make sure that they believe they can do it and that it is possible to do in the time they have set aside. A reachable goal is measurable. If a student’s long term goal is to be successful, the will be more likely to reach that goal if they say it in concrete and specific terms.Fo r instance, they might say that they want to be earning $30,000 a year by the time you are 25. For a weekly goal, move beyond statements like I want to do better in all my classes. Instead, the student should promise them self that they will read two chapters of history by Saturday. A reachable goal is flexible. Sometimes our plans change; sometimes we get sick. The student needs to be prepared to reassess and revise goals if necessary. If the are too sick to study, they may have to revise a goal into reading two chapters of history by extending the time to Monday. A reachable goal is controllable.The student should make sure they are in charge of the goal. If friends suggest that the best way to pass a class is to study old tests but the student knows that they’re learning style demands chapter outlines to get the material down, the student should stick with what works for them. The student is in control (Konar 1). A student may want help with academic goal achievement. Mayb e the student is not sure how to get started with goal setting or they are not sure what goals to set. The student may already have goals in mind and would like confirmation of the steps needed to achieve them. It could be hat they have got a goal setting program under control and may need a little bit of extra motivation or knowledge to keep them on track. This is the student’s chance to meet an adviser or counsellors as well as possibly a success coach who will keep the student headed in the right direction with information, encouragement and support (Carter 94-119). In conclusion goal setting produces improvements in academic success especially among struggling college students. â€Å"Goal setting interventions can potentially help students establish not only goals but increase academic progress† (Lemos 482).Goal setting strategies are encouraged for students on academic probation. Learning to set and maintain plans towards long term goals in school also extend into other areas of their lives, helping to improve themselves in other areas of life as well. Setting an important academic means everything to most students. The student should write a letter of intent, date it, and sign it. Next, the student should place this letter some where that they will see it everyday. The student should go to a friend or fellow student and make a commitment to promote and support one another; it helps to be accountable to someone else. If a student develops dreams into goals, and goals into realities, then realities will become successes.Works Cited â€Å"Academic Success Center. † Academic Goal Setting. Iowa State University, 2010. Web. 1 Nov 2010. Carter, Carol,. Joyce Bishop,. Sarah Lyman Kravits. â€Å"Setting and Reaching Goals: Using Values, Stress Management, and Teamwork. † How Do Set and Achieve Goals?. Edited. Sande Johnson. Boston: Pearson Education Inc, 2009. Print. Kato, Fumie. â€Å"Student preferences: Goal Setting and self assess ment activities in a tertiary education environment. Language Teaching Research. 13. 2 (2009): 177-179. Print. Konar, Carol. â€Å"Goal Setting. † Academic Success Center. Oregon State University, 2010. Web. 16 Nov 2010. Lemos, Marina S. â€Å"Student's goals and self regulation in the classroom. † International Journal of Educational Research. 31. (1999): 471-485. Print. Morisano, Dominique, Jacob B. Hirsh, Jordan B. Peterson, Robert O. Phil, and Bruce M. Shore. â€Å"Setting, Elaborating, and Reflecting on Personal Goals Improves Academic Performance. † Journal of Applied Psychology. 95. 2 (2010): 255-266. Print.

Games to Life Essay

Pong, Super Mario Bros. , and Pac-Man are a couple classic games most everyone has played. These games were some of the first video games ever made and had very little to no violence in them. These video games have now evolved into more graphic, gory, and violent games. This increased violence in video games has caused more aggression in society. On April 20th, 1999 at Columbine High School in Colorado a shooting occurred killing 12 students, 1 teacher and also injured 24 other students. Two students were the cause of this shooting. The two seniors played video games religiously and were big fans of a game named Doom. Doom is a game where players is a space marine who must fight his way through hordes of invading demons from Hell. The two shooters liked and played this game so much that even designed their own based off of it. Eric and Dylan’s, the two shooters, game was created based on the Columbine High School’s floor plan. Their game contained characters based off student at their school whom they did not like. When students, in their game, that believed in God would die they would say â€Å"’My Lord, why did you do this to me? † which is what Eric and Dylan believed they would say as they would kill them. When a newer game called Duke Nukem came out, a similar game to Doom, Eric and Dylan were quick to design another levels based on Columbine High School. In this game they had more realistic guns and bombs, which the shooters liked. They also mapped out how they would invade the school and whom they would target in these levels they created. Through both these games, that Eric and Dylan loved to play, inspired them to create there own games using their school as a layout and students as the characters. They planned out how they would approach their shooting and where they would place their bombs based on what they did in their games. They knew whom they would kill first and where they would be. They also placed bombs around the school as they would in the game that thankfully did not go off. Video games have become a big part of our culture in today’s society. When video games first came out they were simple, friendly, and non-violent. Since then video games have become more sophisticated, completive, and especially more violent. Eric and Dylan’s shooting on their school was an act of aggression supported from the violent videos games they played.

A Marxist Study of Much Ado About Nothing Essay Example

A Marxist Study of Much Ado About Nothing Essay Example A Marxist Study of Much Ado About Nothing Essay A Marxist Study of Much Ado About Nothing Essay Essay Topic: Much Ado about Nothing A Marxist study of Much Ado About Nothing Using the Marxist approach to one of Shakespeare’s comedies, Much Ado About Nothing, this essay deals with the unconscious of the text in order to reveal the ideology of the text (as buried in what is not said) so as to discover the hegemony behind the text. The ideology perpetuated in Much Ado About Nothing revolves around, centrally, ensuring the needs and insecurities of the aristocratic – the need for a patriarchal power, the need to reject, stigmatize and dominate the lower class and women. According to Elliot Krieger in A Marxist Study of Shakespeare’s Comedies, there is a â€Å"primary world† and a â€Å"second world† in each of Shakespeare’s comedies. The second world is a location towards which â€Å"the characters, hence the action, move† (1). The primary world is the actual location which the characters originally inhabit, while the second world is where the characters escape to. This second world is an alternative to the primary world, a different perspective for the characters to see the objective reality. It represents a state of mind which â€Å"shelters or separates them† in the primary world as the protagonists â€Å"circumscribe all of objective reality with their subjectivity† (3). While the protagonists â€Å"experience the second world as a retreat, withdrawal, or replacement† releasing their private fancy in this second world, others experience the second world â€Å"as a domination, an exhibition of authority† and â€Å"a restriction on their own autonomy† (4). In Much Ado About Nothing, the honourable prince Don Pedro and his illegitimate brother, Don John the Bastard, conjure up a second world of their own respectively. The second world of the former succeeds and sustains itself at the end of the play while that of the latter falls through hopelessly. The success and failure of the two different second worlds demonstrates the fact that â€Å"only a protagonist who has social degree, and power, can develop a second world in which personal whims organize the social experience of others, in which the needs of the subject’s ego replace the history of the primary world†(4). Hence, this Shakespearean comedy has the sole purpose of unconsciously serving the aristocratic in upholding their ideology, an ideology that has in turn become the hegemony for all in society. After the victory of the war in the primary world, Don Pedro arrives at Messina with his troops of soldiers and soon sets up the first second world in the play, aiming to â€Å"to bring Signor/Benedick and the Lady Beatrice into a mountain of/affection the one with the other† (II. i. 284-287) through the means of deception. Lady Beatrice, with her quick wits and independent character, often directs her wisdom and outspoken defiance against men: â€Å"Would it not grieve a woman to be overmastered with a pierce of valiant dust? †(II. i. 40-41) Her hatred of the opposite sex, which is most intensely overt in her verbal war with Benedick, unconsciously disturbs men and poses a threat to their virility. Beatrice must not have her waywardness left unruled: â€Å"I hope to see you one day fitted with a husband† sighs Leonato (II. i. 37). Indeed, Don Pedro’s subtle affection for Beatrice can be taken as more than a romantic interlude; it might be an unconscious attempt of the patriarchal ruling class to subjugate the agency of women by marrying them: â€Å"Will you have me, Lady? † (II. i. 252) Beatrice, as an independent and outspoken woman in the primary world, must be objectified and have her freedom forfeited in a man’s hands – if not Don Pedro, then Benedick. This fantasy is to be conducted in the second world – a response to the social condition in the primary world. The taming and exorcizing of the strong woman Beatrice is further expressed in the two instances of gulling. As proposed by Neely, Don Pedro, Leonato and Claudio â€Å"alleviate his (Benedick’s) fears about Beatrice’s aggressiveness by a lengthy, exaggerated tale of her desperate passion for him: ‘Then down upon her knees she falls, weeps, sobs, bears her heart, tears her hair, prays, curses – ‘O sweet Benedick! God give me patience’ (II, iii, 148-50)† (146). Such account â€Å"dovetails perfectly with his fantasy that all women (even the aggressive Beatrice) dote on him† and â€Å"gratifies†, most importantly, the male readers desire to â€Å"picture the disdainful Beatrice in this helpless state† (Neely, 146). The women’s gulling of Beatrice, on the contrary, make only one â€Å"unembroidered mention of Benedick’s love for her, even that is interrogative – ‘But are you sure/That Benedick Beatrice’s’(III, i, 36-7)† (Neely, 146). They â€Å"praise his (Benedick) virtues, not Beatrice’s† and assault heavily on the pride of Beatrice, â€Å"deflating rather than bolstering her self-esteem† (Neely, 146). These two instances of gulling, which bolster the authenticity of the second world of Don Pedro, manage also to exorcise and suppress the power of women in deflating Beatrice. The second world led by Don Pedro must succeed in replacing the primary world (where Benedick is verbally attacked by Beatrice) because he is the man with the highest social standing in the play. The hegemony reigns in as the subjectivity of Don Pedro becomes the experience of the others – the two instances of gulling edging closer and closer to honesty. The second world of Don Pedro and that of Don John share a foremost function to exorcize women as men harbor an unconscious fear to be subject to women’s sexual power. To Benedick and the male protagonists, love can lead to â€Å"humiliation and loss of potency†¦a castrating torture† (Neely, 144). To defend themselves, men â€Å"deny its possibility through idealization†, as in the idealization of Hero into a perfect and innocent virgin, â€Å"anticipate it through misogyny, as expressed in the strong Beatrice, or â€Å"transform it, through the motif of cuckoldry† (Neely, 141), as in the second world of Don John. (In the second world of Don John, deception is employed to slander Hero and defame her honour. Its destruction goes as far as providing an unconscious imaginary land for men to relieve their fears about women, suggesting their sadistic desire to attack women so as to affirm their virility. After being publicly shamed, Hero can do nothing but swoon; Beatrice also suffers in great frustration; as she feels the constraints of a woman, she cries: â€Å"Is he not approved in the height a villain, that/hath slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman? O/that I were a man! †¦O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart† (IV. i. 212-214). Masculinity is portrayed as an exclusive power possessed only by the men who could fight back in the face of injustice. ) Marriage not only ends the war between Benedick and Beatrice but also maintains the purity of the blood of the upper class. During the time when the play was written, it was unlikely for one, especially a woman of the lower class, to marry one’s social status up. The concept of marriage between members of the same class is unconsciously promoted so that the blood of the lower class would not enter and stain that of the upper class. In granting the consent to Claudio to marry his daughter Hero, Leonato comments, â€Å"his grace hath made the match† (II, i, 232); being asked to marry Don Pedro, Beatrice refuses by asserting that his grace is â€Å"too costly to wear† (II, i, 252); in deceiving Claudio to believe that Don Pedro has wooed Hero for himself, Don John the bastard disapproves of such match as Hero â€Å"is no equal for his birth† (II, i, 144). It is important for one to marry a member of the same league. Marriage, which subjects women to men’s power and control, can also prevent the elevation of social standing of the lower class, which could prevent the ower class’ ‘robbery’ of the fortunes of the upper class. As a â€Å"good soldier to a lady† (I, i, 43), Benedick could marry off with a pretty woman of a lower social standing. He is denied this when Don Pedro ensures his marriage with Beatrice. Though the second world of Don Pedro produces an â⠂¬Å"abstract moral condition such as ‘harmony’ or ‘concord’, beneficial to all of the characters’† (Krieger, 5), its success sacrifices the autonomy of Beatrice, the freedom of Benedick and annihilates the possibility of an inter-class marriage which could reward either Beatrice or Benedick. This is also why the second world created by Don John is doomed to fail. Don John is a figure who has no respected or recognized social status. As an illegitimate brother to Don Pedro, he is no different from a parasite attached to his princely brother for economic subsistence and respect, as Leonato remarks upon receiving Don John, â€Å"Let me bid you welcome, my lord: being reconciled to/the prince your brother, I owe you all duty† (I, i, 117-118). Don John has Leonato owned his â€Å"all duty† only because he himself has â€Å"reconciled to† Don Pedro the prince. Despite being a ‘prince’, Don John is still referred as the â€Å"bastard†. The failure of his second world, which consists of slandering the virgin Hero, is an assurance that the illegitimate will never succeed in entering the league or upsetting the status quo of the legitimate upper class. The ideology of class distinction remains as people opt for a potential marital partner according to one’s social standing. The presence of Don John also serves as a living warning for the upper class that any illegitimate intercourse with the lower class may breed a potential malice in the future, that is the devilish Don John in the play. The lower class must be rejected by the upper class, especially in terms of marriage. The repulsion of inter-class marriage is further testified in Margaret being one of the accomplices of this valiancy in disgracing Hero. As the chamber-maid of Hero, Margaret pretends to be Hero and gets tempted by Borachio, with whom she has sex. Her lust is a testimony to the immorality of the lower class, who cannot command their own desires. In Shakespeares era, a woman with her honour lost would lose all her social standing. Compared to the public shaming of Hero, the absence of a punishment to Margaret’s loss of honour might also reflect the insignificance of the lower class. The lower class is free to do whatever they want as they are left in the gutter, while the upper class must watch their code of behaviour carefully so as not to fall into depravity. The promiscuity of Margaret also reinforces the depraved nature of the lower class which justifies the impossibility of an inter-class marriage which would otherwise pollute the blood of the upper class. The lower class is exorcised as it is presented to be depraved while the upper class remains virtuous in the purity of Hero. The second world of Don John fails soon after the truth about the gulling is made known to Leonato. Although the gulling is brought to light by Dogberry the policeman of the middle class, Don Pedro is the one who derives valuable answers from the villain Borachio to discover the truth of the villainy. With fluent articulation, Don Pedro forms the significant question, â€Å"Who have you offended, masters, that you are thus/bound to your answer? whats your offence? † (V. . 168-169) while Dogberry, the â€Å"learned constable†¦too cunning to be understood† (V. i. 168-169) fails to retrieve meaningful answers in his previous instances of interrogation due to his eccentric and wry use of language. His function works no more than exercising the labour to arrest and transfer the villain to the authority. Under arrest, Borachio only makes his confes sion to Don Pedro as he recounts, â€Å"Sweet prince, let me go no farther to mine answer:†¦I have/deceived even your very eyes: what your wisdoms/could not discover, these shallow fools have brought/to light† (V. i. 171-176). The ideology that aristocratic class holds the key to settling disputes and injustice permeates and they hold the legitimacy to rule the community. Contrary to a traditional reading of the play, the Marxist approach involves a close analysis of the minor character Don Pedro and also the absence of certain events, such as the punishment of Margaret, as well as the displaced rage of Beatrice. The â€Å"development of a second world† in Shakespearean comedies manifests aristocratic privilege. In fact, the â€Å"second world functions as an ideological system† and â€Å"hide[s] class struggle† (Kriger, 6). The struggle presented in the play is the disturbed power relation between men and women, upper class and lower class. The success of the second world of Don Pedro, who belongs to the aristocratic, replaces the social conditions of the primary world which is previously upset by the dominance of Beatrice and the intrusion of Don John the bastard. The hegemony, which is the second world, is set up by Don Pedro and is privileged to remain as the objective reality in the new primary world of both the aristocratic and the lower class.

Definition and Examples of Clarity in Prose

Definition and Examples of Clarity in Prose Clarity is a characteristic of a speech or a prose composition that communicates effectively with its intended audience. Also called perspicuity. In general, the qualities of clearly written prose include a carefully defined purpose, logical organization, well-constructed sentences, and precise word choice. Verb: clarify. Contrast with gobbledygook. EtymologyFrom the Latin, clear. Examples and Observations When asked what qualities they value most in writing, people who must read a great deal professionally put clarity at the top of their list. If they have to invest too much effort in figuring out the writers meaning, they will give up in dismay or annoyance.(Maxine C. Hairston, Successful Writing. Norton, 1992)All men are really attracted by the beauty of plain speech [but they] write in a florid style in imitation of this.(Henry David Thoreau, quoted by J.M. Williams in Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace, 1981)The main thing I try to do is write as clearly as I can. I rewrite a good deal to make it clear.(E.B. White, The New York Times. Aug. 3, 1942)It is bad manners to give [readers] needless trouble. Therefore clarity. . . . And how is clarity to be achieved? Mainly by taking trouble and by writing to serve people rather than to impress them.(F.L. Lucas, Style.  Cassell, 1955)For any kind of public speaking, as for any kind of literary communication,  clarity  is the  highes t beauty.(Hughes Oliphant Old, The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures. Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2004) Clear BeginningsMeek or bold, a good beginning achieves clarity. A sensible line threads through the prose; things follow one another with literal logic or with the logic of feeling. Clarity isnt an exciting virtue, but its a virtue always, and especially at the beginning of a piece of prose. Some writers seem to resist clarity, even to write confusingly on purpose. Not many would admit to this.One who did was the wonderful-though-not-to-be-imitated Gertrude Stein: My writing is clear as mud, but mud settles and clear streams run on and disappear. Oddly, its one of the clearest sentences she ever wrote.For many other writers, clarity simply falls victim to a desire to achieve other things, to dazzle with style or to bombard with information. Its one thing for the reader to take pleasure in the writers achievements, another when the writers own pleasure is apparent. Skill, talent, inventiveness, all can become overbearing and intrusive. The image that calls attention to itself is ofte n the image you can do without.(Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd, The Best Beginning: Clarity. The Wall Street Journal, January 11, 2013) The Challenge of Writing ClearlyIts good to write clearly, and anyone can. . . .Of course, writing fails for reasons more serious than unclear sentences. We bewilder our readers when we cant organize complex ideas coherently, and we cannot hope for their assent when we ignore their reasonable questions and objections. But once weve formulated our claims, organized their supporting reasons logically, and grounded those reasons on sound evidence, we still have to express it all in clear and coherent language, a difficult task for most writers, and a daunting one for many.It is a problem that has afflicted generations of writers who, instead of communicating their ideas in clear and direct language, hide them not only from their readers, but sometimes even from themselves. When we read that kind of writing in government regulations, we call it bureaucratese . . .. Written deliberately or carelessly, it is a language of exclusion that a diverse and democratic society cannot tolerate.(Jos eph M. Williams, Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace. Addison Wesley Longman, 2003) Lanham on ClarityThere are so many ways of being clear! So many different audiences to be clear to! When I tell you to Be clear! I am simply telling you to Succeed, Get the message across. Again, good advice but not much real help. I have not solved your problem, Ive simply restated it. Clarity, in such a formulation, refers not to words on a page but to responses, yours or your readers. And the writer has to write words on a page, not ideas in a mind. . . .The successful communication that clarity points to is finally our success in getting someone else to share our view of the world, a view we have composed by perceiving it. And if this is true of perception it must hold true for prose too. To write is to compose a world as well as view one.(Richard Lanham, Analyzing Prose. Continuum, 2003)​

Analyse of the Two Key Moments Essay Example for Free

Analyse of the Two Key Moments Essay Just before this key moment starts, the guards takes Rebecca Nurse out of her cage, on its way to the place where people are hanged. She is astonished that John is confessing. The key moment starts with Proctor refusing to say that he saw Rebecca Nurse in the Devil’s company, or anybody else. Danforth demands that Proctor prove the purity of his soul by accusing others, but Hale advises that it is enough that he confesses himself. Parris agrees, but Danforth demands that Proctor should sign a document. Proctor says that he has confessed to God, and that is enough. He asks Danforth whether a good confession must be public. Proctor wishes to keep only his name, and Danforth thus refuses to accept his confession. Danforth orders Proctor to be hanged. Hale begs Elizabeth to plead with Proctor to sign a confession, but Elizabeth states that Proctor has his goodness now, and God forbid that she take it from him. The characters have turning points in the key moments, and I am going to discuss what happens to Hale, John Proctor and Danforth in this key moment. Hale’s beliefs in witchcraft changes, so does his faith in the law. In Act 4, he tells the accused witches to lie, to confess their supposed sins in order to save their own lives. This change of heart and hopelessness, makes Hale gain the audience’s sympathy but not its respect, since he lacks the moral character of Rebecca Nurse or, and as it turns out at the end of Act 4, John Proctor. Although Hale recognises the evil of the witch trials, his response is not resistance but surrender. He thinks that survival is the highest good, even if it means helping oneself to injustice, which honourable and truly heroic characters can never accept. John Proctor changes himself and provides a final charge of the witch trials. Offered the opportunity to make a confession that he has seen the Devil, he almost surrenders, even signing a confession letter. His great pride and fear of public opinion drove him to hold his truth, adultery, from the court, but by the end of the play he is more concerned with his personal honesty than his public reputation. He still wants to save his name, but for a personal and religious view, rather than the publics’ reasons. Proctor’s refusal to provide a false confession is a true religious and personal determination. His confession would dishonour his friends who are convicted who are brave enough to die as support to the truth. Also it will dishonour himself, staining not just his public reputation, but also his soul. He then decides to change his mind and tells Danforth that he does not want to lie, this bringing him to heaven. He has now redeemed his sin. As Elizabeth says to end the play, responding to Hale’s plea that she convince Proctor to publicly confess: â€Å"He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him! † In this key moment Danforth shows that his greatest interest is to protect the reputation of the court when he prompts Proctor to sign a confession, thus preventing the response of his death. I think that Danforth has changed internally but not externally. I think he believes that the witchcraft is fake, but externally he is still a strict and craving for a good reputation. If he did believe people at the end of the play, then he would not convict John Proctor, but he did because it was to late then, and his reputation would be ruined, as he has convicted people before. It is a crucial moment for the audience because they think Proctor is a bad and not a honourable man when he signs the paper. It is dramatic irony, but not as much. The audience know that Proctor does not see the Devil, to save his life by confessing and showing you don not lie, he says he has been seeing the Devil. But he suddenly changes, he rips the piece of paper representing his confession, and explains that his name is more important, he wants to show he is a heroic man, so he says he never has see the Devil, which is true, and the audience see how he is a better man, and is going to die being an honourable and a heroic man. A crucible is a melting pot, where substances are heated to a high temperature to get rid of impurities. Miller is suggesting the play is like to purge by fire, a form of ‘cleansing’. This is a metaphor for spiritual improvements as the result of a confession being exerted. It is known as ‘cleaning’ or ‘cleansing’ yourself by confessing to seeing the Devil. There is many ways to explain the name of the book and here are some more: first witches supposedly boil potions in cauldrons and a synonym for cauldron is crucible. Secondly, it has a metaphorical meaning: the society of Salem is being heated and stirred in an attempt to remove the impurities and leave only the pure members of the society. One of the central themes of the play is the spiritual development of John Proctor. It is a powerful and complex play. All of the action takes place indoors and it is very black, simplistic and it emphasises the lifestyle of the people and it echoes the claustrophobic atmosphere of the play. The play focuses on ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. In the play Miller is discussing the forces of evil. In the attempt to cut out evil there is certainly a degree of irony. The irony in this play is that evil and tragedy actually occur from the actions of the unwise and over eager characters such as Danforth and Parris and to a certain extent Hale, who became responsible for deaths, misery and cruelty. Miller is suggesting that humans are vulnerable to evil and he aims to show that the evil generated in Salem was through a combination of circumstances for which no one person could be held entirely responsible but yet none were guilt free. The Crucible was based on real events and characters. The people of the 17th Century Salem, witchcraft were a very real and forceful threat. Many people were accused of being witches, and were tortured and executed. The discrimination of witches spread to a lot of places around the world. Witches thought to commit crimes have various ‘proofs’ of a witch including the testimony of a fellow witch, the common belief or accusation of those who live with suspected witch, cursing followed by some mischief or the person disagrees with the person when questioned. Miller was interested in McCarthy trials in the 1940s/50s and made the book parallel to it, Salem witch trials of 1682. Miller may have oversimplified matters, in that while there were no actual witches in Salem, there were certainly Communists in 1950s America. However, one can argue that Miller’s concern in The Crucible is not with whether the accused actually are witches, but rather with the refusal of the court officials to believe that they are not. McCarthyism limits, which wronged many innocents and this parallel was felt strongly in Miller’s own time. In real life, at Millers time, Abigail Williams was 12 years old, but in the play she is 17, but why did he change the age? He did this to make Abigail Williams a better character to make her do all the mischievous things she does in the play. At the age of 17, you are mature and able to make an opinion, and act more like an adult, unlike a 12 year old where you are still to young to do things adults do. Danforth was not a real person, he was made up, but the wonderful thing about him is that he is made up of 3 characters. These three characters were the judges, but they would not be as dramatic and neither strong, unless there is one person who rules, making that character more remembered, and more important to the play. Analyse of the Two Key Moments. (2017, Oct 14). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

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Telephone - Essay Example Today, many people benefit from the said device, making communication easier especially for families who need to be away from each other. The invention of the telephone made correspondences a lot easier because people from far distances are able to speak with each other. They can connect in a matter of seconds. Moreover, since telephone conversations are paid, they can last for a short period of time which is an advantage to busy people. However, correspondents can misunderstand or misinterpret what are being said because they cannot see the facial expressions of the person on the other end. They rely on the words being uttered as well as the tone and volume of the voice to further understand the spoken languages therefore there can be strains that occur between callers based from the factors mentioned earlier. In addition, assuming that one has the full attention of the person on the other end can also lead to misunderstandings. Moreover, calls can be made at inconvenient moments without the caller realizing it. This makes the process more difficult especially when the person being called is busy or has other more pr essing matters to attend to that a call needs to be immaturely ended

Character analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Character analysis - Essay Example â€Å"Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you† (Martin, 56). The dialogue is from George R.R Martin’s series, A ‘Song of Ice and Fire’, spoken by Tyrion Lannister, one of the most fascinating characters who carry a remarkable astuteness and intricate personality in the book. Apparently, his words indicate the great hopes and strong self-esteem that he possessed despite being a dwarf and believed that his physical disability does not imply his inability to deliver in life. Through his moving and treasured way of speaking, Tyrion shows outstanding ability of prudence and intuition. â€Å"As the most grandest creation† of the author Tyrion’s ambitions vitalizes on his unique perspective and open the new page of history on the great performance of a dwarf in media. Commendably, Tyrion sojourns on to attest that indeed the adversaries linked to his dwarfism can be overcome ( Ben, 01). Moreover, to fully comprehend the complexity and uniqueness of the characteristics of Tyrion, one must discern his childhood background. As a â€Å"high born dwarf† in an extremely dignified and arrogant family who had controlled their governance over seven kingdoms, Tyrion was not a son with interminable elegance and fondness. On the contrary, he has been depicted as a â€Å"midget† or â€Å"imp† who has been made an outcast by other characters in his family (Abraham et al., 116). Among different reasons behind people’s hatred towards Tyrion includes the death of his mother while she was giving birth to him. Tyrion Lannister does not share a strong bond with his only sister named Cersei Lannister. Nevertheless, his brother Jamie Lannister has a lot of compassion for Tyrion for which he has helped him throughout the novel. Additionally, the community of the Lannisters immensely ostracized Tyrion because he was expected to be

Telephone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Telephone - Essay Example Today, many people benefit from the said device, making communication easier especially for families who need to be away from each other. The invention of the telephone made correspondences a lot easier because people from far distances are able to speak with each other. They can connect in a matter of seconds. Moreover, since telephone conversations are paid, they can last for a short period of time which is an advantage to busy people. However, correspondents can misunderstand or misinterpret what are being said because they cannot see the facial expressions of the person on the other end. They rely on the words being uttered as well as the tone and volume of the voice to further understand the spoken languages therefore there can be strains that occur between callers based from the factors mentioned earlier. In addition, assuming that one has the full attention of the person on the other end can also lead to misunderstandings. Moreover, calls can be made at inconvenient moments without the caller realizing it. This makes the process more difficult especially when the person being called is busy or has other more pr essing matters to attend to that a call needs to be immaturely ended

Drug Use and Delinquency Essay Example for Free

Drug Use and Delinquency Essay Drug Use and Delinquency Response Adolescents may try drugs just to experiment or by feeling pressured into trying the drug by other family members or friends. Drug use among adolescences may lead to delinquency for the fact that an adolescents’ behavior most likely started before the start of drugs or alcohol. I will give a brief explanation on reasons for delinquency and drug use starting with reasons adolescents may start using drugs or alcohol and then describe how drug use may relate to delinquency. According to studies adolescents who experienced substance abuse gave several reasons in why they turned to drugs or alcohol such as â€Å"my friends pressured me† or â€Å"I wanted to feel good and get high,† â€Å"to have a good time with friends,† or to â€Å"escape from my problems† (Titus, Godley White 2006, p33. ). Adolescents may also be influenced by other negative events that may be happening in the adolescent’s life. Research typically shows the reasons related to starting drugs or alcohol is peer-social behavior, dealing with negative conditions or feelings, or achieving a satisfying state (Titus, Godley White, 2006). Studies reveal positive and negative emotions in the understanding of deviant behavior in youths’. Most teenagers generally use drugs for gratification however the adolescents who may become addicted say they are unhappy with past decisions or current situations (Brunelle, Cousineau, Brochu, (2005). There could be many factors in how drug use becomes related to delinquency for example by having family conflict inside the house it could lead to an adolescences delinquency such as damaging property or the start of substance abuse. Research shows adolescents with less supervision and monitoring, more family conflict, and weak parent/child attachment most likely is at more risk in delinquency and drug use (Fagan, Van Horn, Antaramian Hawkins 2011).

The Barriers for Women in Career Advancement

The Barriers for Women in Career Advancement Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW This sections presents a review of literature pertinent to this study including a history of mentoring, the barriers for women in career advancement, the relationship between mentoring and career advancement, mentoring in healthcare administration, and the advantages and disadvantages of formal and informal mentoring. History of Mentoring Mentoring is rooted in Greek mythology and arose as a concept in a story where Athena, the goddess of wisdom, assumed a male form and called herself Mentor. Athena acted as a surrogate parent to Telemachus when the boys father, Odysseus, fought in the Trojan War. Athena provided guidance and instruction to the boy as the latter assumed the leadership of the household and groomed him to be Ithacas future ruler (Butler, 1944). Hence, the concept of mentoring has been shaped by the notion of a relationship where a more experienced adult guides a youthful individual (Kram, 1985). More specifically, Kram (1985) describes mentoring as â€Å"a relationship between a younger adult and an older, more experienced adult [who] helps the younger individual learn to navigate the adult world and the world of work† (p. 2). Lacey (2001) states that the term â€Å"mentor† has since evolved to represent either a counselor, teacher, or friend and the mentoring relationship now connotes a p artnership where the primary purpose is the exchange of information and knowledge distinct to a given industry or organization. Other authors refer to mentoring relationships as â€Å"sponsor, patron, and godfather† relationships (Rowe, 1978, as cited in Kram, 1985). A literature review on mentoring across various disciplines by Hayes (2001) produced the definition of mentoring â€Å"as a process of building trust between two people, one is experienced and the other is a newcomer† (p. 29). Carmin (1988) provides a comprehensive definition of mentoring: Mentoring is a complex, interactive process, occurring between individuals of differing levels of experience and expertise that incorporates interpersonal or psychosocial development, career, and/or educational development, and socialization functions into the relationship. This one-to-one relationship is itself developmental and proceeds through a series of stages which help to determine both the conditions affecting the outcomes of the process. (p. 10) Mentoring as a field of study started with the 1978 research of Levinson et al. on adult mens career development experiences (as cited in Kram, 1985). Levinson and his colleagues concluded that the mentoring relationship was a pivotal experience in a young adults life because aside from receiving knowledge from mentors, the experience also shapes a persons self-esteem and professional identity. Kram (1995) identifies two broad types of mentor functions: career-related support and psychosocial support. Career-related support refers to the support mechanisms provided by the mentor that boosts the mentees career advancement within the organization. Component functions associated with career-related mentoring include â€Å"sponsorship, exposure and visibility, coaching, protection, and challenging assignments† (p. 86). Due to the mentors influence and high status, experience, and leadership position in the organization, the mentee receives the best hands-on training and gets assistance on learning more about the organization itself and its inner workings, receives exposure to the mentors social networks, and acquires promotions. In this regard, the mentor sees him or herself in the mentees shoes and want to groom a future executive in his or her fashion. Allen Eby (2002) view that mentors and mentee alike benefit from the mentoring relationship and that mentors are fuel ed by the desire to ensure the success of the next generation of leaders. Kram (1985) theorized the mentors can provide five specific career development functions (as cited in Ragins Cotton, 1999): Sponsoring promotions and lateral moves (sponsorship); Coaching the protà ©gà © (coaching); Protecting the protà ©gà © from adverse forces (protection); Providing challenging assignments (challenging assignments); and Increasing the protà ©gà ©s exposure and visibility (exposure). (p. 530) The second mentoring function is psychosocial in nature. The psychosocial function of mentoring addresses â€Å"those aspects of a relationship that enhance an individuals sense of competence, identity, and effectiveness in a professional role† (Kram, 1985, p. 32). Krams mentor role theory (1985) suggests that there are four components of psychosocial support that mentors can provide to mentees (as cited in Ragins Cotton, 1999): Helping the protà ©gà © develop a sense of professional self (acceptance and confirmation); Providing problem-solving and a sounding board (counseling); Giving respect and support (friendship); and Providing identification and role modeling. (p. 530) Where career support is dependent upon the mentors power and influence within the organization, psychosocial support focus on the emotional bond and the interpersonal relationship underlying the mentoring relationship. Career support aims at advancing the protà ©gà ©s career while psychosocial support is geared at improving the protà ©gà ©s personal development. Barriers for Women in Career Advancement Compared to several decades past, women have made leaps in terms of advancing toward senior executive positions formerly monopolized by men. However, career advancement opportunities for women still lag considerably compared to the men. Tharenou (1999) estimates that although women in developing countries make up almost half of the entire workforce, only 5 percent of them are situated in top executive positions. A worrisome fact is that while there seems to be equal opportunities for men and women in entry-level positions, the road toward the more senior levels are unfortunately blocked for women. While is undeniable that the greater workforce composition of women is one of the most positive social changes in the twenty-first century, struggle for equal opportunity persist as women are still excluded from the top positions in the organizational hierarchy. This phenomenon has been referred to as the â€Å"glass ceiling,† a term originally used in 1986 by a Wall Street journalist to connote the status of women in the corporate world. The term was coined as a description of the complex barriers that block womens opportunities to break through the top levels in the organization. This â€Å"glass ceiling† is especially evident when one looks at rarity of female senior executives in organizations of virtually all disciplines. The concept of the glass ceiling was recognized and accepted as a public term when the 1992 Federal Glass Ceiling Commission concluded that there were indeed several barriers that hindered women and other minority groups to achieve their full potential within the career ladder. The same study confirmed that â€Å"gendered† structural and organizational barriers prevented women from attaining the most senior level positions in several companies. Moreover, it lamented on the so-called â€Å"hegemonic masculinity† that is pervasive in the organizational culture in corporate America (Woody Weiss, 1994). Many studies have reported on the various barriers that women encounter during professional advancement. A report by womens group Catalyst (1994) listed the most common barriers identified by mid-level managers that prevent them from advancing further into the top-level positions. These barriers include (as cited in Arnold Shinew, 1997): stereotyping and preconcepts about suitability for leadership positions; exclusion from informal networks of communication; absence of effective management training for female employees; failure to hold upper level managers accountable for developing and advancing women; inadequate appraisal and compensation systems, leading to inequities in salaries; inflexibility in defining work schedules; and absence of programs that enable employees to balance work/non-work responsibilities. (pp. 42-43) The work of researchers Henderson and Bialeschki (1995) has been influential in comprehensive studies that aim to identify the different barriers that women face in their pursuit of upward career mobility. They conducted a nationwide survey among women practitioners in the recreation and leisure industry. The researchers grouped the different barriers into three broad categories: individual, organizational, and home/family. By examining career patterns, family situations, career satisfaction, and equity in the workplace issues, they found that stereotyping and gender-based discrimination remains the greatest barrier for women that prevent them from advancing to the top tier of the corporate ladder. More than half of them also reported being sexually harassed. Other identified barriers include the lack of training, lack of mentors, and womens exclusion from â€Å"male-only† networks. Another study by Frisby and Brown (1991) surveyed 30 women mid-level managers belonging to leisure-oriented organizations in order to examine their career experiences as they struggled their way to the top. Consistent with previous findings, women in middle management reported that the most common barriers they encountered from advancing in their careers include career interruptions due to pregnancy or family issues, the lack of role models or mentors, the lack of support from senior executive to promote women, exclusion, gender stereotyping, personal factors, and exclusion from male-dominated social networks. Frisby (1992) did a follow-up study to examine in a more comprehensive manner the factors that hinder the career development of women in leisure organizations. Using a descriptive-quantitative design, Frisby grouped the various barriers reported by women managers that have influenced their career direction and mobility. There were legislative factors such as gender discrimination, pay equity, and laws on sexual harassment; organizational factors such as patriarchy, exclusion from networks, flexible work options, difficulty in dealing with male-dominated organizational culture, lack of training and mentoring opportunity; and individual factors such as gender, education, and geographical mobility; and lastly, family factors that include lack of support from spouse and difficulty balancing work-family responsibilities. Due to the complex and varied nature of identified barriers for women, studies by Henderson Bialeschki (1995) and by Woody Weiss (1994) have grouped these barriers into three categories: a) Individual factors; b) Organizational/Structural factors; and c) Family or Home-related factors. Individual factors as barriers Individual traits and skills are often attributed for laggard career advancement among females. Individual factors such as age, educational attainment, skills, experience, proficiency, or ability are related to advancement. There remains gender stereotypes on what men can do that women cannot that justifies greater upward mobility for males. Some express that women lack the necessary attributes such as assertiveness, motivation, or networking skills to advance in careers (Vecchio 2002). The simple fact of â€Å"being female† thus becomes a potent barrier for career advancement among women. For instance, there is a double standard when it comes to appreciating leadership in females. Morrison, Greene and Tischler (1985) opine that when women display competence in leadership, they are viewed negatively while men who visibly lead are appreciated. Similarly, succession in vacated executive positions is usually based on the gender of the previous occupant of the position or the job. Since most senior executive positions are dominated by males, women are immediately excluded from consideration. Moreover, females are placed in â€Å"traditionally-female† positions such as staffing and human resources and cannot be promoted to higher positions that are â€Å"traditionally-male† in nature. Age can also be a barrier as individuals who are deemed â€Å"too young† or â€Å"too old† may not be deemed suitable for senior executive positions. Organizational factors as barriers Most research studies conclude that the biggest barriers to career advancement among women are beyond their personal control. The Glass Ceiling Commission indicts organizational and structural barriers as the most predominant barrier toward womens upward climb in the career ladder (Woody Weiss, 1994). Bergmann (1986) opined that organizational structures specifically job assignments are designed to prevent women from ascending to the top. Job assignments are considered to be the primary route for career advancement. Organizational structures â€Å"steer away† womens potential for upward mobility by confining them to work roles that are considered to be â€Å"womens occupations.† Bergmann cites a study by Forbes that the quickest way to the top of corporations is placement in functional areas or crucial job assignments that lead to the accomplishment of critical organizational tasks (p. 88). Klenke (1996) suggests that women face an exclusion policy that prevents them from penetrating the â€Å"old boys† network. Access to such networks is considered a significant step to gaining upward mobility in organizations. One can access information and learn more about the organization not possible in regular communication channels. Another barrier cited by women is the lack of mentoring opportunities from male superiors. For instance, Dreher and Cox (1996) found that females find it difficult to gain informal mentors who are male. If they do find a male mentor, they also face challenges in the course of the mentoring relationships especially in relation to its nature and possibility of misinterpretation. Some female managers even report being subjected to sexual harassment. Cooper Jackson (2001) contends that the scarcity of women role models is another perceived barrier toward advancement. Organizational leadership is predominantly patterned after the male form of leadership. Since acquiring senior executive positions are blocked, developing women role models that would inspire and motivate women and neutralize male-dominate culture in the organization becomes challenging. Moreover, because women lack opportunities for role modeling or mentoring relationships, they often fail to plan their career and build effective networking strategies. The reality of stereotyping has been found to affect womens career advancement deeply. Because of gender stereotyping, women feel isolated and discouraged because they perceive themselves unable to blend well or fit in with the patriarchal culture of senior executive leadership. Sometimes, this perception leads them to believe that have to change considerably in order to suit the male-dominated culture of the top hierarchy. Davidson and Cooper (1986) report that gender stereotyping in the organization leads to higher stress levels among women than men. This is because gender stereotyping often pressures women to exert extra effort or to work harder and perform better than their male counterparts in order to prove themselves equal to them. Women tend to believe that in order to achieve their career goals, they have to over-perform to counter the effects of negative gender stereotyping. Even when women are promoted and do acquire senior executive status, there is a prevailing norm that they have to perform even better than their male colleagues to prove themselves worthy of the position. Powell and Butterfield (as cited in Collinson Hean, 2001) state that stereotyping also leads to social isolation among female managers and their heavy dependence on formalized relationships for career advancement. Female managers put a prime on their professional portfolio and credentials when they pursue promotional opportunities whereas men can depend on informal networks to advance in their careers. Collinson and Hearn (2001) believe that unless the patriarchal nature of institutions are broken down, women will find it difficult to advance their careers in what is considered male territory. They define patriarchy as a process and a context through which male supremacy is promoted by men and institutions. Patriarchy is a stumbling block for women because it â€Å"control[s] access to hierarchical power and characteristics of knowledge claims† (Collinson and Hearn, 2001, p. 23). In this environment, cultural practices and information flow signify male authority, hence, placing women as mere subordinates to men. However, the problem with patriarchy is that it is a â€Å"complementary process† that is legitimized by both women and men and forms part of the organizational culture. In this manner, male dominance becomes a self-perpetuating phenomenon in organizations. Moreover, Collison and Hearn (2001) opine that executive culture is a male realm. They believe that wome n are not accepted wholly into the workforce but are merely tolerated. Hence, the notion of â€Å"patriarchal elitism† especially in top executive culture is widespread (p. 8). Pringle (1999) contends that female managers lack access to networks, trainings, and mentoring programs because they are usually gender-based and male-gendered. The domination of men in organizations is sustained with constant identification with one another. Perpetuating a gendered organizational culture leaves women managers isolated and places them in a situation where executive leadership feels very much like engaging in constant â€Å"physical combat† (Sinclair, as cited in Pringle, 1999, p.8). Home-related factors as barriers The barriers that women encounter extend far beyond the confines of the workplace to the home. For many female managers, the home environment presents several obstacles that must be overcome in order to achieve upward mobility. One obstacle is that some women managers, especially, those with families, experience the so-called â€Å"second shift syndrome† where they must work on the first shift in the workplace and continue on the second shift in the home environment. The burden of juggling work-related goals with family responsibilities is a serious concern for some women. Women who find themselves in this circumstance are also called â€Å"dual career women† where performance at work and at home are necessary. To perform this balancing act between professional development and personal life may prove too difficult for some women in many ways. Some of them eventually may find inadequate support from their respective families to pursue career advancement goals. A 1995 survey by recruiting company Robert Haff and Associates (1995) found that more than 80 percent of women managers who were interviewed preferred a job that featured more flexible hours, provided more family time, and slow-paced advancement than grueling jobs that featured rapid career mobility. In a sense, because of additional responsibility at home and with their families, women do not perceive career mobility as â€Å"a methodical rise to power† (Aburdene Naisbitt, as cited in Pringle, 1999, p. 43). Unlike the men, women do not focus on the singular objective of professional advancement but struggle to â€Å"do it all† and come up with more creative ways to reap professional success. Research also reports that women managers continue to bear the brunt of carrying the â€Å"double burden† of family and work. They have to be successful equally in the home and at work. In the home environment, they need to assume the manifold tasks of wife and homemaker and struggle to become equals with men in the workplace at the same time. Sue Newell opines that so long as women continue to juggle these dual roles, they may never achieve the parity they need and deserve in relation to men in the work environment (Newell, 1992). However, studies have also found the home and family-related barriers do not necessarily interfere with motivation and career success among many women. The problem with having the additional burden of family responsibility for women is that it is viewed as a negative thing. Research has suggested that many companies look at women with home-related commitments with disfavor (Swiss Walker, as cited in Pringle, 1999). What is worse is that some women may even be penalized career-wise for having commitments outside of the professional realm. Having marital and family responsibilities may not interfere in terms of commitment among women but these factors might slow down the promotional opportunities of woman managers. Some women have reported that the workplace was inviting and conducive to success when they were single and changed considerably to a more unwelcome environment when they got married and had children. In an article, management expert Douglas T. Hall (1990) suggested that in order to provide more access for women in terms of career advancement, companies need to come up with strategies that promote balance between work and family responsibilities. Among the strategies he recommend were more flexible work schedules and expanded use of home-based work option.

Abortion :: essays research papers

The word abortion by definition means, naturally or especially induced expulsion of a fetus from the womb before it is able to survive independently, according to the American Century Dictionary. This is one subject that, when mentioned, completely polarizes individuals. Abortion poses a moral, social and medical dilemma that faces many individuals to create a emotional and sometimes violent atmosphere. There are many points of view toward abortion but the only two fine distinctions are "pro-choice" and "pro-life". A person that is pro-choice would feel that the decision to abort a pregnancy is that of the mothers and that the state has no right to interfere. A person that is pro-life would say that from the moment of conception, the fetus is alive. This life imposes on us a moral obligation to preserve it and that abortion is tantamount to murder (Kolner 5)This is important because part of our society would have to carry the guilt of terminating a human life. This would be severe and almost unbelievable for a society as educated as ours to make this big of a mistake. How could the country that leads in individual rights be so ignorant? We are America where everyone is created equal and deserves a chance to pursue happiness. What if this fetus is not a human life, is this a question that we can really answer? These are questions that haunt our nations soul.Early in our nations history they had no means of measuring or telling if a fetus was alive in the womb. The colonies inherited English Common Law and operated under it until well into the 19th century. Abortion was illegal according to English Common Law. Abortion prior to quickening (feeling life) was a misdemeanor. Abortion after quickening was a felony. This type of punishment was inherited from earlier ecclesiastic laws. In the early 1800s it was discovered that human life did not begin when she "felt life," but rather at fertilization. As a direct result of this, the British Parliament in 1869 passed the "Offenses Against the Persons Act," eliminating misdemeanor charge and dropping the felony punishment back to fertilization. One by one, across the middle years of the 19th century, every then present state passed its own law against abortion. By 1860, 85% of the population lived in states that had prohibited abortion with new laws. These laws, preceding and following the British example, moved the felony punishment from quickening back to conception.