Can Cats See in the Dark The Science of Cat Vision

Decision Making Of The Workplace - 965 Words

Each and everyone of us go day in and day out making decisions. Some of these decisions that we as individuals make can impact numerous of aspects of our life. According to authors Robins and Judge (2009), â€Å"decision making occurs as a reaction to a problem† (Robins Judge 2009, p. 147). It is important to truly understand the importance of the decisions that we make throughout our everyday life. With job rotation and the job characteristic model decision making is in the workplace is truly important. Decision Making in the Workplace As we make decision throughout our day, for most of us we make a lot of decisions within the workplace. Those who are in leadership roles make decisions within the organization such as determining organizational goals, missions, visions, and other decisions that can greatly affect the organization either in a positive or negative way. According to Robins and Judge everyone play in the role of decision making in the workplace. â€Å"Non-managerial employees also make decisions that affect their jobs and the organizations for which they work. They decide whether to come to work on any given day, how much effort to put forth at work, and whether to comply with a request made by the boss† (Robins Judge 2009, p. 147). These particular decisions that non-managerial employees make can affect the workplace in numerous of ways such as impacting views and decisions of other employees, impacted the set atmosphere in the workplace as well as impactingShow MoreRelatedAnnotated Bibliograph y On Critical Thinking1263 Words   |  6 Pagescontains annotations and a critical analysis of the published work. Annotations and Critical Analysis Professor Thomas K. Donaldson taught at Australian National University for years. 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An Alternate China Essay Example For Students

An Alternate China Essay History 315AN ALTERNATE CHINAThe obituaries that marked Deng Xiaopings death on February 19, 1999 were extremely outspoken in their praise of the economic reforms he had unleashed on China. However, while getting rich has been glorious for many Chinese, a much larger number, although enjoying some of the reforms benefits live a less capital existence. We must start back a few years for a proper analysis. On June 4, 1989, there was a massacre that took place in Tinanmen Square in Beijing. It was a military suppression of students and others of a democracy movement. This happened under the Deng regime. Many foreign observers were in agreement that dire economic consequences would most likely result from this political folly. It was seen as though the Communist Partys hard-liners had triumphed and consequently any market reforms would end. Measures already implemented to control inflation combined with the brutal killings were probably going to send China into a deep and prolonged recession. Something strange happened though. Market reforms, far from being abandoned, were instead deepened. From 1991 to 1994, Chinas Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased even more rapidly than it had in the frantic 1980s when China led the world in annual average growth. This continuing economic boom brought familiar social consequences. While average living standards continued to rise gradually through the mid-1990s, the rewards of economic progress were distributed in an increasingly unequal fashion. The gap between rich and poor, growing since the decade prior, became more and more visible in the 1990s. There are no official figures on the number of newly rich. Some estimates have said that there may be as many as 10 million millionaires or so in China. This number is so substantial when you think about how the Peoples Republic is the worlds most rapidly growing market for luxury goods. The significance of these numbers may be interpreted in various ways, but it is strikingly clear that Chinas socialist market economy has quickly produced a bourgeoisie class. This category of people happens to have a powerful stake in the existing Communist order. We will write a custom essay on An Alternate China specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Also visible and way more numerous are the 50 to 150 million peasants from economically depressed rural areas who have migrated to the cities in search of work. Living in shantytowns or simply on the streets, the fortunate ones work as low-paid laborers on round-the-clock construction sites. As most of us have observed on TV, young peasant women labor in sweatshops under oppressive conditions. Some are employed as servants, nannies, and housecleaners in the homes of urban professionals. The migrant workers are somewhat of a functional underclass in that they do the work that permanent residents of the city avoid. Just like their counterparts in other capitalist countries, such as ours, they serve to make life comfortable for the well off. One can easily say that the rapid development of the cities is partly due to the unlimited supply of cheap labor provided by rural immigrants. The distance between urban Chinas rich and its poor laborers is as wide a social gap as is likely to be fo und in any other capitalist country. It really doesnt matter if they are compared to developed or developing nations. During Mao Zedongs years as the leader of China, life in China was plain, to say the least. Most of the population walked around wearing the same blue jacket that Mao did. This was their way of conforming. Now, at the close of the Deng era, there are terrible extremes of wealth and poverty visible. The rapid social change is as remarkable as the rapid transformation of the economy. It is true, of course, that there were dramatic improvements in the living standards of the Chinese people during the reign of Deng Xiaoping. No matter how unequally distributed the gains and whatever the social costs, virtually all sectors of society and all regions of the country enjoy significantly greater incomes and higher standards of living than they did at the onset of the reform period. However, also true, the great majority of the laboring population are victims of more intensive forms of economic exploitation than was the case in the pre-Deng era. .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c , .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c .postImageUrl , .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c , .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c:hover , .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c:visited , .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c:active { border:0!important; } .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c:active , .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud3b60dcc0c7fe454c651f684bc5def4c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Examples of Bad EssayThe working people in both city and countryside generally enjoy greater per capita income and improved material conditions of life, as I just said, and suffer greater exploitation at the same exact time. Is it just me or does this seem rather contradictory? Lets further investigate this. Capitalism is utilized by enormously expanding both production and productivity. China did this in several ways. They had an infusion of domestic and foreign capital seeking high returns on investments, the introduction of scientific managerial methods borrowed from capitalist countries, and purchased the labor power of relatively well educated workers at very low cost . All of the afore-mentioned steps taken are subject to the discipline of both the market and the Communist State. China contains many forms of enterprises. There are state, collective, private, and bureaucratic forms of enterprise that generate huge profits. The end result of all this is that the workforce has rapidly expanded. This expansion has provided jobs for tens of millions of people. Per capita income has increased along with this as well. The wages paid to most new entrants into the industrial workforce are surprisingly low. Therein, we find how cheap labor accounts for the staggering gap between the low costs of production and the high value of what is produced. A market economy is notorious for generating inequality. This truth is evident in present-day China. Whereas China once was highly egalitarian under Mao, it is today regularly compared with unfavorable, inequitable countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, and India. The part that makes me angry is that the Deng regi me anticipated this growing inequality. From the beginning of the reform program in 1979, egalitarianism was denounced by Deng. He believed that wealth was a deserving reward for the productive efforts of the rich, while poverty is an apt punishment for the poor. So when one looks at statements from the Deng regime they only boast of the vast number of entrepreneurs who became millionaires in the reform period. They hardly speak of any attempts to compensate for the loss of Maoist public welfare and social security systems because they hardly made any. Countless peasants have been left largely dependent on private help. There exists no reliable data on the incomes of the upper class so they have been largely ignored in studies made on income distribution. This is not right. If a serious attempt is to be made to comprehend the meaning of inequality in the Deng era these groups cannot be ignored because they derive the highest benefits from Chinas socialist market economy. The poor ma y not necessarily be getting poorer, but the rich are getting richer and the gulf between them is clearly widening. From the perspective of an outsider looking in, I dont think it would be too outlandish for me to assume that there is some powerful resentment building up among the people who were schooled under Maos egalitarian principles where they were used to seemingly small differences in living standards as opposed to China as we know it in the present day. History

The Plan of Study for Research Postgraduate Programmes free essay sample

A research training plan (I. E. Hat new research techniques or new search experience will you utilize in undertaking your proposed research project and how will these develop your research capabilities) 6) Information on how the course of study relates to the existing and future development needs Of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as a description Of how exposure gained from pursuing this course of study could contribute to the development of the nation. We will write a custom essay sample on The Plan of Study for Research Postgraduate Programmes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Please indicate clearly where the development need has been identified and outlined, for example, in the Vision 2020 National Strategic Plan. For Taught postgraduate programmed The plan of study should be between 400 and 500 words and should include: 1) Information on why you would like to pursue the course of study. Include: general expectations of the proposed programmer of study specific areas of study in the subject that interest you specific courses and / or short projects you intend to pursue relevant academic, research or practical experience you have a description of how this ours of study could help you achieve your career goals 2) As much detail as you can provide regarding potential research interests 3) Information on how the course of study relates to the existing and future development needs of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as a description of how exposure gained from pursuing this course of study could contribute to the development of the nation.

Indias Look East Policy

India's Look East Policy India’s Look East Policy India’s Look East Policy is an effort being made by the Indian government to cultivate and strengthen economic and strategic relations with the nations of Southeast Asia in order to solidify its standing as a  regional power.  This aspect of India’s foreign policy also serves to position India as a counterweight to the strategic influence of the Peoples Republic of China in the region. Initiated in 1991, it marked a strategic shift in India’s perspective of the world. It was developed and enacted during the government of Prime Minister  P.V. Narasimha Rao  and has continued to enjoy energetic support from the successive administrations of  Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi, each of whom represents a different political party in India. India’s Pre-1991 Foreign Policy Before the fall of the Soviet Union, India made scant efforts to foster close relationships with the governments of Southeast Asia. There are several reasons for this. First, due to its colonial history, India’s ruling elite in the post-1947 era had an overwhelmingly pro-Western orientation. Western countries also made for better trade partners as they were significantly more developed than India’s neighbors. Second, India’s physical access to Southeast Asia was barred by Myanmar’s isolationist policies as well as Bangladesh’s refusal to provide transit facilities through its territory. Third, India and the Southeast Asian countries were on opposing sides of the Cold War divide.   India’s lack of interest in and access to Southeast Asia between its independence and the fall of the Soviet Union left much of Southeast Asia open to China’s influence. This came first in the form of China’s territorial expansionist policies. Following Deng Xiaoping’s ascent to leadership in China in 1979, China replaced its policy of expansionism with campaigns to foster extensive trade and economic relations with other Asian nations. During this period, China became the closest partner and supporter of the  military junta  of Burma, which had been ostracized from the international community following the violent suppression of pro-democracy activities  in 1988. According to former Indian Ambassador Rajiv Sikri, India missed a crucial opportunity during this period to leverage India’s shared colonial experience, cultural affinities and lack of historical baggage to build strong economic and strategic relations with Southeast Asia. Implementation of the Policy In 1991, India experienced an economic crisis that coincided with the fall of the Soviet Union, which had previously been one of India’s most valued economic and strategic partners. This prompted Indian leaders to reevaluate their economic and foreign policy, which led to at least two major shifts in India’s position toward its neighbors. First, India replaced its protectionist economic policy with a more liberal one, opening up to higher levels of trade and striving to expand regional markets. Second, under the leadership of Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, India ceased to view South Asia and Southeast Asia as separate strategic theaters.   Much of India’s Look East Policy involves Myanmar, which is the only Southeast Asian country that shares a border with India and is seen as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia. In 1993, India reversed its policy of support for Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement and began courting the friendship of the ruling military junta. Since then, the Indian government and, to a lesser extent, private Indian corporations, have sought and secured lucrative contracts for industrial and infrastructure projects, including the construction of highways, pipelines and ports. Before the implementation of the Look East Policy, China enjoyed a monopoly over Myanmar’s vast oil and natural gas reserves. Today, competition between India and China over these energy resources remains high.   Furthermore, while China remains Myanmar’s biggest weapons supplier, India has boosted its military cooperation with Myanmar. India has offered to train elements of the Myanmar Armed Forces and share intelligence with Myanmar in an effort to increase coordination between the two countries in combating insurgents in India’s Northeastern States. Several insurgent groups maintain bases in Myanmar territory. Since 2003, India has also embarked on a campaign to forge free trade agreements with countries and regional blocs throughout Asia. The South Asia Free Trade Agreement, which created a  free trade area  of 1.6 billion people in  Bangladesh,  Bhutan,  India,  Maldives,  Nepal,  Pakistan and  Sri Lanka, came into effect in 2006. The  ASEAN–India Free Trade Area  (AIFTA), a  free trade area  among the ten member states of the  Association of Southeast Asian Nations  (ASEAN) and  India, came into effect in 2010. India also has separate free trade agreements with Sri Lanka, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. India has also boosted its cooperation with Asian regional groupings such as ASEAN, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). High-level diplomatic visits between India and the countries associated with these groupings have become increasingly common the last decade.   During his state visit to Myanmar in 2012, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced many new bilateral initiatives and signed around a dozen MOUs, in addition to extending a line of credit for $500 million. Since then, Indian companies have made significant economic and trade agreements in infrastructure and other areas. Some of the major projects taken up by India include the resurfacing and upgrading of the 160-kilometer Tamu-Kalewa-Kalemyo road and the Kaladan project that will connect Kolkata Port with Sittwe Port in Myanmar (which is still in progress). A bus service from Imphal, India, to Mandalay, Myanmar, is expected to launch in October 2014. Once these infrastructure projects are completed, the next step will be connecting the India-Myanmar highway network to the existing portions of the Asian Highway Network, which will connect India to Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia.

The Improved Elevator Invention of Alexander Miles

The Improved Elevator Invention of Alexander Miles Alexander Miles of Duluth, Minnesota patented an electric elevator on October 11, 1887. His innovation in the mechanism to open and close elevator doors greatly improved elevator safety.  Miles is notable for being a  black inventor  and successful business person in 19th Century America.   Elevator Patent for Automatic Closing Doors The problem with elevators at that time was that the doors of the elevator and the shaft had to be opened and closed manually. This could be done either by those riding in the elevator, or a dedicated elevator operator.  People would forget to close the shaft door. As a result,  there were accidents with people falling down the elevator shaft. Miles was concerned when he saw a shaft door left open when he was riding an elevator with his daughter. Miles  improved the method of the opening and closing of elevator  doors and the shaft door when an elevator was not on that floor.  He created an automatic mechanism that closed access to the shaft by the action of the cage moving. His design attached a flexible belt to the elevator cage. When it went over drums positioned at the appropriate spots above and below a floor, it automated opening and closing the doors with levers and rollers. Miles was granted a patent on this mechanism and it is still influential in elevator design today. He was not the only person to get a patent on automated elevator door systems, as John W. Meaker was granted a patent 13 years earlier. Early Life of Inventor Alexander Miles Miles was born in 1838 in Ohio to Michael Miles and Mary Pompy and is not recorded as having been a slave. He moved to Wisconsin and worked as a barber. He later moved to Minnesota where his draft registration showed he was living in Winona in 1863. He showed his talents for invention by creating and marketing hair care products. He met Candace Dunlap, a white woman who was a widow with two children. They married and moved to Duluth, Minnesota by 1875, where he lived for more than two decades. They had a daughter, Grace, in 1876. In Duluth, the couple invested in real estate, and Miles operated the barbershop at the upscale St. Louis Hotel. He was the first black member of the Duluth Chamber of Commerce. Later Life of Alexander Miles Miles and his family lived in comfort and prosperity in Duluth. He was active in politics and fraternal organizations. In 1899 he sold real estate investments in Duluth and moved to Chicago. He founded The United Brotherhood as a life insurance company that would ensure black people, who were often denied coverage at that time. Recessions took a toll on his investments, and he and his family resettled in Seattle, Washington. At one time it was believed he was the wealthiest black person in the Pacific Northwest, but that did not last. In the last decades of his life, he was again working as a barber. He died in 1918 and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007.

Financial Research Report of Hewlett Packard Co Essay

Financial Research Report of Hewlett Packard Co - Essay Example Hewlett Packard Co. (HP) was formed in 1939 and it is today one of the largest IT companies with its revenue touching $118.4 billion during the financial year 2008.HP is in the industry of Diversified Computer Systems, and is one of 2008 Fortune 500 companies and is placed at no. 14 in the list. HP is a leading provider of e- technologies and products, software, solutions, and services for meeting the business and educational needs of the world. The company caters individuals, small and medium enterprises, as well as large enterprises in different fields of business and social strata. The basic objective of HP is to focus on three technological shifts. The first is to provide for next- generation data center. The second is to attain ‘always on always connected mobile computing, and third to provide for ubiquitous printing and imaging. HP intends to grow into an economic, social, and technological asset to each nation and community where HP carries on its business. HP is committed to three priority areas of raising social and environmental standards in the supply chain; improving energy efficiency in its operations, and to promote product reuse and recycling. HP’s business is divided into three business groups, namely, the Personal System Group, the Imaging and Printing Group, and the Technology Solution Group. The Personal System Group is in the manufacturing of business and consumer PCs, mobile computing devices, and workstations. The Imaging and Printing Group is in business of inkjet, laser jet, and commercial printing, printing supplies, digital photography, and entertainment. The Technology Solution Group deals in business products like storage and servers, EDS, managed services and software. The aims of the company are to make professional marketing services affordable for small businesses, to remain innovative and

I-HRM & Performance Management and Strategic Management Assignment

I-HRM & Performance Management and Strategic Management - Assignment Example However its importance becomes multi fold in global scenario due to the variable and dynamic nature of market. Success in IHRMs is akin to success of overall operational activity undertaken. Introduction: Organizations are a collection of different individuals and different processes that are grouped together into one unit in form of larger entity. Each of these has a clear role defined and responsibility assigned to them. Without the clear definition of the roles, the processes cannot excel. A special domain is in place that ensures that all these personnel are adjusted according to the requirement, and according to their skill and abilities. This is covered in the domain of Human Resource management. Assigning the right kind of role to the right kind of person in the right manner. The scope of HRM is quite a broad one and it entails almost all the activities of the personnel involved (Ristow, et al. 2009). No organization can survive without the presence of apt Human resource manag ement. Human resource management may exist in various forms. It can be of local level and/ or international level. The International human resource management is applicable in cases when the organization performs its activities and provides its services off shore and across the border. Like the domestic human resource management, IHRM is subject to the compliance of structures like performance management and strategic management. While each society has its own characteristic ways and patterns, and as a result of this, the individuals go about different functions in a different manner, it becomes imperative to adjust and accommodate these individuals and these functions according to their inspirations and in result yield the best deal out of the scenario and situation. They dynamic nature of I-HRM: Human resource management in the international context is the most dynamic concept since these trends vary from society to society, and country to country. While the basic concepts of huma n resource management remain the same, which are based on the basic principles of ensuring that the right kind of person is employed and inducted in the right place, yet in global context, the culture, the overall aptitude, the global patterns, the governmental factors and considerations also must be taken into account (Haris, et al. 2003). In the global scenario, the IHRM aims at creating a correlation between the nature of work and nature of people. Since a totally different culture and society is involved thereby variations are bound and adjustments ought to be made in accordance. The need: The need for human resource management in international scenario becomes more important than ever because different aptitudes, difference surroundings, and different variables are involved. In domestic domains, the natures and aptitudes can be easily comprehended, but in international scenario, the trends and patterns are totally different based on different set of values, cultural norms, folk ways, in such cases, understanding the human resource functions is an indispensible concept and it serves as the backbone towards the organizational success. Mishandling and it could lead to the overall failure of the organizational venture undertaken on international shores (MacCourt 2003). Literature Review: The early 19th century and middle 20th century has seen massive change in the manner in which businesses were being conducted earlier (Shuman & Twombly 2001 19). The global trends have prevailed since then with every individual and every organization in touch with

The Ritz Hotel Essay Example for Free

The Ritz Hotel Essay Despite the fact that rooms at the Ritz Hotel do not cost 2,000 Euros, employees of the Ritz are authorized to compensate guests up to 2,000 Euros for any problems they may have experienced.   Why does the Ritz have this policy?   There are primarily three factors that should be explored: one, the reputation of the Ritz, two, the costs beside room rate, and three, and the hidden costs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First, the Ritz is known the world-over for high class service.   It is the place to have your social event.    The name has carried great weight for many years now, and the reputation of the Ritz is not something the hotel owners would like to have tarnished.   Established in 1906, this year marks the 100 year celebration of this world-class hotel.   As part of the celebration, and as an example of the level of service the Ritz offers its clients, the Centennial Celebration includes pick-up from the Airport in the new Rolls Royce, accommodations for two nights, a bottle of champagne, Theater Tickets, Dinner, Salon Treatments, and complimentary membership to the Ritz Club for the length of the stay. The Ritz is â€Å"puttin’ on the Ritz’ for its 100 year celebration.   The reputation of the Ritz creates its value in the marketplace.   As a place for high society, elegance, and comfort, it has a name and reputation to live up to.   One of the primary ways reputations are maintained is through word-of-mouth.   Considering the fact that if a guest has a negative experience, they are ten times more likely to talk about it, it is therefore in the Ritz’s best interests to maintain a positive word-of-mouth cycle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Second, additional costs which guests incur aside from the room rate can cause management to raise the level of compensation higher than the rate of the room.     For example, there may be phone charges, room service charges, movie charges, wet bar charges, laundry or dry-cleaning, and the list goes on.   These are only the costs the guest may incur inside the hotel.   Additionally, there is the cost of travel and transportation.  Ã‚   As a world-class hotel, the Ritz recognizes these as valid reimbursable expenses.   If the Ritz is at fault for some inconvenience to the customer, the customer will also incur additional expenses remedying the problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally, the hidden costs to the Ritz.   The first has already been mentioned – the word-of-mouth advertising.   It is essential to the Ritz to maintain positive word-of-mouth advertising.  Ã‚   After a customer leaves the Ritz, it is impossible to communicate with them further, or to make amends.   One of the worst things that can happen for the Ritz is an unhappy customer leaving.   Therefore, the service staff at the Ritz has the permission to compensate the guests up to 2,000 Euros. The Ritz must review this policy and the history of compensations to make sure the policy is not being abused.   Abuse of the policy is a hidden cost to the Ritz itself.   However, with proper oversight, this cost can be minimal.   One more factor to take into consideration is the costs of damage to a customer’s personal belongings.   If a designer suit is taken in for dry-cleaning and is destroyed in the process, it is possible that the value of the suit could actually exceed the 2,000 Euros authorized for compensation.   Based on the level of the guests, it is quite likely that their personal items may be of high value.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally, the management of the Ritz must weigh its risks.   How likely is it that compensation up to 2,000 Euros would be provided for a guest?   Based on the high level of service provided at the Ritz, including the level of training received b each employee, it is highly unlikely that a guest would have such a negative experience that only 2,000 Euros would satisfy them.  Ã‚   Therefore, the Ritz has even created a buffer zone for its employees. Not only are they authorized to meet the guests expectations, despite problems, they can even exceed the guests expectations.   If the guest found a mouse in the bathroom, rather than simply refunding the room rental rate, the employee can also give the customer 500 Euro for emotional duress.   Ultimately, it is in the Ritz’s best interests to satisfy their guests to the best of their ability.   If monetary compensation can help them achieve this goal, they should use this tool as long as it works for them.

The Censorship Debate Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays

The Censorship Debate      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do words such as nigger, bitch, or ass offend you?   The answer may seem clear cut, but our nation has been struggling with the issue of censorship almost since its conception.   To many, the aforementioned words are a part of their everyday vocabulary; to others, they are vulgar and unacceptable.   The issue of censorship is much more than just words.   There have been huge controversies over the negative ideas and graphic nature of literature, music, and television.   What is too violent, too negative, too obscene, or too graphic?   And who decides what these standards are?   These are questions that are still debated by many.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Literature has the greatest history of censorship debates.   For years, there have been arguments over what is acceptable for which age group in which environment.   A prime example of this is Robert Cormier's young adult novel, I Am The Cheese.   Over the past few years in Florida, there has been great debate over whether or not his book is acceptable for use in a junior high or high school classroom.   The novel, which portrays a preteen boy who has been part of the witness protection program, and sees his parents killed when the program fails, has been labeled inappropriate for use in a classroom.   Many teachers argue that the book has substantial educational value, citing the many awards that it has won, but the faction for censorship won this battle, and the book is no longer taught.   Many other literary works, some which are considered classics, have also been deemed inappropriate.   Some titles include: Hamlet, The Red... ...eedom of speech.   Our country was founded on one of these ideas, but our morals and values may be dependent on the other.   As a nation, we must decide which is more important.   I do not feel that there can be any halfway in this decision.   We cannot ban some things and leave others, it has to be all or nothing.   If we are going to censor, we must accept the fact that everything will be affected.   Then we must deal with the issue of who decides the standards, a problem which may be as monumental as deciding whether or not to censor in the first place.   If we decide against censorship, then we must be prepared to deal with whatever is created, no matter how graphic, obscene, or violent any individual may feel that it is.   It is likely that we will never reach an accord, and will be debating this until the end of time.

Outline and assess the role of the police in the social construction of crime (50 marks) Essay

Social construction refers to the way in which crime and deviance in society might be created and shaped by society and social institutions. This can occur in a number of different ways. For example, they can influence public perception and definitions of what establishes crime and deviance, deviants or non-deviants. They can also influence the amount of crime in society by amplifying it therefore clamping down on it. They can add pressure for changes in legislation which can then alter definitions of crime and can criminalise activities previously regarded as legal. They can also influence the extent, trends and patterns of recorded crime in how they operate. Interactionism is an action approach which views society in a micro perspective. It argues that the definitions of deviance and normality are social constructions and are relative, meaning it will depend on a range of factors such as the time, place and social context in which the act takes place whether the behaviour is defined as a crime or deviant. Marxism is an example of the conflicting view as they argue that the law and social rules reflect the interests of the rich and powerful groups in society who have managed to impose their ideas and way of thinking on the wider population through coercion and ideological control. Therefore they are able to get their assumptions of crime to stick as opposed to the opinions of an ordinary person on the street. Functionalism however argues the consensus view that law and norms about acceptable behaviour in any society are simply a reflection of the wider collective conscience and these laws and social rules are created and enforced to the benefit of everyone. Therefore deviance is behaviour that breaks these agreements on what is acceptable. Functionalists view this defining process as straightforward and objective. The police are an institution that is assigned the duty to enforce the law and take action to those breaking these rules, in order to achieve order and safety in society. They are therefore considered as having a key role in the social construction of crime. The main way the police display this is through the use of discretion in the enforcement of the law. This refers to when police officers have to apply their own judgement to decide which laws are suited for the given circumstance. The choices individual police officers make would be greatly influenced by their own concerns and interests. Colman and German found evidence in their study which showed that there were individual racist police offers who apply the law more harshly to certain ethnic minorities. Reiner also suggested an explanation on the basis of police discretion which refers to culture. It is noted that the police force are overwhelmingly white males. Officers work long hours in each other’s company, being largely isolated from the public. This therefore results in the development of a very specific occupational culture. This is referred to as ‘canteen culture’. Skolnick suggested three of its components. The first being suspiciousness. This talks about the fact that officers, whilst carrying out their training, are taught to discriminate between ‘decent people’ and ‘potential troublemakers’. According to Reiner, they categorise and stereotype certain people as ‘police property’. For example, they regard young males, particularly youths from ethnic minorities as potential troublemakers. A second component is internal solidarity and social isolation. This causes police officers to rely on one another in terms of support when physically threatened and when denying accusations made by the public. Lastly, conservatism refers to those who join the police in the first place are rarely politically radical. However while the job of policing emphasises a non-political attitude, police officers must uphold the law; it also upholds the traditional values and nature of the state. There is a strong sense of conservative values evident in the police. A final component of masculinity was suggested by Graef. He noted how most police officers are male and drawn from the working class. Their culture therefore ultimately reflects traditional working class values of heavy drinking, physical prowess and heterosexuality. Racial stereotyping is also heavily emphasised and linked with assuming the role of the police officer. Cicourel attempted to discover what deviance is by examining the way in which some acts and individuals become defined or labelled as deviant. Cicourel therefore looked how a young person is defined as delinquent. The first stage is a police officer deciding to stop and interrogate the individual based on meaning held by the policy about what is ‘suspicious’ or ‘unusual’. These can be related to particular geographical areas for example. If the individual portray themselves as the ‘typical delinquent’ in ways they speak and in their demeanour, they are more likely to be arrested. The second stage applies if the young person has been arrested, resulting in being referred to a juvenile (probation) officer. The suspect’s background is then looked at. Coming from a ‘broken home’ and showing bad attitude towards authority are factors that would increase the likeliness of them being charged with an offence. Cicourel identifies how social classes can alter the way the juvenile probation officer would consider their choice of action. When a middle class juvenile is arrested they are less likely to be charged with an offence due to their background not fitting the typical criteria of a delinquent. Moreover, middle class parents are better able to negotiate successfully on their child’s behalf. Due to this, middle class juvenile is often defines as ‘ill’ or accidently straying from the path of righteousness, allowing them the chance to reform. Middle class juvenile are more likely to be released with just a warning. Cicourel concluded that justice is negotiable and his theories reveal the power and control both the police and the juvenile probation officer have over a young individual’s life. This therefore implies that it is these two agents who contribute towards the social construction of crime as they are given the authority to select certain individuals and undergo the process of labelling them as deviant. Taylor, Walton and Young however criticise Cicourel’s conclusion as he fails to explain how subjective meanings held by the police and juvenile probation officers of the ‘typical delinquent’ originate in the first place. Marxists agree with considering the police as a key agent in social construction of crime and deviance but they believe it reflects the ideology of ruling class. Gordon argues that crime is rational and individuals must fend for themselves in order to survive. This is particularly true of the American poor as America has minimal welfare services compared to many other advanced societies. Gordon stated that most crimes in the USA share the similarity of representing rational responses to the competitiveness and inequality of life in capitalist societies. Gordon argues the law enforcers in the USA support the capitalist system in three ways. Firstly they select members of the subject class and punish them as individuals – they are viewed as ‘social failures’ and responsible for their criminal activities. By placing this focus on an individual, it draws away from capitalism which is primarily responsible for their criminal deviance. Secondly the imprisonment of members of the subject class is a way of eliminating those who may have shown opposition to the capitalist society – reducing the opposition of the system. Finally by imprisoning the criminals who are ‘enemies of the state’, they are sweeping away an embarrassing extreme outcome of capitalist society. If something was done to help these people, if their difficult situations were made public then it would throw doubt on the capitalist society – as it produced them initially. This reflects the idea that enforcers of the law serves to maintain ruling-class power and ideology. Therefore suggesting that the police and courts exert their power and control to further strengthen the ruling class and continue to force submission of the subject class. The laws and the ideas of crime and punishment are argued to have been constructed based on the ruling class’ preferences. It is also argued that the police are not a significant factor of the social construction of crime and the informal agent of social control which is media has a greater influence. The media shape wider social definitions of what is criminal and deviant. They can also configure the public’s perceptions and fears in terms of what they choose to report and how they choose to represent this. This therefore implies that what is considered as deviant is linked to the influence that the media has on the public, causing them to react in a certain way. The police can therefore be argued as just victims of the media as it pressures them to act against these negative social groups which have been categorised as public enemies, and if they don’t choose to take action, the reputation of the police could be threatened. ‘Moral panics’ is a concept used to describe the media’s reactions to particular social groups or acts that threaten societal values. Their reaction is often out of proportion to the real threat and puts pressure on authorities to control the problem. Marxists believe that moral panics serve an ideological purpose. Stuart Hall studied the media coverage of black muggers in the 1970s and concluded that it served the purpose of dividing the working class, diverting attention away from the mismanagement of capitalism by the ruling class and justified severely restrictive laws and policing that could be used against other problem groups. Stuart Hall’s theory however is criticised for being too deterministic and ignoring the centre of activity. Functionalists would argue the influence of the role of police in the social construction of crime is wrongly exaggerated. They would describe the police as having a close relationship with the local area being policed. Therefore the role of the police force is being to represent the shared interests of the majority of law abiding people to defend them against the minority of offenders. They would disagree that the enforcements made by the police are revolved around the interests of the ruling class as they argue that police officers are drawn up from the community therefore ultimately reflecting its characteristics. They also believe that individual offenders are caught as a result of complaints made by the community not due to the individual police officer’s view and attitudes affecting the decision.

Racial profiling and law enforcement Essay

Abstract Racial profiling has influenced many people across the world; it has been a huge problem which needs to be resolved. The points discussed in this paper basically touch on why racial profiling is unacceptable and how it needs to be sustained. Why minorities shouldn’t have to suffer because of false stereotypes; also shouldn’t have to deal with bias opinions of the law. America is the land of the free also a place where second chances are embraced. There’s points made on how people reacted to racial profiling, and some resolutions. The ultimate goal is to minimize this epidemic in hopes people can start raising more awareness about the matter and find a way to make it work. The Authenticity of Racial Profiling and Law Enforcement Researchers believe law enforcement officers tend to prey on people of minority and watch closely in hopes for them to commit crime. Seemingly officers spend more time worrying about minorities than whites. Imaginably a young black male was observed driving by an officer in a nice vehicle going through a white neighborhood. The officer would probably find a reason to pull the driver which is called profiling. A lot of suspects are profiled because of prior history in the system, or stick out due to their environment. â€Å"For example, if someone who is obviously poor is frequently seen in a more affluent neighborhood, such a person may be profiled as someone with possible criminal intent† West Encyclopedia of Law (2005). This activity by law enforcement is unjust; sadly most of the officers believe they can do whatever they please. The citizens of the United States have certain rights to privacy; officers need to identify definite criminals making sure they are absolutely com mitting crimes. Studying this topic is worth the argument because of the disreputable nature of how law enforcement bases their bias assumptions of minorities. Granted some criminal minorities  do spend a lot of time in the system which is a fact, but also a good amount get rehabilitated and want to start a fresh private life, which they are entitled to. â€Å"It is a degrading practice and continues largely unchecked, violating the human and civil rights of those targeted† One America (2010). This issue raises a bunch of questions that should be looked into further, and examined much deeper. The general understanding of racial profiling is pre determining a minority is committing a criminal act, therefore should be approached by law enforcement. The law states that you are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law; hence minorities should remain innocent as well as driven free from prior judgment before found guilty of anything. This conduct ties in with the current understanding of t he crime, now someone just has to find a reasonable solution for both sides. With immense exposure of profiling tirades along came reaction. People believe evidence must be obtained in order to even pursue a suspect. Reasonable suspicion or reasonable doubt is a word an officer might use believing their suspect may have been armed, or a threat to society. Though the officer must be held accountable for the reasons he or she selected to approach the minority. The monumental Supreme Court case Terry vs. Ohio helped to shed tremendous light on the matter. The case pretty much made racial profiling harder to conduct for police. A law was passed because of this case which it made officers have to retain a search warrant in order to search a civilian’s property or belongings. Also law enforcement is unable to stop and frisk someone anywhere they please, for example a high crime area. On the other hand some officials believe racial profiling is necessary because it can save people from criminal activity before it begins, sparing injury to anyone. Protectors of profiling do not approve of the racial component of the matter. Defenders believe identifying tendencies of a criminal and being proactive make a decent officer. Even though my viewpoint does not approve of the defenders, the opinion has to be shared and addressed. Much of the perception of profiling really just has to do with the training of the particular officer and where they get their discipline. References â€Å"Racial Profiling.† West’s Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005. Retrieved October 02, 2013 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3437703637.html Heumann, Milton, and Lance Cassak. 2003. Good Cop, Bad Cop: Racial Profiling and Competing Views of Justice in America. New York: P. Lang.

Why School Attendance Matters and Strategies to Improve It

Why School Attendance Matters and Strategies to Improve It School attendance matters. It is arguably one of the most important indicators of school success. You cannot learn what you are not there to learn. Students who attend school regularly improve their chances of being academically successful. There are obvious exceptions to both sides of the rule. There are a few students deemed academically successful who also have attendance issues and a few students who struggle academically who are always present. However, in most cases, strong attendance correlates with academic success, and poor attendance correlates with academic struggles. To understand the importance of attendance and the influence the lack thereof has, we must first define what constitutes both satisfactory and poor attendance.   Attendance Works, a non-profit dedicated to improving school attendance, has categorized school attendance into three distinct categories. Students who have 9 or fewer absences are satisfactory. Those with 10-17 absences are exhibiting warning signs for potential attendance issues.   Students with 18 or more absences have a clear cut chronic attendance issue. These numbers are based on the traditional 180-day school calendar. Teachers and administrators will agree that the students who need to be at school the most are the ones that are seemingly seldom there. Poor attendance creates significant learning gaps. Even if students complete the make-up work, they most likely will not learn and retain the information as well as if they had been there. Make-up work can pile up very quickly. When students return from an extended hiatus, they not only have to complete the make-up work, but they also have to contend with their regular classroom assignments. Students often make the decision to rush through or completely ignore the make-up work so that they can keep pace with their regular class studies.   Doing this naturally creates a learning gap and causes the student’s grades to drop. Over time, this learning gap increases to the point where it becomes nearly impossible to close. Chronic absenteeism will lead to frustration for the student. The more they miss, the more difficult it becomes to catch up. Eventually, the student gives up altogether putting them on a path towards being a high school dropout. Chronic absenteeism is a key indicator that a student will drop out. This makes it even more critical to find early intervention strategies to prevent attendance from ever becoming an issue. The amount of schooling missed can quickly add up. Students who enter school at kindergarten and miss an average of 10 days per year until they graduate high school will miss 140 days. According to the definition above, this student would not have an attendance problem. However, all together that student would miss nearly an entire year of school when you add everything together. Now compare that student with another student who has a chronic attendance issue and misses an average of 25 days a year. The student with a chronic attendance issue has 350 missed days or almost two entire years. It is no wonder that those who have attendance issues are almost always further behind academically than their peers who have satisfactory attendance. Strategies to Improve School Attendance Improving school attendance can prove to be a difficult endeavor.   Schools often have very little direct control in this area. Most of the responsibility falls on the student’s parents or guardians, especially the elementary aged ones.   Many parents simply do not understand how important attendance is. They do not realize how quickly missing even a day a week can add up. Furthermore, they do not understand the unspoken message that they are relaying to their children by allowing them to miss school regularly.   Finally, they do not understand that they are not only setting their children up to fail in school, but also in life. For these reasons, it is essential that elementary schools in particular focus on educating parents on the value of attendance.   Unfortunately, most schools operate under the assumption that all parents already understand how important attendance is, but that those whose children have a chronic attendance issue are simply ignoring it or do not value education. The truth is that most parents want what is best for their children, but have not learned or been taught what that is. Schools must invest a significant amount of their resources to educate their local community adequately on the importance of attendance. Regular attendance should play a part in the daily anthem of a school and a critical role in defining the culture of a school. The fact is that every school has an attendance policy. In most cases, that policy is only punitive in nature meaning that it simply provides parents with an ultimatum that essentially says â€Å"get your child to school or else.†Ã‚   Those policies, while effective for a few, will not deter many for whom it has become easier to skip school than it is to attend. For those, you have to show them and prove to them that attending school on a regular basis will help lead to a brighter future. Schools should be challenged to develop attendance policies and programs that are more preventive in nature than they are punitive. This begins with getting to the root of the attendance issues on an individualized level. School officials must be willing to sit down with parents and listen to their reasons for why their children are absent without being judgmental. This allows the school to form a partnership with the parent wherein they can develop an individualized plan for improving attendance, a support system for follow through, and a connection to outside resources if necessary. This approach will not be easy. It will take a lot of time and resources. However, it is an investment that we should be willing to make based on how important we know attendance to be.   Our goal should be to get every child to school so that the effective teachers we have in place can do their jobs. When that happens, the quality of our school systems will improve significantly.

How the Best Dissertation Can Guarantee You a Dream Job

How the Best Dissertation Can Guarantee You a Dream Job How the Best Dissertation Can Guarantee You a Dream Job According to the Wall Street Journal survey of about 500 recruiters, employers who hire fresh graduates complain that the majority of candidates lack critical thinking and analytical skills. Some chief executives also say that despite the fact that many applicants are very smart and far more observant than their superiors, they seem not to be able to turn their opinions and assumptions into strategies or ideas for company development. If you’re wondering how your dissertation fits into this scenario, it means that you’ve already refused to put your best hopes in it. But it’s never too late to change the course of events if you really want to. We will tell you how the best dissertation can attract the potential employer’s attention at the time when recruiters start turning down the idea of hiring graduates. The Ability to Think Independently If you choose the right topic just within the sphere of your specialization and, of course, your interest, you will be able to research a relevant field of information as well as provide some valuable insights. It will mean that you are able to critically analyze data, draw the most important details from it, and form your own assumptions – and that’s exactly what employers are looking for. Commitment Not in all colleges or universities, students have to write dissertations. In fact, some educational institutions give you a choice, and if you agree to dedicate a great amount of time to research and analysis, it shows how committed, focused, and result-oriented you are. Time Management Deadline is the Achilles’s feet of almost every student because, firstly, it’s hard to portion your time for such a bulky writing assignment especially when you have to start like a year before your actual D date. Secondly, your mind just doesn’t feel that it has to force you to get a dissertation written, again because the deadline is far away. As a result, you begin doing something when it’s a bit late, and the quality suffers irrevocably. But if you manage to do everything rationally and on time, and your dissertation looks decent in terms of both – the quality and valuable findings – this is something definitively worth the potential employer’s attention. Your True Interest in the Industry A well-researched and well-written dissertation proves that you are indeed interested in the major you chose years ago. Chief executives want to see employees who are dedicated, engaged, and invested into their sphere. By completing a lengthy written project at the university, you can show your potential and possible benefits that you can bring for the company. We know that writing a dissertation is one hell of a task. So, before getting to it, you need to actually sit and decide for yourself whether you will really work in the industry you’ve majored in. Then, you must look for the topic which you are able to contribute to. After you have everything settled, dedicate enough time to polishing it, and only then, you can count on it while searching for career opportunities. So, set your priorities right, kid.

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

Venus - Essay Example Her genital area has a clear definition. This figurine has a large, round stomach. Her stomach hangs, but does not cover her genitalia She also has large flat buttocks. Her head has a pattern of concentric rings which can represent her hair or a kind of head dress. Her thighs and knees are large. She has no feet. This means she cannot stand on her own. She has no facial features. This makes her anonymous (Lammerhuber 2008). Venus of Willendorf is an exceptionally erotic figure. Her female aura was expressed in her ample bosom and detailed genitals. Her large sexual features depict her as a fertility icon. Her form portrays her nurturing abilities. She lacks a face. This imparts her with universality. She is a universal symbol of womanhood. Her lack of feet could be to provide immobility. Studies show that she may have been a prehistoric fertility goddess. Her power would lie in the ability to procreate. Other translations depict her as a doll for children in the prehistoric age. Venus of Willendorf has also been translated as a self-sculpture of a large woman. This figurine represents an impressive degree of artistic ability in its basic structure and intricate details (Lammerhuber

Criminal Liability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Criminal Liability - Essay Example This left the roof in a dangerous position that collapsed killing Serena. Adam can be held criminally liable for the death of Serena. His act of stealing lead connects the link of causation that led to the death of Serena. Criminal negligence represents men's rea. However, the men's rea in this situation is replaced by the recklessness of Adam. The test used to determine recklessness is the standard of behaviour expected of the defendant in such circumstances. A reasonable person in such circumstances would not have committed the act that Adam did and therefore he can be considered to have the men's rea required to find him criminally liable. The test here applies to willful negligence in gross negligence that another person would find it reckless. In criminal law, there must be an actus reus and men’s rea. The actus reus of the defendant was stealing the lead that led to the roof collapsing. Criminal negligence looks at the culpability and recklessness that causes the interme diate seriousness of the resulting actions of a defendant. Adam was reckless in his actions since he exposed other members of the church to damage. This means that he was willful in running the risk. The courts in such a case will apply the test of a reasonable person to analyze his culpability in such a case. This test of culpability and men's rea is an assessment by the courts to establish whether the defendant had the foresight of the consequences of his actions. It applies three elements in these tests.

Cochlear implants and the debate within the deaf community. Arguing Research Paper

Cochlear implants and the debate within the deaf community. Arguing that cochlear implants have been beneficial for the deaf community - Research Paper Example The external components of the implant contains a microphone that is to be worn behind the ear of the patient, attached to a magnetic transmitter, which is attached to the earpiece and a sound processor. Once the implantation is complete, an audiologist uses a computer to set the speech processor for the patient. The audiologist sets the processor and programmes it to the appropriate levels of auditory stimulation between sound received from environment and brain nerve cells (Cochlear 1; Ouellette 1248). Once the processor is set, the microphone receives sounds from the environment and sends it to the speech processor, which then performs computation, and transforms the sound to electrical codes and digital format. The digital codes are sent to the outer ear component as coded signals bypassing the ear hairs. The magnetic transformer behind the ear then takes these codes, transforms them to electrodes arrays, and interfaces them to the cochlea. Then the internal device in the cochlea takes these arrays and stimulates the auditory nerves fibers that are connected to the brain, whereby the arrays are sent by the auditory nerve of the person to the brain for interpretation (Cochlear 1). This paper seeks to establish that cochlear implants technology is beneficial to the deaf community despite their opposition to the implants during their inception. In order to alleviate fears of the deaf community there have been improvements in cochlea implants technology over time and hence increased rate of success to patients who have undergone the procedure. Ideally, the procedure is meant to be applied to infants born deaf or those who have developed deafness in their early days. This is because cognitive development of a child into their senses and environment occurs between the ages of 0-3 years. Hence, if the procedure is undertaken during this

A history of Latin America Essay Example for Free

A history of Latin America Essay It was during the European colonial expansion that Brazil fell under Portugal as a colony. Colonization in Brazil spanned the period between 1500 to year 1815. Portugal was interested in Brazil for a number of reasons that included the hope of getting minerals, raw materials as well as slave trade and labor to among other interests. The colonization of Brazil had some effect on the native way of life, with most of these effects having had a lasting effect to date. It’s worth noting that from the history of Brazil, France also had an interest in Brazil but could not stand up to Portugal which had taken the control of this part of the world through the signing of a treaty. The Portugal king known as king Manuel 1 who was reigning then wanted the colony to be ruled under a system of 15 hereditary captaincies- a fit that failed to work due to large-scale failure. The system gave way to royal enterprise in 1549. The following essay describes the causes and the effects of the Portuguese colonialism in Brazil. Causes of colonialism There are a number of things that preceded the Portuguese entry into and colonization of Brazil. Following the signing of the treaty of Tordelsillas in the year 1494 that facilitated the division of the world between Spain and Portugal, all land falling to the east was taken up by Portugal while Spain took up the land on the western side. In the year 1500, a navigator, Captain Pedro Alvares Cabral in charge of a fleet of 13 ships trailing the route taken by Vasco da Gama to India, landed in Brazil. He possessed this land for king Manuel 1 as an overseas colonial land for Portugal. His possession of the land made it a colonial land for Portugal (Sweet 2007p233). The Portuguese expressed their interest in Brazil due to the presence of raw materials that proved to be valuable for Portugal. One of the raw materials that Portugal got from Brazil includes the Brazilwood tree from which dark wood and red dye could be extracted. The Brazilwood was readily available in the Brazilian rainforest where it grew naturally. The red dye was exported to Europe where it was useful in staining luxurious textile for trading. The dark wood was sought for commercial purposes as well- specifically for sale within the European markets. The Portugal colonial system was also interested in growing sugar cane from Brazil for use in making of wine and for exporting to Portugal. An interest in other agricultural products of the nature of cash crops also interested the Portugal royal government that was reigning under the king Manuel 1 to take up Brazil as a colony. The cash crops drawn from Brazil included cotton and tobacco. These two cash crops were exported to Europe for sale in the European market. Portugal was interested in Brazil due to the prospect of getting slaves for labor and trade. The plantations in Europe required free labor that slaves could provide. Portugal marked Brazil as a potential area where for getting slaves for their plantations in Europe or for trading them. Even though the Portugal authorities had managed to transact some of the slaves with a Brazilian origin, the coming of the Jesuits in Brazil greatly led to the fall of the trade since they were opposed to the trade. This forced the Portugal authorities to embark on importing slaves from West Africa. At the same time, labor was greatly needed in the sugar plantations in Brazil. The natives provided this labor in exchange of scissors, axes, mirrors and knives while some were captured and forced to provide the labor as slaves (Morris 2006p34). Another reason why Portuguese had an interest in Brazil was because they were hoping to get minerals that they could use for their industries in Portugal or sell them in the European market. Though initially no minerals were found, some deposits of gold and later diamonds were found in the 18th century in the interior of Brazil by the bandeirantes. The area where gold deposits were found is known as the Minas Gerais mines. Deposits of diamond were found in 1729 in a village known as the Tujico village- the present day Diamantina. The French had expressed an interest n the land of Brazil as it was attracted to the Brazilwood and the prospect of mining some minerals from the land. This forced Portuguese to take up the land for establishing colonial rule in it before the French powers could take it over. Even though Portuguese had already possessed the land of Brazil, the heavy presence of the French military along the cost of Brazil forced the Portuguese to set the colonial powers and use military power to evacuate the French from the Brazilian coast (Leftwich 1999p156). Effects of Portuguese colonialism in Brazil The presence of the Portuguese colonial power in Brazil affected a number of the native life of the people in Brazil. Colonialism led to the widespread and adoption of the catholic faith in worship. This was a result of the coming of the Jesuits, who were led by the first governor, Tome de Sousa. The Jesuits made a great representation of the religious enterprise, setting missions within Brazil and actively converting the natives into the catholic faith. Another consequence of the Portuguese colonial powers in Brazil is the death of a great number of people due to wars that pervaded the colony. The natives were opposed to the colonial powers and therefore staged resistances that led to the death of many natives. An example of the native revolts is the Guarani war of the year 1756 where the native were fighting the Portuguese authorities as a protest against slave trade. The native guaranis were assisted by the Jesuits who also opposed slave trade and labor (Chasteen 2001 p251). The colonial era in Brazil also played a great role in the proliferation of the people of the African origin in Brazil. Since Brazil drew a lot of slaves from the West African region to work within the plantations in Brazil, a very large number of Africans settled within the Brazilian land after the slave trade was abolished since they had no way of going back to Africa even when they were set free (Freyre 2008 p458). There was a proliferation of infectious diseases that were brought by the colonialist from Europe to Brazil. The natives had no natural immunity against these diseases and this led to the death of a great number of natives from these foreign diseases. The colonial powers also led to the embrace of the sugar cane growing in agricultural sector for export. Since sugar cane had such a high demand within the European market, the expansion of the sugar cane sector drew great profits. This sector however received a blow and fell once the Dutch and the French started cultivating and exporting sugarcane to the European market. Since Antilles- the area where Dutch and the French produced the sugar was much closer to Europe, the sugar prices fell drastically towards the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century during which time the sugar industry on Brazil fell. The colonial powers within Brazil also led to the founding of the Rio de Janeiro city in the year 1565 by the governor general Estacio de Sa’. He established Rio de Janeiro as the capital of Brazil in the year 1763 from Salvador. At the same time, a number of changes took place with the cities in Brazil. The estados – states- in Brazil had been divided and separated so that they were headed by the city council prior to the year 1763. The city councils were composed of top figures within the Brazilian land including the merchants, land owners and business men. Since Brazil was to big to be administered by the royal government, there arose a need to divide this area into smaller estates. The states of Brasil, Maranhao, and Grao-para were unified into Brazilian viceroyalty in the year 1763 and Rio de Janeiro was set as the capital of these cities. This helped to destroy the divisions that were created in the early days of the colonial invasion (Freyre 2008 p457). There was the creation of a number of towns in south Brazil. Some of the towns created include Colonia de Sacramento, Alores islands, and Porto Alegre among other towns. As essay shows, there are a number of major changes that took place with the expansion of the Portuguese power in Brazil. The native Brazilians abandoned their cultural way of life and adopted the life that the Portuguese were living in terms of dress code, food eaten, and the religion adopted (Keller 2006p517). Conclusion Expansion of the European powers into the rest of the world during the colonial era led to major changes and experiences into the areas that these countries set their colonial power. In the case of Brazil, changes that took place were experienced over the whole range of the living including their social living, political life and religion among other areas. The effect of the colonial powers is still felt in Brazil to the present day. References Chasteen J (2001) Born in blood and fire: a concise history of Latin America, Norton p251 Freyre G (2008) The masters and the slaves (Casa-grande senzala) Brazilian civilization, University of Texas p457, 458 Keller (2006) Colonization study, founding of new societies. Ginn Company p517 Leftwich A (1999) Redefining politics; populace, property, and power, Taylor Francis p156 Morris H (2006) History of Colonialism from the Earliest Times Present Day, University of Michigan p34 Sweet W (2007) A history of Latin America. The Abingdon Press p233

Personal Narrative: A Past Relationship :: essays research papers

My preffered companions are books or music or pen and paper.I have only a small circle of close friends,few of whom i get along together.They could easily be counted "misfits." To be plain,I found it quite easily to doubt my ability to have any sort of "close bond."After the closing festivities of "The Lead America conference,"this past summer,on the night before we were scheduled to leave,a girl i had met by the name of Jade,during the program's course approached me.She came to my room and sat down on my bed and announced that she was debating with herself whether she wanted me to become her boyfriend. She wanted my reaction,my opinion.I was startled,to say the least, and frightened.I instantly said,"No."I told her I on no account wanted this and that I would reject any gestures she made towards starting a relationship.I would ignore her entirely,if need be.I elaborate that I don't know the meaning of an relationship and I started rationalizing about past relationships.She never left the room,then I knew she wanted to hear what she wants to hear.To my surprise,she did not leave instantly.Instead,she hugged her knees with a disconsolate countenance,and she rocked back and forth on my bed,while hugging her knees. I watched her from across the room.She rocked,and I watched.Doubts crept upon me.Opportunity had knocked and the door was still locked.It might soon depart."I lied,"I said."I was afraid of what might happen if we became involved.But it's better to take the chance that to be afraid."Then her face was lit as if it was christmas.She told me she knew i had lied.I had made her realize,though,how much she actually wanted me to be her boyfriend.We decided to keep up a relationship after The Lead America Conference.Even then,I was not sure which had been the lie.Now i think that everything I said may have been true when I said it.But I'm still not sure.I learned,that night,that I could be close to someone.I also realize,now,that it doesn't matter whether or not that person os a misfit,the nly important thing is the feeling,the only important thing is the feeling,the closeness,the connection.

Montessori VS Gibson: Education and Perception

Maria Montessori and Eleanor Gibson are two of the primary education theorists in the last 100 years.   Both are female, which was rare in their fields at the time, and both contributed to education and learning theories in ways that are still widely used today.   However, each has a different perspective on education, and a different and unique contribution to the field of educational research.   Overall, there are many significant similarities and differences in the educational theories created and implemented by Montessori and Gibson.Montessori was born in Italy in 1870.   She attended medical school there despite protests about her gender, and was the first woman to ever become a doctor in Italy.   After medical school, Montessori went on to work with poor children.   She noticed that many of these children could not necessarily benefit from medical care, but could benefit from educational opportunities that they did not have.   After noticing this, Montessori went on to teach children and develop a system of education that is used throughout the world today.Her early success in teaching was met with surprise, as even she had been skeptical that her methods would work.   The progress that these economically poor children showed was amazing to her, and to others who came to see what they could do.   In fact, efforts were so successful that Montessori went on to open up other ‘poor houses’ around Italy, and later, in other countries.   Towards the end of her life, she traveled around, teaching the ‘Montessori method’ to other teachers in countries throughout the world (Cossentino).Gibson was born in America in 1910.   As a child, she was discouraged from attending school because of her gender, but persevered and attended anyway.   After secondary school, she attended Yale and eventually earned a Ph.D. in developmental psychology.   Gibson then began to work with children and animals, doing experiments to see what babies knew from birth and what was learned.Her most famous experiment is the â€Å"visual cliff,† where a drop-off is set up and covered by glass.   Babies aged 6 to 14 months are placed at the edge and encouraged to crawl onto the clear glass.   However, all babies refused, suggesting that they could perceive depth from birth.   Gibson used the information she gathered from these experiments to investigate the way people learn and perceive their environment.   Gibson’s experiments are still being carried out by her students today (Gibson).Maria Montessori created a method for teaching children that today is used to educate children from birth through age 18, although it is mostly commonly used for ages three to six.   The general principle is to allow a child his freedom to work at his own pace, on the activities he chooses.   Several age-appropriate activities are possible, and the child chooses what he is interested in and investigates it thorough ly.   Children at work are never interrupted, and individual work takes precedence over group work.   Additionally, all groups are multi-age, with three ages in one group.   The most common age group is the three to six year old ages.   These groupings exist so the older children will teach the younger children, advancing both of their learning (www.montessori.edu).Gibson’s approach to education is different.   Her studies focused on perceptual development and innate knowledge in babies rather than education later in life, although her theories had implications for education later in life.   Gibson is known for starting the field of perceptual development in psychology, as little was known about it at the time.   Most doctors and psychologists assumed that to babies, the world was nothing more than a confusing buzz of sounds and sights, and that they could not make any sense of it or perceive it at all in the way of adults.These doctors assumed that babies learn ed to perceive as they aged and were taught about the world around them.   Gibson performed many experiments throughout her years as a researcher that disproved this view and brought about a brand-new view of perceptual development.   She wrote two books, one in 1967 on her research thus far, and one in 1991 that summed up what she had done in her lifetime (Gibson).The major difference between Montessori and Gibson is that Montessori was a doctor who specialized in teaching children based on their individual needs throughout their lives, while Gibson primarily focused on what children already knew when they were born and was not overly concerned with later life, as older children had already been studied more.   Gibson does, however, focus some on the processes of education throughout life, although primarily in what children know at birth and how this affects the way they learn later in life.They were similar, though, in their belief that children were different than others t hought.   Children were not stupid, were not blank slates, and did not need help in learning everything.   Children were born with innate abilities to learn and to perceive.   Gibson and Montessori both furthered this idea through their work.   Both women also helped to show that children could work seriously, even from a young age; that their attention spans are long enough and their perceptions are good enough to learn on their own.Gibson did further experiments, mostly with infants, and often with animals, as certain types of experiments are not ethical in humans.   One significant finding was in how human children learned to read and recognize letters.   Gibson theorized that children would learn by seeking out the features that are different about the letters, or â€Å"contrastive features.†Ã‚   She came upon this theory based on experiments with animals that showed this was how they learned to recognize colors, patterns, and other objects.   It turned out that this was, indeed, how children learned, by recognizing different features in the letters to distinguish one from another (Spelke).Also, Gibson was trying to focus on the ‘mechanisms which operate in all learning (Gibson).’   Her goal was to discover, through her research on perception, how exactly humans learned, and how figuring this out could benefit them in some way.   This research was crucial later to show how much people really knew and were capable of learning at all ages.Montessori did not focus nearly as much on how children perceived, but on how they learned (which is, in general, what Montessori and Gibson have most in common).   Montessori emphasized that all children learned differently and needed an environment which nurtured this.   Children who are put in an environment and allowed to learn what they chose tended to choose to learn as much as possible.   Montessori also emphasizes creativity through learning to do a number of different thi ngs, and to learn them correctly.   For example, music lessons can be a part of Montessori if a child chooses; but the teachers encourage the students to learn to play an instrument correctly, not to use it for an unorthodox purposes, like using a violin as a hammer (www.montessori.edu).Additionally, Montessori focuses on work, rather than play in her education model.   Most preschools believe that children learn through random play, while Montessori emphasizes purposeful work even from the young ages in order to investigate and learn about the world (Cossentino 63).Both methods are based on the premise that children know more than they are given credit for.   Gibson was sure that children could understand and perceive far more than psychologists thought they could, and her experiments showed that this was true.   In fact, Gibson did experiments on animals that proved even further what the experiments with babies began to show.   Gibson took newborn kids (baby goats) and p laced them on the visual cliff, and even at birth they would not go over it.She also placed kittens on the cliff once they were old enough to move and see, and they would not go over it.   Gibson reared some animals in complete darkness for awhile, and some would still not go over the cliff when they entered the light.   Kittens were an exception to this.   For a few days, they crawled across the whole surface and did not notice the cliff; after that, they, too, stopped going over the edge.   Gibson tried to place them on the cliff right away, so they would learn that crawling onto the glass was safe, but once kittens could see better, even though they knew the glass was safe from previous experience, they still would not go across it once they could see the cliff, suggesting that the perception of this drop is innate and not learned (Spelke).Innate ability is the key to Gibson and Montessori.   Both believed that children had innate ability to learn, to recognize, and to know.   Montessori built her schools on this premise.   In fact, many schools have children who are discovering and understanding subjects that adults think are far beyond their capabilities at a young age.   Elementary age students may teach themselves advanced mathematics or science concepts, ideas that are usually taught in high school.   The Montessori method encourages children to use their innate curiosity and ability to investigate to find out about their world and learn as much as they can about it (www.montessori.edu).Children are unusually intelligent and have strong capabilities.   They are not born with no knowledge, no skills, and no ability to learn.   Both Gibson and Montessori’s research showed that this is true.   Children are born knowing things, and born with a thirst to know more things.   Children learn by perceiving the world around them and continuing to try things out until they figure out how it works, and why.Montessori had an early i dea about how children learned, and created a system to teach them in that natural way.   Today’s Montessori schools are all across the world, at every age group, public and private.   Montessori still means that children learn individually, even when they are in high school.   Students who study by the Montessori method tend to score above average on standardized tests (despite a complete lack of teaching to the test) and tend to get into good colleges and succeed well in life.This is because students are given the opportunity to work individually from a young age, which leads to self-motivation.   Self-motivation is the most crucial part of the theory; children will learn far more if they are doing it on their own, based on intrinsic motivation, rather than extrinsic motivation.   The Montessori method promotes this intrinsic motivation from the beginning (www.montessori.edu).Gibson’s work, which came later, explained in psychological detail what Montessori seemed to ‘innately know,’ just as her students innately knew about the world around them.   Gibson’s experiments shed light on the way children perceived their world and how much they actually knew and understood before anyone taught them.Today, many people are still a bit skeptical about the ideas put forth by these two women.   However, many of the major educational and psychological movements are based on the work that both women did in their individual fields.   Gibson’s experiments have given way to a plethora of research in cognitive and perceptual psychology, specifically aimed at trying to figure out how infants and animals really think and understand.The result of all of these years of experiments and programs it that children are better prepared to learn about their world in a way that makes sense to them.   Children are better focused, better behaved, and learn more, better, and more quickly when their natural abilities are recognized and respected.  Ã‚   Children in Montessori classrooms or those with teachers who believe in their ability to think, learn, and perceive without explicit teaching thrive better than those who have teachers who think they are merely blank slates, empty vessels waiting to be taught to look, listen, think, and perceive.The educational world has both Gibson and Montessori to thank for their new insights into teaching young children.   Both women made significant contributions to the field at a time when women were not welcomed into medical fields.   Both women had to fight for their right to an education, and both women were intelligent enough and savvy enough to get their degrees and conduct their programs despite opposition.   Without them, education would not be what it is today.BibliographyCossentino, Jacqueline M. (2006).   â€Å"Big Work: Goodness, Vocation, and Engagement in the Montessori Method.†Ã‚   Curriculum Inquiry.   36, 1, 63 – 92.Gibson, Eleanor J. (1940). â€Å"A Systematic Application of the Concepts of Generalization and Differentiation to Verbal Learning.† Psychological Review.   47, 196 – 229.Gibson, Eleanor J. (1934). â€Å"Retention and the Interpolated Task.† American Journal of Psychology.   46, 603 – 610.â€Å"The International Montessori Index (2006).†Ã‚   Accessed December 18, 2006.   Website: www.montessori.edu.  Spelke, Elizabeth (2003).   â€Å"Gibson’s Work: An Extended Reply to Helmholtz.†Ã‚   Association for Psychological Science, 16, 4.

Foundation and Empire 23. The Ruins Of Trantor

The location of an objective upon the great world of Trantor presents a problem unique in the Galaxy. There are no continents or oceans to locate from a thousand miles distance. There are no rivers, lakes, and islands to catch sight of through the cloud rifts. The metal-covered world was – had been – one colossal city, and only the old Imperial palace could be identified readily from outer space by a stranger. The Bayta circled the world at almost air-car height in repeated painful search. From polar regions, where the icy coating of the metal spires were somber evidence of the breakdown or neglect of the weather-conditioning machinery, they worked southwards. Occasionally they could experiment with the correlations -(or presumable correlations)- between what they saw and what the inadequate map obtained at Neotrantor showed. But it was unmistakable when it came. The gap in the metal coat of the planet was fifty miles. The unusual greenery spread over hundreds of square miles, inclosing the mighty grace of the ancient Imperial residences. The Bayta hovered and slowly oriented itself. There were only the huge supercauseways to guide them. Long straight arrows on the map, smooth, gleaming ribbons there below them. What the map indicated to be the University area was reached by dead reckoning, and upon the flat area of what once must have been a busy landing-field, the ship lowered itself. It was only as they submerged into the welter of metal that the smooth beauty apparent from the air dissolved into the broken, twisted near-wreckage that had been left in the wake of the Sack. Spires were truncated, smooth walls gouted and twisted, and just for an instant there was the glimpse of a shaven area of earth – perhaps several hundred acres in extent – dark and plowed. Lee Senter waited as the ship settled downward cautiously. It was a strange ship, not from Neotrantor, and inwardly he sighed. Strange ships and confused dealings with the men of outer space could mean the end of the short days of peace, a return to the old grandiose times of death and battle. Senter was leader of the group; the old books were in his charge and he had read of those old days. He did not want them. Perhaps ten minutes spent themselves as the strange ship came down to nestle upon the flatness, but long memories telescoped themselves in that time. There was first the great farm of his childhood – that remained in his mind merely as busy crowds of people. Then there was the trek of the young families to new lands. He was ten, then; an only child, puzzled, and frightened. Then the new buildings; the great metal slabs to be uprooted and tom aside; the exposed soil to be turned, and freshened, and invigorated; neighboring buildings to be tom down and leveled; others to be transformed to living quarters. There were crops to be grown and harvested; peaceful relations with neighboring farms to be established- There was growth and expansion, and the quiet efficiency of self-rule. There was the coming of a new generation of hard, little youngsters born to the soil. There was the great day when he was chosen leader of the Group and for the first time since his eighteenth birthday he did not shave and saw the first stubble of his Leader's Beard appear. And now the Galaxy might intrude and put an end to the brief idyll of isolation- The ship landed. He watched wordlessly as the port opened. Four emerged, cautious and watchful. There were three men, varied, old, young, thin and beaked. And a woman striding among them like an equal. His hand left the two glassy black tufts of his beard as he stepped forward. He gave the universal gesture of peace. Both hands were before him; hard, calloused palms upward. The young man approached two steps and duplicated the gesture. â€Å"I come in peace.† The accent was strange, but the words were understandable, and welcome. He replied, deeply, â€Å"In peace be it. You are welcome to the hospitality of the Group. Are you hungry? You shall eat. Are you thirsty? You shall drink.† Slowly, the reply came, â€Å"We thank you for your kindness, and shall bear good report of your Group when we return to our world.† A queer answer, but good. Behind him, the men of the Group were smiling, and from the recesses of the surrounding structures, the women emerged. In his own quarters, he removed the locked, mirror-walled box from its hidden place, and offered each of the guests the long, plump cigars that were reserved for great occasions. Before the woman, he hesitated. She had taken a seat among the men. The strangers evidently allowed, even expected, such effrontery. Stiffly, he offered the box. She accepted one with a smile, and drew in its aromatic smoke, with all the relish one could expect. Lee Senter repressed a scandalized emotion. The stiff conversation, in advance of the meal, touched politely upon the subject of fanning on Trantor. It was the old man who asked, â€Å"What about hydroponics? Surely, for such a world as Trantor, hydroponics would be the answer.† Senter shook his head slowly. He felt uncertain. His knowledge was the unfamiliar matter of the books he had read, â€Å"Artificial fanning in chemicals, I think? No, not on Trantor. This hydroponics requires a world of industy – for instance, a great chemical industry. And in war or disaster, when industry breaks down, the people starve. Nor can all foods be grown artificially. Some lose their food value. The soil is cheaper, still better – always more dependable.† â€Å"And your food supply is sufficient?† â€Å"Sufficient; perhaps monotonous. We have fowl that supply eggs, and milk-yielders for our dairy products – but our meat supply rests upon our foreign trade.† â€Å"Trade.† The young man seemed roused to sudden interest. â€Å"You trade then. But what do you export?† â€Å"Metal,† was the curt answer. â€Å"Look for yourself. We have an infinite supply, ready processed. They come from Neotrantor with ships, demolish an indicated area-increasing our growing space – and leave us in exchange meat, canned fruit, food concentrates, farm machinery and so on. They carry off the metal and both sides profit.† They feasted on bread and cheese, and a vegetable stew that was unreservedly delicious. It was over the dessert of frosted fruit, the only imported item on the menu, that, for the first time, the Outlanders became other than mere guests. The young man produced a map of Trantor. Calmly, Lee Senter studied it. He listened – and said gravely, â€Å"The University Grounds are a static area. We farmers do not grow crops on it. We do not, by preference, even enter it. It is one of our few relics of another time we would keep undisturbed. â€Å" â€Å"We are seekers after knowledge. We would disturb nothing. Our ship would be our hostage.† The old man offered this – eagerly, feverishly. â€Å"I can take you there then,† said Senter. That night the strangers slept, and that night Lee Senter sent a message to Neotrantor.