Wednesday, October 30, 2019

How Italian Food Defines You, Your Family, and Your Ethnicity Essay

How Italian Food Defines You, Your Family, and Your Ethnicity - Essay Example A side dish of salad or vegetables rounds out the meal. After a beverage, predominantly wine, a decadent dessert is also consumed. And always, conversation and laughter dominates the family table. Many Italian-Americans still keep the Vatican custom of seven fishes served on New Year's Eve, including squid, eels, and conch. The traditional meal on Easter is lamb. Of course, all meals are accompanied with a pasta side dish. Since gorgonzola, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses were first made by Italians, these dairy products are incorporated into just about all Italian fare. To discuss Italian culture and food, we have to include the topic of the all-American pizza. USA pizza is different from Italian pizza in that pizza served in Italy has less cheese, and the crust is thin as paper. The New York Times published an article stating that it is as important how we eat opposed to what we eat. That could be a lesson in cooking. When Italians dine, they take their time eating. They have a relationship with food. Mealtimes with the family are almost sacred. Conversation at the table strengthens the bond of family. Italians also lead active lives. Cars are not allowed in many Italian town centers. Therefore, walking is necessary. Most residents are walkups without elevators. Most importantly, portion sizes are much smaller in Italy.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Boise Art Museum Essay Example for Free

Boise Art Museum Essay Boise Art Museum is located in a serene environment with beautifully manicured lawns adorned with various artifacts. I had the privilege of visiting this renowned museum on 18th August 2003. During this time an exhibition showing the ceramic artistic works of Wanxin Zhang was ongoing. The ceramic works featured Chinese figures molded to the height of an average person and each piece having its own uniqueness. Each of the figures represented different emotions and personalities. Some of the figures even had clothing that depicted a combination of tradition and modernity. One astonishing aspect about the figures is how the artist managed such art with such huge ceramics. This depicted mastery of the art. Although all the figures were brown in color and more or less of the same size, it was very easy to discern differences in terms of the emotions and personalities displayed by the clothing, posture and facial expressions. This outlined how diversity can be achieved in art just by varying aspects such as posture and facial expression. The technique was superb as the artist managed utilize contour to bring out contrast in different parts of the body and to create outline for the clothing. The finishing was also smooth and rough surfaces were meant to bring certain aspects of the figure such as clothing. The figures are also amazing due to the extent that they manage to combine tradition and modernity. Looking at the figures one also notices the sense of humor of the artist. Some figures were adorned with glasses and some had neck ties. This gave the figures a funny and a ridiculous look. Generally the artist outlined how possible though ridiculous it would be to combine tradition and modernity in a single piece of work. This is actually a very rare observation considering that the figures still manage to look artistic and portray a rich Chinese culture. Reference: Boise Art Museum. (2010, August 18). Wanxin Zhang: A Ten Year Survey. Retrieved August 18, 2010, from Boise Art Museum: http://boiseartmuseum. org/exhibit/current. php

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Comparing Tension and Conflict in Things Fall Apart and Clear Light of

Tension and Conflict in Things Fall Apart and Clear Light of Day      Ã‚  Ã‚   How does the tension between traditional and modern views of the world play itself out in Achebe's "Things Fall Apart", and Desai's "Clear Light of Day"?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     In both Achebe's and Desai's novels, tension and conflict between the new and the old, traditional and modern are the strong undercurrents that move the story and the reader into an unconscious emotional uneasiness.    In both novels, the backdrop and the story are engrossed in a struggle between two worlds, the new and the old fighting out its battles in the characters portrayed within.  Ã‚   Achebe makes his stand in eastern Nigeria while Desai illustrates her point in Old Delhi.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the first part of "Things Fall Apart", Achebe, portrays a traditional African culture, but one on the verge of change.  Ã‚   Early in the novel you can see change is already taking place.   "...in the past a man who broke the peace was dragged on the ground throughout the village until he died.   But after a while this custom was stopped because it spoiled the peace which it was meant to preserve."  Ã‚  Ã‚   But traditions continued on, including ritual killing and banishment of one of the village leaders.   But then things begin to change more rapidly with the coming of the missionaries.   When they gave them the "evil forest" to build their churches on there was no turning back.   Many of the abused and outcast were converted when they saw that these new people prospered in the evil lands. The people started to revolt against their traditional gods.   "Three converts had gone into the village and boasted openly that... ...k after...  Ã‚   But even this simple act has its overtones, "...she has always liked to rule others..."      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In both of these novels the main characters have to be strong to deal with the tides between tradition and modern culture.   Their lives are not easy, but while reading about them, maybe we can make it easier for others to live in our world and understand those who do not wish to make the journey of "progress".   Failing that, maybe we can at least understand our own journey through this jumble we call life.    Works Cited and Consulted    Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1986.    Desai, Anita. The Clear Light of Day London: Penguin, 1990    Taiwo, Oladele. Culture and the Nigerian Novel. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1976.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Google: Entry to China Essay

Google is widely known as a technology company that created a search engine site proven to be a helpful tool for most people because it helps you find the most relevant answer from the all the websites. This led to their success in the US market and worldwide. However, Google faced numerous criticisms on their business strategy to enter China, a market widely known for its government’s restrictions on content on the Internet, often referred to as the â€Å"Great Firewall of China† (As cited in Hoegberg, 2013, para. 2). With potential of long-term financial gain of doing business in China, should Google continue to do business with a market that is in conflict with its business motto? Google Background When founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin collaborated on creating a search engine site in 1996, their mission is to organize a seemingly infinite amount of information on the web (â€Å"Our History in Depth†,n.d., para. 4 & 5). The company later on received recognition from PC Magazine as the search engine of choice (â€Å"Our History in Depth†,n.d., para. 9). Then in 2004, Google, Inc. offered an IPO at $85 and closed at $194 at year-end 2004 reaping the IPO investors a healthy gain (Travlos, 2012, para. 1). Post-IPO Google, Inc. means finding more sources for revenue for the company. Google ventured outside of the web search engine market by creating applications for mobile, media brosing, home & office, social media and the list goes on and on (â€Å"Products†, n.d.) and revenues are generated from online advertising or their own product: Ad words (â€Å"Adwords†, n.d., para. 1). With tremendous growth of the company, Google founders have embraced the i nformal corporate motto â€Å"Don’t be evil† and also developed an ethical code of conduct for both internal and external audiences (as cited in Martin, 2006, p. 5). China Background Martin reports that in 2006 China has a population of 1.6 billion people and is an attractive market for many U.S. companies (Martin, 2006, p. 6). Also, with China’s transformation to a market economy (Zimmerman, A., & Fey, R, 2001, p. 15-28), George Magliano, an economist at IHS Automotive, states that â€Å"This is the wave of the future† and that â€Å"The Chinese market is going to grow faster than the U.S., and it will continue to be this way† (Hirsch, 2011, p. 1). The rapid growth of Internet use in China is being accompanied by more sophisticated official efforts at censorship as stated in the report issued by the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC), an organization under the official Chinese Academy of Science, (â€Å"China politics: Internet censorship grows more sophisticated†, 2003, para. 1). Google in China In 2000, part of Google, Inc. global strategy was to enter the Chinese market creating a Chinese-language version of the website, and because of the regulations in China, the server is housed in the US (Martin, 2006, p. 12). However because of complex Internet infrastructure of Chinese government, the site became inaccessible and slower performance than other sites (Martin, 2006, p. 13). This became an issue to the users and therefore losing market share (Martin, 2006, p. 13). Google reached a deal with the Chinese government to create Google.cn, a site that is in compliance with Chinese regulations on censorship (Martin, 2006, p. 13). Strengths Google.com is a trusted name worldwide as a search engine site and that there was no need to advertise since Google users typically share the information with anyone, hence most individuals common answer to a question is to â€Å"Just Google it† (Clark, Greniuk, Riherd, Rome and Yu, 2010, para. 2). With its global reach and growing traffic, online advertisers would allot budget for spend with Google.com as part of online marketing strategy to reach online consumers, potentially reaching 1 billion Global unique visitors (â€Å"Google Reaches 1 Billion Global Visitors†, 2011, para.1). Weaknesses Google entered China with their mission, stated on their website â€Å"organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful† (â€Å"About Google.com†, n.d., para.1) which is in contradiction to Chinese government’s ideology on Internet censorship is â€Å"If you open the window for fresh air, you have to expect some flies to blow in† (â€Å"Internet censorship in the People’s Republic of China†, n.d., para. 3). Google executives clearly did not follow this ideology when the company first entered China. As a result, Chinese government has added a strain on the company’s efforts to gain market share. Threats The â€Å"Great Firewall of China† limits the searching capabilities of terms on the internet in China, even keywords such as Freedom are off limits to users (â€Å"Internet Censorship in China†, 2012, para. 3) this hinders Google to operate and provide their services to Chinese consumers. Then this led to loosing market share to Baidu.com (â€Å"Baidu vs. Google†, 2010, para. 5). Alternative Strategies Google possess the technology and resources to create products (â€Å"Our products and services, n.d., para.1) that would meet Chinese government regulations as Larry Page, co-founder and CEO, would describe Google.com, the â€Å"perfect search engine† as something that â€Å"understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want† (â€Å"Products†, n.d., para.1). This should have been the initial business strategy to avoid criticisms and struggle to meet demands of Chinese government and the internet users in China. Oppose to negotiating with Chinese government, because this can be damaging to company’s image to China and the Chinese citizens. Google decision to create Google.cn is a clear contradiction to the company motto however when the Utilitarianism philosophical approach is applied as part of the strategy â€Å"promote the happiness of others, even at the expense of our own projects, our integrity, or the welfare of our friends and family† (Hills, 2010, p. 225), the results may offset the implications to company’s reputation and plans to gain market share in a country where business practices are very different from theirs. Since corporate ethics will be questioned, perhaps a partnership with small technology companies in China and other local program opportunities that would steer the message of the company’s decision to bow to Chinese government regulations. In addition, hiring Chinese executives and employees would be an ideal start as the company enters a market like China. These individuals have lived, and survived the political and economic intricacies of Chinese market. They are the ones that have the working knowledge, and learning from other companies that passing the helm to strong local replacements is essential for sustained profitable growth (Hsieh, Lavoie, and Samek, 1999, para. 1). Recommendations China is known as the Kingdom of Bamboo because it has the most bamboo of any country in the world (â€Å"Bamboo and Chinese Culture†, n.d. para. 1). In addition, Bamboo’s resistance to stretching and its ability to support weight are at least double those of other kinds of wood, making bamboo an ideal material for houses, scaffolding, supporting pillars, and work sheds (â€Å"Bamboo and Chinese Culture†, n.d. para. 8). That being said, doing business in China would be similar to working with bamboo, it is resilient to change and therefore adapting to the market is the recommended strategy. Even if it means changing the Company’s product and ideologies so that the company may prosper in the long term partnership with the local government and gain market share. Google.cn business model would be the initial offering because it adheres to government regulations and there won’t be any struggle in reaching the local market. And even with the criticisms that will arise from this decision, the financial gain and respect from the local market is what every company would want to achieve in this market, therefore it would be not just Google that will benefit from this, but also the citizens of China. Who knows in the future, when censorship is no longer in existence, Google can finally launch their products that are in compliance with company’s motto and provide the oppressed Chinese market of this freedom to view information without censor. In the end, the majority may benefit from this.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Clothes Can Tell a Lot About a Person

Prisoners Freed Chapter: 27 Page: 217 â€Å"My island was now peopled, and I thought myself very rich in subjects; and it was a merry reflection, which I frequently made, how like a king I looked. First of all, the whole country was my own mere property, so that I had an undoubted right of dominion. Secondly, my people were perfectly subjected. I was absolute lord and lawgiver, they all owed their lives to me, and were ready to lay down their lives, if there had been occasion of it, for me.It was remark-able, too, we had but three subjects, and they were of three different religions. My man Friday was a Protestant, his father was a Pagan and a cannibal. And the Spaniard was a papist. However, I allowed liberty of conscience throughout my dominions. But this is by the way. † -Robinson here start to talk about how he's very comfortable and happy of his island and his people that they allowed their lives to him, and mention that he allowed liberty of conscience throughout his dom inions. religious freedom† Chapter: 27 Page: 220-221 â€Å"He told me they were all of them very civil, honest men, and they were under the greatest distress imaginable, having neither weapons nor clothes, nor any food, but at the mercy and discretion of the savages; out of all hopes of ever returning to their own country; and that he was sure, if I would undertake their relief, they would live and die by me. † When Robinson was afraid of the Spaniard's men and he might be ill used for his kindness to them and make his case worse than it was before the Spaniard start to tell him about their case and their condition after that Robinson resolved to venture to relieve them. Chapter: 27 Page:224 â€Å"I was fast asleep in my hutch one morning, when my man Friday came running in to me, and called aloud, â€Å"Master, master, they are come, they are come! I jumped up, and regardless of danger I went, as soon as I could get my clothes on, through my little grove, which, by t he way, was by this time grown to be a very thick wood; I say, regardless of danger I went without my arms, which was not my custom to do; but I was surprised when, turning my eyes to the sea, I presently saw a boat at about a league and a half distance, standing in for the shore, with a shoulder-of-mutton sail, as they call it, and the wind blowing pretty fair to bring them in: also I observed, presently, that they did not come from that side which the shore lay on, but from the southernmost end of the island.Upon this I called Friday in, and bade him lie close, for these were not the people we looked for, and that we might not know yet whether they were friends or enemies. † -Here when Robinson jumped up and went out without his arms. He thought that the boat is for his friend but he found out that they're an Englishmen. He was onfused because they might be his countrymen and friends or enemies and because of that he starts to observe them. Chapter: 28 Page: 226-227 This put me in mind of the first time when I came on shore, and began to look about me; how I gave myself over for lost; how wildly I looked round me; what dreadful apprehensions I had; and how I lodged in the tree all night for fear of being devoured by wild beasts. † -Robinson said that after he saw three prisoners with the Englishmen and after he observed the outrageous usage by the seamen they remind him of himself. Chapter: 28 Page: 228-229 â€Å"I came as near them undiscovered as I could, and then, before any of them saw me, I called aloud to them in Spanish, â€Å"What are ye, gentlemen? They started up at the noise, but were ten times more confounded when they saw me, and the uncouth figure that I made. They made no answer at all, but I thought I perceived them just going to fly from me, when I spoke to them in English. â€Å"Gentlemen,† said I, â€Å"do not be surprised at me; perhaps you may have a friend near when you did not expect it. † â€Å"He must be sent directly from heaven then,† said one of them very gravely to me, and pulling off his hat at the same time to me; â€Å"for our condition is past the help of man. â€Å"All help is from heaven, sir,† said I, â€Å"but can you put a stranger in the way to help you? for you seem to be in some great distress. I saw you when you landed; and when you seemed to make application to the brutes that came with you, I saw one of them lift up his sword to kill you. † -Robinson catch the right time when most of the seamen were sleeping and go to the prisoners and talk with them and ask them about their condition and asked them how can help them. After that he found out that one of them is the captain of the boat his men have mutinied against him.And the other his mate and a passenger. Chapter:28 Page:230 â€Å"my conditions are but two; first, that while you stay in this island with me, you will not pretend to any authority here; and if I put arms in your hands, you wil l, upon all occasions, give them up to me, and do no prejudice to me or mine upon this island, and in the meantime be governed by my orders; secondly, that if the ship is or may be recovered, you will carry me and my man to England passage free. † -When Robinson agreed to venture upon their deliverance and to recovered the boat . his was his conditions with the captain and the two men and they accepted that and said that they would live and die with him so according to that Robinson gave them arms and pistol and musket so they complete their plan and succeed and kill the two who was the cause of the revolution and control the rest. Chapter:28 Page:239 â€Å"At length they came up to the boat: but it is impossible to express their confusion when they found the boat fast aground in the creek, the tide ebbed out, and their two men gone.We could hear them call one to another in a most lamentable manner, telling one another they were got into an enchanted island; that either there were inhabitants in it, and they should all be murdered, or else there were devils and spirits in it, and they should be all carried away and devoured. † -Robinson ordered Friday and the captain's mate with him to make a trick for the seamen which is to halloo as loud as they could to draw the seamen as far into the island and among the woods as possible. So Robinson can go to the boat and deal with the men inside it.And when they came back to the boat deadly tired they and didn’t find their men. Chapter: 28 Page:240-241 â€Å"In a word, they all laid down their arms and begged their lives; and I sent the man that had parleyed with them, and two more, who bound them all; and then my great army of fifty men, which, with those three, were in all but eight, came up and seized upon them, and upon their boat; only that I kept myself and one more out of sight for reasons of state. † -now each and everyone of the seamen yield to them and they won the battle.Chapter:29 Page:245 â€Å"I was at first ready to sink down with the surprise; for I saw my deliverance, indeed, visibly put into my hands, all things easy, and a large ship just ready to carry me away whither I pleased to go. At first, for some time, I was not able to answer him one word; but as he had taken me in his arms I held fast by him, or I should have fallen to the ground. † -When the captain recover the boat he gave Robinson a boat so he couldn’t express his feelings he was so happy and surprised.And he thought the captain was sent to him from heaven to deliver him. Chapter:29 Page: 246 â€Å"When we had talked a while, the captain told me he had brought me some little refreshment, such as the ship afforded, and such as the wretches that had been so long his masters had not plundered him of. † -Here we notice the love between the captain and Robinson from this quotation we read what the captain bring to Robinson many kind of food and cloth. Robinson was very happ y with it and as he said â€Å"he clothed me from head to feet† Chapter:29 Page:247-248 I could not tell what was best for them, unless they had a mind to take their fate in the island. If they desired that, as I had liberty to leave the island, I had some inclination to give them their lives, if they thought they could shift on shore. † _Robinson let the prisoners choose their fate to stay in the island if they want but the captain doesn’t want to leave them in the island. Chapter:29 Page:248 â€Å"When they had all declared their willingness to stay, I then told them I would let them into the story of my living there, and put them into the way of making it easy to them.Accordingly, I gave them the whole history of the place, and of my coming to it; showed them my fortifications, the way I made my bread, planted my corn, cured my grapes; and, in a word, all that was necessary to make them easy. † -When all the prisoners declared their willingness to stay. Robinson start to tell them about the place history and some ways to make their life easier and give them his firearms and description of the way he managed the goats and how to make both butter and cheese and give them some food which the captain had brought him to eat and bade them be sure to sow and increase them .Chapter:29 Page:250 â€Å"In this vessel, after a long voyage, I arrived in England the 11th of June, in the year 1687, having been thirty-five years absent. † -Robinson left the island The 19th of December in the year 1686 after he had upon it eight and twenty years two months and nineteen and arrived in England the 11th of June in the year 1687.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Earthquakes essays

Earthquakes essays The earth we live on consists of the ocean, and the continents. Below the ocean and continents we have the earths crust, which can very in length for miles. Under the earths crust we encounter small breaks in the earth, which is caused by the slow movement of mantle. With this movement we find the plates of the continent breaking apart and causing earthquakes (Nicholls, Bill 2). The earths mantle roughly extends about 1,798 miles. The density of the mantle changes because of pressure and heat. The further down the mantle is the more pressure and heat we encounter (Nicholls, Bill 1). The worlds lithosphere covers the entire earth (outer shell) and can be broken in many places to form what is called plates. These continental and oceanic plates are constantly moving and they never stop. With the concurrent movement of our lithosphere many mountains, volcanoes, and earthquakes will be created because of these plates (Spall, Henry 1). Oceanic plates can also cause earthquakes. Although it seems odd we encounter earthquakes, under water they still occur. Small narrow ridges within the seafloor are cracking because the crust is in constant motion, and with constant motion the oceanic crust is breaking away. Volcanic eruptions from the earths mantle will eventually fill these cracks and form a replaceable crust (Spall, Henry 1). Below the earths crust we have what is called a magnetic field, which is created by the solid form of basaltic. Basaltic is a magnetized material that has reversed the earths polarity 170 different times within the last 80 million years. With the magnetic field being in occurrence this can aid plate tectonics into an earthquake (Spall, Henry 2). In our world we have what is called major crustal plates we now know that there are seven major crystal plates, subdivided into a number of smaller plates (Spall, Henry 2). The small plates are ab...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Profile in ethical leadership

Profile in ethical leadership Overview of President Bush’s actions George Bush was the most vocal promoter of military acts against Iraq thus spearheading its invasion. His actions prior and during this affront highlight his intentions to engage in war. Subsequently, Bush sought permission to engage in war through congress. Bush coerced states aligned to NATO to join the incursion. Bush lied on several occasions with respect to the actual state of affairs when put to task by regulatory authorities at an internal level (CNN, 2010). Bush misinterpreted preliminary report indicating the likely presence of such weapons. Bush believed he was restoring America’s supremacy. Current issues prior to the War against Iraq Bush initiated the war in order to make a statement about Americas might as a superpower after the radical attacks on 9/11. His desire to prove America’s supremacy was his main undoing. This is because it forced him into a series of erroneous judgments. These strategies eventually le d to the unnecessary invasion of Iraq, which cost the country billions of dollars and lives of industrious service men. The most regrettable aftermath of this occurrence was the death of millions of civilians while others lost their homes (Chauhan, 2003).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Profile in ethical leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is noteworthy that America participated actively in the crusade against terrorism. Moreover, it joined efforts with Israel to fight perpetrators of the heinous act. It is noteworthy that most of these perpetrators hailed from the Arab world. In addition, these attacks have prompted many heads of state to invest in fortification mechanisms for their countries. This is in a bid to minimize threats since such attacks might occur in the future. Consequently, several states established a tribunal to investigate the availability and circulation of illegal weaponry o f mass obliteration. This team had the responsibility of establishing the most probable locations, which could house terrorists (Mahnken, 2007). President Bush, who persuaded America’s allies to join the warfare against Iraq, quickly took up a preliminary report that indicated the likely presence of lethal weapons in Iraq. This depicts poor judgment, since a leader in his position ought to have exercised patience and waited for the conclusion of investigation on the matter. This is prior to adopting conclusive results. In addition, he should have adjusted the military calendar and scrutinized the reports. This is because most of the mentioned sites lacked credible weapons that posed a danger to humanity (Chauhan, 2003). Perceived motivation of President Bush Several reasons influenced President Bush’s decision to authorize the attack on Iraq. He based this action on claims that armaments of mass annihilation and other illegal artillery were present in Iraq. It is notew orthy that such allegations are unsubstantiated to date. Since Saddam opted not to cooperate with the Bush administration, the latter used his authority to overthrow him forcefully and assume control of the nation and its vast resources. Bush further claimed that his Iraqi counterpart exuded dictatorial tendencies. This technique of leadership is different from the democratic system evident in the country and other western nations. Fears of Saddam’s widespread influence among regional states also influenced his resolution to attack Iraq. He propagated his imperialist habits by indicating that he was transferring democracy to suppressed people in the gulf nation.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It goes without question that President Bush was out to restore America’s deflated pride, especially after its vulnerabilities were evident in the radical affro nts carried out within it by terrorist groups. His poor judgment is further evident when he chooses to focus on sentiments, as opposed to the rationale and facts (Middle East Online, 2010). He disregarded the advice of experts, who clearly pointed out the absence of illegal weapons as exemplified in previous intelligence briefs. Impact of his actions on America and its citizens His actions have placed the populace at a precarious position due to increased threat of attack from rebel groups. This is because America’s attack on Iraq provoked these groups; hence, they want to revenge. Additionally, the war caused harm to innocent civilians. Most importantly, the Islam religion often viewed such attacks as a means of revenge. Consequently, their faith allows such actions. After the war, America’s popularity reduced drastically. This is because other groups still believe that it is extremely aggressive; furthermore, it holds little regard for humanity and the rights of othe r persons. Its foreign policy has been subject to ridicule on several occasions. Its enemies successfully portray it as a nation of intolerant and self-seeking persons. Consequently, most of its nationals are subjects of suspicion. This is without assessing the nobility of their intentions (Profita, 2007). However, this is not fair since one cannot judge the entire American society basing on the actions of Bush. Most importantly, these attacks weakened the economies of both nations. It is noteworthy that the latest financial crisis is a resultant attribute of this war. This is because the defense budget increased tremendously, thus affecting other sectors of the economy. This had a negative influence on the economy; furthermore, the unsustainable projects bore fewer returns. This implied that minimal finances were recovered, hence deficits in the American budget. References Chauhan, S. (2003). War on Iraq. New Delhi: S.B NANGIA, A.P.H Publishing Corporation. CNN. (2010). Timeline: M ajor events in Iraq since the start of the war. Retrieved from: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/03/19/timeline.iraq/index.htmlAdvertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Profile in ethical leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Mahnken, T. (2007). War in Iraq: planning and execution. New York, NY: Routledge Publishers. Middle East online. (2010). Blix accuses Bush, Blair of ‘poor judgment’. Retrieved from: https://middle-east-online.com/en Profita, H. (2007). Bush’s Iraq Plan Collapses. CBS News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bushs-iraq-plan-collapses/

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Whats a Liberal Arts College Should You Attend One

What's a Liberal Arts College Should You Attend One SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’ve started researching colleges, you’ve probably seen the term â€Å"liberal arts school† thrown around quite a bit without really understanding what it means. What is a liberal arts college, actually? And how is it different from other sorts of colleges and universities? It’s hard to get a straight answer when it comes to defining a liberal arts college. In this post, I’ll dive a little deeper into defining the liberal arts before explaining what it means to get a liberal arts education. Then, I’ll talk about how these colleges differ from non-liberal arts schools and how that may affect your educational experience. What Are the Liberal Arts? To get a good understanding of the origins of the liberal arts, we have to go all the way back to classical antiquity - think ancient Greece in its prime. Participation in civic life was pretty important to many classical philosophers, who thought that a certain fundamental knowledge should be expected of active free citizens. In ancient times, liberal arts included grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, and even music and astronomy. The â€Å"liberal† in liberal arts has nothing to do with political liberalism, and everything to do with the original Latin roots of the words: artes liberales translates to subjects of the free person. Modern understanding of the liberal arts has, unsurprisingly, changed from that of ancient philosophers’. When we talk about the liberal arts today, we’re referring to a broad range of subjects: literature, languages, history, philosophy, math, and sciences. What liberal arts don’t include are any sort of vocational, technical, or professional studies. What Is a Liberal Arts Education? Now that you’ve gotten a mini-history lesson, we can get into what it means to get a liberal arts education in modern times. Different cultures sometimes have their own unique twists on what it means to offer a liberal arts education. In general, though, a liberal arts education is one that focuses on producing well-rounded individuals. American schools that provide a liberal arts education might aim to produce â€Å"global citizens†: individuals who are well-equipped to participate in an informed, ethical way in the world around them. One could say that the ultimate goal of a liberal arts education is to teach students how to think critically, and to effectively interpret and analyze new information they encounter as they navigate their environments. These programs tend to be flexible in the sense that there’s not only one career path you could feasibly pursue post-graduation. If you attend a liberal arts program, you might say you have a liberal arts degree.Examples of liberal arts degreesinclude languages and literature, biology and life sciences, philosophy, cultural studies, and psychology. What Doesn’t Count as a Liberal Arts Education A liberal arts degreeis not something you would receive in a vocational, technical, or professional program. These sort of programs exist to educate students with the purpose of preparing them for a specific career - that is, there’s a clear professional end goal. As such, these educations are generally more career-oriented. Examples of non-liberal arts educations include law school, medical school, engineering programs, and architecture programs. Architecture may be considered a form of art - it just doesn’t fall under the heading of liberal arts. What Is a Liberal Arts College? Like I alluded to in the introduction, there’s no set or standardized definition of a liberal arts college. In general, though, they are educational institutions that emphasize undergraduate education (as opposed to producing research) and award at least half of their degrees in the liberal arts fields of study (like I described above). Students generally pick one course of study to focus on, while also taking courses in other diverse subjects. Check out our post on top liberal arts colleges for examples. Liberal arts colleges tend to encourage their students to study a wide range of subjects instead of focusing solely on one field of study. The way schools actually do this varies, however - there are a few different paths that liberal arts colleges can take here: Core Curriculums - Core curriculums are set plans of study that include mandatory courses in different subjects that all students must take in order to graduate. An example would be the core curriculum at Purdue’s College of Liberal Arts within Purdue University. Distribution Requirements - Distribution requirements are plans of study that require students to take courses across a range of different subjects, but they don’t dictate exactly which courses a student must take in order to graduate. At Williams College, for example, students have to take courses in three different â€Å"divisions† (in addition to meeting requirements for their major of choice): Languages and the Arts, Social Studies, and Science and Mathematics. Open Curriculums - Open curriculums mean that students don’t have to meet any course requirements - either in the form of specific, mandatory courses or distribution requirements - in order to graduate. They are free to choose any courses available to them as long as they meet the requirements for their choice of major. An example of an open curriculum is the one offered at Amherst College. How Are Liberal Arts Colleges Different From Other Schools? Liberal arts colleges are often compared to research universities, although some schools exist as hybrids - both pushing to be research powerhouses while also striving to offer a liberal arts education. The traditional liberal arts college focuses primarily on undergraduate education, however, which means that professors tend to be hired and retained for their teaching and not necessarily for their research experience. This tends to affect student/professor relationships and overall student learning experiences. For example: Undergraduates may have more access to professors because there’s less of an emphasis on research and graduate programs. The colleges themselves tend to be smaller than research universities, with smaller class sizes and student: faculty ratios. There may be fewer research opportunities available. Access to research projects is one of the major differentiators between liberal arts colleges and other types of schools. To make this a bit easier to understand, here’s a chart with the typical characteristics of a traditional liberal arts college vs. a traditional research university: Liberal Arts Colleges vs. Research Universities Liberal Arts Colleges Research Universities Degree Program Offerings More limited, but sometimes unique, degree programs Wide selection of degree programs Pre-Professional Options Few (if any) pre-professional offerings More pre-professional degree offerings Research vs. Teaching Professors are generally focused on teaching over research Professors are generally focused on research and graduate students over teaching undergraduates Class Size Smaller average class size Larger average class size Research Opportunities Fewer research opportunities and less exposure to research More research opportunities and exposure to research Public vs. Private Usually private May be public or private Lectures vs. Seminars Many small seminar offerings More lectures, fewer small seminars Mentorship Career Opportunities Easier to form relationships with profs and peers for career professional connections More difficult to form relationships with profs, but more career fairs and recruiting events The issue with the above chart is that many of the top private research universities also pride themselves on providing liberal arts educations for undergraduates - there isn’t a clear delineation, then, between a liberal arts college and a research university in these circumstances. Top research universities may, for example: Have core curriculums, distribution requirements, or even open curriculums that are very similar to the ones you’d see at a traditional liberal arts college (Brown has a famously open curriculum, for example). Offer few (if any) pre-professional degree programs. You won’t find many business or finance degree programs, for example, at many of these liberal arts-minded research universities. Strive to offer smaller seminar-style courses to encourage student participation and class discussion. See Harvard’s freshman seminar program as an example. We can see, then, that there are really three options here when discussing this spectrum of school types: we have liberal arts colleges and research universities, but there are also hybrid options that tend to be pretty prestigious and highly-ranked. It’s important to keep these in mind when researching colleges, but remember that these hybrid options are often top-tier and shouldn’t be considered safe bets if you’re submitting applications. What Sort of School Is the Right Fit for You? If you’re leaning towards the liberal arts in general (or are even still making up your mind, but don’t know what type of college would be the best fit), these next considerations should help you figure it out. Career Goals Do you know exactly what you want to do after you graduate? Many students don’t know exactly what they want to do professionally when they’re just applying to college. If you’re not sure, it’s not just ok - it’s normal. Liberal arts educations (either at liberal arts colleges or hybrid schools) really encourage students to explore and develop their interests. If this sounds appealing, a liberal arts education will probably be a good fit. A liberal arts education is also a good option if you want a flexible degree that won’t necessarily hinder a variety of job prospects across fields/disciplines. Amherst College doesn’t have official pre-med or business majors, for example, but it still sends quite a few students to graduate programs in those fields. Alternatively, if you know specifically what you’d like to do and know that you need a pre-professional degree to pursue your career of choice, a liberal arts degree may not be the most efficient way to meet your goals. Engineering is a prime example - if you get a non-engineering degree (liberal arts or otherwise), you’d need to double-back to get the specialized education you need before advancing professionally. You also don’t need to attend a liberal arts college or hybrid university to get a flexible degree - many traditional research universities offer degree programs that aren’t necessarily pre-professional (like English, Economics, or Romance Languages). In sum: your career goals can inform whether you want to go the liberal arts route or not, but they don’t necessarily make a liberal arts college better or worse than other school options. Are you sure where you’re headed, or are you still figuring things out? Research Experience Is it important that you get research experience as an undergraduate? If you plan on pursuing a graduate degree in a research-heavy or competitive field (e.g. if you want to go to medical school or get a PhD), it’s important to get good research experience as an undergraduate. It’s easiest to do this at a research university. Some traditional liberal arts colleges offer these opportunities, but you’ll want to scope relevant departments before committing to a liberal arts college. For example, let’s look at Williams College (a top liberal arts college) versus Johns Hopkins University (a top research university that offers a liberal arts education to undergrads): Johns Hopkins University received 939 grant awards in 2014, making it the country’s most funded university by the NIH Williams didn’t make the list of the top 50 most-funded schools Put simply, more grant money = more research opportunities. Research universities tend to get more funding because they invest a lot of resources into producing research. Target Major Are you looking for something more general (e.g. English, Romance Languages, History) or something pretty specific (e.g. Cognitive Science, Integrative Biology, Slavic Languages Literature)? Liberal arts colleges tend to offer fewer and more general majors because they’re just smaller schools. Sometimes, though, they offer some unique and even niche options. For example, Amherst offers general options like American Studies, Economics, and English, but they also offer a unique major called Law, Jurisprudence, and Thought. In total Amherst only offers 28 majors, whereas Arizona State University offers over 300 options. Are you okay with not having a super specialized major (unless you’re into one of a college’s niche options)? You’d do alright at a liberal arts college. Do you want more variety and/or more opportunity for specialization? A traditional research university or a hybrid university may suit you better. Environment Educational Experience This is perhaps the most important consideration. Would you like the hustle and bustle of a big university, with big lectures taught by big-name professors? Or would you prefer something more intimate, with smaller seminars taught by professors who are dedicated to teaching? What really matters is what you are most comfortable with. The only way to really figure this out is to visit a few schools. To give you some examples, most of the top liberal arts colleges are relatively small, whereas the top research universities (hybrid or otherwise) are much bigger: Liberal Arts Colleges: Williams = 2,045 undergrads, Amherst = 1,792, Swarthmore = 1,542, Bowdoin = 1,805 Hybrid Colleges: Harvard = 6,694 undergrads, Princeton = 5,391, Yale = 5,447 Public Research Universities: UCLA = 43,000 undergrads, Texas AM = 49,000 If you want something small and intimate, you would likely be happier at a liberal arts college. If you want something bigger and busier, public universities may be best. If you want something in-between - a bigger campus but with opportunities for smaller classes - you might look into some of those hybrid options. Now would be a good time to think about whether you’re cool with crowds. What’s Next? Need more guidance when it comes to picking the school that’s best for you? We’ve got you covered. Read about whether it even matters where you go to college and how to get into your top-choice college. Set on a liberal arts school? Check out the top-ranked liberal arts colleges. One of the next questions you may have might rise out of a more practical concern - you know how your experience may differ at a private liberal arts college when compared to other types of schools, but should you expect any difference in cost? Learn more about different college expenses. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Education marginalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Education marginalization - Essay Example In the Rich era, women marginalization was extremely persistent such that people saw women education as not only a sin but also a sin. In her essay, Rich gives us a picture of how women got marginalized in her time as a student and a teacher. She argues that different genders do not get the same education because out of the classroom women get not perceived as independent beings but as prey lacks the capacity to think autonomously and to take intellectual possibilities. She further says that women lack the opportunity to assert them mentally stands inseparable from their physical way of existing in the world, lacking feelings of personal integrity (Langdell 54). I can see where she comes from talking about women teachers and students not getting equal treatment, as opposed to men counterparts. I honestly do not think it is not that pathetic anymore. It was perhaps much worse then unlike now, and I actually do not see much discrimination in classrooms as she must have seen. One thing I do concur with her is the issue of rape and female verbal abuse. It is quite correct that most times women can not even walk down a street or walk in a group of males without having something uttered to them. A report titled â€Å"Reaching the Marginalized† got launched in a prolific event at the UN Head Quarters in New York. In the report, it was evident that 72 million children still remained out of school in 2010 despite education getting cherished as a fundamental human right within the UN affirmation of Human Right ever since its initiation. UN tries to make all possible exertions to accomplish achieving non marginalized education as part of Millennium Development Goals. It should make an effort on enhanced funding to encounter the development financing gap. Donors should also be asked to deliver their pledges. Other than women, there stand many groups that get marginalized in the education system depending on their place of education. Marginalization may be practiced by teachers against students or students against fellow students. This marginalization gets based on racial, disability, educational dullness, origin, age, among many other factors. For instance, there exist scho ol where by a teacher will fail a student mainly because is of a certain race or family. Some students will turn down others in their academic group discussions on the basis that they are dull or non productive in the group, hence leaving the poor student marginalized (Langdell 39). The mentally ill students also significantly get marginalized in the educational systems of many societies. Considering that not all people have the average intelligence quotient, it is particularly devastating and inhuman to marginalize certain student or group of student on the basis of intelligence. Children suffering with autism often get this form of marginalization from their fellow students or even worse, from their teachers (Langdell 207). To make the matter worse, these students get marginalization from the least expected persons like family members and even

Company Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 8

Company Law - Essay Example Scholars denote that because a business organization is incorporated, then the assets of these people are protected from seizures by creditors of the company. That is, the owners of the business under consideration are not liable for the liabilities of the company2. It is also easy for the owners of the company to raise capital through the stock market; it is simple to transfer the ownership of this company to another individual, the tax charged on a company is lower as compared to a personal income, and finally, a company that is incorporated is able to achieve a lenient tax restriction, on losses that are carried forward. The Company’s Act of 2006 provides for the issuance of an article of incorporation once a company is incorporated. This article of incorporation is responsible for identifying the main purpose of the company, the location of the company, the number of shares issued by the company, etc. This article of incorporation will also contain the specific date of the company’s registration, and the fees paid for the incorporation. It is important to understand that majority of companies are created for the main purpose of doing business. This is an aspect that the British parliament wants to encourage, and this is because the existence of many companies in Britain will lead to an improvement in the economy of the country, and creation of jobs. However, it is important to understand that doing business is a risky affair, and a business organization might fail, or it may acquire some profits3. This acquisition of profits is the major incentive that makes people to engage in a business initiative. It is important to understand that the common law principle denotes that an individual who provides capital for a business operation, and is responsible for sharing the profits that the business makes, is also liable for any debts that the business under

Friday, October 18, 2019

In different ways Beckett and Heaney are both concerned with the Essay

In different ways Beckett and Heaney are both concerned with the limits of communication in their works. Discuss, with reference to Becketts Waiting for Godo - Essay Example On the other hand, there are those who consider the play to be confusing, lacking the ability to communicate with the viewers and without any deeper meaning than is presented prima facie. However, as a tragicomedy, it can be seen to communicate elements of both tragedies and comedies (Beckett, 1952). The hint in the subtitle communicates to the viewers that they should seek out tragic meanings in the comic parts and leads the audience to pay greater attention towards situational humor in the tragic parts of the play. The combination of tragedy and comedy is perhaps the greatest genius of this play and the way it communicates meaning to the audience. Considering the elements of a tragedy we can observe ideas like the death of a hero, an error in judgment made by a character, a character who suffers greatly, a separation from friends and a complete loss of hope. A comedy could give us images like the endurance of a hero, the joy of success, pleasure at reunion and the hero coming over great odds to win a wonderful victory. Clearly, all these elements are present in the play and are worked into situations and conversations between the characters with great skill (Beckett, 1952). However, Beckett does show that the communication of a message is not an easy task since the play is often quite mixed in the message it gives to the audience. For instance, while the heroes are planning to hang themselves, they are also able to think about getting an erection. Not only are they able to think about it, but Estragon is actually quite excited about the hanging since it could lead to an erection. Another element of a comedy comes in as ‘hope’ where they decide to continue waiting for Godot before going further with the idea of hanging themselves (Beckett, 1952). What the audience gets as a communication from Beckett is that the seeking of death to end misery is a perfect element of a

Essay style Why has the European Union been particularly active in its

Style Why has the European Union been particularly active in its employment anti-discrimination measures Set out the ma - Essay Example The diverse nature of conflicts within the European requires some form of moderation in order to achieve a level playing ground that can effectively lead towards the attainment of the shared goals (Salama & Council of Europe 2011, p. 121). The EU membership comprises of countries that speak different languages, which imply different cultures and worldviews. Some of the countries have had some historical challenges that could threaten the harmonious coexistence within the Union. Concerns over the possible dominance of some countries over others and presumed imbalances in various aspects of life such as business, global influence, and resources have fueled concerns of prejudice, preferential treatment, and discrimination within the union. It is because of this that the EU endeavors to enhance its operations in ways that foster unity and balance among member countries. Discrimination is largely a factor of competitive advantage (European Commission, 2008, p. 65). Discrimination is most likely to occur in conditions where many nationalities come together towards the attainment of certain objectives. Internal competitions and power struggles will tend to surface in ways that make it problematic for countries to articulate their concerns more effectively. The constituent members within the Union seek the attainment of certain political goals, social goals, and economic goals. The reality of discrimination places a direct hurdle towards the attainment of these goals. Tendencies of cultural supremacy and fears of cultural inferiority have, in the past, slowed down the integration of the EU members. Some countries have expressed reservations that the current operational climate is skewed in favor of particular countries (Corry, 1996). Internal differences between Anglophone members of the EU and other countries have led to fears of discrimination, which are because some countries are likely to benefit from undue advantage over others. It is for this reason that the EU s ought to draft specific legislations that provide sufficient safeguards against the possibility of lapsing into acts of discrimination based on language, culture, or country of origin (Fella & Ruzza, 2012, p. 40). These specific safeguards are meant to assure the member countries of fairness in the treatment of their citizens and countries in terms of certain benefits that relate to the specific issues that connect with the mutual interests that connect with the union. Discrimination usually imposes structural and systematic obstacles to the victims (Kahn, 2008). It curves out a system that provides privileges to some people or groups while subjecting others under unfair treatments. On this score, the EU sought to prevent the possibility of discrimination, as a way of encouraging the full participation and impartial treatment of its member countries and the citizens of the same countries as they moved about within the region covered geographically by the union (Falkner, Treib, & Hol zleithner, 2008). Efforts to determine the real extent of EU’s power should be understood from the fact that the union embodies certain qualities and virtues that must be upheld for the sake of its sustenance. The realization of the projected ends of the union depends significantly on the manner in which the unions operate and the balance of power and relations between them. The handling of matters of discriminati

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Lab report (exercise physiology unit) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

(exercise physiology unit) - Lab Report Example determine Heart Rate training zones, recovery and much more.   Lactate is a metabolic product that can be measured by taking a drop of blood at a finger tip the same way diabetics monitor their blood sugar level.   The blood lactate level increases with exercise intensity and shows clearly the transition from aerobic to anaerobic activity.   Since the measurement is completely individual it gives a precise method for testing and monitoring training intensity and recovery.   (FaCT Canada Consulting Ltd, n.d.) Two body fat tests were performed on a 22-year old male named Dave. Firstly, skinfold measurement was done. In this case two methods were employed namely, Jackson and Pollack Method (1978) and Durnin and Wormersely Method (1974). Secondly, Dave underwent a Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). The table below shows the data gathered from the two body composition tests. Using the formula to calculate the percent body fat for Jackson and Pollack Method and using the table provided for Durnin and Wormersely Method the percent body fats are 5.6 and ~12.9 respectively. The percent body fat calculated showed a discrepancy thus using skinfold method measurements is not a valid predictor of percent body fat; however they can be used as a monitoring device to indicate changes in body composition over time. Dave’s Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) provided a percent body fat of 16%. According to the table above Dave fall under the description of ‘Fitness’ thus we can say that his percent body fat is appropriate and acceptable for his age. The table above shows a part of the blood lactate test results of Dave. We can observe the significant increase of heat rate as the time of exercise progressed. Blood lactate concentration, and changes in it, result from the balance between adding lactic acid to the blood, and the clearance of lactate from the blood by muscle and the heart for metabolic purposes. At rest and low exercise intensities, lactic acid’s

Investigation of the conventions of behavior that governed aristocrats Essay - 1

Investigation of the conventions of behavior that governed aristocrats at a symposium and those of marginals as well as the conventions of thought that characte - Essay Example This is a thesis proposal that seeks to investigate whether such norms were really prevailing or not among those considered within the paper’s scope, the last being small and limited. The cynics of ancient Greece traced back their roots to Socrates though one of his pupils, Antisthenes (Hock, Undated). Nevertheless, it is confirmed that the actual propounder of this school of philosophy is one Diogenes of Sinope (404-323 B.C.) (Hock, Undated). From Diogenes Laertius it is known that Diogenes fled to Athens when his father, a banker, started adulterating money. There he met with Antisthenes and inducted some of the philosophical thought his teacher was heir to from Socrates. Thereafter he started leading what the cynics construe as a truly virtuous life – doubling up his cloak, carrying a begging bag for his food and eating and conversing wherever he could (Hock, Undated). He believed that ‘the minimum is the optimum’ – the cynic philosophy put in a nutshell (Hock, Undated). This may be taken as a very brief introduction to cynicism and a lengthier version of the background to cynicism will become available later in the paper. Hereafter the paper shall contrive to use some incidents or anecdotes, called chreiai in Greek, from Diogenes’ own life and some from his close disciple Crates (358-290 B.C.) (Hock, Undated) to bring out the essence of this thesis proposal. It shall also use some supplementary texts to do this. The essence of cynicism is that the minimum of life is the optimum to live with (Hock, Undated). The extent to which the initiators – Diogenes and his students such as Crates – involved their personal lives with this minimalist philosophical precept is evidenced from their rigorously frugal life-styles. Diogenes even forsook the perusal of his drinking cup, which he took out of his begging bag and threw away, when he saw a boy drinking water with his bare hands

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Lab report (exercise physiology unit) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

(exercise physiology unit) - Lab Report Example determine Heart Rate training zones, recovery and much more.   Lactate is a metabolic product that can be measured by taking a drop of blood at a finger tip the same way diabetics monitor their blood sugar level.   The blood lactate level increases with exercise intensity and shows clearly the transition from aerobic to anaerobic activity.   Since the measurement is completely individual it gives a precise method for testing and monitoring training intensity and recovery.   (FaCT Canada Consulting Ltd, n.d.) Two body fat tests were performed on a 22-year old male named Dave. Firstly, skinfold measurement was done. In this case two methods were employed namely, Jackson and Pollack Method (1978) and Durnin and Wormersely Method (1974). Secondly, Dave underwent a Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). The table below shows the data gathered from the two body composition tests. Using the formula to calculate the percent body fat for Jackson and Pollack Method and using the table provided for Durnin and Wormersely Method the percent body fats are 5.6 and ~12.9 respectively. The percent body fat calculated showed a discrepancy thus using skinfold method measurements is not a valid predictor of percent body fat; however they can be used as a monitoring device to indicate changes in body composition over time. Dave’s Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) provided a percent body fat of 16%. According to the table above Dave fall under the description of ‘Fitness’ thus we can say that his percent body fat is appropriate and acceptable for his age. The table above shows a part of the blood lactate test results of Dave. We can observe the significant increase of heat rate as the time of exercise progressed. Blood lactate concentration, and changes in it, result from the balance between adding lactic acid to the blood, and the clearance of lactate from the blood by muscle and the heart for metabolic purposes. At rest and low exercise intensities, lactic acid’s

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Gender focus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gender focus - Essay Example The society has induced different expectation and opportunities to men. Women are less happy today than they were in 1970s and the ‘change brought about through the women’s’ movement may have decreased women’s happiness’ (Stevenson and Wolfers, 2007). In the article ‘Between the Sexes’ Ama Quindlen tried to advocate that women should be welcomed into a variety of positions and roles that presumably reserved for men. She held that the divide created by men is not because of big differences but because very small and minor differences. Men are required to take some specific roles different from those that the women take. In our society today men are left with little choice on how to spend their lives. Men are expected to stick to their careers for the sake of the family. Society justifies that women on the other hand can drop out of the labor market to be house makers or in other terms housewives. On the same note women can decide to stay at home and rely on the glory of their husbands but men don’t have such opportunity, the criticism they will receive from the society will be outrageous. Men have also acquired great opportunities in the work place demoralizing women. Disciplines such as engineering and science have been male dominated. Women can also do and perform a better on these arenas, but because of the discriminating set the have less opportunities. The divisions between the sexes start in early ages of the children. In the article’ between the sexes ‘categorization starts as â€Å"him and her† and so on. There is still a â€Å"glass ceiling† between men and women. Young boys and girls can’t dance easily on each other’s arms without any development of feeling uneasy. Women still struggle as artists as depicted by ‘Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions’ by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Today in the music and movie industry women who are depicted as nu de are regarded as more attractive by the marketers. But men won’t appear nude in music videos or movies. Articles written by men are most in any form of literature. It is not that women are less artistic than men but because of the discrimination that exist between the sexes. The way men look at women is also discriminating they view women as sex objects. Most pornographic material is viewed by men. Society by these acts of representing suggestive photos of nude women depicts that women are there to sexually satisfy men. The freedom of expression in women is so limited as compared to men. Taking a look at the family setup the husband is expected to have the last say whether he is wrong or not. Women who are now engaging in writing, weather in artistic or academic are concentrating so much on the issue of feminism. This can be attributed to the fact that they are trying to express themselves in as other avenues are not justly open for them. Good governance is good governance irrespective of the gender, men have more chance in matters pertaining governance as compared to women. The opportunities of leadership in men are evident from matters of corporate scenario to state leadership. Anybody can attest that most presidents in the state are men. It is to the least expectation of the society that women that women can be good leaders. The prevailing of outdated stereotype about the different opportunities and roles about male and women can be attributed to this phenomenon. Men are expected to rise in terms of hierarchy, to gain status. Women don’t need to rise to gain status the glory of their husband is enough. A first lady is the wife to the president of a state but ‘first gentleman’ is non-existence. This fact makes men to fight for leadership and governance position. Though the issue of femi

Monday, October 14, 2019

Challange Faced by University Students Essay Example for Free

Challange Faced by University Students Essay Education is the most important aspect of learning for every generation established in every mode. In university there are different field of studies with different years of each program. It is obvious that new students are going to face further challenges in university. In this case, these challenges could be the burden which can pull them out of the school without completing their studies. This essay will discuss these challenges in condition of financial, social, and academic. To begin with, financial problems are a major challenge for university students includes tuition fee, rent expenses, and text books. Tuition fee is the most common challenge for these students. Though, for some they only take one or two units per semester because of financial problems. The high costs of fee causes many problems for those who are not sponsored. Besides, fee expenses for each semester cost of thousands of dollars. So, tuition fee is a great burden for the unsponsored students. Furthermore, text books are the most essential property students must have in university. First year students also suffered in buying text books regarding to financial problem. Those who are not sponsored are suffered the most on the high cost of these books. Another challenge is that some of them have not enough money in a pocket. But in this case, such challenges can create lot of troubles in their minds throughout their time in the university. Moreover, rent is also a challenge for these students. These students might live in different hostels where some are cheap but isolated from the campus, and some are nearby the campus but expensive. It is better to live nearby the campus for new students to avoid troubles. However, they have problem with monthly rent where it is expensive but must be cleared. Another reason is based on a small amount of their allowance which cannot meet their expenses on rent and others. However, these financial challenges make them concern the most. Another major [continues]. Read full essay

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Measuring Happiness Levels in Mumbai: Methodology

Measuring Happiness Levels in Mumbai: Methodology Methodology Happiness has been defined either as a broad notion of how one feels about their life in general or as an emotional or affective state. Depending on the way researchers define the concept, there have been variable attempts at measurement. With decades of research, we have a better understanding of how to measure the happiness of others. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods appears to be most productive. (Helm, 2000) This chapter illustrates the methodology followed, tools used and ethical guidelines followed during the study. The following are the research objectives of the study. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES To determine the level of happiness among the residents of Mumbai To assess the mental healthcare facilities in the city To find out If there is any correlation between mental health and happiness among the residents of Mumbai On the basis of these research objectives, the following methodology was formulated. Quantitative measurement of happiness Over the past two decades there have been an increasing number of quantitative studies of happiness and well-being. In particular, there have been ongoing debates on whether happiness can be measured, whether it should be measured, how it should be measured and what are the factors affecting it (Ballas Tranmer, 2012).Psychologists and sociologists have used subjective questions regarding individuals’ happiness for over three decades. Cantril (1965) developed a question for life satisfaction. Similar question modules include the Likert (1932)-scale and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). See also Bradburn (1969). The answer to these subjective questions has been indiscriminately termed ‘happiness’, ‘general satisfaction’ and ‘subjective well-being’. In the GSOEP the satisfaction question is: Please answer by using the following scale in which 0 means totally  unhappy, and 10 means totally happy. How happy are you at present with your life as a whole? Here, we call the response to this question the General Satisfaction (GS) level of the respondent. In this case, there are 11 numerical categories, but the question has also been posed with 7 or 5 categories or with verbal labels, such as ‘very happy/happy/so-so/somewhat unhappy/very unhappy’. The end result is invariably an ordered categorical evaluation of the quality of life of the individual.(Ferrer-i-Carbonell Frijters, 2004).The survey context, such as question order, introductory text and the survey source, can influence respondents’ understanding of individual questions within a survey, as well as the information that they draw on in order to answer those questions. In quantitative measurement, we measure the overall subjective well begin by quantifying certain constructs and concepts given below. Measurement of subjective well being Eudemonic questions like show happy are you with your life and how satisfied are you with your life have been asked to be rated on a cantril ladder. Subjective wellbeing is a broad category of phenomena that includes people’s emotional responses, domain satisfactions and global judgements of life satisfaction. Each of the specific constructs need to be understood in their own right ,yet the components often correlate substantially suggesting the need for the higher order factor.(Diener, Suh, Lucas, Smith, 2013). Quality of life is a broad term covering those aspects of overall well-being that are not captured only by material conditions(OECD Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Well-being, 2013). 12 different constructs were identified and worked upon to generate questions. The constructs namely are: education, employment, family, gender, health/lifestyle, personality/self-efficacy, relationships, work-life balance, communal living housing/income. Employment status – employment status is known to have a large influence on subjective  Well-being, with unemployment in particular associated with a strong negative impact on  measures of life satisfaction.(OECD Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Well-being, 2013). Hence 9 questions have been formulated on employment. Both physical and mental health are correlated with measures of subjective well-being (Dolan, Peasgood and White, 2008), and there is evidence that changes in disability status cause changes in life satisfaction (Lucas, 2007). Although health status is complex to measure in household surveys, there is a large pool of well-developed measures available, such as the health state descriptions from the World Health Survey (WHO, 2012), or more specialised question modules, such as the GHQ-12 for mental health (Goldberg et al., 1978). Environmental quality is inherently a geographic phenomenon, and integrating datasets on environmental quality with household level data on life satisfaction is costly. Nonetheless, there is some evidence that noise pollution (Weinhold, 2008) and air pollution (Dolan, Peasgood and White, 2008) have a significant negative impact on life satisfaction(OECD Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Well-being, 2013). Hence by merging both, 14 questions have been formulated beneath the heading Health/Lifestyle. There is significant evidence that aspects of work/life balance impact on subjective well-being, in particular commuting (Frey and Stutzer, 2008; Kahneman and Kruger, 2006), and time spent caring for others(OECD Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Well-being, 2013). To gauge its effect, 4 questions have been formulated on it. Education and skills have obvious interest both as variables for cross-classification and because there is good evidence that education is associated with subjective well-being at a bivariate level(OECD Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Well-being, 2013). To understand the effect and views of the respondent on education, 7 questions have been formulated. Generalised trust in others as well as more domain specific measures of neighbourhood and workplace trust are crucial factors when accounting for variation in subjective well-being(OECD Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Well-being, 2013).Social contact is one of the most important drivers of subjective well-being, as it has a large impact both on life evaluations and on affect(OECD Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Well-being, 2013). 5 questions have been formulated under communal living. One of the most consistent and robust findings in the field of subjective well-being (SWB) is that the components of SWB are moderately related to personality. Like personality traits, SWB is consistent across situations and is stable across the life span, even after the occurrence of intervening life events(Diener Lucas, 1999). 7 questions have been formulated on personality. Subjective sexual well-being refers to the perceived quality of an individual’s sexuality, sexual life, and sexual relationships. We focus primarily on evaluations of sexuality in terms of satisfaction judgments, which have been central for studying the concept of overall wellbeing(Laumann et al., 2006). Some of these questions have been asked under relationships (4). The relationship and effect of familial relations, housing and income has also been captured by asking 8 questions on it. Satisfaction with life scale The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was originally developed by Diener, Emmons, Larsen and Griffin (1985), and was intended as a brief assessment of an individual’s general sense of satisfaction with their life as a whole. Although the SWLS includes only five items, it has demonstrated good psychometric characteristics.(Pavot Diener, 2008) The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larsen, Griffin,  1985) is a widely used measure of life satisfaction. The SWLS consists of five items  which are rated on a seven-point Likert-type response scale? Scores on the SWLS vary  from 5 to 35 and can be compared with the scores of an international norm group (see  Pavot Diener, 2008). According to Pavot and Diener (2008), various studies confirmed  the internal consistency of the SWLS (with alpha coefficients varying from .79  to .89) (Rothmann, 2013) The authors began the development of the SWLS by generating a pool of 48 items intended to reflect life satisfaction and well-being. From this original pool of items, factor analysis was used to identify 10 items with high loadings (0.60 or above) on a common factor interpreted as global evaluations of a person’s life. After the elimination of redundancies, this group of items was then further reduced to five items, with minimal effect on the alpha reliability of the scale. A 7-point Likert style response scale (ranging from 1 ¼strongly disagree to 7 ¼strongly agree) was utilized in order to afford respondents an array of response options. The five items are all keyed in a positive direction, so the five responses can simply be added to arrive at a total score for the scale. The possible range of scores is therefore 5 to 35, with a score of 20 representing the neutral point on the scale. Scores between 5 and 9 indicate that the respondent is extremely dissatisfied with lif e, whereas scores ranging between 31 and 35 indicate that the respondent is extremely satisfied with life. Scores between 21 and 25 represent slightly satisfied, and scores from 15 to 19 are interpreted as falling in the slightly dissatisfied range(Pavot Diener, 2008). Quality of life has become a primary concern in the evaluation of both the quality and outcome of health care (Moons, Budts, De Geest, 2006). In a review of different conceptual approaches of quality of life, Moons et al. (2006) found life satisfaction to be the most adequate and appropriate conceptualization, as it successfully addresses all of the conceptual problems they examined with regard to health-related quality of life.(Pavot Diener, 2008). In most ways my life is close to my ideal 1. Strongly disagree. 2. Disagree. 3. Slightly agree. 4. Neither agrees nor disagrees. 5. Slightly agree. 6. Agree. 7. Strongly agree. The conditions of my life are excellent 1. Strongly disagree. 2. Disagree. 3. Slightly agree. 4. Neither agrees nor disagrees. 5. Slightly agree. 6. Agree. 7. Strongly agree. I am satisfied with my life. 1. Strongly disagree. 2. Disagree. 3. Slightly agree. 4. Neither agrees nor disagrees. 5. Slightly agree. 6. Agree. 7. Strongly agree. So far I have gotten the important things I want in life. 1. Strongly disagree. 2. Disagree. 3. Slightly agree. 4. Neither agrees nor disagrees. 5. Slightly agree. 6. Agree. 7. Strongly agree. If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing. 1. Strongly disagree. 2. Disagree. 3. Slightly agree. 4. Neither agrees nor disagrees. 5. Slightly agree. 6. Agree. 7. Strongly agree. Rating scale There are multiple scales, questionnaires and inventories of happiness. The following tools are mere examples: the Oxford Happiness Inventory, the Depression-Happiness Scale and the Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale Of Happiness. These scales and other contain multiple items, most frequently from 10-130 items. A plethora of studies on happiness have used single item self-rating scales with different options , mainly the Likert scale which offers 5 or 7 choice point.(Abdel-Khalek, 2006). Much quantitative research within psychology relies upon the use of numerical scales and in the main Likert scales have emerged as the dominant measurement tool(Ogden Lo, 2012). Although providing respondents with a rating scale may seem straightforward, there  are many ways in which response formats can vary. There may be differences in the response formats that may be optimal for evaluative, eudemonic and affective measures. Evaluative and eudemonic measures are similar to attitude measures in that it may be preferable for the response format to contain information about both the direction of feeling (positive/neutral/negative or agree/disagree), as well as its intensity (strong-weak). In the case of affect measures, it is often desirable to measure positive and negative affective states separately. Thus, rather than asking about the direction (positive-neutral-negative) of affect, respondents are often given a single adjective (e.g. happy) and asked to describe either the intensity or the frequency with which they felt  that way within a given time period. This may in turn have implications for the optimal  number of response options, as well as response scale labelling and anchoring. There is, however, considerable debate around the optimal number of response  categories – and a very wide range of opinions is available in the literature (Weng, 2004,  for a brief summary). This number will depend on respondents’ information-processing  capacities and preferences, survey mode, scale labelling, and, to some extent, presentational  concerns and questionnaire length. Increasing the number of response categories beyond  the optimal length could result in loss of information, increased error and decreased  reliability, because the individual scale points will mean less to respondents. The increased  response burden associated with longer scales may also lead respondents to become less  motivated to optimise and more likely to satisfice in their answers, thus also increasing the  risk of response biases and error Bradburn et al. (2004) argue that, due to the burden on memory and attention, five categories is the maximum number that a respondent can process in a verbal interview setting (telephone or face-to-face) without visual prompts. Furthermore, when the response categories are qualitatively different from one another (rather than being imagined on a sliding scale), these authors suggest that four categories should be the upper maximum. On the other hand, Alwin and Krosnick (1991) indicate that respondents may prefer to have response options denoting weak, moderate and strong negative and positive evaluations (i.e. a 7-point scale) in part because these are the categories that people often use to describe attitudes and opinions in everyday life. For evaluative measures with numerical response scales, longer scales (up to around  11 scale points) often appear to perform better. Using a multi-trait-multi-method  design, Alwin found that across all 17 domains of life satisfaction measured, the 11-point scales had higher reliabilities than the 7-point scales. In 14 out of 17 cases, the 11-point scales also had higher validity coefficients; and in 12 of 17 cases, 11-point scales had lower invalidity coefficients, indicating they were affected less, rather than more, by method variance – I.e. systematic response biases or styles. This overall finding is supported by Saris et al. (1998) who used a similar multi-trait-multi-method analysis to compare 100-point, 4 or 5-point and 10-point satisfaction measures, and found that the 10-point scale demonstrated the best reliability. For affect measures, one might be interested in measuring either the intensity of feeling  or the frequency with which that feeling occurred. Measures of recently-experienced affect  are less like attitude measures, in that one is effectively asking respondents to remember a  specific experience or to sum experiences over a specific time period. The method adopted for this study due to paucity of time and level of research expected from us at master’s level is using a 7 point scale for affect measures and using cantril ladder for eudemonic measures. The 7 point scale ranged from strongly disagrees to strongly agree. Background characteristics Questions on the respondent’s background characteristics were collected in the beginning of the questionnaire. Information such as the following was collected. Age Gender Marital status Religion Education Work status Family income Number of years residing in Mumbai Native state Number of family members Number of earning members in family No of rooms in house Ownership of house Qualitative measurement of happiness One open ended question was asked in the beginning of the questionnaire i.e. what does happiness means to you? The aim was to explore what people equate happiness with and how does it affect their overall living. The use of qualitative assessment methods, such as open- ended questions, provides information about the participants’ perceptions, views and beliefs in their own terms, in contrast to using outside researchers’ definitions and categories, which is typical of quantitative inquiries (Denzin and Lincoln 2000). Qualitative data show an additional crucial feature: it is possible to convert them into quantitative scales for purposes of statistical analyses(Fave, Brdar, Freire, Vella-Brodrick, Wissing, 2010). The entire questionnaire was formulated in the following way Data collection sampling Some surveys with the household as the unit of measure rely on a single respondent (such  as the head of household) to provide responses for the household as a whole. This cannot be  used for measures of subjective well-being, since the cognitive process of evaluating and  responding with respect to one’s own subjective well-being is very different to that of providing an estimate of another householder’s state of mind. Responses to questions on subjective wellbeing are inherently personal, and consequently the unit of measure for subjective well-being must be the individual. While this will typically not be an issue for surveys where the individual is the primary unit of analysis(OECD Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Well-being, 2013). The two modes most commonly used to collect information on subjective well-being are Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI), conducted by an interview over the telephone, and Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI), where the interviewer is personally present when recording the data.(OECD Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Well-being, 2013) Due to paucity of time, the mode was data collection was paper and pen method. The respondents were allowed to take the questionnaire home for a day and could be collected later based on their discretion. The sampling universe was people who had lived in Mumbai for more than 5 years and was targeted at literate working population. The sampling method chose was convenience sampling and the sample size is 200. Confidentiality and ethics Initially the respondents were informed about the purpose of the study and the collector’s identity and her affiliation to the institute. The confidentiality of the participants was not disclosed at any point during the course of the research. Furthermore, the respondents were assured that their responses would be used for academic purposes only.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Struggle Between Good and Evil in William Goldings Lord of the Flies E

The Struggle Between Good and Evil in William Golding's Lord of the Flies   Ã‚  Ã‚   Evil is not an external force controlled by the devil, but rather the potential for evil resides within each person. Man has the potential to exhibit great kindness or to rape and pillage. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding deals with this evil that exists in the heart of man. With his mastery of such literary tool as structure, syntax, diction, point of view and presentation of character, Golding allows the reader to easily identify with each character and explore the novel's main theme, the constant internal struggle between the forces of good and evil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Golding's novel has a "remarkably complete and solid structure"(Kinkead-Weekes 15). With the exception of Ralf's dream, Golding' novel follows chronological order. It begins with the boys' arrival on the island. Through the chapters one to four, the tension rises between Jack and Ralf, the two leaders. The crisis is reached in chapter five, "Beast from Water", when Simon comes face to face with the personification of evil, the Lord of the Flies. The tension mounts continually as the story unfolds for "the structure and technique of Lord of the Flies is one of revelation" (Kinkead-Weekes 22). The climax is reached shortly after the shattering of the conch and Piggy's death, when the boys attempt to kill Ralf. After this the story quickly comes to an end with the arrival of the naval officer. Thus the story follows the relatively common path of exposition, rising action, crisis, climax and falling action.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Golding's skilful use of syntax is also quite common. He uses long periodic sentences when describing of the peaceful coral island, shadowed wit... ...at "a clearly focused and coherent body of meaning [is] crystallizing out of every episode" (Kinkead-Weekes and Gregor 15). Lord of the Flies enables the reader to comprehend that the "devil rises, not out of pirates and cannibals and such alien creatures, but out of the darkness of man's heart" (Hynes 16). Works Cited. Baker, James R. "Why It's No Go." Critical Essays on William Golding. Ed. James R. Baker. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1988. Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. London: Faber and Faber, 1958. Hynes, Samuel. "William Golding's Lord of the Flies." Critical Essays on William Golding. Ed. James R. Baker. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1988. Kinkead-Weekes, Mark, and Ian Gregor. William Golding: a critical study. London: Faber and Faber, 1967. Moody, Philippa. Golding: Lord of the Flies, a critical commentary. London: Macmillan, 1964.

Friday, October 11, 2019

“Changing Our Lives”

After graduating high school, I thought I had all my decisions in place of what I wanted to do with my life. I later found myself letting the choices of my younger days affect what is happening in my life now. I’ve now taken the right steps into getting my life back on track, starting with obtaining the goals that I once motivated myself to achieve after high school.That is why I’ve chosen to further my education beyond a high school diploma to obtain financial growth, my college degree, and successful career opportunities. In the world today, it seems that financial issues are taking their tolls in people’s lives more often than it use to be when everyone thought that their job offered exactly what they wanted. Later they found out that they were not getting the pay needed to support their household with the job that is being maintained with hard work, long hours, and poor benefits.Now after me giving careful consideration as to what I wanted to do in life, I fo und that with the right degree by my side I could benefit so much more in pay options, family support, and not just be in a job working hard but a career where I am actually making a difference one day at a time. With my degree in hand, it not only paves the way for my financial growth, but it helps me be able to show my children how important education can be in the world today.It helps me to feel so much better knowing that I reached my goals, with all the hard work and dedication that came with being a college student. I can truly say that it was not easy day to day trying to keep up with the work, have a job, and raise a family at the same time. But, when I look at the reasons as to why I am doing this all I have to remember is that my family depends on me! Not only does this benefit your family, but it also adds to your list of achievements a long with my high school diploma.I can just imagine when I walk across the stage how great it will feel when I walk away with degree in t he field of study of my choice to success! Once I create so much opportunity for myself with a degree, it will be time to put it to work with getting the job I always wanted. Now, I am the only one who could stop me. There is also now the choice of hours that could put me right where I want to be, and that’s with my family. I would not be constantly working late, missing school programs, lunches, conferences, and more because I made a choice to better myself and my surroundings.Because I chose to get a degree and move into a new line of work of helping others, somebody may actually have a chance of being helped in the ways that I have always imagined giving to someone else. That is now what it is mostly coming to in my heart of how can I put this hard work that I did to work in the most positive way in someone else’s life. I’ve found now that once these achievements are reached, I’m not only inspiring myself, but also my wife and children.Once they see th e hard work that I’ve put in to giving them a better way of life and how it was done, it could make way for their success and family once married and faced with the ways of real adulthood. Some children think that it’s okay just to stop at just a high school diploma because some parents aren’t too interested in furthering past what they have been taught by their parents. So as for me and my family, I’m taking the necessary steps to show my children that education does matter and dreams do come true!

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Leadership revised

Answer to Question # 1 Sharon Daloz Parks, in his books entitled â€Å"Leadership Can Be Taught,† discussed leadership in an adaptive concept. Adaptive concept means that the word leader denotes to lead and in order to lead a group, you ought to be a procrastinator of time or think ahead of time. A person should have a view on what possible things might be encountered. Then think of the possible solutions for the upcoming problem. Anticipatory imagination is considering all the pros and cons of things. In adaptive leadership, it is believed that leadership can be learned. It deals with understanding and about behaviors and actions. It is not in any way an inherent trait. The adaptability of the organization depends on having a widespread leadership. The ideas should not only come from the people on the top, but it should come from people within the organization. Practicing adaptive leadership means making a holding environment where discussions of certain issues are kept safe. In addition, the adaptive leadership consulting is about understanding adaptive pressures and dynamics, and using those insights in creating successful changes. Adaptive leadership is a must in an organization because it paves the way for less problems to incur because in this process, the leader is futuristic, which considers the entire negative and positive things that will come their way.  As a mentor or guide, the leader has to be likened to an eagle which soars high and sees all things below. Leaders should have focused determination and an attitude for winning. Indeed, leadership is not a position but disposition. Answer to Question # 2 With regards to the to the character trait of embracing the negative, it is said that (a) Profit comes as a result of facing problems, so doing it is seen as a good thing, not a negative thing; and (2) The best way to solve a problem is not to have it to begin with. Embracing the negative means embracing problems. The person who is pessimistic or negative is a type of person who is always looking at the negative side of life. It seems that problem is bigger than the solution. Man in his struggle for existence need not grope in the dark but always look at the bright side of life. The dark side is the problem and the light side is the solution. As we face different challenges in our life, we must always think positive, never give up easily when trials comes our way and look at the brighter side of life. Always remember that in every problem, there is always a solution. The best way to do is to give up the negative, and learned to motivate and encourage yourself to think positively or be an optimistic. Thinking realistically and positively will become automatic in you as you go through your life. And the response to the problems when it comes to you the next time will be handled in a entirely a new way. It will then be easier for you to handle and face the next trials that will come to your life if you will become optimistic. It is indeed a long process and it will take some time for it to happen, but eventually, in the long run, it will happen. So it is better to start now on your journey to replace the negative thinking or being pessimistic with a positive thinking or being an optimistic. Profit comes as a result of facing the problems. Like David who faces Goliath, in our lives facing problems and trials will determine our strength and failure in life. Indeed life is a choice; we either choose life or death, problems or solutions, negative or positive. The rest is up to us. The best way to solve a problem is not to have it to begin with which means that in solving problems we need to look at the solution of the problem because in this way more concrete ideas will come our way. Keeping a positive attitude and not considering difficult things as problems would greatly help in attaining one’s goals. Sometimes when we have a problem, we keep on thinking that we have a problem and it is so hard to solve, how can I get over it? And in some cases, instead of solving the problem we engaged ourselves in drinking alcoholic beverages or taking prohibited drugs in order for us to forget that we have a problem. With these, we are not solving the problem. We keep on thinking about the problem not knowing that it will only aggravate the problem because emotionally we are affected by it. Instead of thinking about the problem on and on without doing something, we should face the problem, know what causes the problem and find the solutions. In every little problems that we encounter we must find solutions immediately, before it gets worse or become big that we cannot handle anymore. When we follow this kind of solving/handling the problem it will be easier for us to face the trials next time. If we continue with the way we do it the wrong way of solving the problem we will not gain something from it but if we start to face it now, and find solutions to the problem we will gain something from it and life would be easier. Answer to Question # 3 Three Essential/Necessary for Success: 1.   Competencies Competencies means being confident in whatever undertakings we had. Competencies means we are fully equipped to do things because of all the necessary ingredients of trainings, experiences and capabilities are stored within us. Successful people are confident people. 2.   Alliance Builder Alliance builder means we are also a support group. We love networking, linkages and alliances with people who are also a builder like us. Builder means they help us to grow as a person in every aspect of our lives. The saying that no man is an island is a complement of this so called alliance builder. To be in allegiance with the right people is indeed a blessing. Successful people are building other lives or alliance builder. 3.    Character or Integrity Character or Integrity is very important aspects for success. Character or integrity is the totality your whole being. Talents, riches and material things can make us on the top but character will make us stay there. Truly character depicts the real you. Six Character Dimension: 1)   Gain the complete trust of the people they were leading and capture their full hearts and following The saying that, â€Å"follow the leader,† means that a true leader is worth following for. They gain the trust and confidence of his followers and believe in every word he says. And being a good leader we should also be a role model to our followers. 2)      See all of the realities that were right in front of them. They had blind spots regarding themselves, others, or even the markets, customers, projects, opportunities, or other external realities that kept them from reaching their goals.  Ã‚  A true leader is realistic for their weakness and strengths. Blind spots means, that they are open to correction and suggestion because they don’t see everything like an imperfect person. They have teachable spirit and a humble heart to learn more things for their completion as a person. They want to learn more in areas like marketing, customer relations, projects, opportunities or other external realities in life because leaders are good followers. 3) Work in a way that actually produced the outcomes that they should have produced, given their abilities and resources  Successful leaders are results driven and results oriented. They work in a way that their given abilities and talents were used and exercised and applied to the fullest. 4)   Deal with problem people, negative situations, obstacles, failures, setbacks, and losses.  Successful people are not afraid to work with all kinds of people and situations. They consider it as a challenge and transcend their own interest and give themselves to larger purposes, thus becoming part of a larger mission a test for their testimony and they are winners and not losers in facing any failures, setbacks, and losses. 5.   Create growth in their organization, their people, themselves, their profits, or their industry.  Successful people are part and parcel of growth in any organization and a contributing factor for the success of other people and the industry in general. 6)    Transcend their own interest and give themselves to larger purposes, thus becoming part of a larger mission  This character trait for success is broadminded. Successful leaders want to widen his territories, his field of interest and horizons. He wants to connect with best minds and believe in the saying that â€Å"Iron sharpens Iron† for the betterment of themselves and others. Indeed, for them learning never ends from cradle to grave. Learning is a never-ending process we should never stop striving to learn more. References: â€Å"Avoiding Pessimism May Be More Important than Being Optimistic.† 1998.Ohio State University. â€Å"Ethics is our Religion: Creative and Optimistic Thinking.† 2006. North Virginia Ethical Society. McGrath, H. Phd. â€Å"Teaching Students to Think Optimistically. Deakin University: Faculty Education. Parks, SD. 2005. â€Å"Leadership Can Be Taught.† Amazon.com â€Å"Positive Thinking: Practice this Stress Management Skill.† 2007. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). â€Å"Tips on Giving Up Pessimistic Thinking Habit.† 2006. Liesnet. â€Å"What is Leadership?† 2007. Amazom.com       Â