Writing about the meanings of power and privilege Essay

Writing about the meanings of power and privilege - Essay Example Rather than focusing on race itself, however, I will distill the readings related to this module into principles that have been established by studying race while applying those concepts to a different class of individuals; one whose race is not the determining distinction. Although perhaps controversial, I want to apply these observations to academia itself, and contrast what it would feel like to be a member of the working class (out-group) when in the presence of intellectuals (group). In thinking through this comparison, I can see that the principles of racial power and privilege directly translate to issues beyond race. Personal. I wonder what it would feel like to be denied acceptance in a group because I was not considered intellectual; and held political or moral views that were considered un-enlightened or not politically correct. In the presence of a group of intellectuals, I might be tempted to express my personal views on a given subject even though I knew that it would be taken as criticism of their sincerely-held views. As Sassower points out, â€Å"[t]here is a price for even the pedestrian role-playing of a critic. The critic is an ‘outsider’ whose views are suspect and whose motives are scrutinized vigorously...so as to find their flaws and discredit them as quickly and thoroughly as possible† (Sassower 475). Much like race relations, there is an insider/outsider dynamic between those who consider themselves intellectuals and those who are members of the working class. The insiders, on both sides, project superiority and imply inferiority in the outsiders. Herein lies one of the benefits of being a member of a group or preferred class; the ability to be convinced that the group opinion is the right one and any disagreement with that dogma is ignorance. The more intense the group dynamic, the more this concept is justified,

Affirmative action at the work place Essay Example for Free

Affirmative action at the work place Essay Affirmative action is a concept used as a justice seeking tool comprising of policies to address intimidating aspects of a non dominant or minor group. Such groups include women, minority men and physically disabled people. Affirmative action increases these groups access to facilities such as employment and education. The motivation for affirmative action comes in times when a perception or actual negative aspect towards a certain group is experienced, but illegal according to legislative bodies. It is also applied in learning and service delivery institutions such as police forces, hospitals or universities to motivate them to act more responsibly to the people they represent. According to Bulman (2006), affirmative action at the work place is a concept that should be applied in all departments. This is because many working places are characterized by cultural, social and political diversity (p.45). This is to say that people come from different communities, races, religions, political backgrounds, gender, national origins, and age, physical and mental health capabilities. This calls for affirmative action to fight for the weak mass within the working place, as these upgrades the workforce diversity. Racial and gender based discrimination in a working environment comes in the areas of granting jobs, in promotional programs and admission to institutions causing unfairness and inhumanity aspects in the working environment. Affirmative action in an employment environment illustrates both the prescriptive indicators and double edge quality in working together. Strong form of affirmative action should be the abolishment of race and sex consciousness in the times of hiring, promotion and in layoff preferences. Â  The need and essentiality of constructing integrated society in the workplace is to develop a forward looking and pragmatic staff. The diversity bestowed on company employees signifies diversity in its location and therefore employers need a law to govern them for maintenance of the diversity. The ideology of preferences among equally qualified applicants has a negative perception at this time when diversity is so widely acknowledged. The support extended to workplace diversity leaves open both questions of means and ends. Enhancement of affirmative action can literally be done through encouraging application from disadvantaged groups during recruitment programs. As a result, some preferences may be extended to the groups perceived to be underrepresented. Affirmative action should be mostly adopted by government organizations for they are highly affected by discrimination along ethnicity and gender lines (Loury, 2003, p.13). Adoption of this will make state parties to diminish or eliminate situations which help in perpetuating discrimination. For the government to assist implementation of this, each company should be given some legal minimum requirements to comply, in the area of representation by the disadvantaged groups in their various departments of work. The matters of concern that should be addressed are equity ownership, representation within management, employee level up to board of directors level, procurement of businesses and other several social investment programs. Affirmative action prevents discrimination in lines with hiring bias, promotion, job assignment, compensation, retaliation and all sorts of harassments. Work place is a unique and important site for development of corporative and social ties of different groups. It has of late become the centre for corporation, socialization, and solidarity, which emerge as primary features of human psychology. This has also been tightened by affirmative action move, which has promoted equity in opportunity and demographic heterogeneity and the imposition of rudimentary virtues of freedom of association and communication (Mellot, 2006, p.7). The conventionality in the diversity argument hardly spins the value of demographic based on heterogeneity and is mostly made to ensure work place integration. The process of affirmative action thus starts with pooling different people of different identities and backgrounds together. Different experiences and attitudes thought to correspond to demographic variations in the work place are eroded easily, thus emphasizing on common ground and connectedness across the difference lines. In places where many people live and work together elements like friction in decision making, turnover and dissatisfaction are eminent. The challenge is devising the ways and means to ameliorate the emerging tensions. In the employment context, workers should be protected equally and completely rule out employment abuses such as unequal treatment of treating employees, job applicants and former employees due to differences in a group membership. Employers have to take care of pregnant mothers or related medical conditions. It is against affirmative action move to discriminate workers in lines of discharging, hiring, compensating, terms provision, conditions and employment related privileges (Mellot, 2006, p. 9). From societal point of it, the employees form a part of society. They have to take that as their own community, live in it and a system of governance should exist within. Application of many cooperative interracial interactions in the workplace ensures the living together and governance. Because of the diversity brought in by the globalization process, interactions that lead to reasonable and controllable frictions should be allowed to pave way to brainstorming and creativity. From the societal calculus, the side of the employer is less considered.

Gun Control Essay -- Constituton Bill Rights Right To Bear Arms

The people of the United States of America are given special rights that are guaranteed in the Constitution - The Supreme Law of the Land. The Second Amendment of the Constitution declares, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of the free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." People may have this right, however advocates of gun control believe guns are too risky. Opponents of gun control claim guns have protected them in a self-defense situation. Gun control is defined as government limitaion of the purchase and ownership of firearms by the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Opponents of gun control argue that the right to bear arms is guaranteed to all citizens by the Second Amendment. Owners of handguns and other firearms debate that weapons have protected them and their loved ones from the harm of criminals. Moreover, the National Rifle Association (NRA) argues that although owning a gun requires a license, criminals are still able to get their hands on firearms. In other words, just because a great number of people own guns legally for private use, this does not stop criminals from obtaining guns. Second, the proponents of gun gun control say self defense is not a good enough reason for not regulating firearms. Studies on gun control have shown that family members were more likely to be wounded or even killed by other family members than b y a potential attacker or intruder. In addition, gun control advocates point out the fact that the firearms owned by licensed people are more likely to cause them harm than protection. The two sides have found themselves in a heated debate over this issue. However, public opinion tends to lean strongly towards gun control. Acco... ...uld live with. Related Links The National Rifle Association Handgun Control, Inc. and The Center to Prevent Handgun Violence The Brady Bill The Gun Control Act of 1968 Firearms Policy Journal References Adams, Kenneth. Guns and Gun Control. A National Public Opinion Survey, pp 109-124. (Sociofile) "After Brady." The New Yorker." December 13, 1993, volume 69. P 4+. Broylis,Hiram. "Gun Control or Media Control ?" Chicago Defender. March 25, 2996 p.2 "SMS Reference Library." Version 3.0. CD ROM. Mindscape, Inc., 1995. Sugarman, Josh. NRA: Money, Firepower, and Fear. Washington DC: National Press Books, 1992. Weiland, Bob. " Choice of Weapon" . Gun Goofs in Entertainment Media. July 21,1997 Intron Publication, Netscape p.1 Weir, William. A Well Regulated Militia: The Battle Over Gun Control. North Haven, CT: Archon Books, 1997.

Who is Most Responsible for the Deaths in William Shakespeares Romeo a

Who is Most Responsible for the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet Romantic love stories are often ended with a tragedy, because of loss of passion or a loved one. These tragedies are often the result of one person’s actions that ended someone’s life or love. In the Romeo and Juliet play written by William Shakespeare, two citizens of Verona come together and fall deeply in love. Unfortunately their love comes to an end, along with their lives, because of a misunderstanding and a persistent feud between their families. Although there are many characters in this play that have contributed to Romeo and Juliet’s death, Friar Laurence is the person most to blame. Friar Laurence’s actions throughout the play resulted in the two star crossed lovers’ death. He assisted the two when they wanted to get married, which began the disastrous events in the play. Friar Laurence says to Romeo:In one respect I’ll thy assistant be. For this alliance may so happy prove, To turn your households’ rancour to pure love. (II.iii.86-88) When he says this, he is stating he will assist Romeo by marring the two, because through the marriage their families may learn to love each other; therefore ending the fight. Friar Laurence only married the two lovers because he thought it would have a positive impact on the families’ feud. However, he should of thought about the consequences and how since the head of the families were unaware, the marriage could only have negative affects. Also, they were never m...

Some Beneficial Features of the Unix Operating System

Some Beneficial Features of the UNIX Operating System CIS 155 Some Beneficial Features of the UNIX Operating System Safety issues have always been one of the major aspects of effective operation of human beings and systems invented and implemented by individuals all over the world in different periods of human history. The rise of the personal computer in the market is another potential threat; nowadays this threat comes from the internet through computers and other devices.As stated in the study by Garfinkel, Spafford, and Schwartz (2011), â€Å"in today’s world of international networks and electronic commerce, every computer system is a potential target† (p. 3). Computers and servers store information that can be damaged or retrieved by hackers that are not interested in keeping the operating system safe and sound. As such, the UNIX operating system can be considered one of the safest for your network activities with a minimum threat to your operating system and the computer in general. Benefits of the UNIX Operating SystemThere are many benefits of the UNIX operating system when viewed independently or in comparison with other operating systems. It is natural that UNIX has supporters and those who oppose the use and benefits of this OS. Nevertheless, everything depends on the purposes for which the operating system is installed and the activities for which it operates. In other words, the scope of commands makes UNIX one of the cheapest and compatible operating systems on the market (Afzal, 2008). With the option of being installed on any type of hardware regardless of the brand and price, UNIX is a viable option for any information technology professional.In addition, it is important to mention that UNIX became the basis for other operating systems generally referred to as the UNIX-like ones as they use UNIX codes and are rather competitive compared to non-UNIX-like systems (Afzal, 2008). Simplicity and Origins The UNIX operating system becam e one of the first attempts of the information technology age to make the computer popular among average users. The contribution was made in the form of this beneficial operating system that helps people all over the world get access to the internet and surf the web for hours without being under threat of getting a virus or damage to software.It is simple and user-friendly compared to other operating systems. One of the examples of simplicity in UNIX is the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), â€Å"an Internet standard for transferring electronic mail between computers [implemented by UNIX] with programs or systems called Message Transfer Agents† (Garfinkel, Spafford, and Schwartz, 2011, p. 347). The overall simplicity of the UNIX operating system can be traced in all its utility programs and other supportive agents that help the system to operate effectively without application of complicated schemes and codes.In other words, the simplicity of the system makes it attractiv e for programmers and people working with codes and programs to be written (Afzal, 2008). So, simplicity, toolbox, democratic approach, flexibility and stability, as well as virtual memory and cheap hardware are the basis for making this operating system an attractive solution for people that need a good and reliable OS for their personal or professional purposes. Open Standards and Portability The open standards and cross-platform portability of the UNIX operating system is another great beneficial feature of this operating system.As stated in the study by Liu, Yue, and Guo (2011), â€Å"since most of the networking protocols were initially implemented on UNIX and most of the Internet services are provided by server processes running on the UNIX operating system, UNIX has a fundamental and profound influence on computer networking† (p. 316). The impact of UNIX on the development of other operating systems and the overall progress of information technology so far has been und eniable. However, it is necessary to emphasize the applicability of this operating system to a small number of computers due to the users’ preferences.Different types of machines can be considered valid for the UNIX operating system, because it is treated as highly portable. Various computing machines can host UNIX, which would be only advantageous for them. The UNIX operating system was not coined for the expensive machines with the hardware changing every six months or less and upgrades available for even higher prices. Its flexibility and cross-platform portability make it an integral part of the democratic approach used by the creators of the operating system. Main-frame and micro-computers can benefit from the UNIX operating system and all its features (Afzal, 2008).Stability of the operating system is another beneficial feature that can be treated as a competitive advantage compared to other systems, such as Windows, with regard to maintenance and related procedures. Se curity features as well as processing power can also be treated as beneficial features of the UNIX operating system, especially when compared to other operating systems. Prerequisite software is something pertaining to all operating systems except the UNIX operating system, because it does not require additional upgrades in terms of hardware and software being absolutely cheap in maintenance and administration (Afzal, 2008).Besides, users can use UNIX on the cheapest and simplest hardware regardless of the brand. Most effective operating systems operate on the codes designed and introduced to the market by AT&T that created UNIX and contributed positively to the development of personal computers. The UNIX operating system is aimed at solving problems in the field of information technology: It uses simple tools, agents, and codes that are free of charge and helps the users operate effectively and safely on this basis (Afzal, 2008).Application programs compared to the simple tools by UNIX are too complicated to be beneficial for users and the overall effective performance of the system. The memory of the UNIX system is protected and considered to be as secure as the overall operating system and the number of programs that can be launched with no threat or compromise to other running programs in the same instance (Afzal, 2008). The benefits of the virtual memory should be described in another section, whereas it is necessary to mention that UNIX security, customization, and controls options make users select this operating program out of dozens of other existing ones.Open standards enable the UNIX operating system to share its codes and achievements with the users and other developers. As stated in the study by Raymond (2004), â€Å"Unix is still the only operating system that can present a consistent, documented application programming interface (API) across a heterogeneous mix of computers, vendors, and special-purpose hardware† (p. 8). Moreover, no othe r operating system can compare to its applicability and open standards as well as its cross-platform portability.Along with all other advantages of this OS, open standards attract more users that can value the portability of UNIX and its simplicity. Virtual Memory, Toolbox, and Customization The benefits of the UNIX operating system are numerous with the virtual memory and customization options as well as the authorization procedures and the general security of it all. So, the virtual memory of the UNIX operating system is on the high level: Low or medium levels of physical memory cannot compromise the virtual memory of the operating system (Afzal, 2008).So, users can launch many programs at once with no threat to the performance of the UNIX OS. The resources of the system are capable of running many programs being active which will not make the work of the entire system less effective. In other words, more complicated and proficient tasks can be performed with the help of other com mands and utility programs combined in the framework of UNIX (Afzal, 2008). Files are unified to make the operation of UNIX more efficient in terms of times needed to respond to commands and costs necessary to upgrade the overall system.As such, all types of data and devices are identified by UNIX as files, making it better and more appropriate for different purposes. Access to the computer is reached only via application of valid passwords and keys that are aimed at making UNIX rather protected and security-based (Afzal, 2008). Authentication is another tool that helps the system to operate effectively. Accounts and their owners are subject to the owner of the personal computer with the UNIX operating system to decide whether he or she wants anyone else to use the computer or not.The toolbox is designed in a way that makes the operations fast and efficient. Utility programs and commands are used to perform specific tasks; so, they are created for very particular purposes. This appr oach is contrasted to the one when commands and utilities serve for a variety of complicated tasks rather than simple ones. In other words, the UNIX operating system can be referred to as a box with all necessary tools that carry out their tasks in a corresponding manner (Afzal, 2008). Customization enables the users to adjust the system to their needs and purposes without being designed for particular settings and menus.As such, a user owning the UNIX operating system can change the options and settings unlike the user of other operating systems with pre-configured settings. Overall, the UNIX operating system is used all over the world due to the approach selected by its developers: they made it a free-access tool that can be used by any individual that has a personal computer and needs an operating system. Main-frame computers and mini-models of personal PCs can operate on UNIX without visible or invisible threats to their effectiveness. It can be used on different platforms regar dless of their origin and compatibility.UNIX is a well-documented system with everything stocked within that a user would need. References Afzal, A. (2008). CIS155: UNIX Operating System: Custom edition (5th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Pearson Custom Publishing. Garfinkel, S. , Spafford, G. , & Schwartz, A. (2011). Practical UNIX and internet security (3rd ed. ). Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Medis, Inc. Liu, Y. , Yue, Y. , & Guo, L. (2011). UNIX operating system. Beijing: Springer. Raymond, E. S. (2004). The art of UNIX programming. Boston, MA: Addison-Wesley Professional.

Medicare Health program Essays

Medicare Health program Essays Medicare Health program Paper Medicare Health program Paper One might ask what is Medicare? Well, Medicare is our countrys health insurance program for people age 65 or older, certain people with disabilities who are under 65, and people of any age who have permanent kidney failure. It provides basic protection against the cost of health care, but it does not cover all your medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care. You can choose one of two ways to get benefits under Medicare: the traditional fee-for-service system or the managed care program. The Health Care Financing Administration is the agency in charge of the Medicare program. There are two parts of Medicare. Hospital Insurance (also called Part A Medicare. ) Part A Medicare is financed by a portion of your payroll (FICA) tax that also pays for Social Security. The second part of Medicare is Medical Insurance (also called Part B Medicare. ) Part B Medicare is partly financed by monthly premiums paid by people who choose to enroll. People are automatically enrolled in Part B when you become entitled to Part A. However, because they must pay a monthly premium for Part B coverage, and have the option of paying for the coverage or turning it down. Each part of Medicare covers different kinds of medical costs and has different rules about enrolling. In order to be eligible for Medicare, one has to meet certain regulations. Most people 65 or older can get Medicare hospital insurance based on their own or their spouses employment. One is eligible at 65 if you either receive Social Security or railroad retirement benefits. If they are not involved with either of these, but you have worked long enough to have them they may receive them. People are also eligible if you would be entitled to Social Security benefits based on their spouses or divorced spouses work record. Before age 65, persons eligible for Medicare hospital insurance are if they have been a Social Security disability beneficiary for 24 months. Also eligible if they have worked long enough in a federal, state, or local government job and you meet the requirements of the Social Security disability program. Under certain conditions, spouses, divorced spouses, widows, widowers, or a dependent parents may be eligible for hospital insurance when he or she turns 65, based on work records. Also, disabled widows and widowers under age 65, disabled divorced widows and widowers under 65, and disabled children may be eligible for Medicare, usually after a 24-month qualifying period. Kidney failure patients have special rules too. Under these rules, sufferers are eligible for hospital insurance at any age if they receive maintenance dialysis or a kidney transplant and are insured, or are getting monthly benefits under Social Security or the railroad retirement system. Also, if they have worked long enough in government to be insured for Medicare. In addition, spouses or children may be eligible if she or he receives continuing dialysis for permanent kidney failure or had a kidney transplant, even if no one else in the family is getting Medicare.

Child Rearing Psychological Patterns

Child Rearing Psychological Patterns Introduction The Science Daily (2008) confirms that spanking has been on the decrease for the past thirty years. Nonetheless, spanking is the most prevalent way of punishing children in our society. A study by Chang, Pettit and Katsurada (n.d.) states that scholarly information on physical punishment is limited. Nonetheless, there are major differences between child rearing patterns in Japan and the United States.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Child Rearing Psychological Patterns in Japan and the United States specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For that reason, physical punishments in these two countries differ in a number of ways. For instance, the circumstance under which spanking is applied in Japan is different from that in the US. Moreover, the part of the body spanked also differs. In addition, spanking is a divisive topic. Some people argue that it is an effective way of instilling discipline in children. Howe ver, others feel that it is the most ineffective method of disciplining a child. In addition, there is proof that spanking affects a child psychologically. Therefore, parents should try other behavioral modification methods to correct children behaviors before reverting to spanking. This paper examines the differences in spanking between the US and Japan. In addition, it also tries to find out if spanking actually works and whether it has any potential psychological impacts on its recipients Attitudes towards Spanking in the United States and Japan Most studies have shown that there are major differences between spanking practiced in the US and that practiced in Japan. These differences are a reflection of the cultural backgrounds of the two countries. For that reason, the attitude towards spanking differs depending on the culture. Therefore, country of origin greatly determines whether a parent spanks a child or not. Japanese parents emphasize on conformity to group values while pa rents from the US encourage independence and individualism. Cultures that prefer conformity in child rearing are more likely to use corporal punishments than those preferring independence. For that reason, it can be concluded that spanking is more prevalent in Japan than in the Unites States. A national survey in Japan indicated that more than half of Japanese parents agree that spanking is necessary in rearing a child. In addition, about half of the parents interviewed admitted that they sometimes spank their children. These parents argued that children feel loved by their parents when spanked. However, most Japanese believe that use of physical punishment depends on the situation. For that reason, not all mistakes, made by children, are punishable by spanking in Japan. On the other hand, spanking in the United States depends on certain factors. Examples of these factors include race, religion, education, gender and age. Many studies show that mothers are more likely to physically punish children than fathers.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, religious people practice spanking more than non-religious people. For instance, the Baptist Church is known to be a strong defender of spanking. Therefore, spanking is a common occurrence in conservative religious families in the US. Interestingly, in the US, girls are less likely to be spanked than boys. What a given culture refers to as a being abusive to a child may be condoned in another culture. Therefore, the context and type of spanking differs between Japan and the US. For instance, in the US, parents administer spanking on the bottoms and hands. On the other hand, in Japan, parts of the body that are frequently used in spanking are the head and face. Effectiveness of Spanking as a Way of Correcting a Child’s Behaviour The effectiveness of spanking has always elicited a heated debate . A more recent debate, on this topic, was conducted by CNN. In this debate, Zeidler (2012) sought to find out whether spanking really works. The debate, however, proved that spanking is a divisive topic. For that reason, it had its supporters and critics. Some parents believed that spanking, when applied in a non-abusive way, is an effective tool in the upbringing of a child. These parents believe that children have to be taught discipline in order to function well in the society. Therefore, spanking is occasionally required to teach them a few lessons in life. However, some parents maintain that any form of physical punishment is abusive to a child. To them, physical punishment fills a child with shame. A child feels embarrassed after being spanked. Moreover, this feeling is translated into low esteem or aggressiveness. In addition, shame results into depression and anxiety. However, effectiveness of spanking depends on the age of a child. For instance, a two-year old child may be lieve that a spank means that he should discontinue the behaviour that led to the spank. However, older children are used to these spanks. For that reason, spanking is meaningless to them. The CNN discussion concludes that it has never been proven that any style of discipline produces results in all children. Therefore, spanking and other forms of disciplines sometimes work or amount to nothing in other circumstances. However, Rochman (2012) claims that a decade long research found out that spanking does not produce long-term results. In the short-term, it may transform the behaviour of a child, but affects a child negatively in the long-run. Psychological Consequences Spanking Spanking has serious psychological impacts on children. Zeidler (2012) states that spanking leads to psychological problems such as drug abuse, mood and anxiety disorders and personal disorders. In addition, Castelloe (2012) states that spanking reduces developmental growth and the intelligent quotient (IQ) o f a child. Therefore, spanking results into cognitive impairments and developmental difficulties in children.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Child Rearing Psychological Patterns in Japan and the United States specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For that reason, debate on spanking should now revolve around medicine. People have dwelled too much on the ethical dimensions of spanking. There is proof that the gray matter in the brain is diminished by spanking. Grey matter determines the intelligence and the learning capabilities of a child. Moreover, it affects parts of the brain that control emotions. This explains why spanked children are high-tempered or physically aggressive. Children prone to spanking are also vulnerable to depression. Furthermore, spanked children also conduct themselves in an anti-social way. Spanked children are also six times more likely to be physically aggressive than those who are not spanked. Additionally, they have high probabilities of being juvenile delinquents, drug addicts and abusive to their spouses in adulthood. Spanking also makes children believe that learning takes place through punishments. Therefore, spanking teaches a child that conflicts are resolved using violence. My Personal Opinion on Spanking There is a proverb that states that â€Å"spare the rod and spoil the child†. Therefore, if children are not aware that a given society has rules and there are punishments for bad behaviors, they will grow up as unproductive members of that society. For that reason, they adopt a culture that condones lazinenes and disrespect to other people. Accordingly, spanking should be used to deter behaviors that are extremely bad. However, spanking should not be done in anger. Moreover, a child must be asked to explain why he is being spanked. If he fails to do so, then, a parent or a guardian must explain to the child why he is being spanked. This helps the child m aintain a relationship with the person spanking him. Moreover, this enables a child understand that the spanking is justified. However, some parents abuse spanking by overdoing it. In this regard, they leave permanent injuries or scars on a child. Nonetheless, I do not believe that spanking should be an immediate option in punishing a child. Expression of anger towards a child is detrimental to his growth and development. Physical punishments such as spanking are ways in which a parent expresses anger on a child. Some parents express their anger and frustration on their children through spanking, but pretend that they are disciplining them. The Science Daily (2008) links spanking to physical abuse. For that reason, spanking increases the likelihood of child abuse. For instance, parents who spank their children also use other harsher punishments on their children. However, I only relate spanking to child abuse when a parent uses an object to spank a child. Parents cannot teach their children not to hit others when they occasionally spank them. For that reason, a child grows knowing that hitting others represents authority. Furthermore, when a parent hits a child, he instills fear in him. This affects his future dealings with the child.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Subsequently, a child sees his parent as a mere source of power rather than a source of love, care and inspiration. In addition, spanking brings about inferiority complex in children. Moreover, spanking hardens a child. For that reason, a child becomes used to the spanking and develops a hardcore behaviour. This child is, therefore, likely to become a juvenile delinquent. To me, spanking should be used only when parents have exhausted other methods of punishing a child. There are other effective punishments that are less injurious to a child. Examples of these punishments include reduced pocket money and grounding. Children are also more likely to learn when calm. Therefore, instead of frightening them with spanks, a parent should try to talk them out of trouble using more peaceful means. In this way, their brains will be more alert than when stressed. Moreover, instances of psychological disorders will be minimized. Additionally, children should be provided with alternatives to the ir bad behaviors. Grounding or spanking them without giving them alternatives does not help them in any way. In fact, there is a high probability that they will repeat the mistake. Therefore, involving a child in modifying his behaviour instills discipline in him and leaves his self esteem intact. Conclusions Spanking practiced in the US differs from that practiced in Japan. Additionally, spanking has serious psychological effects on a child. Spanking leads to low self esteem, reduces trust between a child and his parents and breaks communication. Furthermore, in the long-run, spanking leads to criminal or other undesirable behaviors. Therefore, spanking results to behaviors that parent strive to avoid in their children. Although spanking stops certain behaviors in children, it is less effective than other methods of correcting a child’s behaviour. Therefore, parents must use it as the last option in parenting. References Chang, I. J., Petit, R.W. Katsurada, E. (n.d.). Where and when to spank: A comparison between US and Japanese college students. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10896-006-9025-3?LI=true#page-1 Castelloe, M.S. (2012). How spanking harms the brain. Retrieved from psychologytoday.com/blog/the-me-in-we/201202/how-spanking-harms-the-brain Rochman, B. (2012). Why spanking doesn’t work. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/06/why-spanking-doesnt-work/ Science Daily. (2008). Study shows link between spanking and physical abuse. Retrieved from sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080827210528.htm Zeidler, S. (2012, July 8). To spank or not to spank, where do you draw the line? CNN. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/07/health/spanking-mental-illness-reaction/index.html

Gideon Mantell - Profile of the Famous Paleontologist

Gideon Mantell - Profile of the Famous Paleontologist Name: Gideon Mantell Born/Died: 1790-1852 Nationality: British Dinosaurs Named: Iguanodon, Hylaeosaurus About Gideon Mantell Trained as an obstetrician, Gideon Mantell was inspired to hunt for fossils by the example of Mary Anning (who unearthed the remains of an ichthyosaur in 1811, on the English coast). In 1822, Mantell (or his wife; the details are murky on this point) discovered strange, giant teeth in the county of Sussex. Intrigued, Mantell showed the teeth to various authorities, one of whom, Georges Cuvier, initially dismissed them as belonging to a rhinoceros. Shortly thereafter, it was established beyond any dispute that the teeth were left by an ancient reptile, which Gideon named Iguanodonthe first example in history of a dinosaur fossil being discovered, analyzed, and assigned a specific genus. Although hes best known for Iguanodon (which he initially wanted to name Iguanasaurus), Mantell specialized in Englands late Cretaceous fossil deposits, which yielded the remains of numerous (non-dinosaur) animals and plants. In fact, one of his limited-edition books, The Geology of Sussex, received a terse bit of fan mail from none other thank King George IV: His majesty is pleased to command that his name should be placed at the head of the subscription list for four copies. Sadly for Mantell, after his discovery of Iguanodon, the rest of his life was anticlimactic: in 1838, he was forced by poverty to sell his fossil collection to the British Museum, and after a long illness he committed suicide in 1852. Weirdly, one of Mantells paleontological rivals, Richard Owen, got hold of Mantells pickled spine after his death and displayed it in his museum! (Owenthe coiner of the word dinosaur who never gave Mantell the credit he deservedis also believed to have written an anonymous, damning obituary of Mantell after the latters death, which didnt prevent a future paleontologist from naming a genus in his honor, Mantellisaurus.)

Mobile Computing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mobile Computing - Research Paper Example Further, the mobile banking security risks also cause distortion of the financial information and transactions of the victim. Ultimately, the whole system of mobile banking is compromised. This escalates the number of fraud cases with every attempt at conveniently performing business transactions via the mobile phones. Most financial institutions, including the best in the world, can attest to the insecurity of mobile banking (Odoke, 2011). The technology behind the personal data assistants, iPads and e-Readers demystify the need for newspapers, paper books, music CDs and gameDVDs. This is due to various valid reasons. First, the advanced gadgets offer faster solutions for the thirst of information than the original books and newspapers. Further, information that the gadgets give people access to is from different sources. This makes them a better option for comparison of information from different sources than the traditional newspapers and books. People get timely updates from their gadgets instead of waiting for publishing of newspapers and paper books (Guardian on Kindle). The combined efforts of these advantages of the new technology gadgets drive the public from acquiring the traditional newspapers and paper books. This changes the reading culture of people and decreases the amount of revenue from the sale of books, newspapers and other traditional devices. The public chooses to move to a cheaper way of acquiring information and entertainment; a more convenient means that suits almost everyone’s lifestyle (Curwen & Whalley,

World History I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

World History I - Essay Example Questia is the world's largest online library of books and journal articles. Both sites are academic in nature, with no special interests. What is the site's purpose Wikipedia is designed to provide browsers with access to encyclopedic articles on a wide variety of topics. Like any encyclopedia, its purpose is academic and informational. Similarly, Questia is a full-service online library with books and journal articles, as well as newspaper and limited magazine articles. It is also designed to be an academic topic research source to paying subscribers (it has a free trial available to new users). How is the site listed Both sites are obtainable through standard internet search engines by either typing in a subject for research or the names of the organizations themselves. Both are replete with referenced material and reliable antecedents, as well as full citation information. Some sources on the sites include links to the publisher or author. Who is likely to use the site On Wikipedia, the intended audience appears to be those with general interests who need basic information. It is written on a high school level, has graphics and maps where relevant, and active links within the articles for additional research.

News Release Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

News Release - Essay Example Mr. Watts said, â€Å"we have trained masseurs and masseuses for each type of massage, from Thai, to Swedish, reflexology, and even stone massage. I’m so excited that we have all these services for our patrons.† For a holistic healing, Pearl Cove also offers ventusa therapy, paraffin wax treatment, aromatherapy and ayurveda. And when speaking about beauty, the fitness club has body wraps for weight loss, facials, manicure and pedicure, exfoliation, skin rejuvenation treatments, eyebrow trimming, and ear cleaning. The club has an in-house dermatologist and medical doctor who will oversee that the customers are fit to undergo certain treatments. The existing swimming pool of the hotel underwent renovation and its management will be transferred to the manager of the fitness club. At the health and fitness store, customers can buy aromatic oils that they can bring home, facial creams, health books, swimming gears and ear plugs, as well as snacks and drinks. The hotel guests are entitled to a 20 percent discount when they use the club facilities. As a promotional offer, upon opening of the facility to the public in April, the first 1000 customers to sign for an annual membership will be given a 50 percent discount. Hotel guest who sign for membership will be given a total of 70 percent discount provided they fall within the 1000 customer quota. Patrons may reserve a slot by contacting 06-562456, but they should pay the membership fee within three days. Pearl Cove conceptualized the fitness club two years ago to increase health awareness of people and promote healthy body and living. The services can be availed of by teenagers and even elder people provided they have no physical contradiction to the

Production Of A Klashnikov Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Production Of A Klashnikov - Coursework Example The stock of the rifle in it is production is simply made out of wood, which is a non-strategic material, over time, AK-47, have been simplified through the use of spot welding, reducing the number of machined parts 2. One production method I would use to produce the riffle is Izhmash production method which produces around 95 units per hour which is an equal amount of over 1 million units per year. The process is rather cheap and cost effective both in the short run and long run. 3. The manufacturing methods used in mass production in comparison to those used in less developed regions is way very different, in mass production, the methods used are very advanced and fast to produce, new design are being tried and tested so as to improve the future designs while at the same time improve its accuracy and reliability. In less developed region, the manufacturing methods lack the new technology hand in it and thus are faced with the challenge of producing as many numbers as possible. For instance, in Russia the Izhevsk production method is the chief mass manufacture of the riffle, producing in mass numbers and has equally sold over 50 million units since its inception. Fackler M, L., Malinowski ,JA., Hoxie S,W., Jason, A. "Wounding Effects of the AK-47 Rifle Used by Patrick Purdy in the Stockton, California, Schoolyard Shooting of 17 January 1989". American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology 11 (3): 185–9. (1990).

Critical Appraisal of a Piece of Research Essay - 1

Critical Appraisal of a Piece of Research - Essay Example frequently not implemented in health care systems because of doctors being unwilling to take the initiative to discuss alcohol problems with their patients. With decrease in state controls on the availablility of alcohol, effective interventions are required, which can be administered to many people with the purpose of reducing the demand for alcohol. Screening and Brief Intervention (SBI) is an approach which systematically identifies people with hazardous drinking, and provides concise advice on reducing this behaviour (Kypri et al 2004). Yes, a double-blind randomized controlled trial, the study used a random method of selecting an experimental group and a control group, at the university student health service. Participants scoring 8 or more on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and consuming more than 4 to 6 standard drinks, both males and females, on one or more occasions in the previous 4 weeks were assigned randomly by computer to either the control group or the intervention. The computer carried out the randomization in blocks of 10 consisting of 5 control and 5 intervention, so that equal numbers of participants could be recruited in a short period in both groups. Equal numbers of men and women were ensured through separate recruitment by sex (Kypri et al 2004). Yes, a total of 167 students in the age group of 17 to 26 years were recruited. They were required to complete a three-minute web-based screening test â€Å"including the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire† (Kypri et al 2004, p.1410). Of the 167 students, 112 tested positive; from among them a total number of 104 students including 52 women who had agreed to receive the follow-up intervention participated in the trial. The participants were randomized to two groups: the intervention group of 51 students who received 10 to 15 minutes of web-based assessment and personalized feedback on their drinking, and the control group of 53 students who received

Production Of A Klashnikov Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Production Of A Klashnikov - Coursework Example The stock of the rifle in it is production is simply made out of wood, which is a non-strategic material, over time, AK-47, have been simplified through the use of spot welding, reducing the number of machined parts 2. One production method I would use to produce the riffle is Izhmash production method which produces around 95 units per hour which is an equal amount of over 1 million units per year. The process is rather cheap and cost effective both in the short run and long run. 3. The manufacturing methods used in mass production in comparison to those used in less developed regions is way very different, in mass production, the methods used are very advanced and fast to produce, new design are being tried and tested so as to improve the future designs while at the same time improve its accuracy and reliability. In less developed region, the manufacturing methods lack the new technology hand in it and thus are faced with the challenge of producing as many numbers as possible. For instance, in Russia the Izhevsk production method is the chief mass manufacture of the riffle, producing in mass numbers and has equally sold over 50 million units since its inception. Fackler M, L., Malinowski ,JA., Hoxie S,W., Jason, A. "Wounding Effects of the AK-47 Rifle Used by Patrick Purdy in the Stockton, California, Schoolyard Shooting of 17 January 1989". American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology 11 (3): 185–9. (1990).

Management project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Management project - Essay Example Based on the high volume of expenditures and internal restructuring, the report recommends postponing market entry into North America and instead pursue market entry in nations with much less competition and less need for high cost technologies and improvements that are vital to competitive success in North America. Jaguar Land Rover, a subsidiary of Tata Motors, experienced a sales volume of 316,000 Land Rovers and 58,600 Jaguars in between 2012 and 2013. JLR has sustained a very difficult history in creating consumer interest in branded automobiles, causing financial burdens to the company’s previous parent company, Ford Motor Company, and also causing credit rating reductions for Tata as a result of significant debt burdens for the acquisition of the company. However, recent business decisions to reposition and strengthen the brand have improved the company’s image in India and China (the firm’s two most profitable markets). As a result of the achievement of sales revenues of  £15.784 billion in 2013 (JLR 2013), the company is now considering market entry into North America as a means of expanding revenue production. However, prior to new market entry, Jaguar Land Rover must be considerate of how this decision will impact supply chain management, determine the potential opportunities of e-commerce in this decision, and also consider the potential business decisions that must be enacted to ensure success in North America. This report provides a rationale for market entry into North America, focuses on supply chain and e-commerce challenges and opportunities, and offers recommendations for ensuring success in this new market. The North American auto industry is a highly saturated market, consisting of major players in the industry as Ford Motor, General Motors, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Kia and Volkswagen. These long-standing automotive companies have established a very strong brand recognition and brand loyalty with many

Automobile - Fuels Essay Example for Free

Automobile Fuels Essay General Motors has been at the center of one of the nation’s largest controversies over clean emissions-cars. In 1996 the company introduced the EV-1 electric car in California and Arizona. Hundreds of the electric cars were soon on the road. Then they all disappeared. The mystery behind their disappearance is the subject of the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? Electric vehicles had many advantages over their competitors in the early 1900s. They did not have the vibration, smell, and noise associated with gasoline cars. Changing gears on gasoline cars was the most difficult part of driving, while electric vehicles did not require gear changes. Even though the cars seemed to be the next big thing, they ended up being not so successful. There have been many allegations to whom or what happen to kill the electric car. In 2000, tragedy struck as all EV-1’s were recalled. In 2003, California’s zero emissions vehicle mandate was killed and General Motors officially closed down the entire EV-1 project despite the long waiting lists and positive feedback from EV-1 drivers. This terrible crime did not go unnoticed by the public. Consumers were outraged by the recalling of EV-1’s. They wanted to know why someone would get rid of a car that would help out the environment and would make things better for the future. Someone is to blame for killing the electric car, but who? Was it the big oil companies and their fear of losing money? Could it be the battery technology in the EV-1’s that was faulty?

Advantages And Disadvantages of HRIS in Human Resource Management

Advantages And Disadvantages of HRIS in Human Resource Management Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) have evolved since the 1980s from relatively simple computer applications to virtual vaults of sophisticated human resources information and processes. HRIS also is the name of the human resources discipline for HRIS specialists and other human resources professionals involved in the technology for employment and personnel matters. An HRIS is used for employment actions such as applicant tracking, performance management, attendance, compensation and benefits management, work force analyses, and scheduling. A very popular use of HRIS is employee self-service. Many employers are utilizing their HRIS to supplement the human resources department staff by enabling employees for find answers to common questions they would have asked a human resources representative. An employee self-service component can be used in a small business setting because it can be configured to accommodate work places with a dozen employees to companies with 10,000 employees. Introduction Human Resources Information System, is a system that lets you keep track of all your employees and information about them. It is usually done in a database or, more often, in a series of inter-related databases. These systems include the employee name and contact information and all or some of the following: department job title grade salary salary history position history supervisor training completed special qualifications ethnicity date of birth disabilities veterans status visa status benefits selected Any HRIS include reporting capabilities. Some systems track applicants before they become employees and some are interfaced to payroll or other financial systems. An HRIS is a management system designed specifically to provide managers with information to make HR decisions This is not an HR systemit is a management system and is used specifically to support management decision making . The need for this kind of information has increased in the last few years, especially in large and/or diverse companies, where decision making has been moved to lower levels And large companies generally have the advantage when it comes to HRISsthe cost to develop an HRIS for 200 people is usually close to that for 2000 peopleso it is a better investment for large companieslarger companies tend to have systems that have a fair degree of customization Therefore, HRIS can be defined in simple words as given below: Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS, EHRMS), Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), HR Technology or also called HR modules, shape an intersection in between human resource management (HRM) and information technology. It merges HRM as a discipline and in particular its basic HR activities and processes with the information technology field, whereas the planning and programming of dataprocessing systems evolved into standardised routines and packages of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. On the whole, these ERP systems have their origin on software that integrates information from different applications into one universal database. The linkage of its financial and human resource modules through one database is the most important distinction to the individually and proprietary developed predecessors, which makes this software application both rigid and flexible. HRIS Advantages Specialist can manage : compliance with federal and state laws streamline processes for recruitment and selection produce analyses data and reports for internal and external use ease of use for qualification computer technology specialists, accuracy of information ability to perform HR audits using any combination of parameters Employees and managers can locate answers and information quickly without the need to consult an HR representative every time. An HRIS can reduce the amount of paperwork and manual record keeping It retrieves information quickly and accurately It allows quick analysis of HR issues HRIS Disadvantages human error during information input costly technology to update your system malfunctions or insufficient applications to support your human resources needs finding a qualified specialist with human resources functional area knowledge is difficult. Unauthorized Access Specialized Knowledge Data Entry Errors The cost per-hire for another employee in a specialized field may be a stretch for some small businesses New Technology With the changing world and constant new technology that is available, managers need to be aware of the technology that will increase effectiveness in their company. Human resource information systems (HRIS) have increasingly transformed since it was first introduced at General Electric in the 1950s. HRIS has gone from a basic process to convert manual information keeping systems into computerized systems, to the HR Information Systems that are used today. Human resource professionals began to see the possibility of new applications for the computer. The idea was to integrate many of the different human resource functions. The result was the third generation of the computerized HRIS, a feature-rich, broad-based, self-contained HRIS. Many companies have seen a need to transform the way Human Resource operations are performed in order to keep up with new technology and increasing numbers of employees. Terasen Pipelines moved its headquarters from Vancouver to Calgary to be closer to the oil and realized a major growth in employees. In the past recording keeping was done on paper and with spreadsheets. Mangers at Terasen realized that there was a need to change to a more computerized system and looked into different HRIS vendors. By making the move to a HRIS system, Terasen is able to keep more accurate records as well as better prepare for future growth. WORKSource Inc. To meet the challenge of handling 100 new employees, WORKSource Inc. acquired Web-based technology programs from GHG Corp. like electronic pay stub, electronic timesheet software, time-off system, and human resource information system (Tips, 2006). By adapting these new programs, WORKSource was able to reduce waste and cost. Performance HRIS systems may track performance reviews and performance issues as part of its management of employee information. Higher-grade systems may also conduct mathematical functions related to this data in order to rate employees based on performance abilities. This information can then be used to make business decisions such as whether to offer an employee a promotion or a boost in pay. Employee Information All HRIS software maintains a database of information on employees past and present, including such data as pay rates, department, raises and personal information. Payroll Most HRIS software does at least some basic form of payroll processing. Payroll begins with tracking the time spent on certain activities, usually as reported by the employee him or herself. This reporting is usually done through some sort of software or web application, though some people track work time on hard copy forms that then have to be scanned or transcribed into the computer system. Payroll systems will also conduct necessary accounting and may even print the actual paychecks. Benefits Administration HRIS systems that conduct payroll operations also usually manage benefits information, such as medical coverage and retirement accounts. These tie in closely with payroll but are also tracked alongside other employee information such as salary and paid time off. Work Time HRIS systems generally include the capability of tracking employee work-time, especially where employees are paid hourly or are on contract. Types of Software HRIS systems come in a variety of software configurations. Some systems are hard-coded for local installation on a computer or network at the business location. Other systems conduct business online as a Software as a Service (SaaS) system, usually over the Internet via web sites or Intranet systems. Finally, some application vendors may provide service as a blend of these types of software. Modular Systems Different software packages have different capabilities, and some vendors may offer different tiers of service. Basic services are generally provided as part of a package with additional functions being available as modules that can be plugged into the basic package of software

Attribution of Intentionality and Theory of Mind in Pre-school and Scho

The ability of understanding intentions of others is very important for social development of children (Feinfield, Lee, Flavell, Green, & Flavell, 1999). By means of understanding intentions children can make sense of that people and animates are different from objects (Feinfield, et al., 1999). According to Shantz (1983), this ability is the requisite to understand morality and responsibility. To understand plans and planning we also need to have the ability of understanding intentions (Feinfield, et al., 1999). In addition, Feinfield and colleagues stated that acquiring the ability of understanding intentions of others is also important for the cognitive development of the children such as theory of mind (ToM) that is â€Å"the understanding that others have beliefs, intentions and desires different from one’s own† (Kelly, 2011; p. 5). For these stated reasons many researchers have conducted various studies about the ability of understanding intentions of others. Seve ral studies were carried out to determine when children begin to develop the ability of understanding intentions, which factors have an impact on this ability, how these factors influence the intention attribution and what the role of intention attribution plays for the associations between cognitive capacities and moral reasoning. One of the factors that are related to development of understanding intentions of others is theory of mind competence of the children (Kelly, 2011). Therefore, there are various researches that examined the development of understanding of intentions, its relations with ToM, direction of the relation and the role of the intention attribution as a sphere between ToM and moral judgment. In the present paper, the review of 9 studies that inves... ...ct Effect Theory of Mind and Moral Judgment. Psychological Science, 17(5), 421-427. Loureiro, Carolina Piazzarollo, & Souza, Debora de Hollanda. (2013). The Relationship between Theory of Mind and Moral Development in Preschool Children. Paidà ©ia (Ribeirà £o Preto), 23(54), 93-101. Phillips, W., Baron†Cohen, S., & Rutter, M. (1998). Understanding intention in normal development and in autism. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 16(3), 337-348. Shantz, (1983). Social cognition. In J. H. Flavell & E. M. Markman (Eds.), Handbook of Child Psychology, Vol. 3: Cognitive Development, 4th edition. (pp. 495– 555). New York: Wiley. Smetana, J. G., Jambon, M., Conry-Murray, C., & Sturge-Apple, M. L. (2012). Reciprocal associations between young children's developing moral judgments and theory of mind. Developmental psychology, 48(4), 1144.

Isolationism, Intervention, and Imperialism: Assignment Essay

Monroe Doctrine: statement issued by President James Monroe stating that the Western Hemisphere was off limits to further European intervention Intervention: involvement by a foreign power in the affairs of another nation, typically to achieve the stronger power’s aims Sphere of Influence: an area or region over which a country has significant cultural, economic, military, or political influence Isolationism: policy of refraining from involvement in global affairs Expansionism: policy of growing a nation’s physical territory or political influence Imperialism: policy of creating colonies in weaker nations in order to generate raw materials and have access to new markets Turner’s Thesis. – An idea advanced by historian Frederick Jackson Turner that argued that Americans should seek a new frontier, one in foreign lands; because this would help Americans maintain their inventive and energetic spirits Big Stick Policy: foreign policy under Theodore Roosevelt that used U.S. power to police foreign nations, particularly those in Latin America Roosevelt Corollary: policy put forth by Roosevelt stating the United States would intervene in Latin America on behalf of foreign powers if Latin American nations did not meet their agreements Dollar diplomacy: foreign policy under William Howard Taft that used U.S. economic power to try to shape international affairs Natural resources: materials such as oil, natural gas, lumber, gold, copper, waterways, and fertile soil that are native to a given place and can be used for economic benefits Markets: places where manufactured goods can be bought and sold Notes: Alaska Secretary of State William H. Seward signed the treaty to purchase Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867. Many Americans thought buying Alaska was a mistake. Alaska was barren and covered with ice. They called it names such as â€Å"Seward’s Folly† and the â€Å"Polar Garden.† The Russians agreed. They had decided to sell Alaska because they did not think it was profitable. But the purchase grew the nation by about 600,000 square miles—about twice the size of Texas—for only about two cents an acre. Despite low expectations, Alaska was rich with natural resources such as lumber, gold, copper, and other metals. Oil and natural gas were discovered in Alaska, which continues to fuel battles between conservationists and energy and mining interests. The discovery of gold in Alaska in the 1890s led to a gold rush. It also encouraged the development of Seattle as a major port. Pacific Islands – Midway, Samoa, Guam After the Civil War, U.S. expansionism into the Pacific began. Merchant ships sought places to refuel. Missionaries wished to spread Christianity around the globe. The United States began expanding in the Pacific with the occupation of the Midway Islands, located about 3,000 miles west of California. Just as merchants needed ports to refuel their trading ships, the U.S. Navy needed safe harbors abroad. The United States began working to gain control of strategic ports in the Pacific in order to meet this need. Small islands that had been mostly ignored by imperial powers thus became more valuable. Before long, the United States had established rights in Pacific island nations including the Marshall Islands and Guam. U.S. traders and missionaries stopped in Samoa en route to Australia. Rivalries among the United States, Britain, and Germany became heated in 1878 after Samoa gave the United States permission to build a military base in Pago Pago. To settle this dispute—but witho ut consulting the Samoans—the United States and Germany divided up the islands. Britain agreed to withdraw in return for the rights to other Pacific islands. In 1899, this division was complete. The United States annexed its portion of Samoa. Hawaii Missionaries and whalers were the first Americans to stop on the Hawaiian Islands. Some eventually settled there. American settlers also began growing sugar and selling it to the United States. Sugar became Hawaii’s most important export. Former Americans came to dominate both Hawaii’s economy and its government. In 1875, the United States and Hawaii agreed to give the United States favored-nation status. This allowed Hawaiian sugar to be imported to the United States without tariffs. In 1887, the United States pressured the Hawaiian government to allow the United States to establish a naval base at Pearl Harbor in exchange for renewing this agreement. This agreement ended when Congress passed the McKinley Tariff of 1890. Under pressure from U.S. sugar growers, Congress revoked Hawaii’s special privilege and forced Hawaiian sugar growers to compete with U.S. and Cuban  sugar producers. As a result, Hawaii faced a severe economic depression. To get around this tariff, planters in Hawaii plotted to make Hawaii a territory of the United States. Political turmoil followed as American Hawaiians clashed with the native government under Queen Liliuokalani. Over the next decade, sugar growers and other U.S. interests pushed to have the Hawaiian Islands annexed by the United States. Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1900. Japan Americans wanted to begin trading with Japan to grow their profitable Pacific trade. Japan also offered a place for fisherman in the commercial whaling industry to refuel. But for two centuries, Japan had isolated itself from the rest of the world. It limited outside influence by restricting trade with all but a few Dutch and Chinese traders. Japan also prohibited foreigners from entering the country. This changed on March 31, 1854, when U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry landed in Japan. Aware that it would be unable to defend itself and perhaps fearing war, Japan agreed to a treaty of friendship. China In the mid-1800s, China opened its ports to trade with the United States and Europe. However, China’s leaders were unable to keep foreign powers from taking over its territory. In 1895, Japan attacked China, taking over a large Chinese peninsula. China was severely weakened, and the European powers took advantage. In the late 1890s, European powers carved out spheres of influence in China. These gave European nations favorable-trade status. Many U.S. business and government leaders worried that they were not given equal access, so the United States proposed an Open Door Policy with China. This policy allowed all nations to trade freely in China. But European governments realized that the policy would greatly benefit the United States and take away the power that European nations had accumulated. Thus, they were reluctant to accept this policy. In 1899, a group of Chinese martial artists led the Boxer Rebellion. This violent uprising against foreign influence in China was put d own two months later. By then, however, more than 200 foreigners had been killed. Not wanting another bloody rebellion, European powers then accepted the Open Door Policy. The policy respected China’s borders and vowed to maintain its independence. Venezuela Venezuela and Great Britain had long disputed the boundary separating Venezuela and British Guiana. After a 509-ounce gold nugget was found in the disputed territory, tensions rose. Both countries claimed the gold was discovered in their territory. Eager to enforce the Monroe Doctrine and to keep Britain from gaining more land in the Western Hemisphere, President Grover Cleveland attempted to intervene. Eventually a neutral arbitrator settled the dispute. But the message to the world that the United States would enforce the Monroe Doctrine was clear. Virgin Islands When the Europeans began colonizing the Americas, many countries targeted the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea. The Dutch claimed the islands, divided them into plantations, and began to grow sugarcane there. The Virgin Islands were an important stop on the Triangular Trade routes that passed from Europe to Africa and the Americas. After slavery was abolished on the islands and the sugarcane plantations began to fail, the United States set its sights on the territory in the late 1800s. By 1917, the United States had bought the Islands from the Dutch. At the beginning of U.S. occupation of the islands, the U.S. Navy controlled the territory. Alaska purchased from Russia acquire land and resources Samoa agreed to split rights with Germany acquire ports in the Pacific China instituted Open Door Policy gain trading rights in China Cuba refused to support revolution maintain isolationist ideals Dominican Republic sent financial adviser Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine Hawaii refused to, but eventually did annex maintain isolationist ideals; gain valuable resources Japan opened trading gain trading partner Venezuela and British Guiana tried to intervene in dispute gained Monroe Doctrine Virgin Islands purchased from Denmark acquire land, military ports, and resources

My Riding Trip in the Mountains

My Riding Trip in the Mountains One day in April I was playing games in my room and my dad asks me if I want to go to the mountains to ride four wheelers and dirt bikes, and I said yes. So me and my dad walked up to the garage and put the trailer on the truck. The next day was Thursday and I had to load everything on to the trailer and into the truck. The first thing I had to load up was the clothes, sheets, blankets, tooth brushes, tooth paste, and a couple towels. Then I had to load up the two four wheelers and 3 dirt bikes that we brought. The first four wheeler I had to load up, I had to put in the back of the truck. So I went down to the first garage and got the four wheeler and brought it up to the trailer. Then I went in to the first garage and got the little yellow ramp sand put them in the back of the trailer. Then I got the big wooden ramps and set them up to where I could ride the four wheeler up on to the trailer. Then I rode the four wheeler up onto the trailer to the beginning of the yellow ramps. I got off to get the big ramps and set them up so that I could ride the four wheeler from the trailer to the truck. Then I rode the four wheeler up the ramps and into the truck. The next thing I loaded up was the other four wheeler. So I rode it up the ramps and into the trailer and twisted it side ways. After that I loaded up the yz 125 and twisted it side ways and did the same for the other two dirt bikes. I put the gate on the trailer, loaded up the gas cans, two cycle oil and oil and we were ready to begin our 3 hour ride to the mountains. At about 5:00 we began our journey to the mountains and it was a long boring ride. We arrived at the lodge around 8:30 because of traffic. When we got there we dot our blankets and clothes and went inside for the night. When we got in we each picked a room and put our stuff in it and went back into the living room and watched T. V. As about an hour passed we all went in our rooms and went to bed so we could go riding the next morning. The next morning some unexpected people came to the lodge. There names were brad and jess, and they had four wheelers in the back of their truck. Bra and jess unloaded their four wheelers while we unloaded ours then we went riding. We rode for hours, we went to a bunch of hill climbs, and we crossed a creek twice. We rode 20 miles away from the lodge into Orvinston where we got caught in a parade. So we started to head back towards the lodge and came to the first creek crossing. Brad went first, jess went next, and my dad went third, and I went after my dad but I laid my dirt bike over in the creek because I hit a big slippery rock. Luckily we had a tow rope in the four wheeler. I tied one en of the rope to the rack of brads four wheeler and the other end to my handle bars of my dirt bike and we tried to pop start it. The first couple of times it didn’t work but the fifth time it did so I untied the rope and ran all of the water out of the air box. I noticed that the whole crew was following behind mend then I came to the second creek crossing. I was scarred to go across at first but I did any way and every one followed behind me. I ended up leading the way back to the way back to the lodge, where we ate lunch and rested for about an hour. At about 2:00 that day we back out for another ride. We went up a couple of hill climbs and rode a lot of roads to get to a big mud pit. I rode through it a couple of times on a little four wheeler and got cocky. Bra asked me if I wanted to try his 600 grizzly and I did I planed across it twice and then brad yelled hit it with the throttle pinned, and I did just that. The next thing I knew the four wheeler flipped heals over head and landed on top of me. My helmet flew off and I instantly pushed the four wheeler of me with my feet. I was knocked out for a few seconds and I woke up under water. I managed to get my self up on to my feet and all that I saw was brad running through the water to see if I was ok. The four wheeler was lying on its side. I helped brad push it back over and start it back up. The four wheeler started right up and brad rode it out of the mud pit. I walked out of the mud pit and got on my dirt bike. My helmet was wet so I strapped it to brads four wheeler and we rode back to the lodge. Before I knew it our time to ride was over. We stayed one more night and packed everything up the next morning. Brad had one more thing to do before we left and that was to put a tree stand up for hunting season and I went with him to help him. That took about an hour and when we got back to the lodge every one was ready to leave. Brad locked all of the doors and the gate and we got in the truck and left. That was the end of my riding trip to the mountains.

Human motivation Essay

Success is not what we get, success is what we achieve and this success we get from Motivation, whether you are appearing for final exams, you are a player or a singer or in Army fighting battles in the field, you will reach the pinnacle of success only if you are motivated. Motivation is your desire and your impulse, which can make you break the icebergs. The word Motivation was derived from the Latin word â€Å"movere†, meaning to move. (Romando, 2007). There are many theories describing the human’s tendency towards motivation; but here I am dealing with five theories, which influences and determines the human behavior. †¢ Self Determination Theory †¢ Humanistic Theory †¢ Instinct Theory †¢ Cognitive theory †¢ Need Theory Every human being needs motivation to grow, which he attains from several sources like his own self -realization, listening to music, nature, Society etc. The influence of Society motivates the person towards actualization of their goals and allows them to make decisions. The self-determination theory has been into practice since last three decades and constitutes set of four mini theories, cognitive evaluation theory, organismic integration theory, Causality orientations theory and basic needs theory. (Faculty at the University of Rochester, 2007). As Shapiro in 1981 said, â€Å" The key issue for self-direction, is flexibility in psychological structures-the flexibility that allows ones attitudes to direct action towards the active achievements of one’s aims†. (Deci, M Ryan, 1985) Self Determination theory deals with the extent to which the inner tendencies of humans impel them for psychological growth and development, take most challenging tasks and integrate their life experiences for their satisfaction and fulfillment of their self. Although, these are natural tendencies, which determine and motivate humans but are only fulfilled by influence and support of the social environment. It is the society, which provides an individual healthy environment, nutrients and basic psychological needs enabling him or her to think and make choice independently and rationally. (Beck, 2003) Self- Determination permits the person to positively involve taking risks and incorporating in the social fabric of society. Especially for the persons with disabilities, self-determination acts as a medicine boosting their self-esteem. (Faculty at the University of Rochester, 2007) Another aspect to this theory is the value of risk taking. The self determined humans are also not devoid of risks too, their over confidence can take them on the downward slide of career path. External coercion, without giving independent thought too may affect humans psychologically and mentally. Humans also go by their instinct to accomplish a task or to move ahead in the journey of their life. Sigmand Freud and William James brought forth the instinct theory to capture the intricate nature of human beings. The inclination of humans to act and think emerges out from their soul. Their decision comes what their inner perception and inner self directs him to, for e. g. all the tastes and preferences of the humans come from their inner voice, which directs and helps the person to make choice. Scientists and Researchers have not yet come into any concrete evidence to support the instinct theory, yet it is true. Human beings going by the instinct avoids considering the cost of risk they might be subjected to. People neither make calculated move nor consider pros and cons rather they just jump into action what their inner instinct tells them too, which may not come out to be true. The value of risk taking is very high to the persons who are motivated by the inner instinct and its best example is death instinct theory propounded by Freud in 1920, whereby he stated that humans with their instinct go to the extent of loosing their will to survive. According to Freud, humans have two instincts: one is life-favoring instinct Eros, which in Greek means love and another instinct is Thanatos, which in Greek means death. It clearly shows that instinct theory is also risky. (Kastenbaum, 2007). If someone believes that â€Å"Perception is everything†, this means that he is cognitivist. (Heffner, 2004) Perception means to reorganize what the senses perceive into practicality. Your thoughts are your determining factor to take practical decisions and mould your emotions, behaviors and your whole personality. Cognitive theory depends on this perception. The theory states that by changing the thoughts, a person can change the moods, reduce tensions and anxiety and can develop good relationships. But thoughts can be deceptive too, and as said by Leon Festinger in 1957, â€Å"There are always conflicts and discrepancies between thoughts and actions or between belief and actions and we will act to resolve conflict and discrepancies. †(Huitt, 2001) The value of risk is imbalance between our thoughts and actions for e. g. persons’ thoughts would pronounce that smoking is detrimental to health, still he smokes this means he is conflict with himself. Every human being is born with his own personality and grows with his personality and has certain needs to be fulfilled, which motivates them towards the self-realization of their goals and for over all growth and development. The theory, which revealed this very perplexing nature, so intricately woven in humans is known by researchers and psychologists as Humanistic theory. Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) who came out with this theory too states that, â€Å"All human beings has â€Å"Hierarchy of needs to fulfill before becoming a self-actualized, fully able person†. (Mercury, 1999). Even Carl Rogers (1902-1987) echoed the views of Maslow and further stated that for development, a person requires an environment, which can give him ample scope for self-disclosure, recognition and understanding and without these even the healthy human being will fade, just like a tree which cannot grow without sunlight and water. The risk is as Rogers says people may face anxiety when they face the real situation, which can be contradictory. According to Critics, The humanistic theories are very optimistic, vague and are unscientific. (Mercury, 1999). Among all the theories, the most determining factor for the human beings are their needs, and the priority that humans show on their needs motivate them to lead their fruitful life. Maslow came up with a â€Å"Hierarchy model† on the basis of needs theory. These needs are psychological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs, according to this hierarchy. (Huitt, 2001) Once one need is fulfilled, it will lead to another need. But according to the critics this theory has several drawbacks. One person can have several needs at the same time, and can over lap. It is not necessary that fulfillment of one needs may actually motivate a person, as it is a human tendency that fulfillment of one need instigates the person to pursue in the quest for the acquirement of another need, and in this pursuit many persons may resort to anti-social activities harming the society. All theories came out with the one basic fact that it is the individual himself only, who in true sense is a force behind his own success and failure. All motivation comes from within individual himself, which is real essence of human motivation. WORKS CITED Becks Robert, (2003), Motivation: Theories and Principles (5th edition), Prentice Hall. Edward L. Deci, Richard M. Ryan, (1985), Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior, Springer, Inspirational. Richard Romando, Motivation Theory, Enzyne Articles, http://ezinearticles.com/? Motivation-Theory&id=410700 Faculty at the University of Rochester (Last Updated: 2007) Self Determination Theory: An Approach to Human Motivation and Personality. Retrieved June 30, 2007 from W. W. W: http://www. psych. rochester. edu/SDT/theory. html Heffner L. C. (Last Updated: 2004). I think therefore I have a Personality. In Cognitive Theory. Retrieved on June 30, 2007 from W. W. W: http://allpsych. com/personalitysynopsis/cognitive. html Huitt, W. (2001). Motivation to learn: An overview. Educational Psychology Interactive. Retrieved on June 30, 2007 from W. W. W: http://chiron. valdosta. edu/whuitt/col/motivation/motivate. html Kastenbaum Robert (Updated 2007) Death Instinct. Encyclopedia of Death and Dying. Retrieved June 30,2007 from W. W. W: http://www. deathreference. com/Da-Em/Death-Instinct. html Mercury M. F. (1999) Humanistic Theory. bbc. co. uk: The Guide to Life, The Universe and Everything. Retrieved on June 30, 2007 from W. W. W: http://www. bbc. co. uk/dna/h2g2/A147151.

Evaluate the importance of women disciples in Mark Essay

Evaluate the importance of women disciples in Mark - Essay Example In the Gospel of Mark, women are presented as the ones who faithfully remained with Jesus Christ during His passion till His death3. In the Gospel of Mark we read the following â€Å"There were also women working on a far off; among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less, and of Joses, and Salome; Who also, when he was I Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him; and many other women who came up with him unto Jerusalem’’4 . In the Gospel of Mark therefore, women disciples are contrasted with the male disciples who ran away during the passion of Jesus Christ. Even Simon peter, who had early promised Jesus Christ that he would never abandon him, eventually abandoned Jesus Christ. Women therefore are presented in the Gospel of Mark as faithful disciples, who are ready to endure all manner of sufferings for the sake of their faith. Again, as we have seen in the above quotation, the women who remained faithfully with Jesus Christ during his passion had been with Jesus Christ, throughout his ministry, ministering to him. This fact shows that women disciples were quite important in the ministry of Jesus Christ. Besides enduring sufferings and remaining faithfully with Jesus Christ during his passion, women disciples also discovered, as it were, Jesus’ suffering messiahship before the male disciple. On this view, the feminist Bible scholar Elisabeth Fiorenza in her book, A Feminine Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins, states that it was a woman who recognized Jesus’ suffering messiahship, and in a prophetic sign-action, the woman anointed Jesus for his burial, while some of the male disciples of Jesus Christ reprimanded her5. The women disciples in the book of Mark, therefore, are presented as having a clear knowledge of the mission of Jesus Christ as a suffering Messiah. In the Gospel of Mark, in the healing miracles of Jesus Christ, women are portrayed as a model of Jesus Christ’s

The Last Samurai -comparing and contrast between Nathan and I Essay

The Last Samurai -comparing and contrast between Nathan and I - Essay Example Captain Algren is called upon by the Japanese Emperor’s to train a conscripted Japanese army. This army was to quell Samurai warriors who are battling to protect their long held cultural traditions, including the western modernization of their nation. Captain Algren was captured during the battle and detained by the Samurai warriors. During his days in remand, he slowly understands and appreciates what the warriors were defending. Algren himself changes and gets assimilated into the Samurai tradition. He becomes one of the Samurai warriors, and he offers to fight against well-trained Japanese government troops alongside other courageous Samurai warriors. This paper thematically relates the life and cultural changes Algren experienced in Japan, with the cultural changes I experienced when I moved from Liberia to America. The journey of Algren, essentially, gives people an insight of the level in which the eastern nations value their traditional cultural beliefs and practices. They are proud to show that their old cultures are not old and boring, irrelevant and out-of-date (Zwick & Ed 17). The Samurais are part of the old Japanese tradition and it is their duty to defend their culture against any external threat. Katsumoto realized the need to protect Japan from a tide of western modernization that was slowly sweeping their country. Algren believes the ways of the Samurais will always be respected attributes and necessary (Zwick & Ed 18). Samurais deserve honor in everything they do: They are cable of conversing with foreigners in English, and engaging in a battle with trained army troops. Their identity and moral codes would be lost if they did not defend it. The main theme of the movie is whether to forget about the past cultural beliefs and embrace the future, or to stick to the old traditions (Zw ick & Ed 26). Cultural assimilation is one of the factors that significantly affect most people who move to settle in foreign lands. Every country and

Ethics Reflection Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics Reflection - Term Paper Example This situation does create the impressions that businesses do not really have a set of ethical principles to follow as it conducts it operations and that these do not feel any responsibility toward society. Such notions may be the result of certain corporations that are indeed callously advancing activities that negatively affect people while reaping great profits at the same time. One proof is the prevalent concept that, â€Å"from an economic point of view, one can only afford to be ethical as long as one remains competitive† (Duska 2007, p.62). In order to reduce the intensity of the conflict between business and other sectors of society, as well between it and the employees, there is a need to focus on the education and reeducation of the management and the owners on business ethics and social responsibility. Ferrell, Fraedrich, and Ferrell explain that â€Å"business ethics comprises the principles and standards that guide behavior in the world of business† (2010, p. 6). This definition emphasizes the need for companies to refer always to such moral precepts and standards as they embark on activities related to their respective businesses.

Economics goverment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics goverment - Essay Example Indeed, the defendants in the case, Carilion Health System defeated the U.S. Department of Justice by showing that hospital markets have unique characteristics that deviate from the norms of commerce. As such, in 1989, the U.S. Department of Justice failed to prevent the merger between Carilion Health System and another hospital in Roanoke (Eisenstadt, 1989). Hence, the two hospitals merged and continued to operate separately in Roanoke after the 1989 merger. However, in 2006, Carilion consolidated the two hospital boards and transferred most the workers and services to Roanoke Memorial Hospital (RMH). It also sought to buy the services of private physician groups. The CEO of Carilion Health System believed that medical staff could improve the cost and quality of care in Roanoke while operating in a centralized system. Because of the merger, there was no hospital competition in Roanoke. Subject to this, the cost of health care is on an all-time high and the health-insurance rates are very high in Roanoke, Virginia (Carreyrou, 2008). The Hospital Competition and Costs: The Carilion Case (1989) had fundamental legal issues as presented by the U.S Department of Justice (DOJ) and Carilion. The jury sought to litigate the issue related to the effect on competition and the presence of efï ¬ ciencies. Indeed, after the defendants and the DOJ have made their case, the court sought the jury’s advisory on three legal facts. The court sought an advisory on the correctness of the DOJ’s alleged geographic market, the DOJ’s assertion that the relevant product market consisted of only inpatient hospital care, and the consolidation’s likely effect on competition (Eisenstadt, 1989). To this effect, the DOJ had the legal burden of proofing that the proposed merger would lead to adverse competitive effects and would not derive

Imagine you are an OD Consultant and need to investigate the working Essay

Imagine you are an OD Consultant and need to investigate the working climate within a hospital. What diagnostic methods of data collection would you use Explain details giving reasons for your answer - Essay Example Moreover, as an organization development practitioner, one is required to be a little bit more sensitive and keen on how they handle and interact with the different groups of staff in the different departments in the hospital hence a lot of knowledge is required in such a situation. The first step would be to collect information on the current working condition which would be either using questionnaires that would be handed out to the staff and also a number of patients, or sampling where the organization development practitioner would interview a number of the staff and patients too. Using the questionnaires alone might have a number of limitations since the staff and patients are limited to the amount of information they give out, so it would be advisable to use both the questionnaires and interviewing (random sampling). Considerably, after collecting data, analysis will follow, which is a major process that requires a lot of focus so as to avoid missing out on the little but significant details that would act as a barrier to development. In any working hospital, they are various groups of staff; for instance, there are those that work during the day and others throughout the night, there are those in charge of the cleaning/ hygiene and those that conduct medical operations that might involve prescribing medication etc. Reflectively, with the different clusters the barriers of development may originate from the top level management or the middle level management and hence it is essential that the OD practitioner be alert and keen to figure out the source of the hospital’s problems. Normally, what should follow after this is feeding back data to the management first and then later on enlighten the staff with the findings; however, this is said to be the hardest part of the whole process since it might involve implementation of new ideas or even changing of the already existing ones. All the same, before

Women’s Influence on the Development of David Lurie’s Character (Coetzee, 1999) Essay Example for Free

Women’s Influence on the Development of David Lurie’s Character (Coetzee, 1999) Essay Lurie’s own conclusion motivated this examination of the influence of women on his character: â€Å"The truth is, he had never had much of an eye for rural life, despite all his reading of Wordsworth.   Not much of an eye for anything except pretty girls, and where has that got him?† (p. 218). Of course, the question of â€Å"where† is rhetorical, but the question of why the persona of the scholar no longer allowed him to indulge his â€Å"eye forpretty girls† was the central question in a novel focusing   on changes in South Africa since 1994, when Apartheid ended. The â€Å"scholar† with an Eye for Pretty Girls As the only boy in a house of loving women, whom he, in turn, loved, Lurie recognized that becoming a handsome young man made it easy for him to find responsive women (p. 7).   Based on his age in 1999, 52 years, his age for choosing a career was in the late 1960s, when South African white society was similar to societies in the United States and Western European democracies at an earlier time. Consider the kind of career which would not only permit an obviously well-educated and intelligent young man to pursue his main interest in pretty girls,† but also would enhance his ability to do so.   Lurie probably would not have been consciously aware of such a goal.   However, there are decisions that are influenced by unconscious motives (Hunt Ellis, 2004). In South Africa, when Lurie chose a career, the persona of a â€Å"scholar† at universities and colleges was esteemed and brought a life of privilege.   In a satire on academia that unintentionally mirrored Lurie’s approach, anthropologist Ashley Montagu (1959) advised young academics in the United States to â€Å"remember that your progress in Academe will depend not so much on your intellectual abilities than upon your skill as a personality that is, in the skill of displaying few assets in a convincing manner† (p. 10), where â€Å"a want of original ideas constitutes not the least impediment to productive publication† (p. 23). Lurie, after â€Å"a career stretching back a quarter of a centurypublished three books† (Coetzee, 1999, p. 4) he knew were uninspired and recognized he had â€Å"never been much of a teacher† (p. 4).   However, until Apartheid ended in 1994, the persona of a â€Å"scholar† was perfect for one who actually had only an interest in â€Å"pretty girls† (p. 218).   As an attractive man in an esteemed profession, â€Å"for decades the backbone of his life† was a result of a â€Å"magnetism [where looking] at a woman in a certain way, with a certain intent, she would return his look† (p. 7). The Women in Lurie’s Life The little we know of Lurie’s first wife was revealed only in response to a question about her, a brief response that she was Dutch and returned to Holland after her divorce.   We don’t know how he felt when he married her, but what seemed a genuine indifference and lack of interest suggested she was not an important influence on the development of his character. We know that he and his second wife, Rosalind, experienced passion: â€Å"His best memories [were of] Rosalind’s long, pale body thrashing this way and that in the throes of a pleasure that was hard to tell from pain† (p. 187).   He believed that â€Å"what held them together [was only that they were] two sensualists† (p. 187). However, regardless of her sensuality and of how old she might have been, she clearly would not have been described as a â€Å"pretty girl† but as a confident and independent woman who both had a mind and did not hesitate to express her thoughts.   Her influence on David’s character might have been in his developing the ability to have non-sexual relationships with adult women, as evidenced by his post-divorce relationship with her. Regarding Lurie’s own belief about the influence of women on his character, he concluded that he was â€Å"enriched† by each of the hundreds of women in a life consisting of sex with â€Å"women he has known on two continents, some from far away in time that he barely recognizes them† (p. 192).   Readers cannot know how each or any of the women â€Å"enriched† his life, but his choices were varied.   Before Apartheid, â€Å"pretty girls† who were his students were easily seduced because â€Å"scholars† still were held in awe. When black African students gained access to college educations, their experiences had not led them to idolize any white males, an attitude that spread to other students. When the demand for courses that could be applied in jobs after college was met, Lurie’s institution, Cape Town University College, became â€Å"Cape Technical University,† and instead of being â€Å"a professor of modern languages,† he became â€Å"a professor of communications† (p. 7).   With less access to young students, his â€Å"women† ranged from prostitutes to the unattractive, middle-aged country woman Bev, he described as â€Å"almost waistless, like a squat little tub† (p. 149). If one uses imagery in reading this novel, such scenes take on a comic tone.   Another example of visualization resulting in a scene turning comic occurred while Lurie actually was demonstrating a passion in creating a work of art as he wrote an opera about Teresa, the beautiful young countess who had been in love with Lord Byron. In the opera, he depicted Teresa years after Byron’s death when she had become unattractive, looking â€Å"more like a peasant . . . than an aristocrat† (p. 181), relentlessly singing â€Å"mio Byron† (p. 183), resulting in comic imagery.   The comic element was enhanced because While Lurie did know that Byron did not feel about Teresa as she thought he did, Coetzee did not write what he must have known Byron wrote to a friend about his embarrassment when Teresa called â€Å"out to me ‘mio Byron’ in an audible key† (1819/2009).   Sadly, Lurie himself came to realize that the opera was â€Å"going nowhere. There is no action, no development [and he] has not the musical resources, the resources of energy to raise [the opera] off the monotonous track on which it has been running since the start† (p. 214). Despite the comic imagery elicited when Lurie had sex with Bev, his relationship with her did influence his character.   In working with Bev (at first to satisfy his daughter) at the clinic where there was no choice but to kill pathetic, unwanted animals, he became able to form unselfish relationships with the animals. Earlier in his life, one event clearly did influence the development of Lurie’s character, the event of becoming a father.   The first interactions in the novel between Lurie and his daughter, Lucy, made one conclude that the one unselfish relationship he had as a young man was the father/daughter one that began with Lucy’s birth.   (It was not possible to find a reason for Coetzee’s obviously non-coincidental decision to have Lurie choose the name used in a series of rustic, romantic poems by the poet of Lurie’s academic specialty, Wordsworth, 1798-1801/2009.) Her brutal rape by black men (representing not racism, but Coetzee’s depiction of the after-effects of ending Apartheid) most certainly shook him out of his lassitude, but did not influence his character in the sense that his obviously unselfish concern for her well-being and his efforts to protect her after the rape were not unexpected. In general, however, Lurie’s character did not seem to change very much since the time he was a young man.   Toward the end of the novel, after he was not permitted to watch Melanie in a performance, his behavior demonstrated the character he had from the beginning.   After having sex with a young prostitute, he feels â€Å"contented†:   â€Å"So this is all it takes, he thinks.   How could I ever have forgotten it?† (p. 194).   Perhaps the most interesting question about the novel was how Coetzee was able to make an essentially superficial man into a complex, absorbing, and sympathetic anti-hero. References Byron, G. G. (1819).   Lord Byron’s letters and journals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jeffrey D. Hoeper (Ed.).   Retrieved March 17, 2009,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   from www.engphil.astate.edu/gallery/byron.html. Coetzee, J. M. (1999).   Disgrace.   New York: Penguin. Hunt, R. R., Reed, H. C. (2004).   Fundamentals of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   cognitive psychology.   New York: McGraw-Hill. Montagu, A. (1959).   Up the ivy.   New York: Hawthorn. Wordsworth, W. (1798-1801).   Lucy.   Retrieved March 17,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2009, from www.poetry.archive.com/w/lucy/html.