Personal Insight Paper

Through the StrengthsQuest progam Gallup has identified 34 themes that are the key to gaining direction in one’s life, building self confidence and finding success. This program helps to identify a person’s top five themes, which allows them to utilize their personal profile to benefit them academically, professionally, and personally. The Gallup StrengthsFinder Profiler identified my signature themes to be Achiever, Woo, Includer, Positivity, and Consistency. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter investigates personality differences, temperament and character to distinguish one from the other.I was classified as an ESFJ, a Provider. The Achiever theme accurately explains my drive to succeed and my determination to reach goals that I have set forth. I have always had a competitive spirit and strong desire to be the best at whatever I set my mind to. Whether it’s with sports or being nominated for an award, I want to win. When I was in the military, my supervisor s would say you want something done and done right; I was the one they would go to. They called me â€Å"their go to girl†. I would never deny or change this part of my personality.By being an achiever I have accomplished many wonderful things and it has helped me get where I am today. I can see where this part of my personality can be a negative attribute or an area of challenge, I find myself being very competitive and if I fail at something I am very hard on myself almost to the point of being devastated. The second theme of my profile is Woo. â€Å"Woo stands for winning others over† (Anderson, Clifton, & Schreiner, 2006, p. 69). While reading the main points of this theme, it was like I was reading a description of myself. I could not believe how accurately this theme described a dominate part of my personality.Woos are drawn to strangers, we want to know their names and get to know as much about them as we can. Woos are not intimidated by strangers, we are drawn to them. As a woo, I am not scared or timid around people I do not know, on the contrary, I enjoy meeting new people, talking with them and getting to know them. I love hearing their stories and the history behind the experiences that have made them who they are. As a woo I am constantly gaining more knowledge, wisdom, and an understanding of the people and things around me that I may not have known before.The only drawback to this theme is that I find myself having so many friends or rather acquaintances, that I only know the superficial aspects of their personalities and lives. I find myself envying others who have a small group of friends because they have a deeper connection with them, they know what makes them tick and they have a closeness about them that resembles that of a family. I would not necessarily change this aspect of my personality because I thoroughly enjoy being friendly and meeting new people and without the woo factor, I wouldn’t have these wonderful experie nces daily.I would like to work on building deeper connections with a smaller group of friends and develop that closeness that is missing from my life. My next signature theme is the Includer, which is another very accurate description of my personality. The includer does not like to leave anybody out, we are very conscious of others feelings, and we don’t pass judgment on others. I am very aware of other peoples’ feelings and I take it upon myself to make sure people feel comfortable. The includer does not cast judgment on someone based on their race, sex, nationality, or religion (Anderson, Clifton, & Schreiner, 2006).Since I can remember I have always felt very strongly about these issues. I believe that people should respect each other regardless of their differences. I often have a hard time understanding why people do not think the same way. Being an includer comes natural to me and I believe it is common sense and I get very offended and often hurt when I wi tness people passing judgment and not treating others with respect. My mother always tells me â€Å"I want to save the world and carry the world’s burden on my shoulders. † My fourth theme was identified as Positivity.It is pretty self explanatory and I was honored it was one of my five themes. I strive to be positive by smiling and speaking to every person that I cross paths with. I try to always give my children, friends, and co-workers uplifting words of encouragement although sometimes I fall short. While I was reading the section on positivity, I was able to relate with the points, that people in this category are generous with praise, quick to smile, and try to see the positive in every situation (Anderson, Clifton, & Schreiner, 2006).I can definitely see that positivity is one of the main aspects of my personality, and one of the aspects that I find to be the most rewarding. Lastly, my fifth theme is Consistency. At first I was unsure how this theme fit with my personality, but after reading the section in the book it made perfect sense to me. People who value consistency are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same, no matter what their situation in life is (Anderson, Clifton, & Schreiner, 2006). I find it offensive when I witness people being judged, treated differently, or unfairly due to their financial status, race, sex, religion, etc.The book states that, we see ourselves as guardians against it (Anderson, Clifton, & Schreiner, 2006). I find whether I am at work or at home, my friends and family always joke with me about fighting everyone’s battles. I tend to defend people who do not have the courage to stand up for themselves so I wind up fighting the battle for them. This is a trait I am proud to have, although I find that by taking on other people’s problems, or battles, I in turn take on an extra amount of unneeded stress in my own life. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter II questionnaire identifies your basic temperament type.At the end of the questionnaire it provides a combination of letters which describe your type of personality. I was identified as an ESFJ, (E) Standing for extraverted, (S) for sensory, (F) for feeling, and (J) for judging (Keirsey, 1998). These combinations of letters help determine your specific type of temperament. Temperaments are broken down into four groups: Artisans, Guardians, Idealists, and Rationals. ESFJ’s are placed under the category of the Guardians. Members of the Guardian group are then broken down into another four groups: Supervisor, Inspector, Provider, and Protector.This test classified me as a Provider. I read the section that described the attributes of the Provider and I felt it was another accurate description of my personality. Providers take it upon themselves to arrange for the physical health and welfare of those in need, yet they are the most social of all the Guardians, and thus are great nurturers and would do well w orking in intuitions such as schools, churches, hospitals, or social clubs (Keirsey, 1998). Providers are very emotional, conscious of appearances, and take the opinions of others very seriously.I am a very sensitive person and my feelings are easily hurt. I personally believe that one’s outward appearance is very important and do my best to make sure my children and I are presented in a respectable manner. I also take criticism to heart; I tend to worry too much about what others think of me. ESFJ’s need to be needed, and spend much energy making sure they deserve to be (Keirsey, 1998). Those statements are mostly true of my personality but the section in the book that discusses the roles of a Provider with their family, mates, and children were a perfect fit for me.When I read these paragraphs, I laughed out loud because it was so true of my personality and my beliefs. It was like I was reading an exact description of myself. I take my role as a mother, wife, sister, and daughter very seriously. I am a very loyal and loving wife and an extremely devoted mother to my children. I am amazed at the accuracy of this test and had quite a an eye opening experience, all the while, learning more about myself. Based on the knowledge and understanding of my strengths and Keirsey profile, I believe that my traits, would contribute greatly to a group or team.I am an achiever who has the drive, energy, and motivation to accomplish any task. The WOO in me, allows me to meet and accept new people easily. I believe my characteristics as an includer are also very important and crucial to being a team player. I want people to feel included and always try to make them feel comfortable. I understand that people are different and therefore will have different beliefs, but everyone should be treated with respect no matter what the situation. Positivity is another trait that would be beneficial for a team member to possess, I am always smiling and friendly with everyo ne I meet.I try to be optimistic and bring out the good in every situation even when it is hard for others to see the positive. Consistency is also important because members of a team should be consistent, reliable, and dependable. I strive to be all of those things with the team that I belong to at work. The aspects of my personality that are a challenge for me would be my traits as an achiever. By being an achiever I can come across as ultra competitive so I have to be conscientious about my competitive nature and try to contain it, understanding that I don’t always have to be the best.I have noticed that my drive for success and achievement on occasion has cast a shadow over the other areas of my personality that may be better suited to a group setting. Being happy for someone else is sometimes a challenge for me but I know that, that is one of my weaknesses and I try to make a conscious effort to control it. I believe that I am blessed to have many attributes that make me a good team player. The journey to self discovery and self understanding has been insightful, fun, and motivating.I have learned to embrace the strengths that I do possess and to try to enhance and strengthen the traits in others that I may be lacking. By better understanding the different personality traits and the different temperaments we can learn from one another and figure out a better way to solve the problems associated with life.References Anderson, E. â€Å"Chip†. , Clifton, D. O. , & Schreiner, L. A. (2006). StrengthsQuest. New York: Gallup Press. Keirsey, D. (1998). Please Understand Me II, Temperament Character Intelligence. Del Mar: Prometheus Nemesis Book Company.

The Psychological Effect Of Academic Achievement Education Essay

African American pupils have the chance to gain academic accomplishment awards where pupils of their ain race are their lone competition. Each clip they receive those awards, they are reminded of the demands that had to hold been met in order to make such acknowledgment. The GPA demands for these awards normally equal the mean GPA of their Asiatic and Caucasic schoolmates. Therefore, the criterions of these awards statistically pale in comparing to the accomplishments of the Asian and Caucasic pupils. Because there are no tantamount race-specific awards given to Asian or Caucasic pupils, it is clear that there is a disagreement in what society expects from pupils of certain races academically. These awards were created by organisations to actuate these pupils to go on their academic enterprises and possibly accomplish more. This survey attempts to measure the cogency of such awards by the specifying academic excellence for all pupils, irrespective of race. With research, the paper besides attempts to find grounds for possibly take downing the criterions for Afro-american specific awards. Taking in to account all the factors that contribute to a pupil ‘s motive, it is concluded that the awards could merely turn out to be uneffective. Michael-Ann Henry Ms. Emily Sigman Senior Independent Undertaking Spring 2010 The Psychological Consequence of Academic Achievement Awards on African American Students Over the past twosome decennaries, public schools and separate organisations in Montgomery County, Maryland have awarded African American and Latino pupils who display accomplishments in faculty members, leading, and sports. One of these awards was granted to an jock who maintained a 2.5 class point norm ( lone.5 above the ineligibility GPA of 2.0 ) ; another was rewarded to an African American pupil for geting a GPA of 3.0. These awards clearly exclude other populations such as Asiatic Americans and Caucasians. How is it that the pupils of those ethnicities, who typically sit on the more successful terminal of the academic accomplishment spread, are non awarded for similar achievements? Harmonizing to research, it is statistically more of a rareness for Afro-american and Latino pupils to achieve equal degrees of accomplishments when compared to Asians and Caucasians ( NAEP Studies ) . Because such achievement remains uncommon with the pupils of these races, the achievements warrant wages, in the sentiment of the organisations giving the awards. Organizations like Montgomery County ‘s African American Festival of Academic Excellence claim that they seek to â€Å" promote and help African American pupils to endeavor for academic excellence † by showing pupils with congratulatory certifications ( AAFAE Online ) . However, it needs to be proven whether these awards do actuate African-American and Latino pupils to prosecute more academic asperity or whether they set the saloon depression in a manner that indicates that it would be excessively hard for them to accomplish more like their Asiatic and Caucasic opposite numbers. Furthermore, a survey of the possible relationship between the awards and the achievement spread demands to be considered to measure the necessity and effectivity of these awards in our school systems. Challenged by statistical and psychological theories, the cogency of the awards and their ability to motivate more motive in African American pupils has proven, so far, to be uneffective.Context for Evaluation of the AwardsIn order to find the legitimacy of these academic awards as motivational tools, true academic excellence must be defined. A pupil ‘s grade point norm is normally the first listed demand for the awards in inquiry and therefore, apparently, the most of import and simplest manner to mensurate school performance.. In order to specify academic excellence in footings of a pupil ‘s grade point norm, the national mean GPA of all high school pupils should be considered. Harmonizing to an article by Justin Pope of the Associated Press, in the twelvemonth 2000, the national norm for GPAs was a 2.94. At that clip, the above norm public presentation could hold been defined by a GPA that surpasses 3.0. However, it was reported that in 2005 over a fifth of the high school population claimed to hold a GPA equivalent to an A norm ( Pope ) . Therefore, throughout this survey, a GPA of 3.5 is believe d to outdo represent academic excellence in today ‘s society, across the racial spectrum. In short, awards with this demand are less likely to be given due to racially subjective grounds or differing outlooks of pupils based on race. Students awarded based on this demand would undeniably be considered deserving of the acknowledgment that comes with academic excellence. Granted that academic excellence should besides be evaluated along with several other factors-such as each county ‘s assorted methods of making a class point norm, each instructor ‘s or academic section ‘s assorted rating policies, and the pupil ‘s single attempt and socioeconomic position to call a few-this survey specifically analyzes academic awards given chiefly based on grade point norms. Therefore, sorting a GPA that about indicates academic excellence for all races, a 3.5, is necessary to measure the cogency and the effectivity of the awards given to merely Afro-american pupils.Examples of Awards GivenWhile based on the national norm GPA, an above norm GPA would be closer to 3.5, most of the race-specific awards do non necessitate a GPA stopping point to that estimated pot of academic excellence. Within Montgomery County Maryland, the African American Festival of Academic Excellence awards high school pupils in this county who earn a â€Å" cumulative unweighted Grade Point Average ( GPA ) of 3.0 or above or a cumulative leaden GPA of 3.2 or above for all combined high school old ages through the first semester of the current school twelvemonth † . Besides in the Montgomery County country, the Iota Upsilon Lambda Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, a historically Black fraternity grants the undermentioned awards based on the corresponding demands: Jesse Owens Award for jocks with outstanding devotedness to sports and a minimal GPA of 2.5 ; Paul Robeson Award for minimal 3.0 GPA ; and the W.E.B Dubois Award for lower limit of 3.5 GPA. Illustrated in Montgomery County, the disagreement conspicuously separates the races that typically perform good at the high terminal of the accomplishment spread and the races that normally fall short of the criterions of academic excellence. The bulk of the acknowledgment given to African American pupils in Montgomery County does non run into the criterion of excellence that was based upon the mean GPA in the state. Hence, there seems to be a disagreement between the likely definition of â€Å" above norm † for the pupils across the state ( a class point norm of 3.5 or higher ) and the likely definition of â€Å" above norm † for African American pupils. Although the conditions of the listed academic awards still represent all right accomplishments, tantamount certifications and acknowledgment are non given to Asian and Caucasic pupils of in a similar race-specific manner. Based on informations from the National Assessment of Educational Progress ( NAEP ) , if organisation s were to give out the same awards to Caucasian and Asiatic American pupils that met the same demands, the sum of pupils that would have wagess would be overpowering. In contrast, there exists merely a little part of the African American pupil organic structure that reach the criterions of those academic awards. This disparity in the awarding system for pupils of different races nowadayss itself non merely in Montgomery County, but besides throughout the state. In the San Francisco Unified School District, the territory itself hosts a community event known as the Annual African American Student Honor Roll Parade and Celebration honouring â€Å" all center and high school pupils with a 3.0 class point norm or above for the past two semesters, along with the 10 top accomplishing pupils from each simple school in the territory † ( Robbins ) . However, the degree of acknowledgment seems indefensible when a pupil with a 3.0 does run into the same criterion to which other pupils are held for the non-race specific academic awards they would be eligible to have. Superintendent of Schools in that San Francisco territory, Waldemar Rojas, besides yearly presents a particular gold embossed plaque, â€Å" the Academic Excellence Award † to all Afro-american center and high school pupils with a 4.0 GPA ( Robbins ) . Even though the conditional GPA of this award seems to transcend the antecedently decided definition of academic excellence, in footings of GPA, there was no grounds that equal acknowledgment was given to pupils of other races who achieved the same. In Seattle Public Schools ( 2003 ) , â€Å" more than 140 African American pupils from Garfield High School [ were ] recognized for their academic accomplishment at the Ku'Onesha Awards. These pupils have achieved a class point norm of 3.0 or higher † sponsored by the â€Å" Parents for African American Student Excellence ( PAASE ) , a multicultural group dedicated to shuting the academic accomplishment spread at Garfield High School † ( â€Å" Seattle ‘s Public Schools † ) . Therefore, the incompatibility among the awards given to pupil of assorted races becomes clear when there is no clear tantamount acknowledgment for academic accomplishment given to specifically Asians and Caucasic pupils. It is apparent that there is inequality in the presenting systems across the state ; the Afro-american pupils get awards with less demanding conditions than what the national norm GPA implies the demands should be, while the pupils of the races on the statistically be tter side of the academic accomplishment spread, receive no acknowledgment for equal accomplishment. The latter pupils must vie with all races to have more requirement intensive awards ( Divoky 220 ) .Reasons for Race-Specific Academic AwardsIn order to decide the evident disparity, the grounds for presenting second-rate accomplishment ( or achievement deemed mediocre for pupils of other races ) must be analyzed. Why do organisations and school systems feel that it is necessary to allow race-specific academic awards to African American pupils? The allowance of these lowered outlooks and demands for African American pupils must be argued and evaluated by statistical and historical informations Sandra Graham, who studied motive in African American pupils, define motive as a perceptual experience of the â€Å" likeliness of achieving a end and the value ( affect ) associated with that end attainment † ( 57 ) . Thus we must dig into the factors that influence this perceptual expe rience of what can be attained. The deficit of internal motive for the bulk of African American pupils has been the beginning of argument of pedagogues across the state. One theory claims that within the African American pupil community, there is animus towards the high-achieving that stems from cultural associations, making an environment that discourages larning. Therefore, the awards may function as a physical manner to battle the verbal â€Å" put-downs † that can impede a pupil from accomplishing self-actualization in academe. Harmonizing to a survey performed by the University of Illinois, Afro-american high school pupils who considered themselves really good pupils were shown to be more likely to be the victims of verbal maltreatment from their equals ( Cherry ) . â€Å" The survey farther suggests that covering with classmate squelchs can do it hard for good pupils to larn while doing it near impossible for behind to catch up ( Cherry ) . Harmonizing Fordham and Ogbu who studied internal cultural pr ejudice, high accomplishing African American pupils tend to be labeled by their academic strive as â€Å" moving white † ( 178 ) . As clarified by Tyson, Darity, and Castellino, the formation of the term, â€Å" moving white † was portion of a larger oppositional civilization constructed by African Americans in response to their history of captivity and favoritism. The oppositional individuality was said to be â€Å" portion of a cultural orientation toward schooling which exists within the minority community † ( Tyson, Darity, and Castellino 583 ) . Thus, some African Americans claim that academic accomplishment should non be extremely valued in the community because such actions have been associated with the standard norms of success among Caucasic Americans. Therefore, academic awards, specifically given to African American pupils, may hold lowered criterions for retrieval to equal this force against instruction in the African American community. The end of t he awards in this instance would be to allow the pupil with assurance that what their difficult work in school is worth the possible ridicule because of the hereafter success. School systems and private organisations would make these race-specific awards besides to possibly excite motive when pupils face hard socio-economic and place environment related issues that result in less drive to win. As indicated by the U.S. Census Bureau ‘s survey of kids younger than 18 life in households, 27 per centum of Latino kids and 30 per centum of black kids live in poorness, compared with approximately 13 per centum of white kids. Harmonizing Graham research of the motive of African American pupils old â€Å" societal scientistsaˆÂ ¦found it easy to associate differences between Blacks and White persons in household construction to differences in their accomplishment demands † ( 60 ) . Graham cited George Mussen as holding conducted first comparative racial survey on the demand to accomplish, or a pupil ‘s motive. Thereafter, 18 more surveies arose that fundamentally tested for the same information, the degree of each race of pupils ‘ dema nd to accomplish. Seven out of 19 surveies, or 36 % , reported Whites to be higher in the demand to accomplish than Blacks, ( Graham 61 ) . Graham goes on to reason that â€Å" even though African Americans appeared to be lower in the accomplishment motivation in these surveies, they reported educational and vocational aspirations equal to or higher than their White opposite numbers. † This means that they were merely every bit likely as Caucasians to draw a bead on to travel to college and to come in high position professions ( Graham 66 ) Therefore the awards could be given to bring forth this demand to accomplish that compels pupils to hold higher aspirations and academic successes and hence associate the awards with the wagess that difficult work brings in the hereafter such post-secondary instruction and a steady occupation. Graham continues to indicate out the concrete correlativity between hapless socio-economic position and low motive. Therefore, the awards could supp ly the encouragement that their economic state of affairs knees. The Research Center for the organisation known as Editorial Projects in Education asserts that, â€Å" the disparities in accomplishment are frequently attributed to socioeconomic factors † . As referenced earlier, Graham noticed that motive was lower among pupils of certain socioeconomic position, non pupils in a peculiar race. Therefore, the academic awards do non necessitate to be race specific because race entirely has no correlativity to the deficiency of motive. While the proportions of African American and Latino pupils who achieve good academically continue to increase, there is still a clear disparity between those who are rewarded for their accomplishments with relation to ethnicity. Illustrated in Montgomery County, the disagreement conspicuously separates the races that typically perform good at the high terminal of the accomplishment spread and the races that normally fall short of the criterions of academic excellence. Harmonizing to the U.S. Census Bureau Ã¢â‚¬Ë œs survey of kids younger than 18 life in households, 27 per centum of Latino kids and 30 per centum of black kids live in poorness, compared with approximately 13 per centum of white kids. Graham goes on to reason that â€Å" even though African Americans appeared to be lower in the accomplishment motivation in these surveies, they reported educational and vocational aspirations equal to or higher than their White opposite numbers. † This means that they were merely every bit likely as Caucasians to draw a bead on to travel to college and to come in high position professions ( Graham 66 ) The Research Center for the organisation known as Editorial Projects in Education asserts that, â€Å" the disparities in accomplishment are frequently attributed to socioeconomic factors † . As referenced earlier, Graham noticed that motive was lower among pupils of certain socioeconomic position, non pupils in a peculiar race. Therefore, the academic awards do non necessitate to be race specific because race entirely has no correlativity to the deficiency of motive. Therefore, the deficiency of motive among African American pupils is non a subscriber to the accomplishment but the deficit of thrust in pupils who live in hapless economic conditions remains the job. Unfortunately, African Americans and Hispanics go on to organize the bulk of the economically down-trotted. Conversely, we must besides retrieve that non all African Americans are in economic adversity while there are several Caucasian and Asiatic American pupils in hapless socioeconomic state of affairss who can non have awards that encourage to them endeavor academically despite their state of affairs further set uping inequality within our school systems.The Academic Achievement GapAlthough it has been concluded that African American pupils are capable of bring forthing adequate motive for great accomplishment, despite some possible obstructions, the statistics still problem pedagogues as there st ill clear differences between the racial groups of pupils ( see Figure1 ) . Fig. 1. Swerve in Grade Point Average by Race/Ethnicity, â€Å" NAEP 2005 HSTS: Grade Point Average, Entire GPA. † NAEP. U.S. Department of Education. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //nationsreportcard.gov/hsts_2005/hs_gpa_3a_1.asp? tab_id=tab3 & A ; subtab_id=Tab_1 # chart & gt ; . The mean GPA for Asian and Pacific Islander pupils throughout the U.S. surpasses all other groups with a 3.16, a class point norm higher than most of the demands for the African American particular academic awards. Black pupils remain at the bottom terminal of the GPA spectrum with a GPA of 2.69. Taking this figure in to account, school systems and private organisations that create the academic awards in inquiry clearly must hold made the demands low plenty to do certain that there would be some feasible campaigners for such awards. But if these organisations continue to further the thought that 3.0 is an academic range, some African American pupils will ne'er make above that saloon. By puting the saloon at such a degree, I hypothesize that it sends a message to African American pupils that they are hardly capable of making their opposite numbers ‘ mean tonss.Why Awards with Mediocre Requirements Do Not Work As Incentives for EducationNo affair what the grounds are for presenti ng African American pupils for mean work, the permanent effects of such acknowledgment and attending on mediocre accomplishments have yet to be to the full examined. Based on psychological inclinations, trying to put extrinsic value on instruction, particularly through the representation of a simple piece of paper, in attempt to supply an inducement to larn proves uneffective with striplings ( Plotnik 333 ) . In order to bring forth more of an intrinsic desire to accomplish, Henry Murray ‘s original theory on human motive must be understood. He â€Å" observed that persons vary in their inclination or desire to make things good and vie against a criterion of excellence † ( Graham 60 ) . Alternatively of seeking to make an inducement to larn, pedagogues who desire to shut the accomplishment spread should arouse with the intrinsic motives within pupils by puting the academic accomplishment saloon even higher.

Rise and Fall of Civilizations

Chanelle Samuel The Inevitable Progression of Complex Societies Ancient civilizations and the civilizations of today all share a commonality. That commonality is that all civilizations seem to go through this pattern of rise and fall. The civilization will grow, prosper, accumulate wealth and power, but eventually due to a variety of factors including natural disasters, economic decline, invasion, and so on, the civilization will slowly lose power and land and relinquish any sort of ties that once held them together.This is clearly evident in most civilizations, and the civilizations that it is not clearly evident in are those that can technically be called civilizations today. But since they are still civilizations of today, the cycle or rise and fall may not be completer yet. This rise and fall of civilizations is an inevitable process that continues to be a factor in today’s world. For the purpose of this essay I would like to clarify the definitions of terms that I will be using.The first is the term rise and fall. I clarify rise to be when a group of people gains power over their geography and environment, are unified in some way, and have the ability to not only sustain their power but have the potential to expand that power and influence outwards. Fall will be defined as when a group of people have no potential to expand, are losing their sustained power, and when there is no chance for them to rise again.A harder term to define is that of civilization, but for the purpose of this essay civilization will be defined as occupying a geographical area, the defining feature of how that civilization responds to the challenges from their location, maintain a social organization (that may change over time), a common religion, a form of communication, and an economic system (that changes over time). So form this point onwards these are the meanings of the terms I will be using. Form the beginnings of time humans have aggregated together, and lived within f amily groupings.These groupings at the beginning were very small, usually only containing of one family. But as humans began to learn, with the innovations of new tools and ideas were formed, as well as the ability to travel in larger numbers emerged. These were known as the hunter-gatherer civilizations. They were nomads who continually migrated in search of food resources with the changing of the seasons. From natural progression some of these peoples evolved to stay in one area and cultivate crops that beforehand they had mostly gathered. They began to domesticate regional plants and animals found in the area.This transfer from nomadic peoples to agricultural settlements was the first real implications of a true civilization. One of the first agricultural settlements that expanded and became a prosperous civilization was that of the Indus River Valley in present day Pakistan and India. It was built on the floodplains of the Indus and Saraswati Rivers, which created a problem as l eaders would have to deal with environmental factors such as intense flooding during the rainy season. The civilization was at its height from twenty-six hundred to nineteen hundred B.C. E. , and contained as many as five million people. Its economy was based heavily on trade which they prospered from due to their valuable commodities of ivory, cotton, hardwoods, and precious stones. They also had a unified culture, art and script. As I have outlined here the Indus River Valley clearly meets the criteria of a civilization. Although the historical evidence for this society is scarce as we cannot interpret their script, it is clear that this society expanded and flourished with the help of an extensive trade network and a fortified city.This would constitute the civilizations rise to power and extension of that power from trade alliances. This led to the height of the civilization which was showcased with the societies planned streets, with complicated plumbing, bath houses, and assem bly halls. But by eighteen hundred B. C. E. the civilization began to collapse. The most likely reason for the collapse was due to environmental factors including constant river flooding which could be due to increasing temperatures that caused the Himalayan glaciers to increase water in the rivers.This then affected their ability to cultivate crops and had an impact on sustaining high population numbers and the effectiveness of trade. There also may have been earthquakes which changed the landscape and may have altered the course of the rivers. The Indus river Valley clearly follows the rise and fall cycle of civilizations. It came to prominence beside the Indus River and based its agriculture on the fertile flood plains of the river. It grew in power and influence as the wealth of commodities they held were traded with neighbouring peoples.But environmental factors caused strain on the civilization that over time they were not able to solve or cope with which led to the eventual d ecline and fall of this once thriving civilization. Another example of civilizations that followed the same course were the shorted-lived civilizations of West Africa. These civilizations prospered in sub-Saharan Africa around the Senegal and Niger Rivers. The first civilization to rise there was that of Ancient Ghana. It developed around the fourth and fifth century C. E. from nomadic peoples known as the Soninke banding together for protection.They rose to power as the kings of Ghana maintained a monopoly on the trade of gold. They were in a key location which contained some of the largest gold resources of that time, and as civilizations in the Mediterranean based their currency on gold, it was in high demand. This caused Ghana to rely heavily on trade for their economy, as Arabs from Northern Africa crossed the Saharan desert to bring goods from elsewhere and trade for gold and salt. But Ghana began to weaken in power as the trade routes shifted further east and also lost its tr ading monopoly on gold.In addition other peoples envied Ghana’s wealth and pressured Ghana with attacks that further weakened the empire. Soon after, Ancient Ghana was overtaken and swallowed into the Mali Empire, which had the same characteristics of the Ghana Empire. It also relied heavily on trade and especially that of gold and salt. And similar to Ghana the Mali Empire slowly weakened and another empire the Songhay Empire exerted influenced and encompassed Mali into their empire. The West African civilizations are characterized by short periods of power, and eventual decline and take over by another society.That is why some people and I believe that those three civilizations can really be considered as one larger civilization. When taken as one civilization, you can think of Ghana and Mali and Songhay as three peaks of this one larger civilization, but as Songhay began to lose control of the trade routes another rising power from around todays Morocco caused the final fa ll of the West African civilization. West Africa fits in as a civilization by having common language roots of the Mande and Arabic, as well as a tolerant religion of a mixture of Islam and polytheism.They were located in western sub-Saharan Africa and maintained a heavy reliance on trade for their economies. But since they relied so heavily on the trade routes through the Saharan desserts once they lost control of those routes, they eventually diminished in power, and were invaded by other powers. The third civilization I would like to discuss is the Mayan Civilization. Its geographic location encompasses todays Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico. It was established in one hundred C. E. in an inhospitable landscape.The culture was undoubtedly polytheistic as there were enormous amounts of natural disasters in this area which could be why a lot of their gods are angry and vengeful gods. Their economy was based on trading with the peoples of the north. They also established religious centers and the formation of city-states. Mayan society was very advanced but all technological innovations pertained to religion and appeasement of their gods. They had a unified written script which allowed them to communicate. The height of Mayan civilization was in three hundred C.E. and was followed by a period of decline. There are many factors that caused the decline of the Mayan civilization. Firstly, environmental factors played a large role as a period of drought commenced after many successful rainy seasons which lead to huge increases in the population. So when the drought hit and crops began to fail, there just wasn’t enough food to support such a large population. They also used slash and burn agriculture which only supports crops for a short period of time before that same land becomes arid and unusable.Also the arrival of the Spanish in Peru lead to the spread of epidemic diseases that the Mayans had no immunity for including small pox, measles, and chicken po x. Internal rivalries were also present which caused conflict and instability within the society. The Spanish also conquered territory and with their superior weapons and military they were able to defeat the Mayans. At the height of Mayan Civilization it is obvious that this civilization was strong and very advanced. But, like the other civilizations a variety of factors came about that lead to the decline and further more fall of the Mayan Civilization.However there are still people of Mayan descent that I do believe protect the language and customs, but Mayan civilization no longer has its own economic base or power and influence over other peoples or on the environment. And lastly, I would like to look at Roman Civilization. The Roman Empire was founded in eight century B. C. E. , and was originally a small city-state ruled by a single king. However, in five hundred and nine B. C. E. the city’s aristocrats deposed the king and instituted a republic. When the republican co nstitution was in place, Roman civilization really began to rise in prominence.Between the fourth and second centuries B. C. E. , the people of Rome transformed their city from a small vulnerable city-state to the center of an enormous empire. In early Rome, polytheism was common, which was their belief in many Roman gods, but as they conquered lands new religions were brought into the empire including Judaism and Christianity. They consolidated their power in the Italian peninsula, and expanded outwards to conquer lands. They absorbed the land they conquered and allowed those peoples to govern their own internal affairs, and if they wanted, to gain Roman citizenship.This expansion brought wealth and power to Rome, but also increased class tensions where the disparity between the poor and the wealthy, and also administering to all the conquered lands began to strain resources. The Roman Empire was based on trade, and since they had such a large territory there was a lot of specializ ation that allowed them to trade in many goods. But with the over reach of the Roman Empire and the strain on resources, the Roman Empire was just too large to control and maintain. Internal tensions and attacks from outsiders also led to the fall of Rome.I have just outlined four cases that come from completely different areas of the world in which civilizations have risen, reached some sort of peak, and then declined and eventually diminished altogether. There are many more examples of civilizations throughout history that have also followed this pattern, but does outlining the instances in which these civilizations became established and then subsequent fall really explains why rise and fall is inevitable in all civilizations? I do not believe it explains the inevitability part that I have mentioned.I think in order to really understand why civilizations are bound to repeat this process lies within the human psyche. Humans are essentially the most complex species on the planet. I t is our brain and the ability to make tools that sets us apart from all other species and has allowed us to grow and develop in the way that we have. But humans also have another side which is not as bright. It is our consumerism, greed, and the belief that our species is the superior species and therefore we have the right to do what we will.This belief in superiority and greed has led to an evolution where we do not take into account the environment and the land that gives us sustenance and the ability to breathe clean air. This dominance over the environment and superiority has directed many civilizations to their downfall due to overconfidence, overextension of their power, and overharvesting of their resources. An example I have already spoken about is Rome. The need to conquer more land, and their greed in gaining wealth and power by taking other’s resources only amounted in weakening the empire to a state that left them vulnerable to invasion and collapse.In Mesoameri ca civilizations like the Mayans, used the slash and burn technique in agriculture which had devastating effects on the land. The destruction of forests for agricultural land releases a large amount of stored carbon that will all be released in the atmosphere. It also extinguishes nutrient cycling by creating crop land since no decomposition of organic matters occur, the soils then become very poor and arid and makes way for soil erosion, and can also lead to desertification. The biosphere actually has a carrying capacity for each environment.A carrying capacity is the amount of individuals that can live off the environment in a certain area. Once that plateau is reached there will be no more food, water, or shelter for those excess people. The earth cannot just contain an infinite amount of organisms. It has a limit to the amount it can supply. Once that plateau is hit there is no possibility of growth or extension of power and influence unless people find a way to live sustainably . The progression of civilizations will not overcome the rise and fall course of development unless humans make a shift in their thought processes.As presented in this essay the evidence of rise and fall within a civilization is sound. From past civilizations the overexpansion, internal dissent, invasion, or environmental factors have been the cause of decline in all those civilizations. In the civilizations that still exist today; the human beliefs are still the same. There is still this want to expand, to exhibit a greater power or influence over others, and to gain in wealth. This consumer way of life is the mindset that leads to declines of civilizations. The exploitation of the environment including agriculture, fishing, metals, oil, nd logging is causing a degradation of the environment and could lead to the collapse of the last remaining civilizations. Unless there is a switch to sustainable living in which the environment can recuperate and replenish, there will be nothing l eft to consume and nothing left to form the basis of today’s global economic society. Therefore all civilizations need to live and grow with the thought that natural resources are not infinite but in fact are running out very fast. If humans continue to live as greed-filled, corporation based unsustainable societies then it is inevitable that they will all fall.

Actus Reus and Mens Rea Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Actus Reus and Mens Rea - Research Paper Example lt case, for instance, may say that he hit the victim unintentionally and hence did not have the required motive for an assault, or a motive to bring about physical injury (Allen, 2013). Nevertheless, if the prosecution can establish that the victim and defendant had been quarrelling immediately prior to the suspected assault, the intent can work as a circumstantial proof that a suspect truly did intend to hurt the victim. Otherwise, defendants can take advantage of the prosecution’s lack of evidence of intent as a ‘reasonable doubt’ to evade criminal responsibility (LaFave, 2006). This paper discusses ‘actus reus’ and ‘mens rea’ as depicted on the cases of homicide, murder, rape, and manslaughter. It also answers the following questions: why are individuals not punished for their thoughts? What are some of the reasons why law requires ‘mens rea’? Why is it difficult to prove ‘mens rea’ beyond a reasonable doubt? Murder is a usual crime which has not been identified by the law. The 17th-century definition of murder given by Sir Edward Coke is â€Å"†¦ the unlawful killing of a reasonable person in being and under the King’s peace with malice aforethought, express or implied†¦ is widely referenced. The actus reus is described by the first part and mens rea by the second† (Allen, 2013, 324). As explained by Sir Edward Coke, the mens rea of murder needs one component to be met—malice aforethought, whether overt or covert. Aforethought does not necessitate planning or thinking ahead of time just that the motive to murder does not occur after the action. The mens rea of unlawful killing is fulfilled by the motive to kill or bring about serious physical injury (Allen, 2013). Overt motive is direct, a suspect fires at the victim attempting to murder him. Motive could also be indirectly expressed by the suspect trying to bring about harm which leads to death (Brody & A cker, 2011). Nevertheless, problems emerge when the primary goal of the

Promotion of both new and existing products can standout without price Coursework

Promotion of both new and existing products can standout without price reduction - Coursework Example The development of such brands shows that promotion of both new and old products can stand out and result in immense profitability without an element of price reductions. The development of such brands by Apple, Nike and Wal-Mart among others continues to show the position retail revolution that continues to influence the nature of brand-customer relationship as the discussion below portrays. As explained earlier, price is an equally significant element of the marketing mix that influences the profitability of a product since customers often consider the price of products. Despite such basic understandings, modern marketing trends such as the evolution of retail marketing coupled with retail revolution continue to restructure the market place. Currently, marketers have succeeded in developing effective brand loyalty with customers who can overlook the price of a product. Such developments show changing consumer behavior and the consumer purchasing decisions. Additionally, the inception and use of social media in the promotion has succeeded in enhancing the process of developing formidable brand loyalties. The form of new media provides both retailers and manufacturers with unique opportunities to interact with their target customers thereby influencing the trends in the society. Effective brands influence cultures in the society with customers purchasing the products of a particular brand irrespective of the price of the products. Understanding consumer behavior and consumer buying decisions are vital in the process of developing effective brands capable of overcoming the allure of price in marketing. Consumer behavior refers to the study of organizations, groups and individuals with the view to understand how they secure, use and dispose of both products and services. Understanding consumer behavior and their purchasing decisions is the basic drill in promoting either old or

To provide an insight to the critical issue that the UK mobile phone Thesis - 1

To provide an insight to the critical issue that the UK mobile phone service providers suffer from high attrition rate - Thesis Example r may not hold the customer loyalty thus the only formula left for Vodafone is through the employment of surveys to determine the correct strategy to prevent attrition to another phone company. What have been determined is that there is another market that is coexisting alongside the cellular phone market. Cellular or mobile phone service subscriber attrition or the migration of subscribers to another mobile phone service provider is a normal trend that occurs if the expectation of the subscribers en masse were not met. This could be the failure of the mobile service provider to meet the very basic demand which is the provisioning of mobile service. Or the failure of the mobile service company to resolve long standing issues. Or the failure of the mobile service company to grow alongside their subscriber to provide the necessary technology or functionality and be the constant companion in whatever endeavor they would be engaged in. For whatever reason behind the decision to migrate t o another mobile service provider it is the failure of the mobile service company. The question this thesis is trying to answer is what strategy can be employed to ensure customer loyalty to prevent customer attrition. The last fifteen years has seen the mobile phone industry experiencing phenomenal growth in usage as well as in technological advances. From TDMA to CDMA from simple GSM to 3G or even 4G technology, the mobile phone industry has created a lifestyle and a social norm that permeate in every sinew of society’s collective consciousness. Not only would the demand for the technology increase the level of sophistication of mobile phone user’s need and taste, it will similarly increase along with what technology can offer. With roughly seven billion potential users worldwide the mobile phone’s market insertion only managed nearly fifty percentile. Mobile phone patronage is clearly dependent on what technology can offer as proven by the shift from CDMA to full GSM format at

Leadership Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership Evaluation - Essay Example This is just to show how different these criteria are and with them come different expectations and results. One such criterion that has stood out in the US is the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. This is the award offered under the Baldrige national quality program which is the nation’s highest presidential honor for organizational innovation and performance. Several companies have been awarded and their results have reflected their innovative attributes that were recognized under this program. One such company is the Cargill Corn Milling North America. A closer look at the company will detail how significant this award is and how leadership evaluation can be used to increase a company’s worth as well as output. The different strategies used will be highlighted and compared to the way the company has been operating since its inception in 1967. The baldrige Criteria for Performance and the Cargill Corn Milling (CCM): The criteria used by the Baldrige Progra m are mainly embodied in seven key areas. These are leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, measurement, analysis and knowledge management, workforce focus, operations focus, and results (BPEP, 2012). These areas are analyzed and assessed in that order in a way that shows their relationship. They have to look at the organizational profile since it sets the context of the way the organization operates. It is at this top spot that the guiding attributes are found, which allow one to venture into the company’s organizational performance and management system in a systematic manner. The performance system deals with different triads. First, there is the leadership triad that consists of leadership, strategic planning, and customer focus categories. If the leaders are not in touch with the way each of these three goes on, the company is likely to stagnate since operations will be stalled. The other three categories that are under the performance system include the workforc e focus, operations focus and the results category which form the results triad. These three represent the recipe towards the success of the company and should be idealized by the management to ensure each attribute is running smoothly and is devoid of any hiccups. It should represent a sure way of handling any queries that may arise and how to effectively handle them. These two triads are the core attributes that form the performance mantle. They directly link leadership to results entailing their interdependent relationship (BPEP, 2012). The system's foundation consists of the fourth category that focuses on measurements, analysis, and knowledge management. This offers the path through which innovation will take place and how crucial each attribute is towards the continuity of a company (BPEP, 2012). With CCM being in the manufacturing category, these seven attributes have to be intertwined to help achieve the best results and increase their market presence. The criterion stated a bove was applied in its entirety and the results were evident from the detailed report provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology which oversees these awards. The company has over the past few decades been on an upward trend with its earnings after tax nearly tripling from the 2003 to 2007 financial period. They have received numerous awards for their customer relations with each individual, from top to bottom

Informal interview Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Informal interview - Research Paper Example As human resource personnel, Mayjelyn had already encountered different people, personalities, characters, attitudes and more. Moreover, she already faced various challenges and opportunities as human resource development officer in the different companies she worked with. She is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She took up this degree program because of the belief that it is important to study human behavior. She always enjoys studying and observing people because it is here in this aspect of her life she learns more things. Human behavior for her is essential to be studied in every walk of life. She did not end up as psychologist in practice but ended up in the corporate world where hiring and understanding manpower has become more than just a lifestyle and passion of her life. Rationale The underlying principle of the proponent to interview a Human Resource and Development Specialist is the idea that there is substantial information that can be generated out from h er regarding hiring, managing and motivating people prior to the success of an organization. The proponent has in mind that in an organization it is important to understand the basic principle about hiring or recruiting manpower because every company requires different resources and the human resource is one of the most important resources that a company needs. Managing people is another important perspective that is taken into consideration by the proponent. In the corporate world, successful organizations have understood that there must be substantial knowledge to be given on how to manage the human resource. Another important goal of the proponent is to know exactly different strategies and factors that could motivate people. A successful organization is believed to have applied the best ways on motivating the human resource because employees are influenced to do things they are motivated at through taking care of their best interest (Bruce and Pepitone 2). Questions addressed to the interviewee Prior to the actual personal interviewee with the respondent, the proponent developed rapport and this created an impact why the interview had just flowed smoothly, allowing the proponent to generate important information for the following questions. 1. What is your own way of defining Human Resource Development? 2. So far, as HRD Specialist, what are the common problems you encountered? 3. What are the opportunities for Human Resource Development Specialists like you? 4. What do you think are factors that pulling away people to be motivated? 5. What do you think are the best strategies or options to motivate people? 6. How to enhance people’s learning and skills? Comments and Learning The proponent learned from the respondent that a Human Resource Department is a company’s portal to hiring, recruitment and taking care of the organization’s well being (Pasaol). The respondent encountered different problems within her four-year experience as huma n resource personnel. According to her, most of the difficulties she encountered are in line with hiring personnel and motivating them. According to her, it is difficult to hire excellent employees because excellent job applicants prioritize top calibrated organizations. On the other hand, organization is always faced with difficulty when it comes to motivating manpower. According to her this puts the Human Resource and Development Department in a substantially high pressure to think of different possibilities. Even though

Technology, Literacy, Authentic Assessment Article

Technology, Literacy, Authentic Assessment - Article Example The Shanahans drew their population from grade, middle, and high school students (Timothy and Cynthia, 2012). The article deduced that teaching disciplinary literacy would offer learning benefits middle and high school students. The article provides keywords expected to be found by readers throughout the article, which is positive because it prepares them. The keywords are terms that the Shanahans consider important for understanding disciplinary literacy. I found it also helpful that the article does not contained any other unexplained terminology or complex diction, which makes it simpler for the average reader to understand it. The only downside I witnessed with the article is the authors’ professional-amateur contrast wherein they gathered open information. Here, the authors do not succeed in linking experts’ â€Å"illiteracy† in disciplinary literacy to teachers’ tools or solutions for teaching their classes today. The article could have used a quantitative approach for this particular section to establish a thorough demonstration of responsibility for disciplinary illiteracy amongst schools today. Researchers William R. Watson, Christopher J. Mong, and Constance A. Harris conducted the study at a remote high school in a small town in the Midwestern United States. The study was aimed at exploring the situation of a second-years high school class. Watson, Mong, and Harris used a population of four classes by a specific teacher with each an estimated count of 25 students (Watson, Mong, and Harris, 2011). The study was conducted by analyzing a video game made for academic purposes pertaining to the Second World War called Making History. Watson, Mong, and Harris collected observational data, focus group and questionnaire fillings, and record reviews. The study found out that using video games to teach in classrooms leads to a change from a conventional teacher-focused learning

Role of Entrepreneurs in Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Role of Entrepreneurs in Organizations - Essay Example An entrepreneur is a person who organizes and mobilizes resources-people, money, skills, ideas and market to create something that did not exist before and which is feasibility profitable.( Academy of engineering, 1978).An entrepreneur according to Drucker(1985) is someone who perceives and exploits opportunities. This implies that an entrepreneurship is a process of creating new and valuable things which includes ideas and converting into a usable product that satisfy a need (Hisrich and Peter, 1985). The increasing importance of entrepreneurship accentuates why small ventures are growing at a faster rate than larger organizations. A similar survey indicates that over the last decade, small ventures created more jobs than the larger which instead, continues to lose jobs (Drucker, 1985). Furthermore, the changes in the business environment such as harsh global as well as the local competition, sudden and unexpected alteration of demand, the rapid acceleration of technological develop ment and increase in risks. Innovation and creativity have become essential for survival, growth and profitability in today’s business world as evidenced in the leadership styles, product and market development strategic moves and innovations and immense creativity. Another feature of that has changed the face of entrepreneurs in an organization is the growing networking. This network can be characterized by increasing market forces, co-operation between firms, collaboration for research and development, subcontracting, outsourcing and strategic alliances that have leapfrogged firm’s profitability and ironed further the roles that entrepreneurship performs in organizations. As no firm can really operate on its own, each depends on the other for survival in the competitive world. Question two There are various types of entrepreneurs. The scope of entrepreneurs is determined by the nature of the business venture, the ‘real’ objective of starting up the busin ess. First, there is a business entrepreneur. This is entrepreneurs who conceptualize of a business idea, start and manage the business. In business arena, they generate noble ideas, exchange goods and services with tailoring all the marketing and brand building to attract and increase the sales volume of their products. They manufacture and innovates new and unique products and services which satisfy the customers’ needs by alleviating the prevailing problems. For instance, Sir Branson of UK serves as an imperative example. Business entrepreneur plans, organize, develop and manages corporate affairs with immense creativity and skill that champion their corporate firms into profitable ventures. For instance, former General Electric long-serving CEO, Jack Welch who stirred the firm into greater heights in performance. Second, there are technology-based entrepreneurs endowed with skill and high technical knowledge in technology. The technical entrepreneur poses high skills in p roduct crafts and focuses mainly on the product design and development so as to supply the market with sophisticated products. The non-technical entrepreneurs focus on the non-technical aspects such as marketing, distributions and pricing strategies to promote the sales of the product while the professional entrepreneurs are the one who creates new technology or an idea and sells to others in form patents and other copyrights. Third, there are motivational based entrepreneurs. First, pure motivational entrepreneur create jobs for other rather than seeking a job for himself. They pose a high desire to create a new venture or an idea that will create jobs and improve the living standards for others. Others in this category include ,induced entrepreneurs who are encouraged by the government to invest in

Modern public life Essay Example for Free

Modern public life Essay Modern Public life could not exist or function properly without the Media In this essay I will be discussing the above statement and arguing that without Media, modern public life could not exist. I will first explain some key terms to help in the argument including explaining the meaning of the term Public Life. According to the Collins Dictionary The Public is people in general or the people of a particular place. Public is used to talk about the feelings and behaviours of people in general. If someone is a public figure or is in public life, they are well known. Public is used to talk about things being said or done so that everyone can hear them or see them. What is meant by the term Public Life is a space where a body of people can come together to discuss issues relating to their group. These groups can be very small like a book club or large like the United Nations and they can discuss anything from the latest Bryce Courtney novel to world peace. Geoffrey Craig in his book The Media Politics and Public Life explains the concept of public life as: .. A body of people within a society and a domain within which debate about that society occurs The public is also a subject, and people come together as a public in modern times when they engage in readings of the events, the stories and the debates that circulate in the society. (2002. P49) Public life occurs where private issues are brought to the attention of the general public through the use of the media. Without out the media it would be private life, not public life. Media, as defined by the Collins dictionary is the plural of medium which is a means of communicating or teaching something. When we talk about the media we do not just use traditional forms of media like newspapers, television and radio but we also use other forms of media like movies, the internet, transnationals companies and communication technologies. All of these forms of media are sites where the meanings of public life are played out, debated and evaluated. Our everyday lives could not function properly without the media. Media is a drug that we cannot live in a democratic society without. We listen to the radio on the way to work to hear the traffic reports and to know where the multi-novas are hidden. When election time comes, we cant invite John Howard round for dinner to discuss his policies so we rely on the media to show us them through television radio and newspapers. When a cyclone is coming our way, how do we know to lock up the house or leave town? The media inform us. Even the very early smoke signals were a form of media, a form of communication. It is important to stress here that there is no way that public life could function without the use of the media as the understandings of our society, the norms and values of the world in which we live are the products of living in a mediated world. We as a public only ever see the representations of a breaking story through the television or in the paper. We rely on the media to tell us breaking stories that are happening around the world because of our geographical locations. John Hartley (1992 P1) has noted: while [the public domain and the public] dont exist as spaces and assemblies, the public realm and the public are still to be found, large as life in the media. Television, popular newspapers, magazines and photography, the popular media of the modern period, are the public domain, the place where and the means by which the public is crated and has its being. In talking about public life we must clarify the notion of having a public sphere. By public sphere we mean any activities that occur in the public eye or that is brought to the attention of the public through the media. Habermas argues that the original public spheres originated with the early Bourgeois movement in the tea houses, libraries and reading societies in England. It was here where people gathered to discuss issues concerning their lives and the society in which they lived. What made this a public sphere was that the people were all gathered in one place discussing issues that were relevant to them. Although this was regarded as one of the original democracies that were a voice for the people, Habermas also understood that the early tea house publics were not totally representative of the communities for which they were fighting for. In the early days women were not included in the tea house discussions, also, only a certain class of people were allowed to enter the tea houses and those that could not read would not need to go to reading houses or libraries. Of course those that could not travel to these public events had no said either. This limited the voice of the people to only those that were upper-class, well educated men that could travel. This was not representative of the wider communities. The next stage in the evolution of public life was when the printing presses made literature available to the mass public. This literature was free from state control and was the newest site for public life to be played out on. Of course if you were illiterate the medium was useless but for those that could read and had access to the literature a new public was formed. The reading public was not tied by geographical restrictions. The development of film was again a new medium that with it brought a new public. By now we have to understand that there are a huge amount of publics that all have their own issues to debate. A person can be part of a number of publics at one time. She may be a single mother, working at the supermarket, she is part of the conservative party, is a part of a sci-fi reading club, she buys Thai cooking books, buys red wine and goers to wineries, is part of a mothers group at day care, has a network of other single friends on the internet and is part of a union at work. All of these publics want very specific things and all lobby for different things, the private issues become public when they are played out through the different types of media. Without the media the issues would not be brought into the public spotlight and would likely not be resolved. It is essential to point out that modern public life is played out through our media consumption and not through our everyday experiences. We collectively watched the September 11 attacks through our televisions, listened to the disaster unfold on our radios and read about and saw the pictures of the devastation in newspapers. Without these sites we would not have experienced it at all. This highlights the fact that we rely on the media to get information that would not readily be available to us. Peter Dahlgren argues that the public sphere is not just a marketplace for ideas or an information exchange depot but also a major societal mechanism for the production and circulation of culture. This idea of the media framing culture is very important because it gives the media great power to give meaning to our identities. Culture, which consist of ideas, customs, norms, values and attitudes are shared by the people of a particular country. Campaigns that promote a type of culture are often produced by government and portrayed through various media outlets. Popular campaigns that frame our culture are the domestic violence ad Australia says NO to domestic violence and the drink driving campaign, that enforce that fact that those things are going against our culture and that that type of behaviours is not accepted. These campaigns are dependant on the media getting the message out there. The main media technologies that are responsible for the communication of public news are television, radio and print and these all function as journalism. These are seen as the most trustworthy sources of information as they are governed by laws that protect privacy, defamation and the use of misleading information. Journalisms main role is to seek the truth and tell the masses. Although these forms of media are self regulated (to be free of outside influence) their guidelines that journalists have to abide by are strict to keep the freedom to self regulate. Television is the most powerful mass medium and is an absolute must in every household. In my house alone there are four televisions and there are only 2 people living there. A productivity commission report found that Australias spend over 20 hours per week or 36% of their leisure time watching television(Productivity Commission 200, P62). The ability to actually see an event or person and hear them speak makes television the most trustworthy of the media outlets. Politicians often measure the success of a campaign on the presentation of their image/policy/media events. Although television has taken over from the print media as the most popular type of news media, many argue that the print media are the most influential mass medium for political debate. Agenda setting for the day is mostly done by the quality morning newspapers. Newspapers are often more detailed in their dissemination of public life because they are not restricted by the time factor that is TV. Radio is the secret weapon in the fight for a public life. The radio doesnt have the ability to show the audience an event or doesnt even give them a chance to read about an issue but it is the most pervasive forms of media as it can be listened to whilst driving or doing the housework. Politicians often use talkback radio as a direct link to the public. It is often the closet the general public will get to speaking with high profile players. Because the media is the chief agency to communicate public life and the world that we know is based on the representations of the media, there is much scrutiny placed on the authenticity of the stories that are shown to us. In Australia there are laws that ensure that one source does not have monopoly over the content of our media, Australias former prime minister Paul Keating put it best when he said that the cross ownership laws meant you could be a prince of print or a queen of screen but not both. This means that one person will not be in control of all of the media of our country and so a true representation of societys issues would be presented by the media. Again without the media, Australia would not be able to be a democratic society and have a public life. Through many different sites issues and events are played out and become open to the scrutiny of the general public. These different issues and events create discussion between the people that read or hear about them and this is what is meant by a public life. People that are hundreds of miles away from each other can be discussing the same issues without even having to talk to one another. These systems of communication enable us to live in a democratic society, a society where we can chose who leads us in government and we can discuss issues relating to our society. This would not happen if wasnt for the role of the media. Without the media to portray issues and events we would never hear about a sale on in the city or about governmental policy that is set to affect us all. Public life as we know it would not be able to function properly without the media. References Craig, Geoffrey. Chapter 1, 2 and 3. The Media, Politics and Public Life. Victoria: Allen and Unwin, 2004. Cunningham, Stuart and Graeme Turner. The Media and Communications in Australia. St Leonards, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 2002. Dahlgren, Peter. Television and the Public Sphere: Citizenship, Democracy and the Media. London: Sage, 1995 Grossberg, Lawrence, Ellen Wartella and D. Charles Whitney. The Media and the Public. Media Making: Mass Media in a Popular Culture. Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage, 1998. 357-374 Habermas, Jurgen. The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into the Category of Bourgeois Society. Trans, T. Burger. Cambridge: Polity, 1992. Scannell, Paddy. Public service broadcasting and modern public life Media, Culture and Society. 11(1989):135-166. Thompson, John. The Media and the Development of the Modern Societies The Media and Modernity. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1995. 44-69 Wark, McKenzie. Celebrities, culture and cyberspace: the light on the hill in a post-modern world. Sydney: Pluto Press, 1999. 128-136 http://malagigi. cddc. vt. edu/pipermail/icernet/2004-January/002743. html http://www. zip. com. au/~athornto/thesis2. htm http://www. gseis. ucla. edu/faculty/kellner/kellner. html.

Visions and Missions Essay Example for Free

Visions and Missions Essay Apple- Mission Statement: Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings. How we calculate our carbon footprint. To accurately measure a company’s environmental footprint, it’s important to look at the impact that company’s products have on the planet. For the past three years, Apple has used a comprehensive life cycle analysis to determine where our greenhouse gas emissions come from. That means adding up the emissions generated from the manufacturing, transportation, use, and recycling of our products, as well as the emissions generated by our facilities. Weve learned that about 98 percent of Apple’s carbon footprint is directly related to our products. The remaining 2 percent is related to our facilities. Samsung- We will devote our human resources and technology to create superior products and services, thereby contributing to a better global society. Since its founding in 1938, SAMSUNG has maintained a mission statement that responds both to its own change, and to new developments in the world: Economic contribution to the nation, Priority to human resources, Pursuit of rationalism. Each slogan represents significant moments in SAMSUNGs history, reflecting different stages of the companys growth from a domestic industrial leader into a global consumer electronics powerhouse. In the 1990s, we transformed our mission statement to keep pace with our growing global operations, rapid changes in the world economy, and escalating competition from well-established rivals. Samsung Management Philosophy: We will devote our human resources and technology to create superior products and services, thereby contributing to a better global society. SAMSUNG management philosophy represents its strong determination to contribute directly to the prosperity of people all over the world. The talent, creativity and dedication of SAMSUNG people are key factors to its efforts, and the strides theyve made in technology offer endless possibilities to achieve higher standards of living everywhere. SAMSUNG management believes that the success of SAMSUNG contributions to society and to the mutual prosperity of people across national boundaries truly depends on how they manage their company. SAMSUNG goal is to create the future with its customers. Rimm- Mission Statement: Research In Motion (RIM) is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, text messaging (SMS and MMS), Internet and intranet-based applications. RIM technology also enables a broad array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity to data HTC- HTC Company Origins and Point of View Founded in 1997, HTC built its reputation as the behind-the-scenes designer and manufacturer of many of the most popular OEM-branded mobile devices on the market.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Since 2006, we have regularly introduced many critically acclaimed mobile devices under our own brand, and our portfolio includes smartphones and tablets powered by the Android or Windows Phone operating systems.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨We are dedicated to enabling a customized user experience based on the belief that each mobile device needs to fit its owner, and not the other way around. What we make is not merely the product of focus group tests, but of observing and honoring how individuals choose to interact with technology.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Our customers guide everything we do at HTC, and it’s this commitment that defines the company. Success Starts Where It Ends: With the Customer Strong recommendations from retailers, press reviews, consumer opinions, and friends and family, contribute to a high rate of product referrals, brand recognition and ongoing momentum. Combined, these recommendation channels nourish the connection between HTC and its discerning community as market share increases. And because we invest wholeheartedly in refining the personalized communications experience, we champion the customer as the hero through every stage of innovation. Dedication to Experiential, Interactive Design A focus on product design with performance, endurance, craftsmanship, and intuitive tools and interfaces ensures an elegant experience in a beautiful, minimalist package. HTC contributes a variety of innovations that include an amazing camera — cameras that rival leading point-and-shoot models and HD video that turns mobile screens into intimate, state-of-the-art theaters. And we make authentic sound a priority — we integrate Beats technology because it’s not just the music you play that matters, but also the quality of the sound. We recognize that, for our customers, a mobile device isn’t just a smartphone but an A/V entertainment system, communications control center and important instrument of individual expression, all in one. Innovation Through Collaboration Our longstanding working relationships with fellow technology leaders such as Google, Microsoft and Qualcomm are more than strategic partnerships: They serve as active labs of research and development and product evolution. At HTC, collaboration is a means to a very important end: creating a holistic experience for the customer. Our partnerships ensure that hardware, software, and content management and delivery systems are united in seamless and intuitive ways that give consumers control. Empowering the Most Personal Experience Discovering the best ways to integrate state-of-the-art technologies with effortless user experiences has always been, and will always be, our passion. New products simply enable and enhance these experiences. And when our customers share their personal experiences with our products, they speak with passion and conviction. That’s why we encourage, embrace and celebrate users sharing their perspectives. The strength of the HTC community lies in its authenticity; it’s the most accurate and honest voice of real-world understanding available. We insist on seeing through the eyes of this community, because doing so teaches, challenges and prods us to get better at what we do — empowering our customers through personal experience.

Benefits of Tourism in Singapore

Benefits of Tourism in Singapore 1.0Â  Introduction 1.1Definition of Tourism industry Tourism refers to the movement of people from different social and cultural background travelling out of their usual environment staying in a different place for business, personal, or professional reasons. These people are commonly referred to as tourist. Their actions in the country they visit affects the local economic market as they carry out their activities, as most of which may require them to spend money thus increasing the expenditure in the local markets which in turns boosts the GDP of the respective country (Media.unwto.org, 2014b). Therefore the tourism industry is formed to cater to the needs and demands of locals and tourists in terms of products and services and is defined as such in this report. 1.2 What does the tourism industry mean to Singapore? As Singapore lacks natural resources, the tourism industry serves as an integral factor that acts as a crucial pillar for the economy of Singapore. It contributes an estimated 4% to the gross domestic product of Singapore and also provides jobs to about 160,000 people. The tourism industry serves to reaffirm Singapore’s position as a global cosmopolitan city that is dynamic, able to cater to the locals’ and tourists’ demands for leisure, entertainment, giving consumers enhanced quality and diversity in terms of leisure creating a wider range of options creating a vibrant living environment that Singaporeans can proudly call home (Stb.gov.sg, 2014). 2.0Â  Economic Impact Analysis Four types of Economic Impacts that Tourism have on the economy 1-Direct contributions Tourism’s direct contributions are results of revenue earned from tourists’ expenditure by businesses like hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, transportation services, cultural / sports and recreational services. 2-Indirect contributions Some of the indirect contributions derive from investment spending from the businesses of the travel and tourism, Government expenditure in the form of investment to improve or enhance the industries. 3-Induced contributions The direct and indirect employees involved in this sector then in turn contributes to the consumption by spending their wages on food and beverages, recreational activities, clothes, housing and household goods. 4-Total contributions Therefore the total contributions from the direct, indirect and induced contributions will in turn affect the GDP and the employment rate as they affect various factors of the GDP equation which also affects the production rate thus increasing the GDP and employment rate in a situation when there is an increase in revenue and demand from tourist and with certis paribus assumed. 2.1 Contributions to Singapore’s GDP The latest press release by UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, shows that expenditure receipts international visitors spent on food and beverages, services, entertainment, accommodations and much more totaled up to an estimated SGD$ 1,455 billion during 2013. And that the growth rate of receipts experienced a 5% increase from 1035 million during 2012 to 1087 million during 2013(Media.unwto.org, 2014a). According to an economic report by Singapore’s Travel and Tourism Economic Impact report 2014, in 2013 travel and tourism’s direct contribution to Singapore’s GDP was SGD$ 19.1 billion (5.3% of total GDP) Singapore’s GDP. Its GDP contributions in 2014 is expected to experience a 5.8% increase, and also to experience a 3.4% increase per annum, as of 2014-2024, to SGDS$ 28.3 billion as of totaling a 5.3% of the total GDP in 2024 (World Travel and Tourism Council, 2014). The abovementioned news and report serves as macroeconomic examples that shows how tourism is able to increase consumption of goods through expenditure internationally and in a country. It also shows that tourism’s contributions to a nation’s GDP shows positive signs of growth thereby explaining why Singapore’s government is showing increased interest in the economic impacts that tourism presents on national and local levels. 2.2 Supports Job and Induces Investments The tourism industry serves to support employment indirectly by providing 295,620 job positions which makes up 8.7% of the total employment in Singapore. Currently, there is a SGD$ 16.2 billion worth of investment in the tourism industry which contributes to 19.7% of total investment which also expects to experience a 5.5% increase this 2014 (Singapore Business Review, 2014b). Therefore if the tourism industry booms and experiences an increase in demand for goods and services, relevant services and manufacturing companies that indirectly contributes to the tourism industry may experience shortage of manpower as a result also creating increased job opportunities for the people in Singapore. Purchases from suppliers may also experience an increase as more products are needed to cater to the demands of the people. Also due to increased numbers and demands from tourists, the government of Singapore would therefore have increased reasons to further invest in the travel and tourism industry which will eventually contribute to the GDP equation. 2.3 Increase in Tax revenues The Singapore government imposes a ‘sin’ tax on alcohol and tobacco goods on all business. These taxes are paid by firms when importing such goods. Tourists that consume such products while in Singapore increases the demand for such goods which makes businesses increase their imports to meet the demand, allowing the government to collect more ‘sin’ taxes increasing tax revenues of the government. Given the recent news of a 25% increase in liquor taxes, the potential revenue that can be earned when tourist or locals consume such products provides substantial reasons for the Singapore government to be interested in investing in tourism sectors in an attempt to attract more tourists, increasing the demand and consumption for liquor to generate more tax revenues (Straitstimes.com, 2014d). 2.4 Attractions and events Major events like the Singapore F1 Grand Prix serves to turbo charge economies by attracting tourists from all over the world to Singapore. A 12.6% increase in advance bookings of flights show how such events contribute directly to the tourism industry, not to mention the increase consumption of other services and products like restaurants, hotel accommodations and other necessities (AsiaOne, 2014). Tourist attractions like gardens by the bay, marine life park, river safari and national art gallery also serve to provide a wider range of activities for tourists to engage in thus increasing the population of tourists affecting the demand of goods and services and further generating revenues for local businesses(Singapore Business Review, 2014a). Coupled with the Casinos in Marina Bay Sands and resort world makes Singapore attractive to tourists. 3.0 Demand Analysis 3.1 Changi Airport plans for Terminal 4 Changi Airport is planning to build a fourth terminal that costs $985 million that is expected to be completed in 2017. The new terminal is expected to allow Changi Airport to cater to 16 million travelers annually (Straitstimes.com, 2014a). A new multi-story car park will also allow it to provide about 1500 parking lots. Coupled with the fact that Changi airport won Skytrax’s title for being the best airport, the planned terminal 4 would be able to increase the overall service quality making it a preferred airport resulting in increased demand as preferences is one of the main factors that result in a change of demand (Straitstimes.com, 2014b). The increased population of tourists also causes the demand for goods and services to experience an increase as it corresponds to the population factor regarding change in demand. 3.2 Gastronomic Tourism Gastronomic tourism is an emerging type of tourism that is being developed and packaged into a new tourism trend. This is due to the fact that 1/3 of a tourists’ expenditure is spent on food and beverages which is a necessity. Gastronomic tourists make experiential trips to countries to visit producers of food, food fairs and gastronomic festivals some of which may even try to learn how to cook the local dishes (World Tourism Organisation 2014, 2014). When Singapore organizes food fairs or events like the Food Hotel Asia 2014 and Wine Spirits Asia at Singapore Expo which ended on 11th April 2014, the demand of such gastronomic tourists to travel to Singapore would experience a significant increase. The events was host to a record of 64,826 international trade attendees from more than a hundred countries and regions which was also a 5.8% increase from 2012 (Foodnhotelasia.com, 2014). Thus showing how events like these are able to affect the numbers and type of tourists increasing the demand of goods and services. 3.3 Medical Tourism Latest reports from RNCOS, predicts Singapore’s medical tourism to experience a compound annual growth of 30% within the forecasted period of 2013 to 2017. Singapore is emerging to become a leader in the medical tourism market as it prides itself on its highly skilled healthcare professionals and world class medical infrastructure. The expected growth of medical tourism is also attributed to the fact that Singapore has state of art medical facilities and costs that are affordable in relation to quality(Digitaljournal.com, 2014). Being a preferred location for medical procedures increases the numbers of such tourists. Singapore is increasingly able to attract growing numbers of patients from lesser developed countries like Mongolia and Cambodia along with the current majority of medical tourists from developed or developing countries like Indonesia and Malaysia and the occasional patients from China and India (Mfa.gov.sg, 2014). Patients of such medical tourism also serves to i ncrease the consumption of other services and goods as depending on the respective medical procedures, their stay may take days, weeks or even months. 4.0 Environmental Analysis 4.1 Safety and security Singapore recently ranked 2nd out of 99 in a law study. It also ranks top ten in terms of its civil justice systems (WJP Rule of Law Index, 2014). The republic has praised by the World Justice Project for having low crime rates, political violence and high confidence in its law enforcers. This gives tourists a sense of safety and security when they are in Singapore which will further increase the popularity and preference of Singapore as a tourist location giving rise in the numbers of tourist who will contribute to increase consumption of goods and services in the country. 4.2 Clean and Green City Singapore is globally renowned to be a clean and green metropolitan city that is known to be of low pollution levels. Also attractions like Gardens by the Bay strives to attract more people to choose Singapore as a tourist location by attempting to create a city surrounded by gardens capturing the essence of a tropical garden city Singapore in an attempts to attract and increase the numbers of eco-tourists(Gardens by the Bay, 2014). 5.0 Conclusion The positive contributions and economic impacts of tourism supports and maintain many jobs and is also expected to create more jobs and further contribute to the country’s GDP in future, therefore Singapore’s government should implement policies and take a more proactive approach to boost the tourism industry. Actions should be taken to spruce up bridges like the Cavanagh Bridge which is part of Singapore River’s historical structures (Zaccheus, 2014). They should also continue their efforts to organize events like the F1 Grand Prix, constantly improving the facilities of the Changi airport while making plans to capture and become a first class cruise tourism market by ensuring swift completion of the Marina Bay Cruise Centre as that market is expected to see a growth of up to 3.8 million passenger by the year 2020 (Kaur, 2014). Lastly further efforts and investments to improve medical facilities in Health City Novena should also be taken in order to attract more medical tourists and also benefit the locals (Straitstimes.com, 2014c). Once these recommendations are implemented, Singapore should be able to attract more tourist and experience the positive economic impacts that the tourism industry can offer.

Salem Witch Trials Of 1692 Essay -- Witch Salem History Hunt

The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 In colonial Massachusetts between February of 1692 and May of 1963 over one hundred and fifty people were arrested and imprisoned for the capital felony of witchcraft. Trials were held in Salem Village, Ipswich, Andover and Salem Town of Essex County of Massachusetts, but accusations of witchcraft occurred in surrounding counties as well. Nineteen of the accused, fourteen women and five men, were hanged at Gallows Hill near Salem Village. Hysteria had swept through Puritan Massachusetts and hundreds of people were accused of witchcraft. Why these accusations came about might account for a combination of an ongoing frontier war, economic conditions, congregational strife, teenage boredom, and personal jealousy among neighbors.* The colonial era was dangerous and the settlers were exposed to much hardship, not only with other inhabitants of the land, but with themselves as well. The Event The Witchcraft crisis began in mid-January of 1691, when a young girl named Betty Parris living in the household of the Reverend Samuel Parris of Salem Village, Massachusetts, became strangely ill. She had suffered from fits of hysteria and delusions. The Reverend called upon the local physician, William Griggs, whom could find nothing physically wrong with her and ultimately concluded that she had been bewitched. (It is now believed that Betty Parris may have been suffering from stress, asthma, guilt, boredom, child abuse, epilepsy, and/or delusional psychosis.)* Three women were accused of the bewitching of Betty. She accused Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba, the Reverend Samuel Parris’ slave. Both Good and Osborne claimed their innocence, but Tituba confessed to witchcraft – possibly for feeling guil... ...ent that the Indian Wars had much to do with the trials at all. Only that people were anxious and fearful because of them. I also find it interesting that women, usually under the age of 25, were the ones accusing others of witchcraft and why they were believed by the colony’s magistrates. I believe that witchcraft offered a valid excuse to the colonies misfortunes and the unexplained â€Å"Invisible World†. The Puritans strict religion created much fear in the people, and the idea of Satan and witchcraft was a way of keeping people in order, since there wasn’t really a police system at the time. After much research I became rather fascinated by the events surrounding the Salem Witch Trials. Since there is still much mystery and debate about the subject, it makes it even more interesting.