A woman who changed the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A woman who changed the world - Essay Example She did so many things to change the world with the most renown being a very passionate advocate of planting trees. She was concerned about the rapid increase in deforestation and the adverse effects it was having on the environment and she made it her work to campaign for planting trees. The other thing is that she gave hope and encouragement to the women pursuing higher education. She did this through attainment of her PhD as well as the numerous other education paths she took in the men infested domains without fear or failure. She also encouraged women worldwide to be achievers hence the starting of the Nobel Women’s initiative worldwide (Maathai 127). Her life though cut short in 2011 has taught me that women should not let anything bring them down or deter them from changing the world. She did not let the political challenges in her country or her poor backgrounds bring her down. She also did not let the fact that she was a female and a mother prevents her from succeeding in every endeavor she chose. I also learnt that women in powerful position should use it to assist the other women. Lastly, I learnt from her than anything is possible with hard work and determination no matter the race, gender or nationality. Wangari Mathaai was indeed a feminist. Even though her feminism was not so pronounced later on in her career, she was one at heart and openly for that matter. While she was a lecturer in the University of Nairobi, she openly advocated for the equal rights of women in leadership and education (Maathai 186). She did this without any fear. She also advocated for women to be granted equal rights in politics and well as in environmental sector when she joined politics and this saw many women follow in her footsteps and achieve greatly as a result of her feminism. Class readings talk about feminists who are not only involved in lobbying work but whose

One of the themes of block 5 is the way in which characters may be Essay

One of the themes of block 5 is the way in which characters may be portrayed in prose fiction, and in drama. Select two characters from different works studied - Essay Example Euripides and Shaw bring out these traits by allowing the characters to express their feelings, giving them social status which goes a long way in defining them as individuals and exploring their sensitivity. In this regard both writers have used direct as well as indirect methods of characterization. Euripides uses the technique of exposition to give an insight into Medea’s character and to provide a history of her background thus far. The nurse delivers this introduction and at the very onset, we are able to divine her personality and a glimmer of the devastation she is capable of wreaking on those who unwisely cross her. According to the nurse, â€Å"Her mind thinks in extremes†¦ She’ll not put up with being treated badly†, she is a creature of violent passions and has committed horrifying acts in the name of love, but now her ardent love has soured and â€Å"She’s a dangerous woman† (Euripides, 2006)1. Thus his Medea creates a powerful impression even before she comes on stage. Euripides uses the essential tool of drama – dialogue, to allow Medea to express her feelings and plans for revenge. Thus the audience manages to get first-hand information about her inner-most thoughts and emotional state. Further he allows her actions to speak for themselves. It is Medea’s ability to act on schemes devised by a mind twisted by the suffering inflicted on her person that makes her particularly dangerous. Euripides makes her character convincing by revealing suitable provocation that goads her onto such dastardly excesses like murdering her own children. Euripides uses indirect characterization as well in his portrayal of Medea. The other characters react to her personality, thereby offering fresh insight into her character. For example there is a scene where Creon exiles her out of fear for the safety of his family. He tells her, â€Å"†¦ you’re a clever

Becoming An Efficient Mental Health Counselor

Becoming An Efficient Mental Health Counselor Mental health is a wide subject with many professionals incorporated. Primarily, a mental health professional is charged with the task of offering services which ultimately improve a persons mental health or treat any kind of mental illness. Different professionals exist in the mental health sector: psychiatrists, clinical social workers, clinical psychologists and mental health counselors. Although such practitioners cover the same illnesses, conditions and disorders dealt with by these professionals, depend on the perceived scope of their skills. Some mental health professionals help in the enhancement of relationships while others are charged with the responsibility of treating specific mental illnesses. Different laws guiding the mental health profession, education and training accorded to the professional apportion the scope which a mental health professional is to undertake. This document examines the plans which I will incorporate to become an efficient mental health counselor. Modalities to materialize the ethical issues which form the core basis on code of ethics under ACA will also be addressed. Insights into social change and its effectiveness in the mental health industry will be tackled as well. A comparison between a practicing mental health practitioner and my views will be tabled so will class discussions on professional identity. Literature review Duties of a Mental Health counselor Mental health counseling is a psycho-educational discipline which came into being in the 1970s. Mental Health counselors (MHCs) are charged with the task of providing mental health counseling especially to the patients through incorporating dynamic and holistic approaches which are indeed strength based. The MHCs have excellent educational qualification and knowhow, having achieved this through varied experience in counseling. While other professionals in the mental health docket are excellent in treating mental health illness, the MHCs have been grounded in counseling with emphasis in such areas as developmental theory. More often than not the MHC collects data vital in identifying the mental, behavioral as well as emotional disorders and problems affecting a particular client thereby coming up with modalities to treat the patient (Palmo, 1999). Thus the MHC does not only treat a patients dysfunction on matters regarding self awareness, general body wellbeing as well as personal gro wth but also is concerned with an individuals total environment which plays a major role in making him or her completely healthy. MHCs can thus be described as a cadre of professionals tasked to offer counseling services in mental health centers, learning institutions as well as in hospitals and clinics. The success and significance of this profession cannot be underemphasized. Through the utilization of psycho-educational approach during the counseling process, prevention of mental illness is emphasized and achieved by the MHCs. Instead of medical model a holistic approach based on developmental theory is utilized. Many individual, families as well as groups have largely benefitted from MHCs through treatment of mental disorders as well as emotional imbalances like depression, suicidal impulses, substance addiction, grief as well as self esteem issues confronting them (Crespi Stier, 1997). Developing Professional identity as a MHC When laying the basis in identifying the MHC, several factors come into play since particular professional as well as scientific aspects from the educational, psychological as well as counseling disciplines are used by the mental health counselors. Through the usage of these interdisciplinary attributes, a holistic procedure of promoting health lifestyle and in particular preserving as well as restoring mental health in an individual is achieved. As I establish my professional identity, I intend to use systemic and personal perspectives to bring to attention the contextual attributes and influences present in a persons life which ultimately contribute to mental health illnesses (Palmo, 1999). In undertaking my tasks, I will be more concerned on facilitating total mental-wellness on my clients regardless of the fact that they are suffering from developmental struggles of clinical pathology. Concentrating on the strengths achieved from undertaking several synthesized domains of a clien t will make this move easy to implement. Thus, during my practice as a MHC my focus will not be to cure mental illness in a client, rather I will be seeking to improve the general mental health of individuals through preventing the repeat of such illnesses. Through collaboration with other mental health professionals and working in community settings, I will no doubt improve my effectiveness especially when working with clients who have had a stint in interdisciplinary teams. In order to remain vital and viable in this highly competitive industry, I intend to be responsive to the market needs by being flexible in service provision amid changing mental health industry. When confronted with a psychopathology case, I intend to use the guiding philosophy of this profession which aims at restoring the development of mental health in an individual instead of searching for ways to cure the mental illness. Assisting clients to adequately adapt to the challenges associated with mental illness will also come in handy in enabling me f orge my personal identity in this profession (Seiler Messina, 2002). Ethical principles In the mental health counseling profession five major ethical principles have been advanced to act as major ethical guidelines. As such the ethical guidelines do not primarily address all the issues which confront a MHC in the course of undertaking various tasks. Its through extensive evaluation of the ethical guidelines that assists professionals when confronted with an issue which requires clarification. In this counseling profession, five principles have been advanced: autonomy, beneficence, fidelity, non-malfeasance and justice. Consistent understanding of these ethical principles helps in making it possible for an individual to better function in this profession. Below is a detailed account of how I intend to implement these ethical principles during my practice as a MHC. Autonomy This principle is largely concerned with the moral duty of a counselor to encourage a client practice their independence in regards to decision making procedures. It is the responsibility of a counselor to allow a client be autonomous and act in accordance to their values (Beck, 1999). I will thus make my clients understand the implications of the decisions they are about to make and how such decisions will be perceived in the society they are living in. I will also make sure that the clients understand the possible impact which their chosen activity will cause to other members in the society. In case a client wishes to source support from such networks as religious or spiritual leaders or from family and friends, then I will agree to it as enlisting the help and involvement of other people is vital in ensuring mental health in an individual. A client has the freedom to determine when to quit a counseling session thus I should not coerce them to remain when indeed they want to leave. I will also ensure that I provide adequate information on the progress of the counseling process. I will also pay particular keen interest to underage children and people whose mental handicap is high. This is vital in preventing them make decisions likely to cause harm to themselves or other people. Nonmaleficence Primarily, this ethical principle may be regarded as the most critical in the mental health counseling field. It entails engaging in activities which will not cause any harm to the client. In my practice as a MHC, I will be careful not to engage in any activity likely to cause intended or not anticipated harm to my clients (Crespi Stier, 1997). Sexual, emotional as well as financial exploitation are some of activities which would largely cause harm to my clients. Purporting to be qualified in some areas which I am not, possess danger to my clients. This is especially so when a counselor claims to be qualified professionally in areas he is not. Truthful representation of my qualifications vital in handling mental health challenges is important. The competence of a counselor is determined by educational competence. I will also not undertake to provide services to the clients when intoxicated, sick or when the personal circumstances surrounding myself may elicit a wrong prescription. S ince it is my ethical responsibility to mitigate any danger posed to a client, holding an insurance policy would be handy in assisting in such eventualities which would require restitution due to the harm and damage caused on any client. Abandonment of clients before completion of a counseling session is likely to cause massive harm to a client. As such I will terminate my session as provided for under AMHCA ethical considerations. Thus proper arrangements need be put in place incase interruptions are inevitable like during vacations or illnesses. It is good to refer the client to another MHC who will continue with the therapy. Incase a MHC terminates hisher practice, the stipulated procedure to transfer the clients file and information need be followed. This helps in alleviating any form of danger which would be caused to a client when immediate withdrawal of the counseling services is instituted. Engaging or condoning sexual harassment is not allowed for MHCs because of the harm caused to the clients. Thus instances of sexual solicitation, unethical physical advances or verbal conduct likely to harm my clients will not be undertaken at all. Such advances are not only offensive but they also create a hostile environ ment where efficient counseling and therapy session cannot be undertaken. Other peoples actions can cause considerable damage to my clients. Thus it is my duty to question such activities likely to cause considerable damage to an individual under my care. Beneficence This principle in mental health counseling refers to the counselors responsibility to positively influence the welfare of a client. Thus, the MHCs are required to proactively do good to people thereby preventing occurrence of any form of harm to a client (Seiler Messina, 2002). In upholding this principle in my practice, I will largely be involved in acts of mercy, charity as well as kindness. With love and genuine altruism my diagnosis and counseling will be geared towards complete healing of the clients. Acting for the benefit of others will guide me in putting in place activities which will ultimately contribute to the general wellbeing of the clients. By preventing as well as removing possible harmful setups, I will always help my clients discover and further the interests which they consider important as well as legitimate. This principle will come in handy especially when dealing with clients struggling with suicidal thoughts. My role as a MHC will be to intervene by providing the necessary therapy which will ultimately save the life of the client. Placing the client in a protective environment where the welfare of the client will not be compromised will be vital in saving the life of such clients. Justice This principle involves treating similar people with equal magnitude. A form of fairness must therefore exist when dealing with the patients (Beck, 1999). Clients presenting similar mental conditions need be accorded the same treatment. In my practice, I will ensure that I do not exhibit any form of biasness. The amount of money charged for the counseling sessions will be the same thus I will not exploit my clients on such basis as when they seem like they are from a better social group. I will also tackle the needs of each client as everyone has a right to receiving counseling sessions regardless of their social orientation. Fidelity This principle largely involves a client possessing notions of loyalty and faithfulness to the MHCs. It is important that a client is confident about the competence of the counselor as such a move ultimately makes a lasting relationship to be created (Messina, 1999). In effecting this principle, I will ensure that I do not fail to fulfill the laid down obligations which I have with my clients. In addition, engaging in activities likely to threaten the therapeutic relationship existing between me and my clients will not be undertaken. Being cultural sensitive when solving the clients problem will greatly assist in building lasting relationships with the clients. When diagnosing mental disorders present in a client, use of appropriate diagnosis methods which are efficient is no doubt important. Under this will employ DSM-IV for diagnostic purposes. Before undertaking any assessment, I will ensure that I receive consent from the clients and explain to them the nature and purpose of the test undertaken. Organizations to join Several organizations which cater for the welfare of MHCs have been formed. The American MHCs have formed an association (i.e. AMHCA) where critical impact is accorded to the American citizens through giving insights on the mental health counselors profession. The association assists its members to develop their career owing to the many informative seminars and workshops organized by the association. This ultimately translates into improved service delivery to the clients thereby raising the overall standards of the profession. This association is also working to improve the recognition accorded to the MHCs by perhaps improving the perception of the members of public regarding the practice. By being a member of this association, my success in this field will ultimately be enhanced as vital tools and programs like continuing education and mentor programs are available in this association. Through availing practical resources to the members, the association expands learning and promote s the overall practice of the professionals under this field (Beck, 1999). American Counseling association (ACA) is another body I intend to join. This association has put in place several aspects which are dedicated to promoting the general growth and development of the counseling profession. This ultimately translates into better service delivery to the clients who seek counseling services. This association which was formed in fiscal 1952 represents counselors in all practice settings. I will develop my skills and build on my knowledge base due to the leadership training, advocacy services availed to the members. I may also get a chance to continue with my education. Since this association largely represents the interests of counselors and according to the federal agencies this profession is no doubt developing. National board for the certified counselors (i.e. NBCC) is a counselors accreditation body which I intend to join as well. The association aims at maintaining a certification program geared towards identifying the counselors who have studied and obtained some form of certification. Since a register of the qualified counselors is maintained, this helps in doing-away with quacks from the practice. It is beneficial to members since counselors who meet the professions standards are recognized. Through this membership, I will obtain client referrals thereby boosting my experience and number of clients whom I handle. Incorporating social change in counseling Social change is generally exhibited due to shifts in social structure and relations which were evident in the society. Behavior modification especially for individuals with mental health incorporates such aspects as physical and mental coercion, psychotherapy as well as brain washing in order to make the patient recover and gain more control over their life. When MHCs use behavior modification techniques when counseling individuals with mental health conditions and those with disabling mental conditions considerable aspects of improvement are witnessed. Systematic desensitization which is the mostly used technique in incorporating social change assists the MHCs to offer therapy to individuals with disturbances which have identifiable sources. For instance when a client has extreme fear for the closed places this method works perfectly well. According to a professional MHC that I had a chance to interview, he suggested that Biofeedback is the most effective method of using when treat ing disturbed minds. Information regarding a problem affecting a person is given to the therapist who then monitors it through the use of a mechanical device. Desirable rewards may then be provided to the client so as to influence positive behavior (Seiler Messina, 2002). By constantly monitoring the information given, a therapist is able to develop a treatment technique which will work best for a particular client. It is also easy to use especially in different settings. The MHCs first decide on what an individual can do in order to remodel the problem. A treatment program is then devised so as to change the mental condition. Proper record keeping is vital in order to monitor the progress of the client and in case the chosen methodology proves ineffective the MHC is advised to discontinue its usage. Discussions on professional identity Having held several discussions with my fellow classmates of issues regarding professional identity of MHCs important information was realized. Since professional identity incorporates the various ways in which and individual seeks to incorporate the statuses and roles he is undertaking and experience acquired when undertaking mental health counseling ,a coherent image of the individual is realized. Since professional identity is shaped by the principles that we choose to know and the manner in which we choose to know them, then every MHC should choose the kind of identity he will uphold. It is the identity chosen which determines the kind of people chosen to interact with. Through participation in the activities and affairs of the mental health counselors profession, a practitioner is able to build on their professional identity since mutual engagement as well as shared repertoire is achieved (Messina, 1999). Affiliation to professional organizations helps to build on vital connecte dness based shared histories as well as experiences of the MHCs which ultimately shape the professional identity of individuals in this field. People develop their professional identity as a result of the identities they uphold with the people in a given profession. Since a significant need to distinguish between the MHCs from other counseling professionals like social workers, psychiatrist as well as nurse practitioners joining the MHCs associations will greatly assist in forging the professional identity of these professionals. Conclusion MHCs have masters level qualifications in counseling and the profession is based on theory and practical orientation of behavioral sciences. In order to fully qualify to be a qualified MHC then at least 60 credit hours must be dedicated to achieving specific coursework as well as supervised experience. Mental health counseling is no doubt amongst the youngest human service profession which was greatly popularized in the 1970s by the professions who were seeking for visibility and recognition in this discipline. The distinguishing aspect of this profession lies in the use of multifaceted aspects of an individual in order to restore or better still strengthen the mental health of an individual. Thus the MHC contributes significantly in enhancing the vitality and vigor of a persons mental health thereby completely sustaining the general wellbeing and soundness of a person. Unlike a major misconception that mental health counseling enables a person suffering from a mental illness to bett er cope with their situation, MHCs employ holistic attributes geared towards preventing a person from being incapacitated by a mental condition (Crespi Stier, 1997).

Robert Gagnés Instructional Design Approach :: Psychology Psychological Papers

Robert Gagnà ©'s Instructional Design Approach Introduction When Robert Gagnà © initially published his influential book, The Conditions of Learning (Gagnà ©, 1965), his instructional design theories were heavily rooted in the behaviorist psychology paradigm. However, in later editions of The Conditions of Learning (Gagnà ©, 1970, 1977, 1985), Gagnà ©'s theories evolved to incorporate cognitivist psychology theories, specifically the information-processing model of cognition. According to Gagnà ©, "This model posits a number of internal processes that are subject to the influence of a variety of external events. The arrangement of external events to activate and support the internal processes of learning constitutes what is called instruction" (Gagnà ©, 1974). In the preface to the second edition of The Conditions of Learning, Gagnà © commented further on this shift to the information-processing model of cognition and it’s influence on his approach to designing instruction. He stated, "I consider this form of learning theory to represent a major advance in the scientific study of human learning" (Gagnà ©, 1977). In 1989, Michael J. Striebel noted, "Instructional design theories such as Gagnà ©'s theory, take the cognitivist paradigm one logical step further by claiming that an instruction plan can generate both appropriate environmental stimuli and instructional interactions, and thereby bring about a change in cognitive structures of the learner (Striebel, 1989). This paper will define and explore the three major aspects of Gagnà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s approach to instructional design, which include: nine events of instruction, conditions of learning and learning outcomes. How Gagnà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s theory correlates to the Walter Dick and Lou Carey’s systems approach to instructional design will also be considered (Dick and Carey, 1996). A Seminal MODEL Gagnà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s approach to instructional design is considered a seminal model that has influenced many other design approaches and particularly the Dick & Carey systems approach. Gagnà © proposed that events of learning and categories of learning outcomes together provide a framework for an account of learning conditions. The diagram below, from the third edition of The Conditions of Learning (Gagnà ©, 1977), illustrates his vision of how the events of learning impact the conditions learning, which ultimately result in the learning outcomes, or learning capabilities. In The Conditions of Learning, Gagnà © acknowledges that he was considering the question "What factors really can make a difference to instruction?" when developing his learning and instructional design theories. His model proposed that the conditions of learning—some internal and some external to the learner—that affect the process of learning make up the events of learning.

Significance of Black Madonna

Notwithstanding its sociological, historical, literary and religious significance to the life of many people in different parts of the world, the origin and essence of the Black Madonna which serves as the holy icon of the Virgin Mary and Poland's national symbol remains to be a debate to many people as far as the history, literature and religion are concerned. The presence of Black Madonna are widespread all across the country and they are mostly found insidethe churches and cathedrals and they all point towards the image of Mary and the Christ.This image may have been formed centuries ago but its historical significance and importance travelled and withstood the test of time. The word Madonna originated from Italy which means â€Å"our lady†. Thie term connotes a title of respect for the Virgin Mary and it is often applied to works of art, most especially to the mother andchildimagewhich is popularly known as Madonna and Child . Religion tells that Black Madonna is the repre sentation of the image of Virgin Mary which was tested by times that is why it was transformed into its today's black image.Also, church leaders claim that Black Madonna has noting to do with the Culture of the African-Americans. It is stated, nevertheless, that the Black Madonnas became black they were greatly influenced by the cultures and traditions of the Black Americans. The icon transformed into black because it was affected by the place where most of these images can be found. On the other hand, history and literature dictate that Black Madonna is the changed representation of the early statues of the African Goddess Isis and her son Horus which greatly influenced most of the religions of the world today.Society has associated the color black with something negative but in the past, this was not the case. For instance, black was connected with fertility and growth and it is good to think of it not as a color bt as an absence of color. From this perspective, the Black Madonna became an icon for inclusion. She became a guide and a comfort for people from all walks of life and race. In terms of psychology, darkness represents somethin unknown to consciousness and more often than not, thse gifts involve qualities of the females like intuition and emotion.It must be born in mind that the term feminine does not necessarily refer to the female specie because both sexes have masculine and feminine qualities. With this in mind, it can be said that the Black Madonnas symnolize transformation because this image helps people discover their inner gifts and assists them in bringing those gifts into the surface . Amid these numerous explanations from the different perspectives in the society, until today, there are no clear and definite position on the real origin of the Black Madonna which is believed to be the representation of Virgin Mary.Even though the different claims seem to contradict each other with regards to the origin of the icon or image, the Black Madonn a is considered to be one of the most influential religious icon to most of the people in the present generation. The origin of Black Madonna A Black Madonna may refer to an icon, painting, fresco or sculpture of Virgin Mary which is usually found in churches, sanctuaries and chapels. It is also called as Black Virgin since Mary is portrayed with dark or black skin.Some believe that this portrayal of Virgin Mary was originated from the culture of the Black Americans since many of these Black Madonnas were found in the areas with large black populations such as in the United States. Some claim that the color of these images have no significance or value since they were only repainted by black color after being restored to its original pale-skinned coloring brought by the age of time. Nevertheless, amidst its sociological, historical and religious significance to many parts of the world, the origin of the Black Madonna still remains a question left unanswered to many of its devotees.S ome of the famous Black Virgin shrines, which we usually see in the cathedrals and churches, are Loreto, Zaragoza, Chartes, Rocamadour, Guadalupe and Montserrat . Black Madonnas are found throughout the world including Belgium, Croatia, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Sicily, Spain, Switzerland and the United States . The first â€Å"Black Madonna and Child† portraits and statues were believed to be from Isis and Horus . Isis was a black African goddess from Nile Valley civilizations whose worship diffused to most of ancient civilizations.Before the first Egyptian dynasty, Isis was worshiped by the Nubians for more than 300 years. It is believed that Isis religion had a lot of similarities to the to the world's religions which include Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity. For instance, Horus, the son of Isis, was from a virgin mother's immaculate conception and said to walk on water like Jesus Ch rist. The husband of Isis named Osiris was also resurrected, like Jesus, after he was murdered. When other religions became popular, the â€Å"Black Madonna and Child† statues of Isis and Horus were not destroyed but their names were only changed.For example, Isis and Horus were changed to Devaki and Krishna in Hinduism or Maya and Buddha in Buddhism. The Japanese called Isis as Kwannon while Chinese changed the name to Kwa-yin. In the 1985 book of Ean Begg entitled The Cult of the Black Virgin, there were 450 identified images of the Black Virgin and Child in Europe with 190 statues in France only. Because of the dominating influence of the Isis religion, it is believed that the African goddess had significant contributions to the civilization of the continent.For instance, Paris is actually believed to be named after Isis since Para-Isis signifies â€Å"Place of Isis†. Likewise, Note Dame which means â€Å"Our Lady† is a manifestation that the cathedral of the Catholics is nothing but more than as enlargement of the temple of Isis in the ancient civilizations . Some also believe that Black Virgin, aside from its resemblance to the portrayal of Isis and Horus of the ancient Egyptians, has the strong connection to the medieval Knights Templar and Mary Magdalene .For instance, the famous Black Virgin – la Madone des Fenestres which means â€Å"The Madonna of the Windows† was believed to have folk traditional significance since the place where this statue was believed to be a place where many Templars were massacred. Some associate Black Madonnas with African-American cultures. Nevertheless, church literature strongly denies this claim since church officials insist that the Madonnas became black because of the smoke from candles and dirt and eventually because of the old age of the statues .Meanwhile, the Black Madonna in Southern Provencal tradition is associated with the patron of the Gypsies called St. Lara . The patron sain t is considered to be the black assistant who accompanied the three Marys to France when they escaped from the Holy Land after Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, during 1934, an icon of the Virgin Mother and Child was brought to the Pauline monastery of Jasna Gora or the â€Å"Bright Mountain† in Western Poland. The icon was said to be donated by the Prince of Opole in Silesia. Some told that the icon was painted by St. Luke on boards from table of the Holy Family in Nazareth.And the face of the said icon is black . There are other countless theories about the origin of the Black Madonnas or Black Virgins but until today, there is no concrete explanation about the history or origin of the now famous image in the religious sectors of the world. There are many who look at Black Madonna in relation to some of the goddesses know to men like Kali of India, Hecate and Medusa of Greece and Isis of Egypt. These grounds generates a spiritual as well as a psychological substance t hat raises the Black Madona to a level of great importance and significance in the modern world .Today, the statues of Isis and Horus are now called Mary and Jesus and there are millions of pilgrims who are visiting the Black Madonna shrines since they are believed to be miraculous to the devotees. Some claim that the statues can help heal towns of plague, make infertile women pregnant, bring back dead babies to life, save countries from war and the like. One of the obvious testimonies of the miracle from the Black Virgin in Poland was the experience of Pope John Paul II when he prayed to the statue for his recovery from his gun shot wound .After the miracle happened to Pope John Paul II, several miraculous events were credited after the Black Virgins including saving Poland from Russia in 1769. In fact, in 1968, the Black Madonna shrine in Poland received over 66, 000 thank you letters for healing and other miraculous events . The meaning of Black Madonna Theories about the definit ion of darkness of the figure and mystery behind the dark image have been established everywhere. What Black Madonna represents is not an easy question to answer.There is a tendency that one answer may lead to several more questions which demand plenty more explanations. One of the possible reasons for this dilemma lies in the difficulty of consciously incorporating the feminine aspect of life in a particular culture and most especially, a darker side of it. Another reason is the characteristic and nature of the dark feminine itself which clearly defies any attempt to generate limits as to what she really represents. However, no matter what many people may say and observe, the Black Madonna mirrors herself in the personal as well as collective lives of the people.This dark side generates intimations to the most essential of meanings through the use of images, literature, works of arts and even dreams . It is noteworthy to mention that the word black can be a misnomer for some of the Madonnas because not all of them are color black in its literal sense, some of them are painted with different shades of black. The original artists of many Black Madonnas are lost in time but most people know that the most powerful representations of the Black Madonna were made during the 11th and 12th centuries.The Shrines of the Black Madonnas are often located in the seat of great power and in the locations where the earth emits energies. From a religious perspective, the Black Madonna represents the honor and devotion of the female form. Christ, the center of Christianity is a male and it was from Mary that the church found a representative of the female specie towards divinity . Theories about the meaning of Black Madonna are often connected to the image of pre-Christian ideas and their religions.Because the Madonna and Child looks like the Egyptian images of Isis and Horus, there is a possibility that the dark skin of the Black Madonnas may be a referene to the Egyptian root s of the image. The Dark-Skinned madoonas may likewise be based on other pre-Christian figures. There are also other theories that the Black Madonnas were made as a representation of a mother or a feminine figure by using earthly tones. This theory suggests that the light-skinned Madonnas depict purity and chastity while another theory holds that the Black Madonnas were intended to bea historically accurate imageof a Semitic woman from the Middle East named Mary.There are some historians who said that the Black Madonnas were conceptualized after Middle Ages because during these times, the light-skinned images were the norm but regardless of what the case maybe, the Black Madonnas captured the attention of believers and non-believers for centuries . During the Victorian society, there was a time when the black female writers seemed to lean towards binding their female characters in an image of chastity because they want to overcomea heritage of concubinage.The women then were portray ed as either a martyr or a saint and in the attempt of the writers such as Harriet Jacobs and Frances Harper to remove the stereotype of a sinful woman, they robbed the personalities of their characters of their sexual identity thereby makingthem pure and holy much like the Virgin Mary. This situation combined with the gender dilemma becomes a double jeopardy. According to Faith Pullin, the black woman faces a painful situation of the double strain of being a woman in a dominant male society and being black amidst the racial discrimination.Novels about the early African American women talks abou the situation of double jeopardy for black women. These women are marginalized by race and gender. According to the notions of the period during that time, the true woman is a character of virtue like Madonna: pure, pious and submissive . Some theologians say that Black Madonna represents diversity. The femininity and the blackness of the Black Madonna calls men towards gender and racial div ersity. This figure calls for uniformity of the masculine and feminine sex, the combination of the white and the dark goddess in order for the wholeness and unity can arise amidst the diversity.The Black Madonna may be interpreted as a symbolism of man in the form of a metaphor as men moves towards the newreality of the modern wornd. The survival of men in this age will depend on their willingness to appreciate and understand the unity amidst the diversity . Conclusion There are plenty of images of Black Madonna that exist worldwide. Reports showthat at one time, there may have been more than 500 images that are mostly in Europe and France. In today's world, there are many people whose interest in the Black Madonna's have increased over the years.Some of her most popular incarnations are found in countries from all over the globe in the form of literature, art and paintings. The Black Madonna may mean many things to many people but everyone must bear in mind that this image serves a s a powerful reminder of the inspiration that it brought to the society. In her image, many people found their comforter, guide and power. She has been and always will be the feminine side of men that will never fail to shed light during trying times. Bibliography Davies, Norman. Europe: a history. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.Dickson, Elinor, Woodman, Marion. Dancing in the Flames: The Dark Goddess in the Transformation of Consciousness. Toronto: Canada Publishing, 1996. Faqs. org. â€Å"Madonna, Religious†. Faqs. org. http://www. faqs. org/childhood/Ke- Me/ Madonna-Religious. html (Accessed May 6, 2010). Foster, Nikki. â€Å"What is Black Madonna? †. WiseGeek. com. http://www. wisegeek. com/ what-is-a-black-madonna. htm (Accessed May 6, 2010). Gustafson, Fred. The Black Madonna. USA: Daion Verdag, 2008. Kaiser, Laurie. â€Å"The Black Madonna: Notions of True Womanhood from Jacobs to Hurston†. South Atlantic Review, 2008, 60 (), 97-09.

Google Case “Don’t be evil” Essay

Google in 2000 developed a Chinese language version that the Chinese could use freely. Two years later, the government blocked the search engine because this latter did not change the findings. In 2004 the government decided to release the site but users could no longer access sites such as political movements. Google has complied with its own accord to remove all sites that should be censored according to the laws imposed by the Communist Party of China. Many words have been banned also in research, such as Hypocrite, Human Rights, Democracy†¦ Google mission tells that â€Å"Google mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful†. But also â€Å"being a Googler means holding yourself to the highest possible standard of ethical business conduct.† The information is readily available for everyone who has access to Internet, without find useless information and the product must be universally accessible. While many companies have ethical codes to govern their conduct, Google claims to have made â€Å"Don’t Be Evil† a central pillar of their identity, and part of their self-proclaimed core values. In 2006, when Google declared their self-censorship move into China, their â€Å"Don’t be evil† motto was questioned. Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt explained that sometimes it might need to allow smaller evils for a greater good. However, Google has since challenged China’s censorship policies on various occasions. DO YOU THINK GOOGLE SHOULD CENSOR SEARCHES IN CHINA? WHY? Google was criticized a lot by international newspapers about ethics codes. _The Financial Times_ asked to the company if they don’t feel guilty about the situation and if they aren’t becoming evil with censoring researches within China. The same year, Google opened offices in China because from a financial perspective, this country represents for the company a dynamic, fast-growing and increasingly competitive market. The decisions of the Chinese Government may be compared to the newspapers in the United States because both decide if they would edit or hide any article wrote and thought inappropriate for the public. In fact, the Government takes decisions if Google has to censor web sites and researches; Google consequently stood on accommodating the demands of the Chinese Government. I think there is not a question of being evil or not. Google is maybe a leader in the world (it ranked in 2005 the third position behind Johnson & Johnson and Coca-Cola), but it cannot take decisions in a country which is not its. The research motor has no power in that country controlled by a Communist Government which is very strong. It is more a problem of coherence from Google, because after reading its mission statement and understanding â€Å"Don’t be Evil useless†, we don’t understand the reason why they change their culture when they operate in another country. According to that mission statement and because some governments make the mission difficult to achieve, Google added to the balance a third fundamental commitment after having penetrated Chinese market: â€Å"be responsive to local conditions.† People thought that Google will follow its mission perfectly, doesn’t matter the situation or the location, and they were very surprised when they discover that Google made some censure by its own. After the censure decision of Chinese Government in 2002, Google was not any more efficient, and every search had to pass though the â€Å"Great Firewall of China† software. That means Google News was never available, as also Google Images which worked just 50% of the time. A good point of Google is the importance of users’ privacy and it is related to users’ interests. But entering in China, Google’s decisions had to be monitored by the government; this changing of filtering all researches compromised Google’s missions. It doesn’t matter to the company to be criticized, or if it lose people trust around the world, because the only thing they believed is to try to give to users the access to Google.com from within China. But Google had to face some more problems, others than the criticism. I mean, the censoring would really have affected the company search results, because if a user tries to search an ensured term, he would be re-directed to a non-censored site or the browser would stop. But Google risks a brand value damage. To summarize, I understood that Google had no choice to become censured. It told it was its own decision because it didn’t want to argue with the Government, and it knew that it had no chance to win the fight. It is too important for the company to expand until China, that’s why the company accepted all the country restrictions and try to have a place in that market. WHY DO YOU THINK GOOGLE DIDN’T WANT TO SUPPLY INFORMATION REQUESTED BY THE US GOVERNMENT IN RELATION TO THE CHILD ONLINE PROTECTION ACT? *  « Would be willing to reveal information pertaining to its users  » — this means that Google does not want to give any information which can harm in any way the users of Google or violate their privacy. Furthermore, Google thought that this request was to get too deep into people lives and this was unacceptable because they needed to protect their users. This is one of a reason why Google does not want to supply information. * In addition, Google does not want to lose its advantage over its competitors by revealing information which could harm them directly:  « threaten Google’s competitive advantage by exposing its proprietary secrets  ». * Last but not least, I think Google didn’t want to supply information requested by the US government in relation to the Child Online Protection Act because they know it would be a huge loss of money for them, the industry of pornography is huge, and therefore if some kids are watching it, Google cannot be too involved in it compared to the money they are making with the industry of pornography. http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/don’t+be+evil http://www.duke.edu/web/kenanethics/CaseStudies/GoogleInChina.pdf

The Carrot Seed Is a Delightful Classic Picture Book

The Carrot Seed Is a Delightful Classic Picture Book The Carrot Seed, first published in 1945, is a classic children’s picture book. A little boy plants a carrot seed and takes care of it diligently even though each member of his family gives him no hope that it will grow. The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss, with illustrations by Crockett Johnson, is a story with a simple text and simple illustrations but with an encouraging message to be shared with preschoolers through first graders. Summary of the Story In 1945 most children’s books had a lengthy text, but The Carrot Seed, with a very simple story, has just 101 words. The little boy, without a name, plants a carrot seed and every day he pulls the weeds and waters his seed. The story is set in the garden with his mother, father, and even his big brother telling him, â€Å"it won’t come up.† Young readers will wonder, could they be right? His determined efforts and hard work are rewarded when the tiny seed sprouts leaves above the ground. The final page shows the real prize as the little boy carries his carrot off in a wheelbarrow. Story Illustrations The illustrations by Crockett Johnson are two-dimensional and just as simple as the text, with emphasis on the boy and the carrot seed. The features of the little boy and his family are sketched with single lines: eyes are circles with a dot; ears are two lines, and his  nose is in profile. The text is always placed on the left side of the double-page spread with a white background. The illustrations found on the right side are yellow, brown, and white until the carrot appears with tall green leaves and a bright orange color highlighting the prize of perseverance. About the Author, Ruth Krauss The author, Ruth Krauss was born in 1901 in Baltimore, Maryland, where she attended the Peabody Institute of Music. She received a bachelor’s degree from the Parsons School of Fine and Applied Art in New York City. Her first book, A Good Man and His Good Wife, was published in 1944, with illustrations by the abstract painter Ad Reinhardt. Eight of the author’s books were illustrated by Maurice Sendak, beginning in 1952 with A Hole Is to Dig. Maurice Sendak felt fortunate to work with Krauss and considered her to be his mentor and friend. Her book, A Very Special House, which Sendak illustrated, was recognized as a Caldecott Honor Book for its illustrations. In addition to her children’s books, Krauss also wrote verse plays and poetry for adults. Ruth Krauss wrote 34 more books for children, many of them illustrated by her husband, David Johnson Leisk, including The Carrot Seed. Illustrator Crockett Johnson David Johnson Leisk borrowed the name â€Å"Crockett† from Davy Crockett to distinguish himself from all the other Daves in the neighborhood. He later adopted the name â€Å"Crockett Johnson† as a pen name because Leisk was too hard to pronounce. He is perhaps best known for the comic strip Barnaby (1942–1952) and the Harold series of books, beginning with Harold and the Purple Crayon. The Carrot Seed and Children The Carrot Seed is a sweet delightful story that after all these years has remained in print. Award-winning author and illustrator Kevin Henkes  names The Carrot Seed as one of his favorite childhood books. This book pioneers the use of minimal text reflecting the here-and-now of a child’s world. The story can be shared with toddlers who will enjoy the simple illustrations and understand planting a seed and waiting seemingly endlessly for it to grow. On a deeper level, early readers can learn lessons of perseverance, hard work, determination, and belief in yourself. There are numerous extension activities that can be developed with this book, such as: telling the story with picture cards placed in a timeline; acting out the story in mime; learning about other vegetables that grow underground. Of course, the most obvious activity is the planting of a seed. If you’re lucky, your little one will not be content to plant a seed in a paper cup  but will want to use a shovel, sprinkling can...and don’t forget the wheelbarrow (HarperCollins, 1945. ISBN: 9780060233501). Recommended Picture Books for Small Children Other books young children enjoy include Maurice Sendaks best-known classic picture book, Where the Wild Things Are, as well as more recent picture books like by Katie Cleminson and Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by James Dean and Eric Litwin. Wordless picture books, such as The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney, are fun as you and your child can read the pictures and tell the story together. The picture book  And Then Its Spring  is perfect for young children eager to plant their own gardens. Sources Ruth Krauss Papers, Harold, Barnaby, and Dave: A Biography of Crockett Johnson by Phillip Nel, Crockett Johnson, and the Purple Crayon: A Life in Art by Philip Nel, Comic Art 5, Winter 2004

Paper Requirements According to Standard Academic Format

Paper Requirements According to Standard Academic Format Formatting Papers in Accepted Academic Style This useful guide provides tips for formatting documents using MS (Microsoft) Word. These tips were developed in line with accepted standards for formatting an academic paper and in accordance with the manner prescribed in most APA and MLA style guides or rule books. The rules set out here can be applied to the majority of college papers. However, some professors will at times set out their own specific requirements and these may be slightly different from the rules described below. The important thing is to always check your tutor or professors’ requirements. Guide on Formatting Papers When you use accepted formatting standards in an academic paper it shows you understands the customary practices of the academic community. This is, therefore, a great way of boosting your own academic credentials and credibility. By contrast, if you use an unusual, distinctive or non-standard formatting style, it suggests you were not properly tutored by your previous school for college or university-level coursework. Think about the impact non-standard formatting can have. It does not just draw what may prove to be non-positive attention to your work, but your professors might get the impression you are attempting to make a paper look longer. The Margins of Your Documents Standard rule: You should allow a one-inch margin on all sides of the page in any paper you submit for grading or review. You should make this your default setting in MS Word, but if one-and-a-quarter inch margins are required, you will need to alter your default settings. Generally speaking, the requirements when determining page length assume margins of one inch. How to Set Margins: From the ‘Format’ menu, choose ‘Document,’ and then set the margins to your required dimensions. Now click the ‘Default’ option, and accept your changes. Be careful that the gutter is left set at ‘0’ or the formatting in your document will get messed up. Indenting Paragraphs Standard rule: For each new paragraph, it is necessary to automatically indent the first text line. How to set indentation: You should ensure this is the default setting in MS Word. However, if this is not the case, it is recommended you use the instructions above to change whatever style is your ‘normal.’ The following are the instructions for changing the indentation in a document. From the ‘Edit’ menu, click ‘Select All.’ Then from the ‘Format’ menu, go to the ‘Paragraph’ option, Now look for the ‘Indentation’ tab where you will find a drop-down menu labelled ‘Special.’ Choose ‘First Line.’ This will automatically indent the first lines of all new paragraphs, which means you won’t have to keep doing this in manual fashion. Choosing or Setting Font Size and Style Standard rule: Virtually every college paper is expected to be typed in a standard academic format and size font. These fonts are usually 12pt Cambria or Times New Roman. If the paper you submit is in a different font, it may be rejected by your tutor or they may change it when they download it. How to set or change fonts: A 12pt Cambria or Times New Roman font should be the default setting in MS Word. However, if it is not, then the default can be changed as follows: From the ‘Format’ menu, choose the ‘Style’ option. From the styles list, select ‘Normal’ and then click on ‘Modify.’ In the ‘Formatting’ menu, select the required font style and size. Lastly, click on ‘OK’ to make this your default setting. The Alignment of Text Standard rule: In an academic paper, text should be aligned to the left margin and left unjustified. The reason for this is that it is more difficult to read text when it is justified and not typeset in a professional manner. In MS Word, text is left-aligned by default so there is no need to make any changes. Formatting of First Pages First Page Heading Standard rule: The writer should type their name, date, course title, number and section, paper version (e.g. Paper 2 First draft) on separate lines in the top left-hand corner of the first essay or document page. Make sure you modify dates and versions as you keep submitting revised and final paper versions. It is advisable not to use the ‘headers’ option in MS Word’s ‘Header/Footer’ menu for this step. This is because it causes this first heading to show on every subsequent page and this is not common practice when writing academic papers. Additionally, you should not include a title or cover page unless you are specifically asked to do so for a particular assignment. Adding the Title or Name of Your Paper Standard rule: Leave a blank line following your heading and write an original name or title that reflects your paper’s topic. Place this title in the center. Avoid using italics or underling for your heading unless it is a reference to the title of an article, book, etc. Neither should you put the title in all capital letters or use bold typeface. Adding Page Numbering Standard rule: Academic papers should have page numbers. These should appear in the top right-hand corner of every page apart from the first page. Try not to insert page numbers manually. It is best to use the ‘Header/Footer’ feature in MS Word to have them automatically generated. If your paper is being written in the MLA style, add your surname and the number of the page to the top right-hand corner. If you are using the APA style, add a shortened version of the title (in place of your surname) and the number of the page to the top right-hand corner. How to add page numbers: Select the ‘Header and Footer’ option from the ‘View’ menu. You should now see a header dialog box and a footer dialog box at the top and bottom respectively. Click the header option, enter your surname or paper’s title and align it to the right-hand side. Now, from the ‘Insert’ menu, choose ‘Page Numbers.’ Click ‘Close’ when you are done. These steps should cause a page number to be automatically generated in the top right-hand side, even when changes are made. The header and footer option will remain greyed out and will need to be activated when changes are needed. If you do not want page numbers displayed on the first page: From the ‘Format’ menu, go to ‘Document’ and click on the button labelled ‘Layout.’ You should see an option called ‘Different First Page.’ Click this. Now click on ‘OK.’ If needs be, remove the first page header and insert one on the next (second) page. This should now appear automatically on subsequent document pages. Line Spacing Standard rule: Double-space your full paper. This rule includes headings and bibliographies. How to set or change line spacing: Find the ‘Edit’ menu and choose the option ‘Select All.’ From the ‘Format’ menu, go to the ‘Paragraph’ option. Look for ‘Line Spacing’ and select ‘Double.’ Alternatively, any of the following keyboard shortcuts can be used to create double-spacing: Ctrl-A and Ctrl-2 (PC users) or Cmd-A and Cmd-2 (Mac users) to select all and create double-spacing. How Spacing Applies to Paragraphs Standard rule: There should not be any extra spaces between paragraphs. This setting should be the default in MS Word. However, if you have set your system for 10point spaces between paragraphs, this should be changed. How to set paragraph spacing: From the ‘Format’ menu, go to ‘Styles.’ From the styles list, check that ‘Normal’ is chosen. Click the ‘Modify’ option. Find the ‘Format’ drop-down menu in the bottom left-hand corner, and go to ‘Paragraph.’ When the settings menu appears, change the ‘Spacing’ settings to 0point. Creating New Pages To start a new page for, say, a bibliography, follow the instructions below rather than hitting the ‘return’ key lots of times: From the ‘Insert’ menu, go to ‘Break,’ and then to ‘Page Break.’ Block or Blocked Quotes Standard rule: Generally, where a quotation exceeds 4 lines, it should be separated from the rest of the text by indenting and ‘blocking’ it. As applies to all quotations, you should clearly indicate the blocked variety with an introductory sentence. Furthermore, it should be correctly cited but the rules in this case are slightly different. The concept of ‘blocking’ replaces quotation marks and the parenthesized citation, which may be several sentences long, differs from normal in-paragraph citation in that it is placed outside instead of inside the last period in the sentence. How to create a blocked quotation: First, write your quotation in a paragraph of its own without any quotation marks or first line indentation. After the last full-stop (period) of the final sentence, add the source in parentheses. With the cursor, select the quoted matter from its very first word to the last character of the parenthesized citation. From the ‘Paragraph Formatting’ menu, click on the ‘Increase Indent’ option.

Causes and Effects of Gravity

Causes and Effects of Gravity Ahmed Emad Hassab Elnabi Gravitational Force â€Å"’You may hate gravity, but gravity doesn’t care.’ Clayton Christensen†. This Harvard teacher was directing this quotation to students like me because it is a force that cannot be viewed. Gravity is a field force exerted by an object to attract another object towards its center. In a simplified manner, it is an intangible, non-contact force that cannot be seen, but is existent between all objects. Gravitational force in a mathematical perspective is the mass of an object multiplied by gravitational acceleration. It is one of the fundamental forces of the universe that maintains planets, solar systems and galaxies. In the last couple of centuries, gravity became understood through Galileo, Brahe, Kepler, Newton and Einstein. Before the last 300 years, some only superficially understood gravity and others neglected the concept of having a field. In ancient times, civilizations believed that the skies and systems were held by divine power. Over they years, loads of scientists and philosophers tried to explain such a ‘magical’ phenomenon. In 1610, Galileo created a modern telescope. He used it to observe different planets’ behaviors. He focused on Earth and Venus; consequently he realized that they both revolve around the sun in a similar pattern. Therefore, he concluded that there’s a force that causes this spectacle. In the same time existed Kepler and Brahe. Kepler used Brahe’s astronomical data to conclude that planets revolve around the sun in an elliptical motion and that Earth has the same orbits around the sun; thus, he discovered that gravity creates seasons. Then, came the father of physics and creator of laws of motion, Isaac Newton. He was one of the first to explain the theory of mutual interaction, through his law of Universal Gravitation. It states that any and every two bodies in the universe attract each other with a force directly p roportional to their masses and inversely proportion to the square of the distance between them. Thus objects like Newton’s apple is pulled to the earth and vice versa; the earth and planets are pulled towards the sun and vice versa. Finally, Albert Einstein, who is the most renounced genius, proposed a new theory. He said that gravity is the result of space and time being bent, general theory of relativity. He also theorized that enormous masses alter space and time because they deflect light, thus creating gravity. Skeptics denounced his theory, but time proved this theory right when astronauts went to space and found out that a clock is quicker away from earth. There are many misconceptions about gravity because there are many different explanations to it. First, people think that gravitational force doesn’t exist between humans, but it does exist between every object in the universe. However, the gravitational pull by earth is much stronger than the force exerted b y humans because of its huge mass. Second, some thinks that gravity occurs through a mixture of gases, the air. However, gravity occurs between planets and suns, where there is no air, vacuum. Third some think that gravitational acceleration (a=f/m) in free-fall decreases because of the force of gravity of other objects. However, air pressure causes this occurrence but gravitational acceleration is constant at 9.81 m/s. Fourth, people claim that we are supposed to be pulled to mars or the moon also. On the other hand, they don’t take into consideration the factor of distance and that earth is we are too far from the moon or mars. Fifth, some say that there is no gravitational force between Pluto and Earth. This is not true because gravitational force exists between all the objects in the universe. No matter how minute it can be, it is never zero. Sixth, a person might claim that his mass changes on the moon, but mass is constant; it is weight that changes depending on the gra vitational pull. Seventh, one would think that we must be pulled to the Earth’s core since that is stated in Newton’s law of universal gravity. However, Newton also said in his third law that the Earth’s floor has an equal and opposing force to the gravitational force. Finally, one could claim that there is no gravitational force exerted on bacteria since they float. This statement is false because its mass is insignificant, gravitational force exerted by Earth on them is very small that it seemingly doesn’t affect them.

Critical Analysis of Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin Essay

Critical Analysis of Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin - Essay Example The story starts when Sonny’s elder brother gains knowledge about Sonny’s arrest on the basis of heroin addiction and drug selling. He is quite worried about his brother but he acknowledges the fact that he has never given him enough care and he realizes about Sonny’s troubles after his daughter, Grace’s death as he says, â€Å"my suffering made his real†. With his own suffering, he is able to relate to Sonny’s suffering. He remembers about his past life in Harlem and the incident of his uncle’s death by the drunken white people due to which, his father has always hated white people. Sonny’s brother suffers in silence as he never tries to face the reality of his suffering till the end. He along with his brother discovers himself and reconciles with the reality. Sonny is unable to forget or let go the sufferings he has endured. He finds freedom from the sufferings by being a jazz musician. He thinks that his music allows him to be free of the troubles of his life. However, he thinks that troubles cannot be stopped as he says, â€Å"trouble is the one thing that never does get stopped†. He considers his life troubled due to which, he gets heroin addict because he thinks it as a source of getting freedom of his sufferings. Like Sonny, his brother also suffers but unlike him, he tries to conceal his sufferings and fears of their revelation. Sonny is quite aware of his sufferings and wants to get rid of them through jazz music. He considers jazz as a source of freedom from his sufferings. Sonny’s interest in jazz music is disliked by his brother but till the end of the story, he realizes that it is only jazz music that Sonny feels free as he says, â€Å"there was no battle in his face†. Sonny’s brother realizes about his own suffering, Sonny’s suffering, his wife’s suffering, his children’s suffering and his parents’ suffering by getting near to Sonny and by letting him to break away

Textual analysis - Writings from the French Revolution Essay

Textual analysis - Writings from the French Revolution - Essay Example The tax burden placed on poor civilians was not enough to alleviate the crisis faced by the administration. However, he presents a group of people who were longing for their rights and privileges. He uses an unpredicted, composed tone and manages to maintain a calm logic as he presents quite provocative facts about the revolution. He makes wrong, unjust, illogical situations to appear as though they were quite normal and the people could stomach any evil. He presents how the National assembly ironically apprehended power in the name the French nation. The 14th July 1789 Fall of the Bastille did not surprise him. He uses soft words to describe the distressed self-righteousness and radical jubilation that followed and/or provoked the revolution. The riots in Paris and other places are covered extensively to illustrate the devastating effects of the revolution; properties, innocent lives, and immaterial things were lost. The author manages to present the facts while maintaining a relatively neutral position that leaves readers wondering whether he supported the unwarranted revolution. Issues of great concern are presented in a down-to-earth and compassionate manner that easily s ways the readers to pity with the innocent people unjustifiably affected by the revolution. The assertion of the rights of man passed in 1789 was aimed at supporting a later constitutional change. The contents of the Act are not presented. It could as well imply that the Act further devastated people’s efforts to salvage themselves from the undue sufferings and/or acts of the administrators. While the author seems to perceive the rights as inalienable, many such rights were violated on several occasions. Religious divisions are also considered to be a significant factor in understanding the revolution. According to the author, â€Å"The programme of the church reform was also ideological, inspired by the rationalism and

Paraphrase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Paraphrase - Essay Example This extends sources of the practitioners’ knowledge to available historical data through existing publications (Hoffmann, Bennett and De Mar, 2010; Akobeng, 2005). Systematic review is also important to knowledge development for new research. Its analytical approach that plays the same role as formal literature review allows researchers to consolidate existing knowledge on a subject and to identify knowledge gaps for possible new studies. The reviews, with this respect, contribute to new research through informing research objectives, research questions, and research hypotheses. In addition, results of systematic reviews identify theories from related research that can be used in proposed or future studies. Effects of the reviews also extend to influence on research methodologies of new studies through elements such as selection of research methods and design, sampling strategy, and data collection strategy and tools. Ability of systematic reviews to identify weaknesses of pr evious studies also offer a basis for corrective measures and therefore helps to resolve such problems like bias in studies (Booth, Rees and Beecroft, 2010). Data extraction is a process by which data is collected from their sources and is organized into desired form for presentation to the audience. Examples of forms in which extracted data can be communicated are tables and graphs that facilitate understanding. Data extraction is a fundamental process in systematic reviews and helps in identification of elements of a research such as a study’s methods and design, sample and population, and applied treatment and mode of application. The process of data extraction is however largely subjective to a researcher’s interest and opinion and therefore susceptible to bias (Cochrane Handbook, 2011; Petticrew & Roberts, 2006). Summary of studies’ findings is important to any form of analysis and

Outline the processes of evolution and explain how either theory of Essay

Outline the processes of evolution and explain how either theory of mind or altruism is an adaptation resulting from the selective forces that have operated dur - Essay Example This is also the rationale behind the arrival of variations in the species of organisms through time. The genius of evolution lies in the fact that although organisms have obviously changed though time, a lot of their features remain strikingly comparable to something from a different age. (The University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, and the Regents of the University of California, 2008) Simply put, evolution is one of the major factors that cause different life forms to continue to exist in the universe. Evolution is a complex process that makes use of several mechanisms or sub-processes. These evolutionary mechanisms are responsible for affecting change in population.. (The University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, and the Regents of the University of California, 2008) The basic mechanisms of evolution that affect change include natural selection, genetic drift, migration or gene flow and mutation. (The University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, and the Regents of the University of California, 2008) Natural selection is the course of action by which inherited characteristics that are pertinent to continued existence and reproduction become more prominent. In natural selection, the traits that are detrimental to one’s survival become less prominent in the next generations. (DOBZHANSKY, 1955) According to the ‘Understanding Evolution’ website, genetic drift can be simply described as an â€Å"evolutionary equivalent of a sampling error†. Another way to describe genetic drift is that the genetic material from one generation does not go on in the same proportions in the next generations for due to a lot of indiscriminate reasons. Genetic drift can be likened to a lottery where a â€Å"winner† is determined by sheer luck or in this case, chance. Genetic drift affects the process of evolution in three ways. First, genetic drift causes a reduction in variations. This causes a population to be

Recruiting Approaches For Tanglewood Assignment

Recruiting Approaches For Tanglewood - Assignment Example Contextually, Tanglewood has the need to recruit sales associates for their stores for which they need a proper recruitment plan that includes an appropriate recruitment guide. Furthermore, based on their requirement of human resource the company will also need to identify proper recruitment methods after taking into consideration the historical recruitment data of the company (Heneman III, Judge & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2011). With reference to the recruitment needs of the company, the aim of the paper will be to analyses the past recruitment records of Tanglewood and recommend an appropriate recruitment method and approach for its future recruitment needs. Recruitment Guide Position: Store job associate Reports to: Regional Managers Qualifications Required: Anyone with a previous work experience in other stores, as a sales associates or assistant manager can apply for the post. Freshers can also submit their application for the mentioned designation Relevant Labor Market: Washington and Oregon Activities to Undertake: Employee referrals, Newspaper advertising, Post job vacancy on company website Staff Members Involved: HR recruiting manager and Regional manager Budget: $ 3,070,768 for each region Advantages of Open and Targeted recruiting Approaches for Tanglewood It is known that recruitment is one of the most important and highly prioritized processes of any organization. ... On the other hand, in targeted recruitment, organizations target at a particular group of qualified candidate for the post. In this method, the company needs to deal with only the qualified candidates, which make their selection process simpler, time saving and cost effective. Furthermore, this method ensures maximum probability for the company to recruit desired candidate for the job (Heneman III, Judge & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2011; Roberts, 1997). Evaluation of the Historical Cost of Recruitment to Determine Effectiveness Tanglewood adopted five methods of recruitment in the past which comprise of media, referrals, Kiosk, State Job Services and staffing agency. All this methods have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Candidates recruited through media advertising cost the company $4,945,655 in the past years. The hiring rate of candidate through media advertising comprises 14.66% with a retention rate of 44.66% for the same. Subsequently, candidate recruited through referra ls cost the company with an amount of $ 8,437,420. The hiring rate through this method was 29.66% on an average. The retention rate of the candidate hired through this method is depicted to be around 54.33%. Furthermore, candidate selected through the means of Kiosk cost the company around $ 10,097,412. The hiring rate and retentions rate of candidate recruited through this method are 16.75% and 62% respectively. Apart from this, candidate recruited through job services cost the company merely $ 1,412,720. The hiring and retention rate for this method are 9% and 75% respectively. Cost of using agency method for recruitment is around $ 3,798,880 with a hiring rate of 33.50% and a retention rate of 90% (Heneman III, Judge & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2011). From

Paraphrase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Paraphrase - Essay Example This extends sources of the practitioners’ knowledge to available historical data through existing publications (Hoffmann, Bennett and De Mar, 2010; Akobeng, 2005). Systematic review is also important to knowledge development for new research. Its analytical approach that plays the same role as formal literature review allows researchers to consolidate existing knowledge on a subject and to identify knowledge gaps for possible new studies. The reviews, with this respect, contribute to new research through informing research objectives, research questions, and research hypotheses. In addition, results of systematic reviews identify theories from related research that can be used in proposed or future studies. Effects of the reviews also extend to influence on research methodologies of new studies through elements such as selection of research methods and design, sampling strategy, and data collection strategy and tools. Ability of systematic reviews to identify weaknesses of pr evious studies also offer a basis for corrective measures and therefore helps to resolve such problems like bias in studies (Booth, Rees and Beecroft, 2010). Data extraction is a process by which data is collected from their sources and is organized into desired form for presentation to the audience. Examples of forms in which extracted data can be communicated are tables and graphs that facilitate understanding. Data extraction is a fundamental process in systematic reviews and helps in identification of elements of a research such as a study’s methods and design, sample and population, and applied treatment and mode of application. The process of data extraction is however largely subjective to a researcher’s interest and opinion and therefore susceptible to bias (Cochrane Handbook, 2011; Petticrew & Roberts, 2006). Summary of studies’ findings is important to any form of analysis and

Recruiting Approaches For Tanglewood Assignment

Recruiting Approaches For Tanglewood - Assignment Example Contextually, Tanglewood has the need to recruit sales associates for their stores for which they need a proper recruitment plan that includes an appropriate recruitment guide. Furthermore, based on their requirement of human resource the company will also need to identify proper recruitment methods after taking into consideration the historical recruitment data of the company (Heneman III, Judge & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2011). With reference to the recruitment needs of the company, the aim of the paper will be to analyses the past recruitment records of Tanglewood and recommend an appropriate recruitment method and approach for its future recruitment needs. Recruitment Guide Position: Store job associate Reports to: Regional Managers Qualifications Required: Anyone with a previous work experience in other stores, as a sales associates or assistant manager can apply for the post. Freshers can also submit their application for the mentioned designation Relevant Labor Market: Washington and Oregon Activities to Undertake: Employee referrals, Newspaper advertising, Post job vacancy on company website Staff Members Involved: HR recruiting manager and Regional manager Budget: $ 3,070,768 for each region Advantages of Open and Targeted recruiting Approaches for Tanglewood It is known that recruitment is one of the most important and highly prioritized processes of any organization. ... On the other hand, in targeted recruitment, organizations target at a particular group of qualified candidate for the post. In this method, the company needs to deal with only the qualified candidates, which make their selection process simpler, time saving and cost effective. Furthermore, this method ensures maximum probability for the company to recruit desired candidate for the job (Heneman III, Judge & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2011; Roberts, 1997). Evaluation of the Historical Cost of Recruitment to Determine Effectiveness Tanglewood adopted five methods of recruitment in the past which comprise of media, referrals, Kiosk, State Job Services and staffing agency. All this methods have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Candidates recruited through media advertising cost the company $4,945,655 in the past years. The hiring rate of candidate through media advertising comprises 14.66% with a retention rate of 44.66% for the same. Subsequently, candidate recruited through referra ls cost the company with an amount of $ 8,437,420. The hiring rate through this method was 29.66% on an average. The retention rate of the candidate hired through this method is depicted to be around 54.33%. Furthermore, candidate selected through the means of Kiosk cost the company around $ 10,097,412. The hiring rate and retentions rate of candidate recruited through this method are 16.75% and 62% respectively. Apart from this, candidate recruited through job services cost the company merely $ 1,412,720. The hiring and retention rate for this method are 9% and 75% respectively. Cost of using agency method for recruitment is around $ 3,798,880 with a hiring rate of 33.50% and a retention rate of 90% (Heneman III, Judge & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2011). From

The Purpose of Life Is a Life of Purpose Essay Example for Free

The Purpose of Life Is a Life of Purpose Essay Throughout my life, I have persevered through much pain and misfortune; however, instead of using my experiences as reasons for a life of retribution and reparations, I used these tragedies as motivation to making other people’s lives better. Growing up I witnessed my grandmother assist anybody she saw struggling or needed help. During the 17 years she was a part of my life, I watched her nurse back to health approximately 300 foster children, because nobody else wanted the burden. Despite the odds against her, she went over and beyond to assure that these youth’s necessities were met. Growing up in this environment I constantly witnessed the joy in these kid’s hearts just to experience that feeling of love and support, despite being born in a world that told them they were worthless. I found it nearly impossible not to emulate my grandmother’s mindset and lifelong purpose. In spite of all my adversities, I knew I could overcome any and everything by focusing on improving the lives of others. This in turn brought me back to the abovementioned quote by author Robert Byrne which has intrigued me since I first read it many years ago. Overall I have found throughout my life that there are at least nine vital reasons for leading a life of purpose, which are: maturity, tranquility, buoyancy, confidence. Initially I believe the ultimate gift of leaving a purposeful life is overall maturity. Great American film director John McNaughton â€Å"Maturity begins to grow when you can sense your concern for others outweighing your concern for yourself. † Overall this is how I live my life. Oftentimes, there have been days where I’ve wanted to sleep all day instead of getting up going to class or even on the weekends, but every day I ask myself â€Å"if I don’t do it, who else will? † through all my pain and hard luck I’ve realized that its unnecessary to dwell on events beyond my control. So instead I use my pain as motivation to fuel my love and support for others. One of the greatest benefits of having a mature mind is peace and tranquility. Many times people overlook the joy of being peaceful, they overlook the nights full of uninterrupted sleep, the days of no emergency phone calls, or even the simple joy of having money in the bank with no bills. Tranquility can make a great difference in one’s life. Unfortunately tranquility can be the difference between suicide and being born again. The peace we develop from simple acts of kindness is beyond imagination. No words can express the joy and peace we feel when I realize I’ve helped somebody achieve something in life, when the world told them they were worthless. No words can express the peace I feel when I support someone who didn’t have the will to support themselves. In addition to being peaceful, living a life of purpose will guide many to overcome stereotypes and failures which otherwise would halt dreams. Having a sense of buoyancy is essential to anyone trying aspiring to achieve great things in life. A lot of times in my daily life, there will come times when initial plans or goals are sidetracked by a situation or event. This is where I rely on buoyancy to persevere through this lost and through this failure even though I didn’t accomplish what we wanted, when I wanted. Instead of pondering on the â€Å"what ifs†, I stay optimistic and work harder to get the job done the next time. Furthermore, when I made the decision to dedicate my life to a life of purpose, I also chose to live a life of resilience, tenacity, and unmatched and unscathed confidence. When you have experienced what I’ve experienced and survived what I’ve survived, you create an internal persona that specifically says â€Å"if I can overcome this, nothing short of God can stop me†. Many may take this as a sign of arrogance, but I have always felt that there’s an eventual reason for why I’ve suffered through all the blood, sweat and tears. When you’ve overcome situations that the healthiest, smartest or even the slyest couldn’t survive, then you really have no choice but to possess that feeling of unparalleled confidence. Finally throughout my brief but experienced life, I’ve come to realize that, every situation we go through leaves with a choice. On one hand we have the choice of using outcomes to broaden ourselves and the world around us. We can use these outcomes to the benefit of ourselves through personal growth and development and, we can also use these outcomes to the benefit of others through service, support and sacrifice. On the other hand we have the choice of using the situational outcomes as a reason to blame others, as a reason to be depressed and as a reason to give up on life. Ultimately I chose the better option. I chose to use my negativity and let it motivate me to working harder, focusing deeper, being optimistic regardless of what else happens. In the end this leads to a life of bliss, peace and maturity, and it’s a lot less painful or time consuming. What else could be a better purpose in life than leading a life with a purpose?

Business Level Strategies of Ashley Furniture

Business Level Strategies of Ashley Furniture Introduction of Ashley Furniture Ashley Furniture industries, Inc., founded by Carlyle Weinberger in Chicago in 1945 just as a sales operation, is a furniture manufacturing and distributing company, which headquartered in Arcadia, Wisconsin. Now the father and son team Ron and Todd Wanek own the company. Like many other furniture companies, Ashley Furniture Industries sells its products, such as home furnishing, accessories through two main distributions: one is independent channels; another is more than 400 Ashley Furniture Homestore retail furniture stores. All the stores are either owned by the company or licensed to other businessmen in North America countries, such as USA, Canada, Mexico, Central America and Japan. The mission to become the BEST Furniture Company reflects its proud past and shows the desire about future. And with over 60 years of innovation, creation and experience in the furniture industry, the company already became the leader in the industry which focuses on the quality of its furniture products. At present, the company has manufacture plants across the United States and Pacific Rim Countries, mainly in China. Business Level Strategies of Ashley Furniture One model can be used to give a full explanation of what happens in the real world at the level of the Strategic Business Unit and it can help identify those strategies which can be utilized to prevent the failure of business. The successful strategies can be illustrated as following levels: Low price/ low added value, Low price, Hybrid, differentiation without price premium and Focused differentiation. Low price/ low added value: providing lower price than it can be found elsewhere. Low price: based on a high volume with low margin product to bring cost leadership as its competitive advantage. Hybrid: Compete on price and seek to keep the margin by controlling the cost of products. Differentiation without price premium: Competition is principally on perceived benefits but not on price. Focused differentiation: Using unique qualities without substitution to get premium. The Strategic Business Unit chose for this research is the living room division of Ashley Furniture. According to what one of the Ashley Furniture Industries sales managers called Al Lopriore said, the business model of Ashley Furniture is different from other competitors, by establishing for over 65 years, the main business model of Ashley Furniture is the company design, build and deliver its own furniture, and the company is in control of all aspects to make sure the good quality. From the website of Ashley Furniture Industries, it can be seen from the homepage that the four cornerstones of its business models are quality, style, selection, service. They are all the foundations for Ashley Furniture making every decision and the guidelines and principles to help the company achieve the mission statement of being the best furniture company. Therefore, the main business model of Ashley living room furniture used to get competitive advantage is using Hybrid, which means by the methods such as outsourcing a series of its products from Pacific Rim countries to cut the cost of furniture and adding value to the products by quality, style, selection and service. Strengths and Weaknesses of Business Strategies The main strategy of Ashley living room furniture is Hybrid, which means that the division wants to compete other competitors on price and as well to control the cost of furniture to maintain the gross margin of the company. There are a series of advantages and strengths as follows: Strengths: Good price to attract customers: After the recession of economy crisis in 2008, the price of goods, especially furniture, become the main competitive advantage to attract customers to consume products on company. As the main reason that led to the economy crisis is the subprime lending which is related to the housing industry; and makes a drop in the sales of houses in North America, mainly in US. Although the recession had a negative impact on Ashley living room furniture, good price of its products keeps attracting the customers to purchase Ashley living room furniture. Variety of products: this means that based on variety of products, Ashley living room furniture is able to survive during the crisis. Even one product fails in the market, there are still other products succeed in the market to make up the loss that cost by the failure of that product. Besides, different kinds of products make those brand loyalty customers to purchase more and also increase the image of the brand. This helps the company achieve the mission of becoming the best furniture company in North America and even all over the world. Maintain the gross margin: Obviously, this technique assist the company to maintain the gross margin by controlling the cost of furniture. By using Hybrid strategy, the division still possesses the ability to control the cost of products. On the other hand, by adding more value through design, build and deliver the furniture to the customers, the products of Ashley living room furniture are still attractive. Weaknesses: Inevitably, there are some negative impacts by using this kind of business level of strategy, which can be identified as weaknesses. And the weaknesses of using Hybrid strategy are presented as follows: More funds spent on implementing the strategy: In order to supply and offer more furniture products to the customers, more funds will be spent on Research and Development, Design to find more solutions offered to the customers. Besides, the division possesses its own stores which cost much of its capital on investing in purchasing fixed assets, which may become a potential problem to the cash flow of the company. Competition of the similar products in the company: It can be seen from its website that the division provides more than 100 furniture products to customers to find out the most suitable furniture for their living rooms. Therefore, this results in the competition among the products within the same category. Although from some perspective, this attracts customers to purchase in Ashley living room furniture, it increases the competition in the products of the company, which can not be ignored. Lack of quality: It can be known that the products of Ashley living room furniture rely on quality and the mission of becoming the best furniture company in North America and even all over the world rely on quality; meanwhile, the business model of Ashley living room furniture depends on the quality of products. If the company concentrates on controlling the cost, such as the outsourcing price offered to those manufacturing companies in Pacific Rim countries, which may affect the quality of products of Ashley living room furniture. Then it will affect the paradigm of the division in the industry and then reduce customer brand loyalty. Report to the Board of Directors Dear Board of Directors: This report is a summary of the findings of the current research on the business level strategies based on the living room division of your company. And it will highlight the key information and findings; at the end, a couple of recommendations will be provided to help the division enhance the strengths and polish up the weaknesses. After analyzing the strategies used by your company, it can be viewed as Hybrid strategy. It do bring strengths to the division such as offering good price to the customers which helped the division survive during the recession of economy recession in 2008, offering different kinds of products which enhances the choice of customers, and the methods of controlling on the cost of furniture increase the competitiveness of the division. However, it brings a few negative impacts to the Ashley living room furniture. For example, it disperses the funds of the company to many different products; it also increases the competition among the furniture of the company, which is always ignored by many companies. The high intensity of cost control may affect the quality of products which will lead to a significant impact to the division. Therefore, Ashley living room furniture should pay more attention to this kind of issue and as well to enhance the strengths and polish up the weaknesses. The following will give a couple of recommendations. Enhance the strengths: Corporate with those plants in Pacific Rim countries. This means the Ashley living room furniture division collaborates with those plants in Pacific Rim countries. By using this technique, it is helpful for the division to control the quality of furniture. Besides, through collaborating with these plants, the division can share the information, knowledge and resources to achieve more competitive advantage to compete other competitors and make the mission of the company come true. Pay attention to the shipping cost. This is a significant part of the cost of the furniture, by outsourcing some products and manufacture at another side of Pacific Ocean, the division was charged a huge amount of capital on shipping cost. So it is necessary to use the strategy like preparing in South-east Asia, and assembling in US to cut down the shipping cost and then make the Ashley living room furniture more competitive. Polish up the weaknesses: Further design the products to differentiate them. The furniture needs to be design further and add more value functions to make it more attractive and valuable. By doing this, furniture can be classified to fit different size of living rooms, different kinds of decoration styles. Add TQM in Asia plants. Total Quality Management helps Ashley living room furniture to control the furniture quality and based on this, the division can have a vision of how the shipping furniture looks like; and based on this, the division can have an insight of the furniture quality to meet the customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ requirements. Funds spent on those more value-added actions. Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t spend the money and capital on those non-value added processes, even those it is important to the division. In this case, it is better to outsource these processes rather than make it by the division itself. It is essential that the division pay attention to polish up the situation and make the products of the division more competitive and attractive. It is predictable that by enhancing the strengths and polishing up the weaknesses, it will accelerate the process of becoming the best furniture company in North America and even all over the world.