Okonkwo free essay sample

Some regard the arts as having an extra-artistic cognitive function, that they have a message about mans place in the world which might have social or political implications. For example, there might be a case for supposing that the arts have an important function as a medium for social criticism and transformation. In any case, there is a widespread belief that the arts have a higher purpose to educate by encouraging introspection and sometimes making us think about how we should live our lives. Two heads are better than one. Learning nd working in groups involves shared or learned values, resources, and ways of doing things. Group projects can reinforce skills that are relevant to both group and individual work, including the ability to: break task into parts, plan and manage time and gain communication skills. What strategies were used? Many of my classmates including myself would have preferred to work on this project individually, however every now and then more hands make for lighter work. We will write a custom essay sample on Okonkwo or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When my partner and I got together to begin our project we had decided to split the project in half. Same an equal amount of work. I wouldnt say we used and specific strategies to begin the Mexican Revolution project. We did however follow the some of the guidelines of the design cycle to begin which included: plan, investigate, design and create. What knowledge was acquired? Because my partner had so much knowledge of the Mexican Revolution, she was able to help me clearly understand/clarify certain things that had occurred that I was uncertain of. Because we had to do some research on our own I gained more on the revolution, to the porfiriato era where porfito Diaz himself introduced railroads, to ow important the constitution was for the people. What skills were utilized and developed? Group projects can also help students develop skills to collaborative efforts, allowing students such as myself to: delegate roles and responsibilities, share perspectives, knowledge and skills, hold one another and be held accountable. (We were able to use pervious knowledge from class and what we have been taught to be able to complete the project. I was able to develop and gain more knowledge of the Mexican revolution because of my partners knowledge. ) What will be done ditterently in the tuture? A lot of things will be done differently in the future. Time management of course. We ended up doing it the same week it was due which caused some stress on each of us individually. Although we completed out project in time I would have liked to have started planning the week she told us Just to have had a head start and know what we were doing then actually doing it last minute and not really knowing what we were going to do. Even if we decided to split the work, I would have wanted to still worked together since it was a group project. But above all, it was a great experience working with another individual. 378

Pronouncing Spanish Vowels

Pronouncing Spanish Vowels English speakers generally find the pronunciation of Spanish vowels fairly easy. Close approximations of all their sounds exist in English, and, with the exception of the E and the sometimes silent U, each of the vowels has basically one sound. The main thing to keep in mind is that in Spanish the vowels sounds are generally more distinct than they are in English. In English, any vowel can be represented by whats known as the schwa, an unstressed vowel sound such as the a in about, the ai in mountain, and the u in pablum. But in Spanish, such an indistinct sound isnt used. Although, as in most languages, the sounds of the vowels can vary slightly with the letters before and after them, in general the sound remains the same regardless of the word its in. Pronouncing the 5 Vowels First, the more or less invariable sounds: A is pronounced similarly to the a in father or the o in loft. Examples: madre, ambos, mapa. There are some speakers who sometimes pronounce the a something halfway between the a in father and the a in mat, but in most areas the first sound given is standard. See also the lesson on pronouncing the . I is pronounced similarly to the ee in feet and the e in me, although usually a little briefer. Examples: finca, timbre, mi. This letter is covered in more detail in the lesson on pronouncing the i. O is pronounced like the oa in boat or the o in bone, although usually a little briefer. Example: telà ©fono, amo, foco. See the lesson on pronouncing the o for more information. Now, the two vowels whose sound can change: E is generally pronounced like the e in met when it is at the beginning or within a word. It is pronounced similarly to the Canadian eh, kind of a shortened version of the à © in the English cafà ©, when it is at the end of the word. Sometimes it can be somewhere between those two sounds. Its not quite the sound of the English letter A, which if pronounced slowly often has an ee sound at the end, but closer to the e of met. Keep in mind that even when its at the end of the word, in a sentence it may sound more like the e of met. For example, in a phrase such as de vez en cuando, each e has approximately the same sound. Examples: cafà ©, compadre, embarcar, enero. See also the lesson on pronouncing the e. U is generally pronounced like the oo in boot or the u in tune. Do not pronounced it like the u in uniform. Examples: universo, reunià ³n, unidos. In the combinations gui and gue, as well as after q, the u is silent. Examples: guà ­a, guerra, quizs. If the u should be pronounce d between a g and i or e, an umlaut (also called a dieresis) is placed over it. Examples: vergà ¼enza, lingà ¼ista. This letter is covered in more detail in the lesson on pronouncing the u. Diphthongs and Triphthongs As in English, two or three vowels in Spanish can blend together to form a sound. The sound is basically the sound of the two or three vowels rapidly pronounced. For example, the u when followed by an a, e, i or o ends up sounding something like the w in water. Examples: cuaderno, cuerpo, cuota. The ai combination sounds something like the sound of eye. Examples: hay, airear. The i when followed by an a, e or u sounds kind of like the y in yellow.: hierba, bien, siete. And other combinations are possible as well: miau, Uruguay, caudillo. Pronouncing Y Generally, the y is pronounced the same as it would be if it were an i, as part of a diphthong. Examples: rey, soy, yacer. Some words that are derived from English and have a y at the end often retain the English pronunciation. For example, in popular songs you may hear words such as sexy and phrases such as oh baby. This letter is covered in more detail in the lesson on pronouncing the y.

Why Every CoSchedule Employee Gives A Book Report - CoSchedule

Why Every Employee Gives A Book Report If you work at , you’ve done a book report in front of the entire team. Yes, a book report. Just like the kind that you used to do in the fourth grade in front of the entire class. Why? It’s already a fairly common practice among startups to assign new hires a book or two to read once they join the team. For us, however, there is one book that is just so special that we need to follow up and make sure they’ve read it. At , that book is Linchpin by Seth Godin. Here’s why. How Linchpin Turned Me Into An Entrepreneur Linchpin is an important book for me on a very personal level. I read it at a critical time during my career. I was working at a small advertising agency and felt like nothing more than a cog in a wheel. It certainly didn’t feel like my work was â€Å"art† and I certainly didn’t feel like I had the permission to do something else. I was stuck. For me, Linchpin was a wakeup call. In his book, Seth Godin outlines a few key perspectives: All work is art. The linchpin is indispensable because they ship. The first step is to give yourself permission. The key point for me was the third theme: permission. Up until that point in my career, I hadn’t given myself the permission to not be a cog. I was stuck in world where cogs were appreciated and artists weren’t. I needed a wakeup call to leave my job, start a business, and relentlessly pursue my art. Five years later, after giving myself permission and working my tail off, my art is now 100% activated in , and the lessons learned from Seth continue to pay off. They mean a lot to me, and they are something that  I like to share with our entire team. So, we require all team members to read the book within their first 90 days of work, and give a book report on what they’ve learned. It’s has become a happy tradition. The Business Case For  Requiring Book Reports From Your Team So, why should you require a book report for members of your team? Well, here are five of the major benefits that our team has realized from this quirky practice. 1. It Helps Us Foster A Consistent Culture Startup culture is frequently (and mistakenly) defined by the Xbox or PlayStation in the break room. At , we don’t have any gaming consoles in our break room. Rather, we define ourselves by the core principles of the company: Maintain a Passion for Product Think Big Hold a Bias for Action Never Settle Every Customer Matters Trust in your Team While the book Linchpin doesn’t specifically address all of these values, it goes a long way in doing so.  By doing company book reports, I believe we have found a scalable way to instill some of these values in our team members, and ensures that it stays in place no matter how much we grow. Company book reports create a scalable way to instill your core values across all team members.Core values like â€Å"maintain a passion for product† or â€Å"never settle† build off of the concept of our work as art, whereas â€Å"hold a bias for action† encapsulates Godin’s concept of shipping.  I could easily make an argument for how each of these values relates to a principle in the book, so it’s really ideal preparation for working at . 2. It Enables a Culture  of Shipping One of my favorite themes of Linchpin is the constant encouragement to ship the project that you have been working (or sitting) on. In the book, Seth outlines the force against shipping as the â€Å"lizard brain.† The lizard brain is a negative fear-monger that prevents us from reaching our potential. As a startup, however, â€Å"shipping† is literally our most important job. We have to learn how to outsmart our lizard brain and beat the fear that will keep us from starting and creating something new. New blog content, new features, new ideas in action, and crazy marketing experiments are essential to a startups survival. It is essential to your startup’s survival that you keep shipping. Never fear failure! #startupOne of my favorite questions to challenge our teams with is â€Å"what can you ship today.† Sometimes this involves breaking a larger project down into smaller pieces, and other times it means pressing publish on a product or idea that we are hesitating on, just to see what happens. Either way, equipping our team members with a mentality of shipping keeps us running like a startup. Fast, willing to take risks, and even more important, willing to learn from our mistakes and move forward. 3. It’s A Reminder That Work Is Art The concept that â€Å"all work is art† is usually the hardest to accept by new team members. We’ve been taught that art is something you do with paint or musical instruments, but Seth makes the argument that human output, whatever it might be, is our art. This could be writing, customer service, code, or actually painting, but the medium doesn’t matter. The art is the delivery of your unique gift to the world. Art is the delivery of your unique gift to the world @garrett_moonArt is much more about doing the best work that you were created and enabled to do than it is about any specific method. This makes it a universally valuable concept for anyone who joins our team. 4. It’s A Shared Experience As a leader, I believe that one of my jobs is to create shared experiences for our team. Shared experience build teams, by giving everyone something in common. Knowing that every team member before you has completed the same task is valuable, and gives everyone that works with us common ground and a shared experience to lean on. This is a small but powerful team building tool. The book report process also teaches us something about our newest team members. It builds connections, and that is always a good thing. 5. It’s A Tradition This may seem simple, but reading Linchpin and doing a book report is just a tradition around here. Justin and I have required it since we started our first company in 2010, and the tradition has stuck. Now, it is one of those things that makes , , and that’s a good thing. Do you have any traditions in your startup? If not, maybe it’s time to add a â€Å"company book report† to your on-boarding checklist. Is a book report program right for you? â€Å"Linchpin thinking† obviously has a lot to do with our team here at , but I understand that it may not be right for you. Chances are, however, that some book would be a good fit. What book could your team adopt as a company read? It’s worth noting that many of these same benefits I outlined above could be accomplished at any time during your company's life cycle. Even if you’re no longer a startup, pick a book or a take a vote, and read it together as a company. Conclude this process with a verbal book report by each participant and pass the tradition down to all of your new hires. You’ll be glad you did! Maybe you already have a â€Å"company book† and you just need to add the book report portion. If so, here’s a breakdown of how we do this for our team. You can also download our pre-built worksheet that will work you through the entire book report process top to bottom. How Runs Its Book Report Program Every team member is supplied with a complementary copy of Linchpin on day one. If they prefer a Kindle or audio version of the book, we will also provide that upon request. Team members are give 90 days to complete the book, but they aren’t allowed to consider it completed until performing a formal â€Å"book report† in front of the entire team. We follow up on this requirement during our mandatory 90 day review to keep everyone honest. Once team members are ready to give their book report, they are giving a standard format of three questions that they must answer. I’ve included these questions in the pre-built worksheet that you can download here. Book reports are verbal and usually last between two and five minutes during our weekly all-hands meetings. In some cases we do accept written versions of the book report as well. Once a book report is complete we all clap and provide a bit of encouragement to the person giving the book report. As a prize, they also get a sticker of their choice from our bag of stickers – usually well stocked with unique selections from StickerMule or other places. The Final Case For a Company Book Report: It’s Fun Having every employee complete a book report is unique and memorable. In all honestly, it’s fun. I love hearing our team’s thoughts and comments about the book, even from a few people who didn’t like it all that much. The diversity of opinions and interpretations is always fascinating, and helps me understand the people I work with every day. We   always learn a thing or two about he people we work with, and that’s definitely a good thing.

The Concepts of Professional and Professionalism Essay

The Concepts of Professional and Professionalism - Essay Example The professions have fallen under criticism for being elitist and protectionist in their efforts to act as a barrier to entry into the profession and a social shield for their members to protect their income as well as their reputation. Professional associations today are required to be more responsive, informed, ethical, and conscientious in their role of protecting the profession from unwarranted disgrace while reinforcing the public perception of integrity and honor within the professional association. Technology and specialization have resulted in the fragmentation of many professions. Membership in a professional association is most often based on specific skills and qualifications. Today, an association defines the occupation and categorizes the knowledge and skills according to the rigorous guidelines set by the state or the industry. The traditional model of the Professional Association as a limitation to entry into the profession has evolved into a post-modern taxonomic mode l at the cost of producing a student's well-rounded experience in teaching and learning. The professional association (PA) has been a natural outgrowth from the antiquated system of apprenticeship that gained acceptance into the craft, tradesmen, and occupational guilds of the middle ages. With the advent of the 16th century, more complex systems of economics, trade, specialization, and accountability emphasized the critical need of specific occupations to maintain the social order and provide for the governmentality of the nation-state (Evetts, 2003, p.405). By the middle of the 19th century, professionals would form associations that would serve to differentiate their members from the excluded non-members. Scottish accountants were forming PAs under the Royal Charter system for the purpose of gaining legitimacy. The monopolistic hold based on mystification and cultural capital needed for membership has eroded as we have seen in the legal profession. Medicine has been exposed to greater outside pressures and has lost much of their power due to a diminished autonomy. The blurring lines in education between higher education and further education have weakened occupational closure in the field of education. New delivery systems, online learning, continued professional development, and specialty courses have made the professions more accessible than ever.  

Plantain Vs Banana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Plantain Vs Banana - Essay Example The name Musa paradisiaca was given to the plantain group which are cooked and consumed while still starchy† (Robinson 21). Through further classification the two fruits became known scientifically as M. balbisiana and M. acuminata (Robinson 1). Bananas and plantains share the same source of origin in Southeast Asia (Robinson 1). Today, the banana and plantain are abundant in slightly different parts of the world. Historically, the banana traveled from its origin to more tropical climates around 500 A.D, then ended in the Caribbean and South America about a thousand years later (Robinson 14). Most modern bananas are grown in the Caribbean region. In contrast, the plantain traveled from its origin of Southeast Asia and is now produced primarily in South America. Physically, bananas and plantains appear similar except for their color. Bananas are typically yellow when ripe and green when not ripe. Plantains are green when not ripe and black when ripe. A plantain is longer than a banana, and has a thicker skin (Chiquita Bananas). The major differences between plantains and bananas are their taste differences and their popular uses. Although they appear similar on the outside, inside they are quite different and are used for different purposes. According to the Chiquita banana website, bananas are much sweeter than plantains and are typically eaten raw (Chiquita Bananas). Bananas are considered a fruit while plantains are considered members of the vegetable family. Plantains can be eaten raw, but are mostly eaten when they have been steamed, baked, boiled, or fried. Plantains are used as though they are a vegetable and are a staple in Central American and South American diets. Interestingly, plantains are produced primarily in South America and consumed locally. â€Å"Only 1.62% of the world plantain production is exported† (Robinson 6). Bananas became popular in the United States after they started being imported

Prejudice Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Prejudice Worksheet Essay Part I Select three of the identity categories below and name or describe at least 3 related stereotypes for each: †¢ Race †¢ Ethnicity †¢ Religion †¢ Gender †¢ Sexual orientation †¢ Age †¢ Disability |Category |Stereotype 1 |Stereotype 2 |Stereotype 3 | |Race | People say black people are lazy. |People say white people are smart |People say Jews are cheap but | | | |and blonds are dumb. |rich. | |Religion |Wiccan Pentacle Study, worship the|Gothic people are very weird and |Muslims are terrorist and women | | |devil. |violent.|are beneath them. | | Sexual Orientation |When someone see a feminine man |When someone sees masculine women |People say homosexuality is wrong | | |and call him gay. |she is a lesbian. |and immoral. | Part II Answer each question in 50 to 100 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use. What are the positive aspects of stereotypes, if any? The aspects of positive stereotypes can be positive if a person know the difference and have the knowledge to understand what a person may be stating. If we prefer to someone as a â€Å"jock† we are acknowledging that this person is into sports. A person that is known to be preferred to by â€Å"Gothic† or â€Å"Punk† is because of the type of music they listen to and the type of clothing they wear. Usually no one is offended by this because it is factual and evident and these are positive aspects of stereotypes. What are the negative aspects of stereotypes? The negative aspects of stereotypes are the lack of understanding, the ignorance, and the labeling of someone to hurt their feelings as an individual or a group of people. A person may see a female with a short hair cut like a man and call them a dike without getting to know who that person is and assuming that this is what they are. Part III Answer each question in 50 to 150 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use. Define stereotypes and prejudice. What is the difference between stereotyping and prejudice? Use examples to illustrate the differences. Stereotype is something conforming to a fixed or general pattern, a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinions, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment. Prejudice is prejudgment and negative attitude based on sex, race, age, sexual orientation, nationality, socioeconomic status, and religion towards an individual or group of people. The difference between stereotype and prejudice is that stereotype is standardized beliefs about people based on some prior assumptions. Prejudice is a type of judgment or assumption about somebody before having sufficient knowledge to judge with accuracy. Example of stereotype is all policemen eat donuts. Example of prejudice is an organization that hires more males and reject females are known to be prejudice. What is the relationship between stereotyping and prejudice? The relationship between stereotyping and prejudice is that stereotyping promotes prejudice and that prejudice reduction depends on stereotype change. Prejudice also influences the extent of stereotyping. The important theoretical tradition posits that this effect emerges because prejudice encourages the use of stereotypes as a means to justify societal inequality (e.g. , Allport, 1954; Katz Braly, 1933; Lippmann, 1922). What can be done to prevent prejudice from occurring? Intolerance stems from ignorance and arrogance this go hand in hand and people need to understand and have the knowledge not to pre-judge people. In order to prevent prejudice from occurring we need to begin now with the way we are raising our children and teach them not to be judgmental and preconceive people before we get to know someone. Teach them not to assume to not like someone because of the color of their skin or where they come from. People are people no matter what they may look like, getting to know a person is very important and not to judge a book by its cover. Have rallies of all race and culture so people can have a better understanding of others. It starts at home teach your children a better way so that they will understand life in a better perspective. Reference: Voices. yahoo. com/stereotyping, Psychology. about. com, www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary, azam. org.

Truth, Knowledge, and Opinion Essay -- social issues

Truth, Knowledge, and Opinion WHAT IS TRUTH, KNOWLEDGE, OPINION AND WHY IS EXTREME SKEPTICISM? What is Truth, Knowledge, Opinion and why Extreme Skepticism is Self Contradictory? Truth is simply the mind corresponding with reality, knowledge is having the truth and knowing that you have it and understanding why it is true, Opinion is having an hypothesis but not being entirely sure that your idea is true and extreme skepticism is self contradictory because skeptics say that there is truth  ¡Ã‚ §that there is no truth ¡Ã‚ ¨. By doing this they are making a true statement. In this essay we shall discuss a more deeper and in-depth meaning truth, knowledge, opinion and why extreme skepticism is self-contradictory. What is truth? Truth is basically the mind corresponding with reality. This of course is the easy problem of truth; the hard problem is the mind trying to know reality. So we see  ¡Ã‚ §truth is connected to knowledge ¡Ã‚ ¨. True ideas are those that we can corroborate and verify. Truth works in way of our thinking. So you see to achieve complete truth there must be correspondence between our mind and reality and to know exactly what reality really is. For example If we say  ¡Ã‚ § the Auckland blues are going to win the super 12 ¡Ã‚ ¨ and later on they actually win, therefore your mind did indeed correspond with reality. Through this example we see that knowing what is reality is almost impossible, if a man is completely sure that he has grasped reality he is GOD. What is knowle...

Video Games and Violent Children

Video Games and Violent Children Brittany Hern 02/02/2011 Critical Thinking and Composition Home video games, an industry worth $11 billion domestically that is now 30 years old, continues to be thrown into legal and moral debates regarding what age is deemed appropriate to participate. Video games, especially those deemed to be violent or rated â€Å"mature,† are at the center of the controversy. There are two sides to this debate. Video game companies and their supporters lead one side arguing that video games have no affect on children, and maintain that video games deemed â€Å"mature† are meant for those ages.The other side of this debate consists of psychologists and parents who argue video games are responsible for what they feel is a growing epidemic of increasingly violent and desensitized children. Video game companies continue to assert that the ratings issued by The Entertaining Software Rating Board (ESRB) are to be followed and any results stemming from ga mes being purchased against those ratings fall back on parents. There are five rating categories: Everyone, Everyone 10+, Teen, Mature, Adults Only. The ESRB rates every video game that is to be sold in the United States.Companies like Rockstar Games, which produces some of the most controversial video games, continue to maintain that their video games are produced for adults and are not marketed towards children. Rockstar developer Lazlow Jones was quoted in 2010 as saying â€Å"Our games are not designed for young people. If you’re a parent and buy one of our games for your child you’re a terrible parent†¦ † This quote came after the backlash of the release of another Rockstar Games title that was attacked for being too violent for children.Parents and psychologists agree the ratings are a first step in the right direction, but insist these titles should be pulled from shelves because the continuance of accessibility by children across America. Although t he ratings are in place, children in most states are able to buy video games rated â€Å"Mature. † In those states where identification is necessary, parents argue that homes often filled with adult gamers expose children in the same household to inappropriate video games. They contend that an epidemic of violence and desensitized children are the product of violent video games and not enough supervision.Numerous video game companies have turned to national crime statistics to prove their opposition wrong. Video games have been blamed for several high profile cases. One of the most infamous cases linking violence and video games is the massacre of 13 people at Columbine High School. Jerald Block, a researcher and psychiatrist in Portland, concluded that the two teenage shooters, both avid gamers, went on their shooting rampage after their parents took their weapon-based video game away.Linking video games to high profile violence around the country has not been uncommon. The Virginia Tech shooting was wrongly attributed to video games by several news stations and TV personalities around the country before it was concluded that the shooter did not play video games. Video game companies continue to point to crime statistics to disprove these links. Gaming gained mass appeal in the mid 1990’s and since then sales domestically have quadrupled. From 1995 to 2008, when the industry took strides, juvenile violent crimes fell 49. 3%.With these statistics in hand, video game supporters maintain that violent video games are not to be blamed for any acts of violence committed by underage gamers. The Federal government has played its own role in the debate on relating violence in video games to violent tendencies in children. In 1996 the US Marine Corps licensed a version of the then popular game Doom in order to train soldiers. Psychologists argue that if violent video games play no role in training children to become violent, why would the US Marineâ€℠¢s use a violent video game to train adults.Those against violent video games propose the question: If these adults are trainable via video games then why wouldn’t children, who are far more persuadable, take the things in the games as instructions or guidelines. In 2002, the US Army released a first-person shooter America’s Army in order to recruit soldiers and prepare those recruits for what the battlefield is like. Those against violent video games see this as a direct link between violent video games being a teacher and influencing rather than just being used as a form of entertainment.Furthermore, America’s Army, has been pointed out to look very similar to other first-person shooting games. There have been numerous studies conducted and while the results often are different, video game companies insist there is no formal research that shows any type of link that violent video games cause aggression. A study conducted in 2007 and published in the â€Å"Jou rnal of Adolescent Health,† consisted of 1254 participants, which were pre-teens in demographically diverse schools. The results showed that playing a â€Å"Mature† rated video game was a positive way to manage anger in half of the participants.While the study does say this could be an unhealthy way to manage emotions depending on the child, the participants correlated positivity with the â€Å"Mature† rated video game. Other studies have either been inconclusive and those ruling that violence is linked to violent video games have been dismissed by video game companies and supporters as being blind to other factors. The studies, they explain, do not divulge other contributing factors like a predisposition to aggressiveness, exposure to violence, and family dynamics; all factors that could contribute to violence.Those who oppose violent video games point out a 2000 FBI report entitled â€Å"The School Shooter: A Threat Assessment Perspective,† which documen ts likely characteristics of a school shooter. In their research, the FBI concluded that a fascination with violence-filled entertainment is a risk factor associated with a possible school shooter. The report lists â€Å"the student spends inordinate amounts of time playing video games with violent themes, and seems more interested in the violent images than in the game itself. Another study conducted was based on short-term effects of violent video games. The 2009 study conducted by members of the Department of Psychology from both Iowa and Kansas State University, had 91 participants and not only surveyed those participants, but monitored the heart rate to see if there was any deviation. The study added to existing literature that shows violent video games in fact increase aggressive behavior, aggressive feelings, aggressive thoughts, and arousal from baseline to post video game play.Whichever side of the argument you may land on, the opposition is fierce. The debate of whether v iolent video games produce violent children will rage on, both sides undoubtedly not losing any momentum with their opinions. Video game companies will continue to protect their multibillion dollar investment while parents and psychologists will continue putting pressure on lawmakers and the media to dive further into the numerous studies conducted on the possible link. References Barlett, C. , Branch, O. , Rodeheffer, C. nd Harris, R. (2009), How long do the short-term violent video game effects last? Aggressive Behavior, 35:  225–236. Whitworth, D (2010, May 01). Red Dead Redemption hoping for emotional response. BBC. Retrieved 02/01/2011, from http://www. bbc. co. uk/newsbeat/10136311 Nizza, M (2007, July 05). Tying Columbine to Video Games. The New York Times. Retrieved 02/02/2011, from http://thelede. blogs. nytimes. com/2007/07/05/tieing-columbine-to-video-games/ O’Toole, M (2000) The School Shooter: A Threat Assessment Perspective. p. 0. Retrieved 02/01/2011, from http://www. fbi. gov/stats-services/publications/school-shooter Olson, C et al. (2007). Factors Correlated with Violent Video Game Use by Adolescent Boys and Girls. Journal of Adolescent Health. Retrieved January 29, 2011, from http://www. jahonline. org/article/S1054-139X(07)00027-4/abstract. Croteau, S. (2010, November 26). Virtual Violence – Video game developers say blame misplaced. Telegram. Retrieved 01/31/2011 from http://www. telegram. com/article/20101126/NEWS/11260474/0/eworcester

Hallmarks of Scientific Research Essay

Successful managerial decisions are seldom made on hunches or on trail and error method. The sound and effective decisions are always made on the basis of scientific research. Scientific research focuses on solving problems in a step _by _step logical, organized and rigorous manner in each step of research viz., identifying problem, gathering data, analyzing it and in arriving at a valid conclusion. Organizations may not always be involved in the scientific research due to various reasons like – simple problems which can solved with previous experience, time contingency, lack of knowledge, resource constraints etc., However the scientific research performed in a rigorous and systematic way leads to repeatable and comparable research findings. It also enables the researchers to arrive at accurate, dependable and subjective findings. The hallmarks or distinguishing characteristic features of scientific research are as follows: Purposiveness The research is conducted with a purpose. It has a focus. The purpose of the research should be clearly mentioned in an understandable and unambiguous manner. The statement of the decision problem should include its scope, its limitations and the precise meaning of all words and terms significant to the research. Failure to mention the purpose clearly will raise doubts in the minds of stakeholders of the research as to whether the researcher has sufficient understanding of the problem. Rigor Rigor means carefulness, scrupulousness and the degree of exactness in research investigation. In order to make a meaningful and worthwhile contribution to the field of knowledge, research must be carried out rigorously. Conducting a rigorous research requires a good theoretical knowledge and a clearly laid out methodology. This will eliminate the bias; facilitate proper data collection and analysis, which in turn would lead to sound and reliable research findings. Testability Research should be based on testable assumptions/hypotheses developed after a careful study of the problems involved. The scientific research should enable the testing of logically developed hypotheses to see whether or not the data collected support the hypotheses developed. Replicability Research findings would command more faith and credence if the same results are evolved on different set of data. The results of the test hypothesis should be supported again and again when the same type of research is repeated in other similar circumstances. This will ensures the scientific nature of the research conducted and more confidence could be placed in the research findings. It also eliminates the doubt that the hypotheses are supported by chance and ensures that the findings reflect the true state of affairs. Precision and Confidence In management research the findings are seldom definitive due to the fact that the universe of items, events or population are not taken as such but based on sample drawn from universe. There is a probability that the sample may not reflect the universe. Measurement errors and other problems are bound to introduce an element of error in the findings. However the research design should ensure that the findings are as close to the reality as possible so that one can have confidence in the findings. Precision refers to the closeness of the finding to ‘reality’ based on sample. It reflects the degree of accuracy or exactitude of the results on the basis of the sample to what exactly is in the universe. The confidence interval in statistics is referred here as precision. Confidence refers to the probability that the estimation made in the research findings are correct. It is not enough if the results are precise but it is also important to claim that 95% of the time the results would be true and there is only a 5% chance of the results being wrong. This is known as confidence level. If the precision and confidence levels of the research findings are higher then the findings of the research study would be more scientific and useful. Precision and confidence can be attained through appropriate scientific sampling design. Objectivity Research finding should be factual, databased and free from bias. The conclusion drawn should be based on the facts of the findings derived form the actual data and not on the basis of subjective or emotional values. Business organizations will suffer a greater extent of damage if a non-data-based or misleading conclusion drawn from the research is implemented. Scientific approach ensures objectivity of research. Generalizability It refers to the scope of applying the research findings of one organizational setting to other settings of almost similar nature. The research will be more useful if the solutions are applicable to a wider range. The more generlizable the research, the greater will be its usefulness and value. However it is not always possible to generalize the research findings to all other settings, situations or organizations. For achieving genaralizability the sampling design has to be logically developed and data collection method needs to be very sound. This may increase the cost of conducting the research. In most of the cases though the research findings would be based on scientific methods it is applicable only to a particular organization, settings or situations. Parsimony Research needs to be conducted in a parsimonious i.e. simple and economical manner. Simplicity in explaining the problems and generalizing solutions for the problems is preferred to a complex research framework. Economy in research models can be achieved by way of considering less number of variables leading to greater variance rather than considering more number of variables leading to less variance. Clear understanding regarding the problem and the factors influencing the same will lead to parsimony in research activities. The sound understanding can be achieved through structured and unstructured interview with the concerned people and by undertaking a study of related literature in the problem area. The scientific research in management area cannot fulfill all the above-discussed hallmarks to the fullest extent. In management research it is not always possible to conduct investigations that are 100% scientific like in physical science as it is difficult to collect and measure the data regarding the feelings, emotions, attitudes and perception. It is also difficult to obtain representative sample; these aspects restrict the generlizability of the findings. Though it is not possible to meet all the above said characteristics of the scientific research, to the extent possible the research activities should be pursued in the scientific manner. Reason is the tool by which the human mind comes to understand the world. There are two processes by which reason tries to understand events: deductive reasoning, based on generally accepted principles, and inductive reasoning, in which general principles are formed from observed events. The field of economics has deductive and inductive sides, which are complementary to each other. Read more: Induction Vs. Deduction Economics | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5427109_induction-vs-deduction-economics.html#ixzz2KoG5qmEy Deduction in Economics †¢ Deductive economics starts with a set of axioms about economies and how they work, and relies on these principles to explain individual cases or events. Supply and demand analysis, a staple in any introductory economics course, is an example of deductive reasoning because it involves a set of generally accepted principles about demand and supply. To summarize, deduction in economics starts with a generally accepted principle and proceeds to the specific. Induction in Economics †¢ Inductive reasoning in economics does the reverse of deductive reasoning; namely, it begins with an individual problem or question and proceeds to form a general principle based on the evidence observed in the real world of economic activity. For example, an economist who asks if a government program of public works spending will stimulate a region’s economy will proceed to research the issue, collect and analyze data, and based on conclusions, form a general theory about the economic impact of fiscal policies. Read more: Induction Vs. Deduction Economics | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5427109_induction-vs-deduction-economics.html#ixzz2KoGFvGGU Induction-Deduction Link †¢ Although deduction and induction represent two differing approaches to understanding economic phenomena, the 19th century American economist Henry George observed that they are related. George noted that induction involves the use of human reason to investigate facts, while deduction is the derivative of the former. Effects †¢ Applying George’s insight on deduction and induction in economics, deduction involves the use of economic principles and theories that have been empirically verified through observation, research, and critical analysis. Generally accepted principles of supply and demand, for example, can inform our understanding of economic transactions only if they are based on empirical evidence, collected and analyzed through the inductive process. Features †¢ Induction in economics requires rigorous use of the methodology of economic research. This includes use of the mathematical modeling and statistical processes used in econometrics, or economic measurement. Findings from inductive reasoning then form economic theories used in deductive analysis. Read more: Induction Vs. Deduction Economics | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5427109_induction-vs-deduction-economics.html#ixzz2KoGNpTEs Logical arguments are usually classified as either ‘deductive’ or ‘inductive’. Deduction: In the process of deduction, you begin with some statements, called ‘premises’, that are assumed to be true, you then determine what else would have to be true if the premises are true. For example, you can begin by assuming that God exists, and is good, and then determine what would logically follow from such an assumption. You can begin by assuming that if you think, then you must exist, and work from there. In mathematics you can begin with some axioms and then determine what you can prove to be true given those axioms. With deduction you can provide absolute proof of your conclusions, given that your premises are correct. The premises themselves, however, remain unproven and unprovable, they must be accepted on face value, or by faith, or for the purpose of exploration. Induction: In the process of induction, you begin with some data, and then determine what general conclusion(s) can logically be derived from those data. In other words, you determine what theory or theories could explain the data. For example, you note that the probability of becoming schizophrenic is greatly increased if at least one parent is schizophrenic, and from that you conclude that schizophrenia may be inherited. That is certainly a reasonable hypothesis given the data. Note, however, that induction does not prove that the theory is correct. There are often alternative theories that are also supported by the data. For example, the behavior of the schizophrenic parent may cause the child to be schizophrenic, not the genes. What is important in induction is that the theory does indeed offer a logical explanation of the data. To conclude that the parents have no effect on the schizophrenia of the children is not supportable given the data, and would not be a logical conclusion. Deduction and induction by themselves are inadequate for a scientific approach. While deduction gives absolute proof, it never makes contact with the real world, there is no place for observation or experimentation, no way to test the validity of the premises. And, while induction is driven by observation, it never approaches actual proof of a theory. The development of the scientific method involved a gradual synthesis of these two logical approaches.

The Ethics of the Union Carbide Disaster in India

The Ethics of the Union Carbide Disaster in India Ethics, as the distinction between right and wrong, is a subject that several individuals tend to ignore. The course of actions that people and organizations take can be supported by very many reasons.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Ethics of the Union Carbide Disaster in India specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, in most situations, the desire to gain wealth or power can influence individuals or organizations to do very unethical things. The catastrophe that took place in 1984 at the pesticide factory in Bhopal, India, is a case in which the governments of the United States and India violated several ethical practices that eventually led to the world’s worst industrial disaster. The Bhopal disaster happened on December 3, 1984 in which about forty tons of vaporous methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other toxic chemicals from the factory were released into the atmosphere and resulted in the death and in juries of several residents of the nearby town. Although estimates vary on the extent of damage caused to the residents, Eckerman estimates that â€Å"over 500,000 persons were exposed to the gases; between 3,000 and 10,000 people died within the first weeks; and between 100,000 and 200,000 may have permanent injuries† (2005, p.9). The disaster raised serious ethical questions concerning the business practices of the American multinational company, the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) and its Indian subsidiary, the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), which owned significant amount of shares in the plant. What the incident made painfully clear appertains to the moral conventions that the governments of the host and the parent country failed to adhere to (Cragg, 2005, p.11). The UCIL plant was established in 1969 as part of the local government’s Green Revolution initiative efforts aimed at realizing self-sufficiency in the production of crops. The use of pesticide increa sed in India in the 1960s and it was regarded as an essential factor in increasing its agricultural productivity. Consequently, the decision to produce pesticides locally, instead of importing them, was based on the above considerations. However, the government of India sanctioned the UCIL to set up the plant in Bhopal despite the fact that the country lacked adequate technology to maintain the production of such lethal chemicals. In a bid to spur economic growth, the Indian government ignored the safety and health considerations that were to be adhered to before establishing such a manufacturing plant.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The American international corporation, UCC, opted to establish the plant in India so as to gain a competitive advantage in the market. This is because as an emerging country in economic development, India provided low-cost labor, easier connectio n with consumers in other countries, and reduced costs of transacting business. Once UCC established the plant in India, it had little incentive to reduce environmental and human risks associated with pesticide production (Cassels, 1993). More so, this problem was compounded by the negligence of the Indian government to institute stringent regulations that can guard this malpractice. The Indian government was only looking for economic gains, not the other risks that were involved. On the other hand, as an American Company, the United States government failed to enact stringent checks and balances that could monitor the operations of UCC internationally. Its unethical practice was mainly motivated by the urge to establish stronger relations with the Indian sub-continent, while neglecting the fact that human life is more important than the so-called ‘good relations’ are. The Bhopal disaster has several unethical contributing factors that both the governments of the United States and India consistently ignored even after they were made aware of them. Prior to the hazardous gas leak, the plant stored MIC (methyl isocyanate) in large containers and filled them above the recommended levels, little maintenance was done to the plant to ensure its efficiency, several safety systems were not functioning properly, and some safety devices were switched off periodically to save money (Weir, 1987). Aware of these breaches to good industrial practices, the Indian government disregarded calls for putting these actions in check. Worse still, several slums mushroomed near the Bhopal facility, and the residents disregarded repeated warnings by the local media to vacate the place because of the danger that they were exposed to in case of an emergency. Interestingly, the local officials of the government failed to endorse the reports dismissing them as sensational. In addition, the residents failed to act to these reports because the government had failed to educate t hem on the risks that they were exposed to. Ironically, the American multinational corporation, UCC, spurred by the desire to gain a competitive advantage, attempted to hide its deplorable safety and maintenance records, non-existent catastrophe plans, and other malpractices in the Bhopal facility. Prior to the incident, the work conditions at the plant were in a bad state. Instead of providing the employees with good working conditions, UCC implemented a number of cost-cutting strategies that affected the employees and their conditions of working.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Ethics of the Union Carbide Disaster in India specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These strategies for reducing expenses resulted in reduced quality control and loose adherence to regulations of safety of the employees. For example, replacing old pipes was forbidden, no training was given to the employees, and they were compelled to use En glish instruction booklets although they did not understand the language fully. These unethical practices made several of the skilled employees to look for opportunities in other places. Although the employees made numerous complaints through their union, no one heeded to their cries and some of them were even fired or fined. In all these, the government of India supported the factory because it feared that some of its citizens could lose their jobs and eventually its tax collection could reduce. However, a catastrophe, which was being brewed by these unethical practices, was looming. Investigations after the Bhopal tragedy have revealed a number of equipment and safety violations. During the 1998 civil court cases in India, it was revealed that contrary to the UCC factories in the U.S., the factories in India lacked major preparations for tackling emergencies and there was no attempt by the management to institute such measures. For example, there was no notification given to local authorities about the amounts or the hazards of the substances that were being used and produced at the Bhopal facility. Other investigations revealed that the MIC unit had malfunctioned four years prior to the incident, there was limited number of manual back up systems, steam boiler used for cleaning the pipes was not working, and carbon steel that is prone to corrosion was used at the plant. The MIC plant was built according to the instructions that were given by the Indian government. More so, the authorities neglected several previous warnings and accidents that were pointing to an impending disaster. For example, in 1976, two trade unions raised alarms about the level of pollution in the factory and in early 1982, a MIC leak affected eighteen employees. Instead of enforcing stringent rules to curb this, the Indian government still relaxed its rules concerning the unethical practices of UCC within its territory. This makes the Indian government to be indirectly responsible for the catastrophe that affected the lives of many people in the area. It is astonishing to note that in spite of the serious health problems and deaths that took place due to the disaster, the governments of the U.S. and India have not established efficient systems for caring for and compensating the people affected. Instead of pushing for quick compensation of the victims, the two governments are accusing one another of responsibility. In some instances, UCC has failed to compensate the victims saying that the company is not under the jurisdiction of the Indian laws. As much as some progress is being made to compensate the victims adequately, this process could have been more efficient if the two governments had instituted better systems for tackling such emergencies. This negligence by the two governments seems to be supporting UCC’s unethical practices.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In conclusion, the governments of the United States and India, through neglecting some essential ethical business practices, are indirectly responsible for the occurrence of the Bhopal disaster. Instead of instituting adequate checks and balances to monitor the operations of UCC internationally, the U.S. government forfeited this significant role. On the other hand, aware of the various contributing factors that were pointing to an imminent disaster, the Indian government failed to institute appropriate measures that could have prevented the disaster from taking place. Reference List Cassels, J. (1993). The Uncertain Promise Of Law: Lessons From Bhopal. Toronto: University Of Toronto Press. Cragg, W. (2005). Ethics codes, corporations and the challenge of globalization.  Cheltenham: Elgar. Eckerman, I. (2005). The Bhopal saga: causes and consequences of the worlds largest  industrial disaster. Hyderabad: Universities Press. Weir, D. (1987). The Bhopal Syndrome: Pesticides, Envir onment, And Health. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.

Aung San and Faith Bandler

?Today, lack of equality and peace are prominent issues which shape the world. Such things are demonstrated in Aung San Suu Kyi’s speech, ‘Keynote Address at the Beijing World Conference on Women’ and Faith Bandler’s speech, ‘Faith, Hope and Reconciliation’ through the use of various language devices. The common uses of emotive language between the two texts greatly affect the audience as it creates a sense of sympathy and unity. For example, ASSK states, ‘The struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma is a struggle for life and dignity. It is a struggle that encompasses our political, social and economic aspirations. ’ the repetitive use of ‘struggle’ emphasizes the hardships for the people of Burma and their desire for freedom. It is a struggle for ‘young girls’ to be driven to ‘sexual slavery where they are subject to constant humiliation’, there is a struggle for freedom, dignity and security. Her use of emotive language and repetition enables the audience to sympathise with her and the people of Burma that the causes of these struggles are lack of equality and peace in the world or our ‘global village’. Similarly in Faith Bandler’s speech, emotive language and repetition are recognised once again to unify the audience and the speaker to create a sense of sympathy which draws upon the theme of inequality and peace. It was a rather slow process for her to understand, ‘when there are millions†¦who are hungry, millions who are homeless, millions who are without work, the wrongfully imprisoned, the deaths in custody, the tortured†¦why is it so hard to find our commonalities? ’, Faith stresses the absurdity of how difficult it is for people to find ‘commonalities’ with her use of repetition of ‘millions’. Its becomes a problem when ‘millions’ are hungry, homeless and jobless as it portrays our society as unequal. The rhetorical questions asked throughout her speech such as ‘why is it so hard to find our commonalities? ’ and ‘what is reconciliation about? ’ state the obvious truths, that it isn’t hard to find reconciliation or peace within the world. Faith demonstrates a world of inequality through the use of emotive language and repetition. Suu kyi and Bandler’s speeches are effective in connecting to their audience when demonstrating the theme of equality and peace. Both activists demonstrate unity to the audience by using inclusive language and first person. For example, as Suu Kyi acknowledges the ‘strong and principled women’ who have lobbied for her release, ‘I cannot let this opportunity pass without speaking of the gratitude we feel towards our sisters everywhere. ’ The use of first person and inclusive language is evident throughout the speech, it illustrates a personal approach to her audience as well as clearly portraying her firm views of women. Bandler’s speech is also evident of the use of these devices. By using first person throughout her speech, it indicates her familiarity with the audience as she was â€Å"here once before† and also shows that she speaks from a personal experience giving the audience an idea of what she has been through such as her work in campaigning and co founding various companies. In order to move the audience about reconciliation whether it’s the ‘youth’ or the ‘not so young’, her use of first person and inclusive language connects to the audience. Both ASSK and Bandler bring their audiences together as a whole to look at common issues of the world and better ways to bring peace.

Things I Would Mostly Miss about US Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Things I Would Mostly Miss about US - Assignment Example The assignment "Things I Would Mostly Miss about US" presents the opinion of the author regarding moving abroad. The author tells what things he would most miss about the United States of America like the personal interaction, having advanced technology, efficient transport systems, US civil rights, etc.America has a state of art public infrastructure including better roads and offices. Therefore, I would mostly miss efficient transport systems that have no congestions. Security with a more advanced system that limits crime rate. There is crowd civilization in the US in cases of the demonstration when problems arise. US civil rights that are lost once you are in a foreign country. General hygiene high standard levels maintained in the US compared to India. Weather that does not reach an extreme level as those experienced in India. Living away from family and friends who have always been around will be hard. Have American lifestyle that allows wearing of anything.I would feel highly e xcited to learn Indians culture for a better understanding of the people in the country. Learn a new language from the native community during the assignment period. It would be most interesting to develop international friends to improve personal and work profile. Experience working with people from different cultures. Get a large compensational package that comes with working on overseas. Get promotional opportunities through posts available abroad. Receive cheap medical cover from Indian medical centers compared to the US.