Charge of the Light Brigade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Charge of the Light Brigade - Essay Example The details of the historical incident have been recorded fairly accurately since the communications and the events of the charge have been saved by historians of the time. The charge was conducted by the British cavalry Light Brigade which formed the Fourth Royal Irish Dragoon Guards in conjunction with the Heavy Brigade. At the battle, the total Cavalry force was commanded by the Earl of Lucan who received an order to charge from Lord Raglan who was present as the overall army commander. The order stated: "Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to advance rapidly to the front, follow the enemy, and try to prevent the enemy carrying away the guns. Horse artillery may accompany. French cavalry is on your left. Immediate. (Wikipedia.org, 2006, Pg. 1)." The order was delivered by Captain Louis Nolan who was killed in the action that followed the order. The action taken by Lord Cardigan was to take more than six hundred men straight into the valley where they faced twenty battalions of Russian infantry and more than fifty cannons pointed at them. The Russians had forced deployed on both sides of the valley where the British light cavalry was charging into (Bachrach, 1997). From a military standpoint this situation can easily be understood as quite negatively stacked against the British. The Light Brigade was able to go through the cannon fire and attack the Russian forces to push them back. However, charging through the cannon fire cost the British heavily and the Light Brigade was forced to retire from battle. The Heavy Brigade failed to help the charge of the Light Brigade since they entered the mouth of the valley but did not come any further. The French (who were allied with the British in the Crimean War), were only able to provide cover for the few remaining soldiers of the Light Brigade at the end of the charge. The charge was successful in meeting the objective given to

Starbucks Corporation Essay Example for Free

Starbucks Corporation Essay Problem:The problem is anti-globalization which makes more difficult for Starbucks to enter in new markets. Symptoms:1. Protests from anti-globalization activists. 2. If those activists have enough media power it leads to international scandals sometimes even involvement of celebrities (who also might be activists of anti-globalization). And finally the worst situation for Starbucks:3. They receive push-backs in new markets. That is why Starbucks needs to establish some systematic method or decision process which would work equally around the world by helping to say: To open new shop in certain place or not!?Alternatives:I. To try to solve problems with anti-globalization activists. +/- If Starbucks could solve this worldwide conflict they would go in the history, but by my mind it is impossible to speak with those people by continuing to go globally. It is in what they believe and they will not change their mind. II. To work with the media of regions they want to go in. Everybody knows that big power is in hands of people who have good relationships with the biggest media. Starbucks has to use it:†¢Maybe they has to involve in requirements for their next foreign partners that they need to be in good relations with mass media (like biggest newspapers and TV channels):+ They could overpower anti-globalization activists. + They could make better PR of themselves. Then it could start some media wars, because they can not be sure that some of media companies also are not anti-globalists. It could be quite a hard for Starbucks to find such a partner with the required contacts. III. To promote loudly and more active that they have very friendly Environmental Mission Statement. Spend money that this message would go globally. + Nowadays, when there is so much pollution and foodstuffs becomes modified Starbucks should make global marketing campaign where they would tell everybody that how their work is to: instilling environmental responsibility as a corporate value and that they uses environmental products.- It will require big money. IV. For each market to work out the strategy that they uses the coffee from the best coffee fields of this particular country where they are planning to go in. + It means that they can show in the numbers how many working places they will give and that coffee growers in this country will not gong to suffer, but at the same time in the coffee shops for those who want it they also offers coffees from different regions around the world. Of course it is not 100% diminishing the possibility of anti-globalist activities. V. In place of searching partnerships in the new place to sell franchises. Franchise vs. Partnership:+ This person would be more interested that there would not be push-backs because he will be 100% owner of Starbucks coffee shop/s.- For the person who buys franchise it would be more difficult to open Starbucks because opening costs for one coffee shop is high. + He will know better the ethical things which Starbucks can not step over. It will be harder for franchiser to catch up this know-how which Starbucks has and he can loose the Starbucks identity. + It is always more acceptable for the locals if it is international but belongs to the local guy and even more better if it is well known person or this fact is nicely showed in the media.- For the franchiser it will be more complicated to follow the statements of the employment policys benefits packages, shares for employees est. Partnership vs. Franchise:+ Starbucks owns its coffee shops and has to pay to his partner 20 to 50%.- Starbucks it is not local they are Americans. + Starbucks has very good and well established know-how of everything starting from choosing coffee and ending with their employee polices. + Starbucks can make one and united mission statement and goals and what are the most important they can control it. + By giving franchise Starbucks can not control the brand is it made correctly, even Starbucks has not standardized places, but they adapt their coffee shop to each place and culture. + Starbucks cant be 100% sure that their partner will be the right person and will bring the best ideas and outcomes. Recommendations:I would choose to implement Alternative # III and # IV. To make louder marketing campaigns, to make better and louder PR that is what is needed for Starbucs. To become more local they need to support locals. I would suggest doing it because Starbucks are very profitable company which means that they can spend more money for good PR and many charity activities in the country they are or want to go in. Implementation:Global marketing campaigns:1st step:To come together and to decide what kind of activities they could support in each country whether it would be one system for all or case by case decision. My suggestions would be:It would be better that all society in each country  they come in would feel that they bring not only American coffee shops but also something to their nation or community. That is why I would choose to implement case by case decision what kind of charity support it will be. ~ For Example: Also as I mentioned to make some Coffee Planters Associations in each country where they come in and in which country can be planted coffee. It would make better relationships with society and also they will gain the opportunity to get good coffee (they can also educate planters). ~ For Example: They can open in each country some Starbucks Rio (as example) Interests Organization where they could for example support youngster graffiti contests (it is only as example, because in Rio they had vandalism cases (but this example is only in case if this is the real problem), so, the main thing is that they need to find core of the problem points when they will come in new place and by smart and intelligent ways to solve it. It means that: 1st they have to find out what problems they will facing in this new place and 2nd only after finding some interesting and socially responsible way to solve this problem to go publicly with the announcement that they will open Starbucks in this place. That will help to make good PR for Starbucks before entering the market. 2nd step:To decide how to promote globally that they are very friendly to the environment?My suggestions would be:As I told it is very important that company is friendly to the environment. Starbucks has to show it and best way is to show with the help of promotions. They have to hire the best and most creative promotion agency and together think about the strategy they can show their attitude to the environment. In general:I can suggest improving the relationships with mass media and try to find out why they are writing or showing what they do and creating bad PR for Starbucks. I can suggest working more with governments of the places where they want to go in because we know that governments have an access to mass media. I would suggest never overstepping ethical issues of countries. But more of everything I would suggest to stay as friendly as they are and try to conquer societys hearts by building that they are not Americans but they are cosmopolitans and their Starbucks in particular country is not any more American Starbucs but completely adapted to the country they come in. stategic managemet 7th edition. charles w.hill and gareth r.jones

My Best Friend’s Wedding :: Film Movies

My Best Friend’s Wedding My Best Friend’s Wedding is a romantic comedy with a guide to sabotaging your old beau’s nuptials. When she broke up with Michael (Dermot Mulroney), her boyfriend in college, Julianne made him her new best friend and security blanket. They made a pact—if they were still single at 28, they’d marry each other. Now they’re almost 28. And Michael, a sports writer, is in Chicago and wants Julianne to call him. She is touched and nervous. She has always really loved the guy but he’s not calling to propose. He’s calling to explain he’s engaged to be married in three days to a junior at the University of Chicago who is willing to drop out of college and sacrifice her own aspirations as an architect to support his career because she is devotedly in love with him. Julia Roberts makes you feel so guilty for rooting for her character, as she is a confident restaurant critic who panics after hearing friend and ex-flame Michael is getting hitched. Julianne’s—or how Michael considers her, Jules—strategy is simple: put on a happy face, pretend to go along and destroy from within. Kimmy (Cameron Diaz) knows she’s got a remarkable opponent, and her strategy is to befriend Jules. â€Å"You win. â€Å"He’s got you on a pedestal and me in his arms.† She asks Jules to be her maid of honor since all her female relatives are supposed sluts and mostly because she wants to keep her eye on Jules so she doesn’t get her grips on her man. Jules stoops to evil means worthy of a minor Batman villain: She fakes an engagement to George (her guy friend played by Rupert Everett), forges a brutal, sneaky, and really mean email from the bride’s rich daddy (who owns the White Sox and a cable television empire) to the editor of Michael’s sports magazine that could ruin Michael career, and forces her trusting and tuneless rival princess to perform in a karaoke bar—ouch! You never thought that innocent and loving Julia Robert would not be the heroine of this movie or any movie. She is willing to fight dirty to steal another woman’s man. My Best Friend’s Wedding may be a flick for chicks, but it foils some of the common expectations of romantic comedies. It manages to keep alive the mystery of who will end up with whom. Things aren’t as clear-cut as they initially seem to be.

The impact of Christian Religious Education

The context of studying religious in a society such as ours, Christian religious educations give me the opportunity to learn from religion (Christian religion) in an organized Manner.From my perspective, Christian religious education aims to support and develop my religious identity by giving me the opportunity to participate at Christian religious practices. Religious education like Christianity involves religious practices such as praying, caring for others, and dealing with the challenges of life.In these practices I see Christian religious education as an inspirational reality of God’s teaching; the only reliable tool that I rely on in the time of difficulties and challenges. The concepts of God, creation, redemption, or eternity are concepts that are difficult to understand unless with faith and the teaching of Christian religious education.From this standpoint, progress in Christian religious education refers to my participation at religious practices in a more proficien t way. The aim of this paper is to get a clear view on the significance of studying Christian Religious Education and its impact on me as an individual.Growing up as a KidAs a kid growing up I attended Catechism classes (first Holy Communion and Confirmation), as far as going to the seminary (Catholic seminary) after my graduation from high school. I attended catechism classes and was taught the Catholic doctrines and other Christian beliefs.Therefore, Christian religious education has impacted my life and my personal growth. Consequently, learning through religious education enables me to:Develop my knowledge and deepen my understanding of the Christian faith, especially my Catholic faith and other Christian beliefs. It helps me understand the relevance of the Catholic faith and the meaning of life. It fosters the values, attitudes and practices which are well-suited with my faith as Christian. Christian religious education develops my skills of reflection, critical thinking, and h ow to act in accordance when making moral decisions. It nurtures my prayer life as an individual.It helps me understand and appreciate significant aspects of other Christian traditions such as observing lent, the practice of station of the cross and advent season. The observance of all of these makes a positive difference to my Christian life and put my beliefs and values into action.The Influence of Christian Religion Education on meThe impact of Christian religious education on me is that it transfers Christian moral values and norms to me as person or individual growing up to become responsible and appreciating myself and others. It teaches me the actual duty of a Christian and acquaints me with religious practices and obedience to authorities in the neighborhood, homes, state and in the universal society.Christian religious education helps me to develop the knowledge and understanding of Christianity and especially, the catholic doctrine. Christian religious education specially the catholic doctrine have taught me some religious norms and it values and has encouraged me to learn from various religious beliefs, values and culture while at the same time, focusing my own beliefs regarding my religion.My study at the seminary and catechism classes has also help me to be mature personally and socially as well as refining my judgments and decisions on religious, moral and social issues, preparing me for life in a secular society.During my time in primary school I can clearly recall that Christian religious education in the context of catholic religious teachings popularly known as â€Å"doctrine† in catholic schools was a compulsory subject for us. It was mandatory subject, not an optional one.In fact anyone who could not pass doctrine in St. Francis high school (Pleebo, Maryland County) is assumed not to be able to do well or pass other subjects. As the result, Christian religious education gave me a stronger sense of my identity and it made me to know m y place in the world that I live in through Christian religious and ethical teaching.Christian Religious education guides me through my spiritual journey. It motives me and helps me been focus on my spiritual life. If I don’t understand what I am implementing in my life, then I will end up losing focus in my Christian activities.Christian Religious education aids me in instructing me how to understand the existence of God and how to obey his commands. Christian Religious education assists me in keeping me from doing the wrong things and repeating the same mistakes over and over again.It instructs me to obey authorities and follow the teaching of the scriptures, so that I may teach the little one or my own kids the ways of life of my religion (Christian) and how to follow it teachings. Encourages me to look more into what I accept as true and reflect on that spiritual knowledge. It helps me understand the Word of God as expressed in the Christian scriptures and especially the teachings of the Catholic Church. And considering how situations can affect the way that I understand things in my lives and the world around me. Reflecting on the Catholic beliefs that my life has meaning, therefore, the essence of Christian religious education is to help me to value the teachings of the scriptures and that which God reveals in our lives.It helps me recognize such knowledge and understand issues which are never fully realized except in actual relationships with the scripture (God) or teaching of Christian religion education. It helps me truly develop and  engage common issues in concrete actions.Why Christian Religion Education Matters to me?Christian Religious education makes a distinctive contribution to my well-being. It promotes my moral, social and above all my spiritual, development. It prepares me for societal challenges and future responsibilities. Religion and beliefs inform our values and are reflected in what we say and how we behave. Christian Religio us education try to explain or give meaning to challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. It develops my knowledge and understanding of the nature of religion and belief including Christianity, and other principal religious issues, such as the TRINITY, (three persons in one God).God the FATHER, God the SON and God the HOLY SPIRIT, philosophy that are difficult to understand. Christian religious education offers me the opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development. It enhances my awareness and understanding of Christianity and beliefs, teachings and practices. Christian religious education had impacted my life, to be more precise, it helps me to understand issues of faith and the existence of God. There are things I cannot do because of my beliefs and faith.I cannot take away human life, because I have value for other and the life of peop le. I cannot encourage abortion or homosexual arts.Taking away other life is murder, murder is a crime. Christian religious education, specially my doctrine (catholic doctrines) forbids that. And Christian religious educations help enhance and foster my beliefs. Therefore, my value of God is deepening.Christian religious education today is vital. As the issue of extremism emerges, I begun to wonder how these people lost their moral direction and they have turn against society in the name of religion. One might want to look to their religion as one aspect of what shaped their thinking.Instead of judge them; I extend forgiveness, because my religion (Christianity) teaches me how to forgive. After all, Christ said in the Bible â€Å"he who is without sin should cast the first stone.†Christian religious education is priceless. Christian religion offer open debate about all moral and ethical points of view. It is open to free debate, unlike other religions which forbids open discu ssion of some critical issues.In order to combat ignorance, Christian religious educations enlighten my mind. It causes me to act as detects by the scripture or my doctrine.The reason a society falls is its lack of morality. Christian religious education taught me about morality, ethics and to love others, even if they don’t act very loving toward me.The skills, understanding and knowledge acquired from Christian religious education during my seminary and catechism class’s days, couple with my Christian ethics class at AMEU is very necessary. They help to broaden my knowledge and positively sharp my thinking to be mature in my attitudes.Christian religious educations help me to be open minded, value for others and self understanding. Experiencing self-assurance about my own beliefs and identity and increasing my perception of my religious, moral and spiritual ideas.ConclusionIn conclusion to this paper, I will say Christian religious education from all angle and from a ll area of society has shown without any doubt its significance on me as individual and society cannot be ignored.Christian Religious Education has prove to make available openings for spiritual expansion in the course of helping me to think about and act in response to questions of meaning and function in life, and questions about the s existence of God and morals in human society; to consider and react to  critical issues especially issues of morality and real challenges of life.This has helped me to make clear and knowledgeable decision on religious and moral issues. Our society today is face with many moral issues, such as same sex marriage know as gay marriage and the issue of abortion. Christian religious education has helped to develop my sense of character and belonging, preparing me for life as individual in society.It gives me consciousness and understanding of my beliefs, including practices and values of Christianity. Christian Religious Education is a tool that streng then my ethical attitude and values, including choices and behavior and my believed toward abortion, drugs and homosexuality.

Response to George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant

Although many people believe that racism has disappeared from our minds after all those solutions of trying to set equal rights in the world’s history, it still exists today, and will probably never vanish from our thinking. Some may clearly express it, whereas others may express racism unnoticeably, even to themselves. George Orwell, in â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, tells a story of his past when he killed an elephant in order to please the Burmese crowd. At the time, Orwell was a white Indian Imperial Police officer who was disliked by the country's natives due to the fact that he was European. One day, he heard of an elephant's doing of ravaging the town, so he ran to the scene with a rifle. When he finally arrived, he found himself observing a peacefully feeding elephant while a huge crowd of Burmans gathered excitedly to observe his future action. Even though he does not feel it right to shoot the elephant, he has this huge, unavoidable pressure from the Burmese crowd. Eventually, his final decision was to shoot the elephant and satisfy the natives' hunger for excitement. Although the situation must have been difficult from Orwell's perspective, his action of killing the elephant cannot be justified. George Orwell's situation was definitely burdensome, looking from his perspective. He had his beliefs and feelings; yet, he vividly felt the pressure dawning on him as the natives assembled at the scene, eagerly and impatiently waiting for him to simply shoot the elephant. Especially for a person who â€Å"was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British,† he must have experienced an unbearable moment of making a decision. We all experience such burdensome pressure numerous times, starting from school as a kid. Students have such thing called peer pressure, where you are usually forced to do make a decision of whether or not to follow others' ways. Whether in academic studies, sports, or social life, they always tend to end up following others' beliefs and ways. For instance, peer pressure is the reason why the number of students who smoke since young age is rapidly increasing. However, conforming to others' beliefs and ways means that person is lacking self-confidence and self-respect. In order to survive this world at least a little more joyfully, people must follow their own beliefs and practices as many times as possible. Even though he had his belief about killing the elephant, Orwell purely abandoned the idea of following his way, and concentrated on how to please the natives. Only after he carried out the action did he admit that he â€Å"had done it solely to avoid looking a fool,† meaning he had no self-confidence or self-respect. In fact, by doing so what he decided to do, Orwell became a fool who was too afraid to speak out his belief: that the elephant does not deserve to be killed. As Orwell states, â€Å"he wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it. † Basically, people first hide their belief and conform to others’, then without knowing, they become to be one of them completely, losing their true selves. Following our own moral beliefs does not mean we must be ignorant of all outside beliefs. In other words, ignoring rules while living in a country with differing beliefs and laws is definitely a foolish act. For example, when I lived in Saudi Arabia, the national law forced us to wear black veils – called abbaya – like the local women outside home, and both the law and their belief forbid us to drink any kind of alcohol. Needless to say, we should not be fools as to go against any national laws to end up in prison, but our personal beliefs must still be kept safe. Furthermore, although Orwell faces a difficult situation, where he can either unnecessarily kill the elephant or decide not to, based on his own moral beliefs, he should have realized that he was the powerful one. Orwell explains his situation, â€Å"To come all that way, rifle in hand, with two thousand people marching at my heels, and then to trail feebly away, having done nothing – no, that was impossible. The crowd would laugh at me. And my whole life, every white man’s life in the East, was one long struggle not to be laughed at. But I did not want to shoot the elephant. † It was a situation in which he could not help but act according to the natives’ expectations. Nevertheless, readers must not forget that he was the one in control and power, with the rifle in his hands, and the natives could neither physically harm him nor report that he did the wrong thing. This meant that he really could have protected his moral values, and be ignorant of what others desperately wanted him to do since he believed the action to be wrong. The result of standing up to our own beliefs and practices can mean conflict with others who have different ones. But another consequence is faith in ourselves, self-confidence in our identity and ability to carry out those beliefs. Maintaining these will help us survive our lives more successfully, although probably not easily; on the other hand, if we continue to conform to others’ beliefs, we will come to depend only on others and have no self-respect. Overall, the action of killing the elephant by George Orwell is not justified because, despite his moral belief about not killing the elephant, he went straight against it and shot the elephant, winning the natives’ expectations, and overcoming the boundary between them, but losing his true self and his beliefs.

Crim Reaction Paper Essays

Crim Reaction Paper Essays Crim Reaction Paper Essay Crim Reaction Paper Essay Reaction paper: Due Wed 14 Nov. 20% Students will be required to submit a 2-3 page (double-spaced) reaction paper to a secondary source criminological article taken from an academic journal. Steps to the paper: 1. Find an academic peer-reviewed journal article that pertains to a subject within criminology that interests you. This could be: developments in policing, courts, corrections, young offenders, Aboriginals, minorities etc. Note that you must find article with an empirical topic, and not just a conceptual review/theoretical piece. 2. Read the paper carefully. . Identify the general theoretical orientation of the author (whether or not it is explicitly stated by the author). Is this author deploying an individualistic or larger structural perspective? Are they more consensual or conflictual in their thinking? 4. How explicit is the author in identifying their theoretical position? 5. Does the author make any policy recommendations, and how do these recommendations relates to th eir theoretical position? 6. Does the author present sufficient evidence in their paper to justify their theoretical position? 7. Based on the analysis in the paper, do you think that the authors theoretical position is the best one for looking at the empirical topic of interest? What kinds of data might they need to make their theoretical position stronger (i. e. , to back up their theoretical point)? 8. Do you think that there is another theoretical tradition that more adequately addresses the empirical topic of interest? If you are going to do research in this area, what kinds of questions would you ask, what kinds of data would you look for, and what kinds of theory would inform your research?

Totalitarianism in Poland essays

Totalitarianism in Poland essays The Totalitarian dictatorships possess many traits or trait clusters to which I am going to apply to Poland. I will compare this ideology of totalitarianism with the novels Ashes (1) The first trait of totalitarianism is that it an elaborate ideology, consisting of an official body of doctrine covering all vital aspects of mans existence to which everyone living in that society is supposed to adhere. It is set upon radical rejection of the existing society with conquest of the world for the new one. There is no government like totalitarian dictatorship has been ever existed, because regimes lack the traits in a large extent. In Poland it was the ideology of Marxism to which every student in Poland we required to read it. This was the doctrine that used to control the aspect of society. In 1939 Russia (then allied with Germany) invaded from the east, and the country was divided between Germany and Russia. When Germany attacked the USSR in 1941, all of Poland came under German rule. Massacres, starvation, and concentration camps decimated the population of Poland. Poland was the only country to combat Germany from the first day of the Polish invasion until the end of the war in Europe. In Poland itself, most elements of resistance to the German regime organized under the banner of the Home Army (AK). The AK became one of the largest and most effective underground movements of World War II. Commanding popular support, it functioned as a force, conducting a vigorous campaign of sabotage and intelligence gathering, and as a means of social defense against the invaders. (2) The second trait of totalitarianism is that it contains a single mass party typically led by one man the dictator,&quo...

A Review of Think Through Math

A Review of Think Through Math Think Through Math (TTM) is an interactive online mathematics program designed for students in grades 3-Algebra I. It was created in its current form in 2012 and was a spin-off of the popular Apangea Math program. The program provides users with both direct instruction and remediation. Think Through Math was developed to prepare students for the Common Core State Standards and the rigorous assessments associated with the standards.   Students are enrolled in a unique pathway based on their grade level. Students are also given an adaptive assessment that prescribes precursor activities designed to build skills needed to achieve grade-level proficiency. These activities are added to the pathway. Each lesson in a pathway is divided into six unique skill-building components including a pre-quiz, warm up, focus, guided learning, practice, and a post-quiz. Students who demonstrate proficiency on the pre-quiz for a particular subtopic are able to move ahead. Think Through Math is a revolutionary program for student learning. It combines a unique blend of adaptive assessment, skill building, student motivation, and individualized live instruction. The entire program is geared to enhance classroom learning by filling gaps that a particular student may have and prepares them to meet the rigor of the Common Core State Standards. Key Components Think Through Math makes it simple to add a single student or a whole class by uploading a data template. It has terrific reporting that makes it easy to monitor individual student or whole class progress. It also has a terrific and easy to use interface making it easy for teachers and students to monitor usage, check performance, compare accomplishments, and check goals. Think Through Math allows and encourages students to access the program at home after school and on weekends to maximize the impact of the program. Think Through Math allows teachers to send messages to directly to individual students through the messaging system. Students are only able to receive these messages. They cannot send or respond. Instructional With Diagnostic Components Think Through Math provides both direct instruction and intensive remediation within the same program. It places each student in a â€Å"pathway† containing skills needed to be successful at a particular grade level. It also provides students with an initial adaptive assessment which assigns precursor activities designed to remediate the skills needed to do the required grade level work. Think Through Math continuously monitors and adapts to the individual, adding new material, based on performance throughout the program. Think Through Math Is Motivational Think Through Math allows users to create and personalize their own unique avatar. It provides continuous contests across multiple categories for terrific prizes such as an iPod touch, gift cards, etc. It also allows teachers to set classroom goals for a pizza party or ice cream party. Students can then donate their points towards that goal, and when the class reaches the goal, the teacher will receive a gift card to help purchase the goodies for the party. Think Through Math allows students to donate their points to charity. $10,000 points $1.00. Charities that they can donate to include St. Jude’s Children Hospital, World Wildlife Fund, Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Boys and Girls Club of America, The Wounded Warrior Project, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, and American Red Cross. The program provides users with incentives and rewards. Each time they complete an activity, they earn points. They can use their points to purchase new features for their avatar, donate points to a charity, or they can give points towards a goal their class is trying to achieve as discussed previously. Think Through Math provides users with badges for achieving goals or reaching for milestones within the program. There are four levels of badges including bronze (easiest), silver, gold, and diamond (hardest). Students can see both the badges they have earned and those they have not earned. They can then work towards earning badges they do not have. Think Through Math provides students will printable certificates each time they pass an individual topic. Think Through Math Is Comprehensive Think Through Math is Common Core aligned in content, process, and assessment that encourages critical thinking and problem-solving development. It provides students with access to a calculator, critical math formulas, and key mathematics vocabulary terms at any time within the program. Think Through Math has an audio tool available in both English and Spanish that allows questions and answer choices to be read to struggling readers or English Language Learners. Think Through Math gives students the opportunity to demonstrate mastery by taking a pre-quiz over a particular topic. A pre-quiz consists of eight questions. A student who demonstrates mastery on the pre-quiz will immediately move on to the next lesson. It provides students with a three question â€Å"Warm Up† activity designed to activate prior knowledge by reviewing the math skills you have already mastered, but that is essential to the new skill you will be learning. The program provides you with step by step illustrations and explanations for solving each problem no matter whether you get them correct or incorrect. Think Through Math provides students with a three question â€Å"Guided Learning† activity allowing you to work through the new math. It also provides students with multiple help features within the â€Å"Guided Learning† activity. This occurs through a learning coach. To receive help simply click on the learning coach at any time. If you have not answered the question, an explanation of the concept with visuals will pop up to help you. If you answer the questions incorrectly, an explanation of the concept will pop up. If you still do not understand, you may again click on your learning coach. A box will pop up asking you if you want to work with a teacher. Click â€Å"teacher† and you are able to connect to a live certified math teacher that will walk you through the process and answer any questions you have. If you have audio and a microphone, you can have a direct conversation with them. If you do not, then you can communicate with each other in a text chat. Think Through Math provides students with a ten question â€Å"Independent Practice† activity allowing them to practice what they learned and to use the feedback to understand the concept further. Think Through Math provides the student with an eight-question â€Å"Post-Quiz† activity allowing them to demonstrate their understanding of the new concept. Students are only given one attempt per question. If they fail, they will have to retake or remediate the concept. Key Reports An overview report allows you to monitor how many lessons each student has attempted and passed and gives you pass rate percentages for both target and precursor lessons, while a student detail report provides you with a detailed progress report for each individual student. An individual pathway report provides you with a detailed overview of the progress that an individual student is making on their individual pathway, while the standards report allows you to monitor student progress based on individual state standards or the Common Core State Standards. Cost Think Through Math does not publish their overall cost for the program. However, each subscription is sold as an annual subscription cost per seat. There are several other factors that will determine the final cost of the programming including the length of the subscription and how many seats you will be purchasing.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Research Think Through Math is a research-based program. Its development spans over two decades. It is grounded on the foundation of helping students analyze and solve word problems effectively. This is done through the principles of active problem solving, explicit instruction, gradual release, elaboration theory, categorization of a prototype, mastery learning, a zone of proximal development, assessment and differentiation, and worked examples. In addition, Think Through Math has been the focus of several critical field studies involving more than 30,000 students across seven different states.

Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technology - Essay Example Video calling and text messaging have now become the most integral modes of communication. The flexibility, ease and plainness of text messaging have made communication feasible beyond comprehension. It has been reported that text messaging has facilitated the rescue of people stuck in remote areas and earthquake struck regions (Alexander and Amber). However, despite the merits of this blissful technology there is a dull aspect as well. On the flip side of things where text messages has saved lives it has also taken some. In fact the statistics points us towards the covert reality that it has taken more lives than it has ever saved. Use of text messaging while driving has been the root of most of the cases in this regard. According to a survey it has been stated that texting while driving is 6 times more likely to cause an accident than intoxicated driving (Car accident cell phone statistics). It has also been reported that texting is the most distracting of all the activities while driving as for every 6 seconds of driving while texting a driver spends more than 4.6 seconds of those seconds looking off the road (Car accident cell phone statistics). In recent years with substantial decrease in the costs of text messages this risk has been augmented by a very large factor. Although it can be argued that it is the drivers fault if he is not complying by the safety measures it is also true that these lives were not in danger when text messaging was not invented. While texting involves typing out messages and has well replaced the use letters and telegraphs, it has also on the contrary affected the communication skills of the populace in a very unconstructive manner (Bushnell and Kemp). The use of text messaging has become so casual that people have forgiven the art of letter writing and have started concentrating more on abbreviations and short forms than on good diction. With the increasing use of emoticons there is no longer a need felt to express emotions using words. The art of writing aside, text messaging has also incurred its misery on the art of speech. With text messaging now there are more and more people who successfully avoid verbal interaction and opt for text messaging instead. The advent of text messaging where on one hand has simplified communication on the other has also at the same time degraded the â€Å"art† of communication. Texting is intoxicating. Yes, it is. No matter how illogical it sounds but it is actually true. The similarities between texting and intoxication are almost uncanny. It has even forced the surveyors to draw comparisons between the affects of intoxication and texting while driving. And surprisingly enough for some while not for others texting has had the upper hand. How is texting intoxicating? The question arises. In the happening world of the 21st century where family values are given up for personal success I have seen people still taking time out of their hectic lives to gaze into their cel l phones and either read or write a text message. I have seen people not getting out of their bed before reading and replying to all the texts. This intoxicating nature of text messaging has made people lazy and wasted a considerable amount of their time by indulging them into a merely unproductive activity. Not to mention has also wasted their otherwise valuable talent and potential. In conclusion, the much documented nature of the merits of texting has driven us away from its evident drawbacks. Without the

Theories and ethnographies on the gift (economic anthropology) Research Paper

Theories and ethnographies on the gift (economic anthropology) - Research Paper Example Therefore, gift in this context can be defined as goods and services that are exchanged with the intention of affirming a social relationship and status. Hence, gifts are a reciprocated system where citizens of any given community will be perpetually indebted to another person. Ethnographers have studied many different interpretations of the gift in traditional societies. The complicated factors of ‘the gift’ in archaic society have attracted debates throughout different fields of study. In addition, several professionals including anthropologists, sociologists, philosophers, as well as economists have researched the issue. A sense of duty bounds these relationships together although these communities may be otherwise hostile towards one another. Marcel Mauss, a French anthropologist and a sociologist, carefully studied the facts on the gift in traditional primitive societies; following Durkheim’s model on the sacred, he theorized that gifts are of a moral, religi ous, and economic nature in natural economic systems; with a sacred quality to exchange and contracts. Mauss presents the idea of a system of obligatory service provision i.e. one provides a service because it is their moral responsibility to do so, this system brings together distinguished characteristics identified based on religion, justification, and economic status. An example is doing voluntary work in the community, Hann et al. (2011) notes, â€Å"... It is groups, and not individuals, which carry on the exchange, make contracts, and are bound by obligations the person represented in the contracts are moral persons- clans, tribes and families; the groups, or the chiefs as intermediaries for the groups, confront and oppose each other† (p.50). He visualized a unique connection between the gift and the recipient and emphasized on the power embedded on the gift that would propel the recipient to reciprocate the act of giving (Mauss, 1925. p.3). With this idea, he stipulate d that the giver not only gives the gift, but part of them is also torn away from them in the process of giving. Due to this, he said that there was no complete separation of the gift from the giver (Mauss, 1925). He further argued that, what they exchange is not exclusively goods and wealth, real and personal property, and things of economic value. They exchange rather courtesies, entertainments, ritual, military assistance, women, children, dances and feasts, in which the market is merely one element and the circulation of wealth, but one part of a wide and enduring contract. Finally, although the social facts and their opposing factors take place under a voluntary guise, they are in essence strictly obligatory, and their sanction is private or open warfare. We propose to call this system of total presentation.† (Mauss, 1926) There is not only an obligation to repay gifts, but also to give and receive them willingly, to refuse to do so could mean refusing to accept the other into one's community and could cause war. However, by giving, the community shows itself as deserving and worthy of respect and generosity. Failure to give will mean to end their partnership and refuse any future gifts. Gift- giving contests have come together on this basis such as the famous North- West Coast Native American Potlatch as well as the Kula Ring in the Trobriand Islands. Malinowski also researched the Trobriand islanders, found the exchange between islanders of the Kula Ring

Animal Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Animal Rights - Essay Example It is important to consider in a critical fashion whether they have substantially offered a clear point to convince us of what they claim that we have moral or ethical responsibilities towards animals and that we need to shift to vegetarianism. Michael Pollan essentially believes that we have moral or ethical responsibilities towards animals. This evident in his point of view when he tries to argue that it is just fine to consume meat from animals for as long as humans must implement the entire process with consciousness, ceremony and respect that these concerned animals deserve (Pollan). In other words, Polan believes that animals have certain rights as well, knowing that his point reveals the fundamental treatment that animals may potentially deserve even if they are the kind solely intended for human consumption. Pollan is trying to imply that animals which might be primarily meant for meat on the table are still deserving of the appropriate treatment from humans. If there is what we call a humane treatment for humans, Pollan is trying to suggest a significant and similar action as counterpart on animals. This makes him a not so conservative advocate as far as the claim against animal consumption is concerned, but his points will give us enough understanding that humans have essential moral or ethical obligations towards animals. However, Pollan’s point is not so strong to lead us to a vegetarian lifestyle. On the contrary, Tom Regan is so strong with his sheer stand, that just like humans, animals have positive interests too. He remarkably creates a more philosophical argument in this claim, by defining what it means to be human, linking it to the point of defining human interest at its broadest term. One of his remarkable examples that is compelling and worthy of a response is the point that infants are humans too, but if being able to express through words might prove humans to have that positive interests they deserve, then infants who are not cap able of using words might turn out to be like animals too that based on the human standards, are not able to use words, logic and higher form of thinking (Regan). Therefore, it is not safe to argue that expression is such a fundamental basis of the human right and the thing that makes individuals superior to animals. Even though animals are not able to express, but Regan believes that they too also have corresponding rights just as what infants deserve. Regan therefore is trying to emphasize the point that animals have the basic right to survive, which is technically the essence of their positive interests. Unlike Pollan, Regan is more serious in his view to promote the idea that animals’ interests should prevail, implying therefore that vegetarianism is the right way to take for the humanity. â€Å"The question of the obligatoriness of vegetarianism, in other words, can arise only if and when the animals we eat are the kind of beings who have interests† (Regan). Final ly, just like Regan, Harriet Schleifer provides some remarkable arguments in order to convince the humanity that killing animals for our consumption is unethical. Schleifer has the same idea with Regan, acknowledging the thought that animals have the basic right they deserve, and that is the right to have their lives. In

Soft determinism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Soft determinism - Essay Example Freedom, in this case, can be defined as the ability to act without external impediments, which allows an individual to forbear and do as he wills (Trusted 24). In addition, it is also the power for an individual to act in the manner in which his will determines, meaning that if one chooses to rest, he could either rest or move as he wills. Therefore, one is free unless they are forced to take actions that are not according to their will. Soft determinism differentiates between external and internal causes. The internal causes are those actions that are as a result of one’s inner desires and wishes, as well as those that result from one’s freewill (Trusted 39). For instance, a person may leave the country because of their desire to travel overseas. External causes, on the other hand, are those that an individual is forced to undertake due to outside influences, such as being forced to leave the country because of government action. The distinction between external and internal causes explains the reason why a soft determinist needs freewill. Acting with freewill in soft determinism means that one is acting as per his/her nature, rather than according to external pressures exerted upon their situation. This is referred to as the liberty of spontaneity theory, which is a central theme in self-determinism (Trusted 39). While man’s nature is also determined by external factors, he also has freewill b ecause they possess spontaneity freedom. Although circumstance and nature determine man’s choices, the option taken is as a result of free will. With regards to moral responsibility, if internal causes like desires and wishes have a significant impact on actions taken, one is considered to be morally responsible (Trusted 41). For instance, choosing not to save a burning child because one does not feel like doing so means they are morally responsible for the death of that child, while failing to do so because one is crippled means they are

Guillermo Furniture Store Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Guillermo Furniture Store Analysis - Essay Example By use of the weighted average cost of capital (WACC), multiple valuation methods in minimizing the risks and calculation of Net Present Value (NPV) of future cash flows including sensitivity analysis, the company can find a solution to the impending problem. Weighted Average Cost of Capital The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) refers to the rate of return that the company or business anticipates acquiring on its optimal risk ventures in order to offer a considerable anticipated return to all its shareholders. It is applied in valuing new assets that possess similar risks as the existing assets and that hold a similar debt ratio. WACC is a relevant rate of discount specifically for projects that are similar to the current business operations (Brown, & Reilly, 2006). To determine WACC, one must first understand that a majority of firms use different forms of financing. Some of the financing techniques include use of bonds, ordinary shares, preferred shares and other form of sec urities. The securities have unique types of risks and thus owners seek to get various rates of return. Under such conditions, the firm’s cost of capital might not be equal to the anticipated return on common shares. It is dependent on the anticipated return from the entire portfolio of securities that the firm has given out. Besides, taxes are also included given the point that interest payments executed by the firm are expenses which are tax deductible. In this perspective Guillermo’s cost of capital will be established as the weighted average of post-tax interest cost of debt financing and the equity cost. This is to say that the anticipated rate of return on the company’s ordinary stock. The weights are the portions of debt and equity in the company’s capital structure.  Ã‚  Ã‚  The weighted average cost of capital is utilized to assess optimal risk on the capital ventures on projects. This is means that the risk on the projects coincides with the r isks the company faces on the current operations and assets.   The average cost of capital is found by; WACC = Kd (1-T) Wd + Ke* We (Emery, Finnerty & Stowe, 2007). From the financial statements given the cost of debt before tax is 7.5%, the tax rate stands at 42%, the weight of debt in the capital structure in 2010 is 84.3% while that of 2011 is 82.4%, and the weight of equity in the capital structure is 15.7 in 2010 and 17.5 in 2011 while the cost of equity is 11.34% The above figures were derived as follows; Weight of debt: Information from assets, Liabilities & Equity Information  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wd 2010 = Total liability/ Total Equity=$1,130,963/ [$211,111+$1,130,963] = 84.3% Wd 2011 =Total liability /Total Equity=$1,109,358/ [$235,805+$1,109,358] = 82.4% Cost of equity is derived from the following steps: Risk free rate used is 4.36% while the market rate of return according to S & P rating is 13.08 %. It should be noted that the security’s contribution to the risk of a po rtfolio that is diversified is dependent on the market risk. However, some securities might not be affected by the ups and downs in the market. The sensitivity of securities to market movement is known as beta. Securities with a beta more than 1 are specifically sensitive to the market movement (Emery, Finnerty

Why All New Buildings Should Be Eco-Friendly Essay

Why All New Buildings Should Be Eco-Friendly - Essay Example Besides, there is a general perception that developing eco-friendly building means disregard for aesthetic values. As a result, eco-friendly buildings are still not so widespread. The costs of developing an eco-friendly building vary from building to building; most of them are more costly than conventional buildings. For instance, in order to minimise the effects on environment, the risk mitigation fee of eco-friendly buildings is near three times higher than it is of conventional ones, as well as the overheads during construction are up to four times more (Newell 2008). Beside these costly inputs, the chief obstacle which causes investors are costly home and commercial property integration of energy efficient technologies which do not offer returns to the investors. Obviously, the owners will save their energy fee from these technologies but the builders can only balance these inputs by selling in higher prices which may cause losing the potential customers consequently. Another problem related to cost efficiency is that the market perceives the cost of capital and construction of eco-friendly building increase significantly as standards are established. Bef ore a new eco-friendly building could be put on the market, it has to be scrutinized by rigid criterion to be qualified as eco-friendly; this entails more money spending on building maintenance. For example, in Australia, it takes more than one year to be certified as â€Å"Green Star† which is a standard launched by Green Building Council Australia (GBCA), and about 8 percent of total financial investment have to be paid for advertising, management and equipments maintaining during this period (Newell 2008). However, in the long run, the return of eco-friendly buildings will out performs the cost invested (Kozlowski 2003 in Miller and Buys 2008).

Guillermo Furniture Store Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Guillermo Furniture Store Analysis - Essay Example By use of the weighted average cost of capital (WACC), multiple valuation methods in minimizing the risks and calculation of Net Present Value (NPV) of future cash flows including sensitivity analysis, the company can find a solution to the impending problem. Weighted Average Cost of Capital The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) refers to the rate of return that the company or business anticipates acquiring on its optimal risk ventures in order to offer a considerable anticipated return to all its shareholders. It is applied in valuing new assets that possess similar risks as the existing assets and that hold a similar debt ratio. WACC is a relevant rate of discount specifically for projects that are similar to the current business operations (Brown, & Reilly, 2006). To determine WACC, one must first understand that a majority of firms use different forms of financing. Some of the financing techniques include use of bonds, ordinary shares, preferred shares and other form of sec urities. The securities have unique types of risks and thus owners seek to get various rates of return. Under such conditions, the firm’s cost of capital might not be equal to the anticipated return on common shares. It is dependent on the anticipated return from the entire portfolio of securities that the firm has given out. Besides, taxes are also included given the point that interest payments executed by the firm are expenses which are tax deductible. In this perspective Guillermo’s cost of capital will be established as the weighted average of post-tax interest cost of debt financing and the equity cost. This is to say that the anticipated rate of return on the company’s ordinary stock. The weights are the portions of debt and equity in the company’s capital structure.  Ã‚  Ã‚  The weighted average cost of capital is utilized to assess optimal risk on the capital ventures on projects. This is means that the risk on the projects coincides with the r isks the company faces on the current operations and assets.   The average cost of capital is found by; WACC = Kd (1-T) Wd + Ke* We (Emery, Finnerty & Stowe, 2007). From the financial statements given the cost of debt before tax is 7.5%, the tax rate stands at 42%, the weight of debt in the capital structure in 2010 is 84.3% while that of 2011 is 82.4%, and the weight of equity in the capital structure is 15.7 in 2010 and 17.5 in 2011 while the cost of equity is 11.34% The above figures were derived as follows; Weight of debt: Information from assets, Liabilities & Equity Information  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wd 2010 = Total liability/ Total Equity=$1,130,963/ [$211,111+$1,130,963] = 84.3% Wd 2011 =Total liability /Total Equity=$1,109,358/ [$235,805+$1,109,358] = 82.4% Cost of equity is derived from the following steps: Risk free rate used is 4.36% while the market rate of return according to S & P rating is 13.08 %. It should be noted that the security’s contribution to the risk of a po rtfolio that is diversified is dependent on the market risk. However, some securities might not be affected by the ups and downs in the market. The sensitivity of securities to market movement is known as beta. Securities with a beta more than 1 are specifically sensitive to the market movement (Emery, Finnerty

Climate Change Impact on Agriculture Research Paper

Climate Change Impact on Agriculture - Research Paper Example This paper illustrates that scientists have recorded a global rise in temperatures that influenced a series of negative events on the earth’s weather patterns. Currently, there is a significant rise in sea level, melting glaciers and intensifying rainstorms. Today, climate change is more profound than what previous generations had to endure resulting in a series of challenges to the world, particularly in the agricultural field. Climate is a dynamic system resulting from physical and chemical interactions in the earth’s structures. The Earth is made up of the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere. The physical and chemical interactions of these structures result in the climate of a region. The atmosphere is part of the climate system that affects the earth directly. This is owing to the spherical nature of the earth. The sun heats up the earth, with more intensity on the equator and less intensity at the poles. This uneven heat distribution gen erates wind that carries the heat from the equator to the poles. The heat is also distributed from the upper-level surface of the atmosphere to the lower level of the atmosphere. The ocean correspondingly distributes heat but at a much slower pace than the atmosphere. The carbon cycle is a chemical exchange resulting from the interaction between the earth systems. The ocean and the biosphere are reservoirs of carbon. 99.9% of the CO2 on earth exists in the lithosphere. Carbon flows among the various reservoirs. Mathez states that photosynthesis by plants and decay affects the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. This decaying and photosynthetic effect from the earth’s biosphere occurs after some time. Over a longer time frame, the ocean exerts a more dominant control on the atmospheric CO2. The ocean dominance is as a result of the amount of CO2 in the ocean that is 50 times more than the CO2 in the biosphere. The persistent balance that exists between the earth systems in the ca rbon cycle has maintained the conditions of the earth. It is as a result of this balance that the earth became conducive to evolution and survival of life. The interruption of this dynamic disrupts weather patterns and consequentially results in climate change.

Why do people help Essay Example for Free

Why do people help Essay Helping behavior is an important topic in social psychology. It is important to understand why people help, when they help and reasons for helping others. According to Kassin, pro-social behavior is an action intended to benefit others. The author also describes several factors of why people help. Among them, one is kin selection which is preferential helping of genetic relatives, which results in the greater likelihood that genes held in common will survive ( 2010, page 392). Another one is altruistic which is motivated by the desire to improve another’s welfare ( ). The author also describes the bystander effect in which the presence of others inhibits helping in an emergency indicates why the five steps necessary for helping—noticing, interpreting, taking responsibility, deciding how to help, and providing help. People are most likely to help others in certain circumstances: when they are not in rush. People who are in a good mood are more likely to help. Good mood makes people interpret events in a sympathetic way and it gives them more positive thoughts about helping behaviors. Also people in a bad mood can often increase helpfulness because they feel guilty about something and they may be motivated to help others in order to improve their mood. According to the article, â€Å"People help save man trapped in burning car† the author mentions how the residents in southwest Houston were helping to save a man’s life after he crashed his car into a tree, causing it to catch fire. The vehicle apparently hit a speed bump at a high rate of speed, and the driver lost control. The vehicle slammed into a tree head-on, and the car caught fire with the driver trapped inside. It was shortly before midnight Sunday in Houston. People were helping to save the man’s life. In this article, people were noticing the event, and interpreting it as an emergency. It also shows that this is not a diffusion of responsibility because people were taking the responsibility for proving help. They were taking the decision for providing help, and provided help. They started putting water on the blaze to keep it under control until firefighters arrived. The smoke was so intense that they had to take a brick and bust the window. The Houston Fire Department was able to put out the fire and cut away the vehicle’s door to get the driver out (Khou, April 15 2013). Khou believes the people in the community helped save the driver. The  situation can influence helping. When two explosions occurred along the stretch of the Boston Marathon on Boston street in Boston on April 15th, three people were killed and more than 170 people were injured. People and communities came together to respond and help the best they could. According to the article â€Å"6 Examples of Awesome People Helping Boston Marathon Victims† the author wrote about the heroic people who were helping Boston Marathon victims. Carlos Arredondo is one of them. Carlos was there and he jumped over a fence and ran towards the people lying on the ground and where he found spectator Jeff Bauman with his shirt on fire and the lower parts of his legs gone. Arredondo beat the flames out with his hands, tied a t-shirt around the stump of one of Bauman’s legs, and kept him company until emergency responders arrived (Olivia, April 17, 2013). Joe Andruzzi carried an injured woman to safety. Joe also had carried a man covered in blood to the medical tent. 15 National Guard Members who were assembled at the medical tent near the finish line. They had water, extra uniforms, and first-aid with them on their backpacks. Alyssa Carter raised more than $220,000 on the crowd funding website to help pay her cousins’ medical bills. Boston Restaurants have been donating food and letting people use their establishments as places to regroup (Olivia, April 17, 2013). All above the examples clearly shows that the norm of social responsibility is powerful situational factors that lead individuals to help others. The norm of social responsibility dictates that people should help those who are in need of assistance. This norm creates a sense of duty and obligation to which people respond by giving more help to those in greater need of it. The helpers who were helping after the two explosions noticed the event first and subsequently interpreted it as an emergency. As a result, they took the responsibility and provided help the best possible way they could. Jason said there are countless stories of selfless people who risk their lives to save others after the Boston Marathon explosion. Jason mentions how much people are willing to help. This clearly shows of altruism. Helping the victims could possibly harm the own life of the helper and not helping keeps away from harm. So it was altruistic because the cost outweighed the reward. It is important to understand pro-social behavior and how helping behavior can be increased. Understanding why people help may help to understand how helping behavior can be increased. Elaborate using examples  of where pro-social research can be applied in the real world and what information acquired through research can do to further the understanding of helping behavior?

Gender Roles In Pakistan Sociology Essay

Gender Roles In Pakistan Sociology Essay Gender reflects the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that are considered apt for men and women in any society. Mostly the terms gender and sex are not differed and taken as closely related terms. Sex relates to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women while gender refers to cultural differences rather than biological ones between men and women. Male and female are sex categories while feminine and masculine are gender categories. Moser (1993) says that the differences between women and men within the same household and within and between cultures are socially and culturally constructed and can be altered over time. These differences are mirrored in social roles, responsibilities, access to resources, social limitations, opportunities, needs, perceptions, views, etc. Thus, gender does not take only women, but considers both women and men and their interdependent relationships and responsibilities. Reversal A reversal can be taken as change whether the change is a positive or negative against the prevailing trend. It is a change from one state to the opposite state turning the situation into an opposite direction or situation. Gender Roles A gender role defines the appropriate social and behavioral norms adopted by men and women in a social setting. Gender roles vary from culture to culture and traditions and roles can change over time even in the same cultural settings. Gender roles are cultural and personal to determine the speaking, dressing and communicative styles of males and females within a society. These cognitive frameworks are deeply embedded within the minds of males and females to define the masculine and feminine roles. Various socializing agents like parents, peers, teachers, television, movies, music, books and religion influence determining the gender roles within a society. Parents are the biggest factor to decide the gender roles especially of their young offspring. Parents usually treat male and female infants differently. Expectations for males and females are set in a very early age. Traditionally, boys are taught how to fix and build things and how to earn for household and girls are taught how to cook, sew and manage the household. Children then receive parental and social approval when they conform to gender expectations and adapt themselves to the cultural and conventional roles which are reinforced by the additional socializing agent, media. In other words, gender roles and the values pass from one generation to the successive generation in a society. Linda L. Lindsey and Sandra Christie (n.d.) say that as long as the girl infant is wrapped in the pink blanket and the boy infant is wrapped in blue blanket, the development of gender roles gets started. The pink and blue colours are the first indications given by the society to distinguish a female from male. As they grow up, the other cultural factors assure the distinction to remain intact. Girls are given dolls, doll houses and tiny stoves to pretend run a whole household system while boys are given toy tools to construct buildings and toy weapons and tanks to wage wars. In the teen and adult age, girls buy cosmetics and clothes while boys buy sports components and stereo components that is a result of gender role socialization. Commonly the gender roles espoused in childhood remain constant in adulthood. Gender Roles in Pakistan According to a Gilani Research Foundation survey carried out by Gallup Pakistan (april 27, 2009), majority of the Pakistani males and females have distinct roles to play in the society. In the recent years although womens status and role has been uplifted beyond being a housewife, the priority is still given to men in politics, education, employment, and related walks of life. Dr. Rakhshinda Parveen (n.d.) expresses that the constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan dictates equal rights for men and women. However, men are more equal than women in reality. The reality shows women in lower status than men in every sphere of life whether its education, food, health care or freedom of choice of partner. According to the Human Development Report 1999 of UNDP, the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) rank of Pakistan among 185 countries is 100. This rank determines the empowerment of women on a country basis. This measurement results in unequal status of women in economic resources, participation in political decision-making and economic decision-making. In spite of the fact that the Holy Quran dictates the equal rights for women wellbeing and development, women have always been the main target of rights violation in the Muslim countries. The typical subjugated image of Pakistani women reflects the centuries old patriarchy deeply rooted in the sub-continent. Alt hough, emancipation and empowerment has always been documented in the legal documents, this has not come to the reality to its full extent yet. The two fundamental perceptions establish the gender relations in Pakistan that women are inferior to men and that a mans honour is determined by the actions of women of his family. In the Muslim societies, women bear the honour of the family name. To ensure that honour, they are not supposed to dishonor their families, their mobility is limited and they have restrictions on their behavior and activities and have very limited contact with the opposite sex. Women are constrained to have Purdah (veil) to restrain their protection and respectability. Purdah creates physically and symbolically different spheres for men and women by separating their activities. Mostly women spend their time at home to do homely tasks and go out only for serious and approved reasons. Social life generally revolves around the activities of men in society. In the most parts of the country, except in Islamabad, Karachi, and wealthier parts of a few other cities, those families are considered shameless who do not restrict their women. Purdah is practiced according to the family tradition, class and rural or urban residence but men and women do not mix freely anywhere without serious reasosn. The most extreme restraints can be found in parts of the North-West Frontier Province and Balochistan, where women are not allowed to almost leave the house before they get married and are not allowed to meet the unrelated men and they cannot contact with their male cousins on their mothers side, because these men are not classed as relatives in a strongly patrilineal society. In the rural areas of Punjab and Sindh, gender relations are relaxed because women are equally responsible with men fosr transplanting, rice seedlings, weeding crops, raising chickens and selling eggs. When a family aspires a higher status, it entails stricter purdah as a first social change. (Jone Johnson Lewis, 1994) Some urban women, residing in the close-knit communities in the old cities of Lahore and Rawalpndi, generally wear a burqa(fitted body veil) or a chadar (loosely drapped cotton cloth used as a head covering and body veil) when they leave the homes. They usually live in a multistory (havelis) building constructed to accommodate large extended families. The places where people do not know their neighbours, there are less restrictions on womens mobility. Reversal of Gender Roles In the modern times, the old perceptions of a patriarchal society are destabilized that has shifted the earlier unequal power dynamics between males and females and has resulted in the empowerment of women over men. The traditional gender roles have given a way to totally reversed roles to reserve the rights and emancipation of women. Now a days, wives are earning as much as 20% more than their husbands in the whole world that dictates the changing power dynamics that shows that women have got the power to harness the economic power upsetting the old traditional patriarchal beliefs. Traditionally, the women used to need physical protection and economic stability provided by men to save their submissiveness. (Kandiyoti,1988). The traditional patriarchal hierarchy has been shattered and resulted in females patronizing their male counterparts in courtship. Modern women have become more educated and successful, that education and awareness has empowered women resulting in displacing men from their gendered position in society. The emergent trend of educated women out-earning their partners has led to changes in social perceptions and household roles. It has gradually shifted the institutionalized and privileged status of males in society. If women become the breadwinners, the domestic order shifts automatically to men because there is not any other option and this can give both men and women a sense of purpose and identity. Alongside the empowerment of women, the emasculation of men redefines the masculinity and femininity which has determined the gender activities of society. Men, who have become domestic, have redefined the masculinity by entitling them as providers who provides not only economically but also emotionally and logistically. The traditional notion of masculinity of a father has been limited to begetting protecting and providing for children. The difference between what is masculine and what is feminine is what is determined by the gender roles adopted by both the genders. However, by bearing the role of childrearing and household chores, the masculinity of males comes into question that results in confusion in the individual males social identity. As a result, unemployed husbands preserve their masculinity by claiming that they are still provider if not economically but emotionally as they spend more time with their children than their own fathers. (Liza Mundy, 2011) Deccan Herald (2012) conducted a research to study the effects of massive social changes on gender relations. The study has found that men today want babies and commitment, while women are more likely to want independence in their relationships. The study was conducted on over 5,000 American adults and the results revealed that more than half of the single men wanted to have children as compared to just 46 percent of women. The results showed the effects of the growing gender role reversal. History of Gender Roles Reversal The gender ideologies have changed since 1970s. Women became aware of their rights and emancipation with the emergence of feminist movement in 1970s. In 1960, 19 percent of married women with young children were in the paid labour force (U.S. bureau of the Census 1999). By 1998, the ratio of working women was up to 64 percent. This movement of mothers into the work places in the time span of 40 years left a profound effect on the attitudes towards the working women in the public and private spheres. The most of the American men approved and expected their wives to be active in working outside homes as the paid labour force. At the same time the provider role ideology continued to have great effects on males and females. The modern men and women are more receptive for women participation in working places than they were in 1970s. The nostalgia for breadwinner/homemaker family can still be found but more in men than women. Although some men resent the constricted definition of masculin ity that narrows their role as economic providers, they stick to their roles as emotional providers among their children. (Teresa Ciabattari, n.d.) A minority of U.S men resisted changes in womens roles that could result as harmful for children and family life. These rapid changes in the roles of women have resulted in the widening gap between mens and womens attitudes. There is a larger gender difference in attitudes than it was 25 years before. (Teresa Ciabattari, n.d.) Reversal of Gender Roles in Pakistan Gender roles have not been altogether revolutionized in Pakistan but have still been treading the way to transform. The contemporary socio-political and economic conditions in Pakistan are restrained in the paradigm of patriarchy and capitalism. The envoys of women rights movements have been shouting out loud the revolution in the gender roles that has resulted in women working in every field of life. Women have come out of their spheres at home to take part in the tread of progress but they have instigated some initial stages yet and have a long way to trek on. (Pak Tea House, 2012) The women of Pakistan had confronted great challenges in the early 1990s such as increasing practical literacy, gaining access to employment opportunities at all levels in the economy. This development promoted a change in perception about womens roles in society. Women status in society gained public voices from within and outside the political process. The twentieth century has seen various attempts to bring social and legal reforms to improve the Muslim womens lives in the subcontinent. Islam has played very important role to develop the rights of women since partition. Muslim reformers in the nineteenth century introduced women education to ease some of the restraints on womens activities to ensure womens rights under Islamic law. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan organizes the Mohammedan Educational Conference in the 1870s to endorse modern education for Muslims, and he founded the Muhammadan Anglo- Oriental College. Many of the early proponents of education improved the status of women education by initiating cooking and sewing classes initially in a religious framework to advance women knowledge and skills. Still the literacy rate was very low as in 1921, there were only four out of every 1,000 Muslim females were literate. (countrystudies.com, n.d.) Different organizations have been developed for the betterment of womens rights. The Gender and Development (GAD) was introduced as a replacement to the Women in Development (WID) approach. Both organizations aspire to construct the gender equality and tackle the subordination of women in the home and in the public sphere. WID was established in the late-1970s, when it was acknowledged that women were left at the sideline in the process of development and progress of country. WID tended to examine women in isolation while GAD developed the female gender roles maintained by many facets of society, community, economy and not least of all, men. Gad aims to empower women to increase women self esteem, to encourage women organizations. (Jenny Mason, 2009). GAD challenges the social norms which dictate the women subordinate position to men. The educational gender gap in Pakistan is the result of the specific historical, political and cultural forces. (Jafar, 2002) The movement for independence from the British colonization in 1947 was very significant for women who challenged their traditional, domestic gender roles in the male patriarchal society to actively participate in the fight for common Muslim rights. (Jafar, 2002) During the period from independence to the beginning of Zia ul-Haqs rule in 1977, there was a coalition between the womens movement and the state with a common goal to create a modern Pakistan by equalizing womens rights: by granting them government jobs and increasing educational rights for women. (Jenny Mason, 2009) In 1977, General Zial ul-Haq overthrew the government of Zulfiqar Bhuto thinking it to be un-Islamic and aspired for Pakistan to return to Islam. General Zia ul-Haq emphasized the dichotomy of Islam versus the West. This Islamization approach appealed many anti-colonialists and nationalists who supported patriarchy in the country. They accentuated the symbol of Pakistani women as traditional and a symbol of honour for their male partners. Women were taken as ideological boundary makers between Muslims and the western World. (Jafar, 2002) These laws and norms moved women to the private sphere and those who continued to work in the public sphere were portrayed as the symbols of moral decay. In spite of Zias efforts to restrict womens liberty in the public sphere, the womens movement in Pakistan continued to develop during his rule. The Womens Action Forum (WAF) was established in 1981, which fought for the policies created by Zia and their promotion gained international attention which placed a negative pressure on Zias government which helped to avert the further discrimination of womens rights. After the suspicious death of Zia in 1988, Benazir Bhutto, the daughter of Ali Bhutto, was elected as the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan which was a big step towards the growth of women in Pakistan. (Jenny Mason, 2009) Although today womens rights movements and organizations are active in fighting for gender equality, only few are willing to touch the family traditions and honour. Others tend to remain traditional when it comes to the family honour and name. Islam as well as Pakistans constitution has dictated equal rights for man and woman but the society greatly violates women rights. Despite all these violations, Pakistani women have elevated their status in society with the help of some organizations, enlightened groups and government. It has happened just because of the increase in awareness of girls education Now in Pakistan women are working everywhere as in schools, colleges, universities, offices, factories, hospitals etc. they are students, workers, teachers, doctors, nurses and pilots. Pakistani women have proved to do whatever they are capable of despite all the hardships they face in society. These working women are seeding a silent revolution in Pakistan. A silent social revolution has seeped in with rising number of women joining the workforce and moving up the corporate ladder in Pakistan. (Fehmina Arshad, n.d.) They are doing everything from pumping gasoline and serving burgers at McDonalds to running major corporations. Women now hold 78 of the 342 seats in the National Assembly. The cultural norms regarding the women in the workforce have been changed. Despite all the enlightenment and development regarding the rights of women and their being in the workforce, the society has still been captured into the old shackles of conservatism and the working women have to face criticism and condemnation from some for being bold enough to stand up for their rights. Working women are always blamed for being poor mothers and condemned to bring a bad name on the honour of the family in Pakistan. (Fehmina Arshad, n.d.) Despite women taking earning responsibilities, men do not take any attention about household chores. Women have to bear outside as well as inside home responsibilities. Pakistani Television Dramas (History) The Pakistan Television Corporation or PTV is Pakistans first national television broadcaster. PTV transmitted its first live program on November 26, 1964, in Lahore. Pakistan started its broadcasting from a small pilot TV Station which was established at Lahore from where first transmission was beamed in Black and White with effect. Television centres were established in Karachi and Rawalpindi/Islamabad in 1967 and in Peshawar and Quetta in 1974. (Rafay Mehmood, 2011) Pakistani media has played a foremost job in programming many unforgettable Pakistan classical dramas which inspired the generations in the past history. PTV started the tendency of making classic dramas with the help of intellectual writers, powerful direction, and multitalented actors.(Anum saulat, 2010) The decades of 1970s, 1980s and 1990s have seen the tremendous success of dramas and telefilms in the Indian Subcontinent. There was only one TV channel, PTV, at that time which had touched the peak of success in drama making. PTV telecasted many popular dramas like dhoop Kinary, ankahi, tanhayian and dhuan. The whole concept behind telecasting such dramas is to present a well prepared family drama with a strong script to provide a clean environment. The credit of such classic dramas goes to the brilliant story writers like Haseena Moen, Seema Ghazal, Ashfaq Ahmad etc. Their stories mirrored the heart touching issues of society. This was the magnificent time for Pakistani classic dramas which won many national as well as international awards. (Anum Saulat, 2010) The most famous drama serials of this time include Khuda Ki Basti, Unkahi, Tanhaiyaan, Akhri Chatan, Zair Zabar, Aangan Terha, Fifty Fifty, Studio Dhai (2-1/2), Studio Ponay Teen (2-3/4), Andehra Ujala, Sona Chandi, Uncle Urf i, Taleem-e-Baalighan, Alif Noon, Waaris, Dhoop Kinare, Sunehray Din, Alpha Bravo Charlie, Ana, and block buster serials like Pesh, Dhuwan, Kath Putli, Wafa Ham Nibhaein Gai, Bandhan, Kaghaz Kay Phool, Muqqdas, Bint-e-Adam, Malangi, Sawan, Sheela Bagh, Tinkay, Aisa Bhi Hota Hai bhar, rasta de zindgi, and many others. Many programs were very popular even in India. Indian streets used to become deserted when few of the most popular Pakistani TV dramas were broadcasted. Although Pakistan and India are always at daggers drawn with each other, still the dramas of PTV were very popular and still are studied in the acting academies in India. In the early 90s, the private produces entered the territory of Pakistani TV for the first time and presented some phenomenal programs such as drama serial Jaal and Kashkol, cooking shows like potluck and sitcoms including family Front and Teen Bata Teen that enthralled the viewers for a long time. Though Indian programs like CID and Ekta Kapoors Hum Panch created a small cult of their own but the local channel STN and PTV kept the countrol. Whether the field was drama , sitcom or crime stories, the 1990s gave a tough time to Indian Programming because of the quality, cultural relevance of the local dramas and because the access to the satellite channel wasnt easy In Pakistan and was considered a luxury. (Rafay Mehmood, 2011) As the sun was setting on PTVs golden era, Family Fronts Sumbal, Nusrat and Bobby; Alpha Bravo Charlies Faraz, Kashif and Gulsher; Samsung VJs Faisal Qureshi, Jawad Bashir, Ahsan Rahim, Amna Khan and Ahmad Ibrahim; Teen Bata Teens Lucy, Johnny and Shaffu became a cult icon and are still remembered for their brilliant performances to make the characters everlasting. (Shiza Nisar, 2010) There came a time starting from 2001 when Indian dramas showed on a channel, Star Plus, were immensely popular that they not only attracted the women but also children started watching them. But now Pakistani dramas once again have touched the peaks of fame. Indian dramas got famous because of the glamour and family politics shown in them. These dramas affected the Pakistani cultural norms values and traditions so badly that the living styles of the viewers became Indian and they corrupted the society as they were so unreal. They showed the unrealistic lives of industrialists, elites and landlords through glamour. In the start Pakistani dramas started copying their style but soon they turned back to their own identity with the arrival of new competitive private producers in the industry. With the realization that the Indian dramas had corrupted the society, these drama makers extinguished the Indian elements from the productions to follow their old trends of limited episodes and powerful story line. Many writers started writing many powerful stories for different TV channels like Geo, Hum TV, PTV, ARY digital. (Anam Saulat, 2010) Now a day, expression in media has resulted in a lot of channels and variety of Pakistani dramas for the viewers and every channel is now struggling hard to provide the audience with the best dramas ever. This competition has aggravated them to make good serials which reflect and mirror the true picture of Pakistani culture and traditions. Because of this sudden revival of Pakistani dramas, the audience loves the new dramas very much. (Shiza Nisar, 2010) The modern dramas that have gained popularity are meri zaat zarraye be-nishan Ainee ki aygi barat series on Geo and , nur pur ki rani malaal wasal nur bano ,qaide e tanhai, ,humsafar and many others on Hum TV. These dramas are realistic with powerful direction and script. They mirror the societal issues that actually exist in the society. Moreover, dramas like wasal, ishk junoon deewangi doraha and malaal focus on the problems that are faced in a marriage because of modernity and reversal of gender roles. These problems do prevail these days. The reason why the ratio of divorces has increased is well depicted in these dramas. People should be well aware of the bitter realities that prevail in society. (Anum Saulat, 2010) Reversal of Gender Roles in Pakistani Dramas The electronic media in Pakistan has become an avenue for women to be seen shoulder-to-shoulder with men where they can work as diligently as they can to be an active part of the society. However, the role of women in our media seems to be heading in a direction where only their looks and attractiveness can be rewarded. (Zirgham Nabi Afridi, 2010) Most of these dramas revolve around the family, especially women, often as independent individuals and most often as mothers, sisters and wives. The majority of Pakistani dramas today are a strange mix of progress and retreat. Some of the serials hold a few liberal, progressive and gender-sensitive messages, most of them emphasize patriarchal values existed in society. The Pakistani dramas reflect two main streams to depict the gender roles. One is to portray women as dependent on their male partners in a male patriarchal society. Women are shown being brutalized by men, slapped, beaten up, disgraced and ill-treated and men are depicted as the decision makers of the family, who simply dictate women what to do and what not to do. The other stream is to show the women indulged in working shoulder to shoulder with men to be an active participant in the progress of society. They are well aware of their rights and can stand for their liberties if ill-treated but the working women are also portrayed negatively who are the main source for a home breakup. It is rather difficult for the general viewing public to understand the contradictory messages lying within the modern day drama. Working women are depicted as strong and independent, yet also negatively portrayed as cunning (In Durr-e-Shawar the male lead, Haider, laments the fact that his wife, Shandana, is a working woman). (Tasneem Ahmar, 2012) Television dramas can be considered as important tool to propagate gender equality. The dramas depicting equality of gender roles do not expose the overt victimization of women in them. Female characters in these serial are strong, independent and intelligent. How women are portrayed on TV is linked to the prevalent trends set by the management of entertainment television channels. The women who have reached the top in management struggle to change the prevailing trends. They act like new trend setters. Sultana Siddiqui, for example, established a policy that no woman will be slapped in the dramas aired on the TV channel she heads. Moneeza Hashmi, as managing director of the state-run television in Lahore, supported extensive programming intended to guarantee the womens rights and gender equality. After she left, the policy unfortunately seems to have disappeared. (Bushra S, 2012)

A christmas carol :: essays research papers

Charles Dickens believed it was up to him to inform the people of Britain of the social problems occurring around Britain. While Dickens was a young man, he suffered from poverty along with his mother and father. His father was imprisoned for dept and Charles wanted to become a social reformer. Dickens used these problems as themes for his book ‘A Christmas Carol’. These themes involve poverty, pollution and a changing of ways. Dickens used Scrooge, the main character in the book at first to show how current society was at the time and then at the end, after the visits from the three ghosts, how the society could be. At the start of the book Scrooge is anti-social, greedy and extremely selfish. I believe this is how Britain was at the time. Then, after the visits from the three ghosts scrooge changed and I think that that is what Dickens wanted Britain to do. The first of the three spirits is the ghost of Christmas past. It had the body of someone elderly, but was surprisingly youthful and powerful. The ghost is described as ‘a strange figure- like a child; yet not so much like a child as like an old man’. It held a brimmed cap, evidently an extinguisher for its head, from which jetted a clear, pure stream of light. This stream of light symbolises that Christmas is a happy time and should be full of light and joy. On the other hand, the extinguisher cap that the spirit was holding was made by people like Scrooge, who use the cap to hide the light of Christmas. The second spirit is the ghost of Christmas Present. It is a great giant, dressed in a green and surrounded by piles of food. The spirit has a garment, which hangs loosely on him that shows his capacious breast. I believe that this is supposed to show how free and open the spirit is. Another similarity to his openness is his hair. This is described as, ‘dark-brown curls were long and free’ this makes the spirit seem to be totally natural and genuine. The spirit is made to seem kind and cheerful. There are a few phrases suggesting this such as, ‘its open hand’, also it is portrayed as having an antique scabbard with no sword in it which shows that the spirit wanted peace. This proves the spirit is gentle and caring.

Article Analysis Essay

The article entitled â€Å"The Last Frontier† is a discussion of China in the past decades that had been known as a Communist country wherein all the people must follow the rule of the government so that wealth is equally divided to all, which the Capitalists have no voice to the economic stand of the government. That is why people had no right to criticize the rule which freedom of expression is limited only to those who are in authority. Only those who are in position are the ones who have the access on government transactions. If you were caught opposing an issue about a transaction in the government, they will be caught and put into jail without a fair trial. That is how they perceive justice during those days. However, Chinese people today can do what ever they want from choosing what they wish for themselves like finding the right job, to even do marry-making on wherever they wanted and even having an organization to which they can look after their environment. There was also an instance that where in a group of people decides to take its ground against the ruling power but failed because their stand does not have a favor for the government. Even though thousands of protesters flocked the streets of China, the government still did not let anyone use this as a tool to overthrow their government. The very example on the futile rule happened during the massacre in Tiananmen Square wherein thousand of protesters where they call for democracy and stop to corruption had made paid for their lives. Thus, the government made a deal with its people â€Å"we will give you freedom to make money, but politics is off limits (67),† giving them a little access to whatever transaction that the government is into. Reference Author. Date. The Last Frontier. Publisher