Advertising Clip Analysis - 3879 Words

Target Audience When analyzing the target audience the first thing that came to mind was Mothers between the ages of 28-35. These would be the primary consumers for two of the three products located on the advertisement. This is the primary age range for moms to have babies and toddlers. These mothers are in the middle to upper class. They have a high education level. The thought behind this is that the nature of the product is a little more expensive due to its organic ingredients. The pouches shown are sold individually, making one think that they are a little more expensive, usually what you see out of the Dannon Oikos line. Proposition The proposition was a very lacking in this advertisement. It seemed like the Stonyfield was†¦show more content†¦Proposition While I have no idea what was in the creative brief or what the actual phrasing of the strategy was, the tagline â€Å"unlock your heart† came to mind. The idea behind this is that these women have been in relationships for a while. One of the many advantages of advertising in Cosmopolitan is the nature of their content. Women who buy Cosmo are adventurous and some are looking to spice things up. Some relationships become stagnant in the time between the initial feelings of joy and the proposal. This proposition is attempting at connecting the desire of a deeper more meaningful relationship with the idea of marriage, or at least engagement. I think it accomplishes that aspect in a manner that is simple and to the point while retaining the grace and elegance of the rings. Way the Campaign Should Work This campaign uses emotion appeals as well as discriminating arguments to try to convince their audience. The emotional appeal comes from the idea behind the proposition. It pulls on those inner desires of women to find a husband or take the next step with their significant other. The discrimination argument comes with the placement of the rings on the lock. Each one is place in a manner that the name Tacori is shown on each one. This subtle thing implies the fact that is only Tacori that can match this desire for them. These two points really convey the point on the King Continuum of relating to own wants and needs. The purpose of this advertisement is not toShow MoreRelatedChallenges of Marketing the Super Bowl1691 Words   |  7 Pages(Issue) statement...3 Data analysis...3 Key decision criteria...5 Alternatives analysis...7 Recommendations...7 Action and implementation plan...8 Executive summary This paper is a case analysis of the business aspects of marketing the Super Bowl, Americas largest sporting event. The Super Bowl is the most popular televised sporting event and is widely watched even by viewers with little interest in football who are mainly attracted to its funny and edgy advertising. 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Internet advertising, aka Web advertising or online advertising, is a fast growing business. ItRead MoreEthical Approval Form For Undergraduate Projects2652 Words   |  11 PagesDIVISION OF PSYCHOLOGY COUNSELLING, UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD ETHICAL APPROVAL FORM FOR UNDERGRADUATE PROJECTS Part One Project Title Hot or not ? Assessing changing social attitudes to body image and attractiveness through a study of TV advertising Student name Pandora Papamichael Supervisor name Christopher Bale Date Yes No N/A 1 Will you describe to participants what will happen in your study (e.g. experimental or interview procedures) in advance, so that they are informed about what

Marketing Mix - 1477 Words

Marketing Mix Paper The marketing mix is probably the most famous phrase in marketing. According to Wikipedia.com, the marketing mix approach to marketing is a model of crafting and implementing marketing strategies. It stresses the mixing or blending of various factors in such a way that both organizational and consumer (target markets) objectives are attained (Wikipedia). The elements are the marketing tactics . Also known as the four Ps , the marketing mix elements are price, place, product, and promotion (Marketing Teacher). In other words, Marketing mix is a combination of marketing tools that are used to satisfy customers and company objectives. Consumers often call the marketing mix the offering. By using†¦show more content†¦Pricing: Price means the pricing strategy you will use. You have already fixed, as an hypothesis a customer price fitted to your customer profile but you will have now to bargain it with the wholesalers and retailers. In fact, you have to choose between three strategies: - Competitive pricing: If your product is sold at the lowest price regarding all your competitors, you are practicing competitive pricing. Sometimes, competitive pricing is essential. For instance, when the products are basically the same, this strategy will usually succeed. - Cost-plus-profit: It means that you add the profit you need to your cost. It is also called cost-orientated strategy and is mainly used by the big contractor of public works. The authority may have access to the costing data and should like to check if the profit added to the cost is not too high. - Value pricing: It means that you base your prices on the value you deliver to customers. For example, when a new technology has a very large success, you can charge high prices to the customer. This practice is also called skimming. It is easy when you are in the introductory phase of the product life cycle. Promotion: The function of promotion is to affect the customer behavior in order to close a sale. Of course, it must be consistent with the buying process described in the consumer analysis. Promotion includes mainly three topics: advertisement, public relations, and sales promotions.Show MoreRelatedHolden Marketing Mix1768 Words   |  8 PagesAssessment 2 Marketing mix Review and Recommendations Report My brand is V6 Holden Commodore Short review about Holden in Australia;- The history of Holden dates back to 1856 when it started as a saddler business in South Australia. Today Holden is one of only seven fully-integrated global General Motors operations that designs, builds and sells vehicles for Australia and the world. 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The marketing mix is reliant on how clear and defined the business’ target market is and how well the company directs the strategies towards its targeted market (Glenco McGraw-Hill, 3rd Edition). This paper will further define marketing mix, the four strategiesRead MoreMarketing Mix Essays2988 Words   |  12 PagesThe Channels of Distribution The products and the services are distributed electronically, where the costumers can buy online on the website or in stores located across Australia. 5 – Braaap’s potencial customer base and key pressure Before marketing your products and services it is important to define your customer base or target market. Braaap’s clients are people who love motorcycles whatever if it is professionally or just a sport on free time. 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Cognition Communication Judgmental Biases -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Cognition Communication Judgmental Biases? Answer: Introducation The research design of the study has been made very carefully, considering the areas which seem to be most affected. The key points, where most accidents occur, have more or less been covered by using the observers. This will be helpful to understand the frequencies and the general time period of the accidents (Mackey and Gass 2015). The research methodology has been given enough attention which would help to note down every detail that is needed to make proper assessments regarding the causality of the accidents and would point out towards the possible solutions that would facilitate in the actions that are needed to bring the numbers down. The research design has been made to be descriptive. The research design aims to understand the causality of the accidents and would like to look into the results that are being generated due to those factors. The cause and effect analysis would be the best method to understand the attributes and the parameters that are the main reasons for the number of accidents to be so high. Challenges in validity and reliability Despite the research methodology being designed with great care, there lay some issues regarding the validity of the results, as well as the reliability of the generated data. Two days into the data collection process, an accident occurred very close to one of the observer. However, the place of the accident was 200 meters away from the observer. This obvious distance may prove to be an obstacle in the assessment. The observer will obviously take time to notice or learn about the accident and even more time to reach the site. This gap of time would, without a doubt, lead to some data or vital detail to be lost (Patten and Newhart 2017). Details of accidents are very tedious to collect and any missing detail can alter the assessment process, which, in turn, would have heavy impact on the decision making process and the results yielded (Flick 2015). Another biggest problem that may be faced by the research methodology is the obvious question of bias. Every observer will have her or his own perceptions regarding who is to blame for the accident. This would make it incredibly clouded in terms of the proper assessment. The very details and notes, which would form the basis of the research, upon which judgements and conclusions will be drawn, would be altered and a clear unbiased view will not be reached at all (Mertens 2014). This must be eliminated if the research hopes to come up with the results which would bring down the accident numbers. Methodological issues There may be other issues regarding the data collection process. The very apparent one would be the problem with anomalies. While most of the accidents have been seen to be resulted by frustrated drivers and swarm of students crossing the road, there may still be some accidents which may be caused entirely due to faulty behaviour of the driver or callous students. These anomalies would have very misleading results and would make the actions taken to be problematic (Yin 2013). Random sampling never reflects the total mass conditions and fails to give a good idea about what happened in every single case (Rubin and Babbie 2016). Just like the accident that happened two days into the data collection process: the student was killed due to a speeding sports car. The obvious question that would arise here would tell that if the driver was going through a swarm of pedestrians, then he cannot be speeding; and if he was in fact driving fast, then either it was the drivers fault for not slowing down, or it was the students mistake for not being careful enough while crossing the road. Suggestions to improve the research There are a few ways the research can be improved in terms of quality and enhance the validity of the results. These methods may be helpful to enhance the credibility and subsequently facilitate in making better and more efficient decisions. To ensure that no detail is missed or every accident can be kept under surveillance, the research team can recruit more observers who will cover a greater area and would be sure to keep track of everything (Schwarz 2014). The observers must be made to understand that their interpretations would reflect on the decisions that will be taken: the generated data will be used by Dr. John Nottingham and his calculations and logic will be given to the university, which would then take appropriate measures that are aimed at trying to reduce the accidents. If the generated data is clouded by biasness regarding perceptions about who is to blame, the decisions will be equally flawed, and may even bring to wrong people under direct actions (Panneerselvam 2014). To eliminate this possibility, the observers have to be unbiased in their opinions, and only have to make record of what happened, and not their own thoughts regarding who to blame. Greater number of samples need to be taken, to make sure no anomaly is present in the data. Random sampling should be avoided as much as possible, but since the whole population cannot be taken into account, the random sample must be careful to note down every possible outcomes and not just record a few random occurances. References Flick, U., 2015.Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research project. Sage. Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., 2015.Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge. Mertens, D.M., 2014.Research and evaluation in education and psychology: Integrating diversity with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. Sage publications. Panneerselvam, R., 2014.Research methodology. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.. Patten, M.L. and Newhart, M., 2017.Understanding research methods: An overview of the essentials. Taylor Francis. Rubin, A. and Babbie, E.R., 2016.Empowerment series: Research methods for social work. Cengage Learning. Schwarz, N., 2014.Cognition and communication: Judgmental biases, research methods, and the logic of conversation. Psychology Press. Yin, R.K., 2013.Case study research: Design and methods. Sage publication

Napster Essays (677 words) - Metallica, Napster, Online Music Stores

Napster I'm sure you have heard something about the music issues pertaining to Napster. Right now million dollar lawsuits are being filed on Napster by the famous rock band Metallica. You can hear about the complaints Napster is facing on television, radio, Internet, or magazines. The issues regarding Napster is a very arguable topic in entertainment today. I am going to discuss the main arguments presented by record labels, and also display some possible solutions being negotiated with at this time. Two guys who are both 18 years of age introduced the Napster service. Napster is a music site on the Internet in which online participants can pass songs back and forth to each other for free. Just about any song is available to download. It is a very simple process to begin downloading music from the Napster system. Some information about yourself such as your e-mail address and name is required. After this simple step one is ready to begin downloading songs. To download a particular song the title and artist has to be entered and the process begins. The downloading procedure takes anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes per song depending on the users modem speed and the length of the song requested. Although Napster seems harmless and great, there has been great controversy in the music and entertainment world regarding it. There are many arguments facing the two gentlemen that started this music crisis. Some oppose Napster simply because it is a multi-million dollar corporation that wants to make money by distributing other people's music. Is this alternative way of listening to music fair, or does it violate artists' rights? Napster claims that their service offers the world the chance to listen to and promote the artists' music, in turn helping them out. Critics and corporations claim that this is a lie simply because the music artists and record labels are taking huge cutbacks in record sales due to Napster. It is not hard to understand. If you have the choice of buying a $15 dollar CD or getting the same songs downloaded for free what would you do? Opposition by the major record labels has been a significant obstacle. Most of the corporations' view is that there needs to be a compromise met by the two sides. Both sides are now discussing some ideas in which both can benefit. One idea is that the artists would get to choose which of their works, if any was to be available on the service, and what kind of compensation they would receive from the service. The artist s would have the option of contacting the users to inform them of new releases, concert dates, etc. Another thoughtful idea is for there to be a blanket license with a standard rate for downloads. That is, a system that would pay the artists a small fee whenever their song is downloaded. This idea is preferred by many of the artists around the country. The fee per track would be a very small fee. A rate of 15 cents a song would be equal to or greater than what most artists receive from every CD sold. Without some kind of agreement like this, a service like Napster, despite their claim, does very little to help the artists. Napster users complain that CD's are to expensive when only one or two songs are listened to anyway. Critics say the problem with this statement is that those who scream the loudest for free music are most able to pay, so studies show. A lot of Napster users have high-speed modems and Internet access, making it easy to download the songs quickly. I have discussed a few of the most talked about arguments facing Napster, and perhaps some possible solutions. With all the arguments still up in the air, it is hard to tell what the outcome may be. Whatever happens, Napster has made the music industry address the problem of high priced music. Who knows, perhaps Napster is the wake-up call that the music industry needed. Music Essays

12 Famous Artists on What Art Means to Them

12 Famous Artists on What Art Means to Them For an artist, the canvas is a mouthpiece. The artist speaks with vibrant colors, bold strokes, and fine lines. She whispers her secrets, shares her passion, expresses her anguish, and taunts your sensibilities. Are you ready to hear the language of art? Art inspires people. Consider the works of Michelangelo, Picasso, or Leonardo da Vinci. People throng to museums to admire their work. Their paintings, murals, and sculptures are subjects of deep academic interest. These great artists lived several centuries ago, yet their work continues to inspire new generations of artists. Famous Artists and What They Say About Art These quotes from 12 famous artists provide insight into the art world. Their words infuse a new surge of creativity. They urge you to get inspired to pick up your paintbrush and palette. Brett WhiteleyAustralian avant-garde artist Brett Whiteley continues to spur the creativity of artists, and common people, across the world. He won Australia’s most respected award, Archibald, the Wynne, and Sulman, twice. Whiteley created his art in Italy, England, Fiji, and the U.S. Art should astonish, transmute, transfix. One must work at the tissue between truth and paranoia. Edward HopperAmerican realist painter and printmaker Edward Hopper was famous for oil paintings, but he also made his mark as a watercolorist and etchings. Regular American life and the people were two of Hopper’s muses.   If I could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint. Francis BaconIrish-British figurative painter Francis Bacon is best known for the boldness of his art. The imagery that he used was raw and evocative. He is best known for his works, Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion (1944), Study for Self-Portrait (1982), and Study for a Self Portrait - Triptych (1985-86). The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery. Picasso is the reason why I paint. He is the father figure who gave me the wish to paint. MichelangeloOne of the best-known painters and artists from the Renaissance age, Michelangelo and his works have shaped western art. The Italian sculptor, painter, poet, architect, and engineer is famous for painting the scenes from Genesis on the ceiling and depicting The Last Judgment on the wall of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. He was also the architect of St. Peter’s Basilica. If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldnt seem so wonderful at all. Pablo PicassoSpanish artist Pablo Picasso has been one of the most powerful artists of the 20th century. He co-pioneered the Cubist movement and is most well-known for works such as proto-Cubist Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907) and Guernica (1937).   As a child, I drew like Raphael but it has taken me a lifetime to draw like a child. Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. Paul GardnerScottish painter Paul Gardner espouses European and Scottish artistic conventions through this art. Buddhism and Eastern philosophy have been his major influences. A painting is never finished - it simply stops in interesting places. Paul GauguinFrench post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin received true recognition only posthumously. His style of experimenting with colors made him stand apart from Impressionists. Gauguin was an important member of the Symbolist movement, and it led to the creation of the Synthetist style, Primitivism, and return to pastoral styles.   I shut my eyes in order to see. Rachel WolfRachel Wolf is an American artist and freelance editor. She has edited numerous books on painting such as Keys to Painting: Fur and Feathers, Watercolor Secrets, Strokes of Genius: The Best of Drawing, among others. Color is fun, color is just plain gorgeous, a gourmet meal for the eye, the window of the soul. Frank ZappaAmerican musician Frank Zappa made music for over three decades. He played rock, jazz, and other kinds of music while also directing films and music videos. Zappa was feted with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.   Art is making something out of nothing and selling it. Lucian FreudGerman-born British painter Lucian Freud was celebrated for his impasto portrait and figure paintings. His art has a psychological angle and often explores the uncomfortable connection between the artist and the model. The longer you look at an object, the more abstract it becomes, and, ironically, the more real. Paul CezannePaul Cezanne was a French artist and post-Impressionist painter. Paul Cezanne is responsible for providing a link between the 19th century Impressionism and 20th century Cubism. Cezanne’s charm lay in the fact that even though critics trashed him, younger artists revered him during his lifetime. There is a logic of colors, and it is with this alone, and not with the logic of the brain, that the painter should conform. Robert DelaunayFrench artist Robert Delaunay started the Orphism art movement along with his wife, Sonia. His art used symmetrical shapes, and in later life became more abstract. Painting is by nature a luminous language.

The Origin of Samuel Clemens as Mark Twain

The Origin of Samuel Clemens as Mark Twain Author Samuel Langhorne Clemens used the pen name Mark Twain and a couple other pseudonyms during his writing career. Pen names have been used by authors throughout the centuries for purposes such as disguising their gender, shielding their personal anonymity and family associations, or even to cover up past legal troubles. However, Samuel Clemens didnt appear to choose Mark Twain for any of those reasons. Origin of Mark Twain In Life on the Mississippi,  Mark Twain writes about Captain Isaiah Sellers, a riverboat pilot who wrote under the pseudonym Mark Twain, The old gentleman was not of literary turn or capacity, but he used to jot down brief paragraphs of plain practical information about the river, and sign them MARK TWAIN, and give them to the New Orleans Picayune.  They related to the stage and condition of the river, and were accurate and valuable; and thus far, they contained no poison. The term mark twain is for a measured river depth of 12 feet or two fathoms, the depth that was safe for a steamboat to pass. Sounding the river for depth was essential as an unseen obstruction could result in tearing a hole in the vessel and sinking it. Clemens aspired to be a river pilot, which was a well-paying position. He paid $500 to study for two years as an apprentice steamboat pilot and earned his pilots license. He worked as a pilot until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. How Samuel Clemens Decided to Use the Pen Name After a brief two weeks as a Confederate enlistee, he joined his brother Orion in Nevada Territory where Orion served as secretary to the governor. He tried mining but failed and instead took up as a journalist for the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise. This is when he began to use the pen name of Mark Twain. The original user of the pseudonym died in 1869. In Life on the Mississippi,  Mark Twain says: I was a fresh new journalist, and needed a nom de guerre; so I confiscated the ancient mariners discarded one, and have done my best to make it remain what it was in his hands- a sign and symbol and warrant that whatever is found in its company may be gambled on as being the petrified truth; how I have succeeded, it would not be modest in me to say. Further, in his autobiography, Clemens noted that he wrote several satires of the original pilots postings that were published and caused embarrassment. As a result, Isaiah Sellers stopped publishing his reports. Clemens was penitent for this later in life. Other Pen Names and Pseudonyms Before 1862, Clemens signed humorous sketches as Josh. Samuel Clemens used the name Sieur Louis de Conte for Joan of Arc (1896). He also used the pseudonym Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass for three humorous pieces he contributed to Keokuk Post. Sources Fatout, Paul. â€Å"Mark Twains Nom de Plume.† American Literature, vol. 34, no. 1, 1962, p. 1., doi:10.2307/2922241.Twain, Mark, et al. Autobiography of Mark Twain. University of California Press, 2010.Twain, Mark. Life on the Mississippi. Tauchnitz, 1883.

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Human Resource Management - Essay Example In a holistic picture, performance management strives to improve overall processes; achieve continually improving results; and continuously develop resources and effective leadership; it also aims at sustaining employee motivation and commitment. As Cooper (2004) explains, performance measurement can help organisations to demonstrate their value to many types of stakeholders, including the clients and customers, employees and shareholders. The results from performance measurement can help in improving performance further, thereby meeting and even exceeding customer expectations, generating more revenue and profit for the organisation, improving employee satisfaction and morale. However, Colbran Medical Institute does not seem to emphasize customer satisfaction or employee motivation in the real sense. A few effective performance management practices based on theory have been evaluated with respect to situation at Colbran Medical Institute. Benchmarking: Performance measurement is a r ecurring activity, and an essential aspect of performance management. ... The performance appraisal forms at Colbran do not give much evidence of work on benchmarking performance metrics, which further rules out possibilities of effective performance measurement. If performance measurement is only internally focused, then such measurement cannot produce competitive position for the organisation irrespective of its level of performance. Therefore, benchmarking ensures that performance establishes competitiveness and best practice through doing the right things, right first time in the eyes of the end customer (Zaiiri & Leonard, 1994; 81). Performance indicators: At Colbran Medical Institute, performance seems to be measured based on number of goods produced. This is a very generalized approach and tends to ignore many issues that could have occurred during the production process. This process needs to be streamlined in order to provide accurate performance measurement as well as address the issues so that overall productivity can also be improvised. All goa ls that have been benchmarked need to be measurable. For this, the goals need to be converted to measurable indicators. Hatry (2006) asserts that measurement and improvement can be gauged based on specific indicators, and not based on the outcomes. Production units cannot wait until the output is achieved in order to assess performance; in doing so, significant time, effort and money will be lost. Moreover, performance measurement based on outcomes will not consider the gaps or issues that had risen during the production. Therefore, to address these issues, specific outcome indicators or performance indicators need to be assigned to every intended outcome or goal. Performance appraisal system: Performance

Franchise law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Franchise law - Essay Example Therefore, each of the renewal terms raised by Joe must be examined in terms of whether or not, the proposed conditions and terms constitute good faith and fair dealing grounds for refusing renewal of the expiring franchise contract. In general, Joe takes issue with the requirement to purchase meat and cheese from Hoagie Land in Philadelphia when it is more convenient for him to purchase the same from Hoagie Land in New York, the payment of what Joe considers an excessive legal fee, the payment of a renewal fee, the installation of a point of sales systems, adoption of a new sign and remodelling. The question for consideration is whether or not each of these terms and conditions can be characterized as inconsistent with the concept of fair dealing and good faith. The concept of fair dealing and good faith was considered in the case of Payne v McDonald’s Corp. In this case, the franchisor’s renewal was conditional upon the franchisee’s consent to rebuild the resta urant. The court held however, that the requirement for rebuilding was not inconsistent with the concept of good faith and fair dealing (Payne v McDonald’s Corp.). However, the facts of Joe’s case can be distinguished from the facts of Payne v McDonald’s Corp. ... The ruled in Payne that since there was no express right to renewal, the franchisor was not under a duty to renew the franchise and in deciding to do so could condition renewal on requirements that suited its business ends (Payne v McDonald’s Corp.). Some guidance is found in the case of Bresler’s 33 Flavors Franchising Corp. v Woksin. In the case, the court ruled that in order to satisfy a claim that a refusal to renew on terms and conditions that were inconsistent with the concept of fair dealing and good faith, the claimant must show that the terms and conditions were only applied to the claimant and not to any other franchisor. Specifically, when the renewal term was for remodelling, the claimant must also show that to the satisfaction of the court that remodelling would have a negative impact on profitability (Bresler’s 33 Flavors Franchising Corp. v Woksin). I would therefore advise Joe to provide as much evidence as possible demonstrating that remodelling would negatively impact profitability and that purchasing meat and cheese from Philadelphia rather than from New York would negatively impact profitability. In looking at the requirement to purchase meat from Philadelphia as opposed to New York, it is unlikely that Joe can excise this term as it appears to be applicable to all franchisees and is stated to be for quality control and for economies of scale. To begin with, it may be argued that purchasing from the Philadelphia suppliers may be more convenient for Joe since his restaurant is located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey which is nearer to Philadelphia than it is to New York. Moreover, the requirement to purchase meat and cheese from the Philadelphia supplier applies to all franchisees and does not discriminate

Assess the view that factors and processes within the school Essay Example for Free

Assess the view that factors and processes within the school Essay Many sociologists argue that â€Å"factors and processes within school are the main cause of difference† These factors include gender, class and ethnicity. All of these things can lead to certain stereotypes and labels being forced upon pupils. The idea that Teachers have certain expectations of different social and ethnic groups means that self-fulfilling prophecy can lead to pupils living out positive and negative labels. The role of gender in educational achievement is that in past times it has been that boys have achieved less than girls in school, this could be that boys have a history of ‘laddish’ behaviour and have had a negative attitude to learning. This had also led to teachers expectations of ‘lads’ to be low which has caused negative stereotypes and labels. All of these things have in turn caused many anti-school subcultures. Jackson did a study about how this ‘laddish’ behaviour is now being seen in some girls which could in fact mean that it is not only boys that have these negative labels but also girls. Another factor that may influence the achievement of girls is that girls now have a lot of higher role models and more opportunities in the future; this can lead to them working harder because they can see themselves being successful in the future. Another In-school factor would be ethnicity, different ethnic groups achieve better than others in education, for example the highest achieving ethnic group is British Chinese and the lowest would be black African Caribbean boys. The reasons for these differences in achievement could be linked to family morals and attitudes to school. Teachers also have expectations of different ethnic groups which again, like gender can lead to positive and negative labels and stereotypes. The curriculum in schools could also lead to this due to it being ethnocentric. Differences in class an play a crucial role in the achievement between different classes, for example working class children do not have as much cultural capital as middle class children and this can play a vital part in how they achieve at school, due to teachers expectations of how they behave and achieve. The idea of the hidden curriculum means that schools are preparing students for middle class jobs with middle class ideas. Also the idea that middle class teachers get on better with idle class students also reinforces the idea of teacher’s expectations which can lead to self-fulfilling prophecy and students either over or under achieving. One more in-school factor would be pupil subcultures and how streaming and setting can lead to both anti and pro school subcultures, This again links to the idea of self-fulfilling prophecy and that students may either reject their labels or follow them. The organisation of the school can also be closely linked to class and how students may be put into lower streams or sets due to their social background and how teachers perceive them. Home backgrounds of students also contribute to a large part of their achievement. The differences in class can lead to many home disadvantages such as material deprivation which means that students do not have enough money for resources such as private tutors, laptops, trips or uniforms; this will give them a disadvantage compared to middle class students. Working class students may also have other responsibilities to attend to such as looking after siblings or even disabled parents; this means that they do not have as much time to spend on studying. Parent’s attitudes towards school and education can also prove to be an impact, if a parent has a negative attitude to school and learning then the child will not have as much pressure or ambition to do as well. This idea of parent expectations links closely with ethnicity and how different ethnic groups view educarion. In conclusion there are many in school processes that can influence the achievement of children such as gender and how girls and boys are perceived and what teachers expect of them. Another would be Class and how working and middle class students achieve differently due to aspects of school life like the hidden curriculum. Also ethnicity and the expectations and ideas about certain groups like the British Chinese. There are also a lot of out of school factors such as home background, material deprivation and parents’ expectations. Overall I believe that the both in school factors and out of school factors contribute to the differences in educational achievement of different social groups.

Philosophy: Bertrand Russell vs William James Essay -- essays research

Bertrand Russell discussed certain problems he found with philosophy. Russell was concerned about how much did we really know. There is the stuff we know with our mind when we have a particular idea, and stuff we know through actually experiencing it which would justify it. But how do we know if it is real, or even there, for that matter? Russell says, â€Å"For if we cannot be sure of the independent existence of object, we cannot be sure of the independent existence of other people’s bodies, and therefore still less of other peoples minds, since we have no grounds for believing in their minds except such as are derived from observing their bodies† (Russell, 47). How can Farmer Brown be sure that the dairyman just didn’t have an idea that the cow was there. Farmer Brown wants more than just an idea in order to feel safe that his prize cow is still there. Another problem Russell would have with the cow in the field is the nature of the matter. Russell says we have knowledge of truth and knowledge of things. Knowledge of truth is propositional knowledge or what we’re most certain in through direct experience. Russell says, â€Å"But we cannot hope to be acquainted directly with the quality in the physical objects which makes it blue or red. Science tells us this quality is a certain sort of wave motion, and this sounds familiar, because we think of wave motions in the space we see† (Russell, 52). What he is saying that the dairy man has had direct experience with the cow, he know... Philosophy: Bertrand Russell vs William James Essay -- essays research Bertrand Russell discussed certain problems he found with philosophy. Russell was concerned about how much did we really know. There is the stuff we know with our mind when we have a particular idea, and stuff we know through actually experiencing it which would justify it. But how do we know if it is real, or even there, for that matter? Russell says, â€Å"For if we cannot be sure of the independent existence of object, we cannot be sure of the independent existence of other people’s bodies, and therefore still less of other peoples minds, since we have no grounds for believing in their minds except such as are derived from observing their bodies† (Russell, 47). How can Farmer Brown be sure that the dairyman just didn’t have an idea that the cow was there. Farmer Brown wants more than just an idea in order to feel safe that his prize cow is still there. Another problem Russell would have with the cow in the field is the nature of the matter. Russell says we have knowledge of truth and knowledge of things. Knowledge of truth is propositional knowledge or what we’re most certain in through direct experience. Russell says, â€Å"But we cannot hope to be acquainted directly with the quality in the physical objects which makes it blue or red. Science tells us this quality is a certain sort of wave motion, and this sounds familiar, because we think of wave motions in the space we see† (Russell, 52). What he is saying that the dairy man has had direct experience with the cow, he know...

Life Philosophy Essay

The meaning of life is to give life meaning Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. Life Philosophy of John Wooden Even a fool knows you can’t reach the stars, but that doesn’t stop a wise man from trying. â€Å"You can’t make someone Else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours. † Life Philosophy of Gen. Colin Powell Man is not the creature of circumstances, circumstances are the creatures of men. We are free agents, and man is more powerful than matter. Life Philosophy of Benjamin Disraeli When an affliction happens to you, you either let it defeat you, or you defeat it†¦ Life Philosophy of Rosalind Russell A life lived in fear is a life half lived. To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. â€Å"It is better to be hated for what you are then to be loved for what your not† There are always two choices. Two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it’s easy. Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. Life Philosophy of Zig Ziglar You will never achieve what you never begin†¦ The measure of a man is the way he bears up under misfortune. Don’t wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it. Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore. Philosophy of Life by Andre Gide If one seeks advice, give them direction, not correction. Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can. Philosophy of Life by Richard Bach Do the things you know, and you shall learn the truth you need to know. Philosophy of Life by George Macdonald Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us the determination to make the right things happen. Philosophy of Life by Peter Marshall It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. Don’t take life too seriously. no one gets out alive, anyways. Before you talk about what you want – appreciate what you have. A man either lives life as it happens to him, meets it head-on and licks it, or he turns his back on it and starts to wither away. Life Philosophy from Gene Roddenberry You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action. Life Philosophy from Anthony Robbins If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won’t, you most assuredly won’t. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad. Life Philosophy from Denis Waitley You can do what you think you can do and you cannot do what you think you cannot Life Philosophy from Ben Stein Find something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Life Philosophy from Harvey Mackay You can do what you want to do. You can be what you want to be. Life Philosophy from R. David Thomas Philosophies in Life PHILOSOPHY may be defined as the study and pursuit of facts which deal with the ultimate reality or causes of things as they affect life. The philosophy of a country like the Philippines is made up of the intricate and composite interrelationship of the life histories of its people; in other word, the philosophy of our nation would be strange and undefinable if we do not delve into the past tied up with the notable life experiences of the representative personalities of our nation. Being one of the prominent representatives of Filipino personalities, Jose Rizal is a fit subject whose life philosophy deserves to be recognized. Having been a victim of Spanish brutality early in his life in Calamba, Rizal had thus already formed the nucleus of an unfavorable opinion of Castillian imperialistic administration of his country and people. Pitiful social conditions existed in the Philippines as late as three centuries after his conquest in Spain, with agriculture, commerce, communications and education languishing under its most backward state. It was because of this social malady that social evils like inferiority complex, cowardice, timidity and false pride pervaded nationally and contributed to the decay of social life. This stimulated and shaped Rizal’s life phylosophy to be to contain if not eliminate these social ills. Educational Philosophy Rizal’s concept of the importance of education is clearly enunciated in his work entitled Instruction wherein he sought improvements in the schools and in the methods of teaching. He maintained that the backwardness of his country during the Spanish ear was not due to the Filipinos’ indifference, apathy or indolence as claimed by the rulers, but to the neglect of the Spanish authorities in the islands. For Rizal, the mission of education is to elevate the country to the highest seat of glory and to develop the people’s mentality. Since education is the foundation of society and a prerequisite for social progress, Rizal claimed that only through education could the country be saved from domination. Rizal’s philosophy of education, therefore, centers on the provision of proper motivation in order to bolster the great social forces that make education a success, to create in the youth an innate desire to cultivate his intelligence and give him life eternal. Religious Philosophy Rizal grew up nurtured by a closely-knit Catholic family, was educated in the foremost Catholic schools of the period in the elementary, secondary and college levels; logically, therefore, he should have been a propagator of strictly Catholic traditions. However, in later life, he developed a life philosophy of a different nature, a philosophy of a different Catholic practice intermingled with the use of Truth and Reason. Why the change? It could have been the result of contemporary contact, companionship, observation, research and the possession of an independent spirit. Being a critical observer, a profound thinker and a zealous reformer, Rizal did not agree with the prevailing Christian propagation of the Faith by fire and sword. This is shown in his Annotation of Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas. Rizal did not believe in the Catholic dogma that salvation was only for Catholics and that outside Christianity, salvation was not possible even if Catholics composed only a small minority of the world’s religious groups. Nor did he believe in the Catholic observation of fasting as a sacrifice, nor in the sale of such religious items as the cross, medals, rosaries and the like in order to propagate the Faith and raise church funds. He also lambasted the superstitious beliefs propagated by the priests in the church and in the schools. All of these and a lot more are evidences of Rizal’s religious philosophy. Political Philosophy In Rizal’s political view, a conquered country like the Philippines should not be taken advantage of but rather should be developed, civilized, educated and trained in the science of self-government. He bitterly assailed and criticized in publications the apparent backwardness of the Spanish ruler’s method of governing the country which resulted in: 1. the bondage and slavery of the conquered ; 2. the Spanish government’s requirement of forced labor and force military service upon the n natives; 3. the abuse of power by means of exploitation; 4. the government ruling that any complaint against the authorities was criminal; and 5. Making the people ignorant, destitute and fanatic, thus discouraging the formation of a national sentiment. Rizal’s guiding political philosophy proved to be the study and application of reforms, the extension of human rights, the training for self government and the arousing of spirit of discontent over oppression, brutality, inhumanity, sensitiveness and self love. Ethical Philosophy The study of human behavior as to whether it is good or bad or whether it is right or wrong is that science upon which Rizal’s ethical philosophy was based. The fact that the Philippines was under Spanish domination during Rizal’s time led him to subordinate his philosophy to moral problems. This trend was much more needed at that time because the Spaniards and the Filipinos had different and sometimes conflicting morals. The moral status of the Philippines during this period was one with a lack of freedom, one with predominance of foreign masters, one with an imposition of foreign religious worship, devotion, homage and racial habits. This led to moral confusion among the people, what with justice being stifled, limited or curtailed and the people not enjoying any individual rights. To bolster his ethical philosophy, Dr. Rizal had recognized not only the forces of good and evil, but also the tendencies towards good and evil. As a result, he made use of the practical method of appealing to the better nature of the conquerors and of offering useful methods of solving the moral problems of the conquered. To support his ethical philosophy in life, Rizal: 1. censured the friars for abusing the advantage of their position as spiritual leaders and the ignorance and fanaticism of the natives; 2.counseled the Filipinos not to resent a defect attributed to them but to accept same as reasonable and just; 3. advised the masses that the object of marriage was the happiness and love of the couple and not financial gain; 4. censured the priests who preached greed and wrong morality; and 5. advised every one that love and respect for parents must be strictly observed. Social Philosophy That body of knowledge relating to society including the wisdom which man’s experience in society has taught him is social philosophy. The facts dealt with are principles involved in nation building and not individual social problems. The subject matter of this social philosophy covers the problems of the whole race, with every problem having a distinct solution to bolster the people’s social knowledge. Rizal’s social philosophy dealt with; 1. man in society; 2. influential factors in human life; 3. racial problems; 4. social constant; 5. social justice; 6. social ideal; 7. poverty and wealth; 8. reforms; 9. youth and greatness; 10. history and progress; 11. future Philippines. The above dealt with man’s evolution and his environment, explaining for the most part human behavior and capacities like his will to live; his desire to possess happiness; the change of his mentality; the role of virtuous women in the guidance of great men; the need for elevating and inspiring mission; the duties and dictates of man’s conscience; man’s need of practicing gratitude; the necessity for consulting reliable people; his need for experience; his ability to deny; the importance of deliberation; the voluntary offer of man’s abilities and possibilities; the ability to think, aspire and strive to rise; and the proper use of hearth, brain and spirit-all of these combining to enhance the intricacies, beauty and values of human nature. All of the above served as Rizal’s guide in his continuous effort to make over his beloved Philippines.

A Long Way Gone

Ishmael Beah’s work â€Å"A Long Way Gone† captures the essence of the situation in war-stricken Sierra Leone. It tells us how a young boy was forced to become a soldier to preserve his life and live to tell his story. Although Beah was from an underdeveloped nation, he had the dreams and thoughts of any normal teenager from the West.He speaks about his family, his friends, his rap band and his love for music. All these things tell us that no matter how far apart we live and how different we believe we are, we are all essentially the same at the core of our beings.It is heartbreaking to learn that such dreams of millions of children like Beah are crushed down and ripped apart by the institution of war. Beah, after being captured, was trained to kill without any regrets. His circumstances also forced him to be addicted to drugs at a tender age. His mind was made so numb that he could no longer consider the value of human life. It took him a lot of courage, determination and several years of his life to become a normal person, while being forced to undergo the trauma of being doubted and feared by the people around him.Beah’s book gives voice to the innumerable number of children around the world that have been reduced to weapons of war. It makes us further realize that war not only kills human life, but also crushes the soul of the surviving. He was eventually rehabilitated by the UNICEF, but the plight of several other Beahs around the world still trapped in wars sends an uneasy, chilling feeling down my spine. We all go through childhood only once, which happens to the most unadulterated and exciting part of our lives. Nothing that the Governments around the world and welfare agencies do will restore the childhood of thousands of children like Beah.Although many experts might not consider it as accurate history, I feel that Beah’s work portrays the rape of childhood innocence. Many of these critics are from developed countries that have had secure childhoods and have no idea whatsoever of being in the middle of a war zone. Beah mentions that he himself had no idea of the scope of horrendousness that war could bring, when people from nearby towns told him about it. Hence, it is naturally hard for a person who has just seen war on television to understand Beah’s situation in its entirety.Some critics question Beah’s integrity as they feel that is impossible for a grown-up to remember his past in great detail. However, I feel difficult and painful incidents in one’s life can leave behind a deep, lasting scar for life. Hence, it is my opinion that Beah could have very well remembered his dark past vividly, even if he had tried hard to forget it. I perceive Beah’s story as a tribute to many innocent children whose stories are seldom heard It is my opinion that it is extremely insensitive to disregard the tears of another human being, which goes to show the cynical nature of our lives tod ay.If we ourselves cannot have empathy for a child deeply tortured by war, we are not so different from the tyrants mentioned in Beah’s narrative. Moreover, no work of history can be completely accurate and does suffer from unconscious bias of the historian. Hence, I consider Beah’s book as a reasonably accurate time capsule that depicts the how war makes good people do bad things and also reminds us of the fact that ‘war has no winners’. Reference: Beah, I. (2007). A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Five Tips to Promote Yourself as a Newbie Freelance Writer

Five Tips to Promote Yourself as a Newbie Freelance Writer It can get hard to get off the ground while starting your freelance writing business. This is especially true if you have quit your day job and youre yet to get your first assignment. The pressure can be extremely agonizing. All you need to do is leave your worries aside and get down to business. Here are five ways you can promote yourself as a freelance writer and get a regular stream of work: Create a Portfolio   A portfolio would help you to showcase your work to your clients with a quick link. The first step to create one is to get published on some of the existing blogs or magazines as a guest author. Once you have a bunch of published articles and client work, (including websites, and newsletter content, etc.) you can make use of portfolio sites like Contently and Clippings.me to put up your published clippings. I created my portfolio on Contently before I quit my full-time job to get into freelance writing. Throw up a Website A website is a great way to promote yourself as a freelance writer. You can create a site on a free platform like Tumblr or WordPress. You can create one to help fellow writers or choose a specific niche. As a writer specializing in the content marketing niche, I created this website:  http://prolificcontentmarketing.club. I try publishing at least once every month to help get more readers and visibility. Sign Up on Medium Medium is a haven for writers. Its a place to create a blog and start writing just about anything you like. Youll find a host of publications where you can submit your work and present your writing to bigger groups. You can interact with fellow writers in popular publications like The Creative Cafe, The Writing Cooperative, Curiosity Never Killed the Writer and many more. Youll also find publications like Better Humans that pay writers up to $500 for accepted submissions. The Medium partner program is another great avenue to get paid while you publish on this vibrant platform. Promote Yourself on LinkedIn LinkedIn is an excellent place for professional networking and publishing. The platform helps you to connect with potential clients display your work and grab new assignments. You can publish articles and post updates to get visibility among connections. I often use the search feature to look for people and content related to terms like hiring writers or hiring B2B writers. I have often used the professional network to pitch and win new clients through direct messages. Write a Book   Another way to showcase your work as a writer is to self-publish a book. There are a host of options to publish your book for less ($200-$300) and if you decide to publish online then its almost free. Your book would earn you a passive income and a favorable reputation. Most successful freelance writers have published books that either help fellow writers or a niche audience. Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer, Get Started and Get Going It can feel like a daunting task to market yourself as a freelance writer. But the initial effort will surely reap long-term benefits in terms of regular and well-paying clients. Author

Shogatsu - Japanese New Year

Shogatsu - Japanese New Year Although Shogatsu means January, it is celebrated for the first 3 days or the first week of January. These days are considered the most important holidays for the Japanese. One could equate it with the celebration of Christmas in the west. During this time, businesses and schools close for one to two weeks. It is also a time for people to return to their families, which leads to the inevitable backlog of travelers. The Japanese decorate their houses, but before the decorations start to be put up, a general house cleaning is done. The most common New Years decorations are pine and bamboo, sacred straw festoons, and oval-shaped rice cakes. On New Years eve, bells (joya no kane) are rung at the local temples to speed out the old year. The New Year is welcomed in by the eating of year-crossing noodles (toshikoshi-soba). Casual western style clothing is replaced with kimono on New Years day as people go for their first temple or shrine visit of the New Year (hatsumoude). At the temples, they pray for health and happiness in the coming year. The reading New Years cards (nengajou) and the giving of gifts (otoshidama) to young children are also a part of the New Year celebrations. Food, of course, is also a big part of Japanese New Years celebrations. Osechi-ryori are special dishes eaten on the first three days of the New Year. Grilled and vinegary dishes are served in multi-layered lacquered boxes (juubako). The dishes are designed to be pleasant to look at and keep for days so that the mother is free from having to cook for three days. There are some regional differences but the osechi dishes are basically the same nationwide. Each of the food types in the boxes represents a wish for the future. Sea Bream (tai) is auspicious (medetai). Herring roe (kazunoko) is the prosperity of ones descendants. Sea tangle roll (kobumaki) is Happiness (yorokobu). Related How to Say Happy New Year in Japanese

Incentive Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Incentive Plan - Research Paper Example Difficulties can serve to make the team members closer and more loyal to one another; group motivation – the driving force that pushes the group forward to accomplish goals; group recognition – acknowledging the group for accomplishing goals; and group cooperation – when the individual group members combine efforts to achieve a common goal (Shepard, 2010). An important aspect of the Humanistic Era is the theorists that worked to find mechanisms within the organization to engage and reward employees for their work in accomplishing organizational goals, leading compensation and incentive programs to become popular during that time. The employee incentive program has remained an important tool to drive employee performance to leverage organizational goals. The Employee Incentive Program is described in a summary and a PDF found on the Boeing website (Boeing, 2011a; Boeing, 2011b). The official Plan document is the final â€Å"controlling document† when a read er may be in doubt as to a reference (Boeing, 2011b, para. 1). Only plan participants are legally entitled to a copy of the plan document.

Hakim's Preference Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Hakim's Preference Theory - Essay Example She describes women into three groups of which only a minority is focused on having a professional career. She estimates that this minority stands somewhere between a tenth to the third of all the women in the workforce. A similar number of women are focused on their families and give preference to their children and their homes over their work (Jenkins, 2004). The remaining majority which could be anywhere from half the women in the workforce to 80% of women in the workforce try to adapt their work to their lives outside the office or they may try to work around their lives with their families. By splitting women into these three groups, Hakim also pointed out predictors for their employment patterns and they're marital as well as fertility rates. The results of the study she conducted to test her theory supported her ideas and she showed that the majority of women who focused on their work were employed on a full-time basis, had not married and had low rates in terms of fertility (Arndt, 2003). On the other hand, her research also showed that women who were focused on their homes and their families were more likely to be married with more than twice the number of children as compared to women who focused on their work. The numbers for fertility and marriage rates of women who adapted their professional careers to their family situation remained in the middle of work centered and family-centered women. With these ideas, Hakim dismisses years of feminist thought as myths (Jenkins, 2004). This has become the primary reason why Hakim’s Preference Theory has attracted so much attention because it is quite provocative.

Following Military Orders That May Be Unethical Research Paper

Following Military Orders That May Be Unethical - Research Paper Example There are many legal and social standards through which an action is ethical, but these standards do not solve the contradiction that comes with the relativity in situations, individuals and societies. While soldiers pledge to obey their superior’s orders they do so in view of the uniform code of military justice and the constitution. As such, soldiers â€Å"should not† obey illegal commands. Establishing the legality or illegality of a command has over the years has raised controversial ethical issues. Under the UCMJ, articles 90 to 92 hold that willful or un-willful disobedience of lawful orders from a senior officer is a criminal offence (Mason, 2011). During war, article 90 further stipulates that such an action is punishable by death (Mason, 2011). Unlawful orders are those that are repugnant to the Constitution seeing as the constitution is the supreme law of the land. The constitution derives form societal ethics and religious doctrines. However, the constitution does not take into account all societal ethics and religious standings of a people (Mason, 2011). There are many examples of illegal or potentially unethical orders issued every day in the army and other military organizations. This paper examines two accounts of death orders. The first example is that of William Calley 1968 during the Vietnam War (Thomas, 2012). The then Second Lieutenant claimed to have received orders from his superior to open fire and subsequently kill civilians. He then passed these orders to his juniors who, like him opened fire on innocent, unarmed civilians in the absence of duress (enemy fire) (Thomas, 2012). In 1971, William received a life sentence with the charge of premeditated murder. The aftermath of the sentence aside, Lieutenant William was guilty of murder while following the orders of a superior (Thomas, 2012). With the rise of terrorism threats cases of inhumane, unconstitutional mistreatment of prisoners is on the rise. A second example is an i ncident that occurred in the year 2004 during America’s invasion of Iraq. The 343rd Quartermaster Company on 13th October refused to go on a mission as ordered by their superiors (Mason, 2011). The unit cited unsafe and insufficient equipment as their reason to disobey orders claiming that the order was a suicide mission. The consequences of their actions have negative far reaching effects on their careers. These consequences include detainment, dishonorable discharge and forfeit of pay (Mason, 2011). In 1986, the U.S army listed some values an organization should have considered to form the foundation on which ethics stems from. These values included integrity, loyalty, selflessness and duty (Mason, 2011). For the individual, the army listed courage, commitment, candor and competence. This proclamation spells out two things. The first is that the superior officer (representative of the organization) should give due consideration to ethical matters while giving orders. Second ly, the officer receiving the orders should follow them while maintaining an ethical approach. Military laws and courts hold military persons accountable if their actions are unlawful regardless of the situation (whether they were following orders from a superior or not) (Mason, 2011). There are various theories that one can apply to examine the above situations. These theories include utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics relativism, emotivism and ethical egoism. John Stuart Mill advanced Consequentialism, a

Different kinds of motivation

Different kinds of motivation The importance of different kinds of motivation in SL learning The presence of different types of motivation can be really helpful for the language learner to achieve the best possible results in the learning process. Indeed, it is difficult to think of any kind of learning without motivation. Although too high levels of enthusiasm may backfire (and cause anxiety), it is inevitable to possess a healthy level of motivation in order to achieve results. Although students motivation is obviously not entirely under the teachers control, the instructor should do whatever is possible to increase this factor. It is commonly acknowledged that motivation can positively influence language learning. People are heavily dominated by their emotions, even in such seemingly dispassionate issues as language learning is. No wonder that student feelings have as much power to affect their learning success as their styles and strategies (Ehrman, 1996, p.135.). According to the definition of Ehrman (1996), motivation is the perceived payoff for the students investment of time, energy, and effort.(p.137.). Apparently, if this payoff is low, the student will either stop learning the language for good or, if they do not have an option, they will be caught in a web of bad feelings and even worse grades. Then, the failures will only generate further disappointment. On the other hand, a student who finds at least one legitimate reason for continuing their language study is already on the right track. Anyone who has attempted language study is able to think of a number of such reasons. Yet, the scientific study of motivation is extremely challenging, since all the factors influencing motivation are interrelated and continually changing. They cannot very well be categorized according to the degree of their power. Therefore, motivation for learning a foreign language has usually been classified according to its possible sources. A common way of categorization is to distinguish extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. According to definition (and closely connected with its name) intrinsic motivation is thought of as being within the task itself: a sense of achievement, self-esteem, pride in solving the problem, enjoyment of the class, being able to use the language as desired. (Johnson Johnson, 1998, p.220.) Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is connected with other consequences of success on the task (Johnson Johnson, p.220.), such as promotion at ones workplace, good grades, and so on. Another model of classification is that of Robert Gardners (as cited in Ehrman, 1996). He divided motivation into instrumental and integrative types. The first may be equated to extrinsic motivation, while the other is more interesting; it has to do with the desire to become part of a target language community. (Ehrman, 1996) As the research of motivation in language learning progressed, many other theories have been drawn up, using similar and new motivating elements as well. An especially intricate model of motivation has been created by Zoltà ¡n Dà ¶rnyei. It is called the L2 Motivational Self System and it consists of three main components: ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self and the L2 learning experience. (as cited in Csizà ©r Kormos, 2009, p.99.). The ideal L2 self is an image of how students would like to see themselves, in this case, as fluent speakers of a given language. This component includes Gardners integrative motivation as well. The ought-to L2 self includes the characteristics of an ideal person who is able to evade failure in language study. The notion of L2 learning experience is quite easy to grasp, it basically means the motivating force of the learning settings. An experiment that Csizà ©r and Kormos (2009) conducted with the participation of secondary school and university students in Budapest gave the results that the main factors influencing language learning were the ideal L2 self and the learning experiences, while the role of the ought-to L2 self seemed marginal (Csizà ©r Kormos, p.109.). Although this study is bound to be somewhat narrow to draw too general conclusions from, it clearly demonstrates an important idea: the learning environment has a great influence on student motivation. As is shown by the experiment of Csizà ©r and Kormos (2009), some motivation types have an implication for language instruction, because they may be influenced by teaching strategy. However, there are several problems with enhancing motivation. In the first place, as it has been mentioned before, it is not an easy task to study motivation: motivation types are notoriously difficult to isolate and motivation is problematical to measure. Moreover, the relationship of theory and research to classroom situation (Johnson Johnson, 1998, p.223.) is also questionable, that is, the theories are often difficult to prove and apply in real life situations. What is more, although motivation is generally considered to be necessary, teachers might not be able to devote enough attention to it, because of the large size of the learning group or other unfavourable circumstances. Finally, there are cases when motivation simply cannot be influenced from the outside, as in the case of integrative motiv ation of a person who pointedly dislikes a culture associated with a language or feels aversions to the language itself. In spite of all these complications, there has been a consistent move towards motivation-enhancing learning activities (Johnson Johnson, 1998, p.224.). The ways Ehrman (1996) suggests to deal with lack of motivation are the following: most importantly she advises listening to the anger, tension, and mixed motivations (p.142) of the unenthusiastic students and helping them cope with their destructive emotions using, for example, relaxation exercises(p.143). Another idea of Ehrman (1996) is to motivate students with activities that are in accordance with their interests and pastimes. These strategies sound very practical and sensible, however, they have considerable limitations taking into account the varied composition of the class and the fact that the teacher is not a psychologist. There are other, more theoretical means that are thought to boost motivation as well. According to Stevick (as cited in Johnson Johnson, 1998) relevance of material to the students language requirements , completeness of the syllabus, authenticity of the information provided, satisfaction of students beyond learning and immediacy of the knowledge gained are five types of reward that could be built into materials and would encourage students to persevere and succeed. (Johnson Johnson, 1996, p.224.). Some of Stevicks ideas, namely that of relevance, authenticity and immediacy have already been adopted (the first two by the Language for Specific Purposes movement and the last one in Notional Functional Syllabuses), while completeness and satisfaction are more debated (Johnson Johnson, p.224.) In summary, motivation is a slippery notion that can be neither measured properly, nor examined very precisely, as it changes from community to community, from person to person, and may even change in the learning history of a single student. Still, there are ways to study motivation and as it is admittedly an important factor of language learning, research and practice, hand in hand, should try to find ways to make it as high as possible. References Csizà ©r, K., Kormos, J. (2009). Learning Experiences, Selves and Motivated Learning Behaviour: A Comparative Analysis of Structural Models for Hungarian Secondary and University Learners of English. In Z. Dà ¶rnyei E. Ushioda (Eds.), Motivation, Language Identity and the L2 Self (pp. 98-119). Bristol, England: Multilingual Matters. Ehrman, M. E. (1996). Understanding Second Language Learning Difficulties. London: SAGE. Johnson, K., Johnson H. (Eds.). (1998). Motivation. In Encyclopedic Dictionary of Applied Linguistics. (pp. 219-225). Oxford, England: Blackwell.

Affirmative Action Violates Constitutional Rights Essay -- Argumentati

Affirmative Action Violates Constitutional Rights In 2003, the United States Supreme Court will hear two affirmative action cases. Each is dealing with the actions of the admissions office of the University of Michigan. The cases, Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger, have been called "this generation's Brown v. Board of Education." (Montoya.) These cases have much hanging in their mists, "The outcome of †¦ affirmative action cases will determine whether our society moves forward towards greater equality or backwards to resegregation [sic] and greater inequality"("New†¦"). Affirmative action which is, as defined by Webster's II New College Dictionary, "A policy or program that seeks to redress past discrimination by increasing opportunities for underrepresented groups, as in employment." Affirmative action not only increases opportunities for women and minorities it decreases opportunities for white men. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. - Amendment XIV, section one The U.S. Constitution is clear, the privileges and immunities will not be decreased, and states can not deny any person in its jurisdiction equality. Affirmative action lessens the immunities of white men; they are no longer guaranteed an "equal opportunity employer." White men who are in the jurisdiction of the United States are denied equality. This is proved by the fact that qualifications are not the top reason for whom is hired, instead the main reason white men are turned down, when ... ...//clinton2.nara.gov/WH/EOP/ OP/html/aa/aa02.html> Stephanopoulos, George, and Christopher Edley, Jr. "OTHER FEDERAL POLICIES: THE FCC AND THE DEPARTMENTS OF TREASURY AND AGRICULTURE." Affirmative Action Review Report to the President. 19 July 1995. 16 Dec. 2002 <http://clinton2.nara.gov/WH/EOP/OP/html/aa/aa11.html> Stephanopoulos, George, and Christopher Edley, Jr. "Letter to the President." Affirmative Action Review Report to the President. 19 July 1995. 16 Dec. 2002 <http://clinton2.nara.gov/WH/EOP/OP/html/aa/aa-lett.html> United States. Department of Justice. "MEMORANDUM TO GENERAL COUNSELS." Washington, D.C: Office of Legal Counsel. 28 June 1995. <http://clinton2.nara.gov/WH/EOP/OP/html/aa/ap-b.html> United States. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. "The Civil Rights Act of 1964." 15 Jan. 1997 <http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/vii.html>   

The Extent of Fidel Castro’s Achievement of His Aims

To what extent was Fidel Castro able to achieve his aims between 1959 and 1979, and what prevented him from achieving more? During Fulgencio Batista’s reign in Cuba, Fidel Castro had insistently professed his dissatisfaction with the government, and when he finally took over in 1959, he effected a government that formed the basis from which the criticism of many historians today derives. To a minimal extent, Fidel Castro was able to achieve his aims between 1959 and 1979. Revealed in the 26th of July Movement’s doctrine, Castro’s goals called for Cuba to become fully independent and purely democratic while having a just society.Castro’s goals were hindered not only by the dependence on the U. S. , but also on the Soviet Union after relations with the U. S. intensified. By the end of his reign, Castro had not upheld his initial revolutionary ideology; therefore, he did not achieve his aims for Cuba to the greater extent. In one of his aims, Castro hoped to see Cuba become independent. In order to become less dependent on foreign countries, Castro implemented an economic reform that would allow Cuba to become less dependent on the foreign countries. He wanted to create a more centralized economy by confiscating businesses, many of which were American-owned.The U. S. saw this attempt of nationalization as a direct challenge to their interests, thus they removed the sugar quota placed an embargo on Cuba, threatening to destroy the base of the Cuban economy. Cuba had now become independent from U. S. trade, but with no means self-sufficiency, Cuba turned to another group–the socialist/communist nations in the eastern hemisphere. Cuba had increased their sugar production tremendously because of Castro’s speech, â€Å"The Year of Decisive Endeavor,† in 1963 which set a production goal of 10 million tons of sugar by 1970 so that Cuba could industrialize and become more self-reliant.USSR began buying this Cuban sugar in r eturn for industrial equipment and machinery which allowed Castro to develop their countries as allies. Germany also agreed to sell the industrial necessities needed by Cuba. During these early 1960 years, Cuba quickly lost nearly all economic dependence on the U. S. , but any progress toward self-sufficiency was undermined by the developing relationship with the Soviet Union. Unlike the U. S. , the Soviet Union was not hostile to the idea of an independent Cuba and was willing to defend Cuban interest.In reality, Castro might have professed his devotion to socialism in his Marxist-Leninist speech only for the benefit of siding with the world’s socialist superpowers for military and economic support. Castro’s favoring paid off because the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962; however, this caused U. S. -Soviet tensions to peak when the U. S. made the threat of invading Cuba. Castro also attempted to establish Cuba’s independence by making the cha nge to a Communist state, which began distinguished officially in 1965.Although the changes were small in the early 1960s, it was not until 1976 that Cuba created a new constitution. Another aspect proving Cuban independence was the buildup of a strong military force from foreign intervention and internal opposition. Castro suspected the U. S. of military action because of their discontent with his socialist policies. Nearing the end of the first decade of his reign, Castro revealed that Cuba did not meet the 10 million ton harvest, but welcomed the shame and criticism that the failure would bring about.Throughout the years of Castro’s reign, he strived to assert Cuba as an independent nation, as demonstrated with the victory in the Bay of Pigs Invasion; however, he never fully accomplished this aim, continuing to depend on their monoculture and export-oriented economy. Castro's objective for Cuba was to uphold an uncorrupted, democratic nation. However many of his actions pr ove his ideology wrong. Within the early months after he overthrew Batista, Castro made a decision with other revolutionaries to pass the Fundamental Law of the Republic in February of 1959.By passing this legislature he gave himself more legislative power as executive of the country, adding to his power to veto due to his rank as Executive of Army. Jose Cardona was replaced from his job as Head of Legislature which allowed Castro to basically become a dictator–the opposite of a democracy. The people of Cuba lost their freedoms that citizens should have in a democracy. The government began redistributing income from the urban to the rural working class. Although it created successes such as a raise in wages, a raise in purchasing power, and a decrease in unemployment, incomes were still not all equal.Land became another freedom of the people that the government decided to take away and redistribute. Large plantation estates called Latifundios were outlawed and limited to 995 acres with the Agrarian Reform Law. The INRA enforced the ARL which hurt large American owned companies like Coca Cola and Hershey’s, contributing more animosity from the U. S. Along with the Second Law of Agrarian Reform in 1963, both reforms created an agricultural system that did not produce the same amount of crop as they did pre-1959 until the late 1960s.After forming the Constitution in 1976, Castro made a government that was not very efficient and could silence any complaint with the â€Å"red tape† effect. By reorganizing the government into the military, executive committee, and communist party, the constitution made the Cuban bureaucracies contributing to a more authoritarian-like government. More and more, Castro nationalized Cuba in every aspect and Castro, having achieved an economic stability, made a Communistic dictatorship; therefore, he did not achieve his goal for a democracy in Cuba since his own regime was corrupt.Another goal that Castro had for Cu ba from 1959 to 1979 was to create a just society. One way Castro made this society was by targeting the needs of the people and providing them with an education and healthcare system. One of the biggest issues during Castro’s reign was the country’s lack of educated revolutionaries because most of the trained workers and professionals emigrated from the island. In his 1961 speech Castro proclaimed that this year would be the â€Å"Year of Education. † To some extent he did achieve this aspect of providing immediate literacy which rose from 76% to 94% in 1979.Other improvements occurred up through this first decade of Castro’s reign such as recruiting 100,000 students, the tripling of teachers, and quadrupling of schools. However, Castro did create a curriculum that would not only provide an education limited to only basic reading and writing but also indoctrinate students with the loyalty and morals of Communism. Vilma Espin, the head of The Cuban Womenà ¢â‚¬â„¢s Federation, advocated for literacy rates in the female population while also pushing for education and healthcare as well. Through Espin’s work, Castro realized that it was larger issue, thus he passed the Family Code.This law mandated equality in marriage and legitimized divorce. This law was never really enforced but women were generally happy with the gain. Gender and racial equality was an issue with which no other country in Latin America had dealt. Castro also stressed the need for a healthcare system in Cuban society in order to create a just society. His system would implement a method that trained doctors in universities around the country. Because of forming of education and healthcare systems, Castro’s aim for social justice in Cuba was achieved to some extent.Castro was not able to uphold his ideology because limited reasons. The chief reason that may have hindered him from achieving more is the on-going tensions with the U. S. and the economic con sequences from this. If the U. S. did not have the discontent toward Cuba’s regime, Cuba would have developed the revolutionized economy that they sought. If Castro had developed relations with the U. S. and given up the socialist policies, Cuba would have avoided severe U. S. tensions and the embargo altogether. The U. S. embargo on Cuba was a major influence that hindered economic prosperity and diversified agriculture.Castro focused on manipulate Cuba from his revolutionary political aims in the 26th of July Movement. Initially, he attempts to create Cuba in the ideology of a system of social justice within the broadest concept of democracy, of freedom and of human rights. Throughout his reign Castro enacted laws and promoted policies in order to create this fully independent and democratic Cuba with a just society. To the least extent, Castro fulfilled this vision during the first two decades of the revolution, and on-going tensions with the U. S. prevented Castro from ex tending his revolutionary aim.

Kamkhya Temple Essay

The Kalika Purana, an ancient work in Sanskrit describes Kamakhya as the yielder of all desires, the young bride of Shiva, and the giver of salvation. Shakti is known as Kamakhya. The Kamakhya Temple, which is situated high up on a hill called Neelachal Parbat or Kamagiri in the city of Guwahati, is one of its several religious landmarks, which speaks volumes about the rich historical treasure over which the state of Assam is settled. This sacred temple in the heart of the capital city of Assam holds more than it meets the eye of the spectator. The Kamakhya Temple had been built in admiration to Goddess Kamakhya or Sati, who was one of the numerous incarnations of Goddess Durga or Goddess Shakti. History The temple is situated a few kilometers away from the Guwahati Railway Station, and is open for visitors throughout the year. The exact date of the original temple is not known. It is believed that, the temple is an ancient temple. The Temple was rebuilt in 1665, after being destroyed by Muslim invaders. It was probably an ancient Khasi sacrificial site, sacrifices are still very much part of worship here. Group of devotees arrive each morning with goats to offer to Shakti. Although little is known about the early history of the temple, the first reference to the place has been traced back to the Allahabad inscriptions of Emperor Samudragupta. There is a legend attached to the history of the temple, which goes way back to the mythological age. According to the legend, Sati the wife of Lord Shiva (one of the holy Trinities in Hindu mythology) took her life at a `Yagna` ceremony that had been organized by her father Daksha, because she could not bear the insults hurled at her husband by her father. On hearing the news of his wife`s death, Shiva, the destroyer of all that was evil flew into a rage and punished Daksha by replacing his head with that of a goat. Torn between misery and blind fury, Shiva picked up the corpse of his beloved wife Sati and performed a dance of destruction called the `Tandava`. The intensity of the destroyer`s fury was so overwhelming that it took several Gods to pacify his anger. In the midst of this struggle, Sati`s corpse accidentally got cut into 51 parts by the disc in the hands of Lord Vishnu (also one of the Trinities in Hindu mythology), and her female genitalia or `Yoni` fell on the spot where the Kamakhya temple stands today, forming one of the many Shakti `Peethas` adorning the rest of her body parts. But the place where her uterus fell was not known till the god of love, Kamadeva, searched it out to rid himself of a certain curse of Brahma`s. Kama regains his body here. The place came to be known as `Kamarup` and the presiding deity as `Kamakhya` or one worshipped by Kama. Another legend says that the demon Narakasura fell in love with Goddess Kamakhya once and he wanted to marry her. But as a goddess cannot marry a demon or asura, Goddess Kamakhya played a trick to save herself. She laid a condition that she would marry him only if he builds a temple for her within one night. Narakasura agreed to it and almost finished building the temple overnight. This scared Goddess Kamakhya and before the final steps of the temple were completed, a cock was sent to cry cock-a-doodle-do to announce the arrival of the morning, before it was actually dawn. This made Narakasura very angry and he killed the cock on that spot. But according to the condition Narakasura couldn`t marry Goddess Kamakhya after that. It is said that the present Kamakhya temple is the same that Narakasura had made for the Goddess. Still another Legend says that Shakti, the mother Goddess, challenged the supreme creative power of Bhrahma and that Brahma could thereafter create, only with the blessings of the Yoni, as the sole creative principle. After much penance, Bhrahma brought down a luminous body of light from heaven and placed it within the Yoni circle, which was created by the Goddess and placed at Kamarupa Kamakhya in Guwahati. Site & Architecture King Nara Narayana of Cooch Behar rebuilt the temple in 1665 after it had suffered destruction at the hands of foreign invaders. The temple consists of seven oval spires, each topped by three golden pitchers, and the entrance spirals down to a curvy path of some distance, which specially links the main road to the temple. Some of the sculptured panels of the temple carry depictions of Gods and Goddesses of Hindu pantheon carved in a delightful pattern. Tortoises, monkeys, and large number of pigeons have made the temple their home, and loiter around the premise, being fed by the temple authorities and the visitors. The cryptic, as well as the peaceful ambience of the temple combine together to soothe the nerves of visitors, and take their minds to flights of inner salvation, and this is the very reason that people come here for. Images of gods and goddesses of Hindu religion are carved on the walls. The image of the Goddess along with other deities is kept on a th rone. The current temple structure was constructed in1565 by Chilarai of the Koch dynasty in the style of medieval temples. The form of the earlier structure, destroyed by the Kala Pahar, is unknown. The temple consists of three major chambers. The western chamber is large and rectangular and is not used by the general pilgrims for worship. The middle chamber is a square, with a small idol of the Goddess, a later addition. The walls of this chamber contain sculpted images of Naranarayana, related inscriptions and other gods. The middle chamber leads to the Sanctum sanctorum of the temple in the form of a cave, which consists of no image but a natural underground spring. The spring emanates from a fissure in a large rock that symbolizes a Yoni. In summertime the water runs red with iron oxide resembling menstrual fluid, an occasion for the Ambubasi festival. Though the temple is aligned facing east like most Hindu temples, the worship of the yoni is performed facing north. The Kamakhya Temple has a beehive like shikhara. Some of the sculptured section seen here are of interest. There are images of Ganesha, Chamundeswari, dancing features etc. The temple is a natural cave with a spring. Down a flight of steps to the bowel of earth, is located a dark, mysterious chamber. Here, draped with a silk sari and covered with flowers, is kept the â€Å"matra yoni†. There is no image of Shakti here. Within a corner of a cave in the temple, there is a sculptured image of the Yoni of the Goddess, which is the object of reverence. A natural spring keeps the stone moist. Other temples on the Neelachala hill include those of Tara, Bhairavi, Bhuvaneswari and Ghantakarna With all its enigmatic splendor and picturesque locale, the Kamakhya Temple is one of the most astounding structures, not only in Assam, but also in the whole of India. Durga Puja is celebrated here annually during Navaratri in the month of September- October. It is a three-day festival attracting several visitors. A unique festival observed here is the Ambuvaci (Ameti) fertility festival wherein it is believed that the Goddess (mother Earth) undergoes her menstrual period.