An Observation Report Of A Tutor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An Observation Report Of A Tutor - Essay Example   Reading the class participation notes allowed the teacher to get a better understanding of how much was understood by each student in the lesson and if all the students were listening to the lecture portion of the class. This became an interesting portion of our English as a Second Language class.   Reading the class participation notes allowed the teacher to get a better understanding of how much was understood by each student in the lesson and if all the students were listening to the lecture portion of the class. This became an interesting portion of our English as a Second Language class because the teacher allowed each student to tell his or her own story.  Ã‚  The teaching techniques that the teacher used made the class very enjoyable since it encouraged the students to talk about what makes our individual experiences different and how our cultures vary from one another. The teacher made sure to coax the students into listening to one another by encouraging the students to make comments and statements about one another are shared stories.  Ã‚  I noticed that the teacher paid particular attention to the way the classroom goals and objectives were achieved in the class. Ensuring that each student gave the proper amount of time and attention to the rudimentary English communication skills.  The teacher always found the time to work one on one with the students to improve their basic skills such as grammar listening, writing, reading, and phonetics.

Relationship between obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Relationship between obesity and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes and obesity have been highest in the most serious threats in worlds health. Diabetes is now one of the serious chronic diseases which have affected many of the Australians as it is the sixth highest cause of the death by disease in Australia (â€Å"Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity still on the Rise† 2007). It is caused by the constant increase in the blood glucose level in the body due to the inability to either produce or properly use insulin, which lead to many complications which can be acute and long term (Greenbaum Harrison, 2008, pg. 1). According to the recent data, it has been shown that the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes has been doubled from the last studies. This disease and it complications were found to 8% of the total burden of disease in Australia in 2003 such as person with diabetes is at twice at the risk of developing cardiovascular, eye and kidney disease (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2008). This article is mainly based on the data from 200-08 National Health Survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It involves type 2 diabetes related factors such as demographics, medical history, height, weight, smoking, and physical activity. In 2007-08, national health survey estimated that 818,200 people or 4% of the population have been diagnosed with diabetes which excludes gestational diabetes (Australian Government: Department of Health and Ageing, 2009). By comparing this data with data from 2004-05, it has been increased by 0.5% that is number of people reporting to have diabetes is increased from 700,000 to 818,200 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010). Recent national data indicate that with every one diagnosed case, there is one undiagnosed case (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2008). Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes as people diagnosed with diabetes, 88% reported to have this type 2 diabetes where as only reported to have type 1 diabetes. The other 2% left was not being diagnosed with particular type of diabetes. Even though there is increase in number cases of developing this disease, there is also improvement in early detection of this disease and people are living longer (Australian Government: Department of Health and Ageing, 2009). There are more cases of type 2 diabetes since 2004-05 survey, it increased from 83% to 88% in total diagnosed diabetes. Type 2 diabetes increases in obesity and physically inactive lifestyles, and with the age. Diabetes is more prevalent among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as compared to non-Indigenous people. Demography does play a role in diabetes prevalence as it was least prevalent among people born in north-west Europe (2.7%) as compared to people born in southern and central Asia (8.7%). Be ing overweight and lack of physical activity can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010). The majority of diabetes is classified into two types that is type 1 which is insulin dependent diabetes and second is type 2 which is insulin independent diabetes. Type 1 diabetes can be defined as an autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells which slows or stops the production of insulin in the body. Type2 diabetes can result from insulin resistance that is inability to use insulin properly or insulin deficiency that is inability to produce adequate amount of insulin in the body (Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity Research, 2007, p. 1). This type 2 diabetes is responsible for 85-90% of all diabetes (Greenbaum Harrison, 2008, pg. 1). Due to the inadequate insulin production, body could convert sugar which is present in the blood in the energy needed for that body. After eating, body need insulin which is produced by pancreas to transport sugar from the blood into the cells and also to inhibit the production of glucose produced in liver. When inadequate insulin is produced by the bod y, glucose is overproduced by the liver which stays in the blood. This cause high blood sugar level which damage blood vessels and body organs (â€Å"Diabetes Type 2† n.d.). Type2 diabetes can be caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Some genes can cause impaired insulin production in the body and family history can also increase the risk of developing diabetes. Other lifestyle factors such as poor diet, obesity and lack exercise can also cause diabetes. Obesity is the most common factor which is found in most the people suffering from type2 diabetes (â€Å"Diabetes Type 2† n.d.). Obesity defined as having body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2. Obesity is the major risk factor for the type2 diabetes that is more is the body mass index (BMI) greater is the risk of diabetes which is also associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disease and hyperlipidaemia (Marks, Coyne, Pang, 2001). As per the research 90% of the people suffering from diabetes are obese or overweight (World Health Organization, 2005). As per researched statistics, over 7 million Australians adults were obese in 2004-2005. Obesity is a serious health problem which is mainly influenced by various risk factors such as heredity, diet, and lack of exercise. Type 2 diabetes cases in 2009 versus Body Mass Index Data sourced from (â€Å"Australian National Diabetes Information Audit and Benchmarking†, 2009, pg. 139). This graph above shows the increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes with an increase in Body Mass Index (BMI) that is BMI greater than 30 is at the highest risk of developing diabetes type 2. Insulin resistance Insulin resistance refers to metabolic abnormality state in which body cells become insensitive to insulin. Inability of cells to utilise insulin to enhance glucose uptake by muscle and adipose tissue can lead to high blood glucose level. This insulin resistance is mainly associated with abdominal obesity and high blood pressure (Dolson, 2010). This insulin resistance can be both genetic and acquired. Impairment in insulin receptor signal transduction pathways can decrease the biological response to insulin which will ultimately affect glucose uptake and increase in blood glucose (Surampudi, Kalarickal Fonseca, 2009, p.218). Acquired insulin resistance is associated with obesity which can result from circulating free fatty acid that disrupt insulin signal pathways and resists insulin action to transport glucose in muscles which cause type 2 diabetes. (Guilherme, Virbasius, Puri Czech, 2008, p.367). There are more factors which are involved such as fat distribution, genetic susceptibility and some metabolic problems. Fat distribution Body fat can be divided into two parts, first is subcutaneous fat which accounts 80% of the total body fat where as other 20% is visceral fat which lies within thorax, abdomen and pelvis (Langin et al, 2009). This visceral fat is the main contributor to the problems such obesity. This visceral fat increase the production of adipocytokines, which cause the inflammation and insulin resistance and also reduce the secretion if insulin sensitizing adipocytokines. Hepatic and muscle insulin resistance can be caused by the increased amount of free fatty acids in the portal and systemic circulation system (Bays et al, 2004). Study revealed that distribution of the abdominal fat is more effective in diagnosing diabetes than the total abdominal fat. Through CT scanning, they found that the diabetics had greater amount of intra-abdominal fat than non-diabetic groups with the mean difference of 14.1 cm3. Stieler and Yelland (2009) elaborates that the abdominal fat within the peritoneum layer is more common with diabetic patient that non-diabetic patients. Free fatty acids Lipolysis refers to breakdown of triglycerides into free fatty acids which is more frequent in visceral tissue than the subcutaneous fat. When fat mass increases, it increases the rate of lipolysis which is more common in obese people and those with type 2 diabetes. These free fatty acids stimulate gluconeogenesis and can lead to insulin resistance and also reduce the insulin secretion. The ability of ÃŽ ² cells to secrete sufficient insulin so as to compensate insulin resistance in the individual to maintain their normal blood glucose level will help to determine that whether the person will remain insulin resistant with normal glucose level or will the person develop type2 diabetes (Whitmore, 2010, p.880-881). Adipocytokines Adipose tissue in the body helps for the fat storage which increases insulin sensitivity by secreting large amount of cytokines and other related hormones. Bays et al (2004) states that in type2 diabetes, due to the reduced secretion of adipocytokines and increased production of inflammatory cytokines can cause adipocyte dysfunction. To prevent this dysfunction, it is important to control cytokines in the body system. As per Dewan Wilding (2005), these hormones can be controlled by reducing body weight/mass. Adipose tissue plays an important role in balancing glucose level in the body in both normal and disease body state. It helps to secrete appropriate level of adipokines which influence metabolism in the whole body and neuroendocrine control of the behaviours related to feeding. It also helps to store lipids as adipose triglycerides which reduce the harmful effects of both circulating free fatty acids and ectopic triglycerides stores. In the normal body, adipocytes help to synthesise and store triglycerides during feeding whereas in fasting stage, it help to hydrolyse and release triglycerides as free fatty acids and glycerol. In most lean individuals, insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake is normal in skeleton muscles. In obese body, deposition of triglycerides increases due to high caloric intake which cause adipocytes enlargement. Due to this enlargement, adipocytes continue to store further triglycerides even in fasting stage. As the adiposity increases, it affects adequate funct ioning of adipocytes as endocrine cells. The development of inflammatory state in adipose tissue due to large amount cytokines secreted by adipocytes can cause insulin resistance. Accumulated triglycerides in the form of long chain in skeleton muscles disrupt normal metabolic and secretory function of these tissues. Due to prolonged high caloric intake can cause inflammatory response which ultimately leads to adipocyte dysfunction (Guilherme, Virbasius, Puri Czech, 2008, p.368-369). Prevention/ management of Type 2 diabetes Poor dietary habits decreased physical activity and obesity can increase the risk of developing diabetes as it affects insulin action or secretion in the body system. Therefore it is important to control the unwanted weight gain. To address the significant growth of type 2 diabetes and to lower its risk, Council of Australian Governments announced the Prevention of type 2 diabetes program in April 2007. To address risk for type 2 diabetes, health practitioners use Australian type 2 diabetes risk assessment tool (AUSDRISK) which help to prioritize people with high risk of developing this diseases. Some of the other program which assists in prevention of type 2 diabetes is lifestyle modification program (Australian Government: Department of Health and Ageing, 2010). Australian type 2 diabetes risk assessment tool (AUSDRISK) which will help to get a score from the question related to ones life. If a person scores more than 12 points in AUSDRISK, than that person may have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes or is at high risk of developing this disease (Australian Government: Department of Health and Ageing, 2010). Lifestyle modification programs help participants to make positive lifestyle changes which include diabetes risk factors, nutrition advice and education, goal setting for weight loss, energy balance, physical activity goals and encouraging participants to self-monitor their progress (Australian Government: Department of Health and Ageing, 2011). National health survey, 2007-08 showed that 61.4% of the Australian population are either overweight or obese in which 25.6% of males and 24% of females were classified as obese (Australian Government: Department of Health and Ageing, 2010). It is not possible to change specific risk factors like age and genetic background but it still possible to minimise the risk of developing this disease by maintaining healthy weight, healthy eating such as eating plenty of vegetable, fruits and high fibre cereal products every day, and by increasing physical activity. Type 2 diabetes is strongly linked to obesity as recent data showed that 80-90% of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are over-weight or obese. International studies revealed that regular physical activity of at least 30 minutes and 5-7% of weight loss can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 60% (â€Å"Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity still on the Rise† 2007). This weight loss can reduce the risk of related comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, sleep apnoea and obesity-related malignancy by improving blood glucose level and blood pressure. People with type 2 diabetes will need to work 50% more than non-diabetic people to lose weight it can be a slower process as compared to general population and will be more difficult for the obese patient suffering from type 2 diabetes (Whitmore, 2010, p.881). Using pharmacotherapy for obesity like orlistat that works well by blocking the hydrolysis of dietary triglycerides and inhibit fat absorption. Bariatric surgery can also be one of the option for the patient with BMI more than 35 kg/m2 (Whitmore, 2010, p.884-885). Conclusion Obesity and type 2 diabetes are strongly linked as obese person is at the higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than the normal person with the healthy weight. Healthy weight, healthy eating and regular physical activity will improve insulin sensitivity, blood glucose level and the other health related issues such as cardiovascular risk factors. Weight management will the best way to reduce the risk of developing this disease. By using the AUSDRISK and diabetes related programs initiated by Australian government will help to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Man’s Interaction with the Environment in Faulkner’s Go Down, Moses :: Faulkner’s Go Down Moses

Man’s Interaction with the Environment in Faulkner’s Go Down, Moses I found the short stories in Go Down, Moses to be long, boring, and hard to comprehend. As usual Faulkner writes his stories with no regard to punctuation. His run-on sentences are confusing and unnecessary. However, I did notice the theme of man and his interactions with the environment stressed throughout these stories. â€Å"Was† starts us off with ‘Uncle Ike’ McCaslin in his old age and tells the story of his elder cousin (and surrogate father) and his childhood with Uncle Buck and Uncle Buddy. I was not surprised to see the uncles reappear, as Faulkner loves to have characters make come-backs in numerous novels. Like its title, â€Å"Was† shows a past experience from McCaslin Edmonds’ childhood. The sentence structure in the beginning of the story confused me a bit. Faulkner uses no periods, choosing instead to start a new paragraph every time one sentence ends and the other begins (granted, these ‘sentences’ are basically paragraphs themselves!). Once the story about Edmonds’ past and the dialog start, Faulkner starts using periods again. Why would Faulkner set the story up like this? What is the significance of leaving out periods in the beginning of the narrative? Perhaps it is to signal that the narrator is speaking in present time, and on ce the periods are included, that signals that the event occurred in the past. This is a probable explanation, as we saw a similar structure in his other novels, including The Sound and the Fury, where italics were used to signal a change in narrative. Maybe the same thing is happening here. In â€Å"Pantaloon in Black† Faulkner seems to digress from the story of the McCaslin’s and focuses on a black man, Rider, who goes crazy with grief after his wife’s mysterious (to the reader) death, kills a white man he works with, and is executed. This story clearly illustrates the racial discrimination by whites. After the entire ordeal, the sheriff’s deputy tells his wife about the events and in the process allows us to see how racist he is. He compares blacks to a â€Å"damn herd of wild buffaloes† when it comes to having feelings (150). Also, when he describes Rider’s actions after his wife’s death, he says that the town â€Å"expected him to take the day off since even a nigger couldn’t want no better excuse for a holiday† cruelly suggesting that blacks are lazy and will use any excuse to have a day off of work (151).

Oarland City Jail Closure Illustrates Naive Leadership Essay

The primary job of a city government is to ensure public safety for all its dwellers and visitors. However, the city council has refused to meet or acknowledge this critical and prime responsibility. Instead, it hands subsidies to favored developers. And swelling redevelopment empire, likewise, smothers day-to-day city services. The City of Oakland California jail was closed on July 1, 2005. One year later, the verdict is in: closing the jail was a dumb move. It appears that there are more unfavorable consequences to this city initiative than favorable ones. Hence, the aim of this research proposal is to study the effect or the impact of the closure of the Oakland City jail on communities within the city. Some news items highlighting crime statistics that have occurred in the City of Oakland California were gathered to serve as primary materials for this undertaking. For example, â€Å"Rape was up nearly 12 percent; car thefts and burglaries up nearly 30 percent; robbery up 18 percent — some of it in neighborhoods not accustomed to crime,† reports ABC 7 News (6/12/06); â€Å"Oakland’s murder rate is rising five times faster than the country at large,† (ABC 7 News, 6/12/06); and â€Å"In Oakland, a city of 400,000, the death rate is 25.6 per 100,000 people, four times higher than the national rate of 6.1, according to the Alameda Country Public Health Department report† (Mamberto, October 2, 2006) are indicative of something undesirable are happing in the area. This research paper will seek the affirmation or nullification of this hypothesis statement: The reduction of the Oakland Police Department Fiscal Year budget for Fiscal Year 2005-2007 resulting in the closure of the city jail and subsequent elimination of 89 full-time positions has negative impact on the community’s safety. A correlation of the â€Å"Independent Variable† and â€Å"Dependent Variable† will be designed and structured accordingly from which conclusions will be derived from. Appropriate statistical tools, like, â€Å"sampling techniques,† â€Å"hypothesis testing,† â€Å"measurement of central tendency,† â€Å"descriptive statistics,† â€Å"probability statistics,† â€Å"inferential statistics,† among other, will be used. Data shall come from these sources:   (1) records of the Oakland Police Department (OPD); (2) relevant literature, like, news items from TV, radio and print media; (3) periodicals; and (4) interviews. Introduction One year ago, on July 1, 2004, the Oakland City council closed the city jail. It was labeled a budget-cutting move, for an estimated saving of no more than $3 million per year. A year later, the council just finished spending a $16 million budget surplus. Oakland lost a facility permanently on the basis of fluctuating budget numbers. The jail closure has further crippled police work. OPD officers tell us: The processing time to put a detained or arrested person into the jail has more than doubled from 20 minutes to 45 minutes. In effect, the already understaffed department has lost another several police officers. Criminals are now taken to the County’s Glenn E. Dyer Detention Facility, but the sheriffs there are not happy about the increased workload. They use various legal excuses that force Oakland to take the criminal all the way out to the Santa Rita jail. When Oakland had a jail, prisoners with minor health issues could be kept there and provided health care. Without a jail, the County pushes the prisoners to Highland Hospital, where Oakland police must guard them for hours or days. In an interview of some local residents, for example, a 20-year resident of 14th Ave. and E. 27th said she never experienced or witnessed any violent crimes until October of 2005—she witnessed a man stabbed to death in front of her house; another interviewee, a 15-year resident of Grand Street, said his house was burglarized on July 2006 for the first time and a month later his neighbor was robbed at gun point in front of his house. These incidents are no ordinary occurrences in a community whose people expect continued and lasting peace and order as well as public safety. The closure of the Oakland City jail and the resultant elimination of 89 OPD personnel, it seems, have something to do with this apparent serious problem besetting Oakland City today that threatens the social and emotional well being of its residents and visitors. Where are the city council members today who made the decision to close the city jail? Are they informed about or are they reading what are trumpeted by media outlets? Do they listen to affected local residents? Have they realized the consequences of their decision lately? Do they have corrective plans to address the apparently undesirable results of their group decision? Literature Review The news items and results of personal interview of Oakland residents pertaining to the closure of the Oakland City jail will serve as initial sources of research data. Following are summaries of literature review for this undertaking (see complete literature in Appendix A and Appendix B). KTVU Channel (11/22/06) carries a report of violent crime rise of 34.2% in 2006. Oakland city â€Å"still ranks high in† crime category,† reports CRIME (n.d.). This same media reports â€Å"132 murders† committed as of November 2006 by an average age of 28 years old. The rate of killings increased to 21% from 94 in 2005 compared to 88 in 2004 and â€Å"majority of the crimes being committed occur in the East and West parts of the city.† ABC 7 News (July 11) also reports worrying crime occurrences in Oakland having a â€Å"soaring murder rate that’s almost double the number of homicides right now compared to this time last year.† And this demography can reach a â€Å"triple digit rate by end of the year,† if authorities do not start to act today. There is a stark difference of killings this time—victims are younger and their lives were pluck cold-bloodedly along populated alleys of the city. Crime statistics have now reached the attention of national level with the involvement of FBI authorities—this development maybe reassuring to some but the other side of the fence confirms something ugly about the situation. Another ABC 7 News (6/12/06) circulates a headline about Oakland’s rising murder rate to be â€Å"five times faster than the country at large.† The reason attributed in the â€Å"big jump in murder† is â€Å"readily available handguns, gang and drug activity and disrespect for life.† What’s happening? Another disturbing information spread by the media is about rape. This time, it is up nearly 12 percent. Although Oakland police establishment is trying to do something to at least contain the alarming situation including â€Å"saturating high crime neighborhoods,† but the prospect of effective prevention is far from reality. North Gate News (October 2, 2006), likewise, has another corroborating story for the day. Victims are relatively young individuals in their early adulthood of 20 to 24 and victims were identified to be African Americans. There is something contemptible about the figures reported, like, â€Å"45% [of the offenders] were actually under the care of the criminal justice system – either on parole or probation – when the murder occurred.† And why â€Å"80% of violent crimes in the county occur in Oakland or to Oakland residents†? Killings in the area keep rising. And what is really alarming to peace-loving residents of Oakland is the admission that â€Å"We’re in the middle of a public health crisis here . . .† These news items have one thing in common: emphasis on the increasing crime rate in Oakland City after the closure of the city jail. Relevant books, magazines, and professional journals are considered to be reviewed for this research work, too. Methodologies Crime-related research data will be collected from OPD records for the period January 1, 2003 up to December 31, 2005. These crime-related data will be classified and their occurrences will be tabulated statistically using applicable statistical tools, like, descriptive statistics, measurement of central tendency, among other. Statistics made by other entities will be considered; and, thus, are planned to be gathered accordingly. A survey of residents in a West Oakland area is considered—the data to be gathered will be pertaining to their feelings of security and insecurity as well as safety in their area stimulated by recent rise of criminality which is hypothesized to be the result of the closure of the city jail. A specific methodology on: (1) how the research questions are studied, (2) how existing data will be used, (3) how new data generated by the researcher will be incorporated to existing data, (4) how the primary research will be brought to the study, (5) how survey data will be used, and (6) how a sample population will be used, will be developed accordingly prior to the commencement of the research work. A correlation between the independent variable and dependent variable (see below) will be designed and structured accordingly from which conclusion will be derived. The independent variable:    the Oakland Police Department’s Fiscal Year 2005-2007 budget reduction and subsequent elimination of 89 full-time positions (see Table 1) gave rise to the dependent variable; The dependent variable:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   a negative effect on the community’s safety. The expected or hypothesized negative impact of the closure of the city jail will be measured through the responses of respondents in a survey about their perceptions on the matter. On the other hand, the community’s safety will also be measured in the same manner as the former through survey made on the residents in which crime statistics are prevalent. Table 1. Full Time Equivalent Position Eliminated # Title/Position Number 1. Watch correction Officer supervisor 5 2. Court correction officer 1 3. Control desk 1 4. Public Representative Service 1 5. Property Correction Officer 3 6. Admitting 2 7. Floor Correction Officer 3 8. Search 4 9. Print Room (1) 3 10. Print Room (2) 3 11. Watch Correction Officer 3 12. Assistant Watch 2 13. Booking Correction Officer 3 14. 1st Floor 3 15. 2nd Floor 36 16. Jail Kitchen staffs 12 17. Jail Utility Workers 4 Total Full Time Equivalent Position Eliminated 89 Results and Findings Table 2 shows an annual data sheet that will be used to capture data from OPD. Table 2.1 is a data sheet that will be used to capture data from OPD which is related to Table 2. Table 3 is a survey question that will capture the individual perceptions of respondents about the effect of the closure of the city jail in their area. Table 4 shows a survey question that will capture the individual perceptions of respondents how they are affected emotionally by the perceived rise of criminality in the area. The data classifications shown below are not limited in themselves, i.e., other data structures are considered upon the approval of the final research proposal. Table 2. Annual data sheet (data to be obtained from OPD) Measures    Metrics from which data are derived Data obtained from OPD (Year 2003) Data obtained from OPD (Year 2004) Data obtained from OPD (Year 2005) (Research) Average processing time to put a detained or arrested person into jail (minutes/arrest) # minutes 45 minutes # minutes Average number of criminals taken to the County’s Glenn E. Dyer Detention Facility (#/per month) # per month # per month # per month Average number of criminals taken to Sta. Rita Jail per month # per month # per month # per month Average number of prisoners brought to Highland Hospital per month # per month # per month # per month Average number of guards assigned to guard prisoners brought to Highland Hospital per month # per month # per month # per month Table 2.1 Monthly data sheet (data to be obtained from OPD) Metrics from which data are derived Years, 2003, 2004, 2005    Total    Ave. J F M A M J J A S O N D Average processing time to put a detained or arrested person into jail (minutes/arrest) Number of criminals taken to the County’s Glenn E. Dyer Detention Facility (#/per month) Number of criminals taken to Sta. Rita Jail per month Number of prisoners brought to Highland Hospital per month Number of guards assigned to guard prisoners brought to Highland Hospital per month Table 3. Survey question on perception of the effect of the closure of the City Jail Survey question YES NO NOT SURE Do you think the closure of the Oakland City jail is the main cause of the rise of criminality in the area? Table 4. Survey question on how the emotional effect of the perceived rise of criminality in the area       Survey Question          Not affected at all    Mildly affected but do not feel afraid Reasonably affected that I feel afraid being victimized    Affected that I feel constantly afraid being victimized Very affected that it makes me feel nervous most of the time How much are you affected, emotionally (e.g., afraid that I will become a victim of crime) by the rise of criminality in the area? Conclusions and Recommendations: After the completion of the planned activities for the research work and the consolidation of all pertinent information that made up this research, the manner of reporting the research findings and conclusion will be given special consideration considering the contents and scope of the undertaking. After submitting my original research work to my professor, I plan to discuss the results with county officials of Oakland California and hope to be able to convince concerned local county officials to support my recommendation for the reinstatement of the Oakland city jail to its former stature. Appendices The Appendices section will contain graphs and other objects that are integral part of the research. In this Research Proposal, Appendix A contains a list of literature (news items pertaining to the city of Oakland jail closure); while Appendix B contains the results of my personal interview of some of the residents of Oakland city. APPENDIX A – List of Literature (News Items) Pertaining to the City of Oakland California Jail Closure    KTVU Channel –2 news 11/22/06 reported that violent crimes rise 34.2% this year Summary of Part 1 Crime Offenses, 2003 – 2005   Year   Murder Forcible Rape   Robbery Felony Assault   Burglary Total Larceny Auto Theft Total Offenses 1 Year % Change 2003 109 267 2,445 2,762 4,568 12,551 5,511 28,213 -5.56% 2004 82 262 2,190 2,616 4,324 10,984 6,877 27,335 -3.11% 2005 93 293 2,590 2,543 5,646 7,087 8821 27,073 -0.96% www.oaklandnet.com       CRIME www.wikepedia.org Though substantial gains have been made as evidenced from the Uniform Crime Reports published by the FBI, the city still ranks high in California for most categories of crime. In the 2006 Morgan Quitno crime rankings, Oakland is ranked the eighth most dangerous city nationwide. Though it fared better than the California cities of Richmond, and San Bernardino, Oakland is the second most dangerous in California after Compton. As of November 2006, Oakland had 132 murders, with the majority of victims and/or murderers from an African American background and the average age being 28 years old. [14] The murder rate increased 21% from only 94 murders in 2005, compared to 88 murders in 2004 being the lowest number down from 108 killings in 2003. The past few years into the millennium saw the lowest amount of murders, compared to the 1990’s when there were known to be an average of 160 murders in Oakland each year.[15] The majority of the crimes being committed occur in the East and West parts of the city. ABC 7 NEWS Oakland’s Murder Rate Is Soaring Almost Double Last Year At Same Time   By Vic Lee July 11 – KGO – Oakland is dealing with a soaring murder rate that’s almost double the number of homicides right now compared to this time last year. Unless police can slow down the murder spike, the city could face a triple digit murder rate by the end of the year.   The graveyard display next to this church is sobering testimony. There may be more murders, but the profiles of both suspects and victims and the way they die have changed little. The killers and those killed are usually young African American men and the victims’ last breaths were taken mostly on sidewalks. Off. Roland Holmgren, Oakland police spokesman: â€Å"Most of our homicides happen on the streets and most of our homicides happen due to a gun.† Behind the trigger? The usual causes. Drugs and gangs. This year, the face of those gangs is changing. Lt. Ersie Joyner, Oakland police homicide: â€Å"Hispanic gangs are up 20 to 25 percent. The victims are also young male Hispanics.† In 1992, homicides reached record levels in Oakland. By July of that year, 106 people had been murdered, up more than 40 percent from the previous year. City officials considered drastic measures like curfews, street barricades and check points. The FBI and the state attorney general sent help to Oakland police. Likewise, federal narcotics agents have now joined forces with Oakland police who are now targeting high crime areas. Off. Roland Holmgren, Oakland police spokesman: â€Å"This strategic area command gives command the flexibility to move officers throughout the city to attack hot spots.† That strategy appears to be paying off with other crimes like rapes and domestic violence. Police have a problem in solving these crimes, which is common in other cities as well, and that’s the reluctance of witnesses to come forward. The city of Oakland is just 23 shy of last year’s record for the entire year. ABC 7 News 6/12/06 Oakland’s murder rate is rising five times faster than the country at large. What’s the reason for the big jump in murder? Law enforcement cites readily available handguns, gang and drug activity and disrespect for life. Other crimes in Oakland showed big increases too. Rape was up nearly 12 percent; car thefts and burglaries up nearly 30 percent; robbery up 18 percent — some of it in neighborhoods not accustomed to crime. Oakland police are trying a number of different strategies to fight crime including saturating high crime neighborhoods with police as they did this weekend. North Gate News Online – Reporting by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism Murders Go Up and Oakland Tries to Understand Why By Carola Mamberto , October 2, 2006 09:56 AM OAKLAND — As murders continue to plague the streets of Oakland – Most killings took place in the West Oakland and Elmhurst neighborhoods, and often did not have a known motive, although the police department believes they were mainly gang-related. The highest rate of murders was among 20 to 24 year olds. Victims were mainly African American (77%), as were suspects (63%). The average age of suspects was 28 years. The majority of them were not employed anywhere: 45% were actually under the care of the criminal justice system – either on parole or probation – when the murder occurred. â€Å"Violent homicide and suicide take the lives of more than 50,000 people in the United States each year, and are the third and fourth leading causes of death for people under 39 years of age. In Oakland, a city of 400,000, the death rate is 25.6 per 100,000 people, four times higher than the national rate of 6.1, according to the Alameda Country Public Health Department report. More than 80% of violent crimes in the county occur in Oakland or to Oakland residents. Murders are up 21% from last year: so far there have been 20 more killings in the city compared to September 2005. â€Å"We’re in the middle of a public health crisis here, it’s very important that we look at the problem in a more comprehensive way and start addressing the root causes of violence rather than its consequences,† said Beyers. â€Å"It’s all about thinking of it as a preventable disease,† he said. So far, the City of Oakland has adopted a mixed strategy to curb violence, combining tough enforcement with more prevention-oriented projects. In 2004, voters passed the Measure Y which sought $19.9 million a year for crime prevention, parolee jobs, youth programs and 63 new police officers, all paid through increased parking fees and a 10-year annual parcel tax. The measure is still far from being implemented, city officials say, mainly because of staff shortages, especially within the Oakland Police Department. This summer, as murder rates spiraled, police unveiled a plan to trace the city’s 100 most violent residents.    APPENDIX B – Results of Personal Interview with Local Residents of Oakland City (A Prime Research Data)    Following are the results of my personal interview with some of the local residents of Oakland City, California: Mr. Yoichai who is a formal prison guard expressed anger over the closed of the jail, as a result of the closure he lost his job. Mr. Pace & Mr. Bunger who were Correction Officers that lost their job as a result of the jail closure. These two gentlemen explains that as the result of the jail closure, not enough officers patrolling the streets because most officers are spending a lot of time on the freeway stuck in traffic ( during heavy traffic hour) trying to transport arresters to the Alameda County Jail. Once they get their they have to await longer than the Oakland City Jail.   Investigators have to go all the way to the County Jail to interview inmates versus where they can just walk to the Oakland City Jail and get it done quicker and more convenience.   Also the cost of gas, wear & tear of vehicles and overtime pay for those officers who get stuck on freeway and for officers who have to stay late or come in early while other officers are stuck on freeway. Mrs. Lauder who lives in 14th Ave and E. 27th for 20+ years and never experience or witness and violent crimes until October of 2005.   She witnessed a man was stabbed to death in front of her house. Mr. Pardoza who lives on Grand Street for 15+ years his house for the first time was   burglarized on July 2006 and a month later his neighbor was robbed at gun point in front of his house    Bibliography ABC 7 News (6/12/06). Bennis, W. (1989). On Becoming a Leader. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. Bowerman, B. L. & O’Connell, R. T. (2003). Business Statistics In Practice. (3rd Ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill. Brill, P. L. & Worth, R. (1997). The Four Levers of Corporate Change. New York: American Management Association (AMACOM). Cohen, A. (1993). The Portable MBA in Management. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. CRIME. www.wikepedia.org Juran, J. M. & Godfray, A. B. (Eds.) (1999). Juran’s Quality Handbook. (5th Ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill. KTVU Channel (11/22/06). 2 news reported that violent crimes rise 34.2% this year. www.oaklandnet.com. Lee, V. (July 11, 2006). Oakland’s Murder Rate Is Soaring Almost Double Last Year At Same Time.  ABC 7 NEWS. Mamberto , C. (October 2, 2006). Murders Go Up and Oakland Tries to Understand Why. North Gate News Online – Reporting by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism: Oakland. Noe, Raymond A., Hollenbeck, John R., Gerhart, Barry, & Wright, Patrick M. (2000). Human Resource Management Gaining a Competitive Advantage (3rd Ed.). Boston, MA: Mc-Graw Hill. Scholtes, P. R. (1998). The Leader’s Handbook Making things Happen, Getting Things Done. New York: McGraw-Hill. Zand, D. E. (1997). The Leadership Triad Knowledge, Trust, and Power. New York: Oxford University Press.

Blackmores Company

The company has many options in its bid to enter into China. The company has the option of using the resource-based view of strategy. This strategy has a coherence and integrative role that places it at a better position than other mechanisms of strategic decision making. This is in view of the fact that companies are not restrained only by imagination. They are limited by their own capabilities, by competition, by technology, and by the demands of their customers. The strategy of many businesses is usually concerned with the match between the internal capabilities of the company and its external environment (Peteraf 1993).The opportunity for the company to sustain competitive advantage in Shanghai will be made possible by its strengths and determined by its capabilities. The companywill use its distinctive capabilities as these are those which cannot be copied by competitors, or can only be replicated with great difficulty. This is even after these competitors realise the benefits w hich they yield for the originating company (Montgomery 1995). The distinctive capabilities that the company can use are varied.Government licences, statutory monopolies, or effective copyrights and patents are the company's distinctive capabilities that it will focus on. However, in light of the competition, it can use equally powerful idiosyncratic characteristics that it has built built in competitive markets. These include patterns of customer or supplier relationships, strong brands, and skills, routines and knowledge which are embedded in the company's teams (Montgomery 1995). The strength of the brand will be particularly be taken into consideration as this will strongly determine whether the products are accepted by the targeted clients or not.The issues of the diverse cultures of the Chinese people will be taken into consideration and it will also be ensured that the products are also branded in Chinese in addition to the English language (Montgomery 1995). Skills of employ ees will also be an important factor in entering the Chinese market. The company will recruit a considerable number of locals beforehand who are specialized on various levels from manufacturing to marketing. This will help it gain entry easily into the market and also penetrate the market faster.In this way, locals will not feel alienated to the company and its products (Shelby 2002). The company will identify its distinctive capabilities and then will surround these with a collection of reproducible capabilities, or complementary assets. This will enable the company to sell its distinctive capabilities in the China market in which it will operate (Day, and Montgomery 1999). The company will use its resources such as capital, equipment, the skills of individual employees, finances, patents and individual managers.Competitive advantage may not be achieved from individual resources. It is achieved through the synergistic integration and combination of sets of resources (Shelby, Morgan 2004). The company will also integrate the industry based strategy in the enty to the China market. The fundamental imperative of using the industry-based strategy will be to achieve competitive advantage, and therefore, superior financial performance. The company has been making good profits and this should serve as leverage as this indicates customer satisfaction with its products.The company will choose will have the option of modifying its structure or selecting one of the three generic strategies. It will also manage the activities of its value chain (Shelby 2002). In following the results in recent research in emerging economies which China is part of argues that an institution-based starategy will also be used by the company. This will be in line with view of international business strategy. The instituiton based strategy is positioned as one leg that helps sustain what is known as the â€Å"strategy tripod†. The the other two legs consisting of the resource and indus try based views (Peng, 2002).The company will concentrate on two areas of substantive importance when venturin into the Shnghai market. It will consider antidumping as an entry barrier. The company will ensure that its products, vitamin and mineral supplements are of quality and are not seen by the target China market as dumped products. this will aslo take care of the subsequent rejection of the company's products by consumers. It will look into the options of competing in and out of China as Shanhai being a big city can serve as a focal point for the company to market and sell its vitamin products (Peng, 2002).Using the institution based strategy , the company will also rely on grouping together of companies with similar interests, that is, those manufacturing and selling vitamin products. The company will will identify companoies whose work it is interested in and see if they can make a merger deal or a joint marketing deal. This could help the company in establishing itself in C hina by corporating with companies that already have cut a niche in the Chinese market. However, this is subject to the conditions of the market. The company intends to enter solo in the Chinese market.It will only consider the possibility of group marketing and mergers if the market is tough. This is not something that is anticipated as the company intends to market its products aggresively using experience form other country markets it has ventured into (Barney, 1997). Reference Barney J. 1997. Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management 17. Day, G. S. , and David B. Montgomery. 1999. Charting new directions for marketing. Journal of Marketing 63 (special issue): 3–13. Montgomery C. A. 1995. Of diamonds and rust In C. A Montgomery (ed) Resource Based and evolutionary theories of the Firm, Kluwes, Boston.Peng, W. M. 2002. Towards an Institution-Based View of Business Strategy. Asia Pacific Journal of Management. Volume 19, No. 2-3, 251-267. Pete raf M. A. 1993. The Cornerstones of Competitive Advantage: A Resource Based View Strategic Management Journal 14. Rumelt R. P. 1991. â€Å"Strategic Management & Economics† pages 5-29. Schendel D Strategic Management Journal, Vol 2. & Teece D. J. Shelby, D. H. 2002. Foundations of Marketing Theory; Toward a General Theory of Marketing. Oxford. Oxford University Press. Shelby, D. H. , Morgan, R. M. 2004. Review of Marketing Research. Volume 1, 155-205.

Biography of Spartacus, a Slave Who Led a Revolt

Biography of Spartacus, a Slave Who Led a Revolt Spartacus (approximately 100–71 BCE), was a gladiator from Thrace who led a major revolt against Rome. Little is known about this fighting slave from Thrace beyond his role in the spectacular revolt that became known as the Third Servile War (73–71 BCE). Sources agree, however, that Spartacus had once fought for Rome as a legionnaire and was enslaved and sold to become a gladiator. In 73 BCE, he and a group of fellow gladiators rioted and escaped. The 78 men who followed him swelled to an army of more than 70,000, which terrified the citizens of Rome as it plundered Italy from Rome to Thurii in present-day Calabria. Fast Facts: Spartacus Known For: Leading a slave revolt against the Roman governmentBorn: Exact date unknown but believed around 100 BCE in ThraceEducation: Gladiatorial school in Capua, north of NaplesDied: Believed in 71 BCE at Rhenium Early Life While little is known about Spartacuss early life, it is believed that he was born in Thrace (in the Balkans). It is likely that he actually served in the Roman Army, though it is unclear why he left. Spartacus, perhaps a captive of a Roman legion and perhaps a former auxiliary himself, was sold in 73 BCE into the service of Lentulus Batiates, a man who taught at a ludus for gladiators in Capua, 20 miles from Mount Vesuvius in Campania. Spartacus trained at the gladiatorial school in Capua. Spartacus the Gladiator In the same year that he was sold, Spartacus and two Gallic gladiators led a riot at the school. Of the 200 slaves at the ludus, 78 men escaped, using kitchen tools as weapons. In the streets, they found wagons of gladiatorial weapons and confiscated them. Now armed, they easily defeated the soldiers who tried stopping them. Stealing military-grade weapons, they set out south to Mount Vesuvius. Three Gallic slaves- Crixus, Oenomaus, and Castus- became, along with Spartacus, the leaders of the band. Seizing a defensive position in the mountains near Vesuvius, they attracted thousands of slaves from the countryside- 70,000 men, with another 50,000 women and children in tow. Early Success The slave rebellion happened at a moment when Romes legions were abroad. Her greatest generals, the consuls Lucius Licinius Lucullus and Marcus Aurelius Cotta, were attending to the subjugation of the Eastern kingdom of Bithynia, a recent addition to the republic. The raids carried out in the Campanian countryside by Spartacus men fell to local officials to mediate. These praetors, including Gaius Claudius Glaber and Publius Varinius, underestimated the training and ingenuity of the slave fighters. Glaber thought he could lay siege to the slave redoubt at Vesuvius, but the slaves dramatically rappelled down the mountainside with ropes fashioned from vines, outflanked Glabers force, and destroyed it. By the winter of 72 BCE, the successes of the slave army alarmed Rome to the degree that consular armies were raised to deal with the threat. Crassus Assumes Control Marcus Licinius Crassus was elected praetor and headed to Picenum to put an end to the Spartacan revolt with 10 legions, some 32,000 to 48,000 trained Roman fighters, plus auxiliary units. Crassus correctly assumed the slaves would head north to the Alps and positioned most of his men to block this escape. Meanwhile, he sent his lieutenant Mummius and two new legions south to pressure the slaves to move north. Mummius had been explicitly instructed not to fight a pitched battle. He had ideas of his own, however, and when he engaged the slaves in battle, he suffered defeat. Spartacus routed Mummius and his legions. They lost not only men and their arms, but later, when they returned to their commander, the survivors suffered the ultimate Roman military punishment- decimation, by order of Crassus. The men were divided into groups of 10 and then drew lots. The unlucky one in 10 was then killed. Meanwhile, Spartacus turned around and headed toward Sicily, planning to escape on pirate ships, not knowing that the pirates had already sailed away. At the Isthmus of Bruttium, Crassus built a wall to block Spartacus escape. When the slaves tried to break through, the Romans fought back and killed about 12,000 of the slaves. Death Spartacus learned that Crassus troops were to be reinforced by another Roman army under Pompey, brought back from Spain. In desperation, he and his slaves fled north, with Crassus at their heels. Spartacus escape route was blocked at Brundisium by a third Roman force recalled from Macedonia. There was nothing left for Spartacus to do but to try to beat Crassus army in battle. The Spartacans were quickly surrounded and butchered, although many men escaped into the mountains. Only 1,000 Romans died. Six thousand of the fleeing slaves were captured by Crassus troops and crucified along the Appian Way, from Capua to Rome. Spartacus body was not found. Because Pompey performed the mopping-up operations, he, and not Crassus, got credit for suppressing the rebellion. The Third Servile War would become a chapter in the struggle between these two great Romans. Both returned to Rome and refused to disband their armies; the two were elected consul in 70 BCE. Legacy Popular culture, including the 1960 film by Stanley Kubrick, has cast the revolt led by Spartacus in political tones as a rebuke to slavery in the Roman republic. There is no historical material to support this interpretation, nor is it known whether Spartacus intended for his force to escape Italy for freedom in their homelands, as Plutarch maintains. The historians Appian and Florian wrote that Spartacus intended to march on the capital itself. Despite the atrocities committed by Spartacus forces and the splintering of his host after disagreements among the leaders, the Third Servile War inspired revolutions successful and unsuccessful throughout history, including Toussaint Louvertures march for Haitian independence. Sources Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. â€Å"Spartacus.† Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 22 Mar. 2018. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. â€Å"Third Servile War.† Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 7 Dec. 2017. â€Å"History - Spartacus.† BBC.

The History of the Palladian Window

The History of the Palladian Window A Palladian window is a specific design, a large, three-section window where the center section is arched and larger than the two side sections. Renaissance architecture and other buildings in classical styles often have Palladian windows. On Adam or Federal style houses, a more spectacular window is often in the center of the second story - often a Palladian window. Why Would You Want a Palladian Window in a New Home? Palladian windows are generally enormous in size - even larger than so-called picture windows. They allow a great deal of sunlight to enter the interior, which, in modern times, would maintain that indoor-outdoor intent. Yet you would rarely find a Palladian window in a Ranch style home, where picture windows are common. So, whats the difference? Palladian windows project a more stately and formal feeling. House styles that are designed to be informal, like the Ranch style or Arts and Crafts, or created for the budget-minded, like the Minimal Traditional home, would look silly with an overly large, Renaissance-era Italian window like the Palladian window. Picture windows often come in three sections, and even three-sectioned slider windows may have grids with circular tops, but these are not Palladian style windows. So, if you have a very large house and you want to express a formality, consider a new Palladian window - if its in your budget. Definitions of Palladian Window Window having a broad arched central section with lower flat-headed side portions. - G. E. Kidder Smith, Source Book of American Architecture, Princeton Architectural Press, 1996, p. 646 A window of large size, characteristic of neoclassic styles, divided by columns or piers resembling pilasters, into three lights, the middle one of which is usually wider than the others, and is sometimes arched. - Â   Dictionary of Architecture and Construction, Cyril M. Harris, ed., McGraw- Hill, 1975, p. 527 The Name Palladian The term Palladian comes from Andrea Palladio, a Renaissance architect whose work inspired some of the greatest buildings throughout Europe and the United States. Modeled after classical Greek and Roman forms, such as the arched windows of the Baths of Diocletian, Palladios buildings often featured arched openings. Most famously, the three-part openings of the Basilica Palladiana (c. 1600) directly inspired todays Palladian windows, including the window in the 18th century Dumfries House in Scotland shown on this page. Other Names for Palladian Windows Venetian Window: Palladio did not invent the three-part design that was used for the Basilica Palladiana in Venice, Italy, so this type of window is sometimes called Venetian after the city of Venice. Serliana Window: Sebastiano Serlio was a 16th century architect and author of an influential series of books, Architettura. The Renaissance was a time when architects borrowed ideas from each other. The three-part column and arch design used by Palladio had been illustrated in Serlianas books, so some people give him the credit. Examples of Palladian Windows Palladian windows are common wherever an elegant touch is desired. George Washington had one installed at his Virginia home, Mount Vernon, to illuminate the large dining room. Dr. Lydia Mattice Brandt has described it as one of the houses most distinctive features. In the United Kingdom, the Mansion House in Ashbourne has been remodeled with a Diocletian window AND a Palladian window over the the front door. The Wedding Cake House in Kennebunk, Maine, a Gothic Revival pretender, has a Palladian window on the second story, over the fanlight over the front door. Source Serliana, The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture, Third Edition, by John Fleming, Hugh Honour, and Nikolaus Pevsner, Penguin, 1980, p. 295

Overview and Explanation of an Alford Plea

Overview and Explanation of an Alford Plea In the law of the United States, an Alford plea (also called a Kennedy plea in West Virginia)Â  is a plea in criminal court. In this plea, the defendant does not admit the act and asserts innocence, but admits that sufficient evidence exists with which the prosecution could likely convince a judge or jury to find the defendant guilty. Origin of the Alford Plea The Alford Plea originated from a 1963 trial in North Carolina. Henry C. Alford was on trial for first-degree murder and insisted that he was innocent, despite three witnesses who said they heard him say he was going to kill the victim, that he got a gun, left the house and returned saying he had killed him. Although there were no witnesses to the shooting, the evidence strongly indicated that Alford was guilty. His lawyer recommended that he plead guilty to second-degree murder in order to avoid being sentenced to death, which was the likely sentence he would receive in North Carolina at that time. At that time in North Carolina, an accused who pled guilty to a capital offense could only be sentenced to life in prison, whereas, if the accused took his case to a jury and lost, the jury could vote for the death penalty. Alford pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, stating to the court that he was innocent, but only pleading guilty so that he would not receive the death penalty. His plea was accepted and he was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Alford later appealed his case to federal court, saying that he was coerced into pleading guilty out of fear of the death penalty. I just pleaded guilty because they said if I didnt, they would gas me for it, wrote Alford in one of his appeals. The 4th Circuit Court ruled that the court should have rejected the plea which was involuntary because it was made under fear of the death penalty. The trial court verdict was then vacated. The case was next appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which held that for the plea to be accepted, the defendant must have been advised that his best decision in the case would be to enter a guilty plea. The Court ruled that the defendant can enter such a plea when he concludes that his interests require a guilty plea and the record strongly indicates guilt. The Court allowed the guilty plea along with a plea of innocence only because there was enough evidence to show that the prosecution had a strong case for a conviction, and the defendant was entering such a plea to avoid this possible sentencing. The Court also noted that even if the defendant could have shown that he would not have entered a guilty plea but for the rationale of receiving a lesser sentence, the plea itself would not have been ruled invalid. Because evidence existed that could have supported Alfords conviction, the Supreme Court ruled that his guilty plea was permitted while the defendant himself still maintained that he was not guilty. Alford died in prison in 1975. Implications Upon receiving an Alford plea from a defendant, the court may immediately pronounce the defendant guilty and impose sentence as if the defendant had otherwise been convicted of the crime. However, in many states, such as Massachusetts, a plea which admits sufficient facts more typically results in the case being continued without a finding and later dismissed. It is the prospect of an ultimate dismissal of charges which engenders most pleas of this type. Relevance In the law of the United States, an Alford plea is a plea in criminal court. In this plea, the defendant does not admit the act and asserts innocence, but admits that sufficient evidence exists with which the prosecution could likely convince a judge or jury to find the defendant guilty. Today Alford pleas are accepted in every U.S. state except Indiana, Michigan and New Jersey and the United States military.

Interaction Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Interaction Design - Essay Example The purpose of human computer interaction is to analyze the interaction between user and computer. In this paradigm we analyze how we can develop system that is able to offer better features and facilities regarding the usage of system. In addition, this subject investigates the user psychology, behaviours and develops the system that capable to meet the user expectations regarding system working. Human-computer interaction (HCI) research deals with the design of interfaces that facilitate simple and efficient use of computer systems (Marchionini & Sibert, 1991; Myers et al., 1996; DePaula, 2003). Dix, Finlay, Abowd, & Beale (2003) define effective interaction design as the analysis and study of communication among users or people with computers. The fundamental objective of effective human computer interaction design is to build systems that are much more user friendly as well as responsive to user’s requirements thus that people could be able to get their outcomes faster, th rough smaller mistakes and better satisfaction (Dix et al., 1998; Tate, 2001; Field, 2005). The management of the TechPro has decided to implement a new web based system to effectively handle and manage its business activities. In addition, by implementing this system TechPro is aimed to gain competitive edge and get access to global business market. This report will present a detailed analysis of the three development methods that are often used to produce software that are interaction designed focussed are the star model, the dynamic systems development method (DSDM) and the user-centred lifecycle design model. In addition, this report will assess and ensure an effective web design that is needed for creating websites and meeting the standards of web accessibility. This research will also offer some of main relevant legal, social or ethical issues that may arise during the development of software. Here I will critically evaluate how we

Deaf infants and development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Deaf infants and development - Essay Example (The Care of Infants and Young Children) Speech does not disappear, but voice gets a strange sounding, there is a intonation breach, stress breach, speech is quick, vocabulary is limited (lack of words that expresses abstract notions, only simple sentences are used) Everything mentioned above proves that hearing reduce negatively influences on the speech development. Besides we should take into consideration that we use different loudness while speaking: there are stressed and unstressed sounds in speech, voiceless consonants, etc. Among the different factors that impact the child’s speech we can outline: the degree of the hearing reduce – the worse a child hears, the worse he/she speaks; age of the speech breach – the earlier it happens the more difficult it is; conditions of the child’s growing – the results of bringing up are better if the child is treated in time; physical and psychological development. A negative impact has the limitation of the social contacts in infant’s age when a person should take the world through the sounds. The defected children require special treatment and control by the doctors and teachers. Though the sign systems have different meanings for socialization in different periods of childhood. Usually children use verbal, imaginary-moving and imaginary-graphical signs and socialize through the playing games. Role games, painting and drawing are very important for socializing children who have any kind of defects. All these kind of activity help to form imaginary thinking. (Dr. Eloise Murray) Bringing up the child with diminished hearing, parents should make a responsible choice – method of teaching. Besides the family climate is also very important for the social and cognitive development. The psychologists differentiate several types of relationship with a deaf child: understanding; â€Å"overcaring†; non-real treatment (parents treat their child as a healthy one); indifference(the most dangerous type of

Human resource management. Training and development Essay

Human resource management. Training and development - Essay Example It increases the level of individual and organisational competence and helps to reconcile the gap between what should happen, and desired targets and standards of performance; and what is happening and actual levels of work performance. According to Armstrong (2001): "training needs analysis is partly concerned with defining the gap between what is happanng and what should happen. However, it is necessary to avoid falling into the trap of adopting the "deficiency model" approach, which implies that training is only about putting things rights that have gone wrong" (Armstrong, 2001, p. 551-552). Training needs assessment is necessary to ensure an adequate supply of staff who are technically and socially competent, and capable of career advancement into specialist departments or management positions. There is, therefore, a continual need for the process of staff development, and training fulfils an important part of this process. Training should be viewed, therefore, as an integral part of the process of total quality management. Armstrong divides training needs assessment into three levels: corporate, group and individual level (Armstrong, 2001). A large number of organisations make some use of separate training needs analysis, although this is usually a periodic rather than a regular activity. There are many different ways of conducting such assessments, but they usually involve some form of survey, either by discussion or questionnaire, with managers. This does not automatically remove the problem of a failure to perceive the real needs, which occurs with annual appraisals (Beardwell, Holden, 2004). The same people are involved, and unless they are provoked by the approach into a different way of thinking, the probability is that their response will be the same as in the appraisal. One approach, which is somewhat broader than an assessment of training needs is to design a workshop for senior managers to work through what is needed to implement some of the strategic decisions the company has made (Reed, 2001). Part of this workshop would involve a consideration of the skills required against what they feel exists within the company. This can help managers to perceive needs which may otherwise be hidden to them, such as the many capabilities needed to manage strategic alliances, and the degree to which the managers who report to them have experience or knowledge that is relevant. Another approach is bottom-up feedback. This approach can be used in performance management processes, as a basis for personal improvement, and in order to gain a more objective view of company capabilities and areas of management weakness. They are particularly useful for measuring capabilities in management and interpersonal skills, aspects of a manager's behaviour which are experienced by others besides a manager's boss, peers and subordinates, and in some cases customers and suppliers. All the methods take readings from one or all of these groups of people, as well as requiring the manager to undertake a

The Tower of Pisa Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Tower of Pisa - Assignment Example Originally, it was believed that the famous ancient architecture and designer, Bonanno Pisano, was responsible for it. However, recent discoveries and deep studies tend to point at Diotisalvi as the true designer. This has been attributed to the fact that it was him who is responsible for other bell towers located across the city and the country at large. However, this belief seems to be countered by the fact that the structure does not bear Diotisalvi’s signature, something that is common in all towers designed by him. The tower took approximately two-three hundred years to be completed (Harris, Nd, pp. 1-3). The initial construction of the â€Å"tower of Pisa† began in 1173 AD, â€Å"after Donna Berta Di Bernardo, a widow resident of Pisa, donated sixty silver coins towards the local cathedral, to be used in the construction of a new bell tower base† (Soniak, 2011, p. 1). The construction work got underway, after the perfect location for the tower had been identified. It is worth taking note that the initial intention behind the building of this tower wasn’t for it to be tilted as it is structured today. The designers had intended for a perfectly vertical bell tower, but due to unforeseen circumstances, a terrible mistakeperhaps, the tower lives to be one of the most celebrated monuments in history. (Palestro, Nd, p. 1) During the construction of the tower, white marble stones were used as the main construction materials. These marbel stones were quarried from the mountains around the city of Pisa, and where transported to the site by the local citizens, who were the main source of labor for the construction (Krystek, 2012, p. 1). However, upon completion of its third floor in 1178, problems began to emerge. The constructors realized that the structure was slightly leaning towards the North West at an angle of 0.2 degrees. This was due

Code Red For The Red Regimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Code Red For The Red Regimes - Essay Example After Britain’s Margaret Thatcher and the United State’s Ronald Reagan took power in 1979 and 1981, respectively, they effectively called for and predicted the demise of the iron grip of communism, virtually declaring war on the Soviet influence throughout Europe and Asia. Reagan’s increased military pressure on the Soviets in the Cold War and the emergence of a more western-embracing Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev − coupled with the U.S.S.R.’s widespread economic demise − ushered in the avalanche that ultimately dissolved the grip of communism throughout the region. Furthermore, the ‘80s â€Å"Solidarity† movement challenged the communist grip in Poland and the Soviet Union, eventually leading to the Warsaw Pact, making Poland, followed by Hungary, the first nation to strip away from Soviet control. East Germany was soon caught in the wake, as Ronald Reagan’s famous June 17, 1987, speech at the Berlin Wall, when he excl aimed, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" − symbolizing the end of the age of communist oppression − became a reality just a couple years later. The support beams undergirding the Red – or â€Å"evil empire,† as Reagan called it – were now pulled, and what â€Å"The Gipper† predicted would become â€Å"the ash heap of history† came crashing down in the following years, as communism lost its grip to more liberated western rule from East Germany to modern-day Russia’s Siberia.

The Shawshank Redemption Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Shawshank Redemption - Movie Review Example He later escapes from the prison and reveals that the prison warden was corrupt. The warden then kills himself to avoid becoming a prisoner. Time and space are the main aspects used in this story (Dirks, 2012). The movie is an inspirational dramatic film and character study. It is supported by the golden cinematography by Roger Deakins. The posters used in the film display the power of home in bringing freedom into an individual. This film has themes that are connected with freedom such as the theme of hope and freedom. The main character is trying to free himself from false accusations through the use of his friend in prison, Red. The film is also a symbolic story of hope, companionship, endurance and redemption as the film ends. It had excellent cinematography and editing (The Shawshank Redemption). In this story, the, main theme is home whereby Andy is trying to escape from the detention center. When he goes into the prison, he wishes to start anew and forget about the loss of his wife. Prison keeps him isolated from the rest of the world. The posters on the prison cell represent hope and liberation which will only come from the outside world. The poster is what keeps Andy moving and desire to escape from the four walls. Sound is a significant aspect in this film. The sound of the cells, Red’s narration and music are used in this film. Sound is the reason while the story is existent. The movie also starts with a song and this indicates the relevance of music in setting the tone (Mainglar, 2009). The music is played depending on the mood of the scene. The photography of the film moves the practicality technique to shooting. The prison is extremely dark displaying the hardships found in prisons. The director wants the viewers to feel as if they are in prison. The other areas outside the prison are well lit because outside there is to be hope. When Andy escapes from the prison, it is raining, and when lightning strikes, it shows that he is free again. In terms of editing, the editing technique that is used in the film is the continuity. The pictures are absorbed into one another, and there are no random cuts. This is extremely compelling as it does not leave the viewer hanging. This film is extremely outstanding with its proper lighting, sound, and editing. The actors, Red and Andy, bring life into the movie by the clever acts. The involvement of the warden also makes the story fascinating to watch. It is full of prison drama. The director of the movie chose the right actors for their parts. The film does not depend on a lot of actions and exceptional outcomes. It, on the other hand, relies on its actors to do satisfactory work to make the film interesting. The use of narration also brings out an intellect of fate in the film (Mainglar, 2009). This differentiates it from other films whereby people use a lot of money and utilize unique effects to make the film happen. The audience is supposed to get to know any through his friend Re d which is misleading because the opposite happens. It keeps the viewer guessing every time (Mainglar, 2009). Through this story, we learn that friendship is extremely relevant and that friends should care for one another. We also learn that hope is necessary whenever someone is faced with a bad situation. Hope keeps people moving and doing things that are difficult. The film also educates us on the value of patience. Andy had the patience that one day he would escape from the dark place, prison. His patience

Code Red For The Red Regimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Code Red For The Red Regimes - Essay Example After Britain’s Margaret Thatcher and the United State’s Ronald Reagan took power in 1979 and 1981, respectively, they effectively called for and predicted the demise of the iron grip of communism, virtually declaring war on the Soviet influence throughout Europe and Asia. Reagan’s increased military pressure on the Soviets in the Cold War and the emergence of a more western-embracing Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev − coupled with the U.S.S.R.’s widespread economic demise − ushered in the avalanche that ultimately dissolved the grip of communism throughout the region. Furthermore, the ‘80s â€Å"Solidarity† movement challenged the communist grip in Poland and the Soviet Union, eventually leading to the Warsaw Pact, making Poland, followed by Hungary, the first nation to strip away from Soviet control. East Germany was soon caught in the wake, as Ronald Reagan’s famous June 17, 1987, speech at the Berlin Wall, when he excl aimed, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" − symbolizing the end of the age of communist oppression − became a reality just a couple years later. The support beams undergirding the Red – or â€Å"evil empire,† as Reagan called it – were now pulled, and what â€Å"The Gipper† predicted would become â€Å"the ash heap of history† came crashing down in the following years, as communism lost its grip to more liberated western rule from East Germany to modern-day Russia’s Siberia.

To What Extent Has The Globalization of The Mass Media Created a New Assignment

To What Extent Has The Globalization of The Mass Media Created a New Form of Global Consciousness or Identity - Assignment Example The culture and identity which is followed by people in one country differ from the culture of other nations in various aspects. However, if there is interaction among the people belonging to different countries or cultures, and importantly if there exposure of one culture to other cultures through the omnipresent media, there are chances that the native culture may be influenced by the culture of other nations. This is what happens because of globalization, leading to the emergence of global consciousness or identity or multiculturalism. That is, as globalization and the resultant spread of mass media causes and promotes more interaction and integration between the people and thereby their cultures, it kind of creates and impacts global consciousness or identity. So, this paper will discuss how the globalization of the mass media created a new form of global consciousness or identity to a maximum extent. Among the many economic based movements, globalization is the one which had and is still having a major impact on the economic development of many countries and its people worldwide. â€Å"The word globalization marks a set of transitions in the global political economy since the 1970s, in which multinational forms of the capitalist organization began to be replaced by transnational† (Appadurai, cited in Meyer and Geschiere 1999, p307). The economic part of globalization is the key because with the whole world becoming a kind of global village, barriers between the countries are broken with integration happening mainly in the economic aspects. In this scenario, foreign organizations particularly media organizations or houses, using the  globalization plank, have entered and will also enter various sectors of the businesses leading to the establishment of many industries and thereby having an impact on multiculturalism.  

Effect of Globalisation on Communication in Tourism Industry

Effect of Globalisation on Communication in Tourism Industry Globalisation and the Internet have changed every aspect of the tourism and leisure industry – from marketing and communication channels to booking and hospitality services. Many of the previous strategies employed by the industry no longer are effective because of these new market forces. Organisations within the tourist and leisure industry must be attuned to the shift in consumer and business trends related to where they seek information and book their travel in order to maintain or grow their businesses. Companies should also be aware of how various communication channels can be leverage to attract specific regional tourist markets. This paper examines both traditional and innovative communication channels – print, media, Internet, agencies and booking companies, and word-of-mouth – to distinguish between what is effective and non-effective now and in the near future based on specific trends that are currently influencing the industry’s evolution. As t he research found will illustrate, the effectiveness or non-effectiveness of each channel is linked to the travel stage – from planning and booking to the destination experience and journey home. Traditional communication channels within the travel industry have centred on booking agencies an shops, print media and advertising, marketing collateral, and television and radio. When it comes to the destination experience, word-of-mouth, travel kiosks, and tourist centres are other traditional channels that seem to work well.[1] These channels were – and, to a certain extent, still – able to provide brand promotion, nurture customer relationships, and offer a â€Å"value proposition.†[2] In relation to marketing efforts, traditional channels â€Å"follow a passive one-to-many communication model, whereby a company reaches current and potential customers through the broadcasting of the same message.†[3] However, in terms of today’s marketing strategies, there are a number of reasons why this channel is not effective: â€Å"uncustomised message to every consumer, wasted exposures to uninterested audiences, and ‘noise’ distraction fro m competing and conflicting messages.†[4] Additionally, traditional mass media formats of print, television and radio do not offer the new demands for interactivity, flexibility, and accessibility.[5] In terms of booking travel, these channels may still attract a certain demographic of travellers, but they mediums do not reach the potential audience that might be possible if more innovative channels were utilised. This is because of a movement related to consumer preferences from the â€Å"High Street† to the Internet.[6] In addition, these channels could also be considered ineffective based on their inability to maximise monetary resources. These channels can also be ineffective in that they do not build repeat business or encourage long-term relationships with customers because there is an inability to develop specific, customised communications. Print, television and radio tend to be more expensive while booking agencies and shops tend to produce higher overhead costs, making these more expensive than some of the newer methods of communication that rely on technology to reach more people while minimising the cost of using these channels. The traditional methods of commun ication tend to be more fragmented, reducing the level of brand recognition and equity that could be achieved through some of the more innovative channels.[7] One aspect where traditional communication channels may still be effective is with destination guides and services once travel has been booked and the trip has commenced. For example, it is estimated that 60-70 per cent of visitors to the UK will still use travel books and guides while 10-20 per cent will still seek Tourist Information Centres or related â€Å"in person† service to get their information.[8] While 25 per cent may utilise the Internet or a mobile device while others will use a combination of traditional and technology communication channels to find information about their destination while travelling,[9] traditional channels seem to be more effective during this part of the experience. There are signs, however, that indicate that technology may enable these communication channels to become more effective in addressing travellers who are seeking unique destination experiences and on-demand information. While basic information, such as specifics on major attractions, hotels, restaurants, and the like, will still be sought, there may be a need to also supply information on unique places, opening and closing times, special exhibitions, and smaller attractions.[10] As travellers become more technologically savvy, the traditional methods may no longer satisfy demand. As one study noted: For example, growth is being realised in handheld devices that â€Å"combine cell phone voice communication, Internet access and global positioning – enabling visitors ‘en route’ to a destination to access product information and make bookings; to put together itineraries; and to relate their position quickly to nearby services (theatre, restaurants, attractions, events, etc.[11] Those destination service organisations currently focused on traditional communication channels may want to start strategising on how to incorporate new channels into their offering to retain their customer base. More than other industries, tourism is an â€Å"information-intensive† industry that consists of numerous producers that need to work together to serve their clientele.[12] As such, it was one of the first industries to widely adopt[13] some of the emerging communication channels, such as the Internet, which has increased the â€Å"interactivity between consumers and suppliers.†[14] Not only does it provide an inexpensive delivery channel for information, but it also â€Å"empowers the marketing and communication functions of remote, peripheral and insular destinations as well as small and medium sized tourism enterprises which become able to communicate directly with their prospective customers and differentiate their product according to their needs.†[15] Traditional communication channels could not provide the geographic reach that a channel like the Internet has now been able to do in creating an infrastructure that enables information convergence. One niche where the Internet has been particularly effective as a channel for the tourist and leisure industry is marketing communications and advertising by creating a â€Å"narrowcast.†[16] In terms of addressability, those utilising this channel can also provide unique experiences for the consumer. Customisation of information and the ability to create unique sales propositions make newer communication channels, such as the Internet and database management, more effective than its traditional predecessors. The Internet can effectively mirror the benefits of personal selling techniques â€Å"but with much more flexibility, better memory and less cost.†[17] This need for customisation comes from the growing shift in the demographics of today and tomorrow’s traveller. As one research firm noted: â€Å"More attention will need to be given to tailoring propositions to suit the ageing population, those with more time and money to spend on leisure, the childless cou ples seeking quality time, or the emerging traveller nations of China and Central Europe.†[18] Strategies now must address â€Å"multi-generational needs, wants and desires.†[19] The introduction of mobile handsets and high-tech communication channels has helped the industry â€Å"develop and leverage customer relationships and to interact with more customers across more channels than ever before.†[20] The ability to achieve this also creates effective cross-selling opportunities that might not have been possible using traditional channels.[21] Related to these demographic trends, consumer and business demand is also now on an instantaneous cycle. Provide the information that they need or they will move onto the competition. Traditional methods cannot adapt to these lead times[22], making the Internet and real-time answers via web sites a more effective method. Online travel agents are an excellent example of just how effective the Internet is as a communication channel. As one research firm explained, â€Å"The global reach of the worldwide web brings the massive network of suppliers, such as airlines, hotels and tour operators, within the reach of millions of customers.†[23] Unlike a traditional travel agency, online channels provide 24/7 access, real-time updates, and the ability for multiple brands and travel products to be offered simultaneously for the lowest price, reducing the time that the consumer or business has to spend searching for their travel needs.[24] There is also a degree of transparency in pricin g that has never been possible.[25] No traditional communication method can deliver this type of effectiveness. Despite the effectiveness that the Internet and technology have brought to the travel industry, one aspect that illustrates the advantage of traditional methods comes down to personal service. Unfortunately, technology removes the intimacy of face-to-face communication channels. In response, many organisations utilising technology are providing telephone support so that customers still feel that connection.[26] An interesting aspect of business that is becoming a growing part of the tourist industry is environmentally based and involves Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This becomes especially important in new and emerging economies.[27] In looking at other aspects of the travel and leisure industry that utilise communication channels, the use of local community groups, community leaders, and media organisations[28] are two channels that work effectively to help develop a sustainable tourist trade in developing countries, such as those in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia. These channels can help create a tourist trade in less modernised areas through such â€Å"grassroots† tactics as â€Å"training; participatory workshops; community, group, and individual meetings; local radio; school newsletters; and local events.†[29] In these areas, more advanced channels, such as the Internet, may not be effective except for attracting travellers from Westernised cultures that rely o n this technology to find information. If the goal is to attract more foreign tourists, investment in tactics utilising this type of channel might then become an effective mechanism for a sustainable tourist and leisure industry. The Internet could then become an important way â€Å"to put local tourism micro-enterprises into direct contact with the global market of travellers.†[30] The changing levels of effectiveness in the various travel and leisure communication channels have had the greatest negative impact on smaller, niche travel agencies. They cannot compete with larger online entities that have the resources to participate in the newer, more effective channels created through technological advancements and the globalisation efforts of travel and hospitality firms. Other aspects of the travel and leisure industry can look to utilise both traditional and emerging communication channels for effective coverage and interaction with their customers by enhancing their marketing and promotional efforts while expanding the capabilities of their service offering. The tourist and leisure industry will need to continue utilising a multi-pronged approach through the power of multiple communication channels to serve all its customers. WORKS CITED Buhalis, Dimitrios. â€Å"Information Technology as a Strategic Tool for Tourism and Hospitality Management in the New Millennium.† Tourism Review, No. 2, 1996, pp. 34-36). Grenna, Lucia; Hilbruner, Roberta; Santi, Emanuele; Scuppa, Gianmarco; and Vereczi, Gabor. â€Å"Communication and Sustainable Tourism.† USAID, 2006, pp. 1-27. Kyriakidis, Alex. â€Å"Tourism, Hospitality Leisure – Executive Report.† Deloitte Touche UK, 2003, pp. 1-26. Liu, Zhenhua. â€Å"Internet Tourism Marketing: Potential and Constraints.† Hotel Online. 2000. http://www.geocities.com/luke1980nz/intermet_tourism_marketing_full.htm?20071>. Raleigh, Lori. â€Å"Top Ten Issues in the Hospitality Industry for 2007.† International Society of Hospitality Consultants. November 2006. http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2006_4th/Nov06_ISHC.html>. Wright, Tom. â€Å"Customer Contact Services.† VisitBritain. October 2004, pp. 1-33. Footnotes [1] Wright, â€Å"Customer Contact Services,† VisitBritain (2004), 6. [2] Kyriakidis, â€Å"Tourism, Hospitality Leisure – Executive Report.† Deloitte Touche UK (2003), 1. [3] Liu, â€Å"Internet Tourism Marketing: Potential and Constraints.† Hotel Online. (2006), 3. [4] Ibid, 3. [5] Ibid, 4-5. [6] Kyriakidis, Deloitte Touche UK, 4. [7] Ibid, 4. [8] Wright, VisitBritain, 3. [9] Ibid, 3. [10] Ibid, 8. [11] Ibid, 8. [12] Liu, Hotel Online, 7. [13] Ibid, 7. [14] Buhalis, â€Å"Information Technology as a Strategic Tool.† Tourism Review. (1996), 35. [15] Ibid, 36. [16] Liu, Hotel Online, 3. [17] Ibid, 4. [18] Kyriakidis, Deloitte Touche UK, 1. [19] Raleigh, â€Å"Top Ten Issues in the Hospitality Industry for 2007.† International Society of Hospitality Consultants. (2006), 6. [20] Kyriakidis, Deloitte Touche UK, 1. [21] Ibid, 5. [22] Ibid, 1. [23] Ibid, 4. [24] Ibid, 4. [25] Ibid, 5. [26] Ibid, 7. [27] Grenna et al. â€Å"Communication and Sustainable Tourism.† USAID (2006), 7. [28] Ibid, 7. [29] Ibid, 7. [30] Ibid, 8.

Renaissance Values Essay -- essays research papers

In today’s society most people who are asked to name a great artist of all time reply with names such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michaelengelo. These people created their genius masterpieces during a time of growth and change in Europe known as the Renaissance. I think that the Renaissance came about when it did for many reasons such as changes in the church, new money, trading, education, and humanism. Some of these same changes in our society have made it possible for us to have the new innovations in art we have today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, during the time of the Renaissance the Catholic Church was making great changes and the Reformation was right around the corner. Before this time people devoted much of their time and lives to trying to live by the church so they could have salvation. I think that was once the people became freer to live their lives they found new interest in things like art and education. On the other hand, I don’t think that they lost total devotion to the church because they took many voyages to new lands in order to try and convert others. These voyages led to another change in their society, money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It seems to me that before this time the aristocracy were the only ones who played a part in the making of art. I imagine that this was because the lower class had to use their money for things to survive with. This all began to change in the Renaissance because of things like trading. The people of these coun...

The Lost Tools of Learning :: Teaching Education

The Lost Tools of Learning "The Lost Tools of Learning" was first presented by Dorothy Sayers at Oxford in 1947. It is copyrighted by National Review, 150 East 35th Street, New York, NY 10016, and reproduced here with their permission. That I, whose experience of teaching is extremely limited, should presume to discuss education is a matter, surely, that calls for no apology. It is a kind of behavior to which the present climate of opinion is wholly favorable. Bishops air their opinions about economics; biologists, about metaphysics; inorganic chemists, about theology; the most irrelevant people are appointed to highly technical ministries; and plain, blunt men write to the papers to say that Epstein and Picasso do not know how to draw. Up to a certain point, and provided the the criticisms are made with a reasonable modesty, these activities are commendable. Too much specialization is not a good thing. There is also one excellent reason why the veriest amateur may feel entitled to have an opinion about education. For if we are not all professional teachers, we have all, at some time or another, been taught. Even if we learnt nothing--perhaps in particular if we learnt nothing--our contribution to the discussion m ay have a potential value. However, it is in the highest degree improbable that the reforms I propose will ever be carried into effect. Neither the parents, nor the training colleges, nor the examination boards, nor the boards of governors, nor the ministries of education, would countenance them for a moment. For they amount to this: that if we are to produce a society of educated people, fitted to preserve their intellectual freedom amid the complex pressures of our modern society, we must turn back the wheel of progress some four or five hundred years, to the point at which education began to lose sight of its true object, towards the end of the Middle Ages. Before you dismiss me with the appropriate phrase--reactionary, romantic, mediaevalist, laudator temporis acti (praiser of times past), or whatever tag comes first to hand--I will ask you to consider one or two miscellaneous questions that hang about at the back, perhaps, of all our minds, and occasionally pop out to worry us. When we think about the remarkably early age at which the young men went up to university in, let us say, Tudor times, and thereafter were held fit to assume responsibility for the conduct of their own affairs, are we altogether comfortable about that artificial prolongation of intellectual childhood and adolescence into the years of physical maturity which is so marked in our own day?

Pros and Cons of Affirmative Action Essay

Affirmative action is a policy in which the previously disadvantaged due to discrimination receive priority.   It came to existence as a remedy toward discrimination and then became a problem all by itself according to some theorists, who are opponents to it. Supporters believe affirmative action should be adopted to provide equal employment opportunity, but facts show that it does not.   Affirmative action is a very controversial issue, which has been debated for more than thirty years.  Ã‚   Unlike discrimination, there are not so many laws against affirmative action, but opponents are indeed working on banning it wherever it is possible for them to do so. TABLE OF CONTENTS Brief Overview of Affirmative Action Origin of Affirmative Action Views of Affirmative Action People who benefit from Affirmative Action Employment and Affirmative Action Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Legal Issues of Affirmative Action How to Stop Affirmative Action from Being Taken Pros and Cons of Affirmative Action Brief Overview of Affirmative Action   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Affirmative Action is usually defined as an active effort to improve employment or educational opportunities for members of minority groups and women or one to promote the rights or progress of other disadvantaged people. (Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In practice, affirmative action is taken by giving women and people from a minority group priority.   For instance, a company has an opening for a bookkeeper.   On determining who should be hired, the company gives women and people from a minority group priority.   This could also happen with promotion: only women and people from a   minority group are likely to be promoted, and with education: women and people from a minority group have better chances of obtaining grants and scholarships that would enable them to attend college.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another way of illustrating how affirmative action is taken would be with a classroom in which some students receive a great deal of unfair punishments.   One day it is brought to the teacher’s attention that she will be dismissed unless unfair practices are stopped.   In an attempt to correct the past unacceptable behavior, the teacher starts treating those students with some kind of preference.   In the beginning this will be certainly appropriate, as those students will need to feel that they are not ill-treated anymore. Origin of Affirmative Action   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Affirmative action is believed to have come about as a remedy to the awful  discrimination that regrettably used to take place.   As a matter of   fact, according to T.H. Anderson, (2004) in 1940 discrimination was tradition and in some states it was  even law.   Sad though it might now sound to us, the most educated and  refined African-American did not have the rights the most illiterate  and indecent white individual did (p. 2). Therefore, when discrimination  became illegal in the United States, affirmative action started to  take place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By the mid-1970’s minorities and women were winning significant victories, which could be seen on construction sites,  exemplified by the Metro in Washington D.C.   Mayor Walter E.  Washington took a dramatic step, mandating a strong affirmative action  program in which all private companies doing business or having contracts with city hall would have to submit plans with goals to  advanced minorities and women. (J.H. Anderson, 2004, p. 142)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A valid affirmative action plan is one means of trying to undo the  effects of past illegal discrimination.   Under such a plan, an  employer makes employment decisions based on race or sex factor that  ordinarily can’t be considered, in order to restore equal opportunity  employment for groups that have faced discrimination. When a court finds that a business has discriminated and there are no  other effective means to remedy the discrimination, the court may  require the business to take affirmative action.   For example, a court  may order a company to hire one African-American employee for every two white ones hired until the company’s workforce resembles the  racial mix of the community.   (F.S. Steinhold, 2007, p. 156)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A business may also have to set up an affirmative action plan as part  of voluntary settling a court case or the proceeding of E.E.O.C. (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).   Any voluntary  program must meet the E.E.O.C.’s Guidelines on Affirmative Action Plans. (F.S. Steinhold, 2007, p. 156) Views of Affirmative Action   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because it appears that originally valid plans of affirmative action became in a way corrupted or abused, there have been some opponents to it.   Affirmative action is a subject that has been debated and analyzed by philosophers, legal scholars, social scientists, politicians, journalists, editorial writers, and common citizens for three decades.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Basically, the debate has two sides: the Right and the Left.   The Right, which is totally against it, states that Affirmative action only causes people to obtain what they desire not because they deserve it, but because they belong to a group that was discriminated in the past.   According to this site, affirmative action is unmeritocratic, leads to reverse-discrimination, and is an un-American guarantee of equal results instead of equal opportunity.   The Left, which supports it, states that affirmative action is a compensation for past injustices and a guarantee of a fair share of the economic pie. (J.D. Skrentny, 1996, p. 1 & 2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To reconcile the two views, it could perhaps be said that an affirmative action plan might be proper in the beginning of a non-discriminatory period of time; women and people from minority groups should feel that they are not discriminated anymore.   On the other hand, there is no reason for this period of time to last forever.   For instance, in the United States discrimination became illegal a very long time ago, so previously discriminated people should not be given any kind of priority because of what it used to happen in the distant past.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When it became vital to take the affirmative action in the turbulent period of 1964 to 1971, a careful consideration of the cultural and historical circumstances became absolutely necessary in its debate and an explanation for why it happened was needed as well.   (Clayton & Crosby, 1992, p. 2) Nowadays, more than thirty years after that period, affirmative action would simply be against logic and no explanation could possibly be given as a result.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Affirmative Action is believed to be one of the most controversial policies in the United States.   â€Å"The issues are complex, they stir strong feelings, and in the media everyone seems to have an opinion on the topic (Clayton & Crosby, 1992, p. 1).   This implies that a great deal of understanding is needed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The complexity of affirmative action as a topic is illustrated by the controversy of whether the version of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 required or prohibited quotas – George Bush’s belief versus his proponents -, the appointment of Clarence Thomas – an affirmative action beneficiary who surprisingly opposed it -, and the apparent shift in the Supreme Court. (S.D. Clayton & F.J. VanDeVeer, 2000, p. 4)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Opponents of affirmative action are believed   to come from a variety of quarters: Supreme Court Justice Thomas – an African-American who opposes it – Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, and Glenn Lowry – African-American critics who gained national attention speaking about the policy -, and Stephen Carter – William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Yale University. Their reactions to affirmative action seem very intriguing. (S.D. Clayton & F.J. VanDeVeer, 2000, p. 4)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why people who benefit from affirmative action oppose to it deserves the amazement of whoever learns of the fact.   It could perhaps be interpreted that they want to be equal – neither better nor worse.     The fact that they are now granted more rights because they were once deprived of the ones they should have in the first place is likely to make them feel inferior.   In other words, their equality should be put in force and they should only obtain what they rightly deserve regardless of their background.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Affirmative action became a major issue in state courts in California and in Pennsylvania, where it was indeed claimed that its almost inevitable effect was reverse discrimination. People who benefit from Affirmative Action   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In general, belonging to a minority group is due to an inborn or inherited matter, like women, African Americans, and people from different origins.   On the other hand, there are some groups of people who willfully joined a minority group.   For instance, many people learned one religion at home and later converted to a different one.   Homosexuality and bi-sexuality is debatable: some theorists believe uncommon sexual orientations are in the genes, whereas some other ones believe they are a matter of option.   Regardless of which theorists are right, homosexual and bi-sexual people were victims of discrimination in the past and later became beneficiaries of affirmative action.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As we all know, African Americans were virtually the worst victims of discrimination.   Without any right whatsoever, people were taken from Africa and brought to America to be sold as slaves.   The awful slavery was abolished a few hundred years later, but African Americans were still unable to obtain what the average person usually could.   In the middle of the twentieth century, discrimination against African Americans became illegal and the law started to call for a total equality, and affirmative action was taken as a remedy. Employment and Affirmative Action   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before focusing on the fact of whether or not affirmative action should be adopted to provide equal employment opportunity, we need to understand thoroughly the basic concepts or employment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   P. K. Edwards (2003) states in his book Industrial Relations: Theory and Practice that the employment relations has two parts: market relations and managerial relations.   The former is more obvious because it covers price of labor, which embraces not only the basic wage but also hours of work, holidays and pension rights.   In this respect, labor is like any other commodity, with a price which represents the total cost of enjoying its use. Yet labor differs from all other commodities in that it is enjoyed in use and is embodied in people.   A machine in a factory is also enjoyed in use and for what it can produce.   Yet how it is used is solely up to the owner.   The ‘owner’ of labor, the employer has to persuade the worker, that is, the person in whom the labor in embodied, to work. (p. 9)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most companies have employees nowadays, given that it simply becomes impossible for the owner to do everything all by him- or herself.   On hiring a new employee, companies have their own criteria.   We see quite often that the same employee who does not qualify for one company does for another one.   Employees are chosen based on the companies’ budget and needs.   In general, a large, profitable business is likely to choose a better skilled worker than a small business that operates at low budget.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Small businesses, which are usually constrained by the pressure of not exceeding their low budget, might also be selective in their own way.   A very unskilled person, however economical he or she might be, is likely to be of no significant assistance to the company.   As a result, the company might end up loosing money because of him or her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When a person is to be hired by a company, it is imperative that it be done under the equal employment opportunity basis.   The best candidate should be the one taking over the position.   Failure to do so would be an unfair practice that might eventually lead to some significant problems.   F.J. Crosby and C. VanDeVeer (2000) wrote in their book Sex, Race and Merit: Often, when a problem has been identified, hiring or promotion goals are instituted. In classical affirmative action programs (where the employer monitors to make sure that qualified people are hired and promoted) the goals are derived from close study of the organization and are based on realistic appraisals of the labor market. (p. 4) From the above, we see that classical affirmative action is a way in which equal opportunity employment is achieved, and supporters of affirmative action indeed focus on the remedy of unfair acts of discrimination performed in the past.   Everybody believes that the employer is to monitor to make sure that qualified people are hired and promoted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact, the goal of affirmative action when it came to existence was equal employment opportunity.   Nonetheless, its practice later on became corrupted and its present goal is to give priority to people who belong to a minority group that was discriminated in the past.   Many opponents of affirmative action would indeed oppose to discrimination and would agree to a policy in which only qualified people are hired and competent employees are promoted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  J.M. Bernbach (1998), who so much disapproves of discrimination wrote: In 1996, affirmative action (the practice, fostered by federal government, of providing preferential treatment and / or opportunities to specified groups of persons in hiring or promotion, etc., as a means of correcting the present effects of past discrimination) received a good deal of negative attention. (p.3) On certain occasions, affirmative action seems necessary or  appropriate to remedy past injustices, but there is no reason to  believe that everybody, including people who were always against  discrimination, must follow suit. Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the name implies, equal employment opportunity is the right of every single person to be employed regardless of his or her background, i.e. race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or reprisal. In the United States there is an organization called Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that focuses on how this right is actually granted to every individual. Burstein in his book Discrimination, Jobs, and Politics (1998) states: In order to form a satisfactory picture of what public wanted on EEO, members of the congress would, ideally, want to know about three aspects of constituents attitudes: first, whether their constituents favored EEO, second, whether they wanted the government to do anything about it; and third, whether they felt strongly about the issue.   (p. 42)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We see that the government is very much concerned about fair hiring and promotion practices.   It is indeed a fact that everybody wants equal employment opportunities; nobody favors priority on the basis of discrimination or affirmative action.   People want the government to ascertain the equal employment opportunities are in effect and they do feel strongly about the issue.   The answer of most people is that the right person should take over the position he or she rightly deserves   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Antidiscrimination programs are believed to be inefficient and costly.   The reason might be the stagnant economy that has apparently not permitted to continue with them.   Government pressures to employ or promote women and minorities may force firms to misallocate labor and thus suffer production losses.   Keeping with the current concern over productive efficiency can rather be an antidiscrimination effort. (P. Burestein, Equal Employment Opportunity, 1994, p. 85)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Better production in a company as a whole could rather achieve equality.   For instance, a company has been in business for many years and, on analyzing their activities, they come to see that their production was better when they had people with more skills in the engineering department.   As a result they decide to hire a high-skilled engineer.   When doing so, they carefully evaluate every candidate regardless of their background until they end up hiring the most suitable one.   One year later, the company analyzes their activities and see some remarkable improvements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One might want to ask how it is possible for someone who is not so skillful to become skillful in the future.   The answer would be quite simple: more education or training, and, as we all know, education is very easy nowadays. There are many ways online that would enable one to obtain it, and there are many regular schools that could help.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some people take their not being hired as a lesson to get more education or training.   Inevitably, when the person being hired is from a majority group, some people accuse the company of being discriminatory, and, when someone from a minority group is hired, the company might also be accused of having taken affirmative action.   When something alike happens, the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) needs to be contacted, and they need to investigate the situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The beginning of antidiscrimination and or against affirmative action is perhaps freedom.   One might question what freedom has to do with either discrimination or affirmative action, and the answer might be the actual explanation of what freedom means.   Freedom is the right to share fully and equally in American society – to vote, to hold a job, to enter a public place, to go to school.   It is right to be treated in every part of national life as a person equal in dignity and promise to all others.   (Curry, G.E. &West, C. , 1996, p. 17)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a society in which freedom is in existence, the equal opportunity employment practice is easier to put in practice.   Some people might use this freedom in an abusive form, ending up in discrimination or affirmative action.   That is why it is necessary that a commission EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity) exist.   The goal of this organization is to establish rules and regulations and, whenever a case of discrimination or affirmative action is reported, this organization needs to study it thoroughly and then determine how it could be corrected.   In some occasions, it is even necessary to take legal action. Legal Issues of Affirmative Action   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unlike discrimination, which is so clearly against the law and there is a great deal of coverage both constitutionally and statutorily, it has not become possible to have affirmative action at the same level.   No one constitutional or statutory provision covers all the many different varieties of affirmative action.   (C. Wolf-Devine, 1997, p. 182) As a result, it becomes very intricate for both judges and attorneys to deal with a case of affirmative action.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If a man that does not belong to a minority group is not hired solely because that company is currently taken affirmative action when hiring, he would first report the incidence to Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.   If the E.O.E.C. determines that the individual has brought prima facie evidence, they might decide to take legal action against that company.   The judge and the attorney are likely to regard the whole case as a reverse-discrimination and by doing so, the same sources of law that are used in a discriminating case can be used for this particular one. After all, the individual that was hired was only successful to obtain this job because he or she belongs to a minority group, not because he was the best qualified for it.   If the case had been just the opposite – the individual that was hired did not belong to a minority group, whereas the one that was not hired did – it would have been a regular discrimination case, which would have had a great deal of coverage in the American legal system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The very same situation would have been with someone who has been working at a company for a very long time and, due to his valuable qualifications, would deserve promotion.   Besides the fact that promotion is not given to him, two other co-workers – a woman and an African American – do become promoted in an attempt to take affirmative action.   Given that promotion is also controlled to E.E.O.C., the individual contacts them immediately and they determine that the matter is to be brought in front of a judge.   This case would also be treated as a discriminating case, and it indeed is a case of reverse discrimination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Herman Belz, in his book Equality Transformed (1991): Affirmative action lacks consistency and coherence insofar as the Supreme Court applied two antithetical theories of employment discrimination, upheld quotas in hiring and promotion while prohibiting them in layoffs, and used some form of strict scrutinity review to analyze discrimination under the Constitution while forsaking such reviews under Title VII – and only then asking whether a race conscious measure promoted the goal of minority employment. (p. 225 & 226) The above shows up to what point affirmative action is to be treated like discrimination when it comes to legal matter.   However, the fact that when affirmative action is taken does not at all mean that there has in fact been discrimination put judges and attorneys in a cumbersome situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While discrimination has the same principles, is clear and can be carefully considered, affirmative action – in general regarded as the opposite of discrimination – is never clear enough to be handled by a judge and attorneys.   As we know, affirmative action is sometimes taken as a remedy, whereas discrimination comes as a matter of opinion.   For instance, a company that never hires African American is sued for discrimination.   The basis of this type of discrimination will always be the same; the accused will try to deny the fact.   Someone that is sued for taking affirmative action will rather try to justify his attitude. How to Stop Affirmative Action from Being Taken   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Affirmative action is definitely not an effective diversity or opportunity policy; it is merely reverse discrimination. Given that a person obtains what he or she wishes because he or she belongs to a minority group – not because he or she deserves it, the policy is very unfair indeed.   A fair policy would be one in which the best-skilled individual takes over a position at a company or someone who qualifies for a grant or scholarship to attend college obtains it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On some occasions, there might be a court order for a company to take affirmative action.   When this happens, it is usually in an attempt to settle a lawsuit that was placed because discriminatory policies were adopted by that particular company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When affirmative action is taken on a voluntary basis without any good reason whatsoever, it becomes a legal transgression that is just as awful as discrimination.   Obviously, a court cannot order a company taking affirmative action to be discriminatory from now on, as this would only be an awful crime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The solution toward the problem of taking affirmative action is quite simple: the company should make their hiring and promotion decision based on the workers skills and qualifications, not based on the fact that that particular individual belongs to a minority group.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission should come up with some guidelines to prevent companies from taking affirmative action altogether.   Those guidelines should be brought to the attention of the U.S. Senate in order for them to become laws.   As we know, when a company is accused of taking affirmative action, judges and attorneys find it difficult to handle the case, because there are not enough laws against it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Copying the laws of discrimination would not be an option, because a court would never order a company to discriminate, whereas it might order a company to take affirmative action as a remedy for past discriminatory activities.   New laws need to be put in force, as laws against affirmative action were in some occasions questioning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is very painful to pinpoint that extreme affirmative action is widespread in the United States, and there does not seem to be any solution at first sight.  Ã‚   Under the assumption that affirmative is taken as a remedy toward discrimination, the number of individual that claim to suffer from affirmative actions exceeds the number of the ones who suffered from discrimination in the past and now benefit from the policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Empirically the official case for affirmative action is weak and conceptually it is loose.   Believing that the policy has been â€Å"good for America† and that it has been an instantaneous move to â€Å"color-blindness† would be ill-advised.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Equal opportunity is supported by everybody, but it would be inappropriate to the extreme to believe that the way to achieve it is phasing out affirmative action. Michigan, a state in which there are many opponents, is one of the ones that have intended to ban affirmative action altogether, and such a measure is believed to be one of the harshest attacks on affirmative action to come to a vote anywhere in the country. This movement has been called â€Å"Michigan Civil Rights Initiative† and it deserves to be called the Michigan Anti-Affirmative Action Initiative. It was also intended to add language to the Michigan state constitution to disallow â€Å"preferential treatment† based on gender, or race. Other states following suit are California, Washington State, and Florida.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The passage of the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative would specifically ban public institutions from using affirmative action programs that give preferential treatment to people from minority groups and prohibit public institutions from discriminating against groups or individuals that do not belong to those groups.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative is indeed very appropriate and the whole country, as well as the whole world, should follow in their footsteps. Anderson, T.H. (2004). Pursuit of Fairness: A History of Affirmative Action. Oxford University Press, (p.2, 3 & 142) Belz, H. (1991) Equality Transformed, Transaction Publishers (p225 & p226) Bernbach, J.M. (1998). Job Discrimination II, Voire Dire Press (p. 3 & 4) Burestein, P. (1994). Equal Employment Opportunity, Aldine Transaction (p. 85) Burestein, P. (1998). Discrimination, Jobs, and Politics. University of Chicago Press (p. 42) Clayton, S.D., & Crosby, F.J. (1992). Justice, Gender, and Affirmative Action. University of Michigan Press (p. 1 & 2) Clayton, S.D., & by F.J. &, VanDeVeer, C. (2000). Sex, Race, and Merit.   University of Michigan Press (p. 4) Curry, G.E. & West, C. (1996). The Affirmative Action Debate, Basic Books (p. 17) Edwards, P.K. (2000). Industrial Relations: Theory and Practice. Blackwell Publishing (p. 9) Skrentny, J.D. (1996). The Ironies of Affirmative Action: Politics, Culture, and Justice in America. University of Chicago Press (p. 1 & 2) Steinhold, F.S. (2007) The Employee’s Legal Handbook, Nolo, (p. 156) Wolf-Devine, C. (1997) Diversity and Community in the Academy, Rowman & Littlefield, (p. 182) Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002