To what extent do organizations challenge the nation state’s ability to shape domestic economic and social policy?

To what extent do organizations like the IMF, WTO, and World Bank challenge the nation state’s ability to shape domestic economic and social policy? This should not be a paper about the history of these organizations. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the General Agreements on Trades and Tariffs(GATT), which turn into the World Trade Organization(WTO), are the main organizations that deal with the stability of the global economy.They have done this but promoting trade, issuing loans to countries in economic trouble and allowing international investing. The problem that has arisen from these organizations is that they have sacrificed the domestic economy of many countries in order to support their global agenda. A quick over view of how the WTO, IMF and the World Bank started and operate. Post World War II, many countries looked to rebuild the financial structure of the global economy without losing their power in the economy. The three organizations ea ch share a common goal of international policies.The IMF was created to maintain global monetary cooperation and stability by making loans to countries with balance of payment problems, stabilizing exchange rates and stimulating growth and employment, the WTO deals with international trade, both formalizing trade and settling disputes between countries, and the World Bank has steadily increased its original mandate of providing long term loans for reconstruction, to funding multimillion dollar infrastructure projects in developing countries. These individual organizations have come under much scrutiny for their involvement in the international economy.They have been accused of negatively affecting the economies of its participating countries instead of helping. Many policies set forth by these groups have shown a drastic change in the growth of the domestic economy and social policies. These policies mostly affect less developed countries’ economies since the IMF and the Worl d Bank are control by few, wealthy nations like the â€Å"Big Five†(U. S. , UK, Germany, Japan, and France) who look to remain the controlling powers in the global economy. The reason for this uneven voting power is because the IMF and World Bank are set up so that the voting power is distributed by thefinancial strength of countries. Unlike the IMF and World Bank, the WTO does in fact have equal voting power through its participating members. Less developed countries do not have the resources and government power, like these more developed countries. So even with the equal voting power, these less developed countries still fall victim to these more developed countries. The IMF, World Bank and WTO are often interconnecting because how they each contribute to international policies. For example, a country that is looking to increase its domestic economy will turn to the World Bank for a loan in order to invest in a project.More often than not, these project result in more debt for this country than profit. By putting themselves in a bigger financial hole, this country must now turn towards the IMF in order to keep them from becoming bankrupt. Before the IMF issues a loan, this country must agree to certain conditions that often require economy policies to be adjusted. These conditions allow for foreign corporations to invest and control the economy of this country. The WTO joins in by maintaining trade agreements set up by them.â€Å"The WTO has the authority to prevent, overrule, or dilute and laws of any nation deemed to burden the investment and market prerogative of transnational corporations. † (ROTHENBERG pg 450) This allows for the WTO to maintain its control over this country. The major factor in this process is the IMF’s terms and conditions that they require from their participating members. These conditions are greatly detrimental to the domestic economy of these countries because once these conditions are satisfied, these countr ies are now left powerless and unable to grow internally.These terms include cutting social spending and the national budget, increasing interest rates, dismantle regulations international investing and ownership of public businesses, eliminating tariffs, cut and redirect subsides certain goods, and decrease government power. This type of â€Å"structural adjustment is conducive to a form of â€Å"economic genocide† which is carried out through the conscious and deliberate manipulation of market forces. †(ROTHENBERG pg. 455) First, the cutting of social spending and the national budget affect the domestic economies and social policies in quite a few ways. Cutting socialspending has a very obvious affect on the social policies by taking money away from health care, education, military, ect.. The national debt, on the other hand, allows the IMF and World Bank to reduce the amount of money in the domestic economy, which in turn forces countries to have to take out loans f rom these groups. These loans that are taken are often too hard to repay. This in a way creates a paradox between these organizations and the people they are trying to help. They make it so that poorer nations need to take receive help from the IMF, but by taking their help they inevitably put themselves in more debt and economic turmoil.One of the big ways the domestic economy and social policies are being challenged is the dismantling of foreign ownership and international investing. This creates a huge uphill battle for the local enterprises. By getting rid of these regulations, the IMF allows foreign investor to control the economy and run local companies out of business as well as control many of the public sectors of the economy, like healthcare or education. With public sectors of an economy now controlled by an outside investor, the domestic economies are not only at risk but the social policies are also subject to much change.Increase in interest rates is a direct result of tightening monetary policies. This has made domestic borrowing very hard. For example, many smaller and poorer famers must fight for the little money available. And because they are small and poor, they lack the collateral and are a high risk so when they borrow money they are subject to interest rates of 50 to 400 percent. â€Å"Rice traders generally provide loans for production inputs and then extract small farmers to lose their mortgage land.With an increasing number of landless laborers in the countryside, real rural wagers and income have declined, and the incidence of starvation has doubled since 1985. The latest figures indicate that approximately 75 percent of rural households live in abject poverty. † (Danaher pg. 65) By eliminating tariffs, taxes are not being applied to international companies. This gives these companies an easier time incorporating their product into domestic economies. These products can be made for cheaper than the domestic product. And once t hese companies are producing in these countries, these groups can now protect them.This causes competition between the domestic product and the international product. Cutting and redirecting subsides on certain goods. Subsides are used to help produce certain goods, such as wheat and vegetables, at a more affordable cost. These subsides are often the only profit that these companies make since it cost so much to produce these goods which are sold for cheap. Without subsided, these manufactures must increase the cost of goods and this increase make it hard for these domestic economies to resist taking loans from these organizations.This also makes these economies more dependent on imported goods. This all leads to a reducing in the government power for many of these countries. By reducing the domestic economy and social policies, these countries have little say in how they are treated. So instead of helping these countries that look to these organizations for help in developing their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the IMF, WTO and World Bank will leave these less developed countries in a poorer state than they were originally.And on top of that fact, slowly weakening the government powers of these less developed countries will lead to less democratic countries with any power within the global economy. All of these previously mentioned factors have contributed the IMF, WTO, and World Bank’s negative reputation as far as hurting the domestic economy and social policies of many countries, especially less developed ones. In a lot of cases, these organizations have a tight hold on the countries that rely on them for help.It is shown that between these three organizations, the main problem with their plan is that it only favors the more developed countries while at the same time putting restricting on the domestic economies of less developed countries. These less developed countries few options and therefore must turn towards these organizations in the hopes of increasing their economies. They are often left in more debt and a worse GDP because of their few financial resources to invest in the foreign trade and their lack of power to stop other countries from doing the same to them.

Genetically Modified Food Should Be Banned or Not? Essay

Nowadays a problem of genetically modified food is widespread all over the world. GM foods are genetically modified using biotechnology. More and more GM foods appear on the shelves of our stores and supermarkets nowadays, and make their way into our kitchens. GM foods are designed for greater resistance to viruses and pests, higher nutritional value and longer shelf life. However, their safety, potential risks and ethical concerns are still being debated. So, should genetically modified crops be banned or not? Proponents of GM foods ensure that these foods are safe for human consumption, but critics argue that their effects have not been studied long enough. First argument for banning GM foods is that it badly affects our health and well-being. Some studies have linked consumptions of GM foods to liver and kidney problems. The antibiotics and hormones given to cows and chickens are found in our bodies and we don’t know yet the extent to which these cause chronic disease. Moreover genetic engineering could introduce allergens into foods, causing allergic reactions in people who eat the foods. Another argument is that GM food does not benefit people, just large corporations that produce and sell them. In the most cases the vegetables are modified to look better and be larger so that these companies can make more money. They do not add to the taste or freshness of nutrition of the food. On the other hand GM products along with disadvantages have their benefits too. A lot of people believe that genetically modified foods can help to solve the food crisis in future, and so help humanity to survive. Firstly, all of sorts of GM plants are stable against illnesses and mean weather. Also, GM food is cold tolerant. An antifreeze gene has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill unmodified seedlings. Secondly, they ripen fast and keep longer than usual plants. It is easier to transport them and keep fresh for a long time. In my opinion, genetic engineering should be banned because young generation will have different diseases because of eating unhealthful food. Of course, this is a huge industry nowadays that obviously can’t be stopped, but I believe that there are other ways to save people from hunger. References: 1. â€Å"Genetically Modified Crops Should be Banned† 2. Murphy, Tom. â€Å"The Arguments for and Against Genetically Modified (GM) Food. † N. p. , 15 06 2009. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. 3. Gray, Louise. â€Å"Ten tweets for and against GM†. Environment Correspondent 4:04PM GMT 24 Jan 2011 4. â€Å"Should Genetically Modified Foods (GM Foods) Be Banned? – Facts & Infographic†.

Dean College Essay

During my year at Dean College, apart from putting efforts in enhancing my academic performance, I had been working as a peer tutor in the Learning Center. The Learning Center provides materials and information to enhance students’ learning skills, ability and their knowledge on the content of subjects. My role is to offer content assistance in the areas of Economics, English and Mathematics, but would often cross-tutor in several other areas such as Criminal Justice, writing, and general study skills. Experiencing the success in assisting other students and receiving good feedbacks had gained me a really joyful work experience as a peer tutor. I had a relatively different idea of being a peer tutor, since students usually went to the learning center for quick review on their essays which were due shortly. I had been working hard in marketing strategies, whereas creating an atmosphere of a place that they can spare their time here to concentrate, a place where combine the characteristics of library and private tutors. In this place, they can concentrate on their studies, with rich resources like computer stations, printers and reference books. Moreover, to make them feel more comfortable, they won’t feel like they are being tagged as doing bad on academics, since tutors no longer wear staff tags. They will feel more confidence on themselves in this way. I think that it is essential to create a certain sort of relationship right off the bat with the person you are tutoring. It is important to make the student feel that we are also students that are continually learning and also willing to contribute out ideas and point of view with them. There is a major difference between a peer tutor and a teacher. I believe that peer tutors do not judge and on top of that, they do not give out grades! It is also easier for tutors to come out and say that they do not know all the answers. Many times, a student can have trouble in class but never address these questions to their teachers for many different reasons. One of them could be because they are afraid of talking in front of a larger group of students. Another reason could be because they might feel that their question is stupid. These reasons could inhibit a student from learning and understanding the material. I think that as a peer tutor, I am able to help these students on a one-on-one basis. I think that my experiece gained from this job is very meaningful and has helped me a lot in the way to communicate with others in a more positive and encouraging way. Helping others makes me feel more satisfied with my performance and has definitely given me a lot more confidence that I can assist others even though I may have shortcomings. These students learn something from me as a peer tutor and on the other hand, I learn a lot of things from the students who have sought for my help.

Innovative information systems capabilities of Disney company Research Paper

Innovative information systems capabilities of Disney company - Research Paper Example The IT sector is behind many of the operations of the organization and is responsible for the smooth running of the various companies that are related to the Walt Disney organization (Gabler 56). Due to the large scale of the Disney family, it cannot be said that the IT functions are centralized but rather are set up in the different companies such as the Animation and Amusement park subsidiaries according to the particular needs of that company and their particular requirements. However, there is a section of IT that can be considered to be central in nature as it is responsible for the overview of the various parts of the Walt Disney Empire (Gabler 59). This is to say that it collects and maintains important information having to do with all the parts of the organization into one place so as to formulate an overview of how the companies are performing with regard to various terms such as financially, growth and expansion (Van den Hoven & Weckert 102). This central collection of inf ormation can be considered to be the hub of the Walt Disney Information System. ... These costs arise in different forms such as the maintenance of the machinery involved with the IT infrastructure in a bid to keep it running smoothly, as well as the cost of manpower that is required to operate the various systems (Daintith 75). These costs tend eat into the organization’s budget as they are cheap. There are various opportunities that can be discovered in this sector as well if one is to carefully look around. These include the room for expansion that is provided by the development of IT. This is with regard to the spread of the internet and the resultant market that is available on this new platform. The proper use of IT in this sector will allow the organization the opportunity to fully exploit this new market (Daintith 89). In terms of threats, the most significant in this category would be of insecurity which has become a growing problem within the IT industry as more hackers look to exploit those who these systems to their own advantage. Hackers are a da ngerous lot and could be responsible for the loss of a lot of  money through operation interruptions and thus the proper security measures need to be taken to ascertain that the system is safe and secure from such individuals. Disney's New Technology There are a number of new technologies within the IT sector that have arrived in Disney over the past few years and have served to improve the business operations of the organization in various ways be it the enhancement of operational efficiency or the attraction of more customers as a result of their introduction (Gabler 98). The main introductions have been of the latter variety and have been especially utilized in amusement parks where

Time Magazine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Time Magazine - Research Paper Example Hadden co-founded Time Magazine after they worked together on the Yale Daily News in Yale but the death of Britton Hadden in 1929 saw Luce’s name becoming the most dominant name in 20th century American as the Time Magazine grew to be one of the most successful magazines in American history. The first Time Magazine publication came out on March 3, 1923 as Vol. 1 Number 1. The difference between the first Time Magazine publication and what has been the distinguishing feature of Time Magazine was the lack of the classic red border. The cover of the first Time Magazine publication featured John G. Cannon, an 86 year old retiring member of congress who had served 23 times in the House of Representatives. The main reason given for the cover having Cannon was that it represented the main aim of Time Magazine of speaking to the readers through people. The aim of the founders was to create a magazine that informs busy readers in United States and the rest of the world on current events in a systematic, organized, and concise manner. After its incorporation in 1922 by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden and the first publication in 1923, Luce purchased Life Magazine in 1936 and made it a photojournalism publication. The company began trading in the New York stock exchange in 1964. At the passing of Luce in 1967, Time Magazine was worth $ 109 million dollars and the development and growth of Time Magazine continued. In 1972, Time and Chuck Dolan launched Home Box Office (HBO) that has grown over the years to rack in almost $5 billion in revenue and 100 million subscribers. In 1989, Time merged with Warner Communications forming a company with $ 10 billion annual revenue and valued at $ 15 billion dollars. 1995 saw the purchasing of Turner Broadcasting system by Time but in 2000 Time merged with AOL in the biggest merger and acquisition deal ever. Time magazine had a disastrous association with AOL that led to an investigation into its accounts leading to the ditching of AOL

Please ansewr questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Please ansewr questions - Assignment Example from being burden to their parents, or churches or to the society and on the contrary contribute to the clothing and feeding of many thousands within the country. Fifthly it would help reduce the cost of maintaining the children aged 1 year and above. At the same time the gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom will enjoy the refined taste of meat while the money collected from the sale will circulate thereby encouraging growth and manufacturing. 2. The act of bringing up children for sale to the rich to be used as meals either in occasions like feasts is seen as vain, idle and visionary thoughts. The levying tax on the absentees at 5 shillings a pound, rejecting instruments and materials which encourage foreign luxury, being a bit cautious of selling the country and its conscience for nothing, Encouraging a spirit of honesty, industry and skill into shopkeepers who if it was resolved to vend items from local producers would merge and manipulate the price of commodities, keeping off animosity and factions such as killing each other every time a problem comes up, teaching landlord to observe patience with tenants, curing the expense of vanity, pride, gaming and idleness among the women. 3. The author decided to present himself this way to prove how bad things are usually carried out in the name of helping the poor by the rich people. How they abuse the poor to get comfort and luxury. They come up with schemes that have a negative effect at the end of the day while it is assumed to be of good and helpful. 4. The irony is seen where Swift shows how important he wants to make the children useful to the common wealth via starting a scheme to help them not undergo suffering after the age of one. It turns ironical because, the kids are fed to grow big faster and look healthy so that they can be sold to the wealthy families for meal and at good prices. He therefore says that the money collected will put the economy a step ahead. 5. The argument is seen logical as

Catholicism in Medieval Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Catholicism in Medieval Europe - Essay Example Before starting to discuss the topic of the essay, it should be beneficial to point out the main statements, met in literature as for the possible impact, which religion may create on the economic development of any country. When considering the Bible as a complex social and ethical teachings, it is necessary to account, that it does not contain any 'definite system of theoretical and practical knowledge',1 but only the essential features of faith and morality are described; the Bible gives only the basis for behavioral patterns of human business life. The influence of Catholicism on the dynamics of the market system development can not be unilaterally evaluated. The development of capitalism in Italy, Spain, Portugal and the related countries, has happened much later in comparison with the other countries of Western Europe. The explanation to this phenomenon researchers find in the long-lasting Muslim influence in Spain and Portugal.2 Catholicism was noted as the religion, which was able to quickly react to the changing reality, but we are here to consider the possibility of Catholicism as religion influencing the economic development of the Western European countries before 1570, and though the thesis of close connection between religion and economic development is now subjected to fair criticism, it can't be denied that during the period of pre-Industrialism Catholicism as religion has created considerable effect on the way people were living and working, creating the general product and defining the direction of economic development of their countries.3 As far as the data about the economic development of pre-Industrial Europe is scarce, it would be better to base the evaluation of the economic state at that time and the impact of religious allegiance on that state through the notions of urban population growth and looking closer at the situation with real wages by 1570. Real wages may become the very factor, which will lead us to the conclusion, but exact numbers are absent and we may only take into consideration the aspects of growth or decrease in these wages in comparison to other non-catholic countries of Europe.4 The growth of urban population also presupposes the higher economic prosperity of the certain European countries. It should be noted here, that the northern parts of Europe, which were characterized by the development of Protestantism, were by that time not very well economically developed, due to the scanty population and lacking economic ties between the countries of that region; this has little to do with the impa ct of religion, but it should be noted, that the notions of Catholicism have ultimately defined the way Southern European countries were going in their economic development. It is also necessary to say, that historically the period of European development before 1570 was closely connected with social tension and economic underachievement - facing the consequences of the plague epidemic and crisis of the agrarian production.5 The workers who had traditionally been involved into agriculture, had to leave their places and arrive to cities, where they were hardly been able to find a place of constant employment. The cities by that time were well-developed as the separate units of each state, and had enough amount of autonomy, thus

The Four Fields of Philosophy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Four Fields of Philosophy - Term Paper Example These four branches are different from one another with regards to its concerns, but they nevertheless intersect at certain points. The reason for such is that all of philosophy, as mentioned above, aims towards one goal, i.e. truth. Therefore, regardless of what aspect of reality is focused on, philosophy remains wherever truth is sought after. The Philosophy of Mind: Identity of Minds â€Å"Of all the mysteries in the world, none is more puzzling than the mind† (Poundstone 222). This section aims to discuss a concept that has taken for granted, namely, the human mind. What is the identity of the human mind? What is the difference between our mental from non-mental phenomena? What is the difference between my mental states of believing it will rain from physical objects such as pencils and papers? Upon addressing the aforementioned problem, I shall focus on the behaviorist view of the mind, specifically, logical behaviorism. I shall argue that the claims of logical behavioris m are merely based on the assumption that the mental states cause certain corresponding bodily or behavioral states. However, if it is only based on an assumption, then its entire theory is unfounded, and thus invalid. Thus logical behaviorism will not suffice to provide an analysis of the identity of the mind. ... behavioral terms such as I will complete my assignments regularly, I am disposed to limp, and I will wear light clothes today when I leave the house. Herein, â€Å"the property of being in a certain mental state is identical with the property of being in a certain neurophysiological state† (Fodor 86). In other words, mental terms are characterized in terms of their corresponding manifested physical behaviors. Given that mental states are nothing but neurophysiological behavioral states, either the mental states that mental terms refer to do not exist or such mental states exist. For, in claiming that one’s mental states can be understood with reference to its corresponding behavioral state, then we no longer are talking about mental states per se, but behavioral states for that matter. For instance, I say â€Å"I think it’s going to rain† and before stepping out of the door, I bring with me an umbrella. Herein, the act or behavior of bringing an umbrella w ith me can be identified with my assertion that â€Å"I think it’s going to rain.† Thus, under this view, the simplest solution is sought. For, every non-objective mental state can be identified with an objective physical state, which in turn makes it verifiable. But will this tactic of reducing mental states to behavioral dispositions sufficient so as to account for the mind’s identity? I disagree. For, in order to claim that mental terms refer to behaviors is to assume that both mind and body are necessarily interconnected so as to produce a corresponding behavior for each mental term. Hence, logical behaviorism only makes sense, provided that both mind and body causally interact with each other. Moreover, it seems quite absurd to portray this view as a possible view of the mind for it leads to a kind of

Pollution of the worlds oceans and the impact on sea life Term Paper

Pollution of the worlds oceans and the impact on sea life - Term Paper Example Overuse of marine resources is based on the growing population at the coast which makes the situation worse and is the main reason for the population problem that has hit marine and marine life (Hofer, 2008). There are various marine pollutants such as sewage and other wastes that are released into the oceans yet there is no facility to counter these. This does not only put at risk marine life but also human and wildlife. Tourism is also affected in the situation thus, low incomes. The pollution could be chemical, physical or biological mainly caused by human activities. Developing industries are also a big involvement in the situation that has proved to be devastating. In some parts, knowledge of the marine life is limited therefore; they do not realize the dangers that are posed. The harm cause to marine ecosystems is an indirect or direct cause of human activity (Xhelilaj, 2010). When some nutrients are introduced in marines, they cause diseases that affect species all over the ec osystem. For some organisms, these are some of the factors that accelerate their growth. These pollutants then affect marine habitats adversely so that marine life is in danger. Some of these nutrients interrupt food chains within the ecosystems causing adverse danger to marine life. Construction of marines leads to the destruction of habitual life that is very important to marine life. This destruction then causes depopulation of fish in the ocean. Overfishing worsens the situation everyday. When power plants affect the temperature in oceans because of the heat produced in the process. This makes these area affected inhospitable and unfit for the marine environment. The species that are evolved there are then in danger because, they cannot survive in such an environment. Targeting particular species is also an environmental problem that leads to decreasing of the population in the marines. Many chemicals end up in the destruction of marine life. They are taken up by planktons and b enthos which are animals that are feeders within the ocean. This therefore destructs the life in these environments. This means that food chains will be interrupted. These chemicals introduce toxins to the marine life thus posing a danger through the feeding system. Pesticides also become quickly incorporated into food that is taken by marine life. This slowly poisons these animals because, these chemicals are slowly absorbed into the food webs within which they feed. Once in the food, they can cause mutations or even diseases that are dangerous to marine life. This is harmful to human life as well as to marine life thus affecting the whole food web. Toxic metals also introduced can cause biochemistry, unknown change to tissue matter or even affect the reproduction of these animals. Ships are also a source of pollution in marine life. This comes along when they spill oil in oceans thus causing devastating effects. They are toxic to, marine life and the effect could last a long perio d because, oils like crude oil are hard to clean (Katsioloudis, 2010). This means that the oil will last in the ocean for quite some time. Oil is also dark and opaque therefore, oil is blocks plants from sunlight. This denies them the ability to synthesize through population. Thick oil also sticks to some parts of sea animals thus making it difficult for them to perform some function. Sea birds are the most affected because, oil sticks to their wings which makes it

Statistics for managers Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Statistics for managers - Term Paper Example Several empirical studies have highlighted the effect of expectations on customer satisfaction.  The overall conclusion drawn from these studies is that expectations influence customer satisfaction, and the effect can be positive, negative or non-existent.  But it can also be concluded that the positive as well as the negative effect of expectations on customer satisfaction is minimal. We believe partly that expectations is such a complex concept that it is hard to achieve reliable and valid measures, and partly that expectations as a concept does not have a conclusive influence on the formation of customer satisfaction.  We suggest that expectations be dismissed from customer satisfaction measurement instruments in the future.  We state that perceived quality is one of the primary drivers of customer satisfaction. Several empirical studies support these viewpoints.  We agree with Gronross (1993,p.  61) that "it does not seem possible to make independent measurement of customer expectations ...  It seems valid, at least in certain situations, to develop measurement models based on customer experiences of quality only".  Cronin and Taylor (1992) and Liljander and Strandvik (1992) take the same view. First, an experiment where the relationships between expectations, perceived quality and customer satisfaction were studied, using the methodology from the Swedish and American customer satisfaction index.  Second, a customer satisfaction survey, using the methodology for the new European customer satisfaction index (ECSI). The purpose is also to highlight whether buying behavior, described by a set of relevant product category characteristics (price, complexity and sign value), has any influence on the relationship between perceived quality and customer satisfaction, and if so, how strong this influence is.  Do some buying

Presentation Planning (written presentation) PowerPoint

Planning (written ) - PowerPoint Presentation Example One definition, which is presented by Bailey, Hunsberger and Hayden (1998), is literacy involves a "complex set of skills that allow learners to express, explore, question, and understand the flow of ideas among individuals and groups" (p. 120). In the context of Scribner statement's this set of skills vary from one society to another and from one time period to another. Nevertheless, in spite of the differences in society, there appears to be a common literacy skill, mainly, reading and writing. The elements of assessment, reception, instruction, and analysis can present a cohesive and well-rounded reading and writing experience as regards adolescent education. A. functional literacy- The term functional literacy refers to the level of learning at which one is able to read well enough to negotiate life's everyday activities and demands. In recent generations, however, the criteria for functional literacy have made it a moving target" (Manzo, 2003, 654). B. variety of learning styles- There are visual learners, kinesthetic learners, auditory learners, gifted learners, disabled learners, avoidant learners, etc. This is important- but not as important as their strategies of personal learning (du Boulay, 1999) 1. 1. TV and internet- Heavy viewing linked to lower assessment scores (Mokhtari, Reichard, & Gardner, 2009) C. secondary to higher education transition- Less parental involvement in education produces less research and, in turn, less change (Mokhtari et al., 2009) D. deep reading strategies (du Boulay, 1999) III. Instruction A. PISA lessons (Brozo, Shiel, & Topping, 2007) 1. developed recommendations after research: common leisure reading text types be incorporated into classroom activities, display a love for reading such as is requested of the student, embrace social literary clubs, include diverse reading materials, and incorporate a level of choice in readings, projects, and other large creative literary units (Pitcher, S., Albright, L., DeLaney, C., Walker, N., Seunarinesingh, K., Mogge, S., et al., 2007). a. similar American recommendations: common leisure reading types be incorporated, teacher modeling reading, embrace social literary clubs, include diverse reading materials, and incorporate a level of choice in readings, projects, and other large creative literary units (Pitcher, Albright, DeLaney, Walker, Seunarinesingh, Mogge, et al., 2007). B. predictability (Lynch, 2008) C. student interest (Manzo, 2003, Mokhtari et al., 2009) 1. creating interest (Simon, 2008) IV. Analysis A. inner argument (du Boulay, 1999) 1. as social constructivism (Falk-Ross, 2001) B. Hermida's (2009) deep reading strategies: questioning of the overall purpose of the text, the context, the thesis, the detailed

Meeting of minds Essay Example for Free

Meeting of minds Essay In what ways does this scene represent 2 characters crossing boundaries and understanding each other a meeting of minds?  The scene automatically has a sense of irony, as both Yolland and Maire both cannot understand a word each other is saying, this means communication was needed to be made in an alternate way, these ways are through the use of identifiable feelings and emotions, as well as paralanguage to indicate the feelings and emotions that the character is trying to express. Throughout their conversation, it would seem unlikely to a person who has just picked up the book that Yolland and Maire do not speak the same language, and therefore cannot fathom what each other is trying to say. This is due to the similarities of speech between the two of them; they always seem to have a vague understanding about what the other person is trying to say. An indication of this is where Maire says, The grass must be wet. My feet are soaking. straight after Yolland points out, The grass must be wet your feet are soaking. It is clear to see the similarities in their speech, although the context is just flipped around, but apart from that it is almost identical. Emphasising this collision, linguistically speaking, is the stage directions, expressing the characters body movement. The way they seem very immature when they realise they are holding hands, then immediately disengage and move apart. Another way that they can be seen as immature is through the basic communication, such as pointing. Knowing that the other person cannot understand what they are saying might be a factor in the characters lexis, especially regarding Yolland where he says Ive been watching you night and day for the past because if Yolland was to say this to Maire and she understood it, she could take it two very different ways, and decide that in fact Yolland is a bit weird. Without the aid of a similar language the characters find another way to communicate, which involves Maire saying English words, which she knows, and Yolland encouraging her, Yes-yes? Go on- go on- say anything at all- I love the sound of your speech. This shows although they cannot understand each other Yolland is fixated by Maire, and there is this chemistry, a bond between them, which they both know, are there but just cant explain it to each other. The communication between the two of them become so intense that Yolland starts reeling of whole sentences, without realising that Maire does not have a clue what he is on about, she just stares at him unknowingly and wondering. It becomes clear that they need some common ground to try to relate with each other this occurs, when Yolland starts saying Irish place names, Maire reciprocates and this carries on as though they are flirting, which leads them back to the way they were, when they ran together, as once again they were holding hands, at this point they exchange their raw feelings without the satisfaction of being understood, they hold each other and tremble in one anothers arms, the lexis leading up to the kiss is very heated, there is a mutual understanding of the word always I believe this to be significant as this is one of the final words before they kiss it just shows the compassion they hold for each other. Unquestionably above everything the connection is a meeting of minds as the only way of really communicating was through paralanguage, and the fact that they are very similar people, with similar thoughts and feelings, about the way they act, the way they speak, and the way they feel for each other. In a way their relationship could be seen as an example to be followed, as if individual Irish and English people can get along and fall in love, whats to say England and Ireland should not at least be able to tolerate each other. Yolland and Maire, by not understanding verbally, will have an extremely deep understanding of each other mind, in turn this may lead to a significantly compassionate relationship, or just a passing phase, however I believe there is a meeting of minds, and the kiss only emphasises the coming together of these two foreign bodies into one.

Akhism, Guild system in the ottoman empire

Akhism, Guild system in the ottoman empire GUILD SYSTEM IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE: FROM AKHISM TO GEDIK SYSTEM Akhism which is an organization founded by the Turkish people in Anatolia, is an important guild system for the Ottoman State when we take its regulatory role (of the social order) into consideration. In this paper, I will give detailed information about Akhism until its removal, including its origin, its importance, its guild organization, its norms and its roles in the society. Akhism; being an Arabic word which meant â€Å"brotherhood†, was the name given to the unions of artisans (esnaf) and craftsmen (zanaatà §Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±) between the 13th and 20th centuries. Akhi organizations were the associations which have been training their own craft members, which have been organizing and controlling the economic constitutions of the society (ÇaÄÅ ¸atay, 1989:1) and as in all pre-capitalist societies, in Ottoman State, production was organized within the guild organization which had four levels as â€Å"errand boy† (à §Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±rak), â€Å"apprentice† (yamak), â€Å"qualified workman† (usta), and â€Å"master† (Belge, 2005:312). Western orientalists say that the origins of the Akhism go back to the Islamic Futuwah tradition. The Arabic word Futuwah means youthful qualities. These youthful qualities are courage, generosity, hospitality and being skilled in all kinds of physical exercises (ÇaÄÅ ¸atay,1989:2-3). Although some Western social scientists think that Futuwah and Akhism have the same meaning and the same role, Ã…Å ¾anal Gà ¼Ãƒ §là ¼ (2007) think that they are different. They say that although Futuwah is more authoritarian and more religion based, Akhism is an organization which regulates the working conditions and every kind of needs of the artisans; and which is existing within the society, not being separated from it. Akhi organization which is based on the rules put by Islam scholars tries to provide ethical and well-behaved lifestyle to the artisans; and to ameliorate their craft level to a certain degree to protect standardization. Akhism is seen as the consequence of the service lacks of the state such as supplying security to the individuals, to their properties and to their honor; altering communication and education system, and providing equality of rights where there is not a strong juridical system. It is said that in Anatolia, Turkish people shaped and developed Futuwah organization and formed Akhism which is more different than Futuwah and which is proper to Turkish people. Although Futuwah tradition was more authoritarian about religion; and was commanding to the artisans to obey to the Islamic authority; Akhis had a big deal at the issues of economy and politics besides the morality. While Futuwah tradition gave more importance to the individual virtues and military characteristics; Akhism was an organization which helped Ottoman State to put military and administrative institutions in order and which constituted artisan and craftsmen corporations (CaÄÅ ¸atay, 1989: 1). The contribution of the guild system in the Ottoman States foundation period may not be despised (Belge, 2005:312). In Anatolia, the foundation of the Akhi organizations was the result of political and socio-economical necessities. At the 13th century, Turks who arrived in Anatolia from Turkestan for escaping from Mongolian invasion formed craft and commercial organizations among themselves to protect their solidarity and to survive amongst the native Byzantine craftsmen. They thought that they could exist only if they sell high quality and standard goods, in a sense by improving their own craft and commercial organizations. The organizations adopted the futuwwatnamas religious and moral rules as their laws and this led to the foundation of Akhism with the leadership of Akhi Evran and Abul-Hakaik Mahmud. Later, Akhi organizations were divided into 32 main branches of trade or art and fixed 740 Principles in their futuwwatnamas to form the moral and religious life. Every Akhi had to know 124 necessary Principles (Cagatay, 1989:48-51). According to Koprà ¼là ¼ (1984), the artisans who were members of these organizations had to obey to the strict moral rules. There were strong moral and solidarity ties among the members. Besides to protect their common interests, they were organized to provide moral control to each other in their all kind of worldly activities (economic, social). This statement shows us that Akhi organizations were important controlling mechanisms. Every branch of craft which was joined to an Akhi organization was recognizing a superior Protector and was accepting a chain of Protectors for the trade (for the tradesmen). The organization of Akhi was set up independently in each town and villages. But, they maintained their relationship with other towns and other villages. In each branch of Akhi organization which is a guild organization, Akhi Baba was the chairman of craftsmen of the guilds situated in the region (ÇaÄÅ ¸atay, 1989: 201). Fuat (1977) said that in 14th century, as Akhi organizations played a part in structuring military and administrative institutions of Ottoman state and in organizing social life within the society, to be a member of these organizations was accepted to be honored. There were also sultans who were Akhis such as Orhan Ghazi, Sultan I.Murat. Ottoman state was supporting Akhis and was providing them some privileges. In his book of â€Å"Ahilik nedir?†, ÇaÄÅ ¸atay (1990) mentioned that Akhism was a multi-dimensional social organization. Its social roles may be grouped as below; To establish a hierarchical order based on four stages such as â€Å"errand boy† (à §Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±rak), â€Å"apprentice† (yamak), â€Å"qualified workman† (usta), and â€Å"master† in workplaces. Members have to be stayed a definite time in each stage to be educated. The ties between the members have to be sincere as the relationship of fathers and sons and the craft has to be based on strong moral and occupational basis Producers and consumers self-interests and relationships have to be organized in a way which will not cause any problem between them To establish an organization which provides meeting and guest houses in all cities and all villages. Fuat (1977) mentioned that Akhi Baba who was the chairman of the craftsmen (of the guild) of a region and who was democratically elected by the members was responsible of making the zawia built. His commands and his warnings had to be obeyed. They had the administration power where the Sultan was absent. Zawias were places where religious and moral books were read, where Akhis were enjoying with dance or music. This shows that Akhis were not only religious peoples. According to ÇaÄÅ ¸atay (1990), Akhi organization which was religion (Islam) based was a solid occupational and moral system. Their solidarity and their helping each other within the Akhi organization caused their superiority over the non-Muslims artisans and craftsmen. This situation continued until the second half of the 15th century. Belge (2005) said that when the society began to put its own rules; guilds had been transformed to social strata and they had lost their autonomy and authority; and they became limited to the production function. ÇaÄÅ ¸atay (1989) mentioned that Fatih Sultan Mehmed eliminated their political and moral power in the cities because of their expanded authority in the empire. The original Akhi spirit has been lost among the Ottoman craft-guilds by the end of 16th century, and they became occupational organizations which impose discipline to artisans and craftsmen. They lost their autonomy and became bound to the local representatives of c entral government (qadis) and then, qadis had the authority to choose Akhi leaders (Akhi Babas). According to Sencer (1999), although they hold some economic privileges and a degree of control over their members and production, they lost their autonomy and their administrative power. ÇaÄÅ ¸atay (1989) said that some craft branches rejected heavy regulations of the state and state tolerated some of them because of their importance to the economy. Thus, some craft-guilds such as leather and shoe trade could continue their occupation and they preserved their rules and their Akhi Baba tradition. So, we may say that when the state guaranteed its power, took the authority back from the Akhi organization and this caused the end of the privileges of Akhism. Guild was a typical medieval organization system; it was a conservative organization with its own logic. As their production was demand based, they had not a market problem. They had not an aim to expand their market. Although it was acceptable to have some qualified workmen (usta) who were seen as better and who were preferred for some needs; guild organization and logic behind it was preventing competition between craftsmen, especially in economic issues. This equality was functioning as law thanks to the fear of being opposed to the ethical rules which were accepted to be represented by their pir (who had started their craft work and who is thought to be a prophet) to whom they had a strong commitment (Belge, 2005:313). Esnaf (artisan) was the plural of the word class. At these times, in every war and expedition, there was a group of artisan and prostitutes who were moving with the army for logistics and some services. Evliya Celebi who had the best writings about the Ottoman guilds said that in 17th century; there were also thief and pickpocket guilds. He explained that this situation was not astonishing by saying in pre-capitalist times; Ottoman State was ordering people to be a member of an organization, to be in solidarity with the other members in this organization; and to be under the surveillance of this organization for having the right of free circulation in the city (Belge, 2005:313). This shows us that Akhi guilds had a responsibility to shape social life in cities by taking control of their members. After the 17th century, as Ottoman Empire was expanding to the new lands and as the non-Muslim population was increasing, the number of non- sectarian occupational organizations augmented. In this situation, Ottoman state wanted to erase the distinction between Muslims and non-Muslims. By a reform in 1727, guilds became reorganized within a new system called gedik which was not so different than the Akhi occupational organization in terms of the working process. But, what was different was that in gedik, there was not religious differentiation. Gedik meant monopoly and privilege. State had taken the authority of electing the person who would be the chairman of the guild. Therefore, guilds had lost their initiatives outside the state. Thus, guild was choosing the candidates and the state was electing them (Belge, 2005:313). According to ÇaÄÅ ¸atay (1990), state began to fix the number of masters within all trades (meslek). Somebody outside the gedik could not perform the same craft of this gedik independently or could not sell the goods produced in these gediks according to the rules of the state. The state took the authority of giving mastery licences from the guild. State established gedik system for increasing central authority over the guilds. As the Muslim character of the guilds disappeared when the guilds became open to the non-Muslim artisans, the meeting place of the guild members of the Akhi organizations which was zawia was no more a meeting place for guild members. In these times, when non-Muslim could establish their own guilds, the new meeting place became lonca. Gedik type work organization which began in 17th century continued until 1860. As there was a monopoly rule at gediks, without a necessity, the number of workshops was not changed by the state. This meant that the number of workshops was stable at a number decided by the state. In gedik system, nobody could open a shop without getting his mastery licence from the state and also, they could not perform their skills. Monopoly rules aim was to prevent changes in numbers of craftsmen at the city, to obstruct the tenants to increase the rents, to impede the performance of craft outside the gediks and to protect the system of being educated in the gedik, starting as errand boy (ÇaÄÅ ¸atay, 1989:111-118). So, state took the control completely. In the 19th century, after the declaration of Tanzimat Command in 3 November 1839, Ottoman State made trade treaties with foreign countries. Liberal economy of the foreign countries based on laisser-faire obliged Ottoman State to eliminate traditional monopoly over the craft and the trade seeing that monopoly rule was damaging the development of craft and trade and also, was causing states increased economic dependency to the Europe. Thus, the gedik system and all monopolies were abolished in 17 June 1861 with the command of Abdà ¼lmecit. The traditional craft-guilds continued until the Second Constitutional Monarchy period next to the newly established modern occupational associations. As the capitalist economy gained access in Ottoman State, traditional craft-guilds lost their all power and IttihatTerakki rule let this organization to create modern chambers as esnaf odalarÄ ± in 1910 (ÇaÄÅ ¸atay, 1989:216-217). The Akhi organization is considered to be the basis of todays some institutions such as Esnaf Chamber (Esnaf OdasÄ ±), Trade Chamber (Ticaret OdasÄ ±), labor unions, BaÄÅ ¸-Kur, Turkish Standarts Institute (Tà ¼rk StandartlarÄ ± Enstità ¼sà ¼) and municipality (oztà ¼rk, n.d). Looking Akhis mode of dressing, according to ÇaÄÅ ¸atay (1989), they were not wearing silk clothes; they were not using gold ornaments. Because, in Islam, silk and gold were forbidden for men to use. Their turban (sarÄ ±k) was 5-6 metre. Their clothes were at the colors of blue, white, black and green. In zawias, guild members were learning Koran, Sufism, the languages Turkish, Persian, Arabic; they were dealing with history, literature; and also, they were learning how to cook, how to play game, how to play an instrument. Every Akhi organization had its own flag. In every craft-guild, there was mà ¼tevelliwho was taking care of every kind of problems about their craft. He was controlling private and occupational life of the members; he was organizing ceremonies of â€Å"errand boy†, â€Å"apprentice†, â€Å"qualified workman†, and â€Å"master†. ÇaÄÅ ¸atay (1989) said that every craft guild had 2 kinds of members such as internal (dahili) and external (harici). Externals were retired and disabled members. Internals were divided in to 4 groups: Errand boy: He has to be younger than 10 years old. His presence to work had to be provided by his father or his protector (veli) Apprentice: After working for 2 years without wage, errand boys were promoted to the apprentice position with a prepared ceremony. In these ceremonies, master was mentioning his solidarity and talents. The chairman of the ceremony was giving advices to the child about not lying, not leaving his ritual worship (namaz) and continuing his solidarity to the shop, being respectful to his parents; to his qualified workman and to his master. Chairman was deciding a weekly wage to be given by his master. Qualified workman: He has to be apprentice for 3 years. Ceremony was done in craft-guild. This day, he was wearing for the first time the clothes belonging to his craft branch. His master and other 3 masters were witnessing about his good morality. Chairman was giving necessary advices. Master: He had to be qualified workman for 3 years. There shouldnt be any complaints about him. He had to be peevish about educating errand boy. He had to have good relations with apprentices; he had to have a strong commitment to his craft. During his ceremony of being master, chairman was mentioning which prophet was the pirof their craft, and he was giving advices about doing the trade honestly, being respectful to other craftsmen and customers and being merciful to the public. At these times, education was not the responsibility of the state. Therefore, at these times, religious rules were the basis of the society. In Akhism, religion was the main point. Akhi organization was trying to make adopted a well-behaved (ahlà ¢klÄ ±) life to the craftsmen. Akhis were saying that if in this world, they would have a well-behaved lifestyle, in the other world (in ahiret), they would be rewarded by the God, by pointing Koran. In Akhi organizations, it was learned to gain money honestly without making any tricky act. It was learned that the money which they have been gaining had to be permissible (helà ¢l). Craftsmen had to give priority to his craft more than everything. Craftsmen believed that their pir who had first started their craft was a prophet. Thats why, on every shops wall, there was this couplet (ÇaÄÅ ¸atay, 1989:157): â€Å"Her seher besmeleyle aà §Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±lÄ ±r dà ¼kkanÄ ±mÄ ±z Hazreti . dir pirimiz, à ¼stadÄ ±mÄ ±z† Important Akhi rules What they have to do Eli aà §Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±k olmalÄ ±: He has to be generous KapÄ ±sÄ ± aà §Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±k olmalÄ ±: His door has to be open SofrasÄ ± aà §Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±k olmalÄ ±: His dining table has to be open What they should not to do Gozà ¼ kapalÄ ± olmalÄ ±: He has not to be plotter Dili baÄÅ ¸lÄ ± olmalÄ ±: He has not to say any bad words Beli baÄÅ ¸lÄ ± olmalÄ ±: He has not to dishonor anybody According to Cumbur (1975) cited in Tà ¼rk Esnaf TeÃ…Å ¸kilatÄ ±nÄ ±n kuruluÃ…Å ¸u ve Denizli, Akhism had four principles such as: Kuvvetli ve galipken affetmek Hiddetliyken yumuÃ…Å ¸ak davranmak Dà ¼Ãƒâ€¦Ã… ¸manlÄ ±Ãƒâ€žÃ… ¸Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ± dostlukla, kotà ¼là ¼Ãƒâ€žÃ… ¸Ãƒ ¼ iyilikle karÃ…Å ¸Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±lamak Kendi ihtiyacÄ ± varken elindekini baÃ…Å ¸kasÄ ±na vermek In this project, my subject was Akhism as a guild system in the Ottoman Empire. I tried to answer my research question which is â€Å"the effects of the guild organizations norms to the craftsmens process of production†. Firstly, I defined the world Akhism and its origins. Than, I mentioned its role and its importance in the society, I talked about its foundation, its development, and its weakening reasons. I stated its control mechanisms and the reasons of the decline of their control in the society. I expressed the reasons behind the change of the system (gedik). I indicated its work organization (errand boy, apprentice, qualified workman and master), the norms within the organization and the effects of the norms to the guilds production process; and lastly, I also denoted why Akhi organization was removed. I think that I could answer to my research question. In this project, my argument was that the norms of the guild organization were mainly shaped by religion. I saw that my argument was true. Because, in Akhi organizations, religion was the main point and the norms were based on futuwwatnamas religious and moral rules (Islamic Futuwah traditions laws); and also, a well-behaved lifestyle was ordered to craftsmen to be rewarded in ahiret by the God. To sum up, in this project, with the aim of analyzing the effects of the guild organizations norms to the craftsmens process of production and with the aim of verifying my argument, I made a literature review on Akhism. I gave detailed information about Akhism starting from its foundation until its removal, including its importance, its organization, its norms and its roles in the society.

School Vouchers Essay -- Educational Vouchers Scholarships

One of the most important topics in government today is the issue of school vouchers. The two sides have remained deeply entrenched in their rival positions concerning this issue. Some wonder about the practicality of using the vouchers, while others wonder if it is defeating the purpose of the educational system. Educational vouchers can be very beneficial for both the student and even the school districts involved in the program. Many people do not realize the benefits of this program. Educational vouchers are something that many school districts need to implement due to their advantages. The benefits of educational vouchers very much outweigh the disadvantages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Educational vouchers, also known as scholarships, redirect the flow of education funding, channeling it directly to individual families rather than to school districts. This allows families to select the public or private schools of their choice and have all or part of the tuition paid. These vouchers are funded by either public (government) or private (corporations, foundations) funds. Scholarships are advocated on the grounds that parental choice and competition between public and private schools will improve education for all children (www.schoolchoices.org).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Publicly-funded education vouchers allow families to make private decisions regarding how public taxpayer money should be spent. Therefore, a voucher program hopes to create an educational market where schools must compete for students. Supporters claim market benefits, such as choice and innovation, will improve education. Opponents, on the other hand, say that vouchers will lead to greater inequality and the loss of civic preparation. Current evidence concerning the impact of vouchers is disputed (IBID.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Zelman versus Simmons-Harris court case that ended on June 22, 2002, is probably one of the most monumental court cases to date on this subject. The United States Supreme Court upheld a Cleveland, Ohio school voucher program by a 5-4 vote. Judges Rehnquist, O’Connor, Kennedy, Scalia, and Thomas were for the decision (www.law.umkc.edu). This case was the latest in a long series of Supreme Court decisions that eroded constitutional requirements for school voucher programs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to comply with these constitutional requirements, a constitutional voucher program must take many actions. The prog... ...oney to afford a better school. If the administrators continue to allow this, we are denying our children’s’ rights to a good, quality education. School vouchers are something that can guarantee a parent the right to send the student to any school that would best fit his learning style and values. Voucher programs are perhaps the most effective way to help low-income families become active consumers in the educational marketplace, helping them gain control over their children’s education and encouraging them to become more involved. Educational vouchers are a way of putting the student first†¦which should be the main goal of educational personnel everywhere. By implementing an educational voucher program, schools will better themselves and students across the nation will reap in the benefits. WORKS CITED â€Å"Case Analysis.† Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. www.au.org â€Å"Education Vouchers.† www.ncspe.org . â€Å"School Choices.† www.schoolchoices.org/roo/vouchers.htm . â€Å"So You Wanna Learn About School Vouchers?† www.soyouwanna.com/site/pros_cons/vouchers.html â€Å"Zelman v. Simmons-Harris.† www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/zelman.html .

Angelas Ashes: Analysis :: essays research papers

It is a common view that times for the Irish majority in the 1930's and 40's were very hard. Especially for the Irish Catholic families with the stereotypical drunken father, emotionally wrecked mother, kids running round her with her sore back from the next child ready too be born. In Angela's Ashes, Mc Court examines his childhood experiences, the tragedies, hardships, learning, all involved with growing up.One of the most interesting aspects of the writing in Angela's Ashes is how the text is written, from Mc Courts interpretation of the situation at his age he was at the time, the spelling and grammar also indicates that the child is writing, not the adult. This contributes immensely to the emotions and enjoyment evoked from reading the book. It also better describes how a child actually sees the things going around them, and what they may be thinking. Personally, sometimes is made me think for a while about how I interpreted things I saw when I was that age, and the fun I had b eing a 'kid' with my sister.McCourt describes his brothers and sister, even the ones that died and how much he enjoyed growing up with them, how they cared and loved for each other. Because of the appalling quarters they lived in and the lack of money and food there was terminal illnesses in the family which proved fatal to some of his siblings. Mc Court in his 'child-like' writing style describes how his siblings and he, interpret what's happened and how they see their parents reacting. Mc Court also analyses how his younger brother Malachy looks up to him and how much he takes Malachy under his 'wing' and takes care of him. Parenting is said to be one of the hardest tasks out there today, especially sole-parenting. Mc Court carefully examines his mother, how she copes with her drunken betrothed, how her cousins who married 'gentlemen' are constantly try to run her life, and how she acts as a woman. His father, the 'Irish drunk' who is constantly making him and his brother swear their lives for Ireland and singing Roddy Mc Corley and Kevin Barry after a night at the pub. How his father will tell him stories about old Irish folklore and get sacked from job after job.As Frank progresses into adolescence, he explores the feelings and changes he goes through.

The Individual vs. Society in Mrs. Warrens Profession Essay -- Mrs. W

Often in life there is a conflict between what is good for the individual and the moral values placed upon the individual by society.   This is true of the characters in George Bernard Shaw's play Mrs. Warren's Profession.   Shaw clearly demonstrates that actions frowned upon by society are not necessarily evil so long as they benefit the individual.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perhaps the most obvious example of societal morals conflicting with individual need is the case of Mrs. Kitty Warren.   Mrs. Warren is a woman whose economic standing and lack of any professional skills forced her into becoming a prostitute. Obviously such a profession is against the beliefs of the society that she lives in.   Not only is she not ashamed of her occupation, she is proud of the amount of money that it, as well as managing several houses of prostitution, has made for her. When asked of any shame about her job by her daughter she states, "Well of course dearie, it's only good manners to be ashamed of it: it's expected of a woman." This statement shows that the only reason that one would be ashamed of it is because of society says that one should be.   She feels that the restrictions that society has placed on women has made it impossible for her to pursue any other lifestyle.   She demonstrates this by saying, "It's far better than any other emp loyment open to [women]...   It can't be right, Vivie, that there shouldn't be better opportunities for women."   Shaw is attempting to evoke sympathy for the character of Mrs. Warren by pitting her against a society that is against her.   He is quite obviously in favor of the actions that Mrs. Warren has taken, as demonstrated by the very reasonable rationalization for what she has done and the approving reaction of her daughte... ...in acting as the representative of Shaw's views, is constantly blowing off his attempts at winning her affection.   Finally gives up his attempts when he realizes how her mother earns the money. He states , "I really can' bring myself to touch the old woman's money now."   Vivie is quite glad to be rid of him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shaw's opinions on society against the individual are clearly outlined in this play.   Through the actions and words of the character Vivie it can be clearly seen that he finds nothing wrong with breaking the rules placed on people by society, providing that it is for a good reason and not simply for self indulgence.   The conclusion could be drawn that Shaw feels that these morals are fine in a perfect society, but since we do not live in one they must be broken occasionally in order to attain a better life, providing that it is done only in moderation.

Hydrologic Cycle, Tectonic Plates, Natural Resources

1. Describe the path a molecule of water might follow through the hydrologic cycle from the ocean to land and then back again. The water evaporates from all over the world but let’s say it is evaporates from the oceans to form clouds that are moved over land by many of winds. The rainfall then brings it to earth where it will return to oceans by creeks to river, and some lakes then back to the ocean. 5. Describe at least one example of the environmental costs of water diversion from rivers to farms or cities. There can be so many different consequences from river diversion, downstream river discharge is reduced, the evaporation in the overall irrigation region is increased, and the level of water table rises these are just a few. The effects of reduced downstream river discharge could be reduced flooding, disappearance of wetlands and flood forest, reduced availability of potable water, and reduced shipping routes. 6. Explain the difference between point and nonpoint pollution. Which is harder to control? Why? Point pollution is a pollution that comes form one specific site. Nonpoint pollution is a pollution that comes from many different sources rather that one. I would have to say that nonpoint would be harder to control because of it coming from many different sites instead of from one place. Discussion Questions 1. What changes might occur in the hydrologic cycle if our climate were to warm or cool significantly? I think that if the climate get warmer the ground will the harder and harder as time goes, then on the same day or another could be really bad storms with warmer air it is causing stronger winds and storms, with lots of flashfloods. The cooler the climate there will be more run off less infiltration and soil will be very hard. 6. Under what conditions might sediment in water or cultural eutrophication be beneficial? How should we balance positive and negative effects? Sediment is important in depositing new soil in delta areas for better crops. Eutrophication is the addition of phosphates and other plant nutrients to the water causing excessive plant growth, then the lower areas die without sun, and the decomposition of the dead material uses to much oxygen and fish die. With the cultural eutrophication indicates that man is involved. We have removed phosphates from detergents, but farming and golf courses and other things still contribute to pollution. I can not and will not find any positive or beneficial effects out of this. Chapter 11 Text Practice Quiz Questions 1. How does tectonic plate movement create ocean basins, midocean ridges, and volcanoes? Tectonic plate’s movement creates ocean basins, mid-ocean ridges, through collision. Colliding plates push sedimentary materials into an uplifted mass of rock that contains numerous folds and faults. The Earth has undergone a number of mountain building periods. The process of creation is first by the accumulation of sediments then the tectonic collision causes rock deformation and crystal uplift and finally the isocratic rebound continues to cause uplift despite erosion and causes the development of new mountain peaks through block faulting. 7. Describe some of the mining, processing, and drilling methods that can degrade water or air quality. This can be done by water mining they use extraction of water from non-replenishing groundwater or glacial reserves. What resources, aside from minerals themselves, can be saved by recycling? There are so many helpful things by recycling; by recycling you will save space in the landfill for something else that can not be recycled. You can use your food scraps for compost, along with your yard clippings. Clothing and furniture give to goodwill; this is a must in my home. With some effort people could cut their garbage going into landfills by half. Discussion Questions 2. Geologists are responsible for identifying and mapping mineral resources. But mineral resources are buried below the soil and covered with vegetation. How do you suppose geologists in the field find clues about the distribution of rock types? Mineral exploration is the process undertaken by companies, partnerships or corporations in the endeavor of finding ore to mine. They use many different methods to find the materials. The Geophysical Method is where they use an instrument to check for variation in gravity, magnetism, electromagnetism and a number of different variables in a certain area. They could use remote sensing it gives the explorer orientation information about the location of tracks, roads and fences, as well as the habitation. 5. The idea of tectonic plates shifting across the earth’s surface is central to explanation of geologic processes. Why this idea is still called the â€Å"theory† of plate tectonic movement? Continental Drift was first proposed by Wegener, there were many geologists who opposed his ideas & they put forward reasons for their objections that were justifiable at the time. As geological science has developed since 1915, Continental Drift changed to the Theory of Plate Tectonics which also, originally had its critics. Answers to these criticisms have gradually been found though, but because these solutions have been developed slowly over many years, the theory of plate tectonics has yet to be officially changed to the principles of plate tectonics. Chapter 12 Text Practice Questions 3. What are the major sources of global commercial energy? I think that most of our commercial energy would come from gases, oils, and coal. 6. What are proven-in-place reserves? The quantity of energy sources estimated with reasonable certainty, from the analysis of geologic and engineering data, to be recoverable from well established or known reservoirs with the existing equipment and under the existing operating conditions. 16. What are biofuels, and how could they contribute to sustainability? Biofuels are made from the starch or oil portion of plant materials. Some are even made from the fats of animals. In general, ethanol is the fermented starch fuel and biodiesel is the refined oil and fats. Biofuels are important PART of the solution to declining and ever more expensive petroleum supplies. Biofuels can be used together with technologies such as hybrid vehicles and plug-in vehicles. The Chevy Volt is announced to be a plug-in vehicle with a small Flex Fuel Vehicle engine to charge the batteries. Even the new Cadillac Escalade hybrid has been announced as a Flex Fuel Vehicle. Discussion Questions 3. If your local utility company were going to build a new power plant in your community, what kind would you prefer? Why? I think that I would want it to be a wind power plant because wind is natural no harmful things would be burning or have a chance for some kind of spill out. I would mostly have to say wind. 4. The nuclear industry is placing ads in popular magazines and newspapers, claiming that nuclear power are environmentally friendly, since it doesn’t contribute to the greenhouse effect. How do you respond to that claim? I would have to say that it might be some what environmentally friendly but I would have to ague that fact of it rising the temperatures of ocean waters. They say it is local but does that water just stay right there? NO it moves about everywhere mixing with all the other water changing the temperature.

Psychological Aspects of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism Essay

Though the most of the teachings followed by the different sects of Buddhism vary and conflict with each other, the general core values set by Buddha are still followed by all Buddhists. In regard to this we examine two Buddhism sects namely Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism. Whilst Theravada is psychologically oriented, Mahayana is idealistically oriented. The two sects have varying perceptions of the reality and the world besides the concept of being. There are many inherent differences between the two sects of Buddhism though the two seem to broadly agree on the original teachings of Buddha. Firstly, Theravada Buddhism denies the existence of any true being behind any given phenomenon and consequently avoids making metaphysical statements unlike Mahayana which teaches an Eternal Absolute included in many names. In this sense, Mahayana holds that all beings in all forms are identical with the absolute in their cores. Moreover, Mahayana sees Gautama as seeing through the projection of the absolute though it holds or possess a mortal frame of illusion which is frail. On the other hand, Theravada consider Gautama as a natural teacher or a superman at most. In the teachings of Theravada, liberation can only be achieved through an individual’s effort as opposed to the teaching of Mahayana which holds that liberation can be achieved through the help of outside assistance and deliverance through the power of others (Paul, 1999, 45). Moreover, Theravada Buddhism teaches it followers to set their ultimate goal to be the achievement of nirvana as opposed to the case of Mahayana which its ultimate goal is defined in following the ways of bodhisattva in leading all other human beings especially the sentient beings to liberation. In addition, Theravada Buddhism sees Hinayana as the final exit from the world while the same to Mahayana Buddhism is considered as achieving consciousness of an individual absolute nature and gaining mental aloofness state from all suffering. As seen in the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, it attitudes are organized in such a way that an individual or a follower should endeavor to help the world and unselfish to it. On the contrary, Theravada attitudes are such that it followers should always endeavor to defeat the world through analysis strategies employed on its elements and through using knowledge and experience of an individual conduct. Mahayana Buddhism sometimes referred to as Northern Buddhism or the great wheel (vehicle) is mostly found in china, Vietnam, Japan, Korea and Nepal. It is usually followed by monks and lay. In essence, the Monks follow the rules set by Vinayas and which constitutes the prescriptions for monastic life in the Tipitaka also known to be Theravada sacred canon. However, they do this via the interpretation of Mahayana. In addition, the Monks also take vows to strive attain bodhisattva, with those who pursue esoteric practices of Tantric Buddhism taking Tantric initiations and vows (Michael, 2003, 56). In essence, Mahayana Buddhism is founded on speculations of metaphysical nature in respect to the nature of reality or what can be termed as enlightenment in addition to the core values set by Buddha. The general idea of Mahayana Buddhism is that when one achieves enlightenment, such a person returns to the world as a Bodhisattva to join other human beings. In this context, this branch of Buddhism emphasizes that the duty of a Buddhist who has achieved enlightenment is compassionately work in an effort to help end the sufferings of other Buddhists. In addition, Mahayana Buddhism holds the argument that through enlightenment, all creatures which can be considered as sentiment will finally achieve Buddhahood (Christopher, 1999, 23). Mahayana Buddhism is commonly divided into philosophical schools which are known to be influential not only to the Mahayana Buddhism but also to the Shankara and Advaita Vedanta as well. In this regard, the dialectic school also known as Madhyamika constitute one of the two schools of Mahayana. In essence, this school emphasizes negation of every possible phenomenological reality through logical reducto-ad-absurdum means in an effort to achieve Shunyata which can be seen as ineffable absolute or void and which is considered as the only reality. The concept of Shunyata was introduced in an effort to refute the delusions caused by separate enduring egos. Moreover, the concept was adopted to emphasize the ways in which everything in the universe is connected to each other. The second school is a consciousness doctrine also known as Vijnanavada. This school uses mediation process in an effort to prove that consciousness constitutes the ultimate reality. Unlike the other school, Vijnanavada has a number of occult and metaphysical conceptions including an emanationist which psychologically oriented but similar to Samkhya which is on the contrary cosmologically oriented. Mahayana Buddhism is centered on the noble Bodhisattva ideal which guides the enlightened Buddhists while dealing with the sentimental beings. In definition, a bodhisattva can be seen as a being who is in constant search of means of achieving or attaining Buddhahood in order to benefit sentiment beings. The conception of bodhisattva was developed from the idea of a Buddhist who differs with the ultimate goal of extinction also referred to as nirvana so that such a person can often make his or her way back to the world of suffering and help end the suffering of sentient beings (Michael, 2003, 59). In essence, the idea of bodhisattva is considered as demonstrating selfishness in the doctrine of Mahayana Buddhism largely because a bodhisattva having not reached nirvana, postpone enlightenment so as to help the sentient beings. On the other hand, Theravada Buddhism is seen as the oldest surviving school of Buddhist school and began first in India. It is also known as Hinayana and is relatively close to original Buddhism and conservative as compared to Mahayana Buddhism. Different from the teachings offered by Mahayana, Theravada emphasizes on the concept of Vibhajjavada or Pali which is literally used to mean the teaching of Analysis. According to this teaching, insight comes from the experience of the aspirant coupled by reasoning instead of by blind faith and critical investigation. Despite this teaching, the scriptures adopted by Theravada Buddhism emphasizes on the need to heed to the advice of the elders or the wise. In essence, heeding to the advice given by the elders and evaluation of one’s experience are considered to be the two vital tests on which the judgment of practices adopted by any given follower should be based. In Theravada Buddhism, the cause of human suffering and existence is identified as tanha or a craving which constitutes all the defilements inclusive of sensual desires, anger, ill will, jealousy, fear, hatred among others. In this context, the level of defilement can be coarse, subtle or medium. In essence, the phenomenon of defilement in Theravada Buddhism is seen as arising temporary, taking hold for a short time and then vanishing all together. In this respect, the doctrine of Theravada Buddhism believes that defilements are harmful not only to the person who commits them but also to others and that they are the force behind all the inhumanities committed by any given human being. Moreover, the followers of Theravada Buddhism holds the believe that defilements constitutes habits which are born out of ignorance afflicting the minds of the unenlightened human beings. Being under the influence of defilements, human beings are believed to cling to them by ignoring the established truth. On the other hand, these defilements are considered to be nothing but taints afflicting the mind of human beings consequently creating stress and suffering. Furthermore, the doctrine of Theravada Buddhism believes that the unenlightened human beings tends to cling to their bodies with the assumption that it is their self while on the contrary it present itself as an impermanent phenomenon which is formed on air, fire, water and earth. In this context, it is believed that the body will decompose and disperse after death. Moreover, it is believed that the mental defilements’ continuous and frequent manipulation and instigation of human mind prevents it from seeing the true nature of reality. These defilements according to Theravada Buddhism are further strengthened by unskillful behavior and that if a human being follow a noble eightfold path, he or she can weaken or overcome these defilements. The doctrine of Theravada Buddhism believe that those who are unenlightened experience the world through imperfect six senses inclusive of the ears, the eyes, nose, tongue, mind and tactile sense. They then goes on to use the mind which is by then clouded by much defilement in forming their interpretations, perceptions of reality and conclusions. In essence, the conclusion reached is based on the perceptions of these individuals in regard to the reality. On the other hand, the five physical senses are inactive to unenlightened person and consequently, the defilements are further strengthened unlike in the case of an enlightened person where the senses are wholly active thus suppressing any defilement. In order for any human being to overcome the stress and suffering caused by these defilements one must strive to overcome the defilements first. The defilements in this context are believed to be initially restrained through mindfulness in regard to preventing them from taking over the bodily and mind action. To uproot them therefore, one need to undertake internal investigation and to analyze and at the same time understand the experience and the true nature of such defilements through the use of jhana. The process of uprooting the defilements need to be performed on each kind of defilement if optimal results are to be achieved. Consequently, the mediator will realize four noble truths as believed by the Theravada doctrine which will help him in achieving enlightenment and overcome the defilements completely (Prebish, 1994, 67). In essence, the doctrine of Theravada Buddhism consider enlightenment and Nibbana as their ultimate goals. In this sense, Nibbana is thought of as the perfect bliss through which a person is freed from the cycle of birth, illness, aging and death. The doctrine believe that each and every person should be held personally responsible for their own liberation and self-awakening. In this context, every individual is the one responsible for the consequences of his or her actions as well as those specific actions. As such, by simply believing and striving to learn the truth as provided for by the original Buddhism, an individual cannot fully be awakened but rather he or she must strive to know and conceptualize such reality through direct experience. In this regard, the individual has to follow the teachings of Buddha in respect to the noble eightfold path in an effort to individually discover the truth. According to the doctrine of Theravada, gods, Buddhas, or even deities are not capable of offering awakening to any human being and as such are incapable of lifting from freeing them from the samsara cycle of birth, ageing and death. According to the beliefs held by followers of Theravada Buddhism, Buddhas are only teachers while the gods and deities are subject to anger and other forms of defilements (Robinson, 2005, 46). Theologically, Theravada Buddhism is founded on the four noble truths which are also referred to as the four sublime truths. In essence this can be disseminated as defining the problem, the cause of the problem, the solution to such a problem and the methods and ways that must be followed to attain that solution. Firstly, Theravada Doctrine takes suffering or Dukkha as one of the four noble truths. In this regard, we can have inherent suffering which includes all forms of suffering undergone by an individual as a result of worldly things . On the other extreme, we can have suffering that results from change and finally suffering that is caused by one’s failure of recognizing that he or she is an aggregate definite with an identity that is unsusceptible to change. Secondly, we have the cause of the suffering referred to as Dukkha Samudaya and which can be defined as a craving that leads an individual to worldly bondage and attachment thus causing suffering for such an individual. In this regard, Kama Tanha is the act of craving for any given pleasurable object as a result of the body senses. On the other hand, Bhava Tanha is when an individual crave to be attached to a particular ongoing process such as the longing for existence. Still, Vibhava Tanha is when an individual crave to be detached from any given ongoing process such as the longing for self annihilation. The third truth called Dukkha Nirodha can be seen as a cessation for suffering. According to this truth, it is impossible for one to adjust the entire world in order to fit in his or her taste in an effort to free from suffering. On the other hand, one must adjust his or her mind through detachment process so that any occurring change will have no effect on the peace of mind of such an individual. In other words, the elimination of the craving or the cause will help in eliminating the result. The final truth is a pathway to freedom from suffering and is known as Dukkha Nirodha Gamini Patipata. It is commonly known as the noble eightfold pathway towards Nibbana or freedom. It constitutes the right intention, speech, actions livelihood among other right things that an individual needs to do to free from suffering. According to the doctrine of Theravada Buddhism, all conditioned phenomena including physical qualities, knowledge, theories adopted and the physical characteristics are subject to change with time. This is referred to as Anicca which can also be taken to mean impermanence. Moreover, the teachings of Theravada holds that suffering or Dukkha is caused by craving in the sense that whatever is craved for is subjected to change, transition and perishing. In this regard, the impermanence of the craving object causes sorrow and disappointment in the long run. Since individuals are the one involved in labeling the objects to be liked and those to be disliked on one hand and the comforts and discomforts in the world on the other hand, they are the ones who create suffering in the first place. In this context, if an individual succeeds in overcoming the tendency to label thing in the world, he or she will be free from suffering (Prebish, 1994, 68). Still, Theravada Buddhism uses the concept of anatta in referring to the lack of unchanging and fixed identity. In this regard no specific phenomenon constitutes any individuals’ essential and permanent self. In essence, any human being is composed of five aggregate elements. First, there is the rupa which includes the feelings and other forms of sensations also known as vedana, sanna which includes all the perceptions held by an individual, sankhara which is the mental formations arising from the perceptions and vinnana or the consciousness. All of this cannot be identified as ones’ self but rather together forms the core of an individual. The realization of anatta, dukkha and anica enables one to achieve freedom and to reach nibbana, a state in which one is complete and ultimately free. In regard to meditation, Theravada Buddhism sees it as a way of positively reinforcing the mind of the individual in question. In this respect, mediation is categorized into two. Samatha which in literal terms mean making something skillful includes the acts of achieving visualizing or tranquilizing reality through meditation. Vipassana can be defined as insight or abstract understanding through meditation. In essence, samatha helps one to skillfully concentrate the mind while vipassana helps in seeing through the veil of ignorance (Paul, 1999, 47). In conclusion, while it is easy to disseminate the psychological orientation and aspects of Theravada Buddhism, it is hard to identify the psychological perspectives of Mahayana Buddhism. This is because as stated earlier Mahayana is idealism as opposed to Theravada Buddhism which is psychologically oriented. The teachings of Mahayana Buddhism are those of metaphysically assisting other human beings to achieve enlightenment though the one helping need not have fully achieved it himself. In other words, it teaches it followers to be unselfish to the others and to the world as a whole. It teaches its followers to strive to attain enlightenment and to help others who have not attained it do so. On the other hand, Theravada teaches its followers to strive to overcome the world through individual efforts other than relying on external assistance. In essence, Theravada Buddhism encourages its followers to find effective means of overcoming their defilements and thus to free themselves from sufferings. It holds that the suffering undergone by any individual starts with that individual himself and thus he or she is the only one who can liberate himself from such suffering. Work Cited: Christopher Brown. Can Buddhism Save? Finding Resonance in Incommensurability. Cross Currents, Vol. 49, Summer 1999, pp. 23 Michael Pye. Skilful Means: A Concept in Mahayana Buddhism. London, Routledge Publishers, 2003, pp. 56, 59 Paul Groner. A History of Indian Buddhism: From Sakyamuni to Early Mahayana. China, University of Hawaii Press, 1999, pp. 45, 47 Prebish Charles. Buddhism: A Modern Perspective. United States, Pennsylvania State University Press, 1994, pp. 67, 78 Robinson R. Buddhist Religions: A Historical Introduction. Belmont, California: Wadsworth, 2005, pp. 46.

Biological Psychology Worksheet Essay

Answer the following questions in short-essay format. Be prepared to discuss your answers. 1. What is biological psychology? Biological psychology is the scientific study of the biology of behavior. This study is also known as biopsychology, psychobiology, behavioral biology, and/or behavioral neuroscience. 2. What is the historical development of biological psychology? The historical development of biopsychology is traced as far back as the ancient Greek era. It became the Roman church who dictated much of the human behavior according to their religious beliefs. After the Dark Ages subsided a new way of thinking was born and this period is called the Renaissance era. With this era came new ways of studying things, ways to see things by observing them and this was how modern science was founded. 3. Name one to three important theorists associated with biological psychology. One theorists related to the study of biological psychology is Rene Descartes. Rene Descartes elaborated on a theory in which the pneumatics of bodily fluids could explain reflexes and other motor behavior. Rene Descartes also was the first to identify, clearly, that the mind has a consciousness and is self-aware, which leaves the brain to be a tool for intelligence. 4. Describe the relationship between biological psychology and other fields in psychology and neuroscience. Whether it is the study of biopsychology and other fields of psychology or neuroscience, all psychologists and scientists are trying to understand the functions of the brain. The body and mind connection and how it reacts to certain behaviors or illnesses. Biological psychology is defined as the scientific study of the biological bases of behavior and mental states. Neuropsychology is a division of the science that attempts to understand the way structure and function of the brain relate to behavior and psychological processes. 5. Describe the major underlying assumptions of a biopsychological approach. Mental illnesses can cause biological consequences. Biological events cause mental illnesses. Trauma is something that can cause any person to experience some type of mental illness. Some believe that they are two things go hand in hand and cannot be separated and are completely linked to each other.

I Want to Be a Nurse Essay

Writing assessment Empire college offers a unique learning environment for the busy learner who may be juggling a number of roles, spouse, parent, manager, entrepreneur, volunteer, caregiver, and more. We offer a flexible learning environment, with individually designed degree programs, and opportunities to study online,face to face, or a combination of the two. In a type essay of no fewer than 300 words, please describe: 1. Your reason for applying to Empire State College. 2. Your personal and professional goals, and what topics or areas you hope to study 3. Your strengths and experiences (educational, employment, community and personal background) that will make you a successful student in our learning environment. MY LIFE STORY Life is a long journey to seek happiness and great joy! Sometimes we can successfully overcome some kind of hardships in life and sometimes we are still struggling and suffering but don’t ever be despondent. No matter how hard it is, as long as you stay persistent and self determined you will overcome those obstacles. There were so many stages on my risky challenge journey to find a happy life! To know who you are you must know where you began. My life starts in a small village in Viet Nam. Despite growing up with a privilege life full of food on the table, a warm bed to sleep in, plenty of toys†¦It is human nature to want what I don’t have-nurturing parents. My parents worked very hard to provide a better life that they never had. I and three of my brothers were grown up with unhappy childhood. We never had time to play with friends, go to the park or even get any gift on our birthday †¦.All of us had to work after school to help my parents earn more money for food and others basic shelters. When I was in the middle school I had to do all of the housework and trading in the market for foods. I believed that is why I am so independent on my life. MY name is â€Å"My† which is often misspelled and misunderstanding. But it carried a full meaning to my parents. First it means beautiful. Second it links to a country â€Å"United State of American†. When I was a kid my parents usually tell me about how wonderful American are which in . Wealthy, Independence and freedom†¦ In 1987 when I was born my parents escaped from Vietnam to United State of American to explore a new life with a standard living but they failed and I was named â€Å"My† to chase my parents dream. I and my Parents had shared about â€Å"American dream† since I was 10 years old. I always dreamed of get out of my small village to fulfill my family dream and make a better life to help my parents who had sacrifice themselves to raise us to become good persons. Even how hard they are we still go through school. I was always study very hard at school and look for a chance to study aboard in the promising land American. Time went by and even how hard my parents and I tried we still could not afford for going aboard. But I still kept thinking about this dream until one day I had got a chance to take risk to work aboard as a technician specialist named Chartered Semiconductor in Singapore. The day I left my country and my family was a gloomiest day that I never forget. I was very excited to explore about Singapore at the first time I came there. I heard that Singapore is a very high standard country. Living and working in this country I don’t have to suffer from any obstacle. But dream is always dream and when I started to work I knew that it is never easy to get what you want without skills and experiences. Things never come the way I expected. It s so much can be say for living and immersing myself in another country and multicultural. I had to face with a lot of horrible experiences at work. Especially it was so difficult for me to adjust to speak Sing-English. Co-worker made fun of my English. I was hurt like a deep wound cut inside. I was cried some nights and even I was mad at myself. But 2 weeks later I told myself not to be discouraged because I left my homeland for this and there was no excuse for me to give up. Slowly I tried to join at work, make friends and ask them whatever I didn’t understand. I found my own way to get help. I gradually created my life with a fully eye-open experience. I built a lot of intangible skills. Each situation was a stepped stone thread through to my life with so many little things teaches me independence, management, organization and the best is self-confidence. I also found my love destiny here. I met my husband at work who was a nice, thoughtful and caring Vietnamese-American. He helped and supported me during the time I was struggle and suffer at work and the new life here. Through him I had come to God and believed in God. God had leaded me the way to go further and fulfill my dreams. We married after 3 years dating. One Year later we moved to Germany because of my husband work and we stayed there for 1 year and 4 months. From this time, I was really enjoy my life. I has chances to experience plenty of new things with my flesh eyes which I had read in books and surfed on Internet. I knew more about amazing country over the world and I was so interested to learn so many things about social, history, custom, religious about Germany and European. I had built a very good relationship here. I will never forget about this wonderful period of my life. And I, now finally, am here in New York. Enjoy my second winter. My dream about American for a long time had come true. To me, New York was a far-away and strange land at the first time. I was scared and lonely for almost 3 months. I and my husband moved to New York last winter in October 2011 and we experienced 2 terrible storms then we settled up everything to get ready for a lot of plans. I could not forget the first time my husband teach me to drive. My heart was bumping and my palm was sweat. I tried to get my driver license other way I had to stay at home. And now I can I drive to library every week, found a good job, made good friends and had plenty of good relationships, and the best thing is I will be Baptism next month to become a Catholic Christian. Thanks God blessed for me onmy life. I had so many goals and I had made them come true. I was on phone with my Mum on my 27th birthday. She said she is so proud of about me that I made her happy and the most important she asked me â€Å"What are you going to do next?† Five years living aboard is such a long time, but it goes so fast. I did not let any hardship hold me back and I am going to go through another bigger goal which is go to college and I will never stop to achieve my dreams. I was interested in Health filed and I always wished to become a helpful nurse when I was very young. Being a Vietnamese girl learn English to become a nurse is my first and forehead goal I want to do in this coming year. I would love to care about people and make them happy. My motivation is 4 year college and then go to study beyond later if I have a chance because education never stop. There are a lot of things to do in this country. I still want to have a good future with a solid stepped stone in life and a loving family. I will raise my children to become a successful person. They will use my experience story as a role for them to work hard and to be successful in their lives. And I have to say my heart was burning when I found Empire State Community college. I really want to get my degree here so desperately. Empire State community college offer the course which I interested in with flexible study option and it have great faculty, also a warm and diverse community and interesting traditional according to students. I can decide how, where and when I sturdy to complete my education.That’s great. I have a long way to go but I will do my best to reach my goals. Yes! Everyone have a story-history that has made them the way they are to make a happy life! And that is who am I!