National Integration

National Integration is a psychological process. It means a well knit society in which all are loyal to their country. It means that every Indian irrespective of caste, creed, language or religion belongs to India and is proud of his country. National integration is very important for the all-round development of the country. In fact, its existence depends on it. There are different climates in India. Food habits are different, crops are different and there is a difference in faiths and belief. They wear different dresses. Even the Indian customs and conventions are vast and varied. The people pursue different sects and religions. There is a difference even in the lands. The northern are is very fertile. There are hills and mountain ranges here. In the south there are deserts, hills, barren lands and plateaus. As a result, its soil is different in fertility and nature. The taste and temperament, color, features are all different. There are fanatic people who create communal disturbances in the name of religion. The states have been created on the basis of language formula. In spite of all the diversity in culture, India stands united. It is because our constitution was so designed to give equal rights to people of every religion, sect, area, sex and culture. We cannot forget the noble service done to our country by Sardar Vallabhai Patel in this direction. He was the iron man of India who wrought miracle by unifying al the numerous states of India after the partition. National integration is essentially needed to keep India alive. It is our prestige. There are forces now that resort to communalism, provincialism and parochialism. They have their vested interests. They do not stand for India. They want it to disintegrate. They are tools in the hands of some foreign elements. They do not like to see India united and strong. Pakistan and Bangladesh are the recent creations carved out of India. We cannot bear further divisions. We have to crush the movements of secession with a strong hand. Let us promote national integration by doing everything that is possible. Let us encourage all the forces of patriotism along with promotion of goodwill and mutual trust among people of different castes, areas and religions. A sincere effort by sincere politicians and religious leaders will be a positive step in this direction. Any negative activity in this regard should be taken seriously and step should be taken to sort out the grievances of different sections of people. Let us join our hands to maintain unity in diversity. National Integration India has many races, nationalities, castes, subscastes and communities but so far the heart of India is concerned it is one. It is true that societies that have been integrated into bonds of unity have always enjoyed peace, stability, prosperity and permanence. And those torn by mutual disruptive tendencies among various sections of the society have always been short lived and become non- existent. The national integration is the process of uniting different people from all walks of life into a single whole. The most serious problem being faced by India in present circumstances is, how to develop an atmosphere of national consciousness among so varied a people. Indians already have suffered for long periods, the pangs of enslavement and servitude. It is India in the whole world which has to suffer under foreign rulers for more than seven hundred years. The separatist tendencies among people and kings have always resulted in the fall of our kingdoms. Our country was always divided into large number of small kingdoms which were mostly at daggers end. There has been a lack of national consciousness. The internal disputes among the Rajput kings allowed Muslim invaders to establish their foothold here. Then the Britishers were able to create rifts between various kings and princes and thus established their supremacy. It was only overthrown when Indian nationhood joined together by unparallel acumen of some great Indian leaders who became creators of history. There is a need to make efforts for creating emotional integration or a sense of unity. The need of the hour is national integration. It should be taught at the very beginning, in all schools and colleges all over the country that India is one and only one. The differences between various cultures are just superficial and basically it is only one. What is needed is superior interpretations, synthesis of the power of the mind that can give rise to a vision of the whole and oneness. The school and college teaching material should be suitably revised wherein importance and need of oneness should be emphasised. From one end of the country to the other end, regular long distance tours must be conducted so as to foster emotional integration among the young students of our country. Steps must be taken to see that, there are no sectional appeals so that disunity among the people does not increase manifold. To bring about national integration, there are many techniques. It can be forced out, or can be made to strengthen from within the core of hearts. The result by way of exercise of power would always be weak, nsuccessful and it would be for a temporary phase only. But when the sense of national integration stems from within, it would be strong stable and ever-lasting. British government brought about national integration by way of their needs. For the first time during the British rule, the whole of India came to be governed from one centre and all regions of the country from West to East and South to North obeyed instructions and advice from the central power. This was because the God of free dom was the same and realized all over the country. The national unity became more emotional when the country fought a united struggle for freedom. Emotional integration is the basic foundation on which the main structure of national integration can be created. There is a rich cultural heritage in India. All of us are inheritors to several grand treasurers in the fields of music, dance, drama, fine arts and paintings, sculpture and theatre. Our seers and sages have left behind a tradition of piety, penance, conquest of passion and spiritual greatness. Our cultural unity is further exemplified by the great temples of the South, the caves of Khajuraho and Ajanta and Ellora which are glittering examples of proficiency of India in the field of architecture and sculpture. India classical music is built on the concept of ragas and talas. Each raga is regarded appropriage to a certain emotion, a certain mood suitable for a specified time of the day or night. In the modern times, people like Pandit Ravi Shanker have taken the Indian music to great heights in the whole world and thus have bridged the gap between the East and the West in the field of music. Today the intellectuals of Indian society can give the right direction as the country is standing at the crossroads of failures and achievements. The intellectuals must come out of their narrow cells of detachment and awake up to their responsibilities towards the general masses. Through national integration, we will prosper and flourish and dominate the others who are characterized by divisive forces. We will carry with us, a power and strength, solidity and solidarity and an element of cohesiveness which will impart to us further permanence and stay in present struggling world National Integration India has many races, nationalities, castes, subscastes and communities but so far the heart of India is concerned it is one. It is true that societies that have been integrated into bonds of unity have always enjoyed peace, stability, prosperity and permanence. And those torn by mutual disruptive tendencies among various sections of the society have always been short lived and become non- existent. The national integration is the process of uniting different people from all walks of life into a single whole. The most serious problem being faced by India in present circumstances is, how to develop an atmosphere of national consciousness among so varied a people. Indians already have suffered for long periods, the pangs of enslavement and servitude. It is India in the whole world which has to suffer under foreign rulers for more than seven hundred years. The separatist tendencies among people and kings have always resulted in the fall of our kingdoms. Our country was always divided into large number of small kingdoms which were mostly at daggers end. There has been a lack of national consciousness. The internal disputes among the Rajput kings allowed Muslim invaders to establish their foothold here. Then the Britishers were able to create rifts between various kings and princes and thus established their supremacy. It was only overthrown when Indian nationhood joined together by unparallel acumen of some great Indian leaders who became creators of history. There is a need to make efforts for creating emotional integration or a sense of unity. The need of the hour is national integration. It should be taught at the very beginning, in all schools and colleges all over the country that India is one and only one. The differences between various cultures are just superficial and basically it is only one. What is needed is superior interpretations, synthesis of the power of the mind that can give rise to a vision of the whole and oneness. The school and college teaching material should be suitably revised wherein importance and need of oneness should be emphasised. From one end of the country to the other end, regular long distance tours must be conducted so as to foster emotional integration among the young students of our country. Steps must be taken to see that, there are no sectional appeals so that disunity among the people does not increase manifold. To bring about national integration, there are many techniques. It can be forced out, or can be made to strengthen from within the core of hearts. The result by way of exercise of power would always be weak, nsuccessful and it would be for a temporary phase only. But when the sense of national integration stems from within, it would be strong stable and ever-lasting. British government brought about national integration by way of their needs. For the first time during the British rule, the whole of India came to be governed from one centre and all regions of the country from West to East and South to North obeyed instructions and advice from the central power. This was because the God of free dom was the same and realized all over the country. The national unity became more emotional when the country fought a united struggle for freedom. Emotional integration is the basic foundation on which the main structure of national integration can be created. There is a rich cultural heritage in India. All of us are inheritors to several grand treasurers in the fields of music, dance, drama, fine arts and paintings, sculpture and theatre. Our seers and sages have left behind a tradition of piety, penance, conquest of passion and spiritual greatness. Our cultural unity is further exemplified by the great temples of the South, the caves of Khajuraho and Ajanta and Ellora which are glittering examples of proficiency of India in the field of architecture and sculpture. India classical music is built on the concept of ragas and talas. Each raga is regarded appropriage to a certain emotion, a certain mood suitable for a specified time of the day or night. In the modern times, people like Pandit Ravi Shanker have taken the Indian music to great heights in the whole world and thus have bridged the gap between the East and the West in the field of music. Today the intellectuals of Indian society can give the right direction as the country is standing at the crossroads of failures and achievements. The intellectuals must come out of their narrow cells of detachment and awake up to their responsibilities towards the general masses. Through national integration, we will prosper and flourish and dominate the others who are characterized by divisive forces. We will carry with us, a power and strength, solidity and solidarity and an element of cohesiveness which will impart to us further permanence and stay in present struggling world

TOUAX company

TOUAX is a French company and is currently Europe‟s no. 1 in shipping containers and river barges, and no. 2 in modular building and freight railcars. The group provides operating leases to customers around the world, both on its own account and for third-party investors. On June 24, 2009, TOUAX announced that its capital increased by waiving preferential subscription rights but with priority for existing shareholders, launched on 18 June 2009 for a total of E17, 851,519.76 (gross) through the issue of 936,596 new shares which were subscribed in the entirely. Following partial application of the extension clause, 952,747 shares were placed or 101.72% of the issue; total proceeds were E18, 159,357.82. This rights issue has enabled the Group to strengthen its financial structure, to position itself with advantage for possible acquisitions of tangible stock, and to grasp opportunities thrown up by the crisis (purchase of shipping containers, modular buildings, river barges and railcars, for hiring out on mainly long-term leases). 370,062 new shares allotted under absolute entitlement were subscribed or 39.51% of the total number of new shares issue. Another 555,685 shares were applied for subject to cutting back in the event of over subscription, and orders for these were all filled. Another 27,000 shares had been applied for by the general public, and following partial application of the extension clause it proved possible to fill orders for all of these. All the result of the right issue, TOUAX is well placed to respond to the boom in corporate outsourcing of non-core assets, and every day provides over 5,000 customers with quick and flexible leasing solutions. TOUAX is now listed on Euronext in Paris – NYSE Euronext Compartment C (ISIN Code FR0000033003), and features in the SBF 250 Index.

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

No topic - Essay Example They are all similarly Caucasian in appearance, but they have different cultural traditions, and it is this social difference that is called ethnicity. These ethnic differences have been a part of American history from the beginning, because people from many different countries came over as immigrants and formed communities which carried on these original traditions. The bigger American culture is made up of elements from all those other cultures. The English view of race was very positive about white people, seeing them as conquering heroes, who had taken over lands as rulers, just as English companies took over India and other colonies. They saw other races as inferior, however, and this was very extreme in the case of Africa. African people were viewed as savages and they were exploited because the British had superior weapons. This treatment shows that the British thought of Africans as something less than human and this kind of attitude was brought over to America in the early days, and transferred also to the view that white Americans had of other groups, including all the native tribes and nations who were on the land before the Europeans arrived. The system of slavery began with the establishment of various kinds of colonies in the American territories. There were not enough white people to tend the fields and so a system of plantations was created, bringing African Americans as slaves to work in them. These people were brought by force. There were also many poor white people who voluntarily became slaves for a fixed period of time, because this gave them a chance to make a new life in America when they had failed to prosper in their home country. White people saw themselves as superior, and this is a social cause of slavery. Slaves were not allowed to decide about family matters like getting married, and having children, and they could not own property, or invest in their own education, making this a

-How did the experience of colonialism affect Latin American Essay

-How did the experience of colonialism affect Latin American development and was this overcome with independence - Essay Example Independence of the once colony regions dictates the process in which the country will eventually develop (Brown & Paquette, 2013, p 19). In some extends, independence actively pushes the region towards positive development whereas in other scenarios, it retards the development, plunging the region into a world of chaos. This study leads towards understanding the impacts of colonization and influence of independent in postcolonial Latin America. The origin of the term Latin America is itself an illustration of the influence of colonialism in the southerner region of America. The region got the name from the establishment that its colonizing powers were the Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries. The region encompasses present day countries such as the islands of Suriname, Jamaica, Haiti and Guyana, as well as, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay and southern part of the United States (Andrien, 2002, p 67). Before the arrival of these influential powers from Europe, the region in the 15th and early 16th centuries consisted of virtually indigenous people. Additionally, it is notable that the region had vastly advanced civilizations, although not to the sophistication level as was the European countries at the time. Some of the notable cultures regarded as advanced include the Aztec, Inca and Maya cultures, and origins of the people. However, through the processes of arrival of the foreigners who later colonized the region, it underwent several changes, experiences, and consequences, emerging as the Latin America region (Galeano & Belfrage, 1998, p 87). The impacts and influences of the colonial period on the region are vast. Additionally, the year also formulated the basis for the establishment of the independence wars and eventual independence of the region. During the colonial period, the immigration activity within the region consisted of mainly

Common Sense in Criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Common Sense in Criminology - Essay Example All along this essay we endeavor to find answers to the problem arising from the shortcomings in common-sense understandings. At the end, a multidisciplinary and eclectic approach to this judicial matter will guide the way into a correct path in search for a coherent solution. There is a great deal of criminological theories to choose from. A wide spectrum of contradictory ideas lies behind those theories. But the knowledge of all of those theoretical assumptions can help us a lot in the task of assessing the evidence in any legal case. They can be especially necessary when we face the problem of common-sense limitations. These shortcomings can be reduced to a minimum through the appropriate use of adequate theoretical and methodological criteria. The role of criminological theories cannot be underestimated. Dr. ... heories present conflicting and contradictory positions, so the overall state of the theoretical corpus in Criminology is somewhat chaotic and confusing when we study the different fundamental tenets that many theoreticians hold as valid. Despite this complex theoretical panorama, all of the opposing theories have something to teach us about crime and its interpretation. These theories can give us some insight into the phenomenon of crime as Diane M. DeMelo (2003c) states: "Theories not only provide a framework for us to interpret the meanings of observed patterns but they help us to determine when these patterns are meaningful and when they are not." It is necessary to have a general knowledge of most of the criminological theories, so we can enhance the common-sense understandings improving our interpretation of the evidence in any fact assessment case. And we have to notice that common sense can mean many different things depending on the person who defines it. Many things are taken for granted in the name of common sense, so we have to be aware of the implications the definitions might have. Common sense is widely applied by everyone, and it can help us in simplifying the way we think and arrive at a conclusion when assessing facts and data. Schutz (2005) gives us an excellent idea of what common sense implies: "Common-sense thinking consists of a system of constructs or meanings for organizing the world and acting in it. Although each of our total set of constructs is unique (originating in our biographical situation), most of our common-sense constructs are socially derived. This shared intersubjective stock of knowledge and assumptions we develop through interactions allows us to engage in joint projects with other people". Even though it is very

Jews and Slavery Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jews and Slavery - Term Paper Example In ancient times, Jewish laws and society permitted slavery (Schorsch 37). Slaves made up a significant part and property of a Jewish household. This paper will discuss the Jew’s involvement in slavery and the slave trade. Religious literature on Judaism contained in the Hebrew Bible, also known as Tanakh, contain various laws on the ownership and handling of slaves. The initial Israelite slavery laws as seen in the Tanakh have a resemblance to the slavery laws of the 18th century (Faber 21). The Passover, which is a holy time among the Jews, relates to freedom from slavery. In the middle ages, the Jews, just like their Muslim and Christian neighbors, owned slaves and took part in the slave trade (Schorsch 37). When Portugal and Spain expelled their Jewish subjects, the Jews involved themselves in all types of trade, including the slave trade. Their first participation in the slave trade was recorded in the 5th century after Pope Gelasius allowed them to bring slaves into Ital y from Gaul (Faber 19). Later, in the 8th century, a king called Charlemagne gave the Jews authority to act as the sole mediators in the slave trade. The Spanish Jews then sold slaves as body guards to the Caliphs of Andalusia. Jews formed the key traders in the sector of Christian slaves in the medieval ages (Shavit 24). They financed the trade and plotted to enslave, convert and sell non Jews on routes previously created by Muslims and Christians, rarely creating their own routes. They were active in North Africa, Slavonia, Eastern and Central Europe. Their most significant territory was in Portugal and Spain between the tenth and fifteenth centuries (Shavit 20). During the colonization of the Americas by Europe, Jews owned Latin American and Caribbean slaves, most notably from Brazil, Jamaica, Barbados and Suriname. Slave trade was their key occupation and became the region’s largest slave holders (Shavit 12). In that period, the Jews owned large plantations in these count ries. Later, in the 17th century, North African Muslim states were more tolerant to the Jews than were the Christians of Spain and Britain. This led to many Jews living in the North African region and establishing business contacts with the people. The most notable buyers of Christian slaves were the Jews from Algiers (Shavit 31). Their counterparts, the Jews from Italy were the key planners of ransom negotiations for the Christian slaves in Algiers and their subsequent freedom and return to their home countries. Following the expulsion of Jews from Portugal and Spain, they heightened their activities in the Atlantic slave trade (Shavit 19). The discovery of the New World further fuelled the activities. In the Atlantic slave trade, the Jews moved African slaves to the New World from Africa in exchange of sugar and manufactured goods (Schorsch 14). There was also a significant participation in the slave trade, in Brazil, by Jews and their descendants who had converted to Christianity , also known as New Christians. The Jews dominated the trade to such an extent that the Christians of Brazil became envious of the plantations owned by the Jews in the Pernambuco river valley (Schorsch 15). In the southern regions of the United States, Jews were not significantly active in the slave trade, and they only represented less than 2 percent of all slave owners in that region. Rather than Judaic laws, the practice of slave

Americanos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Americanos - Essay Example The forces that inculcated a desire in the Americans to gain independence, the causes of conflicts among troops, and the consent of leaders have all been well captured in the book. â€Å"Chasteen's book joins a long list of highly regarded and influential English-language surveys of the independence period† (Blanchard). Summary: The book explains how the Portugese and Spanish colonies struggled to gain independence in America. In the start of 19th century, Napoleon conquered Portugal and Spain. This event in Europe brought about many consequences throughout the world. The event sparked a whole range of revolutions everywhere in the Portugese and Spanish empires in the New World. The world history underwent an altogether turn. The independence wars ultimately led to the development of 19 independent republics in America. Some of the most well known leaders of the times like Father Hidalgo, Father Morelos, and Bernardo O'Higgins have been identified along with some not so well k nown women like Manuela Saenz, Juana Azurduy, and Leona Vicario that had played important roles in the overall independence movement. It has been discussed in the book that by the time the wars neared end, the Latin American independence leaders acknowledged the classical liberal principles. In particular, the popular principles of self-determination and sovereignty were embraced. The global reach of values of the Western politics expanded permanently as a result of it. In the years that preceded the independence, the whole colonial society was categorized on the basis of caste. There were europeos, mestizos, americanos, pardos, Indians and blacks. Among them, the europeos were considered as the â€Å"most pure† group. The term, â€Å"Americano† got redefined after huge struggle so as to include non-europeo people. To define America's rainbow of castes as the Americano people recognized the truth on the ground, but it also created a new truth, an airy but potent abstra ction. That abstraction was the Sovereign People, who deserved nothing less than a government of, by, and for the people. (Chasteen 2). The redefinition of americanos went against Spansih colonialists. Many new nations also got influenced in Latin America because of that, and adopted a republican form that was equipped with all trappings of the liberal rule. That is why today, a vast majority of the oldest functioning republics of the world are from Latin America, and are still caught in disturbed political legacy since their birth. Critical analysis: Chasteen has adequately synthesized all major events and identified all key individuals that had played an important role in the wars of independence between 1805-1830. The chief battles and events have been described quite straightforwardly. Figures have been accompanied with biographical information that make it a colorful and balanced portrayal of history. Chasteen has fundamentally made use of secondary sources. Therefore, the book basically offers a makeup of existing scholarship and can not be regarded as an â€Å"addition† to the existing body of literature. However, Americanos is undoubtedly, a valuable addition to the existing scholarship of the history of Latin America. The book mostly presents the state of the art awareness in a clear manner. There are no groundbreaking advances or realization of

Cochlear implants and the debate within the deaf community. Arguing Research Paper

Cochlear implants and the debate within the deaf community. Arguing that cochlear implants have been beneficial for the deaf community - Research Paper Example The external components of the implant contains a microphone that is to be worn behind the ear of the patient, attached to a magnetic transmitter, which is attached to the earpiece and a sound processor. Once the implantation is complete, an audiologist uses a computer to set the speech processor for the patient. The audiologist sets the processor and programmes it to the appropriate levels of auditory stimulation between sound received from environment and brain nerve cells (Cochlear 1; Ouellette 1248). Once the processor is set, the microphone receives sounds from the environment and sends it to the speech processor, which then performs computation, and transforms the sound to electrical codes and digital format. The digital codes are sent to the outer ear component as coded signals bypassing the ear hairs. The magnetic transformer behind the ear then takes these codes, transforms them to electrodes arrays, and interfaces them to the cochlea. Then the internal device in the cochlea takes these arrays and stimulates the auditory nerves fibers that are connected to the brain, whereby the arrays are sent by the auditory nerve of the person to the brain for interpretation (Cochlear 1). This paper seeks to establish that cochlear implants technology is beneficial to the deaf community despite their opposition to the implants during their inception. In order to alleviate fears of the deaf community there have been improvements in cochlea implants technology over time and hence increased rate of success to patients who have undergone the procedure. Ideally, the procedure is meant to be applied to infants born deaf or those who have developed deafness in their early days. This is because cognitive development of a child into their senses and environment occurs between the ages of 0-3 years. Hence, if the procedure is undertaken during this

How trade restrictions affect international trade Essay Example for Free

How trade restrictions affect international trade Essay How do international sanctions, tariffs, quotas, and trade restrictions affect international trade and costs of production?International sanctions are set in place typically to protect countries involved in trade. There are many types of sanctions that have been in place for quite a while but the most common sanctions are used to stop terrorism, which is extremely important to even more so since September 11, 2001. Sanctions regarding trade restrictions on weapons, ammunition, and other materials used to make weapons or explosives are common among countries. When it comes to tariffs, it is a tax on imports imposed by the government to raise funds. There are also many types of tariffs, which are used by nearly every government in the world to exploit more money revenue for that government. In many cases a tariff is in place to protect an industry in that country. A Quota is a way to describe the checks and balance system for which a government or business determines its supply and demand quantity. Different international sanctions, tariffs, quotas, and trade restrictions all can hamper international trade and may also increases the cost of production. How do tariffs and sanctions on the import of auto engines into the U.S. affect production and costs at Acme?Tariffs and sanctions ultimately would hinder Acme Motors on the import of auto engines and parts because the price of the production pieces would rise noticeably. At this current time United States benefits extremely from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), since the U.S. does not impose tariffs and hampering sanctions on trades with Canada and Mexico. As explained in the first paragraph, that if tariffs were implemented the prices of these products would greatly increase because of the government take on this revenue which would lead to higher prices the consumers would end up paying. So far it has shown to be beneficial for the United States and Acme Motors having the lack of sanctions and tariffs. Do you agree with trade restrictions? When do you think they are successful?My personal thoughts are that trade restrictions are very important and that I do agree with these restrictions. While third world countries do not benefit from these restrictions it is still used to limit terrorist trade capabilities, maintains economies that are already  established, and controls the flow of productions that look to monopolize one or many different forms of business. The United States is heading into a recession or may already be knee deep into one but if the U.S. did not impose trade restrictions on certain countries the very foundation in which this country was established would be swept right out from underneath our feet. Reference: Sawyer, W.C., Sprinkle, R.L. (2003). International Economics, Second Edition. 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Taylor, S. (2007, Feb 07). International Sanctions, Tariffs, Quotas, and Trade Restrictions. Retrieved on December 7, 2008, from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/132626/international_sanctions_tariffs_quotas.html?cat=3

Theories of Motivation Essay Example for Free

Theories of Motivation Essay Ask any person who is successful in whatever he or she is doing what motivates him/her, and very likely the answer will be goals. Goal Setting is extremely important to motivation and success. So what motivates you? Why are you in college? If you are in college because thats what your parents want, you may find it difficult to motivate yourself. Sure, its possible to succeed with someone else providing the motivation for you. (If you graduate from college, Ill give you a car! or worse If you dont graduate from college, you wont get a car. ) But motivation that comes from within really makes the difference. Theories have been developed over the years as to what motivates us and those theories are what I intend to discuss. Compare and Contrast of Motivational Theories Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Maslow showed little interest in animal or laboratory studies of human behavior. He chose instead to collect data for his theories by studying outstanding individuals. His studies led him to believe that people have certain needs, which are unchanging and genetic in origin. These needs are the same in all cultures and are both physiological and psychological. Maslow described these needs as being hierarchal in nature, meaning that some needs are more basic or more powerful than others and as these needs are satisfied, other higher needs emerge. (Abraham H. Maslows, 2001) Herzberg Hygiene Theory Herzberg found that the factors causing job satisfaction (and presumably motivation) were different from those causing job dissatisfaction. He developed the motivation-hygiene theory to explain these results. He called the satisfiers motivators and the dissatisfiers hygiene factors, using the term hygiene in the sense that they are considered maintenance factors  that are necessary to avoid dissatisfaction but that by themselves do not provide satisfaction. Herzberg described motivators as: growth, esteem, recognition, responsibility, advancement and personal goals. Hygienes are: job security, working conditions, company policies, co-worker relations and supervision relations. (McShane Von Glinow, 2003) McGregors Theory X and Theory Y People who espouse Theory X would believe that the average human being dislikes (all) work and will avoid it if they can; that because of this, people must be coerced to put in the required effort, offered inducements and threatened with punishment. Theory X goes on to hold that the average human being seeks to avoid responsibility, is not ambitious and seeks security before advancement. People who hold to Theory Y, on the other hand, believe that for most people work is as natural as play; that people have capacity for self-control: that motivation also arises from the higher order needs such as self-esteem and achievement and that people, if properly managed, will be more than willing to take on responsibility. Finally, theory Y holds that people can be creative and team spirited and that few organizations make use of the abilities that people have. Summary Maslows theory and Herzbergs Hygiene theory differ due to peoples needs not changing over time in Herzbergs theory. They all three resemble each other in that Maslows physiological, safety abd social needs; Herzbergs hygiene factors and all of McGregors Theory X and Theory Y factors are satisfied through conditions of employment and the workplace. McGregors Theory X and Theory Y are two distinct types of people where the other two individualize all of the theory factors. Maslows is a hierarchy that when one need is fulfilled others kick in. Herzberg outlines factors that need to be maintained on a constant basis rather than a hierarchy of one achievement to the next. All of the theories have validity, but I find that Herzbergs Hygiene Theory is what I see most at my work or in my field. It is especially noticed when I look at the dissatisfaction and then look at the hygiene factors and see such a resemblance.

Effect of Culture on Differences in Conceptions of Education

Effect of Culture on Differences in Conceptions of Education I chose the following articles which examined the effects of culture on the differences in conceptions of education. Human thought and behavior are heavily influenced by the practices and assumptions of a certain culture and education cannot escape this influence (Brislin, Bochner, Lonner, 1975; Cole, 1996). As the course (AH103) sought to examine educational outcomes in cross cultural settings, I personally believe that a deeper and more critical understanding of how education is perceived, valued and conceptualized across cultures is important. The only opportunity we had to discuss such a topic in class was the short article, â€Å"Mind or Virtue† by Jin Li (2005) and I felt that it was quite limited. In addition, I believe that understanding the ideas of influential thinkers from different cultures such as Confucius, Socrates and Dewey can shed light on how different cultures have perceived education historically and how they continue to be influenced by them. Finally, these articles demonstrate that we can borrow best practices from different cultures to better prepare our students for the globalized world and I feel that it would be helpful for us being future teachers to understand that. Article 1: Cultural Perspectives on Teaching and Learning: A collaborative self-study of two professors first year teaching experiences. (Hu Smith, 2011) The first article (Hu and Smith, 2011) documents the reflective experiences of Hu and Smith, assistant professors of Chinese and American nationality respectively. Throughout their first year at the same university, they utilized the self-study approach to explore their views of teaching and learning and how their different cultural backgrounds could have influenced their perspectives. The approach which included conversations and writing and sharing reflections about their teaching practices helped them clarify their education philosophies. Hu and Smith (2011) shared that their educational philosophies were mainly influenced by Chinese Confucianism and Deweyan pragmatism respectively. The article went on to provide more information about both philosophies but this will not be discussed in this paper owing to the length constraint. Upon reflection, they realized that their educational philosophies heavily influenced their teaching practices. For example, Hu believed that it was more important to be a strict teacher: â€Å"I have been influenced since I was young in China that a strict teacher prepares better students. I thought that I should be a strict teacher, and be responsible for my students; however, it seems that my students really did not appreciate that. (Hu, 10 February 2009)† On the other hand, Smith believed that being an understanding teacher was more important: â€Å"Teaching is making connections with students, inspiring them, showing them many strategies to use in teaching, allowing them time to practice the strategies, make mistakes, revise, and plan again. My duty as an instructor is to do all in my power to assist in the students’ learning. Yet I found that some of my students lacked the desired dispositions to become excellent teachers. (Smith, 23 June 2009)†. There were also other differences in their teaching beliefs (e.g. Smith believed that students should learn to be assertive while Hu believed in the importance of modesty). These differences were mutually exclusive and reflected the different conceptualizations of education in the two countries. However, Hu and Smith (2011) believed that the collaborative self-study experience helped them to understand the teaching values of their own and another culture more profoundly. After scrutinizing the philosophies of education in both eastern and western cultures and comparing and contrasting their own views of teaching and learning, they managed to gain insights that went beyond recognizing the differences between the two. In fact, they recognized the strengths of each philosophy and sought to integrate both philosophies to provide more effective instruction (Hu Smith, 2011). For example, Smith helped Hu to obtain a deeper understanding of American classroom culture. As the use of role models in education is prevalent in Chinese culture (Reed, 1995), Hu praised students who had performed well in class with the intention to encourage them and hoped that other students would be encouraged to emulate them. To Hu’s surprise, some students felt that their efforts were not affirmed in the process of being compared to others. Smith helped Hu understand that US students value individualism and working at their own academic level and pace. Consequently, teachers believe in differentiated instruction and praise. In addition, Hu helped Smith to embrace the eastern views of learning: that students should be diligent, respectful, and virtuous. Smith made a conscious effort to share these values with her students and help them appreciate and foster those values. For example, she modeled a strong work ethic and enforced strict grading policies and deadlines. She also requested students to assess themselves on punctuality, participation, completion of assignments and staying focused at the end of each class. Many of her students provided feedback that they were inspired by Smith sharing about and fostering Eastern views of education and felt that it has given them new perspectives towards education. Therefore, Hu and Smith (2011) believed that integrating their cultural views of teaching and learning helped them to achieve the best of both worlds. However, they believed that it is only possible if the teacher is interested to achieve such a balance. However, despite having great interest in achieving the balance, Hu and Smith (2011) realized that their own views of teaching and learning were greatly influenced by their cultural backgrounds and were not easily altered. As such, they worked hard to integrate both cultural beliefs of teaching and learning within their teaching practices. Lastly, Hu and Smith (2011) argued that understanding different educational philosophies can help teachers better serve their students in the increasingly globalized world. I chose this article because I appreciated the authors deeply reflecting about their own educational philosophies and seeking to uncover how their cultural backgrounds have affected them. In addition, I loved the simple message that there are strengths in both the Deweyan and Confucian approaches and that integrating them in our teaching practices can better serve all our students. Article 2: Rethinking Teacher Education: Synchronizing Eastern and Western Views of Teaching and Learning to Promote 21st Century Skills and Global Perspectives. (Smith Hu, 2013) The second article was written by the same authors of the first article. After four years of experience with the integrated philosophy of eastern and western perspectives and receiving positive feedback, Smith and Hu (2013) decided to follow up on their first self-study (Hu Smith, 2011) by investigating how their integrated philosophy have influenced teaching and learning of 21st century skills in their college students (Smith Hu, 2013). The authors firmly believed that 21st century skills such as critical thinking, creativity and problem solving must be embedded into the curriculum because research had shown that students require these skills to succeed in work and life (Association of American Colleges Universities, 2007, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2007). For the study, Smith and Hu (2013) analyzed different sources from the past four years: 1) monthly self-study meeting notes, (2) self-reflective journals, (3) student and departmental peer evaluations of teaching, and (4) faculty and student feedback on the authors’ invited presentations. Smith and Hu (2013) found that their integrated philosophy was very effective in developing 21st century skills. For example, in the area of career and life skills, the western view helps to develop self-confidence, individuality and democratic education while the eastern view help foster the virtues of hard work, responsibility, commitment, and persistence in students. The integrated philosophy thus developed both sets of skills as both authors upheld rigorous teaching standards and high expectations. Moreover, the integrated philosophy worked well in terms of learning and innovation skills. Smith’s western perspective influenced by Dewey promote creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration through inquiry teaching and active learning. While personalized instruction is valued by the eastern perspective, the integrated philosophy valued collaboration with peers as an important part of teaching and learning. Over the years in their classes, presentations and conferences, Smith and Hu (2013) learned that educators from a diverse range of cultures were interested in cultivating global teaching perspectives. In addition, they all value 21st century skills and believe them to be important student outcomes. Having witnessed firsthand the importance and necessity of incorporating best practices from other cultures, the authors believe that educators across all disciplines should develop a global perspective of teaching and learning and provided some recommendations. Firstly, educators must examine themselves to unearth their personal cultural philosophy of teaching and learning (possibly using self-study like the authors). In addition, professional development sessions with other colleagues can be a good way to develop cultural understanding. Next, educators should consider collaborating to integrate cultural perspectives to promote 21st century skills. Finally, teaching and learning must alwa ys respect and take into account the diverse cultures of all students and families. I chose this article because it was a rich qualitative study which clearly articulated the benefits of utilizing an integrated philosophy in fostering 21st century skills. I think it would really encourage future and current educators to rethink their own educational philosophies and utilized the integrated one proposed by the authors. Article 3: Learning Considered Within a Cultural Context: Confucian and Socratic Approaches (Tweed Lehman, 2002) The last article (Tweed Lehman, 2002) used a Confucian–Socratic framework to analyze how academic learning is influenced by culture. At the start of the article, the authors clearly examined how different education processes are valued differently by Socrates and Confucius from the Western and Eastern cultures respectively. While Socrates encouraged students to question widely accepted knowledge privately and publicly and to create and articulate their own hypotheses, Confucius valued respectful, effortful, and pragmatic acquisition of essential knowledge so as to result in behavioral reform. While recognizing that examples of both Confucian and Socratic approaches can be found in both cultural contexts, Tweed and Lehman (2002) helped readers understand the impact of each approach in a different culture. Firstly, in some Western educational contexts, the Confucian approach may be advantageous- for example, in the case when students are expected to gain and utilize foundational knowledge to familiar and novel situations. However, the Confucian approach may be a disadvantage in other contexts- for example, students heavily influenced by the Confucian approach may speak up less in class and be perceived by their teachers to be less capable. In addition, it is also important to note the impact of the Socratic approach in Eastern educational contexts. The Socratic approach can potentially result in the disruption of the learning environment due to the lack of sensitivity to the social consequences of public criticism. In addition, Yang (1986) argued that the Socratic Method co uld lead to disorientation in Chinese classrooms because students may not be well prepared to engage in arguments, leading to poor student outcomes. However, there are also instances when a Socratic orientation has merits in Eastern educational contexts, such as when instructors yearn to be questioned (there are times when even Confucius wished that his students doubted his teachings). After examining the impact of each approach in a different culture, Tweed and Lehman (2002) argued that students who are academically bicultural and can adapt their learning approach according to cues in the academic environment may be more successful. Therefore, Tweed and Lehman (2002) agreed with the authors of the previous two articles (Smith Hu, 2011) that educators should encourage both inquiry (Socratic) and thoughtful acquisition (Confucian). This will help students gain knowledge and thinking skills that become useful in many domains beyond the current academic context. Although Tweed and Lehman (2002) did not refer to the above skills explicitly as 21st century skills, it is safe to assume that they would agree with Smith Hu (2013) about their importance too. Furthermore, Tweed and Lehman (2002) argued that students and educators alike may not entirely acknowledge the influence of culture on students’ academic role and behaviors. Wollenburg (1995) had identified the poor treatment of students of Asian descent in Western educational institutions and argued that it is partly due to a lack of understanding of different conceptions of learning. Therefore, Tweed and Lehman (2002) posited that an increased understanding of these conceptions can potentially inform changes at the institutional level that can improve education for all. Before concluding, Tweed and Lehman (2002) suggested several additional avenues for future research. Firstly, they believed that we should explore the nature and feasibility of academic biculturalism. For example, it would be beneficial if we can answer the following question: what distinguishes students who possesses both Confucian Socratic approaches to learning? Secondly, they believed that future research could examine the utility of the Socratic-Confucian framework as an educational tool in both unicultural and cross-cultural environments. Tweed and Lehman (2002) found out through informal discussions with their students that learning about the framework has helped them understand their own approaches to learning and become more flexible learners. I chose this article because it provided more evidence on the benefits of utilizing the integrated approach. In addition, it helped readers understand the ideas of another influential thinker in education, Socrates. Conclusion To conclude, I hope that these three articles can help students in the course develop a more nuanced appreciation of the influence of culture on the different educational philosophies, namely Confucian, Deweyan and Socratic. Rather than simply recognizing that certain educational processes are valued differently across cultures, I hope that students can go on and appreciate the strengths of each of the three educational philosophies and seek to utilize the integrated approach to better serve their students.

kids :: essays research papers

unsubstantiated cases. The National Crime Survey shows that in â€Å"1987 children in the twelve to fifteen age group suffered a rate of victimization, exceeded only by that of people aged sixteen to twenty-four† ( Whitcomb 431). Another form of child abuse is incest. Incest can be described as sexual acts between two people who are so closely related that the law forbids them to marry. In a great majority of incest cases, the victim is a female. Her assailant is usually a male adult, uncle, cousin, or brother. Some studies have shown that â€Å"40 percent of all women who use drugs have incest in their past† (Giovannoni 4 ). Abuse does not just mean that the child is likely to become an abusive parent. There is another great danger. Studies show that â€Å"abused children have a habit of getting into trouble with the law† (Conte 42). There are no statutes that clearly distinct between what is and what is not considered to be child abuse and neglect. Therefore, police and other public officials must take each case separately into consideration. Some people believe it is better for an abused child to be placed in foster care. Yet, foster care, in some cases, may be more harmful to the child’s health. Despite a â€Å"department policy that says children should not be put in homes with more than six children, sixteen percent are†(Giovannoni 25). One fourth of all abused children in foster care return to their parents. It has been estimated that some ten thousand children are severely battered every year, fifty to seventy-five thousand are sexually abused, one hundred thousand are emotionally neglected, and another one hundred thousand are physically, morally, or educationally neglected. It only takes a quick scan of the headlines to see that sex offenders come in a variety of shapes and sizes – principals, teachers, coaches, doctors, lawyers, scout leaders, ministers, priests, neighbors, relatives – the butcher, and the banker. Every child is vulnerable to abuse. Today’s parents must face the possibility that someone may hurt or take advantage of their child. Research indicates that as many as â€Å"one out of every four children will be the victim of some type of abuse† (Daro 87). In order to highlight the problems of determining what is abuse and neglect here is an example of some cases. â€Å"A three year old in Tennessee was forced by her stepfather to walk for three days and three nights, until she died of exhaustion.

Garden State, Cool Hand Luke, and The Last Samurai Essay -- Film, Movi

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the movie Garden State, Natalie Portman‘s character is trying to get Zach Braff‘s character to do something really stupid and silly, and says â€Å"This is your one opportunity to do something that no one has ever done before and no one will copy through-out human existence. And if nothing else you'll be remembered as the one guy who ever did this†¦ this one thing.† It’s movies like this, movies that are written with great meaning, that I walk away from with just this warm unexplainable feeling. Movies that have the creator’s blood, sweat, and tears in the soul of the movie, not just thrown together at the end just to make the quick buck are the ones worth seeing. Movies that are made up from filmmakers not money hungry producers, like Garden State, Cool Hand Luke, and The Last Samurai are the ones you remember. These movies to me were movies made with a particular purpose and not just to make as much money as possible, eve n though they did.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Garden State is a movie that is about a troubled twenty-something-year-old kid coming back home after the tragic death of his mother. He hasn’t been home in nine years, because of some fallouts with his parents. While he is home, he runs into old friends from high school and meets this girl he eventually falls in love with. Now that’s the typical Hollywood storyline and typical movie formula, but the purpose of this movie is underneath the sheets. Zach Braff directed this movie and had the lead role. It was his first doing both...

The Socio-Cultural Effects of Technology on Society

Group research paper: The Socio-Cultural Effects of Technology on Society Technology and society or technology and culture refer to the recurring co-dependence, co-influence, co-production of technology and society upon the other (technology upon culture, and vice-versa) (Webster’s Dictionary 5060). There are an extraordinary number of examples how science and technology has helped us that can be seen in society today. One great example is the mobile phone. Ever since the invention of the telephone society was in need of a more portable device that they could use to talk to people. This high demand for a new product led to the invention of the mobile phone, which did, and still do, greatly influence society and the way people live their lives. Now many people are accessible to talk to whomever they want no matter where any of the two people are. All these little changes in mobile phones, like Internet access, are further examples of the cycle of co-production. Society's need for being able to call on people and be available everywhere resulted in the research and development of mobile phones. They in turn influenced the way we live our lives. As the populace relies more and more on mobile phones, additional features were requested. This is also true with today’s modern media player. Society also determined the changes that were made to the previous generation media player that the manufactures developed. Take for example, today’s media players. At the beginning, cassettes were being used to store data. However, that method was large and cumbersome so the manufactures developed compact disks, which were smaller and could hold more data. Later, compact disks were again too large and did not hold enough data that forced today’s manufactures to create MP3 players, which are small and holds large amount of data. Today’s society determined the course of events that many manufactures took to improving their products so today’s consumers will purchase their products. Looking back into ancient history, economics can be said to have arrived on the scene when the occasional, spontaneous exchange of goods and services began to occur on a less occasional, less spontaneous basis. It probably did not take long for the maker of arrowheads to realize that he could probably do a lot better by concentrating on the making of arrowheads and barter for his other needs. Clearly, regardless of the goods and services bartered, some amount of technology was involved—if no more than in the making of shell and bead jewelry. Even the shaman's potions and sacred objects can be said to have involved some technology. So, from the very beginnings, technology can be said to have spurred the development of more elaborate economies. In the modern world, superior technologies, resources, geography, and history give rise to robust economies; and in a well-functioning, robust economy, economic excess naturally flows into greater use of technology. Moreover, because technology is such an inseparable part of human society, especially in its economic aspects, funding sources for (new) technological endeavors are virtually illimitable. However, while in the beginning, technological investment involved little more than the time, efforts, and skills of one or a few men, today, such investment may involve the collective labor and skills of many millions. Technology has frequently been driven by the military, with many modern applications being developed for the military before being adapted for civilian use. However, this has always been a two-way flow, with industry often taking the lead in developing and adopting a technology that is only later adopted by the military. Winston (2003) provides an excellent summary of the ethical implications of technological development and deployment. He states there are four major ethical implications: – Challenges traditional ethical norms. Because technology impacts relationships among individuals, it challenges how individuals deal with each other, even in ethical ways. One example of this is challenging the definition of â€Å"human life† as embodied by debates in the areas of abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, etc. , which all involve modern technological developments. – Creates an aggregation of effects. One of the greatest problems with technology is that its detrimental effects are often small, but cumulative. Such is the case with the pollution from the burning of fossil fuels in automobiles. Each individual automobile creates a very small, almost negligible, amount of pollution, however the cumulative effect could possibly contribute to the global warming effect. Other examples include accumulations of chemical pollutants in the human body, urbanization effects on the environment, etc. A Lancaster dropping bundles of 4lb stick incendiaries (left), 30lb incendiaries and a â€Å"cookie† (right) – Changes the distribution of justice. In essence, those with technology tend to have higher access to justice systems. Or, justice is not distributed equally to those with technology versus those without. – Provides great power. Not only does technology amplify the ability, and hence the strength, of humans, it also provides a great strategic advantage to the human(s) who hold the greatest amount of technology. Consider the strategic advantage gained by having greater technological innovations in the military, pharmaceuticals, computers, etc. For example, Bill Gates has considerable influence (even outside of the computer industry) in the course of human affairs due to his successful implementation of computer technology. Lifestyle In many ways, technology simplifies life. * The rise of a leisure class * A more informed society,which can make quicker responses to events and trends * Sets the stage for more complex learning tasks * Increases multi-tasking (although this may not be simplifying) * Global networking * Creates denser social circles * Cheaper prices * Greater specialization in jobs In other ways, technology complicates life. Pollution is a serious problem in a technologically advanced society (from acid rain to Chernobyl and Bhopal) * The increase in transportation technology has brought congestion in some areas * New forms of danger existing as a consequence of new forms of technology, such as the first generation of nuclear reactors * New forms of entertainment, such as video games and internet access could h ave possible social effects on areas such as academic performance * Increased probability of some diseases and disorders, such as obesity * Social separation of singular human interaction. Technology has increased the need to talk to more people faster. * Structural unemployment * Anthropocentric climate change Institutions and groups Technology often enables organizational and bureaucratic group structures that otherwise and heretofore were simply not possible. Examples of this might include: * The rise of very large organizations: e. g. , governments, the military, health and social welfare institutions, supranational corporations. * The commercialization of leisure: sports events, products, etc. McGinn) * The almost instantaneous dispersal of information (especially news) and entertainment around the world. International Technology enables greater knowledge of international issues, values, and cultures. Due mostly to mass transportation and mass media, the world seems to be a much smaller place, due to the following, among others: * Globalization of ideas * Embeddings of values * Population growth and control Environment Technology provides an understanding, and an appreciation for the world around us. The effects of technology on the environment are both obvious and subtle. The more obvious effects include the depletion of nonrenewable natural resources (such as petroleum, coal, ores), and the added pollution of air, water, and land. The more subtle effects include debates over long-term effects (e. g. , global warming, deforestation, natural habitat destruction, coastal wetland loss. ) One of the main problems is the lack of an effective way to remove these pollutants on a large scale expediently. In nature, organisms â€Å"recycle† the wastes of other organisms, for example, plants produce oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis, and oxygen-breathing organisms use oxygen to metabolize food, producing carbon dioxide as a by-product, which plants use in a process to make sugar, with oxygen as a waste in the first place. No such mechanism exists for the removal of technological wastes. Humanity at the moment may be compared to a colony of bacteria in a Petri dish with a constant food supply: with no way to remove the wastes of their metabolism, the bacteria eventually poison themselves. Spook Country† introduces us to the interesting world of information immersion through the eyes of Hollis Henry, a former rock band- Curfew’s musician and the lead character in the novel. She is confident and ambitious. She quit her band because she was not making enough money for living, so she decided to start her career as a journalist. She actually started writing when sh e was little, even before she became a rock band member. It was obvious that she had a passion for writing. Hollis’s job is very complicated, she has to untangle all the mysterious things and find out information for the Node magazine which does not really exist yet. Hollis searches for a strange container throughout the entire novel and when she finally finds it in the end, she discovers that the container is ultimately filled with U. S. Government Money, â€Å"One hundred million dollars. In a set of fake pallets, along the floor. About fourteen inches deep. Little over a ton of U. S. hundreds† (Gibson 337). This makes her become a possible target for a Chinese / Cuban group intent on tagging the money with Cesium. She starts in Los Angeles and ends up in Vancouver. Henry’s assignment is to interview locative art specialist Bobby Chombo, who took his last name from a computer program which, according to the Applied Numerical Algorithms Group, â€Å"provides a set of tools for implementing finite difference methods for the solution of partial differential equations on block-structured adaptively refined rectangular grids. † Bobby is a computer geek with a fascination for the intersection of virtual space and real space. He specializes in geospatial technologies. He got into locative art after a career working navigational systems for the US military, and uses his expertise to place works of art on a VR grid mapped over real cities and towns. In my opinion, Gibson’s story is not only about locative art and how weird our world is becoming: he also has the good graces to give us a spy story, which deals with the ubiquity of information in a different way. Agent Brown and his captive junkie Russian translator, Milgrim, are on the tail of a Cuban-Chinese Spetsnaz-trained ninja believed (rightly) by the US government to be smuggling information to an unknown entity for an unknown purpose. Brown relies on satellite information to track him, another nod to the ubiquity of information, and keeps Milgrim in the dark about his actual affiliation and intent. Milgrim experiences a big shock in his life as he boards a Jet stream to Vancouver. He looses his mind completely which has never happened to him before. Prior to boarding a Jet stream, he was excited to get his hair and makeup done in Washington, DC free by Brown’s attache. Later in the novel, Milgrim crashes car in an attempt to kill Tito but he manages to escape and steals Hollis Henry’s purse which contains five thousand dollares given to her by proxy from a dead band mate, heroin overdose, Jimmy Carlyle. After all these activities are over, Milgrim wakes up in a nice bed with a nice egg breakfast next to him. As a drug addict, he is very calm and focused on what he is doing. He works with Brown very closely, their relationship is more like Brown takes control of everything and gives orders to Milgrim. They work in New York in the beginning. Milgrim is a prisoner of the world of information. In â€Å"Spook Country,† Gibson’s use of these three characters together, lets the story of Tito, Brown and Milgrim, and Hollis build to a conclusion which amounts to a great big middle finger to the war in Iraq. Gibson has illustrated characters looking, literally, for their place in the world, and they have shown that the world we live in today did not turn out to be the futurist paradise we might have wanted, validating our inevitable escape into the digital. No flying cars, no magic pill hamburgers, and no pocket computers, but works of art that we can only see if we are wearing virtual reality goggles, standing on a particular street corner. Information is all around us, rather than a thing into which we insert ourselves. The topics that I researched were the â€Å"Santeria† religion, Ochun, the National Security Agency (NSA), and the term â€Å"Big Brother†. These topics were all related in the novel â€Å"Spook Country† by William Gibson. Technology played a big a part in the plot from robots to cell phones to computers. Information as commodity was also a major influence in this novel with the use of Ipods, newspapers, and surveillance cameras. The characters depended heavenly on all these items as tools of survival. I will discuss the history, the development, and impact among the â€Å"Santeria† religion, Ochun, the National Security Agency (NSA) and the term â€Å"Big Brother†. Santeria (also know as â€Å"La Regla Lucumi†) is a combination of the West African Yoruba religion and Catholicism. The Way of the Saints, Santeria or as the descendants of the Afro-Caribbean tradition in Cuba prefers to call it. Santeria rather overemphasizes the Catholic elements in the religion, which was essentially an African spiritual path, developed by their ancestors (www. african holocaust. net). They attempted to covert Africans but while they accepted the teaching they found it did not provide â€Å"religious fulfillment†. They continued to practice their own rituals which they found was useful and effective, most importantly, filled the spiritual void in their lives. It was brought to Cuba originally by the African slaves who were brought by the Spaniards to that island. Santeria believes in one creator, one All Mighty God – (Olorun Olodumare), who created the other â€Å"semi-gods† or entities called Orishas, to deal with every facet of human life a nature itself. They interceded in on our behalf just as the Catholic saints intercede. Although the African slaves were not allowed to express their religion freely they had to â€Å"disguise† their gods, with those of the slave owners (www. santeriaspells. com) below is a small list (marked with an asterisk) what are called the Seven African Powers: 1. Olodumare (God Almighty) 2. * Ellegua (Sant Anthony of Padua) 3. * Obatala (La Virgen de Las Mercedes) 4. * Yemaya (La Virgen de Regla) 5. * Chango (Santa Barbara) 6. * Oya (Santa Therese de Jesus) 7. * Ochun (Las Caridad del Cobre) 8. * Ogun (San Pedro) In the Santeria religion â€Å"Eleggua† is the keeper of the roads and the world. Eleggua is the gatekeeper that stands in the path of life and celestial grounds. Ellegua is an Orisha (spirit) associated with â€Å"opening the ways†, or crossroads. Often depicted as a child or a small man, he is playful and a trickster god. During the ceremonies worshippers would often have a â€Å"cement head† this is apart of the ritual: A cement head with a metal spike in the top, and cowrie shells for eyes and mouth, as a representation of Ellegua which receives offerings and protects in return (wikipedia. org). The â€Å"Babalu Aye† is the Orisha name for St. Lazarus it means â€Å"Father of the World† he is commonly referred to the Father of the World. His colors are brown, black and purple. His number is 17; his symbols are two dogs and crutches. He is portrayed dressed in burlap. He is offered white wine, popcorn, sesame seed candy and a variety of grains, beans, and seeds. Many Cubans hold a vigil starting the night of December 16th. They get together and light candles and make offerings to Babulu Aye and wait for him to arrive at midnight. Come midnight they ask for San Lazaro to watch over them nd keep them and their families safe and healthy. Today, December 17, is Babalu Aye day in the Afro-Cuban religion (www. babalublog. com). In Cuban Santeria, Oshun (sometimes spelled Ochun’ or Ochun) is the goddess of love, of money and indeed of happiness. She brings all the good things of life (www. angelfire. com). This goddess is adorned with jewelry she speaks to one o f her birds, the parrot. She is the goddess of sweet water, she is found near fresh water, at rivers, ponds, and especially waterfalls. Offerings are sometimes left at the waterfalls for her. Ochun loves to dance and make merry but she does have a serious side. Many offerings are sometimes left for her at the waterfalls. Many ceremonies are located at the river (www. angelfire. com). Her favorite day of the week is Saturday and the number she is associated with is 5 (wkipedia. org). It’s been known that she had to sell her body in order to feed her children and the other Orishas came and took her children away. Oshun went insane from heartache and became depress. She wore the same white dress everyday it turns yellow over time. A gentleman by the name of Aje’-Shaluga, another Orsiha, they fell in love while she was washing her dress. He supplied her with money, and gems that he gathered from the bottom of the river. They became married and she was reunited with her children again. Ochun has played a great role in Cuban history, revealing herself as the Virgin Mary to three copper miners caught in a storm at sea in the seventeenth century and also assisted Cuban soldiers, who sewed portraits of her in their uniforms, during the second war of independence in 1895. Ochun has been called La Virgin Mambisa, in commemoration of her fierceness in fighting for the independence of Cuba; Castro’s Movement the 26th of July used the colors red and black, which are the colors of Eleggua (www. african holocaust. net). This religion welcomes all doctors, lawyers, politicians, thieves and pimps. All those who seek the power to control their own lives and want to lead them in accord with the deepest parts of their beings are candidates for initiation into Santeria. This religion seems to be an open one that accepts all races there is no discrimination within this religion. Santeria is a religion of trance, mystery, possession, blood and sex. If you want to know more, go to the ceremonies, burn the candles and dance to the drums. Skin color or language is no barriers. The ancient gods will recognize their own (www. Moonweb/Santeria/Intor. html). The National Security Agency (NSA) was created in November 1952 provided United States decision makers and leaders for more than 50 years (The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA form 9/11 to the eavesdropping on America. ). The NSA is the largest, most secretive, and most powerful intelligence agency in the world. With a staff of thirty-eight thousand people, it dwarfs the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in budget, manpower, and influence (Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency). Cryptologists laid the foundation of the critical role of all major conflicts: â€Å"In 1956, the General Canine enlisted the help of an outside management firm to examine the agency’s problems. The consultants recommended a complete change. The repercussions, according to a later National Security Agency (NSA) report, lasted more than thirty years. Signals intelligence would be organized according to target-countries; China and Communist Asia; and so on. Each of the section would include specific disciplines, such as cryptanalysis and traffic analysis (42). On November 23, 1956, Ralph Canine walked out of National Security Agency for the last time as Director. A message from Howard Campaigme â€Å"I was surprised to learn later that the people above him didn’t think nearly as much [of him] as we did. Mr. Canine made a tremendous impression† (43). There efforts of the use of radio intercept, radio directional finding, and processing capabilities gave United States and its Allies a unique advantage in World War I. (www. nsa. gov/History. com). The use of the Radio intercept in the National Security Agency was a vital tool often used in tracking the location of planes, missiles and also served as a communication tool for the pilots. â€Å"For Years American intercept operators in Turkey had eavesdropped on Soviet radar installations as they tracked the occasional U-2 over flight. But because the spy planes flew far too high for either Russian MIG’s or their SA-2 surface-to-air missiles, they were out of harm’s way. It was like throwing a rock at a passing jetliner. This time, however, something was different; something was very wrong â€Å"He’s turning left! † the American heard a Soviet pilot shout. A few moments later the intercept operators watched the U-2 suddenly disappear from Russian radar screens near Sverdlovsk (49). The United States spends a lot of money to protect its National Security, in 2007 $572. 4 billion dollars on national defense. In 2004 $456 billion dollars was counted for. The total estimated budget for 2007 was $2. 7 trillion dollars. Most expensive components of National defense were the cost for development and testing new highly sophisticated military equipment such as: aircraft, ships, and submarines. Spending on Nat’l defense spiked during World War II. , reaching nearly 90% of the nations total outlays. (National Security: The Information Series on Current Topics). The National Security Agency is oversea of several federal agencies: – United States Department of Defense (DOD) United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) certain components After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks law makers quickly put together a new law designed to help the US fight the terrorist threat. The new law that was implemented was the Patriot Act which stands for: The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required Intercepting a nd Obstructing Terrorism (Terrorism- Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents. (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001. The act consists of ten titles: Title I. – Enhancing Domestic Security against Terrorism (Terrorism- Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents). Title II. – Enhanced Surveillance Procedures, Title III. – International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-terrorist Financing Act of 2001, Title IV. – Protecting the boarder, Title V. – Removing Obstacles to Investigating Terrorism, Title VI. – Providing for Victims of Terrorism, Public Safety Officers, and Their Families, Title VII. Increased Information Sharing For Critical Infrastructure Protection Title VIII. – Strengthening the Criminal Laws against Terrorism, Title IX. – Improved Intelligence, T itle X. – Miscellaneous. One of the purposes of the act is to facilitate better cooperation and information sharing between government agencies, particularly between the IC and law enforcement agencies (National Security: The Information Series on Current Topics). In 2002 Congress and President George W. Bush created the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks on the United States to investigate all the circumstances relating to the terrorist attacks. This investigation resulted in â€Å"For nearly two years the commission reviewed relevant documents and interviewed more than one thousand people as part of its investigation. In 2004 their findings were published in the 9/11 Commission Report (National Security: The Information Series on Current Topics). The term â€Å"Big Brother† came from a fictional character in George Orwell’s novel: Nineteen Eighty-Four. The novel was about a dictator of Oceania, a totalitarian state take to its utmost logical consequence. This is where the ruling elite (The Party) wield total power for its own sake over the inhabitants. The term â€Å"Big Brother† is caused to refer to any ruler or government that invades the privacy of its citizens (www. barleby. com). Big Brother physical appearance is of Joseph Stalin or Lord Kitchener. His moustache is also similar to Adolf Hitler. After researching there was a lot of information that I learned about the â€Å"Santeria† religion, Ochun, the National Security Agency and the term â€Å"Big Brother†. I learned the history of the Santeria religion, the Seven African Powers, the gate keeper â€Å"Eleggua†, the Father of the World – â€Å"Babalu Aye†. I read about The National Security Agency development and its functions within the Agency. I also discovered the birth of the term â€Å"Big Brother† affect this term had on the government. After reading the novel â€Å"Spook Country† by William Gibson the topics that I can relate to are the National Security Agency and the term â€Å"Big Brother†. The event that affects me the most is the bombing of the â€Å"Twin Towers† on September 11. From this event security has increased in airports, on planes, trains, subway stations, buses, malls, schools and also inside Federal Government and other buildings. The term â€Å"Big Brother† is watching you are related also to today because of the September 11th terrorist attack, which brings this term to real life: â€Å"Someone is Watching You†. The National Security Agency has made it a top priority to keep the United States a safe and secured country for everyone. Work Cited Applied Numerical Algorithms Group. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley, California. 2007. 8 Nov. 2008 < http://seesar. lbl. gov/anag/>. Bamford, James. Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency: From the Cold War through the Dawn of a New Century. New York: Doubleday, 2008. Becker, Ernest. The Structure of Evil. An Essay on the Unification of the Science of Man. New York: G. Braziller. 1968. Evans Masters, Kim. National Security: The Information Series on Current Topics. Wylie, Texas: Information Plus, 2007. Langone, John. National Geographic's How Things Work: Everyday Technology Explained. Washington, D. C. : National Geographic Society, 1999. Technology, policy, ethics, and public health: a select bibliography Tavani, H. T. Technology and Society Magazine, IEEE Vol. 19, Issue 3 (2000): 26 – 34.

Human factors in technology Essay

Man is the only being who has utilized technology, to the point that it also caused technology to change rapidly through time. Technology has been one of the most influential concepts in the lives of every human being throughout history. It was so influential that it had become one of the major deciding factors in the direction of history. Technological innovations had evolved from the simple to the very complex. From the simple stone cutting tools that prehistoric man had, to the contemporary blades that virtually do not need any resharpening at all. There had also been evolution from the very crude computing technique such as the finger counting, to the very complex supercomputers. In terms of transportation, from the very simple mode of walking and running, man had innovated transportation technology by inventing and innovating cars, planes, ships, etc. Technology had not only affected transportation and computing, but also the social and psychological scene as well. Companies whose general trade is information and technology are the ones whose organizational structure is very much affected by the technological changes. Most of the companies are either computer manufacturers or technological research companies. Apple Inc. , formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc. is an American-based multinational corporation which has its focus on technical manufacturing and designing of electronics and software programs for variations of consumers all around the world. It headquarters can be found in Cupertino, California (Apple, Inc. , 2007; History of Apple, 2007; Mesa, 1998; Apple. com, 2007). This company basically focuses on the development and support of several electronic gadgets for the market. This same company currently has its eyes focused on the innovation of already existing technologies, as well as the formation of a new breed of technology for the market. Some of its world-famous creations are the iPod, iPhone and the AppleTV. Aside from these electronic equipment and gadgets, the Apple, Inc. is also into the creation of new and better software programs. In the past, it had focused on creating and developing operating systems (OS), and specific application programs. Today, Apple, Inc. is now setting the path before it releases its newest operating system, the Mac OS X â€Å"Leopard†. Apple is very much into expanding its frontiers by exploring new ways of marketing and product presentation (Apple, Inc. , 2007; History of Apple, 2007; Mesa, 1998; Apple. com, 2007). It is now into the trend of having an online store where its products, whether hardware or software, can be bought by just a click of the mouse. The company is well-known for their very user-friendly hardware as well as software. Their iPod series, as well as their iPhone, Macintosh series of personal computers and peripherals, iLife software suite, and the Mac OS are just some of their best-known software and hardware products. Also, the company is a major supplier of prosumer software products for specialized purposes such as the audio and film industry (Apple, Inc. , 2007; History of Apple, 2007; Mesa, 1998; Apple. com, 2007). The mentioned things about Apple, Inc. , set up a background for the contemporary company. Technology has an implicit message, and that is to put everything into a very objective perspective, where everything could and should not be subject to an individual’s / group’s personal judgments or beliefs. By virtue of technology, man was able to do things such as measurement and judgment without having biases. With the use of technology, organizations can track their development without having doubts if the people who assessed them were biased about the evaluation process. But this strength is also its weak point. Being very objective would mean that the assessment would be very strict, and it would be guided by certain sets of quantified measurements such as numbers and / or a set of quantified codes. These standards for judgment and assessment can be used to evaluate employees’ activities, company sales and company economic standing. Having these strict standards would mean an easier, more efficient and more economic way of assessing the company. With these, companies such as the Apple could rely on machines about their company’s survival. Machines, which are products of modern technology, could be programmed to assess particular aspects of the company and suggest possible options about how to make the company even more productive. This may sound farfetched, but it could be a good way of looking at the possibility of how machines could help organizations in optimizing their parts. Business oriented companies such as the Apple is currently facing the possibilities of having less human members, and more help from the technology they are developing. These companies, with the help of modern technology, could be able to assess their employees using certain standards that can be input to a computer for further assessment. This way, there would be less processing time, less need for human HRD team members, less specialists in the field of assessing people, more possible members for the pool of computer and technology specialists (which could also mean more capital would be invested on the specialty of the company), and less expenses on the part of the company. Looking at the advantages posed by this method, it would be good to conclude that this could boost company income, thus uplift the lives of its employees in an economic and political sense. On the other hand, this method could also pose a very detrimental effect to the company as a whole, both in the macro and micro perspectives. One disadvantage of this method would be that without the subjective judgments of humans on human resources, it would be possible to miss important and potentially able applicants. Also, it would be possible that the programmed machines would not be able to look the implicit factors such as family background and the personality types of the applicants. Another is the fact that hardcore statistics, which programmed machines use, does not claim that the results are products of the interplay of all possible factors, instead it can only present results with the extraneous factors (which may possibly matter) omitted. References: Apple. com (2007).Retrieved August 9, 2007 from http://www. asia. apple. com/. Apple, Inc. (2007). Wikipedia: The Fee Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 9, 2007 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Apple_Computer. History of Apple (2007). ). Wikipedia: The Fee Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 9, 2007 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/History_of_Apple_Inc.. Mesa, A. (2007). Apple History Timeline. The Apple Museum. Retrieved August 9, 2007 from http://applemuseum. bott. org/sections/history. html.

Discuss Why Hydrogen Bonding Is Essential for Life Essay

Throughout biochemistry there are many bonds without which life as it is on earth today would not be possible. One of the most important bonds of these is the hydrogen bond, a weak chemical bond that is present in essential biological molecules such as water and polypeptides. A hydrogen bond is defined by Campbell and Reece as occurring when a hydrogen atom is covalently bonded to an electronegative atom but attracted to another electronegative atom. In water molecules, there are several key reasons why hydrogen bonds can be formed and explaining them in water a good way to show the chemistry. Firstly, the presence of covalent bond between the hydrogen and the oxygen means that the electrons in the outer shells of both atoms are shared- 1 electron from hydrogen and 1 electron from oxygen. Since the 2 electrons are shared, they are free to move within the covalent bond to the atom that is the most electronegative. In the case of water, this is oxygen. As a result of the electrons moving to the oxygen side of the bond, the hydrogen becomes less electron-dense and becomes a slight positive charge known as a delta-positive charge. It is this positive charge that has the ability to attract other negatively charged objects, since opposite electrostatic charged atoms attract each other. On the oxygen atom of each water molecule there is a lone pair of electrons that are negatively charged, which makes oxygen delta-negative. This means that between water molecules, the delta-positive hydrogen of one molecule is able to attract a lone pair of electrons from the delta-negative oxygen atom of another water molecule (Fig. 1). Fig. 1 Hydrogen bonding in water A hydrogen bond, however, is comparatively weak to covalent or ionic bond, as much as 22 times time weaker [Libes 2009], so in order to explain why hydrogen bonds are so necessary in life it is perhaps not significant that hydrogen bonds are weak on their own, since the majority of their use within strong structures is facilitated by their strength as a large number of hydrogen bonds. For example, the fundamental strength of tendons and skin lies within the many hydrogen bonds in the collagen protein. For formation of collagen, the strength of hydrogen bonds is required to firstly join two amino acid chains (polypeptides) together into a helix. Three helices are then bound into a triple helix by yet more hydrogen bonds. The result is a fibrous quaternary protein structure with a high tensile strength that the mammalian skeletal muscles could not function without. Tendons attach skeletal muscles to their respective bones and we would simply not be able to move without them. Other uses of hydrogen bonds in proteins include contributing to the specific conformational shape of globular proteins, called protein folding. A precise 3D shape is required in most enzymes so that the shape of binding site (active site) is complementary to the chemical reacting with the enzyme (substrate). Hydrogen bonds are essential, along with ionic bonds, covalent bonds, disulphide bonds and hydrophobic interactions, for making secondary structures (i.e. alpha-helices and beta-pleated sheets) coil into a tertiary structure. A tertiary structure, or a quaternary structure after further protein folding, can then be utilized as a specific enzyme within organisms to carry out specific metabolic reactions. It is the hydrogen bonding found in water, in fact, that makes the metabolic reactions in the human body so efficient. The slight increase of strength between water molecules caused by hydrogen bonds means that in comparison to other fluids without hydrogen bonds, water requires a lot of energy to raise the temperature of it. This is called high heat specific capacity and may be defined as the amount of energy required to change the temperature of 1g of a substance by 1C, an attribute that is especially useful when the body is actively maintaining the body temperature at 37C. Since it takes so much energy to change the temperature of water, the molecule estimated to take up 70% of an adult’s body, the core temperature of the body is resistant to fluctuations. For metabolic reactions this is very useful because it means that the enzymes can work at their optimum temperature, often the same as 37C core temperature, and thus the metabolic reactions within the body are very efficient. For every 10C below optimum temperature, the rate of successive substrate-enzyme collisions decreases by 2 to 3 times [Campbell and Reece, p862]. High specific heat capacity also benefits marine environments by resisting temperature fluctuations, which is perhaps why marine food chains are often many times longer than those of terrestrial organisms. The high heat capacity of water is one of several hydrogen-bonding attributes that benefit the marine environments, unsurprisingly, with the high surface tension and the small relative density of ice also playing a large role in how aquatic organisms survive. The high surface tension of water is perhaps best explained by relating it to close proximity of adjacent water molecules in aqueous solution. This closeness is of course caused by the numerous hydrogen bonds (Fig. 2) existing between the water molecules and is named cohesion, a word that can be defined as being united as a whole. Fig. 2 numerous hydrogen bonds As a result of the molecules being united as a whole, the top of a body of water has a membrane that is able to withstand a small downwards force before becoming pierced. The classic example of the organism that takes advantage of this phenomenon is the pond skater insect, which is able to utilize the high surface tension of lakes and ponds by walking on the surface of the water to look for prey. The other hydrogen-bonding attribute that benefits marine life especially but not exclusively is the small relative density of ice. While most liquids become denser when they change to a solid state, aqueous water gets less dense. This means that a volume of ice has a lighter mass than the same volume of its liquid counterpart and thus ice can float on top of water. The reason that ice is less dense than aqueous water lies within the microstructure of the molecules. Normally, a solid is denser than a liquid because the particles within a solid are more tightly packed together and thus more particles can fit into a given space. However, within ice, the hydrogen bonds between water molecules create a lattice structure Fig. 3 that increases the distance between the molecules. This means that less water molecules per volume exist in a solid form than as a liquid form, as much as 10% less than water at 4C [Campbell and Reece, 2008]. Fig. 3 Lattice structure Several advantages of the small relative density of ice can be observed within marine environments, such as the heat insulation that a surface sheet of ice provides and the fact that bodies of water never freeze from the bottom upwards, two essential phenomena without which many aquatic organisms would not be able to survive. It is also easy to forget that sea ice is also a habitat for sub-terrestrial organisms such as penguins and polar bears, a habitat that would not exist if ice did not float. Moving away from how hydrogen bonds benefit marine life and towards how they benefit terrestrial life, and having previously stated that water is very good at keeping the body warm at 37C, water is controversially a very good coolant. It is for the same reason that water is able to restrict temperature fluctuations that it is able to cool off the human body and other mammals. Resisting temperature change involves water’s high specific heat capacity and is the large relative energy required to change the temperature of 1g of water by 1C. This can be related to the high latent heat of vaporization, the phenomenon that makes cooling so effective, since latent heat is the heat energy lost from the body to evaporate 1g of sweat. In water the latent heat is particularly high because of the hydrogen bonds between the water molecules must be broken before liquid can change state into a gas, so more energy is required to evaporate the water and thus more heat is removed. Hydrogen bonds also play a large role in the evaporation of water from plants, called transpiration. Transpiration is the loss of water from the leaves of plants by evaporation and causes water to move into the roots up vascular tubes (xylem) within in the plant stem. This means a plant can transport water around its tissues for use in respiration and other metabolic reactions. Hydrogen bonds play a large role in transpiration in the same way that they do in the cohesion of water molecules to cause high surface tension. When water molecules are moved up the xylem vessels, they move as a whole due to the hydrogen bonding cohesive forces between the molecules. The molecules also stick to the walls of the vessels by hydrogen bonds, aiding the transport of the water furthermore. The movement of water aided by cohesion and adhesion is known as mass flow, and is the same occurrence as with sucking water through a straw. Since plants form the basis of most ecosystems as producers, hydrogen bonding plays a key part of life. Concluding, it is clear to see that without hydrogen bonds, life, as we know it today would not exist. Water makes up most of the earths surface and is perhaps the molecule that is the most essential for life- providing stable habitats for marine and terrestrial organisms as well as the transport of water in plants. The fact that most of the properties water are caused by hydrogen bonding shows how essential hydrogen bonds are for life on earth. Libes (2009). Introduction to Marine Biogeochemistry. Elsevier Science and Technology. Pp28 Campbell and Reece (2008). Biology. 8th ed. San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings.