Monday, September 30, 2019

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austin Essay

Contrast and compare the two marriage proposals made to Elizabeth Bennet in the novel: Mr Collins’ proposal to Elizabeth and Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth Jane Austen lived in a mercenary world and this is reflected in her novel. In â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† no secret is made of the need to marry for money. Jane Austen reflects different types of marriage in her novel. There is mercenary marriage, brought about solely for economic reasons. Such would have been the marriage between Mr Collins and Elizabeth. Mr Collins’ proposal was fuelled by his own economic motives, desire to please the aristocratic Lady Catherine and by Mrs Bennet’s economic fears that Elizabeth will inherit little money when her father dies: not real feelings or any aspect of love. Contrasting this is the ideal marriage. Marriages ‘rationally founded,’ based on, ‘excellent understanding,’ and, ‘general similarity of feeling and taste,’ (Chapter 55) Such is the marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth. Although Elizabeth refused Darcy’s first proposal, it was ultimately made because of true emotional fee lings, respect and admiration for Elizabeth. The main reason for Mr Collins’ selection of a wife in Elizabeth is economic convenience. Her farther’s house is entailed to him. By marrying Mr Collins, Elizabeth’s family will not be left without a home. Many aspects of Mr Collins’s proposal reflect his lack of feeling. The first being how the proposal comes about. He comes to Hertfordshire, ‘with the design of selecting a wife,’ and he ironically feels that his choosing one from Longbourn was, ‘disinterested on his own part,’ due to the estate being entailed to him. Any lady form Longbourn will suffice. Elizabeth was not even his first choice, but Jane was believed to be soon united with Mr Bingley. He admits to Elizabeth that the house is a motive for his choice, proving that his proposal is dominated by economic convenience not love. His proposal was far from a spontaneous act of love. It was planned and his choice designed with Mrs Bennet. Elizabeth was clearly aware of his intentions, and tries desperately to avoid being put in a position where they can come out. However once forced to by her mother, Elizabeth wishes  to, ‘get it over as soon and quietly as possible.’ Elizabeth obviously does not have feelings for Mr Collins and takes no pleasure in his proposal. There is a sense that Mr Collins talking through a set of words throughout his proposal. He addresses Mrs Bennet with great formality, it gives a sense that he has pre-designed his address to her. Mr Collins is following the rules, saying what he is supposed to say; not what he feels. His whole proposal to Elizabeth gives a sense of an order of service, with a script that could be applied to any character. The speech is very impersonal. Mr Collins talks of, ‘young ladies,’ ‘your sex.’ There is exceedingly little mention of Elizabeth’s character or Mr Collins’s admiration for it. It feels as though Mr Collins could apply his speech to anybody, and later does with Charlotte. The content of Mr Collins’s dialogue throughout his proposal is very explicit in its lack of feeling. He begins by stating his reasons for marriage. His first reason it that he feels he should, ‘Sick Equation the example of matrimony.’ he believes marriage will add to his happiness, and Lady Catherine told him, ‘ Mr Collins, you must marry. A clergyman like you must marry.’ Mr Collins wants a good little wife to use as a tool to improve his public image. He talks of how a marriage will please him. He does not talk bout how the union between him and Elizabeth will bring him great happiness. It does not matter who his bride is, as all he wants is a wife, to improve his status and please Lady Catherine; he does not have to have feelings for her. It could be said that Mr Collins’s greatest incentive to marry is to please Lady Catherine. He is being forced into a proposal by another woman, not true feelings. Although there is a mention of his feelings, Mr Collins talks of how,’ the violence,; of his affections would overlook the downside to marrying Elizabeth . Not how violently he respects and admires her. Darcy’s proposal is a complete contrast in its emotional conflict. The whole proposal is much more dynamic and there are clearly strong emotions and feelings involved. Darcy immediately tells Elizabeth he loves her. Wards are used such as, ‘and agitated manner,’ ‘the color rose,’ ‘became pale with anger,’ ‘painfully greater,’ these clearly demonstrate dynamic, strong feelings. They illustrate the greater depth of feeling felt throughout  Darcy’s proposal than in that of Mr Collins’. Mr Collins’ proposal was mainly fueled by the great convenience in Elizabeth marrying Mr Collins. However Darcy’s proposal is very far from convenient. Although technically in the same class, Darcy is viewed to be much above Elizabeth in society and a marriage between them would not be viewed as idea. Mr Collins is following the rules in his proposal; talking to Mrs Bennet, saying what he is supposed to and attempting to please Lady Catherine. In contrast Darcy is compelled by his feelings to break the rules, by not doing what society expects of him. Mr Collins’ proposal was greatly fueled by Lady Catherine and his desire to improve his standing in society. However Darcy is fueled by his feelings to go against society and potentially decrease his social standing. Darcy’s true love for Elizabeth overcomes all the sociable reasons for not marrying E. Darcy is a very strong character, however he struggled, ‘in vain,’ to overcome his feelings. Darcy’s feelings managed to overcome him. Showing their strength and power. Their proposals act as a great insight into the character of Mr Collins and Darcy. Mr Collins’ proposal greatly shows what is important to him. The thing of greatest importance to him, seems to be money and connections. His public persona is very important, he was to marry to improve it and please Lady Catherine. Mr Collins sees money and high connections with people such as Lady Catherine as reasons for happiness and why Elizabeth should marry him. He does not appear to realize that not everyone is as materialistic as him. Mr Collins is driven into his proposal by economic reasons and Lady Catherine, which seem more important to him than love. The importance of high standing people such as Lady Catherine to Mr Collins is also very apparent in his proposal. He is clearly obsessed by her high social status. He wants to marry because Lady Catherine tells him, ‘A clergyman like you must marry.’ He allows her to choose what type of woman he should marry, a woman, ‘active and useful, not brought up high, but able to make a small income go a good way.’ Lady Catherine tells Mr Collins to choose a woman with these characters, not just for Mr Collins’ sake but for her own. Mr Collins allows another woman’s wishes to dominate his choice in  a wife. Perhaps Lady Catherine’s feelings are more important to him than his own or his potential wife. One of the greatest things Mr Collins can offer seems to be Lady Catherine. He says to Elizabeth, ‘ I do not reckon the notice and kindness of Lady Catherine as among the least of the advantages in my power to offer.’ This again demonstrates Mr Collins’ lack of recognition of the fact that not every one feels high connection and money to be the greatest importance in life. As well as money and connections Mr Collins’ believes Lady Catherine to be more important than love. Mr Collins’ personality traits are also portrayed very well in his proposals. He is unmoved by Elizabeth’s refusal and continually refuses to accept it. His first reaction is to dismiss the refusal, ‘with a formal wave of the hand. He believes, ‘ it is usual with young ladies to reject the addresses of the man whom they secretly mean to accept.’ He then goes on to say, ; give me leave to flatter myself,; theat he believes Elizabeth’s refusal, ‘ is merely words of course.’ he clearly has an extremely high opinions and an over confidence in himself and his situation in life; he simply cannot believe why anyone would not wish to be a part of that. Despite great efforts from Elizabeth to convince him otherwise, Mr Collins still leaves his encounter iwth Elizabeth, believing, ‘ his proposals will not fail of being acceptable.; it is greatly apparent that Mr Collins is too conceited to accept Elizabeth’s strong refusal. He is deluded enough to believe himself and Lady Catherine as irresistible to Elizabeth, and will not believe it when she manages to revisit them. He goes as far as too view the refusal as encouragement. There are further aspects of his proposal exposing Mr Collins’ character. He explains his second reason for marrying as being to ‘ add very greatly to my happiness.’ This add to the partial of him as selfish and self obsessed. He does not make any secret of his motives for marrying as being Lady Catherine and the convenience of a marriage between him and a lady from Longbourn. He is again too deluded to see that saying this would not impress Elizabeth and says, ‘I flatter myself it will not sink me in your esteem.’ There is a sense that he has such a high opinion of himself, he feels that it does not matter what he says, Elizabeth will want to marry him. He is even deluded  enough to believe Elizabeth should be grateful for his proposal he speaks to Elizabeth with great contempt and fails to realize that this may displease her; not encourage her to marry him. He tells Elizabeth that her, ‘ with and vivacity,’ will be, ‘ tempered with the silence and respect which her rank will inevitably excite,’ when talking about Lady Cather. Implying that Elizabeth should be extremely intimidated by someone such as Lady Cather. He later goes on to denigrate Elizabeth by telling her, ‘ Your portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications.; he is clearly too deluded and foolish to realize insults are not the way to a woman’s heart. Much of Darcy’ character is also revealed in his proposal. He is clearly not used to feeling the way that he feels. He first, ‘sat down for a few moments,’ then ‘walked about the room.’ He is seemingly unaware of how to deal with this situation. He came toward Elizabeth, ‘in an agitated manner.’ Darcy is far form his usual character of cool composure. He has clearly been moved by visible feelings; unlike Mr Collins. Darcy shows that money and status are important to him as well. He says, ‘In vain I have struggled; and ‘in spite of all his endeavors,; Darcy cannot overcome his feelings and must express them to E. Unlike Mr Collins Darcy talks of his great affections for Elizabeth. However just as Mr Collins Darcy also talks of money and connections. His speech is described as being, ‘ not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride.; although money and status are undoubtedly very important to Darcy, unlike Mr Collins, he proves that love and happiness are more important to him. Darcy is portrayed as being very honest. He gives Elizabeth the full story of his affections; the good and the bad. He makes not attempt to deny his actions in trying to separate Mr Bingly from Elizabeth’s sister, even though he must be aware that it will damage Elizabeth’s opinion of him. The fact that Darcy is willing to give Elizabeth the full story, reflects the openness and extent of Darcy’s feelings for Elizabeth. Darcy is much more realistic and down to earth than Mr Collins. He is not too  deluded to realize that the insults of Elizabeth’s family will damage her pride and upset her. However Darcy respects Elizabeth, and feels it better to give her the full story. Darcy is not too conceited to hear Elizabeth’s refusal. He accepts it and is clearly moved by it. His, ‘ complexion became pale with anger,’ and he struggles, ‘ for the appearance of composure.’ He stops Elizabeth and, ‘hastily left the room.’ Despite his higher status than Mr Collins, Darcy is not too self absorbed as to not believe Elizabeth’s rejection as being real. Darcy his giving everything to E. He gives her the full story. He shows her all his feelings; and vulnerably puts his entire self out on the line. By exposing himself so openly, he wants the great gift of love and happiness. However Mr Collins’ proposal in comparison is very superficial. He is not searching for lover or a joyous union between man and wife, but selfishly, and improved social standing for himself. As well as contrasts some similarities can be found between eh two proposals. Both Mr Collins and Darcy assume a positive outcome to their proposal and an acceptance of their offer. It is apparent that Mr Collins is so ceratin of acceptance, as he is os greatly conceited and believes that what he can offer will be unavoidably tempting to Elizabeth; she will not be able to refuse. However there is a sense that Darcy’s assumption is based on other reasons. It feels as though, Darcy’s feelings are so strong and have been so overpowering that he has not thought of refusal. Perhaps he feels that it would not be possible for him to feel so strongly for her, if Elizabeth did not feel the same. Although he assumes acceptance, when Darcy is faced with refusal he accepts it very quickly, unlike Mr Collins. In their proposals both Mr Collins and Darcy inflict pain on Elizabeth’s pride by reminding her of her vulnerable social situation. Mr Collins is willing to over look Elizabeth’s poor fortune. Darcy has been forced by his true love to overcome his question about Elizabeth’s social standing. Mr Collins sees economic reasons, his high connections, his ability to improve, Elizabeth’s social standing, and his opportunity to improve his social status by obtaining a wife, as reasons for marriage, not the opportunity of  love and happiness. Darcy however does not try to use his ability to improve Elizabeth’s economic situation as reasons for her accepting his hand. Darcy sees the questionable economic and social situation as a reason for not marrying Elizabeth . In contrast to Mr Collins he sees the potential for love and happiness as the fuel for marriage, not money. It is because of this that he is able to overcome his pride and propose. We can also obtain many aspects of Elizabeth’s character, from her behavior during and reaction to the two different proposals. Elizabeth is clearly very sensible. When Mr Collins presses for time alone with Elizabeth she immediately knows what is going on, and tries desperately to avoid it. Unlike maybe some of her younger sisters she is not naive, and does not simply desire for male company. Elizabeth later goes on to asset the sense of her character, by responding to Mr Collins’ ridiculous assumptions that Elizabeth’s refusals is just part of a game that many young women play, by saying, ‘I do assure you that I am not one of those young ladies, (if such young ladies that are) who are so daring as to risk there happiness on the chance of being asked a second time.’ Elizabeth is clearly too sensible to play such games. She is not so stupid as to risk true love and happiness, and maybe too sensible to see how anyone could be so insensible as to do so . As well as sensible Elizabeth comes across as very civil and level headed. She does not cause a scene, does not loudly refuse Mr Collins and revoke his insults. In stead she wishes to finish the ordeal as quickly and, ‘as quietly as possible.’ At first Mr Collins’ declaration of his love makes Elizabeth, ‘so near laughing that she could not use the short pause he allowed in any attempt to stop him farther.’ this reflects Elizabeth’s light spirited character and good sense of humor. Despite Mr Collins’ constant disbelieve of the reality of Elizabeth’s refusal, Elizabeth still remains calm and civil. She does not appear as ill-tempered and is perhaps sensible enough to realize that becoming upset and excited will not help the situation. She attempts to blame her refusal on herself and lack of ability to please Lady Catherine. She says to Mr Collins. ‘ were your friend Lady Catherine to know me, I am persuaded she would find me in every respect ill qualified.’ She does not personally insult Mr Collins, but instead attempts  to find excuse for her denying his proposal. This again reflects her civil character. It seems as though Elizabeth does not like insulting confrontations with people. She is desperate to leave her encounter with Mr Collins under good conditions. However Mr Collins continues to persist in his proposal. Despite attempts to remain civil, as Mr Collins continues to reuses the reality of her refusal Elizabeth becomes more agitated. She cries to Mr Collins, ‘with some warmth, your puzzle me exceedingly,’ Elizabeth is seemingly too sensible for such foolishness and silly games; and they clearly agitate her. However instead of insults, Elizabeth reverts to her trade mark irony as she becomes more angry. It is a reflection on her good nature a strength that she remains so calm during such an infuriating ordeal. Elizabeth’s connection in intellect and sense with her father is revealed at the end of the proposal. Elizabeth acknowledges that she will not be able to convince Mr Collins and immediately thinks of her father. Sh knows that his character is just as sensible as her own, and unlike her mother, her father will not make her marry such an obsurd man. Many of the aspect of Elizabeth’s character are also revealed in Darcy’s proposal. As with Mr Collins Elizabeth did not want to see Md. However this is due to her dislike of his character; not even her sense could foresee this proposal. After Darcy beings his proposal, he views Elizabeth’s silence as, ‘sufficient encouragement,’ to continue. This agin reflects Elizabeth’s strength of character. She is clearly recognized by Darcy as a woman with strong mind and opinions. Elizabeth ‘was at first sorry for the pain he was to receive.’ This shows that Elizabeth is a compassionate character. Although she deeply dislikes Darcy; she is not so spiteful as to wish to inflict any pain on him. Elizabeth evidently feels much more emotion throughout Darcy’s proposals. Phrases are used such as, ‘color rose into her cheeks,’ ‘she was roused to resentments,’ ‘she lost all compassion in anger.’ However despite heightened emotions, Elizabeth still tries to remain patients and composed. It is clear  the Elizabeth feels much more for Darcy. She is much more personal in her responses to him. She Darcy, ‘I have never desired you good opinion.’ She makes no secret of her dislike for him. She informs Darcy that it is not only his proposal on which her, ‘dislike was founded.’ Elizabeth is clearly very passionate about Darcy, even if she does not like him. She is insulted by him, and cannot remains so civil as with Mr Collins. She cannot brush away Darcy’s insults as she can with Mr Collins. This is all because she feels for Darcy and does not for Mr Collins. Elizabeth clearly cares deeply for her family, as she particularly struggles for composure, after Darcy confirms his actions causing hurt to Elizabeth’s sister Jane. As well as the creditable aspects of her character, Elizabeth’s greatest fault is also displayed. Her fault being prejudice. She bases her deep, deep dislike of Darcy, on the opinions she formed of him after their first meeting. In her final dialogue of Darcy’s proposal Elizabeth says, ‘from the first moment I may almost say, of my acquaintance with you, your manners impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain. Because of this opinion Elizabeth automatically believes Wickham’s story. The believe of his story, inflated Elizabeth’s bad opinion of Darcy, and greatly fueled her dislike. Elizabeth does not even think to consider her view of Darcy may be incorrect. She does not hesitate in firing her insults at him and shows great prejudice towards him. Elizabeth does not acknowledge the feelings of either of the men proposing to her. She knows she will not make Mr Collins happy. Elizabeth believes that after Darcy has exposed his love to Elizabeth he, ‘can have little difficulty in overcoming it.’ Elizabeth appears completely ignorant to the stir she has cause in d. The reflects her modesty. She does not have an over inflated image of herself and is too sensible to feel that men should always fall in love with her. Throughout both proposals, despite being annoyed, angered and hurt, Elizabeth always tries to retains her composure. Although this is a merit to her strength of character, it could also be interpreted in a different way. Perhaps Elizabeth tries to remains calm because she cares aobut what others  think of her. She does not want to be viewed as ill-tempered or hot headed. Instead as the civil sensible character, that she is. I feel the greatest tribute to Elizabeth’s strength of character, is her refusal of both proposals. She proves herself to be, much wiser and much more confident than Charlotte Lucas, who accept Mr Collins’ proposal. Elizabeth will not just marry for convince and the safe entail of Longbourn. Elizabeth shows that she is too strong to be swayed into acceptance, by a rich husband and a lavish existence. Unlike Mr Collins, Mrs Bennet and Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth proves that love and happiness are the most important thing to her, not economy and status; love will be the only reason why she will marry. Typically, Mrs Bennet is reflected very badly in her attempt of match making. In discussion with Mr Collins, Mrs Bennett assumes that Elizabeth will accept Mr Collins’ proposals. This shows that both feel money and connections are suitable reasons for accepting a marriage. The both assume that Elizabeth also views status as more important than love. Mrs Bennett does not think to consider the feelings of her daughter. She overlooks Elizabeth’s discomfort and vexation, and continues to pressure Elizabeth into time alone with Mr Collins. This implies that to Mrs Bennett improved social connections, the secure knowledge that her house will remain in her family, are more important than the feelings of her family. This is later supported by Mrs Bennett’s reaction to Elizabeth’s refusal. She refuses to talk to Elizabeth for what she has done. This probes that Mrs Bennett attaches a greater value to status, than to love and enjoyment of her family. There is a sense that she wishes to be the boss. Whatever she tells her children to do is right and must be done. However she does not have the wit or intellect to command such control. Instead, just as a child, she sulks when her authority is not followed. Elizabeth maintenance of a civil manner throughout the proposals, shows that she is more sociably acceptable than her mother. Despite Mrs Bennett’s constant attempts to improve her social standing. One of the Jane Austen’s greatest tricks, is her ability to adapt her script  to influence the reader into feeling what she wants them to feel. This is very apparent in the two proposals. For Mr Collins’ proposals, Jane Austen includes the full dialogue of his declaration. This has great effect. By including the full script of Mr Collins’ dialogue it enhances the effect that Mr Collins is talking through a script. You get the full flavor of his pre-designed speech; and the extent of his lack of feeling. Jane Austen uses the opposiet tactic achieving an opposite effect for Darcy’s proposal. She does not write the full dialogue of Darcy’s proposal. Instead she depicts the events in a narrative form. This helps to maintain the reader like towards d. Elizabeth’s fault is prejudice and Darcy’ is pride. Due to his nature and the society hie lives in Darcy will inevitably damage Elizabeth’s pride with insults towards her status. However these are not included in the dialogue. So the reader comes to respect Darcy for telling a true story of his love; but without disliking him for rude conceited remarks, as with Mr Collins. There is a further effect form the authorial comments. The ending to Mr Collins’ proposal, leaves a definite finality to the situation. Although Mr Collins leaves convinced they will marry, Elizabeth knows otherwise. She will apply to her father, who will make no doubt of the fact that Elizabeth does not wish to accept Mr Collins’s proposals. Elizabeth does not reflect on his proposal; and there is no question that she does not feel for Mr Collins. However with Darcy it is different. Elizabeth is definitely moved by his proposal. She ‘sat down and cried for half and hour.’ She considered her meeting with Darcy, ‘in very agitated reflections until the sound of Lady Catherine’s carriage.’ There is no sense of finality to Darcy’s proposal or Elizabeth’s feelings. As the reader is aware that Elizabeth’s passionate hatred is founded on prejudice, you cannot help but wonder that if she were to over come her fault, her pass ion towards Darcy might change. It is clear through the proposals that women did not always have a very high standing. For some women were simply interchangeable. For example when Mr Collins finds that Jane is taken he immediately move his marital interests to Elizabeth. It appears that women did not always have a high enough  standing to even choose their partner in marriage. Some women were forced into marriage not by love or choice, but by family and the pressure to increase or maintain a social reputation. For example Mrs Bennett attempts to force Elizabeth into marrying Mr Collins.. It is not all women who have Elizabeth’s strength of character not to be pushed, for example Charlotte did not. It appears that women could sometimes be the victim of emotional blackmail. For example Mr Collins tires to convince Elizabeth to marry him by telling her that it is unlikely any one else will offer, as her, ‘portion is unhappily so small.’ Mr Collins’ proposal also suggests that what women said in reply to a proposal did not always matter. Mr Collins finally resigns himself to saying that even if Elizabeth continues to refuse, her mother will ensure a marriage. However Darcy’s proposal contradicts this. Darcy takes note and respects Elizabeth’s refusal. He make no attempts to bribe or pressure her as he realises she does not love him. Both proposals reflect the great importance of money and class when it comes to marriage. Mr Collins’ proposal was fueled by economic and social reasons. It appears that to some these are substantial enough reasons for marriage. Mr Collins tells, ‘your portions is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications.’ This implies that many would feel, class many would feel, class, money and connections to be more important than admiration of the other, when in search of a bride. Even Darcy who feels genuine love for Elizabeth, must mention money. In the society of the time, money and class are such important issues that Darcy cannot let them escape when proposing. Although it is revealed that money is very important when it comes to marriage, it is also apparent that true gentlemen such a Mr Darcy will not befall to snobbery, they can overcome economic situations, because they have the correct moral unde rstand to know that love is most important.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Legacies of Horace Mann and John Dewey

Horace Mann (1796-1859) and John Dewey (1859-1952) are important contributors in the development of American Educational system. Mann regarded education as an effective  Ã‚   tool for training children and individuals into obedient workers while Dewey sees education as a means for growth and preparation of individuals to become democratic citizens (Filler 128; Westbrook 171). In conformity to their educational philosophies,  Ã‚     Ã‚  Mann made efforts that result to an organized, centralized, democratic American education while John Dewey was responsible for the laying down of American theories of democratic, science-respecting education. Mann firmly believed that education helps to alleviate poverty and he stressed this belief in his Twelfth Annual Report on education. He was convinced that educated and trained individuals produced productive labor, and hence contributes to the prosperity of a nation (Filler 128). However, when Horace Mann assumed the leadership of the Board of Education in Massachusetts in 1837, he was confronted with a sad condition of education in America. American educational ideals were low and undemocratic. Furthermore, schools were poorly organized and its curricula and methods were limited and needs modernization. On top of that,   Ã‚  schools were in bad physical condition (Graves 254-255). In short, education during Mann’s time was a neglected and more or less an unimportant part of American society. Mann worked hard to elevate the status of education in his time by promoting education through personal visits of schools in his circuit and publishing Annual Reports. He also secured government funding for schools and established libraries and â€Å"normal† training schools for teachers (Graves 256, 264). As a result, he earned the name the Father of American public education. Mann’s legacy was long lasting, for public schools flourished throughout America today and regarded by most as the best means for transmitting knowledge and training in skills. Hence, the educated American is equipped to be productive. Mann adopted a democratic approach to education. He saw the public school as a means for equalizing education, where children of different social classes learned together. He believed that education should be â€Å"universal† and â€Å"free† (Graves 264).   However, it is strange for modern minds that while Mann envisioned children of all classes learning together in schools he did not oppose segregation (â€Å"Horace† 2001). Nevertheless, Mann’s â€Å"universal† and â€Å"free† view of education is still widely held in America today, except that in modern times school attendance is not only composed of individuals of different social classes but also of different races. John Dewey on the other hand, proposed that the goal of education should produce democratic individuals for a democratic nation. He likened classrooms as representations of a democratic society. He reasoned that the success of a democratic nation lies on its educated people who had developed democratic knowledge and skills needed for a democratic society. Dewey advocated learning by method type of education and not by memorization by repetition (Westbrook 172; Archambault 10-12). In short, his educational style was highly interactive and unites theory and practice. This kind of educational style had been proven effective for learning and American schools today had lessons and curricula   Ã‚  designed for both instructing and experiencing theories. Unlike Mann, Dewey believed that schools should not produce productive worker alone but a citizen whose skills and democratic experiences met   the demands of a democratic society.   For Dewey, acquiring this skill and knowledge is not dependent on the subject matter but on the child’s own instinctive ability and power (Westbrook 177). John Dewey’s supports progressive education. As such, he liberated   students from becoming a slave to traditional knowledge. For him the student is central to education. He encouraged scientific inquiry in the classroom. In fact,  Ã‚   John Dewey was interested to â€Å"fuse the imperatives of science and nature, democracy and humanity† in educational instruction (McCluskey 177). In this sense, he has in some measure touched every stone in the modern American educational structure. It can be said that Horace Mann laid the foundation for the effective operation of American public school while John Dewey provided the theory for it. Of the two, Dewey was more of the philosopher. Mann, on the other hand was not a philosopher, he was a practical man of action whose moral earnestness laid the foundation of American public schools (Graves 266). Works Cited Archambault, Reginald D.   John Dewey on Education. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1974. Filler, Louis.  Ã‚   Horace Mann on the Crisis of Education.   Yellow Springs, Ohio: Antioch Press, 1965. Graves, Frank Pierrepont. Great Educators of Three Centuries: Their Work and Its Influence on Modern Education.   New York: Macmillan, 1912. Horace Mann.   2001.   Roundtable, Inc.Accessed April 7, 2008 McCluskey, Neil Gerard. Public Schools and Moral Education: The Influence of Horace Mann, William Torrey Harris, and John Dewey. New York: Columbia University Press, 1958. Westbrook, Robert B.  Ã‚   John Dewey and American Democracy.   Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1991.   

Saturday, September 28, 2019

K-Pop Research Essay

K-Pop ê °â‚¬Ã¬Å¡â€ (an abbreviation of Korean pop or Korean popular music): is a musical genre consisting of dance, electronic, electropop, hip hop,[2] and R&B music originating in South Korea.[1] In addition to music, K-pop has grown into a popular subculture among teenagers and young adults around the world.[3] Although in a bigger scope K-pop may include other genres of â€Å"popular music† within South Korea, outside of the country the term is more commonly used for songs sung by Korean teen idols, which covers mostly dance, electronic, rap, hip-hop, and R&B genres.[4] Starting in 1992, dance and rap music became popular due to Seo Tai-ji & Boys, which is seen by many as the beginning of modern K-pop.[4] Genres such as ballad and rock are still popular today; however, the term can be debatable. With the rise of social media networks during the mid 2000s, the ability of K-pop to reach a previously inaccessible audience via the Internet is driving a shift in the exposure and popularity of the genre.[5] The Korean Wave has spread K-Pop to the Pacific Rim, the Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa. As an important part of the Korean Wave, K-pop has come from humble beginnings to gain a huge fan base not just in Asia but also other parts of the world. As South Korea continues to develop its IT infrastructure, K-Pop music is being shared over the internet and through mobile devices more rapidly than ever.[6] According to The New York Times, â€Å"attempts by K-pop stars to break into Western markets had largely failed prior to the proliferation of global social networks.† However, K-pop artists are now gaining more international exposure through social media networks such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, making it easier for K-pop artists to reach a wider audience.[7] Fans come from all around the world[8] and K-Pop is considered by some to be South Korea’s greatest export because of its popularity and growing influence.[9] Kpop bands as highly produced, sugary boy- and girl-bands with slick dance routines and catchy tunes.†[10] Many K-Pop music videos have colourful visuals and a catchy beat.[11] K-Pop multiple vocal genres, especially hip-hop and rap, emphasize performances and strong visuals.[12] Dance is an integral part of K-pop. When combining multiple singers, the singers often switch their positions while singing and dancing by making prompt movements in synchrony. K-Pop is also recognized for pretty-boys and girl groups[13] that are young and considered attractive. I couldn’t stop humming the beat; it had been cemented in my head. At first it was just a mere song that I would play to make fun of, but I couldn’t help it. Over and over again, I played it. There was something intriguing about, something different. It pulled me in and drew my brain. My ears craved the tune again. I did my best to resist the urges, afraid that I’d be swept into its trance and be associated with those who would listen to it. I eventually went back to listen to it, disgusted with myself for enjoying listening to the repetitive track. The chorus was ridiculous, the Engrish was unbearable, yet I was still called for by it. It was different than most of the type of music I had indulged in. K-Pop. I was herded into the world of delusional fandoms that couldn’t bear insults towards their oppas. The world where Engrish is a normal thing you would sing along with. Besides the occasional fan wars and drama (not the K-Dramas, but actual drama), I felt like I had a family within my own fandoms. It was simple; we were all interested in that particular group, and we all respected each for that. It gave us common grounds. But it’s even more than that, we all still shared the general idea: We all liked K-Pop. Most people who are used to western music made fun of this genre. This is probably the biggest thing that binds us together. Most of us non-Korean listeners have probably dealt with being made fun of for liking K-Pop, and this makes us even closer.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Final assingment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Final assingment - Essay Example i. Disciplinary literacy This subject in the content areas of Math, Science and Social Studies should be a subject area to be taught to students when they are in the middle and secondary school setting and not the level at which they are taught currently. This may be given the approach of making the use of comprehensive strategies and subsequently teaching those strategies to adolescent readers. This aspect has been a challenge since most teachers or tutors have since believed that just the provision of adequate basic skills would suit kids with the adequate knowledge, which will enable them, read and write. This view once seemed feasible because at the time following it would enable schools produce an educated population for the countries needs. This was despite the fact that most of the students did not attain the highest level of education. Identity is an issue when it comes to disciplinary literacy; this is because it has many practical applications in classrooms. This is because it presents a challenge when it comes to a situation when one needs to understand their identity at different levels and how these identities shape what they see, view and understand texts. The identity challenge applies in the area of disciplinary literacy in the most basic sense to be able to deal with a given bunch of texts or academic artifacts; this is because this aspect requires that one is disciplinary literate in the area of study. This means one is proficient with the skills that would enable them pass the next level course by taking the material seriously and making sure that one is abreast with the skills required at every step in the process. Therefore, disciplinary literacy involves hard work with a strong foundation of the skills from the required disciplines which most of the teachers at the foundation level forego posing a challenge to the adolescents in terms of career development. It is considered a challenge in the majority because the few instances when it has been used it has brought in insights to many learners through useful applications hence enabling the setting up of appropriate foundations for students to progress deeper into their chosen disciplines (Brozo). ii. Poverty hence homelessness Poverty is a serious issue most so when it comes to the adolescents, this is even further propagated in situations when the same students both the rich and the poor share the same classroom setting. This is a problem because it would affect the level at which the adolescent poor will be willing to learn as the vice affects their innermost self in terms of how they feel and hence their motivation to learn. It is a worse scenario children being faced by poverty situations like homelessness when they are still in schools, this is despite the fact that the government existence while making expenditures towards unnecessary budgets. In the US, about 13 million children are faced with a homelessness situation due to low income while they can still affor d to stay in the same classrooms with other students (Brozo). Although some children still manage to learn even in the states which they are in most of the adolescent students are poor students due to the lack of early literacy development due to lack of permanent stations. The state is even worsened, as the teachers may not be willing to understand the situation in which the children had

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Production of tpa using eukaryotic n prokaryotic cells Essay

Production of tpa using eukaryotic n prokaryotic cells - Essay Example coli (prokaryotic). This is because of the high cost of the purification scheme required on the tPA produced from E. coli. That from the mammalian cells does not require lots of purifications because the cell environment and content is similar to that of the body cells (in vitro). tPA produced in E. coli required more purification to acquire the required state because it is composed of many components that are naturally not found with tPA in vitro conditions. The contents produced together with tPA in mammalian cells are similar to those in vitro hence are not foreign materials resulting to a less purification process. The E. coli based production process utilizes approximately sixteen purification steps (downstream) as compared to the five purification steps in CHO. Since the purification process in mammalian cells is not that complex less operating labour and supervision is required compared to the E. coli based. The CHO process utilizes nine percent of its total cost on operating labour while E. coli based utilizes twenty two percent. Also, the cost of acquiring the different purification units required for the many purification stages is higher in the E. coli based. Mammalian based process utilizes only twenty five percent of the total production cost on recovery (purification) compare to eighty eight percent on E. coli based. For the solubilization and renaturation step in the E. coli based production, approximately five tonnes of urea and twenty-six tonnes of guanidine are required. The bacteria lack efficient secretion mechanisms for tPA, therefore, the proteins are deposited as inclusion bodies. For the recovery of the proteins, a renaturation procedure is required. Since the proteins in the bacteria are produced in low concentrations (about 2.4 mg per litre) the practicability of a renaturation based production process is limited. The E. coli based production does yield to larger quantities of products that

What ideas about women and femininity do we see in the portrayals of Essay

What ideas about women and femininity do we see in the portrayals of Layla and Rabia - Essay Example Like other Muslim girls, she is bound to be loyal and humble to her the choice of her male guardians. Such position of the girls like Layla ultimately reveals that a woman in a Muslim male dominated society has lived as a plaything at the hand of the male counterparts. The story of â€Å"Layla and Majnun† starts with the description of a wealthy businessman, Sayyid, who reaches a position of power and prestige in his tribal society. But the grief of Sayyid is that he does not have any child. So he prays to Allah for a son who would inherit his wealth after he retires. Subsequently, his prayer is granted. Now, he has a son, named Qays, who is a beautiful young man. At the age of ten, Qays meets Layla and becomes amazed by her beauty. He â€Å"sought to woo her, but he knew not how: / He gazed upon her cheek, and, as he gazed, / Loves flaming taper more intensely blazed.† (Nizami 12) Both of the two fall in love with each other, as the poet says, â€Å"Love conquerd both—they never dreamt to part† (Nizami 16). But soon Layla’s tribe prohibited her to meet Qays in order to save her honor. Thus, Qays is detached from his lover and left open to meet his destiny: â€Å"A madman he became — but at the same time a poet, the harp of his love and of his pain.† (Nizami 7) This simple story of Qays and Layla’s love reveals a lot of the womanhood in the Arabian male dominated society. In a society, where women do not have their says, Layla lives â€Å"between the water of her tears and the fire of her love† (Nizami 25). In this society, she does not have the right to choose Qays as her husband; rather she has to comply with the tribe’s norms and traditions. In a sense, having no right to live on her own Layla has to live the life of a bandit in her tribe. Against her desire, she has been â€Å"removed/ Among the Najd mountains, where / She cherishd still the thoughts of him she loved, / And her

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Criminal Procedures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminal Procedures - Essay Example At first blush, it may seem that the plain view doctrine is applicable in this case. The essence of the plain view doctrine is that it allows law enforcement officers to effect warrantless seizures when the evidence/contraband is in plain view. The officer may not disturb other objects to obtain a better view. In this case, the purse was hidden under a seat and was clearly not in plain view. The correct exception to the Fourth Amendment that would make the motion fail is the â€Å"search incident to a lawful arrest† exception. The Court extended the reach of a search incident to a lawful arrest from a search within the â€Å"immediate reach† of the arrested individual to a â€Å"protective sweep†, so as for better to retrieve weapons or contraband that the accused could have hidden. In the case of New York v. Belton, the Court established the doctrine that â€Å"when a police officer has made a lawful custodial arrest of an occupant of an automobile, the Fourth Amendment allows the officer to search the passenger compartment of that vehicle as a contemporaneous incident of arrest.† The situation of Deft falls squarely within the exception. Thus, he cannot invoke the Fourth amendment to exclude the purse as evidence. One of the fundamental rights enshrined in this Amendment is the so-called Miranda Rights, created by virtue of Miranda v. Arizona, which essentially confers on policemen the duty to inform the accused of his right to remain silent and to be assisted by counsel.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

How relevant are contemporary attempts to encourage 'green Essay

How relevant are contemporary attempts to encourage 'green consumerism' - Essay Example Contemporary educated consumers must be aware of the burning environmental problems as well as informed by the product labeling and according to this knowledge to purchase only the goods which are environment friendly. Such â€Å"new† consumers also should lead a way of life that matches their new â€Å"green† tastes. In the work we are going to examine the roots of â€Å"green consumerism†, its main manifestations and define the impact of this trend on the â€Å"green movement† as a whole. How relevant are contemporary attempts to encourage green consumerism? The idea of â€Å"green consumerism† trend is when the environmental benign awareness enters the life and mind of most people the purchasing force of markets will make all manufacturers to turn their products and production into green. Otherwise these manufacturers will be rejected from the markets by the green customers. According to this strategy, only the manufacturers, which meet the deman ds of greening will preserve their positions on the market. This approach also allows people to participate in decision-making process voting by their credit cards. However, there is another view of green consumerism, according to which the whole mass of consumers is considered to be exploited by misleading advertising appealing to badly-informed environmental consciousness of people. According to the first point of view ecological crisis is the result of low-quality consumption, while according to the second one, this crisis is â€Å"caused not only by the quality but by the volume of consumption† (Goldberg et al, 1997). There are even skeptics who think that the green consumption may increase the environmental problems as it encourages the manufacturers to produce new products under the misconception that they are environmental friendly. Some people respond to green appeals that â€Å"there is no such thing as a green lunch† (cited in Goldberg et al, 1997). Environme ntal sustainability is one of the three key elements of corporate sustainability – other two are economic and social. Although these three elements are interrelated, e environmental one is often stay behind economic and social elements. A cost benefit analysis of environmental management systems found that average pay-back period makes 2 years. According to other studies better management of environmental risks (for example, environmental marketing strategies) are linked to lower cost of competitive advantage. Generally speaking, marketing managers are often concerned about the appropriate shade of green they should apply in their companies. The question is whether a â€Å"deep green† approach can be used in ecological sustainable organization, whether this approach an be considered proactive, long-term oriented, beneficial and preserving the environment. This problem involves a two-fold challenge. First of all marketers should understand which consumer attitudes shoul d be taken into consideration while making green performance assessment. The better marketers understand what makes consumers evaluate â€Å"green strategy† of the organization, the better they will be able to create strategies answering consumer demand. Unfortunately up to date the sufficient investigations of green consumer behavior have not been conducted. The second task for marketing managers is to access how well they are doing within the green conception of their organization. There exists

Monday, September 23, 2019

Comparing The Success & Future Of Open & Closed Source Software Essay

Comparing The Success & Future Of Open & Closed Source Software - Essay Example This report examines the potential inherent in the Open Source Software and the factors that have hindered its widespread usage thus far. This information will then be used to arrive at an assessment of whether or not open source software could better serve the needs of public sector institutions as opposed to closed software. Open source software is not the same as freeware. Open source is software that a user can use and freely modify or distribute to others, subject to some minimal restrictions to protect the copyright license which exists on the software (Ebert, 2009). Free software on the other hand, is software that can be copied, modified or distributed without any restrictions at all.(www.chopey.blogspot.com). The opposite of freeware is closed software. This is software that is not freely available and cannot be used without restrictions; it must be purchased from the individual or company that holds the copyright over its use. The notable example of this is the proprietary Windows software owned by Bill Gates’ company, Microsoft. The design of software is viewed as an investment because it involves an investment in formulating it, but at the same time it also provides benefits in that it facilitates certain operations, which justified the costs(Slaughter et al, 1998). Where closed source software is concerned, it is the short term returns from the software that assume a greater level of importance; as a result quality may sometimes be sacrificed in order to ensure that a piece of software is produced within stipulated deadlines. (Slaughter et al, 1998). Due to this, the quality of the source code may be lacking, so that after a certain period of time it will need to be replaced, updated or modified. Since closed software is proprietary with a copyright and cannot be freely copied or modified, this often means that the Company which produced the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Business ethics Essay Example for Free

Business ethics Essay -Ethics derived from the Greek word ethos – which refers to the conventional customs and norms of a given culture – the term ethics can be understood in two ways: †¢ as a traditional field of philosophical inquiry dating back to ancient Greece, which is concerned with values as they relate to human conduct; and †¢ as the systematic study of norms and values that guide how people should live their lives. -Ethics is to do with what is good and bad or right and wrong. The study of ethics can be either descriptive or normative. Descriptive ethics involves empirical research or inquiry into the actual rules and standards of a particular social group. Normative ethics is concerned not only with what people believe they ought to do, but also with what they really ought to do. It therefore entails taking a position. Nevertheless, it must be recognised that these two categories are in actual fact intertwined, as even the most empirically minded individuals engage in prescription as well as description. There is therefore no conceptual barrier to combining descriptive with normative ethics. -Business ethics theories include the moral principles or codes a company implements to ensure that all individuals working in the company act with acceptable behavior. Business owners and managers can use an ethics theory they deem most appropriate for use in their operations. A few different business ethics theories exist, such as the utilitarian, deontological, rights, justice, common good and virtue approach. These theories can be used on their own or in combination with each other. Each theory includes specific traits or characteristics that focus on specific ethical principles that can help companies correct business issues. -The utilitarian approach focuses on using ethical actions that will promote the most good or value among a society while limiting the amount of harm to as few people as possible. Among the business ethics theories, this is typically seen as the oldest theory, as it was propagated by many philosophers, such as Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). Businesses can use this theory to ensure the outcome of various situations helps the maximum amount of stakeholders. The â€Å"rightness† or â€Å"goodness† of ones action is not inherent in the action per se, but can only be judged by its consequences (or ends). Utilitarianism is the dominant ethical perspective in the business sphere, and can be seen as a â€Å"calculating approach† to ethics (Fisher and Lovell, 2006). A common example of business utilitarianism is the adoption of ethical principles – not because it is the â€Å"right thing to do† – but because of the image enhancement which this may produce, in view of societys increased demand for ethical conduct in the business sphere. A positive company image creates what is known in the literature as â€Å"reputational capital† or advantages accruing to companies from a good reputation which may lead to positive outcomes in areas such as improved employee morale, increased strategic flexibility and enhanced financial performance. -The deontological system (Immanuel Kant: 1724-1804) is based on the assumption that actions must be guided by universalisable principles and rules which apply regardless of the consequences of the actions. For Kant, the â€Å"moral person† is one of good will, who makes ethical decisions based on â€Å"what is right†. From this viewpoint, nevertheless, an action can only be morally right if it is carried out as a duty – not as an expectation of approval or reward. -The rights ethical approach is based on the belief that all individuals have rights in life and should be treated with respect and dignity. Morals play a large role in this because individuals must personally use ethical behavior in order to achieve the end goal without mistreating people. -Justice as an ethical approach is where all humans are treated equally through society, regardless of rank, position, class, creed, or race. This is also known as the fairness approach in business ethics theories. If people are not treated fairly — such as one employee receiving higher compensation than another — a justifiable reason must exist, such as higher technical skills or the exclusiveness of a job position. -The common good approach attempts to promote the common values and moral or ethical principles found in a society. This varies from place to place, based on countries specific cultural or societal beliefs. For example, the moral principles found in Japan will often be different than those in the United States. Business owners and managers often implement these principles to ensure their company’s overall mission is in sync with society as a whole. -The virtue approach (Aristotle 384-322 BC) is a bit more difficult for businesses to implement, as its approach focuses on following ethical principles that should be evident in society. These principles or virtues seek to replace the current values if they do not bring about the most good or best development of humanity. Businesses can implement this approach, although it may run against the grain of society until the values take hold among the general public. -Business ethics is the behavior that a business adheres to in its daily dealings with the world. The ethics of a particular business can be diverse. They apply not only to how the business interacts with the world at large, but also to their one-on-one dealings with a single customer. -Good business ethics should be a part of every business. There are many factors to consider. When a company does business with another that is considered unethical, does this make the first company unethical by association? Some people would say yes, the first business has a responsibility and it is now a link in the chain of unethical businesses. -If a company does not adhere to business ethics and breaks the laws, they usually end up being fined. Many companies have broken anti-trust, ethical and environmental laws and received fines worth millions. -Therefore, business ethics is concerned with good and bad or right or wrong behavior and practices that take place within a business context. -In short, business ethics refers to â€Å"values, standards and principles that operate within business†. Unethical behaviour -It is a sad truth that the employees of just about every business, in every business, will occasionally encounter team members who are taking part in unethical behaviors. Such unethical behaviors include a wide variety of different activities. Among the most common unethical business behaviors of employees are making long-distance calls on business lines, duplicating software for use at home, falsifying the number of hours worked, or much more serious and illegal practices, such as embezzling money from the business, or falsifying business records. -Though there is sometimes a difference between behaviors that are unethical and activities that are actually illegal, it is up to the business itself to decide how it deals with unethical behavior legal or not. -As unethical behaviors are manifested by upper-level management, workers throughout the organization note them, and unethical behavior becomes a cultural norm. Ultimately, this culture results in detrimental behaviors. Leadership -Leadership is the primary way companies foster proper ethical behavior. Leaders and executive managers have a responsibility to set the tone for ethical behavior by conducting business in an ethical and moral manner. If a leader fails to display a proper ethical behavior, workers may be unwilling to accept the companys ethical guidelines. -Leaders who act ethically ensure that problems and issues in the company are identified quickly and handled appropriately by managers and employees. Proper leadership ethics also maintain an organizations long-term viability and business environment, because customers are more willing to embrace an ethical company. Company Culture -A company culture is the intangible business environment created by leaders and executive managers. Leaders use the companys culture to pass on the mission, goals and objectives and how employees should approach jobs when helping the company reach its goals. Important elements of a strong company culture include integrity, trust, leadership, professional behavior and flexibility. Leaders and executive managers should weave these elements into company culture to ensure employees understand and follow ethical business principles. -Companies can teach employees the companys culture by using manuals or informal meetings. These mediums give management an opportunity to explain the importance of ethical business behavior. -A whistleblower (whistle-blower or whistle blower) is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities (misconduct) occurring in the business organisation. The alleged misconduct may be classified in many ways; for example, a violation of a rule, regulation and/or a direct threat to the stakeholders, such as fraud, health/safety violations, and corruption. Whistleblowers may make their allegations internally (for example, to other people within the accused organization) or externally (to regulators, law enforcement agencies, to the media or to groups concerned with the issues). -Businesses have a Code of Conduct and/or Code of Business Ethics that are actively promoted to the corporation’s employees and that are entrenched in its corporate values. As a business grows and as the business model gets more complex, it is important that we provide the company employees with a common set of guidelines to help reinforce and uphold its values. Codes of conducts are very common in business organization and the members are required to sign to indicate formally their acceptance. E. g. Customers are at the core of the success and must be treated with respect. One way do this is through the customer-focused business model– customer centricity. Customer centricity requires an ongoing relationship of trust between the employee and the customer because the relationship between the customer and the employee is much more than transactional. The employees share an obligation to: †¢ Treat all customers fairly and honestly. †¢ Communicate in a respectful and helpful manner. †¢ Provide prompt and accurate customer service. It is a duty to protect any customer’s information and privacy. †¢ It is extremely important to keep the Company’s private information confidential. Not discuss these confidential matters with anyone outside the organization. -A business success is based on strong relationships with customers, vendors, suppliers and others. Employees and directors are prohibited from: †¢ Taking personal advantage of opportunities that are discovered through the use of corporate property, information or position. †¢ Using corporate property, information, or position for personal gain. †¢ Employees are required to disclose or avoid any activity or interest that may be regarded as a possible conflict with the company’s interest. †¢ Employees are expected to be mindful of the Company’s values and standards in their business dealings. It is never acceptable to solicit gifts, gratuities or business courtesies on behalf of the business organisation for the personal benefit of an employee, family member or friend. †¢ In all situations employees are prohibited from implying that they represent the company in any political activities. †¢ If you are contacted by a representative of any government agency, don’t handle the situation by yourself. Contact your Legal Department. A model of an employee acknowledgment of the Code of ethics of XYZ co. Ltd. I acknowledge that I have received and will comply with XYZ co. Ltd Code of Business Ethics (the Code). I also understand that I have the responsibility to review XYZ co. Ltd policies and procedures. I understand that violation of the policies and ethical standards outlined in the Code may subject me to disciplinary action up to and including termination without notice. I understand that if I have questions related to the standards of conduct outlined in the Code or other Company polices not covered in the Code, I am to discuss them promptly with my manager or the Ethics Office, Human Resources dept. I also understand that I may be required to sign one or more annual statements reporting conflicts of interest or receipt of gifts and gratuities. Date: Name of employee: Department: Employee number: Signature: Sources: Caroll Buchholtz, Business and Society, 5th edn. Robbins P. R, Organisational Behaviour, 11th edn. Weiss J. W, Business Ethics, 4th edn. www. bestbuycanadaltd. ca/ www. edc. ca/ www. ehow. co. uk/ www. wisegeek. com.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Doubt Is The Key To Knowledge

Doubt Is The Key To Knowledge Doubt is the feeling of uncertain towards the truth. Persian proverb says that doubt is the key to knowledge. The key here means that the uncertain feelings bring us closer to the truth and making the level of knowledge increases. But, is it applicable in our daily life? Does doubt keeps someone to expand his knowledge in everyday life? If in a situation, an IB student doubt either he would pass or not in the examination, would his uncertain feeling causes his knowledge to expand? As for me, I think I would struggle hard because I do not have the confidence to pass the IB examination. And of course, I will expand my knowledge. But, here in this essay, we are going to discuss to what extent doubt brings us closer to the truth in different two areas of knowledge. In this essay, we are going to discuss whether doubt triggers or hinders the search for knowledge in two areas of knowledge, which are History and Natural Science. From the point of view of History, doubt can widen our knowledge. If someone does not believe about some historical facts, this would cause him to search information to find the truth. The person may not believe about the fact as he did not see the event by himself. There is a saying said that, seeing is believing. By seeing, then only the person would believe. But, as History is the story about the past, the person could not move the time backwards. Therefore, the person can only start searching for the information through the historical books, journals, and other related materials to get a better understanding about the event and to prove that the event really happened. And this eventually leads the person to gain extra information than he needed. For example, if a person could not believe that the Abbasids rule was ruined by the Mongol people, he would also know the reason why Mongol people managed to sack Abbasids capital in Baghdad, the attitude of Abbasids people during the att ack and many other related information about the fall of the Abbasid caliphate when he searched the information about it. He would also be acquainted with the leader of the Mongols. Thus, based from the explanation and example given, these strongly prove that doubt in History can increase knowledge by bringing the knowledge closer to the truth. Next, if we are looking in Natural Science, doubt leads to more research, which means that it also leads to new findings. The uncertain feeling towards some existing theories leads the scientist to do research about it. The scientist would firstly made assumption through logic based from the theory he felt uncertain about. Then he has to formulate hypothesis and design appropriate experiment in order to prove that the existing theory is false and he also has to come up with a new theory based on his experiment. This process is called falsification, introduced by a philosopher, Karl Popper. Before establishing a new theory, there would be many practical experiment conducted and of course, many new discoveries found. This would also expand the knowledge when the experiment conducted show any unexpected results. For example, the periodic table has undergone many rearrangement and falsification processes by the previous scientist before it is being established as the modern and most reli able periodic table, created by Dmitri Mendeleev. The establishment of this modern periodic table was also due to the development of quantum mechanics theories by other scientist. Therefore, doubt in Natural Science trigger the scientist to carry out many researches in order to make progress in expanding the knowledge. Apart from that, doubt sometimes becomes the inhibitor to knowledge. Let us now discuss why doubt cannot become the key to knowledge in History and Natural Science. Well, doubt in History will not become the key to knowledge if it stands on its own. Due to limitation like emotion, the uncertain feeling towards the historical facts solely will not bring knowledge closer to the truth. The expanding of knowledge is limited by emotion means that the knower himself did not want to belief about new facts or findings that contradicts from what he believed. When a new fact is revealed by the historians, he would feel uncertain about the fact because the fact is totally different from his belief. And if he still wants to stick with his belief, he will not gain any knowledge. In History, it took time to change someones paradigm and if he was reluctant to be open-minded, the true knowledge will not be discovered. For example, during Britishs rule in Malaya, there were many local heroes who always protest against the government to fight for the rights of the Malayan. They were Dato Bahaman, Tok Janggut, Syarif Masahor, and many more. Local folks said that t hey were very (berjasa) to the country and their names were (dijulang). But, there were new facts that reveals about the truth of those warriors. They were actually gangsters. They were not as kind as the local folks thought. But, many local folks did not believe on these statements. They just ignore their uncertain feeling and they keep the faith that those heroes were very (berjasa) to the country. Therefore, the emotion of the knowers here inhibit in the search for the knowledge in History. Next, in Natural Science, doubt will become the inhibitor to knowledge when there is too much doubt. If the scientist is not certain about many things, he will not gain any information from his uncertain feelings. Excessive doubt will make something become more complex and the scientist might become confused too. When the theory becomes complex, the experiment to falsify the theory will become more complicated. And without the suitable and appropriate apparatus, the scientist cannot make any progress from the theory that he felt uncertain. As for an example, the existence of aliens or the living creatures from other planets cannot be proven true or false until nowadays. The technology that we have nowadays still cannot find the truth about them. To conclude here, in Natural Science, too much doubt will become a hindrance in gaining knowledge. We have seen that how doubt works as the key to knowledge in History and Natural Science. We also have known in what conditions doubt becomes a hindrance in gaining the knowledge. Doubt is very important to bring the knowledge closer and closer to the truth. However, we must not doubt too much in both History and Natural Science. We might ignore the excessive doubt that we have and finally no new knowledge will be discovered. Therefore, we must have an equal level between doubts and confident before accepting and believing the truth. Hence, doubt can be considered as the main key in gaining knowledge.

Friday, September 20, 2019

College Life Essay -- Personal Narratives Education Essays

College Life A new experience, a change from the norm, looking out for myself, and living on my own: for me this is college. The transition of high school student to college seemed immensely overwhelming and even a bit scary. The shift opened a can of worms and created challenges, both good and bad, behind every corner. Due to the change of scene, I am now dealing with the everyday acceptance of the greater world around me: the town, the people and my new life. Graduation: the last day that I would unwillingly set foot on the fields of Horizon High School. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest, and tried so hard to keep my feet moving one after the other in order to maintain my perfect stature. After the two hour wait of opening speeches, class songs, and the calling off of the five hundred plus names that were in front of me, it was finally my turn. As my row stood up and we walked towards the stage it had set in at last, this is it, I am done. My high school career ended on that night, but it didn’t close the book that is my life, it only started a new chapter, and with it came a whole slue of uncertainties. I had to ask myself, â€Å"What’s next?† The only thing that I could think of was the rest of my life, and college would start the rest of my life. With college being this important I knew that every decision that I made would affect my life in some way, and this did anything but calm my nerves. I then had the next three months to prepare for this step in my life. Once again I was a little rattled by this notion. So for the summer I prepared whenever I got a chance. I picked up bedding and storage, my roommate and I made sure that we had all of the necessary appliances (i.e. refrigerator, TV... ...t the strange thing was that it wasn’t my cocoon of a home that I missed. I had created a new life in the few short weeks that I had lived in Flagstaff. I found a family in the friends that I made, and wanted to see them again, ask them about their weekends and simply make sure that everything that I made was still there. My fears although real and still there, be it below the surface, are truly leaving. I never thought that I could feel safe and comfortable outside of the nice cushy box that I made for my self in the previous chapter of my life, but I stepped out. I ventured farther than anyone else in my family ever had gone. I have conquered my anxiety, or at least pushed it back for a while. I have faced my challenges of being out on my own, and maybe even created a few more that I cannot see yet on the horizon, but for now I am making it on my own.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Nutrition - Teaching our Children to Eat Well Essay -- Health Nutritio

Nutrition - Teaching our Children to Eat Well When I look back at my experience through elementary and secondary school, and think about school lunch my memories are not cherished. The gray messy masses that smell and jiggle in a nebulous blob while the lunch lady deposits it onto my tray. No, those were not fond memories at all. I do remember having to look at the month ahead with my mother, because she wanted me to eat at least eat one school prepared meal a week. These were tough decisions for an elementary student, with picky taste in food. I remember most of the students in my class eating the chocolate cake or the cookies as the main course of their meal. Now that I look back on this, I realize how foolish it was that teachers did not pay better attention to our diets. American's "sweet tooth is tied to sour health" according to Jane Brody of The New York Times. We are "squeezing out nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products that can help to prevent disease." A nutritionally complete diet should involve no more than ten percent of its calories from added sugar; "American children now consume nearly twice that amount. The average teenager derives 19 percent of calories from added sugar, with the average boy consuming 34 teaspoons and the average girl consuming 24 teaspoons of added sugar daily, according to Federal surveys. Younger children, too, have diets far sweeter than desirable: 6- to 11-year-olds get 18 percent of their calories from added sugars" (Brody, 7). Yikes, these numbers do not look good when trying to promote nutrition, but how does one teach children to eat things like vegetables? Some children do not like to eat the vegetables that are given to them because they are not quite sure what is in the mushroom surprise. A lot of children just do not like school lunches, while others really enjoy them. Some may think that they are fattening, rubber in them, too greasy and unhealthy. While others find them more convenient, taking some chaos out of their morning routine, since they do not need to pack a lunch, or worry about what to eat. Nancy Polk, for the New York Times, wrote why in the past 5 years, the regulations for the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children needed to be put in effect. This drastically changed the way we feed American youth. They specifically looked at makin... ...bits for life. Life-long learning and health have been proven to go hand in hand, teaching our children to eat well is just as important as teaching them to read. This might be the key to unlocking a whole new power. A power for learning. A power that will someday set the standard for the world in which we live. Bibliography: Brody, Jane. "Increasingly, America's Sweet Tooth Is Tied to Sour Health." New York Times. New York. September 21, 1999. Friedman, BJ. "Nutrient Intake of Children Eating School Breakfast." American Dietetic Association. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Chicago. February 1999. Gottlieb, Robert. "The State: In Reforming Schools, Don't Forget Students' Stomachs." The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. California. December 27, 1998. "Guidelines for School Health Programs to Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating." Journal of School Health. Washington D.C. January 1997, Vol. 67, No. 1. "Healthy School Meals†¦Healthy Kids! A Leadership Guide for School Decision-Makers." Food and Consumer Service (USDA). Washington D.C. 1997. Polk, Nancy. "Better School Lunches, Fitter Children." New York Times. New York. February 21, 1999.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Essay --

Operation Deliberate Force By SSG Barker, Russell J. ALC Class 018-14 SFC Franklin Barker, Russell J. 13F ALC Class 018-14 14 March 2014 Operation Deliberate Force The idea of a humanitarian war or going to war in pursuit of a humanitarian effort is an ambiguous idea. From an outsider’s point of view it can seem like a self-serving mission or even some crazy form of moral or immoral self-deception. Yet, in war strategies, humanitarian efforts are widely distributed through all aspects of our art of war such as the Geneva conventions. In operation deliberate force the theory of air strikes came to be the most humane effort in that of shortening the war as well as bringing the amount of innocent suffering to a minimum. Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in the south east region of Europe, in the Balkan Peninsula. It borders with the Republic of Croatia in the north, west and southwest and with Serbia and Montenegro in the east and south. The Ivan Sedlo saddle (much like a valley) found between the mountains Bitovnje and BjelaÃ… ¡nica connects the two major wholes of the country, the more populated and abundant in forests and land, Bosnia in the north and the smaller, rocky Herzegovina in the south. There is a natural border of mountains between Bosnia and Herzegovina. Herzegovina is actually quite small barely making up ten percent of the population of the entire country. Most of Bosnia is hilly and mountainous and there is almost no area less than one hundred and fifty meters above sea level. Bosnia is not a country abundant in many different water sources; it contains a few large rivers and only few lakes. Of the countries making up the former Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzego... ...ion. There were many sides to this Bosnian civil war; each of the three cultures in this territorial conflict had their own justifiable reasoning behind the events that took place throughout the long ordeal. Yet it was easily brought to an end once NATO and the United Nations decided to take a more aggressive role with their presence. The Serbians who were the main antagonist throughout this war thought they were much more militarily inclined than they actually were therefore when just a small amount of air strikes were implemented by NATO it occurred to them that they should probably quit while they still could. Operation Deliberate Force in my opinion, proves how effective air support can be, and how efficient it is at bringing all things conflict related to an end much quicker than ground battle, and with much less casualties, both civilian and military, at that.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Strategic Analysis Zara

BRAND POSITIONINGSingapore Market Size Zara's size is at 1.3% of Singapore apparel industry, 6th place after other brands like Mango, Guess, Esprit, Raoul and Giordano.Visionâ€Å"ZARA is committed to satisfying the desires of our customers. As a result we pledge to continuously innovate our business to improve your experience. We promise to provide new designs made from quality materials that are affordable†Mission Statementâ€Å"Through Zara’s business model, we aim to contribute to the sustainable development of society and that of the environment with which we interacts.†Target Market & PriceZara sells apparel, footwear and accessories for women, men and children. Product lines were segmented into these three categories, with further segmentation within the women’s line as it was considered the strongest out of the three, with an overwhelming majority of women in the target market (78%).Zara’s consumers are young, value conscious and highly sens itive to the latest fashion trends in the industry. An advantage that the brand has over conventional retailers is that they do not define and segment their target market by ages resulting in designs and styles that can reach a broader market.Zara offers cutting edge fashion at affordable prices by following the most up-to-date fashion trends and identifying consumers’ demand, and quickly getting the latest designs into stores.BACKGROUNDAbout ZARAZara is a flagship brand of the Spanish retail group, Inditex group. Inditex is the world's largest fashion group, which owns other fashion brands such as Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home,  Lefties and Uterqà ¼e. It was founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega, when he decided to expand his factory in Arteixo by opening a store in La Coruà ±a. Zara has expanded since and currently operates a total of 1,671 stores in continents such as Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Oceania, of which 333 of them are in Spain.In the BeginningFounded by Amancio Ortega in 1975, Zara opened its first store in downtown La Coruà ±a, Galicia, Spain. Its first store carried low-priced lookalike products of popular, higher-end fashion brands. The store proved to be a success in the early 1980s, and Ortega began opening more Zara stores throughout Spain.Global ExpansionIt was only in 1988, Zara decided to venture into the international market. This was spurred by Portuguese youths crossing the border into Spain to shop in Zara. Hence, Zara responded by opening its first store in Oporto, Portugal. The expansion strategy proved to be a success. Subsequently, new stores popped up in New York (1989) and Paris (1990), the fashion capitals of the world. Since then, more stores have opened globally to a standing of 1,671 stores. Zara Company has become an icon for Spanish fashion.FinancialsThe Inditex group currently boasts revenue of 13.79 billion euros (2012), with profits standing strong at 1.932 billion Za ra swot analysis

Monday, September 16, 2019

Developmental History

Aaron (not his real name) was 3 years old and 4 months and 5 days on the day his mother was interviewed for this case study report. Aaron has a medium structure but is tall for his age, he likes to move around a lot, he is now able to run and play on his own with little supervision especially if he is inside the house. He likes going to the groceries and playing with the cans on the shelves. He can speak in short sentences but still uses baby talk when he asks for something. His first word was Mama and he actually grunts and giggles a lot. He is not comfortable with strangers or with anything new.He seems to have a slow to warm up temperament. But once he feels secure, he can actually be very friendly and interacts well with other people. He is potty trained and have started using pull-up diapers instead of the regular ones. He likes to work on coloring books and he has tons of scribbled papers. He gets bored watching TV, he does not even like Barney, but he likes music and he become s very alert when he hears Mozart or Beethoven. He likes toys that he can move, bang, throw and manipulate. He already has good fine motor skills as he can hold his spoon and eat on his own. However he can’t still button his own shirts..His favorite foods are oranges, vegetables and chicken. He also drinks apple juice with his meal. He still asks for his bottle when going to sleep but can use a sippy cup during the day. Aaron however sucks his thumb when he is sleepy or when he is feeling insecure. Health and Physical Condition Aaron was born through normal delivery, his mother was 25 when she gave birth and was the first born. His mother was healthy and did not have any severe medical conditions before and during the pregnancy. However, she had a case of urinary tract infection around 6 months into her pregnancy but was treated successfully with antibiotics.She also had a positive disposition during her pregnancy and she ate the right foods and dutifully took her vitamins an d regularly had her prenatal check-ups. Aaron passed the newborn screening test in flying colors, he was 7. 6 pounds, had the normal head circumference and height and he was already screaming when he came into the world. After 2 days in the hospital, he went home, however, he was supposed to be breastfeed but he had difficulty in it as his first feeding was from the bottle, his mother also had difficulty nursing him as she was a firs time mother.The doctors advised that he be placed on the bottle on an infant formula. He did not have any problems after this. Aaron was overweight when he was 5 months old, he has a very regular sleeping and feeding schedule and he sticks to it even if there are distractions. He liked to jump on his mother’s lap and he used his feet more than his hands at this stage. At 6 months, he changed his milk formula and he suffered from constipation, he had to be placed on different milk formula which was not constipating and was on a soft diet. After 2 days, he was able to resume normal bowel movement.He also had bouts of colic especially during the day. He does not cry much but when he does cry it took him a long time to quiet down. His mother noticed that he seemed to shiver when he cries and go blue when he does not get what he wants. When he is angry or upset, he will cough or make vomiting actions. The mother was alarmed with this behavior but when she talked to her pediatrician, he said that Aaron was merely trying to get his own way by vomiting and turning blue because when he checked him he was really just a normal child. The mother has learned not to reinforce vomiting or holding his breath and this have now disappeared.At one year old, Aaron was hospitalized for diarrhea and vomiting, he was having high grade fever and was throwing up and had very loose bowels. He was brought to the hospital because he was already showing signs of dehydration. He stayed in the hospital for 3 days and came home fine. His teeth came out in pairs and started when he was 9 months old, at 1 year and 4 months, he already had 8. He seemed to have the colds and low grade fever whenever his teeth were coming out. He has not been dropped, had his head banged or fell from the stairs. He started walking at one year old and was running before he reached 2 years old.He did not have any illnesses up to the time of the interview. Health and Medical Analysis From the case study presented, it seemed that Aaron’s major health condition that has brought about medical attention was on his digestive system. He had constipation, colic, indigestion; diarrhea and vomiting at a young age this would imply that he has a weak stomach or a very sensitive digestive system. He had been on infant formula since he was born and it could be that his stomach have not adapted as well as children who have been breastfeed (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000).He also had been using distilled water since he was born and it could be that his stomach does not have the friendly bacteria that normal children have. The problem is that Aaron likes food; he has a healthy appetite but since he suffers from indigestion or diarrhea he might lose his love for eating because it was the source of his discomfort, however, at present Aaron has not shown any aversion to food. In the future, Aaron may have more instances of diarrhea because when he gets older, his mother would have lesser control over what he eats (Berk, 2005).At present he is being taught to always wash his hands before eating and to not place anything on his mouth, but the difficulty is that he still sucks his thumb before going to sleep. It is recommended that the mother try to introduce Aaron to regular water and juice and to have him eat different foods so his stomach would be accustomed to it. It was also recommended that the mother bring this to the attention of the pediatrician and to learn more about how to keep the digestive system healthy and functioning well. References Berk, L. (2005). Factors affecting growth and physical health. In Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood 5th ed (pp. 293-303). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Shonkoff, J. & Phillips, D. (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early  childhood development. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press.   

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Analysis of “Why I Love My Strict Chineses Mom” Essay

The correct way of raising a child? Sophia Chua-Rubenfeld’s essay â€Å"Why I love my strict Chinese mom† is a response to the all the negative feedback her mother had gotten for her essay â€Å"Why Chinese Mothers are Superior†. The intention of this essay is to persuade and inform the reader of why Amy Chua raised her daughter Sophia the correct way. Chua-Rubenfeld’s first argument is that the critics (the outsider) have no clue of what the Chua-Rubenfeld family is like (p. 2, l. 21). The fact that Chua-Rubenfeld is stating that â€Å"you don’t know what you’re talking about, because you don’t know me and/or my family† makes this a classical argument, which in reality is no valid argument. However, her main claim throughout the essay is supported by a strong warrant and ground. Chua-Rubenfeld’s main claim is that Amy Chua’s strict parenting forced her to be more independent and act as an adult. The way her mother did this was by pushing her daughte r to become more successful. Chua-Rubenfeld’s mother taught her that creativity takes effort, which in this case is used as Chua-Rubenfeld’s warrant: One should always work hard and push one’s self to the limit. And according to Chua-Rubenfeld this applies to everyone independent of one’s goals in life. Only by forcing body and mind one can truly achieve anything. Chua-Rubenfeld’s ground is very much connected to her claim and warrant, because she can see how her mother’s upbringing of her has made her independent, and has made her pursue knowledge. This is why Chua-Rubenfeld calls her mother â€Å"Tiger-mom†. The tiger symbolizes a fierce and brave person and the animal itself has a very high status. These are qualities that Sophia Chua-Rubenfeld appreciates, and thanks her mother for having. The Chua-Rubenfeld way of upbringing a child appears to be completely different from what experts believe is the correct way. In Kate Lovey’s article â€Å"Let them eat pizza: Parenting guru’s recipe for bringing up children† the reader is introduced to a different opinion. A parenting guru Dr Bryan Caplan claims that children’s lives are â€Å"shaped mostly by their genes and their own choices.† (p. 5, l. 18). This article is characterized by its great use of argumentative features. Dr Bryan Caplan bases his arguments on biological research and scientifically proved facts. The appeal form used is ethos, since the reader trusts the doctor because he has a certain authority. However, the arguments that he uses do unfortunately not  appear convincing, because he only bases his ground on quantitative data. It is possible to convince someone with statistical material but it involves using an amount of qualitative data, as it explains why statistics tell us what they do. The two previous articles may seem each other’s opposites, concerning the ways of raising a child. In A. S. Neill’s article â€Å"Summerhill – a radical approach to child rearing† he introduces another way of upbringing a child where he focuses on education. He clearly states that the important part of educating is helping the child in becoming better at what the child is good at. He supports his claim by using a lot of topological features. In the beginning of the article he incorporates a story about Nijinsky to demonstrate his point: The world will not develop geniuses if it does not spot and utilize the child’s talent. By incorporating a famous ballet dancer he engages the reader because the reader can hardly disagree on what Neill is saying. The reader is also engaged because education is such an important thing. Through the education one is developed. Therefore it is essential that the educational system is properly functioning. It is important to remember the function of our educational system. The future of the world depends on the teachers and the pupils, and education should prepare the children for the world. But there is a fine line between preparing and dictating. The society does not only need lawyers, doctors, and other jobs associated with high status. It is dependent on and needs cleaning ladies, police officers, engineers as well as an y other jobs. Therefore, in order to provide the world with smart and skilled people the educational system should develop the child’s natural talent and interests. This is also applicable when talking about the upbringing of a child. For example some kids may naturally be better at sport and the parent should thus reward and encourage the child. However, there is something called general education which should be incorporated in the learning process, because the child will probably have some difficulties in the modern society if this is ignored. Furthermore, it is necessary to teach the child how to behave in certain situations and also in general. But a lot of the upbringing of a child depends on the cultural background. Different cultures have different ways of raising children. Depending on the culture the values in the upbringing of a child may vary extremely. However, the parent should acknowledge that we live in a globalized world where the child will meet  different cultures. Ther efore the parent should prepare the child for an open mind.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Website Evaluation for Better Business

The question is, can you write an effective letter to a major corporation and get your point across in way that your information stands out over the multiple documents that a CEO may be receiving. Just think about what you would do if you were in a singing contest, how you could shine above all the other contestants. There are great examples online of business writings that we can access 24 hours a day. I just want to touch on the importance of good communications and how far it will take you in the business community. Most professionals are inundated with reading tons of material everyday often without knowing what the writer was trying to convey. The book talks about effective communication when writing a business letter. The fact the most readers will not read long sentences or large paragraphs, this makes it important to develop a method of writing that is informative but yet effective. The information I ‘m going to provide for you will help you in this quest. I’m going to show is how the use of this website (http://www. powa. org/) to give you an advantage over other business writers, and have a successful outcome. First, the book (Business Communication Today) gives some concrete pointers that seem to be the same emphases throughout chapter #6, meaning that the more we read it, speak it, use it, we’ll remember it. The book talks about having a clear message, breaking up long sentences, rewrite hedging sentences, clarify sentence structure and shorten overly long words. The web site explains the subject-verb/complement pattern and shows how you can expand that pattern almost indefinitely with a few simple principles such as coordination and subordination. In the website we'll look at some more advanced sentence strategies. Again the aim is to increase your versatility as a writer, to help you see the full range of options for solving writing problems. As your flexibility increases, you'll not only satisfy minimal standards of clarity and correctness, you'll express yourself with new-found energy and power. While the S V/C pattern, with agent as subject, is by far the most common pattern for building English sentences, it's by no means the only one. Nor is it best in every situation. Sometimes you may wish to turn things around in order to create a particular kind of emphasis or rhythm. Second, the chapter further goes into design elements and paragraph length and margins around the text which effects what you’re reading and gives the document overall readability. There was a list of four writing techniques that improve the readability of the message: * Varying sentence length. * Keeping paragraph short. * Using list and bullets. * Adding heading and subheading. The challenge is to keep your thought process while attempting to follow the main direction which is to get your message across while having the correct format. The writing a strong business letter will take some practice and a great deal of patience. The web site goes on to enhance the topic and seems to go deeper into developing your paragraph. Your topic sentences indicate the major support areas for your thesis, and the guide sentences show how you can develop each paragraph. Still, your paper is far from complete. While you've opened up your main idea to expose its parts, you have yet to get down to giving the specifics; the precise details that will help your reader feel the full weight of your thought. You must show the foundation of specific evidence that your general ideas are built upon. The following suggestions for paragraph development will help you coax forth details that will make your writing solid and substantial. Notice how often a paragraph will say, in the second or third sentence, â€Å"for instance† or â€Å"for example. † This is how writers introduce an actual incident or object to prove or illustrate the point under discussion. The example may be a brief physical description: I can still remember her imitation of a frog. Puffing out her cheeks and hopping around the room, she seemed almost amphibian as she croaked out a mating call. Sometimes a point made in your thesis sentence, a topic sentence, or a guide sentence needs elaboration and clarification. That is, the reader may pick up the general outline of what you're saying, but a second sentence or two may be needed before the full meaning comes across. The first two sentences of this paragraph work like that. The second one explains the first, and the next two (including this one) carry the process even further. Each sentence, after looking back at the previous one to see if it tells the whole story with perfect clarity, goes on to fill in the gaps and make the meaning more precise. In the introduction paragraph I made an example to get you the reader to draw a comparison, and inspire you to think. Third, Chapter #6 helps us along by telling us that we need to proof read everything we intend to send out for others to read. As I read the books definition of proofreading I discovered eight tips for improving the message quality. Proofreading should be a little more than a quick glance, we all have made mistakes in this area, for an example; I recently wrote how our brains can figure out how to determine what is being conveyed even if the content of the text seems totally incorrect. I’d failed to proofread one of my papers but discovered the problem only after sending it to the boss to read. I’d misspelled the word â€Å"indicated† later the document went to the district manager for review. I then re-read the document and found the error and felt so unprofessional. Now the time was right for me to step up my game and proofread all documents. The eight tips are as follows; * Make multiple passes, checking for any problem * Read aloud or read backward * Double check high priority names, dates, address and financial data * Take a break for a while then start again Read the small sections * Stay focus on your work * Review complex document * Take your time It is a fact that we look at the same document over and over our brains tells us that there are no mistakes, but when we allow a second set of eyes to take a look the mistakes are found that we didn’t see, so even after proof reading sometimes it’s possible to overlook errors. The above steps are very important. The website touch on proofreading is equally important; producing a clean, error-free final draft isn't easy. Even the most carefully edited professional publications contain occasional typos. Most readers understand this and aren't bothered by such infrequent problems. Yet when errors occur often, they undermine the writer's authority and disrupt communication. The following guidelines are easier for some to follow than for others, but they can, with a little work, be learned by almost anyone. Once learned, they'll become part of your permanent knowledge base like the multiplication tables or your best friend's phone number. You won't have to learn them twice. Take time then, even if you're fairly confident about your grammar, to see if you need to work on any of these six areas. If you do, try to understand the logic of the rule, what its purpose is. Six Problem Areas are; * Subject/Verb Agreement * Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement * Pronoun Reference * Shift in Tense * Shift in Person * Misrelated Modifier There are parts of the website that I believe to be very useful for me in my personal struggle to learn to write more professionally. The class has all the tools to push you to progress, however this website helps as do many other tools we use in learning to write effectively. The part of the site that impacted me the most was the grammar section which I mentioned in the above paragraph. I am very weak in this area that’s why this site was very informative for me. Although this website was very informative there were some areas that could be improved. The first page layout does not hold your attention as do other sites I’ve visited. There should be some video interactivity because as the site proclaimed, people don’t want to read huge amounts of text when the technology exist to allow some video format to occur. When I was looking for further information in reference to the first page tabs I didn. t see the tabs on the top for the page, a better way to present the tabs would be to make them larger and use a different color to attract attention. Some of the colors that are on the page should express key points, for an example; when you study and you want to remember a key point in the text you highlight it, so I think key points should be highlighted to bring attention to what the writer was trying to convey. The website definition of my earlier observation is, if writing is like making a movie, emphasis could be compared to a photographer’s zoom lens, moving in for a close-up one moment and backs for a wide-angle shot the next. Emphasis allows you to create similar special effects by magnifying, reducing, or even eliminating certain details. By controlling emphasis, you can focus your readers' attention on what is most important.