Native American Dance Regalia in the Powwow

The making of dance regalia is for Native American people a tradition. It is a distinctly indigenous activity that is illustrative of the reality that for indigenous people there is no separation between art and everyday life, between culture and creativity, or the sacred from secular. All styles of regalia are remarkably elaborate, and while the degree of beauty of an outfit doesnt necessarily equate to dancing talent, it does say something about a persons commitment to dancing. They all have stories as historical categories and as individual creations. The making of powwow dance outfits is an art form all its own. Powwow History Powwows are intertribal social gatherings that began roughly in the 1880s. This was at a time when Indians were experiencing great upheavals in their communities. Those were the years of the assimilation era when tribes were being forced onto reservations, into more sedentary lifestyles, and families were being broken up due to the boarding school policy. By the 1960s the federal governments relocation policy led to large populations of Native Americans in urban centers, and powwows became an important way for Indians to stay connected to their tribal cultures and identities. Native American Beliefs For Native people, everything is imbued with spiritual meaning even in the context of the modern world, and especially when it comes to the expression of culture and identity. For dancers, not only is the act of dancing that expression, but the wearing of dance regalia is the visible manifestation of ones heritage. A dancers regalia is one of the most powerful symbols of her Native identity and in that regard, it can be considered sacred. This is one reason why it is incorrect to refer to dance regalia as a costume. Many of the elements that make up a dance outfit are items often associated with the ceremonial function, such as eagle feathers and parts, animal hides, items that have been handed down through generations, as well as designs that may have been handed down or were given in dreams and visions. How Outfits are Acquired In todays world not everybody in Native societies possesses the skills required to construct dance regalia, and, in fact, most simply do not. Often dance outfits or elements of outfits are passed down; grandmas moccasins, dads dance fan or bustle, or moms buckskin and beadwork. More often outfits are made by family members, purchased in the marketplace, or custom made by professional artists. Far less commonly are outfits actually made by the dancer her or himself. No matter which way a dancer acquires their dance regalia, it typically takes many years to build a wardrobe of dance outfits (most dancers own more than one outfit) and is very expensive. Skills It takes a variety of skills to put together a dance outfit. First, it takes the knowledge of different dance styles which will guide the vision for an outfits design. An eye for design is imperative so that all elements of the outfit will be consistent. Sewing is one necessary skill, but not just the ability to sew fabric. The ability to sew leather is also necessary which means a person must have leather smithing skills as well. They must also have certain crafting abilities, like knowledge about how to make feather fans, moccasins, and beadwork. This is such a wide variety of skills and because very few people possess all of them, most dance outfits come from several different sources. Dance Styles There are a number of different dance techniques that are divided into mens and womens in the categories of northern and southern styles. Men and women both have a style of fancy dancing (which is considered a northern style), and both have styles of traditional dance within the northern and southern genre. Other styles include grass dancing, the chicken dance, southern straight, jingle dress, and gourd dancing.

The Chinese Room Argument - 1272 Words

While proponents of strong AI believe that machines are capable of imitating human consciousness so well that it might be perceived as actually obtaining consciousness, others such as John Searle believe otherwise. Another logical stance on the question is accepting that machines are able to behave as though it has a conscious mind physically, but also arguing that machines will never be able to possess this consciousness as though a human would. This second type of viewpoint is considered Weak Artificial Intelligence, otherwise known as narrow artificial intelligence. Weak AI is acknowledging that machines can simulate consciousness computationally, but that is different from actually obtaining consciousness. One of the most widely known†¦show more content†¦Searle believed that simply manipulating symbols will not ensure computers are able to think or understand, in other words, knowing syntax does not mean understanding the semantics, and function does not mean understanding. There are of course many criticisms of Searle’s Chinese Room Argument, the main ones include the Systems Reply, the Robot Reply, the Brain Simulator Reply, the Other Minds Reply, and the Intuition Reply. In Searle’s Chinese Room Argument, the person inside the room is defined as not able to understand Chinese. But in response to that, the Systems Reply brings up the point that while the person might not know any Chinese, the system as a whole understands Chinese. The Virtual Mind Reply is similar to the Systems Reply in that the person inside the room might not understand Chinese by him or herself. But Virtual Mind Reply questions whether understanding is created or not. While the person in the room might not have any knowledge of Chinese at the beginning, running the system might create an agent that does have understanding of Chinese. The Robot Reply, while accepting that the person in the room might not understand Chinese or the computer in the room does not understand a particular language, suggests that â€Å"giving a computer a body† would mean something different for the computer. Being able to interact with the environment using sensors might enable the computer to learn. The Brain Simulator Reply suggests to consider the program beingShow MoreRelatedThe Chinese Room Argument Essay906 Words   |  4 Pages John Searle formulated the Chinese Room Argument in the early 80’s as an attempt to prove that computers are not cognitive operating systems. In short though the immergence of artificial and computational systems has rapidly increased the infinite possibility of knowledge, Searle uses the Chinese room argument to shown that computers are not cognitively independent. John Searle developed two areas of thought concerning the independent cognition of computers. 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He states that even though he can find the appropriate translations for the symbols and output answers he still does not understand Chinese. Prior to my previous argument, I look to investigate in what instance ca n the computer be thought of as an understanding machine. In order to do thisRead MoreEssay about John Searles Chinese Room Argument2000 Words   |  8 PagesJohn Searles Chinese Room Argument The purpose of this paper is to present John Searle’s Chinese room argument in which it challenges the notions of the computational paradigm, specifically the ability of intentionality. Then I will outline two of the commentaries following, the first by Bruce Bridgeman, which is in opposition to Searle and uses the super robot to exemplify his point. Then I will discuss John Eccles’ response, which entails a general agreement with Searle with a few objectionsRead MoreMinds, Brains, and Science by John R. Searle1815 Words   |  7 PagesBerkeley (â€Å"John R. Searle,† 2014). Searle earned his Ph.D. in philosophy at Oxford, and has made several contributions to his field on topics, such as consciousness, artificial intelligence, and the problem of free will (â€Å"John R. Searle,† 2014). His â€Å"Chinese Room† experiment is known as one of the main critiques to the concept of artificial intelligence. In Searle’s book, Searle describes his thought process into this experiment during the second chapter, titled â€Å"Can Computers Think?† Searle’s purpose ofRead MoreWhy Functionalism Is A Better Theory Than Identity Theory1231 Words   |  5 Pagesto humans, so would count as having mental states. Therefore functionalists are saying that machines are conscious. But surely, only biologically living organisms have the platform to obtain a conscious mind, which is the brain. The absent qualia argument was raised by philosopher Ned Block against functionalism (Block, 1978). Qualia are our private experiences and sensations that are infallible and cannot be explained by words, like the smell of fresh coffee, or the sensation of pain, and thus theyRead MoreComputing Machinery And Intelligence By Alan Turing1469 Words   |  6 Pagesnature of machines’ capacity for thought or consciousness, such as John Searle. In his Chinese room thought experiment, Searle outlines a scenario that implies machinesâ€⠄¢ apparent replication of human cognition does not yield conscious understanding. While Searle’s Chinese thought experiment demonstrates how a Turing test is not sufficient to establish that a machine can possess consciousness or thought, this argument does not prove that machines are absolutely incapable of consciousness or thought. RatherRead MoreChinese Room Scenario by John R. Searle Essay531 Words   |  3 PagesChinese Room Scenario by John R. Searle Through the use of his famous Chinese room scenario, John R. Searle tries to prove there is no way artificial intelligence can exist. This means that machines do not posses minds. The debate between those who are in favor of strong and weak artificial intelligence (AI) is directly related to the philosophy of mind. The claim of weak AI is that it is possible to run a program on a machine, which will behave as if it were a thinking thing. BelieversRead MoreDualism Provides An Explanation For The Mind1100 Words   |  5 Pages Dualism provides an explanation for the relationship to the mind in several ways. The relationship between the two is a compelling argument that several philosophers make. Although the body is a psychical existence the mind is utterly non-psychical. The body and mind are innately different beings and we cannot perceive mind-body dualism with our senses. Humans are aware that individuals hold psychical and mental entities traced back to psychical sciences including size and color. Additionally,Read MoreThe Mind Brain Identity Theory1689 Words   |  7 PagesIn the article â€Å"The Nature of Mental States† Hillary Putnam presents a compelling argument that dealt a â€Å"considerable blow† to the Mind-Brain Identity Theory—a theory developed by J.C.C Smart—in which he [Putnam] stated â€Å"mental states are multiply realizable.† His argument is driven by functionalism. His functionalist account of mental states like pain differs from what is explained by the Mind-Brain Identity Theory. In turn, he also avoids the issue of multiple realizability, an issue that was proven

Music as a Mirror of its Time Essay Example For Students

Music as a Mirror of its Time Essay The concept of Music as a Mirror of its Time is the thread that connects the musical eras discussed in this course and effective way to follow musical development by studying it in relation to the events and influences that shaped he history of the times. It is clear that music was used as a tool ranging from religious ceremony to self-expression. This paper will walk thought history, musical development and composers that represented the major eras in European concert music. We begin with the Middle Ages, the period of time between DADA and ADDED, which is rather divided by the Dark Ages, roughly between DADA and ADDED and the High Middle Ages between ADDED and 1400 AD. The Dark Ages was a time when all progress and technology developed during the classical Greek and Roman periods was lost. Europe was isolated from the outside world. The Church was all-powerful and the role of music was centered it. The music during the Dark Ages was monophonic in texture consisting of a single melody without any accompanying harmony. Music was simply used as a tool religious ceremony and not a form of expression. The most common music of the age was plainsong or plainchant, which insisted of a single unaccompanied vocal melody. Plainchant was usually composed anonymously and for the Church. The High Middle Ages was marked by the re-introduction of techniques and technologies included improvements in farming and agriculture and well as a marked improvement in public safety. The result was increased trade and the establishment and growth of cities. The music of this period while still influenced by the Church, developed and evolved into Polyphonic texture consisting of two or more principle melodies heard simultaneously. As this music grew in complexity, it had to be written and thus darted the development of musical notation and the concept of the composer. An example of an early polyphonic work is the Alleluia Paschal Nostrum by Leonine, composed around ADDED. The work is considered in the style of Florid Organ. An Organ combined plainchant with the voices of man. This music was a mirror of its time marking the importance and the influence of the Church in everyday life as well as celebrating the rediscovery of knowledge that was lost during the dark ages. The Renaissance saw a reemergence of European culture during the period from ADDED to ADDED. Inspired by the classical ages of Greece and Rome, the period as marked by world exploration and conquests, new technologies such as the printing press as well the decline of the absolute power of the Church. The music stressed clear articulation of the words by using Word Painting to intensify the meaning of the words. The musical texture was homophobic and included a melody, bass line and inner voices. While this period saw the emergence of secular music as well as a decline in the influence of the Church, religion was still a major inspiration for music. Religious works of the Renaissance period included Giovanni Palestinians Music as a Mirror of its Time By ceaselessness Thomas Wilkes madrigal, As Vests was from Lattes Hill Descending from 1601. Music of the renaissance reflected the times by balancing secular and religious importance while celebrating the reawakening of the arts and discovery of the larger world. The Baroque Era, spanning the years from ADDED to ADDED was marked by great discoveries in science, architecture, literature and philosophy as well as further decreases in the power of the church and increased acculturation. Baroque music brought forth a duality of elements that stood in tension, that is, the music was highly utilized and extravagant while based in carefully controlled and tempered rhythms. The music mirrored the times, as this duality theme was evident throughout all art and design of the period, ornate and detailed yet rational and orderly. The quintessential composer of Baroque music Johann Sebastian Bach with compositions representing both secular and religious themes such as the Brandenburg Concerto #2 in F Major of 1721 and Mass in B Minor, Sanctum Hosanna 1745. These works conveyed energetic rhythms with a dance like qualities with a melody full of embellishment and detail. The Classical Era, spanned the dates from 1750 to 1827, and was a musical style that was born out of The Enlightenment. The Enlightenment, (173()-1780) was a period in history when the aristocracy and clergys influences in society diminish as the new middle class grew from the emergence of the Industrial Revolution. The emergence of the middle class into a position of power had a profound influence on the times as they sought to be educated and wanted an end to social injustice. Music Genre Classification Using Ga-Induced Minimal EssayIn the Classical era, the operas of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 1791) were considered the pinnacle of the art form and Mozart added innovation with the Operatic Ensemble or group singing. The Marriage of Figaro (1786), Don Giovanni (1787), The Magic Flute (1791), are some of Mozart classical era operatic steelworks. The Romantic Period, (1827 to 1900) marked by an intensification of musical expression and loosening of the musical rules developed during the Classical era, but was not considered a true era, as it did not represent a musical break in the form and syntax that was developed in the Classical era. During the Romantic era, music was considered the ultimate art form because is could express emotions and concepts far deeper that and words could. Romantic era art, literature and music mirrored the times and society fascination with extreme emotional states, Folkloric Nationalism, a fascination with the wilder aspects of nature and a fascination with the macabre, gothic and the supernatural. The composers of the Romantic era, while using the classical forms, used longer melodies, complex harmonies and larger bigger orchestras and modern instruments to expand their expressive contents. The most representative composers of the Romantic period were Frederic Chopin (1810 1849), Franz List (1811 1886) and Richard Wagner (1813 1883) The instrumental music of the Romantic period day included compositions with extra musical content Program music is the 4th movement of Beethovens 6th Symphony (Strum). The music explicitly evokes a musical image of a summer storm including raindrops, a deluge and the feelings of being caught in the storm. This was quite different that the music of the Classical which rather than tell a specific story, was instead composed to evoke specific feelings or moods. In response to the times, specifically, the increase discord in Europe around 1848, spawned by citizens wanting an end to monarchies and social injustices and the installation of constitutional and representative governments, music saw the emergence of nationalism. Folkloric Nationalism was an incorporation of a country folk music into concert works and operas. Chopping incorporation of Polish nationalist folk songs and themes into his compositions is an example of Folkloric Nationalism as is Franz Lists 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies, which were Gypsy music inspired works. Russian Nationalism grew out of the defeat of Napoleon and the Dismembers Revolution of 1825. Music of and after that period tended to be infused with Russian folk songs and stories. As the Russian musical tradition grew, the writings of Alexander Services Pushpin were popular subjects to Russian Operas and musical works. Furthering the concept of music as a mirror of its time, the twentieth century was a period of incredible intellectual, technological and scientific development. Modern civilizations ability to move and communicate more rapidly made the world grow smaller and compressed time itself, necessitating changes in musical phrasing and structure in order for composers to continue to strive to remain relevant and express themselves. Twentieth century modernism began with the compositions of Claude Debussy (1862 to 1918). Debussy was influenced by the French languages blurred edges and infinite nuance. Debussy music was not about the literal recreation of a subject but instead impressions of how the he perceived the subject. The composition Nudges from the Three Nocturnes is an example of this musical impressionism. Debussy elevated timbre, or the sound qualities of the individual instruments to a level equal to pitch, rhythm and harmony. Igor Stravinsky (1882 to 1971) created the most important works of the twentieth century. His most influential contribution was that of asymmetric meter or a grouping of beats from one unit to the next are in an irregular tatter, a quality taken from Russian folk music as well as the Russian language itself. What Debussy contributed to music with the focus on timbre, Stravinsky did with the use of asymmetrical rhythms. The Composer that if found most intriguing and attracted to in this course is Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven is one of the great disruptive forces in western music and seems to defy convention and is hard to categorize. While he composed in the Classical Era, he bent and reshaped musical form to suit his expressive needs, while he was revolutionary and influential, he didnt influence a true musical break or spawned any movement or imitators.

The Sunflower Essay Example

The Sunflower Essay Table of Contents IThe Sunflower A. The Primary Storyline †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 B. The issues that emerged †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 C. Wiesenthal’s moral problem On Book I: The Sunflower Primary Storyline When I read the book it all boiled down to me that the main topic being discussed is the word forgiveness. Because the act of forgiveness has complex philosophical, moral, religious or spiritual aspects, it requires and deserves a thoughtful analysis of our beliefs. The main character in the book was a man name Simon Wiesenthal and who was also the author of this book. The primary story line of the book, Simon Wiesenthal was a Jewish prisoner in a concentration camp in Lemborg, Poland. He did pass a Polish cemetery on a forced journey to a Technical School which had been turned into a make shift hospital. On each grave site a sunflower had been planted, each standing straight. This is where the title of the book derived from. He envied those lying in their graves because they had been properly buried, a sunflower marking their graves, with butterflies flying overhead. He predicted his burial site would be a mass grave. After arriving at the make-shift hospital, he was secretly led by a nurse to a dying SS member’s bedside. The soldier recalled his past experiences with the Hitler youth group and his volunteering for army duty. The SS soldier described â€Å"the terrible thing† he had done and said, â€Å"Some time elapsed before I realized what guilt I had incurred. † Simon couldn’t forgive the soldier and left him in silence. Simon began to doubt his choice to leave the soldier without offering the forgiveness he sought. Simon was shuffled to different work camps until he was sent to Block 6 where death was imminent. We will write a custom essay sample on The Sunflower specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Sunflower specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Sunflower specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer After the war he joined a commission to investigate war crimes. After seeing a field of sunflowers, he decided to visit the soldier’s mother. After the encounter, his doubts remained. In the concluding paragraph, the author writes, â€Å"You, who have just read this sad and tragic episode in my life, can mentally change places with me and ask yourself the question, â€Å"What would I have done? † Issues that emerged There were many issues that emerged from the story. The first of the main issue were where after confirming that Simon was Jewish, a nurse escorts Simon to the bedside of a dying Nazi solider named Karl. Karl hauntingly recounts his involvement in the horrifying death of a father, a mother, and a dark-eyed child who are brutally shot down after jumping out of a burning building. Simon becomes extremely distressed with the imagery evoked by the untimely demise of the dark-eyed child, especially when he theoretically identifies the child with a six-year old named Eli. Indeed, while recalling the heart-wrenching scenes of the kindergarten extermination, Simon fights the urge to leave the hospital room as the dying soldier continues to recount the rest of his confession. With sincere remorse in his voice, Karl begs for the forgiveness of a Jew. The irony of this dying soldiers confession arises from the fact that a murderer who did not want to be a murderer but who had been made into a murderer by his murderous ideology was confessing his crime to a man that may die by the hands of these same murderers at any time. Struggling with this ironic dilemma and having an imagery of the child with piercing eyes that questioned the hatred of the world surrounding him, Simon leaves the soldier in complete silence. Simon seeks and challenges the opinions of his contemporaries about the beliefs on justice, mercy, human responsibility, and forgiveness. Simon had nightmares about the Nazi soldier’s confession. He went back to the hospital too see the Nazi soldier, but the nurse announced he died. The main issues come when Simon fails to understand why the Nazi soldier’s request for forgiveness and should he forgive him. He discussed with his close companions about the issue and heard their point of view. Still having doubts and still not understanding he also brought the situation up to a Polish Catholic Jew who had studied to be a priest. After hearing his point of view he still had doubts remained. After viewing a field of sunflowers Simon decides to visit the Nazi soldier’s mother and even after the visit doubts still remained. In the end he never figured out what to do. Simon’s Moral Issues Simon’s moral issues in the story were if he should forgive the Nazi soldier after his confession. Did Simon have the right to forgive the Nazi soldier in behalf of the Jews that were killed? Was morally right for Simon not to forgive the soldier after he confessed and acknowledged his wrong doings? Forgiveness is very complex in the situation Simon is in because of all the pain and suffering the Nazi soldiers brought to him and his people. Even thou Simon could have forgiven the soldier it was still a chance he would be kill from the same people that he would have forgiven. Dalai Lame What is forgiveness? To whom does it matter and why? After reading Dalai comments on â€Å"The Sunflower†, Dalai believes that forgiveness is a part of the way we live our lives out spiritually. He stated that one should forgive the person or persons who have committed atrocities against oneself and mankind. If your religion state to you to live your life to a certain guideline and forgiveness is a part of that guide then the victim doesn’t really have a choice to forgive because it’s the right thing to do according to their religion. No matter how big the atrocity or act brought against a person the victim should forgive. Who has the right to forgive? According to Dalai comment, every human has the right to forgive. Any person who had an act brought against them has the right to forgive. Through religion God gives human beings the right to forgive. If God forgives someone, does it settle everything? Through Dalai’s comments the answer will be yes. Dalai is standing in the mythos looking at the situation where religion and God is the center piece of life. God is the supreme ruler and everything he says goes so once God has forgiven you then everything is settle even if the victim doesn’t forgive you. Who decides if someone is forgiven, the victim; perpetrator; the Law; God? According to Dalai, the victim decides if someone is forgiven because in religion there is confession and the perpetrator confesses their wrong doings to the victim. The perpetrator then seeks forgiveness from the victim and the victim then has the power to decide to forgive or not to forgive. Should the Nazi officer be forgiven? If so, by whom? Why ; why not? According to Dalai, the Nazi officer should be forgiven because since forgiveness is a part of our spirituality and religion it has been labeled as the right thing to do. Eva Fleischner (Professor Emerita of Religion at Montclair State University) What is forgiveness? To whom does it matter and why? Through Eva’s comments you can see that she is standing more in the logos as she views forgiveness and the situation in the story. She is claiming that forgiveness is more of a selfish act for the perpetrator than the victim. The perpetrator is only seeking a peace of mind for him as he prepared to leave this world. Who has the right to forgive? According to Eva’s comment, the victim could forgive if they choose too but how forgiveness is going to benefit the victim. So she is practically saying that the victim shouldn’t give forgiveness because it is not benefiting them in any way to make up for whatever pain or suffering that’s been carried out by the perpetrator. If God forgives someone, does it settle everything? Well Eva is standing more in the logos rather than the mythos looking at forgiveness. So, she doesn’t think that if God forgives someone that everything will be settled. She thinks that the victim should receive some type of reward or anything that is beneficial before they can get some type of forgiveness. Who decides if someone is forgiven, the victim; perpetrator; the Law; God? According to Eva’s comment, the victim decides if someone is forgiven because they have a choice to forgive or not to forgive. The victim is also not judged for whichever one they choose because they are viewing it from a logos standpoint. Should the Nazi officer be forgiven? If so, by whom? Why ; why not? According to Eva, the Nazi officer shouldn’t be forgiven because the victim isn’t benefitting anything from it. Instead of the Nazi officer seeking forgiveness he should try to do something that will help the Jews in some way. Harold S. Kushner (Rabbi Laureate of Temple Israel in Natick, Massachusetts) What is forgiveness? To whom does it matter and why? Through Harold’s comment, forgiveness is where the perpetrator who seeks forgiveness is trying to free themselves from what they used to be and becoming a new person. He is standing in the mythos looking and examining forgiveness. The perpetrator doesn’t need a victim to forgive them and that forgiveness is between the perpetrator and God. Who has the right to forgive? Harold was stating that forgiveness comes from God, and it comes when God chooses to grant it, not when we want to. God’s forgiveness is something that happens inside us, not inside God. Harold is claiming that he perpetrator has the right to forgive their self and that God gave us the miracle to forgive ourselves just once we confess our wrong doings to him. If God forgives someone, does it settle everything? Through Harold’s thinking, then the answer will be yes that when God forgives someone everything will be settled. Harold’s point of view is that God could only grant forgiveness that is within us. Who decides if someone is forgiven, the victim; perpetrator; the Law; God? According to Harold, forgiveness is decided by God because only he can grant us the ability to forgive ourselves where the perpetrator can leave their wrong doings behind. Should the Nazi officer be forgiven? If so, by whom? Why ; why not? According to Harold, the Nazi officer has the right to forgive himself once he confess his wrong doings to God and leave his wrong doings behind. Lawrence L. Langer (Professor Emeritus of English at Simmons College in Boston) What is forgiveness? Examining forgiveness Lawrence was standing more in the logos where he put a measurement on acts that can be forgiven, where some acts can be forgiven and some acts are just unforgivable. Who has the right to forgive? Lawrence is stating that man controls forgiveness and we have the choice to forgive according to the act that has been made against the victim. Such as in â€Å"The Sunshine† , the Nazi soldier didn’t deserve forgiveness because of how great the bad in the act that he carried out. If God forgives someone, does it settle everything? Lawrence is claiming that God doesn’t have anything to do with forgiveness and that man controls forgiveness. We control who can be forgiven and who is unforgivable this decides how everything will be settled. Who decides if someone is forgiven, the victim; perpetrator; the Law; God? The victim decides when someone is forgiven. The victim can choose to forgive a perpetrator according to how great the bad act that was carried out on the victim. Should the Nazi officer be forgiven? According to Lawrence, the Nazi officer should not have been forgiven because his wrong doings are so bad that they are un forgivable. Manes Sperber (Austrian-French novelist, essayist, and psychologist) What is forgiveness? According to Manes, forgiveness is what people seek to have a peace of mind after all their wrong doings when they are on the verge of death. In the story â€Å"The Sunflower† the soldier only came to realization of his wrong doings on his death bed and wanted to seek forgiveness from any Jew to have a clear conscience. Who has the right to forgive? The victim has the right to forgive, however the perpetrator will be benefitting more from the forgiveness. Sperber is standing in the logos where he is looking at directly right and wrong and also fair and unfair. It will be unfair for the victim to also give mental peace to the perpetrator after the wrong he did. If God forgives someone, does it settle everything? Sperber is looking at it from a logos perspective where God doesn’t have anything to do with forgiveness. Showing that forgiveness is between man and is a complex issue between man. The victim either can choose to forgive or can choose not to forgive. Who decides if someone is forgiven, the victim; perpetrator; the Law; God? The victim decides if someone is forgiven because the perpetrator seeking forgiveness is a selfish act. Perpetrator only seeks to have peace of mind and the victim can choose to give it to them or not. Should the Nazi officer be forgiven? According to Sperber, the Nazi officer should not be forgiven because he is being selfish and only seeking forgiveness because he is on his death bed. Charles Fowler (Student of Saint Leo University) What is Forgiveness? [ 1 ]. Wiesenthal, S. (1998). The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness [ 2 ]. Wiesenthal, S. (1998). The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness [ 3 ]. Wiesenthal, S. (1998). The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness [ 4 ]. Wiesenthal, S. (1998). The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness

Freedom of Media free essay sample

Freedom of the press and journalistic ethics is an important topic today in India — with the word ‘press encompassing the electronic media also. There should be a serious discussion on the topic. That discussion should include issues of the responsibilities of the press, since the media have become very prominent and very powerful. In India, freedom of the press has been treated as part of the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, vide Brij Bhushan and Another vs. The State of Delhi, AIR 1950 SC 129 and Sakal Papers (P) Ltd vs. Union of India, AIR 1962 SC 305, among others. However, as mentioned in Article 19(2), reasonable restrictions can be placed on this right, in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence. Hence, freedom of the media is not an absolute freedom. We will write a custom essay sample on Freedom of Media or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The importance of the freedom of the press lies in the fact that for most citizens the prospect of personal familiarity with newsworthy events is unrealistic. In seeking out news, the media therefore act for the public at large. It is the means by which people receive free flow of information and ideas, which is essential to intelligent self-governance, that is, democracy. For a proper functioning of democracy it is essential that citizens are kept informed about news from various parts of the country and even abroad, because only then can they form rational opinions. A citizen surely cannot be expected personally to gather news to enable him or her to form such opinions. Hence, the media play an important role in a democracy and serve as an agency of the people to gather news for them. It is for this reason that freedom of the press has been emphasised in all democratic countries, while it was not permitted in feudal or totalitarian regimes. In India, the media have played a historical role Ripples and dominoes, that is the order of the world today†¦ Everything is nterconnected and interdependent, an incident anywhere in the world can have adverse consequences anywhere else, our economies, our social structure, the very ideas and beliefs we use to identify ourselves are part of a functional global village. And THAT, is the reason why, in our interconnected world, it isn’t diamonds and jewels that are most valuable†¦ its ‘information. ’ We seek information, awareness, and most importantly, a semblance of ‘truthà ¢â‚¬â„¢ about the things we face daily. Luckily for us, we have a way that provides us all that, something we collectively call ‘the media’. But, unluckily, as with most things of value, it is prone to exploitation. By the marketers and PR managers working for the commercialist culture or even the governments that like to ‘control’ public viewpoint by being spoon-fed their own political or commercial agendas. To inform the consciences of millions of individuals and help shape their thinking can never really be a ‘neutral’ task. It requires a determination of media owners, editors and journalists to discharge their duties in a manner that balances commercial imperatives, human rights, social responsibility and national vision. It is unfortunate and disheartening that our media is notorious for processing and filtering the actual truth in many events, creating a distorted reflection that condenses innuendo, gossip, lies, rumors, speculations and suspicions into a form of entertainment, character assassination, scandal or simply packaged as a commercial product that deceives us and we don’t ever even suspect. It’s ironic that all this is being done by the media which is fully aware of its constitutional responsibility as a guardian of democracy and watchdog of the people. In the 21st century, media has evolved into an institution with overwhelming power†¦ the power to shape entire generations’ viewpoints.

japanese aisatsu Essay Example

japanese aisatsu Essay Example japanese aisatsu Paper japanese aisatsu Paper In college, as in life, some things are unavoidable: tuition, essays, bad-for-you food and roommates. Unless you live at home while going to school, from the time you enter the higher education world until you leave it, you will be coping with people in your personal space. In the land of shared space, problems arise frequently and if you never deal with them, they have the potential to ruin any relationship. Use these tips from experts and real college girls on getting along with your roommate whether your roomie is a random assignment or your best friend. Talk. If somethings bugging you, bring it up in a non-defensive way rather than assume your roommate can read your mind. Nothing can change unless you acknowledge it. Its possible that your roommate may not even be aware of the problem. 2. Focus on behavior, not personality. Its not reasonable to ask people to change who they are, but you can ask them to tone down how they express themselves, especially when its invading your tu rf. So, you cant criticize someone for being perky, but you can ask for someone not to talk so much while youre studying. 3. Stay flexible. Its not your job to fix anybody else, and it helps to recognize that no one is perfect. Be willing to look at your own behavior. Consider what you could do differently to help the situation instead of only blaming your roommate. 4. Start with one pet peeve. What can you absolutely not deal with? What do you find extremely irritating, but could live with if you had to? There are probably tons of things your roommate does that get on your nerves. But nothing kills a relationship faster than listing dozens of reasons why you dont like a person. Instead, both of you need to list your number one pet peeve and focus your energy on solving that first. 5. Consider the positives. Before you decide that life would be better with a roommate exactly like you, think of what you could gain by living with your opposite. Were often attracted to people who are different from us because they represent qualities we wish we possessed. If youre shy, maybe being around a more outgoing person will force you out of your shell. When one persons strength makes up for the others weakness, being opposites is an dvantage. Sharing your place with another person, whether this is a new experience for you or youVe had years of practice, is never easy. Use these tips to keep hostility at bay, and youll be gossiping about the cute guy in your chem lab rather than the newest annoyance your roommate has inflicted upon you. Trust me, your friends will thank you. The reflection of reading: Living with another is not convenient for me. Because when I doing anything I should consider my roommates how to do it wont disturb her. But the advantage of iving with another is that I can know my roommates who from other countries with different life background and we can share about our lifestyle as well as some growing experience. If we are match at interest and view of events, we will be the good friends soon! The disadvantage is that I need control my bedtime not affecting her, when the roommates friends visit her, they chatting some topic that I cant Join Ill feel so embarrassed. Getting along well with roommate is not easy, but Ill try to use this tips and

Liberation movements and US policy Research Paper

Liberation movements and US policy - Research Paper Example Over the past, there has been a number of liberation movements all aimed at getting some specific end results. These liberation movements usually have some effects on the areas in which they operate. They touch on different spheres for instance political, social, economic and socio-cultural areas (Berdal and Malone 108). This piece of work looks at various liberation movements and their effect on the US Policy. As stated earlier, there has been formation of a number of liberation movements each of them having different impacts on different aspects. Some of them have lasted for a relatively long period of time and achieved their mission and vision while others have only existed for a short period of time. There have been a lot of terms and definitions that have been put forth with respect to liberation movements. For instance, they have been referred to as rebel movements, non-state armed groups, insurgencies among other terms. Some definitions tend to be relatively narrow while other s are very extensive. The difference in definitions has been as a result of the difference in these group’s structure, goals and objectives and well as their geopolitical environment. However, a general definition that has been put forward for the resistance and liberation movements states that they are groups that have a hierarchical organization that acts as a command tool, are independent from state control, they use violence to attain political ends and have a certain level of territorial power over a given geographical area (Bruderlein 17). Some of the liberation movements that will be discussed in this paper include FARC, Hamas, Hezbollah and Basque Separatist. FARC FARC stand for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia. It was founded in the year 1964. It is ranked as the largest, oldest, best equipped and most capable Latin America’s insurgency. It was established as a military wing linked with the Columbian Communist Party. It is of Marxist origin. Currentl y, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia concentrates in fighting for the achievement of the Marxist goals. Columbia is the primary country of operation of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia. However it undertakes some other activities in its neighboring nations for instance acquisition of weapons, extortion, kidnapping, as well as logistics among others (The National Counterterrorism Center par 1). As a resistance and liberation movement, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia employs different tactics in an effort to achieve its goals and objectives against Columbia military, economic as well as political targets. Some of the tactics include murder, extortion, bombing, kidnapping, revolutionary and conventional military action as well as hijacking. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia is also well known in its indulgence in drug trafficking related activities for example its cultivation, distribution and taxation. The main factor that has led to the consider ation of the US persons as being legitimate military targets is the fact that the United States fully supports the Columbian government. Although the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia has had some successes in its activities, it has also faced a lot of challenges that have undermined its powers thus affecting its capability to undertake its activities, as desired against the Columbian government and the United States of America at large. In the year 2009 for example, the group lost a

Chemistry of the Drug Lithium Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chemistry of the Drug Lithium - Essay Example Lithium, as medically significant, is most commonly available as the carbonate or the citrate salt. These are used as drugs for various medical conditions, especially psychiatric disorders. Commercial synthesis of this drug requires addition of an electron to the poorly electronegative lithium ion (Li+). As a result, the synthesis requires an electrolytic step. The commercial ore spodumene, Li Al (SiO3)2 is widely used to produce this product. This is the ÃŽ ± form. This is converted to ÃŽ ² form by heating the ore to 1100 degrees centigrade. This renders the ore softer. Careful mixing with hot sulfuric acid and extraction in water generate a lithium sulfate (Li2SO4) solution. The sulfate is washed with sodium carbonate, Na2CO3. This results in a relatively stable precipitate of insoluble lithium carbonate, Li2CO3. The chemical reaction would be represented as Li2SO4 + Na2CO3 Na2SO4 +Li2CO3 Administered in this form, lithium in the body acts as a monovalent cation. This was used as a treatment for manic depressive psychosis despite its array of side effects since no other medications for this condition were available at that time.

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Philosophy - Essay Example I would ask journalists to interview me. I would begin organizing a protest movement. We would begin to apply pressure on the decision-makers. If no results were forthcoming, I would take more drastic, and perhaps illegal, action. I would blockade government buildings. I would try to shut down the government through peaceful means as protestors recently tried to do in Wisconsin. I would help lead the students on a strike march to Sacramento. Throughout this whole process I would feel justified to take these actions because I would see the government's policies as illegitimate and undemocratic. The only response to those kind of policies is to protest and cause maximum disruption. Part 2 Socrates makes a number of very intelligent points to Euthyphro. In my situation, I have said that the policies of the government are not just. This injustice is what motivates me to take actions against the government. I have a definition of justice in this context which would be something like this: in a financial crisis, the burden of cuts should be shared somewhat equally across society; it is unfair to pass all of the costs on to students who have very little money to begin with. I understand that not everyone would agree with this idea.

Are Humans Naturally Bad Or Good Philosophy Essay

Are Humans Naturally Bad Or Good Philosophy Essay I believe that humans are naturally bad because our base mentality is one of evil. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, human beings fought unnecessary wars, tortured prisoners, raped, murdered, and pillaged. Not surprisingly, all of that still occurs in todays society. The world we live in is an essentially bad one. Radical vigilantes bomb cities, open fire in crowded places, and incite disastrous riots every day. From looking at the world around us and seeing our degeneration, it is ludicrous to believe that we are naturally good. Although the evolutionary process has instilled a modicum of civility and humanity in us, we are still naturally evil beings. Thomas Hobbes recognizes the evil nature of humans and paints a very blatant picture of it in Leviathan. He states that laws were devised for the sole purpose of keeping our evil nature in check. Without them, our base instincts would resurface and chaos would reign supreme. That is why Hobbes was in favor of authoritarian governments; they were necessary to keep us under control. Basically, they are needed to protect us from ourselves. Hobbes also states that our true natures arise in times of strife. For example, in war-torn countries, civilians kill and steal form each other in order to survive. Self-preservation is one of the most natural of human compulsions and we will do anything to survive. Hobbes also asks an interesting question to those who believe that human are good. He asks that if humans are so benevolent in nature, then why do we lock our doors at night and guard our possessions? By doing so, we are unconsciously recognizing the evil nature of humans. Hsun Tzu also maintained that mans nature is inherently evil. He believed that humans are born evil, but it is a teachers responsibility to educate them and reign in those evil instincts and eradicate them. Although he has valid points, it is still unrealistic to think that mans naturally evil instincts can be curbed so easily. Those suppressed instincts that have been stored away in the annals of the human psyche will resurface eventually. It is also unrealistic to think that one can make man good simply by means of education. If anything, education leads to evil because it has the power to corrupt. Those who oppose Hobbes and say that humans are naturally good are, frankly, idealists. The Chinese philosopher Mencius states that humans are naturally good and that ones circumstances influence their nature. The idea of ones circumstances influencing their nature is ridiculous. One may be unfortunate enough to be born into less than favorable circumstances, but it is up to that person to overcome them. Yes, one can become embittered and callous by their debilitating situation, but to say that their circumstances influence their nature is to give a justification for bad behavior. Attributed to Plato, the idea that love can make one good has become another idealistic opinion for many. Plato stated that love is one of, if not the most, natural emotions that humans have, thus we are naturally good because love itself is good. While love is a very fulfilling emotion that can lead to change within a person, that change is not always for the better. Love has led to wars, murders, and the destruction of kingdoms, throughout history. For example, Helen of Troy and the iconic war fought over her. Her love for a foreign prince led to the deaths of thousands of soldiers and civilians and the complete destruction of an empire. Another example is Henry VIII and his love for Anne Boleyn. He divorced his queen, broke with the Catholic Church, and tore his country apart in order to marry his mistress. Perhaps the most common examples of how love can change a person are domestic violence cases. In simpler terms, love often leads to recklessness, irrationality, impairment of j udgment, and, in some cases, bad behavior in an individual. In 20th century opinions, the idea of Nature vs. Nurture was believed by some. Nature meaning that we are born with whatever behavior we exhibit, and nurture meaning that our culture has the ability to mold us into what we are. The scientist Edward O. Wilson stated that if the process of natural selection has determined our biological functions, then natural selection must have determined the operations of our brains. Basically speaking, he believed that humans are born with whatever nature they possess, therefore validating my argument that we are born evil. At the opposite end of the philosophical spectrum, the anthropologist Ruth Benedict wrote that ones culture and its social norm has the ability to mold that individual into a good or bad being. Once again, the concept of ones surroundings influencing their nature is introduced. Benedict basically gives the same justification for bad behavior that Mencius gave thousands of years earlier. In conclusion, humans are inherently evil in nature because it is our base mentality. Sadly, it is a part of us that is unchangeable and, try as one might, it cannot be quelled by education or instruction, nor can it be influenced by our culture or surroundings. We are born the way we are, and we must accept it.

Sylvia Plath Biography :: essays research papers

Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath: Born: October 27th 1932, Boston Died: 11th February 1963, London Sylvia Plath was born in 1932 and her Brother Warren was born in April,1935. When she was around 8 years old (1940) her father Otto died and she was devastated but never showed it. In 1941 Plath’s poem was printed in the children’s section of Boston Herald, it was a short poem about what Plath’s saw and heard on summer nights. After Plath had just graduated in 1950, her Poem â€Å" Bitter Strawberries† appeared in The Christian Science Monitor which was her first national publication. Also in 1950 Plath entered Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. 1952 Plath won Mademoiselle’s college fiction contest with her story â€Å" Sunday At The Mintons.† Through college she dated many boys and had a serious relationship with Dick Norton. However she developed depression and often thought about suicide. Plath spent most of June 1953 as a guest editor at Mademoiselle’s magazine, she was one of twenty people to be involved in this. In August 1953 Plath stole the sleeping pills that had been locked away and crawled in the crawl space under the porch through the cellar, She took forty of them. Her parents found her 2 days later after hearing moaning coming from the cellar, when they found her she was covered in her vomit and dazed but alive. April 1954 Plath started bleaching her hair platinum blonde and was awarded a $1,200 scholarship for her next year at Smith and also received one to Harvard Summer School. During the summer in Boston (1954) Plath began to date an older man who she said had raped her and had nearly bleed to death from hemorrhage. She continued to him even after this incident had occurred. 1955 Plath’s â€Å"Go Get The Gloodly Squab† was published in Harper’s and she also received an honourable mention in Mademoiselle’s Dylan Thomas poetry contest for her poem â€Å"parallax.† â€Å"Circus In Three Rings† was her first poem to finally be published in The Atlantic Monthly. Early 1956 Plath had learnt that her grandmother had developed stomach cancer. At this time Plath was also suffered with insomnia and sinus infections and her writing was getting rejected from publication. She then had attended a party where she met Ted Hughes an English poet who immediately caught her eye at first glance. By the time Plath and Hughes had been together for 2 months they were discussing marriage and decided to get married secretly so it wouldn’t jeopardize Plath’s fellowship grant.

Duport Analysis: the Number Game

DuPont Analysis: Playing The Numbers Game! The summary of this case is that a newly joined CFO of a company, Plastichem Inc. , was able to turn the company’s unfortunate situation around when he first arrived. Yet, five years later, Plastichem has gone through some difficult times including their stock price/ratings severely dropping with no understanding as to why. The case ends with the CFO attempting to figure out what went wrong with the numbers he was given. To determine the liquidity, we used the quick ratio, current ratio, and interest coverage ratio.From these equations, the higher the ratios meant the better of the company’s financial condition, or more liquidity. The acceptable ratios vary from different industries. In general, company’s quick ratio should be 1 or higher, and its current ratio should be above 1. 5 to be considered liquid. In the comparison between two companies’ ratios, DCM Molding has shown a better financial condition on averag e in the past four years, and Plastichem has barely met the acceptable average or is below the average in the past four years. Quick Ratio = (Cash and marketable securities + A/R + Other Current Asset)/ Current Liabilities | Year| 2004| 2003| 2002| 2001| Plastichem| 0. 86| 1. 141| 1. 039| 0. 826| DCM Molding| 0. 99| 0. 93| 1. 114| 1. 568| | Year| | 2004| 2003| 2002| 2001| Plastichem| 1. 301| 1. 523| 1. 462| 1. 309| DCM Molding| 1. 632| 1. 518| 1. 826| 2. 095| | Year| | 2004| 2003| 2002| 2001| Plastichem| 0. 763| 1. 9113| 1. 962| 2. 442| DCM Molding| 4. 667| 1. 217| 4. 217| 8. 6| To measure the leverage, we calculated the debt-equity ratio. Plastichem had a relatively high Debt-Equity Ratio, which indicated that Plastichem was using many debts to finance its growth.High Debt-Equity Ratio also indicated that Plastichem bore more risk because the cost of debt (interest). The company would make more profit if the incremental profit exceeds the incremental cost of debt; however, the comp any may lose more money/ make less money if the incremental profit is less than the incremental cost of debt. | Year| | 2004| 2003| 2002| 2001| Plastichem| -19. 331| 5. 076| 4. 862| 1. 355| DCM Molding| 1. 192| 1. 477| 1. 274| 0. 714| To determine the profitability, we calculate the Profit Margin, ROE, and ROA. By looking at the ratios, Plastichem’s profit has dropped in the past four years.The high leverage may have enlarged the loss of the company. On the other hand, DCM Molding has shown a steady income/profit over the years. | Year| | 2004| 2003| 2002| 2001| Plastichem| -24. 14%| 0. 68%| 3. 45%| 5. 65%| DCM Molding| 5. 91%| 6. 19%| 5. 37%| 5. 09%| | Year| | 2004| 2003| 2002| 2001| Plastichem| ? | 3. 53%| 6. 38%| 17. 30%| DCM Molding| 17. 76%| 18. 64%| 17. 44%| 10. 95%| | Year| | 2004| 2003| 2002| 2001| Plastichem| -26. 90%| 0. 58%| 1. 09%| 7. 34%| DCM Molding| 8. 10%| 7. 53%| 7. 66%| 6. 39%| A common size balance sheet is a different type of balance sheet that hows each d ollar amount in a form of percentage of a common number from the actual balance sheet. Common size balance sheet is useful in comparing companies that have a different scale of operations. This type of balance sheet helps in observing at the firms as a common sized and it also helps in comparing the changes in various segments over a period of time. PLASTICHEM INCORPORATED| | | | | Annual Income Statements (Value in Millions)| | | | | 2004| 2003| 2002| 2001| Sales| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| Cost of Sales| 74. 81%| 62. 76%| 63. 39%| 65. 04%| Gross Operating profit| 25. 19%| 37. 24%| 36. 61%| 34. 6%| Selling, General & Admin. Expenses| 13. 27%| 18. 54%| 18. 66%| 20. 73%| EBITDA| 11. 92%| 18. 71%| 17. 95%| 14. 23%| Depreciation & Amortization| 6. 16%| 5. 51%| 5. 82%| 4. 41%| EBIT| 5. 76%| 13. 20%| 12. 12%| 9. 82%| Other Income, Net| -0. 17%| 0. 20%| 0. 12%| 0. 08%| Total Income Avail for Interest Exp. | 5. 59%| 13. 40%| 12. 24%| 9. 90%| Interest Expense| 7. 54%| 6. 90%| 6 . 18%| 4. 02%| Minority Interest| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Pre-Tax Income| -1. 95%| 6. 50%| 6. 06%| 5. 88%| Income Taxes| 0. 03%| 0. 71%| 2. 61%| 0. 23%| Special Income/Charges| -22. 15%| -5. 10%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Net Income from Cont.Operations| -24. 14%| 0. 68%| 3. 45%| 5. 65%| Net Income from Discont. Opers. | 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Net Income from Total Operations| -24. 14%| 0. 68%| 3. 45%| 5. 65%| Normalized Income| -1. 99%| 5. 78%| 3. 49%| 5. 65%| Extraordinary Income| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Income from Cum. Eff. of Acct. Chg. | 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Income from Tax Loss Carryforward| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Other Gains| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| -2. 02%| 0. 00%| Total Net Income| -24. 14%| 0. 68%| 1. 43%| 5. 65%| PLASTICHEM INCORPORATED| | | | | Annual Balance Sheets (Values in millions)| | | | | | 2004| 2003| 2002| 2001|ASSETS | | | | | Current Assets| | | | | Cash and marketable securities| 1. 20%| 1. 40%| 1. 47%| 0. 60%| Accounts receivable| 17. 34%| 17. 33%| 14. 74%| 21. 03%| Inventory| 10. 31%| 7. 01%| 7. 44%| 12. 88%| Other Current assets| 1. 54%| 2. 21%| 2. 03%| 0. 40%| Total Current Assets| 30. 40%| 27. 94%| 25. 68%| 34. 91%| | | | | | Non-Current Assets| | | | | Property, Plant & Equipment, Gross| 35. 44%| 28. 70%| 25. 85%| 47. 99%| Accumulated depreciation & Depletion| 14. 41%| 9. 13%| 8. 15%| 19. 42%| Property, Plant & Equipment, Net| 21. 03%| 19. 57%| 17. 71%| 28. 57%| Intangibles| 45. 67%| 50. 07%| 53. 53%| 33. 0%| Other Non-Current Assets| 2. 90%| 2. 41%| 3. 09%| 3. 52%| Total Non-Current Assets| 69. 60%| 72. 06%| 74. 32%| 65. 09%| Total Assets| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| | | | | | LIABILITIES AND EQUITIES| | | | | Current Liabilities| | | | | Accounts payable| 7. 71%| 6. 92%| 6. 03%| 9. 76%| Short Term Debt| 2. 48%| 1. 63%| 1. 03%| 3. 92%| Other current Liabilities| 13. 17%| 9. 80%| 10. 50%| 12. 98%| Total Current liabilities| 23. 36%| 18. 35%| 17. 56%| 26. 66%| | | | | | Non-Current liabilitie s| | | | | Long-term debt| 80. 96%| 64. 35%| 65. 38%| 30. 89%| Deferred Income Taxes| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 0%| Other Non-Current Liabilities| 1. 13%| 0. 84%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Minority Interest| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Total Non-Current Liabilities| 82. 09%| 65. 19%| 65. 38%| 30. 89%| Total Liabilities| 105. 46%| 83. 54%| 82. 94%| 57. 55%| | | | | | Shareholder's Equity| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Preferred Stock Equity| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Common Stock Equity| -5. 46%| 16. 46%| 17. 06%| 42. 45%| Total equity| -5. 46%| 16. 46%| 17. 06%| 42. 45%| | | | | | Total liabilities and Stock Equity| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 340| 100. 00%| DCM MOLDING| | | | | Annual Balance Sheets (Values in millions)| | | | | 2004| 2003| 2002| 2001| ASSETS | | | | | Current Assets| | | | | Cash and marketable securities| 0. 33%| 1. 25%| 0. 47%| 8. 06%| Accounts receivable| 19. 87%| 18. 36%| 20. 31%| 19. 44%| Inventory| 14. 32%| 13. 34%| 14. 69%| 10. 83%| Other Current assets| 1. 89%| 1. 48%| 2. 19%| 4. 72%| Total Current Assets| 36. 40%| 34. 44%| 37. 66%| 43. 06%| | | | | | Non-Current Assets| | | | | Property, Plant ; Equipment, Gross| 47. 28%| 42. 08%| 43. 44%| 56. 39%| Accumulated depreciation ; Depletion| 17. 20%| 12. 66%| 11. 09%| 10. 83%| Property, Plant ; Equipment, Net| 30. 08%| 29. 42%| 32. 34%| 45. 56%| Intangibles| 33. 0%| 35. 46%| 28. 44%| 5. 28%| Other Non-Current Assets| 0. 22%| 0. 68%| 1. 56%| 6. 11%| Total Non-Current Assets| 63. 60%| 65. 56%| 62. 34%| 56. 94%| Total Assets| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| | | | | | LIABILITIES AND EQUITIES| | | | | Current Liabilities| | | | | Accounts payable| 7. 66%| 8. 10%| 8. 28%| 5. 56%| Short Term Debt| 7. 44%| 6. 61%| 4. 22%| 7. 50%| Other current Liabilities| 7. 21%| 8. 10%| 8. 28%| 7. 50%| Total Current liabilities| 22. 31%| 22. 69%| 20. 63%| 20. 56%| | | | | | Non-Current liabilities| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Long-term debt| 28. 63%| 31. 93%| 29. 22%| 15. 00%|Deffered Income Taxes| 0. 1 1%| 0. 57%| 0. 00%| 3. 89%| Other Non-Current Liabilities| 3. 33%| 4. 45%| 6. 09%| 2. 22%| Minority Interest| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Total Non-Current Liabilities| 32. 08%| 36. 94%| 35. 31%| 21. 11%| Total Liabilities| 54. 38%| 59. 64%| 55. 94%| 41. 67%| | | | | | Shareholder's Equity| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Preferred Stock Equity| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Common Stock Equity| 45. 62%| 40. 36%| 43. 91%| 58. 33%| Total equity| 45. 62%| 40. 36%| 43. 91%| 58. 33%| | | | | | Total liabilities and Stock Equity| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| DCM MOLDING| | | | |Annual Income Statements (Value in Millions)| | | | | 2004| 2003| 2002| 2001| Sales| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| Cost of Sales| 66. 83%| 64. 85%| 64. 76%| 62. 96%| Gross Operating profit| 33. 17%| 35. 15%| 35. 24%| 37. 04%| Selling, General & Admin. Expenses| 17. 23%| 18. 65%| 19. 60%| 22. 22%| EBITDA| 15. 94%| 16. 49%| 15. 64%| 14. 81%| Depreciation & Amortization| 4. 61%| 4. 40%| 4. 32%| 4. 86%| EBIT| 11. 33%| 12. 09%| 11. 32%| 9. 95%| Other Income, Net| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| -0. 12%| -0. 23%| Total Income Avail for Interest Exp. | 11. 33%| 12. 09%| 11. 20%| 9. 72%| Interest Expense| 2. 43%| 2. 16%| 2. 0%| 1. 16%| Minority Interest| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Pre-Tax Income| 8. 90%| 9. 93%| 9. 10%| 8. 56%| Income Taxes| 2. 99%| 3. 75%| 3. 73%| 3. 47%| Special Income/Charges| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Net Income from Cont. Operations| 5. 91%| 6. 19%| 5. 37%| 5. 09%| Net Income from Discont. Opers. | 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 35%| 0. 00%| Net Income from Total Operations| 5. 91%| 6. 19%| 5. 72%| 5. 09%| Normalized Income| 5. 91%| 6. 19%| 5. 37%| 5. 09%| Extraordinary Income| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Income from Cum. Eff of Acct. Chg. | 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Income from Tax Loss Carryforward| 0. 0%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Other Gains| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| 0. 00%| Total Net Income| 5. 91%| 6. 19%| 5. 72%| 5. 09%| We can see that the cost of the s ales has been increasing for both the companies. But, the cost of goods sold for DCM is less that than of Plastichem. This indicates that DCM has been better at controlling their cost so they have a higher gross margin as compare to Plastichem. This reduction in the gross profit has lead to the reduction on the expenses occur due to selling the goods, but since DCM has a higher gross profit than Plastichem, they can also spend more in selling their goods.Plastichem also has more debt compare to DCM, due to which they have a higher interest expenses compare to DCM. A DuPont analysis helps us better understand the changes in return on equity (ROE). DuPont analysis tells us that three things affect ROE: operating efficiency, asset use efficiency, and financial leverage. Therefore we break up ROE into its components: ROE = Profit Margin (PM) * Total Asset Turnover (TAT) * Equity Multiplier (EM) | 2004| Return on Equity| Net Profit Margin| Total Asset Turnover| Equity Multiplier| | | | | | | Plastichem| 0. 00%| -24. 07%| 1. 12| 0. 00|DCM| | 17. 76%| 5. 91%| 1. 37| 2. 19| | 2003| | | | | | | | | | | Plastichem| 3. 53%| 0. 68%| 0. 85| 6. 08| DCM| | 18. 64%| 6. 19%| 1. 22| 2. 48| | 2002| | | | | | | | | | | Plastichem| 6. 38%| 1. 47%| 0. 74| 5. 86| DCM| | 17. 44%| 5. 72%| 1. 34| 2. 28| | 2001| | | | | | | | | | | Plastichem| 17. 30%| 5. 65%| 1. 30| 2. 36| DCM| | 10. 95%| 5. 32%| 1. 20| 1. 71| If we look at the figures we find that the reduction in ROE for Plastichem is mainly due to the drop in net profit margin. Plastichem increased their use of debt, which resulted in a higher EM, but poor PM ensured the fall of ROE.For DCM, on the other hand, we see that it has been fairly constant as well as ROE components. Some of the limitations regarding the various financial analyses above are: Many companies near the year or quarter end improve the appearance of their figures presenting them in the most attractive way possible. The miss misrepresentation of numbers makes the analysis more difficult. The analysis may also be unclear by inflation as general price levels for goods and services go up and subsequently purchasing power goes down, which makes comparison difficult over time.Many firms also use different accounting methods which make comparing of different companies difficult for instance there are two primary accounting methods used in USA, cash and accrual accounting. Cash accounting reports income and expenses are reported in the year they are received and paid; accrual accounting reports income and expenses in the year they are earned and incurred. Again making it very difficult to analyze different companies. Some additional data Jay and Jack need in order to improve their finding would be to look into the companies accounting practices and see if any off balance sheet items are present.From there they need to make sure the off balance sheet items are converted to in the balance sheet items to have an appropriate comparison. A statement of cash flows would also useful in analysis, as it would allow in determining the short-term viability of a company, particularly its ability to pay bills. A statement of cash of cash flows also allows us to view cash and cash equivalents coming in and out of company, giving better understanding as to where money is going and coming from.Also although looking at numbers may allow analysis to quickly spot differences in financials, I believe you must research companies in how they are run and if they are consistently making good business decisions. After collecting, compiling, and analyzing data we have come to conclusion that DCM Molding has shown a better financial condition on average in the past four years, and Plastichem has barely met the acceptable average or is below the average in the past four years. The Plastichem had a relatively high Debt-Equity Ratio, which indicated that was using many debts to finance its growth.The high Debt-Equity Ratio also indicated that Plastichem b ore more risk because the cost of debt (interest) making things difficult. The cost of the sales for both the companies have increased. But, the cost of goods sold for DCM is less that than Plastichem. This indicates that DCM has been better at controlling their cost so they have a higher gross margin as compare to Plastichem. This reduction in the gross profit has lead to the reduction on the expenses occur due to selling the goods, but since DCM has a higher gross profit than Plastichem they can also spend more in selling their goods.So in comparison we see that DCM Molding is doing far better with its figures showing much better results than Plastichem. Recommendation that Jack would be justified in making in his report to Andrew would be Plastichem needs to increase profit margin after looking at the figures we find that the decrease in return on equity for Plastichem is mostly due to the drop in net profit margin. Plastichem increased their use of debt that resulted in a higher equity multiplier, but poor profit margin ensured the fall of return on equity.Plastichem had a relatively high Debt-Equity Ratio, which indicated that Plastichem was using many debts to finance its growth. It should be treated as a serious problem being that Plastichem’s main rival is rated as a strong buy while their stock is rated as a hold. The strong drop in price will create fear for potential and current shareholders. If that fear continues, Plastichem’s shareholders might sell their stock at a decreasing rate, causing more issues for the company.The CFO should do a comparison between Plastichem and DCM’s numbers, and find the strengths and weaknesses amongst his company, in particular within its management teams. He should also begin finding ways to pay off Plastichem’s debt as well as not accumulating anymore, being that Plastichem is already seen as risky. The CFO should also find a tighter way to control the company’s costs. The analyst s are very accurate in their recommendations to the two firms. DCM Molding figures showed far better results and stock should rise; While Plastichem might consider selling stocks, if financial performance continues to worsen.

20 Psychology Research Paper Topics and Ideas

20 Psychology Research Paper Topics and Ideas Beyond doubt, psychology is one of the most interesting and diverse sciences to study and research. Nowadays, it is present in the social, personal, and professional spheres of human life, having a considerable influence on them and related conscious and subconscious factors. As a result, both a professional psychologist and a college student who studies therapy for his masters degree would be able to find a great variety of psychology paper topics and ideas to research. To find a good topic for the psychology research paper, you may search for aspiration and original ideas in specialized libraries, related books, and articles. While searching for the topic, it is important to keep in mind that it should be narrow enough, so the writer could adequately cover all the necessary subjects and not overwhelm the text with insufficient information. Also, it is crucial for the author of the paper to follow the guidelines provided by the professor or the instructor and pick up the topic from within the related course. For example, an abnormal psychology course may require the student to research various psychological disorders and related issues whereas a criminal psychology course may require researching the psychology of Jury selection or the efficiency of anger management and applying different behavioral patterns to violent offenders. Topic and Ideas for Psychology Research Paper Below you can find examples of topics for psychology research paper: 1. The Underlying Causes of Prejudice and Discrimination In such a paper, you may define basic causes of prejudice and discrimination, explore their roots and triggers, and provide several efficient solutions. Moreover, it is a great idea to use a number of statistical figures and facts to support your claims and convince the audience. All the necessary sources for this paper may be found in official reports and specialized journals on criminal justice and psychology. 2. Major Modern Social Influences on Teenagers This topic should include detailed research on the influence of the social media platforms and the Internet on teenagers, as well as the influence of the family environment, social environment, and other related factors. It is also highly recommended that you support the claim with statistical facts and find the relation between the provided figures and behavioral patterns of the young people. 3. Social Identity and Its Role in the Modern Society This topic may appear to be both captivating and challenging at the same time as the researcher has to explore the notion of social identity and its place in the modern world. Besides, it would be necessary to compare the role of social identity with the other roles that have a significant influence on people today. The sources on the topic may be found in specialized libraries and journal articles about social issues. 4. Causes of Eating Disorders among Teenagers Nowadays, the number of teenagers who suffer from eating disorders continues to grow rapidly. From that perspective, you may research the main causes and triggers for these disorders among young people and suggest a range of efficient solutions. All the supportive materials may be found in official reports provided by medical institutions, peer-reviewed articles on eating disorders, and previous topical research. 5. Autism and Modern Society In this paper, the author has to provide the definition of autism and a short description of this complex neurobehavioral condition, mention the most popular ways of treatment that are widely used nowadays, and explore the role of people with autism in the modern society. Because autism is considered to be a neurobehavioral condition, the supportive information may be found in specialized medical journals and official reports provided by Autism Research Institute and a range of healthcare organizations. 6. The Most Efficient Ways to Recover from Amnesia and Memory Loss This captivating topic requires the writer to conduct detailed research on the issue, make a thorough comparison of the most common ways to recover from amnesia and memory loss and define the most efficient of them. In this way, the researcher has to use facts and pieces of evidence to support his or her claims and convince the audience of the benefits of the discussed approaches. The research may be based on previous research on amnesia and memory loss and peer-reviewed topical articles. 7. Major Factors that Influence Problem-Solving Abilities in Teenagers This topic requires the researcher to study all the factors that can have both positive and negative effects on problem-solving abilities in teenagers and define the most common of them. Besides, it is important to evaluate factors related to different spheres of teenager life that usually include different social and personal aspects. Valuable information on the topic may be provided by official police reports, psychological research on problem-solving abilities in teenagers, and scientific articles. 8. Factors that Provoke Violence in Children For this paper, the writer has to define a range of factors that cause violent behavior in children and make their thorough evaluation. For sure, among them, you could mention physical punishment that is used by the family members and psychological violence of the family members at home. Official reports provided by the police usually contain all the necessary information on violence in children and provide valuable statistical facts that may be used as support material for the research paper. 9. Factors that Influence Language Learning Abilities in Children Every child has individual language learning capabilities. However, there is a range of factors that may improve or decrease the efficiency of language learning in general. These are motivation, support of the family members or their disapproval, learning environment, age, and even teaching strategies. 10. Factors that Cause Anorexia in Children Low self-esteem, neuroticism and perfectionism, strong negative emotions and depression, regular stress or life in a stressful environment, anxiety, and pessimism belong to the list of the most common factors that cause anorexia in children. Besides, you could cover the factor of overvaluing body image and evaluate its significant influence on the self-worth definition in early ages. 11. The Most Common Anxiety Disorders in the Modern Society In today’s world, the most common anxiety disorders are panic disorder, acute stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social phobia. In fact, anxiety disorders are the most spread mental disorders that affect almost one-third of the world population. Therefore, it is highly important to make detailed research on the point and discuss the most efficient ways of treatment. 12. The Primary Causes of Eating Disorders Eating disorders are a problem that continues to spread all over the world. The main contributors to this problem are the feelings of inadequacy, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and stressful environments. To convey the topic to the reader more fully, you could include some related statistical facts and discuss the ways of decreasing the causes mentioned above. 13. Suicidal Tendencies in the Modern Society Because suicide is known as one of the most spread causes of death, it is important to discuss attempted suicides and their successfulness, the connection between suicide and marital status, alcohol or drug addiction, and psychological disorders. 14. Psychopaths in the Modern Society Professionals claim that psychopaths are one of the most dangerous groups of individuals with psychological problems, as their mental condition forces them to lose the sense of right and wrong, cause emotional and physical harm to people, and ignore the feelings and rights of others. These people experience the lack of morality, they are cold-hearted and have excellent manipulator skills, and these features allow them to climb career ladder fast, hold leadership positions, and cause significant harm to the people around. Therefore, it is highly important to learn how to distinguish them in the crowd, deal with them, and avoid the risks of becoming their victim. 15. The Causes of Bulimia While the causes of bulimia are still not defined, there is a range of contributing factors that are related to genetic, psychological, and even environmental aspects that include media and billboard photos. The main of them are stressful changes in life, psychological trauma, and low self-esteem. The causes of bulimia are usually described in numerous specialized articles and previous research on eating disorders. 16. The Main Causes of Antisocial Behavior Antisocial behavior is a very common psychological disorder that forces people to behave in a disruptive and hostile way. The main causes that may be discussed in the research paper are domestic violence, drug, and alcohol-addicted parents, sexual abuse and harassment, and the influence of violent media. 17. Mood Disorders in Teenagers This paper requires the author to conduct research on mood disorders in teenagers, define the most common of them, find out their reasons, and the ways of treatment. All the information on the issue may be found in specialized journals and books. 18. Schizophrenia, Its Main Causes, and Ways of Treatment Nowadays, schizophrenia is one of the most common severe mental disorders. Therefore, it is important for the researcher to evaluate emotional life events as its major triggers and evaluate the efficiency of medications therapy and psychosocial treatment. 19. The Impact of Violent Music on Teenagers Since many teenagers like violent music, it is highly important to research its influence on them. To complete the research, you could use topical scholarly articles, compare statistics provided on the official resources, or discuss your personal experience. 20. The Formation of Habits This captivating topic requires the writer to provide a thorough analysis of the process of habit formation and evaluate the process of regular repetition that gradually becomes habitual or automatic. The sources for this research may be found in specialized psychological journals, scholarly studies, and related books. Conclusion Taking into consideration the fact that psychology provides a vast range of sophisticated and captivating topics and ideas for research and discussion, it is important to use your analytical skills in order to approach the issue, provide a claim, and support it with facts and pieces of evidence. All the information necessary for the research may be collected from specialized journals, previous research, and other related reliable materials. Thus, writing a psychology research paper is a great way to discover more information about social and behavioral patterns, and understand people better.

The Ins and Outs of a Necropsy

The Ins and Outs of a Necropsy Necropsy is a dissection of a dead animal to determine the cause of death. In essence, it is an autopsy performed on an animal, such as a whale or shark. Necropsies can help us learn more about the biology of an animal, how it is affected by disease or how human interactions may impact animals. Veterinarians regularly perform necropsies on livestock in order to determine whether the cause of death is due to sickness or other environmental factors that may affect the rest of the livestock. If caught early, we can use the information to prevent or contain outbreaks. Zoos  and other institutions that care for animals also perform necropsies on animals that have died in their care in order to ensure the safety of other animals who may be affected. Common Necropsy Procedures Some of the procedures for a necropsy include collecting samples from one or more of the internal organs, examining the stomach contents and looking for signs of trauma. The blood will also be examined in order to determine enzyme values and other factors.  From the necropsy, researchers and veterinarians are able to determine how old an animal is, whether or not a female had been pregnant and what the animal ate.   When it comes to whales, skeletons are kept after the necropsy and sent to universities, schools, and museums so that the specimen  can be studied well into the future.

IT and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

IT and Society - Essay Example E-mail and instant messaging is also an effective way to communicate by sending and receiving messages. An optimistic view of this is that information technology promotes communication between people and must therefore help to spread social and international understanding. People who are thousands of miles apart, either literally or socially speaking, can communicate through 'chat' groups, bulletin boards or e-mail; they can obtain information on different ways of life through World Wide Web sites and even experience the 'virtual reality' of other ways of life through interactive programs. More efficient production using IT creates more wealth, which can be shared amongst all the groups concerned. It can thus be argued that the technology has a built-in bias in favour of reducing social and economic divisions. (Tansey, 2002, p. 214) Perrons (2004) holds the opinion that technology develops within specific sets of economic and social arrangements and technological possibilities are not realised automatically, that is social change does not automatically follow technology. Indeed the technology underpinning existed and was being implemented in the 1920s, but sustained accumulation did not follow. Changes were necessary in the prevailing mode of regulation, that is in the institutional arrangements within which individual and social reproduction takes place. (Perrons, 2004, p. 131) Perrons (2004) further states that the precise effects of e-commerce on economic and social development are contingent, varied and rapidly changing and therefore need to be explored empirically. The same processes or technologies that allow small firms access to world markets, which may enhance local development, simultaneously give peripheral consumers access to firms in the centre thereby facilitating the development of 'superstar' firms, and in turn potentially promote superstar regions. (Perrons, 2004, p. 180) In a broader spectrum IT helps telecommunications (TC) and networks to constantly implement to support organisational goals. Stair & Reynolds while providing an IT implementation example explains: suppose a business needs to develop an accurate monthly production forecast. Doing so requires a manger to download data from customers' databases of sales forecasts. TC can provide a network link so that the manager can access the data needed for the production forecast report, which in turn supports the company's objectives of better financial planning. (Stair & Reynolds, 2001, p. 146) The more individuals and organisations grasp the nature of the technology and its possibilities, the greater the probability they can influence the direction of change. A modest hope is that increased communication and a greater pooling of information should in the long run make it easier for people, organisations and states to reach, if not a consensus on what should be done, at least informed compromises on how to live together. (Tansey, 2002, p. 214) Presently, IT has enabled our social system to confront with social change in the

JPMorgan Chase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

JPMorgan Chase - Essay Example The Commission enforces its authority also by bringing â€Å"civil enforcement actions† against those who violate the securities laws (SEC, n.d.). On the other hand, the SEC as an overseer, watches over â€Å"the key participants in the securities world,† which include â€Å"securities exchanges, securities brokers and dealers, investment advisors, and mutual funds† and heads in advancing â€Å"the disclosure of important market-related information, maintaining fair dealing, and protecting against fraud† (SEC, n.d.). The SEC also persistently works with the participants of the major market as well as investors in the securities markets to take note of their concerns and experiences (SEC, n.d.). The primary responsibilities of the Commission include: interpreting and enforcing â€Å"federal securities laws†; issuing â€Å"new rules and amending existing rules†; overseeing the examination of â€Å"securities firms, brokers, investment advisers , and ratings agencies†; overseeing â€Å"private regulatory organizations in the securities, accounting, and auditing fields†; and coordinating â€Å"U.S. securities regulation with federal, state, and foreign authorities† (SEC, n.d.). The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on the other hand, is mandated â€Å"to regulate commodity futures and option markets in the United States† (US CFTC, n.d.). ... 2. Determine the elements of a valid contract, and discuss how consumers and banks each have a duty of good faith and fair dealing in the banking relationship. The elements of a valid contract are â€Å"parties competent to contract, a proper or lawful subject matter, consideration, mutuality of agreement or assent, and mutuality of obligation† (Henke v. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 83 F.3d 1445 (D.C. Cir. 1996); Foundation Telecommunications, Inc. v. Moe Studio, Inc., 341 Ark. 231, 16 S.W.3d 531 (2000); Mallory v. City of Detroit, 181 Mich. App. 121, 449 N.W.2d 115 (1989); Rhode Island Five v. Medical Associates of Bristol County, Inc., 668 A.2d 1250 (R.I. 1996). It may also be â€Å"offer, acceptance, and consideration† (Gatlin v. Methodist Medical Center, Inc., 772 So. 2d 1023 (Miss. 2000); Sauner v. Public Service Authority of South Carolina, 354 S.C. 397, 581 S.E.2d 161 (2003); Shaw v. Smith, 964 P.2d 428 (Wyo. 1998). In every contract, there is always â€Å"an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing† (Lloyd Noland Foundation, Inc. v. City of Fairfield Healthcare Authority, 837 So. 2d 253 (Ala. 2002); Wells Fargo Bank v. Arizona Laborers, Teamsters and Cement Masons Local No. 395 Pension Trust Fund, 201 Ariz. 474, 38 P.3d 12 (2002), as corrected, (Apr. 9, 2002)), where â€Å"neither party shall do anything† which would destroy or injure â€Å"the right of the other party to receive the fruits of the contract† (Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. v. PBL Consultants, 136 Ariz. 415, 666 P.2d 515 (Ct. App. Div. 2 1983); Okun v. Morton, 203 Cal. App. 3d 805, 250 Cal. Rptr. 220 (2d Dist. 1988); Dunfee v. Baskin-Robbins, Inc., 221 Mont. 447, 720 P.2d 1148 (1986); Spanish Oaks, Inc. v.

Theory of Multiple Intelligences Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Theory of Multiple Intelligences - Research Paper Example Such test scores would then be inferred against a predetermined rating which is supported through statistical techniques. The statistical techniques relate the responses issued by the subjects of different ages. The relating of the scores across ages and across various tests is based on the notion that intelligence is constant and does not change age experience or training (Gardner, 2006). In other words, intelligence is an inborn characteristic of individuals. Gardner pluralized the traditional intelligence concept leading to a new definition and educational approaches. Intelligence becomes the ability to process a specific kind of information. This ability originates within the humans psychological and biological make up (Gardner, 2006). These intelligences consist an ability to solve problems of create products that are a result of one’s cultural and community settings. Gardner came up with eight intelligences, which are linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelli gence, spatial intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, musical intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, and naturalist intelligence. Musical intelligence involves sensitivity to music. It is evident through sensitivity to tones, sounds, rhythms and other musical components. According to Gardner (2006), people who have this intelligence have the ability to compose music, sing and play musical instruments. They have a good pitch and sometimes an absolute pitch. Bodily- kinesthetic intelligences involve the capacity to use one’s entire body or parts of the body to handle challenges. One uses mental ability to coordinate body parts/movement to solve problems (Smith, 2008). Logical-mathematical intelligence comprises of the ability to perform logical analysis of problems, conduct mathematical calculations and examine phenomenon scientifically. The individual can reason deductively, detect patterns and thinking logically. It is often associated w ith mathematical reasoning (Smith, 2008). Linguistic intelligence is characterized by sensitivity to language, both spoken and written. It concerns the ability to acquire or learn languages, and us a language to achieve certain goals (Smith, 2008). This includes ability to use a language as a means for remembering information, and ability to express oneself poetically or rhetorically using a language. Examples of people with these skills include lawyers, poets, speakers and writers among others. Spatial intelligence, on the other hand, comprises the capacity to identify and utilize patterns of open space and confided areas. Interpersonal intelligence is people oriented intelligence, which is consists ability to understand other people’s desires, motivations and intentions. It facilitates coexistence of people. As Smith (2008) Notes, salespeople, counselors, political and religious leaders, and teachers thrive on strong interpersonal intelligence. Intrapersonal intelligence is made up of the ability for self awareness. It involves understanding oneself and appreciating personal feelings, motivations and fears. It also entails developing a working model of ourselves and ability to use such models for self regulation purposes (Smith, 2008). Finally, naturalistic intelligence

Behavior and personality development Essay Example for Free

Behavior and personality development Essay A person’s behavior and attitude at any point of time is the resultant effect of all factors acting on the individual. The factors, each contribute in its own way and at varying levels, having a positive effect, a negative effect, a soothening effect or even a precipitating effect. The individual then reacts as a consequence of all combined effects. There are several parameters involved in the development of behavioral patterns including cognitive-social, biological, emotions, gender, person-situation, culture, ethnicity etc. These factors effect differently, for each individual since the level of perception and understanding is varied. It should be noted here that there may be several other factors too that influence behavior patterns, that have not yet been recognized. The cognition-social perception of an individual plays an important role in the building up of the individual’s personality. Although there is a debate of whether cognition gives rise to emotions or emotions give rise to cognition, the resultant reaction has wide social perceptions. The term ‘cognition’ in emotion elicitation includes all simple sensory information processing to very complex processing. The emotion cognition interaction is the study on the integrative aspects of research in emotion, cognition and the interaction between the two. The complex association between emotion and cognition is analyzed using knowledge and methods from the separate fields of research. Emotions are not always associated with facial expressions. Face recognition and object recognition are performed through different functions by different areas within the brain. Several disorders like alexia, prosopagnosia and visual agnosia develop when recognition process is impaired. Social cognition attempts to relate personal-social development with intellectual development. The process of cognitive development occurs through four universal stages of infancy; toddler and early childhood; elementary and early adolescence; and, adolescence and adulthood. The development in each stage is associated with an increased level of thinking. Cognition is an important aspect of behavior development. An individual perceives a situation based on his cognitive inputs and responds appropriately. Thus feelings of sadness, happiness, anger, guilt etc. , are produced as a result of cognition. As for me, I don’t tolerate anyone talking to me in a high pitch or commanding tone. In such cases, I deliberately don’t cooperate, even if the speaker wants to help or oblige me. Gender too plays an important role in social developments. Women have been traditionally expected to perform their domestic family roles as obedient wives and daughters. They were mainly more perceived to be sexual objects in a male dominated society, with primary interests in homemaking and caring, till the end of the century. This indifference in sociology can be mainly attributed to men’s identity as the dominant social player associated with force of character while women are associated with their weaknesses and passive role. The relationship between crime and gender has been immense throughout the long period of offence observation. Men and women have differing offence rates and offence patterns, both as offenders and as victims. The opportunities and capabilities of men and women for crime are different, which is reflected in their crime pattern. The sex of offenders has always been recorded throughout the history of criminal record keeping. Lady police officers and corrections officers are also needed to tune in, to fit into the gendered criminal justice system, although their lives are very different from that of women offenders or victims. Women were allowed to take up positions of police patrol officers and corrections officers only in the 1970s. This too was achieved through several legislative changes and civil rights movements. While positions have been opened for women in the male dominated fields like policing and corrections, women are faced with challenges as to what are appropriate or not appropriate women activities, given their traditional attitude on such activities. The social role of women had been had been largely restricted, although the situation has changed considerably. However gender based perception, attitude and reaction to situations persist. I am particularly careful in my dealings with women, because I find it difficult to convince them compared to men, although they don’t argue or threaten like men. It has been established by biocriminology that heredity and body organ dysfunctions can induce an inclination in social interaction. Modern researches indicate that chromosomal abnormalities, hormonal and brain chemical imbalances, diet, drugs and alcohol are factors that contribute to aggressive and criminal behavior. The hormone ‘testosterone’ in men has been identified as the main cause of aggression and crime committed by most men. Several case studies indicate that certain foods or food constituents induce neuropsychological disorders in the form of allergic or pharmacologic reactions which may even lead to chemical imbalances in the brain, resulting in behavioral disorders. Adoption and twin studies too indicate that genetic influences play a major role in development of criminal behavior. Molecular genetic investigations and epidemiological studies suggest that criminal activity may be genetically linked to mental abnormality. Prenatal disturbances or altered normal fetal development due to maternal smoking in pregnancy period is linked to violent offsprings. Reading deficits are sometimes developed in impulsive aggressive people, which could be attributed to their early school experiences. Here, impulsive and aggressive acts are caused due to inability in discriminating visual information during social situations. Biology is an important determinant of behavior and social response. Although I don’t perceive any behavior type as due to any specific food pattern, I do believe that group behavior or specific instincts of groups has to do with their biological response. Cultural differences and its influence on behavior have been extensively studied by behavioral scientists mainly during the 1940s and the 1960s. Cross-cultural psychology is very important in understanding the psychological framework of inter personal behavior. Interpersonal behavior is a vital aspect of human daily activity and is greatly influenced by culture. In recent times, this relationship between culture and individual behavior is more explored through empirical studies rather than historical or philosophical enquiries. Findings of such studies indicate that culture moulds and defines individual attitude as much as it determines our values, our ways of thinking and our social relationships. Culture is in fact a major criteria in the determination of human behavior. Culture together with the physical environment represent one of the two important external factors that mould human behavior. These factors in combination with internal influential factors of biological and psychological aspects constitute the main determinants of human behavior. Culture is inhibited by both internal and external representations. External representation of culture is seen in institutions of education, politics, religion and economy while it is internally represented through values, worldviews, beliefs etc. All these forces act simultaneously on an individual at any given point of time. Perhaps most of the conflict and confrontation in today’s world may be attributed to cultural differences. Clash of cultures and adherence to rigid cultural beliefs, keeps up tension between communities. A mutual respect and understanding of each others culture and values is essential for the upliftment of any society. I find it difficult to live a normal life where cultural tolerance is not practiced. I personally feel that culture intolerance is a sign of undeveloped cultures. The individual at any point of time is also subject to a given situation. It is this simultaneous interaction of the person and the situation, which ultimately derives the behavior. Therefore, behavior can be described as a person-situation interaction, which is under continuous adjustment. Normal or abnormal behavior is a continuous response to the person-situation forces. The attitude and behavior of mankind is influenced by several factors, which cannot be predicted or explained using any particular theory. These include cognition, biological, behaviorist, cognitive-social, existential-humanistic, person-situation, and gender, cultural and ethnicity. It must also be understood that similar factors cannot influence everyone to the same level. A combination of several such factors may perhaps explain a particular behavior pattern. Although the role of the parameters in the development of the behavior pattern is known, we cannot conclude that all factors contributing to the same have been identified, nor the level of contribution of each factor. Newer research needs to be done on the subject, to determine further influences, given the fact that technology and lifestyle are constantly evolving.