Student Perceptions of Reflective Practice in Online Reading Courses Research Proposal

Student Perceptions of Reflective Practice in Online Reading Courses - Research Proposal Example Reflective thinking is analyzing current patterns of thinking in order to change and grow (Gutek, 2004). It means critically thinking and analyzing about learning. Reflective practice in education focuses on developing the students’ minds with regards to critical analysis and autonomous learning (Gutek, 2004). This concepts entails the view that when students peruse their work and reflect on it, it will lead to greater learning and critical thinking skills (The Higher Education Academy, 2010). Self and peer assessment, group work, personal development, and problem solving are techniques utilized in reflective practice. Reflective practice with regards to teachers is also an important concept, as instructors can improve teaching methods and improve effectiveness (The Higher Education Academy, 2010). The critical reflection of a person’s own work improves significance (Armstrong, 2000; Bain, Ballantyne, Packer, & Mills, 2002; Laskey & Hetzel, 2010; Schon, 1983, 19 87; Wagner, 2006). Activities that are used to foster reflection have been used to help students discover themselves in the context of life in a more meaningful and practical way (Laskey & Hetzel, 2010). Researchers, for this reason, have suggested the use of reflective practice in an online environment (Logreco, 2008; Sivyer, 2007; Wagner, 2006). However, the examination of student perceptions of reflective practice in an online learning environment has been researched by different academics focusing on reflective writing (Palmer, 2008; Wright, 2010). Reflective learning is a major tool used in experiential learning (Guthrie, 2010). In order for students to use experiential learning, teachers and instructors are encouraged to use critical thinking techniques. When media, such as the internet are used, these instructional techniques can be put to greater use by addressing a group of diverse students. With the advent of technological tools, such as the Internet, it is vital that instructors use tools that are current and relevant and make the most use of these developments (Held, 2009). In 2009, Allen and Seaman in their survey report of 2500 United States institutions reported a double digit growth for online enrollment in post secondary schooling. This shows that students have clearly started to prefer online educational methods to a great extent. Due to the increases popularity of online courses, it has become vital that online courses be assessed for their effectiveness. However, the focus of this paper is the use of reflective practice in online education and how students perceive its effectiveness. Reflective practice is a pedagogical tool that develops a higher level of thinking and enables students to learn from experience (Guthrie, 2010). Reflection in education focuses on preparing students to become problem solvers and idea generators, and not just rote learners (Held, 2009). Many scholars have advocated reflective practice in traditional c lassroom settings (Dewey, 1933; Schon, 1983; Laskey and Hetzel, 2010). However as online education is relatively a new phenomenon, it has been a source of debate with high number of dropouts in

How Social Media is Transforming Events Marketing Management Essay Example for Free

How Social Media is Transforming Events Marketing Management Essay It is believed that social media began prior to the evolution of the internet. The telephone was the first tool of social media that gave people the chance to socialize and gather information. However, at the turn of twentieth century, online communication became popular among various groups of society. People began to get into virtual communication with the use of cellular phones and computers. Social networking became popular because it was a venue to draw people towards one another. This was also very universal and its popularity was not limited to a certain age group. Amazingly, social networking and social media â€Å"become part of mainstream culture and the business world† (â€Å"History†). It was observed that social media became very valuable not only in socializing and information gathering but also in business where there has been greater dependence on the use of internet in promoting and marketing of products and/or services. Social media has provided the modern world with easy access to information, socialization and entertainment in the fastest way possible through the advancement of technology. Interestingly, the networks have become highly interactive and user-friendly that even a neophyte could easily learn to operate it in a short period of time. Social media has transformed into a powerful means of communication using numerous gadgets which have caught the interest of a larger number of people, the business practitioners take advantage of it to broaden the scope of their marketing. Truly, with the emergence of social media where people can communicate interactively with one another regardless of distance, business has been given a special place and opportunity to advertise or promote their business to a much bigger populace. Most authors have recognized the definition of social media provided by Wikipedia as the initial source of information about it. Gradually, different definitions have been formulated to increase people’s awareness of its definition. Safko and Brake mentioned that social media â€Å"refers to activities, practices, and behaviors among communities of people who gather online to share information, knowledge, and opinions using conversational media† (2009: 6). On the other hand, Evans has an expanded definition of social media. He stated that â€Å"Social media is the democratization of information, transforming people from content readers into content publishers. It is a â€Å"shift from a broadcast mechanism to a many-to-many model, rooted in conversations between authors, people, and peers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2008: 33). The author acknowledged various forms of communication utilized in social media such as â€Å"internet forums, message boards, weblogs, wikis, podcasts, picture and video† (2008: 33). Later on, it expanded to include â€Å"blogs, picture-sharing, blogs, wall-postings, email, instant messaging, music-sharing, group creation and voice over IP. † Social media has a vast potential as a channel through which promotional activities will be forwarded to its users. Social media’s unique features make it very usable and functional in marketing events. Evans stated that it is â€Å"fundamentally different from traditional media† (2008: 33) known as newspaper, television, books, and radio. Social media is interactive media. This is one advantage of social media over traditional media. Other advantages include: (1) it has different social online channels, (2) it changes over time, and (3) it is participative. The power to influence the audience is what makes social media appealing to business practitioners. Social media is real. Existing right in front of the computer communicating genuinely in a personal way to the customer about a product is very advantageous for those who are using social media in marketing or in public relation campaign. Given the real nature of social media, event marketing has come to its new shape. At the same time, event marketing has begun to utilize the services of social media in marketing and promotion. Though at some point, they cater to similar interests; that is, individual interaction and the participation of people with the company’s representatives. Pomer, on the issue of integrating event marketing and social media, described event marketing as a strategy â€Å"which focuses on face-to-face interaction by attending, sponsoring and speaking at trade shows, industry meet-ups, etc† (par. ). Bowdin, Allen and O’Toole described strategic event marketing as â€Å"the process by which an event organization aligns business and marketing objectives and the environments in which they occur, with marketing activities that fulfill the needs of event consumers† (2006:184). Event marketing has come to its new shape through social media influence No one could deny how soci al media, being a vehicle of information and communication, has transformed event marketing into a more meaningful and highly strategic promotional activity. In Bulmer’s article on the impact of social media on business, he stated that the trend today is to â€Å"build a network or use social media to deepen customer intimacy† (par. 1). Social media has been used these days without acknowledging this fact as Bulmer put it. He emphasized that, the ability of social media to â€Å"change behavior †¦ and †¦ to impact a professional’s decision-making processes† is the real essence of success in using this in business. Practically, social media’s approach in dealing with the audience in a genuine and an interactive manner somehow influences the approaches of event management to its customers. Event marketing management therefore becomes livelier, customer-oriented, interactive, personal, and dependent on audience feedback. There are several reasons for this. First, admittedly, as Shone and Parry pointed out that â€Å"human society is complex and interactive† (2004: 50). It means that regardless of culture, different societies celebrate in diverse ways, from the ancient period to the modern times, from a traditional way to a technological way; it makes no difference as long as events involve people and celebration or activities. Shaping event management following the principles behind social media will help draw a lot of people to the message because there is interaction and exchange of communication. Secondly, various events such as festivities, wedding, etc. serve to â€Å"strengthen social bonds as well as to spread enjoyment around† (Shone Parry, 2004: 51). People’s primary intention for celebrating events publicly is to satisfy their longing for socialization and enjoyment. Thus, involving the community in events in such a way that they express inner satisfaction for socialization and enjoyment can make events management very successful. Shone and Parry stressed that without the â€Å"social contact that event often give, the feeling of isolation in society†¦ can be great† (2004: 51). Hence, event management must be in the context of the community’s perception of event celebration which is socialization and enjoyment. Given this, certain changes have been observed in conducting event marketing. Borges noted how businesses nowadays acknowledge social media as an â€Å"effective mechanism for reaching a target market† (2009: 57). He even emphasized that â€Å"myopic attitude† that a business executive has on social media will eventually lead him to lose the business. Moreover, a business executive having event marketing founded on social media will ultimately be â€Å"transparent, forthcoming, honest, sincere, and also to contribute something of worth† (Borges, 2009: 63). Since the events for the purpose of marketing require a group of community participation, the activities involved have had considerable improvement in terms of acceptable approaches in dealing with the community. The company’s marketing arm learns to be transparent, forthcoming, honest and sincere in everything they present before their audience. It is different from traditional marketing wherein its objective is purely making people buy or patronize a product using various ways to manipulate their decision-making. Hence, marketing an event for a product, presents live and active interaction and participation from the community online or offline. Event marketing management facilitates Social Media Marketing The great global financial crisis has brought to the mind of marketing managers the idea of utilizing social media in their promotional activities. The Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Youtube, and many other social networking channels have been utilized for the purpose of marketing. The good news for marketing managers is that it is free. From the research findings presented by Bulmer in his article, he mentioned several impacts that social media has on business which helped transform event marketing to social media marketing. With such, he recognized the following findings: (1) decision making in the business world today is more social; (2) many professionals are using social networking sites particularly Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter; (3) many decisions have been drawn from information gathered through active users of social media; (4) many professionals trust the information they gather from the sites; (5) social media users have significantly increased in three years; and (6) many professionals collaborate well outside preferably using social media sites than within the organizational intranet (Bulmer). Hence, there is widespread recognition of the impact of social networking in business from the business world’s perspective. The growing business community participation in the online world proves the fact that â€Å"When you join a group online, you are joining a community† (Borges, 2009: 63). Social media started to become popular among groups of people for personal use primarily for communication purposes. Eventually, this became a good tool to interact, send greetings, and share information to friends. Most importantly, it had become a powerful instrument recognized to support the marketing arm of any business. Through social media, the way people do the business has transformed into ‘social sales’ because people believe in the power of online communication in mobilizing sales teams by building good relationship with customers. Shih recognized that social network marketing talks about the â€Å"breakthrough new marketing techniques made possible by online social networks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2009: 6). Some of these that she mentioned are: hypertargeting, enhanced ability to capture passive interest and conduct rapid testing and iteration on campaigns, social community engagement, and automated word-of-mouth marketing (Shih, 2009: 6). Furthermore, Tobin and Braziel emphasized that social media marketing plan is â€Å"based on engagement not traffic† (2008: 79) which means that this type of marketing focuses on â€Å"web events† or the interactions users have with features which could be in form of blogs, comments, post, video views, and many others. Importance of social media in marketing event Availing the use of social media for marketing purposes has a lot to offer to a business. Borges mentioned several benefits of social media aside from the fact that larger potential buyers who are receptive to new information and trend can be met through social network sites. Some of the benefits named are: low cost, brand building, staffing advantages, loyalty, level playing field, building trust, convergence of PR and social media for viral marketing, positive SEO benefits, quantifiable metrics, and educational (2008: 131-140). In terms of costs, social media requires a low budget which is almost free, for a service that values relationships. Brands are being built through a good content using the internet platform. Thus, it is simpler and appealing to consumers. Few, yet highly talented staff, who can work in an enjoyable work environment are needed when using social media because content is more important here. Using social media builds loyalty among internet users because of its being user-friendly. This is impossible to establish using advertisements and other promotional activities. Besides, all types of people can make use of it like anyone else regardless of economic or social status. Likewise, through a sincere voice in the content, the company can easily acquire trust from the people. In effect, social media as a PR tool can be an integral part of marketing activities. Furthermore, links attached to marketing in social media creates a bridge connecting to the company’s website thus increasing the chance of the customer browsing of the webpage. Learning is considered as one of the benefits of social media. Not only do the internet users learn but companies also learn. Armed with this information, social media has evolved from purely socialization and enjoyment to something highly beneficial to businesses. For this reason, there is no doubt for business executives to resort to using social media in one of the tools in marketing an event. Conclusion  Social media has begun existing without clear importance rather than for socialization and personal or group enjoyment. However, with the increasing popularity of social networking when the internet was introduced to the public in 1990, this form of social interaction gained remarkable importance not only among the general public but also among business groups locally and internationally. Indeed, the ability of the social media to satisfy the users with its personalized features, has led to the discovery that it could be a potential instrument in shaping the mind of the audience. Social media has unique characteristics. It can change perception, it is very appealing, and it is effective in marketing an event. However, any business executive who wants to use its service must understand how it serves the public. Its special features that draw people together from all walks of life are derived from an honest, transparent, forthcoming and sincere way of dealing with one another. This same way is expected among event marketers in order that marketing of events will be appropriate to users’ expectations.

Richard Wrights Black Boy as a Catalyst to End Racism Essay -- Wright

Black Boy as a Catalyst to End Racism Around 2000 B.C., Egyptians enslaved Jews in bondage like caged animals because they were targeted as a lesser race and thus chosen for labor. Just 1500 years later, the Jews themselves were the culprits of racism labeling the very association with Samaritans as a deep sin. In 1861_1865, the United States divided brother against brother in one of its bloodiest battles of all time over black slavery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Racism survives not simply as an intangible historic fable but as a real modern problem, also. In current civilization Arab Palestinians war with Israelis to find a homeland; the Ku Klux Klan draws its biggest membership influx in over 20 years; and in the U.S. where freedom reigns, Americans have never to date voted a person into the president's office who was not a white male. Denny's restaurants, Texaco gas stations, and Avis car rental are a few of the number of national companies accused of extolling racism in this "apartheid America." Although less subtle in the lives of Americans then, racism also thrived in the souls of people living during the 1920's. Even though the war on slavery was over in the battle fields, white racists were blood thirsty lions at heart, as was demonstrated in the book Black Boy.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The setting of Black Boy is in the deep south of Jackson, Mississippi where whites attempted to tame into submission blacks by hard discipline. Such was the case for Richard in Black Boy, his autobiography. It seemed that the more Richard gained success, the more he was hurt. In Black Boy, Richard is abused by whites because he reminds the whites of their lack of identity and failure to meet society's expectations.   Their lives became bland... ...elf_imposed humility, the person gets a sense of gratification in his life. He now knows that he has a good reason to keep going. Eventually the person will also receive that same love from others. Therefore, a new source for positive gratification and love is created, making racism obsolete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These principles have not been fully successful as people are naturally more willing to be lethargic than active, more likely to be followers than leaders, usually submit rather than stand up for themselves. They need courage. The courage must come from the love within, it must be true courage. For some, it doesn't come naturally, but with one strong foot forward, and a heart for others, racism can be defeated and the world can live in peace and equality. Works Cited: Wright, Richard. Black Boy (American Hunger): A Record of Childhood and Youth. 1998 ed.

Antebellum Period Essay

During the time period between 1825-1850, known as the Antebellum Period, the series of reform movements that emerged sought to democratic ideals of equality, liberty, the right to vote, and a more centralized government. The Second Great Awakening, one of many religious reforms, expanded equality through the belief that everyone could attain salvation through hard work and faith. The Second Great Awakening was the spark for many of the other reform movements, such as Temperance, Women’s Rights, and Abolition. These movements along with reforms of prisons and mental facilities, and education attempted to craft America into a more utopian society. The Second Great Awakening had started after the Revolutionary War, gained momentum around the turn of the century, and was at its strongest during the Antebellum Period. It was driven by the idea that everyone could be saved through revivals. Revivals were especially prevalent in upstate New York, which was nicknamed the â€Å"burne d-over district† by Charles Finney, a prominent Presbyterian leader of The Second Great Awakening. Because there were so many revivals there, it seemed like there couldn’t possibly be anyone left to convert. Social activism became the main method of revival in the North. Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist denominations made huge gains in membership in the South and on the frontier were â€Å"camp meeting† revivals took place. As in Document B where Finney said the reforms awakened and converted even the â€Å"most abandoned profligates†, the protestant ministers in the South preached to people of all classes and races, including free blacks, slaves, and slaveholders. Free blacks began to start their own churches on the belief that everyone needed to hear messages of salvation and personal freedom. Due to prejudices against them, many free blacks separated from the Methodist church. One such man named Richard Allen founded the African Methodist Episcopal denomination. Blacks had more freedom within the Baptist church, as they could become ministers, and many black Baptist congregations were formed. Also during this time, groups such as the Mormons, Shakers and Baptists deve loped due to desires to restore primitive forms of Christianity, known as the Restoration Movement. In the late 1820s, Joseph Smith claimed to receive visions of a new sacred text/supplement to the Bible, the Book of Mormon. He founded a primitivist church called the Church of Christ on the teachings of this book and other revelations. Mormons established their first community in western New York. They then moved to Kirtland, Ohio, where Mormons faced persecution and Joseph Smith was assassinated. The first split in the church came surrounding the question of the next leader, but most Mormons migrated to Utah, spreading their message and gaining followers on the way, under the leadership of Brigham Young. Other popular groups that rose were the Unitarians and Universalists. Unitarianism is named for its understanding of God as one person, unlike the traditional Christian doctrine of Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) coexisting as one in being. It teaches that Jesus was a prophet and in some sense the â€Å"son† of God, but not God himself. Universalists believe that all humans either may or will be saved through Jesus Christ and eventually go to heaven. Teachings of the Second Great Awakening endorsed a strong work ethic, frugality and temperance within the expanding middle class. The Temperance Movement sprung from the social activism of the Second Great Awakening. Alcoholism was a growing problem in the United States: spousal abuse, family neglect and chronic unemployment were on the rise, issues which are shown in The Drunkards Progress (Document H). It was an area that social activists felt needed addressing. Lyman Beecher, a leading Presbyterian minister of the Second Great Awakening, lectured against the use of alcohol and co-founded the American Temperance Society, the first U.S. social movement organization to mobilize massive and national support for a specific reform cause. Within 12 years, it claimed more than 8000 local groups and 1,500,000 members. Many other Temperance societies popped up, such as the American Temperance Union and the States Delevan Union Temperance Society of Colored People, a temperance society headed by free blacks. The Temperance Movement first saw statewide success in Maine, where a total ban was placed on the manufacturing and sale of liquor. The Maine Law, as it became known as, was the work of Portland mayor Neal Dow, who gained the nicknames the â€Å"Father of Prohibition† and the â€Å"Napoleon of Temperance†. Dow was very involved in the temperance movement, having traveled much of the northeastern United States and parts of Canada speaking against intemperance. His Maine Law spawned other prohibition laws in the country. The Temperance Movement expanded democratic ideals by asking the government to govern the sale of alcohol, making the government more centralized. The Second Great Awakening’s empha sis on the ability of individuals to amend their lives caused many reform movements aimed at redressing injustice and alleviating suffering in society—a democratizing effect. Abolitionism was one such movement, and it to was led in part by leaders of the Second Great Awakening. It called the immediate ending of slavery, as opposed to the other anti-slavery positions of the time, Gradualism; which called for an end to slavery over time; and colonization; which relied on the manumission of slaves who would then be taken back to Africa. Lyman Beecher was also an Abolitionist, and more importantly the father of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The novel was the most influential piece of abolitionist literature and spread the Abolitionist message to millions of Americans. Charles Finney often spoke out against slavery from the pulpit and was involved in the abolitionist movement. Neal Dow was also a known abolitionist, his house was a stop on The Underground Railroad. Just like with the Temperance Movement, many Abolitionist societies formed, the most prominent being the American Anti-Slavery Society (AAS). The AAS was founded by William Lloyd Garrison, the editor of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator. Garrison was in support of immediate emancipation of the slaves and their integration into American society. He also believed that slave owners should not be reimbursed for their â€Å"lost property†. Wendell Phillips became a frequent speaker at AAS conventions after witnessing the attempted lynching of Garrison by a pro-slavery mob in 1835. He went on to write many pamphlets and essays against slavery. Sisters Angelina and Sarah Grimke became well known anti-slavery speakers and writers. They came from a slave-owning white family in the South and spoke from experience on the evils of slavery. Angelina married fellow abolitionist and mentor Theodore Weld. Weld spoke out against slavery until he lost his voice in 1837. He then focused on writing for the AAS. In 1839, he and the Grimkà © sisters co-wrote the pivotal book American Slavery As It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witn esses. Many historians regard Weld as the most important figure in the abolitionist movement. Escaped slave Frederick Douglass went around the country speaking at AASS conventions and at other events about the things he personally experienced as a slave. He published the North Star, an aboltionist newspaper that got its name from the North Star which guided slaves to freedom in the North. Escaped slaves Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth also became speakers and leaders in the Abolitionist Movement. Tubman helped over 300 slaves escape from the South on the Underground Railroad and became friends with Douglass. Truth also became friends with Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison. The abolitionist movement promoted democratic ideals as it tried expand freedom and equality to the slaves. Women were heavily involved with the Temperance and Abolitionist movements, and many of them went on to work with the Women’s Rights Movement. For many women, and as shown in Document C, the two causes were intertwined because they work for their own liberty as well. The role of women in the household had begun to change with the ongoing Industrial Revolution. A group of young single women known as Lowell girls worked in factories. In the middle a nd upper classes, women became the moral and spiritual leaders of their households, known as the Cult of Domesticity. Along with speaking on temperance and abolition, some women began speaking on women’s rights at conventions. One such woman was Lucretia Mott. She was focused mostly on women’s rights, publishing her influential Discourse on Woman and founding Swarthmore College. She became a Quaker minister, and was noted for her speaking ability. She advocated the boycotting the products of slave labor. She was an early supporter of William Lloyd Garrison and the American Anti-Slavery Society. She worked with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and the two women organized the first women’s rights convention which was held in Seneca Falls, New York. At the convention, Stanton stated that they were assembled to â€Å"declare our right to be free as man is free† (Document I) and presented the Declaration of Sentiments, a document written by Stanton and based on the form of the Declaration of Independence. It declared that men and women were equal and that women had no representation since they couldn’t vote. Frederick Douglass, who was in attendance at the convention and helped pass the resolutions in the Declaration of Sentiments called the document the â€Å"grand basis for attaining the civil, social, political, and religious rights of women†. The Grimke sisters, Harriet Tubman, and Sojourner Truth were also suffragists. The Women’s Rights Movement expanded democratic ideals because it pushed for equality and the right to vote for women. Another reform started during this period was an education reform. The education reform was pushed by increasing interest in public education because the growing number of voters and immigrants and a desire to maintain social order. It was largely the works of Massachusetts School Board Secretary Horace Mann. Most states adopted one version or another of the system he established in Massachusetts, especially the program for â€Å"normal schools† to train professional teachers. He pushed for more public support of public schools arguing that universal public education was the best way to turn the nation’s unruly children into disciplined, judicious republican citizens. He has been called the â€Å"Father of the Common School Movement† and the â€Å"Father of American Public Education†. His schools and other schools around the country used McGuffey Readers; document e is a selection from one; as textbooks. There were different books for each learning level.

Ethical Information and Communication Technologies for Development Solutions Essay

Question 1 Can ICTs be innovatively used in the absence of minimum literacy levels among the poor? Yes, I believe ICTs can be innovatively used in the absence of minimum literacy levels among the poor. ICTs enable societies to produce, access, adapt and apply information in greater amounts, more rapidly and at reduced costs and offer enormous opportunities for enhancing business and economic viability. ICTs can also contribute towards strengthening democracy, increasing social participation, competing in the global market place and removing barriers to modernization; making poor populations fuller agents in the sustainable developmental process. The minimum requirements of ICT facilities require a computer with connection (3G, Wi-Fi, etc.). Unfortunately above mentioned is expensive, the poorest of the poor would not be able to afford it. Connectivity of mobile phones is also limited. Thus in order for ICTs to be innovatively used in the absence of minimum literacy levels among the poor, the above mentioned obstacles must be overcome. While poor nations grapple with the problems of investing in these technologies, recent experiments show that convergence of new and traditional communication media is still relevant to poor communities who lack basic infrastructure such as roads, water, electricity and telephones. ICTs are not just about technologies, but more about information transfer and communication. My aunt, ninety-six years of age, and my uncle, ninety years of age, rely exclusively on verbal communications. They have learned at an early age, that to observe and to be able to accurately account what had happened was of outmost importance – therefore their reliance on verbal communication. The elderly in our community therefore rely on the radio, and if available the television, as the means of communication with the outside world. Here it must be stressed that the language of communication must be in their own native tongue. My little girl is more adapt than me handling my cell-phone or tablet, yet she is also able to communicate with the outside world at her level. The scenario above illustrate that there is a definite need to ensure that information reach the elderly as well as the young of heart. Using innovative ways of applying ICTs we will be able to address this dire need. To reach this goal, communities must pool together to establish the basic infrastructure needed to roll out the information highway. The combination of radio, television and internet must be utilize to improve the level of education. Our government has projects in place to assist communities to have access to internet, especially our youth. Schools offer computer classes to scholars from Grade 1, to name but a few. Question 2 How can the same ICTs be used for multiple purposes? What steps are needed to use, say the internet for meeting the educational and health needs of poor female farmers in an isolated rural community? The same ICTs can be used in a variety of communication fields, from education and healthcare, to agriculture and business. For example, a radio can broadcast important news, financial news, weather, even educational programs. Thus spanning one form of ICT into a variety of sectors. Poverty reduction ICTs are considered increasingly important in the effort to eradicate poverty. It is widely recognized that ICTs can provide access to information which can in turn create earning opportunities, improve access to basic services, increase the impact of education and health interventions, and give the poor a voice to demand government support and reforms. Despite these potential links between ICTs and poverty reduction, direct access by the poor to ICTs is extremely limited. Citizens of poor countries, especially women, have significantly less access to ICTs than those living in rich countries. Factors such as excessive domestic workload, illiteracy and lack of formal education prevent these groups from accessing information. Poverty reduction means focusing on particular groups within societies not on ‘poor countries’. Education It is generally believed that ICTs can empower teachers and learners, making significant contributions to learning and achievement. However, current research on the impacts of ICTs on student achievement yields few conclusive statements, pro or con, about the use of ICTs in education. ICTs do offer many beneficial opportunities for education, but they are no substitute for formal schooling. Teachers need to be empowered to use ICTs so that they can gain the confidence and skills to work in an ICT – driven environment. Health ICTs can play a critical role in improving health care for individuals and communities. By providing new and more efficient ways of accessing, communicating, and storing information, ICTs can help bridge the information divides that have emerged in the health sector in developing countries—between health professionals and the communities they serve and between the producers of health research and the practitioners who need it. Through the development of databases and other applications, ICTs also provide the capacity to improve health system efficiencies and prevent medical errors. Gender Women’s ability to take advantage of ICT is dependent on conductive policies, an enabling environment in their countries to extend communications infrastructure to where women live, and increased educational levels.

Definition and Examples of Trademark

Definition and Examples of Trademark A trademark is a distinctive word, phrase, symbol, or design that identifies a product or service and is legally owned by its manufacturer or inventor. Abbreviation, TM. In formal writing, as a general rule, trademarks should be avoided unless specific products or services are being discussed. Exceptions are sometimes made when a trademark (for example, Taser) is better known than its generic equivalent (electroshock weapon).The website of the International Trademark Association [INTA] includes a guide to the proper use of more than 3,000 trademarks registered in the U.S. According to the INTA, a trademark should always be used as an adjective qualifying a generic noun that defines the product or service [for example, Ray-Ban sunglasses, not Ray-Bans]. . . . As adjectives, marks should not be used as plurals or in the possessive form, unless the mark itself is plural or possessive (such as 1-800-FLOWERS, MCDONALD’S or LEVI’S). Examples and Observations Band-AidChap StickCrock-PotDolbyFormicaFreonFrisbeeHacky SackHooverJacuzziJeepJet SkiKleenexLoaferLycraMaceNaugahydePlaybillPopsicleRollerbladeSkivviesSporkTaserTeletypeVaselineVelcroWindbreaker Originally trademarks, these common names are now regarded as generic names: aspirinbundt cakecellophanedittodry iceescalatorgranolaheroinkerosenelinoleumLPminibikenylonpogosticktarmacthermostouch-tonetrampolinewedgieyo-yozipper

Read These Definition Essay Examples from Our Sample Writers or Use Online Help

Read These Definition Essay Examples from Our Sample Writers or Use Online Help A definition essay is a piece of writing that explains what a term or a concept means. The term may be evaluated from the direct or exact meaning and from the point of the subjectivity of the person defining the term. The aim is not only to provide the dictionary definition but also to expound on why the word is defined in such a manner. What Is a Definition Essay? A definition essay  is a piece of writing that explains what a term or a concept means. Some terms have definite, concrete meanings, such as glass, book, or tree. Terms such as honesty, honor, or love are abstract and  depend  more on a persons point of view. The term may be evaluated from the  direct or  exact meaning and from the point of the subjectivity of the person defining the term. The aim is not only to provide the dictionary definition but also to expound on why the word is defined in such a manner. The approach to be used depends on the subject, your readers, and the essay’s purpose. Definition Essay Example on Emotional Intelligence What Is Emotional Intelligence? Emotional intelligence is a term that is commonly used in corporate entities by managers and employees alike to assess the feelings of people in the workplace that may affect productivity. Emotional intelligence denotes one’s ability to manage subjective emotions and that of other people. It entails the capacity of a person to connect sentiments and use them to resolve complications and deliberate critically. Additionally, it entails the ability of a person to control their own emotions and to cheer up or calm down other people. The term emotional intelligence was first invented in the nineteen hundred’s by two psychologists, Salovey and Mayer. However, the term gained much popularity later in 1995 used it in his book entitled, â€Å"Emotional Intelligence: Why can it Matter more than IQ?† In this book, Goleman claimed that emotional intelligence is a central part of human development. Moreover, he identified the five main spheres of emotional intelligence as; knowing one’s emotions, managing those emotions, motivating oneself, recognizing and understanding other people’s emotions and managing relationships. Today, emotional intelligence is widely used in organizations to allow those with highly developed social skills to excel just like those with good academic qualifications. Emotional Intelligence vs. IQ The intelligence quotient refers to an assessment of the ability of a person to think and reason. The intelligence quotient is measured using the IQ score which is a method of measuring a person’s IQ against others who are in the same age bracket. The term intelligence quotient stemmed from the early research by psychologists on intelligence. The research which mainly focused on the intellectual aspects such as problem-solving and memory became known as intelligence quotient. The perceptive aspects of intellect were found to be easy to measure. For a long time, even though intelligence quotient was considered to be more important than emotional intelligence, psychologists, through several studies have proved that the reverse is actually true. The academic intelligence of a person, for instance, has nothing to do with the person’s emotions. Having excellent academic grades and getting well-paying jobs does not determine how a person is likely to react to the situations and the storms of life.   People with very high IQs are found to be very poor in managing their own lives. As Goleman argues, concentrating on the academic performances without inclining an ear to emotional intelligence results in a character that is likely to affect an individuals destiny adversely. Another reason why emotional intelligence is considered more important than intelligence quotient because it enables people to fit in all domains of life. It is evident that people who are emotionally skilled are better equipped to fit in all spheres of life. People who know how to manage their own emotions and can read and manage the feelings of other people are said to be comfortable in all life spheres including intimate relationships and work relationships. However, the lack of the ability to control one’s emotions can result in inner battles that limit their capacity to work and think clearly. The Merits of Person with High  Emotional Intelligence One of the merits of persons with extraordinary emotional acumen is the capacity to embrace modifications. Emotionally intelligent people apprehend that change is unavoidable and is a fragment of life. As a result, they embrace change as part of their daily lives and plan in advance should changes arise. Secondly, emotionally intelligent people pay attention to their work and do not get easily distracted from their original course. Thirdly, emotionally smart folks are empathetic. Goleman states that compassion is a unique and significant constituent of emotional intelligence. Emotionally intelligent people are thus capable of relating to others, showing compassion and helping others when they are in need. Other qualities of emotionally intelligent people are self-motivation and the ability to set boundaries. One of the ways through which people can improve their emotional intelligence is through avoiding negative feelings. This can be achieved by reducing negative personalization and reducing the fear of rejection. People can provide themselves with alternative options to a situation, making them have alternatives no matter the outcome of a situation. Another way of improving emotional intelligence is staying cool even when stressed. Keeping cool while handling stress can help a person to be assertive rather than being reactive to a situation thus enabling them to be more emotionally intelligent. Additionally, emotional intelligence can be improved by the ability to bounce back from adversity. Bouncing back from difficult moments enables people to have empathy for others hence better emotional intelligence. Other ways of improving emotional intelligence are; connecting one’s feelings with the thoughts and creating a positive environment. 15 INTERESTING DEFINITION ESSAY TOPICS Definition Essay Example on Respect How Do We Define Respect? One of the most important ways of establishing and maintaining lasting relationships both at home and at work is having respect for oneself and others. The term respect refers the recognition of the values of people and things and treating them with care and concern. It means having a deep admiration for someone or something. This admiration stems from the accomplishments, abilities and the qualities of a person. Additionally, respect encapsulates the way one thinks about someone or something. For instance, an employer can be said to have respect for his employees if he admires their abilities and accomplishments in the workplace and treats them well. Respect determines the way in which a person lives as well as the interaction with other members of the society. Respect for oneself, for instance, restrains a person from engaging in risk-taking behaviors that can cause the destruction of both the body and mind. Moreover, having respect for each other at home, in the workplace, and in the society at large help in reducing conflicts, disagreements and misunderstandings thus contributing to peaceful coexistence and a harmonious society. One can also demonstrate respect for things because of the inherent values they have. The fundamentals of respect, consequently, remain constant whether a person or an item is in question. Why Is Respect so Important? Respect plays a central role in building and maintaining healthy and lasting relationships. First, respect helps in establishing open communication between the parties in relationships. In families, for instance, having respect helps the members to be trustworthy, honest and straight forward. This way they are capable of abiding by the family rules and living peacefully. Additionally, open communication emanating from respect is useful in the workplaces. Respect enables the employers and employees alike, to communicate with each other in a professional and honest manner. This way, people feel free to convey their opinions and ideas in without being interrupted. Secondly, respect is significant in building trust in relationships. The flourishing of relationships, whether family, business, intimate or working relationships depends on trust. Respect for oneself and others can help in building trust.   An employee who fulfills the responsibilities and delivers in time because of the respect for his job and employers, for example, is capable of gaining the trust of the employees. Consequently, the employee has higher chances of being promoted. Additionally, having respect in relationships results in trust between couples making them have better and healthier relationships. Moreover, respect is important in relationships since it is the key to happiness. Having respect for others enables a person to become more tolerant and embrace people’s differences. Additionally, respecting the views and beliefs of others limits conflicts and confrontations among the people. The result is the peaceful coexistence between people that gives them inner peace, contentment, and happiness. Furthermore, having respect for other people boosts their esteem since they feel appreciated. How to Become a Person of Respect? One of the ways of becoming more respectful to others is honesty. Honesty comprises vital traits like truthfulness, straightforwardness, and integrity. It is important to realize that people would like to be dealt with honestly. Therefore, showing respect for others entails being honest in words and actions. Additionally, one should be responsible for their words and make people know that they are reliable. An additional approach of displaying respect to others is by exhibiting kindness. When dealing with family, friends or colleagues, showing kindness makes them feel appreciated and loved. One of the ways of showing kindness to others is watching one’s tone when addressing others. It is important to note that no one wants to be ordered around and using the golden words such as please and thank you can aid in showing respect. Obedience is another way through which one can show respect to others. If asked by an elderly person or a person in authority to do something which is not harmful or immoral, one should obey and follow the instructions. Other ways of being more respectful are; taking care of one’s mess, exercising fairness, courtesy, avoiding putting blames on others and listening to others without interrupting. Personally, I think respect means accepting people for who they are and learning to live with them harmoniously despite our differences. It involves embracing other people’s strengths and weaknesses without prejudice. By learning to accept other people, we reduce our engagements in conflicts and other disrespectful behaviors such as name calling and hauling insults at each other. The end result is a cohesive and harmonious society. If you need assistance with essay writing contact our friendly support team or place an order and our professionals will write a great paper for you.

How to Succeed in Your Literature Class

How to Succeed in Your Literature Class Listening,  reading, and being prepared for your class can make a dramatic difference in how you understand the books, poetry, and stories for your class. Heres how to succeed in your literature class from high school through college. Be on Time Even on the first day of class, you might miss out on important details (and homework assignments) if youre even 5 minutes late for class. In order to discourage tardiness, some teachers refuse to accept homework if youre not there when class starts. Also, literature teachers may ask you to take a short quiz, or write a response paper in the first few minutes of classjust to make sure that you did the required reading! Buy the Books at the Beginning of the Term Or, if the books are being provided, be sure you have the book when you need to start your reading. Dont wait until the last minute to start reading the book. Some literature students wait to buy some of their books until half-way through the semester/quarter. Imagine their frustration and panic when they find that there arent any copies of the required book left on the shelf. Be Prepared Be sure you know what the reading assignment is for the day, and read the selection more than once. Also, read through the discussion questions before class. Be Sure You Understand If youve read through the assignment and the  discussion questions, and you still dont understand what youve read, start thinking about why! If youre having difficulty with the terminology, look up any words you dont understand. If you cant concentrate on the assignment, read the selection out loud. Ask Questions! Remember: if you think the question is confusing, there are probably other students in your class who are wondering the same thing. Ask your teacher; ask your classmate, or ask for help from the Writing/Tutoring Center. If you have questions about assignments, tests, or other graded assignments, ask those questions right away! Dont wait until right before the  essay is due or just as the tests are being passed out. What You Need Always make sure you come to class prepared. Have a notebook or tablet to take notes, pens, a dictionary, and other critical resources with you at class and while you are doing work at home.

Cuban Collection Against the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cuban Collection Against the US - Essay Example After the collapse of the communist U.S.S.R. in 1991 Cuban military capability has diminished to a great length, and the government uses Direccion General de Intelligencia (DGI) to provide security against an interference of the internal affairs of the country from the U.S. The Cuban regime knows it too well the threat they face from the United State government and have sent DGI agents to gather intelligence and prepare the regime to counter any philosophical ideas in the country social, economic and political structures. This was evidenced by the arrest of the Cuban Five in 1998 in the U.S, Ana Montes in 2001 and Gwendolyn & Walter in 20093. This demonstrates how the Cuban prioritize on spying on the U.S government even with the defeat of communism. According to the House Committee on foreign relations, Cuba posed a threat to American citizen. Ms. Ros Lehtinen argued that the Castro regime threatened the U.S. national security interest with its state sponsored terrorism operation just 9 miles away from American shores4. The committee members also discusses the Cuban espionage operation by the Wasp network in the country’s military installations. Moreover, the Cuban regime has had used its spy agent to attack the U.S cyber system. The tension between Cuba and the United State is so severe that many CIA agent have died while in Latin America as a result of their counterpart in the U.S colluding to provide classified information to the Cuban regime. The Cuban regime has also used its doctors to spy on its behalf when they are shipped all over the world5. Fidel Castrol has been a stabling block of U.S President that have assumed office since he seized power in 19596. The U.S tried to remove Castrol from power in the early 1960 through spying and other scheme, but it failed in all its operations. For this reason, the DGI and foreign contracted CIA agent

LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

LAW - Essay Example (Melone and Kames, 64) Since actions were required to follow the specific form of the writ in invoke the courts’ jurisdiction, the common law courts could not provide satisfactory solutions in all cases. The writ system created a lot of confusion so that in some cases: â€Å"...forms of actions were pulled and stretched to cover a number of situations not originally contemplated when they were created. Yet many forms of action brought by plaintiffs were dismissed because they did not fit the narrow requirements of particular existing writs.† (Melone and Kames, 64) The writ system and within the common law system was devised during feudalism when the landed aristocracy were the ruling classes. However, with the emergence of the mercantile movement followed by industrialism the economic environment changed with greater demands on the courts. (Melone and Kames, 64) More and more disputants, essentially unsatisfied with common law courts began to petition the King â€Å"and his council† for remedies that were not provided for in the common law courts. (Melone and Kames, 64) the King’s Council would in turn remit these complaints to the Lord Chancellor, their highest ranking member. (Melone and Kames, 64) It was the Lord Chancellor’s office that had initiated the writ system that led to the creation of the three common law courts. (Melone and Kames, 64) Ironically it would be the Lord Chancellor himself who would influence the creation of the law of equity. The Lord Chancellor’s influence came via the petitions for remedies that were outside the jurisdiction of the common law courts. He would consider these petitions and make recommendations to the Kings’ Council. His recommendations were typically accepted without more. (Melone and Kames, 64) This practice carried on until the Court of Chancery, a court of equity was institutionalized in 1474. (Melone and Kames, 64) The Lord

You can make a topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

You can make a topic - Essay Example The need to maximize profit through specialization thus boosting country’s economy is the main cause of monoculture in many countries. It is evident that modernized agriculture has brought immense negative contributions in the ecological system and further extended the influence on peoples’ lives, culture, political and social status. Use of fertilizers and pesticides which is contributed by monoculture has greatly depleted and polluted soil, water and every other useful resource used in farming thus causing serious consequences on the environment. Modification of herbicides and crop engineering has not however brought the expected change it was intended to in some herbicides and even in increasing the yield of some crops but instead brought serious harm to the environment. It is obvious that mechanized farming is not beneficial since it does more harm than good but efforts to indulge in agro ecology are also greatly suppressed in many ways including the government. The need to make money and the intensive advertisements by huge agrochemical corporations is really hindering farmers from adopting the best style of farming that is environmental friendly. Farming can be done in a way that animals and crops grown mutually benefit each other without inclusion of chemicals and fertilizers which are harmful to the environment such as planting cover crops, crop rotation and use of farm yard manure. The size of land does also not support crop rotation and generally the whole issue of agro ecology. I strongly concur with the author of this article that capital-technology intensive agricultural practices such as use of fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides which has contributed to monoculture has posed danger in our ecosystem. I strongly support agro ecology since it is the only way environmental degradation can be minimized and our

How Aircraft and Aircraft Carriers helped the U.S in WWII Research Paper

How Aircraft and Aircraft Carriers helped the U.S in WWII - Research Paper Example Air power facilitated the surveillance of the U.S land. The use of aircraft in the World War II was part of a national grand strategy. Higham observes that the use of aircraft in the war during the 20th century consisted of strategic planning by the government and tactical operations, which follows the, principles of war and commerce (2002, 1). In this paper, we focus the discussion on how aircraft and the aircraft carriers were of help to the U.S army during the World War II. Air power consists of the air forces, airlines, aircraft and the ancillary industry. For the operation of this industry, it requires management that entails command control communications and intelligence. All this things were a vital part for any U.S air force soldier to be familiar with before taking command of any U.S air force airline. During World War II, Higham points out that the air power was still a not an area familiar to the American army. However, over the years the airpower became a force to reckon with, the air force was vital to the ground power in the World War II. ... At the pacific, see the land, based air forces and the carrier task forces were in use. The U.S utilized the air force to patrol the sea-lanes in the north Atlantic; photoreconnaissance was also a part of the role done by the air force in the wars. The British and Americans used the air power for guerrilla warfare. In his book, the rise of American Air power, Sherry examines the American bombing strategy of specific interest is the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing. The author approaches this from the cultural point of history. Sherry points out that the U.S utilized the dropping of the atom bombs as a defence and due to its terror potential. Culturally speaking the use of air power was not because of the technological advancement of the weapons used in war but it was a continuation of the fantasy of scientific warfare and the evolving of political social and military views (1987,239). With the technological advancement in the air power, the dropping of the atom bombs was an easy way fo r the U.S to block the enemy’s ability to wage war. The Japanese according to sherry’s observation gave in to an unconditional surrender. Sherry does point out that in the use of aircraft; the aerial bombing was a chaotic and haphazard affair that yielded unintended consequences that included massive civilian casualties. This to sherry was a failure because it did not in any way address the necessity to defeat the main body of the enemy military forces (1987, 145). Sherry observed that the use of aircraft as an offensive strategy in the warfare did achieve its target because it did fuel for revenge between combatants. This was because of the inhumane pain inflicted upon the civilian population. The whole idea of developing technology related to aircraft warfare

Comparison of the Old World Values to the New World Values in Bread Essay

Comparison of the Old World Values to the New World Values in Bread Givers - Essay Example Sara fought towards attaining independence and self-fulfillment. The writer chooses his title significantly because it shows how women struggle to provide for their families. Anzia writes about young girls who struggle to be independent by breaking traditions. Sara says, â€Å"The more I start to review my inner self, I do not want some day to make myself for a person and among people .† Sara father is the only man in the house and should the sole breadwinner in the according to the religion. Sara’s father ironically prefers to read Torah and believe in heavenly promises rather to work for the family. AnziaYezieska wrote even about her own life where she sacrifices for children and husband. Education and career was for men only who do not make any money. Mashah despairs as her husband makes no money and has to struggle hard to make ends meet. We see the inch-by-inch improvement of the family’s practices, just as a tidy table linen changes to be hard work’s treasured reward. The difference between the cultural values of the daughter and the father shows how the Europeans (old world) differed from those of the United States (new world). Religious values in the two the world where different. Sara’s father believed in just sitting down and reading Toran and other Gods teaching to humanity. Sarah in the other side has seen the light has a sense of independence. Everything we get in life we must work for it and religion is the one thing that unites not separating people. Religion also did not give room for women to be part of it. â€Å"The prayers of his daughters did not count because God did not listen to women,† just as it was in these religious minds.... â€Å"What’s a woman without a man? Less than nothing. A blotted out the existence, no life on earth, just as there is no satisfaction in heaven3† (205). The American world gave a chance to women to prove they are able to do. â€Å"In America, women do not need men to boss them† (137). Sara went to school and defiled her father’s wishes so that she can be independent and free.† In America,Torah learning; here individuals have to earn a living first.† The old world also required daughters and women to get married or work for their families without getting any education. Husbands and marriages were decided by their fathers, and there was no other option but to respect it. Every daughter in the family fell in love, but their father frustrated their relationship except for Sara who chose to run away and find her independent life. The Jewish never believed in love, happiness, and forgiveness. Sara says she rather dies than to be forced to a marriage she did not want. She tells her sister â€Å"I do not want to get married. I have set out to do something, and I am going to do if even if it kills me†. United States of America gave chances to women. They went to schools, as be men and do whatever they wanted with their lives. Happiness is the priority of every American. Sara compares knowledge and love and how thrilling now it is that, she is wanted for her work but not a man. Jennifer Hochschild defines the American dream as the promise held out to each American that they get significant chance of attaining prosperity by their own effort. Anzia the author of the believed that independence was a dream of every woman. She had to defy the odds and search for independence to attain that American dream. Sara runs away from home to be free and

How Aircraft and Aircraft Carriers helped the U.S in WWII Research Paper

How Aircraft and Aircraft Carriers helped the U.S in WWII - Research Paper Example Air power facilitated the surveillance of the U.S land. The use of aircraft in the World War II was part of a national grand strategy. Higham observes that the use of aircraft in the war during the 20th century consisted of strategic planning by the government and tactical operations, which follows the, principles of war and commerce (2002, 1). In this paper, we focus the discussion on how aircraft and the aircraft carriers were of help to the U.S army during the World War II. Air power consists of the air forces, airlines, aircraft and the ancillary industry. For the operation of this industry, it requires management that entails command control communications and intelligence. All this things were a vital part for any U.S air force soldier to be familiar with before taking command of any U.S air force airline. During World War II, Higham points out that the air power was still a not an area familiar to the American army. However, over the years the airpower became a force to reckon with, the air force was vital to the ground power in the World War II. ... At the pacific, see the land, based air forces and the carrier task forces were in use. The U.S utilized the air force to patrol the sea-lanes in the north Atlantic; photoreconnaissance was also a part of the role done by the air force in the wars. The British and Americans used the air power for guerrilla warfare. In his book, the rise of American Air power, Sherry examines the American bombing strategy of specific interest is the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing. The author approaches this from the cultural point of history. Sherry points out that the U.S utilized the dropping of the atom bombs as a defence and due to its terror potential. Culturally speaking the use of air power was not because of the technological advancement of the weapons used in war but it was a continuation of the fantasy of scientific warfare and the evolving of political social and military views (1987,239). With the technological advancement in the air power, the dropping of the atom bombs was an easy way fo r the U.S to block the enemy’s ability to wage war. The Japanese according to sherry’s observation gave in to an unconditional surrender. Sherry does point out that in the use of aircraft; the aerial bombing was a chaotic and haphazard affair that yielded unintended consequences that included massive civilian casualties. This to sherry was a failure because it did not in any way address the necessity to defeat the main body of the enemy military forces (1987, 145). Sherry observed that the use of aircraft as an offensive strategy in the warfare did achieve its target because it did fuel for revenge between combatants. This was because of the inhumane pain inflicted upon the civilian population. The whole idea of developing technology related to aircraft warfare

Cultural Significance Of The Reformation During The Renaissance Research Paper

Cultural Significance Of The Reformation During The Renaissance - Research Paper Example This was simply a cultural movement that occurred around the 14th -17th century in Europe. The most remarkable feature about this period is artistic developments. However, there were also some significant cultural reformations that will be discussed in this paper. Initially, Europe had conservative traditions but vital cultural reformations in the renaissance were stimulated by the reformation in music and religious teachings, and the emergence of new artistic ideas. This new culture entailed a lot of freedom and individualism as sparked by the creative works of several musicians and artists during the period. The emergent creativity led to artists abandoning artistic ways of the medieval era which were strict in nature. This led to the development of artistic improvements for example, realism in art. Giottto di Bondone was the first artist in the renaissance period to treat a painting as a widow into space (Bainton, 1952). Renaissance led to renewal of the desire to bring out the be auty of nature and explore the axioms of aesthetics. This motivated artists to come up with new painting techniques which included studying human anatomy, and light and shadow. Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Liza Painting is a good demonstration of the study of the human anatomy. The artistic culture during the renaissance period can therefore be described as being vibrant and this led to development of naturalism in painting. The renaissance period led to reformations in the music industry for example, secular music gained more popularity. This was stimulated by the development of the printing press which enabled music to be printed and spread faster. These songs mainly dealt with military and romantic themes. The form of the madrigal which was developed in Italy spread fast to Netherlands, England France and Germany (Estep, 1986). The shift to secularism was not only seen in the music industry but the general society as well. This was mainly brought about by the changes that occu rred in religion and humanism. For example, a reformation in humanism led to a shift in the focus of life to individualism. This is where each person was supposed to be his or her own priest with the Bible being the only true authority (Smith, 1920). According to Hillerbrand (1973), renaissance led to a shift in religious inclinations from Catholism to Protestantism. This is because people like Erasmus held to and campaigned on the view that a true religion was an act of inward devotion to God rather than mere outward symbols of ritual and ceremony. The changes were also a result of protest against the evil that people saw in the Catholic Church for example rampant corruption. The people realized that there was a big contrast in the practical lives of the church clergy and the doctrines and teachings they were giving to the people. The result of criticism against the Catholic Church was a loss in its authority and the emergence of new protestant churches and sects. This led to relig ious wars and divisions whose driving force was expressions by the people on the need for freedom of expression and tolerance. The renaissance was therefore a successful weapon for countering the fight against pagan civilization by the Catholic Church. The consequence of the criticisms, new religious focus and stand was secularization of fanatical Catholics and the general society (Euan, 1991). A change in the culture of Christians led to a change in lifestyle from having the church as the center of activity into a materialistic kind of life. In this secular life, the material world became an important part of the life of a person and this encouraged capitalism. People become more concerned with money, worldly pleasures and a general comfort in life. At the same time, religion remained an important part

British Politics and Society Essay Example for Free

British Politics and Society Essay Between 1947-51, there was a considerable degree of economic recovery from the severe crisis of 1945-57. Nationalisation of key industries, and creation of the welfare state Ernest Bevins work as the Foreign Secretary ensured continuation of special relationship with USA and the formation of NATO After losing power in 1951, labour only had two terms until Tony Blairs landslide victory in 1997 History of British politics society between 1951 1997 was framed by Attlees govt and the beginning of Blairs administration. Trends Developments 1951 1973 sustained periods of employment relative popularity the long post-war boom 1973 1979 oil price crisis 1979 1990 Thatcherism, industrial unrest, and privatisation of nationalised concerns. Post-war years= extensive social cultural change, with emergence of a youth culture, the advance of women, vast developments in the mass media the growth of multiculturalism. Politics Govt 1951-64 was marked by dominance of moderate Tory govts under Churchill, Eden Macmillan Between 1964 79, it was a period of mainly Labour govts under Wilson Callaghan, interrupted by Tory govt, under Heath 1970 4. 1979 97 era of Thatcherite conservatism During those years Labour fell into decline due to internal divisions and the formation of SDP 1969 98 problems of security in N.Ireland Foreign Affairs Period marked by slow uneven retreat from empire, with further decolonisation. Continuance of cold war enhanced Britains special relationship with USA , whilst relationship with Europe grew more complex Britain joined EEC 1973 Section 1 Dilwyn Porter that of a post-war consensus that the sense of national unity, which developed during and because of Peoples War was continued and consolidated by Attlees government Legacy of war years Post-war consensus after WW2 Attlee, Churchill Eden worked together in war time coalition PMs until Wilson in 1964 fought in WW1 Tony Blairs background fitted in with Tory mould as well or even better than Heath Right-winged Tories argued that continuation of Attlee legacy was a tragic socialist mistake Left-winged Bevanites argued Atlee legacy not socialist enough Political Tensions labour was subjected to a series of intense internal divisions and personality clashes throughout post war history post war labour didnt move with the post war consensus west Germany 1959, key turning point when SPD reformed and dropped Marxist ideology for modernisation and democracy Thatchers successful rebellion against Heath in 1975 marked the conservative party s shift from the post war consensus Thatchers election success marked the degree of part divisions Politics Tories could hardly be called right winged in the 1950s Both Churchill and Eden made radical movements to alter the relationships between the government and the trade unions Steel industry was denationalised in 1953 No attempt to reverse what the labour government had done between 1945 51 Macmillan government did more to consolidate the post war consensus than to challenge it 1959 Macmillans government continued to follow centrist policies Economic Policy continuation of the post war consensus under the government was referred to as butskellism Butler was a key figure in the conservative party (chancellor of exchequer) and was a serious contender for leadership in 1957 Butler clashed with Bevan over the costs of the NHS 1963 Gaitskell became leader of the labour party Gaitskell had open feuds about with the left wingers in his own party especially over nuclear disarmament a key feature of butskellism was the ideas that Butler and Gaitskell had much more in common with each other than rival wings in their own parties Foreign Policy Foreign policy was a major element of the Attlee legacy and the post war consensus which was summed up as a commitment to maintain both the welfare state and national greatness An issue was the dissatisfaction of the alliance with the USA, and large scale commitments such as the independent nuclear war deterrent and anti soviet policies of the cold war Labour politicians were sensitive about the claims that the socialism was unpredictable and unreliable and they wanted to prove the opposite Bevan had battle with the left wing and communists during the thirties Bevan was a supporter of Churchill and was proud of his successes such as the formation of NATO and wanted to keep their special relationship in good repair Many left wingers werent happy with the policies but were never able to do over turn them Post war consensus was put under strain due to the Suez crisis Macmillan read the lessons of the affair and was quick to mend bridges with the US Macmillans wind of change speech led the way to rapid decolonisation across Africa Macmillan applied to get Britain in the EEC which got declined due to De Gaulle Under the government of Wilson is when Britain was accepted into the EEC The significance of the 1964 The labour campaign made much of the theme of modernisation Public mood of expectancy in 1964 , reflected the sense that 1960s Britain was going through fundamental social and cultural change There was no change in political direction, in 1964 the labour governments under Wilson Callaghan succeed in carrying on with their radical promises Labours policies werent that different from what the conservatives would have done and there was emphasis on the economic modernisation Why were the labour governments between 1964 and 1979 unable to achieve more success? When Harold Wilson came into power in 1964 optimism among the labour supporters was high, Wilson seemed to be a talented leader who had a wide support in the country

National Innovation System Concept

National Innovation System Concept In a globalising world, is there any value in the concept of a â€Å"National Innovation System†? INTRODUCTION The progressive advancements in the different scientific fields and their applications in technology have become one of the most important corner stones for any nation’s wealth and economic growth. For technology and scientific research to be successful in all aspects, including the organisation and the collaboration between the different players in each technological camp, different governments and public and private organizations reached the conclusion that a whole structure of communication and cooperation should be established in order to reach the desired successes in what concerns research, development and the technological objectives that are ultimately the driving force for any economy and societal well-being within a state. One of the most important problems facing the policy making process was the lack of information regarding specific fields and the lack of knowledge in other fields. The need to have a certain kind of a long and constructive relationship between scientists and the technology specialists, on one side, and the policy makers, on the other, became more evident in the twentieth century as technological advancements (in all industrial fields and in sectors related to information technology) grew in extremely high speeds and in extremely high amounts. A stable and continuous flow of information concerning the ongoing changes that were (and still are) taking place in the research and development arena had to be maintained. This gave birth to the concept of National Innovation Systems which, in theory, should be the solution to the above mentioned problem. The idea behind the concept that was evolving is thoroughly explained by Mytelka as she stated that The 1970s and 1980s marked the passage from an era in which technological change was mainly incremental. Time was available to either amortize heavy tangible and intangible investments in new products and processes, or to catch up with a slowly moving technological frontier by mastering processes of production and distribution for what were relatively stable products. Protected national environments were both a blessing and a curse in that earlier period, since they provided time and space for infant industries to emerge but frequently little incentive for them to become competitive whether at home or abroad. At the same time, within the markets of developing countries, high levels of protection created the potential for oligopolistic market behavior by large, mainly foreign firms, which raised prices to local consumers and made exporting difficult. (15) National Innovation Systems The concept of ‘National Innovation System’ appeared as a prospective response to the necessity of having clear policies that shape the work and the interconnectedness between research, organisations, industries and governments in regards to science and technology research and the products that are expected to be received from that research. An innovation system is the result of the processes of research and development in any science and technology related field. In this context, we can understand that the innovation system involves the distribution, or spreading, of the needed information and knowledge bases regarding a given technology between the various entities that require having them. This should cover the governmental organisations, the interested centres of research, the universities, the industries and even the individuals. The need to create innovation systems on national levels became important in the 1970s and the 1980s. This is explained by Nelson and Rosenberg as they state the following: The slowdown of growth since the early 1970s in all of the advanced industrial nations, the rise of Japan as a major economic and technological power, the relative decline of the United States, and widespread concerns in Europe about being behind both have led to a rash of writing and policy concerned with supporting the technical innovative prowess of national firms. At the same time, the enhanced technical sophistication of Korea, Taiwan, and other NICs (Newly Industrialized Countries) has broadened the range of nations whose firms are competitive players in fields that used to be the preserve of a few and has led other nations who today have a weak manufacturing sector to wonder how they might emulate the performance of the successful NICs. There clearly is a new spirit of what might be called technonationalism in the air, combining a strong belief that the technological capabilities of a nations firms are a key source of their competitive prowess, with a belief that these capabil ities are in a sense national, and can be built by national action. (Nelson 3) It is evident that the concept was originally created in order to give more advantageous steps to science and technology related entities in what concerns competitiveness and the ability to survive and grow both inside the borders of the country itself and as a strong product export bridge to other countries. The main objective in this regard is economical; each country is required to establish the most suitable environment for scientific research and technological structures to flourish and, by doing so, to strengthen the economy of the country and the living standards of its people. The National Research Council defines ‘National Innovation System’ by stating that it â€Å"refers to the collection of institutions and policies that affect the creation, development, commercialization, and adoption of new technologies within an economy† (105). Another definition is that â€Å"the National Innovation System is a systemic model that shows dynamic interactions and pattern of processes that facilitate technology flow in the system, incorporating variables and players from all directions that affect the innovation process† (Hulsink 16). It must be noted here that the above mentioned process should contain, within it, all the elements leading to influence the whole technological sector within a country and this is specifically why there should be clear policies and laws regulating the way in which the system should function and how it should present the required results. Factors leading to the creation of a successful national innovation system are presented by Biegelbauer and Borras: â€Å"A national innovation system is a whole set of factors influencing the development and utilisation of new knowledge and know-how†. The authors emphasise the fact that education is an important element in the process of creating and implementing the system in question (84). For a national innovation system to be structured correctly, a thorough and comprehensive analysis should be performed on a national scale; this is because the system should be able to determine which elements are needed for growth and which policies are the most adequate. â€Å"National profiles are too complex and diverse to derive a unified representation of the system, posing the problem of defining and modelling the NIS. One useful way to deal with heterogeneous profiles of NISs is a taxonomic approach where national systems are classified into several categories† such as â€Å"large high-income countries, smaller high-income countries, and lower-income countries† or â€Å"large/rich countries, small/rich countries, and developing countries† (Park, Y. and Park, G. 403-404). According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, there are different policy making problems in what concerns the operational side of the national innovation system. â€Å"In General, the attention of policy makers moved away from an overall priority to fund the RD input to the economy, with additions along the way to the market to enhance technology transfer† and a special care was given in what concerns encouraging the collaboration and the methods of networked work and â€Å"the flows of knowledge into spin-offs and industrial use, institutional change, entrepreneurship, and improved market oriented financial systems† (14-15). The document of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development also explains that policy makers should take important factors into consideration, such as the relations and inter-dependences between a variety of market sectors, such as labour, capital, and product markets because they are the source of innovation and growth. Another important factor is that policies should also cover sectors that are not considered as related to markets, this can include partnerships in research and development activities (16). The policies in what concerns the system in question, for it to be successful on a national level, should take into consideration a variety of elements and keep them under continuous scrutiny. These elements include the amount and the quality of the performed innovation, the continuous growth in manpower (for what concerns the technological production process) and in the population (in what concerns the use of the produce), the level of growth of the economy itself with all what comes with that concerning new challenges in regards to raw materials and the human factor, the ability of firms to move from one sector into the other, according to the changes in scientific and technological advancements, independently. This creates a huge amount of work for policy makers and scientists and technology experts alike in order to keep policies efficient and effective, on one hand, and in continuous evolution and change, on the other, according to the changes on the ground and according to the changes forced by outside factors. National Innovation Systems Globalisation As clear from the concept’s name itself, the most important point to note is that it was created, and originally thought of, around the concept of a limited political and geographic entity; the country. It focuses on the ‘national’ aspect of the economical, scientific and technological sectors. In today’s world, that is certainly different from that of the 1950s and the 1960s, many changes have occurred that transformed our lives because of the tremendous advancements in science and its direct applications in technology; this includes the way we make business, the way we create products and offer new services, the way the manufacturing processes of certain products take place, and the way information and knowledge are being distributed and reached. It is now more obvious than any point in time in the past that a national system in relation to science, technology, research and industry, no matter how policies are accurately prepared and implemented, cannot survive if the international (or the global) element is not taken into consideration and if it is not dealt with adequately. Much less agreement exists†¦ on how precisely globalization and innovation interact, and what this implies for industrial dynamics and a policy-oriented theory of innovation systems An important weakness of innovation system theory is a neglect of the international dimension. There is a tendency to define a NIS as a relatively closed system, even when dealing explicitly with the impact of globalization. A central proposition rests on dynamic agglomeration economies: interactive learning requires co-location, hence a preference for national linkages. (Ernst 1) Ernst illustrates his point of view around the most developed (and the most developing) sector of industry in the world today, which is information technology. He asserts that electronics equipment and components, software and information services, audio and video, and communication technologies (this includes e-commerce and web services) are all beyond the rigid understanding of the traditional national innovation system as was originally conceived by individuals, institutions, and governments. The changes that happened in the last 25 years have brought new problems for the concept of national innovation system. According to Mytelk, this is due to two main factors: â€Å"First, over the past two decades, production has become more knowledge intensive across a broad spectrum of industries from the shrimp and salmon fisheries in the Philippines and Chile, the forestry and flower enterprises in Kenya and Colombia, to the furniture, textile and clothing firms of Denmark, Taiwan and Thailand. Second, competition has both globalized and become more innovation-based† (15-16). It is, on the other hand, important to note that firms benefit from â€Å"sharing knowledge and reduce costs by jointly sourcing services and suppliers† This on-going process of knowledge exchange will always have a positive influence on all the procedures and results of the flow of information and knowledge and will create more opportunities for co-operation in research and developments experiences and projects. â€Å"Local training institutions and a sound infrastructure can provide further benefits for companies. Moreover, rivalry between firms can stimulate competitiveness. To note also that life quality and other non economic factors can be just as important in determining growth† (Carrin et al. 24). It is necessary for the innovation systems to evolve according to the evolution of the various elements that shape research and technology today. For the concept of innovation system to survive with success, new factors should be introduced within its structure in order to enable it to keep its competitiveness and growth, keeping in mind that this should be done in a way that turns the changes that occurred because of globalization into advantages, not disadvantages. Ernst draws our attention to the bright side, stating that â€Å"globalization enhances the dispersion of knowledge across firm boundaries and national borders. Such dispersion however has remained concentrated, due to the continuous impact of agglomeration economies† (30). CONCLUSION The idea behind the concept of national innovation system, just as anything other theory or structure, should evolve†¦ And this is exactly what happened. Scientific research, technological endeavours, and industrial successes do not depend on the organisation of institutions and on the flow of information within the national boundary alone, they interact with realities created and introduced by a newly shaping world with no borders and no geopolitical boundaries. The policies that deal with the flow and exchange of information and knowledge should deal with international effects and beyond-the-borders factors that can, and will, ultimately influence the national realities. Since the time of the concept’s first presentation by Freeman (1987) and Dosi et al (1988), many changes took place in what concerns the analysis and the policies regarding its methods and implementation; this is due to the enormous changes that happened in the various scientific and technological fields. The concept of national innovation system is a precious tool that should not be dropped because of globalisation; instead, it should be reshaped to cover the elements that did not exist previously. It should encourage the collaboration and the continuous flow and distribution of information and knowledge within the country itself, and then within the regional and international space. NIS should be re-developed to cover national, regional, and multi-national corporational level. Works Cited Mytelka, Lynn K. â€Å"Local Systems of Innovation in a Globalized World Economy.† Industry and Innovation, 7.1 (2000): 15-32. Park, Yongtae and Gwangman Park. When does a national innovation system start to exhibit systemic behavior? Industry and Innovation 10.4 (2003): 403 414. Nelson, Richard and Nathan Rosenberg. Technical Innovation and National Systems. National Innovation Systems: A Comparative Analysis. Ed. Richard Nelson. New York, U.S.A.: Oxford University Press, 1993 3. National Research Council. Harnessing Science and Technology for Americas Economic Future. Washington, D.C. U.S.A.: National Academy Press, 1999. Biegelbauer, Peter and Susana Borras. Innovation Policies in Europe and the Us: The New Agenda Hampshire, England: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2003. Hulsink, Willem. Regional Clusters in ICT. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Boom Publishers, 2002. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Dynamising National Innovation Systems. France: OECD Publications, 2002. Ernst, Dieter. How globalization reshapes the geography of innovation systems. 24 May 1999. 06 September 2006. http://geein.fclar.unesp.br/reunioes/quinta/arquivos/140306_Ernst_99_globalization_1_.p df>. Carrin, Bart, et al. Science-Technology-Industry Network. September 2004. 07 September 2006. .

Hamlet Essay -- Literary Analysis, Shakespeare

Comedy lightens the mood, progresses the plot, and provides a necessary reprieve from the suspense of the play. Comedic relief commands a vital role in the William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet. In order to maintain the audience’s interest, an author inserts puns and other comedic vices to enhance their work. Shakespeare constantly introduces characters to allay the strain on the audience from past events in the plot. This comedic relief usually contains a hidden meaning or message that augments the plot. In the play Hamlet Osric, Polonius, and the Gravedigger are used as these conduits of humor. The character Osric relieves much of the tension built from the proceeding acts. His interjection in this tragedy culminates with Hamlet and Laertes’ fighting sequences. Hamlet manipulates this character by exploiting his obedience to royalty when he states, â€Å"Put your bonnet to his right use, ‘tis for the head† (V.ii.101). Osric replies, â€Å"I thank your lordship, it is very hot† (V.ii.102). Hamlet then responds â€Å"No, believe me, ‘tis very cold; the wind is north- / erly† (V.ii.103). Hamlet persists with this ruse, constantly pressuring Osric to remove and replace his hat. This scene mitigates the stress from the graveyard scuffle and leads into Hamlet and Laertes’ duel. Shakespeare further uses Osric to express his personal opinion on the class structure of the present society. William Shakespeare criticizes the new wealthy merchant class, prevalent in the Elizabethan era, through Hamlet and Osric’s dialogue. Hamlet ridicules Osric and his social standing in an aside to Horatio, â€Å"Let a beast be lord of beasts, and his crib shall / Stand at the King’s men† (V.ii.95-96). Hamlet implies that any fool with money can gain entran... ...nteractions with the Gravedigger. Although this character has a relatively small role, he has an enormous impact on the course of the play. Comedic relief plays a vital role in any tragedy or suspenseful play: It serves as a stark contrast to the harsh reality being presented throughout the story. In the tragedy Hamlet by William Shakespeare, comedy is utilized to distract the audience from the dramatic course of events. The theatrical plot also progresses with the comedic relief inserted in the play. Shakespeare brilliantly develops his characters in a comedic way that continues the plot and eases his spectators. If writers chose not to offset tragedy with comedy, the story would simply be too depressing to entertain the vast audiences. Therefore, it is fair to surmise that without comedic relief, Hamlet may not have been the iconic story it has become. Hamlet Essay -- Literary Analysis, Shakespeare Comedy lightens the mood, progresses the plot, and provides a necessary reprieve from the suspense of the play. Comedic relief commands a vital role in the William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet. In order to maintain the audience’s interest, an author inserts puns and other comedic vices to enhance their work. Shakespeare constantly introduces characters to allay the strain on the audience from past events in the plot. This comedic relief usually contains a hidden meaning or message that augments the plot. In the play Hamlet Osric, Polonius, and the Gravedigger are used as these conduits of humor. The character Osric relieves much of the tension built from the proceeding acts. His interjection in this tragedy culminates with Hamlet and Laertes’ fighting sequences. Hamlet manipulates this character by exploiting his obedience to royalty when he states, â€Å"Put your bonnet to his right use, ‘tis for the head† (V.ii.101). Osric replies, â€Å"I thank your lordship, it is very hot† (V.ii.102). Hamlet then responds â€Å"No, believe me, ‘tis very cold; the wind is north- / erly† (V.ii.103). Hamlet persists with this ruse, constantly pressuring Osric to remove and replace his hat. This scene mitigates the stress from the graveyard scuffle and leads into Hamlet and Laertes’ duel. Shakespeare further uses Osric to express his personal opinion on the class structure of the present society. William Shakespeare criticizes the new wealthy merchant class, prevalent in the Elizabethan era, through Hamlet and Osric’s dialogue. Hamlet ridicules Osric and his social standing in an aside to Horatio, â€Å"Let a beast be lord of beasts, and his crib shall / Stand at the King’s men† (V.ii.95-96). Hamlet implies that any fool with money can gain entran... ...nteractions with the Gravedigger. Although this character has a relatively small role, he has an enormous impact on the course of the play. Comedic relief plays a vital role in any tragedy or suspenseful play: It serves as a stark contrast to the harsh reality being presented throughout the story. In the tragedy Hamlet by William Shakespeare, comedy is utilized to distract the audience from the dramatic course of events. The theatrical plot also progresses with the comedic relief inserted in the play. Shakespeare brilliantly develops his characters in a comedic way that continues the plot and eases his spectators. If writers chose not to offset tragedy with comedy, the story would simply be too depressing to entertain the vast audiences. Therefore, it is fair to surmise that without comedic relief, Hamlet may not have been the iconic story it has become.