Impact of an Education on the Economy of the States Essay

Impact of an Education on the Economy of the States - Essay Example Economists measure the prosperity of a country depending on the number of the educated populace because success is dependent on the education of a state. The educated populace in a country sets the pace for development that students who are still in schools need to follow. They set standards that students should meet so that the state obtains a high-quality education. Through this, most state result to have a productive population. This is evident in countries that are economic power yet they lack natural resources like gold, copper, or oil. The educated populaces in a state act as trendsetters in developing skills and knowledge through educating the rest of the population on the importance of education. This is evident in recent days because it has seen an expansion of sectors concerned with education. The number of schools and universities has significantly increased due to the influence of the educated populace. The educated peoples act as teachers and lecturers in classes that deal with technology advances. Education is possible to contribute to technology change and capabilities in countries industry. From a study, it was clear that educational level and skills of workers relates to the rate of technical change of a firm in a positive way. It will encourage an increase in education level and prosperity of a country (Bourguignon, Elkana and Pleskovic 21). Education in many countries has paved the way for innovation in various sectors. Innovation in research, training, and different areas is inclined to improve by having good and quality education. It will persuade many people to pursue an education in many countries. Innovation in health, agriculture, and the technology sector has encouraged students to continue their ambitions to become productive people in the society driven by their interest in having a prosperous country.

The Sound Systems Of Language English Language Essay

The Sound Systems Of Language English Language Essay Phonology is one of the core fields that compose the discipline of linguistics, which is defined as the scientific study of language structure. One way to understand what the subject matter of phonology is, to contrast it with other fields within linguistics. A very brief explanation is that phonology is the study of sound structure in language, which is different from the study of sentence structure (syntax) or word structure (morphology), or how languages change over time (historical linguistics). A common characterization of the different between phonetics and phonology is that phonetics deals with actual physical sounds as they are manifested in human speech, and concentrates on acoustic waveforms, formant values, measurements of duration measured in milliseconds, of amplitude and frequency, or in the physical principles underlying the production of sounds. On the other hand, phonology is an abstract cognitive system dealing with rules in a mental grammar: principles of subconscious thought as they relate to language sound. CONCERNS OF PHONOLOGY: The most important to appreciate at this moment is that the sound which phonology is concerned with is symbolic sounds- there are cognitive abstractions which represent but are not the same as physical sounds THE SOUNDS OF A LANGUAGE: One expect of phonology considers what the sounds of a language are. We would want to take note in a description of the phonology of English that we lack a particular vowel that exists in German in words like schon beautiful, a vowel which is also found. In French (Spelled eu, as in jeune Young) or Norwegian (beer). Similarly, the consonant spelled the in English thing, path does exist in English as well as in Icelandic where it is spelled with the letter p, or Modern Greek where it is spelled with O, or Saami where it is spelled ) but his sound doesnt occur in German or French and it is not used in Latin American Spanish, although it does occur in continental Spanish in words such as cerveza beer, where by the spelling conventions of Spanish, the letters c and z represent the same sound as the one spelled the (in English) RULES FOR COMBINING SOUNDS: Another aspect of language sound which is phonological analysis would take account of is that in any given language, certain combinations of sounds are allowed, but other combinations are systematically impossible. The fact that English has the words brick, break, bridge, bread is a clear indication that there is no restriction against having words begin with the consonant sequence br; besides these words one can think of many more words beginning with br such as bribe, brow and so on. Similarly, there are many words which begin with bl, such as blue, blatant, blast, blend, blink, showing that there is no rule against words beginning with bl. It is also a fact that there is no words blink in English, even though the similar words blink, brick do exit. The nonexistence of blick is English is accidental, the exclusion from English of many other imaginable but nonexistent words is based on a principled restriction of the languages. VARATIONS IN PRONOUNCIAITON In addition to providing an account of possible versus impossible words in a language, a phonological analysis will explain other general patterns in the pronunciation of words. For example, there is a very general rule of English phonology which dictates that the plural suffix on nouns will be pronounced as (iz), represented in spelling as es, when the preceding consonant is one of the certain set of consonants including (S) spelled (sh) as in bushes, (c) (spelled as ch) as in churches, and (j) (spelled j, ge, dge) as in cages, bridge. This pattern of pronunciation is not limited to the plural, so despite the difference in spelling, the possessive suffix s2 is also subject to the same rules of pronunciation: thus, plural bushes is pronounced as same as the possessive bushs and plural churches is pronounced same as the possessive churchs. This is the sense in which phonology is about the sound of the language. From the phonological perspective, a sound is a specific unit which combin es with other such specific units and which represent physical sounds. PHONETICS Phonetics is about the concrete, instrumentally measurable physical properties and production of these cognitive speech sounds. The two basic aspects of speech sounds as there are studied in phonetics, namely acoustics which is the study of the properties of the physical sounds wave that we hear, and articulation, which is the study of how to modify the shape of vocal tract, thereby producing a certain acoustic output(sound) ACOUSTICS A sound is a complex pattern of rapid variation in air pressure, travelling from a sound source and striking the ear, which causes a series of neural signals to be received in the brain: this is true of speech, music and random noices. WAVEFORMS A concrete way to visually represent a sound is with an acoustic waveform. A number of computer programs allow one to record sounds into a file and display the results on the screen. This means one can visually inspect a representation of the physical pattern of the variation in air pressure since we are interested in the part which makes this two words sound different, we might get a clearer picture of the physical difference by expanding the scale and looking just at a part of the vowel. Vowels are periodic, which means that the pattern of their wave form repeats over time. A portion of the vowels from the middle of the words seed and Sid, involving around 30 milliseconds (ms) of each of the words. We can indeed see that there is a pattern which is repeated. Though there are visible differences between the waveforms, the basis for distinguishing these vowels remain unclear. SOUND SPECTRA: All sound waves are definably, namely in terms of three properties that characterize a sine wave familiar from trigonometry, namely frequency measure in cycles per second also known as Hertz (Hz), amplitude measure in decibels and phase measured in the angular measure radians. These characteristics suffice to define any sine wave, which is the analytic basis of sounds. The property phase, which describe how far into the infinite cycle of repetition a particular sine wave is, turns out to be unimportant for the study of speech sounds, so it can be ignored. Simple sine waves (termed pure tones when speaking of sounds) made up of a single frequency are not commonly encountered in the real worlds, but can be created by a tuning fork or by electronic equipment. Speech sounds (indeed all sounds) are complex wave forms which are virtually impossible to describe with intuitive description of what they look like. Fortunately, complex wave can be mathematically relate to a series of simple waves which have different amplitudes at different frequencies, so that we can say that complex wave from is build from asset of simple waves. Inaccuracy in spectral data has three main sources. Half of the information in the original signal, phase, has been discarded. Frequency information is only approximate and its related to how much speech is analyzed. Finally, a spectrum assumes that sound properties are constant during the period being analyzed. If too large a piece of speech is taking for analysis, a misrepresentative blending of a continuously changing signal results. SPECTROGRAM: The spectrogram shows both frequency and amplitude properties as they change over time, by adding a third dimension of information to the display. A spectrogram can be made by a mechanical spectrograph, which uses an adjustable filter to select different frequency ranges and display the changes in amplitude at each frequency ranges; or, it can be created by a computer program, which use fouler analysis to determine these component amplitudes. A spectrogram is a reasonably informative accurate display of properties of sound. It is less accurate than the spectrum at a single point. Spectrograms are created either by special machinery or specials computer programs, which are not always available. It is therefore quite impractical and also unnecessary to base the scientific study of languages sound systems exclusively on spectrograms. CONCLUSION: Phonetics and phonology both study language sounds. Phonology examines language sound as a mental unit, and encapsulated symbolically for example as (ae) or (g) and focus on how these unit function in grammars. Phonetics examines how symbolic sounds are manifested as a continuous physical object. The conversion from physically continues event to symbolic representation requires focusing on the information that is important, which is possible because not all physical properties of speech sounds are cognitively important. One of the goals of phonology is than to discover exactly what these cognately important properties are how they function in expressing Regularities about languages. CHAPTER TWO PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTIONS PREVIEW: This chapter gives an overview of phonetic transcriptions. It: Gives the important transcriptional symbols Introduces the two major schemes of phonetic transcriptions Present the main articulators classification of sounds Surveys the main variations in phonetic properties exploited by the languages Further develops the relevance of phonetics for the study of phonology INTRODUCTION: In phonetic transcription, speech is represented a small set of symbols with a standard interpretation. This chapter looks at the different systems for phonetic transcription. They are two major schemes, the informal American schemes used in especially North America, sometime known as APA (American Phonetic Alphabet), and the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) promulgated by the international Phonetics association. VOWELS: The first division in speech sound is made between vowels and consonants. Symbols for vowels will be considered first because they are fewer vowels than consonant. Some dialects English make no distinction in the pronunciation of the words cot and caught; even among speakers who distinguish the pronunciation of cot and caught, the precise pronunciation of the two vowels differs considerable. An important point is that the transcriptional symbols are approximations representing a range of similar values, and that symbols do not always have absolute universal phonetic values. CONSONANT: There are many more consonant than vowels, English only has a fraction of the full range of possible consonants, so illustration of many of these symbols involve more extensive consideration of languages other than English. Consonants symbols are treat as the place of articulation where the major constriction occurs as one axis, and treating properties such as voicing, being a continuant, or nasality as the other axis. Eleven places of articulation for consonants are usually recognized: bilabial, labiodentals, dental, alveolar, alveopalatal, retroflex, palatal, velar, uvular, pharyngeal and laryngeal, and arrangement which proceeds from the furthest forward to furthest back points of the vocal tract. MANNER OF ARTICULATION: largely independent of the place where a consonant constriction is formed, the manner in which the constriction is formed can be manipulated in various ways. If a constriction is formed which completely blocks the flow of air, the resulting sound, such as t, is called a stop? A consonant can be produced by forming a narrow constriction which still allows air to pass through the vocal tract, resulting in noise in at the constriction, and such consonants, for example s and v are called fricatives. A combination of complete constriction followed by a period of partial constriction is termed an affricate. SYLLABICITY A phonetic property of consonants that may be transcribed is whether the consonant is syllabic. There is a phonetic difference between the n of American English cotton and that of con: the n of cotton is syllabi, where as the n of con is no syllabic. A syllabic consonant is indicated by placing a vertical tick under the consonant, so cotton is transcript (Ka? n) and con is transcribed (Kan). The main phonetic correlate of the distinction between syllabic and no syllabic consonant is duration, where syllabic consonants are generally longer than their no syllabic counterparts. Especially in tone languages, syllabic consonants can have distinctive tone. SYMMENTRY IN CONSONANTS The symmetrical universal table consonants were we to list all the consonants found in human languages. In some instances, the gap reflects physiological impossibility, such as the fact that one cannot produce a nasal pharyngeal, analogous to velar nasal but at a pharyngeal place of articulation. A nasal involves making a complete obstruction at a given point of articulation and also requires air to flow through the velum. In order to make a pharyngeal nasal, it would be necessary to make a complete constriction at the pharynx. But since the pharynx lies below the velum, no air can flow through the nasal passages if the pharynx is totally constricted. However a nasalized pharyngeal continuant, i.e. the consonant produced with simultaneous nasal airflow, would not be a physical impossibility, since that consonant doesnt not require complete constriction of the pharynx. In other cases the gap indicates that no such sound has been found, but there is no immutable physical reason for suc h a sound not to exist. Thus bilabial affricated not seem to be attested, nor to plain no affricated alvepalatal stops, nor do nasalized pharyngeal fricatives. Similarly, while pharyngeal zed consonant exist and rounded consonants exist, there are apparently no cased of consonants which are both rounded and pharyngeal zed, though such segments are not logically impossible. These lacunae may be an indication of a deeper constraint on sound systems however; it is also possible that these segments do exist in some languages which have not been studied yet, since there are many languages in the world which remain uninvestigated. PLACE OF ARTICULATION The place of articulation of consonants is divided into primarily place of articulation something that every consonant has and secondary place of articulation-something some consonants may add to primary place of articulation. LINGUAL CONSONANTS: The tip or blade of the tongue is the active articulators in the production of many consonants, including dental, alveolar, alveopalatal, retroflex and palatal consonants. These consonants form constrictions involving the tongue and an appropriate place on the teeth, or hard or soft palates. The contract is with the teeth in the case of dentals, on the hard palate behind the teeth in the case of alveolar, behind the alveolar ridge in the case of alveopalatals and retroflex consonants, and with the blade of the tongue at the boundary between the hard and soft palate in the case of palatals. In many traditional organization in segments, retroflex consonants are classified as a separate place of articulation from alveolar and alveopalatals. This traditional concept of place of articulation combines properties with both active articulators and a passive articulator- the target towards which an active articulator moves. What unifies that various kinds of retroflex consonants across langua ges is not the specific location of the constriction on the hard palate, but rather the manner in which just the tongue tip approaches the palate. SECONDARY ARTICULATIONS: Consonants may have more than one point of constriction: generally, one of these constrictions is the major (most radical) constriction and other constrictions are less radical more vowels like in nature. CONCLUSION: Phonology views speech sounds symbolically, knowledge of the system of symbols for representing speech is a prerequisite to doing a phonological analysis. It is also vital to know the phonetic parameters for describing the sounds of human languages which have been presented here. The main characteristic of vowels involve fronting of the tongue (front, central and back), rounding, and vowel height (high, mid and low, with tense and lax variant of high and mid vowels. Other properties of vowels include stress, tone and the phonation types creaky and breathy voice. Primary consonantal places of articulation include bilabial, labiodentals, alveolar, alveopalatal, retroflex, palatal, velar, uvular, pharyngeal and laryngeal. These may be supplemented by vowel like secondary articulations including palatalization, valorization, and pharyngealization and rounding. Consonant may be produced with a number of constrictions and release types, and is stops. Fricatives or nasals and stop consonant s may be unreleased or released, the later type allowing plain versus affricate release. Differences in the laryngeal component for consonants include voicing and aspiration. And the distinction between ejectives and implosives. Vowels and consonant may also exploit differences in nasalization and length.

Possessing The Secret Of Joy: Four Men To Find A Cure :: essays research papers

Four Men to Find a Cure The four main men in Possessing the Secret of Joy have roles that contradict a stereotypical male; they are the cure to Tashi's happiness. Alice Walker gives Adam, Mzee, Pierre, and Benny roles that show a softer side to men. These four men are very different from each other but they do have some resemblance of each other. These men who were all very devotedly attached to Tashi took care of her and never gave up on her. Instead of deceiving and being indolent, these four men were very likeable. The men tend to symbolize and represent different aspects of Tashi's life. Tashi's husband Adam symbolized love. He was the only lover of Tashi that we read about. He cared for her and watched over her even when he did not have control over her. Adam may not have been loyal to Evelyn, but he loved her and took care of her. He knew the real Tashi that many people never saw. He was loyal to Tashi, but after the circumcision he would barely ever see her. He was more of a great friend than a good husband was. He lets her know that he loves her several times in the book. At their marriage he cuts the same lines in his face as Tashi had to represent the Olinkans. He goes with her to Mzee's house in Switzerland while she is cured. He also dreams about her and her livelihood, like when she used to say, "But what is it?" when she was happy. Adam, Olivia's brother, was daring at heart. He and Tashi used to go the fields to have sex that was considered very taboo. His mentors were Lisette and Pierre. He learned from them. He was in love with Lisette. Sh e was the contrast to Tashi. She was the opposite of her. Adam probably would have rather lived in France with her, but he stood by Tashi to give her love and affection. Adam was not a bad guy at all. He helped Tashi through the years and was always there whenever she needed somebody. It was unfair of him to be cheating on Tashi with Lisette, and Tashi resented him for that. He was always honest with Tashi though. Adam, like many of the other men in this book, was not a terrible person. He was good at heart.

Endocrine disrupting compounds and human fertility Essay

In the past 100 years, humans have introduced several hundreds of new compounds into the environment, which actually have affected the physiology of both plants and animals including humans (Propper, 2005). In most cases these deleterious effects are unintended and it was not predicted before that these compounds could have such effects on organisms. Therefore the actual mechanisms by which these compounds affect physiological functions of other organisms are not yet properly researched. When such compounds affect the endocrine systems they are called endocrine disrupting compounds. These compounds would affect different hormonal pathways and physiological functions such as reproduction, development, metabolism and even the behavior of humans and other animals. The present essay is intended to identify some of the endocrine disrupting compounds that affect human fertility, the mechanism of affecting, to analyze the weight of different evidences available and to analyze the current investigation techniques. Endocrine disrupting compounds have been defined as â€Å"an exogenous agent that interferes with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, action, or elimination of natural hormones in the body which are responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis, reproduction, development and/or behavior† (Kavloc et al. , 1996). The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has accepted this definition as the most appropriate one in the year 2004. These compounds are capable of interfering with normal signaling mechanisms of the endocrine system. Either they could block or make changes in the synthesis of hormones, or they could mimic some of the endocrine compounds, thereby affecting the target organs. They could also affect the release of these hormones from the concerned glands and its transportation. They could also bind with the specific molecules to which hormone binds. These compounds are usually seen in pesticides, industrial effluents, pharmaceutical compounds, etc. Heavy metals also could induce endocrine disruption. Wastewater effluents from cities as well as from agricultural fields are sources of such compounds. The neuro- endocrine system might also get affected by these compounds causing changes in the reproductive organs and associated behaviors in humans. Most of the researches in this filed are concentrated towards the effect of these compounds on estrogen and other steroids responsible for reproduction (Propper, 2005). According to Caserto et al. (2008) these compounds could affect human heath seriously even when present in very small amounts. This is especially because many such chemicals would be these affecting a single target. There are many studies which reveal that waste water discharge in to natural waters have resulted in the changes in reproductive organs of aquatic fauna. This is because of the presence of 17 beta estradiol, estrogens, androgens, etc, in wastewater. These compounds are highly stable and therefore could not be removed completely from wastewater by various treatment procedures to reclaim the water. Traces of these compounds would be present in the drinking water, which is prepared from these natural waters into which the wastewater has been disposed. Bioaccumulation of these compounds in humans is expected to affect fertility (Falconer, 2006). Wagner and Oehlmann (2009) have conducted a study to determine the level of endocrine disrupting compounds in usual food stuffs of humans and they selected bottled mineral water as one of the sources of this compounds. The effort was taken based on the fact that endocrine disrupting hormones reaches the body of human mainly through foodstuffs. They used estrogen receptor alpha for the identification. They found that the mineral waters in plastic bottles are seriously contaminated with phthalates that are getting leached into the water from plastic bottle. Thus it was proved beyond doubt that endocrine disrupting compounds are present in plastic wares and extensive use of plastic wares to store food would result in increased level of these compounds in the foodstuffs with a deleterious effect on fertility. According to Rhind (2005) there is an urgent need to study the effects of endocrine disrupting compounds on animals. Very little is known regarding the concentration of these compounds in the different tissues of animals, the concentration required to produce a deleterious effect on the animals, effect of prolonged exposure to an single compound, the effects of different classes of compounds, effect of the exposure to more than one compounds at a time etc. With the available information it is possible to establish that the endocrine disrupting compounds in the environment is affecting human health adversely with a high impact on fertility. The effect of these endocrine disrupting compounds on human reproduction is different for different compounds. Compounds such as diethylstilbestrol affect female reproductive system and cause abnormal follicular growth, ovulation, abnormal formation of corpus luteum and the overall maintenance of ovary would be affected. It would also affect the normal sexual differentiation in females. Pregnancy would be affected because of the negative effects on fertilization and implantation of the embryo in the uterus. Another pollutant called dioxin has been reported to cause endometriosis in women, which is a very painful disease that leads to infertility (Crisp et al. , 1998). There are some compounds, which are naturally occuring such as phytoestrogens produced by plant that could mimic the properties of estrogens produced by humans (Caserta et al. , 2008). Natural sex hormones are used extensively for different purposes in farms as well as in urban areas and there is every chance that these would become harmful to non-targeted organisms including humans because of the concentrating effect. There are many evidences, which prove that environmental contaminants are causing problems in female fecundity as well as fertility (Louis et al. , 2006). There are evidences to prove that puberty, menstruation, endometriosis, pregnancy, senescence period for reproduction etc are affected by exposure to these compounds. Diethyl stilbestrol was given to pregnant women during 1950’s to prevent miscarriage. But later on due to the adverse effects of these compounds most of the kids developed abnormalities. Finally the compound was withdrawn from the market. The female child produced in such cases developed menstrual abnormalities, vaginal hypoplasia, sudden abortion, premature delivery, uterine malformation and overall low fertility. If the child is a male, it was found to develop testicular dysgenesis syndrome (Milhan 1992). Maternal exposure during pregnancy and exposure to these compounds present in the mother’s milk during the prenatal period are believed to be the reasons for such defects. This occurs due to the lipophilic nature of these compounds, which in turn gets stored in the adipose tissues of the mother. This is one of the strongest evidences of the deleterious effect of these compounds on human reproductive system. There are reports that state that human sperm production has decreased in the past 50 years. Although accurate evidence is not there, the reasons for this decrease is attributed to the presence of endocrine disrupting compounds in the environment (Crisp, 1998). Leydig cells tumors are increasingly believed to be caused by this factor. Same is the case of prostrate cancer. Studies conducted in Coke-oven workers have revealed that there has been an increase of mortality among them due to prostrate cancer due to occupational exposure to these compounds. However more research is required to find out the actual cause of this cancer, whether it is due to endocrine disruption by any chemicals in the environment.

Consider the role of Iago in act III scene 3 and show how Shakespeare portrays Iago, and the effect he has on Othello

Iago is one of Shakespeare's most unforgettable desperados. In Act III scene 3 Iago's feelings are driven by a passion of such intense strength that, even though we might understand his motives, it is difficult to feel that anything other than pure evil could compel him to such extremes of behaviour as a result. We also see Iago taking a powerful, sadistic delight in the damage which he causes throughout the scene, and how he has a cancerous effect on Othello and his relationship with Desdemona. Iago manipulates the perceptions of other characters with great skill, using lies which contain sufficient truth. He is an opportunist, and takes advantage of anything. ‘Ha! I like not that.' Iago plants a seed of guilt, which he nurtures throughout the scene. He advocates that the figure he has seen leaving cannot be Cassio, because he is a respectable and worthy man who would not stoop to such a sneaking and fraudulent kind of behaviour. By suggesting that an action, which might seem innocent, may in reality conceal something altogether more suspicious, Iago cleverly hints that Cassio has a guilty conscience. The effectiveness of the compound word ‘guilty-like' used by Iago puts an element of doubtfulness and apprehension in Othello. At the beginning of the scene there is an open, playful, loving relationship between Othello and Desdemona: ‘Tis as I should entreat you wear gloves, Or feed on nourishing dishes, or keep you warm,' This flirtatious discussion is the last time we see love and contentment between Othello and Desdemona. ‘Excellent Wretch' This is Othello's last statement of happiness. The words show an eternal world of love and lust; Othello loves Desdemona deeply. From that moment on Othello suffers a torment of jealousy; his happiness is being ate away by the covetousness seed that Iago has planted. Iago is a fine judge of character: he knows what people like and what makes people irritated and infuriated. ‘Did Michael Cassio, When you wooed my lady, know of your love?' Iago is prodding Othello. He is not giving him a straight answer, and this deeply exasperates and annoys Othello. Iago uses good tactics to form a sense of culpability and doubt in Othello. Iago's hesitations frighten Othello. In a performance of this scene, the actor playing Iago should put prominence and emphasis on ‘think' as this would create an impression of guilt. ‘Men Should be what they seem' This statement is ironic. If Iago was what he seemed he would be good, trustworthy and loyal, but he is not. He is iniquitous and impious. He is able to put on false front. Iago is a consummate dissembler. Iago has now begun to plant a seed of hesitation and uncertainty in Othello. ‘As where's that palace, whereinto foul things Sometimes intrude not?' Iago articulates how the purest spirit may still endure from foul things. This echoes exactly what is happening in this scene. Iago is pouring his foul, evil poison into the mind of Othello. This causes Othello to doubt what is really happening. No matter how many dreadful things Iago says, Othello is left with the abiding belief that he knows more terrible things than he has been told and is trying to diminish the upset because of his honest friendship and regard for him: ‘Though I perchance am vicious in my guess†¦' Iago again uses the extremely effective tool of appearing to be very reluctant in speaking ill of others whereas at the same time managing to advocate that he knows much more which would cause distress to Othello if he were to know the truth ‘Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, nothing; ‘Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands: But he that filches from me my good name Robs me of that which not enriches him And makes me poor indeed.' Here we see the effect Iago has had on Othello. Iago has threatened Othello in his most defenceless area: his reputation. Iago is very dexterous. He tells Othello that his reputation is everything. This is the opposite of what he said to Cassio, telling him that his status was not everything. Iago then ingeniously tells Othello to be aware of being jealous, to hide his jealousy. This cunningly plants the thought of being covetous in his mind. Iago is again taunting Othello. He is building up his heat-oppressed mind. ‘Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Iago,' Othello knows that Iago is keeping something terrible from him. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony. Othello says that Iago is plotting against him by not telling him his thoughts, but Iago is telling Othello his thoughts whilst at the same time plotting against him. Iago is getting Othello emotionally prepared for what he is planning to inform him. Iago uses good psychology by keeping Othello at a distance by not expressing his thoughts to him. ‘Ha!' Othello's short, sharp speeches portray the effect Iago has had on him, emotionally. It shows the state of mind that Iago has reduced Othello to. Othello has been emotionally reduced. This shows that Iago is gaining the ascendancy. The roles have swapped. Iago is now the more dominant of the two. Iago introduces the word ‘cuckold'. He explains to Othello that it is better to know Desdemona is having an affair compared to not knowing and the torment of a man who is infatuated but insecure, who suspects his wife but continues to love and adore. Iago is again taunting Othello. He is purposely building up an element of doubt and suspicion in Othello. At this point Iago assumes he has convinced Othello that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, but things go wrong. Othello tells Iago that he is not going to doubt Desdemona until he sees it and therefore if he does, Othello can then prove that Desdemona is disloyal and unfaithful. For a short period of time this throws Iago off track. Up until now Iago has just dropped hints. This has not worked to his best advantage. Now he becomes much more direct and focused and attempts an innovative, diverse approach. Although we condemn and depreciate Iago's malevolence, it is very difficult for us not to admire his skill and creativity. ‘I speak not yet of proof†¦ Look to your wife, observe her with Cassio' Iago skilfully twists his words so that the fact of Desdemona's deceitfulness and dishonesty appears not to be in question. Iago tells Othello of his innocence and ingenuity of Venetian customs. ‘I know our country disposition well' This further persuades Othello to believe his lies by pointing out how Desdemona has already deceived her father in marrying him. This echoes Brabantio's final words in Act I scene 3. ‘She had deceived her father, and may thee.' Iago reminds Othello this at the best possible time, when he is feeling at his most vulnerable. Iago tells Othello how Desdemona is exceptionally good at deceiving people, as she did it to her own father. This is also ironic as Iago is a skilled dissembler, and yet is accusing Desdemona of also being a consummate dissembler. Othello is reduced to single utterances, which show he is losing confidence and has something on his mind. It shows the impact Iago is having on him. Again, it illustrates to us that Iago is now the much more dominant of the two and is gaining control. Othello's diminutive answers show he is reading into what Iago is saying. This also emphasizes our sense of Othello's significant theatrical status as an ‘outsider', someone so unfamiliar with the Venetian customs and society that Iago's lies will seem conceivable, and who will accept as true the suggestion that all Venetian women routinely commit treachery and betrayal. Iago is not only an expert at manipulating people, but also at manipulating words. ‘I think she's honest' Iago ingeniously picks up on words and fills them with hesitation and doubt. Othello reacts to this by leaving the stage. This shows us that the poison, which Iago planted, is now spreading. Iago has a cancerous effect on him. Iago then continues to provoke uncertainty and suspicion in Othello by putting forward the idea that it was un-natural in Desdemona for choosing Othello. She refused proposals from men who were from her own country, men of the same race, and in the same rank as her, and she chose Othello instead. Iago takes a risk. He implies that Desdemona is un-natural and lustful, as she has chosen someone older than her and someone not of the same race. We can see the dramatic impact Iago has had on Othello. In Act III Scene 3, Othello is bursting with love for Desdemona ‘ Excellent Wretch!' Now Othello is asking himself ‘Why did I marry?' This shows how successful Iago has been bringing down Othello's happiness. He has taken his height of happiness and filled it with covetousness, distrust and jealousy. Iago has done all this without any proof, which shows that he is a brilliant operator. He has taken Desdemona's goodness and corrupted it into a vice of loyalty. Iago has a deep knowledge of the human psyche and is smartly and ingeniously able to manipulate feelings- for his benefit. Iago has convinced Othello that Desdemona has committed adultery because of his race and because he does not have a smooth engaging conversation like some other men have. ‘This fellow's of exceeding honesty' This is the first soliloquy given to Othello. This allows us to see the inner workings of Othello, which have been unable to be seen until now. The correspondence between the outward appearance and inner reality begins to break down. Othello dwells upon what he has come to see as his deficiencies in the eyes of others. Desdemona may well see him as a black man and who has few civilised graces of more sophisticated men. Desdemona enters and is concerned her husband is not well. Othello is unwell, but not in the way Desdemona thinks, for he is sick of spirit, not of body. Othello has convinced himself he's been ‘abused' and his only relief is to despise her. There is a total contrast between the contentment and delight in Desdemona and the tormented and tortured soul of Othello. Iago mentions the prospect of providing Othello with ‘proof'. Yet in no circumstances proof has been impending, and still Iago is able to skilfully able to compose characters to act and feel guilt and suspicion to act with certain proof on many occasions. Iago sees innocent things and turns them into acts of guilt and causes suspicion in people. This allows him to move the criteria for Desdemona's remorse and guilt onto such a modest thing as a handkerchief. ‘I will in Cassio's lodging lose this napkin, And let him find it.' In Iago's soliloquy he reveals the key to his success, in proving that Desdemona's adultery is in no doubt. It is Othello's weakness, which will bring out his destruction. ‘The mines of sulphur' This gives us the image of hellfire. Iago is often connected with the powers of hell, evil and torture. Othello re-enters. This shows he is confused and has a perplexed state of mind. ‘I slept the night well, was free and merry; I found not Cassio's kisses on her lips.' Iago obtains a sinister, evil, malicious enjoyment from the torture and torment he has caused Othello. He has turned the loyal Othello into a confused, eager man who has been totally consumed by jealousy and melancholy. Othello has been deduced. He says goodbye to a peaceful mind. The repetition of ‘farewell' shows the completeness of his loss. But the sad thing is he has lost nothing. Yet he does not know that. We see a human being rapidly destroyed by another human. Othello is declining and emotionally becoming bitter, almost approaching insanity. ‘I think my wife be honest, and think she is not, I think thou art just, and think thou art not' Othello is waving between suspicion and loyalty as he struggles with himself to determine the truth. In choosing between Desdemona and Iago, it is Othello's inability to accept his own potential for love and trust which destroys him. This is an important turning point for Othello. Othello's vision of himself and his wife excludes such compromise, and so when Iago offers Othello ‘proof' he is savage in the passion with which he believes her to be guilty. What we see here is evidence of Iago's mastery of intrigue and deception. ‘Give me a living reason, that she's disloyal.' Iago has put himself in an awkward situation. Iago's bombardment has an effect on Othello. He has awakened Othello's wrath and if he cannot support his suggestions of Desdemona's infidelity he will pay dearly for it. Othello is now desperate to be certain, that he seems almost keen to pounce upon Iago's account as true. This is ironic, as the roles of the characters are briefly changed, when Iago comments on Cassio speaking in his sleep. Othello is convinced of Desdemona's betrayal and Iago who is arguing in support for Cassio, ‘it was but his dream'. Othello has now overtaken Iago's plotting and sweeps the action along. Iago is unable to give Othello proof, so Iago cunningly makes proof sound dirty so that Othello will not ask any further questions. The image Iago paints in Othello's mind is repulsive, sordid and disgusting. Iago uses animal images to describe the action of Cassio and Desdemona together. This is significant as he is again reducing beauty to a disgusting act. He reduces the sex act to a bestial and foul level. ‘Do not rise yet.' Iago kneels with Othello as they swear a ‘sacred vow' to seek ‘black vengeance' against Desdemona and Cassio. As Iago's work on Othello begins to stoke up a furnace of jealousy and his sense of wronged honour, we see a change in Othello's behaviour. We also see how the language of Iago and Othello has been interchanged with the roles. Iago is now clearly the master in the relationship, as the villain speaks of vows to heaven. Othello, using language more appropriate to that of Iago, says of Desdemona: ‘Damn her, lewd minx'. His effectiveness as a character in the play rests upon the way he is seen differently by the other characters, who see loyalty, honesty and trustworthiness, and by the audience, who see a malevolent, who manipulates others with the intention of completely destroying them. Iago is portrayed as a self-admiring, vicious, weak, cruel and arrogant character that is only able to achieve his ends through the weakness of others. He is not merely a symbol of iniquity and malevolence, but is much more. The malign Iago turns Othello, from a noble, heroic, loving innocent man and destroys him. Iago falls prey to the same suspicion he generates in Othello and, through controlling the plot for most of the scene, moves Othello towards his cynical view of the world.

Content Marketing for Local SEO How to Easily Leverage It the Right Way

Content Marketing for Local SEO How to Easily Leverage It the Right Way People search for local businesses every day. They use relevant keywords with specific location names to find businesses close to them. In fact, Google has found that 76% of smartphone local searches end up with a store visit. If you want to bring people to your business, you need to try to attract local searchers. You need to get ahead of your competitors  and make sure people find your business when they conduct a related local search. Which means you need to increase the visibility of your website in local search results. That’s where local SEO enters the picture. How to Easily Leverage Your Content Marketing for Local SEOApply What You Learn: Download Six Free Content + SEO Templates Creating great content that ranks for local searches is a lot easier when you have the right tools. Put the advice in this post into practice with this Local SEO Content Template Bundle, which includes: Local SEO Bonus Guide to walk you through the basics of local search engine optimization. An on-page SEO checklist to make sure every piece of content you publish is properly optimized. An SEO Content Strategy Template to build a complete end-to-end content strategy with SEO at its core. A Latent Semantic Indexing Infographic explaining how secondary keywords impact SEO. A Guest Blogging Target Spreadsheet Template to store important details for local sites and publications in your area who might publish your content. An Email Pitch Template to help you write great guest blog post pitches that editors will want to read (so your local-optimized content will get published). What is Local SEO? Local SEO is similar to organic search engine optimization, except that it focuses on improving a website’s ranking in local search results. Compared to traditional SEO, local search engine optimization can be much more challenging. But if you want to promote your business to local customers, at the exact moment they're looking for your products or services, you need to improve your local search ranking. Recommended Reading: How to Boost Traffic With 34 Important SEO Tips You Need to Know (+ Free Kit) How to Improve Your Local Search Ranking with Content Marketing The good news is that you can improve your local search ranking by making a few changes to your existing content marketing strategy. This post will show you five ways to optimize your content marketing for local SEO. 1. Submit Guest Posts Publish Content on Local Websites Your current content marketing strategy probably already includes creating blog content for your website. Blogging is an excellent way to enrich your site, and engage visitors. For both standard and local SEO, you need to branch out a bit and start publishing content on other websites. Guest posts can help you showcase your expertise, and earn valuable backlinks. Extensive research conducted by Local SEO Guide found that link signals play a major role in local search ranking. Guest blogging is one of the best ways to build local links, and market your content. It can also help you drive traffic to your site, and attract potential customers. The challenging part is finding local websites that accept guest posts. To do so, you need to use a few keyword combinations – location name + website + write for us/guest post/submit a guest post. Replace â€Å"location name† with your city or state. For example, let’s try to find Sacramento-based sites that accept guest posts. First, we will search for, â€Å"Sacramento website write for us.† As you can see in the screenshot below, there are several local websites that offer guest posting opportunities in Sacramento. Next, search for your location + website + guest post. Then your location + website + submit a guest post. Also try different search terms for your location, if appropriate. Such as your region, county, or nearby cities. For example, if you are in San Jose, you could also try, "Palo Alto," "Silicon Valley," "Santa Clara," or "Cupertino." Make a list of potential websites to write for in your target location. Then visit each site to check out their guest post guidelines, as well as the type of content they publish. Determine which sites cater to the kind of audience you’re targeting. For example, let’s check out the first website from the earlier search results, Sacramento Press, to find out what type of content they publish. As you can see in the screenshot above Sacramento Press publishes content related to â€Å"Things to Do,† â€Å"Food Drink,† and â€Å"Spotlights† in the Sacramento area. This site may be a good place to submit a guest post about a local restaurant, attraction, or event. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Pitch Email That Will Get Your Guest Post Accepted In addition to guest posting, there are other ways you can earn valuable links from high authority local sites. Some websites provide backlinking opportunities to local businesses by creating a local resource list, or by highlighting local deals. For example, let’s search for prominent Sacramento news websites by searching for, â€Å"Sacramento news.† As you can see in the screenshot above, publications like The Sacramento Bee and KCRA Sacramento are among the top results. If you check out some of these publications, you might be able to find an opportunity to earn links to your site. Let’s check out The Sacramento Bee for example. If you go through the website’s menu, you’ll find â€Å"Local Deals† towards the bottom. This suggests that the website gives local businesses the opportunity to list their deals, and earn links to their sites. 2. Find Relevant, Local Keywords You already know the importance of keywords for search engine optimization. Keywords are crucial for local SEO as well, and should be used to enrich and optimize your content. Keywords are crucial for local SEO and should be used to enrich and optimize your content.Whether you’re publishing a blog post on your site, rewriting your site content, or submitting a guest post; using the right keywords can help you attract local searchers. The best keywords are those that are relevant to your business, and have high search volumes in your target location. Add your location keyword to those business-specific keywords, and use that combination to optimize your content. In order to find the best keywords, you can use tools like the Google Keyword Planner. Before you use this tool, you will need to set up your AdWords account. Once your account is setup, go to the homepage, and click on â€Å"Tools† at the top of the page. Then select the â€Å"Keyword Planner,† as shown in the screenshot below. When you get to the Keyword Planner page, select â€Å"Search for new keywords using a phrase, website or category.† Then begin your keyword research using phrases related to your business. As shown in the screenshot below, you will see fields to enter a relevant phrase, your landing page, and your product category. You can also select your target location. Let’s search for keywords related to, â€Å"car dealership,† and keep the target location as San Francisco. This will bring up a long list of potential keywords. The goal is to make a list of keywords with high average monthly searches, and low competition. You can then combine them with your city/location, and use them to optimize your content for local search. For example, â€Å"car dealer in San Francisco,† or â€Å"San Francisco car dealer.† 3. Write Local Content Now that you have a list of the best keywords to use, it’s time to infuse them into your website content for better local search ranking. It’s not enough to simply use these keywords in your page content. Make the most of them by writing local content posts for your blog. You can compile local â€Å"Top 10,† and â€Å"Best Of† lists that are related to your industry or niche. Or you can write useful how-to articles or guides relevant to your industry, and target location. This will help you attract a relevant local audience. For example, if you own a car dealership in San Francisco, you can write a list of the best cars to drive in San Francisco, or the best car washes in San Francisco. You could also write an article with tips for San Francisco car owners, with location-specific advice, such as traffic-related or maintenance-related tips. Cowden Automotive, for example, writes useful car care and maintenance tips for local customers. Their service area includes San Francisco, Oakland, and San Mateo, as well as the surrounding areas. As you can see in the screenshot below, they provide readers with tire care tips, and mentioned their service areas in the blog post. 4. Cross-Promote on Social Media Platforms According to Statista, the number of worldwide social media users will increase from 2.34 billion in 2016 to 2.51 billion in 2017. With those kinds of numbers, it’s highly likely that many of your target consumers are already using social media. If you’re not already doing so, it’s time to start promoting your blog posts and guest posts on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Social media can be a great way to engage your followers, and drive traffic to your website. To further engage local audiences, and grow your follower base, join relevant local groups on social media platforms. Then share your location-specific content in those groups. You can also reach out to relevant, local Facebook pages for help promoting your content. Recommended Reading: 30 Social Media Engagement Tactics That Will Boost Shares and Conversions Let’s say you’re a restaurateur, or your business is related to the food industry, and you’re based in San Francisco. You can write a blog post that lists the best places to get fresh organic ingredients locally. To find relevant groups and pages on Facebook, search for, â€Å"San Francisco food.† You can then sort the search results for â€Å"Pages† or â€Å"Groups.† For public Facebook groups, all you have to do is join. For closed groups, you will have to ask to join, or be added by a member. For Facebook pages, you will need to contact the page owners, and request that they share your content. To contact page owners, and admins for Facebook pages, go to their page. As shown in the screenshot below, you will see an option to â€Å"Message† the page. Send them a short, friendly message with a description of your content, and why you think it would be useful or interesting to their fans. Then politely ask them to share it on their page. Similarly, you can also join relevant LinkedIn groups to promote your content. Just select â€Å"Groups† from the drop-down menu in the search bar, as shown in the screenshot below. In the search bar, enter a relevant search term with the location name to specifically target local audiences. Let’s say you’re a lawyer in San Francisco, and your firm represents businesses and corporations. You can write blog posts with useful tips and advice related to business law. To find a LinkedIn group where local business owners network, use search terms like, â€Å"San Francisco business,† or â€Å"San Francisco entrepreneur.† 5. Participate In, and Write About, Local Activities In the first point, we covered the important role backlinks from local websites play in your local search ranking. And you learned how to build your local link profile through guest posting. Another way to earn local backlinks is to get involved in the community. Participate in local events, charity drives, or awards. You may be able to get a backlink from the official website of the organization or event. If being a participant isn’t your cup of tea, you can also earn links by sponsoring local events, clubs, sports teams, and organizations. For example, the Sacramento Speakers Series has an entire page dedicated to their official sponsors, as shown in the screenshot below: Your participation or sponsorship may be considered newsworthy by local publications, which means you could earn more links from local news sites. Not only will getting involved in the community help you improve your local link profile, it can also help you build your brand’s reputation. According to Search Engine Journal, your real-world prominence can affect your local search rank as well. Real-world prominence can affect your local search rank.Participating in a local event isn’t just great for earning backlinks or boosting your reputation. It also gives you an opportunity to enrich your blog with local content. You can write a post about the event, and your experience or involvement, and publish it on your blog. If possible, include photos and/or videos from the event in your post to optimize engagement. Recommended Reading: How to Increase Visibility With Social Media Optimization Now, Optimize Your Content for Local Search You’ve now learned some of the most effective ways to leverage your content marketing for local SEO. The most important goal is to build backlinks from high-authority local websites and publications. Local links not only help drive traffic to your site  and improve your page authority, they can also help you build a good brand reputation. Another important goal is to enrich your website with high-quality local content to attract and engage a local audience. Make sure that you optimize all of your website content, blog posts, and guest posts with location-specific keywords. With the local SEO tips and strategies above, all that’s left to do is for you to get to work on boosting your local search ranking. Which of these tips will you try out first? Do you have any additional advice for using content marketing for local SEO? Share your thoughts in the comments below. And if you have any questions related to local search ranking, or the local SEO tips above, feel free to ask them in the comments section, or to reach out to me personally.

tounge speech Essay

tounge speech Essay tounge speech Essay Finally, let’s examine how taste influences the foods we like to eat. According to the article The Genetics of Taste written by Lisa Bramen we are first introduced to flavors when we are in the womb, but it isn’t just your Mom who has a role in determining what you like to eat. The way we perceive some flavors is coded in our DNA. In 1931, chemist Arthur Fox and other geneticists discovered a single gene that codes for a taste receptor on the tongue. There are multiple versions of this gene, accounting for the variation in how strongly bitter flavors are detected. In a 2005 study, researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania found that the version of this gene also predicted a child’s preference for sweet foods. Those with one or two copies of the bitter-perceiving gene were more likely to favor foods and beverages with a high sugar content, and less likely to name milk or water as their favorite beverage. Some of us may know a person who does not care much for sweers. It’s possible they are a supertaster; the name scientists give people who have inherited more taste buds than the average person and therefore taste flavors more intensely. These people tend to shun strong-flavored foods, including rich desserts. This may explain why the supertaster is more likely to be slim. Though our food preferences have a lot to do with genetics, nurture is just as important. Over our lifetimes we build many complex associations with flavors and scents that can override our DNA. Not only does genetics have an influence on our taste, so does culture plus nurture. From the article Taste This! it is also abundantly clear that our individual cultures have a major influence on the flavors we seek out and those we pass over on the buffet table. An example of how culture influences our

John Muir Biography

John Muir Biography John Muir is a significant figure of the 19th century as he stood opposed to the exploitation of natural resources at a time when many believed the resources of the earth were infinite. Muirs writings were influential, and as co-founder and first president of the Sierra Club, he was an icon and inspiration to the conservation movement. He is widely remembered as the father of the National Parks. As a young man, Muir demonstrated an unusual talent for building and maintaining mechanical devices. And his skill as a machinist might have made a very good living in a rapidly industrializing society. Yet his love of nature drew him away from workshops and factories. And he would joke about how he gave up pursuing the life of a millionaire to live like a tramp. Early Life John Muir was born at Dunbar, Scotland on April 21, 1838. As a small boy, he enjoyed the outdoors, climbing hills and rocks in the rough Scottish countryside. His family sailed to America in 1849 with no apparent destination in mind but wound up settling on a farm in Wisconsin. Muir’s father was tyrannical and ill-suited to farm life, and young Muir, his brothers and sisters, and his mother did much of the work on the farm. After receiving some infrequent schooling and educating himself by reading what he could, Muir was able to attend the University of Wisconsin to study science. He gave up college to pursue various jobs which relied on his unusual mechanical aptitude. As a young man, he received recognition for being able to make working clocks out of carved wooden pieces and also inventing various useful gadgets. Travels to the American South and West During the Civil War, Muir moved across the border to Canada to avoid being conscripted. His action was not viewed as a terribly controversial maneuver at a time when others could legally buy their way out of the draft. After the war, Muir moved to Indiana, where he used his mechanical skills in factory work until an accident nearly blinded him. With his sight mostly restored, he fixated on his love of nature and decided to see more of the United States. In 1867 he embarked on an epic hike from Indiana to the Gulf of Mexico. His ultimate goal was to visit South America. After reaching Florida, Muir became ill in the tropical climate. He abandoned his plan to go to South America, and eventually caught a boat to New York, where he then caught another boat that would take him â€Å"around the horn† to California. John Muir arrived in San Francisco in late March 1868. That spring he walked to the place that would become his spiritual home, Californias spectacular Yosemite Valley. The valley, with its dramatic granite cliffs and majestic waterfalls, touched Muir deeply and he found it difficult to leave. At that time, parts of Yosemite were already protected from development, thanks to the Yosemite Valley Grant Act signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864. Early tourists were already coming to view the astonishing scenery, and Muir took a job working in a sawmill owned by one of the early innkeepers in the valley. Muir stayed in the vicinity of Yosemite, exploring the area, for most of the next decade. Settling Down, for a Time After returning from a trip to Alaska to study glaciers in 1880, Muir married Louie Wanda Strentzel, whose family owned a fruit ranch not far from San Francisco. Muir began working the ranch, and became reasonably prosperous in the fruit business, thanks to the attention to detail and enormous energy he typically poured into his pursuits. Yet the life of a farmer and businessman didn’t satisfy him. Muir and his wife had a somewhat unconventional marriage for the time. As she recognized that he was most happy in his travels and explorations, she encouraged him to travel while she remained at home on their ranch with their two daughters. Muir often returned to Yosemite, and also made several more trips to Alaska. Yosemite National Park Yellowstone was named the first National Park in the United States in 1872, and Muir and others began to campaign in the 1880s for the same distinction for Yosemite. Muir published a series of magazine articles making his case for further protection of Yosemite. Congress passed legislation declaring Yosemite a National Park in 1890, thanks in large part to Muir’s advocacy. The Founding of the Sierra Club A magazine editor with whom Muir had worked, Robert Underwood Johnson, suggested that some organization should be formed to continue to advocate for Yosemite’s protection. In 1892, Muir and Johnson founded the Sierra Club, and Muir served as its first president. As Muir put it, the Sierra Club was formed to â€Å"do something for wildness and make the mountains glad.† The organization continues at the forefront of the environmental movement today, and Muir, of course, is a powerful symbol of the club’s vision. Friendships When the writer and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson visited Yosemite in 1871, Muir was virtually unknown and still working in a sawmill. The men met and became good friends, and continued corresponding after Emerson returned to Massachusetts. John Muir gained considerable fame in his life through his writings, and when notable people visited California and specifically Yosemite they often sought his insights. In 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt visited Yosemite and was guided about by Muir. The two men camped under the stars in the Mariposa Grove of giant Sequoia trees, and their campfire conversation helped form Roosevelts own plans for conserving Americas wilderness. The men also posed for an iconic photograph atop Glacier Point. When Muir died in 1914, his obituary in the New York Times noted his friendships with Thomas Edison and President Woodrow Wilson. Legacy In the 19th century, many Americans believed natural resources should be consumed with no limits. Muir was utterly opposed to this concept, and his writings presented an eloquent counterpoint to the exploitation of the wilderness. Its difficult to imagine the modern conservation movement without the influence of Muir. And to this day he casts an enormous shadow over how people live, and conserve, in the modern world.

Hedging Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hedging Strategy - Essay Example By considering the Treasury bond futures hedging strategy, he can minimise his risk as it is an effective instrument of risk control and can also enhance his returns. As Treasury bond futures cover up a broad range of maturities from the bonds of long term to short term notes, so it will help Clark to construct trades depending on the disparities in the movements of interest rates alongside the yield curve. There is negative connection between the fluctuations in interest rates and the bond prices. The increase in the interest rates is bad for bonds because when the rate of interest rises, the shareholders or investors in the bond fund prefer to liquidate or settle their shares. Due to this, the finance manager might be compelled to sell its bonds prematurely to raise sufficient cash in order to meet its requests of redemption. This could have a pessimistic effect on the regular price of bond fund (Forbes, 2013). Conversely, a fall in the interest rates results in the increase in the bond prices. This happens because, if rates of interest fall after the purchase of bond, the worth of bond will rise as investors will not be able to purchase a new bond with a high coupon rate. In this situation, the value of bond will be more than the actual value. Consequently, it will be traded at a premium (Bodie et al, 2009). Clark should consider the short term hedging strategy. Investment in the short term bonds is recommended because long term maturities bond would be hit tremendously when there is an increase in the rates of interest. Along with this, he should consider the individual bonds but require being cautious with the issuer’s credit quality. Clark also needs to be sure that the company is monetarily strong and proficient to repay his principle on the maturity of bond. A short term bond is suggested because this will facilitate Clark not to become locked in a low interest rate for an extended period (Forbes, 2013). The reason behind suggesting the

Smart House for Senior with Alzheimer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Smart House for Senior with Alzheimer - Essay Example According to (Latfi,2000, pg.1-10)â€Å"The life of a person suffering from Alzheimer’s is literally governed by the disease which keeps on progressing as time goes on. As the disease progresses, the subject become more vulnerable and finds it harder and harder to adapt to new situations, even very simple ones†. One group of people who has benefited enormously from the smart home facility is the senior citizens of America. The American population with Alzheimer and who are in their 60s and 70s are able to live intelligently with this medical facility. Since this medical facility offers many technological devices for the patients to use the life comes with much ease to them. Senior citizens with Alzheimer’s mostly have memory loss and physical impairment which can be overcome with smart home technology. An old person can engage in daily chores with smart home facility as they can participate in verbal and physical activities with less difficulty. Senior citizens can age gracefully with smart home and this point will be further established with following explanation of smart phone medical facility. Smart home is a haven for Alzheimer patients as it is a solution to them to lead a healthy life. These intelligent houses fit well with the needs of senior citizens as they give cognitive assistance in the form of prompts and technical devices. These technical devices are embedded within the house amenities they use and co- ordinate well with their home environment. Thus senior citizens who are AD patients can adapt well to their living environment as smart homes gives efficient lifestyle to them. The smart homes offer automation technology and innovative home atmosphere which gives senior citizens with AD a life of comfort and health. In his article (Mahoneya,2007,pg.217-226) states that â€Å"Residential monitoring technologies are applications designed to be used in consumers’ personal living spaces, ranging from private homes to multiple-unit

The Comfort Women of Nanking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Comfort Women of Nanking - Essay Example There are many evidences found in the literature archives that showed women were in the brothels army camp but none of these directly link the responsibility to the Japanese government. There were also photos found showing former comfort women, now in their 80’s standing in protest rallies. On the other hand, there are hard evidences on the part of the Japanese government that sustains their position of denial. On the basis of evidences, study concludes that the Japanese government did not violate any international law on armed conflict as rape is one of the atrocities of war. A recommendation on further study of the law on armed conflict is suggested to avoid recurrence of the situation in the future. The case of comfort women, once kept in secret and not discussed openly, has become a source of uncomfortable diplomatic relations with its affected Asian neighbors. After nearly 60 years of keeping quiet, and with the support of international groups, these women break their silence to demand recognition and payment for their sufferings. These ex-comfort women who are now on their eighties still believe that they deserve to be paid because of the agony they had experienced. In reply, the Japanese Government maintains its position of denial of responsibilities and remains steadfast in its response that it has met all its WWII responsibilities set in WWII treaties. This paper aims to provide an assessment of strategies mounted by the Japanese Government to contradict the claims of the ex-comfort women. I focus on the experiences of the women, particularly on the harrowing nightmares of the sexual abuses to draw an insight on the events referred to.

The period of time when most egyptians came to u.s Essay

The period of time when most egyptians came to u.s - Essay Example Ten years after the war, a high population of Egyptian professionals of educated elites left their country. A great number of the immigrants who left Egypt between 1967 and 1977 settled in countries with positive legislations that could support supported them. Skilled employees also went to America during this period. Currently the number of Egyptians staying in America is an approximate number ranging from one to two million. One of the factors that favored the migration of the Egyptians to the U.S was the Immigration and Nationality act, passed in 1965. The legislation privileged the migration of professionals and skilled employees to the country, with emphasis on scientists. Most of the immigrants from Egypt settled in various places including New Jersey, Florida and Texas among other southern states mainly occupied by blacks. The southern states were favorable for the Egyptians to occupy because of the temperatures. It is noteworthy that most Egyptians would like to gain permanent residence in America. The role of resolution 242 in creating stability in Egypt, presided by the UN (Cortas, 2009) and Lord Caradon, Britain was

Government Control of Sex and Procreation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Government Control of Sex and Procreation - Essay Example erance of potentially damaging sexual crimes and sexual deviance forces upon the government a responsibility to assume some degree of control in the situation. E. Point One: It is the responsibility of governments to protect the individual rights of its citizens, which includes a voluntary exposure by one to another to the HIV virus which is fatal in most cases. If it prosecutes voluntary exposure of all dangerous chemicals to the public, then surely the HIV virus would be no different. Along these lines, everyone should be compelled test for their status as infected or uninfected, and a database will be kept on this information (THT Policy Statement). Point Two: Given the low recidivism rate of sex offenders, it is not out of the question to mandate sexual castration for all convicted of related crimes. It is unlikely that such individuals can be rehabilitated for their deviant behavior, and the only effective means of preventing the extremely damaging and traumatic crimes of child molestation and rape is to enforce law (CSOM Summary). Point Three: Some individuals exhibit extreme irresponsibility in handling their reproductive life. Individuals like Nadia Sulaiman, even while being assisted by government programs, ought not to burden society with the costs of raising children that come from such irresponsibility (Reuters). Jencks, Christopher and Kathryn Edin. Do Poor Women Have a Right to Bear Children? December 1994. February 2009 . D. The problem with allowing government the responsibility of regulating private citizens’ sexual and reproductive affairs is that doing so contradicts everything which is just in the modern world. Forcefully castrating and preventing people from reproducing takes us back to more uncivilized times in which reproductive organs were treated as means to ensuring the public good. Class differences and economics do not provide sufficient

A Strategy for Success of Proctor & Gamble Assignment

A Strategy for Success of Proctor & Gamble - Assignment Example They are also informed of the parameters of the problem to be solved in order to solve it appropriately. Engaging the teams in the prior activities is vital for the entire process, as it ensures that teams are handling a problem they fully understand (Hayes 36). On the contrary, the more time the team spends on the Clay Street, the more the cost to the company. Â  The key objective of the teams that visit Clay Street is to find solutions to problems facing companies. Generation of innovative products is vital for every company that seeks market advantage. P & G have realized this potential, and send teams to Clay Street develop ideas that will ensure they remain top on the market. The time the team takes at Clay Street determines the relevance of processes the team is involved. Enough time is required to ensure that the desired results for all processes are met (Hayes 24). Â  It is clear that selecting a competitive team and sending it to a separate location to ponder over a certain problem must produce positive results. It is advisable for all companies to be sending out teams to meditate upon their products in the market and the way they can improve. Facilitators would be equally important because they help the teams familiarize with the parameters of the problem (Hayes 32). The type of training with periodical training on the market trends is preferable.

Government Control of Sex and Procreation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Government Control of Sex and Procreation - Essay Example erance of potentially damaging sexual crimes and sexual deviance forces upon the government a responsibility to assume some degree of control in the situation. E. Point One: It is the responsibility of governments to protect the individual rights of its citizens, which includes a voluntary exposure by one to another to the HIV virus which is fatal in most cases. If it prosecutes voluntary exposure of all dangerous chemicals to the public, then surely the HIV virus would be no different. Along these lines, everyone should be compelled test for their status as infected or uninfected, and a database will be kept on this information (THT Policy Statement). Point Two: Given the low recidivism rate of sex offenders, it is not out of the question to mandate sexual castration for all convicted of related crimes. It is unlikely that such individuals can be rehabilitated for their deviant behavior, and the only effective means of preventing the extremely damaging and traumatic crimes of child molestation and rape is to enforce law (CSOM Summary). Point Three: Some individuals exhibit extreme irresponsibility in handling their reproductive life. Individuals like Nadia Sulaiman, even while being assisted by government programs, ought not to burden society with the costs of raising children that come from such irresponsibility (Reuters). Jencks, Christopher and Kathryn Edin. Do Poor Women Have a Right to Bear Children? December 1994. February 2009 . D. The problem with allowing government the responsibility of regulating private citizens’ sexual and reproductive affairs is that doing so contradicts everything which is just in the modern world. Forcefully castrating and preventing people from reproducing takes us back to more uncivilized times in which reproductive organs were treated as means to ensuring the public good. Class differences and economics do not provide sufficient

Marketing Assignment. SABIC Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing . SABIC - Assignment Example SABIC was founded in 1976 and operates globally in more than 44 countries in the world. The company is estimated to have more than 33,000 employees all over the world (Sabic.com, 2012). The organisational structure of SABIC includes a total of six different business units, namely Chemicals, Performance Chemicals, Polymers, Fertilizers, Innovative Plastics and Metals. All these business units are engaged in the production of four product types, namely Chemicals which includes Performance Chemicals, Fertilizers, Metals and Plastics which includes Innovative Plastics and Polymers (Companydatabase.org, 2009). For the year 2011, SABIC recorded a net profit equalling SR 29 billion and its annual turnover for the year was SR 129 billion. PEST Analysis Political The government of Saudi Arabia follows a system of monarchy. No political party is officially recognised in the country. Holy Quran is considered to be the constitution of Saudi Arabia and Sharia (Islamic Law) forms the basis for its governance. A central government has been developed by the kings of Saudi Arabia. A wide range of powers are concentrated in the hands of the king of Saudi Arabia. Political reforms have been initiated in the country with the formation of Shura or National Constitutive Council. The members of Shura have advisory powers regarding issues related to public interest. There has been a gradual expansion of the royally appointed Sharia over the past few years (US Department of State, 2011). No income taxes are imposed on Saudi nationals and foreigners working in the country. Only foreign investors are required to pay taxes on their net profit. However the Sura Council members are thinking of the proposal of taxing foreign expatriates. Economic Major economic activities are strongly controlled by the government of Saudi Arabia. Major revenue earnings are derived from the petroleum sector. Private sector growth is being encouraged in the country to promote diversification of economy and emp loyment of Saudi nationals. The effort of diversification is concentrated on telecommunications, power generation, petrochemical sector and exploration of natural gas. There is an unemployment problem mainly because of lack of education and technical expertise amongst Saudi nationals and government is making concentrated efforts to address this issue. Foreign investment is being promoted in the country (CIA, 2012). Socio-Cultural Islam is the predominant religion in the country and Arabic is its official language. Saudi Arabia has a conservative cultural environment. Officially the country strictly adheres to the Islamic law and its Wahhabi interpretations. Cultural presentations are supposed to be in conformity with the ethical standards which are narrowly defined. Technological The country is experiencing rapid advancements in technology. Increased use of internet in business activities in the country. Growing advancements in e-Commerce and electronic service technologies (Al-Ghai th, Sanzogni, & Sandhu. 2010, p.1). Analysis of Ten Trends Affecting the Organisation Political Trends 1. The political environment of Saudi Arabia is quite stable. The country is devoid of any democratic system. National elections are not held in the country and political parties do not exist. Hence it has a positive impact on the business environment of SABIC and the company is

British Airways Organisational Planning

British Airways Organisational Planning Introduction The purpose of this report is to identify different types of planning that organisations use in order to achieve there objectives and goals. This report will also evaluate the purposes and benefits of formal planning in relation to the chosen organisation, British Airways. Organisations set goals as a way of expressing what they would hope the business to achieve in the future. A goal can be best described as A desired state of affairs which an organisation attempts to realise. (Etzioni 1964, p 6). Mission planning is similar to that of setting goals but these aims are somewhat vaguer and are usually on a more global level (Barney and Griffin, 1992). Goals and mission statements along with effective decision making are essential tools that organisations can use to plan what the direction the company will follow in order to exploit its maximum potential and ensure success. This main part of this report will look at the different types of plans that organisations may use. It will also highlight the types of information that may be sought by organisations, such as British Airways, and the ways in which that information could be gathered to inform planning. British Airways The chosen company for the purpose of this assignment is the airline and holiday company, British Airways. British Airways is a Public Limited Company. The current name and structure was established in 1976, although previous ventures date back to 1910. It is the UKs largest international scheduled airline. The British Airways group consists of British Airways Plc and a number of subsidiary companies, for example British Airways Holidays Ltd. The company are affected by three main environmental factors these are: Minimising Carbon Emissions and noise pollution. Competition from budget airlines. Increasing safety procedures for passengers These environmental factors have been incorporated into the mission statement of B.A which is Our vision is to become the worlds most responsible and safe airline and not only to be seen as just a UK carrier, but a global airline that is based in Britain (Chief Executive, British Airways Annual Report 2007/2008). Also within the annual report, B.A has set out three main goals that they hope to achieve within a three year time scale. These are: To be established within Terminal 5, at London Heathrow. To order new aircraft for their fleet. To be the employer of choice within the airline market. Purpose and Potential Benefits of Formal Planning. While some organisations use informal planning (usually smaller companies), it is for the most part, formal planning that is used. The purpose of formal planning in organisations is to give clear guidelines of what a company hopes to achieve and to provide direction and a timescale for these achievements to be accomplished. Plans also give a purpose to the people within in organisations (i.e. management and employees) as they provide what is expected from those involved and give them targets to work towards. Effective planning can help the organisation run smoothly as they provide a step by step approach to what needs to be done. Planning in organisations is normally done at management level and according to Henri Fayol (1916) it is one of 5 major functions that management should undertake. According to Boddy there are four main benefits of planning (2005). These are; plans can clarify direction, motivate people, help use resources efficiently and provide a way to measure progress. However planning has many more benefits such as it allows managers within organisations to establish where the organisation is at, at any given time. Plans also promote teamwork within managers and employees as the plan may specify that certain groups of people are required to work on a task, when in the absence of a plan those people might have undertaken tasks individually, this will also see that targets and goals are met quicker. These benefits of planning will only be evident if it is carried out correctly. If plans are not properly drawn up or implemented they have the effect of wasting time and resources, it can also lead to the lack of staff motivation. It is therefore essential that plans are thought over carefully and that those making them understand that they must be achievable and realistic. With reference to the British Airways, it can been seen that planning is essential in relation to them achieving there goals. For example BA have just released their plans for the next 3 years entitled BP11 (BA annual report, 2007/2008). This 3 year plan sets out what they are aiming to achieve and how they want to achieve it. It is important for BA to draw up planning reports so that shareholders and staff understand what is expected to happen both in the short term and the long term. Types of Plans. There are many different types of planning that organisations can use. For the purpose of this report three different types of planning that may be beneficial to British Airways will be discussed. Business Plan This is a document that sets out what markets the business intends to operate in, how it will do so and what finance they require (Blackwell, 2004). These plans are mainly used to provide information for shareholders and to generate interest from investors who may be willing to help fund a project set out in the plan. This is shown in British Airways business plan, it states that they want to expand their fleet of aircraft subject to raising the appropriate finances. Issuing this as a plan may attract people who want to invest or increase their shareholders as shows that the airline is going to expand. Business plans can also be used in an organisation for internal purposes. For example lower level management may need to get financial support from more senior levels and will need to provide a business plan to show what they intend to do with any given funds. Strategic Plan These are plans for the whole organisation not just individual departments. A strategic plan can be described as determining the basic long term goals and objectives of an enterprise and the adoption of courses of action and the allocation of resources for carrying out these goals (Chandler, 1962). This basically means the organisation will identify where it wants to be and which route it must take in order to get there. The basis for British Airways strategic plan can be seen in their mission statement. The statement illustrates where the airline wants to end up and what they have to achieve in order to meet these goals. Specific Plan This type of plan is exactly what is says, specific. They are concise, and to the point, because of this they are easy to follow and they leave little room for error. An example of a specific plan can be seen when referring to BA. They have a plan to cut their carbon emissions by 7% by 2011 (annual report, 2007/2008). This plan is short and simple and would be easy for the whole company and its shareholders to understand. Specific plans will not work in situations where the future is unpredictable due to their lack of flexibility (Boddy, 2005 p 170). Information Required and How to Gather it. In order for organisations to create plans they need to gather information. The information must of the right kind if it is to be used in planning to ensure efficiency as wrong information will be costly to rectify. Information can be gathered from a number of sources by using informal or formal analysis. The main types of information that will be sought by BA would be information about their competitors and information about customers. This is because British Airways aim to be the airline of choice (annual report 2007/2008) so information regarding the customers thoughts of aspects such as service are vital. BAs main threat come from competitors so they would want information on them in order to see what they are offering that might steal custom. British Airways gather their information using a formal analysis approach. The types of formal analyses they will use are Industry surveys, Market research (by way of questionnaires provided on their flights and on their web-site), the SWOT analysis model (see appendix 1) and the PESTEL analysis model (see appendix 2). Conclusion To conclude this report, it can be seen that planning is a must for any organisation. If applied correctly, planning can inevitable help the organisation fulfil its mission and goals in a smooth and efficient manner. The type of plan to use will depend highly on the organisation and what it wants to achieve, although most organisations such as British Airways will use a variety of planning types. Gathering useful and relevant information is paramount to effective and precise planning as if the information is not of the right kind or incorrect plans will be made on the wrong basis which may be detrimental to the organisation in the future. References Barney, J B and R W Griffin., 1992. The Management of Organisations: Strategy, Structure and Behaviour. In: D, Rollinson, eds, Organisational Behaviour. Essex, England. Prentice Hall, p 432. Blackwell, E., 2004. How to Prepare a Business Plan. (4th Edition). London, Kogan Page. Boddy, D., 2005. Management an Introduction. Essex, England. Pearson Education, p 170. Chandler, A.D. 1962. Strategy and Structure. In: D, Boddy. Management an Introduction. Essex, England. Pearson Education, p 169. Etzioni, A., 1964. Modern Organisations. In: D, Rollinson, eds, Organisational Behaviour. Essex, England. Prentice Hall, p 431. Fayol, H., 1916. General and Industrial Management. In: D, Rollinson, eds, Organisational Behaviour. Essex, England. Prentice Hall, p 512. Willie Walsh,CEO, British Airways Annual Report 2007/2008

Defining Good Advice :: Definition Essays

Defining "Good Advice" Perhaps â€Å"good advice† is best defined as advice that fits into our lives, and produces desirable results. Luke reacted to this statement with the following, â€Å"I don’t know that I agree with this [the previous sentence]...good advice can be received and disregarded just as easily as it can be used, and then we may never know the results.† If and when I disregard advice, I must not find it to be that good. How well any advice fits into our lives and if we like the results is a harder thing to accomplish than one may think. If Kate had told me to â€Å"put my chin up and smile,† sure, Kate would be trying to help, but I was looking for something more specific that fit directly into my situation. Good advice can come from absolutely anyone. In narratives from our class, advice came from friends, relatives, colleges, experts, and enemies. However, all the advice we consider good advice was given to the advisee as an option, not a command. â€Å"Good advice should not be pushed on a person,† said Jeff Stotko. Not many people were willing to accept advice from someone who was telling them what to do. Instead, good advice was the stuff we are told and then we have to decide what to do with it. Good advice has a tendency to take us away from our own point of view and explore more options to the situation. Had Jackie’s contractor flat out told her without explanation that she couldn’t put in the window, she probably wouldn’t have listened to him. Her daughter’s room would now be in the living room, literally. When he told her about the problem and gave her the time to figure out what she wanted to do on her own, the advice became good advice. It d oes this because it makes Jackie decide for herself. We want to live our own lives, right? We don’t want others to live them for us; we just want their input sometimes. When the class looked at the three sections on contractions, it was pointed out that section A seemed to condemn contractions. We were all very wary to accept the paragraph which just stated without explanation that contractions are bad. The same goes for advice. I wouldn’t listen to someone who just says what I am doing is WRONG.

Clean Up Your Room! :: essays research papers

Clean Up Your Room! Short Story by: Laura Anne Gilman   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ever get woken up by your mom or robot, and they want you to clean up your room right away. Well in this novel Laura Anne Gilman makes this come true. She has been an author/editor for quite some time. In this particular book she makes the setting in a house. In this house a robot named Mum (Maternal Uplink and Monitor) controls every thing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clean Up Your Room! Even though it is a plain title it goes with the story. On one early morning the main character Jessy gets woken up. Usually she sleeps in forever, but not this morning. She is working on this program (MUM) to make it perfect. Made for parents to have the perfect baby sitter that they can trust. Mum can clean, cook, and make you exercise. But it always seems to have an error in it. Except this morning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book is an Internal Conflict. Based on important decisions Jessy has to make. As Mum keeps surprising her with all that she knows she wants to keep going along with it. To see if she has created what she hopes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jessy has a partner Greg that helps program Mum. In the book it talks about him creating the tone of voice the Mum uses. When Mum tells Jessy to come to breakfast she uses a deep voice. Mum also doest want her to be working at the table. In some cases if she is on the phone but supposed to be exercising, she will disconnect the phones. Jessy doesn’t like this and tells mum. â€Å" I am the programmer you are the program. You have to consult me when completing an objective.† That is an complication that moves central action.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the end of the book they are ready to put Mum on the market. Maybe it will be a great success and very useful. Both Jessy and Greg or excited and can’t wait to see the outcome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It’s time to review this short story. In my opinion this was a good Science Fiction book. Clean Up Your Room! :: essays research papers Clean Up Your Room! Short Story by: Laura Anne Gilman   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ever get woken up by your mom or robot, and they want you to clean up your room right away. Well in this novel Laura Anne Gilman makes this come true. She has been an author/editor for quite some time. In this particular book she makes the setting in a house. In this house a robot named Mum (Maternal Uplink and Monitor) controls every thing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clean Up Your Room! Even though it is a plain title it goes with the story. On one early morning the main character Jessy gets woken up. Usually she sleeps in forever, but not this morning. She is working on this program (MUM) to make it perfect. Made for parents to have the perfect baby sitter that they can trust. Mum can clean, cook, and make you exercise. But it always seems to have an error in it. Except this morning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book is an Internal Conflict. Based on important decisions Jessy has to make. As Mum keeps surprising her with all that she knows she wants to keep going along with it. To see if she has created what she hopes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jessy has a partner Greg that helps program Mum. In the book it talks about him creating the tone of voice the Mum uses. When Mum tells Jessy to come to breakfast she uses a deep voice. Mum also doest want her to be working at the table. In some cases if she is on the phone but supposed to be exercising, she will disconnect the phones. Jessy doesn’t like this and tells mum. â€Å" I am the programmer you are the program. You have to consult me when completing an objective.† That is an complication that moves central action.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the end of the book they are ready to put Mum on the market. Maybe it will be a great success and very useful. Both Jessy and Greg or excited and can’t wait to see the outcome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It’s time to review this short story. In my opinion this was a good Science Fiction book.

Principal Leadership: Diversity, Development and Distribution Essay

The principal is the de facto leader of the public school. With this role comes no small degree of pressure and responsibility. And as the nature of education changes and evolves, so too does this role and that which is implied by it. In many ways though, there remains a great philosophical divide on how principal leadership is to be pursued. To the perspective of this research endeavor, this divide is based on varying conceptions of how leadership and education might best be integrated for the office. Therefore, the research seeks to appeal to the conceptions of those most directly effected. This proposal is intended to serve in a preliminary capacity for a broader survey study which would engage principals on matters of their experience with modern political realities, with career development and mentoring and with theoretical division on the matter of centralized versus distributed leadership. Findings and recommendations will be directed toward the warranting and fashioning of an effective survey and survey study design. Rationale: This study is designed to explore the various career development aspects of becoming and being a public school principal that contribute to the effective ability to serve in a leadership capacity. The principal has a unique role in both the lives of teachers and students, serving as both a figure of authority and as an advocate in the face of administrative and political demands. This makes the principalship a deeply complex position, imposed upon by the challenges of organizational stewardship, economic constraint and political imposition. The experience of developing into and serving in the position of the principal is of importance to those aspiring to evolve to the role. For individuals viewing the principalship as a career path, firsthand accounting of the obstacles, opportunities, demands and distinctions there associated might be an invaluable source of verification for that which one might expect. This serves as the rationale for the approach taken in this research report, which contends that the administering of surveys to individuals who are serving today in the role of principal should help to effectively yield data which can be of value to individuals desiring to follow in their footsteps. The primary thesis of this research is that a consideration of existing studies both which help to define terms for this investigation and which provide precedent for the use of survey-based data-gathering should help us to establish a clear course for the format and content of a survey for distribution. The study proposed in this investigation would be designed as a primarily qualitative study which focuses on the beliefs, attitudes and perceptions of principals on both their careers and the path of their career development. The method being proposed in this study is qualitative and descriptive research using the combination of a literature review on the topic and a survey of school principals. A descriptive design, according to Gigliotti (2001), is to provide an accurate profile of a variable, group, individual and/or phenomenon. It is a design that involves making careful descriptions of phenomena—particularly educational, which has greatly increased knowledge about what happens in schools. The issues which will be considered in a survey instrument will have been gleaned from the literature review which is to follow. This review indicates that the responsibilities of the principal as a leader in various capacities must be heavily considered, particularly in light of such issues as the heightened demanded for leadership in the face of new and permeating political realities. Issues such as the need to answer to various sectors of the community, the demand to establish a rapport with faculty that induces support and the overarching presence of such all-encompassing frameworks as the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy all have the effect of shaping the leadership responsibilities and experiences of the principal. This literature review is justified as a means to clarifying the relationship between these conditions and the perspective of the principal on such issues as career development and leadership distribution and will touch upon the above-noted issues in shaping the focus of its research instrument. Literature Review: Principal Leadership Theory: That schools in the United States in particular have generally experienced a decline in standards, in performance and in personnel commitment is evidenced throughout the field. To many theorists in the last decade, this is indicative of a core problem relating to the orientation and distribution of leadership. This is especially a challenge for the principal, whose leadership responsibilities are inherent but who faces myriad obstacles to the effectiveness of this leadership. Overly centralized ways of designing curriculum, of engaging students and of evaluating performance of teachers and students, some will argue, has had the impact of disassociating school leadership from the environment which it impacts. This is why â€Å"in the view of many analysts, the task of transforming a school is too complex for one person to accomplish alone. Consequently, a new model of leadership is developing. † (Lashway, 2002, p. 6) This new model is something that developing school principals and serving principals alike must prepare for. The leadership of the school administration or principalship is often looked upon as the sole determining factoring the curricular standardization and approach which pervades a learning institution. As Graseck’s (2005) article reveals, the perceived singularity of this leadership is both a product of a fundamental misapprehension of the opportunities for in-school leadership and may be a contributor to a negative educational experience all around. At the heart of Graseck’s model for administrative leadership is the notion that too much vested authority in this position will tend to create what he refers to as a ‘wall,’ which reinforces an improper notion that administration exists above principalship and teaching on a hierarchical scale. A perception which may be shared by both parties, it is likely to cause an improperly aloof administrative approach to leadership which is more dominated by bureaucracy than a true and inquiring interest in the improvement of education. Equally as destructive, such an attitude imperils the security of the teaching faculty, which tends to respond to being undervalued with resentment, occupational antipathy and diminished morale. As we enter into this discussion, it is important to recognize that this is a dilemma which centrally impacts the authority and leadership opportunities for the principal. The presumption that more effectively distributed leadership will ultimately produce positive performance outcomes for a school is underscored by heretofore existent positive evidence as to the impact of effective leadership overall as a determinant of student outcomes. According to Spillane (2003), â€Å"over the past few decades researchers have consistently reported that school leadership, principal leadership in particular, is critical in developing and sustaining those school-level conditions believed essential for instructional improvement. (Spillane, 2003; p. 343) According to Lumby (2003), it may be accurate to state that an evolution in our appreciation for classroom level ingenuity inherently incites the need for a more distributed approach to leadership as pertaining to the relationship between principal and teachers. As his research claims, â€Å"leadership is embedded in the activities of staff and students, including delegated management, and can be understood to be both distributed and systemic. (Lumby, 2003; p. 283) This is to indicate the natural process of educational development will require this type of dynamic contribution where the relationship between the principal and teachers facilitates a sense of leadership determination for the latter which can help to stimulate their invaluable support of the former. Indeed, for educators, the heightened emphasis on the opportunity for contribution at the highest levels can improve motivation and individual ingenuity. To this end, according to a study by Harris (2004), there is cause to infer that the outcome of this leadership approach for the principal will be to improve the quality of a school overall. Accordingly, the author notes that such â€Å"forms of leadership can assist capacity building within schools which contributes to school improvement. † (Harris, 11) For teachers and other staff members who are given the opportunity to offer their skills at the leadership level, the framework will accommodate greater innovation, personal stake and perspective variance. All of these may be argued to promote the advancement of school quality as an experience for both student and educator. This review uses an extensive number of studies available on the subject of principals in education. Some of the research directed the fix of our attention toward the external pressures which denote the need for a principal to develop a clear base of support from within the school. The challenges inherent in the No Child Left Behind legislation, according to the findings of most survey studies considered here, have compromised the ability of principals to lead effectively. The implications of externally shaped standards and performance consequences are undermining to the capacity of the principal and his or her faculty to lead in the shaping of curriculum, philosophy and evaluation. Some of the research available on the subject demonstrates the need to develop a clear strategic approach to leadership in the face of such pressures. To this end, according to Crum & Sherman (2008), the heightened emphasis on standardized testing and other practices related to No Child Left Behind has created a condition wherein the principal is found to be largely at the center of an array of very inflexible demands. The result is that the principal’s performance evaluation is directly connected to the capacity of the school and its students to comport with the standards created by such legislation. Therefore, principals are increasingly finding it necessary to take a hands-on approach to providing leadership in public schools. As Crum & Sherman indicate, â€Å"the burden for school improvement in a time of accountability falls squarely on the shoulders of principals as new requirements demand that they act as instructional leaders. † (Crum & Sherman, 562) This study is of particular value to our discussion both for its association to the inherent case for a more widely distributed approach to leadership and to the establishment of our core methodology. The study in question is largely based on the data-gathering process of surveying those with measurable experience in the areas of principalship discussed. The issues of leadership and the distribution of authority are both recurrent in the self-reports gathered by Crum & Sherman, which focus in useful detail on the aspects of the position which demand the intimate leadership oversight of a highly involved principal. According to the data gathering process which the researchers undertook, â€Å"the principals provided valuable insights into their daily practices that foster an environment which is supportive of high-student achievement. These practices are categorized in the following themes: developing personnel and facilitating leadership, responsible delegation and empowering the team, recognizing ultimate accountability, communicating and rapport, facilitating instruction, and managing change. (Crum & Sherman, 563) Here, the principals who served as key respondents would generally come to an agreement on the crucial importance of using one’s leadership to invoke leadership initiative and the command of responsibilities amongst those who are theoretically subordinate. This means developing, maintaining and feeding a set of healthy relationships betwixt the principal and teachers and faculty. The principal must cultivate an atmosphere where trust and a sense of value allow teachers to e ffectively carry out the message, mission and pressures of the principalship. At the core of a data-gathering process such as this is the finding that the principal cannot act alone. Though accountability will typically be closely associated with the job of the principalship, the support which the principal enjoys from the teaching staff will be tantamount their willingness to support him or her. In turn, this support will translate into an effective staff which maintains the principal’s vision and standards of efficacy. Self-reporting proves here to be an illuminating process, driven by observations made by principals operating under the provisions of No Child Left Behind. Though the No Child Left Behind is not the core focus of this investigation, its mention here denotes another aspect of the survey which makes it valuable to our purposes. A wide array of subjects in survey make voluntary mention of No Child Left Behind. With no connotation, the issue remains a relevant one today for its pervasive impact on the way that schools and students alike are assessed. The use of evaluative testing as a means to enforcing a universal standards for academic competence holds all members of the academic community under a microscope. Whether responding positively or negatively to its implications, a great many respondents to the research surveys which this source review encountered recognized that its provisions are a significant factor in shaping leadership strategy. Ferrandino (2001) wrote about the subject of the principalship over the transition into the 21st century, which saw the inception of our current policy approach. Ferrandino analyzed the job itself and noted that being a principal today is far different than it was even 20 years ago. Principals work longer hours, have responsibility for a much broader community of pupils and staff (that is, pupils and staff from a diversity of cultures), are required to be far more politically savvy, and have to meet a much broader range of demands. Ferrandino’s (2001) research addressed the claim that too many principals are soon due for retirement and there are insufficient numbers of teachers and educators with the training, education, and qualification to replace this aging workforce. (p. 441). The author posed and addressed the question as to why there appears to be shortage of qualified candidates for such positions. In resolution, the article finds that many potential candidates do not want to cope with the inherent pressures of leadership and the requisite long hours of the job. According to the survey research gathered in the Ferrandino essay, the politicization of the academic process has become a deterrent for many serious and qualified candidates. The issues provoked by No Child Left Behind are played out today in the administrative conflicts which shape education as we know it, with the principal at the center of disputes. And quite indeed, as pedagogical approaches clash with each other (constructivism versus traditional teaching, for one example), more in the way of direct leadership is expected of principals than ever before. To some extent, this is causing many to shy away from even applying for the position. Ferrandino (2001) notes that this is not simply a problem of a shortage of candidates, but implies that which is at the crux of research, that there are institutional shortcomings which have disinclined a proper pool of candidates. The complexity of leadership demands in the position are dominant in either disinclined candidates or rendering the position too exclusive. The research by Langer and Boris-Schacter provides a model for consideration as we meditate on the notion of using the survey methodology to produce a data set on the selected subject. In the research of Langer and Boris-Schacter (2003), it is confirmed that Ferrandino’s perspective that the role of the principal is one that leaves many of its beholders feeling frustrated and uncomfortable with the constantly changing demands of the job. Their study showed that most of the principals surveyed experience poor job satisfaction, that the job has a negative affect on their personal lives, that they have less and less leisure time, and that the constant demands on their time are often unreasonable. (Langer & Boris-Schacter, 14) One of the primary concerns noted by the principals surveyed in their study is the intrusiveness of new state and federal legislation. Surveyed subjects expressed the concern that there is a movement towards an emphasis on standardized test scores over quality of education in the classroom.