Nature vs. Culture in Odyssey Essay

The imagery of nature and culture connects every scene from Book 9 to Book 12 in Odyssey. On the land of Cyclopes, Odysseus’s encounter with the one-eyed uncivilized giant unveils Odysseus’s cleverness as a civilized human being; Nevertheless, Odysseus eventually fails to overcome the flaw of human characteristic, as he tells Polyphemus about his real mortal identity when he is sailing away, which ultimately brings Poseidon’s revenge to Achaeans. At one point human civilization teaches Odysseus the skill of using wooden staff and wine to fight with Polyphemus’s strength, but the nature of superpower can easily surpass human beings’ wisdom. When Circe in Book 11 turns Odysseus’s men into pigs, when the blind prophet Tiresias foretells Odysseus’s fate, and when Zeus punishes Odysseus with another storm, Odysseus and his men are powerless but accept their destiny. The conflict between nature and culture connects humans’ world with gods’ world, thus makes every story interesting to follow as uncivilized creatures possess human characteristics and civilized human beings possess â€Å"limited† superpower. For example, in book 10, when Circe turns Odysseus’s men into pig, Odysseus can only overpower Circe by following Hermes’ instruction: â€Å"Take this herb, which is one of great virtue, and keep it about you when you go to Circe’s house, it will be a talisman to you against every kind of mischief†(Book X, 54). When Odysseus â€Å"rushed at her with sword drawn†, Odysseus is in a position where he is even able to overcome the power of an immortal creature. Both Polyphemus and Circe represent the power of nature, as their world does not have any law or morality, while odysseus’s journey represents the power of culture, as the man of culture defeats powerful immortal creatures through cleverness and self-restraint.

The Libyan Revolution

We are living through a revolution, right now, and we don't even know it. While we're all sitting around chatting on facebook, complaining about how much homework we have, and stressing about whether or not we're going to that party on the weekend, the people of the Middle East are staging a rebellion against their dictators. Sometime in the future, this revolt will be in history books, so perhaps we should know something about it, while it's actually happening. In December 2010, Tunisia reared up against President, Ben Ali, in a bid for their undeniable human rights. Major demonstrations took place in Egypt, Djibouti, Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, Algeria, Morocco, Yemen, China, Bahrain, and Libya, with minor demonstrations and suicidal protests spreading across almost every country in the Middle East. Dubbed the ‘Jasmine Revolution' by media sources, the conflict across the area is a cry for the abolition of the oppressive dictatorships in place, and the introduction of some form of democracy. With the ousting of President Ben Ali of Tunisia and President Mubarak of Egypt, other leaders have stated that they will not be running for re-election, including the presidents of Yemen and Sudan, while the King of Jordan has named a new Prime Minister. In the people's fight for their rights, this is a huge step forward; Though not without a price. Over the 3 months of protest, over 1600 people have died. Awareness of this has been widely spread by the internet, with images of the violence and terror of the riots, coming to light. Startling images of the military executing civilians at peaceful protests, and mass murder of military members who refused to follow their orders, are among the more disturbing. These images are showing to the rest of the world just how important these riots are to the peace of the Middle East, and the rights of its peoples. While there has been huge success in regime change in Egypt especially, Libya is in the middle of a horrifically violent revolution. Over 1000 of the dead are Libyan, and there seems to be no end in sight. President Gadaffi is refusing to step down, while the people become more focused and empowered, which spells an ongoing, violent revolution, even more so than the riots that toppled Egypt in early February. It is vital that the rest of the world be aware of what is happening in these countries, and with word of mouth, I for one, hope that the world will continue to see progress being made, but also the horror of the sacrifices being made. The internet has been vital in spreading the word, but also in spreading the support for the people, and so with the sentiments of John Green (via twitter) â€Å"Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Be Safe. Except you Gadaffi. You can go to hell. †, I urge you to take a look around, think about the people of the Middle East, and find out what's happening with this history-making event, because we are right now, living through what our children will be learning in history class.

Historical Report on Race

They were sold into slavery where they were considered property, had o rights, past down to the next generation, and etc. (Schaefer p. 177). Slaves had to follow many different codes and it shows how badly African Americans have suffered over the years. Slaves were controlled by fear and intimidation. When slaves did not follow the codes they were punished in many different ways. For example: whipped, beaten, imprisoned, hung, or etc. On top of that women also had to deal with rape and there was nothing they could do about it.In 1865 slavery was dismissed throughout the United States (Schaefer p. 180). Since then African Americans have experienced many other hardships. For example: discrimination, segregation, hatred, racism, and etc. It has not by any means been an easy going ride for African Americans. There have been many different political, social, and cultural issues or concerns throughout America's history, because of the color of their skin. There has been discrimination towa rds African Americans and has hindered them from performing the best that they can.There was laws created to help support oppression of African Americans. As time went by laws were passed to help Stop discrimination with the help of African Americans standing up against the discrimination that they were dealing with. For example: â€Å"in 1 955, a black seamstress Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus† (History 2014). This brought around a citywide boycott that helped put a stop to segregation. There are many organizations that have come about to help voice ways of preventing discrimination.For example: in 1942, James Farmer organized an organization called Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Core was created and to help end discriminatory policies through direct-action projects (Congress of Racial Equality 2014). These organizations helped start the beginning of the end of coordination, segregation, slavery, De cure segregat ion, and etc. Legislation meant to constrain race with prejudicial boundaries that enacted. For example: Jim Crow Laws or De cure segregation. Jim Crow laws were created to separate the whites and blacks.They were set in place to supposedly treat blacks as separates but equal (Schaefer p. 180). It separated the whites and blacks in many different ways. Blacks were not allowed to eat in the same restaurant, use the same bathrooms, stay in the same hotels, or go to the same schools. While they were enslaved there were slave codes that they had to follow. For example: they were not allowed to gamble, they had curfews, they could not own property, they could not marry, they could not have a weapon, or etc. (Schaefer p. 177).The united States made it very difficult for African Americans to become who they are in today's society. African Americans fought legislation in many different ways. They boycotted, ran away, or etc. , just to get away from the laws or to try and end the rules. Alth ough African Americans were beaten or arrested they still continued to stand their grounds to get what they deserved. The government also put into place a restrictive covenant. Racially restrictive covenants played a major role in contributing to residential segregation† (Ramose 1995). This covenant helped keep blacks from living in white neighborhoods.African Americans fought the system to overturn the covenant and to be able to live where ever they wanted. In 1963 President Lincoln put Emancipation Proclamation into effect. â€Å"Emancipation Proclamation freed all people that were held as slaves, but only was meant for the states that were involved in the Confederacy† (Schaefer p. 180). The thirteenth amendment stopped slavery all together, in every state. There have been many laws created to help stop discrimination wrought the United Stated. Not only for African Americans but also for other minorities. Historical Report on Race Krista Hanna Eth/125 Mr. Lew 18 February 2013 Historical Report on Race *I am writing as a Native American, a letter to my friend of a different culture. Dear Molly, I am writing in response to the letter you sent me, to answer questions and expand your knowledge about the Native American culture. First off let me start by saying that life wasn’t always grand for me. As a Native American, we learned to adopt our own way of live. We lived off reservations, and lived a more traditional way of life.A life that we thought was best for us and our kids to grow up in. We produced our own food, shelter and weapons and provided for ourselves in the most natural way possible. It wasn’t always easy though, and others seen more value out of our land and resources than us. I was forced off my land and had to adapt to the new peoples way of life. That in which they called a white society; this society created many acts in my life time in order to weaken our society such as those of t he Allotment Act and the Reorganization Act (Schaefer, p. 47, 2012). People of my cultural lived on reservations, we had learned to separate ourselves and adopt our own way of life and government. Native Americans had created their own nation and it caused and has caused a lot of tension between us and the U. S. culture. As a Native American, we were all about live the traditional way of life. There was value to our land and the resources that we used and the white people wanted and did take it from us.It seemed as if we were constantly at war with the white people so that we could protect what we thought was rightfully ours. They had created an act known as the Indian Removal Act, which was passed in 1830 (Schaefer, p. 150, 2012). This opened more land for settlement and allowed people to come in and take over our reservations (Schaefer, p. 150, 2012). In 1946, Congress had created the Indian Claims Commission (Schaefer, p. 150, 2012). This was a good thing for us, or so we thought . It meant that finally our voice was going to be heard.There were three members apart of the commission, and they were given a five year deadline, but there kept getting extension after extension, until; in 1978 the whole thing was abolished (Schaefer p. 155, 2012). At times, it seemed as if maybe the government was trying to help us, that or they were trying to use us. In 1952, the BIA began programs, so that they could relocate young Native Americans to Urban areas and by 1962 they had created what was called the Employment Assistance program; also known as the EAP (Schaefer, p 157, 2012).Basically there primary goal was to relocate us by offering us better jobs opportunities that, that of the reservation could not offer. But this plan had soon backfired on them. By 1965, one-fourth to one third of the people in the EAP had returned home to their reservations (Schaefer p. 157, 2012). Today, most of our land has been taken from us and no longer exist. Native Americans themselves a re not being treated as badly as we were back then, but it’s the culture and our name that continues to be insulted. Schools have such a thing as mascots, and they create names for them.They use those such as the â€Å"Braves† or â€Å"Redskins. † Those names have a meaning to the Native American culture, it tends to bring up the past for us, and though there intentions may not be that of insulting us, some of us don’t like it too much. It hasn’t always been easy for us, and at times I wanted to give up. But everything seems to turn out for the better. I’ve learned that every culture and person has their own way of living and when someone sees a greater value of that person’s living then they have to have it.Things don’t always have to be that way; people can come up with their own greater value of living. Remember, you don’t always have to have someone else’s greater value to have a greater value of your own. Mak e an even better living for yourself than trying to take someone else’s. I hope you learned well from this letter and I wish you the best. Your Friend! Resources: Schaefer, R. T. (2012). Racial and Ethnic Groups (13th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Historical Report on Race Krista Hanna Eth/125 Mr. Lew 18 February 2013 Historical Report on Race *I am writing as a Native American, a letter to my friend of a different culture. Dear Molly, I am writing in response to the letter you sent me, to answer questions and expand your knowledge about the Native American culture. First off let me start by saying that life wasn’t always grand for me. As a Native American, we learned to adopt our own way of live. We lived off reservations, and lived a more traditional way of life.A life that we thought was best for us and our kids to grow up in. We produced our own food, shelter and weapons and provided for ourselves in the most natural way possible. It wasn’t always easy though, and others seen more value out of our land and resources than us. I was forced off my land and had to adapt to the new peoples way of life. That in which they called a white society; this society created many acts in my life time in order to weaken our society such as those of t he Allotment Act and the Reorganization Act (Schaefer, p. 47, 2012). People of my cultural lived on reservations, we had learned to separate ourselves and adopt our own way of life and government. Native Americans had created their own nation and it caused and has caused a lot of tension between us and the U. S. culture. As a Native American, we were all about live the traditional way of life. There was value to our land and the resources that we used and the white people wanted and did take it from us.It seemed as if we were constantly at war with the white people so that we could protect what we thought was rightfully ours. They had created an act known as the Indian Removal Act, which was passed in 1830 (Schaefer, p. 150, 2012). This opened more land for settlement and allowed people to come in and take over our reservations (Schaefer, p. 150, 2012). In 1946, Congress had created the Indian Claims Commission (Schaefer, p. 150, 2012). This was a good thing for us, or so we thought . It meant that finally our voice was going to be heard.There were three members apart of the commission, and they were given a five year deadline, but there kept getting extension after extension, until; in 1978 the whole thing was abolished (Schaefer p. 155, 2012). At times, it seemed as if maybe the government was trying to help us, that or they were trying to use us. In 1952, the BIA began programs, so that they could relocate young Native Americans to Urban areas and by 1962 they had created what was called the Employment Assistance program; also known as the EAP (Schaefer, p 157, 2012).Basically there primary goal was to relocate us by offering us better jobs opportunities that, that of the reservation could not offer. But this plan had soon backfired on them. By 1965, one-fourth to one third of the people in the EAP had returned home to their reservations (Schaefer p. 157, 2012). Today, most of our land has been taken from us and no longer exist. Native Americans themselves a re not being treated as badly as we were back then, but it’s the culture and our name that continues to be insulted. Schools have such a thing as mascots, and they create names for them.They use those such as the â€Å"Braves† or â€Å"Redskins. † Those names have a meaning to the Native American culture, it tends to bring up the past for us, and though there intentions may not be that of insulting us, some of us don’t like it too much. It hasn’t always been easy for us, and at times I wanted to give up. But everything seems to turn out for the better. I’ve learned that every culture and person has their own way of living and when someone sees a greater value of that person’s living then they have to have it.Things don’t always have to be that way; people can come up with their own greater value of living. Remember, you don’t always have to have someone else’s greater value to have a greater value of your own. Mak e an even better living for yourself than trying to take someone else’s. I hope you learned well from this letter and I wish you the best. Your Friend! Resources: Schaefer, R. T. (2012). Racial and Ethnic Groups (13th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Historical Report on Race Krista Hanna Eth/125 Mr. Lew 18 February 2013 Historical Report on Race *I am writing as a Native American, a letter to my friend of a different culture. Dear Molly, I am writing in response to the letter you sent me, to answer questions and expand your knowledge about the Native American culture. First off let me start by saying that life wasn’t always grand for me. As a Native American, we learned to adopt our own way of live. We lived off reservations, and lived a more traditional way of life.A life that we thought was best for us and our kids to grow up in. We produced our own food, shelter and weapons and provided for ourselves in the most natural way possible. It wasn’t always easy though, and others seen more value out of our land and resources than us. I was forced off my land and had to adapt to the new peoples way of life. That in which they called a white society; this society created many acts in my life time in order to weaken our society such as those of t he Allotment Act and the Reorganization Act (Schaefer, p. 47, 2012). People of my cultural lived on reservations, we had learned to separate ourselves and adopt our own way of life and government. Native Americans had created their own nation and it caused and has caused a lot of tension between us and the U. S. culture. As a Native American, we were all about live the traditional way of life. There was value to our land and the resources that we used and the white people wanted and did take it from us.It seemed as if we were constantly at war with the white people so that we could protect what we thought was rightfully ours. They had created an act known as the Indian Removal Act, which was passed in 1830 (Schaefer, p. 150, 2012). This opened more land for settlement and allowed people to come in and take over our reservations (Schaefer, p. 150, 2012). In 1946, Congress had created the Indian Claims Commission (Schaefer, p. 150, 2012). This was a good thing for us, or so we thought . It meant that finally our voice was going to be heard.There were three members apart of the commission, and they were given a five year deadline, but there kept getting extension after extension, until; in 1978 the whole thing was abolished (Schaefer p. 155, 2012). At times, it seemed as if maybe the government was trying to help us, that or they were trying to use us. In 1952, the BIA began programs, so that they could relocate young Native Americans to Urban areas and by 1962 they had created what was called the Employment Assistance program; also known as the EAP (Schaefer, p 157, 2012).Basically there primary goal was to relocate us by offering us better jobs opportunities that, that of the reservation could not offer. But this plan had soon backfired on them. By 1965, one-fourth to one third of the people in the EAP had returned home to their reservations (Schaefer p. 157, 2012). Today, most of our land has been taken from us and no longer exist. Native Americans themselves a re not being treated as badly as we were back then, but it’s the culture and our name that continues to be insulted. Schools have such a thing as mascots, and they create names for them.They use those such as the â€Å"Braves† or â€Å"Redskins. † Those names have a meaning to the Native American culture, it tends to bring up the past for us, and though there intentions may not be that of insulting us, some of us don’t like it too much. It hasn’t always been easy for us, and at times I wanted to give up. But everything seems to turn out for the better. I’ve learned that every culture and person has their own way of living and when someone sees a greater value of that person’s living then they have to have it.Things don’t always have to be that way; people can come up with their own greater value of living. Remember, you don’t always have to have someone else’s greater value to have a greater value of your own. Mak e an even better living for yourself than trying to take someone else’s. I hope you learned well from this letter and I wish you the best. Your Friend! Resources: Schaefer, R. T. (2012). Racial and Ethnic Groups (13th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

My First Speech Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My First Speech Experience - Essay Example Within the next few paragraphs I shall look into what makes for a well structured speech and the other aspects of speech delivery that I can improve upon. My critique shall help to answer the following questions: 1. How did I prepare for my speech? How did I feel as I delivered the speech in front of the class? 2. What were my weak and strong points? 3. What would I do differently next time I deliver a speech? I chose to prepare for my speech by memorizing the content. I felt that by doing so I would be able to maintain eye contact with my audience and quite possibly lessen the nervousness that I would be feeling by being able to lock my eyes onto a particular target and concentrate on the target in the audience to help ease my tension. There was however, one drawback to my memorizing the whole speech. Once I got distracted and lost track of my thoughts, I froze and was almost unable to continue with my speech as I had to quickly start over the speech silently in my head so I could continue from what I felt was the point where I stopped. In order to prepare for the actual delivery of my speech, I spent numerous hours preparing by practicing my delivery in front of my classmates. I also made it a point to rehearse with a classmate from my speech class. He recorded my delivery and we reviewed the material after I delivered my speech in order to find my weak points then we went back and worked on those target areas for further improvement.

Peer review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Peer review - Essay Example on which are; the skin-to-skin attachment between mother and child after birth is essential for bonding and what is the effect of delayed skin-to-skin contact for up to one hour? respectively. To these extents both thesis and question are addressed adequately. However, a more likely research question not brought out though slightly discussed is, â€Å"what are the long-term effects of immediate skin-to-skin contact when compared to delayed skin-to-skin contact? 2) Are the links between the concepts and examples in the research articles clearly made? If not, list here some issues that were left out or some important examples from the article that were left out. Yes, the writer has clearly made the links between the concepts and examples in the research article. A clear point of reference is when the writer mentions that, effective mother and child skin-to-skin attachment leads to proper bonding, and then correlates the same with a question that asks the contrary effect supposing there is no attachment for a period more than one hour. The writer also expresses that early skin-to-skin attachment affects emotional attachment of the baby to the mother including breastfeeding, physiological and neurobehavioral responses for up to one year. However, a great concern is expressed that too much concentration is made on the bonding rather than on the baby’s health should be checked hence the question, â€Å"How is the optimal bonding experience obtained?† the writer should have elaborated more on this topic to enhance the readers’ perception and clear understanding of this concept. This could have been achieved through the use o f an appropriate question as illustrated above. 3) Does the writer use research terminology appropriately and correctly? If so, give some examples of good uses. If not, put an asterisk (*) in the margin where the vocabulary should be more clear and specific. The writer does truly make good use of the research terminologies appropriately and

Food additives used in the meat industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Food additives used in the meat industry - Essay Example n food, clothing, and other facets of living, then there grew the effort not just to ban those harmful ingredients, but also to scrutinize any manmade products that altered the natural composition of things, especially food products. This has lead to the food industry, and especially the meat industry, which is already coming under fire from vegetarians and naturalists, to consider alternatives to food additives whenever possible. It is not, however, always possible to eliminate entirely food additives, because, first, they are necessary, and, secondly, they are not necessarily harmful to human consumption. Still, the controversy goes on. Food additives, including those added to meat products, and are used for the purpose of preserving the food or meat product in order that it might retain its flavor while being transported to destinations, which are often long distances from the point of production (Goldstein Chandler, Myrna and Goldstein, Mark A., M.D., 2002, 1). In the United States, since 1958, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must approve all food additives (Goldstein and Goldstein, 2). There is a list of five reasons that the Center for Food and Safety and Applied Nutrition lists as justifying the of meat additives (Goldstein and Goldstein, 2). 1. â€Å"To maintain product consistency. Emulsifiers give products a consistent texture and prevent them from separating. Stabilizers and thickeners give smooth uniform texture. Anti-caking agents help substances such as salt to flow freely. 2. To improve or maintain nutritional value. Vitamins and minerals are added to many common foods, such as milk, flour, cereal and margarine to make up for those likely to be lacking in a person’s diet or lost in processing. Such fortification and enrichment has helped reduce malnutrition among the U.S. population. All products containing added nutrients must be appropriately labeled. 3. To maintain palatability and wholesomeness. Preservatives retard product

Tabacco use Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tabacco use - Essay Example 250 billion this has outpaced the growth in national income and foreseeable future. Tobacco is mostly used by the young generation or the youth in the community. This population are the most focused group that have become addicts of the use of tobacco. The role of population in the community depends highly on upon the goals of the initiative, the context and leadership of the community, and the capabilities and resources available. T population is responsible for development aspects that address long term needs and promotes the community development. This would require a long term outlook on drug usage as well as paying particular attention to the group in the early years. Integrators role is not one size fits all, but rather must be flexible to adapt in response to the needs of the needs of the community or population it serves (McGuire, Leypoldt & Ward, 2007). The population availability is important to be considered since they provide basis for research of the effects of usage of tobacco I the community. With the growing population the government of the USA has passed the health care reform bill that have created incentives for health care organizations to manage more health and financial risks that are associated with the use of tobacco in the society. Discussion The youth group are found beyond any boundaries of any community therefore they exist within the available neighbourhood. But in some areas there are geographic boundaries that separate these communities, but the only thing that makes the difference is the difference in the state regulation within these geographical boundaries. The group’s characteristics do not change despite the geographical boundary. This community is not limited to any setting since the state regulation lies within the US statutes therefore the effect of limit is not available. The group of teenagers that are highly involved in the use of tobacco are located in Miami in Florida since it is a beach that is more exposed to drug importation. Community assessment can be done at any time and to some extend the community need assessment so to provide local stakeholders with the information they need to prioritize their most pressing needs and to identify approaches to address the available concerns. The population of the Miami was found to be 399,457 in 2012 compared 362,563 in 2000. This has indicted a population increase of 10.2% from 2000 to 2012. When discussing the demographic of the community it is important to consider the language that is being spoken in the discussed community. There are 25% of people speaking English, 67% speaking Spanish, while 46.7% are married. Understanding the community requires basic demographic results, many of which are available in the US Bureau of the census. The comparison of this population within the periods will enable the community to assess short term trends in the age and distribution of the available resources in the society. To assess the community values you are as well required to have an up-to-date profile of the community. The data available should be able to compare city level information. After identification of key questions that regards the geographical boundaries of a community it is important to answer through the community needs assessment, considering the best data collection option that can be used to verify

Intellectual property law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Intellectual property law - Essay Example The case was viewed as critical to the search engine’s business model that had been built around the system. The ECJ also added that the Cour de Cassation, France’s highest court would have finality on other cases, case-by-case. The court also contended that its decision on whether the search engine company was liable over stored client data should be left in the hands of the French courts (Hill, 2012: p19). Google, it said, could not be held liable if at all it possessed a neutral role that was passive, automatic, and technical, pointing to a lack of data control or knowledge (Smith, 2012: p72). Previously, Google used to stop advertisers from buying the brand names of others as keywords, although, this policy was altered in 2004 for the North American market before the extension into Ireland and Britain four years later. An interim legal opinion in September of 2009 delivered by the European Court of Justice contended that Google had not infringed on any trademark law s or rights, via allowing the buying of keywords by advertisers in correspondence to registered trademarks. Several trademark lawyers, such as Fiona McBride of Withers & Rogers, described the European Court of Justice’s ruling with regards to an ad’s origin as perplexing (Stim, 2010: p34). ... Consequently, very rarely will users of the internet be able to ascertain that his or her services or goods’ origin, as well as making it easier for advertisers to navigate the law and utilize trademarks from third parties as key words (Wherry, 2012: p77). This translates to advertisers being able to secure commercial advantages by taking a piggy ride on other trademark’s reputations. This paper seeks a critical evaluation of the development of the trademark infringement law in relation to ad-words, as well as the implications of the European Union Court of Justice’s ruling pertaining to the use of key words in advertising over the internet (Wild, 2011: p22). Development of the Law in Trade Mark Infringement relating to ‘Ad-words’ As the analysis of the Louis Vuitton vs. Google Inc. above has indicated, trademarks are valuable assets to top corporations. In cases where these trademarks are exploited correctly, they endow their proprietors with increa sed benefits, distinctiveness, and fame (Bainbridge, 1999: p45). Therefore, the respective proprietors of these trademark rights, via contemplation of their significance and value, as well as devotion of material efforts towards their evolution in the future, can invest vast sums in attempts to protect them. During the past decade, proprietors of various trademarks have begun to turn their attention to violation of their trademarks that are occurring over the internet. The internet has shown a tremendous rate of growth over the past decade, which has led to new economic models developing, as well as novel methods of advertising (Colston & Galloway, 2010: p45). The internet has made, within the context of a new economic

Information Systems and Knowledge Management Essay

Information Systems and Knowledge Management - Essay Example The Carbon Management Plan or CMP can be divided into two major parts. The first part will deal with knowledge management and the second part will deal with information systems. Knowledge Management Presently, all universities in UK are being urged to provide an array of university data and information including energy consumption, air pollution, cost overhead, etc. to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). These data are accumulated from different areas of the university and range of data like waste management, electricity generation and consumption, etc. The documentation and maintenance of this sort of statistical data can help in inferential analysis and proper knowledge management can assist in this part of the sustainable energy utilisation plan. This will further involve mitigation (geo-engineering), reduction (fuel switching, efficiency improvement, etc.) and removal (biological sequestration and ocean fertilisation) (Tester, 2005). Synchronisation of so many aspects of the management procedure through the simulation provides an excellent platform to develop a practical understanding of knowledge management. Information Systems In carbon management, emission dynamics determine the variable of carbon generation, particularly CO2 gas generation is most important. Analysis of this variable helps in ascertaining organisational goals and developing information base. In relation to CMP, the behaviour of this variable can be controlled by using more efficient power sources, low energy information and communication technology, smart metering, etc. By the means of generation of options, criteria assembling, option evaluation and proper option selection, information based facilities management can be developed and implemented (Atkin and Brooks, 2009). Hence, the simulation helps us to learn that how the communication systems between different stakeholders in the organisation can be bettered. The Learning Outcomes With regards to my understanding of the run time environment, the simulation program has helped me a lot. As I participated in the CMP, I felt I was dealing with such a subject that was affecting the whole organisation and I got maximum exposure to the behaviouristic aspects of the programme. Decision Making The simulation provided me with a better understanding of decision making. As far as the less important issues related to a plan or the functioning of an organisation are concerned decision making does not play a very important role. Especially, at the entry level, decision making does not appear to be very important except for career objectives. However, if one wants to stay in the organisation for a longer time and make a difference with a winning turn to his or her career, decision making becomes very important. Only good decision makers finally get to hold the key management positions in the industry. In today’s complex organisation, decision making should be multiple criteria based. If one wants to make it to the higher or middle level management positions, he or she has to learn good decision making. Decision making in a large and diversified organisation (which was s imulated

Next President of the US Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Boumediene v. Bush Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Boumediene v. Bush - Case Study Example On June 12, 2002, it was ruled by the United States Supreme Court that protection of the United States Constitution was to be provided to the Guantanamo detainees. On November 20 2008, the court ruled that to allow enemy competency to be taken lightly would be inconsistent with the Court’s obligation: the court will grant their petitions and order their release. It was a unique case, and if there were any others, they would be factually alike. Nobody should be got into a false sense and that all of the cases would look like that one. Analysis The Boumediene v. Bush was made in the United States in a civilian court due to Lakhdar Boumedeine at the time he was held captive by the United States in Cuba, at the Guantanamo Bay detention camps. The habeas petition Al Odah v. United States was merged with the case and challenged the authenticity of the detention of Boumedeine at the military base of the United States Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, together with the Military Commiss ions Act of 2006. The Supreme Court heard the legal arguments on the combined case on December 5th 2007. Lakhdar Boumediene in early January 2002 was held in custody in the United States Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. ... The first habeas case was brought in February 2002 by the Center for Constitutional Rights and counsel on behalf of detainees held at Guantanamo. It had been argued initially by the Bush Administration that the detainees were in a territory with no right of accessing the federal courts. Therefore, they could not challenge whether they had been detained lawfully. Later on, Congress tried to throw out the decision with a series of laws after the United States Supreme Court ruled that the persons in habeas cases could go forward under the federal habeas statute. The laws brought out by congress included the Detainee Treatment Act (2005) and the Military Commissions Act 2006 that made the federal laws to get rid of habeas jurisdiction for any foreigner held in the U.S custody. Amendments made a much more narrowed survey proceeding in the Court of Appeals as a substitute for habeas review for the Columbia District. This was for individuals to test the military’s categorization of t hem as the enemy combatants. The Center for Constitutional Rights argued that the DTA process fell short of habeas and could not be corrected due to violations that occurred during the CSRT at Guantanamo (Transnational Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), 2007). Taking the extraterritorial application of the constitution to Guantanamo in consideration, the Court adopted a practical approach that it has applied in first cases. Since Guantanamo was outside the sovereign territory of the United States, the constitution did not apply and thus the Court strongly criticized the President and the Congress’ attempt to declare that. In the 2008 U.S. Supreme Court decision which stated that

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Essay Example for Free

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Essay After reading the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, I got a much better understanding of what that title means. When you think of part-time you normally think of having a part-time job when you only work some days but not all the time. Well that is a lot like the life of the main character in this story. Throughout the book, Junior manages to be â€Å"half Indian† and â€Å"half white. † He says â€Å" It was like being Indian was my job. How could someone be â€Å"half Indian† and â€Å"half white? † If you have ever moved to new town, or changed schools, then you probably have a pretty good idea how Junior felt throughout the book. After Mr. P talks Junior into getting out of the REZ the only option Junior has, is to travel twenty three miles to Reardan and attend school with the white kids. Being the weirdest and least popular kid, life on the REZ must have been tough. Having parents that drank all the time, and spent money that Juniors family did not have on Alcohol made it hard for him to have clean clothes, and a new outfit to wear now and then. But having a best friend like Rowdy made things a little bit easier. Rowdy was Juniors secret keeper, he also beat anyone up that tried to hurt Junior and was all ways there for him. Well up in till the day Junior changed schools, everyone on the REZ hated Junior they looked at him like he was some sort of trader or bad person. His first day at Reardan was tough, Reardan was the complete opposite of school back on the REZ. It was opposite of his family, and it was opposite of him. The only good part of the day was meeting Penelope. Junior gassed in wonder at her beauty, blond hair and blue eyes he had never seen anything so beautiful. Things were a lot different at Reardan, on Halloween Junior dressed like a homeless man, which was pretty easy for him since there was not much difference between his good clothes and his bad clothes.

Fear Of Violent Crime Geography Essay

Fear Of Violent Crime Geography Essay As a concept ‘fear of crime has caused much academic discussion since it was first developed as a school of thought in the 1960s. Even though interest in fear of crime has gone though peaks and troughs since its arrival in the social sciences, it has undoubtedly found its way into governmental thinking and subsequent policies (Lee Farrall 2008). There are those who claim that fear of crime is a larger problem than crime itself and this is largely due to anxieties over violent crimes such as sexual assault which is particularly salient (Warr 1995). The public are informed that official rates of crime are falling hence this appears to substantiate the claim that public fears are disproportionate to reality or even ‘irrational (Skogan 1987). For example, the latest British Crime Survey (BCS) undertaken by the Home Office (2009) revealed that peoples fear of violent crime in the UK out-weighs their chances of victimization. However a finding from the same survey showed that all regions in the UK experienced a reduction in the proportion of people with a ‘high level of worry about violent crime between 2001-2 and 2008-9 (Home Office 2009). Source: BCS, Home Office (2009) Percentage of people with high level of worry about violent crime, 2001-2 and 2008-9 There have been many disputes as to how to define fear of violent crime and as such, official statistics are subject to criticism. Lewis and Salem (1981) claim that emotional feelings alone define fear of crime whereas other scholars place emphasis on cognitive judgments or behaviours (Garland 2001). There are also mixed findings on the connections between socio-demographic factors and fears of violence. Differential fears of violent crime have been strongly attributed to factors such as age, sex, race, locality, personal experience and media consumption (Clemente Kleiman 1977). It has been posited that further research on the fear of crime ‘must be focussed spatially and socially upon particular populations (Weaver 2008: 4). This dissertation will investigate the often cited connections between fear of violent crime and locality focussing on the University of Nottingham student population. It will explore the impact these fears have on their use of public space and highlight any constraints on activities or opportunities as a consequence of behavioural modifications. Nottingham: safe for students? The City of Nottinghams violent crime rates are higher than the UK average. However, recorded violence in Nottingham against the person has decreased from a rate of 34.5 per 1000 in 2006/07 to 29.79 rates per 1000 in 2008/09 (Home Office 2009). As a consequence perhaps, headlines in the media portraying Nottingham as being notorious for gun crime or as being an ‘Assassination City (Sewell 2007) have decreased. Nevertheless the mass media continue to label Nottingham as being a hotbed of violence. It has been argued that Nottingham is ‘a victim of its own success (Tiesdell 1998). This can be attributed to the number of bars and clubs the city possesses, promoting a vibrant but volatile night-life. In 2008 Nottingham City Council announced that the city was an Alcohol Disorder Zone (ADZ). This declaration was met with disbelief and anger amongst the local press and the University of Nottingham. It was argued that the City Council had shot itself in the foot again. In 2002, the Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire gave his opinion that the city was out of control; he referred to the frequency of violence and in particular, the use of firearms. ‘The City Council agreed with him before it quickly back-tracked, but it was too late, Nottingham acquired a reputation as a number-one crime city. The impact was stunning, with The University of Nottingham, one of the best in the country, losing approximately a third of student applicants (MC Report 2008). Avoidance actions can have negative impacts on cities. For example, avoidance behaviours can lead to significant financial costs as the ‘Nottingham Safer Cities Project (NSCP) discovered. The project conducted a public survey; the findings from which illustrated that a significant number of city residents usually avoided the city centre after dark. The project calculated that this avoidance strategy led to the loss of  £12 million in turnover and 442 job opportunities in Nottinghams central business district during the 6 months of the study (Beck Willis 1995). Though outdated the project indicates the importance of investigating fear of violence amongst Nottinghams university population as they are widely regarded to be a vital contributer to the citys income and infrastructure (Beck Willis 1995). Advancement of the Aims and Objectives AIMS  · To discover whether fear of violent crime amongst university students in Nottingham is dependent on a) gender b) place of domicile residence c) mass media consumption d) personal victimization  · To discover how university students react to fear of violent crime and how this shapes their use of public space in Nottingham Nottingham has higher levels of reported violent crime than the national average and is widely regarded amongst the mass media as being a particularly violent place. Furthermore students aged 16-24 years of age, statistically, are one of the most likely groups to fall victim to violent crime (Home Office 2009). Despite these findings, a thorough review of the previous literature showed that there are very few journal articles investigating fears of violence amongst university students and none were focussed on the city of Nottingham. Extensive research on gender as a correlate of fear pays most attention to the fear gap between men and women. Fear of sexual assault is often given as the main reason for differential levels of fear (Balkin 1979) and as a result mens fears are neglected (Goodey 1997). This dissertation will compare the fears of both male and female students whilst focussing on violent crimes. Most academics agree that being a victim of sexual assault leads to intensified fears (Box et al 1988). However, there are mixed findings on the impact personal victimization of other violent crimes has on the individual. Some scholars argue that all physical assaults and muggings lead to greater fear of crime (Tulloch et al 1998) whilst others argue that they actually reduce fears (Sparks et al 1977). These inconsistent findings show that there is room for further research into the effects of violent victimization on public fears, which this dissertation aims to do. Social scientists, on the whole, accept that fear of violent crime is place-dependent and as such; how individuals relate to ideas of place and community is an important indicator of fears (Girling et al 2000). However, studies in the UK examining the relationships between fear of violence and familiarity with place of residence are lacking. This dissertation will investigate the impact familiarity of place has on fears by comparing the fear index of students whose domicile residence is in Nottingham to those who lived somewhere else prior to attending University of Nottingham. The mass media provide the public with much of their information. This information is often distorted through ‘popular tabloids which tend to sensationalise crime. It has been argued that the media cause fears of violent crime to increase (Gunter 1987) but findings are mixed. First year students, many being new to the city, will be an interesting focus group as many of them would have received much of their knowledge about ‘Assassination City through the media. As aforementioned, modifications of behaviour in response to fears can have a significant impact on a citys income hence research in this area (the second main aim) could arguably be important for future policy initiatives attracting more students to Nottingham. There may also be wider social consequences for individual students with high levels of fear as it could limit opportunities, ultimately affecting well-being. OBJECTIVES 1. To review existing literature to acquire an understanding of the different theories and views on fear of violent crime 2. To conduct quantitative surveys on male and female University of Nottingham first year students followed by statistical analysis to determine the relationship between fear of violent crime and the following variables: a) gender b) place of domicile residence c) mass media d) personal victimization 3. To conduct group discussions with first year Geography and Law students at the University of Nottingham to gain a more thorough insight into their fear of violent crime and whether it effects their use of public space in Nottingham Fear of Violence: Academic discussion Gender Research into the thorny issue of gender and fear of violent crime has found that women are much more fearful of violent crime than men yet women are less likely to be victims (Hale 1996). This fear amongst women was primarily viewed as being irrational by some scholars as womens high levels of fear do not equate to actual risk of victimization (Clemente and Kleiman 1977). It is widely acknowledged, however, that women have different experiences in public spaces than men. The BCS shows that young men are at greatest risk of victimisation for overall violence, although women are more likely to experience domestic violence and sexual assault (Home Office 2009). ‘In public, fear of rape is a cardinal fear for women (Riger et al 1994: 78) and is widely acknowledged as being the greatest factor leading to ‘men and women sharing a consensus that females are much more fearful than males (Sutton Farrall 2008: 15). The shadow of sexual assault hypothesis (Ferraro 1996) states tha t womens fear of sexual assault shadows their fear of other types of crime, particularly violent crime. This dissertation aims to uncover the influence all violent crime has on female and male university students. The gendered stereotypes of ‘fearless male/fearful female (Goodey 1997) are challenged by academics who suggest that men are socialised in society to be less fearful than women hence men have a tendency to minimise and hide their fears. This recent theory of the ‘Socially Desirable Responding (Farrall et al 2009) has important implications for research findings as it has been suggested that men are more likely to under-report their concerns in order to fit the hegemonic masculine ideal (Goodey 1997). This could be to such an extent that when this was taken into account, mens fear outstripped womens (Sutton Farrall 2005). This is in contrast to the view that women report higher fears because they are physically weaker than men and may have rape foremost in their minds when answering questions about violent crime (Stanko 1990). It has been posited that fear declines with age amongst girls and to a greater extent, boys. Young boys are relatively open about their fears yet as they mature their fears are somewhat ‘downplayed as normative adult identities are adopted (Goodey 1997: 402). This dissertation compares female fears of violent crime with the ‘neglected arena of male fears (Goodey 1997: 52) focussing on first year university students who are in a liminal stage of neither being viewed by wider society as children nor adults. First Year University Students and the Fear of Violent Crime First year University students, being young adults, are often stereotyped as ‘strong, fearless and are often construed as the offender rather than the victim (Tulloch 2000: 452). However a comprehensive report by Tulloch et al (1998) found that young adults are more fearful of crime than previously recognised. In addition statistical analysis has indicated that they have the greatest fear of violent crime when compared to other age groups (Ferraro 1995). These fears are arguably justified by The British Crime Survey (Home Office 2009) which asserted that reflecting their younger age profile, students (8.6%) had a higher than average risk of being a victim of violent crime throughout the year 2008/09. The BCS claim this is likely to be related to lifestyle. For example, people who visited nightclubs more than once a week in the month prior to interview had a higher risk of violent crime (12.4%) than those who had visited nightclubs or discos less than once a week on average (6.6 %) or not at all (2.5%). First year university students or ‘Freshers do not fit into one clearly defined category or stereotype. Some see university students as belonging to a ‘problem population inducing moral panics through binge drinking and yobbish behaviour. ‘As city centres are perceived to be dangerous, they are given over to gangs of revellers and drunkards after dark (Trench et al 1992). Others see students as law abiding citizens who are likely to be victims of violent crime at the hands of excluded local youths who, like students are demonized through the media. Place of Domicile Residence and Fear of Violent Crime ‘Perception of community has a strong influence on subjective estimates of being a victim of violent crime (Jackson 2004) Literature on fear of crime has shown that it is an absorbent topic bound up in how individuals relate to ideas of place and community (Farrall et al 2009). In a recent study Farrall et al (2009) use in-depth qualitative interviews to explore the connections people make when talking about crime, their environment and community. The study suggested that at the root of fear of crime is public unease about the health of local neighbourhood order and concerns about social decline and community fragmentation. They concluded that public perceptions of crime are strongly linked to objective and subjective assessments of community, environment and change. It was also acknowledged that this can have varying degrees of significance for respondents ‘depending on a participants own circumstances or history (Farrall et al 2009: 137). Due to university students varied experiences and histories they will be an interesting population to explore. There is a sufficient gap in research on dimensions of place and fear of violent crime; there are few place-based studies that have considered relationships between fear of crime and familiarity with place of residence. Nevertheless, an example of one such study in Washington DC found that the percentage of a residents life spent in the same neighbourhood was associated with a decrease in fear of violent crime (Roman Chalfin 2008). Mass media consumption and fear of Violent Crime ‘It is widely recognised that crime stories and discussions about ‘law and order are the staple diet of the written press (Sparks 1992). The mass media provide a major source of our knowledge. As such there is much academic debate as to what extent media in the UK influences individual fear of violent crime. Academics such as Jewkes (2004) have argued that that the mass media harbours the power to instil fear in the public by the way in which it presents crime. Such arguments fit the ‘Hypodermic Syringe Model which focuses on the mass media representation of crime and how that representation is perceived by the public. It is argued that ‘the media inject values, ideas and information directly into the passive reader or viewer (Jewkes 2004: 9). The information that the ‘popular media ‘inject into the public is often distorted as they tend to sensationalise crime by following the rule that ‘if it bleeds it leads. They pay privileged attention to some crimes at the expense of others, often violent crimes at the expense of non-violent (Keating 2002). ‘In Britain, readers of tabloid newspapers which have more sensational crime coverage reported higher levels of fear than readers of broadsheet papers, whose crime coverage is less predominant and less dramatic (Grabosky 1995). By exaggerating the risks of violent crimes the media may orchestrate ‘moral panics or ‘media panics (Cohen 1972). These moral panics often correspond to BCS statistics. The popular press use one statistical area such as Nottingham and distort the truth by sensationalising the factual data using terminology such as ‘epidemic, which in turn, may lead to moral panics. Although there is some basic truth to what the media are presenting to the public, it usually becomes dramatised to the point of disconnection from the truth. This may lead to a ‘deviancy amplification spiral (Cohen 1972) inferring that the area is particularly dangerous. Another consequence for such localities is that, once the decline begins, the community becomes part of the media generated folklore on crime and rare events such as firearm offences seem to be commonplace (Keating 2002). Fear of violent crime levels can also be rationalised by using Post-Modernist approaches. Hall et al (1978: 46) suggest that the public are interested in the mass media representation of crime, especially violent crime, as ‘violence represents a basic violation of the person. The public are therefore more affected by violent crimes, as they worry for their own safety. The BCS (Home Office 2009) statistics show that the number of violent crimes is decreasing annually, but this data is not yet reflected by public opinion. The ‘Hypodermic Syringe Theory, ‘Moral Panic Theory and Post-Modernist approaches have been widely criticised by researchers who have found the causal relationship between media and fear of violent crime to be at best, inconclusive. One key finding from Tulloch et al (1998) stated that the media are not as influential as previously thought. It has been suggested that the media alone can not cause fear of crime but ‘they can address fears, play upon them, exploit or reassure them (Sparks 1992: 155). Behavioural Responses to Fear of Violent Crime A review of the quantitative evidence to date illustrates that the findings for a causal relationship between fear of violent crime and modification of behaviour are somewhat inconsistent (Foster Giles-Corti 2008). Numerous studies exhibit that people often avoid actions which they view as being dangerous such as travelling on public transport or going out after dark (Box et al 1988). On the contrary an important finding from Tulloch et al (1998) found that even though young adults are more fearful of violent crime than any other age group, they still go out at night and use public transport. Episodes of being afraid of violent crime are often short lived. For example, one may become fearful if they hear footsteps behind them when walking down a dark alley. Farrall et al (2009) describe these fears as ‘experiental. Experiental fears are short-lived episodic experiences that are in response to external direct stimuli bound up in details of time and place. It has been argued, however, that although there may be heightened awareness in situations whereby one perceives there to be a potential threat of violence, this does not necessarily lead to outright fear but a calculated set of behavioural responses (Garland 2001). By conducting in-depth interviews, Farrall et al (2009) found that many participants believed it was their responsibility to protect themselves from violent crime and that precautionary behaviour is a necessary part of every day life. Some modified their behaviour, avoided certain places at certain times and purchased security equipment. It has been suggested that fear of violence is not always detrimental to an individuals well-being. Some degree of fear might be healthy in certain situations as it creates a natural defence against crime. When there is a perceived risk of actual violence, a certain amount of fear might actually be beneficial. Experiental fears of violent crime stimulate ‘responsiblization which leads to precautionary behaviours, makes people feel safer and ultimately lowers the risk of victimization. This has been described as ‘functional fear (Jackson Gray 2009). This ‘functional fear can be illustrated in the ‘Health Belief Model (Rosensto ck 1974). This model has been applied by social scientists to explain why some people change their behaviour to combat violent crime (Hammig Moranetz 2000). The model asserts that individuals who fear being a victim of violence will change their lifestyle habits if they believe that altering certain behaviours will enhance their overall well-being. ‘For women, crime is a considerable reason as to why they do not go out after dark at night (Crawford et al 1990: 49). As aforementioned, social scientists have indicated that gender is one of the strongest predictors of fear of violence; women are more fearful of violent crime than men. Some scholars such as Warr (1985) and Ferraro (1995) have suggested that this differential ‘irrational fear among females is mostly due to their fear of sexual victimization. As a result of this fear women restrict their lives in private and public spaces due to the perceived threat of criminal victimization (Gilchrist et al 1998). Findings from Warr (1985) substantiate this claim revealing that 40% of women do not go out at night compared with 9% of men. This indicates that fear of violent crime could have real consequences for female university students, limiting their use of public space and restricting them from fulfilling numerous opportunities in Nottingham. However, findings from studies can vary depending on the different behaviours that are measured. For example, a study in the US which investigated yo ung male preventive behaviours against violent victimization found that 27% of respondents reported practicing preventive behaviours against violent crime regularly (Hammig Morinetz 2000). Existing studies therefore do not provide concrete evidence for a strong relationship between fear of violent crime and modifications of behaviour. Victimization and the ‘Irrational Fear of Violent Crime Tulloch et al (1998) found that peoples fear of violent crime depends on personal experience and that an individuals fear of violence is likely to be heightened if the individual has been victimized. However, past research on the issue has been surprisingly inconclusive. In a review of the research, DuBow et al (1979) concludes that there has been no convincing evidence that victimization increases ones fear of violent crime. In a more recent study using qualitative analysis, Farrall et al (2009) reach a similar conclusion that many who had experienced violence didnt admit to amplified levels of fear. Furthermore, they found differential levels of fear between ‘isolated and ‘repeat victims with the latter reporting greater fears. Skogan (1987) claims that due to the lack of a strong relationship between fear and direct experience of violent crime, some peoples fears such as womens has been branded ‘irrational. ‘Interest in the ‘irrationality of high levels of fear of violent crime was fuelled by the weak correspondence of many survey measures of fear of crime to peoples self reported victimization experiences (Skogan 1987: 112). Rifai (1982: 193) denotes that fear of crime is ‘irrational simply because many people dont do much about it; ‘There is usually little behavioural change that is reflected in what could be termed crime preventative or victimization preventative behaviour (Rifai 1982: 193). As previously discussed, however, findings on behavioural changes are mixed and inconclusive. Violent crime does not impact on all members of society in the same way. A controversial argument put forward by Rifai (1982) stated that victimization and fear are not strongly linked because most crimes and a large proportion of violent crimes are trivial in their consequences hence they arent fear provoking. ‘A number of case studies have suggested that in most occurrences of victimization there is little effect on the daily lives of the victims (Rifai 1982: 199). The experience of victimization can serve to dispel some of the myths and anxieties about what becoming a victim of crime might feel like. The latest BCS statistics for 2008/09 indicate that, continuing a similar pattern to previous years, assault without injury accounted for the largest proportion (40%) of all violent incidents (British Crime Survey 2009). Perhaps then, Sparks et al (1977) are justified in arguing that victimization by assault reduces fear. They explained a negative correlation between victimizati on and fear by hypothesising that people ‘fear the worst before they have any direct experience with crime, but when they are victimized and are physically unharmed, their anxieties may be alleviated. Furthermore, it has been suggested by Skogan (1987) that the exclusion of non-victims from most of the literature has left unanswered the question of to what extent victims differ from comparable non-victims as a result of that experience. For this reason my dissertation will compare the fears of both ‘victims and ‘non-victims of violent crime. Summary of Literature The literature I have reviewed covers the most relevant concepts on the fear of violent crime put forward by influential academics who have worked within the realms of this discourse. One may argue that due to the sheer abundance of research that has been advanced by leading scholars, a relatively minute project such as mine based on Nottingham university students would prove insignificant. It could also be suggested that the field has been exhausted hence there isnt any room for further research. Yet it is recognised by the majority of academics that there is always room for further exploration. This is particularly true for investigating the fear of crime as many findings are inconsistent or inconclusive. Girling et al (2000: 136) describe fear of crime as ‘a topic that never quite stays still and submits itself for dispassionate examination. My dissertation is therefore relevant as it is a contemporary investigation into an ever-changing topic that focuses on a previously ne glected group, university students, in the unexplored context of Nottingham. Methodology Overview There is much debate within the social sciences as to what ‘fear of violent crime actually means and how it should be measured. For example, numerous academics such as Hale (1996) believe it is primarily based on emotions i.e. actually feeling fearful. Other researchers criticise the emotional aspect of ‘fear and maintain that other aspects are more important such as what an individual ‘actually does to combat perceived threats of violence (Garland 2001). Alternatively, cognition i.e. what people perceive to be the risk of victimization has also been measured in previous studies. My research has investigated the complex relationships between the emotional, behavioural and cognitive aspects discussed. By acknowledging all three elements, fear of violent crime will be measured more accurately (Weaver 2008). Data collection involved both quantitative and qualitative methods. Primarily, only fixed surveys (Farrall et al 1997) were going to be used as it would generate a large quantity of results for analysis. However, this method used alone has come under much criticism. It has been argued by leading academics such as Girling et al (2000) and Pain (2000) that the ‘tick-box survey is too blunt an instrument on its own to gain understanding of public fear of crime. Taking this into consideration, it was decided that fixed surveys would be used to cover a large sample of the first year student population in Nottingham. Focus groups would then be used to carefully uncover fears, behaviours and cognitive judgements that arguably do not become evident from analysing questionnaire results. A self-completion, closed ‘tick-box survey was assembled and distributed to first year students studying a wide range of academic courses at the University of Nottingham. Once surveys had been completed and returned, face-to-face discussion groups or ‘focus groups with first year Geography and Law students were then conducted. Collecting quantitative data from the surveys prior to the group discussions enabled the latter to delve deeper into students fears of violence and uncover any behavioural responses that could not be explained in the closed tick-box surveys. Some survey questions have a tendency to elicit socially desirable responses (Farrall et al 2009). These are answers that dont necessarily reflect the respondents real feelings but ‘the one which they feel best fits the image of themselves; the image which they wish to show to the person interviewing (Farrall et al 2009: 146). As aforementioned, men are particularly likely to give socially desirable responses. Sutton and Farrall (2005) make this point in a review of previous quantitative data on fear of crime. They suggest that when answering survey questions aimed at measuring fear of crime, men often suppress the extent of their anxieties. This may have implications for survey results. Furthermore, ‘it is not uncommon for people under the researchers gaze to feel self conscious or threatened (Flowerdew and Martin 1997: 129). For these reasons, questionnaires were not conducted face to face but were handed out and returned within a week to a ‘pigeon hole in the Uni versity of Nottingham main reception. Sampling Methods Focussing on first year students at the University of Nottingham placed constraints on possible sampling techniques. The dissertation, ideally, would have an equal number of female and male respondents, and an equal number of students whose domicile residence was in Nottingham and elsewhere. In the pilot test a quota sampling method was adopted. This sampling method was conducted at the University of Nottingham ‘freshers fair. This method encountered problems. Firstly, the survey did not result in a 100% response rate. Secondly, it proved almost impossible to find an equal number of respondents whose domicile residence was in Nottingham as those that werent. The final decision was to use cluster sampling. Cluster sampling was used as it was deemed to be an appropriate and realistic method of surveying first year university students. Study participants were thus recruited through the University of Nottingham. Questionnaires were distributed to the university, with permission, wh ich then handed them out to first year students for completion. As such, all participants met the study requirements. 200 surveys were distributed, 124 of which were returned projecting a 62% response rate. First year geography and law students were recruited for the focus groups by administering voluntary sign up sheets to the University of Nottingham which were then placed in the Geography and Law buildings of the university. Ethical Issue

Assessment Aims in Science Lessons

Assessment Aims in Science Lessons Discuss, evaluate and reflect upon the aims of assessment for learning in primary science, and consider strategies that may be employed to identify children’s strengths and weaknesses. Show how assessment information can be used to monitor children’s progress in science, and inform and develop quality teaching and learning. Introduction: Science became a core subject for primary schools in 1989 with the introduction of the National Curriculum. Primary Science has a broad agenda, an important element of which is the development of ‘scientific literacy’ in the population (Howe et al., 2005, p.5), the scientific understanding that should be part of everyone’s education. Teachers have a responsibility to ensure that children’s experiences in primary science are positive ones so that more children will undertake post primary science subjects. Assessment for learning, an important element of primary science, has come to prominence in educational policy because of its perceived potential to underpin lifelong learning (Black et al., 2006, p.120). Described as a teaching strategy of very high leverage (Howe, 2004, cited in Marshall Drummond, 2006, p.133), assessment for learning allows teachers to track pupil learning and progress and plan quality teaching using appropriate strategies. Aims of Primary Science Teaching: Children have many ideas about the world and how it works before they come to school and experience science in the context of their everyday lives, for example most children will have some knowledge about plants and animals, or will understand that a lolly melts. The most important aim of primary science is to foster children’s appreciation of the world around us, to encourage a close observation of our physical environment, and to develop an understanding of how different aspects of it are related (Howe et al., 2005, p.6). Views about science have changed in recent decades with a recognition that transmission modes for teaching in science are not appropriate (Gray Bryce, 2006, p.171). A constructivist view of teaching science has been adopted which recognises that children learn best when they are able to construct new ideas and concepts from existing ones. In order to teach primary science effectively, teachers must have a sound subject knowledge and an appropriate understanding of these constructivist theories (Traianou, 2996, p.828). Key Stage one children, for example, learn a lot about science through play and ideas must be rooted in experiences that are meaningful to them. Effective learning in science cannot be facilitated by providing children with facts and information because: Facts unrelated to concepts that children already have are meaningless and therefore of no use to them. Children use their own ideas to construct understanding. While they may be able to recall answers, understanding only evolves out of their own experience. (Harlen Jelly, 1998, p.26). Science is very much a process based subject in which learners develop their understanding of things around them by using and developing process skills (Harlen Qualter, 2004, p.133). Effective assessment in science should be reflective of this by being an ongoing process in the classroom. The Primary Science Curriculum: One of the main ideas in the National Curriculum is that of scientific enquiry which is seen as learning about ‘ideas and evidence’ and three stands of ‘investigative skills’: ‘planning’, ‘obtaining and presenting evidence’ and ‘evaluating’ (Howe et al.,2005, p.8). Each strand consists of a number of processes which are to be taught through the subject areas of ‘life processes and living things’, ‘materials and their properties’ and ‘physical processes’. A practical approach to learning in science is vital for primary school children. The teacher’s role as learning facilitator centres on creating a rich and stimulating learning environment, allowing children to explore and test their ideas. At every stage in the science process, language skills can be developed to assist the learning of science and vice versa (Sherrington, 1993, p.206).Assessment begins from the beginning an d it is useful to start science teaching with an activity to find out what children know about a topic before beginning teaching, paying particular attention to the language children use.. Assessment in Science: Assessment is a process of deciding, collecting and making inferences or judgements about evidence of children’s learning and skills (Harlen Qualter, 2004, p.121). One of the main conclusions arrived at by the Children Learning in Science Project (CLISP) is the importance of establishing whether children have any misconceptions about scientific concepts and addressing these before moving on. Effective assessment is therefore crucial for primary science as pre-conceived ideas can have an adverse effect on learning. There are two main areas in assessment, formative and summative. Formative assessment, an ongoing process for the teacher, provides immediate evidence of learning and should be used to inform planning for teaching. Gathering information about learning and giving feedback while it is in progress has been seen as a crucial aspect of teaching since the Task Group on Assessment and Testing (TGAT) report was published in 1988 (MacGilchrist et al., 2006, p.84). It has a number of strengths because of its focus on learners and how they learn. Summative assessment is generally administered to gather evidence of learning at the end of the teaching period. It has often been criticised as failing to take a holistic view of the learner. A comprehensive science programme will incorporate both elements but the formative assessment will be of most use to the teacher on a day-to-day basis. The Purposes of Assessment: Assessment is a statutory requirement for teachers. Section 3.2 of the Requirements for Qualifying to Teach has a range of requirements in respect of monitoring and assessment, among them that teachers ‘monitor and assess as they teach, giving immediate and constructive feedback to support pupils as they learn. They involve pupils in reflecting on, evaluating and improving their own performance (TTA, 2002, p.11). Assessment enables teachers to ascertain how effectively children have been learning in science. It has a number of aims including: To help children’s learning by identifying what they are making good progress with and areas in which they need further support. To summarise achievements at certain times. (Harlen Qualter, 2004, p.124). This has important implications for primary science teaching in light research suggesting that children have many misconceptions in respect of scientific concepts. Harlen and Jelly have reported that misconceptions in science arise from: Attributing an effect to a particular feature and not having an understanding that a number of factors may be operating. A lack of awareness that there may be more than one explanation. Not understanding science vocabulary. Insufficient opportunity to test ideas and discuss findings. A lack of access to alternative ideas that might provide a better explanation. (Harlen Jelly, 1998, p.24). Effective assessment can address this by being an integral part of activities, with teachers constantly seeking information that enables them to support learning and give appropriate feedback. The teacher can then diagnose learning responses and needs, and note the progress that is being made (MacGilchrist et al., 2006, p.85). Formative assessment methods have received attention in recent years, being more suited to achieving the goals of: Learning with understanding Understanding learning highlighted by the Assessment Reform Group as being crucial in the aim to equip learners for a place in a rapidly shrinking world and changing society (Assessment Reform Group, 2006, p.8). Methods of Assessing Children’s Progress in Science: A substantial amount of learning in science occurs outside school, being accessed through field trips, zoos, science museums etc. (Braund Reiss, 2006, p.214). Because of this teachers must have a range of ways of gathering evidence to assess pupil learning and understanding and be able to use this as the basis for subsequent teaching. Methods that the teacher can use include: Observing children as they work- the teacher can gauge learning by listening to the ways in which children work their way through an activity, with particular attention to their use of scientific vocabulary. The language used by the children is a very good indicator of their understanding. Open-ended teacher questioning gives children opportunities to express their ideas and develop them. Research shows that where correct scientific language is taught, children develop more accurate scientific concepts (Sparks-Linfield Warwick, 1998, p.128). Studying children’s work in relation to a task – drawings, reports and written work. For this to be most effective, it is important that the task requirements are clear. For example, if the aim is to assess children’s understanding of the structure of a flowering plant, it is important that the children are not simply asked to draw a flower, but that the task requires the parts to be labelled or indicated in some way. Administering tests related to the learning activity. Having a plenary session where the children can talk about what they think they have learned from a task or activity. Involving Children in the Assessment Process: Central to formative assessment is the idea of involving children in their learning. Black and William found that self and peer assessment in children as young as five was successful in raising achievement (Black William, 1998). The effectiveness of involving children in the assessment process stems from an understanding that children learn most effectively when they have opportunities to build new ideas on existing experiences. For this approach to be successful, it has to be carefully planned for by the teacher. The children need a clear understanding of the learning intentions of a lesson to be able to assess if they have achieved them. The teacher must be very explicit, particularly in relation to processes within science. If it is not clear that the learning intention is process based, children tend to focus on their answers rather that the methods used for obtaining them. Harlen Qualter point out that when children understand what they should be doing and how well, they are in a position to share in deciding the next steps to be taken (Harlen Qualter, 2004, p.179). This approach does not suggest a lack of rigour in terms of assessment, the ultimate decisions in the management of which are teacher directed. Assessing Children’s Process Skills: Children use the process skills they have developed when they engage with tasks. Teacher observation is very important here but it is important for teachers to be aware that some types of behaviour are more indicative of learning than others and to be able to differentiate between them. The teacher needs to consider what would indicate that a child is employing a particular skill, for example observation. In this case the teacher might look for evidence of the child paying attention to detail, really exploring an object. The degree to which a particular skill is being employed will also be different for older and younger children. With younger children it is most important to develop positive attitudes to science and to give children opportunities to be scientists through access to a range of science equipment and to nurture correct use of scientific vocabulary. Using assessment to improve learning in science: Evidence gathered by the teacher must be used to make judgements regarding the effectiveness of the learning. This process can be enhanced by discussion with the children. Harlen and Qualter have identified three reasons for using assessment to help learning in science: Knowing what ideas learners bring to new experiences and how these ideas develop during their activities is central to learning through enquiry. Using assessment as part of the teaching means that information can be collected about progress towards goals. If activities provide opportunities for skills, understanding and attitudes to be developed, then they also provide opportunities for these to be assessed and for the information to be used to help learning. Widely accepted theories of learning emphasis the role of learners in constructing their own understanding, the constructivist approach. Formative assessment involves children in recognising where they are in progress towards goals and in the decisions about what their next steps are and how to take them. There is firmly established evidence that when the key components of formative assessment are practised, levels of achievement are raised. (Harlen Qualter, 2004, p.132). Assessing Children’s Ideas in Science: Children have many ideas about science when they start school. It is important to establish what these are and plan teaching accordingly. Discussion is extremely important in primary science and teachers must create a climate in which children can express ideas with confidence. Keogh and Naylor have pointed out the importance of this: If we want children to ‘think out loud’, to be creative in their thinking and to argue about alternative possibilities, then we need to provide the kind of learning environment in which they feel comfortable to do that. They need to know they can make mistakes or give wrong answers and still feel good about themselves. (Keogh Naylor, 2004, p.18). Scientific language should be introduced when appropriate and in contexts that allow children to develop an awareness of the different meanings that words may have in everyday and scientific contexts. Using Assessment to Inform Teaching: Children’s ideas, whether in oral or written form, often give an indication of experience or skills that are lacking. This is an important consideration when planning teaching. When children are displaying a lack of experience, it is necessary to provide experiences for them. For example, organising a trip to the local park to investigate living things. Children often have ideas about science which may not reflect reality and can be difficult to change. In this case it is necessary to scaffold and model alternative explanations for children. It is important that teachers use assessment information and evidence to address any misunderstandings or misconceptions that children may have. The strength of formative approaches to assessment is that difficulties can be addressed in the short term before misconceptions are too well cemented. Conclusion: The Government believes that primary education is about; ‘Children experiencing the joy of discovery, solving problems, being creative in writing, art and music, developing their confidence as learners and maturing socially and emotionally’ (DfES, 2003, p.4). Discovery and problem solving are central to science teaching and an effective programme for assessment can be used to facilitate this by enabling teachers to plan and devise lessons accordingly. Research has shown that implementing the essential features of formative assessment in classrooms leads to gains in achievement that are greater than those of equivalent groups where formative assessment is not practised (Harlen Qualter, 2004, 137). Marshall Drummond have pointed out that assessment for learning demands a high degree of organisation in the classroom if it is going to help pupils become independent learners (Marshall Drummond, 2006). It is essential that teachers feel sufficiently confident in respect of subject knowledge pertaining to science and plan interactive lessons for children that mirror the interactive nature of assessment for learning. In science learning children must begin with what they know. The teacher must therefore employ a range of strategies for gathering this information and must apply it to subsequent teaching. This can lead to quality teaching and learning in science and to positive experiences for children and their teachers. References: Assessment Reform Group (2006) The Role of Teachers in the Assessment of Learning. retrieved from www.assessment-reform-group.org – 18.01.07. Black, P., McCormick, R., James, M. Pedder, D. (2006) Learning how to learn and assessment for learning : A theoretical inquiry. Research Papers in Education, 21, 2, 119-132. Black, P. William, D. (1998) Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education, 5, 1, 7-74. Boyle,B. Bragg, J. (2006) A Curriculum Without Foundation. British Educational Research Journal 32,(4), 569-582. Braund, M. Reiss, M. (2006) Validity and Worth in the Science Curriculum: Learning School Science Outside the Laboratory. The Curriculum Journal, 17, 3, 213-228. Buldu,M. (2006) Young Children’s Perceptions of Scientists: A Preliminary Study. Educational Research, 48, 1, 121-132. Bullock, K. Muschamp, Y. (2006) Learning about learning in the primary school. Cambridge Journal of Education, 36, 1, 49-62. Cameron, L. (2002) Metaphors in the learning of science: A discourse focus. British Educational Research Journal. 28, 5, 637-688. Carr, J. J. (1993) The Art of Science: A Practical Guide to Experiments, Observations and Handling Data. San Diego:HighText Publications. Cheney, A., Flavell, H., Harrison, C, Hurst, G. Yates, C. (2002) Thinking Through Science. London: John Murray Publishers Clarina R.B. Koul, R. (2006) The Effects of Different Forms of Feedback on Fuzzy and Verbatim Memory of Science Principles. British Journal of Educational Psychology. 76, 259-270. Coles, M., Gott, R. Thornley, T. (1988) Active Science: Teacher’s Guide. London: Collins Educational. Department For Education and Skills (DfES)(2003) Excellence and Enjoyment. London: DfES. Driessen,G., Smit, F. Slegers, P. (2005) Parental Involvement and Educational Achievement. British Educational Research Journal, 31, 4, 509-532. Gray, D.S. Bryce,T. (2006) Socio-Scientific Issues in Science Education: Implications for the Professional Development of Teachers. Cambridge Journal of Education. 16, 2, 171-192. Harlen,W. (2001) The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools. London: David Fulton Publishers. Harlen, W. Jelly, S. (1998) Developing Science in the Primary Classroom. London: Longman. Harlen, W. Qualter, A. (2004)(4th edition) The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools. London: David Fulton Publishers. Hollins, M. Whitby, V. (1999) Progression in Primary Science: A Guide to the Nature and Practice in Key Stages 1 and 2. London: David Fulton Publishers. Howe, A., Davies, D., McMahon, K., Towler, L. Scott, T. (2005) Science 5-11: A Guide for Teachers. London: David Fulton Publishers. Jenkins, E.W. (2006) School science and citizenship: Whose science and whose citizenship? The Curriculum Journal, 17, 3, 197-211. Keogh, B. Naylor, S. (2004) Children’s ideas, children’s feelings. Primary Science Review, 82, 18-20. Kennedy, J. (Ed.) (1997) Primary Science: Knowledge and Understanding. London:Routledge. Layton, D. (1973) Science for the People: The Origins of the School Science Curriculum in England. London: Allen and Unwin. Lunn, S. (2002) ‘What We Think We Can Safely Say†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.’: Primary Teachers Views on the Nature of Science. British Educational Research Journal, 28, 5, 649-672. MacGilchrist, B., Myers, K. Reed, J. (2006) The Intelligent School. London: Sage Publications. Marshall, B. Drummond, M.J. (2006) How teachers engage with assessment for learning: lessons from the classroom. Research Papers in Education, 21, 2, 133-149. Mintzes, J.J., Wandersee, J.H. Novak, J.D. (2005) Assessing Science Understanding: A Human Constructivist View. San Diego: Elsevier Academic Press. O’Hear, P White,J. (1993) Assessing the National Curriculum. London: Paul Chapman. Osborne, R, Freyberg, P. (1991) Learning in Science: The Implications of Children’s Science. Auckland: Heinemann. Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. (QCA)(2000) Standards at Key Stage 2: English, Mathematics and Science: A Report for Headteachers, Class Teachers and Assessment Co-Ordinators on the 2000 National Curriculum Assessments for 11 Year Olds. Rubie-Davies, C., Hattie, J. Hamilton, R. (2006) Expecting the Best for Students: Teacher Expectation and Academic Outcomes. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 76, 429-444. Sherrington, R. (1993) Science and Language in R. Sherrington (Ed.) ASE Primary Science Teachers’ Handbook. Hemel Hempstead: Simon and Schuster Education. Sparks-Linfield, R. Warwick, P. (1998) Use of Language Across the Primary Curriculum. London: Routledge. Summers, M. (1994) Science in the Primary School: The Problem of Teachers’ Curricular Expertise. The Curriculum Journal, 5, 2, 179-193. Sutton,C. (1992) Words, Science and Learning. Buckingham: Open University Press. Task Group on Assessment and Testing (1988) Report. London: DES. Teacher Training Agency (TTA) (2002) Qualifying to Teach: Professional Standards for Qualified Teacher Status and Requirements for Initial Teacher Training. London: TTA. Traianou. A. (2006) Teachers’ adequacy of subject knowledge in primary science: Assessing constructivist approaches from a socio-cultural perspective. International Journal of Science Education, 28, 8, 827-842. Tymms,P. (2004) Are Standards Rising in English Primary Schools? British Educational Research Journal. 30, 4 ,477-494. Von Secker, C. (2004) Science achievements in social contexts: Analysis from National assessment of educational progress. Journal of Educational Research, 98, 2, 67-78. Ziman, J. (2000) Real Science: What it is and What it Means. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

the seven years war :: essays research papers

The Seven Years War "Plutot mourir que faillir"("Rather dying than failing")and â€Å"UBIQUE! QUO FAS ET GLORIA DUCUNT" â€Å"Everywhere! Where Right and Glory Lead.† The Seven Years war, or the French and Indian war to Americans, was arguably the first true world. The Seven years war was a worldwide war fought in Europe, North America, and India between. It was France, Austria, Russia, Saxony, Sweden, and (after 1762) Spain on the one side and Prussia, Great Britain, and Hanover on the other (the Americans where there only for the North American theater).This conflict was the result of the ongoing hostilities and the struggle of supremacy between France and Great Britain. In 1754, in North America, George Washington was defeated at Fort Necessity in western Pennsylvania. From that moment on, both France and Great Britain dispatched troops, although not in equal numbers. For France, the war in Europe was the top priority, so the country sent just a few troops. It also co nsidered it was more important to protect its colonies in the West Indies, since sugar cane was more lucrative than the fur trade in New France (Canada). Great Britain on the other hand was determined to destroy France's colonial empire, and it sent more than 20,000 soldiers to America. It must also be noted that American colonists were unable to defend themselves against their Canadian counterparts, who, with the help the Native Americans excelled in the art of the guerilla warfare. For New England, it was imperative to obliterate New France and its Native allies, which were preventing the States from acquiring and occupying new land (New England had a very large population and sought new land to occupy and farm.) France waste no time in the war and attacked the British held island of Minorca. This island ended up in the hands of the French. Although France did well in the war until 1757, the tide proceeded to turn, in favor of the British troops, after William Pitt became Sec. of state for war. The British won several victories right including the battle on the Plains of Abraham in 1759, when James Wolfe defeated the army of Montcalm. Things were far from over, however, because the final result depended on whether France was victorious or defeated. In the end, France was defeated on all fronts (West Indies, the subcontinent of India, Europe and America). The Treaty of Paris, signed by Great Britain, France, and Spain on February 10, 1763, ended the Seven Years' War and its American counterpart, the French and Indian War (1754-1763).