The Poor Relation by Charles Dickens Essay Example

The Poor Relation by Charles Dickens Essay Example The Poor Relation by Charles Dickens Essay The Poor Relation by Charles Dickens Essay The Poor Relation by Charles Dickens and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber Compare the Treatment of a Fictitious World by Both Authors In both The Poor Relation and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the main story revolves around the main characters tendency to live in a fantasy world. In this way the two short stories are very similar. However, the way the two authors, Dickens and Thurber, have treated this main theme is quite different. Firstly, the two stories are not the same. In The Poor Relation, Dickens has told the pitiful and yet undeserving story of a poor relative whos life has mostly been a disaster, though which he has lost everything, including his friends and companions. The story is set in the 19th Century, at a middle-class familys gathering. The poor relation stands up and tells his story. He starts by reminding the family about what they have seen of his life. He then goes on to claim that this is not the truth and that his real life is far different to anything they could have imagined. This is when he explains about this real life in great detail. However, Dickens adds a twist in the end. It turns out that the poor relations claim that he leads a secret life is actually false and it is simply his fantasy life; the life he wished he had led. His real life was in fact the one he had described at the beginning, a miserable and unlucky one. The life he wished he had led is the opposite of everything in his real life. The poor relation is a modest, shy, unlucky and dull character that is clearly feeling sorry for himself. In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the story is told in the past tense. It is a simple story, about a Mr. and Mrs. Mitty and their everyday life. Walter Mitty, however, has a strange habit of daydreaming. He is capable of turning the most boring of everyday situations and sights into a dramatic, action packed and humorous scene. For example, when he drives past a hospital, he imagines he is in charge of a complicated surgical operation in an operating theatre and when he sees a newspaper boy talking about a recent trial, he imagines he is the judge in a courtroom trial. He dreams these fantasy delusions to escape the dull life he leads with his bossy and slightly mad wife. Walter Mitty himself is a shy, laid back person. The story is set in the 1940s in America. The techniques used in these stories by the two authors are also different. In The Poor Relation, Dickens delves into the ficticious world once, although for a long passage, and we do not know until the end that this is fictitious. He uses suspense in the first half of the story as the poor relation tells his family that he is not what they think he is and is to tell the truth after he has explained what he describes as What I am supposed to be. This explanation of the real world and the fictitious world can easily be compared. For example, when he talks about his real life, he talks about his wife leaving him for rich man. In his dream world however, he states that one would expect her to go off with some rich man, but in fact she stayed with him and lived happily ever after. This emphasises his regret that his wife left him in reality. In The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, the fictitious world is mentioned several times and in short passages. The situation differs every time Walter Mitty dreams. He usually floats into a dream when he sees something that captures his imagination. For example, when he drove past the hospital. In real life, he does ordinary, boring things and is hen-pecked by his wife. He does as he is told, although reluctantly, because he is so far away in his own little world to care. It is clear from the beginning to see the difference between fiction and reality. It is interesting to compare the dull, uneventful real world Walter lives in to the exciting, dramatic and sometimes over-the-top world he dreams about. The language in the two stories reflects the language used at the time of writing. As The Poor Relation was written in and set in the Victorian age of England, Dickens time, it uses a formal, old-English language. As The Secret Life was written in the 1940s, after the Second World War, Thurber uses strange phrases and sayings from wartime/post-war America. Also, with Thurber being a 20th Century author, modern language has a greater effect on the language of the play. Therefore, The Poor Relation comes across as being more serious and formal as a pose to The Secret Life, which is informal and humorous. Also, through the presentation of the two different characters we get a better understanding of how and why they slip into and out of their dream lives. In The Poor Relation, Dickens presents the main character as a stubborn and yet very unlucky, old man who has obviously failed in life. Therefore he searches for something to make his life seem worthwhile, which he finds through describing his ideal course of life. Dickens uses a similar character in The Christmas Carol. In The Christmas Carol, the main character is Scrooge a very stubborn, ungrateful, old man who has obviously failed in life. Towards the end of the story, however, Scrooge wishes he could have led a finer and more honest life. There is a clear link between Scrooge and the Poor Relation. In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Thurber describes the main character in much the same way a shy, laid-back and yet still quite irritable husband who finds his life boring and meaningless. He is constantly being hen-pecked and nagged by his wife so much so, that he has gone past the point of caring. Therefore he searches for something fresh to keep him stimulated in life, which is where his fantasy world becomes relevant. Overall, I think that both Dickens and Thurber present their ideas of somebody living in a fictitious world with great effect. They both evoke pity for the main characters. Although more complicated to read and understand, The Poor Relation gets a better response from the reader. The reader feels sorry for the Poor Relation but the blame only lies on the Poor Relation; it was his fault that he had failed in life. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, however, is simpler and therefore easier to understand and enjoy. The reader feels genuine pity for Walter Mitty but also finds the situation in which he finds himself to be in humorous.

A Guide to the History of Mongooses

A Guide to the History of Mongooses Mongooses are members of the Herpestidae family, and they are small carnivorous mammals with 34 separate species found in about 20 genera. As adults, they range in size from 1-6 kilograms (2 to 13 pounds) in weight, and their body lengths range between 23-75 centimeters (9 to 30 inches). They are primarily African in origin, although one genus is widespread throughout Asia and southern Europe, and several genera are found only on Madagascar. Recent research on domestication issues (in the English language academic press, anyway), has principally focused on the Egyptian or white-tailed mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon). The Egyptian mongoose (H. ichneumon) is a medium-sized mongoose, adults weighing about 2-4 kg (4-8 lb.), with a slender body, about 50-60 cm (9-24 in) long, and a tail about 45-60 cm (20-24 in) long. The fur is grizzled gray, with a markedly darker head and lower limbs. It has small, rounded ears, a pointed muzzle, and a tasseled tail. The mongoose has a generalized diet that includes small to medium-sized invertebrates such as rabbits, rodents, birds, and reptiles, and they have no objections to eating the carrion of larger mammals. Its modern distribution is all over Africa, in the Levant from the Sinai peninsula to southern Turkey and in Europe in the southwestern part of the Iberian peninsula. Mongooses and Human Beings The earliest Egyptian mongoose found at archaeological sites occupied by humans or our ancestors is at Laetoli, in Tanzania. H. ichneumon remains have also been recovered at several South African Middle Stone Age sites such as Klasies River, Nelson Bay, and Elandsfontein. In the Levant, it has been recovered from Natufian (12,500-10,200 BP) sites of el-Wad and Mount Carmel. In Africa, H. ichneumon has been identified in Holocene sites and in the early Neolithic site of Nabta Playa (11-9,000 cal BP) in Egypt. Other mongooses, specifically the Indian gray mongoose, H. edwardsi, are known from Chalcolithic sites in India (2600-1500 BC). A small H. edwardsii was recovered from the Harrappan civilization site of Lothal, ca 2300-1750 BC; mongooses appear in sculptures and associated with specific deities in both Indian and Egyptian cultures. None of these appearances necessarily represent domesticate animals. Domesticated Mongooses In fact, mongooses dont seem to have ever been domesticated in the true sense of the word. They dont require feeding: like cats, they are hunters and can get their own dinners. Like cats, they can mate with their wild cousins; like cats, given the opportunity, mongooses will return to the wild. There are no physical changes in mongooses over time which suggest some domestication process at work. But, also like cats, Egyptian mongooses can make great pets  if you catch them at an early age; and, also like cats, they are good at keeping the vermin down to a minimum: a useful trait for humans to exploit. The relationship between mongooses and people seems to have taken at least a step towards domestication in the New Kingdom of Egypt (1539-1075 BC). New Kingdom mummies of Egyptian mongooses were found at the 20th dynasty site of Bubastis, and in Roman period Dendereh and Abydos. In his Natural History written in the first century AD, Pliny the elder reported on a mongoose he saw in Egypt. It was almost certainly the expansion of the Islamic civilization that brought the Egyptian mongoose into southwestern Iberian peninsula, likely during the Umayyad dynasty (AD 661-750). Archaeological evidence indicates that prior to the eighth century AD, no mongooses were to be found in Europe more recently than the Pliocene. Early Specimens of Egyptian Mongoose in Europe One nearly complete H. ichneumon was found in the Cave of Nerja, Portugal. Nerja has several millennia of occupations, including an Islamic period occupation. The skull was recovered from the Las Fantasmas room in 1959, and although the cultural deposits in this room date to the latter Chalcolithic, AMS radiocarbon dates indicate that the animal went into the cave between the 6th and 8th centuries (885-40 RCYBP) and was trapped. An earlier discovery was four bones (cranium, pelvis and two complete right ulnae) recovered from the Muge Mesolithic period shell middens of central Portugal. Although Muge itself is securely dated to between 8000 AD 7600 cal BP, the mongoose bones themselves date to 780-970 cal AD, indicating that it too burrowed into early deposits where it died. Both of these discoveries support the intimation that Egyptian mongooses were brought into southwestern Iberia during the expansion of the Islamic civilization of the 6th-8th centuries AD, likely the Ummayad emirate of Cordoba, 756-929 AD. Sources Detry C, Bicho N, Fernandes H, and Fernandes C. 2011.  The Emirate of Cà ³rdoba (756–929 AD) and the introduction of the Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) in Iberia: the remains from Muge, Portugal.  Journal of Archaeological Science  38(12):3518-3523.Encyclopedia of Life.  Herpestes. Accessed January 22, 2012Gaubert P, Machordom A, Morales A, Là ³pez-Bao JV, Veron G, Amin M, Barros T,  Basuony  M, Djagoun CAMS, San EDL et al. 2011.  Comparative phylogeography of two African carnivorans presumably introduced into Europe: disentangling natural versus human-mediated dispersal across the Strait of Gibraltar.  Journal of Biogeography  38(2):341-358.Palomares F, and Delibes M. 1993.  Social organization in the Egyptian mongoose: group size, spatial behaviour and inter-individual contacts in adults.  Animal Behaviour  45(5):917-925.Myers, P. 2000. Herpestidae (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed January 22, 2012 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich. edu/site/accounts/information/Herpestidae.html.Riquelme-Cantala JA, Simà ³n-Vallejo MD, Palmqvist P, and Cortà ©s-Snchez M. 2008.  The oldest mongoose of Europe.  Journal of Archaeological Science 35(9):2471-2473. Ritchie EG, and Johnson CN. 2009.  Predator interactions, mesopredator release and biodiversity conservation.  Ecology Letters 12(9):982-998.Sarmento P, Cruz J, Eira C, and Fonseca C. 2011.  Modeling the occupancy of sympatric carnivorans in a Mediterranean ecosystem.  European Journal of Wildlife Research  57(1):119-131.van der Geer, A. 2008  Animals in Stone: Indian mammals sculptured through time.  Brill: Leiden.

Implementation of Information System at Oman Company LLC Essay

Implementation of Information System at Oman Company LLC - Essay Example The essay "Implementation of Information System at Oman Company LLC" talks about the implementation of the information system at Oman Refineries and Petrochemicals Company LLC. It is a limited liability Company established vide the Royal Decree dated 23 September 2007 which stipulated the merger of Sohar Refinery Company LLC into Oman Refinery Company LLC. Twenty four years after the commissioning of the first Refinery in Oman, Sohar Refinery was commissioned in 2006 with a capacity of 116,000 bpd. Sohar Refinery was built with state-of-the-art technology to process the feedstock of long residue that is produced at MAF Refinery and blended with crude oil.The Government of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Finance, owns 75% of the Company’s shares, while the Oman Oil Company owns 25%. ORPC will continue to provide quality services and products, and with the two locations, it will take full advantage of the synergies and combined experiences in the business to benefit its cus tomers and all stakeholders.The Oman Oil Company has decided to update the traditional processing of the business operation. Here the business of the Oman Oil Company wants to establish better and effective technology regarding the management of the overall processing of the business information. Oman Oil Company has decided to establish and initiate the project of the Information system at the corporate processing plants. The main objective is to plan and manage the project in a way that the overall project turned out to be a success.

Disaster Management in Water Science Speech or Presentation

Disaster Management in Water Science - Speech or Presentation Example Furthermore, the water that has been tested from the treatment facilities show that the existing water is contaminated as it contains a lot of foreign traces of dirt which makes it unfit for human consumption. This is a major disaster that has engulfed the entire community which further contradicts the fact that ample clean water supply is essential for consumption. It is the duty of the county to ensure that clean and safe water is available for all people and animals. Dirty water bears the risk of causing numerous diseases such as typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis among others hence this calls for water treatment (Mwenda, 1999).I intend to inform the public in general on the importance of treating water before using it for various purposes such as cooking, drinking just to mention. According to Agnes (2000), she notes that that are several ways of treating water and none of them is perfect. She further argues that the best option is to combine several methods together so as to achieve desirable results. On the other hand, most microbes are killed as a result of water treatment but contaminants for instance salts, heavy metals and some chemicals are not removed (Molo, 2003). It is advisable to let all suspensions in water to settle down before one starts water treatment. Boiling water is considered to be one of the safest meth

Development of Youth Culture Essay Example for Free

Development of Youth Culture Essay There is no single reason for the development of culture; rather, it came about as a result of the number of different social changes occurring at the same time. These developments included the increasing economic power of young people, the influence of the USA and globalisation, social changes at the end of World War 2, development of the media, demographic change in the numbers of young people and the transition to adulthood. Defining youth culture can be difficult because different cultures and interruptions in employment status’s can affect the perspective of what â€Å"youth† is. Culture is the way we live within our culture and youth culture is the way youth lives within it but because of the difficulties youth culture could mean different things to different cultures. Youth culture developed in the early 1950’s, although the idea of youth as a phase in life has a longer history. Youth culture was first developed in America after World War 2, which then Britain decided to follow due to media and other influences from America. In my opinion the most important factor that developed youth culture was the economic changes in society. Due to the demand in workers after the Second World War there was an economic growth. The first person to realise the impact this was having on young people was Abram’s (1959) who analysed the increased economic power of the ‘teenage consumer’. There was a noticeable pattern in what was getting most money spent on, because young people were the age group spending the highest proportion of their income on leisure activities and music, clothes and cosmetics. This increase in economic power created the conditions for the emerging youth culture to develop. For the first time, young people had significant amounts of money to spend. Another extremely important factor for the development was the social change at the end of World War 2. There was much more opportunities for young people and possibilities at this time. Before the war, Britain was characterized by a class structure. By the time it came to the 1950s, we started to see a change in the economy and this opened up oppurtunities and individual expression. Judging on conventional standards, opportunities were becoming bigger. Cinema, art, literature and theatre began to explore new ideas. Amongst many new ideas was that young people were a distinctive group with new values and ideas about their place in society. The next important development for youth culture in my opinion was the influence of the USA and globalisation. With the changing culture and the growth in affluence of the 1950s, there was a ready market for American goods and culture, which included rock and roll music and other products aimed at the new ‘teenage market’. A quote from Leech (’76) saying ‘youthquake’ explained how a change in the new youth was such a sudden change it was like an earthquake. Globalisation recognised what young people wanted and advertised it more. I think the next development of the youth culture which was important was the growth and specialization of media. Media was becoming a lot more popular and so was advertisement. The media started to advertise the products that young people during that time wanted and this was a massive boost for the economics and spread quickly across the world. The 1950’s saw an explosion of different sorts of media. This was only possible because of the growth in social diversity and an increase in spending power that persuaded companies to spend large amounts of money advertising the new media. As a high-spending and newly discovered group, young people became the target for advertisers and hence the commercial media competed to attract this market. Another social condition that made the development of youth culture possible was transition to adulthood. Transition refers to the movement from being economically and socially dependent on parents, towards independence. The length of transition increased over the 20th century as the average period in education. Due to the longer age of being in education, it meant that typical adult responsibilities were taken on increasingly later in life, leaving young people with a number of years where they were physically mature but without the responsibilities of adulthood. This caused young people to want their own place in society. The last social condition that helped youth culture become possible was the demographic change in numbers of young people. After the war because couple had been split for so long because of hundreds of men being sent abroad, many sexual experiences had been delayed for years. The result was that when the men were released from the armed forces in 1945/46, there was a huge increase in birth rate. Although many of the children born at this time were not ‘teenagers’ until the end of 1950’s, they did ensure that youth culture continued and grew as a cultural form. Around 50 to 60 years ago, for the first time, a youth culture appeared to be emerging – young people appeared to be developing their own values, customs, tastes, clothes, music and language. After studying and discussing all the different social conditions that developed youth culture I have discovered that youth culture wasn’t made overnight. It took all these 6 main factors to create this culture and carry it on until this day. Economics was the most important condition in my opinion due to the fact that it all started because of the economic boost after World War 2. America was the country that started this youth culture and Britain followed it after the war ended. Abercrombie et al. (2000) has suggested that youth culture has three distinguishing features: leisure, style and peer group.

Comparing Romanticism in Plymouth Plantation, Birthmark, and Rappaccini

  Ã‚     Puritanism and Romanticism differ in style, religious references, and plot content. Puritanism began to flourish with strict God-fearing Calvinists who had fled to America to escape religious persecution in Europe. With writers such as William Bradford and Edward Taylor, Puritan literature focuses on God's role in the lives of the people and adopts a simple religious style of writing. Romanticism was introduced to Americans in the nineteenth century, delivering a fresh literary and artistic style. This new literature pays more attention to the elements of tone, mood, and atmosphere, while also applying religion in the form of transcendentalism. These two types of literature are similar in the respect that they both encourage living simply. Puritan writers were concerned more with the message the literature portrayed than with form and dramatic elements. "Poetry was used to educated its reader, and was written using simple rhythm and common images" (Heimert 34). Puritan literature was plain in style. Much attention focused on God's will in the new world, man's relation to God, the nature of faith, and the history of New England. We can see these elements in the writings of William Bradford, the Governor of the Plymouth colony. "Of Plymouth Plantation" is considered to be New England's first literary achievement. It "is an historical account of the journey to the new world, and the hardships encountered upon arrival" (Fritscher 81). This poem was written to "preserve both the record and the fact of Plymouth's separate identity" (Heimert 51). Bradford's objective was to preach God's purpose in the founding of the Plymouth colony. "Of Plymouth Plantation" has two major themes: how Plymouth had failed the original goal of e... ...uestioning of reason and nature separated him from the Puritans. Yet both Romanticism and Puritanism are similar with their respect for simplicity, while they differ in many other ways.   Works Cited Boewe, Charles. "Rappaccini's Garden." American Literature. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1959. Fritscher, John. "The Sensibility and Conscious Style of Willaim Bradford." Bucknell Review. 1969. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown and Other Short Stories. New York: Dover Publications, INC. 1992. Heimer, Alan. The Puritans in America: A Narrative Anthology. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1985. Leone, Bruno, ed. Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne. San Diego: Greenhave Press, 1996. McPherson, Hugo. Hawthorne as a Myth-Maker: A Study in the Imagination. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1989. Morison, Samuel. Of Plymouth Plantation. New York, Knopf, 1952.

Change and Organizations Essay

Change in organizations is an ongoing process. Change can either be planned or an unexpected result of a decision or other event (Grossman & Valiga, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss a change that has been implemented within the organization. Identity of the Instituted Change The changes necessitated by healthcare reform and consequences of the economy are challenging hospital administrators to decide how they will thrive and respond. A change instituted by the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) at the hospital where I am employed is the discontinuation of special pay practices. The special pay practices involved are compensation for 40 hours per week when actual worked hours are 36 and compensation for at least a 4 hour minimum. This change has a positive financial impact which allows for growth of the organization. However, if not managed effectively, this change could have a negative effect on staff morale. Decisions by Leader Before implementing the discontinuation of special pay practices, the CNO communicated the goal to the directors and managers of the organization. A plan for roll out to the organization was developed. By building upon and partnering with leaders of the organization, successful shaping of the future can occur (Grossman & Valiga, 2009). While this change created turmoil within the organization, the leaders were armed with the necessary information to positively respond to employees. The CNO clearly defined the vision for the future of the organization. Pointing out with the disappearance of special pay practices, the decision was made to increase certification pay and tuition reimbursement. This change gives way to empowerment of self and aids in achieving personal and professional goals. According to Grossman and Valiga (2009), the leader can help staff rise to their highest level of competency. Connection to the Organization Interconnected pieces of the organization that can be effected by the CNO’s decisions are structural, political, human resource, and organizational culture (Grossman & Valiga, 2009). The structural piece is connected by effecting nursing departments throughout the organization. While those departments with 8 hour shifts are minimally effected, those with 12 hour shifts are significantly impacted. The political piece has ramifications of a positive nature for the organization. Funds that are saved from the special pay practices change can be utilized to augment other programs for growth. The human resource piece has a significant impact by the decision to delete the special pay practices. Employees are affected by a decrease in pay resulting in employee dissatisfaction if the change is not accepted or understood. Organizational culture is affected by removing special pay practices as an option, going forward; the culture will focus on certification pay and tuition reimbursement. The new way or new leadership will adjust to form relationships and connect others to challenge old, bureaucratic organizational structures and old ways of doing things (Grossman & Valiga, 2009). Summary The discontinuation of special pay practices is a change that has been implemented within the organization. Leaders of the organization were given the necessary information to respond to employees as a result of the change. Decisions made effect the structural, political, human resource, and culture of an organization. Reference Grossman, S.C., & Valiga, T.M., (2009). The new leadership challenge: Creating the future of nursing (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA

Leadership and Management Essay

Education is a very important institution due to the role it plays in transmitting social skills and knowledge required of any member of the society (Hofman, Gray & Daly, 2004). It is worth noting that the levels of development of a country’s education systems bears close correlation to the economic and social conditions that the said country will afford. It is therefore upon members of the society and the education system to ensure that members of the society achieve as much as possible from this system. High attainment in eduction is far much beneficial than low level education in the modern society due to the high level of educational attainment. A doctorate degree is currently what an undergraduate degree was in the 1990’s (Hofman, Gray & Daly, 2004). The level of educational attainment requires an individual to posses at least a masters degree to stand out among others. The need to stand above others and gain some advantage over them in the competitive job market is the main reason for my pursuance of a doctoral degree. In choosing educational leadership and management of higher institutions in Singapore the key consideration was my vocation. I have personally worked in the educational field in different capacity. Having served as an assistant head of international programs at Crestar institute, human resource management with a Christian association, lectured English at Kaplan city campus and being a full time consultant trainer at NTUC, my life has centred around management and higher institution of learning. Understanding the nature of higher education leadership and management in Singapore is therefore relevant to my career. Relevance of USQ Doctorate studies is about mastery and application of principles and theories studied in class. A doctorate graduate should be able to analyse and relate issues related to their area of specialisation by giving varied dimension. Doctorate graduates are expected to be above other levels not just in their approach to thinking but they must also display high levels of norms and values expected of the society (Mok, 2006). Mastery of principles that are relevant to the needs of the society, and the development of norms and values that are expected of the society are just but a few of the benefits expected of a USQ professional doctorate; it is thus clear that the program not only makes better specialists but also better members of the society by integrating the values of determination, team spirit and courage into the students. The role played by the education system just like any other social systems cannot be done by any other system. Propagation of social norms and development of skills that are relevant to the needs of the society are some of the objectives of the education system. Though the education systems is one of the oldest institution, the development of the higher educations sector in Singapore is a recent event. Singapore’s education system though quite organised as compared to its neighbours’ is faced with a number of challenges (Lee & Fredriksen, 2008). Most challenges in the education system can be traced to the management and leadership of the education system. Despite the education system being a social systems it still falls prey to the effects of partisan politic. The involvement of the central government on educational matter cannot be avoided since the education system is under the government’s care, however, the education system should be shielded from the negative effects of poor politics. Corruption lack of professional knowledge and nepotisms are some of the issue that affect the education systems at the low level. Researching on education management and leadership in higher education sector not only develops my research skills but also ensure awareness on issues that affect management and leadership of higher education sector and is therefore relevant to efficient delivery in future. Personal Capabilities Doctorate studies require good academic background and interest in the area of study. Determination defines me; level of education attainment and the nature of jobs that I have been involved in give me the experience and skills required to undertake a doctorate course. I am well versed in the management of the education system and problems faced by low level personnel like tutors and professors. My position places me in a situation where I can look at the issues from both the management and implementation level which is a capability that few have. My academic qualification is beyond question for I am a holder of a masters degree in education. I therefore possess the skills and qualification required of doctorate degree and there is no cause for worry on my abilities. Literature Review The education system thought critical to the development of the society is no stranger to controversy. Implementation of the education system goals has especially been under fire with some coming up with the view that the education system, just like any other social system is responsible for social reproduction (Kassem, Mufti & Robinson, 2006). The education systems is seen by such critics as a tool used by those in power to ensure they maintain their position while disregarding the needs of the less empowered. It is quite true that commercialisation of education has led to increase in levels of educational attainment. Increase in levels of educational attainment is characterised by increase in the cost of acquiring higher education. The costs of education at a level that is relevant to the development of technical skills required by the job market is high and borders exploitation (Kassem, Mufti & Robinson, 2006). Projection shows that the cost of education is likely to go up with increase in demand for education. This is blamed on commercialisation of education which has made it business like and therefore probe to the market forces of supply and demand the only differences being that the demand is always on a high. On the other hand, the commercialisation of education and strategies developed by the government and other stakeholders who are blamed for the problems facing education by social reproduction theorists is cited as the first step towards the development of the high education sector (Mok, 2006). Take China as an example, the reforms which included allowing privatisation of the higher education sector and formulation and implementation of cost sharing mechanism are cited as the key driving factors to the levels of development achieved (Mok, 2006).

Graphing Calculators essays

Graphing Calculators essays Students begin the study of algebra. The numbers of those who do not understand are gradually reduced. They struggle at first, and eventually most begin to understand. Or do they? Studies would suggest otherwise. A great amount of research has been done in the past decade in an attempt to find out why Americans are consistently near the bottom on international comparative studies in mathematics. The minimum requirements of most universities establish a passing high school grade in one algebra, and one geometry course, as necessary for acceptance. Failure to meet these requirements excludes thousands each year from college entrance. A significantly large percentage of those who do pass, enter college with deficiencies in mathematics. Even upon completion of college algebra the struggle is not over. Calculus is the final summit that looms over the prospective college graduate. Demana (1995) says, Though college students may have had as much as 2 Â ½ years of algebra instruction, one of the most common complaints that we hear from our colleagues about college calculus students is that the algebra preparation for calculus is very poor. And it is our experience that this criticism is a valid one. American performance when compared internationally is alarmingly, but not surprisingly weak. In a recent study that compared four nations, the United States was ranked last. In most areas of relevance, Americans were three to five times behind the other countries (Brenner, Herman, Hsiu-Zu Ho, Barbara, 1999). The focus of much research on international mathematics competency has been the ability of the pupil to obtain a correct answer (Herman, 1995). In the study entitled Cross National Comparison of Representational Competence (Brenner, Herman, Hsiu-Zu Ho, Barbara, 1999), the authors take a unique approach. Past research establishes that American students tend to utilize a visual technique in ...

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Biography

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Biography Arguably the most conservative justice in recent U.S. Supreme Court history, Clarence Thomas is well-known for his conservative/libertarian leanings. He strongly supports states rights and takes a strict constructivist approach to interpreting the U.S. Constitution. He has consistently taken political conservative positions in decisions dealing with executive power, free speech, the death penalty and affirmative action. Thomas is unafraid of voicing his dissent with the majority, even when it is politically unpopular. Early Life Thomas was born June 23, 1948, in the small, impoverished town of Pin Point, Ga., the second of three children born to M.C. Thomas and Leola Williams. Thomas was abandoned by his father at the age of two and left to the care of his mother, who raised him as a Roman Catholic. When he was seven, Thomas mother remarried and sent him and his younger brother to live with his grandfather. At his grandfathers request, Thomas left his all-black high school to attend seminary school, where he was the only African American on campus. Despite experiencing extensive racism, Thomas nevertheless graduated with honors. Formative Years Thomas had considered becoming a priest, which was one reason he chose to attend St. John Vianneys Minor Seminary in Savannah, where he was one of just four Black students. Thomas was still on track to be a priest when he attended Conception Seminary College, but he left after hearing a student utter a racist comment in response to the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Thomas transferred to the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, where he founded the Black Student Union. After graduation, Thomas failed a military medical exam, which excluded him from being drafted. He then enrolled in Yale Law School. Early Career Immediately after graduating from law school, Thomas found it difficult to obtain a job. Many employers falsely believed that he received his law degree due only to affirmative action programs. Nevertheless, Thomas landed a job as an assistant US attorney for Missouri under John Danforth. When Danforth was elected to the U.S. Senate, Thomas worked as a private attorney for an agriculture firm from 1976 to 1979. In 1979, he returned to work for Danforth as his legislative assistant. When Ronald Reagan was elected in 1981, he offered Thomas a job as Assistant Secretary of Education in the Office of Civil Rights. Thomas accepted. Political Life Not long after his appointment, the president promoted Thomas to head the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. As director of the EEOC, Thomas angered civil rights groups when he shifted the focus of the agency from filing class-action discrimination lawsuits. Instead, he concentrated on reducing discrimination in the workplace, and emphasizing his philosophy of self-reliance for African Americans, chose to pursue individual discrimination suits. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush appointed Thomas to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington DC. Supreme Court Nomination Less than a year after Thomas was appointed to the appeals court, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall- the nations first African American Justice- announced his retirement. Bush, impressed with Thomas conservative positions, nominated him to fill the position. Facing a Democrat-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee and the wrath of civil rights groups, Thomas faced stiff opposition. Recalling how conservative Judge Robert Bork had doomed his nomination by providing detailed answers at his confirmation hearings, Thomas was hesitant to provide lengthy answers to interrogatories. Anita Hill Just before the end of his hearings, an FBI investigation was leaked to the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding sexual harassment allegations leveled at Thomas by former EEOC staff worker Anita Hill. Hill was aggressively questioned by the committee and offered shocking details of Thomas alleged sexual misconduct. Hill was the only witness to testify against Thomas, although  another staffer offered similar allegations in a written statement.   Confirmation Although Hills testimony had transfixed the nation, preempted soap operas and competed for airtime with the World Series, Thomas never lost is composure, maintaining his innocence throughout the proceedings, yet expressing his outrage at the circus the hearings had become. In the end, the judiciary committee was deadlocked at 7-7, and the confirmation was sent to the full Senate for a floor vote with no recommendation being made. Thomas was confirmed 52-48 along partisan lines in one of the narrowest margins in Supreme Court history. Service to the Court Once his nomination was secured and he took his seat on the High Court, Thomas quickly asserted himself as a conservative justice. Aligned primarily with conservative justices William Rehnquist and Antonin Scalia, Thomas is nonetheless his own man. He has offered lone dissenting opinions, and at times, has been the sole conservative voice on the Court.

McWorld Vs. Jihad by Benjamin Barber Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

McWorld Vs. Jihad by Benjamin Barber - Essay Example Neither of these two sides wishes to compromise, as the corporations are only worried about expanding their company in order to maximize profits and the tribal communities are only concern with keeping the corporations away, so conflict will always exist. Also, neither of these two sides is interested in democracy, so a battle of wills is taking place in these regions. This book does an excellent job of describing the problems that have occurred since globalization became a reality and the ideas that are presented here can be applied to a number of present day issues in society. The most obvious place where this ideology can be applied is in the Middle East, where militants have become tired of the Americanization of their economies and have decided to do something about it. In these places, war has always been a common answer to problems, as the various tribes in these areas have been feuding for centuries. Conflict is nothing new in the Middle East, so it should not be surprising that there has been a violent uprising in response to the globalization that had been attempting to sweep through the region. Since the region is very rich in oil reserves, corporations feel as though there are ways to make money off of the situation. This greed has made the area very attractive, but this attraction has come at a price. Different groups of people lay claim to various regions in the Middle East, even to the point where the present day borders are disputed regularly. Jihad and McWorld are moving in completely opposite directions, with one siding wishing to make the world a smaller place and the other side wishing to isolate the various tribes so that they each have their own space and are left alone. The problem, according to Barber, is that neither of these sides act democratically, which will causes for the current problems to last well into

Argument essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Argument - Essay Example In the light of the above, it may be argued that it is necessary to keep cultural traditions even if a person has moved into a new country because old culture has its own relevance in an individual’s life. Americanized immigrants like Vietnamese believe that their children will not keep their traditions alive because they do not understand why the rituals are performed on occasions. They believe that the tradition will culminate with the present generation. The children of immigrants have no idea about the prayers to be made to long departed souls. Though the old generation makes it a point to perform all the cultural traditions in varying occasions even if they live in the United States asking for the protection and guidance of the departed souls, their children are only interested in worldly matters of studies, degrees and recognitions. The agrarian ethos of family and worship has given way to the obsession of individual’s glories and ambitions. Keeping tradition alive, however, does not move away from the responsibility of the Americanized younger immigrant generations because at some point of time they regret and feel guilt for not carrying forward their cultural values (Lam 2003). It may be noted that there is not such element as timeless tradition because immigrants consider life of their ethnic society from a different perspective in a foreign land. To keep the tradition alive, immigrants usually build up their version of tradition by re-conceptualizing their past in the new foreign society to discuss issues and dilemmas. The invented tradition has a significance of its own because immigrants interpret and function in the present society according to the cultural models of the past. Factors that help immigrants to keep their cultural traditions of their home country alive are strong immigrant institutions and communities, ethnic networks and transnational relations. In