163482-635 Essays - Chemical Elements, Reducing Agents, Free Essays

163482-635 Essays - Chemical Elements, Reducing Agents, Free Essays 163482-635 Nam e Ali Alkhaja Grade 8(s ) MYP Science Title: Periodic table Key concept: Change Related concepts: Form, change function Global contexts: Scientific and technical innovation Topic : Reactivity series of metals Statement of inquiry: Knowledge - challenging discoveries evolve the periodic table's form to enhance its function of showing trends in the physical and chemical properties of elements. Inquiry questions: Factual : What do atoms look like? Conceptual : How do atoms can be structured? Debatable: What are the limits of scientific understanding in building periodic table? Mr.Nithin MYP Assessment Criteria Criterion B : Inquiring and designing Criterion C : Processing and evaluating Writing a lab report about " Reactivity of metals with water HCl" Due date is on Tuesday 1/Dec/2015 late submission will get zero mark Theory: The Reactivity Series of Metals is an arrangement of the metals in order of their reactivity starting with the most reactive metal at the top and ending with the least reactive metal at the bottom. The reactivity of a metal is determined by its ability to do a chemical reaction. Some metals are strongly reactive with water or HCl like potassium; some metals are weakly reactive such as copper. The reactivity series of metals was deduced by performing several experiments in the lab which enabled scientists to arrange metals according to their reactivity with HCl and water. The reaction of metals with HCl can be described in chemical formula: Metal + HCl Metal Chloride (salt) + Hydrogen e.g. Mg + 2HCl MgCl 2 + H 2 The reaction of metals with water can be described in chemical formula: Metal + water Metal Hydroxide + Hydrogen e.g. 2K + 2H 2 O 2KOH + H 2 The Hydrogen gas is flammable . A lighted wooden splint or lighter makes a popping sound in a test tube of hydrogen. Aims : In this investigation you will be able to: Draw reactivity series for different metals Test for hydrogen gas. Explain the reaction between metals and acid. Explain the reaction between metals and water. Compare the reactivity series for both metals with water and metals with acid. Describe the chemical reaction of metals with HCl and water. Materials 10 test tubes Test tube rack Thermometer 25 mL HCl (0.5 M) [ 5 mL for each test tube] 25 mL distilled water [ 5 mL for each test tube] Stopwatch Same size d pieces of metals ( Magnesium "Mg" , Calcium "Ca" , Aluminum "Al", Zinc "Zn" , Copper "Cu") Procedure : Follow the safety rules in the chemistry lab. Gather the following metals: metals ( Magnesium "Mg" , Calcium "Ca" , Aluminum "Al", Zinc "Zn" , Copper "Cu" ) Measure the acid's temperature (T i ) by using thermometer before you drop the metal into it. Remove thermometer then drop the metal into the test tube and start the stopwatch for 2 min. then observe and write your notes about the reaction.(e.g. number of bubbles, change the color, the metal disappears, smell .etc). [Hint: some reactions are instant you have to measure the final temperature directly no need to wait two minutes] U se thermometer to record the highest temperature (T f ) for each reaction . Record your measurements and observations in a suitable table. Repeat the same steps for each metal. Repeat the same steps (1 to 7) by using water. Record your measurements in another table. Work with your partner. Note as many changes as you can and discuss what you think is causing them. Communicate scientific information effectively using scientific language correctly. Present all the information appropriately using symbolic and/or visual representation accurately according to the chosen application . D escribe a problem or question to be tested by a scientific investigation O utline and explain a testable hypothesis using correct scientific reasoning D escribe how to manipulate the variables, and describe how sufficient, relevant data will be collected Design a logical, complete and safe method in which he or she selects appropriate materials and equipment. D iscuss the validity of the method based on the outcome of a scientific investigation D escribe improvements or extensions to the method that would benefit the scientific investigation . Part 1 : Introduction Problem statement: Which metals have a higher

Sample Recommendation Letter From Teacher

Sample Recommendation Letter From Teacher Recommendation letters are almost always required as part of the fellowship program or college application process. It is a good idea to get at least one recommendation from someone who is familiar with your academic performance. This person can speak about your desire to learn, your ability to pick things up quickly, your achievements, or anything else that shows you are serious about your education. This sample recommendation letter was written by a teacher for a fellowship applicant and shows how a recommendation letter should be formatted. A Sample Letter of Recommendation from a Teacher To Whom it May Concern,I am privileged to write in support of my dear friend and student, Dan Peel. Dan studied in my classroom and laboratory program for close to three years, during which time I witnessed his tremendous growth and development. This development came not only in the area of business achievement and leadership but in maturity and character as well.Dan entered Whitman at the young age of 16, a precocious high school graduate. At first, he had difficulty accepting his place as a young, less experienced lab member. But soon, he learned the valuable trait of humility and enjoyed the opportunity to learn from his older peers and his professors.Dan quickly learned to manage his time, work in group situations under strict deadlines, and to recognize the importance of a strong work ethic, persistence, and intellectual integrity. He has long since become the most valuable member of my student-lab team, and a role model for his newer classmates.I recommend Dan to your fellowshi p program with absolute confidence. He has made me proud, as his teacher and friend, and I am sure will continue to do so as he grows in your business program and beyond.Thank you for the opportunity of correspondence,Sincerely,Dr. Amy Beck,Professor, Whitman

Irony Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Irony - Essay Example The underlying irony is the attempt to highlight the harassment meted out to women of the Victorian era. Women couldn't live life on their own terms, due to social norms and mores. The situation itself is ironic, considering that the male in the poem liberates the women from leading a life of misery by sticking to these social limitations and boundaries. The irony adopts the form of a Dramatic Irony. Evidently, the ironic idea further the hidden theme of the exploitation of women in the Victorian era. Similarly, 'Ozymandias', by P.B.Shelley is another work that contains an underlying message. The poem talks about Ozymandias, who rises to power and falls in Egypt. The underlying irony is the very fact that in spite of all the power one attains, it becomes history at some point or the other and goes into oblivion. This applies to governments and all those who lust for power; for eventually, it's all gone! The irony here is more of a situational irony, considering the spiritual and more mature outlook that the poet tries to portrays as a part of the irony. The next poem we could consider is Ariel Dorfman's 'Hope', which is an irony on the pain and suffering that engulfs the world of mankind. His poem is a philosophical irony, and is a reflection and revelation into the miseries that this world. W.H.Auden's '

Christianity and Native America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Christianity and Native America - Essay Example However, what is often overlooked and unasked is that whether those who rabidly defend political correctness, and attack those who disagree with their perspective could have refrained from the same kind of evangelistic fervor if confronted with a people who were savagely killing each other. One can only wonder if the politically correct missionaries (or police) would have made it any farther than the shores of the new land. The Spanish missionaries sent forward by the catholic church of Europe, although they were met with resistance, did forge relationships with the Indian tribes, and assist them in transitioning into a lifestyle that was more advantageous for them. These missionaries also were some of the forerunners for the settlers who would follow. Their work opened the doors for European settlers to establish working relationships with Indian peoples, if only in limited areas and with limited success. But missionaries measure there success not in terms of states and land mass, b ut rather in terms of the number of individuals touched and benefiting from their work. On the other hand, the Catholics' missionary zeal directed toward the new world was misguided in more than one instance. These missionaries did not understand the concept of evangelizing and spreading their faith without including a secondary goal of changing the evangelized people's culture as well. Arriving to their new "mission field" the missionaries only had their own experience to draw from. The catholic missionary work across the European continent was performed within a people group that had, for the most part, arisen from the same culture roots. All of Europe had grown out of, and out from under the influence of the Greco - Roman Empire. The continent had been conquered and re-conquered a number of times, and each time, the victorious nations would sew into the culture more of its own world view and belief system. So, while the nations and regions had different traditions, languages, etc, the continent was, as it is today, a product of a Greco-roman belief system which had been strongly influenced by Christianity for 1400 years. Upon arrival in the new world, the catholic missionaries had only their own experiences to draw from. They did not understand the concept of teaching a faith in Jesus Christ without including the effort to transpose their culture upon the new converts as well. According to the Marquette University studies of Christianity in North America: "Catholic evangelization of the Americas' aboriginal Indian peoples is a story of epic proportions. It is a saga on spreading the Gospel for over 500 years and it is a struggle for peace and justice, cultural accommodation, and the development of indigenous Christian faith communities." (2003) Today, the Catholic Church understands the goal is to create indigenous communities within the local people groups who embrace the catholic faith. However, at the time of the settlement of North America, this theory was not in place. The Roman Catholic Church viewed itself as the repository of civilized culture, and their goal was to bring local native peoples into their faith and culture regardless of the means necessary. For example, one of the most famous settlements of catholic missionaries which still exists for examination today are the set of five missions built in the

Domestic domestic violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Domestic domestic violence - Essay Example The description and nature of domestic violence bears dissimilarity across countries. The laws and constitutional priorities of a region influence the characterization of domestic violence. Violence is a societal issue of distress. This means that it may be construed differently in unrelated areas. The forms of domestic violence vary by definition. It may range from emotional exploitation to physical resentment. In addition, there exists sexual cruelty or even financial misappropriation. All these forms of mistreatments are encompassed in domestic violence. The effects of domestic violence often trickle down to all household members (Stover). Its undesirable effects not only include terrorization and psychological cessation, but it also results in grievance and grave harm to general well-being. Depression and sexual dysfunction also follow in dangerous cases. In contrast, domestic violence may have some positive effects. In some societies, it is an approach of raising children in an upright manner. For instance, in some families, discipline involves corporal punishment or caning of children. It all hangs on the region, and the supposed meaning of domestic

Target Market of Nike

Target Market of Nike To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. A mission statement is a statement of the organizations purpose- what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment. Nike has evolved a lot over the years, from a US-based footwear distributor to a global manufacturer and marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and equipment. Over the years of this evolution the target market for the company has kept on evolving. Market segmenting, by grouping together with similar needs, provides a commercially viable method of serving these customers. According to the Nikes official website the goal of the company is to carry on with innovating thinking to develop product that helps athletes of every level of ability to reach the potential they are capable of and side by side create business opportunities that set Nike apart from the various competitors. According to the official website of Nike the core consumer categories is action sports, basketball, football (soccer), mens training, running, sportswear and womens training. Thus in a way the primary target market for the company are athletes. Keeping this in mind I have selected a new athlete shoe as my product. The Marketing Mix For our case study we have concentrated on the traditional 4Ps marketing mix. Nike is one of the pioneers in marketing and has one of the strongest Marketing Mix. Product We define a product as anything that is offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption and that might satisfy a want or a need. Jim Blythe rightly said product brought to satisfy personal and family needs are consumer goods and Nike caters to all the relevant aspects in terms of its products and understanding consumers. A customer would emphasis at the three levels of benefit from product. Core Product Actual Product Augmented Product Core Product: The Problem solving services or core benefits that consumers are really buying when they obtain a product. Briefly it can so be said that Nike deals in four core categories which is footwear, apparel, equipment, accessory product. Actual Product: A products parts, quality level, features, design, brand name, packaging and other attributes that combine to deliver core product benefits, Nike has taken these factor into special consideration in terms of the product it brings in the market. Augmented Product: Additional consumer service and benefits built around the core and actual product, it is so said the more you keep your customers satisfied and happy the better for the business and Nike has given priority to these factors one being after sale service. Nike considered Design creates performance innovation products that minimize environmental impact by reducing waste throughout the design and development process, using environmentally preferred materials and eliminating toxics. Nike designers make smart, sustainable design choices at the start of their creative process, working to achieve breakthroughs to solve the big problems that hinder progress toward a sustainable future Internally, NIKE works across product teams and with groups ranging from the hub of product design and creation functions to influence the development of short-, mid- and long-range projects that make progress toward closed-loop products. The product choose is a new shoe for athletes manufactured after doing research and talking to making athletes to find out there requirements and needs of a shoe. The product will be light as well as durable and will athletes to run faster and more easily. Promotion Promotion, according to Kotler and Armstrong (2010), mean activities that communicate the merits of the product and persuade target customers to buy it. Promotion for Nike is the most critical and though about part of the marketing mix. Nike uses the following tools to promote its brand: Tool 1: Advertising Advertising, according to Kotler and Armstrong (2010), is any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, or services by an identified sponsor. The basis thing that Nike does through its advertising is makes its corporate visual identity: the swoosh, as popular as it can get. Corporate identity is a broad term referring to the set of meanings by which an object allows itself to be known and through which it allows people to describe, remember and relate to it (van Rekom, 1997). The literature suggests that firms who standardize their global corporate visual identity achieve communication benefits beyond the usual marketing mix (Melewar and Saunders, 2000). In all of the banner, newspaper advertisements, holdings, T.V commercial and even on their product Nike is recognized now through the swoosh instead of the brand name. Advertisements have been instrumental in marketing most of Nikes products(Hunger Wheelen, 2003). Tool 2: Personal Selling Personal Selling, according to Kotler and Armstrong (2010), is personal presentation by the firms sales force for the purpose of making sales and building customer relationships. Nike has setup two mediums through which it achieves personal selling: Nike has set up Nike exclusive store across the globe though help of distributor where one to one marketing of the brand is carried out by the sales person with in the stores and second Nike has setup a virtual store where any one visit anytime of the day and not just order the product even customize it. Tool 3: Sponsorship Sponsorship, according to Fahy, Farrelly and Quester (2004), has been viewed as an appealing communication tool, given the increasing clutter and fragmentation of the traditional mass media. Nike sponsors numerous sporting personalities in a wide range of sporting activities; for example: Tiger Woods in Golf, Wayne Rooney in Football, Roger Federer in Tennis (Brown, 2010). The strategic role of sponsorship is to attain advantage in the competitive market where the sponsorship must rise above the clutter and effectively resists the efforts of competitors to ambush it (Fahy, Farrelly and Quester, 2004). Nike has been known to use ambush marketing strategy for a long time now. The Just Do It campaign helped Nike to increase its market share. Nike increased its share of the domestic sport-shoe business from 18 percent to 43 percent, from $877 million to $9.2 billion in just ten years between 1998 and 2008. This campaign made Nike so identifiable that Nike stopped using the word Nike in the commercials, the swoosh was enough for the customer to understand whos ad they were seeing. By 2000s, just as the evolution of Nike product has occurred, the approach of the company towards marketing has also evolved. In 2002, Nike started its very first global marketing effort through the Secret Tournament campaign. Secret Tournament is an integrated approach which has now become the cornerstone marketing and communication effort by Nike. Ambush marketing is an effective way by which Nike over the years has promoted its brand and increased its brand image. Ambush marketing occurs when one brand pays to become an official sponsor of an event and another competing brand attempts to cleverly connect itself with the event, without paying the sponsorship fee and more frustratingly without breaking any law. Now the product that we are forwarding is specifically for athletes but can be used by anyone who wants to be fit. Thus again ambush marketing will be used. The product poster and advertising will be everywhere. The main cost in the marketing mix will be given to promotion to get the product successful. Place Nike has come a long way from when its founders used to sell the shoes out of the trunk of their cars until the first Nike store was built in 1966. During the November of 1990, Nike opened its retail- as- theatre experience called Nike town in Portland. Nike town won many architectural design and retail awards. Nike then also opened a dozen of other Nike town around USA and also internationally. According to Jobber (2004), Place involves decision concerning the distribution channels to be used and their management, the locations of outlets, methods of transportation and inventory levels to be held. The recent World Headquarters (WHQ) of Nike, Inc. encompasses of 17 buildings spread across 193 acres of land which totals 1.9 million square feet of interior space. The World Headquarter is in Beaverton, Oregon. Nike, Inc. also leases out 750,000 square feet or more of space in the area which is in the surrounding metropolitan. The European Headquarters (EHQ) of Nike, Inc. is located at Hilversum, The Netherlands. The office space is around 500,000 square feet which has been leased. Nike, Inc. has three major distribution and customer facilities for all the Nike-branded products. The location of these facilities: two are in Memphis, Tennessee and one is located in Wilsonville, Oregon. Place includes company activities that make the product available to target consumers. Nike, Inc. has approximately six production office located outside of the United States. There are over 100 sales offices and showrooms which are located worldwide. Nike, Inc. also has over 70 administrative offices worldwide. The product will be available in each and every shop and retail outlet that NIKE owns. It will also be sold online on the official Nike website. To gain maximum profit out of sales online sales of the product will be given emphasis. Price In a narrowest sense price is the amount of money charged for a product or service. More broadly, price is the sum of all the values that customer give up in order to gain the benefits of having or using a product or service. In marketing mix pricing is the only element that produces revenue; all other elements represent costs and that is the sole reason where Nike has been very successful as it has priced its product according to the needs of the customer. The various segments where Nike proves why Nike is so very popular and successful among its customers in terms of price are: Footwear (54% of Revenue) Nike specializes in athletic footwear, although Nike also sells sport-inspired casual footwear like its Air Force Ones footwear line. Footwear sales increased 14% in 2009, reaching about $10.3 billion, and accounted for 54% of Nikes 2009 revenue. Apparel (27% of Revenue) Apparel sales totaled $5.24 billion in 2009, a 0.2% increase from a year earlier.ÂÂ  2008 sales from this segment grew by 14% from 2007, a trend that Nike attributed much of this revenue growth to a 25% increase in sales inÂÂ  emerging marketsÂÂ  like Russia in the EMEA region as well as a currency-neutral 50% increase in revenues fromÂÂ  China. Equipment (6% of Revenue) Nike also sells sports equipment such as balls, protective equipment, and golf clubs. Sales of Nike branded equipment reached $1.11 billion in 2009, a 9.5% increase from 2008.ÂÂ  This increase was driven primarily by a 10% increase in equipment sales in the Asia region. Other (13% of Revenue) Nike also sells apparel and footwear under the Nike Golf, Cole Haan, Converse, Hurley International, and Umbro brand names and earns approximately 13% of its revenue, or $2.5 billion in 2009, from these segments. As we can see the main income of the company is from the Footwears and its main target market is athletes, this product is going to be for high class people. The product will be in the high range band.

The Various Roles of the US President

The US President is the head of state of the United States, the chief executive of the federal government, as well as the commander in chief of the US armed forces. As such he is probably the most powerful person in the world who wields considerable powers derived from the US constitution, the super-power status of the US, and the influence and prestige of his office. The office of the US Presidency has evolved over the years and is no more the same as envisaged by the country's founding fathers; the powers of the President now depend as much on the constitutional provisions as on historical precedents, the nature of the times, and the qualities of the president himself. This essay briefly describes the various roles of the US President with specific reference to the presidency of George W. Bush. 1.Expanded Role of the Presidency: From the time of the first US President (George Washington) to the end of the 19th century, the presidency had a limited role restricted mainly to the execution of policies made by the Congress. As the US became a world and industrial power in the 20th century, a stronger presidency was required for managing the country's foreign policy and its growing domestic economy. The Great Depression of the 1930s and the Second World War saw a further expansion of the President's role-a role that persists to date. Apart from the force of circumstances-industrialization, war, depression, terrorist attacks etc., certain strong presidents, e.g., Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt helped to expand the powers of the office by the force of their personalities and decisive actions at appropriate times. (Greenberg and Page, 355-359) 2.Ceremonial Role: The President of the United States is the head of the government as well as the head of state, unlike in most other democracies in which the two duties are usually shared by a monarch and a prime minister or a president and a prime minister. Hence the US president also fulfills a ceremonial role such as attending funerals, celebrating anniversaries etc. otherwise reserved for the head of state. (Ibid. 360) 3.Executive Role As chief executive of the federal government, the US President is invested with broad executive powers to run the day-to-day affairs and working of the government. He does so mainly by issuing executive orders that carry the force of law, to the heads of federal agencies for directing their operations. Other types of executive orders may be national or homeland security directives issued by the President. Under the executive powers, the President nominates, and the Senate confirms, the heads of all executive departments and agencies, together with hundreds of other high-ranking federal officials. For example, one of the first executive orders of President G.W. Bush was the nomination of John Ashcroft as the Attorney General in December 2000.1 Other types of executive orders issued by the US President include implementation of important policy matters, especially in times of national emergencies. For example, Franklin Roosevelt ordered the internment of japanese-Americans during WW2 through an executive order; Presidents Johnson and Nixon used executive orders to lauch the affirmative action programs, and President Bush established the Office of Homeland Security in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. (Ibid., 371) 4.Legislative Role: Although the US Constitution gives the powers of legislation exclusively to the Congress, the President has come to play an important role in this sphere too. Much of the legislation is drafted by the Congress at the initiative of the President who gives his proposals through his annual State of the Union Address, or through special messages to the Congress. The President's powers of persuasion, plus his ability to influence public opinion are critical in getting his proposed legislation passed by the Congress. In addition, his veto powers-he can veto any act of the Congress that stands unless the two-thirds majority of both houses over-ride the veto- is also gives a substantial say in the making of laws. (â€Å"Powers of†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) If the same Party as the President's controls the Congress, as at present, the requirement of veto seldom arises as the Congress endorses most of his proposed legislations.2 For example, President Bush has been able to get the PATRIOTS Act passed comfortably despite its controversial curtailment of the American citizens' civil liberties. 5.Foreign Policy Leader and Commander-in-Chief: Article II of the US Constitution grants a lead role to the President in the foreign policy domain and his position as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces further consolidates that role. US Presidents have complete powers to formulate the country's foreign policy and do not require endorsement of the Congress in the area. For example, Roosevelt and Nixon did not need any permission, for recognizing the governments of communist Soviet Union and China respectively, even though their acts were reversal of long-standing US policies (Greenberg & Page, 364). Similarly, President Bush has introduced a policy of ‘pre-emption' as opposed to the long-standing US foreign policy of containment without the need of endorsement from any other agency. 6.Economy One of the key responsibilities of the President in the domestic area is the management of the country's economy. Such a role has become obligatory for the President since the Great Depression of the 1930s, when the government started to play a greater role in the regulation of the economy. President Bush's policy of major tax cuts and increased defense expenditure has resulted in record budget deficits but inflation still remains low. 7.Judicial Role The US President has the constitutionsl powers of nominating federal judges including those of the Supreme Court, subject to confirmation by the Senate. He can also grant pardon to anyone breaking a federal law. Most Presidents have used these powers to appoint judges of like political thinking, e.g., conservative/ Republican Presidents appoint conservative judges to the Supreme Court while liberal/ Democrat Presidents do the opposite. For example, President George W. Bush has nominated John Roberts Jr. as Chief Justice to the Supreme Court and Samuel Alito as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. (â€Å"George W. Bush† Wikipedia)

To What Extent Does Restructuring Transform Corporate Market and Financial Performance?

To what extent does restructuring transform corporate market and financial performance? Discuss using an extended example. Restructuring is simply the reorganisation of a company’s structure to combat external or internal forces that hinder the maximisation of shareholder value. The term restructuring is quite broad an is an umbrella term for any action taken by a firm to maximise shareholders wealth (Wright et al) or a company’s reaction when it’s under pressure (Usui and Colignon, 1996). These actions â€Å"bracket mergers and acquisitions with much else† (Froud et al. , 2002, P. 2).This essay should explain in great detail how restructuring can transform corporate market and financial performance. It will focus on financial, portfolio and organisational restructuring and more specifically the following restructuring actions: mergers and acquisition and outsourcing and off-shoring. In addition Marks and Spencer and British Airways would be used interchan geably as extended examples to further illustrate stated points. Restructuring actions usually occur to revive failing businesses. By delayering or merging with another business firms are likely to become more competitive and more profitable.It is also not uncommon for restructuring to be used as a preventative measure to stay ahead of the game and react to competition. If done correctly and when necessary, it should result in economies of scale, decreased operational costs and easier communication. Financial restructuring refers to changes in a company’s financial structure. It involves managing debts, stocks and shareholder payments. Portfolio restructuring on the other hand deals with products, acquisitions and diversification. Finally organisational restructuring is mainly concerned with the human resources in the company.Mergers and Acquisitions are the most common forms of restructuring. â€Å"In value terms, the merger of whole companies through (often hostile) takeov er continues to be the most important form of restructuring†. (Froud et al P 3). Companies prefer to restructure in this manner as it brings numerous instant benefits and can aid in transforming market and financial performance immediately. Firstly, merging with or acquiring a company gives an instant increase in market share. It is the easiest way to enter into a new market and have a larger customer base overnight.British Airways' recent merger with Iberia has been beneficial to shareholders, employees and customers. According to the airline their corporate market would be transformed as they would be flying to more destinations, own more aircrafts and have more passengers. Thus making it more competitive and strengthening the company's image and brand. In addition, their financial performance would be transformed as they stand to benefit from a significant decrease in costs and benefit from economies of scale the merger is bound to provide.These costs savings can be then pa ssed on to the customer and might enable British Airways to be competitive on price; a luxury it might have not been able to afford prior to the merger. The merger might also help British Airways break into the South American market; a market in which it had no prior expertise or significant market share in. In addition to an increased market share, Kotler’s 8 C framework details how a firm’s market power could be increased through mergers and acquisitions (Kotler et al 2005).Firms gain greater control of every aspect of their products, greater efficiency, greater control of customer experiences and increased buying power if they have links with their competitors, challengers, collaborators, commodities, components, customers or consumers. Despite aiding in transforming corporate market and financial performance to some extent, mergers and acquisitions aren't exempt from critique. This form of restructuring despite being the most common is also the most critiqued. Firs tly, there is the issue of Monopoly and fair competition. The Acquisition of a competitor could instantly make a firm the market leader.Consumers suffer as a result. There might be little product differentiation, increased prices and barriers to new entrants could be put to prevent other smaller companies from entering the market thus giving a single organisation too much power. The government sometimes has to step in to minimise the formation of monopolies. British Airways were hopeful for a merger with American Airlines which would have made them a dominant airline in major airports across the world. The deal was eventually stopped because of its anti competitive nature. In addition to monopolies, a popular critique on mergers and acquisitions is they just don't work. †¦ the Boston consultancy group estimate that 64% of recent US acquisitions actually destroy value for the acquirers shareholders† (Kotler et al 2004) â€Å"rather than increased profitability, mergers an d acquisitions have come to be associated with lowered morale, job dissatisfaction, unproductive behaviour†¦ † (Meeks 1977, Sinetar 1981, Attendorf 1986, Cartwright & Cooper 1993). Three major reasons for the failure of mergers and acquisitions are a clash of organisational culture, human relations dilemmas and abandoning core competencies. Different organisations have unique styles of going about their day to day operations.When a company merges with or acquires another the dominant culture usually prevails however employees from the organisation with the less dominant culture might still carry on doing things the way they've always done it thus causing this clash. Errors associated with clashing cultures could range from minute to disastrous and if this carries on for a prolonged period of time, the opposite of the perceived benefits of mergers and acquisitions is most likely to occur. Employees also tend to feel worried about their job security when any form of restruc turing takes place.Their insecurities are manifested through their actions that usually prove costly for the newly merged or acquired organisation and can eventually drive it to failure. High labour turnover, absenteeism and decreased productivity are some of the actions that could be manifested as a result of job insecurity. A disparity in core competencies is a final reason why mergers and acquisitions are becoming more prone to failure. Hamel and Prahalad (1994) argue that an organisation can never gain long term financial rewards if its core competencies are ignored.Thus merging with or acquiring a company with contrasting core competences isn't likely to be successful. The merger between Daimler Benz (makers of Mercedes Benz) and Chrysler is a perfect example of a failed merger. Due to a clash of organisational culture and contrasting core competencies, the merger eventually ended in failure. There were good intentions behind the merger but finding the balance between Daimler B enz's high end auto mobiles and Chrysler's middle of the road range proved more difficult than anticipated thus Chrysler was eventually sold off.Druckers (1985) critique of mergers and acquisition argued that managers often seek to restructure in this manner to spread risk but it doesn’t guarantee success and usually results in failure. His five rules for successful acquisition give useful steps that managers might want to take into consideration prior to restructuring their organisation in this fashion. Outsourcing is another restructuring initiative used by firms when they find it necessary. Outsourcing aids in transforming the corporate market and financial performance of a firm to a great extent.It enables firms to focus completely on their core competencies as other organisations are hired to carry out activities that aren't directly related to the company's operations. It saves costs, improves efficiency and aids in the implementation of rapid change. In addition, findi ng workers with the necessary qualifications and skill in a specific country required might be difficult, thus offshore outsourcing becomes a necessity (King, 2009). One of the most outsourced operations in the United Kingdom and the USA is Information Technology. †There are more IT positions in the USA than there are graduates† (Morrill, 2009).Mark's and Spencer's indulge in offshore outsourcing to aid with its IT operations. As a result they have been able to focus on areas of more importance to them which is the quality of their products and their customer service. Additionally, offshore outsourcing aids in creating jobs in developing third world countries where unemployment rates are high. Some of the accounting and research operations on Wall Street are outsourced offshore. The companies are usually based in India where the best candidates are selected for the job and would be paid a good wage according to the standard of living in India.However if the very same ope rations were to be performed in New York, the staff may not be as skilled as those in India and would demand triple the salary in accordance to the higher standard of living in New York. All in all, Outsourcing is intended to ensure that the most skilled and most efficient people do the job at a mutually beneficial financial cost. On the other hand, there are so many ethical and political concerns associated with outsourcing. Many believe that it’s damaging to the economy as creating employment offshore decreases employment in the company's home country. â€Å"†¦ utsourcing is a poor alternative to a firm's internal management of Information Technology and services because it is tantamount to selling your ‘birthright'†¦ † (Clark et al, 1995). Also, ethical issues such as exploiting local workers in offshore countries in a desperate bid to keep overheads to a bare minimum and maximise profits have been connected to outsourcing. Numerous companies have be en scrutinised and criticised for this. The likes of Nike and Primark have endured the embarrassment and scandal of engaging in child labour in an attempt to keep overheads unrealistically low.Pisano (2009) argues that outsourcing operations especially manufacturing can provide a leak in information which might enable competitors overseas to hone their skills and possible surpass the skills of the company outsourcing. Other criticisms of outsourcing include quality control, loss of managerial control and hidden costs or the service being outsourced proving to be more costly in the long run. British Airways outsources almost all its operations. Back office operations, finance and accounting and its in-flight retail business are all outsourced.This has resulted in poor employee relations, a breakdown in communication and poor customer service amongst a host of other things. Whilst Marks and Spencer's restructuring included outsourcing IT operations which resulted in some employees bei ng made redundant and other transferred to their outsourced off shore location. To conclude, restructuring transforms corporate market and financial performance to a significant extent. Every firm needs to change especially when it is at risk of failure or it’s not as profitable as it once was.Mark's and Spencer’s restructuring ensured the company was re-branded in the customer's mind and an emphasis was placed on quality. As a result sales soared and market share was gained. On the other hand their restructuring initiatives also led to the company making the strategic decision to close all shops in France; thus bringing about bad press, criticism from trade unions and the French government, law suits and parties calling for consumers to boycott Mark's and Spencer's stores. Restructuring is however necessary if a business is to remain competitive.If competitors are changing and a firm decides to remain stagnant, it is only a matter of time before it becomes irrelevant. The decision to restructure must be dependent on the overall business strategy. â€Å"Strategic management as a discipline is concerned with how firms formulate and implement strategies in order to accomplish desired performance goals. † (Schendel and Hofer 1979). A more aggressive proactive strategy might be better suited for companies pursuing mergers and acquisitions whilst an organisation with a cost saving and value adding strategy might prefer to outsource.Restructuring does transform corporate market and financial performance but should only ever be used in synch with the overall corporate strategy to reap maximum benefits. Bibliography * MN220 Strategic Management: Lecture 18- Restructuring. Sukhdev Johal. 2012 * Restructuring for Shareholder value and its implications for labour. Cambridge journal of economics. Julie Froud, Colin Haslam, Sukhdev Johal and Karel Williams * Bbc. co. uk/business – Why firms bother to restructure. 12 Feb 2003: http://news. bbc. c o. uk/1/hi/business/711722. stm * Caterpillar: Two stories and an argument.J. Froud, K. Williams, C. Haslam, S. Johal, J. Williams. Accounting organisations and societies vol 23, 1998 * Globalisation, shareholder value, restructuring: The (Non)Transformation of Siemens Alexander Borsch * The Psychological impact of mergers and acquisition on the individual: A study of building society managers. Sue Cartwright, Larry L. Cooper. 1993 * Principles of Marketing. Phillip Kotler, Veronica Wong, John Saunders, Gary Armstrong. Fourth European Edition * The Outsourcing of information services: Transforming the nature of business in the information industry.Thomas D. Clark Jr, Rober W. Zmud, Gordon E. McCray. 1995 * An evaluation of the impact of corporate strategy and the role of information technology on IS functional outsourcing. V Grover, M Cheon, J TC Teng * Theoretical perspectives on the outsourcing of information systems. Myun J. Cheon, Vraun Grover and James T C Teng. 1995 * The U. S is outsourcing away its competitive edge. Gary P Pisano. HBR Blog network. 2009 * Offshore outsourcing: Practical and ethical arguments for and against from a small business perspective. Danny King. 2009 *

The Question Concerning Technology Essay

The Question Concerning Technology Essay The aim of this essay is to provide a critical analysis of the reading ‘The Question Concerning Technology’. The author argues that the most important concepts brought about by Heidegger in his critically acclaimed essay are bringing forth, gestell and challenging forth. With this background, the following sections analyses the possibilities buried in these bringing forth, and succeeds the analysis with an assessment of technology through the eyes of Heidegger. The paper is divided into several parts, with the first being a summary of the question concerning technology in simpler terms than those of the original author. The second section is a commentary that includes an understanding of the concept of bringing forth, whereas the third section is the discussion of the relevance of the Question Concerning Technology. Summary of ‘The Question Concerning Technology’ Whereas most papers written about technology normally orientate themselves towards practical issues that cloud the implementation of given technologies, Heidegger chooses to narrow his scope on the school of thought that drives technology. Heidegger (1977, p. 3) argues that humans form a certain level of friendship with technology the moment they understand this school of thought. Firstly, Heidegger dismisses the apparent attribute that technology has been accorded, which implies that it is just a means to an end, and brings to his reader an analogy of the craftsmanship. Here, his opinion is that in the ancient times, craftsmanship occurred in four distinct causes, namely, efficient, final, formal and material. From the face value, it is not unusual to consider the most important of the four causes as the efficient cause of craftsmanship. On the contrary, the craftsman understands that none of the four causes is more glorified over the other, and, as such, they are all considered equ ally during the process of meditation and artistry of uniting them together into one item. It is while at this point that Heidegger reiterates, ‘The four ways of being responsible bring something into appearance. They let it come forth into presencing’ (1977, p. 9). He further comes up with a most-befitting term for the process, which he names bringing-forth, which is not simply a descriptive genre under which the four causes are considered, but a cohesive progression, ‘a single leading-forth to which [each of the causes] is indebted’ (Lovitt, 1972, p. 46). He further notes that bringing-forth ‘comes to pass only insofar as something concealed comes into unconcealment’ (1977, p. 11). His meaning here is that, rather than the craftsman claiming that he/she has created the item of art, he/she has only just revealed that which was concealed – a point which Heidegger elaborates in ‘The Thing’ with the making of a jug. Putting his analogy into context, Heidegger argues that modern technology uses the technique of challenging forth to reveal that which is hidden. The difference between challenging forth and the prior concept is that it involves the artist invoking both a sense of order and rapacity. This is to say that, while humans were one important element of the process of production, they now assume the role of control in production during challenging forth. Another most important component of challenging forth is efficiency, which is exemplified by the by the earth being set upon to produce the most quantity of or using the least amount of effort. In essence, challenging forth alters the view with which one envisions the world because it enables one ‘to be capable of transforming a forest into packaging for cheeseburgers, man must see the forest not as a display of the miracle of life, but as raw material, pure and simple’ (Zimmerman, 1977, p. 79). In challenging forth, production process brings to light those items which otherwise would have remained standing reserve following their being reduced to disposability. Disposability here comes in two dimensions, the first of is a technical application, implying that they are arranged and ordered with ease, like logs that are made from the chaos of a forest, which are now weighed, counted, shipped and piled. The second implication is that they are disposable in the original sense of the word, like razors and diapers that are replaced without a pine of pain for they are of little value. It is not unusual for one to wonder what push humans into challenging forth, an act which in itself is not laudable for the most part. Heidegger, pondering on this line of thought, postulates that there exists a phenomenon that ‘sets upon man to order the real as standing-reserve’ (1977, p. 19). The term he uses to define this phenomenon is enframing (Ge-stell in German). ‘Ge-stell’ is a word that combines definitions from the -stellen family of German verbs, which include entrapped (nachstellen), commanded (bestellen), and ordered (bestellen) (Harries 1994, p. 229). According to Heidegger, the default state of humans is being trapped by Ge-stell; which is what he means when he notes that ‘as the one who is challenged forth in this way, man stands within the essential realm of [Ge-stell]. He can never take up a relationship to it only subsequently’ (1977, p. 24; Sallis, 1971, p. 162). For Heidegger (1997, p. 25), human beings have different ‘ordainings of destining’, the default of which is that of Ge-stell, though there is also a possibility that one might choose a different road. In his argument, Heidegger notes that a special role as been granted humans, known b the name ‘Shepherds of Being’ (Ballard, 1971, p. 60). However, within the Ge-stell trap, we have the option of revealing things by way of bringing forth, which is why Hedegger makes the comment, ‘Placed between these possibilities, man is endangered from out of destining’ (1977, p. 26). Humans then clutch the ‘saving power’, with which they realise that, being the ‘shepherds of being’, they can bring forth rather than challenge forth. This implies that, if humans understand the school of thought behind technology, they get he freedom of choosing their fate – ‘we are already sojourning in the open space of destining’ (He idegger, 1977, p. 26). Critical Commentary on ‘The Question Concerning Technology’ Bringing forth If one were to draw conclusions about Plato and Aristotle solely from Heidegger’s remarks in ‘The Question Concerning Technology’, one would think that craftsmanship was a central issue for both of these ancient thinkers. Furthermore, from the warm light in which Heidegger bathes the craftsman, one might also come to believe that Plato and Aristotle have a certain reverence for craftsmen and the process of craftsmanship. Plato and Aristotle’s attitudes toward craftsmanship, however, can (at best) be described as ambivalent. In the Politics, Aristotle remarks, ‘†¦ no man can practice excellence who is living the life of a mechanic or laborer’ (1995, 1278a20). Craftsmen and craftsmanship receive a more favorable treatment in Plato, but Plato still makes the following unfriendly remark: If an offspring of [the guardians] should be found to have a mixture of iron or bronze, they must not pity him in any way, but give him the rank appropriate to his nature and drive him out to join the craftsmen and farmers. (1997, 415bc) A more serious problem with the notion of bringing-forth concerns the idea of revealing/unconcealment. Recall Heidegger’s comment in ‘The Thing’: The jug is not a vessel because it was made; rather, the jug had to be made because it is this holding vessel. The making †¦ lets the jug come into its own. But that which in the jug’s nature is its own is never brought about by its making. (1971, p. 168). Clearly, there is some sort of Platonic pre-existence at work here- the jug, apparently, pre-exists as concealed and is revealed through the co-responsible action of the four causes. The Overall Impact of ‘The Question Concerning Technology’ In general, it remains noteworthy that most documentations on technology deal only with pieces of it. While they are valuable in that they underline the functionalities of technology and their possible future direction, they leave out a very significant dimension of technology, which then goes unnoticed. This is the way of thinking that lies behind the creation and use of technology, in which most commentators might have discovered exiting new pathways of their thinking, had they been able to wade through ‘The Question Concerning Technology’, and other works of Heidegger, some of which also relate to environmental ethics. Had there been some dignity intricate in all living things, then there would be need to give more respect to the world, and this is the case. If the world continues to undergo destruction in the hands of humans by their entrapment in challenging forth, there is need to make systematic steps of freeing people from their ideological prison. One way in which this can be achieved is altering some vital components of the education system. One big success factor for ‘The Question Concerning Technology’ is its shift away from individual components of technology towards the school of thought behind it. There, nevertheless, exists a danger in this success, which is that it may turn the focus on the school of thought that lies behind technology so much as to obscure the meaningful distinction in the world. In a remark that was originally a part of ‘The Question Concerning Technology’, but was later excised (Harries, 1994, p. 233), this danger manifests itself: Agriculture is now a motorized food industry- in essence the same as the anufacture of corpses in the gas chambers and extermination campus, the same as the blockading and starvation of nations, the same as the manufacture of hydrogen bombs. (Ferry Renaut, 1990, p. 71) (Schirmacher, 1983, p. 25) In the statement above, what Heidegger is pointing out is that concentration camps and modern agriculture are already implementing the process of challenging forth into standing reserve. Clearly, however, to say that modern agriculture and the death camps are ‘in essence the same’ obviates meaningful empirical distinctions and trivializes the significance of the extermination camps. Rorty notes, ‘Heidegger needed to see everything in our century other than its technologism as mere transitory appearance’ (1994, p. 36). Heidegger’s philosophy also fails on the account that it fails to acknowledge the benefits of technology. For instance, it would be worthy to note that lives of people are greatly improved by the presence of the hydroelectric dam across the Rhine and, as Rorty (1977, p. 302) notes, the multiplication of technology across the earth has in itself prevented large numbers of people from starving to death. Note worthily, however, despite his lack of acknowledgment for the significance of technology, Heidegger never urges humans to give it up. This leaves humans with the ultimate option of saying yes to the unavoidable use of technology, and at the same time saying no to technological confusion, and wastage would engulf and destroy our existence (1966, p. 54). This brings to mind the clichà © of having one’s cake and eating it too, which is what humans try to do when they try to conveniently say ‘yes’ to the modern technologies that make our lives so comfortable , while somehow apparently saying ‘no’ to them as well. The greatest difficulties with ‘The Question Concerning Technology’, however, are technical rather than ideological. Conclusion To conclude, it is worth noting that the ‘The Question Concerning Technology’ is a set of very important tools, namely, bringing-forth, challenging-forth to standing-reserve, and Ge-stell, all of which are very useful. As such, their proper use can unlock the keys to repairing the broken relationship that exist between the world and humans. In Republic Plato (1997) notes that ‘†¦ if it is appropriate for anyone to use falsehoods for the good of the city †¦ it is the rulers’ (398b). While others might suggest that harbingers of indoctrination (the Platonic view that serves to tell the noble, educational lie to the masses) are what precede the defence of Heidegger, having based his arguments on the grounds of usefulness. Perhaps, however, a time has come when philosophers need not apologize for advocating the noble lie; the elites have already told the people a plethora of lies, most of which are ignoble.

Why Prisoners Should Have Access to a College Education Essay Example

Why Prisoners Should Have Access to a College Education Essay Example Why Prisoners Should Have Access to a College Education Essay Why Prisoners Should Have Access to a College Education Essay Name Instructor Course Date Why Prisoners Should Have Access to a College Education The current correction offered to convicts is incarceration at different correctional facilities across the country. The sentence does not necessarily spell doom to the incarcerated but may be a channel to rehabilitate oneself to enable reintegration back into society. As correctional facilities, state prisons offer education for the inmates to increase their skill set to deter them from the life they led prior to imprisonment. The gains made by these programs are something that need to be lauded. These courses are popular with inmates and lend itself to debate. The relevance of college education to prisoners is a matter that needs proper scrutiny. The advocates for educating inmates stress on its importance in rehabilitation. As the main aim of correctional facilities is rehabilitating inmates for reintegration into society after they complete serving their sentences, education is key in this process. Most convicted felons get into crime because of an inability to get jobs. That is, some crimes are motivated by a need to escape poverty. The lack of employment opportunities is usually brought about by a lack of education. Part of the correctional role that prisons play is to provide the necessary skills that prisoners need to integrate themselves into society and become useful members (Gaes, 3). Prison education programs provide inmates with vocational training and academic education. The vocational training aims at supplying prisoners with skills necessary in vocations that they may encounter in the community setting. Such vocations include plumbing, electricity and landscaping. All the training offered is free to the prisoner. Vocational training may be attractive to those prisoners with difficulty with academics or those with a preference to manual work. The added benefits of almost immediate job opportunities are attractive to those inmates who want to be rehabilitated and those with dependants for whom to take care. An alternative program offered is academic education. This is offered in the form of GED – an equivalent to a high school diploma – or literacy classes. The classes impart reading and writing skills as well as basic arithmetic skills. The purpose of these classes is to prepare the prisoners to take the GED examination, and even set the groundwork for further studies. The acquisition of a high school diploma improves the opportunities available to the inmates in terms of jobs. Past the basic level, college education is offered via the partnerships with colleges and universities in correspondence courses that are not free to the prisoners and may cost hundreds of dollars per piece (Tangney). The reduction in recidivism is the greatest advantage to providing inmates with an education. The provision of skills to obtain meaningful employment helps most released offenders escape from the cycle of crime that put them in prison in the first place. This decreases the chances of returning to prison by an appreciable margin. The respect gained by the ex-convict from the community may serve to be a further deterrence (Gaes, 9). Attainment of employment occupies the ex-convict and may keep them from gangs that they hang out with consequently lowering the recidivism rate overall. The United States has the largest population of prisoners in the world. This means the burden of support this population rests with the taxpayer. Annually, it costs between $32,000 and $40,000 to incarcerate an individual. With an equally high recidivism rate of around fifty percent, this pushes the total budget quite high. On the other hand, it costs $2,000 to $4,000 to provide a college education (National Association of State Budget Officers). This means that it is cost-effective to educate the inmates, which lowers the recidivism rate, and means more savings made by the taxpayer as far as the overall corrections budget is concerned. A reduction in crime rates is the biggest gain as far as the victims are concerned. The benefit education has on the reduction of crime rates is attributable to the discipline learned in the process of obtaining an education with in prison (Coley, 13). The dedication required to improve one’s literary skills while in prison, serve as deterrence to the life of crime. In addition, a good number of ex-convicts just needed a source of income to take care of themselves and their dependants. The education and skills acquired in prison offer prisoners with a way out of the life of crime; hence, their victims are afforded peace of mind from any repeat attacks. A new status is acquired by an ex-convict upon leaving prison and obtaining gainful employment. It is relevant to their integration back into society and may expunge the negative connotations associated with a convicted felon. The education gained in prison sets a foundation in the post-release life of an ex-convict. It is increasingly easier for a person to turn their lives around by participating in the free education programs offered in prison. With a new lease on life, an ex-convict may find it harder to return to their old ways (Coley, 29). The self-appreciation that comes from taking such a positive steps boosts one’s esteem. The respect gained from serving in a respectable position in the community aids, in deterring recidivism. There are some opponents of education offered to criminals. The argument against their education is that it equips criminals with more skills to commit crime as compared to deterring it. Not all criminals are in crime because of poverty, some choose a life of crime. Offering such individuals with higher education may impart them with the skills necessary to graduate from blue collar to white collar crime. The taxpayer’s money is thus lost as the number of criminals increased as well as the victims. The blanket provision of education, in this case is not beneficial to the public that bears the financial burden of the cost of education. Another group of people ineligible for state-funded education is those serving life without the possibility of parole (Argys, 3). Such inmates are never going to be rehabilitated back into society; hence, the need to spend public funds educating them does not make sense. An inmate spending the rest of their life behind bars is utilizing a disproportionately huge amount of taxpayers’ money and the further burden of funding their education serves no purpose. This may not be fair but makes financial sense. There is no sense in educating a group that will never use that education. The country is rife with cases of needier people than one serving a life sentence. Proponents and opponents agree that a majority of prisoners could be set free if only they understood their rights and the justice system. This has led to the support of other means of correction other than the penitentiary system. Prisons may not be the most conducive environment for those who may want to turn away from a life of crime. The interaction with other prisoners may increase the probability of repeat offence or introduction to other forms of crime. The gang mentality present in prisons should not be overlooked. Instigation and threats serve as an inhibition to rehabilitation. Proponents of prison education have overplayed its benefits. Ex-convicts do not automatically abstain from crime because of incarceration. The chances of repeating the criminal acts stand at around fifty percent. Receiving an education does not automatically convert the individual. Perception by the community they come from may hinder their correction. The community plays a big part in the likelihood of an ex-convict regressing back to criminal life. The community may not be willing to give the ex-convict a chance to prove their rehabilitation negating the positive effects a prison education may have had. In conclusion, the gains that education programs have on the outcome of a prisoner’s life, and the financial benefits to the taxpayer greatly outweigh the disadvantages the program may have. The added support of the tertiary institutions of learning and non-profit groups may aid the spread of these programs to those who cannot afford the costs of correspondence learning. Convicts are people who deserve the right to advance themselves. The benefits this education has to the prisoners and the society are numerous and cause enough to support these programs. The financial, as well as aesthetic value of the education has been shown. After all, it is the crime that is being punished, not the person. Argys, Laura M, and H N. Mocan. Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die?: An Analysis of Prisoners on Death Row in the United States. Cambridge, Mass: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2003. Print. Coley, Richard J, and Paul E. Barton. Locked Up and Locked Out: An Educational Perspective on the U.S. Prison Population. Princeton, NJ: Policy Evaluation and Research Center, Policy Information Center, Educational Testing Service, 2006. Print. Gaes, Gerald G. The Impact of Prison Education Programs on Post-Release Outcomes. S.l: s.n, 2008. Print. National Association of State Budget Officers. 2009 State Expenditure Report. National Association of State Budget Officers, 2010. Print Tangney, June. â€Å"Cndemn the Crime, not the Person.† The Boston Globe (Boston, MA). The New York Times Company. 2001. HighBeam Research. 24 Sep. 2012 .

Ethnics studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethnics studies - Essay Example r mentions that â€Å"the cover of National Review featured President William Jefferson Clinton, first Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and vice president Al Gore, all in yellowface† (Hwang). He further explains that this paints the fact that the political leaders have been greatly blinded by Asia’s wealth so that America is now losing its identity as a nation. Such circumstance is also reflected in the character of Terrence Granville who was poisoned by the evil doctor. Consequently, the young man goes to his team and encourages his girlfriend to unearth the real sword and mask to give to Manchu. Like the yellow-faced politicians, Granville, a representation of American leaders, is pushed blindly to bring his team to the dangers of Manchu’s evil plans. World power is one of the great desires of leaders that led to various wars and killed many people. The movie mentioned above also portrays this theme. Dr. Manchu wanted Genghis Khan’s armor and mask because he wanted to dominate the world. However, the English Nayland Smith and Sir Lionel Barton are determined to stop him from his evil plans. Therefore, they need to get to the tomb of the fallen great Mongolian leader before Manchu does. This event reflects the idea of Hwang’s representation of Asians as pollutants (p. 9). As such, they should be minimized if not extinguished. The world domination of Dr. Manchu represents the scattering of Asians who are thriving wherever they go. For instance, during the gold rush, many Chinese migrated to America. However, they are often suppressed by the Whites because they obviously have leadership capabilities. A time finally came when the Chinese had to serve in American homes. This mixing of races in one environment allowed int ermarriages. The lovable characteristics of the Asians attracted them to the Americans nevertheless there has always been that fear of their ethnicity. Again, this could be seen in the lives of Granville and Manchu’s daughter, Fah Lo See. When

Bolder Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bolder Family - Essay Example Motive should be to focus on the changes in the structure and functioning of the family so that family remains together and with a strong bonding. Abusing parents are responsible for the inappropriate sexual behavior. Therefore, necessity of therapy arises encompassing a programmatic component that addresses the restructuring of the family system. It is based on the wishes of the family, the desires of the child victim and the view of the therapist for treatability of the family reducing traumas and a better chance for change when all are involved with the therapy. In the present case, when evaluation was made pertaining to the factors contributing to the family's vulnerability to incest, precipitating events or situations typically precede an abusive episode and lack of coping mechanism. The family needs an intense therapy. For the situation presented in the study, biggest intervention would be to begin the session with apology. This is a therapeutic ritual which involves many weeks of planning and preparation on the part of the family and which has proven to have a profound impact on the course of the therapy. In the present situation, mother (Linda) was sexually abused by her father during her teens. This may explain her incest alluded to during this session. This has probably paved the way to develop distrust and hatered in her sex- life. She requires an Individual therapy along with the Couple therapy to overcome her fear and to develop trust and faith in her spouse (Mark). It is this trust that will help her overcome her bad memories of childhood and the paranoid behavior towards her daughter (Ashley). It is imperative for her to treat her daughter as a friend to be close to her and to share her feelings. She can emerge as a sensible guide for her and can protect her from the forthcoming events in future. It is not clear in the study who has taken the pictures the girl's father or her boyfriend There are a number of elements providing a multi-generational view in understanding problems. The notion that the problem (sexual abuse/ taking nude pictures of daughter) is symptomatic of a dysfunctional family. It is the portray of a psychologically disturbed nuclear family because every member of the family contributes to the development and maintenance of the problem and the belief that the problem (symptom) may not in itself have significance but rather have a meaning within the family which is not readily apparent in the behavior e.g. sexual abuse of daughter as a tension-reduction mechanism or as a means of displacing feelings of isolation when the legal- sexual partner (wife) is not supportive. Allegations of sexual abuse cannot be made on Mark as there is no evidence that he has abused her daughter. Therapy is imperative for both Linda and Mark. For Linda, a cognitive developmental perspective is essential (woman, sexually abused as child and whose daughter is also sexually abused). It discusses ways in which the development of cognitive self-understanding can by stymied by childhood sexual abuse and how this, in turn, can affect a woman's ability to parent her children. Linda must take full advantage of psychotherapy along with the couple therapy, sexual therapy, family therapy and individual therapy at the age of 43 when physiological changes in female's body start appearing. It is the responsibility of Mark to learn from his parents by seeing them as an ideal for deep family bonding and share