Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Great Gatsby- East Egg vs. West Egg

East Egg versus West Egg East Egg and West Egg are â€Å"identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay †¦ They are not perfect ovals †¦ but their physical resemblance must be a source of perpetual wonder to the gulls that fly overhead. To the wingless a more interesting phenomenon is their dissimilarity in every particular except shape and size. â€Å"(9) In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald creates different worlds, where many different people live amongst each other. The areas of East Egg and West Egg in Long Island find isolation not just geographically, â€Å"separated only by a courtesy bay† (9), but more significantly in the way the two societies contrast. Along with East and West Egg, Fitzgerald creates another symbol where a dark and lifeless community lives: the Valley of Ashes, â€Å"a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air† (22,4. With vivid settings Fitzgerald creates for the audience, the audience is able to connect with the settings at a more personal level and receive more insight about the characters to establish a full understanding of them. East Egg is home to the fashionable group of social elite, also known as â€Å"old money† or people who have always had money. Tom and Daisy represent the ‘old establishment', having lived with money their whole lives. Daisy is very materialistic and is consumed with being associated with her ‘social class'. These people are shallow and lack any moral principles. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together. † They are careless and selfish, which is exemplified through Jordan Baker. Jordan Baker is a professional golfer who thinks so highly of herself. She feels people should be careful of her when she drives. The society of East Egg are ruthless. Although these are clearly people who live to please themselves, the West Eggers constantly envy and imitate them. Throughout the novel it seems the West Eggers are trying to fit in with the East and be ccepted by the East Eggers. West Eggers are the newly rich; the people who have worked hard and earned their money in a short period o f time. Their wealth is epitomized on material possessions. Gatsby, like the West Eggers, lacks the traditions of the East Eggers. He is considered ‘new money', in the sense that his wealth came to him more recently through his own success. Although Gatsby is now a part of this class, his faith and belief in the success of his dreams has allowed him to preserve some morality. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel, lives in West Egg and exhibits honesty in this place of superficiality. Clearly the West is able to preserve some ethics while the East is not able to grasp any. Although West Egg is the more moral, it is still a place of superficiality and materialism. Daisy, Tom, Nick, Jordan, and Gatsby all move to the east, where they move from a world of values to a moral vacuum, represented by the â€Å"valley of ashes. † The valley of ashes represents a world, which is like a distorted hell created by modern industry. Factories and trains, produced in the manufacture of wealth, has polluted America with its waste. Overlooking the valley, are the sightless eyes of T. J. Ecklburg, an advertisement on a billboard, that is actually confused as God. It represents a god who has been created by modern society to make money, and a god who no longer sees nor cares. The whole valley symbolizes a world whose ethnics are so spiritually lost, that they worship money and wealth. The promise of happiness, hope, and freedom that America gave its first settlers, has been corrupted by the lies of greed, and the emptiness of a dream based on wealth. Within these settings many of the lifestyles contrast, from the â€Å"old money,† to the â€Å"rags to riches,† to the â€Å"ruthless wealthy. † F. Scott Fitzgerald creates different types of people who are so different, yet have the same drive to be a part of the wealthy upper class. These places have different standards and tend to conflict with each other. In The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald creates many different lifestyles the cities he creates: East and West Egg and the Valley of Ashes. These settings each have contrasting components that exemplify the true colors of the characters. Fitzgerald shows the differences between East and West Egg and The Valley of Ashes, what each town represents, and finally how the contrast shows the meaning of the character’s lifestyles.

Friday, August 30, 2019

How I Believe America has changed since 9/11

The 9/11 incident is a unique one being considered as one of the worst catastrophes not only in America but all over the world. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and of the Soviet Union in 1991 a period of extreme optimism opened, with markets triumphant and globalization as the universal panacea (Evans, 2003, para.3). Such nations who experienced failure in one way or another have shifted and depended on their sanguinity for success and advancement through the United States of America.However, after the 9/11 terrorist attack, the world was in shock that even the world’s greatest superpower has met some vulnerable moments against an uncertain force. The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda (Bush, 2001, para. 13).Following the 9/11 disaster, one aspect of change which should be analyzed is how Americans perceive freedom now after this event. U.S. President George W. Bush has applied an aggres sive and one-sided approach in dealing with the terrorist issue.The Bush administration is presently the prime mover of the long running â€Å"war on terrorism.† Everything has changed in the sense that the war on terrorism has given U.S. foreign policy a focus not seen since the height of the Cold War (Garrett, 2002, para. 1). The invasion and occupation of Iraq is a result (politically, of course, not logically)†¦(â€Å"What has changed since 9/11?,† 2006, para.2). Undaunted and unapologetic, the Bush administration continues to argue the virtues of staying the present course (Connetta, 2006, para. 6). Can the Americans live in the real essence of freedom with this road the Bush leadership is taking?Will the Bush Administration sacrifice civil liberty for the sake of national security? America has always takes pride of being a free nation embedded with dignity and glory. But after 9/11, the Americans have lived in fear, ambiguity and doubt.ReferencesBush, G.W. ( 2001). Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People. Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.htmlConnetta, C. (2006). Pyrrhus on the Potomac: How America's post-9/11 wars have undermined US national security. Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.comw.org/pda/0609br18.htmlEvans, L. (2003). America and the World: What Has Changed Since 9/11? Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=3552Garrett, G. (2002). One year after 9/11: What Has Really Changed? Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=2617â€Å"What has changed since 9/11?† (2006). Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://ask.metafilter.com/41748/What-has-changed-since-911  

Thursday, August 29, 2019

George Orwell Essay

George Orwell’s â€Å"How the Poor Die†, is an anecdote that reflects his stay in a hospital in Paris, back in 1929. In deep detail, Orwell described the setting, people, and what he felt towards the negative atmosphere to convince readers about the horrifying Hopital X. In this essay, Orwell’s use of literary and historical reference, language use and imagery, and comparison will be discussed in terms of whether or not this essay is effective for modern readers.In his anecdote, Orwell used a lot of literary and historical references that are useful in explaining the current period that he was in. â€Å"How the Poor Die† is set in Paris, back in February 1929. At that point, Orwell wrote that hospitals already have a negative image even before he wrote his anecdote. In paragraph 5, Orwell referred to a variety of literatures from the 19th Century. Tennyson’s poem, The Children’s Hospital and the conversation between Bob Sawyer and Benjamin Al len remains unfamiliar for modern readers.Orwell also mentioned a few other characters from the 19th Century that also has the same impression of hospitals. This includes George III who shrieks when surgeons approach him, and â€Å"the names given to doctors in nineteenth-century English fiction, Slasher, Carver, Sawyer, Fillgrave and so on† (paragraph 5 line 13). A brief description of literatures from the 19th century like those mentioned before allows modern readers to understand the relation of the negativity of hospitals and these characters.Therefore, since Orwell gathered his historical references in one paragraph, modern readers still have the ability to determine that in this paragraph, Orwell is informing readers that a lot of people have always had a negative image of hospitals, even before his stay at Hopital X. To give readers a view about the horrific Hopital X, Orwell used a variation of imagery to describe mostly negative perspectives about his experience. Orw ell first described the setting. One of them was the ward that he stayed in.He described it as â€Å"a long, rather low, ill-lit room; full of murmuring voices and with three rows of beds surprisingly close together. There was a foul smell, faecal and yet sweetish† (paragraph 2 line 8). In there, not only did he give visual images, Orwell also described the sounds and also the atmosphere (smell) that he was in. Orwell’s detailed imagery isn’t limited to the setting only. He also explained to readers â€Å"’cupping’, a treatment which you can read about in old medical text-books but which till then I had vaguely thought of s one of those things they do to horses. â€Å" (Paragraph 2 lines 14-16). Elaborating the meaning of this treatment is effective for modern readers because even then, he also mentioned that readers should ‘read about (cupping) in old medical text-books’. With that explanation, modern or non-modern readers get to ha ve the idea of the unfamiliar treatment that the doctors gave him. Other than that, by telling that it is actually ‘one of those things they do to horses’, Orwell is telling readers that again, this is one of the oddness of Hopital X.It is a technique that Orwell used to convince readers that his experience at Hopital X is undoubtedly miserable. Orwell also manages to convince readers about his miserable experience by comparing Hopital X to hospitals in England. He compared Hopital X to hospitals in England because he happens to have an English blood. Therefore, the comparisons are mainly biased to English hospitals, and hence, more negativity of the French hospital is revealed. The main comparison that Orwell referred to would be the service given from the hospitals.The nurses at the Hopital X â€Å"still had a tinge of Mrs. Gamp† (paragraph 5 line 12), which is the complete opposite from English nurses. Mrs. Gamp is another historical reference that Orwell made . Based on the footnote, Mrs. Gamp is introduced as â€Å"an alcoholic who works as a monthly nurse† (paragraph 19 line 2). Therefore, we can assume that a majority of nurses from Hopital X are like her or in other words, fails to give a good service to their patients. The result of this bad service makes sense to another explanation that Orwell made.When death occurs in Hopital X, the situation is explained as; â€Å"business of people just dying like animals, for instance, with nobody standing by, nobody interested, the death not even noticed till the morning–this happened more than once. † (Paragraph 5 line 3). The main use of these comparisons is to assure past and current readers that French hospitals are surrounded by negativity. Again, this effect is useful in supporting Orwell’s negative point of view of Hopital X.After almost a century, Orwell’s anecdote still has the ability to convince readers about the misery of Hopital X. With the use of literary and historical reference, language use and imagery, and comparison between Hopital X and English hospitals, â€Å"How the Poor Die† definitely proved modern readers about the misery of Hopital X. Therefore, it is safe to say that even if a literature is written a decade or even a century ago, the writing would still be effective if the author successfully address it with deep details. George Orwell Essay George Orwell’s â€Å"How the Poor Die†, is an anecdote that reflects his stay in a hospital in Paris, back in 1929. In deep detail, Orwell described the setting, people, and what he felt towards the negative atmosphere to convince readers about the horrifying Hopital X. In this essay, Orwell’s use of literary and historical reference, language use and imagery, and comparison will be discussed in terms of whether or not this essay is effective for modern readers.In his anecdote, Orwell used a lot of literary and historical references that are useful in explaining the current period that he was in. â€Å"How the Poor Die† is set in Paris, back in February 1929. At that point, Orwell wrote that hospitals already have a negative image even before he wrote his anecdote. In paragraph 5, Orwell referred to a variety of literatures from the 19th Century. Tennyson’s poem, The Children’s Hospital and the conversation between Bob Sawyer and Benjamin Al len remains unfamiliar for modern readers.Orwell also mentioned a few other characters from the 19th Century that also has the same impression of hospitals. This includes George III who shrieks when surgeons approach him, and â€Å"the names given to doctors in nineteenth-century English fiction, Slasher, Carver, Sawyer, Fillgrave and so on† (paragraph 5 line 13). A brief description of literatures from the 19th century like those mentioned before allows modern readers to understand the relation of the negativity of hospitals and these characters.Therefore, since Orwell gathered his historical references in one paragraph, modern readers still have the ability to determine that in this paragraph, Orwell is informing readers that a lot of people have always had a negative image of hospitals, even before his stay at Hopital X. To give readers a view about the horrific Hopital X, Orwell used a variation of imagery to describe mostly negative perspectives about his experience. Orw ell first described the setting. One of them was the ward that he stayed in.He described it as â€Å"a long, rather low, ill-lit room; full of murmuring voices and with three rows of beds surprisingly close together. There was a foul smell, faecal and yet sweetish† (paragraph 2 line 8). In there, not only did he give visual images, Orwell also described the sounds and also the atmosphere (smell) that he was in. Orwell’s detailed imagery isn’t limited to the setting only. He also explained to readers â€Å"’cupping’, a treatment which you can read about in old medical text-books but which till then I had vaguely thought of s one of those things they do to horses. â€Å" (Paragraph 2 lines 14-16). Elaborating the meaning of this treatment is effective for modern readers because even then, he also mentioned that readers should ‘read about (cupping) in old medical text-books’. With that explanation, modern or non-modern readers get to ha ve the idea of the unfamiliar treatment that the doctors gave him. Other than that, by telling that it is actually ‘one of those things they do to horses’, Orwell is telling readers that again, this is one of the oddness of Hopital X.It is a technique that Orwell used to convince readers that his experience at Hopital X is undoubtedly miserable. Orwell also manages to convince readers about his miserable experience by comparing Hopital X to hospitals in England. He compared Hopital X to hospitals in England because he happens to have an English blood. Therefore, the comparisons are mainly biased to English hospitals, and hence, more negativity of the French hospital is revealed. The main comparison that Orwell referred to would be the service given from the hospitals.The nurses at the Hopital X â€Å"still had a tinge of Mrs. Gamp† (paragraph 5 line 12), which is the complete opposite from English nurses. Mrs. Gamp is another historical reference that Orwell made . Based on the footnote, Mrs. Gamp is introduced as â€Å"an alcoholic who works as a monthly nurse† (paragraph 19 line 2). Therefore, we can assume that a majority of nurses from Hopital X are like her or in other words, fails to give a good service to their patients. The result of this bad service makes sense to another explanation that Orwell made.When death occurs in Hopital X, the situation is explained as; â€Å"business of people just dying like animals, for instance, with nobody standing by, nobody interested, the death not even noticed till the morning–this happened more than once. † (Paragraph 5 line 3). The main use of these comparisons is to assure past and current readers that French hospitals are surrounded by negativity. Again, this effect is useful in supporting Orwell’s negative point of view of Hopital X.After almost a century, Orwell’s anecdote still has the ability to convince readers about the misery of Hopital X. With the use of literary and historical reference, language use and imagery, and comparison between Hopital X and English hospitals, â€Å"How the Poor Die† definitely proved modern readers about the misery of Hopital X. Therefore, it is safe to say that even if a literature is written a decade or even a century ago, the writing would still be effective if the author successfully address it with deep details.

Of Thinking Globally and Acting Locally Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Of Thinking Globally and Acting Locally - Essay Example Thus, business organizations like Coca-Cola (Coca-Cola) Company take on the challenge of "thinking globally but acting locally." Coca-Cola is currently one of the most recognizable and widely sold commercial brands in the global arena. The company capitalizes on its extensive distribution network comprised of 9 million retailers in more than 200 countries (Klebnikov 2003). Amidst its being a global brand, what is apparent is the company's innate desire of satisfying each locale according to their needs. This aim of Coca-Cola can be seen its products and promotion strategies. Coke, the flagship brand of the company is marketed worldwide. It should be noted that this product has been warmly accepted by the global market because of its universal taste. Coke has a "universal taste" which discounts the differences in nationality, culture, and traditions. However, the company recognizes that the product portfolio offered in each foreign market should be differentiated as not all product appeal to all consumers. Thus, Coca-Cola strives to develop a product portfolio which is unique for each market. Quoting the company's annual report: "Consumer demand can vary from one locale to another and can change over time within a single locale.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Industry business model paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Industry business model paper - Essay Example Some fifty million Americans gamble each year, betting anywhere from $30 billion to $100 billion, depending upon the estimate one chooses. The vast majority of this money is wagered illegally. Many states, however, are now stampeding to legalize lotteries, approve new racetracks and set up off-track betting! By early 1974, eight states were operating lotteries, with at least four others about to open for business. New York city began legalized Off-Track Betting (OTB) in 1971, and many other places, too, may soon do so. Also, New Jersey, Maryland and Hawaii are said to be considering joining Nevada in legalizing casino gambling. Yes, gambling is indeed a huge industry that is largely growing around the world today. For this particular reason, business organizations are actually becoming more interested in investing in gambling industries at present. For them, the said approach to business may indeed be risky, but the returns from the said challenging risks are all worth it. Among the business entities that were able to identify this particular truth behind the worldwide gambling industry’s progress towards the future is that of the Mandalay Business Corporation. The Mandalay Resort Group has invested a $1billion business entity to establish the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. This particular investment has actually made a great impact in bringing in a tropical resort theme in the middle of the wild luxurious gambling industries. This particular resort holds at least 3,700 rooms within it vicinities and several huge function rooms within the area which are all made for gaming, dining and entertainment options that are considered as the main life of the said resort operations. Hotels are mainly establishment who accommodates people who needs housing due to traveling reason and those who are searching for temporary residence. Since they establishments are known for

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The Impact of global recession on microfinance in Asia.(approximate Assignment

The Impact of global recession on microfinance in Asia.(approximate topic) - Assignment Example Thus, micro finance narrowly deals with the provision of small loans to low income individuals to help them start small business ventures. Microfinance does not involve large loans as poor people seldom need large loans or want to start big business ventures. Microfinance advocates believe that providing access to finance can help poor people in getting the resources to help themselves out of poverty. Poor people are usually avid savers but they save in kind rather than in cash. Jewelry, gold, animals and building materials are examples of things that they save which might not always be turned into cash easily. If they require finance, they borrow from relatives or landlords and other informal mechanisms which are often exploitative. (Micro finance, 2008) The modern microfinance mechanism is accredited to Dr. Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh, the founder of Grameen Bank. He experimented with lending to poor women in rural areas and achieved great success due to high repayment rate and in terest rates. Although, bankers were unwilling to assume the risks and costs associated with micro lending, micro finance institutions succeeded in focusing on women and charging high interest rates that the poor were willing to pay. Although micro credit institutions have existed since the 1700’s, it wasn’t till Grameen Bank in 1983 that the approach to micro finance changed. Currently, it is considered a vital element in the eradication of poverty as it enables the poor to lift themselves out of their situation. (The history of Microfinance, 2006) The report covers the role and limitations of microfinance as well as the effect that the recession has had on this sector. It further takes Kazakhastan’s microfinance sector into account and the implications the downturn has had on it. The importance of microfinance: According to a study by Robinson (2002); 90% of the citizens in developing countries lack access to financial services from established institutions wh ether it is for credit or savings (Vincent, 2004). The impact of the financial sector on the economy and growth of the country is great and this unavailability of finance leads to the vicious poverty cycle of low investment, low productivity and thus low growth. Microfinance is a tool to empower the power, to provide them resources to invest in venture that will increase productivity and lead to economic growth. Although there are conflicting views to microfinance’s real contribution to economic growth and poverty alleviation it is a vital socio-economic tool. The importance of microfinance is that it focuses on the grass roots rather than on dev elopement from top. It focuses on the basics likes a woman getting a loan to set up a PCO and not on setting up industries; thus microfinance is within the grasp of the poor and does not require grand visions but rather baby steps. The investment of credit in an enterprise that leads to the generation of income increases economic gro wth and development. It not only leads to higher productivity but rather a higher standard of life. It expands income sources and increase aggregate demand thus has a multiplied positive effect on the economy and the lives of the poor. It is important to realize the importance of microfinance in providing income that is sustainable, the ventures that microfinance should focus on should be economically and environmentally sustainable to be successful so they help

Monday, August 26, 2019

Birth Control Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Birth Control Policy - Essay Example For instance, some theories such as the public choice theory put more emphasis and focus at the level of individuals rather than focusing on the institutional level. The public policy making process is normally at the heart of effective services provision. It has been stated that the process of policy making normally occurs six major phases (Howlett, et al 2009). These are agenda setting, decision making, policy formulation, implementation, evaluation and finally termination or renewal. Health is a matter of public interest. For this reason the government involvement in matters concerning health is usually to a greater extent. The government normally formulates policies for different reasons. Some policies are normally formulated for the purpose of population control. Population control is actually the essence of birth control. The health policy is triggered by the desire and need to address several issues. These are broadly explained as; the health care policy seeks to be comprehensive enough to include the highest number of the citizens possible. This is one of the reasons why some people were saying that implementation of the policy will be very expensive and might cause the tax payer a lot of money. Coverage does not necessarily mean access. These two can be mutually exclusive. For instance, a person might be under the coverage of a certain health care scheme but for some other reason fails to gain access. Coverage also means a wider scope of the provisions of the insurance and other health plans. For instance, there is a new federal directive that requires insurance plan to also provide for birth control. The policy also seeks to ensure that the health care being accorded is quite affordable to everyone. This stems from the notion that health care is a very essential service that each and every person should have access to. For this reason it is important that the health care cost is affordable. Health care is a very important service. This can

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Drug Law and Policies; A Danger to Our Freedom and Privacy Essay

Drug Law and Policies; A Danger to Our Freedom and Privacy - Essay Example The agencies concerned with drug control have acknowledged that there are more problems when some drugs are treated as illegal than when they are legalized (March, Oviedo & Romero, 2006, p27-33) This paper talks about the inappropriate moves that the government have made under the umbrella of protection as from the harm caused by drugs. Actually, the penalty for smoking a 2-inch long bang is more risky to one’s health than the smoke from the drug. The penalty is in the most case related to discrimination, induced stigmatization, exposure to poor health, escalation of drug-related crime and negative environmental impact... Everywhere in the world, the public to admit that war on drugs has the significant negative impact in their lives, in some minor case the moves succeeds in making a wrong right. Undermining of fundamental liberties and human rights are a common phenomenon that a person found d to be using drugs have to experience in the hands of the law enforcement officers. The inhuman punishments, unfair trial standards and demonization of people are just but a few weapons widely used to fight drugs (David, 2006, p17-36). Technically, the war appears not to be against drugs but the humans. To some extent, the officers go to the extreme ends of shooting down criminals without being subjected to fair trials. Often first pages of public magazines start with the crime scene in which a suspected drug lord has been gunned down at a checkpoint, this means that the war on drug permits the use of orthodox measure including a sentence to death without trial at a mere suspicion drugs abuse. The law permits po lice officers to arrest anyone suspected of committing a crime, but when it comes to the case of drug addicts, they are always subjected to harassment that includes beatings and detention for a long period of time pending investigations (William, 2014, p20-24). These detention facilities are not pleasant places, they are more like the prison, the only difference is that in a prison one is allowed to see a lawyer often making the detention facilities worse than prisons.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS - Essay Example Operational effectiveness happens when management shows that it recognizes the employees abilities and takes initiatives to support its employees through advancements, personal development programs or other actions in high-performance environment. To achieve operations and organizational effectiveness certain factors have to come into play like resources that are essential for the performance of production activities. The operations role is to enable managers to determine and schedule the resources needed to meet business targets. Matching these resource inputs and production targets helps to achieve organizational effectiveness. This is because you are able to regulate the speed, dependability, quality and flexibility of the operations. Focus on training gives managers time to control less and allow employees to manage themselves to create a sense of employee empowerment, this helps to evaluate and gauge the technical and production capacity of the organizations resources (Dressler, 2004). A successful management strategy requires putting in place an integrated planning process, including steps to take and should take a two-tiered approach where there is free flow of information. There are various organizational strategies that lead to an effective management and organization. These include understanding previous initiatives leaders and employees to learn what worked, what did not and what gaps need to be filled, involving top management helps to increase the employees drive where the employees may be asked to share their opinions with their superiors, Identifying people who might be potential stumbling blocks or champions helps individuals understand their strengths and weaknesses and managers identify how individual behaviors might affect group dynamic. Constructing an effective communications system is also an effective strategy which

Friday, August 23, 2019

Child Care - Care For Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Child Care - Care For Children - Essay Example I would choose enough attractive and age-appropriate toys, books and other learning materials that would be available for the children. I would set up the room in such a way that children can move freely from one learning area to another, keeping in mind the activities that I expect would go on in a particular learning area. For instance, I would keep quiet areas such as the mini Reading nook away from noisy areas such as the blocks or manipulative area which I expect would be a-buzz with children’s productive noise. I will also prepare interesting but not overwhelming activities for the children that would follow a schedule, with the goal of eventually establishing routines. Examples would be using puppets to introduce each child, a simple story about starting school or day care, and a variety of hands-on activities such as playdough, macaroni-stringing, block play and the like. Children would feel more welcome if they see that some parts of the room have been customized for them. They are assigned cubbyholes to place their things while in school, and these are especially labeled with their own names or pictures. A memorable first day deserves a remembrance to take home such as a personally made hat from newspapers and collage materials. This is something Max can show his parents and grandparents and be proud of because he himself made it in school. Personally, I prepare myself physically and psychologically for a challenging first day. I will make sure I am well-rested and well-fed with nutritious food that would keep me energetic enough to keep up with very young children or to deal with trying moments such as tantrums and separation anxiety. This big change in the family’s schedule and lifestyle deserves an orientation. Beforehand, I can arrange for a conference with the parents (if the school does not hold its own parent orientation meeting) and Max and show

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Automated Attendance Essay Example for Free

Automated Attendance Essay There are many cases in which it would be bene? cial for the University of Stellenbosch to be in possession of an automated class register system. Such a system would be of most value to students, who may make use of system reports and statistics to assess their own approach to their studies, and be kept informed about course material covered in classes attended and missed. An automated attendance recording system would be advantageous to the lecturer, by providing data on student attendances which may be correlated with a student’s academic progress. Attendance recording is an important aspect of tests and exams, where a record must be kept of students writing the paper. Finally, such a system could provide evidence of a student’s class attendance habits in cases where the University is accused by a student of providing insu? cient guidance in lectures. In such cases, the University holds no liability if it can be showed that the student was regularly absent from class. Â  Problem De? nition This project is derived from a topic suggested by Mr. H. R. Gerber for the development of an automated class attendance recording device. The device must positively identify students and provide reliable class attendance logs for the bene? t of students, lecturers and the University, as described in the previous section.Attendance logs must be stored on a centralised database in order to generate reports and statistics. Therefore, the device must be able to communicate with a central database server. Students should be able to access information and personalized reports generated by the system for e? ective self-assessment and keeping up to date. Lecturers should be able to view attendance information and be able to add information to the system. The system should also provide appropriate administration interfaces for administering the recording devices and system parameters. Â  Scope and Aims of Project As part of the original project proposal, it was speci? ed that the student identi? cation device make use of RFID scanner technology, and that the device should be able to communicate via wireless with the central database server. As such, using an RFID scanner and wireless communications is part of the project scope, however alternatives to RFID and wireless communication is discussed The scope of this project does not include an in-depth theoretical study on a particular subject. Â  Introduction to Other Chapters Chapter 2 speci? es the design process used, and states design limitations. It includes an analysis of the problem, the design process and a system level analysis. Chapter 3 and 4 contains detailed design considerations for all leaf-node components of this project, as de? ned in chapter 2 Chapter 5 contains testing and integration information. Chapter 6 contains recommendations and a conclusion to the project. Chapter 2 System Analysis and Design The design approach used in this project involves breaking the main system up into subsystems called ’branches’. Each subsystem branch may be broken up further into subbranches, and subbranches may again be broken up into ’leaf-nodes’, which represent the lowest level of subsystems. This method forms a tree-like structure overview of the system as represented in ? gure . In this way, system level analysis and design is done by looking at the overlaying structure of the system, while detail design is limited to the leaf nodes. At the lowest level, components and design methods are chosen based on functional and non-functional requirements and design constraints. Once the lowest levels of sub-systems are designed, they are integrated and tested in a ’Bottom-up’ approach until all subsystem branches are combined into the all encompassing top-level system. In essence, a ’Top-Down’ analysis and design method with ’Bottom-Up’ integration and testing process is used. Figure ow-chart representation specifying the design approach used for this project, with inherent awareness of design constraints and limitations. Focusing on designing subsystems provides an advantage in that once one sub-system’s design is completed, it may be sent in for manufacturing while design of the other subsystems can continue in parallel with manufacturing, which saves time. If one subsystem fails, it can be redesigned without in? uencing other sub-systems, and in this way valuable time is saved.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Thomas Wyatt My Galley Essay Example for Free

Thomas Wyatt My Galley Essay It is a ship struggling during a terrible storm at sea, a metaphor for depression — a mind struggling to right itself. The imagery is incredible, and it’s a beautifully written sonnet. Rhyme scheme is ABBA ACCA DEED FF. One analysis I read (linked below) said this poem was about a man who had rejected God, and this battery at sea was the consequence (because, of course, God controls the sea and the weather). It also said the author was contemplating suicide as the only way out of this misery. The word choices are violent and emotional: sharp seas mine enemy steereth with cruelness rain of tears cloud of dark disdain despairing of the port One line (â€Å"every oar a thought in readiness†) is beautiful to me because of the way the analysis below described it: That the author was trying to think his way out of this turmoil, like oars trying to right the ship, and yet he could not. Anyone who has ever been depressed or experienced hopelessness knows that trying to get oneself out of it using logical thought is useless. The end of the poem indicates that the author doesn’t even remember why he’s experiencing this trauma, and also that he has no guide (like the stars) for getting him to safety. My galley charged with forgetfulness Through sharp seas in winter nights doth pass Twene rock and rock; and eke mine enemy, alas That is my lord, steerth with cruelness And every oar a thought in readiness As though that death were light in such a case; An endless wind doth tear the sail apace Of forced sighs and trusty fearfulness A rain of tears, a cloud of dark disdain Hath done the wearied cords great hindrance Wreathed with error and eke with ignorance. The stars be hid that led me to this pain, Drowned is reason that should me comfort, And I remain despairing of the port. . Wyatt is talking about despair, and probably means religious despair (the sin of losing your faith in God). He uses the common metaphor of a ship in trouble at sea (remember that England is a seafaring island nation, so a lost ship is a powerful metaphor for the English). My galley charged with forgetfulness Thorough sharp seas in winter nights doth pass Twene rock and rock; Wyatts ship [his life] is weighed down [charged] with forgetfulness [he cannot remember what the point of life is, he cannot remember what it feels like to know God]; it is adrift on a stormy sea, at night, between rocks (and is therefore in great danger). and eke mine enemy, alas That is my lord, steerth with cruelness Wyatt feels that God is master of the ship, and that God has deliberately withdrawn Himself from Wyatt; God is steering the ship cruelly (God is deliberately hurting Wyatt) and has become Wyatts enemy, as well as being his Lord. And every oar a thought in readiness As though that death were light in such a case; A sailing ship which can no longer rely on the wind (when there is no wind, or the wind is blowing the wrong way) will sometimes use oars as an emergency solution. Wyatt is trying to think himself out of his despair (using the oars of his thought), but he is in such despair that when he thinks he only thinks of suicide as an escape from his misery (as though that death were light :: as if death was not a problem). An endless wind doth tear the sail apace Of forced sighs and trusty fearfulness A rain of tears, a cloud of dark disdain Hath done the wearied cords great hindrance Wreathed with error and eke with ignorance. Wyatt thinks of his own moaning and tears (because he is so unhappy) as the winds that are driving his ship toward the rocks (of suicide). His tears are the rain beating on the ship, and his despair and lethargy are loosening the rigging which holds the sails in place (heavy rain could loosen rigging on a sailing ship; then the sails would become loose, and a bad problem would become much worse) The stars be hid that led me to this pain, Drowned is reason that should me comfort, And I remain despairing of the port. Wyatt says he cannot see the stars (he cannot remember the reasons that once led him to believe in God), so his boat does not know where it is going to (at night a sailing boat travels by reference to the stars). Reason (Wyatts ability to understand the world he lives in) is drowned (dead; the world makes no sense to Wyatt now). And Wyatt just cant see the way out of this. The poem leaves us unsatisfied, confused, directionless; like Wyatt is.

Bargaining Power Of Suppliers

Bargaining Power Of Suppliers This report serves a number of major purposes. First of all, it seeks to understand the development of Information Systems IS/ Information Technology IT theory. Secondly, it narrows the scope to enterprise value chain to evaluate the current practice in this area. Finally, it seeks to evaluate and analyze the future of the companies studied in relation to IS/ IT. 1.2 Definition of Key Concepts The terms e-business and e-commerce are often used interchangeably but they do not mean the same thing. E-commerce means using IT to buy and sell goods and services. E-business is a broader term, covering not just goods and services exchanges, but also all forms of business conducted using electronic transmission of data and information. E-business began when customers and suppliers recognized the advantages of exchanging documents such as purchase orders and invoices electronically, rather than through the postal service. This electronic data interchange EDI could speed ordering and fulfillment dramatically. The advent of the internet allowed businesses, organizations, and individuals to publish World Wide Web pages and communicate to broader audiences. At first, web pages were mirrors of paper documents. But as they increased in sophistication, users recognized that there were things that they could do with Web pages that were not possible with paper media. As internet usage and Web development evolved, managers learned to take advantage of the internets unique nature in many ways. For example, retailers realized changing the price of an item required a few key strokes on the internet versus reprinting promotional materials and price lists in an offline environment. The transparency of the internet, or the ability for mass instantaneous sharing of information also created an almost perfectly efficient marketplace for goods and services. The next stage in the evolution of e-business was to distribute its use throughout an organization. This came in the form of intranets. Businesses created these internal internets to allow employees to communicate with one another and exchange information. Once enterprises mastered internal communication through their intranets, they turned outwards. The link to customers occurred early on. The rest of the supply chain linkage took place in the next stage of the evolution as businesses began expanding on their connection to suppliers, customers and distributors. These included adding supply chain management and customer relationship management functionality. Portals allowed customers and suppliers to link more closely with an enterprise. The current state of e-business is really c-business where the c stands for collaborative. In c-business, the boundaries among enterprises become blurred. Businesses up and down the supply chain work together to achieve objectives that maximize profitability for all of them. 1.3 Overview of the Report Section 1: Introduction Objective of the report Definition of key concepts Overview of the report Section 2: Review of Literature 2.1 Literature review 2.2 General theory 2.3 Research area 2.4 Rationale 2.5 Importance of research area 2.6 Example of e-business application Section 3: Case Analysis 3.1 Case Study 1 3.2 Case Study 2 3.3 Case Study 3 Section 4: Evaluation of the Cases 4.1 Comparison 4.2 Recommendation Section 5 Executive Summary SECTION 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1 Literature Review IT/ IS has been used by companies for over forty years. Initially, their usage was primitive by todays standards, but over time, improvements in computer technology have rendered IS/ IT to be an integral part of the business. Yet, the study of IS/ IT in relation to management is a somewhat recent discipline. Initial research on IT/ IS tended to be more descriptive than empirical since the basic models that are currently used were not yet formulated. These research papers also tended to be overly optimistic about the future of IT/ IS in terms of the benefits they bring to business enterprises. Later on, research in the area took on a more balanced tone as the limitations of IS/ IT were also highlighted. It has also during this time than various strategic management models were incorporated into the framework for IS/ IT. 2.2 General Theory Now let us examine three theories that relate to e-business. 2.2.1 Porters Five Forces According to Michael Porter (1990), an industry is influenced by five major forces and he developed this idea into a comprehensive model. Termed the Five Forces Model, it has greatly influenced strategic management thinking for the past two decades. These five forces are the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the new entrants, the threat of substitutes, and rivalry. Bargaining Power of Buyers The bargaining power of buyers refers to the influence consumers have on an industry. Generally, if consumers have very high bargaining power, there are many suppliers competing for a very limited number of buyers (Porter, 1990). As a result, it is the buyer who will dictate the price of goods and services. Buyers have greater power when there are few of them and they command a significant market share, or when they purchase a sizeable proportion of the goods produced in an industry (David, 2009). Also, buyers are powerful when they can threaten to buy products from rival firms. This is called backward integration (Griffin, 2001). On the other hand, buyers are weak if manufacturers threaten forward integration in which the manufacturers take over the distribution and retailing channels (Eitman et al, 2007). Buyers are also in a weak position if there is great difficulty in switching to alternative products and switching costs are high. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The second force is the bargaining power of suppliers (Porter, 1990). All companies that manufacture goods need to obtain raw materials from external parties or suppliers. Hence, it is imperative that companies establish good relationships with their suppliers so as to get favourable prices and a steady supply of raw material. Yet, the supplier-manufacturer relationship is rarely one of equals (Griffin, 2001). Normally, one party has the upper hand. Suppliers have greater bargaining power if there are few of them so they can dictate terms to the customers who are at their mercy (David, 2009). Threat of New Entrants The third force is the threat of new entrants (Porter, 1990). New entrants to a market can seriously affect the market share of existing members and this is a constant source of anxiety for companies. In an ideal free market system, a company can enter and exit a market with the greatest ease and that profits will be nominal. However, in the real world, there are numerous barriers to entry, some of which are the result of economics, while others are the outcome of government intervention (Rugman and Hodgetts, 1995). Threat of Substitutes The fourth is the threat of substitutes, which refers to products in other industries (Porter, 1990). If the costs of the products in a particular industry are too high, customers might switch to products in other industries. Price is not the only variable but changes in technology have the potential to make users flock to rivals (David, 2009). Rivalry Among Firms The final force in Porters framework is rivalry among firms (Porter, 1990). Rivalry is very high when there are a large number of firms in a saturated market, high fixed costs, high storage costs and low switching costs (Barney, 2007). According to Porter, an enterprise can adopt one of four strategies to deal with the five forces in its industry. They are cost leadership, differentiation, cost focus and focused differentiation. IT can assist a firm in achieving these strategies. For example, to attain low cost, the company can adopt production engineering systems whereas to achieve differentiation, it can use computer aided design. 2.2.2 Value Chain The value chain is defined as a sequence of activities that should contribute more to the ultimate value of the product than to its costs. Products produced by an organization rely on different activities of the organization and use different resources along the value chain depending on their specifications. Essentially, all products flow through the value chain, which begins with research, development and engineering and then moves through manufacturing and continues on to customers. The companys value chain is used to identify opportunities that give competitive advantage. Basically, there are two broad categories of a firms activities. They are primary activities, consisting of the creation, marketing and delivery of products and support activities which provide support for primary activities. IT is used to transform the way value activities are conducted and to improve linkages throughout the value chain to give the company greater flexibility. According to Porter and Miller 1985, IT plays a strategic role in an industry that has high information intensity in the product and value chain itself. 2.2.3 Scott Mortons Model Morton improvises and refines Porters model. Morton asserts that the five forces that influence an organizations objectives are its structure, management processes, individuals and roles, technology and strategy. These in turn contribute to five levels of IT-induced reconfiguration. At the lower degree of business transformation, they are termed evolutionary levels. At the lowest level, there is localized exploitation in which the main objectives are domestic effectiveness and efficiency. At level two, there is internal integration between different applications and systems. Cooperation and coordination enhance efficiency and effectiveness here. At a higher degree of business transformation, they are termed revolutionary levels. Level three involves business process redesign which consists of a rigorous change in the company value chain. Level four concerns business network redesign for the reconfiguration of the tasks and scopes of the enterprise network involved in the creation and delivery of products and services. The final and highest level is business scope redefinition in which there is a migration of functions across the companys borders that ultimately change the very nature of the business. 2.3 Research Area This paper focuses on the enterprise value chain of three very different companies. They are Tupperware, Toyota and Facebook. 2.4 Rationale The rationale for the selection of these three companies is to explain how e-business is applied to different industries. Tupperware is a well known manufacturer of high quality plastic containers, Toyota is the worlds largest car maker and Facebook is the biggest online social network site on earth. They are all very different businesses, yet they share one thing in common the usage of e-business in their value chain. The degree of success each business experiences through e-business vis-Ã  -vis their value chain will be discussed in the analysis section. 2.5 Importance of Research Area E-business has become an integral part of the modern corporation and is a means of achieving competitive advantage. Besides that, it also creates opportunities for many third party services. For these reasons, it is vital to critically examine what exactly e-business can do for an enterprise. To demonstrate, the following SWOT analysis is done: 2.5.1 Strengths Around the clock business operation Convenient, fast and effective Global outreach Lower operation cost Lower initial investment 2.5.2 Weaknesses No direct interaction between buyer and seller Low customer penetration 2.5.3 Opportunities The number of people using the internet is increasing daily Over time, people will grow accustomed to doing transactions online 2.5.4 Threats Considerable risks such as privacy issues, security concerns, transaction processing and business policy issues. 2.6 Examples of e-business Applications There are many examples of e-business applications, the most common being EDI which is the computer-to-computer exchange of business documents. Another example is in collaborative commerce. For example, airlines have partnered to create Orbitz, an online travel service that searches the partner airline database for flights. The site also allows users to purchase hotel rooms, rent cars and other services. SECTION 3: CASE ANALYSIS 3.1 Case Study 1: Tupperware Tupperware is a multi-billion dollar United States based manufacturer of plastic food storage containers that has a presence in over 100 countries worldwide. Recently, the company altered its distribution model to a multilevel compensation structure. This inevitably increased the volume of paperwork faced by multilevel sales consultants who found less time to do actual sales. In addition, the order entry system was insufficient to cope with peak sales demands. To overcome these problems, the company implemented MyTupperware which is a web-based order management system. The first problem was solved because the task of entering orders was shifted from distributors to sales consultants. The second problem was solved because the integrated and streamlined communications between the relevant parties and provided better support in the promotion and sales of products. 3.2 Case Study 2: Toyota From its humble beginnings in Japan, Toyota Motors emerged as the worlds largest and most profitable car maker in April 2007. It accomplished this major feat through unparalleled excellence in its production process, and indeed throughout its entire value chain. Central to this success was the Toyota Production System TPS. Initially, Toyota faced the same problems as other automobile makers including slow product design time, uneven quality of production, wastage and obsolescence. These factors hampered the companys ability to achieve competitive advantage. Consequently, Toyota critically examined its strengths weaknesses, though not in the way Western companies do. Toyota adopted the Japanese approach of kaizen, which is a philosophy of continuous improvement by eliminating wastage. By harnessing the power of IS/ IT in its e-business, the company created the TPS as a means to achieve competitive advantage. Consequently, the company achieved tremendous success and its manufacturing process was deemed the gold standard in quality manufacturing at low cost. Unfortunately, this was not to last. In the last two years, Toyota suffered its worst catastrophe in years. Cars produced by its U.S. plant suffered from faulty brakes and there were defects in cars produced by other plants. Consequently, the company made a massive recall, which seriously eroded the reputation of the company. Perhaps the company overextended itself or was lulled into a false sense of complacency. Regardless, the much vaunted TPS has come under scrutiny as people question how a system that was deemed close to perfection could cause such egregious errors. It remains to be seen how Toyota will remedy the situation. 3.3 Case Study 3: Facebook By now, the story of Facebooks founding is well known, thanks to a number of books and the Hollywood movie The Social Network. A Harvard student named Mark Zuckerberg founded the site in 2004 as an online social network for Harvard students before establishing it as a company. Though there are other online social network sites, the secret to Facebooks success lies not just in the features it provides, but the clear user interface which makes it appealing and easy to use. From its humble origins, Facebook has now over 500 million users and has been valued at US50 billion. While the company is phenomenally successful, it is constantly plagued by issues concerning its privacy. Since Facebooks business model is such that it does not charge users for the services it provides, its source of revenue comes from advertising and data mining. This has led to repeated concerns about the violation of users privacy by selling their personal information to advertising companies who publicly share such private information. In addition, there are concerns that users private information is accessible to the public with very dangerous consequences like identity theft. One major error that Facebook made was its Beacon advertising service which informed users when their friends made purchases and were involved in other activities outside of Facebook. Users did not agree to share this information and this caused a public backlash and the company had to rescind the service. Similarly, when Facebook launched its news feed feature, users baulked at the infringement of privacy. They did not want Facebook to post updates whenever they updated their profile, added friends or changed their settings. However, Zuckerberg addressed this problem much better by making a public apology and explaining the merits of this system. While some users were still resistant, the explanation won over many and today, the news feed is one of Facebooks most popular services and is emulated by other online social network sites. A third problem Facebook has is the handling of users personal information when they want to delete their profiles. Unlike other network sites, Facebook made it almost impossible for users to delete their accounts and copies of their personal information were stored indefinitely. This caused a backlash and Facebook has since made it much easier for users to delete their accounts. SECTION 4: EVALUATION OF CASES Case Security Ease of using site Transparency Effectiveness of e-business Case 1 High Average Low Highly effective Case 2 High Average Moderate Highly effective Case 3 Moderate Easy High Highly effective 4.1 Comparison Overall, it appears that of the three, Facebook has been the most successful in applying e-business since its entire business model is based on it. The other two are examples of traditional firms that employ e-business to improve their value chain. Tupperware uses the least extensive form of e-business as it is confined to its sales and after sales services rather than the manufacturing process. Toyota uses e-business extensively throughout its value chain as can be seen in the TPS. However, recent developments indicate that its e-business application may not be as successful as was previously thought. Hence, Facebook is the most successful of the three in harnessing e-business to gain competitive advantage though it must be reminded here that the company still struggles with some security issues. 4.2 Recommendation It is recommended that Tupperware uses e-business more extensively throughout its value chain to include the planning and design and manufacturing process. Toyota should reevaluate its TPS to identify weaknesses in the current system and improve them. Facebook on the other hand should use e-business to gather more feedback from its customers about its services, particularly privacy issues and take them seriously.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Mama Day and Daughters of the Dust :: African American Culture Literature Essays

Mama Day and Daughters of the Dust For emigrants of any country it is difficult to maintain the individual culture of their homeland while assimilating to the ways of the new country they have entered. For slaves of the 19th century, the acculturation process was a necessity. If they did not conform to the Western way of life, they would perish. However for some slaves, their geographic location sequestered them enough from the European worldview that they could continue to practice their own culture and religion. Most of these groups were found off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia, the exact location of two important African-American narratives – Daughters of the Dust and Mama Day. Although the islands did not offer complete sanctuary from the harshness of post-colonial American culture, it did afford the Africans living on those islands more latitude to practice their beliefs. Especially for the younger generations, there was a beckoning from the dominant culture to take part in its opportunities and advantages, which created a drawback for Africans still trying to carve their niche in the Western society. Daughters of the Dust and Mama Day are fictional narratives that vividly recount the experiences of the black slave family during the 1800’s. Although they take different narrative forms, the former as a movie and the latter as a book, there are still several important themes concerning the emerging African-American culture – a way of life that incorporates the native African worldview with the newly acquired American lifestyle – that the two stories address. Although there are differences between the two works, they are really struc tural in nature, such as plot and point of view, and are thus not necessary to address currently. Instead, it is important to focus on the values that dominate the African culture and the attitudes that enhance and interfere with their way of life in Western society. The narratives share two main themes of which all other themes can be derived. One is the struggle between the lifestyles and values of the mainland and the islands and the second is a belief in logic and science versus intuition and African folklore. For both stories the island is an integral part of the story, almost becoming a character unto itself. The nature of an island is such that it has its own personality and dynamic, which is appropriate since it is physically dislocated from the mainstream.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper -- The Yellow Wallpaper

The Narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† the narrator becomes more depressed throughout the story because of the recommendation of isolation that was made to her. In this short story the narrator is detained in a lonesome, drab room in an attempt to free herself of a nervous disorder. The narrator’s husband, a physician, adheres to this belief and forces his wife into a treatment of solitude. Rather than heal the narrator of her psychological disorder, the treatment only contributes to its effects, driving her into a severe depression. Under the orders of her husband, the narrator is moved to a house far from society in the country, where in she is locked into an upstairs room. This environment serves not as an inspiration for mental health but as an element of repression. The locked door and barred windows serve to physically restrain her: â€Å"the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls.† The narrator is affected not only by the physical restraints but also by being exposed to the room’s yellow wallpaper is dreadful and fosters only negative creativity. â€Å"It is dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide – plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard of contradictions.† All through the story the yellow wallpaper acts as an antagonist causing her to become very annoyed and disturbed. There is nothing to do in the secluded room but stare at the wallpaper. The narrator tells of the haphazard pattern having no organization or symmetrical plot. Her constant examination of and reflection o... ...reep over him every time!† Clearly this treatment is issued with good intentions but fails to bring about positive results. Gilman tries to show that according to her husband, the narrator continually brings her great depression upon herself. The author, Charlotte Perkins Gilman also attempts to show that the lack of social exposure, physical repression, and ugly wallpaper cause the treatment to be extremely ineffective and detrimental. The disorder which is being treated is actually strengthened to the point of a serious mental illness. Similarly in today’s society, medical and psychological advice may have the same effect. Medical technology and practice have progressed considerably since the time of the â€Å"Yellow Wallpaper.† This is not to say that today’s physicians are infallible. Perhaps some of today’s treatments are the â€Å"Yellow Wallpaper† of the future .

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Is Psychotherapy More Effective When Therapist Disclose Information Ess

â€Å" Is Psychotherapy More Effective When Therapist Disclose Information About Themselves? † In the world of psychology therapist raise a question whether or not they should â€Å"disclose personal information during psychotherapy. Several therapists â€Å"have suggested that therapist self-discloser can have a positive impact on treatment. From this view, self-discloser by the therapists may elicit greater discloser by the client enhancing the possibilities for client self-exploration†(e.g., Bugental, 1965, chap. 7; Jourad, 1971, chap. 17; Strassberg, Roback, D’Antonio & Gable, 1977). In addition, â€Å"self-discloser is thought to encourage an atmosphere of honesty and understanding between client and therapist, fostering a stronger and more effective therapeutic relationship†). However many other therapist disagrees with that statement. They reply â€Å" psychodynamic theorist since Freud have generally regarded therapist self-disclosure as detrimental to treatment because it might interfere with the therapeutic process, shifting the focus of therap y away from the client†(e.g., see cutis, 1982b; Freud, 1912/1958; Greenson, 1967, chap. 3). In addition, it is argued that therapist self-discloser may adversely affect treatment outcome by exposing therapist weakness or vulnerabilities, thereby undermining client trust in the therapist†(e.g., see cutis, 1982b, 1981) According to the journal â€Å"These differences in identifying therapist self-disclosures may be of importance in the evaluation of their impact on treatment. For example, theoretical concerns about therapist self-discloser have emphasized the risk of shifting the focus of therapy away from the client. However when therapist self-disclose, are in direct response to comparable client disclosers the presumed risk of alerting the focus of treatment is likely to reduced†. The study: clients There are a total of 36 clients that participated in the study, 15 being men and 21 being women. All of the clients requested therapy and also the clients are over the age of 18. â€Å"Exclude from the study were clients exhibiting sings of psychotic behavior, disoriented thinking, or neurological impairment†. The mean age of the clients is 27, the range 18-42. The client â€Å"presenting problem included issues such as depression, social or performance anxiety, relationship conflicts or lack of impulse control. None of the client where ... ...erapist self-discloser may adversely affect treatment outcome by exposing therapist weakness or vulnerabilities, thereby undermining client trust in the therapist†(e.g., see cutis, 1982b, 1981). In reading this study, the main aspect I realize was none of the clients had any sever problem. This might have been one of the reason why the study came out so positive. If a therapist disclose personal information to a client without a sever problem, I feel there could be a good chance of a positive outcome. However, I feel that if a client has a sever problem this act should not take place because the therapist is now â€Å"shifting the focus of therapy away from the client†(e.g., see cutis, 1982b; Freud, 1912/1958; Greenson, 1967, chap. 3) and that it self is damaging the client. In summation I feel that this study is true to a certain point what was not put to study was the levels of problem the clients were facing and to determine the level of improvement. I feel that this act should only take place when clients have minor problem and not major problem. In addition, if a therapist decided to disclose personal information it should be in the interest of the client and not the therapist

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Eating †Food Essay

We live in a world where there are some people that live to eat. And we live in a world where there are some people who eat to live. Also, we live in a world where people are struggling to eat in order to live. We reside in a world where there are many societies that eat different foods based on their cultures and the region of the world where they live. As humans, the majority of us eats and places our food in our mouths. In this biological process, the food is chewed and goes down into our esophagus channeling into our stomachs. This whole process affects our blood, tissues, muscles, bones, synapses and brain function. In addition, the largest organ of our bodies which is our skin is also affected with this food process by the choices of the kinds of food we eat. What is so relevant about this information? First of all, what does it matter what kind of foods we eat? Who cares? Do you think our bodies respond to the food we choose to eat knowing that this is harmful for us? Is it a habit to eat foods we were taught to eat? Have we become so accustomed to this habit that we do not venture to explore the tastes of other foods from other cultures? In America, we reside in a culture where our Western values appear to be more concerned about the taste of manufactured and processed foods. We need to explore how our ancestors nurtured the earth with natural foods to instill into our bodies. We do have a choice. We can continue to destroy our bodies with artificial ingredients or we can live healthy lives with the natural and refreshing tastes of food from our ancestor’s heritages: African, European, Asian, Latino, Mexican, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern etc. Why are these food thoughts and words necessary? Because ’Food’ weaves in and out of our novels from Shange’, Morrison, Bailey, Naylor, Marshall, Dash etc. Therefore, due to this food consciousness, the following explains how I claimed a new food journey. I have adopted the foods of the Geechee Gullah (excluding the pork) to include in my diet. As my tissues and my flesh continue to change, I am very careful what I store into my physical system. I realize how essential it is to share a food reality with young people to inform them what they eat now and continue to eat into their 30?s, 40? s and 50? s will affect not only their bodies, this will affect their spirits as well. It is not enough to come to the table in the kitchen or the dining room or the Maidah spread on the floor, relishing all the colorful and delicious foods while sharing it with family. What if food choices while eating with family, cause an illness? What if we eat too much food? Is it possible to lose our sense of connection when not eating healthy? We have to understand ‘who’ our bodies are first, in order to understand the spiritual aspects of how good food is filled with healing powers! All of this creates where we come from, who we are and where we are going. Can you, as the reader of this article explain what this writer did not include in the following questions in reference to central themes (see words in parenthesis) in our novels? Are we those that can (fly? ) Are we those that can (sing? ) Are we those that can (dance? ) Are we those that can (cook? ) Do we (connect) with our heritage? Are we those women that speak and voice the truth to our bodies and protect our flesh, knowing we are more than just flesh that embodies our blood, bones, tissues and muscles? This writer believes and says, we are a result of our ancestor’s wherever they came from†¦we are warrior women protecting our continuing journey in this world to do the right thing. We do not just live to eat. We eat food to live a life filled with â€Å"natural simple foods† as sister Bailey believes, when she shares her food ‘wisdom’ on Sapelo Island.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Fundamentals of Nevada History Essay

The Nevada constitution was framed by a convention of delegates chosen by the people. The convention met at Carson City on July 4, 1864, and adjourned on July 28 of the same year. On the 1st Wednesday of September 1864, the constitution was approved by the vote of the people of the Territory of Nevada, and on October 31, 1864, President Lincoln proclaimed that the State of Nevada was admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states. Nevada’s history of race relations in the 1950s and 1960s was compared by journalists and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to that of some southern American states, notably Mississippi. Although not as formalized in law Nevada still provided many examples of racism against minorities in housing, employment, and public accommodation. Early beginnings of the civil rights movement in Nevada can be traced at least as far back as 1959 when planning for the February 1960 Winter Olympic Games at Squaw Valley was underway. The U.S. Justice Department was concerned because of the impact racial discrimination in public accommodations might have on international visitors and was anxious that nothing should occur to mar or blot that event. Likewise, the California Attorney General was concerned because Olympic visitors would be visiting and staying in northern Nevada where people of color would be treated with bias. Mining has been integral to Nevada’s history, from Native American use of its mineral wealth to fashion arrowheads, spear points, and tools to today’s modern industrial mining operations. Nevada’s silver deposits were the key to statehood; a driving force in the state’s economy in the mid-nineteenth century, they were a major reason for Nevada’s admission into the United States in 1864. While gaming and tourism now dominate the state’s economy, Nevada remains a nationally and internationally significant source of metals and minerals. Because of hostility from miners and their sympathizers, Nevada’s territorial and states antigambling laws were mostly unenforced from 1859 until the Comstock Lode mining booms collapsed in the 1870s. After 1881, the state attempted to restrict gambling through licensing and other statutory controls. Opponents of gambling and prostitution became organized and in the Progressive Era at last persuaded state legislators to prohibit gambling statewide in 1910 as part of a nationwide anti-gaming crusade. During the Great Depression in the United States, Nevada legalized gambling terming it gaming in 1931; (the Northern Club received the first license). At the time, the leading proponents of gambling expected that it would be a short term fix until the state’s economic base widened to include less cyclical industries. However, re-outlawing gambling has never been seriously considered since, and the industry has become Nevada’s primary source of revenue today. Gambling taxes account for 34% of state revenue. Also in 1931 the residence requirement for divorce was reduced to six weeks, making Reno a famous mecca for the quickie divorce and people from all over the country to take the cure. In the 1930s, Reno’s Bank Club was the state’s largest employer. It was also the largest casino in the world until Harold’s Club surpassed it in the 1950s. The Second World War was very good to Reno as local bases and those in Northern California helped boost the economy. In the late 1940s â€Å"Bugsy† Siegel helped get Las Vegas on the map by first building the most expensive casino in the world, the Flamingo, and then by being gunned down in his Beverly Hills home. Las Vegas casinos of the 1950s were mostly low-rise building taking advantage of the wide-open spaces that Reno didn’t offer in the downtown area of Virginia Street. However, Las Vegas boomed with new luxurious hotels in the 1960s and the city’s gambling casinos drew players from all over the world, and away from Reno and Lake Tahoe.

ICT Meeting Special Needs Essay

Introduction In this report I will describe a wide range of technologies which Tony Mcnulty, who is disabled, with an evaluation of the extent to which these meet their needs. Tony is paralyzed so he can no longer use his hands and legs properly. Sometimes Tony cannot hear very well sometimes and has to have sentences repeated to him several times. Tony was formally an architect but he fell off a building site whilst on a job. He now gets his staff to go on sites and he draws the designs at home. Tony is cared for by his brother but is married with three children. Tony normally goes out with his friends to pubs and clubs with people with similar disabilities. Technology 1 Electronic Wheelchair An electronic wheelchair is a wheelchair which uses a battery (usually a gel cell or wet cell) that must be re-charged on a regular basis. These types of wheelchairs are significantly heavier than most manual wheelchairs because they must house both the battery weight and the weight of any additional adaptive equipment. Advantages The advantages of electronic wheelchairs are that they are powered by a battery which means less physical use of the body for those who find it hard to use their hands properly. Another advantage of electronic wheelchairs is that there is no need for someone to assist you can go by yourself. Another advantage is that it easier going uphill because you are not using up any of your energy. Disadvantages The disadvantages of electronic wheelchairs are that they cannot be folded like manual wheelchairs so this may be a problem in small houses. Another disadvantage is that the battery runs out and needs to be charged so you can not travel far without it needing a recharge. Personal Needs An electronic wheelchair meets Tony’s personal needs because he can go out anywhere he wants to go without the need of assistance from anyone. He also goes out and does shopping if his carers are not at home. An electronic wheelchair meets Tony’s personal needs because Tony has the chance to go out for fresh air for longer and more often because if Tony used a manual wheelchair he gets tired of moving it with his hands so would then have to go back home. Another personal use that Tony uses the wheelchair for is to go shopping, the wheelchair allows him to do this on his own, as it can lift to reach products on high shelves and it can also climb stairs, meaning that he can go shopping almost anywhere without being assisted by a family member or a friend to help him. But with his power wheelchair he goes out for a lot longer but he has to be back home before the battery runs out. Evaluation of how it meets his personal needs It can be found from the personal needs above that the Electronic wheelchair fairly effective at meeting Tony’s needs. This is because Tony needs the wheelchair to be able to run for at least 6 or 7 hours at the time, and it can do this very easily, this is as the battery life of the electric wheelchair is reasonably long and it can allow Tony to stay on the move for long periods of time. Also because the frame of the Wheelchair is so strong, it allows him to do a lot of things. For example the wheelchair has the ability to climb stairs, and without the strong frame it would simply break apart under Tony’s weight, so therefore the strong frame allows the technology to meet his needs even more effectively as it proves that it is dependable and will not crack under pressure. Electric wheelchair is mainly positive, however it has some problems, one being that because it is so heavy due to its metal frame, Tony finds it hard to travel with it meaning that he cant really go on holiday on his own or even fold it away when he is at home, although he never really does as he cant walk. This means that the electric wheelchair is not completely successful at meeting Tony’s needs, but it is the best thing for it as other forms of wheelchair simply do not have enough functions to help Tony. Social Needs An electronic wheelchair meets Tony’s social needs because he can take it to go out with his friends and family on outings. He also doesn’t have to worry about the battery running out because his friends or family members push him home whenever this does happen. Electronic wheelchairs allow Tony to more free time because he is going out with his friends so he can get to the destination faster rather than pushing a manual wheelchair around and having to stop for quick breaks when he gets tired. He can also set other dates to go out on his days off. The electric wheelchair has quickly become an integral part of his social life as it simply has allowed him to do things he was not able to do before, such as going out for a drink or even going to go and watch a football match with his mates. As the Technology meets this need, it gives him the opportunity to go out with friends to bars and restaurants, which is his main social need. Evaluation of how it meets his Social needs The Electric wheelchair is almost perfect at meeting Tony’s social needs as it has almost all the properties needed to meet his social needs. Due to its reasonably long battery life it allows him to successfully meet his social needs, such as going out for lengthy periods of time, giving him more time to enjoy himself. The electric wheelchair is one of his most helpful tools that help him conquer his disability, but even this technology has some problems. For example due to it being quite dangerous because it is vulnerable to faults, such as the brakes not working. Professional Needs Tony uses his electronic wheelchair in his professional life because he can’t walk properly very much without falling so he takes his electronic wheelchair to work so he can look around the building site properly An electronic wheelchair meets Tony’s professional needs because he can look around the building site properly without having to tell his staff to look around all of the time and make suggestions. The electric wheelchair is a vital part of Tony’s workplace, in terms of mobility. As I have said earlier, Tony is an architect, and this involves a large number of tasks that are almost impossible for him. Especially the electric wheelchair, it allows him to perform the most crucial part of being an architect. It lets him get to sites on time and then move around the site so that he can keep on top of all his jobs and do it on his own, as the wheelchair allows him to move freely in and around his workplace. Another important need of Tony that he has at work is that he needs to be able to go up stairs to view sites which require climbing stairs so his wheelchair allows him to climb stairs as it has this function, meaning that he can get around work without having to get people to carry him up stairs. Evaluation of how it meets his professional needs Overall the technology is very effective at meeting Tony’s professional needs. It gives him the opportunity to move around building sites freely as the wheelchair can get through the tightest spaces, meaning that is effective at meeting his need off moving around building sites effectively. Also because the battery life of the wheelchair is quite long it can get him through the average 9 to 5 day and even more as it is possible for the day to be delayed. Therefore the electric wheelchair helps Tony get through any un-suspected surprises that might come up at work. This makes the wheelchair very reliable as it is not only mobile but very reliable and Tony can almost always depend on it. Although the wheelchair is very good at meeting Tony’s work needs, it lacks a few things, for example, if Tony had a worst job he would not be able to afford the wheelchair that he has and he might not be able to keep his job without it. Also because the wheelchair can be dangerous someti mes, he often needs the help of colleagues to help him out in certain situations, such as opening doors or getting down stairs. Technology 2 Braille Keyboard The Braille keyboard was designed to stop the development of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Cumulative Trauma Disorders, Repetitive Motion Syndrome, Repetitive Strain Disorders and Repetitive Stress Injuries, and other injuries. Your entire upper body and arms are relaxed as your wrists remain straight while you type. Advantages The advantages of a Braille keyboard are that it helps stop the development of many diseases which may save you lots of pain in the future. Disadvantages The main disadvantage of a Braille keyboard is that it costs more than a standard keyboard so this may be a problem for people that can’t work. Personal Needs Tony uses his Braille keyboard in his free time when he is using his computer at home he mainly uses it to browse the internet. He also uses it to type letters to companies and spreadsheets for tax purposes. A Braille keyboard meets Tony’s personal needs because he uses the internet on a daily basis. Although he can use a standard keyboard it puts lots of strain in his hands so he then has to stop. Another need it meets is that it allows him to use a computer that he can surf the internet and do any other things he may want to do. Also a Braille keyboard allows him to make notes and type letters to people through meaning that he no longer has to rely on a notepad and pen. Evaluation of how it meets his personal needs The Braille keyboard is very successful at meeting Tony’s personal needs. This is because it allows him to do a lot of things he was unable to do before on his own, primarily communicating with people in spare time which he was unable to do before due to his disability. Also the fact that he no longer has to rely on people to help him around the house means that the Braille Keyboard does its job really well when he is actually spending time on the computer. The Braille keyboard is also very successful at meeting Tony’s personal needs as he can connect it to his wheelchair and have it with him almost everywhere, meaning that not only can he be independent at home but also outside the home. Therefore he can use it like a laptop. Although the Braille keyboard seems to be great it has some setbacks. For example it is very expensive and Tony had to save every penny to get it, meaning that there was a chance he could not get the keyboard. This is because he has already had to invest in other expensive technologies to meet his needs such as the Electronic wheelchair. Professional Needs The Braille keyboard has eventually become the heart of Tony’s workplace as it allows him to do his job in almost the same way as he used to do before he sustained his disability. The keyboard gives him the opportunity to go to building sites again and to continue his job as he used to, maybe not as fast as before and with a few mistakes but there is no doubt that slowly it allows him to get back to a normal architects organization. Being a architect also involves a lot of computer input and the Braille keyboard allows him to do it very easily so he can input as much information as he wants into any kinds of types of programs, such as typing letters in Microsoft Word or creating spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel. Evaluation of how it meets his professional needs The Braille keyboard is efficient at meeting Tony’s work needs. It gives him the chance to once again have the same work life as he had before his accident by allowing him to do things that are important to his job that he could not do without it. For example with the keyboard he can still create designs which are required of him as an architect. Therefore this allows him to do his job even though he has a disability. Also because it can be connected to a computer it allows him to complete any computer input he may have at his office without the use of extra technologies such as a tracker ball mouse or a single fingered keyboard, meaning that it is very effective as it incorporates a few technologies in one. However the Braille keyboard sometimes has problems inputting information into a computer as he sometimes finds it hard to fully control his hands meaning that the Braille keyboard is not always fully successful at meeting Tony’s work needs. Technology 3 Stair lift A stair lift is for people who cannot use their own feet to climb the stairs or for people who sometimes get dizzy whilst climbing the stairs. Advantages The advantages of stair lifts are that you can climb the stairs without being afraid that you will fall and you can climb the stairs any time of the day without the worry of possibly having to climb the stairs. Disadvantages The disadvantages of stair lifts are that most stair lifts are very expensive to buy and maintain. Another disadvantage is that if the lift stops working the person may not be able to climb the stairs until the lift is back working. Personal Needs Tony uses a stair lift personally as he has to climb the stairs to go to any of the rooms. He also has to have a shower upstairs so he uses the lift many times a day. Tony also has to use the lift to get to his bedroom when he is going to sleep. A stair lift meets Tony’s personal needs because he uses the lift many times a day and cannot live in his own house without it. Tony has to use the lift every day and several times a day. Also the stair lift has allowed him to and from his own room as he can now use the stair lift without the fear of falling down the stairs. The stair lift can also be used by him to communicate with friends through email, as he has to climb the stairs to get to his computer. Evaluation of how it meets his personal needs The single finger keyboard is good at meeting at Tony’s needs, this is as the stair lift is very easy to use and it takes little time to get used to operating it. This means that Tony learns how to use more and more technologies so if he bought another similar technology it would not be very hard for him to use as he can quickly learn the ins and outs of this easy to device. The stair lift is also very good at meeting Tony’s personal needs as it is reasonably cheap and he doesn’t have to spend large amounts of cash in order to be able to climb stairs, this allows him to save money for more essential things. Professional Needs Tony uses the stair lift for a number of important work needs. One of the most important was that the stair lift allowed him to get to his office on the second floor of his home, meaning that he could do his job again even though at a slower pace. Another need that it met was that he could transport documents whilst on the stair lift without needing someone to help him. Also with the help of the stair lift he can gain access to his computer which is also in his office so he can once again type letters to clients and business partners without having someone to do it for him, meaning that he can do most of the real important things that an architect has to do. Evaluation of how it meets his professional needs The stair lift is good at meeting his work needs as it allows him to do one of the most important architect tasks, which are computer designs. This means that his work life can go back to an almost normal state, as the stair lift is very good at helping him work through the disability and resuming a almost normal working life. Without the stair lift he would have had to move his office downstairs then he would have had to sacrifice one of the rooms downstairs to make way for his office. Due to the large amounts of work that have to be done in a architects office, the keyboard frequently has to be maintained as it is cheap parts and it can easily break, meaning that it could break at any moment, not letting Tony work until he gets a replacement or he has to wait for an engineer to fix it for him. Therefore the stair lift doesn’t completely meet Tony’s work needs.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

A Person Who Has Made a Great Impact on My Life

Sometimes we come across a person who changes our whole perspective of life for better. Last summer I met Uncle Joe. My parents sent me to my uncle on holidays. I was supposed to spend my whole summer holidays with him and his family. That was the first time we have been introduced to each other. At first, I thought that it was going to be my worst holiday ever. I felt embarrassed of living with people I hardly knew and wanted to return home but days passed and I got to know my uncle better. Everyday, we used to wake up early in the morning and go for fishing.We packed our bags with provision and went to the river. He taught me how to fish and then we sat together for hours, fishing. While fishing, he used to tell a lot of interesting stories based on his own life experience. He told me stories about his student life, about his career, and about life in general. Once he asked me what I want to become and what I want to achieve in my life. I did not know what to answer  and never th ought about it before. He told me that I should  decide wisely  so that in the end I would not regret about anything I have done. I  told him  that I don't know what I want to do.Then he advised that I should do only what  I am interested in. I remember his words, he said, â€Å"Don't care about money or prestige of your occupation. Just do what you really love. † I started to list down the things which I really love and began writing them in my diary. The whole summer I spent exploring myself and finally deciding that I want to connect my future with physics and architecture. Therefore, I came to conclusion that I should study civil engineering. But this is not all what my uncle has helped me with. He also told me that I should be determined and persistent in achieving my goals.He often said that resolute determination is the truest wisdom. However, I think the most important lesson I got from my uncle is to see only positive side in any occasion. One day, we did n ot catch any fish and went home with empty hands. I looked at my uncle and noticed that he was smiling. I wondered why he was smiling as I did not see any reason to be happy. Then he said exuberantly, â€Å"We didn't catch any fish, but we had a great time. I don't see any reasons to be unhappy. † I admire his attitude. He is always grateful to everything he has and is truly happy.Uncle Joe is the person who has made an impact on my life. After that holiday, I changed my lifestyle and attitude. I used to spend a lot of time in front of my computer, playing games and surfing the net. Now, I spend more time studying, playing basketball and going out with my friends. I learned a lot of things which were new to me. I became more serious, optimistic and mature. During the time I spent with him, I also learned that no matter how smart I am or how much I know, there is always more to learn or experience. I'm grateful to him that he has helped me to find out who I am and what I want.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

World View

Using the concept of a ‘world view', identify some of the beliefs and attitudes, particularly to education and learning that you bring to your learning now. Reflect critically on how your worldview has been shaped by factors such as your gender, age or community. In your answer refer to Hobson (1996) and Samovar and Porter (2004) from the SSK12 Reader, and Chapter 1 in A Guide to Learning Independently (Marshall and Rowland, 2006, 1-18). The world view I hold in regards to education and learning is that it is a privilege made available to all of us within Australia. I believe that education is the key to the world. Education is the foundation of life. Everything in life revolves around education and learning. In this essay I will explain to you why I think education is a privilege and that education is an essential part of life. The factors that shaped this world view of mine are my family, age, gender and community. Firstly I will define they key term â€Å"World View† Hobson (1996, p 2) defines it as â€Å"the set of beliefs that we hold and through which we organise our understanding of ourselves and our understanding of others† an other way of defining world view is the way Samovar and Porter (2004, p 1) say that it is an â€Å"overarching philosophy† meaning an overall view. So my world view is formed because of these factors I am in my twenties, I am female, I live in Australia and I come from a family where education is highly valued as it is the key to success. My age impacted my world view towards education and learning. In 90’s at secondary school there was a lot of emphasis on completing your high school certificate (Year 12) and moving onto university learning. I did not however follow this philosophy of going to university. I always knew though that there were many options available to me, if later I wanted to return to study. I did know that I still needed to gain more education so that I could gain employment in a field of my choice. I chose to become a hairdresser and had to gain a Cert III in Hairdressing at a TAFE institution. I excelled in this learning environment and knew that knowledge meant power. I have that knowledge still with me now as I enter into university learning that knowledge means power. This knowledge will provide me with the power to continue my learning to better myself as a person. Having a baby and becoming a mother changed my life, it also made me realise even more so the importance of education and learning. Watching the way my son learnt new skills intrigued me, I wanted to learn more about educating children. This interest led me to explore my options about returning to study. There were so many options now that were not available when I finished school. I decided that I would enrol in a distance course a Bachelor of Education Early Childhood, so that I could still stay home with my child while he was in the most important stage of his life. When learning skills from me, would mean that his foundations for life would be set. I believe that I am privileged to have the opportunity to return to study, to change my career and also to increase my knowledge on education as knowledge is power. Family is the major contributing factor to my world view. My family always regarded education as a major priority and we all agreed that Education is the foundation for life. I believe now that I am a mother I can see even more so the truth behind what I believe and what my family believe about education. I know that providing my child and children in general with the best possible education while they are young will give them a good foundation to base the rest of there life on. Everything in life is about learning, from learning how to walk and talk, to learning to drive a car we are learning in every facet of our lives continually. Within my family, community and culture I believe gender is no barrier, when is comes to education and learning. In some cultures though, woman are seen as being not equal to that of a man. I n the Islamic world view women are definitely seen as a slave to a mans needs. In Samovar and Porter (2004, p1) they quote Bianquis. T. 1996) they see this point as well â€Å"Generally speaking woman as an individual was subordinated to man both Quran and the Hadith. God created woman from a fragment of a man’s body that she might serve him†. My mother was my role model that woman can be educated professionals, and she always instilled in me that woman can do anything a man can. My mother rose up above the notion of her time in the 70’s that woman were to stay home and run a household. So as a result of this I always k new that throughout my education being female would not be an issue. I believe that yes we are privileged to be able to gain a quality education irrespective of our gender. A belief I have is that education is the Foundation for life. If you stop and just think about your life you soon realise that everything you do in life is learnt. Everything we know today stems from education and learning. Just think about all the new drugs that are created to cure diseases, all this brilliance come from educated people that are learning about these diseases in order for them to create these miracles. They are using there educations in the best possible way by helping the people of the world. This is why I believe that education can change the world. What I bring to my learning now is that I understand where education stems from and that is the key and the foundation for life. I have had an up bringing that fostered learning and that is why I am now continuing to study and gain a degree in education. With this degree I will be able to teach Australia’s young children the foundations of learning. We all learn in different ways but we as human being are continually learning and thinking every minute of every day. The following quote from Marshall and Rowland (1996, p10) is proof of what I am saying â€Å"All of us are living and thinking subjects†¦Everybody both acts and thinks. The way people act or react is linked to a way of thinking, and of course thinking is related to tradition. † With this said I believe that yes thinking is a critical part of learning. The most important beliefs and attitudes I hold towards education and learning make me a better and more independent student. It is a privilege that here in Australia any body from anywhere in the world can come and gain an education. Education is a key to the world; anything can be achieved if you have the right education. Education is the foundation of life. Education and learning can even make the world a better place. My world view is shaped around these factors my age, gender community and most importantly my family. It is such a privilege that we are given the opportunity to learn. Education and learning is the way forward to the world being a better place!