Domestic Policies from Two U.S. Presidents Essay

Domestic Policies from Two U.S. Presidents - Essay Example President Bush’s position was ambiguous and did not ban nor reformed the â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† policy. (Domestic policy of the George W. Bush administration, Wikipedia.org)   According to the writer, none of these policies are entirely correct, since the desire to serve the country should not be discriminative based upon the sexual orientation.   Also, none of them were brave enough to overcome the criticism and openly state their opinions on the matter.  President George Bush has set to double the budget of the National Science Foundation over a period of five years, but after three the budget had increase only by fourteen percent.   His administration is also highly criticized for ignoring the scientific advice. (Domestic policy of the George W. Bush administration, Wikipedia.org)   On the other hand, Bill Clinton’s Administration launched the first White House Website and ordered the usage of Federal Information Technology in ord er to provide more information to the public. (Clinton Administration, Wikipedia.org)   In the writer’s opinion, the world is advancing at large steps, technology wise, in order to maintain the pace it is necessary to continue modernizing the administration.   Bill Clinton’s policy to open information to the public and to modernize the White House was asserted, necessary and perceivable.   On the other hand, President Bush’s initiative to increase the budget of the National Science Foundation was also asserted but only when the initiative becomes a reality.(Wikipedia.org) Bill Clinton signed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, â€Å"which raised taxes on the wealthiest 1.2% of taxpayers, while cutting taxes on 15 million low-income families and making tax cuts available to 90 percent of small businesses.† (Clinton Administration, Wikipedia.org) President Bush sought three major tax cuts, which

Change Management Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Change Management Paper - Essay Example He came in as a tough and very aggressive manager, always demanding results from employees across all company outlets. This new approach to leadership faced initial resistance by some outlet managers who stuck to old style of business operations. His concerted efforts, together with his likeminded team, helped turn around company operations while at the same time maintaining its traditional appeal (Roush, 1999, p. 171)1. Images of Managing Change Capacity building and trainings are conducted across all management levels to keep its employees up to date with requisite skills. These are necessary in positioning the company as a leader in provision of consumer responsive business solutions. These forums changed employee attitude towards work by adopting performance based approach to management. The overall benefit associated with this culture change is increasing sales volumes. The company is introducing policy papers and action plans for instance; it implemented a Strategic, Operating and Resource Planning (SOAR) program that completely overhauled its internal environment. This improved its daily business practice and human resource management to become a store with efficient processes which improved accountability and transparency. Home Depot opened its doors for clients to engage productively in shaping organisation culture, and is now more responsive to consumer needs (Cummings & Worley, 2009, p. 14)2. Such programs give employees the much needed motivation, shifting their approach to target keeping in line with company vision, and ensuring set goals are actualised. The SOAR action plan determines resource allocation, and ensures expansion plans are done according to projected growth forecasts in individual outlets. The company appreciates sales as an important department, and this informs changes in human resource management planning to focus on capacity building and training. These initiatives improve employee performance to scale up sales in an increasingly competitive business environment. It holds an annual meeting which assesses human resource needs, and then relevant changes are made to come up with a cohesive workforce. Environmental Changes That Drove Culture Change at Home Depot Advances in technology provide management with tools that has significantly improved internal communications infrastructure. Nardelli introduced a two hour conference call every Monday where outlet managers update him on weekly activities and closing financial reports. This changed the hands off approach which restricted coordination of activities between the two managerial levels. In the meeting, they set weekly targets in their respective lines of duty, and make decisions that improve business environment in both short and long term. This Monday meeting is conducted via video conferencing and is a great contribution to improved synergy witnessed in the management (Marcus, Blank & Andelman, 1999, p.135)3. Employee empowerment strategy gave them power t o set their performance targets, and top management helped in giving the right environment to ensure the set goals are met. For instance, they channel funds for expansion strategies and product diversification to stores with realistic growth forecasts. Employee attitude towards work is completely overhauled, and this makes them be part of the change process. Signs and Reasons for Resistance to Change at the Depot Slightly

Types Of Forward Error Correction

Types Of Forward Error Correction Error correcting codes are important in protecting transmitted data. In this paper we introduce the forward error correction (FECs) about the background of it INTRODUCTION, how they works, explain the principles of forward error correcting codes (FECs) Principles of FECs. And we also introduce the different types of FECs and how they work in internet and wireless communications TYPES of FECs. Index Terms-forward error correction (FECs), Error Correction Code, internet, wireless. INTRODUCTION Forward Error Correction code is a data code which is used in error control for data transmission. In FEC which using FECs, the receiver not only can catch transmission error, but also determine where the error happened by binary symbol and correct it. Different from ARQ, FEC is applied to the relatively costly retransmissions. Whats more, in order to recover corrupted data, FEC information is usually added to mass storage devices. The advantage of forward error correction is that retransmission of data can often be avoided. Digital communication systems also use FEC to minimum SNR. When the channel errors tend to occur in bursts, FEC coded data can reduce the all or nothing properties of transmitted FEC codes. [1] But this advantage is based on the cost of higher bandwidth requirements on average, which means that FEC is applied in situations where retransmissions are relatively expensive or impossible. 2 PRINCIPLES of FECs Forward error correction code (FECs) is a data codes which is used in FEC system for data transmission. Because of the FECs, the sender adds to its messages by using a predetermined algorithm, the receiver can detect and correct errors without asking the sender for additional data. Not all the errors can be corrected by the same design of the code, thus, various conditions need different FEC codes to match. Furthermore, many FEC algorithms can take analog data in, and put digital data out. There are two basic ways to code, linear block code and cycle code. But they share the similar principle. When we send k bits date and use linear block codes to correct it, the transmission system will reconstruct n bits code word by multiplied n*k generator matrix such that we can tolerate k-n losses. And when then receiver get the n bits code word, and multiplied the n bits code by HT matrix n*(n-k) matrix composed by the unit matrix and arbitrary matrix. It will control the error and rectify the error by using the result of the last multiplied. Final, the decoder will reconstruct the date like the picture. To check large data we need lots of work. And consider about the strength and accuracy, the linear block codes are not easy to implement in hardware. The cycle codes are easier to implement than linear block code by using shift registers. The sender multiplies the data by order of generator polynomial P(x) to create code word. And in receiver, it divides receive code by P(x) to get the syndrome and find where the error is. Then the decoder will reconstruct the date. 3 TYPES of FECs Block codes and Convolution codes The two main types of FECs are block codes and convolution codes. In this section, we will talk about the different bound of each of them and compare those advantages and disadvantage. Block codes work on fixed length blocks of bits or symbols of predetermined size. It encode the data by multiple a complex matrix and in receiver, the decoder will reconstruct the data and correct the errors. There are many types of block codes such as BCH codes and Hamming codes. Convolution codes work on bit or symbol streams, which have arbitrary length. In general, they are decoded with the Viterbi algorithm. While increasing constraint length of the convolution code, it allows asymptotically optimal decoding efficiency, its still at the expense of exponentially increasing complexity. [2] It encodes k bits information into n bits symbols. Because k and n is small, it is easy to transmission. Different from Block code, the n bits code work not only depend on the k bits date, but also depend on the forward symbols. Convolution codes are used in numerous applications such as digital video, radio, mobile communication, and satellite communication. It is high speed and efficient. In another word, we can choose which types FECs can be used in our system by we need. But Reed-Solomon coding (RS) is the most widely used because it strange ability in error control. Now we introduce some types of FECs. CRC: Cyclic Redundancy Check is the most important of linear group codes and the most commonly used error checking code. Its information field and check the length of the field can be arbitrarily selected. A CRC is formed by date and check code. The senders code the source data and send the check code behind the data. And the receivers yet code the data via the same way and compare the check code with the result. The advantage of CRC is that it is easy to use in computer and digital components because it is formed by binary code. But the codes length is large and it takes more unwanted time and channels. An example of using CRC code is the FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Array). During device operation, it can make continual verification of the CRAM contents feasible by using hard CRC checker. The CRC is guaranteed to detect multi-bit errors. Integrating CRC circuitry on-chip in hard gates has many benefits, for example, the circuitry is capable of performing without failure under a wide range of conditions and not susceptible to soft errors. Furthermore, the CRC circuit is a self-contained block and is enabled simply. [3] BCH code and R-S code: BCH code can check and correct multiple random errors in model multi-level, cycle, error correction, variable-length digital code. It is a non-binary codes. Reed-Solomon is encompassed from BCH. It is made up of n symbols, and each of the symbols is m bits long. [4] After coding, it adds t check symbols to the data, and the decoder can use an R-S code to detect any errors of up to t symbols, and correct up to t/2 errors. It is more complex then simple of CRC and has strong error correction ability. It is widely used in mass data storage system such as DVD, e-Reader and some game systems to correct the burst errors. And the R-S code also can be use to overcome the unreliable condition of data transmissions. An application of R-S codes was to correct the data sent back by Voyager. It is significant that R-S code is used in satellite transmission. Because R-S code gains much bandwidth need to net transition, so we cant use it in internet. Turbo Code: Turbo codes come from serial concatenated codes which based on an outer Reed-Solomon error correction code. Turbo Codes are well- performance FECs, which is the first practical code to closely approach the channel capacity. They combine a variety of ways of encoding and decoding. The encoders reconstruct the data into three parts -one m bits data and two n/2 bits code. And in receiver, two interconnected decoders are used to avoid error bursts. There are two different type of Turbo Code Turbo Convolution Code (TCC) and Block Turbo Code (BTC) [5]. One is base on Convolution code and the other is Block code. The Turbo Convolution Code has greater correction ability than BTC and is widely used in wireless communication while Block Turbo Code shows better performance at high code rate and suits for optical communication systems. 4. FECs in WIRELESS and INTERNET FECs in wireless High-speed multimedia data transmission is vulnerable to burst errors primarily due to the structure. The quality of service (QoS) of a wireless network is largely dependent on the link stability and availability and the error probability. FECs minimize the effects of multipart fading to enhance the QoS by adding check code in the transmitted data. And in all kinks of FECs, the R-S code has the most strong error correction ability. And R-S codes are effective in minimizing the irrecoverable system problems which are aroused by burst errors in high speed data traffic and reducing the bit error rate [6]. As a result, the wireless link is higher availability and E/N is dropped. So both in industry wireless net and wireless transmission, it is in widespread. And now in BWA, an R-S (204,188) has been put forward. It can diffuse a number of errors in one point to some small error. And the error will been corrected in decoder. FECs in internet FECs is applied in internet is a new development research problem in recently decennium. In internet, FECs adapt to complete more address transmission. First, people think about the R-S code because it reliability. And R-S code is easy to be decoded. But R-S code needs a complex math operation. In long data transmission, it will take too long time and it may tribute network traffic jam by using R-S code. So R-S code just using in short length date transmission. And now most use the Tornado code in internet. Tornado code is a Low-density parity codes and constructed in a kind of non-formula picture. Spielman provide the Expander code in 1995 on the base of Low-density parity codes.[7] And in 1998, Byers J W, and Luby M put out the Tornado code on the base of it.[8] Tornado code can be coded in a linearity time. And it has a quickly spread speed than R-S code. This is the structure of Tornado code. By using FECs, the speed of transmission in internet will be decreased with less retransmission. And FECs also can avoid the blocking and ensuring internet reliability when we transmit data in internet. Comparing the application of FECs between in internet and wireless, we can get the conclusion. The wireless need higher QoS and can provide more bandwidth to transmit data. So we use R-S code or Turbo Convolution Code to enhance the availability of links to get high QoS. While in internet, R-S code will take more time in encoding and decoding and in internet retransmit isnt cost a lot so we use Tornado instead or just use ARQ only. 5. CONCLUSION and REFLECTION As FEC uses excess information to locate the errors and correct them without further communication with the sender, it is generally effective when there is a high degree of corre- lation in the error. We can see that there are many advantages of FEC: it sometimes has no feedback channel necessary; it has long delay path; it is one-way transmission; it is useful for multi- cast, etc. Despite of these, FEC also meets some problems: it needs high bandwidth, thus it is computationally expensive; it requires over-transmission, etc. Therefore, FEC is not extensively used at the packet level. So in the next step, we need build new protocol and update our modern FECs to get higher QoS and speed of encoding and decoding such as Tornado code and RS (204, 188). And we also need to update our FEC to seek new way to construct FECs. 6. EVALUATION After this assignment, we take a further step in learning FECs. We become much more clearly about the different types of FECs, including their strengths and weaknesses and how they work. At first, we just surfed on the internet and collected any useful information about FECs we could find. Nevertheless, we found that the resources were limited and decentralized. In order to explain the fundamental of FECs clearly, we borrowed some books from library and then solved the problems we met. Although the process of doing research and selecting useful information is plain and boring, we benefit a lot from it. We not only learn about the knowledge, but also got some researching experience.

Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun :: essays research papers

The Younger family is an African-American family living on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s. Walter Lee Younger’s father has passed away, leaving ten thousand dollars from life insurance. This drama deals with how the family copes with this money, their dreams, race, and each other. During the play, Mama says, â€Å"Sometimes you just have to know when to give up some things†¦and hold on to what you got.† This statement relates to Walter, Beneatha, and Mama’s lives, because they each learn to give up and hold onto things. In the end, Beneatha holds onto what ideally should be important. Through Asagai, she realizes that she is slowly being assimilated into the American culture, which is shown by her unnaturally straight hair. After Agasai questions her hair, she cuts it, and later stands up for her heritage before George. This shows she holds onto her heritage and takes pride in it. In scene three she shows she holds onto her dream of becoming a doctor, and also her family, along with Asagai. Throughout the play Beneatha must also give up things. In holding on to her heratige, she gives up material things. Along with this she must give up George Murchison. She can’t accept his negativity about expressing their African heritage. She learns what to give up and hold onto mostly through Asagai. He helps her find her identity, which is just what she is looking for. She holds onto what is dear to her and what helps her explore herself. Walter is a very troubled individual. He believes that everything can be solved with money. By the end of the play, however, that belief is let go. He now believes that a close-knit family can solve much more than money. He rekindles his relationship with his wife, Ruth, and realizes how important she really is in his life. Momentarily, he gives up his family’s pride to the idea of Mr. Linder’s offer of more money, but when the time eventually does come for him to make the decision, he realizes how important it is to his family, and he decides to hold onto pride and give up money even after Willy Harris ran off with the money. Walter tries to hold onto his dream of owning a liquor store and making a lot of money for his family, but lets it go after losing the money and realizing family is more important.

The Roman Empire and Classical Greece

The Roman Empire and Classical Greece were undeniably two of the greatest societies in history. As far as the political and cultural developments of the two civilizations, the Roman Empire's (approximately the first five centuries of the Common Era) form of government contrasted with that of Classical Greece (approximately 500 B. C. E to 300 B. C. E. ), however the two societies shared similar enthusiasm for literature as well as almost identical religious beliefs.An extremely prominent characteristic of Classical Greece was its decentralized form of government. There, the nation was divided into several polises, or city-states. Each polis had its own government system – which could be a monarchy (the most common), a Tyranny, an Oligarchy, or a Democracy (Athens being the world's first). This is very strange compared to the government of Rome. The Roman Empire was centralized and ruled by one solitary man: the Emperor. Although the senate had some influence of the Roman govern ment, the Emperor held absolute power.Centralization and absolute power was necessary in the large Roman Empire because the vast amount of land being controlled was too much for Rome as a republic to handle. This was not the case in Classical Greece, which was much smaller, and could allow its polises to make their own decisions to keep the people happy. For this reason, we see a difference in the styles of governments of the two societies. Despite this difference though, Classical Greece and The Roman Empire still shared love and support of literature. Several great works of literature came from Classical Greece.During the classical era, many genres of western literature became more prominent. This includes lyrical poetry, odes, pastorals, dramatic presentations of comedy and tragedy, histories, philosophical writings, government writings, and more. Many works from this time became classics in our world today. The Romans also had a strong emphasis on literature and they wrote almos t everything of significance down. It was essential for the Romans to keep extensive written government records on order for them to organize their extremely large empire.Literature was able to strive in both the Roman Empire and Classical Greece because of the emphasis both societies had on education. Without this, neither would have the educated authors, poets, and philosophers needed to produce the great literature that they did. Furthermore, Classical Athens and the Roman Empire shared almost identical religious beliefs. For almost every Greek God, there is a corresponding Roman God. For example, for Zeus there is Jupiter, for Aphrodite there is Venus, Poseidon there is Neptune, and for Hades there is Pluto.The list goes on to include more of the major as well as minor gods, although some gods, such as Apollo, have the same name in each religion. In Rome, despite the change of name, the gods play the same role and have indistinguishable powers to their Greek counterparts. The re ason behind this similarity is that when Rome was developing into a strong civilization, leaders saw the accomplishments of the Greece, especially Athens, and decided to adopt their gods in hopes of reaching the same success.To make them their own, they simply changed the names. Unmistakably similar in their belief systems and love of literature, and at the same time clearly diverse in their forms of government, Classical Greece and the Roman Empire were able to share similarities as well as differences in their cultural and political developments that enabled them to become the prominent and strong civilizations that they did.

Analysis of The Shifting Heart, by Richard Beynon Essay

Thesis: In The Shifting Heart, the playwright Richard Beynon conveys ideas and representations of Australian identity through the use of narrative techniques, especially dialogue and characterisation. Each character represents an aspect of Australian society in the 1950’s that Beynon perceives to be true. 1st published in 1960. Set in 1956. NUTSHELL- 1. Not accepting of other cultures; Abuse against Gino and failed assimilation halfway between identities. Cultural heritage is important in establishing identity -Through the characterisation of Gino, Beynon shows the rejection of Australians towards immigrants and other cultures. -Page 95 Australian citizenship Certificate shows the belief Gino had that he had been accepted into Australian society. Momma â€Å"This we gotta put in a frame, he says.† It means something to him. Constant beatings he receives at the dance hall show that he is not accepted, as well as Barry shoving in the way in line â€Å"He tries to put his load straight on the scales- before us, so I told him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Clarry: â€Å"You shouldn’ta told him (page 27). Eventual death of Gino via the beatings shows the extreme racism and prejudice in Australia during the time of production. -Assimilation is encouraged to fit in -He tried to assimilate into Australian society, Pg 34 â€Å"Clarry. If he’s Australian, or†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and then continues on page 35 â€Å"Maria. Italian? (Pressing hard) What if he’s†¦ between the two?† 2. The play explores the systemic racism that exists within Australian society and portrays the justice system as corrupt and discriminatory -Throughout the play it is evident that racism is widespread and commonly used, with the people supporting immigrants being the minority. -After the death of Gino, it is evident that the law system is corrupt and that racism is systemic. -Detective Lukie- Boss is looking to promote him if he successfully pins the fight on the dead Gino. Page 69 rank is Detective sergeant (high ranking). Corrupt- makes assumptions, takes one side of the story of the Australian, â€Å"All I know are the facts,† page 73. Biased and racist Witness girl saw it all unfold page 96 the girl Gino was meeting on Italians side: Lukie â€Å"And we found a girl, too; arranged to meet him in the foyer. Saw most of it happen, she says†¦Ã¢â‚¬ - Police still confident Gino was  to blame -Page 97 Clarry â€Å"Why the change of face, eh? After promotion?† Lukie: â€Å"I’m happy. (Pause.) But i got a boss with ambitions.† Clarry talking to Lukie about Momma going to inquest; â€Å"She remembers, she forgets; what the hell difference will it make?† Knows whatever happens Gino will be declared guilty of drunken violence 3. A societies attitudes towards a minority race can be changed when they gain a greater understanding of the people aligned with that race rather than basing their judgment on stereotypes – Reflects upon the belief that racism is taught rather than inherited or ‘natural’ – Clarry represents this thesis, connotations of the title refer to him -Represented as a typical Aussie bloke, ie â€Å"could obviously manage without help in a fight,† page 20. In reference to Barry, the scrap metal collector who pushes in line in front of Gino, Clarry reasons that â€Å"Because he’s an older man, that’s why. He was in this game before you were even in this country.† â€Å"Rugged man of 36,† page 20 – Start of the novel Clarry loves Maria but doesn’t want to be acknowledged as being related to Bianchi’s. Maria: ‘†¦when he’s introduced Gino to people, but never once did he call him his brother-in-la w† page 77 He isn’t violent but he still has aspects of racism Refer to conversation with Lukie about Gino being guilty, he sticks up for them Challenges authority figures and calls their kid Gino â€Å"But last night-it clicked for me. I dunno†¦ I felt sort of†¦ good†¦Ã¢â‚¬  stereotype emotion, shows side 4. Alcohol is needed to have a good time and celebrate (Clarry and Donny) and the violence etc from it (misusing alcohol) -Donny Pratt: Represents alcoholism in Australia. (Leila bursts from the house with a ottle of beer and glasses†¦) â€Å"Here: quick, to wet its head. â€Å"Clarry (And he wrenches the top from a bottle.) â€Å"Here, Pop, grab yourself a lifeboat and hop inta that,† page 48. Reference to getting drunk, part of Aussie lifestyle. He is working class. Expresses the overlooking of domestic violence at the time. â€Å"How can I a hit you if I don’t remember?† Page 88 – Naturalised violence.

Urban Consolidation

Urban Consolidation Definition of Urban Consolidation Accesses to transport services, land prices as well as distribution of employment are among the factors that determine the people’s choice of residential areas. Urban consolidation has always been seen as a means of reducing the quantity of land needed to constructed houses for the urban population. The main aim of urban consolidation is to reduce infringements in terms of urban developments in cities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Urban Consolidation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Urban Consolidation refers to a various sets of planning policies which are meant to maximize the use of the present urban infrastructure through encouraging development of buildings and infrastructures in the urbanized areas so as to limit urban sprawl (Smith 1997, 1). It entails building more houses in the existing urbanized zones so that to intensify the usage of the available social faciliti es and utilities so that to minimize environmental degradation on those places (Smith 1997, 1). Economic and social reasons usually form the basis for need for developing the residential areas in the outskirts of metropolitans. Urban consolidation can be achieved under three models. The first one is the market-led consolidation that entails redevelopment of the existing suburban zones. It also entails development of the non-residential areas by buildings more houses than those that are already established in higher density zones as compare to the urban standard. The other approach is the transit-oriented development which involves mixed-used buildings in high-density residential in activity centers. The final approach requires that new developments on periphery of the metropolitan areas be at higher average than the existing averages for the urban areas (Smith 1997). Social Benefits of Urban Consolidation Urban consolidation gives residents a wider range of housing options to suit t heir unique needs as well as different households. It therefore allows residents to move through an array of housing types as situations of their households change. Besides, it may also help to achieve a more sociable as well as cooperative society. Urban consolidation also helps in providing better quality and plentiful housing closer to people’s workplaces. Urban consolidation is associated with good infrastructures that greatly enhance communication. When buildings are concentrated in one place, it becomes easier for the government to provide the residence with appropriate infrastructure and sewage system than when house are scattered everywhere (Bishop Syme 1981, 235).Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Social Disadvantages of Urban Consolidation Consolidation may be limited without redevelopments in that vacant buildings could occur on empty land before th e need to redevelop the area is realized. Potential residential areas which have no current residents could lead to dislocation in the town. Besides, if persistent inconveniencies exist on the population that resides in the area to an extent that they can no longer tolerate, they may be forced to migrate. However, the problem arises when there is no place for temporary resettlement while redevelopments are ongoing. Again, delay in state-provided services like hospitals and schools may cause public complaints which are normally directed at the local government especially when there is no platform for addressing the issues. General high costs of living in the areas considered to be green-field development that result from urban consolidation may cause those of low socio-economic status to migrate to slums thereby leading to expansion of the slum areas. It should be noted that population growth and levels of employment are always not equitable. The rate of population will always surpas s the rate of employment creation. Slums as usual, are bound to come with increase in social crimes in urban centers. According to Byrne and Sipe (2010, 1) urban consolidation may lead to concentration of social disadvantages and could also undermine social cohesion especially in situations where the urban planners have failed to properly manage urban consolidation thereby compromising residential amenity. Again there is the possibility of losing public open space due to high concentration of buildings. Creation of compact cities also discourages owner occupancy. Since the government aspires to maximize the existing urbanized area, there is no space for building single homes as the government aims to enable efficient use of the existing services and land. Those who would want to live in the suburban areas are limited by the provisions of the laws governing urban consolidation (Bishop Syme 1981, 231). Economic Benefits of Urban Consolidation Urban consolidation enhances the efficien t use of the existing infrastructure especially in situations where there is surplus capacity of the infrastructure or in situations where the infrastructure is old and needs replacement. This enables the government achieve economies of scale. Old industrial sites and buildings as well as non-residential areas that exist in urban centers can be redeveloped into new residential areas. It allows for subdivision of corner blocks thereby permitting dual occupancy development and a range of residential accommodation both in the residential and business zones.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Urban Consolidation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Urban consolidation can help minimize the capital expenditure costs that are incurred in developing urban infrastructure as it leads to efficient use of the existing infrastructure and land. Reduced space for developments as well as decreased travel times that result from urban cons olidation leads to energy and economic savings. This implies that urban consolidation has the capacity to minimize lost time on productivity. The high density population which is created by urban consolidation results to efficient use of the available transport (Smith 1997, 4). Urban consolidation also helps control urban expansion into the rural areas, thus protecting recreation, heritage as well as tourism resources. This enables the country to conserve its sources of revenue. Economic Disadvantages of Urban Consolidation Consolidation policies are usually adopted at the expense of potential new gree- field development areas leading to an increase on property prices in the redeveloped areas. Again, demand for business district properties would rise due to urban consolidation leading to increased values of office buildings. This would in turn increase the rental payments for corporations and individuals. Thus, not many people would be able to afford to pay the cost for occupying th e new houses leading to development of slums. Generally, people would always want to minimize their expenses but live comfortably. Some people would therefore be forced to look for residential areas in other parts of the urban centre. According to Smith (1997, 4) economic savings tend to be more intuitive than real as most people tend to perceive the cost of maintaining as well as upgrading the inner city infrastructure to be very expensive. Environmental Benefits of Urban Consolidation Urban consolidation enables planning which reduces the impacts of urban developments on the sensitive ecological systems. Planning urban developments helps control unplanned urban expansion thereby reducing air pollution that result from such situations (Smith 1997, 3). Urban consolidation is founded on the idea that compact urban centres tend to use less fossil fuels and as such, emit lower greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. According to Woodburn (2005, 16) urban consolidation helps reduce fuel c onsumption thereby lowering pollution as it enhances the use of more environmentally-sensitive vehicles. It also enables the government to consider introducing alternative forms of truck haulage into the urban centre. Besides, the government is able to develop environmental and social policies which can be easier to implement in consolidation centres (Woodburn 2005, 16).Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Planning through urban consolidation enables conservation of agricultural land as well as water catchment areas. Urban consolidation allows for the creation of greenspaces which help protect the habitats as well as to preserve biodiversity (Byrne Sipe 2010, 9). Industries’ capacities to respond to environmental regulations are also enhanced. Infrastructure for directing effluents from the industry is well developed and hence industries find it easier to comply with the rules. Disadvantages of Urban Consolidation on the Environment High population density created by urban consolidation may increase pressure on the existing and already environmentally sensitive land thereby increasing susceptibility to negative environmental influences (Craig 1989, 46). Besides, state as well as regional environmental plans may conflict with the local environmental plan as the two levels pursue different environmental objectives. Consolidating houses on one place is likely to increase pollutio ns in that area. This is because of an increase in activities. For instance, it is likely that the rate of pollutions in such an area will amplify due to an increase of pollutions from the exhaust fumes from motor vehicles. Consolidating Australian Cities Smith (1997, 1) states that Australia’s population has significantly increased. Sydney alone requires about 520,000 more new housing units to sustain its population’s needs from the period of 1991 to 2021 (Smith 1997, 1). This has prompted the Australian government to respond to these projections by adopting urban consolidation policies. The government repealed state government policies governing the urban consolidation in 1995, therefore making urban consolidation in Australian cities more feasible as compared to the past. Councils were given the opportunity to develop policies and goals that would meet the requirements of urban consolidation and that were in line with the vision of the government (Smith 1997). These policies were integrated with the State Environmental Planning Policy and the Metropolitan Residential Development. Earlier on, attempts by the government to allow for the development of medium density housing in 1982 had been met by strong opposition from the general public as they felt that councils were likely to pursue their own initiatives (Smith 1997, 7). These steps that have been taken by the government make urban consolidation in Australian cities feasible. In Sydney, urban consolidation was gazetted in 1991 leading to the zoning of non-residential sites that were no longer used for their original purposes. This facilitated the redevelopment of these areas into medium density housing (Smith 1997, 8). According to Glazerbrook and Rickwood (2009, 1) previous researches have indicated high population density, shifts in travel behaviors as well as a mix of land use in Australian cities which call for the need for alternative urban planning policies which would enhance higher d ensity development particularly in areas such as public transport nodes. However, such policies have not received equivocal support from the general public. Urban consolidation in Australian urban cities could be motivated by the high population densities in the cities, geographic constraints caused by the city shapes as well as transport infrastructure, the cultural and economic practices in the respective cities and the cities’ populace wealth. According to Byrne and Sipe (2010, 1) Australian cities have transformed in the recent years to ensure that the built environments achieve environmental sustainability as they adapt to the changing demographic trends. Australian city planners and decision makers are focused on protecting green-fields. They are therefore directing the growth of urban centres away from the green-field sites which occur at the metropolitan fringe to the already existing developed environments, thus increasing the population density in those areas. Accor ding to Byrne and Sipe (2010, 1) some stakeholders argue that densification and the associated population increase in urban open spaces as well as green spaces may pose challenges that are beyond the capacity of the Australian planning systems. Urban consolidation could be feasible in Australian cities as most stakeholders including the political class are of the view that urban consolidation would offer opportunities for enhancing and interconnecting public spaces. This would enable improve the provision of social amenities within urban areas. Most cities in Australia such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane among others which are have adopted urban consolidation are either aiming to improve service delivery to citizens, protecting the nearby rivers or rivers passing through the urban centres, protecting the existing parks around the urban centres, facilitating and enhancing active recreation as well as healthy lifestyles among others. Australia is a home for heritage tourism and relies heavily on tourism and therefore protecting its heritage remains a key factor in the development of its urban centres (Byrne Sipe 2010, 1). In the wake of increasing need for more houses in the 21st century, the Australian government is coming up with better urban consolidation strategy. These include; increasing compact cities using less urban land as well as existing infrastructure; expanding the cities within linear corridors; redeveloping the public transport as well as controlling urban expansion into the rural areas. This will greatly enhance the housing process in the country (Smith 1997, 9). Reference List Bishop, B., J., Syme, G. J., 1981, The social costs and benefits of urban consolidation: A time budget/contingent valuation approach. Journal of Economic Psychology, 16(2): 233-245. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Byrne, J., Sipe, N., 2010, Green and open space planning for urban consolidation: A review of the literature and best practice. Urban Research Program, Issue Paper 11. Brisbane: Griffith University. pp. 1-9. Web. Craig, B., 1989, Health costs and benefits of urban consolidation versus suburban expansion in Adelaide: A literature review. Canberra: The National Library of Australia. P. 46. Glazerbrook, G., Rickwood, P., 2009. Urban structures and commuting in Australian cities. Urban Policy and Research, 00(0): 1-18. New York: Routledge. Smith, S., 1997, Urban consolidation: Current developments. Briefing Paper No. 23/97. Parliament of New South Wales. New South West Parliamentary Library. pp. 1-9. Web. Woodburn, A., 2005, Overview of consolidation centres for urban and specialist use. BESTUFS II – First Workshop (January 13-14 2005). University of Westminster. P. 16.

What is Determinism

What is Determinism Free Online Research Papers In the realm of Philosophy, various questions are always raised on the strength of various concepts and subjects with philosophers and scholars postulating theories by eloquently articulating ideas that are relevant to the edification of the human mind. The concept of determinism, like many other themes, has been a vital debating issue which has contributed to building the world of knowledge. Whilst some philosophers and scholars postulate and defend the relevance of determinism, others especially the proponents of indeterminism and self-determinism contest its soundness as a theory. This term paper examines the concept of determinism which claims that â€Å"everything in the universe is governed by causal laws† (A Modern introduction to philosophy Third edition, 1973, p2) and critically review its relevance. The objective is mainly to attract an appreciation of the notion of free will and moral responsibility as inherent feature in most human actions. The main focus here is the intellectual debate which relates to the conflict between the concepts of determinism and that of self-determinism. In reviewing the concept of determinism, an attempt was made to critically examine its strength with key questions with a view to strengthen the argument in the debate for ‘free will and moral responsibility’. One of such critical questions is ‘why should someone be held responsible for actions he/she can’t help doing? It is my view, to completely accept the idea of the determinists would be a deliberate attempt to refuse a striking attribute of God being good. God being good would not punish someone for what he/she can’t help doing. It also questions the morality behind punitive measures and social sanctions in response to human actions that are repugnant to the laws of a state and social values. The paper concludes by subscribing to the view that the concept of self-determinism is rationally sound and accepts determinism with some degree of limitation particularly with regards to the occurrence of some natural and spontaneous events that transcends human ability to make choice or do otherwise. 1.1 Determinism: Definition and Types In order to clearly understand what determinism is, an attempt was made to explore the views of various philosophers and writers on the subject matter. In the book ‘A Modern Introduction to Philosophy, Third edition, 1973, p2, Paul Edwards in his introductory writings with reference to determinism talked about â€Å"The theory that everything in the universe is governed by causal laws† suggesting â€Å"that whatever happens at some specific moment is the outcome of something that happened at a previous moment, i.e., that the present is always determined by the past†. According to J. Stuart Mill, determinism indicates â€Å"that all mans volitions are invariably determined by pre-existing circumstances. It may take diverse forms, some cruder, some more refined†. Determinism is further said to claim â€Å"the view that all events, including mental events, are governed by causal laws. Every event is the inevitable effect of some set of circumstances (the â⠂¬Å"cause†) that necessitate that event†¦.† There are two main forms of determinism viz. Naturalistic and Theistic determinism. 1.1.1. Naturalistic Determism Naturalistic determinism is the theory which asserts â€Å"that mans behaviour can be fully explained in terms of natural causes† . Key proponents of this notion include Thomas Hobbes and B. F. Skinner. Skinner in particular asserts that human behaviour is completely influenced by man’s genetic composition and environmental factors. He however subscribes to the possibility of human choices but rejects the claim that such choices are free and that their manifestations are determined by what he referred to as â€Å"antecedent physical causes† . 1.1.2. Theistic Determinism Unlike the philosophy of naturalistic determinism attributed to man’s behaviour, theistic determinism is another school of thought which advocates that every events including human behaviour are completely determined or caused by God. Martin Luther and Jonathan Edwards are renowned advocate of this view. 1.2 Determinism; A Critical Review The perspective of determinists that all events, including human actions, are predetermined is certainly incompatible with the concept of free will which states that human beings have freedom of choice or self-determination. Advocates of the various schools of thoughts have advanced arguments all with the objective of rendering the opposing views untenable. In relation to the claims of determinism which conflict with that of free will, I would like to present a critical review of determinism. Another key advocate of determinism is the notable Philosopher Immanuel Kant. According to him, â€Å"The actions of men †¦ are determined in conformity with the order of nature, by their empirical character and by the other causes which cooperate with that character; and if we could exhaustively investigate all the appearances of men’s wills, there would be not be a single human action which we could not predict with certainty†¦ † The determinists claim that everything that happens results from something which transcends man’s. They maintain that human beings behave the way they do because various factors including genetics, astrology and God have so determined and that everything that man does is laid out before we do it† . They assert that what man does that no one could rightly say that a given human action could have been performed otherwise than it in fact was performed. Thus, according to determinism, someone sitting on the brown chair rather than the blue bench is not a free choice but is fully determined by previous factors. Having examined the claims made by various deterministic theorists, I personally hold on to the view that the extreme extent to which determinism is said to consider, like all other events, human actions as being caused by some external factor is, respectfully, flawed. This indeed virtually rejects the fact of the being of free will which I believe is one of the constitutive aspects of human acts . To reject the concept is free will is basically to communicate the idea that human beings could not be morally held responsible of accountable for their actions of behaviour. On the basis of this, it is my view that to assert in absolute terms that every event under the sun has been pre-determined or governed by causal laws is false and that the philosophy of self-determination reflected in man’s ability to determine his own behaviour freely is tenable. In order to validate my argument, I would like to set off with the premise that God being the most Supreme Being is good and that a being that is good will not will evil. The theistic determinist and Puritan Theologian Jonathan Edwards maintained that the idea of free will or self-determination contradicts the sovereignty of God. He argues that God being in control of all things no one could act contrary to his will and that God being sovereign he must cause every event, be it human or otherwise . On the basis of this statement, the determinist is supporting the fact that God caused the act of man’s disobedience by eating of the Tree of Knowledge and Good in the Garden of Eden even though He admonished against it. If the theory of determinism is plausible, then everything people do is completely caused; and on the basis of causal antecedent, nothing could happen except what does happen. The critical questions to contend with now are why did God punish and drive Adam and Eve out of the garden when they can’t help doing what they did? Who is responsible for the act of disobedience? Can someone, after giving instructions and caused it to be disobeyed, inflict punishment on the person who disobeyed? To believe that God caused every human action is a deliberate attempt to reject the striking attribute of God being good. God being good would not punish someone for what he/she can’t help doing. The fact that punishment was meted out indicates that Adam and Eve acted on their own free will to disobey and therefore carried the moral responsibility for the wrong done. The fact that a commandment was given indicates that man had the ability and freedom to do otherwise. Furthermore, if determinism were true, then the question arises, what is the morality behind punitive measures and social sanctions in response to human actions that are repugnant to the laws of a state and social values? It would appear absurd to hold robbers and other social deviants responsible for what they do if determinism is true. In every human society and institutions, laws and rules are made in order to regulate proper behaviour consistent with social and institutional values. These efforts would be a dissipation of people’s energies if determinism were true. The fact that such laws and rules exist suggests that man has the tendency to behave otherwise. Would determinists say all people who fail in life have so been determined to fail even with the possibility of opportunities offered them and the fact that there are numerous examples of successful people whose footprint could be emulated? It is a stubborn-fact that most people are responsible for being failures in l ife because of failure to wholeheartedly embrace every opportunity that knocked at their doorsteps. Hard work can certainly contribute to success and changing one’s low social status upwards. Another issue with determinism is that its insistence on the claim that everything is determined suggests that both determinists and self-determinists have been determined to think the way they think. In trying to persuade the self-determinists to accept the view that everything is determined is self defeating and suggests that indeed man has option to reject what he believes and accept another view. With regards to this, the determinists are oblivious of the fact that freedom for man to choose â€Å"is a wonderful gift of God to His rational creatures† as supported by the biblical evidence from Proverbs 1:29 31; and Hebrews 11:24 26. Through the complementary activities of reason which is the faculty of deliberation and argument and Will, the faculty of choice and decision, man has the ability and freedom to choose from a wide range of options either for the good or bad. 1.3 Conclusion Conclusively, whilst I subscribe to the views of self-determinist particularly with respect to man’s behaviour, I do also accede to the fact that factors such as hereditary, the environment and God do influence the occurrence certain events or things. It must be noted that man is in compliance with some laws of nature such as obedience to the physical laws of gravity, nutritional laws and the laws of instinct. All these laws influence man to respond spontaneously to his physical environment. Research Papers on What is DeterminismComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesMind TravelBringing Democracy to AfricaRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThree Concepts of Psychodynamic

Dissembled vs. Disassembled

Dissembled vs. Disassembled Dissembled vs. Disassembled Dissembled vs. Disassembled By Maeve Maddox A reader offers this interesting use of dissembled: On CNN a state department spokesperson just referred to our soldiers having dissembled some weapons in the hands of Iraqis. If what the soldiers did to the weapons was take them apart, then the word the spokesperson wanted was disassembled. If the soldiers were disguising the weapons in some way, then dissembled might work. To dissemble is to conceal the truth of a situation. Instead of lying outright, a person dissembles by putting a false appearance on things. To disassemble is to take apart. A large piece of furniture may have to be disassembled before it can be moved. The misuse of dissembled for disassembled by the State Department spokesperson is not an isolated example. Similar misuse may be found on websites offering advice and professional services. For example, a site offering paid educational services shows the segment of a teaching unit that lists ways to request help from foreign nations: Be able to request the help from foreign nations to  dissemble  the  weapons  of mass destruction. A site for a company that takes apart and removes play sets that are no longer wanted offers this information: If the play set is in good condition, [our company] will dissemble it and donate it to someone who can use it or hand it over to a donation organization which will find a person who can use it and not let it go to waste. A site offering instructions for taking a television set apart gives this warning: Safety goggles are very important. The CRT may implode while you are busy dissembling the TV or monitor. The government IRS site begins instructions for some kind of kit used in tax preparation this way: Review the sample in the following manner: 1. Dissemble the entire family pack of applications. Here are examples of the correct use of dissemble: McCain/Lieberman dissemble on AQ in Iraq Poole was as gracious as ever, but I could tell  he was dissembling. I wanted to tell him that  he was dissembling, that  dissembling  was ultimately dishonest. â€Å"I think he was dissembling to put it charitably,† said Cooper. â€Å"To imply that he didn’t know [] or that he heard it in some rumor out in the hallways, is nonsense.† Other ways to say disassemble: dismantle take apart take to pieces deconstruct break up strip down Other ways to say dissemble: dissimulate pretend feign act masquerade sham bluff posture hide one’s feelings put on a false front Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†8 Proofreading Tips And TechniquesWhat Is the Meaning of "Hack?"

HR Alignment Part II Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HR Alignment Part II - Assignment Example th the organization’s business objectives, the very first step that leaders of any organization has to take will have to do with selecting the right goals and objectives for the organization. I say this with experience from my previous workplace where a failure to set the right business objectives led to a situation where there was human resource alignment alright but the outcome of it was not successful. This was because the employees were pursuing something that was not suitable for the organization. I really admire the approach you took to addressing the benefits of assessing HR alignment when you indicated that you can only manage what you measure. The indication that this gives is that before HR managers can even think about gaining from the benefits of the alignment process, they have to get a means by which they can measure the HR alignment process (Becker,   Huselid & Ulrich, 2001). I would therefore use an example with my current organization to suggest how this can be done for any real world organization. In our organization, an integrate metric has been used that seeks to measure the business goals separately, after which it measures the HR performance also separately. After this is done, the two measures are integrated to know how any successes or flaws with the business goals can be associated with the HR responsibilities. With this approach, it is possible to have the HR as an agent of change because when any elements of failure are identified, the HR is called upo n to change its approach to work as a way of fixing

Management in a early years setting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Management in a early years setting - Essay Example Introduction Evidently through research, it is clear that in an early setting there are certain guidelines that manager should adhere to in order to enhance correct management. There are diverse guidelines in the setting and so manager’s attitudes shape the form of program. In any given business, management is something which should be done in the right manner possible, and this should be able to integrate all elements of management and functions as well. This becomes a defining application which has the capability of improving performance and ensuring that business goals have been realized within the shortest time possible. For instance, within any strategies of management, it should be appropriate to adopt a number of practices, theories and organizational adoptions which have the capability of improving performance of business. In early year setting, management is considered to be significant since this determines several aspects in the running of the business. With this un derstanding, this paper critically presents a discussion in management in early year settings from a broad point of view. This is enhanced through covering several different topics related to management and responding to different questions succinctly. Critical Analysis of the Management of Provision of the Setting The setting followed through early year’s management stage-offset and the attitudes at the same time as can be set on the subject of specific documents outside the setting. Documents in the settings, it is significant to note down that not every expert that is working in the setting have an identical attitudes and beliefs in place (Harrison, 2003, P. 38). In that sense, they can differ appreciably between individual, and there is no incorrect value, attitude or belief. In this section, the roles of a manager will be highlighted clearly. The Manager’s Roles and Responsibilities Essentially, the main role of a manager is to supervise and ensure that the settin g is been run in accordance to the set guidelines (Laura, 2008, P. 48). The manager therefore, becomes responsible to supervising staff when required and ensuring that the staff is always organized in order to accomplish their tasks. There are innumerable ways through which change in an early management can be achieved. This is through the role played by managers as well as their responsibilities. It is evident that members of staff do not have the accountability to deal with management. Their responsibility in the organization is to do what is most excellent for the benefits of the entire organization (Wang, 2010, P. 18). Therefore, the accountability for dealing with management in early year setting is the role of managers. Managers should cope with the change in a manner that workers can get by it. The role of the manager is to keep up to date with registers and other important data files, for children in their early setting. Managers should play the role to smooth the progress a nd facilitate change, and all this is disguised in that declaration in order to comprehend the circumstances from

Is Everything an Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is Everything an Argument - Essay Example Several types of argument exist based on the nature and type of the argument. In response to the different social issues, the argument may be classified as forensic, deliberative or ceremonial. Arguments trying to verify or elaborate on the issues of the past are viewed as forensic audit of the past and it involved the explanation of events in the past that may influence and alter the present situations. The presentation of idea will facilitate the development of understanding of the situation while also developing an argument on the idea (Casey, 2012). Forensic arguments are common while explaining issues that occurred in the past such as the women's liberation struggles. In addition, the forensic argument is vital in the creation of chronology of events. The article by Benedict Carey touches on issues that pertains to the effect of gay parenting on the child development and deals with major issues that affect the development of understanding and control of the children. The argumen t by the author is based deliberation. The study of effect of gay marriage on child development is a debatable issue in the society. The author addresses the issues by deliberating within the ideal and the coming situation and addressing the issues via elaboration studies conducted. In the community, several issues need to be deliberated upon in order to develop the necessary conclusion. Deliberation arguments are based on the findings of the research and develop several understanding of the situation. According to article by Carey, the major issues affecting the cognitive development of the children are in the nature of the family set up. According to him, same sex marriage brings creates a non-conducive environment for the children leading to sociological problems in later life (Casey, 2012). The deliberation is supported by several other findings which are stipulated by Casey. In the analysis of the essay, it is evident that the author is relying on the creation of an argument to dispel personal opinion as well as the development of new ideas about the whole situation. In defining the argument several factors are established creating an atmosphere of deliberation as the reader studies the article. Such deliberations are present in other articles with the main objective of passing the information across and creating a perceived conclusion on the document. However, several other arguments exist in writing that are employed or the sole purpose of explanation without offering any guidance or opportunity to address the issues. Such writings are present but will always take the view of the author and can be viewed in the manner of presentation taken by the author.

Business peer review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business peer review - Essay Example The labeling is clear and the table of content is functional. This improves the quality of the report. The author attempts to justify the study. He provides an appropriate background information about the problem. This way, he succeeds in explaining the relevance of the report by outlining the nature of the problem. Do the author’s recommendations seem to follow from the information he or she has presented? Are the recommendations based on sound reasoning, and are they clearly written with the intended audience in mind? The recommendations are consistent with his research findings. They strive to resolve the problem he alludes to in the first paragraphs. This way, he maintains coherence to the topical issue and the problem he introduced in the first paragraph. The writing style is clear and concise thus making the report both cohesive and coherent. He uses simple yet descriptive language. This enhances the quality of the paper since it targets a wider

The United Nations Involvement in Rwanda during the Genocide Research Paper

The United Nations Involvement in Rwanda during the Genocide - Research Paper Example According to the research paper "The United Nations involvement in Rwanda during the genocide" findings, since the second half of the twentieth century, the bleak nature of precedents in regard to the implementation of the Genocide Convention exposes a grim account of the stance taken by the international community to crack the whip on the perpetration of such heinous acts (Verdeja 37-54). This has left experts at loggerheads concerning whether prominent cases that justify the description â€Å"genocide† passed the legal thresholds. In the current world, the wheels of justice at different levels of jurisdiction such as international tribunals and internal trial courts are slowly elaborating definitional uncertainties and raising their flag, though hesitantly, that perpetrators of genocide may be tried and jailed or executed depending on their level of culpability (Barta, Finzsch, and Stannard 111-133). Yet, the very realities that trial chambers are seeking justice for perpetr ators of genocide-related crimes stand as an apparent proof of a deeper rot, which probably led to the Rwandan genocide (Verdeja 37-54). The key perpetrator of the Rwandan massacres had not seen a serious court that would try the perpetrators of such grave crimes. The United Nations established the United Nations Assistance Mission For Rwanda (UNAMIR) on 5th October 1993 to provide the security within Rwandan capital Kigali. Other responsibilities of the UNAMIR included watching the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

Educational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Educational Change - Essay Example The USA government has invested a lot in research to better the education systems so that its citizens can be more innovative and competitive. The extensive research has brought about many changes in the education sector. This paper will discuss the key changes that have occurred in the USA system of education and their impact. Additionally, the paper will also look at the driving forces to the changes giving more attention to technological changes. The paper will also discuss how good leadership catalyzes educational changes in an institution. Educational competition is evident globally, and all nations are looking forward to making their students the best in the world. The USA has made graduating from high school to college a national imperative. The education system and curriculums are more focused on ensuring that students are competitive in their careers. This is an improvement to the former system whereby the student was supposed to read a lot of course work which might not relate to the career in the future (Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 2007). The K12 education system is aimed at providing complete and competitive education. The requirement for college education has been raised which translates into mandatory better reading in high school levels. The number of teachers recruited in every school is much higher as compared to the numbers recruited in the past. The educational institutions are more ambitious in the kind of teachers that are recruited and how they are prepared and developed to meet the pre-set goal (Hargreaves, 2010). The academic requirement of principals and teachers is quite high, and hence schools have a good workforce to deliver quality education. It has become obligatory that every school has data systems that record education performance of every student (Razik & Swanson, 2010). Such systems provide the teachers with a good reflection of the students past

The United Nations Involvement in Rwanda during the Genocide Research Paper

The United Nations Involvement in Rwanda during the Genocide - Research Paper Example According to the research paper "The United Nations involvement in Rwanda during the genocide" findings, since the second half of the twentieth century, the bleak nature of precedents in regard to the implementation of the Genocide Convention exposes a grim account of the stance taken by the international community to crack the whip on the perpetration of such heinous acts (Verdeja 37-54). This has left experts at loggerheads concerning whether prominent cases that justify the description â€Å"genocide† passed the legal thresholds. In the current world, the wheels of justice at different levels of jurisdiction such as international tribunals and internal trial courts are slowly elaborating definitional uncertainties and raising their flag, though hesitantly, that perpetrators of genocide may be tried and jailed or executed depending on their level of culpability (Barta, Finzsch, and Stannard 111-133). Yet, the very realities that trial chambers are seeking justice for perpetr ators of genocide-related crimes stand as an apparent proof of a deeper rot, which probably led to the Rwandan genocide (Verdeja 37-54). The key perpetrator of the Rwandan massacres had not seen a serious court that would try the perpetrators of such grave crimes. The United Nations established the United Nations Assistance Mission For Rwanda (UNAMIR) on 5th October 1993 to provide the security within Rwandan capital Kigali. Other responsibilities of the UNAMIR included watching the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

Kite Runner Themes Essay Example for Free

Kite Runner Themes Essay Baba expresses a great deal of pride and attachment to the afghan culture so the move to America fills Amir and himself with a loss of heritage and identity. The escape from the previous culture however allows Amir to escape the incident of rape upon his best friend Hassan which has left a bad taste on his childhood. In America Amir doesn’t turn away from his Middle Eastern culture, and asks Soraya’s father, the general for permission to marry her even though he spurns it slightly by talking to her privately without consent. Amir towards the end, becomes proud of his blended culture. Although he enjoys visiting Pakistan, eating the traditional food and hearing references to childhood legends, he also likes the feeling of hope and freedom he gained from America. Social Inequality From childhood, Amir recognizes the difference in social standing between himself and best friend Hassan. As a Pashtun, Amir enjoys privileges of being a higher class and his father being a successful man whereas Hassan is poor and he and his father face prejudice from people every day. Despite this, Hassan and Ali are content with their lower class life and are good natured human beings. Hosseini is trying to convey that your social standing in society does not determine what kind of person you are and if you are better than someone else. You can only truly be better than someone else morally and having saint-like characteristics. During Amir and Hassan childhood, they’re differences of social class are conveyed by living standards, Hassan being illiterate and physical appearances. These are individually important but as a whole they all convey irony in the fact that it is Hassan who is content with life and Amir who is not. Later in the novel, Hazara prejudice which is taken to the extreme as they are massacred and abused by Taliban officials, such as Assef. When Sohrab returns with Amir to America, Amir is quick to dispel any mention of class as he believes it is has influenced his and Sohrab’s life too greatly and he perhaps finally sees them as his equals which he was afraid to do so as a child(never referring to Hassan as his friend). Personal Responsibility Many of the actions of the main character stem from personal responsibility. Baba takes on the responsibility of Ali from his father, who took him in when he was a child. He lets Ali and his son work for him, offers them shelter and food; making them feel part employees and part family. Air later realises this ‘personal responsibility’ baba showed for Ali may stem from his guilt of betraying Ali and fathering Hassan. Amir feels responsible for all the bad occurrences which happened to Hassan and his father. He feels many of the events which occurred later in the novel are down to him being too cowardly to prevent Hassan being raped. Though many suffer from the Taliban’s ruthlessness, he believes the events that happened to Hassan’s family are his responsibility/fault. The feeling of responsibility is what drives Amir to return to Afghanistan, to rescue Sohrab. Rahim Khan plants this idea in Amir’s head and suggests this is the way to achieve closure and absolution for the past. After he rescues Sohrab, Amir feels responsible for the boy in a different way and wants to protect him from anymore pain; furthermore, he sees Sohrab as a way to fill the emptiness in the marriage from his and Sorayas infidelity. Identity and Self- discovery Throughout the novel the protagonist struggles to find his true purpose and find his identity through noble actions. Amir’s failure to be loyal to his friend at such a crucial moment defines this conflict. His endeavour to overcome his own weaknesses appear in confronting Assef, returning to a war torn country oppressed by the Taliban and even his carsickness whilst during with Farid. The revelation of baba later in chapter 17, allows Amir to discover who his father really was and how alike they were in terms of betraying people who loved and were loyal to the end to them. The return to Afghanistan allows Amir to find out the type of man he can become and to confront his past which he has so desperately tried to bottle up. Family, Fathers and Fatherhood Family relationships play a great part in this novel but mothers are strikingly absent. Amir and Hassan grow up without their mothers and this is exemplified through the tension of Baba’s treatment of his sons. He makes it clear he is disappointed Amir is bookish, cowardly to protect his social standing and stick up for Hassan whilst on the other hand, he never publically acknowledges Hassan as his own son- although he shows a great deal of affection to Hassan. Likewise, General Taheri is a similar traditional, highly critical father who chafes his daughter for rebellious behaviour. The theme of family is then reintroduced when Amir and Soraya are unsuccessful in starting their own- punishment perhaps for their pasts or that Amir has yet to face up to his. The adoption of the troubled Sohrab however, provides them with the attempt to begin a complete family based on love and honesty. Journey and Quest The novel is mostly based around Amirs departure from Afghanistan as a young teenager and his return as a middle aged man to the war-torn country. At the same time, it is a symbolic quest. Amir makes great sacrifices to pursue his quest to atone for past sins by rescuing his nephew Sohrab in the hands of the Taliban. Symbolised at the beginning of the novel with Amir cutting his fingers with the kite string in order to sacrifice himself for his father’s love, sacrifice plays a big theme also. Amir towards the end of the novel again, willingly cuts his fingers, to revive his spiritually wounded nephew who is suffering from depression. By the end of the novel, this significant symbol of sacrifice shows how much Amir has morally developed as he is willing to sacrifice much in order to save Sohrab from a similar fate and to protect him. The most part of the novel is Amir hiding from his past and by returning to Kabul he is taking that all important journey to have complete redemption. Political power and Abuse The events of the novel occur against the backdrop of political change, the rise of the Taliban government. Assef, Hassans rapist and bully, who becomes a high ranking Taliban officer, embodies the consequence of abuse of power and violence and oppression caused by the Taliban. Assef is a sociopath who thrives in the atmosphere of chaos. Interpersonal violence leads to the split of Hassan and Amir; on a national scale the abuse of power by communist backed soviets results in massacres and Afghanistan forces to go into exile. The abuse of power and abuse is an important reference to how the hazara’s have been treated. From humiliation at the beginning of the novel for their looks to being massacred and horrifically abused. When General Taheri demands an explanation for their adoption of Sohrab, he echoes the discrimination against this entire ethnic minority and in a sense, Baba also condones the attitude towards Hazara’s by not admitting that he fathered a Hazara son. Kites After Hassan gets raped while running his kite, Amir cannot separate kite fighting and running from his own betrayal and cowardice. Therefore, even after all of his injuries and trials on Sohrabs behalf, it is the act of kite running that finally makes him feel redeemed. Beyond their significance to the plot, kites have multiple layers of symbolism in the story. One of these layers involves the class difference between Amir and Hassan, which largely dictates and limits their relationship. In kite fighting, one boy controls the kite while the other assists by feeding the string. Just as Hassan makes Amirs breakfast, folds his clothes, and cleans his room, so does he cater to Amir in kite tournaments. Even though Hassan shares in the excitement of kite fighting, he does not actually have control over the kite. Hassan may help the kite lift-and-dive, but Amir is the one who claims a victory. Hassan may catch a cherished rival kite and hold it in his arms, but always to bring it back to Amir, to whom it then belongs. His joy is vicarious, just like his experience of wealth and privilege while living in Babas household. In order to free himself of selfishness and cowardice, Amir must go from being merely a kite fighter-someone who seeks glory-to a kite runner, someone who genuinely does things for others. The activity of kite fighting is violent by nature. The kites battle and so too do the children flying them. The string, which is covered in ground glass, carves deep gashes into the fliers hands as they try to cut each other down, and once kites fall out of the sky, the kite runners retrieve them with the same furious determination as, say, a hunting dog does a slain bird. In its violence, kite fighting represents the conflicts that rage Afghanistan nearly throughout the course of the novel. When Hosseini paints us a picture of hundreds of kites trying haphazardly and with great determination to cut each other down, he shows us also the warring factions of Afghanistan overthrowing one another. At the same time kite fighting is violent, the mere act of kite flying is innocent and speaks of freedom. Amir and Hassan do not have control over the differences between them; in fact, they are both the victims of a lie, and their relationship would have been different had they known they were brothers. Yet despite their differences and the symbolism of their respective kite-fighting roles, flying kites is an activity that brings the boys together. For a moment, they are part of a team. For many years, Amir feels as though he and Hassan are adversaries for Babas love. After the rape, Hassans very existence infuriates Amir because it reminds him of his cowardice. Despite all this, when the boys fly kites together, they are on the same team. They are more like brothers then than perhaps any other time, because the activity is somewhat mutual. It allows them to momentarily escape their differences and enjoy a shared sense of exhilaration and freedom.

History And Creation Of Science Fiction Film Studies Essay

History And Creation Of Science Fiction Film Studies Essay Science fiction has a rich and varied  set of cultural and  historical traditions. With reference to at least two different films and/or television texts discuss the evolution of Science Fiction as a genre. You should consider its literary origins as well as discussing how science fiction is a lens through which to view the social, political and technological progress and anxiety. In this essay I will discuss the history and the creation of Science fiction and the journey it has travelled that has changed society and surroundings of today. I will talk about the Science fiction genre and also the birth of the genre and how it all was created. I will talk about the literary origin as well as the social change and political influences and messages that are encrypted in this genre, and how the political society we live in, is touched upon in this. I will also discuss how technology has had an impact in the way the world is changing through Science fiction, and how it has helped us see things that we could only imagine. I will start this question firstly discussing the science fiction genre. The science fiction genre is a collection made of intellectual and physical adventure which overlaps predominantly with other genres. It is difficult to define this genre with a simple definition that clarifies it relation to other genres. There is a debate about the difference between the two, fantasy and science fiction. The science fiction fans and those, whom are passionate in this genre, usually have strong and different views on what makes a science fiction, a science fiction. Sci-Fi is known to be a genre that questions the What If? It always investigates philosophical, morals, and technological possibilities by making new and exciting realities. In the book, Genreflecting by Diana Tixier Herald, she defines science fiction deals with, scientific topics, space travel, aliens and recognizably Earth-variant worlds of life forms that have not been touched by magic. Also time travel is common theme in many of the sci-fi novels. Science fiction can be traced back to the revolutionary works of Mary Shelly in Frankenstein which was in 1818. This is the story of somebody being made by a scientist from different body parts, and a person who discovers that in the eyes of the world he is a monster and wants to get revenge. The idea that science might become an anti-social force and diabolical is one of the foundations for one of sci-fi most known assumptions. Even though many celebrate science as the end of lack of knowledge and superstition, SF can also remind us that it can be used as tool of violation, oppression and small minded destructiveness. Certainly many critics of industrialisms explained the products of scientific thoughts did more harm than any good. Technology did not free workers in the nineteenth and early century; it was mainly mutilated and then mutated them. H.G Wells allegorized the social and physical mutations inspired by industrialisms in his portrayal of the cannibalistic, technology-obsessed Morlocks in 1895 the novel, The Time Machine. In the early 20th Century we saw a large interest in this subject and it became more clearly defined and identified by the public. The emergence of the sci-fi pulp magazine helped develop a new generation of sci-fi writers, mostly Americans at the time. Also with fantasy writings, the use of art helped define the stereotypes in the public mind. Hugo Gernsback became a cultural leader at this time as a founder of Amazing Stories magazine. In the 1930s late, John Campbell became editor of Astounding Science Fiction, and a number of new writers started to come forward in New York. They names themselves the Futurians, which including Isaac Asimov, James Blish, Fredrick Pohl, and many others. Sci-fi writing and art become cultural bed fellows, and lurid covers of books were now the norm. During this time, authors such as Arthur Clarke, Robert Heinlein and A.E Van Vogt started making themselves a name. Campbells supervision of the Astounding Science Fiction magazine is thought to be known as the beginning of the Golden Age of sci-fi. This continued until after the war, when new magazines like Under Pohl Galaxy as editor, broke the old mold. Arthur C. Clarkes film 2001 A Space Odyssey (1968) is well known as an all time classic film, which also succeeded in achieving a new cinematic high. In 1950s, author William S. Burroughs came into his own and in the 1960s and early 1970s, writers like Frank Herbert and Harlan Ellison started experimenting with newer ideas and writing styles. In Britain we were not far away behind it, coming forward as the sci-fi new wave. In the 1970s, writers like Poul Anderson began to reshape so called hard sci-fi while Ursula Le Guin and others experimented with soft science fiction. Female characterisations were starting to eventually creep into this fiction increasingly. Twentieth century sci-fi in the U.S owes a lot to the gothic tradition of Frankenstein, which has also returned to haunt the dystopian subgenre of cyberpunk with its electronically generated identity and bitter assumption about the consequences of human greed coupled with scientific progress. More current SF are still keeping in with Wells vision, however speculative narratives about the life on other planets also human life in the future, dominates the market in sci-fi. Tech Fiction a whole subgenre has come out in the wake of Isaac Asimov most famous anthology, I, Robot (1950), which offered a way of imagining artificially-generated intelligence and consciousness. The Utopian sci-fi was heavily influenced by ecology, feminism and the TV show Star Trek. This was caught in the 1960s and created a slay of novels about the birth of a much better society made possible by the use of new technologies and a notion of science counterbalanced by humanism, spirituality, and democratic mulitcu lturism. What continues to bring narratives in the sci-fi tradition is an urgent desire to reimaging human society, even if having to revise history, inventing possible new technologies, civilization and life forms or even creating a speculative future. The term, Science Fiction was first used in the nineteenth century, arguably as the results of the god father of science fiction, H.G Wells, from his novels, Time Machine 1895, The Invisible Man 1897 and The War of Worlds 1898. Cook and Bernink (1999) argue that science fiction did not become established until the beginning of the twentieth century, when the magazines started to produce science fiction in written format. Cook and Bernink argues that one of the first and most known contributions to putting science fiction in the realms of cinema is Le Voyage Imaginares (1926) which says, ..helped to establish the bond between science fiction, special effects technology and set design that has remained a feature of the genre ever since, (Cook and Bernink, 1999:192) Science fiction cinema achieved mainstream in the late 1960s and 70s, with the infamous film, 2001 Space Odyssey  (1968) and also Star Wars (1977). Since then it has grown to become a much famous and popular genres moving away its previous status as of a B-Movie in the past. Some theorists have outlined a number of elements that are common within sci-fi. Using the semantic and syntactic conventions as mentioned above, an analysis of two specific films, The Fly (1986), story of powerful scientists Seth Brundle, who has a vision to change the limitations of space and time through the use of teleportation machine, however somehow manages to, when experimenting on himself, to combine his DNA with of a fly then produces a bad result. Also Even Horizon (1997) in which a crew travels into space in an effort to save a ship built by scientist Dr Weir, which while being abandoned in outer space, he has travelled into an unknown dimension and will be conducted in order to know weather, and to what extent, they conform to the conventions of science fiction as a genre. You can say that some authors may not believe that sci-fi is just about science, but its about politics. A lot of authors have used this genre to explore their political beliefs or outrage the political machine. Authors such as Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and many more. Even if their main story is not meant to be political, political science fiction is quite important today. In the sci-fi genre there are analogies to current and past politics and government organizations, allowing the authors to explore political possibilities that may never be tested. Almost every military sci-fi there is a political wheel that turns the war for example, Starship Troopers (1959). Also there is government regulation and oversight such as the regulation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (1959). Also other subgenres of science fiction, it is not mutually exclusive. The film Avatar (2009) is a big blockbuster movie, with new 3D effects. It is not a movie that you watch normally but a movie that you immerse yourself, going through the adventure with dragons, hoping the good guys win and bad guys lose. However I believe this film has hidden political message through it. There is no doubt the director James Cameron created the most expensive movie ever created with message about environment, government corruption and terrorism. Avatar (2009) overt it own message about the environment and how mans interference with that area. The story is based on how humans have destroyed the earth and is now mining nearby planets for minerals including an unobtainium, on the Eden style Pandora. The area Pandora is a peaceful place, Navi, a race of blue humanoids whom live in peace with their exotic land and are linked to their ancestors in a way you might believe Aborigines, and Native Americans and other many tribes around the world. When the huge bulldozers cut down the Navis special spaces, you can imagine the same bulldozers cutting the many trees in rainforests in todays society, ripping apart tribes and the forests as this happens quite frequently in todays world. Al Gores documentary in 2006 states that global warming is real, and it is caused by human activity, and that all humans and the government has to do something before its too late and our planet will move past the point of no going back. You can argue that it is kind of like what is happening in Avatar (2009). Avatar (2009) takes many similarities of President Bushs War on Terror, even in the film, Stephen Langs war manic Col. Quartich exclaims, we will fight terror with terror!. When the Navie is refusing to leave their land so the government can mine their mineral, the military will not stop until they achieve their target. Even if it requires to kill every Navi and replacing their plant life with an apocalyptic land of charred chaos and rubbles. They also have their own group of scientist to create the avatar program, to gain access to the tribe and report back with relevant information. A few of the scientists have hearts, however the military people are portrayed as cold-blooded people and just want to win and destroy. You can say to sum this up that the film is intending to give a political message as a sci-fi genre, to the audience by feeding them information of things going on in todays world and how in the future life out can be gone. Politics does not necessarily have a large influence on sci-fi. Sometimes science fiction has an effect on politics. A few government agencies have science fiction counterparts, both on a known level and on a more subtle level. Some events in our history have been influenced by sci-fi that came way before it. A good example of this is NASAs Space Shuttle Enterprise was named after the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek after a letter writing campaign. While the Enterprise itself did not make it into space, it was in fact the first Space Shuttle every built by NASA and marked the beginning of Space Shuttles as we know. The Political Science Fiction is the media through which we can explore potential government institutions, point out the errors of our own political system, and experiment with new ideas. It can play across the world stage, is the imagination. Usually political science fiction can be an instructive tale of a repressive government, but it can also try and prove that other political avenues are as viable. If its even purely political, or what seems afterthought, politics will always be behind a great deal of science fiction. In the last 60 years the faster technological progress and events has changed the world. Even though all films are a subject to change at each point of sci-fi, has a close relationship with both technology and the real world. As Robert A. Heinlein a science fiction writer says, science fiction is a realistic speculation of future events based on knowledge of past and present real world. For this reason, the cause of the evolution of science fiction movies is the real world, put another way: Science fiction is reality. In the 1960s the radical revolutions in technology and the technological achievements such as the Moon, had a large impact on sci-fi. Also the Cold War, Martin Luther King, JFK and the Vietnam War all have an influence in sci-fi during the decade. Some of the well known films of sci-fi films including 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and The Time Machine (1960) had an impact in a way by this occurrence during the 1960s. Most notably the spacecraft appears in 2001 A Space Odyssey (1968) are very similar to the ship used in the 1960s. When the production of films was improving, the success of science fiction in the 1960s quickly advanced the creation of science fictions in the 1970s. The popularity of the technology during the 1970s has changed the lives of many people, cars, pocket calculator, bar codes and the computer at home. Others technologies such as the Space Shuttle influenced neutron bombs and the Concorde. An increase population of 4.4 million people since 1978 has affected the genre. The atmosphere of the decade was featured in the sci-fi film Logans Run (1976), while the anxiety about overpopulation was made in the film Soylent Green (1973). The increase of computer technology in films, more advanced films started to be produced in the 1980s. These new technologies gave a fresh new amazing special effect in sci-fi films like The Flight of the Navigator (1986), Predator (1987) and The Terminator (1984). Blade Runner (1982) is a science fiction that first contained dystopia rather than of all apocalypse in the road warrior or the future of The Terminator (1984). One topic that usually seemed to be presented on a number of occasions has been the concept of powerful corporations and evil that rules the world. This can be found in Aliens (1986), RoboCop (1987), The Terminator (1984) and Blade Runner (1982). Large technological advances during the 1990s all had the potential impact on sci-fi films. Some progress includes World Wide Web, text messaging, the computer generated films, cloning, photos of deep space and also the International Space Station. The ending threat of a third world war with Russia has been replaced by an increase number of small conflicts. The first war source was since the Gulf and Vietnam War took place, with some of the latest military technology used in the battle. Teams began to engage in larger roles in special effects films producing in revolutionary films like Men in Black (1997) and Jurassic Park (1993). Films with storylines in natural disasters have been made quite frequently like Deep Impact (1998), Armageddon (1998) and 2012 (2009), as the currant global warming and save the world began to have an influence. The film Matrix (1999) came a new era of SF films with complex plot and special effect. In the years 2000s, this was a decade of the availability of technological achievements related to space travel and also astronomy. The new solar systems and planets like Earth was discovered, countries like China have launched people into space, several robots have landed on Mars and exploring different planets was discovered in our solar system, recycling comet dust and many of unmanned probes have launched into space by organizations around the world. We are seeing the future of space tourism and the potential possibilities of space travel in the future. Also the politics climate has changed even more in events such as 9/11. Also not to forget, the film Avator was written by James Cameron in 1994. In 1996 Cameron announced after the film Titanic was made he would film Avatar. However due to technology not have been ready for the story and vision Cameron had for the film, he decided to make this film for the future when these technology was ready which he eventually did and released in 2009. To my conclusion on this essay, I have identified how far science fiction has come over time. Science Fiction has emerged over 100 years from the start of literacy novels, comics, magazine, television and films. I identified how politics and the surrounding of society and social have messages in science fiction films over time. Also how these films change of evolution in society and brings ideas to up and coming technology, making the world more advanced, constantly improving each day. Without sci-fiction films, and the whole genre, I believe that even today we would not have expanded and have the intelligence to bring out these technology machines, computers, phone and television today, as new ideas are still occurring in films every day. We would not have identified what is out in space, and now we can clear our minds with any superstitious thoughts of what is out there can be identified. We also can see the what if situation in the world if there was world disasters, to make us th ink of what can happen, and thanks to science fiction, technology is expanding and we can see more clearly and get ideas of what we can make the future and possibly create the future as we go along. (2969)