How to Prepare for the ACT Ultimate 10-Step Guide

How to Prepare for the ACT Ultimate 10-Step Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips So you need to take the ACT, but you don’t anything about it. What now? How do you go about preparing for the test? If you’re not sure how to prepare for the ACT, we can help! In this guide, we outline a ten-step process to preparing for the ACT. Then, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of some of the major methods that students use to prepare. We’ll close out with a brief roundup of helpful ACT prep resources that you might find helpful. How to Prepare for the ACT: 10 Key Steps This section lays out the ten main things you’ll need to accomplish to be prepared for the test- from registration all the way to test day! This description is primarily targeted for those who are self-studying, but a good tutor or program will guide your prep in this same overall sequence. #1: Register for the ACT If you haven’t registered for the test yet, you can take care of test registration at the ACT website. Registering for the test will include creating an account on the ACT website if you haven’t done so already. When you select a location, try to pick a location that’s not too far away, since you’ll have to drive there the morning of the test! When you pick a date, make sure you give yourself enough time to prepare. I would advise picking a date at least three months in advance if you’re totally unfamiliar with the test to give yourself adequate breathing room for studying. That said, don’t panic if you have to work on a compressed timeline because of application deadlines! In that case, you’ll need to spend more time preparing every week for a shorter number of weeks. If you need more help with registration, check out our guide to registering for the ACT. Make sure you have enough of this! #2: Become Familiar With ACT Structure and Format The next step after registration is to get familiar with the overarching structure and format of the ACT. The ACT is out of 36 points. It consists of four multiple-choice sections- English, Math, Reading, and Science, each scored out of 36 points. The rounded average of these four section scores becomes your composite score. There’s also an optional Writing essay test, scored out of 12 points. Writing is not factored into your composite score. Here’s a chart with the order, number of questions, time, and question format for each test. Order Section Number of Questions Time Question Format 1 English 75 45 minutes Multiple choice, 4 choices 2 Math 60 60 minutes Multiple choice, 5 choices 3 Reading 40 35 minutes Multiple choice, 4 choices 4 Science 40 35 minutes Multiple choice, 4 choices 5 Writing (optional) 1 40 minutes Essay prompt Total: 216 2 hours 55 mins (without writing); 3 hours 35 minutes (with writing) #3: Get Oriented With the ACT's Content and Question Styles The different sections of the ACT each test different knowledge and skill areas. Hence, how to prepare for ACT English will be different from how to prepare for ACT Math, and so on. Additionally, the ACT has its own particular question styles and formats that you’ll want to become familiar with before test day. Otherwise, you could be thrown by some questions even if you know the content! See our guides for more information on what’s tested on each of the ACT’s sections, and how that content is tested. What’s Actually Tested on the ACT English Section? What’s Actually Tested on the ACT Math Section? What’s Actually Tested on the ACT Reading Section? What’s Actually Tested on the ACT Science Section? The Complete Guide to Enhanced ACT Writing Expect to see some of this! #4: Identify Your Weaknesses After you have an overall idea of what and how the ACT tests, you’ll want to establish a baseline of your own skills. The most important component of this is identifying your weaknesses, so you can target them in your prep. The most reliable way to establish a baseline is to take a complete, timed ACT practice test. Fortunately, ACT. Inc, has released six free and official practice tests- one online and five in PDF form. Take advantage of this! When you take your initial practice test, be sure to find a quiet testing environment. Additionally, bringnumber 2 pencils and an approved calculator! You want to create conditions as close to the real test as possible. Note that the ACT doesn’t allow additional scratch paper because they expect you to write in the test booklet. If you’re signed up to take the Writing section, you should also take a practice writing section when you establish your baseline. If you aren’t sure whether you need to take the ACT with Writing or not, see our complete guide to deciding on ACT Writing. Once you’ve taken the practice test, use the scoring guidelines provided in the back of the test booklet by ACT, Inc. to figure out your score. This will tell you what sections you’re weakest in, what you’re strongest in, and where your overall starting place is. Your highest-scoring sections are clearly your best, and your lowest-scoring sections are the worst. However, it’s best to get more detailed than that. Examine your incorrect answers to identify patterns. Did you flub all the questions on the scientific method on the Science test, or completely miss all the â€Å"big picture† questions on the Reading test? You’ll know that you need to work on those things. The ACT also gives you subscores in particular areas on 3 of the 4 tests, which you can calculate with their guidelines in the back of the test booklet. The English subscores are in Usage/Mechanics and Rhetorical Skills. The Math subscores are in Pre-Algebra/Elementary, Intermediate Algebra/Coordinate Geometry, and Plane Geometry/Trigonometry-based problems. The Reading subscores are in Social Studies/Natural Sciences and Arts/Literature. Science has no subscores. These subscores will help you figure out what content domains you are strongest and weakest in within a section. So if you got a high score on English Usage/Mechanics subscore but a low score on Rhetorical Skills, you’ll know to focus more on Rhetorical Skills to improve your score. #5: Set a Target Score After you’ve gotten a sense of your initial skill baseline, set a target score for how much you want to improve. Your target score should be something you can realistically accomplish in the time frame you have. 1-2-point improvement from your baseline in a month is totally reasonable. A 6-point improvement in that time frame? Not so much. Keep in mind that you’ll have to put in more time for more point improvement. See our rough estimates for how long it takes to get certain point improvements: 0-1 ACT Composite Point Improvement: 10 hours 1-2 ACT Point Improvement: 20 hours 2-4 ACT Point Improvement: 40 hours 4-6 ACT Point Improvement: 80 hours 6-9 ACT Point Improvement: 150 hours+ In addition to something you can realistically accomplish, you goal score should also reflect the schools you are interested in. If possible, you want your ACT score to be within the middle 50% range of the schools you want to attend. The middle 50% describes the score range of the 25th-75th percentiles of admits to a particular institution. For example, if a school’s middle 50% is 30-34, that means 25% of admits scored below 30, 50% scored between 30 and 34, and the top 25% scored above 34. See our guide to what makes a good ACT score here for more guidance on setting target scores that take your chosen schools into account. Get ready to hit your target. #6: Create a Study Schedule The next step is to create a consistent study schedule. It’s best to spend a consistent number of hours every week preparing until you take the test to avoid needing to cram close to the test date. So to determine how many hours you should prep each week, divide the total number of prep hours you think you need by the number of weeks until the test. Thus, if you need to study 80 hours and there are 12 weeks until the test, you should try to study around 6 hours and 40 minutes every week. Its also best if you determine consistent days and times that you are going to study every week. So maybe you’ll study an hour every day except Sunday, when you’ll study for 40 minutes. Or maybe you’ll study 3 hours and 20 minutes on Friday and Sunday afternoons. This helps you keep consistent. You should also make sure somebody else knows your study schedule and is willing to hold you accountable! You can get more advice on making an ACT study schedule here. You can also check out our 10-day ACT cram guide if you’re on a constrained schedule! #7: Learn Essential Test Content Once you have a goal and schedule, it’s time to learn content! â€Å"Content† refers to the knowledge you need to answer ACT questions. So that will include learning grammar and mechanics for English, brushing up on functions for Math, reviewing how to write a hypothesis for Science, and so on and so forth. You’ll need to learn any material tested that you don’t know yet. But you should also review what you already know.It’s fine to devote the bulk of your time to prepping for Math if that’s your weakest area. But you should still spend a little time preparing for the ACT English section even if it’s your best subject to prevent backsliding. Only you can best determine how to learn and review content most effectively for your own learning style. However, we have some methods and resources you may want to consider in sections below. You might want to take neater notes than this. #8: Practice Test Strategies Knowledge isn’t enough to succeed on the ACT- you also need to learn the most effective strategies to approach the test. â€Å"Strategy† refers to things like learning how to eliminate wrong answers, guess when you need to, manage your time, and additional section-specific tips. With expert guidance on the best strategies, you’ll be able to come up with your own personal best approach to all parts of the test. Here are some of our ACT strategy guides: Overall ACT Strategy How to Ace the ACT: 6 Top Tips for Success The 21 ACT Tips You Should Be Using Today SAT/ACT Exam Time Management The Secret to Getting a Perfect SAT/ACT Score ACT English Top 9 ACT English Strategies You Must Use The 8 Most Common Mistakes You Make on ACT English The Best Way to Approach ACT English Passages How to Get 36 on ACT English: 9 Strategies from a Perfect Scorer ACT Math The Secret to ACT Math: Mastering the Time Crunch How to Guess Strategically on ACT Math Plugging in Numbers: a Critical SAT/ACT Math Strategy Plugging in Answers: a Critical SAT/ACT Math Strategy ACT Reading How to Answer ACT Reading Questions: 5-Step Guide Top 10 ACT Reading Tips The #1, Critical, Fundamental Strategy of ACT Reading How to Stop Running Out of Time on ACT Reading ACT Science The ACT Science Strategies You Must Be Using The Hardest ACT Science Questions and Strategies to Solve Them Time Management and Section Strategy on ACT Science The Best Strategies for Reading ACT Science Questions ACT Writing ACT Writing Rubric: Full Analysis and Essay Strategies ACT Writing Tips: 15 Strategies to Raise Your Essay Score Why You Shouldn’t Copy Skeleton Templates for the SAT/ACT Essay Strategy: first you'll turn on the lightbulb, then turn the gears, then put together the puzzle... #9: Use Practice Questions and Tests If I could only write one step in â€Å"how to prepare for the ACT,† it would be â€Å"practice!† Of course, you want to practice smart. There are two key parts to practicing for the ACT: practice questions and practice tests. You can use practice questions to target the skills you need to hone for the test. You should practice the specific question types, topics, and/or entire sections that you need more work on. Be sure to really work through questions you get wrong to understand your errors so you can correct them in the future. The second part of ACT practice is completing at least a couple of complete test practice runs. When you do a complete test practice run, use an official practice test and test yourself under the same conditions that you’ll be in on test day. You may even want to try starting at the same time your test will really start for at least one of your practice runs to really get the full experience. Be sure to include breaks and a snack! #10: Be Ready for ACT Day! To give yourself the best chance to succeed on test day, be sure to engage in all your best test-taking practices! So get lots of sleep the night before, have a balanced, protein-packed breakfast, and pack your bag with pencils and an approved calculator! Catch all your zzz's the night before the test. 4 Methods of Preparing for the ACT and How to Pick the Right One for You We provide pros and cons to the most commonly used methods to preparing for the ACT here. Self-Preparation Many students prep for the ACT primarily on their own, using prep books, online resources, mobile apps, and so on. Pros You can easily tailor your studying program to your own needs, because you have control over what and when you study. Of course, you need to have a good idea of exactly what you need to work on for this to be a real advantage. This is the cheapest option out there. It can even be free if you use free resources and get prep materials from the library. Cons It can be hard to stay motivated. It’s helpful to have someone else holding you accountable, so tell a parent or trusted friend when you plan to study so they can check in with you. It can be a lot of work to design and implement your own study plan! You need to figure out your own weaknesses, track down resources, look up answer explanations, and so on. You have to be willing to put some extra investment into planning and implementation with this prep method. It may be hard for you to self-diagnose your own weaknesses, especially if you have a lot of improvement to make. Even if you know that you’re, say, very weak on math, you may not know exactly where to begin or how to attack the situation. Sometimes guidance is necessary! Online Test-Prep Program The online program is a relatively new innovation in test prep. But is it legit? Can it really help you succeed? Pros The truth is that a high-quality online prep program can be a great asset to your test prep. How will you know if it’s high-quality? It will accurately diagnose your strengths and weaknesses and assign lessons and practice problems based on those strengths and weaknesses. It will help you create a study plan and track your progress. It will have high-quality, clear content review and practice questions. A good prep program will even teach you the best ACT strategies! Here at PrepScholar, we have a comprehensive online ACT prep program that is customized to your needs. In general, online programs are much more affordable than hiring a private tutor or taking a prep course. Cons Not all online prep programs are created equally! The wrong online prep program is a massive waste of time and money. A big mistake students make is assuming that an online program is good just because it comes from a big-name test-prep company. Make sure you know what you’re really getting for your money before you commit to a program. A good online prep program won't make you do this. ACT Prep Course Twenty students in a high-school classroom after hours, listening to an ACT prep teacher drone on about trigonometry. Is this a good prep method or bad one? Pros If you have trouble motivating yourself to study, the schedule of the class forces you to stay on track with the pace the class sets. Cons There’s very little personalization to your needs and pace. For the most part, you’ll need to proceed with the class, whether you know the material being covered like the back of your hand or you’re completely lost. So a class can both waste your time and not give you enough help all at the same time! The quality of the teacher also makes a huge difference in the quality of a prep course, and you don’t usually have any control over whether your teacher is good or not when you sign up for the class. A teacher who is invested in everyone’s experience and tries to adjust curriculum to meet class needs can help you improve your score. A bad teacher may just stand in front of the class reading out essay prompts for two hours. Test prep courses are expensive! It can be more expensive than hiring a private tutor for a limited number of hours, which may frankly be more worth your money. Hire a Private Tutor Having your very own tutor for the ACT sounds like test-prep dream, right? Well, here are the pros and cons. Pros A good tutor is truly invaluable. They’ll help you make a study plan, identify your weaknesses, explain concepts you’re shaky on, and help you come up with an ACT strategy that works best for you. From a high-quality tutoring professional, tutoring both provides you with an expert to guide you and takes the guesswork out of creating a study plan. Additionally, a tutor can help keep you motivated and support you throughout the prep process. Cons A sub-par tutor is a serious waste of time and money. If they aren’t a high-scorer (think 95th percentile at the very least) who’s also a great teacher, it’s just the blind leading the blind. You want a true professional who knows the test inside and out, and is a great teacher. Try to get recommendations from friends or references from past clients if possible. Private tutoring is expensive! This option just isn’t available to everyone. You wouldn't know by looking at him, but Mr. Whiskers comes highly recommended. Key Resources for Preparing for the ACT There are a variety of high-quality resources out there that you might want to use for your ACT prep. Here’s a roundup of some of the best ones. ACT Practice Tests and Questions Practice tests and questions are the single most important resource for preparing for the ACT. You want as much practice that’s really like the ACT as you can possibly get! The absolute best source of practice tests is the six free ACT tests from ACT, Inc. They make the test, so their practice tests are the most like the real deal! You can also check out additional official and unofficial resources at our guide to all the practice question sources out there for the ACT. Remember that official content is always best! ACT Prep Books A good prep book can help you out with lots of aspects of test prep- strategy, content review, even some practice! See our list of the best ACT prep books to help you decide on which ones might work for you. Applications and Tools for Prep There are also a variety of online tools and mobile applications for learning and practicing ACT material. Check out our guide to the best ACT prep games to check out some good ones! Online Guides to Content and Strategy You can also find a lot of information on ACT strategy and content for free online. Check out other articles on our SAT/ACT prep blog for comprehensive guides and advice on every ACT-related topic you can imagine! If I had a fancy desk like this, I would study all the time. Key Takeaways: How to Prepare for the ACT Here’s how to prepare for the ACT in ten overarching steps: Register for the ACT, if you haven’t yet. Become familiar with ACT structure and format Get Oriented ACT content and question styles Identify your weaknesses Set a target score Create a study plan Learn essential test content Practice test strategies Practice questions and tests Do you best on test day! There are a variety of methods you could use for preparing for the ACT, including self-prep, an online program, a prep class, or a private tutor. Each method has some pros and cons (although some, like prep classes, have a lot more cons). Regardless of your study method, there are tons of resources out there for students to use, like practice tests, prep books, apps and tools, and online guides like ours! What's Next? Wondering if the ACT is hard? Check out 9 key factors for assessing the ACT's difficulty. Do you even need to take the ACT? See 9 reasons why it could be important for you to take the test. Applying to college? See the average ACT scores for colleges, and check out how to figure out the minimum ACT score for college admission. Also see a list of great colleges with automatic admission for certain ACT/SAT scores. If you're too young to worry about the ACT, see our guide to the PreACT test. Or see what makes a good 9th grade ACT Aspire score and what makes a good 10th grade ACT Aspire score. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Why Does My Knee Feel Like It Wants to Pop

Why Does My Knee Feel Like It Wants to Pop SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Does your knee feel like it needs to pop and you can’t get the sensation to go away? What’s causing this feeling, and what can you do about it? In this guide, we explain why your knee feels like it needs to pop, if you should see a doctor about it, the five most common causes behind your knee feeling like it needs to pop, and how to get relief from this problem. Is It Bad If My Knee Feels Like It Needs to Pop? Should I See a Doctor? If your knee feels like it wants to pop is that a sign of a serious medical problem? Should you see a doctor about it? Fortunately, when your knee feels like it wants to pop, the cause is usually not serious. Rest and home remedies are usually enough to make the issue go away. However, there are some cases when a knee that feels like it needs to pop can indicate a more serious problem. See a doctor if you have any of these symptoms and your knee feels like it needs to pop: The issue has been going on for a long time and hasn’t improved The issue has recently gotten worse You can’t complete normal movements (walking, sitting) because of your knee You can’t straighten your leg completely You recently injured your knee You’ve had knee surgery There’s significant pain or swelling As mentioned above, it’s rare for a knee that feels like it needs to pop to be a serious medical condition. In the next section we discuss the most likely causes behind the issue. The Top 5 Reasons Your Knee Feels Like It Wants to Pop Below are the top five reasons your knee feels like it wants to pop, in order of most common to less common. For each one we describe what the condition is, what causes it, what common symptoms are, and how it can be treated. Runner’s Knee (Chondromalacia Patella) Runner’s knee is the most common cause of your knee feeling like it needs to pop. Although it is a common issue among runners, this condition can happen to anyone, especially those who exercise a lot or do work that requires frequent knee-bending. Runner’s knee occurs when the soft cartilage under the kneecap breaks down. This cartilage helps keep the knee joint moving smoothly and also helps strengthen the knee so it can carry your body weight when you walk. Runner’s knee often causes your knee joint to become weaker and less stable. It may also prevent your knee from moving as easily as it did before, so your knee may feel like it wants to pop, or you may actually feel your knee popping into place when you move it. Over time, this issue can cause arthritis in the knee if it isn’t treated. Common symptoms of runner’s knee include: Aching pain in the kneecap, especially during exercise Pain when walking downhill or downstairs Pain when bending your knee Swelling Treatment Rest, ice, and elevation are often enough to alleviate symptoms, but if the problem is serious or doesn’t go away, your doctor may recommend physical therapy or (rarely) surgery. Bursitis A bursa is a sac of fluid that cushions bones and tendons. Your body has multiple bursae, including one under each kneecap. Bursitis of the knee (also known as Housemaid’s Knee) occurs when the bursa becomes inflamed. This may be due to overuse of the knee, especially in the kneeling position. Common symptoms of bursitis include: Pain Redness Tenderness Swelling A popping sensation or noise when kneeling or standing up Treatment Rest, ice, and pain medication are usually enough to reduce the symptoms of bursitis, but if you feel you need more treatment, your doctor may recommend physical therapy, steroid injections, and/or aspiration (draining fluid from the knee). Baker’s Cyst Another potential cause of your knee feeling like it needs to pop is a cyst. A cyst occurs when part of the fluid in a joint is pushed into a sac of tissue. The sac bulges out, creating a cyst. Cysts in the knee are typically Baker’s Cysts, and they usually form behind the knee. These cysts may be caused by injury, arthritis, or an unknown cause. Common symptoms of cysts include: A visible bump around the knee (though not always) Swelling behind the knee Slight pain behind the knee, especially when bending or straightening your leg Tightness or stiffness Treatment A Baker’s cyst itself is usually not a cause for concern, and they often go away on their own. However, if the cyst is causing you pain or discomfort, you can have it drained or surgically removed. Arthritis Many people believe that arthritis is a problem only older people have, but it can occur at any age, especially if you exercise a lot, have a family history of arthritis, or have had an injury. Osteoarthritis of the knee occurs when the cartilage that cushions joints begins to wear away and the surfaces of the two bones begin to rub together. This can lead to pain, stiffness, and a knee that feels like it needs to pop as the joints move together roughly. Common symptoms of arthritis include: Pain that increases when you are active Stiffness in the joint Difficulty fully extending the knee Warmth and swelling in the joint A creaking or crackling sound when you move your knee Treatment There are numerous options for treating arthritis, some of which include physical therapy, wearing a knee brace, taking pain medication, and getting injections of steroids or hyaluronic acid into the knee. ACL Injury The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is one of the four main ligaments in your knee that connects your femur bone to your tibia bone. Your ACL helps keep your knee stable. The ACL is one of the most commonly injured ligaments, and injuries can range from minor tears to the ligament tearing completely away from the bone. ACL injuries usually happen suddenly, often when exercising or playing a sport. You will likely begin to experience pain and other symptoms right away. If you have a serious ACL injury, you probably have much more serious symptoms than a popping knee, such as severe pain and the inability to walk. However, a minor ACL injury can make your knee feel like it needs to pop because the joint isn’t properly stable. Common symptoms of ACL injuries include: Feeling or hearing a pop at the time of injury Pain on the back and outside of knee Swelling Limited knee movement Knee feeling weak or unstable Treatment Physical therapy can be done for minor ACL injuries, but surgery is usually required for serious injuries to the ACL. How to Soothe Your Knee As mentioned above, you can usually stop your knee from feeling like it needs to pop and reduce the chance of it feeling that way again by using home remedies, although a doctor’s visit and/or physical therapy may also be needed. When you have a knee that feels like it needs to pop, the best way to make it feel better isn’t by popping it (which often isn’t possible), but by reducing strain and pressure on the knee. Below are four of the best ways to get relief. Rest The best treatment for your knee is rest. Almost all causes of a knee that feels like it needs to pop are at least some way related to overuse of the knee. Taking a break from whatever physical activities you do that put strain on your knee may be enough to stop it feeling like it needs to pop. If you can’t completely cut out physical activity, try wearing a knee brace to alleviate stress and take frequent breaks. If your exercise regularly, you can also try switching to a lower-impact form of exercise, such as swimming or running on an elliptical. Ice Ice is another way to help your knee recover, and it’s especially effective if you have pain, redness, or swelling in your knee. Ice your knee for 15 minutes at a time, at least twice a day, until the symptoms go away or are reduced. Elevation Elevating your knee can also reduce pain and swelling and stop your knee from feeling like it needs to pop. While laying on your back, prop your foot up so your affected knee is higher than your hips. Do this for at least 1-2 hours a day if possible (it’s good to do while reading or watching TV so you have something to do) to help alleviate your symptoms. Exercises You can also try certain exercises designed to â€Å"pop† your knee or get it to stop feeling like it needs to pop, although these aren’t guaranteed to solve the problem. One option is a quadriceps stretch, where you put one arm out in front of you for balance and use the other arm to grab the ankle of the same-side leg and lift your leg towards your buttocks. Quad muscles help in lifting the knee, so stretching them can help pop the knee or alleviate pressure on it. Another exercise is leg lifts. For these, lie flat on your back with your unaffected leg bent up and your leg with the affected knee flat on the ground. Slowly lift your leg on the ground straight up until your thighs are parallel, hold the position for a moment, then slowly lower it to the ground. Repeat this about 20 times, stopping sooner if you feel pain or discomfort. Conclusion: It Feels Like My Knee Needs to Pop If your knee feels like it wants to pop, you may be worried that it’s the sign of a serious medical condition. Fortunately, the cause is usually overuse of the knee, and it often goes away with rest, although you should see a doctor if your symptoms are severe. If your knee feels like it needs to pop, there are several common causes: Runner’s knee Bursitis Baker’s cyst Arthritis of the knee ACL injury For most of these, home remedies are enough to treat the issue, although you may need physical therapy or surgery for more severe injuries. To help soothe your knee, the most important thing is to rest it to relieve strain and pressure. You can also ice it, elevate it, and try exercises when your knee feels like it needs to pop.

Supervision Today Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supervision Today - Assignment Example According to the research findings, the supervisor should make a decision themselves when it’s urgent and the decision does not require the input of other people. In addition, this strategy can be effective when the decision requires special skills that the group members don’t have. Some decision jobs are specific and straightforward. Therefore, when making the decision, the supervisor should be direct in order to avoid any risk that might emanate from confusion. For instance, engineering works are specific and in detail. As a result, the decision should not be ambiguous. Knowing this information about decision-making styles will benefit me in understanding the best style for a particular problem. In addition, the researcher will be aware of when to involve the decision-making process and when to make the decision on his own. As the head of the discussion group, the author realized that there were several conflicts that were affecting the performance of our group. In or der to come up with and well-informed solution, the author searched for a solution online in order to know how people resolve the problems in the group. The researcher came up with several alternatives. These were to reward the best performing member of the group or implement an open office policy. The first alternative was viable because the author did not have money to give out to the members. Therefore, he decided to be more open to the members of the group and encourage them to air their grievances to him in order to seek a solution before it’s too late. After a span of two weeks, the author evaluated the decision and noted that the group members communicated more freely and they were highly motivated to work as a group rather than individually.

Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Memo - Essay Example As opposed to storing information to the hard drive of a personal computer, or some other localised device, it is stored in a remote database, with the internet acting as the link/ connection between the said database and the computer/ device. Cloud storage has in the recent part become an essential part of contemporary modern lifestyles. Services such as iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox all scramble for the opportunity to hold important data for their clients on their servers, and this leaves companies with the task of deciding on the product that best suits their current needs. More individuals, groups and organizations increasingly own computing devices in the form of smart-phones, tablets and laptops and the thought of storing data in a traditional desktop PC often seems antiquated. Cloud storage takes charge of this by ensuring that any necessary information in the form of data or files is accessible when needed, and from whichever location. Individuals and organizations may sign up to an array of services that offer to automatically upload photos from smart-phone onto the cloud, sync documents across a number of devices, when also enabling them to work collaboratively on the web. Sharing of large files with colleagues and friends is made easier with cloud bouncing back of files due to inadequate storage space or limitations imposed by email servers is eliminated. In essence, cloud storage only requires a person to share links to files that are stored within the particular cloud service with colleagues or friends, and when they follow the links, they ga in immediate access. The introduction of cloud servers and storage has made it simpler for individuals and organizations to back up important information. It is due to the fact it increases the flexibility of accessing them from any corner of the world. While at the same time there exists the

Evolutionism Essay Example for Free

Evolutionism Essay Essay Critically discuss the Nineteenth Century theory of Evolutionism in relation to the social development of cultures. special development of cultures. Anthropology originated in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Missionaries, traders and travellers in Africa, North America, the pacific and elsewhere provided the first great anthropological works. Anthropology is the holistic study of the biological, social and cultural aspects of mankind, paying particular attention to the relationships between our physical and cultural natures and between culture and the nvironment. Anthropology is basically the study of the human species and its immediate ancestors. Early thinkers such as Hume, Smith and Montesquieu wrote about primitive institutions which they argued about amongst themselves. Their conclusions were not based on any scientific that could be tested but from principles found in their own culture. They laid the foundations for modern social anthropology believing that universal laws found in nature could be applied to human society. The thinkers were concerned with social evolution and progress. The term evolution was opularized during the 19th century by Herbert Spencer to mean cultural evolution. Evolutionists were those who believed that the cultures and life forms being studied are evolving toa particular form. Evolutionism is the idea that this universe is the result of random cosmic accidents, life arose spontaneously through chemical processes and all life forms are related and share a common ancestor. Evolution is a process of formation, growth and development from generation to generation. Socio- cultural evolutionism describes how cultures and societies have changed over time. In the nineteenth century Edward B. Tylor maintained that culture evolved from simple to complex and all societies passed through three basic stages of development which was originally suggested by Montesquieu. The three stages are called the lines of human progress which states that man evolved from savagery to barbarism and finally to civilization. Man became civilized after discovering pottery. To account for cultural variation different societies were at different stages of evolution. Simpler people of the day had not yet reached higher stages. Some ocieties were more evolve than others. Evolutionists believed Western Europe had evolved from a backward society to a more advanced society. Simpler contemporary societies were thought to resemble ancient societies. More advanced societies exhibited traces of earlier customs that survived in present day cultures, this was known as survival. Pottery is an example of survival, earlier people made their cooking pots out of clay, today pots are most often made with metal because they are most durable but dishes are preferred to be made out of clay. Tylor correlates the hree levels of social evolution to types of religion: savages practicing animatism, barbarians practicing polytheism, and civilized man practicing monotheism. Tylor includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society, Tylor believed that because of the basic similarities common to all peoples, different societies often find the same solutions to the same problems independently. Tylor also noted that different cultural traits may spread from one society to another by a simple means of diffusion hich means the borrowing by one culture of a trait belonging to another as the result of contact between the two societies. Lewis H. Morgan was one of the most influential evolutionary theorists of the nineteenth century. In his book Ancient Society, he divided the lines of human progress into the three stages and further divided savagery and barbarism into upper, middle and lower segments. Each stage was distinguished by technological development and connected in patterns of subsistence, marriage, family, and political organization. Middle savagery was arked by the acquisition of a fish diet and the discovery of fire, upper savagery by the bow and arrow, lower barbarism by pottery, middle barbarism by animal domestication and irrigated agriculture, upper barbarism by the manufacture of iron, and civilization by the alphabet. Morgan believed family units became smaller and self contained as society became more developed. Johann J. Bachofen developed a theory of evolution of kinship systems which was agreed upon by Morgan. Morgan believed in the theory of primitive promiscuity, which means that human society had o sexual prohibitions and no real family structure. Primitive promiscuity can be divided into matriliny where descent was traced through the female only, patrilinV where descent was traces through the male only and polyandry were several husbands shred one wife. Morgan believed that family units became progressively smaller and more self-contained as human society developed. However, his postulated sequence for the evolution of the family is not supported by the enormous amount of ethnographic data that has been collected since his time. For xample, no recent society that Morgan would call savage indulges in group marriage or allows brother-sister mating. Modern social anthropologists regard these reconstructions as over amplifications of events that can never be known in detail. The efforts of early writers were only historical enquiries. At this stage it became clear that there was no evidence which could detail the earliest stages of society and few societies developed in total isolation of other human cultures or outside influence. The evolutionists became unpopular by the nd of the nineteenth century. The school of Diffusionists became popular, they brelieved tahat cultural change and progress were mainly due to borrowing because items of culture were mainly transmitted from one society to another. Despite the errors of the nineteenth century scholars, modern social anthropology owes much to their efforts because of their interest in the social institutions of different societies and the methods used to draw conclusions. The current anthropological view concentrates mainly on the institutionalized aspects (kinship, marriage and religion) of culture taking into ccount systems of belief, values and ideas. Modern anthropology relys mainly on fieldwork which is the gathering of data which organizes, describes, analyzea and interprets to build and present that account which may be in the form of a book, article or film. The latest investigations regarding early humans is that mankind civilization through the slow gain of knowledge. Reference: * Introduction to anthropology 101 (course book 2010) * Culture vs civilization http://www. edward]ayne. com/culture/fallacy. html http://www. as. ua. edu/ant/Faculty/murphy/436/evol. htm * Wikipedia

Labour Unions and General Motors :: essays research papers

The Workings of Automotive Unions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The last bolt is screwed on as a relieved automotive worker marvels at his wondrous creation: a car. With the roar of an engine, the car slowly disappears into the distance. The worker gradually turns around, picks up his tools, and continues to work on a new car. As a consumer, we rarely wonder how things are made; we simply take everything we own for granted. For once, have you wondered how many hours of hard labor many automotive workers must go through? The automotive industry has been around for many years, but it has not always been as efficient as it currently is. As the industry continues to evolve, many new innovative ideas are still being developed. In the past, automotive workers have had to work in harsh conditions without much security or job benefits. Nevertheless, through the continuous development of organized collective bargaining, workers are being treated as they should be. Being the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, General Motors C orporation has been greatly affected by the needs of their workers. Rick Wagoner, CEO of General Motors, is currently in charge of â€Å"running the show† at GM. Being the most successful automotive company since 1931, it is obvious that he not only has to satisfy customers, but also the workers within the company. From the smallest things such as a work raise to bigger things such as the working condition, the management of General Motors has been pressured to make both positive and negative changes to the way the company is run as a whole in order to satisfy the workers who are part of the UAW Union. Therefore, the formation and development of unions encompasses both pros and cons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the automobile industry made its first appearance in the early 1900s, General Motors had already slowly begun its formation. GM was founded in 1908 by William C. Durant, a carriage manufacturer of Flint, Michigan, and today operates manufacturing and assembly plants and distribution centers in many countries, including Canada . Its major products include automobiles and trucks, a wide range of automotive components, engines, and defense and aerospace materiel. General Motors has a long history of business and technological innovation designed to deliver ever-increasing value to their customers and society. GM today has manufacturing operations in more than 30 countries and its vehicles are sold in about 200 countries.

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 5

Hana turned and hurried up the riverbank. The woman screaming was Sada, her mother's sister^ and the girl who was stumbling beside her was Ryl, Hana's little cousin. Ryl was a pretty girl, ten years old. But right now she looked dazed and almost unconscious. And her neck and the front of her leather tunic were smeared with blood. â€Å"What happened?† Hana gasped, running to put her arms around her cousin. â€Å"She was out looking for new greens. I found her lying on the ground-I thought she was dead!† Sada's face contorted in grief. She was speaking rapidly, almost incoherently. â€Å"And look at this-look at her neck!† On Ryl's pale neck, in the center of the blood, Hana could just make out two small marks. They looked like the marks of sharp teeth-but only two teeth. â€Å"It had to be an animal,† Ket breathed from behind Hana. â€Å"But what animal only leaves the marks of two teeth?† Hana's heart felt tight and oddly heavy at once- like a stone falling inside her. Sada was already speaking. â€Å"It wasn't an animal! She says it was a man, a boy! She says he threw her down and bit her-and he drank her blood.† Sada began to sob, clutching Ryl to her. â€Å"Why would he want to do that? Oh, please, somebody help me! My daughter's been hurt!† Ryl just stared dazedly over her mother's arm. Ket said faintly, â€Å"A boy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hana gulped and said, â€Å"Let's take her to Old Mother †¦Ã¢â‚¬  But then she stopped and looked toward the river. The men were driving the stranger up the bank. He was snarling, terrified and angry-but when he saw Ryl, his expression changed. He stared at her, his wounded animal eyes sick and dismayed. To Hana, it seemed as if he could hardly stand to look at her, but he couldn't look away. His gaze was fixed on the little girl's throat. And then he turned away, his eyes shut, his head falling into his hands. Every movement showed anguish. It was as if all the fight had gone out of him at once. Hana looked back and forth in horror from the girl with blood on her throat to the stranger with blood on his mouth. The connection was obvious and nobody had to make it out loud. But why? she thought, feeling nauseated and dizzy. Why would anybody want to drink a girl's blood? No animal and no human did that. He must be a demon after all. Arno stepped forward. He gripped Ryl's chin gently, turning her head toward the stranger. â€Å"Was he the one who attacked you?† Ryl's dazed eyes stared straight ahead-and then she suddenly seemed to focus. Her pupils got big and she looked at the face of the stranger. Then she started screaming. Screaming and screaming, hands flying up to cover her eyes. Her mother began to sob, rocking her. Some of the men began to shout at the stranger, jabbing spears at him, overcome with shock and horror. All the sounds merged together in a terrifying cacophony in Hana's head. Hana found herself trembling. She reached automatically for little Ryl, not knowing how to comfort her. Ket was crying. Sada was wailing as she held her child. People were streaming out of the limestone cave, yelling, trying to find out what all the noise was about. And through it all, the stranger huddled, his eyes shut, his face a mask of grief. Arno's voice rose above the others. â€Å"I think we hunters know what to do with him. This is no longer a matter for shamans!† He was looking at Hana as he said it. Hana looked back. She couldn't speak. There was no reason for her to care what happened to the stranger-but she did care. He had hurt her cousin†¦ but he was so wretched, so unhappy. Maybe he couldn't help it, she thought suddenly. She didn't know where the idea came from, but it was the kind of instinct that made Old Mother say she should be a shaman. Maybe †¦ he didn't want to do it, but something drove him to. And now he's sorry and ashamed. Maybe†¦ oh, I don't know! Still trembling, she found herself speaking out loud again. â€Å"You can't just kill him. You have to take him to Old Mother.† â€Å"It's none of her business!† â€Å"It's her business if he's a demon! You're just co-leader, Arno. You take care of the hunting. But Old Mother is the leader in spiritual things.† Arno's face went tight and angry. â€Å"Fine, then,† he said. â€Å"We take him to Old Mother.† Jabbing with their spears, the men drove the stranger into the cave. By then, most of the people of the clan had gathered around and they were muttering angrily. Old Mother was the oldest woman in the clan- the great grandmother of Hana and Ryl and almost everybody. She had a face covered with wrinkles and a body like a dried stick. But her dark eyes were full of wisdom. She was the clan's shaman. She was the one who interceded directly with the Earth Goddess, the Bright Mother, the Giver of Life who was above all other spirits. She listened to the story seriously, sitting on her leather pallet while the others crowded around her. Hana edged close to her and Ryl was placed in her lap. â€Å"They want to kill him,† Hana murmured in the old woman's ear when the story was over. â€Å"But look at his eyes. I know he's sorry, and I think maybe he didn't mean to hurt Ryl. Can you talk to him, Old Mother?† Old Mother knew a lot of different languages; she'd traveled very far when she had been young. But now, after trying several, she shook her head. â€Å"Demons don't speak human languages,† Arno said scornfully. He was standing with his spear ready . although the stranger squatting in front of the old woman showed no signs of trying to run away. â€Å"He's not a demon,† Old Mother said, with a se–veie glance at Amo. Then she added slowly, â€Å"But he's certainly not a man, either. I'm not sure what he is. The Goddess has never told me anything about people like him.† â€Å"Then obviously the Goddess isn't interested,† Arno said with a shrug. â€Å"Let the hunters take care of him.† Hana gripped the old woman's thin shoulder. Old Mother put a twiglike hand on Hana's. Her dark eyes were grave and sad. â€Å"The one thing we do know is that he's capable of great harm,† she said softly. â€Å"I'm sorry, child, but I think Arno is right.† Then she turned to Arno. â€Å"It's getting dark. We'd better shut him up somewhere tonight; then in the morning we can decide what to do with him. Maybe the Goddess will tell me something about him as I sleep.† But Hana knew better. She saw the look on Arno's face as he and the other hunters led the stranger away. And she heard the cold and angry muttering of others in the clan. In the morning the stranger would die. Unpleasantly, if Arno had his way. It was probably what he deserved. It was none of Hana's business. But that night, as she lay on her leather pallet underneath her warm furs, she couldn't sleep. It was as if the Goddess were poking her, telling her that something was wrong. Something had to be done. And there was nobody else to do it. Hana thought about the look of anguish in the stranger's eyes. Maybe †¦ if he went somewhere far away †¦ he couldn't hurt other people. Out on the steppes there were no people to hurt. Maybe that was what the Goddess wanted. Maybe he was some creature that had wandered out of the spirit world and the Goddess would be angry if he were Jailed. Hana didn't know; she wasn't a shaman fef. All she knew was that she felt pity for the stranger and she couldn't keep still any longer. A short time before dawn she got up. Very quietly, she went to the back of the cave and picked up a spare waterskin and some hard patties of traveling food. Then she crept to the side cave where the stranger was shut up. The hunters had set a sort of fence in front of the cave, like the fences they used to trap animals. It was made of branches and bones lashed together with cords. A hunter was beside the fence, one hand on his spear. He was leaning back against the cave wall, and he was asleep with his mouth open. Hana edged past him. Her heart was pounding so loudly she was certain it would wake him up. But the hunter didn't move. Slowly, carefully, Hana pulled one side of the fence outward. From the darkness inside the cave, two eyes gleamed at her, throwing back the light of the fire. Hana pressed fingers against her mouth in a sign to be quiet, then beckoned. It was only then that she realized exactly how dangerous what she was doing was. She was letting him out-what was to stop him from rushing past her and into the main cave, grabbing people and biting them? But the stranger did no such thing. He didn't move. He sat and his two eyes glowed at Hana. He's not going to come, she realized. He won't. She beckoned again, more urgently. The stranger still sat. Hana's eyes were getting used to the darkness in the side cave and now she could see that he was shaking his head. He was determined to stay here and let the clan kill him. Hana got mad. Balancing the fence precariously, she jabbed a finger at the stranger, then jerked a thumb over her shoulder. You-out! the gesture meant. She put behind it all the authority of a descendant of Old Mother's, a woman destined to be co-leader of the clan someday. And when the stranger didn't obey immediately, she reached for him. That scared him. He shrank back, seeming more alarmed than he had at anything else that had happened so far. He seemed afraid for her to touch him. Afraid he might hurt me, Hana thought. She didn't know what put the idea into her mind. And she didn't waste time wondering about it. She simply pressed her advantage, reaching for him again, using his fear to make him go where she wanted him to. She herded him into the main cave and through it. They both moved like shadows among the shelters built along either side of the cave, Hana feeling certain that they were about to be caught any minute. But nobody caught them. When they got outside she guided him toward the river. Then she pointed downstream. She put the food and the waterskin in his hands and made far-flung gestures that meant, Go far away. Very far away. Very, very far. She was going into a pantomime indicating what Arno would do with his spear if the stranger ever came back when she noticed the way he was looking at her. The moon was up and so bright that she could see every detail of the strange boy's face. And now he was looking at her steadily, with the quiet concentration of a hunting animal, a carnivore. At the same time there was something bleak and terribly human in his eyes. Hana stopped her pantomime. All at once, the space around the cave seemed very large, and she felt very small. She heard night noises, the croaking of frogs and the rushing of the river, with a peculiar intensity. I should never have brought him out here. I'm alone with him out here. What was I thinking? There was a long pause while they stood looking at each other silently. The stranger's eyes were very dark, as bottomless and ageless as Old Mother's. Hana could see that his eyelashes were long and she realized again, dimly, that he was handsome. He lifted the packet of traveling food, looked at it, then with a sudden gesture he threw it on the ground. He did the same with the waterskin. Then he sighed. Hana was bristling, going from fear to annoyance and back again. What was he doing? Did he think she was trying to poison him? She picked up the food packet, broke a piece of traveling food off and put it in her mouth. Chewing, she extended the packet toward him again. She made gestures from packet to mouth, saying out loud, â€Å"You need to eat, food. Eat! Eat!† He was watching her steadily. He took the packet from her, touched his mouth, and shook his head. He dropped it at his feet again. He means it isn't food to him. Hana realized it with a shock. She stood and stared at the strange boy. The food isn't food to him and the water isn't drink. But Ryl's blood †¦ he drank that. Blood is his food and drink. There was another long pause. Hana was very frightened. Her mouth was trembling and tears had come to her eyes. The stranger was still looking at her quietly, but she could see the fangs indenting his lower lip now and his eyes were reflecting moonlight. He was looking at her throat. We're out here alone †¦ he could have attacked me at any time, Hana thought. He could attack me right now. He looks very strong. But he hasn't touched me. Even though he's starving, I think. And he looks so grieved, so sad†¦ and so hungry. Her thoughts were tumbling like a piece of bark tossed on the river. She felt very dizzy. It hurt Ryl†¦ but it didn't kill Ryl. Ryl was sitting up and eating before we all went to sleep tonight. Old Mother said she's going to get well. If it didn't kill her, it wouldn't kill me. Hana swallowed. She looked at the strange boy with the glowing animal eyes. She saw that he wasn't going to move toward her even though a fine trembling had taken over his body and he couldn't seem to look away from her neck. What good does it do to send him off starving? There's no other clan near here. He'll just have to come back. And I was right before; he doesn't want to do it, but he has to do it. Maybe somebody put a curse on him, made it so he starves unless he drinks blood. There's nobody else to help him. Very slowly, her eyes on the stranger, Hana lifted the hair from one side of her neck. She exposed her throat, leaning her head back slightly. Hunger sparked in the strange boy's eyes-and then something blazed in them so quickly and so hot that it swallowed up the hunger. Shock and anger. He was staring at her face, now, not her neck. He shook his head vehemently, glaring. Hana touched her neck and then her mouth, then made the far-flung gestures. Eat. Then go away. And for the Goddess's sake, hurry up, she thought, shutting her eyes. Before I panic and change my mind. She was crying now. She couldn't help it. She clenched her fists and her teeth and waited grimly, trying to hang on to her resolve. When he touched her for the first time, it was to take her hand. Hana opened her eyes. He was looking at her with such infinite sadness. He smoothed out her fist gently, then kissed her hand. Among any people, it was a gesture of gratitude†¦ and reverence. And it sent startling tingles through Hana. A feeling that was almost like shivers, but warm. A lightness in her head and a weakness in her legs. A sense of awe and wonder that she'd only ever felt before when Old Mother was teaching her to communicate with the Goddess. She could see startled reaction in the stranger's eyes, too. He was feeling the same things, and they were equally new to him. Hana knew that. But then he dropped her hand quickly and she knew that he was also afraid. The feelings were dangerous-because they drew the two of them together. One long moment while they stood and she saw moonlight in his eyes. Then he turned to go. Hana watched him, her throat aching, knowing he was going to die. And somehow that wrenched her insides in a way she'd never experienced before. Although she kept herself standing still, with her head high, she could feel the tears running down her cheeks. She didn't know why she felt this way-but it hurt her terribly. It was as if she were losing something†¦ infinitely precious†¦ before she'd had a chance to know it. The future seemed gray, now. Empty. Lonely. Cold and desolate, she stood by the rushing river and felt the wind blow through her. So alone†¦ â€Å"Hannah! Hannah! Wake up!† Someone was shouting, but it wasn't a voice from her cave. It sounded-faraway-and seemed to come from all directions, or maybe from the sky itself. And it was saying her name wrong. â€Å"Hannah, wake up! Please! Open your eyes!† The faraway voice was frantic. And then there was another voice, a quiet voice that seemed to strike a chord deep inside Hana. A voice that was even less like sound, and that spoke in Hana's mind. Hannah, come back. You don't have to relive all this. Wake up. Come back, Hannah-now. Hana of the Three Rivers dosed her eyes and went limp.

Globalisation and environmental sustainability Essay

A global society is marked by new technologically integrated local and international relations which encourage the study of the effects of globalisation and as well as internationalisation of various disciplines in a society which are involved in social interactions. This interactions may be locally based or may involve international relations some of which have a close relationship to political philosophy, international economies, conflict analysis, international laws and policies as well as sociology. Globalisation makes the world more productive and stable. In the past few decades, the global economy has become increasingly interconnected and integrated. This integration is quite evident in the international markets and it has been on a steady increase since the seventeenth century although in the last few years, globalisation has undergone revolution which has given rise to many controversial issues regarding its effects and impacts on the larger global society (Lindert, Williamson 2001). Some researches have indicated that in the last two decades or so, the increased integration in the global markets has resulted in greater inequality in the way income is distributed among nations around the world. In connection to this, Bourguignon and Morrisson (2000) have also observed that combining inequality within and across countries has brought a significant rise in the global inequality since 1960 thus making the already poor countries poorer while the rich countries get richer through globalisation. Globalisation refers to the way in which nations increasingly become interconnected with one another in terms of economic, political, technological, social and cultural aspects. More often than not, the word globalisation is used to refer to the economic aspect of a nation. Economic globalisation describes the integration of national economies into the international economies via trade, migrations, international market capital flows, foreign investments and increased use of technology. The increasing rate of globalisation as has been experienced in the past two decades or so has led to rapid growth of global trade, financial capital flows, direct foreign investments and cross border trade transactions (Johnston, Taylor, Watts 2002). The major facilitators of this growth include improved transport and communication infrastructure, improved technological know-how, quicker methods of telecommunication and internet services. In addition to this, globalisation has been favoured by removal of trade barriers and policies across nations which previously inhibited international trade among nations. This has now liberalised trade and encouraged more export and import transactions which promote globalisation. The establishment of international trade organisations such as world bank, IMF and WTO have also played a significant role in facilitating globalisation as they are devoted to promoting trade and investment across nations worldwide. The result of this kind of globalised trade is presence of multinational companies (MNCs) whose budgets exceed those of the economies of many nations in which they are situated (Atkison 1999). Globalisation and sustainability. In the recent years, many controversies have emanated from the issue of globalisation. It is now seen an unnecessary evil which is threatening the social and environmental sustainability of the global societies. Globalisation is viewed by some people as an opportunity for national and international economic growth while others feel that it is a threat to economic prosperity, political sovereignty and cultural integrity (Jussilla, Cullen 2002). People in developed countries are particularly concerned with the fact that globalisation poses a threat to unskilled workers who are bound to be left jobless with the increased technological methods of production in the contracting industries. On the other hand, the developing nations are mostly concerned about the loss of political powers and sovereignty as well as loss of economic prosperity which is bound to be brought about by globalisation. According to Bhalla (2002) the whole concept of globalisation is surrounded by ideological issues both positive and negative which in the long run affect the people or societies in the globalised world. , the controversial aspect of globalisation can not be easily resolved. Globalisation and environmental sustainability. Environmental sustainability refers to the aspect of addressing the needs of the current global societies fully while being cautious not to compromise the needs of the societies which are to come,that is, future generations. According Heinberg (2005), globalisation has directly or indirectly led to several environmental issues such as global warming, increased deforestation, depletion of the ozone layer, destruction of water catchment areas, biodiversity, most natural resources have reached or are nearing depletion levels, pollution of water, air and the entire environment among others. For instance, globalisation has enabled MNCs to invest in countries which have few or no environmental conservation by-laws and this results in high environmental degradation as well as depletion of natural resources. However, the WTO in response to this effect has argued that the large amounts of income or capital flows earned from globalisation are capable of catering for the environmental degradation and this is bound to improve the quality of the environment to even higher standards that it were in before. In addition, globalisation has led to increased industrialisation all over the globe and this has resulted in the much dreaded effects of depletion of the ozone layer and global warming. Global warming comes as a result of release of industrial pollutants from the manufacturing industries into the environment. Such pollutants include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of sulphur and so forth. The effects of global warming are quite evident all over the globe as they have led to diverse changes in weather and climate resulting in drought and famines in some parts of the world among other effects. The depletion of the ozone layer occurs as a result of release of chemicals such as freons and fluorocarbons in to the air which react with ozone layer hence thinning it (Bellow 2001). However,there are several positive effects of globalisation in relation to environmental sustainability. Precisely, globalisation has led to improved methods of energy utilisation, substitution of resources especially those occurring naturally, innovation of metal recovery and material recycling methods, dematerialisation of resources among other positive practices (Eiezen, Maxine 2006). Globalisation has particularly been putting great emphases on dematerialisation and this has helped industries to improve their efficiency in production, minimise and manage their waste production and reduced the production costs through use of cheap systematic procedures. In addition, the use of improved technological methods has made companies to adopt newer and more efficient methods of energy utilisation and as a result, the energy requirements in industrialized countries have substantially reduced in the recent years. Moreover, many non-renewable energy resources have been substituted with renewable sources of energy and this has greatly reduced the risk of depletion of such resources in the near future. Although the improved technology has great positive effects on the environmental sustainability, globalisation is negatively associated with the exportation and use of technologies and activities that can have detrimental effects on the environment. All these environmental effects of globalisation have either a direct or an indirect impact on the global societies. Lack of clean water for instance is a negative effect which is likely to cause diseases and suffering to the larger population. On the other hand, improved energy efficiency, advanced technology and industrialisation translates a greater advantage to the people living in the globalised world in terms of better quality consumer products, free exchange of goods, capital and services between nations among others. Globalisation and social sustainability. On the aspect of social sustainability, globalisation plays a very important role in terms of improving or lowering the social status of the people living in globalised world. Experts have argued that globalisation tends to impose a greater disadvantage to the poor countries while at the same time it favours the already developed nations (Bellow 2001). They add that although globalisation is believed to favour free trade among nations, it lead to much inequality between the developed and the under developed countries since the developing countries are unable to compete favourably with the developed countries in the international markets (Agyeman, Bullar, Evans 2003). In addition, the increased use of technology is bound to render many people jobless especially the unskilled workers, since most of the work which was previously done manually by the people is now easily done by machines. This reflects negatively on the society especially in the poorer countries since when people do not get jobs to do, they are likely to suffer from starvation, poor health, illiteracy among other social problems (Walker 2005). On the positive side, globalisation allows free movement of people across nations as they trade and this has promoted cultural diversity, intermarriages, tourism and so forth. This has further promoted peace,understanding and unity between individuals as well as nations. It is thus clear that globalisation has some critical impacts on the social lives of individuals an groups living in the industrialised countries. Identities and powers based on globalisation and sustainability. The last one decade or so has presented a turbulent phase for the global societies marked by globalisation and resurgence in the identity politics or religion based politics. Globalisation being a process of ongoing capitalism-industrialisation has had some adverse effects on the poor strata of the society. According to Heiberg (2005), the nature of globalisation is contradictory in that it divides the world as much as it unites it. Movements fundamental to globalisation are based on empathy, ideology and identities. The lives of people living in global societies are largely shaped by conflicting trends of globalisation and identity and current events in the world indicate that community identities are threatened by the forces of globalisation. One effect of globalisation on the societal political structure is the emergence of socialist states which came into being in the mid-20th century ushering in the beginning of an industrial society. The intensified rate of globalisation has led to a rise of America as a lone super-power in the world, decline of the power and authority exercised by the United Nations, decline in the amount of Non-Aligned movement, a rise in Fascist-fundamentalist politics among countries and worsening of the problems experienced by the poor in the society. While globalisation is believed to result in a democratic world economy, the political democracy system in the world is stifled in form of emasculation of the potential world government. As the national economies become more and more globalised, the world political powers become more and more centralised into one or a few nations of the world. This power monopoly is a negative effect of globalisation as it leads to a decline in democratic norms and projection of identity politics. Identity politics involve competition over scarce resources which could in principle be taken to mean struggle for political power or economic wealth resources. This kind of competition seems to favour only the rich and mighty residing in the wealthy and powerful countries leading to a form of discrimination. As a result, globalisation makes the people in rich countries continue becoming richer as those in poor countries become more poor by the day. In this case it is clear that although globalisation is capable of empowering a nation both economically and politically, the power distribution is unequal and this puts some nations at a higher political power advantage than others. Conclusion. Beyond doubt, globalisation has led to significant increase in per capita income of different nations which have fully accepted this process and applied effectively the technological advancements which come with it. It can however be seen that, globalisation has pushed most developing or Third world countries along the path of diminishing sustainability and this has not in any way been improved by the recent regulations made in the globalisation processes. For instance, the deregulation of global trade in the recent past has led to a decrease in the environmental and social-cultural constraints associated with globalisation but this kind of deregulation has failed to address the issues of sustainability. In conclusion, it is clear that the current globalisation process is quite unsustainable but with a few policies to govern it properly, the process is capable of bringing much success in the long run to all nations world wide as well as to people as individuals in the globalised world. Reference. Atkinson, G., Dubourg, R. , Hamilton, K. , Munasinghe, M. , Pearce D. , 1999. Measuring sustainable development. UK: Edward Elgar Publishers. Agyeman, J. , Bullard, R. D. , Evans, B. , (eds. ). 2003. Sustainability: Development in an Unequal World, London: Earthscan. Bello, W. F. 2001. The Future in the Balance: Essays on Globalization and Resistance. Oakland, Calif: Food First Books. Bhalla, A. S. 2002. Globalisation and Sustainable Development: A Southern African Perspective†, International Journal of Technology Management & Sustainable Development, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 40-57.

The Past and Present of Space Travel essays

The Past and Present of Space Travel essays On May 25, 1961, John F. Kennedy delivered one of the most memorable State of the Union addresses in the history of the United States. I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the earth (cs.umb.edu/jfklibrary, President John F. Kennedy's Special Message to the Congress on Urgent National Needs). With those words, Kennedy launched a new era of space exploration in the United States. Although the National Aeronautics And Space Administration was created in 1958 by the National Aeronautics and Space Act (hq.nasa.gov, Key Documents), and the Russians already launched the first satellite into space in 1957, the US was still at a stand still on the subject. What the country needed was a wake-up call, and that is exactly what it got from one of the most celebrated speakers in its history. The new era promised much, but expected little. From USAs struggle to be the dominant worl d power in the Cold War Era, to the careless depletion of natural resources in the Information Age, space exploration and astronauts were and will be the real keys to the new millennium and beyond. Before looking into the future, or even evaluating the present, one must look in detail at the history of the space project. The missions that gave scientists and engineers the necessary data and experience to make new, safer, more reliable and intricate equipment were launched long before there was realistic talk of sending probes to Mars. The astronauts that helped shape the training programs, took the beatings of primitive flight tests, and died in order to serve their country were born before World War II. And even the Russian Space Program was crucial to what the space program is today. It fueled competition, and provided more resources for American engineers. Until Apollo 11, they were ahead of the Americans in alm...

Female Spies in World War I and World War II

Female Spies in World War I and World War II While almost every nation yet prohibits women in combat, a long history of female involvement in warfare reaches all the way back to ancient times. Extensive documentation exists covering the role of women working undercover or otherwise involved in intelligence work in each of the two world wars. World War I Mata Hari If asked to name a female spy, most people would probably be able to cite Mata Hari of World War I fame. Real name Margaretha Geertruida Zelle McLeod, the woman the world would come to know as Mata Hari was born in the Netherlands. Her cover was that of an exotic dancer from India. While there is little doubt regarding the legitimacy of Mata Haris life as a stripper and sometimes-prostitute, some controversy surrounds whether she was ever actually a spy. Famous as she was if Mata Hari was a spy, she was fairly inept at it. She was caught following contact with an informant, tried and executed as a spy by France. It later came to light that her accuser was, himself, a German spy, effectively casting doubt on her true role in World War I espionage. Edith Cavell Another famous spy from World War I was also executed as a spy. Edith Cavell was born in England, growing up to become a nurse by profession. When World War I erupted, she was working in a nursing school in Belgium. Although she was not a spy as we generally view them, Edith worked undercover to help transport soldiers from France, England, and Belgium to escape from the Germans. She worked as matron of a hospital and, while doing so, helped at least 200 soldiers to escape. When the Germans realized Cavells role in what was happening, she was put on trial for harboring foreign soldiers rather than espionage, and convicted in two days. She was killed by a firing squad in October of 1915 and buried near the execution site despite appeals from the United States and Spain to return her body to her homeland. After the war, her body was transported back to England. Edith Cavell was finally buried in her native land, following a Westminster Abbey service presided by King George V of England. A statue in her honor was erected in St. Martins Park bearing the simple but apt epitaph, Humanity, Fortitude, Devotion, Sacrifice. The statue also carries the quote she gave to the priest who gave her communion the night before her death, Patriotism is not enough, I must have no hatred or bitterness toward anyone. Edith Cavell had, in her lifetime, cared for anyone in need regardless of which side of the war they fought out of religious conviction. She died as valiantly and honorably as she lived. World War II Two main oversight organizations were responsible for intelligence activities in World War II for the Allies. These were the British SOE, or Special Operations Executive, and the American OSS, or Office of Strategic Services. The SOE was active in virtually every occupied country in Europe along with native operatives in enemy countries, aiding resistance groups and monitoring enemy activity. The American counterpart, the OSS, overlapped some of the SOE operations and also had operatives in the Pacific theater. In addition to traditional spies, these organizations employed many ordinary men and women to covertly provide information on strategic locations and activities while leading apparently normal lives. The OSS eventually became what is now known as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Americas official spy agency. Virginia Hall An American heroine,  Virginia Hall came from Baltimore, Maryland. From a privileged family, Hall attended fine schools and colleges and wanted a career as a diplomat. Her aspirations were thwarted in 1932 when she lost part of her leg in a hunting accident and had to use a wooden prosthesis. Having resigned from the State Department in 1939, Hall was in Paris at the start of World War II. She worked on an ambulance corps until the Henri Philippe Petain-led Vichy government took over, at which point she moved to England, volunteering for the newly-founded SOE. SOE training completed, she was returned to Vichy-controlled France where she supported the Resistance until complete Nazi takeover. She escaped on foot to Spain through the mountains, continuing her work for the SOE there until 1944, when she joined the OSS and asked to return to France. Returned to France, Hall continued to help the underground Resistance by, among other things, providing maps to Allied forces for drop zones, finding safe houses and providing intelligence activities. She assisted in training at least three battalions of French Resistance forces and continuously reported on enemy movements. The Germans recognized her activities and made her one of their Most Wanted Spies, calling her the woman with a limp and Artemis. Hall had many aliases including Agent Heckler, Marie Monin, Germaine, Diane, and Camille. She managed to teach herself to walk without a limp and employed many disguises, foiling Nazi attempts to capture her. Her success in evading capture was as remarkable as the prodigious work she accomplished. Still active as an operative in 1943, the British quietly awarded Hall the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire). Later, in 1945, she was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by Gen. William Donovan for her efforts in France and Spain. Hers was the only such award to any civilian woman in all of WWII. Hall continued to work for the OSS through its transition to the CIA until 1966. At that time she retired to a farm in Barnesville, MD until her death in 1982. Princess Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan A childrens book author may seem an unlikely candidate for international spy induction, but Princess Noor defied any such expectation. The great-niece of Christian Science founder  Mary Baker Eddy  and daughter of Indian royalty, she joined the SOE as Nora Baker in London and trained to operate a wireless radio transmitter. She was sent to occupied France under the code name Madeline, carrying her transmitter from safe house to safe house, maintaining communications for her Resistance unit,  with the Gestapo trailing her all the way. Khan was captured and executed as a spy in 1944. She was posthumously awarded the George Cross, the Croix de Guerre and the MBE for her valor. Violette Reine Elizabeth Bushell Violette Reine Elizabeth Bushell was born in 1921 to a French mother and British father. Her husband Etienne Szabo was a French Foreign Legion officer killed in battle in North Africa. After her husbands death, Bushell was recruited by the SOE and sent to France as an operative on two occasions. On the second of these visits, she was caught giving cover to a Maquis leader. She killed several German soldiers before finally being captured. Despite torture, Bushell refused to give the Gestapo classified information, so was sent to  the concentration camp  Ravensbruck, where she was executed. She was posthumously honored for her work with both the George Cross and the Croix de Guerre in 1946. The Violette Szabo Museum in Wormelow, Herefordshire, England honors her memory as well. She left behind a daughter, Tania Szabo, who wrote her mothers biography,  Young, Brave Beautiful: Violette Szabo GC. Szabo and her highly decorated husband were the most decorated couple in World War II, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Barbara Lauwers Cpl. Barbara Lauwers, Womens Army Corps, received a Bronze Star for her OSS work, which included using German prisoners for counterintelligence work and cobbling fake passports and other papers for spies and others. Lauwers was instrumental in Operation Sauerkraut, an operation which mobilized German prisoners to spread black propaganda about  Adolf Hitler  behind enemy lines. She created the League of Lonely War Women, or VEK in German. This mythical organization was designed to demoralize German troops by spreading the belief that any soldier on leave could display a VEK symbol and get a girlfriend. One of her operations was so successful that 600 Czechoslovak troops defected behind Italian lines. Amy Elizabeth Thorpe Amy Elizabeth Thorpe, early code name Cynthia, later Betty Pack, worked for the OSS in Vichy, France. She was sometimes used as a swallow- a woman trained to seduce the enemy into sharing secret information- and she participated in break-ins. One daring raid involved taking secret naval codes from a safe within a locked and guarded room. Another involved infiltration of the Vichy French Embassy in Washington D.C., taking important codebooks. Maria Gulovich Maria Gulovich fled Czechoslovakia when it was invaded, emigrating to Hungary. Working with Czech army staff and British and American intelligence teams, she assisted downed pilots, refugees, and resistance members. Gulovich was taken by the KGB and maintained her OSS cover under fierce interrogation while assisting in the Slovak rebellion and rescue efforts for Allied pilots and crews. Julia McWilliams Child Julia Child  was up to much more than gourmet cooking. She wanted to join the WACs or the WAVES but was turned down for being too tall, at a height of 62. Following this rejection, she opted to work in research and development out of the OSS Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Among the projects with which she was involved: a workable shark repellent used for downed flight crews later used for US space missions with water landings and supervising an OSS facility in China. Julia Child handled countless top-secret documents before gaining television fame as The French Chef. Marlene Dietrich German-born  Marlene Dietrich  became an American citizen in 1939. She volunteered for the OSS and served both by entertaining troops on the front lines and by broadcasting nostalgic songs to battle-weary German soldiers as propaganda. She received the Medal of Freedom for her work. Elizabeth P. McIntosh Elizabeth P. McIntosh was a war correspondent and independent journalist who joined the OSS shortly after  Pearl Harbor. She was instrumental in the interception and rewriting of postcards Japanese troops wrote home while stationed in India. She intercepted and detected orders of numerous sorts, chief among them a copy of the Imperial Order discussing terms of surrender which was then disseminated to Japanese troops. Genevieve Feinstein Not every woman in intelligence was a spy as we think of them. Women also played significant roles as cryptanalysts and code breakers for the Signal Intelligence Service (SIS). Genevieve Feinstein was one such woman, having been responsible for creating a machine used to decode Japanese messages. After WWII, she continued to work in intelligence. Mary Louise Prather Mary Louise Prather headed the SIS stenographic section. She was responsible for logging messages in code and preparing decoded messages for distribution. Prather was primarily credited with having uncovered a previously-unnoticed yet distinct correlation between two Japanese messages which led to the decryption of a pivotal new Japanese code system. Juliana Mickwitz Juliana Mickwitz escaped Poland during the Nazi invasion of 1939. She became a translator of Polish, German and Russian documents and worked with the Military Intelligence Directorate of the War Department. She went on to translate voice messages. Josephine Baker Josephine Baker  was a singer and dancer best known at the time as the Creole Goddess, the Black Pearl or the Black Venus for her beauty. But Baker was also a spy working undercover for the French Resistance, smuggling military secrets written in invisible ink on her sheet music  into Portugal from France. Hedy Lamarr Actress Hedy Lamarr made a valuable contribution to the intelligence division by co-producing an anti-jamming device for torpedoes. She also devised a clever way of frequency hopping that prevented the interception of American military messages. Famous for the Road movies with Bob Hope, everyone knew she was an actress but few were aware she was an inventor of military importance. Nancy Grace Augusta Wake New Zealand-born Nancy Grace Augusta Wake, AC GM, was the most decorated servicewoman among Allied troops in WWII. Wake grew up in Australia, working early on as a nurse and later as a journalist. As a journalist, she watched the rise of Hitler, well aware of the dimension of the threat Germany posed. Living in France with her husband at the start of World War II, Wake became a courier for the French Resistance. Among the Gestapos Most Wanted Spies, she was in constant danger, having her phone tapped and her mail read. Nazi Germany eventually put a five million franc price on the head of the woman they called the White Mouse. When her network was uncovered, Wake fled. Forced to leave her husband behind, the Gestapo tortured him to death trying to obtain her location. She was briefly arrested but released and, after six attempts, fled to England where she joined the SOE. In 1944 Wake parachuted back into France to assist the Maquis, where she participated in training highly effective Resistance troops. She once bicycled 100 miles through German checkpoints to replace a lost code and was reputed to have killed a German soldier with her bare hands to save others. After the war she was awarded the Croix de Guerre three times, the George Medal, the Mà ©daille de la Rà ©sistance, and the American Medal of Freedom for her undercover achievements. Afterword These are only a few of the women who served as spies in the two great world wars. Many took their secrets to the grave and were known only to their contacts. They were military women, journalists, cooks, actresses, and ordinary people caught up in extraordinary times. Their stories demonstrate that they were ordinary women of extraordinary courage and inventiveness who helped to change the world with their work. Women have played this role in many wars over the ages, but we are fortunate to have records of quite a few of those women who worked undercover in World War I and World War II, and we are all honored by their accomplishments. Sources and Further Reading The Wolves at the Door: The True Story of Americas Greatest Female Spy  by Judith L. Pearson, The Lyons Press (2005).Sisterhood of Spies  by Elizabeth P. McIntosh, published by the Naval Institute Press.Young, Brave Beautiful: Violette Szabo GC  by Tania Szabo.

Civil Rights Act Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Civil Rights Act - Research Paper Example Even in the process of passing the Act many opposed it, but at the end of the day, it succeeded and brought with it a new perspective to Americans. It played a vital role in the aspect of racial, gender and religious discrimination in the different sectors. It is essential to look back on how the policy was established in order to assess the usefulness and the importance of the policy today. Background of the Issue During the early years in the 1960s, there was evidently unequal treatment of and opportunities for Blacks and Whites who resided in America. There was an invisible line that prevented the Blacks from securing any governmental position. They have even experienced discrimination within public and private establishments. In relation to this, during the 1960s, Birmingham, Alabama was considered as the most racist place in the U.S. Many of the discriminatory acts against African Americans were done within the limits of the state. In May 2, 1963, a march against the racist stat e was held by more than a thousand of African-American children. The protest was aired over national television and Kennedy, along with the world, witnessed how the protest was stopped by the police. The police used dogs against the children as they knocked the children out with sprays (Vox). It became a window for Kennedy to understand how racism and discrimination could lead people to hurt and even try to kill children. With this on hand, on June 6, 1963, President John F. Kennedy announced on national television that he was urging people to take part in the equal treatment of every individual of different races. After his plea, Kennedy suggested that the Congress should implement a law that would cater to every individual. The law suggested was to address racial discrimination, the voting rights, the right to education and the right of every individual for federal assistance. However, Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 which could have caused a delay in the passing of the Act. Nonetheless, the assassination of Kennedy did not deter the implementation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As the vice president, Lyndon Johnson became the president. He signed it into law on the same day it was approved by the House. It took only a few months prior to the signing of the act into a law in July of 1964 (â€Å"Civil Rights Act†). The passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not immediately end discrimination and inequality among the other races who resided in America. However, there were profound changes that led to the enhancement of the rights of Asians, Blacks, Latinos and women. Prior to the passing of the Act, there was a local and state law on color segregation, which allowed business owners and local government agencies not accommodate Asians, Blacks, Latinos and other races. However, the Act’s greatest achievement was the ending of this segregation and in return, allowed other races to sue public and private establishments that discr iminated or violated their rights. Furthermore, equal employment was also established, which did not allow discrimination in race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in the workplace, during the hiring process, promotion and dismissal of employees. During this time, employment and incomes of Asians, Blacks, Latinos and women rose along with the median income of the families (Hartford; â€Å"

Critically assess the implications of Social Contrant Theory (SCT) for Essay

Critically assess the implications of Social Contrant Theory (SCT) for relations between the individual and state - Essay Example overnment and state in the current times, and provides a strong justification of the limitation of the power of the state against the citizens, and the corresponding authority of the people to establish a government that will serve the common good and embody the people’s ideals and aspirations. Thomas Hobbes’ political philosophy of social contract theory is outlined in the hypothetical State of Nature. In his Leviathan published in 1651, he articulated on a particular theory of human nature that gives a rise to a particular view of morality and politics (Gauthier 1988). He rejects the theory of Divine Rights of Kings, indirectly refuting Filmer’s claim that a king’s authority is invested in him by God, enjoys an absolute authority, in which the basis of political obligation lays in an individual’s obligation to obey God absolutely. Hence, this theory of Filmer, which Hobbes rejects in his social Contract theory, states that political obligation is subsumed under religious obligation (ibid). Rather, Hobbes argued that obligation and political authority are dependent upon the individual’s self-interests of members of society who are taken as equals of the others, with no single individual given an absolute authority to rule over the rest, while at the same time, poses that if society is to survive, the Monarch (Sovereign), must be given absolute authority (Baier 1994). Hobbes describes the human being as exclusively self-interested and reasonable, possessing the rational capacity to pursue his dreams as maximally as possible. He argues that man’s reason does not evaluate their given ends; rather it merely finds the way to the things Desired, describing rationality as purely instrumental (ibid). It is from these premises that Hobbes is able to construct a provocative and compelling argument for why individuals would tend to be willing to submit themselves to a political authority. He explains this through his discussion of the State of Nature, in which