Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Reflection upon NSTP Essay

Jim Henson once said, â€Å"Kids don’t remember why you try to help them. They remember what you are.† Helping doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be smart; you have to be a rich person or government officials. In fact, being a good and intellectual person does make you belong. A program named Civic Welfare Training Service (CTS) will help you acquire those required qualifications in order to possess an effective community helping even without getting in contact with government officials. CTS are one of the means for us students to help those in needs as well as for us to contribute to society by aiding these people to become better citizens. At first, I only require myself to attend and give presence every meeting just for the sake of passing and completion of units. Little did I know that CTS was not just a subject to attend but rather exposing one’s self into realities of life. As a student, I am not very much exposed to different kinds of people, different situations of everyday life, and to different communities as well. In our immersion that was held twice, I have seen those. It made me realized how blessed I am compared with them. So I have attained the urge of taking it as challenge. I am challenged because I am not typically a patient person and not quite interested in helping our community. As a beginner, you must possess virtues like integrity, dedication, fairness and an open mind to greet new ideas and innovate. You should also bear in mind the value of positive reinforcement. I was also taught that we should always establish good relationships with the kids. I witnessed many scenes that a helper encounters in his/her civic service career. I felt what those people one’s being generous when he/she wants community to learn something new from his/her. Here, I felt pity with the students not having a proper care from their family. I learned so many things in this serving experience. I learned how to be more prepared for the foods that I will give to them, and to be patient in making understand our purpose of helping them, and to be a good listeners too in their own stories. I learned the difficulty of servicing community and the joy I got from it. I learned how to have sympathy for others, to understand their weaknesses and to appreciate their abilities. Most of all, I learned how to socialize with other people, expose myself to the community and adopt their surroundings. CTS helped me develop and grow even more as a student. It opened our minds for us to be able to understand the different circumstances as to what the children experienced. It helped us not to be judgmental to these children and instead to extend our patience until they will be able to understand what is taught to them. We always end our program with a prayer, making the children realized that whatever happens, we should always thank God about everything for what He had given to us, that we should ask for forgiveness and hoping that by the next immersion, it would be much better.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Teaching Gifted and Talented Students

Many educators have become well-versed in modifying the regular classroom curriculum to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Educators are not as experienced, however, in meeting the instructional needs of high-ability students. In a growing number of states, revisions in regulations pertaining to gifted and talented students are requiring that high-ability students, previously served in part-time pull-out programs, must also receive appropriate instruction within the context of their regular classrooms. For example, in Kentucky, high-ability students can no longer be viewed as sufficiently served by a once-monthly or once-weekly program. These students have educational needs that must be met daily, just as students with disabilities have. Many regular education teachers report that meeting the needs of high-ability students equals and often exceeds the challenges of integrating disabled students in their classrooms. High-ability students can be delightful, but they can also be demanding, impatient, perfectionistic, sarcastic, and disruptive. In addition, few regular education teachers have received sufficient training in issues related to gifted and talented education. Before teachers can develop appropriate instructional strategies to meet the needs of high-ability students, they must recognize the value of such efforts. For many educators, services to gifted and talented students may seem to be elitist. However, public education is founded on the belief that all students (including those with high abilities) have the right to instruction appropriate to their needs. Gifted and talented students, like all students, should learn something new every day. General Strategies for Modifying the Curriculum The objectives for modifying standard curricula for high-ability students include: meeting the learning capacity of the students, meeting the students’ rapid rates of learning in all or some areas of study, and providing time and resources so that students can pursue areas of special interest. In order to modify standard curricula for high-ability students, Lois Roets (1993) proposed three options: lesson modifications, ssignment modifications, and scheduling modifications. Lessons can be modified through acceleration or enrichment of content. Assignments can be modified through reducing regular classroom work or providing alternate assignments. Scheduling options include providing opportunities for high-ability students to work individually through independent study, shared learning in homogeneous groupings with peers of similar ability and in terests, and participation in heterogeneous groupings of mixed-ability students. Lesson Modifications. One way teachers can extend or enrich the content they present is by asking open-ended questions. Such questions stimulate higher order thinking skills and give students opportunities to consider and express personal opinions. Open-ended questions require thinking skills such as comparison, synthesis, insight, judgment, hypothesis, conjecture, and assimilation. Such questions can also increase student awareness of current events. Open-ended questions should be included in both class discussions and assignments. They can also be used as stimulation for the opening or conclusion of a lesson. Another strategy for lesson modification developed by Susan Winebrenner (1992) is to use Bloom’s taxonomy of six levels of thinking to develop lesson content. Bloom’s model implies that the â€Å"lower† levels (knowledge, comprehension, and application) require more literal and less complex thinking than the â€Å"higher† levels (analysis, evaluation, and synthesis). Teachers are encouraged to develop thematic units with activities for students at all ability levels. This strategy involves four steps. Teachers first choose a theme that can incorporate learning objectives from several different subject areas. Secondly, teachers identify 6 to 10 key concepts or instructional objectives. Third, they determine which learner outcomes or grade-level competencies will be targeted for the unit. Finally, they design instructional activities to cover each of the six levels of thinking. Assignment Modifications High-ability students are often expected to complete assignments that they find boring or irrelevant because they represent no new learning for them. Allowing them to reduce or skip standard assignments in order to acquire time to pursue alternate assignments or independent projects is called urriculum compacting. The curriculum for a gifted student should be compacted in those areas that represent his or her strengths. When students â€Å"buy time† for enrichment or alternate activities, they should use that time to capitalize on their strengths, rather than to improve skills in weaker subjects. For example, a student advanced in math should have a compacted curriculum in that area w ith opportunities given for enriched study in mathematics. The first step in compacting the curriculum is determining the need to do so. A student is a candidate for compacting if he or she regularly finishes assignments quickly and correctly, consistently scores high on tests related to the modified area, or demonstrates high ability through individualized assessment, but not daily classwork (i. e. , he or she is gifted, but unmotivated for the standard curriculum). The second step in compacting the curriculum is to create a written plan outlining which, if any, regular assignments will be completed and what alternate activities will be accomplished. A time frame for the plan should also be determined. Modification plans can be limited to a few days (i. e. , length of lesson or chapter) or extend over the course of an entire school year. Alternate assignments for high-ability students can either be projects related to the modified area of study that extend the curriculum, or they can be independent projects that are chosen based on students’ individual interests. Winebrenner (1992) described a strategy in which students use written independent study contracts to research topics of interest to become â€Å"resident experts. † The students and teacher decide upon a description and the criteria for evaluating each project. A deadline is determined, and by that date, each student must share his or her project with the entire class. Before choosing their projects, students are also given time to browse various areas of interest. After completing compacted work, students are allowed to look through research materials to explore various topics. A deadline for choosing a topic for independent projects is also given to the students to limit their browsing time. Scheduling Modifications Cooperative learning through traditional heterogeneous groups is often counterproductive for high-ability students. When the learning task involves a great deal of drill and practice, these students often end up doing more teaching than learning. When placed in homogeneous cooperative learning groups, however, gifted students can derive significant learning benefits. This does not mean that high-ability students should never participate in heterogeneous cooperative learning groups. Rather, groupings should be chosen based on the task that is being assigned. When the task includes drill and practice, such as math computation or answering comprehension questions about a novel, gifted students should be grouped together and given a more complex task. When the task includes critical thinking, gifted students should be part of heterogeneous groups to stimulate discussions. Open-ended activities are excellent choices for heterogeneous groupings. Cluster grouping of high-ability students in the same classroom is another option for meeting the needs of gifted students in the regular classroom. The traditional method of assigning students to classes has often been to divide the high-ability students equally among the available classes so each teacher would have his or her â€Å"fair share. Under this system, however, each teacher must develop strategies for modifying the curriculum to meet the needs of the advanced students. With cluster grouping, four to six high-ability students are placed in the same classroom. This system allows the students to learn with and from each other and reduces the need for multiple teachers to develop appropriate instructional modifications. Case Studies The following case studies describe how the curric ulum was modified for three academically able students. Mark Mark entered first grade reading at a fourth-grade level. He had mastered math concepts that challenged his first-grade peers. He was placed in a second-grade class for math instruction and in a third-grade class for reading and spelling instruction. Despite these opportunities, Mark was always the first to finish assignments and spent the majority of his school day reading library books or playing computer games. His parents and teacher were concerned that he was not sufficiently challenged, but as a 6-year-old, he was too young to participate in the district’s pull-out gifted program. They were also concerned that he was having difficulty developing friendships in his classroom since he spent much of the day apart from his homeroom peers. A request for consultation was made to the school psychologist. With input from Mark’s parents and teachers, an independent study contract was developed for Mark to channel his high reading abilities toward study in a specific area. After browsing for a week, he chose dinosaurs as his project area. Mark then narrowed his focus to the Jurassic Period and decided to create a classroom reference book complete with pictures he drew. When he completed his daily work, Mark researched his topic area and worked on his project. When completed, Mark’s teacher asked him to share his project with his classmates. Because he had chosen a topic of high interest to his peers, Mark’s status as â€Å"resident expert† on dinosaurs made him attractive to his classmates. Mark’s teacher encouraged these budding friendships by asking the other students to bring dinosaur toys and books from home to share with the class during the following weeks. Katrina Katrina’s parents chose to move her from a private school to public school at the end of her third-grade year. Following the advice of the private school staff, Katrina’s parents enrolled her in a second year of third grade at the public school due to reported weaknesses in reading and written expression. After a few weeks of school, Katrina’s teacher approached the school psychologist with her concern that retention may not have been in Katrina’s best interest. The teacher reported that Katrina was performing on grade level in all areas and demonstrated high-ability math skills. Upon meeting with Katrina’s parents, however, they expressed the desire to keep her in the third grade. They felt that Katrina had suffered no harmful effects from the retention since it involved a move to a new school with different peers. Further, Katrina’s parents reported that she felt very comfortable and successful in her classroom. Although the committee decided to keep Katrina in the third grade, they developed a compacted curriculum for her in the area of math. A contract was written specifying modifications for Katrina in the regular class math curriculum. She was required to complete half of the assignments given to her peers, as long as she did so with 90% or higher accuracy. When finished with her modified assignment, Katrina then used her time earned through compacting for enriched study in mathematics. The committee was careful to avoid presenting material to Katrina that she would study in the future to avoid the possibility of repetition. Instead, an enriched program of study was developed that emphasized critical thinking and problem solving related to the addition and subtraction being taught in her classroom. Katrina’s contract included several choices of activities, any of which she could choose to do on a given day, such as creating story problems for the class to solve, drawing pictures or using manipulatives to demonstrate calculation problems, or activities involving measuring, classifying, estimating, and graphing. Katrina’s teacher would present a specific activity choice in these areas that extended and enriched the basic concepts being taught to the class as a whole. With these modifications, Katrina's advanced skills in math were addressed. Her parents and teacher judged her school year a success, and Katrina made an easy transition to fourth grade, where she was able to work on grade-level material with an average level of accuracy in all areas. Adam Adam demonstrated a very high spoken vocabulary and advanced ideas when participating in class. He completed few of his assignments, though, and showed strong resistance to putting pencil to paper despite obvious high abilities. He was able to read orally at a level 2 years above his fourth-grade status and could perform multidigit calculation problems mentally. However, in the classroom, Adam demonstrated task avoidance and disruptive behaviors. His teacher and parents were frustrated by his lack of work output and behavior problems, and they sought assistance from the school psychologist. In interviewing Adam, the psychologist found that he did not see the need to put on paper answers he already knew. It seemed likely that Adam’s behavior problems were related to boredom and frustration. To test this theory, the psychologist recommended the use of Winebrenner's (1992) â€Å"Most Difficult First† strategy. With this strategy, the teacher identifies the most difficult portion of an assignment and the student is allowed to attempt that portion of the assignment first. If he or she completes it with 100% accuracy, the student is excused from the remainder of the assignment and allowed to use his or her free time to pursue an alternate activity. Adam was resistant to this strategy at first, but he quickly saw its advantages and began completing those assignments that were modified using the strategy. With guidance from the school psychologist, Adam’s teacher then extended modifications to include pretesting and compacting opportunities across the curriculum. Adam used his time earned from compacting to pursue independent projects and recreational reading, and his behavior problems decreased accordingly. Conclusion The focus of educational services for high-ability students is shifting to the regular classroom. While this expansion of services to the regular classroom is a welcome recognition of the need to challenge high-ability students all day, every day, this initiative also brings with it a significant need to train regular education teachers. Support staff such as educators of gifted and talented students and school psychologists must learn to become effective consultants to assist regular classroom teachers in applying instructional strategies appropriate for meeting the needs of high-ability students References Roets, L. (1993). Modifying standard curriculum for high ability students. New Sharon, IA: Leadership Publishers. Winebrenner, S. (1992). Teaching gifted kids in the regular classroom. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit. One of the biggest complaints that teachers hear from truly gifted students is that instead of having different or more challenging work, they simply have more of the same work every other student is assigned. For most parents, it is difficult to understand the difference. They see their child who can write and read well, and who can do math calculations easily and quickly and think that by having twice as much homework, the student's needs are being served. Unfortunately, they are wrong. While there has been a significant push to improve the lot of students with disabilities, programs for the truly gifted student are often left to their own devices. Without training and supervision, some teachers will be intimidated by their precocious class and rather than opening doors to more advanced insight, will simply load students down with what amounts to busy work. A child who already knows how to read and write well, probably should not be burdened with basic grammar exercises. Instead, this student should be reading for research and writing essays. This isn't beyond the scope of truly gifted children as young as nine or ten. But with funding cut at every turn and demands being made on public schools to provide services beyond the scope of mere education, too often G/T programs are left to their own devices. The solution lies in the intervention of parents and the interest of the community at large. This is the point where mentors from various professions can spark a bored but talented student to the next level. Imagine how much more interesting a talk about cancer cells would be from a visiting oncologist. People in the community are often more than willing to help, but it takes more than just teachers making the request. Parents have to get involved. Quite often parents are the first to notice their child's abilities. Some schools will try to put off testing or divert attention, but the parent needs to be their child's advocate. Students are legally entitled to and schools are federally mandated to offer programs for students according to their abilities. This means that gifted children deserve and should receive educational work commensurate with their abilities. Don't take no for an answer. Parental involvement can be a double-edged sword. Gifted programs need parents to push school districts to offer and support programs for gifted students that go past minimum standards. Without parental pressure, districts will ignore programs and allow them to atrophy. But it is also important that the need for parents to view their children as gifted isn't allowed to drive the enrollment of the program. In some district, testing for admission has become a tug of war for parents to get their children into programs viewed as having better teachers or lower enrollment. While any gifted student should be encouraged to take more challenging courses, it is a mistake to simply place a student into a program. It is also a mistake to water down curriculum in order to raise enrollment in advanced classes. Students need to be in programs that fit. Some students are good across the board learners and will be in language arts, science and math programs; other students have abilities in just math or just language arts. Make sure your student is in classes that fit his or her needs. Many parents make the mistake of thinking that having a child in a G/T program of classes is a ticket to academic success. That isn't really the case. Students in advanced classes suffer from some of the same problems that students in regular classes endure. And students in gifted classes have been known to fail. Failure is seen as anathema for most parents, but especially those of gifted students. Their first reaction is to blame the teacher or the school. Sometimes that action is justified, but just as often students make the choice to fail. Sometimes the decision to fail is an attempt to fit into the prevailing social structure of the school. Gifted students sometimes have difficulty dealing with their peers and will â€Å"dumb down† in order to fit in. Other times, learning disabilities such as ADD or anxiety will create situations in which the gifted student has problems processing or completing work. This doesn't mean the student doesn't deserve to be in an advanced program; it means that the student's educational disabilities need assistance in much the same way that a nearsighted student needs glasses to see the board. It's a balancing act. One of the biggest hurdles gifted students face is the social acceptance within the school. In some schools being in the gifted program is a mark of excellence. In others, it labels you as a nerd and causes problems that can be difficult for a shy or immature student to overcome. Teachers and parents should always monitor their student for situations where they are settling for lower recognition in order to avoid confrontation or bullying. This is especially a problem for some minority students and needs parental intervention and outside activities in church or the community in order to give the student a social support structure. Students such as this thrive in activities such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, church service, community volunteer programs and other activities that require a level of independence. By having a group of friends outside of school, the gifted student won't feel the need to mitigate their own achievements in the classroom in order to keep friends. Finally, and this is a very hard situation, parents have to learn to separate their personal needs from the accomplishments of their child. It's very easy to look at the kid who does math and science well and try to push them into a program for Med school. Don't do it. Gifted kids learn quickly, but they also suffer from the same false starts and lagging development that other kids experience. The failure or success of your gifted child belongs to them. And if that is the case, parents have to develop a hands off policy towards homework and projects. Teachers can spot the project where Mom or Dad tweaked something here or added something there. By intervening on such projects, parents dilute the learning experience and undermine their child's self-confidence. Gifted children often have self-doubt because they are doing things that are months or sometimes years beyond their peers. Don't exacerbate that by taking over the learning experience. Gifted children can offer a great deal of joy, but they are also a huge challenge. Quite often hey will offer opinions far beyond their years and understand provocative situations while still appearing innocent. It is important to support your child without smothering them. No matter what their abilities, they will still suffer the same teen angst and doubt held by others of their age. Roll with the punches, expect to be challenged and encourage them to explore areas beyond their comfort zone academically. BACKROUND http://www. azagt. org/teaching-gifted. html Common wisdom of the day once said bright children take care of themselves. Leta Hollingworth didn't believe a word of it. Instead, she thought teaching gifted students required specialized environments designed to bring out the full range of talents of the student. Hollingworth stumbled onto the concept of teaching gifted and talented students in a different way than the ordinary when her own teaching career hit a dead end. Hollingworth had been born and raised in Nebraska. She even graduated from the University of Nebraska at the age of 20, in 1906. Two years later, Leta Anna Stetter (Hollingsworth) moved to New York City and married Harry Levi Hollingworth, a Columbia University graduate student. Expecting to resume her teaching career in New York, her plan failed when she learned no one in New York City hired married women as teachers. Bored with the prospect of being a housewife for the rest of her life, Hollingworth took the next step in developing the methods for teaching gifted students still in use today. She enrolled at graduate school, too. Perhaps it was here that her interest in teaching gifted children sparked to life. She studied educational psychology and became a Columbia University professor. She focused her research and studies on finding the origins of human intelligence. She measured thousands of babies and monitored others for decades. It seems to have been important to Hollingworth to uncover any gender issues before tailoring methods for teaching gifted children of either gender. Her meticulous studies debunked the idea female inferiority. Over the years, her research and her methods for teaching gifted children led to more research and more books. She considered it vital to identify gifted children at as early an age as possible. She also advocated grouping gifted children with other gifted children instead of placing them in classes designed for the average student. Because Hollingworth considered daily contact a key component to her methods of teaching gifted and talented students, she eventually established a school in New York that was devoted to exceptionally bright students. Instead of a teacher-led program of study, the flow of the education was student driven instead. Hollingworth felt her special students would benefit from knowing about some of the challenges life might send their way. To prepare them, her curriculum for teaching gifted students included learning experiences based on issues they were likely to encounter at some point in their adult lives.

Monday, July 29, 2019

A Knowledge Management Framework for call centre in a Telecom Company Literature review

A Knowledge Management Framework for call centre in a Telecom Company - Literature review Example It can aid the employees within an organisation, and that includes the top level managerial staffs to the ground-level employees, and even the employees working in the field outside. Thus, one of the key goals of knowledge management is to ensure that the employees have the information they need; at the times, whey they need it, to give effective performance. This is applicable to employees in organizations in various industry sectors, where knowledge or the collected data may play a key role. Call centres are becoming a key industry sector of their own, operating independently or in association with organizations from other major industry sectors like Telecom. With the development of advanced communication technologies, Telecom companies are proliferating and are impacting the people’s lives in various ‘spheres’. Organizations in the Telecom sector are optimally using call centres as an extension of their functioning, and importantly to manage the knowledge and p rovide customers apt services. Call centres, or their contemporary successors contact centres, are the preferred and prevalent way for many companies to communicate with their customers. However, perhaps the greatest challenge of running a call centre is to ensure that the customers are provided with the right information in a timely fashion. This is where the KM comes into the picture, and aids the companies to do that exactly. Although, KM has a number of practical tools and strategies to meet this challenge but to leverage the potential of these tools organisations must understand how to implement KM especially in their call centre department. In telecom companies, knowledge in any form is indeed valuable and so managing these ‘knowledge entities’ or information are important for the success and even the survival of the organizations. Call centres could do it aptly, if a framework of best practices is formulated. These best practices could aid in the management of kn owledge or information about the company’s products as well as the about the customers. So, the aim of this report to develop a KM system or framework of best practices to support the call centre in a Telecom Company in order to improve its customer service performance and the company’s competitiveness. In that direction, this report will do a literature review on the topic of KM in a general manner, and focusing on its applications in the Telecom sector as well as in call centres. Then the report will discuss the proposal for KM in call centre, by coming up with an optimal framework of best practices. Literature review KM- A background As Tiwana (2000, p.7) states â€Å"Knowledge management enables the creation, communication, and application of knowledge of all kinds to achieve business goals.† Seiner (2000) further expands on this aspect of KM by stating, â€Å"Knowledge Management envisions getting the Right Information within the Right Context to the Right Person at the Right Time for the Right Business Purpose†. Thus, when viewed from an overall perspective, KM is a discipline that aids in the process of knowledge creation or accumulation and thereby helps the employees to access that knowledge, when there is a need. This access of knowledge can positively impact on the employees’ performance, thereby improving the service provided to the customer,

Sunday, July 28, 2019

The Description of an Application Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Description of an Application Letter - Essay Example I also have experience in excelling in use of new technologies in the field of medicine. I have enclosed my certification credentials, resume and two references to enhance your access to additional information about my qualifications. I will be very grateful if considered and promise to deliver my best if granted an opportunity to serve your organization. â€Å"The Community Cancer Center (CCC) is one of the private, bountiful, non-profit, community-owned and operated cancer treatment facilities† (Community Cancer Center) that was formed in early 1980.CCC is very unique. This is evidenced by its lack of affiliation with governmental, political, or religious organizations. It is also independent of any support from any hospital or medical organization. Additionally, it performs its roles without any support from tax dollars. All these contribute to it working entirely towards enhancing the success of the community. â€Å"The CCC is governed by a voluntary, 30-member Board of Trustees† (Community Cancer Center). Its administrative duties are carried out by an executive director who supervises a staff of 22 as well as part-time employees. Physician services are offered by 2 independently employed oncologists. CCC offers support to those who lack the potential to purchase needed medicines. It also offers nutritional as well as psychosocial counseling to those in need of the service. A van owned by the center as well as the driver employed by the center take part in transporting patients who lack the ability to access medical centers. According to Bruce Hanna who was the former president of the Community Cancer Foundation, the philosophy of the CCC is to â€Å"To give hope, when life is challenged by cancer and to care for all who need it in Douglas County† (Community Cancer Center). The job I am applying for is  located in Normal, IL 61761. It is offered by all industries, and it requires a full-time employee. The reference code for the job is 20645485.  

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Investigation of Investors in People in the UK Leisure Industry - Essay

Investigation of Investors in People in the UK Leisure Industry - Using Fitness First as a case study - Essay Example The corporation’s entire staff, clients, and vendors were affected directly or indirectly when incorporating change. Fitness First UK’s employees work hard in order that client scan recuperate from the stresses of daily life. Perhaps by implementing Investors in People, the largest health club organization, which caters to their external people (clients) can also provide cater to their internal people (employee) and reach its objective more effectively. Hence, the focus of this project was to evaluate how the Investors in People Standard, can be implemented the current policies of Fitness First UK. The Investors in People Standard, or the Standard, provides a framework for organization to follow. However, the framework is kept open and flexible so that organisations can adjust and customize to meet its needs. Based on the actions of the planning cycle, the Standard’s guidelines are to Plan, Do, and Review. It is not strictly structured in order that organizations can implement the Standard in the way that is best. This makes sense and is highly effective because each organization and its people are extremely unique. Investors in People UK list their framework: Scutt (1998) lists, â€Å"The current Director, John Layne, joined Airline Operations during 1994 and quickly identified the need to improve its business performance, customer service, and reduce costs. The Director was aware of the existence of Investors in People and saw it as the tool that would facilitate the implementation of a culture to achieve the required improvements†¦It was formally communicated throughout the function and gained very strong support from the Trade Unions. Fitness First is the largest health club operator in the UK and Europe. Having grown from a single health club, twelve years later Fitness First has 1.2 million members in fifteen countries. There are 166 Fitness First clubs in the UK, which is the focus of this case study. They

Gender Discrimination in Five Star Hotels Essay

Gender Discrimination in Five Star Hotels - Essay Example The essay "Gender Discrimination in Five Star Hotels" talks about the gender discrimination in five-star hotels and its impact on their career. Hotels are a part of the hospitality industry which is one of the oldest industries in the world. A hotel provides a temporary stay for its customers.A hotel provides a carefree atmosphere for its customers. It is a very sociable industry; its employees have a very high exposure to the customers. Looking at its contribution to the economy we can say that it is one of the most fast growing and biggest industries of the world. Almost 10% of the gross national product is due to this hotel industry. In 2005, it gave revenue of almost  £27 billion. After 2000 there was an increase of almost 4.5% in the hotel sector. In 2004, it gave almost  £11.5 billion revenue. This huge increase shows that it is one of the fastest-growing industries. In 2002, there were almost 280 000 employees in almost 40 000 establishments. London is the hub of hotel est ablishments in the UK.In recent years we can notice that the hotel sector has been growing very fast. The main reasons for this are mergers and acquisitions. Sheraton Park Tower Hotel, Marriott London Park Lane, The London Hilton on Park Lane, Intercontinental etc are all five-star hotels in the UK. There are many big names in this sector of the hospitality industry, there is almost nothing being done in case of human resource management. Employment opportunities in the hospitality profession abound all over the world.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Family Health Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Family Health Assessment - Essay Example Investing in health will lead to increase in health stock beneficial to individuals. Health deteriorates through involvement in activities such as smoking and drinking and feeding on refined food which lack roughages. This refers to the tradition and spiritual beliefs that guide in decision making. The finding unearths that religious affiliations, value-belief conflicts linked to health, special religious practices and whatever an individual perceives as significance are the pillars upon which value-health pattern is embedded. Many respondents attached seeking of medication to their spiritual beliefs as some said that they could not take drugs based on their belief. This is the metabolic pattern employed by an individual or family which unearths fluid and food consumption with respect to metabolic requirement and benchmarks local nutrients distribution and supply. This focuses on the status of teeth, hair, mucus membrane, skin and also weight and height (Gordon, 1994, p. 125). The researcher earmarked children decayed teeth based on over-feeding on sugary and refined food. Skin infection was also attached to lack of dietary amongst this family. There was a problem of weight loss based on malnutrition due to frequent refined food consumptions. This highlights the patterns of sleep, relaxation and rest. It is based on quantity and quality of energy and sleep, sleep routines as well as sleep aids employed by an individual. Many respondents basically males had lesser time to sleep and rest based on lack of work-life balance. The inadequacy and inequality of leisure hours and sleep was seen to affect males explaining massive weight loss. To females, quality and quantity sleep made them being healthier as they were not attached to more hours of work. This explains leisure, recreation and exercise patterns based on an individual hobbies and stretches to incorporate respiratory and

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Shakespeare Hamlet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Shakespeare Hamlet - Essay Example Through the characterization of Hamlet, Shakespeare is able to investigate and illustrate the nature of insanity in its various forms. In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays the character of Hamlet in a way that supports both the idea that Hamlet is insane and that Hamlet is not mad. In so doing, the author explores the duality of the single human brain, whereby the person shows the due ability of being both mentally unstable and mentally stable all at the same time. This is displayed by Hamlet as being probably very divergent in nature and complex to comprehend in Shakespeare’s understanding of insanity. Readers view Hamlet as a man of reflection rather than a man of action. The notion that Hamlet is not insane is supported by the proposal that he only exhibits insanity so that he can say and behave in the manner he wants and get away with it. In the play by Shakespeare, Hamlet is able to rebuke the marriage of his mother and uncle without getting in trouble. He has for a long time snow had a sneaky suspicion that his uncle could have indeed killed his father to inherit throne and marry his mother. In fact, he calls Polonius a tedious fool and a fishmonger but he walks scot-free. By faking insanity, Hamlet is not only able to get away with whatever he utters, but he is also able to act in cruel manner towards Ophelia. Ophelia, his girlfriend is in fact convinced beyond doubt that Hamlet has gone crazy. Hamlet is scolded by Gertrude for upsetting his uncle but Hamlet is able to evade the situation by letting his insanity as he conducts an investigation on what could have actually happened to his father. However, Hamlets ability to think and speak in a lo gical way shows that he is not really insane as portrayed throughout the play. Hamlet is as rational as everyone else when he is around his friend Horatio. In various instances throughout the play, Hamlet shows his trust in Horatio. Moreover, Hamlet acts irrationally and speaks out his opinions about

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Analyzing the equilibrium of second Language Acquisition Essay

Analyzing the equilibrium of second Language Acquisition - Essay Example (Brown, 2000) Noam Chomsky believes that "Language has been the totality of utterances that can be made in a speech community." (Chomsky, 1986) In this context, he believes that grammar occupies a very important part of this learning. He stated famously in his book Knowledge of Language: its nature, origins, and use, "It is the most elementary part of logic. It is the beginning of the analysis of the thinking process. The principles and rules of grammar are the means by which the forms of language are made to correspond to the universal forms of thought." (Chomsky, 1986) Thus, it is obvious that to learn a language it is important to learn grammar and this grammar is a learning process under a proper system at school. In another incident, he notes in his book Aspects of the Theory of Syntax that LAD or Language Acquisition Device is an important brain mechanism, though hypothetical, element of learning language. He shows that a human being easily masters language's syntactic structure, as the basic guidelines of syntax are fundamentally same among all languages. (Brown, 2000) He stated that a child could easily master the rules and structure of a language once the input is systematic under proper supervision. This mechanism of LAD refers to multiple levels of dimensions on the aspect of basic variance of language and exposure to the language to employ as second language or foreign language. With the help of this LAD mechanism Chomsky shows that the basic aspects of most languages are universal or there are many common features despite variable cultures and languages. This assumption is Universal Grammar. (Ortiz, 2003) It should be noted that to establish this assumption Chomsky uses number of mechanisms and devices such as pronoun usage, noun phrase use, parasitic gap, poverty of stimulus, projection principle, lexical category, null subject languages, binding theory, c-command and the intervention of INFL in the mode of language acquisition. He incorporates in his study the elements of r-expression, Plato's problem, X-bar theory, phrase structure rules, anaphor, I-language, D-structure and event takes on the reference of Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday experience. (Young, 2005) In general, Language is an important effective communication, which is very important in everyday life. To be comfortable with the communication skills, one need to familiar with the English language, as it is the international means of communication. In whatever area we work, English language or the second language learning is important for developing efficiency in speech. However, Brown stated, "Learning a second language is a long and complex undertaking. Your whole person is affected as you struggle to reach beyond the confines of your first language." (Brown, 2000) The common perception about learning language is that it is better suited for children and it is better for the learner to be younger than being old. In accordance to the Critical Period Hypothesis, an adult is unable to acquire a new language but extensive researches by Lamb or Kar disagree with this result. However, they agree to the fact stated by the Critical Period Hypothesis that language acquired during the first few years of the human mind is most effective. Steven Pinker who mentions in his text The Language Instinct that "acquisition of a normal language is guaranteed for children up to the age of six, is

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 89

Assignment - Essay Example Then analyzing and interpreting data by tabulating and interpreting in order to draw conclusions of the results is necessary. Finally, preparing the report of the research by including an executive summary, research methods description, discussion of the study results, limitations and concluding as well as recommendation are the required steps in the research (Sontakki, 2010). There are two types of data collection, which are primary and secondary data. In our case, the preferred method is the primary research method of data collection. Exploratory involves focus groups, case studies, customer interviews, projective techniques and ethnographies. In determining what the consumers’ needs, the best method is through exploratory research where through customer interviews and focus groups, necessary information will be obtained concerning Google in Chicago. Moreover, it is to the befit of the customers to give genuine information over the research to conduct. Using customer interviews, projective techniques and focus groups has aided in determining of SWOT analysis. Strengths include product integration, open services and products source, strong portfolio patents, and the primary products are customer and quality experience. Weaknesses include unprofitable products, one income source reliance, and patent litigations. Opportunities are mobile number users’ increment, Google fiber cables, patents obtain via acquisitions and expanding to electronics industry. Threats featured are such as unprofitable products, competition from Microsoft, mobile internet users’ increment and EU antitrust laws (Sontakki, 2010). In the Google ads and consumer needs, the basis for market research project has featured all challenges and solved in accordance to the seven steps. The groups have enabled the company to improve on some

Monday, July 22, 2019

Friedman discusses Essay Example for Free

Friedman discusses Essay There are many issues that will be bearing on everyones career. These obstacles will be there no matter what field of work you go into. According to The World is Flat, the author, Thomas Friedman, states there are numerous issues in the global business world that will be bearing on my career. Some of these issues are new technologies, off shoring or outsourcing, and education. These barriers of entry make it harder and harder each year to successfully enter the business world. These obstacles are unavoidable and must be over come in order to be successful. What I am looking forward to my career being is something in the business world. Within the business world I want to be involved in the finance sector. Hopefully something like a financial advisor or something related to that. Also, I would eventually like to open my own business. I find this to be my ideal career because I am very good with managing money, very good in math, and just interested in the whole business way of life. This is where I see myself in the future. The first issue that Friedman discusses is new technologies. New technologies can be a problem because some new technologies are replacing jobs that humans usually do. For example when new machines are made for factories, they replace the factory workers jobs. Or online shopping is replacing retailers jobs. Also the internet has made trading stocks online possible, thus taking the jobs of brokers. Some sites that are taking brokers jobs are sites like etrade.com, scottrade.com, or schwab.com that have trades for as low as five dollars. On these sights you just log on, have your credit card or debit card ready and start trading from various different types of stocks from large company stocks to slam company stocks. Back in the early 2000s, my father actually lost his job due to online trading. Have you ever called a customer service for an American company, and got an Indian man on the phone who you could not understand what he was saying. This is a result of off shoring or outsourcing. Friedman discusses off shoring or outsourcing as an additional obstacle for people entering the business world because so many companies are making their customer service, human resources, accounting, and telemarketing sectors located in different countries. By doing this many people are losing their jobs and there are fewer jobs available to workers who seek employment in those fields. However the companies that participate in outsourcing save a substantial amount of money because that pay their employees in the other countries less than they would in the U.S. Also, Friedman says that outsourcing creates jobs for people in countries that have high poverty levels. The third issue that Friedman discusses is education. This can cause problems because most jobs require some sort of college degree or higher. College now can be very expensive, and will only get more expensive. For example, Marist College alone is about 40,000 dollars per year. With the price of this school being so high makes it very tough for me to pay for it, given that I am paying for it by myself. A lot of families cannot afford such high tuitions so it is very difficult for them so send their children away to college. One solution for them is to have their children take on a heavy load of loans which will, in turn, leave them in debt right out of college. And if they cannot get a college degree then it will be much harder to get a job in the business world or many other fields of work. In the views of Thomas Friedman, through the fact that new technologies being invented, companies use outsourcing and off shoring, and companies requiring college degrees it is harder for me, along with most students, to enter my career of finance in the business sector. I worry more for future generations because there will be so many more technological advances will take away from human jobs, more companies will outsource, college will become much more expensive, and there will be many more issues to overcome. As time goes on more and more obstacles will come up, but as a society we will come up with ways to cope with those obstacles.  Overall I found that the book The World is Flat was very intriguing. It brought up very knowledgeable information about the ten forces that flatten the world. Thomas Freidman goes into great detail in each of the ten flattening forces throughout the whole book. I would recommend this book to anyone that is considering entering the business world or any other work field.

A Theme Analysis Essay Example for Free

A Theme Analysis Essay Poet Robert Lee Frost powerfully depicts a boy’s transition from adolescence to early adulthood in his poem, Birches. The poem begins in the first person point of view, luring the reader to take a close glimpse at nature, specifically birch trees bent from ice-storms and the passage of the years. After a few lines, though, Frost shifts to the second person point of view, stating , for example, â€Å"You may see their trunks arching in the woods† (Frost line17). Here, he directly addresses the reader, making the latter part of the experience of witnessing something simple and majestic like nature. It is clear that the author is making an attempt to immerse that reader’s consciousness in his musings about a part of nature, which is actually a metaphor for something more profound. In the poem, birch trees serve as a metaphor for life itself. Most literary selections discuss the weariness or relentless toiling that adults experience as they journey through life. From the outset, it may seem like the birch tree is used to symbolize a person who is advancing in years and weary from years of toiling and withstanding the elements. Upon reading the rest of the poem, however, the reader gleans that the hardships of life being depicted are that of a young boy who, in grappling with the pains and difficulties he encounters in his childhood, both as part of the natural course of events – or sexual awakening – and as wrought by external factors and events, he gains a semblance of maturity. In the poem, the boy’s sexual awakening is depicted in the line that likens the falling leaves of the birch trees to â€Å"girls on hands and knees that throw their hair†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Frost line19). The other symbolisms, like the boy who climbs the top branches of the tree and makes his way back to the ground, signifies how a youth develops his own distinct identity and molds his character by exploring all that life has to offer, whether they are part of the natural order of things, or challenges inflicted by unfortunate circumstances. The discerning reader is able to sense from the masterfully written poem that the main character – a boy – is entwined between trying to discover intimacy and enjoying isolation. All the pieces of the poem may be tied together after reading it in its entirety. The poet’s musings about how hard life can get, as symbolized by birches all bent but not broken, easily strikes a chord in the heart of a reader who has known the joys of a carefree childhood but is thrust into the challenges and vicissitudes of life. Frost alludes to the possibility that â€Å"some boy’s swinging them† (Frost line3) but immediately detracts, ascertaining that this could not have been the cause on why the trees have become permanently bent. It is midway through the poem, from the author’s own revelation, which states, â€Å"So was I once myself a swinger of birches† (Frost line42) that the reader gathers that the author was recalling his own boyhood. This was not immediately discernible, as the reader may have conjectured that the author may be relating his observation of some other boy or childhood friend. The average reader is also bound to be taken in or entranced more by the imagery depicted by the poem than to ascertaining if the author was talking from experience. In any case, some knowledge about Frost’s life proves that he was, in fact, making references to his own childhood years. Learning about Frost’s family background and upbringing sheds greater light on the many sentiments he expressed in his poem. â€Å"Frost’s parents were poor†¦ Robert was only eleven years old when his father died, leaving the family virtually penniless† (Nikita par. 3). Knowing this, the reader is ale to understand better Frost’s use of birches as a metaphor for life. The reader is able to surmise that Frost has had little time to enjoy his childhood, as life dealt a heavy blow with the death of a parent and foisted a man’s responsibilities on him. In the poem, this is expressed in the line â€Å"One by one he subdued his father’s trees† (Frost 29). Frost expresses his angst and sentiments about finding solace in nature and the countryside in the lines: â€Å"I’d like to get away from earth awhile / And then come back to it and begin over† (Frost lines49-50). This is one of the most stirring lines in the poem which a reader can easily identify with. When the author underscores birch trees as a metaphor for life which has seen ups and downs and now appears to have been weighed down by the onslaught of the years and of external elements, he presents a universal subject matter in a highly creative way. Frost employs literary devices like figures of speech, notably similes, personification to lend visual impact to his key message, successfully bringing to the reader’s consciousness all the important sentiments he wishes to convey. Frost’s brilliant poetic style is also thought-provoking. The reader is led to make inferences or interpretations when Frost, for instance, sprinkles his poem with similes, like â€Å"life is too much like a pathless wood† (Frost line45), or when he expands the idea by using personification in the lines â€Å"When your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs / Broken across it, and one eye is weeping†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Frost lines46-47). Frost’s trademark style of moving â€Å"in a smooth uninterrupted flow from an event or object, through a metaphor, to an idea† (Roberts Jacobs 1103) is indeed impeccable. Overall, Birches is a beautiful poem that offers a soothing balm to world-weary individuals who yearn to go back to their roots, especially if these roots bring them back to places and experiences that in some ways renew the spirit. Nature, a favorite subject matter of Frost, is used to present in full impact how an individual grapples with life’s difficulties that weigh him down at some point, and make him yearn to take a respite. The main character reminisces about his boyhood and carefree romp with nature, but realizes in the end that he must continue to face the responsibilities and the realities of life as any adult should. Work Cited Nikita, Rochelle. The Life and Poetry of Robert Frost. † Associated Content. 25 November 2008. 28 May 2009. http://www. oxfordtoday. ox. ac. uk/2007-08/v20n1/08. shtml. Roberts, E. , and Henry Jacobs. Literature – An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 6th ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.. , 2001.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Understanding The Political Party System Of Nigeria Politics Essay

Understanding The Political Party System Of Nigeria Politics Essay Political parties are important in any representative democracy. They gather people with similar interests, set policy-making agendas, allow for choosing new candidates for offices, and provide for coordinated electoral and legislative activity. Democratic development requires efficient and functioning parties. Since the start of the third wave of democratization in 1974, various multiparty systems have been introduced in new, restored and emerging democracies around the world (Political Parties in Conflict-Prone Societies: Encouraging Inclusive Politics and Democratic Development). The multiparty system has positive and negative aspects. The positive aspects includes: redistributing of wealth to the poor, increasing communications between groups, solving problems between parties, and giving power to weaker groups. However its negative aspects damage the processes of democracy by: preventing minorities from getting power and empowering dominant parties. The multiparty system is evide nt in Nigeria. Nigeria is a nation on the west coast of Africa. It is one of the most populous countries in the world. Its terrain varies from hot tropical forests to dry deserts. There are many ethnic groups living in different regions in Nigeria (Nigeria). The United Kingdom gained control of Nigeria in the late 1800s and the early 1900s. Nigeria was a British colony until 1960, when it gained independence. Once after independence, Nigerias political party system was chaotic (Nigeria: Place). Nigerias ethnic groups, Nigerias regions, and Nigerias religious groups affected the political party system, creating a weak and ineffective system. Nigerias Ethnic Groups The different ethnic groups in Nigeria were associated with different political parties which promoted political fragmentation. Arthur Nwankwo refers to Okwudiba Nnoli, an author who writes about the conflicts in Nigeria, about the impact of Nigerians different ethnic groups on Nigerian political party system: There is no nation in the world today, which does not strive for the attainment of full democracy, the material and spiritual empowerment of her people. However, as striving differs in the conscious realization of these ideals, many nations are still caught in the tragic dance of hypocrisy and deceit. Such nations, Nigeria being a ready example, risk the danger of total violence and the pains of collective immolation. We cannot allow this country to suffer that kind of fate of which many states are unworthy examples, which litter the pages of human civilization. To many well-meaning observers and commentators, the democratization process in Nigeria has at best been haphazard and at worst non-existent. The contradictions of our colonial past and our inability to evolve a workable political system stem from the opportunism and lack of vision of most of the post-colonial elite. Okwudiba Nnoli opines that ethnicity, more than any other factor is at the root cause of this. According to hi m, politics, during the era of the nationalist struggle for independence from colonialism, was dominated by the conflict arising from the assertion of interests other than national interest. In their inter-class struggles, the hegemonic regional factions of these privileged classes paid lip services to the desirability of national unity, and condemned ethnic particularism. For all intents and purposes these declarations were not taken seriously and were never intended to be. The same people who inveighed against ethnicity and ethnic identify simultaneously institutionalized them by making them a basis for economic participation within their regional enclaves and to a lesser extent for political participation at both the regional and national level (Okwudiba Nnoli 978: 153-154). (Political parties in Nigeria). In short, Nwankwo argues that ethnicity is the main reason why Nigerias democratization process or Nigerias political party is in chaos. It is because the Nigerian people fail to realize the larger picture. To show that the Nigerian people fail to see the whole picture, Nwankwo also mentions: The conflict arising from the assertion of interests other than national interest is the uncomfortable fact but reality all the same, that the concept of the nation as a Nigeria geographical entity and identity is a novel concept yet to take firm root in the consciousness and psyche of the average Nigerian person and institutions. Put differently, it is my view that the notion of the Nigerian nation and therefore National Interest as a concrete reality of the same meaning and importance in our country is yet to be fully realized (Political parties in Nigeria). Ethnic loyalty dominated political parties in Nigeria. Unlike many African nations, Nigeria never was under the control of a single political party system. According to dictionary.com, a single political party system is a dominant-party system where only one political party can realistically become the government. Governments have tried to force Nigerians to express their will through cross-ethnic parties or diverse parties with multiple groups in one coalition (Kesselman, Krieger, and Joseph 261-268). However, because ethnicity drives much of the political organizing in the country, political leaders have succeeded in undermining the goal of truly national parties through their appeals to ethnic identity. A cross-ethnic party is in that situation nothing more than a coalition of ethnic interests. The NPC (Nigerian peoples Congress) represented conservative, Muslim, largely Hausa interests. The NCNC (National Convention of Nigerian Citizens) was the Igbos party, and the AG (Action Gr oup) was a party that was controlled by the Yoruba (Comparative: Comparing Political Parties). According to Nwankwo, Nigerians political parties are made up of connections whose political persuasions are opposed and this also explains the high level of party indiscipline and collapse of the parties. Because of their artificiality, all the parties are experiencing cracks or fragmentation. The political class has always remained bereft of viable political ideology on which the nations political future could be anchored. This bankruptcy in ideology and vision has rescued party politics in Nigeria to a bread and butter game where monetization of the political process is the bedrock of loyalty and support. In conclusion, ethnicity creates disunity in Nigerians political party system. Nigerias Regions The different regions in Nigeria affect the political party system by creating political instability. Before Nigerias independence, there were three political parties. Each was divided based on the regions: the Northern Region, Eastern Region, and Western Region. After many years of British rule, several positive aspects were found in Nigeria. There was increased urbanization, improved communications, and trade. These aspects made the Nigerians feel United as a nation. As a result, Nigerian leaders agreed to keep the name Nigeria. They also agreed to create a democratic government based on British parliamentary government which shared national and local government power (Nigerian Independence). After independence, the three regional parties had trouble sharing power and unifying Nigeria. They tried to establish national institutions such as education to try to unify the country. Education stressed the importance of national identity and unity. They still had problems (Comparative: Comparing Political Parties). According to the authors of Introduction to Comparative Poltics, the Northern Region had the majority of Nigerian people in its territory. They wanted the most delegates. Sir Ahmadu Bello, the most powerful Fulani leader in the north, handpicked his assistant, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to be the first prime minister of Nigeria (Kesselman, Krieger, and Joseph 260-265). Following independence Nigerian unity began to disappear. First, a section of the Western Region decided to secede. In 1964, the population in the Northern Regions was larger than the two other regions. Because of this, the Northern Region had many delegates in the national legislature. The north accepted this because it was in their favor. However, the Western and Eastern Regions opposed it. Corruption among the Nigerian government leaders caused problems for regional groups (Nigerian Independence). More problems came up when Prime Minister Balewa and government leaders in the Northern and Western Regions were murdered in a coup staged by several army officers. General Aguyi-lronsi, an Igbo from the Eastern Region, declared himself the head of state (Comparative: Comparing Political Parties). Ironsis government was short, but many Nigerians blamed the Igbo people for the coup that brought Ironsi to power. In July, Northern Region officers assassinated General Ironsi (Nigerian Independence). Colonel Yakubu Gowon, a northerner, became the head of state. Colonel Ojukwu, an eastern military official, was disappointed in the instability of Nigeria. He governed the Eastern Region as a separate nation, expelling all non-easterners. In response to Colonel Ojukwus decision, Gowon infuriated eastern leaders by dividing Nigeria into twelve states without consulting them (nigeria). On May 30, 1967, Ojukwu seceded from Nigeria and declared the Eastern Region the separate country of Biafra, marking the start of the Nigerian Civil War (Nigerian Independence). After three years of fighting, Biafra finally announced the end of its secession on January 12, 1970. The war had a lasting effect on Nigerian life (Nigerian Independence). First, the blockade of Biafra had kept food from entering the war zone. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Biafran civilians died, mostly from starvation and disease. Second, Nigeria remained divided into twelve states, leaving the Igbo isolated politically (nigeria). Finally, the civil war increased the power and prestige of the military. Nigeria increased the size of its military from 10,000 in 1967 before the war, to 250,000 at its height. After the civil war, Nigeria tried to reconstruct the nation, yet political instability continued. For example, Nigerian leaders restructured the political map several times. In 1976 Nigerian military leader General Murtala Ramat Mohammed divided the country into nineteen states. Mohammed also moved the capital of Nigeria from the former colonial capital of Lagos to a new location, called Abuja, in his northern region. In 1991, the political map was again divided, this time into thirty-one states (Nigerian Independence). In conclusion, the different regions created political instability for about thirty following independence that affected the different regional party leaders. Nigerias Religious Groups The different religious groups affect the political party system by allowing for destructive behavior. Religion has been a persistent conflict in Nigeria for a long time. The two dominant religions are Islam and Christianity. Islam came from northeast Nigeria somewhere between the eleventh and twelfth centuries. It spread to the Hausa territory by the fifteenth century and greatly expanded in the early nineteenth century. In the north Islam started with coexisting with the different indigenous religions. However, it gradually converted most of them into Islam. Christianity arrived in the early nineteenth century, but expanded rapidly through missionary work in southern Nigeria. The amalgamation of northern and southern Nigeria in 1914 brought together the two religions and their belief systems. These religious cultures have consistently clashed over political issues such as the secular character of the state. The application of the sharia criminal code in the northern states has been a focal point for these tensions. For many Muslims, the sharia code represents a tradition or a way of life and supreme personal law that transcends secular and state law; for many Christians, the expansion of sharia law threatens the secular nature of the Nigerian state and their position within it. The pull of religious versus national identity becomes even stronger during economic crisis. For example, during the Babangida period, there was a rise in both Islamic fundamentalist movements and evangelical Christian fundamentalism that has continued through the present. Where significant numbers of southern Christians are living in predominantly Muslim states (for example Kaduna State), many clashes have erupted, with great loss of life and the extensive destruction of churches, mosques, and small businesses (Kesselman, Krieger, and Joseph 300-301). The Ineffective Party System and Conclusion Nigerias political system consists of many parties. The different ethnicities contribute to the disunity in Nigeria. The different regions contribute to the political instability. The different religious groups contribute to destructive behavior. The Nigerian multiparty system is ineffective because, unlike most democracy which promotes peace and freedom to its people, it creates disunity, instability, and destruction among political parties. The weaknesses of this system includes: a divided country whose people work against each other; a corrupted system where regional parties fight to dominate government; and a nation who can not think together. There are no significant strengths. Although a multiparty system is good for redistribution of wealth and power; stronger communications; and solving problems together, the multiparty system present in Nigeria would best serve no one. Instead of promoting peace like most democracies, Nigeria, consumed in violent opposition between different groups of people, opt to stay in political turmoil.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

EASTERN RELIGIONS Essay -- essays research papers

People in America today seem to be only concerned with them. They are always looking out for number one. That is a saying that has been taught to us for years. Along with another popular precept: you can't please everyone all of the time. These are just a couple of examples of how Americans are taught to be selfish. Sure, mom and dad always teach generosity to their young children, but in this society, those lessons diminish with age. We learn that life isn't always fair and people don't always have to share if they don't want to. In this so-called free country, the rich get everything and the poor get nothing. This type of environment has caused a rat race among the people. He who has the most wins. In America it is for the most money, but there are many other people in the world who might disagree. What would they want the most of? you ask. Well, that depends on whom you ask. When you take a trip half way around the world, the values are totally different. The Eastern religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, to name a few, practice very different beliefs. They are more centered on love thy neighbor than the Christian Religion. This is not to say that Christians are wrong or act wrongfully, it just says that the difference in beliefs generates a significant difference in society. Here in America, our society claims we should love thy neighbor, but it tends to depend on who the neighbor is. We want our neighbors to be just like us. If they are not, then it becomes more difficult to show compassion. The Eastern religions practice compassion for all people, no matter who or what they are. In America, compassion is scarce. It's predominant in families and in small towns, but in the larger cities, it is hard to see if it exists at all. A movie has been made illustrating this point. It is called "Falling Down". It is about a man who has come to the end of his rope. He is tired of the way society has treated him, and he begins to fight back. He thinks he is doing the right thing, but he finally comes to realize that to do the right thing you can't think only of yourself. The movie opens with a traffic jam; the man's license plate reads: "D-Fens": This becomes his name since his real name is never told. It takes place in Los Angeles on a very hot day. This traffic jam is significant be... ...ear. However, when Rand feels all the creativity is lost when you give up the self, I feel she was wrong. I don't think the Eastern Religions intended for that at all. They still feel you should be educated and express yourself just not with trivial knowledge that encourages you to think of yourself as better than others. I know that is the case with Taoism. I agree with this religion in certain areas. For instance, in the movie "Falling Down", D-fens definitely tried too hard for what he wanted and therefore he failed. But I feel there are things you do have to try your hardest for. If you want to succeed at school, for example, you have to work; you can't just sit back and hope nature's course gives you an A. I suppose that's where the eastern religions would come in and say that I must be wanting the wrong things. But I know that in this society, in this time, and in this life, I want to be happy. How that will be achieved, I'm still unsure. Some people require many possessions and money to be happy. Others believe happiness can only be achieved when possessions are given up. The world is very different in its beliefs. As I said before, it all depends on whom you ask.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Suffering :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In many places throughout the world and almost every person on the planet people go through or witness suffering and death everyday. I have experience and lived through suffering. Many people have different explanations for the reason of these terrible things but could this happen to benefit us. Martin Luther king say’s suffering is creative and redemptive but not in the original meanings we think.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The meaning I associate with suffering is an uncomfortable state for an amount of time. This is not the text book definition the real definition is To feel pain or distress; sustain loss, injury, harm, or punishment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In many things I have witnessed is my Great-grand mother dying. However she was very old naturally it was and is very hard. How ever I believe the creative aspect must have been when she was dying and repeatedly told me about the miraculous hills and flowers. I believe the hardest thing about accepting and fearing your own death is the lack of knowledge of the after life and I believe because she gave me this wonderful description it wont be as hard for me to accept her death along with other peoples and my own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another type creative suffering I have see is with in my friends family. His father suffers from a self inflicted disease called alcoholism. I believe because of his higher percentage to become and alcoholic himself by seeing such a hard suffering could teach him not to do it and maybe even help his offspring by informing them. This is another way I believe this suffering of one person can help so many others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Overall the term of death that strikes me the most the come about Jesus’ death is the fact that Jesus was ransom for all of us and he didn’t care he willingly was a sacrifice for us and all of our sins and this is surely a creative death. He was here to help us and release us of our sins. With out him It is possible we could not be here today. This is how it connects to human nature but his sacrifice is his life which is not of a normal person he is special.