Terrorism vs. Revolutionary

Terrorists and revolutionaries are on two sides of a wide, prominent schism. While both a terrorist and a revolutionary wish to create pivotal change, terrorists use violence nondescriptly to influence those around them, whereas revolutionaries value the process of achieving their goal as well as the goal itself. Terrorism is a word that seems to permeate modern media. Not a day goes by that the average American hears of the activities of a terrorist group halfway around the world. It’s easily observed that we dislike terrorists.In the context of American politics, we don’t dislike them so strongly just for their push for religious conservatism, but rather for their violent and random attacks against innocent civilians. They are radically hateful toward their ideological enemies. Which is not a relatively uncommon concept – however, terrorism has the word ‘terror’ at its core for a reason. A terrorist like Osama bin Laden, for whatever motive, wishes to affect the world politically by terrifying people into some sort of action.In the field of political science, this is the definition, and historically it has been used the same way. Terrorists don’t care how many people are injured by their actions. If anything, they encourage it, because that will attract more attention to their cause. And change does occur, too. For example, in pre-9/11 days, there was little security in airports. Now citizens have to submit to government agencies like the TSA searching them for harmful non-regulation items – everything from guns to medium-sized bottles of shampoo.Unlike revolutionaries, there are even different sub-groups of terrorism. Eco-terrorism, a new term come to light, describes someone with environmentalist motives using violent actions to urge the government to be environmentally friendly. Such instances include threats to blow up bridges or dams that cause damage to nearby ecosystems. Environmentalist and eco-friendly views are not out of the ordinary – but threatening to explode a bridge certainly is. Terrorists are otherwise referred to as extremists, because their methods of inciting change are very extreme indeed.News stories of terrorists usually involve attempted harm to civilians through bombs and explosives, whether through the mail, or underneath cars, or within an airplane thousands of feet into the atmosphere. If anyone else wanted to change politics in the US, a responsible citizen might pass around a petition – but not a terrorist. The only want to change the world in ways that harm others and cause needless violence. Revolutionaries, on the other hand, do not believe that the ends justify the means. Thinking of revolutionary figures, people like Isaac Newton, or Ralph W.Emerson come to mind. These are people who desired to change their world and did so – creating pivotal alterations and thereby becoming immortal in their various fields. They aren’t called terrorists because they didn’t behave like terrorists. Their effect on the world was done peaceably and with no violent intent whatsoever. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. is seen as a potent revolutionary in civil rights. In an effort to dispel the injustice he saw toward his people in America, he held famous demonstrations throughout the south.These demonstrations are mot famous because they were violent or destructive; on the contrary, King put an emphasis on non-violent civil protest. He was a revolutionary anti-segregation figure, and not a terrorist, because he did not use extreme and violent methods to get his views across. In conclusion, although both revolutionary figures and terrorist have high ambition to change current policy and perception; however, terrorists use violent and injurious ways to get attention whereas revolutionaries have peaceful means to acquire a goal.

“Kindred” by Octavia Butler -Analysis Essay

There are various connections that can be made between the characters within the novel â€Å"Kindred† written by Octavia Butler. The majority of these connections relate to four of the course themes we’ve visited in past few weeks: double consciousness, collective trauma, diaspora, and power relationships. The protagonist, Dana Franklin, traveled between the past and present and in her travels she met a variety of different people, including the enslaved African Americans and their White owners of the 19th century, as well as her ancestors, one in particular is the cause of her time travel. Alice Greenwood and Rufus Weylin both had a peculiar relationship with Dana, as well as with each other. The ties that Dana shared with Alice exemplified the themes of double consciousness and collective trauma, and the ties shared between Dana and Rufus demonstrated the themes of diaspora and power relationships. Alice and Dana had a sisterly relationship, as some of the other characters had commented, Sarah once told Dana after Alice’s passing, â€Å"You and her was like sisters†¦ You sure fought like sisters, always fussin’ at each other, stompin’ away from each other, comin’ back.† Although a brief description, this is a very accurate summary of their relationship. Their double consciousness was first realized when Rufus had pointed out that they were both â€Å"one and the same†, this meaning that they were two halves of the same person. Not only did they look alike, but the line between their roles in the Weylin household were heavily blurred. Alice was the â€Å"love† interest of Rufus while she was alive, although her only use to him was to either sexually abuse her or use her as his personal punching bag. She had once told Dana that whenever she’s around, the mental and physical abuse isn’t as bad as it regularly is. On the other hand, Dana has an immense amount of freedom in comparison to Alice, even to the other slaves. Due to the unspoken set of rules that Dana and Rufus share, he doesn’t try to pursue any sexual relationship with her until the end of the book. As Dana had once said, â€Å"I could accept him as my ancestor, younger brother, friend, but not as my master, and not as my lover.† Alice is openly  spiteful towards Dana because of this, but it is also obvious that the reason why she always comes back to Dana is because, like a sibling, she is used as an outlet for her pain, fear, and hate, and knowing that she could have done more to lesson Alice’s suffering, Dana allows puts her feelings aside and accepts the onslaught of abuse. Both of their relationships with Rufus also lead to their collective trauma as they are both abused by him, and, in different ways, he takes something from them that leave them unwhole. For Alice, he not only rips her freedom from out under her, but he also â€Å"sells† their children, which were the only reasons that she had stayed on the plantation for so long. For Dana, he too took her freedom and the power that she once held over him had vanished completely, but it’s possible that he is also the reason that she there was a short stump in the place of her arm. The relationship that was shared between Dana and Rufus was the most complex relationship of them all. A list of unspoken rules shared between the two had been the foundation of their relationship, as they had both known that one could not live without the other, that if either one of them died, the other is just as good as dead as well. Ever since Dana had first saved Rufus from drowning in the river, she had attempted to instill some morals into the young boy in hopes that he wouldn’t be as corrupt as his father or the other slave owners, as she knew that that was what he would soon become. Although, with each time that she returns to save the boy’s life, he grows older, and he becomes more mature as well as stubborn, not as easily goaded into doing nice things for the slaves, like setting most of them free, or not selling any of them as his father does. Eventually, the reigns of power are no longer held by Dana, and the influence of the 19th century has finally rubbe d off on Rufus for the worse. No longer small and feeble, Rufus has Dana sent to work in the fields, has her whipped, hits her multiple times, and eventually held the barrel of a rifle to her head, though the line is completely crossed when Rufus tries to have sex with Dana, which she responds to with the thrust of a sharp blade in his side. Twice. The scale of power begins tipped towards Dana, then towards Rufus, then for another brief moment back to Dana. Their relationship is also, in a way, diasporic, as Dana is constantly out of  place in the 19th century throughout the entire book. She brings back with her the knowledge of the future, though sparse, as well as new medicines, devices, and ideas, though because of her skin color she is seen as no more than either a â€Å"smart nigger† to the white folks and a â€Å"white nigger† to the blacks; nothing more than a nigger. Even though she wasn’t accepted by most of the other slaves and the whites who held power over her, Rufus, still needed her in many different ways and was very clingy at times, even as he gave his last long and shuddering sigh, he simply could not let go of Dana, both literally and physically, as his hand still grasped her arm in the afterlife. When Dana arrives from the past for the last time, she discovers -excruciatingly painfully- that her arm had somehow meshed and conjoined with the wall of her living room. The exact spot where Rufus had held her in his final moments marked the loss of her arm, â€Å"from the elbow to the ends of the fingers,† It is unknown whether or not Dana’s arm is left in the past, still held between the cold fingers of the dead, as Rufus’ body was believed to be burned to ashes and never found, along with the Weylin estate. Dana’s graphic physical loss shows what slavery truly is outside of popular novels, history books, and dramatized television where the actors practice the pain and suffering that their ancestors dealt with. The loss of her arm shows many different things, like how even though African Americans today have been removed from slavery over time, who they are today was planted and rooted in the past. Also, slaves had constantly suffered from both emotion al and physical abuse at the hands of their owners, yet they were extremely dependent of their owners. Dana is subjected to horrific pain at the hand of Rufus, yet she still feels pity for him when he comes crawling back to her, as he is both her master and her kin-dred, so she alternates between despising him and feeling empathetic towards him. Lastly, Dana’s severed arm is a horrible loss, and it is meant to capture the horror of slavery. It is also significant that she suffers her injury because Rufus hangs on to her. Like Rufus holding onto Dana, the past has a â€Å"hold† on the present, the sacrifices of the past shape the present today. Dana loses an arm which is an important body part, especially for a writer, although she escapes with her life. The slaves of the past had sacrificed skin, bone, and sanity, yet  a lot of them escaped, albeit scarred. Dana’s horrific injury makes all of the sacrifices slaves made painfully real in order to make lives better for generations to come. Part of her lies in the past, and so does part of todays’ generation. In conclusion, the strange relationships that Dana had formed with her ancestors, Alice and Rufus, had in some ways, led to the loss of her arm. Her entire existence was dependent on the two of them having her great grandmother Hagar, and although Alice may have survived without Dana’s influence, Rufus was definitely dependent on Dana as well. Octavia Butler had wanted readers to take with them the reality of how we ar e still deeply rooted within slavery and it still has an affect on us today, even though it had ended over 140 years ago. As Dana had witnessed first hand, slavery has never been a free occurrence, anyone who was apart of it in any way never came out of it as they once were before; they never escaped slavery whole again, but as less of the person than they were before.

Seminar in Criminology- classmate response 12 Essay

Seminar in Criminology- classmate response 12 - Essay Example The grouping of inmates according to their age, background and chances of being more violent was also seen to improve the situation according to the study results given by Fuller and Orsagh (Wooldredge & Thistlethwaite, 2014). Based on the recommendations that Maurice provides in his discussion, it is evident that they can easily be implemented even on a low-budget. Nonetheless, Maurice also says that re-organizing the prison populations would also be helpful in eliminating the cases of prisoners who get assaulted, whether it is based on age or a person’s race. Lastly, Maurice has not only discussed some of the most useful things that the prison staff could do to reduce cases of assault, but he has also organized his work in neat paragraphs. In addition, his sentences are well spaced and there is no paragraph that has inconsistently spaced paragraphs. The discussion is also not too lengthy, which makes the reading of each paragraph easy. Maurice also persuades the reader that more supervision in prisons is important when he uses illustrations that are simple. For example, he says that getting prisons to have more supervisors in each floor is not possible since the economy today is not too

The different kinds of Technology being used in business Research Paper

The different kinds of Technology being used in business - Research Paper Example This is the reason, majority of companies are ready to spend huge amount of their capital on R&D (research and development). Technology and the Internet have had a profound effect on service marketing (Bitner, Brown & Mueter 2000). In an increasingly networked world information of varying quality is being aggregated for business use. Senior managements course of action is clear: (a) view; (b) manage and (c) deliver information as a competitive weapon. Information technology (IT) change is all-pervasive or ubiquitous. Consequently it is important that employers engage in change process in thoughtful ways–respecting and holding to ideas and practices of the past that have enduring value while also attending to emerging ideas and necessary changes in practice. The changes now experienced are no one-time affair. All business organizations must expect accelerating change and continuing efforts for renewal. Gildea (2005) explained that it is not getting people to learn C++ but trying to figure out how to do things all the time and differently. As another example of the technology-attachment linkage customers buying online often rely on a limited set of mediated channels that regularly lack the actual interactivity needed to effectively make purchases and address customer service questions. Similarly employees considered traditional office staff or more virtual workers rely extensively on various mediated channels that may do more to provide information overload than actually facilitate meaningful connections with other aspects of the organization. (Wolff, 2005, 29) Today the Internet is used for a wide variety of purposes including email surfing the World Wide Web chatting in chat rooms doing research and retrieving information games gossip and more. The impact of the Internet appears to be widespread with a large number of companies striving toward an e-business (i.e. business conducted over the

E-shopping and Saudi Consumer Decision Research Proposal

E-shopping and Saudi Consumer Decision - Research Proposal Example There has been an interesting impact on the Saudi consumer decision in purchasing behavior of the e-shopping facilities. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the changes in the purchasing behavior of Saudi consumer due to the e-shopping facilities. The goal of the paper is to discover the different types of changes in the Saudi consumer purchase decisions. In the Saudi countries, in the last 10 years, there has been a large increase in the use of ATM cards and plastic money. More than 90 % of the total consumer payments in the USA are done with the use of debit cards, credit cards, cash cards and ATM cards. Saudi countries are now not so much different from the USA as they are following similar trends. Electronic payment systems and the advent of e-shopping have enabled the consumers to make payments through the internet and make purchases online rather than physically visiting a store. Saudi Arabia is the center of Islamic world and generates major revenues from the export of crude oil and oil related products. Per capita income of the country in 2009 has been 18, 855 US$. A significant portion of the total population is comprised of foreign expatriates and workers. ... Saudi Arabia is the center of the Islamic world since many years and is the largest Arab economy. The taxation rates in the country are very low which encourages many multinationals to locate their offices in the Saudi land. The population mainly comprises of youth with high per capita income. Saudi is also the largest IT center in the region. Research Problems and Questions The problems that will be faced in the research are that the Saudi culture does not allow the women to participate in these types of activities. In Saudi society, the males are the dominant individuals of the family who make most of the purchasing decisions for the family. The women are also involved in the purchasing decision but are limited to household items such as appliances, clothes of children and furniture. Daily usage items and household consumables are also purchased by the women. The culture is also a hindrance for the researchers to reach the women in the households. These are the women who make most of the orders for products online using e-shopping facilities. The questions will not ask about the family details of the individuals as this is not entertained in the Saudi world. 75% of the population is not using the internet, therefore only the 25% using the internet is the choice for the researchers. In the internet using population, only the males would be available for research questions as the society does not line if women answer their personal questions to the researchers. One of the other major problems in the research process is unavailability of historic data. There is no historic data for the consumers' shopping as it has never been recorded. Hence there will be no base to make the comparisons. Most of the research questions are

Administrative Challenges Employers can expect with Current Health Research Paper

Administrative Challenges Employers can expect with Current Health Exchanges - Research Paper Example Heath exchanges are significantly important despite the cost and implementation challenges. Despite the positive contributions of the health exchange, employers face administrative challenges including training needs for employees, cost control challenges, compliance complexity and procedural difficulties. Employers need to train their employees on how to use the health exchange marketplace to suit the health insurance needs of their families, including how to use the price calculator to determine the amount of subsidies (HealthCare.gov, 2015). Employers also expect cost control challenges because the healthcare exchange will require them to provide medical benefits and attempt to reduce the cost burden associated with the current health exchange (Kingsdale & Bertko, 2015).Complying with the health exchange is also complex for employers because they need to monitor their health insurance plan to ensure that they achieve compliance with minimum standards of the health exchange (Pauly and Herring, 2007). The procedure for obtaining coverage for several employees through the health exchange marketplace is also challenging because it takes time and may be costly. Employers can, therefore, expect several challenges with the current health exchange including training needs for employees, cost control challenges, compliance complexity, and procedural difficulties. These challenges are experienced because the health exchange brings new methods of complying with insurance requirements for employees. The implementation of the Affordable Care Act continues to burden the administration of employees’ processes for a greater part of employers. In fact, the likelihood of the Supreme Court to uphold a ruling by a lower court opposing the legitimacy of the federal marketplaces is taking the place of state managed. According to Sally Doubet King and James McEllgot, who have a partnership at McGuire Woods LLP,

Fiji's relative global economic development Essay

Fiji's relative global economic development - Essay Example Till the 1980s, the descendants of Indian laborers that the British had brought on the islands dominated the country. Since 1987, the islands have faced a number of military coups that have disrupted attempts to form a democracy. The 1990 constitution of Fiji strengthened the powers of the native Melanesian community over the political scenario although an amendment in 1997 gave equal powers to the Indians and the natives. However, political turmoil has continued in the islands resulting in disturbances in the economic activities of the population and trade relations with the rest of the world (CIA). Fiji had an estimated population of 918,675 in 2007, of which 30.9 percent is below 15 years of age, 64.7 percent between 15 and 64 years and 4.4 percent above 64 years (CIA). 54.8 percent of the population are native Fijians, mostly Melanesian and Polynesian mix, 37.4 percent Indians and the remaining 7.9 percent others comprising of Europeans, other Pacific islanders and Chinese. About 92 percent of the Fijian population is literate (Bank of Hawaii, 1998). Fiji is richly endowed with natural resources, with forest, fish and mineral assets and is among the most developed among the Pacific Ocean islands. Yet, the economy of Fiji is still dependent on revenues from sugar export, tourism and remittances from Fijians abroad. 8.9 percent of Fiji's GDP of $2.033 billion in 2007 was accounted for by agriculture, 13.5 percent by industry and 77.6 percent by services, mostly tourism. One third of Fiji's industrial activity is related to sugar but processing of sugar is inefficient. Fiji exports most of the sugar output to Europe and may be hit by proposed subsidy cuts on sugar by the European Union. Tourism has also been affected by the repeated coups in the country. The Reserve Bank of Fiji anticipated a contraction of the economy by 3.1 percent in 2007-08 (CIA) and a runaway current account deficit, which was 23 percent of GDP in 2006. Relative Economic Development and Concerns Fiji ranks 92nd in the Human Development Index (HDI) and in terms of per capita Gross Domestic Product at Purchasing Power Parity, with $6,049 and 108th in terms of life expectancy at birth, which is 68 years (HDR). In 1998, Fiji ranked top of the World Bank's list of lower-middle income group countries and was in the same category as Latvia, Peru, Lebanon and Costa Rica (Bank of Hawaii, 1998). However, political instability and lack of industrial activity have resulted in some contraction of the economy since then. Fiji is a small country, slightly smaller than New Jersey. The economy is also far smaller than the United States. The per capita GDP at official rates in Fiji in 2007 was $4,100, less than one-tenth of what it was in the US, at $46,000. Life expectancy at birth in Fiji, at 68 years, was also lower than in the US, 78 years. Population below the poverty line in Fiji in the last estimated year, 1990-91 was 25.5 percent and the unemployment rate was 7.6 percent. On the other hand, only 12.4 percent of the population in the US was below the poverty line in 2004 and the unemployment rate in 2007 was 4.6 percent. Fiji exports primary products, mostly agricultural to the US and Europe, and imports manufactured commodities. The major concern for the Fijian economy is the political uncertainty that the islands have been facing over the last two decades. This has resulted in

How pedagogical principles could be applied to information systems Coursework

How pedagogical principles could be applied to information systems likes Intranet in organizations - Coursework Example Focusing on this aspect, the essay describes about how pedagogical principles can be applied in information system such as intranet in organisations for better management of information and learning. Pedagogical Principles Pedagogical principles are effective tool for information management and learning which can demonstrate the aspects to be educated. They are pragmatic and can produce rich set of real-world and instructional experiences which can be further used in organisations for solving practical problems. Pedagogical principles are functional proposition of training and knowledge development. These principles simplify the procedure of devising instructive strategies which in turn determine how people experience, involve and react to the informative components. Ideally, pedagogical principles are first expressed in general terms and afterwards with respect to specific actual learning environment (Anderson & McCormick, 2011). The applicability of pedagogical principles have alwa ys considered as interesting topic from the viewpoint of information system. Pedagogical principles are influenced by national, cultural and circumstantial situations. During innovation process, pedagogical principles are developed and applied according to experiences. The implementation of pedagogical principles occurs by perception of regular viability and the influence of market, competitive environment and collective development such as information system (Anderson & McCormick, 2011). There are several pedagogical principles and some of the important principles are as follows. Involvement of learners: Pedagogy must involve the learners and motivate them. This involvement must be evident of being educational, i.e. having educational objectives and inspiring. In other words, learners’ involvement must be pleasurable that would make them to continue to use information system (Anderson & McCormick, 2011). Effective learning: Another vital pedagogical principle is related with effective learning which can be demonstrated by the utilisation of different approaches, allowing learners to extend the knowledge or by providing genuine learning prospects, allowing them to understand multiple perspectives on a single subject among others (Anderson & McCormick, 2011). Summative evaluation: Summative evaluation is also an important pedagogic principle which is used for understanding work or educational opportunities. It helps to understand the criteria that are required to be developed for accomplishing better performance (Anderson & McCormick, 2011). Simplicity: According to pedagogical principle, learning must be simple, i.e. effective learning should be open, accessible, intuitive and must not necessitate guidance for utilisation. Inclusion: Pedagogy must support inclusive activities with respect to diverse types s of job accomplishments and within different social or cultural groups (Anderson & McCormick, 2011). Information System in Organisations Information system is the term which is commonly used in various fields including business with different purposes. It play vital role in organisations to utilise knowledge and to accomplish strategic organisational objectives. Organisations generally spend considerable amount of money in order to successfully integrate information syst

Knowledge Managemenet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Knowledge Managemenet - Essay Example The essay will further analyse the function and role of learning organisation. Further, the cases of various real-life learning organisation would be discussed along with the probable challenges, so as to recommend how an organisation can transform into a learning organisation. Peter Senge and his fifth disciple for learning organisations The concept of learning organisation has been coined by Peter Senge and his associates. It assist organisation to shift towards an interconnected mode of thinking. According to this concept, the organisations should be like communities, towards which employees are committed. There should be a drive to work harder and achieve recognition within the employees. Organisation cannot be drastically restructured into learning organisations, but it is the changes in policies that bring about a gradual transformation (Senge, 1990). Peter Senge has stated in an interview that in learning organisations people work in group to attain group goals and enhance the capabilities of the organisation. He popularised this concept through his book called The Fifth Disciple (Infed., 2013a, 2013b). Figure 1: The Fifth Discipline Source: (Author’s Creation) There are certain characteristics that a learning organisation must possess. Firstly, system thinking must exist in an organisation. This framework assists employees to understand businesses as bounded objects. System thinking encourages every characteristics or information in an organisation to be apparent, so that goals can be achieved transparently. Secondly, personal mastery that is the commitment of individuals towards their work is important. Staff training Individual learning and development is a competitive advantage for the firm. Thirdly, the mental modes, which are the assumption of the individuals, decide what perception the employees have for the organisation (Senge, 1990). Fourthly, there must be shared vision in the organisation to motivate the employees for attaining group go als. Last but not the least, an environment of team learning is necessary that will increase the capacity to solve problems faster in an organisation (Infed., 2013a, 2013b). Challenges to Transform into a Learning Organisation It has been stated in the book called The Dance of Change that there are various reasons as to why an organisation might face trouble in transforming into a learning organisation. The first issue might be that the organisation lacks enough time. The management and the employees in the organisation have other significant issues to ponder over than trying to bring about a change in the organisational culture. It might happen that the employees or teams cannot spare time for training and change management process within the organisation (Senge et. al., 1999). The organisation might not be having appropriate expertise workforce to transform the work place into a learning organisation (Senge, 1990). In such case an appropriate solution, mentors and training program mes are required. Time is the most significant element that is required because a comprehensive discussion on the actual issues should be done, problems should be discussed and training programmes should be linked in order to make the transformation process easier. However, challenges like convincing older employees for training and learning processes and co-ordinating human resource, operations and resources give rise to

The Coca-Cola Company Financial Results Analysis Research Paper

The Coca-Cola Company Financial Results Analysis - Research Paper Example There are various interesting issues about the North American market for The Coca-Cola Company in terms of its volume growth or declines for the period. For instance, in the second quarter of 2012, there was a volume growth of 4% at the global level. In the same aspect, in the quarter it turned to 5% in accordance with the year-to-date ratings. Therefore, this suggests that there was a growth of volume by 1% for North America in the succeeding quarter and year-to-date affecting even the international volume that leapt to 5%. Alternatively, in the following second quarter, there was a growth of 3% of net revenues with another 7% of net revenues in the comparable currency (Onkvisit, 2004). This means there were significant growths in the quarters and the net revenues of comparable currency. There was also the operating income standing at 7% with the net revenue of 6%. However, the met revenues have a possibility of decline if there are no checks in the growth of the operating income. It is also essential to note there are varying drivers of profitability during the quarter at The Coca Cola Company. This has also led to, interesting long-term, impact in terms of profits and eventual success. For example, there is the maximization of returns through close monitoring of profits and minimization of losses. In the prospect of maximization of returns, the company ensures that it gives its shareholders a large portion of their volume sales. (Hannaford, 2007). Alternatively, another driving factor is marketing in the context of distribution and donation of both macro and micro profits. In distribution channels, there is the direct and indirect selling type that gives the beverage company an edge of its competitors such as Pepsi and Nestle among others. Therefore, the long term effect of these profits is expansion and increased production in new markets across the world. The Earning per Share results for the quarter in comparison to historic results and long-term growth t argets have interesting information. For instance, in the third quarter, the EPS was a headwind of 5% with comparable net revenue of 7%. This eventually deflated to $ 0.50% in the same third quarter from net revenue of 4%. Similarly, there is also the comparable EPS that stands at 2% from the normal $0.51 in the year-to-date financial analysis (Rich et al 2009). However, if compared to the historic results and the long-term targets, there are various disparities. The historic results posted an EPS of $1.65 from comparable net revenue of 2% and 5% respectively in the third quarter. This means that there will be an increase of volume growth in the context of net revenue and comparable operating income. Furthermore, it would also reflect on the currency neutral of net revenues that affect the financial analysis of Earning per Share. The Coca Cola Company has made tremendous achievements of growth leading to acquisition of other feasible emerging markets. On that account, the emerging m arkets include Thailand, South Africa, India and China that have displayed a notable consumption of the company’s products (Pacek & Thorniley, 2007). This has led the beverage company to make heavy investments in terms of marketing expansion and distribution network. Similarly, there will be an establishment of new bottling plants that generate profits to equal to the net value of the company. Alternatively, the Coca Cola Compa

The Importance of Mathematics to Everyday Life Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Mathematics to Everyday Life Essay Even though Mathematics undoubtedly has universal applications to life and is an essential tool in science, technology, economics, business, commerce and of course in computer design and functioning there is a general tendency for people to shy away from it for various reasons-some feel it is too difficult while others do not see its practical connection to everyday life. Consequently, we find just a small number of people who pursue this fascinating subject and the end result is that there is always only a small core of brilliant or good mathematicians which helps to reinforce the perception that this area of study is only reserved for an elitist few. Mathematician T. Rogers in one of his lectures notes: â€Å"The percentage of the world’s population, or even of the world’s university-educated population, who could accurately state a single mathematical theorem proved in the last fifty years is small, and smaller still if Fermat’s last theorem is excluded. If you ask a mathematician to explain what he or she works on, you will usually be met with a sheepish grin and told that it is not possible to do so in a short time. If you ask whether this mysteriously complicated work has practical applications (and we all get asked this from time to time), then there are various typical responses, none of them immediately impressive.† But maybe this perception is bolstered by the manner in which mathematics is taught and that is, it is done in too much of an abstraction and perhaps if our teachers could help students to see how these â€Å"abstract concepts† are related or could be applied to real and practical situations then probably this perception could be dispelled or reduced. In short if could successfully convince the young minds of the importance of mathematics to life. Students of the natural sciences quickly realise the importance of mathematics because the areas of study integrally connected and so they grasp its practical importance, unlike their colleagues in the fields of the arts and social sciences. However, to achieve this objective, teachers of mathematics need not only to be good mathematicians but must also possess good pedagogical skills as well because teaching this subject is a special task and not like many of the other subjects in the school curriculum. Mathematics educators Deborah Loewenberg Ball, Heather C. Hill, and Hyman notes Bass: â€Å"Knowing mathematics for teaching demands a kind of depth and detail that goes well beyond what is needed to carry out the algorithm reliably.† In Guyana performance by students in mathematics at examinations has been of concern by educators because it has not been up to scratch even though in recent years it has been improving appreciably. On this score the recent emergency training for mathematics teachers conducted by the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) is a wise step and this should be carried on a continuous basis so as to help mathematics teachers keep abreast with new innovations and methodologies of teaching the subject. This is part of the institution’s response to the poor performance at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) tests. The training, a one week workshop, involving teachers from across the regions, is the second in a series of five, with the next scheduled for February, 2010. Mathematics Workshop, stated that the aim of the undertaking is to have teachers upgraded with the expectation that they will pass along their knowledge to the students. â€Å"The teachers are from schools where students obtained 10 per cent or less in the CSEC examinations. If we can raise the skills of the teachers who are delivering the curriculum, we can raise the performance of the students at the CSEC exams,† he said. Mr. McKenzie explained that the methodology used for the upgrading process will see the facilitators taking the teachers through exercises that would be worked in class so that the teachers can be introduced to new strategies of delivering material. He is correct and this is the path training courses for our teachers need to take. They have to get to get down to the â€Å"nitty gritty† of the situation and design training programmes to deal with the realities of the classrooms and not some fanciful theory or theories which is set in a foreign location and is therefore is totally divorced from the local realities.

Financial History of the American Airlines

Financial History of the American Airlines American Airways was incorporated in 1930, becoming American Airlines in 1934. Operating as a passenger and cargo carrier, they also offer freight and mail services. With 9 hubs functioning throughout the country, they average around $522 million a month. In 1939, they began trading stock on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol AAL. (Yahoo Finance, November 2013) American Airlines began trading stock publicly on December 9, 2013. In 1970, American Airlines gained its first Caribbean routes, merging with Trans Caribbean Airways. The agreements of the merger were that American Airlines would aid Trans Caribbean in obtaining a total of $10 million in financing. Also, for 100 shares of Trans Caribbean, American Airlines exchanged 17Â  shares. This merger would make for airlines first merger under its current name. (NY Times Archives, 1970.) January 10, 2001, it became public that American Airlines had acquired bankrupt Trans World Airlines (TWA) for $4.2 billion. This transaction made American Airlines the worlds largest airline carrier. American acquired all of TWAs assets, as well as saved the jobs of thousands of TWAs employees by integrating them into their family. (Biz Journals, 2001) In 2003, talks of possible bankruptcy arose for American. Labor unions eventually approved economizing contracts to avoid the bankruptcy, in which employees agreed to accept intense pay cuts in attempts to save the airline. Joy came in 2007, when American reported an annual profit of $231 million for fiscal 2006, its first reporting since around 2000. But, the glory didnt last long, as shareholders announced at their annual meeting that due to soaring jet fuel costs, they would have to lay off thousands of workers, park at least 85 aircraft, cut domestic capacity by 25%, and increase baggage fees and other service offered to customers. An official bankruptcy protection was filed November 29, 2011, after the airline reported a net loss of $471 billion, bringing their total losses to exceed $10 billion since 2001. American had acquired $29.6 billion in debt. Required to run all their future financial decisions across a judges desk, they were permitted to purchase fuel, pay for labor, and other expenditures, to maintain business. In July 2011, they received approval to place the largest plane order in history, buying 460 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, replacing older planes. The newer models would cut down on fuel and maintenance costs. (Yahoo Finance, 2011) The year of 2012 introduced talks of a merger with US Airways. Agreements were made to exchange financial information so that the companies can research the potential merger. The merger eventually passed February 2013, officially announced on the 14th day of the month, thus the creation of the worlds biggest airline. (Yahoo Finance, 2013) As of December 31, 2015, American Airlines gross profit was approximately $29 billion, with a net operating income of $6.2 billion and a net income of $7.6 billion, all driven by lower fuel costs, American could benefit from the decline on fuel prices. (2015 Form 10-K, AA.com) References American Airlines Investor Information, 2015 Form 10-K. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=117098p=irol-reportsannual History of American Airlines. https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-service/about-us/history-of-american-airlines.jsp A timeline of events in American Airlines history, November 12, 2013. The Associated Press. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/timeline-events-american-airlines-history-011902886.html American Airlines acquires TWA. December 23, 2001. Biz Journals. http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2001/12/24/focus3.html Koenig, David. November 29, 2011. American Airlines files for bankruptcy protection. https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-airlines-files-bankruptcy-protection-121438848.html

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory: A Qualitative Study

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory: A Qualitative Study From the time of conception until death, humans undergo incessant changes. One would experience biological, psychological and cognitive changes as one progresses in life. It leads to a change in the way one thinks and behaves. Development is the systematic change that takes place in an individual over the course of life (Shaffer and Kipp 2009: 2). The development of a human being is influenced by factors of nature and nurture. Based on these factors, various psychologists have proposed theories pertaining to human development. Particularly, psychologists have been interested in how one’s personality develops; whether personality is inherent or whether it is shaped by one’s experiences and environment. Among such psychologists was Erik Erikson who proposed the psychosocial theory of development. Erikson was a follower of Freud and accepted many of the idea’s that Freud introduced, however Erikson made modifications to Freud’s ideas and introduced the theory of psychosocial development (Erikson 1963, 1982 cited in Shaffer and Kipp 2009: 44). Freud believed that the stages of personality development was influenced by the maturation of sex instinct, this theory was termed psychosexual development (cite needed). Psychosexual theory of development focuses essentially on the unconscious mind. The id, ego and superego are the components of personality and these three components develop in accordance to the stages of psychosexual development. There are 5 stages of psychosexual development; the oral, anal, phallic, latency and finally the genital stage. The extent to which conflicts are resolved in each of these stages influence one’s personality later in life. Erikson modified this theory by emphasizing more on social and cultural influences on development and personality, rather than the influence of sex instinct and urges. The psychosocial theory of development constructs a series of 8 stages of psychosocial conflict that one would encounter at various stages of life. Each stage consists of a major crisis. The time at which each crisis emerges is dependent on factors of biological maturation and social demands that one would encounter during various phases of life. The extent to which an individual resolves each conflict affects the psychological development and personality of the individual (citation needed). Early life experiences, therefore, are assumed to have a significant impact on the way in which one would think about the world, the way one would form social relationships and on what one would think about oneself. To determine how Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development may contribute in explaining how interpersonal relationships, emotion and personality are shaped, particularly in individuals of the Sri Lankan context, a structured interview was formulated and 2 individuals were interviewed based on how he/she looks back on his/her life. The interview provides means of obtaining qualitative data about the participants’ lives with respect to the psychosocial development that has and is taking place. The sample for the interview consisted of a 25 year old Sri Lankan male who was married and a 50 year old Sri Lankan female who was divorced, single and had 2 children. The occupation of the participant A (the male participant) was mechanical engineering and participant B (the female participant) worked as a confidential secretary. Before the interview was conducted, each participant was briefed on the purpose of the interview and the method in which the interview would take plac e, then were asked if he/she would like to participate in the study. Information regarding the expected duration of the interview and the nature of the questions that would be asked was also given to the participants prior to the interview so that the participant would be fully aware of what the consequences of taking part in the study would be. The interview was a structured interview; 38 open ended questions were devised and there was an average of 4 questions relating to each of the 8 stages of Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. After the participants agreed to participate in the study a face to face interview was conducted at each of the participants’ homes. Before the interview began the participants were briefed on confidentiality being maintained, their rights to not answer questions that they wished not to answer and they were given the right to withdraw at any moment they wished. The participants then signed a consent form and the interview proceeded. Stage 1: Trust versus mistrust The first stage of psychosocial development is believed to take place during infancy (0 – 1 year). At this stage the relationship between the infant and mother is of importance. In order to cultivate a healthy balance between trust and mistrust the infant should not be overprotected and overindulged yet the infant should be cared for and not neglected. If the infant is abused or neglected at this stage the infant’s basic trust will be destroyed and mistrust would be fostered. When one has mistrust one tends to expect that the world would bring more bad his/her way than good. One may find it difficult to trust friends and loved ones, even society. Mistrust may even cause an individual to be more avoidant of exposure to risks because the individual feels that the world is dangerous and inconsistent. Contrastingly, if the infant is overprotected by the mother the infant may develop a false sense of trust. Insulation from any form of unexpectedness may amount to sensory dis tortion and the individual may become naive. Such individuals are generally optimistic. In the interview conducted, questions were asked to determine how trusting the participant was of the world. When asked about what the participant thinks the future holds, participant A stated that he was optimistic to a certain extent about the future and the responses that participant A provided revealed that he did not seem to have difficulty in trusting other individuals. Participant A believed that the world is good yet has its ugly when asked whether the participant thinks the world is a bad place. Using the psychosocial theory of development participant A appears to have a healthy balance between trust and mistrust. Therefore it can be inferred that as an infant the participant obtained sufficient affection and care without being overprotected. Participant B, however, was pessimistic about the future, failed to see any good in the world and did not seem to trust other individuals with ease . Mistrust seems to have fostered more in participant B and this may be as a result of neglect during infancy. However the degree to which this theory is effective can be of question. Participant B’s mistrust may not be a result of experience during infancy, instead it may be an experience from later in life. The individual is divorced and the failed marriage may be a better explanation for why the individual is pessimistic and finds it difficult to trust others. Stage 2: Autonomy versus shame and doubt Between the age of 1 and 3, exerting independence becomes a key challenge for the child. The child begins to gain control over his/her body and is able to explore surroundings. If the child is ridiculed for his/her attempts at autonomy the child may become doubtful and ashamed of handling situations and problems on his/her own. Participant A’s responses to the questions based on autonomy took no extremes but rather fell on middle ground. The responses revealed that the participant made decisions independently and did not rely on others for matters that needed to be handled himself, however would seek help occasionally when in doubt. Participant B, however, still relied on parents for assistance when making important decisions in life and would ask for assistance when facing difficulty or if doubtful about what to do. Therefore, it can be assumed that participant B is less autonomous than participant A. However in the Sri Lankan culture it is not common to find adults still see king his/her parents for advice. Families in Sri Lankan culture are closely knit. Even as children grow into adults, the relationship with parents remain strong and it is quite common to find that elderly parents continue to live with their adult children and grandchildren. This closeness and confidence could be the reason why individuals still ask parents for advice even as an adult, not because of autonomy as a toddler. In this sense Erikson’s theory may be ethnocentric and not quite applicable in Sri Lankan culture. Stage 3: Initiative versus guilt This stage takes place between the age of 3 and 6 years. In addition to autonomy, the child now learns qualities of planning and undertaking tasks for the sake of being active. Guilt is a result of being reprimanded for adventure and experimentation. At this stage in a child’s life Erikson highlights the importance of adventure and play no matter how puerile it may appear to the parent of supervisor. Preventing an individual from initiation at this stage may have an effect on the individual’s confidence to initiate in later life and may instil fear that the individual is wrong or would be disapproved. However the child should still experience the consequence of mistakes and learn through trial and error so that the child does not turn out to be irresponsible so that the child’s conscience develops and so that he/she does not become boastful in nature. Stage 4: Industry versus inferiority From the age of 7 to 12, the child’s cognitive capabilities increase drastically. The competence of the child develops and the child begins to engage in meaningful activity. Involvement in extracurricular activities in school may help the child prepare to enter life and become industrious as an adult. Contrastingly if the child does not experience the satisfaction that achievement brings, experiences failure in school work and activities, or is denied the opportunity to develop his/her unique potential and participate in school activities, in later life the individual may feel useless, unable to contribute or work in teams. Moreover, a certain amount of failure is important too so that the child has a sense of modesty. The balance between modesty and competence if important. One develops the virtue purpose if successful in this stage. Stage 5: Identity versus role confusion Adolescence (age 12 to 18 years) is a major stage of development of an individual. One becomes increasingly independent, one begins to think of the future in terms of the career one wishes to occupy and the type of lifestyle one wishes to follow. In making such decisions one must learn the roles that one will occupy as an adult. What should happen at the end of this stage, according to Bee, is â€Å"a reintegrated sense of self, of what one wants to do or be, and of one’s appropriate sex role† (Bee 1992 cited in McLeod 2013). Individuals begin to explore possibilities and based on the result of such explorations, one’s identity is formed. Forcing an identity upon a youth would cause diffusion in which the individual lacks any form of commitment or passion. The youth would become rebellious or unhappy. In failing to form one’s identity, one may experience foreclosure where the youth adopts an identity of convenience precipitately. The youth that is unable t o form his/her own identity becomes confused about his/her role in society. Individuals would develop the virtue of fidelity if successful in this stage. Although Erikson’s theory describes the development of fidelity the theory does not explain how the development takes place. It is difficult to test the theory in this area and it is not falsifiable. The relationship between exploration as a youth and development of identity is vague. Participant A in the interview had strict parents and was not allowed to explore and adventure as a teenager yet seems to have fidelity and a strong identity. This contradicts the psychosocial theory of development. Stage 6: Intimacy versus isolation In young adulthood (18 to 40 years), one starts to share oneself and one’s space more intimately with another individual. It starts with exploring a relationship with an individual other than a family member, which in turn could lead toward a long term commitment to that individual. Avoidance of intimacy and commitment to a relationship could lead to isolation or even depression. If an individual succeeds in this stage the individual develops the virtue of love. However in a country that has arranged marriages it is difficult to see how willing one is to share one’s personal space with another. It could just be that the individual is forced to be in a committed relationship with another individual. The obligation to remain in the relationship would be present without love. In this case determining the successfulness of an individual at this stage is difficult. Stage 7: Generativity versus stagnation This stage occurs during middle adulthood (between 40 and 65 years). The individual starts to feel more involved in the world and a part of a bigger picture. Moreover, one would become more productive in terms of one’s career or in terms of raising one’s children. Some may even become involved in community activities and organizations that would benefit society. Failure in being generative in these ways would cause an individual to feel unproductive and stagnant in society. This stage is important for the development of the virtue care. Stage 8: Integrity versus despair As one steps into old age (65 years and over), one becomes unable to be as productive as one use to be. Therefore at this stage one starts to reflect on one’s life in terms of how satisfied one is with how he/she lived life. Integrity develops as a result of one seeing oneself as successful in life. According to Erikson, if one is disappointed and feels one did not accomplish the life goals one had, the individual would develop despair. Whilst the psychosocial theory is an aid in capturing central development issues in the 8 stages, it is still difficult to use the theory as an explanation of as to how and why such development comes about and Erikson acknowledges this (Erikson 1964 cited in McLeod 2013). There is no explicit explanation for how the degree of development at one stage affects the degree of development at another stage. The psychosocial theory of development is claimed to be universal however it is difficult to apply in certain cultures. For the solution of crises there is no universal mechanism that can be applied. It may vary from culture to culture. Moreover, the psychosocial theory of development, similar to the psychosexual theory of development, is not falsifiable and is difficult to test empirically. The lack of empiricism is one reason why developmentalists prefer other viewpoints of development, typically the learning viewpoint, rather than the psychoanalytical viewpoint. Despite the criticisms of the psychosocial theory of development, there is still support for Erikson’s 8 stages of personality development (McAdams 2001). The emphasis on the fact that individuals undergo development actively rather than passively and that humans are not subject to irrational urges is a quality that Erikson introduced after improving Freud’s psychosexual theory (Erikson 1963 cited in Shaffer and Kipp 2009: 44). Many find it easier to accept that humans are rational and there is interaction of both biology and social influences, with ego playing a greater role than id. The psychosocial theory indeed has provided understanding to the development that occurs through various stages of life. The impact that relationships with family, friends and peers has on development has been brought to light and this theory can be applied to the education setting, work setting and even help improve parenting methods. Therefore despite the limitations of the psychosocial theory, the contribution to the field of developmental psychology that Erikson has made, in terms of the psychosocial stages of development, is certainly valuable. List of References McAdams, D. P. (2001) ‘The Psychology of Life Stories’. Review of General Psychology 5 (2), 100 McLeod, S. (2013) Erik Erikson [online] available from www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html> [19 March 2014] Shaffer, D. R., and Kipp, K. (2009) Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence. 8th edn. Australia: Cengage Learning TWas The Dopolavoro A Success? TWas The Dopolavoro A Success? To What Extent Was The Dopolavoro A Success? Plan Of Investigation This essay will analyse the extent of the Dopolavoros success within Italian society between the years 1925 and 1939. The Dopolavoro was a leisure program under the organization Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro (OND) and was created initially to help gain the support of the Italian working class after the ban on trade unions. In addition to controlling Italian dissatisfaction within the state, the OND saw these programs as a further area of competition with the Socialists, who had similar social organizations. Seeing that it tried to gain the support of employers, there was nothing characteristically fascist about it. However, after Augusto Turatis rise to party secretary in 1927, the Dopolavoro became another supporting element of Mussolinis regime. Despite propaganda having a wide range presence, Italian society was not affected to the extent that the government wished, leading to the question, to what extent was the Dopolavoro a success? The two sources presented approach the topic in a relatively different manner. John Whittams Fascist Italy describes the course taken on this subject by a purely subjective viewpoint and analyses the factual information. Martin Blinkhorn on the other hand, in Mussolini and Fascist Italy, promotes a objective opinion on the Dopolavoro and the Italian state while criticizing it for its manipulation and deceptive attitude. Conclusively, an evaluation of the extent to which this program was a success will be presented through the analysis of key factors. Summary Of Evidence Mussolini was appointed Prime Minister in 1922 The Dopolavoro was formed on the first of may in 1925. The Dopolavoro included adult leisure programs, facilities and welfare programs. This idea was introduced by an engineer Mario Giani. Edmondo Rossoni promoted Gianis schemes. It was ran by a government agency called Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro. It aimed at decreasing tension created after the ban on trade union-sponsored clubs. In the 1930s the Dopolavoro ranged from theater to bands and libraries. Initially, membership was limited to 300,000, in 1926 and grew to 4 million by 1939. The OND was the answer to Gianis plea for a national state sponsored plan. The OND took over former socialist buildings and used them as its facilities. Turati was appointed leader of the OND in 1927. The ONDs initial purpose was to deliver news on the agricultural sector. Increased membership urged the OND to put more emphasis on recreational activities. Sports activities and welfare programs were heavily funded and journeys to favorable locations were subsidized. In 1936, twenty per cent of urban workers joined, 7 per cent of rural members and 80 per cent of employees in state and private sectors. Company employees were granted better facilities and lounge areas. Class divisions were evident. The poorer classes were given the cheapest seats in addition to being separated from the higher classes. Evaluation Of Sources Fascist Italy by renowned historian John Whittam, is a concise introduction on the nature of Italian Fascism under Mussolini. This book was written to inform the reader of the Italian Fascist state in terms of politics, diplomacy and military developments, and in what ways the domestic sector was neglected. The provision of documents and recent research aided in analysing the origins of the movement and its political success. Within its far-reaching analysis, Whittam emphasizes Mussolinis attempt for social control and party-state tension. The successes and failures of the fascist state, as well as the collapse of the regime are analysed objectively. Mussolini and Fascist Italy, also written by renowned historian Martin Blinkhorn, explains the importance of Mussolini, the movement and the regime which overlooked Italian society between 1922 and World War 2. Furthermore, he examines the fascist partys rise to power and the creation of Mussolinis dictatorship through reason and rational arguments. Nevertheless, Blinkhorn portrays his argument by criticizing the fascist state for subjecting society totalitarianism and deception. Although he makes brief comments on certain aspects of the Dopolavoros success, his argument largely consist of its â€Å"abysmal failures†. Furthermore, the age of the book must be questioned. In contrast to Whittam who has exploited certain recent revelations, Blinkhorns resources rely on documents preceding 1980. Analysis Like several other dictators, Mussolini too tried to tie his people closer with fascist beliefs and incorporate the masses to the fascist regime. An attempt was made to achieve this by introducing certain programs to the Italian people. These included adult leisure programs, facilities and welfare programs. On May first 1925 the Dopolavoro was formed, ran by a government agency called the Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro (OND). Initially, this idea of social engineering was introduced by Mario Giani, an engineer and a former manager of Westinghouse plant at Vado Ligure. Edmondo Rossoni, an Italian Fascist politician, acknowledged Gianis schemes for common activities and arranged for them to be introduced to his rapidly growing syndicalist organization. The upholding of the relationship between employers was crucial, seeing that such a project required increased funding as well as buildings and recreation grounds. Gianis plans seemed to be put in peril by suspicion placed on Rossoni on beha lf of the employers. Giani saw the risk in going through with his schemes under the current situation so he requested a national, state-sponsored plan. The solution to this appeal was the Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro. The remains of the Socialist Partys establishments aided the emergence of the Dopolavoro â€Å"with its chambers of labour, co-operatives and leagues many of them with mutual aid societies, communal halls and facilities for social and sporting events.† The squadristi, commonly known as The Blackshirts, destroyed many of these; the fascists simply took over those which remained intact. Mussolini appointed Turati, the party secretary, as leader of the OND two years after its establishment, and proceeded to integrate it as a central aspect of the National Fascist Party. The party representative in the provinces was responsible for assembling a board to supervise the area, and all Dopolavoro activities, as well as those sponsored by the employers, would be managed by its members. Originally, the OND was meant to inform the workers of new techniques and developments in the industrial sector. However, as the organization grew, more efforts were put in enhancing sports activities, summer camps, subsidized journeys to the mountains and the sea, cheap rail fares and welfare programs. It aimed at â€Å"re-educating† the Italian people as a whole, instead of brain washing them from an early age. It aimed at providing leisure/after-work activities within a fascist atmosphere. Also the Dopolavoro aimed at decreasing the workers irritation with the fascist ban on the trade union-sponsored clubs. Reaching the 1930s the Dopolavoro ranged from theater to bands and libraries. Initially, membership was estimated at 300,000 in 1926 and grew to almost four million by 1939. Reaching 1936, twenty per cent of urban workers took part, 7 per cent of rural members and 80 per cent of employees in state and private sectors. Many of the state and private employees were granted access to clubs, shops and athletic facilities provided by their respective company. What separated these benefits from the publicly used ones was the difference in their superiority. Even though organization was used to â€Å"demolish† barriers, class divisions were evident. During their excursions boarding railways or steamers, lower classes were separated from the higher ones and were given the poorest seats. Nevertheless, they saw no reason to complain, seeing that it was the first time for most of them to ever board a train or a boat, let alone go to the sea and the Alps. In order to clarify the extent of the Dopolavoros success, we must first distinguish the nature of its success. In this respect there are two criteria which have to be taken in mind. Social indoctrination of fascist ideology and diversion of mass awareness and attention. The ONDs initial cause was to provide after-hours leisure activities, so it should come as no surprise that they neglected direct ideological indoctrination as priority. However, during the 1930s (with Starace as party secretary) the importance of the OND as an instrument of propaganda was understood. In the cordial environment of the OND clubs and excursions, the masses were exposed to the success, failures and problems of the party. This was particularly worrisome for the regime as they made great efforts to avoid fanatical reactions. All they wished for was for passive acceptance of the given situation. The OND distributed government issue radios. Although these were considered a luxury item (300,000 in 1932, over a million in 1938), collective listening was encouraged. This was a measure taken for regulating information. The regime issued these radios so as to censor most information and prevent any public aggravation. Due to its recent appearance, the radio was highly favored. Moreover, through the OND, millions of people were exposed to propaganda and entertainment plans. This was an advantageous step for both the government and the illiterate. The ONDs use of the radio as well as the cinema was very efficient in distracting the masses. The Dopolavoro even purchased mobile projectors and sent them to remoter areas. Despite the Dopolavoros efforts to create a â€Å"laid-back† atmosphere so as to keep a sense of serenity among the people while in parallel integrating them in the fascist regime, it is argued that the members were not affected by fascist propaganda, hence failing to meet the goal set from 1927 onwards which included fascist indoctrination within the masses. Conclusion Among the fruition of many institutions brought forth by the Italian government, the Dopolavoro (or OND) was without doubt the most popular. Evidence of its popularity lies in the fact that it survived even Mussolinis fall, at which point its name was altered to Ente Nazionale Assistenza Lavatori (National Organisation for Worker Assistance) in 1945. Throughout the course of its existence, the Dopolavoro proved to be invaluable in its efforts to divert attention from the partys social and economic issues by providing a widespread and diverse range of cultural and recreational activities. Moreover, it served as a buffer in response to societys discontent. Be this as it may, criticism is present in the fact that it facilitated the infiltration of government branches and aided the meeting of enemies of the regime without attracting attention of the police. The Dopolavoro attempted a more active approach in fascist indoctrination in the late 1930s, however due to the lack of radical thinking, it failed to meet the regimes wishes. As far as public unrest is concerned, the Dopolavoro was successful in toning it down by introducing various leisure activities aimed at decreasing social irritation. However, in its goal to instill the fascist ideology within the Italian people, not only did it meet a miserable fail, it proved to be highly inefficient and showed a direct contrast to the regimes intentions. Bibliography Blinkhorn Martin, Mussolini and Fascist Italy, Routledge 1987 De Grand J. Alexander, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, Routledge 1995 Kolinsky Martin, Continuity and change in European society: Germany, France and Italy since 1870, New York: St Martins Press 1974, 58 Marinetto Michael, Corporate Social Involvement: Social, Political and Environmental Issues in Britain and Italy, Ashgate Publishing 2005 Townley Edward, Mussolini and Italy, Heinemann Educational Publishers 2002 Whittam, John, Fascist Italy, Manchester University Press 1995 Whittock Martyn, Mussolini in Power, HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1998 Whittock Martyn, Mussolini in Power, HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1998, 4 Townley Edward, Mussolini and Italy, Heinemann Educational Publishers 2002, 91 Townley Edward, Mussolini and Italy, Heinemann Educational Publishers 2002, 91 Marinetto Michael, Corporate Social Involvement: Social, Political and Environmental Issues in Britain and Italy, Ashgate Publishing 2005, 124 Whittam, John, Fascist Italy, Manchester University Press 1995, 73 Whittock Martyn, Mussolini in Power, HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1998, 19-20 Whittock Martyn, Mussolini in Power, HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1998, 19-20 Blinkhorn Martin, Mussolini and Fascist Italy, Routledge 1987, 36 Whittam, John, Fascist Italy, Manchester University Press 1995, 73 Whittam, John, Fascist Italy, Manchester University Press 1995, 73 Whittam, John, Fascist Italy, Manchester University Press 1995, 73 De Grand J. Alexander, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, Routledge 1995, 71 Whittam, John, Fascist Italy, Manchester University Press 1995, 73 Kolinsky Martin, Continuity and change in European society: Germany, France and Italy since 1870, New York: St Martins Press 1974, 58 Whittam, John, Fascist Italy, Manchester University Press 1995, 73 Whittam, John, Fascist Italy, Manchester University Press 1995, 73 De Grand J. Alexander, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, Routledge 1995, 71 Whittam, John, Fascist Italy, Manchester University Press 1995, 73

Emily Dickinson on the Addictive Process Essay -- Emily Dickinson Auth

Emily Dickinson on the Addictive Process Awareness of Emily Dickinson has grown and deepened over the course of the twentieth century such that the "delightful" andplatitude-laden verses, as they were initially viewed, have provento be rich, often ironic, highly complex explorations of one poet'ssubjectivity. Dickinson's poetry today challenges us to confrontaspects of our own inner processes in relation to psychologicalpain, death, the world and possible -- though not undoubted --transcendence of it, and frustrated desire, to name just a few ofthe themes. The emergence of discourse on addictions, both tosubstances and to modes of behavior, gives us a framework in whichwe can newly assess one of Dickinson's poems, and even though thepoet's particular life circumstances -- involving the influence ofPuritanism, which would also affect Dickinson's contemporariesHerman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne, the limitations placed onwomen in nineteenth-century America in general, and EmilyDickinson's own self-limiting reclusive exist ence -- differ fromour late-twentieth-century circumstances, nonetheless Dickinson'spoetry presents the overall shape of the subjective process underlying addiction in such an abstract form, that the work inquestion speaks to us directly over a century later. The circumstances alluded to above brought the poet into a situation in which she was caught between the desire to communicate her reflections on life -- she sent poems as both letters and aesthetic objects with illustrations of a collage character to friends -- and the distrust of worldly success and fame proceeding from the Puritanical tradition embodied in the writings of the eighteenth-century preacher Jonathan Edwards. Whereas a later --and ma... ...mith, Barbara Herrnstein. Poetic Closure: A Study of HowPoems End. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1968. Turner, Clara Newman. "My Personal Acquaintance with Emily Dickinson" in Sewall, Richard B., The Life of EmilyDickinson vol. 1. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux,1974. Van Wyck, William. "Emily Dickinson's Songs out of Sorrow." Personalist, 18, no.2 (Spring/April 1937), 183-89. Webster, Noah. A Dictionary of the English Language...inTwo Volumes. London: Black, Young, and Young, 1828. An American Dictionary of the EnglishLanguage...Revised and Enlarged by Chauncey Goodrich. Springfield: Merriam, 1855. Whicher, George Frisbie. "New England Poet" in Mornings at8:50. Northampton: The Hampshire Bookshop, 1950. This Was a Poet: A Critical Biography of EmilyDickinson. New York: Scribner's, 1938. Wolff, Cynthia Griffin. Emily Dickinson. New York:Knopf, 1986.

Symbols and Symbolism in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald tried to accent the point that money does not breed happiness. Money causes people to become envious, greedy, and jealous. It compels people to show a persona of arrogance and creates a haze of fog in the air of the world around them. They begin to become oblivious of the outside world and think of themselves as a higher being. This causes lack of acceptance for their responsibilities. I thing the author was also trying to show us that sometimes one can hold on to a dream for so long, and try so hard to achieve it that it can leave you in misery instead of happiness. Creating the reverse of it's intent. F. Scott uses a color scheme to show many emotions of characters in this story. The ultimate factor for almost every action within the story is money, the color green. This color shows the envy, greed, and jealousy that make up this story. Green is not only the color of money and the color most notably associated with greed, but it is also the color of the light on Daisy's dock. The same dock light that Gatsby spent so many nights gazing at. This is no coincidence, F.S.F. wanted to express to his readers the symbolism behind the color. Gatsby envied Tom because he knew that Daisy needed a wealthy man to take care of her. And as he was building his wealth, Gatsby would look over the lake toward that green light with envy and await the day he would be good enough for Daisy. The use of white, in reference to Daisy's wardrobe, symbolizes her laziness and uselessness within the story. She is completely devoid of any knowledge of the outside world, always lost in pointless thought. Something that I found quite apparent was her obviously shallow, money grubbing motives. For example, when she is taken into Gatsby's home for a tour, she is shown Gatsby's beautiful imported shirts. Daisy begins to cry, saying that these shirts are so beautiful. But what she is really expressing is her envy and jealousy of Gatsby's new riches and all of his elaborate material possessions. One form of symbolism that I found very interesting was Scott's use of the billboard ad containing the huge eyes of one Dr.

Case Analysis: Ford Corporation

Case Analysis: Ford Motor Company Global Strategic Management March 4, 2013 Ford Motor Company: Organization Profile Ford Motor Company Staying â€Å"Ford Tough† Henry Ford established the auto company in June 16, 1903. An engineer by formation, Henry had a vision of making vehicles that would change society. He wanted to offer an affordable product to the public, one that his own workers could buy. His vision took him to model T in 1908, and to improve the manufacturing process with the conveyor belt at Ford’s Highland plant.The manufacturing capabilities kept on improving and in 1917 he built the Rouge plant that put the whole operation, from the raw material, to the final product, under the same roof. In 1915 Henry Ford’s son, Edsel Ford joined his father in the company. Edsel brought to the company the desire of making a product not only functional, but stylish and beautiful. Ford became entirely family owned in 1919 when Henry, his wife Clara, and Edsel boug ht the outstanding shares for $105,820,894 (Chapman, pp. 128) . The company would hold to this status until 1956 when the company would allow outsiders to buy shares.For many years the image of the company was the same as its leadership. Henry Ford passed the presidency to Edsel Ford in 1919. Henry Ford reassumed the leadership after the death of Edsel in 1943. After Henry Ford resigned, Henry Ford II assumed the presidency. The company inherited by Henry Ford II was not the same. Ford had fallen behind General Motor (GM) and Chrysler. Henry Ford II knew he had to regain terrain, so he contracted the Whiz Kids (a group of former US Army Air Force officers), and created a â€Å"sophisticated management system including accounting and financial controls† (Chapman, pp. 28). With the finance side in check, Ford gained increased its position, and became the number 2 car company in 1950. Ford products were not fuel efficient, and when the gas prices rose in the 70s because of the O PEC embargo, Ford lost many consumers. The company responded by closing plants and cutting jobs. After the storm, the sun came out in the late 80s with the launch of Ford Taurus and Mercury Ford was on the top of the game once again. The desire to diversify made Ford buy other brands and include it in its family such as: Jaguar, Aston Martin, Land Rover and Volvo.Bill Ford assumed the presidency of the company in 2001. It was the first time in 20 years that the head of the company was a member of the Ford family. Bill Ford drove the company through one of the worst times in history for the company: right after the extensive (and expensive) Firestone tires recall, and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Bill Ford went to ups and downs during his presidency. He saw sales improving slowly from 2001 to 2006, but the increasing competition from foreign brands such as Toyota, Nissan and Honda made him realize that he needed help taking the company to the next level.Alan Mulally b ecame the new CEO in 2006. He was a new face in the auto industry, coming from Boeing Corporation instead from inside Ford or from another auto company. Mulally â€Å"demonstrated leadership skills Henry Ford had established many years ago. † Mulally brought to the company new energy, and a brave new plan. His most risky decision proved to pay off in the end. He decided to raise money by mortgaging almost all of Ford’s assets including the brand. His audacity put Ford as the most trustworthy American company. The money raised by Mulally helped keep Ford out of the government bailout of 2009.Ford Motor Company: The Problem(s) Ford has been a pioneer in the auto industry but it still faces a lot of problems to make it the number one in the industry. The increasing competition from other car companies to creatively and efficiently attract and retain customers made it difficult to gain the number one position. The economic crisis also made it hard to sell new vehicles. The quality of Ford vehicles have also gone down compared to what it was before. The slow reaction to change in consumer taste made Ford lag behind its main competitors.It was also late in expanding in international market and opportunities were lost to other brands. Ford Motor Company: SWOT Analysis Strengths One of Ford’s biggest strengths is its leadership. Since Henry Ford founded the company, the leadership has been proven to help the company throughout difficult times. Every leader brought to the company a new idea. Henry Ford wanted the company to produce an affordable product. His successor, Edsel showed that innovation is always necessary in this industry. Edsel wanted stylish and beautiful vehicles to carry the Ford brand. Henry Ford II with he help of the Whiz Kids developed a â€Å"sophisticated management system† what helped the company after World War II. He also â€Å"revitalized Ford with modern engineering, manufacturing, assembly, and distribution facil ities in the US and 22 foreign countries† (Chapman, pp. 128). The strong and visionary leadership style of Henry Ford was shared by many other leaders of Ford. The new generation, Bill Ford and Alan Mulally also presented the traits of a Ford leader. Bill by navigating Ford throughout harsh times, and for seeing that the company needed a change, a fresh start.He then passed the leadership of the company to Alan Mulally who proved to be exactly what the company needed. Mulally discovered that Ford lacked â€Å"global synergy,† he was surprised by the way that Ford was operating its brands. He saw that the company did not have central control, it took him a while to find out what was really happening inside the company. He also made really tough financial decisions, and reorganized the amount of brands and models offered by Ford. â€Å"With his leadership and conviction, Ford Motor Company stood apart from its competitors by standing on its two feet† (Chapman, pp. 33). Ford’s reputation is also an incredible strength for the company. Ford is seen as a family company. Henry Ford wants the employees to be able to buy cars, increased their wages, and was interested in sharing a piece of his family with others. Weaknesses Ford has proven to be slow to respond to changes in the environment and consumer tastes. They felt that they â€Å"got it,† and felt comfortable with it. Since the beginning of Ford, with a delay to offer cars in other colors than black, they experience a tardiness to respond to changes.One example was the excessive attention to SUVs and other gas inefficient cars when the gas prices spiked. When consumers were looking for alternatives to the gas drinking vehicles, Ford was fully producing SUV’s. Although SUV’s are Ford bestselling product, the fact that they were slow to make them more efficient or give costumers other styles to choose from, made Ford to lose market share to other automakers. Ford al so lost terrain when they did not address earlier the ecofriendly trend. Toyota had the Prius which did not have much of a competition until recently.Currently, Ford has â€Å"12 vehicles with best in class fuel economy and 4 models with at least 40 mpg† (Chapman, pp. 137), and is developing plug-in models that use a combination of electricity and gasoline that will compete against the Chevrolet Volt. Opportunities Ford has the opportunity to expand its presence and capture market share in India and China. It aims to increase its revenues from international sales from 20 percent to 50 percent. The expanding market of the two countries allows Ford to focus on small, light and fuel efficient cars that are needed in the market.Ford has also been slow to respond to demands for small hybrid or fuel efficient cars in the United States. There is also an opportunity to increase standardization of the platforms used in world-wide production of vehicles. If this happens the cost of pro duction would significantly lower and it would be easier to introduce new cars into new markets without building new plants. Ford can also further trim down the number of models out in the market and focus on cars they are widely known for such as light trucks and expand its model for smaller and fuel efficient cars.To target the higher end market, it should continue to build its Lincoln brand as a better alternative in the US and once established, export that brand to new markets overseas. Production from union controlled plants could also be transferred to non-union plants that can give Ford plants a competitive edge or be at par with other auto companies in compensation for workers. Ford can also consolidate more dealership to become more competitive and give them incentives to attract more customers thru financing and offering excellent customer service. ThreatsThe auto industry is very competitive and technology driven industry. Ford has to constantly monitor its competitors to know how it will make its own decision. Companies will outbid one another in attracting new customers by giving them a lot of rebates, incentives and attractive financing. The technology for clean, fuel-efficient cars and alternate sources of fuel is also changing and without proper funding for research Ford could be left behind and lose in this expanding market. Any increase in price of raw materials could also increase production cost for Ford and make their vehicles more expensive.Demands of union workers also affect the competitiveness of Ford. They are currently paying higher compensation and benefits compared to the rest of auto industry. Changing consumer tastes also makes it difficult for Ford to quickly address and create cars that the market needs. Any decline in the US economy would also greatly affect the revenues of Ford. Most of the revenues of Ford comes from the US market and if the US economy goes into another recession it would decrease consumer spending and make it difficult to survive without government help. Ford Motor Company: Five Forces Threats of Substitute Products – High in Urban Areas, Low in Suburban Areas * With the increase of gas prices and traffic congestion consumers are now looking for alternate ways to commute between work and home. Consumers are increasingly being aware of their â€Å"carbon footprint† and are looking for clean and energy efficient alternatives to commute. In cities, the availability of public transportation such as buses, subways and light rail systems gives commuters flexibility. Car-sharing options such as Zipcar are now also available in cities and have become popular. Rivalry Among Competing Firms – High * Competition in the auto industry is very high. Different companies compete aggressively in increasing their market share by giving incentives to customers. It is also important for companies to satisfy the needs and tastes of consumers. Companies also try to run an efficient sup ply chain to limit the cost of producing and increasing profit margins. * Threats of New Entrants – Low * The threat of new entrants in the local auto industry is low. The auto industry is very capital and labor intensive and it takes time for companies to establish their operations.The current companies have established their presence and market share but competition from potential, new and growing car companies in big markets such as China and India is inevitable. * Bargaining Power of Suppliers – Low * The auto industry sources its raw materials from global suppliers. The suppliers market is also a competitive industry. Bulk of their sales come from the auto industry and companies have established relationships to give them access to supplies and new technologies. The relationship of auto ompanies and suppliers are intertwined given that as auto companies increase production, supplier companies increase revenues. * Bargaining Power of Buyers – High * Consumer s now have more choices that gives them a higher bargaining power. The economy is also improving and giving them more buying power. Unlike before where manufacturers dictate what the dealers will push to the consumers, consumers now make the demand for manufacturers to make fuel-efficient and environment friendly cars. Consumers are also well informed and by being well informed they can ask for more incentives to dealers and car manufacturers.Ford Motor Company: Recommendations Under the leadership of Mulally Ford has significantly made changes to improve the position of the company. We recommend that Ford increase funding on research for fuel efficient cars, alternate sources of energy for smaller cars that the market demands and will create sustainability in its vehicles. Ford should also maintain or increase the quality of its vehicles by standardizing its platforms and improving its technology to detect any safety issues with its vehicles to avoid costly recalls that not only is expensive but tarnishes the image of the company.The economic crisis has made it difficult for other car companies not to be bailed out but Ford was able to maintain its independence by using its assets and enforcing better control in its finances. Ford can continue to be competitive by maintaining or lowering its operating costs. Ford has been known in its proficiency in having a tight supply chain were it can control the costs of production. Ford should be quick to adapt in changing consumer tastes.It should not be content with making products that they are known for and lose market share in new vehicles that are small, clean and fuel efficient. It should also make its current models cleaner and more fuel efficient to maintain attractiveness to consumers. Ford has great potential in new markets such as China and India. The reputation it has built as a well know car manufacturer in the US can be used to tap new customers in international market. Ford has built by its strong leader s and will continue to thrive if more reforms are made.

Freas and Geeks Media techniques Essay

How Media Techniques Create Stereotypes in Freaks and Geeks Take a look again at high school stereotypes through the short lived television series from the late 90’s, Freaks and Geeks. Based on the pilot episode of Freaks and Geeks, media techniques are used effectively to depict the different stereotypes in high school. The camera shots & movements are used adequately to show the power of the bullies and the weakness of the victims. For example, when Sam Weir is approached by Alan (the bully), at lunch, the camera is pointed upwards towards Alan’s face to make him seem bigger and scarier while the camera would be pointed down on Sam’s face making him seem smaller and inferior to Alan (Kasdan 1999). This example shows effective use of media techniques by using camera shots because the audience can easily depict the two different stereotypes, the bully and the geek. Another way that media techniques are used effectively is through the use of setting. For instance, the â€Å"freaks† of the show are shown hanging arou nd the patio which is a dirty and worn down area separated from the field and other students (Kasdan 1999). This is a clear way for the audience to see the difference from the regular students and the â€Å"freaks† therefore making this media technique effective. These two techniques show how Freaks and Geeks uses media techniques effectively to illustrate the stereotypes one might see in high school. Using media techniques such as camera shots and setting effectively is a task that Freaks and Geeks has accomplished to portray different high school stereotypes. Works Cited â€Å"Pilot.† Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series. Writ. Paul Feig. Dir. Jake Kasdan. DreamWorks, 1999. DVD.

Franklin Roosevelt foreign policies from 1937 to 1941 Essay

â€Å"To a greater or lesser extent, three factors were involved in explaining U.S response to Japanese and German aggression, economics, national security, and democratic values,† these factors influenced Franklin Roosevelt foreign policies from 1937 to 1941. America’s Involvement in World War two not only contributed in the eventual downfall of Adolph Hitler, but also came at the precise time and moment. Had the United States entered the war any earlier the consequences might have been worse. The U.S. desired to avoid foreign entanglements of all kinds had been an American foreign policy for more a long time. The U.S. was under geographical isolation and it permitted the U.S. to fill up the empty lands of North America free from the threat of foreign conflict. As stated in Document D, that â€Å"the American people cannot put their faith in me without recording my conviction that some form of selective service is the only democratic way in which to secure the trained and competent manpower we need for national defense.† This explains how the American people need to face with in foreign nations. Also in Document H, shows that if the U.S. focuses on protecting the country, no foreign army will ever attempt to land on American shores. The health of the American economy could not be jeopardized and it was Roosevelt’s view that the United States would fare well whether Europe went to war or not. For most of the 1930 the United States traded as openly with Germany and Japan, as it did with any other country. Japan relied on fuel oil and iron until 1941. Germany was one of the United States most important markets during the 1930, American investments in Germany increased by forty per cent between 1936 and 1940. The chart from Document G shows the effect of WWII on the American industry and it shows an increase of profits and lower business failures. The real concern of American business was not the rights or wrongs of trading with fascism but the fear that commercial rivals such as Japan and Germany would exclude American goods from Europe and Asia altogether. Adolf Hitler, leading the Nazi Party, took power in Germany and eliminated its democratic government. Document C reveals that without democracy, the country will have no power to maintain the illusion of security, and shall have no business, but primitive self-defense. The Allies valued democracy because they are vitally concerned in the defense for freedom. Factors that influenced Franklin Roosevelt foreign policies are economics, national security, and democratic values. Roosevelt lead the United States every step of the way and he did a superb job in bringing America into war. If the principles of democracy mean anything at all, that is enough reason for the U.S. to stay out of the war. One of the reasons given was that unless America was directly threatened they had no reason to be involved. This reason was a valid one because it was the American policy to stay neutral in any affairs not having to with them unless American soil was threatened directly. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II Documents American Pageant Book

Parents Against Education: Unschooling

The topic of radical unschooling is important for a number of reasons. It deals with a very important matter, which is the education and rearing of children. It calls the integrity of public schools into question and the importance of a curriculum. It also questions or disregards the need to guide children at all through life. The world in general does not look fondly upon radical unschooling. Most people see it as neglect. The people who choose this lifestyle for their family bring up a few arguments and have philosophies that, in theory, make sense. They say that unschooling is good for children because it allows them to naturally learn for themselves at their own pace and in their own environment. Radical unschooolers extend their beliefs to everyday life. They believe that it is best for children to freely learn and express themselves without guidance and outside pressure. The children of parents who practice this form of education, or un-education, mostly get to decide what is best for themselves and have very little, if any, rules at all. Parents who radically unschool their children argue that children are â€Å"natural learners† and this is the best way for children to learn because it gives them real-life experiences and helps them to grow their own intellect. However, it has been proven that children require guidance and structure that this form of education has time and time again shown that it does not provide. One large problem with radical unschooling is the lack of structure and care provided for the child. Though radical unschoolers argue that they do not neglect their children and they provide helpful advice and suggestions, this is not exactly what children need. It has been proven that children really need structure and a definite routine to feel comfortable. According to Kathy Eugster, a registered child and family psychologist, structure is very important in the lives of children. Not only does it help to assert parental authority, it also helps children feel safe and secure. Also according to Eugster, children who come from chaotic and uncontrolled households have a harder time with healthy development. Unschoolers make the argument that their form of education is best in the long run because children will adapt better to life in the real-world. The real world does not coddle adults as they may have been throughout their childhood, so the adjustment could be difficult for some. However, structure is also a large part of the adult world. Also, as children grow into teens and then become adults, they learn more to think on their own, especially if they are encouraged to do so within a structured environment when they are young. These things are found to be true in a study entitled, â€Å"Chaotic homes and school achievement,† performed by King’s College London, The Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Center. Children living in the environmental confusion and unpredictability of high levels of family chaos (i. e. noise, disorder and human traffic) have lower expectations, lack of persistence and a tendency to withdraw from academic challenge. The level of family chaos affects early reading skill, even after considering other home environmental factors relevant to children's mastery of reading. Parents who radically unschool say that their children are in control of their lives. This becomes a problem because parents are not teaching their children how they are expected to act in public. They are not able to socially interact with other people and often act in a way that most of society frowns upon. Quinn Cummings, the author of the book, â€Å"The Year of Learning Dangerously,† who unschooled her daughter for some time, recounts some of her experiences while attending a Radical Unschooler’s Conference. She said that when she was there, she witnessed children stripping down to nothing and running around a crowded room, as their parents did nothing. Also, she saw one four year old girls get up and hit another child as her mother looked on, not saying a word. Most radical unschoolers will argue that these things rarely ever happen. However, many people have recounted experiences where things like this do happen. It is not very uncommon to see behavior like this from children of parents who radially unschool. One mother expressed fear of her children playing with the children who were radically unschooled down the street from them because they were so violent. Without proper guidance, children are not able to know what behaviors are really appropriate and which ones are not. Also, schooling your children in an environment void of other children can become a problem. Since they are not exposed to different types of people, such as, different races, religious, and economic backgrounds, they can become intolerant. This becomes especially true since they are not being taught about these things if they do not express interest in them. Though the children are encouraged to â€Å"become their own person† so to speak, they can still act out the behaviors and have similar thoughts that the people in their environment have as they grow older. For example, in the essay â€Å"Group Minds,† Dorris Lessing makes the point that we all live our lives out in groups, whether it is a school, family, etc. It becomes very easy for people in this situation to fall prey to thought that they are their own person with individual thoughts and are not subject to other people's ideas infiltrating how they think. Even though unschooling parents say that their method of teaching is best because it prepares children for the real-world, they seem to skip over one of the most important parts of adulthood, understanding other cultures. Another issue within unschooling is general inability of being able to do it. This could be from a number of reasons. Many people do not have the money, resources, or knowledge to do this. Radical unschools make the point that if there is a will, there is a way. While this sounds nice, most two income houses are not able to live off of just one income. It is almost impossible for a single parent to switch of unschooling unless they become their own boss. Many people do not feel comfortable when not using a curriculum in teaching their children. By definition and through all of its philosophies, there is no curriculum for unschooling, especially radical unschooling. Also, many people do not feel that they have the proper knowledge to be able to teach their children, especially without a proper guideline of what they should be teaching. Honestly, many people do not find that they are properly qualified to teach someone else. An argument that is made often is that children have more options to explore things they want to do. While this is true, if the child does not express interest in it, parents are not supposed to make them pursue anything. Also, if a child decides they are not interested in anything, they very often end up sitting in front of the television or playing video games all day. This is not a radical step in the right direction, it is actually radically unhealthy. Allowing children to take interest in solely what they want is a main component in radical unschooling. In her essay, â€Å"When Bright Girls Decide that Math is a Waste of Time,† Susan Jacoby talks about how not being able to use math and science is detrimental to society. If a child decides that math and science are not important and only wants to color, that does not mean it is right to let them do so. Avoidance of math and science has the potential to limit job potential in the future, as well as, making a child feel inadequate when someone possesses more knowledge than them. Children learning to read can also go along with this. Many unschooling families had expressed concern with their child's unwillingness to read, or inability to catch on. Also, because part of the philosophy is for children to do things at their own pace, this can really be a hinderance. Often, they are behind and unable to excel in other subjects because they just cannot figure out reading. This also serves to greatly limit children and what they are able to do. Overall, radical unschooling is a bad idea. While the philosophies seem to be in the best interest of the child, most of the time, they are not practical. Numerous studies have proven time and time again that structure, routine, and true guidance are all important for children. Also, always allowing children to do activities that will not help to intellectually serve them is really hindering, not helping them. Without exposure to different types of people, children can become intolerant and in general stuck within themselves while not being concerned with other people. This is especially true if all they have been taught all of their lives is to do whatever they want to do. It is a great possibility that these children could grow up to be the kind of people who do not care for others, education, or and kind of structure. That is not the kind of future that is best for children.