Reality TV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Reality TV - Essay Example In recent decades, the media has covered the analysis that the reality shows almost around the world have brought an enormous popularity as well as profitability, implicating a promising growing trend of such phenomenon in practice (Holmes & Jermyn, 2004, 302 pp.). However, not all the reality shows are very successful in particular, though they bring the attention of mass with its significant increasing popularity as well as cultural prominence. On the other hand, this does not necessarily imply that they are good in societal context or that they ought to be aired. This paper aims at criticising the essentiality of regulatory bodies to effectively ensure the respect for human dignity of participants in reality TV show by providing empirical evidences. The significant part of the popularity achieved by such programmes is primarily due to the involvement of ordinary individuals within extraordinary framework. Reality television shows possess the potentiality to portray an ordinary individual into national celebrities in the sense of encouraging his or her outwardly in endowment as well as making them to participate in performance-based programmes such as Pop Idol, however, programmes like Survivor as well as Big Brother have the capacity to make their participants to accomplish some level of celebrity phenomenon. Some of the critics of reality television shows have argued with its description as a 'r... he potentiality to portray an ordinary individual into national celebrities in the sense of encouraging his or her outwardly in endowment as well as making them to participate in performance-based programmes such as Pop Idol, however, programmes like Survivor as well as Big Brother have the capacity to make their participants to accomplish some level of celebrity phenomenon. Some of the critics of reality television shows have argued with its description as a 'reality-based show' as they explain several reasons for it such as the inclusion of several programmes under single genre. Big Brothers and Survivor, the reality based competitive programmes, as well as living arrangement shows like The Real World, the regulatory bodies essentially design the layout of the show and govern the daily activities of the participants in order to formulate the environment based on which the competition rules out which in essence involves the psycho-drama consisting of challenges, events, behaviours, emotions and conflicts in a pre-defined scenario (Anderson 1995, p.36). Mark Burnett, the originator of Survivor, also elucidates and agrees with the statement of not deszcribing the reality show as 'reality show'. He emphasizes the reality show as being a 'good stories of unscripted dramatization' (online). The second criticism mainly stems from the idea that the reality sho w producers may become highly premeditated in their editing process that may vary from altering chronology and selective appearance of the events to portraying specific participants as heroes or villains in particular (Anderson 1994, p. 8-13). The third criticism may be encountered as the counterpart of the second criticism in which it has been noticed that the participants by themselves modify their behaviour and

Business Studies Easter Project Essay Example for Free

Business Studies Easter Project Essay Introductinon As you probably already know Asda is one of the leading food superstores in Britain today. Asda is part of the Wal-Mart group however before this Asda was on its own. Asda has been part of the Wal-Mart retailers since 1999. Asda was formed in 1965 by a group of farmers from Yorkshire, today Asda has 245 stores, with 19 depots across the U.K. Asdas aim is to sell its products 10-15% cheaper than its main competitors. Asda sells a variety of products including fresh food, grocery, clothing, home, leisure and entertainment goods. In my report I have gained my information form the Asda website and I also interviewed the store manager of the Asda store in Longsight. In my report I will discuss the following performance indicators: Labour Turnover, Labour Productivity, Absenteeism and the Morale of workers. Performance of Company Asda has recently been valued at being worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.3 billion, which includes all its assets. Anyway I think that it will be too complicated to discuss the performance indicators on such a large scale. This is why I am going to just concentrate on the performance of the Asda store in Longsight. When I asked Sue (the manager) if labour turnover was high, she replied by saying that it is an average level. (i.e. not too high and not too low). I then said to her that this must mean that staff must feel demotivated and therefore leave. She replied by saying that it was because they employed a lot of young students and this was the reason for a lot of people leaving because they couldnt fit the shifts in with their work. I believe that this means that although labour turnover is high, it is not an extremely bad point. When we discussed the labour productivity of the workers, she said that the staff, work very hard in every department whether it is the deliveries, clothing, music or work on the checkout. Many products were sold in each department but obviously some were sold much more than others. The labour productivity really determines how many products are sold, as items are obviously not being produced at the store they are being sold there. She also mentioned that everyday there are at least 2 people who are around the store to just help customers or provide tasters of foods. I believe that this helps to increase productivity, because customers may feel more welcome and more sales may be made. I then asked what the turnover of the store was each day. Sue replied by saying that on the weekends they generally make more money and she said that last Saturday they had a turnover of approximately à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500,000. I believe that this clearly shows that labour productivity is high at the Asda store in Longsight. I then went on to talk about absenteeism. Sue said that this was generally low without any notice, and that there were hardly any people who didnt give notice when they were going to have a day off. But she also said that absenteeism was a good point because it gives workers a change because they can swap shifts with one another. I agree and believe absenteeism with notice is not so bad. Sue said the the morale of workers was generally high. She said that staff were paid at a time rate starting from à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4.15 per hour. The following incentives could be motivating factors for the staff at Asda: Tell the team- putting your ideas across Stars- can be cashed in for gifts. ABCD- A certificate for dedicated workers. Bonus payments- for reaching certain targets Share plan Private Healthcare Discount on new cars Travel insurance Staff Discount Card I believe that the following incentives will make workers feel motivated. This is because it makes the workers feel that they are being recognised and that there work is appreciated. It is not only the financial incentives that are important for motivation. It is also for example the certificate for working hard which could motivate. And even the fact that workers can put their ideas across, which may make them feel a real part of the company. There are some improvements that could be made to the performance indicators. Firstly as we know labour turnover at the Longsight store is at an average level as many workers are students. We can solve this problem by allowing the shifts to fit in with the workers education, by offering them certain shifts. And then there is the labour productivity which is already very high, so I believe that this should just be kept at a constant level. And workers should just continue with the good work. Absenteeism is a problem when the workers dont come into work without any notice. To solve this problem I believe that managers should phone up absent workers to see where they are. And if they persist in not coming into work then this must mean that they feel demotivated, so managers should try to find out what the problem is. I know that the incentives that Asda offers are very good, but I generally believe that managers should talk to their staff a little more and just give them general assurance that they are doing the job in the right way and to show that their work is appreciated. Conclusion I believe that as Asda is worth over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.3 billion this must mean that they are not going too wrong. And another fact that shows that Asda is doing well is that it was voted the best company to work for in the year 2000 by the Times Newspaper. And in 2001 it was also voted supermarket of the year.

Canals :: essays research papers

Explain changes that took place in Canals during 1750 – 1900 Water transport was a lot quicker than road transport, the only problem was that rivers meandered and flooded, some places were too shallow for boats to go through. A lot of trade was done by sea, coal mainly came to London by sea. Before 1750 improvement schemes were planned but the rivers still flooded travelling by land with goods ment they would get damaged and broken. IN the 18th century the main rivers were; The River Themes, Dee, Trent, Severn, and Humber. Here is a table of when the canals opened: <table border="1"> NAME AND LOCATIONLENGTH (KM/MI)YEAR OPENEDBaltic-White Sea, Russia226.91 / 141.001933Suez, Egypt162.13 / 100.761869Albert, Belgium130.36 / 81.001939Moscow, Russia128.75 / 80.001937Nord-Ostsee, Germany96.56 / 60.001895Gà ¶ta, Sweden86.91 / 54.001832Panama, Panama81.63 / 50.721914Houston Ship Channel, United States80.47 / 50.001914Amsterdam-Rhine, Netherlands62.76 / 39.001952Manchester Ship Canal, England57.13 / 35.501894Chicago Sanitary and Ship, United States48.28 / 30.001900Welland Ship, Canada*44.42 / 27.601932Juliana, Netherlands33.80 / 21.001934Chesapeake-Delaware, United States30.58 / 19.001829North Sea-Amsterdam, Netherlands28.97 / 18.001876Cape Cod, United States28.16 / 17.501914Kronshtadt-Leningrad, Russia27.36 / 17.001885Lake Washington Ship, United States12.88 / 8.001916New Orleans Industrial, United States9.66 / 6.001923Sault Sainte Marie (N.), United States2.57 / 1.601919Sault Sainte Marie, Canada2.09 / 1.301895 * Reconstructed from the old Welland Canal, which was originally completed in 1833. In 1757 the first canal was built, it was called Sankey Cut, it went from St. Hellans to the river Mersy to let barges carry coal from Lancastershire mines to Liverpool. The Duke of Bridgewater built a canal to get coal from his colliery in Worsley to Manchester, a few km away. He employed an engineer (James Brindley) to do so. The Duke made a profit of  £100,000 a year. James Brindleys most famouse canal was the Grand Trunk canal, it links the river Trent to the river mersy and runs through potteries, it was finished in 1777. By 1790, a canal network linked four major ports; Bristol, Liverpool, Hull and London. Enthusiasm continued in the 1790’s so canals were built in rural areas and never made very much profit from them, even if they did benefit people who live near them. Between 1760 and 1840 almost 6,500 km of canal had been built.Some people converted their barges to carry animals to market. From 1774 and comfortable passenger service ran from Altrichham to Manchester. Businessmen hired people like James Brindly, Thomas Telford and William Jessop to build canals to raise the money they set up campaigns.

Should Smoking Be Illegal

Introduction/Thesis Statement: People who smoke should have the right to smoke if that is their desire. The Bill of Rights states that as an American we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For some people, smoking makes them happy and calms them down in stressful situations. As an American it should be your choice as to whether or not you smoke. Our forefathers based our constitution on our basic human rights. Increasingly vocal â€Å"smokers'-rights† groups, allied with some civil libertarians, have decried the work of governmental â€Å"nannies† that â€Å"refuse to treat smokers as adults. † Clark, C. S. (1992, December 4). Crackdown on smoking. CQ Researcher, 2, 1049-1072. Retrieved November 3, 2010, from CQ Researcher Online,http://library. cqpress. com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1992120400. Jefferson City, Missouri just recently passed its own smoking ban, which is city wide. This means that any citizen that might want to smoke will have to hide somewhere to do it. Apparently the smokers, were absent during this election. Making smoking illegal will only have even more far reaching consequences. Small businesses, particularly restaurants, hotels and transit providers, have warned us that smoking bans will cost them the clientele that sustains their livelihoods. Due to current city ordinances in Columbia, Missouri that have banned smoking, there have been at least fifteen local businesses that have gone out of business. News Tribune (2010), Smoking Ban Passes Anti- smoking groups have also been accused of feathering their own nests, spending more on salaries and fund raising than on research. It has been accused of being an industry that provides â€Å"employment for an army of smoker-bashers, and for many, the opportunity to amass personal fortunes,† writes Fred Phillis, a Trumbull, Conn. , public relations consultant and smokers’-rights activist. There is no denying the health risks that are involved when someone smokes. There are over 400,000 deaths per year that have been directly linked to smoking. This should still be our choice to make, just as it is our choice about whether to watch TV or not. While there have been health issues related to second hand smoke, we cannot lose sight of the fact that, they can always go somewhere else to sit. Non-smokers do not have to sit by smokers. There is much to be said about not smoking, my own grandchildren are allergic to cigarette smoke. Also the University of North Carolina researchers reported that children of smokers showed a 38 percent higher chance of ear infections Clark, C. S. (1992, December 4). Crackdown on smoking. CQ Researcher, 2, 1049-1072. Retrieved November 3, 2010, from CQ Researcher Online,http://library. cqpress. com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1992120400. It is still our choice to not smoke around our grandchildren, someone didn’t tell us not to. In the classic mold of social scapegoating, smokers have been stigmatized, ghettoized and threatened with cultural annihilation. â€Å"Smokers are being made to feel like social pariahs,† declares John F. Banzhaf III, a George Washington University law professor who founded the anti-smoking group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). Conclusion/Closing: â€Å"What we are also losing in this whole debate is science, which has become political,† says Walker Merryman, a vice president of The Tobacco Institute. Those are the business people who hav e to try to operate when their economic life is threatened? † In conclusion I have but one thought â€Å"Give me a place, even if it's outside. But you just can't legislate it out of my life. †

A Woman’s Place Essay

â€Å"Don’t read so much, he said, don’t study; get yourself good and tired out with homework, take exercise. He believes that her troubles would clear up if she got married. He believes this in spite of the fact that most of his nerve medicine is prescribed for married women. † The primary theme of Meneseteung by Alice Munro is the role of women in times of Victorian traditions and standards. The narrator, who is never identified, explains tasks and qualities that differentiate a real, marriageable woman from an outcast from society. The main character in this story is Almeda Joynt Roth, a respectable woman who has become famous in her small town for her poetry book. She has earned respect and admiration amongst others in the town for her works, but has also been criticized as a woman’s literary ambitions were thought to be hobby rather than vocation. Roth yearns to marry Jarvis Poulter, an idea that the rest of the town supports. Even Roth’s doctor, who prescribes nerve medicine to help Roth with her sleeplessness, says she would be much happier if she were married. However, Poulter does not find Roth to be a suitable wife and does not pursue her as such because she does not demonstrate the qualities that defined a marriageable woman of the times. The story, then, is not just about the role of women in the society but also about a lonely woman, an outcast of traditional society, and her search for companionship. Roth suffers from insomnia and goes to the doctor to get medication to help with her sleeplessness. The doctor suggests that Roth busies herself with things that are not considered womanly such as studying and writing. Her writing is considered an asset to the community, but not totally accepted as a woman is expected to marry and have a family. The town paper, the Vidette, which contains articles that would often be considered libelous by modern standards considers her young and fit enough to bear children, physically speaking she is marriageable material. The doctor suggests that she wear herself out by performing housewife tasks such as cleaning and exercising so that she may sleep. He also discourages her from reading and writing, as it is not required of her to do these things to ulfill her position in society. He suggests that marriage would solve most of her problems, though the medication he prescribes her is primarily prescribed to married women. The doctor is prescribing a remedy to her problems by becoming a housewife, while also prescribing medication that is given to housewives to treat the very condition she, as a single woman, had come to ameliorate. In the society portrayed in Meneseteung marriage is considered to be a cure-all for many of women’s problems. Why, asks the narrator, has Roth remained unmarried for so long? The narrator suspects that it is partly down to her desolate disposition. A caliginous personality is not one that is considered attractive and people tend to avoid developing social ties to her. Weighed down by burdens such as the loss of her family Roth is a loner with reading, writing, and the hopeless pursuit of Jarvis Poulter as her only aspirations in life and generally just does as she pleases. She dreams of marrying Poulter, an idea that the whole town supports, but he never showed an interest in her as she did not fit the imagine of a marriageable woman of the times. Despite this the narrator portrays Roth to be less of the â€Å"reckless hedonist† and more like a â€Å"tormented artist,† suffering as a result of her art. It is her particularity that makes her an eminent writer, but also not considered suitable to be taken as a wife. Women in this story are portrayed as weak and in need of men. One night, Roth is awoken by a drunk, abused woman at her fence. She is frightened and rushes to Poulter for help, and this is shown as being the first time in the story that she behaves like a typical woman of her time. She is no longer the poised, confident woman that Poulter has come to know her as and is attracted to her desperate vulnerability. Poulter was not attracted to her when she was poised and confident but once he had seen that she was weak, helpless, and in need of him he felt drawn to her as she finally fit the stereotypical image of a woman. Poulter deals with the drunken woman in a cruelly and insensitively and upon seeing this Roth loses interest in him. Poulter asks her to church and she declines and the two never pursue a relationship. Despite being portrayed as weak and in need of men, women are not powerless in marriage. One of a woman’s primary roles is to â€Å"create their husbands† by â€Å"ascribing preferences† to them. â€Å"This way, bewildered, sidelong-looking men are made over, made into husbands, heads of households. † Roth cannot see herself doing this, which urther separates her from the society in which she lives. After her rejection of Poulter’s interests Roth retreats into the vivid aberration brought upon her by the doctor’s nerve medicine and meets her death after becoming the target of menacing youths’ malevolent tormenting. This quote from the doctor, which I have chosen as the most profoundly meaningful, shows the thinking of the times. Women we re to marry to solve their own problems as well as to solve the problems of their husband. This short story is about a woman who is different from the social norm and her search for companionship and stability in her own life, as well as how breaking the norm had its own consequences. Her obsession with reading and writing, which was said to be more suitable as a hobby than profession, set her aside and earned her respect within her community while at the same time driving a wedge between her and a normal life because she did not spend her life marrying, becoming a wife, becoming a mother, and spending her days cleaning and caring for her family like a typical woman of the time. When Roth became vulnerable she became like every other woman and Poulter finally saw her as a possibility for marriage but his actions revolted Roth. The incident with the drunken woman disgusted her into a solitary existence with just her and her hallucinations brought on by the nerve medication prescribed by the doctor. The doctor suggested that by marrying, Roth would not require this medicine despite it being most commonly prescribed for married women. So, then, Almeda Roth could not live with herself as a normal woman yet not being a typical woman is what eventually led to her demise.

Activity 2 Foundations Essay

Activity 2 Foundations Essay Activity 2 Foundations Essay Heterogeneous Catalyst: The Catalytic Converter Within the field of chemistry, catalysts are used to lower the activation energy (Ea) required in order to kick start a desired reaction. There are multiple ways scientists have been able to utilize this implementation into everyday life. There are three types of catalysts: heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts as well as enzymes. The type of interest here is the heterogeneous catalyst. A heterogeneous catalyst is one that exists in a different phase as the reactants it is being introduced to. For example, a solid being introduced into a reaction that contains two different liquids and speeds up the reaction of those two liquids is considered a heterogeneous catalyst. A perfect example to evaluate in more depth is one that most of us use every single day. A catalytic converter is something that is required on the exhaust system of all present-day vehicles. It can be found attached to an exhaust pipe just as it comes out of the engine. Most common converters do exactly as the name refers, they catalyze chemical reactions that in short convert otherwise harmful chemicals to less harmful molecules to be released into the air. A typical converter consists of multiple sheets of platinum that carry out three important reactions. These platinum sheets act as heterogeneous catalysts in said reactions. Within the two primary reactions the catalyst is used as an oxidizing agent, adding oxygen to incoming molecules and releasing

Samuel Coleridge

Samuel Coleridge The Romantic writer Samuel Taylor Coleridge advanced a theory in his Biographia Literaria that distinguished two important and often confused concepts of his day, Imagination and Fancy. In viewing several of his written works, it is evident that he strove to include a steady balance of both.Coleridge proposed that Fancy plays with ?fixities and definites, ? things already common to perception. It reshapes memories in the absence of time and space, without barriers. It is a sort of mosaic reordering of natural perceptions, a collage of reality. It lacks the ability to create something completely original but rather uniquely juxtaposes tangible and sensual elements without losing their distinguishing characteristics.Imagination, on the other hand, leads specifically to original creativity. In the section of Biographia Literaria titled ?On the Imagination, or Esempastic Power? Coleridge illuminates the distinction between Fancy and Imagination. There are two degrees of Imagination, prim ary and secondary.English: Image of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Fr...Primary Imagination is central to human perception and is analogous to the ?eternal act of creation in the infinite I AM.? This type of Imagination is solely attributed to God and His progressive acts of creation. Secondary Imagination, however, is but a whisper of the Primary. God has embedded this innate ability to create in the human conscious will. It differs only in the degree to which it can be utilized and the modes of its operation; it seeks to unify and idealize, ?dissolving, diffusing, and dissipating in order to recreate.? Coleridge clarifies these concepts further in his Lectures On Shakespeare. He marvels at Shakespeare?s ability to utilize Imagination in his writing, which he calls ?a sort of fusion to force many into one.? Taking several lines from Venus and Adonis he demonstrates the multiplicity of feelings and images the Imagination generates. As for Fancy, he clarifies this concept also...

Example Sentences of the Verb Hit

Example Sentences of the Verb Hit This page provides example sentences of the verb Hit in all tenses including active and passive forms, as well as conditional and modal forms. Base Form hit / Past Simple hit/ Past Participle hit / Gerund hitting Present Simple:Â  He often hits balls with his son in the park.Present Simple Passive:Â  Home runs are often hit out of this ballpark.Present Continuous:Â  He is hitting the ball hard today.Present Continuous Passive:Â  The ball is being hit hard today by all the players.Present Perfect:Â  She has hit fifteen home runs this season.Present Perfect Passive:Â  Fifteen home runs have been hit by Susan this season.Present Perfect Continuous:Â  Jack has been hitting that punching bag for the last twenty minutes.Past Simple:Â  Mary hit a home run out of the park yesterday.Past Simple Passive:Â  A home run was hit out of the park during yesterdays game.Past Continuous:Â  Hank was hitting the punching bag when his trainer walked into the gym.Past Continuous Passive:Â  The punching bag was being hit when the trainer walked into the gym.Past Perfect:Â  She had already hit four home runs when she hit the grand slam!Past Perfect Passive:Â  A grand slam had already been hit when the g ame was canceled due to the rain.Past Perfect Continuous:Â  Alan had been hitting the punching bag for twenty minutes when the trainer walked into the gym. Future (will):Â  She will hit the roof when she finds out!Future (will) passive:Â  The ball will be hit out of the park.Future (going to):Â  Jack is going to hit the ball out of the park today.Future (going to) passive:Â  The ball is going to be hit out of the park today.Future Continuous:Â  This time tomorrow we will be hitting the punching bag in the gym.Future Perfect:Â  William will have hit three home runs before the game is finished.Future Possibility:Â  She might hit him if he doesnt shut up!Real Conditional:Â  If she hits a home run, the team will celebrate.Unreal Conditional:Â  If she hit a home run, the team would celebrate.Past Unreal Conditional:Â  If she had hit a home run, the team would have celebrated.Present Modal:Â  You should hit a punching bag to get rid of your anger.Past Modal:Â  She must have hit a home run. Quiz: Conjugate With Hit Use the verb to hit to conjugate the following sentences. Quiz answers are below. In some cases, more than one answer may be correct. Mary _____ a homerun out of the park yesterday.She _____ fifteen homeruns this season.He _____ the ball hard today.The punching bag _____ when the trainer walked into the gym.A grand slam _____ already _____ when the game was canceled due to the rain.She _____ the roof when she finds out!William _____ three homeruns before the game is finished.If she _____ a homerun, the team would have celebrated.A homerun _____ out of the park during yesterdays game.He often _____ a punching bag to relax. Quiz Answers hithas hitis hittingwas being hithad been hitwill hitwill have hithad hitwas hithits

E Market Business Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

E Market Business Plan - Research Paper Example In the world today, people are advancing in technology to such levels that they can be able to exchange goods and services without necessarily having physical contacts. The information technology has advanced so that information can be passed from one individual to another within a very short time and easily. This has helped people to develop ways to negotiate means to buy and purchase products from people who stay in distant places without necessarily visiting the people who possess such commodities. The payment systems are implemented in such ways that money is transferred from one individual to another through an internet enabled systems and connectivity that link the buyer to the seller (Turban, King and Lang 418). Through the different systems, commodities are delivered to the customers who buy them as per plans that are considered appropriate to the two parties involved in this business (Funk 27). In another way, marketing and promotion services are conducted through the intern et and they characterize display of information that is important about specific commodities is availed in websites. Through the online services, a variety of businesses have been established in the world, ranging from banks, store and warehouses as well as supermarkets which sell food products and allow payments to be done in advance and through electronic transfers. In most instances, credit cards have been used to make payments for good ordered and they enable a buyer to purchase products that are worth very high amount of money without limitation (Turban, King and Lang 384). ... The business idea was established in order to address the issue of art business by making the products available to as many people as possible, both in terms of quantity and quality. GANC will have its offices in the city of New York in the United States of America, (USA) but it will serve people in different parts of the world who have access to the internet. GANC will deal with products like music in CDs and DVDs, painting, sculptures and photographs, which are highly required by very many people within the world (Funk 57). Mission To be the best alternative artwork center to all the people in the world distinguishing ourselves in terms of diversity of products, high quality and providing accessible products to all customers and assurance of timely delivery Keys to success Highly accessible website to display our products High technological system of making orders, payment of orders and communicating to the customers Effective advertising programs which will ensure that all the peo ple are able to access the products An exciting image of the GANC store to display the products that are purchasable by customers An effective shipment programs for products bought by customers from far countries Market Description In the world today, pieces of art have been considered one of the important parts of life to very many people in different social classes and of different economic status. In the field of music, there is production of different varieties according to language, styles of singing and the contents and the intended purposes. For instance, many people are engaged in production of gospel or secular, reggae or soft music as well as the diversity in different world languages and cultural diversities.

Article Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Review - Article Example Luke (2012) discusses the extent to which organizations can support entrepreneurial behavior and innovation by suggesting the importance of paying attention to the concept. Besides, the paper critiques some of the barriers the author identifies as constraints to ensuring entrepreneurship and innovation. In addition, this paper critiques the proposed components of an organizations innovative behavior as well as crucial factors for the creatiion of corporate entrepreneurship. Finally, it is imperative to review some of the recommendations that the author proposes as fostering innovation and entrepreneurship behavior. The main objective of this article is to bring to light some of the factors and elements that foster corporate entrepreneurship and innovation in an organization. On the other hand, the article explains how modern businesses can manage the competition in the global economy by focusing on flexibility, adaptability, risk-taking, competitive aggressiveness, and innovativeness. All of the above are elements of entrepreneurship thus the article rather presents some of the conditions that favor corporate entrepreneurship and innovation. Nonetheless, the article illustrates the nature of corporate entrepreneurship and innovativeness in the modern economic environment where issues like imitation and theft to intellectual property can hinder efforts to stay competitiveness. Moreover, the article offers advice to small and large businesses in the need to create organizational culture that foster proper management of small ideas since they are the basis of corporate entrepreneurship and innova tion. Finally, Luke summarizes by stating some distinct recommendations on how organizations can create and nurture innovative behaviors among its employees. Luke begins by defining corporate entrepreneurship as a process of that gathers resources for the purpose of implementing various innovative activities result in the production of new

The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster risk management plan Case Study

The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster risk management plan - Case Study Example From the data provided, it appears that a risk management plan was in existence. Some of the management plans were applied whereas some of the plans were not applicable due to some reasons. One of the examples of a risk management plan was to design a space shuttle program that would utilize both the liquid and solid propellants. The liquid propellant system is more reliable as compared to the solid propellant system. The flow of the liquid propellant from the storage tanks to the engine can be throttled and shut down in case of emergency whereas a solid propellant cannot function in the same manner. One of the drawbacks associated with the liquid propellants was that they are comparatively expensive than the solid propellants and hence it was impossible for NASA to hire a system totally functional on liquid propellant. A combination of both was manufactured. In 1972, NASA chose Rocker for the building of the orbiter. According to many industry leaders, the Rocker package did not include an escape system. An escape system is very effective and necessary in case of emergencies. NASA officials ignored the escape system and hence the Space Shuttle Program became the first the first U.S. aircraft which did not include an escape system for the crew. According to Mr. Moore, (NASA's deputy administrator for space flight), weather plays an important role. According to him, the specifications on the wind velocity need to be checked in order to avoid exceeding of crosswinds. This is done so that the commanders can have a clear view of the runway and so forth. In order to avoid any accidents that may be related to weather, crosswinds limits are maintained. These issues clearly enhance the project management factor. Some of the risk management plans were implied whereas some of them could not be reinforced. 2. Would there had been a better way to handle risk management planning at NASA assuming sixteen flights per year, twenty live flights per year or as originally planned, sixty flights per year Why is the number of flights per year critical in designing a formalized risk management plan The planner that was originally planned comprised of sixteen flights per year. With the increase in flights, the paper work tended to increase. The requirement for paper work completion was that it was supposed to be submitted approximately one week before every flight. The increase in paper work meant that the accomplishment of goals was getting difficult. With the increase in paperwork, the formulation of a risk management plan was almost impossible because half of the time was consumed in the paperwork of the flights. The employees of NASA were working very hard to cope up with the paperwork which was increasing with the increase in the number of flights. Increase in paperwork meant that the personnel had to work overtime which included the weekends. According to an interoffice memo that was sent from Scot Stein to Bob Lund the paperwork was making it difficult for them to handle the problems and formulating a risk management plan because half the time was taken up by the paperwork. He said that it was necessary to make

Determinism, Compatiblism, and Libertarianism Research Paper

Determinism, Compatiblism, and Libertarianism - Research Paper Example I will divide my paper into four main parts. Part one will be devoted to an analysis of determinism. I shall use Paul Holbach’s version of this position. In contrast to part one, part two will tackle the libertarian position. Here I shall use Roderick Chisholm’s version. And part three will discuss the compatibilist view on free will. In doing so, I shall use A. J. Ayer’s version. Finally, I will show the main strengths and weaknesses of each. I will conclude my paper by giving an explanation on why I think compatibilism is the most feasible and practical among all three. Determinism: Everything Has A Cause Determinism is the view that rests on the assumption that everything has a cause. â€Å"All doctrines of determinism imply that given the past and the laws of nature at any given time, there is only one possible future. Whatever happens is therefore inevitable† (Kane 285). What does this imply? It simply implies that â€Å"we could not have chosen othe rwise† (Feinberg and Shafer-Landau 410). To illustrate this position further, I will explore Paul Holbach’s version of hard-determinism. Holbach says that we are not free. But how does he argue for this position? The main claim of determinism is that â€Å"whatever happens is determined by prior events† (Sie 2). Holbach is a hard determinist. ... But if my action is determined by past events, then I'm unable to act otherwise. Therefore, I don’t ever act freely. One can argue that it is not the case that I don’t act freely for I have my own motives, choices and I am not restrained. However, Holbach refutes this on the basis of â€Å"the complexity of human conduct and the illusion of free agency† (Holbach 463). Holbach argues, we only think we are free because we cannot explain the phenomena, but in principle, we can explain everything by explaining its causes (463). For instance, if I can explain my actions through the laws of nature then we have no use for free will anymore. So if we discover the cause of a given phenomena, then it nullifies freedom. Therefore, we are not free. Contrary to determinism is the libertarian position. I shall discuss Chisholm’s version of libertarianism next. Libertarianism: some of our actions are free Libertarianism argues that some events that happen are not determi ned by prior events. In defending freewill, Chisholm suggests: We must not say that every event involved in the act is caused by some other event; and we must not say that the act is something that is not caused at all. The possibility that remains, therefore, is this: We should say that at least one of the events that are involved in the act is caused, not by any other events, but by something else instead. And this something else can only be the agent—the man (440). Given Chisholm’s suggestion, I can say that my action-A is free if and only if I am the cause of A and that I could have done another action-B other than A. If determinism is true, I could not have done B. But I could have done B because I am the cause of my actions. My decision to do A caused me to perform A,

Evaluation of your learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluation of your learning - Essay Example The drive to establish student self-worth is a part of the hidden curriculum within the Lifelong Learning Curriculum. The hidden curriculum is characterized by its intention to unconsciously include learning experiences into the overt curriculum. The hidden curriculum aspires to help students acquire social values and skills (Cornbleth 1990, 50). Another significant feature of the Lifelong Learning curriculum is that the students acquire a â€Å"relevant range and high quality groundwork of knowledge and skills† that are conducive to preparation for the workforce, the maintenance of good interpersonal relations and for sustaining a life replete with creativity and imagination (Chapman and Aspin 1997, 76). Ultimately, the Lifelong Learning curriculum seeks to ensure that education and training are arranged so as to meet the wider societal need of producing workers who can become engaged in the world’s labour market in a competitive manner (Chapman and Aspin 1997, 76). The Lifelong Learning curriculum makes provision for student learning assessment. By taking this approach students take on responsibilities for managing their learning. They are encouraged to state their objectives and to periodically assess and have their progress toward those goals assessed. Ultimately, this approach not only improve the student’s learning, but also contributes to it (Wankel and DeFillippi 2008, 157). Cumulatively, the Lifelong Learning Curriculum is designed to ensure that teaching focuses on student learning. The focus is on learning so that students gain attitudes and skills necessary to learn for themselves in both during education and after completing their education. The Lifelong Learning curriculum takes an approach that reflects a recognition that learning takes place in a number of different contexts in both academic and non-academic constructs as well as in the community, employment and at home. In this regard, the Lifelong

Sustainable development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sustainable development - Essay Example As a result, their distinction and level of importance can only be understood with defined hierarchies or system levels. Though the choice of level is always dependent upon the observer, he may attach different importance to different hierarchies. The system levels, anyhow, defined will make it convenient to differentiate systems from sub-systems for not being merely sum of their parts. Besides this, they will facilitate the interaction between these systems and subsystems. The idea of system level or hierarchies in the system practice, therefore, makes it easy to develop structures conducive to exploring a system of interest. Similarly system levels or hierarchy is also essential in sustainable development. The domain of sustainable development comprises of individuals with some course of action, some sphere of thoughts or some situation. Hierarchies and system levels within a domain make it easy to recognize a system and the interrelations of the components within it. However, different individuals or groups involved in the sustainable development carry different system of interests or sometimes joint system of interest. Sustainable development is a complex domain activity that recognizes several senses as the area of activity of a person, a sphere of thought or opinion and the situation where something is applicable. All of these elements are interconnected in terms of the boundaries, environments and systems. The boundaries, systems and the environment are crucial in the understanding of the concept of sustainable development tackling the complexity systematically and thus the concept of sustainable development as a main domain through system practice is relevant to the T306 course. One sensible way of engaging the domain of sustainable development is through system practice where the domain is further divided into sub-domains or subsystems like ‘information system’ and ‘organizations’.

Evaluation of your learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluation of your learning - Essay Example The drive to establish student self-worth is a part of the hidden curriculum within the Lifelong Learning Curriculum. The hidden curriculum is characterized by its intention to unconsciously include learning experiences into the overt curriculum. The hidden curriculum aspires to help students acquire social values and skills (Cornbleth 1990, 50). Another significant feature of the Lifelong Learning curriculum is that the students acquire a â€Å"relevant range and high quality groundwork of knowledge and skills† that are conducive to preparation for the workforce, the maintenance of good interpersonal relations and for sustaining a life replete with creativity and imagination (Chapman and Aspin 1997, 76). Ultimately, the Lifelong Learning curriculum seeks to ensure that education and training are arranged so as to meet the wider societal need of producing workers who can become engaged in the world’s labour market in a competitive manner (Chapman and Aspin 1997, 76). The Lifelong Learning curriculum makes provision for student learning assessment. By taking this approach students take on responsibilities for managing their learning. They are encouraged to state their objectives and to periodically assess and have their progress toward those goals assessed. Ultimately, this approach not only improve the student’s learning, but also contributes to it (Wankel and DeFillippi 2008, 157). Cumulatively, the Lifelong Learning Curriculum is designed to ensure that teaching focuses on student learning. The focus is on learning so that students gain attitudes and skills necessary to learn for themselves in both during education and after completing their education. The Lifelong Learning curriculum takes an approach that reflects a recognition that learning takes place in a number of different contexts in both academic and non-academic constructs as well as in the community, employment and at home. In this regard, the Lifelong

Business Environment of Zurich Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Environment of Zurich - Essay Example Likewise, their products and services are diverse and categorized according to the clientele they serve. These products and services range from motor vehicle and home insurance, life insurance, savings and investment, as well as pension and retirement planning (for individual clients); property, casualty, workers’ compensation, corporate life and pensions, financial lines, and accident and health (for small and mid-sized organizations); and finally construction, global energy, marine, motor fleet, international programs, and risk engineering (for large and multinational corporations). As Zurich operates in a vast global environment, the purpose of this case study is to provide an assessment of the business environment of Zurich. Specifically, the following questions would be addressed: (1) what is meant by the term â€Å"customer centric†? How has Zurich’s primary research helped it be even more customer focused? (2) Explain the difference between primary and sec ondary market research. How could secondary data support primary research? (3) Analyse how Zurich positioned itself in a customer focused way. (4) Evaluate to what extent help point has enable Zurich to differentiate itself in the insurance market and provide an example of similar service provided either within the same or different environment. Environment The article on Business Environment published online by the Excel College of Higher Education defines the business environment as â€Å"the influences and pressures exerted by external factors on the business† (Excel College of Higher Education, n.d.). As such there are eight constituents of the business environment composed of: demographic, economic, geographical and ecological, legal, technological, social, educational and cultural, as well as the political environment. For Zurich, as a global organization, its scope of operations include Europe (Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom), North America (USA, Ca nada), Asia-Pacific (Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia), and other markets such as Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil (Zurich Insurance Company Ltd., 2012). Their business environment is therefore vast as it encompasses strategic locations worldwide. Further, due to the wide span of demographical and geographic scale, both opportunities and risk abound. Thus the prevailing economic, political, socio-cultural and legal factors that applies in the respective countries wherein Zurich operates influence their business activities. Their financial success really depends on the strengths and competitive advantages manifested by Zurich and the reaction, as well as response of entrenched competitors within their area of operations. Business Aspect (1) What is meant by the term â€Å"customer centric†? How has Zurich’s primary research helped it be even more customer focused? The term customer-centric means that â€Å"the customer (is placed) at the center of policy-related proc esses† (Gujral, 2007, p. 48). The meaning is more expounded by Booz Allen Hamilton (2004) who averred that customer centric organizations, like Zurich, â€Å"moved beyond lip service and re-oriented their entire operating model around the customer, increasing customer satisfaction, and their own profitability in the process† (Hamilton, 2004, p. 1). As indicated in the Zurich case study on â€Å"Providing a customer-centric service†

Jews Milkweed Essay Example for Free

Jews Milkweed Essay During Hitler`s region, he and the Nazi region changed many lives of innocent people. Milkweed, a historical fiction by Jerry Spinelli, shows how the Holocaust impacted a multitude of people. Orphaned at an early age Misha, the protagonist, adopts the identity of an orphan gypsy a persona created by his friend Uri. Misha adapts that identity would eventually become Misha Milgrom- the Jew. Misha assumes the role as the Milgrom family â€Å"breadwinner†. After thousands of Jews including the Milgroms, are relocated to the ghetto of Warsaw, Misha learns to identify himself with the Jewish struggle, and to be a part of a family. Because of Hitler`s oppression region, Jews like Misha, the street gang of orphans, and the Milgrom family learn to rely on relationships to help boost their chances of survival if not survival of life then survival of humanity and hope. Hitler`s is able to oppress the Jewish population by taking away their individual power, humility, and hope. One of the ways he takes away power is by using propaganda is to convince the non-Jews that Jews are to blame the wrongs in society. Misha sees this happen when he goes to the carousel and finds a horse missing. It has been from the place on the ride. The crowd surrounding the carousel immediately place blame for the missing horse. â€Å"‘Find the dirty Jew! ’ the voices called over and over, and I think one I heard was mine. † (pg. 66). Spinelli is showing how readly people will follow the crowd and join in the demeaning of a person to save their own lives. Even Misha finds himself buying into the propaganda. He has jumped on the bandwagon. After Misha realizes he too is joining in, he sees that someone has been found to blame. â€Å"They found a Jew. Or should I say they found a Jew. Jews are interchangeable. One was as good as another. † (pg. 66). It is clear that Jews have lost their individuality and become the scapegoat. They are now the â€Å"filthy son of Abraham† a worthless group of useless people, thriving people. People who are to be blamed for all the ills of society. Another example, of oppression is when Misha, Uri, and the boys are being rounded up by the jackboots to go to the ghetto. The boys are surprised when shouting voices as they scramble to escape. In an effort to get away, the boys all go in different directions. One of the boys jumped from the loft. He was shot in midair and flopped to the ground like a ragdoll. † (pg. 79). the boys are oppressed; under complete control of the Nazis. They fear being shot too. The Nazis believe that shooting the boy that try to escape is a small price to pay to get all the others under control. As people lose their powers, they need to help one another as it means of survival. Misha is dependent on Uri for basic survival during Hitler`s take over at Poland. Misha is naive, immature, young homeless boy. He is hopeless without the guidance of Uri. Uri has kept Mishap with food, shelter, companionship, and clothing. He treats him like a younger brother. Uri teaches him about the true purpose of the jackboots and news rules in society. â€Å"For some reason, I felt freer to be stupid and silly when he was there than when he was not. † (pg. 80). Mishap is more comfortable with Uri than without him and does not feel safe to be himself without Uri around. He trusts Uri to protect him when he crosses the line. He knows that if he is to act foolish walking the streets alone he would undoubtedly be killed. To help Misha survive the atrocity of the war, Uri has to take drastic measures. By the end of the war, Misha has learned from Uri how to become a protector and provider. At this point of the novel, the reader has begun to see little of Uri. When he does show Uri he is needed and has to do what no friend should have to do to help Misha avoid the train. â€Å"The Jackboot flung me against a wall. I saw his hand go to his holster. I saw the gun come out and point between my eyes. Die piglet! The voice. I looked up. The red hair. The face. Uri! I cried, and the gun went off. (pg. 168). Uri may have shot off Misha`s ear off, but he gave him an opportunity to run toward freedom and away from the ovens. Misha is helping the Milgroms in a desperate time of need. During the Holocaust many families, including the Milgroms, learn to survive the hardships by relying on relationships to help boost their chances of survival. One way the Milgroms use relationships to survive is by using it to sta y positive. There is so much death and destruction in the ghetto that people need hope if they wish to keep going and survive. Misha leans this when Mr. Milgrom tells him and Janina that Hanukkah is a holiday to celebrate the Jewish heritage. â€Å"And so Hanukkah is eight days when we remember that time, and we remember to be happy and proud to be Jews and that we will always survive. This is our time. We celebrate ourselves. We must be happy now. We must never forget how to be happy. Never forget. † (pg. 157). Spinelli is showing to be proud of yourself. It doesn`t matter what race or religion you are. Just be happy and never forget to be happy. If you have a good attitude, you can make other people around you happy. If you feel happy about yourself nothing will bring you down. Being positive about yourself will help people survive in the hardest of times. After Misha learns about deportations from a friend, Uri, Misha warns the Milgrom family in order for them to survive. Mr. Milgrom realizes that he will need to let go of Janina in order for her to survive. â€Å"He stared into my eyes. He gripped my forearm. Take her hand. Keep her with you. Make her go take off your armbands off and run. Run until daylight. Then hide. Run at night. He squeezed my arm so hard I would have thought he was trying to hurt me if I hadn’t known better. Do not bring back food tonight. Do not return. Run. Run. † (pg. 180). It is clear that the Holocaust is tearing up families and people, but this shows the Milgrom`s family has trust in everyone in the family. This shows that Mr. Milgrom trusts Misha to take Janina away from Warsaw. Mr. Milgrom wants Janina to be safe, to be happy, and to be free. He doesn’t want Janina to die like her mother. Misha understands this is hard for Mr. Milgrom to let go of Janina, but it needs to be done in order for her to survive. The oppressive nature of living in a German occupied Poland created conflict for the Jews. In order to survive or at least have some hope of survival, Jews such as the Milgroms, Misha, and the orphans had to form relationship that boosted their chances to live. Misha needed Uri, the Milgroms needed Misha, and the street gang needed each one another. Because life is hard and people are cruel and intolerant, relationships are essential to bring hope and light into the darkness life may throw in your way. Life in the ghetto during the Holocaust is dark as it gets.

What are the Benefits of Fair Trade?

What are the Benefits of Fair Trade? According to many authors, food is physiological basic needs of the human being (Blackwell et al, 2006). Nowadays, people are getting interested health, organic and wellbeing food but most people do not know where products come from and how they are made. Basically, fair trade aims is to improve the position of poor and disadvantaged food producers in the third World by helping them to become more advantageously involved in world trade (Jones et al, 2004). Also there are many fair trade retail products in many major supermarkets and independent shops most notably chocolates, fresh fruits, cottons, flowers, teas and coffees. Especially coffee is one of the representative fair trade products. Most coffee has been originated in Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, Brazil and India but these centuries are economically poor. For example, if we buy 5pound coffee, coffee farmers get about 2%~5%. Even worse thing is that working condition of many coffee workers on these plantations brings their children to help them but these children and workers are not officially employed, therefore it is not subject to labour protections. Although our coffee consumption has been increasing day by day however the condition of the working environment of coffee farmer has been worse at the same time in the developing countries. The fact that Fair Trade coffee premiums only reach the farmers through cooperatives is an aspect that has not been explored yet, neither in study of co-operatives, nor in studies of Fair Trade (Anna, 2004) The primary intention of this study is to offer critical perspective on the real benefits of the fair trade coffee movement. This paper is to explore insight effective fair trade movement from different authors point of view. Thereafter, this paper will carry out discussions and disagreeing points address to author point of view. First, this study focuses on the impact on the fair trade products. Also, it finds out theories and analyses of the fair trade and fair trade coffee movement. Second, specific things could be divided from the question into four sections which are the social, culture, economic and environment affecting benefits. Moreover, there is fully understanding of what the observed evidence shows. Finally, conclusion with debate of benefits fair trade coffee movement will be discussed. Therefore, it provides the findings of this review of literature for future research and action. What is fair trade? Nicholls (2002) defined that the objective of fair trade is to maximize the return to the supplier rather than the margin of the buyer, within an agreed development structure. Similarly, Bird and Hughes, (2003) believed that fair trade is product specific and developmentally focused. From their point of view, fair trade related with ethical trade and consumption perhaps is the one that could consider as most benefits fair trade movement for food and beverage development. Past rational consumer defined that achieves a maximum of efficiency at a minimum of effort. These days, calling ethical consumption which is that consumers would focus on the satisfaction of products and information of the products is founded by themselves in a market is more important than the past when possession of products were spotlighted in accordance with low prices. This is another goal of achieving fair trade movement. If consumers understanding fair trade knows ethical consumption, it will influence on all food producers in third world as well as developing and achieving the Food and beverage industrys goals. The European Commission (1999) suggests that the objective of fair trade is to ensure that producers receive a price which reflects an adequate return on their input of skill, labour and resources, and a share of the total profit commensurate with their input. As well as all fair trade products are distributed by mainly NGO which is neither non-profit nor profit organization. Historically, fair trade origins in The Netherlands in the mid 1980s, involve the certification of products that are produced, according to what are deemed to be fair trade principles. But Price water house Coopers (2001) suggest that the free trade concept originated in the 1960s in Northern Europe, while Tallontire (2001) argues that fair trade emerged in the 1950s and 1960s. The driving force behind fair trade in the UK was the alternative trade/charity shop axis, perhaps best represented by Oxfam and a host of small, independent traders. (Alexander, 2002)[à ¬Ã‚ ¶Ã…“à ¬Ã‚ ²Ã‹Å"] [à ­Ã…  Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ ¬Ã‚ §Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ] à ­- ¥Ãƒ ªÃ‚ ¸Ã‚ °Ãƒ «Ã‚ ¡Ã…“à ¬Ã… ¡Ã‚ ´ à ­Ã‹Å" Ãƒ «Ã‚ ªÃ¢â‚¬ ¦, à ªÃ‚ ³Ã‚ µÃƒ ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ «Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¬- ­Ãƒ ¬Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ ­Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ¼_01 (à ­Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã…“à ªÃ‚ µÃ‚ ­Ãƒ ªÃ‚ ³Ã‚ µÃƒ ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ «Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¬- ­Ãƒ ¬- °Ãƒ ­Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚ ©) |à ¬Ã… ¾Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ±Ãƒ ¬Ã… ¾Ã‚  ullimft The aim here is to provide access to traditional retail distribut ion chains in an attempt to facilitate greater consumer access to fair trade products. According to the fair-trade labeling organizations international (FLO) in 2008, fair trade certified products have been growing on an average of almost 40% per year in the last five years and sales amounted to approximately 2.9 billion euro worldwide (Reykia, 2009). From this result, we can find that fair trade movement has a positive impact to their organization system. A brief description of fair trade coffee. In most countries, coffee is accounts for the largest portion of fair trade items. This kind of coffee is sold in countries that are completely different from the origin where it was produced. A coffee bean is grown up in warm, tropical areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, Brazil and India and the most of coffee is consumed in Europe and North America. This probably sounds like developing countries producing inexpensive raw materials that are manufactured and sold as finished goods in developed countries, and generally,  thats what happens with coffee. Large coffee companies buy coffee beans at a low price and produce cocoa and chocolate products to sell at a relatively high price. The price elasticity of demand is also low, with coffee demand dropping only when coffee prices increase significantly (Ponte 2001). This movement is thought to encourage consumers to pay close attention to not  only fair prices and quality of products but also the ethical purchase of bananas, chocolate, coffee, flowers, clothes, shoes, furniture, soccer balls, and so on. What is the motivation behind fair trade? It is suggested that the movement is aimed at deliberately paying a fair price to workers and farmers who produce the goods for both their work and time by means of paying a minimum price to producers regardless of the going price on the world be $1.21, in comparison to  the 70 cents per 500 gram it fetches on the world market. This would make it possible for marginalized producers and workers to move from a position of vulnerability to economic independence and self sufficiency. (FLO, 2002) A present study showed that todays coffee farmers receive around 6 per cent of the value of a pack of coffee sold in a store (Gresser and Tickel 2002). In response, groups of consumers in Europe and the United States developed fair trade organizations to guarantee that farmers of coffee, as well as cacao and tea, would receive fair and consistent prices for their crops. The benefits of fair trade coffee movement. Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the international market for fair trade coffee. This has been driver buy a number of different benefits can be divide this into four section. The following discussion with obvious benefits, that accrues at the social influences, culture revival, economic and environmental conservation. Social influences According to Putnam (1995) social capital is a social organisation, such as trust, norms, and networks that improves the efficiency of society by facilitating co-ordinated action The results of fair trade movement are a better standard of living for some farmers and organic coffee made with organically produced coffee bean that consumers dont feel guilty about buying. This is the main benefit of social part. And although fair trade coffee is somewhat more expensive that other coffee and now makes up only 1 percent of coffee sold, the fair trade idea is spreading quickly. First, benefit to the individual producers. Most individual producers are small coffee famers. After started fair trade farms the famers make co-operated this is can get benefit for reduced market prices risk. Moreover the famers cooperative has a good internal financial management system. This mean is fair trade price that is directly goes to individual farmers. Also fair trade guaranteed minimum price and an additional premium. The additional premium is paid into a fund of bank for development project. Fair trade results in more stable incomes and is consequently one of the most important direct benefits that accrue to coffee producers (Raynolds, 2002; Murray et al, 2003) There is one interesting examples of individual famers benefits. Fair trade made to improving childrens education in Guatemala. Cooperative members are able to send their children in higher numbers and a number of associates have children studying at the University levelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Lyon, 2002:30). Secondly, benefit to communities. One of most visible community benefit has the social premium. The Fair Trade social premium has financed the cooperatives technical and other organizational support of coffee producers activities (Douglas et al, 2003). This is related premium fund which is then invested in building schools, clinics, community centres, funding scholarships, paying medical bills and providing low-interest loans. Moreover farmers are learning from each other, with a spread of organic practices to neighbours food production (Jaffee, 2007). Also famers can help and share market knowledge and technical information this is access and get better prices in the conventional market. This benefit developed small farms and furthermore developed countries as well. Finally, fair trade has organizational benefits. Benefits to individuals can flow from being part of a recognised organisation and this recognition can accrue with international support from Fair trade attracting other international agencies (NGOs and donors) (Nelson, Tallontire and Collinson, 2002). For example, fair trade organizations benefit farmers by buying coffee beans or other products from them directly at higher-than-market prices and eliminating middle men such as exporters. Also fair trade organizations encourage farming techniques that are not harmful to the environment or to farm workers, for example, growing coffee bean without chemical pesticides or fertilizers in the shade of rain forest trees. Culture The growth of ethical consumerism over the last 30 years provides the main driver behind the development of a fair trade market in the UK (Burke and Berry, 1974; Strong, 1997). Today, many consumers getting consider themselves ethical consumption this is important goal of fair trade movement. Fletcher (1990) suggested that there has been a move away from the self-focused consumer of the 1970s and acquisitive consumer of the 1980s towards a new focus on values. I think fair trade movement has also moved into the consumer awareness and understanding of fair trade. The other benefit is closer link between consumers and producer. The fair trade movement give to empowers consumers. As consumers, fair trade accreditation gives us the peace of mind of knowing that the producers in question got a fair deal (The five key benefits of Fair trade, 2009). Raising awareness of the fair trade products here is our primary concern since some consumers dont even know what fair trade is all about Economic Economic benefit is most important of fair trade movement because it is directly related to their life. Giovannucci and Koekoek (2003) said the coffee commodity market is driven exclusively by economic factors and, like all commodity markets, does not recognize, much less internalize into its prices, the very real environmental and social costs of production. The main positive impact of economic is guaranteed minimum price this is I can say stable prices. All famers want to increasing incomes it is one of fair trades main objective. Fair trade is reducing intermediaries and get closer between the farmers and the end consumer, farmers earn a larger share of the export price (The five key benefits of Fair trade, 2009). However, fair trade cannot remove risk for small producer. Accordin to Jaffee (2007), while noting that Fair trade farmers are still affected by market fluctuations, also finds positive economic benefits accruing to participants from the guarantee that a fair price is available to them, enabling them to make longer-term investment decisions. Environment Recently, interest in protection of the environment is growing rapidly throughout the world. Fair trade has improved the natural environment. Aranda and Morales (2002) said fair trades organic emphasis has promoted for example improve soil conservation and water management practices as well as the increased consciousness about the importance of conservation in general. Also, fair trade technical team help to make organic coffee for example they supported organic coffee production program, supported in part by fair trade returns and helped reduce soil from erosion. (Perezgrovas and Cervantes, 2002: 19). Recently certain buyers, so-called ethical consumers, think about goods from a societal viewpoint such as human rights or the environment as being important standards for buying and consuming goods. They pay close attention to labor exploitation and environmental damage that occur as a result of producing the goods, and they regard their purchases as a kind of economic behavior conducive to an eco-friendly future society based on fairness and the justification of consumption. The term fair trade, which originated in Europe during the 1950s for the sole purpose of over-coming world poverty, is an organized social movement as a market-based model of international trade that promotes the payment of fair prices, as well as social and environmental standards. I suggest that if they want to keep protect natural environment then producer organize environmental protection management policy. They have to comply with national and international laws of protection (The five key benefits of Fair trade, 2009) Fair trade movement in Starbucks Starbuck is one of the good examples following the fair trade coffee campaign. Global coffee chain Starbucks is also helping to raise awareness of fair trade coffee products.  Starbucks has been selling fair trade coffee beans since 2003 but from January to April sales of the whole beans increased 86.5 percent on-year. In 2007, 9 million kg of fair trade coffee beans which are 16 % of the world trade amount have been bought by Starbucks. Also Starbucks have self- ethical purchase program called C.A.F.E. Practice which tries to guarantee coffee farmers who are not member of the fair trade organization to sell high quality coffee bean with higher prices in order to continue consistent transaction and return enough profits to the farmers (Starbucks, 2007). However, Starbucks was not the first main company of Fair Trade Coffee. One of examples is that Starbucks had used to pay 15 pence for 1 kg coffee and then sold it to consumers up to 130 pounds after a couple of processes so that Starbucks had harsh blame on getting excessive profits from consumers by not to pay enough to farmers. Since 2000, Starbucks has been increasing to buy fair trade coffee afterwards. Why are Kenya, Ethiopia, and Srirangka getting poorer as Starbucks is getting prosperous at the same time? One of the main reasons is that plenty of money have been poured to buy to import foods because it is failed to self- support of foods on the fertile land and they try to produce coffee on the land which is supposed to use for foods instead. Worse fact is that coffee farm makes land useless by consuming all fertility. Coffee consumption in developed countries makes the standardization of these farm product systems and it is a consequence which is made by multinational companies like Starbucks. Human being has started to consume huge amount of coffee without precedent in history, and this happening makes agriculture system standardization as well as Starbucks is a main organization making price of raw material going down. Therefore, Starbucks has to take more responsibility for 95 % of poor farmers than to be proud of purchase 5 % of Fair Trade Coffee. (Starbucks, 2007) It could be unfair to ask profit- making companies which try to maximize profit as much as they can to take responsibility of behaviour however, Starbucks has to at least purchase 50% of Fair Trade Coffee to get rid of the pasts act of barbarity and pay same contribution as its reputation they have to world. Of course, price of coffee sold by Starbuck could be being increased at the same if they would have bought coffee beans from the Fair Trade. Conclusion This paper has showed that the real benefits of fair trade movement. Actually, businessmen do not bring any profits in sales or benefits as they buy coffee beans from the Fair Trade. However, many countries have fair trade organizations and fair trade movement is getting issues. Then, why we need to buy fair trade product? Because it is an act of investing for the social goods noting that the more developed a nations coffee culture becomes, the more likely it is to import fair trade coffee. The main priority is to inform its citizens of what fair trade is and what is necessary to do in order to extend the quantity and improve the quality of products, so conscious consumers are more apt to search for buy fair-trade-based goods. Fair trade movement has numbers of benefits then, if we buy coffee as much as we can coffee famers get lots of profits and their countries are getting strong and rich? The answer is no. What things do consumers do? Drinking less coffee is the way. Why? It would be better to let people in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Sriranka produce rice, wheat, and other plants on the fertile land rather than coffee farm by people in developed centuries consuming less coffee. Could it be fair that if someone feels hungry and only produces coffee corps by myself who drink coffee, Cappuccino, and Caramel Macchiato daily? For these fair trade still comes many problems such as slow growth in the fair trade market. For example in Europe, the fair trade marketing campaigns have been underway for nearly a decade in many countries, fair trade coffee sales represent on average 1.2pervent of total coffee sales at the national level (EFTA, 2001). But fair trade movement try to growth of the market for coffee produced and big chain company trade like Starbucks buy more fair trade coffee beans so I guess this problem can figure out. On the other hand, fait trade is a difficult control system, especially to consumers willingness to support third world producers, and the transfers are therefore perhaps not comparable to government or NGO support (Anna, 2004). It may be that futher improvements to the global fair trade system. The fair trade movment has improved in a short time but the range of benefits is getting wider and higher. In a world where consumption is separated from production over incresingly treater space and time, modern consumers experience the processes shaping their livees with growing datachment (Anna, 2004). Also, modern consumers concern natural this mean is they focus about well bing and organic. I belive that this little change is make great result in the future. Fair trade movement is one of the difficult challenge but this is neccesary to economic success the third world. As Appadurai (1996) has persuafively argued, we live in a world characterized by rapid trascontinental trvel and the instaneous trasmission of images and informantion via terevision and the internet. Fair trade, along with a wide range of other global and local movements that have emerged in recent years, has the potential to stimulate this glical collective imagination. (Anna, 2004) Now it is the time when we should seriously question and consider the unknown truth behind the making of brand name goods. For example, where are the products produced? Who made the products? All the workers get paid fairly? Personally,  I make it a rule when buying goods to take few seconds. First to examine the producer, price, and consumer of the goods is one of the ways and Im going to buy what I will buy. Before buying a product, take a few second and ask yourself questions such as, Is this a fair price? Do I consider myself a bad or ethical buyer and consumer? bear in mind that by doing so you may be instrumental in helping the needy around the world climb out of poverty.

Anti-traditional Conception of Sex in Pounds Coitus Essay -- Pound Co

Anti-traditional Conception of Sex in Pound's "Coitus" Â   Critics have been fascinated and often baffled by Ezra Pound's shifting poetic style, which ranges from the profound simplicity of "In a Station of the Metro" to the complex intertextuality of the "Cantos." Pound's significance derives largely from his constant resolve to break traditional form and ideology, both literary and poetic. What is particularly unique about Pound, however, is that as he continually establishes precedence, he rarely abandons his thorough knowledge and appreciation of classical literature, drawing heavily from his literary and historical education in even his most groundbreaking works. "Coitus," one of Pound's early short works, exemplifies both his interest in the simple, efficient techniques of vorticism and his homage to the classics, interrelating them to create a statement that is unique and anti-traditional. Â   COITUS The gilded phaloi of the crocuses are thrusting at the spring air. Here is there naught of dead gods But a procession of festival, Â   A procession, O Giulio Romano, Fit for your spirit to dwell in. Dione, your nights are upon us. The dew is upon the leaf. The night about us is restless. Â   Although classical allusions and imagist influences are an essential part of "Coitus," it is the disturbingly stark sexual force that dominates its tone. However bluntly carnal the poem seems, it does not at any point explicitly mention sex, except in the unmistakable directness of the title. Pound renders his tone through a montage of classical allusions and phallic imagery which resemble the vorticistic Japanese haiku; the beginning and ending two lines share similarities with Pound's... ...ion, yoking allusive fragments of western culture with elements of modern life. By combining the ancient with the new, Pound produces disturbing and sexually centered anachronisms that capitalize on the previous history of literature but also revolutionary modern theories; psychological, sexual and literary. As a whole, "Coitus" is an atom of knowledge, capable of splitting and exploding into far reaches of historical and literary realms, yet instantly and intriguingly disturbing for its modern sexual tone. Â   Â   The following poems are borrowed from page 109 of Personae: The Collected Shorter Poems of Ezra Pound, 1926. Â   Â   IN A STATION OF THE METRO The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough. Â   ALBA As cool as the pale wet leaves of lily-of-the-valley She lay beside me in the dawn. Â  

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

John McPherson, which resulted in his wife getting out of bed and unfortunately causing her death. The next day at school, Mr. John McPherson shows up under the influence of alcohol, completely drunk and starts to insult the Jews and making extremely racist comments. This is Just a small example of Anti-Semitism during Duddys childhood. Another idea I found important in the text was selfishness as well as ambition and greed. Even though Duddy was making more money than a 17 year old should, he always wanted more.Nothing was more important to him than making money. When he heard that the last piece of land in Lac St. Pierre was up for sale, he took all the money he had, but still came up short. Duddy decides to forge a cheque from Virgil's chequebook. Virgil was a man who Duddy met in New York and helped him make money illegally by smuggling pinball machines. After Virgil and Yvette found out about what Duddy had done to them, they never spoke to him again. Discuss the author's style. Describe 2 iterary elements the author uses successfully and give a clear example of each. The author used a few techniques to deepen our understanding of the story. One of the techniques was using a teenager as the main character of the novel. I think this showed us the ambition of the young man because all teenagers want to make money and dream about becoming rich one day, but it's not all 17 year olds that want it as bad as Duddy Kravitz. Another technique used by the author was making the main character a Jew.As we all know, Jews have a reputation for wanting money so ad and I think that the fact that Duddy is Jewish makes the whole story about a young man chasing money more meaningful. Did you enjoy the book? Why or why not? I enjoyed this novel a lot and recommend it to everyone living in Montreal and who likes a story that may have many things in common with their own personal lives. I think it is an important part of Montreal history in our generation. I also think it's good for Jewish people to read this novel because we also see how racism has stronger racism against Jews was in the 1940s

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Motorcycle.

All over the world are millions of motorcycles. With different shapes, colors, and dimensions. This is a motor vehicle similar to a bicycle but usually larger and heavier, chiefly for one rider but some times having two saddles or an attached side car for passenger. Also a motorcycle is fun and very useful but also dangerous. Motorcycles have many advantages and disadvantages. First, one of the advantages of this kind of vehicle is the gas miles per gallon. Motorcycles have smaller engines so they consume less gas. Therefore, a regular motorcycle usually expends fifty-five miles per gallon.For example; if you ride daily ten miles, you have to fill the tank ones each with two or thee gallons of fuel. Second, another advantage is that motorcycles have more parking facilities. Bikes usually have more parking because they are less popular than cars and also smaller. For example; In my college are building a new parking garage but now a days there is no parking for cars, but there is park ing for motorcycles. Third, the last advantage is the maintaining of a motorcycle. Maintaining a motorcycle is very inexpensive. Riders usually change the oil and fix the problems.Perhaps, this service is very inexpensive. Also, the parts of a motorcycle are less expensive than cars. Some bikes just cost the same as just the engine of a car. On the other hand, one of the disadvantages is the weather condition. Riders have to check the weather before the go out because this vehicle don’t have roof neither windows that can guard you from the water, iced, and high and low temperatures. Furthermore, another disadvantage is the storage space. Motorcycles cant moved big goods. They usually have small compartment that you can storage a backpack or some grocery bags.If you have to move a box or you did a huge shopping, you will need a car. Last but not least, motorcycles are dangerous. This vehicle doesn’t have safe systems like air bags or safety belt. Therefore, you are the bumper of the bike. Usually a motorcycle accident is dangerous than a car accident.. To sum up, motorcycles have advantages and disadvantages like good gas millage, more parking spaces and inexpensive maintenance otherwise they are dangerous, not weather proof and less storage facilities. In my personal opinion, I think that having a motorcycle is awesome but with respect and attention.

Humanism and Secular Humanism

The question has been raised: who is in control of curriculum in our school? Not just the choosing of the precise books, but who is in charge of the contents of the books that curriculum directors can choose from? Once the answers to these questions are found, what should be done if they point to one group? So many problems in the United States have arisen when the people discover that one group is violating the people†s rights in some way by not allowing others power, that it would be logical to conclude that it would be perceived by many to be unfair if it is found that one interest group chooses what all American children learn, especially if that interest group is furthering their own interests by doing so. However, finding out the answers to these questions is quite difficult at best. The subject has been written about extensively, and since there are so many opinions, the unbiased truth is virtually impossible to come by. In this topic, it has been at least suggested by others that everyone is biased, including our Supreme Court, so one must tread carefully in stating so-called â€Å"facts.† Humanism and secular humanism and what they have to do with present educational curriculum will be discussed for the remainder. Though human nature tends to make all humans biased in some way, both sides of the argument have been researched and will be documented until fair conclusions can be made. First, the term â€Å"humanism† must be defined. To do this fully, the definition of â€Å"humanism† will be given from the dictionary, and then humanists themselves will have a turn to define themselves. Merriam Webster†s Collegiate Dictionary terms â€Å"humanism† as â€Å"a doctrine, attitude, or way of life centered on human interests or values; esp.: a philosophy that usually rejects supernaturalism and stresses an individual†s dignity and worth and capacity for self-realization through reason.† The same dictionary defines â€Å"doctrine† as â€Å"a principle or position or the body of principles in a branch of knowledge or system of belief: DOGMA.† To understand fully what this is pointing to, one must then look at the definition of â€Å"dogma†-â€Å"a doctrine or body of doctrines concerning faith or morals formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a church.† Most will agree that an accredited collegiate dictionary is an acceptable place to look for information, and here it is shown that humanism can be tied to a religion. People who claim to be humanist would also seem to be a good place to look for a formal term for humanism. Rebecca Bushnell writes of early humanist pedagogy when she says, â€Å"This is a humanism based on belief that people are largely responsible for what happens on this earth; committed to tolerance, attention to the differences among people and the need to treat them with equal respect; shaped by a cheerful acceptance of ambivalence and contradiction; and informed by an almost painful historical consciousness, which sees the past as estranged yet able to illuminate present concerns (8).† This explanation definitely sounds like what most people want to feel, or at least what they claim to, but humanism is more than this. Humanism is also defined by the worship of man; Curtis W. Reese writes, â€Å"There is a large element of faith in all religion. [Christianity has faith] in the love of God; and Humanism in man as the measure of values†¦Hypotheses, postulates, and assumptions in their proper realm are comparable to faith in the realm of religion. In this way I speak of the faith of Humanism.† Another humanist deals with the humanistic beliefs in right and wrong: â€Å"In humanism right and wrong are defined in terms of consequence to human life (10).† To further clarify what humanists believe, more writings of humanists will prove that they consider humanism to be their religion. Gerald A. Larque, a man who signed the Humanist Manifesto II, writes, â€Å"Our religion is based upon the best that we know about our cosmos, our world, and ourselves†¦We recognize our oneness with the cosmos and our spatial and temporal minuteness†¦We see ourselves as the highest life-form the evolutionary process has developed†¦(11).† The 1979 Humanist of the Year, who co-founded and edited The New Humanist, also believes humanism to be a religion: â€Å"†¦Humanism in a naturalistic frame is validly a religion†¦(7).† A Humanist Manifesto, also known as the Humanist Manifesto I, continually describes humanism as a religion. â€Å"The time has come for widespread recognition of the radical changes in religious beliefs†¦In every field of human activity, the vital movement is now in the direction of a candid and explicit humanism†¦religious humanism (13).† From the Humanist Manifesto II, one can see that Kurtz thinks of humanism as † a philosophical, religious, and moral point of view† and that it offers a believer a formula for salvation and a future sanctuary (12). Other humanists who claim humanism as their religion illustrate what â€Å"religion† means to them. Julian Huxley says in Religion Without Revelation, â€Å"There are whole religions which make no mention of God. The most notable example, as already mentioned, is that of Buddhism (14).† Furthering this thought, â€Å"Religion, then,†¦will mean a ruling commitment practiced by a community of individuals to what they believe creates, sustains, saves, and transforms human existence toward the greatest good (15).† With this, one has sufficient information concerning basic humanism beliefs. Besides the fact that humanists themselves admit to being a religious organization, there are several examples of how the American legal system treats humanism-as a religion. In a Supreme Court case, Torcaso v. Watkins, a Notary Public from Maryland was reinstated after being fired for refusing to proclaim a belief in God. The Court recognized religions that do not believe in God as â€Å"real† religions when it wrote, â€Å"Among religions in this country which do not teach what would generally be considered a belief in God are Buddhism, Taoism, Ethical Culture, Secular Humanism and others (7).† This statement will be considered later in the discussion. All formal humanist membership organizations in America claim 501(c )3 religious tax exempt status or deem themselves expressly religious. Dr. Paul Kurtz states, â€Å"Even the American Humanist Association (3,500 members)†¦has a religious tax exemption (7).† An editor of The Humanist magazine, Paul Blanshard says, â€Å"There has been another victory for those who would interpret the word â€Å"religion† very broadly†¦the appellate court reversed by a unanimous decision. Now the F.O.R. [Fellowship of Reconciliation] is established as a â€Å"religious† organization, with full right to tax exemption (7).† Tax-exempt status is serious business. In an article titled â€Å"The Religion of Democracy: Part II,† Rudolph Dreikurs argues that humanism should be thought of as religious because of the form and content. â€Å"The new religion will probably be humanistic. It will be concerned with man and not with God.† This â€Å"new religion† will have new principles, new rituals, and new symbols (16). Those involved in the humanist religion also have their own ministers, and â€Å"minister† is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as â€Å"one officiating or assisting the officiant in church worship.† Harvard University has its own Humanist chaplain, Thomas Ferrick, who is also â€Å"one of the 34 full- and part-time chaplains that make up the United Ministry at Harvard and Radcliffe, and he also serves as executive director of the Humanist Association of Massachusetts† local chapter (17).† In Auburn University†s Student/Faculty Directory, under â€Å"Auburn Pastors and Campus Ministers-Humanist,† there is a Humanist Counselor for the students (7). The University of Arizona†s Student Handbook for 1990-1991 lists â€Å"Humanists† under the title â€Å"Religious Services† (7). These facts should only prove further that Humanism is a religion. Now that humanism is understood, it is time to link humanism with present-day educational curriculum. Paul Vitz conducted research on the censorship of student†s textbooks, funded by the National Institute of Education, a part of the federal government, and came to the conclusion that they are strongly biased for the Secular Humanist worldview. â€Å"Whether one calls it secular humanism, enlightenment universalism, skeptical modernism, or just plain permissive liberalism, the bottom line is that a very particular and narrow sectarian philosophy has taken control of American education (18).† This seems to be a documented conclusion from an recognized institute, but yet it has not been fully discussed with the American public at large. Humanists themselves have admitted to the fact that they use the classroom to further their religion. John J. Dunphy states in his A Religion for a New Age, â€Å"[T]he battle for humankind†s future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith: a religion of humanity that recognizes and respects the spark of what theologians call divinity in every human being (19).† Another man who calls himself a â€Å"Humanist minister†, Charles Francis Potter, says: â€Å"Education is thus a most powerful ally of Humanism, and every American public school is a school of Humanism. What can the theistic Sunday-schools, meeting for an hour once a week, and teaching only a fraction of the children, do to stem the tide of a five-day program of humanistic teaching? (20)† He then continues, â€Å"So very Humanistic is modern education that no religion has a future unless it be Humanism (20).† These men obviously believe very strongly not only that humanism is being taught in American public schools, but also that it should overpower other religions. John Dewey, who signed the Humanist Manifesto I, wrote a book, Education Today, in which he voices many opinions about education and how humanism should be implemented. â€Å"I believe that†¦it is the business of every one interested in education to insist upon the school as the primary and most effective instrument of social progress and reform†¦(21)†. On page eighty he says, â€Å"We certainly cannot teach religion as an abstract essence. We have got to teach something as religion, and that means practically some religion.† He also believes public education to be the vehicle by which this â€Å"deeper religion† is promoted (21). Now that it has been documented that the humanist religion is being funneled into public schools, it is time to give a few examples of the things in school curriculum that are humanist in nature. First, homosexuality is being pushed as acceptable behavior to students. The schools are teaching that it should be looked at as positive to have â€Å"full sexual adjustment without any hang-ups caused by outdated religious concepts. And our schools are the main tool used to teach the young people this human freedom (6).† Not only is homosexuality taught as â€Å"okay,† but they are also teaching the theory of evolution in full force. Teachers are not allowed to present any kind of argument for creationist theory; Jerry Bergman, Ph.D., states, â€Å"In fact, it is often considered inappropriate to criticize evolution, let alone present the creationist position (6).† This occurs without much argument, despite the fact that there are many books very critical of evolutionary theory â€Å"written by either evolutionists or by individuals who at least do not agree with the creationist perspective (6).† The biology textbook Of Pandas and People by Percival Davis and Dean H. Kenyon was included by the trustees in Plano, Texas, in the school curriculum, and humanist educators lost all pretense of â€Å"tolerance† because the book â€Å"acknowledges the abundance of design manifest in the natural world and thus reasonably postulates an intelligent Designer (7).† Homosexuality and evolution are just a couple examples of humanist perspective in the schools. The logic these humanists use, that schools are the best place to push their beliefs, makes complete sense, even â€Å"falls in line† with some of the basic thoughts of sociological theory: that â€Å"no knowledge is value-neutral; no knowledge is free of presuppositions. All knowledge is rooted in the social structure in particular ways and reflects (even if indirectly) the particular interest of different sectors of the population (4).† Reasonably, this idea is also true for knowledge given to children in public schools. Even John Dewey said (as quoted earlier) that the teaching of religion is inevitable in schools, that â€Å"some religion† would have to be taught. Is this what the American Constitution allows? It is wrong, and very punishable, for public schools to advocate Christianity or to teach any of its beliefs, but the teaching of humanism†s beliefs remains untouched. Humanists tend to label certain â€Å"unpopular† ideas (those that they do not agree with) as religious, and those they do support as non-religious. For instance, schools are free to teach â€Å"thou shalt not steal, lie, or murder† but not â€Å"thou shalt not commit adultery or take the name of God in vain.† What is the difference between the two statements, which are both from the Ten Commandments, the most basic Western religious law? Other concepts taught presently that have a religious origin are â€Å"the goal of treating others as one would like to be treated, the need to take an occasional break from one†s work, to be balanced in all things, and the attempt to be fair to all people (6).† One of the biggest objective of liberals in recent years has been to insure equal rights for all people, yet this idea was adopted as a religious goal over 2,000 years ago in the Christian Scriptures. Bergman states, â€Å"Incidentally, the source of the belief in the equality of man is the Bible, few ancient books espouse this concept, and it is foreign to most non-Christian peoples (6).† Since these concepts are biblical in origin, why are the students not told this? What about the fact that abortion, homosexuality and fornication are talked about in school, but teachers are not allowed to discuss the religious side of the issue, only the side deemed non-religious? Though the public schools are teaching a type of religion, obviously, the students are not informed about it; in fact, the topic of religion is not deemed important (6). Community schools, before federal aid was instigated, were to reflect the values of those who lived in it. â€Å"What happened to â€Å"community public schools† that were to reflect the values of the community? They disappeared when federal aid was approved. Now only what is approved by secularists [humanists] in Washington is ‘neutral† (22).† As James David Hunter documents, â€Å"Public education arguably shares a common ethical orientation with modern humanism, particularly to the degree that these perspectives are advanced without respect for cultural traditions that might dissent (4).† Community†s values are no longer taken into account when curriculum is chosen. In recent times, the idea of choice in education has come to life with a system of tuition vouchers, but criticism of this choice has been rampant among the educators who believe in humanism. Richard A. Baer, Jr. writes: â€Å"The point is this: Education never takes place in a moral and philosophical vacuum. If the larger questions about human beings and their destiny are not being asked and answered within a predominantly Judeo-Christian framework, they will be addressed within another philosophical or religious framework-but hardly one that is â€Å"neutral.† The arrogance and philosophical implausibility of secular humanism are demonstrated by the insistence of many humanists that their position possesses such neutrality, lack of dogma, and essential rationality. It is an arrogance that also quickly becomes coercive and imperialistic, as is clearly seen in the widespread opposition among such educators toward genuine choice in education, for instance, the kind of choice that would be possible through a system of education tuition vouchers (23).† If America is a land of freedom, one would assume that Americans could choose where to send their children to school and what they are taught. However, not all Americans can afford private schools, so beyond their local public school, there is no choice. With all of this discord, it would be surprising if no one had taken this matter to the courts. They have, in some aspects. First one must look at the history of the First Amendment. The First Amendment was written to guarantee that the interest of certain faiths would not be expanded by direct or indirect benefaction of the government, at least not to the hindrance of smaller, minority faiths. When originally written, its intention was to curb the â€Å"deep and long-standing tensions† between various inter-Protestant competitions (4). Of course, they also encompassed conflicts between Protestants and Catholics and between Jew and Christians, whose beliefs are quite different, though these conflicts were minor because Catholics and Jews comprised less than two percent of the population at the start of the nineteenth century. When these populations increased, their full religious liberties were still restricted, continuing past the beginning of the twentieth century (4). This failure to fully perfect the ideals of the First Amendment is important because â€Å"many of the social dynamics taking place in the present find a parallel in the past (4).† Not only have the numbers of Muslims, Mormons, Hindus, and Buddhists grown, but the secular humanists have increased from two percent in 1962 to about eleven percent in 1990. Though humanism is not the same kind of religion as Protestantism, Catholicism, and Judaism are determined to be, how should they be perceived for First Amendment purposes? The Supreme Court held a strict definition of religion-â€Å"Our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian†¦Ã¢â‚¬ -until the early 1940s, when it broadened the definition: â€Å"Religious belief arises from a sense of the inadequacy of reason as a means of relating the individual to his fellow men and to his universe-a sense common to men in the most primitive and the most highly civilized societies†¦It is a belief finding expression in a conscience which categorically requires the believer to disregard elementary self-interest and to accept martyrdom in preference to transgressing its tenets†¦Conscientious objection may justly be regarded as a response of the individual to an inward mentor, call it conscience or God, that is for many persons at the present time the equivalent of what has always been thought a religious impulse (4).† This expanded the criterion from the nature of belief in a divine being to the psychological function of belief (4). In 1961 the Supreme Court decided that a Maryland law violated the no establishment clause because it put â€Å"the power and authority of the State of Maryland†¦on the side of one particular sort of believers-those who are willing to say they believe ‘in the existence of God† (4).† This new functional definition was not used with the no establishment clause by opponents until the case Smith v. Board of School Commissioners. The plaintiffs believed that most of the textbooks in the county public school system promoted secular humanism†s religion, which would violate the no establishment clause of the First Amendment. The first judgment in the case favored the plaintiff; however it was eventually overturned. A Washington Post columnist, Colman McCarthy, wrote: â€Å"A careful reading of the decision, as against a skimming of news accounts of it, reveals that Mobile families had a fair grievance: That what was taught in classrooms about religion was impeding the teachings of mothers and fathers at home about religion. What†s wrong with that complaint? (4)† What is wrong with that complaint? Surely every parent has the right to teach their children what they want to. It seems confusing to find that the Supreme Court did not believe humanist religion to be in school curriculum, especially when humanists themselves have admitted to the fact, as documented earlier. However, humanists have backtracked from their earlier, outspoken works. Paul Kurtz, quoted earlier, wrote his 1989 book, Eupraxophy: Living Without Religion, to â€Å"take back† all the earlier writings of humanists that claimed it a religion. He even coined a term-eupraxophy-to describe humanism without using the word religion. â€Å"Eupraxophy†¦provides a coherent, ethical life stance†¦it presents a cosmic theory of reality†¦defends a set of criteria governing the testing of truth claims†¦advocates an ethical posture. And it is committed implicitly or explicitly to a set of political ideals. Eupraxophy combines both a Weltanshuung and a philosophy of living.† Now, why would Kurtz do this after he had decided already that humanism was, in fact, a religion, his religion? Why? Kurtz realizes that if humanism is religion, then it will not be allowed in the schools: â€Å"For if humanism, even naturalistic and secular humanism, is a religion, then we would be faced with a violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which states that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or the free exercise thereof.† (24).† It causes more confusion in the whole topic when different people claim different things. The whole argument comes down to this: That academic freedom seems to be unequal among educators. There are many different religious beliefs in America, and most teachers would claim to have some kind of religion or world view. â€Å"Academic freedom is the ability of the instructor to teach what he/she feels is the truth about reality in an intellectually honest and reasonable way (6).† Teachers in the present day are not allowed to teach what they believe and why, because of the First Amendment. Humanists and Christians have both agreed that religion will be taught in the schools in one manner or another, and this causes a great problem because someone must choose which religion will be taught. Noebel writes in his Clergy in the Classroom: â€Å"Imagine a child enrolled in a public school and learning only what that public school imparted (with no outside interference from family, church, Christian teachers or Congressional chaplains). When he graduated, what would he believe? Without divine intervention, he wouldn†t have much choice: Secular Humanism would be all he knew. This situation is idyllic, as far as the Humanists are concerned. Because their doctrines are every bit as dogmatic as Christian doctrine, and because they view Christianity as a ‘rotting corpse,† they use their established position to censor any hint of positive Christian influence in the classroom. Though they posture as ‘open-minded,† ‘tolerant† folks, Humanists eagerly discriminate against Christianity in the classroom (7).† This is not fair, just as it would not be fair if America†s public schools taught strictly Christian doctrine. Excluding religion from the classroom, when the whole purpose of school is to teach the entire body of knowledge, is â€Å"censorship of the worst sort (6).† Many parents, Humanist or Christian, Buddhist or Catholic, are rightfully worried that their children†s teachers will indoctrinate their children with some specific religious belief. However, students are bright, reasoning people and do not gullibly believe everything a teacher says. Children who have strong prejudices against certain groups do not let go of them easily, even when a teacher tries to help that child overcome the prejudice. Also, a teacher†s ideas may spark a child†s desire to further research the topic so that the child comes to his own conclusions. If students are to become those who can debate important topics, it seems that removing all religious questions would hinder that which is significant for living a well-rounded life (6). Jerry Bergman gives the example of Australia to clarify whether it is possible to bring religion into the classroom. Only three percent of Australia†s population attends church regularly, but the schools still have classes in religious education as an â€Å"integral part of the school curriculum at all grade levels (6).† This brings the conclusion that religion in schools is feasible, and not just the religion of one group. In conclusion, the questions asked at the beginning have been answered, but not fully. It has been proven that Humanism is a religion, by quotes of many influential Humanists and by the Supreme Court, and that there is evidence of Humanist beliefs in our school curriculum, by a federal government study and by Humanist†s admittance. Many men, Humanist, Christian, and those with unknown beliefs, have agreed that education cannot occur without some religious worldview†s influence, and the topic does not seem to be dormant in their minds. The battle is not over; the writer is quite convinced that there will be more court battles concerning this issue. To have an education system that treats each person†s beliefs equally, there needs to be a change. Either separate all children into schools of their respective religions, or treat them as intelligent individuals with minds that deserve to learn about all religious views and the immense amount of history that goes with them. Shujaa, Mwalimu J. Too Much Schooling, Too Little Education: A Paradox of Black Life in White Societies. Trenton, New Jersey: Africa World Press, Inc., 1994. This book covered many areas of African-American education, and was a great background knowledge source. The topics most valid to my interests were the African experiences in schools, the analysis of African-American males† response to schooling, exploring exemplary African-American teachers† views, and African-Americans† communal nature of learning. Also I got great information concerning different school environments, and their effect on African-American students† education, which I then used to get strategies for teaching African-Americans from.