Emotional Memory Essay

Emotional memory pertains to an individual’s recollection of incidents that have occurred in the past. The mechanism behind such strong retention is mainly based on the emotions that are associated with that particular event, resulting in a increased level of attention that facilitates encoding of the event in the memory of an individual. Emotional memory is also involved in ruminations of the occurrence, regardless of the length of time that has already passed away since the actual event. This kind of memory can be distinguished from other neurobiological concepts of memory because its retention is very strong due to the influence of emotions, which technically magnifies details of the incident. Research has shown that emotional memory is imprinted in the cortical region of the brain. This description is supported by observations that several neural activities occur in the cortex, thus facilitating memory retention. Several studies have indicated that emotional memory involves two major processes, namely encoding and post-encoding. The first process of encoding involves the heightened level of attention of an individual during the actual event, while post-encoding pertains to the consolidation of the details of the event after the actual incident, coupled with enhancement that is triggered by the emotions that were set off at that time. One prime example of an emotional memory is the vivid recall of an accident that is associated with physical injury and blood. Regardless of the length of time that the incident has occurred, the individual who was involved in the accident is still capable of remembering the accident even after several years. One complication of emotional memory is that an individual finds it difficult to dissociate his emotions with regards to a particular incident. It is thus extremely hard for an individual to go back to the site of an accident if this person almost died at that time. It has been suggested that evolution also plays a role in emotional memory, wherein the brain of human beings has acquired the capacity to retain details of an event in order to survive that particular incident. It may thus be possible that through fear, early primates and other higher mammals may have learned to stay away from predators and other harmful environmental components in order to survive in the wild. These species may have adapted such modes of memory by being subjected to extreme discomfort or pain that is related to incidents such as toxin exposure or predation and thus their perception for harmful conditions may have been imprinted in their brains and possibly passed on to their offspring. The exact mechanism behind the retrieval of memories associated with a particular incident based on emotional settings still remains elusive up to this date. The unique feature of storage for a prolonged period of time further complicates the pathway and several analysts have attempted to address this question. Neurobiologists have suggested that emotional memory may be act as a complete process unless an individual is able to retrieve the information associated with a specific incident in the past. Storage of information, or encoding, is simply one component of the entire emotional memory pathway yet the retrieval of specific information is essential in determining that the entire process has been completed. It has also been suggested that emotional memory is easier to access over the neutral events, and this is also partly due to the role of amygdala, which influences how the hippocampus functions at such events. In addition to the emotional influence, sleep also sways the brain to remember specific incidents, wherein the amount of sleep can result in a positive or negative condition for memory. According to Sterpenic et al. (2007), memory is influenced by sleep through the imposition of neural correlates. Through the application of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a comparison of neural connections was examined among subjects who were able to sleep for a sufficient amount of time and those who were deprived of sleep. The investigation was designed towards a stage wherein the subjects were allowed to undergo post-encoding, which is one of the two stages of emotional memory. The investigation showed that subjects who received enough hours of sleep had the ability to remember the positive events that occurred. On the other hand, an interesting observation came from those subjects who were subjected to a particular negative event. They observed that regardless of sufficiency or lack of sleep, the subject participant was able to retain the details of the negative event, most probably through the characteristic emotion that was generated from the negative stimuli. Another observation gathered by neurobiologists regarding emotional memory was that several regions of the brain were responsible in retaining such details and emotions. The two major brains areas involved in emotional memory were the hippocampus and the cortex. Specific regions of the cortex that were responsible for emotional memory included the prefrontal cortex, which is also involved in criminality. It seems that negative emotions, such as that involved in emotional memory, are largely stored in this region of the brain. Moreover, fMRI scanning showed a functional connection between these two regions of the brain and the combinatorial effect of these regions was magnified when the incident is featured with negative stimuli or emotions. It is interesting to know that sleep may also have a selective effect on the memory of an individual. The amygdala was observed to only stimulate the hippocampus for encoding when a negative event has occurred and this happens with or without sleep. On the other hand, a happy incident will only be stored in the hippocampus if an individual receives enough sleep. Such selective storage of details may be largely influenced by emotions during that particular event, and not simply by the amount of time that an individual was able to sleep. Such kinds of research investigations are thus important in the providing a better understanding of how emotions influence an individual’s memory and ultimately, one’s mental condition. It has also been shown that emotions play a major role in the storage of details in the brain. In an investigation that involved manipulation of the context of emotion of subject participants, the activity of the neural networks in the brain was examined. A specific memory tested also allowed the comparison of retrieval capacities of the brain and the research conducted by Smith et al. (2005) showed that the presence of emotions increased the likelihood that an individual will retain the details of the incident. The emotional memory tested in this study showed that the actual area of brain involved in this mechanism is the left side of the amygdala, as well as the left side of the frontotemporal region of the cortex. The study also showed that the right side of the amydala and the frontotemporal cortex was not capable enough of storing details of a specific incident, regardless of its coupling to emotions. It is thus possible that when an individual has damaged the left side of his brain, then it is impossible for him to recall any other details of his past. It should also be understood that cognition is mainly based on memory as well as emotion, yet for several yesterday there were not attempts performed into looking into the finer details of the pathway. In addition, there were also only a few reported regarding the interaction of the amygdala and the cortex and on how these two regions responded to each other’s messages. The advent of high definition imaging technologies such as the magnetic resonance imaging allowed the visualization of internal regions of the brain that were perceived to be unreachable by an other analytical means. References Smith, A. P. , Henson, R. N. , Rugg, M. D. and Dolan, R. J. (2005). Modulation of retrieval processing reflects accuracy of emotional source memory. Learning and Memory, 12, 472–479. Sterpenich, V. , Albouy, G. , Boly, M. , Vandewalle, G. , Darsaud, A. , Balteau, E. , Dang-Vu, T. T. , Desseilles. M. , D’Argembeau, A. , Gais, S. , Rauchs, G. , Schabus, M. , Degueldre, C. , Luxen, A. , Collette, F. , Maquet, P. (2007). Sleep-related hippocampo-cortical interplay during emotional memory recollection. PloS Bi

Trifles Symbolism

For centuries people have been writing dramas, but witnessing the drama of a story is a different kind of experience. There are many elements that make up dramas, including sets/setting, plot, conflict, symbolism, point of view, irony etc. Symbolism is something that can be hard to look for in a drama. A symbol is something that represents more than itself. In a drama props, clothing, or sets could all be used as symbols. When symbolism is added to a play it becomes more sophisticated. A symbol can put a play on a whole new level and get an audience to think of the play in a whole new way. Symbols are often hard to find and many times you have to re read work to find them. In an article by Hickett she helps readers understand ways to find symbols â€Å"There are several ways to recognize symbolism in literature. One is the frequency an object or character is mentioned in a piece of literature–if it is mentioned often, it is probably important. Another way to find a symbol is to look at how much detail is used in describing an object† (1). Susan Glaspell uses many symbols in her play Trifles. Glaspell uses symbols such as a canary, quilt, birdcage, rocking chair, cherry preserves all have symbolism given to them by Glaspell in the play. She uses her props very well to give them dual meanings that could easily pass ones eye. Each thing has a meaning to help solve the case, and even show who Mrs. Wright really is. One of the main symbols in the story was the canary. The dead canary shows that Mrs. Wright is capable of murder. Since the bird had a broken neck it shows that it did not die of natural causes. This means that the birds death could also symbolize Mr. Wright’s death. It is up to a reader to determine if Mr. Wright killed the bird so Mrs. Wright killed him, or if Mrs. Wright were to kill both. The Canary could also symbolize the life and happiness Mrs. Wright once experienced but how it was killed by Mr. Wright. Another key symbol in this story was the bird cage. It symbolizes a guard. Mrs. Wright had a guard up of how her life really was and the way Mr. Wright treated her. She could not show what she was actually going through. It shows how after marriage her life became secluded, like a bird in the cage would be. The next symbol found in Trifles is the rocking chair. The chair symbolizes calmness. It shows throughout everything that Mrs. Wright is going through and how nervous she may be, while Hale is questioning her she can still remain calm. It shows that the chair was a place of tranquility, somewhere she could spend her time and be in peace.

Dependency Theory

What is Dependence Theory? Dependency theory is a theory of how developing and developed nations interact. It can be seen as an opposition theory to the popular free market theory of interaction. Dependency theory was first formulated in the 1950s, drawing on a Marxian analysis of the global economy, and as a direct challenge to the free market economic policies of the post-War era. The free market ideology holds, at its most basic, that open markets and free trade benefit developing nations, helping them eventually to join the global economy as equal players. The belief is that although some of the methods of market liberalization and opening may be painful for a time, in the long run they help to firmly establish the economy and make the nation Dependency theory, in contrast, holds that there are a small number of established nations that are continually fed by developing nations; at the expense of the developing nations’ own health. These developing nations are essentially acting as colonial dependencies, sending their wealth to the developed nations with minimal compensation. In dependency theory, the developed nations actively keep developing nations in a subservient position, often through economic force by instituting sanctions, or by proscribing free trade policies attached to loans granted by the World Bank or International Monetary Fund. The critiques of dependency theory can be leveled within a nation as well as internationally. In fact, dependency theory tends to trace its roots to back before the emergence of modern post-colonialism. On an internal level, dependency theory can be seen applying to regions within a country. In the United States, for example, historically the industrial Northeast can be seen drawing wealth from the agricultural south in a pattern reflected in the modern world by the industrial northern hemisphere and the productive southern hemisphere. Dependency theory also posits that the degree of dependency increases as time goes on. Wealthy countries are able to use their wealth to further influence developing nations into adopting policies that increase the wealth of the wealthy nations, even at their own expense. At the same time, they are able to protect themselves from being turned on by the developing nations, making their system more and more secure as time passes. Capital continues to migrate from the developing nations to the developed nations, causing the developing nations to experience a lack of wealth, which forces them to take out larger loans from the developed nations, further indebting them. The Relevance of Dependency Theory in the Caribbean Dependency Theory is relevant to the Caribbean region because it act as a helping hand, which aid with the Caribbean being developed. It encourages trade, exports and tourism, which is a major form of economic growth. The Caribbean can only produce so much for itself; we have to be dependent on other countries to get resources that are absent from within the Caribbean region. The product varies, as sugar from Cuba and Guyana, bauxite in Jamaica and Guyana, petroleum in Trinidad and Tobago and in the Netherlands Antilles, bananas in St. Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, St. Vincent, Guadeloupe and Martinique and coffee in Haiti. Dependency Theory in the Caribbean region has prospered by means of export of the resource-based products. The Caribbean regions are at a disadvantage but given this, one can seek maximum advantage. Nevertheless given the bad experience of the colonial period most countries turned to some kind of planning, involving and export substitution and export diversification. Assets were created from as early as the colonial period. Tourism is one of the main foreign exchange earners for most of the regions economies. Some implications on how developing countries can alleviate the effects of the world system are by: OPromotion of domestic industry and manufactured goods. By imposing subsidies to protect domestic industries, poor countries can be enabled to sell their own products rather than simply exporting raw materials. OImport limitations, by limiting the importation of luxury goods and manufactured goods that can be produced within the country, the country can reduce its loss of capital and resources. OForbidding foreign investment, some governments took steps to keep foreign companies and individuals from owing or operating property that draws on the resources of the country. ONationalization, some governments have forcibly taken over foreign-owned companies on behalf of the state, in order to keep profits within the country. Dependency Theory and its place in the Global Economy Dependency Theory sees the global economy as characterized by a structured relationship between the cores states which, using political military and economic power to extract a surplus from the peripheral countries. Any attempt by the dependent nations to resist the influences of dependency often result in economic sanctions. Dependency Theory in its various forms has advanced the proposition that development and underdevelopment are opposite faces of the same coin, â€Å"or reciprocal conditions of a global system of capital accumulation. Economic vulnerability and dependency are other dimensions that are derived from the relatively high degree of financial dependency of most government in the region. The Caribbean countries face several challenges arising out of structural shifts in the world economy. The main disadvantages are represented by certain primary products exports, preferential arrangements and environmental vulnerability. Dependency Theory Bedouins and the Dependency Theory. Theories of globalization fall into three categories; Modernization, dependency and the world systems theory. These theories each sprout out into more categories and they distinguish what or how a country or society has developed into. The modernization theory focuses on the culture and belief systems that are powered by globalization. This theory then takes off into five more stages known as the traditional stage, culture-change stage, take-off stage, self-sustained stage, and high economy stage.These stages mainly focus on a few things such as tradition, culture, economy, advancement of education and technology, and also ones that produce the exported goods for other countries to import. Although some theories are open to change that is done gradually, some refuse to change and just stay the same without and further advancement. Although these theories are what distinguish a country and where it lays on the scale, it still does not mean it cannot further itself into something better throughout the world.Anthropologist Donald Cole researched on the Bedouins who are groups of nomadic pastoralists. Al Murrah is the people Cole focused on, they are a small society that resided in the heart of the desert in the country of Saudi Arabia. They were based on caravan trade with relied on the care of camels and other animals. The Al Murrah society was a society based off itself, and other small societies around the desert. They relied on the commodities with oasis centres for dates, rice and bread. They had a military force and also raided others and committed warfare.The rich and powerful Saudi government then recruited Al Murrah males into the national guards work and then the leader of the Al Murrah, as known as the Emir, was recognized as the commander in chief of the small tribes for the national guards. The Saudis would then pay these commanders salary wages which they then would distribute to other tribes people. This then left the Al Murrah people dependent on the Saudi government. This type of works would be considered under the dependency theory. The modern state of Saudi Arabia has token its time by exploiting the small tribe of the Al Murrah by having them work for the National Guard for wages.Saudi government took control over these people by having them always wanting more money and so they would recruit more and more emirs into the National Guard which thus left the Bedouins to be integrated into the nation states throughout the Arabian Peninsula. The dependency theory applies to the Bedouins because it is a larger group exploiting the smaller group into helping them. Although their lifestyles are different, they still accepted the change and still went on with it and now have discontinued existing in the deserts of Saudi Arabia.

Social policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Social policy - Essay Example The activities of discrimination by the social workers towards the travellers fall under the category of institutional discrimination. In order to prevent the undesired activities of discrimination that has led to the increase of harassment and distress in the course of livelihood of the travellers, the social policy on the adoption of anti-discriminatory practices have been formulated. The social policy has influenced changes in the approach of the social workers that have prompted them to undertake activities that advocated the rights of the travellers to attain equal access to public resources. The National Association of Social Workers is the largest body of association of professional worker that was founded in the year of 1955. The international organization for social work consists of around 130000 workers belonging to various communities of United States and other parts of the world. The social workers have the mission of promoting the best practices in the field of social work by engaging deeply with the individuals and their families living in the communities and understanding their needs and areas of deprivation (Acton, 2007, p.62). The purpose of the social workers is directed at protecting the best interest of the communities and its individual members and families through dedicated activities and advocating the cause of protection of the community members in the areas in which they lack. The activities of the social workers are guided by their objectives of continuously working to improve the living conditions of the members and the families in the society (Adam son and Donovan, 2005, p.38). This has been achieved through the application of professional knowledge and skills necessary for offering better social services to the communities. The National Association of Social Workers also desires to increase the professional knowledge and skills through the process of field

China and international human resource management of Nestl Essay

China and international human resource management of Nestl - Essay Example Human resources are essential to the organizational success. Human Resource (HR) management deals with the design of formal systems in an organization to ensure the effective and efficient use of human talent to accomplish organizational goals.A multinational enterprise is one in which organizational units are located in foreign countries. Typically these units provide goods and services for the geographic areas surrounding the countries where operations exist. Today's increasingly global, competitive marketplace has led to considerable changes in labour markets, and has transformed the practice of Human Resource Management. All Multinational enterprises face a range of challenges in managing their businesses in a country like China, which restraint, prohibit or limit market access and ownership rights. Nestl is the multi-national enterprise selected for the purpose of this study. The changes Nestl had to implement in its International Human Resource policies to start a subsidiary in China are discussed upon in the following sections.China has one of the world's oldest civilizations, consisting of states and cultures dating back more than six millennia. It is a communist country, where state-owned enterprises still produce about one-third of the country's GNP and so government has more direct influence on corporate strategy in China (Dessler, G., 2006). According to Dessler, G. (2006), the existing human capital pool in China is influenced by the following factors: Government influence- The government's 'Iron Rice Bowl' approach consisted of practices including lifetime employment, cradle to grave welfare coverage, no layoffs/firing policies, government based pay systems, and group based rewards. It restricted the entry of unemployed into the cities through the 'Hukuo' registration system that severely restricts labour mobility. The government also insisted on the personnel file system which requires employees to transfer their government-administered personnel files to new employers before changing jobs. The Cultural Revolution- This revolution largely lowered and belittled formal university education, closing down universities and schools. Shortage of labour- The problem is that most of China's new jobs are and will be in or near cities, while most of the labour force is still in rural areas. China is therefore undergoing one of the largest human migrations in history. Shortages are not confined to professional and managerial personnel. Global competition- The managers in China face an intensely competitive global industrial environment. Whether expanding into or out of China, the challenge in globalization is competing with world-class businesses in their own markets. Therefore efficient Human Resource management is the key to success in China. A multinational enterprise like Nestl has to make certain changes in its international human resource management policies to survive in China. Nestl Nestl is a multinational packaged food company founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland (Nestl, 2008). It was started in 1905 by Henri Nestl to provide an infant food product. Nestl has a wide range of products across a number of markets including coffee, water, other beverages, ice cream, infant foods, performance and healthcare nutrition, seasonings, frozen and refrigerated foods, confectionery and pet food. The company has set up factories locally, employed personnel from the country concerned and relies on indigenous raw materials in many countries. Nestl has a subsidiary in China. After 13 years of talks, Nestl was formally invited into Shuangcheng, China in 1987, by the Government of Heilongjiang province. There are various differences between the two countries which are discussed in the following section

Analysis Music Project Chopin Nocturne Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis Music Project Chopin Nocturne - Essay Example â€Å"Music is what feelings sound like,† this quotation from an unknown author says it all. Just as Gustav Mahler once said, â€Å"If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music.† One of the most distinguished composers of the 19th century is Frà ©dà ©ric Chopin. Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist, and is considered by many as the epitome of the Romantic style in classical music. Regarded as a child prodigy pianist, I look up to him, as my model and inspiration, since I too, play the piano. Chopin’s works are masterpieces and mainstays of the Romanticism in the 19th century. One of the major innovations in forms of music that he was responsible for is the nocturne. The nocturne is basically a work of art dealing with evening or night, usually a dreamy pensive piano composition. Having written 21 of these, Chopin’s nocturnes are written in a somewhat melancholy style, with an expressive dreamy melody, over broken-chord accompaniment. The major of Chopin’s nocturnes adopt a simple A-B-A form, wherein the A part is usually in a dreamy style, and the B style is a part of a more dramatic content. Considering the melody, harmony, and originality of piano style, Chopin’s nocturnes leave other composers behind, although his style is very much similar with Bellini’s cavatina.

Training and development management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Training and development management - Assignment Example is different from the traditional view because it entails the thorough scrutiny of the candidates of the intended succession process before they are allowed to take their respective positions. The skills and competency they possess in leadership is assessed and analyzed fully, and recommendations are made on the areas the new leadership team will focus on like continuous improvement and total quality management. Traditionally the entire process is conduct in secrecy in order to impose bad leadership on the stakeholders. This culminated in the selection of incompetent and novice workers hence compromising leadership transition process. However, in the contemporary performance consultancy, talent assessment is carried out based on the previous performance assessment and the multi-source reports, in order to obtain specialized personnel in the leadership realm. This selection emphasizes on quality and informed leadership. The best individuals in leadership are cleared to take part in underway duties on leadership whereby they are closely monitored and supervised in order to explore their full potential in service. After the exercise is over, they are ready to take on various leadership roles within the organizational chart. In the performance consultancy, the candidates for the new leadership roles are required to undergo career development training in order to be proficient in the tasks they will perform. This will be done through employment of coaching and group discussions, engaging in cross-functional projects and having secondments within and outside the organization. The candidates can also have international tours in order to have exposure on their role within an organization setting. The Authority can also offer challenging tasks to the candidates in order to test their aptitude ability to tackle challenging issues within the organization. A job description should be prepared prior to the identification of talented individuals. This will assist in the

Operating Systems and Networking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Operating Systems and Networking - Assignment Example To make computing technology effective, one of the leading giants, L'Oreal launched an online learning system for its 60,000 employees in 58 countries. The idea is to provide the employees an individual learning room. Moreover, in a broader context, the online system is designed to meet long term training requirements and expectations of L'Oreal employees. In addition, the online learning system will also support the functional requirements of the organization. The architectural benefit of the online system involves the creation of learning methods and tools including traditional classroom workshops, on job learning, distance learning, demonstration of training videos and creative learning of the web 2.0. Furthermore, the system will aid L'Oreal to modify and maintain training material whereas remaining elastic to meet training needs, that change from time to time (L'Oreal decides CERTPOINT is worth it for staff. 2009). Although there is no comparison of these two organizations, must an application operating on a computer network with loaded learning tools, will certainly add value to the company. The new network implementation will facilitate the company with intranet application, staff communication, and self-learning tools. The intranet application will aid in employees to communicate with each other via emails. The documentation is always a hassle when maintained manually, intranet application facilitates managed documentation with online filling of forms that can be saved in the hard drive or data storage. Moreover, sharing of these forms with almost anyone on the network is also an advantage. Furthermore, certain announcements and memos can also be received via email or on the dashboard of intranet applications. Information related to training center and student can be managed digitally, enabling the organization to maintain paperwork more efficiently. Online charts and graphs related to student performance, company performance, tutors performance and cha nges in higher management are viable on the site instantly that improves communication better within the employees. In addition, online surveys and suggestions are always considered due to efficient response and eliminate hassle of paper work (, Intranet - advantage, type, benefits, cost, Intranet applications, Designing an intranet, The cost of setting up and running an intranet ). Moreover, the computer network will provide shared resources and centralized administration. The shared resources may include videos and course material related to beauty training, which will assist students. Beauty Salons with IT Enabled Services Beauty Studio based in South Africa is aiding its employees and customer by Information technology integration. The business definition of the ‘Beauty Studio’ is â€Å"We are a established clinic that aim to provide clients with a professional service and a skilled touch† The salon covers almost all types of professional services including p ermanent makeup, lash extensions and ‘botox and filetrs’ (, Beauty Studio Salon). Moreover, the software incorporated in the salon is named as ‘body care gate’. This software is designed to cover beauty salon and spa facilitates with massage therapy software, practice software that is free in cost, it shares the feature of integration of customer data. Furthermore, billing, invoicing, scheduling appointments, monitoring receivables,

Impact of Racial Relations in America on the Development of Jazz Essay

Impact of Racial Relations in America on the Development of Jazz - Essay Example Jazz in itself is a special kind of music characterized by much improvisation, multiple rhythms, and blue notes and swung accompanied by vocals affiliated to call and response tradition. No doubt, Jazz was originally meant to be dance music. However, courtesy its appeal and tastefulness, it soon gradated to be a part of the contemporary popular music. Today, it would not be wrong to say that Jazz does has an important place in the modern Western classical music. Jazz, though quintessentially an American music form has its roots in the West African musical art forms and expressions (Gioia 1998). It also needs to be mentioned that Jazz borrowed a lot from the European band music (Gioia 1998). Jazz as an American musical art form originated from the city of New Orleans (Gioia 1998). It was the large Creole and Cajun population that inhabited this American city, which blended the elements of French-Canadian culture with their own native notes and rhythms to give way to a special kind of music called Jazz (Gioia 1998). Gradually Jazz expanded its scope to include within its ambit, varied other American urban centres, before it eventually migrated to Europe and other parts of the world. In the 20th century Jazz gave way to many subgenres like bebop, hard bop and free jazz. Race and racial relations did play an important role in the formulation of Jazz music. Music and Race Relations in America Much before the origins of the United States of American the race relations in America had been marked by varied levels of domination of the white race over the blacks. As far as the white Americans were concerned, they were mostly free to choose between different modes of expression available and accessible to them. However, the things were not that simple and easy for the blacks. As is common with any suppressed race or culture, the blacks resorted to modes of expression that were different and in tandem with their essentially African background (Werner 1999, p. 57). The oppr ession impacted varied facets of the social and personal life of the black Americans. The predominant white opinion was that the blacks were inferior to them and they could only become cultured and civilized by adopting the art forms and modes of expression that had their origins in the Western civilization (Werner 1999, p. 36). However, it was easier said than done. In any age and time, it was impossible for a black individual to become white. So, the other possible way out for the blacks was to imitate the white art forms and to harmonize their modes of expression by blending them with the white art forms (Werner 1999, p. 37). In that context, music was particularly an art form which allowed the blacks to register their protest and to give vent to their emotions and feelings in a way that they liked and that was their own. It is evident from the historical facts that each phase of black existence in America had its own distinct musical genre (Werner 1999). Once the slavery was abo lished in America, it created a dire need for new musical solution for the urge to build and bolster a distinct black identity and culture (Peretti 1994, p. 17). In the meantime, New Orleans, which was earlier under the French rule, had a thriving population of Creoles. A significant number of these Creoles were not only proficient in European instruments and European music, but also were conversant with the African drum rhythms and had already given way to a musical form that was later known as Jazz (Peretti 1994). The free blacks readily adopted Jazz to give vent to their essential isolation and pain. Till the late 40s, Jazz saw the emergence of varied black masters like Louis Armstrong and Thomas Dorsey (Peretti 1994). Yet, the most important fact was that the American media was mainly dominated by whites (Peretti 1994, p. 41). So the expected result was that Jazz though being primarily Afro-American music, it was the

Lifelong Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Lifelong Learning - Essay Example Knowledge is one of the most precious wealth gained by any individual. Habits are part of the learning process as well, when an individual see some good habits they tend to adapt that habit and make it part of their life. Therefore the process of learning new things all along the path is a very common thing experienced by all individuals. What is lifelong learning? It is important for all individuals whether young or old to always keep the process of learning new things mandatory in their lives so as to remain up to date with the latest happenings that are taking place in the surroundings. The term lifelong learning can be defined as all the learning activities that take place in the life of an individual. Having continuous education is part of the lifelong learning process (Brenda and Osborne 2007). The process of being involved in learning new things at each stage of the life improves the decision making for individuals regarding different matters and also improves their level of o ptions to choose from as they have an understanding of different options through their learning processes. The importance of education cannot be weighted in words as education shapes the present and future lives of any individual. How demographic and economic change have affected lifelong learning. There has been a huge and drastic changes being observed by the individuals all around the world. In fact as we know that the only constant thing that is taking place in the world is change. Everything is changing around us with time and we individuals need to adapt to the processes of change to remain successful in this world of such cut throat competition. The field of education is becoming more and more competitive with time (Brenda and Osborne 2007). Many new studies and dimensions are being constantly explored through research work. The processes of research take place in the life of an individual both at the personal level and the professional working level. Research work allows new paths to be explored about any situation and helps in deducing and deriving possible solutions. Now, if we observe there have been many different and unique educational fields of study invented that were not present before. Science has advanced tremendously and it requires that individual should be aware of all the new scientific technologies that are pertaining so that they can be benefitted by them. Science has drastically transformed the living styles and has facilitated human beings in making their work easier and luxurious. The present era requires with high skills and ambitions so that they can face the challenges of both work and life. For developing skills and expertise in any field, one needs to constantly focus upon developing themselves with the latest technology and techniques that are becoming available in the surrounding. Regardless of the field of education any individual belongs to, it is always wise to know about the different things surrounding the individual so t hat they are able to gain an advantage economically since the world is at a constant pace of promoting change (Field 2006). All individuals should focus upon becoming lifelong learners on an effective and efficient pace. The more they are able to grasp knowledge about various aspects, the more chances they have of becoming successful individuals both on a personal level and a professional level (Burbules and Torres 2000). Lifelong learning at times takes place without the individual being aware of the fact that they

Immigrant Women rights and problems in Canada Essay

Immigrant Women rights and problems in Canada - Essay Example For instance, Middle East and Caribbean regions reports indicate a vastly different lifestyle for women as compared to that of the Canadian women. Additionally, the government in Canada has been on the forefront in the recognition, valuation, expression and enactment of women rights in all sectors of the country’s economy. Canada is known as a country with few original residents than the immigrants, a factor that makes the immigrant women to acquire egalitarianism as that of original citizens. More over, protection of women rights in regard to job market, law, family violence and social has been a forefront objective in the country since the realization of women significance in a cosmopolitan society. Nevertheless, immigrant women in Canada do face some immense problems and challenges that still need suitable measures that would address them. Therefore, Life of women in Canada has experienced drastic shifts in the recent years (Magocsi, 1999). The discussion in this paper is o bjected towards the establishment of Immigrant women rights and problems in Canada. An overview of how women rights as well as gender egalitarianism are valued in Canada will also be provided. It is also found ample to establish the several areas in which women rights have been recognized and enacted in the country, and some problems and challenges facing the arena. The effectiveness of application of these rights is also evaluated to enhance comprehensiveness in understanding of human rights. Human rights value and recognition in Canada Human rights are highly valued in Canada than any other nation in the world. Every rights aspect has been well taken care of to enhance the satisfaction of her citizens despite their multicultural backgrounds. The universal Human rights affirmation by the government and all other entities has played a pivotal role in the building of an extraordinary framework for dealing with human issues. More so, enactment of standards and human rights objectives is made easy, which improves the aspiration of the available institutions, legislation as well as individuals. Women in living and working in the Canadian society are given authority to maintain and protect a position that is respectful in their realms. The signing and establishment of women rights by the Canadian government was meant to facilitate an excellent livelihood for the women in the country (Magocsi, 1999). On the hand, several other parts of the world have been so reluctant in the recognition of human rights and freedom. Torture, intimidation and violence have become the order of the day in some societies in the world. However, this has acquired a distinct take in the Canadian society for it has become a world leader in endorsing and safeguarding women's rights in addition to gender egalitarianism. Working and talking is allowed in all sectors. Sitting and working besides guys in offices and working with them is not a big deal in Canada. It is also evident that women who have immigrated to Canada have also been given full rights due to the emphasis that the

Metacognition Student Achievement Essay Example for Free

Metacognition Student Achievement Essay Metacognition has generally been described as thinking about one’s own thoughts. The realization that a human being cannot exist in isolation of his inner self, that he is constantly probing that dam of his very essence to evaluate situations and resolve the never-ending puzzles that daily confront him. Kornell (2009), has described metacognition as self-reflection and conscious awareness. An even more elaborate definition is that given by Serendip (2009). He defines it as â€Å"a reflective practice that helps one discern general patterns in one’s own views and abilities†. Whichever definition one feels comfortable with, it cannot be said to be superior to the other, because metacognition deals with the intangible and cannot be weighed on a scale. It has, however, been the subject of widespread research all over the world. Psychologists are now asking themselves, what causes that tip of the tongue experience, when you are sure you know someone’s name but cannot recall it? Or what is at play when one conveys a feeling of uncertainty? Why is it that humans are able to have certain cognitive abilities that animals apparently do not have? For example, if asked what year America gained independence, one may readily recall with certainty, or one may say with complete uncertainty that he does not know. The answer may also lie in between, showing a certain degree of uncertainty by replying, for example, I think it was 1776. Whatever answer one gives, it demonstrates an ability to question one’s memory and experience. According to studies that have been done, this ability can be improved. Thus, the science of metacognition is now rampant, with studies being carried out on the cognitive abilities of monkeys, children, students, and ways in which they can be improved. Metacognition 2 One study which was carried out to test the cognitive abilities of rhesus monkeys, was that conducted by Kornell, Son Terrace (2007). In this trial, the monkeys were initially trained to select a given picture from a sample of six pictures by touching the image on a touch-screen monitor. After this training period, they were shown six sample pictures which were then simultaneously removed and replaced with nine, one of the previous six being among them. As soon as they selected the sample they thought was among the previous six, they were required to bet on their choice by depressing an icon on the screen for certainty, with a reward of redeemable food tokens, or loss of tokens, if wrong. A further icon for a low risk bet was also there. After carrying out this experiment for a suitable period of time, they concluded that the monkeys would invariably only bet when they were sure that they knew the correct answer. The researchers were therefore of the opinion that the monkeys were guided by a cognitive ability. They also tested two monkeys on metacognitive control. This is the ability to use metacognitive ability to influence behavior. An example would be requesting for a hint when one is unsure of an answer, a common trait with humans. In this trial, two monkeys were presented with a few sample pictures to place in a certain order. They were also availed of onscreen visual hints if they needed. The penalty for using the hints was a less appetizing banana flavored pellet, instead of the more attractive MM candy. As the test progressed, it became apparent that the monkeys were using the hints less and less, and would only resort to them when they were sure that they did not know the right answer. This ability to have control over one’s metacognitive ability had been tested on humans for many years, and it was only now that it was becoming clear that it was also present in animals. However, how prevalent this is among them, cannot be clear and it cannot be generalized from this study that only involved rhesus monkeys. Metacognition 3 Smith Washbum (2005) have taken animal research a notch higher and carried out trials that probe the memory, referred to as monitoring the memory. In the test, animals which were given various tasks to do based on what they had done before, declined to engage in the more difficult tasks, a result that was the same as similar tests carried out on humans. The animals were selective and seemed to have the same analogous capacity as human. There was no doubt that they were using their metacognitive abilities to seek in their memories, and when they remembered that the task was arduous, they declined to take the test. Kornell Terrace (2007) also carried out some trials seeking to find out if monkeys benefited from learning. They did this with two rhesus monkeys which were given two problem sets to solve. In one difficult set, they were given hints to assist them after a suitable training period. In the other set, they were given no hints. The number of hints they used to solve the problem set steadily declined over time, the performance, however, did not change, it stayed the same. The monkeys were solving the problem with skills they had acquired from the hints and were using them less and less because they had â€Å"learned†. This is fascinating and opens up very interesting questions about the training of animals. There are other areas of animal metacognitive behavior which have been studied. Hampton, R (2009), carried out studies on rhesus monkeys to determine if they made decisions when they had information, or sought information when ignorant and immediately made a decision. The results were quite revealing. They carried out two sets of tests. In one test, the monkeys witnessed food being inserted into some opaque test tubes. These tests were referred to as the seen trials. In the other test, the food was inserted into test tubes without their knowledge. Metacognition 4 The monkeys were then required to identify the tubes which had food in them. In trial after trial, they would first look down the tubes to ascertain if the food was there and if it was, they selected the tube. What was evident from these tests is that the monkeys sought information first, by peering down the tubes, when ignorant, and only immediately selected the correct tubes without investigating, when they knew the food was there. That means they knew when they knew and only sought information when they knew that they did not know. This is a characteristic which is prevalent among human children, orangutans and rhesus monkeys. It is, however, not clear with capuchin monkeys when they were exposed to a similar trial about a decade before. There is room for more research on animals. According to Smith Washbum, a lot needs to be investigated regarding the gifts different animals have. For example, monkeys and dolphins seem to exhibit more cognitive abilities than pigeons, whose reactions appear to be more stimulus based. Further research in this area can yield very important information which may stimulate a whole spectrum of research into cognitive abilities of different animal specie. Additionally, there is a lot of room into studies on the ability or lack of ability of animals to make quantitative judgements, for example, their mood. Metacognitive abilities is also a subject of importance in developing learning capabilities for children. Loh, A (2009), has made suggestions on methods to use to improve metacognition learning for children as young as two year olds. Since parents spend the most amount time with children of this age, they are best placed to practice the techniques recommended by Loh. He says that children should be encouraged to think about their thinking process in order to develop their intellect and intelligence. Children should be engaged, soon after an activity, to gauge their Metacognition 5 thinking process and the techniques they used for a task. Immediately after this activity, they should be asked certain questions, for example : 1. They should be asked about the process they used to achieve the result. This way, they will recall the steps and learn the process. 2. What strategies did they use? This will engage them actively in the thinking process by beginning to adopt strategic thinking of alternative techniques they can use to achieve better results. 3. What do they think about the end result? Is it good or bad? This will help them to evaluate their work. 4. Offer them puzzling tasks that have more than one solution. This exposes them to cognitive conflicts 5. Engage them in debates and discussions with other children 6. Allow them to practice reciprocal teaching where they form groups and one child teaches members of his group. 7. Once they engage on a task, allow them to continue undisturbed. Help them with clues if they get stuck. Further, they can be assisted with questions that will incline them to probe their mind even more, for example, what they learned from the task and what they found difficult. Additionally, they can be probed to find out if they have a next goal and what will help them to achieve it. Metacognition 6 There has been more research in the field of metacognitive abilities of children. Young children’s understanding of mental life, or â€Å"theory of mind†, is an area that is currently being explored by various scientists. According to science daily (2008), a new study had made a link between theory of mind as assessed in kindergarten children and their metacognitive abilities in elementary school. Early theory of mind competencies positively influenced metacognitive abilities acquired later. 174 children between the ages of three and four were used as study subjects to investigate this relationship. Wolfgang Schneider, P. H. D. , of the University of Wurzburg, who carried out the trial, said that knowledge from this research can be used to develop training programs for young children. For all the progress that has been done on metacognition in animals and children, none can rival that of learners. The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (2009), says that students with metacognitive needs have difficulties in setting priorities and planning their tasks. Additionally: 1. They are poor at strategizing in order to accomplish a task methodically 2. They procrastinate and are unable to start their work. 3. They are inattentive and make careless mistakes. 4. They are not able to identify their faults or know how to seek help. With these type of students they recommend the following teaching strategies : 1. Teachers should tutor them on how to plan and show them the scoring rubric for the assignment. 2. They should be taught on estimation of time needed to complete a task. 3. They should be assisted with think-aloud strategies. Metacognition 7 4. They should be cajoled to get engaged actively in their work by asking them how they are doing the work and how they will remember to solve the problem. 5. Teachers should be specific in their assignments to students by providing scoring rubrics for each question and how they have been calculated. However, Pierce (2004), dealt even deeper in metacognition for students. He was of the opinion that study strategies were generalized and teachers did not teach them in class. They assumed that students had already learned them. When they taught a strategy, students used the same strategy taught for all subjects. According to him, students needed to acquire three types of knowledge in order to improve their metacognitive abilities. These are : 1. Declarative knowledge which is having at their grasp factual information, for example, speed is distance divided by time taken. 2. Procedural knowledge which is knowing how to do something. Using the previous example of speed, they should know the formula for speed and the steps required in its calculation. 3. Conditional knowledge – This is knowing when to use a certain procedure and why one strategy is better than another. In applying the three types of knowledge for study strategies for example, students need declarative knowledge to know that a high school history textbook is different from an article analyzing the same textbook. They need procedural knowledge to take notes from such a textbook and conditional knowledge to know when such notes should be taken. According to Pierce, study techniques improve learning but are hardly ever taught. Additionally, many students do not internalize success as caused by ability and effort. Metacognition 8 Lippman, Danielsson Linder (2005), differed slightly with some researchers of metacognition. They claimed that most studies taught metacognitive skills and then measured the effects of training. Instead, they should quantify the use of metacognition. In a study that they carried out at an American university, their aim was to find out how much metacognition is used in a laboratory and how the setup encourages the use of metacognition. Three groups of students were used and their proceedings videotaped and their verbal comments recorded. In one group, students were given a set of instructions to follow. The same was done for the second group and in addition, they were expected to explain their reason. The third group was given a question to answer and expected to explain, in a presentation, the method they had used to get results. In analyzing the results, Lippman et al (2005) saw no difference in the amount of metacognition in the different groups. However, the most important finding was that there was a difference in how metacognition made students change their behavior in tackling the lab assignments. For example, in the third group, the verbal exchanges revealed that the use of metacognition made the students more creative. This was a different approach as was the one used by Mevarech Kramarski (2003). In this study, 100 eighth graders, studying algebra in four classrooms, were divided into two groups. One group was exposed to cooperative learning and also given metacognitive training. The other group was given cooperative learning but without metacognitive training. At issue was mathematical modeling and problem solving skills. After tasks to perform were given, the results showed that the group which had been given metacognitive training did outperformed the other that only had a cooperative setting. There was significant difference with the two groups with regard to planning, processing and reflection. They concluded that the cooperative Metacognition 9 setting is not enough to enhance modeling skills. Metacognitive skills are important in how to approach a problem, how to control and monitor the solution and how to reflect on the final answer. As a result of such studies, Mevarech Kramarski (2003) designed the learning tool called IMPROVE, whose letters stand for : Introducing the new material Metacognitive questioning Practicing Reviewing Obtaining mastery on higher and lower cognitive processes Verification Enrichment and remedial The important thing in IMPROVE is the approach in problem solving. Students are able to approach a scenario with a systematic method which first and foremost addresses the question of what is the issue at hand. They then investigate to find out how different the problem is from others and what the best strategies are to solve it. As can be seen from all the studies mentioned, metacognition is an area of development that has a lot of room for growth. Animals which have been shown to have metacognitive abilities can be researched further in order to discover if this is something widespread within the animal kingdom, and if not, then what actually determines metacognition of a species. With children too, the theory of the mind is interesting and further studies should be carried out to determine if there are other areas of their lives that can benefit from improved research on Metacognition 10 metacognition. For example, are high levels of metacognition genetic? Does diet affect levels of metacognition? What role does disease play in metacognition? It would also be interesting to see new research in the study techniques of students. More than anyone else, their place in society is critical because they take over reins in business, government and the civil society within only a few years after leaving college. Their overall performance in school is therefore a top priority. Of serious concern should be when study techniques should begin to be taught and how they would be standardized. Additionally, quantifying the use of metacognition as advocated for by Lippman (2005), needs to generate more study. If his research is anything to go by, then the approach to metacognition training must also address, not just the amount of metacognition ability gained, but also how it is channeled to productive use. This is an area that can prove very challenging and rewarding because teaching metacognition techniques is one thing, but being able to teach the type of techniques that can produce quantifiable measures cannot be easy. However, it is possible that the same metacognition graduates will discover new methods and strategies to impart more abilities in metacognition. Metacognition 11 References Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (2009). Metacognitive Skills. Retrieved on July 29, 2009 from http://www. etfo. ca/Multimedia/Webcasts/SpecialEducation/Pages/Metacognitive%20Skills. aspx Hampton, R (2009). Multiple demonstrations of metacognition in nonhumans: Converging evidence or multiple mechanisms? Retrieved on July 29, 2009 from http://psyc. queensu. ca/ccbr/Vol4/Hampton.pdf. Kornell, Nate (2009, February). Metacognition in Humans and Animals. Retrieved on July 29, 2009 from http://www3. interscience. wiley. com/cgi-bin/fulltext/122212734/HTMLSTART Lippmann, K. , Danielsson, A. Linder, C. (2005, August). Metacognition in the student Laboratory : Is increased metacognition necessarily better? Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://www. anst. uu. se/rekun676/meta. pdf Loh, A (2009, July). Using Metacognition Learning to Make Children Smarter. Retrieved on July 29, 209 from http://www. brainy-child. com/articles/metacognition-learning.shtml Mevarech Z. Kramarski, B. ( 2003). Mathematical Modeling and Meta-cognitive Instruction. Retrieved on July 29, 2009 from http://www. icme-organisers. dk/tsg18/S32MevarechKramarski. pdf Metacognition 12 Mevarech, Z. Kramarski, B. (2003). Metacognitive Questioning and the use of Worked Examples. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://www. memory-key. com/StudySkills/IMPROVE. htm Peirce, W (2004, November). METACOGNITION: Study Strategies, Monitoring, and Motivation. Retrieved on July 29, 2009, from http://academic. pgcc. edu/~wpeirce/MCCCTR/metacognition.htm ScienceDaily (2008, August). Young Childrens Theory Of Mind Linked To Subsequent Metacognitive Development In Adolescence. Retrieved on July 29, 2009 from http://www. sciencedaily. com/releases/2008/08/080814154429. htm Serendip (2009). Metacognition. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://serendip. brynmawr. edu/exchange/wfrankli/ii09/metacognition Smith, D Washbum, D. (2005, February). Uncertainty Monitoring and Metacognition by Animals. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://www3. interscience. wiley. com/cgi-bin/fulltext/118706297/HTMLSTART

The Concept Of The Imperial Presidency

The Concept Of The Imperial Presidency It was historian Arthur M. Schlesinger who popularised the term imperial presidency to describe the evolution of the modern day president. Schlesinger contended that expansion and abuses of the presidential office were so profound by 1972, they had thwarted the traditional checks and balances of the constitutional system. He concluded the imperial presidency emerged due to the aggregation of presidential war powers that were primarily acquired in response to Americas participation in twentieth century wars. Schlesinger connected the presidencys usurpation of foreign policy to the accumulation of domestic powers, stressing that the war powers and executive secrecy were two significant devices which gave rise to the misuse of power by presidents.  [4]  He also reflected a growing belief that the evolution of the presidency had permanently transformed the balance of power; resulting in an extremely powerful president and a resident Congress in the decision-making arena.  [5]   Until recently, many commentators widely regarded that the Nixon administration represented the true singular embodiment of the imperial presidency.  [6]  More than three decades later, the notions of the imperial presidency has once again resurfaced. Many scholars, including Schlesinger himself, observe that the imperial presidency has been revived under the Bush administration,  [7]  and given further vigour under the leadership of President Obama.  [8]  But how authentic is this approach in understanding presidential power in decision-making today? How much utility is there in Schlesingers concept of an imperial presidency? Is it the case as Schlesinger suggests, the modern day president is out of control, operating beyond the constitutional parameters and in clear defiance of the doctrine of separation of powers. THE IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY REBORN The starting point of this paper is recognition of Schlesingers imperial presidency, and that it was restored to former prominence under the presidency of George W. Bush. However, this paper makes a distinction between the usurpation of power and the abuse of power.  [9]  Unlike presidents who temporarily assumed power in times of war, we argue like Nixon, Bush abused power by claiming a near absolution of power to be the enduring prerogative of the presidency.  [10]  Presidents such as Lincoln, FDR, and Truman, it is argued, momentarily usurped power anticipating Congress would hold them to account after the wartime emergency ended.  [11]  It is in this distinction that we argue makes the presidency of George W. Bush an imperial presidency. By actively trying to keep a monopoly of constitutional power, it continuously relied on powers beyond those vested in the executive by the Constitution, and often unilaterally of Congress. THE NEW IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY The imperial presidency of George W. Bush was constructed and enforced by Vice-President Cheney and his chief legal advisor Addington, given legal veneer by Deputy Assistant Attorney General Yoo, endorsed by White House Counsel and later Attorney General Gonzales.  [12]   This paper also makes a distinction between the imperial presidency under Nixon and the imperial presidency under Bush. A drawback of Schlesingers approach is that his theory emphasises the abuse of power by the individual in the office, the president. Qualifying his theory, we argue that it was not an imperial presidency but an imperial vice-presidency. There is insurmountable amount of evidence suggesting Vice-President Dick Cheney was the chief architect  [13]  behind the concept of broad-based, unreviewable, and secret presidential powers  [14]  that gave further projection to the unitary executive legal theories.  [15]  These legal theories, advocated by Cheney,  [16]  were depended upon frequently and in various contexts by the Bush administration to justify their assault on individual liberties and other intrusions of the American constitution.  [17]   However, it is clear from the opening sentence of Article II, the Constitution vests the entire executive power in the president and not the vice-president;  [18]  a point illustrated by President Trumans Oval Office desk plate, which read, the buck stops here.  [19]  Reflecting this point, Clinton Rossiter described the presidency as a one man jobwhocan never escape making the final decisions in which the public and Constitution hold him responsible.  [20]  To make sense of Bushs presidency, this paper argues that the Bush administration was a victim of what Janis termed Groupthink.  [21]  Applying Janiss hypothesis, an example of the influence of groupthink can be found in the Bush administrations decision to pursue an invasion of Iraq.  [22]  According to former Pentagon analyst Karen Kwiatwoski, there was a groupthink style of environment throughout the executive hierarchy, which blindly sought for the agreement to invade Bagdad.  [23]  Theses neoconservat ive executives formed a royal court around Bush, and by controlling the type and supply of information they were able to shape and influence his knowledge, to such an extent, it could be argued they were making presidential decisions on behalf of the president. Bush was simply a string-puppet, who was directed ironically by the men whom he led. For example, in a press conference in 2002, President Bush was asked what he was doing to capture Osama Bin Laden, an individual in his conviction to be the Americas most notorious enemy. Bush responded, You know, I just dont spend much time on him.  [24]  This perhaps explains why President Bush and Congress rushed into war before a broad-based coalition of allies could be formed. In this sense, Congress and the American public also became victims of groupthink, as they too were persuaded by highly misleading information. Therefore, it was not just an imperial vice-presidency but an imperial executive presidency, where power was being ab used by a number of executive individuals.  [25]   REINING IN THE EXECUTIVE Schlesingers approach in understanding the charges of a too powerful president is useful. Although, its utility of the great man perspective is restrictive and misleading at the same time when trying to understand the true nature and power of the presidency in the decision-making process. Despite operating under similar conditions, it is arguable that the current Obama administration no longer enjoys the vast amount of executive power, which was expanded and abused under the Bush administration. A similar argument can be drawn when analyzing Bushs two-term presidency. As the presidency entered into its final bout, with the political, media and public attention transferring to the presidential candidates, the Bush presidency became somewhat lame duck,  [26]  whose authority and influence had been curtailed extensively. Therefore, a distinction can be made between Bushs first and second term. It is evident that in his first term, the Bush administration acquired a vast amount of executive authority, which allowed them to dictate American foreign policy. However, this is not a new phenomenon. Wildavskys Two Presidency theory suggests that the president wears two hats, enjoying more freedom in foreign affairs.  [27]  Qualifying his theory, we argue that the Bush administrations ability to act unilaterally in this domain had a spill-over effect, which soon began to pervade and embolden the domestic presidency as well. This gave rise to Schlesingers revolutionary presidenc y;  [28]  the Bush administration was able to change the dynamics of American democracy by creating a plebiscitary presidency  [29]  where they were only accountable during elections (ironically strengthening his presidency as he was re-elected). Moreover, by overriding the constitutional provisions of checks and balances the Bush administration became the dominate branch in the decision-making process of the American political system. However, it is arguable that towards the end of his second term the Bush administration was far more restricted and constrained, especially in relation to its domestic policy ambitions with a more assertive Congress playing a more dominant role in the decision-making process.  [30]  Even though the presidency continuously and arrogantly acted unilaterally from Congress, its scope to do so especially in the domestic arena had been heavily curtailed. We contend that the expansion of the presidency to a certain degree has been reined-in, going some way to restoring the balance of power between the president and Congress. ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES AND THE CONCEPT OF PRESIDENTIAL POWER The utility of the historical and legal approach helps us make sense of the current change in dynamics of the presidency and sheds light on how the Bush administration was able to act unilaterally in the decision-making process. This approach suggests that the aggregation of presidential power has not occurred continuously, and neither is the modern day presidency a source of permanent power that has nullified the Constitution as suggested by Schlesinger. This is because presidential power is not an attribute but a relation. The constitutional and historical legitimacy of the presidency may put any president in a privileged position in the decision-making process, but the magnitude of his power is variable as much of it exists in relation to his influence over other individuals and institutions. Therefore, we contend that presidential power at the federal level ebbs and flows: varying from one domain of political activity to another; from one circumstance to another; from one preside ncy to another; evolving gradually at times and fluctuating abruptly at other times. A prominent reason for this is because of the deliberate efforts by the Founding Fathers to stagger the constitutional powers, installed conflict into the heart of the American polity.  [31]  The vague wording of the Constitution instigates a natural invitation for struggle between the executive and legislature,  [32]  in which both institutions push the boundaries to maximize their political power. Consequently, a tug of war for influence develops between the presidency and Congress for control of the political agenda, which is more prevalent when Congress is divided, or in times of uncertainty. The historical approach does seem to suggest that a pattern exists: repeated assumptions of power in the decision-making process are followed each time by a chorus of criticism, which in return is followed by stricter congressional oversight towards presidency.  [33]  Similarly, scholarly judgments tend to reflect this cycle, although it is arguable, that these observations are somewhat exaggerated and do only reflect that period of time. For example the notions of an imperial presidency were embedded due to the fierce opposition of the Nixon presidency. Likewise, the reflections of an imperiled presidency post-Watergate were an overstated reaction to the perceived limited presidential activity in the decision-making process by Carter and Ford.  [34]  However, it is plausible based on the history of the American polity that the option is either executive supremacy or congressional supremacy. On the other hand, the concept of power suggests this does not necessarily mean that it has to be one or the other. As aforementioned above, power only exists in relation to influence, but influence is not a game of fixed sums, where one gains the other looses in the decision-making process. Similarly, the influence of both institutions is in a constant flux, forever changing in different circumstances. Therefore, it is pointless to make judgments which institution has more power at any given moment as evidence is murky. AGENDA-STRUCTURING POWERS According to C. Wright Mills, a president has more scope of influence in relation to Congress in resolving issues then introducing new issues on the political agenda. Other commentators like James Bryce make a similar distinction by arguing: In quiet times the power of the president is not great; yet in troublesome times it is otherwise, for immense responsibility is thrown on one who is both commander-in-chief and head of the civil executive.  [35]   An explanation for these phenomena can be found in the executives function to respond to unforeseen circumstances more responsively than the deliberative decision-making body of Congress. Thomas E. Cornin contends, when such events occur, the presidency is in the driving seat, especially in relation to foreign affairs. The presidency enjoys the prerogative in determining what constitutes a crisis,  [36]  and can exploit its privileged position to structure new developments to their accord. This is not to say Congress lacks the constitutional authority to intervene, rather, it often lacks the will or courage to do so.  [37]  This is because whenever a president waves the crisis flag or takes a foreign-policy initiative, in most circumstances, he is likely to have the country behind him, including influential business leaders, the media and the majority of the public.  [38]   This explains how the Bush administration was able to implement their visions of an imperial presidency. The unprecedented events of 9/11 infused Wildavskys two presidencies into one, presenting the Bush administration a blank canvas whereby they were able to structure the emergency response. More importantly, 9/11 strategically placed them at the forefront of the decision-making process in both domains. However, it is plausible the reason why Congress rubber stamped Bushs 9/11 policies, is because at the time Congress too favored a strong political response and held the commander-in-chief responsible to deliver such a response. In this sense, according to sociological approach of Mills,  [39]  the Bush administration was not exerting presidential power, but was simply reflecting the will of Congress and the American public. Bush was merely a surf-rider on the waves of international developments. Like Kennedy in the Cuban missile crisis,  [40]  the Bush administration knew it was important to act on their wishes and was conscious that an unpopular response to 9/11 would result in a backlash politically. Therefore, this approach suggests, due to the natures of emergencies, no matter who happens to be president, every incumbent is compelled to follow a course of action that most Americans and congressmen approve, purely for political opportunism and political survival. In this sense, the presidency shapes the president. On the other hand, the utility of Barbers psychological approach suggests presidents also shape presidencies.  [41]  Although presidential decisions are determined by political and other constraints largely beyond their control, the personality of the incumbent is significant in helping shape presidential decisions. Presidential decisions may be influenced by the climate of expectation and power situation,  [42]  but because they enjoy the best bully pulpit, presidents actively try to influence the public and educate them through various means into going along with what they want.  [43]  In the case of the Bush Presidency, the administration successfully manipulated both the public and Congress about the severity of threat Iraq imposed. A fundamental reason why Congress was easily tricked into war was because Congress relied heavily upon the information provided by the White House to inform them about the debate. In the domestic domain, Congress is more of an expert and c an rely upon various avenues of information to gain a better understanding. However, in foreign affairs information is more restricted and it is usually the case Congress goes along with the expertise of the executive. As the American media often failed to report accurately on the Middle East wars, focusing on rallying behind the troops, the Bush administration was in the privileged position of educating the public and Congress about Americas successful campaign against the war on terrorism. As there was no official oppositional leader to challenge Bush, his presidency was able to shape American foreign policy unilaterally, thus allowing President Bush to become an imperial president whose actions were undisputed by Congress. It was only until casualties started mounting up, that the public support started wavering. In the absence of public consensus, Congress became more assertive in relation to Bushs policies, as it became concerned about its lack of involvement in the strategy of the wars that was draining America out of its men and resources. However, by then it was all too late. For the sake of national prestige Congress was committed (as usual) to keep funding the wars which had allowed the presidency to run riot. The irony here is, although, the wars liberated the presidency from the constraints of the domestic environment, it projected the presidency into a more complex and volatile environment with multiply constraints. Once Bush committed the troops, he found it extremely difficult to pull the troops out. This meant they became part of the environmental parameters within which the Obama administration had to operate in. Again, the irony here is, rather than embolden the domestic presidency it has reversed the process and added more constraints on the Obama presidency. CONCLUSION Does the United States still have an imperial presidency? The difficulty in the answer lies with the concept. The imperial presidency still means many things to many people. The answer is further complicated as it is hard to distinguish between a strong presidency and imperial presidency. Schlesingers concept implies that the imperial presidency exists because of the presidents prerogative in foreign policy which he abuses to extend his other powers. The problem here is, because the Supreme Court rarely passes judgments in relation to presidential abuses in this domain,  [44]  we are left with political judgments from politicians and scholars that are conflicting, as there is more than one criteria to judge presidential power. It is like Michael Novak observed, the right worries about the imperial president at home; the left about the imperial president abroad.  [45]  This is evident for the Obama presidency. As he has implemented an extraordinary amount of legislation and co ntinued executive secrecy, some commentators contend that he has extended Bushs legacy.  [46]  They see his ambitious economic and social policies as unconstitutional. As aforementioned above, the modern day president is compelled for the sake of American prosperity to pursue certain kinds of economic and social policies. Just because the Obama presidency has been successful, it does not mean other actors have not have not influenced the final decision. In most of the legislation passed, Obama has had to compromise, even his national health care programme. We conclude that the seeds of an imperial presidency have always existed. However, for it to flourish there has to be a combination of men and events.  [47]  If the individual in the office does not have a sense for power and relies on the formal powers of the office then it is likely the system of checks and balances will hold firm. Similarly, extraordinary events can curtail presidential power. America recently had the diplomatic version of 9/11 with confidential cables being exposed, withdrawing even more influence from the president in decision-making power.  [48]  

Examination Of The Business Ethics Of Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay

Examination Of The Business Ethics Of Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay The business ethics report I want to write is about pollution. Pollution is the most important and most concern today. The environment pollution becomes a harmful level of pollutants in the natural resources air, water, and land (soil), which these three natural resources is the main, causes the global warming. Air pollution exists when a harmful amount of pollutants contains in air, such as dust, gases, smog or fumes. The pollutants could be harmful to health of humans and animals, or which may cause damage to plants (EPA Victoria, 2006). However, the existing issue of global warming is main cause by greenhouse gases (air) with major content of carbon dioxide (Teller et al., 1997). Water pollution main cause is runoff from agricultural fields and industrial sites, in which pollutants from agricultural fields and industrial sites in-flood to rivers and ocean. Other than air (oxygen) is main source for human survival; water was the second important source for human to survive. Additionally, water from forest always provides higher quality water, with the lower pollutants (Dudley and Stolton, 2003). Environmental pollution also involves of land(soil) pollution which defined as a phenomenon characterized by the loss of structural and biological properties by the soil layer as cause by human and natural factors, such as strong wind, chemical use, and deforestation, in which land and forest also is home for millions of creatures (EHow, no date). Summary In this article, human factors inevitably encroached the forbidden zone such as deforestation of forest reserve, indirectly causes water and air pollution as well. The developers with the interest to build houses (Kampung Tersusun Anggerik) due to the growing population of Malays, and due to limited land, the development projects had been inevitably encroached the forbidden zone with the bulldozers, uprooting the old growth in forest reserve (Hilary, 2010). Therefore, the District Office issued a stop work-order action against the development project due to the following complaints from Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) (Hilary, 2010). According to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment issued strict and detailed guidelines to all Governments and Federal Agencies in connection with hill slope development, known as the Garis Panduan Pembangunan di Kawasan Tanah Tinggi (GPPDKTT), in between 26Â ° gradient and 35Â ° gradient (measured on existing contours and not after cutting and filling) slopes development may considered as consult to detailed studies and evaluation, additionally, GPPDKTT prohibits any development in an area with a gradient of above 35 degrees (Fernandez, 2006). Refers to the articles incident, the developer has no comply with GPPDKTT rules and regulation, wherein the project site has fall into Class 3 (above 26Â ° gradient) and Class 4 (above 35Â ° gradient) slopes which are environmentally dangerous areas that should not have any form of physical development (Hilary, 2010). The residents living near to the project had opposed the development project and one of the residents comment that we getting shock after heard about a human settlement are going to develop in the reserve forest and which are steeply slopes, Mrs. Chong said (Hilary, 2010). In addition, Mrs. Chong insisted that they opposed it was not against the creation of a Malay village, but just to given an advised to relocated the development project to a safety place (Hilary, 2010). However, the director of Natural Forest Private Limited (Alam Rimba Sdn Bhd) Azmen Ahmad claimed that the title of land was approved by government 15 years ago, because of the shortage of land due to the growth population of Malays in Cameron Highlands (Hilary, 2010). Meanwhile, the developer claimed that the project had obtained a work permit from the Land and District Office. However, the District officer had refused to be interviewed and conveyed a text of no comment through his personal assistant (Hilary, 2010). The impact of pollution In my business report, I choose to do on environment pollution is one of the factors causes global warming. Nowadays, the global warming already become the personally responsible for every human in the world, and from the movie of Ice Age: Meltdown was on purposely to raise awareness of global warming (Kellstedt et al., 2008). In my article, human being with the development project (Kampung Tersusun Anggerik) deforestation the forest reserve had indirectly cause land (soil), water, and air pollution. Land Pollution The human being uprooting the old growth in forest reserve have cause the incident of silting creeks that feed into the river (Sungai Tela), in which the river was main water supply for residents living at Cameron Highland (Hilary, 2010). However, uprooting the old growth or deforestation the forest reserve will impact landslides which will indirectly lead to rising temperatures as global warming (Hilary, 2010). Water Pollution From the article, the incident of silting creeks that feed into the river was clearly showed that land pollution will impact water pollution. Besides, the river was the main water supply for residents staying at Cameron Highlands (Hilary, 2010). As mention on introduction, if well managed the water from forest, it will provides higher quality water with the less pollutants (Dudley and Stolton, 2003). Therefore, the development project on the article not only impact on polluted the land (soil), its also polluted the water from forest. Air Pollution Therefore, the both land (soil) and water pollutions will indirectly increase the temperatures and then cause of the global warming. Global warming is main cause by greenhouse gases with major context of carbon dioxide (Teller et al., 1997). Carbon dioxide is use to enhance plant growth by photosynthesis process. In my article, if District Office did not take action against the development project, the forest being deforestation, the number of carbon dioxide will increase in the forest. At the end, the global warming issue will become more and more serious. Thesis In my article is clearly shown the thesis that how people opposed the development project which is harmful to the natural environment by the impact of pollution. Land pollution is the main cause of the development process, wherein it is indirectly impact on air and water pollution. The pollution started from the landslides to rising temperatures, from the illegal uprooting old growth from the land to cause river contamination. These entire incidents were seriously harmful to their residents nearby. Egoism In the article, the theory of egoism proven that people are applying in their personal lives as, they are morally right to make decision for their personal benefits instead of applying utilitarianism (Crane and Matten, 2007). The developers applying the egoism theory in their job to deforestation the forest reserve, and it caused the incident of silting creeks that feed into the river (Sungai Tela), where by the river was the main water supply for Cameron Highlands (Hilary, 2010). In social responsibility of business, the developers are morally right to make decision for their personal benefits. As Milton Friedman (1970) wrote that there is one and only one social responsibility of business, businesses had no moral duty to to good, but only to increase the wealth of its shareholders by increasing profits. In social responsibility developers may morally right with interest in building house for Malays due to the increasingly population, but in ethics theory they apply egoism in making decision for their own benefits only. Although the development project area was the forest reserve with the work permit approval, but there was a part of the forest reserve is steeply slope area wherein is not suitable for any physical development. The developers was clearly did not follow the rules and regulations (GPPDKTT) which strictly issued by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (Fernandez, 2006). Utilitarianism The egoism of pleasure is due to the philosophical opponents of utilitarianism, whereby utilitarianism is in an action with motive of morally right to gain a result for greatest amount of people satisfied with their needs and wants. From the philosophy utilitarianism of John Stuart Mill (1863) have been influential in modern economic theory, wherein the distribution of the happiness and minimize the unhappiness should be standardized to everyone by which actions are judged right or wrong (Henry, 2004). In the article, although the development project is build houses for the Malay villages due to the increasing population, however, in short term the will distributed the goods of houses to Malays, but in long term the houses in endanger the Malay villages which are staying on the steeply slopes houses. The residents who are staying nearby the development project had applied the utilitarianism ethics theory to voice up and opposed the development project, because a part of the forest re serve was in steeply slope hill site. o, if the project is on-going it will endanger the Malay residents who will stay at the steeply slope area in future. Additionally, the residents applied utilitarianism theory instead of egoism theory, wherein they opposed the development project was not against to Malays, just given an advised to relocated the development project to a safety place instead of build in a endanger steeply sloping hill (Hilary, 2010). Ethics of duties The ethics of duties theory is an act that shirt towards rules of utilitarianism. Philosopher Kant (1724-1804) discovers the ethics of duties theory is the fundamental moral law that would determined humans action without regard to its consequences (White, 1993). In my article, we can seem that after consideration of the incident of the silting creeks, Land District Officers have do their job with applied the ethics of duties theory, in which issued the developer to stop working in the endanger area of development. Therefore, the Districts officer is only the important person to stop the incident run into a serious situation, where by the development project may impact more unlikely incidents to happen, such as land slide. Ethics of duties In antithesis, the ethics of duties theory is an act that shirt towards rules of egoism. In my article, the Land and District Officer and the developers had applied the egoism theory due to the interest of build houses for Malays and maximize shareholders profits, they had ignored the ethics of duties theory. As universal knowledge that forest reserve are not allow any developer to deforestation, in which under Act 313, National Forestry Act 1984 (Law of Malaysia, 2006). However, the Land and District Office had ignored the ethics of duty theory with giving the work permit to the developers to uprooting old growth in forest reserve to build houses in the dangerous steeply slope area. Ethics of right The ethics of right and justice theory come after the ethics of duties theory, and the ethics of right and justice theory explain that every individual in given situation with the result that everybody should get what they deserve. Its related to philosopher John Locke (1632-1704) theory, he claimed that human should be entitled to the notion of right and moral right to gain the respected and protected in every action (Aldrich, 1999). In my article, the ethics of right theory was applied by the residents stay nearby the development project who opposed the development project, however, the District Officer only applied the ethics of right theory after incident of the silting creeks that feed into the river (Sungai Tela) and issued the stop-work order to developers. Virtue ethics Human who applied virtue ethics is contends with morally correct actions and behavior. Professor Sandra Borden proposes that virtue ethics theory refers to understanding of doing right thing and do thing right to addressing those ethical challenges (Borden, 2007). As the same, the Land and District Officers and the developers with the interest of profits had ignored virtue ethics, in which illegally deforestation steeply slope forest reserve to build house for Malays. Feminist ethics theory Feminist ethics theory is modern western ethics theory which Carol Gilligan(1982) approach to business ethics focuses on the importance of women have fairly different attitudes from men with significant impact on the way handled the ethical conflicts (Kuhse et al., 1998). In addition, feminist ethics theory is an approach to avoid harm for those principles such as peace and healthy social relationship, and care for one another. Thus, in my article the residents stay near to the development project had applied the feminist ethics theory to opposed the endanger development project, wherein they opposed it was not against to Malays and just as a simple meaning care for one another. Pollution act From the issued in my article, there are few related pollution acts: Act A1286 Street, Drainage and Building (Amendment) Act 2007 Act A1286 Street, Drainage and Building (Amendment) Act 2007 (Law of Malaysia, 2007) is an Act related to the Garis Panduan Pembangunan di Kawasan Tanah Tinggi (GPPDKTT). GPPDKTT stated that there is not allowed any development in an area with a gradient of above 35 degrees with the measured on existing contours and not after cutting and filling (Fernandez, 2006). As a part of development project is an area with gradient of above 35 degrees, so, the land are protect by Act A1286, Street, Drainage and Building (Amendment) Act 2007, which prohibit for any development project (Law of Malaysia, 2007). Act 313 National Forestry Act 1984 Act 313, National Forestry Act 1984 is an Act to provide for the administration, management and conservation of forests and forestry development within States of Malaysia and for connected purpose (Law of Malaysia, 2006). Therefore, forest reserve are protected by Act 313, National Forestry Act 1984, so, the Land and District Office is not allow to give any work permit to the any development project, because the development project is under the forest reserve area (Law of Malaysia, 2006). Thus, state government of Malaysia should take action against the Land and District Officer and the developers. Conclusion In conclusion, there are number of Acts playing their roles to protect our environment pollution, but somehow human who applied egoism theory for their own short-term or long-term benefits go against the Acts, for example, corruption. In addition, pollution is the most serious issued for everyone to take care, especially air pollution, it is because human need oxygen to continue survives and forest most important green environment supplier us oxygen. Other than that, although business ethics theory had teach in our education, but there still are people who keep continue deforestation. Therefore, the rules of regulations (Acts) should be strictly to all people who inevitably encroached into forest reserve by punishments. So, all of us should take responsible to our natural environment and stop people illegally deforestation the forest reserve. Every individual should be educated or adapted business ethics theories to save our globe from global warming.

Brave New World - Technology :: Brave New World

Brave New World - Technology    Technology, what is it? It’s usually something new, and better than the old idea. Technology started with cars, stoves, TV, radios, etc. Cars takes somebody from one place to another, faster than walking, running, or biking and one could go places without getting tired. Stoves allowed one to conveniently be able to turn on and off heat to a cooking utensil with less clean up. The biggest contributor to making our lives easier would be computers, which has come a long way since its introduction to the world. Also, computers have the ability to be improved more, and more in time. In general, technology started off by comforting our lives. Now, the rapid growth of technology has replaced the need for one’s own intellect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To begin with, technology makes us lazy. One no longer writes with pen and paper, or a typewriter, but with a computer program. The use of a computer program eliminates many things such as a rough draft. Because one can make mistakes, fix it without a mess, and then print a final copy, a rough copy is not made. It is also not needed according to these people, yet as many people know, spur of the moment thinking is not nearly as good as a well thought out plan. Therefore, a rough copy is much better to have, even though most people don’t make a rough copy because they’re too lazy. This lethargy is due to the advanced technology of computers. Also, almost all programs are equipped with a spell-check. Spell-check is, in other words, a dictionary without the definition. So, because of spell-check, one wouldn’t need to use the dictionary, or is it one would be too lazy to use the dictionary? The use of the internet is also used to cheat. People can look for something to plagiarize across the whole world in less than five minutes. These lazy people just cannot resist this temptation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This leads me to my next point, with the use of technology, one no longer exercises their mind. Take the spell check for instance, since one has spell check, they don’t look up words in the dictionary. Spell check, though, doesn’t have definitions, and their might be some replacement words that don’t have the same meaning as the word in your sentence.