Biography of Narendra Modi: A Political Phenomenon Essay

Narendra Damodardas Modi, popularly known as Narendra Modi is the current Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat and the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections. He was selected by L.K Advani, the leader of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in 2001 to give a direction to the election campaign in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Mr. Modi was elected as Chief Minister of Gujarat on October 7th, 2001 and is the longest serving Chief Minister of the state. In the 2012 Gujarat legislative assembly election he won his fourth constituency term as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. A career that started as an errand runner for the RSS (Hindu Right wing group) is now perhaps on the way to reaching its zenith. Yes, Mr. Narendra Damodardas Modi has walked quite a distance wearing unflinching confidence on his sleeves. The Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate is a fascinating case study as the man opens up equal number of avenues for his critics as well as admirers. The man is admired for his economic policies and growth scenario in Gujarat, but he also bears flak for the dismal state of the Human Development Index in Gujarat. As the pendulum of the verdict sways to and fro for him, let’s have a deeper look into Narendra Modi’s biography. Humble Beginnings The idea of struggle was never very distant for Modi. He used to run a tea stall till the time RSS inducted him as a full-time member. With whatever minimal training he received from the party’s associates, he surged ahead and exhibited enough capability to be given the charge of the ABVP (the student wing of RSS). His diligence and dedication towards the party hardly ebbed despite the fact that he was simultaneously pursuing a Master’s degree in Political Science. This ‘average student’ from Vadnagar tutored himself to take greater steps on a national level. Family Although there isn’t enough about Modi’s personal life in the public domain,  the political discourse sometimes throws up bits of facts and stories. He was born into a middle class family of six in Vadnagar in Mehsana District (then Bombay state) to Damodardas Mulchand Modi and Heeradben Modi. He was bethrothed when quite young, but chose to walk away from the marriage and has remained a bachelor. Early days in Politics Narendra Modi was drawn to politics in his early teens and was a member of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). During the 1960’s India-Pakistan war, even though he was only a young boy, he volunteered to serve soldiers traveling through railway stations. As a youth, he became a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, a student body involved in anti-corruption. After having worked full time with them, he was then nominated as its representative in the BJP. Modi was also a campaigner in the RSS during his years in college and took on the task of encouraging the party members. Partnering with Shankersingh Vaghela, Modi began a strong cadre base in Gujarat. Narendra Modi has come from a humble background and is known for his simple lifestyle. He has a reputation of being a workaholic and introvert. Mr. Modi has tried to change his image from that of a Hindu Nationalist politician to that of a sincere administrator. The party began getting political attention and formed a coalition government in April 1990. After this, the BJP came to power in Gujarat in 1995. During this period, Modi was responsible for the Somnath to Ayodhya Rath Yatra and a similar trek from Kanyakumari in Southern India all the way up to Kashmir in the north. A careful observation of his rise to the national podium would evince how he remained glued to his fundamentals – continuing agitations during the nationwide Emergency, organizing Murli Manohar Joshi’s Ekta yatra (journey for unity), and impressing everyone with electoral strategy ahead of the 1995 state elections. As BJP tasted victory, Modi relished his newly ordained post of the party’s General Secretary. The workaholic and loyal ‘sevak’ moved to New Delhi to take up the new responsibility of managing the  party’s activities in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Three summers whizzed past and Modi already had the post of National Secretary of the BJP under his kitty. First Stint as Chief Minister of Gujarat Times were turbulent in Gujarat with allegations of corruption and poor governance doing the rounds. After Shankarsingh Vaghela left the BJP, Keshubhai Patel was made Chief Minister of Gujarat and Modi became General Secretary of the party in Delhi. Weak handling of the effects of the Bhuj Earthquake in 2001 prompted the BJP’s national leaders to seek a new candidate as chief minister, after the removal of Keshubhai Patel. In October 2001, Modi was brought in to fill the vacuum and made Chief Minister of Gujarat despite his lack of experience in governance. Initially, the BJP was not very keen on having him at the forefront and the party was contemplating the position of deputy CM for him, which he refused. He wrote to Advani, and the then Prime Minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, stating that he was either â€Å"going to be fully responsible for Gujarat or not at all†. In July 2007, he became the longest-serving Chief Minister in Gujarat’s political history. In the Gujarat legislative assembly elections of 2012, Narendra Modi won the constituency of Maninagar over the Indian National Congress, with a majority of 86,373 votes. The BJP won 115 out of the 182 seats and formed its government in Gujarat. This was Narendra Modi’s fourth term as the Chief Minister. The following year in March, he was appointed as member to the BJP Parliamentary Board which is the highest decision-making body of the party. He was also nominated as a member of the party’s Central Election Committee. Taking Tough Calls His rift with the VHP started to show after his much-criticized decision of demolishing 200 illegal temples in Gandhinagar. This was just the trailer. Modi was also vocal about PM Manmohan Singh’s reluctance to revive anti-terror laws. He called for invoking tougher laws in states following  the 2006 Mumbai blasts. Time and again, he has judiciously chosen issues to pontificate and attack the central government. In the wake of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, Modi brought up the issue of security along Gujarat’s coast. The UPA government acted upon this immediately and sanctioned construction of 30 high-speed surveillance boats. Recently, he came down heavily on the Central government for its weak approach towards Chinese incursions in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh and infiltration by Bangladeshis on the Indo-Bangladesh border. Criticisms The Modi government came under bitter criticism following the 2002 Gujarat riots that betrayed the prevailing communal harmony within the state. Investigations were ordered into alleged abetment of crime. Modi’s image suffered a quake as a common consensus was established that pointed fingers at the chief minister for allowing communal violence in the state. Some demanded his prosecution for promoting enmity among different communities during the riots. His way of functioning has also been the topic of much debate in the political arena with commentators and subject-matter experts lambasting him for carrying the DNA of fascist leadership. His critics call him a self-centered autocrat who doesn’t care a hoot about the BJP. The Gujarat chief minister finds himself in the bad books of analysts as he is also accused of twisting facts to suit political motives on more than one occasion. In June 2013, when Narendra Modi’s was appointed as the chairman of the national campaign committee, L K Advani submitted his resignation escalating his objection against Modi’s appointment. But the BJP leadership remained rigid on its choice to put Modi in front of 2014 campaign. A self-made man Besides being a revered orator and a prolific writer, he is also a caring son and a man with his brand of humour. Those who have associated with him for long are of the opinion that the idea of power is exciting to him. Next time you wonder how he could garner so much of national attention, think of this. He underwent a rigorous training in the US on public relations and image  management. When it comes to taking lessons on brand building, Modi says there’s no greater inspiration than Mahatma Gandhi. His eulogies about Gandhi come from the fact that â€Å"He spoke of Ahimsa but carried a stick. He never wore a cap but the world wears a Gandhi Topi.† Modi’s careful metamorphosis from a Hindutva party man to a pro-development leader and change maker speaks volumes for his image-building ability. His 2-year long escapade into the Himalayas and co-mingling with the yogic sadhus gave him a fair understanding of Hinduism. That partly explains why people listen to him in rapt attention when he talks of ideologies. Face of Development – Favorite among the leaders of India Inc. Modi frequently refers to his P2G2 (Pro-people good governance) formula to substantiate his claims on holistic development. Some observers are of the opinion that Gujarat has been able to improve its agricultural output despite being a semi-arid state. The credit is given to the Gujarat government’s measures to scale up groundwater projects and initiatives to increase the use of micro-irrigation. India Inc. is almost unanimous in their verdict. They want Narendra Modi as the next PM. Reason? They seek a strong leadership that has a clear roadmap and actionable plans ready for execution. Indian business leaders from Ratan Tata to Mukesh Ambani seem to be convinced that for India to come out of its Gross Domestic Paralysis, a visionary and decisive leadership is essential. Empirical evidence suggests that Gujarat has been able to position itself as a lucrative destination for investment. Under his aegis, according to a political commentator, the level of corruption receded and technology parks have seen the light of the day. His iconic call for â€Å"Minimum Government and Maximum Governance† has frequently struck the chord with the masses. With so many brand images of Narendra Modi existing in a juxtaposed manner, it is to be seen which one suits his greater agenda and helps him in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Evidence-Based Policing Essay

The police work of fighting crime is not on easy tack and requires many strategies, techniques and skills. To find the way to a certain problem police use their evidences to conduct a research to try to solve it. By experimenting their ideas they can find out if the curtain approach to the problem does work or doesn’t. The one of the advantages of evidence-based policing is that it design to help fight crime. Evidence-based policing is design to find the best available solution to the problem and give other police officers in other reagents the information on how to deal with that problem. It creates certain rules and guidelines for the low enforcement agencies. There are defiantly some disadvantages to the evidence-based policing. One of them is usage of opinions, because evidence-based policing is strictly based on evidence it takes away importance of people involvement. If people can not express their opinion they lose interest and involvement. Another two disadvantages of evidence-based policing in mi opinion that police experiments are expensive and might take a long time to conduct. One of the examples that I was able to find on line is called The Flint Experiment. That experiment was conducted in 1977 and the goal of that experiment according to the National  Center for Community Policing was to decrease the amounts of criminal activities and to increase the citizen’s perception of personal safety. The process of that experiment consisted of police officers patrolling the streets and not only fighting crime but also involving themselves in a community programs. That act of involvement in the community has resulted in decrease of the crime rates by 8.7 percent. Another result of Evidence-Based Policing that experiment is that citizens has started to handling minor problems by themselves which resolved in less calls of the citizens to the police. That allowed police to concentrate on more major problems. The second experiment that I found is called Kansas City Gun Experiment. The goal of that experiment was to reduce crime by seizures of illegal guns. The result of the experiment has shown according to US Department of Justice crime in those areas was reduced by 69 percent which shows the effectiveness of the experiment. References National Center for Community Policing,The Impact of Foot Patrol on Black and White Perceptions of Policing .Robert C. Trojanowicz, Retrieved on January 27, 2010. From : http://www1.cj.msu.edu/~people/cp/impact.html Office of Justice Programs. Kansas City Gun Experiment — Kansas City, MO Retrieved on January 26, 2010. From:http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/pubs/ gun_violence/profile20.html Schmalleger, F. S. (2009). CRJ100: Criminal justice today: An introductory text for the 21stcentury (10th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Alarm over Dramatic Weakening of Gulf Stream Essay

Gulf Stream and the extension it has on Europe is said to be a powerful Atlantic current that has its origin in Gulf of Mexico all the way to Africa across the Atlantic Ocean. It is the one that influences the climate in the North American coast as well as the coast in Europe. It is also used as a source of renewable energy for the generation of power. Gulf Stream is a strong current that usually meets with other ocean currents and rain is formed. It also transports water in the form of waves and also helps the rivers that drain in the Atlantic Ocean. It forms rain as the current is able to cool the water that is draining in the Atlantic Ocean thus evaporation takes place and falls in form of rain. Since the current is the one that is controlling the climate in the region that it passes scientists have warned that there is evidence of its weakening. This means that there are areas that the current will cool thus preventing human activities from taking place. According to George et al 1995, this will lead to reduction of global warming in the future until 2015. This is evident as the warm water that comes from tropical Atlantic is cold when it gets to the north of Atlantic. This is not to say that the climate will change badly as it might be thought. According to the same source the Gulf Stream is said to have weakened in the past decades and this has been caused by global warming. The strength that the current has, when measured it has been found to slow by 30%. This has made the circulation to slow down and if it remains so the temperatures in some countries are likely to drop like in Britain. It is also not clear whether the weakening is long term or short term. The reason why temperatures are likely to change is because the current transports heat from regions that are equatorial to the circle of the Arctic. This makes the water in the surface to warm as the current releases the heat as it goes to the north where it is cold. Global warming affects the current by slowing it down. This is because global warming has caused melting of the water in the mountainous regions to melt and makes the water less saline thus cooling cannot take place. In Paris â€Å"Little Ice Age† that started in Europe is as a result of the weakening of the Gulf Stream. This is because there is warm water that enters River Thames and cannot allow it to cool to how it was in the past. This has also changed the weather in the region. The weakening has been explained in the British journal Nature. The Gulf Stream has been blamed because the warm water that it takes from the tropical regions to the coastline in Europe has cause severe weather changes in the regions that it passes through. There is also evidence in the sediment cores from where the Gulf Stream enters. There are planktons that are evident in these cores and this depends on the isotope that is present in oxygen. The isotope is dependant on the salinity of the water. This is what shows the density of the water in the sea. According to scientists there is evidence that there are changes that are taking place in the Gulf Stream. They say that if the Gulf Stream did not have any influence Britain and Siberia could have the same latitude. In the past Greenland Sea had dense water sinking but since today it meets the Gulf steam currents it warms up and the result is that the water becomes warm. This has caused the water to become warm and affect the animals that are present in the water. Chimneys are the dense water that used to sink and this has reduced and thus weakening the Gulf Stream current. The ice in the sea is said to be getting thinner and thinner. Other scientists from Cambridge University have confirmed the weakening of the Gulf Stream and that Europe is likely to be cold than in the past. This is because of the fact that the strength at which the current is flowing is slower than in the past. They have also said that the chimneys that were present in the Greenland Sea are no longer there. It is because of these chimneys that the world is experiencing the climatic changes that are taking place. They have also predicted that the waters are going to remain as they are and that temperature in Britain is going to drop in the next decade. (Taylor, et al, 1992 p. 920) The weakening of these temperatures is going to cause no melting of the snow that falls in countries like Finland and France. This will cause glaciations to begin because there will be an increase in the reflectivity of the planet. The Gulf currents is also said to affect the other currents that it meets as it travels. There are also some climatic changes that are likely to occur in the future but they are not known. It is also projected that the currents will continue to slow down in the future. Work Cited George, D. G. and A. H. Taylor, UK lake plankton and the Gulf Stream. Nature, 1995, 378, 139 Taylor, A. H. , Colebrook, J. M. , Stephens, J. A. and N. G. Baker, Latitudinal displacements of the Gulf Stream and the abundance of plankton in the north-east Atlantic. J. of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 1992, 72, 919-921.

War Against Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

War Against Terrorism - Essay Example It was an act that shocked not only American but also the whole world alike. This is because the effect of the terrorist act was felt all over the world. The growing wave of globalisation has led to more interdependence between nations in the world and there is no one nation that can presume to be living in isolation. Therefore insecurity in one state has translated to insecurity in the whole word. The September 11 attack dealt a major blow to the deteriorating security situation of the world. This paper will look at the war on terror that began immediately after the September 11 attack. It will look at various discourses of the war and the progress that has been made on the war. It will try to assess whether the war has been won or it has been lost. The war on terrorism which is also called war on terror is a common term that is use to refer various religious military, political, legal and economical actions that were initiated by the US government in responding to the September 11 attack. The war was started with an aim of preventing further events of terror and curbing the growing wave of terrorism groups in the world. It was also started with an aim of scattering terrorism groups like al-Qaeda which had carried out the September 11 attack. (Horn Berger, 2004) The terror was crafted in polices and military actions that were aimed at chaining or eliminating the radical Islam movement which also started carrying out terrorism activities in other parts of the world. It necessitated the use of military action in order to drive out terrorism groups from their stronghold in Afghanistan and in other areas like Iraq. However the war on terror has remained a controversial issue even up to date and the pessimist argue that it has achieved nothing rather than making the terror groups more radical and more prepared to carry out further acts of terror. While there are those who believe that the war has help to curb terrorist activities in the world, there are others who think that the war on terror may take a long time to be won. This is because there are still various concerns about the war that continue to show the ineffectiveness in attaining its initial target of eliminating terror groups from the world. The US which has been the main crusader of the war has been accused for waging a unilateral primitive war which is not justified. It has also been accused of violation of human rights on the course of the war. For example the opening up of Guatanamo Bay has been one of the thorny issues in the world as far as the war on terror is concerned. Guatanamo Bay though opened as an interrogation centre has been turned out to be a torture den where some suspects have been held for more than five years without facing any justice. The war on terror has also been shown to be a violation of international law. As a citizen of the international community, the US and its allies have been accused of undermining the rule of law in the international community and waging the war on sovereign countries which have not been justified by the international community. In the presence of internal community and the UN which is supposed to have played a major role in arbitration of the conflict and the terror groups, the US and its allies were accused of ignoring the mandate that has been given to the international

What Makes a Leader Harvard Business Review Article

What Makes a Leader Harvard Business Review - Article Example For each of these classes of authority, job descriptions hat define the duties of that specific entity and his area of expertise come handy. While all these entities are considered controllers of some department or business area within the company, they are separated from one another by the number of characteristics that guide their line of duty. Hence fore, there is a difference between leadership and other categories of authority. A leader is an entity that does not command any line of business to a number of subjects but rather an entity with various characteristic attributes that guide the entity’s choices, approach to problems, and inclusion or exclusion of other entities in the decision making process. A leader is therefore an individual in charge of a certain line of operations or a number of people with a common goal. However, to be a leader, an individual must have self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill as his/her core attributes. Self- awareness is the wholesome of the person in terms of how they understand themselves and how they make decisions that have an impact in their lines of duty. For a self-aware individual in the line of leadership, personal decisions are a reflection of personal abilities. Hence fore, self-awareness helps the leaders to take or turndown duties that are in or out of the scope of their abilities. Self-regulation is a second attribute of leadership that cultivates behavior and habit of a leader. When faced with a crisis, self-regulation helps a leader to limit his reaction in terms of outburst or emotional instability. Empathy is the third attribute of leadership and helps a leader to understand the emotional status as related to how people react in the line of duty. The discussed three leadership attributes make up the most important component of leadership, emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage and control emotions and channeling one’s line of tho ught to productivity. It is through emotional intelligence that various companies thrive or fail with regards to their management’s embrace of emotional intelligence. Data Analysis and Opinion: Following a study to test the competency of some 188 companies in terms of IQ, professional skills, emotional intelligence, and other management attributes, it was observed that leaders who applied emotional intelligence were 20% more productive than their own expectations forecasted. Those leaders who do not exercise emotional intelligence were found to be 20% less productive than their counterparts who use emotional intelligence. However, while emotional intelligence can be appraised as a very important management tool, it is important too to understand that leaders are required to have personal skills that relate to IQ. Being smart is one thing, and being a leader is another. Therefore, while the characteristics of being a leader work hand in hand to create or manifest emotional int elligence. Research has found that emotional intelligence is more a genetic capability than it is a learnt attribute of leadership. Research analyzes programs designed to manifest emotional intelligence but has found out that there are attributes that can be learnt and others that cannot. For example, empathy is a major installment in emotional intelligence. However, it is one of the most difficulty attributes that can be learned especially from a manager’s or an executive’s position. For example, an executive may be interested in

Forging Ideas and Opinions about Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Forging Ideas and Opinions about Music - Essay Example Music continues to shape the world in diverse ways. Its history is as old as time itself. It carries aspects of culture, history, traditions and values, having social, economic and political impact on the society. Music is from various genres that continue to advance with the changing times. American music has drawn a lot from the British and Jewish backgrounds among others and the culture in these have been influential in determining the ideas expressed and the way opinions are shaped. Discriminations on basis of cultural affiliation have been a trending issue in the music industry. In his topic of discussion ‘Highbrow, Lowbrow, Voodoo Aesthetics’, Robert Walser brings up the controversies behind music and races. He notes that the opinions and mindsets among several people in the population have been biased in regards to the racial and cultural affiliations, the whites usually being placed highly, demonstrating what he calls ‘highbrows’. The music does not only affect the musicians by the acceptance they get but also the listeners are given regard based on the music they listen to (Walser 235-237). Classical music continue to have popularity, interviewing heavy metal music lovers Walser found that they viewed metal music as the most important in their lives but were swift to recognize the wisdom and superiority of classical music. However, cultural hierarchy in music does not influence all individuals; some have beaten odds and drawn from other cultures. For example, rock guitarists of have been able to draw from the techniques and procedures in classical music. Eddie Van Halen not only facilitated technological techniques that saw the making of the Baroque models but also showed how to play speedy arpeggios on the guitar. He spearheaded a revolution that also saw a revolution in the rock guitar (Walser 242-3). This has seen as a deviation from the convectional culture of the music. In the 1980s, Randy Rhoads and Yngwie Malmsteen brought a new revolution that saw the development of metal neoclassicism an aspect that attracted other musicians who were haste to copy the advancement. Rhoads was very influential in classical materials of music and was good at teaching and an inspiration to many musicians. The concepts of cultural differences and regard of one over the other among the heavy metal musicians is a demonstration that social strata have been shape in music and are maintained (Walser 244). Opinions on music ca n also be shaped according to the origin of the musicians. America is one of the countries in the world that enjoys huge cultural and historical diversity, aspects that have influenced its music. In view of the Jewish songwriters they were seen to embrace a southern strategy after the first world war, but they still upheld some of the traditions attached to their community (Whitfield 9). The south was influential in attracting the songsmiths to their countries who became dominant in the Tin Pam Alley, but no inspiration was forthcoming resulting to their adoption of the southern culture that they owned and propagated in their works. These Jews were the pioneer shapers of American music, the Tin Pan Alley as coined by Rosenfeld in 1909 in description of a music district that had emerged. In the early days of the 20th Century, the Jewish dominance was evident with the creation of songs such as â€Å"The Girl I Loved in Old Virginia†, a piece that dated way back in 1899 by Max D reyfus among others (Whitfield 13). It was seen that songwriters that were Americans of Jewish origin engaged in writing songs on the traditions of the outsiders especially the people of the south without any major experience about some of these areas. These songwriters started to shape music in taking a global perspective. The initial impression created about the south by Tin Pan Alley painted a lasting image about them, in the songs such as ‘Cotton is King’ that was released in 1855 exposes various issues about cotton in the south

Phase 1 - Concepts and terminology of statistics applied to business Essay

Phase 1 - Concepts and terminology of statistics applied to business decision-making 4-13 - Essay Example For this, it is necessary to collect both nominal and ordinal data. â€Å"Nominal data are categorical data where the order of the categories is arbitrary. A good example is race/ethnicity has values 1=White, 2=Hispanic, 3=American Indian, 4=Black, 5=other. Note that the order of the categories is arbitrary.† (Stats Definitions-Nominal data). Certain statistical concepts are meaningless for nominal data. â€Å"The data related to gender, race, religious affiliation, political affiliation etc; are the examples for Nominal data. In a more general form the data assigned with labels or names are considered as the data in Nominal scale.† (Peddinti, Sairam. 2006). In the nominal type of measurement, names are assigned to objects as labels. This assignment is performed by evaluating, by some procedure, the similarity of the labels are to be measured instance to each of a set of named exemplars or category definitions.In ordinal measurement, numbers are assigned to the objects that represents the rank order to measure the entity. These numbers are called ordinals and the variables are called ordinal variables.. Scales and indexes have to be validated. Internal validation checks the relation between the individual measures included in the scale, and the composite scale itself. External validation checks the relation between the composite scale and other indicators of the variable, indicators not included in the scale.Scientists can taken in to consideration the two quantitative attributes in relation to snack food are-to give stress on customers’ desires, taste, needs and wants and by observing and recording the stated goals or objectives of the responsible implementing agency or organisation or its curresponding consumers. Usage of widely different frequencies are most common in this regard. The population is the entire group of individuals that we want information about and the sample is the part of

Ethical Decisions in Leadership Class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethical Decisions in Leadership Class - Essay Example The essential problem is developing a decision that ethically considers the candidate's qualifications and soundly determines which candidate to promote based on these ethical considerations. Liz: Liz is African American. She is 34. She is divorced and has one child. She graduated in the lower half of her college class at Northwest State. She has been in the industry eight years and the company four years. Her performance ratings are mediocre. Employee reviews indicate she has had difficulty in staff management. Her energy level has been indicated to be high. Roy: Roy is white. He is 57. He is married with three children. He graduated in the top half of his class from a private university. He has been in the industry thirty years and with the company for twenty years. He has mediocre performance ratings. He has produced many of the top sales performers in the past. His energy level has been indicated to be average-low. Quang Yeh: Quang is 27. She is Asian. She is single with no children. She graduated in the top 3 percent of her class at State University. She has been with the company for three years. The last area she managed showed record increases, however, she lost a few older accounts. Her references indicate that she is intense and nothing will stop her from reaching her goals. They also indicated that she often puts in 60 hour work weeks and that her management style is meticulous. In ‘How to Make Unethical Decisions’ (Article 7) Sikula and Sikula discuss facts that should be considered relevant when determining employee promotion and hiring. They argue that appropriate subjects include education performance, learned knowledge, past experience, and pooled judgment. Following these standards, it’s clear that Quang’s excellent college performance and her proximity to attending college indicate she excels above the other candidates in this category. When considering learned knowledge and past experience one  must note that Roy has over thirty years experience in the industry and twenty of those with the company; however, Quang has demonstrated outstanding results in her past output.

IB biology HL lab Investigate the effects of sodium bicarbonate and Report - 1

IB biology HL Investigate the effects of sodium bicarbonate and light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis of leaves through the observation of floating leaf discs - Lab Report Example In this experiment, the aim is to investigate on the effects of sodium bicarbonate and the intensity of light on the photosynthesis rate in green spinach leaves through the use of floating leaf disks. Being autotrophic organisms, leaves depend on the photosynthesis process that occurs in a series of enzyme mediated steps to capture light and build energy rich carbohydrates. Leaves, when put under water undergo the light-dependent reaction process, thereby producing and releasing oxygen to their interior parts; thus, causing them to rise. However, during the same process, another process, cellular respiration, takes place and consumes the produced oxygen. Therefore, this implies that leaves must have provided the source of carbon that would allow for photosynthesis to take place (Renger, 2008). The available carbon dioxide coupled with the amount of light that the plant receives, the rate of photosynthesis is influenced. With the aspect of sodium bicarbonate arising from the CO2, it is predictable that the same would have an effect on photosynthesis rate. In this lab report, data shall be presented for the variables of the study in categories of control, dependent and independent variables. The data collected shall be in the form of number of disks that floated during the experiment when subjected under different intensities of light and solutions. The hypothesis is that when the green spinach leaves are exposed to higher light intensities in the presence of the sodium bicarbonate, less time will be taken for the leaf disks to float. This is for the reason that there is an increase in the production rate of oxygen during the photosynthesis process that the leaf disks undergo. Upon setting up an experiment in the recommended manner using all the laboratory materials and procedures, the following data was recorded in relation to the number of leaf disks that float to the top of

ISO 9001 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ISO 9001 - Coursework Example Quality Assurance (Oakland 1995) is a planned and systematic approach to ensure the quality of the product through prevention of quality problems. Total Quality Management is an organisation wide philosophy aimed at identifying and achieving the needs and expectations of all the stakeholders, with an underlying principle of continual improvement. Quality Management System (BS EN ISO 9001:2008) is a complex web of the tangible and intangible assets of an organisation. An organisation is greatly influenced by its business environment (Kotler & Keller 2006) which is made up of the micro and macro environments. The micro environment is a set of factors which are unique to the individual organisation. It consists of the organisation’s internal values, super ordinate goals, employees, customers, distribution and other intermediaries and the public, at large. Macro environment factors are uncontrollable and affect all organisations, irrespective of nature, size and industry. The vari ous elements such as the political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, demographic, international, physical etc. comprise this phenomenon. 1.2) List the reasons for implementing a Quality Management System (at least 5).   Quality Management Systems (QMS) has become a requisite in today’s hyper-competitive world. By means of a transparent and clear authority-responsibility hierarchy, the quality of leadership and management is improved resulting in a more effective organisation. This also lays the foundation for enhanced employee commitment and satisfaction and a sense of organisational ownership is fostered. There is a remarkable improvement in the quality of products which leads to greater customer satisfaction. All these benefits add up to a better corporate image with the stakeholders of the organisation such as shareholders, internal and external customers, distributors and supply chain intermediaries, government and society, at large. It is a source of sustainabl e competitive advantage. 1.3) What are the requirements for the successful implementation of a QMS within a company?   QMS to be successful must have the blessings of the top management. Quality is not a one shot activity and is resource driven. Strategic leadership, co-operation and involvement of all the employees, barring none, are the keys to effective implementation. Patience is a virtue and any undue haste or short cuts would prove detrimental to the QMS cause. Clear and elaborate documentation eases the entire quality effort. Regular monitoring and review paves the way for success of the QMS initiative. 1.4) Discuss organisational versus process approaches to the implementation of a QMS.   Two major approaches to implementation of QMS are the Organisational and the Process approaches. The organisational approach to QMS represents an organisation wide effort to produce and deliver quality products and services to its customers. All the four factors of production namely men , material, money and management contribute to the overall effort of achieving its goals and objectives. Based on the Agree-Say-Do-Improve (ISO 9001: 2008) cycle, it enables an organisation to obtain a clear perspective on what needs to be done and provides an understanding of the structure and requirements of the ISO standard. The first stage involves a clear understanding of what exactly

Emergency Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emergency Management - Assignment Example It is essential for National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to develop a strategic partnership with other stakeholders and implement proactive approaches to emergency management (National Emergency Management Association, 2011). Emergency managers should coordinate with other Federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and National Weather Service in disaster preparedness. I have noticed that safeguarding the critical infrastructures like the highways, buildings, and seaports is not enough since Emergency Management efforts should focus on hazard identification, and land use planning (Virginia Department of Emergency Management, 2007). I have understood that emergency managers should save and protect lives in case of disasters, mitigate damage on physical property and environment, coordinate communications through incident command system (ICS) and provide essential services to the victims (National Emergency Management Association, 2011). I have also lear ned that Emergency Operations Center should involve members from different skills background such as fire services, search and rescue operations, transportation, medical services, and relief support and information technology in order to coordinate the communications and operations. My respondents suggested several skills that Emergency Managers that are critical. For instance, some mentioned that emergency managers should have specialized skills in disaster identification and assessment. I acknowledge that is a critical skill in modern emergency management since prior hazard identification, mitigation and preparedness will be capable of reducing the impact and damage to property and loss of lives. I believe that the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina and Gulf Coast oil spills would be minimal if the emergency management departments had foreseen the disasters.

The Value of Liberal Arts Essay Example for Free

The Value of Liberal Arts Essay Liberal Arts can be defined as the study of general knowledge, humanities, fine arts, natural science and social science, instead of technical studies. These subjects are considered necessary for people in society. A Liberal Arts education is valuable because it is intellectual, it teaches you how to think, and heightens creativity. Studying Liberal Arts will enhance my skills and will develop me into a well-rounded person with a Nursing career. Unlike most professional studies with a focus on career goals, Liberal Art prepares at student for the real world. Most students are not aware of the importance and value of a Liberal Arts education. Courses like English, History, Psychology, Philosophy, and Christianity teaches you how to write and understand. It gives you a better understanding of the world and improves your communication skills. With such a variety students will be more decisive about ideas, beliefs, problems, and choices. This will prepare them for the dilemmas they will face in the world. Higher education is not about simply finding a good job after graduation. A liberal college gives you values and standards that will make you a better person. With a nursing major I will need the communication skills that a Liberal Arts education will give. This will help me interact better with my patients and co-workers and understand differences. Working in a nursing home or hospital I will experience different people and beliefs. I have some skills, but an education with a variety will give me an advantage over nurses with a basic 2-year degree that is career orientated. I interpret it as HBU giving me a foundation. Nursing pre-requisites concurrent with Liberal Arts pre- requisite gives me stepping stones into the nursing program. I will gain more knowledge this way and once I do enter the program I will be well balanced. Some of my acquaintances think that the pre-requisites are harder than the actual program because of the variety, but I disagree. Some of my high school classmates wanted to attend HBU but were deterred because of the Liberal Arts and Christianity requirements. They felt social gatherings like convocation and bible studies were unnecessary and boring, but they help you develop better morals and discipline. They will lack these features that I will have. Liberal studies require you to be artistic and think outside the box. Managers at the odd jobs I have had lacked those features, and that’s why they were bad employers. A liberal college gives students a smaller learning setting which enables us to develop relationships with teachers and students. It’s much better than a major that’s strictly pre-med or pre-pharmacy. It’s very different from a non-liberal college. It helps develop relationships between the teachers and students. This is impossible at a school with over a hundred thousand students. I was not aware of how liberal this college was until my SOAR orientation. Courses like Philosophy and Psychology can be applied to life. In my opinion, high school wasn’t liberal enough. My friends and I would find ourselves asking, â€Å"When are we going to use this stuff?† and â€Å"Why don’t they teach us stuff that’s useful?† Where can we apply chemistry if we’re not a Chemist? I thank GOD for bringing me to HBU. When I graduate I know I will be well prepared for the world. The medical field is a stressful career. You really have to be well- rounded because you are dealing with people. As a nurse you have to understand your patients especially when you are in a nursing home. Overall, I am really enjoying this experience. HBU has this spirit that makes me feel great.

Investigating Islamophobia in the Daily Mail

Investigating Islamophobia in the Daily Mail Islamophobia is defined in the dictionary as being: hatred or fear of Muslims or of their politics or culture. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th and the London 7/7 bombings amongst others, some say islamophobia within the media has increased significantly. This work intends to discuss the coverage of Muslims and the religion of Islam as a whole within the middle market newspaper The Daily Mail and explore whether publications such as the Mail are representing the Muslim race in a negative light. Ones interest in the subject matter involved is one that has derived from what is seen, amongst others, as bad journalism; middle market and tabloid newspapers inaccurately reporting issues concerning races such as Muslims. On a daily basis one can pick up a newspaper these days and spot numerous flaws, incorrect language or overall representation of a religion such as Islam. Also, a personal affliction or view in the area is the way in which Muslim communities within the UK are slowly being isolated and are being criticised collectively for the actions of a small population of the religion. When exploring the relationship between the modern West and the East, one should look upon the concept of Orientalism. Saids (1978) work draws on the concept of us and them: Orientalism is never far from what Denys Hay has called the idea of Europe, a collective notion identifying us Europeans as against all those non-Europeans (Said, 1978: 7). This notion refers to the historical manufacturing of Eastern beings as alien, the Other, by the West. It is the negative portrayal of extremist Islamic images within frameworks such as the Mail that progresses, as Halliday (1996)(remember reference for this!, see notebook [2]) suggests, this myth of confrontation that pardons the West of any need to excuse its enmity towards the East and religions such as Islam. Before this paper looks at effects of the theory of islamophobia, it is worth evaluating the polarity of the term itself. Whilst some could say the branding of the term can draw attention to the issue for positive means, further comprehensive literature on the subject and enquiries commissioned (e.g. 1997 Runnymede Trust, Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All), there is a flipside. Academics have inferred that this is just another, more refined form of new racism according to many sociologists. Sociologist Professor Gerard Delanty describes the use of the term islamophobia: It is rooted in mainstream hostility to migrant workers and asylum-seekers, and is based to a considerable degree on ethnocentrism and xenophobia à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ on ignorance and fear of the other' (Delanty: Conference, see notebook for full reference[1]). Delanty is saying here that the categorisation of the idiom of islamophobia could be creating a new form of acceptable racism. The UK media industry is said by some to be institutionally racist: This racism is rooted in the countrys imperial past, with feelings of racial superiority and crude nationalism now deeply embedded in the dominant culture. (Keeble, 2009: 175) 2 per cent of the NUJ membership was black, Asian and Arab in the first media-industry wide survey in 1995 by Anthony Delano and John Henningham. Comparing this alongside the national ethnic minority population percentage of 5.26 percent at the time, and it does speak volumes. My research will include a plan to address this view and explore how far or to what extent this reflects an islamophobic nature within newspapers such as The Daily Mail. However, to discuss how deep rooted this patriotism, or national feeling of superiority over other races goes would be discursive from the intended discussion of the titles topic. The role of a national newspaper such as the Mail needs to be highlighted to display the contextualising link between islamophobia and the public. The fact that a familiar newspaper offers a sense of identity and possible security to its regular readers is an important contextualising factor when considering questions of race and ideology. (Ferguson, 1998:175) Considering middle market newspapers such as The Daily Mail and Express along with the tabloids represent more than two thirds of the national daily readership figures (1997 survey: do footnote for this), this is a first base argument for explaining the negative (potential) effect of the press on the masses. A matter to take in to consideration is the recent resignation of Daily Star journalist Richard Peppiatt, on the grounds of the papers islamophobic content. Albeit a personal letter to the Daily Stars proprietor Richard Desmond, the letter highlights a wide range of anti-Islamic features in the everyday characteristics of national newspapers such as the Star and Mail and labels the former as anti-Muslim propaganda. The letter does refer to how closely the content of the Star is to the Mails through criticism of how the newspapers editors build a newspaper from cut-and-paste-jobs off the Daily Mail website. Where he admits to stirring up a bit of light-hearted Islamophobia himself on the basis that this was in his professional duties at the Star, his disapproval of this demonization is prevalent throughout. He refers to a story the paper published concerning the condemnation of taxpayer-funded Muslim-only public toilets: I was personally tasked with writing a gloating follow-up declaring our postmodern victory in blocking the non-existent Islamic cisterns of evil (Peppiatt, 2011). This could just be seen as one individuals personal attack on a proprietor and therefore not have much worth but it does relate to, and support the theory of institutional racism within the British media. For the proposed intentions of this paper, it is worth noting the presence of Muslims within Britain. In the 2001 UK Census the population of Muslims from all ethnic groups within Britain was just short of 1.6 million (insert reference to table of figures in appendices here). The age old argument from many anti-immigration supporters is that the Muslims within Britain do not attempt to immerse themselves within British culture or our way of life, owing to increased tensions between the two cultures. Figures show that nearly half (46.4%) of all British Muslims now living in England were born in the country. It could be said that those Muslims who came to the country as adults (first generation) are grateful for the chance to live in a more open society and therefore more willing to integrate themselves within our culture. The sooner Western societies such as Britain aid this process of integration with the likes of first generation Muslims, the better. As the younger (3rd and 4th) gen eration of Muslims born in England grows, we could see Muslim communities become increasingly ostracised due to young Muslims anger towards the role of the West in Muslim lands and issues such as islamophobia within the media becoming more customary. It is also worth presenting the PCC editorial guidelines with regards to discrimination: The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individuals race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability. The second part of the guideline refers to the details of those minority groups and how one should avoid inclusion (of those details) unless necessary to the story. The way in which newspapers such as the Daily Mail steer their content around these guidelines, in order to include xenophobic views will be explored later in the literature review. As this paper explores the surrounding themes of discrimination and false representation within the media and directs them towards the influence of a certain publication, it is important to draw from relevant history of the Daily Mail. Some would say the newspapers prejudice against religions such as Islam is a product of its deep-set DNA shown via the papers sympathetic views of Nazi Germany during the war period. The first joint proprietor and owner Lord Rothermere was known to be a friend and supporter of both Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler and praised the Nazi regimes accomplishments, which directed the Mails political stance and was consequently used as propaganda by them. Lord Rothermere published quotes such as: the minor misdeeds of individual Nazis would be submerged by the immense benefits the new regimes already bestowing on Germany (Rothermere, 1933), as well as printing headlines such as Hurrah for the Blackshirts (Mail, Jan 1934). The Mail was also sympathetic to Osw ald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists. The support for this group was withdrawn after violence at a BUF rally in Kensington Olympia in 1934, which displays the potential harmful influence of newspapers on the masses. Muslims within Britain have struggled with issues of integration and racism ever since there was an increased focus of attention from the media on the Iranian Revolution of 1979 (Asad 1990, see references in muslim britain book). Television screens across the world showed three million people celebrating on the streets of Tehran when Ayatollah Khomeini, known for his support of hostage takers and his calling for the death of British citizen Salman Rushdie, came out of exile; a disconcerting image for most Westerners. The Salman Rushdie affair in 1989 demonstrated the degree to which the media and British Muslims who protested against the books (The Satanic Verses) publication became emotionally unhinged (Parekh 1992, see same book + ref) over the issue. The book deeply offended Muslims and ignited debate on blasphemy laws and freedom of speech. Other historical events have all played a part in what Huntingtons (1996) thesis describes as a clash of civilisations, these being: The Gulf War (1990-1), the genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1993-6), the Oklahoma bombing (1995), the Taliban in Afghanistan (1997-2002), Grozny and Kosovo (1999), the recent Palestinian Intifada (since September 2000) and the War on Iraq (2003) (Abbas 2005: 14). These events have and the media , some say (Huntington 1996) widened the gulf between East and West, Islam and Christianity and amplified the theory of Orientalism. (maybe do a little on September 11 attacks here) This paper intends to explore and discuss the different factors owing to the islamophobic content displayed in the Mail and how far it is damaging the representation of Muslim communities within Britain. It would be pointless to explain how islamophobic reporting increased or decreased over the past decade or so as it would be plain to see the increases in islamophobic content around the times of terrorist activities. One will analyse contributing factors such as the origins of islamophobia, the identification of islamophobic content, how closely does that content abide by editorial guidelines and the effect on Muslim communities through critical discussion of the topic and data analysis. The reason as to why one thinks this subject is important and would be of interest to others is the increasing multi-cultured population of Britain. As more ethnic minorities such as Muslims continue to live in Britain, increasing tensions towards people of a particular race can only put more strain on an already weak relationship with Muslim communities. The purpose of the paper is to critically evaluate and characterize publications, specifically The Daily Mail and its role in reinforcing or articulating racism, and in damaging ethnic cultural identities. The ways in which these issues are to be addressed and analysed will be explained through my research and its content analysis. Literature review The aim of this chapter is to identify themes relating to the title topic from previous published literature and critically analyse those premises. The intention here is not just to identify those relating themes, but to analyse, criticise, interpret and evaluate those themes in connection with supporting or opposing the underpinning arguments of this paper. Over the past decade or so there is has been an increase in the amount of writing, due to rising concerns from Muslims worldwide, explaining how discourses such as newspapers in Western media are misrepresenting ethnic minorities such as Muslims through presenting a negative image of Islam. My research will however focus on the Daily Mail in particular, portraying negative stereotypes, and the effects those portrayals have, on Muslim communities within Britain. In summary, this chapter will draw from prior literature and examine the complex structures and strategies of news reports and how they affect the interpretations of reade rs. How much does the role of publications such as the Mail play in the reproduction of racial and ethnic inequality in British society. Some of the earliest writing relating to British newspapers such as the Mail portraying Islam as a threat to Western interests comes from Teun van Dijks: Racism and the Press. The issue of immigration within British newspapers is one that allows anti-Muslim voices to be heard, subjectively criticising the rise in the multiculturalism of Britain: The Mail specifically focuses on alleged abuses of British hospitality, and calls for stricter immigration rules. It does not hesitate to publish, with apparent approval, overtly racist statements by right-wing politicians who claim that without further curbs on immigration Britain may become the worlds dustbin. (Van Dijk, 1991: 96) What Van Dijk is inferring is that through government policies concerning issues such as immigration, any right-wing anti-immigration views from politicians or people within the public eye will be published by the Mail with the noticeable support of the paper. Whilst highlighting the political stance and nationalistic nature of the publication, a defence for the paper would revert to free press every time. The earliest and most relevant research in this topic area has also been carried out by Teun Van Dijk. His work in the collection of empirical data surrounding the press and issues of race is a starting point for anybody analysing institutional islamophobic contents effect on British Muslims. Van Dijk started this foundational research in plain content analysis of British newspapers, analysing content such as the repetition of certain words used in headlines in attempt to rouse certain meanings from them. He describes the repetitive use of certain topics of discourse such as black and race and how they are dealt with by the press as semantic macro structures. These global, overall meaning structures of a text consist of a hierarchically arranged set of macro-propositions, which are derived from the meanings (propositions) of the sentences by way of macro-rules. These rules reduce the complex information of the text to its essential gist. (Van Dijk, 1991: 72) Van Dijk is correct in some ways in saying that the prevalence of such vocabulary would suggest that the discursive agenda of newspapers is entrenched in concerns with race. In his book Representing Race, Robert Ferguson agrees there are some uses of Van Dijks research: It would seem from this as though the media are enganged in an endless process of reproducing already existing prejudices and stereotypes. The extensive content analysis which was undertaken by Van Dijk also demonstrated that ethnic minorities and anti-racists are systematically associated with conflict, crime, intolerance and unreliability.' (Ferguson, 1998: 130) The flaws in Van Dijks research are that using empirical data, or strictly content analysis, to develop an understanding of representation can somewhat distort the power of ideology in newspapers text or framing. However, without being blatantly racist, newspapers such as the Mail through concepts of normality can still give strength to negative representations. (Maybe use this paragraph in methods) The detrimental representations of Muslim asylum seekers to Britain, in publications such as the Mail, are highlighted in Arun Kundnanis The End of Tolerance. Phrases such as we have to look after our own people first, a regular idiom in the Mail, gives strength to the inherent belief within Britain that we cannot satisfactorily provide for ourselves, never mind foreigners or them as well. Thanks to the opportunism of media and politicians, asylum seekers and migrants had been made in to potent symbols for the loss of a nation-state that once belonged to its people and afforded them certain privileges as citizens. (Kundnani, 2007: 65) This argument is stating that through newspapers persistence in covering issues of economy and well being, the Mail amongst others, tend to shift the blame of these national problems on to asylum seekers, from communities such as Muslims, for increasing the population and adding to pre-existing problems such as rises in unemployment. The only critique of this concept adding to the misrepresentation and islamophobic nature of the Mail, is that this problem spans over a huge area and is historically embedded within a nations way of thinking. My research aims to uncover the day to day anti-Islamic features of the Mail and expose the problems of intentional or institutional racism that could potentially be fixed. In some ways, previous literature has explained that events such as 9/11 and other Islam related terrorist activities give acceptance to emerging islamophobic voices or views within the media. Chris Allens chapter in Muslim Britain: Communities under pressure, highlights the enabling of publishing extreme right views on terrorists religions without backlash. In the wake of Baroness Thatchers condemnation of Muslim leaders in the Times, insisting that all Muslims as a homogeneous group should share responsibility for the attacks (4 October 2001). The Telegraph days later published an article entitled This War Is not about Terror, Its about Islam (7 October 2001). This article sought not only to praise Baroness Thatchers stance, but also confirm that Western fears were justified because some three-quarters of the worlds migrants in the last decade are said to have been Muslims (these) escapees, victims, scapegoats, malefactors and sleepers are awaiting their moment. (Allen, 2005: 61) Jonathan Birts chapter in Muslims in Britain also agrees with this post 9/11 islamophobic reaction from the press without simply analysing the textual content of a newspaper: After 9/11, the more prejudicial media comment portrayed British Muslim communities, and especially their young men, as a dangerous and unpatriotic fifth column, which were sympathetic to anti-West resistance and, indeed, the use of violent terror. Mass communications today shape and order these Islamophobic moral panics and the reactive defence to them. (Birt, 2009: 217) Here, we can see Birt is agreeing that post terrorist activities, the media is allowed to give a free press voice to racist views and opinions without fear of backlash from media regulators. The defect in analysing the islamophobic nature of publications such as the Mail surrounding terrorist actions is that it is to be expected. There is bound to be a bad press reaction to national identities and religious viewpoints, how far the negative portrayal of those identities goes without trepidation of media regulators punishment, is an issue that needs to be addressed. The British Journalism Review (March 2006) argues that the same harmful representation of Muslims within the media is the same for other terrorist groups such as the IRA. One can see similarities between views of Catholics from Ulster in the 1980s and Muslims today, that religious affiliations trumped all other affiliations: In Britain and the United States the popular line was that if you were a Catholic, you probably supported the IRA. Today, if you are a Muslim, the popular line is that you are probably anti-western or fundamentalist. This is not to say that journalism was and is responsible for these views, but rather that de-contextualised coverage did and does little to throw cold water on old stereotypes. The closest literature relating to the topic title comes from Elizabeth Pooles Reporting Islam: Media Representations of British Muslims. The book analyses the current situation regarding the image of Muslims by tracking the development of this form of new racism from earlier works. Poole says that the theme of immigration as a problem has now transferred to Muslims (van Dijk 1991), due to, as Lueg (1995) says a population explosion in the Middle East. British Muslims and their homogeny to other Muslims become the feared fifth column within (Runnymede Trust 1997). This combined with the discussion of numbers of people invading the country depicts aspirations of taking over the world, not seeking asylum. The combination of the hostile threat and movement of Islam promotes the idea that it needs to be managed in a way that allows varied prejudicial practices to continue (Poole, 2002: 47). What Poole is saying is that a plain dislike of the notion of Islam cannot be seen as the central feature of hostility towards Muslims. Attitudes to Muslims derive from a mixture of xenophobia and racism whereby newspapers such as the Mail can discuss or mainly criticise some of the practices of Islam without being seen to be unashamedly prejudice towards Muslims. Another adjoining piece of literature that many academics have drawn from when discussing this topic, is Edward Saids Covering Islam: How the media and the experts determine how we see the rest of the world (1981). Said argues that the siege of the American embassy in Iran in 1981 and its media coverage initiated an increased attention and portrayal of Islam with danger, militancy and anti-Western sentiment. The text examines the genesis and ramifications of the medias monolithic images of Islam and reveals the twisting of fact that underlies objective coverage of the Islamic world. Said says the application of a Western ideological framework or an ethnocentric way of seeing (Dahlgren and Chakrapani 1982: 45) has meant we see a domesticated Islamic world or those aspects considered to be newsworthy (Said 1981: 27). This has created a dichotomy between the West and Islam whereby the West is seen as judicious, civilized, developed and superior, and Islam as abnormal, undeveloped and in ferior. There are a small number of published journals that closely share the intentions of this paper. Diane Frosts Islamophobia: examining casual links between the media and race hate from below (2007) analyses the media reporting on recent and ongoing terrorist attacks in Britain and the effect on Muslim communities. The paper discusses islamophobic tendencies within British tabloids and their connections with government policies and violence that concerns religion. Whilst it highlights the medias promotion of moral panics such as problems of asylum and race, it is saying British tabloids breed on these moral panics, going further than the threat that is actually presented. Thus, the media have represented Muslims as a collective problem who threaten the very fabric of British society as supporters of al-Qaida and potential suicide bombers. They are the folk devils of the twenty first century (Diane Frost 2008 find out how to reference journal). It is worth noting that there are strong links between increased anti-terror legislation and other government measures and the way in which publications such as the Mail criminalise Muslim communities when reporting on such measures and legislation. This type of research will be considered in the methods section of the paper. Ian Hargreaves writes a piece in the New Statesman that demonstrates the negative coverage of immigration from the Mail in relation to fuelling racist attitudes. He says: It is not that I view with cynicism the Daily Mails efforts to achieve balance in its reporting of racial issues. Rather, I think the paper is misguided in discounting the encouragement its asylum coverage gives to racist sentiments (Hargreaves 2000). Reverting back to the theory that newspapers such as the Daily Mail have colonial instincts and an anti-foreigner viewpoint established within its DNA, Hargreaves is trying to say that these publications are not intending to be racist; they simply believe the types of stories concerning Islam being published are due to the public-interest factor. Christopher Allens journal discusses the dangerousness of the concept of Islamophobia in analytical relation with the findings of the Runnymede Trust Report (1997). The reports findings concluded that Islam is inherently seen as other to the West, reinforcing the them and us dualism. Taking this in to consideration, Allen says we should not be surprised to see such headlines as The Daily Mails offering, Fanatics with a death wish: I was born in Britain but I am a Muslim first. Here the Mail is merely reiterating those beliefs that are lodged at the heart of Islamophobia (Allen 2008: 4). The intention of this chapter was to identify underpinning theories, themes and issues published in previous literature in order for readers to understand the intentions of the research and findings that will be developed in the methods and data analysis. Methods and methodology This chapter will discuss the research that this paper will be carrying out, the reasons for using those methods and what results are to be expected. The most appropriate methods will be discussed along with their advantages and limitations, with ethical considerations ensured so that the data is collected in an ethical way. Previous research philosophy approaches to the medias role in the reproduction of racism are mainly content analytical; quantitative studies picking out the use of stereotypical words, phrases or images used when representing ethnic minorities (see, for example, Van Dijk 1991, 1997). This discourse analytical method systematically describes different structures and tactics of text in relation to a social or political framework. The method enables for the identification of focus on certain topics in a semantic analysis form as well as allowing examination of the overall organisation of news reports. Essentially this means discourse may thus be studied as the crucial interface between the social and cognitive dimensions of racism (Cottle 2000). So, publications such as the Mail as a discourse in the social practice of racism can be seen as a main source for peoples racist views/beliefs. According to Berger (1998: 23) content analysts assume that behavioural patterns, values and attitud es found in this material reflect and affect the behaviour, attitudes and values of the people who create the material. The advantages and reason as to why this paper will be adopting a similar style of research is there is no technology or major funds necessary and it has been known to lead to fundamental changes in the practices of an institution, profession and society as a whole. Another method of research that will be employed is that of conducting surveys to gauge the attitudes and opinions of Daily Mail readers on the subject of Islamic and Muslim issues. This will be cross referenced with readers of other newspapers to see if there is differing attitudes toward issues concerning Muslims, and of the role of The Daily Mail in these perceptions from people who read different newspapers. This intends to highlight the negative effect a newspaper has on readers views of a religion such as Islam and the race of Muslim. One could condemn this research method data saying the views of readers are only the views of the reader and not the publication, how far those views are affected by the discourse would be research that is virtually impossible, or not possible within the means of this author. (Explain the inductive approach to research with reference here) For the content analysis of the Daily Mails inciting of racial hatred, the content that will be analysed will be the amount of articles within a time period of 6 months the issue of Islam and Muslims is reported on in a negative manner. Albeit a personal opinion, a list of examples of this negative portrayal type of article is provided in the appendices. These are articles presenting Muslims and the religion of Islam as a problem and their difficulties with conflicting issues within British society. The research will compare the amount of times within a 6 month period these types of articles concerning Islam are presented in the Mail against how many times an article concerning the neo-Nazi anti-Muslim group The English Defence League (EDL) is shown. This will hope to demonstrate a correlation between increased amounts of Islamic coverage at a certain time with articles on/activities of the EDL. With regards to the questionnaires that will be collected, the scope and design need to be established. The scope or amount of participants that the research intends to gather are as follows; 150 readers of The Daily Mail and double that amount, 300 of readers of all other newspapers. As the research method employed to gather this amount of data means standing outside a busy newsagents (W H Smiths in Lime Street Station, Liverpool) and asking people who have bought newspapers to answer a short survey, to attempt to gather any more than that provided would be take a considerable amount of time and effort. As people are normally quite reluctant to take part in surveys due to time constraints the survey will not ask for some of the standard demographic information such as age; gender; nationality; ethnicity; religion etc. The questionnaire will ask what newspaper the participant reads, usually a quick and easy question to answer when the people who I will be asking have just recently bo ught a newspaper from the newsagents and will realise this is what my questionnaire is concerning. The questions will then be presented by me reading the statement and asking their opinion on that statement from a spectrum of answers, these being: strongly agree; agree; neutral; disagree and strongly disagree. This method does not force a yes or no answer that some participants may be reluctant to give considering the invasive nature of the questions. At the same time it could be considered to be avoiding leading questions. Where the participant may realise the questions are intended to produce certain types of generalisations so they would answer accordingly for the purposes of the research, they have some form of choice in which to express their opinions. These two forms of quantitative and qualitative research are used in order to arrive at a degree of triangulation when forming the findings and conclusions of the data collected. The two types of research methods that this paper will be employing will be that of content analysis within a theoretical framework and surveys conducted. The aim is to achieve a form of triangulation in which to infer meanings from when analysing and evaluating the collected data. Data, analysis and discussion Conclusion

Exploring the depth of Buddhism : four noble truths, Karma, Nirvana

Exploring the depth of Buddhism : four noble truths, Karma, Nirvana The Buddhism is the fourth-largest religion in the world, being a very influential religion worldwide. The Buddhism was first originated in India, therefore, being classified as an Indian religion. Although Buddhism originated in India, it rapidly spread around Asia, now being one of the most dominating and influential religion in Asia. The Buddhism is immensely associated with the state of being awakened about the human nature. This process is obtained and trained mostly through meditation, which is a distinct feature about Buddhism compared to other religions. The Buddhism is rather a self-mentoring and self-recognizing about the nature of human lives and the surroundings. The Buddhism encompasses the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, which means the awakened one. In addition, the Buddha was recognized by his followers as an awakened teacher who was fully aware of, what is known as the Buddhists philosophy or beliefs, a cycle of suffering and rebirth. In other words, the Buddhism greatly elaborates on the belief about nothingness, death and afterlife. There are various branches in Buddhism but there are two main branches; Theravada, meaning the school of elders, and Mahayana, meaning the great vehicle. Moreover, there are four very important features about Buddhism; the four noble truth, karma, nirvana and Mahayana. The purpose of this paper is to explore the Buddhism in depth, about its origins and various beliefs. In particular, it will be based on the four noble truths, karma, nirvana and Mahayana, the major branches in Buddhism. The most fundamental thoughts and beliefs in Buddhism are greatly based on the four noble truths. Especially in the Mahayana Buddhism, the fourth truths are the essential concepts to the path. The four noble truths are the formulation of his understanding of the nature of suffering. Since his beliefs and teachings were mostly about suffering and nirvana, it was the most advanced and fundamental principle in Buddhism. The significance of his belief is that he did not view negatively about suffering but acknowledged it. The followings are the four noble truths. 1. Life means suffering 2. The origin of suffering is attachment 3. The cessation of suffering is attainable 4. The path to the cessation of suffering. As the Buddha puts an emphasis on the understanding of suffering, it is very important to recognize the importance of these noble truths. The first truth is basically about the human nature being painful for their entire lifetime. The beginning of life, birth, is the start of suffering as the pregnancy is extremely painful. As we live along, we age and get older, which is also suffering. Moreover, humans are very vulnerable to all kinds of diseases and illness, which is also suffering. However, on top of all these sufferings, the most painful and long-lasting suffer is probably death. The death of the parents, friends, lovers and even children lead people to great pain for a long time. Therefore, the first noble truth that the life is suffering describes well about the human nature. The second truth suggests that the suffering is caused by attachment. In Buddhist point of attachment is mostly greed, egotism and unnecessary desire. According to this truth, the desire for attachment would only result in misery and suffer. Moreover, this truth also gives the idea that everything is impermanent, meaning that in any realm of human nature they cannot possess eternal happiness. Everything changes, death exists and desire will only lead to misery and suffer. The third truth is related to the second truth. Since the suffering is caused by attachment, the cure for suffering is to vanish the attachments. This is simply to abolish the cause of suffering, abolishing the source of pain. In other words, by being free from all worries, troubles and greediness, the cessation of suffering can be attained. This state of mind is called nirvana, which will be dealt in more detail later on this essay. The nirvana will only be comprehensible to those who have attained it. The fourth truth is the extended thought about third truth, which talks about the path to end the suffering, a gradual path of self-improvement. There are two extremes, indulgence and asceticism, which the two ends lead to the end of a cycle, rebirth. Therefore, the main point of this truth is to avoid the extremes in favor of a life of moderation, nonviolence and compassion. Therefore, Buddhism is the middle way. Another important feature about Buddhism is karma, any kind of intentional action whether mental, verbal, or physical. The karma is every volitional action of individuals, whether those are good or bad. The exception made in their case is because they are delivered from both good and evil; they have eradicated ignorance and craving, the roots of Karma. Buddha says All living beings have actions as their own, their inheritance, their congenital cause, their kinsman, their refuge. It is Karma that differentiates beings into low and high states (deBary, p417). This is the main idea of karma, that the will makes the difference between good and bad. In each life, a soul is punished or rewarded based on its past actions, or karma, from the current life as well as earlier lives. Karma isnt due to gods judgment over a persons behavior. The way Buddhist accepts is somewhat different from the way the ordinary people perceive. The Buddhists understand good and evil in terms of how selfless and pure the person is, rather than simply caring for other people or being nice. Buddhists believe that the greatest achievement is selflessness(deBary, p493), showing how Buddhists perceive goodness. In addition, since karma is not a god or a supernatural force, it can be controlled by strong will. This state of mind, karma, can be cured by meditation, as the greateset mediation is a mind that lets go(deBary, p495). Another important fact is that Karma is not only believed in Buddhism, but also in Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and many other religious groups. Because Karma is categorized as being the chain of cause and effect, Buddhists perceive karma as motives behind an action. Therefore, in order to make a difference between good and bad action, you will still need to have a pure intention, which can only be obtained in the empty state. In Buddhism, there is a state that the Buddhists desire to acquire, perhaps their ultimate goal in their lives. When karma is a willful action of individuals, nirvana is the state that Buddhists desire to acquire. Nirvana is the state of being free from all the suffering and sadness. It is a central concept in Buddhism, a spiritual state of having no sorrow and anger. Buddha says that Nirvana is the highest happiness(deBary, p494) , extinguishing ignorance, hatred and suffering. The Buddha also referred Nirvana as the state of deathlessness having an increasing control over the generation of karma. Since Buddha had overcome all these complexes and sufferings through meditation and achieved nirvana, his mental health was perfect. Also, that he was very much aware of appreciating the pureness, in which people are initially born with and try to obtain. Therefore, the Buddhists refer to this state as enlightenment. In order to achieve this peace, individuals practice and meditate endlessly to empty their minds as much as possible. Also, this highest spiritual state is derived from the cessation of the desires and greed. Once the state of Nirvana is achieved, you can fully escape the cycle of karma and achieve parinirvana, nirvana in the afterlife. Parinirvana is the final nirvana that you eventually obtain endless peace in your life for the rest of your cycle of life. The Buddhism relates lots of their religious beliefs to afterlife. For example, they believe that when you commit lots of malevolent actions that you will have to pay off for those actions, perhaps in afterlife. Also, when you are constantly experiencing misfortune, Buddhists will say that you are paying off what you have committed in the past life. Moreover, another famous belief that Buddhists have is that in order to have a relationship with a person, you need have an extremely strong bond with that person from the past life. Meaning that past life and after life is somehow related, in terms of relationships. The Mahayana is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism, which was believed to be first founded in India. It is generally believed in the East Asia, including Korea, Mongolia, China and Japan. The Mahayana is majorly taught in Buddhists schools. People who strongly believe in Mahayana usually think that the state of nirvana can be achieved in a single lifetime, and it can be accomplished even by a layperson. The Mahayanists puts an emphasis on the individual enlightenment. In a different point view, they strive to liberate from the cycle of birth and death, the ultimate source of suffering. Once Buddhists are set free from all the pain, suffering and troubles, they eventually reach the bliss of Nirvana. Another important feature about Mahayana is that they believe in universalism, which is the belief that everyone can become a Buddha (deBary, p502). This is an abstract belief but the theory is that at some point, you will become a Buddha as you obtain more and more selflessness. Moreover, the Mahayanists also believe that compassion to help sentient beings reach enlightenment: become a bodhisattva, both human and seemingly godlike, yourself. We can see that the Mahayanists generally believed in ordinary people, perhaps Buddhists, could eventually reach a state of mind that can become Buddha, which can be governed by compassion and individual enlightenment. Once you recognize the sentient beings, you will be drawn closer to the Nirvana, the ideal and ultimate peace in Buddhism. Therefore, the Mahayanists also believe in reaching a state where they could extinguish their own individual existence in Nirvana. In conclusion, we have explored the Buddhism, its various supporting beliefs and the origin of those branches of Buddhism. It seemed that Buddhists majorly desire to achieve the peaceful and empty state of mind, regardless of what branch they strongly believed. For example, there were extremely keen to acquire the Nirvana, the ultimate peace in life, no longer being entangled in suffering and pain. Most of the suffering comes from the cycle of death and attachment. However, the cessation of those attachments is the way to overcome the pain and achieve nirvana. This controlling of mind is also associated with Karma, which is the willful action. Therefore, the Karma differentiates the state of mind, which will cause the individuals life to branch in different directions. The Mahayana is a powerful branch in Buddhism, which emphasizes individual enlightenment. In a nut shell, the ultimate motto of Buddhism is to achieve the state of nothingness, understanding the cycle of suffering, the karmic cycle and the cycle of rebirth and death. By exploring the Buddhism, I figured that Buddhism is more associated with individuals attainment, rather than simply worshiping the supernatural beings or gods.

The South China Tiger Essay -- Endangered Species Wildlife China Essay

The South China Tiger As a result of â€Å"the South China Tiger [being] one of the most endangered tiger subspecies in the world† (State Forestry Administration, 2000) China implemented the China Action Plan For Saving the South China Tiger. China’s State Forestry Administration developed the plan because it was necessary to minimize the threat of extinction posed by humans to these tigers. Without intervention, the South China Tiger would go extinct. Historically, â€Å"The South China Tiger was widely distributed, [its range area was about] 2000 kilometers from east to west and 1500 kilometers from north to south† (State Forestry Administration, 2000). What lead to the South China Tiger being classified as extinct was the ignorance of people about the tiger’s ecological and reproductive fragility. According to the China Action Plan, â€Å"During the thirty years before 1980 the wild population of the South China Tiger suffered from continuous large-scale hunting, deforestation of their habitats for timbers, reclaiming of agricultural lands, and pollution from chemical fertilizers†. A combination of human encroachment and habitat destruction resulted in both a decrease in the numbers of South China tigers in the wild as well as a decrease in the habitat in which they were able to live. The Ministry of Forest of the Peoples Republic of China combined its efforts with the World Wildlife Federation to conduct a study of the South China Tiger from 1990-1992. â€Å"The outcome of the survey revealed that there were about 20 to 30 South China Tigers living in the wild at that time. Therefore, the South China Tiger [was] on the brink of extinction† (State Forestry Administration, 2000). There are two different types of South C... ...te Forestry Administration, 2000). The South China Tiger is only one of several species that is endangered due to human activities. It is important for both governments and individuals to become aware of the threats that they pose to species in order to prevent extinction in the future. Without knowledge and awareness many species will meet that same fate as those of the Dodo bird and the Passenger Pigeon. However with appropriate awareness, monitoring and preservation programs it is possible for humans to prevent the complete extinction of the so many vital species and organisms that share this planet with mankind. References 1- China Action Plan for Saving the South China Tiger, Draft Outline. State Forestry Administration, P.R. China. Oct. 2000 2- http://www.5tigers.org/Research/Schina.htm. 3- http://www.home.aol.com/tigertrail/china.htm

Robertson Davies :: Biography Biographies Essays

Robertson Davies With a vision that reflects the experiences of Canadians, Robertson Davies achieved international renown as one of Canada’s foremost men of letters. Born in Thamesville, Ontario, on August 28, 1813, Robertson Davies was the youngest of three sons of newspaper publisher and Liberal senator William Rupert Davies and his wife, Florence Sheppard McKay Davies. With parents who were theatre enthusiasts, Robertson Davies was drawn to the theatre early in his life and acted in school plays. At the age of five, Davies’ family moved to the small town of Renfrew in the Ottawa Valley; when he was twelve, Davies moved to the city of Kingston, where his father owned the local newspaper, the Whig-Standard. From 1928 to 1932, Robertson Davies attended Toronto’s Upper Canada College – the "Colborne College" of his novels Fifth Business, The Manticore, and What’s Bred in the Bone. Truly, these Ontarian towns shaped the geographical heart of Davies’ fictional works. At the Upper Canada College, young Davies was immersed in school dramatics and was the editor of the school paper. Admitted to Queen’s University in Kingston as a special student because he was "hopeless in mathematics," Robertson Davies excelled at the university from 1932 to 1935. He was active in the Drama Guild at Queen’s and continued to be involved in the student theatre at Balliol College in Oxford. Here, he received his B.Litt. in 1938 for a thesis he published the following year, entitled Shakespeare’s Boy Actors. Upon graduation, Davies joined the prestigious Old Vic Theatre Company in London, where he married its stage manager, his life-long wife Brenda. In 1940, Robertson Davies and his wife returned to Canada, where Davies became literary editor of Saturday Live, then a weekly review of politics, finance, and the arts. The first of his three daughters was born that December. In 1942, Davies became editor of the Peterborough Examiner – another of his father’s papers – and he was to hold this post for the next twenty years. Davies became an increasingly popular columnist, "Samuel Marchbanks," whose witty comments and humorous accounts of small-town American and Canadian life would later be published in three volumes between 1947 and 1967. From 1955 to 1965, Davies was the publisher of Examiner. By this time, he had already written eighteen books, numerous plays, and produced many articles for various journals. His first play, Eros at Breakfast won the 1948 Dominion Drama Festival Award for best Canadian play.

Education †Teacher Essay

Discussion of aim of education is a function of the philosophy of education or ‘educational theory’. The aim of education – in the fullest and deepest sense of the word – is in keeping with the nature of the human personality or ‘human nature’. Human nature is defined in terms of the cultivation and development of perceptive intelligence based on experience i. e. ‘creative intelligence’. Creative intelligence or ‘intuition’ combines reason of understanding with wisdom of compassion†¦ depends on human ‘awakening’ or ‘enlightenment’†¦. aim of education is to cultivate creative intelligence required for adaptation to changes in the social environment i. e. ‘adaptability’. Life is very complex and complicated. But an aim in life can make the complex life simple and purposeful. Aims give us direction to work and without aim, destination, or objective life becomes incomplete and haphazard. Individual has different interests, attitudes and needs. Every individual wants to achieve certain goals in life. But a clear-cut aim makes the road of life easy. Educational aims are varied. They have their different role in different fields. Some specific aims are listed below: (i) Knowledge Aim: The aim of education is the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes. It helps to adjust properly in one’s own environment. Knowledge helps the man to overcome the nature and satisfy human wants. It links the teacher and taught with social situation. It helps with certain skills to live in a society as human being and civilized one. Philosophers and educationists of the world believe in knowledge. It is the valuable asset of life, which helps the individual to overcome misery and problems of life. (ii) Vocational Aim: Knowledge aim of education is narrow by nature. The theoretical knowledge will never meet our basic needs of life. We need bread and butter to fill up our belly. We can get it if education is vocationalised. Gandhiji realized it in 1937 when he introduced Basic Education. Vocational aim develops the social efficiency of the individual. It reduces mental tension after completion of education. Those who are lower, intelligence in vocational education or training are a blessing for them. Realizing this aspect. Indian Education Commission (1964-66) introduces work-experience in the curriculum. (iii) Character Building Aim: The Indian concept of education believes in self-realization. Self-realization is possible through moral education. So the individual should cultivate moral virtues or values which constitute character. Swami Vivekananda said, â€Å"We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded and by which one can stand on one’s own feet. † (iv) Complete-Living Aim: The individual has various aspects to be developed. Every aspect of the personality is reflected in various activities to be performed. Education should help the individual to fulfill the various needs and necessities of life like self-preservation, fulfilling necessities of life, rearing and bearing of children, performing civic responsibilities and utilizing his leisure time properly. Firstly, the individual must know the art of self-preservation. Secondly, education should enable to him to earn his living. Thirdly, he should know how to take care of his own children. Lastly, he must have the idea how to utilize the leisure hours properly in a profiting manner. (v) Harmonious: Development of the personality aim- Gandhiji said, â€Å"By education, I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in the child and man-body, mind and spirit. † The meaning itself indicates to develop all-round aspects of individual-physical, intellectual, social and spiritual. All these aspects of the individual should be harmoniously developed. True education is development of 3H’s instead of 3R’s. The development of Head, Heart and hand of an individual makes him happy. (vi) Democratic Aim of Education: One of the important aims and objective of education suggested by Secondary Education Commission (1952-54) is to develop the democratic citizenship. India is a democratic country. Even citizen must have to realize the duties and responsibilities carefully. So the aim of education is to train carefully the future citizens. Training should be provided to develop the following qualities of the individual. (i) Capacity for clear thinking (ii) Receptivity of new idea (iii) Clarity in speech and writing (iv) True patriotism Further the democratic aim of education develop vocational efficiency, personality and leadership quality. Indian Education Commission (1964-66) under the chairmanship of Dr. D. S. Kothari suggested the following as the aims of education in a democratic set-up. (i) Increasing productivity (ii) Developing social and national integrity (iii) Making education modernized and (iv) Cultivating of social, moral and spiritual values. Each individual teacher has an opinion about what the aim of education should be, not only in their own classroom but also in school in general. Many issues occur when differing opinions about the purpose of education collide. It is important to recognize that other people, including many of your coworkers, administrators, and your students’ parents might have a different point of view concerning what education should be all about. Following is a list of different aims of education that individuals might espouse. 1. Knowledge to Get By. This old school belief holds that school is important in providing students with the knowledge they need to get by in their day-to-day lives. They need to know how to read, write, and do arithmetic. Even though these core topics form the foundation of a student’s education, most educators today would probably not agree that this should be the extent of a student’s school career. 2. Knowledge of Subject Matter Being Taught The purpose of education to some teachers is to impart knowledge about the subject matter they are teaching without much thought to other classes. When taken to the extreme, these teachers focus on their own subject matter as being more important than what students are learning in other classes. For example, teachers who are unwilling to compromise their own subject matter for the good of the students can cause problems for the school at large. When the school I taught at tried to implement senior projects, we got push back from a couple of teachers who were not willing to change their lessons to include cross curricular activities. 3. Desire to Create Thoughtful Citizens. This might be considered another old school belief. However, this is held by many individuals, especially within the larger community. Students will some day be a part of a community and need the skills and mores to exist within that society as thoughtful citizens. For example, they will need to be able to vote in presidential elections. 4. To Gain Self Esteem and Confidence While the self esteem movement often gets ridiculed, we do want our students to feel confident about their learning abilities. The problem comes in with inflated self esteem not based on reality. However, this is often cited as an aim of the educational system. 5. To Learn How to Learn Learning how to learn is one of the key elements of education. Schools need to teach students how to find information they will need once they leave school. Therefore, the specific subject matter being taught is not as important for future personal success as is the ability for students to understand how to find answers for any questions and problems that might arise. 6. Lifelong Habits for Work. Many of the lessons that schools teach are necessary for success in their students’ future lives. As adults, they will need to be able to get to work on time, dress and behave appropriately, and get their work done in a timely manner. These lessons are reinforced on a daily basis in schools around the nation. Some individuals see this as one of the main reasons for sending students to school. 7. To Teach Students How to Live Finally, some individuals look at school in a more holistic manner. They see it as the means towards right living for the rest of their lives. Not only do students learn information in their individual subjects, but they also learn life lessons in and out of class. As previously explained, proper work etiquette is reinforced in the classroom. Further, students have to learn how to deal with others in a cooperative manner. Finally, they learn about how to learn information they might need in the future. In fact, one of the things that many business leaders cite as being necessary for future workers is the ability to work as part of a team and problem solve.