Essay on Historiography of the Salem Witch Trials

The changing historiography of the Salem Witch Persecutions of 1692. How current/contemporary and historical interpretations of this event reflect the changing nature of historiography. The number of different interpretations of the Salem Witch Trials illustrates that historiography is ever changing. The historians, Hale, Starkey, Upham, Boyer and Nissenbaum, Caporal, Norton and Mattosian have all been fascinated by the trials in one way or another because they have all attempted to prove or disprove certain elements about the trials. By analysing their augments about the causes of the Salem Witch Crisis, it is evident that this historical event can be examined from a range of different perspectives and interpreted in a range of†¦show more content†¦Currently the most widely accepted view is that the cause of the trials, was due to fraud and hysteria. It is rarely debated that it was the girls diagnoses of being bewitched that was the catalyst for the trials so if it could be proved that the girls symptoms were fraudulent, then this could be easily be ascribed as the ‘cause of the trials. Charles Upham introduce, ascribes the afflicted children the ski lls of sophisticated actresses and ventriloquists. The girls, after long practice Upham explains, could go into fits and convulsions, swoon and fall to the floor, put their frames into strange contortions, bring blood to the face and send it back again#. According to Upham the girls deceived everybody in therms of their ‘illness leading to the crisis which it grew into. This interpretation, however, disregards the only true primary resource that exists in relation to the girls affliction, written by Hale in 1702. As stated above by Hale, the symptoms were impossible to do so themselves. So this proposition is not actually backed with historical sources. Despite this, a number of more contemporary historians support Uphams historical position. Marion Starkey introduce claims that the girls were no more seriously possessed than a pack of bobby-soxers on the loose#. Starkey agrees with Upham and suggests that the girls affliction were fraudulent as they craved the communitysShow Mo reRelatedEssay about From Rosie to Lucy747 Words   |  3 PagesColonial America Katrina Moreno HIS378: Historiography amp; Historical Methodologies Instructor: Stacy Manning November 26, 2012 Colonial America In the colonial American time periodRead MoreEncephalitis Lethargica vs Witchcraft in Salem993 Words   |  4 Pagesearly 1692 Salem village, Massachusetts began to experience strange occurrences among their residents. Victims suffered from strange mental and physical illnesses. The randomness of the victims, and their unusual symptoms, led residents to suspect a supernatural explanation. These suspicions eventually led to the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Past historians have concentrated their research on the accused, while Laurie Winn Carlson focuses on the afflicted in her novel, A Fever in Salem: A New InterpretationRead MoreSalem Witch Trial vs Mccarthyism1208 Words   |  5 PagesA review of A Fever in Salem: A New Interpretation of the New England Witch Trials, by Laurie Winn Carlson, Ivan R. Dee, Chicago, 2000; 224 pp. $14.95 Paperback. ISBN: 1-566633095 A FEVER IN SALEM POSITS A biological cause for the early modem witchcraft epidemic, which resulted in the hanging of 19 people in Salem, MA, in 1692. Witchcraft persecution, Laurie Carlson writes, arose because of the strange behavior of the supposedly bewitched accusers. She concludes that the cause was a disease unrecognizableRead MoreCarlo Ginzburgs Salem Possessed : The Social Origins Of Witchcraft?2004 Words   |  9 PagesWitch craft has been studied for hundreds of years and authors are still finding more and more information In Carlo Ginzburg’s work, The Night Battles: Witchcraft and Agrarian Cults in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century, he attempts to locate the origin of the of the benandanti and how they came to be tried in a similar fashion to witches in Friuli, Italy. The benandanti were a group that claimed that their spirits went to fight witches during certain times of the year. Ginzburg goes into greatRead MoreCarol Karlsen s The Devil1692 Words   |  7 Pages2015 Carol Karlsen s The Devil in the Shape of a Woman† Carol Karlsen s The Devil in the Shape of a Woman† was written to provide the reader with an understanding of the role of the â€Å"witch† in colonial New England. During the early colonial period, pilgrims lived in a male-dominated society and the classical witch hunts were conducted in an attempt to maintain this societal structure. Since these hunts were placed under a religious guise, it was simple for these individuals to act as if they wereRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials : An Outbreak Of Hysteria1794 Words   |  8 PagesIn 1692, Salem village in Massachusetts saw an outbreak of hysteria, most commonly known today as the Salem witch trials. Over a period of several months, more than 200 people found themselves facing suspicions from those around them of witchcraft, with 19 executed, 14 arrested and many others who pleaded guilty pardoned but made social outcasts. Typically, the majority of those living in Salem were Puritans, who regarded all other activity exclu ding common Puritan practice as sinful distractionsRead MoreJournals of Puritans688 Words   |  3 Pagesthe Natives who lived there. In a remarkable admission of guilt, compassion, and self-awareness, Samuel Sewall presents the darker side of the Puritan religious sentiment. The Salem witch trials, over which he and several other judges presided, had proceeded as planned. Sewall realizes upon reflection that the witch trials were an abomination and a grave error; thereby revealing the growth of critical thought within the Puritan mind and heart. The willingness to learn and grow does in fact characterizeRead MoreSalem Witch Trials: Socioeconomics, Religion, and Fear2828 Words   |  12 PagesSIENA HEIGHTS UNIVERSITY THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS: SOCIOECONOMICS, RELIGION, AND FEAR A PAPER SUBMITTED TO SISTER JEANNE LEFEBVRE FOR HISTORIOGRAPHY AND METHODOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY BY NICHOLAS KNEZEVICH ADRIAN, MICHIGAN MAY 2006 Abstract The Salem Witch Trials were caused by socioeconomic problems that were intertwined with the fabric that held early American life together: religion. Puritanisms lack of set doctrine lent itself to the possibility of corrupt leadershipRead More Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow Essay3225 Words   |  13 Pages(or do not exist at all) in the original text. Instead of Irving’s emphasis on the power of local myths, Burton’s tale incorporates a greater national mythology of American history, incorporating fragments of the ideology of slavery and of the Salem witch trials into the film. In Burton’s adaption of â€Å"Sleepy Hollow,† an interesting historical commentary surfaces surrounding the topic of ideological control and slavery. Instead of examining figurative mental control, however, Burton translates ideology

Essay about Adolf Hitler Leader of the Nazi Party

Adolph Hitler, the leader of the Nazi party, rose to power in the mid 1920s. He was a gifted speaker and very much anti-semitic. When he started his political career, he was really a nobody. Through a series of fortunate coincidences he caught the eye of the powers that be in the party. He was a powerful speaker and was able to recuit a lot of new members to the party. He was such an asset that he was able to force himself higher and higher up in the organization or he threatned to leave the party. The leaders knew that if he left the party, the Nazi party would crumble. in 1933 he was named Chancellor of the party and from there on he was able to manipulate the system to become a dictator with complete control. Hitlers anti-semetic†¦show more content†¦Anne Frank and her family moved to Amsterdam from Germany in 1934. In May 1940 the Germans invaded the Netherlands and the occupation government began to persecute jews. By 1942, the Franks decided it was too dangerous to remain visible, so they went into hiding in a secret annex that was built in Otto Franks office building. In the diary, Anne wrote about everything that went on in their daily lives while they were in hiding. She wrote about her personal relationships with her family, the difficulties of living in hiding, and her dreams for herself as she was growing up. The Frank family lived in hiding for almost two years before a tip from an informer led to their arrests by the Nazis. They were transported to concentration camps, where Anne died from Typhus Epidemic in 1945. Annes dad, Otto Frank who was the only Frank to Survive, returned to Amsterdam where Miep Gies gave Otto Frank Annes diary. Otto ended up reading Annes diary and in the end published it so everyone could hear the story of Anne Frank. The main reason we learn about the Holocaust, is so that we as a people do not allow the things that occurred then to happen again. The Holocaust was a perfect storm of circumstances that led to the greatest mass murder the whole world has ever known. A lot of the things that caused the Nazis to want to eliminate all of the jews still exist today. Racial, gender based, and religious discrimination all stillShow MoreRelatedAdolf Hitler : The Leader Of The Nazi Party905 Words   |  4 PagesAdolf Hitler was a German politician who was the leader of the Nazi Party, He was the Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and Fà ¼hrer of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. As dictator of the Germany, he started World War II in Europe with the invasion of Poland in September 1939, and was the leader to the Holocaust. Born: Apr 20, 1889 Died: Apr 30, 1945 Height: 5 9 (1.75 m) Spouse: Eva Braun (1945-1945) Children: Jean-Marie Loret (Son) Founded: Nazi Party, Schutzstaffel, Hitler Youth, GestapoRead MoreAdolf Hitler, The Leader Of The Nazi Party1153 Words   |  5 PagesAdolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party, had his army kill 6-11 million people. These victims varied from gypsies, homosexuals, handicapped, Jews, and more. As stated by Adolf on his autobiography Mein Kampf, he believed that he was doing God’s work by exterminating the Jews. â€Å"...By defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.† (Mein Kampf). His early life, education, and military training all have a crucial role in his rise to power during WWII. Hitler was born onRead MoreEssay on Adolf Hitler927 Words   |  4 PagesAdolf Hitler Adolf Hitler, to some, was a great ruler, but to others he was a murderer. Hitler was the leader of the Nazi party and was the dictator of Germany. He ordered to have millions of Jews murdered or thrown in prisons. Adolf Hitler was born April 20, 1889, in a small town in Australia called Branuan. His dads name was Alios Hitler and was a customs official. He was 51 years old when Adolf was born. Klara Polz, Adolfs mother, was a farm girl and was 28 when Adolf was bornRead MoreAdolf Hitler Essay827 Words   |  4 PagesAdolf Hitler was one of the most feared and cruel men in world history, but how did he come to power? Hitler was one out of a few men to be feared by thousands of people. Hilter was responsible for killing millions of innocent people, mostly of the Jewish religion. He was the chancellor of Germany for 12 years and the leader of the Nazi party. He was a very important person in history, most notably during World War II. When Hitler was young he moved to a town named Vienna, this is where he acquiredRead MoreWhy Adolf Hitler Was A Great Leader1200 Words   |  5 Pages31 March 2015 Why Adolf Hitler Was A Great Leader. Can you really call a Murderer a Great Leader? A â€Å"Great Leader† Can be define as a leader who is self aware, self direct, socially aware, visionary, and having the ability to motivate one. Adolf Hitler is self aware, self direct, socially aware, visionary, and having the ability to motivate. From what we know for being a Great Leader we can say Adolf Hitler was a Great Leader. I believe that Hitler was a indeed a â€Å"Great Leader†. Although some believeRead MoreAdolf Hitler And The Barbaric Acts Of Prejudice1134 Words   |  5 PagesAdolf Hitler is most commonly known for the unforgivable acts of prejudice he committed throughout the course of his life. His abysmal actions left a scar on the world that could never be healed. However, Hitler possessed extreme intelligence and vocational skills. Although innovative and bright, he became corrupt as he turned against non-Aryans. His dream of pursuing his desire to be an artist slowly drifted from his mind as visions of a pure bred mother Germany came into focus. Hitler’s significantRead More Adolf Hitler Essay1212 Words   |  5 Pages Adolf Hitler On April 20, 1889, the world was changed forever when Adolf Hitler was born to Alois and Klara Hitler in a little town named Braunau-am-Inn, Austria. Alois worked as a customs officer on the border crossing near their hometown. Adolf was the third born in his family, but first to survive. Later would come Edmund, who would live to the age of six, and Paula who would live to out survive Adolf himself. With a poor record in school, Adolf Hitler dropped out with ambitions of becomingRead More Adolf Hitlers Leadership and the Government that Follows Essay1163 Words   |  5 Pagesproletariat.† This is the exact idea that Adolf Hitler had. If the people knew just how much strength they had as a whole, it was enough to over throw the power of one man. 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Thereafter, Hitler became interested in politics, as he eventually joined the Small German Workers party(Nazis) and won the faithRead MoreHitler s Impact On The World War II1636 Words   |  7 Pagesa square, saluting and chanting Hitler s name. World War II has begun and many Germans hope for improvements in the economy. Their leader is Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler, dictator of Germany in World War II, was a powerful speaker who caused over 5 million deaths in concentration camps. Though Hitler s impact can be felt in modern times, the roots of his atrocious behavior began at childhood—more specifically—high school. Years before Adolf Hitler was born, Hitler s great grandfather, Johann Georg

Two Lives free essay sample

Am going to talk about this book. Two lives is a romantic novel by the writer Helen Anally. This novel consists of two parts. At the first, tells about a boy and a girl who are both sixteen years old at the moment. And at the second, tells about the same teenagers, but fifty years later. The novel tells a love story between two teenagers, Huh and Megan, who live in Dethroned, a coal mining village, around 1945. Huh is a coal miner that works with his brother in the mines because his father is unemployed and is a drunk and his mother died when he was born.His brother died in the war a few years ago. Megan is a school girl who lives with her parents. Her father wants to her go to college because nobody from Mr. Jenkins family had ever gone to college, so he doesnt want his daughter to marry with a coal miner, or even spend her life working in the shop. We will write a custom essay sample on Two Lives or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He thinks that his daughter was too good for that. Huh and Megan had been friends for years, so they spent a lot of time with each other, but their friendships became in love. This relationships was a big secret because Means father wouldnt accept it.During a few months, they spent as much time as possible together but they made everyone think that they was only friends. One evening, they went to the cinema in another town and when they came back, Haws brother had died in the mine. A few days later, Huh and Megan spent their first time alone after Garrets dead. That night, Huh asked her if she would marry him and Megan accepted. They spent that night together in the Means house. Later, Huh left the village because if he didnt go, his father would die. Finally, they went to Canada but he promised to write Megan.Fifty years later, Megan and her daughter Beth still lived in Dethroned. Beth is the daughter of Megan and Huh, but he never knew about her. She never received any letter from Huh, because her father had hidden them. She found all that letter into some boxes of her parents, who died some years ago. Then, Megan decided to write him. Huh who lives in Toronto with his son and his grandchildren received the letter but he didnt want to answer it. However, Beth, his daughter, decided to write him and told him that she was his daughter. Finally, Huh answered her letter because he anted to see his daughter.Later, Huh met Megan and they spoke about the past. Huh met his daughter and she said to him that Megan is going to marry. So, Huh told Megan that he still loved her and wanted to marry her. Megan said to Huh that she couldnt marry him. More later, Huh accepted that Megan and her fiancee as a couple. Then, Megan started making sad herself because she really loved him. Finally, Megan decided to marry with Huh. I recommend this book because the love story between Huh and Megan is very interesting because you dont know how it end until the end.

The Effects Of Snowboarding On The Skiing Industry Essays

The Effects Of Snowboarding On The Skiing Industry Jones 1 The ski industry has been around since the beginning of the century. Since that time the retailing industry of the ski world has been on a steady increase. At the beginning of this decade the increase began to skyrocket. However, skiing was not the reason for the growth. The reason for the dramatic increase in industry sales in the retail world of skiing was due to snowboarding. By now almost everyone in the country has either seen a snowboard, ridden one, or knows someone who has. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what snowboarding is, and to shed some light on the financial aspects of this new sport. Snowboarding hit the scene in 1972. Jake Burton, at the age of 15, decided that he had enough of skiing and wanted to do something a little different. With a little ingenuity and some of his dads tools he began working on the first snowboard. His project lasted about three weeks and when he was done he decided to take his invention to the slopes and she how it worked. This was almost the end of snowboarding. Every slope Jake went to denied him access, saying that they only allowed skis on the hills. Jake was a very determined kid and this did not stop him. He began hiking every back-country trail he could find and he became quite efficient at snowboarding. At the same time he continued to knock on all the ticket windows at every resort but still had no success. He decided that the only way he could prove his invention was nothing more than a different version of a ski would be to make a video of himself riding down the back country hills. This was no easy task, keep in mind the year is 1972. Jake was Jones2 determined and he met up with a guy named Craig Kelly who at the time was into video production of skateboarding and skiing. Jake gave the sales pitch and Craig bit hook, line, and sinker. The next week the video was complete and Jake took it to all the resorts with Craig and they pled their case. By this time Jake had made about a dozen more prototypes of his snowboard and all his best friends were riding them. Finally a small mountain, Okemo, said O.K. Jake you can ride, but only during the week This was all it took and from then on almost anyone that saw this crazy kid zipping down the hill on a wooden board with both feet strapped to it began to ask questions. From that moment on Burton Snowboards, INC. was created and is now the number one manufacturer of snowboards in the world. (Burton 1988). In the 1980's snowboarding was still not extremely popular and it was very rare for a resort to allow it on the hills. As the yuppie age ended and the Generation X'ers began to get into skateboarding, BMX bikes, bungee jumping, and roller blading, snowboarding took off. By 1991 eight-five percent of all ski resorts allowed snowboarders to share the mountains with skiers. (Gatlin 1993) According to the same article over 73% of the people snowboarding in 1991 were under the age of 25. This age group typifies Generation X. Along with snowboarding came an entire new image. Brad Wilson, the marketing director for Big Bear Mountain in southern California summed it up well with this quote: It was kind of like the 1960's all over again, snowboarders dress differently, they have different haircuts and they ride on this different-looking board down the hill. (Feldman 1995). In an age where being different is normal, snowboarding Jones3 just seemed to fit right in to the picture. Now, in 1996 only 3% of ski resorts do not allow snowboarding. The resorts have realized that if they want to stay in business then catering to snowboarders is one of the easiest ways. Many resorts have begun to add new trails to the mountain just to accommodate snowboarding. Most of these extra slopes have huge jumps, half-pipes, tables, trash cans, metal pipes, and even cars for snowboarders to jump on or over. The most important feature of these special slopes is the fact that skiers are not allowed on them. The reason that many resorts have added these snowboard parks is because of the problems between skiers and snowboarders. (Feldman) Roger Hauser, the director of Massanutten

Why Brainstorming Doesnt Work

Why Brainstorming Doesnt Work Brainstorming doesnt work. It leads to ideas that conform to each other, and not to novel new ways of thinking.  The idea of brainstorming in a group seems to make sense, but the end result, the final product, is less than it could have been if group brainstorming could have been avoided. Sounds sacrilegious to say that, doesnt it? Why Do We Brainstorm? You have a blank screen in front of you. Youre pretty  desperate for an idea. Youre not sure about where to  find something to write about. Your project or product is in need of something and youre not sure where to go. It seems that you cant come up with the idea on your own, so you turn to the group and brainstorm. Brainstorming originates from Alex F. Osborn who, in the 1940s, wrote a book sharing the creative secrets he used at his advertising agency, Batten, Barton, Durstine Osborn. He called his book Your Creative Power and it became a runaway success. His idea of   getting a group together and storming the problem with your brain caught on and pretty soon the idea of brainstorming was the standard way for business, education, government, and the military to solve problems. The concept behind Osborns idea is that brainstorming was a method that would free participants from inhibition, self-criticism, and criticism by others so that a specific problem might receive the maximum ideas possible. For years, no one questioned the validity of the concept.  Brainstorming seems like the best way to apply the idea that we are stronger as a group than we are if we are alone. It seems logical to bring in your whole team, start throwing around ideas, and building on them. The best will rise to the top and youll get ideas that one person alone could not have come up with. We assumed that the group, and not the individual, can achieve more success with each persons creativity springboarding off of anothers. We were wrong. Brainstorming is where the ideas are born before reality sets in.In A Brainstorming Group, We Think Alike Strong personalities rule the show. Leadership unconsciously steers ideas towards preferred conclusions, or asks questions that beg a specific kind of answer. Team members fear negative evaluation from those higher up and their input is limited and the ideas they share are only the ones they deem reasonable. Why does group brainstorming so consistently fail despite the protestations of those who swear by it? How could they miss seeing whats happening? 1. We see what we expect to see. The end of a brainstorming session will leave us with exactly what we intended it to: lots of ideas to choose from.  From all appearances, it looks like a success. Clearly, the group can come up with more ideas in total than an individual person can. (Taylor, Berry, Block; Administrative Science Quarterly 1958, PDF) But mere quantity doesnt answer the question: does group participation help or hurt creative thinking? You dont know about all the ideas that were stifled in the process. In fact, if youve ever heard a team member say, weeks or months down the road of a project when something needs changing, I thought of that but didnt want to say anything you can bet your brainstorming session didnt work. A full whiteboard doesnt mean your brainstorming session gave you the best possible results. It might have only given you lots of output. 2. Personalities that dont mix. Any time you get a group of people together, you quickly see who is dominant, who is vocal, who is quiet, who is meek, who is extroverted, who is introverted, who is passive, and who is aggressive. To expect this group to provide creative ideas unfettered and freely is a foolish assumption. Personalities are always at work (and sometimes at war) in a group. Our ideas are a personal thing. We all naturally have a tendency to both want to get along with others, and to not appear foolish in front of others. Asking certain personality types to be willing to temporarily throw these driving forces to the wind is asking too much. Consider the introvert, whose creative energy is derived by not being around other people. Putting him or her in a group with extroverts and expecting a great performance is asking too much. The introverts best ideas often come when people are not around to distract and wear on them. A passive person might prefer to not have conflict, while an aggressive person requires it as fuel for their engine. Who do you think will speak up and who will quietly acquiesce to the popular idea? 3. The rise of the lowest common denominator. Brainstorming curtails creativity unconsciously. We all want to get along. Few people actually like conflict (though some do). A kind of equilibrium is reached, to the detriment of the group. Brainstorming also makes us lazy. When in a group focused on being creative, the idea is that you will feed off of each other, and springboard even further with the help of ideas that you would not have come up with.  The reality is that brainstorming allows for social loafing, a term used in a 2010 Applied Cognitive Psychology study by Nicholas W. Kohn and Steven M. Smith. According to Kohn and Smith, group brainstorming means that the participants compare themselves to the others, leading to social loafing and social matching. Social loafing occurs when individuals give less effort in a group because responsibility is diffused. Social matching is a tendency to conform to peers. According to Latanà ©s (1981) social impact theory, larger groups lead to greater conformity and greater downward performance matching. The larger the group, the more they conform to each other and actually match their input and performance to the lowest common denominator. In other words, group brainstorming participants are less productive than they would be on their own. 4. Idea plagiarism and fixation is rampant. Kohn and Smith continued their exploration of groups and the creation of ideas, explaining that we are unconsciously influenced by the ideas around us. Using Dunckers candle problem as an example, they showed how the ideas of others infect our own ideas in such a way that we cannot even discern when flaws that were present in the original idea are carried over into our own ideas. We create a solution built on the flaws of another. If we are left to come up with ideas without the input of others, our ideas tend to truly be unique and not merely derivative. The moment we are surrounded by the ideas of others, we absorb them as our own. Sometimes the idea of another unconsciously becomes our idea. This ties into fixation, or how, in a group, we become fixated on a solution and though we might generate many ideas, they are all fixated on a relatively narrow set. In other words: you might end up with lots of quantity after a brainstorming session, but did you ever have that feeling that not a single idea even came close? That they were all off in the same way? You had a group of people who absorbed each others ideas, flaws and all, and the solution became a too-narrow one despite the number of ideas that surrounded it. Brainstorming works best on your own. A group weakens the results.Solving The Group Brainstorming Problem Re-injecting anonymity to the procedure will directly reduce several of the barriers that make group brainstorming fail. It removes the fear of being judged by fellow team members and by leaders for possible silly ideas or suggestions. It allows voices to be heard that would otherwise be drowned out by others in a verbal-dominant meeting. These methods dont, however, address the social loafing aspect and the problem that comes with wanting our ideas to fit together and conform to levels perceived as appropriate or acceptable. Brainstorming, One Person At A Time The idea of brainstorming, a no-holds creative attack at a problem, isnt wrong. We cant rely purely on passive luck and gestalt to solve all of our problems. There are times we have to run hard at a problem from any and all directions to find a chip in its armor. Its when we mix this brainstorming with a group that those group dynamics are put into play and the creative power of individuals is actually lessened. Thats where singular brainstorming comes into play.  You can brainstorm on your own, as one person, without a group. The same rules apply regarding the removal of inhibition and self-criticism.  When brainstorming on my own, I use a few basic techniques as I attack a problem: 1. Get The Obvious Out Of The Way There will always be one or two ideas that immediately pop into your head. Just write them down. Get the obvious solutions out of the way so you can move on from them. I find that I free up thinking space once I write down all of the obvious solutions and ideas. Its one way I get past the self-criticism and inhibition problem that brainstorming is meant to avoid.  I tell myself that, if all else fails, I can always come back and revisit those initial sensible solutions.

Definition of Gerrymander

Definition of Gerrymander To gerrymander is to draw the boundaries of electoral districts in an irregular way so as to create an unfair advantage for a particular political party or faction. The origin of the term gerrymander dates back to the early 1800s in Massachusetts. The word is a combination of the words Gerry, for the states governor, Elbridge Gerry, and salamander, as a particular electoral district was jokingly said to be shaped like a lizard. The practice of creating oddly shaped electoral districts to create advantages has endured for two centuries. Criticisms of the practice can be found in newspapers and books going back to the time of the incident in Massachusetts that inspired the term. And while it has always been viewed as something done wrongfully, nearly all political parties and factions have practiced gerrymandering when given the opportunity. The Drawing of Congressional Districts The United States Constitution specifies that seats in Congress are apportioned according to the U.S. Census (indeed, thats the original reason why the federal government has conducted a census every ten years). And the individual states must create congressional districts which will then elect members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The situation in Massachusetts in 1811 was that the Democrats (who were political followers of Thomas Jefferson, not the later Democratic Party which still exists) held the majority of seats in the state legislature, and could therefore draw the required Congressional districts. The Democrats wanted to thwart the power of their opponents, the Federalists, the party in the tradition of John Adams. A plan was devised to create Congressional districts that would divide any concentrations of Federalists. With the map drawn in an irregular way, small pockets of Federalists would then be residing within districts where they would be heavily outnumbered. The plans to draw these peculiarly shaped districts were, of course, highly controversial. And the lively New England newspapers engaged in quite a battle of words, and, eventually, even pictures. The Coining of the Term Gerrymander There has been dispute over the years of who exactly coined the term gerrymander. An early book on the history of American newspapers stated that the word arose from a meeting of the Boston newspaper editor Benjamin Russell and the famed American painter Gilbert Stuart. In Anecdotes, Personal Memoirs, and Biographies of Literary Men Connected With Newspaper Literature, published in 1852, Joseph T. Buckingham presented the following story: In 1811, when Mr. Gerry was governor of the commonwealth, the legislature made a new division of the districts for the election of representatives to Congress. Both branches then had a Democratic majority. For the purpose of securing a Democratic representative, an absurd and singular arrangement of towns in the county of Essex was made to compose a district. Russell took a map of the county, and designated by a particular coloring the towns thus selected. He then hung the map on the wall of his editorial closet. One day, Gilbert Stuart, the celebrated painter, looked at the map, and said the towns, which Russell had thus distinguished, formed a picture resembling some monstrous animal. He took a pencil, and, with a few touches, added what might be supposed to represent claws. There, said Stuart, that will do for a salamander.Russell, who was busy with his pen, looked up at the hideous figure, and exclaimed, Salamander! Call it Gerrymander!The word became a proverb, and, for many years, was in popular use among the Federalists as a term of reproach to the Democratic legislature, which had distinguished itself by this act of political turpitude. An engraving of the Gerrymander  was made, and hawked about the state, which had some effect in annoying the Democratic Party. The word gerrymander, often rendered in hyphenated form as gerry-mander, began to appear in New England newspapers in March 1812. For instance, the Boston Repertory, on March 27, 1812, published an illustration representing the oddly shaped Congressional district as a lizard with claws, teeth, and even the wings of a mythical dragon. A headline described it as A New Species of Monster. In the text below the illustration an editorial said: The district may be exhibited as a Monster. It is the offspring of moral and political depravity. It was created to drown the real voice of the majority of the citizens in the country of Essex, where it is well known there is a large federal majority. Outrage Over the Gerry-Mander Monster Faded Though New England newspapers blasted the newly drawn district and the politicians who created it, other newspapers in 1812 reported the same phenomenon had occurred elsewhere. And the practice had been given a lasting name. Incidentally, Elbridge Gerry, the Massachusetts governor whose name wound up being the basis for the term, was the leader of the Jeffersonian Democrats in the state at the time. But there is some dispute whether he even approved of the scheme to draw the oddly shaped district. Gerry had been a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and had a long career of political service. Having his name dragged into the conflict over the Congressional districts seemed not to harm him, and was a successful vice-presidential candidate in the election of 1812. Gerry died in 1814 while serving as vice president in the administration of President James Madison. Gratitude is expressed to the New York Public Library Digital Collections for the use of the early 19th century illustration of The Gerry-Mander.

What dose future hold for organanized labor in the u.s commercial Research Paper

What dose future hold for organanized labor in the u.s commercial aviation industry - Research Paper Example The decline in organized labor was to such an extent that by the beginning of the 21st century, it represented less than 10% of private sector workers although in the public sector organized labor still represented about 35% of all workers. In 2005, there was another setback to organized labor, when two of America’s most powerful unions – SEIU and Teamsters – resigned from AFL-CIO. The commercial aviation industry has been undergoing several setbacks due to rising prices for jet fuel, increasing uneasiness about the legacy carriers moving towards bankruptcy which can disrupt the market place, and issues such as public liability potential for unfounded pensions of major carriers (ENO, 2005). Strategies in the commercial aviation and airlines industry has been evolving based on two factors – growing concern for passenger safety and ever increasing and changing consumer demands and expectations (Appelbaum & Fewster, 2003). The strategy thus has to focus on ho w the HR department aligns the activities, policies and procedures with the employee and labor relations. Despite these challenges, passengers traveling by air is on the rise and is expected to double by 2025 (ENO, 2005). The aircraft operations are expected to triple which implies that public confidence in safety is back to normal. It is feared that public safety may be taken for granted in the future, which could lead to under funding of safety measures. It is very important that Air Traffic Management (ATM) system handles the growing congestion in the skies efficiently and safely. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the past two decades had failed to bring about significant improvement. There are inefficiencies built into the current labor contracts within the airline labor unions. According to a union representative the airline management cannot ‘plead temporary insanity’ regarding the

Genetically Modified organism uses and applications Essay

Genetically Modified organism uses and applications - Essay Example GMO has far and wide many uses and applications. The technology used in GMO is called modern gene technology (Lee, 2008). Genetic engineering has led to the development in pharmaceutical and medicinal drugs technology. Many organism that are of medicinal significance haven been developed in bioreactors rather than in the field. This has so far diversified the cultivation of an organism in the reactors. Example of the organism: Chlamydomonas rehardtii (alga) and Physcomitrella (moss). The diversification has led to a great monitoring in order to get the desired results on time. Important researches in the establishment and development of treatment of different diseases and ailments have applied other genetic models to come up with modified drugs. Genetic engineering in agriculture has fetched some of the best output (Ciola, 2005). There is increased yield per unit area, reduction in production cost, enhanced composition of nutrient, resistance to diseases and pesticide, enhanced nutri ents, food security among others. There has been also advancement in crops that matures faster in harsh climatic and weather conditions that would not have otherwise matured (Lee, 2008). In the same regard, the number of animals has fetched better prices in the market due to the increased production and also resistance to diseases such as foot and mouth. A good example is the salmons which have grown at a very faster rate. In addition, soil salinity has affected many parts of the world in all agricultural aspects. This has led to poor growth, and in some cases the crops have fail to grow. For instance San Joaquin Valley is an example of diverse effect of salinity. GMO research will produce crops tolerant to saline condition such as mangrove in agricultural plants. A Mangrove gene (Avicenna marina) has been implanted into tobacco plant thus resisting salt, and other ionic stresses (Ciola, 2005). Global population has been increasing tremendously, and this has resulted to food shortag e and famine with conclusive statistics of one child dying in every two seconds worldwide. These deaths emanate from starvation without taking into account people who are very poor and undernourished. There is a need to embrace genetically engineered technology not only to the farmers, but also to the societies worldwide to produce better crops in the shortest time possible with the greatest output (Lee, 2008). Research on insects has been an area of concern and importance in equal measure, in the quest to curb and control parasitic diseases. For instance, development of GM mosquitoes has been made to represent SM1 protein, which prevents the passage of plasmodium (malaria parasite) into the gut of mosquito. This leads to the interruption of its cycle and makes it resistant. GM mosquitoes being released into the environment may eradicate transmission of malaria without using harmful chemicals such as DDT (Koch et al, 2010). Transgenic animals have genes introduced through transfecti on gene called transgenic. Introduction of DNA segmentation is integrated into the animal cell. This phenomenon is applicable to various organisms and it is often called transformation. Rabbits and mice are some of the transgenic animals. Mice are often preferred to other animals because it has favorably disposed gestation period, estrous cycle, producing several offspring per pregnancy, vitro fertilization and also availability

Technical Writting Essay Example for Free

Technical Writting Essay Company Introduction Texans r Us is in search of a Microsoft trainer to train the staff in Microsoft Office Programs. This Request for Proposal (RFP) will layout the company background and scope of work and will describe the project. If your agency would like to be considered for this project submits a written proposal that concentrates on the points of this RFP no later than Feb 18, 2013. The goal of this project is to fully train the staff of Texans r Us in Microsoft Office Programs. Upon completion of the training each staff member will be proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Project Introduction The goal of the project is to have the entire staff of Texans r Us trained in Microsoft Office programs. Texans r Us consist of four to five employees per location with five locations. The timeframe for this project is as follows: * October 18: Distribute RFP to various agencies * October 22: Deadline for agencies to submit proposals. * October 25: Texans r Us will be available for agency inquiry. * November 8: Contact agencies that will be considered as well as agencies that will not be considered * November 15 – 19: Agencies will be presented to team members * November 22: Contact agency chosen and draw up contract. *November 29: Start date for new agency and meeting with team members. The budget for 2013 training will be prearranged by Texans r Us when agency is elected. The range for the budget is $20,000 $30,000. Administrative information The desired qualifications for the selected agency: * Microsoft Certified Professionals. * Client references. * Excellent writing and verbal skills. The required format for submitting proposals are to include a title page, letter of transmittal, executive summary table of contents and list of visuals. There should also be an introduction and a clear and concise plan for executing the project All proposals submitted will become the sole property of Texans r Us and will not be shared with second or third party clients. If there are any further questions please contact Eli Mata at 555-555-5555.

No Privacy in America :: George Orwell 1984 Technology Essays

No Privacy in America Feeling the need to be â€Å"at the cutting edge of the new† and â€Å"the first on your block to have it† puts us in a race with ourselves to keep pace with the evolving technological world. Cell phones, e-mail, GPS, EZ-Pass, and the entire World Wide Web – all these inventions enable us to live in a world where people across the planet are only milliseconds away. All these new inventions, however, also have a drawback in common – they serve as locating devices for each and every one of us. Privacy has vanished. In George Orwell’s novel, 1984, Big Brother was a character of fiction. He was able to oversee everything and virtually controlled the daily lives of millions of people. Now, as we advance technologically, the thought of Big Brother watching over us isn’t so far-fetched. He could be the government monitoring the actions of you and your family, or he could be your boss at work secretly watching you when you think you’re alone. Or he could even be those closest to you, tracking your every move. Big Brother no longer has to work hard to monitor us, for we’re inadvertently providing his eyes and ears. There’s no question that cell phones are great inventions. I have one and take it with me everywhere I go. â€Å"Never leave home without it,† I tell myself. My cell phone allows me to stay in contact with everyone, all the time. I can call home when I’m out to let my parents know where I am, or I can call my friends to see where we’re going to hang out that night. I even have the New York Yankees scores text-messaged to my cell phone every three innings so I never miss a beat. The benefits of having cell phones are obvious, yet the drawbacks are something to ponder. In this new age of cell phones the concept of â€Å"getting away from it all† has virtually disappeared. When I was visiting a college in April of my senior year in high school, my cell phone rang at least twice each day with people from back home in New Jersey trying to contact me. Sometimes it was my friends calling just to see if I wanted to hang out that night, forgetting that I was 250 miles away.

Book Review: Train to Pakistan Essay

Khushwant Singh opens his novel Train to Pakistan in a seemingly peaceful village on the countryside of Punjabi. Although the small village is fictional, it is important to note the historical significance this village, its people, and the time period represent in the novel. Revered as a one of the finest and best-known renditions of the Indian tragedy of partition, Train to Pakistan embodies more than a fictitious community. The following literary analysis will depict the consequence of human calamity by analyzing the political history of India, the social and cultural struggle of the people, and the moral message and character development. It is evident that Singh did not want to make this novel a political recount because he shies away from describing the political role of the British and the Indian people in much detail. However, to understand the novel’s progression, it is essential to examine the historical background. Singh bases his relatively short novel in the year 1947 in India; in other words, in the midst of the India Independence Act of 1947 which resulted in the dissolution of the British Indian Empire. Unfortunately, the British withdrawal did not lead to a unified, free India, but instead divided into two, struggling, newly instituted states of India and Pakistan. At midnight of August 15 of 1947, the two governments of India and Pakistan simultaneously declared independence, officially trying to separate Muslims from Sikhs. This violent divide between the two governments lead to the displacement of approximately 12.5 million men, women, and children and a death toll between several hundred thousand to one million. The violent nature of partition created an atmosphere of mutual hostility and suspicion that still hangs in the air between the two sides today. Singh, who was thirty at the time of partition, published one of the few first-hand accounts of this human tragedy that is now fading into history. Nevertheless, he captivates his audience in the retelling of a major human dispute. This leads into the social and cultural struggle determined by the setting of Train to Pakistan. In the brief novel, we, as the reader, get the chance to know many of characters in great detail. Examination of these varied groups of people not only increases cultural and social understanding of that time and place, but also shows that the blame could not be placed on any one group; everyone was responsible. In fact, in the opening sentences of the book Singh writes, â€Å"Muslims said the Hindus had planned and started the killing. According to the Hindus, the Muslims were to blame. The fact is, both sides killed. Both shot and stabbed and speared and clubbed. Both tortured. Both raped† (1). From a reader’s stand point, it is important to note this passage’s significance. Singh wanted to make it clear that blame must be shared for these inhumane acts. As I stated before, Singh opens his novel by recreating a tiny village in the Punjabi countryside called Mano Maj ra. Set next to a railway line that crosses the rising Sutlej River, the lives of the inhabitants of Mano Majra would fatefully change one summer season. The fictional village on the border of Pakistan and India is predominantly made up of Sikh farmers and Muslim tenants. Singh depicts how the residents of Mano Majra lived in an almost ignorant seclusion, surrounded by mobs of Muslims who hate Sikhs and mobs of Sikhs who hate Muslims; however, in the village the people had always lived harmoniously. Villagers were unaware about the happenings of larger scope than the village outskirts, which Singh depicts in the mystery of the trains full of murdered people. This obliviousness made them especially vulnerable to outside views. In fact, the most heart-rending passage in the book comes out of the people’s cluelessness when the government makes the decision to transport all the Muslim families from Mano Majra to Pakistan. One Muslim said, â€Å"What have we to do with Pakistan? We were born here. So were our ancestors. We have lived amongst [Sikhs] as brothers† (126). The dumbstruck villagers are overtaken by events as a small joint army convoy, containing one unit of Sikh soldiers and one of Baluch and Pathans, arrives in the village and orders the Muslims to board within ten minutes. They do so with the barest minimum of their meager belongings. The Muslim officer politely shakes hands with his Sikh colleague, and sets off with his caravan to Pakistan, leaving the non-Muslim families without a chance to say goodbye. After the Muslims flee to a refugee camp from where they will eventually go to Pakistan, a cluster of religious agitators come to Mano Majra and instill in the local Sikhs a hatred for Muslims and convinces a local gang to attempt mass murder as the Muslims leave on their train to Pakistan. This entire scene takes place after we are familiar with the characters, and it is painful at many levels: the poverty in which these people live; the terrible uncertainty they are suddenly cast into; and at least temporarily, the eclipse of people’s humanity. To continue, if these groups of people (i.e. government workers and ordinary citizens) are scrutinized on a closer level than their religious affections, a more detailed social structure emerges. First, government officials were corrupt and manipulative of villagers. They could arrest anyone they chose for any reason, more often than not for their own benefit. They did just enough in terms of dealing with the dispute so that nobody could say that they did not do anything, as I will point out later with Iqbal and Juggut. The law enforcement was completely at the whim of the local government, meaning that in practice, there was no law. Also, small amounts of educated people trickled in and out of villages, trying to instill in people democratic, communist, or other western ideologies, though the common people were turned off and confused by their dissent. An example of this is when a villager explain, â€Å"Freedom is for the educated people who fought for it. We were slaves of the English, now we will be slaves of the educated Indians—or the Pakistanis† (48). More than midway through the novel, Singh depicts a scene in which the villagers learn that the government was planning to transport Muslims from Mano Majra to Pakistan the next day for their safety. To better understand the situation surrounding the Partition of India, Singh provides information about both religions involved. The book sheds light on the various religious practices of both Sikhs and Muslims in rural India, including daily life for individuals from both practices. For example, the practice of prayer for Muslims is described in the novel: â€Å"The mullah at the mosque knows that it is time for the Morning Prayer. He has a quick wash, stands facing west towards Mecca and with his fingers in his ears cries in long sonorous notes, Allah-o-Akbar† (4). Singh points out practices of Sikhs as well, â€Å"The priest at the Sikh temple lies in bed till the mullah has called. Then he too gets up, draws a bucket of water from the well in the temple courtyard, pours it over himself, and intones his prayer in monotonous singsong to the sound of splashing water (5)†. These daily routines are not necessarily provided to exemplify the differences between the two religions, but more so how they rely and have a friendly tolerance for one another and the unfortunate changes the compatibility would undergo. In addition to giving an understanding of human actions and pointing out that everyone was responsible, Khushwant Singh sketches his characters with a sure and steady hand, and we come to know quite a cast. Foremost, Hukum Chand is the regional magistrate, and the most influential character in the story for many symbolic purposes. It becomes noticeable that he is a morally conflicted man who has probably used his power over the years with much corruption. He is often described with a dirty physical appearance which is important emblematically because it is as if he is overwhelmed with unclean actions and sins and is trying to wash himself of them. Hukum Chand’s ethical issues are also shown in one of repeated encounters he has with two geckos. Allegorically, we can likely infer that these geckos represent Muslims and Hindus in conflict and on the verge of fighting one another. When the geckos start fighting, they fall right next to him, and he panics. The guilt he gets from not helping when he has more than enough power to do so literally jumps onto him: â€Å"Hukum Chand felt as if he had touched the lizards and they had made his hands dirty. He rubbed his hands on the hem of his shirt. It was not the sort of dirt which could be wiped off or washed clean† (24). Alcoholism is another tool Hukum Chand uses in attempt to clean his conscience. He feels the guilt of his actions by day but is able to justify them with alcohol and visits from the teenage prostitute Haseena, a girl that is the same age as his deceased daughter. In all his conflictions, Hukum Chand is able to acknowledge that what he is doing is bad, but is still unable to promote good possibly inferring to the weakness of the human will or at least of those in power. The two other main characters featured in the novel are Iqbal Singh and Juggut Singh, and they are likely meant to be contrasted. Iqbal is described as a slightly effeminate, well-educated and atheist (which is symbolic as his ambiguous name makes his family religion unidentifiable) social worker from Britain who thinks politically and cynically. Iqbal can easily represent modernity as he has purposely forgotten his traditional Sikh heritage and culturally adapted to the Western life style by cutting his hair and going through circumcision. Juggut, conversely, is a towering, muscular, and uneducated villager who places action over thought and is known for frequent arrests and gang problems. When the Hindu money-lender is murdered, it is as if the novel is warming Iqbal and Juggut up for comparison, as they were both arrested for the same murder they did not commit and were placed in adjacent cells. In that time, a train pulls up full of dead corpses, obviously symbolic and representative of the violence and torment the two sides, Muslim and Sikh, placed upon one another. Upon the prisoners’ release, they learned that a gang was planning to attack the train taking Mano Majra’s Muslim population to Pakistan. They each had the potential to save the train, though it was recognized that this would cost their lives. Although Singh leaves us questioning who the heroic figure of the novel is, it is easy to place Juggut in the role of martyr. He acts on instinct after he found out about the fiasco that was going on, and then sacrifices his life to save the train. Iqbal, on the other hand, spends pages wondering to himself whether he should do something, revealing a moral irony: â€Å"The bullet is neutral. It hits the good and the bad, the important and the insignificant, without distinction. If there were people to see the act of self-immolation†¦the sacrifice might be worth while: a moral lesson might be conveyed†¦the point of sacrifice†¦is the purpose. For the purpose, it is not enough that a thing is intrinsically good: it must be known to be good. It is not enough to know within one’s self that one is in the right† (170). The questions of right versus wrong which Singh poses throughout the book are numerous, including those of what one should do when one has the opportunity to prevent something bad, when an act of goodwill is truly worthwhile, and how much importance is the consciousness of the bad. Train to Pakistan represents what one calls an â€Å"eye-opener.† Many times people block out or remain ambivalent to difficult circumstances surrounding them, but Singh writes, with multiple gruesome and explicit accounts of death, torture, and rape for the public to read, to make the case that people need to know about those improbable dangers.

Marriage Is a Private Affair Essay

Cultural, gender, religious and racial peculiarities can either impede or enhance effective human communication and understanding. According to Chinua Achebe, â€Å"Marriage is a Private Affair†. We may ask what is marriage? It may be defined in many ways Prof. Makoine in his guideline sheet defines it interactively as â€Å"wedlock/ relationship in which two people have pledged themselves to each other as husband and wife with or without legal sanction. † According to the same definition a private affair is â€Å"exclusive/ belonging to a particular person or group event or happening. Marriage is fundamental ,it’s a private affair, the author tries to show that marriage means different things in the different cultures also marriage and private are interchangeable it mean two or more people get into contract, whereas in some culture it also a unity establish between two or more people. Marriage is an exclusive event that happen between two people. According to the writer, he does not exclude the family out of the process of marriage but he concludes that whatever decision we make it is considered to be private affair which has to be between people that sign the contract. The two people involved take responsibility for the outcome of their decision. So as the saying goes, â€Å"marriage is for better for worse† What are other original and contemporary definitions of marriage? The original concept as religiously depicted both in Islam and Christianity is that marriage is a bond between a man and a woman, where both become one. There is an exchange of dowry for security and goodwill. The Webster’s New Pocket dictionary defines marriage as the â€Å"married life†, and marry as â€Å"join as husband and wife, 2. take as spouse and 3. nite†. The implications of such definitions is that there is a dichotomy in meanings culturally, racially and religiously. The concept of privacy of marriage can be read in many ways: it could mean private between two people irrespective of their family’s feelings. It could also be its my business whether I want to marry a male or a female, I don’t need anyone’s support or permission. I have the freedom to choose. In† â€Å"Chinua Achebe’s† drama the freedom to choose is still available to â€Å"Nnaemeka† but the choice he makes is painful to him and the family. The impending pain is envisaged by â€Å"Nnaemeka†and this makes him say, â€Å"It would not be wise to break the news to him by writing. A letter will bring it upon him with a shock, I am quite sure about that. † In this case â€Å"Chinua Achebe† portrays the privacy of marriage to a particular tribe and the difficulty when people have to break that privacy and go outside their tribes to choose a spouse. The reaction of â€Å"Nnaemeka†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s father to the situation is indeed dramatic, he could not imagine his son marrying someone whose family he did not know. This is vividly displayed in the following conversation in the story, â€Å" Whose daughter is she, anyway? â€Å"She is Nene Atang. † â€Å"What! † All the mildness was gone. â€Å" Neneataga, what does that mean? † The father felt this was beyond acceptance and his pain was palpable. In this case they are of the same religion even though â€Å"Nnaemeka†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s father may not accept this. He disparages the future wife’s religion by saying, â€Å"Teacher did you say? If you consider that a qualification for a good wife I should like to point out to you, â€Å"Emeka†, that no christian woman should teach. The privacy of the of culture and language was broken and the old man’s heart was broken too as he felt the loss of his son. He goes on to try to dissuade his son to no avail and the writer admits that, â€Å"his father eventually gave hm up as lost. † Emeka exercised his freedom but at the cost of loosing his community and family’s support and inclusion. The act itself was considered sacrilegious as an old man said weeks later, â€Å"It has never been heard,† people do not marry across language lines. Privacy was broken! However the issue of love transcends culture, religion and language barriers. Instead of Emeka to change his mind he hoped his father would heal. The story says, â€Å"Nnaemeka for his own part, was deeply affected by his father’s grief. But he kept hoping that it would pass away† (â€Å"marriage is private affair†, page †¦). He was adamant though about marrying the woman of his dreams despite the strong opposition. He goes on to say, â€Å"Nene Atang from Calabar. She is the only woman I can marry,† (page†¦ ). The reality though is in the end we weigh what is truly important as Nnaemeka’s father found out. The story brings us to the point of his awakening,â€Å"His mind immediately returned to the children. How could he shut his door against them? † He realizes that as a father his daughter- in – law had reached out to him with an arm he couldn’t resist, the arm of compassion to your own blood. The writer concludes by saying, â€Å"That night he hardly slept, from remorse – and a vague fear that he might die without making it up to them. † (page †¦) the father was stubborn and being xenophobic, he was gloomy and cut relationship off with his grandchildren since he was not dynamic in nature and could not accept changing times.

For Sale vs. On Sale

For Sale vs. On Sale For Sale vs. On Sale For Sale vs. On Sale By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, When do you use the expression â€Å"for sell† instead of â€Å"for sale†? Short answer: Never. ESL learners must be puzzled when they see ads like these on the Web: I have a nice Play Station 3 drum set for sell for 35 dollars. We have a wristband for sell for $100 in the Des Moines, Ames, Carroll, Denison region of Iowa. Find out if there are other products like yours already  for sell. Cheap Authentic (unused) Cartridges for Sell Sell is a verb. Sale is a noun. Something that someone wants to sell is â€Å"for sale.† Purebred Border Collie Puppies for Sale Gently Used Clothing for Sale Reliable Used Cars for Sale The expression â€Å"on sale† may also present a little confusion to ESL speakers. Sometimes â€Å"on sale† means that items for sale are being sold at a price lower than normal: Prices slashed: all jump drives on sale at half price This weekend only: premium mowers on sale at 20% off When â€Å"on sale† is preceded by go, no drop in price is implied. â€Å"To go on sale† means â€Å"to become available for purchase†: Ticket packages offer the exclusive ability to select tickets before they go on sale (i.e., before people who don’t have ticket packages are allowed to buy them.) An iPhone with a Sapphire Screen May Go on Sale Soon (i.e., it may soon be possible to buy an iPhone with a sapphire screen) When will Google Glass finally go on sale? (i.e., when will Google Glass be available for purchase by consumers?) â€Å"For Sale† and â€Å"On Sale† have their uses, but â€Å"For Sell† is an unfortunate error. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Types of LanguageThe Six Spellings of "Long E"20 Criminal Terms You Should Know

25 Quotes to Inspire Thoughtful Written Sentiments

25 Quotes to Inspire Thoughtful Written Sentiments Sometimes its easy to take friends and family for granted, which is why showing appreciation is so important. As philosopher Voltaire said, Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well. When you take the time to express thanks and gratitude, you help build and strengthen bonds of trust and love. It doesnt matter whether you send a card or make a phone call. Appreciation, however you express it, builds bridges and fosters healthy relationships. Of course, appreciation should always be sincere. For example, when you praise a family member for their cooking, mention what you specifically liked about the dish, and thank them for preparing it so well. If a friend has thrown you a surprise birthday party, offer your sincere thanks. Remember to say what you enjoyed most about the celebration. Everyone loves a thoughtful thank-you card, but finding the right words to show your appreciation is not always easy. The following is a list of quotes on the subject of appreciation and gratitude from well-known artists, writers, world leaders, and others to help you create your own special sentiments. You could also include the entire attributed quote if it makes sense. Maya Angelou: When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed. Guillaume Apollinaire: Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy. Thomas Aquinas: There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. Marcus Aurelius: Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them. Leo Buscaglia aka Dr. Love: Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. Henry Clay: Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the gratefully and appreciating heart. Ralph Waldo Emerson: A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature. Helen Keller: Words are never warm and tender enough to express ones appreciation of a great kindness. Dalai Lama aka Tenzin Gyatso: The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness. Washington Irving: Sweet is the memory of distant friends! Like the mellow rays of the departing sun, it falls tenderly, yet sadly, on the heart. President John F. Kennedy: As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. Steve Maraboli: Forget yesterday - it has already forgotten you. Dont sweat tomorrow - you havent even met. Instead, open your eyes and your heart to a truly precious gift - today. Willie Nelson: When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around. Marcel Proust: Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. Albert Schweitzer: At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. Mark Twain aka Samuel Langhorne Clemens: To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with. Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. Voltaire: Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well. William Arthur Ward: Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I may not forget you. Booker T. Washington: Any mans life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement if he makes up his mind to do his level best each day. Mae West aka Mary Jane West: Too much of a good thing can be wonderful! Walt Whitman: I have learned that to be with those I like is enough. Oscar Wilde: The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention. Thornton Wilder: We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. Oprah Winfrey: Be thankful for what you have; youll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you dont have, you will never, ever have enough.

Stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stress - Essay Example This paper discusses the problems brought about by stress; possible solutions to problems on stress and a case study from the University of Michigan. Problem: Stress Stress is depends on the mind and body’s capacity to adapt to demands as required by the environment (Olpin and Hesson, 2013), whether at work, home or in universities. There are three aspects of stress that should be considered. First is the personal view of the individual experiencing the stress; and this can become either a positive or negative factor. The second aspect is the individual’s reaction to the entirety of the events rather than the specific event alone, and this will be the key to either a positive or negative result. The third aspect is the capacity or threshold by which the body can hold the stress, meaning the capacity to handle the stress and if such exists in the individual, this yields good results. However, when the individual fails to handle the stress, the effect is negative (Olpin a nd Hesson, 2013). But when an individual begins to see only the negative side of the stress, this is where the problems on stress come in. Stress has various effects on individuals. This may be emotionally, physically, behaviorally or psychologically; as a whole, stress poses risks to a person’s health. High amounts of stress push the individual to exert more energy to be able to meet the demands in the environment. Many scientists have studied and established that stress is a factor in increased blood pressure and over-fatigue. Some psychological problems like anxiety and depression are also effects to stress. Although anxiety is normal to human beings, anxiety disorders are more serious because these psychological disorders can disrupt a person’s ability to live a normal life. Anxiety disorders like agoraphobia or social anxiety disorder are some of the most common types, which, if untreated develops to depression and increases even the tendency of suicide after the onset (â€Å"Stress†, 2013). Addiction and dependence on other things, like food or alcohol, to cope with stress is also an effect of stress. A study conducted by Gluck (2006) studied the effect of stress as a trigger to excessive eating, or binge eating. This kind of eating disorder may result in obesity, or much worse, anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). Solutions The most important thing to maintain the balance in wellness of a human being is stress reduction and management. The first way in managing stress is avoiding substances like drugs and alcohol. The initial relief may be felt however, this becomes more problematic in the long run and will eventually add more stress. Support from family, friends, colleagues and other persons that you may feel comfortable with, will be helpful as well. Knowing that there are people whom you can talk to and are willing to listen to you lightens the burden that the stress gives you. Exercising and having a massage could als o help relieve stress. By doing something else, a hobby or just going to the mall or walking in the park, takes away the mind’s focus on the stress that a person experiences. It is important that stress is channeled positively so that there is more fulfillment for one’s self, rather than the destructive effects (Centers for Disease Control and

Elements of Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Elements of Literature - Essay Example the basic need which drives people to read, be it prose, poetry, essays, plays, or any of the genres which constitute this infinite creative process. According to him, stories provide us with pleasure while at the same time informing and enlightening us with their multifarious characters and themes or to put it simply, â€Å"they enlarge our understanding of ourselves and deepen our appreciation of life.†(p. 27) The fictional world created by the masters of this craft are peopled by some of the most interesting people we know and who have become the byword for many of the attributes found in people all over the world. Characters whether in a story, play or poem help to move the story forward as much as the action, since what happens to whom, when, where and the characters corresponding response to this situation creates the story. The characters in a story can be dynamic or static depending upon their utility to the action and the insights they provide into the action. A dynamic character is sketched out in great detail and the reader is made privy to their inner thoughts and consciousness through narration in the first person or even through the use of the device of third person focalization. These characters undergo changes in their personality and outlook due to the experiences which they undergo. A very good example of such a character would be that of Louise whose circumstances make her portray herself differently at different times. Before the news of her husband’s death, she is the traditional dull housewife whose dreams are buried deep in her heart. But as soon as the unfortunate news reaches her, she becomes a totally different character who is ready to enjoy her new found freedom and is in fact happy at the turn of circumstances. A static character on the other hand may not show any great degree of transformation but they are necessary to move the action forward. E.M. Forster in his Aspects of the Novel makes another form of distinction between

Teresa Reifs Insurance Fraud Case Research Paper

Teresa Reifs Insurance Fraud Case - Research Paper Example Report also shows that occupational fraud is the most common. Nevertheless, white-collar fraud is also reported being on the rise. This call for organizations to put strong control measures to prevent and detect any fraudulent act in an organization. Pest, janitorial company fraud case of 2011 is one of the most publicized fraud cases of recent times in which the owner of the company was charged with insurance fraud. This paper will provide an analysis of this insurance fraud case in light of the environmental factors in which the fraud occurred, how the fraud was an accomplished, as well as how it was discovered. Finally, the paper will provide recommendations on how best a fraud of this type may be prevented in the future. In this case, Durand (2011) reports that the proprietor of San Mateo pest and janitorial services was accused of under-reporting over $10 million of payroll in a bid to avoid paying over $2 million in the employee’s compensation insurance. After the accusation, Terasa Reif aged 31 years voluntarily presented herself to the police at Redwood City on a $1 million warrant but was set free soon afterwards after having pleaded not guilty to 44 counts of insurance fraud according to Durand (2013). However, she was required to present herself back in court on 26 May for a review conference and a subsequent preliminary hearing on July 13. Durand (2011) reveals that Reif used to purchase employees compensation insurance between 2004 and 2009 from the State Compensation Insurance Fund and Redwood Fire & Casualty Insurance Company for her business known as Genesis Building Services.

Analysis Of Three Theories Soft Hard And Indeterminism Philosophy Essay

Analysis Of Three Theories Soft Hard And Indeterminism Philosophy Essay I am going to compare and analyze the three theories; Soft, hard and indeterminism. I will demonstrate what consequences they have on freewill as well if the universe entire history is predetermined. Strong determinism is the theory that states that every single thing that happens in the universe is determined and governed by the natural law. For example, how earth moves, what movie you chose to see in the cinema. A strong determinist strictly believes that nothing could influence this behavior, in other words our choice or free will does not exist, not even luck. This theory is the strongest theory that supports determinism; this affects freewill very badly, since hard determinism does not believe in free will. This is problematic since how can we have free will if everything is determined and if it is true, would it not create ethical consequences if we have no free will? One might argue that if determinism was true then how can we blame a person who robs a bank? If the universe de termines that he is bound to do that, then he does not have any free will which means we cannot really blame him? There is no right or wrong, nor good or evil if everything is predetermined, this shows the flaws of determinism as a consequence. If determinism may be real, then we are no freer than robots, and since there is no evil or good there is no reason to reward or punish someone. Since this theory rejects ethics, morals and completely disagrees with free will a new concept was created, which is called Soft Determinism. This theory states that determinism is correct; however it tries to make determinism and moral and ethics (and free will) compatible. Since soft determinism believes that everything is determined, it does not believe that our actions are acted freely. Soft determinism in contrast to Hard determinism believes that an action can be voluntary, in other words for something to occur it does not necessarily mean that it cannot have any freedom of choice. One argument may say if I was about to give money to a poor person out of good will and freedom (choice) and then he turned on me with a gun, then it would not mean it would be freedom or soft determinism since I will be forced to do it. An argument would be if a robber were to rob a bank, the soft determinist does not think that his action was caused because he was not free, he did it voluntarily. This theory states that free will is voluntary actions. A hard determinist would argue that this act cannot be free, it must occur. But then again why would the robber rob a bank without any reason? Indeterminism is the theory that states that most events and decisions are occurred by pure chance. In other words, they just happen and have nothing to do with having a determined behavior. They believe that every event is not predictable and this opens a way for us to influence the future and by this we can act freely and have morally responsibilities. The flaw in indeterminism is that if everything happens by chance then free will is unpredictable and happens randomly which cannot hold the person responsible for his choices since he cannot predict when or what will occur. If determinism was true, then it would have several of consequences for free will. Since if we have a determined cause for every action we imply, then our behavior is much like a robot. Since robots do not have any free will and if determinism was true then we people would not either have free will. So by removing all the responsibilities a person have since he cannot control what he is doing, would mean that if someone committed a crime they cannot be blamed since they did not have any freewill. An incompatibilist would argue that if determinism was true then there is no chance of having a free will. Another argument is that soft determinism states that freewill is voluntarily actions, but then again it cannot be free will if our causes are based upon voluntary actions since you are not the first causer. In order to have free will we need to be the first person that causes the choice he makes, so in other words if determinism was true, then we do not cause our choices but that every thing that happens are caused by events and the natural law which he cannot control. Therefore he cannot have freewill since he is not the primary cause of the choices he makes. Finally we come to the question, can we escape the conclusion that the entire history of the universe follows a predetermined path? Well I believe that we cannot escape the conclusion, since I think that the universe cannot come from nothing, and the path its heading is predetermined. I see that everything consisted in the universe is similar to a giant puzzle; if a puzzle bit would act randomly then the puzzle would break. For example, if the atoms in space would act randomly then the end product would not be produced, so every atom needs to have a determined action in order to create things. Just like we have cells in our bodies the immune system is an example, which is consisted of millions of other cells that interacts in a determined way in order to create end products such as; more white cells. That is how I see the universe that our solar system is one cell that exists in trillions of other universes that make up a small piece of the giant puzzle. For example, if my parents ne ver met I would not have existed, so for something to exist there must have been something determine its path. Their genes, education, social life and every factor that have enabled them to meet each other is a direct result of how they met, meaning that the end product is that his was meant to happen. But then, if the future is predetermined then why am I not acting randomly such as deleting everything Ive written so far, draw a huge smile face and send it to MR Hemingway? Well if I was to change the future of my philosophical grade, it would be a direct result of how I am as a person in other words it was meant to happen anyway. The best way for me to think is comparing the universe is with a song, if I pause the song just in the middle I have just heard the past but I know that there is a future that is already determined in that song but it is still unknown, but I can clearly hear that the future is based on the past and this is why I believe that the university is predetermined , and I also believe that in the future we will be able to time travel, just because of this. In conclusion hard determinism denies freedom and believes that everything is determined compared to soft determinism where it still believe that everything is determined however even though our actions are voluntarily. Indeterminism believes that things could happen randomly. All these theories give a consequence to free will, since if determinism was true we would be robots that have no free will at all, we would be people with choices that we cannot decide freely. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_will http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/incompatibilism-arguments/#ChoConArg http://www.enotes.com/topic/Indeterminism http://www.lancs.ac.uk/users/philosophy/courses/100/100kant.htm http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytho/dfwVariousKant.htm http://philosophy.tamu.edu/~sdaniel/Notes/freedom1.htm http://www.degree-essays.com/coursework/philosophy-essays/compare-and-contrast-soft-and-hard-determinism-in-respect-to-competing-notion-of-negative-and-positive-freedom/ http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9781405106795_chunk_g97814051067955_ss1-85 http://www.scandalon.co.uk/philosophy/soft.htm http://instruct.westvalley.edu/lafave/FREE.HTM

Monroe doctrine Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Monroe Doctrine was presented by President James Monroe in his annual address to Congress in 1823. Essentially its author, John Quincy Adams, who served as Monroe’s Secretary of State, wrote the Doctrine as a proclamation to the United States’ opposition of European colonialism. As of today the Doctrine has been re-interpreted and extended in a variety of ways to conform to the situation at hand, such as President Theodore Roosevelt’s Corollary.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 began the break up of the Spanish empires in the New World. From this point, many leaders guided their countries out of colonialism and led them into independence. These newly formed republics requested and expected diplomatic recognition from the United States and many Americans were in favor of the recognitions. Although, as previously identified, the United States had been warned that if it acknowledged the independence of these nations it would be seen as hostile actions towards Europe and both Monroe and Adams were unsure of going to war over countries that could not guarantee survival. Monroe and Adams were prepared to stay neutral as long as the other European powers did not interfere and let Spain and its colonies fight out their differences. The United States was in the process of obtaining East Florida from Spain after gaining West Florida in the Louisiana Purchase which the Spanish Minister Onis agreed to as long a s the United States promised not to assist the revolutionaries nor recognize their independence. Once the Transcontinental Treaty was ratified, Monroe began to extend recognition to the new Latin American republics stretched out over a few years so not to gain a European response.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1823, there was talk of Spain and France joining together for attacks on the new republics with the backing of Russia, Prussia, and Austria; fear of France becoming a power once again in the Americas encouraged the British to propose that the United States and Britain join together to warn off the two. Although Jefferson and Madison were in support of the offer, Adams was suspicious. In a cabinet meeting, Adams argued that it would be undignified to address Russia and France explicitly and fight in the shadows of the British, which won over the cabinet and Monroe delivered the Adams ... ...of the new Dominican Republic regime which owed over twenty million. When Roosevelt initially intervened, he took control over the country’s customs and receivership. Through this seizure, he distributed 45% of their revenues to their foreign creditors, although this occupation lasted for more than three decades. After this intervention the U.S. extended its power throughout the Caribbean when an opportunity arose. In 1930, a memorandum was issued stating that the United States did not have the power to intervene in the less able countries, unless European powers were threatening, which reversed the Corollary.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the Monroe Doctrine was first introduced it seemed just as a warning to Europe not to interfere with the revolutions of Latin America, almost a gesture of solidarity and sympathy to the newly independent nations, but it was evident of American selfishness. Monroe and Adams carefully exempted the United States through careful wording when addressing the influence in the Western Hemisphere. The Doctrine was a valid basis for U.S. policy towards Latin America and became a fence to block out European expansion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Major depressive disorder in children

Depression is fast becoming one of the most widespread illnesses affecting the youth today. It is often described in layman’s terms as a condition in which a certain individual feels sadder than normal, as having the case of â€Å"the blues†, or of being uncharacteristically disheartened and miserable. However, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is characterized as a psychological disorder wherein an individual is rendered incapable of removing himself or herself from a persistent sense of sadness and a lessened interest in all of his or her activities. These symptoms must persist for a period of no less than 2 weeks in order for a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder to be made. (Watt & Markham, 2005) Other symptoms of MDD include feelings of worthlessness, significant weight change, listlessness, thoughts of death. Watt & Markham (2005) posit that MDD has biological factors in its etiology in children. These involve genetic make-up and hormonal imbalance. Other factors contributing to MDD include psychological and environmental factors. Psychological factors may involve functions of learned helplessness, melancholia, and depressive character traits which all contribute to the eventual self-defeating way by which the child will view the world. Environmental factors include stressful life events such as the loss of a loved one or a child’s negative experience in one of the social roles he or she plays. Social roles in children often include those they have in their families and in school. Not being able to successfully fulfill these roles can again lead to self-defeating thoughts and to feelings of worthlessness in the child. Psychological, environmental and biological factors all play an equal role in contributing to a child’s eventual experience of MDD. It is most likely that all these factors are at play to a certain degree in a clinically depressed child. What is clear, however, is that the foundation of MDD in the depressive child’s life is far-reaching and broad. It stems from many different aspects of the child’s persona and as such affects all these aspects in turn. All three factors must be taken into consideration. However, because children are still in an unbalanced state of development, their psychological and biological states are still in a precarious condition. This renders Major Depressive Disorder in this age group closed to certain types of treatment for depression. Only a few types of treatment have been found to have efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms in children. And even then, these few treatments have not all been able to provide truly child-friendly ways of dealing with depression. One of the treatments for MDD, which has received much interest from researchers, is pharmacotherapy. This involves the intake of drugs, tricylcic antidepressants (TCA’s) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s), to suppress and decrease the symptoms of MDD. However, it has been seen that most research findings conflict in presentation of efficacy of pharmacotherapy treatment for adolescents and prepubescent children. (Milin et al, 2003) Electroconvulsive therapy, which involves introducing an electric shock to the individual’s system, also has greater efficacy in treating MDD in adults. However, the application of this treatment on adolescents and prepubescent children proves to be problematic. (Milin et al, 2003) Numerous ethical issues must be considered before psychologists and psychiatrists can test electroconvulsive therapy on children. One of the safest and least dangerous treatments that are applicable to clinically depressive children is psychosocial therapy. This includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy, and family therapy. Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder, however, may not be limited to merely one type. Combinations of the different classes of treatment can be made in order to create a greater chance of improvement and recovery for the individual. (Milin et al, 2003) Combining CBT with antidepressant medication has shown results that prove the combination to be more effective in treating depression than simply applying one of the given treatments alone. (Rupke et al, 2006) Combining CBT with different psychosocial therapies such as family therapy, wherein the family is educated on the condition of the child, has also proven to be a much more effective treatment style. (Asarnow et al, 2002) Personally, I would choose to administer CBT over the other therapies because it provides the most flexibility in terms of addressing specific types of depression experienced by the individual. (Asarnow et al, 2002) In treating a child with MDD, individualization is essential. The treatment style that would best fit the child’s lifestyle and personality should be chosen. The CBT sessions will be fitted to match specific aspects of the child’s depression. The first step I would take would be to assess the child in terms of the type of depression he or she has. We would then pinpoint, together, the negative automatic thoughts he or she is prone to have. We would trace the specific situations and environments which lead him or her to this kind of negative thinking and to behavior characteristic of depression. Upon establishment of the child’s behavior patterns, goals for the CBT sessions will be set. To what extent does the child want to reduce his or her symptoms of depression? This will allow him or her to develop a sense of involvement in his or her own treatment. Having the child set his own goals gives him or her greater motivation to accomplish them. At first the child will be asked to simply monitor himself or herself by keeping a log of his or her behavior. The log will consist of the initially pinpointed negative thoughts and behaviors that the child has chosen to change. The instances he or she has pinpointed will also be monitored and kept in the log. The first 2 weeks of data in the log will serve as the baseline. The log will be assessed by the child with my guidance after baseline is set. He or she will be guided to acknowledge the cognitive distortions he or she makes in certain situations. These may include catastrophizing, black and white thinking, fortune telling and the like. These are maladaptive and only increase the child’s sense of misery, which is a chief characteristic of MDD. For example, if the child admits to always thinking that everything that goes wrong is his or her fault, he or she will be shown the irrational foundations of this belief. Afterwards, different ways of reacting and behaving will be conceptualized in order to replace the previous behavior and cognitions. The child will be guided to realize that external situations and individuals are outside his or her control but that the way he or she reacts, his or her perception of these events is what he or she can control. The log will be continued in order for the child and myself to monitor his or her progress. In it, he or she will also place details of assigned homework. Homework will involve practicing the new behaviors and way of thinking we devised together. This is essential to the CBT sessions. The bulk of the therapy’s success will rely on the child’s constant practice. Coping mechanism such as relaxation techniques, meditation and the like will be taught in order to assure continued progress in the child’s treatment from depression. These coping and relaxation mechanisms will also be assigned as homework. Later on, activities which the child previously avoided will be performed in the hopes of creating for the child a new schema. This will instill in the child a renewed self-confidence and a new self-image. Other social activities will also be pinpointed, in which the child will engage, as a means of reinforcing the positive schema he or she is gaining about himself or herself and the world. Family intervention therapy may also be an option should the child’s family want it. References Asarnow, J. R., Scott, C. V., & Mintz, J. (2002). A combined cognitive-behavioral family education intervention for depression in children: a treatment development study. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 26(2), 221-229 Rupke, S. J., Blecke, D., & Renfrow, M. (2006). Cognitive therapy for depression. American Family Physician, 73(1), 83-86 Walker, S., & Chow, J. (2003). Major depressive disorder in adolescence: a brief review of the recent treatment literature. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 48(9),600-606 Watts, S. J., & Markham, R. A. (2005). Etiology of depression in children. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 32(3), 266-670   

Mexican Americans Essay

I feel that it is important in becoming an elementary teacher with special education that we study and teach about Mexican-American history and culture. The first article that I am going to talk is called, â€Å"Integrating Mexican-American History and Culture into Social Studies Classroom†. The article talks about how Mexican-American are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States and also the least educated. The article also gives important information on how to prepare teachers for introducing the Mexican-American culture and history in the classroom and school. I feel that it is important in becoming an elementary teacher with special education that we study and teach about Mexican-American history and culture. The first article that I am going to talk is called, â€Å"Integrating Mexican-American History and Culture into Social Studies Classroom†. The article talks about how Mexican-American are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States and also the least educated. The article also gives important information on how to prepare teachers for introducing the Mexican-American culture and history in the classroom and school. My second article is titled, â€Å"A New Latino Underclass†. This article talks about the Hispanic culture, whether they are American born or an immigrant. The main focus of the article is about assimilation. Heather Mac Donald talks about how illegal immigration is just worsening the Hispanics culture, and how it is taking a turn for the worst. The Mexican-Americans are assimilating their culture with the culture from Mexico. The problem is that the immigrants from Mexico do not want to assimilate the American culture with their own culture. The article also talks about the rise of gangs and how some of the parents support it. It stresses on how gangs are affecting the drop out rate among Hispanics. â€Å"Integrating Mexican-American History and Culture into the Social Studies Classroom† is the first article I am going to discuss. The article starts out talking about how important it is to teach Mexican-American culture in the school. â€Å"Parents value the importance of education for their children, but they don’t always agree with the school’s approaches to teaching and learning, nor accept the secular values as appropriate for their family. † (Escamilla, 1992) Teaching the content of Mexican-American culture helps improve the student’s self esteem. â€Å"Studies have suggested that positive ethnic affiliation among Mexican-Americans (and other groups) greatly influences individual development in many ways, including: lifestyle choices, values, opinions, attitudes, and approaches to learning. â€Å"( Gollnick & Chinn, 2006ollnick & Chinn, 2006) The article also stresses how important it is for the student to study other cultures. This idea is through the term Multicultural education which â€Å"is an educational strategy in which students’ cultural backgrounds are used to develop effective classroom instruction and school environments. † (Gollnick & Chinn, 2006) It is important for the entire student body to ethnic literacy. â€Å"Ethnic literacy allows all students to understand their uniqueness, to understand the complexities of ethnicity and culture, and to take pride in who they are as people. † (Escamilla, 1992) The textbook talks about ethnicity and brings up the term ethnic group or ethnic identity. These terms mainly describe a persons’ national origin, religion, race, and may also include gender class and lifestyles. The article then goes on to talk about how important the teacher’s preparation is to present the material. One of the main problems is that only 30% of the teacher faculty is non-white, but a lot of times in urban districts 70% of the student body is non white. That will play an important part of the resources a teacher and school can afford to buy. The way students’ attitudes about themselves, others, and their school depend on the way they are shaped at school. The Mexican-American students will benefit greatly from getting to learn about their culture, but other cultures at the same time. â€Å"It is important to have cultural relativism, which means we need to learn more about are own cultural than is require. † (Gollnick & Chinn, 2006) Learning and respecting other people’s culture means crossing over cultural borders, which is very important in a multicultural school. The second article, â€Å"A Latino Underclass† talks about gang violence among Hispanics. Gang violence is rising tremendously among Mexican-Americans. The author believes that there is some type assimilation going, but to all the worst element of American life. There has been a debate on whether Mexican immigrants are trying to assimilate into the American culture or not. â€Å"Part of the reason for the gang violence according to David O’ Connell, pastor of the church next door to the Soledad Enrichment Charter School, which is the vortex of LA’s youth gang culture, has been fighting gangbanging for over a decade. † â€Å"Hispanic children feel that they have to deal with problems themselves, apart from their parents, according to Mr. O’Connell, and they â€Å"do so in violent ways. † (Mac Donald, 2004) The parents are even sometimes scared of their own children. The children seem to go towards a cultural of violence at an early age. Constant illegal immigration is playing a big part in all of this. Cultural pluralism seems to be what the immigrants are doing from Mexico, they want to live in America but only practice the cultural ways of Mexico. The article talks about a component of underclass behavior that causes school failure. Hispanics have the greatest drop out numbers in America about 30% compared to 13% black and 7% whites. â€Å"Every parent I spoke to said that she wanted her children to do well in school and go to college. † â€Å"Hispanic parents are the kind of parents that leave it to others,† explains an unwed Salvadoran welfare mother in Santa Ana. (Mac Donald, 2004) The constant flow of Mexicans in America is bringing down the Hispanic education levels, 30% of foreign-born populations in the United States is Mexicans. I found both of the articles on the internet. I was looking for something to do with Mexican-American culture and school. I feel both of the articles relate to each other very well. In the first article they talk about how important it is to study Mexican-American culture, but also to study and understand other cultures. They believe this will help Mexican-Americans stay in school and learn better. The second article talks about how Mexicans are coming from Mexico and not assimilating their culture with American culture, therefore causing a large drop out rate in school. This is very important to understand as a teacher because we need to try and fix the problems of children dropping out of school. If we try to educate them on how to respect different peoples cultures, but also have respect for their own. Maybe they will find learning a lot more interesting and want to be in school. It is also important for them to be able to function in the world with people of all different colors. I believe as a future teacher that no matter what subject I am teaching, there is always a way to keep a multicultural classroom. This topic was interesting to me because this is an ongoing issue that the media has been talking about for years. I don’t believe it is going to go away before I become a teacher. It is important to learn about issues that are going on with the student so that we can better understand what they are going through. Understanding what they are going through will help the teachers help them with issues. The issue is important for all teachers to know about because most of them will have a student of the Hispanic culture in their class. References Escamilla, K. (1992). Integrating Mexican-American History and Culture Into The Social Studies Classroom. Retrieved October 10, 2007, from http://www. ericdigests. org/1992-2mexican. htm Gollnick, D. , & Chinn, P. (2006). In Debra Stollenwerk (Ed. ), Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Heather Mac Donald. (2004, July 25). Retrieved October 10, 2007, from The Dallas Morning News, a Latino Underclass Web site: http://www. manhatten-institute. org/html/_dmn-new_latino_underclass. htm.