Lies in Huck Finn Essay

â€Å"That book was written by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There as things which he stretched but mainly he told the truth† (1). These are the first lines and the first lies in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, so from the beginning, the lack of truth is a major theme in the novel. Mark Twain justified the lying in different levels. Some of the lies are vicious and self-serving and these lies were mostly told by the King and Duke while other lies were childish and harmless which was mostly told by Jim. The â€Å"bad† characters in the novel tended to spew out lies on a daily basis. The king and Duke tell lies without pausing and transform lying into an art form. They are automatically dubbed villains for their lies because unlike Huck, they tell their lies for self-gain. They are ruthless men who will do practically anything to get what they want. They make up fraudulent names in order to get special treatment from Huck and Jim and lower them to slaves. The Duke claims he is a descendant of the â€Å"Duke of Bridgewater† (100). When the king hears this, he decides he too would take the same path as the Duke so he can be treated as royalty as well, so he spins his own tale that he is the long lost King of France, â€Å"Dauphin. They lied to escape work and although Jim believes them, Huck just goes along with it so he would not anger them. In addition to this, they also deceive numerous towns with their faux imitation of â€Å"The Royal Nonesuch† for financial gain. Their lies sped past the road of immorality to downright evil when they lied to two girl who recently lost their uncle in order to steal their money and leave the two girls broke and without a house or a family. The king and the Duke lie only for the satisfaction of appeasing their materialistic desires. Although the Duke and King lied for their own greedy satisfaction, Jim lied harmlessly. After Tom and Huck played a prank on him, Jim lies to all the other slaves about how he hat got take from his head and put on a tree branch when he was asleep. He tells them a fabricated story of spirits visiting him and achieves celebrity status among the slaves. He also tells them about his hairball which can supposedly tell the future, although only he can tell what it is saying and the customer must pay Jim first for it to work. Even though his lies are self-serving, unlike the Duke and King’s, they harm no one. Mark Twain painted the art of lying in two different lights in this novel. In one light, it is evil and self-serving and whoever uses it is considered a vile villain, while in the other light, it is deceitful and sly and whoever uses it is considered a child who does not know wrong or right. He proves that there is no black and white: lying is bad or good. Lying can be innocent, and lying can be dangerous; it depends who you are and how you decide to use it.

John Grisham Essay

Introduction The Capital Area Food Bank has been serving 633,000 unprivileged residents in Washington D. C Metropolitan Area and 200,000 children whose standards of living are precarious inviting utmost care and concern. There are 200,000 children who are in need of food. [source: U. S Census Bureau,2000] Food Bank distributes over and above 62,000 pounds on daily basis and serves meals accounting to 1. 6 million per month apart from serving 700 non-profit partnership agencies affiliated with Washington D. C. Metropolitan Area. The minimum wage of D. C. is $7. 00. Also the minimum wage is $6. 15 in Maryland and $5. 15 in Virginia. [source:Hunger in America 2006, Mathematica Policy Research] CAFB definition of poverty : The Capital Area Food Bank defines poverty based upon 185% of the poverty guidelines. This means that a household may earn up to 185% of the U. S. government’s standard of poverty and still be considered â€Å"in poverty†. This measure (and other multiples such as 125%, 150% and even 200% of poverty) is utilized determine eligibility for many government programs. 1 Contributing factors to Hunger and Homelessness 1. Unemployment The following States have the problem of unemployment [2005]. Sno State High Low 1 Mississipi ^ – 2 Louisiana ^ – 3 South Carolina ^ – 4 Alaska ^ – 5 Michigan ^ – 6 Hawaii – ÐŽ 7 North Dakota – ÐŽ 8 Vermont – ÐŽ 9 Virginia – ÐŽ 2. National poverty indicators: Sno (In millions} Status For the Year 1 25,350 Individuals 2005 2 5,146 Avg monthly individuals 2005 3 25,682 Avg monthly food stamp: individuals 2005 4 38,196 Food insecurity-household 2004 5 7,591 Unemployed individuals 2005 6 36,997 Individuals in poverty 2004 [source:Hunger in America, Draft Report, February 2006] 2. Food Insecurity [2002-2004] 1 Oklahoma ^ – 2 South Carolina ^ – 3 Arkansas ^ – 4 Delaware ÐŽ. 5 North Dakota – ÐŽ 6 New Hampshire – ÐŽ 7 Minnesota ^ 8 Hawaii ^ [source:National Statistics on Hunger and Poverty]2 3. States with poverty [2004]3 1 New Hampshire 1 2 Minnesota 2 3 Vermont 3 4 New Jersey 4 5 Hawaii 5 6 Delaware 6 7 Masschusetts 7 8 Alaska 7 9 Virginia 9 10 Nebraska 10 11 North Dakota 11 12 Maryland 12 13 Wyoming 13 14 Idaho 13 15 Utah 13 16 Connecticut 16 17 Colorado 16 18 Iowa 18 19 Oklahoma 19 20 Nevada 20 21 Pennsylvania 21 22 Kansas 22 23 Rhode Island 23 24 Washington 23 25 Florida 25 26 Maine 25 27 Indiana 25 28 Ohio 25 29 Missouri 30 30 Illinois 30 31 Wisconsin 32 32 Georgia 33. 33 California 34 34 Michigan 34 35 South Dakota 36 36 Montana 37 37 West Virginia 38 38 Arizona 39 39 North Carolina 40 40 South Carolina 41 41 New York 42 42 Arkansas 43 43 Tennessee 44 44 New Mexico 45 45 Texas 45 46 Alabama 49 47 Kentucky 50 48 Mississippi 51 57% of hunger is prevalent in urban areas and 43% is prevalent in sub-urban/rural areas of U. S4. 4. Income – Household & Employment status [2006]5 sno Income – (USD) percentage Employment percentage 1 0-999 60. 6 Full-time 14. 6 2 1000-2499 25. 3 Part-time 13. 2 3 2500 and above 2. 9 Unemployed 72. 2 4 Not known 11. 2 North Carolina – A study. Statistics of hunger and poverty in North Carolina sno year Household income (Avg) % (+) (-) Increase in numbers From To Increase % 1 2000 –2002 (-) $1749 (-) 4. 4 985,000 1. 07 mn 9 According to the survey of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, it was found that the overall percentage of hunger in U. S in 4. 3 and according to Quandt â€Å"food insecurity† is between 35. 6% to 41. 8% in four surveys conducted. North Carolina with a population of 8 million is having an account of 15. 2 % of individuals and 21. 2% of families with small children facing a risk of hunger. Statistics of Polkton. 1 Total population 18,324 2 Households 7,908 3 Families 5,337 4 Average household size 2. 28 5 Average family size 2. 78 6 Household Median income $36,259 7 Family Median Income $45,096 8 Percapita Income $19,804 9 Male – Median income $29,375 10 Female-Median income $23,070 11 Below poverty line-18 under 11. 70% 12 Below poverty line-65 and older 8. 80% 13 Children under 18 23. 50% 14 Married couples 56. 30% 15 Female householders 7. 90% 16 Non-families 32. 50% 17 Individual households 28. 90% 18 65 and older living alone 15% 19 Below poverty line 10. 10% of population 20 Families below poverty line 6. 40%. The break up of people living is: †¢ White : 92. 26% †¢ African American : 5. 89% †¢ Native American : 0. 19 †¢ Asian : 0. 247 Conclusion The result of 25 cities survey of status report on Hunger and Homelessness in U. S concludes that 83 per cent of cities surveyed that there is a dire need of assistance in shelter and food which has risen by 15 per cent, still having 76 per cent of cities reporting to be increasing. There are totally thirteen cities facing the acute and emergency need of home and food. viz. , Burlington, Vermont,Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,Charlotte,North Carolina,Portland,Oregon, San Antonio and Texas. [source:Mayor’s Conference]. North Carolina crisis in budget is expected to exceed $1Billion. Some of the other contributing factors are : increase in accommodation cost, unemployment, and employment problems, poverty, low income or lack of income, increasing utility rates, non-availability of transportation and handicapped and mentally disabled persons. There is an account of 1/5 of homeless persons who are mentally ill in the above cities. According to a survey 60percent of eastern North Carolina have participated in WIC program conducted by U. S Department of Agriculture, as compared to 40 per cent in Forsyth County. 6 Compared to other parts of the world, United States is free from food insecurity and hunger. The nations data accounts that 82. 4 per cent of households were secured with food and 13. 3. Percent of households were food insecure and 4. 3 percent were accounted with hunger. There are several community based organizations and local head departments [CBO, LHD] which are working for North Carolina to assist people in every manner providing comfort for illness and food. There is a severe need for adult care for treating mental illnesses apart from providing all kinds of facilities for children. References [1] Hunger in D C Metro Area, Capital Area Food Bank http://www. capitalareafoodbank. org/hunger/statistics. cfm [2]. A Report on the North Carolina 2003 Public Health Partnership Survey of Local Health Department and community based organization. http://www. schs. state. nc. us/SCHS/pdf/LHDCBOSurveyweb. pdf#search=%22statistics%20of%20hunger%20and%20poverty%20in%20Anson%20county%22 [3] Housing and extreme poverty of extreme poverty http://www. common-sense. org/journal/housing. html.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

The number of Complementary and Alterative medicine (CAM) consumer is constantly increasing. According to the National Health Information survey in 2004, nearly 40% of American adults used some form of alternative therapies and spend around 30 billion dollars per year on unconventional medicine (Kayne 2008, p. 93). The term â€Å"alternative medicine† refers to all the therapeutic practice that is not part of the conventional medicine such as: herbal medicine, acupuncture and yoga (Hirsch, 2009).Allopathic medicine is based on scientific knowledge that has already been proven efficient whereas most of homeopathic treatments are based on tradition and beliefs in spiritual energies. It will be argued that although logical issues and concerns dealing with the unconventional therapy, the various advantages of homeopathic methods outweigh any potential inconveniences if it is well practiced and complementary.This is essay will examine the various drawbacks and benefits of this ther apeutical approach. First of all, on the disadvantage side alternative medicine usually does not heal the patient instantly. Indeed herbal treatments for instance can take weeks before a real improvement appeared. Sometimes numerous acupuncture sessions or massages are required for a long lasting result. As a consequence the one concerned can get impatient and decided to switch to a more conventional healing.Moreover, according to Dr. Hirsch (2009) to adopt CAM it demands to invest a considerable amount of time, energy and money (as it is rarely covered by health insurance). Furthermore, doctor denounces the fact that some people choose to treat some severe disease primarily with alternative therapies whereas it should only be in addition to conventional medicine. Under those circumstances, damage can be done beyond repair by the time the patient realize that the treatment do not work at all.Besides, CAM practices can meddle with conventional medication, for example herbal supplemen ts can interfere with treatments like birth-control pills. Above all, Dr. Hirsch (2009) states that CAM users must keep in mind that contrary to conventional medical doctors, there is only few trained and licensed CAM practitioners. As an illustration, practice such as yoga can be dangerous if the movement are not done properly with a professional. Finally few scientists like Kaptchuk. (2002) note that placebo effect may enhance results from alternative remedy.As the CAM users believe for instance, that healing ritual such as acupuncture is good for their mind and body it will then have true benefits on the patients for some specific illness as emotional state can influence the immune system. Although this may be true that CAM practice must be done with carefulness and awareness it is not true that the demerits brought by CAM prevail over the merits. First thing to remember in the advantage side, as stated by Buzescu (2011, p. 130) alternative therapies have almost no side effects a s it works with the body instead of eliminating symptoms like the conventional medicine.The scientist also holds the views that it is a green friendly practice; natural substances are applied and the modus operandi is quiet simple. In the same way this searcher believes that users may feel reassured that they will probably not found dangerous and polluted chemicals in their products. In addition, it is important to realize that millions of underprivileged families heal themselves and rely only on unconventional medicine thanks to the fact that it not expensive, contrarily to the modern drugs.Moreover the complementary healing approach is becoming increasingly successful for its aptitude to diagnosticate and focus on the real nature of the disease. It pays more attention to the mental and emotional symptoms. As a matter of fact practitioners have the knowledge and are engaged to encourage the mind-body connection. Consequently they give to others the aptitude to bear their sickness t hrough various resources, techniques and natural remedies. Buzescu (2011, p. 30) goes on to say that the main goal of complementary medicine is to â€Å"help or complete classical treatment methods†. In other words CAM is used in addition to conventional healing treatments, to deal with symptoms or side effects that had not been yet cured. In this case, it has been suggested to patients to discuss with the conventional doctor about their intentions to add complementary healing techniques to their previous treatment and more especially if it involves herbal therapies Malbley(1998).Likewise, this practice is becoming more accepted and approved by the conventional doctors, but keep in mind that it can only works as a complement and not as an alternative, a complement should not lead to a total replacement Dawson (2008). Indeed there is finally a theory that CAM treatment can be use for disease like cancer, as it procures some reliefs from signs and symptoms (Tovey, Chatwin and B room, 2007). To conclude, in recent years CAM healing approach have risen in popularity among industrialized countries.One the one hand, it shows some disadvantages as it may be a long-term treatment that demand a lot of personal investment and which is sometimes taken without a full knowledge of the facts that it may only rely on the placebo effect. On the other hand it merits such as the fact that there is no side effect, it is a cost effective and green approach that focus on the core of the disease to heal, largely compensate the demerits if it is used as a complement. However it is obvious that in order to avoid any abuse, governments should implement laws and regulations toward CAM practice.

Combating Juvenile Deliquency Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Combating Juvenile Deliquency - Research Paper Example In addition, surety that their job is not under threat boosts their morale and encourages teamwork and coordination with other employees in a relaxed and productive manner. Cooperation and flexibility in the workplace is only possible if a head supervisor assures his employees of job security. This assurance naturally translates to contented employees and improves factors such as production and customer satisfaction, which eventually boosts sales. Based on my work experience, I believe that employment security stands out as the most important of the seven work practices. Several benefits accrue from this factor, and some factors are not achievable without job security. For instance, no matter how trained employees are, without employment security, they may not perform to their expectations. Similarly, high compensation at work is not enough to motivate an unsettled employee who is uncertain about the future (Pfeffer and Veiga 42). This practice is the most important because all of the other seven factors emanate from its applicability. Even reduction of status difference depends on employment security. It is impossible for employees to coordinate their skills if some feel like their jobs are at risk. It threatens all the efforts put in job selection, training, and development of a workforce (Pfeffer and Veiga

Assignment Two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment Two - Essay Example After spending much time reading religious books, Ignatius traveled to monasteries and schools praying and studying in preparation of consecrated life to Christ. After his graduate studies at the University of Paris together with his six friends, they vowed to continue with their extended prayer and meditation. The Jesuit society was founded in the year 1534 on a day known as the Assumption day. At the time of the formation of this society, Ignatius was 40 years. After the communion, Ignatius and his companions vowed to go on a mission to a Holy Land. The aim was to convert non members of the group .The constitution of the society was constituted and approved by Paul the 3rd in Rome in the year 1540.The Jesuits vow to serve the Pope and to provide the Pope with unconditional obedience, teaching, confession and to offer voluntary work and services1. France is known as the cradle land of the Jesuits but the society in Italy received its Programme and constitution. The society therefore took its roots first in Italy and then spread abroad. The history of Italian civilization dating to 16th and 17th centuries shows the results to increased number of colleges and Jesuit academies. In Spain, the order’s penetration was slower. The higher clergy and the Dominicans were opposing the action of this group and therefore that contributed to its slow growth. However, the order came to defeat the resistance and eventually found its way in2. The aim of the Jesuits is to form not an intellectual Christian elite but to elite the Christians. Thus, it would be so disturbing for these believers to learn about Candide’s philosophy since to him, God never existed. He was against the fact that God is perfect and he went ahead and proclaimed that if God was perfect as the Jesuits insisted the world should also be perfect. The fact that the world is not perfect formed the basis for Candide to believe that God never existed. The Jesuit society also had a conquering spirit and an ultimate desire to attract nonmembers and to hold them with their influence. Candide’s philosophy was against hypocrisy and immorality among religious leaders, he expresses his view against Christianity by pointing out how religious leaders persecuted those who were against their theology and corruption. For example, in this book we encounter a pope’s daughter; a man of God who was supposed to be selibate and not sire any children but, on the other hand, he secretly keeps an affair with a mistress. In the Candide, the author uses various kinds of satire against optimism which the Jesuit society valued most. Voltaire, the author of the Candide, is satirical about those Christian believers who were caught in wrong doings. Voltaire’s main aim of writing this book was to destroy optimism. This can be very disturbing to the Jesuit society since they preached optimism and good morals. In this case, believers needed to have hope of eternal life and positive feel ing about the future when all was not well. For instance, he used satirical remarks after hearing the old woman’s story. He says it was such a pity for a person as wise as Pangloss who was hanged, they could have spared him instead so

Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Analysis - Case Study Example Even more importantly, however, is the fact that a business will face innumerable set-backs, and passion is required to keep up drive in the face of failure. 3. Though this can often lead entrepreneurs down the wrong path, perhaps someone should have thought to ask why no one was monetizing these sporting events in ANY way. Furthermore, if people get to watch professional sports on TV, will they pay for amateur sport commentary? People tend to be very unwilling to pay for media that is usually ad supported. 4. I think that the basic business model of YouCastr was flawed, which means saving it would have taken a basic re-thinking of how things were done. One possibility: monetize through inserting ads in the broadcast, more like other traditional sports media. 1. There are a number of reasons that this company was successful – one of which was certainly a bit of luck – they hit on a formula that people didn’t just like, but loved. They never would have had the chance to get lucky, however, without persistence – persistence that came from a love of what they do. Their love for game making was apparent – doing it first as a hobby, entering into contests, and then making a remarkable 51 relatively unsuccessful games before the launch of angry birds. 2. Part of it is good design – the game features bright, funny characters that are enjoyable to play with, a funny name, and game play that encourages people to play frequently and not put it down. More important, however, is probably that people picked it up and made it go â€Å"viral† – it was at the right place at the right time, and tickled people to the point that they showed their friends. 3. I think that, given something I was enjoying doing, I definitely would have been able to hang in there. The trick is that one must realize that rejection and

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 45

Case Study Example In the bid for technology refresh, the organization requires to refresh 35 desktop personal computers. The refresh will involve the making the PCs able to deal with handle complex calculations when presented with statistical models that utilize enormous amount of data; this requires actual computer power right in the desktop machine. The senior manager considers that this would maintain the loyalty of its customers, especially banks, credit card companies and a fraction of law enforcement entities.. This report is written with the main objective of presenting a guides in assessment and identification of the hardware that would be essential to aid the users, financial analyst and economist, to maneuver through with their work; the work of operating with statistical model that use large amounts of data. This will involve concentrating on the components of internal hardware such as the CPU, motherboard, bus and hard drive. From these, the characteristics of the components will be evaluated on how it meets the requirement of the project. The first step was to identify the list of various components of hardware. This was done by considering the most probable ones that could satisfy the needs of the project. The attributes for each component was then defined to help in determining the usability. The attributes studied for this case were the size, number, capacity and speed, with reference to how they can handle large data sets. In which case, each component was defined by the attributes that are usually used to identify them. This step was significant to help in identifying the recommended attributes that could be used to evaluate whether the component in question meets the requirements (Vogt & Johnson, 2011). The next step was the evaluation of the usability of the component by justifying why a component might be recommended. This involved accessing the already mentioned

Hedgehog signaling regulates bladder cancer growth and tumorigenicity Research Paper

Hedgehog signaling regulates bladder cancer growth and tumorigenicity - Research Paper Example For the embryo cells to develop properly they receive the information they require from the hedgehog signaling pathway. The concentration of these proteins differs from one part of the embryo to the other. Hedgehogs homologous are three in mammals’ .Scientists have majorly progressed in the study of the Sonic Hedgehog. The other hedgehogs include the Desert hedgehog and the Indian hedgehog. Recently more advanced studies and research show that hedgehog signaling is involved in regeneration and maintenance of adult tissues in regulation of adult stem cells. Analyses have also shown that the pathway is also involved in the development of certain cancer cells. Emerging concepts indicate that tumors are an analogous to these adult tissues which are self renewing. Their maintainer is a group of unique stem cells. Cancer cells have their unique characteristics which easily define them. The best defined characteristics are tumorigenic properties with high differentiating potential an d are self renewing hence regenerating cellular heterogeneity of original patient tumors. In order to maintain their self renewal and differentiating potential adult stem and embryonic cells with respect to their inherent nature keep their pathways active which are always down regulated on differentiation. The following are some of the pathways involved; Signal transducer, Sonic Hedgehog, Notch Signaling, Stat3 Signaling and Wnt catenin. However research shows that all the above pathways are also activated by various cancers. This indicates that they take part in the renewal of cancer stem cells. Human cancer is extremely complex in its development in that heterogeneity is rather common in the active pathways amongst patients. Laboratory results by some of the professionals reveal that only a group of related patients correlate to activation of a certain pathway. Wnt signaling pathway is a complex network of protein s that works with the receptors. In both embryotic and adult cells it regulates communication between the cells. In the mouse it was identified as one of the genes involved in breast cancer. Mutations in this pathway can be terribly dangerous since they can contribute to the development of cancer in adults. The normal state of Wnt pathway is default repression, under its association with axin, APC complex and GSK-3 to target bete-catenin leading to ubiquitination degradation. In any case when mutations damage this pathway it no longer controls beta-catenin. Research proves that beta-catenin is found in breast and lung cancer. It also confers self renewal of granulocyte-macrophage progenitors in blood cancer. The Notch receptor has a large extracellular domain, a single transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic domain. Ligands for the Notch receptors are proteins being expressed in the surface of the adjacent cells, and the primary target of notch signaling is activation of the transcription factor SuH in Drosophila species or CBF-1 in mammals. Though the mechanism by which the Notch transmits signals has not been worked out positively, it appears to be fairly different from other receptors. Current evidence suggest that the cytoplasmic domain of the notch is proteolytically cleaved and the translocated to nucleus, where it interacts directly with transcription factors. The tumor neclosis factor family of receptors has a conserved cysteine-rich region found in the extracellular do

Research Proposal for Larghall Leisue Ltd Assignment

Research Proposal for Larghall Leisue Ltd - Assignment Example Larghall Leisure Ltd. has a small pub chain that operates ten theme pubs within the county of Hertfordshire, England. They have retained our market research consultancy firm to formulate a research strategy proposal that will enable them to appropriately address their responsible business practices in light of the issue of underage and binge drinking. Given the limitations of Larghall Leisure Ltd.'s project in terms of budget and their urgency to receive the results in a four month timeframe, this research proposal will target only the most effective methods available and seek to maximize the expertise and personnel resources already present within the organization. The inland county of Hertfordshire lies north of the Greater London area, with much of the land contained within the London commuter belt. Not surprisingly, it has a large number of major transportation links. With a residential population in excess of one million people, over 93% of whom are white, Larghall Leisure Ltd. is conducting business in a bustling area of young to middle-aged people. This population is frequently enhanced by tourists enjoying the county's large number of historical and recreational parks, a university, and other attractions that can be expected to draw young people into its borders. Within the scope of the company's primary concern, underage and binge drinking, its area of operation presents unique challenges given the specific characteristics of the region; namely the likelihood that its pubs will be filled with youth on both an ongoing basis and on special occasions. Of particular note is the presence of two potential sources of a large number of young adults; Knebworth House and the University of Hertfordshire. Knebworth House is a 250 acre complex of parks that is a regular venue for rock and pop festivals. Given the proximity to London, it is not hard to foresee large influxes of young people coming into the area for concerts, and having easy access to the towns and villages wherein Larghall Leisure Ltd. has pubs. Further, the University of Hertfordshire, created from the Hatfield Polytechnic Institute, ensures a residential segment of young adults during the school year. Taken in combination, it is predictable that the pubs will see students throughout the year and have busy summers with concert attendees. As noted below in the discussion of the issue, it is this segment of the population which is prone to the binge drinking behavior about which the company is concerned. With the county motto of "Trust and fear not," it is clear that the cit izens expect a safe environment. (All statistical data - Wikipedia, 2006: pp. 1-5) As a responsible member of this community, Larghall Leisure Ltd. should be properly concerned about the issue of underage and bing

Charles Dickenss Our Mutual Friend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Charles Dickenss Our Mutual Friend - Essay Example He uses a kaleidoscope of characters to illustrate the various kinds of education, or lack of, and there is an underlying irony in his depiction of many of his middle class characters. One of the greatest contrasts Dickens' draws upon during the novel is between education and money. In the London society Dickens describes, for many, education does not matter as much as money. As mercenary Bella Wilfer exclaims at the end of Book III: 'And yet I have money always in my thoughts and my desires; and the whole life I place before myself is money, money, money, and what money can make of life!'1 Through his characterisation of individuals, such as Mr and Mrs Veneering, Dickens reveals how money can by you material possessions and social status but it cannot buy you education: Mr and Mrs Veneering were bran-new people in a bran-new house in a bran-new quarter of London. Everything about the Veneerings was spick and span new. All their furniture was new, all their friends were new, and their servants were new, their plate was new, their carriage was new, their harness was new, their horses were new, their pictures were new, they themselves were new" (OMF, 5) The Veneerin The Veneerings are described as faintly ridiculous. They epitomise the 'frenzy of Victorian commodity culture'.2 Newness is the defining feature of the Veneerings. They are associated with surfaces and their nouveau riche world which is starkly contrasted to that of the riverside, described in the novel's opening scene. (Chavez, 20) The middle classes are satirized by Dickens's description of Podsnap, his 'analogous arch-bourgeois'.3 Podsnap is defined by routines and restraints: 'Getting up at eight, shaving close at a quarter past, breakfasting at nine, going to the City at ten, coming home at half-past five and dining at seven'. (OMF, 121) Podsnap is an example of one whose wealth and arrogance separates him from the rest of society: 'He never could make out why everybody was not quite satisfied, and he felt conscious that he set a brilliant social example in being particularly well satisfied with most things, and, above all other things, with himself'. (OMF, 120) Dickens reveals that despite being well off, 'Mr Podsnap's world was not a very large world, morally; no nor even geographically'. (OMF, 121) Due to the consumerism of Victorian society, Dickens does not depict education as a means of giving the working class a chance, especially if they are only being taught to abide by an erroneous set of rules. Instead, Dickens would appear to prefer a more humanistic form of education. During a speech he gave in 1844, Dickens stated: 'If you would reward honesty, if you would give encouragement to good, if you would stimulate the idle, eradicate evil, or correct what is bad, education - comprehensive liberal education - is the one thing needful, and the one effective end'.4 Dickens uses a number of characters to illustrate this view of education. Characters such as Bella Wilfer, Silas Wegg and Eugene Wrayburn are all lacking in social and moral education. Bella is obsessed about marrying money but is reformed through her 'education' from Mr Boffin. The Boffins are humble people whose inheritance causes

Culture of a place in California Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Culture of a place in California - Essay Example During and after the WWII, there was immense growth as entrepreneurs boosted the economy which is still running as military, tourism, defence industries, manufacturing, and international trade. A number of cultural groups and monuments exist in California throughout the history. San Diego has been a very lively and energetic city because of its people. It consists of people who migrated from several different areas and formed their communities in the city in order to earn money and send back home to their families. These individuals eventually migrated to the city with their families and the economy boosted. Today, the city is full of entrepreneurs, cheap labour, artists, and several communities that make San Diego what it is. The Californios community took hold of a numerical majority in 1848 as they owned a major part of the property and secured the social and cultural recognition; however they failed to take control of the political system and thus by 1860, the area had declined economically. The Hispanics made huge breakthroughs in the WWI in San Diego farm districts. Their skills, experiences from military, and contacts lead to profits and improved the economy (Lockwood 95). Many other cultural groups that settled in San Diego were mainly in order to boost the economy. San Diego also welcomed the Chinese immigrants in the 1860s as they settled in two fishing villages; Point Loma and New Town. These Chinese immigrants became the pioneers in 1860s in the industry and their peak time was in the 1880s. By the 1890s, the Chinese settled and found more jobs in the fishing industry as well as the service industry, railroad construction and general construction, merchandising, and food industry. District associations, family associations, business guilds, and secret societies were eventually formed. San Diego consists of several Chinese immigrants who have now achieved the status of a community and are

Assess the view that the positions of men Essay Example for Free

Assess the view that the positions of men Essay Over the past few decades the roles of men and women have changed drastically. These changes occur throughout society, within a family or in a relationship. In the past, the most common relationship between the two genders would have been very different, with the men being viewed as more masculine and of higher authority, whereas the women of a society would have been viewed to have a stay at home role, where they would look after children and participate in household chores. During the 1900’s women were seen a minority, where the slightest amount of freedom would have been frowned upon. Nonetheless over the years, as we have developed, so have the different role for both genders, this now consists of sharing jobs equally in a household and around a workplace. The most obvious change within a family would be the amount of work the couple share, both in the household and outside of it. Since the 1960, where the civil rights act was released, it detailed that women were now able to work and should be offered equal opportunities as men, whereas in the past that would have been forbidden. Due to this seismic change, women are now able to provide for themselves, which in the past would have been extremely difficult as they would have essentially been dependent on their partner’s income. Gershuny, a famous sociologist, said that women who work full time would do less of the domestic labour jobs around the house. However statistics show this is incorrect. Women who work full time tend to still do 73% of the household chores, leavening only 27% to the men, who may or may not work full time. An equally significant aspect of this change would be the commercialisation of society today. Commercialisation of society is defined as the new technologies that have been introduced into today’s world in order to allow basic household chores, which would have takes several hours to do, to be completed within a few hours. The commercialisation of basic household necessities means that couples still have time to work and spend time with each other. For women, supermarket food products; means they don’t have to spend hours cooking and preparing food for the family. This would also mean, washing clothes now has become much easier due to the washing machine appliance. Due to this significant improvement, the hours of domestic labour on a woman has decreased a great deal. In spite of this, the commercialisation of products wouldn’t apply to everyone. Working class families or women would be able to afford such expensive items, however this doesn’t quite apply to poorer women; and hence they would suffer with longer hours of household chores. This also doesn’t take into account who uses these appliances; women still load and unload the dishwasher, or wash clothes. Despite having these appliances, it doesn’t necessarily mean these jobs are equally shared; the majority of women still complete them. Consequently, men and women are now becoming more equal when it comes to making decisions as a family. In the past men were off more authority and hence they were the ones that made the more important decisions. Stephen Edgell did a study in 1980 which showed that very important decisions were usually taken by men, important decisions were usually taken jointly however rarely by the wife alone, and lastly less important decisions were usually made by the wife alone. This has changed considerably over the years since the decisions are now shared equally. Pooling (where the couple have access to income and joint responsibility) has increased from 19% to 50%; on the other hand, allowance system (where men give their wives and allowance as a weekly budget) has decreased significantly from 36% to 12%. This shows a clear indication of how the roles have changed, although the increase for pooling was very little, we can judge that eventually role will get even. Moreover, we can see from the past that men and women were given gender scripts. Men were seen to be masculine and of higher standard thus they would work. This was often referred to as the instrumental role, where men were the providers. Women were viewed as having a role solely in the house where they would do household chores. This was often referred to as the expressive role, where women were the homemakers. Nonetheless this can be argued with the concept of homosexual couples. For example within a lesbian couple, they wouldn’t have suited gender scripts and hence would have to negotiate roles equally. Also the idea that now a day’s men aren’t the only providers within a family, women also work and hence can provide for themselves as well as their family. Having considered those points, there are many things to suggest things still need a lot of time in order to improve and become slightly equal. A concept that could argue the progress over the years would be the idea of dual burden which explains the roles women take upon themselves, or in other words are expected to take. Many feminists believe women are now doing two shifts, one at work which is paid work, and eventually returning home to do unpaid work. They believe men benefit from both works, as they receive a steady income as well as a clean house. Some also claim that women do three shifts, also called the triple shift. This is described as emotional work which is role which is usually related to women. Women have an extra unpaid shift where they return home to take care of the rest of the family, also called as the ‘labour of love’. Subsequently, it seems convincing to me that although roles have changed over the years, the change itself is very little because the roles within a family still aren’t as equal. Despite having the same job opportunities, the job of domestic labour in a household are far from equal. Nonetheless I believe roles will eventually change one day where they will be close to equal. However I think roles will never be fully equal.

Witchcraft And Demonology In Early Modern Europe

Witchcraft And Demonology In Early Modern Europe The witch-hunts were one of the most important events in the history of early modern Europe, taking place from the mid-15th century and ending in the mid-18th century. The view of witchcraft evolved throughout the period, with the Canon Episcopi calling the belief in witches a heresy, to Pope Innocent VIII issuing a bull in 1484 to denounce the practice of witchcraft as a heresy – all in a span of about 500 years. On the topic of witchcraft, it is unavoidable that the issue of gender would be discussed. The central question of this report would be how historians account for the persecution of more women than men in the witch-hunts in early modern Europe. The report will first outline the stereotype of a witch and discuss how this stereotype was promulgated. It will be concerned with two possible explanations that attempt to account for the persecution of more women than men – firstly, how the persecutions may be a results of a misogynistic and patriarchal culture, and s econdly, how the hunts may be been a result of the lack of tolerance for social deviance of women. The stereotype of a witch A collection of statistics indicate that a majority of accused witches were women, with most estimates pointing to about 80% of all victims being women (Ross, 1995: 334). Levack (1987: 142) provides a list of statistics indicating that in most regions in Europe, about three-quarters of the accused were women, with the figures being 90% in regions in Poland and England. Very evidently, the predominant notion of a witch is that it is foremost a woman. In discussing the stereotype of a witch it is difficult not to make reference to the cumulative concept of witchcraft (Levack, 1987: 32-51), which points to certain factors that would help in the identification of a witch. These include a witch’s association with the Devil, the pact with the Devil, the Sabbath, nightflying and metamorphosis. Reginald Scot in 1584 described witches as women who were â€Å"commonly old, lame, blearie-eied, pale, fowle, and full of wrinkles, poore, sullen, and superstitious†. This stereotype was promulgated by both genders. Women in early modern Europe were viewed as the weaker gender that was dependent on men in many ways, including for livelihood (Larner, 1984:86). Since the society was heavily patriarchal, women who did not fit in to the mould of a normal woman threatened the idea of females behaving in a particular manner. These women were nonconformists, and therefore put the livelihoods of other women at risk. Hence, they were ostrac ised by normal women. In behaving in a manner that was different, these women also threatened male domination and therefore had to be condemned by men. Both genders fed the idea that a woman who looked and behaved in a certain manner was a witch, hence allowing the stereotype to persist and spread. In addition, the stereotype of a domestic witch could have been said to be reinforced by a vicious cycle. This is evident in some cases, such as in that of Anna Schwayhofer, who confessed to stealing the Consecrated Host but still bothered to sweep up the crumbs after she had done so (Barry, Hester and Roberts, 1996: 230). The association of witches and broomsticks or distaffs used for spinning also fed the stereotype. Women were mostly restricted to the confines of their allotted spaces, and those practicing harmful magic would most likely be found in those spaces (Blà ©court, 2000: 303). Hence, it was not surprising that witchcraft was associated with the women and their domestic activities. Gendered witchcraft and misogyny The elite perception of women pointed to how they tended to be intellectually weaker than men, yet have more insatiable sexual appetites and a higher tendency to pursue the occult, a view propounded by 16th-century friar Martin de Castaà ±ega and in the Malleus itself by Kramer and Sprenger. Hence, historical literature tended to point towards how women were the more inferior of the two genders and therefore had the larger propensity to be driven towards becoming a witch. Without a doubt, the society in Europe at that point of time was one that was highly patriarchal in nature (Hufton, 1983, 125-141). While the society was essentially patriarchal in nature, there are arguments as to whether this can be extended to be characterised as being misogynistic. Anderson and Gordon (1978) point to the innate inferiority that women possessed in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church, the dominant religious authority in that time, saying that the Church saw women as more â€Å"amenable to the allures of Satan† (Anderson and Gordon, 1978: 174). The paper also highlights the role of the Malleus Maleficarum (1486), that was anti-feminist and very popular, reprinting fourteen editions. The Malleus essentially highlights women as creatures possessing insatiable lust, yet not having the strength of mind to counter the temptations of the Devil. However, statistics also show that women were not the only ones who were victims of the witch-hunts. In several regions, men were the ones who were heavily persecuted instead. Regions such as Finland show a relatively even number of male and female persecutions, while in areas such as Normandy and Iceland, the number of accused male witches far exceeded the number of female ones. This clearly shows that if there had been a culture of misogyny, it was not uniformed throughout Europe. Monter (1964: 563) points out that the stereotypical witch in the French province of Normandy was not a poor, old woman, but a shepherd who may be a youth or an old man. Similarly, in Iceland, only 8% of all the accused witches were women (Levack, 1987: 142). The analysis and discussion of these statistics seem to point to the fact that there were differences in societal perspectives towards women and the differences in questioning techniques (Monter, 1964: 588). Monter (1964: 589) suggests that women wer e treated with leniency during the trial, and some were kept in prison alive for interrogation, even while the men were being executed. The reasons behind why men were more persecuted in some societies and women in others are unclear, but most historians point to the fact that it was impossible to pinpoint a particular reason in every society why this was so. Much of the reasons behind the gender imbalances must be attributed to the culture and views of the society itself, but what can be certain is that the witch-hunt was not strictly gender-specific. Without a doubt, a society that places emphasis on patriarchal values cannot be dismissed as misogynistic simply based on statistics alone. At this point it is relevant to note that there were differences between the elite and peasant conceptions of witchcraft, and this extended to the persecution of women. For the peasantry, the persecution of witches was less of the pact with the Devil and more of practical concerns such as the failure of crops or the death of livestock (Laurence, 1995: 216-218). Similarly, with the persecution of women, the concerns circled around the fact that babies and young children were being â€Å"victims† of maleficia, rather than the witch being a Devil-worshipper per se. Unsurprisingly, therefore, a large number of women who were accused of being witches were the lying-in maids for more privileged families, who looked after the newborns and had direct contact with them, as in the case of Anna Ebeler of Augsburg (Roper, 1991: 19). Roper (1991: 23) also points to how this may be a result of the association of femineity and maternity. Normal women were able to have children, yet witches w ere unable to, leading to a sense of envy that bred the feeling of hatred towards mothers and their babies. Strands of deviance One of the central themes occurring in the witch-hunts would have to be the fact that the society in early modern Europe had very little tolerance for those who were different from them. Jews and homosexuals were persecuted, and the society was predominantly peasant, poor and part of the Roman Catholic Church. Those who were different were frowned upon. Women generally married and had children at a young age, were uneducated and viewed as weak. Their primary purpose was to be subservient to their husbands and serve their families, keeping the household. This view of women can be contrasted to the stereotype of a witch, as mentioned above. Being old and unmarried, as well as being socially isolated, these alleged witches were evidently different from the general conception of a woman in society. Larner (1981:92) puts forward the idea that witches were persecuted not because they were women, but because they were â€Å"non-women† who did not fit into the societal view of a woman. While a typical woman was maternal, witches were unable to have children; where typical women stayed home at nights, witches flew to remote locations to join Sabbaths. This fit in with the elite conceptions that the reality in which witches lived in was essentially one that was an anti-society. Blà ©court (2000: 300) explains that God was a â€Å"guardian of social norms†, while the Devil was just the very opposite. These â€Å"non-women† were persecuted for disobeying the social norms, and some historians even argue that women accused other women of being witches because they felt threatened by an individual who did not conform to the male image of them (Larner, 1981: 102). The role of the Roman Church was also not to be ignored in the reinforcement of this stereotype. Women ha d an increased likelihood to practice love magic as compared to men (Blà ©court, 2000: 303), and since only priests of the Church could legally practice magic, they were more likely to be persecuted as a result. Remote possibilities While the possible presence of a repressive patriarchy or a societal aversion to deviant behaviour have often been cited as the reasons behind the gender imbalance during the witch-hunts, there are a few other remote possibilities that will be mentioned in the passing. Scully (1995: 857-858) points to how Venetian witches could choose witchcraft as a career option as opposed to being married or forced into prostitution, and this could be an escape from a possibly malevolent life, thereby proving to be a popular alternative for women in the region at that time. In his paper, Goodare (1991: 291-292) argues that economic factors could have been one of the reasons for the witch-hunts. Since the people had fallen upon hard times, those dependent upon charity handouts were hostile to others who were their competition – and these were mainly women. Another article by Ross (Ross, 1995: 333-337) draws an interesting correlation between the outbreak of syphilis in the 16th century and t he persecution of more women than men. He posits that women, being the symbols of fertility, could be shunned due to syphilis as they would be spreading the venereal disease. Further, much of the witch’s behaviour, he says, could be attributed to the madness that is a symptom of the disease. While fascinating, these observations by historians seem to be unique suggestions that do not appear in the literature as main causes for the increased persecution of women. Conclusion To conclude, this report has outlined the stereotype of a witch and what perpetrated this stereotype throughout early modern Europe. It seems persuasive to argue that although there was a strong patriarchal society in those days, this culture did not amount to being misogynistic in nature. The stereotype of the witch that emerge during this period and that was adopted by most modern historians emphasise a few features of witches that generally seem to be a result of the lack of tolerance for social deviant behaviour, and simply reinforced time and again in a vicious cycle. The trend points to the fact that there are a variety of factors that resulted in more women being persecuted than men. Often, this phenomenon can only be attributed to the differences in the various societies in Europe, and the culture of the region or country. Ultimately, it can be concluded that a combination of factors led to more women being persecuted than men. References Anderson, Alan and Gordan, Raymond. 1978. ‘Witchcraft and the Status of Women The Case of England’. The British Journal of Sociology, Vol. 29, No. 2: 171-184. Barry, Jonathan, Hester, Marianne and Roberts, Gareth. 1999. Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe: Studies in Culture and Belief (Past and Present Publications). Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. de Blà ©court, Willem. 2000. ‘The Making of a Female Witch’. Gender and History, Vol. 12, No. 2: 125-141. Goodare, Julian. 1998. ‘Women and the Witch-Hunt in Scotland’. Social History, Vol. 23, No. 3: 288-308. Hufton, Olwen. 1983. ‘Women in History. Early Modern Europe’. Past Present, No. 101: 125-141. Larner Christina. 1981. Enemies of God: The Witch-Hunt in Scotland. London: Chatto Windus. Larner, Christina. 1984. Witchcraft and Religion: The Politics of Popular Belief. New York: Basil Blackwell. Laurence, Anne. 1995. Women in Engliand, 1500-1760, A Social History. London: Weidenfeld Nicolson Illustrated. Levack, Brian. 1987. The Witch-hunt in Early Modern Europe. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Monter, Williams. 1997. ‘Toads and Eucharists: The Male Witches of Normandy, 1564-1660’. French Historical Studies, Vol. 20, No. 4: 563-595. Ross, Eric B. 1995. ‘Syphilis, Misogyny, and Witchcraft in 16th-Century Europe’. Current Anthropology, Vol. 36, No. 2: 333-337. Sawyer, Ronald C. 1989. ‘Strangely Handled in All Her Lyms: Witchcraft and Healing in Jacobean England’. Journal of Social History, Vol. 22, No. 3: 461-485. Scully, Sally. 1995. ‘Marriage or a Career?: Witchcraft as an Alternative in Seventeenth-Century Venice’. Journal of Social History, Vol. 28, No. 4: 857-876. Primary sources: Darst, David H. 1979. ‘Witchcraft in Spain: the Testimony of Martin de Castaà ±ega’s Treatise on Superstition and Witchcraft (1529)’. Kramer, Heinrich and Sprenger James. 1484. Malleus Maleficarum. Accessed 6 October 2009. Available at http://www.malleusmaleficarum.org/. Scot, Reginald. 1584. The Discoverie of Witchcraft. Retrieved from Early English Books Online. The practice of harmful magic

The Factors Affecting Teacher Motivation

The Factors Affecting Teacher Motivation The literature review is integral to the success of academic research. It ensures the researchability of the topic. It is designed to identify related research, to set the current research project within a conceptual and theoretical context. A literature review is a systematic, explicit and reproducible method for identifying evaluating and interpreting the existing body of recorded work produced by researches, scholars and practitioners, (Fink, 1998, p.3). The review (Mouton, 2001) helps to place the research in the context of what has already been done, thus, allowing comparisons to be made. It is a critical summary and assessment of the range of existing materials dealing with knowledge and understanding in a given field. Its main purposes are as follows: to locate the research project, to provide a rationale for the research, forming its context or background, to provide insights into previous work, and to identify a gap, a problem in the existing literature and thus providing a framework for further research. A review of literature also contributes to the development of the researchers intellectual capacity and practical skills as it engenders a research attitude, thus encouraging the researcher to think rigorously. Time and effort carefully spent at this particular stage helps to save a great deal of effort and vague search. Another purpose of reviewing the literature is to analyse the different methodologies and data collection methods used by previous researchers in similar issues. This would help the researcher to identify the various strengths and lacunas of the used methods. A thorough review of literature may enable the researcher to answer the several pertinent questions. 2.1: INTRODUCTION A study of teachers motivation consists of two main themes. The first one identifies the different factors affecting teachers motivation, while the second aspect analyses how the school heads can impact on teachers motivation through their leadership. This chapter explains the importance of teacher motivation. The motivational factors for teachers, applying literature findings are reviewed. 2.2: Importance of teacher motivation Schools exist, primarily to educate children. It is for this purpose that teachers are employed in schools (Fiddler Atton, 1997). Teachers are, thus, the most important professionals for any nations future. However, without adequate support and resources, teachers will not be motivated although they may be highly qualified. It is sad to note that teachers, the most valuable human resource, are often neglected (Abdo, 2001). One should bear in mind that a nations strength depends on the high quality of its education system and the strength of such a system, in turn, relies on qualified and motivated teachers. Inspired and motivated are essential in providing quality education. Schools would definitely not survive without motivated and dedicated teachers. 2.3: Factors affecting teachers motivation Research (Eimers, 1997) has shown that teachers are influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Further studies on motivation for teaching distinguished between intrinsic, extrinsic and altruistic reasons for choosing the profession (Kyriacou Coulthard, 2000; Moran, Kilpatrick, Abbott, Dallat, McClune, 2001). Intrinsically motivated teachers are focused on teaching and the activity related to the job itself. The inherent satisfaction or the joy of teaching is viewed as the driving force. The extrinsically motivated teachers focus on the benefits of teaching, such as salary, vacations or other external rewards connected to the job. Finally, the altruistically motivated teacher views teaching as a socially worthwhile and important job, and has a desire to be part of young peoples growth and development. Barmby (2006, p. 253) extrapolated these findings and points out that teachers motivation is influenced less by externally initiated factors such as salary, educational policy and reform and conditions of service, than by those emanating from the intrinsic context within which they work. According to Hallinger and Heck (1998), school leaders can play a critical role in the success of educational institutions. To the extent that school leaders can control the outcomes of teachers efforts, they can influence the levels of motivation teachers experience (Silver, 1982). This can be through their influence on teachers morale and motivation. Studies have lent proof (Hallinger and Heck, 1998; Leithwood and Jantzi, 2005; Leithwood and Mascall, 2008) that School leadership affects the way teachers teach, and hence, impact directly on student performance. Since school leaders can, in one way or the other, affect the intrinsic factors listed, they, thus, play an extremely role in motivating teachers. Indeed, in an attempt to study teachers motivation, Pitre (2003) found significant relationship between school leadership and teacher motivation. A school head should not only be an effective leader, manager and counselor, but also an effective motivator. Motivated teachers are productive teachers (Osterloh, Bruno and Frost, 2001) as they have job satisfaction. School leaders should bear in mind that without these, educational programmes may be deeply weakened (Snowden and Gorton, 2002). This is supported by Browns study (2005), which found significant link between political, local and organisational factors and the use of incentives to motivate teachers in charter schools. Motivation was higher where more external incentives were provided. In fact, School leadership and Teacher Motivation are two things that are inextricably linked. 2.4 Importance of leadership in schools For much of the twentieth century, the role of the school head was that of manager, where he/she was expected to manage personnel and budget, while handling other operational issues (Usdan, McCloud, Podmostko, 2000). Studies on the topic suggest that in the past, principals were able to succeed, at least partially, by simply carrying out the directives of central administrators (Perez et al. 1999). Today, in a rapidly changing era of standards-based reform, as education moved into a new era of accountability, a different concept has emerged. According to Dussault and Barnett (1996), educational organisations are facing many challenges and this shift brings with it dramatic changes in what public education needs from principals. School principals must, therefore, enhance the quality of their services; they can no longer function simply as building managers, tasked with adhering to district rules, carrying out regulations and avoiding mistakes. Management by principals is no longer en ough to meet todays educational challenges (Mulford, 2003). Researchers (Dussault and Barnett, 1996) claim that the actual situations in schools call for improvement and educational leadership. As Cawelti (1984, p.3) stated: Continuing research on effective schools has verified the common sense observation that schools are rarely effective, in any sense of the word, unless the principal is a good leader . 2.4.1 School leadership and effective schools School leadership (Huber, 2004), indeed, has a pivotal role in contributing to effective schools. Gurr, Drysdale, and Mulford (2005) found in their case study research on Australian principals that the principal remains an important and significant figure in determining the success of a school (p. 548). Extensive empirical efforts have shown that leadership is a central factor for the quality and effectiveness of a school (Reynolds, 1976; Harris, 2005). The research results show that each and every successful school possesses a competent and sound school leadership. Research (Barber, 1995; Mortimore, Sammons, Stoll, Lewis and Ecob, 1988; Stoll and Fink, 1996) has shown that leadership, in fact, defines the success of a school. According to Leithwood, Day, Sammons, Hopkins and Harris (2006, p. 14-15), there is not a single documented case of a school successfully turning around its pupil achievement trajectory in the absence of talented leadership. In this line of thought, Leithwood, Louis, Anderson Wahlstrom (2004) claimed that while classroom instruction has the greatest impact on student achievement, leadership has the second greatest effect. The role of the school leader has to be seen in relationship to the context in which the school is operating. Schools are embedded in the education system and their local communities; leaders, therefore, have to react to, cope with and support the development of the community served by their respective schools. Huber (1997) firmly believes that school leaders matter, they are educationally-significant, school leaders do make a difference. Given the manifold tasks and responsibilities of school leadership, as well as the competencies required, school leaders may be regarded as superheroes. Their complex role can hardly be filled with traditional leadership concepts (Huber, 2004). Educational leaders are now confronted with an altogether new range of demands and challenges. They should bear in mind that their organisations have been set up to accomplish a specific social aim, shaping the society. The quality of education provided at school, therefore, determines the future society. Moreover, school leadership proved to be important for the learning environment for teachers in schools (James McCormick, 2009; Louis, Dretzke, Wahlstrom, 2010). 2.4.2 Successful and effective School leadership 2.4.2.1 Firm and purposeful leadership It has been proven that all aspects of the school rely on a proper School Leader (Stoll and Fink, 1996; Huber, 2004; Mortimore et al., 1988). However, both the School Leader and individual teachers are of utmost importance. Leithwood, in concert with others (Leithwood et al., 2004; Leithwood and Riehl, 2003; Leithwood et al., 2006), identified four broad categories of educational leadership, or core practices: setting directions; developing people; redesigning the organization; and managing the instructional program. At the same time, effective leaders know that the ability to lead and manage organisational change is critical for survival since the school environment is a dynamic one. School Leaders should incorporate the ability to deal with changes occurring in school system structure, especially when more responsibilities are being thrusted upon the shoulders of the School Leader by the educational system. According to Calabrese (2002) the prototype school leader in the 21st century is a change agent. They have a responsibility to lead change that results in more effective and efficient educational practices, in an environment that is increasingly political. Therefore, outstanding school heads should be proactive. They must make the change happen without alienating the teaching staffs. They should act as mediators between those resisting changes (Levine and Lezotte, 1990) and the change agents. Leaders, thus, got a key role in inducing others to adopt change in order to improve the organisational effectiveness. Hence, school leaders, are key to initiate and maintaining the school improvement process (Sammons et al., 1994c). Schools, expected to fulfill multi-dimensional functions, are affected by both internal and external environmental factors (Eres, 2011). School leaders can eliminate the negative effects of such factors. Thus, they need to be proactive, anticipating problems and should be prepared to counteract these efficiently and effectively. The role of the School Leader is not always clearly defined since leading and managing are two intermingling responsibilities. 2.4.3 School leadership and teachers motivation Leadership can be defined as the ability to enlist, mobilize and motivate others to apply their abilities and resources to a given cause (Eyal and Roth, 2010). This capacity is fundamental in the educational sphere. Very often, educators think in terms of motivating students to learn. Equally important, though, with respect to educational leadership is the motivation of teachers (Silver, 1982). According to Kocabas and Karakose (2002), teachers are responsible to their schools and the principals are in turn responsible for the proper administration of the school. Therefore, the main responsibility for motivating teachers falls to the school head. Along this line, Barker (2001) studied poor performers and effective principals and suggested that effective leaders indeed motivate the staff. He claimed that the latter should be there to enthuse and invigorate teachers rather than to shape them. Good leadership improves both teacher motivation and work settings. Further research by Kiziltepe (2006) found that the primary source of teachers de-motivation was the administration Though, the relationship between School leadership and Teacher Motivation have not directly been subject to much research, Brown and Hughes (2008) highlight the importance of exploring the different factors that motivate teachers, as society increasingly holds them accountable for student achievement. The relationship between school leadership and teacher motivation is related in the research literature to the attempt to better understand principals impact on school performance (Leithwood and Jantzi, 2005; Leithwood and Mascall, 2008; Supovitz, Sirinides and May, 2010). Thus teachers engagement and their motivation have been studied mostly as a mediating factor between school leadership and students learning (Hallinger and Heck, 1998). According to Sharpe, Klockow Martin (2002), the factors motivating teachers can vary from classroom to classroom, school to school, or district to district. If teachers are not motivated to teach, then the search for educational excellence will be ava il (Richardson, Short Prickett, 2003). 2.4.3.1: How can School leaders affect teachers motivation Several studies suggest that school leadership is second only to classroom teaching as an influence on student learning (Leithwood, Harris, Hopkins, 2008; Leithwood Jantzi, 2008) and that key to optimizing student learning is the influence exerted by school leaders on teacher motivation and commitment (Day, Stobart, Sammons, Kington, Gu, 2006; Leithwood Mascall, 2008). According to studies (Hallinger and Heck, 1996), school leadership affects students outcomes indirectly, by creating the conditions that support teachers ability to teach and students learning. Teachers motivation includes the expenditure of effort to achieve a goal (Martin, 2000). It is also about creating forces that power and drive their respective behaviours (Bursalioglu, 2002). Dull (1981) believes that school leaders could motivate teachers by improving a situation perceived to be difficult by an individual, thereby meeting needs. In addition, the school leader can also motivate teachers by providing adequate d riving forces to urge one into action (Genc, 1987). The human factor should not be ignored, the educational leader should strive in developing a physiological and psychological process which takes into account individual desires, goals, tendencies, behaviour, self-interest, preference, will-power and drive. He/she should be considerate, that is, consider both intrinsic and extrinsic forces that actuate, direct and maintain staff behaviours (Gursel, 1997). Motivating teachers also implies increasing the latters willingness to work and making them believe that they will satisfy their personal needs if they work efficiently in the school (Yuksel, 1998), by providing the appropriate conditions. Porter, Polikoff, Goldring, Murphy, Elliot and May (2010) claims that these conditions include high standards for student learning, rigorous curricula, quality instruction, a culture of learning and above all- professional behaviour. Indeed, scholarly writings have linked the above mentioned conditions with increased teacher motivation to exert extra effort in teaching (Geisel, Sleegers, Leithwood and Jantzi, 2003). They added that school leadership has a key role in ensuring these conditions at school. Geisel et al. (2003) also mentioned that schools are effective only when the whole school community work as a whole and not as fragmented units. Thus, the school leaders should not only occupy the authority position but should also be visible (Dinham, Cariney, Craigie and Wilson, 1995) in the institution, so as to be able to motivate their staffs. 2.4.3.1.1: Visible leadership Indeed, Dinham et al. (1995) found that secondary school principals responsibilities include being visible, maintaining contact with student groups, keeping open lines of communication with stakeholders, promoting a positive school climate, being aware and in control of all school issues, influencing the school tone, and fostering school pride. According to further studies (Huber, 1997), teachers recognize it is highly motivating when their school head is involved in the daily routine. The school leader, showing dedicated interest in what happens in the class itself, is much appreciated. Teachers have a high esteem for leaders knowing about the curriculum and who are actively involved in monitoring students progress. Robinson (2006) points out that school leaders who have subject specific knowledge will be more confident and successful in supporting improvement in teachers practice. No doubt, teachers find it highly motivating when the principal provides a variety of support, includi ng practical assistance and encouragement (Murphy, 1989). This involves frequent movement through the school, class visits as well as some informal exchange with the teaching staff (Teddlie et al., 1989). According to Scheerens (1992), this is one of the pillars of school leadership and such regular interactions could also help in assessing the ways teachers work. 2.4.1 Relationship between school leader and teachers Davis et al. (2002) argue that the relationship between school leaders and teachers is very important: the school leaders regard for others is, key, to motivating teachers. Being in charge of the school administration, school leaders have the greatest share in motivating teachers. According to Griffin (2010), relationships with administrators were rated as a highly motivating factor. This is supported by Asbill and Gonzalez (2000) who found a relationship between positive principal-teacher interactions and teacher job satisfaction. Egley (2003) found similar results and emphasized the importance of a supportive principal-teacher relationship. School leaders (Barnett and McCormick, 2003) must be able to create an environment conducive to the building of positivity, providing the platform for the staff to maintain good relations, so as to create a healthy environment, where all can grow adequately. Wallace (2010) further claimed that school leadership should also include some emotional dimension. She posited that school leaders who understand the emotional context in which they work will provide a more satisfying and effective work context for teachers. They highlighted that working in a classroom environment where there is administrative support enhances the element of respect. Indeed, interviews by Sederberg and Clark (1990) showed that teachers perceive respect as the most important incentive, followed by trust, optimism and intentionality. Further research (Geisel et al., 2003) has shown that certain methods adopted by the School leadership indeed impact on the level of teacher motivation, for instance, defining a clear vision and objectives. Shared vision and goals Scholars (Eyal and Roth, 2010; Barnett and McCormick, 2002) posited that vision potentially offers the greatest capacity to influence teachers motivation. Lashway (2000) added that school principals should ensure that this vision is relevant to the school context. The leaders vision must also be related to the existing needs and culture of the school (Keedy, 1991). In addition, it must be focused, consistent, at the same time, including short term as well as long term objectives (Geisel et al., 2003). These help define and promote high expectations; and they connect directly with teachers and the classroom. Barnett and McCormicks (2003) findings echoed the above researchers ideas and even extrapolated those- they concluded that teachers should, at all cost, share the schools vision. This is because vision provides personal goals for the teacher, a desire to see a change in the future. The staff should be able to connect to the vision when it is clearly defined, so that, their own personal objectives may sprout out from it. Their studies have shown that teachers are highly motivated when they build consensus on the aims and values of the school. In such cases, teachers can put these into practice through collaborative and consistent of working. Empirical evidence (Leithwood and Riehl, 2003; Ylimaki, 2006) proved that vision creates a sense of purpose that binds teachers together and propels them to fulfill their deepest aspirations and to reach ambitious goals. Indeed, Brewers rese arch (1993) showed that student achievement levels were higher in schools where the principal had hired like-minded teachers who shared the principals goals and who were able to implement effectively the principals vision. Other researchers (Lee and Smith, 1994) analyzed performance from 820 secondary schools and found that coherent, sustained, and focused reforms resulted in the best outcomes for students. Therefore, effective professional principals (Huber, 1997, 2004) should relentlessly work to improve achievement by focusing on defining SMART goals. However, scholars (Gagne and Deci, 2005; Sheldon, Turban, Brown, Barrick and Judge, 2003) claimed that presenting followers with a value-laden vision is not enough. Leading professional No doubt, implementing a vision is not instantaneous; it requires repeated cycles of reflection, evaluation, and response, and only the principal can sustain it (Lashway, 1997). Sheldon et al. (2003) posited that the leadership role played by the school principal is critical in ensuring the vision and mission is attained. Thus, principals need to wear many different hats during the school day. But, the most effective school principals are not only managers and disciplinarians but also instructional leaders for the school (Leithwood and Mascall, 2008). Their studies showed that an effective school leader is not merely a good administrator or manager, but also a leading professional- a transformational leader. According to Burns (1978) transformational leadership is the process in which leaders and their followers bring each other to a higher level of ethic and motivation. Todays schools, therefore, want not only visionary and professional leaders (Lashway, 2000), but transformational ones. Transformational Leadership and motivation Leithwood (1992) claimed that transformational leadership is, actually, the restructuring of the system in order for the mission and vision of people to be redefined. It also ensures that the staff identifies themselves with the goals of the organisation, together with enlisting the participation of the staffs by taking into consideration their opinion greatly provide the scope for motivation. Bass (1990) suggested that motivation is, in fact, a sub-dimension of transformational leadership. Other scholars (Simola, Barling and Turner, 2010; Park and Rainey, 2008) also concluded that motivation has been shown to be an inspiring component of such kind of leadership and these have shown a positive relationship between transformational leadership and motivation. Indeed, Bass and Avolio (1997) have argued that transformational leadership can produce extraordinary outcomes in terms of increased commitment to achieving group or organisational goals. Coupled with the above, Shamir, House and Arthur (1993), maintained that transformational leaders also foster intrinsic motivations related to self concept. Their theory of leadership asserted that charismatic leaders promote followers intrinsic motivation to act beyond their self-esteem, self value and social identification. Research has shown a positive relationship between transformational leadership and motivation. It has been proved that in an organisation with transformational leaders, there is higher productivity and that the employees are happier and there are fewer negative incidents (Robbins, 1996). Indeed, transformational Leadership plays an important role in developing self-motivation. Leaders increase their workers motivation through their behaviour (Bass, 1990, Greenberg and Baron, 2000). As the human relations and communicative skills of a transformational leader are developed, they are effective in persuading and directing their followers (Glad and Blanton, 1997). They also motivate followers to transcend their own immediate self-interest for the sake of the mission and vision of the organisation. The leader motivates followers to work for transcendental goals instead of immediate self-interest, for achievement and self-actualisation rather than safety and security (Murray Feitler, 1989, p. 3), and creates within followers a capacity to develop higher levels of commitment to organisational goals (Leithwood Jantzi, 2000). Followers confidence levels are raised and their needs broadened by the leader to support development to higher potential. Such total engagement (emotional, intellectual and moral) encourages followers to develop and perform beyond expectations (Bass, 1985; Burns, 1978). 2.3.5.1 Transformational and Transactional School leadership Basss model (1998) of transformational and transactional leadership has a number of important implications for the current reform movement in education. According to Bass and Avolio (1997), the transformational/transactional approach builds trust, respect, and a wish on the part of followers to work collectively toward the same desired future goals. This not only allows the transformational leader to operate effectively within the available context, but to change it, to make it more receptive to her or his own leadership orientation. Indeed, a positive relationship has been found (Howell and Hall- Merenda, 1999) between transformational leadership and a good rapport between the leader and follower. Applying this to schools, Avolio and Bass (1988) argue that although transactional and transformational leadership can represent two discrete forms of leadership, effective school principals exhibit characteristics of both by maintaining short-term endeavors through transactional leadership and by inciting change as a transformational leader. A number of studies emphasize the importance of transformative leadership for school principals (Fullan 1996; Hord 1992; Leithwood, Tomlinson Genge 1996; Wood 1998; Sergiovanni 1992; Conley 1997; Perez et al. 1999; Reed and Roberts 1998). Transformational school leadership and teacher motivation Contemporary middle school leaders have a vast array of responsibilities and are often characterized as those who should be transformational leaders (Sanzo et al., 2010). The challenges brought to schools by restructuring have been cited as reasons for advocating transformational leadership in schools. Such leadership embraces a postmodern way of thinking. It is argued that transformational leadership is well suited to the challenges of current school restructuring. It has the potential for building high levels of commitment (in teachers) to the complex and uncertain nature of the school reform agenda and for fostering growth in the capacities teachers must develop to respond positively to this agenda (Leithwood and Jantzi, 1997). Transformational leadership is seen to be sensitive to organisation building, developing shared vision, distributing leadership and building school culture necessary to current restructuring efforts in schools (Leithwood, Jantzi and Stainbach, 1999). Transformational School leadership: the four Is and teacher motivation Leithwood and Jantzi (1990) have defined transformational leadership based on schools. Transformational leadership dimensions, namely, idealized influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation, were found to directly influence teachers amount of motivation (Geisel et al., 2003; Leithwood and Jantzi, 2005). These, in turn, had an indirect impact on students achievements and learning (Leithwood and Jantzi, 2005). Individualised attention-Teachers needs and expectations Individualised attention (Blasà © and Kirby, 2000) given to the staff, greatly adds up to teacher motivation. According to Blasà © and Kirby (2000), it is of upmost importance for leaders to identify teachers needs- the social needs should not be neglected (Bursalioglu, 2002), and their feelings about their jobs. School leaders have to be conscious of the fact that each person has different needs and, therefore, should be motivated accordingly. Weller (1982) added that the school principal should be sympathetic to the needs of their teachers. The leaders should be able to cater for the needs of each and every one. According to Adair (2002), a leader, who is not aware of these, and who does not display effort to fulfill these, will definitely face difficulties in motivating teachers. He added that only a well-informed leader can devise and implement effective strategies to assist teachers in their development, ensuring they perform their respective duties in an effective, enthusiast ic and motivated manner. Blasà ©, Derick and Stahth (1986) reported that principals initiating structure and displaying consideration were associated with more satisfying work conditions, higher job satisfaction, and less job stress. Staffs experience of job stress was seen as principals lack of consideration and was related to teacher dissatisfaction. It was found that teachers (Blasà © et al., 1986) are less likely to share their views and opinions, or trying to improve the conditions if they feel that their school heads are not enough caring. Blasà © (1986) put forward that the latter should strive to develop fruitful relationships with the teaching staff, fostering positive communication with and among teachers. It is only through these relationships that they can establish leader legitimacy and encouraged commitment. Teachers should feel that they form part of the school community and not simply as employees working in the school. The motivation for working with the subject matter in which teachers have their academic degree and the wish to teach it to others are important motivators for teachers both before and upon completion of the PGCE course (Roness Smith, 2009, 2010). Still, we find that the subject-matter interest is a salient and stable motivator among these Norwegian teachers, a finding which aligns with other international research (Kyriacou et al., 1999; Manuel Brindley, 2005; Manuel Hughes, 2006). A plausible reason for these results can be that when starting teacher education, the students regard themselves as subject-matter specialists. Idealised influence Idealised influence is the charismatic element of transformational leadership, in which leaders, become role models, who are admired, respected and emulated by their followers (Avolio and Bass, 2002; Bass, 1998; Bass and Avolio, 1994). As a result, followers demonstrate a high degree of trust in such leaders (Jung and Avolio, 2000). Researchers (Jung and Avolio, 2000) added that shared vision, is, an integral component of this idealized transformational role, inspiring acceptance through the alignment of goals. Principals must, therefore, be good role models supporting best practice (Colley, 2002).

Hardware and Software Required for a System :: Papers

Hardware and Software Required for a System There are two main types of components required for a system to work. These are: v Hardware – The parts of a computer that you can see and you can handle; the exterior components of the computer. v Software – The actual programs that allow the hardware to do a useful job. Hardware The main components of an ICT system include the following: v Input devices – these enable the data to enter the system. This could be through keyboard, scanner, digital camera, etc. v Central Processing Unit (CPU) – the brain of the computer. This part of the hardware stores and processes data. It has three parts: ALU (arithmetic and logic unit; it performs all the arithmetic and logic operations), the control unit, and the memory. v Backing storage – consists of the disk drives, tape drives, RW-CD (read/write compact disk), RW-DVD (read/write digital versatile disk), etc. used to store data when the power is switched off. [IMAGE] Software Software is the general name for programs that can be run on computer hardware. There are two main categories of software: operating system software and applications software. Operating systems are programs that control the computer hardware directly. The operating system I am going to choose for the new system will be Windows XP. Applications software is used to perform a specific task. Applications software varies from word-processing packages used to write letter, prepare reports, etc. to specialist applications packages used only within one industry. The applications I will be choosing for the new system will be: v MS word – A word processing application. This will be used for word processing letters of confirmation, letters of payment, and mail merging letters. v MS access – A database application. This will be used for taking details such as personal information, booking details, and payment details. v MS excel – A spreadsheet application, this application can make

The Work and Life of Edgar Allan Poe Essay -- Edgar Allan Poe Essays

A bit of Edgar Allan Poe's life had been molded into each piece of his work. This provided his readers and critics with a better understanding of Poe's life. Poe displayed his greatest life's achievements and his worst disappointments in a series of stories and poems created throughout his whole life. It is the goal of this research paper to reveal symbolic facts about Poe?s life and define these hidden parallels in some of his most famous works.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts (Encyclopedia Britannica 540). Poe?s parents were David Poe, an actor from Baltimore and Elizabeth Arnold Poe, an actress born in England, who had relocated to Baltimore. At birth, Poe had been cursed. Shortly afterwards, Poe?s father abandoned the family and left Poe and his mother to fend for themselves. Not long after that, the cruel hands of fate worked their horrible touch on Poe again by taking his mother. In 1811, when Poe was two, his mother passed away, leaving him with a great loss. After his father?s departure and mother?s sudden death, Poe was left in the hands of his godfather, John Allan. John Allan was a wealthy merchant based in Richmond, Virginia with the means, knowledge and money to provide a good life for Poe.   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1815, Poe and his new family moved to England to provide him a classical education. Upon returning from England in 1826, Poe enrolled at the University of Virginia. This was a magnificent achievement for him, because Poe was only seventeen at the time while the normal age for attendance was nineteen (Quinn 130). For the first time, life was going good for Poe. His future looked to be a path paved with gold. When Poe entered college, his path of gold ended quickly. It was only another path of grief and disappointment. Poe soon began to gamble and drink alcohol quite heavily. He developed gambling debts from 2,000 to 2,500 dollars, which caused problems between his godfather and himself (Quinn 130). After eleven months at the university, Poe dropped out mainly because of his debts and drinking, but also for John Allan?s refusal to pay for his habits (Encyclopedia Britannica 540). Soon after Poe dropped out of school, he and John Allan had many quarrels over his gambling addiction. They finally decided it would be best for him to join the army. He joined under the alias of ?Edgar Allan Perry? (Encyclo... ...rks of Edgar Allan Poe, he is actually reading his autobiography with eccentric details to describe his life. Although he lived a short and tragic life, Edgar Allan Poe remains today one of the most beloved mystery writers of all time. His contributions to literature and the mystery genre cannot be matched. Bibliography Bloom, Harold. The Tales of Poe. New York, New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987: 121-145.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Buranelli, Vincent. Edgar Allan Poe. Boston: Twayne, 1977: 12-53. ?Edgar Allan Poe, The Dark Genius of the Short Story.? OnlineAvailableHttp://www.cais.com/webweave/poe/poebio.htm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Partridge, Toby. ?Poetry by Edgar Allan Poe.? Online Available Http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Congress/ 8953/poe.html.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?Poe, Edgar Allan.? Encarta Encyclopedia. 2000 ed. ?Poe,Edgar Allan,? Encyclopedia Britannica. 1995 ed., Vol. 9: 540-542.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Poe, Edgar Allan. ?Fall of the House of Usher.? Literature: The American Experience. Needham: Prentice Hall, 1996. 194-206.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?Poe, Edgar Allan,? World Book Encyclopedia. 1991 ed., Vol. 15: 591-592. Quinn, Patrick F. ?Four Views of Edgar Poe.? Jahrbuch Fur Amerikastudien. 1960 ed., Vol. 5: 128-146.

Think Before Speaking Essays -- George Orwell, Animal Farm

The author George Orwell earned a reputation for standing apart and making a virtue of his detachment. In 1948, he created an image of communist Russia in the form of animals. Orwell’s book, Animal Farm, depicts this huge allegory. Animal Farm tells the story of a farmer overthrown by his animals who then take over the farm. The animals want an anti-human-like society with equality for all. When the pigs become more and more like humans with a social hierarchy, the farm’s society is destroyed. The ignorance of other animals leads to the pigs’ oppressing others. The author Will Rogers once stated, â€Å"When ignorance gets started it has no bounds.† The ignorance of a horse, a donkey, and the sheep play an enormous part in their suppression by the pigs in Animal Farm. When a horse named Benjamin becomes unaware of actions going on on the farm he tends to lean on the leader Napoleon’s opinions for support. After the animals were slaughtered, Boxer said, â€Å"I do not understand it. I would have believed that such things could happen on our farm. It must be due to some fault in ourselves. The solution, as I see it, is to work harder.† (Orwell 85). By ignoring the fact that many of his fellow animals were harmed, Boxer is showing that he does not understand the reason of the slaughtering. The real reason for the animals being killed is because of them opposing the pigs. The pigs could simply execute additional animals for a second time without Boxer and other animals not knowing the motive. A different time Boxer shows that he lacks knowledge is when he only takes Napoleon’s opinion as an answer to difficult questions. Boxer states, â€Å"If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right.† (Orwell 56). This is Boxer’s response towards eliminating ... ...en interrupted the Meeting with this. It was noticed that they were especially liable to break into `four legs good, two legs bad` at crucial moments in Snowball’s speeches (Orwell 47, 48). The sheep’s only saying to support their opinion was â€Å"Four legs good, two legs bad.† Rather than, making speeches and creating debates the sheep only yelped one saying in their support. Bottom line- ignorance leads to oppression. Why is this important? By using Animal Farm to represent communist Russia Orwell showed that ignorance and oppression are still present in the modern world. Boxer’s, the hens’, and the sheep’s lack of knowledge is still present today. To stop oppression through ignorance all should think before they act or speak. Oppression through Ignorance can be stopped if all notice how much power they have in their hands. Works Cited Orwell, George Animal Farm

Reaction Paper Information Security Essay

Right now we are living in a world where information is very abundant and mostly open to everyone because of the internet. Security and privacy are big issues nowadays and someone has to do some actions regarding these issues. People dealing with the security and privacy of information belong to the field of Information Security, and we are lucky to meet someone knowledgeable about this field of work. Last February 27 at BA Multimedia Room of Saint Therese Building, we held a seminar about Information Technology and our speaker was Mr. Ferdinand Samaniego and together with him is a Computer Engineering graduate of Adamson University, Mr. Tet Aguila. Mr. Samaniego is the Lead Penetration Tester of Bitshield. His task is to find possible threats on applications and provide remedy to these threats. The seminar was delayed for about an hour because Mr. Samaniego and Mr. Aguila were caught in traffic. Most of us lost their enthusiasm about the seminar because of the delay. But when Mr. Samaniego and Mr. Aguila arrived and started the seminar, everyone became very excited and the eagerness to learn came back to us because Mr. Samaniego told that he will tackle issues about hacking. I think it is normal for us Computer Engineering students to get excited whenever the topic is hacking. We had already attended several seminars and whenever the topic is hacking it usually get all our attention throughout the seminar. So as expected, the seminar was very lively and interactive. Students raised their questions and Mr. Samaniego and Mr. Aguila willingly addressed these questions. At the beginning of the seminar, Mr. Samaniego asked us which operating system we are using in our computers. All of us answered Microsoft Windows  Operating System. He laughed and then challenged us that if we are using Linux Operation System just raised our hand and he will give some freebies to us. But no one raised his/her hand. He again laughed and told us that we must try and explore Linux Operating System because it is more flexible and more secure than Windows Operating System. Mr. Samaniego advised us that when we arrived at our home that day, we try to install Linux OS in our computers or download a Virtual Machine and run Linux OS in that VM. After he discussed Linux OS and Virtual Machines, Mr. Samaniego asked us how many programming languages we learned here in Adamson University. We answered 5 programming languages namely, C++, Assembly, C#, Java and C. He advised us to study more programming languages because it is our key to enter the industry world if we want to venture on Programming or Information Security. Mr. Samaniego told us that if we want to enter the field of InfoSec we must equipped ourselves with scripting languages like Ruby and Python because it is the most common language use to analyze threats on applications. He said that based on what programming languages we knew it will be very easy for us to study other programming languages because most of the programming languages are based from C Language. The last part of the seminar was the most interactive part of the seminar, when we are allowed to raise any question we had in our minds. As expected most of the questions were about hacking and some were about Linux Operating System. Mr. Samaniego and Mr. Aguila answered all of our questions and even shared some of their experiences in the industry. Mr. Samaniego shared to us that he once worked with Globe Telecoms as an Information Security officer. There was a time when hackers found a hole in their network and used it to have a free internet connection as long as they have one peso load. It took them weeks to found out that issue and a couple of days to provide a solution regarding the issue. Mr. Samaniego was the one who provided the solution. He told us that the problem was very simple and the hackers were too clever to use it to have an internet connection. The hackers route the DNS of a website to a different IP address, and that IP address gives them internet connection. The solution Mr. Samaniegp provided was also simple, but it was a secret he joked us. He also gave us a list of websites where we  can study Information Security, websites like easycouncil.com, gsn3.org, ic2.org, securityfocus.com, cisecurity.org and other more websites where we can start studying InfoSec. At the end of the day, I was very thankful for this seminar about Information Security. This seminar opened a new career path for me and taught me new things. Mr. Samaniego and Mr. Aguila were truly knowledgeable people from the field of InfoSec and I was lucky to meet them and listened to all their advices and lessons. I realized that Information Technology offers a broad career path and we must not stop learning because IT world is continuously developing and we must cope to these developments. A seminar like this is necessary for us to learn new things and get inspired by IT professionals.