Case analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Case analysis - Essay Example The management needs to change this policy, and initiate a rotational policy, where employees would manage to work at different sections of the produce department. Another area that the management should change is favoritism. An example of favoritism occurs Denise, a new employee manages to get two dollar an hour, as opposed to other experienced workers such as Dan. This is because Denise is only three months old into the job, and she is earning more than other workers, despite carrying out the same job. This is a de-motivating factor that needs to be handled and corrected. Dan is also an authoritarian leader, who does not follow rules, and he finds pleasure in harassing his employees (Robbins & Judge, 2010). For instance, he does not allow his employee a 45 minute lunch break as required by the company. Instead, he requires his employees to have a 30 minute break, which is not sufficient. Furthermore, he abuses Alex, regarding his mental ability, which is very bad for a supervisor to do. This aspect has to be changed, because it is a de-motivator, and it manages to destroy the confidence of his employees and workforce. This would in turn make these employees not to be productive. One of the theories of motivation that applies to this case, is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. According to this theoretical framework, the needs of an individual are classified into five categories, with higher needs being self-actualization, and self-esteem (Hoffmann, 2007). Self actualization and self-esteem lack in this produce department.All these lack at the produce department, under the leadership of Dan. This is because people cannot advance in their careers, because they are given the same job year for a longer period of time. Furthermore, the job is not challenging, because the same job daily is boring and frustrating. This is the reason Alex was considering leaving the organization. Self-esteem also lacks at this department, because the

Jane’s Asylum Memorandum and Elian Gonzalez Case Brief Essay Example for Free

Jane’s Asylum Memorandum and Elian Gonzalez Case Brief Essay Question Presented Under the Immigration and Naturalization Service requirements for filing a petition for asylum in the U.S., can a relative submit an application on behalf of a minor? Short Answer No. Minors can submit a petition for asylum in the United States, because the Supreme Court feels that application for asylum cannot be made against the wishes of a parent, if the child lacks the mental capacity to request asylum. A third person cannot speak on the behalf of a minor because it is the right of the parent to speak on behalf of his child in the court. Statement of Facts Jane is 14 years old. She has Canadian citizenship and has no dual citizenship with any other country. Her father is a Canadian citizen and her mother is an American citizen. Her parents have been divorced for six years. Her father, John, has primary guardianship in Quebec. During the school breaks and holiday vacations, she lives with her mother, Anne, in New York. John is a high-level government minister, working on creating an independent French Canadian State. Under Canadian law, both Anne and John retained full custodial and parental rights following the divorce. Six months ago, Jane was living in New York during a school break. During the break, Jane telephoned her father asking to be allowed to return to Quebec. John advised her to stay the remainder of the break and try to get along with her mother. Two days later, at 6:00pm, Anne returned from work to find a message on her answering machine from Jane, saying that she was going to live with her uncle, Billy, in California. He is 21 years old. Jane’s message stated that she hated both of her parents and believed that neither of them cared about her at all. Her father received a similar message. Anne died on the way to the airport to catch up with Jane. Jane refuses to return to Canada. Billy wants to file an asylum petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Jane’s behalf since she is a minor. He claims that Jane is afraid to return to Canada due to propaganda issues. Jane claims that other rebellious children and adults who disagree with the goals of the government have been used for propaganda purposes Application The issue of asylum is not always easy and special notes are particularly made for asylum when it seekers involve minors. The United Nations General Assembly recognized and accepted international instruments and documents that contain provisions specifically relating to children. They recognize and promote the principle that childrens rights are human rights, and that childrens rights are universal. See, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, (1948)(e.g., Article 14 provides for the right to apply for asylum, Article 25(2) refers to the special care and assistance required for children). Pursuant to 8 U.S.C 12  §1158 (2004), any foreigner physically in the United States, irrespective of such alien’s status, may apply for asylum. The Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General may grant asylum to any who have filed for asylum and has completed the requirements and followed the required procedures, Id.  § 1158(b) (1) (a). The next part of the issue is who can file for the minor. Jane would be classified as either a minor principal or an unaccompanied minor according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The difference between the two is a minor principal is a person under the age of 18 when filing for asylum by one’s own right, as opposed to as a derivative family member on a parent’s or spouse’s asylum application. An unaccompanied minor principal applicant for asylum who is under 18 years of age and who has no parent or legal guardian in the U.S. who is available to provide care and physical custody. This definition encompasses separated minors, e.g., those who are separated from their parents or guardians, but who are in the informal care and physical custody of other adults, including family members. See, Homeland Security Act 6 U.S.C.  §279 (2002). The latter is better fitting in Jane’s case. Because she is under the age of 18, she left the care of her parent, has no living parent in the United States, and in the physical care of an adult family member. The last part of issue one is the filing an application for asylum be a child. .In Gonzalez v. Reno, 86 F. Supp. 2d 1167 (S.D. Fla. 2000), aff’d, the court found that a child with out mental capacity cannot file asylum against the wishes of parent. In Polovchak, the court concluded the minimum age of 12 was the lowest for the age of majority needed to distinguish the child’s asylum interests that different from those of their parents. Polovchak v. Meese, 774 F.2d 731 (7th Cir. 1985). Jane has a particular fear of being used, as propaganda, in a province political issue will not affect her age to form a political opinion. Matters pertaining to persecution of political opinions of a minor differing than those of a parent cannot be a rejection due to age. See, Civil v. INS, 140 F.3d 52 (1st Cir 1998); Matter of S-P, Int. Dec. 3287 (BIA 1996)(stating that the Ninth Circuit has recognized imputed political opinion as a ground for satisfying the refugee definition). In 1994, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stated, that children and adolescents are entitled to special attention because their needs, and their legal and social status, can be significantly different from those of adults, and from each other as well, due to age-related developmental differences†, Conclusion In conclusion, Jane’s uncle, Billy, cannot file for a petition for asylum on Jane’s behalf. Jane can seek and file a petition for asylum in the United States on her own. Since Jane is 14 years old, she has the mental capacity to file for asylum because the courts view mental capacity for petition of children asylum seekers be at the minimum age of 12. In addition, the claim of being used as propaganda tool to further her father’s actions to have the province become an independent from the Canadian government, allows Jane to have different political opinions of her father. Jane’s status would make her an unaccompanied minor. Her applicant status means that she is an applicant for asylum because she is under 18, has no parent or legal guardian in the U.S, has no legal parent living in the U.S., and is in the informal care and physical custody of an adult family member. It is my opinion that she would have successful results in seeking, filing, and receiving asylum in the U.S. CITATION: Gonzalez v. Reno, 86 F. Supp. 2d 1167 (S.D. Fla. 2000) FACTS: The parties to this case are Elian Gonzalez with Lazaro Gonzalez and Attorney General Janet Reno. Six-year-old Cuban national Elian Gonzalez became the focus of international attention five months ago, on November 25, 1999, when he was rescued by two Miami anglers who found him floating on an inner tube several miles off Fort Lauderdale. Elian was transferred to a United States Coast Guard vessel so he could be transported to a nearby hospital for treatment for dehydration and hypothermia. Elians mother, Elisabeth Brotons, drowned during the voyage from Cuba. The INS temporarily paroled him into the care of Lazaro Gonzalez, his great uncle, in Miami. On January 19, 2000, Lazaro Gonzalez, instituted this action as next friend, or alternatively as interim temporary legal custodian, of Elian Gonzalez, a six-year-old child, against the Attorney General, the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), and other federal defendants. The complaint challenged the INSs refusal to accept and adjudicate two asylum applications that Lazaro submitted with respect to Elian and an essentially identical application that bore Elian’s signature. On January 27, 2000, the government filed a motion to dismiss or, in the alternative, for summary judgment. The district court heard oral argument on the governments motion on March 9, 2000. On March 21, 2000, the district court granted the governments motion to dismiss or for summary judgment and dismissed the case. Plaintiff appealed. On April 19, 2000, this Court issued an injunction pending appeal, barring Elians removal from the United States during the pendency of this app eal ISSUE: 1. Whether the district court was correct in holding that Elian Gonzalez has no due process rights concerning the manner in which the INS considered the asylum applications filed on his behalf. 2. Whether the INSs thoroughly considered and crafted approach to considering asylum applications submitted by a third party on behalf of a six-year-old child, against the express wishes of the childs sole surviving parent. RULE: 1. An unadmitted alien cannot challenge decisions by INS officials with regard to their applications for admission, asylum, or parole on constitutional grounds 2. An application for asylum cannot be made against the wishes of a parent, if the child lacks the mental capacity to request asylum and a third person cannot speak on the behalf of a minor because it is the right of the parent to speak on behalf of his child in the court. ANALYSIS: The Court felt that the district court ruled correctly on its holding that Elian Gonzalez had no due process rights in the way the Attorney General considered the asylum applications submitted for him. The ruling on due process was found to lack merit because aliens seeking admission to the United States . . . have no constitutional rights with regard to their applications, Jean v. Nelson, 727 F.2d 957, 968 (11th Cir. 1984). Although the statute requires the existence of some application procedure so that aliens may apply for asylum, section 1158 says nothing about the particulars of that procedure, 8 U.S.C.  § 1158. The matter for decision is not up for the courts to decide but for the agency to enforcing the statute, in this case the INS, to choose how to fill such gaps. See Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837 (1984), 104 S. Ct. at 2793 The second issue was who could actually speak for Elian Gonzalez. The INS Commissioner reached a decision that a six year old is too young to file an asylum claim on his own. It was therefore the job of the Attorney General Reno’s job to determine who should speak for the child, and she found that the father, Juan Miguel, should speak for the child. In Polovchak v. Meese, 774 F.2d 731 (7th Cir. 1985, the court concluded the minimum age of 12 was the lowest for the age of majority needed to distinguish the child’s asylum interests that different from those of their parents. Lazaro Gonzalez application for guardianship was not allowed because the matter was with immigration lending it to be a federal matter. CONCLUSION: The courts ruled that an alien seeking asylum has no constitutional right to do so, thus removing the power to assert a right to due process under the law. Since Elian was an alien, the Attorney General had full custody over his status. On the second point was could Elian through a third party bring an application for asylum on his behalf. Because Elian was only six years old, he lacked the legal capacity to file for himself. The court felt that only the father could speak for his child. Since the application for asylum was in direct conflict with his wishes, the court saw no reason to reverse the lower court decision therefore sending the child back to his homeland. Had Elian been at least 12 years of age and could articulate the reasons for his fear of being returned to Cuba

American Democracy in the 21st Century: A Look into the Effects and Val

I. Introduction to Global Leadership â€Å"The one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked† (Luke 12:48). â€Å"It is now a clichà © that America is the world’s only superpower†¦[n]ever before, however, has America been so alone at the pinnacle of global leadership.† It is this belief, that the U.S. has assumed the role of â€Å"global leadership, which caused American foreign policy to shift from being more isolationistic in the mid 20th Century to becoming infamously characterized by imperialism. Unfortunately, the modern interpretation of American â€Å"leadership† has been â€Å"taken to an extreme, [where] global leadership implies U.S. interest in and responsibility for virtually everything, anywhere.† It is because America clings so tightly onto this role as the world’s â€Å"police† that its foreign policy has made it become involved in the affairs of other countries, even when matters of national security or others are not at stake. The price of â€Å"global leadership† costs the U.S in excess of a $600 billion â€Å"defense budget spent to support U.S. aspirations to lead the world, not to defend the United States.† As American involvement in other nations increases, so declines international support and the legitimacy of the U.S.’s policy involving itself in serious international affairs. Recently, the United States became involved in yet another conflict which has no direct affect upon its economy or security. As of March, 2011 the U.S. started yet another bombing campaign against a third Muslim nation, Libya, on the basis that its leader Prime Minister, and Colonel, Muammar el-Qaddafi was committing â€Å"human rights violations† by attacking his own citizens, who were notably attempting to oust him from his role as Libya’s president. The Unit... ... 2011. . Ryan, Julia L, and Kevin J Wu. "Profs React to U.S. Involvement in Libya." The Harvard Crimson. Harvard University, 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. history-military-granara-libya/>. WPO. "World Publics Reject US Role as the World Leader." World Public Opinion. N.p., 17 Apr. 2007. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. pipa/articles/views_on_countriesregions_bt/ 345.php?nid=&id=&pnt=345&lb=btvoc>. Zunes, Stephen. "History of US-Libya Relations Indicates US Must Tread Carefully as Uprising Continues." Truthout. N.p., 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. history-us-libya-relations-indicates-us-must-tread-carefully-uprising-continues68 033>. American Democracy in the 21st Century: A Look into the Effects and Val I. Introduction to Global Leadership â€Å"The one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked† (Luke 12:48). â€Å"It is now a clichà © that America is the world’s only superpower†¦[n]ever before, however, has America been so alone at the pinnacle of global leadership.† It is this belief, that the U.S. has assumed the role of â€Å"global leadership, which caused American foreign policy to shift from being more isolationistic in the mid 20th Century to becoming infamously characterized by imperialism. Unfortunately, the modern interpretation of American â€Å"leadership† has been â€Å"taken to an extreme, [where] global leadership implies U.S. interest in and responsibility for virtually everything, anywhere.† It is because America clings so tightly onto this role as the world’s â€Å"police† that its foreign policy has made it become involved in the affairs of other countries, even when matters of national security or others are not at stake. The price of â€Å"global leadership† costs the U.S in excess of a $600 billion â€Å"defense budget spent to support U.S. aspirations to lead the world, not to defend the United States.† As American involvement in other nations increases, so declines international support and the legitimacy of the U.S.’s policy involving itself in serious international affairs. Recently, the United States became involved in yet another conflict which has no direct affect upon its economy or security. As of March, 2011 the U.S. started yet another bombing campaign against a third Muslim nation, Libya, on the basis that its leader Prime Minister, and Colonel, Muammar el-Qaddafi was committing â€Å"human rights violations† by attacking his own citizens, who were notably attempting to oust him from his role as Libya’s president. The Unit... ... 2011. . Ryan, Julia L, and Kevin J Wu. "Profs React to U.S. Involvement in Libya." The Harvard Crimson. Harvard University, 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. history-military-granara-libya/>. WPO. "World Publics Reject US Role as the World Leader." World Public Opinion. N.p., 17 Apr. 2007. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. pipa/articles/views_on_countriesregions_bt/ 345.php?nid=&id=&pnt=345&lb=btvoc>. Zunes, Stephen. "History of US-Libya Relations Indicates US Must Tread Carefully as Uprising Continues." Truthout. N.p., 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. history-us-libya-relations-indicates-us-must-tread-carefully-uprising-continues68 033>.

Genetics of Drosophilia

The last reason Rosalie Is Ideal for research Is the fly size and manipulability, since we can easily control them combined with the previous reasons makes them ideal for research. In our experimental research we attempted to observe genetic changes in three generations of flies. We were given the second generation to observe the traits and record. Our hypothesis is if the drosophila are allowed to interbreed, then genetic variation will occur. Materials 1. Culture vial of wild-type Drosophila 2. Culture vial A or B or C 3. Spoilsport Alcohol 10%, mall 4. Camel's hair brush 5.Thermo-anesthetizes 6. Petri dish Drosophila vials ; labels with medium 7. 8. Fly morgue 9. Forceps Procedures Part A 1 . Thermally Immobilizers a vial of wild-type Drosophila. Your Instructor will demonstrate the proper Manipulation technique. 2. Observe the flies' traits, particularly body features that distinguish males and females, eye color, and wing size and shape. Record your observations in Table 1 in th e Analysis section. If, at any time during your observations, the flies begin to become active, re-immobilizers them according to your instructor's directions. Part B 1.Obtain a vial off prepared Drosophila cross. 2. Record the letter written on your vial In Table 2 In the Analysis sections to help you keep track of which cross you have received. TLS will lad In determining expected results, as well as allow your instructor to identify any problems you may be having and to help correct them. 3. Immobilizers the parental generation of your cross and observe the flies under a stereoscope's. If, at any time during your observations, the flies begin to become active, re-immobilizers them according to your instructor's directions. 4. Separate the males from the females.

Fine Tuning Management Education- the Need of the Hour Essay

Getting an education is an important part of success in today’s business world. It’s competitive out there, and the more educated you are, the better your chances of landing a good job are. That’s why getting a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) is so important. As of now there are over 2,400 B- Schools in India, Karnataka has around 67, of which 46 colleges in Bangalore offer MBA programs. The MBA degree opens up worlds of opportunity for its bearers. Many business positions require an MBA for advancement. It is a fact that having an MBA degree is like having the key to the gates of opportunities in the corporate world. Like a green signal for the new business world. Hi-tech development, improvements, and the growing privatization all have completely transformed the business grounds. Along with all this, the business plans and pedagogy are also constantly changing very fast. Besides, in every phase the competition is getting more and more difficult. As the business is changing and the level of competition is also increasing the companies are forced to hire employees having done their MBA from the most competitive college. An MBA Program will give and teach all the things that are essential to make you a good manager and skills that are important to augment the efficiency and productivity of the organization. No company would like to waste their time to train people with the required skills and knowledge when they know that such candidates are already available in the form of MBA graduates. Today all organizations expect that their employees are able to give more profit to the company in a shorter span of time. An MBA student is expected to have certain level of competency which makes them different from others. The course exposes the student to the practical field helping them to perform effectively in the long run. However, it is perceived that the management education is falling short of this objective. In order to keep the MBA relevant, the colleges offering them will have to make the curriculum more responsive to the global economy. The research paper focuses on the perception of MBA graduates and their expectations towards the management education. Keywords: Management curriculum, Higher education, Management activities. Introduction The development of management education can be traced back to 18th century. From 18th century to 21st century, management education has seen lot of changes and development. Management education in India is predominately a derivative of western management thought and practice. Management education in India is not very old, after the establishment of the IITs, there was dire need for similar establishments in the field of management education. Thus came into existence Indian Institute of Management Ahmadabad (IIMA), followed soon after by one in Kolkata (IIMC). Starting with the establishment of 4 Indian Institutes of Management Calcutta (1961), Ahmadabad (1962), Bangalore (1973), Lucknow (1984), now management education is being offered as full time/part time MBA programmes by some leading universities in the country. Recently and particularly during the last 4-5 years the country has witnessed a tremendous growth in the founding of management institutions most of them in private sector offering management programs in different functional areas of management. Concurrently, there is a mushrooming of B-schools in the country (over 2,500 institutes, of which about 1940 are certified by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)), leading to issues of quality. In Bangalore alone there are as many as 300 MBA colleges. Management education introduces students to a broader perspective about the role of individuals in growth of business and society, which is quite evident. Management education provides students and working professionals with an edge that enables them to strengthen the Connection between business and society. The Importance of Management Studies for a Successful Corporate Career Management studies are an important medium that facilitates improvement of leadership qualities and turns out excellent future managers. Management courses with specialization in different areas prepare students to face the constantly advancing corporate world and impart effective people-management skills. Management studies should emphasis not just in creating good managers but also on improving and enhancing existing skills while passing on managerial competence to students. Young aspiring managers equipped with a reputed management degree turn out to be survivors who are able to sustain themselves in an environment of intense competition, globalization and ever-evolving technologies. In fact, producing powerful managers is the biggest challenge that businesses worldwide face today. An accredited MBA degree from a prestigious business school certifies the managerial skills learnt during the course of the study. A well designed management training course suitably develops a talented workforce that can be expected to be efficient future leaders and successful managers who are able to tackle complex situations and relationships with clients in any organization. Review of Literature A. Gill (2003) emphasized due to globalization and advancement in information technology the role played by management education in enhancing country knowledge base has been placed under a sharper focus thus it has become imperative to look at management education from the market oriented perspective and take a strategic view to better align business education with the requirement of the global market. Basu Sharma et al(1996) pointed out that internationalization of management has been promoted along several dimensions such as curricula challenge, research activities with both contents and outlet being relevant and executive development programs. It seems that educational institutions and supplementary providers of management education have no choice but to rise to the challenge of global competition. L.R.Irala (2006) was of view that  © Research Journal of International Studies – Issue 18 (January, 2011) 17 management education in India is at cross roads with the dawn of new millennium there has been exceptional growth in management institutes, to upgrade their competencies the financial autonomy will be the key and academic autonomy the major drivers. Margaret McNamara and et al.(1990) stressed on action learning in management education as Management institutes are often criticized for focusing more on theory and on quantitative analysis while neglecting interpersonal relationship and quantitative finding. It is often stated that management education should be experience-based, active, problem oriented and modified by feedback and action learning serves the purpose. Statement of the Problem The greatest competitive challenge facing companies is said to be embracing change over the last two decades due to several factors. This includes rapid changes in market dynamics, globalization etc. Management education is supposed to prepare the candidate for managing or leading a significant activity in the organization. However, it is perceived that the management education is falling short of this objective. It requires a reassessment of traditional managerial concepts & practices. Thus the research paper focuses on the perception and expectations of management graduates towards the management education in Bangalore City. Objectives of the study 1.To study the perception of management graduates towards management education. 2.To know the satisfaction level of the graduates towards the present curriculum. 3.To understand the expectations in order to improve the MBA program. Research Design a)Type of Research: The study is Descriptive and Empirical in nature. b)Sources of Data Collection:   Primary Data has been collected from the respondents who are MBA graduates, and are professionally employed in the various companies and institutions. A specifically structured questionnaire is used for the purpose of study. The questions designed in the questionnaire aims to explore: a.The profile of respondents in terms of age, gender, marital status, length of service and designation. b.15 Variables are used for measuring the perception of MBA graduates towards management education and improvement of program curriculum. c.Secondary sources of data were also consulted for the purpose of gathering back ground information supporting the study. Data were obtained from general management education journals, Magazines and websites. c)Type of Sampling: Simple Random Sampling method is used for the study. d)Sample Size: The primary data is collected from the 100 respondents of Bangalore city e)Statistical tools for Analysis: The Percentage method is used for analyzing the study. Scope of the study The research is done to measure the perception of management graduates towards improvement in management education of various B- schools, but with the caveat that the curriculum of most programs should be revised to meet the challenges that face the next generation of business leaders. Moreover the research is restricted to Bangalore City.

Objectivist Epistemology and Ayn Rand Essays

Objectivist Epistemology and Ayn Rand Essays Objectivist Epistemology and Ayn Rand Paper Objectivist Epistemology and Ayn Rand Paper awareness acquired through the senses, into valid concepts that actually identify the facts of reality. Objectivism states that by the method of reason man can gain knowledge (identification of the facts of reality) and rejects philosophical skepticism. Objectivism also rejects faith and feeling as means of attaining knowledge. Although Rand acknowledged the importance of emotion in humans, she maintained that the existence of emotion was part of our reality, not a separate means of achieving awareness of reality. Rand was neither a classical empiricist (like Hume or the logical positivists) nor a classical rationalist (like Plato, Descartes, or Frege). She disagreed with the empiricists mainly in that she considered perception to be simply sensation extended over time, limiting the scope of perception to automatic, pre-cognitive awareness. Thus, she categorized so-called perceptual illusions as errors in cognitive interpretation due to complexity of perceptual data. She held that objective identification of the values of attributes of existents is obtained by measurement, broadly defined as procedures whose perceptual component, the comparison of the attributes value to a standard, is so simple that an error in the resulting identification is not possible given a focused mind. Therefore, according to Rand, knowledge obtained by measurement (the fact that an entity has the measured attribute, and the value of this attribute relative to the standard) is contextually certain. Ayn Rands most distinctive contribution in epistemology is her theory that concepts are properly formed by measurement omission. Objectivism distinguishes valid concepts from poorly formed concepts, which Rand calls anti-concepts. While we can know that something exists by perception, we can only identify what exists by measurement and logic, which are necessary to turn percepts into valid concepts. Procedural logic (defined by Rand as the art of non-contradictory identification) specifies that a valid concept is formed by omitting the variable measurements of the values of corresponding attributes of a set of instances or units, but keeping the list of shared attributes a template with measurements omitted as the criterion of membership in the conceptual class. When the fact that a unit has all the attributes on this list has been verified by measurement, then that unit is known with contextual certainty to be a unit of the given concept. 9] Because a concept is only known to be valid within the range of the measurements by which it was validated, it is an error to assume that a concept is valid outside this range, which is its (contextual) scope. It is also an error to assume that a proposition is known to be valid outside the scope of its concepts, or that the conclusion of a syllogism is known to be valid outside the scope of its premises. Rand ascribed scope violation err ors in logic to epistemological intrinsicism. [9][4] Rand did not consider the analytic-synthetic distinction, including the view that there are truths in virtue of meaning, or that necessary truths and mathematical truths are best understood as truths in virtue of meaning, to have merit. She similarly denied the existence of a priori knowledge. Rand also considered her ideas distinct from foundationalism, naive realism about perception like Aristotle, or representationalism (i. e. , an indirect realist who believes in a veil of ideas) like Descartes or Locke. Objectivist epistemology, like most other philosophical branches of Objectivism, was first presented by Rand in Atlas Shrugged. [5] It is more fully developed in Rands 1967 Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology. [9] Rand considered her epistemology and its basis in reason so central to her philosophy that she remarked, I am not primarily an advocate of capitalism, but of egoism; and I am not primarily an advocate of egoism, but of reason. If one recognizes the supremacy of reason and applies it consistently, all the rest follows.

Definition and Examples of a Grammatical Category

Definition and Examples of a Grammatical Category A grammatical category is a class of units (such as noun and verb) or features (such as number and case) that share a common set of characteristics. They are the building blocks of language, allowing us to communicate with one another. There are no hard and fast rules for what defines these shared traits, however, making it difficult for linguists to agree on precisely what is and is not a grammatical category. As the linguist and author R.L. Trask put it, the term category in linguistics is so varied that no general definition is possible; in practice, a category is simply any class of related grammatical objects which someone wants to consider. That said, there are some strategies you can use to group words into categories based on how they function in the English language (think of parts of speech). Identifying Grammar Groups One of the simplest ways to create grammatical categories is by grouping words together based on their class. Classes are word sets that display the same formal properties, such as inflection or verb tense. Put another way, grammatical categories can be defined as sets of words with similar meanings (called semantics). There are two families of classes, lexical and functional. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and adjectives fall into this class. Determiners, particles, prepositions, and other words denoting position or spatial relationships are part of the functional class. Using this definition, you can create grammatical categories like this:   Verbs denote actions (go, destroy, buy, eat,  etc.)Nouns denote entities (car, cat, hill, John,  etc.)Adjectives  denote states (ill, happy, rich,  etc.)Adverbs  denote manner (badly, slowly, painfully, cynically,  etc.)Prepositions  denote location (under, over, outside, in, on,  etc.) Grammar groups can be further divided, depending on a words defining properties. Nouns, for instance, can be further subdivided into  number,  gender,  case, and  countability. Verbs can be  subdivided  by tense,  aspect, or  voice. Grammar Tips Unless youre a linguist, you probably wont spend much time thinking about how words can be classified based on how they function in the English language. But just about anyone can identify basic parts of speech. Be careful, though. Some words have multiple functions, such watch, which can function as both a verb (Watch out over there!) and a noun (My watch is broken.). Other words, such as gerunds, may appear to be one part of speech (a verb) and yet function differently (as a noun). In these cases, youll need to pay close attention to the context in which such words are used in writing or speech. Sources David Crystal,  A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, 4th ed. Blackwell, 1997Thomas E. Payne,  Describing Morphosyntax: A Guide for Field Linguists. Cambridge University Press, 1997R.L. Trask,  Language and Linguistics: The Key Concepts, 2nd ed., ed. by Peter Stockwell. Routledge, 2007Laurel J. Brinton,  The Structure of Modern English: A Linguistic Introduction. John Benjamins, 2000Andrew Radford,  Minimalist Syntax: Exploring the Structure of English. Cambridge University Press, 2004

Connection Between GMOs and Evolution

Connection Between GMOs and Evolution While different organizations seem to have differing opinions on this widely used technique in the world of nutrition, the fact is that agriculture has been using GMO plants for decades. Scientists believed it would be a safer alternative to using pesticides on crops. By using genetic engineering, scientists were able to create a plant that was inherently immune to pests without the harmful chemicals. Are GMOs Safe to Consume? Since the genetic engineering of crops and other plants and animals is a relatively new scientific endeavor, no long-term studies have been able to produce a definitive answer on the question of safety of the consumption of these modified organisms. Studies are continuing into this question and will scientists will hopefully have an answer for the public about the safety of GMO foods that is neither biased nor fabricated. GMOs and the Environment There have also been environmental studies of these genetically modified plants and animals to see the effects of these changed individuals on the overall health of the species as well as the evolution of species. Some concerns that are being tested are what effects do these GMO plants and animals have on the wild type plants and animals of the species. Do they behave like invasive species and try to out compete natural organisms in the area and take over the niche while the regular, non-manipulated organisms begin to die out? Does the changing of the genome give these GMOs a sort of advantage when it comes to natural selection? What happens when a GMO plant and a regular plant cross-pollinate? Will the genetically modified DNA be found more frequently in the offspring or will it continue to hold true to what we know about genetic ratios? GMOs and Natural Selection If the GMOs do happen to have an advantage for natural selection and live long enough to reproduce while the wild type plants and animals begin to die out, what does this mean for the evolution of those species? If that trend continues where the modified organisms seem to have the desired adaptation, it stands to reason that those adaptations will be passed down to the next generation of offspring and become more prevalent in the population. However, if the environment changes, it could be that the genetically modified genomes are no longer the favorable trait, then natural selection could swing the population in the opposite direction and cause the wild type to become more successful than the GMO. There have not been any definitive long-term studies published yet that can link the advantages and/or disadvantages of having organisms that have been genetically modified just hanging around out in nature with wild plants and animals. Therefore, the effect GMOs would have on evolution is speculative and has not been fully tested or verified at this point in time. While many short-term studies do point to the wild type organisms being affected by the presence of the GMOs, any long-term effects that will impact the evolution of the species is yet to be determined. Until these long-term studies have been completed, verified, and supported by evidence, these hypotheses will continue to be debated by scientists and the public alike.

Women in Sports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Women in Sports - Essay Example Women participation in sports/Olympics Considering the historical background of women participation in the Olympics, it is obvious that women have enjoyed nominal representation in ancient games. As Barbara L. Drinkwater comments; â€Å"Although the modern Olympic Games actually began in 1896, women were not permitted to participate† (Drinkwater & Inthe international Federation of Sports Medicine xi). Research professionals consider Amsterdam Olympics as a special one. This Olympics achieved international attention because of its women representation. In this game, a female participant had won the gold medal in Olympics history. Betty Robinson Schwartz is considered as the first female gold winner in the Olympics. In the Amsterdam Olympics, she created a new history in track and field (Zabell). Women fol,k have faced severe discrimination from the part of authorities and male community. Historical studies prove that the patriarchal society never ready to keep the achievements of women in the Olympics and other ceremonies. In 396 B.C. Olympics, Kyniska, a Spartan princess, won an Olympic chariot race, but she is banned from accumulating her prize in person (Anthony & suffragist). The problem of social attitude towards women part he participated in some sports items contributes supplementary causes for poor female representation. In the case of boxing, it is clear that the game requires a higher level of physical fitness and it is more stereotypically supposed for men. Boxing constitutes a psychological as well a physiological pace in which tension and emotional frustrations the can be revealed through the use of ropes and corners posts (Scott & Conover 40). Lack of opportunities for women in participating sports programs plays a vital role in the process of lowering women participation in sports and games.â€Å"Furthermore, in many countries, women have scarcely any opportunity of taking a sport in their leisure time† (Drinkwater & International Fe deration of Sports Medicine 17). Another important thing is that society always treats the woman as secondary to man. People never ready to admit to women participation in sports. Female’s sports participation turns down more speedily with age than does that of male, and is more vulnerable to the impact of family and domestic reasons sibilities than men (Houlihan 92). Considerable changes have been remarked in the field of women participation in the Olympics. A kind of gradual development in female participation in sports events and other physical activities. In 1900 Parris Olympics two items were included for women. The period from 1976 t0 88 was recorded by active women representation in sports and games (Lam & Chang 153). After that International Olympic Council (IOC) revived its manual and ensures active female representation in sports and games without gender discrimination.

The khipu system of the Andes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The khipu system of the Andes - Research Paper Example Through this main concept, there is the ability to understand how the Khipu System developed as a needed system in the Andes, as well as how it has developed into a writing system. The Khipu System of the Andes The concept of the Khipu System developed in the Andes as a formation of communication from the Incas. The system began with the belief in a need to record information and history as well as stories that were a part of the culture. This was combined with the visualization and symbols that were often attributed to the Incas and which were used in creating a sense of understanding through various shapes and forms that were recorded in the culture. The Incas developed the Khipu system specifically to create a recordkeeping attribute to the society and to tell the stories to others which could be passed down outside of oral storytelling and into the visualization and material goods which could keep records of those that were a part of the Inca society. The perspectives which were created were based on a combined effort with hieroglyphs, pictographic tests and a known form of early writing within the Andes (Boone, Mignolo, 5). The development of the Khipu didn’t just develop because of the need to pass down history and to have a form of writing. The formation of a knot system as communication came specifically because of the developments which the race already had. ... To record this, were also specific attributes associated with coordination of numbers and record keeping with the economic status. This particular form of record keeping with numbers then emerged into the political and social concepts which were a part of the main system. This was based on the use of symbolism and visualization which continued to accelerate into the system. The symbolic power of every material which was in society was an important concept and created a sense of significance, which led to the iconographic motifs in the Andes and eventually led to a mainstream system used in all cultures in the economy and within society. The Khapu system was able to combine the economics, numeral understand, symbolism of visualization and the use of the materials and visual relationships as creating a sense of meaning. These different attributes were able to lead to the evolution of the system and the approaches which were associated with the Khapu System (Henderson, 272). Evidence of the Writing System There are several areas of evidence that show that the Khapu system was a form of an earlier writing system and which led into an evolution of understanding specific stories, record keeping alternatives and associations with the time frame. The Spanish and European invasions of the Andes first presented the information about the writing system, specifically with an understanding that it was able to create a different form of communication. For instance, Naples documents from individuals such as Blas Valera, a mestizo Jesuit, presents the system and shows how it was a form of communication in the Andes. It was known that before this, the Incan culture and writing was thought to be lost; however, the work which was

A Negative Adjustment Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Negative Adjustment Letter - Essay Example It is unfortunate that you are dissatisfied with the Gannon speakers you recently bought. Although the speakers have a sharp upward peak that might extend up to 5db above the normal smooth curve, they have other interesting features, considering that they have efficient transient response, satisfactory damping at the bass frequency, and sufficient capacity to handle power unlike other speakers. In addition, failures in midrange, tweeters, and midbass speakers due to mechanical or electrical issues can cause bass distortion. In that case, you should avoid applying immense power to the voice coil. On the same note, distortion of the bass sound can occur when the speaker is tampered with as was in your case. We found out that the booster magnets and insulation were missing and you had replaced the lead wires. Therefore, you should have avoided interfering with the speakers and maintain it in the right manner to avoid disappointments as was stated in the manual. We regret that we cannot comply with your recent requests to honor the three year warranty. This is because our warranty clearly states that if the speakers are sold at a clearance rate or if they are tampered with, then, the warranty becomes void. Nevertheless, we will be delighted to honor the maintenance and service agreement; hence, will offer 30% discount on repairs as your satisfaction is our major priority. Since you are among our esteemed consumers, we welcome you to our five day seminar, which will be free, on 3rd to 7th March. It will give more details on the different speakers we supply, how to maintain them, and offer a platform to air your concerns, advise, and opinions in regard to our

Science and Religion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Science and Religion - Research Paper Example What are, for instance, the fundamental characteristics of science and how do those characteristics differ from those of religion? These kinds of central questions, dealing with both metaphysics and epistemology, are incredibly relevant to modern society, which is increasingly realizing the importance of science’s contributions to quality of life. Nevertheless, while progress in scientific discoveries is being made, religion remains in the background, still likewise central to people’s lives. The questions of science’s relationship to religion have, for all intents and purposes, existed since the classical ages when the first scientific methods were being developed. With this background in mind, it is crucial to remember that these sorts of questions have inspired lively debate for centuries, with the weight of many strong arguments behind them. The purpose of this paper is to draw the landscape of these arguments, their theoretical force, and how to resolve them . The argument is whether science is in fundamental conflict with religion, or whether there is a degree of concordance between the two realms of human knowledge. Those who believe that religion is fundamentally different think that the scientific method is the defining feature of a scientific state of knowledge, which is a feature that is not shared by religion (Dawkins, 2003). Religion, which largely focuses on the value of knowledge derived from revelation and authority, does not take trial-and-error learning as the true method of knowledge. For those who believe there is concordance between the two, the argument relies primarily on the notion that divine creation that underwrites the empirical character of modern Western science and its greatest minds in history (Ratzsch, 2009). The best-defended position in this debate is that there is no conflict between religion and science, but that there is no agreement between them either. Basing a concordance between religion and science on the observation that many of the earliest heroes of science were Christian (including Galileo, Boyle, and Kepler) is fallacious. Many of these early scientific heroes often experienced deep philosophical and political conflicts between their religious beliefs and their scientific theories. For instance, the well-known case of Galileo’s trouble with the religious authority over his scientific findings is a commonly given example of a scientific figure being persecuted because of that essential conflict. Likewise, one could also argue that the religious authority that persecuted Galileo based on his scientific findings were not acting on behalf of a genuine religious belief. The Church, which had established its own scientific conclusions through centuries, took measures to enforce those scientific conclusions through coercive force. The thought there is that a religious authority can adopt science and enforce that science in the name of God, which separates it from a religi ous belief (Ratzsch, 2009). The reason that this position is best defended is because it is difficult (a) to define what exactly constitutes science and religion, and (b) to define what exactly constitutes conflict and agreement. An example of the difficulty with (a) is Behe (1996)’s arguments for the theory of intelligent design based on the concept of â€Å"irreducible complexity.† Intelligent design, which is based on a theological theory of the origin of species, is taken to be the antithesis of evolutionary theory in biology. However, the arguments are written in such a way that they are presented as scientific evidence, even though they are based on theological premises. This seeming mixture of science and relig

Thomas Coram in the Enlightenment period Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Thomas Coram in the Enlightenment period - Essay Example Key to the drivers of enlightenment were the ability to use and celebrate the ability to reason, and the power by which human beings could understand the universe and improve the conditions under which they lived. They worked towards the achievement of rational humanity goals which they considered to freedom, knowledge, and freedom. To achieve this, different people played different roles the best way they knew how. Philosophers were at their best speaking out their philosophical ideas, artists trying their best to pass different messages through their works of art, and other great thinkers as well. One Thomas Coram was a philanthropic captain, and he played a big role in shaping the young children who were suffering from abject poverty and their parents could not maintain them. He started a charitable foundation whose storyline is inspirational as to how big his heart was, and a how big a dream he had.During the eighteenth century, London was full of dualism. It comprised of a hedon istic and gullible crowd that always collided with men who were keen on doing good and constructive work. At that time, one of the greatest social problems ailing was the mind-boggling number of children that had been abandoned by their parents for good, and those who had been left at the mercies of the parish.It had always happened that illegitimate children would be taken to the parish to take care of them. These included children whose parents were too poor to support them or others who had become negligent enough not to care for them.

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT(MBA) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT(MBA) - Essay Example The recommendations to the company form a vital segment of the paper. It can be said that the paper does not only analyse the past but also the future of the company. Marriott International is world renowned franchisor as well as operator of a wide spectrum of hotel and also allied lodging facilities. It was established by J. W Marriott in Washington, D.C. in United States in 1927. The globally present hotel’s and lodging of Marriott is presently led by J. W Marriott, Jr. Marriott International’s headquarter is situated in Bethesda, Maryland, United States. It has over 150,000 employees globally of which approximately 60 percent belongs to women and minorities category. It has 18 different brands and larger than 3400 hotels and also resorts globally. It is recognised as a leader in hospitality industry. They are also recognised by Fortune as one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’. This recognition has been conferred to them for last few consecutive years. There have around 3100 hotels and lodging facilities operating in United States alone and also they have a presence in around 70 different countries throughout th e world. Marriott International in a period of around 80 years has been able to place themselves as a class apart in their industry. They have always been committed towards effective and efficient service towards their consumers. They have followed a motto of ‘people, places, purpose’ in their service activities. They are global hospitality industry leader. Thus they look to follow their motto of serving people better by constantly looking to innovate and develop better service. The vision of Marriott is ‘to be the world’s lodging leader’. The vision has provided the organisation an aim which they can try and look to achieve. They are moving towards reliving their vision by taking care of their quests, developing an extremely diverse and skilled workforce, wide-ranging

Thomas Coram in the Enlightenment period Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Thomas Coram in the Enlightenment period - Essay Example Key to the drivers of enlightenment were the ability to use and celebrate the ability to reason, and the power by which human beings could understand the universe and improve the conditions under which they lived. They worked towards the achievement of rational humanity goals which they considered to freedom, knowledge, and freedom. To achieve this, different people played different roles the best way they knew how. Philosophers were at their best speaking out their philosophical ideas, artists trying their best to pass different messages through their works of art, and other great thinkers as well. One Thomas Coram was a philanthropic captain, and he played a big role in shaping the young children who were suffering from abject poverty and their parents could not maintain them. He started a charitable foundation whose storyline is inspirational as to how big his heart was, and a how big a dream he had.During the eighteenth century, London was full of dualism. It comprised of a hedon istic and gullible crowd that always collided with men who were keen on doing good and constructive work. At that time, one of the greatest social problems ailing was the mind-boggling number of children that had been abandoned by their parents for good, and those who had been left at the mercies of the parish.It had always happened that illegitimate children would be taken to the parish to take care of them. These included children whose parents were too poor to support them or others who had become negligent enough not to care for them.

Why was the original marketing mix extended for the service sector Essay

Why was the original marketing mix extended for the service sector - Essay Example organization may not survive or prosper effectively in this age of tough rivalry. This is because the customers act as the prime potency of any organization but they need to be presented with qualitative services so as to retain them for longer period of time. Only then, a service organization might retain its reputation and brand image in the market among other rivals. However, to do so it is extremely essential to appoint talented and skilled staffs within the organization. This might act as a stimulant in enhancing the level of dedication and devotion of the employees towards work thereby amplifying their standard of performance. The productivity and efficiency of the organization might get enhanced thereby amplifying the rate of profit margin. The brand image and loyalty of the service provider might also get enhanced to significant extent as compared to many other rival players. Moreover, due to the presentation of qualitative services, the level of satisfaction of the customers might also get enhanced thereby amplifying their level of reliability. Hence, it might be depicted from the above mentioned paragraph that qualitative service acts as the guiding force to enhance the competence of the brand as well as its staffs thereby reducing its threat from new entrants. This report is divided into five phrases. It mainly highlights the important of marketing mix in case of service providing organizations. Along with this, it also describes the effectiveness of three P’s i.e. people, physical evidence and process within a service providing organization. Discussion A Definition and importance of service marketing What is service marketing? Service marketing is described as the process of promotion of the products and services to the customers so as to satisfy their needs and desires. The prime objective of service marketing is to present the desired quality of products or services at a competitive cost. It is done so as to satisfy the underlining desires and needs of the customers thereby amplifying their level of loyalty and dependency over the brand. The profit margin as well as productivity of the organization also gets enhanced in this age of competitiveness. Therefore, it might be stated that in spite of being a new phenomenon in marketing, service marketing gained significance mainly due to its urge to present qualitative and value-added services to its customers. Other than this, service marketing gained popularity due to its efforts to present the economic activities generated by the organization to its clients in an effective and disciplined way. For example: proper treatment facilities by the health care organizations, services offered by the hospitality providers such as NHS. The importance of 4p’s The term 4p’s are referred as product, place, price and promotion. Product: This part of the marketing decisions deal with the specifications of actual goods and services. It also takes into account the needs and the wants of the end users. The extent of product category includes warranties, support and guarantees. In case of service category it is difficult to apply the marketing decisions since services can only be judged by quality. In case of similar services the only parameter is quality. For example, customer service facility on a product sold by a company can be judged only by the number of

Big Man on Campus Essay Example for Free

Big Man on Campus Essay Without the philanthropic mind and the kindness of Leigh Anne and her husband, Sean, Michael Oher would have remained a timid dejected soul in an American ghetto. But it was not to be, as this huge child with a gentle soul, would be patiently coached to open up and in the ultimate process, astound not his community, but even rose to national fame. After a mere first practice in football, coaches came in platoons to offer him scholarships, with one of them labeling him the best in the nation† to which USA Today agreed. It took Leigh Anne’s legendary patience to cajole him to open up, and anyone would have easily given up—in the face of the tenacity with which the insecure big young boy evaded probing basic questions. The big boy feared even just showing anyone he was in pain, although he could cry like a child. I shall not delve on the story which everyone read. (Lewis: 3 online version) Surname 2 My piece will instead focus on Leigh Anne’s efforts to re-build the insecure, young, and athletically- endowed character, and in her effort to recover the boy’s trust in himself and society. Leigh Anne was a revelation to me on what educators ought to be to their students. An educator ideally should not give up too soon on exceptional cases of strange behavior or academic neglect. There could be deeper reasons why individuals act strange or in a manner that no one can immediately understand. Indeed Leigh Anne’s patience in monitoring Michel’s background, motivations, and psychological frame up was a model for the ideal or ultimate teacher. Leigh Anne also showed deep particular interest on behavioral motivations. An ordinary reaction to aberrant behavior could be acceptance of it as a given. Instead, Leigh Anne was motivated by a desire to learn the roots of the behavior and help â€Å"Big Michael† overcome it. Leigh Anne was not a cold psychology specialist treating a patient. She was a human being caring for another human being. Hers is an example even for psychologists. A discipline must humanize: it ought not to lose its human dimension. Educators cannot always end up like Leigh Anne who went all the way to adopt Michael, who found a family in her home. But the desire to build lives is the essence of what an educator should aspire for every student entrusted to him. Surname 3 Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy jointly probed and observed Michael’s every revelation of his past, or any bit of information that could lead them to understand the bigboy. They were rewarded not just with the revelation of his childlike character, but with having a new family member they loved like a son. As Leigh Anne put it, I loved him as if I birthed him. † (Lewis:4 online version). Work Cited Lewis, Michael. Big Man on Campus From the Readers Digest . Retrieved Dec. 15,2008 from: http://www. rd. com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/big-man-on-campus/article30250-3. html

Social construction of male and female identities

Social construction of male and female identities To understand gender analysis in a historic context, it will be important to start off by defining what gender is and gender analysis. Gender refers to the social construction of male and female identities. It is more than the biological make up of the two sexes. It deals with how the differences between men and women, whether real or imagined, are valued, used and relied upon to classify men and women and to assign them roles and expectations. The effect of this categorization is that the lives and experiences of men and women occur within complex sets of differing social and cultural expectations. Gender analysis therefore examines the differences in mens and womens lives and applies this understanding to policy development and service delivery (Zastrow Kirst-Ashman 2009). In history, the current understanding of gender as a category of historical analysis can be traced to the late twentieth -century feminist political mobilization that occurred in Europe and the United States which led to the development of the field of womens history both as a product and practice. Many of the early women historians in many cases employed the category women when talking about womens roles, perceptions of women or myths about women as opposed to the analytical language of gender as we know it today (Parker Aggleton 1998). Most of these embraced the concept of gender closely akin to Gayle Rubins classic early formulation that stated that in every society, there is a set of arrangements by which the biological human sex and procreation is shaped by human, social intervention which is actually gender (Shepard Walker 2009). The work of the feminists was primarily to expose those gender systems and redress their injustices to women. In this context therefore the work of the womens historians was to discover and bring into the public domain such patterns in the past, to return women and their activities to the historical record and to bring out ways in which women in the past tried to resist sexual oppression in the societies within which they lived. Despite the fact that distinction between sex and gender remained common in feminist history, its framework had many critics especially among theorists who questioned if physical bodies were not in a way socially constructed and whether they ever existed apart from culturally fashioned meanings about them (Shepard Walker 2009). Early women historians equated gender with sex. This meant that the physical body is what they used to classify gender. This was the bone of contention with other scholars who rightly asserted that it would be simplistic to equate gender with sex. However, since the field of womens history originated in social history, and so because the early womens history did not seriously interrogate bodies as a historic subject, most of the early women historian did not confront the dilemma of the sex/gender distinction which continued to inform the assumptions of their work (Shepard Walker 2009). Theorizing about gender increased from the 1970s through the 1980s among women historians but their emphasis was more on the relation of gender to other categories, more so class and patriarchy but not on so much on the gender itself. According to Shepard Walker (2009) efforts of this sort continued in many ways to conceptual gender, class and other social processes as distinct which made it difficult to capture the complexity and particularity of their unified processes in a specific historical circumstance. In absence pf a standard definition of what constituted gender, historians continued to write about gender from the Western cultural view of what constitutes gender. However by 1980s other issues had come up that challenged this position calling for a more inclusive approach. An analysis of gender and history has also focused on the position of the woman during colonialism in Africa and elsewhere. The woman was seen first as a daughter, then as a woman and finally as a prostitute. Any woman who stayed alone was seen as a prostitute. Women were seen as safe when within the confines of their home in the countryside. Those in towns were stereotyped as being of loose morals and rebels. Although the fuller investigation of these points would follow in the studies of gender and colonialism of the 1990s, scholars of race and slavery in the Americas and Europe were zealous in pointing out that the bodies of colored women had been socially constructed to meet the interests of Europeans since the first colonial contacts. Still in the 1980s the field of womens history was thriving. By this time it supported influential journals in Europe and in the United States. Works in womens history were beginning to appear on the lists of major publishers and also in prominent general historical journals. It was however not all rosy. Critics within the profession questioned the legitimacy of the field of women history and its practitioners. Women history was described as narrow, over-specialized and immaterial to the truly important matter of history (Downs 2004). Womens historians were accused of trying to fashion their own life frustrations into a respected field. A more unifying concept of gender free of activism might as a matter of fact provide legitimacy for the field and its practitioners (Shepard Walker 2009). If gender could be argued out as a key field of experience for both all persons, then gender is a subject of universal relevance. Joan Scottss (1986) article titled Gender: A Useful Concept of Historical Analysis, which appeared on the American Historical Review, December 1986 issue, was written in this political context. This was a no mean achievement for a prestigious conservative journal. Scott noted that the proliferation of case studies in womens history called for some synthesizing perspective and the discrepancy between the high quality of the work then in womens history and the continued marginal status of the field as a whole pointed up the limits of descriptive approaches that do not address dominant disciplinary concepts in terms that can shake their power and transform them. The articles purpose was to examine the implications of feminists growing tendency to use gender as a way of referring to the social organization between the sexes and to offer a useable theoretical f ormulation of gender as a category of historical analysis. Scott found the feminist theorizing of the 1960s and 1970s limited because they tended to contain reductive or simple generalizations that undercut both historys disciplinary sense of the complexity of social causation and feminist commitments to analysis that would lead to change (Scott 1986). According to Scott, historically gender has been used as a primary way of signifying relations of power (Scott1999). The power in question is the power of domination and subordination; differential control over or access to material and symbolic resources. Emphasis is laid on the difference as a characteristic of power derived from the oppositional binarity of gender, but it also defined and limited the concept of gender which having been defined could not operate other than as a vehicle for this power. Women in most societies have been dominated by men. However this proposition is challenged by a number of non western scholars who argue that not all societies organized on the basis of gender as implied in the work of most Western historians. Oyeronke Oyeyumi (2005), an African Historian from Nigeria is one of them. Oyeyumi argues that Western work on gender has been and continues to be preoccupied with the oppositionally sexed body, which in inhabit the category gender and invests it with a rigid corporeal determinism. This she argues is not universal but specific to the western cultures and history. If gender is socially constructed, then it cannot behave in the same way across time and space. Therefore if gender is a social construction there must be a specific time in each culture when it began and therefore the time before this beginning it never did exist. Thus gender as a social construction is also a historical and cultural phenomenon which may presumably have not existed in some societies. In a similar view, Ifi Amadiume (1987) criticized the use of Western gender concept as a category for analyzing Africa history of gender. She argues that the ethnocentricity of gender of early feminist anthropology does not have a bearing on African societies. To these groups she argues the social and cultural inferiority of women was not questionable. In her work among the Igbo culture in eastern Nigeria, Amadiume did identify a gender system through which numerous mythical, social and culture distinctions were articulated according to a binary of masculine and feminine. But she also did establish that in this binary the attributes associated with females did not necessarily lead to economic or political subordination of the social group women and that the social institutions, especially those of male daughters and female husbands permitted individual females to enjoy those privileges of social positions gendered masculine. In the United States, intervening decades have given birth to a rich and expanding scholarship on the history of colored women. The colored slave woman owed his master and the men his master had selected for her sexual favors and reproductive services on top of the labor (Gerald, N.G., Billias, G.A 1991). The work written on the colored woman history is however minimal compared to what have been written on white women. Furthermore much of the work done on colored women still subordinates them within the history of white women. What that means is that American historians, until very recently, have showed little interest in identifying differences between West African and colonial Euro-American ideas of the social and cultural relations of the male and the female or giving interpretive authority to evidence of differences between African American and Euro-American communities over time in the United States. Of greater importance is the construction of colored women as negative markers of a Western concept of gender and the pressure borne on colored women to conform to those to that concept. To greater extent this centers the story on Western concept, not on African American women or on the understandings of gender that may have characterized their communities (Collins 1989). To illustrate further the problems in the use of gender as a category in historic analysis, North America can be studied. The early republic provides vital information because that is where U.S womens history began classics like Carroll Smith Rosenbergs Beauty, the Beast and the Militant Woman, Kathryn Kish Sklars Catharine Beecher and Nancy Cotts The Bonds of Womanhood (Cott 1997).These works sought to understand the origins of the late twentieth century trope of gender in the nineteenth-century. This was not unusual because like other historians, these women historians studied subjects in the past that were of continued relevance to their day. They focused on the social and intellectual life in the early American Republic that resonated in the female struggle. This majored on familial, political, legal, and economic subordination of women as a group by men as a group. The works continued to organize the field as it developed with works such as Women of the Republic by Linda Kerber, Daughters of Liberty by Mary Beth Norton and Good wives by Laurel Ulrich. The wives in the seventeenth and eighteenth century played a greater role in the management of the family resources. It was taken as the duty of a wife to defend and take care of the husbands investments. Wives were supposed to be aggressive in this. However during the nineteenth century, the womans role in the management of the husbands wealth diminished significantly (Cott 1997). Another milestone in the study of gender analysis is the entry of women into public jobs in the 20th century (Scharpf Schmidt 2000). This brought profound change to the woman. She got financial independence and her dependence on the man diminished. This entry into the job market went hand in hand with increased education attainment, increased civil rights like the right to vote and increased participation in the political process. These were great milestones for women that changed completely the relationship with the man. With it too came increased divorce rates, and choosing not to get married. When gender is treated as a question of analysis, it encourages the researcher to regard the sources of information more critically and more creatively. To some extent it is true that historians have been able to establish gender as a category of historic analysis. This is because the circumstances human beings operate in have expectations of behavior and conduct based on ones sexuality. These are either classified as masculinity or feminine. A man is expected to act and behave in a masculine way while the woman is supposed to portray a feminine behavior. These expectations have over the course of history shaped the relationship between the males and the females. Not only that but also within a sex, treatment is different. In America for example, An African American woman, a white woman and a native Indian woman were all treated differently.

Comparing Debt Financing and Equity Financing Essay -- Financing Finan

There are two basic ways of financing for a business: Debt financing and equity financing. Debt financing is defined as 'borrowing money that is to be repaid over a period of time, usually with interest" (Financing Basics, 1). The lender does not gain any ownership in the business that is borrowing. Equity financing is described as "an exchange of money for a share of business ownership" (Financing Basics, 1). This form of financing allows the business to obtain funds without having to repay a specific amount of money at any particular time. There are also a few different instruments that could be defined as either debt or equity. One such instrument is stock options that an employee can exercise after so many years with the company. Either using the debt or equity method, or a combination of the two methods can be used to account for stock options or other instruments with the similar characteristics. There are pros and cons to deciding to use either of these methods. First I will discuss the pros of using the debt or equity methods. One pro of using the debt method is that it "does not entail 'selling' their equity, but instead works by 'borrowing' against it" (Financing Using, 1). So the company could account for future stock options by assuming that employees will cash the option in, and, in the books, it will look as if they simply have a liability. Another pro with the equity method is that the company is receiving money, and it does not have to pay the money back. In the end the investing company will normally make money on the investment, but it will come in the form of dividends and/or selling the stock back. There are also a few cons in accounting for these instruments are either debt of equity. "Excessive debt financing may impair your (the company's) credit rating and your ability to raise more money in the future (Financing Basics, 1). If a company has too much debt, it could be considered too risky and unsafe for a creditor to lend money. Also with excessive debt, a business could have problems with business downturns, credit shortages, or interest rate increases. "Conversely, too much equity financing can indicate that you are not making the most productive use of your capital; the capital is not being used advantageously as leverage for obtaining cash" (Financing Basics, 1). A low amount of equity shows that the owne... ...n Shares 400 This would be a very efficient way of accounting for the stock options. There will not be many changes in amounts when the employee has the option. This would be the entry for five years, and then the employee will have their option. Below is the journal entries for both decisions: Employee takes the cash Common Shares 2000 Accounts Payable 500 Cash 2500 Employee takes the stock Accounts Payable 500 Common Shares 500 Again, both methods clear out the accounts payable. Also the employee is receiving the cash or common shares in the right amount. Debt and equity methods are important decisions when deciding what to do with an instrument like stock options. All three methods, debt, equity, or a combination, are helpful in keeping the books correct and fair until the employee exercises their option. The best method in my mind is the combination of methods. It best shows were the money will go on average before the option is decided on. However the other two methods are also important considering the pros and cons of each decision. No clear answer, however, will ever be known as long as accounting exists.

Blades Corporation Essay

1. If Blades uses call options to hedge its yen payables, should it use the call option with the exercise price of $0.00756 or the call option with the exercise price of $0.00792? Describe the tradeoff. The corporation needs to purchase supplies with foreign currency. To hedge against the possible appreciation of the foreign currency’s value, the corporation can purchase a call option. Both options have to pay a premium for the option. The purchase price or exercise price of option A is $0.00756 plus a premium paid on this respective option of $.0001512 resulting in a total cost of $.0077112 per yen. The purchase or exercise price of option B is $0.00792 plus a premium paid of $.0001134 resulting in a total cost of $.0080334 per yen. Option A is the better option, relatively. Option B has a higher exercise price, though its exercise price is lower, the overall result is a higher amount paid for yen if the option is exercised. If the option is likely not to be exercised, option B is the best choice. The corporation would only have to pay the premium price and not the exercise price. In this case, option B’s premium price is lower. The trade off is between a lower exercise price, higher premium price, option A, that better hedges against the yen if it were to appreciate in value (exercising the option) and a higher exercise price, lower priced premium that reduces cost if the hedge does not appreciate in value (the option is not exercised). 2.Should Blades allow its yen position to be unhedged? Describe the tradeoff. The case stated that â€Å"the futures price on yen has historically exhibited a slight discount from the existing spot rate†. In this case, the exercise price of the option may be higher relative to the future spot rate encouraging the investor to let the option expire. If the option were to expire the corporation would still have to pay the premium and any other non-exercise costs. An unhedged position might be the best position if this were to occur because there would be no premium charges. The disadvantage to an unhedged position is that if the exercise price of the option were to be ‘in the money’, the spot exchange rate is greater than the exercise price, there would be no hedged stance against the yens appreciated value causing a higher cost to the foreign currency payable. Chap 6 1.Did the intervention effort by the Thai government constitute direct or indirect intervention? Explain. The Thai government is trying to smooth exchange rate movements by encouraging appreciation of its currency through direct intervention. It is exchanging foreign currencies for its home currency in the exchange market, this will put upward pressure on home currency. Specifically, the Thai government swapped baht reserves for dollar reserves at other central banks and then used its dollar reserves to purchase the baht in the foreign exchange market. 2.Did the intervention by the Thai government constitute sterilized or non sterilized intervention? What is the difference between the two types of intervention? Which type do you think would be more effective in increasing the value of the baht? Why? (Hint: Think about the effect of nonsterilized intervention on U.S. interest rates.) The intervention of the Thai government is an example nonsterilized intervention because the Thai government did not simultaneously engage in offsetting the described transactions in the securities market. This would have resulted in the net money supply to be unchanged. Both interventions will achieve the same exchange of currency in the exchange market but sterilized intervention requires another transaction to prevent adjustments in the money supply. An increase in money supply, as would be the effect in nonsterilized intervention, would cause home interest rates to drop and makes more money available for consumers to borrow from banks. Investors may transfer funds to foreign countries, the US, to take advantage of higher interest rates. This will increase the demand for US currency. The purchase of foreign-currency bonds leads to an increase of home currency money supply and results in a decrease in the exchange rate. The sterilized intervention is expected to have little effect on home interest rates because the money supply is expected to remain constant. As far as effecting interest rates nonsterilized intervention appears to be the better option. Chap 8 1.What is the relationship between the exchange rates and relative inflation levels of the two countries? How will this relationship affect Blades’ Thai revenue and costs given that the baht is freely floating? What is the net effect of this relationship on Blades? Thailand’s relative inflation rates have increased. This would cause the demand for baht currency to decline because exports have declined due to increasing prices. Exchange rate adjustments are critical to keeping relative purchasing power equal over time as inflation rate differentials fluctuate. When purchasing power is not equal consumers will move to cheaper alternatives. Since products are on a fixed price level they are not adjusted for Thailand’s inflation increases. There will be an increased demand for Blades exports by Thailand’s retailers and consumers because these products have not been adjusted for inflation. They are the cheaper alternative comparable domestic goods. According to purchasing power parity (PPP) equilibrium exchange rate will adjust by the same amount as the differential in inflation rates between two countries, however, there are often deviations from this theory. Thailand uses a free floating exchange rate where a currency’s value is able to fluctuate according to the foreign exchange market. Since Thailand is experiencing a higher level of inflation there is an increase in demand for foreign goods. Additionally, the demand for home goods is reduced. US currency will appreciate due to these market forces. The demand for Blades products will increase but the foreign currency purchasing these products has depreciated in value. This depreciation in Thailand’s currency causes a reduction in costs denominated in baht. US currency has appreciated, relatively. The net effect on Blades would be positive provided that the loss in the foreign currency’s value was offset by increased demand and reduced foreign costs. The magnitude of the cost/benefit ;however, is not clear. Chap 10 1.What type(s) of exposure (i.e., transaction, economic, or translation exposure) is Blades subject to? Why? Blades is subject to transaction exposure, the sensitivity of the firm’s contractual transactions in foreign currencies to exchange rate movements. The net cash flows need to be evaluated by each foreign transaction. First, cash inflows from the sale of goods and cash outflows from the purchase of components result in a positive cash flow. This cash flow is subject to a range of possible exchange rate fluctuations. Appreciation in the value of the foreign currency that caused a net positive cash inflow is viewed as favorable for the MNC. Japanese components imported and other foreign imports are also subject to exchange rate movements. Blades is also subject to economic exposure, the sensitivity of cash flows to exchange rate movements. Appreciation of a local currency would reduce cash inflows and outflows. Finally, Blades is subject to translational exposure. Components are imported from foreign subsidiaries, this could expose the MNC to different accounting practices biasin g cash flows relative to US accounting principles. 3.If Blades does not enter into the agreement with the British firm and continues to export to Thailand and import from Thailand and Japan, do you think the increased correlations between the Japanese yen and the Thai baht will increase or decrease Blades’ transaction exposure? If Japan was primarily used for export, as a result negative cash flows, this position would offset the positive net cash flow incurred by Thailand’s import and export. Since the currencies move in the same direction, a depreciation in currency would have a negative effect on positive cash flows and a favorable affect on negative cash flows. This interaction will help to offset exchange rate fluctuations and effectively reduce transaction exposure. On the other hand, if Blades has a positive net cash flow from the export and import of these highly correlated currencies, Japanese yen and Thai baht, Blades may be exposed to a relatively high level of exchange rate risk. This would increase transaction exposure. This result is due to the fact the currencies are positively correlated as a result the values of the currencies move in the same direction and by a similar amount. This would mean exchange rate effects would not be offset between the currencies if both currencies resulte d in positive cash inflows. 4.Do you think Blades should import components from Japan to reduce its net transaction exposure in the long run? Why or why not? Yes, as discussed above, components imported from Japan, resulting in a negative net cash flow (cash outflow), will help to offset the positive cash flow from exports to Thailand. Since the yen and baht are positively correlated the opposing direction of cash flows between these currencies will help to offset the net currencies fluctuation in value. This helps offset transaction exposure effects because payables and receivable interact in an inverse relationship toward exchange rate benefits.

Branded by Alissa Quart

Alissa Quart’s novel should have had a warning label on the front stating, â€Å"Would you like to know what’s really going on around you or just keep living your life. † While reading this novel I felt like I was being led by Morpheus, showing me the world after ingesting the red pill. Quart explaining the different pressures that society forces on young teens was very eye opening. Quart sparked a lot of childhood memories when explaining brand identification and the pressures peers put on each other. One memory that really sticks out is walking through the mall with my mom and buying clothes for the start of seventh grade. I insisted on only going to Abercrombie and telling her that I wasn’t shopping at Old Navy or Gap any more. Looking back made me realize how silly I was, but I understand why I felt this way. Quart explains how marketers bombarde magazines, commercials, billboards, etc with their advertisements. Back in seventh grade, Abercrombie was cool. Everyone wanted to be one of those sexy models in their ads. Quart did make me feel a little brainwashed; I didn’t choose the clothes because I liked them but only because advertisements told me too. So much of our daily lives has media exposure that its hard not to look, especially at young ages when your open to almost anything. CINEMA OF THE IN-CROWD This chapter was one of my favorites because going to the movies is something I’ve always enjoyed. However, I’ve never thought about how they were affecting me afterwards and the product integration that was taking place. Honestly what Quart describes really works. When you watch a movie your not thinking, â€Å"Oh this must be an advertisement,† or â€Å"There just trying to get me to buy that. The products and the people using them are apart of the movie and its very hard to decipher all of this when all you wanted was to watch a story. It did make me a little disheartened that something I really enjoy is getting provoked by marketers but now I feel a lot more aware and will try to not let them get to me. FACTS She’s All That, Bring It On, Clueless, Legally Blonde,Varsity Blues and Mean Girls. Mean G irls came out after this book was written but it perfectly fits into the mold these movies have created and further shows the power this genre holds. What has made these movies so popular and why were they all a must see when they came out? First, each of these movies has a popular crowd and one of these popular people has a problem. This doesn’t sound like a plot that would grab a lot of attention, but that’s only because its not about the plot. These movies bring large crowds because it’s the people in it. With out Alicia Silverstone’s smile in Clueless or Reese Witherspoon’s long blonde hair the movies would have definitely been different. So I am convinced that the first thing you need to make a blockbuster movie is attractive people. Second you need them to wear revealing or designer clothes. This is showcased in Bring It On when basically all they wear throughout the movie is revealing cheering outfits and workout wear. The Third aspect is particularly showcased within these films because of The Breakfast Club and the infamous Ally Sheedy transformation at the end. This aspect is the makeover. I never caught on to this until reading this chapter. Each of these movies has the main character go through some sort of change and of course the change only makes them better looking and more popular. The third aspect isn’t new but the film always tries to mask it as something that you wouldn’t expect. I feel that this is done so people, especially young people, don’t catch on. VALUES These movies â€Å"also has the ring of a diary entry, of what life is really like when our parents or teachers leave the room† (Quart 78). This is the key element when trying to decipher what the value is amongst these movies. What is really going on here when you strip the stars of their makeup, clothes, and posh attitudes? Sadly, it’s popularity, only because these teens will do anything to be popular. This is what motivates them throughout the entire movie and in fact is what gets them into most of their trouble. Also popularity is the one thing that they will throw away everything for. â€Å"If your not popular, your nothing† is the message young teens are coming away with. These movies get away with a value like this because there is so much covering it up. Amongst the comedy, drama, and violence it’s hard to figure out what all of this is means. I don’t feel like popularity is a good value for a movie to have. Before reading this chapter I pictured these movies as great, some even as a must see. But now I’m disgusted and look at them as shallow. Popularity is meaningless; however if I was writing this paper in middle school or high school I wouldn’t be agreeing with myself. This leads me to the question, â€Å"Do you only see the stupidity of it all when it’s over? † Right now I would have to say yes, because when these movies came out I was at the age they were targeting and this is very silly to say but, I admired all of the main characters in these movies. I once thought Elle Woods in Legally Blonde was courageous, it made me want to be a lawyer. But now I realize that I only looked at her this way because she was popular and she needed to maintain her popularity by going to law school. PRINCIPLES These movies need to be applied to Kant’s categorial imperative. What these movies have are good looking people. However, because their attractive people don’t look at what they are doing as much as just looking at them. In turn because their hot they get away with a lot more. When you apply Kant’s philosophy it tares down these movies even more. This is because Kant states that its not whose doing it but what the action is in itself. So take away Alicia Silverstone, Reese Witherspoon, Lindsay Lohan, Kirsten Dunst, Rachael Leigh Cook, and James Van Der Beek. Now all you have are their actions trying to uphold their value. Since their value is popularity most of their actions are aimed towards how to become more popular. This is the most apparent in Mean Girls and the lead Lindsay Lohan. Taking Lindsay Lohan out of the picture and only reading the script it is very apparent that the main character Cady Heron is a liar. All of these lies are aimed towards trying to make herself more popular than Regina George. At the end Cady gets sort of a wake up call but everything still comes together for her. When this movie came out it was huge; it was all over TV, the internet, and in school. For this movie to have such a big opening I know it impacted alot of teenagers and I know it influenced them to do what ever it takes to be popular. Especially when there was a string of movies right before it that glorifies popularity its nearly impossible to tell teenagers that popularity doesn’t matter. These movies have created a society of young adults that only care what others think of them and completely twisting their feelings regarding themselves. If a student isn’t viewed as popular among their peers they are going to dislike their body, their clothes, or whatever it is that they feel is holding them back from being well liked. LOYALTIES Each main character has one main loyalty, this is themselves. All of them throughout the movie try to better themselves, sometimes through buying designer clothes, wearing makeup, or the extreme of going to law school. The conceited nature in all of these characters makes the viewers very aware that this is acceptable. None of these movies help others in a way that is selfless. Yes, Cher in Clueless tries to make over Ty, Brittany Murphy’s character, but Cher admits that its only for her own enjoyment, she even goes far enough to call Ty her project. The characters loyalties also extends to their brand names they use, but I feel that this loyalty is only to uphold their loyalty to themselves because the brand names make them cooler. I feel that these movies have been a catalyst for plastic surgery. When someone gets plastic surgery it is to better themselves. These movies showcase that it’s acceptable to do this through the characters actions. Most of the characters go to the mall to make themself feel better or they start putting on makeup so their peers like them more. The characters even backstab each other to make themself more popular. I feel that these story lines not only increase plastic surgery but also fights in school. I feel like students pay more attention to what each other are doing than the school work. Young minds are easily influenced and its especially hard to erase the well put together images that these movies create. Although teenagers wouldn’t openly admit that their using these characters as role models its hard to argue their not. Most teenagers actions are completely mimicking the main characters of these movies and honestly I feel like its not their fault, especially because I used to do the same thing. CINEMA OF THE IN-CROWD CONCLUSION Overall not every movie is like this but the handful that are do a lot more damage than the society realizes. Although, of course, if these movies were removed from theaters teenagers will always act sort of like this but I strongly feel that these movies don’t help the situation. These movies also glorify the actions that teenagers are supposed to be learning not to do. Since these movies are teaching kids to be popular no matter what and to only think of yourself I’m not surprised about the reports of what happens in todays middle and high schools. The bottom line is teenagers need to be educated on what is right and wrong. If they are aware that you should lways try to be themselves and to help others selflessly these movies messages won’t be brainwashing them as badly as they could. UNBRANDED/ DIY KIDS This section of the book was particularly interesting because I wasn’t aware of all of the ways kids are rebelling. I thought this section was a nice conclusion to the first half because it gave me hope that some students do think for themselves. It actually mad e me really proud that some had the courage to stand up to their own principles and faculties. I know that I wouldn’t have had the guts to do something like that, especially alone. I thought it was really cruel the way they were teased by their peers. When did conforming start to be cool? I also has no idea about students going to schools with no grading system. I think this is great and I really liked the quirky concepts that the home schooled students had. It was a very relieving section, the contrasts between the way the kids conform to other nonconformists could be it’s own book. FACTS â€Å"An estimated 850,000 American kids or 1. 7 percent of U. S. students from five to seventeen† (Quart 203) are home schooled. Or as John Holt calls it â€Å"unschooling. These unschooled kids are not a big part of the population and most of them never go to mainstream schools. I thought that the contrast between their outlook on schools and the Logo U chapter was very appealing. Both sides were extremes and I being in the middle realized how silly they both were being. I don’t think its healthy to be either of them. I think kids should be enrolled in school because they get interaction with other kids their own age. On the other side, when you are enrolled in a mainstream school the child needs to be aware of what’s going on around them and not get stressed out like the Logo U kids. I especially feel this way about unschoolers because I’ve met home schooled kids and their usually out there. You can easily tell that these unschoolers aren’t the normal. Now this isn’t bad now when their young but will an employer higher them. Since these unschoolers need to go out into the world eventually they will have to conform one way or another. Also, these days, you need a college degree so never going to college just because you’ve never gone to a regular school has it’s set backs when trying to find a career. Quart also explains the punk scene. I have never been into punk but I’ve always liked the way they rebelled. I think that doing your own thing. if thats how you feel, is very healthy and schools should be more accepting to this. Especially when this rebelliousness only lasts during the youth years. There’s no reason to stifle something like ripped jeans, flannel, and loud music; it doesn’t hurt anyone. VALUES The core value that both of these unschoolers and punk kids have is to be yourself. Which is the complete opposite of the blockbuster movie value, popularity. I have to give both the unschoolers and punks credit because in a world where mostly everyone wants to be Alicia Silverstone or Freddie Prince Jr. its takes a lot of courage to do your own thing. I feel that in alot of ways its easier to just conform and not go against the grain. Quart entitled this chapter â€Å"do it yourself kids† because thats what these two groups have in common. When everyone else goes off to school the unschoolers stay home and do it themselves. On the other hand the punks may go to school but they do their own look, their own music, their own lifestyle; which completely contradicts the mainstream preppy is cool mantra. In a lot of ways these kids are going to turn out as better adults. This is because they will be better parents. I feel strongly about this because my parents were punk like in a lot of ways when they were young. When they were teenagers in the 70’s it wasn’t called punk, it was hippie. Hippie and punk are basically the same thing except two different generations labeled it with different names. My parents were always telling me to be myself, and as a public school student I feel this took some pressure off of growing up. I knew that they would back me no matter what. Also, when it came time for college they told me straight out you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. This was completely contradicting what my friends parents were saying and it took a lot of anxiety off of my shoulders when acceptance letters came in. LOYALTIES The loyalty that each group has is to their own cliques that they have created. I think this because unschooled kids look at schooled kids as different and by them not wanting to be in a clique they have created their own. Through the home schooled kids i have known, they told me how they would meet other unschoolers and would create their own groups within that. So actually they are forming what they tried to avoid. Home schooled kids in some ways can have pompous attitudes, acting like their better because they don’t do what everyone else does. I’ve even met unschooled kids here, at MU. When I asked him what high school he went to he cockily stated â€Å"I didn’t go to high school, I didn’t have to. † It’s not fair to say that all home schooled kids are like this but its definitely out there. For the punk kids they have their own loyalty to each other. It was very apparent in my high school because they would always walk together in the hallways and smoke cigarettes in large groups on the curb. No one bothered them but they made it very obvious they were their own group and they all identified with each other. This is something Quart didn’t discuss. She made each group sound very independent but in fact they are dependent within each other. PRINCIPLES John Stuart Mill’s utility principle can better explain the do it yourself kids perception. The utility principle emphasizes the outcome. The outcome that both groups want is to not have a mainstream. Also stated in the utility principle is an act’s rightness and how this is determined by it’s contribution to a desirable end. I feel that both groups have a desirable end in mind. The punk kids, especially just want to do their own thing. Their basement concerts show this because they are just trying to have fun, theirs no marketing involved, no celebrities, just kids in a band. I have gone to a few local shows like this and its a completely different vibe than at a mainstream high profile band. The local shows shows the joy of music with out all of the fluff the mainstream music throws in. The outcome is more genuine than anything I’ve seen at Madison Square Garden. Unbranded showed me that it is possible to live within this society and not be lured into everything you see. These kids show how you can think for yourself and do what you want. All of my life I have been a basically mainstream person. However, this book as a whole as taught me to open my eyes and realize what’s going on around me. it truly is a lot more evading than I thought. At times while reading this book I felt like I was completely brainwashed. I think every parent should read this book so that their aware of what’s going on around their children. It’s a lot different then when my parents grew up and most of the time they don’t realize the impact of these changes. I feel that the most important lesson a parent can learn from this book is to be aware and don’t be afraid to talk about it. Communication is defiantly what kept me grounded in my household and I plan on sharing that with my children as well.