Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Discussion Question 2 Week 9 Global Intellectual Property Rights Assignment
Discussion Question 2 Week 9 Global Intellectual Property Rights - Assignment Example only plausible and viable means to preserve ownership and motivate talents to continue in discovery, creation, innovation, and invention, as required. There were reported cases against pharmaceutical companies which allegedly manufacture drugs in generic form that are more accessible and affordable. Likewise, there were disclosed cases against stealing copyrighted music and copying books online (Evans, 2002). One copyright case which was Perfect 10 v. Google which reportedly â€Å"claims that Google’s Image Search service violates copyright law by indexing Perfect 10 photos posted on unauthorized websites, then making and delivering thumbnail images of those photos in its search results†(American Library Association, 2013, p. 1). As noted, Google was asked by the lower court to remove links to websites containing photos from Perfect 10; but the Court of Appeals had apparently favored more of Google’s arguments (American Library Association, 2013). Likewise, one patent case was about software patents: the CLS Bank v. Alice case, where it allegedly involves â€Å"some software concerning doing a "shadow transaction" to see if there are really enough funds to complete a transaction, before completing the actual transaction†(Masnick, 2013, p. 1). The courts apparently made the correct decisions given the presented evidences and in support for weighing which party has comprehensively provided justification for their respective arguments. 2. Determine the key legal and ethical issues surrounding the ability of pharmaceutical companies to patent and exploit plant-derived substances, and suggest at least one way in which a company might provide compensation besides direct / individual payments. Some of the key legal and ethical issues surrounding the ability of pharmaceutical companies to patent and exploit plant-derived substances include identifying and restricting boundaries for exploiting plant species; using animals or even human beings to test efficacy of
Monday, October 28, 2019
The Role of the Church in Society Essay Example for Free
The Role of the Church in Society Essay The role of the church in today’s society has been undervalued, misrepresented, and ineffectively communicated. There are many churches in the United States alone that possess a great deal of resources. Some churches are full of multimillionaires and others with six-figure incomes. However, they have too much, are doing too little, and when something is done it is too late. Those who call themselves Christians and that possess an excess of wealth are called to have that wealth. There is nothing wrong with being wealthy and affluent. It is truly a blessing to have more than enough. The problem with those who are wealth is that they are oppressing the poor. Of course those who are not of the faith can be expected to care less about those who are in need. However, those who are Christian, and not just claiming to be, must in the words of the Nesquik rabbit â€Å"share the wealth. †It is more than okay to have nice things and a nice home. It is even okay to have servants such as butlers and maids. When the wealth of a Christian becomes an affair for them and they neglect the need that is plainly in view, it becomes a problem. I do not mean to say just throw money at the problem. However, to not share your finances in a way that is pleasing to the lord is sin. In James it says â€Å"†¦to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. †When a wealthy Christian redistributes his or her wealth he or she ministers to God and receives favor from both God and man. The wealthy also have a near unlimited amount of political influence. Their political influence is not just in the capacity of a lobby, but often the wealthy are personally or mutually connected with mayors, governors, senators, and the like. With the resources they possess there is an unlimited amount of good that they can do. They can break down the strong holds of evil that claim lives by way of violence, drugs, gangs, and poverty. They must also be willing to live among the poor and not separate themselves by living in suburbs or in high rises that overlook the sea of misfortune. On the other hand, there are churches that have members that do not possess an excess of financial wealth. However, they still possess a great deal of spiritual gifts and a wealth of knowledge that the old and young have acquired throughout their experiences. Many churches that do not have wealthy members still have members who possess some amount of affluence. Those same churches are also filled with knowledge, wisdom, and love that can be used to break the same strongholds mentioned above that the devil likes to employ so enthusiastically. For instance, there are people in my church who have been to college, who have are counselors or therapist, there are teachers, I would even venture to say there exist some incredibly brilliant people in my church. With those resources, a church can be considered just as wealthy as a church full of millionaires. I know a slew of students who are high school aged, that do not possess the ability to read and write effectively. Education is certainly power and more importantly, the three Rs reading, writing, and arithmetic, are the most powerful components of education. A church that has members who can navigate the three Rs ought to be sharing the wealth of that ability. By sharing that wealth, those who do not have the ability to navigate the three Rs can acquire it. Then they can do likewise and help others become more educated. Education is one of the main reasons for poverty in this country and even throughout the world. If you are educated, you can figure things out and you are able to improvise when certain dilemmas take place. Another component of wealth is the experience of overcoming tragedy, adversity, and overcoming or being content with one’s socioeconomic status. That is probably the most significant component of wealth that those in a poor church possess. The Minor Prophets were blessed with a unique calling. That calling was to be the voice of those who did not have a voice. Throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament, there are two recurring themes. The first them is to love God with all your heart, your soul, and your strength. The second is to love thy neighbor as thyself. The twelve Minor Prophets were called to tell Israel about itself in regards to not complying with those two major themes. Each of the twelve Minor Prophets addressed Israel with God’s displeasure. God was extremely displeased with them because Israel would often take on the idols of the nation that God allowed them to overcome. Israel would also begin to take part in some of those nation’s undesired cultural traditions and practices. The Minor Prophets also addressed Israel’s oppression of the poor and disenfranchised. Israel was guilty of being unkind and being harsh towards the poor. All of Israel was judged according to their action and inaction regarding God’s law and their mistreatment of the poor.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Horatio †Unsullied Character in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- GCSE En
Horatio – Unsullied Character in Hamlet      Perhaps even more innocent than Ophelia in Shakespere’s Hamlet is Horatio. This essay will treat his character in depth, including many literary critical evaluations.  Who is the play’s historian? None other than Horatio. In the first scene Horatio gives a detailed history of what has gone before regarding King Hamlet:  Our last king,     Whose image even but now appear'd to us,     Was, as you know, by Fortinbras of Norway,     Thereto prick'd on by a most emulate pride,     Dared to the combat; in which our valiant Hamlet--     For so this side of our known world esteem'd him--     Did slay this Fortinbras; who by a seal'd compact,     Well ratified by law and heraldry,     Did forfeit, with his life, all those his lands     Which he stood seized of, to the conqueror:     Against the which, a moiety competent     Was gaged by our king; which had return'd     To the inheritance of Fortinbras,     Had he been vanquisher; as, by the same covenant,     And carriage of the article design'd,     His fell to Hamlet. Now, sir, young Fortinbras,     Of unimproved mettle hot and full,     Hath in the skirts of Norway here and there     Shark'd up a list of lawless resolutes,     For food and diet, to some enterprise     That hath a stomach in't; which is no other--     As it doth well appear unto our state--     But to recover of us, by strong hand     And terms compulsatory, those foresaid lands     So by his father lost: and this, I take it,     Is the main motive of our preparations,     The source of this our watch and the chief head .. ... Press, 1992.  Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html  West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.†Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.  Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. â€Å"Shakespeare.†Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.  Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. â€Å"Hamlet: A Man Who Thinks Before He Acts.†Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar. N. p.: Pocket Books, 1958.  Â
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Gender Norms & Racial Bias in the Study of the Modern “History†Essay
History is the study of the past, specifically how it relates to humans. It is an umbrella term that relates to past events as well as the memory, discovery, collection, organization, presentation, and interpretation of information about these events. Scholars who write about history are called historians. Events occurring prior to written record are considered prehistory. History can also refer to the academic discipline which uses a narrative to examine and analyse a sequence of past events, and objectively determine the patterns of cause and effect that determine them. Historians sometimes debate the nature of history and its usefulness by discussing the study of the discipline as an end in itself and as a way of providing â€Å"perspective†on the problems of the present. Stories common to a particular culture, but not supported by external sources are usually classified as cultural heritage or legends, because they do not support the â€Å"disinterested investigationâ₠¬ required of the discipline of history. Herodotus, a 5th-century BC Greek historian is considered within the Western tradition to be the â€Å"father of history†, and, along with his contemporary Thucydides, helped form the foundations for the modern study of human history. Their work continues to be read today and the divide between the culture-focused Herodotus and the military-focused Thucydides remains a point of contention or approach in modern historical writing. In the Eastern tradition, a state chronicle the Spring and Autumn Annals was known to be compiled from as early as 722 BC although only 2nd century BC texts survived. Ancient influences have helped spawn variant interpretations of the nature of history which have evolved over the centuries and continue to change today. The modern study of history is wide-ranging, and includes the study of specific regions and the study of certain topical or thematical elements of historical investigation. Often history is taught as part of primary and secondary educat ion, and the academic study of history is a major discipline in University studies. Etymology Ancient Greek á ¼ ±ÃÆ'ÄΠ¿Ã ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ± means â€Å"inquiry†,†knowledge from inquiry†, or â€Å"judge†. It was in that sense that Aristotle used the word in his . The ancestor word is attested early on in Homeric Hymns, Heraclitus, the Athenian ephebes’ oath, and in Boiotic inscriptions . The word entered the English language in 1390 with the meaning of â€Å"relation of incidents, story†. In Middle English, the meaning was â€Å"story†in general. The restriction to the meaning â€Å"record of past events†arose in the late 15th century. It was still in the Greek sense that Francis Bacon used the term in the late 16th century, when he wrote about â€Å"Natural History†. For him, historia was â€Å"the knowledge of objects determined by space and time†, that sort of knowledge provided by memory . In an expression of the linguistic synthetic vs. analytic/isolating dichotomy, English like Chinese now designate s separate words for human history and storytelling in general. In modern German, French, and most Germanic and Romance languages, which are solidly synthetic and highly inflected, the same word is still used to mean both â€Å"history†and â€Å"story†. The adjective historical is attested from 1661, and historic from 1669. Historian in the sense of a â€Å"researcher of history†is attested from 1531. In all European languages, the substantive â€Å"history†is still used to mean both â€Å"what happened with men†, and â€Å"the scholarly study of the happened†, the latter sense sometimes distinguished with a capital letter, â€Å"History†, or the word historiography. The modern discipline of history is dedicated to the institutional production of this discourse. All events that are remembered and preserved in some authentic form constitute the historical record. The task of historical discourse is to identify the sources which can most usefully contribute to the production of accurate accounts of past. Therefore, the constitution of the historian’s archive is a result of circumscribing a more general archive by invalidating the usage of certain texts and documents . The study of history ha s sometimes been classified as part of the humanities and at other times as part of the social sciences. It can also be seen as a bridge between those two broad areas, incorporating methodologies from both. Some individual historians strongly support one or the other classification. In the 20th century, French historian Fernand Braudel revolutionized the study of history, by using such outside disciplines as economics, anthropology, and geography in the study of global history. Traditionally, historians have recorded events of the past, either in writing or by passing on an oral tradition, and have attempted to answer historical questions through the study of written documents and oral accounts. From the beginning, historians have also used such sources as monuments, inscriptions, and pictures. In general, the sources of historical knowledge can be separated into three categories: what is written, what is said, and what is physically preserved, and historians often consult all three. But writing is the marker that separates history from what comes before. Archaeology is a discipline that is especially helpful in dealing with buried sites and objects, which, once unearthed, contribute to the study of history. But archaeology rarely stands alone. It uses narrative sources to complement its discoveries. However, archaeology is constituted by a range of methodologies and approaches which are independent from history; that is to say, archaeology does not â€Å"fill the gaps†within textual sources. Indeed, â€Å"historical archaeology†is a specific branch of archaeology, often contrasting its conclusions against those of contemporary textual sources. For example, Mark Leone, the excavator and interpreter of historical Annapolis, Maryland, USA; has sought to understand the contradiction between textual documents and the material record, demonstrating the possession of slaves and the inequalities of wealth apparent via the study of the total historical environment, despite the ideology of â€Å"liberty†inherent in written documents at this time. There are varieties of ways in which history can be organized, including chronologically, culturally, territorially, and thematically. These divisions are not mutually exclusive, and significant overlaps are often present, as in â€Å"The International Women’s Movement in an Age of Transition, 1830–1975.†It is possible for historians to concern themselves with both the very specific and the very gener al, although the modern trend has been toward specialization. The area called Big History resists this specialization, and searches for universal patterns or trends. History has often been studied with some practical or theoretical aim, but also may be studied out of simple intellectual curiosity. History and prehistory The history of the world is the memory of the past experience of Homo sapiens around the world, as that experience has been preserved, largely in written records. By â€Å"prehistory†, historians mean the recovery of knowledge of the past in an area where no written records exist, or where the writing of a culture is not understood. By studying painting, drawings, carvings, and other artifacts, some information can be recovered even in the absence of a written record. Since the 20th century, the study of prehistory is considered essential to avoid history’s implicit exclusion of certain civilizations, such as those of Sub-Saharan Africa and pre-Columbian America. Historians in the West have been criticized for focusing disproportionately on the Western world. In 1961, British historian E. H. Carr wrote: This definition includes within the scope of history the strong interests of peoples, such as Australian Aboriginals and New Zealand MÄ ori in the past, and the ora l records maintained and transmitted to succeeding generations, even before their contact with European civilization. Historiography Historiography has a number of related meanings. Firstly, it can refer to how history has been produced: the story of the development of methodology and practices. Secondly, it can refer to what has been produced: a specific body of historical writing . Thirdly, it may refer to why history is produced: the Philosophy of history. As a meta-level analysis of descriptions of the past, this third conception can relate to the first two in that the analysis usually focuses on the narratives, interpretations, worldview, use of evidence, or method of presentation of other historians. Professional historians also debate the question of whether history can be taught as a single coherent narrative or a series of competing narratives. Philosophy of history Philosophy of history is a branch of philosophy concerning the eventual significance, if any, of human history. Furthermore, it speculates as to a possible teleological end to its developmentâ€â€that is, it asks if there is a design, purpose, directive principle, or finality in the processes of human history. Philosophy of history should not be confused with historiography, which is the study of history as an academic discipline, and thus concerns its methods and practices, and its development as a discipline over time. Nor should philosophy of history be confused with the history of philosophy, which is the study of the development of philosophical ideas through time. Historical methods Cultural history Cultural history replaced social history as the dominant form in the 1980s and 1990s. It typically combines the approaches of anthropology and history to look at language, popular cultural traditions and cultural interpretations of historical experience. It examines the records and narrative descriptions of past knowledge, customs, and arts of a group of people. How peoples constructed their memory of the past is a major topic. Cultural history includes the study of art in society as well is the study of images and human visual production. Diplomatic history Diplomatic history, sometimes referred to as â€Å"Rankin History†in honor of Leopold von Ranke, focuses on politics, politicians and other high rulers and views them as being the driving force of continuity and change in history. This type of political history is the study of the conduct of international relations between states or across state boundaries over time. This is the most common form of history and is often the classical and popular belief of what history should be. Economic history Although economic history has been well established since the late 19th century, in recent years academic studies have shifted more and more toward economics departments and away from traditional history departments. Environmental history Environmental history is a new field that emerged in the 1980s to look at the history of the environment, especially in the long run, and the impact of human activities upon it. World history World history is the study of major civilizations over the last 3000 years or so. World history is primarily a teaching field, rather than a research field. It gained popularity in the United States, Japan and other countries after the 1980s with the realization that students need a broader exposure to the world as globalization proceeds. It has led to highly controversial interpretations by Oswald Spengler and Arnold J. Toynbee, among others. The World History Association publishes the Journal of World History every quarter since 1990. The H-World discussion list serves as a network of communication among practitioners of world history, with discussions among scholars, announcements, syllabi, bibliographies and book reviews. People’s history A people’s history is a type of historical work which attempts to account for historical events from the perspective of common people. A people’s history is the history of the world that is the story of mass movements and of the outsiders. Individuals or groups not included in the past in other type of writing about history are the primary focus, which includes the disenfranchised, the oppressed, the poor, the nonconformists, and the otherwise forgotten people. This history also usually focuses on events occurring in the fullness of time, or when an overwhelming wave of smaller events cause certain developments to occur. Histomomity Histornomity is a historical study of human progress or individual personal characteristics, by using statistics to analyze references to eminent persons, their statements, behavior and discoveries in relatively neutral texts. Gender history Gender history is a sub-field of History and Gender studies, which looks at the past from the perspective of gender. It is in many ways, an outgrowth of women’s history. Despite its relatively short life, Gender History has had a rather significant effect on the general study of history. Since the 1960s, when the initially small field first achieved a measure of acceptance, it has gone through a number of different phases, each with its own challenges and outcomes. Although some of the changes to the study of history have been quite obvious, such as increased numbers of books on famous women or simply the admission of greater numbers of women into the historical profession, other influences are more subtle. Public history Public history describes the broad range of activities undertaken by people with some training in the discipline of history who are generally working outside of specialized academic settings. Public history practice has quite deep roots in the areas of historic preservation, archival science, oral history, museum curatorship, and other related fields. The term itself began to be used in the U.S. and Canada in the late 1970s, and the field has become increasingly professionalized since that time. Some of the most common settings for public history are museums, historic homes and historic sites, parks, battlefields, archives, film and television companies, and all levels of government. Historians Professional and amateur historians discover, collect, organize, and present information about past events. In lists of historians, historians can be grouped by order of the historical period in which they were writing, which is not necessarily the same as the period in which they specialized. Chroniclers and analysts, though they are not historians in the true sense, are also frequently included. The judgments of history Since the 20th century, Western historians have disavowed the aspiration to provide the â€Å"judgments of history.†The goals of historical judgments or interpretations are separate to those of legal judgments, which need to be formulated quickly after the events and be final. A related issue to that of the judgments of history is that of collective memory. Pseudo-history Pseudo-history is a term applied to texts which purport to be historical in nature but which depart from standard historiographical conventions in a way which undermines their conclusions. Closely, related to deceptive historical revisionism. Works which draw controversial conclusions from new, speculative, or disputed historical evidence, particularly in the fields of national, political, military, and religious affairs, are often rejected as pseudo-history. Teaching history From the origins of national school systems in the 19th century, the teaching of history to promote national sentiment has been a high priority. In the United States after World War I, a strong movement emerged at the university level to teach courses in Western Civilization, so as to give students a common heritage with Europe. In the U.S. after 1980 attention increasingly moved toward teaching world history or requiring students to take courses in non-western cultures, to prepare students for life in a globalized economy. At the university level, historians debate the question of whether history belongs more to social science or to the humanities. Many view the field from both perspectives. The teaching of history in French schools was influenced by the Nouvelle histoire as disseminated after the 1960s by Cahiers pedagogies and Inveiglement and other journals for teachers. Also influential was the Institute national de recherchà © et de documentation pedagogue. Joseph Leif, the Inspector-general of teacher training, said pupils children should learn about historians’ approaches as well as facts and dates. Louis Franà §ois, Dean of the History/Geography group in the Inspectorate of National Education advised that teachers should provide historic documents and promote â€Å"active methods†which would give pupils â€Å"the immense happiness of discovery.†Proponents said it was a reaction against the memorization of names and dates that characterized teaching and left the students bored. Traditionalists protested loudly it was a postmodern innovation that threatened to leave the youth ignorant of French patriotism and national identity. In most countries history textbook are tools to foster nationalism and patriotism, and give students the official line about national enemies. In many countries history textbooks are sponsored by the national government and are written to put the national heritage in the most favorable light. For example, in Japan, mention of the Nanking Massacre has been removed from textbooks and the entire World War II is given cursory treatment. Other countries have complained. It was standard policy in communist countries to present only a rigid Marxist historiography. Academic historians have often fought against the politicization of the textbooks, sometimes with success. In 21st-century Germany, the history curriculum is controlled by the 16 states, and is characterized not by super-patriotism but rather by an â€Å"almost pacifistic and deliberately unpatriotic undertone†and reflects â€Å"principles formulated by international organizations such as UNESCO or the Council of Europe, thus oriented towards human rights, democracy and peace.†The result is that â€Å"German textbooks usually downplay national pride and ambitions and aim to develop an understanding of citizenship centered on democracy, progress, human rights, peace, tolerance and European.â€
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Political Corruption and Vigilance Essay
â€Å"Greater transparency is an unstoppable force. It is the product of growing demands from everybody with an interest in any corporation-its stake holder web-and of rapid technological change, above all the spread of the internet, that makes it far easier for firms to supply information and harder for them to keep secrets. Firms now know that their internal e-mails may one day become public knowledge, for instance, and many big companies must co- exist with independent websites where employees can meet anonymously to air their grievances. With greater transparency will come greater accountability and better corporate behaviour. Rather than engage in futile resistance to it, firms should actively embrace transparency and breathing the values and generally get in better shape.†Don Tapscott, co-author of â€Å"The Naked Corporation†Contents Sl.no Contents Page no. 1 Prologue I 2 Message by CVC regarding Vigilance Awareness Week II 3 The Malaise of Corruption 1-4 4 Evolution of the concept of Vigilance 5-7 5 Vigilance and line managers 8-11 6 What is Vigilance angle? 12 7 Relevant extracts of IPC relating to public servants 13-14 8 Prevention of Corruption Act 15-27 9 Right to Information Act 28-47 10 FAQ on PIDPI resolution 48-50 11 CVC circulars on tendering 51-99 12 Preventive vigilance circulars 100-132 13 Vigilance case studies 133-145 14 Checkpoints on handling of tenders 146-151 15 Epilogue Prologue It gives me immense pleasure to state that in an attempt to inculcate a spirit of Vigilance Awareness amongst the employees of NCL, a modest effort has been made by the Vigilance Deptt. of NCL to publish a magazine named â€Å"Vigilance Perspective†. The magazine is intended to be quarterly in its periodicity. The contents of this issue have been calibrated and fine-tuned to include topics that have direct nexus with the perceived need to promote vigilance awareness/consciousness amongst the employees of NCL. In this endeavor no attempt has been made to project the claim of originality in any manner. CVC vide their instruction no.008/VGL/069 dt.7.10.08 had directed to use the Vigilance Awareness Week to publicise the protection informers resolution (Popularly known as Whistle Blower Resolution). Having regard to the instruction of CVC, a writeup on lodging complaint under PIDPI Resolution has been incorporated in this issue. Apart from Right to Information Act, and Prevention of Corruption Act, it contains chapters on leading vigilance case studies of NCL and system improvement circulars issued as a consequence of vigilance activities in NCL. Handling of contracts and public procurement of goods and services are generally perceived to be corruption prone areas. Considering the requirement of making public procurement efficient, transparent & equitable important CVC guidelines on tendering procedures have been made a part of this publication. Besides, the gist of CVC’s findings on irregularities found by them in handling of public procurement forms a chapter in this issue under the head â€Å"Checkpoints in handling contracts/supplies/purchase†. It is hoped that the checkpoints could be quite useful and handy for executives/employees in handling contracts/supplies/purchases. The maiden attempt has been possible on account of the untiring efforts of and unceasing/relentless endeavor of the executives/non executive of Vigilance Deptt. of NCL. Especially, but for the diligence of Shri Ashok Kumar, Sr.PA, Ms Reeta Pandit, Sr.PA and Shri R.Swansi, Sr.PA, it would not have been possible on the part of the undersigned to bring this out. Message by CVC regarding Vigilance Awareness Week Vigilance Awareness Week would be observed in all Governent organizations from 3rd. November to 7th. November 2008. It is the time of the year when we rededicate ourselves and renew our commitment to the cause of creating conditions to eliminate rent seeking behaviour and to ensure that public services are rendered with utmost honesty, sincerity and efficiency. 2. The Commission would like to see promotion of Preventive Vigilance Activities with emphasis on development of a foolproof system. A system that encourages strict adherence to the principles of non discretionary decision making on the basis of well defined rules would go a long way in obviating the need for disciplinary action well after the event is over. There cannot be a more apt description in this regard than the old adage: â€Å"Prevention is better than cure†. 3. The role of the Secretaries to the Govt. of India and the CMDs of the PSUs and the Public Sector Banks, as heads of the vigilance administration, in this regard, hardly needs any emphasis. Vigilance is very much a management tool and, as such, should be used synergetically with the other tools to improve efficiency by promoting competitiveness, equity and transparency. 4. The fight against corruption is too serious a task to be left to the heads of vigilance in Govt.Organisations or the Commisison alone. The civil society and citizens in general must play a far more effective and pro-active role in this fight. Of particular importance in this endeavour is the recourse to Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Informers’ (PIDPI) Resolution, 2004, under which the complainants can approach the Commission directly as â€Å"Whistle Blowers†. The Commission remains committed to protecting the safety and identity of the Whistle Blowers and urges more such persons to come forward in order to expose corruption in public life, taking advantage of PIDPI Resolution, 2004. (Sudhir Kumar) (Ranjana Kumar) Vigilance Commissioner Vigilance Commissioner (Pratyush Sinha) Central Vigilance Commiassioner THE MALAISE OF CORRUPTION-IT’S DIAGNOSIS & PROGNOSIS Gandhiji once remarked â€Å"Nations are born of travails and suffering†.The Independent India was born because of the dedication, suffering and sacrifice of our freedom fighters. Our freedom struggle is a testimony to the indomitable spirits of Indians to counter an oppressive regime and usher in anew era for us. Nehru’s â€Å"Tryst with destiny†speech set the tone for optimism for post- independence of India. Though the nation has made giant leaps in it’s position in the comity of nations, yet crippling poverty of some, low per capita income & the standard of living of an average Indian as compared to the citizen of a developed nation remain as enduring features of Indian economy. A large chunk of Indians live under the poverty line. â€Å"Roti , kapda & makan†still remain a distant dream for toiling millions of Indians. It is a strange irony that India prides itself on having it’s presence in the Moon when quite a few Indians fail to make both ends meet. It is a story of contrasts-of successful Indians making a mark in all spheres of human activities in the international level when millions of Indians are unable to make two ends meet. â€Å"World Hunger Index†of IFPRI, the â€Å"human development index†of UN, World Bank data on â€Å"child malnutrition and maternal mortality rate†,†Corruption perception index†of Transparency international, a survey of the center for media studies on â€Å"petty bribes†, â€Å"index of economic freedom†published annually by the heritage foundation and Wall Street Journal, the world bank annual series on †Ease of Doing business†, infraction of â€Å"rule of law†and â€Å"difficulty in closing business†do not show India in good light. CORRUPTION-THE VILLIAN OF THE PIECE Undoubtedly, Corruption is one of the predominant reasons for India’s backwardness in respect of some of the socio- economic indicators of development. The growth of economy is inversely related to the corruption index. To put it the other way, the GDP of a nation rises as the corruption index falls and vice-versa. The corrosive nature of corruption is indicated by the following negative impacts of corruption: †¢ It adversely affects the performance of the system as a whole and compromises the economy’s long term dynamics. †¢ It generates negative economy wide externalities that denigrates efficiency of the system. †¢ Corruption leads to the favoring of inefficient producers †¢ It distorts the allocation of scarce public resources and causes leakage of revenue from government coffers to private hands. †¢ It distorts the allocation of scarce public resources and causes leakage of revenue from government coffers to private hands. †¢ Large scale tax evasion erodes the tax base and in the process helps the generation of black money. Hence, it is not uncommon to find schools without students, teachers without schools, hospitals without doctors or medicines and so on ,though on paper all expenditures have been accounted for. †¢ Large scale tax evasion erodes the tax base and in the process helps the generation of black money. †¢ The result is crowding out of investment in priority sector such as education or health. †¢ Corruption in the economy leads to inflated government expenditures and scarce resources are squandered on uneconomic projects because of their potential to generate lucrative payoffs. No wonder that corruption is anti-poor and anti-national. In the immortal words of Mahatma Gandhi, â€Å"The progress of the nation will be hindered to the extent to which corruption seeps in†THE PERCEIVED NEED TO FIGHT CORRUPTION: As Dr. Manmohan Singh, the PM of India has observed, â€Å"Good governance rests on the honesty and integrity of civil servants and transparency of the administrative machinery.†Because of the negative impact of corruption on public governance and its intrinsic nature to baulk at the developmental process, there is both real and perceived need to combat corruption. HOW TO FIGHT AND DECIMATE CORRUPTION? The pessimists would lament that corruption is an invincible hydra-headed monster, which Phoenix like, rises from the ashes of it’s own destruction. On the contrary, the perennial optimists harbour a contrarian viewpoint . Their self-belief to wrestle with the malady of corruption stems from their conviction that within each corrupt official inhabits an honest person with the vanity of an honest individual. Besides, they reckon with the fact that the vast majority bitterly resents corruption – they suffer in silence, somet imes in fear. Such resentments, if harnessed, would constitute a potent weapon against corruption. Success they say is a self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words , if it is thought that corruption can be defeated, then it surely will be. However , if it is believed that corruption is intractable, then the pessimism will in all certainty fulfill itself. â€â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ â€Å"On this earth there is enough for everyone’s need , but not enough for their greed†-GANDHIJI â€â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ 7 The fight against corruption can only be successful when public awareness is coupled with anti-corruption efforts. The primary objective of creating public awareness is to sensitize the public about about the consequences of corruption and to educate the people about the improvements needed to create a corruption free society . As the current President of India,Mrs Pratibha Devsingh Patil has succintly observed, â€Å"A corruption free society is only possible if basic tenets of righteousness are deeply ingrained in our hearts and minds.†The CVC in their message on Vigilance awareness week have appropriately contended, â€Å"However, to fight the menace of corruption , collective and concentrated efforts are required in which the common man , who is the ultimate victim and beneficiary is an important partner. An evil like corruption can be eliminated only when the common man is empowered to become fully aware of his rights , feels the need and has the urge to stand up against corrupt public servants. The right to information Act,if used to the optimum and in a judicious manner, has the potential for such empowerment.†When the common man becomes aware of his rights and duties, is familiar with rules, regulations ,laws,instructions etc he jettisons being the willing accomplice to corrupt practices. It needs an attitudinal change in him to non-co-operate with venal officials. Besides , a realization should dawn upon public officials that: †¢ They are the servants of the public and not their masters †¢ They should remind themselves that they should be so high that law is above them. In other words they should respect law and believe in rule of law. †¢ Their actions are subject to public and judicial scrutiny. †¢ They should be sensitive to the grievances of employees †¢ They should act reasonably, fairly and judiciously in exercise of discretion †¢ They must not do what they have been forbidden to do, nor must they do what they have not been authorized to do. †¢ They must act in good faith, must have regard to relevant considerations, must not be influenced by irrelevant considerations and must not seek to promote puposes alien to the letter and spirit of legisation. †¢ Their actions should be rational, legal and regular in nature. †¢ Law should not be administered with an â€Å"evil eye, unequal/oppressive mind and unequal hand††¢ Hostile discrimination without intelligible differentia should be avoided at all cost. †¢ To avoid disproportionate administrative action. â€â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ Among a people generally corrupt, liberty cannot long exist. Edmund Burke (1729-1797) British political writer â€â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 8 The vigilance awareness week provides an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to this mission and devise strategies in priority areas like system improvements and preventive vigilance . It also provides an opportunity to reach out to the stakeholders with a n open mind and to invite suggestions to chalk out ways and means to deliver services in a transparent and efficient manner and to devise a methodology to eliminate corruption from public life. The primary objective of the observance is to generate vigilance awareness amongst the stakeholders of NCL i.e., customers,employees , vendor partners etc. It was intended to sensitize the people about the need to wrestle with the dragon of corruption.It is possible to reduce corruption if only we convince ourselves that it can be done. The way out of corruption is to; 1. eliminate the corrupt practices in our official procedure. 2. combine- consider one integrated service counter instead of many 3. re-sequence which can improve efficiency and reduce corruption 4. substitute -offer the option to download routine forms from the web to finish off the nexus of the peddlers 5. modify procedures 6. We must all understand the evils of corruption and imbibe the culture of honesty,integrity, transparency and probity. Russel said if you articulate a point of view often enough it acquires respectability.†Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come- so lets open our minds to the idea that corruption can indeed be defeated.†De tocqueville has said that the inevitable can become intolerable as soon as it is no longer perceived to be inevitable- so lets reject the inevitability of corruption and soon we may find it to be truly intolerable.Shaw -success comes to the unreasonable man who wants to change; so lets resolve to be unreasonable. â€â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ â€Å"Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it’s set a rolling it must increase.†Charles Caleb Colton (1780-1832) British clergyman, sportsman and author. â€â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ â€â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ â€Å"I have often noticed that a bribe has that effect  it changes a relation. The man who offers a bribe gives away a little of his own importance; the bribe once accepted, he becomes the inferior, like a man who has paid for a woman.†Graham Greene (1904-1991) English writer. 9 EVOLUTION OF THE CONCEPT OF VIGILANCE By: B.Pradhan Chief Vigilance Officer/NCL Etymologically, VIGILANCE connotes watchfulness and the planned effort to uncover and punish corruption and bribery. But the concept of vigilance has undergone metamorphosis in the course of inexorable march of human history. The present concept of vigilance, however, is inextricably connected with its history. It can be understood properly only when it is read in conjunction with its history. An man emerged stumbling and slouching from the jungles and put forward his tentative steps in the direction of a civilized existence, he has been seized of the problem of combating corruption both at the individual as well as the societal place. In other words, the problem of corruption is as old as the human race and mankind’s war against corruption dates back to Adam’s Original sin. Before human beings coalesced into society, the life of human beings was either â€Å"solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short†or â€Å"one of noble savage†. In either case, the ye arning or search for an ordered, regulated, corruption-free and peaceful life has exercised the minds of thinkers, philosophers and social scientists. Concurrently, with the evolution human society, mankind has devised structures, systems, rules, regulations, legal framework and principles for regulating human behaviors so as to obviate the scope for corruption in socio-economic- political order. We may have a glimpse of the tectonic changes or shifts that have taken place in man’s quest for justice, liberty, equality & integrity. It is a matter of history that highly developed civilization existed in China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Babylon and India in ancient days. It is also a fact that corruption, in its different forms, also coexisted during those days. So also, the human endeavor to curb and eliminate corruption in its different manifestations. The wide prevalence of corruption in Ancient India is evident in Kautilya’s Arthasastra. Kautilya drew a parallel between a fish in water and an official of the state invested with power for discharging the functions of the state. With words, pregnant with wisdom and indicating his pragmatism/political sagacity, he observed that just as it is difficult to say whether a fish deep in water is drinking water or not, so also, it is not easy to say whether government servant is corrupt or not. He also says that just as it is impossible not to taste the drop of honey or poison that is placed at the tip of the tongue, so it is rather impossible for the government employee not to eat up at least a bit of king’s revenue. In his monumental work, Kautilya lists 40 ways of embezzlement. Not only that, he prescribes different punishments for different crimes. Besides, Indian folklore is replete with stories of kings and nobles employing the services of spies for keeping an eye on potential criminals, enemies of state and offenders of discipline. Further, the concept of policing was an integral part of and an important element in the criminal administration during the ancient age. A study of the justice system prevalent then gives an insight into the notion of vigilance in vogue then and shows that preventive as well as punitive vigilance were in practice then. The middle ages, however, marked a new phase in the evolution of state and state craft. The spirit of republicanism, the growth of democracy and the germination of the concept of rule of law was aborted by the â€Å"concept of divine right of kingship.†The absolute monarch claimed his ancestry to god and ruled by the power of his sword a s the regent of the god. The acts of omission and commission of the king were given a religious colour. He was referred to as the march of god on earth. The religion of man was exploited to legitimize the rule of the monarchs of those days. The church and the kind reinforced each other in maintaining their respective positions in the social scale. The long and short of it was that the boundary wall between the political and the religious domain was smudged/blurred. Consequently, enormous powers were concentrated in the kings, princes, priests and those in their close proximity. Such concentration of power bred corruption, injustice and oppression of the downtrodden. Kings, princes and nobles governed as per their whims, facies and caprices by giving their acts a religious colour. The advent of renaissance and reformation in western Europe marks a watershed in man’s search for shacking absolute power of monarchy. Reformation challenged the dominance of Papal church and questioned it’s supremacy in the maters of faith. â€â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ â€Å"Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual, the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country.†Karl Kraus (1874-1936) Austrian satirist.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Analogy Questions in SAT Reading Strategies and Tips
Analogy Questions in SAT Reading Strategies and Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Though direct analogy questions were eliminated along with the old SAT Verbal Reasoning section in 2005, analogy questions remain in place in a more abstract form in the Critical Reading section. In this article, I’ll show you what analogy questions look like, the best way to approach them, and some step by step examples for solving them with real questions from the SAT! What Is An Analogy Question? Before we learn how to solve these types of questions, we need to learn how to spot them in the first place. Analogy questions will ask you to make comparisons.They might ask you to compare a relationship between two things in the passage with a relationship between two things in the answer choices, or they might just ask for the answer choice that is most similar to something in the passage. Here’s an example of an analogy question: Which of the following most resembles the relationship between "black hole activity" and "star formation" (lines -12) as described in the passage? A. A volcanic eruption on one continent results in higher rainfall totals on another continent.B. Industrial emissions in one region lead to an increase in airborne pollutants in adjacent regions.C. A drought in a wilderness area causes a significant loss of vegetation in that area.D. Decreased oil production in one country results in higher gas prices in oil-dependent countries.E. Overfishing in a gulf leads to an increase in the population of smaller aquatic organisms. In this case, you would have to examine the cause and effect relationship between black hole activity and star formation described in the passage and see which of the five choices is most similar to that relationship. Analogy questions are a subset of inference questions because they require you to understand a relationship or condition in the passage and then take it one step further to infer the similarity of something NOT mentioned in the passage. How Do I Solve Analogy Questions? You’re going to have to take a couple of mental steps to solve analogy questions (which is why they can be one of the more confusing question types). Step 1: Read the question carefully. This is important because some analogy questions will ask you for the relationship that is LEAST like the one in the passage.Make sure you know what you’re looking for! Step 2: Understand the relationship or condition in the passage. Go back and read the relevant section of the passage.If you think it will help you to remember the nature of the relationship or condition mentioned in the question, sum it up in simpler terms.Make sure you fully understand what specifically you’re going to be comparing to the potential answer choices. Step 3: Go through the answer choices, break them down, and eliminate the duds. Look at each relationship or condition presented in the answer choices, and see if it is functionally the same as what you found in the passage.Remember that the point of an analogy question is that the concrete details are different, but the core relationship or condition is a match between the passage and the answer choice.If this is not the case, eliminate it (unless it’s a LEAST question, of course). Keep going with this until you have only one correct answer! Ok, that sounds doable. Let’s try a sample question. Time to get our feet wet. Good thing we painted our toes "College Board blue". Analogies in Action Now for our first real SAT analogy question! Here it is: Which most resembles the "irony" mentioned in line 34? A. A worker moving to a distant state to take a job, only to be fired without warningB. An executive making an important decision, only to regret it laterC. An athlete earning a starting position on a good team, only to quit midseasonD. A student studying for a major exam, only to learn that it has been postponedE. A person purchasing an expensive umbrella, only to lose it on the first rainy day First, let’s make sure we read the question carefully - looks like this one is pretty straightforward. No LEASTs here.We are clearly looking for the answer choice that is most similar to a condition in the passage. Ok, now we will refer to the passage.Here’s the sentence we need to reference: As she wrote a final letter on her typewriter - she did hate letting the old machine go - Georgia did considerable philosophizing about the irony of working for things only to the end of giving them up. What is the irony mentioned in the passage?Looks like it's â€Å"working for things only to the end of giving them up.†So: we are going to be looking for an answer that demonstrates working hard for something but later deciding to abandon it. Now we can go through the answer choices to find our winner! For these answer choices, I thought it was helpful to break them down into two parts to show exactly why each incorrect choice was eliminated. Choice A: A worker moving to a distant state to take a job, only to be fired without warning A worker moving to a distant state to take a job - Ok, the first part of this answer sounds promising. That's definitely an example of someone putting in effort for something. Now let's look at the second part. Only to be fired without warning - No, that’s not going to fit. Being fired doesn’t mean you gave up, it means someone else gave up on you. This doesn’t match the irony described in the passage, so let's eliminate it! Choice B: An executive making an important decision, only to regret it later An executive making an important decision - Eh, that doesn’t really fit with working towards something. Only to regret it later - Regret isn't the same as giving up, so this part doesn't work either. This doesn’t match the irony described in the passage either - get rid of it! Choice C: An athlete earning a starting position on a good team, only to quit in midseason An athlete earning a starting position on a good team - Ok, that’s definitely working towards something. Only to quit in midseason - Yes, that’s absolutely giving up. Looks like it matches the irony described in the passage.This choice works! Choice D: A student studying for a major exam, only to learn that it has been postponed A student studying for a major exam - Yes, this part makes sense as working towards something. Only to learn that it has been postponed - No, this isn't the same as giving up because something happened that was outside of the student’s control. It doesn’t match the irony described in the passage, so cross it out! Choice E: A person purchasing an expensive umbrella, only to lose it on the first rainy day A person purchasing an expensive umbrella - Nope, that's not really an example of working towards a goal unless your priorities are seriously weird. Only to lose it on the first rainy day - That’s not giving up, this person is just frivolous AND careless. I’m glad they lost their umbrella. This doesn’t match the irony described in the passage either - eliminate it! Great, so we have Choice C as our answer! "O Umbrella, why did you leave me? O cruel vagaries of fate!" - quote from the poor sap in choice E Let's try another one. The first sample analogy question that I showed you about black holes is pretty tough, but I think we're ready for it. Here it is again: Which of the following most resembles the relationship between "black hole activity" and "star formation" (lines -12) as described in the passage? A. A volcanic eruption on one continent results in higher rainfall totals on another continent.B. Industrial emissions in one region lead to an increase in airborne pollutants in adjacent regions.C. A drought in a wilderness area causes a significant loss of vegetation in that area.D. Decreased oil production in one country results in higher gas prices in oil-dependent countries.E. Overfishing in a gulf leads to an increase in the population of smaller aquatic organisms. Ok, first we need to read the question carefully. We are going to be comparing two relationships for this question, and there's no LEAST, so we want to find the answer choice that is most similar to the relationship in the passage. Now let's read the lines from the passage. Here's our relevant excerpt: Accordingly, astronomers long assumed that supermassive holes, let alone their smaller cousins, would have little effect beyond their immediate neighborhoods. So it has come as a surprise over the past decade that black hole activity is closely intertwined with star formation occurring farther out in the galaxy. What's the relationship between black hole activity and star formation? They are "closely intertwined," implying a cause-effect relationship of some kind, although the star formation is occurring very far away from the black hole activity. So we are looking for a vague cause and effect relationship between two events that are occurring far apart from one another. Now let's examine our answer choices to see which one matches up with this relationship. Choice A: A volcanic eruption on one continent results in higher rainfall totals on another continent. This answer seems to work. The volcanic eruption and the higher rainfall totals are occurring in two separate regions, just like the black hole activity and star formation. This answer also demonstrates a cause and effect relationship that is somewhat ambiguous - though the events are related, they do not directly lead into one another. The nature of this relationship is the same as that of the relationship between black hole activity and star formation. Choice B:Industrial emissions in one region lead to an increase in airborne pollutants in adjacent regions. The key to detecting this wrong answer is the word "adjacent". Black hole activity and star formation in the passage are occurring very far away from each other, not in nearby regions of the galaxy. This answer also describes a direct causal relationship that makes straightforward logical sense - that's different from the vague nature of the relationship in the passage. Get rid of this one! Choice C:A drought in a wilderness area causes a significant loss of vegetation in that area. This answer is incorrect because both events are occurring in the same area. This makes it even more clearly wrong than Choice B, where the events happened in adjacent regions. This answer also describes a very logical relationship that demonstrates obvious cause and effect between drought and loss of vegetation. This is not the same as the relationship between black hole activity and star formation. Eliminate this one too! Choice D:Decreased oil production in one country results in higher gas prices in oil-dependent countries. Though the two events in this relationship are occurring in regions that are far away from one another, this answer still doesn't work. This relationship demonstrates a direct and logical cause and effect chain of events. This was not the case with black hole activity and star formation. Cross it out! Choice E:Overfishing in a gulf leads to an increase in the population of smaller aquatic organisms. This once again refers to a scenario where both events are occurring in the same place, whereas a key feature of the relationship in the passage was that black hole activity and star formation happened far away from each other. This one's wrong too! Looks like Choice A is our answer! That was a really tough one, but if you understood why we eliminated the four incorrect answers, you shouldn't have to worry about any super challenging analogy questions sneaking up on you on the SAT. You've already got the skills to beat them. Your brain must be like a black hole for SAT knowledge! Summary Analogy questions (in a less direct form) are still a part of the SAT Critical Reading section.These questions will ask you to make a comparison between a condition or relationship in a reading passage and a different condition or relationship that’s not referenced in the passage. When you see an analogy question, remember to: Read the question carefully. Go back to the passage and make sure you fully understand the condition or relationship you are being asked to compare. Read each of the answer choices and break them down so that you can make a direct comparison to what’s in the passage. Eliminate four choices, and find the one that works! Remember, you can do it! What's Next? Want more skills-focused SAT Reading articles? Start with these articles on sentence completion questions and vocab-in-context questions, and check back in the next week for more! What's the best way to get information out of a passage on SAT Reading? Find out the best way to read the passage and what's actually on SAT Reading. Worried that vocab is going to trip you up? Don't worry - we can help. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Reading lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:
Monday, October 21, 2019
Social Security act of 1935 essays
Social Security act of 1935 essays During the 1930s the Great Depression triggered a crises in the nations economic life. The Great Depression left millions people unemployed and penniless. President Franklin D. Roosevelts administration searched for a way to jump-start the economy. This was that backbone of the Social Security Act of 1935. On August 14, 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the original social security act. The original social security act was part of Franklin D. Roosevelts plan called The New Deal. The New Deal was created to help jump-start the economy by provider unemployed workers with jobs. The original social security act was created to help retired workers, by paying them a continuing income after retirement. Today social security has grown to become an essential factor of modern life. One in every six Americans receives a social security benefit and about ninety-eight percent of all workers are in jobs covered by social security. Over time the original social security act has went through many changes and amendments. Some of the important changes the original social security act went through was is broaden to include survivor benefits, disability benefits, health-care benefits, and automatic cost-of-living adjustments. Its first amendment was in 1939, which added two new categories to the benefits. These categories are payment of the spouse and minor children of retired workers and survivor benefits paid to family in the event of the premature death of the worker. In 1950 it went through its second amendment which raised benefits for the first time ever and placed the program on the road to the virtually universal coverage it has today. Then it went through its third amendment, which added a disability insurance program that provides the public with additional coverage against economic insecurity. In 1956 the social security act was amended to provided benefits to disabled workers. ...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Biography of 20th Century Pote, Edna St. Vincent Millay
Biography of 20th Century Pote, Edna St. Vincent Millay Edna St. Vincent Millay was a popular poet, known for her Bohemian (unconventional) lifestyle. She was also a playwright and actress. She lived from February 22, 1892 to October 19, 1950.  She sometimes published as Nancy Boyd, E. Vincent Millay, or Edna St. Millay. Her poetry, rather traditional in form but adventurous in content, reflected her life in dealing forthrightly with sex and independence in women. A nature mysticism pervades much of her work. Early Years Edna St. Vincent Millay was born in 1892. Her mother, Cora Buzzelle Millay, was a nurse, and her father, Henry Tolman Millay, a teacher. Millays parents divorced in 1900 when she was eight, reportedly because of her fathers gambling habits. She and her two younger sisters were raised by their mother in Maine, where she developed an interest in literature and began writing poetry. Early Poems and Education By the age of 14, she was publishing poetry in the childrens magazine, St. Nicholas, and read an original piece for her high school graduation from Camden High School in Camden, Maine. Three years after graduation, she followed her mothers advice and submitted a long poem to a contest. When the anthology of selected poems was published, her poem, Renascence, won critical praise. On the basis of this poem, she won a scholarship to Vassar, spending a semester at Barnard in preparation. She continued to write and publish poetry while in college, and also enjoyed the experience of living among so many intelligent, spirited, and independent young women. New York Soon after graduation from Vassar in 1917, she published her first volume of poetry, including Renascence. It was not particularly financially successful, though it won critical approval, and so she moved with one of her sisters to New York, hoping to become an actress. She moved to Greenwich Village, and soon became part of the literary and intellectual scene in the Village. She had many lovers, both female and male, while she struggled to make money with her writing. Publishing Success After 1920, she began to publish mostly in Vanity Fair, thanks to editor Edmund Wilson who later proposed marriage to Millay. Publishing in Vanity Fair meant more public notice and a bit more financial success. A play and a poetry prize were accompanied by illness, but in 1921, another Vanity Fair editor arranged to pay her regularly for writing she would send from a trip to Europe. In 1923, her poetry won the Pulitzer Prize, and she returned to New York, where she met and quickly married a wealthy Dutch businessman, Eugen Boissevant, who supported her writing and took care of her through many illnesses.  Boissevant had earlier been married to Inez Milholland Boiisevan, dramatic woman suffrage proponent who died in 1917.  They had no children In following years, Edna St. Vincent Millay found that performances where she recited her poetry were sources of income. She also became more involved in social causes, including womens rights and defending Sacco and Vanzetti. Later Years: Social Concern and Ill Health In the 1930s, her poetry reflects her growing social concern and her grief over her mothers death. A car accident in 1936 and general ill health slowed her writing. The rise of Hitler disturbed her, and then the invasion of Holland by the Nazis cut off her husbands income. She also lost many close friends to death in the 1930s and 1940s. She had a nervous breakdown in 1944. After her husband died in 1949, she continued to write, but died herself the next year. A last volume of poetry was published posthumously. Key works: Renascence (1912)Renascence and Other Poems (1917)A Few Figs from Thistles (1920)Second April (1921)The Harp-Weaver and Other Poems (1923)The Kings Henchman (1927)The Buck in the Snow and Other Poems (1928)Fatal Interview (1931)Wine from These Grapes (1934)Conversation at Midnight (1937)Huntsman, What Quarry? (1939)Make Bright the Arrows (1940)The Murder of Lidice (1942)Mine the Harvest (published 1954) Selected Edna St. Vincent Millay Quotations Let us forget such words, and all they mean,as Hatred, Bitterness and Rancor,Greed, Intolerance, Bigotry.Let us renew our faith and pledge to Manhis right to be Himself,and free. Not Truth, but Faith it is that keeps the world alive. I shall die, but that is all that I shall do for Death; I am not on his pay-roll. I will not tell him the whereabouts of my friendsnor of my enemies either.Though he promise me much I will not map himthe route to any mans door.Am I a spy in the land of the livingThat I should deliver men to death?Brother, the password and the plans of our cityare safe with me.Never through me shall you be overcome.I shall die, but that is all I shall do for death. Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. The soul can split the sky in two,And let the face of God shine through. God, I can push the grass apartAnd lay my finger on thy heart! Dont stand so near me!I am become a socialist. I loveHumanity; but I hate people.(character Pierrot in Aria da Capo, 1919) There is no God.But it does not matter.Man is enough. My candle burns at both ends... It is not true that life is one damn thing after another. It’s one damn thing over and over. [John Ciardi about Edna St. Vincent Millay] It was not as a craftsman nor as an influence, but as the creator of her own legend that she was most alive for us. Her success was as a figure of passionate living. Selected Poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay Afternoon on a Hill I will be the gladdest thing Under the sun!I will touch a hundred flowers And not pick one. I will look at cliffs and clouds With quiet eyes,Watch the wind bow down the grass, And the grass rise. And when lights begin to show Up from the town,I will mark which must be mine, And then start down! Ashes of Life Love has gone and left me, and the days are all alike.Eat I must, and sleep I will - and would that night were here!But ah, to lie awake and hear the slow hours strike!Would that it were day again, with twilight near! Love has gone and left me, and I dont know what to do;This or that or what you will is all the same to me;But all the things that I begin I leave before Im through -Theres little use in anything as far as I can see. Love has gone and left me, and the neighbors knock and borrow,And life goes on forever like the gnawing of a mouse.And to-morrow and to-morrow and to-morrow and to-morrowTheres this little street and this little house. Gods World O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!  Thy winds, thy wide grey skies!  Thy mists that roll and rise!Thy woods this autumn day, that ache and sagAnd all but cry with colour! That gaunt cragTo crush! To lift the lean of that black bluff!World, World, I cannot get thee close enough! Long have I known a glory in it all,  But never knew I this;  Here such a passion isAs stretcheth me apart, Lord, I do fearThoust made the world too beautiful this year;My soul is all but out of me, let fallNo burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call. When the Year Grows Old I cannot but remember When the year grows old October November  How she disliked the cold! She used to watch the swallows Go down across the sky,And turn from the window With a little sharp sigh. And often when the brown leaves Were brittle on the ground,And the wind in the chimney Made a melancholy sound, She had a look about her That I wish I could forget The look of a scared thing Sitting in a net! Oh, beautiful at nightfall The soft spitting snow!And beautiful the bare boughs Rubbing to and fro! But the roaring of the fire, And the warmth of fur,And the boiling of the kettle Were beautiful to her! I cannot but remember When the year grows old October November  How she disliked the cold!
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Canadaian Studies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Canadaian Studies - Assignment Example Although the nation has been doing fine without the law, some quotas have taken advantage of this laxity and have involved in murderous activities in praising the abortion. In the past 11 years of great experimentation without the law, it has been revealed that, although there is no law against abortion, doctors and women have exercised the right to abortion responsibly, without the need for any legal restrictions since their conscience do not allow them to do so (Marshall, 1988). Due to lack of the laws and regulation restricting abortion, Canadian citizens, especially doctors have had a share of difficulties in attempting to deliver accessible abortion services to women in part of the world that illegalizes abortion. Unfortunately, semi-skilled legislators who cannot support the improvement women’s access to safe and legal abortion currently govern some parts of Canada (Marshall, 1988). The access to medical and healthy abortion has also been hindered by bigger size of the country, least populated nation according to its size. This has made it difficult to the country to make available abortion services to Canadian women (Marshall, 1988). Furthermore, the government does not fund several abortions clinics thus forcing women to attend hospitals abortion services. Unfortunately, Canadian hospitals are not the easiest or most reassuring places to acquire an abortion (Marshall, 1988). A second problem resulting from the lack of anti-abortion law is anti-choice harassment and violence to Canadian women and doctors in other parts of the world. For example, three Canadian abortion specialists have been shot dead in the last 5 years, by American terrorist who is anti-abortion. Some of the Canadian citizens especially, women have been deported back to Canada for practicing abortion in cultures and nations that have strict laws limiting abortion. The country also had had poor
Friday, October 18, 2019
Research Experience for High School Students Dissertation
Research Experience for High School Students - Dissertation Example This essay stresses that given the absence of specific and clear-cut formal policies and frameworks from the government on research experience for high school students, the quest to inject high school learning with research experience has largely remained in the hands of private initiatives. This means that the introduction and maintenance of research experience in high school learning has mostly been a preserve of efforts applied by individual high schools and their stakeholders. Conversely, there are other organizations or agencies such as the National Science Foundation which sustain Research Experience for High School Students (REHSS) programs with logistics and finances and help further the goals of REHSS. This paper makes a conclusion that the research faculty member aiding and guiding the student has to come from the institution sustaining the research. For instance, Vanderbilt University enjoys the widest notoriety for sustaining these independent research projects. This means that most of the research faculty members who mentor high school students undertaking independent research projects are employees of Vanderbilt University. All students who participate in REHSS are to attend weekly breakout sessions in groups and are to be led by a group of Vanderbilt University postdoctoral and graduate student researches. In respect to the foregoing, it is important to note that institutions of learning which provide REHSS services have the prerogatives to set the requirements for enrolment. Roberts and Wassersug (2009) contends that in most cases, the student candidates must be: sixteen years of
Introduction to Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2
Introduction to Business - Essay Example The safest way that a bank can safeguard my money is through insurance. What more can banks do to further ensure this is true? Effective banks with strategies of safeguarding depositors’ money should take covers against losses from insurance companies with good reputation, good history, and strong financial base. The insuring company should have been in the insurance industry for a considerably long period of time to have proven its competence. According my job, I am planning to retire at the age of 60 years. I will be no longer productive in my profession hence it will be time to rest and enjoy the fruits of my hard labor. I want to serve my people in the best way I can in order to build a base for prosperity for the future generation. Steps I have taken? I am working hard to ensure that all my children will be through with their education and living a better life before my retirement. What more do I need to be doing now to make sure it happens? I need to invest in profitable business opportunities. I am directing a good portion of my income to educating my children as well as in ventures which have promising returns by the time I retire. I am also saving part of my income in credible banking institutions. I have also engaged my income into a good life insurance scheme to cater for my old age at that time as well as my family while I am
Thursday, October 17, 2019
In what respects does the postmodern city differ from its modern Essay
In what respects does the postmodern city differ from its modern counterpart - Essay Example The way in which the cities are built and expanded, as well as the framework for different buildings and components create this difference and lead to an understanding of how the city has changed while those living in a specific society have also altered. The Postmodern City The concept of the postmodern city became associated with the 1960s and was parallel to the changing lives of those in Western cities. The buildings as well as the structure of the city was known to construct with the cultural components, specifically with individuals moving out of the industrial age of mass production and into the entrepreneurial spirit. This was combined with the desire to build a sense of diversity, both in terms of the structures and architecture of buildings as well as the way in which the economics of different neighborhoods were able to work together. It was the two concepts of diversity and expansion out of the mass production that began to drive forward the ideology of the city. This was combined with the imperialist thought that was still associated with the elite, specifically which became interested in cities that could express a sense of wealth and power in various areas. Each of these proponents changed the city as well as the architecture and designs associated with each neighborhood. The concept of capitalism and the growth of urban renewal that could offer restructuring for money then became the most important component to building structures (Harvey, 1990: 6). The idea of development and the associations with postmodernism became reflective of the culture in several ways. While there was a movement outside of the mass production, there was also an increase in the consumer society. Individuals were interested in expansion specifically from the viewpoint of capitalism and economic structures that would assist in the building of wealth. Building a consumer culture followed this, specifically by building diverse neighborhoods that combined systematic areas whi ch allowed individuals to consume easily and to maintain a heightened lifestyle through various products and goods. The consumption not only became relevant in the basic needs but also became reflective of one’s personality, social status and meaning of lifestyle which was associated with those in society. The result was the desire to create a sense of utopia by presenting the perfect image and by associating this with the neighborhoods which had been built, all which were based on consumer behaviors (Clarke, 2003: 167). Development of Modernism The concept of consumerism and diversity in is one which arose from a backlash among those interested in architecture and the transformations of society and culture. This came from the modernist approach of society. Many began to believe that the culture which was a part of each community was reflective of the values or loss of morality which occurred, specifically with the concept of creating and developing while maintaining a balanc e with those in society. Modernist thought was based first on the need to develop, specifically so individuals could come out of the communities and recognize a sense of diversity that was associated with a given region. The development was followed by reflecting this with the values and morality which one held as well as how this could create a reflection from the architecture and construction of the city (Berman, 1988: pg. 90). The idea of value which was built formed into the development of moving back into the natural and into
Samsung Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Samsung - Research Paper Example Diversification of the company’s products has enabled it to become a global leader in the electronics industry. The company produces display devices, television sets, digital cameras and mobile phones. However, the company has ventured in the tablets market and has already become a major player in this division. Global Marketing Strategy A robust marketing has enabled Samsung electronics to stay ahead of its competition. The current business environment for electronics dictates that companies become customer-centric. This is whereby companies have to put customer needs first as they develop products or services. This has called for customization of products to the end user specifications or needs. However, the use of customization as a global marketing mix strategy comes into conflict with standardization. In Global marketing, a company needs to try to balance between these two strategies of marketing mix so as to remain relevant and stay ahead of competition (Armstrong and Ko tler 35). Globalization has for years been a disputed phenomenon in various ways including in definition, magnitude and effects. Thus a company should come up with most appropriate measure to handle it. A. Marketing Mix a) Product i. Standardization vs. Customization Standardization as a global marketing mix strategy implies an organizational design that is centralized. A company that adopts this strategy trades its products in one form. Benefits of adoption of this strategy include low operational costs and thus better economies of scale and uniformity of products. However, standardization has drawbacks of lack of competitive edge on products and is heavily reliant on economies of scale for profit margins. Customization on the other hand is a marketing mix strategy that implies an organizational design that is decentralized (Birnik and Bowman 70). This strategy is customer centered and considers needs of customers as per their location and needs. A company that adopts this strategy in its marketing mix benefits in an increase in its revenues since their products will have more appeal to customers. Disadvantages of this strategy include lack of benefit on economies of scale by a company and lack of uniformity in the global image of a company. Samsung Electronics has been successful in maintaining a trade-off between customization and standardization strategies with the help of the internet. According to Hadjinicola and Kumar there should be a combination of these strategies because it maximizes performance of an organization (62). The company has established divisions depending with regions and continents where they are able to customize their products to needs of locals while at the same time availing some non-localized products in these markets. The company has also placed applications for the devices they sell on the internet with and option of individual customization. Using these ways the company has been able to cater for traveling customers and well as local residents in a market. A level of cooperation between the subsidiary products and the parent product optimizes the performance of company products in the market. ii. Cultural Factors Culture of people in a region plays a very key role in determination of a company’s strategic approach in international markets. This is a very vital consideration especially in product advertising and
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
In what respects does the postmodern city differ from its modern Essay
In what respects does the postmodern city differ from its modern counterpart - Essay Example The way in which the cities are built and expanded, as well as the framework for different buildings and components create this difference and lead to an understanding of how the city has changed while those living in a specific society have also altered. The Postmodern City The concept of the postmodern city became associated with the 1960s and was parallel to the changing lives of those in Western cities. The buildings as well as the structure of the city was known to construct with the cultural components, specifically with individuals moving out of the industrial age of mass production and into the entrepreneurial spirit. This was combined with the desire to build a sense of diversity, both in terms of the structures and architecture of buildings as well as the way in which the economics of different neighborhoods were able to work together. It was the two concepts of diversity and expansion out of the mass production that began to drive forward the ideology of the city. This was combined with the imperialist thought that was still associated with the elite, specifically which became interested in cities that could express a sense of wealth and power in various areas. Each of these proponents changed the city as well as the architecture and designs associated with each neighborhood. The concept of capitalism and the growth of urban renewal that could offer restructuring for money then became the most important component to building structures (Harvey, 1990: 6). The idea of development and the associations with postmodernism became reflective of the culture in several ways. While there was a movement outside of the mass production, there was also an increase in the consumer society. Individuals were interested in expansion specifically from the viewpoint of capitalism and economic structures that would assist in the building of wealth. Building a consumer culture followed this, specifically by building diverse neighborhoods that combined systematic areas whi ch allowed individuals to consume easily and to maintain a heightened lifestyle through various products and goods. The consumption not only became relevant in the basic needs but also became reflective of one’s personality, social status and meaning of lifestyle which was associated with those in society. The result was the desire to create a sense of utopia by presenting the perfect image and by associating this with the neighborhoods which had been built, all which were based on consumer behaviors (Clarke, 2003: 167). Development of Modernism The concept of consumerism and diversity in is one which arose from a backlash among those interested in architecture and the transformations of society and culture. This came from the modernist approach of society. Many began to believe that the culture which was a part of each community was reflective of the values or loss of morality which occurred, specifically with the concept of creating and developing while maintaining a balanc e with those in society. Modernist thought was based first on the need to develop, specifically so individuals could come out of the communities and recognize a sense of diversity that was associated with a given region. The development was followed by reflecting this with the values and morality which one held as well as how this could create a reflection from the architecture and construction of the city (Berman, 1988: pg. 90). The idea of value which was built formed into the development of moving back into the natural and into
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
What is wrong with the education system Research Paper
What is wrong with the education system - Research Paper Example Moreover, the quality and quantity of services provided by teachers can be directly linked to the aspect of teacher tenure and union of education, considering that these aspects focus on the welfare of teachers while overlooking the welfare of students and the education system as a whole. Teacher Tenure The biggest factor in consideration with teacher tenure is the fact that it enhances complacency of teachers being covered by the tenureship policy, since they cease to fear placing their jobs under risks. In consideration to enhancement of complacency among teachers, it becomes certain that quantity and quality of services being offered by these teachers may be compromised. More so, teachers who are seen to openly compromise quality and quantity of work cannot be easily fired, since, compared to regular teachers, it is more expensive and hard to fire tenured teachers. This is due to the fact that there is a lengthy and complex documentation process that seeks to prove that unsatisfac tory and poor performance of the tenure teacher to be fired. Other than proving and documenting the poor performance claims of a tenured teacher, a court of law must critically scrutinize the allegations agree to the claims (Nixon, Packard and Douvanis, 2007, p. 43-45). Administrators often seek to weed out poorly performing teachers in an effort to improve education standards; however, weeding out under performing teachers who are tenured is more costly than retaining them. This aspect of retention leads to accumulation of non-performing teachers and thus consequently affecting the education system as a whole. The education system is in a crisis considering the fact that teachers’ performance is critical to the success of the students and the education system as a whole. The profession of teachers needs to recruit and retain the brightest and best teachers with promotion, security and other benefits being emphasized on merit. Although teachers need security and employment as surance from unjustified lose of job probably from political influences, the systems should not overprotect them to the extent that performance issues are compromised (Philips, 2009, p.3). Retaining the best teachers needs to start from the principals being able to evaluate and fire their teachers with regards to student achievement and performance standards of teachers. Poor performance of teachers needs to be critically dealt with given the fact that many students come from unstable homes and therefore highly in need of well performing teacher in order to boost their quality of education irrespective of their unstable lives. Teachers should be judged based on the teaching services they render and their ability to impact positively on the lives of students in the classrooms they teach. Teacher tenure negatively impacts on the education system although the policy was basically meant to establish fair procedures to protect teachers from political, discriminatory, and personal treatme nt by employers. The policy has however been misused to protect incompetent teachers rather protecting competent teachers to enable high retention of best teachers for fostering high education standards. However, employers can overcome incompetence factor by hiring competent teachers who are qualified with regards to real performance issue. Teacher tenure should only be used to protect teachers from injustice and politics school boards and external powers may use against them and ensure teachers
Monday, October 14, 2019
Gender and Stereotype in Sitcom Essay Example for Free
Gender and Stereotype in Sitcom Essay In both sitcoms, Black Books and Men Behaving Badly, comedy is generated and dependant on the representation of stereotypes shown through characters. Some follow stereotypes and others dont, but throughout both sitcoms, this is where the humor comes from, and this is extremely visible in the two episodes chosen for each sitcom. In Men Behaving Badly, the two main characters, Tong and Gary have fixed views on gender and couldnt be closer to the modern day stereotype of a youngish male. They are two men who are lager swilling and football crazy, and even though both in their thirties, adult life hasnt dawned on either just quite yet. The mise en scene of their flat is very boyish and the pub is dark and dingy. They never change throughout the sitcom and seem extremely content with their laidback lifestyles. Much of the humor is generated from this because the middle aged male audience can relate, and wish they were in that situation. The audience will understand their jokes and think of the times when they were probably the same. This behavior also allows them to get away with much more, for example in this episode neither gets back from the pub until the early hours and Gary misses Dorothy specially prepared romantic meal but avoids confrontation. They also both have female companions. Dorothy is Garys on/off girlfriend who is always extremely forgiving, and could be considered as the female stereotype in many aspects. She says she wants a proper relationship, but knows its unlikely with Gary. She cooks him romantic meals and is always working hard to please him. Deborah on the other hand is not in a relationship with Tony, but knows she can use him for a bit of fun whenever she likes. An example is at the end of this episode when she tells him to wait outside for her naked in the shed in the early hours of the morning, for the second time in a matter of weeks. Tony obviously falls for it, with him being the sex crazed stereotypical man that he is portrayed to be, and comedy is generated from this. Deborah on the other hand, is the stereotype of the attractive and sophisticated girl upstairs, the one who is definitely most likely to take advantage of men. Women can relate to these characters, with the struggles they go through and the laughs they have mocking their men, and this is how the audience is formed. The whole audience is able to relate through the portrayal of stereotype in this sitcom, and humor is generated along the way. Men will find the parts played by the men funny, and the women watching vice versa, but it can be viewed by all in confidence that laughs will arise from any episode. The women mock the men, but the men get their own back with their loutish, get away with anything attitudes, and by the end everyone is satisfied. On the other hand, in Black Books, most of the comedy is generated due to characters deviating from their stereotypes. Bernard is the only main character who does not. He is a stereotypical Irishman, who is an incredibly easygoing, drinking smoking lout, whose witty humor generates from him ordering about his only employee and best friend Manny. Manny is the other half to this relationship, and the much more the feminine personality wise. His appearance is of a hippy, and for much of the time he is acting as the forgiving wife to Bernards demanding husband role. Bernard tells Manny that he hasnt washed his things, and Manny replies politely, I want a herb garden. In their relationship though they both conform to stereotypes, Bernard of the bad husband and Manny of the forgiving wife. Bernard is forever ungrateful for Mannys effort for example he says after Manny has spent time cooking a meal, What kind of filth is spewing out of your hatch tonight?. Manny is used to it though, and just ignores his petulance. Bernard also mocks Mannys female ways in saying that, Ill wait until you put your teeth in dear, before speaking to Manny. In the episode watched, much of the comedy derives from this repeated bickering between the two, and contrasting stereotypes. They both eventually go and see a psychiatrist who almost changes roles a round, but eventually, as with every episode, the equilibrium is restored by the end, and Mannys subordinate role is re-established. The third main character in the sitcom is Fran, and she is much the glue between the two males as she can relate to both ways of life and confront their problems. She derives greatly from her stereotype though, and acts as an extremely masculine female, smoking and drinking, and is told by her friend she smells. In this particular episode Fran even tries to make a menz to her ways by stopping drinking and smoking and taking up yoga, but this vision is not long lived. When her friend Eva and she are together the mise en scene is bright, light and modern, but by the end of the episode she is back as being considered one of the boys in the way. She returns to the dingy bookshop and has the last line in this particular episode, a belch, which sums her up in a way. By the end of the episode the unity of the group is definitely restored, and so are all normal ways of living. Manny and Frans deviations from stereotype are back in place and Bernards was never in doubt. This particular sitcom provides a different type of comedy to Men Behaving Badly; in that stereotypes do not have to be adhered to in order to produce comedy. A different type of humor is created, whereby the audience is laughing at the characters rather than relating to them. All in all, the humor created by both situation comedies comes back to the portrayal of stereotype, or deviation of it by characters, but Black Books just shows a different edge to how it can depend on the stereotypical representation of gender in situation comedies.
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