Defamation and the First Amendment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Defamation and the First Amendment - Term Paper Example However, what is to be said of the extents of free speech guaranteed Americans in the First Amendment To what point does the First Amendment guarantee that someone may speak freely about someone else, albeit in a negative light Here, it will be examined: what constitutes defamation; what constitutes free speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment; and what happens in defamation cases. In other words, defamation of a person can range from someone making a comment or critique in presence of a third party, or can include written communications that a third party sees. (This does not include personal letters to one person that are not seen by a third party.)5 Anything defamatory is considered "that which tends to injure reputationdiminish[es] the esteem, respect, goodwill or confidence in which the plaintiff is held, orexcite[s] adverse, derogatory or unpleasant feelings or opinions against him."6 A communication is considered defamatory "if it tends to harm the reputation of another as to lower him in the estimation of the community or to deter third persons from associating or dealing with him."7 In this instance, the "meaning of a communication is that which the recipient correctly, or mistakenly but reasonably, understands that it was intended to express."8 First Amendment guarantees the freedom of speech, along with the freedom of religion, the press, and peaceful assembly. Specifically, the First Amendment reads as follows: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."9 Madison's original draft of the First Amendment read, 'The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write, or to publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable.''10 If it had been approved, this would have probably been a much more liberal version of the amendment than we have now. To speak, write, and publish one's sentiments without being deprived or abrid

Spartiate King Essay Example for Free

Spartiate King Essay Demaratus, a Spartiate King, was deposed by the Ephors after questions about his heritage had been raised; since the Kingship was hereditary and also primogenitive meaning that the position of King was passed on to the oldest son and not the most talented or popular. One of the Ephors acted as the Eponymous Ephor, from the 5th Century BC onwards, meaning that this particular Ephors name was used as a dating system for Sparta; which made it quite reliable due to the fact that each Eponymous Ephor was only elected once in their entire lifetime. In addition to this, the Ephors were able to discipline and fine any citizens for breaches in the laws of Sparta on the spot which differs greatly to the power displayed by other aspects of the Spartiate Constitution such as the Gerousia or the Kings. However, one problem with this aspect of the power of the position of Ephor, was the fact that an individual only held the position of power for a year, after which they would return to normal citizenship; thus putting them on par with those whom theyd previous fined and disciplined. As a result of this eventuality, its doubtful that the Ephors used their position as effectively as they could have since they knew of a backlash which would occur once they stepped down from the position. Also, the Ephors received foreign ambassadors from other Greek Poleis instead of the Kings or the Gerousia thus suggesting that they were the portion of the Constitution that interacted with other Poleis instead of the Kings; a role which would place them higher than the Kings since itd be their behaviour and interactions which the ambassadors would base their decisions upon and not that of the Kings. Traditionally, in societies wherein a Monarchy exists, it the reigning Monarch who interacts with ambassadors from other nations and countries however, since Spartas Constitution doesnt permit the Monarch the level of power it once had, its only reasonable to assume that such a role would fall to others. The Gerousia, comprising of the 28 elders all of whom were over sixty and retired from military service and the two Kings, was the Supreme Court of Sparta; they had the final say over any legal decisions proposed, based on whether or not the Assembly agreed with the proposed decision. The members of the Gerousia were elected to a life-long position, though naturally they were only eligible for election if they were over sixty; which incidentally was the age that all adult, male Spartiates retired from the military at. Once elected, each individual, was unable to be unelected and the only way they could be replaced was through their death. Unlike the Ephors therefore, the members of the Gerousia had the power of their positions to assist them in building referent power with the citizens of Sparta and other members of the Gerousia; thus their appointment to the Gerousia enabled additional types of power to develop and assist them with their agendas. However, for all the power the Gerousia had in relation to legal decision, they couldnt progress very far without the compliance of the Assembly; which would vote yes or no on a proposal from the Gerousia. If the Assembly didnt agree with the Gerousia about a proposed decision then the Gerousia had to revise the proposition and then offer it to the Assembly again. This would mean that the decisions of the Gerousia took a long time to carry out since; first of all, the Gerousia had to decide amongst themselves which proposal was best, then propose it to the Assembly and, if the Assembly didnt agree, theyd have to go back and revise it again thus meaning that to implement a simple change or improvement to a pre-existing law of Sparta could take weeks or even months at a time. This then wasnt efficient and quite cumbersome of the Constitution. The Assembly itself, as aforementioned, had the power to block any laws proposed by the Gerousia but, they couldnt speak out against the proposals; instead only being able to say yes or no to the proposal and not offer an improvement or possible change to it. In addition to this power to veto any proposal from the Gerousia, the Assembly had the Positional Power which enabled them to decide on whether or not Sparta would engage on a military campaign since, afterall, the members of the Assembly were actually soldiers who served in the army and thus would be the ones engaging in battle. Also, as an additional bonus to this, the Assembly had the power to chose which of the two Kings would lead them on the military campaign. Now, this type of decision was based on a number of things; most likely on the militaristic competence of the chosen King but, quite possibly, also the charisma of the King. As it was, the chosen King would, in effect, become the General of the Army and also the strategist for the campaign making his decisions final; though an Ephor would accompany the King on campaign to make sure he maintained the Code of Sparta whilst on campaign. In conclusion to this, I would surmise that it was the Position of Ephor which garnered the most power since the Ephors had the ability and means to control the Kings; insofar as having the power to summon, depose and even censure the King. In addition to this immense power over the Kings, the Ephors also had the power of their position to discipline and fine Spartiate citizens in much the same way a member of law enforcement does today. This then creates a diverse and dynamic position of power which enabled the Ephors to control the Kings themselves but also everyday individuals in order to maintain the Code of Sparta. Unlike the Gerousia which depended on the Assemblys agreement on proposals, and the Kings who depended on the Assembly on which King would undertake a military campaign, the Ephors were required to answer to no-one except the laws of Sparta itself.

Religious Identity In Different Cultures Sociology Essay

Religious Identity In Different Cultures Sociology Essay We argue that it is possible to empirically test some of the postulates of the classical distinction between an intrinsic and an extrinsic religious orientation: we investigated how people perceive the difference between an individual and a social religious identity, between a central versus a peripheral religiosity, and which are the different motives effectively underlying these different forms of religious identity. Using an ecological measure based on four types of participants self-categorization, results from a longitudinal study across six countries provided a new framework for interpreting religious identity. In particular, religious identity was mainly categorized at a social level by European respondents, whereas nonwestern respondents mostly rated it at an individual level; religious identity was perceived as equally central at the individual and social levels of categorization. Last, we compared the strength of different identity motives underlying these different forms o f religious identity. In the conclusions, we discuss the importance of investigating the different ways of being religious, and how they differ according to the specific experience of religiosity in a particular national context. Keywords: religious identity; identity motives; religious orientation; cross-cultural. The Categorization of Religious Identity in Different Cultures Is there a single form of the religious sentiment? This question was the first interrogation of Allports seminal book The individual and his Religion (1950, p.3): it is clear even in everyday life experience that individuals differ radically from one another in their ways of being religious and that each person endorses the religious identity with a different accent. Some years later, Allport and Ross (1967) developed the well-known distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientations. In this framework, the intrinsic orientation is typical of an individual who lives religiosity as something personal, mainly consisting of private expression, central in life and satisfying the individual need for meaning; on the other hand, the extrinsic oriented individual mainly lives the social aspect of religiosity, considering religion as something peripheral in his/her existence and that responds to social needs, such as the need for belonging or for high social status. Even if it has been widely used, many scholars pointed out the weakness if this definition and the debate on how to define religious identity is still open. Here, we focus on two parts, which we investigated in a cross-cultural study of late adolescents. The first aspect concerns the level of categorization of religious identity: in the intrinsic orientation, religiosity is personal and endorsed at an individual level, whereas the extrinsic type is mainly associated with a social level and thus with group belonging. Does this distinction correspond to real life experience of religious identity? Is it possible to distinguish between an individual (or personal) versus a social (group belonging) religious identity? The second aspect deals with the structure of identity: for an intrinsic orientated individual, religious identity is central and of primary importance, while it is peripheral and superficially endorsed in the extrinsic one. Does the distinction between individual and social religious identity entail a difference between a central versus a peripheral religious identity? In sum, this empirical study investigated in an ecologic framework if some people perceive their own religious identity as an individual characteristic, whereas others as a group belonging, and the implications of this difference for the understanding of religious identity. The Level of Categorization of Religious Identity: Individual and Social Religious Self According to the delineation of the religious orientations provided by Allport and Ross (1967), some people live religiosity as something personally chosen and individually endorsed, whereas other people live religiosity mainly as a belonging to a social group. In the literature, research into religiosity sometimes consider the individual aspect of religion, for example solitary personal prayer (e.g. Fincham, Lambert, Beach, 2010), while at other times consider the social side of religiosity, for example the feeling of belonging to a group and the commitment toward this group (e.g. Vekuyten Yildiz, 2010). Cohen, Hall, Koenig, and Meador (2005) argued that the importance of social aspects in religion can be viewed as a cultural characterization of certain religious denominations (see also Cohen, Siegel, Rozin, 2003; Hall, Meador, Koenig, 2008); for example, the emphasis on communitarian aspects (praying together, feeling a sense of belonging) is stronger in certain denominations, whereas in other denominations the emphasis is more on individual religiosity (e.g. beliefs, conversion, personal prayer). Another possible explanation for the different emphasis put on the individual versus social side of religiosity can be found in general culture: the differences between individualistic and collectivistic cultures might also affect differences in religious identity (Triandis, 1995). The six countries included in the present study all have a Christian historical background (paired with Islam in Lebanon), but they differ in levels of individualism and collectivism (Triandis, 1995). Thus, we explored the question about the individual or social characterization of religious identity in a large sample of different cultures, allowing to compare between individualistic and collectivistic countries. To our knowledge, no study to date has investigated with an ecologic approach what people actually feel about their religious identity. A first purpose in the present study is to look at what people say when they think about their religious identity. In particular, we proposed to look at four possible levels of categorization, drawing on self- categorization theory (Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher, Wetherell, 1987): an individual level, a relational level, a small group level and a large group level. We expected that some people perceive their own religious identity mainly as a personal characteristic, whereas others perceive it as a group belonging, etc. Therefore, we examined which level of categorization people associate their religious identity with if directly asked, without any sort of priming (e.g. without influence by instructions or by item formulation). The Structure of Identity: Central and Peripheral Religious Self The question about the centrality of religiosity in the individual self is assuming growing importance in the literature. In fact, it is argued that the individual differences in centrality of the religious self may also result in different degrees of integration of religion in life, and thus to different outcomes (Pargament, 2002). According to Allport and Ross (1967) theorization, intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity imply a different degree of centrality of religion in the individuals life: the intrinsic orientation entails centrality in life, i.e. subjective importance of religion, and it is seen as a more mature form of religiosity, whereas in the extrinsic form religiosity is a more peripheral part of life. Given that the authors consider intrinsic form of religiosity mainly as individual religiosity, they also assume that the individual religious self is more central than the social (extrinsic) religious self, which is seen as more peripheral. Nevertheless, this clear-cut opposition is questioned from many parts (e.g. Pargament, 1992; Burris, 1994). Flere and Lavric (2007) argued that intrinsic religious orientation is a culturally specific American Protestant concept and concluded that it is time for scholars to approach the question of the authenticity [italics added] of non-intrinsic religious orientation, including social extrinsic orientation not just as sociability, but as a legitimate path for achieving grace and salvation (p. 529). Therefore, we argue that research into the perceived centrality of different types of religious selves would gain clarity by being investigated cross-culturally, comparing across cultures the perceived importance of religiosity in the individual, relational or social self. In the present study, we investigated the centrality measured as perceived subjective importance of religious self in identity in a cross-cultural sample from six nations, including both western and nonwestern countries. We examined if people who define their religious identity more in terms of individual versus relational versus social self also show different degrees of centrality of that religious identity. According to the evidence provided by Cohen and colleagues (2005), and Flere and Lavric (2007), the social aspects of religiosity can be perceived equally important as the individual aspects by the person herself; thus, we expected to observe equivalent degrees of centrality at all levels of categorization. The Present Study This study is based on secondary analysis of a data set of a broader longitudinal study into culture and identity (Becker, Vignoles, Owe, Brown, Smith, Easterbrook, et al., 2012). For the purpose of the present research, we examined six different cultural contexts: three European countries from different parts of Europe (UK, Belgium, Italy) and three non European countries, specifically a Middle East country (Lebanon), one in East Asia (Philippines) and one in sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia). These countries represent six very different cultural contexts in which religious identity can develop, with varying levels of individualism and collectivism (Triandis, 1995): the UK, Italy and Belgium have similar high rates for individualism, while Lebanon, Philippines and Ethiopia are all collectivistic countries (Hofstede, 2001). We hypothesized that in all these contexts people can perceive their religious identity at different levels of categorization, with implications for the centrality of religious identity and for the motives underlying each type of religious self. In the previous sections of this paper, we accounted for the distinction between individual and social religious self; then we exposed the centrality or non centrality of religious identity and the multiplicity of motives that can be at the basis of religious identity. The study reflects this pattern and provides answers to three research questions: (1) Are there individuals who categorize their religious identity as individual and others who categorize their identity as relational or social? Our hypothesis, following Cohen at al. (2005), was that participants define their religious identity both as individual and as social. (2) Is the individual religious self the most central religious identity? Our hypothesis, consistent with Cohen et al. (2005) and Flere and Lavric (2007) findings that both individual and social motives can have the same importance in religious identity, was that, irrespective of culture, the perceived centrality of religious identity is equivalent at the individ ual, relational and group level of identity. Method Participants. Participants were a subsample of the broader research project, constituted by secondary school students in the UK, Belgium, Italy, Lebanon, Philippines, and Ethiopia. A total of 1,793 participants took part in the study. The mean age was 17.5 (SD 1.1); 257 were residents in the UK, 194 in Belgium, 187 in Italy, 300 in Lebanon, 250 in Ethiopia, and 300 in the Philippines. Demographic information regarding age, gender, general religiosity (mean rates for How important is religion to you?, from 1 not at all to 5 extremely) and religious belonging in each national sample are presented in Table 1. Table 1. Participants Characteristics and Religious Belonging by Sample. Sample Belgium Ethiopia Italy Lebanon Philippines UK Mean Age (sd) 17.7(1.1) 18.1(1.0) 18.1(0.8) 17.3(0.5) 17.9(1.3) 17.1(0.8) % Female 57 45 61 46 66 75 Religiosity (1-5) 2.14 4.77 2.69 3.73 4.03 1.92 % Christian 45.4 97.1 77.8 34 89.3 34.1 % Muslim 6.0 1.2 1.6 61.3 0.7 0.8 % Other 1.2 3.8 2.0 8.7 2.4 % no relig. belonging 46.6 1.6 16.8 2.7 1.3 61 Procedure. The research was introduced as a study about opinions, thoughts and feelings; participants were recruited through schools and were not compensated in any way. As the present study is based on secondary analysis, the research team members who supervised the completion of the questionnaire were unaware of the researchs aim, so participants were not influenced about religion/religiosity. A questionnaire was filled out at the beginning of the school year (time 1) and, after a period of approximately six months, another questionnaire was completed (time 2). In nations where this was an ethical requirement, parental consent was obtained in advance. Measures. Measures were included within a larger questionnaire concerning identity construction and cultural orientation (see Becker et al, 2012; Owe et. al, 2012). The questionnaires were administered in English in UK and Philippines, and they were translated from English into French (Belgium), Italian (Italy), Arabic (Lebanon) and Amharic (Ethiopia) in each country. Independent back-translations were made by bilinguals who were not familiar with the research topic and hypotheses. Ambiguities and inconsistencies were identified and resolved by discussion, adjusting the translations. Only the measures relevant to this article are described here. Generation of identity aspects. First, participants were asked to generate freely ten answers to the question Who are you? (hereafter, these answers will be referred to as identity aspects), using an adapted version of the Twenty Statements Test (TST, Kuhn McPartland, 1954, see Becker et al., 2012). This part of the questionnaire was located at the very beginning of the questionnaire, so that responses would be constrained as little as possible by theoretical expectations or demand characteristics. The ten aspects generated by respondents at time 1 were re-presented at time 2 and participants re-evaluated them after the time lag. Self-categorization of identity aspects. (Vignoles et al., 2006). Participants were asked to indicate for each identity aspect the category that best fitted their identity aspect, by circling a letter (possible choices: I, for individual characteristic, R, for relationship with someone, SM, for belonging to a small group, LG, for belonging to a large group). We adopted four categories in order to maximize the ecological approach and let respondents choose between more than a dichotomous alternative. Identity centrality. (Vignoles et al. 2006). A question measured the perceived centrality of each identity aspect within participants subjective identity structures (How important is each of these things in defining who you are?; scale anchors were 0 = not at all important, 10 = extremely important). The same item was answered both at time 1 and at time 2. Identity motives. (Vignoles et al., 2006). Participants were asked to rate each of their identity aspects on the six identity motives. The questions measured the association of each identity aspect with feelings of self-esteem (How much does each of these things make you see yourself positively?), distinctiveness (How much do you feel that each of these things distinguishes you-in any sense-from other people?), belonging (How much does each of these things make you feel you belong-that you are include among or accepted by people who matter for you?), efficacy (How much does each of these things make you feel competent and capable?), continuity (How much does each of these things give you a sense of continuity-between past, present and future-in your life?), meaning (How much does each of these things give you the sense that your life is meaningful?). Scale anchors were 0 = not at all, 10 = extremely. Results After collecting data, we read all the identity aspects and selected the identity aspects referring to religion, coding them as 1 and all other aspects as 0. All the aspects that mentioned God, Religion, belonging to religious organizations, etc. were coded as religious identity aspects. Examples are: Christian, Religious, God fearing, Member of the Church, etc. The percentage of people who mentioned at least one religious identity aspect in each country were: Ethiopia 47%, Philippines 33%, Italy 13%, Belgium 9%, Lebanon 7%, UK 6%. Most of the following analyses, except where indicated, were conducted selecting only participants religious identity aspects. Self-categorization of religious identity aspects. The questionnaire item, as described before, allowed to choose between individual characteristic, relationship with someone, belonging to a small group and belonging to a large group. The percentages of selected categories differed in each country sample. As we can see in Figure 1, European participants mainly categorized their religious identity aspects as group belonging, while non-European participants labeled their religious identity aspects as individual characteristic in the majority of cases; relationship with someone and small group were chosen by a minority of respondents. A Chi-square test indicated significant differences between countries, à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡2 (15, 232) = 47.981, p We then checked if the differences in categorization were connected to general culture. We tested if it was a general tendency of western respondents to define all their identity aspects as group belongings, but we found that this categorization is specific to religious identity aspects: a Chi-square test conducted on all identity aspects of the European samples indicated a significant difference of categorization between religious and non religious identity aspects, à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡2 (3, 1) = 33.645, p Figure1. Figure 1. Percentages of self-categorization of religious identity aspects in each sample. Centrality of religious identity in the different levels of categorization. We tested the hypothesis that religious identity aspects would be perceived as more central (i.e. rated as more important) in an individual religious self (aspects labeled as individual characteristic) than in a relational (aspects labeled as relation with someone) or social religious self (aspects labeled as small group belonging or large group belonging). However, the ANOVA comparing the means of the four groups revealed no significant differences in the centrality of the religious identity aspects (F (3,202) = 1.61, p = .189). Mean centrality for each level of categorization is reported in Figure 2. Thus, all levels of categorization of religious identity are associated to the same degree of importance for the person who endorses one of them. Figure 2. Mean identity centrality of the religious self by level of categorization. Numbers in parentheses report standard deviations. Centrality was significantly different between countries (F (5,202) = 6.40, p Discussion Our aim was to explore different forms of religious identity in different countries. The study measured the occurrence of religious identity with an ecological procedure, where participants freely generated aspects of their identities. In countries with a higher mean religiosity, a higher number of participants listed a religious identity aspect in their identity. We first investigated the level of self-categorization (Turner et al., 1987) that participants choose for the religious aspects of their identity. Interesting between-country differences were observed: most Western participants rated their religious identity as group belonging, whereas nonwestern participants rated it as individual characteristic. This pattern does not match the traditional individualist-collectivist distinction (Triandis, 1995), and it cannot be explained by general culture (as tested by the comparison with other, non-religious, identity aspects of the same participants), but probably reflects something mo re specifically connected with religious traditions and habits. These results are in line with Cohen et al. (2005) and add to the existing theory the specification that the importance of social versus individual aspects of religious identity varies not only by religious denomination but also by the specific experience of religiosity in a specific national context. It could be, for example, that in Western countries, where religion is not so widespread, people who experience religiosity necessarily have this experience by means of affiliation with a particular group. On the contrary, in countries in which religion is more widespread, individuals can live a religious experience individually and without entering a specific group. The second aim of our study was to compare religious identity centrality at different levels of categorization: literature about intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation suggests that a more personal level of categorization would coincide with a more central (i.e. perceived as important) religious identity (Allport Ross, 1967). However, we predicted, following Cohen et al. (2005) and Flere and Lavric (2007) that the perceived importance of religious identity should be the same for individual, relational, and social religious identity. In support of this hypothesis, there were no significant differences in the mean rates of identity centrality at the four levels of self-categorization. Thus, this disconfirms the distinction between an extrinsic religiosity that is peripheral and based on group belonging, and an intrinsic religiosity that is central and pertains to an individual level. In fact, both individual level and group level religious identity have the characteristic of ce ntrality that was a prerogative of the sole intrinsic orientation. Conclusions and Implications A first implication of these findings is the irrelevance of a distinction between a first class (real, authentic, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) and a second class (peripheral, instrumental,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) religious identity reflecting the personal-social distinction. In fact, even if it is possible to differentiate between different levels of religious identity and to distinguish between a more personal religious identity associated with sense of meaning and a more social religious identity associated with need for belonging (as can be predicted by the traditional intrinsic-extrinsic distinction), each type of religious identity is central for the individual who lives it. Thus, we agree with Flere and Lavric (2007) that the authentic religious expression cannot be confined into the intrinsic-individual orientation but should also include the importance, for the individual, of social and relational aspects of religious identity. A limitation of this study lays in the theoretical opposition between individual and social self: even if it was a necessary option for a first disentanglement of the different ways of being religious, we think that the two selves are not alternative and that an individual could have both a salient individual religious self and a salient social religious self. Indeed, some recent studies combining the two levels measuring at the same time the individual and social side of religious identity show promising findings (see for example, Brambilla, Manzi, Regalia, 2011; Verkuyten Yildiz, 2010). What should also be further explored, is the impact of the minority or majority status of religious groups in a given country on the individual perception of religious identity. In fact, the unexpected observation, in our sample, of the prevalence of self-categorization of religious identity as a group level identity among the western participants, elicits new questions. The impact of different denominations has already been investigated (e.g. Toosi, Ambady, 2010), but less is known about the influence of religious history of each country: it could be the case that in more secularized countries the religious identity is connected to belonging to a specific group, whereas in more religious nations individuals can practice their religion as something ordinary, pertaining to the majority of people (see also Gebauer et al, 2012; Sedikides Gebauer, 2010). Another aspect of possible influence is the interconnection between peoples religious identity and the way in which they enter in con tact with a religious tradition, for example their religious group/community and its specific practices (attendance of services, solitary prayer, volunteering for an association, etc.) and, before, the transmission of faith within family (see for example Assor, Cohen-Malayev, Kaplan, Friedman, 2005).

Comparing the Messages of Animal Dreams and The Bean Trees Essay

Political and Social Messages of Animal Dreams and The Bean Trees       Perhaps The Poisonwood Bible is Barbara Kingsolver's best work. It was while reading this book (which centers around The Congo and what the western world has done to this country) that I began to make the connection that all of Kingsolver's books contain a political and social message. She uses her stance as an author to illuminate her readers to situations and issues that she feels are important. Kingsolver's voice can be heard in Animal Dreams when the main character, Codi talks about what happened to her sister, Hallie in Nicaragua, and how unaware Americans were to what was happening in that country. "It made the news in Tucson, at least for a day. You just forgot. That's the great American disease, we forget. We watch the disasters parade by on TV, and every time we say: 'Forget it. This is someone else's problem" (Animal Dreams 316).    The Bean Trees touches on the plight of refugees, both in the real life struggle of a Guatemalan couple living illegally in the US, as well as her main character that in a way is a refugee herself, although only from Kentucky. In Animal Dreams, Kingsolver looks at the people living in Nicaragua and how the US government was/is involved. While the characters and personal stories are fictionalized, the situation seems taken from real life headlines. Kingsolver also touches on environmental issues in Animal Dreams, through the people of the fictional town of Grace, Arizona's struggle against an all consuming mines attempt to poison their water and crops.    For this paper I decided to focus on Barbara Kingsolver's first two novels, The Bean Trees and Animal Dreams. The first topic that ... ...html>.   Duval, Alex. "Shafted: How Phelps Dodge Strips Miners Of Their Rights." Tucson Weekly 19 March 1998. 25 March 1998 <http://www.weeklywire.com/tw/03-19-98/Curr3.html>.   Kingsolver, Barbara. Animal Dreams. New York: HarperCollins, 1990.   ___. The Bean Trees. New York: HarperCollins, 1988.   ___. High Tide in Tucson: Essays From Now or Never.New York: HarperCollins, 1995.   Perry, Donna. Backtalk: Women Writers Speak Out. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1993.   Schutz, Jorian Polis. "The Impact of the Sandinistas on Nicaragua." Jorian Polis Shutz, 1998. <http://www.jorian.com/san.html>.   Smiley, Jane. "In One Small Town, the Weight of the World." New York Times on the Web. 2 September 1990. 18 October 1998. <http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/10/18/specials/kingsolver-animal.html>.    Comparing the Messages of Animal Dreams and The Bean Trees Essay Political and Social Messages of Animal Dreams and The Bean Trees       Perhaps The Poisonwood Bible is Barbara Kingsolver's best work. It was while reading this book (which centers around The Congo and what the western world has done to this country) that I began to make the connection that all of Kingsolver's books contain a political and social message. She uses her stance as an author to illuminate her readers to situations and issues that she feels are important. Kingsolver's voice can be heard in Animal Dreams when the main character, Codi talks about what happened to her sister, Hallie in Nicaragua, and how unaware Americans were to what was happening in that country. "It made the news in Tucson, at least for a day. You just forgot. That's the great American disease, we forget. We watch the disasters parade by on TV, and every time we say: 'Forget it. This is someone else's problem" (Animal Dreams 316).    The Bean Trees touches on the plight of refugees, both in the real life struggle of a Guatemalan couple living illegally in the US, as well as her main character that in a way is a refugee herself, although only from Kentucky. In Animal Dreams, Kingsolver looks at the people living in Nicaragua and how the US government was/is involved. While the characters and personal stories are fictionalized, the situation seems taken from real life headlines. Kingsolver also touches on environmental issues in Animal Dreams, through the people of the fictional town of Grace, Arizona's struggle against an all consuming mines attempt to poison their water and crops.    For this paper I decided to focus on Barbara Kingsolver's first two novels, The Bean Trees and Animal Dreams. The first topic that ... ...html>.   Duval, Alex. "Shafted: How Phelps Dodge Strips Miners Of Their Rights." Tucson Weekly 19 March 1998. 25 March 1998 <http://www.weeklywire.com/tw/03-19-98/Curr3.html>.   Kingsolver, Barbara. Animal Dreams. New York: HarperCollins, 1990.   ___. The Bean Trees. New York: HarperCollins, 1988.   ___. High Tide in Tucson: Essays From Now or Never.New York: HarperCollins, 1995.   Perry, Donna. Backtalk: Women Writers Speak Out. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1993.   Schutz, Jorian Polis. "The Impact of the Sandinistas on Nicaragua." Jorian Polis Shutz, 1998. <http://www.jorian.com/san.html>.   Smiley, Jane. "In One Small Town, the Weight of the World." New York Times on the Web. 2 September 1990. 18 October 1998. <http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/10/18/specials/kingsolver-animal.html>.   

Self evaluation

Individual Critical and Reflective Self-Evaluative Paper Course Evaluation; I really enjoyed this course, as I knew I would. I love to debate!! I am a very opinionated person and I used to want to be a lawyer when I grew up Just because I loved to argue so much (such a pleasure for my parents! ). On the course with me were some other girls who had some strong opinions too which was really great because we had some good debates with some strong arguments and points! At the beginning of the course we voted on the topics we wanted for our debates, which meant that we would all be interested in most of the subjects we chose.Being all irls as well you can image some of the â€Å"banter† we had! Even though the class started at 9am, it was always easy to come in because of the group that we had in class; I think it makes such a difference when there is good energy in a work area, it makes it a lot more fun to be in. I enjoyed the class time, especially because the format was very re laxed. The lecture would be more of a discussion where we would talk about certain issues and elements relating to the course. It makes the class much more enjoyable and engaging rather than Just listening to a teacher go on and on whilst the class sits there texting away on their phones.Personal Evaluation; Being such an emotional person I do find it hard to sometimes control my emotions and I find myself slightly riled up after morning debates! I am generally an emotional person and things get to me quite easily and I need to learn that in business, university and even sometimes my social life I need to Just relax and breathe; its not the end of the world! Having been born and raised in London I like to think that I have a good grasp on the English language and have a good way of expressing myself which has definitely been a useful tool for the debate questions and reviews.I try to ake on board the constructive criticism because we would all offer a lot of feedback and comments to one another, which is really useful, and I will take those comments to help myself in the future. For the first few debates I didn't use sources that were credible and the tutor told me that in order to make my statements and points more reliable I had to start using more credible sources. This term I have not been happy with myself academically or personally. I don't think that I have performed to the best of my ability and I believe that at the moment I am Just living rather than enjoying life nd my time at university.This is because I have been lazy. I am not back into a routine of being healthy and active and this has a negative affect on the other areas in my life. I want to be more active and involved in what's going on around London. I want to be able to talk about interesting things IVe done and seen and experience life to the full. I am going to start to be more positive and realise that only I can help myself I aim to change my outlook this upcoming holiday so that I can be on top form for my last two semesters and enjoy this last part of my education. self evaluation By Christianna-psarros Self evaluation Individual Critical and Reflective Self-Evaluative Paper Course Evaluation; I really enjoyed this course, as I knew I would. I love to debate!! I am a very opinionated person and I used to want to be a lawyer when I grew up Just because I loved to argue so much (such a pleasure for my parents! ). On the course with me were some other girls who had some strong opinions too which was really great because we had some good debates with some strong arguments and points! At the beginning of the course we voted on the topics we wanted for our debates, which meant that we would all be interested in most of the subjects we chose.Being all irls as well you can image some of the â€Å"banter† we had! Even though the class started at 9am, it was always easy to come in because of the group that we had in class; I think it makes such a difference when there is good energy in a work area, it makes it a lot more fun to be in. I enjoyed the class time, especially because the format was very re laxed. The lecture would be more of a discussion where we would talk about certain issues and elements relating to the course. It makes the class much more enjoyable and engaging rather than Just listening to a teacher go on and on whilst the class sits there texting away on their phones.Personal Evaluation; Being such an emotional person I do find it hard to sometimes control my emotions and I find myself slightly riled up after morning debates! I am generally an emotional person and things get to me quite easily and I need to learn that in business, university and even sometimes my social life I need to Just relax and breathe; its not the end of the world! Having been born and raised in London I like to think that I have a good grasp on the English language and have a good way of expressing myself which has definitely been a useful tool for the debate questions and reviews.I try to ake on board the constructive criticism because we would all offer a lot of feedback and comments to one another, which is really useful, and I will take those comments to help myself in the future. For the first few debates I didn't use sources that were credible and the tutor told me that in order to make my statements and points more reliable I had to start using more credible sources. This term I have not been happy with myself academically or personally. I don't think that I have performed to the best of my ability and I believe that at the moment I am Just living rather than enjoying life nd my time at university.This is because I have been lazy. I am not back into a routine of being healthy and active and this has a negative affect on the other areas in my life. I want to be more active and involved in what's going on around London. I want to be able to talk about interesting things IVe done and seen and experience life to the full. I am going to start to be more positive and realise that only I can help myself I aim to change my outlook this upcoming holiday so that I can be on top form for my last two semesters and enjoy this last part of my education. self evaluation By Christianna-psarros Self Evaluation Self-Evaluation from Employee It’s easy to say you can use any performance review phrase, change it to â€Å"I† or â€Å"me† and be finished with your performance review – but it’s not always that simple. You want your phrases to be honest, accurate, but not too harsh. Phrases criticizing performance need to be well balanced. We’ve compiled a list of hundreds of self evaluation phrases you can use to complete your performance review and receive the high marks you deserve. We’ve separated the phrases by topical area, then by positive and needs improvement.Find the right balance to describe yourself and speed up your performance review paperwork. This is part 1 of a several part series on self evaluations. Self Evaluation Sample Templates Writing a great self evaluation during performance review time can be a difficult task. How exactly do I describe my performance in Training or Leadership? We’ve written 450 self evaluation parag raphs in 30 categories – by exceeds expectations, meets expectations, and below expectations. These paragraphs make completing the self evaluation easy – simply copy and paste into your document. This ebook is available for instant download for $18. 5. ————————————————- Top of Form Bottom of Form Attendance and Punctuality Self Evaluation Positive Phrases I am a reliable employee who arrives on-time and leaves on-time. My break times are well planned and do not exceed the allotted time. I arrive each day fully prepared to tackle my responsibilities. I am reliable and do not have any attendance problems. I   ensure my team adheres to their lunch schedules and breaks. I meet all company standards for attendance and punctuality. I begin each day refreshed and ready for any challenges I will face.My attention to punctuality has paid off this year, I consistentl y arrive on time. I start and end meetings on time. I schedule time off well in advance. I am conscientious of others when scheduling time off. Attendance and Punctuality Needs Improvement Self Evaluation Phrases I am occasionally late for work and will improve this area by focusing on showing up on time each day. I need to improve showing up to work on time and keeping a normal work schedule. Over the next year, I’m going to improve meetings so they run to their prescribed time. Some of my breaks may run a little long, but I will improve my schedule.I will work on taking heavy traffic and weather into account for arrival time. I will continue to work on punctuality. Attitude Positive Self Evaluation Phrases I always try to keep a positive attitude, a smile on my face, and demonstrate how much I enjoy my job. I try to be cheerful to help those around me feel welcome and appreciated. I have an even demeanor through good times and bad. I do this to help others keep their  "enthusiasm† – both positive and negative – in check. I have a calm personality to keep an even attitude. I bring a high level of enthusiasm to my job.I try to always set a good example for the team and be here when they need a lift. I maintain a positive mind-set. Even though we have difficult situations and decisions to make, I maintain a positive outlook. I maintain a positive attitude. I like to build trust with my team by being a positive force on the team, congratulating high performers on successes, and working with those that need assistance to improve. Attitude Needs Improvement Self Evaluation Phrases At times, I can be brisk and to the point. I don’t mean to offer a negative impression, but sometimes I am very focused on the work at hand.Due to the demanding nature of our business, my team may at times think I am insensitive, but we have to get the job done, on time, and on budget. I am working to improve how I deal with others and customers. Th ough some may struggle with my personality, I believe I effectively use it to manage my employees. Communication Positive Self Evaluation Phrases I keep managers and coworkers informed of my work progress. I report all necessary information to my coworkers. I am excellent at keeping written information about my assignments and projects. One of my strengths is the use of candor and effective communication with my employees.One of my core strengths is the ability to immediately connect with someone. I am a very competent communicator. I clearly communicates with my employees and they understand my expectations. I am clearly good at communication as evidenced by my effectiveness in resolving customer problems. At first, communication was not my strongest attribute. However, after a lot of work, I have become a very good communicator. Communication Needs Improvement Self Evaluation Phrases Though some may believe I withhold information from my co-workers, I provide all information as re quired.My written communication is great, but I need to improve my verbal communication skills. My verbal communication skills are very good, but I need to work on my written communication skills. I believe I effectively communicate with my fellow team members, but I must improve communication with my management team. Communication is a weakness which I know I must improve. Creativity and Innovation Positive Self Evaluation Phrases My ability to change direction when required is an asset to the team. I am an innovator at heart – my skill at inspiring new ideas adds a lot to the team.I have an imaginative personality and am very resourceful in times of need. I have a creative touch in a sometimes normal role within our team. I add an artistic flair to everything I produce which makes my projects much more fun than most. When a major problem arises, I use creative problem solving to look at different sides of an issue I think outside the box when crafting solutions. I demonstra te a key ability to craft creative solutions to problems. I show ingenuity when facing difficult situations. Whenever we need a fresh look at a problem, I try to provide a novel perspective.I don’t rely on common methods to solve a problem, but address each situation with a innovative viewpoint. I constantly search for new ideas and ways to improve efficiency. I create an exciting atmosphere for his team: one in which new ideas are rewarded and encouraged. Creativity and Innovation Needs Improvement Self Evaluation Phrases I find at times that I am more practical than creative in many aspects of my job. Over the next year, I plan on working to improve my imagination at work to think more creatively. Innovation is not at the heart of what I do – I am more of a task oriented person.There are times when creative solutions are just not called for, but I have a creative mind and have a tendency to go there immediately. Sometimes I have difficulty thinking outside of the box and creating innovative solutions. I plan on improving innovation this year by seeking out new opinions and ideas. I have a tendency to ask for help from other people more frequently than researching potential solutions and fixes. Customer Satisfaction Positive Self Evaluation Phrases I take great pride in my work with our clients. I skillfully overcome client objections. I consistently receive high marks on my customer satisfaction surveys.I understand the latitude to ensure customer satisfaction and do everything necessary to retain customers. I am able to handle clients well. I am very good at keeping happy customers and successfully up selling them at the same time. I deal with customer complaints with a calm demeanor. I am very good at handling difficult situations with customers. I work with customers very well. I am very good at dealing with irate customers in a calm and rational manner. I believe no problem is too big that cannot be solved with care and understanding. I lis ten to our customers and resolves their problems in an agreeable manner.I understand how to listen to customers and extract those details which make a big difference when dealing with our clients. Customer Satisfaction Needs Improvement Self Evaluation Phrases Sometimes, I do not follow up with customers quickly enough. Though I have some low marks on customer satisfaction surveys, I am working to improve those scores. I continue to work on improving my ability to overcome customer objections. I understand the importance of customer service training, though I do believe I’ve received enough training to be successful. I am much better about handling telephone customer service than in person situations. Self evaluation Individual Critical and Reflective Self-Evaluative Paper Course Evaluation; I really enjoyed this course, as I knew I would. I love to debate!! I am a very opinionated person and I used to want to be a lawyer when I grew up Just because I loved to argue so much (such a pleasure for my parents! ). On the course with me were some other girls who had some strong opinions too which was really great because we had some good debates with some strong arguments and points! At the beginning of the course we voted on the topics we wanted for our debates, which meant that we would all be interested in most of the subjects we chose.Being all irls as well you can image some of the â€Å"banter† we had! Even though the class started at 9am, it was always easy to come in because of the group that we had in class; I think it makes such a difference when there is good energy in a work area, it makes it a lot more fun to be in. I enjoyed the class time, especially because the format was very re laxed. The lecture would be more of a discussion where we would talk about certain issues and elements relating to the course. It makes the class much more enjoyable and engaging rather than Just listening to a teacher go on and on whilst the class sits there texting away on their phones.Personal Evaluation; Being such an emotional person I do find it hard to sometimes control my emotions and I find myself slightly riled up after morning debates! I am generally an emotional person and things get to me quite easily and I need to learn that in business, university and even sometimes my social life I need to Just relax and breathe; its not the end of the world! Having been born and raised in London I like to think that I have a good grasp on the English language and have a good way of expressing myself which has definitely been a useful tool for the debate questions and reviews.I try to ake on board the constructive criticism because we would all offer a lot of feedback and comments to one another, which is really useful, and I will take those comments to help myself in the future. For the first few debates I didn't use sources that were credible and the tutor told me that in order to make my statements and points more reliable I had to start using more credible sources. This term I have not been happy with myself academically or personally. I don't think that I have performed to the best of my ability and I believe that at the moment I am Just living rather than enjoying life nd my time at university.This is because I have been lazy. I am not back into a routine of being healthy and active and this has a negative affect on the other areas in my life. I want to be more active and involved in what's going on around London. I want to be able to talk about interesting things IVe done and seen and experience life to the full. I am going to start to be more positive and realise that only I can help myself I aim to change my outlook this upcoming holiday so that I can be on top form for my last two semesters and enjoy this last part of my education. self evaluation By Christianna-psarros

Photographer Gordon Parks

Photographer Gordon Parks Biography One of the 20th century’s greatest photographers Gordon Parks was born in 1912 to the family of Africans of photographs The foremost feature of Parks’ photographs is the fact that, while being taken in an unmistakably realist manner, they emanate the strong spirit of humanism. The validity of this statement can be well explored in regards to probably the photographer’s most famous photo of Ella Watson (janitor) standing in front of the American flag inside of the FSA building. What is being particularly noteworthy about this photo is that it prompts onlookers to consider the possibility that, working as a janitor, was not the photographed woman’s ‘true calling’. The reason for this is apparent – Watson’s very appearance suggests that she happened to be a thoroughly intelligent woman. The fact that she is being depicted wearing glasses strengthens this impression even further. Thus, while being exposed to this photo, pe ople cannot help experiencing the sensation that there is something inheritably wrong about the situation with an intelligent Black woman working as a janitor, which in turn leads them to conclude that she must have been forced to stick with this job by some external circumstances. The American flag in the background symbolizes these external circumstances. Apparently, Parks wanted to emphasize that it was due to the policy of racial discrimination (which was enacted in America during the course of the thirties) that African-American women, such as Watson, could not even dream of a social advancement.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Photographer Gordon Parks specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The motif of racial discrimination is also contained in the Parks’ photo of two Black kids playing the doll of a White girl. There are two discursive aspects to this photo. First, the fact that Black children are being fo rced to play with this pale-skinned doll suggests that they were spared of an opportunity to play with a Black doll. The reason for this is simple – at the time when the above photo was taken (the late thirties), there were no dark-skinned dolls manufactured by the American toy-industry. This is because, during the course of this period in American history, the country’s Blacks were not considered fully human, which is why they used to be encouraged to mimic the lifestyle of Whites – playing with White dolls, was meant to make Black children emotionally comfortable with their future status of second-class citizens. Second, the doll’s unemotional (cold) facial expression stands in a striking contrast to the facial expression of a Black kid on the left. This contrast’s symbolism is quite clear – apparently, Parks wanted to promote the idea that it is in White people’s very nature to regard African-Americans inferior, which is why it is wrong to believe that Whites would be willing to treat brothers with dignity, unless they are being forced to do so out of fear. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to suggest that the objective value of Parks’ photographic masterpieces reflects the author’s tendency to expose racist injustices within the American society in a necessarily subtle manner. Quite on the contrary – Parks never skipped an opportunity to document even those instances of a racial discrimination in America that have been directly sponsored by the state. The photograph below validates the legitimacy of this suggestion. Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On it, we get to observe a Black girl drinking out of the water-fountain, designated ‘colored only’, with the water-fountain designated ‘white only’ being only a few inches away. Given the ‘poodle skirts’, worn by two Black ladies on the right, we can well assume that this photo must have been taken during the course of the fifties in one of the America’s Southern states, where the so-called ‘Jim Crow’ laws enjoyed the legislative legitimacy well into the early sixties. It is needless to mention, of course, that this photo can be well discussed in terms of a social commentary. It appears that Parks wanted to prompt contemporary Black onlookers to consider something that they have not been taught in schools, ran by White Bible-thumpers – namely, the fact they had very few reasons to remain loyal to the state, which was willing to go as far as denying their basic humanity, simply because they happened to have a dark ski n. Therefore, it is fully explainable why, as time went on; Parks was growing increasingly distanced from the idea that African-Americans simply had to continue applying an effort into trying to make Whites more racially tolerant, as Martin Luther King used to insist. Apparently, during the course of the sixties, it started to dawn upon Parks that, contrary to what King was suggesting, civil rights are not given but taken. In its turn, this explains why through the sixties Parks was becoming progressively fascinated with the Black Panther Party, in general, and with the character of Malcolm X, in particular. The fact that Parks used to spend long hours, while photographing the party’s political rallies, headed by Malcolm X, validates the full soundness of this suggestion. There can only a few doubts as to the fact that there is a strongly defined social commentary to the above photos, which can be summarized as follows: African-Americans have grown powerful enough to take a direct action against their oppressors. As these photos imply, such an eventual development occurred due to African-Americans having succeeded in making the traditional ‘instruments’ of White people’s racial domination (their efficiency in self-organization and their intellectual capabilities) to serve the purpose of Black people’s liberation. This is the subtle symbolism of Parks’ photos, which feature Black Panthers standing in columns and Malcolm X touching its temple with his finger. At the same time, however, it would be quite inappropriate to suggest that there are solely racial undertones to how Parks went about photographing the surrounding reality. Being a true humanist, Parks used to make a deliberate point in exposing the very essence of people’s existential anxieties – regardless of what happened to be the specifics of the photographed individuals’ racial affiliation. In this respect, the photo below is being espec ially illustrative. Even though that, formally speaking, this photo simply depicts three blood-related females (a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter) that live in the same household, it in fact encourages viewers to contemplate on the shortness of one’s life. This is because the depicted characters allow onlookers to have a three-dimensional glimpse into the process of aging. The photo’s humanist appeal is quite apparent – once people realize the shortness of their lives, they will be more likely to try to make these lives count, such as by the mean of contributing to the well-being of a community, for example. Personal reflections and reactions I personally have always been a great admirer of Gordon Parks. The rationale behind this suggestion can be summarized as follows: 1. Parks contributed substantially towards the process of African-Americans becoming the masters of their own destiny. It is not only that Parks succeeded in exposing the subtle and direct manifestations of White racism, which helped the brothers to adopt a proper approach, while addressing it, but his photographic masterpieces also resulted in prompting the representatives of socially underprivileged racial minorities in America to take a full advantage of their existential potential. One of the reasons for this is that, even though many of the depicted ‘colored’ characters in his photos appear to have suffered from poverty and racial discrimination, there is an unmistakable aura of a perceptual optimism to them. Hence, a subtle message, conveyed by most of the Parks’ photos – despite the fact that Blacks/minors do often experience social/racial oppression, they nevertheless possess something that their oppressors no longer have – a psychological and biological vitality. In this respect, Parks proved himself a true visionary – as of today, African-Americans have effectively ceased being ‘hunted’, while gradually assuming the role of ‘hunters’. The validity of this suggestion can be easily illustrated in regards to what account for the realities of today’s living in America, associated with the process of Whites growing progressively weakened, when it is being only the matter of time before they themselves become the representatives of the one of many of racial minorities in this country. 2. In his personal life, Parks never ceased acting as a humble and yet self-respectful individual, while never succumbing to bitterness even in times when the circumstances called for it. Being a stoic-minded person, Parks used to address life-challenges as a man, without allowing the hardships he used to experience to prevent him from remaining firmly committed to what he believed was the purpose of his life (Moskowitz 103). Parks felt thoroughly comfortable while socializing with both: Black gangsters, on the one hand, and with the America’s top-politicians, on the other. This o nce again suggests that there was nothing incidental about the fact that, despite his humble origins, Parks was able to overcome the seemingly impossible circumstances and to become one of the 20th century’s most influential African-Americans. Therefore, it would be thoroughly appropriate to refer to Parks as a truly inspirational figure, whose cultural legacy will continue to motivate African-Americans make the best out of their lives for generations to come. 3. Parks was a great humanist/intellectual. As it was noted earlier, many of the Parks’ photos are being concerned with promoting the idea that one’s life represents the highest value of all. At the same time, however, Parks never consider joining any of the organized religions in America – hence, proving himself a classical intellectual, capable of understanding that it is specifically people’s lack of education, which prompts them to search for â€Å"God† up in the clouds. Thus, it c an be well assumed that, throughout most of his life, Parks remained well ahead of its time. Therefore, it is fully explainable why the overwhelming majority of intellectually advanced Americans tend to refer to Parks in a particularly high regard – regardless of whether they happened to be Black or White. Thus, it will be fully appropriate, on my part, to conclude this paper by suggesting that, as time goes on, Parks’ cultural legacy will continue to affect the lives of more and more Americans – the very laws of a historical progress establish objective preconditions for this to be the case. Mitchell, Kristina, Martin-Hamon, Amanda and Elissa Anderson. â€Å"A Choice of Weapons: Photographs of Gordon Parks.† Art Education 55.2 (2002): 25-32. Print. Moskowitz, Milton. â€Å"Gordon Parks: A Man for All Seasons.† The Journal of Blacks in  Higher Education 40.1 (2003): 102-104. Print.

Wentworth Institute of Technology Admissions Data

Wentworth Institute of Technology Admissions Data Over two-thirds of those who apply to Wentworth Institute of Technology are accepted. Learn more about what it takes to get into this college. The Wentworth Institute of Technology is an independent technical design and engineering college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is a member of the Colleges of the Fenway consortium. The 31-acre urban campus in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston is within walking distance of many of the citys cultural and recreational offerings as well as several other area colleges and universities. Wentworth has an average class size of 22 students and a student / faculty ratio of 15 to 1. The college offers 20 bachelors degree programs in the fields of engineering and technology; popular programs include architecture, business, and computer science. Wentworths curriculum also includes a large cooperative education program for students to gain professional, paid work experience before they graduate. Students are involved in campus life as well with 20 clubs and organizations active on campus. The Wentworth Leopards compete in the NCAA Division III Commonwealth Coast Conference and Eastern College Athletic Conference. Will you get in if you apply? Calculate your chances of getting in with this free tool from Cappex. Admissions Data (2016) Wentworth Institute of Technology Acceptance Rate: 71Â  percentGPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Wentworth AdmissionsTest Scores: 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 480 / 590SAT Math: 530 / 630SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanACT Composite: 21Â  / 28ACT English: 20 / 26ACT Math: 23Â  / 28What these ACT numbers mean Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 4,526 (4,317 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 80 percent Male / 20 percent Female91Â  percent Full-time Costs (2016-17) Tuition and Fees: $33,724Books: $1,500 (why so much?)Room and Board: $13,530Other Expenses: $3,750Total Cost: $52,504 Wentworth Institute of Technology Financial Aid (2015-16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 97Â  percentPercentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 97 percentLoans: 75 percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $13,291Loans: $10,152 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors: Architecture, Business, Computer Science, Construction ManagementWhat major is right for you? Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 84 percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 47Â  percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 65Â  percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports: Soccer, Rowing, Lacrosse, Volleyball, Tennis, Basketball, Baseball, Golf, Ice Hockey, Track and Field, Cross CountryWomens Sports: Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball, Basketball, Lacrosse If You Like Wentworth, You May Also Like These Schools Rochester Institute of Technology: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphDrexel University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSuffolk University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBoston University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Rhode Island: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Hartford: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSyracuse University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphTufts University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphMerrimack College: ProfileUniversity of New Haven: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphRoger Williams University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphMassachusetts Institute of Technology: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Connecticut: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph Wentworth Institute of Technology Mission Statement mission statement from https://wit.edu/about/traditions-vision/mission-vision-values Wentworths core purpose and mission is to empower, inspire and innovate through experiential learning. Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

What are the Romance Subgenres (And How to Pick One)

What are the Romance Subgenres (And How to Pick One) What are the Romance Subgenres? (And How to Pick One) You might think you know how a romance story goes. Boy meets girl. Boys fails girl. Boy gets girl. Seems simple enough, right?Not so fast. The landscape of romance is extremely rich and diverse, with many branches of subgenres and subcategories. And, though that elusive Happily Ever After is a staple in romance, how the couple gets there is a fascinatingly different story in each subgenre.This post will break all of the romance subgenres down for you - and give you some extra tips on how to find the one that’s the perfect match for you as a writer. So if you’re ready to see all of the various ways that the course of true love doesn’t run smoothly, let’s begin. Everything you wanted to know about romance subgenres - and more! Then all that’s left is to put pen to paper and get started creating your Happily Ever Afters! Good luck, and remember: love will make the world (and the genre) go round and round.Do you have a favorite subgenre of romance - and if so, what is it? Tell us in the comments below!

Burj Khalifa in Dubai Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Burj Khalifa in Dubai - Essay Example rtments range from residential, entertainment complex (comprising of 150 restaurants, Dubai fountains, ice-skating sink, and an aquarium), Dubai mall, Address hotel and palace (Christensen 17). Naming of this fascinating structure was after Abu Dhabi’s leader due to his immense contribution in bailing out Dubai from the then state’s debt (Christensen 17). The most intriguing aspects that have prompted Burj Khalifa surpass all other skyscrapers ever made by man up to date include historical account that led to its construction, the mall, the apartment and hotel as conveyed exhaustively in this study. Burj Khalifa, formerly known as Burj Dubai before its inauguration in 2010, was declared the tallest building in the world after defeating former record holder Taipei101. Burj Khalifa, which is named after the president of UAE who is also the emir of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, is located near Dubai central business district. It is part of Downtown Dubai, a 490 acre under development (â€Å"BBC News†). The tower was constructed by Samsung engineering & Construction Company, it is the same company that is behind some reputable skyscrapers such as Taipei 101 and PETRONAS twin tower. Since its completion, Burj Khalifa has received many awards and recognitions. Apart from going to records as the tallest building ever constructed by man, Burj Khalifa has also garnered many world records in a short period. Some of its records include the highest observation deck and largest number of floors not forgetting its high-speed elevators. (â€Å"New york Times†). In September 2010, it was named the best project of the year. It was also honoured as the best tall building in October 2010. Construction of the building began in 2004 and completed in 2009 before officially being opened in 2010 by non-other than Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum being opened officially by, the sheikh of Dubai. (â€Å"Burj Khalifa†) It was during the building’s grand opening that sheikh

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

Addictions - Essay Example Addiction does not just solely affect the user; it has a cascade effect and touches every other person in their lives, parents, siblings, spouses, and, most disturbingly, their children. Children and the families of addicts suffer greatly; addiction, in fact, is a common cause the crumbling of any family unit, with side effects and consequences that are long lasting. Addiction is defined, in simplest terms, as the need, desire, or physical imperative to attain and ingest a particular substance; this substance becomes the primary concern, focus, and necessity, obsessively, above and beyond all other important elements within their lives (American Society of Addiction Medicine). It is fair to include that in today’s modern society, addiction has been extended not only to substances but also to activities, for example, compulsive shoppers and gamblers. Alcohol and drugs affect many people in many ways; it can lead to child maltreatment, neglect, and abuse. First and foremost, children who are born to parents who are addicted to drugs are more likely to suffer from physical issues, internal malformations, and developmental and learning disabilities that can impact the quality of the life they will live (Office on Child Abuse and Neglect 1). However, even those children whose parents and guardians are not addicts until later in the childâ€⠄¢s life still face a huge number behavioral, psychological, social, and emotional issues that could plague them as child and well into their adult lives. Addiction can take a functional, loving, committed, and stable family into a completely dysfunctional, disorganized, neglectful, abusive, and corrupted family unit. Addiction changes the priorities of the addict. The drug becomes the paramount and primary goal of every endeavor (Office on Child Abuse and Neglect 1). The finding, possessing, and engaging in the substance or act become the beginning, middle, and end of the story. In most

Approaches to Quality Management Discussed here six thought leaders Essay

Approaches to Quality Management Discussed here six thought leaders who had a lasting impact on quality management practices thr - Essay Example The historical backgrounds of quality gurus, development of interests in quality, and their contributions to total quality management are also elaborated. The research used secondary methodology in collecting data. Data collected was analyzed using qualitative data analysis. Key words: total quality management, quality gurus, organization, contributions Introduction to the Topic During the 1960s, concerns about widespread global competitiveness forced most companies to show new interests in total quality management (Goetsch & Davis, 2013). The leading six quality gurus who augmented interests in quality management included Crosby, Deming, Feigenbaum, Ishikawa, Juran and Taguchi. These gurus were active consultants, lecturers, and authors with several years of experience. Most of the quality gurus were at advanced ages and widely influenced the growth of industries through development of distinctive approaches to total quality management. Total quality management philosophy seeks to i ntegrate all organizational functions to focus on meeting customer needs and company objectives (Summers, 2009). Examples of organizational functions include marketing, customer service, engineering, finance, design, and production. It is critical for all organizations to comprehend the contributions of quality gurus and institute their ideas into business operations to enhance performance. Research Methodology The data collection method for this study was secondary methodology. This methodology involved collecting data from already available datasets and researches done by other people. The sources of secondary data the researcher considered include companies’ publications, journals, periodicals and books that have been published under the subject of total quality management. Secondary methodology was advantageous because it helped reduce the costs of research such as finances, time, and facilities. The researcher selected the most recent resources from credible sources such as libraries and websites. The research adopted evaluative research strategy. Evaluative strategy involved assessing systems, theories, and frameworks of total quality management in relation to their effectiveness and outcomes. Data analysis involved comparing the contributions of various quality gurus, identifying their similarities and differences, and forecasting their outcomes. Data was analyzed by reorganizing and refining it to adapt standards of simplicity and understandability. Findings, Analysis and Interpretation Philip Crosby Philip Crosby started his career in industry as an inspector. Later, he became a vice president of quality at ITT. Crosby left ITT in 1979 and founded Philipp Crosby Associates, Inc., and Crosby Quality College that had trained 35,000 managers and executives by 1986 (Summers, 2009). Crosby influenced General Motors; General Motors purchased over 10% of Crosby stock in addition to setting its own Crosby school similar to IBM, Johnson & Johnson and Ch rysler (Besterfield, 2009). Crosby directed his messages to top managers and sought to change their perceptions and attitudes about quality. He spoke of quality as conformance to requirements and made managers to believe that products consistently reproducing its design specifications conformed to standards of high quality. According to Crosby, the goal of quality improvement is achievement of zero-defects. This is achieved through prevention rather

Economies of Scale and International Trade Essay

Economies of Scale and International Trade - Essay Example As the report states that the pricing behavior of a company is generally assumed to be based on the motive to maximize profit. Pricing decisions may not be expected to influence that of other companies in a large economy. The two major factors considered in setting a price that maximizes profit are the ‘elasticity of demand’ and the ‘marginal cost’. A key factor that determines the elasticity of demand as a variable is the output. It therefore becomes necessary to fix a ‘profit-maximizing output’ as well as a ‘profit-maximizing price’. From the research it is clear that the primary assumption deals with the mass production of some goods in a community that shares a common ‘utility’ function. As such the acceptance of these goods is considered to be uniform. It is also assumed that production ‘cost’ is a constant for all these goods, while the labor employed for manufacture is seen as a ‘linear function of output’. One factor that remains variable is the ‘elasticity of demand’ that each producer might have to tackle. While marginal costs are assumed to be stable, average costs are considered to be reducing. Manufacture of unit goods would match the numbers derived from individual consumer needs, which equals the number of individual workers. Yet another assumption is that there is ‘full employment’. An approach to a solution again is suggested in three steps. ... One factor that remains variable is the 'elasticity of demand' that each producer might have to tackle. While marginal costs are assumed to be stable, average costs are considered to be reducing. Manufacture of unit goods would match the numbers derived from individual consumer needs, which equals the number of individual workers. Yet another assumption is that there is 'full employment'. The Problem The problem is simply stated in a symmetrical manner with three variable factors that need to be arrived at: Pricing of each product in relation to corresponding wages Output of each product Total number of products manufactured The Solution An approach to a solution again is suggested in three steps. The first is to assess the 'demand curve' for a given company. The next step involves a study of the relative pricing policies that companies apply, and linking of output with the profitability factor. Thirdly, profitability as well as entry is studied to arrive at the number of companies. The demand curve for a given company is worked out by considering consumer behavior of individuals, based on budget availability and the 'marginal utility of income'. The level of individual consumption in relation to output is read as the total demand for the product of a company. The company's pricing policy can hardly influence the consumer's 'marginal utility of income' where there is mass production of goods. The pricing behavior of a company is generally assumed to be based on the motive to maximize profit. Pricing decisions may not be expected to influence that of other companies in a large economy. The two major factors considered in

Economies of Scale and International Trade Essay

Economies of Scale and International Trade - Essay Example As the report states that the pricing behavior of a company is generally assumed to be based on the motive to maximize profit. Pricing decisions may not be expected to influence that of other companies in a large economy. The two major factors considered in setting a price that maximizes profit are the ‘elasticity of demand’ and the ‘marginal cost’. A key factor that determines the elasticity of demand as a variable is the output. It therefore becomes necessary to fix a ‘profit-maximizing output’ as well as a ‘profit-maximizing price’. From the research it is clear that the primary assumption deals with the mass production of some goods in a community that shares a common ‘utility’ function. As such the acceptance of these goods is considered to be uniform. It is also assumed that production ‘cost’ is a constant for all these goods, while the labor employed for manufacture is seen as a ‘linear function of output’. One factor that remains variable is the ‘elasticity of demand’ that each producer might have to tackle. While marginal costs are assumed to be stable, average costs are considered to be reducing. Manufacture of unit goods would match the numbers derived from individual consumer needs, which equals the number of individual workers. Yet another assumption is that there is ‘full employment’. An approach to a solution again is suggested in three steps. ... One factor that remains variable is the 'elasticity of demand' that each producer might have to tackle. While marginal costs are assumed to be stable, average costs are considered to be reducing. Manufacture of unit goods would match the numbers derived from individual consumer needs, which equals the number of individual workers. Yet another assumption is that there is 'full employment'. The Problem The problem is simply stated in a symmetrical manner with three variable factors that need to be arrived at: Pricing of each product in relation to corresponding wages Output of each product Total number of products manufactured The Solution An approach to a solution again is suggested in three steps. The first is to assess the 'demand curve' for a given company. The next step involves a study of the relative pricing policies that companies apply, and linking of output with the profitability factor. Thirdly, profitability as well as entry is studied to arrive at the number of companies. The demand curve for a given company is worked out by considering consumer behavior of individuals, based on budget availability and the 'marginal utility of income'. The level of individual consumption in relation to output is read as the total demand for the product of a company. The company's pricing policy can hardly influence the consumer's 'marginal utility of income' where there is mass production of goods. The pricing behavior of a company is generally assumed to be based on the motive to maximize profit. Pricing decisions may not be expected to influence that of other companies in a large economy. The two major factors considered in

Sex Tourism on the Kenyan Coast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Sex Tourism on the Kenyan Coast - Essay Example The researches carried out on Sex Tourism makes us familiar with the roles of both sexes as sex workers and the tourists. Homosexuality which still has not been widely accepted in majority of the countries also is a part of it. We are also briefed about the rise of various products which is mainly due to sex tourism and also the various parts of the world where this practice is very active namely the events performed by the gays’ in places like San Francisco in the USA and in Sydney which is in Australia. The various aspects of human nature are also dealt with. The dark sides of our society like Child Prostitution, homo sexuality, and sexual exploitation of slaves as well as concepts like mail order brides are the most common subjects which are brought to the fore through the surveys carried out. The concept of sex tourism has been a matter of great interest and as a result more improved kind of surveys has been thought of to make us more familiar with this curse that is sprea ding at a rapid pace in the whole World. The modern authors have promoted new models to exploit the spread of sex tourism. Researches carried out on sex tourism and their results serve as a very good guideline for those who are in a way related with this issue such as the people who work in the tourism sector, students who are engaged in studies related to gender as well as the society. It also serves as a great medium for those who are involved in studies related to Woman. (Ryan, and Michael, 2001)

Abstract Data Structures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Abstract Data Structures - Essay Example In fact, the majority of object-oriented programming languages encompass the characteristics of user defined abstract data types. For example in C++ this operation can be performed by using a class that has no protected/public data members (simply private), nor some techniques, nor friends that return references/pointers to some of the private fields (C2, 2008). This paper presents an overview of various abstract data structures that are used in computing. An Overview of Abstract Data Type The design of a computer program can be made much easier and simpler by making use of the abstract data structures. In this scenario, the program’ data and information can be arranged into  abstract data structures  (or simply ADS). For instance, we can use arrays (where an array is a set or sequence of consecutive memory locations that has the same name and same type) to form a table that has 3 columns and an undefined number of rows, in the scenario of an  array  with 2 dimensions: 1-a huge amount of rows, and 2three columns. In addition, a vital characteristic of contemporary computer programs is the capacity to operate abstract data structures with measures or techniques that are pre-defined by the software designer or programmer. However, for this purpose data structure should be used cautiously, with consideration, and in detail. (Schmalz, 2007). Sometimes the term ‘abstract data structure’ is used  in place of abstract data type. The basic idea here is that we are involved in the real structures to store data. In this scenario, the one most simple abstract data structure is the  Linked List. Basically, a linked list is described through the techniques that are applied on it, which includes  tail,  head, cons  and is-empty. In addition, a list based data structure is an ordered linear structure. In this scenario, its head is the initial element in line; list data structure tail is the list composed of all the elements besides the fi rst. The cons of an element of a list is the list data structure whose head is that element, as well as whose tail is the unique list. Moreover, a list can be empty; in that scenario it could generate an error if someone attempts to access its tail or head; however an element can be considered to it to have a new list (Huntbach, 1999). What is Abstraction? The fundamental idea of abstraction is that a data type should be described simply in the form of processes that are applicable on objects of its kind, not in scenario of how the category is applied on a real computer (for example, an array or a stack). In this scenario, the objects of a specific category are built and checked simply through processes calls that raise the access functions for that particular type. In addition, it allows the programmers to change the data type without making any change outside the module of code in which that type is defined. Moreover, a common instance of an abstract data structure is a stack. In this case functions can be performed to generate an empty stack, to drive values onto a stack, as well as to pop values from a stack (BookRags, Inc., 2012). Main Features and importance for Computing From the perspective of abstract data structures, an abstract class is a class that does not encompass an application for one or more techniques. In fact, the abstract data structures do not have any direction of what to perform in response of a call to the process that is abstract. In addition, in order to generate an object for the abstract class we need to generate a real subclass and create an object for it to access it (GeekInterview, 2007; BookRags, Inc., 2012; C2, 2008). Additionally, an abstract class

Economies of Scale and International Trade Essay

Economies of Scale and International Trade - Essay Example As the report states that the pricing behavior of a company is generally assumed to be based on the motive to maximize profit. Pricing decisions may not be expected to influence that of other companies in a large economy. The two major factors considered in setting a price that maximizes profit are the ‘elasticity of demand’ and the ‘marginal cost’. A key factor that determines the elasticity of demand as a variable is the output. It therefore becomes necessary to fix a ‘profit-maximizing output’ as well as a ‘profit-maximizing price’. From the research it is clear that the primary assumption deals with the mass production of some goods in a community that shares a common ‘utility’ function. As such the acceptance of these goods is considered to be uniform. It is also assumed that production ‘cost’ is a constant for all these goods, while the labor employed for manufacture is seen as a ‘linear function of output’. One factor that remains variable is the ‘elasticity of demand’ that each producer might have to tackle. While marginal costs are assumed to be stable, average costs are considered to be reducing. Manufacture of unit goods would match the numbers derived from individual consumer needs, which equals the number of individual workers. Yet another assumption is that there is ‘full employment’. An approach to a solution again is suggested in three steps. ... One factor that remains variable is the 'elasticity of demand' that each producer might have to tackle. While marginal costs are assumed to be stable, average costs are considered to be reducing. Manufacture of unit goods would match the numbers derived from individual consumer needs, which equals the number of individual workers. Yet another assumption is that there is 'full employment'. The Problem The problem is simply stated in a symmetrical manner with three variable factors that need to be arrived at: Pricing of each product in relation to corresponding wages Output of each product Total number of products manufactured The Solution An approach to a solution again is suggested in three steps. The first is to assess the 'demand curve' for a given company. The next step involves a study of the relative pricing policies that companies apply, and linking of output with the profitability factor. Thirdly, profitability as well as entry is studied to arrive at the number of companies. The demand curve for a given company is worked out by considering consumer behavior of individuals, based on budget availability and the 'marginal utility of income'. The level of individual consumption in relation to output is read as the total demand for the product of a company. The company's pricing policy can hardly influence the consumer's 'marginal utility of income' where there is mass production of goods. The pricing behavior of a company is generally assumed to be based on the motive to maximize profit. Pricing decisions may not be expected to influence that of other companies in a large economy. The two major factors considered in

Abstract Data Structures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Abstract Data Structures - Essay Example In fact, the majority of object-oriented programming languages encompass the characteristics of user defined abstract data types. For example in C++ this operation can be performed by using a class that has no protected/public data members (simply private), nor some techniques, nor friends that return references/pointers to some of the private fields (C2, 2008). This paper presents an overview of various abstract data structures that are used in computing. An Overview of Abstract Data Type The design of a computer program can be made much easier and simpler by making use of the abstract data structures. In this scenario, the program’ data and information can be arranged into  abstract data structures  (or simply ADS). For instance, we can use arrays (where an array is a set or sequence of consecutive memory locations that has the same name and same type) to form a table that has 3 columns and an undefined number of rows, in the scenario of an  array  with 2 dimensions: 1-a huge amount of rows, and 2three columns. In addition, a vital characteristic of contemporary computer programs is the capacity to operate abstract data structures with measures or techniques that are pre-defined by the software designer or programmer. However, for this purpose data structure should be used cautiously, with consideration, and in detail. (Schmalz, 2007). Sometimes the term ‘abstract data structure’ is used  in place of abstract data type. The basic idea here is that we are involved in the real structures to store data. In this scenario, the one most simple abstract data structure is the  Linked List. Basically, a linked list is described through the techniques that are applied on it, which includes  tail,  head, cons  and is-empty. In addition, a list based data structure is an ordered linear structure. In this scenario, its head is the initial element in line; list data structure tail is the list composed of all the elements besides the fi rst. The cons of an element of a list is the list data structure whose head is that element, as well as whose tail is the unique list. Moreover, a list can be empty; in that scenario it could generate an error if someone attempts to access its tail or head; however an element can be considered to it to have a new list (Huntbach, 1999). What is Abstraction? The fundamental idea of abstraction is that a data type should be described simply in the form of processes that are applicable on objects of its kind, not in scenario of how the category is applied on a real computer (for example, an array or a stack). In this scenario, the objects of a specific category are built and checked simply through processes calls that raise the access functions for that particular type. In addition, it allows the programmers to change the data type without making any change outside the module of code in which that type is defined. Moreover, a common instance of an abstract data structure is a stack. In this case functions can be performed to generate an empty stack, to drive values onto a stack, as well as to pop values from a stack (BookRags, Inc., 2012). Main Features and importance for Computing From the perspective of abstract data structures, an abstract class is a class that does not encompass an application for one or more techniques. In fact, the abstract data structures do not have any direction of what to perform in response of a call to the process that is abstract. In addition, in order to generate an object for the abstract class we need to generate a real subclass and create an object for it to access it (GeekInterview, 2007; BookRags, Inc., 2012; C2, 2008). Additionally, an abstract class