Compare and contrast the effects of the First and Second World Wars on Coursework

Compare and contrast the effects of the First and Second World Wars on the international system - Coursework Example trend of the international system has had no parallel since creation Cantor and Land (1985); Tuttle (1988); Goemans (2000); Karsmakers (2003) and ; the combined effects of the two wars changed the shape of the international system than all other recorded wars in history combined. Kvasnicka and Bethmann (2007) believe that posterity’s perfect understanding of the similar and combined effects of these wars can be enhanced by making a holistic view on the effects these wars had on migration, global population sex ratio and labor availability, and world order. Each of these perspectives would now be looked in context to see how the effects of the two wars were similar on them. In his book An Illustrated History of the First World War, Keegan (2001) maintains that the world’s population knew an unprecedented trend in location and relocation during WWI. This location and relocation was usually from one country to another or from one city/town to another. Such movement was usually to flee from danger from one part of the world to another part of the world where danger was not so imminent. According to Keegan, such movement was ever feasible because, although this war was termed a world war, it practically did not involve all the countries of the world per se. Infact, some authors like Keegan himself, Banks (2002); Gilbert (2004) have persistently held that the first world war was a European war, arguing that the US role in the war was more of an arbitration or mediating one. So some countries remained neutral and were favorable destinations for people to move from war-torn countries like Germany, Britain, France and Belgium. Meanwhile, contributions from authors on the Second World War pointing to the same issue of migration abound. Karsmakers (2003); Kvasnicka and Bethmann (2007) and Cantor and Land (1985) revealed that the bombings of the second world war made people to leave their homes to seek refuge elsewhere more that in a y recorded period in history. Such

Quantitative Decision Making-Inventory Control Models Essay

Quantitative Decision Making-Inventory Control Models - Essay Example Certain indicators tell us how inventory levels have been managed, as stated by Fleet-management consultant Roger Thompson, vice president, management, fleet and facilities with Bucher, Willis & Ratliff Corp (Skipper 1). Roger Thomson has found some common parameters on controlling inventory levels, which can be used to fleets overboard irrespective of the industry sector they serve. Topmost priority is to find the major share of the parts stocked. What matters is the dollar value of parts released from stock divided by the dollar value of all parts released off late. There should be probability of around 50 or 60 percent of the time the inventory part is available. If it is not so, then certainly things need to change. If the availability of the part is quite high, say near to 98 percent, it is a sign of overstocking of that part (Skipper 1). Another parameter of maintaining the right stock is the stock movement rate. If the number of stock lines without any exit in the previous 12 months is divided by number of stock lines, it should not be more than 5 percent (Skipper 1). One of the leading parameters of well controlled inventory is the inventory turn rate, according to Thompson, which can be arrived at by deriving the value of all parts released from the stock keeping unit and dividing it by the dollar amount of average annual inventory (Skipper 1).

Community Development Challenges

Community Development Challenges 1. Introduction The concept of community development, an accepted and much lauded mechanism for interventionist and participative social development grew out of the many strange ironies of empire building. The British, after infiltrating and achieving political domination over the Indian sub continent and vast tracts of Africa, and thereafter ensuring the decimation of local trade, industry, handicrafts and self government initiatives, made its officers busy with action plans and initiatives to develop and empower communities in these nations at the local level. Nobody in the British establishment presumably thought of the need to find out from the benefiting (sic) community whether they wanted either the destruction and bondage, or the succeeding efforts to help in local development and empowerment. Notwithstanding the rather questionable beginnings of the community development effort, the concept has grown over the ages to become an established method for interventionist social development where external agencies, governmental or otherwise, initiate, encourage and help local community development efforts in numerous areas, including social and economic development, fostering a capacity for local co-operation and self-help, with the use of expertise and methods drawn from outside the local community. (Midgeley, 1995) Community development initiatives, while growing and adapting to the needs of local communities in the UK and the USA, and despite being adopted by voluntary organisations like Rotary International for world wide implementation, have also seen large scale failures in meeting its objectives, especially in the African countries. These failures, especially in areas where they were needed most, led to disillusionment, and a feeling that community development practices w ere ill founded, or based upon unworkable concepts, and should possibly be replaced with other modes of development. Nevertheless, community development efforts remain globally strong and attract many young and well-intentioned people, to work towards achievement of economic and social improvement of underprivileged or deprived communities. It becomes extremely important for community development initiators, practitioners, workers and volunteers, to understand the principles and values of community development, in order to understand its potential and limitations, the many constraints and challenges that crop up in the development process, and the likely chances of the success or failure of development initiatives. 2. Commentary Community development has been defined by an official publication of the UK government as â€Å" active participation, and if possible on the initiative of the community, but if this initiative is not forthcoming spontaneously, by the use of techniques for arousing and stimulating it in order to achieve its active and enthusiastic response to the movement. (Smith, 2006) This definition entails an inherent contradiction, namely that while community development works on the principles of local participation, initiative and self-help at the community level, it also calls for sponsorship by external, mostly governmental agencies, who see it as an avenue for implementing governmental policies at the local level. Development initiatives thus also involve a significant amount of social work, and sometimes, even activism, in regions characterised by illiteracy, backwardness, poverty, deprivation, inequality and oppression. Community development initiatives are characterised by the presence of two elements, one local, meaning the existing community, and the other, external, which is represented by governmental agencies, not for profit service organisations like the Rotary, and private foundations and corporations. British American Tobacco (BAT), for instance, sponsors significant community development programmes for tobacco growing communities in Asian and African countries, while Rotary International works on village extension and community development programmes in many nations, in which it has a presence. Non-governmental organisations, however, still need to operate with the help of the local government in many areas, thus making the involvement of the state in community development a fait accompli. The functioning of external agencies in community development involves a number of phases that commences with the localising of a community and ascertainment of its various deficiencies and needs. This initial assessment is followed by the agency entering the community, obtaining familiarity with the neighbourhood, ascertaining needs, objectives and roles, establishing contact with local people, influence makers and power centres, bringing people together, obtaining agreement on specific objectives, forming and building local organisations to improve local issues like health, education, economy and self empowerment, clarifying goals and priorities, catalysing action, helping in keeping the initiatives going, monitoring progress, and taking corrective action. At all stages external agencies need to work in a catalytic fashion, encouraging, helping, and assisting community work, while refraining. from taking on a controlling role. Empowerment, and the building and enhancement of local community capacity in various areas that help in development should be the main objectives, as opposed to achieving results through direct control of the development process. (Henderson and Thomas, 2001) Community development activity can be general or specialised. Generic work takes place in a geographically demarcated area, takes up all the issues that lead to social and economic disadvantage, and works out participative programmes to alleviate or eliminate them. The context can be either urban or rural. While rural development has gained ground in recent years and is attracting more funds, community development is an equally critical requirement in the slums and underbellies of the world’s metropolises, which continue to be haunted by gang overlords, prostitution, substance abuse, and domestic violence, as well as lack of educational facilities and poor housing. Specialised community work deals with specific groups within a region, namely issues like homelessness, unemployment, child prostitution, substance abuse or ethic issues, or with identified issues like transportation, housing, public health or sanitation. (Hickey and Mohan, 2004) A USDA publication states that commu nity development initiatives are best achieved through the creation of business initiatives, sustainable community development, community-based partnerships and building and initiating long-term strategic plans. (Key principles of community empowerment, 2002) This complex situation demands great understanding, perception and ability from community development workers. These committed men and women are expected to handle a myriad functions that include identifying community issues, needs and problems, developing new community based programmes and resources, and evaluating and mentoring existing programmes. They also need to be outgoing, possess excellent communication skills, and be able to empathise with members of the local community, qualities that help in obtaining cooperation and help from government bodies, community organisations, and various sponsors, as well as in raising public awareness on relevant issues. Community development practitioners are also expected to provide leadership, co-ordinate programmes, facilitate and promote community self help, encourage and increase local participation, and challenge inappropriate political and social structures. Administratively, their functions entail formulation, development and finalisa tion of strategies, recruitment, motivation and training paid and voluntary workers, networking extensively to build contacts and raise funds, liaising with interested voluntary groups to build new programmes and services, mediating and negotiating with opposing parties, planning, attending and co-ordinating meetings and events, overseeing, optimising and administering limited budgets, preparing reports, and carrying out other required administrative tasks. (Community development worker, 2007) 3. Conclusion Community development demands enormous integrity, stamina, maturity and compassion from practitioners, workers and volunteers. The inherent difficulties in working in alien locations in non-structured working environments and inherently dynamic and changing conditions pose significant challenges. In addition, the inherent contradictions of being human catalysts for social change in foreign environments, of being change agents, at once part and yet distinct from the community, instil feelings of inadequacy, and sometimes even rejection, in communities where intervention may not be welcomed by significantly substantial members of the community. Community development projects aim to unearth local problems, resource limitations, and unsatisfied needs, and work towards their objectives through local participation and empowerment. Yet community participation often fails, once the operating agency withdraws, and much of the gains of community development are lost in the following years. Most agencies working in community development, e.g. the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and Rotary International, as well as governmental and private agencies feel this to be a major problem. Situations like this, as well as apprehensions of development of such situations, result in implementing agencies having to stay on in particular communities or with specific projects, much after their need has diminished, and their services and skills required elsewhere. (Bhattacharya, 2004) This often happens because of confusion in community development objectives and the undertaking of roles, in excess of actual needs, by development agencies. This factor, when combined with the role assumed by development agencies in mobilising funds, often results in producing feelings of inadequacy and helplessness in the community. It strengthens attitudes that magnify community problems, link the success of programmes with the expertise, infrastructure, and fund mobilising ability of the agencies, and works towards disempowering the members of the community, instead of increasing their capacity to address their problems. This overstretching by development workers establishes and ingrains a sense of reliance of the community on the agency, which consequently tends to negate the essence of the development programme. Development practitioners need to understand the delicacy of their roles and the thin line that they must necessarily tread upon if the community is to become truly emp owered. A greater appreciation of the necessity for producing change agents in the local community, rather than donning the mantle themselves for perpetuity, and the need for engaging local people, so that they can help communities create a common dream of a fair and sustainable future, becomes extremely important for the long-term success of community development programmes. Community development practitioners play extremely important roles in today’s grossly inequitable society, and with their grass root developmental programmes, have been instrumental in improving lives across the globe. A better appreciation of the values and principles of community development will possibly help them in improving the results of their efforts. Bibliography Ben-Meir, J.,2006, March/April, Win the War of Ideas through Community Development. The Humanist, 66, 5+. Bhattacharyya, J., 2004, Theorizing Community Development. Journal of the Community Development Society, 34(2), 5+. Community development worker: job description and activities, 2007, Prospects.ac, Retrieved April 14 from www.prospects.ac.uk/links/CommWorker Denise, P. S. Harris, I. M. (Eds.), 1989, Experiential Education for Community Development. New York: Greenwood Press. Dube, S. C., 1958, Indias Changing Villages: Human Factors in Community Development. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Hamilton, E., 1992, Adult Education for Community Development. New York: Greenwood Press. Henderson, P. and Thomas, D. N., 2001, Skills in Neighbourhood Work 3e, London: Routledge Oliver, G., 2000, August, Gentrification Threatens Community Development Groups. Planning, 66, 29. Key principles of community empowerment, 2002, Rural empowerment programs, Retrieved April 14, 2007 from www.ezec.gov/Communit/rurempowprogguide.pdf Midgley, J., 1995, Social Development, The developmental perspective in social welfare, London: Sage. Popple, K., 1995, Analysing Community Work. Its theory and practice, Buckingham: Open University Press Smith, M, 2006, Community Development, Infed, Retrieved April 14, 2007 from www.infed.org/community/b-comdv.htm

Effect of Multiple Plots in The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver :: essays research papers

The Bean Trees, written by Barbara Kingsolver, uses multiple plots throughout the novel. At the beginning, two plots are introduced. One involves Missy/ Taylor, the protagonist in the story, and the other involves Lou Ann. Kingsolver unites these two plot by having them move in together. Other minor plots describe the life of other characters such as Estevan and Esperanza, Edna and Virgie, and Mattie. Multiple plots in The Bean Trees increase suspense and depth in the story. The main characters in The Bean Trees are Taylor and Lou Ann. The first chapter is about Missy leaving Kentucky to find a better life. This chapter is written is 1st person, with Missy being the narrator. She is a person that is tired of her boring life, she changes her name to Taylor, and wants an adventure. She leaves home and goes on a road trip across America. Before Taylor began her trip, she stated, ?And so what I promised myself is that I would drive west until my car stopped running, and there I would stay? (Kingsolver 16). She later continued on Tucson, Arizona. On her trip, a baby girl is abandoned with her by a Native American woman. She decides to take care of Turtle as her road trip goes on. Taylor now has someone to talk to during her trip. Unfortunately for Turtle, her life has been ?Tempest-Tossed? (301). In other words, her life hasn?t been trouble-free and she?s gone through many things. It is possible to predict that the bruises on her body when she was abandoned with Taylor, was from being molested. Half her time with Taylor was on the road, and she was adjusting to a new life. The second chapter is about Lou Ann?s dilemma with her husband, Angel. This is written in omniscient limited point of view. Lou Ann and Angel have a young baby boy, Dwayne Ray. These two plots meet when Taylor responds to Lou Ann?s advertisement about a room mate, and they move in together. This gave the novel a unique introduction with two plots going on as the readers endure the suspense. The novel seems to be set in one tiny area in Tucson. Lou Ann is heading home and has just pasted the Jesus.Is.Lord?s and Fanny Heaven, when the narrator creates a clear picture of the area: ?She rounded the corner and stopped to do some grocery shopping at the Lee Sing Market, which faced the park directly across from where she and Angel lived?

Gender Role Effects in “The Yellow Wallpaper” Essay

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a feminist writer who wrote â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† in the 1890’s. During this time period the woman were expected to keep the house clean, care for their children, and listen to their husbands. The men were expected to work a job and be the head of a household. The story narrates a woman’s severe depression which she thinks is linked to the yellow wallpaper. Charlotte Gilman experienced depression in her life and it inspired her to write â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† The short story is based on a woman, not given a name in the text, who is very dependent on her husband. The narrator plays a gender role that is degraded by her successful husband, who is a doctor, because she is a female. John ignores his wife’s accusations with the wallpaper and looks down on the fact that she cannot fulfill her duty as a woman, mother, or wife by treating and calling her childish names. Throughout the whole story the narrator is trying to tell her husband that she gets a weird vibe from the house and that the yellow wallpaper is driving her insane in the bedroom she stays in. The narrator states, â€Å"That spoils my ghostliness, I am afraid, but I don’t care- there is something strange about the house- I can feel it† (677). John ignores this and it angers her. Critic Davison writes, â€Å"With regard to her case, the narrator confides, â€Å"John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him† (56). John tells her that she has a temporary nervous depression and a slight hysterical tendency. He says that she just needs rest, and she will be fine. She feels she cannot do anything about it because he is not only a doctor but her husband, so she just goes on with the days living in the mansion. As a female she is supposed to respect the man of the house and have little say so. Gilman writes, â€Å"My brother is also a physician, and also of high standing, and he says the same thing† (677). With two of her family members telling her this she feels like an unsuccessful woman. She feels as if John is turning her whole family against her and her emotions. John never listens to anything his wife has to say to him. This is an example of how women feel their opinion or voice never mattered in the 1890’s. The wife goes into great detail describing the wallpaper as if someone was really seeing it in their mind as they read the story. The paint and paper look as if a boy’s school had used it. It is stripped off- the paper- in great patches all around the head of my bed, about as far as I can reach, and in a great place on the other side of the room low down. I never saw a worse paper in my life. One of those sprawling, flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin. It is dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide- plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard-of contradictions. The color is repellent, almost revolting: a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight. It is a dull yet lurid orange in some places, a sickly sulphur tint in others (678). This description of the wallpaper obviously shows that there is something wrong with her mentally. It also shows the reader how she really feels about it and how it is affecting her, making her go insane. The narrator states, â€Å"It is stripped off- the paper- in great patches all around the head of my bed† (678). This can imply how she feels about her husband and family. They are always telling her nothing is wrong and ignore any thoughts she may have. Maybe she is tired of getting stripped down in a negative way from them such as; being ignored, treated like a child, and being locked up in the bedroom. She states, â€Å"The paper is dull enough to confuse the eye† (678). This description could imply that no one sees the paper the way she does. John might not see the crawling women because he does not have to stare at it all day every day. The description shows the emotions and describes the way the wife really feels about her condition. She uses language such as constantly irritates and provokes study, the uncertain curves commit suicide, it plunges off at outrageous angles, and destroys themselves in unheard- of contradictions suggests that she has dark thoughts of suicide or death (678). The wife’s description of the wallpaper and room which it is in makes it seem like she lives the life of a prisoner unable to escape the yellow wallpaper. The criticism of Wang states, â€Å"The narrator lives a life like a prisoner who is being gazed and observed all the time† (53). The observers of the narrator are her husband and her nurse. This quote implies that she is literally locked up all day in one room suffering from more depression as the days move forward. Another way John puts his wife down as a female is calling her names and acting like she is a baby. John states, â€Å"What is it, little girl?† (682). It is significant that he would call her that because she is his wife and they have a little child together. Gilman writes, â€Å"Then he took me in his arms and called me a blessed little goose, and said he would go down to the cellar, if I wished, and have it whitewashed into the bargain† (679). He acts as if he is controlling of her being her father in a way instead of a husband. He read to her until she got tired and that is what a father would do for his child. The adjective little also adds power to the quote because it suggests that she has no say- so as if she was his child. These words John calls her makes her refer back to her childhood. She was frightened from her childhood and this could add more agitation to her mental sickness. This is ironic because Gilman writes, â€Å"It was a nursery first, and then playroom and gymnasium, I should judge, for the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls† (678). All these things imply that she is stuck in a childhood state that she cannot escape to be the wife and mother she wishes to be. The narrator is not mentally able to fulfill the duties a mother was expected to do in the 1890’s. She is unable to watch and take care of her child as a mother. The wife states, â€Å"It is fortunate Mary is so good with the baby†¦Such a dear baby!† (678). Mary is a housekeeper/nurse who watches her and takes care of her child. The narrator states, â€Å"And yet I cannot be with him, it makes me so nervous† (678). This makes her feel as if she failed her role as a female because she was not able to perform the most common trait known to a woman. She is also not able to clean, cook, and keep the house up as a woman is supposed to do. She has to get Mary to do all of this for her. This could be another reason that makes her think something is really wrong with her. She is John’s wife but the things he calls her implies that she is not completing the role of a wife; therefore John treats her like a child. â€Å"They Yellow Wallpaper† is a confusing story with a horror vibe to it. Being a female, the wife feels that she is unable to escape the name calling, the portrayal of a child, and her husband. Her biggest problem is not being able to get away from the wallpaper that causes her great depression. John claims there is nothing wrong with her throughout the whole story because she has no symptoms of any sickness. Her family members even tell her that nothing is wrong and she feels that she cannot do anything for herself. The Yellow Wallpaper is an object the narrator does not escape causing her to go insane, be depressed, and fail at the role of a female during the 1890’s. Charlotte Gilman definitely leaves the reader stumped in the interpretation of the story. Works Cited Davison, Carol M. â€Å"Haunted House/Haunted Heroine: Female Gothic Closets In ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’† Women’s Studies 33.1 (2004): 47-75. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3b761a93-ab69-4cb3-9112-2a84a30f9e2f%40sessionmgr4&vid=4&hid=21 Gilman, Charlotte P. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† Exploring Literature. Ed. Frank Madden. New York: Pearson, 2009. 676-87. Print. Wang, Lin-lin. â€Å"Freed Or Destroyed:–A Study On ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ From The Perspective Of Foucauldian Panopticism.† US-China Foreign Language 5.3 (2007): 52-57. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&hid=21&sid=3b761a93-ab69-4cb3-9112-2a84a30f9e2f%40sessionmgr4

Linguistics and Sociolinguistics Essay

It is dif? cult to see adequately the functions of language, because it is so deeply rooted in the whole of human behaviour that it may be suspected that there is little in the functional side of our conscious behaviour in which language does not play its part. Sapir (1933) Language is a complicated business. In everyday talk, we use the word ‘language’ in many different ways. It isn’t clear how ‘language’ should be de? ned or what the person on the street thinks it actually is! We talk about how miraculously a child’s ‘language’ is developing but how they make charming ‘grammar mistakes’, like me maden that instead of ‘I made that’. Here, language is an ability that is blossoming in the child. But the word is used in a myriad of different ways. For example, people have strong views about how beautiful or how hideous the ‘language’ is of some region or country or age group; how it sounds to the ear. People say ‘I just adore Italian or an Irish accent. ’ They grimace or smile at teenager talk on television. Here ‘language’ is being judged aesthetically. By contrast, we remark that you can’t really appreciate a culture without knowing the ‘language’, as when we learn French or Japanese for that reason. Then pupils struggle with rules for tenses like the passe compose and imparfait or have to memorize genders and irregular verb conjugations, matters of grammar which seem a million miles from cuisine, ? lm, high tech or Zen Buddhism. ‘Language’ here equates with grammar. 1 Language and society Then, people relate the word ‘language’ to the expression of thoughts. They often say that they ‘can’t ? nd the words’ for their thoughts or express feelings. Or they are ‘hunting for the right words’. Alternatively, we say that language is a means of communication. Politicians often use as an excuse the fact that their message ‘just isn’t getting across’ because the media distorts what they say. In negotiations or relationships, when communication fails, we say, ‘they just don’t speak the same language’. In another sense, ‘language’ refers to a school subject. It makes sense to say that ‘little Mary is behind in her English’, although you’d never know it when you hear her chatting with her friends. ‘Language’ is being viewed as a set of skills acquired in school. We are taught to write Standard English and spell correctly. At the same time, we use the term ‘language’ analogically, as a metaphor. We talk of such things as ‘body language’, or the ‘languages’ of music, painting or dance. It is fairly clear that these various ordinary uses of the word refer to different aspects of language, and take different perspectives on the sort of thing language is. Or, alternatively, we have simply grouped together under the heading of ‘language’ a range of diverse phenomena which are only partially related to each other. In order to clarify our thoughts about language, let’s look at some of the ways language is viewed by linguists. We can then give a precise statement of the speci? cally sociolinguistic view of language, and contrast it to other views of language assumed in linguistics proper. The primary aim of all linguistic scholarship is to determine the properties of natural language, the features it has which distinguish it from any possible arti? cial language. This means that linguistics will be universalistic in its basic aims. It will examine individual natural languages in the course of constructing a theory of universal grammar that explains why the whole set of natural languages are the way they are. Natural languages, English, French and so on, are in fact the data for this theory of natural language. Arti? cial languages are of interest too since they can exhibit certain properties any language has, but they also have features that can sharply distinguish them from any naturally evolved language. Linguistics and sociolinguistics 3 We will look at some arti? cial languages to illustrate this. The linguist Noam Chomsky, in his in? uential book Syntactic Structures (1957), employed the following languages in the course of his arguments: (i) (ii) (iii) ab, aabb, aaabbb, . . . and all sentences of the same type. aa, bb, abba, baab, aaaa, bbbb, aabbaa, abbbba, . . . and all sentences of the same type. aa, bb, abab, baba, aaaa, bbbb, aabaab, abbabb, . . . and all sentences of the same type. Why would we want to call (i), (ii) or (iii) languages? The answer is that they have certain properties of any language. They have a vocabulary of symbols, in this case two letters of the alphabet ‘a’ and ‘b’. Also, they have a syntax. That is, each of the languages has speci? c rules for joining together their symbols to produce the sentences or strings of that language. If the rule of syntax is not followed, then the string or sentence produced is not a sentence of that language. Consider the syntactic rules of the three languages. In language (i) the rule seems to be that for each sentence, whatever the number of occurrences of the ? rst symbol, a, it is immediately followed by exactly the same number of occurrences of the second symbol, b. In language (ii), the rule is that, for each sentence, whatever the arrangement of a and b in the ? rst half of that sentence, then that arrangement is repeated in reverse in the second half of the same sentence. I’ll leave the reader to work out the equally simple syntax of language (iii). Note that the output of the application of their respective syntactic rules to the symbols of these languages is an in? nite set of strings which are members of the language sharply distinguishable from another in? nite set of strings which are not members of the language. In brief, then, these arti? cial languages have vocabularies and syntactic rules for joining their symbols together. And, by following the rules of their syntax, an in? nite set of strings can be produced. Natural languages can also be considered in this way. Thus, English can be viewed as a set of strings. And this in? nite set is produced by the vocabulary and syntactic rules of English. If linguists can 4 Language and society construct a device, a grammar, which can specify the grammatical strings of English and separate them from the combinations of symbols which are not English, they have gone a considerable distance towards making explicit the syntactic properties of the language. And if the types of rule in that grammar are also necessary for the grammar of any natural language, then they might have discovered some of those universal properties of language which it is the aim of linguistics to discover. Chomsky, in fact, used languages (i), (ii) and (iii) to rule out a certain class of grammars as candidates for grammars of natural language. Of course, these arti? cial languages are also extremely unlike natural languages. One very noticeable difference is that the symbols and strings don’t bear any relation to the world. They have no senses or meanings, but are purely syntactic. The study of meaning and how it relates symbols to the world is called semantics. There are other arti? cial languages which have strings of symbols which are meaningful. An example is arithmetic. Consider ‘2 + 2 = 4’ or ‘3 ? 3 = 9’. These formulae have a syntax and a semantics. And they are true, while ‘2 + 2 = 5’ is false. These are language-like properties. But there is also something very unlike natural language, the language spontaneously acquired by children, about these formulae. Nothing in the world (we feel) could ever make ‘2 + 2 = 4’ false, as long as the symbols themselves don’t change their meanings. The formulae appear to be analytic or ‘always true by de? nition’. Contrast this with some sentences from natural language: 1. 2. 3. 4. Arthur is taller than Brenda. Brenda is taller than Tom. Doreen is taller than Brenda. Tom is shorter than X? We can use these sentences to make statements which are true or false, express our beliefs that each sentence designates a state of affairs in the actual world. These sentences are synthetic, true or false according to the facts. (Strictly speaking, it isn’t the sentences which are true or false, but the propositions which they express. A ‘sentence’ may express many different ‘propositions’. However, I will ignore the distinction in this book. ) We can capture a Linguistics and sociolinguistics 5 sentence’s relation with the world by giving its truth conditions. These are precisely the possible worlds – possible states of affairs – in which it is true. For example, 1 is true in worlds where the individual designated by ‘Arthur’ is a member of the class of individuals who are ‘taller than the individual designated by â€Å"Brenda† ’; otherwise it is false. Similarly, if ‘Doreen’ is also a member of that class, then 3 would be true, otherwise false. Only if we know these truth conditions, can we use the sentences to state what we ourselves believe. Or understand what somebody else using the sentence is claiming to be the case. Intuitively, to know truth conditions is part of the ‘meaning’ of the sentences. But sentences also relate to each other. For example, if 1 is true, then Arthur is ‘bigger’ or ‘greater’ than Brenda with respect to her ‘height’ or her ‘tallness’. Synonymy is one example of sense or semantic relations. Such semantic properties constitute inferential relationships between the sentences. Another example. We know that, if both Doreen and Arthur ‘are taller than’ Brenda, and Brenda ‘is taller than’ Tom, then Doreen and Arthur ‘are taller than’ Tom. We don’t have to look at the world to know this fact. It is a result of a semantic property of the language; the ‘transitivity’ of the predicate ‘taller than’. Similarly, ‘is shorter than’ in 4 bears a systematic semantic relation to its converse ‘is taller than’. Example 1 entails ‘Brenda is shorter than Arthur’. Entailments are inferences that depend on semantic relations. If one thinks about it, this web or network of sense relations seems to describe features of the very same possible worlds in which the sentences are true. Of course it would, wouldn’t it? This is because inferential relations between sentences are just those relations where the two sentences are both true! Hence, to specify sense relations is a way to partially describe the ‘worlds’ of the truth conditions – the ones in which the sentences are true. Hence it is a way of giving the ‘meaning’ of the sentences. So far, no social factors have been mentioned. How do social factors ? gure in the explanation of language? They don’t seem directly related to either syntax or semantics. We can begin a treatment of this question by mentioning a few social aspects of semantics. A fundamental factor in making both the arithmetic and natural language examples work is convention. In the ? rst case, of the 6 Language and society arithmetic symbols ‘2’, ‘4’ etc. , we have con? dence that when we use them, our addressee will understand that we intend to refer to sets of two and four, 2 and 4, etc. , respectively. This is an example of co-operative social co-ordination. It connects the sound [tu:] or the mark ‘2’ with any set of two things. It allows an English speaker to use the term with con? dence that their intention will be understood. The ‘sign’ and its ‘object’ have a coded relationship. Similarly with the predicates ‘is taller than’ and ‘is shorter than’. They have a coded relation with the states of affairs they represent. It is important to note that any intrinsic properties that the signs ‘2’ or ‘4’ or ‘tall’ or ‘short’ might have do not explain the link with their objects. Any noise or mark could just as easily be chosen. This is the property of the arbitrariness of the linguistic sign. Signs and objects are arbitrarily linked, by convention. And this is a social phenomenon. From a different perspective, the connection of world and words isn’t arbitrary, though it is equally social. Consider the web of inferential relations sketched above. The semantic structure of language describes the possible worlds in which sentences are true. Now to even establish this structure it is necessary for us to use the signs to express belief, what we take as actually true, to coordinate ‘taller than’ and ‘shorter than’ with the world as we take it to be. In essence, semantics de? nes possible states of the world based on our beliefs. Truth has to do with ‘senses i. e. the inferential net’, the relation of ‘words and world’, and ‘our beliefs’. Without the ‘possibly true’ world set given through meanings, we couldn’t inquire, because we couldn’t think hypothetically. Without the inferential relations, we couldn’t reliably think out the consequences of our hypotheses to test them and thus be right or wrong in our beliefs, assent or dissent in the light of experience. Thus, crucially, the semantic structure of a language is the very resource necessary for humanity to form any empirical theory of the world and use language to inquire – to ? x belief and hence deal with everyday experience, be able to live. That the set of sentences can form a coherent theory can be seen by the fact that, if you believe that 1–3 are true, then you can give a true answer to 4, without further looking at the world. Tom must be the ‘shortest one of all’ in this particular universe of discourse. There is no doubt Linguistics and sociolinguistics 7  that the process of inquiry is social. We have to co-ordinate our beliefs and inferences for language to work. Are there other properties of natural language which require social explanation? The answer is, ‘Yes, there are many such properties. ’ Next we will look at one of the most de? nitive social properties of language. This property is called variability. Consider the English word ‘butter’. On the levels of syntax, vocabulary and semantics, it is a single English item; a mass noun which means something like an edible, yellow, dairy product used in cooking and as a spread. Yet although it is one item, if I asked you to describe its pronunciation in English, you would not be able to give a single answer: there are various phonetic realizations of ‘butter’. In British English Received Pronunciation the t is made by putting the tongue tip on the ridge behind the teeth, and releasing the air in a small explosion without vibration of the vocal chords. The r, however, is not pronounced, although it is present in the written form. Instead, a vowel sound, schwa (phonetically transcribed as e) follows the t. The schwa is the same sound that is normally ? nal in the word sofa. Thus, the RP speaker and many other British English speakers say [bvte]. In Canadian and American accents there is a rule that when explosive sounds like t are made between two vowels, the vibration of the vocal chords, called voice, continues through the whole sequence. This has the effect of turning the [t], which is voiceless, into [d], which is its voiced counterpart. Thus, a Canadian saying ‘butter’ in fact pronounces it as if it were ‘budder’. However, Canadians and many of their American neighbours also have r-full accents (as do the Scots and Irish). This means that, unlike the RP British English speaker, they pronounce the written r in butter, giving us the ? nal form [bvter ]. In many British English accents there is yet another variation in the pronunciation of t in this environment. The vocal chords themselves are closed tightly and then released abruptly, giving the impression that t is missing. In fact, the gap is ? lled by a socalled glottal stop, symbolized by ?. So ‘butter’ is pronounced [bv? e]. Such a pronunciation would typify London working-class speech, familiar to North Americans as a Cockney accent from ? lms like My Fair Lady. 8 Language and society This ? lm, from George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, introduces another feature of the variability we have been describing. For Professor Higgins (modelled by Shaw on the famous phonetician, Henry Sweet) to take such pains to train Eliza Doolittle to pronounce words like ‘butter’ as [bvte], as opposed to [bv? e], indicates that the variation must mean something. There is no conceptual difference in the word-meaning itself. The meaning difference of the variation is socially signi? cant and relates to those groups in a social structure who typically use one form rather than another. Such social meanings of variants can be further illustrated by looking at two other versions of ‘butter’. In the West Country of England there are some local accents which, like Canadian and some American accents, are r-full. Speakers would typically pronounce the r in ‘butter’. And this can be combined with the use of the glottal stop to give the form [bv? er ]. On British television an advertisement promoting butter used this regional form, presumably because it had a social meaning to British audiences suggestive of honest West Country farmers genuinely in touch with real, non-synthetic cows. In New York City a working-class accent will, in casual speech, be largely r-less like the British RP. But this would be combined with the voicing of the written ‘t’ between vowels giving the form [bvde]. Followers of the 1970s Kojak detective series on television will recognize this form. Imagine, however, the different social meaning that would be conveyed if Lieutenant Kojak pronounced the word [bvder ] as might an upper-middle-class New Yorker, or [bvte] as might an upper-middle-class Englishman. It would not be the impression of the ‘tough New York cop’. The diagram opposite gives a summary of the various ways ‘butter’ can be pronounced which we have looked at. The actual situation is far more complex and interesting than I have indicated, but we will be studying this in more detail later in the book. The purpose here is to merely illustrate the property of variability which natural languages possess. It is clear that this property requires social explanation. This is in contrast with the arbitrary property of language mentioned earlier. In characterizing the variant forms of ‘butter’, I needed to make reference to the geographical location in which the form

SAT Literature Subject Test Information

SAT Literature Subject Test Information    When some people hear the word, Literature, they cringe out of habit. Literature makes things like movies, magazines, books and plays – stuff you actually want to enjoy – seem stuffy or out of date. But, if youll remember that the term is just a fancy way of saying, entertainment it wont be so daunting when its time to be tested on something like the SAT Literature Subject Test. Note: The SAT Literature Subject Test is not part of the SAT Reasoning Test, the popular college admissions exam. Its one of the many SAT Subject Tests, which are also offered by the College Board. SAT Literature Subject Test Basics So, what should you expect when you register for this SAT Subject Test? Here are the basics: 60 minutes60 multiple-choice questions based on 6 to 8 different literary passages200-800 points possible SAT Literature Subject Test Passages The SAT Literature Subject Test is very narrow in its scope. Remember, this is a Literature test, not a reading test, which is quite different. You will not be reading nonfiction like excerpts from memoirs, passages from biographies or samples from textbook. Nope! These six to eight passages of literature excerpts will look like this: The Genres: Approximately 3-4 of the passages will be prose (excerpts from novels, short stories, and essays).Approximately 3-4 of the passages will be poetry (either complete or shortened if the poem is long).Approximately 0-1 of the passages could be drama or other forms of literature (legends, fables, myths, etc.). The Sources: Approximately 3-4 of the passages will come from American Literature.Approximately 3-4 of the passages will come from British Literature.Approximately 0-1 of the passages could come from literature from other countries. (Indian, Caribbean, and Canadian excerpts have been used in the past.) The Age of the Passages: 30% of the passages will come from the Renaissance or 17th century.30% of the passages will come from the 18th or 19th century.40% of the passages will come from the 20th century. SAT Literature Subject Test Skills Since this is a Literature test, and not merely your average reading exam, youll be required to do a lot of analytical thinking about the passages youre reading. Youll also be expected to understand the basics about literature, itself. Heres what you should brush up on: Common Literary and Poetic TermsNarrators and Authors ToneMeaning and Vocabulary in Context Word Choice, Imagery, MetaphorThemeCharacterizationBasic Plot Structures Why Take the SAT Literature Subject Test? In some cases, it wont be a matter of choice; youll have to take the SAT Literature Subject Test based on the requirements of the program in which youre choosing to apply. You must check with your programs requirements to see if youre one of the lucky applicants that must sit for the test. If a particular program doesnt require the test, then some people choose to take the exam to show off their skills if theyre masters in Literature. It can really give your application score a boost if your SAT Lit score is through the roof. How to Prepare for the SAT Literature Subject Test Mostly, if youve done really well in your 3-4 years of Literature-based classes in high school, love to read outside of class, and can usually understand and analyze whats going on in various literary passages, you should do just fine on this exam. For those of you who have to take the test and Literature isnt your strongest suit, then Id definitely recommend hitting up your English teacher for some extra assignments to help you get better at analyzing the material. Good Luck!

Example Sentences of the English Verb Bend

Example Sentences of the English Verb Bend This page provides example sentences of the verb Bend in all tenses, including active and passive forms as well as conditional and modal forms. Base Form bend / Past Simple bent / Past Participle bent / Gerund bending Present Simple The L joint bends the Y joint. Present Simple Passive The Y joint is bent by the L joint. Present Continuous Watch out! You are bending the rod too much. Present Continuous Passive The rod is being bent by the L joint. Present Perfect The wind has bent that pole. Present Perfect Passive That pole has been bent by the wind. Present Perfect Continuous I have been bending the metal for 20 minutes. Past Simple She bent that metal rod. Past Simple Passive That metal rod was bent by Jack. Past Continuous I was bending backward when she walked in the door. Past Continuous Passive The Y joint was being bent by the L joint when it snapped. Past Perfect She had bent the frame before I touched it. Past Perfect Passive The frame had been bent before I touched it. Past Perfect Continuous He had been bending over for an exercise for 10 minutes when she walked in the door. Future (will) George will bend the rules for you. Future (will) passive Im sure the rules will be bent. Future (going to) They are going to bend the rules this time. Future (going to) passive The rules are going to be bent this time. Future Continuous I will be bending down to pick it up in three minutes. Future Perfect It will have been bent a number of times by the time the test is over. Future Possibility It might bend if you try hard. Real Conditional It will bend if you try hard. Unreal Conditional If it bent, we would replace it. Past Unreal Conditional If it had bent, we would have replaced it. Present Modal You should bend it back. Past Modal Jack must have bent this frame. Quiz: Conjugate with Bend Use the verb to bend to conjugate the following sentences. Quiz answers are below. In some cases, more than one answer may be correct. That pole _____ by the wind.I _____ backward when she walked in the door.The frame _____ before I touched it.The L joint _____ the Y joint.Im sure the rules ______Â  next week.George _____ the rules for you if you ask him.She _____ that metal rod last week.The rules _______ this time.That pole _____ by the wind.Watch out! You _____ the rod too much. Quiz Answers has been bentwas bendinghad been bentbendswill be bentwill bendbentare going to be benthas been bentare bending

Banning Catcher in the Rye Essay Example for Free

Banning Catcher in the Rye Essay The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger should not be banned in schools based solely on the fact that it is a controversial book that uses harsh language and sexual references. This book is J. D. Salinger’s freedom of speech, and it is a violation of the first amendment for schools to ban this book. This book is only offering an inside look into what teenagers go through in some point of their lives. According to the Los Angeles Times, The Catcher in the Rye’s, â€Å"†¦ profanity and sexual references drew scandalized reactions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Rotella 18). Although this book has many sexual references, it is not in any way as explicit and as bad as what teenagers see and hear nowadays on television and in the world. Holden occasionally thinks and talks about sex: â€Å"Most guys at Pencey talked about having sexual intercourse with girls all the time. † (Salinger 48). The average teenager often thinks and talks about sex. It is not unusual for teenagers to do this. The profanity in this book is also not as bad as it may seem. Patty Salazar, a concerned mother and religious activist, claims that, â€Å"‘It uses the Lord’s name in vain 200 times’† (Rotella 17), but the curse words used in The Catcher in the Rye are nothing that teenagers have not heard before in their everyday lives. Banning The Catcher in the Rye in school is not acceptable. It is a violation of the first amendment, and it is nothing far from what teenagers encounter everyday. This book gives teenagers someone in literature that they are able to relate to in one way or another. The Catcher in the Rye is not a book that will corrupt young readers. The underlying theme of this book is loss of innocence. This loss occurs when a teenager makes the change to adulthood where he or she is obscured by phoniness. By banning this book from schools, the only thing that teenagers would be sheltered from is reality. Banning Catcher in the Rye. (2016, Oct 02).

Evaluate how far Jinnikins Jeans would benefit from extending employee Essay

Evaluate how far Jinnikins Jeans would benefit from extending employee 'voice' - Essay Example 2. Overview of the impact of employee voice on Jinnikins Jeans The underlying theory behind employee voice is that employees have sufficient interests, skills and knowledge to engage in business decisions. Unlike what management experts previously assumed, it is becoming increasingly clear that even non-investors ought to make decisions (Gollan, 2006). Since workers dedicate a significant part of their lives within certain organisations, then it only comes naturally that their work would define them. At Jinnikins, some of the employees have been working for the company since they left university. Therefore, it makes sense to include them in decision-making processes. Employee voice has four distinct functions in any given organisation. It may allow the employee to express dissatisfaction with the organisation or management. Currently, such a platform seems to be lacking at Jinnikings. Most of the individuals in the organisation do not have an avenue for expressing their misgivings. T he case study states that several employees in the headquarters are worried that they might lose their jobs just like their counterparts in the UK factory. Furthermore, some feel marginalised by senior level executives concerning operations of the business. This was especially true for Lionel, the production director. If the company does not provide avenues for expression of dissent, then employees could look elsewhere. Businesses need employee voice in order to enjoy collective organisation. Unionisation and membership in other employee interest groups allows members to express collective concerns to which their employers can respond. Jinnikings feels it is a reasonable employer, which pays above average salaries and fosters communality. Therefore, it sees no need for collective bargaining. However, employees are already planning to join a Works Council, and this could throw the company off track if it does not prepare in advance. Senior executives, Trevor and George are quite appr ehensive about unions. In fact, they outsourced their operations because of this aspect (Mathews, 2012). The company needs to address this matter before it overwhelms them. Firms need employee voice because it facilitates the contribution of employees in management decision making. This implies that they can handle aspects like productivity, quality and organisation better using such a voice. Problem solving will spread across the organisation if firms foster participation (Van Dyne et al., 2003). Jinnikins appears to need this form of participation in decision-making. Currently, the two senior executives make all the decisions, which leads to a backlog in introduction of new ideas. Furthermore, it wastes a lot of time and frustrates the creative energy of the enterprise by creating all this bureaucracy around decisions. Clearly, the firm needs to rethink this approach in the future. Even critical elements of planning, like recruitment and selection or redundancy planning, are often in the hands of senior executives. They often select individuals based on the person they know rather than their work. As a result, the company has a backlog of redundant staff that they cannot get rid of. This reliance on the executive for most decisions has even led to difficulties in eliminating these staff. Instead of relying on guidelines for getting work done, managers have to second-guess. The highhanded approach of the two executive brothers has caused

Classroom Management and Student Discipline Research Paper - 2

Classroom Management and Student Discipline - Research Paper Example In this essay, I endeavor to engage in reflection particularly in classroom management and student discipline. Towards this end, I will be discussing various dimensions in classroom management and discipline in the context of my own personal experience. To fully engage in reflective practice, I will draw from relevant literature to assess my own practice. In assessing my practice, I will introduce two types of overarching skills: hard skills and soft skills from where specific strategies belong. I will then highlight areas of weaknesses and strengths. In conclusion, I will offer recommendations for my own practice that hopefully, will aid in both my personal and professional growth. In evaluating and reflecting upon my practice of classroom management and student discipline, I find it helpful to distinguish between two types of practices. First, I will refer to as technical strategies or hard skills. The second category I shall label as relationship strategies or soft skills. In the world of work, hard skills often refer to technical skills or procedures often involving machinery and computer protocols. In the classroom, technical strategies are those that involve planning, structuring and organizing systems and procedures to maintain an effective classroom environment. Soft skills on the other hand are the people skills that are employed to build on relationships. In the classroom, certain relationships are important and must be established to reduce disruptions and misbehaviour. Planning would be the key factor in Arrend’s (2009) preventative classroom management strategies. To be able to plan effectively though, it is highly important to know and understand the background of the students, which I usually invest in during the first term of the school year. I have found that this preparation facilitates not only making effective lesson planning

Service Marketing Management in Ebay Case Study

Service Marketing Management in Ebay - Case Study Example This research will begin with the statement that eBay (www.ebay.com) is managed by EBay Inc., an Internet company based in America. Ebay.com offers an Internet-based service that allows for online auctions, selling and buying of new and second hand products. While the company originally began functioning in US, today it has localized branches in Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Singapore, United Kingdom, Poland, Philippines and Taiwan to name a few. Besides Ebay.com, EBay Inc also owns the sites of PayPal and Skype among its other businesses. Since the site was established in the year 1995, it has become the largest place in the world to buy and sell a range of products to a range of people. In April 2006, eBay also opened its new eBay Express site. This site works like a standard Internet shopping site for consumers from United States. A UK version and then a German version were launched later in the year and offers brand new items sold by pre-vetted sellers. T he company works with the mission to provide a global trading platform where practically anyone can trade anything. The company has a unique offering of an auction-based sales service where retailers or private seller can present their item to purchasers. Demand and supply: The level of demand and supply on eBay is high as there are many people seeking to sell what they do not need for a good deal. Approximately the site has 212 million registered buyers and sellers as of date. A wide range of things like rare items, new products, collectibles and used goods can be found for sale on the site. The site is well known as a good place for comparison shopping as many similar products are listed side by side. Auction-style listings, fixed price formats and Dutch auctions are a few kinds of auctions the site provides for. However there are cases where the required products are not available. Not much can be done in cases where demand exceeds capacity and customers just have to live with th e fact that sellers are not selling the required product. Services marketing integration and management: Customers usually search for products on parameters like price and product features. eBay allows customers to sort similar items based on pricing, making the task of purchasing a relatively easy one. Phone help is offered to select members only (those who sell a minimum of $3000 worth goods per month through the site). Live chat with customer service representatives is however available. Areas where eBay dissatisfies customers include wrong shipping labels and insufficient customer support as all queries are not addressed with the same interest. The blame culture is high at eBay, and though the site issues regular warnings, blogs and advice, many blame the site for wrong transactions. One criticism regards its privacy policy whereby eBay turns its user information to law enforcement agencies often without a subpoena. While no solid proof has been generated for this case, it is a popular rumour, popular enough to be believed by its wide customer base as true. Finally no panel of experts or support system is available to identify whether a particular product is worth the money or not.

INFOSYSTEMS SLP3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

INFOSYSTEMS SLP3 - Research Paper Example This can be compared to California, which has a higher average annual base salary of $77,448, Maryland, which has an average annual base salary of $69,703, and Idaho, which has an average annual base salary of $41,304. The average annual base salary for a teacher throughout the United States is $50,887. The differences indicated above can be attributed to the cost of living in different states. The cost of living in the state can be attributed to five main factors: groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, and healthcare. In California, the cost of housing is expected to be higher by 84% over the New York residence, while the only reducing cost of living is healthcare, which is expected to be lower by 2% (CNN Money, 2012). The cost of living factors are lowest in Idaho, where the only increasing factor is transportation, which will cost 5% more than in New York (CNN Money,

Managenent and leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managenent and leadership - Assignment Example For example, many of the leaders in the Arab world are ruling their country only because of their heredity. It is not necessary that these leaders are as effective as other leaders. Some people label leadership as an art whereas others label it as science. In fact, it is a mixture of these two. Both scientific and artistic skills are necessary for a leader to become an effective leader. It requires skills such as intelligence, emotional control, communication abilities, temperament, patience, authority, power, decision-making abilities etc. Since these skills are not available to many, it is impossible for all the people to become effective leaders. This paper analyses the question can anyone can be an effective leader. Skills necessary for an effective leader According to Daniel Goleman, â€Å"that the most effective leaders are alike in one crucial way: They all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional Intelligence. In his research he found that emotional intel ligence is the sine qua non of leadership (Goleman, 2009, p.82). Emotional intelligence or EQ is different from intelligence quotient or IQ. Emotional intelligence is the ability to know other people and their needs. It is the ability to adapt with the surroundings and the people. On the other hand, IQ is the abilities of a person with respect to intelligence. It is not necessary that a person with high IQ score may have high EQ score also. Same way, it is not necessary that a person with high EQ may have high IQ. In short, both EQ and IQ are entirely different concepts. To become an effective leader, high EQ is necessary. It is not necessary that a leader with high IQ may become an effective leader if he has low EQ. There are plenty of situations in which control of emotions are necessary to manage a complicated situation well. For example, Iran is currently threatening America and other westerners because of their ambitions to become a nuclear power. Iran’s current presiden t is trying to provoke America and Israel in many ways. Obama is neglecting the allegations of Iran since he has higher abilities in emotional controls. Another American president would have responded differently to Iran’s threat and the problems could have been worse. In short, an effective leader definitely needs strong controls over his emotions and he should never approach situations based on emotions. Wisdom should prevail over emotions for a leader to become effective. Since emotional controls are less for many leaders, it is difficult for them to become effective leaders. Saddam, Gaddafi and Mubarak were some of the leaders of the present century who failed to lead their people effectively because of their lack of EQ. Nobody can argue that these people have less IQ. In fact, all of them had high scores of IQ. However, they cannot be labelled as effective leaders since they failed to lead the people based on their needs. Emotional intelligence helps a leader to take sou nd decisions in difficult situations. For example, there are plenty of organizations, which struggled to overcome difficult situation created by recent recession. However, there are many other organisations, which come out with success even in the difficult business climate. This is because of the effectiveness of the leaders in those organizations. For example, Apple is one American company which excelled even during the recession period. They are the most valuable technological company in the world at present.

Service Marketing Management in Ebay Case Study

Service Marketing Management in Ebay - Case Study Example This research will begin with the statement that eBay (www.ebay.com) is managed by EBay Inc., an Internet company based in America. Ebay.com offers an Internet-based service that allows for online auctions, selling and buying of new and second hand products. While the company originally began functioning in US, today it has localized branches in Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Singapore, United Kingdom, Poland, Philippines and Taiwan to name a few. Besides Ebay.com, EBay Inc also owns the sites of PayPal and Skype among its other businesses. Since the site was established in the year 1995, it has become the largest place in the world to buy and sell a range of products to a range of people. In April 2006, eBay also opened its new eBay Express site. This site works like a standard Internet shopping site for consumers from United States. A UK version and then a German version were launched later in the year and offers brand new items sold by pre-vetted sellers. T he company works with the mission to provide a global trading platform where practically anyone can trade anything. The company has a unique offering of an auction-based sales service where retailers or private seller can present their item to purchasers. Demand and supply: The level of demand and supply on eBay is high as there are many people seeking to sell what they do not need for a good deal. Approximately the site has 212 million registered buyers and sellers as of date. A wide range of things like rare items, new products, collectibles and used goods can be found for sale on the site. The site is well known as a good place for comparison shopping as many similar products are listed side by side. Auction-style listings, fixed price formats and Dutch auctions are a few kinds of auctions the site provides for. However there are cases where the required products are not available. Not much can be done in cases where demand exceeds capacity and customers just have to live with th e fact that sellers are not selling the required product. Services marketing integration and management: Customers usually search for products on parameters like price and product features. eBay allows customers to sort similar items based on pricing, making the task of purchasing a relatively easy one. Phone help is offered to select members only (those who sell a minimum of $3000 worth goods per month through the site). Live chat with customer service representatives is however available. Areas where eBay dissatisfies customers include wrong shipping labels and insufficient customer support as all queries are not addressed with the same interest. The blame culture is high at eBay, and though the site issues regular warnings, blogs and advice, many blame the site for wrong transactions. One criticism regards its privacy policy whereby eBay turns its user information to law enforcement agencies often without a subpoena. While no solid proof has been generated for this case, it is a popular rumour, popular enough to be believed by its wide customer base as true. Finally no panel of experts or support system is available to identify whether a particular product is worth the money or not.

Managenent and leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managenent and leadership - Assignment Example For example, many of the leaders in the Arab world are ruling their country only because of their heredity. It is not necessary that these leaders are as effective as other leaders. Some people label leadership as an art whereas others label it as science. In fact, it is a mixture of these two. Both scientific and artistic skills are necessary for a leader to become an effective leader. It requires skills such as intelligence, emotional control, communication abilities, temperament, patience, authority, power, decision-making abilities etc. Since these skills are not available to many, it is impossible for all the people to become effective leaders. This paper analyses the question can anyone can be an effective leader. Skills necessary for an effective leader According to Daniel Goleman, â€Å"that the most effective leaders are alike in one crucial way: They all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional Intelligence. In his research he found that emotional intel ligence is the sine qua non of leadership (Goleman, 2009, p.82). Emotional intelligence or EQ is different from intelligence quotient or IQ. Emotional intelligence is the ability to know other people and their needs. It is the ability to adapt with the surroundings and the people. On the other hand, IQ is the abilities of a person with respect to intelligence. It is not necessary that a person with high IQ score may have high EQ score also. Same way, it is not necessary that a person with high EQ may have high IQ. In short, both EQ and IQ are entirely different concepts. To become an effective leader, high EQ is necessary. It is not necessary that a leader with high IQ may become an effective leader if he has low EQ. There are plenty of situations in which control of emotions are necessary to manage a complicated situation well. For example, Iran is currently threatening America and other westerners because of their ambitions to become a nuclear power. Iran’s current presiden t is trying to provoke America and Israel in many ways. Obama is neglecting the allegations of Iran since he has higher abilities in emotional controls. Another American president would have responded differently to Iran’s threat and the problems could have been worse. In short, an effective leader definitely needs strong controls over his emotions and he should never approach situations based on emotions. Wisdom should prevail over emotions for a leader to become effective. Since emotional controls are less for many leaders, it is difficult for them to become effective leaders. Saddam, Gaddafi and Mubarak were some of the leaders of the present century who failed to lead their people effectively because of their lack of EQ. Nobody can argue that these people have less IQ. In fact, all of them had high scores of IQ. However, they cannot be labelled as effective leaders since they failed to lead the people based on their needs. Emotional intelligence helps a leader to take sou nd decisions in difficult situations. For example, there are plenty of organizations, which struggled to overcome difficult situation created by recent recession. However, there are many other organisations, which come out with success even in the difficult business climate. This is because of the effectiveness of the leaders in those organizations. For example, Apple is one American company which excelled even during the recession period. They are the most valuable technological company in the world at present.

Directing and Acting an Extract FromA View From he Bridge Essay Example for Free

Directing and Acting an Extract FromA View From he Bridge Essay Directing and acting in an extract of the book was great fun. Especially the extract that we had chosen as it set a challenge, with many events that have to be dealt with maturely. Plot/ Theme We choose the scene of when Eddie kisses Catherine and Rodolfo because we felt that it was a scene of great importance to the structure of the play. Eddie before hand had shown very little jealousy of Rodolfo and Catherine, but in this scene it is the first time we can clearly see it. This display of jealousy also turned Eddies and Catherines relationship, then again their love and friendship had been rumbling ever since Rodolfo had arrived, but this really was the moment where the relationship had really become obvious that it had completely changed from the start of the book. This fight also results in Catherine leaving the home, another point in the play that is very important. I dont now about the rest of the group, but I also choose this section because it was a challenge worth taking on. I knew that many of the other people would choose the immigration officers section, but that seemed very boring and so I thought this section would be a better, more challenging section. This section really deals with the power of Catherines love for Rodolfo and how the love that once fell apon Eddie had gone. Catherines love for Rodolfo was so strong that she abandons the father she had cared for all her life. On a less serious note it also deals with the seriousness of drunkenness, as it can cause huge problems and can also make you do really stupid things, things that youd never do, like kiss people that youd never kiss. Characterisation This section also allowed us to reveal huge amount about the characters. Rodolfo: Rodolfo reveals a huge amount about his character, especially when it is such a small section, but then again it shows how important this extract is to the play. It is quite clear that Rodolfo loves Catherine, so much so that hed be willing to put his life and dignity on the line just to be able to love and to be with her. This is very clear when he gets into a fight with Eddie, although he already knew that hed be beaten (When he was boxing with Eddie, he had been hurt by eddies punch). Now this is shown particularly when Rodolfo tells Eddie Dont (pulls on Eddies arm) Stop that! Have respect for her! Now the pull of the arm was very important, and the whole way in which Rodolfo acts out his words afterwards. Now through out the play we had all thought, including Eddie himself had thought that Rodolfo was a soft touch, a man who didnt really like the prospect of a fight. But this scene reveals that he is willing and when he says Dont say that to me! Rodolfo flies at him in attack. It reveals a whole new Rodolfo. It is also the first time Rodolfo style in talking about the bird being freed. It shows that he knows how to make a women happy with words saying Catherine. If I take in my hands a little bird. And she grows and wishes to fly. But I will not let her out of my hands because I love her so much, is that right for me to do? I dont say you must hate him; but anyway you must go, musnt you? which is exactly what Catherine wanted to hear. Catherine: Catherine reveals very little in comparison to Rodolfo as she, for most of our extract is in the background of Eddies and Rodolfos argument. But even then she reveals one very important factor, and that is that she wants to leave home with Rodolfo, the past love for Eddie had not gone but the desire to be with him everyday had. Catherine shows this in very obvious places such as when she says Im going with him it is quite clear that she is wanting to get away. She also shows the first sings of being afraid of Eddie (trembling with fright) I think I have to get out of here. The easiest ways to show this desire to get away would be to, when she had has her arm held by Eddie, is to rip it away in aggression I think I cant stay here no more. ( she frees her arm, steps back towards the bedroom). Now this done aggressively would surely give Eddie the sign that she doesnt want to be there anymore and hopefully the audience as well. Eddie: Eddie, out of the three characters reveals the most. He fina;;y shows just how much he wants Catherine by kissing her. He then reveals to Catherine what he thinks of Rodolfo by kissing him as well. Beforehand he had repeatedly told Alfieri he just aint right Of course it is a big issue abut why Eddie kissed Rodolfo. He had always considered Rodolfo to be homosexual Yeah, but if he aint right, Mr Alfieri, you mean to tell me-. He sang, danced, and had blonde hair, mentioning all three to Alfieri, but was the kiss really used to prove that what he had thought was true? The truth was that Eddie didnt want to lose Catherine, to nobody, so he tries in anyway possible to try and put her of him. Eddie also demonstrates just how aggressive he can be. We show this when he repeatedly grabs her arm to stop her from walking away Pack it up. Go ahead. Get your stuff and get outa here. (Catherine instantly turns and walks towards the bedroom and Eddie grabs her arm) Where you goin? But Eddie also reveals a soft side to him. This is very obvious as Eddie starts to cry Im sorry, Eddie (She sees the tears in his eyes) This is the first time we see Eddie with real emotions for anyone, not even Beatrice. We can only hope that in order to show this on stage is to make it as meaningful as possible. Dramatic Qualities Now putting this all on to stage was not easy to say the least. As students it was very hard to get the love scene at the start right, but the hardest was definitely the kissing scenes Eddie had to perform. We as a group had to first agree on the various roles we were to play, Haakon agreed to play the part of Rodolfo, Natasha as Catherine and myself as Eddie. The first hard task we had to overcome was to make the first scene, the love scene between Rodolfo and Catherine to look serious, and to look like they mean what they say, with love and affection. We had to use the basic skills in which to make the scene look realistic. When they spoke, they held hands, looked straight into each others eyes. We also tried to make the conversation very flirty, for instance when Catherine says I love you! Rodolfo. I love you! we made Natasha hug Haakon to try and convey to the audience that the words had deep meaning. I thought the real advantage to doing this section was that if we achieved an atmosphere of tension between Rodolfo and Eddie then it would look brilliant. And all we needed to do was to have some very long, uncomfortable pauses. There were some really obvious places to use silence to develop the tension, but we choose to focus on when Rodolfo walks back into the Main room to discover Eddie, drunk. We tried to make it as if Eddie is shocked at Rodolfo for even being there and that he was even lost for words until he regains his voice, tries to act all hard again and aggressively points his finger at him. We also thought that at this time Eddie would be ready to leap at Rodolfo so we made sure that he couldnt by making Natasha stand in between the two, acting as a sort of a barrier. Another important part to the structure of the play is the increase of Rodolfos aggression. When he comes on, he comes out with Beatrice went to buy presents for her mother Now this we thought sounded very arrogant, as if to say that shes mine kind of way, so we made sure that he looked as confident as he sounds. So by making sure he stood up tall and talked with a deep voice and without stuttering. But this all changes when they start arguing so we have to try and show a little more timid-ness. We tried to show this in the remainder of his lines, the best example being yes, shell by my wife. Here he has just answered back to Eddie, so he knows that hes gone too far. So now he knows a fight is unavoidable and so he looks frightened and therefore starts to stutter his words. Haakon also has to look less rigid in posture to get this effect. So that it looks as if Eddie is bigger again. Things like the voice must be developed, which was hard as it had to sound like a real American Italian accent to enable to make the play realistic. So instead, we agreed between ourselves that wed all say the lines in our natural voices, otherwise the audience would be laughing at our efforts when they ought not to be. The two hardest parts to the extract was the two issues that Eddie had to perform on Catherine and Rodolfo while at the same time having to have a fight scene. The kissing of Catherine was easier. It just took me to have my back to the audience so that when I had my head close to Natashas, the audience could not see if our lips met. But with the combination of Natashas reaction of squirming around, and my body being rigid, it looked very much like we were kissing. Now the fight scene had to look realistic, not just an immature half effort towards another vital important part in the play, but at the same time we had to make sure that Haakon was going to be safe. Our basic plan was to do a judo trip across my leg, then pick him up by his tie and collar and kiss him on the cheek. Review Analysis Now considering how short a time we had to prepare for the performance, I thought that what we achieved was really a great effort from the whole group. In particular things like the kissing scenes where we dealt with the situation maturely, and it was so realistic that a lot of people asked afterwards if we actually kissed. But the thing I was most pleased with, mature approach we took to the challenge of this very difficult extract. There were a lot of places in the section the actors could have laughed through, but we all took the whole situation seriously. I think on a weaker point, that we failed to make the situation with Eddie and Rodolfo tenser then i think we could have managed. We all got very nervous on stage and so we rushed through our lines, creating very little suspense when it really have ought to. Another bad point was we failed to keep Haakon safe when performing the fight scene. He fell quite badly. But in general our section of the play was a great experience to act and direct in.

The Study of Proteome

The Study of Proteome The breakthrough in the study of genomics has created a great impact for biological research. For instance, the complete genome sequencing accomplished for various model organisms such as bacteria, yeast and drosophila has been a key to understanding the diversity and functions in living system (Liebler, 2002). However, the gene products, proteins are playing crucial complex functions in sustaining the living system. Therefore, in order to acquire a clearer picture about the function of the living cells at molecular level, it is important to study the entire set of protein expressed by a genome, cell, tissue or organism throughout the cell cycle as known as proteome (Monti et al., 2005). This study of proteome is termed proteomics which is mainly focus on the identification of proteins, determination of the interaction between various proteins as a part of a larger network and outlining the 3D structures of proteins (Liu Hsu, 2004). According to Liebler (2002), the applications of proteomics comprised of mining, protein-expression profiling, protein-network mapping and mapping of protein modifications. These four principals then bring about the branches of proteomics which are the sequence and structural proteomics, expression proteomics, interaction proteomics as well as functional proteomics. i. Sequence and structural proteomics Structural proteomics is generally aimed at efficiently convert the gene sequence into 3D structural information which will then being used to facilitate the prediction of protein folding and functions afterward (Yee et al., 2002). 3D structure prediction and determination of proteins on a genome-wide scale are managed to provide substantial information in understanding the structure-function relationships of the particular proteins (Liu Hsu, 2004). The approaches commonly employed for this area of study are NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. In a study done by Yee et al. (2002), structural proteomics of small proteins based on data of 513 proteins from five microorganisms is done by using NMR spectroscopy. Small proteins are more acquiescent for structure analysis primarily due to its solubility as protein aggregation appeared to be a limitation for structural proteomics (Yee et al., 2002). NMR evaluation of proteins is performed after ran through a series of cloning, expression and purification processes. The chosen targets for NMR screening by Yee et al. (2002) were single chain polypeptides with not more than 23 kDa molecular mass. PCR was involved to amplify the targets from genomic DNA. Subsequent cloning of the target proteins into vectors was then carried out. Batch Ni2+ affinity chromatography was done for the extraction of cells (Yee et al., 2002). Varian INOVA 500- or 600-MHz spectrometer was used to attain all the 1H-15N heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) spectra and the NMRPIPE software package was utilized to processed the data (Yee et al., 2002). The HSQC spectrum is to provide a diagnostic fingerprint of a protein. Twelve of the proteins were considered to be suitable for structure determination and have their 3D structures successfully analysed which were conserved without functional annotation (Yee et al., 2002). Among them, eight out of twelve were the members of uncharacterized cluster of orthologous groups (COG) or protein superfamilies. In order to know whether a 3D structure can be predicted, the sequences were submitted to SwissModeler to be analysed based on sequence similarity. ii. Expression proteomics Human Protein Atlas (HPA) launched by Swedish researchers in 2003 is a comprehensive effort in mapping the proteins expressed in the body’s tissue and cells according to the genes documented by Human Genome Project (Marx, 2014). HPA principally looked at the spatial distribution and protein-expression patterns of human proteins as well as comparing the protein expression between cancerous and normal tissues. The expression proteomics is a focus for proteome study which targets on measurement of the up- and down-regulation of protein levels as well to explore the protein expression patterns in abnormal cells for biomedical application (Monti et al., 2005). Approaches like mass spectrometry, 2D-gel electrophoresis and protein arrays are used in expression proteomics. Mazzanti et al. (2006) as done an investigation upon the differential expression proteomics of human colon cancer to look at the operative pathway of early stages of human colon cancer and to compare with normal colon tissue. In this case, they were using 2D-gel electrophoresis to observe the differences in protein expression at various differentiation levels. After the tissues were properly collected and homogenized, Western Blot analysis was carried out to evaluate the expression levels of the proteins and followed by 2D-GE. The differences in intensity of each spot and the normalized spot volume were calculated and statistically analysed. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectroscopy analysis of tryptic peptides was performed to detect the differentially expressed samples processed by 2D-GE (Mazzanti et al., 2006). Lastly, a search through NCBI non-redundant databases and SWISSPROT was completed to identify the proteins. As a result, several proteins were found differentially expressed in colon cancer and normal tissue. Mazzanti et al. (2006) have obtained 11 and 15 proteins from healthy and cancerous tissues which were categorized according to the pathway they involved respectively. In addition, they also claimed that cancer tissues preferably utilize glycolysis due to selective repression of ÃŽ ²-subunit ATPase expression and limited substrate availability to mitochondria (Mazzanti et al., 2006). iii. Interaction proteomics Interaction proteomics emphasis on the elucidation of protein-protein interaction to which the multitude functions of proteins in association with individual components of proteome and the formation of multimeric complexes (Và ¶lkel et al., 2010). Frequently utilized approaches for interaction proteomics are like mass spectrometry (MS), affinity captured combined with mass spectrometry and yeast 2-hybrid techniques. Và ¶lkel et al. (2010) mentioned that characterize protein complexes from bacteria, yeast, mammalian cells and some multicellular organisms can be done by using tandem affinity purification-mass spectrometry (TAP-MS). TAP is functioned based on the dual purification of protein assemblies by sequential utilization of two affinity tags spaced by a TEV (tobacco etch virus) protease cleavage site (Và ¶lkel et al., 2010). TEV is a sequence-specific protease that cleaves a recognition site of seven-amino-acid (Glu-X-X-Tyr-X-Gln/Ser) which is rarely found in mammalian proteins (Berggà ¥rd et al., 2007; Và ¶lkel et al., 2010). This epitope-tagging purification strategy further improves the sample purification prior to protein identification by MS. In the first purification step, the TAP-tag protein is bound to specific column like immobilized Ig (Berggà ¥rd et al., 2007; Và ¶lkel et al., 2010). Retrieval of TAP-tag protein is done by adding TEV-proteinase. The protein complex is then immobilized by CBP (calmodium-binding peptide) of TAP tag to a second column, the calmodulin-coated beads in the second affinity step. This calcium-dependent CBP-calmodium interaction enables the elution of final protein complex for MS protein identification by means of calcium chelation (Và ¶lkel et al., 2010). The TAP purification of protein complex is independent of the availability of specific antibodies. It is used to accomplish large-scale protein interaction mapping of lower organisms and decode the smaller interactomes and signalling pathway in mammals (Và ¶lkel et al., 2010). However, this technique may not be able to identify low stoichiometric complexes, transient interactions or under-represented interactions occurred specifically in some physiological states of cells growing exponentially (Và ¶lkel et al., 2010). iv. Functional proteomics The objectives of functional proteomics are to characterize the biological function of unknown proteins, multiprotein complexes and descript the cellular mechanisms as well as signalling pathway at molecular level (Monti et al., 2005). Henning and Ilag (2003) stated that the protein functions assessment could be done based on the individual cell types and interaction of protein partners. Functional proteomics implement the concept that functional inactivation within the physiological environment of a targeted protein can be used to determine its function (Henning Ilag, 2003). Tools that are typically employed in functional proteomics include 2D-gel electrophoresis, MS, MALDI-TOF (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight) MS and affinity-based procedure. The affinity-based procedure is worked on the idea that a suitable tag of the expressed target protein can be used as a bait to fish out its partners from a cellular extract (Monti et al., 2005). Brookes et al. (2002) utilized a high-throughput two-dimensional blue-native electrophoresis in the study of functional proteomics for mitochondria and signalling pathway. As mitochondrial membrane proteins exhibit hydrophobic properties, precipitation is occurred in standard 2D gels during the first dimension isoelectric focusing. Thus, the 2D blue-native gel electrophoresis is used resolve this problem. The first dimension of 2D blue native gel electrophoresis involved the solubilization the membrane protein complexes into its native form. This is followed by the second dimension utilizing the sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-page) with its gel staining performed by employing a mixture of Coomassie blue G-250 and R-250. SDS-page is worked on denaturing the protein complexes and enables them to resolve into their component subunits (Brookes et al., 2002). A partial mitochondrial proteome map was then assembled by using MALDI-TOF MS coupled with tryptic peptide fingerprinting. This 2D blue native gel electrophoresis is found suitable for proteomic analysis of mitochondria proteins in which it could separate large amount of mitochondria proteins and large proportion of respiratory chain complexes as presented as the spots on the gel can be readily identified according to their position (Brookes et al., 2002). The functional associations between different respiratory complexes in mitochondria like cytochrome C, respiratory complexes III and IV can be interpreted from the gels. From this study, Brookes et al. (2002) suggested that the respiratory complexes are able to assemble into sub-complexes with limited functionality regardless of the presence of mtDNA encoded subunits.

Nature vs Nurture Essay -- Arguementative Essays

Nature vs Nurture Most of us have an intuition that, although our genes provide advantages and constraints, we retain great control over our lives. However, we are developing a second, competing intuition that, like it or not, our genes determine our abilities, our preferences, and our emotions. We would like to think we are much more than the sum of our genes, but scientists have apparently demonstrated that our genes determine some of our most complex behavioral and cognitive characteristics. The focus on genes as the primary mode of biological explanation has been especially clear in the marketing of the Human Genome Project. In support of this project, Robert L. Sinsheimer, biologist and former chancellor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, affirmed, "[i]n the deepest sense we are who we are because of our genes." (Berkowitz 1996) Does the available scientific evidence actually tell us that our genes determine our behavioural, emotional, and cognitive characteristics? Do single genes specify particular behavioural traits? To answer these questions, most non-scientists depend upon the cursory reports of new research findings that appear regularly in the lay press. These reports are oversimplified and may be shaped by the desire of both journalists and scientists to create an exciting story. As a result, our perceptions of the scientific evidence may be skewed by a few dramatic findings, some of which may be wrong. Nowhere has this been more clear than in the representation of the roles of genes in determining uniquely human characteristics, involving our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. Within the past decade, there have been highly visible reports localizing genes for manic-depression (Baron et al. 19... ...Sussex, K.K. Kidd, C.R. Allen, A.M. Hostetter, and D.E. Housma. 1987. Bipolar Affective Disorder Linked to DNA Markers on Chromosome 11. Nature 325: 783-787 Gelernter, J., S. O'Malley, N. Risch, H.R. Kranzler, J. Krystal, K. Merikangas, J.L. Kennedy, and K.K. Kidd. 1991. No Association Between an Allele at the D2 Dopamine Receptor Gene (DRD2) and Alcoholism. JAMA 266: 1801- 807 Hamer, D.H., S. Hu, V.L. Magnuson, N. Hu, and A.M.L. Pattatucci. 1993. A Linkage between DNA Markers on the X-Chromosomes and Male Sexual Orientation. Science 261: 321-327 Kelsoe, J.R., E.I. Ginns, J.A. Egeland, D.S. Gerhard, A.M. Goldstein, S.J. Bale, D.L. Pauls, R.T. Long, K.K.Kidd, G. Conte, D.E. Housman and S.M. Paul. 1989. Re-evaluation of the Linkage Relationship Between Chromosome 11p Loci and the Gene for Bipolar Affective Disorder in the Old order Amish. Nature 342: 238-243. Nature vs Nurture Essay -- Arguementative Essays Nature vs Nurture Most of us have an intuition that, although our genes provide advantages and constraints, we retain great control over our lives. However, we are developing a second, competing intuition that, like it or not, our genes determine our abilities, our preferences, and our emotions. We would like to think we are much more than the sum of our genes, but scientists have apparently demonstrated that our genes determine some of our most complex behavioral and cognitive characteristics. The focus on genes as the primary mode of biological explanation has been especially clear in the marketing of the Human Genome Project. In support of this project, Robert L. Sinsheimer, biologist and former chancellor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, affirmed, "[i]n the deepest sense we are who we are because of our genes." (Berkowitz 1996) Does the available scientific evidence actually tell us that our genes determine our behavioural, emotional, and cognitive characteristics? Do single genes specify particular behavioural traits? To answer these questions, most non-scientists depend upon the cursory reports of new research findings that appear regularly in the lay press. These reports are oversimplified and may be shaped by the desire of both journalists and scientists to create an exciting story. As a result, our perceptions of the scientific evidence may be skewed by a few dramatic findings, some of which may be wrong. Nowhere has this been more clear than in the representation of the roles of genes in determining uniquely human characteristics, involving our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. Within the past decade, there have been highly visible reports localizing genes for manic-depression (Baron et al. 19... ...Sussex, K.K. Kidd, C.R. Allen, A.M. Hostetter, and D.E. Housma. 1987. Bipolar Affective Disorder Linked to DNA Markers on Chromosome 11. Nature 325: 783-787 Gelernter, J., S. O'Malley, N. Risch, H.R. Kranzler, J. Krystal, K. Merikangas, J.L. Kennedy, and K.K. Kidd. 1991. No Association Between an Allele at the D2 Dopamine Receptor Gene (DRD2) and Alcoholism. JAMA 266: 1801- 807 Hamer, D.H., S. Hu, V.L. Magnuson, N. Hu, and A.M.L. Pattatucci. 1993. A Linkage between DNA Markers on the X-Chromosomes and Male Sexual Orientation. Science 261: 321-327 Kelsoe, J.R., E.I. Ginns, J.A. Egeland, D.S. Gerhard, A.M. Goldstein, S.J. Bale, D.L. Pauls, R.T. Long, K.K.Kidd, G. Conte, D.E. Housman and S.M. Paul. 1989. Re-evaluation of the Linkage Relationship Between Chromosome 11p Loci and the Gene for Bipolar Affective Disorder in the Old order Amish. Nature 342: 238-243.