Sociology and Correct Answer

Question 1 0 out of 10 points Which of the following is an example of an application of midrange theory? Answer Selected Answer: analyzing how a shopkeeper interacts with customers Correct  Answer: exploring the role of churches in rural areas Response Feedback: Feedback:   Recall that midrange theory attempts to predict how certain social institutions tend to function. ? Question 2 10 out of 10 points Justin decides to conduct research for a class project by recording and assessing how people choose where to sit on a public bus. Which type of sociology is this? Answer Selected Answer: microsociology Correct  Answer: microsociology Response Feedback: Feedback:   Recall that microsociology seeks to understand local interactional contexts and focuses on face-to-face encounters ? Question 3 10 out of 10 points Which of the following is an example of a social institution? Answer Selected Answer: all of the above Correct  Answer: all of the above| Response Feedback: Feedback:   Social institutions do not have to be established by any particular organization or group and do not necessarily have physical locations. ? Question 4 0 out of 10 points Which of the â€Å"founding fathers† of sociology put forth the idea that sociologists should examine social behavior from the perspective of those engaging in the behavior? Answer Selected Answer: Emile Durkheim Correct  Answer: Max Weber ? Question 5 0 out of 10 points Sociology is the study of _____. Feature Article –  Sociology Test Answer Selected Answer: human society Correct  Answer: all of the above ? Question 6 10 out of 10 points Which of the following describes a difference between sociology and psychology? Answer Selected Answer: Sociology focuses on social structures and group interactions, while psychology focuses on the urges, instincts, and mind of the individual. Correct  Answer: Sociology focuses on social structures and group interactions, while psychology focuses on the urges, instincts, and mind of the individual. ? Question 7 10 out of 10 points Sociology is distinct from other academic disciplines in its attempt to _____. Answer Selected Answer: detect patterns in how different societies handle or respond to similar phenomena Correct  Answer: detect patterns in how different societies handle or respond to similar phenomena ? Question 8 10 out of 10 points Examining the interactions between people with a focus on how the people talk, dress, and use body language is an example of which theory? Answer Selected Answer: symbolic interactionism Correct  Answer: symbolic interactionism Response Feedback: Feedback:   Symbolic interactionism is a micro-level approach that focuses on how face-to-face interactions create the social world. ? Question 9 10 out of 10 points The examination of everyday human social interactions on a small scale describes _____. Answer Selected Answer: microsociology Correct  Answer: microsociology ? Question 10 10 out of 10 points Social identity is _____. Answer Selected Answer: a way that individuals define themselves in relation to groups they are a part of or groups they choose not to be a part of Correct  Answer: a way that individuals define themselves in relation to groups they are a part of or groups they choose not to be a part of ? Question 11 0 out of 10 points Paradoxically, using our sociological imagination helps us _____. Answer Selected Answer: create an image of how people in other societies live Correct  Answer: make the familiar strange ? Question 12 10 out of 10 points Which of the following contributors to the development of sociology argued for the importance of identifying scientific laws that govern human behavior? Answer Selected Answer: Auguste Comte Correct  Answer: Auguste Comte ? Question 13 0 out of 10 points Which of the following is an example of using one’s sociological imagination? Answer Selected Answer: creating different hypotheses to explain an individual’s behavior Correct  Answer: being puzzled by how people in another country greet one another and then thinking about how people in your own country greet one another and why they do it the way they do Response Feedback: Feedback:   Using your sociological imagination allows you to recognize how the social world works and why. ? Question 14 10 out of 10 points Justin enters a clothing store and a security guard immediately notices him and follows Justin’s actions on a security monitor. Justin is aware of the security guard's actions and adjusts his own behavior to avoid potential confrontation with the security guard. This is an example of which sociological concept? Answer Selected Answer: double consciousness Correct  Answer: double consciousness Response Feedback: Feedback:   Recall that having a double consciousness takes the external opinions of an often racially prejudiced onlooker into consideration. ? Question 15 10 out of 10 points A social institution can be described as _____. Answer Selected Answer: a group of social positions, connected by social relations, that perform a social role Correct  Answer: a group of social positions, connected by social relations, that perform a social role ? Question 16 0 out of 10 points Your friend Allison is concerned with the messages that young girls and boys receive about careers that are suitable for them from their elementary school teachers. Based on Allison's position, it is likely that she is a(n) _____. Answer Selected Answer: functionalist| Correct  Answer: feminist Response Feedback: Feedback:   Feminist research focuses on inequalities based on gender categories and researchers study women's experiences at home and in the workplace. ? Question 17 10 out of 10 points The Chicago School of American Sociology emphasized the importance of _____. Answer Selected Answer: the environment in shaping people’s behavior and personalities. Correct  Answer: the environment in shaping people’s behavior and personalities. ? Question 18 10 out of 10 points According to Karl Marx, throughout history social change has been sparked by _____. Answer Selected Answer: class conflict Correct  Answer: class conflict ? Question 19 10 out of 10 points Which of the following American sociologists applied Durkheim’s theory of anomie to explain African American crime rates? Answer Selected Answer: W. E. B. DuBois Correct  Answer: W. E. B. DuBois ? Question 20 10 out of 10 points Questioning the reasons why people choose to attend college and the importance of a college degree is an example of _____. Answer Selected Answer: using the sociological imagination Correct  Answer: using the sociological imagination Response Feedback: Feedback:   Using your sociological imagination allows you to recognize how the social world works and why. ? Question 21 0 out of 10 points Postmodern theorists argue that _____. Answer Selected Answer: people cannot agree on how to define basic terms Correct  Answer: all phenomena have multiple meanings and no one meaning can be more valid than another

Emergence of Malls in India

Malls as we understand, is a form of organized retailing. They lend an ideal shopping experience with an amalgamation of product, service and entertainment, all under a common roof. Before going into the details of emergence of malls, let's see how the Indian retail sector has evolved over the years and how the concepts of malls came into being. The era of rural retail industry could be categorized into two formats:  weekly markets  and  village fairs.Primarily, weekly formats catered to the daily necessities of villagers. Village fairs were larger in size with a wide variety of goods sold from food, clothing, cosmetics and small consumer durables. The traditional era saw the emergence of the neighborhood ‘Kirana' store to cater to the convenience of the Indian consumers. The era of government support saw indigenous franchise model of store chains run by Khadi ; Village Industries Commission. The KVIC has a countrywide chain of 7000 plus stores in India.This period also w itnessed the emergence of shopping centers with car parking facility. The modern era has a host of small and large formats with exclusive outlets showcasing a complete range of products. The department stores and shopping malls targeting to provide a complete destination experience for all segments of the society. The hyper and super markets are consistently trying to provide the customer with the 3 Vs (Value, Variety ; Volume).Over the last three years, this sector has witnessed an exorbitant growth due to the establishment of numerous international quality formats to suit the Indian purchase behavior, the improvement in retail processes, the development of retail specific properties and the emergence of both domestic and international organizations has witnessed the emergence of malls. it is not just the north of the country that is seeing a furious construction of malls. Visakhapatnam, a fast-growing city in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, is witnessing a huge demand for sh opping malls.The biggest of them, CMR Shopping Mall, occupies 60,000 square feet over five floors. The throngs of buyers who visit the mall are working class and office employees of the numerous public and private sector outfits that are based in Visakhapatnam. Similarly, Ahmedabad in western India is slowly becoming a magnet for shopping malls. More than half a dozen malls have sprung up in Ahmedabad, known as a fading city of dying textile mills until a few years back. The biggest of them, aptly called Super Mall, occupies a gargantuan 90,000 square feet and has 200 shops in its folds.But the biggest mall-construction activity in India is taking place, as expected, in Mumbai, the country's financial and business capital. In all, 25 malls are under construction, each measuring anything between 90,000 and 600,000 square feet. A hefty Rs. 4 billion (US $87 million) is being pumped into these projects by 20 investors. About a dozen malls are already up and running in the up-market sou th side of the city, as well as the downmarket distant suburbs. Making the job easier for the anchors is a gradual change in the Indian economy from a socialistic to a capitalistic one.This has led to a rise in the numbers of middle-class consumers, their wallets stuffed with more disposable income. According to one estimate, over the past three years, consumer spending has increased at a respectable rate of 12% per annum. Another reason for the ongoing boom in mall activity is the opportunity to retailers for a greater accessibility to real estate at affordable prices. Part of this is due to easier availability of bank and institutional finance. And in places such as Mumbai, the freeing up of much-needed real estate.This has happened with the many closed textile mills in the central part of the city now being allowed to exploit their real estate for other commercial purposes. Investors are attracted by the 14% returns in the malls business, compared to 11% in the office segment and 6% in the residential segment. For the young crowd, malls have become areas in which to â€Å"hang out†, to catch up with friends in stores like Cafe Coffee Day and Barista, each vying to be the Starbucks of India. There's also an entertainment factor, with more and more of the youngsters beginning to see shopping as an enjoyable thing to pass the time.

What Is the Importance of Public Administration in Ghana

gStructure of the new local government system The new local government system is made up of a regional coordinating council (RCC) and a four-tier metropolitan and three-tier municipal/DAs structure. Composition of structure The RCC consists of the regional minister as chairman and his deputies, the presiding member of each DA and the district chief executive of each district in the region, two chiefs from the regional house of chiefs and the decentralized ministries without voting rights.A DA consists of the district chief executive,   two thirds of the members directly elected by universal adult suffrage, the members of parliament (MPs) representing constituencies within the district, and not less than 30% of the members appointed by the president in consultation with chiefs and interest groups in the district. The district chief executive is nominated by the president, approved by two-thirds of the members of the DA present and voting, and appointed by the president. The assembly has a presiding member who is elected from among its members by two-thirds of all the members of the assembly.The sub-district structures include: †¢ The sub-metropolitan DCs which consist of not less than 25 and not more than 30 members, made up of all elected members of the assembly in that   sub-metropolitan district and such other persons resident in the sub-metropolitan district appointed by the president. †¢ The urban council consists of not less than 25 and not more than 30 members made up of not more than eight persons elected from among the members of the relevant DA, not more than 12 representatives from the unit committees in the area of authority of the urban council and not more than 10 persons ordinarily resident in the urban area. The zonal council consists of not less than 15 and not more than 20 members made up of not more than five persons elected from among the members of the relevant municipal assembly, not more than 10 representatives from the unit committees and not more than five persons ordinarily resident in the zone. †¢ The town/area councils consist of not less than 15 and not more than 20 members made up of not more than five persons elected from among the members of the relevant assembly, not more than 10 representatives from the unit committees and not more than five persons ordinarily resident in the town or area. The unit committee consists of not more than 15 persons made up of 10 elected persons ordinarily resident in the unit and not more than five other persons resident in the unit and nominated by the district chief executive, acting   on behalf of the president. Elections to all local government bodies are on a non-partisan basis; the elections are state-sponsored and conducted by the electoral commission. Regional coordinating councils (RCCs) RCCs are established for each of the 10 regions of Ghana. An RCC is an administrative and coordinating rather than a political and policy-making body. Its functio ns are to: monitor, coordinate and evaluate the performance of the DAs in the region; †¢ monitor the use of all monies allocated to the DAs by any agency of the central government; †¢ review and coordinate public services generally in the region †¢ perform such other functions as may be assigned to it by or under any enactment. Metropolitan/municipal/district assemblies DAs in Ghana are either metropolitan (population over 250 000), municipal (one town assemblies with populations over 95 000) or district (population 75 000 and over. ) There are three metropolitan assemblies, four municipal assemblies and 103 DAs.A metropolitan/municipal/DA is: †¢ created as the pivot of administrative and developmental decision-making in the district and is the basic unit of government administration †¢ assigned with deliberative, legislative as well as executive functions †¢ established as a monolithic structure to which is assigned the responsibility of the totality o f government to bring about integration of political, administrative and development support needed to achieve a more equitable allocation of power, wealth and geographically dispersed development in Ghana constituted as the planning authority for the district. Functions of the assemblies These are deliberative, legislative and executive. Section 10(3) of Act 462 lists them as follows: a) be responsible for the overall development of the district and shall ensure the preparation and submission through the regional coordinating council for approval of the development plan to the commission and budget to minister of finance for the district b) formulate and execute plans, programmes and strategies for the effective mobilization of the resources necessary for the overall development of the district ) promote and support productive activity and social development in the district and remove any obstacles to initiative and developmentd) initiate programmes for the development of basic inf rastructure and provide municipal works and services in the district e) be responsible for the development, improvement and management of human settlements and the environment in the district f) in cooperation with appropriate national and local security agencies, be responsible for the maintenance of security and public safety in the district ) ensure ready access to the courts and public tribunals in the district for the promotion of justice h) initiate, sponsor or carry out such studies as may be necessary for the discharge of any of the functions conferred by this Law or any other enactment perform such other functions as may be provided under any other enactment. Sub-district political/administrative structures These being subordinate bodies of the DAs, they perform functions assigned to them by the instruments setting up by the assemblies or delegated to them by the assemblies.They are constituted by the sub-metropolitan DCs, urban/town/ zonal/area councils, and unit committee s. Sub-metropolitan DCs These structures are immediately below the metropolitan assemblies. There are 13 of these structures established by law. These are shown below: This arrangement has been dictated by the complex and peculiar socio-economic, urbanisation and management problems which confront these three metropolis. Urban councils Urban councils are peculiar to settlements of â€Å"ordinary† DAs.They are created for settlements with populations above 15 000 and which are cosmopolitan in character, with urbanisation and management problems, though not of the scale associated with the metropolis. Thirty-four of these councils are established by law. Zonal councils The zonal councils are in the â€Å"one-town† municipal assemblies of Cape Coast, New Juaben, Tamale and Tema, for which the establishment of town/area councils will raise problems of parallel administrative structures. There are 108 of such zonal councils for the four municipal assemblies.They are based o n the electoral commission’s criteria of: commonality of interest, population of 3000 and identifiable streets, land marks, etc. as boundaries. Sub-Metropolitan District Council under Respective Metropolitan Assemblies Assembly Accra Metropolitan Assembly Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly Ablekuma Asokwa Sekondi Ashiedu Keteke Bantama Takoradi Okaikwei Manhyia Shama Ayawaso Kpeshie Osu Klottey Subin Town/area councils These are found in the metropolitan assemblies and DAs. In the DAs, town councils are established for settlements with populations between 5000 and 1500.Area councils exist for a number of settlements/villages which are grouped together but whose individual settlements have populations of less than 5000. They cover areas with predominantly rural populations and in some cases can be identified with spheres of influence of a particular traditional authority. They are essentially rallying points of local enthusiasm in support of a new local government system. A unit is normally a settlement or a group of settlements with a population of between 500–1000 in the rural areas, and a higher population (1500) for the urban areas.Unit committees being in close touch with the people play the important roles of education, organization of communal labour, revenue-raising and ensuring environmental cleanliness, registration of births and deaths, implementation and monitoring of self-help projects, among others. Committees of District Assemblies In the performance of its functions, the DA works through the executive committee and its subsidiary committees of development planning, social services, works, finance and administration, and justice and security. Executive committeesThe functions of the assembly are performed by the executive committee, which is presided over by the district chief executive and consists of not more than onethird of the total number of members of the assembly excluding the presiding memb er. Heads of departments of the assembly attend the meetings of the relevant sub-committees and advise them on the execution of their functions, but may not vote. A sub-committee can also coopt persons to attend its meetings but also without a vote. The functions performed by the executive committee are to: coordinate plans and programmes of the sub-committees and submit these as comprehensive plans of action to the DA †¢ implement resolutions of the district in collaboration with the office of the DA †¢ oversee the administration of the district in collaboration with the office of the district chief executive †¢ recommend where it considers necessary – in the case of departments outside 364 the supervision of the assembly which are in the district – to the appropriate government ministry/department/agency the appointment and replacement on stated grounds of officers within the area of authority of the assembly adopt measures to develop and execute appro ved plans of the units, areas and towns and sub-metropolitan districts within the area of authority of the assembly †¢ recommend to the DA the coordination, integration and harmonisation of district development plans and policies. Sub-committees of the executive committeeThe sub-committees of the executive committee and the functions they perform are shown below: Development planning sub-committee †¢ takes a comprehensive look at the district †¢ identifies the economic resources/potentials of the district †¢ develops an information base on the resources identifies opportunities and constraints for the exploitation of these resources †¢ prepares exploitation and phasing plans and strategies †¢ consults with other sub-committees and the private sector for the implications that the proposed district plan may have on other sub-committees’ plans †¢ submits the plan to the executive committee for harmonisation with other sub-committee plans. Socia l services sub-committee †¢ takes a comprehensive and long-term look at areas of social development in the district, in particular education, health, social welfare, sports, culture, etc. develops the information base on these areas of social development†¢ prepares a social development plan (long-, medium- and short-term) for the district Sub-Committees of the Executive Committees of the Assembly District Assembly, Executive Committee Development Planning Sub- Committee, Social Services Sub- Committee, Works Sub-committee, Finance Administration, Justice/ Security †¢ identifies the strengths and weaknesses in the social services areas †¢ examines the implications of the social development plan on other sub-sectors of the district economy submits the plans to the executive committee for harmonisation. Works sub-committee The functional areas of the works sub-committee includes roads, electricity, sanitation, water, etc. Within the general framework of Act 462 and the specific functions in the legislative instruments that establish the various assemblies, this sub-committee: †¢ takes a comprehensive look at the infrastructure needs and problems of the district †¢ develops an information base on each of these programme/functional areas †¢ maps out, initiates and phases out programmes for their development and/or provision examines the implications of such actions for the other sub-committee proposals †¢ submits the programmes to the executive committee for harmonisation and action.Finance and administration sub-committee This sub-committee †¢ examines the general financial position of the assembly †¢ examines the revenue mobilisation and expenditure trends of the assembly †¢ maps out strategies to improve revenue mobilisation in the present and sets targets for the future †¢ submits financial plans to the executive committee for harmonisation with other sub-committee plans identifies strategies to ensure judicious utilisation of available resources. Justice and security sub-committee This sub-committee is set up to resolve intra-district and inter-district conflicts and to consider issues that pertain to the enforcement of by-laws of the assembly. To achieve these purposes, the sub-committee: †¢ examines these and other related conflict areas †¢ recommends to the executive committee ways and means to resolve disputes †¢ ensures ready access to the courts and tribunals for the promotion of justice in the district, e. . making sure that premises are available for use by community tribunals and that police logistics are adequate. A DA can form any other sub-committee, depending on the peculiarities of its environment or its area. The committee’s discussed above are, however, mandatory. They can be dissolved and reconstituted but cannot be replaced, for example by a task force. Sub-committees of metropolitan assemblies These and their subject areas are shown in Ap pendix 2. Boards of metropolitan assembliesFor the efficient performance of its functions, a metropolitan assembly has three metropolitan boards: †¢ Metropolitan Planning Board †¢ Board of Metropolitan Works †¢ Board of Administration. The Sub-districts – New Decision-Making points for Poverty Reduction using the Sub-district Development Fund Saboba Introduction At the design stage of DSDA II, an Economic Development Component (Sub-district Development Fund) was suggested as a means to support economic development at the district and sub district levels. An amount of 14. 87 million DKK (US $ 2. 25 million) was earmarked over four years, to support activities of this component. This was designed to reduce poverty through the provision of social infrastructure and improved incomes, while strengthening the institutional and human capacity of the districts and economic stakeholders to manage these resources in an efficient and accountable manner. During the impleme ntation stage a great number of lessons and experiences with regards to the Sub-district Development Fund (SDDF) herein after referred to as the Fund were accumulated and documented.The processes undertaken to reach these are highlighted in this chapter. The Best Practices and Lessons at the Design Stage dentifying and Establishing the Guiding Principles and Objectives Lesson One:Prior to the implementation of the Fund, an exercise was undertaken to establish guiding principles and objectives. The Fund, over the four-year period, operated around a number of principles which comply with the overall framework of Ghana’s decentralisation and poverty reduction programmes and these were: * Broad stakeholder participation in decision making; * Demand-driven;   Need and commitment; *   Viability and ownership; * Equity in resource allocation and targeting; * Decentralised development; and * Local capacity building and sustainability. The objectives which guided the support activ ities and the developed systems were: * To support social and economic development investments that will serve as catalyst for further economic opportunities in ruru mmunities. * To strengthen the existing local government structures and institutions to provide services for decentralised development (financial, training, business development, project management, etc).   To enhance local decision making in project selection and implementation involving relevant stakeholders; * To deepen the sense of community ownership and responsibility for projects, especially post delivery operation and maintenance; and * To promote effective monitoring and evaluation of project implementation, utilisation and management for sustainability. Developing Effective Core Strategies and Approaches Lesson Two: For the SDDF, several strategies were developed through broad stakeholder consultation and validation.These consultations culminated in the formulation of specific strategies for implementation. A model strategy for poverty reduction, focusing on economic and social development was developed to guide implementation. In principle, three-tier strategy model proposed the targeting of economic funds towards projects with the highest potential to serve as catalysts for economic growth. Option 1: Regional economic promotion facility located at the regional level to cater for activities that seek to integrate economic development.Option 2: A district economic development policy and promotion facility, to support D As to establish district-based strategies and policy for economic development; and, Option 3: Community economic development facility categorised into: (a)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Economic Associations targeting those engaged in common economic vocations requiring common facilities and services to enhance their production activities; and (b)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Entire communities: where they require a common asset to broaden economic opportunities for all its residents.Each option was alloc ated a certain percentage of the total funds on the basis of major principles. Stakeholder Consultation and Decisions Lesson Three: Following the formulation of an entry strategy, stakeholders reached agreement on the feasibility of the strategy and made inputs towards owning it. Participating stakeholders included personnel of the Regional Coordinating Council and other regional institutions, personnel of the District Assembly and other district institutions, community level opinion eaders, representatives of women groups and credit/business advisory bodies. These consultations were organised first at the regional level and later at the district level. Involving stakeholders in project conception and inception was found to be critical for purposes of ownership and sustainability. The Best Practices and Lessons at the Implementation Stage At the implementation phase a number of lessons were learnt and some best practices emerged as follows: A Well Defined Implementation Plan and Pro cess Lesson One:The project cycle of the SDDF, was perceived as something beyond a mere list of activities. The processes were defined and shared to ensure their feasibility in relation to anticipated outputs. The instruments to facilitate effective implementation were pre-designed, discussed and modified appropriately. (i) Orientation of beneficiaries on SDDF as an Entry-Strategy: Following stakeholder validation of the economic development model and strategy, detailed orientation sessions in the two regions were organised.

Case Study The Vermont Teddy Bear Co Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Study The Vermont Teddy Bear Co - Essay Example This study will carry out an environmental scanning basically to assess the elements having profound bearing on the Vermont Teddy Bear Co. Accordingly, a SWOT analysis has been conducted to identify the strategic factors (external and internal both) which will determine the future of the company (Wheelen, 2006, p. 9). While considering opportunities in external factors, on top of the list is the bear grams. Despite the huge toy market, Vermont Teddy Bear Company has remained a front runner in this field. As pointed out by the Wheelen and Hunger "Bear-Grams were personalized teddy bears that were delivered directly to recipients as gifts for holidays and special occasions. Bear-Grams were gift-boxed in unique containers complete with air holes for the bear"(2006, Case 22-9). This reflects the exclusivity and distinctiveness of the product. The second factor considered is the distribution method. After having experimented various methods, the company concluded that the direct marketing strategy of Bear-Grams was the most profitable. Methods of distribution used were the company owned retail stores, direct mail catalogs, and licensing and wholesale agreements. In order to expand its product line and cut costs, the company went into offshore sourcing.

Lawrence v. Texas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Lawrence v. Texas - Essay Example Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003). He added that the statute on Anti-sodomy controls a personal relationship which is considered to be â€Å"within the liberty of persons to choose,† Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003). In this case, the petitioners were both consenting adults during the time the alleged offense was committed which was held in private, Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003). He added that the liberty protected by the Constitution gives substantial protection to adult persons in deciding how to conduct their private lives especially on matters related to sex, considered to be an intimate and a personal choice, Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003). Hence, in conclusion, the Justice commented that the State cannot degrade the existence of these acts of private sexual conduct by making it a crime nor can it justify invasion into the personal and private life of an individual absent any legitimate state interest, Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003). Justice Kennedy explained that if a statute was held to be invalid under the Equal Protection Clause, then there might be a way that such statute may be considered as valid if circumstances were changed, for instance, if the prohibition of a conduct is applied either between the same sex or different sex participants, Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003). He explained that the stigma of making a protected conduct criminal still remains if the substantive validity of the statute is not examined and even if it were not enforceable under equal protection reasons, Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003). Furthermore, being a criminal offense, it subjects the person to all the consequences, which may either be the punishment or in his job applications thereafter, for such a â€Å"state-sponsored condemnation,† Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003). Declaring

Arts in philadelphia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Arts in philadelphia - Research Paper Example Description of the sculpture The Clothespin is a giant steel sculpture standing at the Centre Square in 1500 Market Street, in front of the City Hall in Philadelphia. It stands at a vertical height of forty-five feet, and as research has it, weighs about ten tons. The clothespin represents a normal household clothespin used to hold clothes on lines when drying or for storage only that is larger than life and made of steel, and not plastic. The steel seems to be weathering, probably due to the exposure, as it is an environmental art. However, there is a little variation from the actual clothespin in that the handles or pressure points where on pushes together in this giant piece curves outwards more than normal, maybe to provide more balance for the installation. At the joinery part where the two identical pieces normally have a piece of wire going around each peg to form a pivot, the sculptor imitates that and uses a similar twist of steel to create it. Surprisingly, standing from on e side of the sculpture, the twisted joining steel forms a number â€Å"7†, and if one views it from the opposite side, the steel joinery loops to form a number â€Å"6†. ... Oldenburg, born to a Swedish diplomat in 1929 in Stockholm, later went to live in the United States, particularly in New York, and later moving to Chicago. His post-university saw him meet some artists like Jim Dine, Allan Kaprow, and Red Grooms amongst others with similarities of basing their art on alternative to the famous abstract expressionist wave of painting. Their movement came up with an art whereby they included environments to their performances in a bid to eliminate the differences between the visual arts and theater. These kinds of performances are common as the â€Å"Happenings†. Oldenburg is famous for transforming normal objects and changes them in some ways, such as the way he changed the household clothespin to a giant sculpture, therefore making people to view them in interesting and unexpected forms. The socio-political concept of the Clothespin is more understandable by considering the fact that Jack Wolgin commissioned it in 1974 for the marking of the Ph iladelphian bicentennial through a program by the Redevelopment Authority called Fine Arts Program. The Centennial is an American celebration of culture and industrial progress of one-hundred years, which is a major world fair with much global attraction (Stephanie). As earlier stated, the fastening steel pieces form two numerals (7 and 6 in that order), which is the representation of the centennial exhibition year that is 1876. Oldenburg used this unique artistic representation to include the year in the sculpture without making it too obvious- a preference of most artists. In addition to this function, there are more assumptions leaning more on the social aspect concerning the sculpture. For instance, a distant side-view of the Clothespin gives an illusion of a very tall figure with legs

Project managment individual assinment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Project managment individual assinment - Essay Example According to Visitacion (2003) it is most often â€Å"poor planning and fuzzy requirements† that contribute to poor management of projects and result in failed productivity.(www.amd.com). She states that if the planning process is improved by 20%, then there will be an 80% improvement in productivity. In particular, from the perspective of stakeholders, there is added pressure for the project to conform to the limitations of finances, time and resources, hence she recommends that many project failures can be averted through implementing good planning and developing a clear understanding of the project requirements so that they can be satisfied. LaBrosse(2007) recommends that a standardized, consistent approach be developed towards project management and has created the Cheetah Project Management method. This system boosts individual as well as organizational productivity through the development of a standardized, consistent system that includes best practices into the manner in which projects are managed. This standardized approach consists of the 5 S’s, which are very helpful in eliminating chaos in the work environment and can help team members to work efficiently and reduce delays caused by disorder in the working environment and work areas. The first item is SORT, where materials that are present within the working area are restricted to those materials which are used on a daily basis. The other materials are stored away elsewhere, and an efficient filing system is developed to enable a quick retrieval of the documents. The next item is STRAIGHTEN. This aims to smoothen the work flow by setting out specific spots for moveable items. Materials such as fax and copier machines and other items used collectively by several organizational members are labeled and schedules drawn up for rotating use of such machines, in order to promote efficiency. The third item to improve project management is SHINE,

Influence on the dependent variables Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Influence on the dependent variables - Essay Example confounding variables, they can influence the validity of the research findings thus the researcher needs to come up with ways to attempt to control the extraneous variables. Firstly, the researchers’ points out some of the variables those are most likely to have influence on the dependent variable (Keele, 2015). This approach is based on researcher’s common sense, experience as well as his or her simple logic reasoning. For instance, it is evident that a noisy, busy room has a lot of distractions that lower the level of performance as to the contrary of a quiet place. In this case, noise is the extraneous variable, and it can be controlled from turning into a confounding variable. Other researchers hold the extraneous variable constant by employing approaches that create a standardized surrounding and procedure. This approach ensures that all variables are the same in each condition thereby they cannot turn into confounding variables. Other ways that researcher’ do use to attempt to control the extraneous variables in experiments include the random assignment approach and the control technique of matching. Under the random assignment approach, the researcher starts with a particular group of participants whereby these participants get assigned to groups randomly (Wood & Kerr, 2014). This only means that the researcher tries to avoid the extraneous variables for making the decision on how participants get fit to different groups. Similarly, the control technique of matching enables the researcher on deciding the variables that he or she wants to use in equating the groups on thereby avoiding the extraneous variables from turning into confounding variables. To conclude, it is important to control the extraneous variables from turning into confounding variables when conducting any research. Once the extraneous variables have been figured out it is of much important to perform a meta-analysis to find a way of adjusting these

Importance of teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Importance of teams - Essay Example The following section will focus on importance of teamwork in other sectors like aviation, auto racing and military and the lessons that healthcare industry can learn. Teamwork is extremely important for any sector that is highly reliant on human performance. In a team two aspects are equally important – taskwork and teamwork. While the former means the skills needed by the members to execute their tasks, the latter means the approach needed by the members to complete the tasks. In aviation, both of these are required. The importance of effective task performance by crew members in the cockpit cannot be denied. At the same time, there should be strong teamwork for harmonization and communication between the crew members. Records have shown that 68 percent of air mishaps occur due to poor coordination between aircrew (Salas & Maurino, 2010, p.254). According to Salas et al. (2005) there are five requirements for a team’s efficiency. First, strong leadership since it is through a team leader’s guidance the members can perform in a coordinated manner. Second, members need to monitor the activities of each other to keep track of e rrors or lapses to ensure perfection in overall performance. Third, backup behavior like members with less work load should share the burden of those who have excessive work load. Fourth, adaptability which means members should be able to adjust their work in case of unexpected difficulties. Fifth, team orientation indicates that each person should have compatible approach to work with other individuals. All the five elements are required in aviation in order to handle any emergency situation in the cockpit. In auto racing, teamwork between pit crew and race is considered as exemplary. The process underlying auto racing itself requires high level of team work, and it is said that no other industry promotes teamwork as

Leadership development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Leadership development - Essay Example In this paper Leader’s Self-Insight 1.1 reveals the five different multiple intelligences that one must possess in order to ensure effective learning. From the results obtained from the same, the researcher was able to find out that he possesses all of the said intelligences, thereby increasing his capability for personal growth and development. Leader’s self-insight 1.2, on the other hand, looks into potential leadership qualities as compared vis-à  -vis with management qualities. In this assessment, the author discovered that he is inclined more towards leadership than management. Lastly, in Leadership’s Self-Insight 1.3, the author discovered that he is not in a fast track to nowhere as he possesses all the necessary people skills.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The assessment in Leader’s Self-Insight 2.1 reveals researcher’s high level of self-confidence whereas in Leader’s Self-Insight 2.2, it was shown that his leadership orientation is geared towards initiation. Leader’s Self-Insight 4.2 on the other hand shows that his locus of control is internal which shows that he is a master of fate and not other external factors. Thus, the researcher tends to make decisions based on what he feels, without taking into consideration the people around him. Based on the Jung’s Typology/Myers-Briggs questionnaire, the author is also an extrovert. Leadership Self-Insight 3.1 shows that as a leader, he tends to be more oriented towards the accomplishment of tasks rather than to the people under his control.my control. In the same manner, based on Leadership Self-Insight 3.2, my readiness is at the highest level which means that I must take into consideration the readiness and preparedness of the members of my staff. Leader’s Self-Insight 2.3., on the other hand, which focuses on LMX relationship shows that I have not developed a good relationship with my followers as their leader. As mentioned earlier, I te nd to give paramount importance to the accomplishment of tasks rather than to the people. I also have good team leadership skills, thereby showing my exceptional ability to handle team conflict. In addition, I can say that I am a transformational leader, with the charisma needed to ensure that my team members are working towards the accomplishment of the goal. I am also a servant leader, with high listening skills as well as ensuring that my followers receive the appropriate feedback. Based on the abovementioned discussion as well as my description of five leader’s self-insight, I learned that I possess all the qualities of a good leader. Because of my possession of the same, I also know that I have the ability to effectively lead the members of my staff and team. In addition, I also discovered that I have also developed a good relationship with my followers, thereby ensuring that my leadership is more effective. These findings will definitely affect my personal development p lan. Without a doubt, I will use the said findings in furtherance of my leadership agenda. I will continue to build my strengths in order to become a good leader as well as to guarantee good followership among the members of my team. Section 2. vLeader Simulation of Leadership Styles See Appendix 3 for VLeader Reflections Section 3. Personal Mission Statement for Leadership Development My Mission It is my mission to effectively lead my team through the continuous development of the skills that I possess and continuously improving myself so that I could faithfully adhere to the principles of effective leadership, to lead the members of my staff in the achievement of our goals, to ensure the continuous accomplishment of tasks while nevertheless giving paramount consideration to the well-being of my followers. It is

Ecological Evaluation of Environmental Problems Essay Example for Free

Ecological Evaluation of Environmental Problems Essay Biodiversity refers to the abundance of life forms (bio means life, diversity means variety or assortment). This includes different animals, plants and micro-organisms. The ecosystem where these living organisms belong, as well as their genetic make-up, is also part of biodiversity. Wide biodiversity is advantageous to species development as there will be various interactions going on among the different species. Among the most bio-diverse ecosystems are rainforests and aquatic ecosystems. Both land and water species can be found in these habitats. The existence, however, of these ecosystems are becoming endangered as a lot of human activities negatively impact these ecosystems. Forest destruction has been an existing issue for the longest time. Pollution – air and water – is also one of the most common problems different ecosystems and the environment itself are facing. Human activities also cause global warming which is not healthy for all living creatures. These things that people do to our environment can definitely be prevented and avoided. We can start by stopping the use of substances with chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which were identified as harmful to the ozone layer. This simple deed can help decrease the effects of global warming to the environment. Local governments should also enforce strict laws against forest destruction. Environmentalists can also start a campaign on reforestation to help rebuild destroyed forests and natural habitats. Maintaining biodiversity is important in human sustainability. Each life form is beneficial to one another. Plants are the producers in the food chain. Some primary and secondary consumers are also taken by humans as food, which is our main source of energy. Continuous destruction of the ecosystems leads to the decrease in these food sources. Thus, preserving the ecosystems and maintaining biodiversity should be seriously considered by everyone. Acid deposition starts with the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Burning of these fuels produces nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide which are considered air pollutants. Volcanic eruptions can also emit these pollutants. When the nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides get released to the atmosphere, chemical transformation happens and sulfuric and nitric acid compounds are produced. These compounds make the air acidic. Eventually, these acidic compounds fall to the surface of the Earth – the process called â€Å"acid deposition†. Deposition can happen in wet or dry form. Wet deposition occurs when the nitric acid and sulfuric acid compounds are transported with rain, fog, or snow. When these compounds are carried as fine particles by the wind, it is called dry deposition. Acid deposition cause severe damages to the ecosystem. Fish species found in lakes affected by acid deposition tend to disappear. Other aquatic resources in lakes and rivers tend to either disappear or die which creates an imbalance to aquatic ecosystems. Acidification also changes phytoplankton composition. Likewise, acid deposition also affects forests by killing a lot of trees due to the acidic compounds settling onto these life forms. This is evident in most forests where there are copper and nickel refineries nearby. This environmental problem can also trigger asthma and some bronchial infections to humans. The effect may not be seen immediately and may take years before it can be realized. In order for us to minimize the cases of acid deposition is to have a global initiative of reducing emission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which cause air pollution. Educating the entire world population of this phenomenon can be a good start. Factories and industrial plants burning fossil fuels should try to research and find other earth-friendly alternatives to those harmful chemicals. Cultural eutrophication is the accelerated aging of aquatic ecosystems, especially lakes, through man-made activities. Eutrophication is the natural process of aging of lakes which is characterized by an increase in the growth of algae and aquatic weeds. Eutrophication rate is determined by how fast the lake gets sediments and nutrients from the watershed, and this naturally occurs over a long period of time. However, if the lake is located in an urbanized area or developed region, eutrophication speeds as there is definitely higher number of sediments and nutrients getting into the lake. This is when natural eutrophication becomes cultural eutrophication. The increased sediments and nutrients, which are mainly phosphorous, usually come from road sand, oil, lawn fertilizers, gas, salt and organic matter being transported to the lake through stormwater or groundwater. Inefficient septic systems can also cause cultural eutrophication. This environmental phenomenon can be prevented through continuous monitoring of the local government. Environmental officials should identify the cause of the cultural eutrophication and determine where the increased sediments are coming from. Once this is identified, measures to prevent these nutrients and sediments from getting into the lake could be placed and enforced. Global warming, from the term itself, is the continuous increase in the temperature of our planet. Global warming is mainly caused by increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, ozone and methane forms a gaseous blanket around the Earth. This blanket traps the heat which is responsible for making the Earth warm; else our planet’s temperature would be well over 60 degrees colder. Global warming becomes an environmental issue because the gaseous blanket is getting thicker and thicker over the years which make the Earth’s temperature extra hot. The increase in greenhouse gases which causes global warming is due to burning of fossil fuels, agricultural byproducts, industrial processes, waste disposal and treatment among others. By the year 2100, Earth’s temperature will rise by 3 °C to 5 °C and sea levels will rise by 25 meters, at least, because of global warming. This would mean an increase in the occurrence of heat waves, floods, tornadoes and drought. Agricultural yields will be low due to these extreme weather conditions. Diseases will also spread easily. Global warming is already a known issue. The only thing that we have to do is to make significant changes in the way we do things like the use of fuels contributing to the increase of greenhouse gases. Little things can help curtail the effects of global warming such as changing filament light bulbs to fluorescent bulbs, making sure the refrigerator and freezer doors are always shut properly, and other measures of conserving electricity. This will not only help save the Earth from global warming, it will also help you save money due to less electricity consumption. Electricity is the most common form of energy people use daily. Currently, electricity is being generated mainly by burning fossil fuels. We all know from the above discussions that fossil fuel combustion creates air pollutants that contribute to acid deposition and global warming – in short, environmental destruction. If this way of using energy continuous, we would be in danger of losing a healthy planet to live in a hundred years. Another danger of this is not having enough fossil fuels to use in the future as this is not a renewable source of energy. Fossil fuels such as coal and oil can be depleted because there can only be as much of them in our planet. In order for us to prevent global environmental destruction, we should all try to use sustainable energy in order for us to have reserves in the future. Examples of sustainable energy are renewable sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and wave power among others. Power plants and electric companies should slowly convert their electricity generating processes to one of these in order to lessen the waste pollutants of fuel combustion. Big companies may also want to initiate a study if its facilities and offices would run on self-built solar power. Other than the big savings, it will definitely help in reducing the number of fossil fuel electricity consumers.

The West, Middle East And Orientalism Essay Example for Free

The West, Middle East And Orientalism Essay The Middle East has become a focal point in the last fifty years because of concerns regarding the regions role in economics, international security and politics. There is urgency in developing peace and development for the region: its position in the world’s oil markets and its role as gateway between Europe and Asia are critical reasons for the interest. There has been an exhaustive amount of literature aiming to analyze and develop solutions for the region developing a consensus to what has to be done has proven to be difficult and even if accomplished, implementation has been problematic. One point of suggests that the difficulty in the region stems from cultural reasons. Orientalists contend that the culture of the people in the Middle East which is predominantly Islamic is one of the reasons for the developing conflicts. The purpose of this paper is to survey existing views on this perspective and to assess the validity of the arguments presented. In doing so, the paper will be able to define how culture affects the peace, order and development in the Middle East based on historical and current studies of the region. Perspectives of Orientalism The term orientalism was coined to delineate the geographical divide between the Europe and the Americas with Asia. This reflects the more recent use of the â€Å"west† to refer to the occident and â€Å"east† to refer to the orient particularly during the colonial expansion in the 20th century. Though the term was originally developed as a geographical term, the more significant application is in its use to imply a cultural divide that in turn is the core of conflicts held against the â€Å"west†. In Cole’s review of Bernard Lewis What Went Wrong: Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response, he cites that Lewis uses orientalism to characterize and develop his insights regarding the Middle East’s situation . Lewis uses the west as a standard to define what is wrong with the policies in the region. The approach is not just used to assess the current state of affairs in the region but reaches back historically with the study of the Ottoman Empire versus Central and Western Europe. According to Ismael Hossein-Zadeh, orientalist perspectives have had resurgence after the September 11th attacks. He considers that development an effort to understand the reasons behind the tragedy and at the same time an effort to develop the protagonists and antagonists of what was to be the war against terrorism. In this light, the Middle East and Afghanistan were modeled according to their difference with the Allies and the most distinct difference being the culture of the region . Stefan Lovgren reflects that this view of the Middle East is steeped and history as evidenced as far back by the Crusades . Ideologically, there are significant similarities: in the middle ages, the focus was to deliver the region from the domination of Arabs of Christendom’s birthplace and today, the objective to liberate the region from the supporters of terrorism. Evaluating Orientalism In Edward W. Said’s review of Samuel Huntingtons article The Clash of Civilizations he criticizes the War of the Worlds scenario presentation of the cultural and religious conflicts . Huntingtons approach is distinctively orientalist because of his use of cultural or civilizations to illustrate his theories. Said’s view is that Huntington is only â€Å"reinforcing defensive self-pride than for critical understanding of the bewildering interdependence of our time† . One of the key difficulties in orientalism is that there seems to be too much focus on superficial differences. This is not to imply that cultural differences have to be considered but rather, there is little historical perspective given to the economic, political and strategic factors. For example, Nanda Shrestha and Kenneth Gray reflect that the current conflicts between the West and the Middle East and all other conflict in recent history belie a two hundred years of good relations in terms . Using an orientalist approach, one culture or group is evaluated based on what is considered a more superior culture. In such a scenario, one group ultimately is considered to be superior to another thus its use as a standard. This then leads to conflict because either of the perception that a culture is being judged as inferior or because of the action on enforcing judgment or the will of the â€Å"superior† nation to the other in what is seen as in consideration of the interest of the other. It should be noted that this is not the motive of orientalism but is often used as the justification of extraterritorial action not just in the Middle East but the rest of the world as well. Conflict and Orientalism Cole points out that one of the difficulties in orientalism is that it tends to lumps together issues and then gives it a cultural or ethnic label that rarely represents all the individuals involved in the issue. According to him, when the terms Middle East is used the connotation is of Islamic insurgency which does not represent the majority of the countries in the region in either religion or sentiment . Bernard Lewis considers the current points out that this has lead for Moslems to fell that they are being persecuted and has led to resentment and mistrust of the west, particularly the United States . The cycle then continues on with Middle Eastern leaning towards orientalist views in dealing with other countries. Which, to be expected only further encourages conflict and misunderstanding among the parties involved. In Shrestha and Gray’s evaluation of Huntingtons article clash of civilization theory is that it should be considered as an â€Å"ideological work underpinning a neoconservative agenda for a global American Empire than a work of scholarship or accurate representation of historical reality† . Evaluating the Conflicts Lewis suggests that the evaluation of the conflicts should not focus so much on the disparities suggested by orientalist but rather on the competition because of common interests in terms of economy, politics and security . His view is supported by Lovgren whose study of the city of Jerusalem, one of the most contested cities in history and a goof microcosm of the region, reflect that history has shown that various cultures and civilization have co-existed well enough. He cites that most conflict has developed from territorial, economic and political disputes rather than from cultural differences . Furthermore, Kunihiko Imai that there has been greater tension not only in the Middle East but in the world as a whole because of greater exposure and interdependence among nations . Common stakes and conflicting interests are considered as one of the main causes of conflict. The discrepancies between the developed and lesser developed countries is creating tension and brings to the surface questions regarding the fairness of today’s global economics and politics . At the same time, J. J. Nance points out that there is also realization that issues like terrorism are global issues that have gained the attention of the international community that may not necessarily be in the interest of some country’s sovereignty . Nance uses as an example the aviation industry which has been among the hardest hit after the September 11th attacks: the aviation industry is typically one the highest grossing industries of any country, generating billions of dollars in tax revenue. Educator Henry A.  Giroux also points out that the conflicts that develop can also be attributed to the lack of cultural literacy which is the development of context and understanding of other cultures which has created â€Å"politics of difference† that gives little margin for real communication . Hossein-Zadeh supports this view: he believes that there has been little effort in addressing the root of the conflicts and religion and culture are used as a convenient scapegoat for the conflicts . There is no denying the impact of culture and civilization. It affects all aspects of society, creating the dimensions and forces that shape individuals . Orientalists’ perspectives have merit in that societies have their own motivations and capacities that either allows them to become more developed than another. However, considering communication and technology today which has created unprecedented channels for global interaction the distinction of what the West and Middle East encompasses is becoming blurred. As much as one would want to consider the Middle East as a far off and alien region to the West, the irony is that most recent leaders of the region have been educated in the West . Conclusion It is easy, if not convenient, to use cultural or regional characterizations to explain conflicts but this provides little option for the creation of satisfactory solutions. The real albeit more difficult issues to deal is whether there is fairness in economic policies; whether there is basis of foreign military presence; whether there is religious, racial and social discrimination; whether there tolerance for differences; and whether issues are not being misconstrued because of differences in perspective or objectives. There is little consideration of the underlying issues that was created the existing status quo and leaves too much to speculation and assumption. Therefore, any attempt to tackle with the issues in the Middle East must not be limited to this perspective and if used, should not consider it as indicative for the region. In conclusion, issues can not be fully assessed and solution can not be fully developed from orientalist perspectives alone. These perspectives consider only a snapshot of the issues that have to be dealt with. Reference http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/533230/posts http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1028_041028_jerusalem_conflict.html

The Peace Of Mind Philosophy Essay

The Peace Of Mind Philosophy Essay Peace of mind is one of those instants in life that are hard to describe, but easy to know. We all know the sensation. In those fleeting instants, there are no doubts, anxieties, or cares. For a flash, life is totally under modification. It is a sensation that we all wish in life, but it is few, far between, and brief. At least it seems that way. Freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions. It all surprises with the basic desire to be satisfied. Everybody wants to be happy. Even if someone privileges they want to be unhappy, seeking that unhappy state really makes them happy. Joy cannot occur without peace. In fact, echo on happy instants will also present peace. Happiness cannot openly coincide with chaos, making peace of mind dangerous. If it seems like they overlap, dig deeper and they will begin to distinguish. Since pleasure cannot occur in a state that without peace, it is serious that a mindset of peace be recognized in our lives. Another reason why peace of mind is invaluable is our sole chance to change our boldness. When things are going unwell, we still have the aptitude to keep a positive approach. Of course, no positive approach can be shown without adopting peace of mind. Charles R. Swindolls quote concerning our approach still rings very true: I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with youwe are in charge of our attitudes. C:UsersYashDesktopimages (4).jpg From the instant we have our first day of school, to the time we advance from University, we are trained many basic abilities that build our traits. In order to have people consent you, using these qualities is a must. Generosity; being a huge characteristic, is one we should join into our simplest jobs. Not only can a small amount of generosity change a life, it can make you sense good and it can make you an improved person. Being generous is a vital value that we should use every day. While fluctuating someones life with your richness of generosity is essential, how you sense while you do it is also very important. By knowing the influence you are having on someones life, sensation will become good about yourself and that is inevitable. Taking a few hours out of your day to help someone can be very pleasing. Whether that be serving a blind person cross the street, advancing someone a few bucks or helping an older person with their shopping. Sometimes generosity needs pushing past a feeling of unwillingness because we all impulsively want to keep worthy things for ourselves. Even so, we can construct our lives in ways that make generosity more natural and fun. When we deliberately live below our means and evade over commitment, we nurture a sense of abundance or extra that makes us neediness to share. When we give, we reap the liking of knowing we have made someone elses life cheerier. C:UsersYashDesktopimages (6).jpg Reasons that lead us to change and progress: freedom, power, knowledge, and immortality Progress of an individual according to Shri Aurobindo depends on the free growth of the individuals which the state tends to suppress. State suppresses free growth of individuals as it ignores natural variation and governs human life by rigid uniform rules. However uniformity according to Sri Aurobindo suppresses individual development and without progress of the individual society also cannot progress. He says, Always it is individual who progress and completes the rest to progress Sri Aurobindos main philosophical work, The Life Divine, opens with a chapter entitled The Human Aspiration. It addresses the urge for progress, the yearning for freedom, light, and perfection, which is so consistently contradicted by our immediate experience, but which still seems to be one of our most typical and most persistent human traits. Sri Aurobindo sees this urge for progress as an expression in the individual of a much vaster movement in nature, a movement that shows itself most clearly in the, at first sight rather improbable, evolution of life and mind out of matter. The first condition of inner progress is to recognize whatever is or has been a wrong movement in any part of the nature,-wrong idea, wrong feeling, wrong speech, wrong action,-and by wrong is meant what departs from the truth, from the higher consciousness and higher self, from the way of the Divine. Once recognized it is admitted, not glossed over or defended,-and it is offered to the Divine for the Light and Grace to descend and substitute for it the right movement of the true Consciousness. (Sri Aurobindo,  Letters on Yoga, Vol. 23, p. 661) THE WHOLE burden of our human progress has been an attempt to escape from the bondage to the body and the vital impulses. According to the scientific theory, the human being began as the animal, developed through the savage and consummated in the modern civilised man. The Indian theory is different. God created the world by developing the many out of the One and the material out of the spiritual. From the beginning, the objects which compose the physical world were arranged by Him in their causes, developed under the law of their being in the subtle or psychical world and then manifested in the gross or material world. Once manifested in matter the world proceeds by laws which do not change, from age to age, by a regular succession, until it is all withdrawn back again into the source from which it came. The material goes back into the psychical and the psychical is involved in its cause or seed. It is again put out when the period of expansion recurs and runs its course on similar l ines but with different details till the period of contraction is due. Hinduism regards the world as a recurrent series of phenomena of which the terms vary but the general formula abides the same. The theory is only acceptable if we recognize the truth of the conception formulated in the Vishnu Purana of the world as developments of ideas in the Universal Intelligence which lies at the root of all material phenomena and by its indwelling force shapes the growth of the tree and the evolution of the clod as well as the development of living creatures and the progress of mankind. Whether we take the modern scientific or the ancient Hindu standpoint the progress of humanity is a fact. The wheel of Brahma rotates forever but it does not turn in the same place; its rotations carry it forward. Human moderation is usually a wiseacre and a botcher; it sews a patch of new velvet on old fustian or of new fustian on old velvet and admires its deplorable handiwork. And its cautious advance means an accumulation of shams, fictions and dead conventions till the burden of falsehood becomes too great for life to bear and a violent revolution is necessary to deliver the soul of humanity out of the immobilizing cerements of the past. Such is the type of our progress; it is the advance of an ignorant and purblind but always light-attracted spirit, a being half-animal, half-god, stumbling forward through the bewildering jungle of its own errors. C:UsersYashDownloads6a00d834520ed269e20133f2816eef970b500wi.jpg If the only prayer you say in your life is thank you, that would suffice. Meister Eckhart Gratitude means appreciation, together with your blessing, noticing simple joys, and acknowledging everything that you get. It means knowledge to live your life as if everything were a vision, and being attentive on a constant basis of how much youve been given. Gratitude shifts your focus from what your life lacks to the abundance that is already present. In addition, behavioral and psychological research has shown the surprising life improvements that can stem from the practice of gratitude. Giving thanks makes people happier and more resilient, it strengthens relationships, it improves health, and it reduces stress. Gratitude heightens quality of life A large body of recent work has suggested that people who are more grateful have higher levels of  subjective well-being. Grateful people are happier, less depressed, less stressed, and more satisfied with their lives and  social relationships. Grateful people also have higher levels of control of their environments, personal growth, purpose in life, and self-acceptance.  Grateful people have more positive ways of coping with the difficulties they experience in life, being more likely to seek support from other people, reinterpret and grow from the experience, and spend more time planning how to deal with the problem. Grateful people also have less negative coping strategies, being less likely to try to avoid the problem, deny there is a problem, blame themselves, or cope through substance use. Grateful people sleep better, and this seems to be because they think less negative and more positive thoughts just before going to sleep. Gratitude has been said to have one of the strongest links with  mental health  of any character trait. Numerous studies suggest that grateful people are more likely to have higher levels of happiness and lower levels of stress and depression.  In one study concerning gratitude, participants were randomly assigned to one of six therapeutic intervention conditions designed to improve the participants overall quality of life (Seligman et. all. 2005).  Out of these conditions, it was found that the biggest short-term effects came from a gratitude visit where participants wrote and delivered a letter of gratitude to someone in their life. This condition showed a rise in happiness scores by 10 percent and a significant fall in depression scores, results which lasted up to one month after the visit. While many emotions and personality traits are important to well-being, there is evidence that gratitude may be uniquely important. First, a longitudinal study showed that people who were more grateful coped better with a life transition. Specifically, people who were more grateful before the transition were less stressed, less depressed, and more satisfied with their relationships three months later.  Second, two recent studies have suggested that gratitude may have a unique relationship with well-being, and can explain aspects of well-being that other personality traits cannot. Both studies showed that gratitude was able to explain more well-being than the  Big Five  and 30 of the most commonly studied personality traits Comparison with indebtedness Gratitude is not the same as  indebtedness. While both  emotions  occur following help, indebtedness occurs when a person perceives that they are under an obligation to make some repayment of compensation for the aid. The emotions lead to different actions; indebtedness can motivate the recipient of the aid to avoid the person who has helped them, whereas gratitude can motivate the recipient to seek out their benefactor and to improve their relationship with them. QUOTES True forgiveness is when you can say, Thank you for that experience.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  Oprah Winfrey Heart of Gratitude As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. John F. Kennedy Act with kindness, but do not expect gratitude. Confucius Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  Thich Nhat Hanh,  Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  John F. Kennedy Gratitude is a form of worship in its own right, as it implies the acceptance of a power greater than yourself.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  Stephen Richards Be attached to nothing. Be grateful for everything.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  David Che,  Total Law of Attraction: Unleash Your Secret Creative Power To Get What You Want! Gratitude of heart can often be seen in a generous spirit.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  Our Daily Bread devotions

Big Game Hunting Should be Allowed :: Benefits of Hunting

When a Minnesota dentist killed a prized African lion named "Cecil" he received an onslaught of criticism and reignited the debate concerning big game hunting.  Is big game hunting wrong? Should big game hunting continue? Big game hunting has been a very controversial topic for some time and these types of questions are being asked daily. There are a lot of people for it and a lot of people against it. This issue causes a lot of extreme behaviors and ideas by both sides. Those who oppose it believe it to be morally wrong, unfair to the animals and damaging to the environment. Those individuals for it believe that it is the citizens' rights and a way to be involved in the environment. Hunting is the law and shall not be infringed upon. In defense of the hunters' I believe that there are five main issues of concern. The first big issue concerning big game hunting is that it is considered to be the citizens' rights. Anti-hunters would believe that there is no right for anyone to take the life of another living creature. It would be morally wrong. The thought of going out and killing an animal for fun is just appalling to these individuals. Maybe they believe hunters will rear a generation of killers. They would argue that there are many other things in this world that could bring that sort of excitement to a person. The right to hunt is the law. The twenty-ninth Article states, "...securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others..." If this is the law then it can not be infringed. With this there really is no question of big game hunting. These rights are personal rights of the citizens of the United States. Parents can choose what they want for there own children and let them do what they desire, and if that desire is hunting then let it be. When other people who oppose hunting try and stop this freedom then they are the ones at fault and are doing wrong by infringing on the rights of others. These actions are illegal and should be taken care of. In C M Dixon's article, "The Banning of Hunting is an Affront to Freedom," he stated that, "He has never heard of hunters violating the just requirements of public order or general welfare" (2). From the hunting experiences that I have had I agree with this statement one hundred percent.

Blindness and Sight in Oedipus the King - Lack of Vision :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Blindness in Oedipus the King People can be â€Å"blinded† to the truth. The answer to their question or solution to their problem may have been obvious. Yet, they could not "see" the answer. They were blinded to the truth. Associations have been made between being blind and enlightened. A blind person is said to have powers to see invisible things. They "see" into the future. The blind may not have physical sight, but they have another kind of vision. In Sophocles' King Oedipus, Teiresias, the blind prophet, presents the truth to King Oedipus and Jocasta. Oedipus has been blinded to the truth his whole life. When he does find the truth, he loses his physical vision. Because of the truth, Oedipus blinds himself. Jocasta was blind to the true identity of Oedipus. Even when she found out the truth, she refused to accept it. In this case, those who are blind ultimately do have a higher vision - the truth. Kind Oedipus started life with a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. In an attempt to avoid this fate, his parents, Laius and Jocasta, sent him into the mountains to die. However, a shepherd saved Oedipus. This shepherd gave Oedipus to Polybus and Merope. When Oedipus learned of his prophecy, he fled his home, thinking these people were his real parents. On his flight, he met Laius. He ended up killing Laius. He continued on, answered a riddle of the evil Sphinx, and ended up king of Thebes. With this kingdom, Oedipus married Jocasta. He had lived out the prophecy without even knowing he had. Thebes fell onto bad times, and a prophet put the blame on a polluter of the lands. Oedipus called on Teiresias, and Teiresias informed him that the polluter was the King. As Oedipus searched further and further, he discovered that he was the polluter and that the prophecy had come true. When Oedipus finally discovered the truth, he was so distressed that he ran pins int o his eyes, blinding himself. He had been blinded to the truth for so long. Oedipus was blind in more then one way. He was blind to the truth about his own life. Oedipus had no idea that his real parents were Laius and Jocasta. He was so blind that he got mad at anyone who was foolish enough to suggest such an idea. Blindness and Sight in Oedipus the King - Lack of Vision :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex Blindness in Oedipus the King People can be â€Å"blinded† to the truth. The answer to their question or solution to their problem may have been obvious. Yet, they could not "see" the answer. They were blinded to the truth. Associations have been made between being blind and enlightened. A blind person is said to have powers to see invisible things. They "see" into the future. The blind may not have physical sight, but they have another kind of vision. In Sophocles' King Oedipus, Teiresias, the blind prophet, presents the truth to King Oedipus and Jocasta. Oedipus has been blinded to the truth his whole life. When he does find the truth, he loses his physical vision. Because of the truth, Oedipus blinds himself. Jocasta was blind to the true identity of Oedipus. Even when she found out the truth, she refused to accept it. In this case, those who are blind ultimately do have a higher vision - the truth. Kind Oedipus started life with a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. In an attempt to avoid this fate, his parents, Laius and Jocasta, sent him into the mountains to die. However, a shepherd saved Oedipus. This shepherd gave Oedipus to Polybus and Merope. When Oedipus learned of his prophecy, he fled his home, thinking these people were his real parents. On his flight, he met Laius. He ended up killing Laius. He continued on, answered a riddle of the evil Sphinx, and ended up king of Thebes. With this kingdom, Oedipus married Jocasta. He had lived out the prophecy without even knowing he had. Thebes fell onto bad times, and a prophet put the blame on a polluter of the lands. Oedipus called on Teiresias, and Teiresias informed him that the polluter was the King. As Oedipus searched further and further, he discovered that he was the polluter and that the prophecy had come true. When Oedipus finally discovered the truth, he was so distressed that he ran pins int o his eyes, blinding himself. He had been blinded to the truth for so long. Oedipus was blind in more then one way. He was blind to the truth about his own life. Oedipus had no idea that his real parents were Laius and Jocasta. He was so blind that he got mad at anyone who was foolish enough to suggest such an idea.

English Language Learners Essay -- Education, ESL

Presently there is a rising number of English Language Learners (ELLs) entering into classrooms all over the country. According to the three research studies that I utilized, there are several varied assessment approaches for teaching ELLs in reading (Davis-Lenski, Ehlers-Zavala, Daniel, & Sun-Irminger, 2006; Dreher, & Letcher-Gray, 2009; Ebe, 2010). English Language Learners (ELLs) consistently struggle with some aspects of reading because, they lack background knowledge in terms of the generalized text selections, which they are often given (Davis-Lenski, Ehlers-Zavala, Daniel, & Sun-Irminger, 2006; Dreher, & Letcher-Gray, 2009; Ebe, 2010). The data across all three journal documents agrees that there is an achievement gap where ELLs are consistently performing at lower levels than their native-born English-speaking peers (Davis-Lenski, Ehlers-Zavala, Daniel, & Sun-Irminger, 2006; Dreher, & Letcher-Gray, 2009; Ebe, 2010). Researchers seem to vary on how to instruct, and assess st udents who are ELLs. One element that all of the authors concentrated on was seeking out the best practice(s) for using assessments to create effective instruction for ELLS (Davis-Lenksi, Ehlers-Zavla, Daniel, & Sun-Irminger, (2006), Dreher, & Letcher-Gray (2009) and Ebe 2010). There are 4.5 million ELLS currently enrolled in the public school systems in the United States, and the numbers are continuously rising due to the more than 1 million people who immigrant here each year (Davis-Lenski, Ehlers-Zavala, Daniel, & Sun-Irminger, 2006). Many teachers find themselves in unknown territory when it comes to instructing and assessing ELLs (Davis-Lenski, Ehlers-Zavala, Daniel, & Sun-Irminger, 2006). The passing of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) furth... ...lready stated, and all of them also have different assessment approaches included in their articles too. After reading all of the information I must say I think that all of the assessments, and the strategies and tools associated with the articles, are all borne out of research-based instructional, and assessment methods and therefore; they are all relevant to working with ELLs per literacy (Davis-Lenski, Ehlers-Zavala, Daniel, & Sun-Irminger, 2006; Dreher, & Letcher-Gray, 2009; Ebe, 2010). I don’t think any one of the assessments profiled in the three articles I researched, is anything better than the other. However I also think that although all of the techniques discussed are good solid research-based assessment tools; one still has to understand that they will require applications which are well structured, and the most appropriate for that specific student.

Change in Diet Essay

I began this class with very little nutritional knowledge. During week one of this class, it became evident to me that my eating habits were completely unhealthy. Before taking this course, my interpretation of eating right consisted of eating foods that I thought were healthy, and basically sticking to that particular meal plan. I started this class coming off of a self-created protein diet plan of my own. My diet plan consisted solely upon eating cereal for breakfast, chicken breast, white rice, and egg whites for lunch, and drinking a protein shake for dinner, every week on days Monday through Friday. For the weekends, I would basically eat whatever I wanted. The weekends were considered my grace period where I was allowed to ignore my diet for two days. About a week or two before the course began, I had completely stopped my protein diet, and I was basically back to eating whatever I had a taste for at any given time of the day. I had lost all discipline and obedience to my â€Å"healthy† meal plan. The amount of meals I would have each day varied from one meal a day, to two or three meals a day. Rarely was it consistent. I would skip out on breakfast on many occasions. On some days, I would eat solely junk food all day long. Water was almost inexistent in my life. Completing week one’s assignments gave me an opportunity to actually read how bad my eating habits were as I typed them in. I also learned that my once proclaimed healthy diet was in fact not as healthy as I thought it was. I also learned that I was missing key foods necessary to live a long and healthy life such as fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables were nonexistent in my life. Vegetables, I never took well to. Fruits just did not seem as important to me as they should have been, and they definitely never satisfied my sugar craves. I learned the importance of fruits and vegetables. I learned that they provide the vitamins, minerals, and fibers my body needs to live a successfully healthy life. Throughout the course, I learned a lot about nutrition. I now know the difference between saturated and unsaturated fat. I am aware that all fat is not bad for the body. In fact, fat should be apart of every diet, and is required for healthy growth. This course has also given me a better perspective of dehydration. I now fully understand what dehydration is, and the causes of it. I am definitely more aware of the importance of drinking water. Currently, compared to week one of this class, my eating habits are totally different. I definitely see changes in my diet. From completing assignments mixed with personal research, I have learned that a person can actually gain weight from not eating enough. I learned that it is important for individuals to consume their recommended amount of calories each day in order to maintain a healthy and normal metabolism rate. A lack of food can slow metabolism. Metabolism burns fat. So of course, the first change in my diet was to make sure that I was consuming as close to my recommend amount of calories each day as much as I could. In result, I currently eat three healthy meals a day. Fruits and vegetables have become apart of diet. I am eating more fruits and vegetables now, than I ever have in my entire life. I am also making sure to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables compared to eating just one or two types. This course has helped me gain a better understanding of whole foods such as whole grains and wheat. I no longer eat white rice or white bread. I have substituted white rice with brown rice, and I have replaced white bread with whole grain wheat bread. These changes were not easy at all. I loved white rice and white bread. It was definitely a challenge making that transition. I have even made changes to the type of sandwich meats I eat. I have replaced deli ham with white turkey and chicken breast. For breakfast, I have stopped eating cold cereal and frozen waffles, and have started eating whole grain oatmeal with fruit slices. I still drink protein shakes after weight lifting. However, I no longer have protein shakes for dinner. From the course I have learned that oils are needed in any diet. In result, I have begun using olive oil with some of my dishes. I no longer use margarine, and have replaced it with real butter. I have eliminated any idea of a grace period and I try to eat healthy seven days a week. As mentioned early, I have learned a lot about dehydration and the importance of drinking water. I avoid all caffeinated beverages. I have eliminated sodas and other beverages from my diet. I drink milk, green tea, and one hundred percent fruit juices, but mainly water. Throughout researching, I have learned just how necessary it is to drink water. I learned that water helps the body’s organs function properly, water clears the body of toxins, and water helps burn calories. I learned the recommended daily serving of water should be eight to ten glasses, a minimum of 64 ounces. Upon learning this information, I have visited my local supermarket and have purchased a water bottle of 24 ounces. This course has taught me that many people mistake thirst with hunger, causing overeating and weight gain. I now consume 72 ounces of water a day. I make sure to fill and empty my water bottle three times a day. I have also created a system with accordance to my schedule where I eat dinner no later than 7:30 p. m. My workouts at the gym have also changed as well. Before, my workouts consisted solely on weight lifting. I have now made time in the beginning of my workouts for at least thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercises. The changes that I have made to my diet has really changed who I am as I person. I feel different, healthier. There has been a dramatic decrease in my stress levels. I am full of energy and happiness. I am now more aware of what I allow to enter my body.

Training Module

The training material is developed for the soft skills training during New Employee Orientation in any organization. New employee orientation programs give new employees the basic training and information they need to help them blend with and work in the new organization. The following program is designed as a three-day induction program conducted by a third party organization for an organization in which the new employees have been recruited.Appendix 1. 1 Objectives of Training Develop individual skills Enhance competence of employees Assured career progression Section 2 Topics of Training Appendix 2. 1 Safety Training Importance of Safety Safety System of the Organization Appendix 2. 2 Business Communications Communication model, Barriers to communication Body Language Activities : E-mail writing, Official reports, telephone etiquettes, video conterencing Appendix 2. 3 Team Building Importance of team Organization structure Activities and Games Appendix 2. 4 Professional EthicsEsse ntial Professional Ethics Appendix 2. 5 Attitudinal Development Personalities and Attitudes Johari Window Appendix 2. 6 Leadership Skills and Motivation Needs, motives and motivation Styles of Leadership Activity and Games Appendix 2. 7 Time and Stress management Importance of Time management in organization Stress Management for professionals Appendix 2. 8 Decision Making Activity and models of decision making Section 3 Pre-requisites Appendix 3. 1 Participants Names and details of participants should be provided by the organization.Maximum number of participants should not exceed 25. Appendix 3. 2 Infrastructure and facilities Conference hall, Projector, Interactive boards, laptop and other infrastructure should be made available according to number of participants. Appendix 3. 3 Training material and handouts Preparation, printing and distribution of handouts and material of training and activities as required. Appendix 3. 4 Stationery Writing material, note-pads for participants to be arranged and provided. Appendix 3. 5 Arrangement for food and refreshmentsThe organization will take care of arrangement of food and refreshments of participants Appendix 3. 6 Feedback forms Feedback is essential for both the trainers and the organization. A well formulated feedback form will be used for response of participants Appendix 3. 7 Evaluation forms Based upon the participation and performance of the participants they will be evaluated. This evaluation would stand crucial for the organization.

Right to Free Education Act

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act  or  Right to Education Act (RTE), which was passed by the  Ã‚  on 4 August 2009, describes the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in  Ã‚  under Article 21A of the  . India became one of 135 countries to make  Ã‚  of every child when the act came into force on 1 April 2010. History Present Act has its history in the drafting of the Indian constitution at the time of Independence[5]  but are more specifically to the Constitutional Amendment that included the Article 21A in the Indian constitution making Education a fundamental Right.This amendment, however, specified the need for a legislation to describe the mode of implementation of the same which necessitated the drafting of a separate Education Bill. A rough draft of the bill was composed in year 2005. It received much opposition due to its mandatory provision to provide 25% reservation for disadvantage d children in private schools. The sub-committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education which prepared the draft Bill held this provision as a significant prerequisite for creating a democratic and egalitarian society.Indian Law commission had initially proposed 50% reservation for disadvantaged students in private schools. []Passage The bill was approved by the  Ã‚  on 2 July 2009. passed the bill on 20 July 2009  and the  Ã‚  on 4 August 2009. It received Presidential assent and was notified as law on 26 August 2009  as The Children's Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act. The law came into effect in the whole of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1 April 2010, the first time in the history of India a law was brought into force by a speech by the Prime Minister.In his speech,  ,  Ã‚  stated that, â€Å"We are committed to ensuring that all children, irrespective of gender and social category, have access to education. An education that enables t hem to acquire the skills, knowledge, values and attitudes necessary to become responsible and active citizens of India. â€Å"[13] []Highlights The Act makes  Ã‚  of every child between the ages of 6 and 14 and specifies minimum norms in elementary schools. It requires all private schools to reserve 25% of seats to children from poor families (to be reimbursed by the state as part of the public-private partnership plan).It also prohibits all unrecognized schools from practice, and makes provisions for no donation or capitation fees and no interview of the child or parent for admission. The Act also provides that no child shall be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board examination until the completion of elementary education. There is also a provision for special training of school drop-outs to bring them up to par with students of the same age. The RTE act requires surveys that will monitor all neighbourhoods, identify children requiring education, and set up facilitie s for providing it.The  Ã‚  education specialist for India, Sam Carlson, has observed: The RTE Act is the first legislation in the world that puts the responsibility of ensuring enrollment, attendance and completion on the Government. It is the parents' responsibility to send the children to schools in the U. S. and other countries. The Right to Education of persons with disabilities until 18 years of age is laid down under a separate legislation- the Persons with Disabilities Act. A number of other provisions regarding improvement of school infrastructure, teacher-student ratio and faculty are made in the Act.The Act provides for a special organization, the  , an autonomous body set up in 2007,  to monitor the implementation of the act,together with Commissions to be set up by the states. []Implementation and funding Education in the  Ã‚  is a concurrent issue and both centre and states can legislate on the issue. The Act lays down specific responsibilities for the centre, state and local bodies for its implementation. The states have been clamouring that they lack financial capacity to deliver education of appropriate standard in all the schools needed for universal education.Thus it was clear that the central government (which collects most of the revenue) will be required to subsidize the states. A committee set up to study the funds requirement and funding initially estimated that  Ã‚  171,000  Ã‚  or 1. 71 trillion (38. 2 billion) across five years was required to implement the Act, and in April 2010 the central government agreed to sharing the funding for implementing the law in the ratio of 65 to 35 between the centre and the states, and a ratio of 90 to 10 for the north-eastern states. However, in mid 2010, this figure was upgraded to Rs. 31,000  , and the center agreed to raise its share to 68%. There is some confusion on this, with other media reports stating that the centre's share of the implementation expenses would now be 70%. At t hat rate, most states may not need to increase their education budgets substantially. A critical development in 2011 has been the decision taken in principle to extend the right to education till Class X (age 16)  Ã‚  and into the preschool age range. The CABE committee is in the process of looking into the implications of making these changes. Advisory Council on ImplementationThe Ministry of HRD set up a high-level, 14-member National Advisory Council (NAC) for implementation of the Act. The members include Kiran Karnik, former president of NASSCOM Krishna Kumar, former director of the NCERT Mrinal Miri, former vice-chancellor of North-East Hill University Yogendra Yadav – social scientist. India Sajit Krishnan kutty Secretary of The Educators Assisting Children's Hopes (TEACH)India. Annie Namala, an activist and head of Centre for Social Equity and Inclusion Aboobacker Ahmad, vice-president of Muslim Education Society, Kerala. [24] [edit]Status of ImplementationA report on the status of implementation of the Act was released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development on the one year anniversary of the Act. The report admits that 8. 1 million children in the age group six-14 remain out of school and there’s a shortage of 508,000 teachers country-wide. A shadow report by the RTE Forum representing the leading education networks in the country, however, challenging the findings pointing out that several key legal commitments are falling behind the schedule. [25] The Supreme Court of India has also intervened to demand implementation of the Act in the Northeast. 26] It has also provided the legal basis for ensuring pay parity between teachers in government and government aided schools [27] Haryana Government has assigned the duties and responsibilities to Block Elementary Education Officers–cum–Block Resource Coordinators (BEEOs-cum-BRCs) for effective implementation and continuous monitoring of implementation of Right to Educat ion Act in the State. [28] [edit]Precedents It has been pointed out that the RTE act is not new. Universal adult franchise in the act was opposed since most of the population was illiterate.Article 45 in the Constitution of India was set up as an act: The State shall endeavour to provide, within a period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years. As that deadline was about to be passed many decades ago, the education minister at the time, M C Chagla, memorably said: Our Constitution fathers did not intend that we just set up hovels, put students there, give untrained teachers, give them bad textbooks, no playgrounds, and say, we have complied with Article 45 and primary education is expanding†¦They meant that real education should be given to our children between the ages of 6 and 14 – M. C. Chagla, 1964[29] In the 1990s, the World Bank funded a number of measu res to set up schools within easy reach of rural communities. This effort was consolidated in the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan model in the 1990s. RTE takes the process further, and makes the enrollment of children in schools a state prerogative. [edit]CriticismThe act has been criticized for being hastily-drafted,[30] not consulting many groups active in education, not considering the quality of education, infringing on the rights of private and religious minority schools to administer their system, and for excluding children under six years of age. [31] Many of the ideas are seen as continuing the policies of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan of the last decade, and the World Bank funded District Primary Education Programme DPEP of the '90s, both of which, while having set up a number of schools in rural areas, have been criticized for being ineffective[32] and corruption-ridden. 33] [edit]Quality of education The quality of education provided by the government system remains in question. [34] While it remains the largest provider of elementary education in the country forming 80% of all recognized schools, it suffers from shortages of teachers, infrastructural gaps and several habitations continue to lack schools altogether. There are also frequent allegations of government schools being riddled with absenteeism and mismanagement and appointments are based on political convenience. Despite the allure of free lunch-food in the government schools, many parents send their children to private schools.Average schoolteacher salaries in private rural schools in some States (about Rs. 4,000 per month) are considerably lower than that in government schools. [18] As a result, proponents of low cost private schools, critiqued government schools as being poor value for money. Children attending the private schools are seen to be at an advantage, thus discriminating against the weakest sections, who are forced to go to government schools. Furthermore, the system has been criticized as cat ering to the rural elites who are able to afford school fees in a country where large number of families live in absolute poverty.The act has been criticized as discriminatory for not addressing these issues. Well-known educationist Anil Sadagopal said of the hurriedly-drafted act: It is a fraud on our children. It gives neither free education nor compulsory education. In fact, it only legitimises the present multi-layered, inferior quality school education system where discrimination shall continue to prevail. [30] Entrepreneur Gurcharan Das noted that 54% of urban children attend private schools, and this rate is growing at 3% per year. â€Å"Even the poor children are abandoning the government schools. They are leaving because the teachers are not showing up. [30] However, other researchers have countered the argument by citing that the evidence for higher standards of quality in private schools often disappears when other factors (like family income, parental literacy- all corr elated to the parental ability to pay) are controlled for. [edit]Public-private partnership In order to address these quality issues, the Act has provisions for compensating private schools for admission of children under the 25% quota which has been compared to school vouchers, whereby parents may â€Å"send† their children in any school, private or public.This measure, along with the increase in PPP (Public Private Partnership) has been viewed by some organizations such as the All-India Forum for Right to Education (AIF-RTE), as the state abdicating its â€Å"constitutional obligation towards providing elementary education†. [32] [edit]Infringement on private schools The Society for Un-aided Private Schools, Rajasthan (in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 95 of 2010) and as many as 31 others[35] petitioned the Supreme Court of India claiming the act violates the constitutional right of private managements to run their institutions without governmental interference. 36]The pa rties claimed that providing 25 percent reservation for children from economically weak section in government and private unaided schools is unconstitutional. Forcing unaided schools to admit 25% students has also been criticized by saying that the government has partly transferred its constitutional obligation to provide free and compulsory elementary education to children on â€Å"non-state actors† like private schools while collecting a 2% cess on the total tax payable for primary education. 32] On 12 April 2012, a three judge bench of the Supreme Court delivered its judgement by a majority of 2-1. Chief Justice SH Kapadia and Justice Swatanter Kumar held that providing such reservation is not unconstitutional, but stated that the Act will not be applicable on unaided private minority schools and boarding schools.However, Justice KS Radhakrishnan dissented with the majority view and held that the Act can not apply to both minority and non minority private schools which do not receive any aid or grant from the government. 37][38][39] In September 2012, the Supreme Court subsequently declined a review petion of the Act. [40] [edit]Barrier for orphans The Act provides for admission of children without any certification. However, several states have continued pre-existing procedures insisting that children produce income and caste certificates, BPL cards and birth certificates. Orphan children are often unable to produce such documents, even though they are willing to do so. As a result, schools are not admitting them, as they require the documents as a condition to admission. [41]