Monday, September 30, 2019

Education †Gymnasium Essay

Education in India today is nothing like it was in Pre-Independence and Post-Independence Era. Education System in India today went through a lot of changes before it emerged in its present form. Present education system in India is also guided by different objectives and goals as compared to earlier time. Present system of education in India, however is based around the policies of yesteryears. After independence, it was on 29th August 1947, that a Department of Education under the Ministry of Human Resource Development was set up. At that time the mission was the quantitative spread of education facilities. After, 1960’s the efforts were more focussed to provide qualitative education facilities. The present research focus on steps through which our indian education system had gone through. The basic moto of this research is to show that india has done serious efforts in education nd has shotremendous development but it is still lacking in comparison with developed nations. This study is an effort to suggest some measures for its improvement. INTRODUCTION Education in every sense is one of the fundamental factors of development. No country can achieve growth without substantial investment in human capital. Education improves the quality of their lives and lead to broad social benefits to individuals and society. Education including formal education, public awareness and training should be recognized as a process by which human beings and societies can reach their fullest potential. The pre british indian Education system comprised of three types  Elementary education Secondary education Higher education Although Higher education is seen as the producer of elite class in society which largely contribute in the system of governance. The dawn of independence saw the significance of higher education in its reach and coverage. At the time of independence, there was bleak situation of higher education in India as the three important indicator:the number of Educational institutions, the number of teachers and the students enrollment in Education. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY First objective of the research is to get a understanding of various Educational changes that have taken place in India from pre Independence era. To study various Act launched for Education growth. To Find current scenario of Education sector in India To suggest some meaningful meausures to improve our Education sector. MYTHODOLOGY The study is based upon secondary data. Data has been collected from various sources like www. world bank. in,UNESCO,UNTDA. Statistical figures are main vehicle to achieve objective. It has studied internet research as well as policy papers and other official documents. CHANGES IN EDUCATION The changes which we are watching today due to education are may be because of various policy of government . Few of them are following: The National policy on Education 1986 had underscored the constitutional resolve to provide quality Education to all. under this policy government decided to review the growth and development of higher Education through five year plan which paid rich dividend in promoting education in India. The Eighty sixth constitutional amendment act in December 2002,made elementary Education a fundamental right for all children in the age group of 6-14. The Government initiated the scheme of area intensive program for Educationally backward minority and scheme of financial assistance of madrasa Education as part of its revised programme of action(1992). Taking into consideration the need for technical Education so that skill is acquired, the Government took steps to open industrial training Institute, medical colleges,polytechnics. At present there are 1500 such Institutes. National adult Education programme was taken up in 1978. The aim was to reach 100 percent literacy (age 15-35) by the year 1990. Its basic pupose was to promote small family. As a result of announcement of national policy on Education priority is given to vocationalisation of secondary Education to make Education relevant to work. A central Institute of Education technology was set up in NCERT to purchase equipment for state Institute of Educational technology. UGC was set up in 1955 for coordination and determination of standards. UGC  has taken steps to implement the recommendations of new policy on education such as autonomous colleges,centers of advanced studies in universities, establishment of education media research center and audio visual research center for the use of media and setting up academic staff colleges for training and orientation of college teachers National program for nutritional support to primary Education was launched in 1995 under which food grains is provided to children’s in primary classes. The program assures 199 gm of grain per day for attending school for at least 80 percent of total school days in a month. Following India independence a number of rules were formulated for backward scheduled caste and scheduled tribes of India. Special reservation are also provided for scheduled caste and scheduled tribes example a reservation of 15 percent in kendriya vidyalaya for scheduled caste and another reservation of 7. 5 percent in kendriya vidyalaya fot scheduled tribe. CURRENT STATUS There were 20 universities and 496 college at the time of Independence At present universities and university level institutions-504 State universities-243 State private universities-53 Central universities-40. Deemed universities-130 Institutions of National importance established under act of Parliament-33 Institutions established under various state legislation-5 In addition there are 25951 college including atound 2565 women college Table-1: All India Growth of institutions Year. Universities Colleges. Total 1947-48. 20 496. 516 1950-51 28. 578. 606 1960-61. 45 1819. 1864 1970-71. 93 3227. 3320 1980-81. 123. 4738 4861 1990-91. 184 5748 5932 2000-01 266 11146. 11412 2004-05 348 17625. 17973 2005-06. 355. 18064. 18419 2006-07. 367. 19000 19367 2007-08. 416. 20677 21093 2008-09. 480 22000. 22480. 2009-10 504. 25951. 26455 Source: UGC To promote higher education, college were established to provide specialized professional or vocational training. The first ever college in india was during the British rule in 1817,the CMS college kottaysm in kerela. After induction of new education policy, college education got flip and has increased manifold. Women enrolment was less than 10 percent of total enrollment on eve of Independence and it was risen to 41. 40 percent Number of teachers in 1950 were 15000 , in 1991 teachers were 272 thousand and in 2004 it was 457 thousand , in 2010 it was 699 thousand. Number of students enrolled in 1950 was 0. 1 million , in 1991 it was 4. 9 million,in 2004 it was 9. 95 million and in 2010 it reaches to 14. 6 million. EVIDENCE As India’s higher Education system is one of the world largest, enrolling nearly 22 million students in more than 46000 institutions. The changing landscape of higher education should be noted by key administrator, particularly government should be aware of the opportunity for institutions to nurture entrepreneurial growth and establish partnership with various organization to address community needs. India’s government currently plays a command and control role in higher Education. Under government oversight, public universities set curricula, determine courses offering, administer exam and grant degrees. But in 12th five year plan government key policy for economic development theory 2017 proposes a steer and evaluate role that allows a greater degree of self regulation and enforces higher level of accountability across the education system institutions The Economic development through Education is clearly evident in market ,demand for service which have pace. ADVANCEMENT Today development of Education in India has attained new level essentially after the independence of country. India is developing nation and it has been expanding in every field. Development of Education in India brought about a transformation and the concept of Education got modified. India got well known Educational institutions such as IITs,IIMs,AIIMS,, ISB,ISI. India’s higher Education system is the third largest in world after China and Uk. The Development of Education has traveled a longway and thus Indian Education system introduced certain advantageous system such as online Education in India. Online Education is a system of Education training which is delivered primarily via the Internet to students at remote location. Online Education enables the students to opt for many online degrees or courses from various university In the modern times, students are provided with extensive scope and courses to choose from and they enjoy the opportunity of selecting the required field. The system of distance Education in India is becoming increasingly popular. The student choosing distance learning process are benefitted with modern pattern followed. Development of Education in India ensures that all Indian citizens will receive Education in spite of financial constraints or unavailability of college and school. In addition the non formal Education is launched which is about acknowledging the importance of Education, learning and training which takes place outside recognized Educational institutions. It is the process of learning throughout life. PROBLEMS Undoubtedly India has made a vast improvement in education sector but stilk it lacks in some or the other way like  1)The enrollment rate in India had shown progress of gross enrollment rate in higher education to 17. 2 percent over the years yet it was short as per the world standard as seen,the Country was behind China 19 percent and UK 60 percent and USA 82 percent 2) The teacher strength in institutions of higher education was far from adequate. 3)Gross enrollment has increasd but were not matching anywhere with developed countries 4)Wide variations are seen in rural and urban areas 5)Regional disparities are also visible. 6)Education given is irrelevant according to job market  7)Innovation and creation are missing from the field 8)Education is seen as a object of providing immediate skills and tools, not means for future growth 9)By far one of the most pressing problem is that unavailability of money or inadequate funding of Indian Education system. RECOMMENDATIONS Our Education system still in this era faces many problems. funny thing is that from colonial times, few things have changed. we have established IITs,IIMs and other Institute of excellence. Students now routinely score 90 percent marks still find difficult to get into college of their choice. we live in a country where the people see Education as means of climbing the social and economic ladder. Some of the useful measures to improve our education system are following: 1)Private capital should be allowed in Education to reach at excellence level and compete with developed nations 2)Personalize education should focused as one size does not fit all humans. So Education should be given according to its demand. 3)Implement massive technology infrastructure for Education 4)Focus on skill based technology according to modern era 5)Reward creativity, original thinking, research and innovation. 6)Redifine the purpose of Education system 7)Take mediocrity out of the system 8)Policy makers in India should continue to develop and implement an accreditation system that can over time become a key measure of quality. 9)An Effort is needed to gradually phase in methods to link funding to quality measure. 10)Raising the level of Education, to be competitive like developed nations. 11)Identify the need of business and industry, then supply Education to fulfill their demand REFERENCES Ministry of Human Resource Development. (2001). Selected Educational Statistics 2001-2002, Government of India, New Delhi. Ministry of Human Resource Development. (2001). Annual Report, 2003-2004, MHRD, Government of India, New Delhi. Shukla, Snehlatha, et. al (1998). Attainment of Primary School Children in India, NCERT. Strides in Education in India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India Registrar General and Census Commissioner. (2001). Census of India 2001. Provisional Population Totals Paper-I of 2001, Controller of Publications, New Delhi. Ministry of Human Resource Development, Analysis of Budgeted Expenditure on Education 2000-01 to 2002-03, Government of India,New Delhi.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Articles of Confederation provided the United States with an effective government Essay

Using the documents and your knowledge of the period, evaluate this statement. From 1781 up until 1789 the United States government was based off of the principles of the Articles of Confederation which were created after the Revolutionary War. The articles of confederation created a republic which limited its leaders from much of the powers needed in order to successfully govern the country. This lead to many state disputes, and political struggles. On the contrary, the Articles set up a framework for the U.S. Constitution that lead to a strong centralized government and the prosperity of the United States. The limits put forth by the Articles of Confederation led to state and political disputes, and foreign affairs, but it also had strong and effective characteristics to support a government. The Articles of Confederation’s strong views of a republic and steps set up to avoid autocracy lead to many disputes in the states. Fresh off of the war for independence with Britain, the founding fathers wrote the Articles of Confederation to ensure that their new independent country would not resemble the Autocracy that they had just liberated themselves from, so the created a republic. Their first attempt, the Articles of Confederation, caused many problems throughout the country. A major problem causer was the clause that majority vote had to be achieved in order to pass a law. This was a major problem between states for instance a letter from Rhode Island to congress stated, † I enclose their unanimous resolution [to reject] the recommendation of congress, respecting their impost on imported goods†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (document a) . Rejections of laws were a major problem between states at the time because some laws would benefit states in the south but not the north making it very difficult to pass a majority vote. One states interests could effect another’s simply by rejecting to vote. Another major  problem with the government the articles set up was their inability to make any revenue. Since the national government did not have the power to tax states they had very little. The quote by a former soldier of the revolution, â€Å"Every class of public creditors must know the inability of congress to pay their demands, unless furnished by the means of several states†¦ (doc C)† shows Congress’ lack of money and their inability to supply the people with what they need. In order to successfully run a government money is needed and the articles of confederation made it very difficult for congress to make any. In John Jays letter to George Washington, his fear of the government collapsing due to lack of money and power make known the problems the Articles of Confederation have brought upon the nation. † †¦We are going and doing wrong, and therefore I look forward to evils and calamities, but without being able to guess at the instrument, na ture or measure of them†¦(doc G)† Jay predicts that if the country stays on the path it is heading, the rich and powerful will obtain more power then the government leading to the complete failure of the articles of confederation. While many changes were made by the Articles of Confederation in order separate their habits from that of Great Britain, it caused many disputes between the states and federal government. After the Revolution and the Creation of the Articles of Confederation, foreign affairs began occurring quite frequently. After the war with Britain, exports between the United States and Britain decreased from around 6 million dollars to around 4 million and stayed their consistently from 1784 to 1792 (Doc B) . The decrease of trade was a major problem for a new country in the beginning stages of development, and also the population was rising each year which lead to a greater demand of trade goods and foods. Another foreign affair that arose was loyalists who had left the country for safety wanted payment of debts owed to them before the war. Under the articles of confederation they were not required to receive former debts and Britain was required to cede all territories in their limits to the U.S. (doc D) The demands ensuing to the war lead Britain, France, and Spain to restrict U.S. trade with their territories. Foreign affairs also arose with Spain for they had control of much of the land west of the Mississippi River. Another speech by John Jay, this time to Spain’s minister Diego de  Gardoqui, tells of Americans ambitious of expanding westward and that the jump to use the Mississippi and its territories are imminent. Minister Gardoqui disagrees and feels the people are 15-20 years away from wanting to move west.(doc F) Since their is no restriction in the Articles of Confederation to move west, like their was by Britain in the Proclamation of 1763, this causes a problem between Spain and the U.S. The Articles of Confederation lead to many foreign affairs following its establishment in 1781. Though many problems arose stemming from the Articles of Confederation it also had its positive affects towards the united states government. The main goal of congress when writing the document was to limit the power of the federal government and leave the power in the hands of the people. It may have limited the power of congress to much too large of an extent but it succeeded in limiting the government. Also the fundamental rights of the people, policy on foreign affairs, and establishment of a democratic republic created a sturdy framework for the U.S. Constitution which is still prominent today. The belief that the Articles of Confederation made a solid structure for the Constitution was shown by Rawlin Lowndes in his speech to the South Carolina State of Representatives. The quote by Lowndes, † I solemnly called on the house to consider whether it would not be better to add strength to the old confederation, instead of hastily adapting another; asking whether a man could be looked on as wise, who, possessing a magnificent building, upon discovering a flaw, instead of repairing the injury, should pull it down†¦(doc H)†. Lowndes describes the Articles of Confederation as a â€Å"magnificent building† that has minor flaws that easily could be repaired into a strong basis of government. The Articles of Confederation have the right concepts, they just need some improvements to overcome the many problems associated with them. Between 1781 and 1789 the Articles of Confederation set up an effective means of government that worked well for the short time it was in use, but it also developed problems between states, politics, and foreign affairs. In the documents, problems were brought up describing the limited power congress had, and the troubles between the U.S, Britain, and Spain. These  problems lead to the reformation of the Confederation after 1789 in which the U.S constitution was born.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Answer the question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 22

Answer the question - Essay Example the male sperms develop to be small, swifter and have a short life span while the female eggs grow bigger, less mobile and have a long lifespan (Neal 336). The four alternative reproductive strategies include (Sloman, Rod and Balshine 300): (1) Reversible ART: this is where independent animals can change forth and back between patterns; (2) Sequential ART: the independent animals change from one scheme to another at a particular time in their life span; (3) Plastic ART: in this strategy, the independent animals can change the plan throughout their life; (4) Fixed ART: in this strategy, independent animals adopt a single scheme throughout their life. 5) The gross anatomy of sharks has not changed much over the last 360 million years. List five morphological or physiological characteristics of sharks that have made the shark form such an evolutionary "success". For each characteristic state the advantage that it gives - Sharks swim with their mouths open with gill rakers upright and enlarged across the openings between the gill arches to build a sieve. The sharks are able to feed on zooplankton, small fish and fish eggs (Fowler, Sharks, Rays & Chimaeras 253). 6) What are the problems with our current Linnean system of vertebrate classification? How have new cladistic and phylogenetic techniques helped us to improve our knowledge of vertebrate evolutionary relationships? The current classification of Linnaeu’s system puts reptiles and amphibians in different classes that indicate their maximal variety of biological characteristics and lifestyles (Schneider, Krasny, Morreale & Tolpa 7). The phylogenetic technique gives evolutionary trees that provide the basis for biodiversity or comparative of a broad range of evolutionary difficulties. The cladistics assists in the production of phylogenetic information utilized to generate the evolutionary trees (Laurin

Friday, September 27, 2019

Philosophical debates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Philosophical debates - Essay Example robably support American and government action against terrorists; Locke would probably be appalled by Guantanamo Bay and some of the extremes committed by the Bush Administration after 9/11 such as enhanced interrogation techniques. Both philosophers, however, were very clever men who would be able to cogently argue both positions of the argument. A good example of 18th century terrorism was the French Revolution, which had the aim of overthrowing the aristocracy and declaring the independence of the other classes. The event was historically very significant and caused huge political ripples at the time. This was one of the first times Republicanism had reared its head on the European continent. Burke strongly opposed the Revolution, believing that violent revolution was not acceptable and would in the end change nothing. It is important to note that these Revolutionaries did not attack London or Washington, and they weren’t interested in Spain. Their campaign was focused and motivated by achievable goals. The terrorism of today is different. The mujahideen in Afghanistan come from all over the Islamic world. Some want to take control of the elected Afghan government, but others want to set up bases in Afghanistan to wage a global jihad against the West under the tutelage of Al Qaeda. They tend to view all Westerners a s enemies. Terrorism is now a global phenomenon motivated by a distorted global ideology. Burke would hate terrorism in all its form and support countries that wished to do something about it. Any drastic change is bad, Burke wrote, especially changes that are achieved through violence and with the intention to create a utopia or an idealistic world. Locke would probably try to understand the terrorists and argue that colonial powers, such as the U.S., broke a social contract with the poorer people of the world, and that terrorism is a consequence. He would not be a believer in the notion of a clash of civilizations, believing at heart that most

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Pets and health and lifestyle Speech or Presentation

Pets and health and lifestyle - Speech or Presentation Example The social impact of pet ownership will first be discussed followed by its positive effects on the physical and mental health of an individual. Pets form an underlying reason for social interaction between people. Thus they tend to make an individual socially active. For example when people take their dogs for a walk, they tend to stop and talk to other dog owners. This leads to social contact and helps a person to become active. Such interactions are also a common sight at pet shops or at veterinary clinics. Another important aspect linked with animals that enhances social skills is the fact that people find it easier to interact and talk to people who are walking with their pets. This is because it is a common notion that people who own pets are nice and caring (Fetters 2014, Robinson and Segal 2014). Physical activity is another benefit linked with owning pets and this improves the physical health of an individual. Pets require attention and no matter whether the pet is a dog or a parrot, a person has to perform some activity for them. This prevents a person from total physical inactivity. An added benefit is for the people who take their animals like cats and dogs for walks. A study has revealed that people who take their dogs for walks have a lesser probability of gaining excessive weight in comparison to the normal population (Fetters 2014). Pets have a significant role in stress reduction and in preventing anxiety and thus they are important in maintaining good psychological health as well. Being alone makes an individual depressed and thus the partnership of an animal keeps a person busy and prevents depression. Not only this, people who stay isolated from others seek comfort by staying with their pets. It has been suggested that spending time with pets and playing with them helps to relieve stress by altering the hormone levels in the body and making an individual energetic (Fetters 2014). To sum up, it can be understood that

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Project Specification and Design Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Project Specification and Design Report - Essay Example For example, the risk affiliated with definite types of instrumentation making it non- workable to have the instrumentation established in an administrative center. this is the method that is used to decrease the entire quantity of corporal break, damage or hammering that consequences in an accidental failure. They may be in the appearance of supervising and direct procedures or more dependable operational processes, or merely by budding and carrying out plans to manage commotion usage.( Robert C. et al 2003 pg. 289) A risk dominance procedure that regards the contract variable of a wholesome risk from one festivity to another. For example, the buy of an indemnity plans, by which a precise risk of thrashing is approved from the customer to the insurance company. Other examples are cleaving to nontoxic articles in many declarations, legal agreement demands to offer assurance reporting for another party's assistance, and insurance. How to alleviate the threat: undertaking the lowest fee, display revisit on asset (ROI), put in cost with additional services, be paid for a headship position in your business, and recommend installment defrayals. How to alleviate the threat: present a test time to experiment the manufactured goods or service; illustrate even or close in a race or competition or comparison; come along with standard dealer lists; associate with existing dealer or generate premeditated alignments; and suggest level reduction in price. Professional risk. How will this conclusion have an effect on specialized position in the eyes of others, and how might vocation and individual improvement be exaggerated How to alleviate the threat: suggest customer recommendations and acknowledgments, propose an elevated level of data for decision-making, tutor aspects on how to advertise the clarification to higher administration, and meet up with all fundamental persons and decision-makers. Security plan to guarantee exchange of information: Concentrate on consequences, not chronologies. Even though it's frequently intelligent to extend to five year plan for

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Large of numbers of people really leave home because of environmental Essay

Large of numbers of people really leave home because of environmental problems - Essay Example The environment is one of these developments that are influencing the movement of people from their homes. The environment encompasses a number of factors in it including climatic change (Schipper and Pelling, 2006). Most of these environmental factors are natural, and human beings do not have the ability to prevent them. The effects of these environmental factors are so severe that they force people flee their homes. The United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) recent reports indicate that the number of environmental refugees has increased suggesting the severity of this matter. The factors that force people to move away from their homes can be summarized into two broad categories. These broad categories are climatic change factors and natural disasters. Climatic change accounts for the majority of environmental migration cases (Afolayan and Adelekan, 2009). Global warming affects the ecosystem, which leads to drying up of rivers and other sources of water. Individuals have no access to clean water to sustain their life. Others whose livelihoods come from farming have no water to irrigate their lands. Lack of water will force people to move to other locations that have adequate water. Climatic change affects health, availability of food and water, the ecosystem and the coastal regions, which affect the settlements of individuals. Food is a basic factor that is necessary for the survival of human beings. Most people especially in Africa depend on farming to provide them with food. Weather and climatic changes in some regions are becoming increasingly unpredictable nowadays due to degradation of the environment (Ezra, 2001). Individuals will move to other areas that are productive in terms of farming. Some areas are prone to diseases due to the environment. For instance, cold areas are breeding sites for mosquitoes. Rainfall causes development of swamps in some areas. These swamps create breeding sites for mosquitoes. Places

Monday, September 23, 2019

The regulatory measures and reportorial standards pertaining to the Essay - 1

The regulatory measures and reportorial standards pertaining to the banking and financial services industry, in light of the subprime crisis and credit crunch of 2007-2008- Mohammed - Essay Example The Basel Committee on Bank Supervision has proposed a set of new regulations, primarily aimed at improving capital adequacy and quality to increase the resilience of the banking industry, and to adopt a set of liquidity measures and controls to stem the accumulation of risk that had caused the last crisis. The proposals were consulted with the bank and financial institutions as well as other interested parties in the finance industry, but despite the clamor for tighter regulations, the proposals were generally poorly received. This study determined that the reason for this lies in the proposals’ tendency to micro-manage, to emphasize quantity at the expense of quality, to adopt general standards for all banks indiscriminately despite their fundamental differences, to introduce distortions that create disinformation, and to model the proposed standards after severe stress conditions not even experienced during the crisis. The results are expected to be greater cost-inefficienc y, higher concentration risk, and poorer delivery of services by way of financial intermediation. Chapter 1 introduces the research and the context in which it is conceived, its main research question and the objectives it sought to answer in order to arrive at a conclusion responsive to the research question; as well as the manner it carried out this inquiry. It also explains the importance of conducting research on the topic, and the significance of the conclusion to be arrived at. The subprime mortgage crisis, strictly speaking, did not originate from the financial markets, but from the housing sector. If anything, the ultimate cause is traceable to faulty public policy on the manner of subsidizing housing for the lower income segments (Wachter, Pavlov & Pozsar, 2008). Logically, it should have affected the defaulting borrowers, the companies that enabled the mortgages, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the government that has given its guarantee, whether implicit or

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Evaluation approaches Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluation approaches - Research Paper Example The paper tells that evaluation techniques are crucial in any form of research regardless of whether it is a qualitative or quantitative research or a combination of both. This is because evaluation or measurement determines the interpretation of data gathered and, hence, impacts the findings and conclusions of a particular study. There is an ongoing debate as to which technique of evaluation or measurement can best interpret probability. According to Hand, this debate is stimulated and aggravated by controversy over the legitimacy of applying different classes of statistical methods to data that emerge as a consequence of different kinds of measurement activity. The body of literature supports this theme, from theories to actual research examples. The following studies undertaken to investigate three separate issues with different evaluation and measurement techniques highlight the differences by which the studies went through with their investigations. With an aim of investigating the validation approaches in Information Systems research, Boudreau, Gefen and Straub used an evaluation technique anchored on a comprehensive review and analysis of literature on the subject, specifically comparing two time periods. The researchers refer to it simply as a literature review except that such review was undertaken in a highly systematic manner. Clearly, the study is qualitative in character and it aims to describe the validation trends from 1997 to 1999. The employment of the review of literature as a foundation for inferences and conclusions is valid since qualitative research aims to find depth when quantitative studies seek breadth. Ambert et al. (1995) for instance, explained that because of this focus, evaluation could draw from a smaller group of research subjects or respondents instead of a large representative sample of the population. (p. 880) Bourdeau et al. selected five journals to represent the periods by which the study sought to compare. Out of these jo urnals, the author evaluated a total of 193 articles selected based on specific criteria or attributes. (p. 6) There were at least eleven such attributes (i.e. research type, content and construct validity, research method, etc.) and that they were, in turn, evaluated according to a validation test statistic – a second independent coder. (p. 6) The resulting data allowed for the identification of relationships and the evaluation of the efficacy of validation approaches based on previous documents so that the research objectives are finally met. It was found, for instance, that instruments are more frequently validated today than they were 11 years ago. (p. 7) Multi-method Evaluation Boyd et al. (2007), investigated community health services with emphasis on the need for stakeholder participation and dialogue. For this purpose, they designed a multi-method approach in order to cover the numerous stakeholders involved in community health services: health practitioners, communit y leaders, marginalized people, etc. Three evaluation frameworks are designed for goals, the stakeholders and the organization. The researchers employed the so-called critical systems thinking (CST) principle in this strategy, which is typified by three fundamental characteristics, namely: Critical awareness for the examination of assumptions in addition to the conditions that led to their emergence; Improvement both on temporary and local levels done in an adequately informed manner; and, Methodological

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Advertising and Promotion Essay Example for Free

Advertising and Promotion Essay After first reading the entire exam, thoroughly answer each essay question consistent with the Writing Across the Curriculum section below. Save your work in DOC, DOCX, or RTF format with your last name in the title. Upload your exam document to the course Dropbox no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. You must confirm successful upload. Late exam submissions will receive a grade of zero. Questions (25 points each): 1. As an outcome of the Module 1 Discussion, identify and describe what the class as a whole (a) found to be the top four communication management problems commonly associated with advertising and promotion, and (b) found to be the top solutions to these communication management problems. Why is it important to apply the Saint Leo core value of community when working with your peers (both in the classroom and in the work environment)? Give an example of how the core value was applied in the discussion. 2. Outline and explain the key outcomes of the research represented in the assigned mobile advertising article. 3. Compare (cite and explain relevant similarities) and contrast (cite and explain relevant pointed differences) the services offered by the following advertising agencies: Strawberry Frog, DDB Worldwide, and Exile on 7th. 4. Compare (cite and explain relevant similarities) and contrast (cite and explain pointed differences) TV and radio as advertising media. 5. Compare and contrast the value of newspapers and magazines as advertising media given the current external marketing environment (economic, legal, social, cultural, etc. ). 6. Identify and explain the chief challenges confronting mobile advertising. Writing Across the Curriculum: Please be reminded that all written assignments in this course (including examinations) require formal writing, i. e. , standard business English as employed in the typical executive management suite. Given the importance of proper business communication by masters of business administration, examination submissions exhibiting errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and executive business style will be grade penalized. References regarding grammar usage and style recommended by the School of Business are: Strunk and Whites The Elements of Style and Shertzers The Elements of Grammar. Saint Leo University administration and Board of Trustees promise the public that we are following Benedictine values, not the least of which are excellence and integrity. Please acquit yourself in this course consistent with these values. Grades will necessarily suffer if one does not behave in accordance with these values. It deserves repeating: plagiarism of any kind, intentional or unintentional, is treated with great concern at Saint Leo University. Plagiarism must be reported to the executive administration. A hearing will then be scheduled to advance the investigation into charges of plagiarism. It is better to be excessive in citing sources throughout the body of a paper than to risk the charge of plagiarism. A â€Å"Reference† section must conclude all written work in which sources require citing. Shintaro, O. , Barwise, P. (2011). Has the Time Finally Come for the Medium of the Future? Journal Of Advertising Research, 515 9-71.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Benefits of Information Technology in Education

The Benefits of Information Technology in Education The present era is an era of technology. Everywhere we are surrounded with technological devices and everyone is somehow familiar with technology. The foundation of all types of technology is laid down in educational institutions. The education in secondary level plays an essential role since it is responsible for the development of society. Therefore, secondary education can be made more effective by the use of technology and all resources made available through technology. This introduces us to the term Educational Technology. The word was recognised in 1967 with the establishment of National Council for Educational Technology in the United Kingdom.  [1]  N. Venkataiah in his book Educational Technology noted that For different reasons educational technology perhaps will perform support or enriching role relative to classroom teaching in college and University rather than serving a replacement for such instruction.  [2]  Every technology has its merits and limitations and no one technology is useful for all types of learning. 2.2 Benefits of using technology in the learning context We can talk of many benefits and criticism related to the use of technology in education. First we are going to deal with few advantages of making use of technology in the learning context. Technology in the learning process can increase students motivation. Computer based education can give immediate feedback to student and the right answers. Moreover a computer can give student motivation to continue learning, since a computer is patient and non-judgemental. According to James Kulik, who studies the effectiveness of computers used for leaning, students usually gain more in less time when receiving computer-based instructions and they build up more positive approach to the subject learned.  [3]  The American educator, Cassandra B. Whyte thought that successful academic performance in the future will depend on how computer usage and information technology would become important in the education experience of the future.  [4]   Educational technology provides the way for students to be active participants in their learning and to present differentiated questioning approaches. It expands individualized education and encourages the progress of personalized learning plans. Students are encouraged to use multimedia components and to integrate the knowledge they achieved in innovative ways.  [5]   2.3 Criticism to Learning Technology Although technology in the classroom does have many benefits, there are clear shortcomings as well. Not having proper training, limited access to enough quantities of a technology, and the additional time required for many running of technology are just a few reasons that technology is often not used widely in the classroom. Similar to learning a new task, special training is vital to ensure effectiveness when using things like technology. Training is a must when dealing with technology and education. Since technology is not the end goal of technology, but a means to be more effective in learning, educators must having a good grasp of the technology they can use or they are using and its advantages over the traditional means. If there is a lack of training, the use of technology will not give the all the good results that are given when technology is being used correctly. Another difficulty that which might arose when using technology for teaching/learning is the access to an enough amount of resources. Many teachers use technology by using a projector or screen, to show picture or videos, since there are not enough computers available for the students in order to be used by them and create or use it during the lesson. This also occurs when there is limited amount of access to technology because of high cost of technology and the fear of damages. There other cases when there the inconvenience of resources in such cases, such as having to transport the whole class to a computer lab or media room.  [6]   One of the disadvantages of using technology in education is that it is time consuming. Teachers had to prepare not only their lesson plans but had to prepare these resources using technology, which for teachers not familiar with technology can be a bit of headache. Another major issue which arise is that technology is too fast evolving. New resources have to be designed whenever the technological platform is changed. Changing for many times is not possible because of expenses and therefore there is the need to train teachers in order to know how to use new technologies.  [7]   But even there are all these disadvantages, one had to continue support the use of technology while investing in training of teachers, creating resources and made them available. 2.4 Technologies of information and their implementation in learning In this part we are going to deal with some of the technologies of information available that can be used in education. While observing their strengths and weaknesses, we are going to evaluate their implementation in the teaching/learning context. Interactive Whiteboard An interactive whiteboard is a large display connected to a projector and a laptop/computer. By using a pen, stylus or finger users can control what is seen on the display through these tools. So, by touching the screen one manages and controls the computer. Through a pen/stylus the user can calibrate the system if necessary, activate programs, buttons and menus found on the computer which is connected to the interactive whiteboard. If the user wants to enter text, can either make use of on-screen keyboard or else can utilize handwriting by using the pen/stylus. As technology and software programs are continuing to develop, there is an increase in interactivity, since interactive whiteboards are being supplied with software programs that provide all necessary tools and functions which can give the capacity to produce virtual edition of paper flipcharts with pen and highlighter options. Such softwares also include tools like protractors, rulers and compasses to make use of traditional teaching tools, since students are more familiar with and more available to use.  [8]   Interactive whiteboards are being used in many schools as a replacement for the traditional whiteboards or flipcharts or video/media systems. Interactive whiteboards can be used to connect to online shared annotations and drawing environments. The software helps teacher to keep electronic records of their note for later use. Also, teacher can record their instruction which they had done during the lesson on the interactive whiteboard, which can be saved as a digital video format and then can post this material for review and revision by the students. This is an advantage for the students to see a revision of what had been done in school, especially when something was not understood well, when they are absent or when they want to revise for examination. Some software programs used with interactive whiteboards allow also the recording of the teachers voice.  [9]   Obviously the main advantage of this technology is interactivity as the name reflects. Students also by the help of the teacher can make use of the interactive whiteboard during the lesson, to choose picture, drawing, write and more. Research by Glover and Miller on the impact of interactive whiteboards in secondary schools, shows that even interactive whiteboards are a technology more than a computer, their use in schools and by teachers reflects that their potential is unrealized. According to the authors of this research the use of interactive whiteboards by teachers is made in three ways: as an aid to efficiency, as an extension device, and as a transformative device.  [10]   Even if technology always is done for the benefit of humanity and to make life more easer, interactive whiteboards also were criticised by many for diverse reasons. According to the Washington Post article, published in June 11, 2010: Many academics question industry-backed studies linking improved test scores to their products. And some go further. They argue that the most ubiquitous device-of-the-future, the interactive whiteboard essentially a giant interactive computer screen that is usurping blackboards in classrooms across America locks teachers into a 19th-century lecture style of instruction counter to the more collaborative small-group models that many reformers favour.  [11]   The Londons Institute of Education in a report on the interactive whiteboards says that, Although the newness of the technology was initially welcomed by pupils any boost in motivation seems short-lived. Statistical analysis showed no impact on pupil performance in the first year in which departments were fully equipped.  [12]  The report also emphasize such issues such as the fact that teacher gives more importance to the innovative technology than on what scholars should be learning. It was noted that the focus on interactivity as a mechanical development can lead to everyday activities which were being overestimated and also that in lower-ability classes it would slow the pace of whole class learning since individual pupils took turns at the board.  [13]   Internet In many countries and homes, the Internet and the World Wide Web in particular can be considered as part of the household and as common household term. This is proven by amount of reference to internet in the daily life and the amount of time which people, especially those who are still studying in schools, spend surfing on the internet.  [14]  The popularity of internet had made it as an important tool in education both as a great resource and as tool in class. The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that are accessible to billions of users around the globe. It is a network of networks that is made up of so many networks which are private, public, academic, business and government use. The internet holds a vast range of information resources and services.  [15]   When for the first time teachers were introduced to the internet, there first reaction was about the tremendous educational potentials which exist on the internet. Internet was seen as an instrument to answer the learning needs of many students since it have vast amount of resources.  [16]   The use of internet adds something new, some real value, to teaching. The internet offers a tremendous way of communication between students themselves and with experts regarding the subject they are studying. Moreover students can join groups which discuss their favourite subject to continue enhance their information regarding that particular subject.  [17]   The internet can be a support when teacher using animation, pictures, maps, images and other resources. For example when studying the land in which Jesus lives, to which the student has never been, a virtual tour to some of the landmarks through the internet can make the lesson more attractive and interesting, since they are not only imagining what the teacher is saying about the Holy Land but also seeing how the Holy Land looks like. The use of internet is in contrast with the use of textbooks. Many of our textbooks can be considered outdated. The use of internet can gives us the opportunity to include current data in our lessons. On the other side the internet has also its weaknesses. Teaching involves human process that cannot be automated or manufactured. One important instrument of teaching is the human touch, which cannot be replaced. The extreme use of internet and computer lead to lacking of human touch when computer replace teachers.  [18]   Moreover there is no solid confirmation that computers develop positively students performance, since stories of success are isolated cases. This may result due to time needed for teachers to develop good applications to be used in classrooms. Even if the Internet improves learning, no one is yet to prove that the advantages of teaching using the Internet significantly outweigh the advantages of using other cheaper information media. Every new technology brings with it positive and negative impact. Nobody has taken time to analyze the negative impact of exposing children to the Internet may have on their social development.  [19]   Microsoft PowerPoint or other presentation software The use of PowerPoint during teaching has a significant amount of potentialities for encouraging more visual use and more proficient presentations, since one can put text, audio, videos, pictures, graphs and much more. PowerPoint is a widely used presentation programme which had originated in the business world but today had found also a very comfortable place in the world of teaching. The popularity of PowerPoint in educational technology stem directly from one of its famous features, that is, the ease of use, also by those who cannot be considered as experts on computer.  [20]   Good use of PowerPoint enhances the teaching and learning experience of both teachers and the students. This is continuously developing since the Microsoft Corporation which created PowerPoint is endlessly developing and adding more features to its software to make it more easy and professional look like, such as the integration of video clips and words at the same time and the use of the presenters view, in order for whom is doing the presentation to see what comes next or work with other programs at the same time. As well, the templates provided can help to make simple professional look of the presentation in order to be more effective and successful.  [21]   PowerPoint software also gives the accessibility to print what had been shown in the presentation in order for students to have a copy of the presentation shown during the lesson. Few are those disadvantages when using PowerPoint. An important element when using PowerPoint is the way how teachers should use it when they are making use of it in classrooms. Teacher should give attention to not have large amount of material on one slide which can make difficult for the students to comprehend what the teacher is actually doing in the lesson.  [22]   Video clip The use of video clips in education is developing very faster, since time has pass on static images and pictures. Today we are developing the idea of movement in pictures and in our presentations. The fact that video editing programs are now available for everyone to use on his personal computer, the trend that is developing is to create videos to enhance more the attention and motivation of the students. This developing is made easier through websites such as Youtube.com and Vimeo.com, where one can upload his videos while others can see and download for personal use. This innovative idea had created a planet of video resources which can be use for teaching. 2.5 Conclusion The use of these available technologies and others can make our teaching more effective and interesting. This use of old textbooks and methods of learning are a bit out of this world, since students are all surrounded by this new technologies which are developing very fast. This does not mean that we have to trash all old methods and textbooks but it is important to incorporate technology to make lessons more enjoyable, creative and effective.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Other South Southern Dissenters in the 19th century :: Essays Papers

The Other South Southern Dissenters in the 19th century Degler, Carl N. The Other South: Southern Dissenters in the 19th century. Harper &Row. 1974 Carl Degler brings out an different side of the southern part of the United States in his book "The Other South". Degler argues that if one is to understand the south as it really was it is important to dis regard the terribly common misconception that all southerners supported slavery or were indifferent to the suffering induced upon the blacks by slavery. Where common American history eludes to the fact that there were only a handful of southerners who openly opposed slavery, Degler's book shows that southern dissenters were, of course always the minority but were certainly greater in numbers than a mere handful. Also, the sheer complexity of a seemingly simple southern society has played a huge role in the historical path the south has followed in American history. Within the complex southern society socioeconomic and of course racial classes solely dictated most all southern views on the slavery issue. Degler also touches on the ever present black influence on society in th e south during this time period that was produced simply by their presence. In the middle of this moral conflict and fueling much of the conflict were groups of southern dissenters who risked much of their livelihood to fight against slavery. It is said that southerners have a "double history "1 a history as southerners and a history as Americans. One of the main points that reinforces this idea of double history is that of all Americans, the white upper class in the south are the only ones who have been defeated in war and occupied by the enemy2 . This is what gives southerners their double history, no other part of the country has had such conflict between their local and national loyalties3. The southern dissenters however, had what could be called a triple history. It is this idea of a triple history that Degler places at the heart of his sympathetic stand on the position of the southern dissenter. The southern dissenters were also in the middle of a serious identity conflict. From the perspective of a northerner they were southerners, from a majority southern perspective they were defiantly not southern at least as far as values and ideals were concerned. The Other South Southern Dissenters in the 19th century :: Essays Papers The Other South Southern Dissenters in the 19th century Degler, Carl N. The Other South: Southern Dissenters in the 19th century. Harper &Row. 1974 Carl Degler brings out an different side of the southern part of the United States in his book "The Other South". Degler argues that if one is to understand the south as it really was it is important to dis regard the terribly common misconception that all southerners supported slavery or were indifferent to the suffering induced upon the blacks by slavery. Where common American history eludes to the fact that there were only a handful of southerners who openly opposed slavery, Degler's book shows that southern dissenters were, of course always the minority but were certainly greater in numbers than a mere handful. Also, the sheer complexity of a seemingly simple southern society has played a huge role in the historical path the south has followed in American history. Within the complex southern society socioeconomic and of course racial classes solely dictated most all southern views on the slavery issue. Degler also touches on the ever present black influence on society in th e south during this time period that was produced simply by their presence. In the middle of this moral conflict and fueling much of the conflict were groups of southern dissenters who risked much of their livelihood to fight against slavery. It is said that southerners have a "double history "1 a history as southerners and a history as Americans. One of the main points that reinforces this idea of double history is that of all Americans, the white upper class in the south are the only ones who have been defeated in war and occupied by the enemy2 . This is what gives southerners their double history, no other part of the country has had such conflict between their local and national loyalties3. The southern dissenters however, had what could be called a triple history. It is this idea of a triple history that Degler places at the heart of his sympathetic stand on the position of the southern dissenter. The southern dissenters were also in the middle of a serious identity conflict. From the perspective of a northerner they were southerners, from a majority southern perspective they were defiantly not southern at least as far as values and ideals were concerned.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Animal Farm, by George Orwell :: Animal Farm Essays

One of the things I like about small presses is that they'll take chances on authors who write about things outside of the mainstream. III Publishing has been one of my favorite sources for libertarian/anarchist fiction and science fiction ever since I picked up and totally enjoyed The Last Days of Christ the Vampire. Now they bring us two fine contributions to anarchist SF literature. If you loved George Orwell's Animal Farm, you'll love this "sequel." Many who have read Orwell's classic missed the basic underlying anti-authoritarian message, instead reading it as an allegory about the Soviet Union. In Anarchist Farm we find an extension of the philosophies underlying Animal Farm, but this time with a more upbeat outcome. Contemporary concerns such as ecocide and animal rights are also woven into this readable book. In fact, it is written in a style appropriate for teenage readers. As in Animal Farm, the main characters here are animals and they talk. They also have cute names. Pancho is a pig who has escaped from the regime that has taken over the farm portrayed in Animal Farm. He is befriended by some wild animals, who are later revealed to be the "Forest Defenders." The Defenders turn out to be very similar to Earth First! Pancho eventually finds a farm whose owner has recently died. In response to the death of their benevolent owner, the animals turn the farm into a successful anarchist collective. As the months roll by, the animal start to worry about what might happen to them when the humans come to auction off the farm. The ending will surprise you. It should also be mentioned that the book also deals with monkeywrenching and its consequences. Anarchist Farm is funny, thought-provoking, and inspiring. It's an excellent sequel to Animal Farm. Let's hope that a few more readers "get it" this time. A.D. is a science fiction story set in the U.S.A. in the near future. Radical changes have altered the very political geography of the continent: the Klux Klan Klan and other white supremacists control what was the southern U.S., the Nation of Islam controls what was the Midwest, and the West Coast is all that remains of the old U.S. "liberal democracy." Fred Hampton Rush Sr. is a middle-aged black man living in Chicago, which is now the capital city of the Lost-Found Nation of Islam in North America.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Labeling theory Essay

Please complete the following exercises, remembering that you are in an academic setting and should remain unbiased, considerate, and professional when completing this worksheet. Part I Select three of the identity categories below and name or describe at least 3 related stereotypes for each: †¢ Race †¢ Ethnicity †¢ Religion †¢ Gender †¢ Sexual orientation †¢ Age †¢ Disability. |Category |Stereotype 1 |Stereotype 2 |Stereotype 3 | |Race |Asians are genuises |African Americans are amazing at |All white people are racist | | | |all sports | | |Gender |Woman are moody |Women can’t drive |Men are rude | |Disability |Disabled people are not smart |Disabled are weak |Disabled need help with everything| Part II Answer each question in 50 to 100 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use. What are the positive aspects of stereotypes, if any? o I do not think that there any positive aspects of stereotypes. I know that there are positive stereotypes, but in general stereotypes are opinions and are negative most of the time. Just about every stereotype that is out there is offensive to someone and can hurt someones feelings. For example, a stereotype that hurts me is my weight. People automatically assume that since I am heavier that I am lazy and do not take care of myself or my kids and that is far from being true. What are the negative aspects of stereotypes? o There are many different negative aspects of stereotypes. One negative aspect is that a lot of stereotypes are highly offensice to some people and can cause people to become upset or angry. Another negative aspect is that as long as we have stereotypes people are going to continue being prejudice. Part III Answer each question in 50 to 150 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use. Define stereotypes and prejudice. What is the difference between stereotyping and prejudice? Use examples to illustrate the differences. o Stereotypes are unreliable assumptions that are made towards a certain group without taking individual differences into mind. Prejudice is simply a negative attitude towards a group of people. The difference between prejudice and stereotypes is that stereotypes are made towards everyone involved in a certain group whether the opinion be positive or negative stereotypes links everyone in that group to be the same even though they are not. For example, a stereotype would be something like saying all gay guys are wimps. Prejudice on the otherhand is completely negative and affects an entire group such as a racial or religious group. An example of prejudice would be something like someone saying they hate all African Americans because their skin is a different color. What is the relationship between stereotyping and prejudice? o The relationship between stereotyping and prejudice is that both of them affect an entire group of people without taking into consideration the individual differences. Prejudice is the beginning circle of this negativity. People are prejudice and split different people into different groups. Once this is done stereotyping comes into play where people sort those groups into smaller categories by making opinions of the groups without seeing the differences. What can be done to prevent prejudice from occurring? o There are a few different ways that we can try and prevent prejudice from occurring. One way is education and research. If people took more time to learn about different people and the diversity that we have in this world I think that they would see all of the interesting things in others and would help prevent some of the prejudice. Another way that we can try and prevent prejudice is by eliminating stereotypes and not labeling people.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Midaq Alley as the Woman

The women of the Middle East would continue to uphold their traditional image, even though in their heart of hearts many of them may be yearning for plain liberty.   The chief character of Naguib Mahfouz’s Midaq Alley (1992) is a woman by the name of Hamida, who must put up acts to stay true to her traditions, at the same time as she yearns for something beyond the ordinary.   Yet, her passage into a world where men and women must be considered equal is a narrow one. As a matter of fact, her life is the Midaq Alley, which â€Å"resembles a ‘trap,’ with walls on three sides, making darkness one of its pervasive features (Deeb).†Ã‚   What is more, there is a very narrow entrance and an equally narrow exit to the small alley – away from the big, outside world – that the Middle Eastern woman has come to represent in Mahfouz’s novel (Deeb). Yet, Hamida is not the kind to give up easily.   She sneers at her husbands-to-be simply because she wants something better than them, most definitely a life that is more prosperous, and outright superior, that is, the big, outside world.   She considers her husbands-to-be as nonentities because she thinks she can achieve well for herself without them.   At the same time, she is bounded by Middle Eastern customs and culture to choose one prospect and get married like ordinary girls (Mahfouz). Hamida admires the women who have escaped their marital bonds.   She is especially inspired by the factory girls she knows – who all happen to be Jewish.   She informs her mother about the same, â€Å"If you had seen the factory girls!   You should just see those Jewish girls who go to work.   They all go about in nice clothes.   Well, what is the point of life then if we can't wear what we want? (Mahfouz)† According to Middle Eastern customs for women, Hamida must control her true desires before the cultural expectations that are attached to all women.   All the same, Mahfouz brings to the mind’s eye the picture of Middle Eastern women that are longing to free themselves from the bonds of patriarchy, and all the rules of society that are connected to the same.   Apparently, the Middle Eastern women would also like to free themselves from the difficult clothing they are forced to wear. Perhaps they would like breaks from such clothing.   While women such as Hamida may genuinely face a problem with restrictive customs, Mahfouz also describes the ‘proper’ girls that are not expected to show their desires anyway.   Boys of the Middle East, on the contrary, are allowed various other facilities, also according to the author.   Boys are permitted, among other things, access to sex, nightlife, and friendships outside the family (Mahfouz). When Hamida gets married to Abbas, she only does so to escape her mother’s home.   Escape seems to be her only wish.   She turns into a prostitute as soon as her husband leaves home for an indefinite period of time.   But, does she find her eventual escape route through this act?   It appears that while many Middle Eastern women may be searching for escape routes from traditions, once and for all, it was only Hamida who actually managed to escape.   Whether she had dreamt of reaching a brothel or not is not the point of Mahfouz’s tale. The fact remains that Hamida had no choice to live a liberated life as a Middle Eastern woman, except as a prostitute.   Most Middle Eastern women would shun the idea of prostitution altogether, calling it a major sin.   However, Hamida was so desperate to escape that she defied the common image of the Middle Eastern woman to truly escape her cultural constraints, once and for all.   Whether she also found happiness is not the concern of the author either.   Hamida’s liberation, on the other hand, is an important message of Midaq Alley (Mahfouz). Hamida was the kind who merely upheld the traditional image of the Middle Eastern woman, just as many other Middle Eastern women probably do.   At the same time, she was desperate enough to express her suppressed desires of liberation that she chose the career of prostitution so as to escape all associations with the patriarchal traditions.   Perhaps, therefore, Mahfouz’s writing is a warning for the extremely strict movements that reduce people to suppressed desperation, which eventually bursts into crimes and various other problems (Mahfouz). Works Cited Deeb, Marius. â€Å"Najib Mahfuz's Midaq Alley: A Socio-Cultural Analysis.†   Bulletin (British Society for Middle Eastern Studies), Vol. 10, No. 2 (1983), pp. 121-130. Mahfouz, Naguib. Midaq Alley. Reprint edition. New York: Anchor, 1992.   

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Stay in Hometown or Move

After they complete their university studies, some students live in their hometowns. Others live in different towns or cities. Which do you think is better -? living in your hometown or living in a deferent town or city? Give reasons for your answer. There are various reasons why a university student chose to stay in their hometown or leave.Relocating to another city or a country may be due to better Job opportunities, safer environment for the family, and better quality of life for the family. For those who stayed behind may be u to satisfaction within the community, personal commitment to work In and Improve the community, and the family Is deeply Involved with the customs and traditions of the community for generations. A student deeply rooted In the local traditions chooses to continue to live and work In the community he or she grew up In.He may Introduce new concepts to Improve the livelihood and quality of life of the other members. Sometimes It Is the camaraderie among the me mbers that makes the person stay rather than pursue opportunities elsewhere. On the other hand. Some graduates opt to relocate in search of greener pastures. If the family were living in an unsafe environment that threatens their livelihood, they would most likely relocate. A better location can give them a better quality of life.They can have peace while pursuing their careers. Their children can also concentrate in their studies because they are assured that they are free from any harm. In summary, most university graduates would relocate to seek greener pastures that offer a better quality of life for the whole family. For those who stayed behind they would rather work and contribute to the community where they grew up in. 251 words (body)

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Analysis of ‘The Death of a Moth” Essay

Virginia Woolf is a British writer born in 1882 and she died a horrific death in 1941. She jumped unto River Ouse wearing an overcoat filled with rocks. She committed suicide as she was depressed and has a pessimistic feeling towards life due to a mental illness she has been cursed with. She wrote ‘The Death of the Moth’ in 1942. This essay contains a wide variety of rhetorical devices that makes it intriguing. Although the essay is short, she wrote a detailed story with an underlying metaphor. In this non-fictional essay, she effectively conveys her ideas through the use of figurative language. She uses an extended metaphor in which the moth symbolizes humans in the way it lives its life. The essay entraps the reader into the outgoing struggle of our own mortality. Throughout the essay, the reader becomes aware of the tragedy that all life has to offer and that is the inevitable death. The theme is not lucid in the beginning. But in the latter part of the essay, one can deduce that the moth actually symbolizes humans and life. In the essay, she illustrates the struggle between life and death. Her purpose in writing this passage is to depict how pathetic life is in the face of death, and to garner respect for the awesome power that death has over life. Throughout the essay, death is described from many different angles. The purpose of this is to remind us of the power that death has over life. She shows us the death is certain and unavoidable. She does not convey this message with logic, but with instead with emotions, feelings, and implicit ideas. She makes us feel the death of the moth to impart us a more complete understanding of the eternal power of death. She uses several different types of figurative and literary language. As mentioned earlier, the essay is an extended metaphor. She used simile several times. For example, â€Å"†¦ until it looked as if a vast net with thousands of black knots in it had been cast up into the air. † In this simile, she describes a gathering of crows in the trees outside her window. In addition, she uses parallelism, which occurs when she writes: â€Å"That was all he could do, in spite of the size of the downs, the width of the sky, the far-off smoke of houses, and the romantic voice, now and then, of a steamer out at sea. † A good example of hyperbole is present when the author describes: â€Å"One could only watch the extraordinary effort made by those tiny legs against an oncoming doom which could, had it chosen, have submerged an entire city, not merely a city, but masses of human beings†¦ † By using such a simple creature’s struggle against death as a metaphor, Woolf creates a beautiful essay on the fragility of life. Her simplicity and detail keeps her essay from becoming overcomplicated, overly dramatic, or depressing. It was a surprisingly light and meaningful essay on an event that most people would probably overlook.

Good Leaders Are Made Not Born

A PROJECT REPORT ON BEHAVIOURAL ASPECT OF LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOURAL ASPECT OF LEADERSHIP BUSINESS SCHOOL OF DELHI GREATER NOIDA SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY: PROF. VEENU ARORA ROHIT KUMAR PGDM(2011-13) INTRODUCTION Good leaders are made not born . If you  have the desire and will power ,you can become an effective leader. good leaders develop through a never-ending process of self study, education, training and experience.This guide will help you through that process. to inspire your people into higher  levels of teamwork, there are certain things you  must be, know ,and ,do. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual work  and study. The best leaders are continually working and  studying to improve their leadership skills. Before we get started, les define leadership. Leadership is  a complex process by which a person influences others to accomplish a mission, task or objective  and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and cohe rent.A person carries out this process by applying his or  her leadership attributes (belief, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills). Although your position as a  manager, supervisor, lead, etc. s and objectives in the organization, this power does not make you a leader†¦ it simply makes you the boss. Leadership makes people  want to achieve high goals and objectives, while, on  the other hand, bosses tell people to accomplish a  task or an objective. Bass' (1) theory of leadership states that there  are three basic ways to explain how people become  leaders, the first two explain the leadership development for a small  number of people.These theories are: Some personality traits  may lead people naturally into leadership  roles. Tg is  is THE  TRAIT THEORY. Crisis or important event may cause a person to rise to the occasion, which brings extraordinary leadership qualities in an ordinary person. This is THE GREAT EVENT THEORY. People can choo se to become leaders. People can learn  leadership skills. This is THE TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP THEORY. It is most widely accepted theory today and the premise  on which this guide is based. When a person is deciding if  he respects you as a leader, hedoes not think about your attributes.He observes what you do so that he can know who you really are. He uses this observation to tell if you are an honourable and trusted leader, or a self serving person who misuses his or her  authority to look good and get promoted. Self serving leaders are not as effective  because their employees only obey them, not  follow them. They succeed in many areas because they present a good image  to their seniors at the expense of their  people. The basis of good leadership is honorable character and selfless service to your organization .In  your employees' eyes,  Your leadership is everything you do that  affects the organizations objectives and their well being. A  respected leader concentrates on what she is [be] (beliefs  and character), what she knows job, tasks, human nature), and what she  does (implement, motivate, provide direction). What makes a person follow a leader? People want to guided by those they respect and those who  have a clear sense of direction. to gain respect, they must be ethical. A sense of direction is achieved by conveying a strong vision of the  future. TWO MOST IMPORTANT KEYS OFLEADERSHIPHay's study examined over 75 key components of  employee satisfaction. They found that: trust and confidence in  top leadership was the single most reliable  predictor of employee satisfaction in an organization. Effective communication by leadership in three critical areas was  the key to win  organizational trust and confidence: helping the employees understand the company's overall business strategy. Helping employees understand how they contribute to achieving key  business objectives. Bring information with employe es on both  how the company is doing and how an own  employee's division is doing -relative to strategic business objectives.So basically, you must be trustworthy and you  have to be able to communicate a vision of where you are going. Notice how the â€Å"PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP† in the next section closely ties in with this. HUMAN RELATIONS The six most important words: â€Å"i admit i made a mistake. â€Å"The five most important words: â€Å"you  did a good job. â€Å"The four most important words: â€Å"what is  your opinion. â€Å"The three most important words: â€Å"if you please. â€Å"The two most important words: â€Å"thank  you. â€Å"The one most important word: â€Å"we. â€Å"The least most important word: PRINCIPLE OF LEADERSHIPTO HELP YOU BE, KNOW, AND DO, (2) FOLLOW THESE ELEVEN principles of leadership (later sections will expand on  gaining an insight into these principles and  providing tools to perform them):Know yourself an d seek self-improvement means continually strengthening your attributes. This can be accomplished through reading, self-study, classes, etc. be technically proficient. As a leader, you must know your job and have a solid familiarity with your employees' jobs. Seek responsibility and take  responsibility of your actions. Search for ways to guide  your organization to new heights.And when things go wrong, they will sooner or later, do not blame others. Analyze the  situation, take corrective action, and move on to the next challenge. Make sound and timely decisions. Use good problem solving, decision making and planning tools. Set the example. Be a good role model for  your employees. They must not only hear what they are expected to do but also see. Know your people and  look out for their well-being. Know human nature and importance of sincerely  caring for your workers. Keep your people informed. Know how to communicate with your people within the organization. Develop a sense of responsibility in  your people.Develop good character traits within your people that will help them carry out their professional responsibilities. Ensure that tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished. Communication is the key to this responsibility. Train your  people as a team. Although many so called leaders call their  organization, department, section, etc. A team; they are not really teams†¦ they are just a group of people doing their jobs. Use the  full capabilities of your organization. By developing a team spirit, you will be able to employ your organization, department, section, etc. to its fullest capabilitiesFACTORS OF LEADERSHIP The four major factors of leadership are †¦.. THE FOLLOWER: Different people require different styles of  leadership. For example,  a new hire requires  more supervision than an experienced employee. A person with  a different attitude requires a different approach than one with a  high degree of  motivation. You must know  your people! The fundamental starting point is having a good understanding of human  nature: needs, emotions, and motivation. You must know your employees' be, know and do attributes. LEADER:  You must have an honest understanding of who you  are, what you know, and what you can do.Also, note that it is the followers, not the leader who determines  if a leader is  successful. If a follower does no it trust or lacks confidence in his or her leader, then she will be uninspired. To be successful you have to convince your followers, not yourself or your supervisors, that you are worthy of being followed. COMMUNICATION: You lead through two way  communication. Much of it is non-verbal. For instance, when you â€Å"set the example,† that communicates to your people that you would no task them to perform anything that you would not be willing to do.What and how you communicate either builds or harms the relationship between you and your emp loyees. SITUATION: All situations are different. What you  do in one leadership situation will not always work in another situation. You must use your judgment to decide the best course of action and the leadership style needed for each situation. For example, you may need to confront an employee  for inappropriate behavior, but the confrontation is too late or too early, too harsh or too weak, then the results may prove ineffective . ATTRIBUTES if you are a leader  that can be trusted, then the  people around you will learn to respect you.To be a good leader, there are things thtu must be, know, and do. these fall under the  leadership framework: BE a professional. BE a professional who possess good character traits. KNOW the four factors of leadership- follower, leader, communication, situation. KNOW yourself . KNOW human nature KNOW your job KNOW your organization. DO provide direction. DO implement. DO motivate. Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning The Tu ck man model(2)shows the five stages that teams go through: from Forming to Storming to Norming to Performing to Adjourning.Forming In the Forming stage, team members are introduced. They state why they were chosen  or volunteered for the team and what they hope to accomplish within the team. Members cautiously explore the boundaries of acceptable group behavior. This is a stage of transition  from individual to member status, and of testing the leader's guidance both formally and informally. Forming includes these feelings and behaviors: Excitement, anticipation, and optimism. Pride in being chosen for the  project A tentative attachment to the team Suspicion and anxiety about the job.Defining the tasks and how they will be accomplished. Determining acceptable group behavior. Deciding what information needs to be gathered. Abstract discussions of the concepts and issues, and for some members, impatience with  the discussions. There will be difficulty in identifying some of the relevant  problems. Because there is so much  going on to distract members' attention in the beginning, the team accomplishes little, if anything, that concerns it's project goals. This is perfectly normal. Storming During the team's transition from the â€Å"As-Is† tothe â€Å"To-Be,† is called the Storming phase.All members have their own ideas as to how theprocess should look, and personal agendas arerampant. Storming is probably the most difficultstage for the team. They begin to realize thetasks that are ahead are different and  moredifficult than they imagined. Impatient about thelack of progress, members argue about just whatactions the team should take. They try to relysolely on their personal and professionalexperience, and resist collaborating with most  of  the other team members. Storming includes these feelings and behaviors:Resisting the tasks. Resisting quality improvement approachessuggested by other members.Sharp fluctuations in attitude about the teamand the project's chance of success. Arguing among members even when they agreeon the real issues. Defensiveness, competition, and choosing sides. Questioning the wisdom of those who selectedthis project and appointed the other  membersof the team. Establishing unrealistic goals. Disunity, increased tension, and jealousy. The above pressures mean that team  membershave little energy to  spend on progressingtowards the team's goal. But they  are beginningto understand one another. This phase sometimestakes 3 or 4 meetings before arriving at theNorming phase.Norming The Norming phase is when the team reaches aconsensus on the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"To-Be† process. Everyonewants to share the  newly found focus. Enthusiasmis high, and the team is tempted to go beyond theoriginal scope of the process. During this stage,members reconcile competing loyalties andresponsibilities. They accept the team, teamground rules, their roles in the team, and theindividuality of fellow members. Emotionalconflict is reduced as previously competitiverelationships become more cooperative. Norming includes these feelings and behaviors:An ability to express criticism  constructively.Acceptance of membership in the team. An attempt to achieve harmony  by avoidingconflict. More friendliness, confiding in each other, andsharing of personal problems. A sense of team cohesion, spirit,  and goals. Establishing and maintaining team ground rules and boundaries. As team members begin to work out their differences, they now have more time  and energy to spend on the project. Performing The team has now settled its relationships andexpectations. They can begin performing bydiagnosing, solving problems, and choosing andimplementing changes.At last team membershave discovered and accepted each  other'sstrengths and weakness, and learned what theirroles are. Performing includes these feelings andbehaviors:Members have insights into personal and  groupprocesses, and bett er understanding of eachother's strengths and weakness. Constructive self-change. Ability to prevent or work  through groupproblemsClose attachment to the teamThe team is now an effective, cohesive unit. Youcan tell when your team has reached this stagebecause you start getting a lot  of work done. Adjourning The team briefs and shares the  improved processduring the this phase.When the team finallycompletes that last briefing, there is always abittersweet sense of accomplishment coupledwith the reluctance to  say good-bye. Manyrelationships formed within these teams continuelong after the team disbands TEAM VS GROUP There are several factors that separate teamsfrom groups. Roles and  Responsibilities Within a group, individuals establish a set of  behaviors called roles. These roles setexpectations governing relationships. Roles oftenserve as source of confusion and conflict. Whileon the other hand, teams have a sharedunderstanding on how to perform their role.These rol es include: leader, facilitator,timekeeper, and recorder. Identity While teams have an identity, groups do not. It isalmost impossible to establish the sense of  cohesion that characterizes a team without thisfundamental step. A team has a  clearunderstanding about what constitutes the team's'work' and why it is  important. They can describea picture of what the team needs to achieve, andthe norms and values that will guide them Cohesion Teams have an esprit that shows a sense of  bonding and camaraderie. Esprit is the spirit,soul, and state of mind of the team.It is theoverall consciousness of the team that  a personidentifies with and feels  a part of. Individualsbegin using â€Å"we† more than â€Å"me. † Facilitate Groups have a tendency to get bogged down withtrivial issues. Ask yourself, â€Å"How much time getswasted in meetings you attend? † Teams usefacilitators to keep the team on the right path. Communication While members of a group are  centered uponthemselves, the team is committed to opencommunication. Team members feel they canstate their opinions, thoughts, and feelingswithout fear. Listening is considered as importantas speaking.Differences of opinion is valued andmethods of managing conflict are understood. Through honest and caring feedback, membersare aware of their strengths and weakness  asteam members. There is an  atmosphere of trustand acceptance and a sense of community. Flexibility Most groups are extremely rigid. Teams, howevermaintain a high level of flexibility, and theyperform different task and maintenance functionsas needed. The responsibility for teamdevelopment and leadership is shared. Thestrengths of each member are identified  andused. Morale Team members are enthusiastic about the work of  the team and each person feels pride in being a 16 ember of the team. Team spirit is high. To be asuccessful team, the group must have a  strongability to produce results and a  high degre e of  satisfaction in working with one  another. Working With Other TeamMembers Although we are like in many ways, we are dislikein a lot more ways. Humans have always tried toclassify things, including themselves. This sectionuses a popular categorizer by placing people intofour styles – Driver, Persuader, Analyzer,Organizer. (note that the names will vary widelydepending upon the creator of the chart). It  doesthis by charting them on two dimensions – tasksand emotions.People gets results on tasksbetween two extremes – expedience andprocesses. People use emotions in dealing withothers through two extremes – controlled orresponsive. In the chart below, the twodimensions are shown under the profile Character: Be a piece of the  rock †¢ Charisma: The first impression can seal the deal. †¢ Commitment: It seperates doers from  dreamers †¢ Communication: without it you travel alone †¢ Competence: if you build it they will come à ¢â‚¬ ¢ Courage: one person with courage is a  majority †¢ Discernment: put an end to  unsolved mysteries †¢Focus: the sharper it is, the sharper you are †¢ Generosity: your candle loses nothing when it lights another †¢ Initiative: you wont leave home without it †¢ Listening: to connect with their hearts use your ears 43 †¢ Passion: take this life and love it †¢ Positive attitude: if you believe you can, you can †¢ Problem solving: you cant let  your problems be a problem †¢ Relationships: if you get along they will go along †¢ Resposibility: if you wont carry the ball you wont lead theteam †¢ Security: competence never compensates for insecurity †¢ Self-discipline: the first person you lead is you †¢

Friday, September 13, 2019

Death is not the truth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Death is not the truth - Essay Example Tolstoy saw life as something that ought to be avoided, rather than sought or wished for. But a critical analysis of Tolstoy’s view on life shows that his view on life is flawed and untrue. Tolstoy’s view of life is false, first and foremost, on logical grounds. To lay bare the logical weaknesses of Tolstoy’s anti-life argument, it is necessary to first analyze his argument logically, and then point out its weaknesses. Tolstoy’s nihilistic attitude to life was informed by his experiences in life which made him to conclude that life is utterly meaningless. Tolstoy was brought up in a Christian Orthodoxy family and he was taught catechism, but later in life, he lost his faith and stopped going to church. Prior to developing this anti-life attitude, Tolstoy had attempted many things in life in an effort to become wealthy and famous. He had committed all sorts of evils to achieve this goal (Tolstoy, 18). Tolstoy, also, tried very hard to be perfect in whatever he did, so as to become a respected and a famous person. Eventually, Tolstoy’s efforts paid off and he achieved his objectives of becoming wealthy and famous; Tolstoy had stable family, his businesses were doing well, and he was a respected and a well known person. But despite these achievements, Tolstoy wasn’t a happy person; he became deeply distressed in life. At one point he contemplated committing suicide (Tolstoy, 29). Amidst this emotional torture, it dawned on Tolstoy that despite all his achievements in life, death was the inevitable eventuality awaiting him. Tolstoy realized that soon or later, he would die, decompose, and all his efforts and achievements in life would be all in vain. Tolstoy, therefore, conceived life as one big evil that ought to be avoided. He saw the whole of life as being useless since no matter how much we struggle to be successful, we will ultimately die and leave everything that we have worked for.Tolstoy’s argument of life as being meaningless can be logically expressed as follows: First premise, it is meaningless to live and eventually die Second Premise, in human life death is inevitable Conclusion, human life, is therefore, meaningless A critical and logical analysis of this argument shows that the argument is indeed valid, for the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises, but the argument is, however, unsound. While the second premise is true, that death is an inevitable eventuality to all human beings, the first premise, however, is false because the meaning of life doesn’t lie in whether or not human life is mortal or immortal. A critical analysis of this proposition that, it is meaningless to live and die, shows that Tolstoy is wrong in this claim. The main reason that Tolstoy would use to counter my thesis and to support his claim that it is meaningless to live and eventually die, is that after death, we will not be able to enjoy the fruits of our labour and all our fame and our k nowledge/learning in life will become of no more use to us. So on this basis, Tolstoy concludes that life is meaningless. Tolstoy was influenced to make this conclusion by the fact that, even while we are alive, despite our outstanding achievements in life, life is full of misery and, therefore, there is no point of living in perpetual struggle and misery, and eventually we die. Tolstoy, therefo

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Examine consulting processes and techniques Assignment - 1

Examine consulting processes and techniques - Assignment Example Answering the above mentioned questions will help the management to step forward to the proper direction. Pilot project generally means a test or trial project which is undertaken prior to undertaking the main project. Thus, the failure of the pilot project provides the management a chance to make the necessary changes in the technique and in the processes of the project. In this regard, to respond to the above mentioned questions, there is a requirement of intense evaluation. The client had implemented SAP in his organizational operations related activities for the better integration and flexibility but instead of generating solutions to the identified problems, the client faced various issues. Firstly, the implementation failed because of the wrong approaches and investment of a lot of capital which had been largely wasted. Various consulting and managerial roles were not present in the client’s approach in the process of implement of the project successfully. These managerial and consulting roles include planning, organizing, staffing, directing, controlling, the leader, the liaison, the disseminator, the monitor, the entrepreneur, spokesperson and the disturbance handler. In this regard, various implementation strategies also were needed to be built such as location and pricing strategies (Wickham & Wickham, 2008). A consulting project aimed at creating specific outcome could be used to address and solve the problem in a much appropriate way. As the client wants to handle his departments such as financial performance management, supply chain management (SCM), manufacturing processes and sales thus job specific consulting project could be appropriate to provide attention in each single department. SAP ERP mainly delivers a comprehensive asset of business benefits that includes risk reduction, better financial management and corporate governance. As the firm was facing a problem related to the financial management

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Confederates in the Attic Book Analysis Term Paper

Confederates in the Attic Book Analysis - Term Paper Example He recalls his efforts for research, some bitter-sweet memories, the threat of physical violence and camaraderie he experienced, all for the sake of writing a good book with accurate historical details. Recollection of the past events is not always sweet, even when the present states of affairs are sound. For an individual, for an institution, for a race, for a language group and for the Nation as a whole, the original questions will always remain as the original questions with slight modifications here and there! During his extensive travel, Horwitz realized how sharply the viewpoints of the people were divided, over the fundamental issues, though taking into consideration the provisions of the Constitution, every citizen of America, was granted equal rights and continues to enjoy them. Tony Horwitz points out how a small initiative, even if it well-intentioned, has the potentiality of ending up in major conflagration and the pet up feelings of different sections of the people have chances of snowballing into a conflagration. He (1999, p.6) cites the example, â€Å"the Walt Disney Company unveiled plans for a Civil War theme park beside the Manassas battlefield. This provoked howls of protest that Disney would vulgarize history and sully the nation’s â€Å"hallowed ground.†It seemed as though the black-and-white photographs I’d studied as a child has blurred together, forming a Rorschach blot in which Americans now saw all sorts of unresolved strife; over race, sovereignty, the sanctity of historic landscapes, and who should interpret the past.† His interactions with the actors (people) in the re-enacting circles revealed their mind-sets and thinking processes and some humorous situations. About his impression of a bloated corpse Horwitz writes, ''His belly swelled grotesquely, his hands curled, his cheeks puffed out, his mouth contorted in a rectus of pain and astonishment. It was a flawless counterfeit of the bloated corpses photo graphed at Antietam and Gettysburg that I'd so often stared at as a child.'' (p.7) What he wondered and took note off was the seriousness with which each actor acted, not with the sense of professional integrity alone, but to give vent to their feelings of personal loyalties and convictions. In the course of his trek, Horwitz comes across highly interesting personalities, which one cannot imagine even in the fictional dreams and it provides rare insights into the minds of the personalities. Besides such encounters and experiences are invaluable addition from the perspectives of sociology and human psychology. My impressions about the text: This is an invaluable book that provides insight into the working of the minds of common individuals as for the issues confronting the Nation today. By passing laws on equality and by securing the freedom of individuals through legislations, nothing tangible will be achieved. No legislation can change the color of the skin, and this is the issue, that boggles those who have concern for the welfare of the Nation, nay the ultimate good the humankind. The most dismaying trend Horwitz finds is the resurgence of anti-Federal hostility and racial separatism and I agree with the author one hundred percent about his genuine concern. This is a historical issue for which extraordinary efforts are needed at all levels like politics, economics, sociology and even religious and spiritual values of the Nation. The politicians of different parties have so far