The Autobiography of Malcolm X Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Autobiography of Malcolm X - Essay Example Here are the words that clear why he thought his men were controlled by the white Americans and what his people could do to overpower them and get their freedom permanently: The political philosophy of Black Nationalism means: We must control the politics and the politicians of our community. They must no longer take orders from outside forces. We will organize and sweep out of office all Negro politicians who are puppets for the outside forces.1 Above stated text of the statement was made by Malcolm X in the opening of his press conference at New York’s Park Sheraton Hotel, March 12. The mentioned quote tells us that Malcolm’s concern was not only the behaviors and oppositions of the white people but he believed that there were people inside his people who were basically the puppets controlled by the outside forces. 1. Sheppard Roland. â€Å"The assassinations of Malcolm X and martin Luther king, Jr.† The freedom that Malcolm X addressed was the freedom for indi viduals to accept themselves as they were and to not feel the pressure from the social order to work in the correspondence with their standards and not feel like they are beautiful as they are naturally. Malcolm wanted to make them realize that they would not have to dye their hair, or conk them to make them look like that of a white man and so on. Malcolm felt that the freedom is something that allows you to be yourself, and not feel pressured by other cultures to conform to their way of life.   However, he later admitted that he was not as free as he initially thought he was, as he began to put conk in his hair to make them look like that of a white man’s. He realized that he didn’t have the freedom to accept himself as he was and that  he felt the pressure from his friends and other surrounding people.   Malcolm describes the physical pain he endured so that he could feel the pride of belonging to Roxboro Hill. Nevertheless, later Malcolm realized that the pai n he was suffering for his hair was just a deceiving method used to help them (he and other black people) to ignore the real problems of being manipulated to cause harm to themselves by white society so that they could fit the standards of the white people instead of having the freedom to accept themselves as they were. After his visit to Mecca On March, 1964 after his visit to Mecca, Malcolm X explained his changed views on violence and racism in these words: â€Å"I don't speak against the sincere, well-meaning, good white people. I have learned that there are some. I have learned that not all white people are racists. I am speaking against and my fight is against the white racists. I believe that Negroes have the right to fight against these racists, by any means that are necessary.†1 1. John, Simkin. "Malcolm X: Biography." Malcolm continued; â€Å"I am for violence if non-violence means we continue postponing a solution to the American black man's problem - just to avoi d violence. I don't go for non-violence if it also means a delayed solution. To me a delayed solution is a non-solution. Or I'll say it another way. If it must take violence to get the black man his human rights in this country, I'm for violence exactly as you know the Irish, the Poles, or Jews would be if they were flagrantly discriminated against.†1 The hurdles he wanted to demolish The Biggest problem that Malcolm saw in his people was that they were not in a state of realization that they had all the

Schizophrenia and Depression Essay Example for Free

Schizophrenia and Depression Essay â€Å"Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that effects about 1. 1 percent of the U. S. population age 18 and older in a given year† (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010, para. 1). Both men and women are equally at risk for this particular mental disorder. The main component of schizophrenia is the loss of contact with reality. Individuals who suffer from schizophrenia typically lead a normal functioning life prior to developing the disorder (Comer, 2005). Once they develop the disorder they tend to experience a variety of severe and chronic symptoms that can interfere with their work, social, and family life. Schizophrenia is one of the more disturbing mental disorders due to the nature of the symptoms the individuals may experience. Hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions are some of the main symptoms of schizophrenia. Delusions are false ideas held by the individual suffering from schizophrenia. These ideas have no factual basis. Some schizophrenia sufferers believe that people are plotting against them or discriminating against them. Individuals who suffer from schizophrenia may also experience disorganized thinking and speech which can cause the individual to move from one topic to another without any specific rhyme or reason. This type of speech often only makes sense to the individual while leaving others confused. Individuals might also make up word, or neologisms, which have meaning only to the individual but do not truly exist as part of speech within society. Hallucinations can involve seeing, hearing, smelling, or feeling things that aren’t really there. This may occur as auditory or visual hallucinations (Comer, 2005) The psychodynamic explanation of the psychological viewpoint is based upon Freud’s theory that schizophrenia develops from two psychological processes: regression to a pre-ego stage and efforts to establish ego control (Comer, 2005). Freud believed that symptoms like neologisms, loose associations, or delusions resulted from a lack of nurturance as a young child. As the isorder progresses in these individuals they begin to exhibit more symptoms such as hallucinations and a loss of reality. Mental Disorder Depression Depression is a mood disorder characterized by ongoing feelings of sadness and hopelessness. It is believed that genetics may play a large role in the risk factors that lead to depression because having either parent or sibling with depression can actually triple an individual’s risk of dev eloping the disorder. In addition, women are â€Å"twice as likely as men to become depressed† (WebMD, 2009). The onset of depression is often caused by traumatic or stressful events. These traumatic experiences can cause an imbalance of certain brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters. Depression can affect people on five different levels: emotional, motivational, behavioral, cognitive, and physical. Emotional symptoms of depression can cause people to lose interest in things that they usually enjoy and often this can result in isolation. Behavioral symptoms can affect a person’s ability to carry out normal daily tasks. Cognitive symptoms of depression can cause extremely low self-worth and it may also cause feelings of pessimism. Depression can also result in physical symptoms like headaches, dizziness, or body pain (Comer, 2005). References Comer, R. J. (2005). Fundamentals of abnormal psychology (4th ed. ). New York: Worth National Institute of Mental Health. (2010). Schizophrenia. Retrieved March 13, 2013 from http:// www. Nimh. nih. gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index. shtml WebMD. (2010). Depression Overview. Retrieved March 13, 2013 from http:// www. Webmd. com/depression/slideshow-depression-overview

Adaptive theory and the restorative theory of sleep

Adaptive theory and the restorative theory of sleep Sleep is known as the circadian rhythms its mean sleep-wake cycle. One cycle is one day and controlled by the hypothalamus. Sleep is very important to each person. There are 2 theories about sleep which is the adaptive theory and the restorative theory. The adaptive theory of sleep explaining about when we need sleep otherwise sleep at night to keep out of danger and converse the energy. The restorative theory explaining about why we need sleep otherwise sleep can growth and repair occurs in the deep sleep stage. In spite of sleep may give people advantages, but some people might get disadvantages of it. Sleep might offer disorders to other people. There are common disorders that other people should know such as insomnia, sleep walking, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, night terrors, enuresis, circadian rhythms disorder, restless leg syndrome, nocturnal leg cramps. Insomnia is when someone has inability to get asleep for 4 month to 6 month, or difficulty to feel sleepy. Sleep walking is more common in childhood and more boys than girls. Night terrors is state of panic while sleeping and people who has night terrors syndrome will not remember what was happened once woken up. Sleep apnea is when people stop breathing for nearly half a minute while sleeping. Enuresis is urinating while asleep in bed. Restless leg syndrome is uncomfortable sensations in legs causing loss of sleep and movement. Nocturnal leg cramps is painful cramps in foot muscles. Circadian rhythms disorders is instability of the sleep- wake cycle such as jet lag and shift work. And narcolepsy is a sleep seizure and occurs without warning. The aim for this assignment is to know further information only about narcolepsy disorder, what causes of narcolepsy, what are the symptoms of narcolepsy, how is narcolepsy diagnosed and how is narcolepsy treated. Further more about definition of narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime tiredness and sudden attacks of sleep and it is a chronic disease of the central nervous system. Narcoleptic can occur at many times during a day. People may involuntarily fall asleep while at school, when having conversation, when eating, play games or the most dangerously is while driving and those are uncontrollable. Usually narcolepsy will take asleep just for a minute but in rare cases people may take asleep for an hour or may be longer. Narcolepsy generally manifest during early adulthood from 10-20 years old or late adolescence. Narcolepsy appears to occur more often men then women. The commonness of narcolepsy is related to that multiple sclerosis and parkinsons disease. In the United States, The National Institute of Neurological and Stroke estimate narcolepsy affect one in every 2000 people.However, in some countries, the commonness of narcolepsy is much lower (one per 500.000) while in other countries, it is much higher (one per 600). The American Sleep Association estimates that approximately 125.000 to 200.000 Americans suffer from narcolepsy, but only fewer than 50.000 are properly diagnosed. The cause of narcolepsy its very not clear which mean the exact cause of narcolepsy is not known but through the past decade, scientists have made important progress in perceptive it is pathogenesis and in identifying genes strongly related by the disorder. Scientists have also discovered abnormalities in various parts of the brain involved in regulating REM sleep that appear to contribute to symptom development. To be a condition where normal elements of sleep specifically elements of REM or dream sleep suddenly occur during a persons wakeful state it is appears in narcolepsy. The latest discovery has been the discovery of abnormalities in function and structure of a particular group of nerve cells and it called hypocretin neurons, in the brain who sufferer of narcolepsy. Location of those cells is in the part of brain called hypothalamus and they normally secrete neurotransmitter substances ( chemicals released by nerve cells to transmit messages to other cells ) and it called hypo cretins. Hypocretin is an important chemical in your brain and people with narcolepsy will have low levels of this neurochemical in their spinal fluid and it is for the most part low in those who experience cataplexy. You may suddenly enter into Rapid Eye Movement sleep without first experiencing in non Rapid Eye Movement both at a day and during at night. Some of the characteristic of Rapid Eye Movement sleep, such as sleep paralysis, vivid dreams and sudden lack of muscle tone, will occur during other sleep stages in people with narcolepsy. Other factor appears to play important roles in the development of narcolepsy. Some cases are known to result from shocking injuries to parts of the brain involved in Rapid Eye Movement sleep or for tumor growth or other disease processes in the same region. Dietary factors, infections, exposure to toxins, hormonal changes such as menopause or puberty, and alterations in a persons sleep schedule are just a few of the many factors that may make use of direct or indirect effects on the brain, thus possibly contributing to disease development. The role of heredity in humans who suffer from narcolepsy isnt completely understood. So far no steady pattern of heredity has been known in families. It is expected that relatives of sufferer with narcolepsy may have a higher tendency to develop narcolepsy or sleep associated abnormalities, such as increased Rapid Eye Movement and increased daytime sleepiness. Narcolepsy tends to start in adolescence and the symptoms are often mistakenly put down to behavior associated with this stage in life. There are many symptoms of narcolepsy are cataplexy, hallucinations, excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep paralysis but the main symptom is excessive daytime sleepiness or EDS in a short form. Excessive daytime sleepiness become the main symptom is because suffer from narcolepsy is tend to fall asleep easily. This can happen in many times and without warning and they have difficulty maintaining their concentration. The patient of narcolepsy may sleep for a few minutes or nearly hour or might feeling refreshed but eventually will fall asleep again. Excessive daytime sleepiness is present throughout the day and the sufferer with extreme effort might be able to refuse the sleepiness for some time. Finally it becomes irresistible and results in a sleep episode in a varied duration. Cataplexy is suddenly a loss voluntary muscle control and loss of muscles tone that leads to feeling weakness. That muscle weakness can be quite slight and sufferer is conscious but unable to speak. Severe attacks of cataplexy may results in a complete body collapse with a fall to the ground and risk of being injury. Even though cataplexy can occur spontaneously, it is more often triggered by sudden, strong emotion such as stress, excitement, anger, humor or fear. Hallucination that occurs when falling rapidly into Rapid Eye Movement sleep called hypnagogic hallucination. Experiencing the dreams as a reality, and may be particularly frightening and vivid. The condition when people with narcolepsy temporary have inability to move or speak while falling asleep or waking is called sleep paralysis. This natural inhibition usually goes to unnoticed by people who experience normal sleep because it occurs only when they are fully asleep and into Rapid Eye Movement stage at appropriate time in the cycle. This symptom is not only for those who have narcolepsy especially when young adulthood. On the other hand, narcolepsy also have additional symptom such as automatic behavior and disturbed nocturnal sleep. Automatic behavior occurs when people carry out certain action without awareness and this happen when the sufferer is changeable between wakefulness and sleep. Disturbed nocturnal sleep is along with excessive daytime sleepiness and the Rapid Eye Movement is related with abnormalities and it called narcolepsy pentad. Doctor may make an introduction diagnosis of narcolepsy based on excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy. After a preliminary diagnosis doctor refer to a sleep specialist for further information. Methods of determining and diagnosing of narcolepsy is divided into severity include: sleep records, sleep history, multiple sleep latency test, polysomnogram. Sleep records is known as a sleep pattern, the doctor will ask to keep an every single report of a sleep pattern for a week or two week and doctor can comparing how alertness and sleep pattern are related to each other. In addition, doctor will asked the patient for a detail sleep history, which is in each part of history, involves filling out the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and use a short questions to estimate your degree of sleepiness. For example, the patient indicates on a numbered scale how likely it is that you would doze off in certain situations, such as sitting down after eat. Multiple sleep latency test will measures how lo ng it takes to fall asleep during the day. Polysomnogram measures a variety of signal during sleep using electrodes places on your scalp. Another test that is recommended is hypocretin test, which is to detect the levels of hypocretin in the fluid that surrounded spinal cord. People who have narcolepsy usually will have a lower level of this brain chemical that regulates Rapid Eye Movement sleep. So far many doctors or researches havent found the way or any drugs to treats narcolepsy. Even there is no way narcolepsy to be cured but there is have a drug and behavioral therapies that have been proven to treat excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy such as medication and lifestyle modification that can help for manage the symptom. Medication for narcolepsy includes norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors or selective serotonin, stimulants, sodium oxybate, and tricylic antidepressant. Stimulants is kind drugs that is for stimulate central nervous system which is primary treatment to help the patient stay awake during the day. Tricylic antidepressant is also help people to treat narcolepsy but these drugs is older treatment and many people complaint about it because it may give side effects, such as constipation and dry mouth. Sodium oxybate helps people to improve nighttime sleep, which is often poor in narcolepsy. These drugs also may give serious side effects, such as bed wettin g, worsening of sleep walking and nausea. If the patient takes a high dose of these drugs it will lead the patient to difficulty of breathing, coma and even death. Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors or selective serotonin is to help alleviate the symptom of cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations. Narcolepsy is kind a sleep disorder who may give sufferer a very bad effects, such as damaging of brain, mentally or even in social life. Sufferer of narcolepsy cant control when they are supposed to fall asleep. They can fall asleep many times during a day. Narcolepsy can affect the person who suffering from it to future life, for example can affect relationship, education or career prospect. The person who suffering from narcolepsy may not be able to do a lot of things or even that person cant be able to socializing because some people will get irritated of that disorder. Consequently, people with narcolepsy often also have low self esteem and depression. Because, there is no way to cure narcolepsy but there have some drugs and another way to avoid cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness. Case Study Sleepy Genes Jason was a good student throughout grade school and middle school. However, when he began high school, he started to have odd symptoms that made his academic performance plummet. He was unable to stay awake during class, even when he had gotten plenty of sleep the night before. Even worse were the periods of paralysis called cataplexy. If he was startled by a slamming locker door, he might collapse and be unable to move for a few minutes. In his freshman year he broke three pairs of glasses as a result of these bouts of cataplexy. The diagnosis finally came when Jason was a junior in high school. Along with about 200,000 other Americans, Jason suffers from a disorder of the central nervous system called narcolepsy. Learning the name of his disease didnt cure Jason, but it has helped him to manage the symptoms. For example, he now takes amphetamines to keep himself awake during his normal daily activities. Even with these stimulants, he still needs to nap throughout the day, which he can manage by carefully organizing his schedule. Antidepressants seem to help prevent the embarrassing and often dangerous instances of cataplexy. Jason and the thousands of other narcoleptics share their plight with several colonies of dogs that are being studied at Stanford University. The excitement of getting a doggie biscuit can trigger cataplexy in these narcoleptic Daschunds, Dobermans, or Labrador retrievers. They regain muscle control a short time later, apparently none the worse for undergoing the uncontrollable collapse. In August 1999 the Stanford researchers reported the culmination of 36 years of study on these animals: They had discovered a gene that is defective in some of their narcoleptic dogs. The hope is that this information may help in developing new treatments for sleep disorders such as narcolepsy. How can scientists find genes? To answer this question, we must first go back in time about 140 years to a monastery garden in what is now the Czech Republic, where the science of genetics was born. Case Study Revisited: Sleepy Genes Following in the footsteps of Gregor Mendel, researchers at the Stanford Center for Narcolepsy crossed narcoleptic dogs to one another and analyzed the progeny. This analysis showed that narcolepsy in dogs results from a recessive allele of a single gene. But where is this gene and what kind of protein does it encode? Further studies by Dr. Mignots research group revealed that the narcolepsy gene is on chromosome 12. After years of effort, they were eventually able to clone the gene-only to find that it had already been discovered! The gene is called Hcrt2, and it encodes a protein receptor that is present on the cell surfaces of some cells in the hypothalamus (a part of the brain). The protein encoded by Hcrt2 binds to signaling molecules called hypocretins. In the narcoleptic dogs the receptor was defective, making their brain cells ignore the molecular signal delivered by the hypocretins. Narcoleptic mice, studied by another research group, appear to have normal Hcrt2 genes, but t hey have a different mutation that prevents them from producing hypocretins at all. In a most interesting turn of events, hypocretins (also called orexins) had been under investigation because of their role in controlling feeding behavior. Thus, the molecular systems that control sleep and feeding may have some common features. What about the human connection? In January 2000 Mignots research group and their collaborators reported that seven out of nine patients with narcolepsy did not produce hypocretin. These individuals may have a genetic defect similar to that of the narcoleptic mice. Two of the nine narcoleptic humans did produce hypocretins. These individuals may have a mutation in the hypocretin receptor gene similar to that in the narcoleptic dogs. Intense investigation is under way to use this information to develop treatments for patients with narcolepsy. This knowledge might also allow scientists to develop better medicines to promote sleep in people suffering from insomnia. Because genetics is important to so many aspects of human behavior, defense attorneys might consider using a defendants genetic constitution as a strategy to excuse criminal behavior. First, take the side of the defense and present an argument about why a defendants genes should be considered as a factor in the criminal behavior. Then take the prosecutions side and present an argument about why a defendants genes do not excuse criminal behavior. SUMMARY Narcolepsy tends to start in adolescence and Jacob experienced this disorder when he was started in high school. He was a good student throughout primary school and junior school. In high school he started with the odd symptom of narcolepsy such as he was not be able to stay awake during his class even though he had gotten plenty of sleep the night before. Even worse were the periods of cataplexy. If he was startled by slamming locker door, he might collapse and not be able to move for a few minutes. Finally the diagnosis comes out and he was positively got narcolepsy disease. He tried to do the treatment but it didnt cure him from narcolepsy. Jacob just takes some stimulants to keep him stay awake during his normal daily life, it was helped him to manage the symptom. Although, he takes these stimulants he still need a nap throughout his day.

Character of Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarle

The Character of Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚   In Hawthorne's classic, The Scarlet Letter, the pathetic, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is fully aware of the means by which he must liberate his soul from his grave sin. Yet, throughout the story his confession remains an impediment, constraining him, from then onwards, to a life of atonement. Reverend Dimmesdale attempts to divest himself of his guilt by revealing it to his parishioners during services, but somehow never manages to accomplish the task. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is clearly both a coward and a hypocrite    For the most part, Dimmesdale's story is one of a lonely man who has given into temptation and desire. His carnal craving is looked upon with ignominy. The matter is further convoluted by Hester's marriage, and his unwillingness to mar his reputation among the villagers as the faithful and innocent priest. He is now stranded at a crossroad, not knowing whether to confess or carry on a life of self-punishment. The sin begins to gnaw away at his sanity. As a form of penance he partakes in late night vigils, starvation, and self-mutilation. His acts of penance were severe and drained him of much of his life force. Finally becoming fed up with his prolonged misery, he walked unsteadily to the podium to expose his secret, but his confession was ambiguous and inconclusive, and people thought he was speaking about the sins of humanity.    Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale has many opportunities to confess.    One of the very first moments available to Dimmesdale to confess was on the scaffolding in the beginning when Hester was publicly humiliated in front of the townspeople. Dimmesdale was preaching to her for hou... ...can be rectified. Some sins are everlasting, and there are no shortcuts to salvation. Sometimes the weight of the sins must penetrate one's soul for eternity.    Works Cited and Consulted:    Baym, Nina. Introduction. The Scarlet Letter. By Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York City: Penguin Books USA, Inc. 1986.    Clendenning, John. "Nathaniel Hawthorne." The World Book Encyclopedia. 2000 ed.    Griswold, Rufus Wilmot. "The Scarlet Letter." The Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors. Ed. Charles Wells Moulton. Gloucester, Massachusetts: Peter Smith Publishing, 1959. 341-371.    Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Penguin Books USA Inc., 1986.    Smiles, Samuel. "The Scarlet Letter." The Critical Temper. Ed. Martin Tucker. New York City: Frederick Ungar Publishing Company, 1962. 266.    Character of Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarle The Character of Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚   In Hawthorne's classic, The Scarlet Letter, the pathetic, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is fully aware of the means by which he must liberate his soul from his grave sin. Yet, throughout the story his confession remains an impediment, constraining him, from then onwards, to a life of atonement. Reverend Dimmesdale attempts to divest himself of his guilt by revealing it to his parishioners during services, but somehow never manages to accomplish the task. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is clearly both a coward and a hypocrite    For the most part, Dimmesdale's story is one of a lonely man who has given into temptation and desire. His carnal craving is looked upon with ignominy. The matter is further convoluted by Hester's marriage, and his unwillingness to mar his reputation among the villagers as the faithful and innocent priest. He is now stranded at a crossroad, not knowing whether to confess or carry on a life of self-punishment. The sin begins to gnaw away at his sanity. As a form of penance he partakes in late night vigils, starvation, and self-mutilation. His acts of penance were severe and drained him of much of his life force. Finally becoming fed up with his prolonged misery, he walked unsteadily to the podium to expose his secret, but his confession was ambiguous and inconclusive, and people thought he was speaking about the sins of humanity.    Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale has many opportunities to confess.    One of the very first moments available to Dimmesdale to confess was on the scaffolding in the beginning when Hester was publicly humiliated in front of the townspeople. Dimmesdale was preaching to her for hou... ...can be rectified. Some sins are everlasting, and there are no shortcuts to salvation. Sometimes the weight of the sins must penetrate one's soul for eternity.    Works Cited and Consulted:    Baym, Nina. Introduction. The Scarlet Letter. By Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York City: Penguin Books USA, Inc. 1986.    Clendenning, John. "Nathaniel Hawthorne." The World Book Encyclopedia. 2000 ed.    Griswold, Rufus Wilmot. "The Scarlet Letter." The Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors. Ed. Charles Wells Moulton. Gloucester, Massachusetts: Peter Smith Publishing, 1959. 341-371.    Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Penguin Books USA Inc., 1986.    Smiles, Samuel. "The Scarlet Letter." The Critical Temper. Ed. Martin Tucker. New York City: Frederick Ungar Publishing Company, 1962. 266.   

Human Nature and the Goodness of a Person in Plato’s Republic I Essay

Hailed as Plato’s greatest masterpiece, the Republic is considered one of the best guides of ethics and politics not only in a5th century Greece but in modern and contemporary times. Just like in the Dialogues, throughout all the sections or books of the Republic, the main character is Plato’s mentor, Socrates, whose conversations with prominent Greek personalities on the subjects of ethics and politics the former documents. Book One is particularly important as it opens the series of dialogues that discusses ideas relevant to human nature and the definition of a good man. This paper seeks to present the views of Plato on the subjects of wealth, friendship and justice as it relates to the idea of what a good man should be. The Important Points of Republic I on Human Nature The ideas on human nature and goodness in Book One of the Republic are hinged upon the important points in the conversations among Socrates, Cephalus, Polemarchus and Thrasymachus. On Wealth. Socrates talks to Cephalus in the first part of the first book of the Republic. Socrates is curious about Cephalus’ mild demeanor when it comes to his wealth. First of all, Socrates states that in order for one to value money, he has to make it himself. He speaks of this important concept in the following statement of his to Cephalus: â€Å"Men who have made money take this money seriously as their own creation and they also value it for its uses as other people do† (Plato, Republic I, 330c). Socrates points out further that â€Å"those who have themselves acquired [their money] have a double reason in comparison with other men for loving it† (330c) and â€Å"so [the men who have made money] are hard to talk to since they are unwilling to commend anything except wealth† (330c). In short, Cephalus states that â€Å"the best thing about wealth is that it can save us from being unjust and thus smooth the way for an agreeable afterlife† (Brown). This is clearly one of the best insights on human nature related to wealth. This line implies that a good man is supposed to make his own money in order for him to appreciate it much and to value it. Wasteful men who do not value their money may have been those who did not make their own money and have acquired it only through inheritance. The second important point regarding how wealth relates to human nature is that a good man should know that the importance of money is for him not to cheat his fellowman. Socrates asks Cephalus â€Å"What do you regard as the greatest benefit you have enjoyed from the possession of property? † (330d). And after a long explanation, Cephalus answers, â€Å"I affirm that the possession of wealth is of most value not to cheat any man [and] not remaining in debt to a god for some sacrifice or to a man for money [and] it has also many other uses† (331a-331b). It is clear from a Cephalus’ statement that the purpose of money is not to do harm to one’s fellowman even though this harm is unintentional. He therefore presumes that a man who does not have enough money has a natural tendency to wrong his fellowman. It is therefore imperative that people should make money for such a purpose. On Friendship. From the subject of wealth as it relates to human nature, Socrates concludes that the purpose of acquiring wealth is somehow based on the idea of doing justice to one’s fellowman. And this idea of justice extends to friendship. In the conversations between Socrates and Polemarchus, one of the conclusions they have arrived at is that it is but just for one to do good to his friends and not to do evil. This is explicitly stated by Polemarchus as: â€Å"Friends owe it to friends to do them some good and no evil† (332a). This is based on the saying according to Polemarchus that â€Å"according to Simonides, it is just to give to each what is owed [or due] to him† (Humphrey), which means that because your friends do good to you and not bad, then it is but just to return the favor. Polemarchus also says that in order to do justice to one’s enemies, one should do to him â€Å"what also is proper for him [and] some evil† (332b). This means that since one’s enemies do bad things then one should give them a taste of their own medicine through doing bad things too. On Justice. Both the aforementioned subjects of wealth and friendship as they relate to human nature can be reduced to the idea of justice. The ideas on how justice relates to human nature are somehow lifted from the dialogue between Socrates and Thrasymachus. A just man first of all should not try to take advantage of another man. Socrates asks Thrasymachus, â€Å"Do you think the just man would want to overreach or exceed another just man? † (349b) and he answers, â€Å"By no means† (349b). This means that a just man recognizes the fact that since the other person has not wronged him, he has no right to wrong him either. However, Thrasymachus states that a just man would deem it proper and just to overreach an unjust man, although â€Å"[the just man] wouldn’t be able to† (349b). This means that if someone wrongs a just man, he would think it is but just to retaliate, only that out of kindness he might not be able to do it. However, it is implied here by Thrasymachus that a just man may rejoice when the unjust are punished for the former thinks just punishment is well-deserved. However, it is believed that this provides â€Å"a contrast to the preciseness of Socrates’ claims† (Kanak). Nevertheless the just man is still better than the unjust man, for â€Å"the just man does not seek to take advantage of his like but of his unlike, but the unjust man of both. (349c-349d) From the aforementioned statements, it has been concluded that â€Å"the just man is like the wise and good, and the unjust is like the bad and the ignoramus† (350c). The â€Å"wise and good† man, or the â€Å"just† man, according to the Republic, is not really someone who accepts all ridicule and unjust treatment without question. He is rather someone who treats in a good way those who do good to him and may choose to treat in a similar way those who do bad things to him. This is basically the idea of a just and good man based on the first book of the Republic. Conclusion The good man according to Book One of the Republic is the man who is just. Specifically, he is a firstly a man who makes his own wealth in order that he may appreciate it. He is also one who â€Å"recognizes that the importance of money is for one to be able to treat his fellowman justly and to avoid causing any unjust treatment† (Kozlovic). Moreover, a good man is one who gives to his friend what is due him and to his enemy some evil that he rightfully deserves. Lastly and most importantly, a good man is a man who does to others what others do to him, whether this is good or bad, although out of kindness he may choose not to do something bad. Nevertheless, a good man believes that a just punishment should serve its necessary purpose. We therefore learn so much from the words of Cephalus: â€Å"When a man lives out his days in justice and piety, sweet companion [is] with him, to cheer his heart and nurse his old age. † (331a)

Organizational Management and Operations Essay

Organizational Management and Operations The subject to describe is policing organizations at various levels. The author will identify, compare, and contrast the policing function at the local, state, and federal organizational levels (CJA/484 – Criminal Justice Administration Capstone). The author will analyze how the organizational, management, administration, and operational functions at the local, state, and federal levels are similar or different and why (CJA/484 – Criminal Justice Administration Capstone). The leadership characteristics and responsibilities pertaining to each organizational level will be identified (CJA – Criminal Justice Administration Capstone). According to Walker & Katz (2008) â€Å"American policing is a highly fragmented organization. Law enforcement in the United States is a large and extremely complex enterprise. Almost 18,000 federal, state, and local agencies exist along with a private security industry that employs over a million additional people. Currently there is no formal centralized system that exists for coordinating or regulating all the different agencies at the local, state, and federal levels.† The government agencies at the local level of law enforcement include the Municipal police, County police, and County sheriffs. The state levels of law enforcement include the state police, and the Bureau of criminal investigations. The federal levels of law enforcement include federal law enforcement agencies and the Military law enforcement, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. These two departments have several branches, such as the Bureau of Customs and Border Protec tion, Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Immigration, and Customs Enforcements, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security Administration, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Secret Service, the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and  Explosives, which fall under the respected departments. Included under law enforcement agencies are also special district police, which includes public schools, transit police, college, university police, and private security firms (Walker & Katz, 2008). The municipal police departments are also referred to as city police. City police departments play a major role within the community. Municipal police department’s police officers are sworn in and have the heaviest responsibilities when dealing with serious crimes and the citizens in the neighborhoods in which the officers patrol. Municipal police officers are responsible for various maintenance problems and emergency services such as responding to minor disturbances, noncriminal events, public disturbances, traffic enforcement, routine patrol, and other miscellaneous calls (Walker& Katz, 2008). County police departments have police officers who serve as municipal police officers but they operate on a countywide basis; however, these officers do not have the non-law enforcement roles of the county sheriff. County sheriffs are elected in office except for in two states Rhode Island and Hawaii. County sheriffs have a unique role because they serve the three components of the criminal justice system: courts, law enforcement, and corrections. County sheriff department personnel roles and responsibilities include routine patrol, crime investigation, enforcement of traffic laws, process serving, court security, jail operations, and search and rescue (Walker & Katz, 2008). According to Walker & Katz (2008) â€Å"Special district police agencies such as some university campus and college police officers serve government agencies however the special district police agencies have their own police force. Most of the officers who are part of the special district agency are state certified law enforcement agents. Officers of the special district police agencies are sworn officers that are certified by the state, have the right to make general arrest, and participate in the Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Report Systems. Many universities and college campuses opt out of government agency officers and choose to have private  security of their choice.† Private security firms include private agencies security personnel, which is privately employed by the firm as part or full-time employees. The roles and responsibilities of these officers are patrolling and providing protection at public and private housing complexes, office complexes, ma lls, gaming officers and investigators, loss prevention specialists, patrol services, and armored patrol services. Different from police agencies the private security agencies focus on more than crime they deal with property, consumer satisfaction, and personal assets. The private police organizations can ban people from establishments, fire employees, and pursue prosecution in criminal courts. Also included in private security is the red light and speed enforced cameras designed to ticket people caught speeding and running red lights Walker & Katz, (2008). State law enforcement agencies consist of three categories: state investigative agencies, highway patrols, and state police. State police have statewide police powers for criminal investigations and traffic regulation. Highway patrol officers have the right to arrest non-traffic violators within their jurisdiction and enforce traffic regulations statewide. State law enforcement agencies have the primary responsibility for enforcing traffic laws throughout the state on the highways; however, the state law enforcement agencies patrol concurrently with local police. The responsibilities of state law enforcement agencies vary in different states; some state law enforcement agencies have the responsi bility of training recruits and operating training academies Walker & Katz, (2008). The federal law enforcement agency is more complex and smaller than the local level agencies and differs in the roles and responsibilities of the personnel. The employees at the federal law enforcement level do not respond to 911 calls or local disturbances. The Customs and Border Protections are responsible for ensuring that cargo entering the United States is legal. It works to prevent weapons of mass destruction, illegal immigrants, diseased plants, and animals, and the smuggling of drugs across the border. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is responsible for enforcing custom and immigration laws, along with protecting federal buildings, Marines, and air enforcement (Walker & Katz, (2008). The Federal Emergency Management Agency shares the responsibility of coordinating with private, government, and nonprofit organizations to manage emergency preparedness. The Transportation  Security Administration has the responsibility for protecting the nation’s transportation systems. The United States Coast Guard is responsible for security missions that may be related to security. Some roles responsible by the Coast Guard are the waterways, ports, and coastal security. The United States Secret Service is responsible for providing protection for the former and current presidents, vice presidents, and their immediate family members. The Secret Service also deals with money laundering and computer fraud (Walker & Katz, (2008). Under the Department of Justice the Drug Enforcement Administration sector is responsible for enforcing federal regulations and laws concerning controlled substances. The Federal Bureau of Investigations focuses on preventing terrorist attacks. The United States Marshall Office is responsible for housing federal detainees, providing security to federal courts, and conducting fugitive investigations and placing eligib le people in the witness protection program. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are responsible for investigating firearm trafficking, enforcing federal firearm laws, preventing criminals and terrorists from possessing explosives, ensuring that individuals who possess explosives are properly licensed, and enforcing federal laws in the collection of federal taxes on alcohol and tobacco products (Walker & Katz, (2008). The author has identified, compared, and contrasted policing functions at the local, state, and federal organizational levels. The organizational, management, administration, and operational functions at the local, state, and federal levels have been analyzed to find the similarities and differences in the three organizational levels. The leadership characteristics of any criminal justice professional should References Grant, H. B., & Terry, K. J. (2008). Law Enforcement in the 21st Century (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Walker, S., & Katz, C. M. (2008). The Police in America (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

10 Essay Topics on History What Is Known About Aztec Culture

10 Essay Topics on History What Is Known About Aztec Culture The Aztecs are undoubtedly one of the most unusual cultures that ever existed. For centuries people have been thinking with horrified fascination about these people that combined complicated social structure, educational system and impressive scientific and cultural development with human sacrifice on massive scale, cannibalism and constant wars of conquest. Here are some Aztec culture facts that can make an awesome essay. Human Sacrifice Was the Basis of Aztec Culture and Religion Probably the first thing everybody thinks hearing about the Aztecs is human sacrifice – and for a good reason. All pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures practiced it to this or that extent, but the Aztecs took it to a completely new level. Gods Sacrificed Themselves for Humans’ Sake According to Aztec mythology, gods sacrificed their lives to sustain the fading sun and save humankind, and this made humans indebted to them for all eternity. Moreover, the sacrifice of gods was not a single act, but more of a continuous process, which required constant reenactment. The power of gods kept the sun alive, and to give gods this power, they had to give them blood and hearts, which were considered to be fragments of the sun’s heat. The Purpose of Wars Was to Get More Captives Aztecs divided time into 52-year cycles and fearfully ended the end of each – if the gods didn’t receive enough sacrifices throughout the cycle, the sun would go out and the world would end. The main reason for Flower Wars the Aztecs constantly waged on their neighbors was to provide enough captives to fill the sacrifice quota. Even Aztec war strategy and tactics were mainly devised to wound and capture rather than kill as many enemies as possible. The Aztecs Sacrificed 20 000 People per Year Human sacrifice was an extremely important part of everyday life in Aztec society – it was carried out during each of their many festivals and for special occasions and was accompanied by elaborate rituals and done by various methods according to which god it was intended for. The most popular method was the extraction of the heart, but victims were often burned, flayed, drowned, starved and decapitated. Afterwards priests would often wear their skins (they were considered holy relics and symbolized rebirth) and cannibalize their corpses. And there were a lot of them – during the opening ceremony of one particularly big temple, as reported in their codices, they slaughtered between 10,000 and 80,400 people in the course of four days, while normally settling for about 20,000 per year. The Aztecs Capital Was among the Biggest Cities of Europe Despite their extremely warlike nature and penchant for torture and human sacrifice, the Aztecs were far from being uncultured, which probably made them a great deal more disturbing and frightening. At the zenith of its glory their capital, Tenochtitlan, housed between 200,000 and 300,000 people, by far eclipsing most European cities of the time, with possible exceptions of Constantinople and Venice. The Aztecs Were the First to Introduce Universal Education The Aztecs were also probably the first nation in the world to ever establish the system of universal mandatory education – it took place before the age of 14 and was carried out by parents under supervision of authorities. Among other things, children had to learn the so-called â€Å"sayings of the old† – a collection of statements that embodied the Aztec ideals and conditioned them for future service. After 14 children attended more advanced schools, divided into two types: the ones dedicated to theoretical sciences like astronomy, writing, mathematics etc., and the ones dealing with military and practical education. All Aztecs Were Warriors Aztec civilization was based on domination over the surrounding peoples and aggressive expansion, and the Aztecs themselves were a nation of warriors from the outset. Being initially a small and insignificant migratory tribe, the Aztecs managed to conquer almost the entire Mesoamerican region in a little more than a century, and warfare occupied one of the central positions in their lifestyle and social arrangement. Aztec empire had a relatively small standing army for its size – only the members of elite warrior societies which were extremely hard to get into, served as full-time military forces. However, military training was an integral part of basic education, and every male Aztec was prepared to the role of a soldier since childhood. Therefore, during military campaigns large numbers of warriors were drafted from commoners. They Took Prisoners to Climb the Social Ladder Warfare was also the only way for a man of low birth to improve his station in life – through showing bravery on the field of battle and, in particular, through capturing enemy warriors alive for the further use as sacrifices. After taking four prisoners, one was accepted into one of elite warrior societies, like Eagle and Jaguar warriors. Taking six prisoners and more led to the greatest possible honor – to be accepted into the most prestigious society, Cuachicqueh, or the Shorn Ones (called so because they shaved their heads except for one braid over the left ear), who served as elite shock troops and swore to kill any of their number who makes a step back during a battle. The Aztecs Used Cacao Beans as Currency Trade was an important component of Aztec everyday life: their merchants travelled all across Mesoamerica and beyond and were united into exclusive guilds, and every large settlement had regular market days on which all kinds of merchandise exchanged hands. Basic currency for all transactions was cacao beans which had to be exported from lowlands. They were used mostly for small purchases; for large transactions the Aztecs used standardized lengths of cotton cloth of varying quality and value (from 65 to 300 beans). The Aztecs Had Some Rather Unusual Laws Aztec empire had a code of laws that regulated everyday life and meted out punishments. However, by our standards these regulations and punishments sometimes look rather bizarre. For example, death penalty (usually through strangulation) was common for serious crimes, which included murder, theft and public drunkenness (unless you were over 70 years old). The most usual punishment for less serious offences was to have your house demolished. These included, for example, petit larceny and wearing of clothes too lavish for your social status. The Aztecs will undoubtedly continue to intrigue us for many years to come. Fortunately, the body of evidence telling us about them is rather large compared with other Mesoamerican cultures, which means that you will have a lot of material for your history essay! References: A. Caso, The Aztecs, People of the Sun (tr. 1958, repr. 1967). Berdan, Frances F., Richard E. Blanton, Elizabeth H. Boone, Mary G. Hodge, Michael E. Smith and Emily Umberger (1996) Aztec Imperial Strategies. Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, DC. Brumfiel, Elizabeth M. (1998) Huitzilopochtlis Conquest: Aztec Ideology in the Archaeological Record. Cambridge Archaeological Journal. Durn, Fray Diego (1964) The Aztecs: The History of the Indians of New Spain. Translated by Fernando Horcasitas and Doris Heyden. Orion Press, New York. Kellogg, Susan (1995) Law and the Transformation of Aztec Culture, 1500-1700. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. Leà ³n-Portilla, Miguel (1963) Aztec Thought and Culture: A Study of the Ancient Nhuatl Mind. Univ. Oklahoma Press, Norman. Smith, Michael E. (2003) The Aztecs. 2nd ed. Blackwell Publishers, Oxford.

Martin the Warrior †Book Review Essay

Martin the Warrior – Book Review Essay Free Online Research Papers Martin the Warrior Book Review Essay Fantasy novels come in many different genres. These genres are followed by many authors due to great appeal of that genre. Fantasy novels are a form of fiction in which magic or warriors are involved. Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques is a great example of a sword and sorcery novel. Each animal in Martin the Warrior has his own special talent that makes he or she more capable of than others. Martin is a warrior mouse that has great strength and battle sense like no others. When in trouble he not only uses his strength but also his intelligence to sort everything out. Badrang the Tyrant, on the other hand, is a villainous leader that is all-powerful. All who follow him fear him greatly. Sword and sorcery novels are very creative. The setting in Martin the Warrior creates a whole new world. The book is set in a fictional county called Mossflower. Marshank, which is where Badrang the Tyrant reigns, is a fort heavily guarded by archers and sword wielding villains. The setting is full of adventure. There are woods, caves, streams, and forts, all involving great creativity and adventure. Sorcery is in the Martin the Warrior. There is a magical rabbit named Tibbar that makes others disappear. Afterwards he tells Badrang, You see when Tibbar the magic rabbit performs magic, it is real! He also manages to pull a string from one of the captains ear when the captain asks Oh magical rabbit please come and show me more magic tonight. The use of magic is in sword and sorcery novels. All the creatures use medieval weaponry. Some creatures such as Martin and Badrang use the sword. Then there are those who use slings and bows. Then there are those such and Tibbar who uses magic as his weapon. No machinery whatsoever is involved. Fort Marshank is built like a castle with many sentry towers and heavy gates. Weaponry is not like today, with the use of guns and bombs. Martin the Warrior is a natural sword and sorcery novel. The books use of animals as characters and medieval weaponry and magic makes you think how if it was outlined by the definition of sword and sorcery novel. Martin the Warrior is a good sword and sorcery novel. Research Papers on Martin the Warrior - Book Review EssayHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoMind TravelEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XThe Project Managment Office SystemWhere Wild and West MeetHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsTrailblazing by Eric Anderson

An editorial about the writings of Ida B. Wells Essay Example for Free

An editorial about the writings of Ida B. Wells Essay Ida B. Wells wrote the three pamphlets â€Å"Southern Horrors† (1892), â€Å"A Red Record† (1895), and â€Å"Mob Rule in New Orleans† (1900) as an attempt to publicize the atrocities being committed against African Americans in the New South. These writings are important today, not because lynching of African Americans occurs with any regularity, but because they are accounts contemporary with the events they detail and because the pamphlets illustrate the dangers of: mob rule, justifying immoral acts by claiming to have a moral purpose, and the tendency of people everywhere to strike out against anything new or different with violence. This message is even more relevant today when the current president is so willing to suspend the rights of others so that the people of America can be â€Å"safe†. The fear of one group of people who mistrust another group should never result in suspension of rights of another. Just like the eroding of the rights of African Americans during the time when Wells was writing, the suspension of rights of people who look as if they are or might be terrorists in the current world is wrong and should not be tolerated. Ida B. Wells wrote with two purposes in mind: one was educational, the other was to publicize the atrocities committed in the New South with the hope of eliciting reaction from people who would then help bring an end to â€Å"Lynch Law† and other injustices committed against African Americans. Wells wanted to educate those people who were unfamiliar with the New South regarding the violence and double standards far to common in the South. Wells wrote to tell the facts about lynchings in the South so that people would no longer believe lynching was a response to an egregious crime. â€Å"She sought to recast lynching in the public eye so that it was not perceived as an understandable though unpleasant response to heinous acts, but as itself a crime against American values† (Wells 27). According to Wells the perception that all white women were pure and uninterested in have African Americans as husbands is untrue, â€Å"there are many white women in the Sought who would marry colored men if such an act would not place them at once beyond the pale of society and within the clutches of the law† (Wells 53). At the same time laws forbade African American men and white women from â€Å"commingling,† Wells points out â€Å"they leave the white man free to seduce all the colored girls he can† (Wells 53). Although Wells writing centers on lynching because of alleged rape she makes an important point when she cautions that â€Å"a concession of the right to lynch a man for any crime, . . . concedes the right to lynch any person for any crime, . . . † (Wells 61). Wells also wanted to call citizens of the North, government officials and people in Great Britain to act to end lynch law. She urged them â€Å"employ boycott, emigration and the press . . . to stamp out lynch law . . . † (Wells 72). Ida B. Wells wrote to three different audiences. To those people living in the New South Wells wrote not so much about horrific events that occurred, but about the justifications they used to excuse their behavior. As mentioned above, she wrote of the double standard between the races and of the potential danger of expanding lynching to suit the whims and fancies of any mob at any time. To those Americans living outside the South Wells wrote to shock them with the descriptions of the horrid events, to educate them about how African Americans were still being treated despite the Civil War and despite the Constitutional Amendments guaranteeing rights to African Americans. Wells writes to the people of the North to show them that all is not well in the South and that the advances made in the past were being pushed aside. In her first pamphlet, â€Å"Southern Horrors,† Wells wrote about the existing injustices and ongoing terrorist acts performed against African Americans. To the rest of the world, particularly Great Britain, Wells wrote â€Å"A Red Record† she â€Å"respectfully submitted [this pamphlet] to the Nineteenth Century civilization in ‘the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave† (Wells title page). This pamphlet recounts the numbers and details of more than four hundred lynchings occurring in the United States against African Americans. Wells hoped to appeal to the sensibilities of British people who were potential investors in the South so they would invest elsewhere â€Å"the appeal to the white man’s pocket has ever been more effectual than all the appeals ever made to his conscience. † To those in power in the United States Wells wrote â€Å"Mob Rule in New Orleans† to those in power in hopes of their bringing to an end to authorities who allow, and at times encourage mobs to act. Although it is difficult to quantify what the actual affects of Wells’ writing were, it is clear that during the next century, the groups she wrote for did make great strides toward establishing equality and eliminating injustices based on race. It is not unreasonable to suggest that Wells’ writing had a hand in starting this process. Wells’ writings are certainly among the earliest of Post-reconstruction writing to reintroduce the difficulties of African American lives, but they were not the last. It is likely that her writing influenced and encouraged others to continue the work Wells began. As I read through the accounts of these horrible, disgusting lynchings I felt saddened and depressed. Clearly there were many injustices committed and many were people hurt, imprisoned, or killed. Some of these are particularly gruesome such as Chapter III of A Red Record, â€Å"Lynching Imbeciles: An Arkansas Butchery† where Henry Smith was tortured and burned at the stake (Wells 88-98). According to figures gathered by the NAACP (an organization with Wells as one of the founding members) there were 3,318 African Americans killed by lynching between 1892 and 1931. Certainly one cannot dismiss or excuse these egregious acts in any fashion. However I was not particularly surprised or shocked by these events. Perhaps it is because I live in a world where the Jewish Holocaust of World War II is well known, a world where a country, Cambodia, went mad, and slaughtered between 1. 5 and 3 million of 7 million its own citizens. Perhaps it is because I live in a world where the recent genocides in Rwanda and Somalia were largely unknown until made into a wide screen blockbuster movie. Perhaps it is because of the 9/11 attacks (coincidentally the number killed on 9/11 and the number of dead American soldiers in Iraq are remarkably similar to the 3300+ listed in the NAACP’s figures). For whatever reason, I find myself somewhat inured against these accounts. I am not sure whether this reveals more about me or about the society I live in, but I cannot help but wonder if Ida B. Wells were writing today would there be any impact at all.Perhaps not: more’s the pity. Works Cited Wells, Ida B. Southern Horrors and Other Writings: The Anti-Lynching Campaign of Ida B. Wells, 1892-1900. Ed. with intro Jacqueline Jones Royster. Boston: Bedford Books, 1997. An editorial about the writings of Ida B. Wells. (2017, Apr 22).

National Emergency Communication Plan Research Paper

National Emergency Communication Plan - Research Paper Example Emergency communications is highly depended on by many agencies in United States (Safecom Program, Online). NECP was established by US department of Homeland Security’s Office of Emergency Communication. It was created due to lack of cooperation among the communication systems used by the nation’s first responders. Coordination in terms of passing information was crucial to enhance fire fighting, law enforcement, rescue, and other emergencies. Evidence of lack of proper coordination among systems was witnessed through the occurrence of attacks in the Pentagon, World Trade Centre in 2001 and Hurricane Katrina. NECP aims to provide up to date modes of communication to enhance response to emergency calls. The plan suggests reasonable goals for the federal, state, local, as well as tribal authorities to be achieved by 2013. It does not interfere with the distribution of funds by the Department of Homeland security (Department of Homeland Security, Online). NECP, being the first strategic plan, majorly aims to improve emergency response communications. It also works hand in hand with Homeland securities in its legislations. During the year 2010, it planned to achieve quick response emergency communication within one hour in high risk urban areas. In 2011, it aimed at achieving high level response emergency communication in low risk urban areas. By 2013, it aims to thrust all authorities to demonstrate response-level emergency communications within 3 hours in case of a major event a specified in nation’s planning scenarios (Walker 5). Land mobile radio and related public safety control systems have been put in place to ensure the quality and continuity of communications systems. Principles of chain and unity of command, unified command (for multi- agency incidents), and standardised span of control have also been put in place to clearly explain duties and responsibilities of responders. Shared laws and regulations have been structured to

Sociology of the Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sociology of the Family - Essay Example The secondary stage of socialization usually takes place outside of the home, it can be at school, with peers or at a workplace - this is when most people begin will to socialize with people from different cultures (Laslett, 303). During this stage you may gain achieved roles such as getting a good job or becoming a mother/father and the changes in trends are recognized too from the jargon that is used, to the seasonal change in fashion trends. Norms are the things we are expected to do as they are regarded as being normal, values on the other hand are the principles we follow but we tend to take for granted e.g. writing. If a person breaks the norm then they are deviant and agencies of social control such as the police take over. These basic fundamentals are recognized by most people nowadays and explain why there arent as many cultural conflicts as there has been in the past. An example of cultural conflicts is during the early 19th century when White Americans came into contact with Native Americans - many conflicts and a few massacres had taken place simply because most of the White Americans were not willing to socialize and understand this Native culture (Kain, 955). A general perception of sociology is that it is the same as psychology. This is only correct to an extent, both the subjects are a part of social science and they look into the behavior of people (Bar-Yosef, 69). However, the difference is that psychology is the study of the mind and its mental states, whereas sociology looks at people on a broader scale, as it looks at the study of the structure and development of human societies. Today families are confronted with many problems. One issue is the imbalance in household and childcare labor done by men and women (Haralambous, 5). Another problem facing families today is the sharp rising in the number of elderly people. Changes to society may help fix some of these issues. Although society has made

Essay of leotard in spanish Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Of leotard in spanish - Essay Example conozca una persona ya que esta en una posicion de poder alla. Lyotard es una persona influencial en terminos de haber influido los filosofos que querian tratar de examinar sus teorias. El postmodernismo de Lyotard es un gran tema en la linea de filosofos que filosofizaban sobre el postmodernismo. Lyotard es conocido por su influencia en haber influido no solamente el discurso de la ciencia. Tambien es conocido por su conocimiento del postmodernismo en las otras materias de las matematicas y tambien en los artes liberales. Todas estas areas se han desarrollados por la manera de la influencia que tenia Jean Francois Lyotard. Su contribuido a estas tres areas se ha revolucionado la manera en que vemos la materia de la filosofia. Tambien vemos a la materia del postmodernismo diferentemente tambien. Sin embargo, el modo en que el se ha contribuido a la materia de la filosofia no tiene precio. Gracias a el, tenemos una definicion funcional del postmodernismo como relata a las disciplinas de la ciencia, las matematicas, y los artes liberales.

Knowledge and Horizon of Ignorance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Knowledge and Horizon of Ignorance - Essay Example The similarity between the definition for knowledge and that of ignorance is that both involve the need to understand (or not) of a "subject" or "something". This writer believes there are two keys points that provide direction to this essay statement. The first point is that there must be a purpose for expanding the field of knowledge. Working towards understanding a purpose or subject can only reduce the lack of knowledge in that specific area, and, as a result, reduce the horizon of ignorance. Secondly, while field of knowledge is most commonly understood to encompass the compartmentalized areas of pursuits like mathematics, natural and human sciences, history, the arts, and ethics, it must also be noted that without the ability to justify the knowledge within these fields (often using self-awareness, intuition, faith, and logic, authority) and form a point of view, knowledge is useless and the horizon for ignorance increases. In this instance, the word horizon refers to the "boun dary where the sky seems to meet the ground or sea, where the higher the observer (or the more a person expands the field of knowledge without a purpose and justifiable claim), the lower and more distant is his visible horizon (the more a person's ignorance increases, or horizon of ignorance increases)." (Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary 2008) Essentially, the increase in the horizon of ignorance happens only if the expansion in the field of knowledge is not accompanied with a purpose that is justified with an achieved point of view. Therefore, this writer believes the essay statement to be untrue. While the opening argument for this essay uses another of Henry Miller's quotes to make a point, critics who are familiar with Miller's life work might also argue that the range of this man's work may not necessarily reflect a purpose in expanding his field of knowledge which is predominantly in writing. Miller was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1891, and died in 1980 in Los Angeles California. Between his birth and death, Miller lived in Paris so he could fuel his charismatic rebelliousness, albeit in destitute and depended on the charity of his friends. The French Surrealists and the Dadaism movement heavily influenced Miller, and this led him to write a number of novels, including Tropic of Cancer, Black Spring, and Tropic of Capricorn, which challenged American cultural values and moral attitudes through the discussion of sexual subjects (Miller, Henry). In his professional lifetime, Miller wrote novels that were banned in the United States on the grounds of obscenity, played the piano, painted, wrote plays and had a part in a film. While it is difficult to understand the motivation behind Miller's zest for the varied subjects of concentration, it should be noted that even with his rebellious background, his forward-looking attitude provided a purpose for pursuing each field and could justify each need as

A Communist Manifesto and Social Movements Essay

A Communist Manifesto and Social Movements - Essay Example Generally speaking, Marx set forth a theory in which conflict, or class struggle, was both caused and perpetuated by a division of individuals into a bourgeois group and a proletarian group. The bourgeois controlled the means of production in a capitalist system and the proletariat functioned as labor for wages. In this way, still speaking generally, the bourgeois were in possession of wealth and resources and the proletariat, wages aside were largely powerless and dispossessed. Marx refined this general model by characterizing a variety of social and economic relationships according to this framework; indeed, attempting to emphasize the pervasive nature of this bourgeoise-proletariat divide, he stated that, Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open fight, a fight that each time ended either in a revolutionary reconstitution of society at large, or in the common ruin of the contending classes (Marx, 1848: np). Thus, Marx viewed the social forces driving societies towards a proletarian revolution as being essentially twofold. ... an initial matter, from a historical point of view, Marx did credit the bourgeois with aiding in the downfall of the old feudal classes; on the other hand, he characterized this development as predictable and as a temporary ascension to power.

Essay of leotard in spanish Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Of leotard in spanish - Essay Example conozca una persona ya que esta en una posicion de poder alla. Lyotard es una persona influencial en terminos de haber influido los filosofos que querian tratar de examinar sus teorias. El postmodernismo de Lyotard es un gran tema en la linea de filosofos que filosofizaban sobre el postmodernismo. Lyotard es conocido por su influencia en haber influido no solamente el discurso de la ciencia. Tambien es conocido por su conocimiento del postmodernismo en las otras materias de las matematicas y tambien en los artes liberales. Todas estas areas se han desarrollados por la manera de la influencia que tenia Jean Francois Lyotard. Su contribuido a estas tres areas se ha revolucionado la manera en que vemos la materia de la filosofia. Tambien vemos a la materia del postmodernismo diferentemente tambien. Sin embargo, el modo en que el se ha contribuido a la materia de la filosofia no tiene precio. Gracias a el, tenemos una definicion funcional del postmodernismo como relata a las disciplinas de la ciencia, las matematicas, y los artes liberales.

A Communist Manifesto and Social Movements Essay

A Communist Manifesto and Social Movements - Essay Example Generally speaking, Marx set forth a theory in which conflict, or class struggle, was both caused and perpetuated by a division of individuals into a bourgeois group and a proletarian group. The bourgeois controlled the means of production in a capitalist system and the proletariat functioned as labor for wages. In this way, still speaking generally, the bourgeois were in possession of wealth and resources and the proletariat, wages aside were largely powerless and dispossessed. Marx refined this general model by characterizing a variety of social and economic relationships according to this framework; indeed, attempting to emphasize the pervasive nature of this bourgeoise-proletariat divide, he stated that, Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open fight, a fight that each time ended either in a revolutionary reconstitution of society at large, or in the common ruin of the contending classes (Marx, 1848: np). Thus, Marx viewed the social forces driving societies towards a proletarian revolution as being essentially twofold. ... an initial matter, from a historical point of view, Marx did credit the bourgeois with aiding in the downfall of the old feudal classes; on the other hand, he characterized this development as predictable and as a temporary ascension to power.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example for Free

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Aristotle’s two magnificent Children: Ethos the Spiritual Motivator, and Logos the Blunt Persuader Among the multiple appeals from Aristotle, there lies rhetorical analysis. Applying Aristotle’s appeals to present day advertisements breaks down all the aspects and qualities of each advertisement, thus identifying motive behind the color scheme to the emotion or lack of, behind the script. There are two different types of styles of writing that I’m going to talk about in this paper, Ethos and Logos. In this specific ad, there are examples of Pathos and Ethos used in order to have a successful advertisement. â€Å"Rhetorical approaches are concerned with the use of reason in efforts to persuade an audience, but not only with reason: they also consider the personal qualities, characteristics and skills of speakers† (Ellis). After looking at the ad for a long time and analyzing it, it’s clear that Figure Weight Loss means business. In this paper I am going to focus on the different aspects of Ethos and Logos and how they apply to the ad itself in broad terms, a side story of a girl named Shannon, and their three keen promises to make it safe, effective, and affordable for each client. In literary terms, Ethos can be referred to as a spirit that motivates ideas and customs, and it could also be traced back to times of economic change in ancient Palestine. In other literary terms, Logos means that you as the writer are persuading through reasoning. Even though that the advertisement isn’t a big one and is in a small reach magazine, it still packs a tremendous amount of meaning. When I was flipping through magazines I was getting bored because nothing was really eye appealing that’s when I decided to open up a Reach magazine because they usually have something or some things that are appealing and fun to look at. I was almost done flipping through the pages and I saw my two most favorite colors combined in such a unique way I didn’t even care what the ad was about, I stopped. Tying in with ethos, the advertisement the three physicians at the bottom right hand corner look serious and they give that sort of sense that it is okay to come to their place because they mean business and they know what to do. Tying logos to the advertisement is easy; the people at Figure Weight Loss offer an $89 first visit and free medication for the whole first month, that sounds like some good reasoning to me. â€Å"By Aristotle the systematic and technical definitions and uses of persuasion in both texts are analyzed in depth. Parallels are then drawn between the categories of persuasion used in the two texts and Aristotles philosophical categories of ethos and logos† (Kraus). The logic and reasonable qualities of the advertisement associate with Shannon, I would say if Shannon could do it then I can, but I’ve already lost 35 pounds in less than two months. However if Shannon and I can do this, anyone can. The story about Shannon is unclear, it just shows her on the ad and says that she lost 52 pounds. It doesn’t say what she weighed when she came in or her weight when she came out. However she still dropped the weight on the system created by Medical Doctors Raimi Carrigan, Robert Grober, and Greg Weckenbrock. Shannon was probably a regular woman that was overweight and went out to search for a solace. Shannon probably heard about this through a friend or went snooping around. Anyway Shannon found the spirit that ethos provides and felt motivated enough to consult a experienced physician and get started on their program to lose weight, and to become a better person. Logos can be applied because, Shannon was persuaded not only by the doctors at Figure Weight Loss, but she was also being persuaded by herself to get her life back on track†¦ and she did. â€Å"You make a choice in your life, and it affects you life in all the ways, good and bad† (Mayer). At their location in Edgewood Kentucky, the Medical Doctor’s basically have a 3-bullet point insurance policy. They ensure that their work and style is very safe, very effective, and rather light on the wallet. They also claim that you will see immediate results, they claim that they have been the best group for weight loss since 1999, and that they have the best-certified, and best trained physicians specializing in weight loss. â€Å"Physicians endorsed significantly more stringent weight loss goals for obese female patients than obese male patients. Regardless of patient gender, physician goals exceeded the 5–10% losses currently recommended† (Dutton). Ethos has a special place here because it takes the â€Å"safe, effective, and affordable† approach, and then brings it to real life. If you are on the wrong track like Shannon was, this ad should motivate you like it did her and get you where you need and want to be. Logos also has a special spot reserved here because if other companies aside from Proactive, Gillette, or Nike didn’t have famous people endorsing them like Carrie Underwood, Clay Matthews, or Tiger Woods, than those companies wouldn’t be as successful as they are now. I’m not saying that Figure Weight Loss has the potential to ever be as big as Nike is today, but they have Shannon, a living example of Figure Weight Losses’ success. Among the multiple appeals from Aristotle, there lies rhetorical analysis. Applying Aristotle’s appeals to present day advertisements breaks down all the aspects and qualities of each advertisement, thus identifying motive behind the color scheme to the emotion or lack of, behind the script. â€Å"Rhetorical Analysis can play in helping students to develop their knowledge and awareness about writing and in transferring their knowledge about writing to different tasks and contexts both in and out of the classroom† (Graff). Ethos and Logos come in all different shapes and sizes. Ethos motivates you through spirit and good will, while Pathos states real and actual facts that can persuade you to do great things. Works Cited Dutton, Garreth R. Comparison of Physician Weight Loss Goals for Obese Male and Female Patients. Ed. Perry G. Michael and Cutis C. Stine. EBSCO Host, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. Ellis, Jaye. Law and the Limits of Reason: Rhetorical Approaches to Self-Determination and the Use of Force. EBSCO Host, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. Graff, Nelson. Teaching Rhetorical Analysis to Promote Transfer of Learning. Ebsco Host, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013. Kraus, Manfred. How to Classify Means of Persuasion: The Rhetoric to Alexander and Aristotle on Pisteis. EBSCO Host, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 29. Mayer, John C. John Mayer Quotes. BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.

The Law Of Attraction

The Law Of Attraction Ever since human beings evolved, only the strongest, fittest, and wisest survive. But now, with the discovery and development of medicine and the study of the structure of the human body, all humans can live healthy lives. However, there are many things that are yet to be discovered and people seek to find that knowledge and understand more about how things work. Day by day the curiosity of many scientists, philosophers, and physicists increases as they want to know more about how the universe works and if there exists another universe with other unknown beings and if human beings can have the power to control what happens in the universe. Fortunately, this power exists and all human beings use it without even knowing so. This power is called the law of attraction, the science of attracting more of what a person want[s] and less of what s/he doesnt (Losier, 2007). The law of attraction was known by some people many centuries ago but not many people understood when it started and how it works and therefore was hidden as a secret treasure that if found, will change the world. The law of attraction began at the beginning of time (Byrne, 2006). It can even be found in ancient writings way before Christ. The existence of such law was even recorded on the Emerald tablet, 3000 BC As within, so without. which means that a person from within is the cause and the person without is the effect; the person from the inside controls the outcome of his/her life (Tan, n.d.). And as one of the most spiritual teachers, Buddha, explains: All that we are is the result of what we have thought What we think, we become. Even the most famous historians, like William Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, Beethoven, Sir Isaac Newton, and Plato, used this power to achieve what they wanted in life but each person in his own way. For instance, Shakespeare delivered the law in his poetry, Leonardo da Vinci portrayed it in his paintings, and Beethoven expressed it through music (Byrne, 2006). This law of attraction can also be found in religions such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhis m, and Hinduism and it can be found in civilizations as well, like the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians, in their writings and stories. The law of attraction is[r]ecorded throughout the ages in all its forms, it can be found in ancient writings through all the centuries.(Byrne, 2006). Most people know about this law and others dont and some use it unconsciously but they dont know how it works. This law actually works on thoughts. When a person thinks of something, s/he sends out vibrations from the mind to the outside world and these vibrations act as a magnet that attracts what thoughts that person had. For instance, when a person thinks all day about his/her childhood friend, the brain sends out vibrations and attracts things about that friend, eventually, that person may get a phone call from that childhood friend or an e-mail or even somebody may mention something about that particular friend. However, this law of attraction has flaws; it does not recognize negative thoughts. If a person kept thinking like, dont spill on my new shirt or I dont want to fail the course, the law of attraction does not look at the not part it just looks at the key words and acts. Eventually that person will spoil his shirt or fail the course. However, if that person changed his th inking into a positive one and thought My shirt will always be clean or I will pass the course, s/he will not mess up the shirt or will pass. That is why people should be careful when thinking of something; they should always think in a positive way. However, not all people can monitor their infinite thoughts everyday and change every single one of them from negative to positive as this process is exhausting. Fortunately, there is a simple way of altering the way a person thinks into positive thinking and that is by being in a state of joy, happiness, and peace. It is known that when a person is happy, the mind sends out good vibrations that attracts good stuff. That is why happy people live healthy lives as they attract good things to their lives. Many people dont achieve what they really want and they always feel that they are limited to what things they can get in life. Aside from not feeling good about themselves, people dont actually believe in themselves. They dont believe that they can achieve whatever they want in life and that it is impossible. If a person looks at the bright side and believes that nothing is impossible s/he will achieve what s/he really wants. There are three simple steps that can help a person achieve, these steps are to ask, believe, and receive. A person should ask him/herself what s/he really wants and then s/he should believe in it and feel that they will get it or actually they already have that thing s/he wants and then eventually with time that person will receive it. But the most important of these steps is to positively believe that you can make it all happen for you.(Harrington, 2009) On the other hand, Ingrid Hansen Smythe, a freelance writer, disagrees completely with the law of attraction concept. He states that the law of attraction concept seems to me that [it] is like a woman using some form of birth control and then lying back and affirming I will not get pregnant! I will not get pregnant! It seems obvious that it is the birth control, and not the positive thinking, that is getting the job done.(Smythe, 2007). Smythe (2007) argues that when a person wants something s/he has to work hard to get it; there is always something that can help you get what you want. For example, a little boy wants to have a bike. A few months later, his birthday came up and he got some money for his birthday and then he bought himself the bike. In other words, positive thinking is not the only reason behind a person getting what s/he wants; a person cant get what s/he wants just by thinking about it (Smythe, 2007). Moreover, there are many people who suffered in their childhood fr om emotional and sexual abuse, does that mean that these innocent children thought in a negative way and attracted these negative things to themselves? Yes, our attitudes can and do positively improve our lives, but they do not explain suffering or success. All people suffer. We are not our own creations, tidy products of ideology. We are human beings, hopelessly interdependent, ugly and beautiful, both.(Keating, 2009) Although some people might agree that the law of attraction is not a solution to all problems in life and that it is only made for desperate people to believe in something when there is no hope at all, it actually does bring hope to all people in need of it and otherwise and it also helps people take the right path in life and achieve their dreams. As we discussed the origin and how the law of attraction behaves, it showed to be a powerful law that if all people use it and believe in it, I think, the world may be a better place.

Aspects of an Argumentative Essay -- Writing School Papers English Com

Aspects of an Argumentative Essay The argumentative essay is an essay in which you argue a point -- an essay in which you prove a thesis. The argumentative essay starts with an introduction. The introduction is the gateway into your paper, and it serves two roles. The introduction should grab your reader's attention and let him or her know what your paper will be about. Your thesis must also let your reader know what your essay will be about. By the time he or she finishes your conclusion, the reader should know what you intend to write about, what you think of that subject, and what specific statement you intend to prove. The body is where you stop talking about what you're going to do in your essay and you start actually doing it. In other words, the body is where you actually prove the assertion you made at the end of your introduction. Because the body is meant to do the heavy work of your essay, proving the point which you want to make, the language in your body will most likely be less engaging and more basic than the language in your introduction. Because the job of the body is to prove the thesis, it is both the easiest and the most dangerous part of your essay to write. It's easy because the body is the part of the essay where the words probably come to you easiest, but proving the thesis often turns out to be easier said than done. Despite the fact that the total body of evidence may be somewhat inconclusive, it is your job to present the evidence in su... Aspects of an Argumentative Essay -- Writing School Papers English Com Aspects of an Argumentative Essay The argumentative essay is an essay in which you argue a point -- an essay in which you prove a thesis. The argumentative essay starts with an introduction. The introduction is the gateway into your paper, and it serves two roles. The introduction should grab your reader's attention and let him or her know what your paper will be about. Your thesis must also let your reader know what your essay will be about. By the time he or she finishes your conclusion, the reader should know what you intend to write about, what you think of that subject, and what specific statement you intend to prove. The body is where you stop talking about what you're going to do in your essay and you start actually doing it. In other words, the body is where you actually prove the assertion you made at the end of your introduction. Because the body is meant to do the heavy work of your essay, proving the point which you want to make, the language in your body will most likely be less engaging and more basic than the language in your introduction. Because the job of the body is to prove the thesis, it is both the easiest and the most dangerous part of your essay to write. It's easy because the body is the part of the essay where the words probably come to you easiest, but proving the thesis often turns out to be easier said than done. Despite the fact that the total body of evidence may be somewhat inconclusive, it is your job to present the evidence in su...

foolear Essay on the Fool in Shakespeares King Lear -- King Lear ess

Importance of the Fool in King Lear       Beginning in the late 17th century, producers of King Lear removed the Fool from productions of King Lear. He did not return until 1838. Producers greatly diminished both King Lear and Lear as a result.    One should notice the importance of the Fool very early in the play. In Scene 4, Lear asks for his Fool twice. The second time is just a few lines after the first. He seems to need his Fool urgently. Yet the Fool has been pining over the loss of Cordelia (1.4. ). Yet Lear orders the Fool to come to him.    Upon the Fool's arrival, one can see the Fool is a king of teacher to Lear (1.4. ). The Fool arrives and begins to teach Lear a speech. Also, when the King is going mad, he asks the advice of the Fool. Although Lear may not realize it, he constantly depends on the Fool.    In addition to advice and teaching, the Fool adds commentary on Lear's decision. He voices what many people are thinking-Lear is the Fool. In fact, the Fool calls Lear less than a fool. He calls him nothing (1.4. ). His constant comments shed...

Digital Fortress Chapter 26

Sitting on the bench across from the public clinic, Becker wondered what he was supposed to do now. His calls to the escort agencies had turned up nothing. The commander, uneasy about communication over unsecured public phones, had asked David not to call again until he had the ring. Becker considered going to the local police for help-maybe they had a record of a red-headed hooker-but Strathmore had given strict orders about that too. You are invisible. No one is to know this ring exists. Becker wondered if he was supposed to wander the drugged-out district of Triana in search of this mystery woman. Or maybe he was supposed to check all the restaurants for an obese German. Everything seemed like a waste of time. Strathmore's words kept coming back: It's a matter of national security†¦ you must find that ring. A voice in the back of Becker's head told him he'd missed something-something crucial-but for the life of him, he couldn't think what it would be. I'm a teacher, not a damned secret agent! He was beginning to wonder why Strathmore hadn't sent a professional. Becker stood up and walked aimlessly down Calle Delicias pondering his options. The cobblestone sidewalk blurred beneath his gaze. Night was falling fast. Dewdrop. There was something about that absurd name that nagged at the back of his mind. Dewdrop. The slick voice of Senor Roldan at Escortes Belen was on endless loop in his head. â€Å"We only have two redheads†¦ Two redheads, Inmaculada and Rocio†¦ Rocio†¦ Rocio†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Becker stopped short. He suddenly knew. And I call myself a language specialist? He couldn't believe he'd missed it. Rocio was one of the most popular girl's names in Spain. It carried all the right implications for a young Catholic girl-purity, virginity, natural beauty. The connotations of purity all stemmed from the name's literal meaning-Drop of Dew! The old Canadian's voice rang in Becker's ears. Dewdrop. Rocio had translated her name to the only language she and her client had in common-English. Excited, Becker hurried off to find a phone. Across the street, a man in wire-rim glasses followed just out of sight.

Observation and Coaching Essay

Much about conversation depends on the rapport between the two parties. As Clutterback explains in his title; â€Å"Creating a Coaching Culture,† the quality of a relationship is determined by the rapport between the two parties in it. A good rapport implies a healthy relationship and therefore a learning conversation. Observations of people in conversation can reveal a great deal about the rapport between them and therefore an insight into the relationship they share. The tell-tell signs will be the body language of the parties in conversation as well as the brief moments of silence they share as part of their conversation. After all 55% of communication is done via our body language and facial expression (Albert Mehrabian – Best Practice in Performance Coaching). Though this task required the observation of the conversation of just a group, I must admit that I had to observer a number of groups in a number of settings before focusing on one. As I carried out these observations, the variations coupled with the literature on the subject brought out very many insights into the power of conversation and the enormity of the focus necessary, as a coach, to execute successfully, a learning dialogue. Staying in control is the ultimate goal and even when going down a slippery slope it is you who would have to determine how far down the slide goes. The Setting In my observations, I discovered that social environment in which the conversation takes place can have a great deal to do with the nature of the conversation. Cafes make for very fast light hearted conversations without much pause or reflection from either parties whilst parks and restaurants allowed for a slower pace of conversation with lots of moments of silence presumably accompanied by deep thought and reflection. The setting also shows disposition to certain types of body language expressed by the parties in conversation. Perhaps it is to do with the pace of the conversation or perhaps the social attributes of the environment. People I observe in parks and restaurants tend to demonstrate more closeness and rapport through their body language than those in cafes would. There were longer moments of eye contact, heavier body contact and more varied facial expressions. This is by no means a scientific conclusion on the impact of the conversational setting on the conversation we have as people but however a cue to pay greater attention to the setting of a coaching session with a coachee. I would imagine, the first step in taking control of the conversation is allowing the setting to be conducive to the objective of the coaching session. As I have noticed in the brief observations I have had, the right setting will allow for the right expressions from both parties and therefore facilitate the depth of the conversation. The danger however is to ignore the casual attributions which may then arise from the cultural dispositions of me as a coach and from the coachee as an individual towards their actions in relation to the environment. Casual Attributions in Conversation The reason why I would like to discuss this at this point is because it plays a lot in our reading, perception and judgement of conversation and particularly body language. The casual attribution theory discusses the reason for the judgement we make on why a person behaves or behaved the way they did. Psychological research on attribution has primarily studied the cause of another person’s behaviour. Attributions are ubiquitous in everyday life and as such are easily overlooked in our everyday conversations. As a coach, I believe it is very important to be acutely aware of the attributions we may place on a coachee’s behaviour or reactions and endeavour to keep an open and non-judgemental mind. This will allow our conversations to be much more forthcoming. Heider (1958) purports that perceivers (a role we would occupy as coaches) seek to attribute fleeting behaviour to stable dispositions. They tend to trace action to dispositions of the actor. In other words, a coach might be caught up in making judgements on the actions of the coachee based on the knowledge the coach has gained on the coachee as a person. This tendency was designated by Ross and Nisbett (1991) the fundamental attribution error. When I reflected on my preference to attribution, I noticed that I have a tendency to gravitate towards individualistic attribution tendencies. As a result to be a better coach it necessitates me to actively seek to balance this. Conversation is a two way process and therefore, awareness of the attributions that the coachee might be predisposed to will be vital. Sometimes the coachee’s action might be a reaction to your action(s) as a coach. It will be important to understand the coachee’s attribution tendencies thereby enabling you not only to manage your expressions (body language) but also to fully understand any actions by your coachee. Miller’s research in 1984 provided evidence that understanding of cultures is imperative in understanding the underlying reactions in conversation. Cultural psychology separates the cultures into individualistic and collectivist with both groups showing different tendencies of attribution. I therefore feel understanding your coachee’s background will be an important step towards achieving a learning conversation. Body Language and Rapport Alebert Merhabian’s theory suggests that when people have a rapport between them, they tend to have mirrored body language (Best Practice in Perfomance Coaching; Carol Wilson p129). This was explicit in my observations. I could tell when both parties exhibit mirrored body language such as leaning towards each other and laughing in tandem. This was a clear sign of the rapport between the parties, a significant indication of the intensity of the conversation. It is my belief that a good rapport between two parties in a conversation will make for easy listening enabling the listener to move up the levels of listening (Carol Wilson p21). The rapport between the two will aid in â€Å"cocooning† the conversation and allow for very minimal distraction. As a coach the objective will be to aim for intuitive listening thus developing a good rapport with the coachee is a step in the right direction. As Carol Wilson explains in her book – Best Practice in Performance Coaching – coaching only truly happens when we listen at higher levels i. e. intuitive listening. On the other hand, contrasting body language in a conversation can be indicative of a negative rapport between the parties in conversation. This might lead to a strained and unproductive conversation. Sometimes, it is necessary to stop and look at the underlying factors for the lack of rapport as opposed to â€Å"forcing† the situation by actively trying to mirror your coachee’s body language. This can at times go right down to the setting or environment or possibly the casual attributions tendencies of both individuals. Summary & Conclusion Much has been written about communication and conversation. It remains a powerful tool in coaching and therefore the greater the understanding we have as coaches, the better we will be able to use the conversation tool in executing our duties. In this report, I have looked at the impact on communication and conversation of three different aspects and seen how I can better prepare myself as a coach. My observations were a great cue towards helping me understanding communication. To attain my ultimate goal of always remaining in control, there are a good number of things to take into consideration. A lot in this report has focussed on the non-verbal aspects of the communication process. During the observation, I remained a good distance from the target group and therefore could not match the verbal communication to the non-verbal patterns that I observed. I am intrigued to know what the relation between the two will be. Are words a reflection of feelings? Are we more likely to control our physical expressions to avoid â€Å"causing a scene† in a public place? Are we mostly acutely aware of our surroundings? These are questions to which we might have no answers but can be used as important guides in analysing and controlling conversation. I have learned a great deal from these observations to make me a better coach. It is very important to understand and interpret non verbal cues in conversation paying particular attention to our own personal attributions as coaches that we might bring into the relationship.