Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Employee Engagement and Intrinsic Motivation Thesis

Employee Engagement and Intrinsic Motivation - Thesis Example In 2006, the Conference Board published ‘Employee Engagement, A Review of Current Research and Its Implications’. Going by this report we see that twelve extensive studies have been published over the course of four years mainly by research firms such as Gallup, Towers Perrin, Blessing White, and the Corporate Leadership Council among others (Soldati, 2007). The Conference Board as a result took and combined all the results in order to come up with a blended definition that incorporated all the themes in it. They define employee engagement as â€Å"a heightened emotional connection that an employee feels for his or her organization, that influences him or her to exert greater discretionary effort to his or her work†. According to at least four of the studies agree upon eight of the key drivers: 1. Trust and integrity – how efficiently do managers commune and do what they preach? 2. Nature of the job –Is it psychologically inspiring every day? 3. The line between company performance and employee performance – Does the employer have an idea of how their performance will affect the company as a whole? 4. Opportunities for career growth – Will there be opportunities to grow in the future? 5. Pride about the company – Does the employee feel proud to be associated by the organization? 6. Coworkers/team members – Teamwork will greatly improve the employee motivation 7. Development of the employees – Does the organization make an effort to improve the employee’s skills and abilities? 8. Relationship with the manager – Does the employee treasure his or her relations with the boss? The other vital findings of the study included the fact that in comparison to the smaller companies, the larger companies tend to involve the workers more in the workplace. Employee age also creates a big difference in the vitality of the various drivers. As an example we can quote that employees who fall over t he age of 44 will place more importance on ‘recognition and reward for their contribution’, in comparison to their younger counterparts who place a higher value on ‘challenging environment/career growth opportunities’. However, one things that came across as the most important factor among all studies was the factor of one’s relationship with one’s manager. It was seen that it highly influenced the motivation levels of the employees in almost every case. Also according to the report, employee engagement is plays a very important part in the workplace. There is obvious and rising proof that high levels of employee engagement eagerly associates to individual, group as well as corporate performance in a number of crucial areas such as loyalty, retention, productivity, customer service and turnover. It is also seen that this difference is not just by small margins but big ones. Even though the results varied from study to study, the employees who were highly engaged usually outperformed their counterparts by a whopping 20-28%. This is a clear image of how employee engagement influences their workplace decisions as well as paves a way towards further organizational success by effectively instilling into the workers a desire to work efficiently. Finally, there is some verification that companies are reacting to this concept of employee engagement challenge mostly by creating flatter chains of command and also providing training for first-line managers to improve the communication at all levels (Flemund &

Monday, October 28, 2019

Make Green Delicious Essay Example for Free

Make Green Delicious Essay With global accolades, rave reviews and local food critics, its customer bases has grown substantially. Kennedy wants to expose the thought of slow food philosophy to as many people as possible, from his customers, workers, to the community. In order to set up a foundation, build public relation and reach more people in the community, Kennedy has to spend more time and extra money which a lot of his chefs found it unnecessary. To balance between grown and sustainability, Kennedy should cut costs in other areas. C. Alternatives: 1. Set up foundation * Cut costs * Pair up with a local non-governmental organization as it may be hard to run a foundation without proper skills training 2. Do not set up foundation D. - Recommendation: Set up the foundation. If the foundation succeeds, it can achieve Kennedy`s goal of educating the public about the slow food philosophy. It will help the corporation overall as it furthers differentiate the brand. If the foundation fails, it will hurt the corporation a bit but with its 33 years of experience and brand building, it should be able to recover. E. - Implementation Plan: It may be a good idea to pair up with a local non-governmental organization so that it reduces the risk of failing to manage the foundation. It is important to look for a local non-governmental organization that agrees and aligns with the firm`s own philosophy and goals. In terms of cutting costs, as mentioned in the case, it can move the production kitchen to a lower cost location and supply Jamie Kennedy Kitchens with his own rural farm. In this way, efficiency is improved. One issue that should be taken into consideration is that by supplying the corporation with its own farm, it may be competing with the local suppliers and damage the established relationship between suppliers.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Woodstock 1969 :: essays research papers fc

Many large concerts have occurred in the United States, but none have been as symbolic as the three-day music and art fest that touted the slogans of peace and love. This event was identified as such as a result of the peace movement and the emergence of the flower children. Woodstock Music Festival took place near Woodstock New York on August 15, 16, and 17, 1969, and became a symbol of the 1960s American counterculture. Woodstock began with the following four partners: Michael Lang, the manager of a rock band, Artie Kronfeld, an executive at Capitol Records, and two capitalists, John Roberts and Joel Rosenman who supplied most of the money and the original idea. Their original plan was to build a recording studio in Woodstock, a small town in the Catskill Mountains that had become a rock music Mecca when musician Bob Dylan and his rock group called the Band settled there. To get the word out, the four partners decided to hold a concert, which they called the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. The group originally tried to have the festival in the town of Woodstock, but the citizens would not permit it. Then after much debate Michael Lang decided to move the concert to Wallkill, New York, where the people also protested, so finally he decided to move it about 70 miles away from the town of Woodstock to Max Yasgur’s dairy farm. Looking back on the sighting of the Bethel farm Lang remarked "It was magic, it was perfect. The sloping bowl, a little rise for the stage, and the lake in the background.† Woodstock had more acts scheduled to play then any other single event ever held before. They were trying to sign the biggest rock ‘n’ roll bands in America. The problem was getting the bands. Bands didn’t want to take contracts from an unproven venture, because they had no credibility. â€Å"To get the contracts, we have to have the credibility, and to get the credibility, we have to get the contracts,† Rosenman said. Woodstock Ventures solved that problem by paying enormous sums unheard of in 1969. The breakthrough came when they signed the Jefferson Airplane, the biggest psychedelic band back then. They signed for $12,000. An incredible sum of money considering the Jefferson Airplane usually took gigs for five or six thousand dollars. Credence Clearwater Revival signed for $11,500, and the Who signed for $12,500.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Essay --

During 26 December, the Fiji Meteorological Service's Tropical Cyclone Warning Center in Nadi, Fiji (TCWC Nadi), started to monitor a tropical depression that had developed within the Intertropical Convergence Zone about 575 km (355 mi) to the south-east of Nauru.[1][2] Over the next few days the depression gradually developed and organised further, as it moved towards the west-southwest under the influence of a north-easterly steering flow.[1][3] During 28 December, the JTWC classified the depression as Tropical Cyclone 05P, before TCWC Nadi reported that the system had developed into a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale and named it Rewa.[4][5][6] Over the next few days, the system gradually intensified under the influence of favourable upper-level winds while it moved towards the south-southwest, passing through the Solomon Islands on 29 December and affecting the southeastern islands of Papua New Guinea.[3][7] As it moved through the So lomon Islands, Rewa moved out of the South Pacific basin and into the Australian region, where the Bureau of Meteorology's Brisbane tropical cyclone warning centre (TCWC Brisbane) took the primary warning responsibility for the system.[4][8] On 30 December, the JTWC reported that Rewa had become equivalent to a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale (SSHS); early the next day TCWC Brisbane reported that the system had developed into a category 3 severe tropical cyclone, and an eye became visible on satellite imagery.[1][2][5] The system then abruptly turned and started to move towards the south parallel to the Queensland coast because of an interaction with an upper-level trough of low pressure.[3][4] On 2 January both the JTWC and... ... a tropical storm while throughout that day TCWC Brisbane assessed Rewa as a category 3 severe tropical cyclone.[2][7] During the next day, TCWC Brisbane reported that Rewa had weakened into a category 2 tropical cyclone as it recurved and started to move towards the south-east about 265 km (165 mi) to the east of Mackay, Queensland.[7][5] Over the next couple of days the system moved towards the south-southeast along the Queensland coast while maintaining its intensity.[5] During 21 January, TCWC Brisbane and the JTWC reported that Rewa had weakened below cyclone strength, as the system moved back into the South Pacific basin for the third and final time.[4][6] Rewa's remnants were last noted late on 23 January, by TCWC Wellington, bringing heavy rain to New Zealand, while dissipating over water about 400 km (250 mi) to the east of Wellington, New Zealand.[4][5][11]

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Edu100 Artefact Analysis

What does it mean to be a teacher in the 21st century? Schoolteachers provide students with education and preparation for adulthood. However, what it means to be a teacher in the 21st century is rife with ambiguity. An analysis of educational artefacts will aid in answering this question. One is a system-level document titled Closing the Gap (Appendix A), while the other is a school-level document outlining the homework guidelines at Siena Catholic College (Appendix B).Discussion on these documents will relate to one of four educational discourses and the effects of policies on students, teachers and the schooling milieu. The four educational discourses include academic rationalism, social and economic efficiency, child centred learning, and social reconstruction (Morris, 1998, p. 12). The Department of Education and Training produced the document Closing the Gap in July 2009. This document outlines an initiative to reduce Indigenous disadvantages under the pretence of education as a dominant catalyst for improved health and personal human capital.Ross & Wu (1995, p. 719) advocate this pretence, stating ‘high educational attainment improves health directly, and it improves health indirectly through work and economic conditions, social-psychological resources, and health lifestyle’. Halving the gap for Indigenous reading, writing, numeracy, and Year 12 attainment within a decade is the predominant goal for the Closing the Gap scheme. Essentially then, a discourse of social reconstruction underpins this document, as it focuses on community interaction, injustices, social problems and inequalities.Generally, the policies introduced enforce a foundation of inclusivity and anti-discrimination in the actions of teachers. The effects on students, however, will be more profound. Higher levels of education bring wealth and changes in social class, which in turn allows resources for further education (Orr, 2003, p. 282). This will narrow the social classes b etween students, encouraging collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Although a discourse of social reconstruction is prevalent throughout this document, some policies that are introduced are based on other discourses.Academic rationalism is another discourse that can be associated with the policies in Closing the Gap. The ‘Deadly Maths’ initiative encourages high expectations of attendance, behaviour and performance to raise numeracy education outcomes for Indigenous students. This policy aims to improve schoolteacher understanding of the nature and pedagogy of mathematics, particularly the role of symbols and pattern recognition. It also aims to improve the teachers understanding of the nature and pedagogy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, culture, language, and out of school life.Initially, this may seem unrelated to mathematics, or any academic discipline. However, teachers are not removed from traditions other than science, t hat is, rational inquiry and the search for truth. As Moran (2005) states, ‘An historian or a sociologist who is ignorant of religion will be hampered within his or her own field of scholarship. The classroom is not a place for proselytising but the traditions of the students deserve respect and the tradition of the teacher needs acknowledgment’.Differences in literacy and numeracy levels between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students were revealed through NAPLAN and will continue to be tested this way in the future. This method of testing can be attributed to the academic rationalist educational discourse and can be detrimental to achieving the goals and ideals detailed throughout this document. ‘The potentially destructive affects of such data on school, teachers' and students' self-esteem was suggested as a real negative of NAPLAN for Indigenous students’ (Lingard, 2011, p. 230).Ironically, the use of these tests is in opposition to a discourse of social reconstruction, the discourse which underpins the entirety of Closing the Gap. ‘From a social constructivist perspective, five explanations for the literacy achievement gap appear plausible: linguistic differences, cultural differences, discrimination, inferior education, and rationales for schooling’ (Au, 1998, p. 297). Au’s last three explanations given are now in the process of rectification. However, English is a second language for many rural Indigenous students, giving them an immediate disadvantage in IQ and NAPLAN tests.Figueroa & Garcia (1994, p. 10) state that tests and testing need to be racially and culturally non-discriminatory and should be provided in the primary language. If NAPLAN is used to measure the gap in literacy and numeracy skills, an overwhelming burden will be placed on schoolteachers. Indigenous parents will be encouraged to speak in English to their children from birth in order to close the gap, eventually leading to the abolishment of their native language. Alternatively, NAPLAN tests can be available in the native language.In this scenario, schoolteachers will be required to learn the native language; otherwise large numbers of teachers who are proficient in the native language will need to be trained. Another educational discourse presented in this document is one of social and economic efficiency. Closing the Gap also introduces some policies based on a discourse of social and economic efficiency. An example of this is the introduction of wraparound support for Indigenous school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SATs).These services assist in the participation and completion of SATs, mentoring, and successful transitions from school to employment or further training. This can be categorised into the social an economic efficiency discourse, as it focuses on current and future labour needs. This discourse adopts a ‘hands-on’ approach for students, expanding on vocational knowledge and skill s. Teachers play a major role in the advertising of such services and the modification of curriculum and co-curricular activities for students participating in SATs. When detailing their research, Smith & Wilson (2002, p. 7) reported that ‘more than half of the students had learned about the school-based new apprenticeship through school, either through a teacher or co-ordinator (58%) or from a notice board at school (6. 7%)’. These services positively impact on students, particularly those at risk of becoming socially isolated or disengaging from school. When speaking on students who are unlikely to pursue a bachelor’s degree, Bishop (1995, p. 14) states that ‘at-risk students should be advised to start building their foundation of occupational skills and knowledge while they are still in school’.Another policy presented in this document may also have a positive impact on Indigenous students. The ‘Flexible Alternative Learning Program’ presented in Closing the Gap is designed for students who are at-risk of separating themselves from school. This program delivers culturally relevant and capability appropriate curriculum, whether vocational or academic. The full range of student needs will be addressed, including basic material needs, travel requirements, health and nutrition and personal support requirements.This initiative is based on a child centred learning discourse as it focuses on the individual, providing opportunities for personal growth. However, all four educational discourses characterise different areas of this program. This program will allow students with special needs to have more time with teachers, ensuring teachers maintain a caring and nurturing environment. However, to further clarify the role of teachers in the 21st century, another document will be analysed. Siena Catholic College produced the document Homework Guidelines in 2007.This document outlines what homework is, why it is necessary, t he amount of homework given, and categorises the different types of homework. This document introduces homework with two definitions; as a method of consolidating or preparing for class studies, and as formal assessment that may be completed using both class time and time outside normal lessons. Against this first definition, Otto (1957, p. 367) states, ‘homework is not significantly related to achievement as measured by teacher marks or standardized tests’. However, many academics praise homework. Goldstein (1960, p. 22) believes that authors have a tendency to frame their conclusions of the values of homework in terms that favour preconceived notions about homework and for subsequent authors to cite these unfavourable conclusions rather than the actual research findings. The second definition given in this document is founded in a discourse of academic rationalism, where teachers test students on their ability to complete set tasks. This discourse can affect students negatively, giving those with more resources, such as access to tutors, ICT’s, and textbooks, a distinct advantage.Also, teachers should be cautious when conducting this form of assessment, as plagiarism can occur when students are not under direct supervision of the teacher. Although academic rationalism may impact negatively on teachers and students, other discourses presented in this document will not. A discourse of social and economic efficiency is prevalent throughout this document. The document praises homework for fostering good learning habits, self-discipline, planning, organising, ICT skills, resource collection and multimedia knowledge.These tacit skills can be utilised in many career pathways. Teachers have a duty to foster these skills in students, ensuring the homework tasks address these skills. Teachers also have an obligation to facilitate the acquisition of these skills, enforcing the use of planners such as diaries or timetables. As well as this discourse, social reconstruction is portrayed throughout the homework guidelines. An educational discourse of social reconstruction is apparent in this document.The document states that homework strengthens the partnership between home and school, providing parents with insights as to what is being taught. This encourages cooperation between schoolteachers and parents, especially when resources such as ICTs are not available to the student outside of school. Students are also encouraged to balance homework with family, social, work and extracurricular activities. This promotes collaborative learning and community interaction, which are also categorised under a discourse of social reconstruction.Lastly, the child centred discourse is also contextualised within this document. Homework Guidelines states that homework provides an opportunity for students to be responsible for their own learning. According to this document, homework also challenges gifted students to explore open-ended tasks, deve loping self-learning and independent inquiry. This quasi-acceleration rescues talented students from the boredom of insufficient challenges, helping them to develop better study habits and more realistic self-concept (Kulik & Kulik, 1984, p. 10). This teaching method is based on a child centred discourse. In taking this discourse to its extreme, teachers may set different homework tasks for each student according to their aptitude and future prospects. What it means to be a teacher in the 21st century is still to be determined. However, an answer to this question has been attempted through the use of academic artefacts which summarise policies and procedures at both the school and system level. The Department of Education and Training developed he document, Closing the Gap, which outlines initiatives to narrow the academic gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. As this document focuses on community interaction, injustices, social problems and inequalities, it is based o n a discourse of social reconstruction. This document delves into other discourses however, with the ‘Deadly Maths’ and ‘Parents as First Teachers’ initiatives being founded on a discourse of academic rationalism. The use of NAPLAN for testing students also falls under this category.A discourse of social and economic efficiency is portrayed in the use of SATs and the ‘Flexible Alternative Learning Program’ presents a child centred approach. The homework guidelines at Siena Catholic College are also embedded within the four discourses. Although the testing of students on homework is based on an academic rationalist discourse and may produce negative results, the tacit skills and knowledge gained from independent study can be applicable to many career pathways. The document outlines other positive outcomes of homework, such as parent-teacher interaction, and the challenging of gifted students.These policies and discourses may affect the teacherâ €™s inclusiveness, knowledge of other languages and traditions, knowledge of alternative educational pathways, ability to cater for those with special needs, understanding of resource limitations, fostering of work habits, ability to talk to parents, and development of aptitude based homework. Reference List Au, K 1998, Social constructivism and the school literacy: Learning of students of diverse backgrounds, Vol. 30, no. 2, p. 297, viewed 1 May 2012, Journal of Literacy Research. Bishop, J 1995, Vocational education and at-risk youth in the United States, Vol. 5, no. 19, p. 14, viewed 4 May 2012, Centre for Advanced Human Resource Studies. Goldstein, A 1960, Does homework help? A review of research, Vol. 60, no. 4, p. 222, viewed 1 May 2012, The Elementary School Journal. Kulik, J & Kulik, C 1984, Effects of accelerated instruction on students, Vol. 54, no. 3, p. 410, viewed 4 May 2012, Review of Educational Research. Moran, G 2005, On being deeply conservative, viewed 5 May 2 012, http://old. religiouseducation. net/member/05_rea_papers/moran_2005. pdf. Morris, P 1998, The Hong Kong school curriculum: Development, issues and policies (2nd Edition), p. 2, Hong Kong University Press, Aberdeen, Hong Kong. Orr, A 2003, Black-white differences in achievement: The importance of wealth, Vol. 76, p. 282, viewed 4 May 2012, Sociology of education. Otto, H 1957, Elementary education-Ill: Organization and administration, p. 367, Encyclopaedia of Educational Research, Macmillan, New York. Ross, C & Wu, C 1995, The links between education and health, Vol. 60, no. 5, p. 719, viewed 29 April 2012, American Sociological Review. Smith, E & Wilson, L 2002, Learning and training in school-based new apprenticeships, p. 27, viewed 29 April 2012, National Centre for Vocational Education Research.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Consumerism in Weeks Lintons Article Burden of the Modern Beast

Consumerism in Weeks Lintons Article Burden of the Modern Beast Introduction This paper analyzes impacts of consumer-driven society in the modern culture. Actually, Weeks Linton wrote an article entitled â€Å"Burden of the Modern Beast† to explain effects of consumers-driven custom in human community. Weeks Linton made an exciting study when he observed that people normally carry many belongings during commitments. Indeed, the article asserted that many persons carry bags when moving from one place to another or when doing different activities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Consumerism in Weeks Lintons Article â€Å"Burden of the Modern Beast† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the modern life, people are burdened with much stuff they carry out in their daily events. Actually, modern human being carries much stuff than inhabitants who lived in earlier generation. For example, in 1900s, people who engaged in painting profession never carried complicated stuff. Ne vertheless, in the modern time, painting task has become so much sophisticated due to technological advancement. For instance, modern Laptop holders have pouches meant to carry whole lot of stuff. Weeks Linton viewed that human being carry many belongings because he/she do not want to depend on a fellow being. In fact, such things people carry do not promote community life in human society. Indeed, such people usually become self dependent and isolated from others. For instance, this is evident when modern people engage in portable games, purchase complex Laptop cases, Cell Phones, and IPods (Rosa Eschhol, 2009). Moreover, modern human beings carry much stuff due to the fact that they feel insecure. Actually, people perceive that adversary is always out to attack them. In fact, people carry preferred devices for survival means. In addition, Himes asserts that human life, in the modern era, is much liquefied. Thus, they carry belongings in order to be equipped to engage in various a ctivities such as family commitments, school activities, work occupation, and leisure time (2007). According to Rosa Eschhol, modern people have become concerned whether human gains of material richness have prepared them to acquire happiness in life or not (2009). In fact, modern people are not happy and contented in life. Actually, modern people have incurred too much cost of acquiring materialism at expense of losing integration of community life in society. Modern human being has attained impressive progression in terms of global invention over the last three decades. Indeed, people have access to many material choices. For example, human being has acquired efficient products such as Whistle, Bells, and Gadgets (Fine, 2005). Actually, people have acquired sophisticated devices that efficiently and progressively make human life better. However, modern human being is not faring well simply because he/she sets aside minimal time to share human values with acquaintances. Indeed, pr omotion of environmental and social conscientiousness is a failed approach. Besides, Fine opines that it is important to note that modern people cannot segregate democracy from capitalism (2005). Actually, capitalism flourishes well where democracy deteriorates. However, capitalism has over powered democracy. At present, people refer to modern world as democratic capitalism.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Rosa Eschhol, it is inevitable that consumerism is growing because of increase in rationalization (2009). On the other hand, rationalization is growing because of need for consumerism. Actually, consumption is a real mass phenomenon due to the fact that people have to use goods and services in order to exist in life. Indeed, consumerism is an essential means of survival. In fact, people usually use material possession in order to live. However, rational ization is a blame for modern consumption in human society. Indeed, rationality has promoted people’s search for desired aims. People normally focus on satisfying their wants through consumerism. In addition, Rosa Eschhol opine that materialism is not just objects, but a device in which human being expects to attain visions in social status, reputation, esteem and aspiration (2009). Moreover, consumerism has offered a prospect for people to display and convey their identity (Himes, 2007). In fact, this justifies why people hold material things. Human superficial preoccupation to exterior manifestation of materialism is part of blame and problem. Modern people have been influenced into harmful livelihood due to wickedness of rationality (Rosa Eschhol, 2009). Moreover, consistent involvement in media images and human willingness to be ahead of other people has caused selfish attitude in people who always aspire to acquire massive wealth more than others. Conclusion People nee d to embrace shared human values by abandoning cycles of purchasing and requiring more materialism through establishing consciously essential and legitimate natural life in their human activities. Such attitude is acquired through adopting Godly life. Indeed, people need to be involved in creative social events and resting involvement while minimizing exposure of non-intercreative activity and noise experience. Moreover, power of endurance and patience is helpful to reduce psychological depression and establish God’s inspiration into people’s lives. In fact, people need to explore kindness in many natural ways rather than engaging in quest for individual prosperity accretion. Furthermore, consumers’ culture needs to put their interest on mission of God rather than material possession. Generally, the culture of value attainment is influenced by personal attitude and norms. These norms control property acquisition and belief in inter and intra personal commitment and interaction.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Consumerism in Weeks Lintons Article â€Å"Burden of the Modern Beast† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Fine, B. (2005). Consumerism in 20th Century Britain: the Search for a Historical Movement. Review of Social Economy, 63, 10-26. Himes, K. (2007). Consumerism and Christine Ethics. Theological Studies, 68, 54-80. Rosa, A., Eschhol, P. (2009). Models for Writers: Short Essays for Composition. 10th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Monday, October 21, 2019

L essays

L essays De plus en plus, le nombre de Qubecois qui voulaient de l'autonomie pour le Qubec agrandissait. Daniel Johnson, le chef de l'Union nationale, a couru et gagn contre Lesage avec le slogan, >. Aprs son lection en 1966, Johnson a donn le nom d'Assemble nationale du Qubec la lgislature qubcoise. A ce temps, il y avait deja deux petits partis indpendantistes qui voulaient que le Qubec soit son propre pays: Le Ralliement National et le Ralliement pour l'Indpendance Nationale. Il y avait aussi quelques groupes radicaux comme le FLQ, qui croyait qu'il fallait utiliser la violence pour atteindre l'indpendance. Aprs le mort soudain du premier ministre Johnson, l'Union nationale a perdu leur influence et le gouvernement librale est arriv au pouvoir en 1970, men par Robert Bourassa. Lui, il croyait que le Qubec pouvait rester dans le Canada, mais il y avait encore de la vigueur dans le mouvement indpendantiste, et l'opposition officielle l'Assemble nationale est devenu le Parti qubcois de Ren Lvesque, qui avait mit son focus sur l'indpendance du Qubec. Ren Lvesque tait connu et respect au Qubec. En 1960, il tait le ministre dans le cabinet Lesage. Puis, en 1967, Lvasque est parti du Parti libral pour runir les petits partis indpendantistes en un parti unique et structur, appell le Parti qubcois. Le Parti qubcois avait pris racine au Qubec et le nombre de ses membres augmentait. La question de l'indpendance divisait les Qubecois, tandis que les actions du FLQ ajoutaient l'embarras. Le FLQ avait ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Free Essays on Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur was an example of a truly gifted person who made many wildly diverse discoveries in many different areas of science. He was a world-renowned French chemist and biologist whose work covered the way for branches of science and medicine such as stereochemistry, microbiology, virology, immunology, and molecular biology. He also proved the germ theory of disease, invented the process of pasteurization, fermentation, and developed vaccines for many diseases, including rabies. Pasteur was born on December 27, 1822 in Dole, France, and grew up in the small town of Arbois. As a young boy, Pasteur showed no particular interest in science. His talents were mainly drawing and painting. During his youth, he developed an ambition to become a teacher. During his studies to become a teacher, a chemistry professor, Monsieur Jean-Baptist Dumas, fascinated him. He decided that he wanted to learn to teach chemistry and physics, just like his favorite professor. (Debre, P. Louis Pasteur.) In 1847 he earned a doctorate at the Ecole Normale in Paris, with a focus on both physics and chemistry. Becoming an assistant to one of his teachers, he began research that led to a significant discovery. He found that a beam of polarized light was rotated to either the right or the left as it passed through a pure solution of naturally produced organic nutrients, whereas when polarized light was passed through a solution of artificially synthesized organic nutrients, no rotation took place. If bacteria or other microorganisms were placed in the latter solution, then after a while it would also rotate light to the right or left. From this, he concluded that organic molecules exist in one of two forms, â€Å"left-handed† or â€Å"right-handed† forms. After spending several years researching and teaching at Dijon and Strasbourg, Pasteur moved in 1854 to the University of Lille, where he became the professor of chemistry and dean ... Free Essays on Louis Pasteur Free Essays on Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur: Greatest Achievements Louis Pasteur was one of the most important scientists of our time. The foundation of our knowledge about health and disease comes from the discoveries of this one man. He made many discoveries and solutions for problems of the every day life that are still in effect today. Pasteur was born on December 27, 1822 in a little town called Dà ´le in the foothills of the Jura Mountains of eastern France. When he was five years old his family moved to Arbois where he grew up with his father, mother, and three sisters. While attending primary school Pasteur was only an average student. Some considered him to be slow because he worked so hard on an exercise problem to make sure that he had the right answer. While in high school Monsieur Romanet, Pasteur’s principal, became interested in Pasteur and began to help him with his studies. With this encouragement Pasteur became a very good student. The principal suggested that he aim to attend Ecole Normale in Paris where he could become a professor at one of the great universities, however his father felt that this was far-fetched and preferred that Pasteur attend a more local school (Burton, 5-7). Although his father had other plans for him, Pasteur had the opportunity to attend a preparatory school in Paris before going on to Ecole Normale, however when he got to Paris he became very homesick and his father soon arrived to take him home. After returning to Arbois Pasteur attended a local school named Besancon where he worked very hard and became one of the top students in his class. In 1842 Pasteur passed the admission tests to attend Ecole Normale however he was rated fifteenth of twenty-two candidates and this was not good enough to satisfy him. He continued to study and finally in 1843 Pasteur sailed through his admission tests and was awarded fourth place among the other candidates (Burton, 7-11). Although Pasteur is sometimes considered to be th... Free Essays on Louis Pasteur LOUIS PASTEUR There is a time in every man's life when he looks to his God, when he looks at his life, when he wonders how he will be remembered. It can happen with age or with tragedy or closeness of death. I am lying here at age 45, not able to feel my left side. Not knowing if this stroke that has befallen me will end my life before the mysteries that I have unlocked can be resolved. I have asked God throughout my life to be able to "...bring a little stone to the frail and ill assured edifice of our knowledge of those deep mysteries of Life and Death where all our intellects have so lamentably failed." (Vallery-Radot, 88) Death is more familiar to me than I care to think... three of my daughters.. .my father.." I have been thinking all day of the marks of affection I have had from him. For thirty years I had been in his constant care, I owe everything to him. When I was young he kept me from bad company and instilled into me the habit of working and the most loyal and best filled life. He was far above his position (tanner) both in mind and in character. The touching part of his affection for me is that it was never mixed with ambition...and yet, I am sure that some of the success in my scientific career must have filled him with joy and pride..."(Vallery-Radot, 119) Science...it is my life..it has brought me a deepness of pleasure that I have always known yet never realized. I remember when I was working on the tartrates, tartaric acid and racemic acid or paratartrate. Tartaric acid was known to rotate light to the right, whereas paratartrate, odly enough, did not affect light in the least. "The fortunate idea came to me to orient my crystals with reference to a plane perpendicular to the observer, and then I noticed that the confused mass of crystals of paratartrate could be divided into two groups according to the orientation of their facets of symmetry. In one group, the facet of symmetry nearer my body was inclined to my r... Free Essays on Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur was an example of a truly gifted person who made many wildly diverse discoveries in many different areas of science. He was a world-renowned French chemist and biologist whose work covered the way for branches of science and medicine such as stereochemistry, microbiology, virology, immunology, and molecular biology. He also proved the germ theory of disease, invented the process of pasteurization, fermentation, and developed vaccines for many diseases, including rabies. Pasteur was born on December 27, 1822 in Dole, France, and grew up in the small town of Arbois. As a young boy, Pasteur showed no particular interest in science. His talents were mainly drawing and painting. During his youth, he developed an ambition to become a teacher. During his studies to become a teacher, a chemistry professor, Monsieur Jean-Baptist Dumas, fascinated him. He decided that he wanted to learn to teach chemistry and physics, just like his favorite professor. (Debre, P. Louis Pasteur.) In 1847 he earned a doctorate at the Ecole Normale in Paris, with a focus on both physics and chemistry. Becoming an assistant to one of his teachers, he began research that led to a significant discovery. He found that a beam of polarized light was rotated to either the right or the left as it passed through a pure solution of naturally produced organic nutrients, whereas when polarized light was passed through a solution of artificially synthesized organic nutrients, no rotation took place. If bacteria or other microorganisms were placed in the latter solution, then after a while it would also rotate light to the right or left. From this, he concluded that organic molecules exist in one of two forms, â€Å"left-handed† or â€Å"right-handed† forms. After spending several years researching and teaching at Dijon and Strasbourg, Pasteur moved in 1854 to the University of Lille, where he became the professor of chemistry and dean ...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

JetBlue - Case Study Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

JetBlue - Case Study - Coursework Example To analyze the strength and stability of the sales revenue earned by the company over the years, ratio analysis will be useful. Thus in this case study ratio analysis is applied for evaluating the increase in net revenue in relation to increased operating expenses. â€Å"Profitability reflects the final result of business operations.† (Chandra, 77). In order to identify the profitability of a company, gross profit ratio analysis and net profit ratio analysis have to be undertaken. The trend in the gross profit ratio of the company over the years shows that there is an increase in its gross profit. From a loss of about $21188000 in the starting year of 2000, JetBlue earned a gross profit rate of 8.366 % in the next year itself. This shows that the company has a high potential to overcome its financial challenges. In the year 2002, the gross profit ratio had increased to 16.528%. The half year performance of JetBlue shows a gross profit ratio of 18.07%. But after that in the next half year there occurred a slight decline in gross profit ratio can be seen. It is 17.32 %. The gross profit rate graph of the company shows signs of significant increase. Net profit ratio analysis of JetBlue further shows that the operating performance is considerably improving. In the initial year, the company has incurred operating loss of $ 21330000. In the next year, company earned net profit of $ 38537000. The net profit ratio in the year2001 is 12.027%. In 2002, it decreased to 8.64%. During the first half of 2003, it again increased to 9.76 % and in the next half year it further increased to 11.977%. Thus, the net profit ratio of JetBlue is not found to be stable in nature. The ratio analysis on sales revenue shows that there is fluctuation in the net profit of the company over the past three years. This is due to higher operating costs resulting from increased interest expenses and increased taxation charges. â€Å"Financial risk can be measured from operating

Friday, October 18, 2019

Distributive Justice ( healthcare ethics) Case Study

Distributive Justice ( healthcare ethics) - Case Study Example So, finally, the Krampitz family is absolved, their doctor is absolved. Who, then, is guilty for the lapse There is also the uneasy question doing its round in the mind - what were all the healthcare organizations doing while the Krampitz were busy sending out ads with their request On going through the guiding principles declared by some healthcare organizations one is led to except better vigilance from them. To quote a few, these are the quotes expressed by some of them: "I envision The Center as a guardian for the voiceless and as an educator. I fervently believe that although we may never evolve into a 'cash rich' organization, we must always remain rich in voice." (http://www.healthcare-ethics.org)1 "Hospitals such as UCLA Medical Center that develop and provide cutting edge medicine need a mechanism to balance complicated medical and ethical issues" said Dr. Neil Wenger, the center's director and a UCLA professor of medicine and health services research. "Academic medical centers often confront complex life and death questions. We must help patients and their families through the process of negotiating difficult ethical decisions. This center builds on our ethics consultation service by promulgating innovative research, providing opportunities for creative policy development and enhancing the knowledge and activities of doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains and medical students in addressing ethical issues at the patients' bedside." (http://www.healthcare.ucla.edu)2 Now, keeping in mind the Todd Krampitz incidence, and the well-meaning claims put up by different healthcare organizations, it is very difficult to be judgmental either way because it involves ethics on the one hand, and the precious life of a patient, on the other. At the outset, it must be clarified that the issue requires dispassionate deliberations. Todd Krampitz's life is precious to him and his family. Then there is one other patient among 17000, who is equally or more desperate for a liver transplant. Then there are ethics showing Todd Krampitz had circumvented the system for his own selfish purpose. Lack of Communication Ultimately, the whole issue boils down to one disappointing possibility. Lack of communication. Todd Krampitz did not realize the seriousness of the situation, being desperate to solve his own problem. His doctor was mostly likely unaware of the need to check up on the issues of ethics. After all, how many doctors will busy themselves on questions of ethics in so serious a situation as a failed liver. Will a lawyer go checking up with every accused to see how innocent he is before taking up the most deserving case Who should be blamed If anyone is to blame, then it is the system. The system has not been created which

Lesson Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Lesson Plan - Essay Example It is taken from the website of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Australia. It presents a model lesson plan for a state school in Australia. A lesson plan is a detailed description of the course instructed by the teacher to the class. Lesson plans are developed by the teacher on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. The lesson plan critique presented in this paper evaluates the course on the basis of its objectives, activities and assessment. Students will start learning the value of water and natural resources at an early age, which is beneficial for them and society. The objectives of the lesson plan include focusing on the values of responsibility, care, compassion, respect and sustainability. The key learning areas here include art, society & environment and science. The first activity includes thinking about water in a session. Students can  think and generate questions on the topic such as: What is water? Where does it come from? How it is stored and used? Is there enough availability of water for the humanity? Questions like these can certainly generate a lot of curiosity among children and help them in knowing its value and appropriate use. The thinking session will be followed by questions and queries discussed by students among themselves. They will be asked to write their ideas on the board. This activity asks students to identify ways of using water resources. Several pictures and short movies are shown to students and questions are asked based on water usage, responsible usage and conservation of water. Students are to visit the school campus and ask to note down the ways of water usage on a sheet of paper. Students will come to know the overall water usage from different sources such as drink taps, kitchen, gardening water, staff rooms and toilets. After this, they will categorize all what they have seen inside the school campus. The curriculum will move ahead with two activities covered in the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

History of International Terrorism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of International Terrorism - Assignment Example s throughout the world and how different religious-extremist or nationalist groups that are still active contribute to the history of international terrorism.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People often tend to think that terrorism did not exist before the 9/11 incident, that is not true. The roots of terrorism are deep-seated through the annuls of history. The word itself has been given many different meanings. In an online article, â€Å"The history of terrorism is as old as humans willingness to use violence to affect politics† (Zalman, n.d.). Based on what she says, we may trace the history of terrorism to the earliest of times when the common people used force to revolt against the tyranny of their monarch. As a term, terrorism isn’t quite simple to be limited by a definition. For some, it means to stand up for what you believe in and fight for it, to others it’s a crime. For some, it’s a strategy to break the hold of the tyrant, for others it may be tyranny in itself. For some, it’s their duty to God, to others it’s simply fanaticism by the name of God. Clearly, terrorism does not have an apparent definition. Although ter rorism may not be new, its interpretations and definitions throughout history have changed. What was considered an act of terrorism in the past may not fit the modern definition of terrorism. Zalman mentions how terrorism is more of a modern trend and how the mass media facilitates its purpose to invoke fear among the masses and how it is part of the international system itself (Zalman, n.d.). Let’s now look at a few important time periods in the history of international terrorism and the events that occurred before 9/11, it is important to note that it was not always centered around Muslims unlike modern terrorism. The phenomenon of terrorism has existed throughout history. Firstly, 1793: It is said that the foundations for modern terrorism were laid during this time, Zalman mentions, â€Å"The word terrorism comes from the Reign of Terror instigated by

The Health Care Industry in the Business World Essay

The Health Care Industry in the Business World - Essay Example This essay stresses that NHS is a company that has to improve its communication and intergration of accounting techniques and procedures to improve their level of understanding of how different variables can affect the financial bottom line of a company and how these techniques are able to measure precisely the performance of a company in different operational areas. A conglomarate health care organization which has many units performing different and similar type services has to receice support from all business departments to produce information that enables a company to support the decision making process of the company which is perform by the executive managerial staff of NHS. This paper makes a conclusion that it is difficult for a company to succedd if teamwork and productive synergies are not developed about the varios business units and operation departmetn of a company. Providing supporting services is the responsibility of professionals who work as business adminitrators. Within an organization one of the most influenctial deparments that prepares information regarding the economic activity in a company is the accounting staff. There are many techniques that manipulate information to convert raw data into valuable business reports and information that provides a compilation of the internal financial behavior of an organization as well as other information regarding the industry in which a company operates.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

History of International Terrorism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of International Terrorism - Assignment Example s throughout the world and how different religious-extremist or nationalist groups that are still active contribute to the history of international terrorism.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People often tend to think that terrorism did not exist before the 9/11 incident, that is not true. The roots of terrorism are deep-seated through the annuls of history. The word itself has been given many different meanings. In an online article, â€Å"The history of terrorism is as old as humans willingness to use violence to affect politics† (Zalman, n.d.). Based on what she says, we may trace the history of terrorism to the earliest of times when the common people used force to revolt against the tyranny of their monarch. As a term, terrorism isn’t quite simple to be limited by a definition. For some, it means to stand up for what you believe in and fight for it, to others it’s a crime. For some, it’s a strategy to break the hold of the tyrant, for others it may be tyranny in itself. For some, it’s their duty to God, to others it’s simply fanaticism by the name of God. Clearly, terrorism does not have an apparent definition. Although ter rorism may not be new, its interpretations and definitions throughout history have changed. What was considered an act of terrorism in the past may not fit the modern definition of terrorism. Zalman mentions how terrorism is more of a modern trend and how the mass media facilitates its purpose to invoke fear among the masses and how it is part of the international system itself (Zalman, n.d.). Let’s now look at a few important time periods in the history of international terrorism and the events that occurred before 9/11, it is important to note that it was not always centered around Muslims unlike modern terrorism. The phenomenon of terrorism has existed throughout history. Firstly, 1793: It is said that the foundations for modern terrorism were laid during this time, Zalman mentions, â€Å"The word terrorism comes from the Reign of Terror instigated by

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The history of pizza Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The history of pizza - Assignment Example Different analysts agree that the Italians prepared a basic form of pizza as early as the Stone Age. At this time, the bread served as a plate as it was used to sop up broth or gravies. The idea of using bread as a plate did not originate from the Italians; it originated from the Greeks. Between 521 and 486 B.C., historians note that the soldiers of Darius the Great made a kind of bread using their shields as ovens. They then covered the flat bread with dates and cheese and ate them for nourishment during their long marches. The third century B.C. saw Marcus Porcius Cato write about how people made flat bread on stones before dressing them with such things as honey, herbs, and olive oil. For the next several centuries, the trend of baking flat bread and topping it with different foods became well established. Between 1700 and 1800 A.D., the Greek settlement of Naples grew to become a populous city. The poor people who lived and worked in the city needed cheap food that they could conveniently consume as they went about their businesses. To meet this need, street vendors and informal restaurants prepared flat breads that they topped with different things. Although considered disgusting by many people at the time, the early pizzas that the poor people of Naple fed on have a close resemblance with what people consume as pizza today. Like it commonly happens today, these early pizzas were dressed with garlic, anchovies, tomatoes, and cheese. One individual that receives a lot of credit for inventing the modern form of pizza is Raffaele Esposito, a baker from Naples. The baker who owned a restaurant named Pizzeria di Pietro baked something that he fondly called â€Å"pizza†. His drive to make the pizza resulted from his desire to please the Italian, King Umberto I, and his wife, Queen Margherita, whom he learnt would be visiting his area. Although served with a variety of pizzas as they sought a break from their constant diet

Understanding Rhetorical Structures as They Pertain to Audience Essay Example for Free

Understanding Rhetorical Structures as They Pertain to Audience Essay This paper is about the understanding of the Rhetorical Structures as they pertain to audience, purpose, and context and how they affect the argument of whether taxes should be raised on higher income brackets in order to fund social programs for at-risk and underserved, low income children. I will discuss the relationship between the audience, purpose, and context to the context of the argument. Understanding Rhetorical Structures How do audience, purpose, and context affect the argument of whether taxes should be raised on higher income brackets in order to fund social programs for at-risk and underserved, low income children. I will discuss the relationship between the audience, purpose, and context to the context of the argument. Discussion The goal of this discussion is to see the relationship between audience, purpose, and context of should Taxes be raised for higher income brackets in order to fund social programs for at-risk, underserved, and low income children. The first audience for this group are wealth fortune 500 CEO’s. They are considered the in the higher income bracket in my opinion. They need to be educated on the understanding that even though most lower income families struggle, it is not because they are not trying. The economy has taken its toll on a lot of jobs here in the US over the past couple of years and even though they are working a full time job and sometimes two full time jobs, they cannot afford any kind of social program for their children. The present economy conditions are hurting the lower income families to the point that they struggle to make ends meet and can sometimes barley afford to put food on the table for their children. The higher income bracket would need to see just how little the additional taxes would take from them and what the benefits of those taxes could do for a low income family struggling to make ends meet. They still could possibly not be receptive to the idea, but giving them examples of the cost and benefits of such programs I think they would start to understand. The second audience for this group is the low income families of at-risk, and underserved, low income children. They need to be educated on the benefits that could come from the higher taxes. In my opinion, the higher income bracket can afford the higher taxes to fund some of these programs. The cost of living, food, gas, and housing all affect the income of many families in the US. If they understood what could come from the taxes, they could get some reissuance as to vote on such a bill if it came up to vote for the public. Education on the subject of the current tax laws would be a good example of what the different taxes brackets that are used today in the US. Lower income families would jump on the idea of being able to send their children to a soccer camp, or baseball camp. According to an article on â€Å"Taxing the rich is good for the economy†, raising taxes on the higher income bracket would reduce the taxes on low and middle income families. This would also allow for those families to keep more of their income to use towards these programs. All in all I think it would be a beneficial idea to entertain. The context of the economy, food, and taxes all play an important role in this argument. The higher income bracket would be resistant to the idea until they were presented with facts on the cost and the minimal decrease in income for them. The lower income families would be blessed with some relief with their children’s social experience and the ability to provide more learning resources to them.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Criticisms of Utilitarianism

Criticisms of Utilitarianism Essentially, utilitarianism holds that the correct course of action is that which will create the greatest level of happiness. Bentham called this the greatest happiness principle or the greatest felicity principle. He wrote the greatest happiness of all those whose interests are in question, as being right and proper, and only right and proper and universally desirable, end of human action. Utilitarians seek an empirical basis for morality through the measurement of happiness. The question that a utilitarian will ask himself is will this, of all possible actions, contribute most to the general happiness? Happiness is seen as the only thing that is good in itself and unhappiness the only thing that is bad in itself. Utilitarianism has broadly been categorised as either act utilitarianism, which is the form upon which Bentham founded his hypotheses and rule utilitarianism, which was developed by John Stuart Mill. Act utilitarianism envisages that the best course of action in any given situation is the act that will result in the greatest utility (i.e. the greatest benefit). Rule utilitarianism, on the other hand, holds that the correct course of action is that which follows the general rule which gives rise to the greatest utility. So, for example, it might be justifiable in terms of act utilitarianism for a group of friends to rob a person and share the money between themselves, but if this was to be the rule applied in every such situation then the effect on society as a whole would be such as to outweigh any happiness created by the act. CRITICISMS OF UTILITARIANISM Intuitively speaking, utilitarianism appears to be an extremely attractive philosophy. It offers a simplicity that many other philosophical approaches lack and in particular cuts through the mish mash of moral rules favoured by deontological thinkers. It is reconcilable with the majoritarianism favoured by democratic systems of government. Moreover, utilitarianism offers an obvious answer to the question of why we should act in a certain way in the absence of a religious justification. Despite this, the theory has attracted copious criticism. On a practical level, utilitarianism has been derided as unworkable, and even absurd. It has been argued that there is no adequate means of defining happiness, nor any suitable method for quantifying levels of happiness. Even if the theory can be made to work on a practical level, others argue, the results are morally wrong. Others object to the reduction of the human experience to the pursuit of pleasure. The various criticisms are too numerous and intricate to discuss in detail here and as such I will confine my discussion to two criticisms that are particularly prevalent in philosophical literature: the first relating to practical problems in applying the utilitarian concept and the second dealing with concerns arising from the results of utilitarian analysis. (1) Impossibility the untenability of the felicific calculus One of the most obvious problems with utilitarianism is that happiness, which lies at the heart of the theory, is an abstract concept. How can we hope to measure a quality that exists only in our minds? Furthermore, if we cannot measure happiness, how can we tell the effects that an action will have on the amount of happiness within a society? Bentham proposed a mathematical formula for calculating how an action will affect levels of happiness, which he called the felicific calculus, or utility calculus. In Chapter 4 of An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, Bentham sets out his formula in detail. In spite of this attempt at mathematisation, it is clear, as Smart points out, that the weighing of consequences seems more often a matter of vague intuition than of scientific calculation. The felicific calculus cannot really account for different degrees of happiness nor of the fact that different people are made happy by different things, and to different degrees. It cannot scan the minds of the population and know for certain what will increase their happiness. It is often impossible to predict even what the consequences of an action will be, so any attempt to predict the effects on happiness are presumably equally unfeasible. For example, a utilitarian might argue that, if it were possible to travel back in time, then it would be entirely permissible to murder Hitler in order to prevent the deaths of millions of people. However, it is impossible for us to know what the results of this would have been. Perhaps an even more wicked dictator would win power in his place and this could result in the suffering and death of twice as many people. Based on this difficulty, Bernard Williams, among others, ridicules the felicific calculus as absurd. He argues that utilitarians would be trapped in an eternal process of calculation in an effort to determine every tiny consequence of their actions. One utilitarian response to this accusation is that utilitarian calculations should be carried out subject to reasonable limits. If the calculation procedure was left to rattle on ad infinitum then it in itself would become too costly and would itself outweigh the benefits to be derived from the calculation. Allison said that utilitarians should adopt the summary rules approach taken by Rawls in A Theory of Justice. A pragmatic approach seems reasonable. J S Mill argued that, although the calculations were crucial, they have already been carried out in the whole past duration of the human species and have now come to form part of our moral rules. Therefore, we do not require to sit calculating the outcome of every action before we make it. Of course, to some extent it will be possible to tell instinctively what will result in the greatest happiness. Unfortunately, this does rather undermine the empirical approach that utilitarians seem to be aiming for. In any event, the felicific calculus is unconvincing as a tool of genuine usefulness and even modern utilitarians appear to have come to reject it. (2) Conflict with the concept of individual rights Utilitarianism, as has previously been remarked upon, is primarily concerned with the interests of the majority of the community. This is anathema to those who support the concept of individual rights as paramount. Dworkin, for example, believed that rights are trumps that overwhelm all other moral considerations. Although he noted the apparent egalitarian and impartial nature of utilitarianism, and acknowledged that utilitarian argument not only respects, but embodies, the right of each citizen to be treated as the equal of any other he goes on to point out that this was deceptive and could easily lead to the infringement of individual rights. He gives the example of how racial segregation might be justified under the happiness principle on the basis that segregation might be of benefit to a white law student as it would protect his interests even though a minority would suffer. Dworkin neatly summarises his position when he writes If someone has a right to do something then it is wrong for the government to try to deny it to him even though it would be in the general interest to do so. It has been argued that the consequentialist nature of theory means that all manner of rights violations and atrocities might be justified by utilitarian analysis. If the end justifies the means then, to give a topical example, is it acceptable to torture a terrorist in order to obtain information as to the whereabouts of a bomb? Is it acceptable to torture his family to pressurise the terrorist into talking? If the torture results in the finding of a bomb, which is then defused, saving many lives, then the utilitarian position would presumably support the torture in both cases. Rights-based theorists, on the other hand, would consider torture to be a violation of the terrorists rights that could never be justified. Moreover, at an instinctive level the average person would be revolted at the thought of torture, if not of the terrorist then certainly of the terrorists family. It is difficult to see how utilitarianism can be reconciled with human instinct in such circumstances. A rule-utilitarian would seek to circumvent this problem by arguing that torture, if applied as a general rule, would have such a detrimental effect on society that its use cannot be justified under the greatest happiness principle. Torture in a single situation might be justified, but the fear and shame that would arise in the community at large as a result of a widely used policy of torture would outweigh the immediate benefit in this situation. John Stuart Mill also argued that there was utilitarian value in the protection of rights, since this would increase overall happiness. This is a compelling argument. The act-utilitarian, however, would seemingly be bound to accept the torture as morally legitimate. What, then, of large-scale atrocities? It could be argued that a consequentialist approach has been used to justify many of the worlds worst crimes against humanity. Smart concedes that, under a strict utilitarian analysis, it would be justifiable to cause suffering and death to a large number of people on the grounds that an even larger number would ultimately benefit. However, he points out that it would be necessary in utilitarian terms to be very sure that the future generation would benefit and, since it would almost certainly be impossible to be so certain of the future, utilitarianism would not in fact sanction the atrocity. Moreover, he says, even if we could predict the future with absolute certainty, the chance that a large-scale atrocity would result in a benefit of sufficient scale to outweigh the horror it causes is so remote that utilitarians would almost certainly condemn the atrocity. Unfortunately, this defensive argument serves to re-iterate one of the criticisms previously alluded to allude: namely, the difficulties inherent in predicting the consequences of ones actions. By admitting that we cannot predict the outcome of, for example, genocide, Smart leaves utilitarian theory open to the accusation that there are many actions for which we cannot predict the outcome, which would suggest that it is too risky to ever take any action at all. Smart confesses that a utilitarian may have to confess doubt and ignorance is of course in accordance with his empirical attitude, however this seems to be passing the buck somewhat given the staunchly empirical tradition that underlies utilitarianism. CONCLUSION The classical conception of utilitarianism as presented by its early adherents is certainly flawed and, with such keystone concepts as the felicific calculus having been undermined, it might appear that utilitarianism as a philosophical position is otiose. Moreover, it is difficult to see where utilitarianism can sit comfortably within our contemporary culture of individual rights and freedoms. Modern utilitarians, however, continue to argue their corner. Raymond Frey, also quoted by Allison, argues that utilitarianism has never ceased to occupy a central place in moral theorising [and] has come to have a significant impact on the thinking of many laymen. The actions of governments, both in this country and abroad, in response to a perceived increase in the threat of terrorism is arguably testimony to extent to which utilitarianism influences current political thinking. Of course, it may be some time before we discover whether these actions are ultimately successful in ter ms of the maximisation of happiness or whether they have the opposite effect.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Demise of the Great Democracy Essays -- Education

Demise of the Great Democracy From the Declaration of Independence, where America’s forefathers had bounties on their lives; to the fight for integration in 1960- America strives to create equal opportunities within its boundaries. â€Å"Land of the Free† and â€Å"Land of Opportunity,† rightfully earned names America hold. Keeping the opportunities rolling, the G.I. Bill allowed war veterans to attend college at an affordable rate, giving every person a chance to attain their full potential, no matter their situation. Unfortunately, an educational gap still continued to stabilize, sending America into the hands of literate voters and a questionable future. The current solution to this gap, called the No Child Left Behind Act, (NCLB), insists that schools use standardized tests to show improvement in students each year. These tests attempt to stitch-up the educational gap but fails overall because it pushes the best and the brightest students down to an average level of a nation ranked numbe r forty-two in literacy in the world, (Mundi Index). While the No Child Left Behind Act delivers more accountability on education systems, and has a great intention of improving students to a proficient level, it also causes a detrimental, disadvantageous, and stunting growth of our democratic nation. Revised as The No Child left Behind Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, presented in President Lyndon B. Johnson’s â€Å"War on Poverty,† aimed to reduce the nation’s high poverty rate during 1965, (US Government). Closing the achievement gaps between the economical classes of America’s by providing equal opportunity provided the Elementary and Secondary Education Act’s (ESEA) goal. President Johnson only authorized this act until 1970,... ...p://www.nagc.org/index2.aspx?id=548>. "No Child Left Behind Act." New York Times. 9 2 2012: n. page. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. . Phelps, Richard P. Defending Standardized Testing. Introduction. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, 2005. Pollard, Jonathan. StandardizedTesting.net. 2002. January 2012 . US Government. U.S. Department of Education. 6 12 2010. January 2012 . US Legal. USlegal.com. n.d. February 2012 . White, Deborah. "Pros & Cons of the No Child Left Behind Act." US Liberal Politics . New York Times Company, n.d. Web. 14 Mar 2012. . Demise of the Great Democracy Essays -- Education Demise of the Great Democracy From the Declaration of Independence, where America’s forefathers had bounties on their lives; to the fight for integration in 1960- America strives to create equal opportunities within its boundaries. â€Å"Land of the Free† and â€Å"Land of Opportunity,† rightfully earned names America hold. Keeping the opportunities rolling, the G.I. Bill allowed war veterans to attend college at an affordable rate, giving every person a chance to attain their full potential, no matter their situation. Unfortunately, an educational gap still continued to stabilize, sending America into the hands of literate voters and a questionable future. The current solution to this gap, called the No Child Left Behind Act, (NCLB), insists that schools use standardized tests to show improvement in students each year. These tests attempt to stitch-up the educational gap but fails overall because it pushes the best and the brightest students down to an average level of a nation ranked numbe r forty-two in literacy in the world, (Mundi Index). While the No Child Left Behind Act delivers more accountability on education systems, and has a great intention of improving students to a proficient level, it also causes a detrimental, disadvantageous, and stunting growth of our democratic nation. Revised as The No Child left Behind Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, presented in President Lyndon B. Johnson’s â€Å"War on Poverty,† aimed to reduce the nation’s high poverty rate during 1965, (US Government). Closing the achievement gaps between the economical classes of America’s by providing equal opportunity provided the Elementary and Secondary Education Act’s (ESEA) goal. President Johnson only authorized this act until 1970,... ...p://www.nagc.org/index2.aspx?id=548>. "No Child Left Behind Act." New York Times. 9 2 2012: n. page. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. . Phelps, Richard P. Defending Standardized Testing. Introduction. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, 2005. Pollard, Jonathan. StandardizedTesting.net. 2002. January 2012 . US Government. U.S. Department of Education. 6 12 2010. January 2012 . US Legal. USlegal.com. n.d. February 2012 . White, Deborah. "Pros & Cons of the No Child Left Behind Act." US Liberal Politics . New York Times Company, n.d. Web. 14 Mar 2012. .

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Biological And Physical Process Of Aging Essay -- essays research pape

The aging process is difficult to analyze because of the way that the body’s organ systems work together. The breakdown of one structure will ultimately affect the function of others. The medical field of gerontology deals with examining the biological changes of aging, both passive and active, that occur at the molecular and cellular levels. This paper will seek to explore those changes, and the affect that they have on the process of aging. Aging as a passive process involves the breakdown of structures and the resulting slowing of functions. At the molecular level, passive aging is seen as the degeneration of the elastin and collagen proteins of connective tissues. These proteins are primarily responsible for the smoothness and firmness of young skin. Consequently, when these proteins breakdown, the skin will sag, and the muscle will lose its firmness. Another sign of passive aging is the breakdown of lipids at the biochemical level. As aging membranes leak during this lipid degeneration, a fatty, brown pigment known as lipofuscin accumulates. As this happens, the mitochondria, or the â€Å"powerhouse of the cell† begins to break down, thereby decreasing the amount of energy that is being supplied to the cell. This cellular degeneration may be set into action by highly reactive chemicals known as free radicals. These molecules have an unpaired electron in the outermost valence shell. This causes the molecule to grab electrons from other molecules, setting into motion a chai...

Friday, October 11, 2019

X-IT and Kidde Case Study

They depicted an interest in purchasing X-IT; more particularly just intellectual property of their ladder design and X-IT was not closed to the idea. A fear that most companies hold when collaborating with another is of protecting their proprietary technologies. X-IT had this fear as well and applied for a patent. Unfortunately, due to a lack of money and in turn a lack of knowledge power, they were unable to protect their innovation from Kidded. Kidded, with the help of an unethical attorney, worked around X-IT's still processing patent to â€Å"legally' create a similar ladder.Nonetheless, X-IT does hold a fair amount of ammunition against Kidded. Copyright infringement and the breach of confidentiality agreements are the strongest legal claims that X-IT has. Within the confidentiality agreement between these two companies, it clearly states that Kidded would only use the pending patent information to analyze the potential transaction (purchasing X-IT). Additionally, it was agree d upon that the patent information would be kept limited to individuals involved in the transaction and that if X-IT requested the information back, it would have to be returned.Although Kidded had agreed to use X-IT's patent information only to evaluate, they used it for another purpose altogether. With the aid of an outside attorney, they utilized the information to make a change in the ladder's design that could possibly provide Just enough Justification to prove that they were not infringing. In fact, if X-IT had the funds they most likely would have won a case against Kidded. The copyright infringement by Kidded was impossible to miss and, if taken to court, would weigh heavily.At the Hardware Show, Kidded not only displayed but also presented their version of X-IT's ladder to numerous retail representatives (eye-witnesses). The convicting evidence here is that Kidded failed to change the retail box design which evicted Debonairness nephew and sister-in-law. Possibly, this was a way to trick consumers into thinking that it was the same product X-IT was selling. 2. Even though suing Kidded seems like the ethical step to take, there are pros and cons to such action. A pro of suing Kidded is that X-IT has a sufficient amount of documentation and strong testimonies which would likely lead to a win.They could request for eyewitnesses from the Hardware Show to appear in court and testify. This would set a strong basis for and argument that Kidded committed multiple intellectual property infringements against them. In addition, presenting the confidentiality agreement with signatures would lock Kiddies into involvement. Coupling all documentation, witnesses, and claims together would provide enough credence for X-IT to walk away as winners in this case. When their intellectual property was stolen, X-IT was in an unhealthy financial situation.If they had went forth with a case, the influx of funds for the damages caused by Kidded to X-IT could have kept the compa ny better afloat and further away from bankruptcy. Ultimately, if the case opened, X-IT may have the opportunity to win and grow their business further. A win would mean that they do not have to sacrifice the innovation they created. However, the major con is what kept X-IT from suing Kidded originally. Opening a case is very costly and would require for X-IT to pay ridiculous legal fees. According to the article, Kidded had over $2 billion in revenues.They could very easily hire more qualified representatives and pay all other fees. X-IT is cash strapped and could be overrun if they can't acquire the necessary funding. In addition, Kidded would most likely continue its regular business operations as they dealt with their legal matter on the side. On the other hand, X-IT would have to halt production and focus their funds on resolving the case first. In the end, if Kidded wins the case, X-IT would almost definitely go into bankruptcy and lose any sight of their innovation. 3.If I we re Aledo Debarring I would do anything I could to save my business and my innovation. As a first step, I would contact a decent attorney to acquire an analysis of my case. Under full confidentiality, I would share documentation to see if there is any precedence for the problem I am facing. If the attorney seems confident that X-IT has a good chance of winning, I would go forth with my claims. I would take an unorthodox route and ask for help from the general public. On a whole, Americans are not big fans of large corporations.I would go public with X-IT's story on various news channels and asks for donations. X-IT represents the â€Å"American dream† of a small successful business and I think people would flock to support it. The fact that X- IT is in danger of being bulldozed by a larger company and they can't fight back would rally the general American public support. In addition to public support, I would organize a meeting with the investors and board of directors at X-IT . Side's sales would take a blow if the public supported X-IT but the true funds to fight this battle would come from this meeting.I would present all the information and even provide them with the attorneys thoughts to garner support and reach an agreement on the course of action to be taken. A case could be made that the lawsuit, although risky, offered an opportunity of winning. X-IT would be able to punish Kidded for intellectual property infringement. The investors might be willing to support it because of the company's potential. Much like Amazon's stock holders they may iced to invest for long-term future gains. If I were to lose the case but somehow avoid bankruptcy, I would simply move ahead with my business.I would learn from my experience and walk on with a better understanding on how to protect my company's innovations. I would make the investment and hire a person or small team to monitor dealings with other companies. They would be qualified and would have a better und erstanding of when, what, and how to disclose company information. 4. There is not a doubt that both Kidded and Slavonic acted unethically in this matter. Kidded was shady from the start with their actions. From the time they showed interest within X-IT they had bad intentions.At a point in the article, it even stated that Harper, although still desiring to purchase the company, would be Just as happy if Kidded acquired X-IT's ladder innovation in itself. They had recognized it as a dominant design and wanted it any way possible. After having their offer denied, they continued to pursue the design. They even had a Chinese factory recreate the product to the best of their ability, with intentions to override X-IT. Slavonic, much like Kidded had given his word to be a fair middleman and keep all information confidential, which he absolutely did not.When he was approached about the situation after-hand by Vive at a meeting he denied being at fault and claimed that X-IT knew all along t hat he was supporting Kidded. This is obvious proof that Slavonic was a corrupt attorney who was likely paid out by Kidded. This entire case is an unfortunate one. X-IT was a very innovative business with a bright future but couldn't hold their ground due to a lack of money. Kidded was experienced and took advantage of the fact that X-IT did not have a strong team or sense of business practices yet.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Illustration of how the Polis was the center of Athenian Life Essay

Introduction The word Polis (poh-lis) referred to the city-state, to the fortress, and to the people as a whole.   Greek city-states often grew up around forts on the hills or mountaintops for their protection. These city-states were independent states (a nation of its own) that controlled a limited amount of farmland surrounding the territory .The Greek city states were small of which the ideal size was a population of about 5,000 male citizens, who were the only people counted in official records. Of all the polis, Athens had the largest population, reaching to about 35,000 male citizens in the middle of the fifth century B.C. Because of its small size, the people (citizens) had the opportunity to interact closely with each other.   When there is no war, Athenian life revolved around the state[1]. This paper will illustrate how the polis was the center of Athenian life. The illustration will be derived from examples of the political and cultural activities of its citizens. Political Life Political Participation Like most Greek city-states, the Athenians developed political units that were centrally based on a single city (Athens). Athenians were the first people in history to lead the establishment of a government in which free citizens ruled themselves. This type of government was called â€Å"democracy† meaning â€Å"rule by the people†.[2] Previously, Athens was ruled by powerful noble officials known as archons who tended to favor the upper class of Athens but because of lower class Athenian protests, the leadership was transferred to Solon in 594 B.C. Solon was a statesman, poet and merchant who was widely regarded as wise and just. Solon made political reforms that decreased the power of the nobles. He divided Athenian citizens into four classes based on wealth, not on noble birth. This gave the merchants a voice in the government, for citizens in the three highest classes could hold public office and later all male citizens were expected to serve in the government.[3] About 510, Athens was ruled by Cleisthenes. After consulting with the Assembly he reformed the political system by dividing Athens into ten areas called demes.[4] To safeguard the new democratic government, Cleisthenes started a new practice. Once a year the Athenians voted out a person who they suspect will become a tyrant leader.   If 6,000 votes were cast against a particular person, he was forced to leave Athens for ten years. Because votes were written on a piece of broken pottery called an ostrakon, this practice became known as ostracism. Few people actually were ostracized but the custom gave citizens more power. Pericles, who ruled Athens in 460 B.C., increased the participation of Athenians in politics. He opened government jobs to all classes and government officials were paid salaries so that even poor citizens could serve as officials.   Citizens were given the freedom to criticize leading generals or statesmen without being punished. The duties of government were performed by ordinary citizens. They took care of the public buildings, kept the waterfront safe for ships, and watched over the city’s food supply. They served in the army and rowed ships in the navy. Rather than being elected, officials were chosen by lot (a process similar to having one’s name picked out of a hat). They held office for one year and could not hold the same position again. This gave every male citizen a chance to serve the community.[5] In fact, the Athenian political system of allotment made it possible for every male citizen to be liable for executive government duties. Participation in the Assembly The number of Athenian citizens was small enough for them to govern themselves in a direct democracy. There was no need to elect representatives as most modern democracies do. About forty times a year all citizens met in the Assembly (supreme-decision making body in Athens) in an open area on a hill called The Pnyx. The Assembly meetings were opened for every male citizen over the age of 18.[6] There they debated, voted all matters of domestic and foreign policy and made the laws. They themselves decided whether to sign a trade treaty, build a navy, or make peace. Although every male Athenian had the right to attend, due to limited space and other practical reasons, not all of them were able to attend every meeting. With a total male population of 30,000, the Phynx can only accommodate 6,000 of them. Nevertheless, Assembly meetings were events that most Athenians look forward to. Usually Assembly meetings were scheduled just after dawn, delayed only when citizens and presiding officials were late. It is significant to note that any citizen, whether he held a public office or nor, had the right to speak or voice his opinions before thousands of his fellow Athenians. Before or after the speech, each citizen was expected to openly show their support or disagreement for it was assumed that each Athenian citizen could think intelligently about community affairs.[7]   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Participation in the Council (Boulà ª) The Athenian Council was composed of 500 members. These members were chosen by lot from 50 citizens of the 10 Athenian tribes.   Any male with an age over 30 had the opportunity to serve in the Council although not all are required to do so. Usually eligible males in each deme (local municipalities) would volunteer themselves and 50 of them were selected by lots to serve in the Council.   Athenian citizens are allowed to serve twice in the Council. Unlike the Assembly, the Council met everyday, except for festival days and certain other forbidden days, in the Agora. If there was an Assembly meeting, the council would meet in the afternoon for normally Assembly meetings end at noon. The Council’s primary responsibilities include the preparation of an agenda for the Assembly, drafting of bills and the supervision of the public officials.[8] The Council would give an account of its actions and activities before the Assembly (meaning before all the Athenian males) at the end of its year of service. What was interesting about the Council was that their activity was supervised daily by each different member of the Athenian tribes. In other words, through the casting of lots a new chairman was elected every day and was entrusted with the keys to the temples that kept the state funds, records and state seal. The daily change of Council leadership  Ã‚   means that the reins of the Athenian government were in the hands of a different Athenian citizen every day of the year.[9] This was a remarkable way of managing political affairs where competency and efficiency does not make one hold on to a government position. Women and slaves in Athens were excluded from government service however. But in spite of that they found other things to do in Athens like raising the family and participating in festivals. [10]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   D. Participation in the Law Courts Because of their democratic form of government, every accused Athenian were tried in the Athenian courts. Every year 6,000 mostly poor Athenian citizens were chosen by lot to serve in the jury. They were not forced to serve in this function but voluntarily put themselves forward because of the prospect of receiving salary. The Athenians were eager juries who would show up in the courts early in the morning for daily sessions. The numbers of juries needed for that day were selected with the use of a complicated allotment machine. The allotment process takes two steps, first to select the juries and second to select the court rooms where they will be assigned.   Because allotment occurs daily, there was a constant change of juror for all cases. The reason for this complicated behavior was to prevent the occurrence of bribery. There was no way of knowing in advance whether a certain juror will serve that day and if he does what case he will be assigned. As mentioned earlier the court system was run by non-professionals. There were no professionally trained judges and lawyers to rely upon. Unlike today, public prosecutions in ancient Athens were not represented by assigned district attorney to serve as prosecutor and there was no lawyer assigned for the defendant.   In private cases, both the accuse and the plaintiff defended themselves. Final decision for court cases was obtained after the jury (without discussing with each other) voted. Private prosecution only last 9  ½ hours while private ones took about only two hours. Justice was rather quick for the Athenians. [11] Cultural Life Love of Learning The Athenians love to educate themselves. There were so many things that they wanted to know and learn. That is why they produced great philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. The Athenians discussed their ideas in the Agora or marketplace daily.[12] There they argue, discuss or scrutinize some new knowledge   The Athenians considered education necessary for good citizenship. Boys were enrolled in private schools or taught at home by tutors, often educated slaves. They learned reading, arithmetic, and the works of Homer and other great poets. Young men studied public speaking, geometry, astronomy and poetry and were encouraged to discuss their ideas about politics and questions of right and wrong. The Athenians were very fond of the athletics. All schools of Athens had physical education as part of their curriculum. An Athenian philosophy was that an ideal citizen is a product of exercise and morality.  Ã‚   There were many athletic events in and around Athens that the Athenians look forward to. The underlying purpose of  Ã‚   all the sacrifices of self-discipline and learning were for each Athenians to be hailed  Ã‚  Ã‚     worthy of Athens and to bring honor to its name especially by winning in the Athletic games against other Greek-states. Pre-occupation with Arts and Literature Athens was the cultural center of Greece. The Athenians believed that a man’s life was empty if he failed to use his mind and develop his talents. Because of that philosophy the Athenians made extraordinary achievements in art, literature, science and philosophy. In these fields, they set standards for later Western civilization. Because they placed high value on individual excellence, Athenian cultural heritage continue to awe and inspire modern men. Athenian poets and playwrights wrote enduring masterpieces. Poetry played an important part in expressing the Athenian view of life. Their poems vividly showed people striving to live up to standards of courage and honor. Poems were also written to honor victors in athletic games and heroes killed in battle, which of course encouraged the Athenians to refine further their talents and win victories for Athens. Plays were popular entertainment for all Athenians.   The Athenian ruler Pisistratus sponsored the first drama festivals in 534 B.C Because. Greece had a mild climate, the dramas were performed outdoors, in a large theater built into the side of a hill. The theater held as many as 20,000 people. Opening day was a public holiday. The poor were given money to buy seats, and prisoners were even released from jail to watch the performances. Many people brought food, for performances often lasted from sunrise to sunset.[13] As in some modern theaters, audiences in ancient Athens sat in half-circle around a circular area where the actors, dancers, and musicians performed. Athenian playwrights also wrote comedies that made fun of Athenian politicians, generals, philosophers and other playwrights. Also Athenian artists and architects created simple and beautiful styles that continue to serve as models. The style of Greek architectural style had been used in thousands of public buildings in the United States and Europe. Practice of Religion Athenians were firm believers of gods and goddesses which they honored in shared community rituals and festivals. Processions, music, animal sacrifice and communal dining were participated by all Athenians. Athenian arts not only express the Athenian love for what is beautiful but also to honor their gods by building shrines and temples for them around Athens. [14]An example is the pillared temples on the Acropolis, a hill in the center of Athens. The largest is the Parthenon, the temple of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens. The Parthenon seems to have grown out of the rocky hillside in the center of the city. It is simple, but perfectly proportioned, built of white marbles. It originally held a 40-foot-tall ivory and gold statue of Athena. Athenians also made statues of their gods and goddesses. These gods and goddesses were pictured in the form of beautiful human beings, for that was the way the Greeks imagined them Conclusion Athenian life revolved around the city-state (polis) of Athens. Its small size and democratic form of government had enabled the citizens to actively participate in all of its affairs and to ensure its stability.   They collectively participated in the management of the state with all male being given the opportunity to lead their communities. Their rich culture boasts of famous philosophers, beautifully designed shrines and temples and religious fervor with gods and goddesses that are as famous as Athens itself. It is clear to see that with the time and devotion that they had given to their political and cultural life within the walls of Athens, the city was an important part of their lives. Bibliography Athenian Life. Brooklyn College Classic Homepage 2008 .Retrieved February 1, 2008 from   http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/athnlife/index.htm Lang, Mabel L. The Athenian Citizen. Princeton, New Jersey: American School of Classical Studies at Athens,1960. Parker, Robert. Athenian Religion. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997. Perry, Marvin. A History of the World. New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 1988. Stockton, David. The Classical Athenian Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. [1] Marvin Perry, History of the World, New York: Houghton-Mifflin, p. 69 [2] David Stockton The Classical Athenian Democracy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990), 1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 [3]   Marvin Perry, A History of the World ( New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 1988), 71-80. [4] David Stockton, The Classical Athenian Democracy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990), 57 [4]   Perry, 73. [6] Mabel Lang, The Athenian Citizen (New Jersey: American Classical Studies at Athens), 3-4. [7] Athenian Life, available from Brooklyn College Classic Homepage, 2008 from   http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/athnlife/index.htm [8] Mabel Lang, The Athenian Citizen (New Jersey: American Classical Studies at Athens), 10. [9] Athenian Life, available from Brooklyn College Classic Homepage, 2008 from   http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/athnlife/index.htm [10] Marvin Perry, A History of the World ( New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 1988), 75. [11]  Ã‚   Athenian Life, available from Brooklyn College Classic Homepage, 2008 from   http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/athnlife/index.htm [12]   Mabel Lang, The Athenian Citizen (New Jersey: American Classical Studies at Athens), 67. [13] Marvin Perry, A History of the World ( New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 1988), 82-86. [14] Robert Parker , Athenian Religion ( Oxford: Clarendon Press ), 67-80.